SEND ME THE LIGHT...I NEED IT BAD

[Rockin_John]

SEND ME THE LIGHT...I NEED IT BAD
Baltimore, May 29 1977

Is there a better source for the show on this cd?

Where can I get a copy of this show?

[Tallhair AKA Ger Rijff]

... You need a better quality source?

You wanna borrow my first generation soundboard copy?!

By the way, wasnt this title once nominated as one of the

most idiotic cd titles ever?! Im sure, some of you can dig up

some other stupendous ones

... Whos first ?

[Guest]

How much do you want for the first generation copy?

[Tallhair AKA Ger Rijff]

... I will trade it for twenty naked Norwegian girls, dancing on

my bed [ yep, I do have a big bed!] singing traditional Norwegian

folk [ yes, folk... not f*ck songs ] . And they should be wearing

gladiator belts and matching capes. Deal?!

[Guest]

There you go

[elvis1977br]

Better source:

http://hem.bredband.net/b114010/bilder/unpub.%20covers/77cov/77.20.jpg

[Gregory Nolan Jr.]

It is a pretty bad title, but with the cover and the rep of this concert, it kind of grew on me.



I just got this recently as sort of a "how bad was it" sort of adventure.

It was eerie to hear it, but it wasn't as bad as I thought.

When he came back on stage during the rock'n'roll medley after an extended absence, full of sidekicks covering for him, it was as if he'd been dead for awhile. The crowd goes bonkers.

I got a sucker's chill, too.

*******************
Here's a Belgian take on it, by way of Norway:

http://home.online.no/~ov-egela/img/sendthelight.jpg

It's pretty fair, for the most part. This is well put:

Listening to this recording, we can write a few things for sure, contrary to a numbers of rumors and press reports: Elvis did not collapse at all, he simply left the stage. The audience was wild from the beginning to the end of the show; they never started booing or anything. They support the King with the extravaganza they use us to: screaming loud, clapping, etc.

On the opposite, what we can confirm is that, indeed, the King was at the end of his journey, and it is a tragic sight sometimes, because, even with the sound, we can hear the state in which he is, and it is heartbreaking. A wreck of the pre-eminent artist he was, erasing his past with no respect for himself at all, just dying live and that's all.

[Robert]

As a kid, this was one of the first audience tapes I got.
15 years ago?

It was a different source than the one we know, the sound being rather poor.

Elvis is pretty weak, and very slow in the beginning..
Jailhouse is pretty sad, and not long after that Elvis is gone.
I read about this in advance, so I wasn't surprised.
Still, it was was weird to hear though!

You can feel the crowd being very worried by this time.
Thats a strange feeling.. you can feel the tension, allthough you're listening to a crappy 1977 audio tape!
The difference between '71 and '77 must have been shocking to some folks at the civic center..
(Elvis also played the Baltimore area in '74 of course: College Park!
Damn, those Baltimore Elvis fans weren't lucky!)

When Kathy starts her song, you can actually hear some boo's in the crowd!!
She gets a nice hand however after her efforts.
For me, it was the very first time I heard all the band solo's.
All new Elvis concert sounds for the young kid I was.
Liked the Jerry Scheff and Ronnie Tutt solo's big time.
I didn't know this was done at every show

Elvis returns pretty strong, allthough "The wonder of you" is messed up.
Unchained Melody is a true highlight.
There are more strong performances during the 2nd half. All greatly appreciated by the Baltimore crowd..

Elvis (and Charlie's intro's) saved the show.
During the closing theme, you can hear some folks speculating what was wrong with him.. it's been too long to remember exactly.
But it was a tragic experience for me as a kid, and 13000 devoted Elvis fans that evening..

Cheers, RJ

[drjohncarpenter]

Imagine how those folks felt less than three months later. I would've been beyond grief.

For anyone who dares to give Elvis' management any slack in this late period, I pity you -- if there was ever a point where they should've said "all right, no more tours until you get well," this was it.

Instead more tours and a TV show were booked for June. Hell is too good for those people, and I mean Parker and Diskin.

[Guest]

I couldn't agree more

It's so frustrating that Elvis did all these shows when he was in bad form or even was sick, just to make money!

Imagine how different Elvis' carrer would have been if not Parker had did so much idiotic things..

[Gregory Nolan Jr.]

Well said, Doc

Robert" wrote:

You can feel the crowd being very worried by this time.Thats a strange feeling.. you can feel the tension, allthough you're listening to a crappy 1977 audio tape!The difference between '71 and '77 must have been shocking to some folks at the civic center..

For this alone, it's sort of a notable, "must-hear" bootleg. It was very unsettling even to hear for the first time as I did last month.

When Kathy starts her song, you can actually hear some boo's in the crowd!!She gets a nice hand however after her efforts.
For me, it was the very first time I heard all the band solo's.

Yes, the wheels were really coming off, as they say...

Elvis (and Charlie's intro's) saved the show.
During the closing theme, you can hear some folks speculating what was wrong with him..

It is eerie to hear them taking over. Those fan comments, also, really got to me

[Guest]

I thought about that question: why would Parker book a TV show, given the shape Elvis was in?

Maybe Parker thought: the last 2 TV shows were a challenge for Elvis, and so he brought himself into shape for them. So why not try a third time?

But Elvis' self-inflicted illness was not curable by some months of self-discipline. A year or two in Hawaii was what he should have insisted on.

[drjohncarpenter]

... why would Parker book a TV show, given the shape Elvis was in?

$$$$$$$$$$.

"Well, it's one for the money ..."

[Robert]

For anyone who dares to give Elvis' management any slack in this late period, I pity you -- if there was ever a point where they should've said "all right, no more tours until you get well," this was it.

Instead more tours and a TV show were booked for June. Hell is too good for those people, and I mean Parker and Diskin.

How about the "ice bucket incident" in Louisville a day prior?
"All that matters, is to put that man on stage tonight", after I heard this quote by the Colonel. I was angry and mad.
Even today I cannot believe some inside people talk positive about this man. (I am ashamed he was a Dutchman )

The 3 last gigs were cancelled.
The first time in Elvis' career that "on tour shows" were cancelled right?

Elvis following 1977 hospital visit was, in my opinion, the very last opportunity to save Elvis. But according to Larry Gellar, he came close to the truth and left after a few days. When he walked out of that hospital, he was a dead man walking..

Cheers, RJ

[Gregory Nolan Jr.]

I thought about that question: why would Parker book a TV show, given the shape Elvis was in?

Maybe Parker thought: the last 2 TV shows were a challenge for Elvis, and so he brought himself into shape for them. So why not try a third time?

From Guralnick (who arguably goes a bit soft on Parker,in the few of some), I recall that they really were in a bit of a financial tailspin, as well. And that rationale that you put forth is mentioned as well. It still comes down to greed by Parker and Elvis' failure to take stock of himself and his management and "friends."

[Robert]

I thought about that question: why would Parker book a TV show, given the shape Elvis was in?

Maybe Parker thought: the last 2 TV shows were a challenge for Elvis, and so he brought himself into shape for them. So why not try a third time?

From Guralnick (who arguably goes a bit soft on Parker,in the few of some), I recall that they really were in a bit of a financial tailspin, as well. And that reationale that you put forth is mentioned as well. It still comes down to greed by Parker and a failure to take stock of himself, by Elvis.

Didn't Parkers wife claim Parker never actually got the 50-50 split they agreed? So in fact Elvis had some kind of a debt towards Parker, and couldn't get rid of him..

[Robert]

In a desparate attempt to get something positive out of this topic:
Wouldn't it be great if the November'71 Baltimore soundboard would show up?

2001 Theme
Thats All Right
I Got A Woman
Proud Mary
Love Me Tender
You Dont Have To Say You Love Me
Youve Lost That Loving Feeling
Polk Salad Annie
Johnny B Goode
Love Me
Heartbreak Hotel
Blue Suede Shoes
Its Now Or Never
Are You Lonesome Tonight ?
Hound Dog
How Great Thou Art
Introductions
Lawdy Miss Clawdy
Bridge Over Troubled Water
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
Hail! Hail! Rock N Roll
Suspicious Minds
Cant Help Falling In Love
Closing Vamp

[Guest]

Wouldn't it be great if the November'71 Baltimore soundboard would show up?

That would've been great!

[Thomas]

Baltimore was the only concert where Elvis ever left the stage. It happened once in his career. It's something that CAN happen - maybe he just had to sh*t. Not a very tragic event if you consider how tragic everything else was by then.

[Spanish_Eyes]

Hail! Hail! Rock N Roll

In 1971? Maybe Jailhouse rock instead?

[Pete Dube]

Baltimore was the only concert where Elvis ever left the stage. It happened once in his career. It's something that CAN happen - maybe he just had to sh*t. Not a very tragic event if you consider how tragic everything else was by then.

Thomas -
If memory serves Elvis left the stage for a brief period of time during one of the Jan./Feb. '73 Vegas shows.

[ekenee]

The "no more tours", or "take time off", theory will not work unless the underlying problem of Elvis' depression and addiction to medication was addressed at that time.

There were several times where Elvis took many weeks off in a row.

After the fall 1974 tour he didn't work til Spring of 1975. And after the summer festival of 1975 he again didn't work until december, just to name a few.
He seemed better when coming back but it was only temporary and he always went back to old patterns. And think about this. He died after not touring for 6 weeks. So what does that tell you?

So time off, was not the answer. The answer lies with the efforts he should have made while he had this time off. As Dr. Phil might say, "you can't fix what you don't acknowledge". If he was unwilling to admit to any problem, then him taking time off would not accomplish any long term healing. For Elvis to have lived, it would have had to have clicked in his mind what he needed to do. Even the handfull of close calls didn't seem to click with him. Whatever it takes for someone with this predicament to spark a realization that you are in trouble; that moment for some reason didn't come to him.

Perhaps it was the "protection" he surrounded himself with.
When you live like that, not only do you keep the bad out, but you filter out some of the good as well.

[YDKM]

taken as a complete show i actually quite enjoy that baltimore show. he started badly but when he returned sang well and strongly. I cannot imagine if i'd been present and stayed for the entire show that i would have left anything other than satisfied and very puzzled!

[deadringer]

Yes he left stage for about 20-25 minutes during VEGAS 15.02.73 Dinner show. And then in Baltimore 77 for 20 minutes.

[Rob]

How about the "ice bucket incident" in Louisville a day prior?

Close.

The Louisville incident (if true) happened on May 21st and the Baltimore disaster was on May 29th.