At 3 AM - Lake Tahoe 1973 (CD - MRS, 2024)

Title:

At 3 AM - Lake Tahoe 1973

Label:

MRS [MRS100013573]

Format:

2x CD

Number of tracks:

42

Running time:

106:00

Linked to:

Unofficial discography

Year:

2024

Recording date:

May 12 MS + May 13, 1973, 3 AM

Release date:

February 23, 2024

Singles:

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At 3 AM - Lake Tahoe 1973is the first release from Memphis Recording Service (MRS) in 2024. It contains the complete shows from midnight on May 12 and 3 a.m. on May 13, 1973 in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, during Elvis' second season in the city.

The year 1973 was a rollercoaster for Elvis. In January, the success of Aloha From Hawaii was another victory in his career and the show's LP followed the sales path of the previous ones with great numbers achieved. However, his personal life was in tatters with his separation from Priscilla, the discovery of his relationship with Mike Stone and the inevitable officialization of the divorce that would take place on October 9th of that year.

To make matters worse, Stone was trying to legally limit Elvis' access to Lisa Marie and the singer was experiencing a routine of death threats that culminated in a fight with four men who went on stage in Las Vegas with the intention of, at the very least, injuring him. All this stress was reflected in his voice, appearance, physique and mental state. During 1973, Elvis began to lose interest in studio recordings, touring and, especially, his long seasons in Las Vegas.

The Colonel's way of calming his protégé's spirits was to revive the 1971 contract with the Sahara Tahoe Hotel and arrange a season at the venue as soon as possible. Elvis was more enthusiastic during most of the May 1973 performances in Lake Tahoe, joking around with the audience, mingling with the band and providing everyone with rare and fantastic moments, but even that didn't stop him from canceling the last three days of shows - which were not made up for on other occasions, since Elvis wouldn't return to Tahoe until the following year.

With all the problems in Elvis' life and career, RCA was unable to find shows of sufficient quality to release that year. After Aloha, the only official recording of a 1973 show to be released is this one - the May 13, 1973, 3 a. m., exactly 30 years later.

In this regard, FTD outdid itself in 2003, becoming the first label to release non-Aloha material from that year. The label focused on releasing the 3 a.m. show from May 13, 1973, the third performance of that day, which was included as part of the Mother's Day celebration. Despite being in mono format, Elvis sounded fantastic.

Twenty years later, MRS announced the arrival of its double CD version of the show. The label made an attractive package with the aforementioned performance and the addition of the midnight performance of May 12, 1973, released by FTD in 2022 in mono on the triple CD "From Vegas to Tahoe", both being sold here for the first time in stereo and accompanied by a booklet with photos, facts and general memorabilia.

Below is a review of the content made available in this work.

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CD 1 - MAY 12, 1973 MS

- 1. Also Sprach Zarathustra: MRS' commitment to bringing the show remastered and in stereo is evident from the first few seconds of the standard fanfare. For the first time, we have the genuine feeling of listening to a live performance, unlike what FTD brought in 2022.

- 2. See See Rider: Just like the early hours of the next day, this is a very energetic version of 1973. Being able to hear the full power of Elvis' voice is a transcendental experience.

- 3. I Got a Woman / Amen: The medley is much more powerful than usual and Elvis is clearly enjoying himself. The singer screams in celebration after JD's fantastic dive bomb near the end of the rendition.

- 4. Help Me Make it Throught the Night: "Love Me Tender" had not been one of Elvis' favorites for some time, so he goes straight to the 1971 recording. Elvis shines and has fun in this rendition, while interacting with fans.

- 5. Steamroller Blues: Because it's one of his favorite songs, Elvis gives it his all and performs it with pleasure. Hearing James Burton's solo and the orchestra's work in crystal clear form is an extremely welcome bonus.

- 6. You Gave Me a Mountain: Although it is a standard rendition, it comes full of feeling and commitment.

- 7. Love Me: The song proceeds as usual, with Elvis handing out scarfs and kisses to his fans.

- 8. Blue Suede Shoes: A good rendition of another big hit from 1956.

-9. Long Tall Sally / Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On / Mama Don't Dance / Shake, Rattle and Roll / Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On: This medley is different in many ways from what we would hear on the 1974 LP "Elvis as Recorded Live On Stage in Memphis". Performed at a much faster pace than the Aloha version, which only featured "Long Tall Sally" and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", this version already incorporates "Mama Don't Dance" and "Shake, Rattle and Roll", in addition to the rare repetition at the end of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On". Later that year, "Flip, Flop and Fly" and "Jailhouse Rock" would be added to this medley, with "Hound Dog" entering in 1974.

- 10. I'm Leavin': Widely used in 1971 and abandoned the following year, the song had returned with force to the repertoire at the beginning of 1973. Elvis does a great job and the band accompanies magnificently.

- 11. Hound Dog: With a quicker introduction than usual, this is a short but very enjoyable version.

- 12. What Now My Love: The song with the strongest message of the night begins. The audience listens in adoring silence to Elvis' powerful rendition, which ends phenomenally. Kathy Westmoreland's high notes are a highlight.

- 13. Suspicious Minds: The 1969 hit was one of the most anticipated at concerts and, apart from a few occasions, it was always very well performed. It's no different here, but the stereo sound allows us to hear Elvis' interactions with his musicians much more clearly. You can even hear the increase in volume of the backing vocals' voices as the singer passes by them!

- 14. Band Introductions: Elvis introduces JD Sumner and The Stamps, The Sweet Inspirations, Kathy Westmoreland, James Burton, John Wilkinson, Ronnie Tutt, Emory Gordy, Jr., Glen Hardin, Charlie Hodge, Joe Guercio and his orchestra.

- 15. I'll Remember You: The version is standard and dedicated to fans of Aloha From Hawaii, which had been aired in the continental US just over a month earlier.

- 16. I Can't Stop Loving You: Elvis' voice begins to show small signs of fatigue, but nothing that detracts from the beautiful rendition. He tries a high note near the end and is surprised to be able to get it.

- 17. Bridge Over Troubled Water: The song, which had not been performed since June 1972, shows that the show had reached a point where Elvis wanted to bring spontaneity to the sequence. The rendition is sublime.

- 18. A Big Hunk O' Love: Leaving aside several classics that would normally be performed at this point in the show, Elvis delivers his 1958 recording to the audience's delight.

- 19.  Can't Help Falling in Love / Closing Vamp: It's time to wrap up the show, and as usual, the 1961 hit is performed amidst screams, scarfs and kisses. The fanfare at the end is a little different here.

- 20. Announcement: Hilton Hotel advertisements are heard (taken from a hotel tape, not live).

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CD 2 - MAY 13, 1973, 3 AM

- 1. Also Sprach Zarathustra: As usual, the show's opening is announced with the fanfare.

- 2. See See Rider: This is one of the most energetic versions of 1973, if not the most energetic of Elvis' later years. You can see that his voice is strong, without drag or slur, as we heard in many bootlegs of that year. The band is certainly having fun and we can clearly hear James Burton doing his chickin' pickin' with his guitar.

- 3. I Got a Woman / Amen: The medley introduced earlier in the year is well executed, with Elvis playing with the notes. The striptease routine is skipped and the song's ending continues, with Elvis asking JD to redo his famous dive bombs: "You can do better than that!"

- 4. Help Me Make it Throught the Night: "Thank you, good morning!" Skipping "Love Me Tender", Elvis goes straight to the next song. Perhaps this was done intentionally, as it was the third show of the day. Played less slowly than the 1975 versions, this is the closest official recording to the first live versions. Elvis' voice isn't the best at this point and he intentionally adds the line "we don't want to be alone / help me through the night" at the end of the song.

- 5. Steamroller Blues: Things start to heat up and the band sounds like they're really having fun. This version is faster and has a more funk tone and not so much blues, like the Aloha one. Elvis does his best.

- 6. You Gave Me a Mountain: "Thank you. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen!" One of the most profound songs of this performance, it brings with subtlety what Elvis was going through at that moment. Listening to the lines "tired of working for nothing / just tired of being my wife", we hear all the sadness in Elvis' voice.

- 7. Love Me: "I'd like to do a medley of some of my records for you." The song opens with James Burton playing a few different notes that make Elvis respond, "Behave, James." The remark prompts Ronnie Tutt to give the cymbal an additional thump, which makes the singer laugh and say, "Oh, you wanna get funny, huh, Ronnie?" The song goes on as usual, with Elvis handing out scarfs and kisses to the fans.

- 8. Blue Suede Shoes: Obviously Elvis' voice isn't at its peak yet, but he has fun with it. There is a concern to achieve the correct notes and intonations, but still there is time to dedicate to the fans.

- 9. Long Tall Sally / Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On / Mama Don't Dance / Shake, Rattle and Roll / Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On: The medley is well executed, like that of the previous night.

- 10. My Way: After Aloha, Elvis had dropped the song due to his vocal problems. Here it presents itself as the first real challenge of the performance, but the singer does better than expected and the thunderous ending is proof that his voice was slowly returning. There's even a charming moment where Elvis forgets part of the lyrics and hums an entire sentence.

- 11. Hound Dog: A quick and unedited version, but which makes it clear that his voice still required care.

- 12. What Now My Love: Interestingly, Elvis was able to give his all in songs that demanded his voice, like this one, and let his tiredness and sore vocal cords show in those that didn't require much effort and he was already used and tired of singing. The end of this version is a clear demonstration of this nuance.

- 13. Suspicious Minds: Elvis saves himself in this version, singing it in a much less demanding way than we had heard on Aloha. In some parts, Elvis' voice gets weak or he stops singing for one reason or another and we can hear Charlie Hodge making up for it.

- 14. Introductions: Quickly, Elvis introduces JD Sumner and The Stamps, "the young ladies that opened our show toonight" The Sweet Inspirations, "little girl with the beautiful high voice" Kathy Westmoreland, James Burton, John Wilkinson, Ronnie Tutt, Emory Gordy, Jr. (called "Emerson Boozey"), Glen Hardin, Charlie Hodge, "God damned" Joe Guercio and his orchestra.

- 15. I'll Remember You: Elvis' version of this Hawaiian classic reflects showtime and it starts with a word from "Alfie". Elvis' laugh is infectious amid fan interactions and sexual puns made with modifications to the original lyrics, the main one being "well after this / when this long night is over / I'll be horny / lonely, oh so lonely".  A laughing fit ensues. "Well, that's about enough."

- 16. I Can't Stop Loving You: Elvis is still in a good mood. As the fans scream his name, he yells back at them and laughs. Surely the silly hands of the looser fans also had a lot to do with all that laughter. When the song takes place and the seriousness sets in, Elvis' voice sounds like it's perfect in the ending.

- 17. Bridge Over Troubled Water: The song, which had not been performed since June 1972, shows that the concert had reached a point where Elvis was looking to give the follow-up spontaneity. In addition to the great harmony between Glen Hardin's piano and Emory Gordy's bass, Elvis still does a rare rerun of the finale that is marred by tape damage, but doesn't lose its shine.

- 18. Funny How Time Slips Away: "Give me The Impossible Dream. We got The Impossible Dream, Joe?" Guercio answers no. "For the Good Times... In what key do we do that in?" Joe again denies it. With no option, Elvis follows the programmed setlist and delivers more scarves and kisses to the fans. Some fans appear really loose as Elvis laughs at their actions.

- 19.  It's Over: "Ok, The Impossible Dream." Joe Guercio again responds that the orchestra does not have the scores. "It's Over, let's do It's Over." Performed here in a milder tone than in Aloha, it's a pleasant version.

- 20. Release Me: Elvis jumps right into the song on a very high note, having to restart it. "God damned, that's high!" Noting that he couldn't hit the required notes, the song is aborted: "Stop! Stop! Let's do Faded Love."

- 21. Faded Love: The rendition of the rare song is quite fast and fun, with Glen Hardin and the orchestra participating a lot. Elvis complains that they are "too fast" at first, and when the speed is readjusted, he says they are "too slow". Laughter flows freely.

- 22. Can't Help Falling In Love: "I'd like to sing a song from Blue Hawaii." At four in the morning, with dawn on the horizon, it's time to wrap up the performance.