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Elvis Presley's 1969 Rebirth In Las Vegas

By: Elvis Australia
Source: Gillian G. Gaar
October 2, 2019

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It was July 31, 1969, and Elvis Presley was all keyed up. It was opening night at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, and he was about to give his first full concert appearance since 1961. In June 1968, he'd taped four shows before a live audience for his television special, Elvis, but that had been in an intimate setting, not a 2,000-seater showroom. And there would be no opportunity for any retakes tonight. It was make-or-break time.

'He was ready to fly around the room', his bassist, Jerry Scheff recalls. 'His leg was going a million miles an hour, and his hands drumming on things. He was nervous about how people were going to receive him after all those years. And a lot of stars were in the audience that first night. 'When we ended our first song, the place went crazy', Scheff continues. 'And I could see the look change on his face; like, 'Oh God, they still love me!' From then on it was too easy for him'.

And over the next 28 nights, the response was the same. By the time the engagement closed, Elvis had performed for a record 101,500 people, selling out every show. The night after his show closed, Elvis was again at the International, in the audience for Nancy Sinatra's opening night performance. A return engagement for Elvis was already scheduled for January-February 1970. Elvis Presley was back. In a big way.

Elvis Presley July 31, 1969 International Hotel, Las Vegas

1969 was one of the most important years in Elvis' career. After being discharged from the army in 1960, things had initially gone well; the next few years saw the release of hit records like 'It's Now or Never' and 'Are You Lonesome Tonight?', the classic album Elvis Is Back, and one of his most successful films, Blue Hawaii. But as he focused on films over live performance, the quality of the material declined - along with sales and chart placings. The Elvis special, broadcast on December 3, 1968, helped stop the slide; the soundtrack gave Elvis his first Top 10 album in three years. His sessions at American Sound Studios in Memphis in January and February 1969 produced hits like 'In the Ghetto' and 'Suspicious Minds'. Then, on February 26, came the announcement that Elvis would appear that summer at the International Hotel. What Elvis had been talking about to reporters for years was about to become a reality; he was returning to the concert stage.

The 50th anniversary of this momentous year is being commemorated with the release of two box sets. American Sound 1969, available in a limited edition release from official collector's label Follow That Dream, and features 90 tracks from the sessions. Live 1969 features all 11 shows taped during the first Vegas season, many released in their entirety for the first time, and is available from RCA/Legacy.

Elvis Presley 1969 - Backstage The International Hotel, Las Vegas

Elvis first appeared in Las Vegas in a two week run at the New Frontier Hotel's 'Venus Room' in April 1956. It was a disappointing debut, largely because teenagers, Elvis' core audience, weren't allowed in the lounge, though a matinee performance was eventually set up for them. This appearance would make more of a splash. The International was the biggest casino in Las Vegas at the time; an impressive setting in which to unveil the new Elvis. The final deal called for Elvis to play a four week engagement of two shows a night, seven days a week, for a fee of $100,000 a week - out of which he would be expected to pay for his own musicians and singers, not to mention Colonel Parker.

Elvis Presley 1969 International Hotel, Las Vegas

Now all he needed was a band. The Vegas production would be entirely Elvis' own creation. He reached out to nearly every musician he had worked with, most of whom made a more lucrative living as session players. But guitarist James Burton was interested in the job. Burton had played with Ricky Nelson in the 1950s, then worked as a studio musician (he'd play on the soundtrack for Elvis' film Viva Las Vegas), and was in the house band of TV's rock program Shindig. Burton was hired, and asked to help put together the rest of the band. Among the musicians he contacted was Jerry Scheff, whom he knew from Shindig (Scheff had also played on the soundtrack for Elvis' film Double Trouble), asking him to audition. Scheff wasn't an Elvis fan, and showed up more out of curiosity. He found Elvis to be 'just a really, really nice guy, who just welcomed me. He was so gracious. And then he started singing. And he was singing all the stuff he thought we would like, blues things, and stuff like that. And I was blown away. I thought, 'You know what? I think I've got something to learn here'.

Larry Muhoberac, a keyboard player who'd also appeared on numerous Elvis Presley film soundtracks, was hired, and recommended a drummer he'd worked with, Ronnie Tutt. Like Scheff, Tutt was not initially interested in Elvis. 'But all you had to do was meet Elvis one time, and he gotcha!' he says. 'He had such charisma - I mean, the guy had it. And upon meeting him and looking into his eyes, we just clicked. And from that particular moment on, I watched him, and I watched his eyes, I watched his movements, I watched everything he did. And as he told me, 'What impressed me about you, Ronnie, was the fact that you weren't looking around doing your thing, you were watching me. Everything I did, you got, and accented it'. Tutt got the gig.

Elvis Presley 1969 - Backstage The International Hotel, Las Vegas

The rest of the band was rounded out with John Wilkinson and a member of Elvis' entourage, Charlie Hodge, both on guitar. But Elvis wanted a bigger sound behind him. While Colonel Parker had envisioned a typical Vegas-style show with dancing girls - 'a cross between a movie set and the Elvis special', says Tutt - Elvis had other ideas. In addition to the band, he'd have the International's house orchestra to work with. And he added two vocal groups, The Imperials gospel quartet, and The Sweet Inspirations, who had provided backup vocals for many artists, including Aretha Franklin, as well as releasing records under their own name.

Rehearsals with the band began July 18 in L.A. The band rehearsed well over 100 songs, for Elvis' personal enjoyment as much as seeing which numbers would work best live. 'We learned maybe 100 songs with him, and only some of them were in the show', says Scheff. 'One of the fun things about playing with him was that as long as it fit, you could play pretty much whatever you wanted to play'. And though the set list would call for a number of Elvis' '50s hits, he was determined that they sound fresh and contemporary, telling Tutt, 'Don't play like we played those things back then. You play the way you hear it, and if there's something wrong with it, then we'll talk about it. But don't worry about it. You do what you do; that's why you're here'. It was great', says Tutt. 'It really freed me up to try different things'.

Rehearsals in Vegas began on July 24, and Elvis' nervousness became apparent as opening night approached. He shared his growing unease with his friends, admitting to Sandi Miller, an acquaintance from LA, 'I went to Vegas and I bombed. What if I bomb again?' He was scared to death', she says. 'He was so afraid he was going to bomb again'.

There was only one show on July 31; for the rest of the run, there would be a dinner show and a midnight show. The star-studded audience included Cary Grant, Petula Clark, Burt Bacharach and his wife Angie Dickinson, and Viva Las Vegas co-star Ann-Margret. A contingent of journalists from New York were flown in by private plane, courtesy of the International. On each table was a gift box, with a program, Elvis albums, and other memorabilia. The waitresses each sported an Elvis button.

The Sweet Inspirations opened the show, followed by comedian Sammy Shore. Elvis' set began around 10:30 pm, the gold lamé curtains rising, and Elvis, clad in a black suit patterned after a karate gi, strode to center stage, grabbed the mic, and tore into 'Blue Suede Shoes'. The audience was on its feet cheering before he even began to sing, and their enthusiasm didn't let up the entire show. The first half primarily featured songs from Elvis' past: 'Heartbreak Hotel,'All Shook Up', and a medley of 'Jailhouse Rock' and 'Don't Be Cruel', an early sign of how he'd rush through his '50s songs as quickly as possible. 'He didn't want to be a rock and roll singer anymore', says Scheff. 'He felt that he was an adult'. He showed off his more mature side with 'Memories', which had been featured in the Elvis special, along with 'In the Ghetto' and 'Suspicious Minds'. The latter quickly became the show's highlight. The song had not yet been released as a single when the Vegas engagement began, and Elvis built it into a seven minute-plus showstopper that virtually guaranteed it would become a hit (released in August, it would become his first No. 1 single since 1962).

Elvis' off-the-wall, self-deprecating humor was on display as well. In the early part of the show he'd joke, 'Before the evening's over I will have made a complete and total fool of myself. And I hope you get a kick out of watching it', and his extended monologue about his life story also had plenty of humor; speaking of his army days, he said, 'The guys in the service get awfully lonely, because they call each other 'mother' a lot'. The show closed, as all future Elvis shows would, with 'Can't Help Falling in Love', from Blue Hawaii.

Elvis and his manager, with tears in his eyes, embraced backstage after the show, displaying a warmth and an openness no one had ever seen before. Elvis received a standing ovation when he arrived for a post-show press conference at 12:30 am, and the look on his face was one of unadulterated delight. He admitted he'd been nervous until after getting through 'Love Me Tender': 'Then I thought, what the heck, get with it man, or you might be out of a job tomorrow!'

The reviews were overwhelmingly positive. Ray Connolly, of London's Evening Standard, called him 'sensational - better than any of us could ever have imagined'. And the excitement continued throughout the Vegas run. 'He was almost catlike', Ronnie Tutt remembers. 'He was like a black panther out there onstage, his hair was all black, and black clothes, just kind of stalking around. And the showroom was never big enough for what he was doing. He was like a caged animal there in Vegas, just the way he moved around stage and the energy he had was very animalistic. He loved that adrenaline rush'.

RCA began recording shows on August 21, by which time the musicians were all thoroughly comfortable with the set. The first material issued was on the double-album set From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis, released in November, featuring a live album with 12 performances from the Vegas engagement, and 10 tracks from the American Sound sessions; it reached No. 12 (both albums were later released individually, as Elvis In Person At The International Hotel and Back in Memphis).

Elvis would return to Vegas for future engagements through the end of 1976. By then, live performance had become more routine. But back in 1969, Elvis' return to the stage brought him a much needed jolt of energy. For Jerry Scheff, being on stage, 'was the only time that Elvis really felt at home. I don't think it was so much the music, as the contact with people, and the reassurance that people gave him'. In a very real sense, he had been reborn. 'I went to Vegas and I bombed. What if I bomb again?' (Elvis) was scared to death. He was so afraid he was going to bomb again.

1969 Celebrated 2019

RCA/Legacy has served up a mammoth 306 songs on these two releases, which examine two of the most notable events in Elvis Presley's career; his sessions at American Sound Studios in Memphis, and his fi rst season in Las Vegas.

Both sets have unreleased material - though not as much as you might think. Of the 90 tracks on American Sound 1969, only fi ve tracks are previously unreleased (it should be noted that a single track may contain more than one take; Takes 1 through 3, and Take 5 of 'Long Black Limousine', for example, are presented as one track of 4:41). Similarly, out of the 11 shows presented on Live 1969, just 25 tracks are previously unreleased.

This may be a sign that the well of unreleased material is running dry. The released tracks on both sets have primarily been issued over the years on the official Follow That Dream collector's label.

But what's diff erent is the presentation. It's the fi rst time the American Sound tracks have been released in the order that the songs were recorded; it's literally like being in the studio with Elvis throughout the sessions. Similarly, on Live 1969, it's the fi rst time all the shows have been presented in their entirety. That will make these 'must' purchases, for most.

In his definitive two part biography of Elvis, author Peter Guralnick writes that if the first Elvis recordings you'd ever heard were the 23 'meticulous' takes of 'In the Ghetto,'it would be virtually impossible not to be won over'. You don't get all 23 takes on American Sound, only 15 (so there is some unreleased material left in the vaults after all!), but it's enough to hear the intensity and care he puts into his performance, in stark contrast, for example, to his lack of eff ort as he plowed through nine takes of 'The Bullfighter was a Lady' for the Fun in Acapulco soundtrack.

Similarly, it's fascinating to hear Elvis working his way through eight takes of 'Suspicious Minds'. It's one of the signature songs of his later career, and yet he repeatedly gets hung up on the line 'Because I love you too much baby', cursing when he can't get it just right. Beyond the hits, Elvis cut many great songs at American Sound - 'Wearin' That Loved On Look,'Gentle on My Mind', 'Any Day Now' - and to hear him working so assiduously is breathtaking. Finally, after slogging through the movie years, he was given decent material, and can show what a masterful singer he could be (note that the physical edition is on the Follow That Dream label, available at elvispresleyshop.com).

And Elvis' energy is off the charts in concert on Live 1969. He's positively manic as he opens his shows with 'Blue Suede Shoes', and stumbles over his words in his between songs chat, then goes all out in 'Suspicious Minds'. The 11 shows basically have the same set list, making it fun to spot the diff erences, like the infamous 'laughing version' of 'Are You Lonesome Tonight?', where Elvis cracks up at his own jokes, and can't make it through the song's spoken word break. And how could you ever decide which version of 'Suspicious Minds' is the best? Elvis tries to outdo himself in each performance. His song choices are interesting as well; there are fi ne versions of 'Funny How Time Slips Away' (which he'd eventually record), though you do wonder why he chose to sing Del Shannon's 'Runaway'.

Overall, it's great to have all this material assembled in two nice packages.

— Gillian G. Gaar

'Elvis: American Sound 1969' (5-CD)
FTD 165 (506020-975140), Barcode: 506020 975140 5)

Buy Now

Disc 1

1) Long Black Limousine - takes 1,2,3 & 5 4:41 Previously unreleased
2) Long Black Limousine - take 6 4:30
First release: FTD CD 'Memphis Sessions' 74321-89293-2. 10-200
3) Long Black Limousine - takes 7,8 & 9 5:02
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis In Memphis' 506020-975047. 04-201
4) Long Black Limousine - take 9 (undubbed master with vocal repairs) 4:22
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis At American Sound Studio' 506020-975064. 12-2013
5) This Is The Story - takes 1 & 2 (take 2 is master track & vocal overdub) 3:31
First release: FTD CD 'Memphis Sessions' 74321-89293-2. 10-2001
6) Wearin' That Loved On Look - takes 1,2,3 & 5 2:19 Takes 1, 2 & 5. Previously unreleased
Take 3. First release: RCA 2-CD set 'Suspicious Minds - The Memphis 1969 Anthology' 07863-67677-2. 04-13-1999
7) Wearin' That Loved On Look - take 10 3:06
First release: FTD CD 'Memphis Sessions' 74321-89293-2. 10-2001
8) Wearin' That Loved On Look - takes 12,13 & 14 4:53
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis In Memphis' 506020-975047. 04-2013
9) Wearin' That Loved On Look - take 15 (undubbed master) 3:07
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis In Memphis' 506020-975047. 04-2013
10) You'll Think Of Me - takes 1-6 6:39
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'Back In Memphis' 506020-975050. 12-2012
11) You'll Think Of Me - take 7 4:50
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis At American Sound Studio' 506020-975064. 12-2013
12) You'll Think Of Me - take 8 4:25
First release: FTD CD 'Made In Memphis' 82876-76965. 04-2006
13) You'll Think Of Me - takes 11 & 14 6:01 Take 11. Previously unreleased
Take 14. First release: FTD CD 'Memphis Sessions' 74321-89293-2. 10-2001
14) You'll Think Of Me - take 16 4:32
First release: RCA 2-CD set 'Suspicious Minds - The Memphis 1969 Anthology' 07863-67677-2.
15) You'll Think Of Me - takes 19,20 & 22 4:04 Previously unreleased
16) You'll Think Of Me - take 23 (undubbed master) 4:27
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'Back In Memphis' 506020-975050. 12-2012

Disc 2

1) I'm Movin' On - takes 1-2 3:52 (Clarence E. 'Hank' Snow)
First release: FTD CD 'Memphis Sessions' 74321-89293-2. 10-2001
2) I'm Movin' On - take 2 (with vocal replacements and steel guitar overdub) 2:57
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis In Memphis' 506020-975047. 04-2013
3) A Little Bit Of Green - rehearsal 4:28 (Chris Arnold/Geoff Morrow/David Martin)
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'Back In Memphis' 506020-975050. 12-2012
4) A Little Bit Of Green - take 1 3:42
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'Back In Memphis' 506020-975050. 12-2012
5) A Little Bit Of Green - takes 2-3 (track master with live vocal) 5:04
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'Back In Memphis' 506020-975050. 12-2012
6) Gentle On My Mind (with track replacement overdubs and master vocal) 3:42 (John Hartford)
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis In Memphis' 506020-975047. 04-2013
7) Don't Cry Daddy - take 3 (master take with vocal overdub) 3:47 (Scott 'Mac' Davis)
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis At American Sound Studio' 506020-975064. 12-2013
8) Poor Man's Gold - take 12 (track master with incomplete vocal overdub) 1:06
First release: RCA 2-CD set 'Suspicious Minds - The Memphis 1969 Anthology' 07863-67677-2
9) Inherit The Wind - take 1, rehearsal, take 4 with vocal overdub #1 4:18
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'Back In Memphis' 506020-975050. 12-2012
10) Mama Liked The Roses (master track with alternate vocal overdub) 2:30
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis At American Sound Studio' 506020-975064. 12-2013
11) Mama Liked The Roses (master track with master vocal overdub) 3:22
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis At American Sound Studio' 506020-975064. 12-2013
12) My Little Friend (master track with master vocal overdub) 3:14
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis At American Sound Studio' 506020-975064. 12-2013
13) In The Ghetto - take 1 2:56
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis In Memphis' 506020-975047. 04-2013
14) In The Ghetto - takes 2-3 4:06
Take 2. First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis In Memphis' 506020-975047. 04-2013
Take 3. First release: RCA 4-CD set 'Platinum - A Life In Music' 07863-67469-2. 07-15-1997
15) In The Ghetto - take 4 2:58
First release: RCA 5-CD set 'From Memphis To Nashville - The Essential 60's Masters' I - 07863-66160-2. 09-28-1993
16) In The Ghetto - takes 5-10 6:52 Previously unreleased
17) In The Ghetto - take 11 3:19
First release: FTD CD 'Memphis Sessions' 74321-89293-2. 10-2001
18) In The Ghetto - take 13 2:53
First release: FTD CD 'Made In Memphis' 82876-76965. 04-2006
19) In The Ghetto - take 19 3:09
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis At American Sound Studio' 506020-975064. 12-2013
20) In The Ghetto - take 20 3:05
First release: RCA 4-CD set 'Elvis: Today, Tomorrow & Forever' 07863-65115. 06-25-2002
21) In The Ghetto - take 22 (track master with vocal overdub) 3:07
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis In Memphis' 506020-975047. 04-2013

Disc 3

1) Rubberneckin' - takes 1-2 (take 2 is undubbed master) 2:51
Take 1. First release: RCA 2-CD set 'Suspicious Minds - The Memphis 1969 Anthology' 07863-67677-2
Take 2. First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis At American Sound Studio' 506020-975064. 12-2013
2) Hey Jude - take 1 4:45
First release: FTD CD 'Memphis Sessions' 74321-89293-2. 10-2001
3) Hey Jude - takes 3,5,6 & 7 6:27
Take 5. First release: FTD CD 'Memphis Sessions' 74321-89293-2. 10-2001
Takes 3,6 & 7. First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis At American Sound Studio' 506020-975064. 12-2013
4) From A Jack To A King - takes 1-3 3:12
First release: FTD CD 'Memphis Sessions' 74321-89293-2. 10-2001
5) From A Jack To A King - takes 4-5 (take 5 is undubbed master) 3:02
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'Back In Memphis' 506020-975050. 12-2012
6) Without Love (There Is Nothing) - take 1 3:16 (Danny Small)
First release: RCA 2-CD set 'Suspicious Minds - The Memphis 1969 Anthology' 07863-67677-2
7) Without Love (There Is Nothing) - takes 2-4 4:01
Take 2. First release: FTD 2-CD set 'Back In Memphis' 506020-975050. 12-2012
Takes 3-4. First release: FTD CD 'Memphis Sessions' 74321-89293-2. 10-2001
8) Without Love (There Is Nothing) - take 5 (undubbed master) 2:57
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'Back In Memphis' 506020-975050. 12-2012
9) I'll Hold You In My Heart (Till I Can You In My Arms) - take 1 (master) 4:38
First release: RCA LP 'From Elvis In Memphis' LSP 4155. 06-17-1969
10) I'll Be There - takes 1-3 (take 3 is undubbed master) 4:35 (Bobby Darin)
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis At American Sound Studio' 506020-975064. 12-2013
11) I'll Be There - takes 4-6 3:12
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis At American Sound Studio' 506020-975064. 12-201
12) Suspicious Minds - takes 1-5 8:33
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'Back In Memphis' 506020-975050. 12-2012
13) Suspicious Minds - take 6 3:43
First release: FTD CD 'Memphis Sessions' 74321-89293-2. 10-2001
14) Suspicious Minds - take 7 3:46
First release: RCA 5-CD set 'From Memphis To Nashville - The Essential 60's Masters' I - 07863-66160-2. 09-28-1993
15) Suspicious Minds - take 8 (undubbed master) 4:06
First release: RCA 4-CD set 'Platinum - A Life In Music' 07863-67469-2. 07-15-1997

Disc 4

1) Stranger In My Own Home Town - jam (undubbed) 4:55
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'Back In Memphis' 506020-975050. 12-2012
2) It's My Way/This Time/I Can't Stop Loving You - jam 3:52
First release: RCA 5-CD set 'From Memphis To Nashville - The Essential 60's Masters' I - 07863-66160-2. 09-28-1993
3) True Love Travels On A Gravel Road - take 2 2:37
First release: RCA 4-CD set 'Elvis: Today, Tomorrow & Forever' 07863-65115. 06-25-2002
4) True Love Travels On A Gravel Road - take 4 2:32
First release: RCA 2-CD set 'Suspicious Minds - The Memphis 1969 Anthology' 07863-67677-2. 04-13-1999
5) True Love Travels On A Gravel Road - take 5 3:00
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis At American Sound Studio' 506020-975064. 12-2013
6) True Love Travels On A Gravel Road - takes 6-7 4:36
First release: FTD CD 'Memphis Sessions' 74321-89293-2. 10-2001
7) True Love Travels On A Gravel Road - take 11 (undubbed master) 3:16
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis In Memphis' 506020-975047. 04-2013
8) And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind - takes 1,3 & 5 6:34
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'Back In Memphis' 506020-975050. 12-2012
9) And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind - take 6 (master track with live vocal) 3:33
First release: FTD CD 'Memphis Sessions' 74321-89293-2. 10-2001
10) And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind - take 6 (master track with overdubbed vocal) 3:56
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'Back In Memphis' 506020-975050. 12-2012
11) Power Of My Love - take 1 3:14
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis In Memphis' 506020-975047. 04-2013
12) Power Of My Love - takes 2 & 3 3:17
Take 2. First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis In Memphis' 506020-975047. 04-2013
Take 3. First release: RCA 4-CD set 'Platinum - A Life In Music' 07863-67469-2. 07-15-1997
13) Power Of My Love - take 6 3:56
First release: FTD CD 'Memphis Sessions' 74321-89293-2. 10-2001
14) Power Of My Love - take 7 (undubbed master) 3:06
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis In Memphis' 506020-975047. 04-2013
15) After Loving You - take 2 3:43
First release: RCA 2-CD set 'Suspicious Minds - The Memphis 1969 Anthology' 07863-67677-2. 04-13-1999
16) After Loving You - take 3 3:42
First release: FTD CD 'Memphis Sessions' 74321-89293-2. 10-2001
17) After Loving You - take 4 (undubbed master) 3:14
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis In Memphis' 506020-975047. 04-2013
18) Do You Know Who I Am? - takes 1 & 3 5:03
Take 1. First release: FTD CD 'Memphis Sessions' 74321-89293-2. 10-2001
Take 3. FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis At American Sound Studio' 506020-975064. 12-2013
19) Do You Know Who I Am? - take 4 4:01
First release: FTD CD 'Made In Memphis' 82876-76965. 04-2006
20) Do You Know Who I Am? - take 5 4:31
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis At American Sound Studio' 506020-975064. 12-2013
21) Do You Know Who I Am? - take 7 (master with vocal overdub) 3:16
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'Back In Memphis' 506020-975050. 12-2012

Disc 5

1) Kentucky Rain - takes 1-3 7:17
Takes 1-2. First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis At American Sound Studio' 506020-975064. 12-2013
Take 3. First release: RCA 2-CD set 'Suspicious Minds - The Memphis 1969 Anthology' 07863-67677-2. 04-13-1999
2) Kentucky Rain - takes 5-7 6:02
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis At American Sound Studio' 506020-975064. 12-2013
3) Kentucky Rain - take 8 3:57
First release: RCA 5-CD set 'From Memphis To Nashville - The Essential 60's Masters' I - 07863-66160-2. 09-28-1993
4) Kentucky Rain - take 9 3:57
First release: FTD CD 'Memphis Sessions' 74321-89293-2. 10-2001
5) Kentucky Rain - take 10 (undubbed master) 4:19
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis At American Sound Studio' 506020-975064. 12-2013
6) Only The Strong Survive - take 1 2:27
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis In Memphis' 506020-975047. 04-2013
7) Only The Strong Survive - takes 8,11 & 12 5:53
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis At American Sound Studio' 506020-975064. 12-2013
8) Only The Strong Survive - takes 17,21 & 22 4:38
Takes 17 & 21. First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis In Memphis' 506020-975047. 04-2013
Take 22. First release: FTD CD 'Memphis Sessions' 74321-89293-2. 10-2001
9) Only The Strong Survive - take 29 (undubbed master) 3:22
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis In Memphis' 506020-975047. 04-2013
10) It Keeps Right On A Hurtin' - takes 1 & 2 4:24
Take 1. First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis In Memphis' 506020-975047. 04-2013
Take 2. First release: RCA 2-CD set 'Suspicious Minds - The Memphis 1969 Anthology' 07863-67677-2. 04-13-1999
11) Any Day Now - takes 1 & 2 3:36 (Bob Hilliard/Burt Bacharach)
Take 1. First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis In Memphis' 506020-975047. 04-2013
Take 2. First release: FTD CD 'Memphis Sessions' 74321-89293-2. 10-2001
12) Any Day Now - takes 3 & 4 5:13
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis In Memphis' 506020-975047. 04-2013
13) Any Day Now - takes 5 & 6 (take 6 is undubbed master track and live vocal) 5:44
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis At American Sound Studio' 506020-975064. 12-2013
14) If I'm A Fool (For Loving You) - takes 1,2 & 3 5:55
Takes 1 & 2. First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis At American Sound Studio' 506020-975064. 12-2013
Take 3. First release: FTD CD 'Memphis Sessions' 74321-89293-2. 10-2001
15) If I'm A Fool (For Loving You) - takes 6,7,8 & 9 (take 9 is undubbed master) 6:47
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis At American Sound Studio' 506020-975064. 12-2013
16) The Fair's Moving On (track master with vocal overdub) 3:17
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'Back In Memphis' 506020-975050. 12-2012
17) Who Am I ? (undubbed master) 3:08
First release: FTD 2-CD set 'From Elvis At American Sound Studio' 506020-975064. 12-2013

Elvis Live 1969

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Elvis Presley's comeback of the late 1960s is often reduced to his spectacular reemergence in 1968, an event designed for a mass audience watching at home on television. That NBC special from December 1968 certainly earned the attention of an audience who hadn't paid attention to Elvis in years, but in many ways, Elvis' real comeback didn't happen until 1969. During 1969, he recorded a series of sessions with producer Chips Moman in American Sound Studio, music that put him firmly at the crossroads of contemporary pop, rock, soul, and country while also reviving his commercial fortunes. Just as importantly, Elvis didn't limit his comeback to the studio: he performed on-stage for the first time in eight years.

I Got a Woman (8/21/69 Midnight Show) (02:30) | Unreleased

Latest Audio (and video) updates: Video courtesy of Elvis Presley Video Central.

At only 34, Elvis is lean and at the top of his vocal game, if overly corny when he banters with the audience. The vehicle for Elvis' return to the stage was a four-week residency at the brand-new International Hotel in Las Vegas, where he played two shows a night for seven nights a week during the month of August. Highlights were rushed into the store in the form of From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis -- a two-LP set that paired the live record with a platter of selections from the American Sound session -- and other recordings trickled out over the years, but Live 1969 is the first serious archival release of this pivotal event in Elvis' history.

'Elvis Live 1969' presents 11 full shows from this run, including two shows that are entirely unreleased. Taken individually, as a concert at the time, the music is wonderful. Working with a band highlighting guitarist James Burton, Elvis is clearly invigorated by performing music in front of an adoring audience. He's playing with the crowd, enticing shrieks and gales of laughter, but he seems to get more sustenance by singing with a live band. This is especially true of the clutch of new songs from 1969, a songbook which includes 'In the Ghetto' and 'Suspicious Minds.

'Suspicious Minds', then just a week or so into its life as a single, is majestic, with Elvis possessed by the pounding rhythm of drummer Ronnie Tutt. The 'Mystery Train/Tiger Man' mash-up is equally combustible, summoning the same dangerous energy that Elvis first let loose in the Fifties as a hip-shaking parental nightmare. And 'In the Ghetto', the entertainer's earnest 1968 attempt at social commentary, is more urgent than schmaltzy. Here, Elvis is thoroughly invested in his performance, while also figuring out how to perform as a mature musician, not a young firebrand. He's turning himself into a showman, one who makes corny jokes and pours his heart out on-stage. Listening to that evolution on Live 1969 is a riveting experience.

But it's Elvis' covers of then-contemporary songs that are most fascinating. He imbues the Beatles' 'Yesterday' and 'Hey Jude' with Southern soul, and transforms Ray Charles' 'What'd I Say' into an unrelenting rock rave-up. For Del Shannon's 'Runaway', he all but owns the lyric's heartbreak. Shannon is in the audience for one performance, and Elvis gives him props from the stage. (Listen closely to hear him directing imposing Memphis Mafia member Lamar Fike to find Shannon.)

Memories (8/21/69 Midnight Show) (03:50) | Unreleased

Latest Audio (and video) updates: Video courtesy of Elvis Presley Video Central.

The gig is the same one during which Elvis comes to pieces in 'Are You Lonesome Tonight?' supposedly tickled by Sweet Inspirations singer Cissy Houston's ability to keep on singing, unfazed, while Elvis goes further and further off the rails. Still frazzled, he screws up 'Rubberneckin' immediately afterward and asks the band to restart the tune a full 45 seconds in.

With Elvis reciting the same stage patter nearly word-for-word in each of the 11 concerts, it's these gaffes and unexpected moments that keep 'Elvis Live 1969' from becoming just an overly repetitive entry for Elvis completists. Instead, the box set serves as a snapshot of a world-class entertainer successfully but gingerly rediscovering the magic that made him so in the first place.

Some of Elvis' ad-libbed asides can be laugh-out-loud funny. Noting Las Vegas' desert conditions, Elvis remarks that he's so parched it feels like 'Bob Dylan slep' in ya mouth'; at another show, he informs the audience of 'a little bitty dead lizard' sharing his stage. He distributes innumerable cartoonish wet smacks to ecstatic women demanding kisses. He tweaks the memorable refrain of 'Heartbreak Hotel' into an even more memorable, 'I get so horny I could die'. Whether these outbursts are a result of drugs or just Elvis' natural state is indiscernible.

Most of this material has already been issued piecemeal in some form already so it is important to note that the sound quality is excellent and an improvement over the old releases One thing I noticed that I have not before is the subtleties in the music, the extra detail that was not there in other years.

While Elvis gave us so many vocal differences through the years as his voice matured 1969 is the year where he gave us the very best Rock N Roll outside of the 1950s while at the same time a much more mature and improved vocal with ballads and more. Plus there are four (4) totally new concerts released in full for the first time.

Blue Suede Shoes (8/21/69 Midnight Show) (02:48) | Unreleased

Latest Audio (and video) updates: Video courtesy of Elvis Presley Video Central.

The set features one show entirely unreleased and complete and newly mixed and mastered shows. First chronicled in part on the album Elvis In Person At The International Hotel 50 years ago, Live 1969 showcases this incredibly, important phase in Elvis' career in definitive detail – his first live shows following his triumphant, 1968 comeback for NBC after an 8-year absence from playing live. This box set features 11 complete sets from the first of his many engagements at The International Hotel (several of which are released in full for the first time, with one show entirely unreleased), allowing fans a more definitive picture of The King's glorious return to the concert stage. The 52-page book includes rare photos, memorabilia and an oral history by Ken Sharp curated from historic interviews with Elvis, Colonel Tom Parker, Tom Jones, Jerry Schilling, James Burton and more.

This (and no doubt the soon to be released Elvis American Sound 1969) is a must-have!!!!

Buy Elvis Live 1969 11 CD Boxset