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A Change Of Mind

May 26, 2009 | Music

The next Straight Arrow import release will be "A Change Of Mind" featuring an audience recording of Elvis September 3, 1973 Dinner Show as recorded at the Hilton Hotel showroom in Las Vegas. This release is due early June 2009

The press-release:

The next release from Straight Arrow (SA 2009-13-02), scheduled for early June, will be previously unreleased Las Vegas September 3rd, 1973 Dinner show. It is very strong concert, containing the only known 1973 version of "It's Now Or Never", rare "Polk Salad Annie" performed only twice in 1973, part of "Jailhouse Rock" and for 'rare live excerpts' fans there are bits of "Guadalajara", "Miracle Of The Rosary" and "Farther Along".

This show was taped by the same person as Dec. 02nd, 1976 concert released as "Last Vegas Opening Night" and once again for this CD release, an original mastertape will be used. The sound quality is excellent - regarding the off-line source.

As a bonus, 4 tracks from the closing show are also included. They originate from the B-side of the same master tape cassette. All prior releases of these songs from the closing show derive from a substandard source.

Note: to prevent any speculations, we would like to make clear that the CD "Top Acts In Vegas Vol. 4" from 1995 is containing September 2nd, 1973 Dinner show, not September 3rd, 1973 Dinner show as stated in the CD design. The date is wrong.

Excerpts from the sleeve notes:

"Elvis was coming to the end of his 1973 summer season at the Las Vegas Hilton, one most notable for much banter with his musicians and frequent lyric changes. The Labor Day dinner show, Monday, September 3, was just such a performance. At 8:45 pm, the star, in his glittering "Blue Superman" jumpsuit, appeared to warm applause. He seemed a little sleepy, but would soon be his energetic self. After "C. C. Rider", as he was welcoming the crowd, the microphone came off the top of its stand in three pieces, which he then tossed to Red West, commenting about how it needed to be taped up.

"Fever" was peppered with ad-libs, and at one point a female yelled out, "Room Three-Forty Five!" to much audience laughter. "Now you've listened to HER story", sang Elvis, and there was a lot of leg action as he concluded the song out on the ramp the Hilton had added to the main showroom.

Introductions were interspersed with humour, especially when Elvis recalled how he'd thrown water on piano player Glen Hardin the night before. "He came [after the show] in with all of the arrangements, all of his wardrobe, and quit, you know. Made a big deal out of it! ... I'm gonna do it again tonight!" Glen nimbly sprang out of the way as Elvis aimed a glass of water at him. Intros over, Elvis sang a few bars of "Farther Along", Glen echoing him on piano. He stopped, and instead began "Release Me".

"That's about it, folks", Elvis reluctantly announced, adding that the hotel didn't like them to stay on stage too long. But then someone called out for "Polk Salad Annie". Turning to Glen, he quietly said "For The Good Times", and Hardin began to play the introduction. Yet again Elvis instantly changed his mind, and attacked the request for "Polk Salad Annie" instead. Over more requests, he began "Can't Help Falling In Love". Before he disappeared behind the showroom's descending gold curtain, someone gave him a lei of red flowers, which he sweetly put around his neck".

Tracklisting:

01. Opening Vamp / C. C. Rider - 02. I Got A Woman / Amen - 03. Love Me - 04. Steamroller Blues - 05. You Gave Me A Mountain / Guadalajara (partial) - 06. Trouble - 07. Long Tall Sally / Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On / Mama Don't Dance / Flip Flop & Fly / Hound Dog - 08. Love Me Tender - 09. Fever - 10. Bridge Over Troubled Water - 11. Suspicious Minds - 12. Introductions by Elvis of Singers, Musicians - 13. Farther Along (partial) / Release Me - 14. An American Trilogy - 15. Mystery Train / Tiger Man - 16. Jailhouse Rock (partial) - 17. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel - 18. It's Now Or Never - 19. How Great Thou Art - 20. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face / Miracle Of The Rosary (partial) - 21. Polk Salad Annie - 22. Can't Help Falling In Love - 23. Closing Vamp / Announcements.

Bonus (September 3, 1973 Closing Show):

24. C. C. Rider - 25. Love Me - 26. Steamroller Blues - 27. You Gave Me A Mountain - 28. Trouble

Source:Email
circleG wrote on May 26, 2009
great cover - i'm constantly amazed at the good rare photos that are out there
sitdown68 wrote on May 26, 2009
The liner notes say: Elvis reluctantly announced, adding that the hotel didn't like them to stay on stage too long. - I guess that whas a main factor in Presley's career, which killed his creativity. He should have turned Las Vegas his back and go for a world tour. As an artist I would conisder it an insult, to receive such a type of critique.
Steve V wrote on May 26, 2009
By this time Vegas should have been ditched. Especially after Aloha, how can you go back to playing for a hotel crowd and management? What a damn shame. About the cover, it is one of the best Ive seen. Amazing how products coming from EPE use the same tired photos all the time, yet there are great photos out there from other sources.
ElvisDayByDay wrote on May 26, 2009
It's not critique, it is business. The more time the audience spent in the showroom listening to Elvis the lesser time they spent behind the slotmachines. Elvis was "just" the entertainment to get the people into the casino.
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on May 26, 2009
And thats why he should not have been there,he used vegas as his stage to return to for live shows,but needed to move on to bigger and better things but didnt,its just a fact!
sitdown68 wrote on May 26, 2009
Yes. The cover is great. He looked great wearing this suit. In this one he looks like a puma hunting at night
Ciscoking wrote on May 26, 2009
The show belongs to the best of this season..I think it`s better than the closing show where he took it a bit too loose. At the beginning he sounds a bit tired,....but gains speed as the show lasts on...we hear some fine renditions....Trilogy, First Time.., Release Me...,Now Or Never...great !!
Ronaldv wrote on May 26, 2009
Great release! Most of it is unreleased. Good job, guys. It's now or never in 1973? Promising!
Greg Nolan wrote on May 26, 2009
Nice to hear some reasonable comments from the EN gang. It's very true he should have launched into a bigger world stage after ALOHA. Hats off to Straight Arrow for documenting his career in the usual high-quality manner. I hope to add this "to the pile."
Harvey Alexander wrote on May 27, 2009
"He looks like a puma hunting at night"????? My goodness! And there was me thinking he looks like Liberace. Vegas Schmegas. I bet the 'rare' versions of 'Polk Salad' etc. sound REALLY different to the hundreds of other ones we've had. Not. Another Vegas show. Big deal.
sitdown68 wrote on May 27, 2009
well, if you look at them country singers in the 70's everybody wore these clothes, even carl perkins did, so there was more than vegas shmegas;-) and ypps, he really looks better real coo in blue than in white. never liked these white suits but the best he looked were those simple black suits in 69. Or look at the Ziggy Stardust type of clothes worn by 70's rockstars. I've seen Freddie Mercury on stage 1981. If it comes to stage outfits I prefer Presley wearing a blue rhinestone suit. but you know.. it's only rock 'n'roll...
Jerome-the-third wrote on May 27, 2009
it's good these releases keep coming with nice packaging and unreleased material and this looks great. But listening to an audience recording is something I'm bored with..
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on May 27, 2009
I am not a big fan of shows recorded offline as they put it,but i must say the cover is fresh and as mentioned not the same old type that sony uses, I would like to see a rerelease of the aug 20th show that was on the profile vol.1 set!
Greg Nolan wrote on June 07, 2009
Hey Jerry and Harvey, if you're so bored with audience-recordings and Vegas shows, maybe it's time to stop logging into "ElvisNews.com." Not every one is a hard-core Elvis fan but it's assumed that those who are here are that. You don't show up to a stamp collectors convention to be-rate people for wasting their lives collecting stamps. After all, the sad truth is that there hasn't been any true Elvis "news" since his death---- over 3 decades ago!Newsflash: Elvis is as dead as a doornail. So quit expecting a return to the recording studio or some great unheard tapes. It's virtually all out there. So if you're going to visit among Elvis hard-core sites where such releases actually have some value and meaning (especially the good work of Straight Arrow) keep some perspective. Otherwise, it's nothing but trolling.