Kentucky Rain - 26 January 1970 Opening Show

After the band introductions on 26 January 1970, the opening night show of Elvis' second Las Vegas engagement Elvis would perform the last of the ten new songs introduced during this show.

Just for the record the other nine first time perfromances in the order which they were performed, (and I've posted them all on my YouTube channel)https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv0cx32ceHpogzf59mnUlJA were - Proud Mary, Don't Cry Daddy, Teddy Bear (in a medley with Don't Be Cruel), Long Tall Sally, Let It Be Me, Walk a Mile In My Shoes, True Love Travels On A Gravel Road, Sweet Caroline and Polk Salad Annie.

The tenth and final was 'Kentucky Rain' which had been recorded in the studio amost exactly year earlier on 19 January 1969 in American Sound Studios, Memphis, Tennessee.

Whilst most versions of 'Kentucky Rain' during this engagement would include some humorous comments or lyric changes this first live version is one of very few played absolutely straight. This version is also very close to the original studio master but one very subtle lyric change would take place. This version and the original studio master has in the chorus ....'and here's another town that I'll GO walking through....' however later live versions would be sung as '.....'and here's another town that I'll BE walking through....'. The ending would also change with percussion becoming far more prominent in the song's climax.

The definitive live version of this song, and the very first version to be released officially was that from 16 February Dinner Show which was made available on the silver 1980 box set 'Elvis Aaron Presley' and is a version which is also played absolutely straight.
This version was released on the 2013 FTD release of 'The On Stage Season - February 1970' which contained both the opening and closing shows of this engagement. Several other live versions from this engagement have also been made available on FTD's 2004 album 'Polk Salad Annie' which featured the 15 February Dinner Show and on both the FTD and Legacy editions of 'On Stage'.

After this song Elvis would sing an excellent version of 'Suspicious MInds' before closing the show with the traditional closer 'Can't Help Falling In Love' completing and opening show with over half of the songs featured performed for the very first time.

As far as this song being sung live is concerned it would be performed at all six shows during the engagement at the Houston Astrodome immediately following this Las Vegas season but the final Houston show, the evening show on 1 March was the final time Elvis would sing 'Kentucky Rain' live.

Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel 26 January Opening Show

On opening night of Elvis' second Las Vegas engagement, 26 January 1970 he introduced a mammoth TEN new song to the setlist. Of the first four songs half were new and the fifth and sixth would also be new but with a twist!

In retrospect with such a wide range of Elvis concerts now in the public domain it is almost unfathomable to imagine one (Aloha apart) without the Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruelmedley. In the later years of course Elvis would use this as a point in the show where he could catch his breath, throw some scarves to the crowd and have some audience interaction, usually with those of the female variety!!

In early 1970 however, this medley was just a fledgling performance and after this show he would sing it just twice more this season, at the Dinner Shows on 3 and 5 February and not again until January 1971. It would be a setlist regular throughout August 71 and all of 72. In 1973 however it would only make the odd appearance. It was from the beginning of the March 74 tour where it would become a permanent fixture in the setlist and would take on it's now familiar guise in the show.

As a stand alone performance 'Don't Be Cruel' was sung throughout the initial Vegas engagement in August 1969 and a handful of times in August and September 1970 but post 1970 it was almost always segued into a medley with 'Teddy Bear'.

Teddy Bear was of course written for Elvis' second motion picture 'Loving You' and it is perhaps within this context that the song works best. It was recorded on the Paramount Soundstage in Hollywood, California on 16 January 1957.

Don't Be Cruel is probably one of the early Elvis' most famous recordings and was recorded in New York at RCA's studios on 2 July 1956 at the same session which produced 'Hound Dog'.

If you think it is a case of "If you've heard one 70's Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel medley you've heard them all" then you really are in for a treat and a surprise. During this first 70's live version at times Elvis is almost growling the words of 'Teddy Bear'!!! This is almost night and day from the later 70's versions!!!!!

Proud Mary - 26 January 1970 Opening Show

Of the fifteen Las Vegas opening nights that Elvis performed in six a half years it appears that the only one not have been recorded in any way is perhaps the most significant show - Sunday , 31 July 1969. This was of course his return to live performing after release from the movie contracts. Despite professional recordings of shows later in the season specifically for a live 'In person' album it is still surprising that the earliest soundboard recording is four days into the engagement on 3 August. Even if RCA had no intention of using any material from this opening night one would have thought that at least it would have been recorded from the mixing board for posterity given the magnitude of this particular show. With that in mind it is also surprising that any type of audience recording has not surfaced which would at least give some audio documentation of this historic event.
This would leave any evidence of the opening night's setlist sketchy at best with any sort of record only possible by piecing together biys and pieces from reports of the evening.

The first Las Vegas opening night to be recorded was that of his next engagement on Monday 26 January 1970. The previous August Elvis' setlist had it's emphasis mostly on rock 'n' roll with the odd cover (Yesterday, Words) and recent hits (In The Ghetto, Suspicious Minds) thrown in for good measure. The January/February setlist would be somewhat different with a radical shake up in order to prevent the show from becoming stale. Many of the rock 'n' roll numbers would be retained into this new season as would the recent hits but there would be an introduction of many new songs and two new singles into the setlist.

On opening night alone Elvis would introduce TEN new songs, two of which were new singles an another two 50's hits not used in the previous engagement.  Later in the season more new songs would appear including 'Release Me', 'The Wonder of You' and 'See See Rider'. There was also a couple of personnel changes in the band and backing groups. Glen D. Hardin finally arrived replacing Larry Muhoberac on piano, Ronnie Tutt, having had a previous commitment was missing and his place was taken by Bob Lanning. and Cissy Houston had left The Sweet Inspirations leaving them without a soprano for this engagement.

Whereas Elvis opened every show during the previous August engagement with 'Blue Suede Shoes' this was now changed to 'All Shook Up' and after that came 'That's All Right'. Elvis would now introduce the first of his new songs......

'Proud Mary' a hit for Creedance Clearwater Revival a year earlier would be first heard on the 'On Stage' album.  This version is different even to the 'On Stage' version recorded three weeks later but the song would be dropped for the next two seasons before reinstatemant in August 1971 with a new faster arrangement and the omitted verse included akin to On Tour and MSG. Elvis would perform 'Proud Mary' for the final time at the third show of his August 1974 engagement in Las Vegas at the Midnight Show on 20 August.

Moody Blue - 12 February 1970 Charlotte, North Carolina

Elvis' first tour of 1977 would be ten shows in as many nights in nine cities and five states. He would begin in Hollywood, Florida on 12 February and conclude with two shows on consecutive nights at The Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Having recorded the studio master in 'The Jungle Room' at Graceland on 4 February 1976, 'Moody Blue' would be both a single and the title of the final album to be released in his lifetime. The only time that Elvis would either sing or attempt to sing 'Moody Blue' on stage were at those two aforementioned shows in Charlotte.

At the first Charlotte show on 11 February and after singing 'My Way' Elvis tells the crowd "Our latest record is Moody Blue.....and I don't know it either! So if we make a mistake please excuse us because we've never done it except when we recorded it!" After much debate about where to start and in which key Elvis remarks "To hell with Moody Blue" and decides instead to sing 'How Great Thou Art". All of this is taken in good humour both by Elvis and the audience,

The following evening and still at the same venue Elvis this time remarks "I'd like to try to do my latest record... I tried it last night and didn't make it....I have to read it so if we goof it up please forgive us!". This time however there is no mistake and despite the obvious unfamiliarity with the song, with lead sheet in hand and with his eyes glued to the lyrics the only live performance of 'Moddy Blue' is still achieved and at the songs conclusion Elvis jokes:
"Well I'm sure glad you learned it..really.. 'cause I don't know the chord changes, the key or anything!"

This only live rendition of 'Moody Blue' was first released on the bootleg circuit in 1995 on Fort Baxter's 'Moody Blue and other Great Performances'. It would be 2007 before the track would recieve an official release by Sony through the FTD label released it as a bonus track on the Unchained Melody album in 2007. The main focus of this release was actually the 11 February show containing the aborted attempt and the full version was included as a bonus track.

What Now My Love - 4 August 1972

In terms of it's historical significance 'Aloha From Hawaii' stands apart from virtually everything else in Elvis Presley's career. It was the first worldwide satellite telecast by an entertainer and the most watched TV program in history with the original viewership estimated to be in excess of one billion people. It retains a place close to most fans heart as together  with the rehearsal concert from two days earlier it remains the only  complete Elvis concert to be officially released on visual home media.

Taken in isolation however, the actual concert itself is not Elvis best - not by a long way. By Elvis' own high standards the 14 January 1973 concert itself pales in comparison even with the aforementioned show from 12 January. It should also be added that every song in the show, 'An American Trilogy' and 'I'll Remember You' apart, had been performed better by Elvis at other shows. With the constant release of bootleg concerts both audience and soundboard and now with concerts being officially released both in mainstream and on the FTD label this view it could be argued is made purely in hindsight, Whilst there may be some truth in that argument the merits of the actual concert  with other Elvis shows with a fair comparison could be made as far back as Summer 1974 - a mere eighteen months after the event.

Within the main Aloha concert Elvis seems somehow disconnected with both the audience and the music and at points within the show his speech is somewhat slurred. This is particularly in evidence before 'Something' where he welcomes the audience and after 'Hound Dog' where he remarks 'I'm lying like a rug!'. It is likely that this is the effects of medication probably taken to combat the high tension and nerves that would be felt quite naturally with what was at stake that evening.

In order to make a reasonable comparison to this show it is necessary to take two shows both recorded and released around the same time. For this purpose we can take the two live albums released by RCA on either side of Aloha. In 'Madison Square Garden' recorded just six months earlier whilst Aloha is quite tame and sedate this 10 June 1972 evening show is full of power, energy and electricity with Elvis in fine voice throughout.

The second comparison is to be found in a show recorded fourteen months later in his home town of Memphis, Tennessee on 20 March 1974. This show originally released in a heavily edited form includes a grammy winning performance of 'How Great Thou Art and even despite Elvis' already having a heavy reliance of prescribed medication his speech is completely clear and the show is lots of fun and Elvis is fully engaged with both the audience and music throughout.

None of this is meant to suggest that 'Aloha From Hawaii' is a bad show but more to suggest that it's historical significance far outweighs it's actual content. - Discuss................

One of the songs synonymous with 'Aloha' is 'What Now My Love' which is one of the big ballads of the type Elvis loved to sing in the later years. Never recorded in the studio by Elvis it's most famous pre-Elvis recording is probably the Shirley Bassey version although it has been covered quite extensively since.

Before 'Aloha From Hawaii' Elvis had been performing the song in his live show for four months since introducing it in Las Vegas during the opening show on 4 August 1972. This first version is sung at a very slightly faster tempo and is given an intimate reading by Elvis at times almost speaking the words - at times in the future he would speak the entire song - adding to the songs intimacy.

An officially released soundboard recording including a performance of 'What Now My Love' is available on the FTD label from later in this Las Vegas Season, from the 12 August Dinner show on the album 3000 Paradise Road, the address of the Las Vegas Hilton, now called the 'Westgate Casino and Resort'.

Bridge Over Troubled Water - 9 June 1972

If it wasn't for the satellite broadcast which accompanied the two show engagement at the Honoloulu International Center in Hawaii in January 1973 and the subsequent historical significance of that event it could be argued that the four show engagement in New York was the biggest of Elvis' career.

Those four shows at Madison Square Garden over three days with every show sold out to it's 20,000 capacity and was the only time that Elvis would perform in 'The Big Apple'. That New York engagement was only the first four shows of a twelve day, fourteen show tour which would conclude on 20 June in Tulsa, Oklahoma at the Civic Assembly Center.

With Elvis in fine form throughout, the four shows had a pretty rigid setlist with just the odd song being interchanged from show to show. Only three songs were performed just once over the three shows, 'Reconsider Baby', which would be performed again in the first show after MSG in Fort Wayne, 'The Impossible Dream' at the 10 June Evening show which would the final time that Elvis would sing it live and 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'.

'Bridge Over Troubled Water' was sung for the only time at MSG during the 9 June opening show and since RCA only recorded the two middle shows on 10 June we only have an audience recording of the first show. That being said it is an astonishing performance and that more than makes up for the lack of a soundboard recording.

Not only did Elvis perform the song just once at MSG he would only sing it a further three times during this fourteen show tour at Fort Wayne, Indiana on 12 June, Milwaukee, Wisconsin on 14 June and on 19 June at the Henry Levitt Arena in Wichita, Kansas. It would almost a year taking in two Las Vegas engagements and three tours including Aloha before he would perform the song again in Lake Tahoe at the Midnight Show on 6 May.

Let It Be Me - 26 January 1970 Opening Show

Elvis' return to live performances in Las Vegas went better than he could ever have imagined. On the crest of a wave after the huge success of the TV special and then a highly satisfying recording session at American Sound Studios in his home town of Memphis followed by 57 consecutive sold out shows at the International Hotel all to critical acclaim.

Whilst the August 69 season relied heavily on rock 'n' roll he would change the setlist adding a more contemporay flavour with some covers and even added some more recent hits of his own.

One of the covers that Elvis chose was the Everly Brothers 1960 hit 'Let It Be Me'. Originally written by French duo Pierre Delanoë (lyrics) and Gilbert Bécaud (music) and titled 'Je t'appartiens' it was given English lyrics by Mann Curtis and called 'Let It Be Me'.

In the ten years between the Everly Brothers hit and Elvis including it in his live stage show it wa covered by many different acts and perfromers Nancy Sinatra, Bobby Gentry and Tom Jones amongst them. It is perhaps the version recorded by The Sweet Inspirations in 1967 which resonated most with Elvis as they had incorporated a gospel feel into their version and this is certainly evident in the Elvis version.

The version which would become the RCA master and would subsequently be released on the 1970 'On Stage' album was recorded almost three weeks later than this version on 17 February at the Midnight show.