The Associated Press
Elvis Presley is shown at the International Hotel shortly after he made his first public stage appearance in nine years on July 26, 1969.
Wednesday, July 3, 2019 | 2 a.m.
Long before Aerosmith, Lady Gaga or Drake were doing Las Vegas residencies, there was Elvis.
August marks the 50th anniversary of Elvis Presley's historic residency at the International Hotel following his acclaimed NBC "Comeback Special" in 1968.
He played 57 sold-out performances across 29 nights in what was the biggest showroom in Vegas at the time. It was capable of seating 2,000, though 200 more were accommodated each night.
Presley was backed by two vocal groups, the Imperials and the Sweet Inspirations, as well as a full orchestra and his TCB Band.
"Live 1969" will collect 11 complete shows from late August 1969, including four performances that have never been previously released in full — two of those concerts have remained almost completely unheard for 50 years.
The set will be released digitally and as an 11-CD box on Aug. 9 by RCA/Legacy Recordings.
The box set comes with a 52-page booklet featuring rare photos, memorabilia and notes by Ken Sharp comprising historic interviews from Presley, Colonel Tom Parker, Tom Jones, Fats Domino and more.
The full track listing can be found here.
