Just One More Smile

now that is something: Elvis gives us a concert from out of the future. Thats the real King! He should have changed his program a bit though LOL.

Wrong sentence structure indeed. "In March 2012 the new label.........Elvis ever did" + correct date of show. Always El.

Des Moines. June 23, 1977 show.

The sound is really better to what we had before..if you like these shows..

In Dutch it would be wrong indeed, but for the dumbos I added a comma :-)

I like this tour. I listened to the Lincoln show the other day. Great show!

I'm far better with my depression. But if I ever get really worst, guess I’ll listen to this ... what to call it… show??? in order to aggravate my suicidal tendencies! Too bad they don't have footage. The disaster would be complete.

Pedro Nuno Get yourself a real job instead of doing a comment like that!

SAD

Pedro, a warned man counts for two as we say over here :-). But you have to think of the poor souls that love anything Elvis in your comments, they seem to be upset!

lol and that comes out of your mouth lex. U never liked anything from late 70s because of ur sun obsession

Cant wait to hear those Band Solos or the two Sherill Nielsen tacks. NOT! Yes SAD indeed.

You all heard the show already..? Is it out..? You bought it..? Or where do you know from how the show is..? From the set list...? You were there..? Cause he didn`t sing Unchained Melody or Polk Salad Annie the show is bad..?..Just curious..

Cisko, it has become a common feature now-a-days to have opinions about it before the release! If one does not like that period, that is one thing. However I am more interested in the quality of the sound, rather than opinions about the 'show' or 'period'. You seem to know more about it (re: your first reaction). That is more valuable to me. Please if possible elaborate.

Another source surfaced a few weeks ago..I was lucky enough to hear a few tracks and they sounded way better than what we had before..still not the best sound.. ...average I`d say....anyway...also.. there are better shows.....but we know this.. worthwhile for collectors anyway and for those who are interested in Elvis` last concerts with all ups and downs...

The 77 shows are the worst. He should have been in the hospital instead of on stage. I really wish the ghouls that make $ on this would stop.

i want to hear the blue suede shoes and help me

These 77 shows (like the TV Special) should be sent to a desert island somehwere. They are a tragedy to what Elvis started out to be, a trend setter in music. The last few years of his life Elvis was a poor parody of his former self, playing Vegas and one horse towns with the same uninspired set list night after night. Its so sad what happened to this guy. The albums were no better during this time either. Enough.

Snowplow, I grew up with Elvis and was all shook up at that time too. Comparing one period to the other is something I never do. Comparing is in all cases (in life) not fare, one way or the other. Elvis grew older and that changed him anyway. I remember that I heard the LP Elvis In Concert before even seeing the TV show. Going through the period of great loss and all te accusations at the time I did not expect much of the LP. But loh and behold (listen, rather!) I was very impressed with the way he sounded and how deeply I was moved by the voide. Much later (due to circumstances) I watched the show as aired and was indeed very much aware of his poor health, yes, he was caught in a trap. On the other hand he was giving all he had (as you rightly observed). For me at that time and even now I think what he gave till the very end is more rewarding to listen to than (TO MY TASTE) the music on the radio. Moreover, when people refer to poor performances etc. I realise it is impossible for person to perform at his peak all the time, especially when growing older. His energy was drained - also due to the fact that he tried to go all out, not only ... I can testify out of personal experience that such a performance drains a person. And adding ageing and the need to fulfill the expectations I must say that I have an enormous respect for Elvis the Entertainer, the King of Music.

Some of the bigger musicians, like Chet Baker played the same set for years. Elvis only toured sort of the same show for 6, 7 years, with some subtle changes. That is not very long. Man I still look forward to You Gave Me A Mountain after hearing it at least 1000 times. Like JD said. Elvis had a way of keeping you interested. Just like when you listen to the zillionth version of My Funny Valentine by Chet Baker. Elvis' singing came straight from his soul. That's what make these last shows so interesting. All the hurt and loneliness is felt through his performance. The shows were all he had left. Above all, these shows were professional no matter how you look at it. His singing was at least that.

I have mixed feelings about Elvis in 1977. There were brief times in 77 when Elvis still had the magic. His impromptu rendering of "Where No One Stands Alone" in February 77 is a good example of it. Then there is the rest of the time...Elvis struggling on stage, Elvis soliciting the help of Sherill Nielsen, Elvis calling for seemingly endless band solos and introductions, not to mention the cancellations, walking off stage, and the dreadful slurring of speech and the overt puffiness brought on by addiction to pills. It makes me sad to watch him fail right before our eyes. It's like the whole world was in denial. Elvis was way more than "fat." He was sick and addicted, and nobody could stop the inevitable. Maybe there's a bit of the magic on this release? Maybe it's enough to overlook the rest? Each of us has to decide that for ourselves.

I agree with you Wiebe (ofcourse hehehehe...) . Inspite of all the physical problems and more or less the same program for years; it was still magic! and its part of his legend so lets not throw that part away.

There is no 'magic' in '77. He was only 42 for goodness sakes so he should have been able to sing magically for an hour and not just here & there. Sadly most of the time he didnt. He was struggling, not only on stage but in daily life. This is the way most pill addictions are(see Whitney Houston) What was magical is that he even made it onto the stage at all. But bills had to be paid, the sole reason he was up there(and the Colonel's greed of course).

There was a few times he had that magic! On Saginaw, May 3 with his diffrent setlist and elvis clearly stating!!: Im Here Happy Healthy and singing! End may was another highlight, End June (Last Concert Tour) Unchained Melody & My way where magic. I can't believe how you could say that elvis was on there for the money! He was their because being on stage was what he wanted to be! Sure bills needed to be paid! BUT Elvis wanted to be on stage! He wanted to be with his fans! I Can't stand how u all put 1977 concerts down before u even listened to him, its like oh its a 77 show i dont care its automatically bad and no magic! Well thats just a big ego because u all usually stop seeying elvis the entertainer after aloha from hawaii! ELVIS was still the same man in 1977, He had his troubles,he had his deceases (like his mother), He had lots of things to deal with. And i can't stand how people can slaughter elvis from 77.

There's a lot of Elvis that I can't stand to listen to or watch. Elvis in 77 is not one of them. Elvis in 77 is Elvis 100%. doing what he likes to do most. Authentic, dynamic and here and there as powerful as ever. Elvis didn't need help from his backup singers. He gave Sherril a solo and fooled around with the bass singer, not because he was unable to sing or too tired. I find it ignorant and irritating that people in retrospect shape everything Elvis did to the drama. Respect the man! I don't see anybody on this site filling 10000 + seat arenas. I didn't hear of people leaving his shows because they were so awful. I think a lot if people take Elvis' talent and skill for granted because he made it look so easy and natural. No matter what he looked like, that talent and ability to have 10000 people in the palm of his hand was always there. Nobody has to like him at any point in his life, but please stop calling us stupid for liking 77.

Wiebe i 100% Agree with what u just sayd!

Wiebe - forget 1977, I personally know 2 people who walked out on Elvis in Vegas 74 the show was so boring & bad. Sorry but its a fact and I'm sure there were others who did so. I suggest you go back & read some of the reviews or even some of the books (like Carless Love). Yes there was a good show now & then but for the most part he was past it after Aloha with no new challenges and was on auto pilot Its also a fact the backup singers filled in for the high notes & low notes the last few tours. A fact recounted many times by many who were there & knew. You want to wear blinders? OK ,but no one called anyone stupid. I didnt see that word anywhere here.

Okay dgirl, you're not calling me stupid, but you are telling me to forget 1977. Which to me sounds as patronising. This stuff about having the backup singers holding notes for him. He had his backupsingers 'holding notes' for him back in 70, no difference, just part of his gospel sound, he liked it that way, he liked to be drowned by the backupsingers. And don't forget that the people that were there, especially his close friends and entourage knew very little about singing. So I really don't trust first hand stories from Jerry Shilling and the likes. I'd rather listen to his band members, they tell the story from an artist's/musician's perspective and are much more positive and realistic. I've read a lot of the reviews. The negative ones were usually Rock and Roll era fans that expected a different show. I'm not saying Elvis never did a weak show. We all have better and worse days at work. I know two people that were in Las vegas in august of 1969 that were invited by Kirk Korean, or whatever his name is, to see the Elvis show, but didn't even go. Does that say anything about his show. If Elvis is not your thing then, sure walk out. You have got to be kidding me. Look at the numbers. Elvis broke attendance records, Vegas turned crazy when Elvis came to town, and you know two people who walked out of the show, well wow!

I agree with wiebe - even when there is Elvis stuff I don't like (and there is very little), it is interesting as a comment on the man at the time and his fabulous ability to entertain regardless of the material (and there were always people entertained). Why do some of the comments on this site so often come across as so bitter and insulting about Elvis's 70s and film work? dgirl, Steve V - YOU may not enjoy this stuff, but get over it, it happened and lots of people loved it.

Lamar Fike was the first to mention that Sherril Neilsen hitting the high notes stuff and I never bought it. Sure he may have taken over at the end of Unchained Melody with a bit of falsetto but on the ones that counted, the ones that lifted the roof of the joint, like Hurt, Mountain, Can't Stop Loving You or it's Now or Never, it was always Elvis - the day I can't pick between those two singers is the day I hang up my ears... btw I'm a cherrypicker from 1977 and while I may not listen to complete concerts, the great moments from 77 are truly some of his greatest moments.

yes sherill Neilson took over the last falsetto-note in Unchained melody; well ofcourse; he was a counter-tenor (not a real good one though). But Elvis sung most of the other high notes himself also in 1977. For a pop-singer he had an amazing voice with a wide reach with only the last few years a bit too much vibrato. Yes he was ill the last few years and yes he played his music better in the early 70's but considering all his problems he still did most of the time a good job. his last concert from 26 june 1977 is a superb concert in my opinion.

Here's the thing. It was 35 years ago, so who really cares except the people on this site. Elvis in 1977 meant nothing to most of the music world, except a bad paraody of his former great self. If Elvis started his career post Aloha, he would not even be in the rock and roll hall of fame. We all know his work from 1954-1962 is what made Elvis the icon he is. Enjoy the 70's, I will enjoy other aspects of his career with no hard feelings.

It's also funny how people remove my second comment for no reason.

Funny thing is that most of my non Elvis fan friends prefer to listen to 76/77, if they have to listen to him at all. I would say that after 1955 Elvis was no longer the artistic inventor, but a singer entertainer, trying to live up to his image. I happen to like the singer entertainer. To me Heartbreak Hotel is his last groundbraking record. The rest is great, but more of the same. I'm so glad he chose to explore other styles and didn't become his own R&R parody.

Obviously there are many different Elvis fans, some like his early years, others the later years, some like mostly his gospels, and so on and so forth. That is his greatness, so many different people like the many facetted King of Music. I also have my preferences, but I will never look down or patronise anothers preferences. Frankly as an old Rocker I prefer the early years, but I discovered the later years and enjoy them too. And I tell you, I hate gospels but the King makes me listen every now and then to them, because I love his voice. I can't bear up whole cd (let alone if the King is not singing), yet I appreciate fans who do. It is a sign of mutual respect. As the King of Music is multi faceted, so are his fans. Obvuously he reached out to all of us, his fans - the ones he lin a way lived for.

And let's not forget that whenever he was singing: I can't help falling in love with YOU, that you often referred to those present in the audience in particular and us fans general.

As I recall elvis was doing pretty well in the UK charts in the 70's, and that was without any pop videos. I recently watched an episode of Top Of The Pops where Legas and co. did a great dance routine to suspicion in '77. We were quite excited when news was breaking of a possible Uk tour. Doesn't sound too bad for someone 'washed out'.

Major sound improvement compared to what we had before..another source..

Interesting reading this tread. The Elvis World is indeed made up by different types and creeds. For those idolizing Elvis, even his 1977 performances are true magic. As for me, they are, however, a tragic site. Come on, folks! Please face the music (that is - the facts): In 1977 Elvis was a tired, bored and sick person, totally addicted to drugs, with plummeting record sales, and no new Las Vegas contract. He also had huge personal economic problems (his estate was almost bankrupt when he died), and he therefore had to tour much more than he had done earlier in the 1970's. It was not "only because he loved to do concerts". Please compare the 1970-74 tour shows with the 1976-77 tours. During the last few years he had to play in ever smaller cities and towns, wearing the big, old Sundial jumpsuit from Lake Tahoe in October 1974, having to sit down during the shows, and sticking with an ever more stagnated setlist. He even started pleading during the end of his concerts "If you want us back, please let us know". Not something becoming a former King.

Good observations from Hans. By in large, Elvis in 1977 was a tragic figure. Only brief moments of his greatness remained. After following this thread from the beginning, I decided to watch my copy of The CBS Tapes, just to make sure I wasn't missing something. Unchained Melody was a strong effort. Even with the cracked note at the end, he still carried the song brilliantly. How Great Thou Art, My Way, and It's Now Or Never were well done. I can't argue that. Still in all, those are only brief spots of light in an otherwise dark and gloomy place. All somebody has to do is watch That's The Way It Is, On Tour, and Aloha From Hawaii to see how far and how fast Elvis had fallen by the time the camera started to roll in heartland of the USA in 1977.