Elvis’ Last Great Moment

By 1977 Elvis Presley had little of the fire that he brought to the world when he burst onto the national music scene in 1956 with his first national television appearance.  Then, he was a ball of unbridled energy and sexuality that frightened a good many adult Americans, but fired up most of their kids.  Pop music and culture were never the same after that and would-be rock stars continue to follow Elvis’ path, trying ever new ways to shock the public and draw attention to themselves.

But by 1977, years of drug abuse, boredom, and self-destructive behavior had left Elvis little more than a shadow of that early fireball.  Many of his concerts had become embarrassments as he forgot lyrics, slurred words, stumbled around the stage, lapsed into long, sometimes confusing monologues, and only sporadically called up a trace of his once great vocal powers.  His health was poor, he looked pale, was noticeably overweight and often listless.  Still, fans continued to pack arenas just to share an hour with their idol and see him in the flesh, much as Babe Ruth still drew crowds long after his playing ability had waned. 

It would seem the least propitious time to produce an Elvis television special, but that’s exactly what his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, did.  By then, Parker knew his star was fading and he was anxious to derive all the income he could from him while Presley was still able to take the stage.  By then, the only way to produce an Elvis TV special was to tape him during one of his concerts, because the King refused to take on anything more than that.  Nothing remotely resembling his landmark 1968 “Comeback” special, which incorporated powerful, impromptu live performances with well staged musical production numbers, and featured Elvis at the peak of his powers, was possible because Elvis had neither the energy nor the will to do it.  Instead, TV crews would be reduced to hoping that they could cull enough decent footage of Elvis on stage to manufacture a one-hour special. 

The task proved challenging and the team of Gary Smith and Dwight Hemion would have only two opportunities to tape Elvis on stage in June 1977, first in Omaha, Nebraska, and second in Rapid City, South Dakota.  The first concert was a near disaster and found Elvis in particularly poor form, but the crew was able to use a few numbers from the show in what was ultimately aired by CBS as Elvis in Concert after Presley's death.  Fortunately for all concerned, Elvis performed much better in Rapid City, although he was still far below the high standards he had set in past years.  Yet, there were moments during the Rapid City show when Elvis called up what remained of his vocal ability.  The following excerpt from Channeling Elvis: How Television Saved the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll recreates some of that show.

“He did better than in Omaha, but that wasn’t a very high bar to reach. As with most Elvis performances by then, the question was not so much how well he sang, but how much better he sang than he did on his worst nights. As always, some numbers were throwaways used as a backdrop for him to toss scarves to the crowd, including ‘Love Me.’ The women nearest the stage were far more excited and animated over this gesture than most of Presley’s singing and Elvis also was more mobile at times during these interludes, even managing to bend over and kiss a girl near the stage.

“He introduced ‘Trying to Get to You’ as a song his father and girlfriend liked, explained that he did it 18 years earlier, and noted that ‘My voice was a lot higher back then, and you gotta have it built in the right place,’ thus excusing his inability to hit the high notes. But he sang it very well, and it remained a song that never failed him.

“ ‘Hawaiian Wedding Song’ seemed an odd concert choice, and Elvis reminisced about doing it long ago in the film Blue Hawaii. His voice was low, slurred, and weak. He strolled over to Kathy Westmoreland, who was doing the high counterpoint part and sang the song directly to her, making a comical face at the end, as if relieved or surprised that he completed it. He carefully placed a scarf around her neck and planted a kiss on her cheek, then returned to flinging scarves to the masses while phoning in ‘(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear’ and ‘Don’t Be Cruel.’

“Someone in the audience shouted for ‘Moody Blue’ and Elvis promised to do it, but said there was something else he must do first. Making his way to the piano, he said, ‘This is . . . an old song called “Unchained Melody.”  I don’t know all the chords, so if you hear me get my fingers caught in the keys back here you’ll know what it is. “Unchained Melody,” from an album called Unchained Melody. Makes a lot of sense.’ After a long pause, another swig of water, and a brief silence, he quipped, ‘How do you like it so far?’ which elicited enthusiastic applause. Despite the lagging, comic introduction, Elvis turned in one of the most memorable moments of his later career. ‘Unchained Melody’ was not a great performance, and Elvis strained for breath at times, sweated profusely, struggled to hit some notes, and had to employ every ounce of strength he had to bring it to a powerful ending. It was late in the evening, and he was clearly tired, but he poured everything he had left into the song, showing the degree of effort that had once made him great, even though the result was a far cry from that greatness. The camera fixed tightly on his face, bathed in sweat, then cut to several women watching him intently from the audience. When he finished, the place erupted into the loudest and most sustained applause of the evening. He rose from the piano smiling, clearly delighted to have brought it off.  It was not the Elvis of old, but it was all that Elvis had left.”

The number, however, was inexplicably cut from the television special, but was released later on the video compilation Elvis: The Great Performances.

Channeling Elvis: How Television Saved the King of Rock 'n' Roll:
http://tinyurl.com/mhyaouz

Facebook Page: http://tinyurl.com/pofg47v