Elvis in Concert (album)

Elvis in Concert
Live album by
Elvis Presley
ReleasedOctober 3, 1977
RecordedJune 19 & 21, 1977
VenueOmaha, Nebraska (June 19)
Rapid City, South Dakota (June 21)
GenreRock
Length71:41
LabelRCA Victor
ProducerFelton Jarvis, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley chronology
Moody Blue
(1977) 		Elvis in Concert
(1977) 		He Walks Beside Me
(1978)
Singles from Elvis in Concert
  1. "My Way[1]"
    Released: 25 November 1977
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
MusicHound[3]
Rough Guides[4]

Elvis in Concert is the live album released by RCA Records in October 1977 in conjunction with the television special of the same name which features some of the final performances of American singer and musician Elvis Presley. Videotaped and recorded in June 1977,[5] both the special and album were broadcast and released on October 3, (the single "My Way"/"America the Beautiful" was released the same day) six weeks after Presley's death.[6] The album peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard chart in late 1977. It was certified Gold and Platinum on October 14 and 3× Platinum on August 1, 2002, by the RIAA.

Background

The performances in the TV special were recorded over two days at concerts in Omaha on June 19 and Rapid City, South Dakota June 21, 1977. The recordings were produced by longtime RCA Victor/Elvis producer Felton Jarvis. According to Elvis: The Illustrated Record by Roy Carr and Mick Farren.[7]

Approximately half of the album's performances were overdubbed with additional vocals and instruments on August 29, 1977.[8] This included a version of "Unchained Melody" which was different from the performance heard on the album Moody Blue. These overdubs were added after Elvis Presley's death but before the album's release and the broadcast of the related TV special. The "Unchained Melody" overdub was later released as a single in 1978.[8][9]

Although both the June 19 and 21 concerts are the last official live performances of Elvis professionally recorded by RCA Records,[10] Vernon Presley, Elvis' father, recorded a message that was broadcast at the end of the special (and included on the soundtrack album), in which he erroneously states that the special featured his son's last live appearance; in fact, Elvis made five more concert appearances after the performances in the special. Elvis' final concert was in fact on Sunday, June 26, 1977, at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis.

Content

During the special, Presley performs a selection of his hits, along with songs not normally associated with him. Although it was a regular part of his repertoire for years, Presley requires a lyric sheet when he performs Paul Anka's "My Way" (noted for its opening lyric, "And now the end is near/And so I face the final curtain"). He appears to lose his train of thought during "Are You Lonesome Tonight?", although some[11] have made the case that Elvis regularly played around with the words during the spoken portion of the song when performing it on stage, rather than it being a case of poor memory. Indeed, concert recordings of Presley experimenting with the lyrics during the monologue section of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" date back to 1961 in Hawaii, later during rehearsals for his 1968 comeback special, and the iconic "laughing" version from Las Vegas in 1969.[12][13] A 1969 version dubbed the "Laughing Version", even made the UK charts after Presley's death and continues to be reissued.

The soundtrack album was issued as a 2-record set, including a second disc of performances that were not included in the TV special. On May 22, 1992, the album was reissued on a single compact disc.

Professional reviews

AllMusic gave the album a negative review, but conceded that "this album is not a standout Elvis concert. What it is, however, is a vitally important piece of Elvis lore." Their review went on to say that the record is "Elvis Presley's least effort, as well as his last."[14]

Track listing

Disc 1

  1. Elvis Fans Comments (Pt. 1)/Opening Riff
  2. "Also Sprach Zarathustra"- June 21 1977
  3. "See See Rider" - June 21 1977
  4. "That's All Right" - June 21 1977
  5. "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" - June 21 1977
  6. "Teddy Bear"/"Don't Be Cruel" - June 19 1977
  7. Elvis Fans Comments (Pt. 2)
  8. "You Gave Me a Mountain" - June 21 1977
  9. "Jailhouse Rock" - June 21 1977
  10. Elvis Fans Comments (Pt. 3)
  11. "How Great Thou Art" - June 19 1977
  12. Elvis Fans Comments (Pt. 4)
  13. "I Really Don't Want To Know" - June 21 1977
  14. Elvis Introduces his Father
  15. "Hurt" - June 21 1977
  16. "Hound Dog" - June 21 1977
  17. "My Way" - June 21 1977
  18. "Can't Help Falling in Love" - June 19 1977
  19. Closing Riff/Special Message from Elvis's Father - June 19 1977

Disc 2

  1. "I Got A Woman/Amen" - June 21 1977
  2. Elvis Talks
  3. "Love Me" - June 21 1977
  4. "If You Love Me (Let Me Know)" - June 21 1977
  5. "'O Sole Mio/It's Now or Never" - June 21 1977
  6. "Trying to Get to You" - June 21 1977
  7. "Hawaiian Wedding Song" - June 21 1977
  8. "Fairytale" - June 19 1977
  9. "Little Sister" - June 19 1977
  10. "Early Morning Rain" - June 21 1977
  11. "What'd I Say" - June 21 1977
  12. "Johnny B. Goode" - June 21 1977
  13. "And I Love You So" - June 19 1977

Personnel

Chart performance

Chart (1977) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums 1
U.S. Billboard 200[15] 5
U.S. Cashbox 3
Australian Albums Chart 17
Canadian RPM Top Albums 4
Dutch Albums Charts[16] 12
Top 20 New Zealand Album Chart 6
Norway Albums Top 40 Chart 12
Sweden Album Chart 12
UK Albums Chart[17] 13

Certifications

Region Provider Certification(s)
Canada CRIA 2× Platinum [18]
United States RIAA 3× Platinum [18]

References

  1. ^ "Elvis Presley - My Way".
  2. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Elvis Presley Elvis in Concert". AllMusic. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  3. ^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 892. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
  4. ^ Simpson, Paul (2004). The Rough Guide to Elvis. London: Rough Guides. pp. 152–53. ISBN 1-84353-417-7.
  5. ^ Appelo, Tim (July 19, 2013). "Footage of Elvis Presley's Last Performance To Go Under the Hammer". Billboard. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  6. ^ Ivins, Molly (August 17, 1977). "ELVIS PRESLEY DIES; ROCK SINGER WAS 42; Heart Failure Is Cited by Coroner—Acclaim Followed Early Scorn'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  7. ^ Carr, Roy; Farren, Mick (1982). Elvis Presley: the illustrated record. New York: Harmony Books. ISBN 978-0-517-53978-1.
  8. ^ a b Flynn, Keith. "Elvis Presley Recording Sessions - August 29, 1977 (Band Overdub)". KeithFlynn.com. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  9. ^ Flynn, Keith. "Elvis Presley Recording Sessions - August 29, 1977 (Vocal Overdub)". KeithFlynn.com. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  10. ^ Greene, Andy (April 4, 2013). "Flashback: Elvis Sings 'Unchained Melody'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  11. ^ Memmer, Darrin (2001). Elvis Presley – The 1977 CBS Television Special. Morris Publishing.
  12. ^ The Elvis Presley Connection, Vol. 2 - Various... | AllMusic, retrieved August 14, 2024
  13. ^ The Elvis Connection vol. 2, p. 14
  14. ^ Elvis in Concert review from AllMusic.
  15. ^ "Elvis Presley | Biography, Music & News". Billboard. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  16. ^ Dutch Charts - Elvis in Concert
  17. ^ Official Charts - Elvis in Concert
  18. ^ a b "Sitemap". Elvis.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2012. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
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