‘The King’ Elvis Presley was a cultural icon and the biggest music star the planet had ever seen through the 50s, 60s, and 70s. This clip is from an amazing performance near the end of his career from the concert ‘Aloha from Hawaii’ in 1973.
The band fires up the intro while dressed in all white. It’s a rendition of the classic ‘An American Trilogy’ featuring ‘Dixie, All My Trials, and Battle Hymn of the Republic.’ Elvis’ voice soars over the majestic instrumental backing as he gives the band some fiery cues with his body and arms.
The emotion in the song is conveyed in his eyes and through his facial expressions. At one point, during an instrumental build-up, Elvis is seen beckoning the band to play it hard by looking back at them with intensity in his eyes.
Dressed in his now-legendary white jumpsuit, Elvis is adorned with Hawaiian leis and an orange scarf. The suit itself has gold stitching all over the body, along with a high collar that stands up straight. Elvis is also sporting long sideburns and dark black hair.
Elvis returned to the stage after taking 7 years off to focus on his acting pursuits. His return to live performance was done to please all his fans worldwide. This concert had over 6,000 attendees. It was broadcast in Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, South Vietnam, the Philippines, and Australia.
The song has a softer, middle section that Elvis sings with his eyes closed. The sentiment of the lyrics is captured in his delivery. A flute solo follows, leading into a crescendo of trumpets playing the fanfare of ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic.’
After the bombastic conclusion to the patriotic showstopper, ‘The King’ thanks the audience saying, ‘Thank you, you’re fantastic!’ When most people think of Elvis, they remember the young singer dancing on stage and making girls faint. However, people also remember the iconic white jumpsuits and crooning seen in this fantastic clip! It’s a masterful performance by one of the most outstanding performers the world has ever known.
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