When one thinks of Elvis Presley, there are many different Elvis eras that come to mind. There is the young Elvis shaking his hips and driving the girls wild, movie Elvis, or military Elvis. Yet, there is one era that Elvis never made more iconic than his white, bedazzled jumpsuit comeback look in Las Vegas.
Elvis Presley had not performed in eight years in 1968, but when he took that stage, his signature voice was still there and amazed his Las Vegas crowds.
What was supposed to be a four week stint in 1968, turned into seven years, on and off.
On August 10th, 1970, Elvis Presley performed two separate shows and his track list included the heart-wrenching “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling.” As the song begins, Elvis is turned away from his audience and the entire stage goes dark, except for one spotlight onto the back of Elvis’ head. He starts singing in that deep unique voice of is without even turning to the crowd.
Gregory Sandows, a Music Professor at Columbia University tries to explain Elvis Presley’s signature voice,
“I suppose you’d had to call him a lyric baritone, although with exceptional high notes and unexpectedly rich low ones. But what is more important about Elvis Presley is not his vocal range, nor how high or low it extends, but where its center of gravity is. By that measure, Elvis was all at once a tenor, a baritone and a bass, the most unusual voice I’ve ever heard.”
Elvis could sing straight to your heart. When he sang it felt as if he felt the lyrics just as deeply as his listeners. Elvis sings the entire first verse turned away from the audience. The anticipation builds throughout, waiting for him to turn around and sing to the crowd. He waits until the chorus and the lights turn on the moment he turns around.
You will not be able to keep the smile off your face, when you finally see Elvis singing his heart out.
Elvis is wearing one of his signature white jumpsuits and has a smile on his face as well. His voice is so magnificent but it comes with such ease for him. He knows the audience is loving his performance already and keeps smirking down to the audience.
“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” was originally recorded by The Righteous Brothers in 1964. Yet, Elvis Presley had the ability to cover a song and completely make it his own. His unique voice and style could completely transform a song without actually changing the musical composition or a lyric of the song.
He was the King of Rock and Roll for a reason.
Elvis Presley performed this song fifty years ago but fans cannot stop watching. The performance has been viewed over eight million times and over two thousand comments. Fans comment that,
“Another phenomenal fact about this is Elvis didn’t have any stage monitors so he couldn’t hear himself. How he stays on pitch and key is absolutely incredible.”
“I wish time travel could be possible soon. I would want to travel back to the past just to watch the king in concert.”
“And suddenly a song gets soul, body and personality, as if you can see and touch it..This Ladies and Gentlemen is ELVIS at his best, for sure…”
Press play below to watch the King of Rock and Roll serenade his Las Vegas crowd.
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