On August 16th, 2017, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley, Elio premiered a very special, intimate and completely unique concert at The Capitol Theatre, Horsham, honouring his childhood musical idol. Elio's personal and heartfelt performance featured many Elvis classics as well as some rarely-heard and forgotten gems. The sell-out concert received 5-star accolades across the board and was cited by many as the greatest show they had ever seen.
This album is the precious movie of that very night; the world premiere of the groundbreaking ‘ELIO PACE presents ELVIS PRESLEY’.
"There was a hushed excitement in the packed auditorium at The Capitol Theatre in Horsham. All were waiting to celebrate, remember and enjoy the music of ‘The King’ at this very special 40th anniversary tribute evening. They weren’t to be disappointed. The opening drum solo by Steve Rushton was pure quality and left everyone raring for more. His drumming was a masterclass in precision and rhythmic gymnastics and I could have listened to his playing all night. For this performance, Pace had left his band behind and this was a duo performance with drums, piano and vocals only. The connection between Pace and Rushton was tangible. They worked together as one to produce a sound that was full, vibrant, complex and sensitive. The energy that pulsated from the stage was truly awesome and didn’t let up for the whole evening – no mean feat for a two-man band. It was obvious that Pace and Rushton had collaborated closely to produce this show. The ease with which they worked together and read each other’s musical intentions cannot be produced overnight. This was a highly professional performance by Pace and Rushton which reflected a diligent and dedicated approach to their craft.
Nothing was left to chance, the detail was there and from the opening bar, it was clear that this show had been conceived, developed and considered with insight and thought over a long period of time.
Many of the audience were local, but others had travelled some distance to be at the show having experienced Elio’s 'Billy Joel Songbook' show previously. Elio Pace has a unique way of connecting with the audience from the start. His blend of storytelling, virtuoso piano playing and vocal renditions of Elvis favourites had the audience hooked from the beginning. There were people of all ages in the theatre that night and they all had a fantastic time. I took my mother with me and, although she claimed to be, ‘much younger than Elvis’ she is, in fact, a contemporary of his. Her verdict on the evening was ‘magic – pure magic’. However, she did say she was glad Elio didn’t do the whole rhinestone look and kept the gyrating to a couple of fun thrusts in the second half! I think that this was appreciated by the diehard fans too – this wasn’t another Elvis impersonator but a talented musician celebrating the musical genius that was Elvis.
Elio’s sensitive performance was interjected with a narrative which informed but didn’t bore the audience. I certainly learned a lot about Elvis – both his personal and professional life. In the interval, I heard many people saying, ‘I didn’t know that – did you?’ It was during the interval that I met Jane and her friend Beverly, who told me they’d been to Graceland three times and just ‘wanted to be somewhere special on this anniversary evening’. When I asked if they were enjoying their evening they said, ‘we were worried that it would be a tacky Elvis impersonator but a friend, who had seen Elio before said that we would be in for a treat. He wasn’t kidding – this evening has been wonderful’.
Kerry practically screamed at me ‘it’s the best birthday present EVER’. Matt, a local musician in his thirties, was impressed by Elio’s vocals, ‘he has a powerful, rich voice and the tone, musical phrasing and vocal clarity is polished without losing grit and integrity – that’s not easy you know!’. I bet it isn’t easy but Elio makes it seem so. His ease on stage and his obvious affinity for the music kept the audience in the palm of his hand. Although there were no scene changes, no support group, no theatrics the show worked on every level.
Elio’s virtuosity made for an evening of memorable music. He sang a repertoire from every stage of Elvis’s life from spiritual numbers to his well-known rock and roll pieces. Some of his lesser known music was celebrated together with some of his earlier pieces. I especially enjoyed hearing some of the music that isn’t normally played. Towards the end of the show, our travels with Elvis came to an end with his death. Using a radio broadcast from the time, Elio sang with such passion that some members of the audience were wiping away a tear. Quietly and gently the high-octane performance slowed down and the significance of the moment marked with a reflective, almost spiritual repass.
However, the evening didn’t end there as we were soon dancing in the aisles again with a compilation of numbers linking a myriad of different audience requests together. I do believe that everyone in the auditorium that night heard their favourites and their appreciation was obvious. Elio and Steve had several standing ovations during the evening and they were very well-deserved.
I am not a diehard Elvis fan, I haven’t been to Graceland or married in the white chapel but after this evening, I may just look around for a pair of blue suede shoes!"
- Elizabeth Lickiss, LondonTheatre1.com, August, 2017
Elio Pace - Lead Vocals, Piano and Accordion
Steve Rushton - Drums, Percussion, Background Vocals
Filmed and recorded live at The Capitol, Horsham on Wednesday, 16 August 2017
CHAPTER LIST
1 Drum Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra
2 That’s All Right (ft. My Baby Left Me)
3 I Need Your Love Tonight4 Way Down
5 Rock-A-Hula Baby
6 Dialogue (“Why piano and drums?”)7 Such A Night
8 Dialogue (Elio’s Italian musical heritage)9 Torna A Surriento/Surrender
10 ’O Sole Mio/It’s Now Or Never11 Wooden Heart
12 Dialogue (Elvis fulfils a song request)13 Are You Lonesome Tonight
14 In My Way15 Crawfish (ft. Fever/King Creole)
16 Big Hunk O’ Love
17 Dialogue (An iconic sound from the 1950s)
18 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You/Don’t/Love Me/I Was The One
19 Rags To Riches20 Polk Salad Annie
21 Crying In The Chapel
22 Dialogue (Elvis’ Gospel music)23 How Great Thou Art
24 If I Can Dream25 Heartbreak Hotel
26 Follow That Dream/(Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame
27 Clean Up Your Own Back Yard28 Dialogue (The movies: Part 1)
29 A Dog’s Life30 Dialogue (The movies: Part 2)
31 Wonderful World
32 Young And Beautiful33 Treat Me Nice
34 I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell
35 Bossa Nova Baby36 Kentucky Rain
37 Dialogue (The decline)
38 Separate Ways/Always On My Mind/Pieces Of My Life
39 Dialogue (Elio’s Albert Lee story)40 WWEE Radio, Memphis: 16 August 1977
41 An American Trilogy42 Jailhouse Rock/Blue Suede Shoes
43 Don’t Be Cruel44 One Night
45 A Little Less Conversation
46 Burning Love47 Dialogue (Elio’s farewell)
48 The Wonder Of You
BONUS MATERIAL:• AUDIENCE REQUESTS
01 Dialogue (Elio takes requests)02 Hound Dog
03 (Now And Then There’s) A Fool Such As I
04 Viva Las Vegas
• ELIO’S PERSONAL THANK YOUS
***PLEASE NOTE: The DVD is PAL Region 0