REELTRAX is back with another great 2-CD release – actually the first one in 2024! After the great success of our recent vinyl release “68 Unleashed” which has sold out very quickly we now present a completely new CD project!
“Elvis Seventy Three” is a 2-disc set with two complete shows from Elvis´ August 1973 engagement at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas: With CD 1 of this set you will be able to step back in time with Elvis Presley’s closing night performance from September 3, 1973. For the first time, experience this iconic show which easily can be seen as one of the most unusual performances of Elvis´ career in correct speed and superior sound quality, thanks to a meticulous Matrix mix of soundboard and audience recordings. This new mix reveals intricacies and audience interactions previously unheard, capturing the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll in his element.
The closing night concert is renowned for its humorous touch – for instance when Elvis had a toy monkey on his back (all through the first two songs of the show) while being carried on stage on the back of Lamar Fike or when a red velvet bed had been placed on stage during the show with Elvis sitting on it while singing “What Now My Love” and pretending to “search” for his love in the bed. And especially when he totally mixed up the music and lyrics of “Suspicious Minds” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, probably just because he wanted to fool his musicians (we called that “Suspicious Bridge” and gave it its own track on the cd). But the concert is also known for its heartfelt and rare performances like "Help Me Make It Through The Night", “Softly As I Leave You” and a fantastic "How Great Thou Art" with multiple reprises, among others.
Additionally, to make sure the content of this CD is 100% the “real” closing night show we did not use the first 6 songs from the soundboard of the dinner show of the same date (which has been done this way before on an earlier release of the show), but chose to include them from an ambiance recording which has been made at closing night (see Tracklist below). It’s a pity that those first six songs have not been recorded on soundboard back in 1973.
CD 2 presents the midnight show of August 7, 1973, sourced from an ambiance recording which offers a very good sound. Elvis himself mentioned during the concert that he and his band were enjoying their time on stage, which led him to extend his performance, adding a personal touch to this memorable evening. One of only two versions of “Funny How Time Slips Away”, sung during the August 1973 season, and “Faded Love”, performed live for its fourth and final time are real highlights.
But actually the setlists of BOTH shows in this 2-CD set contrast the energy from the beginning to the end of Elvis’s stint, highlighting both his serious and playful side on stage. The show on CD 2 has previously been released at a wrong speed on ‘Top Acts in Vegas’ 28 years ago. This corrected version now allows fans to hear Elvis as he truly sounded, making it a pivotal release for collectors and new fans alike.
Enhance your Elvis collection with this definitive edition, featuring no less than a variety of 9 bonus tracks that underscore rare moments and the fun Elvis had during the Las Vegas Summer season of 1973.
Tracklist CD 1:
September 3, 1973 – Closing Show, Las Vegas Hilton Hotel (MATRIX Recording*)
1. See See Rider
2. I Got A Woman - Amen
3. Love Me
4. Steamroller Blues
5. You Gave Me A Mountain
6. Trouble
7. Rock Medley
8. Love Me Tender
9. Fever
10. What Now My Love
11. Suspicious Bridge
12. Bridge Over Troubled Water
13. Suspicious Minds
14. Introductions of Band & Celebrities
15. My Boy
16. I Can’t Stop Loving You
17. An American Trilogy
18. A Big Hunk O Love
19. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
20. Mystery Train - Tiger Man
21. How Great Thou Art (two reprises)
22. Help Me Make It Through The Night
23. Softly As I Leave You
24. Can’t Help Falling In Love - Closing Vamp
*Tracks 1 – 6 sourced from an ambiance recording, as these songs were not on the soundboard tape
Tracklist CD 2:
August 7, 1973 – Midnight Show, Las Vegas Hilton Hotel (AMBIANCE Recording)
1. Also Sprach Zarathustra
2. See See Rider
3. I Got A Woman - Amen
4. Love Me
5. Steamroller Blues
6. You Gave Me A Mountain
7. Trouble
8. Blue Suede Shoes
9. Rock Medley
10. Love Me Tender
11. Fever
12. Bridge Over Troubled Water (two false starts)
13. Suspicious Minds
14. Introductions
15. My Boy
16. I Can’t Stop Loving You
17. An American Trilogy
18. Release Me
19. Mystery Train - Tiger Man
20. Funny How Time Slips Away
21. Faded Love
22. Can’t Help Falling In Love - Closing Vamp
BONUS TRACKS
23. Make The World Go Away (August 8, 1973 MS)
24. Tiger Man (August 11, 1973 MS)
25. Crying Time (August 12, 1973 MS)
26. Amazing Grace (August 14, 1973 DS)
27. Something (August 23, 1973 DS)
28. It’s A Matter Of Time (August 25, 1973 MS)
29. Johnny B. Goode (August 26, 1973 MS)
30. My Boy (False Start) - Release Me - My Boy (August 28, 1973 MS)
31. You Gave Me A Mountain (September 2, 1973 DS)
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