Saturday Night Night Special (CD - Roustabout Records, 2003)

Title:

Saturday Night Night Special 

Label:

Roustabout Records [---]

Format:

CD

Number of tracks:

25

Running time:

65:00

Type of album:

Concert

Linked to:

Unofficial discography

Year:

2003

Recording date:

July 24, 1971 MS

Release date:

2003

Singles:

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Saturday Night Special  was a bootleg CD released by Roustabout Records in 2003. It covers the midnight concert on July 24, 1971 in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The work is currently out of print.

1971 started off with good signs for Elvis, although there were doubts in the air. Elvis turned 36 amid the success of "Elvis Country", released on January 2, and was enjoying his last three weeks of vacation before returning to the stage on the 26th in Las Vegas.

But even if the season turned out to be fantastic, bringing many new songs to the repertoire, his enthusiasm was clearly lower than the previous year. Elvis would go to RCA Studio B in Nashville on March 15 and then be out for exactly 2 months, returning to the studio almost forced to finish the second leg of his Nashville Mareathon, which began in June 1970.

Facts about his personal life, such as the constant fights with Priscilla, also bothered him. Everything conspired to make the enthusiasm that had been revived in 1969 slowly fade away.

In the midst of this, Felton Jarvis was tasked with getting Elvis to record a Christmas LP in the middle of May. RCA even allowed Studio B to be decorated with Christmas motifs, including a giant tree, to create a festive atmosphere, but there was a missing spark that had been there in that same studio in June 1970 and now seemed to have gone out.

The July season in Lake Tahoe, the first in the city, brought him several excellent shows, despite his eye problems (glaucoma was already starting to bother him), but not enough to make him forget that he was still in the middle of the Nevada desert. This feeling of dissatisfaction with Las Vegas continued into the August/September season, which was even less enthusiastic than the January/February season. The year that had started on an optimistic note ended with no recording sessions and not many shows.

Among more than 1,400 concerts in his career, the 1971 Lake Tahoe season is by far one of the seasons with the fewest recorded concerts. While other venues were equally sold out and shows had multiple recordings available, the Sahara Tahoe sprint seemed to deter bootleggers more than anywhere else. Perhaps it was the standard screening process at the entrance that confiscated recording devices in keeping with Parker's policy of not allowing unauthorized recording or filming at an Elvis concert, or perhaps it was simply because bootleggers did not feel like leaving Vegas to venture further into the Nevada desert. Whatever the reason, this phenomenon extended to all the other Tahoe seasons, as they all share the curious fact that almost no recordings were made—with October 1974 earning the dubious distinction of having only two concerts available.

By mid‑1971, Elvis still possessed the fiery energy of his 1969 and 1970 performances—in contrast to the more subdued shows of early 1972. The first available concert from that season is a midnight performance that lasted longer than usual (Tahoe enforced a maximum concert duration of 50–55 minutes), during which Elvis poured his soul into a mix of old, new, and rearranged classics for a crowd of about 1,700 people. He engaged with the audience and clearly enjoyed himself, whereas early the following year, the singer seemed to take a more casual, less impassioned approach to both his performance and his interaction with the crowd.

Below is our review of this CD.

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- 1. Also Sprach Zarathustra: The tape begins with the usual fanfare and fans listening in deafening silence until the music picks up and Elvis enters stage.

- 2. That's All Right: The audio is very poor and seems distant, either due to acoustic or physical issues. The version of the 1954 hit is well done.

- 3. Proud Mary: Elvis quickly welcomes the audience, which was unusual for a 1971 concert. The performance is great and this is evidenced by the excitement of the fans.

- 4. My Babe: Elvis deviated from his usual setlist and launched directly into Little Walter's 1955 hit. It had appeared at the end of the Vegas season in 1969 and was then seemingly forgotten until February 1971, when it began to sporadically resurface before disappearing for good after August 1972.

The song is performed in a standard manner and offers an early glimpse of the excellent concert to come.

- 5. Love Me Tender: Elvis introduces himself as Johyny Cash and play the intro to "This Train". The 1956 hit is performed in a standard way and brings the first moment of direct interaction with the crazy fans.

- 6. You Don't Have to Say You Love Me: The 1970 recording gets the audience going. Elvis sings with a strong voice and in a sensational way.

- 7. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin': It's a shame that the audio quality gets in the way when trying to listen to this magnificent song. Despite this, Elvis sounds focused and giving his best throughout the rendition.

- 8. Polk Salad Annie: This is another exceptional version in which Elvis skillfully uses his voice and pelvic thrusts to work the crowd - especially the women - into a frenzy. It starts hot with few different chords and band interactions, and ends in a burning way with Elvis' usual karate chops sequence.

- 9. Johnny B. Goode: Elvis catches his breath for a moment and interacts with the audience as the band plays "Coming Back Home, Baby".

The song was usually only performed in Vegas, but Elvis again surprises the audience with a fresh, quick and perfect rocker version of Chuck Berry's hit.

- 10. Love Me: Elvis performs a standard version of his hit to keep interacting with the audience.

- 11. I Just Can't Help Believin': Elvis seems to be choosing songs on spot tonight or being really keen to the crowd requests. This is the first of only four renditions of B.J. Thomas' hit in 1971, but Elvisa does a great job. The band and backing vocals also do a good job and the performance is just phenomenal.

- 12. It's Impossible: Armando Manzanero's Mexican hit is next, and this is the first live version ever. Unfortunately, we don't have the opening seconds of the performance, but that doesn't prevent us from noticing that it was a wonderful rendition.

- 13. Blue Suede Shoes: The usual, but very well done version.

- 14. Heartbreak Hotel: A pretty good version with Elvis sounding enthusiastic.

- 15. Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel: Contrary to the usual lackluster versions, Elvis really enjoys this version while interacting ith his fans.

- 16. One Night: Rare in 1971, this is another one that is almost like the original 1958 recording, but performed at a faster tempo and with bluesy overtones.

- 17. Hound Dog: Starting off as a ferocious rocker, this version of the 1956 hit is performed at a faster tempo and with much more energy than we'd become accustomed to hearing from 1972 onwards. James Burton's solo is delightful.

- 18. It's Over: This is the first version ever of a song that'd be rare in 1971, but would get a lot of space the next year. The powerful rendition makes it clear why.

- 19. Suspicious Minds: This showstopper really gets the crowd going and Elvis sings amazingly well. It's an explosive version with a great ending.

- 20. Bridge Over Troubled Water:What follows is magical. Elvis is in love in this rendition, dominating the music and the audience. The crowd applauds wildly at the end.

- 21. I Can't Stop Loving You: Without hesitation, Elvis keeps his energy level high. The rendition is amazing and really captivating.

- 22. Band Introductions: Elvis introduces James Burton, The Sweet Inspirations, The Imperials, Kathy Westmoreland, John Wilkinson, Ronnie Tutt, Jerry Scheff, Glen Hardin, Charlie Hodge, Joe Guercio and the orchestra.

- 23. Help Me Make it Through the Night: With fewer than a handful of renditions since its introduction to the setlist in February 1971, Kris Kristofferson's hit receives an impressive performance. Elvis sings with a powerful voice, and the backing vocals are excellent throughout.

- 24. Bridge Over Troubled Water: Elvis rarely reprised songs in his concerts, but tonight he seems intent on doing something quite different. The audience shyly applauds, perhaps confused about what is happening. The song is once again performed well, but this time it features a reprise of its final part.

The sound in this track is noticeably different, suggesting that it might come from another concert or source—even though the official setlist indicates it was indeed performed twice. Furthermore, the same setlist claims that Elvis sang "The Impossible Dream" before closing the show, yet no recording of the July 24, 1971 MS concert includes that performance. If you listen carefully, there's no indication of any cut or splice in the audio between "Bridge..." and the "Closing Vamp", suggesting that the show truly ended this way.

- 25. Closing Vamp: Only a few seconds-long snippet is heard.