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Elvis in Concert (album)

{{Infobox album

| name = Elvis in Concert

| type = Live

| artist = Elvis Presley

| cover = Elvis_Presley_Elvis_In_Concert_LP_Cover.jpg

| alt =

| released = October 3, 1977

| recorded = June 19 & 21, 1977

| venue = Omaha, Nebraska (June 19)
Rapid City, South Dakota (June 21)

| studio =

| genre = Rock

| length = 71:41

| label = RCA Victor

| producer = Felton Jarvis, Elvis Presley

| prev_title = Moody Blue

| prev_year = 1977

| next_title = He Walks Beside Me

| next_year = 1978

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Elvis in Concert

| type = Live

| single1 = My Way{{cite web | url=http://www.45cat.com/record/pb11165 | title=Elvis Presley - My Way }}

| single1date = 25 November 1977

}}

}}

{{Album ratings

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1score = {{Rating|1|5}}{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/elvis-in-concert-mw0000674304|title=Elvis Presley Elvis in Concert|last=Ruhlmann|first=William|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=June 20, 2015}}

| rev2 = MusicHound

| rev2score = {{Rating|1|5}}{{cite book|editor-last1=Graff|editor-first1=Gary|editor-last2=Durchholz|editor-first2=Daniel|title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide|publisher=Visible Ink Press|location=Farmington Hills, MI|year=1999|isbn=1-57859-061-2|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781578590612/page/892 892]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781578590612/page/892}}

| rev3 = Rough Guides

| rev3score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite book|first=Paul|last=Simpson|title=The Rough Guide to Elvis|year=2004|location=London|publisher=Rough Guides|isbn=1-84353-417-7|pages=152–53}}

}}

Elvis in Concert is the live album released by RCA Records in October 1977 in conjunction with the television special of the same name which features some of the final performances of American singer and musician Elvis Presley. Videotaped and recorded in June 1977,{{Cite magazine |last=Appelo |first=Tim |date=2013-07-19 |title=Footage of Elvis Presley's Last Performance To Go Under the Hammer |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/footage-of-elvis-presleys-last-performance-to-go-under-the-hammer-3224503/ |access-date=2024-08-14 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}} both the special and album were broadcast and released on October 3, (the single "My Way"/"America the Beautiful" was released the same day) six weeks after Presley's death.{{Cite news |last=Ivins |first=Molly |date=1977-08-17 |title=ELVIS PRESLEY DIES; ROCK SINGER WAS 42; Heart Failure Is Cited by Coroner—Acclaim Followed Early Scorn' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/08/17/archives/elvis-presley-dies-rock-singer-was-42-heart-failure-is-cited-by.html |access-date=2024-08-14 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} The album peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard chart in late 1977. It was certified Gold and Platinum on October 14 and 3× Platinum on August 1, 2002, by the RIAA.

Background

The performances in the TV special were recorded over two days at concerts in Omaha on June 19 and Rapid City, South Dakota June 21, 1977. The recordings were produced by longtime RCA Victor/Elvis producer Felton Jarvis. According to Elvis: The Illustrated Record by Roy Carr and Mick Farren.{{Cite book |last1=Carr |first1=Roy |title=Elvis Presley: the illustrated record |last2=Farren |first2=Mick |date=1982 |publisher=Harmony Books |isbn=978-0-517-53978-1 |location=New York}}{{Page needed|date=August 2024}}

Approximately half of the album's performances were overdubbed with additional vocals and instruments on August 29, 1977. This included a version of "Unchained Melody" different from the performance on the album Moody Blue.These overdubs were added after Elvis Presley's death but before the album's release and the broadcast of the related TV special. The "Unchained Melody" overdub was later released as a single in 1978.{{cite web |last1=Flynn |first1=Keith |title=Elvis Presley Recording Sessions - August 29, 1977 (Band Overdub) |url=https://keithflynn.com/recording-sessions/770829es_ods.html |website=KeithFlynn.com |access-date=December 18, 2023}}{{cite web |last1=Flynn |first1=Keith |title=Elvis Presley Recording Sessions - August 29, 1977 (Vocal Overdub) |url=https://keithflynn.com/recording-sessions/770829as_ods.html |website=KeithFlynn.com |access-date=December 18, 2023}}

Although both the June 19 and 21 concerts are the last official live performances of Elvis professionally recorded by RCA Records,{{Cite magazine |last=Greene |first=Andy |date=2013-04-04 |title=Flashback: Elvis Sings 'Unchained Melody' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/flashback-elvis-presley-sings-unchained-melody-two-months-before-his-death-62428/ |access-date=2024-08-14 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}} Vernon Presley, Elvis' father, recorded a message that was broadcast at the end of the special (and included on the soundtrack album), in which he erroneously states that the special featured his son's last live appearance; in fact, Elvis made five more concert appearances after the performances in the special. Elvis' final concert was in fact on Sunday, June 26, 1977, at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Content

During the special, Presley performs a selection of his hits, along with songs not normally associated with him. Although it was a regular part of his repertoire for years, Presley requires a lyric sheet when he performs Paul Anka's "My Way" (noted for its opening lyric, "And now the end is near/And so I face the final curtain"). He appears to lose his train of thought during "Are You Lonesome Tonight?", although some{{cite book |title=Elvis Presley – The 1977 CBS Television Special |last=Memmer |first=Darrin |year=2001 |publisher=Morris Publishing}} have made the case that Elvis regularly played around with the words during the spoken portion of the song when performing it on stage, rather than it being a case of poor memory. Indeed, concert recordings of Presley experimenting with the lyrics during the monologue section of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" date back to 1961 in Hawaii, later during rehearsals for his 1968 comeback special, and the iconic "laughing" version from Las Vegas in 1969.{{Citation |title=The Elvis Presley Connection, Vol. 2 - Various... {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-elvis-presley-connection-vol-2-mw0003342765 |access-date=2024-08-14 |language=en}}The Elvis Connection vol. 2, p. 14 [https://ia802709.us.archive.org/9/items/cd_the-elvis-presley-connection-vol-2-33-root_anthony-tony-perkins-bing-crosby-with-lani/cd_the-elvis-presley-connection-vol-2-33-root_anthony-tony-perkins-bing-crosby-with-lani.pdf] A 1969 version dubbed the "Laughing Version", even made the UK charts after Presley's death and continues to be reissued.

The soundtrack album was issued as a 2-record set, including a second disc of performances that were not included in the TV special. On May 22, 1992, the album was reissued on a single compact disc.

Professional reviews

AllMusic gave the album a negative review, but conceded that "this album is not a standout Elvis concert. What it is, however, is a vitally important piece of Elvis lore." Their review went on to say that the record is "Elvis Presley's least effort, as well as his last."[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r15601|pure_url=yes}} Elvis in Concert] review from AllMusic.

Track listing

=Disc 1=

  1. Elvis Fans Comments (Pt. 1)/Opening Riff
  2. "Also Sprach Zarathustra"
  3. "See See Rider"
  4. "That's All Right"
  5. "Are You Lonesome Tonight?"
  6. "Teddy Bear"/"Don't Be Cruel"
  7. Elvis Fans Comments (Pt. 2)
  8. "You Gave Me a Mountain"
  9. "Jailhouse Rock"
  10. Elvis Fans Comments (Pt. 3)
  11. "How Great Thou Art"
  12. Elvis Fans Comments (Pt. 4)
  13. "I Really Don't Want To Know"
  14. Elvis Introduces his Father
  15. "Hurt"
  16. "Hound Dog"
  17. "My Way"
  18. "Can't Help Falling in Love"
  19. Closing Riff/Special Message from Elvis's Father

=Disc 2=

  1. "I Got A Woman/Amen"
  2. Elvis Talks
  3. "Love Me"
  4. "If You Love Me (Let Me Know)"
  5. "'O Sole Mio/It's Now or Never"
  6. "Trying to Get to You"
  7. "Hawaiian Wedding Song"
  8. "Fairytale"
  9. "Little Sister"
  10. "Early Morning Rain"
  11. "What'd I Say"
  12. "Johnny B. Goode"
  13. "And I Love You So"

Personnel

Chart performance

class="wikitable"
Chart (1977)

! Peak
position

U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums

| style="text-align:center;"| 1

U.S. Billboard 200{{Cite magazine |title=Elvis Presley {{!}} Biography, Music & News |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/elvis-presley/chart-history/ |access-date=2024-08-14 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}

| style="text-align:center;"| 5

U.S. Cashbox

| style="text-align:center;"| 3

Australian Albums Chart

| style="text-align:center;"| 17

Canadian RPM Top Albums

| style="text-align:center;"| 4

Dutch Albums Charts[http://www.dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Elvis+Presley&titel=Elvis+In+Concert&cat=a Dutch Charts - Elvis in Concert]

| style="text-align:center;"| 12

Top 20 New Zealand Album Chart

| style="text-align:center;"| 6

Norway Albums Top 40 Chart

| style="text-align:center;"| 12

Sweden Album Chart

| style="text-align:center;"| 12

UK Albums Chart[http://www.officialcharts.com/search/albums/elvis%20in%20concert/ Official Charts - Elvis in Concert]

| style="text-align:center;"| 13

=Certifications=

class="wikitable sortable"
Region

!class="unsortable"|Provider

!class="unsortable"|Certification(s)

Canada

| style="text-align:center;"|CRIA

|2× Platinum {{cite web |url=http://www.elvis.com/elvisology/elvis_records.asp |title=Sitemap |publisher=Elvis.com |access-date=2012-02-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223174119/http://www.elvis.com/elvisology/elvis_records.asp |archive-date=2012-02-23 }}

United States

| style="text-align:center;"|RIAA

|3× Platinum

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{Discogs master|type=album|198265|name=Elvis In Concert}}

{{Elvis Presley}}

Category:Elvis Presley live albums

Category:Albums produced by Felton Jarvis

Category:Live albums published posthumously

Category:1977 live albums

Category:RCA Records live albums

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