From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis

Elvis Live at His Las Vegas Peak

/ TY / Leave a comment

This is Part 8 of an occasional series reviewing Elvis: The Complete Masters Collection.

Well, as I was saying, volume 10 of Elvis: The Complete Masters Collection is called Live In Las Vegas and compiles Elvis In Person and On Stage, two of Elvis Presley’s best albums.

When Elvis made his debut at the International Hotel in Las Vegas on July 31, 1969, it had been 3,050 days since his last public concert. With that in mind, the 1,935 days that have elapsed since my last entry in this review of Elvis: The Complete Masters Collection don’t sound so bad, do they?

ELVIS: THE COMPLETE MASTERS COLLECTION – VOLUME 10 CD front sleeve - 2009, from TY's collection

ELVIS: THE COMPLETE MASTERS COLLECTION – VOLUME 10 CD front sleeve (2009, from TY’s collection)

CD Vol. 10: Live In Las Vegas

As I’ll talk about later, the compilers had an opportunity to do something really creative with the sequencing of this CD, but they took the easy route instead.

The first 12 tracks are the 1970 album Elvis In Person At The International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, which was actually first released as record 1 of From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis in 1969. Do you think the RCA folks got paid by the character for their album titles back then?

The final 10 tracks are the album On Stage – February, 1970. One of my favorite little tidbits about that album, besides the unnecessary comma in the title, is that Elvis’ name does not appear anywhere on the front or back cover.

Elvis In Person pulls together recordings from Elvis’ August 1969 engagement at the International, whereas On Stage primarily assembles songs from his February 1970 return engagement but tosses in a couple more highlights from August 1969.

01. Blue Suede Shoes (August 25, 1969 Midnight Show [MS]): Trumpets blare, the rhythm group springs into action, and then Elvis takes the stage as Elvis In Person begins with a rocking rendition of Carl Perkins’ “Blue Suede Shoes.”

02. Johnny B. Goode (August 24, 1969 MS): From one rock ‘n’ roll anthem to the next, Elvis rips into Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode,” with his strongest version of the song from a vocals perspective released to date. James Burton on lead electric guitar is killing it in the right channel. The Sweet Inspirations sound great, too!

03. All Shook Up (August 25, 1969 MS): Elvis next launches into “All Shook Up,” certainly one of his finest performances of the 1957 classic. Ronnie Tutt on drums really drives this one. After the song, Elvis mentions that this is his first live appearance in nine years.

04. Are You Lonesome Tonight? (August 24, 1969 MS): Elvis sings a compelling version of his 1960 hit “Are You Lonesome Tonight,” with Sweet Inspiration Cissy Houston’s vocals soaring throughout. At the end of the track, in an excerpt from the August 24, 1969 Dinner Show (DS), Elvis introduces his “message song” for the night, which turns out to be . . .

05. Hound Dog (August 25, 1969 MS): Elvis attacks the opening of this song so forcefully that I’m just now getting up from the floor to try to type my thoughts as Burton completes his mid-song guitar solo. Best version from the 1968-1977 era.

06. I Can’t Stop Loving You (August 25, 1969 MS): This is a pretty enough version of Don Gibson’s “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” but Elvis would do it better from August 1970 through 1972 when he put a little more oomph into it. Bizarrely dubbed-in from another moment, an audience member screaming incoherently near the end doesn’t help this version, either. Elvis’ voice is gorgeous here, though, don’t get me wrong.

Listening closely to Elvis In Person as an album for the first time in awhile, it also becomes apparent that this is really a showcase for the incredible Sweet Inspirations as well.

If I play this performance of “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” I grab the one from disc 9 of 2019’s ELVIS LIVE 1969: International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada. Note that the tradition has carried on and that the Sony folks must get paid by the character for their titles, too. Anyway, the August 25, 1969 MS is one of Elvis’ greatest recorded concerts and the one that provided most of the masters for Elvis In Person.

07. My Babe (August 25, 1969 MS): Elvis rocks “My Babe,” his best version of Willie Dixon’s blues number. I love the extra guitar flourish by Burton at the end, too.

08. Mystery Train/Tiger Man (August 25, 1969 MS): The problem with a review of a fantastic album like Elvis In Person is that you run out of superlatives. Here is a no-holds-barred take on the “Mystery Train/Tiger Man” medley – possibly the best version of this combination ever recorded.

Elvis’ 1955 Sun master of “Mystery Train” is surely among his top five recordings ever. No live version has a chance of beating it, but the song still works perfectly here in tandem with “Tiger Man.” As always, this medley also spotlights Burton and Tutt. The best track on this CD.

09. Words (August 25, 1969 MS): Now, Elvis slows things way down with “Words,” a 1968 Bee Gees song. This is a great version, though I do prefer Elvis’ August 1970 take on the song.

This CD sounds fantastic, by the way. If I close my eyes I can pretend, just for a moment, that I’m in the showroom. At the end of the track, in a moment from the August 26, 1969 DS, Elvis introduces the next number as, “A record that just did very well for me recently, ladies and gentlemen.”

10. In The Ghetto (August 26, 1969 DS): That record, of course, is “In The Ghetto,” which made it to number 3 on the charts. This is a solid live version that remains true to the studio version, outside of being a tad faster. This, of course, was the true message song for the night.

11. Suspicious Minds (August 26, 1969 DS): It’s not that this is a bad version of “Suspicious Minds,” but there are a few others from the August 1969 engagement that I would have chosen ahead of this iteration. Really, any Midnight Show version probably would have been better than this Dinner Show version.

When Elvis’ producer Felton Jarvis witnessed the live version of “Suspicious Minds” earlier in this engagement, he went back and added similar horns and a fading down/up/down effect to the January 1969 studio master to attempt to replicate the feel. Backed with “You’ll Think Of Me” from the same sessions, the “Suspicious Minds” studio single hit the streets on August 26, literally the day of this Elvis In Person live recording, and made its way to number one.

12. Can’t Help Falling In Love (August 26, 1969 DS): After the two versions recorded in front of the small studio audiences of the 1968 ELVIS special, this is the next greatest live version of “Can’t Help Falling In Love.” Similar to “Are You Lonesome Tonight,” Houston’s vocals are near-operatic. This would be a fantastic end to a CD, except our CD doesn’t end here.

ELVIS: THE COMPLETE MASTERS COLLECTION – VOLUME 10 CD (2009, from TY’s collection)

13. See See Rider (February 18, 1970 MS): On Stage kicks off with “See See Rider,” which Elvis actually wouldn’t begin using as an opening song in his concerts for another couple of years. Did he get the idea from the sequencing of this album? This is one of my favorite Burton guitar solos. It is also Elvis’ best version of “See See Rider,” though the one on 2002’s Today, Tomorrow & Forever from this same engagement comes pretty close.

14. Release Me (February 18, 1970 MS): Elvis sings a committed version of “Release Me” and everyone does a great job backing him up. Despite all of that, this well-worn classic is just not a song I often enjoy very much.

15. Sweet Caroline (February 16, 1970 DS): Up next, Elvis takes on Neil Diamond’s 1969 hit “Sweet Caroline.” I actually like Elvis’ version of “Sweet Caroline” better than Diamond’s, and it’s pretty cool to watch him sing it in Elvis: That’s The Way It Is, too. Elvis sounds like he’s having fun, so that makes it enjoyable as well. This is Elvis’ best version of “Sweet Caroline.”

16. Runaway (August 25, 1969 DS): Elvis has a solid take on Del Shannon’s 1961 classic.

17. The Wonder Of You (February 18, 1970 MS): I love Elvis’ version of “The Wonder Of You,” a song first released by Ray Peterson in 1959. This live version was released as a single by Elvis and peaked at number nine. I love Elvis’ vocal interplay with Burton’s guitar solo on this.

18. Polk Salad Annie (February 18, 1970 MS): The only real competition for best track on this CD versus “Mystery Train/Tiger Man” is right here – “Polk Salad Annie.” Elvis begins the song with his “little story” that explains the lyrics. Tony Joe White’s 1969 classic is a perfect choice for Elvis’ live show. Jerry Scheff owns this song on electric bass. A similar rendition filmed a few months later for Elvis: That’s The Way It Is should not be missed, though this February version is superior.

19. Yesterday (August 25, 1969 DS): And now, Elvis sings The Beatles with a solid version of their 1965 hit “Yesterday.” This live version is actually one half of a medley that concluded with “Hey Jude,” but the original compiler of On Stage wisely left it off. Elvis’ “Yesterday” is stronger without it.

20. Proud Mary (February 16, 1970 DS): Next, Elvis sings Creedence Clearwater Revival by taking on their 1969 hit “Proud Mary.” While I prefer Elvis’ 1972 versions of “Proud Mary,” this is certainly a spirited and worthy take.

21. Walk A Mile In My Shoes (February 19, 1970 MS): Joe South first released the incredible “Walk A Mile In My Shoes” on his 1969 album Don’t It Make You Want To Go Home? and the single came out just a few weeks before Elvis’ live version was captured.

When Elvis sang “Walk A Mile In My Shoes” in this engagement, it was the first half of a medley with “In The Ghetto,” which was an inspired combination. For On Stage, the original compiler unfortunately excised the “In The Ghetto” portion. Nevertheless, “Walk A Mile In My Shoes” is another of my favorite songs on this CD.

Elvis notes at the end of this track that the next song had been released by a few different people.

22. Let It Be Me (February 17, 1970 MS): Elvis does a phenomenal job on this song, but so do the Sweet Inspirations – who were actually one of the groups that had released “Let It Be Me” prior to Elvis taking a turn at the song. Their 1967 version, which can be heard on their self-titled album, is not to be missed.

In terms of song selection and sequencing, this Franklin Mint set of Elvis’ complete masters does not strictly adhere to a session or album chronology. Those two approaches were later covered by re-releases of this material by Sony/RCA.

With that in mind, I think it would have been a much more interesting listening experience to put the first side of Elvis In Person, tracks 1-7, at the beginning, then both sides of On Stage, tracks 13-22, followed by the second side of Elvis In Person, tracks 8-12. This essentially would give you the feel of one incredible concert covering both seasons rather than two separate albums thrown together.

No matter how you sequence it, though, if you want to hear the Elvis Presley Show at its peak in Las Vegas, this CD just about covers it. The August 1970 engagement would begin at this same level, broadening the setlist to include new material from his June 1970 sessions.

I’ve been listening to the live recordings from this disc for 15 years now, and Vic Anesini’s mastering work continues to hold up as a stellar representation of the original releases of Elvis In Person and On Stage.

I hope to see you in 1,935 days or less for our next installment.

ELVIS: THE COMPLETE MASTERS COLLECTION – VOLUME 10 CD back sleeve (2009, from TY’s collection)

“We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.”
Proverb 16:9 NLT

“A Touch Of Gold” is actually platinum

/ TY / 1 Comment

On The Elvis Beat

Today, I want to point you over to an Elvis site I’ve been enjoying for a few years now. Neal Umphred’s Elvis – A Touch Of Gold is one of those factual deep-dive yet personal blogs that I love. Here are just a few of my favorite pieces:

From Graceland To Burbank To Graceland: Covers the 1968 ELVIS (Comeback) special and its aftermath. There’s a wonderful anecdote near the beginning of the post that you must read. Ironically, this same sort of thing happened to me when a couple of months back I read a great post by Neal about Mac Davis and wanted to comment on it. When I scrolled to the comments, I found that I had already responded to it years ago. The same thing has happened to me over on Sheila O’Malley’s blog as well. It’s actually kind of unnerving.

An Alternative “Back In Memphis” Album: The post title explains it, but this isn’t solely an alternate tracklisting. It includes an in-depth look at the original album, first released as one half of the double LP From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis, and why Neal would have released a different album.

Collecting Elvis 78 RPM Singles From The ’50s: Did I mention Neal likes to deep-dive? This fantastic post reveals his methodology around determining the rarity of Elvis’ 78 RPM singles.

Facts And Fallacies About Elvis’ Gold Records Volume 4: Ever wonder why the fourth volume in this series seemed a little different from its predecessors? This post explains it.

Neal has an affinity for using footnotes in his posts, which actually inspired me to try that technique in my recent The Elvis Odyssey series. Neal even sent me some help on one such footnote, which you can read about here. Footnotes are fun, so you’ll probably see more of them here on certain types of posts in the future.

Neal has several other blogs, which you can access via his homepage. He is also the author of multiple record pricing guides, including two focused on Elvis.

A lot of people out there write a lot of things about Elvis. Neal’s words are worth reading.

A Squirrel Loose at the Big, Freaky International Hotel (Part 1)

/ TY / 13 Comments

“Welcome to the big, freaky International Hotel, with these little, weirdo dolls on the walls and these little funky angels on the ceiling. You ain’t seen nothing until you’ve seen a funky angel, boy. I tell you for sure.”
–Elvis Presley, 1969, on the ornate design of the hotel’s concert showroom

Sony Legacy last year released Elvis Live 1969, a boxed set containing all 11 concerts RCA recorded during Elvis Presley’s August 1969 engagement at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The concert series, which spanned 57 shows from July 31 to August 28, represented the singer’s first appearance on a public stage in nearly 9 years – though he had performed 4 shows in front of small audiences at NBC’s studio in Burbank, California, as part of taping his ELVIS television special the previous summer.

RCA cherry-picked 12 of the strongest performances from 3 of the 1969 shows to form the Elvis In Person portion of the From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis double album, released in November 1969. A year later, RCA re-released Elvis In Person as a stand-alone album with the same content.

As for the rest of the performances, they amazingly remained in the vault until after Elvis’ death. While RCA released several individual songs over the years, including a compilation disc on 1991’s Collectors Gold boxed set, a complete 1969 show did not officially surface until 2001’s Live In Las Vegas boxed set.

By the time of Elvis Live 1969 last year, however, 7 of the 11 shows had already been released in their entireties on CD, with a good portion of songs from 3 of the 4 remaining shows having been released as well – many of them on Sony’s Follow That Dream (FTD) collectors label for Elvis fans.

Elvis Live 1969 stands out among the previous releases because it gathers all of the recordings in one place for the first time, with homogeneous sound quality. The recordings capture the August 21-26 portion of the engagement.

Sony Legacy’s ELVIS LIVE 1969 boxed set (2019, from TY’s collection)

Mixed by Matt Ross-Spang in what was apparently a marathon session, Elvis Live 1969 features a “slapback” echo effect mimicking the sound of Elvis’ first recordings in 1954 & 1955 at Sun Studio in Memphis. Ross-Spang had applied the same effect to alternate takes on 2016’s Way Down in the Jungle Room, an overview of Elvis’ last formal recordings in 1976 at Graceland.

As it was not representative of the original intent in 1976 or 1969, some fans have been quite critical of Ross-Spang’s slapback effect. As for me, I don’t mind it at all. It breathed some life into the 1976 studio recordings and brought Elvis’ music full-circle, in a sense, with an homage to the Sun sound. Though less effective on the 1969 live recordings, it’s not too distracting. On a few songs, such as “Mystery Train,” which of course originated in the Sun era anyway, the effect can actually be phenomenal.

Where I differ from Ross-Spang on Elvis Live 1969 is on some of his mixing choices, especially as far as which instruments are prominent. For instance, horns overwhelm a portion of James Burton’s lead guitar solo in the middle of the “Blue Suede Shoes” opener on all 11 shows. The horns weren’t even audible at all during Burton’s solo on the original Elvis In Person album and most of the subsequent revisits of this material.

The horns distracting from the lead guitar vaguely reminds me of Elvis’ February 11, 1956, appearance on Stage Show (CBS), the Jackie Gleason-produced television series hosted by Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. In his third of six appearances on the program, Elvis debuts “Heartbreak Hotel” for the national TV audience. At the point where Scotty Moore would normally rip into his now classic electric guitar solo, a trumpeter improvises a jazz-inspired solo instead. While I enjoy jazz, it did not work in the context of this rock ‘n’ roll song. Fortunately, Moore is able to let loose in performances of “Heartbreak Hotel” on two subsequent shows. The 1969 “Blue Suede Shoes” is thankfully not affected to nearly this extent, though, for Burton is at least playing his solo!

Another example is that Larry Muhoberac’s piano is mixed far too loudly on certain shows, especially the August 26 Midnight Show, the last 1969 concert captured. Was Ross-Spang running out of time or is this truly how he felt the show should sound? “Mystery Train/Tiger Man,” which should be a showcase for the guitar and drums, suffers greatly from the distracting and overbearing piano in this particular show.

The August 25 Dinner Show and August 26 Dinner Show versions of “Mystery Train/Tiger Man” are similarly impacted by too much piano in the mix. Five of the remaining shows that include this medley fortunately keep the piano at low or moderate volumes, while the August 25 Midnight Show version, which was the performance used as the master on Elvis In Person, actually strikes a great balance – having the piano quite present but at an appropriate level.

Of course, it is all a matter of taste. For an Elvis live show, I want the lead guitar (Burton), Elvis guitar (when applicable), drums (Ronnie Tutt), and bass (Jerry Scheff) prominent in the mix among the instruments, generally in that order of priority, but certainly varying to some extent per song.

The rock ‘n’ roll numbers, at least, should heavily feature guitar, drums, and bass. That is the core of rock ‘n’ roll, Elvis style. The piano, other guitars, and orchestra should be present as needed, but not so much as to overwhelm that core. The piano is far less annoying on a slow song like “Love Me Tender,” for instance, where it better suits being prominent in the mix.

To be clear, the mixing on the majority of these shows is great. For example, “Mystery Train/Tiger Man” is mixed to perfection on the August 22 Midnight Show and is of course buoyed by a committed and powerful vocal performance by Elvis, as with many of the songs in this boxed set. This version of “Mystery Train” I can’t help but crank up every single time it comes on, much as I do with the 1955 Sun studio master.

Ross-Spang also tends to favor the Sweet Inspirations over the Imperials, as far as the background vocalists – an approach I heartily support. Millie Kirkham notwithstanding, Elvis sounds better with female voices behind him instead of males, and I love the Gospel-infused quality of the Sweet Inspirations. I should note that I intend no disrespect to any of the musicians and singers involved, all of whom are very talented. I am just talking about how I best feel the music when it comes to Elvis.

Before I get too far off track here, I think that covers it for the technical aspects of the set. I actually wasn’t even intending for this to become a review per se, but I just go where the writing leads me.

Next week, we’ll continue our look at Elvis Live 1969 and, possibly, get to the actual reason I started this post.

Blessings,
TY

[Read Part 2]

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.”
Proverb 31:8-9

Elvis embarks on THE RETURN TO VEGAS

/ TY / 4 Comments

Forty-five years ago tonight, only eleven days after astronaut Neil Armstrong took his famous “one small step” on the moon, Elvis Presley took his own giant leap.

On that July 31st night in 1969, the singer stepped onto the stage of the International Hotel in Las Vegas and firmly reestablished himself as one of the world’s most dynamic performers.

His comeback after years of making movies had already revved into high gear back in December, with NBC’s broadcast of the highly-rated and critically-acclaimed ELVIS TV special.

He rode the tide of that success into his first Memphis recording sessions in nearly 15 years, resulting in smash hits “Suspicious Minds,” “In The Ghetto,” and “Don’t Cry, Daddy.”

Elvis was on fire again, and his Vegas engagement was another crown jewel in his comeback. With two shows a night, seven days a week, for four weeks, the concerts represented his first live appearances in nearly nine years – outside of four studio audience shows for his TV special.

RCA started recording the Vegas shows on August 21, capturing eleven complete concerts in all that summer. At that time, some of the best tracks were selected for an album, From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis (Elvis In Person). More recently, several of the shows have been released in full:

  • August 21 Midnight Show (MS) on Elvis: Viva Las Vegas (2007 Limited Edition)
  • August 22 Dinner Show (DS) on Elvis In Person (2008 FTD Edition)
  • August 23 MS on Elvis At The International
  • August 24 DS on Live In Las Vegas
  • August 25 MS on Hot August Night
  • August 26 DS on Live In Vegas
  • August 26 MS on All Shook Up

To commemorate the forty-fifth anniversary of this engagement, Sony’s collectors label for Elvis fans recently released on CD The Return To Vegas, the earliest known recording from this concert series.

The shows listed above are all multitrack recordings, meaning they were professionally captured for potential commercial release and can be properly mixed after the fact for optimum sound quality.

By contrast, Follow That Dream’s The Return To Vegas is a soundboard recording – an informal reference tape made in-line from the showroom’s soundboard console – never intended for release.

While the sound quality can be improved in certain ways, soundboard mixes are pretty much stuck as to how they were originally recorded. Some bootlegs are copies of copies, though, so sometimes there can be improved sound quality versus previous releases if an earlier generation source is used.

The Return To Vegas is actually one of the better-sounding soundboard CDs I have purchased.

THE RETURN TO VEGAS booklet cover

THE RETURN TO VEGAS booklet cover

I must admit, however, that I am surprised. I was expecting to be blown away by The Return To Vegas. After all, this recording from an unconfirmed date in August is probably the closest we will ever come to hearing the legendary July 31 show that opened the engagement.

To be clear, like all 1969 Elvis shows released thus far, The Return To Vegas represents one of his best concerts. Yet, I found it slightly disappointing.

With that being said, The Return To Vegas does have many strong points. “Mystery Train/Tiger Man” is inspired, for instance, with the guitar portion of the lead-off song sounding closer to the 1955 SUN version than it ever would again on later recordings. I wish James Burton had kept playing it this way. An overbearing train whistle effect ruins some of that for me, though, and the performances on Hot August Night and Live In Vegas will remain my go-to versions.

The versions of “Love Me Tender” and “Can’t Help Falling In Love” are strong enough to contend for best of the season, at least out of what has been released thus far. “Don’t Be Cruel” is also strong.

During this engagement, Elvis took several minutes out of each show to talk about his career. This is, by far, my favorite of these “monologues.” It is actually the only previously released track on this CD, though, having been released in an edited form way back in 1974 for the infamous Having Fun With Elvis On Stage “talking” album. While the concept behind that particular album may have been poor, this monologue was actually pretty funny and gave some credibility to the Having Fun title.

“Are You Lonesome Tonight” features a slightly different arrangement than later versions, with strings instead of Sweet Inspiration Cissy Houston’s soaring vocals. It makes for a nice alternative, but I much prefer the versions with Houston. In addition, Elvis sounds uncomfortable during the spoken portions.

On “Blue Suedes Shoes,” Elvis also seems unsure of himself, plodding through it with slow and deliberate vocals. “All Shook Up” starts in fine form but degrades near the end due to Elvis going into a, dare I say, imitator-style quality on his vocals.

While I normally enjoy the bluesy arrangement of “Heartbreak Hotel” that made its debut at this engagement, the version here is lacking. It sounds off from the start and never really gains momentum. He sounds nearly manic on “Hound Dog,” and this version becomes tiresome on repeat listens. “Suspicious Minds” is decent, but not particularly memorable.

All-in-all, The Return To Vegas is a mixed bag. Audio quality aside, it certainly cannot compete as the strongest overall 1969 show released thus far.

So, when exactly did the show (or shows) presented on this CD take place? The accompanying booklet is sparse on information, focusing instead on photos of Elvis from the time.

Though FTD’s press release indicated this was originally prepared for release as a double album by RCA in the late 1970s before being cancelled, no associated paperwork is included in the booklet.

A brief essay by Ken Sharp (author of Elvis: Vegas ’69) fails to even mention this particular performance, speaking only in generalities about the overall engagement.

We do know that it is not the July 31 Opening Show as previously thought both by RCA and a subsequent bootlegger. They apparently keyed in on the line, “This is my first live appearance in nine years,” which Elvis actually stated at every full show thus far released at this engagement, while skipping his “It’s hard to get going on these dinner shows” comment that makes it clear some fatigue is already setting in for Elvis in Vegas.

Certainly he would not have said this at his first-ever Dinner Show on August 1, nor was he likely even to say it at the August 2 Dinner Show. Assuming this is not a splice of two shows, the August 3 Dinner Show seems to be the prevailing hypothesis among many fans. That still seems too early to me.

Since I refrain from bootlegs, I am no expert on the unofficial recordings available from this era. Certainly the arrangement of “Are You Lonesome Tonight” is a clue here, since it differs from the later versions. That may indicate an upper end to the range of possible dates, but I do not know exactly when that arrangement changed.

There is another clue. When introducing “Suspicious Minds,” Elvis states that it “should be out in a week or 10 days or so.” RCA released “Suspicious Minds” on August 26. Though Elvis was probably not speaking literally, a week to 10 days before the release would put us in the range of August 16 to 19. If it turned out that this concert took place closer to those dates and farther from August 3, it would not surprise me at all.

No matter the date, this is an enjoyable release, and it is definitely of historic value to Elvis fans. If you already have the multitrack shows, then you should purchase this CD. If not, I recommend you buy the professional multitrack shows from this engagement first. Each of these concerts has provided me hours of enjoyment, and I have no doubt that The Return To Vegas will ultimately do the same.

While the 1969 concerts are incredible, my favorite Vegas engagement took place a year later. With a more varied set list, Elvis seemed more relaxed in August 1970. For me, the shows captured for That’s The Way It Is are somehow even better than 1969. The Dinner Show presented on The Return To Vegas is actually but an appetizer for what is to come next week. I am ready for the main course!

Tracks

01. Blue Suede Shoes
02. I Got A Woman
03. All Shook Up
04. Love Me Tender
05. Jailhouse Rock/Don’t Be Cruel
06. Heartbreak Hotel
07. Hound Dog
08. Memories
09. Mystery Train/Tiger Man
10. Monologue *
11. Baby, What You Want Me To Do
12. Are You Lonesome Tonight
13. Yesterday/Hey Jude
14. Introductions
15. In The Ghetto
16. Suspicious Minds
17. What’d I Say
18. Can’t Help Falling In Love

* Previously released

Scoring the win by a knockout, the new Elvis Song Champion of the World. . . .

/ TY / 7 Comments

It has been a grueling contest, but sixty-four songs have finally been narrowed to one. Thank you to everyone who participated. Votes came in from all over the world, making this a truly international event.

I also want to thank everyone who took the time in this final round to submit suggestions about the site. Since the replies are anonymous, I am unable to thank you individually, but please know your comments are appreciated. Some of them validated plans I already had in the works, while others were new concepts that I will take under consideration. One of them, I have already implemented, but more on that later.

Back to the Elvis Mania 2014 tournament, it came down to “Mystery Train” versus “Suspicious Minds.” As Colin commented when the championship round began, “This is the hardest choice yet!”

However, the readers of The Mystery Train have spoken, in overwhelming fashion.

In an 84% to 16% victory, scoring the win by a knockout, the new Elvis Song Champion of the World . . . “Suspicious Minds”!

In his lifetime, Elvis released five main versions of “Suspicious Minds.” His original, January 1969 studio recording of the song was backed with “You’ll Think Of Me” and released as a single that August. “Suspicious Minds” became his first number one hit since “Good Luck Charm” in 1962.

Barbara McNair and Elvis Presley in CHANGE OF HABIT (1969)

Barbara McNair and Elvis Presley in CHANGE OF HABIT (1969)

Just as “Suspicious Minds” hit the airwaves and record shops, Elvis was appearing throughout August in Las Vegas at the International Hotel. RCA recorded several of his concerts, including his August 26, 1969, Dinner Show. At this concert, Elvis performed a nearly eight-minute version of the song, which he dedicated to Barbara McNair, his Change of Habit co-star who was in the audience. Though his dedication was edited out, the performance was featured on the Elvis In Person portion of the double LP From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis.

Captured live at the August 12, 1970, Midnight Show, a six-minute version of “Suspicious Minds” in Vegas became a setpiece of the documentary film Elvis-That’s The Way It Is. Elvis fans had to watch the movie to enjoy it, though, for the performance remained otherwise unreleased until 2000 – 23 years after the singer’s death.

Live versions of “Suspicious Minds” also featured prominently on the albums As Recorded At Madison Square Garden (1972) and Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite (1973) as well as the Aloha From Hawaii TV broadcast. The song even appeared briefly in the 1972 documentary Elvis On Tour.

In Ken Sharp’s Writing For The King (2006), songwriter Mark James described how he came up with the song: “I had the idea for ‘Suspicious Minds’ and it started coming to me one night. First the title came and I thought about it and lived with it for a while. Then the lyric came to me, ‘caught in a trap, I can’t walk out because I love you too much, baby.’ What I was trying to say is we can’t live together or attain our dreams or build on anything if we don’t trust one another” (p. 213). James released his version as a single in 1968, but it failed to find an audience.

Many other artists have recorded “Suspicious Minds” since Elvis, including Waylon Jennings (1970), Dee Dee Warwick (1971), Fine Young Cannibals (1985), Dwight Yoakam (1992), and Daughtry (2007). With an arrangement inspired by Warwick’s recording, Martina McBride has a version of “Suspicious Minds” coming out tomorrow on her new album, Everlasting.

To view the full results of Elvis Mania 2014, check out the tournament’s page on Challonge.com. Among those eligible (i.e., not including me), “JakeMarston” earned the highest score for his predictions. He will receive a Legacy Edition CD of an Elvis title of his choice, courtesy of The Mystery Train.

Only it is no longer The Mystery Train. One of the suggestions that came in during the last round was, “After crowning Suspicious Minds as the best Elvis song, rename blog to The Suspicious Minds Blog.” The person went on to explain that he or she was only joking, but I have decided to move forward with the suggestion anyway.

For the next month, The Mystery Train will now be known as The Suspicious Minds Blog. Until then, we’re caught in a trap.

Elvis Presley in 1969

Elvis Presley in 1969

New and upcoming Elvis releases focus on slices of a diverse career

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Get those sound systems (and wallets) ready, folks, new Elvis releases are on the way.

Stay Away, Joe

Stay Away, Joe (concept cover art)

May 2013

Follow That Dream Records, Sony’s collectors label for Elvis fans, is releasing this month:

  • From Elvis In Memphis (2-CD): One of Elvis’ best albums finally receives the FTD Classic Album treatment. This should make an excellent companion to the recent Back In Memphis release. Surely an “imaginary album” will be in the works at some point to feature the rest of the recordings from the 1969 American Sound Studio sessions.
  • Stay Away, Joe (CD): Speaking of imaginary albums, here is one that compiles October 1967 and January 1968 sessions. In addition to the Stay Away, Joe soundtrack, it includes “Too Much Monkey Business” and “US Male.” The January session features Jerry Reed on guitar, which is why I consider this a follow-up of sorts to the fantastic Elvis Sings Guitar Man.
  • On Stage-February 1970 (2-LP): This vinyl release includes the original On Stage-February 1970 album, recorded live in 1969 and 1970, as well as additional material Elvis recorded during his early 1970 Las Vegas engagement.
  • Summer of ’61 (Book & CD): In conjunction with Flaming Star publications, this book primarily focuses on the making of the movie Follow That Dream. A brief CD containing previously released Elvis tracks and two demos for “What A Wonderful Life” is also included.

June 2013

FTD has scheduled the following for release in June:

  • Sold Out! (2-CD): The ambiguous title of this one could refer to almost any Elvis concert from 1956 and beyond. [May 19, 2013, Update: The concerts on this release will be March 1, 1974, Tulsa, Oklahoma and June 21, 1974, Cleveland, Ohio.] This one is from the creative team behind Forty-Eight Hours To Memphis: Recorded Live On Stage In Richmond, Virginia – March 18, 1974 and 3000 South Paradise Road, so a quality presentation is expected.
  • Hot August Night (CD): This one features the August 25, 1969, Midnight Show in Las Vegas. The 1969 shows are all must-haves. Portions of this one contributed to the From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis (Elvis In Person) release in 1969. Many tracks are previously unreleased, however.
  • Elvis Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis (2-LP): This vinyl release features the complete March 20, 1974, Memphis concert, from which selections made up the original 1974 version of this album. I have to admit, I enjoy the truncated version of this show more than the full version. Other than “Steamroller Blues,” the songs edited out of the 1974 1-LP release featured some disappointing performances by Elvis.
  • Best of British: The HMV Years (Book): This is a reprint of the popular book exploring Elvis’ 1956-1958 releases on the HMV label in Great Britain, which sold out upon release in February. Though not noted in the press release, presumably the two CDs of previously released Elvis material from the original printing are also included.

The only physical store in the US authorized to sell FTD releases is Good Rockin’ Tonight, a Graceland gift shop in Memphis. However, FTD products may be obtained online from a variety of other Elvis stores, including Graceland’s ShopElvis.com.

August 2013

Sony has scheduled Elvis At Stax: Deluxe Edition, a 3-CD boxed set, as a main label, wide release in August. The set will include all of the masters Elvis recorded in Memphis at Stax Recording Studio in July and December of 1973. It will also include alternate takes of many of the songs. Here is the track listing:

DISC 1: The R&B and Country Sessions – The Outtakes

1. I Got A Feelin’ In My Body – take 1
2. Find Out What’s Happening – take 8/7
3. Promised Land – take 4
4. For Ol’ Times Sake – take 4
5. I’ve Got A Thing About You, Baby – take 14
6. It’s Midnight – take 7
7. If You Talk In Your Sleep – take 5
8. Loving Arms – take 2
9. You Asked Me To – take 3A
10. Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues – take 8
11. Talk About The Good Times – take 3
12. There’s A Honky Tonk Angel – take 1
13. She Wears My Ring – take 8
14. Three Corn Patches – take 14
15. I Got A Feelin’ In My Body – take 4
16. If You Don’t Come Back – take 3
17. Promised Land – take 5

DISC 2

Part 1 – The Pop Sessions – The Outtakes

1. Mr. Songman – take 2
2. Your Love’s Been A Long Time Coming – take 4
3. Spanish Eyes – take 2
4. Take Good Care Of Her – takes 1,2,3
5. It’s Diff’rent Now (unfinished recording)
6. Thinking About You – take 4
7. My Boy – take 1
8. Girl Of Mine – take 9
9. Love Song Of The Year – take 1
10. If That Isn’t Love – take 1

Part 2 – The July 1973 Masters

11. Raised On Rock
12. For Ol’ Time Sake
13. I’ve Got A Thing About You, Baby
14. Take Good Care Of Her
15. If You Don’t Come Back
16. Three Corn Patches
17. Girl Of Mine
18. Just A Little Bit
19. Find Out What’s Happening
20. Sweet Angeline

DISC 3: The December 1973 Masters

1. Promised Land
2. It’s Midnight
3. If You Talk In Your Sleep
4. Help Me
5. My Boy
6. Thinking About You
7. Mr. Songman
8. I Got A Feelin’ In My Body
9. Loving Arms
10. Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues
11. You Asked Me To
12. There’s A Honky Tonk Angel
13. Talk About The Good Times
14. She Wears My Ring
15. Your Love’s Been A Long Time Coming
16. Love Song Of The Year
17. Spanish Eyes
18. If That Isn’t Love

I have mixed feelings on this release. I think it is wonderful for the main label to focus on an overlooked period in the recording career of Elvis Presley. For those fans who do not already have the corresponding FTD Classic Album 2-CD sets (Raised On Rock, Good Times, and Promised Land), this is an excellent, budget-conscious alternative to hear highlights of this material.

However, the first thing I noticed is that Sony really blew the sequencing of these tracks. Why, oh, why would the compiler of this collection choose to kick things off with the dreadful “I Got A Feelin’ In My Body”? Especially when “Promised Land” is sitting there, practically begging to begin this set in the right manner?

Short of starting from scratch, one simple alternative that I can suggest would be the following:

  • Swap Disc 1 with Disc 3
  • Swap Disc 2 – Part 1 with Disc 2 – Part 2

Just making the simple changes above would result in a much better listening experience from start to finish. Again, it is great to see a release focusing on 1973, but it should not just be grudgingly thrown together. While Sony’s Elvis team may disagree, some of us love this material. Treat it right.

Sony is also releasing in August a 1-CD version and a 2-LP version collecting some of the above Stax material.

“The rhythm guitar is John Wilkinson…” (1945-2013)

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John Wilkinson and Elvis on stage, January 12, 1973

John Wilkinson and Elvis on stage, January 12, 1973

Sad news in the Elvis world. John Wilkinson, who played rhythm guitar for Elvis on stage from 1969 through 1977, passed away today, January 11, 2013. He was 67.

Wilkinson first joined Elvis Presley’s core rhythm group in July 1969 for the singer’s spectacular Las Vegas return to live performances. He went on to appear with Elvis in the concert documentary films That’s The Way It Is (1970) and Elvis On Tour (1972).

He also appeared in the Aloha From Hawaii (1973) television event – which celebrates its 40th anniversary on Monday. Wilkinson is prominently featured in the television special Elvis In Concert (1977) while playing “Early Morning Rain.”

Wilkinson performed on the Elvis In Person portion of the 1969 double album From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis and has been on scores of Elvis concert albums since that time.

In addition to his live work, Wilkinson played for Elvis in his 1972 and 1975 sessions at RCA’s Studio C in Hollywood as well as in his 1976 sessions at Graceland. Results of those sessions included singles “Burning Love” b/w “It’s A Matter Of Time” and “Separate Ways” b/w “Always On My Mind” and albums Elvis Today, From Elvis Presley Boulevard, and Moody Blue – the last LP released before Elvis’ death.

He remained with the stage band right until the end, through Elvis’ final concert on June 26, 1977, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

John Wilkinson in 1970

John Wilkinson in 1970

John Wilkinson is survived by his wife, Terry. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.

Further Reading