Ernie's Import Lp Corner

Rockin’ With Elvis New Years’ Eve Pittsburgh, PA Dec. 31. 1976

OK, here is a CLASSIC!!  “Rockin’ With Elvis New Years’ Eve Pittsburgh, PA Dec. 31. 1976”…on the aptly named Spirit of America Records 7677, is about as fine a bootleg LP as could be released.  This double LP was released in 1977.  The concert of course is the infamous 1976 Pittsburgh PA New Years show.  This show has been released twice on CD to date, and on numerous CDrs as well.  While this LP doesn’t sound the greatest by today’s standards, for it’s time it is a very decent sounding audience recording.  While the LP is a slightly noisy pressing, this LP set went through many, many pressings and is far from rare.  If ever a boot LP were to be registered platinum for sales, this one would probably qualify!! 

OK, onto the set.  The concert is very well known and not much need be said about it.  It is perhaps one of the best shows of 1976, which was an up-and-down year of course.  But it is perhaps one of the best concerts Elvis ever gave in fact in terms of energy.  Surely he was not the Elvis of 1969/70, but in terms of concerts representing certain periods of time, this one is a great example that Elvis could still put on a great show…even in the later years!!  This last tour of 1976 had many great shows, two others of which we have had the pleasure of being able to add to our collections: Dallas, Texas and Birmingham, Alabama. 

This double LP is a shining example of how a release should be done!!  The design is very “red, white and blue”…which are of course the colors of the American flag and represent well that fact that 1976 was America’s bicentennial anniversary.  The photographs used on this set are from the actual show that evening in Pittsburgh.  The gatefold sleeve opens up to present ten more great photos from the concert as well liner notes regarding the event itself. 

Package-wise, this is perhaps the best LP release of any Elvis concert.  The packaging shows incredible professionalism and care.  And the concert itself is, of course, a classic event.  And since it is not likely that a soundboard of this show exists (and even if one does, it will probably never seen the light of day) a good audience recording has never dissuaded me!!  Many tape recorders were rolling that night in the audience…and quite a few 8 mm film cameras as well which have given us fans some of the best footage of Elvis concert!!  All in all, this was quite an event and to have it documented as well as we do is something to be thankful for.  For any fan remotely interested in boot LPs, this one is a must for the collection.  Elvis certainly was Rockin’ New Years Eve!!