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Elvis Presley | Madison Square Garden | Opening Night 8:30pm | Friday June 9th 1972

Elvis Presley, Talents Richly Intact, Shifts Emphasis to Rock/Gospel

June 9, 1972 (8.30 pm) New York City, NY. Madison Square Garden
by Don Heckman : New York Times : Saturday June 10, 1972

Elvis Presley finally made it to New York Friday night, in the opener of four sold-out concerts at Madison Square Garden that represented his first live appearance in Gotham.

The show was planned with the crisp dispatch and efficiency of the various Presley enterprises, all run by the powerful pitchman's had of the singer's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, The Sweet Inspirations, a soul group, did a respectable group of songs, and an aging comedian badly misunderstood the interests of his audience and beat a hasty retreat. Then more suspense a brief intermission. Finally, the lights dimmed, the momentous production was made and Presley came bounding out, glorious in a white jumpsuit with gold-trimmed cape. For three or four minutes he moved through a series of tableau poses that would have intimidated Charles Atlas, while an explosion of Instamatic light cubes turned the Garden into a mass, stop-action strobe light show.

Elvis Presley : Madison Square Garden : Opening Night : Friday June 9th 1972 : 8:30pm. From the CD Set, Prince From Another Planet.

Elvis Presley : Madison Square Garden : Opening Night : Friday June 9th 1972 : 8:30pm.
Elvis Presley : Madison Square Garden : Opening Night : Friday June 9th 1972 : 8:30pm.

Elvis Presley : Madison Square Garden : Opening Night : Friday June 9th 1972 : 8:30pm.

Shows Sense of Humor

But the Presley dug in. No nosense, little banter with either audience or accompanists - simply a sold professional doing a job he probably can do better than anyone in the world. In his maturity Presley has developed his sense of humor to a finely honed edge. When he finally got around to singing the much anticipated, 'Hound Dog', he made several intentional false starts and finally, surprisingly, sang the song with a strong soul feeling and little of the country-boy grunting and grinding that had given the tune such early notoriety. The most noticeable development in Presley's style, in fact, was the minimizing of the country and Western elements that had been so vital to his early music. The great majority of his numbers -and he ranged from current standards like, 'Bridge Troubled Water', 'Proud Mary', among others, to older hits like, 'Love Me Tender', and, 'Heartbreak Hotel', were firmly locked in the currently trendish rock / gospel styles.

Cooly Relaxed Ability

Since Presley's music was one of the motivating forces behind the early evolution of that style, he uses it with understanding and ease. But at least some of the old, coarse power has been glossed over by his cooly relaxed professionalism, and his affection for the Dean Martin ballad sound is more is evidence than ever.

It turned out to be a program with a fairly rich menu but not much staying power. After 45 minutes he was gone without an encore. The effect was almost anticlimactic. Yet in sum we had heard enough to confirm that, even after 16 years, the Presley magic was as incredibly effective as ever.

He is, without question, one of the real ones.

Elvis Presley : Madison Square Garden : Opening Night : Friday June 9th 1972 : 8:30pm.

The tracklist: 2001 Theme, Thats All Right, Proud Mary, Never Been To Spain, Until Its Time For You To Go, You Dont Have To Say You Love Me, You've Lost That Loving Feeling, Polk Salad Annie, Love Me, All Shook Up, Heartbreak Hotel, Teddy Bear, Dont Be Crue/Love Me Tender, Blue Suede Shoes, Hound Dog, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Suspicious Minds, Band Introductions, For The Good Times, An American Trilogy, Funny How Time Slips Away, Can't Help Falling In Love, Closing Vamp.

This night was not recorded by RCA. The two shows the following days were and have been released on CD.

Elvis Presley Madison Square Garden | June 1972

Interview with Elvis Presley The 1972 Press Conference | June 9, 1972

Elvis Presley Madison Square Garden | June 10, 1972 | Evening Show | 2:30pm | Ticket.

April 1972

Rick Springfield on meeting Elvis in 1972
Elvis' Love For My Dying Child | 8-year-old Denise Sanchez 'On Tour' 1972

Elvis Presley Dayton, Ohio: April 7, 1972
Elvis Presley Arriving at McGhee Tyson Airport | Knoxville | April 8, 1972
Elvis Presley Hampton Roads, Richmond, Virginia: April 10, 1972
Elvis Presley Jacksonville, Florida: April 16, 1972
Elvis Presley San Antonio, Texas | April 18, 1972

June

September

Elvis Presley Las Vegas | September 4, 1972
Elvis Presley Aloha From Hawaii Press Conference | September 4, 1972
Aloha Press Conference: September 4, 1972
Elvis Presley St. Louis, Missouri | September 10, 1972

November

Elvis Presley San Bernardino | November 12, 1972
Elvis Presley Honolulu, Hawaii | November 17, 1972
Elvis Presley in Concert Honolulu, Hawaii November 18, 1972
Elvis Presley The H.I.C. Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii | November 18 1972
Elvis Presley Aloha From Hawaii Press Conference | November 20, 1972
Check Elvis Presley wrote to the Sugar Ray Youth Fund | November 26, 1972

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