Painful viewing

EIC is hard to view. It is better if you close your eyes though...even at his worst his voice beats many.

Here is the thing about Elvis for me. It is like watching a classic tragedy. The beginning of his story soars. He has a dip or two then he recovers with flying colors the 68 Special and TTWII and Country. Then he proves he is a continuous force w/E on Tour and MSG. Then he declines to EIC and 8-16-1977...which drives me back to the beginning where he soars...

I call it the Elvis: What Happened? syndrome.

For you Beatle fans, it is the same thing...soaring, then the White Album then LIB and break up...which drives me back to the beginning.

Another way to put it is Elvis' lows make his highs even higher. I love it when he triumphs!



Bpd

It is a misconception that his voice beats many in 77, even without the images. Listen to EIC, Spring Tours, numerous soundboards, etc and his voice pales to what it was, not only at his peak, but even in 1973-1975. The "highlights" of ttgty, hgta, and unchained aren't horrible by any means, but all of them were bettered by other performances of those same tunes in the years preceding it. TTGTY was much better in Memphis 74, HGTA the same (and he nearly goes off key before correcting it in EIC). Unchained is memorable, but sad too. My Way had been performed better...under close inspection, the highlights are only highlights compared to the rest of the show. It is sad and I am fine with it right where it is.

EIC is hard to view. It is better if you close your eyes though...even at his worst his voice beats many.

Here is the thing about Elvis for me. It is like watching a classic tragedy. The beginning of his story soars. He has a dip or two then he recovers with flying colors the 68 Special and TTWII and Country. Then he proves he is a continuous force w/E on Tour and MSG. Then he declines to EIC and 8-16-1977...which drives me back to the beginning where he soars...

I call it the Elvis: What Happened? syndrome.

For you Beatle fans, it is the same thing...soaring, then the White Album then LIB and break up...which drives me back to the beginning.

Another way to put it is Elvis' lows make his highs even higher. I love it when he triumphs!



Bpd

It is a misconception that his voice beats many in 77, even without the images.

I agree. Elvis was just not in good shape in 1977, period.

I can sit through the CBS Special. What I have a hard time dealing with is the Omaha concert itself.

That hurts.

The Rapid City concert did not any wonders for me either. With the strange happening of stopping See See Rider midsong, having obvious muscle jerks and the inability to speak well. It is beyond heartbreaking and the persons responsible... well, they are not here anymore... But Elvis in 1977 should not have given any concert, but should have been in an hospital for real ailments and to dry out from the prescription drugs. And then on to Hawaii to fully recover.

I watched this special when it first aired and was deeply saddened by what I saw. I had access to all the outtakes when I worked on "This is Elvis" and the "Great Performances." In fact, my brother was the one who suggested the inclusion of "Unchained Melody" in that project. The producers and Estate were initially opposed to it, but finally decided it was a performance worth including.

What was the ending of Rapid City's Can't Help Falling In Love like? Since even TFC had to fake edit it.

What did Elvis say to Tony Brown after his piano solo? (You hear it after EMR in the TV special as they edited EMR from 6/19 with the end of Tony Brown's piano solo.

No backstage was shot of 6/19, or a rear stair entrance either. Was it?

Why did Elvis look thinner on 6/19, but healthier on 6/21?

Did Elvis leave the stage on 6/19 - decent.

What did Early Morning Rain look like on June 21, and why did Elvis want Sam Thompson to sing "They Call The Wind Mirah (sic)?

I'm sorry but I don't know the answers to any of those questions. The film was in production in 1980 so I looked at this footage 31 years ago. When we had all the tapes, they were the original 2-inch load reels that we had to transfer to 3/4 U-matic tapes for viewing. I only looked at some of the footage. Quite honestly, we had SO much prime Elvis stuff to go through and this material was not a priority to me. As I said in my earlier post, it was very sad to watch any of it.

I understand many of those 2-inch reels were later destroyed in a fire at a storage facility. Hopefully the 3/4 dubs have survived.

With NYE 1976 as the only exception, everything from 1976 and 1977 I consider tragic and painful to watch. It is to see a man suffer and struggle, trying to give his utmost but in most cases failing in the end. Yet, knowing this all, I truely regret never been able to see Elvis, even in 1976 and 1977. Even despite the quality, I am glad we have FTD and those 1976 and 1977 soundboards and I am glad to have seen EIC (although I am not watch it that often because it makes me sad and it really hurts me to see Elvis struggle that way). Elvis surely did some great performances during his final years, but the concerts were mediocre and Elvis' voice started to deteriorate in 1976 very fast. On most soundboards he sounds weak. That's painful, I feel.

I think it is true to say that some bizarre choices were made in the editing of the show, and that some of the things we see in the special make more sense in context than in the edit. However, no matter what 12 songs were to be included, this was always going to be a sad, pitiful affair. People say quite often on here how wonderful How Great Thou Art was in the special, but it pales severely in comparison to the 1974 Memphis version and finds Elvis over-singing (basically bellowing to try to overcome his general lack of tone) and searching for notes, sometimes in vain. I have to say that musically speaking I like the slower arrangement of Thats All Right, and the snatch of I Really Don't Want To Know is quite pleasant. But that's about it.

There was a fine, flamboyant, jazz entertainer/raconteur in the UK (I don't know how popular he was outside of Britain) called George Melly who I saw a number of times when he visited my city on his yearly tour. I saw him four years in a row when he was in his 70s. It was always a good night - he would sing, tell stories, share his extensive musical knowledge before, during and after the show. But after the last time i thought enough was enough. He was clearly ill, and though still enjoying himself, I wanted happy memories of those nights and didn't buy tickets for the following year

For fans, no singer is ever filmed on stage enough. Alas, Elvis didn't have yearly TV specials a la Sinatra for us to enjoy on DVD. And yes, it would have been great for Elvis to have been filmed again after Aloha in better circumstances than EIC. Aloha was far from his finest hour, and I'd prefer to have a professional video of the Memphis concert the following year. But we haven't got one. But there is no point, in my eyes, in releasing a DVD of a man who is, essentially, on his deathbed. If it's not pleasant to watch, why would we want it? It either means the buyer is obsessive or a ghoul.

So would we even be talking about this with regards to other performers?

As a Sinatra fan, do I want to see a DVD release of the Las Vegas concert from 1993 when he was seen to be singing into the wrong end of the microphone?

As a Johnny Cash fan, do I want to see a DVD release of that final Carter Fold concert with Cash basically croaking out his final few musical notes while frail and sitting in a wheelchair?

And I'm sure Amy Winehouse fans will not be wanting to see a DVD release of that shambolic concert of a couple of months ago.

I think it is true to say that some bizarre choices were made in the editing of the show, and that some of the things we see in the special make more sense in context than in the edit. However, no matter what 12 songs were to be included, this was always going to be a sad, pitiful affair. People say quite often on here how wonderful How Great Thou Art was in the special, but it pales severely in comparison to the 1974 Memphis version and finds Elvis over-singing (basically bellowing to try to overcome his general lack of tone) and searching for notes, sometimes in vain. I have to say that musically speaking I like the slower arrangement of Thats All Right, and the snatch of I Really Don't Want To Know is quite pleasant. But that's about it.

There was a fine, flamboyant, jazz entertainer/raconteur in the UK (I don't know how popular he was outside of Britain) called George Melly who I saw a number of times when he visited my city on his yearly tour. I saw him four years in a row when he was in his 70s. It was always a good night - he would sing, tell stories, share his extensive musical knowledge before, during and after the show. But after the last time i thought enough was enough. He was clearly ill, and though still enjoying himself, I wanted happy memories of those nights and didn't buy tickets for the following year

For fans, no singer is ever filmed on stage enough. Alas, Elvis didn't have yearly TV specials a la Sinatra for us to enjoy on DVD. And yes, it would have been great for Elvis to have been filmed again after Aloha in better circumstances than EIC. Aloha was far from his finest hour, and I'd prefer to have a professional video of the Memphis concert the following year. But we haven't got one. But there is no point, in my eyes, in releasing a DVD of a man who is, essentially, on his deathbed. If it's not pleasant to watch, why would we want it? It either means the buyer is obsessive or a ghoul.

So would we even be talking about this with regards to other performers?

As a Sinatra fan, do I want to see a DVD release of the Las Vegas concert from 1993 when he was seen to be singing into the wrong end of the microphone?

As a Johnny Cash fan, do I want to see a DVD release of that final Carter Fold concert with Cash basically croaking out his final few musical notes while frail and sitting in a wheelchair?

And I'm sure Amy Winehouse fans will not be wanting to see a DVD release of that shambolic concert of a couple of months ago.

Good post.

I think it is true to say that some bizarre choices were made in the editing of the show, and that some of the things we see in the special make more sense in context than in the edit. However, no matter what 12 songs were to be included, this was always going to be a sad, pitiful affair. People say quite often on here how wonderful How Great Thou Art was in the special, but it pales severely in comparison to the 1974 Memphis version and finds Elvis over-singing (basically bellowing to try to overcome his general lack of tone) and searching for notes, sometimes in vain. I have to say that musically speaking I like the slower arrangement of Thats All Right, and the snatch of I Really Don't Want To Know is quite pleasant. But that's about it.

There was a fine, flamboyant, jazz entertainer/raconteur in the UK (I don't know how popular he was outside of Britain) called George Melly who I saw a number of times when he visited my city on his yearly tour. I saw him four years in a row when he was in his 70s. It was always a good night - he would sing, tell stories, share his extensive musical knowledge before, during and after the show. But after the last time i thought enough was enough. He was clearly ill, and though still enjoying himself, I wanted happy memories of those nights and didn't buy tickets for the following year

For fans, no singer is ever filmed on stage enough. Alas, Elvis didn't have yearly TV specials a la Sinatra for us to enjoy on DVD. And yes, it would have been great for Elvis to have been filmed again after Aloha in better circumstances than EIC. Aloha was far from his finest hour, and I'd prefer to have a professional video of the Memphis concert the following year. But we haven't got one. But there is no point, in my eyes, in releasing a DVD of a man who is, essentially, on his deathbed. If it's not pleasant to watch, why would we want it? It either means the buyer is obsessive or a ghoul.

So would we even be talking about this with regards to other performers?

As a Sinatra fan, do I want to see a DVD release of the Las Vegas concert from 1993 when he was seen to be singing into the wrong end of the microphone?

As a Johnny Cash fan, do I want to see a DVD release of that final Carter Fold concert with Cash basically croaking out his final few musical notes while frail and sitting in a wheelchair?

And I'm sure Amy Winehouse fans will not be wanting to see a DVD release of that shambolic concert of a couple of months ago.

Good post.

Thank you (twice!)

As a Sinatra fan, do I want to see a DVD release of the Las Vegas concert from 1993 when he was seen to be singing into the wrong end of the microphone?

How about his final full length concert in Japan, where they had to edit two shows together (mid-song)? I never watched the whole tape I got, but just seeing them have to splice "My Way" was heartwrenching in one aspect. More amazing how great Frank had been just six years earlier with "The Ultimate Event," and how much he fell just two years after that (Meadowlands, 1990). And yet, I think Frankie held his own even more so than Elvis ever did. So seeing Sinatra in the later years might actually be more welcomed than EIC.

As a Johnny Cash fan, do I want to see a DVD release of that final Carter Fold concert with Cash basically croaking out his final few musical notes while frail and sitting in a wheelchair?

I've seen the camcorder footage of him singing somewhere. Quite honestly, "Hurt" was his "Final Curtain," and almost seemed to have been designed as such.

And I'm sure Amy Winehouse fans will not be wanting to see a DVD release of that shambolic concert of a couple of months ago.

Never was a fan of her's, but trust me - the freaks would love to get their hands on that one.

And I'm sure Amy Winehouse fans will not be wanting to see a DVD release of that shambolic concert of a couple of months ago.

Never was a fan of her's, but trust me - the freaks would love to get their hands on that one.

Out of touch Elvis fans need not reply.

I gave the Sinatra concert with the mic as an example only of Sinatra at his worst. But in the great scheme of things, Sinatra fared pretty well right up until his last concert in 1995 (in which he sounded no different to the Ultimate Event, despite being 80). That he only lost his way in one number in a 60 minute concert in 1994 in Japan shows that he was in general doing just fine. I have the CD of that concert and it was nothing like the shambles of June 1977 for Elvis. It's not an embarassment at all. You're going to make mistakes as you get older, it's natural. The "microphone" incident was a year or so earlier when for whatever reason he wasn't doing so well (the thought is generally medication which didn't agree with him), but at least he had the sense to take time out, sort himself out and therefore was able to have a last hurrah or two and go out on a relative high.

I really don't think the Winehouse fans are freaks in the way some Elvis fans are. It's the media which were showing clips from that show in all their "glory" when she passed away a week or so.

I have been a fan since the summer of 1968. I enjoyed the magnificence of the Singer and Aloha specials when they first aired. I saw Elvis in 1972 on opening night at the Garden.

I watched this special when it first aired and was deeply saddened by what I saw. I had access to all the outtakes when I worked on "This is Elvis" and the "Great Performances." In fact, my brother was the one who suggested the inclusion of "Unchained Melody" in that project. The producers and Estate were initially opposed to it, but finally decided it was a performance worth including.

I saw it with friends and family when it first aired. We all couldn't believe what we were seeing. First I was sad, and kept thinking, Elvis what happened? Then mad at Elvis' father, the Colonel and Elvis' friends. How could they let Elvis do this? Elvis was in no shape both physically and vocally to be performing.

After it aired, for months (and years) non-Elvis fans were making fun of him all the time. They were making fun of Elvis no matter where you went, to school, to work, to parties and even sporting events. Heck, even some DJ’s were making fun.

I have no desire to see that footage again. As a lifelong fan, it's just too depressing.

I totally agree with you, it's just too depressing.

It's clutching at straws to compare Elvis in 1977 to Sinatra during the 1990s -- his final concerts in particular. Ditto Cash . . . Because, here we have two elderly men, not in the best of health due to their advanced years, but still adoring music, welcoming the concert stage and recording their final musical legacies in the studio. Elvis was ill, but not through advanced years and old age -- he was a victim of his own fetters, and was on stage in 1977 not for the love of it, but because he felt compelled to and because his management wouldn't have it any other way, regardless of what condition he was in.

Sinatra keeping singing and playing to fans he loved perhaps gave him that little bit more to live for as he approached 80 years-of-age . . . Elvis, not one to disappoint his fans either, surely run himself further into the ground and hastened his premature demise by not thinking more about his own health and less about those under his employ. Not to mention adoring fans for whom he merely had to appear before to appease . . .

When Sinatra was 42, Elvis hadn't even filmed King Creole -- that's going back a way from 1994 and singer who was a venerable live performer and recording artist all through the 1980s. We only wish Elvis could have endured so long and had taken enough time away from performing to find his health and own contentment again in life. For that, I'm sure any fan would have once again waited 8 years between live appearances . . . Elvis may have still been giving the occassional concert today . . .

CBS' edit of Elvis In Concert is not half as bad as many proclaim it to be. The special as an appropriate mix of pre-concert footage, performances of hits that had to be included, and some vocal highlights captured on film. Some fans act as if the producers went out of their way to make a mockery of Elvis. The producers did not tell Elvis to lumber around the stage during Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel and toss away dozens of scarves to screaming grandmas -- yet, the producers understandably felt compelled to include a medley of those two monster hits that many viewers would expect to see, in addition to giving the audience a glimpse of the euphoria many female fans still felt towards their idol (regardless of their age). The producers didn't tell Elvis to toss away Hound Dog and Jailhouse Rock. Elvis did that on his own. And again, the inclusion of performances of Elvis' '50s gold would have been expected by viewers. It isn't as if the producers kept in the embarrassing monologue from Are You Lonesome Tonight. Some of the crowd shots can be construed as people laughing at Elvis, but those split-second shots are not overly obvious to the casual eye -- it is more of an issue for hardcore Elvis fans combing through the footage with watchful eyes.

With regards to the non-musical content, clearly some of the fan interviews came off as awkward and bizarre, but some also worked in their own way. The producers were trying to showcase an artist with a very broad, enthusiastic audience. The producers tried to show the size and scope of the touring operation with the pre-show set-up scenes. Additionally, it was only fitting to have Vernon share some thoughts on Elvis' career, especially once the special took on a different scope after Elvis' death.

Aside from the mixture of toss-away performances of Elvis' classics, the producers included respectable renditions of I Really Don't Want To Know, Hurt, How Great Thou Art, and My Way. Some fans believe that a new edit with the pitch-troubled, bellowing Trying To Get To You and painful, yet successful Unchained Melody would save the special. They would not. Clearly, Trying To Get To You is a better song than If You Love Me (Let Me Know), but with a handful of '50s tracks already slotted, perhaps the producers wanted more of a balance of contemporary numbers and that is why Olivia Newton-John's track remained.

It was an hour spectacle. The footage was damaging and probably very difficult to work with. CBS was obviously concerned with what it had to work with prior to Elvis' death. Once he died and they knew something needed to be pieced together, an appropriate edit was put together. A couple of tracks substituted for others would not have saved the EIC train-wreck.

I agree with alot of what you say. The CBS Special would not have been, as you say, "a couple of tracks substituted for others would not have saved the EIC", however...it could have been made alot more "attractive".

It's clutching at straws to compare Elvis in 1977 to Sinatra during the 1990s -- his final concerts in particular. Ditto Cash . . . Because, here we have two elderly men, not in the best of health due to their advanced years, but still adoring music, welcoming the concert stage and recording their final musical legacies in the studio. Elvis was ill, but not through advanced years and old age -- he was a victim of his own fetters, and was on stage in 1977 not for the love of it, but because he felt compelled to and because his management wouldn't have it any other way, regardless of what condition he was in.

Sinatra keeping singing and playing to fans he loved perhaps gave him that little bit more to live for as he approached 80 years-of-age . . . Elvis, not one to disappoint his fans either, surely run himself further into the ground and hastened his premature demise by not thinking more about his own health and less about those under his employ. Not to mention adoring fans for whom he merely had to appear before to appease . . .

When Sinatra was 42, Elvis hadn't even filmed King Creole -- that's going back a way from 1994 and singer who was a venerable live performer and recording artist all through the 1980s. We only wish Elvis could have endured so long and had taken enough time away from performing to find his health and own contentment again in life. For that, I'm sure any fan would have once again waited 8 years between live appearances . . . Elvis may have still been giving the occassional concert today . . .

I agree totally. I only used the Cash/Sinatra comparison because there are "bad" concerts out there - and that fans of neither artist are wishing for their release, emphasising the unhealthy obsessiveness of many Elvis fans

however...it could have been made alot more "attractive".

How? Seriously, Elvis looks the way he looks. His appearance and lackluster performances of some of his biggest hits are what tanks the special. A cow-patty cannot be transformed into gold.

Define "a lot."

CBS' edit of Elvis In Concert is not half as bad as many proclaim it to be. The special as an appropriate mix of pre-concert footage, performances of hits that had to be included, and some vocal highlights captured on film. Some fans act as if the producers went out of their way to make a mockery of Elvis. The producers did not tell Elvis to lumber around the stage during Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel and toss away dozens of scarves to screaming grandmas -- yet, the producers understandably felt compelled to include a medley of those two monster hits that many viewers would expect to see, in addition to giving the audience a glimpse of the euphoria many female fans still felt towards their idol (regardless of their age). The producers didn't tell Elvis to toss away Hound Dog and Jailhouse Rock. Elvis did that on his own. And again, the inclusion of performances of Elvis' '50s gold would have been expected by viewers. It isn't as if the producers kept in the embarrassing monologue from Are You Lonesome Tonight. Some of the crowd shots can be construed as people laughing at Elvis, but those split-second shots are not overly obvious to the casual eye -- it is more of an issue for hardcore Elvis fans combing through the footage with watchful eyes.

With regards to the non-musical content, clearly some of the fan interviews came off as awkward and bizarre, but some also worked in their own way. The producers were trying to showcase an artist with a very broad, enthusiastic audience. The producers tried to show the size and scope of the touring operation with the pre-show set-up scenes. Additionally, it was only fitting to have Vernon share some thoughts on Elvis' career, especially once the special took on a different scope after Elvis' death.

Aside from the mixture of toss-away performances of Elvis' classics, the producers included respectable renditions of I Really Don't Want To Know, Hurt, How Great Thou Art, and My Way. Some fans believe that a new edit with the pitch-troubled, bellowing Trying To Get To You and painful, yet successful Unchained Melody would save the special. They would not. Clearly, Trying To Get To You is a better song than If You Love Me (Let Me Know), but with a handful of '50s tracks already slotted, perhaps the producers wanted more of a balance of contemporary numbers and that is why Olivia Newton-John's track remained.

It was an hour spectacle. The footage was damaging and probably very difficult to work with. CBS was obviously concerned with what it had to work with prior to Elvis' death. Once he died and they knew something needed to be pieced together, an appropriate edit was put together. A couple of tracks substituted for others would not have saved the EIC train-wreck.

I agree with alot of what you say. The CBS Special would not have been, as you say, "a couple of tracks substituted for others would not have saved the EIC", however...it could have been made alot more "attractive".

The only way CBS could have fixed EIC is if it opened with his father saying "elvis was in poor health near the end of his life and we want him to be remembered at his best. CBS has come to a joint agreement to air what you are about to see." And then they should have played the 68 special and burned the EIC tape.

A cow-patty cannot be transformed into gold.

Of course not. But by using some of the songs that where left out. Perhaps using different camera angels, more shots from behind of the crowd. While during the "fast" 50:s songs, a little more fast editing. There are some things that would have made the special better. Great? No, but better...

One thing that I do believe...he seems happy to perform. At that moment when he stood on the stage, he was happy.

A EIC release would be available worldwide at any store that sells DVDs

So what? Do you really believe that someone would care? Serioulsy. Why do you feel the need to protect him?

A cow-patty cannot be transformed into gold.

Of course not. But by using some of the songs that where left out. Perhaps using different camera angels, more shots from behind of the crowd. While during the "fast" 50:s songs, a little more fast editing. There are some things that would have made the special better. Great? No, but better...

One thing that I do believe...he seems happy to perform. At that moment when he stood on the stage, he was happy.

Elvis was fat, had horrible make up and was sweating profusely. No camera angle or post-edition could have disguised that. Plus, in Omaha he is terribly off, I was watching some clips yesterday and felt real pity for him, he was having a horrible time onstage.

The point i was trying to make (in my best english writing ) that when talking about the CBS show, musically spoken worser things have been released. I'm not saying they should release it but when talking about legacy damage as some state here than for example complete movies should be locked up forever.

That's ridiculous, as the films have been in public view for more than 40 years. The fallout from them was minimal, as evidenced by the strong reception to Elvis' 1968 TV Special, the American Sound recordings released in 1969 and 1970, and his mighty return to the stage in 1969. No one was lamenting "Ol' MacDonald" when "Suspicious Minds" was #1 on the charts.

The audio and video recordings made by CBS-TV and RCA in June 1977 are a shambles, examples of a great artist who is very ill and unable to perform his music with the skill of past days. They are perhaps the worst recordings of his career, with one or two exceptions. They do not need to be further promoted via an official release in the DVD or Blu-Ray format.

Even if the fallout was minium that doesn't make grappy songs
like (for example) "old mac Donald" a great song, this was a song released for the general public.
With this kind of material he had to compete against artists like the Beatles, BobDdylan, Simon and Garfunkel,
the Byrds etc, etc. This was absoltuly damaging his credibility as an recording artist. So when Talking about something redicilous then this could be a winner.

Elvis needed that 68 special to get back his credibility, didn't hear "old mac Donald", or "Yoga is as Yoga does" in the setlist.

If no one as you say was lamenting "Ol' MacDonald" when "Suspicious Minds" was #1 on the charts
then why on earth the fans suddenly should fallout orlamenting on the cbs special. We know what to aspect of it.

So in my oppinion this point of view saying more or less sarcasm that worser things have been released wich
were damaging his legasy isn't so rediculous as you say it is.

When talking about releasing the EIC is a whole different discussion.
Beside a few let's say reviving moments, the majority of the performance was due his health problems far from best, no doubt. But still a number of fans want this footage to be released. In some way they can accept or look at it from a different point of view (actuelly more or less like people did with "Ol' Mac Donald").
Perhaps it's an idea to get this only to the these fans, don't know if that's possible?.

For me i could life without it, it's indeed painfull watching, but hey i could also
live without "Ol' Mac Donald". Pfff...... a view more posts and i'm beginning to like this song .