Elvis - Kentucky Rain
Sunday, February 22, 1970 Midnight Show, Las Vegas International Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
This year, the "STRAIGHT ARROW" label team promises to focus especially on the concert years 1969-1972. After the great success of our 1969 release, titled "ELVIS - STRIKE LIKE LIGHTNING!" (SA/SP 2019-56-02), we're back again – this time with two great releases from 1970! The first CD is titled "KENTUCKY RAIN" (SA/SP 2019-57-02). The February 22nd, 1970 Midnight show is a previously unreleased concert, taken directly from an original audience recorded master tape. This concert was never available in good sound quality thus far (note: in 2007, the "SR" label released a so-called February 22nd, 1970 Midnight show on the "Rock In Black" double CD, but this show was wrongly dated and in fact it was the February 23rd, 1970 Dinner show!)
The February 22nd, 1970 Midnight show recording is slightly incomplete, missing the last song "Can't Help Falling In Love", so we have included this song in the same good sound, as taken from the February 20th, 1970 Dinner show, to make the concert "complete" for listeners' comfort.
As usual, this release is presented in a de-luxe 6-panel digipak, with a collection of photos taken in Las Vegas, NV, February 1970 and a press review.
Tracklist:
01. Opening Vamp - 02. All Shook Up - 03. I Got A Woman - 04. Long Tall Sally - 05. Don't Cry Daddy - 06. Hound Dog - 07. Monologue - 08. Love Me Tender (with false start) - 09. Kentucky Rain - 10. Let It Be Me - 11. I Can't Stop Loving You - 12. Walk A Mile In My Shoes (false start only) - 13. C. C. Rider - 14. Sweet Caroline - 15. Polk Salad Annie - 16. Introductions of singers, musicians, orchestra - 17. Suspicious Minds - 18. Introduction of Roy Orbison - 19. Can't Help Falling In Love.
Track 19 taken from February 20th, 1970 Dinner show.
Like A Greek God
The second release is titled "Like A Greek God" (SA/SP 2019-58-02).
The September 4th, 1970 Midnight show is a previously unreleased concert, taken from an original audience recorded tape. In 2005, the "Memory Records" label used 6 tracks from this tape as a bonus for "The Midnight Hour" CD. Unfortunately, the August 4th, 1970 Midnight show recording is incomplete, missing the last 3 songs. They have decided to add the same songs as taken from the September 5th, 1970 Midnight show to make the show "complete" for listeners' comfort.
The September 7th, 1970 Closing night was released by the "SR" label in 2008 in very poor, muffled sound, taken from a degraded x-generation copy (the "September Nights" CD). Once again they have used an original master tape and restored it to crisp, clear perfection. Elvis' crazy Closing night performance never sounded better - until NOW!
Both concerts presented on this release were recorded by the same person. This release is presented in a de-luxe 8-panel digipak, with a collection of photos taken in Las Vegas, NV, August 1970 and a press review.
Tracklist:
CD1 (04.09.1970 M/S)
01. Orchestra Intro (ending only) / Opening Vamp - 02. That's All Right - 03. I Got A Woman / Amen - 04. Monologue / La Bamba (one line) / I Walk The Line (one line) - 05. Love Me Tender (with false start) - 06. I've Lost You - 07. I Just Can't Help Believin' - 08. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - 09. Polk Salad Annie - 10. Crying Time (one verse) - 11. Introductions of singers, musicians, orchestra - 12. Johnny B. Goode - 13. Introductions cont'd / playing with laughing box - 14. Introduction of Trini Lopez, Paul Anka / My Way (one line) - 15. The Wonder Of You - 16. Heartbreak Hotel (false starts only) - 17. One Night (with false start) - 18. Blue Suede Shoes - 19. Hound Dog - 20. Bridge Over Troubled Water - 21. Can't Help Falling In Love - 22. Closing Vamp.
Track 18 spliced with 05.09.1970 Midnight show.
Tracks 19-22 taken from 05.09.1970 Midnight show.
CD2 (07.09.1970 C/S)
01. Orchestra Intro - 02. Opening Vamp - 03. That's All Right - 04. I Got A Woman / Amen - 05. Monologue / I Walk The Line (one line) - 06. Love Me Tender (false start only) - 07. I've Lost You - 08. I Just Can't Help Believin' - 09. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - 10. Polk Salad Annie - 11. Introductions of singers, musicians, orchestra / Bob Dylan impersonations - 12. Introduction of Shirley Bassey, actor James Shigeta ("Paradise Hawaiian Style") - 13. Introduction of Colonel Tom Parker, Vernon Presley, Priscilla Presley - 14. Heartbreak Hotel (only 4 funny false starts) - 15. Blue Suede Shoes / Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On / Blue Suede Shoes - 16. Introduction of sound engineer Bill Porter, Felton Jarvis, light man - 17. All Shook Up (with false start) - 18. Hound Dog (with 2 false starts) - 19. Bridge Over Troubled Water - 20. Can't Help Falling In Love (with 2 false starts) - 21. Closing Vamp.
Both releases are expected very soon. In the meantime you may ask your local dealer for audio samples to judge for yourself! It's a new "STRAIGHT ARROW" so you know what to expect, anyway! Every second of these concerts was digitally restored, every click or disturbing clap in quiet songs manually removed, every drop-out or damaged place fixed to achieve optimal listening pleasure. What they plan to release the next time? Perhaps some unreleased concerts from 1971-1972, definitely not from 1976-1977 :-). Stay tuned!