Last Updated on Friday, 05 November 2010 22:17 Friday, 05 November 2010 16:36
Written by Brian Quinn
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I have just listened to 'Viva Elvis' - The Album which was very kindly sent to my by SONY(UK) and I am not afraid to say I am in tears. It is PHENOMENAL and the sound AMAZING. Truly a listening and emotional experience and genuinely revolutionary in concept which should give it an excellent chance for a Grammy Award next year. This is truly Elvis for the 21st Century.
The whole album is built around a biographical theme with comments from Elvis, Ed Sullivan, Bill Black, Milton Berle etc. and snippets of other Elvis songs apart from those listed on the album cover. This is one album that I will be playing a lot and not just once or twice. Yes, we would have liked more tracks but the ones on the album are longer than usual apart from 'Memories' and 'You'll Never Walk Alone' which are linking themes as shown below. I would also have liked to have had the names of the individual female singers featured on the duets.
The album cover is very colorful, contemporary, and features a booklet containing many scenes from the 'Viva Elvis' show with details of the cast etc. Now on to my review:
1. Opening The album opens with the strains of what is commonly known by Elvis fans as 'The 2001 Theme' together with females screaming and chanting "We Want Elvis". Great drums featured in the background. Elvis himself comments 'If You're Looking For Trouble'. There are also historical comments from Ed Sullivan and track 1 commences a countdown into track 2. A fitting start to the album.
2. Blue Suede Shoes Heavy version with drums and harmonica up front. Has a distinct Bo Diddley feel to it and again comments from Ed Sullivan and Milton Berle. Lots of sound wizadry here.
3. That's All Right Has a great feel to it and commences with a similar opening to 'I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine' with comments by Horace Logan and Bill Black. Screaming girls add to the atmosphere. Also snatches of 'When It Rains It Really Pours'.
4. Heartbreak Hotel This track has a great powerful Blues feel to it and starts out with Elvis doing his famous 'Well, Well Well' routine. A really heavy version follows which quite literally bounces along with great Harmonica/Sax/Brass/Drums and Piano. Snippets of 'Stranger In My Own Home Town' (informal rehearsal) as featured on 'The Essential 70's Masters Box Set. 'Polk Salad Annie' even gets a mention.
5. Love Me Tender A beautiful duet with a really great female singer and a very contemporary arrangement with acoustic guitar adds up to a real winner. Elvis closes the duet by singing a snippet of 'In My Way' from the movie 'Wild In The Country'. In my opinion this would make a great single release.
6. King Creole This track commences in a similar fashion to the opening of the film of the same name with strains of 'Crawfish'/'Gumbo'. Slower than the original version with the cast singing along. Elvis also sings a snippet of 'Hard Headed Woman'. The track ends in the same fashion as the beginning with 'Gumbo'. 'Elvis also sings a snippet of 'New Orleans'.
7. Bossa Nova Baby Commences with Elvis making comments in the recording studio to Hal Wallis. We are then treated to an excellent version of this well known track featuring drums/sax/piano/bass and organ. During the song a part of the arrangement is reminiscent of 'Barbara Ann' by The Beach Boys. Elvis comments "It's Hot In Here". Ends with a great Boots Randolph style sax. A contemporary version without losing the original feel. This would be a great track for the programme 'Dancing With The Stars'.
8. Burning Love Commences with the famous comment made by Elvis (on the 'Elvis sails' EP) to the Press Corps on joining the U.S. Army. On being asked "What's your idea of the ideal girl?" Elvis answers with much laughing '"Female Sir". A heavy version follows with guitar/drums and guitar to the fore. There is also a piece of dialogue included from the movie 'Jailhouse Rock' where Elvis has just kissed Judy Tyler (Peggy Van Alden) and she turns to him in disgust and states "How dare you think that such cheap tactics would work with me?" and Elvis replies "That ain't tactics honey, its just the beast in me".
9. Memories A short orchestral piece of 'Memories' which is really a means of segueing into
10. Can't Help Falling In Love This is a really fine contemporary version of this classic track and sung as a duet with a great female singer similar in style to Mariah Carey. Elvis opens the track accompanied by acoustic guitar. Very melodious. Interestingly the track fades out with Elvis repeating part of the song 'Love Me'.
11. You'll Never Walk Alone (Piano Interlude) A beautiful short piano solo played as if it were Elvis himself and segues into the final track.
12. Suspicious Minds Great up tempo closer for the album which is heavy on drums/piano/bass and guitar. Similar type female backing group as the Sweet Inspirations. A very melodious version with Elvis urging everyone on near the end shouting "C'mon, C'mon, C'mon".
Finally, I would like to make this important point. To fully appreciate this album one needs to treat it as a whole and not just a conglomeration of unrelated tracks. As stated earlier it is truly a unique 'listening experience' and and one that is linked biographically to cover all Elvis eras from 'That's All Right' to 'Suspicious Minds' taking in the 50's, the Movies, the Army, the 68 TV Special and Vegas. Special thanks go out to Erich van Tourneau and his team for this innovative concept in recorded music and to EPE and Sony Music Entertainment for their support for the project.
This album will whet the appetite of fans worldwide to go and see the show 'Viva Elvis' when it eventually goes on tour and bring back fond memories for those who have already seen it. I personally cannot wait.
Dvd Star "Viva Elvis" was released last week Monday.
OPENING Elvis returns to the stage, footage is running backwards and from 1977 till 1956, once back on stage
BLUE SUEDE SHOES starts, much footage (in Blue)of Elvis singing this song is used with special appearances by Milton Berle and Ed Sullivan.
THATS ALL RIGHT uses fifties, sixties and seventies footage and the image has been given an old look to make it all fit together, even Scotty Moore has been inserted to play the rhythm.
HEARTBREAK HOTEL, starts with Elvis signing his RCA contract, and tries to tell the story of the rise and fall of The King, Elvis holds his first gold record, and in the record you will see some of the awards he got during his career, also his Pink Caddy and Graceland is shown, then in the end, he shows the Moody Blue award .
KING CREOLE, featuring Forty Nina doing an exclusive duet version with Danny Fisher!
Great edits have been used to make this clip.. Something Else!
BOSSA NOVA BABY, the party highlight of the dvd, using lots and lots of movie sequences,
Elvis finding another Cat, and a special performance of Boots Randolph!
BURNING LOVE, shows what a Big Hunk O Love Elvis really is! Kissing in movies and on stage, combining rehearsal and live footage to make yet another great clip. Just watch Elvis wait for Judy Tyler: How dare you think such cheap tactics would work with me . And then bursts back into HUNKA HUNKA BURNING LOVE!
CANT HELP FALLING IN LOVE tells the story of the boy from Tupelo trying to find love, yet he never really succeeds, and in the end he kinda cries out for help OH YEAH
SUSPICIOUS MINDS .Is this THE highlight of the dvd? it probably is . Footage of the entire career of Elvis in combined in an astonishing way, making it look like he moves on the song in his movies, singing the song in the fifties.. the ultimate Elvis Presley song the Ultimate STAR clip, this is what it is all about.. making clips enjoyable too watch, and in a way you dont see everyday.
Take a look at the special artwork of this dvd, VIVA ELVIS.. .every letter represents one of the main clips .. Also be sure to check out the trailer .this also gives you an idea what to expect!
ELVIS RETURNS TO THE STAGE, STAR RETURNS TO EDITING!
STAR IS PROUD TO PRESENT: A NEW VIEWING EXPERIENCE - VIVA ELVIS THE Dvd
Yes its been quite a while, but now STAR is back and takes editing to the next level!
Presenting the COMPLETE Viva Elvis Album on Dvd!!
This dvd is for:
- ELVIS FANS
- CIRQUE DU SOLEIL FANS
- NON CIRQUE DU SOLEIL FANS
What to expect? Expect the best, and you will get more, expect nothing and you will be amazed about the level of this dvd. You have to watch it several times to discover all links and high tech effects, and one things for sure after watching it the album itself cant be played without seeing the footage you saw on this dvd.
It has NOTHING to do with CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, but when you did see it in Vegas, it will bring back some memories as some footage is linked to linked to it.
The dvd has ALL tracks of the original album, and more:
Tracklisting:
It starts off with some great Elvis Commercials, included among others are: Funny battery commercial, Pizza Hut commercial, 2011 C&A commercial ,and an historic commercial for Elvis first Album (1956!!)
MAIN FEATURE:
1. Didja Ever/Return To Sender (exclusive performance by the Viva
Elvis cast)
2. Bossa Nova Baby (exclusive performance by the Viva Elvis cast)
3. One Night(exclusive performance by the Viva Elvis cast)
4. Opening
5. Blue Suede Shoes
6. That's All Right
7. Heartbreak Hotel
8. Love Me Tender
9. King Creole
10. Bossa Nova Baby
11. Burning Love
12. Memories (Interlude)
13. Can't Help Falling In Love
14. You'll Never Walk Alone (Piano Interlude)
15. Suspicious Minds
ENCORE PERFORMANCES:
(these original videos, which are a joke compared to what you get on the main programma , are included as a bonus)
1. Love me Tender (official videoclip)
2. Burning Love (official videoclip)
3. Suspicious Minds (official videoclip)
4. Blue Suede Shoes (exclusive performance by the Viva Elvis cast)
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Release Summer In Sin City
Summer In Sin City
Touchdown Productions' tenth release is a double CD set wich includes two Shows from Elvis' second "Summer Festival" in 1971. In a year with no multitracks available and very few soundboard recordings in circulation, very good to excellent audience recordings are to be treasured. Here are two of them ... in improved soundquality, sounding much better than before.
CD 1 - August 14, 1971 / Midnight Show
[01] Also Sprach Zarathustra [02] That's Alright Mama [03] Proud Mary [04] You Don't
Have To Say You Love Me [05] You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling [06] Polk Salad Annie [07] Intermezzo [08] Johnny B. Goode [09] It's Over (2 false starts only) [10] Love Me [11] Blue Suede Shoes [12] Heartbreak [13] Hotel Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel [14] Rip lt Up (one line only) [15] Hound Dog [16] I Need Your Lovin' Everyday (one line only) [17] Suspicious Minds [18] Introductions [19] I'm Leavin' [20] Lawdy Miss Clawdy 21 ] Bridge Over Troubled Water [22] Can't Help Falling In Love
- Bonus [23] Its Over (August 12, 1971 MS)
CD 2 - August 23, 1971 / Dinner Show
[01] Also Sprach Zarathustra [02] That's All Right [03] Proud Mary [04] I Got A Woman / Amen [05] Sweet Caroline [06] Polk Salad Annie [07] Intermezzo [08] Johnny B. Goode [09] It's Impossible [10] Love Me [11] Blue Suede Shoes [12] Heartbreak Hotel [13] Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel [14] Hound Dog [15] Love Me Tender [16] Suspicious Minds
[17] Introductions [18] I'm Leavin [19] Lawdy Miss Clawdy [20] Can't Help Falling In Love
- Bonus [21] Memphis Tennessee [22] Trying To Get To You (August 11, 1971 DS )
The 2-CD set will get released at the same time, as the already announced CD Shreveport '75.
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31-10-2011
Forty Eight Hours To Memphis
Forty Eight Hours To Memphis
By ElvisNews.com/ Lex, Oct 30, 2011
FTD just released another live show, this time on 7(!). It is the Richmond gig from March 18, 1974.
Design
Quite surprisingly FTD decided to release this show on 7 instead of the regular 5. I guess they did it since it is probably one of the best live outings so far on the label.
It is nice to read about the passion someone (Robert Frieser in this case) develops for a particular Elvis-thing. This dedication brings us one of the better FTD-designs, with an informative booklet. Next to Roberts story on the tapes it gives an in depth view of the complete tour.
I only wonder who that mystery musician is
Content
Without any doubt Luxors Guaranteed To Blow Your Mind was one of the better live-bootlegs, both show and sound wise. FTD brings the same great show in an even better sound quality. Out of laziness I picked Christopher Hassels view on the bootleg, since it underlines my opinion perfectly, so thanks Christopher!
The 1974 bootlegs are abundant and most are excellent.. including Steamroller Blues in Memphis, Spanish Eyes in Lake Tahoe as well as other highlights from 1974 including this CD....Let's start by saying..You definitely need to hear this CD to appreciate the quality of this concert !! The sound of this CD is superb....One of the best, if not THE best quality bootlegs out there. The mix is perfect.. On top of the great sound, the concert is fantastic.. with Elvis in a very good mood and his voice is strong and powerful.. an excellent night for the fans in Richmond indeed.. Anyway..the concert.. The CD starts off with some cool stuff.. Including the opening big band version of Love Me Tender as well as opening act Voice singing two tunes, Keep It Going and Going Back To Memphis Tomorrow.. Also included is announcer Al Devorin doing his best salesman job pushing Elvis souvenirs..These were actually recorded in Memphis in 1975... After a few listens to the CD and this all becomes boring.. but, it gives you the " whole " Elvis concert experience.. besides, you can just scan past them and go on to the real deal... Elvis..
As always..Also Sprach Zarathustra's ominous sounds begin the performance.. and Elvis appears with a good solid version of C.C. Rider. A shortened version of the usual " Well well well " goes right into a cool version of I've Got A Woman/ Amen in which Elvis makes JD Sumner do his thing twice !!!
Elvis greets the audience with a funny bit when he says, " It's nice to be back in Hampton Roa.. I mean Richmond !! " and then goes right into Love Me which is nothing special. An intense, powerful version of Trying To Get To You follows. Elvis pounds this one out..Fantastic.. A short version of All Shook Up is next, nothing new, but it's still a cool grooving tune to hear...
Next up is one of the most funkiest versions of Steamroller Blues you will ever hear..The horn section powers through this tune and Elvis is right there with them..Pumping out his heart into this one...This version buries the well known Aloha recording...Fantastic. Teddy Bear/ Don't Be Cruel and Love Me Tender follow one another... Nothing exciting here, but the great sound quality makes up for it !!!!
The very cool and rocking medley Long tall sally/ whole lotta shakin' goin' on/ mama don't dance/ flip flop & fly/ jailhouse rock/ hound dog follows and is tight and exciting... The well known version from the Memphis concert pales in comparison..It would have been nice if Elvis did more medleys like this one...
A very funny version of Fever is up next.. Elvis plays with the words and has a blast with this one.. He even comments at the end, " That's a fun song to do.. " Fun to listen to as well...Forget the Aloha version !!! Polk Salad Annie is next and its funky grooves are as wild as ever... To take a little breather, Elvis has JD Sumner and the Stamps sing Why Me Lord ?... JD's low tones grace this gospel tune beautifully..In this concert, Elvis doesn't give the audience a chance to breathe as he pumps out song after song with hardly any break in between.. Such is the case of Suspicious Minds... This is such a great song, I've never heard a bad version, and this one doesn't change that..
The introductions are up next and they are short and to the point. The extended solos have not yet become part of the intros as they will later in the year at the Vegas closing in September. A powerhouse version of I Can't Stop Loving You kicks right in after the intros.. Elvis' strong voice is evident here as he barrels through this one..A great version.
Elvis' latest record " Help Me " follows and this a touching rendition of this beautiful song... A moving, stirring version of American Trilogy immediately follows and as usual, Elvis and the TCB band hit it right on the head. Magnificent. Let Me Be There is up next and the band really shines on this tight country song..Which will become a staple of Elvis' concerts in the following years..
Time for the houselights to come up on Richmond...which means Funny How Time Slips Away is up...Nothing new on this one, but again, the sound quality gives new depth to these songs.. " And until we're back in Richmond , we bid you an affectionate adios" and we hear the finale Can't Help Falling In Love complete with screams from girls no doubt catching those scarves...Elvis has left the Building.....
If you are faced with the challenge of grabbing hold of only one CD from the 1974 tours, do your best to grab this one.. The sound is superb and the concert itself is one of Elvis' best.. Not to mention the beautiful close up shots of Elvis in the sleeve. As the title says, this is guaranteed to blow your mind.
Conclusion
One of the best (sounding) live shows on the label so far, it deserves the 7-format!
Early 1973 was an emotionally
traumatic time for Elvis. Although Priscilla & his divorce had been
officially settled, Mike Stone (Priscilla's boyfriend) was now trying to limit
Elvis' access to Lisa Marie which really upset him.
The
year had started on the perfect high of The Aloha special but, having achieved
the ultimate live show, was there really any challenge left to divert him from
the sadness of his personal life?
Takin' Lake Tahoe
- There is no doubt that the emotional stress was affecting his health and his
voice was also reflecting the strain. During his first 1973 Las Vegas season his
voice sounded weak and Elvis had to cancel several shows. On Feb 15th Elvis'
voice even failed him halfway through the concert and he had to halt the show.
Only
3 days later four men jumped on to the Vegas stage to try and attack him! It
certainly was an eventful start to the year. While a few bootlegs do capture
Elvis during this period, RCA realised that Elvis was not performing at 'full
blast' and until now no concert from this period has ever been released.
So
this new FTD CD is a real first. A live 1973 soundboard show, a Lake Tahoe
performance, as well as the first concert release featuring Emory Gordy playing
bass guitar. An interesting change since it is Emory Gordy's thundering bass
that drives along the 'Burning Love' single so fabulously. This was Elvis'
second Lake Tahoe season and after an earlier rest for 2 months his voice was
improving. He must also have been in a good mood since he offered to perform
this extra Mother's Day concert at 3am, from which he donated his own fee to the
local hospital in his Mother's name.
Incredibly this was his third
performance of the day, as he had already done his usual Dinner and Midnight
shows, and what fun it is. Elvis is obviously in an excellent mood and treats
the crowd to some superb & spontaneous moments. The real selling point of
this live release is that it is an excellent mix, superbly capturing Elvis'
vocal, the band, as well as the orchestra. If this is the sound that the
audience heard that night then they were very lucky!
Apart from the occasional peak
distortion, when Elvis really goes for it, & the slight hiss, sometimes it
is hard to believe that this is a soundboard recording. It actually sounds like
the audio engineer wasn't using the usual audio-compression this night, giving
it a very dynamic sound. Now while we are all familiar with the set-list, since
this concert was only 4 months after Aloha, there are still plenty of surprises.
An
energetic 'See See Rider' kicks off the show with the horns
sounding as clear as a bell and James Burton really chickin' pickin'! Elvis
laughs & jokes mid-song "Just woke me up, Whooo!" but this time,
unlike the later Las Vegas Dinner shows, it is obvious that he is joking! A
laid-back 'I Got A Woman/Amen' follows during which you can
notice that Elvis is holding back vocally. A bonus is that, even with a J.D
Sumner double-ending, this version is short and sweet unlike later versions.
After a quick "Good
Morning", noting the early hour of the day, Elvis unusually drops the
regular 'Love Me Tender' and goes straight to 'Help Me Make It Through
the Night'. Maybe this was intentional since it was his 3rd show that
night! Taken at a noticeably faster tempo than the '75 versions, his voice
sounds far from the best and he adds the interesting & possibly
deliberate.. "We don't want to be alone, Help us make it through the
night" This is also the earliest live recording of this song yet released.
'Steamroller
Blues' warms things up nicely and the band is cookin'. At a faster
tempo and sounding funkier than the "bluesier" Aloha version, it helps show off
the great soundboard mix along with Emory's funky bass. Elvis really digs into
the track, "I'm a steamrollin' mother" - yes indeed!
'You Gave Me A Mountain'
again shows the dynamic mix on this tape and, as later, Elvis'
restraint actually works on this song. Listen to the line "Just tired of
being my wife" and his enjoyment is obvious as he hollers, "Whoo",
mid-song! The concert does seem to 'connect' at this point and Elvis' humour is
infectious.
During a cool 'Love
Me' he exclaims, "Behave James!" to James Burton and laughs
with the band, teasing Ronnie Tutt with, "You want to play funny? Eh,
Ronnie?" Knowing that Elvis loved Peter Sellers just think of the laughs he
would have had (must be having?!) at Austin Powers! Elvis is definitely enjoying
himself & having fun.
'Long Tall Sally'
features the line "Saw J.D with bald-headed Sally" and listen out for
his delightful giggle just before 'Blue Suede Shoes.' It is obvious that, even
with his voice causing him worry, he was still the consummate performer.
Since 'Aloha' and his on-going
voice problems Elvis had been avoiding the song 'My Way' but
tonight he is obviously feeling much better. Here it is the first real challenge
of the show. On the stage of Lake Tahoe Elvis sounds perfectly alone, and the
power-ending shows that his voice really has improved since earlier in the year.
There is also a genuine, cute moment when he forgets the line "But through
it all, when there was doubt" and hums the last few words!
Elvis also gives 'What Now
My Love' a power-ending but otherwise hangs back on this and,
surprisingly, 'Suspicious Minds' too which is very laid-back
compared to the Aloha version. His throat sounds positively sore at points but
James Burton & the band are on great form. It also sounds like Charlie Hodge
is trying to compensate for Elvis.
After the quick 'Introductions'
Elvis is warming up for some fun that continues right through to the end of the
concert. He sings "I Remember You,,, Alfie!" and
announces "This is from the TV Special we did recently" before cracking
up as he changes the lyrics to reflect that it is 3am. His laughter is a treat
and captures the overall feel of this Charity show. The original lyric. .. "Long
after this endless summer has gone I'll be lonely, oh so lonely" Here becomes. .
. "Long after this, long morning is through I'll be horny,. . lonely, oh so
lonely" He announces "Well that's about enough!" before playing
with the audience during a fun 'I Can't Stop Loving You' which warms us up to
another highlight.
'Bridge Over Troubled
Water' was an Elvis classic sadly missing from the Aloha shows. In fact
Elvis hadn't been performing it since June 1972 so this was a real bonus and
also a highlight of this night's show. The mix is terrific with Glen Hardin's
piano & Emory's bass nicely shaping the song. Here Elvis' voice really does
suit the sentiment of the lyric and he enjoys it so much that he does a rare
reprise at the end. This is a real treat and also a surprise for the band!
Unfortunately there is a bit of peak-distortion on the tape but the dynamic of
the song is perfectly captured.
Elvis suggests 'The Impossible
Dream' as the next track. Although Joe Guercio is there at Lake Tahoe, the Al
Tronti orchestra obviously haven't rehearsed the song which is a shame. Elvis
also asks for 'For The Good Times' but that suggestion is rejected too! Showing
his spontaneity, & good humour, instead he goes for a very enjoyable
'Funny How Time Slips Away' which works very nicely with some
good crowd interaction.
Then
for the second time Elvis suggests 'The Impossible Dream' but again gets told
"We can't do it!"
This
time Elvis chooses 'It's Over', before jumping straight into
'Release Me'. This he kicks off in too high a key which causes
it to fall apart after 30 seconds. He comments "Goddamn that's high. Hold
it, hold it! Let's do Faded Love." This really surprises the band and Elvis
has to ask them to adjust the tempo - They were playing fast that night.
'Faded Love' is
excellent fun, with Glen D Hardin and even the brass section really getting into
it, and fits nicely into the spontaneity of the concert.
Sadly, with dawn in sight, it was
time to wrap up the show and those dreaded words "I'd like to sing a song
from Blue Hawaii for you" and 'Can't Help falling In Love' takes us home.
However an excellent bonus on this
CD are 2 extra performances from the Midnight Show. A delicious and rare
'I'm Leaving' is another highlight. What a shame that this
beautiful song never got added to the Aloha show. Again this is the earliest
official live release of this song, although Elvis had sung it live as far back
as 1971.
A
storming 'A Big Hunk O' Love' also shows that Elvis was on fine
form that day. So while this CD doesn't feature Elvis on top form vocally, it
does show the natural, spur-of-the-moment side of his character especially when
compared to the restraint & seriousness of the '73 Aloha special. The cover
does features some terrific photos from the actual concert and is one of FTD's
best layouts.
Overall Verdict -
Although this may not be an essential purchase for everyone, Elvis is loose,
having fun, the mix is excellent and it does capture an important part of Elvis'
emotional year. Recommended listening.
Note - Now
1971 is the only year remaining for which we have no official Elvis
concert release. Hopefully FTD has a show from the November tour when Elvis was
in good form & playing to larger crowds. Jesse D. Presley was even at one of
them (Nov 7th) to see his grandson perform!
A new 10 inch vinyl release was announced by Rockwell Records; 'Elvis Presley Christmas Spirit'. The release-date for this set, due in clear green, gold an black vinyl editions, is November 10, 2011.
Side One: 01. White Christmas, 02. Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem, 03. I Believe In The Man In The Sky 04. Santa Claus Is Back In Town, 05. Mansion Over The Hilltop, 06. I'll Be Home For Christmas
Side Two: 01. Silent Night, 02. Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me), 03. His Hand In Mine, 04. Milky White Way, 05. Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane), 06. If We Never Meet Again, 07. Blue Christmas
Mooie title voor een boek met Elvis fotos die vrij zeldzaam zijn. Van de optredens in het Lake Tahoe hotel zijn vanuit de periode 1971 tot en met 1976 weinig fotos, laat staan anekdotes bekend. Dit zijn optredens geweest, die niet net zo als in Vegas, tot de verbeelding hebben gesproken. Zeker niet wat afbeeldingen betreft. Zijn optredens in deze tweede roulette stad van de USA zijn veelal wel op bootleg cds uitgebracht en ik herinner me de eerste illegale complete show nog die werd uitgegeven van het Lake Tahoe gebeuren. Dat was een mei 1973 show op het Peaf label. Een uitgave die toen in 1992 ongekend populair was bij de concert liefhebbers. Het was de allereerste complete live show die in goede audience geluidskwaliteit uitkwam. Ongehoord in die vroegere jaren. Maar nu terug naar het boek. Het was toentertijd absoluut verboden om fotos te maken in Vegas of in Lake Tahoe. In Lake Tahoe was het nog moeilijker om het toch te doen, aangezien alles daar veel kleiner en veel compacter en daardoor intiemer was en de pakkans dus groter. Niettemin heeft Sue McCasland, een Elvis fan in hart en nieren, zeer veel fotos kunnen schieten van Elvis zijn optredens in Lake Tahoe. Met de fotos van Sue McCasland gaat dan ook als het ware een schatkist voor u open. Zeer veel en ook mooie fotos maken dit boek welk op glanspapier is gedrukt en met harde cover, een waar genot om in te kijken, bladeren en om in te lezen. Met recht kunnen we de titel van dit boek letterlijk vertalen: Elvis leeft in Del Webbs Sahara Tahoe hotel. In tegenstelling tot Las Vegas is van de Tahoe periode weinig bekend terwijl Elvis ook daar menigmaal achter elkaar is opgetreden. Nu, met de uitgave van dit boek, komt er enorm veel informatie op ons af van dit Lake Tahoe gebeuren. Informatie welke we node hebben gemist. Informatie die we nodig hebben om het Elvis plaatje in ons hoofd compleet te maken. Bijna elke foto van de optredens in Lake Tahoe zijn opgespoord en in dit fascinerende boek terug te vinden als ook ooggetuigenverslagen van mensen die Elvis in Lake Tahoe hebben meegemaakt, achtergrond informatie over Lake Tahoe zelf en nog veel meer. Conclusie is dan ook dat we hier een Elvis boek hebben die het waard is om tussen uw andere Elvis boekente staan en die er recht op heeft dat hij af en toe ter hand wordt genomen om weer in te kijken en door te bladeren en om weer bepaalde passages te lezen. Kortom een waardevol Elvis boek die niet snel zal vervelen en een einde maakt aan de mythe dat Elvis in 1977 pas het Sundial jumpsuit droeg.
As recorded at the Sahara Tahoe, Lake Tahoe, NV - Sunday, May 2, 1976
Label: Straight Arrow Special Products SA/SP 2011-03-02
In the past year 'Straight Arrow' managed to obtain a couple of superb-quality Vegas and Tahoe off-line recordings suitable for special releases. The third volume of our "STRAIGHT ARROW SPECIAL PRODUCTS" mini-series is "A TRIPLE THREAT!" (SA/SP 2011-03-02) and features the super-cool Lake Tahoe concert from May 2, 1976.
Of all of Elvis' 70s concerts, those in Lake Tahoe are the most poorly-documented. In a way it's a real pity, because the beauty of the Nevada surroundings and the intimacy of the Sahara showroom always seemed to bring out the best in him. Although Elvis looked somewhat unhealthy in May 1976, he appeared to be in a very good mood, and his warm interaction with fans made the shows quite memorable. The May 2, 1976 gig featured on this release is one of the longest and most entertaining that he gave.
Listening to this, one might easily get the impression that Elvis was courting guests in his living room. There's a nice intimacy to the recording, and his interplay with audience and musicians alike is a true delight. There are also a number of vocally-impressive performances in evidence, one being Elvis' latest RCA single, "Hurt," which he reprises twice! It is the only known date where "Hurt" was performed three times due to the terrific audience response! Worth a mention as well are solid performances of "Burning Love", "My Way", "Tryin' To Get To You" and "An American Trilogy".
This previously unreleased show is taken from a 24-bit digital transfer of a first-generation copy of original cassette. Since the recorder was very close to James Burton's stage monitor, the lead guitar is exceptionally well-defined in the sound image.
Like its predecessors, this new release will be presented in a beautiful digipack with all the necessary information, plus Lake Tahoe memorabilia and photos taken during actual gig. If you dug "FADED LOVE" and "YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME" CDs, we'll bet that you will love this one, too.
Tracks:
CD1: 01. Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra - 02. C. C. Rider - 03. I Got A Woman (with break) / Amen - 04. Love Me - 05. If You Love Me (Let Me Know) - 06. You Gave Me A Mountain 07. Elvis talks - 08. All Shook Up - 09. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Elvis talks - 10. Don't Be Cruel - 11. Tryin' To Get To You - 12. My Way - 13. Burning Love.
CD2: 01. Introduction of singers, musicians - 02. Early Morning Rain (John Wilkinson, instrumental) - 03. What'd I Say (James Burton) - 04. Johnny B. Goode (James Burton) - 05. Drum Solo (Ronnie Tutt) - 06. Bass Solo (Jerry Scheff) - 07. Piano Solo (Tony Brown) - 08. Electric Piano Solo (David Briggs) - 09. Love Letters (with false start) - 10. School Day (Joe Guercio Orchestra) - 11. Hurt - 12. Hurt (second rendition) - 13. Hurt (reprise of last verse and ending) - 14. Hound Dog - 15. An American Trilogy - 16. Softly As I Leave You - 17. Can't Help Falling In Love - 18. Closing Vamp.
Approx running time: 85 minutes
A piece of a review from "A HILL IN LAKE TAHOE 1976" by Geoffrey Mc Donnell,Australia.
Elvis appeared in Lake Tahoe on 30th April 1976 for his 5th Appearance only 3 days after closing in Spokane on 27th April. This wasn't much of a break as he was going to perform 14 shows in Lake Tahoe performing until 9th May 1976. Elvis was overweight not looking his best, but he did seem to be in excellent spirits for this season. This seems to be verified by his compliance to perform many, many requests this season as well as developing other songs not heard of for years and varying his repertoire considerably to make entertaining shows for his Fans in Lake Tahoe. Really in the last year or so of Elvis's shows Lake Tahoe represents the last time that Elvis gave a MAJOR overall and expansion to his 'standard' shows repertoire. By this I mean 'new' material not sung 'live' before and the expansion of the introductions featuring solos by the band with a song that Elvis could if he wanted sing along too. All the audiences were good and responsive (after all they'd got inside the showroom!) Elvis took more requests than ever before and delighted audiences indeed his closing show was 2 hours long and Elvis and the Colonel gave Roses to all the Ladies as they entered the showroom that closing show night.
Rockwel Records released the new 12 Im Counting On You album. A fine compilation featuring some of Elviss more country style songs. Available here on high quality heavyweight black vinyl.
SIDE ONE: Blue Moon Of Kentucky I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine You're A Heartbreaker We're Gonna Move When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again I'm Counting On You
SIDE TWO: Poor Boy Have I Told You Lately That I Love You True Love I Forgot To Remember To Forget Love Me Tender Old Shep
Venus announced a new release in the "Unedited Masters" series, Unedited Masters: Nashville 1970
From the press release:
Again we are able to present to you more undubbed and unedited masters, this time as recorded in Nashville, Tennessee 1970. As always, we deliver all songs without any fade-ins, fade-outs or cut-outs. Everything is presented the way it was recorded in the studio. The sound quality on this wonderful release is again "from outer space". Hear Elvis in his prime in a way you never heard him before! Don't you dare miss this great and limited edition and If it sounds like from outer space, you can be sure it's from Venus.
Track listing:
1 Got My Mojo Working / Keep Your Hands Off of It unedited O.V. master 5:37 2 You Don't Have To Say You Love Me unedited O.V. master 2:34 3 Just Pretend unedited O.V. master 4:13 4 Faded Love Brass & Stings O.V. master 4:09 5 The Next Step Is Love unedited O.V. master 3:48 6 Make The World Go Away Take 3 O.V. /work part Tk.1 O.V. 5:01 7 I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water unedited overdubbed master 5:24 8 Twenty Days And Twenty Nights unedited O.V. master 3:40 9 I've Lost You unedited O.V. master 4:01 10 I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago unedited master 3:29 11 The Sound Of Your Cry unedited O.V. master 4:36 12 The Fool unedited undubbed master 2:33 13 Cindy, Cindy unedited O.V. master 3:16 14 It's Your Baby, You Rock It unedited alternate master 3:23 15 Stranger In The Crowd unedited O.V. master 4:35 16 Mary In The Morning unedited O.V. master 4:25 17 This is Our Dance backup vocal overdub master 3:14 18 Only Believe O.V. master ( featuring horns ) 2:58 19 Patch It Up unedited alternate master 3:28 20 The Fool Take 1 ( different mix ) 2:24
Na de ontzettend aangename TCB Cruise afgelopen maand, is ElvisMatters in samenwerking met Gullivers Reisen alweer klaar met het cruise-pakket voor september 2012. En het allerbeste nieuws is: die cruise wordt nog groter én goedkoper! En vergeet niet: wie via ElvisMatters boekt, krijgt een exclusieve avond aangeboden in het gezelschap van alle Elvis-gasten. Voor vele fans was die avond HET hoogtepunt van de cruise!
De cruise van 23 tot 30 september omvat 8 dagen heerlijke zon, 7 nachten aan boord van een top-de-luxe cruise schip. De Norwegian Epic is het modernste en grootste cruiseschip in Europa. Gebouwd in 2010, bevat het maar liefst 19 verdiepingen met meer dan 20 restaurants, room service, 24/24 pizza-dienst, theaters, zwembaden, whirlpools, fitness-ruimtes, discos, clubs, bars, casinos de lijst in eindeloos. Negentien verdiepingen vol entertainment!
Ook de Elvis-gasten zijn van top-niveau met de TCB Band, LINDA THOMPSON (!), Sam Thompson, Jerry Schilling, én er worden de komende weken en maanden NOG speciale Elvis-gasten aangekondigd!
Reisschema: Dag 1 - Barcelona vertrek om 18 u. Dag 2 - Cruising day. Dag 3 - Naples (Capri). Dag 4 - Rome (Civitavecchia). Dag 5 - Pisa (Florence). Dag 6 Nice (Villefranche). Dag 7 - Marseille. Dag 8 - Barcelona.
De prijzen voor deze ALL IN luxe cruise variëren van 599 euro per persoon voor een inside state cabin tot 999 euro voor een cabine met balkon en zeezicht en 1199 euro voor een suite. Wie zeker wil zijn van een plaatsje aan boord, doet er best aan zo spoedig mogelijk in te schrijven. Dat kan via peter@elvismatters.com. Houzee!
Touchdown Productions' next release will be the afternoon show from Shreveport, Louisiana on June 7, 1975. The King delivered a very good show with lots of highlights. The sound is of very good quality for this kind of recordings.
Tracklisting: See See Rider - I Got A Woman / Amen - Love Me - If You Love Me Let Me Know - Love Me Tender - Audience Talk - All Shook Up - Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel - Hound Dog - The Wonder Of You - Burning Love - Band Introductions - Johnny B Goode - Drum Solo - Bass Solo - Piano Solo - School Days - T-R-O-U-B-L-E - Why Me Lord? - How Great Thou Art - Funny How Time Slips Away - Little Darlin' - Mystery Train / Tiger Man - Can't Help Falling in Love
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- Gemiddelde waardering: 4/5 - (3 Stemmen) Categorie:Algemeen Tags:Glenn D. Hardin, Mark Elbers, My Way ,
21-10-2011
Fresno Air Terminal 26 april 1973
Fresno Air Terminal 26 april 1973
Op 25 april 1973 gaf Elvis twee uitverkochte shows in de Fresno Selland Arena. Het was voor het eerst dat hij daar optrad. De volgende ochtend zijn er beelden van Elvis gefilmd bij de Fresno Air terminal. Deze beelden bleven lang bewaard, maar waren nog niet toegankelijk voor het grote publiek. Nu staan ze dan op YouTube!
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- Gemiddelde waardering: 3/5 - (2 Stemmen) Categorie:Releases Tags:Fresno Air Terminal 26 april 1973
The Complete Louisiana Hayride Archives 1954-1956
The Complete Louisiana Hayride Archives 1954-1956
Op 21 november wordt er een nieuwe cd box via het 'Memphis Recording Service' label uitgebracht, in samenwerking met 'Joseph A Tunzi' (JAT Productions). Op deze box staan alle live opnamens van de Louisiana Hayride shows van Elvis. De box krijgt de passende titel: The Complete Louisiana Hayride Archives 1954-1956. Het geluid van alle 29 tracks zijn opgepoetst tot een goed niveau. Een veel rijker geluid bij o.a. 'Hearts of Stone' en 'Im Left You're Right She's Gone' zal smullen zijn!
Op de cd is ook de show van December 1956 te vinden. Deze show werd onlangs uitgebracht op de SONY box 'Young man With The Big Beat'. De makers van deze nieuwe MRS uitgave, vertellen dat dit de complete show bevat en dat de nummers op de correcte wijze worden bewerkt.
Deze uitgave bevat tevens een 100 pagina tellend boekwerk, met schitterende foto's.
Tracklist:
First Louisiana Hayride Show - 16th October 1954 1. Hayride Begins Jingle 2. Introduction/That's All Right 3. Blue Moon of Kentucky
January 15th 1955 4. Hearts of Stone 5. That's All Right 6. Tweedle Dee
January 22nd 1955 7. Money Honey 8. Blue Moon of Kentucky 9. I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine 10. That's All Right
April 30th 1955 11. Tweedle Dee
July 16th 1955 12. I'm Left You're Right She's Gone
August 20th 1955 13. Baby Let's Play House 14. Maybellene 15. That's All Right
Last Louisiana Hayride Show - 16th December 1956 16. Heartbreak Hotel 17. Long Tall Sally 18. I Was the One 19. Love Me Tender 20. Don't Be Cruel 21. Love Me 22. I Got a Woman 23. When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again 24. Paralyzed 25. Hound Dog 26. Elvis Has Left the Building 27. Hayride End Jingle
Bonus Tracks 28. June Carter Talks about Elvis on the Hayride 29. Maybellene (Tunzi Remix)