48 Hours To Memphis, capturing Elvis’ March 18, 1974, concert at the Richmond Coliseum in Virginia, will feature a recently discovered 16-track recording of the event.
48 Hours To Memphis (concept cover art)
Instead of the typical soundboard recording most fans expected, it turns out that this is actually a fully mixed, professionally-recorded show. “Taken from a tape copy (2 channels mix-down) of a 16-track recording, the show is complete (with some tape damage that has been fixed/altered),” notes the Elvis In Norway site.
Two days after the Richmond concert, Elvis closed out his tour with a live appearance in Memphis. RCA also recorded that performance at the Mid-South Coliseum in multi-track. It appeared in an edited form a few months later as the album Elvis Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis.
Questions abound. Did RCA record Richmond as preparation for that Memphis concert album? Or did RCA originally conceive the album as a tour compilation? How did RCA seemingly lose this multi-track recording and any record that it ever existed?
Sony’s Follow That Dream collectors label will release the CD in September, packaged in an oversized, 7-inch digipack and including a 16-page booklet with photographs from the show.
See below for the tracklisting. Is it September yet? Elvis is coming to town!
Live At The Richmond Coliseum: March 18, 1974
01) Also Sprach Zarathustra/
02) See See Rider
03) I Got A Woman/Amen [edited with Memphis, March 20, 1974]
04) Love Me
05) Tryin’ To Get To You
06) All Shook Up
07) Steamroller Blues
08) Teddy Bear/Don’t Be Cruel
09) Love Me Tender
10) Long Tall Sally/Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On/Your Mama Don’t Dance/Flip, Flop & Fly/Jailhouse Rock/Hound Dog
11) Fever
12) Polk Salad Annie
13) Why Me
14) Suspicious Minds
15) Introductions By Elvis
16) I Can’t Stop Loving You
17) Help Me
18) An American Trilogy
19) Let Me Be There
20) Funny How Time Slips Away
21) Can’t Help Falling In Love/
22) Closing Vamp
Bonus Songs
23) Sweet Caroline [Tulsa, March 1, 1974]
24) Johnny B. Goode [Memphis, March 17, 1974]
25) That’s All Right [Memphis, March 17, 1974]
FTD releases are official products and available from various online stores. They originate in Denmark and then ship to retailers, so there is sometimes a two or three week delay after the release date before the CDs arrive for those of us in the US.
The Mystery Train Blog 
how very cool, can’t wait to hear it
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Definitely. As I said, I was already excited if it was a soundboard . . . but a previously unknown professional multi-track? How cool is that?!?
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Definitely exciting news about 48 HOURS TO MEMPHIS! Not only do we get the Richmond show, which is a great show to start with, but now we get it in professionally recorded quality!! I’m with you Ty…is it September yet??
I am also curious about why the Richmond show was recorded…even more curious about the bonus tracks being included from Tulsa and Memphis on the 17th. I wonder if these tracks are also 16-track recordings or just regular soundboard recordings?? If they indeed turn out to be 16-track professional recordings, then you may be on to something with your theory that several shows during this tour were recorded for a “best of” tour compilation.
AWESOME NEWS for sure!! If you need me, I’ll be watching my mailbox… (-:
TCB my friend!!
Mike
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might have been recorded for a release but memphis was recorded and released instead.
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Tom, welcome aboard The Mystery Train, and thanks for commenting.
Yes, that is definitely a possibility. The truth is, it seems no one really knows. I can certainly see that it would have made more sense in 1974 to release a concert recorded in Memphis than Richmond.
I imagine the story behind all of this will eventually be revealed. Someone out there has to know.
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