George Fairbrother - DEC4 Publishing
Elvis in the 70s - Tribute Home Page
Welcome!
A very warm welcome to our homepage providing a growing collection of content and links celebrating Elvis' life on the road in the 1970s, but with a focus on the widely misunderstood period between the Aloha From Hawaii event and his final concert in Indianapolis in June of 1977. We provide some links to concert recordings from the soundboard and by audience members, as well as some suggested additional sites, articles and podcasts. Background information on the YouTube posts is largely thanks to Francesc Lopez and elvisconcerts.com (see link below).
Through bootleg audio of concerts from 1974-77, which are now widely available, we can get to know Elvis as a working entertainer and human being, rather than a cartoon hero. There were nights, right up to the very end, when he was on fire, his voice sounded better than ever, and he could enthral a huge stadium audience right to the back row; without giant video screens and with only rudimentary lighting. He had fun with audience members, and with the band, was unfailingly polite to fans, and laughed at himself and his image. He no longer rehearsed, forgot lyrics occasionally (or couldn't be bothered learning them in the first place), stopped and re-started songs if he wasn't happy, and improvised on stage. He could be grumpy, especially with sound imperfections (feedback was a constant source of annoyance), and there were nights that he was homesick, lethargic, medicated and unwell, which inevitably affected his performance. He turned up, night after night, whether he felt like it or not.
The reality, beyond the mythmaking, was that he was a working entertainer who needed the money, and who was responsible for the livelihoods of hundreds of people, while living with addiction and erratic mental health. The human aspect is a fascinating story in itself.
(These uploads are not monetized. For the sake of completeness, copyrighted material is retained so any revenues are directed by YouTube to the music publishers and spoken word rights holders.)
Page currently not being updated. For new links and material, we'd love to see you on Tumblr, Pinterest, at the DEC4 Webpage, or on Substack and YouTube. Follow the links from this page. You can also contact us or comment on all of those platforms, or here.
Notice Board
Latest Elvis articles and podcasts now at www.dec4podcast.com
The DEC4 Podcast 50th Anniversary Supplement episode is out now, featuring some additional background to Aloha From Hawaii, as well as on the iconic movie, American Graffiti, also released in 1973. From Memphis to Vegas: A Vintage Leisure Tour featuring Gary Wells, including an extensive tour of Graceland, is also available to stream or download free.
Substack newsletters: Memphis to Vegas (Memphis segment including Graceland) 50th Anniversary
Also on Substack - Elvis: The Summer of 1977 and Beyond
We note with sadness the passing of Lisa Marie Presley, January 12th, 2023, aged 54.
Link to the concert playlist here:
Previews
Recommended Sites
Francesc Lopez's Elvis site is a great and trusted destination for Elvis nerds, with concert dates, stats, jumpsuit information, concert reviews and much more. Link to the site homepage, and also directly to their 1969-77 database which is a handy quick reference.
Read some fascinating in-depth analysis by 20th century culture and entertainment historian, writer and broadcaster Gary Wells. There's some great social media to follow as well, and lots of thoughtful and enlightening articles beyond Elvis.
Gary is also a regular contributor to the DEC4 Podcast.
Link to the social media feeds from Elvis Fan Club, Roma. A great source of regular Elvis images and links.
Articles by George Fairbrother on Substack - Follow the Link for More
Contact Us on Social Media or Directly Here;
Join our community on Tumblr!
You may have reached this site through Pinterest. There are hundreds of other images, links, stats and anecdotes at our Elvis - 1970s Collection Pinterest board. All to be shared and enjoyed.
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