THE ELVIS PRESLEY SONGS THAT WERE ALMOST IN THE 1968 COMEBACK SPECIAL — AND THE ENDING THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
What if the legendary 1968 Elvis Presley television special had ended completely differently?
For millions of fans, the phrase “Elvis ’68 Comeback Special” immediately brings to mind the black leather, the intimate sit-down performances, the explosive stage sequences, and, above all, the unforgettable closing performance of “If I Can Dream.” But behind the special that audiences eventually saw was a very different original concept—one containing songs and sequences that were ultimately removed.
And some of the titles on that original list may genuinely surprise even longtime Elvis fans.
According to the discussion featured in the supplied Elvis fan-channel transcript, the original concept included “Guitar Man,” “A Little Less Conversation,” “US Male,” “Cotton Candy Land,” “How Would You Like to Be,” “Wooden Heart,” “Can You Find It in Your Heart?” and even “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” The information was attributed in the discussion to Keith Flynn’s Elvis Pages.
The biggest shock?
“If I Can Dream” was not originally supposed to close the show.
The original concept reportedly called for “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” as the finale. At the time, the Christmas song made logical sense because the program was being prepared for the holiday season. But imagine the emotional impact of the special without Elvis standing before the audience and delivering the powerful message of “If I Can Dream.”
It is almost impossible to imagine the history of Elvis the same way.
The proposed sequence also contained a group of movie-related songs that were eventually discarded: “Cotton Candy Land,” “How Would You Like to Be,” “Wooden Heart,” and “Can You Find It in Your Heart?” The discussion raises the intriguing possibility that these songs may have been intended as a themed segment, although the exact creative plan remains uncertain.
Then there was “US Male.”
Some fans in the discussion felt this song could have worked particularly well in the intimate portions of the program. Others questioned whether placing it inside the high-energy hit medley would have interrupted the momentum. Either way, its inclusion in the original concept reveals just how different the special might have been.
Even more fascinating is “A Little Less Conversation.” Today, the song is internationally famous, especially because of its later remix and resurgence. But the discussion points out that its original 1968 release was not the enormous commercial success many modern listeners might assume. That raises an interesting question: did its relatively modest chart performance contribute to its removal from the television special? The transcript presents this as a possibility—not a confirmed explanation.
And then there is the larger question: Who was shaping Elvis’s direction?
The conversation repeatedly turns toward Colonel Tom Parker and Steve Binder. Participants speculate that Parker favored certain more traditional or commercially familiar material, while Binder’s approach helped create a much more contemporary and creatively focused Elvis special. The transcript also discusses the claim that Parker later prevented further contact between Elvis and Binder, though these interpretations should be treated as discussion and opinion rather than established fact.
What makes the story so fascinating is that the discarded material wasn’t necessarily “bad.” Some fans would have loved to see Elvis perform “US Male” or other songs that never made the final broadcast. But the 1968 special had limited time, and every song that remained helped define the final identity of the program.
And perhaps that is the real twist.
The greatest Elvis television special might have become something entirely different if the original plan had survived.
Instead of ending with “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” Elvis ended with “If I Can Dream.” Instead of allowing the program to become heavily dominated by movie material and Christmas programming, the final version became a dramatic statement about Elvis reclaiming his musical identity.
The supplied transcript repeatedly emphasizes how important that change was. One caller describes “If I Can Dream” as the perfect climax, while “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” would have felt like an anticlimax in the context of the program.
That single decision may have helped transform the special from a seasonal television appearance into one of the most enduring moments of Elvis Presley’s career.
And there is another remarkable detail from the same discussion: the original Sun recording history reveals how unpredictable Elvis’s path could be. During his first true Sun session on July 5, 1954, the musicians reportedly tried “Harbor Lights” before moving into “I Love You Because.” The transcript also notes that during the final Sun session in November 1955, Elvis and the band were working on “When It Rains, It Really Pours” when the news arrived that RCA had agreed to acquire Elvis’s contract.
Think about that for a moment.
A young Elvis walking into Sun Studio could have followed an entirely different path. And years later, an established Elvis preparing for his 1968 television comeback could once again have followed a completely different path.
History often turns on decisions that audiences never see.
The songs that were cut. The songs that were kept. The producer who pushed for something different. The manager who wanted something safer. And finally, the song that became the closing statement.
“If I Can Dream” wasn’t simply the last song of the special. It became part of the story of Elvis’s return.
That is why the deleted material remains so fascinating decades later.
Because when we look at the finished 1968 special, we see a masterpiece.
But when we look at what almost happened, we see just how close history came to giving us a completely different Elvis Presley comeback.
