Written and recorded in the fall of 1980 by Beach Boy Carl Wilson and his talented songwriting collaborator, Myrna Smith of The Sweet Inspirations (Elvis Presley’s backup singers), this previously unreleased treasure was originally considered for inclusion in the 1981 documentary film, This Is Elvis, but was ultimately not used in the soundtrack. Beach Boys aficionado and collector, Chris Cameron, recently purchased the music master in an estate sale and brought it to my attention for authentication since Carl was my brother-in-law and dear friend. I was surprised to hear the unmistakable voices of Carl and Myrna accompanied only by Carl’s artful fingerpicking style on his acoustic guitar. It was simple in its recording yet powerful in its performance. I immediately sent copies to my nephews, Jonah and Justyn Wilson (Carl and my sister Annie’s sons), as well as Carl’s then personal manager, Jerry Schilling (Myrna’s former husband) for their comments and opinions. They all concurred that it was a wonderful, long-lost masterpiece. Personally, I would describe it as reminiscent of Carl’s heartfelt ballad “Heaven” from his first solo album, Carl Wilson. “This Is Elvis” recently aired publicly for the first time when Elvis’ friend, Schilling, debuted it worldwide during an interview with DJ Argo on SiriusXM’s Elvis Radio live from Elvis’ home, Graceland. The stunning image of Elvis, seen here as our avatar, is a blend of the original artwork used for the motion picture along with additional graphic touches from Greer Upton, a childhood family friend of ours who knew Carl very well and loved him like a brother. Upton is an art consultant who lives in Northern California and is a multiple California Arts Council Grantee. Her husband, John Watrous, also assisted in the project; he is a longtime art teacher and visual artist. Billy Hinsche Las Vegas, Nevada September, 2015 Credits: Music: Carl Wilson Lyrics: Myrna Smith Vocals: Carl Wilson & Myrna Smith Acoustic guitar: Carl Wilson Recorded in 1980 at Caribou Ranch, Nederland, Colorado Mixed in 2014 at No Name Sound, Boston, Massachusetts Liner notes – Billy Hinsche Graphic artwork – Greer Upton Additional graphic design – Kathleen Parks Perry Project Producers – Billy Hinsche / Chris Cameron Special thanks: Jerry Schilling, Gary Hovey (Elvis Presley Enterprises), Authentic Brands Group (ABG), Dave Ingham (No Name Sound) All earned proceeds from the download of “This Is Elvis” will solely benefit The Carl Wilson Foundation (CWF) www.carlwilsonfoundation.org