EAP Index World: March 1974: Blissful Days and the Taking of Memphis

Elvis enters the stage at the University Memorial Coliseum with his Orange Sunburst jumpsuit;
Auburn, Alabama - March 5, 1974

1974 may have gotten off to a somewhat slow start for Elvis when it came to releasing albums of new material, but there was a sense of coming change in the air. The success of the "A Legendary Performer, Volume 1" compilation, released on January 11, seemed to be a great sign of that.

When the first season of the year began in Las Vegas, on the 26th of that month, the singer was still somewhat shaken by his divorce three months earlier and his temper was as strong as that of the last show of the previous year, on September 3rd.

During the season, he would modify the repertoire to songs more to his taste and take charge of the performances. The medley with parts of five songs that led to his success in the 1950s gained a more elaborate and dynamic version than the first attempts the previous year and "Let Me Be There" would gain prominence, being performed twice in several shows. Sherrrill Nielsen and his group, Voice, would be even more prominent with their participation in "Spanish Eyes" and their solos in "Killing Me Softly", "Bringin' it Back", "I Can't Live Without You" and "Aubrey ".

But it was in March 1974 that the best concert season of Elvis' entire career occurred. It was also at this moment, 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 20th, the singer went on 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 were very 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 at least a month before Elvis stepped on stage.

It all started in Tulsa, Oklahoma on March 1st and 2nd. Elvis performed in front of 22,000 fans in two shows and grossed US$200,000. Security at the event had to be reinforced at the last minute because hundreds of fans wanted to get close to Elvis wherever he was and threatened to invade his hotel or go on stage. At a time when the Memphis Mafia was concerned about possible threats on the singer's life, this could result in serious events.

Elvis wore the White Conquistador jumpsuit at Oral Roberts University;
Tulsa, Oklahoma - March 2, 1974

Elvis then returned to the Houston Astrodome on the 3rd, during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. He had played six shows at the venue in 1970, attracting around 207,000 people in total (an average of 34,500 spectators each), but this time he would outdo himself - more than 88,000 fans would see him at just two shows that day, even that tickets were more expensive than usual (Elvis would be paid by the Livestock Show promoters and the performances were not part of the official tour).

As the stage set up in the center of the arena was small, Joe Guercio's orchestra was unable to participate in the performances and even that was a success. Having just Elvis' voice accompanied by the TCB band and backing vocals provided a kind of magnificent acoustic show. The capacity for these two shows was the largest for any one-day event in the Astrodome's history.

Elvis, with the Nail Mirrored jumpsuit, and band on stage at the Houston Astrodome;
Houston, Texas - March 3, 1974 - 2:30 pm

Elvis arrived in Monroe, Louisiana, on the 4th, for the first of three separate shows on the tour - the next two would take place on March 7th and 8th. The schedule was split, but all tickets were sold out weeks in advance and many people still wanted tickets. 25,500 people saw the three shows, paying a total gross of almost US$250,000. It should be noted that all of these concerts were sold out without paid advertising, as was the case with many Elvis concerts.

Auburn and Montgomery, both cities in Alabama, would see the singer between performances in Monroe, on March 5th and 6th, respectively. The biggest act in the industry arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina for two huge sold-out shows at the Charlotte Coliseum on the 9th. There were 26,000 people at the two performances and gross revenue of another $250,000 was generated. Fans from across the South were in attendance or waiting outside if they couldn't purchase a ticket.

Although there is no audio source, there are reports that the performances in Charlotte were some of Elvis' best in his entire career. The excitement in the arena as the singer casually walked onto the stage was almost too much for the crowd. When Elvis revealed the giant sequined eagle on the cover of his jumpsuit, the noise of fans screaming and applauding was deafening.

Elvis with his 1973 American Eagle jumpsuit at the Charlotte Coliseum;
Charlotte, North Carolina - March 9, 1974 - 8:30 pm

In Roanoke and Hampton Roads, both in Virginia, Elvis raised almost US$200,000 in two shows on March 10 and 11. Elvis' next stop was on the 12th in Richmond, also in Virginia, for his first show in the city. Ticket sales were so intense and the number of fans was so large that another performance had to be included in the tour on the 18th.

In Greensboro, North Carolina, an excited 16,400 fans turned out for the occasion on the 13th. Elvis surprised a crowd of 12,500 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on March 14th. This was the first of two shows, and the other, scheduled for the 19th, also sold out in hours. In Knoxville, Tennessee, it would be no different in the March 15 concert.

But if the shows so far had been explosive and many cities had asked for and received a second performance, Memphis, the chosen hometown of the King of Rock, could not disappoint. It had been 13 years since Elvis had performed there, and although there was a fear that the city would not accept the singer as much as he accepted it as his home, there was such a fantastic run at the box office for the 8:30pm concert on the 16th of March that it was necessary to find dates for not just one, but 4 more shows!

With Richmond and Murfreesboro already scheduled for the 18th and 19th, it was necessary to add a matinee at 2:30 pm on the same day, two more shows the following and the fifth and final one was for the night of March 20th. Record sales and fan excitement led the Colonel and RCA to decide that it was time for a fifth live Elvis album and the stage for it could be none other than Memphis. The record company captured audio from each of the five shows in the city to be able to choose an entire performance or make a compilation of the best renditions for release.

When the lights went out at 2:30 pm on March 16, 1974, the world seemed to stop and all that could be heard was a maze of screams and applause coming from inside the Mid-South Coliseum. Outside, thousands of people were still fighting for a ticket and scalpers were charging up to 75 dollars each. At the box office, hundreds jostled to ask if new tickets had been made, which was always answered with a negative response. Fans who crossed the country to be there were in tears for having missed the opportunity. Men, women and children carried signs announcing the need for a ticket. There was a tremendous police force, in addition to Elvis' security guards and government men.

Both shows that day were spectacular. JD Sumner, The Stamps, Voice and The Sweet Inspirations warmed up the audience for a good 30 minutes until comedian Jackie Kahane told his jokes for another half hour. Starting with the usual fanfare "Also Sprach Zarathustra" and falling straight into "See See Rider" and Elvis' triumphant entrance, the performance was already promising. "I Got a Woman / Amen" was performed in a version at half the usual tempo from 1975 onwards and in a much more vibrant way. At the end of this, Elvis' friendly "Hello, Memphis!" simply brought the Mid-South Coliseum down.

Elvis does "Suspicious Minds" in his 1973 Arabian jumpsuit at the Mid-South Coliseum;
Memphis, Tennessee - March 16, 1974 - 8:30 pm

The medleys of 1950s hits were much better performed and better received here than anywhere else in the last year. Elvis used some new material, such as the Gospel song "Help Me", released as a single, and "Why Me Lord". "Let Me Be There", "Steamroller Blues" and "Johnny B. Goode" were some of the highlights of these performances. If one thing was clear, it was that Elvis came away renewed from the experience and prepared to do his best the next day.

Again at 2:30 pm, the Mid-South Coliseum witnessed the first show on March 17th. The audience could barely contain their excitement when Elvis stepped onto the stage. The renditions of "See See Rider" and "I Got a Woman/Amen" gained more rhythmic and faster-tempo versions. The atmosphere calmed down after "Love Me", but the place came crashing down every time a 1950s classic was performed. A very welcome addition to this afternoon's repertoire was "Heartbreak Hotel", which had not been performed for seven months. The enthusiasm on the faces of those leaving the concert created enormous anticipation and filled the atmosphere with electricity among fans who were already waiting for the night's performance.

Elvis with the Fire jumpsuit on stage at the Mid-South Coliseum;
Memphis, Tennesee - March 17, 1974 - 2:30 pm

At 8:30 pm that day, the show was no different. The camera flashes were so intense when Elvis entered the stage that the arena seemed to have been invaded by thousands of strobe lights. The "Hello, my name is Wayne Newton!" right after "I Got a Woman / Amen" announced that Elvis was in a great mood, although he sounded a little tired. "Trying to Get to You" was performed amid spirited laughter from the singer, who joked with the audience and his band. "Steamroller Blues" and "Polk Salad Annie" were some of the best-received songs of the night, second only to "That's All Right", removed from the repertoire in June 1972 and performed only once since then, on January 29, 1974.

After revisiting Richmond and Murfreesboro on the 18th and 19th, the long-awaited and now celebrated performance of March 20, 1974 in Memphis arrived. Elvis was looser, joking a lot with the audience and singing classics like "Trying to Get to You" and "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" with a powerful voice that was as crystal clear as that of the original recordings.

It was imperative that that complete show be released on a double LP, but this had to go through the Colonel first. Justifying a "necessary cost containment", Parker put his foot down: the album would only come out if it was made up of just one LP. On July 7, RCA would release "Elvis Recorded Live On Stage in Memphis" with only 15 of the 23 songs featured in the concert.

These five performances in Memphis would establish the King of Rock's relationship with the city. Even though the March 20th performance did not receive the release it deserved at the time, the union of Elvis and Memphis was finally fulfilled after 20 years of career. His February 25, 1961 show in the city had been a first taste of what Hurricane Elvis would generate, albeit a small one, but he would only truly be crowned "the King of Memphis" on that fantastic March 20, 1974.