Barbie wrote:Fabulous pictures!!!!................I have a reel to reel from Rex Martin years ago (1970) with the shows that Maria and her friend taped there (all of them).................I think the quality is much superior to what I've heard........have to dig out the ol reel to reel and the tapes and listen again........................but I've got a few more projects to get on with before I do that.............
oh please do, any improvement of the audio we already have would be one of the greatest new additions to our collections for years as these shows are early and so important
Barbie wrote:Fabulous pictures!!!!................I have a reel to reel from Rex Martin years ago (1970) with the shows that Maria and her friend taped there (all of them).................I think the quality is much superior to what I've heard........have to dig out the ol reel to reel and the tapes and listen again........................but I've got a few more projects to get on with before I do that.............
oh please do, any improvement of the audio we already have would be one of the greatest new additions to our collections for years as these shows are early and so important
WoW!! Some great photos. These really are great and he looks very fit and full of the spirit of song.
You can see the difference that two years made in his appearance between these shows and the filming of "On Tour."
It would have been brilliant if a film crew had followed him for these events. I know it was too close to TTWII. Shame.
Always did find it strange to book Elvis in a livestock show - why? Elvis could have filled that place on his own, didn't need animals to support him. Lol. The old Col was a strange thinker in how to present his artist. It was a strange move as much as Las Vegas was the wrong place to go.
Mind you, I would imagine the people at the Dome were only there to see Elvis, imagine having to sit through a silly livestock show before Elvis came on... Col should have known this, thinking about it, his fascination with animals, going back to his carnival days, makes sense I suppose.
jurasic1968 wrote:Greystoke, thanks for your reply. But regarding Elvis' money: Jerry Hopkins in his first book that in 1957 Elvis earned from a single concert 25.000 $ . So, I don't know how in 1970 the rate of inflation was but I think the right fee for an Elvis concert could be 50.000 or maybe more. The movies-I read from the excellent Alan Hanson's site all the figures and details regarding Elvis movie contracts. http://www.elvis-history-blog.com/elvis-movie-contracts.html.
Elvis was grossly underpaid for his in-concert personal appearance work starting in Las Vegas in 1969 and later in Houston in 1970. It appears that Parker was unaware of what major concert attractions were earning during the period. He came up with what seemed to him to be big paydays, $500,000 - $1,000,000. He was notorious for throwing out big numbers. And here, he only focused on the "big" number, not what the number ultimately represented in terms of the amount of work required from Elvis. Elvis could have filled the Astrodome as a headlining attraction, and earned up to or more than $100,000 for one show in 1970. Parker underbid Elvis' services likely because he was uninformed and out-of-tough with the concert business of 1969/1970. The last time Tom Parker booked live shows was during the mid-late 1950's -- the concert industry not only evolved and changed by 1969, but was almost a completely different business with new players that Tom Parker had no relationships with. Elvis wasn't the only one who got lost in Hollywood during the 1960's; part of the music business passed Tom Parker by. That is likely a significant reason why Parker booked Elvis into Las Vegas in 1969 in the first place; it wasn't solely because he didn't understand the value of his artist, it was because Las Vegas was the one place he felt he still knew. Parker was a complicated man, and a person who never wanted to show any vulnerability. He easily could have consulted with individuals who were then players in the concert business, or reached out to an agent in the William Morris concert booking department (they had a roster of contemporary music acts) to gauge the value of Elvis in the modern era of touring, but he chose not to. And in doing so, he initially underbid Elvis and left a lot of money on the table. An artist of Elvis' stature and legacy in 1969 should never have worked for $25,000 per concert at the Astrodome, let alone play in a showroom.
Don't forget that Elvis was a unproven concert draw in the late 60's and early 70's. He had not toured since the 50's. The Colonel and Elvis himself didn't know how well they would do at the astrodome. Elvis didn't even think he would be able to fill up the room in Vegas night after night. Just giving insight into the view in 1969/1970. People now will laugh at that but again Hindsight thinking.
DEH wrote:Don't forget that Elvis was a unproven concert draw in the late 60's and early 70's. He had not toured since the 50's. The Colonel and Elvis himself didn't know how well they would do at the astrodome. Elvis didn't even think he would be able to fill up the room in Vegas night after night. Just giving insight into the view in 1969/1970. People now will laugh at that but again Hindsight thinking.
"Unproven?" Sorry, but Elvis was already a music icon and one of the biggest stars in the world in 1969. The fact that he had not toured since the late-50's only increased interest and demand. The theory that Elvis doubted his ability to fill out a 2,000 seat showroom says more about his insecurities and management's manipulation of him more than any sort of reality. Without question, any major management team in the music business circa 1969 would have booked Elvis on a tour of arenas and large auditoriums worldwide. He was one of the biggest selling artists in history, was a huge star, had a reputation as a dynamic live performer, had recently broken television ratings with his Singer Presents special, and was again releasing contemporary radio hits -- those were the facts and that was the reality in 1969. Hindsight thinking is not relevant here; the interpretation of reality and the facts were always the same. Some of you will go to any length to make excuses and justify mediocrity (and incompetence in the case of Tom Parker) simply to be contrary, which is absurd.
DEH wrote:Don't forget that Elvis was a unproven concert draw in the late 60's and early 70's. He had not toured since the 50's. The Colonel and Elvis himself didn't know how well they would do at the astrodome. Elvis didn't even think he would be able to fill up the room in Vegas night after night. Just giving insight into the view in 1969/1970. People now will laugh at that but again Hindsight thinking.
"Unproven?" Sorry, but Elvis was already a music icon and one of the biggest stars in the world in 1969. The fact that he had not toured since the late-50's only increased interest and demand. The theory that Elvis doubted his ability to fill out a 2,000 seat showroom says more about his insecurities and management's manipulation of him more than any sort of reality. Without question, any major management team in the music business circa 1969 would have booked Elvis on a tour of arenas and large auditoriums worldwide. He was one of the biggest selling artists in history, was a huge star, had a reputation as a dynamic live performer, had recently broken television ratings with his Singer Presents special, and was again releasing contemporary radio hits -- those were the facts and that was the reality in 1969. Hindsight thinking is not relevant here; the interpretation of reality and the facts were always the same. Some of you will go to any length to make excuses and justify mediocrity (and incompetence in the case of Tom Parker) simply to be contrary, which is absurd.
wow i might have a stroke! i think i need to sit down!
DEH wrote:Don't forget that Elvis was a unproven concert draw in the late 60's and early 70's. He had not toured since the 50's. The Colonel and Elvis himself didn't know how well they would do at the astrodome. Elvis didn't even think he would be able to fill up the room in Vegas night after night. Just giving insight into the view in 1969/1970. People now will laugh at that but again Hindsight thinking.
"Unproven?" Sorry, but Elvis was already a music icon and one of the biggest stars in the world in 1969. The fact that he had not toured since the late-50's only increased interest and demand. The theory that Elvis doubted his ability to fill out a 2,000 seat showroom says more about his insecurities and management's manipulation of him more than any sort of reality. Without question, any major management team in the music business circa 1969 would have booked Elvis on a tour of arenas and large auditoriums worldwide. He was one of the biggest selling artists in history, was a huge star, had a reputation as a dynamic live performer, had recently broken television ratings with his Singer Presents special, and was again releasing contemporary radio hits -- those were the facts and that was the reality in 1969. Hindsight thinking is not relevant here; the interpretation of reality and the facts were always the same. Some of you will go to any length to make excuses and justify mediocrity (and incompetence in the case of Tom Parker) simply to be contrary, which is absurd.
The reason he had his insecurities was because of the movie years. he was looked at as a joke for a time. The Colonel had nothing to compare this to. It was a different time. It wasn't known if his fans from the 50's would come back and fill arenas or what kind of young audience he would have. In the early going they were testing the waters before they were confidant enough to take him on tour. and of course we all know what happened. Hell Elvis didn't think he would be a success in NY in 1972.
People forget that back in those days music acts in their mid thirties were considered old.
The first season in Vegas should have proved to management that Elvis was still a big draw. Parker's tunnel vision and lack of imagination were the problem.
Geoff
tupelo boy
If I could you know that I would fly away with you.
Head of The Harum Scarum Soundtrack Appreciation Society - Camp Classic Division
tupelo_boy wrote:The first season in Vegas should have proved to management that Elvis was still a big draw. Parker's tunnel vision and lack of imagination were the problem.
Geoff
I think he wanted to use Houston as a better sign because it was away from Vegas.
We don't know even today how much extra money the ol' Colonel took in his own pocket, despite of the signed contracts. Peter Guralnick in Careless Love wrote a quote from Elvis like this : "Well, if the old man take some extra money on deals I don't mind"
jurasic1968 wrote:We don't know even today how much extra money the ol' Colonel took in his own pocket, despite of the signed contracts. Peter Guralnick in Careless Love wrote a quote from Elvis like this : "Well, if the old man take some extra money on deals I don't mind"
Elvis really didn't. fans care more than he did. Elvis was happy as long as he had a enough money to buy his toys and have fun.
Greystoke wrote:
Elvis could certainly have earned more than $25,000 per concert in 1970, but not necessarily as part of a bill that featured other popular singers. The Livestock Show and Rodeo had other acts to pay beside Elvis, but I would like to know what those other singers were paid, and what Elvis was paid when he returned to the Astrodome in 1974. Had Elvis headlined his own show at the Astrodome in 1970, I'm sure he could have asked for over $50,000 for a single concert.
Of course he could have. Historically, Tom Parker never hesitated asking for and/or demanding excessive amounts of money for Elvis' services. He easily could have demanded a higher performance fee; it is a bit of mystery as to why he underbid Elvis' services so severely, unless he truly was unaware of Elvis' value in the open market circa 1969 (which is most likely the case), or he had his own reasons that were not in his client's best interest (another possible contributing factor).
The Colonel was out of touch, of course. He was so addicted to gambling and to Las Vegas that in the 70's he didn't want to go to Canada, like he did in 1957. We always wonder why he never go with Elvis on tour in Europe but we forgot that the Colonel didn't want to go with Elvis in Canada in the 70's, where he didn't need a passport.
jurasic1968 wrote:We don't know even today how much extra money the ol' Colonel took in his own pocket, despite of the signed contracts. Peter Guralnick in Careless Love wrote a quote from Elvis like this : "Well, if the old man take some extra money on deals I don't mind"
There was definitely self-dealing on the part of Tom Parker. One wonders how much money Elvis ever saw from all the merchandising sales from his tours and casino engagements. When Parker handed Elvis an "accounting" of what Elvis owed him after their "break-up/firing" in 1973 that sent both Vernon and Elvis into a panic, it would have been very interesting to have seen Parker's reaction had Elvis called his bluff, hired an attorney and demanded to see Parker's books. One suspects Parker would have quickly backed down from his "demands."
Absolutely agree. The Colonel was bluffing. An attorney or an finance expert could easily prove that Parker was in debt severely to Elvis in 1973, not the other way.
Barbie wrote:Fabulous pictures!!!!................I have a reel to reel from Rex Martin years ago (1970) with the shows that Maria and her friend taped there (all of them).................I think the quality is much superior to what I've heard........have to dig out the ol reel to reel and the tapes and listen again........................but I've got a few more projects to get on with before I do that.............
Yes, make sure you do & let us know your thoughts on the audio.
Hell Elvis didn't think he would be a success in NY in 1972.
