Las Vegas: 19 August 1974 O.S. - a lost opportunity?

[medleyofcostumes]

For those not familiar with this show, Elvis shuffled the setlist quite a bit and introduced songs that were seldom done live. The show's setlist was as follows:

Big boss man, Proud Mary, Down in the alley, Good time Charlie's got the blues, Never been to Spain, It's midnight, If you talk in your sleep, I'm leavin', Let me be there, Softly as I leave you, If you love me, Love me tender, Polk Salad Annie, Band intros, Promised Land, My baby left me, Bridge over troubled waters, Fever, Hound Dog, Can't help falling in love.

Apparently, from what I have read, the audience's reaction to the show was not particularly strong and Elvis reverted to his 'usual' show with 'CC Rider,' 'I Got a woman' etc., keeping only few of the songs played on the opening night.

Maybe if the audience's reaction was better, Elvis would have been motivated in presenting new songs live. What do you think?

PS: I still like the other shows with a less adventurous setlist but as they say..."variety is the spice of life"

[Getlo]

The tapes from the show indicate that the audience reaction was relatively strong ... but you can hear people in the background wondering where his "greatest hits" were.

The reviews for the show were mixed to say the least, and I think that's the raason Elvis went back into his comfort zone the following night rather than how the audience reacted.

I think he should've ignored the audience and press, and continued with shows like this. Got rid of the 2001 theme and the jumpsuits forever, and mixed it up a little.

Elvis doing the same show night after night after night for almost five years (1972 to '77) played a huge part in his bordeom, IMO. He had enough material to deliver several types of shows, and he could've mixed it up more.

But he made the choice not to, for whatever reasons.

[Sonny]

Interesting thread.

Yes, I agree he should have changed his setlist in 1974. The time seemed right for it, and it's too bad he soon returned to his usual opening songs, and the familiar hits.

He should have done a combination, and also throw in some of the oldies, but not just Hound Dog and the wellknown songs, but also Return To Sender and some more of those "forgotten" hitrecords.

He rehearsed the songs he did in that concert, and he should have rehearsed more of the oldies as well.

[toffe]

This is a good show i think, with not the regular songs,I have this show from Fort Baxter. The show can be founded on the Cd:
If you talk in your sleep

Here is the back cover of the cd:

[medleyofcostumes]

There was a cd with some rehearsals for the August-September engagement of 1974 title 'From Sunset Boulevard...to Paradise Drive'. Among the songs rehearsed were:

Your love's been a long time coming
The twelfth of never
Faded Love
Just pretend
The first time ever I saw your face

Apart from 'The first time ever I saw your face', none of the songs are believed to have been performed during this season. Unfortunately, I do not have this cd, so I don't know about the quality of these rehearsals. Anyone knows?

[ksimms2]

Wow, Toffe, thanks....I'm going to look for this CD.

[Getlo]

There was a cd with some rehearsals for the August-September engagement of 1974 title 'From Sunset Boulevard...to Paradise Drive'. ?

It was From Sunset Boulevard to Paradise Road; and the sound quality is okay. Nothing to write home about.

[boogie]

There was a cd with some rehearsals for the August-September engagement of 1974 title 'From Sunset Boulevard...to Paradise Drive'. Among the songs rehearsed were:

Your love's been a long time coming
The twelfth of never
Faded Love
Just pretend
The first time ever I saw your face

Apart from 'The first time ever I saw your face', none of the songs are believed to have been performed during this season. Unfortunately, I do not have this cd, so I don't know about the quality of these rehearsals. Anyone knows?


Yes, this double cd is a very good one...the quality is very clear (sounboard) en maybe i think it's even better than the fort baxter one...have both of them...(y)

[toffe]

Wow, Toffe, thanks....I'm going to look for this CD.

Yeah, it`s a great Cd, you`re welcome! :blush:

[poormansgold76]

This Show is best one, there songs we don't hear alot in preson, I think it's is great show with out 2001 theme.,
First Live Version Of Promised Land And If You Talk In Your Sleep, It's great version,
RCA Got this Soundboard. and next show on 20th,74 DS and few more too
I Made A Covers For this show , if RCA Release, It I got Good cover.
tom

[Diane]

Sounds like a CD I would interested in finding too. Thank you all for the information.

Diane

[medleyofcostumes]

If you don't have it get it NOW! Great show!

[Getlo]

For those that haven't heard it, here is the Big Boss Man opening from this show, with other footage from the show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m6MSsuqFPg

My Baby Left Me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WbZUtHckvI

And Polk Salad Annie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh6TjJQaYEU


Enjoy! (y)

[Diane]

Thanks for posting these videos Getlo. I was under the impression that 1974 wasn't a great year for him but he still looks and moves good in these clips.

Diane

[ilovelvis]

I'd have loved this show. Nice collection of songs. Most artists do the same shows over and over. I could see how people might say, "where's Hound Dog or All Shook Up?". I go to a lot of concerts and some of the artists I see do the same hits over and over again and then you get to hear a few news songs from the latest cd they're promoting. That seems to be the way it is. For Elvis, I wouldn't have cared what he sang, but the set list mentioned in the beginning of this topic sounds great to me!!

[The King's Queen]

Thanks for the info on this thread. (y) And Getlo, thanks for the links...good stuff there! (y)

[King_Creole]

Thanks for this great thread ...

I just pulled out my cd set from this Vegas show and listening to it as I write.

Great concert !!! :)

[Lonniebealestreet]

The Sunset Blvd/Paradise Rd CD is an absolute must-have. The rehearsals in particular are very enjoyable to me, even if the sound quality is not top-notch. It is from these rehearsals that The Twelfth Of Never was culled, so if you are familiar with that you know it is pretty good. (The remix by David Briggs is very pretty as well; if you have only heard the version on the 70s box, check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L5hXyPIrnE)

Listening to those rehearsals the guy was clearly engaged and still cared a lot about his music and sounded fantastic. Great fly-on-the-wall listening experience. It is truly a shame he didn't stick to his guns on the revamped showlist.

[medleyofcostumes]

Finally listened to theT he Sunset Blvd/Paradise Rd CD. Great Stuff!! As stated by Lonniebealestreet, Elvis' enthusiasm is refreshing - reminded me of the 1970 TTWII rehearsals.

[TotallyInsane]

In Vegas on 12/12/76 he did songs I had never seen him do on stage before. Some being Love Letters, Such a Night, Early Morning Rain (I think), and my mom's favorite Sweet Caroline. The show was almost 1 1/2 hours....he was fun that night. He introduced his girlfriend Ginger. I need to get this Sunset CD - where can I find it?

[utmom2008]

Check out the set-list from opening night August 1973. The CD is called "Fire In Vegas". I was there that night...it was a great set-list.
I had reservations to be there for opening night August of 74...but my dad had an emergency appendectomy 1 week before we were due to leave. I would have enjoyed that list a great deal...

[KPM]

The set list for 8-19-74 was so blues oriented. I always hoped Elvis would cut a real blues album. He really only skimmed the surface with blues.

[medleyofcostumes]

Someday we'll start a thread with concert setlists. To be fair, there were other attempts to revamp the setlist but, IMO not as drastically as in 19.8.74 OS.

[U.S. Male]

This show can be filed in the "what if" category.

If he'd stuck to his guns and continued to perform more rarities like he did on this occasion, he probably would've kept more interest in his work, thus resulting in better - bigger shows.

I don't think he should have dropped the 2001 Theme. The dramatics of that number really helped set the stage for him, but some alternate opening songs other than C.C. Rider / I Got a Woman would certainly been welcome.

With a song repetoire as large as his, I often wish he'd dug deeper and pulled out a different variety every so often.

[KPM]

This show can be filed in the "what if" category.

If he'd stuck to his guns and continued to perform more rarities like he did on this occasion, he probably would've kept more interest in his work, thus resulting in better - bigger shows.

I don't think he should have dropped the 2001 Theme. The dramatics of that number really helped set the stage for him, but some alternate opening songs other than C.C. Rider / I Got a Woman would certainly been welcome.

With a song repetoire as large as his, I often wish he'd dug deeper and pulled out a different variety every so often.
Boy thats for sure-he kind of went the way of Sinatra, and Dean Martin they kept their set lists pretty much confined to their hits-songs expected by the audience to be sung. They would tweek it here and there adding a new song but not anything like an overhaul. Elvis had so many great songs to draw from that would have been great live.

[Frankieg]

Elvis had at least 50 or more "Greatest Hits" to choose from for his live show in the 70's, yet he continually played the same 5 or 6 every time, not too mention, half heartedly sung and sped up lightening fast tempos.

Yes, once in awhile, he would stray and sing a familiar old song, Wooden Heart, Return To Sender, Crying In The Chapel, but why does almost every "Live" concert on soundboard or audience recording I own have:

See See Rider
I Got A Woman/Amen
Love Me

In the same order and sequence ???

I can understand his signature song Can't Help Falling In Love for the finale, but Elvis could have kept his live repetiore alive and fresh and it would have kept him, and most likely the band, more tight and enthusiatic.

Just my opinion ...