Given the success of the 1968 Singer Presents Elvis Television Special and the Aloha from Hawaii Show in 1973 - both of which were produced by the NBC network - it was no real surprise that a decision was made to produce another television special featuring a contemporary Elvis Presley. The timing was more of a surprise really, with Elvis certainly not at his physical best. The finished show has of course become a great historical moment among Elvis's admirers as it offers an invitation to witness his performance on what proved to be his last ever concert tour. There is no doubt that we are watching a very different Elvis to his previous two TV specials. This is a man clearly in ill-health, at times struggling to produce the goods, and yet, in a fascinating manner, still managing to captivate viewers with amazingly powerful renditions of some of his songs. In fact, vocally, Elvis's performances were in no way diminished. Witness his incredible outpouring on How Great Thou Art and, in particular, Hurt. Although it is in fact an outtake that later turned up in a video documentary, there is an equally memorable moment when Elvis, seated at the piano, delivers a heartfelt version of Unchained Melody. In terms of repertoire, the Special represented Elvis's then concert set - a set which, sadly, really changed very little over the years.

Like Elvis: That's The Way It Is and Elvis On Tour before it, Elvis In Concert featured interviews with fans, intercut with sound/equipment checks with engineers et al. Okay, so this is a documentary on Elvis, but the fact remains that the pace of such a show is seriously disrupted by these - mostly pointless - intrusive sequences.

No official release of the Special has ever been made available. Elvis's estate has announced that it is likely to remain that way. Over the last couple of years, however, a great deal of additional footage has surfaced on the unofficial market. This fascinating assemblage includes many songs removed from the final broadcast show, plus backstage moments with Elvis and his entourage.

Elvis In Concert was filmed at two performances in June 1977, one at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska on the 19th and the other at the Rushmore Civic Centre in Rapid City, South Dakota on the 21st. On October 3rd, several weeks after Elvis's death, the show was aired by the CBS Network. The one UK screening, to date, took place in June 1978. Reviews of the Special have generally been unkind - mostly due to Elvis's obviously failing health at the time, but it remains an important historical account of his final days as a performer.

This information was produced by the Elvis Presley Film Society in April 2002.