DOIN' THE BEST I CAN

(2-CD DIGIPACK STRAIT ARROW)  

CD 1) HILTON HOTEL, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA, 16-02-1973 DINNER SHOW

CD 2) HILTON HOTEL, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA, 16-02-1973 MIDNIGHT SHOW

Coming out soon on Straight Arrow is the 2CD set „DOIN‘ THE BEST I CAN”, featuring two shows recorded on February 16. Most Elvis experts agree that the „post Aloha“ winter engagement was his weakest up to that point. Perhaps his inner turmoils played a role, but a rather severe throat infection most definitely did. It was so serious that midnight shows on Feb. 13, 14 and 15 ended up getting cancelled and dinner shows were performed against doctors advice. At some of the shows it was clear that the infection seriously hampered his ability to sing. Still, being the professional that he was, he tried to do the best he could. This is also what you will hear on the previously unreleased concerts from this engagement on this new Straight Arrow release. Presented in truly excellent audience-recorded audio, they give us interesting insights of Elvis at work under trying circumstances. His voice is not at its best here, his condition prevents him from firing on all cylinders, but still he’s giving solid and professional shows. And that’s one element that certainly deserves to be acknowledged more than it is today.

The February 16, 1973 concerts are taken directly from original „booth recorded tapes.“ The Feb. 16, 1973 D/S was previously released („A DINNER AT THE HILTON“, 2007 and „I'M A STEAMROLLER BABY“, 2008) from an inferior audience recorded source. These CD have nothing to do with Straight Arrow’s excellent „booth tape“ version! The Feb. 16 1973 M/S is a completely new show, even for die-hard Elvis fans. It has never been in circulation - in any form! These tapes were 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! 

CD1 - Friday, February 16, 1973 Dinner Show

01. Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra - 02. C. C. Rider - 03. I Got A Woman / Amen - 04. Love Me Tender - 05. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me - 06. Steamroller Blues - 07. You Gave Me A Mountain - 08. Fever - 09. Love Me - 10. Blue Suede Shoes - 11. Hound Dog - 12. Johnny B. Goode - 13. What Now My Love - 14. Suspicious Minds - 15. Introductions of singers, musicians, orchestra - 16. Introduction of Johnny Tillotson - 17. I Can’t Stop Loving You - 18. An American Trilogy - 19. Can't Help Falling In Love - 20. Closing Vamp / Announcements.

CD2 - Friday, February 16, 1973 Midnight Show

01. Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra - 02. C. C. Rider - 03. I Got A Woman / Amen - 04. Love Me Tender (with false start) - 05. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me - 06. Steamroller Blues - 07. You Gave Me A Mountain - 08. Fever - 09. Love Me - 10. Blue Suede Shoes - 11. Johnny B. Goode - 12. Hound Dog - 13. What Now My Love - 14. Suspicious Minds - 15. Introductions of singers, musicians, orchestra - 16. Introduction of Paul Anka - 17. I Can’t Stop Loving You - 18. An American Trilogy - 19. Can't Help Falling In Love - 20. Closing Vamp / Announcements.

THE LAST FAREWELL

THE GRACELAND STUDIO SESSIONS 1976

A new CD has been announced: The Last Farewell, the Graceland Studio Sessions 1976.

No details are available right now but I think this is a re-release of the "Welcome To The Jungle" releases by Venus and maybe filled with some FTD tracks too.

My opinion has not been "official" announced by the producers, but in the past we've seen other import labels stealing from old labels.

This is a 5 CD release + 80 page book, so the price is very high I think.

MOVING FORWARD

(1-CD DIGIPACK SR RECORDS)

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA, 22-02-1970 DINNER SHOW

The forthcoming release from the "SR" label is titled "Moving Forward" and will feature the unreleased show from Las Vegas February 22, 1970 ds.

 

As everybody knows SR concentrates it's work on early 70's live period of Elvis' activity, trying to produce always unreleased shows with Elvis at the top of his possibilities. With the new release, we are proud to present the complete show from February 22th dinner show,a rare show from a Vegas winter season always poor of official and unofficial releases.. Elvis' love of singing is clear in this tape and we are glad to give you the opportunity to listen to it. The Vegas second season allows Elvis, after paying his debt to the golden past in the ’69 season, to demonstrate his true abilities. We see the best of Elvis in songs that will become the fulcrum of the Elvis show until 1972.The midnight show from February 22th, represents very well the shows of the season, the absence of mostly of the classic repertoire from the golden era, as newspaper noted make to think that Elvis is moving toward a more contemporary repertoire… …The combination of all his latest four singles with the new songs although covers, give to listener something unique that unfortunately will be no repeated in the future.. at least with this intensity.. yes we are talking about covers but Elvis still has the ability to take a song and turn it in HIS song…Polk Salad Annie or See See Rider are the perfect example.

Talking about the show , the show is solid and rough no too long the classic 60 minutes of pure energy , Elvis worked hard performing 14 songs, including his new single “Kentucky Rain.” together the best repertoire of the season. Talking about best songs is always hard overall in this kind of show where all the songs are very well performed, however surely we appreciated the incredible Walk a Mile in My Shoes/In the Ghetto medley.

This recording come from an early generation copy of the master tape, the sound quality is good considering the early season. The sound was restored in a studio to achieve best possible results. We have spent hours in the studio over the digital restoration of the sound, to achieve the best possible results and to give you the chance to hear it with pleasure.

This new CD will come with the classic of deluxe Digipack four panels, containing a collection of live photographs from the Season + newspaper clip .

Tracks:
01. All Shook Up. 02. I Got A Woman. 03.Long Tall Sally. 04. Don’t Cry Daddy. 05. Hound Dog. 06. Love Me Tender (+ 1 false start). 07. Kentucky Rain. 08. Let It Be Me (+ 1 false start). 09. I Can’t Stop Loving You. 10. Walk A Mile In My Shoes / In The Ghetto. 11. Sweet Caroline. 12. Polk Salad Annie. 13 Band Introductions. 14. Suspicious Minds. 15. Can’t Help Falling In Love.
Time 57.00 min

LOOSE AS A GOOSE!

(2-CD DIGIPACK STRAIT ARROW)  

CD 1 + 2) LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA, 19-08-1970 DINNER + MIDNIGHT SHOWS

 
Coming out soon is the new Straight Arrow's double-digipak CD release, called "LOOSE AS A GOOSE!", featuring the August 19th, 1970 Las Vegas dinner and midnight shows. These recordings were first released in 1998 („DOUBLE DYNAMITE“ set) and were never re-released - until now. 

17 years have passed, and it is the right time for the ultimate release of these special recordings.

To call this new Straight Arrow release „a nice upgrade“ would be like calling the Mona Lisa an „okay“ painting! The label was able to retrieve the first generation Rick Rennie cassettes from the August 19, 1970 dinner & midnight shows (the originals are lost) and then carefully enhanced every second on the tapes. As it turns out, that earlier release of these two show was edited, so this new SA release presents Rick's 1st generations tapes in their complete form for the very first time. To give you an example, the dinner show on „DOUBLE DYNAMITE“ was about 45 mins; now it‘s 56 mins!

Still, one edit remains in the DS recording, the one made by the late Rick Rennie originally. Rick told us about 10 years ago that ‘Love Me Tender’ just went on and on, with Elvis being mostly preoccupied with entertaining a few lucky ladies in the front rows. This went on for almost 15 minutes, and all around him Rick could hear people starting to "boo" Elvis. He felt embarrassed about this moment and edited it from the tape. Interestingly, the label on the tape reads: "Elvis - the booed show. Edited." Even though Elvis’ performance on this night was quite strong overall, you can hear in parts that Rick’s account rings true. Elvis’ off-color jokes receive only polite applause, if even that, and during ‘Polk Salad Annie’, he accidentally falls flat on his face!

But make no mistake about it, even these moments cannot distract from the pure dynamite of Elvis’ vocals & showmanship at the time. Especially on the newer stuff he sings at full throttle. The midnight show is even better: it’s 70 action-packed minutes of Presley at his mightiest, rockinest, lovinest… It’s „Elvis 1970“, and that really says it all for the true fan & connoisseur. Even moreso than the TTWII recordings, these tapes give us a unique insight into Elvis performing live in his element & at the peak of his considerable powers. At the same time, these recordings are significant because they give us the first glimpses of what was to come…

As with every Straight Arrow’s „upgrade“, this beautifully designed double-digipack edition is limited to 500 copies. If you enjoyed „A NEW DECADE, A NEW SOUND“ and „LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE IN PORTLAND“, you will definitely not be disappointed by "LOOSE AS A GOOSE!". These shows never sounded better! Elvis never sounded better!

Tracklist:
CD1
01. Orchestra Intro - 02. Opening Vamp - 03. Tiger Man - 04. I Got A Woman (with false start)/Ave Maria (excerpt) - 05. Monologue - 06. Love Me Tender (false start only) - 07. I've Lost You - 08. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me - 09. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - 10. Polk Salad Annie - 11. Introductions of singers, musicians, orchestra - 12. The Wonder Of You - 13. Heartbreak Hotel (with 4 false starts) - 14. One Night - 15. Blue Suede Shoes - 16. Along Came Jones (excerpt) - 17. Hound Dog - 18. Bridge Over Troubled Water - 19. Suspicious Minds - 20. Can't Help Falling In Love.

CD2
01. Orchestra Intro - 02. Opening Vamp - 03. That's All Right - 04. I Got A Woman - 05. Tiger Man - 06. I Walk The Line (excerpt) / Monologue - 07. Love Me Tender - 08. Instrumental intermezzo #1 - 09. I've Lost You - 10. I Just Can't Help Believin' - 11. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - 12. Polk Salad Annie - 13. Instrumental intermezzo #2 - 14. Introductions of singers, musicians, orchestra - 15. Johnny B. Goode - 16. Introductions of singers, musicians, orchestra continues - 17. The Wonder Of You - 18. Heartbreak Hotel - 19. One Night - 20. All Shook Up - 21. Blue Suede Shoes - 22. Hound Dog - 23. Bridge Over Troubled Water - 24. Suspicious Minds - 25. Can't Help Falling In Love - 26. Closing Vamp.