‘Elvis’ Soundtrack Expanded Edition Features Previously Unreleased Austin Butler Performances

On the eve of Sunday’s (March 12) Academy Awards, movie maximalist Baz Luhrmann is giving Elvis fans more, more, more. The director whose dizzying biopic of The King is nominated for 8 Oscars announced a deluxe edition of the movie’s official soundtrack on Tuesday (March 7) featuring previously unreleased recordings of star Austin Butler, some contemporary versions of Elvis classics and the new mash-up “Backstreet Boss Nova (Daisy O’Dell Remix)” that mixes up Presley and the iconic ’90s boy band.

Related

“The whole Elvis music team has answered the call from fans with this new Deluxe Edition of the Elvis soundtrack,” said Luhrmann in a statement. “Featuring everything from previously unreleased recordings by Austin Butler to contemporary takes on Elvis’s classics and a fresh mash-up with the Backstreet Boys, the Deluxe album reveals all the complex layers of Austin’s performance, Elvis’s music and those who continue his legacy.”

At a massive 52 tracks, the deluxe edition features “Toxic Las Vegas” (Presley x Britney Spears and “Fly Away Weave” with the film’s scorer, Elliott Wheeler, as well as Gary Clark Jr., Shannon Sanders, Nashville Urban Choir, Butler, Shonka Dukureh and Lanesha Randolph. The beefed-up album also has the Presley songs “Rubberneckin’,” “Blue Moon,” “Can’t Help Falling In Love” (Wheeler remix and Aug. 12 — Midnight Show version), “A Little Less Conversation” (Presley x JXL) and Butler performing “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Heartbreak Hotel” (with Wheeler), “Are You Lonesome Tonight” (with Wheeler) and “Crawfish” (live on set).

Also included is “How Do You Think I Feel” by Kodi Smit-McPhee (who plays Jimmie Rodgers in the film) and Wheeler and Kacey Musgraves and Mark Ronson’s version of “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” which, along with the Spears song were released as singles leading up to the original album’s release.

Listen to the Elvis deluxe edition below.

Gil Kaufman

Billboard