Elvis Rocks Rapid City (CD - Memory Revival, 1997)

Title:

Elvis Rocks Rapid City

Label:

Memory Revival [---]

Format:

CD

Number of tracks:

27

Running time:

71:00

Type of album:

Concert

Linked to:

Unofficial discography

Year:

1997

Recording date:

June 21, 1977

Release date:

1997

Singles:

---

Elvis Rocks Rapid City was a bootleg CD by the Memory Revival label released in 1997. It contains the complete shows from June 21, 1977 in Rapid City, South Dakota. The work is currently out of print.

On June 17, 1977, Elvis began what would be his last tour. For ten days he would perform in 10 different cities, including Omaha and Rapid City, in which he recorded his special "Elvis in Concert", and culminating with the magnificent, for that moment, concert on June 26, 1977 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

In total, Elvis would pass through an audience of 117 thousand people and raise more than US$ 1.5 million in those few days. In 1977, his 59 shows would bring in around US$ 7 million, a low sum compared to previous years when only a 30-day season in Las Vegas grossed US$ 2.5 million and national tours brought in more, on average, $50 million.

Of course, Elvis' poor health played a part in why these numbers were low, since newer fans began to see him as a music dinosaur. Another point was the musical style of the time, which also began to change rapidly towards Punk Rock and Pop, alienating younger audiences. The work of the media, which vilified Elvis whenever they could, also played a part.

But Elvis was Elvis and if there was one thing he could count on, it was his millions of fans across the US and the world. His voice, which at that time was starting to sound like that of tenors, was something else that never failed him. Even at the worst shows of 1977, and there were many, unfortunately, his voice remained intact and sonorous - albeit slurred and tired at times.

Without a doubt, Omaha is the most remembered show of June 1977. Not only because it is the one recorded on video by CBS-TV and on soundboard by RCA, but because it is, for these same reasons, the one that most shows how Elvis needed help at that moment.

With so many problems on his mind, like the arrival of the dreaded West book in just over a month, it was clear that the King needed a break from the stages and the rush; but, without losing his majesty, Elvis put his fans first when it came to his personal life or health, which often, as in this period, was harmful to him.

But despite the odds, Omaha was by far the best show since the 20th and 21st of February 1977. Yes, Elvis was visibly tired and a little lost at first, but his voice again did not leave him forlorn.

After Omaha Elvis went to Lincoln, the state capital. That would be the first time the King of Rock would perform in the city in the 1970s and only the second in his career; he had stopped by with his solo show on May 19, 1956, over 20 years earlier. The audience was small - not because Elvis no longer attracted fans, but simply because most of the region's fans had gone to the concert in Omaha and Lincoln had been added to the tour at the last minute to accomodate 5,000 fans that were unable to get tickets to Omaha.

Like Lincoln, Rapid City in South Dakota would host an Elvis concert for the first time in the 1970s. Unlike the first mentioned, the King of Rock had not performed there in the 1950s and would be the first artist to use the facilities of the newly built Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. The capacity was sold out a few hours after the start of ticket sales and 10,000 people watched Elvis perform in the Mexican Sundial jumpsuit.

After the excellent show the night before, CBS and RCA would not pass up the opportunity to record the performance for inclusion on the In Concert LP and TV special. It was decided that part of the backstage would also be captured there, with the arrival of Elvis and the delivery of awards and commendations to him, the most significant being the Key to the City presented by thte mayor and a Medallion of Life presented by a little girl from the local tribe of Sioux Indians.

Below is a review of the concert.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- 1. Also Sprach Zarathustra:  As always, the audience is electrified with the arrival of the most anticipated moment of the night.

- 2. See See Rider: It doesn't take Elvis long to enter the stage and the fans scream and applaud deafeningly. The song begins and we soon realize that the strength of the previous night remains. Even more surprising, Elvis was fully aware of his surroundings and was able to realize that he had missed a note in the second verse, stopping the music and starting it again from that same point. High and low notes are masterfully emitted during the rendition and the ending is perfect.

- 3. I Got a Woman / Amen: Elvis starts his "well, well, well..." routine while exchanging some inside jokes with the band and backing vocals. His voice is constant throughout the song and "Amen" is quite inspiring, with the King of Rock doing bass notes. Elvis does his famous "striptease" in a much more dynamic way than in Omaha, followed by JD's dive bombs and a fantastic finish.

- 4. That's All Right: "If you haven't guessed by now, you're on television. So don't let the lights and cameras throw you - and don't throw the lights and cameras, if you can help it.". Elvis asks Charlie to give him some water because his mouth is "dry as cotton field" and, after drinking, he accidentally bites his tongue; both the dry mouth and the swollen tongue, which made him slur his words, were side effects of medication - which he states here is amoxylin (used to treat infections of the urinary tract, skin and lower respiratory tract, among others - all present in his autopsy report).

Since the 19th, Elvis had been reducing consumption and his diction had improved considerably during those 72 hours. "That's All Right" had its best rendition of that tour.

- 5. Are You Lonesome Tonight: "And then we did a song called 'Are You Lonesome Tonight'. And I am... And I was...". After a brief complaint about the quality of the picks he is using (one cracked in his hand), Elvis starts the song. His voice is strong, but his swollen tongue causes him to mispronounce during the spoken part of the lyrics, which ends up being an opportunity for him to improvise.

Showing that he is still in touch with reality and in his right mind, he recalls an episode from 1969 when he laughed uncontrollably during the performance of the same song after he made a pun on the lyrics due to the unusual presence of a man who had his wig tore off his head by a girl trying to reach the stage.

- 6. Elvis Talks: "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Wayne Newton!" Elvis asks the audience if it was true that he was thefirst artist to perform in the new building and receives a positive answer. He then comments that he's wearing makeup and that if it starts "streaking", they'll "edit it, cut it, x-rate it."

- 7. Love Me: The song proceeds as usual, with Elvis handing out scarves to fans.

- 8. If You Love Me (Let Me Know): "This next song is a song recorded by Olivia Newton-John and it's called 'If You Love Me, Let Me Know', and if you don't then move it!" It can be noted that this is one of the songs Elvis really likes, because he asks the audience to follow him and rehearses some shy steps that are received with enthusiasm by all.

- 9. You Gave Me a Mountain: The version is the best of the year, with Elvis doing a spectacular finish.

- 10. Jailhouse Rock: "My third movie was called 'Jailhouse Rock'." It is clear that the small swelling on the tongue makes the rendition difficult - it requires a rapid succession of complicated words, but Elvis pulls it off.

- 11. O Sole Mio: While Sherrill Nielsen tries to make everybody deaf in a broken Italian, Elvis does funny faces to try and break him.

- 12. It's Now or Never: Elvis' version would prove to be one of the best on the tour, with a surprising high note at the end.

- 13. Tryin' to Get to You: "This next song is a song that I did, I don't know, I guess about 18 years ago. And my dad likes it and my girlfriend Ginger likes it, so... You know, my voice was a lot higher back then... You gotta hide the belt in the right place. It's called 'Tryin' to Get to You'... Or 'tryin' to get to y'all', according to what part of the country you're from. Or 'tryin' go get to yous'."

It's amazing to see that Elvis still had so much potential if he stopped over-medicating himself. His voice plays across the notes and hits its target effortlessly, creating arguably the best rendition of the year. Coincidentally, this would be the last time it would be performed.

- 14. Hawaiina Wedding Song: "I did a movie called 'Blue Hawaii'... 'Blue Hawa-i-i'... And in the movie there was a song called 'Hawaiian Wedding Song'. And it was so real that it took me two years before I realized it was just a movie, you know, that I wasn't married to this chick." Elvis seems to remember pretty well about Joan Blackman's hathred agains him during the filming.

The version is regular, having many better ones, but it ends in high style with the King of Rock handing Kathy Westmoreland a lei and giving her a kiss.

- 15. Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel: The medley proceeds as expected, with Elvis handing lots of scarves to wild fans at the edge of the stage.

- 16. My Way: "This next song was recorded by Frank Sinatra and it's called 'My Way'." Elvis' rendition is done in a very good way, as it hasn't been for some time. Brightly performed notes end the song on a very high note.

- 17. Band Introductions: Elvis introduces The Sweet Inspirations, JD Sumner, The Stamps (individually), Kathy Westmoreland and Sherrill Nielsen. He stalls during Nielsen's introduction, commenting, "I can't talk! I sing, but I can't talk."

- 18. Early Morning Rain: John Wilkinson's solo; cut from original tape.

- 19. What'd I Say: James Burton's solo; cut from original tape.

- 20. Johnny B. Goode: James Burton's second solo; cut from original tape along with Ronnie Tutt, Jerry Scheff and Tony Brown solos.

- 21. I Really Don't Want to Know: Elvis sings his 1971 recording during Tony Brown's second solo. This is without a doubt the best version of June.

- 22. Orchestra Solo: Elvis vocalizes during Bobby Ogdin's solo and then introduces Charlie Hodge, conductor Joe Guercio and his orchestra.

- 23. Elvis Introduces Mr. Vernon Presley & Ginger Alden: Elvis introduces his father (who is taken onstage and applauded by everyone) and his girlfriend.

- 24. Hurt: "One of our latest hurts was record... Records was 'Hurt'." Elvis may have been doing an inside joke here, as there's some evidence that point that he was scheduled to record new material in January 1977 but never went to the sessions.

The audience is clearly moved by the rendition that was quite significant at that time. Either because this is a limited-time TV special recording or because he was tired and wanting to move the show faster, Elvis doesn't do the usual reprise of the last verse.

- 25. Hound Dog: James Burton's riff at the beginning of the song resounds through the arena and makes the audience cheer. Elvis is excited from the start and hands out scarves to the audience. In the end, he even tries some elaborate dance steps, already rare at that point.

- 26. Unchained Melody: "There's something else I'd like to try to do, and (a fan shouts 'Love Me Tender' and another one asks for 'Moody Blue') ... No. I'm saving 'Moody Blue, 'Love Me Tender' I'll do later." He'd never do them, though.

A curiosity here is that Elvis announces that he had recently recorded "Unchained Melody" and that it would be released in about two weeks; although the album Moody Blue, which features the live version of April 24, got to the stores one month later, some believe that Elvis was referring to a studio record that would be sold as a single. But if it existed, it was never put on the market and RCA has it in their vaults, destroyed it or lost it.

Elvis' rendition is quite good, but not as good as the one quoted above.

- 27. Can't Help Falling in Love: "Any time you want us back, just let us know and we shall come back. Adiós."

Just like the night before, Elvis makes bass notes as he delivers his most famous song that leads to the end of the set. During the closing fanfare, the audience applauds effusively as Elvis greets his fans and poses for pictures before heading backstage and hurriedly leaving the venue in his car.

(Review target CD is not available; we replaced it with another one with the same audio)