The Smiley Smile Message Board

This

although

Well as Elvis is one of the only people I like as much as the Beach Boys I will say what I like and don't like about each era.
Sun 1954-5 was great on the rockers but his ballad singing wasn't there yet. Of course this is some of his purest most groundbreaking work

The early RCA (56-58) shows his voice getting better on ballads and the rockers are even more high octane.

1960 was a uniformly excellent year. Ok so the soundtracks aren't quite up to standard, but they are still pretty respectable with G.I. Blues making for a good pop LP and Wild In The Country having a nice folkish sound. Elvis is Back is the best LP he ever cut imho.

61-65 gets worse each year. The studio cuts are still ok if not up to what came before but the soundtracks just start getting terrible. There are always at least one or two good songs, but other then Kid Galahad and Viva Las Vegas they don't work as a whole. Elvis was not in charge of these recordings and any that he was remained good. The rock from this period IS good as are the ballads. His voice is really getting stronger.

1966-68 is a gradual comeback in the studio and even the movies improve. Spinout and How Great are his best LP's in years, his voice is increadable by now. There are still some downright terrible movie songs, but by 1968 his is back on top form. THe comeback special of course is one of his best moments.

1969-72 was probably his best era. The Memphis stuff is good but so are the underrated Nashville sessions. Easily the best live shows he ever did, his voice from 1970 on is fully devloped, almost operetic in it's flexibility. Burning Love comes from 72 and don't belive what you read, he was commited to the song. He worked on it hard and invented the improv screaming at the end himself. 

1973-77 while he gained weight and was a little uneven at times he didn't decline artistically too drastically. In fact Moody Blue (his last LP) is one of his finest. The Stax sessions from 73 have hm really modernising his sound. He get's mainly into soul music and country with good effect. Some don't like these recordings because he performes them in a low key fashion but I think they are effective. Some of his best shows came in the summer of 1975 and in December of 1976. He wasn't healthy at times but he hardly ever came on stage "high". I am helping on a book that blows the drug stories out of the water and hope that it helps restore the dignity to what is actually some of his finest work.

This is tough. The early 60s were awesome and produced some of the best music ever. The "Elvis is back"-album (which gets my vote as one of the greatest albums of all time) sounds as great as that it is on one level with "Sunflower" and "Surf's up", it's really that great. At that time he was very creative and tried alot of new things.

The years '68-'70/'71 were great because his voice got deeper and fitted his soulful singing even more than the higher voice (compare "It hurts me" from '63 ith the '68-comeback version, both great btw). Added to that comes his unbelievable stage-appearance, which of course was almost not there in the early and mid-60s. His '69-shows are probably the best live concerts ever (check out his "In person"-album)

The 50s of course were the Rock'n'Roll-years and changed the music world forever. I agree that his ballad-singing was not as great as in the 60s or later but still better than many of the other acts around. And of course not many people could and can hold up to him when it comes to rocking. I don't really want to start talking about the cultural impact Rock'n'Roll and especially Elvis had.

We shouldn't forget that Elvis even did great things during the soundtrack-years. "How great thou art" is a fantastic album and belongs to the best of '66, but although he got a grammy for it, not too many people noticed this. And the Nashville-recordings from the mid-60s ("Guitar man" "Too much monkey business" "Tomorrow is a long time" and the awesome "Love letters") show that Elvis still could've been one of the biggest and best stars of the 60s.

Unfortunately the trend of looking at Elvis as a "brand" makes it hard for outsiders to appreciate the genius of this guy.

I love that album,......i especially dig side 1......I always have imagined "somebody bigger than you an I" would be a great song to play over the closing credits of a movie........

That's interesting. The "official" story is that he didn't want to record it. But if you listen to the live-versions, he was really into it (and if he didn't like it, he wouldn't have performed it at all 'til as late as '75).
You know I trust you in everything Elvis, but there certainly were concerts where he was quite "stoned".

@halblaineisgood :

I think that album shows just how easily Elvis could compete with the current stars, say Beatles, etc. I think it's sound shows a Spector, Beach Boys and even Stones-influence (iirc there's a distorted guitar on "By and by" not unlike the sound on "Satisfaction") . But most of all, it feels great and Elvis really is into it. "Run on" is the same song as "God's gonna cut you down" by Cash (Brian Wilson appears in the official video to that song) and I could listen for hours just to that acapella-intro. "Crying in the chapel" was of course from the sessions of his first gospel-album, which is fantastic imo, but was a big hit in the mid-60s.
I think his re-recording of "Swing down sweet chariot" from the soundtrack of "The trouble with girls..." would've fit great in here. I think it's a very good soundtrack btw

One thing I want to say about Elvis being "Stoned" is that it's not like he smoked a joint before a show, or dropped acid etc. He was on Donnatol which impares your speach. The June 19th show of 77 shows this but he was still able to sing with great power ie the version of "How Great" That drug isn't given much anymore but I was on it for a colon condition myself and it slurred my speach. People thought I was on dope too but at the time it was one of the few drugs given for colon problems. Sure he was given pills by his doctors but he was a hypochondriac not an addict. He was often given placebos, and the huge amount of pills perscribed were for the whole touring party.  Honestly  the guy was only addicted for a short time in fall 1973 when he was getting accupuncture treatments where the doctor dipped the needles in an opiate. Elvis didn't even know he was being given this drug and nearly died. Rocker I know you have a lot more of an open mind then many Elvis fans so please buy this book. I helped with it but I don't get paid a cent if you do or not so I am telling you it is great simply because it is great.
www.elvisconcertmyths.com/DesertStorm.html

Also I am not a guy who doesn't admit someone he likes had or has a drug problem. Brian and Dennis were addicts and I have no trouble with it. Yet simply put Elvis was a great role model whoose name has been unfairly tarnished. I think you will change your mind if you get the book.

I didn't want to critisize you, as I said, I trust you in everything you say about that guy because I know you have the knowledge. And of course I know he didn't take cocaine or that other "hard" sh*t. But even if he's on Donnatol, he's "high", if you wanna call it like this. I guess there's more hype than truth to the whole prescribtion drugs-thing, but we shouldn't white-wash it. That guy had his problems and there are alot of concert recordings that show this.
Thanks for the link, I'll check it out. Which version of "It's midnight" is played there? Must be some alt. take.
I hope to get a copy of the book as I know that you wouldn't work with people who are just trying to make money of an old topic with stuff they can't attest. You don't know if there will be a german edition, do you?

The author actually has spent most of his savings doing this book so I don't think there will be but the one edition. Read for yourself what he has to say because again I think you have an open mind.  Elvis wasn't perfect. As a hypochondriac (which is what I feel he was) he made some bad choices. He also trusted his doctors too much and not all of them had his best interests at heart. I guess I don't look at it as getting high because of the difference is cultural attitudes between Elvis and the typical narcotics user. That's again not to say he should have gone on stage on certain nights, but only because it had a poor effect on his health. 99 percent of the time his singing was undiminished, and it makes me sad that more people don't realize what a great artist he remained. One thing we all know is that he had very poor health in the last four years of his life with some legit issues and it was just a sad way for things to end.

True, but on the other hand I don't think that many people even consider him an artist, no matter which period, which is a shame. He was so great.

I found some stuff on youtube that I thought you might be interested in.

This is one of only a few songs of Elvis that have a "Beach Boys"-kinda feel imo:

Love song of the year (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAQOCvE1O7k)

It was during the sessions to this song that Brian Wilson stormed into the studio and wanted to talk to Elvis. They used the undubbed version for this video:

Pieces of my life (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMp29OhZpLo)


Of course you can argue about the pictures the creators used for the videos. I don't think they chose them very well, but the music is what counts imo.


And this is his '70 version of :

You've lost that loving feeling (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Tzy6Bd3k5A)

Actually Elvis met Brian during the Today sessions.

Yes, and if I remember correctly it was, as I said, during the sessions to "Pieces of my life". I think it's in Jorgensen's book

The Sun Sessions period is my favorite for one reason alone: Blue Moon. The best vocal Elvis ever recorded IMO.

Blue Moon has grown on me through the years. Very eerie sounding.

I gotta go with the fattening Elvis period, I think the huge (over?) produced sound worked well with him since his voice was so incredible he actually overcame it.  When I think of Elvis being great, I think of the period a few years before he died... Kentucky Rain, Suspicious Minds, etc. and of course American Trilogy.  I love listening to him do that in concert... here's a man who holds gospel and his southern roots, and his mother all very close to his heart; perhaps better than anybody else alive he is a singer in the greatest sense of the word.  When he sings that song, he SINGS that song.  The band and orchestra swell, the backup singers swell, the Jordanaires swell, but Elvis sings above all of them like perhaps in all of the world, only that 1 man could.  Tears me up everytime I hear it! Without a doubt, to me that later stuff was far superior to the early stuff. 

Did Elvis see the Beatles as competition? The Beatles were progressive artists, Elvis was purely an entertainer (the best there ever was, actually). I think they were in a completely different ballgame.

He liked them except for their Sgt Pepper era. He met them in 1965 and then later individually and got along with them. He felt threatened at first, but once he came back in 1968, he could relax more about them.  He was creative in a different way but he also was one of the first self produced artists. He didn't get credit for this so most don't know about it.

Elvis always was an artist. He became an entertainer in the mid-70s. I'd say '73 when he imo lost interest in recording new material, but MBE might tell you more about this, since he got lots of knowledge about Elvis' works.
Elvis usually said that there's place for everyone in showbusiness but of course he had an eye on his rivals. But don't let those historians tell you he was just an entertainer. He was a real artist, one of the very best.



I love that one ! His singing sounds almost spooky. It's as if he's singing out of his grave, but with his teenage-voice. Unbelievable. This ain't no doo-wop (like the Marcelles' version) or country nor blues. This is pure Elvis !

Elvis always was an artist. He became an entertainer in the mid-70s. I'd say '73 when he imo lost interest in recording new material, but MBE might tell you more about this, since he got lots of knowledge about Elvis' works.Well

Elvis stayed an artist to me through the whole thing. It may have been harder to get him to commit to sessions but I think his last half dozen studio albums have some of his most heartfelt music. He was hurting and didn't care who knew it. He did some interesting forays into country and blues during that time. I also think the December 1976 tour was his best in years. Even on his very last show he was mixing up the setlist trying to keep things fresh. He had six new songs he was going to include on his August 77 tour so I think he never quite gave up creatively. Only during some of the summer tours of 76 do I think he went on autopilot and even then he would throw in one off's like Danny Boy or  Return To Sender. I think concerts were more important to him the cutting records in the seventies but he stayed very interesting to me. One last thing I forgot to mention, outside of producing most of his non soundtrack recordings, Ed Bonja (his semi official photographer) revealed that Elvis also knew what he wanted to be a single, and how he wanted his albums to flow. Some budget items didn't interest him, but he was far more involved creatively then most give him credit for.

Could you give some deeper information on this? That sounds very interesting and might change my feelings about the later years (I agree that "Moody blue" had some of his best recordings of the 70s btw. Just the way he beats George Jones on "She thinks I still care" is pheneomenal!)


EDIT: Did you see this? http://www.elvisnews.com/Presentation/Functional/Page/news.aspx?command=show&item=9029 (http://www.elvisnews.com/Presentation/Functional/Page/news.aspx?command=show&item=9029)

Looks almost as if they got him out of the grave.

He tried to bar George and John from entering the US in the 70's (this we know from the FBI files just released on John Lennon).

I wrote extensively on the relationship between the two parties. I did a lot of research on and all of this material is not valid. He took no part in that kind of thing and even hung out with George backstage in 1972. He also told Lennon to make an anti drug statement which can be seen in the Imagine doc.  He just told Nixon that he felt songs like Magical Mystery Tour were too drug oriented for youth to hear.  If he hated them he wouldn't have spoken with them or have recorded their songs.

He told the president of the United States that he thought Lennon was a druggie (bear in mind this was during all of Lennon's immigration problems)... I stand by what I said.

George was back stage at the Hawaii concert and Elvis walked by him. That hardly constitutes hanging out with him.

As for recording Beatle songs, well I'm not sure Elvis was doing that in homage to them. They were great songs. He would be stupid not to record them if he had the opportunity.

 ;)

Well, in fact this is not true. It's more like Elvis helped Lennon and Harrison to get into the States in 1970.
In'68 Elvis even said publicly that he liked the Beatles on his TV-show.
You should trust MBE, he knows very much about this stuff and helped on a lot of books about this topic. Kinda like an Elvis-AGD on this board.



I seriously doubt that Harrison was backstage at the hawaiian concert, which was in '73. He was backstage (and in the audience as were Lennon and Dylan) at the '72 Madison Square Garden-shows. And I guess you understand that Elvis couldn't talk hours with him when he had to go on stage and give a performance.
Elvis even asked Ringo Starr to be part of a project he was doing, which later came out as "That's the way it is" (1970), but Ringo had to decline.


On the other hand, this has nothing to do with the music.

Thanks Rocker you have it correct! BTW Lennon didn't get to go to Madison Square though he was reported to. I have a 1975 interview where he says he would love to see Elvis live but hadn't had a chance. Elvis certainly didn't call Lennon a druggie or even bring his name up specifically.I have the transcripts of the meeting. Elvis simply said he didn't like songs like Lucy In The Sky or Magical Mystery Tour. I spoke at a Beatles fest convention as an expert on the relationship between Presley and the Beatles and helped co-write a book on their 1965 US tour that focuses on their meetings. I have no need to prove myself beyond that, but it is sad the the tabloid writings of Chris Hutchens, and consipracy nuts like Fenton Brezler drummed up smoke when there was no fire.

Fair enough laddies. DRINKS ON ME!!!!   ;D

I was going mostly by what Ringo Starr said in an interview for the Beatles Anthology project... But his sources may have been the same as you were referring to.

In any case, Elvis rocks, so did the Beatles.

No hard feelings and thanks for reading what I had to say.  I saw that too, if I could of told Ringo myself I would. I feel so bad he was misinformed. Yes and they both do rock.

This just from elvisnews (http://www.elvisnews.com):

In an interview, the CEO of Stax Studios in Memphis, Deanie Parker, mentions a special gesture from Elvis. The story spread around town that the Beatles would come to Stax in Memphis – home of their heroes – to record a new studio album. When Elvis picked up the rumour, he invited the Fab Four to stay in Graceland. “I was so excited about it,” says Deanie Parker, “I was seeing dollar signs. I talked to Jim Stewart and said, 'If the Beatles do come here, will you give me permission to take the carpet up, cut it into squares, and sell it?'

Everyone else was worrying about the logistics — how were we gonna get them from the airport," Keyes says. "We were gonna put them up at the Holiday Inn Rivermont, but Elvis Presley said it would be better if they stayed at Graceland”. The session however, never happened.

Very cool story and very much like Elvis to offer that. Rocker sorry I had missed a question from you earlier. I think the FEPB are Moody Blue two good examples of how Elvis wanted the albums to go. On the first one he even wrote a special message on the back, and it was he who decided that it would be a concept album of sorts about loss in general. He saved up most of the up-tempo or lighter stuff for Moody Blue, and put some most of the ballads on FEPB. Now that's not to say their weren't rockers on the first or ballads on the second but they both achieve different moods. Incidentally he wanted to call Moody Blue "Unchained Melody" and Felton tried to buy some photos from Sean Shaver of Elvis at the piano for the cover. The Colonel insisted on using Ed Bonja's picture instread. Elvis didn't know the title was changed until 6-26-77 when he was presented a framed early copy as an award from a pressing plant. It was also Elvis' idea to mix the live and studio sides feeling it would give the LP a better flavor. He had been planning that since late 1975 but didn't actually get around to doing it until Moody Blue.  BTW Ernst is wrong it was Elvis' idea to do this.

No problem. It's very interesting. Are these infos in "Sessions III" ? I still don't have that book.  ::)
I like the song selection on "Boulevard" but can't stand the overdubs. Haven't got the Jungle room-FTD but I guess I'll like that one better. I also don't like mixes between studio- and liverecordings, which is not to say that the live cuts are bad (well, "Little darlin"... wtf). Do you know who's idea it was to overdub "Unchained melody"? And why wasn't the name Elvis wanted used? He was the artist and had the last word on it. It's strange that they used something he didn't want.



I guess you're talking about the mix of live and studio?

He never wrote a song in his life... He did get some writing credits here and there, but from what I've read, that was all just politics. There's no doubt that he was an extremely talented and gifted singer and entertainer, but I have a hard time seeing him as a serious creative artist as he never wrote or produced his own material.

He did produce his material. He was also the one who decided which  take was released, which song would become the single, etc.
People easily overlook that the role of the "official" producer of Elvis is very different to the one of, let's say, the Beach Boys' or Spector. In fact, alot of times there wasn't even a production-credit on Elvis' records, because the guys in the room (Steve Sholes, etc) didn't do anything but announce which take was next. The only times Elvis worked with a real producer was with Sam Phillips and with Chips Moman. And he had his own thing goin' on there too.

As for writing: If you find that you aren't able to write songs good enough for you, then I think it's the right thing to pick songs which reflect your feelings. It's harder to make someone else's songs your own, than the one you wrote.
BTW Elvis did co-write "You'll be gone". People make too much out of writing songs. A great actor mostly doesn't write his movies too, so if you got great material, why go and try to write something similar which might come out worse?

Well said Rocker about songwriting. Jerry Lee didn't write, Everly Brothers didn't compose  their best known stuff, Brian Jones did not write, so many people who are artists music did not write. Mike Love wrote most of the Summer In Paradise album, does that alone make it real art in a way that Elvis's best music wasn't? Someone is an artist because of how they express the music not only the song itself. Witness Brian's terrible version of Do You Have Any Regrets and Darian's wonderful cover version.

Sessions III does not have many stories mostly facts. What is there is good though (and not just because I wrote the session facts parts).  The info I have on it is just from having studied the sessions and read many interviews with Felton, the musicians etc. The title was announced by Elvis on stage just days before he was presented the award. It must of been a last minute thing, but I agree not respectful to Elvis.  Jungle room is OK but some of the bite is gone. It's a little dry but you may perfer it that way. Little Darlin was OK by me but the reuse of Let Me Be There was kind of cheap. I think it was used because of the other ONJ song on there. Unchained was overdubbed because that's how it was often played live. The original must not have picked up the band to Elvis and Felton's liking. If you see the undoctered CBS tapes, the band joins in on the second half. Elvis arranged it that way and only the remix on Great Performances has led people to believe it was always done solo.

You are right about Chet Atkins and Steve Sholes, they just acting as coordinators. Felton co produced the 66-76 sessions even the ones in Memphis. Elvis had final say during those sessions as well Moman didn't agree with some of Elvis and Felton's choices. Sam Phillips really was the only one who didn't have Elvis in the booth. He learned a lot from Sam very quickly because by 1956 he was a master in the studio.

Yeah, I know a lot of live versions of "Unchained melody" and the original undubbed "Moody Blue"-version is available on the FTD-Spring Tour '77. And it's true that some of the band come in in the later part but no orchestra as it is on "Moody blue". It sounds awesome and blows away the undubbed performance imo but I wonder who decided this or who made the suggestion.


You oghta write a book about this stuff that you got. Even if it's something already published, we need to have it compiled in one book. I would buy one as soon as it's out. Guess I'm gonna search for Session III now.


I will get the "Elvis is back"-FTD for my birthday and I guess that one will open up new horizons, even if I know all the songs. The sessions in there are what I can't wait to explore.

BTW I love Brian's "Do you have any regrets" but I don't know Darian's version of it.

I will do something on Elvis one day but in the meantime Darrien Lee's Desert Storm book will do a lot to show the artist Elvis was in the seventies. I also suggest you track down interviews with Felton Jarvis, and Elvis' band members. Darian does it as a classic BW production circa 1965.

Where can one get that stuff ?


BTW,


I look forward to that. i think we really need one essential book that shows what kind of artist he was and even more important that he in fact was an artist at all. As we can see, many people don't realize that and I can't blame them because EPE and BMG are not doing very much to change that.

Try looking for a book called Talking Elvis and another called Elvis Presley the Power and the Persecution. They will give you a good start. Elvis Up Close isn't bad either. Enter Felton's name on Ebay too he did quite a few interviews from 1977-81.

http://www.systemrecords.co.uk/milliondollarquartetthecompletesession2lp-p-927102.html

Great, this is the "new" version with muh better sound than ever before, I have it on CD. They used a newly found tape of the session, from Elvis' private stuff, and therefor we get some never before heard songs and much chatter, as well as, like I already mentioned, a very great sound. If you have the old version, you should buy this as it almost sounds like another recording. Most of the distortion is gone and you can actually hear and understand the spoken parts. Jerry Lee's "That's my desire" even got a complete first verse and instrumental interplay, which was always edited out. Great stuff and one of the most historic recordings in Rock'n'Roll. Hearing this you'll understand what that music is all about.
MBE, do you have it on vinyl? Does it sound as great as the CD? Any further thoughts on this?

I will have it soon. Wish it wasn't a pic disc because the pressings are sometimes less clean but I am sure like every Sun recording it will be far better on vinyl.

 :o

Fifties music is great and overlooked by some. All the people that came out of Sun, artists like Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bo Didley, The Everley's. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens just a great period in American music. Elvis was undoubtably the best perofrmer of that era and always will be.
BTW if you like the first to make sure you pick up the terrific Loving You and King Creole LP's as well as For LP Fans Only one of his best comps. For newer selection pick up the Jailhouse Rock soundtrack and Elvis at Sun. I think everything he did through Elvis Is Back is utterly brilliant and much of what he did after is as well.

I just did a vol. 2 of this. Let me know what you think about it.
Compared to the first one, there are much more mono-stereo-changes, but I didn't wanna do it chronological, I wanted it to flow. Afterwards I think I would have changed from "Crawfish" to "Blue moon" to "Blue moon" to "Crawfish". Here's the tracklist:

1. We're comin' in loaded (one of the most exciting 1:30 tracks I have ever heard !)
2. Pocketful of rainbows
3. Don't be cruel
4. He'll have to go
5. Bridge over troubled water
6. Such a night
7. Hard headed woman
8. Heart of Rome
9. Crawfish
10. Blue moon
11. Hurt
12. Milkcow blues boogie
13. I've got a thing about you baby
14. Mary in the morning
15. I, John
16. A big hunk o' love
17. All I needed was the rain
18. Gonna get back home somehow
19. Like a baby
20. Reach out to Jesus
21. Tonight's allright for love (this is the european version)
22. Until it's time for you to go
23. I need your love tonight
24. Pledging my love
25. Make the world go away
26. I really don't want to know
27. For ol' times sake
28. Danny boy
29. Unchained melody (live '77 -> Moody Blue-albumversion)



I also just got the FTD-deluxe-edition of "Elvis is back" (one of the best and best sounding albums of all time) and it's awesome to hear the sessions and how Elvis worled. You shoul try to get it.

"Such a night": just wanted to add that I think this is a faboulus recording but probably would have caused a lot of trouble if it would've been released as a single in '60 because Elvis and his band imitate musically an orgasm at the end. Imo this sounds even "better" than Dennis' take on "All I want to do".


BTW: Soon there should be the '56 Tupelo-concert released on DVD (as much as possible at least)



That's true. I guess it's because rockmusic-journalism really got serious in the 60s and everything before that isn't taken as very important today.

Not to mention Johnny Cash, who I believe came from Sun Records as well... The 50's represent an era to me of pure musicality without alot of issues like production and self conciousness to muddy it up. It was real and raw.

For those who may be interested, Sideshow Collectibles has an awesome 1:4 scale multi-media statue of Elvis up for preorder. Check it out: http://www.sideshowtoy.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=71891

You can even still pick up the exlusive which includes his guitar. They also have a flex pay option here: http://www.sideshowtoy.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=71891FLEX

 :afro :smokin :hat 8)

Someone somewhere on this thread or another mentioned that Elvis was an artist, and that he had a hand in his own production.  I saw an interesting little comment on t.v. the other night about that.

It was a documentary on Ronnie Milsap, and it mentioned that he played on Kentucky Rain.  Milsap said that when he got the demo of "Appalachian Rain", he turned it into "Smokey Mountain Rain" to pay homage to his part of the country... then when he was recording it, he thought it needed a little something, and remembered Elvis telling him "Ronnie, I need some more thunder on that left hand" and how Elvis had Ronnie bang out the bass on the piano to make it sound like thunder while he was recording Kentucky Rain.... so Ronnie said in the little interview "yeah, I thought 'Elvis, you're right'" and how he felt that it was Elvis inspiring him to make Smokey Mountain Rain a better song.  So according to Ronnie Elvis was a pretty creative dude.


-----------------

I guess I'll mention it here, not sure if I have before in the past, but I heard an interview (again) with Glen Campbell on XM radio last week.  It's about a year old but was a pretty interesting story.  He said that he once got boo'ed in Vegas because he was sitting in the audience watching an Elvis show, and Elvis mentioned him then said "I heard you're trying to do me here in Vegas" and Glen said (from the audience) "Well, If I really wanted to do you, I'd have to gain some weight" and the whole place went nuts.  He said Elvis was a great guy and he was lucky to get to sit and talk with him a few times in his suite in Vegas. 

The Kentucky Rain story is great and matches that all my reasearch has been telling me. Thanks for sharing that. I agree that fifties music is rock and roll in it's purest form. They wanted it to sound good and have energy but it was basically sheer fun.

Love these stories, both of 'em. Elvis and Campbell were pretty good friends. Glenn played on the "Viva Las Vegas"-Soundtrack. Not the only BBs-relation....

Re: "creative guy": I guess that's true. There are some really interesting stories about Elvis in the studio, but they all got overshadowed by the Elvis on the toilet-stories. For example, one of my very favorite stories is the one to "Baby I don't care" from the "Jailhouse Rock"-Soundtrack. The song begins with a bass figure and Elvis' bassist Bill Black, wasn't able to play it the way Elvis wanted it to sound (Bill probably couldn't handle the new electric bass), so Elvis, who wasn't a professional bassplayer or had very much practice on it, played it himself and overdubbed his voice later. So if you hear that song, you'll hear Elvis play the bass.




Yeah, Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich, Elvis... they all started at Sun Records. Even BB King, Ike Turner and Rufus Thomas could be counted in on that list.

I still find it amazing how many great people were on Sun. Even some of the 70's Sun records by Orion and Sleepy Labeef were really good.

I just re-watched the concert again where he mentioned an album called "Unchained melody". It was one of the concerts that were recorded for the CBS-special. To be honest, I think he was just trying to make a joke. He says:
This song is called "Unchained melody" from an album called "Unchained melody", does that make sense...? 
He also says that it will be soon released. As there is a discussion about the Jungle Room-sessions on another board I post on, could you give me some more infos (only if it's not asked too much of course). And if you remember where you got the infos from, that would be great too, so I could tell them people on the other board...

Well I think the way he annouced the title was a joke but I base my belief that he was telling the truth on one thing really. I know he and Felton Jarvis wanted Sean Shaver to take a cover photo of him playing Unchained Melody for the cover. Parker changed the cover and wouldn't let Felton and Elvis use what they wanted. I think the new title was picked because of the blue vinyl pressing that was originally to be limited. Now these blue versions are the common ones. Elvis didn't see a final copy until the last day of the tour. I could be wrong on this, but my instinct tells me the story Shaver wrote is true.

Sounds interesting. But did Colonel Parker really have that much control over the "artistic" side? AfaIk he only did his job as a manager (really good if you ask me) but always kept outside the artistic decisions, except maybe for asking Elvis to record "Are you lonesome tonight".
And another wuestion, you wrote that Elvis plannend on mixing an album with live and studio recordings since '75. Now the "old" story always was that he hadn't recorded enough material so they filled it with live stuff. So waht's the real story? Who told you about that? As I told you, I have a little discussion on another board and I mentioned that I was told about these plans of Elvis but I can't confirm it...

There is a letter included in the Day by Day book that Elvis sent Parker from 75 where he requests they do an LP that way because he felt it would be a good mix. Elvis and Felton made the albums musically, decided on the tracks etc. Parker marketed them. That usually meant titles, photos used, etc. Elvis had some input but Parker had final say in that area. Parker was great in the 50's and in the initial comeback period but once he put Elvis on a routine with the movies, and then again with the live shows he misjudged Elvis' need for fresh challenges. Elvis should have toured Europe and he did want to. Elvis is bigger then anyone so Parker knew his stuff, it's just that sometimes he didn't take Elvis the person into consideration.

Thanks. I think it doesn't get any better than a letter by Elvis where he mentions such an idea for an album. Will take this information to the other board.


Well, you know, I don't think Parker was the one responsible for a missing Europe-tour. Of course he maybe was the reason, but Elvis was the boss. If Elvis really wanted to do something, there was no chance for anyone, icluding Parker, to stop him. Colonel may have given advice, etc. but in the end Elvis had the final say. If he didn't use it, that's another thing imo.
On the other hand, we don't know if Elvis would've been a big number in Europe. He wasn't very succesful in Germany and other countries. I believe he had succes in England, but that's about it. I am sure Elvis would have had big audiences but I don't think he necesarily would have been a sell-out everywhere. Especially if it was in '77 (as some sources mention).

Chart wise he did very well in Europe overall. In England he was bigger in the 70's then in America sales wise, chart wise etc. I think Elvis really did want to go and that was one of the reasons he fired Parker for a few weeks in 1973. Parker couldn't leave the US and didn't want to send anyone in his place. Elvis simply gave in to what Parker wanted which indeed was his own choice. I think truthfully the healthy Elvis of 1971 would have wanted to go far more then the troubled Elvis of 1977.

Well, I thin in Germany he had only one no.1-Hit with "In the ghetto" but I don't know very much about the other countries, except maybe about the UK.



I also think he wanted to go, but if he really wanted, like he wanted to record "Suspicious minds", he would have gone.
I often hear about him firing the Colonel for a few weeks, but no one ever could give me much more infos about that. Do you got some? Maybe we oughta discuss this via PM, if it is too much "insider"-stuff for this thread, I don't know....

No it's pretty well known. He fired him in 1973 after his second Vegas gig. At the closing show he stuck up for a waiter that was being fired. Parker didn't think Elvis should say anything against the Hilton's and they got into a shouting match where Elvis fired him. Parker wrote out a largely bogus bill for two million dollars that Elvis initially was going to pay to get rid of him. Once they cooled down he rehired him perhaps a week or two later. They were never as close afterwards though. I think Elvis suspected Parker was an illegal alien so that could have been part of the reason he fired him too. At the time Elvis was riding high worldwide with the Aloha show so not going overseas was in his eyes a bad move.

I know that story about the Hilton's guy. There's also a bootleg recording out there of that show. Didn't know that he fired Parker afterwards though. I wonder if he really wanted to get rid of him or if that was just one of his temper-things.
I heard other stories where he wanted to fire the Colonel around the comeback-era...

They were pretty tight around 1969, it was a temper thing but Elvis had been unhappy with him over the previous six months or so.

Re: Moody Blue: I got another question but this time about the artwork. I have "Moody blue" on LP but probably a re-pressing, as the record isn't in blue vinyl. Anyway, the backcover is a great shot from '72. Was that one also used on the original? The label says: PL 12 428

Yes that was on all pressings. The black ones are worth more money in the US

Good to know if I'm gonna sell it someday.... :-D
That picture is awesome. I wonder why they didn't use it on the first CD-version and why they changed the whole cover for the actual one...

It's because BMG has ZERO respect for Elvis' vision of his music or his albums.

Here's something hopefully interesting. A regularly updated site with video of famous people talking about Elvis (Scotty Moore, James Brown, Tom Jones). It's available in german and in english:

http://www.unikosmos.de/elvis/index.php (http://www.unikosmos.de/elvis/index.php)

I found this absolutely incredible piece of music with a nice video on youtube. "Peace in the valley" was always one of my favorite Elvis-performances but sometimes you just have to be reminded of how great it is. The video has pictures from the Ed Sullivan-show where he did this song (I, and at least one other, uploaded the actual performance on youtube) and unfortunately one or two seconds, I guess, from the recording were cutted. Anyway, this is just one of the most emotional songs ever imo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY_tX4N220I&mode=related&search= (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY_tX4N220I&mode=related&search=)




EDIT: BTW check out the trailers for the new DVD-releases:

http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=WarnerBrosOnline (http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=WarnerBrosOnline)


"That's the way it is" will feature the original movie on Disc 1 and the special edition on Disc 2, including still unreleased footage. The documentary "This is Elvis" is amazing. Can't wait to get my hands on it. Also, as you'll see, there are some of his regular movies coming out. Some of them are really good ("It happened at the worlds fair") or even great ("Jailhouse rock"). But on the whole each one of them will entertain you. From that point they are all good. Hopefully we'll get "Elvis on tour", too. That one is a motherfucker, as is the before mentioned "That's the way it is".