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.

Rags To Riches - New Years Eve 1976 Pittsburgh PA

In the main 1976 had been a very poor year for Elvis. His reluctance to enter a recording studio had made it necessary for RCA to move it's mobile recording unit 'Big Red' into the grounds of Graceland and Elvis' den, what was to become known as 'The Jungle Room', became a makeshift studio in order for Elvis to fulfil his contractual obligations.

The live shows of 1976 were amongst the poorest of Elvis' career with the setlist probably at it's most rigid since 1969 but still the venues sold out but even stuck in this malaise Elvis still sometimes managed to produce an excellent show within a below par tour or even a moment of genius within a mediocre show although in 76 this had become more the exception rather than the norm.

Elvis only appeared in Las Vegas once during 76 and this was the shortest full Vegas engagement of the 70's with just 15 shows over 11 nights and the standard of show was generally high. After closing in Vegas on 12 December Elvis had a fornight off before emabrking on a short five show tour which began in Wichita on 27 December and would finish in Pittsburgh during the early hours of New Years Day.

Perhaps bouyed by the fact that he had performed his final Las Vegas show as no extension had been signed, Elvis' next five concerts were unquestionably the best of Elvis' shows in 1976 and there is footage of most of the show in Birmingham, Alabama on 29 December concert, a show which was a bootleg favourite for many years and has since been released officially on FTD in a two disc set with the previous nights show in Dallas - both excellent shows. The New Years Eve show at the Civic Center Arena was probably the best of the five with Elvis on stage for almost two hours!

On a Friday evening,16,409 people in Pittsburgh saw in 1977 with 'The King' and after three opening acts and a lengthy intermission Elvis walked on stage at 23.35 to a mass of flashbulbs and screams - you would have been forgiven for thinking it was already twelve!

When twelve did arrive the house lights went up and Elvis lead the audience in a rousing rendition of Rabbie Burns' 'Auld Lang Syne' wished the audience and band members 'Happy New Year' before resuming the show but nor before introducing his father, daughter and sound engineers!

By this stage the Elvis Presley shows' penultimate number was usually 'Funny How Time Slips Away' but on this particular evening he had sang this just before midnight and so since he was already at the piano having sung 'Unchained Melody' he decided to give the only live performance of 'Rags To Riches'.

The master of this song was recorded in RCA's studio B in Nashville on 22 September 1970 in an additional session to create some extra cuts to compliment the June sessions. In addition to 'Rags to Riches' Elvis also recorded 'Snowbird', 'Where Did They Go, Lord' and 'Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On' at this session.

The original audience recording of this New Years Eve show was for many years one of the most sought after bootlegs and after the introduction of the FTD label they quickly bought the original recording from fan John Herman who had recorded it that evening, how much RCA paid is anyone's guess and it remains the only audience recorded show in the FTD catalouge. Released officially by FTD in 2003 it was titled simply - New Years Eve 1976. This however must only bring one to the natural conclusion that a soundboard version does not exist.

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.

Inherit The Wind - 26 August 1969 Dinner Show

The studio master of 'Inherit the Wind' was recorded on 15 January 1969 and was the twelfth song that Elvis recorded during those landmark recording sessions at American Sound Studios in Memphis. 

The only live recording of the song first appeared on the 1991 RCA/BMG box set Collectors Gold on disc #3 which was titled 'Live In Las Vegas' and also featured the first official releases of the only live performances of 'This Is The Story' and 'Rubberneckin'.

In 2005 FTD released the entire 26 August 1969 Dinner Show, titled 'Live In Las Vegas 1969', from which this song was performed and finally placed the song into it's proper context.
26 August 1969 was a strange night as far as the setlist was concerned as that evening also produced the only live performances of Rubberneckin' and 'This Is The Story' at the Midnight show. Considering August 69 probably had the most rigid setlist that Elvis would employ with rarities at a premium those in attendance at these shows probably didn't appreciate how lucky they were that evening.

Considering this was Elvis' first live performance in eight and a half years the rigid setlist was understandable with band and singers all new and a tight setlist keeps any problems with unfamiliarity at a minimum and creates a comfort zone. As Elvis' confidence increased the rarities appeared,and as such this track was performed a full four weeks into the engagement.
The actual reason for performing this 'Memphis trio' was actually for inclusion in what would become 'Elvis In Person' a fact Elvis tells the audience before singing 'Inherit The Wind' at the Dinner Show, odd therefore that all three were ommited from the album and were only officially released 24 years later!

You'll Never Walk Alone - 19 July 1975

Although Elvis won three grammy awards and another posthoumously it is little known that he was also nominated for a further eleven including one in the Best Sacred Performance category in 1968 for the studio master of this song.

'You'll Never Walk Alone' was written by Rodgers and Hammerstein for their 1945 musical 'Carousel' and Elvis recorded his version on 11 September 1967. It was in fact the last of seven songs recorded that night at RCA's Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee.

Despite being released as a single and achieving a grammy nomination it would take over three years before it would make it onto an album and even then RCA released it only on their budget label, Camden,

This, with Elvis at the piano and recorded during the evening show in the Nassau Veteran Coliseum, Uniondale, NY on 19 July 1975 is the only known live performance of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' by Elvis. Listening to this performance and Elvis' vocal it doesn't seem like eight years between this and the original studio master!