Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite

After a seven-year hiatus from live performances to focus on his acting career,[1] Elvis Presley returned with his 1968 NBC television special Elvis.[2] Following the critical success of the special, by 1969 Presley returned to record non-soundtrack albums with his release From Elvis in Memphis. [3] His manager, Colonel Tom Parker arranged for Presley to play a concert residency at the newly built International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. For the engagement, he assembled a band later known as the TCB Band: James Burton (guitar), John Wilkinson (rhythm guitar), Jerry Scheff (bass-guitar), Ronnie Tutt (drums), Larry Muhoberac (piano) and Charlie Hodge (rhythm guitar, background vocals). The band was accompanied by the backing vocals of The Sweet inspirations, The Imperials, The Stamps and Kathy Westmoreland.[4] It was additionally supported by the thirty-piece Joe Guercio orchestra.[5] Presley began to tour the United States again in 1970 after thirteen years.[6]

His early album releases for 1972, Elvis Now and He Touched Me charted at number forty-three and seventy-nine in the Billboard Hot 100 respectively.[7] During the same year, he embarked in a fifteen city tour that was filmed for the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer documentary Elvis on Tour. The planned soundtrack album was cancelled when the recording equipment failed due to an overload the fourth night of performances. The film would earn a Golden Globe Award for best documentary.[8]

Presley appeared at Madison Square Garden in New York City in June 1972.[9] The release of the live album the same month charted at number eleven on Billboard's Hot 100.[7] A month after the appearance, Parker mentioned to the press that arrangements were being made for Presley to play a concert via satellite to live audiences worldwide. Parker declared that "it is the intention of Elvis to please all of his fans throughout the world".[10] Parker's reluctance to allow Presley to undertake international tours in person has been attributed to his status as an illegal alien in the United States. Parker concealed his origins as a Dutch national.[11][12][13]

On September 4, the last day of Presley's engagement at the Las Vegas Hilton, Parker officially announced at a press conference that the television special to be broadcast live by NBC would take place in January of 1973 in Hawaii, and would be titled Aloha From Hawaii.[14] The idea of a live broadcast originated in Parker's mind earlier in February 1972, when he saw the transmission of Richard Nixon's visit to China. Parker approached NBC's president Tom Sarnoff with the proposition, and they initially set a tentative release date for November 18, to match the end of Presley's tour. The date had to be moved upon request from Jim Aubrey, who wanted to avoid overlapping the special with the theater release of Elvis On Tour, scheduled for the same month.[15] RCA Records Tours, which had been founded upon request of Parker to RCA Records to manage the promotion of Presley's tours would receive US$1 million (equivalent to $5.76 million in 2019) from NBC for the special. The label would be paid US$100,000 (equivalent to US$575,900 in 2019), while Presley and his manager would receive US$900,000 (equivalent to $5.18 million in 2019) to be split among them.[16] Presley's managerial contract, signed in 1967, stipulated that Parker would receive fifty percent of the total gains of his negotiated deals.[17]

Honolulu Advertiser's writer Eddie Sherman, contacted Parker with the idea of giving the proceeds of the concert admissions to a charity he had recently established. Sherman worked alongside Parker to promote Presley's 1961 benefit concert for the construction of the USS Arizona Memorial. Since Parker could not charge tickets to a television audience, Sherman proposed to take donations for the Kui Lee Cancer Found instead.[18] Sherman started the fund to benefit the cancer research that took place at the University of Hawaii at the time.[19] Kui Lee, a singer-songwriter from Hawaii died in 1966 of lymph gland cancer.[20] Presley recorded Lee's "I'll Remember You" in the summer of 1966, and he included the song on his live sets starting in 1972.[21] Presley contributed with the first donation of US$1,000 (equivalent to US$5,800 in 2019),[22] while the audience would be left to select the amount of their own donation.[23]

1973 advertisement for the live concert in Australia

To produce the special, Sarnoff suggested Marty Pasetta. Pasetta had experience producing television specials for Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Glen Campbell, and Don Ho's five specials, filmed on-location in Hawaii. Additionally, he produced broadcasts of the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys. For his new special, Presley was interested in a producer who could capture the atmosphere of a live concert. Pasetta attended Presley's concert in Long Beach, on November 15. Pasetta was unimpressed by Presley's performance. He felt that Presley's presence at the concert was "staged, quiet", and expressed his doubts to the network that he would be able to produce an hour-and-a-half special with the performer. Pasetta was then directed to discuss his concerns with Parker.[24]

Pasetta took sketches of his ideas for the stage to Parker. He envisioned the band placed on a raiser behind Presley, while the stage was to be built low to allow the audience proximity to the performer, as well as a runway to allow Presley to move towards them.[25] Mirrors framed the stage,[26] while the background featured flashing neon signs that read "Elvis" in the language scripts of the countries where the concert was projected to be seen, and where the accompanying album would be released.[27] Also a figure holding a guitar was to be added to the background lights.[28] Parker dismissed the idea, and told Pasetta that Presley would not approve of his plans. Pasetta then insisted to take his ideas directly to Presley, to which Parker did not object. The producer opened the conversation by letting Presley know that he was not pleased with his performance in Long Island, and then laid out his plans for the stage and the details of the production. He finished by announcing the singer that he would have to lose weight for the special.[25] Impressed by Pasetta's frankness, Presley became excited to work with the producer, and the meeting lasted four hours. Presley then returned to his home, Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, and started to exercise to meet Pasetta's concerns. Presley increased his practice of karate, consumed vitamins and protein drinks, and used weight-reduction pills. He lost 25 pounds (11 kg) in a month.[27] Pasetta returned to Los Angeles, where he started to work in the construction of the stage that was to be shipped to Hawaii, with further set decorations to be added on location. The large stage was designed to cover the space used for 3,500 of the 8,800 seats of the Honolulu International Center, the selected venue. The translations of the phrases and scriptures were commissioned to the Berlitz Corporation by RCA Records.[27] The date for the live concert was set for January 14, 1973. The broadcast in the United States was postponed to April to avoid a conflict with Super Bowl VII, that was to be played on the same day.[29]

Presley then approached his costume designer, Bill Belew with an idea for his concert suit. Belew started to work for Presley in 1968, with the creation of the leather suit he used on his NBC special Elvis. Belew then continued his collaboration by creating the one-piece jumpsuits the singer wore during his appearances in Las Vegas. Belew's designs featured gabardine stretch fabric with Napoleonic collars, rhinestone decorations and bell-bottoms.[30] For the upcoming special, Presley requested Below to create a patriotic design.[30] Presley felt that the broadcast of the show via satellite was a product of American creative thinking,[31] and that since it was going to be broadcast to foreign countries, he told Belew "I just want the suit to say America".[32] It was one of three times Presley had a special request for the designer, as Belew usually relayed on his original creativity.[30] Initially, the designer suggested a pattern based on the outline of the map. They then considered the flag, but settled for the bald eagle, since Belew recalled seeing it in an US embassy.[33] The white jumpsuit then featured the bald eagle made out with patterns of gold, blue and red gems in the chest and back.[31][27] Belew created a four-inch white leather belt featuring five ovals with the Great Seal of the United States.[30] A calf-length cape was initially made for Presley. He planned at the start of his performance to be covered by it, and then to reveal himself as the show started. Presley discarded to use the 12 pounds (5.4 kg) cape during the rehearsals, as he felt it was too heavy.[34] Belew created then a hip-length cape.[31] The making of the entire costume required most of Belew's staff due to the amount of embroidery and the attachment of several pieces of jewelry involved.[30] It featured 6,500 individual stones.[28]

The suit, the stage and equipment were shipped from Los Angeles to Hawaii early in January 1973. Pasetta and the crew also traveled to the location to film the scenery, to be added as inserts to the television special for its release in the United States. Presley flew to Hawaii on January 10.[27] Upon seeing the stage at the venue, Presley asked Pasetta to remove the scattered individual raisers that were put in place for the TCB Band and backup singers. Pasetta accepted, and while works at the stage continued, Presley rehearsed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The show opener was shot at the Hilton hotel's helipad, with a thousand Presley fans in attendance.[35] During the rehearsals, Presley gifted Jack Lord's wife the costume belt.[35] Presley's associate, Joe Esposito called Belew. Alarmed, the designer told Esposito he did not have any more rubies, and that he would have to order them from sources in Europe.[36] He was then able to find them locally,[25] and he worked overtime with his team to produce a new belt.[36] Belew flew himself to Hawaii with the replacement, and stayed for the shows.[36]

Elvis Presley, 1973 Aloha From Hawaii television broadcast

The rehearsal show took place on Friday, January 12.[37] Fans "stormed" the arena as the doors opened at 7 p.m., two hours before the start of the show.[38] The audience was then standing, or sitting in the aisles.[35] Initially, the number for the attendance limit was set to 6,000 spectators.[39] The show was filmed, and presented some technical issues.[35] Honolulu mayor Frank Fasi declared January 13 "Elvis Presley day", as a commendation to Presley for his contributions to the Kui Lee Cancer Fund.[38] The review on the Honolulu Star-Bulletin declared: "(Presley) put on an hour-long show last night that was perfect" and described the positive reaction of the female fans to Presley's presence.[40]

The Aloha From Hawaii concert took place on January 14, at 12:30 a.m local time to match the prime time of the target locations of the concert: Japan, South Korea, South Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand.[41] Admission was more restricted for the Saturday show. Parker arranged entertainment for the fans turned away after the limit was reached, featuring high school bands, clowns and robots.[35] New technical issues arose as the recording equipment of NBC, combined with the RCA Records equipment brought by engineer Wally Heider overloaded the power sources.[35] The issue was fixed, but two hours before the start of the show, the sound system started to pick up a hum caused by the stage lights. The sound engineers then borrowed thick lead sheets from the United States Navy to isolate the equipment.[42] Teenage fans were present on the first rows, while most of the audience was reported to be constituted by people in their forties.[43] Among the audience Mayor Fasi, Jack Lord and Kui Lee's family were present.[26]

Presley's set-list consisted of a total of twenty-two songs.[44] He made his entrance as in his usual sets, as the band played 2001: A Space Odyssey's theme "Also sprach Zarathustra". The songs featured classics of Presley's repertoire including "Blue Suede Shoes", "Hound Dog",[41] and "Love Me".[45] Presley also performed ballads as "You Gave Me a Mountain", "My Way", "I Can't Stop Loving You", "What Now My Love", Kui Lee's "I'll Remember You" and "An American Trilogy", among others. Presley threw his belt to the crowd at the end of "An American Trilogy". He closed the set with "Can't Help Falling in Love".[46] At the start of the number, Presley was covered with the short cape by his assistant, Charlie Hodge. As he finished, he displayed the cape by opening it, and raising it with his hands as he took a knee. He threw the cape into the first rows, and he then greeted the audience with the Shaka sign, and received a golden crown from fans as he walked away.[47]

After the audience left the building at the end of the show, Presley returned to the arena to record additional material for the Unites States version of the television special. "KU-U-I-PO" was recorded in three takes, "Hawaiian Wedding Song" followed with several takes."No More" and "Early Morning Rain" closed the session.[48] Pasetta then started to work to edit out ten minutes for the planned European delayed broadcast to be carried over the Eurovision Network.[49] at 12:30 p.m. central european time.[50]

The proceeds of the show exceeded the US$25,000 (equivalent to US$144,000 in 2019) planned, and a total of US$75,000 (equivalent to US$432,000 in 2019) was raised for the Kui Lee Cancer Fund.[43] The next day, columnist Wayne Harada called the show a "thrilling, compact hour - long on music and screams-" on his Honolulu Advertiser review. He deemed Presley's performance of "I'll Remember You" as "easily the most sentimental" for the Hawaiian audience, while it remarked the warm reception to "An American Trilogy".[26] Initial reports estimated that the show was seen by 1.5 billion people in thirty-six countries.[43] The same figures were presented by Parker at the press conference promoting the broadcast.[50] The communication satellite Intelsat IV F-4 was used for the transmission of the live feed to the target area.[28] In Australia, Channel Nine presented the show with the assistance of the OTC.[51] The concert closed the "Elvis Presley Week" television event on NTV in Japan,[52] and garnered 37,8% of the total television viewers. Meanwhile, the performance in Hong Kong amounted to 70%. For South Korea, it attracted an estimated of 70-80% of the viewers, while the tentative data from the Philippines called for 91,8%. As the event occurred during the Cold War, China and the Soviet Union were excluded from the broadcast.[28] Contrary to the claims of Parker, the concert would be presented with a delay of days, or weeks to the twenty-one European countries where it was finally seen. The countries of the continent that were a part of the Warsaw Treaty Organization were excluded.[53] The figures of total viewers proposed by Presley's manager were questioned,[54] as critics pointed that the sum of the total population of all the countries targeted by the broadcast rounded 1.3 billion.[46]

In contrast, NBC aired a ninety-minute television special on April 4.[55] The show was presented by The Stokely-Van Camp Company and Toyota.[56] It opened with an animation of the satellite "beaming" Presley to different parts of the world, and with audio signals on the Morse code stating "Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii".[53] Pasetta edited-in to the concert the sequences depicting Presley's arrival on helicopter to the Hilton hotel and the show outside of the arena. The additional recordings Presley made after the show were also integrated. Pasetta used split-screens to show Presley and the scenery images he had filmed of Hawaii. The track "No More" was not used.[57] The special received mostly favorable reviews, while the Nielsen ratings indicated a total of 33.8 points and a share of 57%.[58]

Billboard favored the special. It praised the camera work, while it declared that Presley "dominated the tube with showmanship" and concluded that at the age of thirty-eight, Presley "still knows how to sing rock".[59] Los Angeles Times remarked Presley's "polished skills", while the review called his antiques "an amusing parody" of his early career. It deemed the performances of "An American Trilogy" as "stunning", and "I'll Remember You" as "poignant".[60] In contrast, Boston Globe delivered a negative review, rating the show with two stars out of five. The reviewer felt that the set decorations, and Presley's performance were "trappings" and that the singer was "buried in folderol". The piece drew a comparison with his appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show and declared that "the electricity was gone" and that "he was mocking himself and his milieu".[61]

New York Daily News praised Pasetta's work on the production, and Presley's performance that used "fewer tricks" but delivered "a skillfully paced concert".[62] The Chicago Sun Times delivered a bad review. The publication felt that the program consisted of "a 90-minute documentary of Presley's sweat glands at work, masquerading as an entertainment special". It criticized Presley's lack of "body movements" and his "feet-apart stance that was more appropriate to address a pinball machine."[63] The Charlotte News review felt that while Presley "pushed himself to the limit" for the performance, the ninety-minute presentation was "entirely too much". The piece criticized NBC's choice to immediately broadcast a special by Ann Margret at the end of Presley's.[64] The Cincinnati Enquirer delivered a favorable review. The writer felt "captivated" by Presley's "singing and stage talents", but lamented the "unnecessary segment" depicting Presley's arrival and reception by fans. Meanwhile, the newspaper's rock critic felt that the abundance of close-ups of Presley "knock out about half of the mystique".[65]

The soundtrack for the album was released in February 1973 worldwide on quadraphonic sound. RCA employed two records plants to press the album on time.[36] The LP would contain the phrase "we love Elvis" written in different languages.[27] The double-LP reached number one on Billboard's Hot 100. It became Presley's first Hot 100 chart topper since 1965,[55] and his last.[36] It sold half-a-million copies in two weeks.[66] Within three weeks of its release, it was certified gold.[59] It then went to be certified multi-platinum.[66]

Aloha from Hawaii jumpsuit on exhibit at Graceland

The 1967 Our World black-and-white television special was the first live international concert presented via satellite. Meanwhile, Aloha From Hawaii became the first live satellite broadcast to feature a single performer.[67] The production cost of the special was a total of US$2.5 million (equivalent to $14.4 million in 2019), setting a record at the time of its broadcast. Meanwhile, the show became NBC's highest rated program of the year.[68]

Belew made two costumes for the show, each worn in one of the concerts. Both of Presley's costumes are kept by Elvis Presley Enterprises, and one of them on display at Graceland mansion.[69] The short-cape worn by Presley during the special was caught by Honolulu Advertiser's sports writer Bruce Spinks.[26] Spinks sold it to collector Andrew Kern. After Kern's death in 1995, his mother followed his wish to donate the cape to be displayed at Graceland.[70] The second cape was sold at an auction in 1999 for US$105,250.(equivalent to US$161,500 in 2019) In 2014, the long cape was listed by RR Auction.[34] The bids reached US$90,000 (equivalent to US$98,800 in 2019), short of the reserve price. The seller and buyer had to negotiate a final price.[71]

In 2007, a life-size bronze statue of Presley commissioned by TV Land was unveiled at the site of the concert. It commemorated the thirtieth anniversary of Presley's death.[72] In 2013, a five-day celebration for the fortieth anniversary of the concert took place in Hawaii. On January 14, a special screening of the concert was played at the same venue, now named Neal Blaisdell Arena.[73]

Sources

• Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii at IMDb
• Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite at IMDb