Newspaper Articles
CONCERT DATE: November 11, 1970, Portland, OR.
Old Elvis Come Through To Delight Of Devotees
by John Wenderborn
The Oregonian
November 12, 1970
| Any questions aimed at establishing the existence of one Elvis Presley, a former musician-entertainer, will have to be relayed to the young man in white who ruled the stage at Memorial Coliseum Wednesday night and performed a rather poor imitation of the man some claim is an art form all by himself. Elvis, a man of 34 now, showed an occasional flash of the old genius that made him the great white father of the rock 'n' roll (a title that should be contested by Chuck Berry, the great black father of same) but most of his concert was nothing more that a put-on or rip-off, to be a little more contemporary. Elvis worked hard, there's no doubt about that. Unfortunately, the work he did could have been done by any clown in P.T. Barnum's entourage and the $10 price tag of the tickets proved the value of another of Barnum's wise ad-ages, you know, the one about lollipops and timepieces. To be sure, Mr. Presley can still do those leg splits and can still crouch in his tight show-suit. He can even sing and well - when he wants to. A hymn, "How Great Thou Art" was done nicely and he actually sang most of the slower tepoed pieces all the way through with some semblance of feeling for the music. Elvis Works Hard
And when he broke into those Elvis anthems, such as "Blue Suede Shoes," "Hound Dog," the old fire caught on for an instant and the screaming girls got their licks in - even if many of those screaminers were now mothers and matrons. Except Elvis never did finish one of the type of song many of those in the audience came to hear, raucous, blues with the driving beat and flashing electric guitar giving Presley the solid background he once thrived on. Every tune was a lush production that sounded like the previous one. Elvis started out - laughing and being a general fool while splashing musicians and audience with Gatorade - every song. | On the second chorus the Sweet Temptations (four girls) and Imperials (four boys) elevated the decibels and on the third chorus the young lady charged with singing four octaves above high C joined in for an ear-shattering conclusion. All this while an otherwise fine stage band crescendoed out of sight.
Even though each tune received this treatment, the natural beauty of Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" was there and "Suspicious Mind" received a creditable treatment. Presley, of course, is a legend in his own time, to quote somebody's line about some hero of the Wild West, but he's trying to rewrite it; he did Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" and it was the best tune of the night. It was done in the old Presley style. It was fast and incorporated the fabulous backup quintet before falling back on the regimental band and choir and the sound system. Elvis gained respect a decade ago because he worked hard, both on his vocals and his guitar. He gave up the guitar early and relied on a horde of musicians to get his sound across. In 1970 Elvis Presley still works up a sweat onstage but many of his movements are unnecessary, he directs the band with arm jerks, he runs around the stage like a long haired Pagliacci eager to keep the stage crew happy but yearning to get back to the introverted security that hasn't been shattered by the outside word in years. The first half of the show included the gospelish Imperials who gave away to the Sweet Temptations, backed up by a four-piece rock group that got the girls into a nicely-done groove on "Freedom". The bass man in the group was excellent and although the girls sounded most like the Supremes of old they were well-disciplined and talented. Some 12,000 Elvis fans came to see the master; it's doubtful many went away disappointed though. Even a tarnished legend can be brightened up in time. |
Courtesy of Francesc LopezCONCERT DATE: November 11, 1970, Portland, OR.
Sold-Out Coliseum Only Way To Know Elvis Presley in Town
By Early Deane
The Oregonian
November 12, 1970
| The last anyone saw of the girl reporter from the suburban paper in the mouth-wattering miniskirt, she was seated on a couch in the Benson Hotel lobby writing yet another note to Elvis Presley. Presley - if he exists - had sent word down from the remote fastnesses of the seventh floor he was not grating interviews. "Furthermore" said Darrell G. Swezey, area manager of the Wachenhut Corporation, a security firm charged with keeping Presley pure and uninterviewed, "Presley said he hasn't granted any interviews for 15 years" Swezey said Presley and his party, including his father and manager Col. Parker, had taken over the entire seventh floor of the hotel. "I've got three uniformed officers up there," Swezey said, "and two plainclothesmen - in addition to myself. We're going to have 43 officers at the Memorial Coliseum to keep things in order." Presley - if he exists - was to give a concert at the Coliseum Wednesday night. "Not only are we supposed to keep fans and reporters from bothering Mr. Presley," Swezey said. "We are supposed to keep some members of his own party on the same floor from bothering him" The girl reporter suggested that this sort of precaution would have been appropiate 15 years ago when Presley was swivel-hipping to a younger beat but it seemed a little intense today. | "Not so," Swezey said "You'd be surprised how many girls have tried to bust out on the seventh floor. And this is without anybody supposing to know what floor he's on." Downstairs in the grill, Presley's father, a husky, gray-haired man with a gentle Southern accent, said anybody who wanted to see his son would have to clear themselves with through Col. Parker. The colonel, however, didn't answer his telephone or a page. The girl reporter had pressed an earlier note into Swezey's hands. The note told Presleyshe was a reporter and suggested he might give her a few minutes because at age of 13, she had been an avid collector of his recordings. "I was a fan, all right," she said, "I saw him in Love Me Tender at least four times. My mother wouldn't let me watch him on television - even after we heard the television cameramen had been warned to keep Presley's hips out of view. I had to go across the street to watch him." Basil Miaullis, general manager of the Benson, said the security precautions set up for Presley were more stringent than those for Nixon or Atty. Gen. John Mitchell. "He's safe. I'll say that for him," Miaullis said. And secure, Presley - if he exists - sold out the Coliseum. |
Courtesy of Francesc Lopez
| CONCERT DETAILS: | | Tour Ref: | On Tour number 4 - November 5th - November 16th 1971 | | Date: | November 11 1971 | | Venue: | Cincinnati Garden | | Location: | Cincinnati OH | | Showtime: | (8:30 pm) | | Crowd: | 13272 | | REVIEWS: | | Article *: |
| | VIDEO INFORMATION: | | Release: | The Front Row Films Vol.1 | | Length: | 9 mins | | Quality: |  | | ELVIS ATTIRE: | | Suit: | Black Fireworks | | Belt: | Original belt | | Cape: | Green Cape | | GROUP ATTIRE: |
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 | | | SONGS - TRACKLISTINGS: | 2001 Theme
Thats All Right
I Got A Woman
- segued medley with -
Amen
Proud Mary
Love Me Tender
You Dont Have To Say You Love Me
Youve Lost That Loving Feeling
Polk Salad Annie
Love Me
Heartbreak Hotel
Blue Suede Shoes
- segued medley with -
Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On
- segued medley with -
Blue Suede Shoes
One Night
Are You Lonesome Tonight ?
Its Now Or Never
Hound Dog
How Great Thou Art
Band Introductions
Lawdy Miss Clawdy
Bridge Over Troubled Water
( followed by a reprise of above song )
I Cant Stop Loving You
Mystery Train
- segued medley with -
Tiger Man
Release Me
The Impossible Dream
Suspicious Minds
Funny How Time Slips Away
Hawaiian Wedding Song
Cant Help Falling In Love
Closing Vamp
| | CDS FROM CONCERT: |  Import CD |
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| | | VIDEO DESCRIPTION | Description: Beautiful footage shot by the great Bob Heis on Elvis only 1971 tour. Original material has no sound, so I overdubbed it with soundboard recording from Boston.
Quality:
Sound: Dubbed
Shot by:
| | VIDEO FOOTAGE | video footage presented by Tomek
| Newspaper Articles
CONCERT DATE: November 11, 1971 (8:30 pm). Cincinnati, OH.
Presley fan sees "The King's Performance" In Cincy After Years In Seclusion: Fantastic
By Judy Banning
Journal News, Hamilton, OH
November 16, 1971
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| The stage is humming with the sounds of pianos, drums and electric guitars. The tension mounts, with avid fans sitting on the edge of their seats. The house lights dim and the moment we have been waiting for arrives. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Cincinnati Gardens is pleased to present the dynamic, the incomparable King, Elvis Presley."
Instantantly the auditorium is illuminated by the blinding flashes of lights from the anxious picture takers. For a few brief seconds, it's ear-piercing pandemonium. Then in the spot light can be seen the tall slender figure of this man, who in the late 1950s made, the most revolutionary change in the history of popular music. This otherwise quiet and reserved young man absolutely explodes in front of a live audience. He sang songs, that in earlier years, made the girls swoon, like "Are You Lonesome Tonight?", "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You." Then he sang more current hits like "Poke Salad Annie," "Suspicious Minds" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Elvis Presley has changed his style a little bit. He has let his hair grew a little longer and his clothes, for personal appearances, are real eye catchers. For this appearance he was wearing a black flair-legged jumpsuit with dazzling gold sequins and a matching gold belt. The legs and arms had inserts of jade-green velvet. He also had a silk neck scarf of matching green (which he handed to one of the eye-watering and excited female fans) He wore numerous rings on his fingers and a peace medallion on a gold chain around his neck which could be seen through the v-neck cut of the jumpsuit top. As his performance progressed, beads of sweat could be seen on his forehead and cheekbones. He put his best efforts into every song ... you could tell by the exhausted expression he had by the end of his performance. By the time his hour and 10 minute performance was over, he was soaking from head to toe. The background voices were furnished by a three woman singing group called "The Sweet Inspiration." They sang several songs at the start of the show. They also gave an excellent performance and wonderful accompaniment on the religious song "How Great Thou Art." Though the girls would scream and cry, no one was allowed in the aisles and no press pictures were permitted ... not that the attempt wasn't made. And no interviews were granted. Elvis arrived about eight minutes before his show time in a black limousine that was driven directly behind the stage. He got out, came on stage, did his performance and exited the same way, under the strictest security arrangements. Excluding the time he was on stage, he could not have been in the Cincinnati Gardens more than 10 minutes. Security guards said that he would come directly from the airport to the Gardens just in time to make the show. When he finished he would be driven back to the airport immediately and changed his clothes in the car. No one was permitted to see him or to photograph him off stage. Later it was found out that he did not go directly to the airport but went to Carosel Inn. Two girls from Fairfield were invited to his after-performance party by Elvis himself. His performance was seen by a sell-out crowd. It's wonderful that after all those years of seclusion, he has consented to go on tour throughout the United States to give his fans a chance to see him perform in person. When you see him, you can understand why they call him the "King". There's just one word in describe Elvis Presley... FANTASTIC.
CONCERT DATE: November 11, 1971 (8:30 pm). Cincinnati, OH.
Elvis Really Tears 'Em Up
By Jim Knippenberg
The Cincinnati Enquirer
November 12, 1971
| It was rip 'em up, tear em up, give em hell Elvis night at Cincinnati Gardens Thursday as well over 13,000 jammed the hall to be floored by King Elvis. And floor them he did. It took no more than a casual stroll onto the stage to the strains of "Space Odyssey" and Elvis had them wailing, shrieking, sobbing and squealing his name. There were more hysterical women than in a B-grade prison movie. The men weren't doing too badly, either. The full house - amazingly well-behaved aside from the awesome traffic jam - saw Elvis open his show after 50 minutes of warm-ups. FIRST there were the Sweet Inspirations, three black girls with a lot of energy and the ability to whip up the audience - as if it needed whipping up. Then it was a comedian who got in lots of barbs about human inconsistencies. And then it was just like the old days. Elvis appeared and hysteria erupted. From the moment he entered the hall to the moment he left, the air was supercharged - with enough flashbulbs exploding to give the effect of a dozen strobes. He was backed by an orchestra of about 20 and a chorus of equal size. But then most people didn't notice, all they saw was Elvis and his guitar. | Resplendent in black bells and a cape with gold sequins everywhere, Elvis put on a show that was a curious mixture of then and now. He looks very "today" - a sort of like an eccentric hippy - singing both current hits and those wonderful numbers from bygone years. He definitely has something for everyone. "I Got A Woman," "Proud Mary," "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me," "Jailhouse Rock'" "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and "Blue Suede Shoes" were the highlights of the show. Even the Gardens' notorious sound system could do no damage. Though it did him no favors, he looked and sounded wonderful, like Regency rake. AS WAS the case back when Elvis started doing his thing, the swiveling pelvis was an important item - as wild and uncontrolled as ever. To protect the wild pelvis, there was a phalanx of policemen in front of stage. Undeniably Elvis' crowd was a much of a show as he was. Such a glorious frenzy we have never seen the likes before. No complaints about the production and management of the show either. It was punctual, well-handed and a flaming success. |
Courtesy of Sebastiano Cecere
| CONCERT DETAILS: | | Tour Ref: | On Tour number 7 - November 8th - November 18th 1972 | | Date: | November 11 1972 | | Venue: | Oakland Coliseum | | Location: | Oakland CA | | Showtime: | (8:30 pm) | | Crowd: | 14000 | | REVIEWS: | | Article *: |
| | ELVIS ATTIRE: | | Suit: | Thunderbird | | Belt: | Jack Lord belt | | Cape: | Blue cape | | GROUP ATTIRE: |
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| | | SONGS - TRACKLISTINGS: | 2001 Theme
C C Rider
I Got A Woman
- segued medley with -
Amen
Until Its Time For You To Go
Youve Lost That Lovin Feelin
You Dont Have To Say You Love Me
Polk Salad Annie
What Now My Love
Love Me
All Shook Up
Heartbreak Hotel
Blue Suede Shoes
One Night
Love Me Tender
Teddy Bear
- segued medley with -
Dont Be Cruel
Hound Dog
Ill Remember You
How Great Thou Art
Suspicious Minds
Band Introductions
Burning Love
A Big Hunk Of Love
You Gave Me A Mountain
Cant Help Falling In Love
Closing Vamp
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| Newspaper Articles
CONCERT DATE: November 11, 1972 (8:30 pm) Oakland, CA. Oakland Coliseum.
Elvis Presley: The Way It Is
by John L. Wasserman
San Francisco Chronicle
November 13, 1972
| ELVIS PRESLEY, probably the world's greatest musical superstar, played his concert of the 70's here on Saturday night at The Oakland Coliseum Arena. The show opened with some bad comedy - the better to wet your appetite, my dear - followed by a couple of numbers by the Sweet Inspirations. Then the Dramatic Overture (the theme from "2001" or equivalent) and There He Was!!! Presley swept on stage, abandoned his guitar after a few perfunctory swipes, adjusted his sequine, practiced a few karate punches and, blinded by a thousand Kodak instamatics, roared through such as "Polk Salad Annie," "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Love Me Tender," "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," "Blue Suede Shoes" and other rock and roll favorites and suffused the long since sold out hall with the special and irresistible charisma that is, among singers, his alone. | The audience, ranging from the new "Burning Love" coverts to us oder folks who remember the '50s, screamed howled, cried and clapped as vigorously that a post-concert palm-reader would have been unable to pinpoint a life-line, much less an abnormal desire for cranberries. UNFORTUNATELY, I was unable to attend, nor I spoken with anyone who did. Nevertheless, the above is al true. After seeing Elvis four time in Las Vegas, once in Oakland and twice in concert-tour films in the last 24 months; after seeing basically the same show - with a few changes in repertoire - every single last time ... well, as the title of the first film predicted, that's the way it is. Elvis is, to put it simply, a bore to write about after the first half-dozen excursions into his costumes, his money, his retinue, his vocal limitations and his hair-sprayed and hysterical followers. He is a man of astonishing appeal, historical impact and limited ability. That's the way it is. |
Courtesy of Francesc Lopez |
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