On December 3, 1968, NBC viewers tuned in expecting a holiday treat from Elvis Presley. What they saw was something else entirely.
His manager, Colonel Tom Parker, had sold the network on a wholesome Christmas special, with Presley in a sweater, singing carols, and wrapping things up with “Silent Night.” What aired instead was the entertainer clad entirely in black leather, closing with a plea for a better world.
In a rare act of defiance against the man who steered his career, Elvis and producer-director Steve Binder had quietly thrown out the Colonel’s plan, and the result was the most important hour of the entertainer’s career.
Fifty-eight years later, the ’68 Special still doesn’t evoke a holiday feel. Instead, it’s more of a comeback, and in some ways, a rebellion.
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According to the official Graceland blog, the event was officially titled Singer Presents Elvis, but has since become known as the ’68 Comeback Special. The blog wrote, “Garnering about 42% of the viewing audience, and over 50 years later, it’s still one of Elvis’ most defining moments in a career full of iconic performances, movies and music.”
Graceland wrote, “The Singer Company, known for its sewing machines, became the special’s only sponsor, and Singer executive Alfred D. Scipio liked the semi-documentary feel of the special, which would showcase Elvis as an innovator in music. The concept, he felt, complemented Singer products.”
Director and producer Binder was the perfect man for the job. He’d made his name on the TV series Hullabaloo, Shindig, and the concert film The T.A.M.I. Show, a favorite of the King of Rock and Roll’s. After a hit Petula Clark special, the young producer seemed like a natural fit for Presley’s comeback special.
The king delivered an unforgettable melody of classics during filming, spanning early rock ‘n’ roll anthems like “Hound Dog” and “All Shook Up” to timeless ballads like “Love Me Tender” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”
Behind the scenes, the show relied on the powerful songwriting duo of Billy Strange and Mac Davis. Fresh off collaborating with Presley on the film Live a Little, Love a Little, where they crafted the smash “A Little Less Conversation,” the pair contributed key tracks to the special, including “Memories” and “Nothingville.” To satisfy Parker’s persistent demand for a holiday moment, the setlist also included the tune, “Blue Christmas.”
The spark for the ’68 Special’s most famous segment happened completely by accident. Binder walked into Presley’s dressing room one evening to find him hanging out with his inner circle, informally jamming.
He knew instantly that fans needed to see that type of performance from Presley. Therefore, he brought out his original bandmates, DJ Fontana and Scotty Moore, joined by close friends Charlie Hodge, Alan Fortas, and Lance LeGault, for the jam that became a landmark piece of music history.
The ’68 Comeback Special revitalized Presley’s music career. It reignited his passion for live performance and proved that the 33-year-old rock icon was still a dominant, magnetic force in music. It subsequently set the stage for his record-breaking Las Vegas residency and full-scale return to the road in 1969.
Colonel Tom Parker may have wanted a cozy Christmas special to wrap up the year, but Elvis Presley needed a comeback. By swapping predictable holiday tunes for raw rock ‘n’ roll and candid jam sessions with his closest friends, the ’68 Special reminded the world that the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll was back on his throne.
Related: In 1977, a Country Singer Heard Elvis Presley Had Died and Within Days, Wrote a Tribute—Three Weeks After It Hit the Airwaves, It Had Sold a Million Copies
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