July 22-24, 1975: The Asheville Concerts

Elvis in Asheville

Elvis Presley breezed through Asheville, North Carolina virtually unknown in 1955, opening for acts he’d soon eclipse. By the time he reappeared there for three sold-out shows in late July 1975, it was anyone’s guess as to whether the superstar would shine on or burn out.

By mid-1975, Elvis was back in good shape and having fun on stage. Having slimmed down and looking great in his new jumpsuits, he looked rejuvenated and happy to be back on stage.

The Memphis Commercial Appeal noted it perfectly in their review of the Memphis show on June 10:

"It didn't seem to matter what Elvis sang, the audience went wild every time he moved and he made it clear he knew what was turning them on."

In fact, the summer of 1975 was always a popular time for Elvis fans. It was a positive comeback from the emotional roller-coaster of 1974 and before the slide of 1976. The June 6 show in Dallas, featured on the 1980 "Elvis Aron Presley" box, conveyed that impression of renewal magnificently.

By July, Elvis was as great as ever on stage, despite his health issues, and did a fantastic East Coast tour starting on the 8th in Oklahoma City. The concerts still had the same old setlist, but the singer was promoting his new albums - Promised Land and Today - and often surprised the audiences with some new material.

Elvis arrived in Asheville by the afternoon of July 22, 1975. The tickets costed only $10, but for the fans, he was still the undisputed King of Rock 'n' Roll. At the same time, Elvis, addled by teeter-tottering moods and a heaping helping of pills, was at risk of becoming a jester on stage. One of his buddies would later recall that Elvis was then "as unpredictable as a ping-pong ball going down the hallway."

He was getting mighty big, and not exactly in terms of popularity. With faint praise, an Asheville Citizen reporter who attended the first show judged Elvis "paunchy but pretty." Nancy Fox, a local resident at one of the shows, perhaps put it better: "He was still Elvis, just a bigger version of him. He sounded as good as he’d ever sounded, to me."

But bigger Elvis was a handful, with his Asheville stay marked by all his late-period excesses: stellar performances punctuated by bizarre onstage antics, bouts of generosity beset by severe selfishness. It was as though Good Elvis and Bad Elvis were starting their final battle for his soul, which would come to a head all too soon and leave Asheville wanting more.

Asheville was the last stop on Elvis' East Coast Tour, being awarded with three concerts. Elvis was both sincere and flamboyant, both rooted and reeling—and, as was his wont, frequently armed. The stories about what went on in the hours when Elvis was off stage are many and very known to the general public. They may have been kept secret at the time, but there's always someone who'll enjoy sharing one or two cents about Elvis.

Staying at the Roadway Inn east of town, Elvis apparently got off two shots. One afternoon in his hotel room, an emotional Elvis slung his arm around his father, Vernon, who was making a rare tour trip with his son; the embrace was cut short when a pistol in Elvis' hand discharged, sending a round ricocheting before it bounced, spent and harmless, off the chest of Elvis' on-the-road physician. Another afternoon, one of his bodyguards sheepishly approached the hotel manager saying that Elvis had put his foot through the TV screen during an impromptu wrestling match - a couple of years later, a member of Elvis' crew confessed that "Elvis shot the damn thing out of frustration with the set’s spotty vertical hold."

The three shows in the city - the only three he'd do there in the 1970s - were among some of the most memorable of 1975 for their rousing atmosphere and for occasional signs of Elvis' decline.

On July 22, Elvis abandoned the stage mid-song, leaving his band members to introduce themselves and wonder if he’d return. A few minutes later, he was back with a clear and shameless expanation: "I had to go to the bathroom." But Elvis was ever the crowd-pleaser in Asheville, even taking audience song requests, which he rarely did. That night, he'd sing a solo version of "Why Me Lord?", "Shake a Hand", "Memphis Tennessee"and "Mystery Train / Tiger Man".

And then there was something more: a kingly outpouring of generosity that people still speak of and that came, of course, from his own selfishness. Elvis had spent the prior two weeks pissing off many members of his band and entourage (for an example, the Sweets had walked off the stage after a bad remark by Elvis on July 20), and now he was trying to set things right. To do so, he flew in his favorite jeweler from Memphis and proceeded to buy and share some $85,000 worth of diamond rings and other jewelry with backup singers, band members, and even random members of the audience. This "jewelry giveaway" happened mostly during the concert on the 23rd, in which he sang "Turn Around and Look at Me".

On July 24th, the last day in Asheville and the end of his tour, Elvis did sentimental versions of "Something" and "Pieces of My Life", stripped randitions of "Return to Sender" and "Wooden Heart", and gave his favorite six-string guitar - a custom black Gibson emblazoned with a karate sticker - off his shoulder to a 21-year-old Mike Harris, an Asheville native who had a front-row seat. "Here, this is yours," Elvis told the aghast Harris. A few songs later, Elvis called him back to the stage front and solemnly said, "I gave that to you for a reason." Decades later, Harris, who has kept the guitar, admitted, "I have no clue what the reason was."

Elvis was scheduled to return to Asheville on August, 26, 1977 for another performance at the Civic Center. Again, the show sold out - but, as we know, he never made it. Asheville fans were distraught but sprang to action, and on the scheduled concert date, a committee of locals instead held a memorial service where The Stamps Quartet debuted "Elvis Has Left the Building".

The Asheville concerts in 1975 have been released as bootlegs since 1997. Live Archives was the first label to make the July 23 concert available that year as "Gyrating Asheville", and then Straight Arrow re-released is as "Southern Gypsy Magic" in 2013. Straight Arrow was the second label to release an Asheville concert, the July 24 show, on a CD titled "Pieces of My Life" in 2005. The July 22 concert only surfaced through PA as "Live in Asheville"in 2002 and was re-released by Touchdown Productions as "Still Crazy After All These Years" in 2014. All three concerts were released together and with enhanced audio for the first time by AudiRec in 2018 as "The Asheville Marathon '75".

Below we review the concerts in Asheville.

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Title:

Still Crazy After All These Years!

Label:

Touchdown Productions [TDP-CD25-2014]

Format:

Double CD

Number of tracks:

41

Running time:

92:00

Type of album:

Concert

Linked to:

Unofficial discography

Year:

2014

Recording date:

July 22, 1975

Released:

2014

Singles:

---

Still Crazy After All These Years! was a bootleg CD by Touchdown Productions. It covers the July 22, 1975 concert in Asheville, North Carolina. The work is still in print.

***********************************************************************************************************************

CD 1

- 1. Also Sprach Zarathustra: The usual fanfare makes the audience go wild. The tape sounds really good for its age.

- 2. See See Rider: Elvis enters the stage to a roaring audience and starts the song with a really strong voice. He is obviously having fun throughout.

- 3. I Got a Woman / Amen: Elvis addresses some fans with a sign that read "10th Elvis concert". After a brief "well, well, well" routine, he does an amazing version of "I Got a Woman" where he and his band sound excited. "Amen" is particularly good because Elvis asks the audience to join him and the backing vocals in an extra long version that resembles a lot black church spirituals he used to hear in Memphis in his youth.

- 4. Monologue: Elvis talks to fans and takes a request.

- 5. Big Boss Man: It's so good to hear Elvis when he is set to please. This version is one of the best - if not the best - that year. He does a quick reprise of the ending.

- 6. Monologue: After some more talk to the fans, the singer takes another request.

- 7. Why Me Lord: Elvis promptly starts to sing the 1973 hit by Kris Kristofferson. It wasn't a rare piece by the time, but this version is unique and rare because Elvis sings solo.

- 8. Having Fun With the Band: Elvis talk to fans and teases the band.

- 9. Love Me: Of course Elvis had to do the standard hits, so they starts here. The version is average at most, if compared to the others so far. Routine wasn't really between Elvis' interests by then.

- 10. If You Love Me (Let Me Know): This is definitely one of the best versions in 1975. Elvis sings his all while attending fans.

- 11. Elvis About His Album "Today" "We had an album out recently, ladies and gentlemen, and in the album there's a song..." Elvis gets distracted before continuing: "In the album there's a song, called 'Shake a Hand'."

- 12. Looking For the C Chord: Elvis takes his time looking for the right chord to start the song.

- 13. Shake a Hand: Elvis sings one of the best tracks from his "Today" album for the first time and totally unrehearsed. This is an amazing version and Elvis is having fun with it, even asking the backing vocals to go "heavier" at the end. 

- 14. All Shook Up: Back to the routine basics, this is a pretty good version.

- 15. Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel: Boredom takes Elvis' voice while he gives kisses and scarves to fans.

- 16. Hound Dog: A pretty good but average version.

- 17. The Wonder of You: Always a showstopper, it starts without any instrumental introduction here. In a way, it resembles a lot the 1970 versions.

- 18. Elvis Jokes About the Creepin' Crud: Elvis gives out scarves and kisses. He then does the usual joke about a fan who kissed him and gave him "the creeping crud". He spends three and a half minutes talking to fans before taking another request.

- 19. Memphis Tennessee: This rare gem starts right away and the band manages to keep together and follow through. The audience sings and claps along. This would the last rendition of the song ever.

CD 2

- 1. Funny How ime Slips Away: Fairly routine, but with Elvis doing a great job and a double ending.

 - 2. Polk Salad Annie: With 50 minutes of show, Elvis starts the segment which leads to the band introductions. The song is well done and Elvis excels at the karate chops at the end, but there's a cut which removes a part of the tape with a really bad distortion. Out of nowhere, Elvis asks JD to do the introductions and excuses himself from the stage.

- 3. Introductions Pt. 1 By JD Sumner: Looking lost, JD introduces The sweet Inspirations.

- 4. Johnny B. Goode by James Burton: Not hearing Elvis sing along is really strange.

- 5. Drum Solo By Ronnie Tutt: Ronnie does his usual solo.

- 6. Bass Solo by Jerry Scheff: Jerry plays the Blues.

- 7. Piano Solo By Glen D. Hardin: Glen does his solo.

- 8. Introductions Pt. 2 By JD Sumner: JD finishes the introductions with Charlie Hodge, Voice, Kathy Westmoreland, The Stamps Quartet, Joe Guercio and his orchestra.

- 9. School Days: The orchestra does its solo. Elvis returns to stage.

- 10. T-R-O-U-B-L-E: Elvis does an amazing rendition of the song that opens his "Today" album. JD sounds quite off in the first stanza, and rightly so. The ending is extra long and fun.

- 11. Bathroom Explanation: Elvis explains why he had left the stage: "I had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the show. So I beg your pardon. Thank you, JD."

- 12. It's Now or Never: "Ladies and gentlemen, my top record." Elvis sounds really good here and does an above average version.

- 13. You Don't Have to Say You Love Me: The song had retuned to the setlist in 1974 after two years out and Elvis does a good rendition here. This is the last version live ever.

- 14. How Great Thou Art: Gospel songs were always Elvis' best songs in concert. He does a fantastic rendition and asks for a reprise of the ending, in which he outdoes himself. 

- 15. Burning Love: The 1972 hit is done in a very good way, with Elvis going hard at the notes. He apparently decided to cut the song short or forgot the last stanza, because the band sound really messy while trying to set things right.

- 16. Audience Talk: Elvis talks about his shows and how his people nag at him when he goes over an hour of show (the concert had hit the 1 hour and 20 minutes mark), but remarks that he only wants to have fun and doesn't care about time.

- 17. Let Me Be There: Olivia Newton-John's hit is done fairly well. There's no reprise at the end.

- 18. Heartbreak Hotel: Elvis enjoys himself with the song, but forgets the words in a part. Nothing worthy of note, though.

- 19. Little Darlin': Del Shannon's hit gets a very good version done in a serious way.

- 20. Mystery Train / Tiger Man: A medley that always made Elvis happy, it couldn't be left out here. The rendition is quite good.

- 21. Present to JD Sumner: Elvis talks about how he met JD when he was 16 and thanks him for being a loyal friend and coworker. He gives JD a 40 thousand dollar diamond ring.

- 22. Can't Help Falling in Love: A standard but pretty good version of the 1961 hit ends the show. We hear a small snippet of the "Closing Vamp" at the end of the track.

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Title:

Southern Gypsy Magic

Label:

Straight Arrow [SA/SP 2013 14-02]

Format:

Double CD

Number of tracks:

44

Running time:

113:30

Type of album:

Concert

Linked to:

Unofficial discography

Year:

2013

Recording date:

July 23, 1975

Released:

2013

Singles:

---

Southern Gypsy Magic was a bootleg CD by Straight Arrow. It covers the July 23, 1975 concert in Asheville, North Carolina and a few bonuses. The work is still in print.

***********************************************************************************************************************

CD 1

- 1. Introduction - Also Sprach Zarathustra: The usual fanfare plays. The tape sound is very bad, but it gets better.

- 2. See See Rider: The tape doesn't help us to get a good reaction of Elvis' entrance, but it's  clear that the audience is pleased. He takes a little longer to start singing - probably because he wanted to give everybody a chance to see him while walking the stage - and then does it with a high scream that show us he's in a good mood and voice again. Elvis even makes Ronnie Tutt work hard to follow him at the end.

- 3. I Got a Woman / Amen: Elvis addresses fans and pokes fun at the women screaming his name. The "well, well, well" routine is a little longer today, but he does another exciting version of the medley.

- 4. Big Boss Man: Asheville was really treated good. Elvis' voice resounds through the venue and the crowd claps along. There's no reprise at the end, though.

- 5. Love Me: Back to the standard hits, this is an above average version where Elvis extends the ending to try and make his backing vocals fail - they don't. After the song, Elvis does his routine joke about "the creeping crud".

- 6. If You Love Me (Let Me Know): Another of the best versions in 1975, perhaps better than the last evening's.

- 7. It's Midnight: "Ladies and gentlemen, there's a fella who lives here in Asheville that wrote a song of mine - it's one of my favorite songs I've ever recorded. His name is Billy Edd Wheeler." Elvis's voice is strong enough for this song for the first time in a long time. The ending is phenomenal!

- 8. All Shook Up: Back to the routine basics, this is a pretty good version.

- 9. Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel: Even this boring medley sounds good today. Listen to Ronnie's drumming.

- 10. Hound Dog: Excellent version with an outstanding ending.

- 11. The Wonder of You: The 1970 showstopper has another one of its best versions here. It sounds even better than on the 22nd.

- 12. Turn Around, Look at Me: Elvis takes a request for Glen Campbell's 1961 hit. This is totally unherearsed and a real rare gem, as he does an almost complete version for the first and only time (he did sing this in other concerts, but never more than a few bars).

- 13. Polk Salad Annie: Elvis asks the audience if they want to hear "Polk" or "Burning Love". The crowd obviously cheers a lot more for the latter, but the singer seems to decide by himself anyways. This is one more of those smashing rocker versions Elvis did so well in 1975.

- 14. Introductions: Elvis does the usual introductions of The Sweet Inspirations, JD Sumner, The Stamps, Kathy Westmoreland and John Wilkinson.

- 15. Johnny B. Goode: Elvis asks James jump over "What'd I Say" and do his solo on this.

- 16. Drum Solo: Ronnie Tutt does his thing.

- 17. Bass Solo: Jerry Scheff plays the Blues.

- 18. Piano Solo: Glen Hardin does his part.

- 19. School Day: Elvis introduces Charlie Hodge and the group Voice. Joe Guercio and his orchestra do their solo.

CD 2

- 1. T-R-O-U-B-L-E: Another smashing version of a new song Elvis was really into.

 - 2. Why Me Lord: Contrary to the night before, today Elvis is set to make JD laugh any way he can. It doesn't take much to break him. The last part of the song is done in a serious way and is really delightful.

- 3. How Great Thou Art: This is definitely the best version of 1975. Elvis sings his soul out and The Stamps do really great backing vocals. Elvis' voice is sharp and he even tries some vocal modulations.

- 4. Let Me Be There: A definite good version where Elvis still has the excitement and strong voice of the last song.

- 5. Shake a Hand: It seems Elvis and the band did a little rehearsal on the song during the night. The version has a really good feel to it and everybody does a great job.

- 6. Fairytale: The song was in the setlist since March 1975, but this version is a request taken a month and a half after its last rendition. Elvis and the band start rough, but they soon find their way and do an amazing job.

- 7. Introduction of Vernon: Elvis introduces Vernon to the audience and explains that he had been sick (Vernon had a heart attack in February). The crowd applauds effusively.

- 8. Little Darlin': Del Shannon's hit gets another good version.

- 9. Mystery Train / Tiger Man: A very good version.

- 10. Funny How Time Slips Away: Elvis asks the house lights to be turned on and interacts with the band and audience for a while. The song is well done and gets a reprise of its ending to showcase JD's deep voice.

- 11. It's Now or Never: As the night before, Elvis does an amazing version that ends with a high note.

- 12. Promised Land: After talking to the audience about what they'd like to hear, Elvis decides to do Chuck Berry's hit. This is an outstanding version where Elvis and the band are in perfect tune and it shows as Elvis growls in excitement. This would be its last rendition ever.

- 13. Can't Help Falling in Love: Elvis thanks the audience and does his 1961 hit.

- 14. Closing Vamp / Announcements: We hear the whole fanfare and the fans screaming for Elvis' attention before the usual "Elvis has left the building".

BONUS

The following tracks come from the other two shows in Asheville and are reviewed inside their proper concerts:

- 15. Why Me Lord (July 22, 1975)

- 16. Shake a Hand (July 22, 1975)

- 17. Memphis Tennessee (July 22, 1975)

- 18. You Don't Have to Say You Love Me (July 22, 1975)

- 19. That's All Right (July 24, 1975)

- 20. Jailhouse Rock (July 24, 1975)

- 21.  Something (July 24, 1975)

- 22. Return to sender ( (July 24, 1975)

- 23. Wooden Heart (July 24, 1975)

- 24. Shake a Hand (July 24, 1975)

- 25. Pieces of My Life (July 24, 1975)

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Title:

Pieces of My Life

Label:

Straight Arrow [SA 2005 1-02]

Format:

CD

Number of tracks:

31

Running time:

79:00

Type of album:

Concert

Linked to:

Unofficial discography

Year:

2005

Recording date:

July 24, 1975

Released:

2005

Singles:

---

Pieces of My Life was a bootleg CD by Straight Arrow. It covers the July 24, 1975 concert in Asheville, North Carolina. The work is out of print.

***********************************************************************************************************************

- 1. Also Sprach Zarathustra: The fanfare goes as usual.

- 2. Opening Vamp / That's All Right: The first surprise of the night starts the show. Elvis hadn't use the song as a show opener since June 19, 1972. The audience just gets electrified with the rendition and watch Elvis do his first hit ever. His voice is strong and the band follows him perfectly, with Ronnie Tutt smashing his drums to Elvis' every move.

- 3. I Got a Woman / Amen: Elvis greets the audience and then goes through his usual routine before false starting the song to everyone's amusement. Perhaps because of that, the band has a hard time to find the rhythm at the beginning of the rendition. The version is standard, but Elvis has fun with it and does an extra long "Amen". The "striptease" routine follows and JD's dive bombs end the song.

- 4. Big Boss Man: This is the best version of those three days in Asheville. Elvis goes right into the song and does an amazing rendition with lots of energy and high notes. The song would become a rare gem in concerts from then on.

- 5. Love Me: The rendition is purely routine kiss-and-scarf giving out, but Elvis extends the ending to try and mess with his backing vocals again.

- 6. If You Love Me (Let Me Know): A very good rendition, but with Elvis centered on pleasing the fans with kisses and scarves.

- 7. All Shook Up: The 1950s hits medley begins with an average version of the 1957 classic.

- 8. Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel: Overall, Elvis is very fan-centric but sings pretty well.

- 9. Hound Dog: The song starts right away and Elvis is still centered on his fans, but this is also a good version of a classic that was fairly routine by then. The crowd cheers a lot at Elvis' dance at the end.

- 10. An American Trilogy: "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the show." Elvis is clearly in a good mood - as he himself states - and starts to take requests from a box that he had instructed to be left at the entrance of the venue. He reads one that says "please do 'An American Trilogy' for Nancy" and decides to go for it. Elvis kids a little at the beginning with the "Disneyland" pun, but otherwise the version is pretty serious and amazing. The singer does talk a lot with fans and the band during it, making this a bittersweet version.

- 11. Heartbreak Hotel: Taking another request, Elvis does a pretty good version of his 1956 hit and even uses a few bass notes through it.

- 12. Jailhouse Rock: One more request is read and Elvis does a pretty decent version, only messing his entrance at the end. "It's been many years since I've done that song." He was right. The last time he had sung it in full was on August 5, 1972.

- 13. Something: This is the first of three of the rarest of all requests in this show. Elvis hadn't sing it since August 23, 1973 but does an amazing rendition with his sincere voice beautifully accompanied by Kathy Westmoreland's high notes. This would be the last version ever done on stage.

- 14. Return to Sender: Elvis reads another request: "What is it? 'Return to Sender'?! Oh Lord, have mercy on my soul!" The 1962 song from "Girls! Girls! Girls!" was never played before, so this is the second of three rare songs in this concert. Elvis gets a few lyrics wrong, but this is an amazing version for an unrehearsed rendition.

- 15. Wooden Heart: Elvis takes another request. The 1960 song from "G.I. Blues" was done only once before - on September 3, 1971 -, so this is the third rarest song in the show. It's a shaky but well done version, with Elvis even singing the parts in German.

- 16. Hawaiian Wedding Song: Elvis tells the audience that they have requests for "Suspicious Minds". He mentions "Hawaiian Wedding Song" and the crowd cheers, making him start an impromptu version of the song from "Blue Hawaii". Elvis does a sincere and gentle rendition and reprises part of the last verse in an operatic way.

- 17. Bridge Over Troubled Water: Ending the requests section, Elvis does the 1970 hit. He asks the band to not rush it, making a slightly slower version than usual and phrasing every line with passion. The rendition gets a standing ovation from the audience.

- 18. Polk Salad Annie: The band immediately starts a powerful rocker version. Elvis' voice is quite right for the song after the warming work with "Bridge". The audience goes crazy with his karate chops at the end.

- 19. Band Introductions: The band intros follow as usual with The Sweet Inspirations, JD Sumner and The Stamps Quartet (individually), Kathy Westmoreland and John Wilkinson (without solo).

 - 20. Johnny B. Goode: "On the lead guitar, from Shreveport, Louisiana, is James Burton." Elvis asks James to play the guitar on the back of his neck during his solo.

- 21. Drum Solo: Ronnie Tutt does his thing.

- 22. Bass Solo: Jerry Scheff plays the Blues.

- 23. Piano Solo: Glen Hardin does his part.

- 24. School Day: Elvis introduces Charlie Hodge, the group Voice, Joe Guercio and his orchestra.

- 25. T-R-O-U-B-L-E:  This is one of the best versions ever! There is no tempo changes, no words missed, no slurred bits in this promotion for the "Today" album. Elvis gets down to it with the Sweets in the exta long ending, and it's just fantastic.

- 26. Shake a Hand: Continuing his "Today" promotion, Elvis does a bluesy version of the 1961 hit by LaVern Baker. His deep voice really suits the song and the audience seems to love it.

- 27. Introduction of Vernon Presley and Dr. Nick: Elvis explains that his father has been ill and is now accompanying him on tour, getting effusive applause from the audience. He also introduces Dr. Nick.

- 28. Pieces of My Life: Elvis tells the audience that his father loves the song and starts singing. With strong and meaningful lyrics, the singer does a haunting rendition of a song that surely hits too close to home. This is the only live version.

- 29. How Great Thou Art: "I'd like to do a Gospel song that we did in 1966  and it features The Stamps, 'How Great Thou Art'." An amazing version follows and it really makes us want to be there. Elvis' operatic voice resounds through the venue, especially at the end. The reprise is just fantastic and gets another standing ovation. "Thank you, I appreciate!"

- 30. Can't Help Falling in Love: "Thank you very much, God bless you. Be careful going home." The fans go crazy trying to get a last kiss or scarf and Elvis asks then to be careful. The 1961 hit ends the performance after 77 minutes.

- 31. Closing Vamp / Announcements: The fanfare and the usual announcements are heard.