Welcome to the first of our three-part series as we take a deep dive into Elvis' pioneering live satellite concert broadcast, Aloha From Hawaii. Gary Wells (www.soulrideblog.com) joins host George Fairbrother to discuss the most iconic single performance of Elvis’ later career, and very possibly one of the most significant entertainment events of the 20th century.

In this first episode, we follow Elvis’ career during the stunningly successful and busy year of 1972, and look at planning and preparations in staging, wardrobe and publicity taking place during the months leading up to the international broadcast, scheduled for January 1973. We find out about some of the key talent behind the scenes, in particular producer and director Marty Pasetta, and discover how the broadcast was nearly derailed at the very last minute by catastrophic technical failures.

In our post-credits segment right at the end, we take a light-hearted look at some of the quirkier moments in Elvis’ award-winning concert documentary from 1972, Elvis on Tour, including a memorable sequence involving the Mayor of Roanoke, a paper bag full of money, a floral guitar, and a slightly bizarre civic reception on Elvis’ private jet.

Correction: During the podcast we name Bill Belew as the designer of the iconic eagle jumpsuit, however the credit should also have been given to his associate Gene Doucette.

More background, images and links in this episode’s newsletter;
dec4.substack.com/p/dec4-podcast-c…nion-elvis-aloha

Next Time: Gary takes us on a personal journey through the music and spectacle of the dress-rehearsal and satellite shows.

In our 50th anniversary supplement episode, released in January 2023, we mark the passing of flute soloist Gabe Baltazar Jnr, and provide some background on Tom Moffatt, who interviewed Elvis upon his arrival in Hawaii ahead of the broadcast.

Link to the episode companion newsletter here;

https://dec4.substack.com/p/dec4-podcast-companion-american-graffiti

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