On the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, ABC broadcast a special called Elvis: Viva Las Vegas. The show was made in a documentary format to examine how the King of Rock-and-Roll reinvented Las Vegas, and how Las Vegas reinvented him.
There is a lot of discussion over the relevance of this special, which was viewed by around 6 million people. In my opinion, the relevance reveals itself by looking at some of the new artists presented who were influenced in various ways by Elvis Presley.
Faith Hill presented an excellent rendition of "That's Alright Mama". Sticking true to form with the old rock-n-roll sound. It was a guitar and vocal driven performance presented live! Great job Faith!!
Paul McCartney offered up a solo performance, using the original stand up bass played by Bill Black. His short version of Heartbreak Hotel gave a perfect feel for the original acoustic musical performances by Elvis and his band of musicians.
Miranda Lambert joined the show and did a rousing performance of Jailhouse Rock. Complete with a Mohawk wearing standup bassist, two excellent guitar solos, and complete with Elvis's "Thank you, Thank you very much..." catch phrase at the end of the song. Miranda put on a beautiful Las Vegas rooftop performance. And, I am lucky enough to have recorded it in HD!
Toby Keith and Aerosmith's Joe Perry performed "Mystery Train" complete with an over the shoulder guitar solo from Joe Perry. Rock-On Brother!
Although I had never heard of Three-6-Mafia before this special, they did a great job of acknowledging Elvis's contribution in releasing the song "In the Ghetto". Three-6-Mafia grew up only a few blocks from Graceland and they did a raw video mix performance with the Elvis video "In the Ghetto" as the backdrop.
Excellent production! But was it relevant?
After 30 years, things must have changed in the Ghetto right? Not so, even after 30 years, the song is still relevant today. Listen to it and see for yourself.
The show ends with Celine Dion singing "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You" in a packed Las Vegas auditorium. Celine's version was heartfelt, emotional, and she presented an excellent vocal arrangement. It's amazing the strength and power of the vocal range she maintains. Sweet Vocals!
Will there be a 40th anniversary special? Who knows... But for now, Elvis Presley, The King of Rock-n-Roll, lives on!
There is a lot of discussion over the relevance of this special, which was viewed by around 6 million people. In my opinion, the relevance reveals itself by looking at some of the new artists presented who were influenced in various ways by Elvis Presley.
Faith Hill presented an excellent rendition of "That's Alright Mama". Sticking true to form with the old rock-n-roll sound. It was a guitar and vocal driven performance presented live! Great job Faith!!
Paul McCartney offered up a solo performance, using the original stand up bass played by Bill Black. His short version of Heartbreak Hotel gave a perfect feel for the original acoustic musical performances by Elvis and his band of musicians.
Miranda Lambert joined the show and did a rousing performance of Jailhouse Rock. Complete with a Mohawk wearing standup bassist, two excellent guitar solos, and complete with Elvis's "Thank you, Thank you very much..." catch phrase at the end of the song. Miranda put on a beautiful Las Vegas rooftop performance. And, I am lucky enough to have recorded it in HD!
Toby Keith and Aerosmith's Joe Perry performed "Mystery Train" complete with an over the shoulder guitar solo from Joe Perry. Rock-On Brother!
Although I had never heard of Three-6-Mafia before this special, they did a great job of acknowledging Elvis's contribution in releasing the song "In the Ghetto". Three-6-Mafia grew up only a few blocks from Graceland and they did a raw video mix performance with the Elvis video "In the Ghetto" as the backdrop.
Excellent production! But was it relevant?
After 30 years, things must have changed in the Ghetto right? Not so, even after 30 years, the song is still relevant today. Listen to it and see for yourself.
The show ends with Celine Dion singing "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You" in a packed Las Vegas auditorium. Celine's version was heartfelt, emotional, and she presented an excellent vocal arrangement. It's amazing the strength and power of the vocal range she maintains. Sweet Vocals!
Will there be a 40th anniversary special? Who knows... But for now, Elvis Presley, The King of Rock-n-Roll, lives on!
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