Listen to Elvis Presley Sing Classic Live Covers From ‘Elvis on Tour’ Box Set
by Best Classic Bands Staff
Thanks to the phenomenal success of the 2022 feature film Elvis, the musical biopic from director Baz Luhrmann, Elvis Presley is hotter than he’s been in decades. RCA/Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, has released an Elvis On Tour box set, a newly compiled 50th anniversary celebration of the King’s monumental 1972 concert trek, featuring a wealth of previously unreleased live and studio material. The 7-disc collection arrived on Jan. 27, 2023.
Listen to many of the tracks below including the previously unreleased “Burning Love (Rehearsal 2),” a rehearsal of “Always On My Mind” recorded live at RCA Recording Studios in Hollywood in March 1972, and an inspiring live performance of “How Great Thou Art.”
The seven-disc set includes six audio discs of concert performances and studio rehearsals and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment’s Blu-ray edition of the MGM Film, Elvis On Tour, winner of Best Documentary Film at the 30th Golden Globes Awards in 1973 and the last feature film starring Presley to be released during his lifetime. [The new Elvis film has received eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Austin Butler, Best Costume Design, Best Cinematography, and Best Sound. The 95th Academy Awards will be held on March 12.]
The Elvis On Tour box set is produced by Ernst Mikael Jørgensen and mixed by Grammy Award®-winning producer Matt Ross-Spang. It features 145 tracks, including 91 tracks that have been previously unreleased. The original recordings were made by Felton Jarvis and Al Pachucki.
From the August 12 announcement: As Presley’s national tour played to sold-out secondary markets across the country in 1972, Elvis was enjoying himself on-stage and finding electrifying new ways of connecting to audiences at every show. Working with a band and set lists of his choosing, Elvis was channeling the music he loved most–from pop and gospel and traditional country to blues and rock and contemporary hits–while transforming his own greatest hits with fresh arrangements, turning nostalgia into an unforgettable concert experience packed with immediacy.
Watch the lyric video for the rehearsal of “Always On My Mind”
Award-winning filmmakers Pierre Adidge and Robert Abel (Mad Dogs & Englishmen) went on the road with Presley and his band with all-access passes, cameras and crew to chronicle the King of Rock & Roll at his on-stage peak in MGM’s Elvis On Tour documentary film. The film captures Elvis, the human being driving the myth, behind-the-scenes backstage with his eyes open and his defenses down. According to MGM’s original press release, the Elvis On Tour film “offers the first intimate look at the enigmatic country boy who became the world’s most celebrated musician.” Both documentary and concert film, Elvis On Tour features montage sequences supervised by Martin Scorsese. The film was released on November 1, 1972.
The Elvis On Tour box set includes behind-the-scenes liner notes by Jerry Schilling, a longtime personal friend and member of Elvis’ inner circle.
The set also features an essay by rock historian/musician Warren Zanes, founding member of The Del Fuegos and Professor at New York University. According to Zanes: “The set lists and the performances of the Elvis On Tour period bring a rare thing: a fifties legend working in the early seventies who was still taking his audiences to new places….The core band, including Ronnie Tutt, James Burton, Glen D. Hardin, Jerry Scheff, John Wilkinson, Charlie Hodge, the Sweet Inspirations, J.D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet, and an orchestra led by Joe Guercio, had gotten to a place at which Elvis could inject spontaneity, allowing the arena shows to have a measure of the unexpected…. 1972 was a year of one-hundred-sixty-five performances. In Jorgensen’s words, it was a ‘climax of his career.’ While the ’68 Comeback Special marked the significant point at which Presley returned to live performance, 1972 was the year in which the artist revealed most completely what he wanted to do with the creative energy such a return kicked off.”
A definitive portrait of the artist in 1972, the Elvis On Tour box set arrives in the wake of the release of Warner Bros. Pictures’ epic big-screen drama, ELVIS, from filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, starring Austin Butler in the title role and Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis’ longtime manager and technical advisor. Through Aug. 11, the film had earned a reported $253 million at the worldwide box-office, the second highest-grossing music biopic of all-time, behind Bohemian Rhapsody, and #11 overall for all of 2022.
See the complete track listing and listen to more tracks below the Amazon links.
Disc 1 was recorded live on April 9, 1972, at Hampton Roads Coliseum, Hampton, Virginia, and contains all previously unreleased material.
Disc 2 was recorded live on April 10, 1972, at Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, Virginia, and contains all previously unreleased material.
Disc 3 was recorded live on April 14, 1972, at Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina, and contains all previously unreleased material.
Disc 4 was recorded live on April 18, 1972, at Convention Center Arena, San Antonio, Texas, and includes previously released material (from 2003’s Elvis: Close-Up box set), remixed for this release.
Disc 5 features the tour rehearsals, recorded live at RCA Recording Studios in Hollywood, California, on March 30 and 31, 1972. The disc is comprised primarily of previously unreleased tracks in addition to performances previously available on the official Elvis Presley collector’s releases Elvis On Tour – The Rehearsals (Follow That Dream CD 2004) and 6363 Sunset Boulevard (Follow That Dream CD 2001) as well as The Great Performances (RCA 1990).
Disc 6 completes Elvis’ rehearsals with his band at RCA Recordings Studios with performances recorded March 31, 1972. The disc includes previously unreleased takes on Kris Kristofferson’s “For The Good Times” as well as performances previously available only on 6363 Sunset Boulevard, Elvis On Tour – The Rehearsals and Amazing Grace (RCA 2CD 1994).
Elvis On Tour Track Listing
Disc 1 – April 9, 1972 – Hampton, VA
1. Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra (Theme From 2001: A Space Odyssey) 1:20
2. See See Rider 3:12
3. I Got A Woman / Amen 2:59
4. Never Been To Spain 3:34
5. You Gave Me A Mountain 3:14
6. Until It’s Time For You To Go 2:30
7. Polk Salad Annie 3:03
8. Love Me 1:38
9. All Shook Up 1:06
10. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel 2:11
11. Are You Lonesome Tonight? 2:42
12. I Can’t Stop Loving You 2:26
13. Hound Dog 1:29
14. Bridge Over Troubled Water 4:08
15. Suspicious Minds 5:19
16. For The Good Times 3:08
17. Introductions 1:29
18. American Trilogy 4:54
19. Love Me Tender 2:41
20. A Big Hunk O’ Love 2:05
21. How Great Thou Art 2:54
22. Sweet, Sweet Spirit 2:46
23. Lawdy, Miss Clawdy 2:11
24. Can’t Help Falling In Love 1:42
25. Closing Vamp 1:46
Disc 2 – April 10, 1972 – Richmond, VA
1. Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra (Theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey) 1:17
2. See See Rider 3:00
3. Proud Mary 2:44
4. Never Been To Spain 3:37
5. You Gave Me A Mountain 3:14
6. Until It’s Time For You To Go 2:32
7. Polk Salad Annie 2:51
8. Love Me 2:00
9. All Shook Up 1:01
10. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel 1:49
11. Heartbreak Hotel 2:05
12. Hound Dog 1:21
13. Bridge Over Troubled Water 4:12
14. Love Me Tender 1:43
15. It’s Over 2:18
16. Suspicious Minds 4:47
17. Introductions 1:59
18. For The Good Times 3:06
19. I Can’t Stop Loving You 2:24
20. American Trilogy 4:17
21. Lawdy, Miss Clawdy 2:41
22. Funny How Time Slips Away 2:41
23. Can’t Help Falling In Love 1:41
24. Closing Vamp 1:50
Disc 3 – April 14, 1972 – Greensboro, NC
1. Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra (Theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey) 1:14
2. See See Rider 3:09
3. Proud Mary 2:44
4. Never Been To Spain 3:37
5. You Gave Me A Mountain 3:15
6. Until It’s Time For You To Go 2:37
7. Polk Salad Annie 3:15
8. Love Me 1:36
9. All Shook Up 1:01
10. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel 2:27
11. Hound Dog 1:31
12. Heartbreak Hotel 1:50
13. A Big Hunk O’ Love 2:00
14. Bridge Over Troubled Water 4:14
15. Suspicious Minds 4:46
16. Love Me Tender 1:38
17. Introductions 1:23
18. For The Good Times 3:05
19. American Trilogy 4:45
20. Burning Love 2:46
21. Release Me (And Let Me Love Again) 3:04
22. Funny How Time Slips Away 2:50
23. Can’t Help Falling In Love 1:40
24. Closing Vamp 1:49
Disc 4 – April 18, 1972 – San Antonio, TX
1. Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra (Theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey) 1:20
2. See See Rider 2:52
3. Proud Mary 2:32
4. Never Been To Spain 3:36
5. You Gave Me A Mountain 3:13
6. Until It’s Time For You To Go 2:29
7. Polk Salad Annie 3:05
8. Love Me 1:38
9. All Shook Up 1:01
10. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel 1:46
11. Heartbreak Hotel 1:45
12. Hound Dog 1:25
13. How Great Thou Art 2:54
14. I Can’t Stop Loving You 2:28
15. Love Me Tender 1:39
16. Suspicious Minds 4:21
17. Introductions 1:17
18. For The Good Times 3:23
19. Burning Love 2:02
20. American Trilogy 4:44
21. Funny How Time Slips Away 3:09
22. Can’t Help Falling In Love 1:46
23. Closing Vamp 1:22
Disc 5 – March 30 & 31, 1972. Rehearsals at RCA’s studio
1. Burning Love (incomplete) 2:14
2. Burning Love 3:34
3. Burning Love 3:36
4. For The Good Times (incomplete) 1:12
5. For The Good Times (incomplete) 3:00
6. For The Good Times 4:39
7. For The Good Times 4:03
8. For The Good Times 4:34
9. El Paso (fragment) 0:52
10. For The Good Times (incomplete) 3:04
11. For The Good Times 3:29
12. Johnny B. Goode 4:56
13. Always On My Mind (incomplete) 1:46
14. Always On My Mind (incomplete) 2:15
15. Always On My Mind 4:25
16. Separate Ways 3:26
17. Separate Ways 4:34
18. Proud Mary 2:52
19. Never Been To Spain 3:57
20. You Gave Me A Mountain (incomplete) 1:21
21. Until It’s Time For Me To Go 3:59
22. Polk Salad Annie 2:51
23. Love Me 2:37
Disc 6 – March 31, 1972. Rehearsals at RCA’s studio
1. All Shook Up 1:12
2. Heartbreak Hotel 2:13
3. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel 1:57
4. Hound Dog 1:26
5. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face 5:27
6. A Big Hunk O’Love 2:09
7. A Big Hunk O’Love 2:30
8. See See Rider 3:03
9. For The Good Times 3:22
10. For The Good Times (incomplete) 1:30
11. For The Good Times 3:37
12. Funny How Time Slips Away 3:41
13. Burning Love 6:11
14. Help Me Make It Through The Night 2:57
15. Can’t Help Falling In Love 2:08
16. Young And Beautiful 3:16
17. Lawdy, Miss Clawdy 2:28
18. Release Me (And Let Me Love Again) 2:38
19. See See Rider 2:31
20. Proud Mary 2:45
21. Never Been To Spain 3:46
22. I, John 2:22
23. Bosom Of Abraham 0:53
24. You Better Run 2:06
25. Lead Me, Guide Me 2:39
26. Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus/Nearer My God To Thee 3:59
August 16, 2022 marked the 45th anniversary of Presley’s passing.
Related: What fellow music greats said about the King
3 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationElvis is the King of Rock and Roll. The latest film, “Elvis” was very good too. This box set has some really good live performances and outtakes from 1972. I am definitely getting the CD box set.
Elvis still had it during this period. Arguably the last really really good period. Firing on all cylinders.