Let Me Take You Home (CD - DAE, 1995)

Title:

Let Me Take You Home

Label:

Diamond Anniversary Edition [3595-2]

Format:

CD

Number of tracks:

26

Running time:

69:00

Type of album:

Concert

Linked to:

Unofficial discography

Year:

1995

Recording date:

June 10, 1975

Release date:

May 1995

Singles:

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Let Me Take You Home is a CD from the Diamond Anniversary Edition bootleg label. It contains the June 10, 1975 concert in Memphis on soundboard.

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 other, better-known bootlegs, such as Pure Platinum's 2005 "Going Back to Memphis", this show first reached the public on this DAE work. The record company took care to remaster the soundboard to obtain the best possible audio and, by the standards of the time, it was successful. The February 2003 reissue brought even more improvements and a better-worked booklet.

Below is our analysis of the concert.

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- 1. Also Sprach Zarathustra: Right from the start, we realize that DAE's remastering prioritizes the feeling of being in the audience waiting for Elvis.

- 2. See See Rider: Back in Memphis more than a year after his last show in the city, Elvis was vocally strong and this is clear in this version. He plays with the band, the audience and the notes as if it was 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:  "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 and John Wilkinson (no solo)

- 13. Johnny B. Goode: James Burton does his already famous solo of Chuck Berry's hit.

- 14. Introductions: Continuing with the introductions, it's time for the solos from Ronnie Tutt, Jerry Scheff and Glen Hardin.

- 15. Hail, Hail Rock 'n' Roll: Charlie Hodge, the Voice group, conductor Joe Guercio and the orchestra solo are the last members of the group to be introduced.

16. Introduction of Vernon and Dr. Nick: 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.

- 17. 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."

- 18. 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."

- 19. 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.

- 20. Let Me Be There: A sincere version with the usual double ending.

- 21. 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.

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

- 23. 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.

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

- 25. Can't Help Falling in Love: For the same reason as the previous two tracks, this and the next were replaced with versions from the 8:30 pm show on June 7, 1975 in Shreveport, Louisiana.

"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.

- 26. Closing Vamp: The standard fanfare ends the show.

It was only with the double CD "The Hometown Shows", released in 2016 by FTD, that we discovered that, on a rare occasion, the "Closing Vamp" was not played after the song at the show on the 10th and we can hear Elvis thanking the audience.

(video below includes pre-show, unavailable on DAE's release)