Although the point of view is purely subjective August 1970 is probably Elvis at his absolute peak as a live performer. Having already conquered Las Vegas with both his return to live performances a year before or consolidating that position with a triumphant return in January/February 1970 whilst updating his setlist with more contemporary material, he reached another level entirely in August.
The stratospheric levels that Elvis would reach in this Vegas season would never again be reached with such consistency. Elvis would still have many more peaks and outstanding shows but not for a complete season and for that there were many reasons maybe not clear then but certainly now.
As every show throughout this engagement was of an exceptionally high standard it is almost impossible to find a show which is better than any other. Many fans however are of the opinion that the Midnight show of 12 August was that show indeed the linear notes from the 2000 special edition, 3CD version of TTWII, on which that show was first released makes reference to this.
The Midnight show of 12 August 1970 is without doubt an excellent show and includes the version of ' You've Lost That Loving Feeling' with a wonderfully unexpected reprise and the final live version of 'Words'. After the band introductions Elvis embarked on a twenty minute period that would never be repeated starting with a four song burst of 'Heartbreak Hotel', 'One Night', 'Blue Suede Shoe's' and 'All Shook Up'.
Fortunately all of this and what was to follow was recorded by MGM during the filming of what was to become 'Elvis - That's The Way It Is' as this was the fifth of six shows filmed. Whilst the first part of the aforementioned twenty minutes was included in the film why the second part was not is as inexplecible as it is unforgivable especially as it was still left out of the 2001 re-edit.
The first hint of this hidden gem was on the 'Las Vegas' disc of the 1980 'Elvis Aron Presley' boxset which had a medley of 'Little Sister' and 'Get Back' but at that point we had no idea as to how much more was after that. Just before this Elvis asked for a stool and with an electric guitar started singing as if in a jam session and the result was astonishing.
This video is that second part of those twenty of so minutes and you can see and decide for yourself if this is Elvis at his absolute best - relaxed and totally immersed in the moment!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ5C43YYfE8
Showing posts with label TTWII. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TTWII. Show all posts
Sunday, 5 July 2015
Wednesday, 13 May 2015
Bridge Over Troubled Water - 11 August 1970 Dinner Show
By August 1970 Elvis was back on top, not just the king of rock 'n' roll but now arguably the King of entertainment. The six shows filmed by MGM for TTWII show Elvis at the height of his powers. he had managed to combine the theatrics and bombast of Vegas and incorporate them in his show which resulted in a performance that was almost as much Broadway as Las Vegas. Now Elvis had finally found a way in which to integrate all of his musical influences and country music for example finally had a place within the Elvis repertoire.
Probably the biggest influence on Elvis and that closest to his heart was gospel music and in 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' he found a song in which that influence could shine through. Wheras the original recording by Simon (the song's composer) and Garfunkel is somewhat subdued Elvis turns it into a powerful showpiece.
This performance from 11 August 1970 Dinner Show, only the second time that he had sung it live, is Elvis Presley at his absolute peak and anyone who hears this cannot possibly have any doubts as to his vocal prowess or to the magnificent entertainer that he had become. Many fans point to the performance at Greensboro Coliseum almost two years later, the rendition included in the 'On Tour' movie as their favourite. Whilst acknowledging that it is a fabulous performance it seems to lack the freshness of those from August 1970 and now by this time, three Vegas seasons, one Tahoe Season and three tours later it almost feels like a routine performance.
In his book 'Heartbreak Hotel' author and music critic Robert Matthew Walker writes of this performance:
'Presley's outstanding singing is not disguised; this is a fabulous version, burning with sincerity and power, and finding depths not revealed by it's composers'
It was widely written around this time that after after witnessing an August 70 rendition of the song in Vegas that Paul Simon said
'That's it we might as well all give up now'
although he has since denied saying those exact words.
However in Rolling Stone magazine interview:
Paul Simon later noted that Presley's rendition of his song was a "touch on the dramatic side." "But so was the song," he added. "When I first heard Elvis perform 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' it was unbelievable. I thought to myself, 'How the hell can I compete with that?'"
So now, put on you headphones turn the volume up full and witness Elvis at his absolute best!!!
The audio in this video has been replaced with audio from disc#3 of Sony's TTWII Deluxe Edition which contains the entire 11 August DS from which this performance originates.
Probably the biggest influence on Elvis and that closest to his heart was gospel music and in 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' he found a song in which that influence could shine through. Wheras the original recording by Simon (the song's composer) and Garfunkel is somewhat subdued Elvis turns it into a powerful showpiece.
This performance from 11 August 1970 Dinner Show, only the second time that he had sung it live, is Elvis Presley at his absolute peak and anyone who hears this cannot possibly have any doubts as to his vocal prowess or to the magnificent entertainer that he had become. Many fans point to the performance at Greensboro Coliseum almost two years later, the rendition included in the 'On Tour' movie as their favourite. Whilst acknowledging that it is a fabulous performance it seems to lack the freshness of those from August 1970 and now by this time, three Vegas seasons, one Tahoe Season and three tours later it almost feels like a routine performance.
In his book 'Heartbreak Hotel' author and music critic Robert Matthew Walker writes of this performance:
'Presley's outstanding singing is not disguised; this is a fabulous version, burning with sincerity and power, and finding depths not revealed by it's composers'
It was widely written around this time that after after witnessing an August 70 rendition of the song in Vegas that Paul Simon said
'That's it we might as well all give up now'
although he has since denied saying those exact words.
However in Rolling Stone magazine interview:
Paul Simon later noted that Presley's rendition of his song was a "touch on the dramatic side." "But so was the song," he added. "When I first heard Elvis perform 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' it was unbelievable. I thought to myself, 'How the hell can I compete with that?'"
So now, put on you headphones turn the volume up full and witness Elvis at his absolute best!!!
The audio in this video has been replaced with audio from disc#3 of Sony's TTWII Deluxe Edition which contains the entire 11 August DS from which this performance originates.
Monday, 11 May 2015
Don't Cry Daddy / In The Ghetto - 13 August 1970 Dinner Show
When the Lost Performances was released on home video in 1992 we all sat with mouths wide open at what we were seeing. Here in front of us, salvaged from an MGM vault contained within a disused salt line in Kansas and found during a routine inspection in 1986, was footage from TWII and On Tour that many suspected but never knew for ceratin existed. As the DVD sets 'TTWII - The Complete Works' and 'On Tour - behind the scenes' proved, it was only the tip of the iceberg.
The highlight of these new performances was regarded by many as being the back to back renditions of 'Don't Cry Daddy' and 'In The Ghetto' from the dinner show on 13 Auhust and seamlessly fused together almost as one.
Both songs were composed by Mac Davis and both recorded by Elvis at American Sound Studios in Memphis, Tennessee in 1969. 'Don't Cry Daddy' was the first to be recorded on 15 January and it is a song with a powerful narrative. The song tells the story from the mind of the protaganist and how he is struggling to cope with the loss of his wife or partner, whether through death or divorce is open to interpretaion, but it seems only the pleas of his young son are helping him to continue on.
'Don't Cry Daddy' was introduced to the setlist during the opening show of the previous Vegas engagement and almost always the fourth song sung during these shows. It was sung at every show at the Houston Astrodome but was sung only once during the August 1970 Vegas engagement and this would also be the final time it would be sung live by Elvis.
'In The Ghetto' on the other hand was a song with a completely different premise and one which was completely out of the 'Elvis comfort zone' in that it was a protest song dealing with social injustice and not an area Elvis would normally venture.
In spite of these reservations, Elvis recorded it on 20 January 1969 in American Sound Studios and it was a worldwide hit and reamains one of his most critically acclaimed recordings. It was included in the Elvis live show from the first Vegas show on 31 July 1969 and would be sung at virtually every show for the next year, which incorporated the six shows at the Houston Astrodome and the Jan/Feb 70 Vegas engagement. It would only be performed a further six times thereafter, this solo appearance during August 70, at five shows during the September 70 tour and finally in Vegas at the midnight show on 19 February 1971.
Here are the words of the song's composer Mac Davis on the song's inception and how it was originallly titled 'The Vicious Circle' :
'I never really dreamed of pitching that song to Elvis. I had been working on In the Ghetto for several years. I grew up playing with a little boy in Lubbock, Texas, whose family lived in a dirt street ghetto. His dad and my dad worked in construction together. So that little boy and I sort of grew up together. I never understood why his family had to live where they lived while my family lived where we lived. Of course back in those days, the word 'ghetto' hadn't come along yet. But I always wanted to write a song about that situation and title it 'The Vicious Circle.
I thought that if you were born in that place and that situation, then you grow up there and one day you die there, and another kid is born there that kind of replaces you. And later I started thinking about the ghetto as a title for the song. In the meantime, Freddy Weller had showed me a guitar lick he had been playing. I liked the lick and went home one night and used that guitar lick and wrote that song'. 'I didn't write the song for anyone in particular, but later while I was working on an album in Memphis, Chips Moman called me and said Elvis was recording and asked me if I had any songs for him. So I sent him a tape with 19 songs on it and Elvis recorded the first three songs on the tape, In the Ghetto, Don't Cry Daddy and another song they never released titled Poor Man's Gold. A lot of people have asked me about Elvis talking to me about In the Ghetto. I don't think we ever had a conversation about that song ... either before or after he recorded it'.
The audio in this video has been replaced with superior audio from Sony's TTWII Deluxe Edition's disc #7 containing this performance and the show from which it was performed.
The highlight of these new performances was regarded by many as being the back to back renditions of 'Don't Cry Daddy' and 'In The Ghetto' from the dinner show on 13 Auhust and seamlessly fused together almost as one.
Both songs were composed by Mac Davis and both recorded by Elvis at American Sound Studios in Memphis, Tennessee in 1969. 'Don't Cry Daddy' was the first to be recorded on 15 January and it is a song with a powerful narrative. The song tells the story from the mind of the protaganist and how he is struggling to cope with the loss of his wife or partner, whether through death or divorce is open to interpretaion, but it seems only the pleas of his young son are helping him to continue on.
'Don't Cry Daddy' was introduced to the setlist during the opening show of the previous Vegas engagement and almost always the fourth song sung during these shows. It was sung at every show at the Houston Astrodome but was sung only once during the August 1970 Vegas engagement and this would also be the final time it would be sung live by Elvis.
'In The Ghetto' on the other hand was a song with a completely different premise and one which was completely out of the 'Elvis comfort zone' in that it was a protest song dealing with social injustice and not an area Elvis would normally venture.
In spite of these reservations, Elvis recorded it on 20 January 1969 in American Sound Studios and it was a worldwide hit and reamains one of his most critically acclaimed recordings. It was included in the Elvis live show from the first Vegas show on 31 July 1969 and would be sung at virtually every show for the next year, which incorporated the six shows at the Houston Astrodome and the Jan/Feb 70 Vegas engagement. It would only be performed a further six times thereafter, this solo appearance during August 70, at five shows during the September 70 tour and finally in Vegas at the midnight show on 19 February 1971.
Here are the words of the song's composer Mac Davis on the song's inception and how it was originallly titled 'The Vicious Circle' :
'I never really dreamed of pitching that song to Elvis. I had been working on In the Ghetto for several years. I grew up playing with a little boy in Lubbock, Texas, whose family lived in a dirt street ghetto. His dad and my dad worked in construction together. So that little boy and I sort of grew up together. I never understood why his family had to live where they lived while my family lived where we lived. Of course back in those days, the word 'ghetto' hadn't come along yet. But I always wanted to write a song about that situation and title it 'The Vicious Circle.
I thought that if you were born in that place and that situation, then you grow up there and one day you die there, and another kid is born there that kind of replaces you. And later I started thinking about the ghetto as a title for the song. In the meantime, Freddy Weller had showed me a guitar lick he had been playing. I liked the lick and went home one night and used that guitar lick and wrote that song'. 'I didn't write the song for anyone in particular, but later while I was working on an album in Memphis, Chips Moman called me and said Elvis was recording and asked me if I had any songs for him. So I sent him a tape with 19 songs on it and Elvis recorded the first three songs on the tape, In the Ghetto, Don't Cry Daddy and another song they never released titled Poor Man's Gold. A lot of people have asked me about Elvis talking to me about In the Ghetto. I don't think we ever had a conversation about that song ... either before or after he recorded it'.
The audio in this video has been replaced with superior audio from Sony's TTWII Deluxe Edition's disc #7 containing this performance and the show from which it was performed.
Words - 12 August 1970 Midnight Show
As if to compliment the new varied setlist Elvis of August 1970 reintroduced one of the few comtemporary covers that he had included in his setlist for his return to live performing a year earlier, the Bee Gees' self penned hit - Words, which had been dropped for the January/February 1970 engagement.
At present there is only evidence to suggest that it been used five times in that comeback Vegas run - on 23 Aug DS, on 24 Aug MS, both shows on the 25th and at the Dinner Show on the 26th.
One of the first things that we heard in the original TTWII movie, during Culver City rehearsals, was that he was unhappy with the arrangement, the ending in particular and this would possibly explain it's limited use in August 69 and it's complete disappearance for the next engagement. Whether it was brought back because they thought they had fixed the problem or that it was performed purely for the MGM cameras is pure conjecture as he only sang it twice in August 70, on opening night and this performance from the Midnight Show on 12 August and then apparantly dropped it completely.
Despite filming both versions in August, neither made it into the final cut of either the 1970 or 2001 versions of the movie although both films contain rehearsal sequences of the song. The latter movie used 'Words' as a link to advance the movie from the International's Convention Room rehearsals to the stage rehearsals by switching half way through the song.
This live performance was first heard on Disc #2 of the 2001 TTWII special edition CD boxset amongst the entire show from 12 August Midnight Show. The original audio in this video has been replaced by audio taken from disc #6 of Sony's excellent TTWII Deluxe Edition which contains that 12 August 1970 midnight show.
At present there is only evidence to suggest that it been used five times in that comeback Vegas run - on 23 Aug DS, on 24 Aug MS, both shows on the 25th and at the Dinner Show on the 26th.
One of the first things that we heard in the original TTWII movie, during Culver City rehearsals, was that he was unhappy with the arrangement, the ending in particular and this would possibly explain it's limited use in August 69 and it's complete disappearance for the next engagement. Whether it was brought back because they thought they had fixed the problem or that it was performed purely for the MGM cameras is pure conjecture as he only sang it twice in August 70, on opening night and this performance from the Midnight Show on 12 August and then apparantly dropped it completely.
Despite filming both versions in August, neither made it into the final cut of either the 1970 or 2001 versions of the movie although both films contain rehearsal sequences of the song. The latter movie used 'Words' as a link to advance the movie from the International's Convention Room rehearsals to the stage rehearsals by switching half way through the song.
This live performance was first heard on Disc #2 of the 2001 TTWII special edition CD boxset amongst the entire show from 12 August Midnight Show. The original audio in this video has been replaced by audio taken from disc #6 of Sony's excellent TTWII Deluxe Edition which contains that 12 August 1970 midnight show.
Saturday, 9 May 2015
You've Lost That Loving Feeling - 12 August 1970 MS with reprise
In 2001 Turner Entertainment undertook a project to update Elvis - That's The Way It Is and in the main did an excellent job. There are however some major flaws two such being the ommitting of a pair of the finest live performances Elvis ever gave in 'I Just Can't Help Believing' and 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' both in the original movie and both from the 11 August Dinner show. Obviously running time constraints mean that some things had to be left out and you can't please everyone so the movie is what it is.
As RCA did in 1970 their succcessor BMG released an album to tie in with the cinematic release of TTWII, in 1970 the original TTWII album and in 2001 the 3CD TTWII Special Edition boxset. Whilst the original album would become a critically acclaimed classic the 2001 version featured some of the best live stuff to be released at that point.
2001 saw the release of three of the six TTWII shows recorded by RCA, 10 August Opening Show on FTD's 'One Night In Vegas', 11 August Midnight Show as CD#2 on the wonderful 'Live In Las Vegas' 4 CD box set and 12 August Midnight Show on the TTWII Special Edition.
The first disc of the new TTWII set was an expanded version of the original album and Disc 3 was a combination of a selection of unreleased live songs from the six shows but it was the second disc that was getting everyone excited as it was the much anticipated 12 August MS especially with FTD just a fledgling label live Elvis material was still at a premium.
On purchasing the new set on the morning of it's release I was straight home to put disc#2 into my CD player and my jaw dropped to the floor. In amongst this live show was the version of 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' from the original album - with a twist, it didn't end where we had believed it did - there was a reprise. Elvis started again just after the bridge, initially uncertain of his intentions the band realise that Elvis is singing the second half of the song again - what a treat! This video contains that complete performance reprise et al!
Originally recorded by The Righteous Brothers and produced by Phil Spector, their version is widely regarded as probably the greatest and most famous love pop song of the 60's and as a true masterpiece.
Elvis however seems to take the song to an entirely new level, ever the master interpretor of a song he takes this composition and does something wonderful with it.
Firstly it is given a new arrangement starting off with some gentle bass from Jerry Scheff whilst Elvis creates just the right atmosphere by having the lights brought right down and starting his vocal with his back to the audience almost in complete darkness before turning round with his voice using most of it's power just as the lights come back on and the result is astonishing. It is amost as much great theatre as it a great piece of musicwhilst Elvis shows that he is totally in command of his audience and has them in the palm of his hand!
Just to add to compund an already magnificent performance and perhaps something to do with the fact that this is 12 August Midnight Show and Elvis seemed to feed of the electricity in the room tha night, he gives the audience a real thrill by reprising the final verse.
This was the version selected for the TTWII original album (with the reprise edited out) but strangely not for the movie itself. This is for me without doubt the piece de resistence of Elvis versions at least................
The audio has been replaced with that from disc #6 of the excellent TTWII Deluxe Edition which contains the complete 12 August Midnight Show with wonderful sound.
As RCA did in 1970 their succcessor BMG released an album to tie in with the cinematic release of TTWII, in 1970 the original TTWII album and in 2001 the 3CD TTWII Special Edition boxset. Whilst the original album would become a critically acclaimed classic the 2001 version featured some of the best live stuff to be released at that point.
2001 saw the release of three of the six TTWII shows recorded by RCA, 10 August Opening Show on FTD's 'One Night In Vegas', 11 August Midnight Show as CD#2 on the wonderful 'Live In Las Vegas' 4 CD box set and 12 August Midnight Show on the TTWII Special Edition.
The first disc of the new TTWII set was an expanded version of the original album and Disc 3 was a combination of a selection of unreleased live songs from the six shows but it was the second disc that was getting everyone excited as it was the much anticipated 12 August MS especially with FTD just a fledgling label live Elvis material was still at a premium.
On purchasing the new set on the morning of it's release I was straight home to put disc#2 into my CD player and my jaw dropped to the floor. In amongst this live show was the version of 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' from the original album - with a twist, it didn't end where we had believed it did - there was a reprise. Elvis started again just after the bridge, initially uncertain of his intentions the band realise that Elvis is singing the second half of the song again - what a treat! This video contains that complete performance reprise et al!
Originally recorded by The Righteous Brothers and produced by Phil Spector, their version is widely regarded as probably the greatest and most famous love pop song of the 60's and as a true masterpiece.
Elvis however seems to take the song to an entirely new level, ever the master interpretor of a song he takes this composition and does something wonderful with it.
Firstly it is given a new arrangement starting off with some gentle bass from Jerry Scheff whilst Elvis creates just the right atmosphere by having the lights brought right down and starting his vocal with his back to the audience almost in complete darkness before turning round with his voice using most of it's power just as the lights come back on and the result is astonishing. It is amost as much great theatre as it a great piece of musicwhilst Elvis shows that he is totally in command of his audience and has them in the palm of his hand!
Just to add to compund an already magnificent performance and perhaps something to do with the fact that this is 12 August Midnight Show and Elvis seemed to feed of the electricity in the room tha night, he gives the audience a real thrill by reprising the final verse.
This was the version selected for the TTWII original album (with the reprise edited out) but strangely not for the movie itself. This is for me without doubt the piece de resistence of Elvis versions at least................
The audio has been replaced with that from disc #6 of the excellent TTWII Deluxe Edition which contains the complete 12 August Midnight Show with wonderful sound.
The Next Step Is Love - 10 August 1970 Opening Show
In just over a year and through two Las Vegas engagements Elvis had evolved his live show to where he wanted it and to where the audience seemed to enjoy it. On returning to live performing the setlist mainly comprised of 'Elvis standards' from the 50's and 60's, a couple of new recordings (In The Ghetto, Suspicious Minds), a couple of covers, Del Shannon's 'Runaway,The Beatles' (Yesterday / Hey Jude medley) and The Bee Gees' 'Words' . He also included 'Memories' - a nod to the recent 'Singer Presents Elvis' TV special. Some contemporary covers and two more hits from the 'Memphis Sessions' were added for the Jan/Feb engagement and then via some highly succesful gigs at The Houston Astrodome Elvis arrived back in Las Vegas for his August 1970 Summer Festival.
This engagement would be no ordinary engagement. For starters MGM were there to film the first six shows over three nights which naturally would bring it's own pressures. As far as the setlist was concerned Elvis was now comfortable and confident enough to choose the styles of songs that he wanted to include in the show. He managed to fuse together a show which had country, pop and rock 'n' roll all included, Elvis truly had become the consumate all round entertainer.
Throughout the six shows filmed by MGM Elvis introduced a total of thirteen new songs and EIGHT on opening night and three of those introduced would never be sung live again. 'The Next Step Is Love' is the one of that three and was the only song from opening night of which that is true.
Recorded in Nashville just 2 months earlier (4 June) the studio version of this is excellent but I don't think it quite works live as the arrangement feels awkward and Elvis doesn't seem completely at ease in this performance. Maybe Elvis thought so too as he dropped it straight away and never sang it live again although his vocal is excellent.
This live performance was first heard on Disc #3 of the 2001 TTWII special edition CD boxset before the entire show was released on the FTD label that same year. The audio in this video is taken from disc #2 of Sony's excellent TTWII Deluxe Edition which contains the 10 August 1970 opening show from which this performance is taken.
This engagement would be no ordinary engagement. For starters MGM were there to film the first six shows over three nights which naturally would bring it's own pressures. As far as the setlist was concerned Elvis was now comfortable and confident enough to choose the styles of songs that he wanted to include in the show. He managed to fuse together a show which had country, pop and rock 'n' roll all included, Elvis truly had become the consumate all round entertainer.
Throughout the six shows filmed by MGM Elvis introduced a total of thirteen new songs and EIGHT on opening night and three of those introduced would never be sung live again. 'The Next Step Is Love' is the one of that three and was the only song from opening night of which that is true.
Recorded in Nashville just 2 months earlier (4 June) the studio version of this is excellent but I don't think it quite works live as the arrangement feels awkward and Elvis doesn't seem completely at ease in this performance. Maybe Elvis thought so too as he dropped it straight away and never sang it live again although his vocal is excellent.
This live performance was first heard on Disc #3 of the 2001 TTWII special edition CD boxset before the entire show was released on the FTD label that same year. The audio in this video is taken from disc #2 of Sony's excellent TTWII Deluxe Edition which contains the 10 August 1970 opening show from which this performance is taken.
Friday, 8 May 2015
I Just Can't Help Believing - 11 August Dinner Show
I've seen TTWII and I've seen and heard this song a million times so why should I watch this post I hear you say! Well for one, the sound is different as the original audio has been replaced by the magnificent audio from Disc #3 of Sony's TTWII Deluxe Edition which contains this song and the complete concert from which it was performed but more of that later in the post.
If Elvis had decided to make a studio recording of this song, in Nashville during June 1970 for example, would it have been any better than this performance which became the RCA master? I personally have my doubts since this is beyond perfection and as such I must nail my colours to the mast and admit that this is my all time favourite Elvis recording.
To create a musical masterpiece within the studio environment, eg Suspicious Minds, is one thing when you have a top rate producer (Chips Moman) a single minded determined artist (Elvis) and the best possible material and tools (the song and band) where you can take as many takes as neccessary. To make a classic like this in one take in a live environment is something most singers can only aspire to.
If there is one line to sum up this song (and Bridge Over Troubled Water from the same show) and Elvis Presley in August 1970 in particular it is this - Many can sing but only few can perform!!
Released by B.J. Thomas earlier the same year this version shows Elvis at his very, very best as the vocal is relaxed yet powerful, both band and orchestra are virtually flawless. Elvis' singing of the word 'girl' at the end of the first verse is almost unbelievable!
This version, from 11 August Dinner Show, was selected both for the movie and to open the original TTWII 1970 album and due to public demand was released as a single in the UK reaching #6.
In August 2014 Sony Legacy released a new 8CD/2DVD box set of TWIII. This contained the original album (plus bonus tracks), the six shows used for TWIII and an eighth CD (all remastered) of rehearsals plus 2 DVD's containg the original 1970 movie and the 2001 re-edit.
Of the six concerts four had already been released. The opening show was FTD - One NIght In Vegas, the third show was Disc 2 from the box set Live In Las Vegas, Show 5 was Disc 2 of TTWII (Special Edition) and Show 6 was FTD - The Wonder of You.
This however presented a problem to Sony because all four were remastered differently and didn't even sound as if they were recorded at the same venue never mind on consecutive nights!!! Sony's solution was to put head engineer Vic Anesini in charge of the remastering project as he had done an amazing job on the Complete Masters set. Now it is almost impossible to distinguish one show from another sound wise!
Why talk about that here? Well if you listen to I Just Can't Help Believing from the original album and then to this (remembering that they are both the same recording) then some subtle differences make them sound almost completely different and for the better. There are two main differences which really stand out. Firstly, Charlie Hodge's harmony vocal is erased on this version in order to give complete attention to Elvis' wonderful vocal performance and secondly during the instrumental break the Trombones are moved back and the strings moved forward which make it sound more like the movie and improves it considerably!!!!
If Elvis had decided to make a studio recording of this song, in Nashville during June 1970 for example, would it have been any better than this performance which became the RCA master? I personally have my doubts since this is beyond perfection and as such I must nail my colours to the mast and admit that this is my all time favourite Elvis recording.
To create a musical masterpiece within the studio environment, eg Suspicious Minds, is one thing when you have a top rate producer (Chips Moman) a single minded determined artist (Elvis) and the best possible material and tools (the song and band) where you can take as many takes as neccessary. To make a classic like this in one take in a live environment is something most singers can only aspire to.
If there is one line to sum up this song (and Bridge Over Troubled Water from the same show) and Elvis Presley in August 1970 in particular it is this - Many can sing but only few can perform!!
Released by B.J. Thomas earlier the same year this version shows Elvis at his very, very best as the vocal is relaxed yet powerful, both band and orchestra are virtually flawless. Elvis' singing of the word 'girl' at the end of the first verse is almost unbelievable!
This version, from 11 August Dinner Show, was selected both for the movie and to open the original TTWII 1970 album and due to public demand was released as a single in the UK reaching #6.
In August 2014 Sony Legacy released a new 8CD/2DVD box set of TWIII. This contained the original album (plus bonus tracks), the six shows used for TWIII and an eighth CD (all remastered) of rehearsals plus 2 DVD's containg the original 1970 movie and the 2001 re-edit.
Of the six concerts four had already been released. The opening show was FTD - One NIght In Vegas, the third show was Disc 2 from the box set Live In Las Vegas, Show 5 was Disc 2 of TTWII (Special Edition) and Show 6 was FTD - The Wonder of You.
This however presented a problem to Sony because all four were remastered differently and didn't even sound as if they were recorded at the same venue never mind on consecutive nights!!! Sony's solution was to put head engineer Vic Anesini in charge of the remastering project as he had done an amazing job on the Complete Masters set. Now it is almost impossible to distinguish one show from another sound wise!
Why talk about that here? Well if you listen to I Just Can't Help Believing from the original album and then to this (remembering that they are both the same recording) then some subtle differences make them sound almost completely different and for the better. There are two main differences which really stand out. Firstly, Charlie Hodge's harmony vocal is erased on this version in order to give complete attention to Elvis' wonderful vocal performance and secondly during the instrumental break the Trombones are moved back and the strings moved forward which make it sound more like the movie and improves it considerably!!!!
Thursday, 7 May 2015
Mystery Train/Tiger Man - 12 August 1970 Midnight Show
Introduced to the Elvis Presley show on 31 July 1969 in Las Vegas on his return to live performing the Mystery Train/Tiger man medley was a clever fusion of the old and new.
Mystery Train, the old, was recorded at Sun Studios on 11 July 1955 and Tiger man was the new, never properly recorded in the studio by Elvis but is perhaps synonomous with The NBC Special where it was first heard during the sit down segment although not included in the original TV show. The song itself from that sit down show at 8PM on 27 June 1968 was released on album 'Elvis Sings Flaming Star' in 1968, on the RCA Camden budget label!!
At the beginning of the first day of recordings in Nashville on 4 June 1970 an informal jam of this medley was recorded by Felton Jarvis and this was officially released on the FTD album 'The Nashville Marathon' in 2002.
Despite being an ever present throughout Elvis' inaugural Vegas engagement it was dropped completely for the January/February 1970 run but was reintroduced for opening night of the next stint on 10 August 1970 and that version would be played over the opening credits of the original TTWII 1970 movie. The medley would come and go on a show by show basis throughout the 70's and would latterly be used as an alternative penultimate number in the show instead of the usual 'Funny How Time Slips Away'.
This version filmed at the beginning of the 12 August 1970 Midnight Show was also appeared in the original movie but only the 'Tiger Man' portion was used as it linked a fan club convention in Luxembourg with the second live section of the movie.
Only two songs into this show and Elvis is already in the groove! Just watch his face closely in Tiger Man as he pushes the song along and that breathtaking 'whoo' just before an amazing guitar solo by James Burton plus if you listen closely you can hear cheers of appreciation from the audience during the song!!
Mystery Train, the old, was recorded at Sun Studios on 11 July 1955 and Tiger man was the new, never properly recorded in the studio by Elvis but is perhaps synonomous with The NBC Special where it was first heard during the sit down segment although not included in the original TV show. The song itself from that sit down show at 8PM on 27 June 1968 was released on album 'Elvis Sings Flaming Star' in 1968, on the RCA Camden budget label!!
At the beginning of the first day of recordings in Nashville on 4 June 1970 an informal jam of this medley was recorded by Felton Jarvis and this was officially released on the FTD album 'The Nashville Marathon' in 2002.
Despite being an ever present throughout Elvis' inaugural Vegas engagement it was dropped completely for the January/February 1970 run but was reintroduced for opening night of the next stint on 10 August 1970 and that version would be played over the opening credits of the original TTWII 1970 movie. The medley would come and go on a show by show basis throughout the 70's and would latterly be used as an alternative penultimate number in the show instead of the usual 'Funny How Time Slips Away'.
This version filmed at the beginning of the 12 August 1970 Midnight Show was also appeared in the original movie but only the 'Tiger Man' portion was used as it linked a fan club convention in Luxembourg with the second live section of the movie.
Only two songs into this show and Elvis is already in the groove! Just watch his face closely in Tiger Man as he pushes the song along and that breathtaking 'whoo' just before an amazing guitar solo by James Burton plus if you listen closely you can hear cheers of appreciation from the audience during the song!!
Tuesday, 5 May 2015
Stranger In The Crowd - 13 August 1970 Dinner Show
Recorded in Nashville on 5 June the studio master would be released on the 1970 TTWII album. The only footage of 'Stranger In The Crowd' to make into either the 1970 or 2001 versions of the movie was a short clip of a high energy rehearsal in Culver City.
When 'The Lost Performances' was released in 1992 we were able to see songs from the 'lost' 13 August Dinner Show, the only show not to have footage included in the first movie. Strangely, the only song from this show to be filmed and omitted from 'The Lost Performances' was 'Stranger In The Crowd' and it was not until 2007 when a two disc edition was released on DVD featuring both the 1970 and 2001 movie that this song was officially released. With the footage still in it's raw state it was tucked away on the special features on disc 2 which contained the original 1970 movie.
Wearing the 'Red Ladder' suit, Elvis would sing 'Stranger In The Crowd' live for the first and last time at this show.
As seems to be the norm with Elvis of this period, the vocal is well judged with Elvis making the most out of the catchy choruses but not over using the power his new mature voice had. If you listen carefully you can hear the Latin-american arrangement coming through on this live version in the second half of the song, around the 3 minute mark.
The audio in this video has been replaced with superior audio from Sony's TTWII Deluxe Edition's disc 7 containing this show.
When 'The Lost Performances' was released in 1992 we were able to see songs from the 'lost' 13 August Dinner Show, the only show not to have footage included in the first movie. Strangely, the only song from this show to be filmed and omitted from 'The Lost Performances' was 'Stranger In The Crowd' and it was not until 2007 when a two disc edition was released on DVD featuring both the 1970 and 2001 movie that this song was officially released. With the footage still in it's raw state it was tucked away on the special features on disc 2 which contained the original 1970 movie.
Wearing the 'Red Ladder' suit, Elvis would sing 'Stranger In The Crowd' live for the first and last time at this show.
As seems to be the norm with Elvis of this period, the vocal is well judged with Elvis making the most out of the catchy choruses but not over using the power his new mature voice had. If you listen carefully you can hear the Latin-american arrangement coming through on this live version in the second half of the song, around the 3 minute mark.
The audio in this video has been replaced with superior audio from Sony's TTWII Deluxe Edition's disc 7 containing this show.
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