Elvis; Live at Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, Tennessee, March 16th, 1974

Elvis played a total of seven shows at his hometown stadium, the Mid-South Coliseum, between 1974 and 1976; five of which were in March of 1974. This is a soundboard of the matinee show on March 16th, the first of four shows over two days, and his first hometown engagement since two concerts at Ellis Auditorium in 1961. A fifth concert was added to the end of the tour, on March 20th, which was recorded for a live album. Elvis wore the slightly larger of two jumpsuits designed for the Aloha special. This must rank as one of the great, tight, powerful and exhilarating shows of the 1970s. Elvis made a big effort for his hometown audience; there was virtually no time wasted and every number was attacked with real force. It’s hard to pick highlights, but Johnny B Goode, Suspicious Minds, and Polk Salad Annie are probably definitive versions, while there were moments that the combined vocal power of JD, the Stamps, The Sweet Inspirations, Kathy Westmoreland and Voice must have just about blown the coliseum roof off. James Burton’s guitar work during this period was something quite special, even by his own standards. The Memphis Commercial Appeal reported; “…Elvis Presley gyrated to the shrieks and screams of nearly 25,000 fans in two concerts at the Mid-South Coliseum yesterday drawing both on old favourites which launched his climb to fame and recent hits…The crowds reacted to the magical personality almost as though the clock had been turned back to 1961…There were screams, shrieks, shouts and standing applause from the moment Presley stepped on stage until he walked off about one hour later…The most emotional moment of the performance came during American Trilogy, a medley of songs including Dixie and the Battle Hymn of the Republic…When Elvis, his 12-piece orchestra, 5-piece rock band, 2 trios and a quartet started with Dixie, there was little doubt about the regional flavour of the audience who had seen him rise from humble beginnings in Tupelo, Mississippi, to become one of the world's most famous entertainers…” There was some grumbling amongst the fans about the level of security, which was apparently even tighter than at some of the other tour shows, while the Coliseum manager, Mr E.E (Bubba) Bland, told reporters that this was the highest grossing engagement they had ever staged at the Coliseum, bringing in nearly $600 000 for the five shows. The announcement of the recording of a live album during the fifth and final show on March 20th seemed to add to the general sense of excitement and local pride, with Mr Bland full of admiration for the professionalism and technical proficiency of the Presley operation, admitting that there had been no discussions regarding future dates, but; “…that doesn't say that we are not hoping. We would try to put him in any time he wants to come back…" Interestingly, the relationship between the Mid-South Coliseum and Elvis’ management would break down after Elvis’ death. Two Coliseum shows were planned for the end of August 1977, and the matter of $ 150 000 worth of unclaimed ticket refunds withheld by the Coliseum would engulf the Presley Estate, promoter Concerts West and the City of Memphis in a seven-year and ultimately pointless legal battle. You can read a brief piece about Presley Vs City of Memphis here; https://georgefairbrother.tumblr.com/... (For the sake of keeping the complete concert vibe, Can’t Help Falling in Love is from Murfreesboro on March 14th, owing to a fault in the original Memphis audio file. For completeness, copyrighted material has been retained, therefore any ad revenue is directed to the music and spoken word rights-holders not the uploader) Concert reviews and background stats thanks to https://www.elvisconcerts.com/ Link to the complete playlist here; https://www.georgefairbrother.com/elv... #elvis #elvissooundboard #elvislive #elvisconcerts #elvismemphis #memphis #midsouthcoliseum