Rattling Plates, Aces 'n Eights

ELVIS RATTLING PLATES, ACES ‘N  EIGHTS (1-CD STRAIGHT ARROW, FROM THE BOOT TAPES VOL.5) 

HILTON HOTEL, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA, 24-08-1973 DINNER SHOW

Friday, August 24, 1973 Dinner Show, Las Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas, NV Label: Straight Arrow Special Products SA/SP 2014-24-02. Liner notes: Imagine being a singer, and really putting your heart into a song. At the same time, your audience is having dinner, and some of them plainly don’t give a fuck about you or your singing. They are talking loudly, making noises with their plates, smoking one cigarette after another… Doesn’t sound very enticing, does it?

By 1973, it was clear that Elvis’ Las Vegas shows had a negative effect on the singer. But even at this stage, he was still impressive as a singer and a performer, and especially on those nights where he really turned on the power, there was nobody like him in Vegas -- or anywhere else, for that matter. 

The August 24th, 1973 dinner show is unreleased in any form and was sourced from an original, excellent sounding „booth“ tape. What is perhaps most surprising, is that Elvis was still quite focused three weeks into the engagement. In earlier years, the standard had sometimes slipped a bit in the third week, even as early as August ’70! Now he delivers a strong show, with ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’, ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ and ‘Big Hunk O’ Love’ being the show highlights. ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ was not a regular during this season up to this point, but he delights the audience with a snappy version of his first million seller. And who knows, at this stage he may well have concluded that he’d found his own ‘Heartbreak Hotel’…

This show was rediscovered recently and we believe that you will agree with us that this is another great find. A real must - not just for the hardcore collector. Another quality Straight Arrow release!

This CD is from "the booth tapes", so we're dealing with another audience recording, as every Straight Arrow releaseis.

Tracklist:
01. Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra - 02. C. C. Rider - 03. I Got A Woman / Amen - 04. Love Me - 05. Steamroller Blues - 06. You Gave Me A Mountain - 07. Blue Suede Shoes - 08. Medley: Long Tall Sally / Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On / Your Mama Don't Dance / Flip Flop And Fly / Jailhouse Rock / Hound Dog - 09. Love Me Tender - 10. Fever - 11. Bridge Over Troubled Water - 12. Suspicious Minds - 13. Introductions of singers, musicians, orchestra - 14. Release Me - 15. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel - 16. An American Trilogy - 17. A Big Hunk O'Love - 18. Heartbreak Hotel - 19. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - 20. Can't Help Falling In Love - 21. Closing Vamp.

Adios Lincoln

ELVIS PRESLEY – ADIOS LINCOLN (1-CD STRAIT ARROW) 

PERSHING MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM, LINCOLN, NE, USA, 20-06-1977…..8:30 PM SHOW

Most of Elvis’ musicians prefer not to talk about Elvis’ final tours, but whenever they do, they usually agree that final tour was one that should have never been undertaken. It was simply one tour too many. At this stage it was impossible to hide the fact that Elvis was in serious problems. 

In any case, the Lincoln concert is one of the finest shows from that last tour. Elvis sounds much better than in Omaha the day before. Surprises include a well-sung ‘Help Me’ and arguably the best ever version of ‘Unchained Melody’, which for the first and only time was performed before the band introductions. Interestingly, and completely unknown until now, is that Elvis asks J.D. Sumner and the Stamps to perform 'Walk That Lonesome Road' during the band intros, which is very unusual for the time frame. 

The June 20, 1977 show was first issued on CD in 2004 („ELVIS ROCKS LINCOLN“). This sloppy edition was taken from an incomplete source, missing 17 minutes. For the first time Straight Arrow offer this concert complete. Using two independent original audience recored tapes, Straight Arrow's sound engineer was able to restore all 73 minutes of Lincoln concert. This new CD edition is limited to 500 copies. Do not miss one of the best shows from Elvis Presley final tour!

Tracks:
01. Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra - 02. C. C. Rider - 03. I Got A Woman / Amen - 04. Love Me - 05. If You Love Me (Let Me Know) - 06. You Gave Me A Mountain - 07. Jailhouse Rock - 08. O Sole Mio (Sherrill Nielsen) / It's Now Or Never - 09. Love Me Tender - 10. Little Sister - 11. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel - 12. Help Me - 13. Unchained Melody - 14. Introduction of vocalists, musicians - 15. Walk That Lonesome Road (J. D. Sumner and The Stamps) - 16. Introduction of vocalists, musicians continues - 17. Early Mornin' Rain - 18. What'd I Say - 19. Johnny B. Goode - 20. Drum Solo (Ronnie Tutt) - 21. Bass Solo (Blues, Jerry Scheff) - 22. Piano Solo (Tony Brown) - 23. I Really Don't Want To Know - 24. Electric Piano Solo (Bobby Ogden) - 25. Jazzing In Vegas (Joe Guercio Orchestra) - 26. Hurt - 27. Hound Dog - 28. Can't Help Falling In Love - 29. Closing Vamp / Announcements.

The New Leader In Las Vegas

ELVIS PRESLEY – THE NEW LEADER IN LAS VEGAS 

(NEW FRONTIER PUBLISHING 144 PAGES HARDCOVER BOOK 
IN DELUXE SLIPCASE)  

A new book by New Frontier Publishing: 144 pages and presented in a deluxe slipcase. This time the slipcase contains gorgeous gold embossing.Foreword has been written by Joe Esposito (I think he needed money again) and with every book comes a 8x10 bonus photo handsigned by Joe Esposito in person. This is a limited release of 1000 copies worldwide