[Joe Car]

Much has been said about the brilliant 68 special, as a matter of fact, it's stood the test of time. My question is this, was Elvis always that good? Is it because we don't have a ton of footage from his 50's shows, nor do we have any footage from his legendary 61 shows, that we just assume that this special sticks out as perhaps Elvis' greatest performances? The 68 special had all of the classic signs that Elvis had returned to the top of the throne, the growling voice, the spectacular energy, the beautiful finesse of his ballads, as well as the look. What are your thoughts? It wasn't just his music that changed the world in 56, it was as much his stage performances as well. Have you read about people that had the pleasure of seeing both EP from the fifties, and the 68 special, to make a comparison?

[Bazza]

That's a good question, Joe......Not being there at the time, I can only take things from what I've read and TV clips from the 50's......But even before teh '68 special, on those 50's era shows like the Dorsey Brothers, Sullivan, and Milton Berle especially, he always seemed to me anyway to exude that "something special" that no other performers seemed to have.....Even at the beginning, always appeared to me a bit larger than life. Is there any better example than the racuous version of Hound Dog he delivered on the Milton Berle Show? The smooth, SWANKY performances he gave on the Frank Sinatra Show in 1960, thinner and more refined than he had been before his Army stint, he still outshone Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr.

I thnk he ALWAYS was that good, to be honest. He is the benchmark of success even to this day, and try as they might, there haven't been any since his arrival on the public stage that have been able to match his magnetism, let alone surpass it.

[NightRider]

Personally i think you have to consider that Elvis had remarkable levels as a Live performer. More than anyone else in History that i can think of. There are very few in music that could/can perform to the standards that Elvis set. Sometimes the Live versions were sung even better than the originals.

If you scale Elvis' live performances from 1-10. I think Elvis' 6 or 7 was about what most other Live performers could even hope for. He was THAT good live !. As a general rule, Elvis IMO would perform to a 8 or 9. On more than a few occasions he was able to raise his game even more and hit the 10. I think that The '68 special is a prime example of one of those occasions. There were more, of course. But that one is remarkable when you consider how long it had been since his last live performance.

Was he always that good ? Yes i believe that he was....or at least had the capabilities to be. He thrilled and terrified the public back in the 50s with his raw performances. Something never to be seen again until that '68 Special. And rarely seen afterwards. I think he was that good. From start to finish....when he chose to give that bit more.

[Elvis_Priestly]

Anything I read about people who were there or met him they all agree there was just something phenomenal about him, even if he didn't utter a word. I saw a clip recently where George Harrison talked about meeting him back stage after a show (I think at MSG?) and he said he himself was grungie and in jeans and in Elvis walked like a god and that George couldn't really say anything on meeting him. I watched "This Is Elvis" with a friend last year and she isn't an Elvis fan but the grin on her face when they show the clip from the Sinatra show was great fun. She just thought he exuded something and that poor Frank was so obviously upstaged. What's good too is at a later stage I showed her the New Years Eve 76/77 concert on DVD and she just couldn't think of a word to describe him, she said "sexy" was the closest she could get to what she meant but that it was more than that.

I read a review of one of his early shows in an archive edition of MAHM (can't remember which now!) where the reviewer atually mentioned something else he was superb at doing, which was holding himself entirely still so the crowd would go even more wild knowing what was about to come.

I want to say more but, like my friend, I'm stuck for words to describe it.

[Gordon]

"when he chose to give that bit more" - i think that sums it all up....or at least "when he felt the need to give that bit more" would be more appropriate.

unfortunately he had to do too much of anything....i'm sure anyone else would have lost the excitement much earlier than he did anyway

[minty]

To me the 68 Special is like a starving man who is given a plate of food,Elvis does not just sing his old hits he takes each one and treats it like he is singing his favourite song of all time.Elvis knew his popularity was waning and he was losing out to the English band invasion so he takes the chance to do something special and makes a ultimate effort to do something more than a music TV show

The sit down shows are like a jam session in a small club,the stand up shows he is like a caged tiger prowling along the bars.And it is not just the live performances that he excells the production numbers are awesome,the gospel medley is fantastic with lots of emotion in his face.And the opening Trouble number is recognised worldwide now.As is the final song If I Can Dream in the white suit,i would be proud to show this clip to any of my friends and family it is still that good and it makes me proud to be a Elvis fan

I think a lot of artists and bands still today look at this special and would be happy to produce something this good in their career and forty years later have fans and music press alike admire the music,image and successful return to entertainment of a career that was near to ending

And to think the Colonel wanted to do a pleasant Christmas show singing caroles with false snow falling in the background

[kissmequick]

Elvis started out as a child wrapping people around his finger when he sang. He had a Special gift no one could touch.

I think any improvements along the way was Elvis wanting to give more, he was a perfectionist and knew what he wanted from the song, his musicians, and vocalists. He had the Midas touch when it came to music, the song became his. In the 68 Special Elvis put it all on the line, he was going to prove once more: I'm Elvis Presley and You will not ever forget me!

I have some kind of meltdown when I watch it... (IMG:http://elvis-tkc.com/forum2/style_emoticons/default/blush.gif)

He is in his Glory, beautiful, charming, sexy, and as perfect as any imperfect human could get.

In anything he did, the beauty of his inner self came through like a Lighthouse Beacon in the night. He had a light that shined all the time. A rare gift indeed. The 68 Special was just his way of letting us know he was still shining. We were so happy he was back out there on the stage he could have sang the phonebook and we would have listened and loved it.

[Suspicious Minds]

I think Elvis was a perfectionist too. Every track he recorded or film he made had to sound right or filmed right.
The outtakes on the 68 Delux set is an example of getting songs to sound right the way Elvis wanted it.
If Elvis did the songs in one take there would not be anything else to listen out for.

[C.C.Rider]

To me the 68 Special is like a starving man who is given a plate of food,

Exactly !!! Elvis always had it in him. Right until the very end. When he chose to give that little bit more. He was beyond the reach of any other Live performers even when he was just doing his thing. When it was special to Elvis, you got that little bit more.

[Joe Car]

To me the 68 Special is like a starving man who is given a plate of food,Elvis does not just sing his old hits he takes each one and treats it like he is singing his favourite song of all time.Elvis knew his popularity was waning and he was losing out to the English band invasion so he takes the chance to do something special and makes a ultimate effort to do something more than a music TV show

The sit down shows are like a jam session in a small club,the stand up shows he is like a caged tiger prowling along the bars.And it is not just the live performances that he excells the production numbers are awesome,the gospel medley is fantastic with lots of emotion in his face.And the opening Trouble number is recognised worldwide now.As is the final song If I Can Dream in the white suit,i would be proud to show this clip to any of my friends and family it is still that good and it makes me proud to be a Elvis fan

I think a lot of artists and bands still today look at this special and would be happy to produce something this good in their career and forty years later have fans and music press alike admire the music,image and successful return to entertainment of a career that was near to ending

And to think the Colonel wanted to do a pleasant Christmas show singing caroles with false snow falling in the background

Well said minty! As far as the Colonel goes, he lost touch around 1962!

[Guest_Brad M_*]

Exactly, Elvis was that good all the way to his last day on this earth.

To put it simple, Elvis was as good as he wanted to be.

You Just never knew when he was going to perform like the king of Rock n roll, or another lackluster show like we seen from the Summer of 1976 etc.

[Joe Car]

Exactly, Elvis was that good all the way to his last day on this earth.

To put it simple, Elvis was as good as he wanted to be.

You Just never knew when he was going to perform like the king of Rock n roll, or another lackluster show like we seen from the Summer of 1976 etc.

I think his poorer shows were from a lack of desire caused by depression, I truly believe this, which even effected his studio work the last few years, in that he didn't want to go. I say this because he was for the whole career, from all accounts, a professional, whether be at his shows, in the studio, and during his movies, this coming from people who worked with him, day in, day out!

[NightRider]

You Just never knew when he was going to perform like the king of Rock n roll, or another lackluster show like we seen from the Summer of 1976 etc.

These were hardly in the majority, as far as Elvis shows go. Sure, there were some scattered through the later years....but i don't think that they were of Elvis' choice. I don't see that he didn't "want" to perform....more that due to depression/Medication and ill health he was physically unable to give his all on occasions. But even in the majority of these below par shows.....you can still find highlights here and there. There are only a handful of shows where he was really poor all the way through ( that i have heard that is )...and for someone who performed the amount of shows Elvis did....thats really not a bad percentage...

Elvis had that talent right to the very end. Sure, sometimes he wasn't able to produce the standards that he usually set himself. But for the most part he sure did everything to a super high standard. Even when given pants material as in some of the movie sessions...the man still made them listenable. Who else could really have pulled of songs like Old Macdonald and made it work. ( no...i can't say that its anything close to a good song...but Elvis still performs it well ).

When you think of all the rumours of Elvis in a terrible negative mood, for example, the Jungle Room sessions....i remain to point the finger at people who seem to relish writing anything to sell a book. You can clearly hear that Elvis was pretty upbeat during these sessions. Ok, alot of what was said is missing...but from what we do hear he doesn't sound negative to me. There were cancelled sessions. Elvis seemed reluctant to get into the studio in the later years...which is such a shame.....would have loved to have heard more from this time in his career.

[Guest_Brad M_*]

Excellent reply Chris!

I'll say that I think anyways some of the bad shows that we seen in the last year or so..well I'm not going to say bad but not that great either, were due to his lack of interest. IMO, MONEY was the main reason for touring in 1976. It was the Presley Money Machine.

But Elvis was human..can' always be great. But I love him throughout it all!

[NightRider]

Excellent reply Chris!

I'll say that I think anyways some of the bad shows that we seen in the last year or so..well I'm not going to say bad but not that great either, were due to his lack of interest. IMO, MONEY was the main reason for touring in 1976. It was the Presley Money Machine.

Thanks Brad,

Can't agree with you there though. Parker was the money hunter....and never let go even at the end. Elvis performed because he was contracted to do so and beacuse wouldn't have his fans let down. He did cancel some seasons and shows due to ill health...but there were others where he shouldn't have performed. I don't think for a second that all he did it for was the money. There may have been some boredom setting in at time..along the lines of the movie years...but i really don't think that he would let his fans down that way...and just not bother to perform because he was "bored".

[Joe Car]

Thanks Brad,

Can't agree with you there though. Parker was the money hunter....and never let go even at the end. Elvis performed because he was contracted to do so and beacuse wouldn't have his fans let down. He did cancel some seasons and shows due to ill health...but there were others where he shouldn't have performed. I don't think for a second that all he did it for was the money. There may have been some boredom setting in at time..along the lines of the movie years...but i really don't think that he would let his fans down that way...and just not bother to perform because he was "bored".

Chris, some excellent replies! I've written this before, but as somebody who's had several loved ones who suffered from depression, Elvis was classic case. What's bad is that somebody can be an excellent worker their whole life, a clean and sharp person, but when depressed, it all changes. Elvis should be commended for going on stage many a night, when not feeling well, both mentally and physically. Mental illness is a son of a gun, with no easy fix. It goes without saying that when he was happier, his shows were much better! People rip him a new one for EIC, I say it took terrific courage to be on that stage for that special, given how he looked, given how he would be perceived by the world.

[tcbndixie]

Elvis set the bar so high for himself that when he did have an off night (or parts thereof) it made us think that he didn't do his best because he had always done above and beyond.

None could have the hectic schedule he did and perform to his level as many times as he did. He always wanted to give his best and even when he wasn't up to par...it was still his best for that time. There were many times he never should have been allowed to go on stage...but go he did...and we were witness to the good, the bad and the ugly.

So many critics want to take the bad and ugly and lump it all into the assumption that those few down times defined the entire 70's. To some when it comes to Elvis from '73 on it's all negative...they miss so much (which was more) that was positive.

Yep, Chris...I agree...Parker = $$$$$$...even the day ELvis died Parker only had $$$ on the brain!!! JMHO

[Guest_Brad M_*]

Exactly. He did set the bar incredibly high I think.

But Chris your right, Elvis always wanted to please the fans. He put them before his own self, and health etc. And he never let us down and was always there. (IMG:http://elvis-tkc.com/forum2/style_emoticons/default/notworthy.gif)

[kissmequick]

Elvis set the bar so high for himself that when he did have an off night (or parts thereof) it made us think that he didn't do his best because he had always done above and beyond.

None could have the hectic schedule he did and perform to his level as many times as he did. He always wanted to give his best and even when he wasn't up to par...it was still his best for that time. There were many times he never should have been allowed to go on stage...but go he did...and we were witness to the good, the bad and the ugly.

So many critics want to take the bad and ugly and lump it all into the assumption that those few down times defined the entire 70's. To some when it comes to Elvis from '73 on it's all negative...they miss so much (which was more) that was positive.

Yep, Chris...I agree...Parker = $$$$$$...even the day ELvis died Parker only had $$$ on the brain!!! JMHO

Marshie darlin, you do have a way with words!
Who really knows how much pain that poor man was in? And I agree with everything said about depression, been there done that. It's hell on your self image. And worse when someone else is demanding of you to shape up and get back out there. And so he did. Probably put on a large guilt trip about how the fans wanted him...he had to do it for the fans. No matter how badly he hurt or his mental state. Pain and depression go hand in hand, I just cry when I think of all he did back then.
Elvis was amazing, even when he was sick. Like Chris said, there are some great high points in every performance. Why do they pick on a few performances and just destroy that Decade? He gave us the best he could under all circumstances, most of the time more than he could. He got his strength from a powerful source!
(IMG:http://elvis-tkc.com/forum2/style_emoticons/default/notworthy.gif)

Great responses on this topic. It goes to show most of us recognize the fragility of a human, especially one under such powerful oppressors. He was a man not a machine, susceptible to illness and pain. But the show went on....even without the physical presence of Elvis himself. Makes you wonder....... if he was still around I bet he would be singing "How Great Thou Art"...and just as full of emotion.

[tcbndixie]

[quote name='kissmequick' date='Apr 15 2008, 09:25 PM' post='110632']
Marshie darlin, you do have a way with words!


Ahhh...Thanks sweetie!!

Yes, I absolutley do believe that Elvis' greatest problem was depression. The health problems, career disappointments and personal heartaches worsened the ever present depression. It's hard to explain to someone who has never suffered with it. It turns a person inside out and makes you someone that you don't even recognize...someone you don't want to be and takes you places you wonder if you'll ever return from.

You will do anything to try to lessen the pain (that no one else can see)...you have everything and nothing makes you happy. And back then depression wasn't recognized or treated...yes, he must have suffered in silence wondering what was wrong with him and not being able to fix it like he tried to do for everyone else.

OBTW...I bet he's singing "How Great Thy Art" right now with a backup band that is out of this world and enjoying every minute of it!!