Pieces of Asheville Vol. 1 (SRB Remaster)
Label:SRB

On July 22, 1975, Elvis Presley opened a remarkable three-night engagement at the Asheville Civic Center in North Carolina. Performing before more than 7,400 enthusiastic fans, he launched a run of concerts that would become one of the most rewarding stops of the summer tour, filled with rare songs, extended performances, and the relaxed spontaneity that had become a hallmark of Elvis' 1975 concerts.
Although the surviving audience recording presents the familiar challenges of its source, it captures the excitement inside the Civic Center with surprising immediacy. Elvis is in playful form throughout the evening, stretching "I Got a Woman / Amen" into an extended showcase for the Sweet Inspirations and J.D. Sumner, delivering a solo rendition of "Why Me, Lord?", and overcoming several false starts to produce a powerhouse rendition of "Shake a Hand." As the concert unfolds, highlights continue with stirring performances of "It's Now or Never," "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me," and "How Great Thou Art," while "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" and "Burning Love" remind the audience that Elvis could still command the stage with unmistakable energy and conviction.
Presented here as "Pieces of Asheville, Vol. I", this new SRB Records stereo remaster carefully rebuilds the original audience recording to bring greater clarity, balance, and presence to Elvis' voice, the TCB Band, and the atmosphere inside the hall. Rather than masking the character of the source, the restoration seeks to reveal the performance with renewed depth while preserving the authenticity of one of the finest audience documents from the 1975 tour.