EAP Index World: Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite (CD

Title:

Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite

Label:

FTD [FTD 197] [506020 975164]

Format:

Triple CD

Number of tracks:

Running time:

151:30

Type of album:

Concert / Soundtrack

Linked to:

FTD discography; Aloha From Hawaii, 1973

Year:

2022

Recording date:

January 12 & 14, 1973

Release date:

February 2022

Singles:

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Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite was FTD's 197th CD. It contains the complete audio from the January 12 and 14, 1973 concerts in Honolulu, Hawaii, and post-Aloha recordings.

Over the years, it was evident that Elvis had a deep appreciation for Hawaii. It was there that some of the best moments of his career took place, such as the 1957 concerts, the Pearl Harbor benefit concert and the film "Blue Hawaii", both in 1961.

The islands would still serve as the setting for "Girls! Girls! Girls!" and "Paradise, Hawaiian Style", from 1962 and 1966, respectively, as well as the TV special "Aloha From Hawaii" in 1973, which was broadcast live via satellite from the Honolulu International Center (HIC - now known as the Neal S. Blaisdell Center), in Honolulu.

Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite was the 84th album by Elvis, his second double LP. Released on February 4, 1973, the Quadraphonic-sounding album became the first in the format to top the Billboard LPs chart and was Elvis' penultimate live release during his lifetime, the last being "Elvis Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis" the following year.

By the time, nobody knew there was a whole concert recorded on January 12, 1973 at the same venue as a backup in case the live satellite transmission on the 14th had any issues or that five songs had been recorded after the Aloha special to be inserted in the US TV edition of the concert (which did not air in continental US in January) on April 4 that year. Post-Aloha recordings would only be released later on the 1978 "Mahalo From Elvis" album and the January 12 concert would only be issued in 1988 as "The Alternate Aloha".

Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite reached #1 on the Billboard Top LPs, Pop and Country charts in February 1973. The album was certified Gold on February 13, 1973, Platinum and 2x Platinum on May 20, 1988, 3x Platinum on July 15, 1999, and 5x Platinum on August 1, 2002 by the RIAA.

49 years after its original release, Follow That Dream has brought fans their version of the album. The audio used by the label is the same as the deluxe version of Sony Legacy in 2013, this time without any editing. Although there is nothing new in the work, FTD has officially made available for the first time all takes of the post-Aloha recordings.

There's also a 24-page booklet with high-resolution photos and explanatory text that sheds light on many things that RCA was never interested in making public. For example, the facts that the show was only broadcast live to Hawaii and 10 countries (not 40 as advertised) and that most of Europe saw a rebroadcast on the 15th.

Below is a review of this work.

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CD 1 - ALOHA FROM HAWAII (JANUARY 14, 1973)

The full review can be read in the original post by clicking here.

CD 2 - THE ALTERNATE ALOHA (JANUARY 12, 1973)

The full review can be read in the original post by clicking here.

CD 3 - PÓS-ALOHA RECORDINGS ( JANUARY 14, 1973)

- 1. Blue Hawaii (Rehearsal + Takes 1 & 2 - Master): At 2:15 am on the morning of January 14, 1973, shortly after the live broadcast of "Aloha From Hawaii" ended, Elvis returned to the stage at the Honolulu International Center to record inserts that would be used in the US TV edit. on April 4.

The tape begins with Elvis already rehearsing the song. An abrupt cut leads to take 1, which is cut short at the beginning. Take 2 is the well-known Master released in 1978 in "Mahalo From Elvis", but with a much more complete mix and additional dialogue at the end.

- 2. Ku-U-I-Po (Rehearsal): Elvis is obviously in good spirits, albeit tired. As he talks with director Marty Pasetta, backing vocalists are heard rehearsing their parts. Elvis then jokes: "Okay. What's the intro to this? What's the middle part? The finish?"

- 3. Ku-U-I-Po (Take 1): The rendition starts well, but Elvis makes a mistake and decides to make some puns, rendering the take unusable. He still sings to the end, but fumbles it.

- 4. Ku-U-I-Po (Take 2, Incomplete): The singer continues to try to find himself in the finish. After some conversation with the director, Elvis tries to do a take, but fails right away and jokes about how long the recordings can take: "Any time between now and the Super Bowl tomorrow."

- 5. Ku-U-I-Po (Take 3, Incomplete): Some tweaks are made and the version comes out in a more satisfactory way, but still Elvis keeps getting the same point wrong.

- 6. Ku-U-I-Po (Take 4 - Master): Master released in "Mahalo From Elvis", with a new mix.

- 7. No More (Take 1, Incomplete - Inédito): It's past 2:30 in the morning, but Elvis is still in a good mood. The first take goes off the rails when the singer decides to make some puns. The painful rehearsal of the backing vocals makes the King of Rock give a delicious laugh at the end of the track.

- 8. No More (Take 2, Rehearsal): Elvis rehearses the song in a magnificent little take, realizing he is having difficulty with the lower notes. Marty Pasetta says he made a mistake and the singer jokes: "Everybody's entitled to one stupid mistake." When Pasetta says that Charlie Hodge said that good singers don't make mistakes, the King of Rock fires: "Charlie's a mistake!"

- 9. No More (Take 3): If it weren't for a stumble here and there, plus a very noticeable mistake in the ending, this would be a perfect take.

- 10. No More (Take 4 - Master): Master released in "Mahalo From Elvis", with a new mix.

- 11. Hawaiian Wedding Song (Take 1 - Previously Unreleased): At 3am, Elvis and his stage mates break into the new song. The singer does more of a rehearsal version than anything else, trying to get the parts right where he struggles. Unable to keep up with the rhythm, he decides to make puns and vocalizations until the band is convinced that the music needs to stop.

- 12. Hawaiian Wedding Song (Rehearsal): Elvis now seems to be losing patience with the music and bluntly asks Glen Hardin to change the key or do something to improve the tempo. Glen doesn't take it easy and plays a honky tonk when the King of Rock asks him to do it "like Fats Domino". After checking the keys and their changes during the song, Elvis is ready to record.

- 13. Hawaiian Wedding Song (Take 2): An almost perfect take, but still missing the right ending. It's delightful to hear Kathy Westmoreland's voice so clean at the end.

- 14. Hawaiian Wedding Song (Take 3 - Master): Master released in "Mahalo From Elvis", with a new mix and additional dialogue at the end.

- 15. Early Morning Rain (Take 1): Elvis explains the difficulties with "Hawaiian Wedding Song": "It's always been tough to sing. When I recorded it, I worked on it all night. Yeah, it's difficult!" With a slightly more recent song, a Gordon Lightfoot hit in 1966, Elvis does pretty well right from the start. The singer only asks that the group let him hear the beat clearly so as not to go out of time in the next take.

- 16. Early Morning Rain (Take 2 - Master): Master released in "Mahalo From Elvis", with a new mix and additional dialogue at the end.

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RECORDING SESSIONS

Dates:
January 12 & 14, 1973

Studio:
Honolulu International Center

Location:
Honolulu, Hawaii

Musicians:
Voice: Elvis Presley
Guitar: Elvis Presley, Charlie Hodge
Lead guitar: James Burton
Rhythm guitar: John Wilkinson
Bass: Jerry Scheff
Drums: Ronnie Tutt
Piano: Glen Hardin
Maestro: Joe Guercio
Orchestra: The Joe Guercio Orchestra
Backing Vocals: The Sweet Inspirations, JD Sumner, The Stamps Quartet, Kathy Westmoreland, Charlie Hodge
Sound engineer / Recording engineer: Felton Jarvis / Al Pachucki

JANUARY 12, 1973

Also Sprach Zarathustra
See See Rider
Burning Love
Something
You Gave Me a Mountain
Steamroller Blues
My Way
Love Me
It's Over
Blue Suede Shoes
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
Hound Dog
What Now My Love
Fever
Welcome to My World
Suspicious Minds
Introductions
I'll Remember You
An American Trilogy
A Big Hunk O' Love
Can't Help Falling In Love
Closing Vamp

JANUARY 14, 1973
Also Sprach Zarathustra
See See Rider
Burning Love
Something
You Gave Me a Mountain
Steamroller Blues
My Way
Love Me
Johnny B. Goode
It's Over
Blue Suede Shoes
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
I Can't Stop Loving You
Hound Dog
What Now My Love
Fever
Welcome to My World
Suspicious Minds
Introductions
I'll Remember You
Long Tall Sally / Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
An American Trilogy
A Big Hunk O' Love
Can't Help Falling In Love
Closing Vamp
Blue Hawaii
KU-U-I-PO
No More
Hawaiian Wedding Song
Early Morning Rain

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SESSION LOGS