Elvis As Recorded At Madison Square Garden

Yet another live recording, but one that carried with it more than a hint of dramatic tension, for this was Elvis’ New York debut. Welsh singer Tom Jones, a close friend and fellow Las Vegas performer, was astonished to hear Elvis’ doubts about whether or not he would be accepted, and even the rapid sell-out of all four shows did little to allay his fears. RCA recorded both shows on June 10, then, amid concerns about record bootleggers, rushed out the album (made up entirely of the evening show) in under two weeks. “Like a prince from another planet” read the performance review in the New York Times, and the album sold half a million copies in less than two months, despite the familiarity of its repertoire. Over time it became one of Elvis’ biggest album sellers, but its success sidelined the live soundtrack album that was meant to have announced the upcoming MGM documentary, Elvis On Tour (the album, which was intended to be called Standing Room Only, had already been advertised on the cover of the “American Trilogy” single). The film, which was released in November, won a Golden Globe award, but even in the absence of the Madison Square Garden album, the soundtrack would probably have been shelved. Because the Colonel had a bigger, more spectacular plan for a bigger, more spectacular recording, which would wait until the following January to be realized.