Following the Aloha From Hawaii dress rehearsal concert, held during the evening of January 12, 1973, soundchecks and technical rehearsals continued all through the following day. Producer and Director Marty Pasetta was under crushing pressure; television cables were interfering catastrophically with the sound, and they suddenly lost power to the stadium. In a later interview, Marty Pasetta said that someone had cut the powerlines, although he didn't specify whether accidentally or on purpose, but other reports stated that all the broadcast equipment had overloaded the HIC's electrics.
Enter the unsung hero of Aloha, Don Ho, a hugely popular Hawaiian entertainer with whom Marty Pasetta had previously worked on TV shows. According to Pasetta, Don Ho mobilised the US Navy, who delivered truckloads of lead sheeting to insulate the cables, and he organised a crew of electricians who restored power just in the nick of time.
Don Ho, an unsung hero without whom the entire project could have fallen over at the last minute
The satellite concert began at 12.30 am, Sunday January 14th. As the live concert began, Marty Pasetta recalled that an assistant director froze under the pressure and they missed the first seconds of the show.
After the show, and once the audience had left, Elvis, the band and the crew were back on stage to record some insert tracks for the repackaged special that would air in the US in April. Meanwhile, Marty Pasetta also had to supervise the editing of the delayed telecast to Europe.
The recording of the insert tracks was a test of endurance, and it was obvious that everyone's nerves were just about at their limit by this point.
Everyone made a mistake - Marty Pasetta made a technical error and apologised. (Everyone is entitled to one stupid mistake, Elvis said). The band made a mistake, to Elvis' slight annoyance; a studio hand coughed and messed up a take, and Elvis himself stumbled over some lyrics. Marty Pasetta asked for a couple of retakes, and Elvis dutifully complied.
The final track they recorded was Early Morning Rain, which might have been one that could have benefited from another try, but by this point everyone had had enough, and Marty Pasetta was smart enough to call it quits.
During this session, Colonel Parker reported on the initial ratings for the live broadcast
According to Elvis biographer Peter Guralnick;
“…Colonel came in as they were recording Early Morning Rain, the last number, and announced proudly that they had gotten the highest rating ever registered in Japan, with 37.8% of the viewers in a highly competitive six-network market. There was a real sense of jubilation in the air…”
Some other audience figures (as provided by RCA publicity) - 91% of the Philippine population watched, 25% of Hong Kong’s population watched, from where it was also relayed into Macau and China; it reached 70 - 80% of the TV sets in South Korea and, according to Rocco Laginestra (RCA Records President), was also relayed by the Armed Forces Network to South Vietnam. (Bearing in mind the Vietnam war was ongoing).
Colonel Parker wrote Elvis a heartfelt letter of congratulations, admiration and thanks, in what might have been one of the last moments of personal affection between them.
(Sources include interviews with Marty Pasetta, RCA Publicity, also Peter Guralnick's biography, Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley)
