Title: Howdy Houston (released in 2002)

Label: Wiggle EAP 2001

Date: Houston, Texas, June 5, 1975

Sound Quality: * * * * + / * * * * * +

Concert Rating: * * * * + / * * * * * +

Tracks: 1.Amen / I Got A Woman 2.Elvis says Howdy To His Fans 3.Love Me 4.If You Love Me 5.Love Me Tender 6.All Shook Up 7.Teddy Bear/ Don't Be Cruel 8.Hound Dog 9.The Wonder Of You 10.Burning Love 10.Introductions 11.Johnny B. Goode 12.School Days 13.T-R-O-U-B-L-E 14.Trying To Get To You 15.How Great Thou Art 16.Let Me Be There 17.You Gave Me A Mountain 18.American Trilogy 19.Little Darlin' 20.Mystery Train / Tiger Man 21.Funny How Time Slips Away 22.Can't Help Falling In Love 23.Closing Vamp

Package: Not the best one. Pictures are not from the actual show, but from June 8, 1975 show in Jackson.

Review: The show is incomplete, but all the essential parts are there. Can't help falling in love is taken from one of 1976 fall tours. At the moment this fantastic June 1975 tour is almost completely released. Some shows for several times.

Movin' Mobile (Mobile, June 2, 1975 AS)
Sold Out In Dixie (Mobile, June 2, 1975 ES)
Deep Down South(Tuscaloosa, June 3, 1975)
The Eagle Has Landed (Houston, June 4, 1975)
The Eyes Of Texas Are Upon You (Houston, June 4, 1975)
Howdy Houston (Houston, June 5, 1975)
Dallas Seventyfive (Dallas, June 6, 1975) Also released on Elvis Aaron Presley 4CD box-set.
Fly T-R-O-U-B-L-E (Jackson, June 8, 1975 Afternoon)
A Capital Performance (Jackson, June 8, 1975 Eve)
Cut Em Down To Size (Jackson, June 9, 1975)
Let Me Take You Home (Memphis, June 10, 1975)

All the shows from this tour were recorded, but some of the in the incomplete form. You won't believe that, but it happened due to the saving of tape!!! This one is an example of incomplete recording.

Review by Christopher Brown (witness of the show). The review is taken from his book On Tour With Elvis:

Elvis strides on stage following the conclusion of ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA. Smiling, and acknowledging the crowd, Elvis takes his guitar from Charlie, and opens with SEE SEE RIDER. Tonight he's wearing the white jumpsuit, with black eagle, that he had worn at the final show in Huntsville. With the customary "two, two, three, three, four, yeah, see ..." and leg shaking, Elvis concludes the opening number.

"How's the sound, man? Hey, hey listen folks, you could have stayed home tonight and watched me on television because I'm on." The crowd applauds loudly. "Same thing, except the people look older on the stage with me." Thanks Elvis!. I suffered through that dilemma, and you had to bring it up again! But it was great to see he was cognizant of the fact that he was on TV tonight. "Well, now ..." Elvis says as screaming erupts, and he waits until it subsides a little.

"Well well well well well, help me out man, well well well well, well well well well well well ..." sung low, " ... well well ..." and here Elvis screams something using his high Geraldine voice. "Well well well well ..." Elvis sings, with J.D. taking the low note. Elvis looks at the crowd, and says "Well that's it. Thank you. That's it. Well I said I GOT A WOMAN ..."

The piano and drums drive this good, rocking version. As 'I Got A Woman' nearly ends, Elvis sings "... she's alright, she's amen, amen, amen, amen, aaaaaa ..." and begins his 'waking up' ritual of checking things out. Elvis quickly kicks out his right leg -- and the response is almost deafening*

Then finally, "meennnn ... it's all up to you, J.D. ..." he screams as J.D. begins his vocal descent off the musical scale. Applause begins, but Elvis says, "... wait a minute folks. It's not over, they think it is, but it's not. It's not over yet, you know ..." Elvis sings the conclusion of 'I Got A Woman,' with the horn section sounding quite different, very bluesy. Elvis flings his guitar over his shoulder to Charlie.

"Thank you very much. Good evening. Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to the show. We hope we do something that you enjoy, we're gonna do a lot of songs, old ones, new ones."

"I get people ask me about being on stage. What about the spotlights and what about the flashbulbs. They don't bother me ..." pausing, he continues "... I can't see a damn thing, I mean ..."

"Treat me like a fool, treat me mean and cruel, ah yeah, but LOVE ME ..." Elvis throws the first scarf of the evening out, which is quickly replaced by Charlie who has a ready supply sitting on the piano. Elvis misses a few words here and there, as he bends down and bestows a kiss on several lucky fans. One fan, sitting behind the stage, continues to scream during much of the show for Elvis' attention.

Holding the last note, Elvis watches the back-up vocalists for several seconds, and then completes the song, not really tormenting them this evening.

Playing with the audience for a few minutes, Elvis finally begins the next song, IF YOU LOVE ME, LET ME KNOW.

The customary LOVE ME TENDER follows, with Elvis again kidding about not doing the song. This version is somewhat lengthy, Elvis really responds to the requests of fans located near the stage.

A quick version of ALL SHOOK UP follows as the band tries to keep up with Elvis. Before the crowd finishes applauding, Elvis is into a medley of TEDDY BEAR and DON'T BE CRUEL. During 'Don't Be Cruel,' Elvis ad-libs and sings, "... you know I can be found, laying here on the ground ..." and a little later, "... please forget the past, before I kick your ..." Elvis does not fill in the blank. A loud "... wooh!" concludes this medley.

"You ain't ..." sung loud and long, continuing, "... you ain't ..." sung almost as loud and long, pausing for a second, then continuing, "... nothin' but a HOUND DOG ..." During the extended ending, Elvis says "... hot damn ..." just after the chanting, finally concluding the song.

"Thank you. Thank you very much. I'd like to get serious for just a moment, but I don't feel like it. This next song is a song we did a few years ago, called THE WONDER OF YOU. Come here, you want a kiss?" The musical introduction begins, but Elvis is talking to a fan and says, "I'd like to ... wait a minute, won woh woh woh, honey here's a scarf and a kiss ..."

Elvis' band begins the song again. Elvis stutters over "... you give me hope and con, consolation ..." laughing through the next line of the lyrics, and looking at his back-up singers. They know what he is thinking, and what he is going to sing! Elvis sings this very well, and hits and holds the high notes at the end.

"Thank you. BURNING LOVE ..." Elvis says. Just before the last verse of, ".. your kisses lift me higher ...", Elvis lets out a loud, "... woooohhhh ..." using his falsetto. Elvis really extends himself on this version

"Thank you very much. Thank you, Ladies and Gentlemen. Wooh! Time out! What do you want? Me? Later! Later! You want a scarf, and a kiss? Honey, I don't do that. O.K. You see I kissed somebody last night, and I caught the Creeping Crud. And if I got it, you're going to get it ..." he says as he kisses her. "It's no fun going around with the Creeping Crud. What do you mean you don't want fun. Charlie? O.K., I'll be back."

"I'd like to introduce myself, ah the members of my group to you, ha ha. Ah, I'd like to introduce the mem, memb, members of my group. My tongue gets in the way of my mouth, and I can't talk."

"First of all, the young, the young ladies that you met earlier in the show tonight. They've been with me too long, ah, for nearly five years. I think they're fantastic, they used to be, ha ha. The Sweet Inspirations. The Sweet 0ld inspirations."

"The gentlemen back here ..." Elvis says, interrupted by lots of screaming. "The Gentlemen back there form one of the finest gospel quartets in the nation, and some parts of East Bangatang, South Africa. J.D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet."

"I'd like to introduce you, you damn fool. Ah, I'd like to introduce these guys individually but, it's not worth bothering with really. They just rather be unknown, except for what hotel they stayed in."

"Ah, the little girl that does our high-voice singing, has a reason to do that." Elvis laughs through some comment that I cannot understand. "Her name is Kathy Westmoreland. Just wait a moment."

"Anyway, on the, the rhythm guitar from Springfield, Missouri, is John Wilkinson. And on the lead guitar from Shreveport, Louisiana is James Burton. Play something! Yeah, go ..." Elvis sings, joining in on James' short solo of JOHNNY B. GOODE.

"On the drums from Dallas, Texas, is hard-working Ronnie Tutt." The crowd is trying to get Elvis' attention, but Elvis is so much into Ronnie's solo, throwing in several "Yeahs", that he doesn't notice -- or doesn't care to respond. Saying "... back ... yooh ...," the solo ends, and Elvis says to Ronnie, "... back in your cage, Ronnie."

"From up in Canada is Jerry Scheff on the fender bass ..." Jerry performs a slow, bluesy solo. Off-mic, Elvis encourages Jerry on.

"On the piano from out in Lubbock, Texas is Glenn Hardin ..." which promptly triggers Glenn to perform his solo, allowing Elvis to throw in a few "... yeh heys ... one more time, come on. Jerry ..." The last reference is to Elvis' kidding with Glenn as he refers to him as the killer. Jerry Lee Lewis. Elvis throws in some more "... hey heys ..." and really enjoys this solo. "Thank you, Glenn."

"The guy who gives me my scarves and water, he's a little Chinese guy, no no. His name is Charlie Hodge."

"The fellas that opened our show tonight, shouldn't have, ha ha ha. No, I'm only kidding, I'm only kidding you. No, ah, they've been with me for about a year and a half. I found them in Nashville working under a truck. I call them Voice."

"Thank you. I don't know, I, I'd like to thank my, ah, my sound engineers. Ladies and Gentlemen, Bill Portor, Felton Jarvis, Bruce Goose - whatever his name is? Ah, I'd like to. Ladies and Gentlemen, but ah, he doesn't have a license."

"Anyway, I have a new record out, it's called 'T-R-0-U-B.' It's got a lot of words to it, and if I, I miss it, Charlie'11 pick it up." J. Rock, sitting beside me, yells out 'Tryin' To Get To You' in the hopes that Elvis will sing it. Elvis looks a bit puzzled at the screaming, and says, "Huh? What's that?"

Right away, though, Glenn begins the piano introduction of Elvis' new single. Playing with the lyrics a bit, Elvis uses his Geraldine voice on "Mercy!" and the back-up vocalists laugh. Elvis again enjoys playing with the "... hey hey ..." ending.

Elvis, turning to the band, says "... Tryin' To Get To You." Turning back to the audience, he says, "... I heard someone out there, I heard someone say for us to sing, TRYIN' TO GET TO YOU. We haven't done it in a long time, but I'll, I'll sing it for you."

Starting to sing, Elvis stutters with, "I - we - you - somebody - I've been travelling over mountains, even through the valleys too ..." and Elvis sings a great version of one of my favourites. Ad-libbing with the lyrics, Elvis sings, "... I kept travelling night and day, I kept streaking all the way ..." Elvis hits the high notes, and appears quite drained when he finishes it. Great!

"Thank you. I'd like to do a gospel song. Ladies and Gentlemen, that features the Stamps Quartet. HOW GREAT THOU ART." Elvis sings the opening verse, and looking at the Stamps, says, "... sing it, fellas ..." Preparing himself, Elvis returns to center stage, singing "... and there proclaim, OH MY GOOOOOOODDDDD HOW GREAT THOU ART ..." The tempo of the song picks up, and Elvis sings the finale full out.

Receiving a tremendous response, Elvis picks the song up again at the line, "... then sings my soul ..." Elvis hits the ending notes a little more authoritatively, and my spine is still tingling.

"Thank you. Wooh. LET ME BE THERE." Elvis really pours himself into this version, boldly stressing the line, "... LET ME TAKE YOU TO THAT WONDERLAND THAT ONLY TWO CAN SHARE ...," along with several other lines. It is certainly obvious how much Eivis enjoys performing this.

"Thank you very much." Turning to the band, Elvis says, "Let's do. Lord YOU GAVE ME A MOUNTAIN." Oh great! I love this! I had not heard Elvis perform this live before! He changes the usual lyric from 'deprived of the love a father' to "... denied the love of a father ..." Beautiful!

The crowd really enjoys this! "Thank you very much. Oh I wish I was ..." and Elvis begins a very reverential version of AN AMERICAN TRILOGY. "... old times there are NOT FORGOTTEN ..." Elvis sings boldly and quickly.

Instructing the Stamps to "... sing it ..." they begin with, 'Oh I wish I was in Dixie' and Elvis chimes in with, "You are, fellas ..." The reaction from the crowd is slow to build, but it yields one of the biggest responses to this comment on the tour. Eivis uses his falsetto to hold the last note.

Elvis is quickly into a great version of LITTLE DARLIN' -- having fun with the meaningful lyrics. Just before the spoken part, Elvis looks at the back-up singers, and says, "Get serious ...", and although laughing through this part, Elvis performs it fairly straight. But when he does the last verse, he sings "... my dear, I was crazy, wrong, to ..." Pretending to catch himself, Elvis quickly sings wrong.' Good high falsetto ending. .

Elvis really enjoys performing this silly song. Elvis then kids the back-up singers about their effort in the song, and how silly they look singing, "A hoopa hoopa hoopa, no wella, that's my lova, la la la la (sung in a high voice), was just ..."

Still laughing about the silly song, Elvis says, 'Mystery Train' and then begins, "Train I ride ..." as he performs a great medley of MYSTERY TRAIN and TIGER MAN. At the guitar break in 'Mystery Train,' Elvis looks at James and tells him to "Play it ..." Following a few licks on the guitar, Elvis urges him on with a loud, "Yeah! ..."

During 'Tiger Man', the lighting men use the strobe lights, and Elvis' gyrations look great under this effect. Elvis' singing is fast and forceful, almost leaving the band behind, as they frantically try to keep pace with him.

"Thank you very much. Can I tell you something? You're a fantastic audience, you really are! You were really with us from the start." Elvis thanks the crowd, and begins the usual closer, CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE. The crowd begins pushing towards the stage even more, attempting for the last time to get a scarf or a handshake.

Elvis hits the last note, places his microphone onto the stage floor, and salutes all sides of the stage -- including those seated behind. Giving one last thank you to the crowd in front, Elvis quickly leaves the stage. Surrounded by body guards, Elvis is escorted down the stage steps, and into a waiting limousine.

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