Title: Running For President

Label: King Records 7696-1

Date: March 20, 1976 ES; Charlotte (North Carolina)

Sound Quality (Concert): * * * * * - / * * * * * +

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

Tracks: 1.Also Sprach Zarathustra 2.Amen 3.Let Me Be There 4.You Gave Me A Mountain 5.Steamroller Blues 6.All Shook Up 7.Teddy Bear 8.Hound Dog 9.Heartbreak Hotel 10.Polk Salad Annie 12.Band Introductions 13.And I Love You So 14.Hurt 15.Burning Love 16.America 17.Funny How Time Slips Away 18.Fairytale 19.How Great Thou Art 20.Can't Help Falling In Love 21. Closing Vamp

Sleeve Note: The songs See See Rider and I Got A Woman were not recorded by the engineer.

Package: As all the King Records releases, this one is not suffering from bad design and package. I think all bootleg collectors are pedantic people (anyway I really am) and they are sincerely happy, when they see all the necessary info, including band members, date, place, category of show, actual pictures and so on. Even additional info about Kathy Westmoreland is given: "with the see-through blouse".

Elvis: As pictures from this concert show, Elvis took drugs during the concert. Probably, because of this, the show is quite good and energetic. He jokes through the concert, he even remembered his old joke about creeping crud. He also joked about the President's elections and this gave the name to the CD.

Other thing that affected the show, was the problems with some musicians of the band. James Burton was going to leave the group, but he received a fair raise and agreed to stay and "play old things". A new drummer was with Elvis this evening - Larry Londin. He is far worse than Ronnie Tutt, of course, he gives a weak solo, when comparing to Ronnie. This is something we can't say about the new piano player: Shane Keister. He is fantastic and his solo ss incomparably better than the poor Glenn Hardin's. David Briggs on "electric clavinet", gives a "froggy" arranges to the songs. The same musicians were with Elvis the day after.

During the introductions, Elvis named John Wilkenson as John Wilkerson. He tried to introduce Larry Londin as London-Paris. After the solo of Shane, Elvis says - "Roll over Beethoven".

See See Rider and part of I Got A Woman/Amen are missing, but this does not matter, since the show is in stereo and digitally remastered. Among the highlights of the show are: Steamroller Blues (Elvis sings: Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!!! - he was really enjoying what he was doing), Polk Salad Annie (Elvis took some pills before singing), Burning Love, Fairytale, How Great Thou Art.

Many good shots from this show can be found in Keith Alverson's book "Elvis On Stage".

This CD is quite unique, it shows Elvis in good spirits and is recommended for those who are tired of the same types of 1976 shows. I wish that more shows from this tour would appear soon, as March 17 and March 22 shows were recorded on soundboard as well.

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