ANNOUNCER: He was the king of rock and roll, and tonight, music's elite come together to celebrate the anniversary of one of his greatest triumphs, 50 years later. With performances by... ...amazing, one time only duets with... ...and... And hosted by The Voice's own... All together on a celebration of a landmark televised music event, and here's how it all began. (GONG CHIMES) The following program is brought to you in living colour on NBC. (GRAND MUSIC) # If you're looking for trouble, # you came to the right place. # If you're looking for trouble, # just look right in my face. # I was born standing up # and talking back. # My daddy was a green-eyed mountain jack. # Because I'm evil. # My middle name is misery. # Well, I'm evil, # so don't you mess around with me. # Captions by Cameron Grigg Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. Www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2019 # Well, I quit my job down at the car wash. I left my mama a goodbye note. # By sundown, I'd left Kingston with my guitar under my coat. # I hitchhiked all the way down to Memphis, got a room at the YMCA. # For the next three weeks, I went hunting them nightclubs, looking for a place to play. # Well, I thought my picking would set them on fire,... # ...but nobody wanted to hire a guitar man. # Well, I nearly about starved to death down in Memphis # I run out to money and luck, so I bought me a ride down to Macon, Georgia # on a overloaded poultry truck. # I thumbed on down to Panama City, started picking out some of them all night bars, # hoping I could make myself a dollar making music on my guitar. # I got the same old story at them all night piers. You know, there ain't no room around here # for a guitar man. # So I slept in the hobo jungles, roamed a thousand miles of track, # till I found myself in Mobile, Alabama, at a club they call Big Jack's. # A little four-piece band was jammin', so I took my guitar and I set in. # I showed 'em what a band would sound like with a swingin' little guitar man. Show 'em, son! # If you ever take a trip down to the ocean, find yourself down around Mobile, # make it on out to a club called Jack's if you got a little time to kill. # Just follow that crowd of people. You'll wind up out on his dance floor. # Diggin' the finest little five-piece group up and down the Gulf of Mexico. # Guess who's leadin' that five-piece band? Well, wouldn't ya know? # It's that swingin' little guitar man. # Yeah, baby! # That's right! # (SONG ENDS) (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) Hey, y'all. I'm Blake Shelton, and I'm here tonight because, 50 years ago, a king returned. In just one hour on one night, Elvis Presley and his producer-director, Steve Binder, created the best kind of trouble and changed the game forever in music and television. Half a century later, people are still talking about the Elvis '68 special. It's been often imitated, but never surpassed. That's why Elvis never really left the building. (LAUGHTER) So, tonight, some of us for whom Elvis Presley set the stage are getting together to celebrate Elvis and his TV comeback that rocked our world. # Well, that's all right, Mama. # That's all right with you. # When people remember the '68 special, they usually talk about Elvis looking like a world champion boxer back in the ring, ready to rock. But other numbers were filmed on a sound stage without an audience. Tonight, we're on that same network, in that same town, with that same setup. Here to take his place in the ring is one of today's hottest young artists who I think, ladies, also has a little Elvis in him. (CHEERING) Singing 'Hound Dog', Shawn Mendes! (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) # You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, # cryin' all the time. # You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, # cryin' all the time. # Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine. # When they said you was high classed, # that was just a lie. # When they said you was high classed, baby, # that was just a lie. # Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine. # You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, # cryin' all the time. # You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, # cryin' all the time. # Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine. # Ooh, no, no, no. # Ooh, yeah. When they said you was high classed, baby, # that was just a lie. # When they said you was high classed, # that was just a lie. # You ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine. # Ooh, no, no, no. # You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, # cryin' all the time. # You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, # cryin' all the time. # Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine. # (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) Thank you so much. I reckon we could run off with it before (GRUNTS) anyone notices. I reckon you're a tool. Eh? (GRUNTS) (ENGINE REVS) Assertive ` that's how I describe my driving. On the open road, you're aiming for about 10 to 15 above the road sign. Nah, nah, passengers don't get to call the shots. I'm the one driving, so I choose the speed. (WEATHER REPORT PLAYS ON RADIO) (ENGINE REVS) If you wanna drive, then you can drive. That's what I always fire back. They just don't understand how you can drive quickly and safely. If anyone tells me to slow down, I give them the same response every time ` my car, my rules. * Elvis was country, Elvis was R'n'B, and any way you look at it, Elvis rocked. Sometimes, he did it all at once on a song like 'Burning Love.' Here to sing it, a good buddy of mine, and truly a great guitar man ` Keith Urban. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) ('BURNING LOVE') # Whoa! # Lord Almighty, I feel my temperature rising # higher and higher. It's burning through to my soul. # Girl, girl, girl, you gonna set me on fire. # My brain is flaming. I don't know which way to go. You know what I mean? # Because your kisses lift me higher # like the sweet song of the choir. # And you light my morning sky with burning love. # Ooh, ooh, ooh, I feel my temperature rising. # Help, I'm flaming I must be 109. # Yes, I am. # Burning, burning, burning, and nothing can cool me. # I just might turn into smoke, but I feel fine. I so do! # Cause your kisses lift me higher # like a sweet song of the choir. # And you light my morning sky with burning love. # Oh, yeah! (GUITAR SOLO) # It's coming closer. The flames are now lickin' my body. # Won't you help me? I feel like I'm slipping away. # It's hard to breathe, and my chest is a-heaving. # Lord have mercy. I'm burning a hole where I lay. # Right where I lay! # Cause your kisses lift me higher # like a sweet song of the choir. # And you light my morning sky with burning love. # Burning love. # Oh, I'm just a hunk, a hunk of burning love. # A hunk, a hunk of burning love. # A hunk, a hunk of burning love. # A hunk, a hunk of burning love. # Just a hunk, a hunk of burning love. # A hunk, a hunk of burning love. # A hunk, a hunk of burning love. # A hunk, a hunk of burning love. # (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) Nice work! Elvis was the kind of artist who put it all together and broke down so many walls. That is exactly what this next talented guy is doing right now. Please welcome Post Malone. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) ('BABY, WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO') # Going up. # We're going down. # We're goin' up, down, down, up. # Any way you wanna let it roll. # Yeah, yeah, yeah. # You got me doin' what you want me ` baby, what you want me to do. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) # You got me peeping, oh, you got me hiding, yeah. # You got me peep, hide, hide, peep. # Any way you wanna let it roll. # Yeah, yeah, yeah. # You got me doin' what you want me ` baby, what you want me to do. (LAUGHS) Whoo! Hey! All right! # We're going up. # We're going down. # We're goin' up, down, down, up. # Any way you wanna let it roll. # Yeah, yeah, yeah. # You got me doin' what you want me ` baby, what you want me to do. # You got me peeping, you got me hiding. # You got me peep, hide, hide, peep. # Any way you wanna let it roll. # Yeah, yeah, yeah. # You got me doin' what you want me ` baby, what you want me to do. # You got me doin' what you want me ` baby, what you want me to do. # (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) (CHEERING INTENSIFIES) # Everybody in the whole cell block # was dancing to the jailhouse rock. # 'Jailhouse Rock' was Elvis's third movie, and his first for MGM. The title song became Elvis's first hit record for RCA. To sing it tonight, one of the greatest rockers of all time, who also had Elvis perform his song, 'Proud Mary' ` John Fogerty! (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) ('JAILHOUSE ROCK') # The warden threw a party in the county jail. # The prison band was there and they began to wail. # The band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing. # You should've heard those knocked out jailbirds sing. # Let's rock. # Everybody, let's rock. # Everybody in the whole cell block was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock. # Spider Murphy played the tenor saxophone. # Little Joe was blowin' on the slide trombone. # The drummer boy from Illinois went crash, boom, bang. # The whole rhythm section was the Purple Gang. # Let's rock. # Everybody, let's rock. # Everybody in the whole cell block was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock. # Number 47 said to number three, # 'You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see. # 'I sure would be delighted with your company. # 'Come on and do the Jailhouse Rock with me.' # Let's rock. # Everybody, let's rock. # Everybody in the whole cell block was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock. (GUITAR SOLO) # The sad sack was a sittin' on a block of stone # way over in the corner, weepin' all alone. # The warden said, 'Hey, buddy, don't you be no square. # 'If you can't find a partner, use a wooden chair.' # Let's rock. # Everybody, let's rock. # Everybody in the whole cell block was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock. # Shifty Henry said to Bugs, 'For heaven's sake, # 'No one's lookin', now's our chance to make a break.' # Bugsy turned to Shifty and he said, 'Nix, nix, # 'I wanna stick around a while and get my kicks.' # Let's rock. # Everybody, let's rock. # Everybody in the whole cell block was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock. # Dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock. # Dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock. # (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) (CHEERING INTENSIFIES) We used to watch TV like this, but now we watch it like this, this and this. But when it comes to our favourite stuff, like sports, nothing beats going big like this. Yup, this year even more of your favourite sports are going online. But if you're not ready, you might be watching it... like this. So go to... and see if you can connect your TV to fibre. Then you'll be enjoying every game in HD goodness, like this. VOICEOVER: Hey, Auckland, which of the Youi 40 ways to save would work best for where you live? Grey Lynn, close to the city, is where Ava lives, so number 1 of 40 - "Don't drive to work" - could be best for her. Do a car insurance quote at youi.co.nz. * Elvis Presley recorded 'Can't Help Falling In Love' for his movie 'Blue Hawaii'. It became the finale song for Elvis' live performances, making this the last song he ever performed in public on June 26, 1977. Though he was born in Mississippi and grew up in Memphis, he did much of his recording in the historic RCA Studio B in Nashville. Tonight, from Nashville, here's Ed Sheeran. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) # Wise men say # only fools # rush in. # But I can't help # falling in love # with you. # Shall I stay? # Would it be # a sin # if I can't help # falling in love # with you? # Like a river flows # surely to the sea, # darling, so it goes. # Some things # are meant to be. # Meant to be. # Take my hand. # Take my whole life, # too. # Cos I can't help # falling in love # with you. # Like a river flows # surely to the sea, # darling, so it goes. # Some things # are meant to be. # Meant to be. # Take my hand. # Take my whole life, # too. # Cos I can't help # falling in love # with you. # Cos I can't help # falling in love # with you. # (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) ANNOUNCER: Please welcome Kelsea Ballerini! I grew up in Tennessee an Elvis Presley fan. From the time he was a kid in Tupelo, Mississippi, right until the end, country music was always on Elvis Presley's mind. Elvis recorded 'Always On My Mind' back in 1972, 10 years before Willie Nelson took it to the top of the country charts, and I feel so proud to sing it tonight, as we all remember the unforgettable Elvis Presley. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) ('ALWAYS ON MY MIND') # Maybe I # didn't treat you # quite as good as I should have. # Maybe I # didn't love you # quite as often as I could have. # Little things I should have said and done # But I, # I just never took the time, # but you were always on my mind. # You were always on my mind. # You were always on my mind. # And tell me, # Tell me that your sweet love hasn't died. # Give me, # Just give me one more chance # to keep you satisfied. # Satisfied. (VOCALISES) (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) # Little things I should have said and done. # But I just never took the time, # but you were always on my mind. # You were always on my mind. # You were always on my mind. (VOCALISES) # You were always on # my mind. # (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) ('HEARTBREAK HOTEL') I never saw Elvis perform live. The '68 special was the first time seeing him, and then feeling that nervous for him, but also being captivated by revealing himself and who he was as a performer ` seeing him in the raw, really. In an intimate place, I... I got it. I went, 'Oh my gosh. This is truly... unbelievable.' # You make me so lonely, baby. # Well, I'm so lonely. # I get so lonely, I could die. # (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) Here to take us down to the end of Lonely Street, joined by Lukas Nelson on guitar, the one and only Jennifer Lopez. (CHEERING INTENSIFIES) # Well, since my baby left me, # well, I found a new place to dwell. # Well, it's down at the end of lonely street at Heartbreak Hotel, yeah. # I get so lonely, baby. # I get so lonely. # I've been so lonely, I could die. # Well, the bell hops tears keep flowing, # and the desk clerks dressed in black. # They've been so long on Lonely Street, they'll never, ever look back. Yeah. # They've been so lonely, baby. # They've been so lonely. # They've been so lonely, they could die. # Now, if your baby leaves you # and you got a tale to tell, # just take a walk down Lonely Street to Heartbreak Hotel. # Yeah. You'll be so lonely, baby. # You'll be so lonely. # You'll be so lonely, you could die. Come on! (GUITAR SOLO) Give it to me, now! Here we go! Here we go! # Oh, # Although it's always crowded, # you still can find some room # for broken hearted lovers # to cry there in their gloom, yeah. # They get so lonely, baby. # They get so lonely. # They get so lonely, they could die. # Yes! (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) (SIGHS) All right. What makes you happy? Smarter ways to get around the city? Like driving past the petrol pump with the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Prius Prime ` goes up to 63km on electric alone... and has an unbelievably efficient fuel consumption. Whoa. That is clever. Plus, with Toyota Safety Sense technology, like Adaptive High Beam and Intelligent Park Assist, it's one of the smartest ways to get around ` all for a very smart Toyota Driveaway price. # I don't want no other love. # Baby, it's just you I'm thinking of. # The set itself was no more than a boxing ring without the ropes. I told Elvis, 'Don't worry about where the cameras are', and as a result, he was like a caged animal in there, totally free. The more he sang, the more confidence he gained in himself, and the more the audience loved him to death. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, Darius Rucker! Back in the 50's, Elvis broke down barriers that changed music, America and the world forever. Elvis loved this great R'n'B song, and 50 years ago, on 'One Night', that changed music and television. He sang it again. This is 'One Night'. ('ONE NIGHT') # One night with you (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) # is what I've been praying for. # The things that we two could plan # would make my dreams come true. # Just call my name # and I'll be right by your side. # I want your sweet helping hand. # My love's too strong to hide. Come on, y'all! # Always lived # a better life. # I ain't never` # I ain't never done no wrong # Now I know # that life without you, girl, # has been too lonely too long. # One night with you # is what I'm now praying for. # The things that we two could plan # would make my dreams come true. One more time! Oh! Oh! # Always lived # a quiet life. # I ain't never` # I ain't never, I ain't never done no wrong. # Now I know that life without you, girl, yeah, # has been too lonely too long. # One night with you # is what I'm now praying for. # The things that we two could plan # would make my dreams come true, yeah. # Oh! (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) Before we do this next song, let's hear it for our rockin' band, and Grammy and Emmy-award winning musical director Don Was, everybody. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) This powerful song came out in 1968 as a single for a guy named Martin James, who wrote it, and it went nowhere. But then, after the success of the '68 special, Elvis went in to the American Sound Studio, cut it with producer Chips Moman, and this masterpiece went all the way to number one in 1969, becoming one of his biggest hits ever. This is 'Suspicious Minds.' (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) ('SUSPICIOUS MINDS') # We're caught in a trap. # I can't walk out. # Because I love you too much, baby. # Why can't you see # what you're doing to me # when you don't believe a word I say? # We can't go on together # with suspicious minds. # Suspicious minds. # We cannot build our dreams # on suspicious minds. # So if an old friend I know # stops by to say hello, # would I still see suspicion # in your eyes? # Here we go again. # Asking where I've been. # Can't you see these tears are real? # I'm crying. # Tears I'm crying. # We can't go on together # with suspicious minds. # Suspicious minds. # We cannot build our dreams # on suspicious minds. # Oh, let our love survive. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) # I'll dry the tears in your eyes. # Let's don't let a good thing die # Cos honey, you know # I'd never lie to you. # Oh. # Never lied to you. # Yeah, yeah. # We're caught in a trap # I can't walk out, # because I love you too much, baby. # Why can't you see # what you're doing to me # when you don't believe a word I say? Come on! Sing it with me! # We're caught in a trap # I can't walk out, # because I love you too much, baby. # We're caught in a trap # I can't walk out, # because I love you too much, baby. # (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) (SONG ENDS) # Love me tender, # love me true. # All my dreams fulfilled. # For my darling, # I love you # and I always will. # My first song that I heard of Elvis Presley was 'Love Me Tender'. All the kids at school were making a fuss about this new entertainer. He was so gorgeous and so cute, and they had fan clubs on him, and I hadn't seen him yet, and then, when I went to the movies with a couple of girlfriends, I was about 11... 11 or 12, and when I saw him on screen, it was captivating. ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, Alessia Cara. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) # Love me tender, # love me sweet. # Never let me go. # You have made # my life complete, # and I love you so. # Love me tender, # love me true. # All my dreams # fulfilled. # For my darling, # I love you, # and I always will. # Love me tender, # love me long. # Take me # to your heart. # For it's there # that I belong, # and we'll never part. # Love me tender, # love me true. # All my dreams # fulfilled. # For my darling, # I love you, # and I always will. # Love me tender, # love me dear. # Tell me # you are mine. # I'll be yours # through all the years, # 'til the end of time. # Love me tender, # love me true. # All my dreams # fulfilled. # For my darling, # I love you. # And I # always will. # (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) * You know what's cool? Singing great Elvis songs. You know what's even cooler? Writing great Elvis songs, and here's a legendary singer-songwriter who wrote a whole bunch of 'em ` Mac Davis. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) Mac, you wrote 'Memories' for the Elvis '68 comeback special, along with a whole bunch of others. You wrote 'In The Ghetto', you wrote 'A Little Less Conversation'. You've got to tell us ` what's some of your favourite memories of Elvis? Well, the first time I went to Elvis' house. That was a fun night, and I` Elvis' house? Went to his house in Bel Air, not Graceland. This was one that he lived in in California when he was making movies, and Lisa Marie had just been born. I don't know, maybe she was three or four weeks old? A month? I don't know for sure, but he says, 'Have you seen my baby?' (CHUCKLES) I said no. He says, 'You wanna see my baby?' And I said, 'Yeah!' And sure enough, he called Priscilla, and she brought Lisa Marie down, and I actually held Lisa Marie, and it's a memory I'll never forget. Well, buddy, thanks for sharing some of the memories. Will you do that song for us? Oh, sure. Yeah. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) ('MEMORIES') # Memories # pressed between the pages of my mind. # Memories # sweetened through the ages just like wine. # Quiet thoughts come floating down and settle softly to the ground like golden autumn leaves around my feet. # I touched them and they burst apart with sweet memories. # Sweet memories # of holding hands and red bouquets and twilights trimmed in purple haze # and laughing eyes and simple ways and quiet nights and gentle days with you. # Memories, # I cling to them and tremble 'til the dawn. # My memories # are all that I have left now that you've gone. # Silent shadows rise and fall and paint your image on the wall to stay with me until I fall asleep. # I dream of you and fill my heart with sweet memories. # Sweet memories # of holding hands and red bouquets and twilights trimmed in purple haze # and laughing eyes and simple ways and quiet nights and gentle days with you. # Memories, # sadly fragrant flowers turning brown. # Memories, # soft and distant showers coming down. # Coming down. # Memories. # Memories. # Memories. # (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) You know, 'A Little Less Conversation' is one of those songs that you write, and it just keeps on coming back. It's the gift that keeps on giving. I'm very` Oh, man. John Legend! (CHEERING) Hey, man! Good to see you. It's good to see you too. I'm so excited you're gonna sing my song. I'm excited to be here. I'm so excited to be in your presence, and to hear all these songs that you wrote for Elvis, and can you tell us a little bit about 'A Little Less Conversation'? Well, it's just a` it's a song that I, actually, had Aretha Franklin in mind when I wrote it. Oh, wow! And I had a whole different set of lyrics, and Elvis loved it. It fit in to a movie called 'Live A Little, Love A Little', where he` And talk a little less? Yeah, you got it. (LAUGHTER) He's trying to pick this girl up around a swimming pool, and she keeps talking, and he starts singing, 'A Little Less Conversation'. Would you mind if I sing it right now? I'm so anxious, I can't stand it. I'm excited to do it. Thank you so. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) ('A LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION') # Hey! A little less conversation, a little more action, please. # All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me. # A little more bite and a little less bark, a little less fight and a little more spark. # Close your mouth and open up your heart. Baby, satisfy me. # Satisfy me, baby. # Baby, close your eyes and listen to the music drifting through a summer breeze. # It's a groovy night and I can show you how to use it. # Come along with me and put your mind at ease. # A little less conversation, a little more action, please. # All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me. # A little more bite and a little less bark, a little less fight and a little more spark. # Close your mouth and open up your heart. Baby, satisfy me. # Satisfy me. # Satisfy me, baby. # Satisfy me. # Come on, baby. I'm tired of talking. # Grab your coat and let's start walking. # Come on, come on. # Come on, come on. # Come on, come on. # Come on, come on. # Come on, come on. # Come on, come on. # Ah. # Don't procrastinate, don't articulate. # Girl, it's getting late, you don't sit and wait around, oh. # A little less conversation, a little more action, please. # All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me. # A little more bite and a little less bark, a little less fight and a little more spark. # Close your mouth and open up your heart. Baby, satisfy me. # Satisfy me. # Satisfy me, baby. # Satisfy me. # Satisfy me. # Come on, come on. # Satisfy me, baby. # Satisfy me. # Satisfy me. # Come on, come on. # Satisfy me, baby. # Satisfy me. # Satisfy me. # Satisfy me, baby. # Satisfy me. # Hey! # (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) # Is your heart filled with pain? # Shall I come back again? # Tell me dear, # are you lonesome tonight? # (APPLAUSE) (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, Little Big Town! When Elvis came back from his stint from the US army in 1960, one of the songs he returned with was this one, recorded in RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee. Elvis owns this song, and we are proud to rent it from him tonight. (APPLAUSE) ('ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT?') # Are you lonesome # tonight? # Do you miss me # tonight? # Are you sorry # we drifted # apart? # Does your memory stray # to a bright # summer day # when I kissed you # and called you sweetheart? # Do the chairs in # your parlour # seem empty # and bare? # Do you gaze at # your doorstep # and picture # me there? # Is your heart filled # with pain? # Shall I come back # again? # Tell me dear, # are you lonesome # tonight? (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) (GUITAR SOLO) # Is your heart filled # with pain? # Shall I come back # again? # Tell me dear, # are you lonesome # tonight? # (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) # You can burn my house, steal my car, # drink my liquor from an old fruit jar. # Do anything that you want to do, # but uh-uh, honey, lay off of my shoes. # Don't you step on my blue suede shoes. # Well, you can do anything, but stay off of my blue suede shoes. # One time, ladies! # # Well, it's one for the money, two for the show, # three to get ready. Now go, cat, go. # But don't you step on my blue suede shoes. # Well, you can do anything, but hop off of my blue suede shoes. # Well, you can knock me down, step in my face, # slander my name all over the place. # Do anything that you wanna do, # but uh-uh, honey, lay off of my shoes. # And don't you step on my blue suede shoes. # You can do anything, but stay off of my blue suede shoes. # All right! (GUITAR SOLO) # You can burn my house, steal my car, # drink my liquor from an old fruit jar. # Do anything that you want to do, # but uh-uh, honey, lay off of my shoes. # Well, don't you, yeah, # step on them shoes. # You can do anything, but lay off of my blue suede shoes. # All right! (GUITAR SOLO) # Well, it's one for the money, two for the show, # three to get ready, now go, go, go. # No, don't you step on my blue suede shoes. # You can do anything, but lay off of my blue suede shoes. # Here we go! # Blue, blue, blue suede shoes. # Blue, blue, blue suede shoes. # Blue, blue, blue suede shoes, baby! # Blue suede shoes. # You can do anything, but lay off of my blue suede shoes. # Oh yeah! # (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) # Darling, I'll be oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh so lonely. (MAN SHOUTS INDISTINCTLY) Lonely nights, man. # Beggin' on my knees # All I ask is please, # please love me. # Oh, # yeah. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, Pistol Annies! Elvis first wrote 'Love Me' for his second album, way back in 1956. Elvis sang this song by Leiber and Stoller on his '68 special, and he kept singing it right until his last tour in the summer of 1977. We love this song, and hope you love it too. This is for Elvis, who the whole world was loving 50 years ago. (APPLAUSE) # Treat me like a # fool, # treat me mean and cruel, # but love me. # Wring my faithful heart, # tear it all apart, # but love me. # If you ever # go, # Darling, I'll be oh # so lonely. # I'll be sad and blue # crying over you, # dear, only. # I would beg and steal # Beg and steal # Just to feel # Just to feel # Your heart # I want your heart # Beating close to mine. # So close to mine # If you ever # go, # darling, I'll be oh # so lonely. # Beggin' on my knees # All I ask is please, # please love me. # Oh yeah # (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) * # Been too lonely too long # One night, oh yeah. I have to credit Elvis Presley himself for the acoustic sessions. He came to me when he first came out to NBC, and said 'Steve, I don't want to commute 'to Beverly Hills and back when I'm renting a home. I want to live at NBC. Do you think it's possible 'you could put a bed in my dressing room and I could live here?' And the magic happened when, after we'd rehearse or he'd actually tape a segment, he'd go in to his dressing room bedroom and he jammed for the rest of the night with anybody who happened to be hanging out, and I said, 'This is better than all the big production numbers. I've got to get this on tape.' # Would make my dreams come true # (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) # One night, baby. # (CHEERING) Here's the thing ` we all dig Elvis, but Mac Davis is the only one up here who actually knew him. Every body else is dead. (LAUGHTER) When's the first time you heard him, Mac? I heard 'That's All Right, Mama'. I fell in love, and we` the disc jockey on the radio station there ` it's in Lubbock, Texas, of course ` he says, and I swear to God this is what I heard ` 'That's a brand new one by Almond Parsley.' (LAUGHTER) And me and my buddy, Billy Akins, spent the whole next going from record store to record store trying to find a record by somebody named Almond Parsley. So which record was that? 'That's All Right, Mama.' Play a bit of that. # Well, that's all right, Mama. # That's all right for you. # That's all right, Mama, just anyway you do. # That's all right. # That's all right. # That's all right now, Mama, # anyway you do. One of y'all take it. # Well, Mama, she done told me. # Papa done told me too. # 'Son, that girl you're fooling with, # 'she ain't no good for you.' But that's all right. # That's all right. # That's all right. # That's all right. # That's all right, now, Mama. # Anyway you do. # Well, Mama, she done told me. # Papa done told me too. # 'Boy, that girl you're fooling with, # 'she ain't no good to you.' But that's all right. # That's all right. # That's all right. # That's all right. # That's all right, now, Mama. # Anyway you do # There we go. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) Way to put a topper on that. Thank you. Thank you, Elvis. You got a song? You got an Elvis song? 'Don't Be Cruel'? Let's do that. Yeah! Let's end it with 'Don't Be Cruel'. # Let's walk up to the preacher # Ba, ba. # and let's say 'I do'. # Ba, ba. # Then you'll know you'll have me # Ba, ba. # and I'll know that I'll have you. # Ba, ba. # But don't be cruel # Ooh, ooh. # to a heart that's true. # I don't want no other love. # Baby, it's just you I'm # thinking of. # Don't be cruel # Ooh, ooh. # to a heart that's true. # Don't be cruel # Ooh, ooh. # to a heart that's true. SOFTLY: # Don't be cruel. # Oh, a live fade! (LAUGHTER) (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) (LAUGHS) A live fade! That's fancy. 'Blue Suede Shoes'? Let's do it. Yeah. Everybody knows this song, right? You know this song, Post Malone? Aye, sir. Call I call you Post? Or is it Post Malone? You can call me whatever you want. OK. 'Post Malone'. I like 'Post Malone'. Blake Shelton. Yep. (LAUGHS) Just call me. You can call me whatever the hell you want. (LAUGHS) Let's try it. Ready? # Well, it's one for the money, two for the show, # three to get ready. Now go, cat, go. # But don't you step on my blue suede shoes. # You can do anything, but lay off of my blue suede shoes. # Spit in my face, # slander my name all over the place. # You can do anything that you wanna do, # but uh-uh, honey, get off of my shoes. # And don't you step on my blue suede shoes. # You can do anything, but stay off of my blue suede shoes. # Wow! # Well, it's blue, blue, blue suede shoes, baby. # Blue, blue, blue suede shoes, yeah. # Blue, blue, blue suede shoes, baby. # Blue, blue, blue suede shoes. # Well, you can do anything, but lay off of my blue suede shoes. # (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) * # Where... 'How Great Thou Art' On Stage was one of the most meaningful for him, and you can see that as well on the '68 special. You'll see him, really, again, very moving, very telling, and, uh, very compassionate. # Needing a friend # to save me in the end. # Won't you tell me, where # could I go # but to the Lord? # (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) Gospel music was my father's favourite genre, and that's the gospel truth. It was also the music that he would sing to me as a child. Recently, we celebrated his love affair with gospel music on the album, 'Where No One Stands Alone', and tonight, we're celebrating His amazing grace with a medley featuring two of the most uplifting voices of our time ` Yolanda Adams and Carrie Underwood. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) # O Lord my God, # when I # in awesome wonder # consider all # the worlds thy hands # have made. # I see # the stars. # I hear # the rolling thunder. # Thy power throughout # the universe displayed. # Then sings my soul, # my Saviour God, # to Thee. # How great # Thou art, # how great # Thou art. # Then sings my soul, # my Saviour God, # to Thee # How great # Thou art, # how great # Thou art! # When Christ # shall come, # with shout # of acclamation # And take # me home, # what joy shall fill # my heart. # Then I # shall bow, # in humble # adoration # And then # proclaim, # 'My God, # 'how great Thou art!' # Then sings my soul, # my Saviour God, # to Thee # How great # Thou art, # how great # Thou art # Then sings my soul, # my Saviour God, # to Thee # How great # Thou art, # how great # Thou art! # How great # Thou art, # how great # Thou # art! # (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) ('HE TOUCHED ME') # Shackled by # a heavy # burden. # Beneath the Lord # of guilt and shame, # Then the hand # of Jesus # touched me # and now, I am # no longer # the same. # For # he touched me. # Yes, he touched me. # And what # a joy that floods # my soul. # Something happened # and now, I know # He touched me # and made # me whole # Oh, since I # met the blessed # Saviour # and # since he cleansed # and made me whole # Oh, I will # never cease # to praise Him. # For I'll shout it # while eternity rolls. # Oh, # He touched me. # He touched me. # Yes, He touched me. # Yes, He touched me. # And all # the joy that floods my # soul. # Something # happened, and now # I know # He # touched me # and He made # me # whole. (VOCALISES) # He made me whole. # (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) ('YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE') # When you walk # through a storm, # hold your head, # hold your head up high # and don't, # don't be afraid # of the dark, # no, no, no, no, no. # At the end # of a storm # is a golden # sky # and the sweet # silver song # of a lark. # Walk on # through the wind, # and walk on # through the rain. # Though your # dreams # may seem tossed, # tossed and blown, # oh, # walk on. # Walk on # with hope # in your heart. # And you'll # never walk # alone. (VOCALISES) # You will never, # ever walk alone. # You'll never walk alone. # As long as I'm here, you'll never walk alone. # So walk on. # Walk on. # Walk on. # Walk on. # Walk on with hope, # hope in your heart. # And you'll never, # never walk, # walk alone. # No, no, no. # You know you'll # never # walk, # no, you'll never walk # alone. # Never walk # alone. # You'll never # walk # alone. # (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) * ANNOUNCER: Please welcome actress Riley Keough. My grandfather, Elvis Presley, rocked this next song in 1961. Since then, it's been sung by everyone from Robert Plant to Dwight Yoakam to Pearl Jam. Here tonight to sing 'Little Sister' is Dierks Bentley. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) ('LITTLE SISTER') # Little sister, don't you, # Little sister, don't you, # Little sister, don't you kiss me once or twice, # tell me that it's nice, and then you run. # Little sister, don't you do what your big sister done. # Well, I dated your big sister # and took her to a show # I went for some candy, along came Jim Dandy # and they snuck right out the door. # Little sister, don't you, # Little sister, don't you, # Little sister, don't you kiss me once or twice, # tell me that it's nice, and then you run. # Little sister, don't you do what your big sister done. # Every time I see your sister, # yeah, she's got somebody new. # She's mean and she's evil like that little old boll weevil. # Guess I'll try my luck with you. # Little sister, don't you, # Little sister, don't you, # Little sister, don't you kiss me once or twice, # tell me that it's nice, and then you run. # Little sister, don't you do what your big sister done. # Well, I used to pull your pigtails, # yeah, and pinch your turned-up nose, # but you been a growing, and baby, it's been showing # from your head down to your toes. # Little sister, don't you, # Little sister, don't you, # Little sister, don't you kiss me once or twice, # tell me that it's nice, and then you run. # Little sister, don't you do what your big sister done. # Yeah, little sister, don't you do what your big sister done. # Little sister, don't you do what your big sister done. # (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) Yeah! ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, Josh Groban! Elvis Presley could sing anything. This next song was based on the Italian song, 'O Sole Mio', and it showcased the operatic beauty and range of Elvis' singular voice. This is 'It's Now Or Never'. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) ('IT'S NOW OR NEVER') # It's now or never. # Come hold me tight. # Kiss me, my darling. # Be mine tonight. # Tomorrow # will be too late. # It's now or never. # My love won't wait. # When I first saw you # with your smile so tender, # my heart was captured, # my soul surrendered. # I'd spend a lifetime # waiting for the right time. # Now that you're near, # the time is here # at last. # It's now or never. # Ah-ah-ah-ah. # Come hold me tight. # Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah. # Kiss me, my darling. # Ooh. # Be mine tonight. # Tomorrow # Aah. # will be too late. # It's now or never. # My love won't wait. # It's now or never. # My love won't wait. # It's now # or never. # My love # won't wait. # It's now or never. # My love # won't wait. # (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) The magical moment was 'If I Can Dream.' Every time I hear that song, it just touches me so much, because here, you saw him in the raw. You saw him feeling it and living it, and taking a journey with him. You` I look in his eyes, and he's lost ` lost in the meaning of that song. When we recorded the track, it was the first time that anybody had heard the song except for Elvis, and he lied down on the concrete floor and sang it like a dream. It gave me humongous goosebumps. Yeah. I don't think he ever sang it again after the '68 special. I think he wanted it to be that special. # There must be lights # burning brighter somewhere. # Got to be birds # flying higher # in a sky more blue. # If I can dream # of a better land # where all my brothers walk hand in hand, # tell me why, # oh, why, # oh, why can't # my dream # come true? # Oh, why? # There must be peace # and understanding # sometime. # Strong winds of promise # that will blow away # the doubt and fear. # If I can dream # of a warmer sun # where hope keeps shining on everyone, # tell me why, # oh, why, # oh, why # won't that sun # appear? # We're lost in a cloud # with too much rain. # We're trapped in a world # that's troubled with pain. # But as long as a man # has the strength to dream, # he can redeem # his soul # and fly. # Deep in my heart. # Deep in my heart, # there's a trembling # question. # Still, I am sure # that the answer, # answer's gonna come somehow. # Out there in the dark, # there's a beckoning candle, # oh, yeah, # and while I can think, # while I can walk, # while I can stand, # while I can talk, # while I can dream, # please let my dream # come true. # Whoa. # Right now. # Oh, let it come true right now. # Oh, yeah. # Thank you. Good night. # Out there in the dark, # there's a beckoning candle, # oh, yeah, # and while I can think, # while I can walk, # while I can stand, # while I can talk, # while I can dream, # please let my dream # come true. # Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air.