Elvis, That's The Way It Is

“I want to entertain people. That’s my whole life. To my last breath”.

Elvis on what happened: “I just fell into it really. My daddy and I were laughing about it the other day. He looked at me and said ; “what Happened El? The last thing I remember is I was working in a can factory and you were driving a truck”. We all feel the same way about it. Still..it just..caught us up”!.

Elvis That's The Way It Is Theatrical Trailer (Original version)

Elvis, That's The Way It Is (Trailer 2001)

Once Elvis really got going, he didn’t listen to much other music. He definitely wasn’t up on what was goin’on. That was od to some people, and Elvis knew that reaction, but he once told a journalist, “if I listen to somebody else, it’ll take the edge of me”.

“As you can tell, we don’t know these songs. We Haven’t rehearsed them or anything. We’re just foolin’ around”.

One of the highlights in Elvis career is without doubt his performance in “That’s The Way It Is”

The Wonder Of You

The subject of this film is further with the cameras. The attempt was to capture the ups and downs he experiences putting his show together, showing Elvis as a musician. They filmed both sides of the lights, exploring what he feels and the emotions he creates on others. Using documentary techniques, the film follows the king on a public and private journey from rehearsals at MGM studios and in Las Vegas, then on stage in the Showroom Internationale of the International Hotel, and finally on September 09, 1970 in Phoenix, Arizona, for the opening of the stars first concert tour in thirteen years.

The following songs, recorded by Elvis, are one of my favorites .

"The Wonder Of You" When Elvis began performing live again, he could no longer rely on new material from his publishing companies; instead, he needed to build a show around his own standards, adding non-originals that the audience would know. it forced to dip into his vast musical reliqary in search of songs that held meaning for him, "The Wonder Of You" was one such number. In Elvis' hands, it's an inspirational, almost religious song. Glen D.Hardin, wrote the towering arrangement shortly before recording.

Walk A Mile In My Shoes

In The Ghetto

"Polk Salad Annie"Original recorded by Tony Joe White, Elvis completely transformed it from languid swamp rock to dramatic set piece that opens with a little catechism on Southern ways for anyone whose idea of "Down South" is Florida in January. He then expanded and adapted the chorus to fit his karate stage moves. By the end, Elvis is audibly exhausted. "Tough way to make a living, boy", he tells the audience. The song became such a fan favorite that a local coffee shop picked up the theme, offering Elvis Corn Muffins for $1.95.

"I Just Can't Help Believin" This song was tailor-made for Elvis, but unfortunately B.J. Thomas found it first. Elvis brought it into his show that Summer at the International Hotel. It was a lyrically complex song, and Elvis was worried about forgetting the words, so he told Charlie Hodge to ensure that the lyric sheet was on stage in case he needed it.

Rehearsals For That’s The Way It Is

Elvis revisited several of his old hits and began to define his approach to some of the newer material. Relaxed and informal, he tried with middling success to remember the words of some of his earlier records, leaving us with the feeling that he had more homework to do than the band. To warm up, they tried Stonewall Jackson’s 1965 country hit, “I washed My Hands In Muddy Water,” a song that lent itself to extended jams. Elvis is happy to let the band find a groove and run with it. James Burton was born to play at this tempo and on this type of material. The song was written by Marty Robbins’ backup singer, Joe Babcock, who later sang on some of Elvis’ sessions.

On July 14, 1970 Elvis rehearsed at M.G.M Soundstage, Culver City, and sung the following songs; Words, You Don't Have To Say You Love Me, Polk Salad Annie, Sweet Caroline, Bridge Over Troubled Water, You Don't Have To Say You Love Me, The Next Step Is Love.

On July 15, 1970 Elvis rehearsed at M.G.M Soundstage, Culver City, and sung the following songs; Stagger Lee, Got My Mojo Working, I’ve Lost You, Stranger In The Crowd, The Next Step Is Love, You Don’t Have To say You Love Me, Sweet Caroline, Yesterday, Hey Jude, I Can’t Stop Loving You, It’s Your Baby, You Rock It, Crying Time, Ghost Riders In The Sky, Runaway, It’s Now Or Never, Peter Gun Theme, Love Me, One Night, Alla’ En El Rancho Grande, That’s All Right, Twenty Days And Twenty Nights, Patch It Up, Cotton Fields, Sylvia, Stranger In The Crowd, Mona Lisa, How The Web Was Woven, I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen.

On July 24, 1970 Elvis rehearsed the following sungs at the RCA Studios in Hollywood; That’s All Right, I Got a woman, The Wonder Of You, I’ve Lost You, The Next Step Is love, Stranger In The Crowd, You’ve Lost That Lovin’Feelin’, Something, Don’t Cry Daddy, Don’t Cry daddy (Reprise), You Don’t Have To say You Love Me, Polk Salad Annie, Bridge Over Troubled water, I Can’t Stop Loving You, Just Pretend, Sweet Caroline, Words, Suspicious Minds, I Just Can’t Help believin’, I Just Can’t Help believin’, Tomorrow Never Comes, Running Scared (few lines), Mary In The Morning, Twenty days And Twenty Nights, You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’, I Just Can’t Help Believin’, Heart Of Rome, Memories, Johnny B.Goode, Make The World Go Away, Stranger In My Own Home Town, I washed My Hands In Muddy Water. MGM's camera crew was not present for this rehearsal.