New Wax Wednesday

When it comes to the King of Rock & Roll, nothing is too EPiC (acronym-derived case sensitivity specifics very much intended) for director Baz Luhrmann to tackle. Relative to the theatrical premiere of Luhrmann’s latest visual ode the King, EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert — which hits theaters with a one-week exclusive IMAX engagement on February 20, 2026, followed by a global theatrical release from NEON and Universal Pictures International a week later on February 27, 2026 — RCA/Legacy will be releasing a companion 2LP soundtrack on April 24, 2026.

The double-LP EPiC Original Motion Picture Soundtrack collects 26 recordings heard in the upcoming film, featuring updated mixes of iconic live performances alongside new remixes and medleys of classic Elvis recordings. (The digital/CD version that arrives two months earlier on February 20, 2026, comes in at 27 tracks.)

In addition to the standard black vinyl edition, the 2LP EPiC set comes in two color variants: a) the Graceland-exclusive Red Marble edition; and b) the Amazon-exclusive Translucent Orange and Yellow vinyl edition. The 2LP black vinyl edition has an SRP of $36.99, and it can be preordered from Music Direct here, and/or via the MD link graphic ahead of the tracklisting section. As of this posting, the Graceland Red Marble exclusive is not listed there — though you can also get the black vinyl version through them here (for $34.98) — while the Amazon color-variant exclusive can be pre-ordered here. As of this posting, the Amazon variant sports an SRP of $35.98.

How did this EPiC project come about? While making his 2022 film Elvis (Footnote 1), Luhrmann and his team uncovered a treasure trove of long-hidden film negatives and footage in the Warner Brothers vaults, originally captured for a pair of documentary films: a) Elvis: The Way It Is, which chronicles the King’s August 1970 residency in Las Vegas; and b) Elvis on Tour, which was shot throughout his 1972 concerts all across the States, in addition to including never-before-seen 8mm footage and never-before-heard audio of Elvis speaking about his life. (The latter film has a complementary 5CD/1BD 45s-sized box set, but no exact vinyl replication/representation as of yet.)

Coupled with remixes and medleys that blend, reimagine, and reinterpret Presley in bold new directions, the resulting EPiC film and soundtrack are said to serve as a testament to Elvis’ 1970s performances. To get an early taste of what’s to come, check out the lead track “Wearin’ That Night Life Look” (LP1, Side A, Track 5) via its official YouTube clip below. This cut draws from four classic Presley recordings — namely, “Wearin’ That Loved On Look,” “Night Life,” “I, John,” and “Let Yourself Go” — to, quote, “create an entirely new track from Elvis DNA,” as envisioned by Luhrmann and the film’s Grammy-nominated music producer, Jamieson Shaw. (Luhrmann is also the soundtrack’s executive producer.)

In a press statement, Luhrmann revealed the inspiration behind the new medleys and remixes on the EPiC soundtrack: “We were constantly asking ourselves, ‘What would Elvis do if he were around? How might he experiment, where might he go?’ He was always a musical searcher, looking for different flavors and sounds.” (Bonus points for those of you who immediately thought of the 2019 Elvis documentary BD/DVD/CD release called The Searcher upon reading that statement.)

Naturally, I cannot give out official ratings until I get the EPiC vinyl in hand and in ear, but the Music starts with an overall baseline rating of 8.5 — some of it goes to 9, and even up to 10 — and the above, blended “Look” track intrigues me enough about to what we might expect from the other medleys and remixes. I’m always game for acquiring worthy additions to my Elvis LP collection, so we shall see/hear just how well Luhrmann and Shaw do here when the time comes.

A few more stats now before Elvis leaves the building, er, this post. EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert debuted at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival to much acclaim. Luhrmann and his team spent years restoring the EPiC material, collaborating with Academy Award nominee Jonathan Redmond and Peter Jackson’s Park Road Post Production, as well as many others. What was revealed — apart from Presley’s “iconic, one-of-a-kind performance energy” — was that the man behind the myth was “totally at ease on stage, able to feel the true love of his fans, and communicate himself with an intimacy and humanity, unlike any other artist,” as Luhrmann described it. That all sounds quite alright to me, mama. Let’s get EPiC!

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Author bio: Mike Mettler is the editor of Analog Planet in addition to being the Sound Chaser columnist and contributing music editor to one of our other sister sites, Stereophile, in addition to being the regular Vinyl Icons column scribe (and occasional Opinion columnist) for Hi-Fi News and author of numerous box set liner notes. Plus, he’s quite partial to vintage 1967 Mustang fastbacks, but that’s yet another story for a different time and place.

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Footnote 1: If you haven’t seen Elvis yet, you’re in for a treat. And if you have seen it, time for a refresher! I happened to review the Ultra HD 4K BD version of Elvis on our now-defunct sister site Sound & Vision on November 4, 2022, but you can still access that review here.

If you want to check out more of our Elvis coverage here on AP, I took a walk down Sunset Boulevard, a ’70s rarities-oriented 2LP set on RCA/Legacy, here in New Wax Wednesday on June 18, 2025.

Finally, back over on S&V, I spoke with producers Don Reedman (Barbra Streisand, Michael Crawford) and Nick Patrick (Plácido Domingo, Il Divo) about The Wonder of You: Elvis Presley With the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra 2LP set on RCA/Legacy here on November 18, 2016.

EPiC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT
ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK
2LP (RCA/Legacy)

LP1, Side A
1. Can’t Help Falling In Love (EPiC Intro)
2. Also Sprach Zarathustra / An American Trilogy (EPiC Version)
3. That’s All Right (EPiC Version)
4. Tiger Man (EPiC Version)
5. Wearin’ That Night Life Look
6. Hound Dog (EPiC Version)
7. Polk Salad Annie (EPiC Version)

LP1, Side B
1. You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling (EPiC Version)
2. Little Sister / Get Back (EPiC Version)
3. Burning Love (EPiC Version)
4. Never Been To Spain (EPiC Version)
5. Love Me (Jamieson Shaw Remix)

LP2, Side C
1. I Can’t Stop Loving You (EPiC Version)
2. Are You Lonesome Tonight (EPiC Version)
3. Always On My Mind (EPiC Version)
4. How Great Thou Art (EPiC Version)
5. Oh Happy Day (EPiC Version)
6. A Big Hunk O’ Love (EPiC Version)
7. Bridge Over Troubled Water (EPiC Version)

LP2, Side D
1. In The Ghetto (Jamieson Shaw Remix)
2. Walk A Mile In My Shoes (EPiC Version)
3. Suspicious Minds (EPiC Version)
4. Bring The Curtain Down (EPiC Outro)
5. Can’t Help Falling In Love (EPiC Version)
6. American David (EPiC Version)
7. A Change Of Reality (Do You Miss Me?)