On Stage

On Stage was both the title and the theme, with eight tracks taken from the February 1970 engagement, two (“Runaway” and “Yesterday,” with its Beatles-medley partner, “Hey Jude,” edited out) from the 1969 live recordings. Apart from “The Wonder Of You” and Elvis’ introductory number, the age-old blues “See See Rider” (taken from Chuck Willis’ 1957 version), the repertoire tended more toward contemporary writers like Joe South, John Fogerty, and Tony Joe White. White’s “Polk Salad Annie” immediately became a staple in Elvis’ repertoire, a favorite of both artist and audience. With over half a million sales, the album established the solidity of the new formula, which was, of course, just a variation on the old combination of movie and soundtrack album: use the music to sell the performance and vice versa.