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My friend, Susan, wrote me today with a suggestion for a new page…and while I haven’t put together a lot of material for this page, I have decided to begin constructing the page.  Then I will add more as time goes by and as I refresh my memory from days long ago.  Needless to say, since I became friends with Jesse, I haven’t gone back looking over the clues, etc. the way I did back when I was publishing my newsletter.  Phew!! That was 19 years ago!

Susan’s suggestion was that we show examples of the times that Elvis left clues for us in his music near the end of his career.  Sometimes, he changed the words of a song, sometimes he chose songs of a particular genre or with a special title, sometimes he called attention to a certain song by announcing, before singing it, something about the song to get people to focus their attention upon his “message” song,  and he chose the songs for his last recording session to relate to last farewells, tears at a grave, etc.

And so, I will begin with a very favorite clue/message song which he sang live during one of his 1977 concerts…may have been the last.  The song is “Where No One  Stands Alone“.  He called special attention to this song and placed much emphasis on the fact that he had never sung this song on stage before in his life.  He sprang this song on the backup singers, saying they had never rehearsed it as he called out those who he wished to accompany him.  Then, best of all, he said he was going to play the piano because he knew the chord changes.  He then sang it with so much feeling.  Just magnificent!!

When we hear him sing these lyrics, knowing what we do now, it is so clear that he was singing about the unhappy and lonely times in his own life.  Remember also that he was telling many people around him prior to August, 1977 that he was “…so tired of being Elvis Presley“.

“Like a king I may live in a palace so tall, with great riches to call my own.  But I don’t know a thing in this whole wide world that’s worse than being alone.”

While still seated at the piano after finishing Where No One Stands Alone, he announced that he was going to do another song at the piano.  At the end of the above song, you will hear him announce Unchained Melody.  He does such a magnificent performance of this song…a song which is very haunting and sad.  “…such a long and lonely time.  I’ll be coming home, wait for me.“ 

I don’t have a YouTube video of this myself and so I will be inserting links below to videos belonging to someone else.  I don’t know these people, but I hope they will not mind my linking to their wonderful videos.

King Of Gospel Elvis Presley Live On Stage Playing Piano

This top video is owned on YouTube by: tcbhome01

The second video above is owned on YouTube by: hollandgroupc2008

Tuesday, January 26, 2010  

This musical clue which Elvis gave and left for us is regarding the song My Way.  Elvis actually did record this song on June 10, 1971 in Nashville.  However, it was never released before he “retired” in 1977.  It was finally released in 1995 in the Anthology Walk A Mile In My Shoes.  After 1971,  he did perform it in concert a number of times.  These live versions were included in a number of official releases.  Probably the most notable live performance before June 26, 1977 was in the Aloha show…which was released on The Alternate Aloha.  So, contrary to some reports, Elvis was performing this song long  before his planned retirement date.  In 1970, he said “That’s a very good song, ladies and gentlemen, but I wouldn’t want it associated with my own personal life“.   However, I believe that he had changed his mind when he sang this song one last time.

The performance to which I want to call your attention now is the version which he did during his last tour.  The compelling evidence that he was including this song as a farewell lies in the way in which he presented this song. As I wrote above about the song Where No One Stands Alone, Elvis called attention to the words in this song very deliberately.  I will post a link below to a YouTube video of this performance of My Way.  As you will see, he said that he did not know the words and would have to read them, if the audience didn’t mind.  Again, he called attention to the words in particular so that the audience would be really listening to the words.  You will also see that he very soon stopped using the piece of paper and did sing it from memory.”…and now the end is near and so I face the final curtain.” The following is the link to the video of this performance.  Again this is not my personal You Tube video and so you will see credit shown for the owner of this video.  I Thank the person who presented this fantastic video.

The owner of this video is: ELV1SKINGtheMUSIC

I know you will enjoy listening to and watching this magnificent performance.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2010

In the following video you will see Elvis perform while accompanying himself on the piano during one of his very last concerts…just 5 days before his final show in Indianapolis on the 26th.  This concert took place on June 21, 1977 during his “farewell tour“.  As I have pointed out before, Elvis took measures to draw the fans’ attention to the words of certain songs…songs with a message.  In this instance, he accompanied himself on the piano while singing the hauntingly sad “goodbye” song “Unchained Melody“…as I pointed out above.

Below you will see the link to this YouTube video.

The owner of this beautiful video on YouTube is: tomasnando

Here is the clickable link: http://youtu.be/oclcZis0ets

Elvis left us with so many, many “clues” before he left us and he continued to do so afterward.  One of the reasons that I became such a crusader for the fact that he did not die was and is because I loved Elvis and do love Jesse and it broke my heart to think that he did so much for all of us thinking that we all knew him well enough to recognize all he had done to let us know that he only “retired”.  I could not bear the thought of him being disappointed that the fans did not recognize and appreciate his messages to us.
What a sweet wonderful man we have all loved for so very long….and always will love.

Thank you from the bottom of my soul and my heart, Dearest Jesse.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2012

Even though I have already presented the song My Way from the final tour above, I am presenting another video of this song from the final tour once more.

Our beautiful friend Lucilia Maria shared this today on our video board and I want to be sure that everyone has the opportunity to watch it once more.

This song is such a beautiful “benediction” to the life he lived as Elvis.  I just can’t get enough of watching and listening to the “goodbye” songs which he sang during that final “farewell” tour.

Love him so very, very much…as the man, Elvis, and now as Jesse, my most treasured friend.

My hero!!!!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Z3udW9rZUIc

This video is owned on YouTube by: Uploaded by kiko9918 on Apr 4, 2011