April 22 1977 - Detroit, Michigan
Review by Chris Brown - Elvis News Service Weekly, Issue 294-95 (May 8 1977)

David, my brother, and I left Toronto at 9am for the two-hundred-and-fifty mile drive to Detroit for Elvis' concert April 22 in the Olympia. We were not particularly excited about going to Detroit, but would go since Elvis would be there (although we were not sure, considering Elvis' recent illness and the cancellation of some concerts). We did not have tickets when we left, nor did we have any for his concerts in Toledo, Ohio and Ann Arbor, Michigan -- but we were going anyhow. It rained all day Friday, which was a first for me when attending an Elvis concert. Throughout the day we would continually check at the box-office to see what kinds of tickets they had. For our first three or four attempts all they had was behind the stage, and I had no intention or desire to sit there. Finally, they had had some more released, and we bought tickets for thirty-three rows back on the floor. These were not particularly good seats, but we wanted to be sure of a seat. If you want to really enjoy an Elvis concert you should not sit any further back than twenty rows on the floor because people are continually standing and running, and bobbing up and down, and it makes it very difficult to see.

We went into the arena around 7:30 because there was nothing else to do. We did not get a motel in Detroit because we much preferred to stay in Toledo. They have a new photo book which is probably the best they have ever put out. It has more photos than the previous ones, all in colour, and almost all of them are in focus!! A new poster is available, which is a copy of very good painting of Elvis for $5. Very nice.

The show started a little later than 8:30 with The Sweet Inspirations on first. What was very noticeable here was the absolutely terrible sound system. Any talking was barely audible, and the singing very undistinguishable. The Sweets sang 'Sweet Inspiration' which went on and on and on... Jackie Kahane -- what can be said. Nearly all the same jokes as I first heard in Niagara Falls, 1974. The Stamps came on next. They may have been good, but I couldn't tell what they were singing. (From what I saw in Toledo, they are the best part of the warm-up acts.) "And now it's IN-TER-MIS-SION TIME!" This has now been extended to about thirty minutes, and why I don't know. I've seen many concerts where at most it has taken half that time, and Elvis would be on.

Finally the lights dim. The '2001' Theme begins, and so do the screams. I still think this is a sensational entrance for Elvis, and James Burton makes it even better with his guitar sounds making it jazzy. The '2001' Theme ends, the drums begin, and Elvis strolls on stage. He does the usual 'C.C. Rider', and now what can really be called a medley of 'I Got A Woman' and 'Amen'. The song is over, but Elvis STILL has his guitar. Great! He's going to do what I've heard he has been doing on stage lately. "I'd like to do one of my first records. I only know three chords" (on the guitar) "but..." The sound is still bad, but we can hear Elvis as he strums the opening of 'That's All Right' on his guitar. Elvis belts this out, as Charlie holds a mic' so Elvis can sing into it. (Another mic', on a stand, is picking up Elvis' strumming.) This has to be one of the highlights of the show. When the song is finished, Elvis still keeps his guitar, and says he would like to do 'Are You Lonesome Tonight?' Elvis fools around quite a bit during the song, especially during the spoken part. I'm sure it is quite funny, but I couldn't make out anything he was saying/laughing to Charlie. Elvis' voice on this sounded beautiful (when he was singing). And then, with the guitar again, -- what time of year is it? -- 'Blue Christmas'! I have never heard this live before (or the the preceding song), let alone have Elvis play guitar. It was well received by the crowd.

Next, 'Love Me'. This is a very tired song, but Elvis continues to sing it. He holds off finishing the song, which makes the back-up group hold the note for a long time. Elvis belts/screams/yells the ending, "ooohhhhhh yeah". The ending makes this song worthwhile. 'If You Love Me (Let Me Know)' follows. This is a great song, and should be on record. Elvis says he'd like to do some of his old songs starting with 'Jailhouse Rock', 'It's Now Or Never' (the first verse sung in Italian by Sherrill Nielsen -- I only wish Elvis would sing the Italian part), 'Little Sister' (great to hear this ) and the medley of 'Teddy Bear' and 'Don't Be Cruel'. 'Fever' is next. Lots of screaming, and leg shaking movement from Elvis. Another highlight of Elvis' concerts is his very moving and powerful rendition of 'My Way'. Any one of the versions I heard this weekend was far better than that found on the Aloha album. But for some reason, Elvis still finds it necessary to read the lyrics while singing this. And in spite of this, he still mixes up the words -- but only because he becomes so involved, he finds it difficult to read the words and still put himself into this song. So Elvis simply decides to put himself into it. A dynamite song to hear live.

The introductions follow. He sings 'Early Mornin' Rain' (completely this time), part of 'What'd I Say', more of 'Johnny B. Goode' and some words of 'School Day'. "One of my recent records..." I was so hopeful that Elvis was still doing 'Hurt' -- and he was. It was not as good, I thought, as I have heard before. But he did repeat the end. He's not going as high as he did last year, but he is holding the note a little longer (when he sings "...never HURT you") and hitting the last word, YOU, stronger and louder. A throwaway 'Hound Dog' followed, with the ending similar to that on the Graceland album. Lots of screaming and applause for this, but not because of what Elvis put into this, but because of what this song is/was.

'Can't Help Falling In Love' ended the show as usual. This was a good show, a really good show, but the sound system made it a little less enjoyable. During the show, I think Elvis complained a little about being tired, and the rain. The announcer also said that tickets were still available for Elvis' show in Ann Arbor Sunday night because some sound system had been moved to accommodate more seats. After a long wait to leave the parking lot, we headed for Toledo, Ohio in the pouring rain. It was a fifty mile drive. We were hoping that by morning it would stop raining, because it puts a damper on things, and may hinder us in our search for tickets.

April 23 1977 - Toledo, Ohio
Review by Chris Brown - Elvis News Service Weekly, Issue 294-95 (May 8 1977)

The concert Saturday night (no more matinees) was in Centennial Hall, part of the University of Toledo. It rained all day Saturday, and caused much flooding -- particularly in some of the parking lots around Centennial Hall. On and off during the day we would go to the hall (a new, beautiful arena with a seating capacity of around 10,000) in search of tickets, but the box office was closed, and was to remain closed, and we were told that NO MORE tickets would be available -- that they have been COMPLETELY SOLD OUT for more than a month. Around 5:30 we came back for another try, and met some people who had been in Detroit the night before -- and one of whom we met last year at Elvis' concert in Rochester -- who said that tickets would be available in a few minutes. We had hit pay dirt. They said the tickets were suppose to be REALLY good. A half hour later -- standing in the rain -- a girl from the box office came out and asked the few of us who were there how many tickets we needed. She came back in a few minutes with a bunch of $15.00 tickets, and we were then set for the concert, but it was only 6pm. So we went back to our motel, and planned on leaving for the concert around 9pm, knowing that Elvis wouldn't come on until 10pm. When we arrived, The Stamps were on, and this was around 9:15. What had happened? What were they doing on so late? As J.D. was making the introductions, he explained that they had to perform or record.in De troit at 7:30, and that the Sweet Inspirations had performed in their place until they could make it. When the intermission was announced we went down to take out seats. Of the twenty-eight Elvis shows I've seen, these were the best tickets I've ever had (and I've had front row seats). We were right at the edge of the stage on the side, three rows up. The problem with front row seats now is the sound equipment/speakers they put on the stage floor, but these seats were just high enough to avoid a blocked view. And when Elvis came to our side of the stage, he was at most ten feet from us. They were fantastic seats, and to compliment that, the sound system was one of the best I've ever heard.

Finally, the '2001' Theme begins. It finishes, the screams increase, the drumming starts, the screams increase more, and Elvis enters. The same jumpsuit as last night (the sundial suit). Elvis is very paunching looking, but really looks good in the face. His hair I think is rather short (for Elvis). 'C.C. Rider' starts the show as usual, but Elvis is really into this, and James Burton has some new guitar licks that are super. Near the end of the song as usual Elvis blurts out two (the left leg shoots out), two (it shoots out further), three (etc), four (etc), yeah see, he screams and he finishes it. "Thank you very much. Well well well well well well... That's it!" And Elvis then goes into the medley of 'I Got A Woman' and 'Amen'. As usual, Elvis has the audience join in with him on the 'Amen' part by saying "Sing it with us. Take it up half a step. Take it up a little higher." The song builds as he goes up higher, and finally screams out Amen. Just before J.D.'s dive, he starts shaking, and the screams follow, which prompts Elvis to say, "Ah, there's nothing to it. I can't get back" He keeps moving his head as if it is now stiff. When he finishes, he says, "That's it."

"Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen, my name is Wayne Newton. No, we hope you enjoy the show tonight. We got lost in the rain coming over here, but ah, so just enjoy yourselves. We're gonna do a lot of songs. old ones, new ones, and a, so just sit back and enjoy yourselves and clap your hands and whatever..OK. Treat me... Ah, can you turn the microphone up a little bit out there." Elvis said this in reply to some screams that he couldn't be heard. 'Love Me' unfortunately was the song he began, and finished. But I must say Elvis used his voice on this more than he usually does, especially on the last few notes. "Thank you very much. 'If You Love Me (Let Me Know)'." Elvis does his usual great job on this, really blasting out some of the notes. "Thank you very much. Mountain." The music. started to this beautiful song, and Elvis' part was just to begin and he motions to stop the music and says, "Wait a minute, ha ha ha, start it again." Elvis felt just about every word he sang in this song. He made it very dramatic, and very personal especially about his "woman getting tired of the heartaches... took my one ray of sunshine....she took my small baby boy." Elvis paid no attention to the audience during this song, and gave a super ending to it. "Thank you very much. My third movie was Jailhouse Rock. So I'd like to do a little bit of that." Longer than usual intro for this, Elvis does a good job, and I love the ending on this. (Like the '68 Special)

"Thank you. In 1960 we did a song called, 'It's Now Or Never', and it's taken from a song 'O Sole Mio'. I'm gonna ask Sherrill to do 'O Sole Mio', and then we'll do 'It's Now Or Never'. Listen to his voice." Sherrill sounds very operatic, but again I wish Elvis would do it in Italian. Elvis laughs and breaks Sherrill up a little. He looks at Sherrill when he hit a high note and says, "Son of a..." Elvis sings "My spark was captured, my..." Elvis' voice can soar up and down on this, and it's good. It could be much better though. "Woh. Thank you. Thank you. I'd like to do a medley of some of my records, starting with 'Little Sister', and, you know...what...no problem," Elvis says with an Italian accent. This version is good, but it has been done better in Las Vegas in 1971 -- except he does do all the verses. "Woh." And Elvis holds up his hands, fingers separated telling Tony to hit the keys, as he begins a medley of 'Teddy Bear' and 'Don't Be Cruel'.. "Thank you. Thank you. Ah, this is a song we did a couple of years ago, it's called 'And I Love You So'." Elvis is beautiful on this, one of his better efforts. It's a little faster than his recorded version, which is the only complaint. "Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen. Thank you. 'Fever'." Elvis moved quite a bit on this, and consequently probably got more screams for this song than any other (except for possibly 'Polk Salad Annie'). "Thank you very much Polk Salad Annie." Elvis says the name of the song very loud and meant every word he said. The music is loud, hard and somehow menacing. When Elvis is up for this, he really gets into it. For a man with an apparent weight problem, it really doesn't seem to bother him (on stage) one bit. I would say he moved as much as I've ever seen him on this number, and it honestly reminded me much of how he did this song in the movie That's The Way It Is. The only real problem in this was that the music was going and going, and Elvis was really into this, and so were the musicians, but Jerry Scheff got carried away, and when it was time for the music to quieten down again, Jerry left his bass way up high, and it made a frightening noise. Elvis just looked up over his head as the speakers are suspended over the stage. He looked like a little boy looking to see if the sky was falling. Elvis cut the karate part at the end, that he would have done, which is too bad. But even without that, it was a terrific version. "Woh. What happened" (Elvis looks at his sound engineers and the band).

"Thank you ladies and gentlemen, Thank you. Ha ha. That's all right. Um. No. 0.K. I'd like to do a song that Frank Sinatra recorded called um, 'My Way'." With sheet music in hand (two pieces) he sings this. Halfway through the song, he lets one of the sheets fall to the floor -- which for some reason appears very dramatic. Elvis' face looks very determined now as he sings/yells/screams: "Yes there were times, I'm sure you knew, when I BIT OFF, more than I could chew, but through it ALL, when THERE WAS DOUBT, I ATE IT UP, and S-P-I-T IT OUT, I faced it all, and I stood tall." The next part, which is much quieter and softer had me shaking in my seat. It was so moving, to me anyhow. The build up to the climax of the song was done "HIS WAY" The highlight of the show. "Woh. Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you. You're a good audience. Thank you. Thank you very much." (People were standing here and there, and the applause continued)

"I'd like to introduce the members of my crew to you. Ah, on my left the girls who opened the show tonight, oh a..." (Elvis picks some kind of shorts off of the floor) "ha ha, J.D. these are for you son, the Sweet Inspirations. J.D. Sumner and The Stamps Quartet. Um, their bass singer is from Raleigh, North Carolina, his name is Larry Strickland. The baritone singer, he's from Nashville, his name is Ed Hill. The lead singer, un this guy has got one of the most powerful voices in gospel music, occasionally, ah, his name is Ed Enoch. Their tenor singer he's a, he's a from Elizabeth, Ken... Tennessee. Where is that? I've never heard of that in my life. His name is Buck Buckles. The little girl who does our high voiced singing, she's from Los Angeles, she has a beautiful voice, her name is Kathy Westmoreland. This little moron here on the end, ha ha, he sings with me on my records, and personal appearances, his name is Sherrill Nielsen. On the rhythm guitar from Springfield, Missouri is John Wilkinson. In the early morning rain, with a dollar in my hand, and an..." Elvis sings the complete 'Early Mornin' Rain'. "Good. Thank you, thank you John. On the lead guitar from Shreveport, Louisiana is James Burton. Yeah, hey mama don't you treat me wrong..." Elvis sings a little bit of 'What'd I Say', and as each time he repeats the title, he is echoed. "I'm gonna ask James to play the guitar in back of his head, 'cause he does that very well. It's hard to do. 'Johnny B. Goode'." Elvis blurts out the first few words, but this is very short. "Thank you James. On the drums from Dallas, Texas is hard working Ronnie Tutt." This exhibition on the drums is fantastic, and this time the music is different -- sounds familiar, but I don't know the title. Ronnie would always get the most applause. I hope we get these introductions on record someday. "Yeah, yeah. Thank you. On the fender bass from Los Angeles, is Jerry Scheff. Play the blues." Jerry's solo is different also. "Yeah. Thank you James. On the piano from Nashville is Tony Brown." Throughout his solo Elvis just makes sound. Terrific. The solo is great. "Yooh. Thank you. On the electric keyboard is Bobby Ogdin." Which means no 'Love Letters'! One of the really funny things to me, anyhow, in this show was that there was no one sitting behind the stage, and a few times during the show Elvis would turn around expecting a blinding flash of flash bulbs and screams, but of course none came. He looked at the band , and the band looked at him and they all laughed. And, for spite, I guess, at the end of the show, he turned as usual to salute the people behind him, but really just saluted the band. Very funny.

"Yeah. And the guy who gives me my water and my scarves, and sings harmony with me, he's my friend Charlie Hodge. Our conductor is Marty Harrell. The Joe Guercia Orchestra. Hail Hail Rock and Roll." Elvis always sings this ('School Day') facing the orchestra, shaking his legs to the beat. Elvis really soars up the scale on the end of this also. "Hoh. Yeah, just fantastic. One of my latest records is called 'Hurt', so I'd like to do that for you." The musical intro begins, and Elvis just lets it continue. He looks at the band, he looks at the audience. Most know what's coming. Elvis looks like he's pondering, "Can I do it?" He did this at all three shows. Really funny. He hits the end notes well, but I've heard better. And for the first time DOES NOT repeat any of it. "Thank you. Thank you ladies and gentlemen. Thank you very much. You're a good audience." Elvis leans over, holding the mike and: "You ain't, you ain't, you ain't, you ain't, you ain't, you ain't, you ain't, wind it up, wind it up, wind it up.." (Elvis says as he makes a cranking motion with his arm) "... nothin' but a 'Hound Dog'." And that's what makes this different from the other versions. "Thank you very much. Ah I'd like to say that you've been a fantastic audience, ladies and gentlemen, and we were a little slow gettin' here and everything, but I hope you enjoyed the show. And we're gonna be here around here somewhere for the next couple of nights, so if you get a chance come in and see us. And till we meet you again, God bless you".

"Wise men say, only fools, only fools rush in..." And in go all the fans to the stage as Elvis sings 'Can't Help Falling In Love'. I would have to say that Elvis put more into the end of this song than I've ever seen him do. As he belted out the last few words and groans, he was bent over, and seemed in pain. He saluted all sides of the stage, and as I said, behind him also. When he had finished, and he came back to centre stage, he pointed right with his right hand, and left with his left hand because he did not know which side of the stage to leave from. But nobody motioned. So Elvis just continued motioning and then finally one of the Stamps pointed, and Elvis left from the other side of the stage from which he had entered. A really good, enjoyable show. Tomorrow night it would be on to Ann Arbor for the final show in our short tour as we have school and exams to attend -- unfortunately.

April 24 1977 - Ann Arbor, Michigan
Review by Chris Brown - Elvis News Service Weekly, Issue 294-95 (May 8 1977)

That night we slept in Toledo, and then in the morning around 10am we headed for Ann Arbor, which was only about forty miles from Toledo. This time it was to be in the Crisler Arena which holds about 12 maybe 14,000 people. And for the one time this weekend, it was night raining. But this did not last long, for around 5pm it started again. Again, we checked into our motel, and would, 'during the day, check the arena for tickets. They had some, but again they were behind the stage. When we didn't take them because we thought they weren't good enough, the clerk became very upset, and wrote us ofl as stupid because that's all there was. Anyhow, around .6 PM they hand tickets for the side of the stage, about twenty feet from the stage. They were just about as good as last nights (which means they were the second best seats I've ever had), and they cost $15.00.

Elvis was a little late coming on stage, but from 'C.C Rider' I thought he's putting a little more into it. Great, it's going to be a good show. 'I Got A Woman' and 'Amen' were just as good. Elvis was wearing a different suit from Detroit and Toledo. Blue studs, a white suit. 'Love Me' and 'If You Love Me (Let Me Know)' followed. This crowd was one of the most vocal audiences I've heard. It may have been caused by the acoustics though. 'You Gave Me A Mountain' was just as good as the night before, if not better -- at the end, anyhow. "Thank you. Ah let's do, there's a song I recorded about oh, eighteen years ago, and it's a special request, called 'Tryin' To Get To You'." Elvis mixes up the words a little, but this a dynamite song for the Presley range. A real treat to hear live. The way Elvis handled this song was another indication that he was ON.

Elvis introduced 'It's Now Or Never' the same as he did the night before, but this time he goofed the words up and said: "Wait a minute. Start it, over again. I got 'heart' and 'soul' mixed up." Elvis was perfect on this second attempt. "I'd like to do a medley of some of my, records for you. 'Blue Hawaii'? Night... Night and you... Sssh. Do some thing Tony". (Piano player couldn't play it. Maddening!!) "We haven't rehearsed it. 'Little Sister' don't you..." One of my favourites, and Elvis really seems to enjoy doing it. That medley followed. ('Teddy Bear'/'Don't Be Cruel') When the band was just coming to the ending part where Elvis is suppose to sing the last few words, he yells "Woh," And the band keeps playing much to Elvis' surprise. He says, "What am I doing?" And then laughs here and there through the rest of it. "You're beautiful, thank you, ah, I'd like to do a song we did a couple of years ago called, ah, 'Help Me'." Very nice for Sunday, although I was really hoping he would sing 'How Great Thou Art'. "Ah, I'd like to do a song that Frank Sinatra did, called 'My Way'. I don't know all the words, so..." He read from sheet music again. Still a knockout of a number, one of the highlights.

'Polk Salad Annie' followed. Wow! Elvis rocked and rolled. When he was finished he was very exhuasted. He did not move as much as he would have because he had said that he had had an accident just before coming on stage, and had to change into another (tighter) fitting suit. Which is probably the only reason he was wearing another jumpsuit. He said to one of The Stamps that tomorrow they could do 'Polk Salad' and that he would sit on the stool.

The introductions were next, and I was thinking that, oh no, this was really no different than I've seen before, and that I must have been imagining that he was really up for 'C.C. Rider' and 'I Got A Woman'. Anyhow, during the introductions one of the funniest things I've ever seen Elvis do happened. When he was over on the left side of the stage, listening to Jerry Scheff's solo on bass, he got a drink of water from Charlie -- but kept the glass. And there was a fair bit of water still in it. Anyhow, some fans, at the foot of the stage, kept yelling for it. So Elvis, just like a little kid, motioned as if to give the glass to them. They looked eager. So Elvis very nonchalantly put the glass behind his back, and then slowly backed to the front of the stage as Jerry was playing. Elvis looked at the audience, and at the guards at the foot of the stage. Elvis bent down as if to give them the glass, and then suddenly threw the water at the guards and the crowd, left the glass there, and ran : back to where he was originally standing, just as if he hadn't been gone at all. It was really hysterical, but I'm sure that most fans didn't see this -- and that's what Elvis Presley really is, but they would still see -- later.

The introductions over, Elvis introduced 'Hurt', delayed his opening as usual, and really hit those notes. He then repeated the end again. He then launched into 'Hound Dog', which again had Elvis moving and rocking, but he does not put much vocally into it. When he had finished the end of this song, he paused, looked at the audience and then looked at the band. I thought oh no, here he goes, he's going to say how fantastic the audience has been and start into 'Can't Help Falling In Love' -- BUT NO. Elvis really says, "I'd like to play the piano and sing 'Unchained Melody'." As Elvis was walking over to the piano, and the crowd anxiously waiting, he stepped out of the spotlight. He realised this and said, "I'm over here!" Tony Brown got up from the piano, Charlie walked over with a hand mic' and Elvis sat down at the piano. Before Elvis began playing, a girl yelled out "I love you." Elvis, in a high and loud falsetto voice, replied, "I love you too, honey." And then Elvis, without the assistance of back up vocalists or musicians, played and sang the greatest piece of music I have ever heard him sing. Elvis sang his heart out, surpassing anything I have ever heard -- including 'Hurt' or 'How Great Thou Art', and that's saying a mouthful. Elvis was Elvis, and when he's Elvis being Elvis, playing and singing what he really wants to, no one can compare to him in the slightest. Elvis, in one word, was D*Y*N*A*M*I*T*E. I only wish he had done this at each show. Everything you have heard about this song is true, PLUS. If I took all the Elvis shows that I've seen, I would say that this was the highlight of them all. I know that this song was recorded live last February, and I only hope that RCA wakes up and realises that this should be put out RIGHT NOW as Elvis' next single. Elvis' finish on the song was stunning -- very similar to the ending on 'Danny Boy', but only more powerful. Elvis nearly fell off the piano bench when he hit those last few notes - both vocally and instrumentally.

Elvis got up from the piano, and walked back towards the centre of the stage. He turned to the band and said, "Little Darlin'". This was really nice to hear again, as I don't think he has done it in a little while. This should also be put on an album because it really does fit Elvis to a "T" -- he has so much fun with it. After this song, the audience was beginning to "pile up" at the foot of the stage waiting for a scarf or handshake. Elvis said that he was going to be in the area for some more shows, thanked the audience for being so good, and then began 'Can't Help Falling In Love'. Elvis put a lot vocally into this, especially on the last few notes as Elvis really belts them out. When the drums begin the closing vamp, Elvis walks to all sides of the stage and salutes the people (even those behind him this time). He returns to the centre of the stage, points both ways so he can find out which side he is suppose to leave on. He runs down the stairs at the back of the stage, and into the waiting bus behind the curtain. This was a really good show. What I particularly enjoyed about these three shows was the fact that Elvis was singing what he wanted to when he wanted to. Last year when I saw three shows in a row, they were exactly identical. This time, Elvis sang twenty-nine different songs (or bits of songs ), played the guitar on three songs, and played the piano on one. How is Elvis? Better than I've ever seen him, although he is paunchy -- but it in all honesty does not affect his show. The next day it was time to drive 270 miles to home, though we both really wanted to go to the next night's concert in Saginaw.

May 29 1977 - Baltimore, Maryland
Review by Barry Overstreet - Elvis News Service Weekly, Issue 298-299-300 (June 20 1977)

I Successfully attended the four concerts in Knoxville, Landover, Philadelphia and Baltimore on Elvis' recent tour. The first three were only different slightly with no playing of the acoustic guitar or piano on any numbers. The show in Knoxville was the worst place he has played yet with no air conditioning - the place was as hot as an oven and you know this must have been hard on Elvis. (I wonder whose idea it was for him to play in this athletic Center on the College Campus?) They do have a great Civic Center you know.

In Baltimore having to look for a ticket until a little after 8pm before I came up with one for the regular price of $15. there was very little scalping in Balt. I did have a fairly good seat though, the best of the four shows, being in the mid concourse about 3 sections from the stage and all seats faced the stage here.

Now to the show which turned out to be one of the most unusual I have seen to date. Elvis came out in the same white jumpsuit which he had worn in the previous three shows I had witnessed on this tour. After doing 'C.C. Rider' and 'I Got A Woman' with the double bass slide of JD Sumner, Elvis surprised us by saying he would like to play the guitar and sing his first record 'Thats All Right' and he also included 'Are You Lonesome Tonight?' and 'Blue Christmas' while playing the guitar with Charlie holding the mic', with 'Lonesome' being as funny as usual on the spoken part. Then came 'Heartbreak Hotel', 'Love me', 'Jailhouse Rock' and 'You Gave Me A Mountain'. He then asked Sherrill Nielsen would he come out and do a couple of numbers entitled 'Danny Boy' and 'Walk With Me' while Elvis sat on a stool for a rest. He then proceeded on with 'Teddy Bear'/'Don't Be Cruel' and after finishing this told the audience he would have to leave the stage for a minute and asked JD Sumner to do 'Walk That Lonesome Road' and Kathy also to sing a solo. On J.D.'s number he played the part of Elvis giving out a scarf and Kathy did her beautiful version of 'My Heavenly Father' which at the beginning she was almost booed off the stage as people were becoming restless for Elvis to return. She did however at the end receive a nice hand which she richly deserved.

Elvis did not return so Charlie Hodge did the introductions and did a fine job, being very amusing at times. The highlights were Charlie saying if he had another idol besides Elvis it would have to be Ed Enoch of The Stamps and letting John Wilkinson do the Vocal on 'Early Mornin' Rain', and kidding James Burton about being so dedicated that he practiced the guitar in bed. Also with Tony Brown on piano explained he was the only one on stage who was his size.

Finally Elvis did return as the orchestra played 'School Day' with him receiving a roar of approval. He explained to the audience he had a twisted ankle and when nature calls you've got to go. He said you can't fool mother nature. I am not sure if he was sick or not as the only other hint I got came when he heard a request for 'Burning Love'. Elvis remarked "'Burning Love'? Burning Stomach", and also at the end of the show replied he was in good health, but when you have to go, you have to go. The night before in Philadelphia at the end of the show he told everyone not to believe what was being written about him as he was in good health.

Elvis had been off stage for at least twenty minutes and if he had been sick he showed no signs of it with his powerful version of 'Hurt', his vibrating shaking at the end of 'Hound Dog', then followed 'Help Me'. At this time he began to take requests from the audience, heard someone mention 'Unchained Melody' saying he would have to go to the piano. His version of 'Unchained Melody' was earth shattering and believe it or not was better than the one in Pittsburgh. He received applause several time during this number and at the end received a tremendous roar of approval. He then went into 'Blue Suede Shoes', followed by 'The Wonder Of You' which he only sang about three lines forgetting the words asking Charlie for the words replying it would only take a day and a half to find, but heard a request for 'One Night' and gave the best version I have ever heard live! and I've heard quite a few. He finished the concert off with 'It's Now Or Never' and the usual finale 'Cant Help Falling In Love'.

This concert alone made the trip well worth it. I can only hope Elvis will begin to show how great a talent he really is, especially on numbers like 'Unchained Melody'. This would quiet so many critics who want to run Elvis in the ground, and it would give his fans something they will never forget.

May 29 1977 - Baltimore, Maryland
Review by Tony Dobb - Elvis Monthly, Issue 319 (August 1986)

The show reviewed this time is one just ten and a half weeks before his death, on May 29th 1977 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Elvis was obviously in bad health as you will see from later on in this show but still, especially at the end of this gig, manages to give a good show.

As usual, '2001' heralds the beginning of another Elvis show. 'C.C.Rider' brings Elvis to the stage to an ecstatic welcome from the Baltimore crowd. After this, Elvis shouts "WOO-ooh", a bit like Tarzan! Then it's into a few "wells" which lead him into 'I Got A Woman' which is quite a good version. When J.D. Sumner does his bass voice solo, Elvis is not satisfied, saying "He's the lowest bass singer in the world, he can do better than that" and makes him do it again! Before the next number, Elvis says "I'd like to play the guitar and sing one of the first records I ever made. Believe it or not, I know three chords". This, as you've probably guessed, is 'That's All Right'. Elvis sounds as if he's struggling with this one a bit, especially with the higher notes. 'Are You Lonesome Tonight?' follows with Elvis still on guitar. This, as you might expect, is not sung at all seriously, Elvis taking the spoken part and completely transforming it. "Then we did ah, .... 'Blue Christmas'" says Elvis. Then it's into the song. Yes, this show was May the 29th!! A strange choice of song to say the least. "Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen".

Song titles are then shouted from the audience and 'Heartbreak Hotel' is eventually sung with the crowd still shouting out. A good version, but a little too fast. The crowd seems very restless, still calling out and Elvis seems at a loss as what to do next. He finally decides on 'Love Me' after hearing the guitar chord from James Burton. A throw-away 'Jailhouse Rock' follows. Then it's straight into 'You Gave Me A Mountain' with a lovely bluesy ending. "I'm gonna ask Sherrill Nielsen to come on here and do a song ..... he does a beautiful version of, uh, 'Danny Boy' and another song called 'Walk With Me'. I'm gonna leave you alone" with this comment, Elvis leaves the stage for some reason. Sherrill does the aforementioned two songs and the crowd become decidedly hushed! Elvis then comes back for a medley of 'Teddy Bear'/'Don't Be Cruel' which is very rushed.

"I'd like to leave the stage for just a second because uh......I have to uh....... if you don't mind. I'll be right back, just hang loose". According to Jerry Hopkin's book The Final Years Elvis just dropped his microphone at one point in the show. When Elvis left the stage, he apparently went to the dressing room and no one was allowed inside it. He was off stage for about thirty minutes during which time Charlie Hodge emceed and several of the backing group performed songs and the band were introduced. Elvis was obviously in physical trouble, but his gallant effort to come back out and entertain afterwards was marvellous. Charlie Hodge admits during his emceeing "This is one hell of a damn spot!" It was clear that Elvis really shouldn't have been touring at this stage of his life! A year or so's complete rest would have been ideal but Elvis loved to entertain so much and loved playing live.

After the band solo's, Elvis finally emerges during the orchestra's 'School Day', Elvis joining in fervently. "I'm sorry for leaving the stage, ladies and gentlemen, but uh, I've a twisted ankle and uh ....nature calls and you can't fool with nature".

"One of our latest records is called 'Hurt'" says Elvis, and this is where the show really begins with Elvis sounding in pretty good vocal form on this one. 'Hound Dog' follows almost identical to the Elvis In Concert LP version. Elvis is obviously moving on this as the crowd go wild. He's trying to compensate for earlier on. Next up is 'Help Me'. The lyrics of this now seem applicable, especially as far as this show IS concerned. A sincere and moving version is delivered, better than the Memphis 1974 LP version, with keyboards very much in evidence. "What do you wanna hear ... ... 'Unchained Melody'?" Without any ado, Elvis sits himself at the piano and belts out a truly superb version, far superior to the US single version on which he sounds out of breath. He has got his act together on this one.

The show has been going now for about seventy minutes and there is still more to come. "What do you wanna hear?" he asks again. 'Blue Suede Shoes' is next up, an above average version here. "'Burning Love'?" Elvis asks then says "Burning stomach more like it" he says jokingly, but I think Elvis' twisted colon trouble was taking its toll again here. According to John Wilkinson, he heard Elvis over the microphone at one point in the show say to someone "Sometimes it hurts me so f.... bad" but on the tapes I have of this show, I could hear no evidence of this, although the tapes are not of brilliant quality. 'One Night' follows. Elvis puts everything into this and delivers a powerful version. "You're a very good audience ladies and gentlemen" Elvis tells the 13,000 crowd. 'O Sole Mio' and 'It's Now Or Never' follows, very well sung.

"I'd like to tell you that you've been a fantastic audience and I hope you understand uh, you know leaving the stage. There's nothing wrong with my health it's just, you know ..... I had to go". Applause, shouts of "We love you Elvis" ring out and Elvis concludes by saying "So if you want us back, just ask for us and we'll come back and with this it's 'Can't Help Falling In Love'.

He leaves the stage to a fine ovation. This great crowd had been very loyal and patient and Elvis had certainly made amends for leaving the stage . he'd given everything he had. The end of an thirty-five minute show which I think, although plagued with problems, showed Elvis to be one hell of an entertainer. He always tried to give 100% to his fans no matter what. A note of interest here, the next two shows on the 30th at Jacksonville and Baton Rouge were cancelled with Elvis not leaving the hotel room. He was obviously in difficulty but was back for the next show on June 1st at Macon, Georgia.

June 2 1977 - Mobile, Alabama
Review by Martha Collins - Elvis News Service Weekly, Issue 298-299-300 (June 20 1977)

This is the third year in a row that Elvis and Company have come to town, but Mobile still goes wild! This time, the troupe is staying at the new Sheraton Inn, across from the once-favoured Holiday Inn, across from the Municipal Auditorium. We struggled into the dark Red Door Lounge and immediately spotted James Burton in an orange T-shirt, hugging a shapely young lady who came in with Larry Strickland, the current bass for the Stamps. Jerry Scheff and several stage-hands were at the bar as well. At that moment, the entertainer ended a song and was nonplussed to find herself the object of a rousing ovation, brought on by who-knows-what and led by Elvis' band members. She looked them over, checking out the beards and T-shirts, and asked: "Are you from L.A.?" "Hell, no!" one answered. "We're from Baton Rouge!" The boys may travel, but they're Southerners through and through!

By 5 o'clock (showtime 8.30), cars were filling the auditorium lots, and the sidewalks crowded up with nervous-looking women and their escorts. And, as usual, all ages were represented In the dining room, several stage-hands ate and joked. One suggested painting a big sign on the airport runway: "Elvis - Don't Do It"! They chortled over that, making us wonder just what they had in mind! A security chief sat down at the table next to us and was telling friends how he'd been training his men. "With Elvis, you got to watch the crush. They'll behave just so long and then pow! We got to keep 'em from getting hurt."

"You actually ate dinner," my husband commented, in amazement. I was surprised to discover I had - it's highly unusual that I can eat before an Elvis show! Surrounded as we were by Elvis people and Elvis-talk, I was nonetheless seemingly cool and calm. "Blasé," Tim said. "A veteran." But it was more than that. I came to see Elvis because I have a very special love for him; because I believe in supporting him; because I wanted to see for myself how he is now. But my hopes were not high. For one thing, I am, quite frankly, tired of the same old show, and if that seems blasphemous, so be it! Of course, the percentage of audience repeaters is usually very low Vegas statisticians set it at 5%). But Elvis' fans must average much higher than that - perhaps 25% and occasionally higher. One would think he would both be aware of this and also be bored still with 'C.C. Rider' himself! I have Pat Cervone's resignation in mind, and Sue Wiegert's concern (both dedicated and devoted fans), and I am also wondering why Elvis is touring so much and not allowing himself time to put together a new act, work on an album, or tackle a TV special. And I am tired of the hard sell and the attack of nerves and the sheer effort of living through Elvis' shows BEFORE he comes on!! With all this in mind, I sat in my hotel room, gazing out at Mobile's few skyscrapers, determined not to go to the auditorium until the last possible moment. It's just as well that I hadn't yet read about the fiasco in Baltimore two nights before. (According to Variety, Elvis walked off stage for thirty minutes with no explanation and did a very poor show.) Nor had I read Rex's reprints of the West tapes (which sound so melodramatic at times and vague at others as to be worthless. There may be germs of truth within, but most must be dismissed as negative overcompensation and vindictiveness and perhaps some self-protection and aggrandisement for the Wests.) If I had read these, dinner might have gone down, but it never would have stayed down! I performed myself and I think I can almost feel what Elvis must feel before shows. It does get pretty routine, but there's always that spark, that tensing in the pit of the stomach. I looked out at an endless stream of cars heading for the show as the sun set.

We didn't expect to be hit with Elvis-people almost as soon as we stepped out of our room...I'd forgotten we were sharing the same hotel and the same three elevators! This next probably sounds hard to believe, but I swear it's true!) As we got into the elevator, there stood a man holding a parrot! It's not everyday one meets a parrot in an elevator, and apparently Estelle (of The Sweet Inspirations) thought that too as she and Myrna joined us on the ninth floor. "Does it talk?" she asked. The man assured her it did, but silence ensued. After five floors of watching Estelle make faces at him the parrot screeched and said: "Are you tight, honey?!" We all nearly died laughing and practically rolled out of the elevator to the front door, following behind Estelle, who was alternately cursing and laughing too. There the three of them stopped, and then began going in several directions at once. Frantically they turned around to us and asked: "Which way to the auditorium?!" You'll be glad to know we directed them correctly! (What if we hadn't?!) Nevertheless, they had difficulty finding a direct route, and we bumped into them again at the next intersection as they climbed over a small concrete wall. "You'd better hurry!" we said. "You'll be late!" "You're right!" they panted, hurrying on. We saw them again at the front of the auditorium. Two boys were sitting on the lawn there, trying to sell tickets to passersby. With mock seriousness, the keyboard man stopped (he was with The Sweet Inspirations) and asked them how much they wanted. The poor boys thought they had a sale, but perhaps they realised something was going on when the Sweets, Tim, and I broke out laughing! (Though Tim suggested later that Col. Parker probably makes Elvis buy a ticket!)

The show began ten minutes late, opening with the (loud) Hot Hilton Horns in the Theme from Rocky." Next the Stamps in their yellow suits, doing the same songs as in Vegas. (Fifteen minutes - 'Great Morning', 'Gone at Last', 'Operator', combined 'Swing low Sweet Chariot'/'Swing down Chariot'.) Twenty minutes of Jackie Kahane made me glad I'd brought a book with me. (I hit upon this in Vegas - it's the only way to live through it. No personal offence to Jackie - his job is not an envious one, and he is adequate at what he does. But after one hearing, the "joy" went out of our relationship...) The Sweet Inspirations came on in pale blue outfits, doing their Vegas show also. (Twenty minutes - 'Get Away', 'If You Leave Me Now', 'Sweet Inspiration') adding their new record of 'Black Sunday' (theme from movie.) Intermission ran from 9.35 to 10.00. I lived. And read. And checked out the camera, the recorder, and the huge signs hanging down from the balconies: "WE WAITED, ELVIS!" "MISSISSIPPI LOVES ELVIS!" One man was even holding up a gigantic gold star. I was still fairly calm. Amazingly, I was approaching the show, at least on a conscious level, in the frame of mind I assume a professional critic takes: disgusted with the bustle and circus atmosphere, daring Elvis to come out and make me care! I was so busy denying my emotions that I nearly failed to realise that the selling of souvenirs was mainly in the lobby, and the sounds of hawking and constant sales pitches on the mike had been considerably diminished since the last tour shows I'd attended.

When Elvis walked on at exactly 10.00, in the white and gold Mexican sundial suit (which is breathtaking!), he was smiling, happy, and energetic. He took a long time saluting the wild reception, walking all around the stage. (And the audience stayed noisy and half-crazed with excitement for the entire seventy minutes he was on!) The Presley magic reached out and zapped me immediately; electricity flowed between him and the audience - and I knew once again why I was there - and why I'm an Elvis fan for life! I can't describe what he did - it's a feeling that radiates anywhere Elvis happens to be. If you're a fan, you understand; if you're not, forget it! Elvis was tanned, for him; but his face looked tired, especially around the eyes. And despite the tan, his face had a strange colourless Look. He still retains (or again retains) an extra twenty pounds or so. But in spite of this, he was super-enthusiastic and vital. The show was simply great. He didn't talk much - mostly sang - and the voice! How could it get even better? How does he do it?!

Basically - again - he's doing the same old Vegas show. (For the uninitiated: 'C.C. Rider', 'I Got A Woman'/'Amen', 'Love Me' - midsection open to whim - closing with 'Can't Help Falling In Love'.) But we had a few nice surprises along the way! A long version of 'Love Me' (during which Elvis wandered the entire stage, spending a long time with the people behind the stage especially) was followed by 'If You Love Me (Let Me Know)', 'You Gave Me a Mountain', 'Jailhouse Rock', and 'It's Now or Never'. (begun in Italian by Sherrill Nielsen, accompanied by Elvis making faces, à la Vegas.) Elvis introduced each song, speaking quite rapidly and clearly (for him!), telling where each song came from or dating it, then bam! right into the song. This quick pace left one spinning - I felt truly inundated by music! 'Help Me' was next. Then: "What do you want to hear?" clear and sharp, almost business-like. "O.K. What? 'American Trilogy'?" He lapsed into a mock Italian dialect to comment on how long it had been since they'd sung it. As The Stamps took over with "oh, I wish I was in Dixie, away...", Elvis said in a tone of authority, "You are!" Naturally, the house came down. It's quite obvious that Elvis loves the South, and that Southerners love Elvis - there's a special feeling here as though he's "home", I guess, Elvis came in too soon on the last part of this song, and I couldn't believe that Joe Guercio didn't try to go along with him. (A Prime Rule of Performing: the accompanist ALWAYS follows the performer - even down the drain!) The lack of harmony (literally!) got worse and worse until Elvis called a halt, apologised, and started again. He didn't seem at all disturbed - NO displays of temper tonight - and it was the ONLY musical mistake in the show. (a nice change from Vegas!) He was rewarded by his second standing ovation (the first when he came out) of the evening. Elvis rewarded us back by doing 'Polk Salad Annie'. (This is one song, unlike 'C.C. Rider', that I never tire of! Impossible to sit still - great rendition. Elvis hunned and wiggled and shook delightfully!) The group was then introduced: the "almost fantastic" Sweet Inspirations; "the best gospel quartet in Tennessee the Stomps..." When Elvis got to the "baritone - he's a nice guy" (said in the gayest voice imaginable!) he threw his glass of water all over Ed Hill! The audience roared, Ed laughed, and Elvis, in that innocent-little-boy-voice, planted himself in front of Ed and said, "You can throw it back, if you want to." Giggling, "NO, lay it on, son. I NEED it! Carne on! Throw it! Throw it! Throw it!" But Ed sat back sheepishly, to Elvis' disgust. "Chicken..." Elvis teased, lengthening the word provocatively, then went on to the others. Buck Buckles was greeted as a new tenor: "They've had five in the last six months - wonder what it is?! He has a beautiful voice - but I've never heard it...!" and he dissolved into laughter in the middle of Buck's name yet again! Kathy Westmoreland was undoubtedly less than happy as Elvis completely cracked up introducing her. "You're wearing a see-through blouse, aren't you, Kathy?" (Ladies, the sound of Elvis' voice when he's teasing a woman is enough to make every one of us melt into puddles. His tone is so smooth and sure, so boyish yet masculine that weakness sets in immediately, followed by complete heart failure!) Kathy apparently denied this, to which Elvis - as if involved in a discussion of logic, answered: "You have it and I can see through it," (pointing) "right there!" The audience reaction to this of course was wild but we were praying Kathy wouldn't get insulted and walk off! Elvis may have been thinking the same thing as he hurried on then to introduce Sherrill. Suddenly, kersplash!! JD threw a whole glass of water all over Elvis - who jumped in surprise, then smiled sweetly and said, "Thanks, JD! I needed that!!"

Elvis went on with the usual(and excellent) intros and solos by band members, humming and singing happily along, then surprised us with 'I Really Don't Want to know'; done with power and feeling and soul - absolutely fantastic! 'Hurt' came next. "I'm a little bit hoarse but I'll try anything once." Elvis took his time getting into it, including warbling on different notes as if searching for the beginning - but he got there, and received another standing ovation for his efforts. Nearly blew the roof off with the last notes - the audience response was overwhelming!

A man approached the stage at this point and Elvis walked over to him. It was apparently the same man to whom Elvis had given the ring last year. He motioned to Elvis, and Elvis, very trustingly, gave him the microphone! "You gave me this ring last year," the man began. "Now I've had this book up at Bel-Air Mall and a lot of people - lots here tonight - have signed it and I want you to take it - please!" "Thank you very much," Elvis replied simply and quietly. "It's very nice." He shook the man's hand, and in response to the screams looked up and said, "We love you too. It's mutual." Then, as if embarrassed, he rushed into 'Hound Dog'. The screaming grew, unabated, throughout the entire song.

"I'd like to say something to you, if I could," Elvis began, struggling to be heard. He looked down at the crush at the edge of the stage and cried, "Be careful!" with genuine concern. Then he looked up again. "You're always good to us when we come down here and it's really worth it! We've been on now for an hour and four minutes." (Why did he mention this? As a way of telling us we were about to get something extra?!) "There's a song that I'd like to do called 'Unchained Melody'. I sit at the piano - I don't know all the chord changes..." He broke off to try to calm the hysterical females in front of him. "Let me do this. But - uh - I'd like to try this song. This will take just a second." He went to the rear of the stage and sat down at the piano, Charlie holding his mic'. I was practically beside myself - he doesn't do this song for every audience and it's always been one of my favourites. Since I'd read he'd sung it New Year's Eve in Pittsburgh, I'd been dying to hear it. Now here he was, playing and singing his heart out, right in front of me! I was so excited I dropped my camera and held onto my husband's arm so tightly he flinched! To my utter amazement, Elvis sang it absolutely straight - and the voice was nothing short of miraculous. A cry, a tear, a catch in his voice, soft, then powerful, a spoken word, faster, then slower - comp.late mastery. Into falsetto at the end, banging up and down the keyboard dramatically. To sum up, if there is a God, RCA will get this out on a record!

Elvis rose and shook JD's and Sherrill's hands, thanked the people on stage (we suddenly realised he was saying goodbye at the end of the tour - reminded us of the scene in Elvis On Tour!) "See you in a few days," he laughed, referring to the frequency of the tours ! He turned to us: "Ladies and gentlemen, if you want us back, just call us and we'll come. Thank you." Then the strains of 'Can't Help Falling In Love' and he was gone. Later, we crowded into the hotel elevator and I looked up - way up-at JD Sumner standing beside me. He and another man were arguing over who was the ugliest person in the elevator! Lucky for the rest of us, JD decided it was he! The next morning we spotted The Stamps' bus in the lot - it's white, orange, and black, with TCB and a lightning bolt in black on either side. And that's a fitting way to remember Elvis till next time - as an electrical charge!!

June 23 1977 - Des Moines, Iowa
Review by Christine Deasey - Elvis Monthly, Issue 271 (August 1982)

Spread out on the carpet was a map of America, and a Greyhound map. and a list of Elvis' concert dates for the tour, and we crawled around in between them all, trying to synchronise dates and places and buses. Eventually, the lines intersected somewhere on the plains of Iowa, a tiny dot with an unforgettable name. "We can't see him there!" cried Sue, "How embarrassing when people ask us in future years where we first saw him in concert, and we have to say" (out came her French accent) "Des Moines". Well, luckily, no one has ever asked.

Months later, the bus sped across those endless plains, mile after mile of corn, and I turned away from the road ahead, which was melting into liquid tar in the heat-haze, just as we passed a road sign. "Des Moines 111 miles" it warned. Elvis was 111 miles away. It was like being hit with a bucket of ice water. I imagine.

We bought front-row tickets that afternoon from an advert in the newspaper. Front row tickets for our first concert. Somebody was on our side. Oh, and the locals pronounced it "D'Moyne".

My diary goes a little haywire on the day of the concert. Did I really wash my hair twice, go swimming and have three showers? It also rained, like a monsoon. Sue's hand was shaking so much that she couldn't hold her mascara brush. It's funny the things you put in your diary.

We couldn't walk a hundred yards to the auditorium, so we called a taxi. It nosed slowly through the crowds - the rain had just stopped. There were thousands of people outside the door, wearing everything from shorts to full evening dress. We handed over our precious tickets, and then we were inside.

It was so exactly as I'd imagined, that I could feel it all slipping away from me. The hustle and bustle, the souvenir sellers, and the stage, which looked miles and miles away. We found our seats and turned round to look back at the auditorium. We knew that every single person had wanted front row seats, and we felt a little awed that we'd got them. The stage was low - just hip height, as my bruises the next morning proved. Right in the middle was a microphone stand.

The Elvis entourage was milling around just four feet away, behind a row of upturned trestle tables. We started laughing at the casualness of it all, and the untidiness. It seemed less real every minute. Then a girl behind us called out, "hey James, these girls came from England!" and James Burton dropped evrything and came across smiling to meet us. We shook hands, and he said, "We all think it's wonderful that you kids come from Europe to see the show - thank you very much for coming, we appreciate it and hope you enjoy it." We sat down, rather stunned.

The first part of the show began, and an hour passed in a blur of noise and colour - I was terrified that Elvis would come and go without me noticing!

Intermission. We adjusted our cameras, stood up, sat down, talked. felt ill, and wanted to go home.
THE FIRST GLIMPSE "Could we have the house lights down please" and the place was plunged into blackness, and we heard the first three notes of '2001'. I wanted to shout "STOP! I'm not ready!" but the drumbeats were unstoppable and I was straining my eyes for the first glimpse of him.

Elvis and the spotlight seemed to arrive at the same time. Somewhere behind my own reactions I could hear a scream like a brick wall, hurled at him from every corner of the room, and the stage was lit up by a galaxy of flashbulbs. He walked around, grinning. acknowledging the welcome, then he took the microphone and guitar, and we were thrown into our first concert.

A little voice inside me said "Good grief, he's ill", but I couldn't define what was wrong. It was very easy to ignore anyway, as he sounded fantastic. The songs slipped by, and we shook our heads in amazement at his voice, clapped and took photos. Once or twice I found my attention wandering - I'd gaze into space and then realise I'd missed a whole song! It sounded like a live album and it looked like a film, and I didn't feel involved. Then he decided to dispense a few scarves. I stood up to go forward and was swept along to the stage by a horde of screaming, clawing, viciously insane females. It was almost impossible to stay upright, absolutely impossible to hear Elvis, and difficult not to lose my temper and fight back. I caught hold of the stage with both hands to keep my balance, and looked up at him, forgetting the people standing on my feet and pulling my hair.

He was pale - he said he hadn't seen the sun in two years. His eyes were brown and blank, like a bird's. I couldn't believe he was looking out through them - he didn't look as if he were registering anything. Then he glanced down, shook his head and winked at me. The feeling that he was aware made me realise that it wasn't a film but a real person, and I was part of a concert. I smiled back. You can't scream at someone who winks at you! Then the police cleared us all away.

I watched sitting down for a while, and tried to listen, but the personality was so dazzling that all I really heard were the unusual songs. We were delighted into applause when he started 'Early Mornin' Rain', and he came to sit on the piano for 'I Really Don't Want To Know'. A girl must have climbed onstage at one point, because he snapped, "Get down". It made me jump.

When he started the introductions stood up and asked a policeman (very calmly and politely) if I could go and give him my red rose. He said yes, so I went up to the stage. I was all alone and calm, and Elvis was just a few feet away, so I threw away the best opportunity of my life, tossed the rose at his feet and turned and ran. I still can't bear to think about it!

A little later he started dispensing scarves again. I headed for the stage and was instantly slammed against a speaker by fans pouring down the aisles. I couldn't move. Elvis came right down and stopped on the other side of the speaker. He was smiling up at the balcony and carefully taking off his scarf. Somehow I freed a hand and reached up, along with everyone else. It seemed to happen in slow motion - he held it suspended in mid-air for a moment, and then I felt the cool silkiness touch my fingers. It was in my hand but he wouldn't let go, so I didn't pull until he dropped it. I wasn't quick enough after that, and two hysterical girls snatched it away from me. They were past reasoning, and I let go because I couldn't believe it was happening.

Then I was at the edge of the stage again, a yard away from him. He introduced Vernon, and stammered a bit about him having been in hospital, and then Ginger. I just stood looking up into his face and trying to commit it to memory. I did notice that the shoulders of his suit had a few threads caught, and he had shiny white boots on, but his face remained unfathomable. There was no double chin. The eyes twinkled. The mouth laughed sideways like a caricature of him. But I couldn't put them all together!

Then came 'Can't Help Falling In Love' and mass hysteria again. Hands were stretched out to him all along the stage, so he dodged and twisted out of reach, gave the microphone to Charlie, and went along the line reaching into the squirming muddle occasionally to touch a hand. I put my right hand out as he got nearer, absolutely willing him to brush it in passing but realising the hopelessness of it. The next second he'd taken it in his left hand. His fingers were wet and icy cold. He squeezed my hand and then before my mind could react he was bowing, acknowledging every section of the audience, and grinning. Suddenly there were bodyguards everywhere, and he was running off, and all I could see were his white boats, and I watched them until they disappeared behind the curtain and the house lights came on.

Sue and I sat down and looked at the empty stage and wondered if he'd really been there at all. The audience dissolved, and we followed, slowly, in shock. We had forty-eight hours to reach Cincinnati, and not an ounce of energy left.

June 25 1977 - Cincinnati, Ohio
Review by Chris Brown - Elvis News Service Weekly, Issue 302 (July 19 1977)

The trip to Cincinnati was nearly five-hundred miles one way, and we had no tickets. But I felt the trip would be especially worthwhile since I had heard that they were filming the shows on this tour for inclusion in the TV Special to be aired in September. When we got there around 2:00, we immediately started looking for tickets, but were told that the nearly 18,000 tickets had sold out in less than four hours. That's pretty good for a fading, overweight singer. (Ha) Tickets were really hard to get as fans even came from Montreal, which is more than 1,100 miles one way. Anyhow, I was really anxious about this show as I had heard that Elvis and his band had been practicing for about three days before this tour began (and they sure can't be practicing their old songs because they've none them enough times) and I was becoming rather uptight, as I still didn't have tickets at 7:00pm. Anyhow, by 7:29 I finally found four tickets for the show. But they weren't very good tickets. Second balcony, slightly behind the stage -- probably the worst tickets I've had, but I was in, and I was glad.

The show began late as usual (8:40pm), and the first noticeable thing was the bad sound system. This was a nearly brand new structure, and yet the sound system was one of the worst I've ever heard. The three warm-up acts were the same as usual -- especially Jackie Kahane. After them, it was intermission time, which has now been stretched to twenty-five to thirty minutes. But Elvis was late. They said it was difficulty they were experiencing with the sound system. It may have been, but I doubt it, in spite of the fact that the sound Wis bad. Anyhow, almost one hour later, the lights dimmed, and the strains of '2001' were heard.

This audience, probably partly caused by the foreign fans in the audience, was one of the noisiest I've heard. Elvis walked out in the same suit he's been wearing for months and did the usual three opening numbers ('C.C. Rider', 'I Got A Woman'/'Amen' and 'Love Me'). 'If You Love Me (Let Me Know)' followed, which was good as usual. 'You Gave Me Mountain' really got things going. but has been done better any other times. One thing I really noticed about this show was that when there appeared to be a slow start in the show, Elvis would tease the audience and get them yelling. And I believe this really showed that Elvis was not into this show it all. He really seems to thrive on the audience, and that seems thats all he wanted that night -- adulation.

'Jailhouse Rock' was simply run through, when at other times he'd really rock and roll with it. Again, Sherrill Nielsen began 'It's Now Or Never' and Elvis finished the song. Good, but again, Elvis seemed uninterested. (Part of the negative feeling I have towards this particular show was that there were really no new songs -- and yet they had been filming on this tour. I don't know, maybe Elvis can't be bothered.) Elvis picked things up a little with 'Little Sister', but then slid back with the medley of 'Teddy Bear'/'Don't De Cruel'. 'And I Love You So' and 'My Way' were good as usual. And then the introductions.

No 'Polk Salad Annie', I was surprised, an a little disappointed. I was then pretty sure that Elvis had probably slept in. "On the rhythm guitar," Elvis says," from Springfield, Missouri is Wayne Newton, ah, I mean John Wilkinson." 'Early Mornin' Rain' was sung. "On the lead guitar from Shreveport, Louisiana is James Burton." 'What'd I Say' and 'Johnny B. Goode' were good, but too short, particularly 'What'd I Say'. "On the drums ladies and gentlemen, from Nashville is Larrie Londin" (I think that was his name -- apparently Ronnie's father-in-law had died, and he would miss the last two shows on the tour. This absence of Ronnie may have caused some of Elvis' movements to be toned down because the new drummer wouldn't really be able to follow Elvis.)

"On the piano from Nashville is Tony Brown." "Let's do 'I Really Don't Want To Know'." This was really powerful and beautiful -- the only song this evening that I haven't heard Elvis do before in concert. The orchestra's solo was not 'School Day', which is a shame, because it's usually pretty good. But, when they come to the end, Elvis screams "Yeeeaaaa hhhhh" at the end, bending over in the process. "Ah, I'd like to introduce my father to you ladies and gentlemen, ha my daddy's in the audience, hey daddy." Bis applause. Elvis' father, ho was near the stage, leaned over and asked Elvis something to which he replied, "OK." "I'd like you also to meet Ginger." Hisses and boos for her. "And this is her mother and her sister Rosemary, who was Miss Tennessee. And Bruce, ah, I'd like to do the song 'Unchained Melody'. Ah, some people came from England tonight to see us. This song's called 'Unchained Melody', and I play the piano. This will be on my next album, which will be out in 1987."

Elvis started playing some Boogey, but stopped, laughed, and then began the song that was the highlight of the show. A bit too jerky though, but Elvis can really sing a song. Dynamite. Great feeling', but too much fooling round with Charlie while doing it. From our seats, it appeared that Charlie was showing Elvis where certain chords were. After terrific applause -- particularly where there shouldn't have been, as it really seemed that Elvis had finished the song. Elvis then got up and launched into throwaway 'Hound Dog'. "I'd like to tell you that you've been a very good audience, and any time you want us back, just call and we'll come back, until then... Wise men say, only fools rush in, but I, but I, Can't Help Falling In Love with you..." Elvis goes up really high on the last few notes. Really good, instead of letting the band, the back up vocalists, and the kitchen sink finish the song.

Elvis was on stage for about seventy minutes. The show was good, and to the few fans who I talked to -- who were seeing Elvis for the first time -- the show was fantastic.

June 25 1977 - Cincinnati, Ohio
Review by Christine Deasey - Elvis Monthly, Issue 309 (October 1985)

After the concert in Des Moines which I wrote about in an earlier Elvis Monthly, Sue and I had forty eight hours to reach Cincinnati. Too overwrought to sleep more than a snatch, we were up at dawn, packing. In my haste, I left every single pair of knickers | possessed, hanging in a row on the hot pipe of the bathroom, I still have hysterics, imagining the cleaner's face.

We arrived in Cincinnati just before daybreak the following morning. It's hard to convey the numbing effect of a bus-ride that long. Our luggage apparently enjoyed it though, as it continued without us to Dayton. More hysterics. Rain fell in a blinding deluge and Cincinnati was full of visitors for a baseball game, a business convention and the Elvis concert. "No room at the inn" to put it mildly. Anyone who thinks following an Elvis tour must have been non-stop heaven, should try being half-drowned in Cincinnati, with no concert tickets, no luggage and nowhere to stay!

However, with superhuman determination we found a room by mid-day, re-claimed our luggage by tea-time, and by the evening we had concert tickets and were collapsed in exhaustion on the bed, wishing we didn't have to go through the tension, noise and excitement of another concert!

Dressed, and in the taxi to the auditorium, we were still calm. Our seats were in the second tier to the right of the stage, looking down at it. We had a very comprehensive view of everyone on stage and every part of the audience.

The Sweet Inspirations, in fact all the acts, sounded more polished at this concert, as if Des Moines had been a rehearsal in the wilds, and Cincinnati was civilisation again. We couldn't understand why they sang all the same songs again, and decided that maybe they didn't allow for members of the audience who saw shows hundreds of miles apart!

When the interval came, we were just beginning to warm up and remember why we were there, and it was irritating. Time passed, and the audience became restless. Placating announcements came over the loudspeakers, blaming the delay on a fault in the sound system. Of course it was merely that Elvis hadn't arrived. We began to feel tense. We stopped jumping at every movement backstage and said disbelievingly that something had happened to him. Having been fairly reluctant to come to the concert at all, nothing in the world mattered more at that moment than Elvis making an appearance. A slow handclap began, and we were horrified that a crowd's mood could change so drastically. But just in time - "Could we have the house lights down please" - and it was dark before the words were spoken.

'2001' echoed eerily through the darkness. Those terrible drums went on and on until I just couldn't hear them any more - I stared at the place he should appear from until I couldn't tell if my eyes were open or shut. I thought I wouldn't see him when he came. I think I was holding my breath, and sitting on the very edge of my seat. There was a sudden rush and flurry near the opening behind the stage and premature squeals from the nearest fans. Those screams set off others, but it was still too early. Then a flash of white hurtled towards the steps, and the spotlight and the flashbulbs exploded at him, and the screams bounced in waves from each section of fans as they caught sight of him. The main scream went on like a tidal wave, and all the others reinforced it - it seemed to come from my insides, and I wasn't screaming! Suddenly I couldn't see anything at all and I realised I was crying and standing up and clapping. The relief. He'd come.

He looked like Elvis this time. The first show had been (or seemed) in sepia and cream. Now his suit was dazzling white, and his hair jet black, and the guitar looked like part of him. Everything else on stage was murky, and he was superimposed on the whole picture.

I couldn't get over the fact that he'd made the effort to come and sing to this crowd he didn't know, who were only too ready to go into a slow handclap if they thought he had let them down. Knowing they could turn so easily made me scared for him, for what he was exposing himself to. He looked so small-how could he control so many people? It wasn't worth worrying. He could and did. He's the only person who could fulfil whatever expectations people had.

When he had got rid of the guitar and started to roam the stage, singing, I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye and realised that the main floor had turned into a sea of people struggling towards the stage. Thank heavens it was a high one. I couldn't help a feeling of relief that I was up and out of it all, and could enjoy this concert as a whole without having to do anything! He started to say something and seemed to trip over his tongue. He grabbed his face and went cross-eyed and explained he'd been to the dentist. He did lovely versions of 'And I Love You So' and 'My Way'. He said "There's a bunch of kids here from England - 250 of 'em" and the British Fan Club cheered and waved their hats ecstatically. They were sitting directly opposite us. We were especially aware of the perfection of his voice at this concert, as he sang the slow, sad songs which showed it off best. Eventually he went over to sit at the piano, and with Charlie holding the microphone, he played and sang 'Unchained Melody'. You could have heard a pin drop at first - we even heard him mutter "Stay with me fellas" as he headed for the high notes. His voice filled and shook the auditorium until I wasn't sure if it was a sound or an earthquake. The standing ovation went on and on, but by this time he had reduced me to a state like nitroglycerine, so I just bit my lip and clenched my fists and kept watching.

Ginger was introduced but the audience booed her, so Elvis said "O.K. sit down honey" reassuringly. The speeded-up strains of 'Can't help falling in love' began, and I could feeling everyone else reacting in horror as I was. He couldn't be leaving already - we'd only just accepted the fact that he was there! As he ran off, helped down the steps, I felt as if I were losing everything in the world and I kept thinking "I'm never going to see him again", and when he'd disappeared I burst into tears. Sue and I always used to laugh at bits of film where fans were shown in hysterical sobs after a concert, wondering why they should cry over him, and I had found out at last. The more I tried to stop, the faster the tears came. We went outside, where it had been raining again, and wandered slowly through the puddles and the crowds, gradually leaving the lights behind, feeling utterly lost.

June 26 1977 - Indianapolis, Indiana
Review by Christine Deasey - Elvis Monthly, Issue 310 (November 1985)

The Market Square Arena in Indianapolis was like a huge bowl, with seats up to the roof. After the panic and hysteria of Cincinnati, our experience here seemed to run on oiled wheels. Two tickets were waiting for us in the Box Office and we were thrilled to discover that our seats were just behind and to the left of the stage.

When the show began, it felt as if we had a "non-audience" view, because the spotlights made the performers into silhouettes. We could see the light shining through their hair and clothes. We were also aware of the spotlights as beams of colour - something you don't see from the front.

In the interval we decided to go down to the steps to watch Elvis arrive. '2001' and the drums did their stuff, and this time there was no delay, and the figure in white came bounding from the tunnel and took the steps two at a time. We were so close that we had every camera in the place pointed towards us. I don't know how his eyes could stand it - was almost blinded by the flashbulbs. A security guard had spotted us at the moment of Elvis' arrival, and with a furious face he was running over and climbing the rail to chase us back to our seats. So everything was total confusion - we were running backwards up the steps, our eyes never leaving Elvis for a second, applauding wildly and trying to take a photo.

The audiences' welcome went on for ages. Right from the start it was obvious that Elvis was in a good mood. It was the best, most happy, relaxed and amusing show we saw. It was one of those occasions when everything "jelled," and to use a famous quote: "you could just feel the love in the room."

Being behind the stage, we thought we might have to join the "Elvis, turn around!" club, but no, he roamed all over the place, all the time. Even when he did stand still occasionally, we had him in profile because he always kept in view of The Stamps so they wouldn't get lost in the songs. He stopped 'Jailhouse Rock' after a couple of lines and made everyone start again, as the band wasn't with him, but he did it nicely, not crossly. Sherrill did 'O Sole Mio' with him, and Elvis said he had a better voice than anyone on the stage... except Charlie! At one point he noticed Charlie walking back to the piano, and stopped everything to say "Where are you going Charlie!" Poor Charlie explained he was taking a music sheet back, and you could tell that he didn't know whether Elvis would laugh or jump down his throat, but Elvis just made a humorous remark and let it pass.

After talking to someone in the audience he said "O.K., we'll do it", and there were a few "oooohs" and he asked for the words to 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'. I almost fell off my seat. It had always been my ambition to hear him sing this, and I thought he'd given up doing it. It wasn't a hurried version - he sang it slowly and perfectly, in a blue spotlight. As he began the "Sail on silver girl" verse, I was conscious of the hushed audience and the peak of perfection in the atmosphere, and I wished that time would stay there forever because nothing could surpass that instant. The applause went on for ages, and then he did 'Early Mornin' Rain', and some introductions with a joke for each person. He said "And he's my friend" when introducing Charlie. Introducing The Stamps individually, he said, "The tenor singer - he really has a beautiful voice ladies and gentlemen - though you wouldn't know it to look at his face ... the son-of-a-bitch!" (here he collapsed with laughter as did the audience) "Gary 'Buck' Buckles".

He sang 'Hurt' and teased and kept everyone waiting for the high notes, eventually bending over backwards and singing them from there. Then 'Hound Dog' and we knew it was the end. But he seemed to want to drag it out, and began introducing all his friends and relations in the audience. He called Vernon onstage, and they fell into each others arms and hugged, to the huge delight of the audience and another barrage of flashbulbs. He thanked everyone on stage for working so hard on the tour, and mentioned all the engineers and thanked them, and then he said "But most of all thank you ladies and gentlemen" (wild, wild applause) "You've been a fantastic audience, and if you ever want us to come back ... you know". At which point the entire place went completely insane, and I felt a little pang of sadness that I wouldn't be there.

Then he sang 'Can't Help Falling In Love', and walked around the stage afterwards, smiling, acknowledging the audience, shaking his head. Then he ran. He leaned heavily on his guards, going down the steps, and suddenly the last flash of white had disappeared, and the lights were on again, and we realised that we were no longer "in the presence". (A very tangible feeling that night). And that was the last time I ever saw him, and as we now know, the last concert he ever gave.

The applause went on a while, and Sue and I looked at each other, knowing we'd seen our last concert, but so elated by it that we were unable to do anything except smile.