Our leading contributor, Gary Wells, joins us this episode to take a close look at Elvis' concert at the St Paul Civic Centre on April 30th, 1977, which was the subject of a devastating review in the St Paul Pioneer Press, by a very well regarded sports reporter named Charley Hallman. Many claims in the article are open to question, and it's an interesting chapter in the saga of Elvis and Colonel Parker's relationship, or deliberate lack thereof, with local press while on tour.

In a pre-internet and social media age, with no other available context or information, these reviews tended to be taken at face value, many have been quoted as authoritative sources in subsequent biographies and have, for better or worse, become the definitive account. We consider whether or not it was Colonel Parker's own policy of keeping the press at arm's length that left them open to misrepresentation and misunderstanding, accidental or otherwise.

Gary gives us his thoughts on the show based on an unofficial recording (available on our podcast website) and we then look in detail at the Pioneer Press review. We also examine some other unwelcome publicity surrounding Elvis and the Colonel around this time.

We're delighted that supremely talented voiceover artist, Alistair McMillan, has joined us to read some of the background information.

Find additional background, concert audio and links to suggested further listening and reading at our podcast website;

https://dec4podcast.com/2023/10/07/elvis-and-the-press-st-paul-minnesota-april-1977/

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