Lets clear up opening night 1969.

[hgs262626]

for a long time there has been so much confusion over this evening. on this thread lets sort it all out. stop all the confusion and get the facts.
what did he wear?
What was the scarf he wore?
once we have done that we may be able to link some pics to opening night.
What did he peform?
when did he come on stage?
who attended?
did he wear the business suit or the black herringbone?

[Unchained Melody]

Elvis returned to the stage after the Benefit Concert in Pearl Harbour on March 25, 1961.
In the Elvis fans mind was still the recently TV success "Comeback 68". It seems like the press, fans and business was waiting for this moment. Elvis on stage after his career of actor in Hollywood. It seemed incredible to fill the showroom with 2,200 seats two times per day during four weeks but Elvis filled up this showroom.
The concerts were electrical, high-powerful voice and good selection of songs. The press reviews were extremely positive like from a The Newsweek article dated on August 11, 1969
The total attendance reportedly topped 101,509, a new Las Vegas record. The gross receipts were $1,522,635 also a Las Vegas record.

Recording Information

Multitrack recordings.
Official

• RCA recorded all concerts from 21st August Midnight Show to 26th August Midnight Show.
  
  • ELVIS AT THE INTERNATIONAL released under the FTD label featuring August 23, 1969 MS.
    ELVIS LIVE IN LAS VEGAS presents a concert released entirely under RCA from August 24, 1969 DS.
  • ALL SHOOK UP released under FTD label from August 26, 1969 MS.
• Some tracks from the other concerts recorded have been released on several CDS like:
  
  • COLLECTORS GOLD: Surrender (1 line), Introductions, Happy Birthday to James Burton from Aug 21, 1969 MS. Love Me Tender, Jailhouse Rock / Don't Be Cruel and the medley: Mystery Train and Tiger Man from Aug 22, 1969 MS. Loving You, Reconsider Baby, What'd I Say from Aug 23, 1969 MS. Heartbreak Hotel from Aug 24, 1969 DS. Blue Suede Shoes, I Got A Woman, Memories, Funny How Times Slips Away from Aug 25, 1969 DS. Inherit the Wind from August 26, 1969 DS. Baby, What You Want Me To Do, Runaway, Are You Lonesome Tonight (laughing version), Rubberneckin, This is The Story from Aug 26, 1969 MS
  
  
  • ELVIS AARON PRESLEY: Yesterday from Aug 24, 1969 DS. My Babe from Aug. 26, 1969 DS. Are You Lonesome Tonight (laughing version) from Aug 26, 1969 MS.
  
  
  • IN PERSON: Johnny B. Goode and Are You Lonesome Tonight from Aug 24, 1969 MS. Blue Suede Shoes, All Shook Up, Hound Dog, I Can't Stop Loving You, My Babe, Mystery Train - Tiger Man, Words from Aug. 25, 1969 MS.
  
  
  • ON STAGE: Runaway and Yesterday - Hey Jude from Aug. 25, 1969 DS.
  
  
  • TODAY, TOMORROW AND FOREVER: Baby, What You Want Me To Do, Funny How Times Slip Away, Runaway, My Babe, What'd I Say from Aug 22, 1969 MS.
  
  
  • WRITING FOR THE KING: Blue Suede Shoes, I Got A Woman, All Shook Up, Love Me Tender, Jailhouse Rock, Don't Be Cruel, Heartbreak Hotel, Hound dog, Yesterday - Hey Jude, Suspicious Minds and Can't Help Falling In Love from Aug 24, 1969 MS. Words from Aug. 25, 1969 DS. In The Ghetto from Aug. 25, 1969 MS.

Soundboard recordings.
Unofficial

• Fort Baxter released the CD OPENING NIGHT but the date written on the cover is wrong. It's not the Opening Night (July 31, 1969) and it's not Aug. 1, 1969 Dinner Show neither. The most accepted date is August 3rd, Dinner Show.
  ELVIS LIVE and ELVIS MEETS THE BEATLES are the same material that Opening Night 69.
• Other soundboard released is HERE I GO AGAIN (Aug. 24, 1969 MS) from D.A.E. in a good sound quality and a beautiful package. CD was wronlgy dated as Aug. 23, 1969 DS.

Audience recordings on CD:

• THE RETURN OF TIGER MAN (Aug 6, 1969 DS) is one of the complete concerts from the audience.
• Others are incomplete concerts like WINNER BACK IN VEGAS and VEGAS MEMORIES 8.15 PM and completed with other songs.

[Unchained Melody]

What did he peform?
Opening Theme
Blue Suede Shoes
I Got A Woman
All Shook Up
Love Me Tender
Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel
Heartbreak Hotel
Hound Dog
Memories
Mystery Train/Tiger Man
Baby What You Want Me To Do
Are You Lonesome Tonight?
Yesterday
Hey Jude
[band introductions]
In The Ghetto
Runaway
Suspicious Minds
What'd I Say
Can't Help Falling In Love


What Did He Wear?

Black Herringbone Suit
Belt- Black textile

Time : 10:15 pm

Crowd- 2200

[hgs262626]

thank you VERY VERY MUCH!

[Tommy]

Some in attendance:

Cary Grant, Ann-Margret, Shirley Bassey, Burt Bacharach, Petual Clark.

He did a six minute long rendition of Suspicous Minds!

[Unchained Melody]

thank you VERY VERY MUCH!

All of the above info was found on www.elvisconcerts.com and www.elviscrawler.com

[cameron]

All of the above info was found on www.elvisconcerts.com and www.elviscrawler.com

OFF TOPIC : just curious . When were you a member of EC and what name did you use ?

[utmom2008]

Some in attendance:

Cary Grant, Ann-Margret, Shirley Bassey, Burt Bacharach, Petual Clark.

He did a six minute long rendition of Suspicous Minds!

Petula Clark must have really liked his shows...she was also in the audience the night of 08/06/1973.

[vivalasvegas]

i have a menu from that night.
it's different from the other menu used for august. (long black menu)
this one specifically says JULY 31.
no dinner menu was listed. appetizers only.
no prices, so i am thinking it was all comp'd?

my menu is also autographed. i am thinking the owner ran around collecting these:
wayne newton
paul anka
jerry lewis
hugo montenegro (wrote the Spaghetti western movie music, notably Charro!)
carol channing
rouvaun (a very popular lead singer of the Lido de Paris show here)
henry mancini
perry como

i can't remember anymore names. it's in safe storage!

i purchased this from someone who was handling an estate. one of a kind i would suppose! i love it because it's elvis AND vegas history.

my club hosts a Tigerman Returns party every year. EPE has ignored this date for too long, so I m doing it. been so, for 5 years now. i have suite reserved at the hilton and we party all day. my club loves this and looks forward to it every year. (this year is July 19) next year is the 40th anniversary and i wish there was something spectacular i could do!

also, when we recently had the auction here in vegas at the palms, the set list, written by elvis himselvis was there and i am about passed out to take a look at it. (yes, I have pictures of it)

sonny west tells a story in his book that after the show, the colonel was urgently looking for elvis and when he spotted him, he said something like: MY BOY, WE DID IT, WE DID IT! they embraced and both had tears.

[presley31]

Some in attendance:

Cary Grant, Ann-Margret, Shirley Bassey, Burt Bacharach, Petual Clark.

He did a six minute long rendition of Suspicous Minds!

Thanks for the information Tommy

[ehollier]

As everyone knows, when Elvis appeared on stage in 1969, he hadn't performed before a live audience since 1961 (except in the Comeback Special). No doubt his opening show was spectacular and thrilling to all of those who were there. I have always wondered how Elvis could have doubted his ability to captivate and mesmerize the audience on this special night with his own special charm and abundance of talent and energy.

[Unchained Melody]

I have always wondered how Elvis could have doubted his ability to captivate and mesmerize the audience on this special night with his own special charm and abundance of talent and energy.

Just like he doubted anyone would remember who he was when he got back from Germany in 1960...and boy was he wrong...

[ehollier]

Just like he doubted anyone would remember who he was when he got back from Germany in 1960...and boy was he wrong...

Jeez....you men and your fragile egos....but seriously.......

it's mind-boggling when I read about that opening night in 69, look at the pictures and hear (from later recordings that summer) the excitement in his music....I still have to wonder.....how could he have doubted himself???????