'Elvis On Tour' is a 6CD + 1 Blu-Ray box set comprised of the audio from four of the shows (and two rehearsals) that were part of Elvis’ 1972 North American tour. Originally recorded for the Elvis On Tour concert film that was released later that year, the set features a total of 145 tracks, including 91 previously unreleased tracks, as well as the award-winning concert film on Blu-ray. It includes 3 Unreleased Elvis Concerts plus the San Antonio Concert Remixed, Pre-Tour Rehearsals and 'Best Documentary Film' Golden Globe winner film on Blu-ray RCA/Legacy's Elvis On Tour box set is produced by Ernst Mikael Jørgensen and mixed by Grammy Award-winning Memphis-based producer Matt Ross-Spang. The original recordings were made by Felton Jarvis and Al Pachucki. EIN's in-depth review by Piers Beagley checks out the positives and negatives of this long-awaited release...

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Please see EIN reader's comments below

Back in mid-2002 I asked Ernst Jorgensen about the possible release of ‘Elvis On Tour’ hoping that it would be released for the 30th anniversary later that year. He explained...

‘On Tour’ is a little bit complicated. Obviously everybody, including Roger and I, thought that 2002 would be the year. Especially when Turner recreated TTWII it was with hope of critical acclaim and financial rewards for Turner and although I think TTWII has done fairly well it was never a big commercial success. .. It’s a younger Elvis, a leaner Elvis in TTWII.
They are very nervous about putting out ‘On Tour’ and spending the same kind of money.
So they are trying to find a way to make ‘Elvis On Tour’ available in digital format but it’s not going to be a restoration for scratch like TTWII.

The reason why we haven’t put out anything on either FTD or RCA at this time is that we would ideally like to do it with them. So we are giving them a little more time but eventually if they don’t come around, we will release the material that we have which is pretty substantial.”

- Go here for the full 2002 interview about FTD & future Elvis releases.

EIN notes that in 2010 Turner finally did put out the ‘On Tour’ DVD / BluRay but for some unfathomable reason RCA / SONY did not match it with the CD box-set.

The movie’s 50th anniversary was in November 2022 and again SONY / RCA still did not make the hoped for release date, instead the new box-set being finally released in late January 2023.

I am not joking when I say that all-too-many EIN Fan Club members have died between 2010 and 2023. They died waiting for a product that should have been released twenty years ago.

Perhaps this would be forgivable had this new ‘Elvis On Tour’ box-set contained some revelatory new material – such as a few movie outtakes that have been available on bootlegs for year – but sadly no, all we get is the four concerts, two cds of rehearsals and a direct copy of 2010’s ‘Elvis On Tour’ BluRay without the correct ‘Johnny B Goode’ introduction.

However rather than moan about my personal disappointment with perhaps the last major "new" Elvis Presley product that will be released by RCA / SONY, let’s first look at the positives.

The Packaging
Released as the usual 8 inch format box-set, it includes a 32-page booklet, a 4-page fold-out for the concert CDs plus a three page fold out for the two rehearsal cds and Blu-ray disc.

The photos, most of which come from the MGM archive, all look fairly familiar although some neat shots from San Antonio (pg6 +25) and Jacksonville (both fold-out cover pics) do appear to be new to my collection.

And even if Elvis had put on little weight since TTWII, he sure appears involved in all the performances and still looks terrific / iconic in most of the deliciously selected shots.

The concerts fold-out includes a lovely spread of “contact prints” from the film which neatly explains the narrative of the movie. However if you think you’ve seen this idea before you are right as it was also used in the booklet of the 2010 DVD/ BluRay release.

The booklet features an interesting article by Warren Zanes ‘Elvis’ Road To Freedom’ that helps to explain where Elvis’ legacy sat in 1972 in respect to the on-going ‘Rock’n’Roll fifties’ revival as well as RCA’s handling of Elvis’ legacy..
He writes,

“Being a fan often means loving the image while continuing to search for the human being… Elvis On Tour is a document of the vitality of Elvis Presley, a collection of pictures and sounds and moments that capture an artist still excited, inspired and engaged by what remained possible for him as an artist.”

“The energy, intention, and approach of the film, all elevated by the calibre of the shows themselves, make it arguably the most important document of Elvis Presley’s ‘70’s career”

Jerry Schilling also provides a nice personal story of his involvement in the tour and the movie. He also comments on the bad decisions by Col Parker and also the real positive from both directors Bob Abel and Pierre Adidge. He also notes..,

“The fact that Elvis gave me an opportunity to be a part of this film shows just how great a friend he was.”

The book also contains pages of memorabilia as well as a few neat excerpts from Elvis' On Tour interview (as arranged by Jerry Schilling) across five pages. However I feel that the better idea would have been to include the previously unreleased recorded interview in full - described in the booklet as "the most rare personal interview Elvis ever did" - on a bonus cd. This would have at least been something new and collectable and would have truly captured Elvis' feelings about these full-on tours at the time.

 

AUDIO Quality
All the RCA recordings have been re-mastered by Matt Ross-Spang and they sound fabulous. The mixes also vary slightly depending on the venue and concert.

Hampton Roads – This concert was never previously released as complete. The bootlegs were fairly narrow stereo with almost no piano in the mix, and also with tape hum as well as missing three key tracks.
Now the audio is beautiful stereo, with great mix of piano, clear & cutting James Burton guitar and it runs at the correct speed.

The power and dynamic of ‘An American Trilogy’ is stunning and it also lowers the previously loud JD Sumner in the mix. The whole tape has a beautiful dynamic but “the shriek” @03.08 is absolutely stunning.

Regrettably one minute of Elvis’ vocal is missing at the start of ‘I Got A Woman’ – which could have easily been fixed – but I still prefer this version to anything I already own.
To be honest, the 1 minute of missing audio to me actually adds some of the tension of RCA engineers grappling with the problems of recording their first concert of the tour.

Richmond - This was always a great sounding concert but here the mix is beautifully spread. There is a lovely clear top-end and it also places Elvis’ vocal lower in the mix compared to the bootleg.

Greensboro – This has always been a great concert including the first ever version of ‘Burning Love’ but all the bootlegs have been in mono. And the old bootlegs also had some peak-clipping.
So finally we get to hear all the musicians and orchestra in stereo and it’s a fabulous mix. I’ve always enjoyed this performance but the STEREO mix makes it even more enjoyable. A song like ‘You Gave Me A Mountain’ has an amazing dynamic range with the quiet sections revealing even more emotion because of it. ‘Until It’s Time For You To Go’ now features some wonderful work from Glen D Hardin and ‘Polk Salad’ rocks.

San Antonio – The mix here emphasises the rhythm section with Jerry Scheff’s bass and Ronnie Tutt’s drums really powering along the whole performance. While it is perhaps a show with not so many highlights the power of the new mix makes it one of the most enjoyable performances to play loud and get totally absorbed listening to the complete power of Elvis’ band.

 

The Four Concerts.
These are all fabulous 1972 performances by Elvis and each one is totally enjoyable. Elvis has a wonderful relationship with each audience and puts his heart and soul into every performance. The TCB Band are playing tight as ever, while the loose southern-funk interaction from both the musicians and backing-vocalists add something really special.

It is a real positive that these “On Tour” concerts don’t have the TCB Band rush of the MSG concerts nor the slight sterility-of-perfection required from them for the ‘Aloha’ recording.

For me the highlight is finally getting the complete Hampton Roads evening show in all its power and glory - and also in a beautiful stereo mix. This is my real positive in buying this new box-set. …

Hampton Roads. This concert feels more like the real Elvis than either ‘Aloha’ the “iconic Elvis” or Madison Square Garden the “I'm being recorded by RCA” Elvis. This is an impressive new mix with a brilliant stereo spread. Tonight Elvis was not afraid of getting sweaty as he knew that there could be edits where needed. Throughout the concerts you really get the feeling of the excitement from the audience shrieks and show is less rushed than Madison Square Garden and perhaps these concerts have even more of the feel of “A Prince From Another Planet”. Even though this was the second concert of the day, there is a magnificence to Elvis' performance. “Oh see, See See Rider, oh see what you have done” Elvis sings with backing vocals on the right-hand side plenty of Glen D Hardin left and with James Burton chickin’-pickin’ guitar cutting on the right channel. Perhaps the band were performing extra hard because of the cameras but there was a magic this night, proven by the fact that eight songs would feature in the film. “Take it down low” Elvis notes @02.31 and the band that keep the soulful-groove going for 20 seconds. Elvis laughs at the pleasure - and in the movie you can see him rolling his head acknowledging the screams from his fans - before bringing it all back with a superb power-ending. ‘I Got A Woman’ - sadly RCA's recording has Elvis' mic drops out for the first minute - annoyingly this could have been easily fixed for release as it was okay in the movie. However it's a great performance, @01:50 Elvis explodes with, “I gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta woman.. way ‘cross, way ‘cross, way ‘cross town who's good, good, good, good to me” .. Elvis is SO in the moment it is mesmerising. All these inspired moments are “ELVIS MAGIC” - and yet we are only 5 minutes into the show! The magic continues with a delicate ‘Never Been To Spain’ and then a delightful ‘You Gave Me A Mountain’ which is far less O-T-T than Aloha. As featured in the movie this new mix has a really clean rhythm section, sparkling Glenn D piano and perfectly placed Orchestra. Even if Elvis gets a little distracted by the audience on ‘Until It Is Time For You To Go’ it’s still a fine performance of his last single and afterwards the crowd roar with their obvious approval. (In the UK charts this single made number five whereas in the US it disappointingly only made number 40). ‘Polk Salad Annie’, again included in the movie, has a great Jerry Scheff sound and pumping Ronnie Tutt drums. The “do it to me” chick-a-boom finale is brilliant – although I would have liked to hear more of the Sweet Inspirations “soul-clapping” in the mix. The massive audience reaction again gives you an indication of the physical action Elvis was putting into the song - as can be seen in the film. The ‘oldies but goodies’ are fairly standard crowd-pleasing performances, however the inclusion of ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’ is a delightful addition. Perfectly performed, with none of the usual jokes, this version is pretty unique. Elvis sings it earnestly and there is a delightful “I want to talk to you, man” comment. At the end Elvis says, “Thank you, thank you for listening”. It is very cute, truly one of the very best. Elvis and the band were full-bore this night. Elvis is really involved on ‘Please Release Me’, puts some real effort into ‘Hound Dog’ and goes straight into a very fine ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ with no break or breather. On the crowd-pleasing ‘Suspicious Minds’ Elvis does lose concentration a bit in the second verse but there is the fabulous and funny, ”Are these yours, honey?” moment when Elvis places a pair of red women's underwear on his head - as seen in the clip of the movie. Yet more “Elvis Magic”! ‘For The Good Times’ is unfortunately played a little faster than the June MSG version but as Elvis notes at the end, “That's a pretty song”. After the short and sweet Introductions comes the real stunner. Elvis’ ‘American Trilogy’ single had only been released in the previous week and his performance here is sensational. It's amazing to think that to a fair number of his audience that ‘American Trilogy’ would be a brand new song. The audio emphasises Ronnie Tutt's tight military beat and the overall mix is beautifully clear. Elvis’ pacing along with the incredible dynamic ambience - from quiet as a pin to the huge power-ending - is perfect here for this all-important song. And, as any keen Elvis fan knows, there is that astounding audience shriek at the perfect spot in the ‘All my trials’ section. This is an absolutely brilliant top-notch version. Afterwards Elvis says a sincere “thank you” to his audience. The screams from his fans during ‘Love Me Tender’ again show the amazing interaction Elvis had with his audience, and again a short clip from here features in the film. Elvis jokes, “We gonna’ work for you, hang loose” and he sure does with the sensational version of ‘A Big Hunk O’ Love’ that follows. Brand-new in the set list in 1972 this is one of Elvis’ best ever versions. The stunning ‘How Great Thou Art / Sweet Sweet Spirit’ - “just listen to them, please” - combination is so well-known from the movie that fans might think that these were a regular inclusion of this tour, but it was quite the opposite. Apart from the previous show in Knoxville these were a unique performance and again something that makes this concert and the filming of it extremely special. ‘Lawdy, Miss Clawdy’ is a beautifully paced, sweaty version and again one of the very best. The audio mix is extremely good here with clean piano plus James Burton’s rockin’guitar (which for some reason this faded down in the movie). There is a real Gospel swing to this old rock 'n' roller with nice work by the Sweet Inspirations. Elvis is really reacting with his band, there is a cute, “take it baby” before the break and then he pushes, “one more time” with a great smile on his face. With that, and two stunning performances done in Hampton Roads that day, it was time to “Take it home”. Even then Elvis finishes with a serious version of, “Can't Help Falling In Love” including the great “Oh, Lord” power ending. Even Al Dvorin’s “Elvis has left the building” works extremely well with the strange wail of a solo trombone sounding the end to a truly brilliant performance.

To be honest each of the four concerts are glorious, and worth playing loud on your Hi-Fi or listening to on headphones.
Of course there are alternate highlights and differences in each performance. In short …

Richmond – Elvis rocks straight in with a fabulous and funky 'Proud Mary' before the nicely adlibbed “Only made it to Virginia” in 'Never Been To Spain'. 'Until It's Time For You To Go' is the version from ‘Elvis On Tour’ movie where you can see Elvis playing with his microphone. After a sweaty ‘Polk Salad Annie' Elvis rolls on to his back on the stage to calm down noting, “That’s a funny looking thing up there, I hope that think don’t fall. I’d be flatter than a pancake!”
There’s the highlight of ”This song is a favourite of mine” and the rarely performed ‘It's Over' (the only time Elvis performed it in the tour) .

A lovely and tender 'For The Good Times' is followed by a powerful ‘I Can't Stop Loving You' in the second half with a fine 'American Trilogy' (if not up to Hampton Roads).

The magnificent 'Lawdy Miss Clawdy' is at last complete with Elvis noting “I was here 14 years ago man, when I was a baby!”
A fine ‘Funny How Time Slips Away’ “How, am I doing?… Well I’m sweating a lot!” features some very cool piano-work from Glen Hardin. So overall while not up to the energy of the previous night this is still a very, very fine show.

 

Greensboro – Previously only bootlegged in mono this is brilliant to revisit in stereo
‘You Gave Me A Mountain’ is now superb with the lyrics “my woman got tired of the heartaches” even more poignant.

Until It’s Time For You To Go’ was always one of Elvis’ best versions but here it is even better in this gorgeous open stereo mix.
The movie included the deliciously paced ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ as well as the great line “Sneakin' up on me, man” from a very fine ‘Suspicious Minds’.
‘For The Good Times’ is also a favourite featuring some wonderful crowd interaction,.

‘An American Trilogy’ – as in the movie - hits a heartfelt chord with his southern audience and is another superlative performance of this great song. The way Elvis raises and lowers the power of his voice at critical moments is amazing to listen to.

Of course the most important song this night would however be the very first concert performance of 'Burning Love.' “We’re gonna’ spring a new song on you tonight, we don’t know it too well. If we goof it up just bear with us”. James Burton’s plays some cutting lead guitar and Ronnie Tutt pounds the drums. It is a lovely first attempt and even the mess of the ending is a treat - and the crowd love it. Little did they know it would make #1.

‘Release Me’ also has a lovely funky gospel groove more very different to the “max- power” On Stage version.

Finally ‘Funny How Time Slips Away’ has to be noted for its wonderful Elvis line describing his belt, “For those of you that can’t see back there this is an owl”! It’s a lovely ending.

San Antonio - The last recorded RCA concert, the penultimate show of the tour and two weeks since the first Buffalo concert. Elvis had performed 17 energy draining concerts in the previous 15 days. While tonight Elvis might have been more ‘business mode’ the new mix / remaster with its great focus on the rhythm section truly delivers the goods.

‘Proud Mary’ as featured in the movie, Elvis comments "bring that bass up!" and they do. A deliciously juicy mix emphasising Jerry Scheff’s funky bass work. You can really hear the band slowly build up and up as Elvis pumps the crowd. This was going to be a great night!

‘Never Been To Spain’ also included in the film and it another great version and ‘Polk’ gets another serious work-out.

‘For The Good Times’ (rehearsed so many times) has the crowd exploding with excitement at the start of this new song. There is a great clarity to the mix and you can imagine yourself right on stage with Elvis & Charlie Hodge duetting.

‘How Great Thou Art’ "We’d like to do a gospel song for you…" is another great version. One has to wonder why Elvis would drop this absolute stunner from his ‘Madison Square Garden’ set just 2 months later. This version is at a slower tempo and the new dynamic mix emphasises Elvis’ belief and love for gospel music.

Again the classic ‘Burning Love’ - "We’d like to do a new song for you tonight, and if we goof this up just bear with us” as featured in the movie is a gem. Only the second time that he had performed it live and the crowd must have been stunned as they would have never heard this classic before – amazingly it wasn’t to be released for another 4 months.

The penultimate ‘Funny How Time’ ends with Elvis cutely joking about hitting the last note, “think I can’t hit that note... watch this”.....

 

The Rehearsals:
These two discs sound so clear on this remaster compared to other bootleg releases or even the fabulous FTD “On Tour- The Rehearsals’ compilation. The mix is crystal clear as if they had been recorded for album release and you can really enjoy the ambience of the RCA studio.
I still find these fascinating listening and they have been somewhat edited down from the complete session.

The early versions of Elvis and The Stamps harmonising a Capella on ‘For The Good Times’ are delightful and the open audio mix stunning. Similarly the ‘Burning Love’ rehearsal on the second day with Elvis explaining the “Hunka, hunka” ending to the band is so cool.

Tracks such as ‘Never Been To Spain’, 'Release Me', 'See See Rider' and 'Johnny B. Goode' without any orchestra backing or overdubs are real collectors’ material. The new audio mix here also makes ‘Until It’s Time For You To Go’ sound so beautiful and tender with a really special emphasis on the lyrics of separation and loneliness.

Here Elvis sings the songs at a slower pace than he would on stage which also gives a more relaxed, sincere feel to the songs, especially the ballads.

However while the ‘Separate Ways’ rehearsals were a very fine end to the lengthy first day yet there is no indication of it being the end to the filmed session and so there is an odd jump to ‘Proud Mary’ which was the start of the session the following day.

The work Matt Ross-Spang did in editing the studio banter on the “Way Down, In the Jungle Room Sessions” to create a really dynamic session was very commendable so I wish that he had done more of the same here. The ten versions of rehearsing 'For The Good Times' become a little repetitive with Elvis giving very few clues as to what he was striving for and the six versions on Day 1 would surely bore a mainstream listener before they even get to the excitement of ‘Johnny B Goode’ and the delight of ‘Always On My Mind’.

For the "general public" I think the complete rehearsal session should have been an FTD release and then the 2004 ‘Elvis On Tour: The Rehearsals’ FTD (remastered and extended) would have been the perfect compilation for this mainstream release.

An article on what these rehearsals were about – Were they genuine rehearsals or only for the film-crew? – Why was Jerry Scheff not there? How many were used in the movie? Why does the second day suddenly jump to mono and the “Gospel jam”? – would have also helped explain their importance.

 

 

The BluRay
The Blu-ray here is exactly the same edit as the previous 2010 Blu-ray / DVD version. I can see no improvement in mastering.
The fact that Chuck Berry's 'Johnny B. Goode' hasn't been corrected for the intro is truly disappointing.
I can't imagine any Elvis fan not already owning a copy of this film so without any new Bonus Clips (at least add the six performances from 'The Lost Performances') it seems a waste.
And if negotiating with MGM / Turner over its inclusion increased the box-set price, I think that factor would have only turned off some mainstream purchasers as well as some Elvis fans. The package is not cheap.

 

Having pointed out how much I have enjoyed this new ‘Elvis On Tour’ box-set there is no doubt that it is a pretty expensive product, especially when it includes the same old Blu-Ray version.

As this is probably the last “major” General Public ELVIS release it really should have been so much better for the price. Purchasing the ‘TTWII’ Deluxe set or “Young Man With The Big Beat” was so much more satisfying - and what Elvis’ legacy deserved.

After fifty years from the first 'Elvis: On Tour' movie and twenty years since Ernst and Roger told us that they were “giving Turners a little more time” there are a pile of missed opportunities in this box-set.

Having written 3,700 words of general praise above - and I have truly enjoyed listening to each concert multiple times - this list below is the simplest way that I can now explain my disappointment.

The Negatives
1. This box-set should have been released mid-2022 to coincide with Elvis Week and the 50th anniversary. There really was no acceptable excuse.

2. This ‘Elvis On Tour’ box-set should have been a 12x12” package similar to TTWII and YMWTBB. After all there is no other RCA package of Elvis on-tour. It is what Elvis was known for from 1970 – 1977 and fans deserve something impressive and collectable.

3. The overall package needs more photos, many more photos.

4. The price of around US$110 is very high for what it is. Bob Dylan’s similarly priced SONY 5-cd ‘Fragments’ box-set came out recently but with proper hard-cardboard sleeve and 120 page book. Why did Elvis deserve less?

5. The Blu-Ray is a straight copy of the 2010 version without the ‘Johnny B. Goode’ fabulous original intro. Chuck Berry died five years ago. This should have been fixed.

6. The book lacks so much relevant information that would explain to a mainstream buyer why each concert actually differed and what highlights to listen out for. Similarly it is unbelievable that the book doesn’t state which song from each concert - and rehearsal - were included in the final film.

7. When every CD in the 'Elvis Live 69' set was clearly labelled with which concert and date why are the six cds here only numbered? They should be noted as CD1 ‘Hampton Roads’ etc. I’m sure that mainstream listeners would never differentiate between the four concerts just by listening after all they do start fairly the same.

8. There is no list anywhere in the package of the actual 1972 tour and concert dates. Elvis performed nineteen concerts over fifteen days and he did not slow down for the filming. This was an amazing workload for Elvis and his crew and it’s not even mentioned.

9. There is no indication that the stunning Hampton Roads show happened to be his second concert that day. That makes Elvis’ evening performance even more mind-blowing.

10. It is also surely of some interest that San Antonio was the penultimate concert of the tour. It is not mentioned.

11. The Rehearsals are again just ‘CD 5’ and ‘CD 6’ and either needed some text to explain what they represented or should have been more tightly edited for the mainstream audience as a stunning ‘Best Of’

12. The 2018 ‘Amiga’ 'Elvis On Tour' bootleg – a 13-inch boxset plus 128-page hardcover book - is by far the best celebration of ‘Elvis On Tour’ including impressive text, details, photos and is a real commemoration of the excitement of Elvis on stage in 1972. Why RCA / SONY could not produce a product even half its size is a sad indication of their belief in Elvis’ legacy.

13. Finally while obviously “just” an oversight, the fact that Ronnie Tutt is not credited in the list of musicians is a little sad. On the first double-page photo in the book Ronnie Tutt is also sitting right behind Elvis playing drums but again his name is missed from that page’s musician credits. How did this happen?

 

Overall Verdict: Ernst Jorgensen noted that, “In 'On Tour' Elvis was still finding something new.. and was courageous and controlled in his performances. It all comes together for him, for real, in 1972.” That is true and “Elvis On Tour” provides the only real major package for the general public that shows Elvis’ stunning energy and amazing presence as he hammered around the states on a never ending series of amazing one-night stands. It is what he was famous for in his final years.
The fact that these four wonderful performances have finally been released, both remixed and remastered in glorious quality, is a real joy. I was happy to pay the money purely for these brilliant performances.
However the fact that SONY / RCA didn’t make it for the 50th anniversary is a real embarrassment.
And the fact that this “deluxe package” includes such a small booklet lacking in any detail and depth and without including anything remotely unreleased on the BluRay is disappointing.
Usually a RCA /SONY official release makes collectors frustrated that they have previously wasted their hard-earned money on a substandard bootleg version but here the 2018 ‘Amiga’ bootleg set the standard that RCA needed to emulate but they have failed badly.
Here I think that keen Elvis fans need to decide how much they actually listen to these concerts and whether it is worth the cost of £93 / US$110 purely for the audio upgrades. There's not much else they need.
If, after a 50-year wait, this is the last major box-set release of “new” Elvis material by RCA / SONY it should have been a total blast of large-formatted stunning packaging including some exciting previously unavailable material whereas this sadly feels more like a final whimper.

Note that back in 2018 EIN wrote, "This AMIGA bootleg is an incredible, all-encompassing Deluxe presentation of ‘Elvis On Tour’ in pictures and sound. SONY will never release a project as big as this." - Unfortunately we were right.  

 

Please note that the low-res p/c scans used in this review do not show the true clarity of the images or text.

 

Review by Piers Beagley.
-Copyright EIN April 2023 -
EIN Website content © Copyright the Elvis Information Network.

Click here to comment on this review - ( Do YOU believe we were too harsh in our review?)

 

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EIN Reader's Comments From: Emjel You ask why Sony did not match Dylan’s set or produce something similar to the Amiga set. Well the bottom line is "not financially viable" for Sony. Dylan’s previous bootleg sets have sold better than Elvis’ similar previous releases and the latest Dylan set has so far shifted around 31k units (physical & downloads globally - it sold over 4.5k in the U.K. in its first week with around 9k in the US. Elvis could hardly move 1k units in the U.K. in the first week which was mirrored in the USA. Global sales are now around 17k with the bulk coming from streaming/downloads. The other thing that Sony are up against compared with Amiga is that Amiga do not pay any royalties on the recordings and I doubt they paid Warners anything for the photos used either and I believe it was this kind of thing although not exclusive, that caused a hiccup with Sony getting the physical release out on the original date. Just a few things to consider. EIN NOTE: We understand the comments above, however the Elvis 2014 'TTWII' deluxe set has been sold out for years with copies now exchanging hands for £550+ on EBay! We believe a similar 'On Tour' deluxe set would have been a long-term seller. From: Geoffrey McD I agree that for my ears it is so good that HAMPTON ROADS is complete and in great sound - it is Damn good. Richmond is too (similar to my enjoyment of previous bootleg 'Red hot in Richmond') and Greensboro sounds great. Personally I have trouble with the new San Antonio mix as it somehow lacks "punch" for me. Thanks for the review as it raises some great points and is very thorough. Something as important as this release deserves a proper review that discusses all the details. From: Robert G Once again a very thorough review as always, all you have said is spot on. I like so many Elvis fans had been waiting for the GOODS but sadly they missed the boat. Yes I bought it for same reason you bought it, I also bought the 2018 AMIGA bootleg box set witch was outstanding and I was very happy to pay the price, the Sony cost was a little shocking. The package look and felt cheap and sliding the CDs out of the sleeves is a pain in the... the booklet was no better and I just don’t like the removal of Johnny B Good, I heard that Chuck’s estate wanted too much money? Anyway we got something to celebrate his 50th BUT I love my AMIGA box! From: David M. I don’t think the review is harsh. In the UK priced at £100 ($124) is a lot of money for 2 extra cds compared to the Nashville box sets which were priced around £50 for 4cds I have the Greensboro show on the Victorola bootleg with a longer gospel jam. The missing songs are great , Time has made A Change and When it’s My Time. 1972 was I think the last great tour Elvis did , just full on music no drawn out introductions and I agree it deserves a much better set on par with the 69 box Shame, Elvis deserves better, so do the fans. Much more effort is needed and I can't understand why the standards by Sony appear to be slipping. From: Stephen Oc Regarding the "Elvis On Tour box-set in depth review" The bottom line of the story - "after fifty years surely SONY/RCA will get it right" I very much doubt this as in the notes to the Elvis on Tour box-set, no reference is made to the late great Ronnie Tutt as being drummer / musician within Elvis' band. Absolute shocker that he was missed from the credits. Just one question though. The Hampton Roads, Virginia (April 9, 1972) - I Got A Woman. Elvis' voice sounds very tinny and far off at the start of the track and then about half way through, his voice is brought back to normal. Is this like this across all the box-set CDs? Reason I ask is that I also have the Amiga Elvis On Tour Deluxe Edition and this song - added as a bonus to the concert - sounds perfect from the very start. How is this so bad on the Sony box-set? EIN NOTE: We did comment about the 'I Got A Woman' issue with RCA's recording at the start of Hampton Roads. MGM fixed it for the movie release by inserting Elvis' vocal recorded by their equipment. It was RCA's Elvis microphone feed that dropped out. Yes, it could have been fixed for this release (if RCA worked with the MGM tapes) and we do understand why it would annoy the general buyer. From: Martin F Greetings from Denmark and thank you for the 'On Tour – 2023' review. I was on the fence, but now -... no thanks Sony .. AND what about the big FTD 'On Tour' book? That should have been released to coincide - is it coming in 2023 – or not. EIN NOTE: We hear rumours that the FTD 'On Tour' book may be delayed until early 2024. Nothing confirmed though. From: Oliver S Thanks so much for your detailed review of the much-anticipated "On Tour" set. And while we are at it: Thanks to the whole EIN team for your many years of work! All the info and thus the anticipation for the Elvis releases on RCA and FTD the fans get from you, you really help to keep Elvis Legacy alive. - (.. EIN says, THANKS so much for those kind words) To your final question "Do YOU believe we were too harsh in our review?" I say clearly: I think no! You fairly name your point of view and justify criticism. And you are happy (like me) about the box set in the end. If you allow, I would like to criticize a positive point of view. You write that the mix is very good. I have a completely different opinion: the sound quality itself is very good, but the mix is frankly horrible. A present piano, the bass is good, The Sweet Inspirations and James Burton's lead guitar are present. But where are J.D. Sumner And The Stamps Quartet? In the On Tour movie from 2010 the mixing is much better, on 'Proud Mary' J.D. Sumner And The Stamps can be heard engaged "Rolling on the River!" already without Elvis request "Bring that bass up guys!". On the CD, the chorus is only glimpsed. The Stamps "Gators got your Granny" part on Polk Salad Annie (so beautifully present on the August '72 soundboards!) is also way too quiet in all versions. John Wilkinson's rhythm guitar is virtually inaudible. Most disappointing to me is the neglect of Ronnie Tutt's drums - a bit more present in the quiet parts, but way too much in the background especially in the groovy parts. So that you don't misunderstand me: Mixing is of course a matter of taste! But on the whole I am disappointed. The mixes of the 6CD set TTWII from 2014, the Legacy Edition 'From Elvis In Memphis '74 concert' and the rehearsal concert for Aloha From Hawaii (Legacy Edition) were perfect for me. VERY present drums, a nice L/R channel split for lead and rhythm guitar, as well as female/male chorus. All clearly separated and present. While 'On Tour' Songs with intense band accompaniment often has bass, The Stamps, horn section kind of muffly mixed together. In the (for me) good mixes, the team around Rob Santos and Steve Rosenthal was always there, but Matt Ross Spang didn't manage it so well in my opinion, even at the Aloha concert on FTD. Just compare the drums during the intro to 'Suspicious Minds' 12.01.73 to 14.01.73! How did you write it so nicely on the Legacy Edition of 12.01.73? "This mix really has balls!" I don't want to pick on Matt Ross Spang either, his mixing of the outtakes from the Jungle Room are top notch! No one knows what his specifications were. I hope that Ernst Jorgensen one day discovers a "power line" of the multitrack concerts as a renewed marketing opportunity (just a hint from me ;) ) or that MGM takes money in hand and releases all FOUR 'On Tour' concerts complete on Bluray with new mix out. (Unlike TTWII the 'On Tour' concerts are completely on film). I wonder what do others think about my completely different view on the mixes? EIN NOTE: Interesting points and I did note that to my ears on Hampton Roads "The new mix also lowers the previously loud JD Sumner in the mix." I also agree that "John Wilkinson's rhythm guitar is virtually inaudible" on most of the shows but in the end I had to cull my way-too-many pages of notes to create a readable review. Click here to comment on this review and ABOVE comments - ( Do YOU believe we were too harsh in our review?)

Disc 1 - April 9, 1972 - Hampton Roads 1. Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra (Theme From 2001: A Space Odyssey) 1:20 2. See See Rider 3:12 3. I Got A Woman / Amen 2:59 4. Never Been To Spain 3:34 5. You Gave Me A Mountain 3:14 6. Until It’s Time For You To Go 2:30 7. Polk Salad Annie 3:03 8. Love Me 1:38 9. All Shook Up 1:06 10. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel 2:11 11. Are You Lonesome Tonight? 2:42 12. I Can’t Stop Loving You 2:26 13. Hound Dog 1:29 14. Bridge Over Troubled Water 4:08 15. Suspicious Minds 5:19 16. For The Good Times 3:08 17. Introductions 1:29 18. American Trilogy 4:54 19. Love Me Tender 2:41 20. A Big Hunk O’ Love 2:05 21. How Great Thou Art 2:54 22. Sweet, Sweet Spirit 2:46 23. Lawdy, Miss Clawdy 2:11 24. Can’t Help Falling In Love 1:42 25. Closing Vamp 1:46

Disc 2 April 10, 1972 - Richmond 1. Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra (Theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey) 1:17 2. See See Rider 3:00 3. Proud Mary 2:44 4. Never Been To Spain 3:37 5. You Gave Me A Mountain 3:14 6. Until It’s Time For You To Go 2:32 7. Polk Salad Annie 2:51 8. Love Me 2:00 9. All Shook Up 1:01 10. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel 1:49 11. Heartbreak Hotel 2:05 12. Hound Dog 1:21 13. Bridge Over Troubled Water 4:12 14. Love Me Tender 1:43 15. It’s Over 2:18 16. Suspicious Minds 4:47 17. Introductions 1:59 18. For The Good Times 3:06 19. I Can’t Stop Loving You 2:24 20. American Trilogy 4:17 21. Lawdy, Miss Clawdy 2:41 22. Funny How Time Slips Away 2:41 23. Can’t Help Falling In Love 1:41 24. Closing Vamp 1:50

Disc 3 - April 14, 1972 - Greensboro 1. Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra (Theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey) 1:14 2. See See Rider 3:09 3. Proud Mary 2:44 4. Never Been To Spain 3:37 5. You Gave Me A Mountain 3:15 6. Until It’s Time For You To Go 2:37 7. Polk Salad Annie 3:15 8. Love Me 1:36 9. All Shook Up 1:01 10. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel 2:27 11. Hound Dog 1:31 12. Heartbreak Hotel 1:50 13. A Big Hunk O’ Love 2:00 14. Bridge Over Troubled Water 4:14 15. Suspicious Minds 4:46 16. Love Me Tender 1:38 17. Introductions 1:23 18. For The Good Times 3:05 19. American Trilogy 4:45 20. Burning Love 2:46 21. Release Me (And Let Me Love Again) 3:04 22. Funny How Time Slips Away 2:50 23. Can’t Help Falling In Love 1:40 24. Closing Vamp 1:49

Disc 4 April 18, 1972 - San Antonio 1. Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra (Theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey) 1:20 2. See See Rider 2:52 3. Proud Mary 2:32 4. Never Been To Spain 3:36 5. You Gave Me A Mountain 3:13 6. Until It’s Time For You To Go 2:29 7. Polk Salad Annie 3:05 8. Love Me 1:38 9. All Shook Up 1:01 10. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel 1:46 11. Heartbreak Hotel 1:45 12. Hound Dog 1:25 13. How Great Thou Art 2:54 14. I Can’t Stop Loving You 2:28 15. Love Me Tender 1:39 16. Suspicious Minds 4:21 17. Introductions 1:17 18. For The Good Times 3:23 19. Burning Love 2:02 20. American Trilogy 4:44 21. Funny How Time Slips Away 3:09 22. Can’t Help Falling In Love 1:46 23. Closing Vamp 1:22

Disc 5 - March 30 & 31, 1972. Rehearsals at RCA’s studio 1. Burning Love (incomplete) 2:14 2. Burning Love 3:34 3. Burning Love 3:36 4. For The Good Times (incomplete) 1:12 5. For The Good Times (incomplete) 3:00 6. For The Good Times 4:39 7. For The Good Times 4:03 8. For The Good Times 4:34 9. El Paso (fragment) 0:52 10. For The Good Times (incomplete) 3:04 11. For The Good Times 3:29 12. Johnny B. Goode 4:56 13. Always On My Mind (incomplete) 1:46 14. Always On My Mind (incomplete) 2:15 15. Always On My Mind 4:25 16. Separate Ways 3:26 17. Separate Ways 4:34 18. Proud Mary 2:52 19. Never Been To Spain 3:57 20. You Gave Me A Mountain (incomplete) 1:21 21. Until It’s Time For Me To Go 3:59 22. Polk Salad Annie 2:51 23. Love Me 2:37

Disc 6 - March 31, 1972. Rehearsals at RCA’s studio 1. All Shook Up 1:12 2. Heartbreak Hotel 2:13 3. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel 1:57 4. Hound Dog 1:26 5. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face 5:27 6. A Big Hunk O’Love 2:09 7. A Big Hunk O’Love 2:30 8. See See Rider 3:03 9. For The Good Times 3:22 10. For The Good Times (incomplete) 1:30 11. For The Good Times 3:37 12. Funny How Time Slips Away 3:41 13. Burning Love 6:11 14. Help Me Make It Through The Night 2:57 15. Can’t Help Falling In Love 2:08 16. Young And Beautiful 3:16 17. Lawdy, Miss Clawdy 2:28 18. Release Me (And Let Me Love Again) 2:38 19. See See Rider 2:31 20. Proud Mary 2:45 21. Never Been To Spain 3:46 22. I, John 2:22 23. Bosom Of Abraham 0:53 24. You Better Run 2:06 25. Lead Me, Guide Me 2:39 26. Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus/Nearer My God To Thee 3:59

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Elvis On Tour – The Rehearsals: Released by FTD at the end of last year and they sure saved the best for last. The more one listens to this CD the more faultless it sounds. EIN's Piers Beagley provides an in-depth analysis of the "essential FTD release of 2004". (FTD Review, Source: EIN)

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2018- 'ELVIS ON TOUR - 45th Anniversary Deluxe Edition' IN-Depth Review: Amiga International's long awaited LIMITED-EDITION boxset featuring 9-CD’s, all remastered, of all known recordings made for the Golden Globe Award-winning concert documentary ELVIS ON TOUR is OUT NOW. It includes the premiere of the complete rehearsal recorded in Buffalo, NY on April 5, 1972, with three previously unreleased performances. The 13-inch boxset also includes a huge 128-page hardcover book containing detailed essays of the entire April 1972 tour with RARE AND UNPUBLISHED photographs and related memorabilia. When considering the lack of attention paid to this concert documentary, it seems a shame that so few official releases have emerged. It is for this reason that AMIGA International presents this deluxe package to honor the excellent recordings made for the much neglected "Elvis On Tour" film. Go here as EIN's Piers Beagley supplies a 5,000 word indepth review.. (CD Reviews, Source;ElvisInfoNet)

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See EIN review of 'A Boy From Tupelo'

See EIN review of 'Young Man With The Big Beat'.

See EIN review of 'Elvis Is Back!' Legacy Edition review:

See EIN review of 'The Complete Elvis Presley Masters' in-depth Review

See EIN review of 'On Stage' 40th Anniversary LEGACY in-depth review:

See EIN review of From Elvis In Memphis (40th Anniversary Legacy Edition)

See EIN review of 'I Believe' BMG Gospel set.

See EIN review of 'The Complete '68 Comeback Special' CD Review:

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