TOURS 1977

On Tour February 12 - February 21, 1977

The first tour of the New Year started on 12th February in Hollywood and Elvis went on stage in the Indian Feather suit looking very heavy and overweight but gave one of the best performances of the year singing excerpts of hits such as My Boy, Return To Sender and Wooden Heart. The highlights of the show were Help Me, Funny How Time Slips Away and Unchained Melody. The next stop on the tour was in West Palm Beach with Elvis singing a rare for the period Blue Suede Shoes and wearing the Rainfall Suit for the show.

The next stop of the tour was in Petersburg with Elvis looking a lot different from just two days earlier wearing the same suit and singing a bit of the 1962 song Guadalajara and one of the final performances of Blueberry Hill after telling Tony Brown that he was a fantastic piano player but was warped. On the 15th the band and Elvis were in Orlando singing in front of a packed out small Sports stadium, wearing the same suit for the third time and treating them to the last live version of All Shook Up and a very good version of My Way including a reprise.

Elvis was in Montgomery on the 16th wearing the Rainfall suit again and sounding a bit out of breath for most of the show but the highlight of the whole show was the one time only performance of the gospel song Where No One Stands Alone which is one of the performances of the year.

The 17th February was a special show as it was the first time in over 2 years that Elvis wore the soon to be overused Mexican Sundial jumpsuit was worn on stage in Savannah with the highlight of that show being one of his latest records Hurt receiving a full reprise which raised the roof. The 18th saw Elvis in Columbia wearing the Indian Feather suit for the fourth time on this tour. This show featured another excerpt of the song Guadalajara a good version of Are You Lonesome Tonight? And a very rare performance of the song Release Me.

Elvis was in Johnson City's Freedom Hall on the 19th wearing the Ace of Spades suit and singing no unusual songs during this show but the crowd was more frantic than usual at this show. On the 20th Elvis again wore the Mexican Sundial suit in Charlotte and seemed out of breath during most of the show but the 12,000 sell-out crowd seemed to love it all the same. He also tried performing his latest hit Moody Blue but was unsuccessful and tore the lyric sheet up before the band word out how to play it.

For the last show of the tour Elvis was again in Charlotte this time wearing the Indian Feather suit for the last time on stage and the fifth time this tour and the difference between his appearance at this show and the Opening Show of the tour was drastic and Elvis gave a very good performance singing final versions of Reconsider Baby and finally learned his latest release and performed the only live version of Moody Blue. Elvis closed this show with a slight change of lyrics to Cant Help Falling in Love to Wise Men Know When Its Time to go...

Recording Information

Soundboard recordings.

Official

UNCHAINED MELODY: February 20, 1977. Charlotte, NC

Unofficial

COMING ON STRONG: parts of February 13, 1977 and February 16, 1977
MOODY BLUE: parts of February 16, 1977 and February 21, 1977
CAJUN TORNADO: parts of February 14, 1977 and February 21, 1977. This double CD contains also tracks from other concerts from 1975 and 1976.

Audience recordings on CD:

HOT TIME IN MIAMI (Hollywood, February 12, 1977)
SAVANNAH 77 (Savannah, February 17, 1977)
ELVIS LIVE - FROM FANS TO FANS (Savannah, February 17, 1977)
RELEASE ME (Columbia, February 18, 1977)
RIOT IN CHARLOTTE (Charlotte, February 21, 1977

Audience recordings on CD-R:

Click here

Video Information

Amateur footage.

CROSS COUNTRY VOL 3 contains footage from St. Petesburg, FL (February 14, 1977), Montgomery, AL (February 16, 1977) and Charlotte, NC (February 20, 1977).

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On Tour, March 23 - April 3, 1977

Recording Information

Soundboard recordings.

Official

SPRING TOURS contains some tracks from this tour:

Unofficial

Not too much released from this tour, only couple of tracks from March 29, 1977 and almost the whole concert from August 30, 1977 in Alexandria released under Rock Legend label called BY SPECIAL REQUEST: FROM LOUISIANA TO TENNESSEE

Other concerts recorded but not released:
     Tempe, March 23, 1977
     Amarillo, March 24, 1977
     Norman, March 25, 1977
     Norman, March 26, 1977
     Abilene, March 27, 1977
     Austin, March 28, 1977

Audience recordings on CD:

KING TIME IN ABILENE (Abilene, March 27, 1977)
THE EVENT (Alexandria, March 29, 1977)

Audience recordings on CD-R:

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Video information

THE LAST FAREWELL contains footage from Abilene, TX (March 27, 1977) (16'48").

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On Tour April 21 - May 3, 1977

Recording Information

Soundboard recordings.

Official

SPRING TOURS contains some tracks from this tour:

Unofficial

Fort Baxter released two concerts from this tour: In GOODBYE MEMPHIS, this label released part of the concert in Toledo (April 23, 1977). Also released almost the entire show from Ann Arbor (April 24, 1977) in the beautiful box A PROFILE, THE KING OF STAGE
MEMORIES FROM KALAMAZOO (incomplete from Kalamazoo, MI. April 26, 1977)
The other concerts recorded but not released yet were:
     Greensboro, NC. April 21, 1977.
     Milwaukee, WI. April 27, 1977
     Green Bay, WI. April 28, 1977
     Duluth, MN. April 29, 1977
     St. Paul, MN. April 30, 1977

Audience recordings on CD:

GREETINGS FROM SAGINAW (April 25, 1977)
A DAY IN DULUTH (April 29, 1977)
RIP IT UP (April 30, 1977)
SPRINGTIME IN SAGINAW (May 3, 1977)

Audience recordings on CD-R:

Click here

Video Information

Amateur footage.

ROCKIN' CHICAGO contains footage from Chicago, IL (May 1, 1977) (18'21") and Chicago, IL (May 2, 1977) (26'27").
TOURING THE USA #1 contains footage from Chicago, IL (May 2, 1977) (20'10").
TOURING THE USA #2 contains footage from Chicago, IL (May 1, 1977) (18'50") and Chicago, IL (May 2, 1977) (12'07").
THE KING ROCKS #5 contains footage spliced from Chicago, IL (May 1, 1977) and Chicago, IL (May 2, 1977) (30'00").
LIVE ON STAGE #4 has footage from Toledo, OH (April 23, 1977) (13'24").

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On Tour May 20 - June 2, 1977

Recording Information

Soundboard recordings.

None of these concerts were recorded.

Audience recordings on CD:

8.30 PM TONIGHT... (Largo, May 22, 1977)
JAILHOUSE ROCK MAN IN CONCERT (Rochester, May 25, 1977. 8.30 pm)
UNCHAINED ELVIS (Binghampton, May 26, 1977. 8.30 pm)
WHY MW LORD (Binghampton, May 26, 1977. 8.30 pm)
PHILADELPHIA 77 (Philadelphia, May 28, 1977. 8.30 pm)
SEND ME THE LIGHT, I NEED IT BAD (Baltimore, May 29, 1977. 8.30 pm)

Audience recordings on CD-R:

Click here

Video Information

Amateur footage.

ROCKIN' THE NATION #12 contains footage from Louisville, KY, IL (May 21, 1977) (5'05").
THE SUNDIAL TOURS contains footage from several concerts of this tour: Augusta, ME, Rochester, NY, Binghamton, NY, Philadelphia, PA and Providence, RI
MORE SUNDIAL TOURS 77 contains footage also from some concerts of this tour: Augusta, ME, & Binghamton, NY.
'72 PRESS CONFERENCE & OTHER CONCERT FOOTAGE contains footage from Louisville, KY, IL (May 21, 1977) (5'05").
LIVE ON STAGE #2 contains footage from Largo, MD (May 22, 1977) (16'42"), from Philadelphia, PA . (May 28, 1977) (16'40") and Augusta, ME (May 24, 1977) (6'30")

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On Tour June 17 - June 26, 1977

The June 1977 tour would become known as Elvis' Final Farewell to his beloved fans as it would be the last tour he would ever perform.

The 9 day tour started on 17th June in Springfield with Elvis wearing the usual Mexican Sundial jumpsuit for the show and looked very overweight but smiling. The next stop was in Kansas City's Kemper Arena wearing the Ace of Spades suit for the final time and again looking very puffy and he sounded very out of breath for most of the show and also mentioned that he had trouble getting into the suit. He did perform an unusual final version of Blue Christmas and Big Boss Man had its final performance at this show.

The next show was in Omaha in front of the CBS cameras who were recording for the up-coming CBS TV special: Elvis in Concert. Elvis again wore the Mexican Sundial suit and this was the worst show of the whole tour as Elvis sounded very drowsy and couldn't speak well but performed a fantastic final version of the gospel song How Great Thou Art and a fun Fairytale and lovely version of And I love You So.

On the 20th Elvis was in Lincoln's Pershing Municipal Auditorium in front of a small 7,500 crowd but the show was the best so far of this tour and Elvis again wore the Sundial suit and performed a powerful Help Me.

Elvis was in front of the CBS cameras again on the 21st June in Rapid City with him opening the arena and was much more awake at this show and it was possibly the 2nd best show of the tour performing in the now usual Sundial suit and singing his first hit That's All Right and the infamous version of Are You Lonesome Tonight?. The 2 highlights of the whole show were a fantastic moving Unchained Melody and My Way.

On the 22nd Elvis was in Sioux Falls in the Mexican Sundial Suit which he would wear at every concert for the remainder of this tour. On the 23rd Elvis gave a very good performance in Des Moines' Memorial Auditorium and performed good versions of Little Sister and gave a final performance of the hits Blue Suede Shoes and Help Me. It was also the last time Ronnie Tutt would perform with Elvis.

Elvis was in Madison on the 24th performing in front of a 10,000 sell out crowd with the drummer for The Sweet Inspiration's drummer Jerome Stump Monroe filling in for Ronnie Tutt who was taken ill. This was the third and final time he would play drums for Elvis. Elvis gave good final versions of the classics One Night and Love Me Tender but he complained of stomach pain during this show and it is reported that he nearly passes out after the show.

Elvis gave his penultimate performance in Cincinnati on 25th June and it was a very good show for the period performing final versions of If You Love Me, And I Love You So, and My Way & Unchained Melody. He also introduced many people before finishing the show including his father, Vernon, Girlfriend, Ginger and the British Fan Club Members who went over to see the final two shows of that tour.

The 26th June 1977 was the last time Elvis would walk on stage and perform in front of his fans and this show is possibly the best of the whole year as he sung rare songs such as Release Me, I Cant Stop Lovin' You & Bridge over Troubled Water. He was in high spirits for the show and like the night before he introduced his father who he was glad was able to be on tour with him after being ill. After the show many of the band members became ill and were hospitalised overnight.

Recording Information

Soundboard recordings.

Official

RCA recorded two concerts from this tour: June 19, 1977 Omaha, NE. and June 21, 1977 Rapid City, SC.

ELVIS IN CONCERT was released containing several tracks from both concerts above mentioned:
6/19: Fairytale, Little Sister, Teddy Bear - Don't Be Cruel, And I Love You So, How Great Thou Art, Can't Help Falling In Love
6/21: See See Rider, I Got A Woman - Amen, That's All Right, Are You Lonesome Tonight, Love Me, If You Love Me, You Gave Me A Mountain, Jailhouse Rock, O Sole Mio - It's Now Or Never, Trying To Get To You, Hawaiian Wedding Song, Teddy Bear - Don't Be Cruel, My Way, Early Morning Rain, What'd I Say, Johnny B. Goode, I Don't Really Want To Know, Hurt, Hound Dog

UNCHAINED MELODY single was released containing a live performance of Unchained Melody from June 19, 1977 Omaha, NE

Unofficial

AS I LEAVE YOU SO (June 19, 1977 Omaha, NE) + bonus track: Rapid City Interview (June 21, 1977)
CANDID ELVIS ON CAMERA (June 19, 1977 Omaha, NE) + bonus track: You're life has just begun (homerecording)

Audience recordings on CD:

SINCE CINCINNATTI (Cincinnatti, June 25, 1977. 8:30 pm)
ADIOS, THE FINAL PERFORMANCE (Indianapolis, June 26, 1977. 8.30 pm)
THE LAST FAREWELL (Indianapolis, June 26, 1977. 8:30 pm)
THE LAST SHOW (Indianapolis, June 26, 1977. 8:30 pm)

Audience recordings on CD-R:

Click here

Video Information

Professional footage.

CBS also recorded entirely two concerts: Omaha, NE (June 19, 1977) & Rapid City, SD (June 21, 1977). The quality would vary depending the tape's generation you get.

Amateur footage.

TOURING THE USA #1 contains footage from Kansas City, MO (June 18, 1977) (15'32") & Madison, WI (June 24, 1977) (5'12").
THE LAST FAREWELL has footage from Indianapolis, IN (June 26, 1977) (20'17") & Cincinnati, OH. (June 25, 1977) (5'54").

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