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Unchained Melody - 1977 Charlotte Concert Soundboard

December 02, 2006 | Music
The Follow That Dream label will release "Unchained Melody" with a soundboard recording from an Elvis' concert in Charlotte, North Carolina on February 20, 1977. This release is due for January 1, 2007.

For unknown reasons, the engineer never recorded the beginning of the shows on this tour, and consequently the CD starts with Love Me rather than Elvis's usual opening material for this tour.
Bonus songs from other concerts on the same tour are included.

Track List ( Charlotte Concert ):

Love Me ; Fairytale ; You Gave Me A Mountain ; Jailhouse Rock ; O Sole Mio / It’s Now Or Never ; Little Sister ; Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel ; My Way ; Moody Blue –intro only ; How Great Thou Art ; Hurt ; Hound Dog ; Unchained Melody ; Can’t Help Falling In Love

Bonus Tracks ( Other Shows on the Tour ):

Moody Blue ; Blueberry Hill ; Love Letters ; Where No One Stands Alone ; Release Me ; Trying To Get To You ; Reconsider Baby ; Why Me Lord

According to the "Elvis The Man & His Music" magazine the April release will be a collection of multitrack recordings from February 1972. Possibly entitled "American Trilogy".
Source:Various
Ton Bruins wrote on December 02, 2006
Yes Lex, you know I like 1977 stuff.....lol.....
Renan Augusto wrote on December 02, 2006
I liked the news. I hope they can bring us the best performances from this tour and with superb quality.
Lex wrote on December 02, 2006
Brrrrr... another cabinet filler. Ton, I am happy for you and those others without ears :-).
Ton Bruins wrote on December 02, 2006
If you could see me now, Lex. I've got very big ears...lol. In a way you are right. After the great december 1976 tour it went down for Elvis and his shows, I know that...but on the other hand it's part of his life and his legend. At the same time I know that he should have been in a hospital and get his act together. But we can't turn back the hand of time, can we ? I hope for great versions of How Great Thou Art, Unchained Melody and Trying To Get To You. And I know you will give this CD a spin aswell....lol.
Lex wrote on December 02, 2006
Yes, I will give it ONE spin... and listen to it very critically... at least if I am able to sit it out. I know it is part of the heritage, but gladly you can step aside in this case. I still love to listen to Elvis, and I always will... if he sings well, there are just too many weak performances. Hence, there is enough good material on other CDs. His Hand In Mine will bring me to the next worthy FTD release ;-). Do you have heard one great version of "Unchained Melody" before? I think even the December version wasn't that good and in this sentence I exclude other performers :-).
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on December 02, 2006
Not bad,i do hope they change the title,call it charlotte blues or anything but unchained melody,its no longer cool too just pick the title from one of the songs on the disc,lol, im wondering about the bonus tracks will they be most of whats on the import moody blue & other great performances? my only otherwish is that the april release was the jan release,looking forward to those multitrack recordings from feb 72,but this seems to be a nice release,but change the name! and dont forget about nasheville 71!!!
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on December 02, 2006
By the way were are the introductions? ilove the solos from 77!
Greg Nolan wrote on December 03, 2006
Some of those songs are really well-done or at least good listens, Lex. His last year was problematic, but he also could really pour it on sometimes. There are no good versions of "Unchained Melody,"? Puh-lease. He labored through it, but it could be quite moving, too. I look forward to this release. I'm not over-joyed by it but it will continue FTD's documentation of all seasons of his career. But truthfully, we all have gotten so much lately that quite a few discs go right "into the cabinet," and who knows when one can catch up. It's not like we have the luxury we once did to play a disc to death because nothing new was coming down the pike...
Rob Wanders wrote on December 03, 2006
yes, this period (dec 1976-febr. 1977) is a mystery to me. Dec '76 Elvis sounded great, looked ok, if you see the picture made on January the 3rd '77 (at the funeral of Ginger's Grandfather) Elvis looked fine. But if you see the pictures from one month later, it's an awful change. Elvis never looked worse than in this month. But still I like the music; the sound of the band is great and Elvis has got his magic moments. Wonderful versions of "Trying to get to you", "Mountain" etc. The only painful moment is "O sole mio' from Sherill, but ok, it's part of the show. Elvis made it very difficult for himself bringing 'Unchained melody' the way he brought it. With a lot af drama ( a bit overdone) and trying to give it an Operatic-style. As a proffesional operasinger myself, I think he didnot succeeded in doing so, at least if you hear the "naked" versions (you could hear as they were on stage). But after a bit polishing in the studio (on the album "Moody blue" or the single-version) it's much, much better, and it became one of my favourites.
Janus wrote on December 03, 2006
Hey guys, we must be glad with the release BECAUSE IT IS RELEASED!! We al known what the man could do when he was in good shape, but at this time of his life he was not at his prime . But it is stil magic for me what Elvis did and that's for me the reason to buy it. I can not put the finger on the spot but Elvis fasinates me in those periods and thats the second reason why i'm buyng the cd. Hail,Hail rock and roll ernst!!! Keep on rocking and don't stop the music!!!
Ton Bruins wrote on December 03, 2006
Unchained Melody from Rapid City June 21, 1977 is a fantastic version !
Lex wrote on December 03, 2006
Janus, you'll probably buy a CD with the sounds of Elvis having diarrhea too?
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on December 03, 2006
Real classy!
Greg Nolan wrote on December 04, 2006
For a second, I thought I might be on Beatlenews.com...>eyeroll> Rob, interesting take on "...Melody" as you are an opera singer. I'm not as critical (he put on a hell of an effort and he was "only" a rock'n'roll singer) but I know the undubbed versions show his shortcomings. For that time in his life, he did well in my book. I agree the final overdubbed version was a keeper..