The Baltimore "Breakdown"

[U.S. Male]

First of all, let me make it clear that I am NOT trying to be dirty or disrespectful with this subject matter! Only curious.

During the May 29, 1977 show in Baltimore MD, Elvis abruptly left the stage and turned the show over to the backup singers for nearly 30 minutes. Before he left, he said something along the lines of "nature calls."

I'm curious to know if this was actually the real reason he left, or was it simply because he was exhausted and not in good enough shape to maintain a normal level of performing w/o passing out? I have a book titled "Elvis day-by-day" by Lee Cotton, and it states in the book that Elvis went to the rear of the stage where a physician attended to him.

Anyone else have any insight to this story?

[0349054]

No, i'll try find out something more about it. However he was in no fit state to be performing.

[orwell1976]

I have read, that Elvis had taken too much downers. He really struggled to give a good performance (just look at the unusual songlist), but he just didn't make it. He spoke in slurred speech and couldn't follow the tempo of the songs. After a few songs he took a break and let Sherril sing some songs, but after just one more song he left the stage. Dr. Nick and Elvis disappeared in his dressing room and I guess Elvis was given some uppers or something like that. About twenty minutes later the king seemed to be in a lot better shape and he really put on a show. He performed a great UNCHAINED MELODY, sang the rare ONE NIGHT and even tried THE WONDER OF YOU (although he didn't succeed). It was a bad show, but Elvis performed the required 50 minutes and therefore he could keep the money from the ticketsales.

About ten years back this show was released as an audience taped recording under the titel "Send Me The Light....I Need It Bad". And indeed, he did....

[0349054]

Nick probabaly gave him some Ritalin.

[EnigmaticSun]

I don't know what happened... He just left the stage for a while and then came back..

Maybe it's just my imagination, but I thought the show was okay (although some of the songs sounded strange because the tape was running probably too fast)...

It was very strange, because this tour contained some fine performances...

I thought he said something like 'don't you fool around with nature', but I don't know what he meant exactly.

Maybe he was having internal pains.

[orwell1976]

I guess this nature thing was just his try to make the people believe he just had to visit the restroom.

[KPM]

That story was in the Rolling Stone in June of 77 I think in the news section.
I remember they ripped Elvis by starting with "Elvis Presley gave another "stellar performance in Baltimore at one point leaving the stage claiming "Nature calls..."
He claimed later to have had a couple banana splits before the show and that they did not agree with him. It was a sad thing. We all knew something was going very wrong.

[Leroy]

After returning to the stage he also turned to John Wilkinson and said: "Sometimes it f.ck.ng hurts!" So I guess that "nature calling" was not a hollow excuse.

[the colonel]

take it from someone who was there, and followed the last 2 tours , Iremember this was the last time my good friend LEN LEECH, and JUDY PALMER decided to film an ELVIS show. I have to tell all fans who are interested that ELVIS already had a problem durring the show the night before, We all expected a pretty poor show, even LEN himself decided to go to the MARRIOTT where he was staying and photograph him , needless to say E.P. was pretty upset to see all 18 fans outside the service doors, WE knew what to expect for the next show[BALTIMORE] That night the intermission was a bit longer, it was about 11 minutes overdue, Hint that E.P. was not in the mood, When the lights went down he was slower and helped by ED PARKER to the stage wing step[right] Judy noticed that his boots were unzipped all the way, When i looked i could see in his face that he was '"TIRED" and durring the AMEN sequence he was totally serious and uninterested in doing the usual routine, and when he barked to charlie to take over , charlie directed the BAND TO HALT BELIEVE ME EVERYONE WAS SURPRISED, and watching ELVIS turn around behind charlie and walk off for 9 minutes and return INVIGORATED , I must agree with CADILLAC ELVIS , they boosted him up with something because he sang MOUNTAIN with so much energy that JUDY decided to take what would be her last photos of ELVIS EVER. This was pretty surprising but nothing compaired to the CINCINATTI SHOW almost a month later. Again a downer for US fans who were there and pretty hard to except even now.

[the colonel]

take it from someone who was there, and followed the last 2 tours , Iremember this was the last time my good friend LEN LEECH, and JUDY PALMER decided to film an ELVIS show. I have to tell all fans who are interested that ELVIS already had a problem durring the show the night before, We all expected a pretty poor show, even LEN himself decided to go to the MARRIOTT where he was staying and photograph him , needless to say E.P. was pretty upset to see all 18 fans outside the service doors, WE knew what to expect for the next show[BALTIMORE] That night the intermission was a bit longer, it was about 11 minutes overdue, Hint that E.P. was not in the mood, When the lights went down he was slower and helped by ED PARKER to the stage wing step[right] Judy noticed that his boots were unzipped all the way, When i looked i could see in his face that he was '"TIRED" and durring the AMEN sequence he was totally serious and uninterested in doing the usual routine, and when he barked to charlie to take over , charlie directed the BAND TO HALT BELIEVE ME EVERYONE WAS SURPRISED, and watching ELVIS turn around behind charlie and walk off for 9 minutes and return INVIGORATED , I must agree with CADILLAC ELVIS , they boosted him up with something because he sang MOUNTAIN with so much energy that JUDY decided to take what would be her last photos of ELVIS EVER. This was pretty surprising but nothing compaired to the CINCINATTI SHOW almost a month later. Again a downer for US fans who were there and pretty hard to except even now.

[the colonel]

take it from someone who was there, and followed the last 2 tours , Iremember this was the last time my good friend LEN LEECH, and JUDY PALMER decided to film an ELVIS show. I have to tell all fans who are interested that ELVIS already had a problem durring the show the night before, We all expected a pretty poor show, even LEN himself decided to go to the MARRIOTT where he was staying and photograph him , needless to say E.P. was pretty upset to see all 18 fans outside the service doors, WE knew what to expect for the next show[BALTIMORE] That night the intermission was a bit longer, it was about 11 minutes overdue, Hint that E.P. was not in the mood, When the lights went down he was slower and helped by ED PARKER to the stage wing step[right] Judy noticed that his boots were unzipped all the way, When i looked i could see in his face that he was '"TIRED" and durring the AMEN sequence he was totally serious and uninterested in doing the usual routine, and when he barked to charlie to take over , charlie directed the BAND TO HALT BELIEVE ME EVERYONE WAS SURPRISED, and watching ELVIS turn around behind charlie and walk off for 9 minutes and return INVIGORATED , I must agree with CADILLAC ELVIS , they boosted him up with something because he sang MOUNTAIN with so much energy that JUDY decided to take what would be her last photos of ELVIS EVER. This was pretty surprising but nothing compaired to the CINCINATTI SHOW almost a month later. Again a downer for US fans who were there and pretty hard to except even now.

[the colonel]

take it from someone who was there, and followed the last 2 tours , Iremember this was the last time my good friend LEN LEECH, and JUDY PALMER decided to film an ELVIS show. I have to tell all fans who are interested that ELVIS already had a problem durring the show the night before, We all expected a pretty poor show, even LEN himself decided to go to the MARRIOTT where he was staying and photograph him , needless to say E.P. was pretty upset to see all 18 fans outside the service doors, WE knew what to expect for the next show[BALTIMORE] That night the intermission was a bit longer, it was about 11 minutes overdue, Hint that E.P. was not in the mood, When the lights went down he was slower and helped by ED PARKER to the stage wing step[right] Judy noticed that his boots were unzipped all the way, When i looked i could see in his face that he was '"TIRED" and durring the AMEN sequence he was totally serious and uninterested in doing the usual routine, and when he barked to charlie to take over , charlie directed the BAND TO HALT BELIEVE ME EVERYONE WAS SURPRISED, and watching ELVIS turn around behind charlie and walk off for 9 minutes and return INVIGORATED , I must agree with CADILLAC ELVIS , they boosted him up with something because he sang MOUNTAIN with so much energy that JUDY decided to take what would be her last photos of ELVIS EVER. This was pretty surprising but nothing compaired to the CINCINATTI SHOW almost a month later. Again a downer for US fans who were there and pretty hard to except even now.

[the colonel]

take it from someone who was there, and followed the last 2 tours , Iremember this was the last time my good friend LEN LEECH, and JUDY PALMER decided to film an ELVIS show. I have to tell all fans who are interested that ELVIS already had a problem durring the show the night before, We all expected a pretty poor show, even LEN himself decided to go to the MARRIOTT where he was staying and photograph him , needless to say E.P. was pretty upset to see all 18 fans outside the service doors, WE knew what to expect for the next show[BALTIMORE] That night the intermission was a bit longer, it was about 11 minutes overdue, Hint that E.P. was not in the mood, When the lights went down he was slower and helped by ED PARKER to the stage wing step[right] Judy noticed that his boots were unzipped all the way, When i looked i could see in his face that he was '"TIRED" and durring the AMEN sequence he was totally serious and uninterested in doing the usual routine, and when he barked to charlie to take over , charlie directed the BAND TO HALT BELIEVE ME EVERYONE WAS SURPRISED, and watching ELVIS turn around behind charlie and walk off for 9 minutes and return INVIGORATED , I must agree with CADILLAC ELVIS , they boosted him up with something because he sang MOUNTAIN with so much energy that JUDY decided to take what would be her last photos of ELVIS EVER. This was pretty surprising but nothing compaired to the CINCINATTI SHOW almost a month later. Again a downer for US fans who were there and pretty hard to except even now.