Aloha From Hawaii (NBC-TV, 1973)

ALOHA FROM HAWAII (US, 1973)

Original title:

Aloha From Hawaii

Filmed:

January 14, 1973

Aired:

April 4, 1973

Running time:

90:00

Production company:

NBC-TV

Budget:

---

Proceedings:

US$ 150,000

Main cast:

Elvis Presley

JD Sumner

Charlie Hodge

Kathy Westmoreland

Joe Guercio

The Sweet Inspirations

The Stamps Quartet

Soundtrack:

"Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite" (2xLP)

(February 4, 1973)

"Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite" (CD)

(April 28, 1998)

"Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite - Legacy Edition" (2xCD)

(March 19, 2013)

"Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite" (3xCD)

(FTD - February 2022)

Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite was Elvis' first and only show broadcast live via satellite to multiple countries. Filmed in Hawaii, the concert was first broadcast on TV in the US and worldwide a few months later. Its soundtrack, the second and last double LP during his lifetime, was his 84th album and 191st audiophonic work (including singles and EPs).

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 archipelago's 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.

HISTORY

On July 8, 1972, inspired by a recent visit by US President Richard Nixon to China, Presley's manager, Colonel Thomas Parker, announced that there would be a worldwide satellite broadcast of an Elvis concert in Hawaii to allow the whole world the chance to see one of his performances "since it is impossible for us to perform in every major city" (which was not a fact, but just Parker's fear of leaving the US and not being able to get back - he had smuggled himself in in the 1920s).

Parker initially stated that it would take place in October or November 1972, but the date was changed to early 1973 after MGM raised concerns about a possible clash with the release of its Elvis on Tour documentary.

As the concerts had already been planned, the three normally took place on November 17 and 18, 1972, but without being filmed.

Parker then held yet another late-night press conference from September 4 to 5, 1972, after the closing of season two in Las Vegas that year, to confirm that the concert, now titled Aloha From Hawaii, would be broadcast on January 14, 1973.

The performance would benefit and aim to raise funds for the Kui Lee Cancer Foundation, raising the amount of US$ 150,000 for the cause in two shows.

Elvis during the concert's press conference; September 5, 1972

The press was told that an audience of 1 billion people were expected to see the "first concert special to be broadcast live around the world", although Parker did not take into account the fact that many countries, including parts of Europe and the Americas would not see the show live due to broadcast time and other factors.

Even in the US, the special was not shown live. The show did not air until almost three months later, on April 4, 1973, full of cuts and insertion of clips. Other countries did not see the presentation until 1977, when the special was shown in honor of Elvis on the occasion of his death.

In some cases, this was because there was a parameter that determined which countries could receive the live show: at least 50% of the televisions in the country had to be in color, as the concert set had been strategically set up and colored to impress the eye. In 1973, countries like Brazil and its neighbors had very few color TV sets, as their sale and color transmissions had just started, in 1972.

Despite this, all the promotion for the special showed that at least 40 countries would receive the live broadcast, which did not happen.

Marketing: Although they'd not see the special live, lots of counties were listed among those who  would.
PHOTO: Press conference for Aloha From Hawaii in Las Vegas; September 5, 1972.

The claim of "the first special show to be broadcast live around the world" was also not true, as the first broadcast of its kind - the special Our World - had taken place on June 25, 1967, including renowned artists such as Maria Callas, Pablo Picasso and The Beatles; Aloha From Hawaii was then only the first live satellite concert with a single performer.

Also incorrect is the information given by Parker and the press that between 1 and 1.5 billion people watched the concert live. The total population of the countries where the broadcast would be in real time was around 1.3 billion - implying that everyone would have to see the show for the information to be correct - and not everyone would see the event because of the time difference.

Two weeks after the Las Vegas press conference, Parker received a letter from actor and Honolulu Advertiser columnist Eddie Sherman. He had read news that there would be no charge for tickets to the performances, and that instead each person would make a donation of any amount to charity.

Sherman suggested to Parker that Elvis sing "I'll Remember You", which was a composition by Kui Lee - one of Hawaii's most famous artists - and was part of Presley's regular concerts, as a way of thanking the people and the man which gave its name to the institution that would receive the donations, the Kui Lee Cancer Foundation. Seeing the opportunity to publicize Elvis Presley's charitable nature once again, Parker immediately agreed.

After the three presentations in Hawaii on November 17 and 18, 1972, Elvis attended a press conference on the 20th of the same month, in the auditorium of the Hawaiian Village Hotel, where he made the date of January 14, 1973 official for the "Aloha From Hawaii".

RCA President Rocco Laginestra added: "Admission will only be allowed via donation, there will be no ticket sales and all proceeds will go to the Kui Lee Cancer Fund." The singer and Colonel Parker opened the donations with checks for $1,000 each, accompanied by another $1,000 from RCA and $500 from each member of their group.

Elvis during his three shows in Honolulu on November 17 and 18, 1972

Elvis returned to Las Vegas the next day to rest and stayed until December 4, when he had to rush back to Graceland to attend to personal matters. Unable to sign a contract with HIC and RCA, the singer sent a letter to Parker authorizing him to make everything official in his name.

On December 13, 1972, the Honolulu Star Bulletin circulated a notice announcing that donations were open and that interested parties could send any amount directly to the Honolulu International Center office in checks made payable to the Kui Lee Cancer Fund. Two hundred seats at the front of the stage were reserved for the most generous donors.

In total, the proceeds for the two benefit concerts, on January 12 and 14, 1973, reached and exceeded the goal of $75,000. Elvis was instructed to only disclose that the goal had been successfully achieved during the presentations, omitting that it had been surpassed and that the amount collected had been US$ 150,000.

IDEAS AND REHEARSALS

Presley arrived in Hawaii on January 9, 1973, the day after his 38th birthday, to begin rehearsals. Despite the circumstances in Elvis' personal life, everything seemed to be looking up, as he didn't usually let the personal side interfere on stage.

Elvis arrives in Hawaii; January 9, 1973

Elvis had lost 24 pounds for the shows and was confident after receiving the news that his record sales were increasing and that "Elvis On Tour" had been nominated for a Golden Globe.

Rehearsals were held at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel while the main set, the Honolulu International Center (HIC) - where the shows would take place - was being prepared. Although there were several technical problems, the rehearsals were a complete success.

The Hilton Hawaiian Village today

The attraction's producer and director, Marty Pasetta, had attended one of Elvis' Long Beach concerts in mid-November 1972 and found it "boring" and devoid of any physical excitement. He approached Parker with ideas about the broadcast, including a ramp that would lead offstage so that Presley could get closer to his audience. But Parker insisted that they were useless and that his pupil would agree with him.

Pasetta, however, decided to approach Elvis personally with the ideas and was pleasantly surprised to find that the singer would want to do what he felt was best for the show. This was yet another example of the growing distance between Presley and his agent that culminated in the well-known feuds that led to the two breaking up and getting back together several times over the next few years.

TWO SHOWS, TWO ELVIS

After 3 days of rehearsals, Elvis performed, on January 12, 1973, in a kind of "rehearsal concert" that was recorded, but not broadcast. The performance, which became known as The Alternate Aloha, took place at the same venue as "Aloha", the Honolulu International Center (now the Neal S. Blaisdell Center).

Honolulu International Center (Neil S. Blaisdell) today

Elvis was noticeably more relaxed on the January 12th concert, and often spoke to the audience about why he was doing certain things - like looking for camera marks - and not doing others. He said he was worried about the satellite show and asked the audience to wish him the best of luck. Even so, the concert was recorded as a kind of "backup", in case anything went wrong with the satellite transmission - if there was a problem, the "rehearsal concert" of the 12th would be broadcast instead of the live performance.

On the show of January 14th, the "Aloha" transmitted via satellite, Elvis entered the stage more confident. However, his performance proved to be extremely rigid from start to finish, letting himself loose a little-but not much-during the performance of "Fever".

Everything had to be rigorously choreographed, from the movements, body expressions and interaction with the audience to the rhythm of the presentation and the camera work. After all, it wasn't an Elvis Presley concert, it was a Tom Parker promo, a TV show with an audience so to speak.

And this is what's made clear in Wayne Harada's article for the Honolulu Advertiser newspaper, published on January 14: (original article)

"Elvis Presley received a golden crown - and a standing ovation - at the conclusion of his unprecedented satellite live TV concert beamed to a global audience of over 1.5 billion in the wee hours of the morning yesterday. A perspiring Presley simply held the crown, as he accepted the accolades - and thus, The King vanished backstage, another night's work completed.

The HIC Arena, dammed with 6000 Hawaii fans, became a supersized TV studio for the hour-long spectacle, "Aloha from Hawaii," which was televised to nearly 40 nations. It was a thrilling compact hour - long on music, loud on screams - Presley performed a total of 25 songs, including a rare and poignant rendition of Kui Lee's I'll Remember You. Like Friday night's dress rehearsal, yesterday's performance was a benefit for the Kui Lee Cancer Fund.

But unlike any other charitable production here, this one had that aura of The Big Time: a superstar doing a super performance, right before the eyes of the world. Camera crews were everywhere: on stage, in the aisles, in the audience, zooming in on Presley and his breakthrough performance, coordinated by RCA Record Tours. "Aloha from Hawaii" is the first entertainment special telecast live to a global audience; it will be expanded into a 90-minute NBC-TV special, for viewing here and on the Mainland later this year.

Perhaps only a phenomenon like Presley could pull off such a coup, at such a wicked showgoing time - 12.30 AM curtain, Hawaii time - yet draw a full house. The concert was similar in format to his pair of November shows at the HIC: it began in darkness, with the "2001: A Space Odyssey" fanfare preceding Presley's entrance; it ended with Presley singing Can't Help Fallin' in Love with You. Of course, there were differences. For starters, Presley hurled his flowing, white, studded cape - a trademark for his final number. That was a souvenir collector's dream come true. Too, the usual assortment of scarves went sailing into the audience at certain points of the show.

The specially erected set, on an unusually large stage with a protruding platform, consisted of basic black scrim that was as long as it was high, reaching to the ceiling of the arena. A series of mirrors framed both sides of the stage, and special lights - silhouetting the Presley form, spell out his name not only in English but in foreign toungues - flashed on and off occasionally. Once Presley emerged, he never was off stage. Once the show was under way, it didn't stop for commercial breaks.

For the Hawaii audience his I'll Remember You vocal easily was the most sentimental. The Presley version retained the Hawaiian flavor, but also capitalized on the International scope of the tune; it easily could emerge as Presley's next No. 1 hit. His American Trilogy medley - fusing Dixie, Battle Hymn of the Republic and All My Trials - was another emotional instance, sending several hundred fans to their feet. But apparently the necessity to move on the show - when such TV airing time is so precious - forced Presley to cut short the audience response.

The concert was smartly paced and packaged to suit all camps in the Presley following. There were the old hits - Love Me, Blue Suede Shoes, Hound Dog, Johnny B. Goode, Long Tall Sally. There were the recent clicks Suspicious Minds, Burning Love, What Now My Love. There were the soulful slices - C.C. Rider, Something, Fever, the latter with the classic Presley shuffles, from the hips on downwards. And there were the special Presley renderings - of Welcome to My World, It's Over, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry.

Only once did he pluck his guitar. After all, he had all the musical backing he needed: a six piece combo that travels with him, J.D. Sumner and The Stamps plus The Sweet Inspirations doing the background vocals, and a gigantic orchestra of about 40 pieces, including a splendidly nimble string section consisting of some of our symphony musicians. Presley kept his talk to a minimum. He quipped about Hound Dog: "I was just a baby when I did that song. With sideburns." He introduced Jack Lord as one of his actor favorites. And he reported that his original goal of $25000 for the Kui Lee Cancer Fund had been exceeded, with more than $75000 raised prior to show time.

Presley's Aloha for Hawaii has been demonstrated before, when he helped raise funds for the building of the USS Arizona Memorial a decade ago. Yesterday's show reaffirms Presley's and manager Col. Tom Parker's philanthropic fondness for Hawaii. Like the enduring nature of Kui Lee's music, the incandescence of Presley is incomparable. Perhaps Presley had a hidden meaning regarding the late Kui Lee, when he sang the composer's closing lines in I'll Remember You, as follows: "...love me always, promise always, you'll remember, too."

LIGHTS, CAMERA... ALOHA!

In order to show Elvis perfectly, various factors, effects and techniques were used.

First, the colorful backdrop was supposed to reflect Hawaii and its flora, in addition to enhancing the white of Elvis' jumpsuit. Second, the high stage was supposed to prevent female fans from grabbing Presley and triggering a "scandalous" scene that would be seen around the world. But the singer broke protocol a few times, letting them hug him - and even try to steal his rings, an action always met with a sarcastic laugh.

Then, mirrors were inserted at the ends of the stage to reflect the audience and simulate an audience larger than the 6,000 actually present. Finally, as the show could not be stopped and the songs could not be repeated, Elvis had the lyrics at his disposal just below the camera that filmed him from the center of the stage.

SETLIST MODIFICATIONS

Initially, the idea was to show Elvis at all stages of his career and feature him singing practically all the hits that had put him where he was now. As that would become an extensive show, even more so in that situation, in which the presentation had started at 0:30 am, it was decided that the King of Rock would divide the performance between old and current hits, songs of his preference and others that he had never sung.

The original setlist contained the following songs:

Also Sprach Zarathustra

See See Rider

I Got a Woman

Burning Love

Something

You Gave Me a Mountain

Steamroller Blues

My Way

Love Me

Little Sister

One Night

(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel

My Babe

It's Impossible

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

How Great Thou Art

A Big Hunk O' Love

Lawdy Miss Claudy

Can't Help Falling In Love

Closing Vamp

(songs in red were removed in the first setlist revision)

AFTER THE SHOW, MORE WORK

By the time the "Aloha From Hawaii" special ended, it was after 1:30 am in Hawaii. In parts of the US, it was already after 7:30 am. Even so, Elvis had to wait for the HIC Arena to empty to fulfill his last part of the contract.

He needed to film some songs for the special that would be broadcast on American TV on April 4, 1973. There were five songs: "Blue Hawaii", "Ku-U-I-Po", "No More", "Hawaiian Wedding Song" and " Early Morning Rain". Elvis started recording at 2:15 in the morning and, between successes and failures, the job was done by 3.

Elvis filming the songs for the US TV edition

HAWAIIAN LEGACY

Ultimately, all this work resulted in a memorable performance that marked the history of satellite transmissions and summed up the golden days of Elvis Presley's career. The show, available today on VHS, DVD and Blu-Ray, remains one of the best remembered in international music.

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Original text: Elvis Presley Index
Photos: Google

Research: EAP Index | http://www.eapindex.com

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