Elvis? Long Concerts

[peter]

We all know that longest set of Elvis concert was on Closing Show 1976 in Lake Tahoe (it was cca 110 - 120 minute show!!&#33 :

But what was next long show? I heard that Pittsburg show 76 was very long for Elvis. How long are "long" Elvis concerts?

P.S.: I know that Elvis standard concert set was around 60min long, but why? I think that it?s really SHORT running time! When I was on Stones or on Deep Purple last year, both bands played for longer time (DP - 110min; Stones - 130 min&#33, and concerts seems short! DP played 16 songs; Stones 19 songs, and after show I thought - it was great (DP concert was best show I ever seen!!&#33, but it could be longer! Because I know, that running time of Elvis shows was "short" I think that it had to be disappointing for lot of fans to see their superstar for only one hour! What do you think about my point of view?

I love Elvis shows, but lenght of his shows is one of largest minus of his concerts for me!

[rod]

i understand what you mean peter but from 69 to late 73 elvis had put a great show together .when elvis came on stage it was maybee 19 -22 songs all in about 60-70 minutes . sometime's twice a day.:respect

but i must admit from 74 onwards the shows were being filled out with lots of talking , band intros'.
but i think a lot off people just came to see elvis .

but the concerts off today are different think all together ask any band to do 2 shows a day now and they would laugh in your face


all the best rod....

[peter]

But on boots from LV 71 are few really supershort shows - cca 45 mins! It?s really poor running time! Yes I have to agree, Elvis did in early 70s two shows in one day (--> cca 130 mins on stage for one day, but in two shows), but it looks not good! For me it seems, that it was did for... MONEY!!! I think that it had to be work by Parker, but it wasn?t fair to audience! I think that performer should do a good, long one concert in one day (DP and Stones are playing usually three four shows in week), and I think that it?s better for audience than two shows in one day! Elvis did great but short two concerts in one day and I think that it was one of reasons why was Elvis tired by performing in later 70s!!!

It?s only my opinion, but I believe that you know what I mean!

[rod]

yes peter i do agree with you had elvis done maybee two or three longer show a week instead of two shorter shows a day he might have stayed more focused and not grown so bored with it all.

and a world tour might have helped a little bit.(lol)

[Stefan Kock]

I sure agree with you on some level. Elvis?s concerts were indeed a bit short. But, we mustn?t forget that, especially in the early 70?s, his concerts were very physical. The many body movements, the songs sung to perfection => it was all very tiresome. Also he had to carry the show all by himself, it was a one man show.

It must have been very exhausting for Elvis!

[Albert]

I've read somewhere that the management of the Hilton didn't allow Elvis to do longer show. The longer they were at an Elvisshow, the shorter they could visit the roulette.

If I remember correctly Elvis even mentioned it during a LV show?

[rod]

they don't like us to stay on for then fourtyfive minutes to an hour ....but we don'tcare what they like.....

[Lonniebealestreet]

Weird. I made those comments in that other thread before I saw this one regarding the show length perhaps disappointing concertgoers.

Anyway, I guess the time restrictions in Vegas basically dictated the program, which he didn't bother to really change when he took his show on the road. Seems like he could have and should have.

But that's easy for us to say.

It seems like there was another noteworthy show which was kind of long for him that we are forgetting here.

Rod, the above quote reminds me of what he said at the 3/22/75 midnight show (something along these lines):

They like me to stay out here for 55 minutes to one hour. Now, that's what they say! [Crowd cheers.]
I say about 35 minutes. [Laughter and good-natured boos. ]
Naw, so anyway we've only got about sixty more songs to do...then they'll come out and get me in a dustpan!

Funny guy.

[curtis simpkins]

Did Elvis give 90 mint shows in vegas in 1974,
i know we have cds called

night fever and what was the other show was called, but these where 90 mint.long.

[kennyelvis]

Night Fever In Vegas 85 min
Desert Storm ???? :bash:

[Albert]

The concertreviewers found it a very bad thing that the shows were so short. And they especially disliked it that more and more of that time was taken by introducing his band and letting them do solos.

I can imagine that it's a bad thing when you're paying a high price for an Elvis concert (much higher than any other popconcert during those days) and that you only hear about 35 minutes of Elvis singing.

But once again, I blame the people around him. His roadmananger ("diamond" Joe?) should have put much more effort into changing the setlist and during of the concert. Today popular artists are much better supervisioned/supported to be the best you can be. In retrospect it seems like Elvis really was on his own.

[peter]

My longest shows (from my small over 30 boots collection) are Desert Storm (85 min but 1st song wasn?t recorded -> cca 90min show) and Baltimore show from collection The King On Stage (82min complete show). Other longer shows (over 70min):
- It?s Midnight In Vegas (74min)
- Pieces Of My Life (GREAT JOB BY FRANCESC ON ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT WEBSITE!!! - 75min, but last part of show wasn?t recorded --> cca 85 min show in Asheville)
- Just Pretend (74 min without first lines of See See Rider)
- December Night In Las Vegas (79 min)
- Burning In Birmingham (71 min)
- Send Me The Light... (79 min)
- Adios A Final Performance (74 min)!

All other shows are under 70 minutes!

[rick]

I agree the shows were generally 2-3 songs too short, but things were diffetrent back in the 70s and there was also a legacy from the 50s I guess when shows were long at 30 minutes.
Definitely too much time was spent on the intros in the last year or two.
rick

[likethebike]

Rick is right. Elvis' shows were about the right length for their time. In the '50s and '60s most shows were package type deals with the headliner playing only about 25 minutes. If you look at the 1961 show in Hawaii that was only about a 35 minute show and that was very long for its time. The Beatles' legendary Shea stadium show was only about a half-hour long.

Elvis' shows of about an hour apiece were consistent with sets by most other performers of the day. Sometimes if he was in a good mood he would go longer like in the August/September '74 Vegas engagement when many of the shows approached an hour and a half. The Pittsburgh concert is about 79 minutes.

Concerts really started getting longer when ticket prices started to reach the moon. For $50 an hour doesn't cut it.

In Vegas, the problem was compounded because when Elvis did give long shows, the Hotel registered disapproval because they want the crowd to turn over quickly and go back into the casino to gamble. Entertainment is only meant as a draw for the gambling.

In 1971, Elvis did for some reason, maybe the Casinos, shorten most of his sets down to 45 minutes. But the next year he was back with the 50-60 minute show.

[Jungleroom76]

Well...here is what information I can offer everyone on this topic...

As for Elvis' short performances in Vegas...as everyone has said in this thread, the main reason for Elvis' abbrevated shows during his Vegas engagements is because hotel management didn't want the guests tied up in the showrooms watching shows, when they could be out spending their money in the casino. Having Elvis perform in the showroom was a sure-fire way to get people to come to the International/Hilton, thus more people spending money gambling.

As for Elvis' very short engagements in 1971, the main reason Elvis' shows were so short, especially during the January/February '71 engagement was because Elvis was performing while he was quite ill. Elvis came down with the flu about 3 or 4 nights after he opened on 1/26/71, and for most of the rest of the engagement, he was probably too sick to perform, but being the consumate professional he was, he still managed to give the fans a show, albeit a very short show in some cases.

As for Elvis' shows in 1974, I have to agree with Rod's post...they were quite long in terms of the actual time of the show (take for example the FTD release of "It's Midnight" which clocks in right around 80 minutes), but in terms of quality, sometimes longer isn't always better....a LOT of Elvis' shows in 1974, especially the second half of '74 are filled with more talking and not nearly enough singing. Personally, I really like Elvis' voice in his 1974 shows, but I generally don't listen to them too often because he spends so much time talking in between songs that it detracts from the show.

And in terms of Elvis' longest shows, I think everyone that has replied so far has mentioned the shows which are the longer ones, so I won't add anything to that unless I come up with one that hasn't been mentioned yet!

Hope this helps out!
TCB!
Mike

[Tiger Man]

I have Rolling Stones bootlegs from 1973 and the shows clock in at an hour. I also have a Stones show from '69 and it's not even an hour. Things were much different then. Elvis' shows, though they seem short now, were what most people were doing at the time. Led Zeppelin began doing very long shows in the 70s, but that was notable at the time, plus lots of jamming from various band members. As somebody mentioned before, high ticket prices pretty much changed the length of concerts. Also, songs are much longer now. Songs in the 50s and 60s were frequently 2 minutes or 2 and a half minutes, by the late 60s and early-7s song lengths had doubled. It became necessary to play longer shows to fit in all the songs.

[Lonniebealestreet]

Wow, nice thread revival, Tiger Man! Three and a half years ago that last comment was made...Some might call that a delayed reaction but since you're new to the board you get a pass.

Welcome to the big freaky international TCB World.

I would comment on the subject at hand but I'm still catching my breath from making my above post, and besides I've already said my peace.

[Rover]

I guess he did short shows to keep up with the pace of twice a day...
btw, how much did cost a ticket for an Elvis show??

[Elvis 1972]

I guess he did short shows to keep up with the pace of twice a day...
btw, how much did cost a ticket for an Elvis show??

Sometimes three shows!

Rita

[utmom2008]

We all know that longest set of Elvis concert was on Closing Show 1976 in Lake Tahoe (it was cca 110 - 120 minute show!!&#33 :

But what was next long show? I heard that Pittsburg show 76 was very long for Elvis. How long are "long" Elvis concerts?

P.S.: I know that Elvis standard concert set was around 60min long, but why? I think that it?s really SHORT running time! When I was on Stones or on Deep Purple last year, both bands played for longer time (DP - 110min; Stones - 130 min&#33, and concerts seems short! DP played 16 songs; Stones 19 songs, and after show I thought - it was great (DP concert was best show I ever seen!!&#33, but it could be longer! Because I know, that running time of Elvis shows was "short" I think that it had to be disappointing for lot of fans to see their superstar for only one hour! What do you think about my point of view?

I love Elvis shows, but lenght of his shows is one of largest minus of his concerts for me!

I saw Elvis 10 times between August of 71 and December of 76 and all 10 shows were between 19 to 22 songs. I was in Vegas the summers of 71,72 and 73..the latter two were for opening night. It's like someone else posted....he was very physical, and he also put alot of emotional energy in his earlier shows. You can't imagine how fast 60 or 70 minutes would fly by. Especially for me....I don't think I was breathing that entire time