Elvis Presley – Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite
A live Elvis Presley concert was filmed in Hawaii. This was originally broadcast live in January 1973 to Asia and Oceania, and then with a slight delay in timing to hit a peak audience in Europe. The US broadcast a recorded version of the show in April of that year. That gap was to miss a scheduling clash with Super Bowl VII on TV and in the cinemas where Elvis on Tour was screening.
The album was released in February 1973 and hit the top of the Billboard 200. That was Presley’s last album to reach the top spot in his lifetime, and his first in eight years. It also meant the King had the second live album of the 1970s. The album was heavy on cover songs, more so than classic Presley hits, but it was a phenomenal performance captured for screen and record and lapped up by the public.
Earth Wind & Fire – Gratitude
There was a gap now until 1975 when Earth Wind & Fire released Gratitude, their triple platinum live album. It made it to number one in early January 1976. Known for their amazing live performances an album recording that seemed inevitable. They did take the opportunity to squeeze in a few studio songs on the double album too.
Earth Wind & Fire oozed soul, RnB, and funk with Gratitude capturing all that in their live songs, plus those studio tracks. It’s perhaps a surprise that they waited several years before releasing a live album. But it paid off big style when they did get to it.
Peter Frampton – Frampton Comes Alive!
You can't write about live albums without referencing this one from Peter Frampton in 1976. It's one of the best live albums of all time in my view. Given it was such a huge seller it’s not a shock to see it was a number one album.
The record gave Frampton’s solo career a huge boost and took him back to the charts again around the world. The live sound and atmosphere are terrific and the album sparked a rush for many bands to issue their own live records over the years to follow.
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