never allowed him to limit his approach. As soon as Elvis felt he could handle these styles vocally, they became a big part of his repertoire. Some purists balked, not understanding that these genres were as big a part of Elvis Presley as anything else.
Yet to undergo the radical readjustments of early 1972, Elvis’ sets this time out wouldn’t have been unfamiliar to those who had seen him since the summer of 1970. Still, with the exception of a few oldies, Elvis put feeling into all of the songs. Of the tracks considered, but probably not used for the tour, was his new single “It’s Only Love”, and a song called “ For the First Time”. Of the songs that were performed, highlights include a fervent “You've Lost That Loving Feeling”, a sizzling “Polk Salad Annie”, and a frantic as ever “Mystery Train”/“Tiger Man” medley.
Elvis had begun performing “How Great Thou Art” on his previous tour in an arrangement close to his 1966 recording of it. One of the few numbers that remained effective all the way to the end of his career, by the end of 1971 Elvis was adding an extra dimension to the ending. Utilizing his matured voice to its full capability, even those who only had a secular belief system were moved by the way Elvis musically expressed a sincere commitment to his Lord.
With “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “The Impossible Dream” serving as the concerts’ set pieces vocally, “Polk Salad Annie and “Suspicious Minds” brought down the house with the way Elvis presented them physically. Yet to me it was in the more subtle moments where Elvis really showed his depth as an artist. “Help Me Make It Through The Night”, and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” were done once or twice at most, but authoritatively illustrated Elvis’ renewed interest in the modern trends in folk and country music.
There remains one song that I haven’t mentioned that not only demonstrates how special this particular tour was but also encompasses everything that made Elvis so unique. Earlier this month Mr. Tunzi and I were talking about our shared admiration for this tour and we both agreed strongly that Elvis’ wondrous 1971 release “I’m Leavin’” was the singular highlight. It’s a subtle performance done with a lot of understatement. You don’t hear any of his brava vocal inflections, or see any of his most physical of movements, but the atmosphere Elvis creates with this song of longing and regret creates an absolutely otherworldly aura. If anyone you know doubts that Elvis Presley’s talent was as cultivated by pure artistry as it was by sheer instinct, play them “I’m Leavin’” and see if they still feel the same way. The magic of this song live is that it only took mere seconds for the sheer force of Elvis charisma and mastery over a crowd to transform hysterical audiences into reflective conscientious listeners. More then any of the glamour surrounding him, it was this ability to captivate all he came into contact with that made Elvis the special person that he was.
Click above for footage from this tour!