Tucson '76

[Albert]

Live in: Tucson, AZ. - June 1, 1976

Tracklist: (click on the track to hear a 20 second sample) Help

01. See See Rider
02. I Got A Woman/Amen
03. Love Me
04. If You Love Me
05. You Gave Me A Mountain
06. All Shook Up
07. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel
08. And I Love You So
09. Jailhouse Rock
10. Help Me
11. Fever
12. Polk Salad Annie
13. Introduction of band
- Early Morning Rain
- What'd I Say
- Love Letters
- School Days
14. Hurt
15. Burning Love
16. Help Me Make It Through The Night
17. Danny Boy
18. Hound Dog
19. Can't Help Falling In Love


Track 1 - recorded live in Odessa, TX. on May 30, 1976 at the afternoon show
"Love Letters" on Track 13 - recorded live in Odessa, TX. on May 30, 1976 at the evening show


Reviews:
spinout-designs

[spinout-designs]

Tuscon 76

Tuscon 76 may well have been no. 6 on the then still fairly new FTD collectors label, however, it was the first officially released live Elvis Presley show since the composite Dallas 75 show made it's debut on the RCA labels 'Silver Box Set' some 20 years previously !

It was an Elvis fan and collectors dream come true in many respects, an officially released soundboard, yet at the same time it seemed somewhat of a strange first choice.

Subsequently of course we have had many more live shows both on the FTD collector label as well as on the main BMG label and Tuscon 76 seems a long time ago now, but, it really did seem to open the floodgates to the treasure chest of live shows we enjoy today on the official labels, and I for one am very grateful for that.

So, back to the show at hand.................

Tuscon 76 presents us with a June 1, 1976 (evening) Elvis Presley show, recorded from the soundboard at the Community Center Arena, Tucson, Arizona.

There would be a staggering total of 9 tours as well as both Tahoe and Vegas engagements during the year of 1976, the Tuscon performance being show 7 of Tour number 18 (Elvis' 3rd Tour of the year so far and the 14 show Tahoe engagement already completed).

The Tuscon show itself includes some nice interplay with the crowd and a
couple of not so often performed songs sprinkled between the set list standards of 1976. We also get two complete versions of Hurt and a few lines of Welcome To My World.


Someone requests For The Good Times and Elvis instead offers them a very nice version of Help Me Make It Through The Night (a much better selection perhaps).

However, it is following the request for him to perform The Last Farewell from his, at the time recent Elvis Presley Boulevard album, to which he replies "I wish I knew it", that the biggest surprise on this CD comes.

Instead of the requested song (which I personally would have loved to hear) he gives the crowd a very rare live performance of Danny Boy......beautifully performed and spontaneous and presumably the main motivation for making this the first FTD live release (it was not even know that a live performance of Danny Boy existed on soundboard up until this point and in that respect it makes this CD a true collectors release)

In short a nice enough 1976 performance where the varied set list makes for a pleasing show. It should be noted that See See Rider and Love Letters were actually recorded live on stage in Odessa, Texas at the afternoon and
evening shows respectively and not Tuscon Arizona.


(adapted from a review I first did at the time this CD came out)

[jbgude]

This was the first FTD I was really dissapointed with, and have not bought. After a gap of 20 years they could have had a much better concert to start the FTD series. Apart from " Danny Boy" there was nothing really special and it was a tired, disconsolate E that performed the show.

I will possiblly not even take this set if offered for free.....

[Mr. Songman]

It is far from being the best FTD that there is but I am glad to have it. Unfortunately, FTD will not be around forever, so I will support them while they make these shows available. I have in my collection, every single soundboard show (and some very good audience recorded shows, I might add) that has ever been released. While there were some that I would pass up if I were not an avid collector of Elvis concerts and recording sessions, this is not one of them. The version of Danny Boy alone, is worth the price of the CD to me.

[LeMond]

Contrary to a lot of other fans, I really love this cd.
It was the first FTD-cd I bought and I consider it one of the very best.
I have to agree though that most of the concerts from 1976 released on bootlegs are mediocre at best but I think that this concert stands out.
Elvis sounds good and the band plays great.
The sound on this cd is excellent!

[eap1977]

Let's be THANKFUL for the FTD series! Sometimes if we are not very careful we tend to get a critical attitude toward RCA/BMG/FTD. I'm so glad to have this release for several reasons but Elvis singing Danny Boy alone makes this cd a must have for me!

[EnigmaticSun]

Well, to be honest, I like this one - Elvis' voice sounds warm and quite strong. I like the versions of Danny Boy (very special and rare), And I Love You So, Hurt.. Very classy!! Elvis is entertaining throughout the entire show, in fact I'd recommend this release to others..

[orwell1976]

First I thought how could FTD be so stupid to release a concert from the summer of 1976. Elvis wasn't too well back then, to put it middly. But when I listened to the cd, I changed my mind and thought that this show wasn't that bad. Elvis isn't bored and he isn't stoned and he really tried to put on a good show. And he did. Elvis never came near the level he had performed at a few years earlyer, but he still did a good show with a few songs, that didn't belong to his all-day-repertoire. The highlight is of cause DANNY BOY, but with songs like HELP ME MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT and BURNING LOVE he strayed from his usual programme, too. At least this release shows, that even the "fat and old" Elvis could deliver, if he felt like it! If you are not a bootleg collector and you want to cover all stages of Elvis' career, this is surely a cd to buy.

[IM4Elvis]

I really like this CD. While I have purchased all of the FTD releases to date, "Tuscon 76" was the first one I purchased. So I guess it will always mean something extra. I think Elvis doing "Danny Boy' (and doing it well) is worth the price of the CD alone! Is it Elvis of 1957 or even 1970? Certainly not. But, IMHO, it was a good show with Elvis doing a nice job.

IM

[Menwithbrokenhearts]

I like the crowd interaction and the Danny Boy performance, but little else on this cd. Don't listen to it often, but it is pretty good just listening to Elvis chatting with the crowd.

[NEA]

This is very much a welcome addition on the Follow That Dream label and is the very first officially released Elvis Presley concert from 1976.
I enjoy listening to this show from June 1st in Tucson, Arizona, plus 2 other songs from May 30th in Odessa, Texas to make up the numbers on the CD. Elvis appears to be in good spirits with the audience and there are a lot more musical highlights than some reviewers have given this show credit for. Olivia Newton-John's 'IF YOU LOVE ME' gets some good treatment from The King and is a total clap-a-long number as per usual. 'YOU GAVE ME A MOUNTAIN' is outstanding, and Elvis continues totally making this Marty Robbins showstopper his own. There is another nice concert version of 'AND I LOVE YOU SO' which is amicable on the ear. I prefer this version of 'JAILHOUSE ROCK' to the much later CBS TV Special version, this doesn't appear to be as rushed and obviously Elvis seems more focused with it here in Tucson. 'HELP ME' is just gorgeous and is a good matching performance for the Live on stage in Memphis 1974 version. I have a great fondness for Elvis' later live 'POLK SALAD ANNIE' performances and this version is no exception with all the band, especially James & Jerry, in fine sound. The Introductions are up next and I just love the band's gritty solo performances just like on the other Follow That Dream releases: 'DIXIELAND ROCKS' & 'DINNER AT EIGHT'. The song 'LOVE LETTERS' is performed somewhat slower than the known studio versions by Elvis from 1966 and 1970, and is nice to hear. 'HURT' x 2....Fantastic! Magical! Remarkable!....care to add to the list of adjectives here? Next up we have a pretty cool rockin' version of 1972's 'BURNING LOVE' and is especially a rarely performed song from this time. 'HELP ME MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT' is beautiful and shorter than the normal version - Elvis didn't repeat the chorus. And next is 'DANNY BOY' and the version that the majority of reviewers have stated that it's worth paying the full price of the whole CD just for this....and they are most definitely correct! This version is total off-the-cuff and outstandingly beautiful and is a revelation in itself, the goose bumps wouldn't leave my skin alone.
So there we have it. This was Elvis, this was 1976, this was Tucson and this was Terrific!

[vulcandude]

I had originally seen this release both in Amazon and the BMG CD club, but didn't really know much about it. I love listening to Elvis when he performed live, there's just an extra added feeling of excitement you can hear in his voice as opposed to the studio recordings. With having read the track listing and a couple of the reviews here, this FTD release will definitely be bought in the near future! I'm so glad FTD has been releasing more of the soundboard recordings...it makes up a little for the fact Elvis is no longer with us....so thanks FTD and BMG!

[COL DRIES]

In One Word "superb" !! In My Personal Top 10

[Marlena]

I really very, very like this CD

[moody-blues67]

I want this one bad.

[easyrider]

I like this show,highly recommended.

[Polk-Salad-Annie]

I voted for:

Yes, it's a good one, but I don't play it often

[Mr.TCB]

This is a great concert, I will buy it if I find it at the right price.

[rickb]

Thanks to the rare, and beautiful, Danny Boy this was a good choice for release