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Springtime In Saginaw

September 13, 2001 | Music
This release by Music Gate is an audience recording from Saginaw from the 20.30 show, May 3 1977. This was the last concert on tour 27, and the second show in Saginaw in 8 days. In the 27th tour of Elvis in April and May of 1977 Elvis played two times in Saginaw within two days.

Design

Like most recent releases this one has a very basic and plain artwork. Just two photo's of Elvis and the track listing. The CD itself says "1995" but that date is on more import releases these days. We can't add anything more to this "design" except that they shout have added that it was a very short version of "Trouble".

The recording itself is an audience recording on which we hear Elvis somewhat in the background. On the songs we can hear him good enough, but when he's talking on stage (which he does a lot) it's hard to hear what he exactly says. He does complain about the sound system at the end of the show, telling the audience that next time they come to Saginaw he will bring a new sound system.

Content

It looks like Elvis tried to add some songs to the otherwise standard set. We use the word "tried" because he tried to add them. He opens with "That's All Right" instead of "See See Rider" and the third song is an attempt at "Trouble". But when he really has to get into the song after the intro he doesn't make it, leaving a disappointed audience with only 18 seconds of 'Trouble". He quickly falls back on his usual routines with 'I Got A Woman/Amen/I Got A Woman" which, including a lot of talking lasts six and a half minutes. Two songs later he does something special for Linda Thompson, singing "Happy Birthday" for her.

After this special tread for Linda the band starts "Big Boss Man" but Elvis doesn't want to sing it, you can hear somebody from the audience say "just sing" and Elvis goes into a standard one-minute version of "Hound Dog". This is not the only time you hear this comment on this release.

Elvis isn't very good by voice on several songs. He has a lot of troubles making the real big notes. "Trouble" is stopped for that reason and "Hound Dog" is half instrumental with Elvis doing some shouting. Although on classics he enjoys performing like "My Way" and 'Why Me My lord" (including a false start by J.D.?) he does make those notes.

"Polk Salad Annie' is stopped abruptly within a minute, probably he does something with a fan because you hear him say "want a scarf?". The second time around he finishes the song which is half instrumental with Elvis shouting every now and then firing up the band which you can hear from the reactions from the audience.

After the introductions he asks Sherill Nielsen to perform two songs, "Danny Boy" and "Walk With Me" before he ends the show with his last performance of "Mystery Train/Tiger Man" on which he really enjoys himself and the usual "Can't help Falling In Love".

Conclusion

This CD contains a standard set with some nice additions which makes it almost an interesting release. Too bad he doesn't make it ('Trouble") or doesn't want to do it ("Big Boss Man"). The only complete song this release brings us is "Happy Birthday Linda".