Elvis Presley - More/Bridge Over Troubled Water - 20 August 1970, Midnight Show - Las Vegas

Introduced to Elvis’ live set list on opening night of his 1970 Las Vegas Summer Festival, Bridge Over Troubled Water became an integral part of his show for the next seven years. In many cases it was the highlight of the show and was one of only two songs which featured in the concert segments of both That’s The Way It Is and Elvis On Tour. During this first season in which the song was performed, it was the third from last song in every show and was always followed by Suspicious Minds except for the opening show, 10 August, during which Patch It Up was performed. This rendition took place ten days after that opening show and is performed in that magnificent vocal interpretation which is virtually exclusive to this season. However, there are few addition s of power here and there giving a hint of how the song would soon evolve in the Elvis Presley show, There is an added treat as Elvis teases the audience with a few lines of More, the theme from Monte Cristo before beginning Bridge over Troubled Water. Unfortunately, Elvis’ uncertainty with the lyrics is plain to see as the two lines he sings is essentially a mash up of the actual first three lines of the song. It is no surprise that Elvis abandons the song at this point even though his pianist Glen Hardin had begun to follow with an accompaniment. As with all of these videos, to get the most out of the re-edited audio, I highly recommend you use ear /headphones and turn the volume up as much as you dare!