James Burton Looks Back on Elvis Presley's Vegas Years

On the 42nd anniversary of his death, Elvis Presley's longtime guitarist James Burton looks back on his career rebirth in 1969 - now immortalized on a massive box set.

'I hadn't actually met Elvis before I went to work with him', says the legendary guitarist James Burton, who'd already worked with a veritable who's who of rock stars when he picked up the phone one night in 1969 and found himself speaking to the King himself, Elvis Presley. 'I'd played the Louisiana Hayride around the time he came through, when he was just starting out, but I didn't actually meet Elvis until 1969. He called me on the phone at my home in L.A., and I talked to him for two or three hours on the phone. He asked me if I'd be interested in going to Vegas and putting a band together for him. So I did'.

Burton may seem matter-of-fact about the call, which began a creative partnership that lasted until Elvis' death in 1977, 42 years ago this week, but that band, and the shows at Las Vegas' International Hotel, now immortalized on an 11-CD box set featuring 11 complete concerts, as well as a two-LP set featuring the incendiary opening-night performance, catapulted Elvis, whose career had fallen dormant after a stint in the army and a series of movies, back into the pop-culture firmament on the heels of his 1968 NBC television special.

'We talked about everything', Burton recalls of that first conversation with Elvis. 'Mainly, we talked about the Ozzie and Harriet TV show, because he remembered watching me play guitar alongside Ricky Nelson which, I have to admit, I thought was pretty cool. But then he said that when he told the people around him that he was getting ready to make some changes - to do some live shows and hopefully make some records - that everybody he had talked to mentioned me, and said, 'You should call James'.

As excited as he was by the opportunity, Burton still chuckles at the memory.

'I was late for my recording session that day and I kept telling Elvis, 'I've gotta go to work', Burton says with a laugh. 'But he just kept going on. It was like we knew each other already through the music we both liked, which was pretty much the same: gospel, country, then rock and roll, but also bluegrass, folk music and everything else'.

Soon, Burton was lining up players for Elvis' band and putting them through their paces, in anticipation of their first rehearsal for Elvis' triumphant return to live performance at the International Hotel on July 31, 1969.

'Of course, the band I put together was a killer band', Burton recalls, in a massive understatement.

He tapped John Wilkinson on rhythm guitar, Larry Muhoberac for keyboard duties and the men who became fan favorites for the monstrous grooves they supplied behind the King: Ronnie Tutt on drums and Jerry Scheff on bass.

Elvis Presley and James Burton | 1970.

These were experienced hands - players Burton knew could handle the gig musically, but who could also approach playing with the most famous performer in the world with their feet on the ground.

'It was plenty exciting when Elvis first arrived at rehearsals', Burton recalls. 'But as famous as he was, when we met and shook hands with each other, it was like we'd known each other our whole lives, because the style I played was kind of a mixture of the same influences he was using as a singer. It was unbelievable, because I knew I blew him away, and the band just blew him away, too. He loved it'.

With those initial rehearsals under their collective belts, Elvis' stint in Las Vegas was next.

While there have been plenty of releases chronicling Elvis' Vegas years, which ran almost until his death - and are often cited as one of the key factors in what made Sin City a destination for so many vacationers - all of them, including the excellent Live in Las Vegas box set and the expanded edition of the film That's The Way It Is, chronicle a leonine and confident Elvis and company loose, but also performing a well-rehearsed and supremely self-assured show.

Live 1969, on the other hand, offers fans the origin story.

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'Elvis was really nervous', Burton recalls of the opening night, which also happened to be Burton's birthday. 'He said to me, just before we went on, 'James, I don't think I can go on'. It kind of shocked me. He was Elvis Presley, after all. But he did go on, and he just killed it'.

From the opening notes of Elvis' 1950s hit 'Blue Suede Shoes', re-imagined for the Vegas stage, there's an electricity present that is somehow different than even the best Elvis performances. Along the way, Elvis misses cues, stutters during some of the introductions, and jokes that he'll get the hook, even after 14 years on top, if he doesn't please his bosses at the International. These moments humanize Elvis while lending a sense of urgency to the proceedings remarkably different to the oft-excellent but supremely choreographed shows Elvis would turn in over the next eight years.

Burton was with him through it all, but recalls those early Vegas shows as special.

'I did everything from '69 up until he died', Burton says, a hint of sadness in his voice. 'We did all the Vegas runs. Aloha From Hawaii. We also did all of Elvis' recordings. But those early Vegas shows were the most special of all, looking back'.

Elvis would only do maybe three or four takes, at the most. His feeling was that if it didn't happen, if it didn't come together within three or four takes, it was time to go on to something else.

Also out later this month is American Sound 1969, showcasing Elvis' studio sessions from that year, which yielded the hits 'In the Ghetto', and, of course, 'Suspicious Minds', as well as Elvis' take on The Beatles' recent smash 'Hey Jude', the R&B groove 'Rubberneckin', and the epic 'Kentucky Rain'.

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'It didn't matter what song it was', Burton, who joined up with Elvis too late to take part on the 1969 Memphis sessions, but who worked with him in the studio on nearly every session after that first Vegas run, recalls. 'Elvis would only do maybe three or four takes, at the most. His feeling was that if it didn't happen if it didn't come together within three or four takes, it was time to go on to something else'.

Far from the spent creative force much of the public perceived Elvis to be at the dawn of the 1970s, with Jimi Hendrix, The Who and the Doors topping the charts worldwide, Elvis sounds as intense and confident as ever on American Sound 1969.

'Elvis was a really hard worker in the studio', Burton says, smiling at his memories of working with Elvis on his recording sessions. 'He really got down to business. It was amazing. When the red light came on he would just go for it'.

Elvis, Burton says, also had his own quirks and unique ways of doing things, much to the chagrin of some of the producers and engineers he worked with.

'Elvis used his own mic', Burton says. 'He had a mic that had his name on it that he used for live shows, and for recordings as well. It was just a handheld mic. Producers would try to convince him to use different mics - better mics - but he always went back to his own mic. And he liked to have the singers and band close by so we could have eye contact, and so he could get into a good groove. So it was always a performance in the truest sense, and he was acting as both performer and producer. He'd have a producer, but the bottom line was that Elvis had the final say if it was something he liked or disliked'.

Of course, after the stint in Vegas, Burton's hand-chosen TCB Band - named by Elvis for Taking Care of Business - was at Elvis' beck and call.

'When I went to work with Elvis, I became family', Burton says. 'That's how it felt, and that's what he wanted. That's the way he liked it. That made the hours and demands feel like nothing at all'.

'He loved guitar. When I'd play a hot lick or something, he'd turn around and say, 'Yeah baby, yeah! That's it!' You can hear it on the records, but really see it in the films of us. We had this great communication on stage. And that feedback was indescribable. But he wanted you to feel good and happy. He wanted everything to be just right. That's the way he was. And most of all, he wanted to hear the truth'.

Even 50 years after their first meeting, and more than 40 years after Elvis' untimely death in 1977, Burton speaks in the present tense about his former boss. But as we wrap up, he reflects on the King as so few knew him.

'I still think about what a great guy he was', Burton says of his memories of the man the rest of us have only ever known from afar. 'He was an incredible person to work with, and was always concerned if you were happy or if everything was OK. And if something wasn't right, he would make it right. That's how I remember him, and it's a great memory, I think'.

 Interview with James Burton
 Interview with James Burton Sydney Australia 2006
 James Burton Talks Elvis, Ricky Nelson and Guitars
 James Burton : First Call For The Royalty Of Rockabilly

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

Disc 1

Show 1 – August 21, 1969. Midnight show

01) Blue Suede Shoes* (Carl Perkins)
02) I Got A Woman (Ray Charles)
03) All Shook Up (Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley
04) Love Me Tender (Vera Matson/Elvis Presley)
05) Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)/ (Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley)
06) Heartbreak Hotel (Tommy Durden/Mae Boren Axton/Elvis Presley)
07) Hound Dog (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)
08) Memories (Billy Strange/Scott 'Mac' Davis)
09) Mystery Train/Tiger Man (Junior Parker/Sam Phillips)/ (Joe Hill Louis/Sam Burns)
10) Monologue*
11) Baby, What You Want Me To Do (Jimmy Reed)
12) Runaway (Max Crook/Del Shannon)
13) Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Roy Turk/Lou Handman)
14) Yesterday/Hey Jude (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)/ (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)
15) Introductions including 'Happy Birthday' sung to James Burton)
First release: RCA 'Collectors Gold' 3-CD set 08-13-1991
16) In The Ghetto (Scott 'Mac' Davis)
17) Suspicious Minds (Mark James)
18) What'd I Say (Ray Charles)
19) Can't Help Falling In Love (Hugo Peretti/Luigi Creatore/George Weiss)

Tracks 2-9, 11-19 first issued on the album Viva Las Vegas-7-31-2007
*Previously unreleased

 View 'Live 1969' Project Trailer (01:18)

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

Disc 2

Show 2 – August 22, 1969. Dinner show

1) Blue Suede Shoes (Carl Perkins)
First release: RCA Walmart Special (US) & International BMG 'Elvis Viva Las Vegas' 2-CD set- 07-31-2007
2) I Got A Woman (Ray Charles)
3) All Shook Up (Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley)
4) Love Me Tender (Vera Matson/Elvis Presley)
5) Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)/ (Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley)
6) Heartbreak Hotel (Tommy Durden/Mae Boren Axton/Elvis Presley)
7) Hound Dog (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)
8) Memories (Billy Strange/Scott 'Mac' Davis)
9) Mystery Train/Tiger Man (Junior Parker/Sam Phillips)/ (Joe Hill Louis/Sam Burns)
10) Monologue | First release: RCA Walmart Special (US) & International BMG 'Elvis Viva Las Vegas' 2-CD- 07-31-2007
11) Baby, What You Want Me To Do (Jimmy Reed)
12) Runaway (Max Crook/Del Shannon)
13) Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Roy Turk/Lou Handman)
14) Yesterday/Hey Jude (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)/ (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)
15) Introductions
16) In The Ghetto (Scott 'Mac' Davis)
17) Suspicious Minds (Mark James)
18) What'd I Say (Ray Charles)
19) Can't Help Falling In Love (Hugo Peretti/Luigi Creatore/George Weiss)

Complete show release: FTD 'Elvis In Person At The International Hotel', Las Vegas, Nevada 2-CD-12-2008

Disc 3

Show 3 – August 22, 1969. Midnight show

1) Blue Suede Shoes* (Carl Perkins)
2) I Got A Woman * (Ray Charles)
3) All Shook Up* (Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley)
4) Love Me Tender (Vera Matson/Elvis Presley) | First release: RCA 'Collectors Gold' 3-CD set-08-13-1991
5) Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)/ (Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley) | First release: RCA 'Collectors Gold' 3-CD -08-13-1991
6) Heartbreak Hotel* (Tommy Durden/Mae Boren Axton/Elvis Presley)
7) Hound Dog* (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)
8) Memories* (Billy Strange/Scott 'Mac' Davis)
9) My Babe (Willie Dixon) | First release: RCA 'Elvis: Today, Tomorrow & Forever' 4-CD Set 06-25-2002
10) Mystery Train/Tiger Man (Junior Parker/Sam Phillips)/ (Joe Hill Louis/Sam Burns) | First release: RCA 'Collectors Gold' 3-CD set -08-13-1991
11) Monologue*
12) Baby, What You Want Me To Do (Jimmy Reed) | First release: RCA 'Elvis: Today, Tomorrow & Forever' 4-CD Set-06-25-2002
13) Funny How Time Slips Away (Willie Nelson) | First release: RCA 'Elvis: Today, Tomorrow & Forever' 4-CD Set-06-25-2002
14) Runaway (Max Crook/Del Shannon) | First release: RCA 'Elvis: Today, Tomorrow & Forever' 4-CD Set-06-25-2002
15) Are You Lonesome Tonight?* (Roy Turk/Lou Handman)
16) Yesterday/Hey Jude* (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)/ (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)
17) Introductions*
18) In The Ghetto* (Scott 'Mac' Davis)
19) Suspicious Minds* (Mark James)
20) What'd I Say (Ray Charles) | First release: RCA 'Elvis: Today, Tomorrow & Forever' 4-CD Set 06-25-2002
21) Can't Help Falling In Love* (Hugo Peretti/Luigi Creatore/George Weiss)

*Previously unreleased
Previously Unreleased as a Complete Show

 View 'Unboxing' 'Live 1969' (04:52)

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

Disc 4

Show 4 – August 23, 1969. Dinner show
01) Blue Suede Shoes (Carl Perkins)
02) I Got A Woman (Ray Charles)
03) All Shook Up (Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley)
04) Love Me Tender (Vera Matson/Elvis Presley)
05) Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)/ (Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley)
06) Heartbreak Hotel (Tommy Durden/Mae Boren Axton/Elvis Presley)
07) Hound Dog (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)
08) Memories (Billy Strange/Scott 'Mac' Davis)
09) Mystery Train/Tiger Man (Junior Parker/Sam Phillips)/ (Joe Hill Louis/Sam Burns)
10) Monologue
11) Baby, What You Want Me To Do (Jimmy Reed)
12) Runaway (Max Crook/Del Shannon)
13) Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Roy Turk/Lou Handman)
14) Yesterday/Hey Jude (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)/ (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)
15) Introductions
16) In The Ghetto (Scott 'Mac' Davis)
17) Suspicious Minds (Mark James)
18) What'd I Say (Ray Charles)
19) Can't Help Falling In Love (Hugo Peretti/Luigi Creatore/George Weiss)

First release: RCA 2-LP set The International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, August 23, 1969- 04-13-2019

Disc 5

Show 5 – August 23, 1969. Midnight show

01) Blue Suede Shoes (Carl Perkins)
02) I Got A Woman (Ray Charles)
03) All Shook Up (Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley)
04) Love Me Tender (Vera Matson/Elvis Presley)
05) Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)/ (Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley)
06) Heartbreak Hotel (Tommy Durden/Mae Boren Axton/Elvis Presley)
07) Hound Dog (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)
08) Memories (Billy Strange/Scott 'Mac' Davis)
09) Mystery Train/Tiger Man (Junior Parker/Sam Phillips)/ (Joe Hill Louis/Sam Burns)
10) Monologue
11) Baby, What You Want Me To Do (Jimmy Reed)
12) Runaway (Max Crook/Del Shannon)
13) Reconsider Baby (Lowell Fulsom)
First release: RCA 'Collectors Gold' 3-CD set -08-13-1991
14) Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Roy Turk/Lou Handman)
15) Yesterday/Hey Jude (John Lennon/Paul McCartney) (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)
16) Introductions
17) In The Ghetto (Scott 'Mac' Davis)
18) Suspicious Minds (Mark Davis)
19) What'd I Say (Ray Charles) | First release: RCA 'Collectors Gold' 3-CD set 08-13-1991
An edited version was first released on RCA 'Elvis-Greatest Hits Volume One' 11-1981
20) Can't Help Falling In Love (Hugo Peretti/Luigi Creatore/George Weiss)

Complete show release: FTD 'Elvis At The International'- 01-2003

Disc 6

Show 6 – August 24, 1969. Dinner show

01) Blue Suede Shoes (Carl Perkins)
02) I Got A Woman (Ray Charles)
03) All Shook Up (Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley)
04) Love Me Tender (Vera Matson/Elvis Presley)
05) Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)/ (Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley)
06) Heartbreak Hotel (Tommy Durden/Mae Boren Axton/Elvis Presley)
First release: RCA 'Collectors Gold' 3-CD set 08-13-1991
07) Hound Dog (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)
08) I Can't Stop Loving You (Don Gibson)
09) Johnny B. Goode (Chuck Berry)
10) Monologue
11) Baby, What You Want Me To Do (Jimmy Reed)
12) Runaway (Max Crook/Del Shannon)
13) Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Roy Turk/Lou Handman)
14 Yesterday/Hey Jude (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)/ (John Lennon/Paul McCartney) | First release: ('Yesterday' only) RCA 'Elvis Aron Presley' 8-LP set 08-1980
15) Introductions
16) In The Ghetto (Scott 'Mac' Davis)
17) Suspicious Minds (Mark James)
18) What'd I Say (Ray Charles)
19) Can't Help Falling In Love (Hugo Peretti/Luigi Creatore/George Weiss)

Complete show release: RCA 'Live In Las Vegas' 4-CD set -7-10-2001

Disc 7

Show 7- August 24, 1969. Midnight show

01) Blue Suede Shoes (Carl Perkins)
First release: FTD 'Writing For The King' (book & 2-CD set)- 11-2006
02) I Got A Woman (Ray Charles)
First release: FTD 'Writing For The King' (book & 2-CD set)- 11-2006
03) All Shook Up (Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley)
First release: FTD 'Writing For The King' (book & 2-CD set)- 11-2006
04) Love Me Tender (Vera Matson/Elvis Presley)
First release: FTD 'Writing For The King' (book & 2-CD set)- 11-2006
05) Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)/ (Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley)
First release: FTD 'Writing For The King' (book & 2-CD set)- 11-2006
06) Heartbreak Hotel (Tommy Durden/Mae Boren Axton/Elvis Presley)
First release: FTD 'Writing For The King' (book & 2-CD set)-11-2006
07) Hound Dog (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)
First release: FTD 'Writing For The King' (book & 2-CD set)-11-2006
08) I Can't Stop Loving You* (Don Gibson)
09) Johnny B. Goode (Chuck Berry)
First release: RCA 'From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis' 2 LP set-10-14-1969
10) Monologue*
11) Baby, What You Want Me To Do (Jimmy Reed)
First release: RCA 'Platinum – A Life In Music' 4 CD set-7-15-1997
12) Runaway* (Max Crook/Del Shannon)
13) Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Roy Turk/Lou Handman)
First release: RCA 'From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis' 2 LP set-10-14-1969
14) Words (Robin, Barry & Maurice Gibb)
First release: RCA 'Platinum – A Life In Music' 4 CD set-7-15-1997
15) Yesterday/Hey Jude (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)/ (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)
First release: FTD 'Writing For The King' (book & 2-CD set)- 11-2006
16) Introductions*
17) In The Ghetto (Scott 'Mac' Davis)
First release: RCA 'Elvis Aron Presley' 8-LP set 08-1980
18) Suspicious Minds (Mark James)
First release: FTD 'Writing For The King' (book & 2-CD set)-11-2006
19) Can't Help Falling In Love (Hugo Peretti/Luigi Creatore/George Weiss)
First release: FTD 'Writing For The King' (book & 2-CD set)-11-2006

*Previously unreleased
Previously Unreleased as a Complete Show

Disc 8

Show 8 – August 25, 1969. Dinner show

01) Blue Suede Shoes (Carl Perkins)
First release: RCA 'Collectors Gold' 3-CD set -08-13-1991
02) I Got A Woman (Ray Charles)
First release: RCA 'Collectors Gold' 3-CD set-08-13-1991
03) All Shook Up* (Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley)
04) Love Me Tender* (Vera Matson/Elvis Presley)
05) Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel* (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)/ (Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley)
06) Heartbreak Hotel* (Tommy Durden/Mae Boren Axton/Elvis Presley)
07) Hound Dog* (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)
08) Memories (Billy Strange/Scott 'Mac' Davis)
First release: RCA 'Collectors Gold' 3-CD set-08-13-1991
09) Mystery Train/Tiger Man* (Junior Parker/Sam Phillips)/(Joe Hill Louis/Sam Burns)
10) Monologue*
11) Baby, What You Want Me To Do* (Jimmy Reed)
12) Funny How Time Slips Away (Willie Nelson)
First release: RCA 'Collectors Gold' 3-CD set-08-13-1991
13) Runaway (Max Crook/Del Shannon)
First release: RCA 'On Stage – February', 1970-06-01-1970
14) Words (Robin, Barry & Maurice Gibb)
First release: FTD 'Writing For The King' (book & 2-CD set)-11-2006
15) Yesterday/Hey Jude (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)/ (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)
First release: ('Yesterday'): RCA 'On Stage – February', 1970-06-01-1970
First release: ('Hey Jude'): RCA 'On Stage' (1999 re-release)-05-18-1999
16) Introductions*
17) In The Ghetto (Scott 'Mac' Davis)
First release: RCA 'From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis' 2-LP set-10-14-1969
18) Suspicious Minds* (Mark James)
19) What'd I Say* (Ray Charles)
20) Can't Help Falling In Love* (Hugo Peretti/Luigi Creatore/George Weiss)

*Previously unreleased
Previously Unreleased as a Complete Show

Disc 9

Show 9 – August 25, Midnight show

01) Blue Suede Shoes (Carl Perkins)
First release: RCA 'From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis' 2-LP set-10-14-1969
02) I Got A Woman (Ray Charles)
03) All Shook Up (Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley)
First release: RCA 'From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis' 2-LP set 10-14-1969
04) Love Me Tender (Vera Matson/Elvis Presley)
05) Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)/ (Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley)
06) Heartbreak Hotel (Tommy Durden/Mae Boren Axton/Elvis Presley)
07) Hound Dog (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)
First release: RCA 'From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis' 2-LP set-10-14-1969
08) I Can't Stop Loving You (Don Gibson)
First release: RCA 'From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis' 2-LP set-10-14-1969
09) My Babe (Willie Dixon)
First release: RCA 'From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis' 2-LP set-10-14-1969
10) Mystery Train/Tiger Man (Junior Parker/Sam Phillips)/ (Joe Hill Louis/Sam Burns)
First release: RCA 'From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis' 2-LP set-10-14-1969
11) Monologue
12) Baby, What You Want Me To Do (Jimmy Reed)
13) Runaway (Max Crook/Del Shannon)
14) Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Roy Turk/Lou Handman)
15) Words (Robin, Barry & Maurice Gibb)
First release: RCA 'From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis' 2-LP set-10-14-1969
16) Yesterday/Hey Jude (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)/ (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)
17) Introductions
18) In The Ghetto (Scott 'Mac' Davis)
First release: FTD 'Writing For The King' (book & 2-CD set)-11-2006
19) Suspicious Minds (Mark James)
20) What'd I Say (Ray Charles)
21) Can't Help Falling In Love (Hugo Peretti/Luigi Creatore/George Weiss)

Complete show release: FTD 'Hot August Night'-06-2013

Disc 10

Show 10 – August 26, 1969. Dinner show
01) Blue Suede Shoes (Carl Perkins)
02) I Got A Woman (Ray Charles)
03) All Shook Up (Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley)
04) Love Me Tender (Vera Matson/Elvis Presley)
05) Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)/ (Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley)
06) Heartbreak Hotel (Tommy Durden/Mae Boren Axton/Elvis Presley)
07) Hound Dog (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)
08) Memories (Billy Strange/Scott 'Mac' Davis)
09) My Babe (Willie Dixon)
First release: RCA 'Elvis Aron Presley' 8-LP set -08-1980
10) Mystery Train/Tiger Man (Junior Parker/Sam Phillips)/ (Joe Hill Louis/Sam Burns)
11) Monologue
12) Baby, What You Want Me To Do (Jimmy Reed)
13) Runaway (Max Crook/Del Shannon)
14) Inherit The Wind (Eddie Rabbitt) | First release: RCA 'Collectors Gold' 3-CD set-08-13-1991
15) Yesterday/Hey Jude (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)/ (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)
16) Introductions
17) In The Ghetto (Scott 'Mac' Davis)
18) Suspicious Minds (Mark James)
First release: RCA 'From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis' 2-LP set-10-14-1969
19) Can't Help Falling In Love (Hugo Peretti/Luigi Creatore/George Weiss)
First release: RCA 'From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis' 2-LP set-10-14-1969

Complete show release: FTD 'Live In Vegas'-02-2011

Disc 11

Show 11 – August 26, 1969. Midnight show

01) Blue Suede Shoes (Carl Perkins)
02) I Got A Woman (Ray Charles)
03) All Shook Up (Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley)
04) Love Me Tender (Vera Matson/Elvis Presley)
05) Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)/ (Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley)
06) Heartbreak Hotel (Tommy Durden/Mae Boren Axton/Elvis Presley)
07) Hound Dog (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)
08) I Can't Stop Loving You (Don Gibson)
09) Mystery Train/Tiger Man (Junior Parker/Sam Phillips)/ (Joe Hill Louis/Sam Burns)
10) Monologue
11) Baby, What You Want Me To Do (Jimmy Reed)
First release: RCA 'Collectors Gold' 3-CD set-08-13-1991
12) Runaway Max Crook/Del Shannon)
First release: RCA 'Collectors Gold' 3-CD set-08-13-1991
13) Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Laughing version) (Roy Turk/Lou Handman)
First release: RCA 'Elvis Aron Presley' 8-LP set-08-1980
14) Rubberneckin' (Dory Jones/Bunny Warren) | First release: RCA 'Collectors Gold' 3-CD set-08-13-1991 (complete version only)
15) Yesterday/Hey Jude (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)/ (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)
16) Introductions
17) In The Ghetto (Scott 'Mac' Davis)
18) This Is The Story (Chris Arnold/Geoff Morrow/David Martin) | First release: RCA 'Collectors Gold' 3-CD set-08-13-1991
19) Suspicious Minds (Mark James)
20) Can't Help Falling In Love (Hugo Peretti/Luigi Creatore/George Weiss)

Complete show release: FTD 'All Shook Up'-07-2005

Buy Now

Interview with Elvis Presley + Review of Elvis in concert July 31, 1969
 Elvis Presley Talks About Cars, Kids, Love & Loneliness [1956]
 Interview With Elvis Presley : August 28, 1956
 Interview with Elvis Presley : October 28, 1957, Los Angeles
 Interview with Elvis Presley : Press Conference Canada 1957
 Interview with Elvis Presley : The 1969 Press Conference : August 1, 1969
 Interview with Elvis Presley : The February 1970 Houston Astrodome Press Conference
  Interview with Elvis Presley : The 1972 Madison Square Press Conference : June 9, 1972
  Rare Elvis Presley : 1973 Aloha Interview
 Presley Doesn't Wiggle Any More : but the fans still scream for him non-stop!
  Interview with Elvis Presley : The 1972 Madison Square Press Conference : June 9, 1972

More Interviews

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 Interview with John Wilkinson
 Interview with Michael Jarrett, songwriter, I'm Leavin'
 Interview with James Burton
 Interview with James Burton Sydney Australia 2006
 James Burton : First Call For The Royalty Of Rockabilly
 Interview with Ronnie Tutt
 Interview with Ronnie Tutt #2
 Interview with Jerry Scheff
 Interview with Glen D. Hardin
 Interview with Sherrill Nielsen
 Interview with Terry Blackwood & Jim Murray
 Interview with Tony Brown
 Duke Bardwell
 Interview with Scotty Moore
 Bill Black
 Interview with D.J. Fontana
 Interview with Charlie Hodge
 Interview with Ernst Jorgensen
 Elvis Presley & the TCB Band

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