College Park September 28, 1974

[Cherokee]

Now this is probably gonna be a controversial or at the very least sensitive thread :(

I read the review on several sites, including the "Elvis Concerts" site. The only thing I heard from this concert is the infamous "never been strung out on anything" and the "Priscilla/Mike Stone/Sheila Ryan/Lisa Marie" rants. That is, I assume that was from one concert, I'm not sure.:unsure:

Anyway, I never heard the actual concert, but I did read in one of the reviews that apparently it was so bad, that some of the TCB bandmembers left the stage crying :'(

Does anyone have any more information about this and also on where I can either download or get a copy of it? :hmm:

Thanks in advance (y)

[Sonny]

following (in red) is taken from an original review by Johnny Savage. (taken from FECC Import section)

He talks and talks about whatever pops into his head, sometimes in the middle of songs. He spends a good deal of time condemning reports of his growing waistline ("I wear a bulletproof vest") and movie magazines claiming he's strung out ("... [they're] TRASH... I am a federal narcotics agent...I have to be straight as an arrow").
Horrendous versions of Fever (more terrible bass playing from Duke, who just can't follow EP) Trying to get to you (he misses the last part, says "we forgot the ending") and Heartbreak Hotel (forgets the lyrics) are just part of it. He gives the stage to his backing groups Voice and the Stamps Quartet ("Let me get out of the way and shut up") for two songs, neither of which are any good.
He says to an older woman in the crowd: "Some grandmothers are dried up like a prune, but you're not, you're pretty".
This is the kind of stuff that people who hate Elvis would gladly seize as evidence that he was a wasted, no-talent has-been.

And the day before must've been even worse, as they say.

Though Elvis had a very strange mood (to say the least) during those late 1974 concerts, I must say (and I probably will be critized for that) that this particular concert (besides from things mentioned) does not sound that bad to me.
Like some other 1974 concerts it's an interesting concert to listen to. Some songs get dynamic treatments, not to be heard on other shows. (Remember Big Boss Man from the September closing show?)

Sonny

[kennyelvis]

What a change :'(
In march he was fantastic, 6months later he was finish :hmm:

[Steve]

this CD (2 set) is in the Ford Baxter Box A profile the king on stage Vol. 2.

It is a very rare Concert something like Dessert Storm, Elvis say's what he thinks and goes out very very hard to the media.
He talks about Drugs, his Helt, his wife, ...........

But he does good things to, after CC rider he say's to the crouw "You are fantastic, JD tell them they are Fantastic" (y) JD- (very very low) "You are FAAAAAAAntatic" (y)

Elvis goes in to I got a womman/amen en JD and Elvis playing around with the bass part really cool.

This Concert and Dessert storm are the one of my to favorites (y)

[simmerrocks]

i have to say this show does have some good playful points as you guys also stated. but i do think elvis was like a new man in 75. some of those shows are fantastic. i could only pray for a soundboard of the nassau colissium show from july of 75. judging from the audience cd thats out this sounds like an amazing and long show. have a great weekend.... simmerrocks (y) :worthy:

[Albert]

The summer Las Vegas season of 1974 was the very turningpoint of Elvis' carreer. Before that season started Elvis wanted to change his whole setlist and make it more contemporary.

Thanks to the people at Luxor we can witness the rehearsals for this season and the opening night. Elvis was focused and driven like it was the '68 Comeback Special all over again, and it was obvious that Elvis gave the audience all that he got.

Unfortunately for Elvis (and us!) the audience reacted very coldly to the new setlist (that probably took a lot of nerves and guts for Elvis to change it). This reaction from the audience must have been terrible for Elvis and the next show had the same old setlist.

The rest of the season started to show a weird, dissillusioned man who was clearly overmedicated. Many times uppers combined with a good emotional condition brought (and would bring) Elvis to great performances. But clealry this was not the case during this very Vegas Season. Elvis wasn't happy, he was mad as hell. Mad at his audience, mad at his personal life, mad at the world.

It was not only the drugs that was the reason behind this weird and horrible Vegas season, but I guess it was mostly the emotional state of Elvis. Pretty soon after this season he would also gain weight that he would never loose again..... it seems like he realised he lost the fight during that Opening Night and that he was forced to keep on doing the same thing over and over again.... no Aloha From Hawaii in the prospects that could boost his confidence again....

[Cherokee]

Thanks to all of you for the input, so far, on this thread (y)

Looks like I'm gonna have to try and hunt me down a copy of this here CD. :hmm:

Thanks for the tips, Dessy! ;)

[simmerrocks]

albert..... that was one of the most well worded and intelligent observations i have read on ANY messageboard :!: :!: i think you summed up 1974 better than i have ever read! keep on posting (y) (y) .... simmerrocks :worthy:

[boogie]

When i listen to the Vegas 74 concerts, i hear elvis talking a lot, about everything (showbiss and private life)...Like he introduces his hobby, karate, and the whole concept around, like his black belt etc, .... His conversations are very long...but i think he liked it very much, spending some time talking to his fans. Unfortunately it was at this time there were new stories in the press that he didn't like...., plus the story about Priscilla,...... that made him very angree..agree.
But than there are moments during this concerts where you hear that he appreciated his fans very much...(at the end of the closing show, when he talks about his jewelry, and thanked his fans that they payed for it...lol)
Vocaly i think he's very strong during the august engagement....and he put on a very good setlist during this month..
My opinion; very good vegas season, one of my fav... (y) (y)

[Albert]

Yes, the fact that vocally he was very strong and physically great (possibly comparable with the time around The Aloha), makes this season so very weird. Because he could swap from a fantastic performance of a song to a insane dialogue. It simply made no sense....

So besides all the good moments during this season, it was the very first season where you could see a man in trouble. Sure, he had more bad moments before, but never that he was raging like this. He was unbalanced.

If you can listen to this season and forget the emotional state of Elvis, it IS a very nice season. But as soon as you realise that Elvis isn't the happy camper that he says he is, the joy starts to dissapear.

And we mustn't stress the drugsproblems too much. On many of his best tours/performances he was drugged as well (uppers). But a drug combined with a good mood (and a pretty healthy body), can work out very well (at that moment). Insiders (I think it was Esposito) said that the famous (and by fans loved) last tour of 1976, Elvis was in his 'liquid cocaine period'. One of the reasons why he was so 'up' during that tour. The other reasons was his new love Ginger and his somewhat improved health.

[Joe Car]

We all read the reports on how he was in no condition to perform that night as evidenced by his fall out of his limo. Here's my question, why in Gods name was he allowed to perform? Why didn't somebody let the Colonel know about Elvis' condition, cancel the show and maybe, just maybe it would have been a wakeup call to Elvis that being "over-medicated" especially just before going on stage is not fair to his fans, his back up singers and to himself. Now granted EP did rebound and have a great concert year in 75 but had he been reprimanded in 74 especially when his behaviour was really erractic perhaps it might have help his drug dependency and possibly saved his life.

[Cherokee]

We all read the reports on how he was in no condition to perform that night as evidenced by his fall out of his limo. Here's my question, why in Gods name was he allowed to perform? Why didn't somebody let the Colonel know about Elvis' condition, cancel the show and maybe, just maybe it would have been a wakeup call to Elvis that being "over-medicated" especially just before going on stage is not fair to his fans, his back up singers and to himself. Now granted EP did rebound and have a great concert year in 75 but had he been reprimanded in 74 especially when his behaviour was really erractic perhaps it might have help his drug dependency and possibly saved his life.

Well, that reminds me of this Larry Geller (I know, not my favorite person either ;) ) quote of the "The Definitive Elvis" DVD's:
" We were in Louisville, Kentucky, a few months before Elvis passed away. And Elvis had a very, very difficult night. But nothing would stop him from performing. That night in his room, he had a fever, he was nauseous, he couldn't sleep and he felt like he was gonna pass out. The next afternoon at about 4 o'clock, his doctor was in the bedroom with him, trying to revive Elvis because he took some sleeping pills and he couldn't fully wake up. And I was waiting in the front room of the suite, I was watching television. There was a pounding at the door which startled me because no one is allowed on our floor. We have a lot of security and policemen out there. I ran to the door and I looked through the peephole and there was Colonel Parker, which was unusual because he usually never came to Elvis' room. I opened the door, I said 'Colonel!'. He said 'Where is he?' I said 'He's in his bedroom, let me tell him you are here.' He said 'No, I'm going right in!' and he walked right by me, opened the door, and I saw the doctor ducking Elvis' head into a bucket of ice water. Elvis was still in bed, bending forward like this, semi conscious. And then the door closed. My very first thought was 'Perfect! Good. Good! Now Colonel Parker is gonna see Elvis and the shape that he's in, the reality of what's going on here in terms of Elvis' health, it's gonna hit him. These tours are gonna stop, like they should.' Approximately a minute and a half later Colonel Parker walks up to me, we stand toe to toe to one another, and he holds his cane up and he says 'Now you listen to me. The only thing that's important, is that that man is on the stage tonight. Do you hear me? Nothing else matters. Nothing' And he walked out ." :hmm: :'( :(

[Joe Car]

Cherokee, I seen that interview and the way Geller tells the story it sounds chilling to say the least. Personally I think the Colonel's gambling addiction overtook his business sense because it forced him to overwork Elvis who obviously needed a well-derserved break. Also Elvis' spending habits didn't help matters either, so it was combination of things. What bothers me the most about Gellers story was the lack of compassion from Parker. Here was his client, his friend in trouble emotionally and physically yet he didn't give a ****. That night in Louisville was the Colonel's chance to comfort Elvis as a friend, to talk to him and help him on an emotional level and maybe say "enough is enough, you need a break". No instead his true colours came out.

[Cherokee]

Cherokee, I seen that interview and the way Geller tells the story it sounds chilling to say the least. Personally I think the Colonel's gambling addiction overtook his business sense because it forced him to overwork Elvis who obviously needed a well-derserved break. Also Elvis' spending habits didn't help matters either, so it was combination of things. What bothers me the most about Gellers story was the lack of compassion from Parker. Here was his client, his friend in trouble emotionally and physically yet he didn't give a ****. That night in Louisville was the Colonel's chance to comfort Elvis as a friend, to talk to him and help him on an emotional level and maybe say "enough is enough, you need a break". No instead his true colours came out.

Absolutely.
In many interviews and statements about the "Colonel" it was also mentioned that he never signed contracts, he always shut deals with a handshake and that to him his word, or his handshake, was "sacred". :rolleyes:
I guess he took it to the ultimate when Elvis was sick and dependend on prescription drugs to even function, and cared more about his "reputation" as a man of his word, than about Elvis' well being. I.e.: he didn't care if or how Elvis would make it to the stage, as long as he didn't break the promise (handshake) he (the Colonel) had made :angry: :nono:

[Elvis#1]

Listening to Collage Park 74 is a sad experience for me because its show's Elvis at a very low point in his career. Nothing at that time in his life was going very good. He lost his wife, he tried singing new songs and that failed and I think that Elvis was just downright bored so he turned to drug's and other things that werent good for him. But he bounced back in 75 and seemed to be having a ball again. But again Collage Park was a sad time but still at times during the show he gave some good performances.



:wiggle:

[Steve]

Think about this.
No matter wath Elvis said or did; his fans never turnd his back on him, he was and still is the king. :)
After all these years, and all the good concerts he gave, don't be pointing at this point in his career. :'(

Think about all the good thing he did, and remember he was only human, like you and me. ;)
and yes everybody has somtimes a bad day. even Elvis. :lol:

[Joe Car]

Really one of the things we love about Elvis is that he was despite super-human attributes, human who like all of us had problems. If you think about, we all have bad days at our jobs, or at least days where we perform better then others, we're not machines and neither was he. For the many great performances and memories that Elvis has given us and brought so many people together, he if anybody deserves compassion.

[Cherokee]

Really one of the things we love about Elvis is that he was despite super-human attributes, human who like all of us had problems. If you think about, we all have bad days at our jobs, or at least days where we perform better then others, we're not machines and neither was he. For the many great performances and memories that Elvis has given us and brought so many people together, he if anybody deserves compassion.


Exactly, well put. As a matter of fact, I seriously doubt it if he would have been loved and remembered so much and for so long if he had been some infallible, sterile super human being to whom nobody could relate. :whistling

He had a lot going for him, his God given talents and looks, which were a ticket to much success and wealth and, seemingly, anything his heart desired. But he's also the ultimate proof that even such gifts can't guarantee a life journey without obstacles, hurt and heartache. :hmm:

Elvis is loved for being a great humanitarian, artist and icon AND human being of flesh and blood :clap:

[Lonniebealestreet]

I've heard that story about that night in Louisville in '77, but before it was told that those events took place there (or here, I should say), not the following night in Largo. I guess the story changes over time like all others. Well, the Louisville show was solid, and Largo was even better (you may have heard jungleroom76 or me talking about CHFIL from Largo, the end of which is stunning), so it's hard to imagine the scene described above as preceding either show, but who knows?

But I'd rather listen to anything from '76 or '77 than College Park, Dragonheart, the closing show of the Vegas engagement (although it has its strong points), and any other dark, disturbed shows from that troubled period in '74. Though some of the shows closer to the end can be sad, Elvis just seemed like a different person during some shows in August/September/October 1974. At least in shows like Omaha '77, Elvis's spirit still shines through, and you find yourself pulling for him.

Not trying to dwell on the negative here. The last few years he had were not all bad. In fact, I know the good outweigh the bad... :D

[Lonniebealestreet]

By the way, Albert, and I hate to talk about such things really, but what you mentioned about the liquid cocaine (which also came from doctors, by the way) towards the end of '76 was not the type of thing Joe would typically say. Lamar and Marty, I believe, talked about it in the Revelations book. One of them said it was towards the end of '76. I had suggested in the past that if this is true, his use of the drug may likely have been at its highest specifically during the last tour of the year. He had lost weight, but didn't really look that well in the face, he was talking way too fast (notice that in Birmingham especially)...it just sort of seems to fit, I'm sorry to say.

:'(

[Cherokee]

By the way, Albert, and I hate to talk about such things really, but what you mentioned about the liquid cocaine (which also came from doctors, by the way) towards the end of '76 was not the type of thing Joe would typically say. Lamar and Marty, I believe, talked about it in the Revelations book. One of them said it was towards the end of '76. I had suggested in the past that if this is true, his use of the drug may likely have been at its highest specifically during the last tour of the year. He had lost weight, but didn't really look that well in the face, he was talking way too fast (notice that in Birmingham especially)...it just sort of seems to fit, I'm sorry to say.

:'(

So much for the "he never did any illegal drugs, only prescription drugs" statements we heard for years, huh? :hmm: :( :'(

[Mez]

...I was led to believe that the only time Elvis used liquid cocaine, was in 1973 when he was using it to clear his sinuses? both Larry Geller and David Stanley's books say this....hmmmmm.....doesn't mean it's true right enough...

[Lonniebealestreet]

Cherokee, I still think that statement is not that far off-base. Elvis's use of recreational drugs was so limited overall, based on my understanding, and his use of prescription drugs was so prevalent...and when you consider how commonplace illicit drug use was back then, that Elvis stayed away from them to the extent that he did is noteworthy.

In the mid to late sixties, I think Elvis was curious what all the hubbub was about with marijuana, so he apparently did that for a while. Priscilla and most of the other MMMs recall the "LSD experiment", which was a one-time thing.

I'm not sure to what extent Elvis got into "street" cocaine later, or if he did. It's been reported by several people that he used it though. But the liquid cocaine came from Dr. Nick, who called it Lidocaine in the presence of others.

There is actually an FBI memo about Elvis's cocaine use :'( , but it isn't like they gave him a blood test; this is obviously based on someone's information. Here is part of it.

[Lonniebealestreet]

What a bummer of a post to be my 1000th. I feel like I'm not TCBing. Somebody cheer me up.

[Cherokee]

What a bummer of a post to be my 1000th. I feel like I'm not TCBing. Somebody cheer me up.


Aaawww, Lonnie, I'm sorry for your milestone to've been on such a sensitive subject. Well, on the bright side we know the reason for not going abroad had really very little to do with cocaine, or at least as much as with good ole Andreas van Kuijk :rolleyes:
And yes, I know he tried LSD once, and I read somewhere he "chewed" marihuana on some occassions......
But addicted to coke was new to me, really.

Anyway, I hope this cheers you up, if only a little ;)

[Lonniebealestreet]

I greatly appreciate it. :D

And to me, the FBI memo doesn't prove anything.

Fact is though that some of the legal stuff he was taking was probably just as bad if not worse for him. **** doctors...

[boogie]

Cmon guys, cheer up, put this next to you...
Elvis is gone, no matter what he did with drugs,what the Hell ...his music and beautiful person stays with us....be happy for that :clap: :clap:

[Lonniebealestreet]

That I am.

Mostly I was bummed at myself for carrying on about all this negative stuff...feeling disloyal, you know. But I'm fine.

[Cherokee]

That I am.

Mostly I was bummed at myself for carrying on about all this negative stuff...feeling disloyal, you know. But I'm fine.


I don't see a need to feel disloyal. Elvis was a full, but very complicated, package. Even the bad stuff contributed to that total picture that we all love so dearly....... :hmm: :wub:

[Lonniebealestreet]

I know you're right. Thanks. (h)

[blackdiamond]

Wasn't this show at college park, september 28, 1974, released on Fort Baxters A Profile vol. 2 set?

[memphis 77]

i cringe just listening to it , it reminds me of DESSERT STORM CD, EXCEPT HE SOUNDS THAT HE IS REALLY OUT OF IT, another show that was terrible, although from the photos he looked really good, this is just as bad as detroit, he should of stayed in bed.

[memphis 77]

yes you are right that this was first released in 98 on profile 2 from BAXTER, this time round it's complete with a tad better audio quality.

[1100ccRider]

I'm not sure to what extent Elvis got into "street" cocaine later, or if he did. It's been reported by several people that he used it though. But the liquid cocaine came from Dr. Nick, who called it Lidocaine in the presence of others.


There's no such thing as 'liquid cocaine.' The closest would be Lidocaine, I believe, and all it'd have done was give Elvis a numb nose.

[jak]

I just listened to the College Park shows again this week after I got Chaos.Its a troubled time for Elvis and its obvious.Some fans like these "talkative" shows but it's really a sign of his condition.I dont think Elvis ever tried to open up on stage and confide his inner feelings to a few thousand strangers.I personally believe its just the effects of his medication that causes him to ramble on at different times during some of these shows.He probably couldnt remember a word he said an hour later.He could perform surprisingly well in that state but his behaviour and strange chatter told the real story.I think taken as a whole 1974 is right there with 1976 when it comes to poor performances.
Jak

[1100ccRider]

I think that the August, 1974 Vegas season was an excellent one. I've always loved the concerts from that season, in part because the set lists were way more interesting than had been the case in a long time (and remained so into March, 1975 and again that December). I also love the martial arts focus and the talks he gave about it, and I can certainly relate to his evangelizing martial arts (I've been a student for 20 years). Yes, there are disturbing signs after he comes back from his day off, sick, but he's also looser than he had been in ages and more off-the-cuff than in many, many years...too much so, toward the end of the season, perhaps, but when he came back next March (for a great Vegas season....even the newspaper reviewers agreed on that) he was also fairly candid about things going on in his life, such as his extended hospital stay.

I wrote a very long piece, a while back, about the September 2, 1974 closing show. I think the word that sums it up most succinctly is "rollercoaster." It was awful, in part, and it was also wonderful -- he was in a rare mood (for better and worse) and knocked himself out on some of the songs. My own preference is for shows in which he maintained a slightly more even emotional keel, such as those from the 27th-31st, because he started doing vocal gymnastics on songs (like "Let Me Be There" and "How Great Thou Art") that had received a more straightforward treatment before. In fact, if I remember right, the version he does of "How Great Thou Art" on August 30 (midnight show?) was the first time he really let his voice soar way up there, more like on the final tour LP than on the Memphis LP version, and it obviously took his band by surprise.

There's that old clich? about tortured artists producing the best work, and in this case Elvis was certainly in pain (I wouldn't really presume to determine why, but I doubt the "godd**ned movie magazines" had as much to do with it as his famous rant during the closing show indicated) but he really went all out to perform to his fullest. The tone of the shows before his day off -- excellent shows, all -- and after (darker, more mercurial, more goofing around, more total immersion in songs) is very different, even judging from purely audio evidence.

I never really bought the piece of recent 'conventional wisdom' that Elvis dropped the unique aspects of his opening night setlist because he received an icy reception from the audience. For sure, the film shot from the audience at that show indicates a fairly typical level of response, for Vegas, and audience-recorded tapes that made the rounds before soundboards escaped also suggest a good response. I think this whole Elvis-changed-his-setlist-'cos-it-didn't-go-over-well is a direct result of the soundboard coming out and being unbalanced in terms of the unidirectional mics picking up very little audience reaction...that's not unusual in such recordings. I've read at least one testimonial from someone at this concert to the effect that Elvis received a great response. Same with the closing show, for that matter...in all the excitement, most of what Elvis said either wasn't heard or just flew over the heads of many of those present, the difference being that we have access to Elvis' mic input more clearly than those in the showroom and we can listen to it over and over again.

Even if you look at the setlists from the August, 1974 shows it becomes apparent that the changes Elvis made were not all that radical. Sure, he changed back to the usual "See See Rider," etc, opening numbers, but I'm not sure that "Big Boss Man" (and Elvis with no guitar) was a stellar choice for an opener ("Viva Las Vegas," though perhaps a bit predictable, might have been cool). And, yeah, he ditched "Down In The Alley" and "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues," but he also kept "It's Midnight," "Promised Land," "If You Talk In Your Sleep" (greatly extended, after the infamous day off), "If You Love Me," and others...there's still more 'new' material in his setlist for this season, and more '70s stuff, than ever before. And you can go all the way back to 1970, if not 1969, to see that Elvis did songs on opening night that he rapidly dropped from his repertoire (a few examples include "The Next Step Is Love," "That's All Right," in 1969, "True Love Travels On A Gravel Road," and "Raised On Rock").

It's romantic -- not in the lovey-dovey sense, I mean -- to characterize Elvis on August 19, 1974 as a man who was ready to go in another direction and take a bold step for change, only to find himself trapped within his fame and the expectations of his audience, doomed from that point on....but I just don't think that's the way it was. Not entirely, anyway. I think there's an element of that (and certainly of his being trapped by the low expectations of his audiences and by his very fame), and of course some people in the showroom -- especially the many people who attended his Vegas shows who weren't really big fans -- just wanted him to sing the old songs, but I think there was more going on in the latter half of 1974 than just a degree of perceived rejection of a new setlist concept. It was, in some ways, quite possibly a turning point. But, all the same, despite physical changes, 1975 turned out to be quite a year for Elvis, at least as far as his professional life, as a touring musical act, was concerned.

[1100ccRider]

P.S.: in reference to the College Park shows, that started this thread, all I cna say is that if you're looking for a total disaster in Elvis' touring career, that was probably the one. Elvis' up-and-down behavior from Vegas that year was magnified on tour -- he had great setlists for that tour but something was obviously wrong: some shows were excellent and others were just sad. The September 28 soundboard is one I prefer not to listen to...unlike other shows from that period when Elvis' vocals more than make up for his odd demeanor, on this one he just wasn't really present at all. It's a sad thing to hear.

He died, in the end, and he should not have been on the road as he was so much in 1976, but at least he did first recover from this low point in the Fall of 1974, musically.

[orwell1976]

To combine the statements above with the title of the thread, I'd like to say, that in my opinion our man was certainly drugged in College Park. No matter if there was one good song or another, Elvis was stoned and wrecked most of this show. Even in this condition the king could put on a reasonable performance, but it is nothing compaired to what Elvis could have done if he had been up to it. The whole tour seems to be affected by Elvis' overuse of his medication, only a very few shows where really good and entertaining. Even his voice seems not to be in the shape it was only a few weeks ago. It was only logical that Elvis had to take some time off after this tour (and the short Tahoe gig) and go to a hospital to dry out. You can clearly notice the change when he came back in the spring of 1975. He was a completely different person: His old self.