Elvis (1968 TV Program) - History - Live Segments

Live Segments

It was after rehearsals at Western Recorders that Binder took special note of how Presley and the other musicians would spontaneously unwind by improvising old blues and rock 'n' roll numbers. Binder commented: "...and that's when I really got the idea: Wouldn't it be great if I had a camera in here and they didn't know I was here?"

Presley is said to have been very apprehensive about the idea of performing live. His last live concert had been at the Bloch Arena in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on March 25, 1961. Binder offered a lot of support and reassurance to stop the singer from rejecting the idea of any live segments. He realized some songs already re-recorded or scheduled would need to be cut (The special was only an hour long). He quickly arranged for rehearsals to take place to capture the feel of Presley's informal studio jamming, drafting in the surviving members of Presley's original backing band – Scotty Moore and D. J. Fontana (bassist Bill Black had died in 1965). He also brought in Presley's friends Alan Fortas, Lance LeGault and Charlie Hodge to encourage Presley and make him feel at ease. Two sessions took place, each about two hours in length; the first on June 24 and the second on the 25th. Both took place in the informal surroundings of the dressing room at NBC. They were recorded by Presley's friend Joe Esposito using the singer's own tape recorder. Many songs were tried, including "Danny Boy", "Blue Moon", "That's My Desire" and "I Got A Woman", before the final repertoire was decided for the actual TV recording.

Subsequently, at 6.00pm, June 27, Presley took to the stage for the first time in over seven years, resulting in four one-hour live shows being taped at NBC's Burbank studios. A black-clad Presley sat down and jammed with band mates for two shows, each show having a different audience. There was a one hour break between them (enough time for Presley to shower and have his outfit dry cleaned after performing under the hot studio lights). In the second two, recorded at 8.00pm, June 29, he remained standing and sang live to a mix of live and pre-recorded backing, again in front of two different audiences. These four sessions are often referred to collectively as "The Burbank Sessions", the name coming from not just the venue, but the titles of two collectible bootleg LPs which feature them. The role of each musician at the two sit-down performances was:

• Elvis Presley: vocals, guitars (acoustic and electric - he and Scotty Moore use the same ones and swap them)
• D. J. Fontana: drumming, using a guitar case
• Alan Fortas: guitar back-slapping, occasional vocals
• Charlie Hodge: acoustic guitar, occasional vocals
• Lance LeGault: guitar back-slapping, tambourine
• Scotty Moore: guitars (acoustic and electric)

Filmed in the round, only a small portion of these - and the stand-up sets - were included in the televised special. Presley and the others played and sang while interjecting personal stories of his music and early performances. Referring to music and his religious upbringing in a break between songs, Presley says: "Rock and roll is basically gospel (music), or rhythm & blues (is too). It sprang from that, people have been adding to it." He also makes reference to the leading groups of the time, like The Byrds and The Beatles, and notes how things have improved and not just changed, like the standard of musicians and sound engineering. Presley is also prompted to speak about a Florida concert at which the police had filmed the show, threatening to use the film as evidence to prosecute him for "vulgarity."

Presley sings many of the songs he was famous for including: "That's All Right", "Heartbreak Hotel", "One Night", "Love Me Tender" and "Are You Lonesome Tonight?". He also reprises Jimmy Reed's "Baby What You Want Me to Do" on several occasions and includes the less well known songs, "Tryin' To Get To You" and "When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again" "Lawdy Miss Clawdy". As each session progresses, he can be observed playing and singing with such gusto that he occasionally feels the urge to rise up and sing off mike, even when he uses the electric guitar with no strap (during a reprise of "One Night").

During "Love Me Tender", he sang particularly to his wife, Priscilla, who was in the audience. During the first verse, he jokingly replaced the line "You have made my life complete" with "You have made my life a wreck...err, complete" as a brief, lighthearted joke. It drew a giggle from the audience, including Priscilla.

In both sit-down shows, Presley sits between two of the women sat at the edge of the stage to sing the final song, "Memories". Although this move was Binder's idea, Colonel Parker had originally been concerned that the audiences would contain older, more reserved adults and that this might give the impression that Presley had lost some of his appeal (The only time Presley had 'bombed' at a live gig was in front of a mature audience in Las Vegas in 1956). Parker had therefore arranged that young women should be seen nearest the stage during filming.

The stand-up shows feature Presley performing a similar energetic set by himself, mostly without guitar. He performs on the same small stage (no more than ten feet square) which is closely surrounded by the audience. Musical backing this time comes from an unseen live orchestra and the Blossoms. Presley also sings to a pre-recorded track on a few songs that were intended to be integrated into other parts of the show.