Hometown Shows (CD - FTD, 2016)

Title:

Hometown Shows

Label:

FTD [FTD 156] 506020 975102 3]

Format:

CD

Number of tracks:

46

Running time:

129:00

Type of album:

Concert

Linked to:

FTD discography

Year:

2016

Recording date:

March 17, 1974 ES & June 10, 1975

Release date:

September 2016

Singles:

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Hometown Shows is a double CD by FTD. It contains the March 17, 1974 ES and June 10, 1975 concerts, both in Memphis, on soundboard. Due to the Follow That Dream archives fire in 2021, the work is out of print.

1974 may have gotten off to a slow start on record releases with new material, but there was a sense of change to come in the air. The success of thecompilation "A Legendary Performer, Volume 1", released on January 11, was a great sign of that.

When the first season of the year began in Las Vegas, on the 26th of that month, Elvis was still shaken by his divorce three months earlier and his temper was as fowl as in the last show the year before. During the season, he would modify the repertoire to songs more to his liking and take the reins of the performances.

It was in March 1974 that the best concert season of Elvis' entire career took place. It was also at this point, after living in Memphis for 26 years and 13 years after his last performance there, that the singer finally conquered the city.

From March 1st to March 20th, the singer performed his biggest tour yet, with 24 shows in 20 days, and the whole thing was a bang. These were some of the best performances by the King of Rock since his return to the stage in 1969. Several cities have been blessed with 2, 3, 4 and even 5 concerts. The crowds were incredible and the anticipation excited them. Arenas were sold out in every city for at least a month before Elvis took the stage.

The last leg of the March tour, between the 17th and 20th, consisted of Elvis' first five shows in Memphis in the 1970s. Even coming from 15 days of uninterrupted concerts, Elvis was full of energy and the reviews of his performances in the local newspapers where he went were always spectacular. It was no different in Memphis, which gave its most illustrious resident a warm welcome by selling out the Mid-South Coliseum in all five concerts of those days.

1975 was a troubled year in Elvis' life, but his return to Memphis and the Mid-South Coliseum still generated massive frenzy. He hadn't recorded anything in studio in the previous year and his career was surviving on leftovers, re-releases and compilations that extended to the absurd album "Having Fun With Elvis On Stage", but his fans never failed him - especially in Memphis.

Due to ill health that put him in the hospital in mid-January 1975, Elvis was unable to begin his work on stage until March, when he made a season in Las Vegas to cover the canceled one in January. The national tours, between April and July, were a little luckier, but Elvis' fickleness hampered several performances. His delicate state of health made the shows a real roller coaster, one time with the singer reaching great peaks of overcoming and another with the worst possible moments.

Memphis on June 10th was one of the happy moments. Elvis sounded tired a few days earlier, but not here. This is yet another example of how Elvis was always willing to please his fans and how Memphis always welcomed him with open arms and full capacity. The dynamic set, a rare feature in 1975, features excellent versions of "T-R-O-U-B-L-E", "Burning Love" and "Little Darlin'".

Although it has been released on bootlegs in the past, FTD was the first record label to bring the March 17, 1974 ES performance in Memphis to the public on soundboard in 2016. The double CD was also the first to release the June 10, 1975 concert officially, but its most known and collectors item release was 2005's "Going Back to Memphis" by Pure Platinum, which innovated by also including the pre-show in its CD.

Below is our review of the concerts featured in this work.

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CD 1: MARCH 17, 1974 ES

- 1. Also Sprach Zarathustra: The fanfare starts the show. FTD has certainly worked on mixing this show and this allows us to hear different elements, but the audio is still quite dry.

- 2. See See Rider: Elvis had played 3 shows in Memphis before this concert - two the day before and one that afternoon, and that meant he was starting to get comfortable with the venue. The fact that the Mid-South Coliseum was just 15 minutes away from Graceland also helped him rest better.

There's an exciting interplay between the singer, his backing vocals and Ronnie Tutt.

- 3. I Got a Woman / Amen: The "well', well, well..." routine is quite short and full of inside jokes. The usual medley is very good and the crowd attentively follows Elvis' every hip move. JD does an amazing dive bomb and an amazed Elvis asks him to repeat it. Finishing is standard.

- 4. Love Me: "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. My name is Wayne Newton!" The version is standard, but Elvis' laughing, which continue until the beginning of the next song, indicate that the female fans are quite sassy.

- 5. Tryin' to Get to You: This Sun classic had just entered the setlist and Elvis is obviously having fun with it, even laughing a little.

- 6. All Shook Up: Elvis is in good spirits and laughs as he interacts with the wild fans. The version is standard.

- 7. Steamroller Blues: A more funky version, but no more enjoyable than Aloha's. Elvis really likes the music and it shows through his performance and his vocals.

- 8. Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel: The usual disposable "kiss and scarf", but well executed.

- 9. Love Me Tender: "My first movie was 'Love Me Tender', so I'd like to sing a little bit of that for you." Attending fans and answering their "I love you", Elvis makes a good rendition.

- 10. Johnny B. Goode: The customary medley covering five of his biggest hits is replaced by a fast and hot rendition of the Chuck Berry classic tonight.

- 11. Hound Dog: Elvis does a very fast version with a fantastic "striptease" routine at the end.

- 12. Fever: Elvis is very relaxed and the crowd obviously loves the music. "Thank you very much. You're a good audience, really. You're really good, because I'm supposed to be real seriously and I'm up here laughing my whole career away."

- 13. Polk Salad Annie: This is a very funky 1974 version and Elvis gives it his all as the band tries to keep up. This is a breathtaking rendition - for Elvis and the audience!

- 14. Why Me Lord: "I'd like to ask JD Sumner and The Stamps to sing one of my favorite songs." This is a very spiritual version, although it doesn't compare to the one on March 20th. Elvis asks for the ending to be repeated.

- 15. Suspicious Minds: The mix here allows us to hear instruments and other nuances that are not normally heard. It lets us have a clear perception of the fantastic and hard work of Ronnie Tutt, also passing through the beautiful bass of Duke Bardwell and the fantastic guitar of James Burton, all very well enveloped by the backing vocals and orchestra.

- 16. Introductions: Elvis introduces The Sweet Inspirations, JD Sumner and The Stamps, George Klein (in the audience), Kathy Westmoreland, James Burton, John Wilkinson, Ronnie Tutt, Duke Bardwell, Glen Hardin, Charlie Hodge, the group Voice, Joe Guercio and his orchestra.

- 17. I Can't Stop Loving You: "You know what I can't do?" Elvis and Kathy's vocal powers are shown here. The version is good, but there are better ones in the period.

- 18. Help Me: "The next song is a new song that we just recorded. I hope you like it."The Gospel rhythm really suits Elvis and the mix favors his voice throughout the version. In many ways, it's almost as perfect as the version on the 20th.

- 19. An American Trilogy: The mix isn't as well done as it could be, with JD's voice coming through a bit too much, but overall this is a fantastic rendition.

- 20. Let Me Be There: The newest song in the setlist, added in January 1974, is Olivia Newton-John's 1973 hit, a great country ballad that Elvis is very fond of singing. The mix allows us to hear James Burton's magnificent pickings as well as JD's comebacks. As usual, there's a reprise at the end.

- 21. Funny How Time Slips Away: Elvis hints at starting the famous line "Now that you've had the chance to see us...", but is interrupted by something that makes him laugh. This is a relaxed version in which the singer talks to the audience, laughs and has fun. When he sings "Never know when I'll be back in town," he responds to himself with "Wednesday night, I think it is" - referencing the upcoming show in Memphis on the 20th.

- 22. That's All Right: "It's the first recorde I recorded. I just wanna do it right now, okay?" Extremely rare in 1974, with only 4 versions, this song really lifts the crowd. The rendition is done in a very fast tempo and delicious to listen to.

- 23. Can't Help Falling in Love: "Until the next time back here in Memphis, we bid you an affectionate adiós." Elvis interacts with the audience as he sings the 1961 hit. The audience goes wild trying to get one last kiss, scarf or even a glimpse of the singer.

- 24. Closing Vamp: The one-minute track ends with the famous line: "Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building. Thank you and good night."

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CD 2: JUNE 10, 1975

- 1. Also Sprach Zarathustra: Right off the bat, it's notable that FTD has managed to make a significant improvement to the audio of the concert.

- 2. See See Rider: Back in Memphis more than a year after his last show in the city, Elvis was vocally strong and that's clear in this version. He plays with the band, the audience and the notes like it's 1970.

- 3. I Got a Woman / Amen: The "well, well, well..." routine is long and makes Elvis comment: "You think you're gonna see the show and that's all I'm gonna do, 'well, well, well'." That's why this is an excellent version of the Ray Charles classic. The tempo is much faster than usual and the singer sounds like he really wants to do his best – and he does!

- 4. Love Me: "I hope you have a good time this evening. We're gonna do a lot of songs, and walk around, and kiss people." After his then-usual comment about people's binoculars looking like frogs, the rendition is purely routine.

- 5. If You Love Me (Let Me Know): After kissing dozens of fans, Elvis does a very good version of the Olivia Newton-John hit.

- 6. Love Me Tender: "As you know, my first movie was 'Love Me Tender', so I'd like to sing a little bit of that. I just ssaid I'd like to, nott  that I'm going to." With fans screaming throughout the song, the rendition is as routine as ever.

- 7. All Shook Up: An average version, but very good.

- 8. Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel: Overall, Elvis is more fan-centric than actually singing.

- 9. Hound Dog: It appears to be sung because it is expected of Elvis and extremely routine.

- 10. Fairytale: "Let's do 'Fairytale'. We have out a new album, ladies and gentlemen, it's been out for about two or three weeks. It's called 'Elvis Today', or yesterday, watever, tomorrow." Relatively new to the repertoire, it is well performed despite Elvis sounding tired or bored.

- 11. Burning Love: Elvis really seems to be alive for the show now. The singer does a very good job and the band supports him wonderfully.

- 12. Introductions / Johnny B. Goode: "How many people saw that movie on last week, 'That's the Way it is'?" The audience reaction makes Elvis joke: "You could have just watched that movie, stayed home and saved your money." Band intros normally follow with The Sweet Inspirations, JD Sumner and The Stamps (introduced individually), Kathy Westmoreland, John Wilkinson (no solo) and James Burton with his "Johnny B. Goode" solo.

- 13. Introductions / School Days: Continuing with the introductions, it's time for solos by Ronnie Tutt, Jerry Scheff and Glen Hardin. Charlie Hodge, the Voice group, Joe Guercio and the orchestra's solo are the last to be introduced. Elvis makes a special mention of his father: "Recently my father had a very serious heart attack and he was very ill, but he's doing fantastic and I'm glad to see that he's up and about. He's here tonight, I'd like to... Dad."  Dr. Nick is also mentioned.

- 14. T.R.O.U.B.L.E.: "We have a new record out called 'T.R.O.U.B.L.E.'." This is one of the best versions. There are no changes in tempo, no lost words, no slurred passages. Elvis engages the Sweets at the end, and it's just amazing. "There's a lot of words, you know, in that song."

- 15. Why Me Lord: "I'd like to ask The Stamps to do a song, ladies and gentlemen." Here Elvis already uses the song to try to make JD laugh, but the version is pretty good - even with JD breaking down and laughing. "I thought you laughed very well in that, JD."

- 16. How Great Thou Art: "I'd like to do a Gospel song. Just features The Stamps Quartet." An incredible version follows and Elvis decides to do a fantastic reprise.

- 17. Let Me Be There: A heartfelt version.

- 18. Funny How Time Slips Away: "Now that you've had a chance to see us, I'd like to turn the house lights up so I can take a look at you." After interacting with the crazed fans and making the routine joke that he got "the creeping crud" from a girl who kissed him, Elvis does a good version even laughing delightfully during the rendition.

- 19. Little Darlin': Fairly routine, but with Elvis playing a bit more with the lyrics and the audience.

- 20. An American Trilogy: Due to irreparable damage to the original tape, the last 3 songs from the show were replaced with versions from the day before in Jackson, Mississippi.  Elvis delivers a fantastic version that could easily be one of the best of 1975.

 - 21. Mystery Train / Tiger Man: A Sun Studio hit that always thrills audiences. You can hear the girls screaming as Elvis does some karate chops.

- 22. Can't Help Falling in Love / Closing Vamp: "Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. Until the next time we see you, may God bless you and take care of yourselves." Elvis ends his performance with yet another enchanting rendition of the 1961 song as he hands out the last few scarves and kisses to the fans. On this rare occasion, the "Closing Vamp" isn't played after the song and we can hear Elvis thanking the audience.