Better Footage For Elvis The Concert

I wish they would do a video recording of one of the shows in the UK for release on DVD. The concerts are excellent and different from any other individual concert currently available.

Oh, I see. Now they put in Hurt or Unchained Melody from June 1977 ? No of course not I forgot that Elvis died right after the Aloha '73 show according to the estate..

The 25th Anniversary Elvis in concert from Memphis was amazing, really. The band played live to songs from the movies and the TV shows from the 50s as well as the Vegas footage.If the estate could recreate this to take to Europe it would be a tremendous eye opener for concert goers.Tom unfortunately I would say the 77 versions would not fit into this format. The screen is huge and even some of the footage from On tour and Aloha does n't visually do Elvis justice never mind the 77 stuff.Elvis in Concert works best on the numbers and the images that show Elvis at his best. Non fans have made it clear they want to see the slim, energetic Elvis doing good versions of all the songs, not throwaway versions .That is why I think some of the 60s movie songs and performances would be great additions and add to the atmosphere. Is this possible EPE?

CEP, In my honest opinion I think it's movie songs that wouldn't work (instead of '77 material). The purpose of "Elvis The Concert" is to give people a real Elvis-concert "feel". I was there as well in Memphis 2002 and I thought the movie-stuff was really boring. It was like watching a movie, but without a plot and a lot louder. I do agree that the current "Elvis The Concert" programme has too many "throw away" material. But putting in fifties and sixties material is not the anwser and would ruin any kind of concert experience, no matter how good Elvis looks. I'd say, put more focus on good quality seventies stuff. There's still plenty to choose from ("I Just Can't Help Believin'", "Never Been To Spain", "Proud Mary", "Early Morning Rain", "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" you name it)...

Personally speaking, I think it is terrible that they do not include anything from 1977. Just off the top of my head, ''Hurt'', ''How Great Tho Art'', ''You Gave Me A Mountain'' were magnificent performances. From a comedy aspect, i would also include ''Are You Lonesome Tonight'' with Charlie acting gay and making Elvis laugh. Too many ignorant people believe Elvis was stoned and forgetting his words, they dont realise this was an act him and Charlie had been doing for years. All that aside, EPE must remember that Elvis had a career from 1954 - 1977 and not just upto 1973. I can't see it happening tho as EPE are not a forward thinking organisation, its thanks to the brilliant fans who keep purchasing stuff, preaching the word etc, that Elvis is still going strong.

I agree whole heartedly with Mark S. Please EPE include I just can't help believing, it is an absolute brilliant song a big favourite i am sure with many of the Fans. I also feel that some footage from Elvis'77 would be great. Elvis may not have been in his best shape but his voice was still amazing. I don't see how EPE can continue to hide all this footage and make excuses not to show it. Come on EPE we want to see it! And finally, hurry up April, can't wait for the Concert!

Personally I would like 'I just can't help believing' included in 'Elvis the Concert'. This is a fantastic song both visually and vocally. As regards the 1977 footage I say leave it out. In my opinion it would ruin the whole mood of the audience and give the press an excuse to criticize him yet again. I would also like to see James Burton use his famous pink paisley telecaster - the one fender gave him on opening at the Hilton in 1969. He never seems to use this for 'Elvis - The Concert'. I would also like to see him play the guitar behind his head, as he often did with Elvis - usually on Johnny B. Goode.

Mark S. Spot on, Jim Semple get real!.I love the 77 material as much as anything elvis done no matter how sad it is too watch, but to include it here would be a very bad idea. You leave these concerts uplifted, and i'm not sure you would if you had to watch these last performances, non fanatics at the show could'nt help compare this to earlier footage and the reaction would be totally negative. Hurt and How great thou art are amazing performances, but Are you lonesome tonight is not, it is not the "gay version" as you suggest and sorry folks Elvis is stoned or worse something that does not lessen him in these eyes, but don't let your heart rule your head, and finally Jim the shows are not meant to be about Elvis career 54-77 but to try and recreate an Elvis concert experience as best as posssible and they suceed. Maybe you should try to go and see it, you have missed the point totally.

Hillybillycat - I think you completely contradict yourself. You are saying How Great Thou Art and Hurt are amazing performances - so why not show them to the public ?? Are you suggesting the public cannot see these because he was a lot heavier than Aloha, even though you admit his voice was great ??. I haven't missed the point at all, yes EPE are trying to create the next best thing to a real Elvis concert, but what do you think Elvis was doing the last 4 years of his life ?? He was out there performing constantly and there were many brilliant shows after Aloha, sadly though, nothing was officially filmed apart from CBS Special. And yes Are You Lonesome Tonight is a gay version with Charlie Hodge messing around, I suggest you check out the Omaha 19/6/77 version. My final point is that if Elvis had the guts to perform when admittedly not at his physically looking best, but still in good voice, we as fans should applaud that and enjoy the performances. The longer EPE shy away from the CBS Special concerts, the longer the ''ignorant lack of informed public in some quarters'' will continue to believe Elvis was some 30 stone monster as we often hear in todays garbage press. Its about time the record was put straight.

Hi Jim, I think you are out of line here. Of course we hard core fans apprciate seeing Elvis eitherway. But as it is today, the press would take him down on the '77 matter. And after all it's his image we want to protect

Sorry, Jim. The press today is ten times worse than back in '77. Let's not destroy the amazing resurgence of interest in all things elvis because of ALLC, E1, E2, '68 & aloha dvd.s,--he's back on top where he should be and getting the accolades from the mainstream which he's always deserved. Sorry, but as much as I love elvis (including '77), I don't think elvis himself would want the general public to see the way he looked at the end. It would definitely ruin it for the new fans. And if we want to keep his name alive, we need to do it by showing the general public the BEST of elvis, and sadly, 1977 was not the best, not by a stretch.

I feel the same way as most appear to on this subject. 1973-77 were interesting years for the real fans but for the casual ones not so. To see Elvis do a song from 70-73 one moment and then one from 77 the next would highlight all too clearly his physical decline and would, for many, be quite shocking. I am sure this would only detract from the enjoyment of the show. I would certainly not like to see 77 footage included. Furthermore, the press would make the worst of it. Just look at the way the death of Marlon Brando was covered. The images portrayed in the press conveyed him as a 30-odd stone reclusive oddball. For many that have little/no previous knowledge of Brando this is the image that will prevail. What about all those years he looked great!? EPE has worked hard to create a more positive & true image of Elvis for a long time now. Why risk undoing all that hard work? Oh, and please include 'Just Can't Help..'

Mr semple, you invite some freinds around who are not big Elvis fans, do you A show the 68 special B show the Aloha special C show the CBS special you are trying to show non fans, Elvis in the best possible light because you are proud to be an Elvis fan and you love him, tell me jim honestly, what would you show?, would you be like me and keep 77 for personal pleasure and be proud watching the other two in company, beaming with pride at our man. Concerning Are you lonesome tonight you seem to be a bit hung up about the gay thing, i would'nt worry they tell me it's fashionable now. P.S. Have you actually seen the Elvis concert, cause you did'nt say.

Hillbillycat - your question is a little misleading. If we were to choose between the FULL three concerts that you have mentioned, then of course I wouldn't show the CBS version. I'd probably go for the 68 Comeback Special. However, we are not talking about full concerts, my suggestion was a simple addition of perhaps one or two songs from the CBS filmed concerts, thats all, not an entire show !. Hung up about the gay thing ?? I was just making a point about the sense of humour between Charlie Hodge and Elvis during Are You Lonesome Tonight which was a mainstay of their act from 1976 onwards, when certain quarters of the ignorant world thought Elvis was stoned. Yes I've seen the show once and took 3 non-Elvis friends with me. I thought overall it was great, though I don't think my friends would go back again, but hey everyone has got an opinion. If you are a non Elvis fan, then to pay £32 to watch a video screen (albeit supported by wonderful musicians) is a hard one to win over, some non fans will love it, some wouldnt go back in a hurry, thats just life. Regarding protecting the image of Elvis, you have to agree, no matter what you do or dont do, there are still people in the world today, press, tv, genral public, critics, who if you offered them a million pounds would still think Elvis was an obese drug addict who was a 1970's embarrassment. That will never change, too many people today still think of Elvis in that way and it is completely wrong, they are so blinkered that everything good Elvis did ended in 1968. Yes, I agree physically Elvis was a million years away from his 1968 and even 1973 condition, but at times, during the 1977 CBS Special his voice was outstanding. All I will say, is that if you can download his CBS shows off the internet, which I am sure many thousands, possible millions have done, why shy away from adding a couple of songs from 1977 ? As I said earlier, Im not suggesting a full concert !. What I am trying to do is to convince people and I know plenty of people who agree with me, that Elvis in 1977 was no where near as bad people think, and infact he was no where near as fat as many ignorant tabloids suggested. When I first read some books about his CBS shows years ago, I honestly hand on heart expected to see a 25 stone zombie on stage but I'll tell you what, when I bought the CBS Special from the Elvis Fan Club, I was amazed how slim he was in comparison to the hyped up rubbish i had read, which people still believe today. I honestly believe his 73 - 77 work should not be ignored any longer, as the people who believe this exaggerated hype will never see anything different and be proved wrong. Hey, thats just what I think but I respect everyone else has a different point of view.

Having followed this topic with interest, I decided to watch CBS 77 again and whilst I enjoyed the Rapid City show for the most part, the Omaha show is pretty poor. Either way, I still think this material should not be included in Elvis The Concert. That show should demonstrate Elvis at his peak. At no point in 1977 was Elvis at his peak even if his voice was at time excellent. Hurt, for example, is peformed well at the end of the song but the first couple of verses are more or less mumbled. As for many having an image of Elvis as being an embarrassing, obese, drug addict, I'm sorry to remind you, but for many years he was a drug addict and for the last 1-2 years he was generally obese and often his performances were at least bordering on being an embarrassment. I wish it hadn't been that way but it was. I don't mean to upset anyone but I think sometimes some of us are so close to Elvis we lose some objectivity.