Las Vegas, Sept.2, 1974, Closing Night ELVIS LOSES CONTROL from KLAS TV Eyewitness News

A bootleg tape recording of the late Elvis Presley performing in Las Vegas has drawn sharp reactions from entertainers who knew Elvis well.The tape was found on the Internet and was first broadcast by Eyewitness News back in February, and the recordings reveal an Elvis the audience had never heard before.

Former backup singers to the late Elvis Presley say a bootleg tape of a Presley performance at the Las Vegas Hilton should not be taken out of context.The bootleg was first broadcast by Eyewitness News back in February. It's a recording from an Elvis show at the Las Vegas Hilton in September 1974 and on the tape Presley is apparently under the influence of something.

At one point on the tape, he talks candidly about a paternity suit against him: "It's a hoax. All I did was take a picture with that woman. She got pregnant by a polaroid....then she made a mistake. She named the night. And it was a night my wife was with me. No way there was any foolin around."

Two members of the Jordainaires, Presley's one-time back-up group, say from their homes in Nashville that Elvis was under tremendous strain to help pay off gambling debts earned by his manager, Colonel Tom Parker.

Anyone who heard the tape previously knows some of the statements made by Elvis back in September 1974 were shocking. It seems likely that Presley was under the influence of something during the performance, and its also clear he was deeply unhappy at the time. Our original stories about the bootleg were aired last week in Nashville, Tennessee and caused quite a stir.

Toward the end of Elvis presley's life, even the most die hard fans realized something was very wrong. By then, many sordid secrets had been revealed in a book by his former friends, the so called Memphis Mafia. But three years earlier, when Elvis was riding high in Las Vegas, few people outside his immediate circle knew of his personal demons. A bootleg recording of a September 1974 performance at the Las Vegas Hilton was found for sale on the Internet by long time Elvis fan Jeff Taylor.

Taylor says, "I knew it existed, had heard about it for years...it floored me he would do this in front of an audience. Elvis was always so private."

But not on this night. For one thing, Presley spoke head on about rumors that had been floating around the Hilton about his drug use: "I heard that I was strung out on heroin. I've never been strung out in my life except on music.....I got sick, but heard it from 3 sources...these hotel employee freaks that carry your bags...if I find the people spreading this I'll break his neck and pull his tongue out by the roots."

Just as quickly, he changed the subject: "How many of you saw the movie blue Hawaii?"

In other parts of the tape, Elvis openly discussed his divorce, made jokes about his ex wife's new boyfriend, blasted the media, and chided comedian Bill Cosby for walking out of the showroom: "The s.o.b. left....I pay him $10,000 dollars, he can put it up his nose."

Gordon Stoker and Ray Walker, as members of the singing group the Jordanaires, toured with Elvis for more than a decade. Both say what we hear on the tapes is perfectly understandable.

Gordon Stoker says, "The thing people don't know is, he was working to pay the Colonel's gambling debts. They forced him to work."

Ray Walker says, "What you saw on those clips is proof he had a gentle heart and couldn't cope with the meanness in his life."

Neither seemed surprised Presley was under the influence. Both think he had a way to rationalize it.

Gordon Stoker says, "He was on prescribed pills and Elvis thought that as long as he was on prescribed pills he was ok...he could get by with it."

Chris Davidson who owns Elvis-a-Rama, a Elvis museum in Las Vegas, says, "t's my opinion Elvis committed suicide. He was really unhappy."

Chris Davidson isn't just an elvis fan. He owns the Elvis-a-Rama Museum in Las Vegas, a 3 million dollar collection of Presley memorabilia, including cars, clothes, and every recording Elvis ever made. He questions how the Jordainaires could talk about Elvis drug use since they had stopped touring with him years before the troubles began. Like many fans he's both saddened and fascinated by the lost Elvis tape.

The internet merchant who was selling dubs of the bootleg tape is no longer offering it for sale and is laying low. He's concerned about possible retaliation from the Presley Estate, which is known to be very litigious when it comes to any commercial undertaings related to Elvis.

PART I

He was the "King of Rock & Roll", but this night on a Las Vegas stage, the King lost control. In a shocking outburst in front of his fans, Elvis verbally attacks everyone in sight! What did Presley say that stunned concert goers during this 1974 concert at the Hilton? George Knapp will give you a listen, and you won't believe your ears!

We want to take you back now to September 2, 1974.
It was closing night for Elvis Presley at the Las Vegas Hilton. But on this particular night, a disoriented Elvis said things to his audience that shocked and surprised many. Now a bootleg tape of that evening has surfaced and it will air here for the first time. George Knapp has the story.

It's an audio recording, made by someone inside the Hilton showroom, now being sold on the Internet along with homemade videos and other Elvis oddities. According to Elvis historians, this particular night was remarkable for its candor, and may have marked the beginning of the end for the king of rock and roll.

Few performers in history have been as well known, as well loved as Elvis Presley. His life was under constant scrutiny from legions of devoted fans, yet there was plenty even the diehards didn't know about the man. His death from an overdose proved that. His manager and record company were careful to protect Presley's public persona, which is why recordings like this one have never been broadcast before.

Photographer and longtime Elvis fan Jeff Taylor had heard about a bootleg recording made during a Las Vegas performance, a recording that revealed a lot more about Elvis than his handlers wanted known. Taylor searched through that great all purpose supermarket, the Internet, and found a thriving trade in all things Elvis, eventually located the tape.

Taylor says, "I was floored that he would do that in front of an audience. Elvis was always so private, whatever medication he was on at the time allowed him to go off and talk about his private life he would never talk about on stage."

In his Las Vegas performances, Elvis never played to an empty seat. His shows were major events, but Hilton executives became concerned when in the early 70's, Elvis began drifting into rambling, even unintelligible monologues during his engagements here.

On this memorable night, Elvis confronted stories about his drug use:

Elvis: "I hear rumors flying around--I got sick in the hospital. In this day and time you can't even get sick. You are strung out. By god I'll tell you something, I have never been strung out in my life, except on music. I got sick that one night, I had a hundred and two temperature, and they wouldn't let me perform, from 3 different sources I heard I was strung out on heroin. I swear to god, hotel employees, jack, bellboys, freaks who carry that luggage up to your room, people, you know maids. And I was sick. But all across town, strung out."

Getting really worked up, Elvis then issued threats against the rumormongers, in very direct terms.

Elvis: "Don't you get offended ladies and gentlemen, I'm talking to someone else, if I find or hear an individual that has said that about me, I'm going to break their g*****n neck your s** of a b***h, that is dangerous....I will pull your g*****n tongue out by the roots."

Without so much as a pause, he then switched the subject.

Elvis: "Thank you very much anyway. How many of you saw the movie Blue Hawaii?"

Chris Davidson, owner of of Elvis-a-rama, says, "I think he discussed a lot of things on stage that Graceland and RCA would have preferred he not."

Chris Davidson may be the ultimate Elvis fan. His multimillion-dollar collection of Elvis memorabilia has been turned into a Las Vegas museum, Elvis-a-rama. He doesn't want to see Elvis put down, but can't help but be interested in such a painful episode.

"As a fan," says Davidson, "having him say things really interesting or bizarre are appealing because it shows him in a totally different light."

Even when it's weird:

Elvis: "Good evening ladies and gentlemen, my name is Bill Cosby. Elvis closed last night. I'm lighter skinned than he is."

We want to mention again, the recording is audio only. The video you saw in our broadcast was from that same time period but was not shot during the same show.

PART II

Stories about this audio tape have been floating around for years, but until now, its never been broadcast. It was recorded September 2nd, 1974 during an Elvis performance at the Hilton. Elvis is noticeably under the influence of something, but what really comes across is the pain he was going through over the breakup of his marriage.

Las Vegas was a special place for Elvis Presley. It's where he married Priscilla. After his 8-year hiatus from performing, Las Vegas became his second home. He played at the Hilton at least twice a year, for a reported million dollars per stand, and he never played to an empty seat. Former Hilton executives declined to be interviewed for this story but said previously that Elvis was a huge

Bruce Banke, a former Hilton executive told Eyewitness News, "It was like booking CES or a major convention because he would draw in 4 weeks, 100,000 people would come to town."

But in the early 70's the relationship began to sour, as Elvis' personal habits led to strange rambling monologues on stage, the most jarring example of which is found on this bootleg audio recording of a Hilton concert from 1974. Authorities on Elvis say the handwriting was on the wall.

Chris Davidson, owner of Las Vegas' Elvis-a-Rama Museum commented, "Many people have forgotten, the last year or two, RCA was shopping around his contract, or rumored to. The Hilton and the Colonel had their difficulties with him as well."

Davidson's $3,000,000 Elvis collection has been turned into the Elvis-a-Rama museum, and includes cars, clothes, and other items once owned by Presley. He believes Elvis' downfall began with his divorce.And on the night Elvis opened up on stage, Priscilla was there.

A recording of the live event revealed Elvis speaking about his ex-wife. This is what we heard, "...my ex-wife Priscilla. She's right here. Honey, stand up...turn around, let them see you...boy she's a beautiful chick, you know, g****n. Now my little daughter Lisa Marie, she's six years old, look at her jump up. Pull your dress down Lisa, pull your dress down before you jump up like that. And at the same booth is my girlfriend Sheila. Stand up Sheila, turn completely around...."

Jeff Taylor, a local Elvis fan told us, "Elvis, the ultimate stud, what an ego thing to introduce my ex-wife, my girlfriend, daughter Lisa, he was having a great time."

Photographer Jeff Taylor is the life-long Elvis fan who found the bootleg tape at an obscure website. Like most other students of Elvis, he believes the divorce is what led to Presley's demise, although at the Hilton show, the king put on a brave face.

Elvis is heard on the recording saying, "No the thing I'm tryin to get across, we're the best of friends, always has been. Our divorce came about not because of another man or another woman but because of circumstances involving my career. I was traveling too much . . .after the settlement, it came out about two million dollars . . . after that I got her a mink coat. She got me, listen to this, tonight, a $42,000 Rolls Royce. That's the type of relationship we have...."

Then Elvis referred to Priscilla's new boyfriend Mike Stone.

Elvis continued, "She likes this Stutz that I have. It's not a car it's a Stutz, no it's called a stud. A Stutz, and she likes the stud...Mike Stone aint no stud, so forget it..."

Jeff Taylor offered this explanation, "The fact that his wife went to another man blew away his ego. Ultimately that's what killed Elvis is that she left him."

The question has been asked of us, why bring this up now? Let Elvis be.

I put it to the Elvis faithful we interviewed and they all said the same thing---any information that helps them learn more about their all time favorite is welcome, even if it might be painful to hear. In this case, they are learning about Elvis, not from some book, but from Elvis himself, in his own words....tonight at 11, more from the tape and the theory that Elvis committed suicide.

Part III

The king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley died more than 22 years ago but he remains an icon to millions of fans. Some Elvis experts maintain Presley's death from a drug overdose was really a form of suicide, and now an unreleased audio tape from a Las Vegas performance sheds new light on Elvis' troubled soul.

The tape was made in the days before the whole world knew about Elvis' personal shortcomings. Even though the audience was completely behind him on this night, they certainly had to be asking themselves what was wrong with their hero. As you listen to his words, it becomes pretty clear Elvis wasn't himself, and wasn't very happy.

By the final months of Elvis Presley's life, the world knew more sordid details about him than it cared to, thanks to a tell-all book by former Memphis Mafia members.

Just three years earlier though, tales of drugs and debauchery were still largely unknown to his legions of fans, although some critics had expressed concerns about Elvis' physical appearance and his inconsistent performances.

A September 1974 concert at the Las Vegas Hilton made it clear to even the most ardent fans that something was wrong. A bootleg tape of that night's show has now surfaced, and includes a surprise chat with the audience about a paternity suit filed against the king.

Elvis: "Turned out to be a complete conspiracy and hoax, man. There is just no way. I had a picture taken with that chick and that's all, and she got pregnant by the camera. You know what she did? She named the night…the night she named my wife was with me in L.A. Ain't no way I'm fooling around with her out there, are you kidding me?"

On the same night, Elvis embarrassed his ex wife Priscilla by talking about the terms of their divorce and about her new boyfriend. She said later that she was shocked by the comments. Later, after his favorite food waiter was fired, Elvis ripped into Hilton owner Barron Hilton. He complained about the Hilton showroom and expressed his distrust of the media, saying, "I don't pay attention to movie magazines. I don't read them. Junk...in my case, they make it up."

He offered an elaborate thank you to comedian Bill Cosby, who had filled in for Elvis during an illness. Cosby, disappointed by the show, had already left.

Elvis: "Where's Bill...where's Cosby? After that buildup, the s.o.b. Left? The hell with him! I won't pay him. No he gets ten grand, whether he wants it or not. He can stick it up his nose."

Chris Davidson of the Elvis-a-Rama Museum says, "It's my personal belief Elvis committed suicide. He may not have said today is the day, but he certainly was unhappy the last two years of his life. He couldn't get out of being Elvis but was truly tired of the life he set up for himself."

Davidson owns the largest collection of Elvis memorabilia outside of Graceland. Its on display in his Elvis-a-Rama Museum---cars, clothes, mementos from Las Vegas concerts, and a wall with every record Elvis ever recorded. His jewelry was once owned by Presley. He thinks Elvis' tailspin stemmed from the divorce and the sense there was nothing left for him to accomplish.

Jeff Taylor is an Elvis die -hard who bought/found the bootleg tape on the internet, and he agrees: "I think he was bored with being Elvis, with the life, the tours, the music. He was just bored. The only way of hiding was drugs. I think he wanted to die."

Listening to the tape may be painful for some fans, but not for all.

Davidson says, "No it's not painful for me. Anything that's interesting or truthful, I find interesting. Its OK he had problems, we all have our problems."

Jeff Taylor says, "He lived 3 lifetimes in his 42 years. He did more than any human can expect to do. He was spent, he was ready to go." As you listen to excerpts from the tape, it's interesting to hear how the audience stays with Elvis, no matter what he says or how off the wall he sounds. People really loved the guy, and as Chris Davidson told us, its a shame that a man who brought so much happiness to so many was so obviously unhappy himself.