Today's new article from The Wall Street Journal describes what it was like as Elvis Presley was preparing to play his first concerts in New York City, and how lucky fans experienced this show in person. Here is an excerpt:
Uneasy in his chair behind a long table at the New York Hilton, Elvis Presley listened as a reporter asked why he had decided to resume touring. "Just as soon as I got out of the movie contracts, I started to do live performances again," Presley said. "There are so many places that I haven't been yet. I've never played New York."
Presley's news conference on June 9, 1972, occurred just hours before the start of his sold-out, four-concert run at Madison Square Garden—the only New York City arena shows of his career (he was on stage for several TV broadcasts in 1956-7, including "The Ed Sullivan Show"). Color video of his 20-minute media Q&A is part of "Elvis Presley: Prince From Another Planet" (RCA/Legacy), a three-disc set due Tuesday that includes the original album's tracks remastered and a DVD with interviews and previously unreleased concert footage filmed by a fan.
Read more at The Wall Street Journal.