Elvis Hits Tacoma --> September 1, 1957!

#1155229

Robert wrote:Looks like his guitar is actually plugged??

Why wouldn't it be?

#1155230

Enthralling from start to finish. Thanks for your time. The opening paragraph of the first review was a bit racy for the day what??

Loved the Fans comments too. Wonderful Memories for them right there. More Please!!!

#1155231

drjohncarpenter wrote:
Robert wrote:Looks like his guitar is actually plugged??
Why wouldn't it be?

Elvis was usually "unplugged" in the 70's and used the guitar only for the effect.. (CC rider/I got a woman...)

EP was also unplugged during the 50's live material I've seen...

#1155232

Robert wrote:
drjohncarpenter wrote:
Robert wrote:Looks like his guitar is actually plugged??
Why wouldn't it be?
Elvis was usually "unplugged" in the 70's and used the guitar only for the effect.. (CC rider/I got a woman...)

EP was also unplugged during the 50's live material I've seen...

Right but there would be no need to take Scotty's guitar to not be heard. He borrowed his guitar likley to perform the song as he recorded it, with his guitar parts. I doubt he did any soloing

#1155233

JamesVRoy wrote:
Robert wrote:
drjohncarpenter wrote:
Robert wrote:Looks like his guitar is actually plugged??
Why wouldn't it be?
Elvis was usually "unplugged" in the 70's and used the guitar only for the effect.. (CC rider/I got a woman...)

EP was also unplugged during the 50's live material I've seen...
Right but there would be no need to take Scotty's guitar to not be heard. He borrowed his guitar likley to perform the song as he recorded it, with his guitar parts. I doubt he did any soloing

Damn me, it's Scotty's!
I should spend some more time over here and read all posts!

#1155234

Robert wrote:Elvis was usually "unplugged" in the 70's and used the guitar only for the effect.. (CC rider/I got a woman...)

EP was also unplugged during the 50's live material I've seen...

Whenever Elvis played an electric, be it the 1950s or 1969-75, rehearsal or live, it was plugged in.

#1155235

drjohncarpenter wrote:
Here's a smaller version of the 1957 image ->

It is likely from April 2 in Toronto.

Probably from this show? This photo is from Graceland´s trophy building.

#1155236

Doc, what a marvellous post. I really made my day. That's the first timje I ever saw photos from Tacoma. Beautiful, just beautiful. Even though I have the reviews from all the 50's shows it's always great to read them again.

Yours too Simon, Great shot.

Sincerely
Brian
http://www.brian56.dk
(1971 and 1973 tours uploaded)

#1155237

drjohncarpenter wrote: Whenever Elvis played an electric, be it the 1950s or 1969-75, rehearsal or live, it was plugged in.

Did he use his electric guitar after 1970?

#1155238

Hav-A-Tampa wrote:Let me just repeat what others have said, great thread, and fantastic photos!

A live recording of a 57 show would be mindblowing... Isn't it weird that this is the only year that we don't have a live recording from?

Isn't there some Canadian recordings from '57 on the boot When All wAS kOOL?
It sounds like the source tape would be very good, but what we get is evidently an off-line recording of excerpts of the source tape - its like someone in their lounge room recording bits (in an off-line fashion) whilst playing the source tape.
That would be a tape worth tracking down.

#1155239

Jim Dandy wrote:
Hav-A-Tampa wrote:Let me just repeat what others have said, great thread, and fantastic photos!

A live recording of a 57 show would be mindblowing... Isn't it weird that this is the only year that we don't have a live recording from?
Isn't there some Canadian recordings from '57 on the boot When All wAS kOOL?
It sounds like the source tape would be very good, but what we get is evidently an off-line recording of excerpts of the source tape - its like someone in their lounge room recording bits (in an off-line fashion) whilst playing the source tape.
That would be a tape worth tracking down.

The best live bits we have from 1957 are from (IIRC) Vancouver but it's only snippets. The sad fact is we have nothing of any significance.

#1155240

bripet56 wrote:Doc, what a marvellous post. I really made my day. That's the first timje I ever saw photos from Tacoma. Beautiful, just beautiful. Even though I have the reviews from all the 50's shows it's always great to read them again.

Brian thank you -- it was a thrill to find and post these. And kudos to all the other forum members kind enough to visit AND offer a positive comment. With almost 550 views, it seems plenty are enjoying this one. Well, guess what? This is what it's all about.

#1155241

The fool wrote:Probably from this show? This photo is from Graceland´s trophy building.

"Fantabulous" indeed!

You are correct -- the mic appears to be the same and the paper is dated Wednesday, April 3, 1957.

But the quintet of live photos tell another story altogether -- Elvis was ready to rock the house, and rock he did, with both his acoustic guitar and Scotty's electric. What a nice layout for a 1957 review -- look at how the neck of the guitar overlays each subsequent image. That took some thought and effort.

Oh, to have a tape of that one night ...

#1155242

Those 57 reviews were something else. I have reviews from all the shows and some of them were spread all over two entire pages and most of them in very favourable words.

Sincerely
Brian
http://www.brian56.dk
(1971 and 1973 tours uploaded)

#1155243

drjohncarpenter wrote:
The fool wrote:Probably from this show? This photo is from Graceland´s trophy building.

"Fantabulous" indeed!

You are correct -- the mic appears to be the same and the paper is dated Wednesday, April 3, 1957.

But the quintet of live photos tell another story altogether -- Elvis was ready to rock the house, and rock he did, with both his acoustic guitar and Scotty's electric. What a nice layout for a 1957 review -- look at how the neck of the guitar overlays each subsequent image. That took some thought and effort.

Oh, to have a tape of that one night ...

Those images can't be from 57, they're from sometime in 56. He's playing Scotty's L5. He didn't wear the full gold suit in Canada did he? Those pictures have to be sometime between October of 56 (earliest Elvis had the J200) and January of 57 (latest Scotty had the L5).

#1155244

Sorry James, but those images are indeed from the evening show in Toronto on April 2, 1957.

Could it be that Scotty had his L5 along as an extra guitar or that it simply isn't his but another L5??

The photos ARE 100% from Toronto. I have the entire reviews and no question at all.

Here's another part of the review:

Sincerely
Brian
http://www.brian56.dk
(1971 and 1973 tours uploaded)

#1155245

bripet56 wrote:
Could it be that Scotty had his L5 along as an extra guitar or that it simply isn't his but another L5??

It would have to be that he must have had it at least till then as a second. Not sure if he used that in place of the Super 400 that night but that's definitly his. You can tell by the way the strap is wrapped under the heel of the neck and under the fretboard (the thought of drilling a hole in it to put a strap button on must have gone against his grain).

Interesting because I was never able to get a clear date on when he got rid of it. He started using the Super 400 in January but I've seen pictures in sessions wher he used both (though not in the same image).

#1155246

James, I've been comparing the photos of the L5 and the Super400 on Scotty's page and the only difference I can see is down at the bottom where the strings are fastened. This particular section doesn't show too well in the photos where Elvis plays the guitar.

Could it be that it was actually the Super400 he's playing??

Sincerely
Brian
http://www.brian56.dk
(1971 and 1973 tours uploaded)

#1155247

bripet56 wrote:James, I've been comparing the photos of the L5 and the Super400 on Scotty's page and the only difference I can see is down at the bottom where the strings are fastened. This particular section doesn't show too well in the photos where Elvis plays the guitar.

Could it be that it was actually the Super400 he's playing??

Sincerely
Brian
http://www.brian56.dk
(1971 and 1973 tours uploaded)

No, that's the L5. If this pic is from Toronto on April 2nd then the guitar was there.

The easiest way to tell at a glance is the headstock. The L5 has the torch in the center and the Super 400 a split diamond (the S400 headstock overall is longer). The truss covers are different too, that one has the L5 bell shape. The fretboard has solid inlays on the the L5 and the S400 split.

#1155248

James and Brian -- thanks for making this topic ever more intriguing!

#1155249

drjohncarpenter wrote:James and Brian -- thanks for making this topic ever more intriguing!

OK, what else do we have for performance photos showing Scotty playing between Janusary and April of that year.

I just checked the April 1st pic from Buffalo and Scotty's playing the L5.

#1155250

JamesVRoy wrote:OK, what else do we have for performance photos showing Scotty playing between Janusary and April of that year.

Unless Scotty did side gigs, these are the potential dates ->

January 6 - New York - Ed Sullivan Show

March 28 - Chicago
March 29 - St. Louis
March 30 - Fort Wayne
March 31 - Detroit (two shows)

April 1 - Buffalo
April 2 - Toronto (two shows)
April 3 - Ottawa (two shows)
April 5 - Philadelphia (two shows)
April 6 - Philadelphia (two shows)

#1155251

drjohncarpenter wrote:
JamesVRoy wrote:OK, what else do we have for performance photos showing Scotty playing between Janusary and April of that year.
Unless Scotty did side gigs, these are the potential dates ->

January 6 - New York - Ed Sullivan Show

March 28 - Chicago
March 29 - St. Louis
March 30 - Fort Wayne
March 31 - Detroit (two shows)

April 1 - Buffalo
April 2 - Toronto (two shows)
April 3 - Ottawa (two shows)
April 5 - Philadelphia (two shows)
April 6 - Philadelphia (two shows)

He had the L5 for the Sullivan show and then I believe they went to CA which is where he got the Super 400, on January 8. I'm going to hazard a guess that the rest of those dates he's playing the L5 as well. He has the Super 400 in pix from the Jailhouse rock sessions and in the movie.

#1155252

JamesVRoy wrote:
He had the L5 for the Sullivan show and then I believe they went to CA which is where he got the Super 400, on January 8. I'm going to hazard a guess that the rest of those dates he's playing the L5 as well. He has the Super 400 in pix from the Jailhouse rock sessions and in the movie.

Let me rephrase that. The consignment invoice for the Super 400 is dated January 8th, they sent him the originals to be signed and returned with a letter dated on the 18th so he could have got it anytime around or after then.

Deleted User 930 · #1155253

Now we're talking Elvis !!! Great topic.