Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite (Legacy Edition)

He justifiably earned the moniker, "the King of Rock and Roll." One of the finest performers of the 20th century, Elvis Presley was riding the largest wave of his popularity in 1973 when he recorded his famous, "Aloha from Hawaii" concert that January. Looking fit, and sporting the famous white jumpsuit that would come to epitomize the ladder years of his career, Elvis performed this benefit concert in front of 6,000 screaming fans at the old Honolulu International Center (now the Blaisdell Center). The show would then be televised in its entirety, becoming the first full-length concert to be broadcast worldwide, and viewed by more than a billion people.

This new 2-CD set features two recordings from that seminal performance. The first disc is the concert that was featured on television; a 24-song set including "Burning Love," and "Suspicious Minds," alongside several of Elvis' oldies ("Hound Dog," "Blue Suede Shoes"), as well as covers of George Harrison's "Something" and the first single released from the record, James Taylor's "Steamroller Blues." Elvis' voice is in fine shape, and his ability to absorb the audience into his world is evident throughout the concert. He sounds completely at ease for someone whose performance was beamed, via satellite, into so many households around the world; this was the magic that made him "the King."

The first disc was recorded at 12:30am local time early on Jan. 14th. However, the dress rehearsal on Jan. 12th was also archived as a backup, and this run through (remixed and remastered) comprises the second disc in this collection. Originally released as "The Alternate Aloha," it shows a more relaxed Presley expertly warming up the crowd with the set that would be presented for the cameras in 36 hours. "The Alternate Aloha" also includes a five-song set created the morning after the actual concert. Elvis gathered his band (without the audience) and laid down these songs for inclusion in the concert, and included "Blue Hawaii" and "No More."

We are fortunate to have this 40th anniversary set once again available for us to enjoy the persona that was Elvis.

"Aloha from Hawaii"
Elvis Presley
CD and Digital formats
Sony Music / Legacy Edition