Welcome to the "Elvis Information Network", home to the best news, reviews, interviews, Elvis photos & in-depth articles about the King of Rock & Roll, Elvis Aaron Presley...
New FTD October Releases: The official FTD announcement is for these two new releases for October. 1. 'Elvis: Summer Of '76': As part of its ongoing live on tour series, FTD is pleased to announce the release of Elvis: Summer Of '76. Released as a 3-CD 5" digi-pak, this set features three 1976 concerts:
CD1 - Charleston, West Virginia, Afternoon Show, July 24
CD2 - Springfield, Massachusetts, Evening Show, July 29
CD3 - Hampton Roads, Afternoon Show, August 1. EIN Note: FTD released another 1976 triple-pack back in early January and this third tour of 1976 was one of Elvis' worst. Starting just 10 days after Elvis fired Red, Sonny West and Dave Hebler he was not in a good way.
The Hampton Roads August 1 show has been out previously on bootleg (Fort Baxter’s ‘Bicentennial Elvis Experience') and Elvis sounds exhausted. Fans consider it one of his worst performances - what an odd choice for FTD to release. The only song of interest is a rough version of 'Return To Sender' but it's already released by FTD.
... Go to 'Elvis FTD/ SONY CD News' for tracklistings
Priced at around US$62.
2. 'From Elvis Presley Boulevard' VINYL - regular black-vinyl edition.
With the same tracklist as the 'Blue vinyl' version released back in March 2023, each double album features great outtakes and masters recorded in the legendary Jungle Room.
Songs include Hurt, For The Heart, Love Coming Down, I'll Never Fall In Love Again, Danny Boy, Solitaire and The Last Farewell. See 'Elvis FTD/ SONY CD News' for details
3.'Elvis: The His Hand In Mine Sessions' FTD's 3-CD "complete" 'His Hand In Mine' sessions is being reprinted.
This is an amazing success story as the "complete" sessions version only featured a few more minutes than FTD's original HHIM 'Classic Album' release from 2007.
(News, Source;FTD/ElvisInfoNet)
'Gotta Have Rock & Roll Americana Auction' Results: Last weekend's Gotta Have Rock & Roll auction featured multiple Elvis pieces up for auction.
Several items came via Charlie Hodge and also from the Eddie Hammer Collection.
The highlights were... - Elvis' Blue Hawaii Gibson J-45 acoustic Guitar
Elvis' film-used Gibson J-45 acoustic guitar that he also personally owned and used in his Paramount films "Blue Hawaii" and "G.I. Blues."
According to the letter from Charlie Hodge, he may have also used the guitar in "King Creole" as that was a Paramount production as well.
The guitar is stamped inside "Property of Paramount Prop Department" and Elvis' name is stamped inside as well.
According to Charlie Hodge, Elvis would usually take home his movie-used guitars, and he played this guitar at his home in Los Angeles and at Graceland.
Provenance: Originally from the collection of Charlie Hodge.
Estimate: $200,000 - $500,000 - SOLD for just $82,000
- Elvis owned and stage worn oversized and heavy 5ct diamond and 14kt gold ring.
Elvis gifted this ring to George Klein his close personal friend who said Elvis wore the ring both on and off stage.
One day when Elvis was trying on some new rings he was purchasing, he took this ring off his finger, and asked George to hold it for him. When he had finished with his purchases, George handed this ring back to him and Elvis said "GK you keep that one." -
Estimate: $10,000 - $20,000 - Final Bid: $30,000
- Elvis stage worn, owned, and personally worn Florsheim black patent leather boots.
With side zipper and "Imperial Florsheim" stamped on the bottom of the sole.
Elvis gave these boots to his long-time, close friend Charlie Hodge. Size 12, Charlie notes that Elvis's foot size could vary a great deal depending on the boot and whether Elvis had any swelling in his feet.
Condition: Very Good. -
Estimate: $5,000 - $7,500 - Final Bid: $2,750
- Elvis "Verschollen en Harem" (Harum Scarum) Vintage Original German Movie Poster.
From the Eddie Hammer Collection, a writer for Goldmine and Discoveries magazines who was an Elvis expert.
At one point he had what was believed to be the largest Elvis Presley collection in the world.
Condition: Vintage, sold as is.
Estimate: $200 - $400 Final Bid: $60
Elvis Presley "La Mujer Robada" (Love Me Tender) Vintage Original Spanish Movie Poster
Good Condition
From the Eddie Hammer Collection.
Condition: Vintage, sold as is.
Estimate: $200 - $400 Final Bid: $50 EIN liked the look of the posters which went for a seemingly low price
Go HERE for all the auction results (News, Source;ElvisInfoNet)
'Memphis Music Today 827 Thomas Street' Import Vinyl: Stretching Elvis' 1969 Memphis sessions and live in-concert versions over TWELVE sides of bootleg vinyl. Promoted as... Now available are these 3 gorgeous gatefold double LPs ‘Memphis Music Today 827 Thomas Street’.
These are strictly (very!!) limited editions.
Available in various but limited quantities of red or blue or mixed colored vinyl.(red & blue)
Includes multiple outtakes plus undubbed masters and live versions.
Rarities such as, Gentle On My Mind - Overdubbed Master Organ Mix Version, Suspicious Minds - Extended Master Without Fade, In The Ghetto - Partially Overdubbed Master Unrepaired Vocal, Poor Man’s Gold and Inherit The Wind - Partially Overdubbed Draft Composite.
The topics include did Elvis’ music decline when he moved from Sun to RCA, “who” triggered the media and public moral outrage about Elvis in the 1950’s, Elvis’ film recordings (particularly in the 1960s), the connection between Elvis’ films and those of Mario Lanza, singles that failed to be major hits, Elvis’ mid-60’s soul-infused recordings, the quality of Elvis’ albums after From Elvis in Memphis, the artistic value of Elvis’ RCA Camden albums, Shane’s views on 10 particular Elvis songs, Elvis remixes, can Sony have another hit Elvis album?, and a lot more...
Shane Brown has strong, well-reasoned views on many “things Elvis”, and they offer a lot for readers to think about and possibly reevaluate their views on various issues. Don't miss this fascinating interview for 2023.
(Interview, Source:ElvisInformationNetwork)
'Elvis Now In Person: 1972' New FTD Deluxe Set: At a recent Flaming Star fan-club event Ernst Jorgenson discussed the up-coming FTD Deluxe set 'Elvis Now In Person- 1972'.
It will be a two-book set (similar to the other recent FTD sets) by David English and Pål Granlund.
David English has mentioned that the set will cover Elvis' journey from January - April 1972. (Similar to the sensational 'TCB-In A Flash')
The audio is said to be... CD1. February 1972 Las Vegas multi-track recordings. 8 unreleased tracks CD2. Copy and paste of the Record Store Day vinyl release, "Burning Love - The RCA Rehearsals"
without the live version of "How Great Thou Art" at the end. CD3. Copy and paste of the vinyl release "Live 1972." CD4.April 5, 1972 Buffalo rehearsal.
A November 2023 publishing date is mentioned so expect official confirmation very soon (News, Source;DE/ElvisDayByDay/FB)
Barry Manilow beats Elvis Presley Vegas record: Octogenarian Barry Manilow has finally beaten Elvis' record for the most performances with his 637th show at Westgate Las Vegas.
In homage to the King, Manilow donned a leather jacket and belted out Elvis' hit song Hound Dog which received a standing ovation.
All the shows are at the legendary Westgate Las Vegas Resort (formerly International / Vegas Hilton).
Manilow stated, “Westgate Las Vegas is my home away from home.
I've been playing there off and on since the '80s. It would be one stop on a tour. But this is a ... bona fide residency, and I just love it. I love the audiences. I love this place. The Westgate is the perfect size for what I do.
And ... yes, we are 'in residency' .. I definitely am there!"
Manilow has extended his residency into 2024, with tickets for the new shows on sale on October 6. -- Back in 1969 Elvis basically lived at the International / Hilton after it opened.
At the time it was the largest hotel / casino in the world.
Elvis performed 836 consecutive shows at the International Theater over seven years with the theater often packed with stars like Cary Grant and Carole Channing. His last show was in December of 1976.
No performer since then had played more shows. But note that Barry Manilow first played Las Vegas in January 1988 - so that's 35 YEARS to achieve what Elvis did in just seven years! - Hardly a record worth noting! (News, Source;Tabloids/EIN)
Saturday 23 September 2023
An Official 'Elvis Presley Jungle Room Bar' is Popping Up Around the USA: The Love Me (Bar)Tender will appear in New York City, Boston and Chicago for two nights only. Fans can live like the King of Rock and Roll across the US this fall.
Memphis Tourism and EPE/ Graceland are teaming up to bring the estate’s iconic Jungle Room to cities across the country. The Love Me (Bar)Tender pop-up will bring a piece of the Memphis mansion to New York City, Boston and Chicago. Love Me (Bar)Tender will be in each city for two nights only, appearing in New York City Oct 5 and 6; in Boston Oct 10-11; and in Chicago Oct 18-19.
The pop-up bar will transform spaces in each city to emulate the Presley family’s den, known by fans as the “Jungle Room” inspired by the singer’s time in Hawaii.
The Graceland room features a bright green shag carpet, a rock waterfall, a tiki bar and other tiki-inspired furnishings and decorations.
Fans who want to get in on the action can RSVP to the New York City event hosted at Pekarna in the Upper West Side for their chance to get a taste of Memphis in the city.
Boston and Chicago residents check Memphis Tourism’s website for when reservations go live in their city. (News, Source:People/Yahoo Sport/EIN)
The Birth of Rock 'N' Roll - The Illustrated Story of Sun Records (and the 70 Recordings That Changed the World) (Peter Guralnick & Colin Escott) Mini-Review: Given the pedigree of the authors (Escott is arguably the world's greatest expert about Sun Records) you would expect this "coffee table" release to be a good one - and it is! More than 250 large-sized "heavy stock" pages with glorious quality images (b&w), including some striking double page spreads, and strong text. Peter Guralnick's content is an analysis of the titular 70 Recordings.
The book description is an honest one: ...... 'A fascinating look at the history of Sun Records, the label that started Rock n’ Roll, told through 70 of its iconic recordings.
In Memphis, Tennessee, in the 1950s, there was hard-edged blues playing on Beale Street, and hillbilly boogie on the outskirts of town. But at Sam Phillips’ Sun Records studio on Union Avenue, there was something different going on – a whole lotta shakin’, rockin’, and rollin’.
This is where rock ’n’ roll was born.
Sun Records: the company that launched Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, and Carl Perkins. The label that brought the world, “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” “Breathless,” “I Walk the Line,” “Mystery Train,” “Good Rockin’ Tonight.”
The Birth of Rock ’n’ Roll: 70 Years of Sun Records is the official history of this legendary label, and looks at its story in a unique way: through the lens of 70 of its most iconic recordings. From the early days with primal blues artists like Howlin’ Wolf and B.B. King to long nights in the studio with Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis, you will see how the label was shaped and how it redefined American music.
Accompanying the recordings is the label’s origin story and a look at the mission of the label today, as well as “Sun Spot” sidebars—a fascinating dive into subjects such as how the iconic logo was created, the legendary Million Dollar Quartet sessions, and how the song “Harper Valley, PTA” funded the purchase of the label.
Written by two of the most acclaimed music writers of our time, Peter Guralnick and Colin Escott, and featuring hundreds of rare images from the Sun archives as well as a foreword by music legend Jerry Lee Lewis, this is a one-of-a-kind book for anyone who wants to know where it all started.'
While the book is not exclusively about Elvis there is plenty of relevant content with his name also dotting the write-ups about other Sun artists.
Peter Guralnick’s look at the key 70 SUN recordings is a very enjoyable journey. He examines all Elvis’ important singles along with plenty of Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. The insights he presents are fascinating even if you have previously read plenty about Sun records. For instance...
‘My Kind of Carrying On’ - Doug Poindexter. “It was with the hillbilly band, the Starlite Wranglers, that guitarist Scotty Moore, not too long out of the Navy and a hatter at his brother’s dry-cleaning establishment, first entered the Sun studio in April 1954. It was Scotty’s group, to which he had only recently recruited vocalist Doug Poindexter, a baker with a passion for Hank Williams. … Scotty said, “Sam knew there was a crossover coming.. He foresaw it. I think that recording all those Black artists had to give him an insight. He just didn’t know where that insight would lead.”
‘Hey, Porter!’ - Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two. “Johnny Cash arrived at the Sun studio at the invitation of Elvis Presley in early 1955. … He did not receive a warm welcome. Marion Keisker told him Sam didn’t have time for him, he was too busy with Elvis, and then when he finally did get the opportunity to present himself to Mr. Phillips and told him he was a gospel singer, Sam explained to him the same thing he had already told others: he just didn’t have any way to sell it.”
in 'The History Of Sun Records, Part 2 (1969-2022)' Colin Escott also looks at the arrival of Shelby Singleton and, of course, the Elvis-styled ‘Orion’.
Available from Amazon and other outlets. There is also a Kindle edition. (News, Source: Amazon/Nigel Patterson-EIN)
Elvis Festival Porthcawl, Wales: UK's biggest Elvis Festival in Porthcawl, Wales welcomes around 40,000 people this weekend for the largest Elvis Presley tribute festival in Europe.
Elvis acts will battle to be crowned the best performer on Saturday, and the judges are looking for the best entertainers.
The three-day event attracts people from all over, they dress up for the occasion, donning shades and rhinestone-studded jumpsuits to pay tribute to their idol.
Taking place from September 22-24, the event includes finding the best-dressed Elvis to a gospel show celebrating the music that Elvis loved the most.
The festival began in 2004 when its founder, Peter Phillips, decided to try and stop the Grand Pavilion from closing.
Mr Phillips said the council wanted to close it but "the town were worried that was really a Trojan horse for a housing development". To save it he suggested "an award show for Elvis Tribute Artists".
Peter Phillips founded the festival 19 years ago and it has continued to grow.
"It was like the Grammy's for Elvises. We had the best gospel, the best Vagas, the best 68 special Elvis. I always thought Elvis tribute artists don't get the credit they deserve," he said.
Mr Phillips said the festival grew quickly and has become an institution with at least 40,000 fans expected this weekend.
It's actually a Welsh party, I think it only works to the extent it does because it's in Wales.
The Welsh government calculated it brings in £6m and to an economy the size of Porthcawl, that's significant." Saturday's entertainment includes, 'The Best Festival Elvis Competition and The Grand Final plus "The Elvies", the "most prestigious Award Show in the World" for Elvis Tribute Artists. Sunday, includes, 'The Elvis Gospel Show' at noon plus 'Elvis at the Movies', and 'Trilogy: A Sun Studio set /’68 Special and culminating in a full Vegas show'
Gohere 'Porthcawl Elvis Festival' for more information and tickets (News, Source;EIN)
Thursday 21 September 2023
New 'MRS CAMDEN' label releases: In a move Col Parker would be proud of the UK ‘Memphis Recording Service’ (MRS) label are re-releasing 3 CD titles on its new alternate budget label 'MRS CAMDEN'.
This is mainly due to public demand and driven by low-stock on many older key MRS titles.
- One Night In Pearl Harbor CD - Elvis On Television 1956- 1960 2CD - The Complete 1950's Live Recordings 3CD
All three will be released on 24th November 2023.
The titles have slight changes in the name and on CD content and come in a Digi-Sleeve pack. Each comes with a small booklet.
The releases on this specific new label are scaled-down budget versions of the previous, priced for the mainstream market.
At the same time however, some of the CD’s include newly sourced audio upgrades.
- One Night In Pearl Harbor
On March 25, 1961, Elvis Presley performed what would become his final live concert for eight years! This benefit charity show, in aid of the USS Arizona Memorial fund at Pearl Harbor has been remastered and restored and includes 25-minute press conference taken just before the show. Please note that the ‘Elvis Salutes the USS Arizona’ that was on the original MRS release ‘Such a Night in Pearl Harbor’ is not included on this release. However, the 25-minute press conference taken just before the show is now included for the first time on CD with MRS.
- Elvis On Television 1956- 1960
The 2CDs contain the complete archival sound recordings of Elvis Presley’s television appearances from 1956-60 remastered and restored. They include interviews as well as the live performances from the Dorsey Brothers “Stage Show,” Milton Berle, Steve Allen and the Ed Sullivan shows. For the first time on this MRS release, unlike the previous version, is a newly sourced, recently discovered acetate of Elvis' appearance on the 'Frank Sinatra Timex' show in 1960.
MRS took the operation to completely remaster the tracks direct from the original transfer files with the best of results.
- The Complete 1950's Live Recordings
The 3CD set represents the complete archival live concert recordings by Elvis Presley in the 1950’s.
All 82 tracks have been remastered and restored and the accompanying booklet chronologically follows Elvis from the very first, to the last shows performed. Please note, a newly remastered version of the live track 'I Forgot to Remember to Forget’ has been upgraded for this release.
Fans of the original Elvis RCA CAMDEN albums shouldn't miss this great article....
'The Elvis RCA Camden Collection' EIN Spotlight:Most fans have had a love-hate relationship with Elvis' Camden collections. On one hand they are seen as an artistic misstep being released at a time when Elvis was back riding high on the charts saturating the market with a series of albums containing little-known songs. Yet on the other hand many younger fans used these budget collections as a way to enter the amazing world of Elvis’ vast back-catalogue.
The RCA Camdens featured the first release of an Elvis live recording, 19 previously unreleasedtracks and 58 tracks previously unreleased on an album. That is quite impressive even if Col Parker only had his increased revenue as the main goal.
Now updated with Readers' Feedback - Read this fascinating article and tell us YOUR THOUGHTSabout Elvis' Camden releases... EIN contributor Neil Colombari reveals all...
(Spotlight; Source;Neil Colombari/ElvisInfoNet)
Vintage Rock Issue 65: In the latest Oct/Nov 2023 issue of Vintage Rock, we celebrate the trailblazing talent of cover star Bo Diddley, including the remarkable insights of his long-serving bass player Debby Hastings. Elsewhere, we delve into the much-debated merits of Elvis' Stax sessions – Did The King drop the ball - or have the fruits of his labours at the home of Southern soul in Memphis been unfairly overlooked?
We're also getting hot under the collar to celebrate the sweaty birth of Beatlemania and pay tribute to Cliff Richard's Move It, his iconic Ian Samwell-penned debut single that had seismic repercussions for the nascent rock'n'roll scene across the UK.
All this and much more in the new issue of Vintage Rock!
EPE estate hit with Lisa Marie unpaid $3.8m loan; It has only been a few months since Riley Keough was declared the sole trustee of Elvis' estate but now it faces a legal battle over an outstanding million-dollar loan to Lisa Marie.
Investment and lending company Naussany Investments are seeking the $3.8 million they say Lisa Marie owed them in a lawsuit.
Allegedly Lisa Marie failed to fulfill her payment obligations for the 2018 loan.
According to court documents the loan in question was acquired by Presley in May 2018, with her ownership stake in EPE / Graceland offered as collateral.
The exact purpose behind the loan remains undisclosed.
The lawsuit notes that Lisa Marie borrowed $450,000 in 2016 which was then repaid in full within the following month.
Lisa Marie apparently signed a letter agreeing to repay the $3.8 million loan in full by May 16, 2022.
However according to the attorneys Naussany Investments allegedly lost contact with Lisa Marie after March 2022, despite their purported efforts to communicate and collect the outstanding debt.
As part of the ongoing legal wrangle, NIPL has offered a potential resolution: they are willing to drop the case if Lisa Marie's estate, which is now under the control of Riley Keough, repays 75 percent of the loan, amounting to $2.85 million, within 45 days.
This may be a little worrying however back in 2020 an EPE exec revealed that Elvis' estate was "estimated to be worth between $400 million and $500 million."
And according to Forbes EPE earned $110 million in 2022. This is likely at least in part due to the successful ELVIS biopic. (News, Source;Tabloids/EIN)
Dean Z "Worlds Ultimate Elvis" Australian Tour 2024: The publicity states... Are you ready to experience the King of Rock 'n' Roll like never before? Dean Z is back!
Get ready to be swept off your feet by the unbelievable production, the iconic songs, and the electrifying energy that only Elvis Presley can deliver. "Dean Z - The Ultimate Elvis” is a musical journey spanning the 20 year career of the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll”, from his rise to fame in the 1950s, to his infamous Las Vegas performances of the 1970s.
Features a powerful 11 piece band, horn section and immersive video content for a truly unforgettable concert experience.
Touring the Best of Australia via multiple cities, don't miss out when he comes to your town: Griffith- 5 April 2024 Melbourne - The National Theatre, St Kilda, April 6 Perth - Astor Theatre, April 7 Adelaide- Woodville Town Hall, April 10 Gold Coast - SOPO Southport, April 12 Sydney- Bankstown Sports Club, April 13/14
Tickets will be in high demand. Go here to Ticketek or book via your local venue
Be prepared to rock 'n' roll your way into the ultimate Elvis experience. (News, Source;ElvisInfoNet)
Tuesday 19 September 2023
Roger Whittaker UK folk-singer dies Aged 87: Folk singer Roger Whittaker passed away at the age of 87 last week on 13 September.
The late singer, born in Nairobi, began his career in UK folk clubs and went on to achieve success with singles including 'The Skye Boat Song', 'Durham Town', 'New World in the Morning' and 'The Last Farewell'.
Roger Whittaker composed 'The Last Farewell' with UK writer Ron A. Webster. It is listed as "one of the 50 all-time singles to have sold 10 million+ physical copies worldwide"
Released originally in 1971 'The Last Farewell' got a new lease of life in the USA in 1975 when the single reached the Billboard Top 20 and went to number 1 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart.
The US response also led to the single to getting to #2 in the UK Single charts. 'The Last Farewell' then went to number 1 in 11 other countries selling an estimated 11 million copies worldwide!
In 1976 Elvis covered 'The Last Farewell' on the album 'From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee'.
It was also released in 1984 as a UK posthumous single getting to #48 in the UK charts. (News, Source;EIN)
2024 Parkes Elvis Festival Tickets On-Sale: Recognised as one of the top Australian festivals, the Parkes Elvis Festival attracts over 25,000 fans to the small NSW country town.
Celebrating its 31st year, the 2024 ELVIS Festival will be held 10-14 January.
The theme for the 2024 Festival is Elvis’ 1957 musical drama, Jailhouse Rock.
Elvis’ third film that captured early Elvis in all his leg-quivering, lip-snarling teen idol glory in black and white.
The King-sized program is filled with hundreds of Elvis and Jailhouse Rock inspired events, including much-loved festival favourites such as the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Competition, Northparkes Mines Street Parade, Renewal of Vows Ceremony, Sons of Suns, free Cooke Park Main Stage and Memphis Stage Entertainment and the Elvis Gospel Service.
The 2024 headline acts are ETA champions Taylor Rodriguez and Cote Deonath.
Go to www.parkeselvisfestival.com.au to see the full program of events - and to purchase tickets.
(News, Source;Parkes/EIN)
'Double Trouble' new Blu-Ray Release: After the successful release of 'Spinout' Warner Bros announces 'Double Trouble' out on Blu-ray October 31, 2023.
Good news is that it is a "New 1080p HD Master from 4K Scan of Original Camera Negative" 'Double Trouble' - 1967
Runs: 91 Minutes
Audio: DTS 2.0 Mono
Aspect Ratio 16x9 2.35:1 Letterbox
Special Features: Original Theatrical Trailer
Cast: Elvis Presley, Annette Day, John Williams "When crooner Guy Lambert wraps his London show and travels to Brussels, two beauties secretly follow. One (Annette Day) is a lovestruck heiress, the other (Yvonne Romain) an enigmatic temptress. And they could be two too much for the attached Guy. Comedy, mystery and mayhem combine when Elvis Presley plays Guy in Double Trouble, a romp involving stolen gems, trenchcoated defectives – that is, detectives! – and more. Through it all, a guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do. That means performing a tune array that include the title tune "City By Night", "Could I Fall in Love?" "Long-Legged Girl" and "There’s So Much World to See". Trouble was never this cool and this much fun."
(News, Source;Warners/EIN)
‘Priscilla’ movie with Priscilla authenticity: Sofia Coppola's new movie 'Priscilla' has been described as "a refreshingly intimate, nuanced look at the King but from Priscilla’s perspective, starting when she was only 14 years old."
Priscilla was directly involved in the movie's production so the details from Elvis’ bedroom in Graceland to his Las Vegas suite are authentic.
Coppola has recently told how she had plenty of personal input from Priscilla for the film..
.. “To me it’s a personal story and Priscilla really sheds light on the ups and downs of a relationship, shows other sides to it and really her evolution as a girl into this world and then leaving to find her own point of view.
Just being able to speak to Priscilla added so much to this experience in making the film and just details that she would tell me. I love the details that make you feel like you’re there. She described the scene when they’re in the movie theater in Germany and Elvis was saying the lines along. And that wasn’t in the book.
Also knowing that Elvis wanted to be a serious actor and that was his great dream. And to understand his frustrations with his career.
So talking to Priscilla added so much and helped me so much.
I felt so lucky to be able to speak with Priscilla and ask questions. And so, throughout the process. She was so gracious and open to helping answer as much as she could and just to have all the details as close to being as accurate as we could.” Sofia noted Priscilla’s reaction when she first saw the film, “I was so nervous to show her the film for the first time. We watched it and she said, ‘That was my life. You did your homework.’”
I was relieved because it was very important to me that she be happy with it while at the same time, I’m trying to imagine the story in my head. So that was a challenge for me and really important to me that she felt her story was respected.”
While many have praised 'Priscilla' for its feminist approach of showing its protagonist coming to terms with herself and deciding to leave Graceland and its master, who can be a dominating figure (Elvis’ EPE estate does not support the film), Sofia said that she saw 'Priscilla' purely as a human story. (News, Source;PressConf/Various/EIN)
Sunday 17 September 2023
'Elvis UK Beyond RCA' Print Edition OUT NOW: To satisfy collectors who need physical versions of books rather than E-Books, UK authors John Townson and Gordon Minto have published the soft-backed PRINT COPY of 'Elvis UK Beyond RCA The Ultimate Guide To Elvis Presley's British Non-RCA LPs 1974-1997'.
It is a second edition, updated and slightly revised. The book is a newly written 377 pages, with fully comprehensive text and follows on from our previous publications in the Elvis UK series, each of them acclaimed by collectors, and provides the ultimate guide to Elvis’s non-RCA LP album releases issued in the UK between 1974-1997.
This new volume complements - and extends considerably - information relating to these particular releases included in our original books Elvis UK, published in 1987, and Elvis UK2, published in 2002
The softback book is being sold exclusively through Now Dig This / Elvis The Man And His Music.
It retails at £45 (includes p&p in the UK) overseas customers will have to pay the higher postage costs.
Go here toElvis The Man And His Musicto purchase OUT NOW IN STOCK
Read EIN's'Elvis UK Beyond RCA' e-book review here (News, Source;GM/ElvisInfoNet)
'Dolly Parton says Priscilla told her Elvis sang 'I Will Always Love You' to her as they Divorced': This old chestnut of a story has been doing the rounds again this week in the UK tabloids. It seems it is being repeated to promote Parton's brand new album 'Rockstar'.
She again told the BBC (as she has said in past interviews) "Elvis loved the song "I Will Always Love You" . In fact, I talked to Priscilla not very long ago. She said to me, 'You know, Elvis sang that song to me when we walked down the courthouse steps when we got divorced. He was singing to me 'I Will Always Love You.'"
She also revealed that Elvis actually wanted to record the track, but she ended up declining the offer because his manager Colonel Tom Parker said that Elvis would need to own at least half of the publishing rights.
... Parton, aged 77, has now paid tribute to 'The King of Rock and Roll" in her own way on her forthcoming album Rockstar with the track "I Dreamed of Elvis."
In the interview she revealed she wrote the song 20 years ago with The Jordanaires and enlisted Ronnie McDowell, who worked Elvis and sounds like him, to sing on the track.
"I wrote a song, and I dreamed that Elvis was singing the song 'I Will Always Love You.' So I wrote a whole song about Elvis and then we did 'I Will Always Love You,' and it's in this album."
Her latest project features collaborations with Miley Cyrus, Sheryl Crow, Lizzo, Elton John, Chris Stapleton, Stevie Nicks, Sting, John Fogerty and more. (News, Source;Tablods/EIN) - - - - - Below is EIN's all too similar BBC News story from August 2019
AUGUST 2019 -Dolly Parton Regrets telling Elvis ‘No’: Country music legend Dolly Parton just spoke out to express her regret over refusing to let Elvis cover her song I Will Always Love You, saying that it “broke her heart” to say no.
In a BBC Dolly Parton documentary the 73-year-old singer said that she’s “very protective” of her songs, and that’s why she refused to let Elvis cover the tune. 'I Will Always Love You' was Dolly’s first number one hit on the US Country charts when she released it in 1974, but was famously covered by Whitney Houston in 1992.
As she has previosuly explained Parton refused to let Elvis cover the song after his Col Parker insisted she would have to sign over half of the publishing rights.
“Elvis already had it worked up and he loved this song, in fact Priscilla had told me not very long ago that when she and Elvis were leaving the courthouse after they divorced, he was singing that to her. That "I Will Always Love You". (EIN note:'I Will Always Love You' was first released by Dolly on RCA March 18, 1974. Elvis' courthouse divorce settlement was on October 9, 1973.So it is INCREDIBLE that Elvis sang it to Priscilla that day)!
But it wasn’t about Elvis. Colonel Tom wanted to have his share on that song and I wouldn’t allow it because it was my most important copyright.
I’d already had a number one song myself, and it broke my heart because Elvis didn’t get to sing it.
But I’ve been protective of my songs, like you are with your children through the years”.
The BBC documentary was called 'Dolly’s Country' and looked at Dolly’s 50 year journey through her career. (News, Source;BBC/ElvisInfoNet)
'Elvis Pop Icons' magazine: The US 'Pop Icons" magazine have issued an 'Elvis - His Changing Style Scrapbook'
... From oversized blazers and simple white shirts to all-leather get-ups and rhinestone-studded jumpsuits, Elvis Presley defined what it was not only to be a rock god but to look like one.
Sure, he was destined to be a pop-music idol based on his versatile, beautiful voice alone, but the combination of his onstage swagger with his cooler-than-cool wardrobe meant he would be a trendsetter for generations to come.
In this special 98-page issue filled with gorgeous photos, we trace the origins of Elvis' sartorial tastes and the evolution of his style through decades of concerts, movies and appearances.
Regular price US$13.99 (includes free US postage)
Go here to US Magazine Shopto order
'Elvis: A Musical Revolution' Sydney Theatre Review:'Elvis A Musical Revolution' has been playing in Sydney Australia since early August. Described as.. The Icon. The King. The story of a man who gave the world a musical revolution. Featuring over 40 hit songs, Elvis: A Musical Revolution celebrates the extraordinary life of cultural icon, Elvis Presley.
Let me declare that I like the genuine Elvis Presley. I really don’t like theatre musicals, so it was with slight trepidation that I found myself close to the front of the stalls for this new Elvis "jukebox musical".
However as they say, “Elvis was in the building” and with a cleverly designed functional set and some high-energy performances it was a most enjoyable celebration of The King.
The Australian producer is David Venn and there is no doubt that Baz Luhrmann’s ELVIS has spurred some monetary investment into this show and the presentation is highly professional.
The show begins with australia lead Rob Mallett as '68 Elvis in silhouette - but just as you anticipate a massive start Elvis’ doubts and fears kick-in and he wonders if he still has it. At this point a young child Elvis appears to offer advice.
And it is this clever device that creates that special edge to the overall performance as well as a stunning cast. Go here for EIN Piers Beagley's full review
(Spotlight; Source;ElvisInformationNetwork)
Graceland Holiday Season & Special Tours: EPE have announced "Experience the magic and beauty of Graceland this holiday season with festive events to celebrate one of Elvis' favorite times of the year.
During the holiday season visitors can enjoy our Holiday Lighting Ceremony on Nov 16 and special holiday tours of Graceland Mansion and grounds decorated for the Christmas season from November 16 - December 23!
Plus the Graceland Holiday Concert Weekend on December 1-2 2023 including Dean Z's Rockin' Christmas Show!
Christmas at Graceland celebrates the King of Rock 'n' Roll's love of the season by continuing Elvis' holiday decorating traditions throughout the grounds of his home, Graceland Mansion.
The interior of the Elvis' home is beautifully decorated with Christmas décor that includes his traditional red velvet drapes, Christmas trees throughout, and family artifacts on display.
The special Graceland limited-time holiday tours
featuring live tour guides sharing holiday stories and a Ultimate VIP Graceland holiday experience.
Christmas UVIP evening tours "with an Expert Guide & small group of up to 8" are priced at US$285 Per Person
Christmas afternoon tours (larger groups) feature live tour guides Daily from 2pm - 4pm priced at US$96.50 Go here to EPE for all the details (News, Source;EPE/EIN)
‘Disrespectful’ UK idiot jumps into Graceland pool: A disrespectful British tourist Tommy Purcell has made the news for jumping into the out-of-bounds swimming pool at Graceland.
His wife, Nanny Murphy, filmed a video of her husband stepping over a small fence that said “Restricted Area: Do Not Enter” and then shirtless jumping into the pool.
The video has now amassed 14 million views. (EIN says, please don't add to the number)
A member of Graceland staff can be seen running to the pool to try and stop Mr Purcell from jumping into Elvis’ pool and someone off-camera saying, "You’re not allowed in there! You’re not allowed to do that!"
Mr Murphy replied, "You serious?"
Then you can hear his wife argue: "Elvis didn’t stop anyone!"
After this it shows Mr Purcell and his family being escorted off the Graceland premises.
The pool is the final stop on the mansion tour and is sectioned off for tourists to look at, rather than swim in.
The video sparked a huge backlash online with many stating how disrespectful the couple had been to Elvis’ home.
The videos also garnered a lot of hate comments directed towards Mr Purcell and his wife.
But the wife responded, “That’s what a pool is meant for, to jump into. It’s not my fault you never got the nerve and never got the chance to jump in his pool. So I feel like you are jealous."
She explains that she and her husband are Elvis fans.
That however is no reason to be disrespectful of Graceland private property. It is surely a privilege that fans are allowed to visit the Meditation Garden and the family graves.
(News, Source;UKTabloids/EIN)
Monday 11 September 2023
"Elvis: From King to Legend 72-73 PART TWO " New Doco: Now that Elvis Week 2023 is over - along with the publicity blast for 'Aloha From Hawaii' 50th Anniversary edition' - a reminder not to miss Part Two of Dennis Laverty's excellent new documentary "Elvis: From King to Legend 72-73".
Running 2 1/2 hours, part 2 takes Elvis' story from July 1972 through to the excitement of Aloha.
In two parts, this is a new five hour documentary from Elvis super-fan and EIN contributor Dennis Laverty. It is a unique in-depth look at this incredible 12 month period in Elvis' career that is often skipped through in the usual Elvis documentaries.
In PART two the interviews include Linda Thompson, John Wilkinson, Loanne Parker, Joan Deary, Bill Baize, Tony Prince, Bill Belew, Felton Jarvis, Priscilla Presley and many more. There is also a fascinating interview with Aloha's director Marty Pasetta.
EIN Note: This is a labour of love by a serious Elvis fan featuring fascinating footage and interviews that we would have all liked to have seen officially. It is free and is a true celebration. (News, Source; Dennis Laverty/EIN)
‘Las Vegas Closing Night 1972’ MRS - OUT NOW: The UK ‘Memphis Recording Service’ (MRS) label have released their deluxe 2CD set, plus the single VINYL LP titled ‘Las Vegas Closing Night 1972’. At your Elvis dealers now.
The CD and the LP features a live performance recorded on 4 September 1972, during the last night of Elvis’ seventh engagement in Las Vegas at the Hilton Hotel.
The show is presented in stereo.
A bonus CD of remastered rehearsal tracks, recorded days before the engagement began, is also included.
The accompanying booklet - featuring rare photographs and memorabilia from the final evening – also includes liner notes that set the scene. Note the bonus CD is not available on the LP.
This is a follow up to their successful 4cd set ‘Las Vegas Summer Festival 1972’ Go to 'All The CD News 2023' for tracklistings
EIN Note: The 4 Sept Dinner show has previously been released in mono by FTD 'Destination USA' and also the 2009 Madison bootleg 'A Hilton Double Shot' (News, Source;MRS/ElvisinfoNet)
LP TRACKLIST Sept 4 1972 (Dinner Show)
SIDE A
01. Also Sprach Zarathustra
02. See See Rider
03. Johnny B. Goode
04. Until It’s Time For You To Go
05. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
06. Polk Salad Annie
07. What Now My Love
08. Fever
09. Love Me
10. Blue Suede Shoes
11. Heartbreak Hotel
12. All Shook Up
SIDE B
01. Love Me Tender
02. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel
03. Little Sister / Get Back
04. Hound Dog
05. I'll Remember You
06. Suspicious Minds
07. For The Good Times
08. A Big Hunk O' Love
09. You Gave Me A Mountain
10. Can't Help Falling In Love
Cailee Spaeny Wins Venice Best Actress For 'Priscilla': Cailee Spaeny won the best actress award at the Venice Film Festival for her portrayal of "Priscilla".
Spaeny said, "Priscilla trusted me with something truly complex, subtle, difficult, and personal and I was overwhelmed by the responsibility in trying to honour this delicate section of her life.
I have such gratitude and respect for her honesty."
"I thought it was really important to see the whole journey. To see all the milestones that us women can relate to, from her being a young girl to her finding her voice and autonomy."
Priscilla herself joined the cast and crew for the premiere in Venice - stating, "Sofia did an amazing job, she did her homework.
It's very difficult to sit and watch a film about you, about your life and your love."
Spaeny was born in Missouri, US on July 24, 1998.
She made her film debut in action film "Pacific Rim Uprising" in 2018, and followed with parts in "Bad Times at the El Royale" and earned accolades for with her supporting role in HBO series "Mare of Easttown" alongside Kate Winslet in 2021. (News, Source;Various/EIN)
'A to Z of Elvis' Yours Retro UK Magazine: Out Now in the UK from the 'Yours Retro' magazine series the "A to Z of Elvis"
The publicity states... Elvis fans will not want to miss the latest Retro Collectors’ edition dedicated to The King of Rock ’n’ Roll.
This A to Z guide celebrates Elvis’ life and work, revisiting his humble childhood and exploring the key relationships that helped shape him into the icon who continues to captivate us all.
"Best Priscilla Presley Performances, Ranked": Movie-web online has posted a humorous article on 'The Best Priscilla Presley Performances, Ranked' They note ... Priscilla Presley has given many memorable performances over her 40-year career. An American actress and business magnate who made her screen debut in a 1983 episode of The Fall Guy.
Perhaps most famous for being married to Elvis Presley from 1967 to 1973,(EIN:No shit Sherlock!) Priscilla has accrued 17 acting credits in her career thus far.
In between her movie and TV performances, she continued to operate EPE, a Graceland tourism company she co-founded in 1979.
To celebrate Priscilla's 40-year acting career, it's only proper to highlight her most memorable roles and convincing performances thus far.
Whether working on a long-running soap opera, playing deadpan comedy in spoof movies, or portraying herself in romantic TV movies, Priscilla Presley has made her presence felt over the past four decades.
EIN Note: While Movie-Web came up with a Top Ten we can only rate the Top Five!
5. Melrose Place (1996)
Priscilla guest-starred on the popular '90s TV show, Melrose Place, three times in 1996. She played Nurse Benson, an orderly at the Willowbridge Mental Institution where Peter Burns was held hostage by Kimberly Shaw. 4. Tales From The Crypt (1993)
Priscilla gives an unforgettable turn in HBO's horror anthology series Tales From the Crypt. In Season 5, Episode 11, "Oil's Well That Ends Well" Priscilla plays Gina, an ultra-greedy gold digger and con artist in cahoots with a man named Jerry (Lou Diamond Phillips). 3. The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990)
Priscilla showed a much different side of her acting aplomb in The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, a beloved cult comedy starring stand-up comedian Andrew Dice Clay. The story follows Ford, a rock-n-roll detective hired to investigate the murder of a rocker who fatally chokes on stage 2. Dallas (1983-1988) (photo above)
In her most substantial recurring role, Priscilla portrayed Jenna Wade on popular soap opera Dallas for 144 episodes. Although she was the third actor to play Wade after Morgan Fairchild and Francine Tacker,
Priscilla was so convincing that she ended up playing the role longer than her predecessors. 1.The Naked Gun Franchise (1988-94)
Priscilla played Jane Spencer in all three Naked Gun movies from 1988 to 1994, adding an undeniable heart and humor to the all-time great comedy franchise. In addition to having electric screen chemistry with Leslie Nielsen in the franchise, Priscilla plays the sense of deadpan humor with a light comedic touch that plays perfectly against the zany, over-the-top histrionics of her cast mates.
Far from a one-note role, Priscilla emotes with a full range of expressions in the franchise that resonates emotionally and adds irrefutable hilarity to the proceedings. Go to Movie-Web for the full article (News, Source;MW/EIN)
Saturday 9 September 2023
'Sept 9 1956, Elvis appears on 'The Ed Sullivan Show': On Sunday September 9 1956, Elvis Presley at the age of only 21, broke television records with his first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show".
Initially Sullivan wasn't interested in having Elvis on his "family show" announcing after the Milton Berle 'bump and grind' outrage that, “I wouldn’t have Presley on my show at any price. He’s not my cup of tea.”
Of course this only gave Col Parker the chance to push up Elvis' performance fee forcing Sullivan to sign Elvis to the three-appearance contract for $50,000 - an unprecedented fee at the time. Adjusted for inflation that contract would be worth more than $500,000 today.
Elvis' appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" was watched by 60 million viewers, over 82% of total number of TV viewers in the United States, making it the most-watched television broadcast of the decade.
That evening Ed Sullivan was in fact recovering from a head-on car collision and so actor Charles Laughton filled in for the host, saying, “Away to Hollywood to meet Elvis Presley.....”
Wearing a loud plaid jacket, Elvis greeted the audience from a set decorated with stylized guitar shapes.
Elvis announced that the show was “probably the greatest honor I have ever had in my life,” and then launched into 'Don’t Be Cruel'.
Presley performed two more of his songs, 'Hound Dog' and 'Love Me Tender' as well as Little Richard's 'Ready Teddy.'
Elvis' performance was broadcast from head to toe but the cameras switched to close-up shots whenever he
started dancing in effect censoring him, but it didn't matter as the girls screamed when he grunted, moved his tongue, crossed his eyes, or even stood perfectly still. With Elvis, censorship began to seem irrelevant.
It was only during Elvis' third and final appearance on Jan. 6, 1957 that he was deliberately shot only "from the waist up". This was due to "thousands of complaints" Sullivan received after Elvis' first two appearances.
Young fans today have a hard time understanding what all the scandal was about as Elvis' frenetic swivels and shuffles look chaste compared to any modern video but on that night and with such a massive Elvis helped star a trend that would forever change TV production.
As Charles Laughton noted at the end of the hour, ”Well, what did someone say? Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast?”
A review by New York Times' Jack Gould included.. "On the Sullivan program Elvis injected movements of the tongue and indulged in wordless singing that were singularly distasteful. At least some parents are puzzled or confused by Presley's almost hypnotic power;
others are concerned; perhaps most are a shade disgusted and content to permit the Presley fad to play itself out.
Neither criticism of Presley nor of the teenagers who admire him is particularly to the point.
Presley has fallen into a fortune with a routine that in one form or another has always existed on the fringe of show business; in his gyrating figure and suggestive gestures the teenagers have found something that for the moment seems exciting or important.
... In the long run, perhaps Presley will do everyone a favor by pointing up the need for earlier sex education so that neither his successors nor TV can capitalize on the idea that his type of routine is somehow highly tempting yet forbidden fruit."
Looking back, this is just crazy middle-class-mainstream-journalism. The world was changing and the old-folks would soon be left behind. (News, Source:ElvisInfoNet)
NBC “Christmas at Graceland” TV special with Riley Keough as executive producer: NBC is bringing together the legacy of Elvis Presley and the spirit of the holiday season in a new live music special, “Christmas at Graceland.”
The special is set to air Wednesday, November 29 at 10pm ET and simulcast on Peacock.
Viewers will be brought into the historic Graceland estate, Elvis’ treasured home that has been visited by millions of his fans around the world. “Christmas at Graceland” is the first live musical televised holiday special of its kind at the estate. “Christmas at Graceland” will feature music’s biggest stars celebrating the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, his music and his favorite time of year, in an unprecedented holiday special live from his iconic home, Graceland.
Participating performers will be announced at a later date. Riley Keough as executive producer stated,“My
family and I are elated to open the doors to Graceland in this first-of-its-kind special. With intimate musical performances drawing inspiration from my grandfather Elvis’s cherished Christmases in Memphis, viewers will be invited to experience firsthand the magic that is Christmas at Graceland.”
Jen Neal, NBC's Executive Vice President Live Events and Specials said, "To celebrate the holidays at Graceland, and be a part of the King’s legacy, is both an honor and absolute dream come true.
We thank Riley and her family for allowing all of us to visit her grandfather’s iconic home and share an intimate musical experience that Elvis would’ve truly loved.” “Christmas at Graceland” will air immediately after NBC’s highly rated “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” on Nov. 29 for a night of 'unforgettable holiday programming'.
Elvis previously collaborated with NBC to create what was planned as a "Christmas special" in 1968.
The project which has since been commonly referred to as the '68 Comeback Special helped to revitalize Elvis' career at the time.
Go here to EPE for more info (News, Source;EPE/EIN)
"From Memphis To Tokyo" New Book: Scheduled for an October 2023 release is "From Memphis To Tokyo: A Reference Guide to the Absolute Mastery of Elvis' Japanese Vinyl" by authors David Ward and Dick Dekker.
We are proud to present to you our updated and upgraded guide to Elvis Presley’s Japanese record releases.
Over ca. 700 pages, we’ll show more than 2,700 full colour pictures of front and back covers, labels, inserts etc.
Many entries are accompanied by extensive notes and tables to find all variants at a glance.
For the first time ever, you’ll now be able to find out when your record was pressed by looking at the information
in the run-out portion of the record. This also allowed us to get more exact release dates of the records and their variants.
It’s all extensively described in our “Guide to Dating Records”.
Also described are topics like:
- differences in label design
- colour differences on obis and covers
- stamps on covers and labels
- record prices
- company sleeve designs
- free gifts and special offers
- Victor and RCA promo records
and many more
From Memphis to Tokyo is a hardcover, almost LP-size book, weighing in at no less than 4 kilos, that will answer almost everything you ever wanted to know about Elvis’ Japanese vinyl.
Be amazed by the absolute mastery of Elvis‘ Japanese vinyl releases.
Please note that the free bonus 45 Rpm single will ONLY be available for orders, paid for, before October 8, 2023.
You can order by emailing Dick Dekker (News, Source;DD/EIN)
'Elvis: The Man & His Music' #141: EIN's favourite Elvis music magazine 'Elvis: The Man & His Music' September 2023 issue is out now.
Articles include.. - “Dear 53301761” – The effect of army life
- July 2nd 1956 Wertheimer Part 3 – Concluding instalment
- The Gold Records Series Part 2
- Once Is (Not) Enough – Those who made more than one Elvis film
- Moments In Time – February 14th 1964
- Proby Sings For Presley – Demo recordings
- Presley Press – 1968
- CD, Book & DVDs Reviews
EIN Note: 'ETM&HM' denigrated Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' movie for "factual inaccuracies" so it is funny to see that Elvis' army serial number on the magazine cover is incorrect. His number was in fact - 53310761
Priscilla talks Elvis and 'Priscilla' Movie: Priscilla, an executive producer of 'Priscilla' the new Sofia Coppola film, revealed what it felt like to watch the new biopic drama about her relationship with Elvis.
The two famously met in Germany when Priscilla Beaulieu was just 14 years old.
Priscilla explained at the Venice Film Festival press conference, even though she was not part of the official panel.. “It’s very difficult to sit and watch a film about you, about your life, about your love.
Sofia did an amazing job. She did her homework, we spoke a couple of
times and I really put everything out for her that I could.”
Priscilla then insisted that Elvis did not take advantage of her as a young woman. “It was very difficult for my parents to understand that Elvis would be so interested in me and why.
And I really do think because I was more of a listener. Elvis would pour his heart out to me in every way in Germany: his fears, his hopes, the loss of his mother, which he never, ever got over. And I was the person who really, really sat there to listen and to comfort him. That was really our connection.
Even though I was 14, I was actually a little bit older in life, not in numbers. That was the attraction. People think, ‘Oh, it was sex.’ No, it wasn’t. I never had sex with him.
He was very kind, very soft, very loving, but he also respected the fact I was only 14 years old. We were more in line in thought, and that was our relationship.”
In her 1985 book "Elvis and Me", which the film is based on, she wrote.. "It would have been so easy for him. I was young, 14, vulnerable, desperately in love, and he could have taken complete advantage of me. But he quietly said, 'No. Someday we will, Priscilla, but not now. You’re just too young.'"
At Press conference, she confirmed that their bond had been based on trust. “I didn’t know why Elvis put so much trust in me, but he did. And I never, ever, ever told anyone that I was seeing him, and that was another issue that he loved, is the fact that I never gave him
up in any way. I never told anyone at school that I was seeing him.
So, we built a relationship and then our relationship went on until I left. And it wasn’t because I didn’t love him, he was the love of my life.
It was the lifestyle that was so difficult for me, and I think any woman can relate to that.
But it didn’t mar our relationship, we still remained very close. And of course, we had our daughter, and I made sure that he saw her all the time. It was like we never left each other."
Sofia Coppola’s film stars Cailee Spaeny in the title role and Jacob Elordi as Elvis. The movie documents their first meeting when Priscilla Presley was in the 9th grade and their subsequent relationship. (News, Source;VariousTabloids/EIN)
'Priscilla' movie TIME review: The TIME correspondent Stephanie Zacharek has reviewed the new movie as "Sofia Coppola's Priscilla Is Quietly Extraordinary".
The review includes...
... Have you ever had an intense experience - fallen madly in love, say - only to look back years later and feel it had happened to a different person, a person who had walked through a dream, and survived it, to get to the self you were destined to become?... Maybe we all have to survive our teenage dreams; the things we want at age 14 are rarely the best for the long term, and luckily, most of us don’t get them. But the teenage Priscilla Presley got what she yearned for. Priscilla invites us to walk side-by-side with her, but not so we can ultimately be punished by the fallacy of her dream; rather, this is a story about deep, cavernlike loneliness, and how one person’s responding to the loneliness of another can be both an adventure and a destiny. So much of being a teenage girl is just waiting for your chance to be; this is the story of one who refused to wait.
... But Elvis’s love comes entwined with a need to control. When he takes Priscilla shopping.. he wants to reshape her. ... He urges her to dye her hair black, and
tells her that heavy eye makeup will bring out her eyes, a lie of the devil told by a man who knows no better. He wants her, it seems, to look more like himself, as if he were seeking a missing half - perhaps that’s an all-too-obvious metaphor for Elvis’s twin, Jesse Garon, who died at birth, but there you have it. It gets worse: A fan of pills of all kinds, he gives her something to sleep that ends up knocking her out for two days. He flies into a rage during a pillow fight, hitting her accidentally, or perhaps not, in the face. He wants their
union to be chaste until marriage; and then, after their consummation results in a child, Lisa Marie, he refuses to touch her.
It all sounds horrible, and it is. But Coppola makes it clear, as Elvis and Me does, that nestled within the darkness of this union was an incomparable tenderness, something Priscilla could never get over.
Jacob Elordi makes a fine Elvis, though a very different one from the flashy performer Austin Butler gave us last year.
This is the private Elvis, and Elordi plays him as a man who floats further and further away from the woman he loves, like an astronaut whose tether has been cut, even though he yearns for closeness and connection. He’s not a bad guy; he’s just a mess.
And in this story, he’s just an accessory to the heroine. It’s not his story.
Cailee Spaeny’s Priscilla, open-hearted yet wary, compliant yet cautious, is a young woman in navigation mode, the subject of many of Coppola’s movies (The Virgin Suicides, Marie Antoinette, Lost in Translation).
She’s not demonstrating anything for us; she’s merely allowing us to travel with her....
Go here to the full TIME review... - (Photo above shows Cailee Spaeny, Priscilla, director Coppola, Jacob Elordi in Venice) (News, Source;Gansky/Time/EIN)
'Priscilla' opens in USA cinemas Oct. 27, but apparently not in the UK / Ireland until Boxing Day-December 26. 'Priscilla' has no confirmed Australian release date as yet
'Priscilla' movie "a downbeat and dour affair..": The UK Independent has given the new Priscilla movie 3 Stars (out-of-5)
The review includes ... Sofia Coppola's Priscilla drama will be very uncomfortable viewing for Elvis fans
Devoid of the exuberance of Baz Luhrmann’s more hagiographic 2022 biopic of the King, this sparse drama sees Elvis effectively grooming the 14-year-old who’d become his wife
It shows him in a far from flattering light, as an insecure narcissist fixated on a teenage girl and unwilling to allow his young wife any independence.
The film, endorsed by Priscilla herself and adapted from her book Elvis and Me (which she co-wrote with Sandra Harmon), is a downbeat and dour affair, with little of the exuberance of Luhrmann’s ELVIS.
The director tells her subject’s story in short, self-contained episodes which don’t always link to each other and aren’t always fully explained.
Everything is seen from Priscilla’s perspective. She is a young woman growing up in the strangest environment imaginable.
Her Elvis is very different from the rock star the entire world seems to love.
Elordi makes a decent stab at playing Elvis. He has the voice and physique for the role, but lacks his charm and vulnerability.
Spaeny gives a compelling and moving performance as the bright young woman whose spirit is slowly crushed. Elvis’s father Vernon is mean and cruel to her. The Colonel, Elvis’s famously slippery manager played last year by Tom Hanks, is also talked about but never seen.
In her own coolly analytical way, Coppola makes some trenchant points about the way Priscilla is controlled by the men in her life. She is living in a gilded cage. The wealth and luxury she experiences don’t compensate for her complete loss of freedom.
And while Elvis may indeed have been the King, his court, on the evidence here, was a very dreary place indeed.
Gohere for the full review (News, Source;Independent /EIN)
Monday 4 September 2023
Jimmy Buffett dies aged 76 – his connections to Elvis: There was sad news over the weekend that the legendary Jimmy Buffett, had passed away. EIN suspects many fans are unaware of the connections between the two and the impact Elvis had on Jimmy. About Jimmy Buffett: While he didn't have a large number of hit singles, with Margaritaville, Come Monday, Pencil Thin Mustache, Cheeseburger in Paradise, and It’s 5 O'Clock Somewhere being the best known, his albums were major sellers.
Jimmy’s music was variously known as tropical rock and gulf & western due to its laid-back rhythms and balmy lyrics.
He was one of America's top grossing touring music artists for decades with a devoted fan base called "Parrotheads".
He became one of the richest music artists (estimated wealth US$550M+) thanks to his music, highly successful tours over 50 years, and a business empire based around his hit song "Margaritaville" including restaurants (there was briefly one at
at Darling Harbour in Sydney), clothing, books, Landshark Beer, retirement homes, and more. Several years ago Forbes estimated that Jimmy’s marketing of things “Margaritaville” had generated revenues in excess of US$1B!
Jimmy played Bluesfest in Australia in 2017 and performed several other concerts here (but never did a "full tour" downunder).
Elvis and Jimmy: In a discussion with Paul Leslie, Elvis historian and former ETA, Stephen Bartenfeld commented on the connections between Jimmy Buffett and Elvis Presley:
“There’s actually a lot of connections between Elvis and Jimmy Buffett. They were both born in Mississippi. Jimmy was born in Pascagoula. Tupelo, for Elvis. They both kind of started out the same kind of way. Just a guy on the guitar had a dream. Elvis moved to Memphis when he was a kid. For a while, Jimmy Buffett lived in Nashville. They have a similar past.
There’s something else that people may not think about. When Elvis came out they didn’t know how to classify his music. They just didn’t. Back then it was: black music, white music. You were one or the other. They didn’t know what he was. He dressed in a way that white people didn’t dress like, but he did his hair like a trucker with the pomade and stuff.
And you know, Jimmy Buffett’s kind of the same kind of way. Was he folk? Was he country? Was he rock? Was he island music? They just did not know what to call him. Really the way Jimmy Buffett does it is original to Jimmy Buffett. Just like, it’s the same with Elvis. It was original to Elvis. He had his own thing.”
In an interview with ‘CMT’ Buffett stated that ‘Margaritaville’ was originally supposed to be recorded by Elvis - but that he had declined. This idea may have come about since another connection is that Elvis’ bass-player Norbert Putnam worked with Jimmy Buffett for five years. Putnam also produced Buffett's biggest-selling ‘Margaritaville’. Putnam’s last session with Elvis was in the Jungle Room February 1976, later that year in November 1976 he recorded and produced ‘Margaritaville’. No doubt Elvis' recent session recordings were discussed.
Jimmy was inspired to write Elvis into four of his songs, going all the way back to his beloved “Life is Just a Tire Swing” from his classic album “A1A.” He brings up Elvis again in the songs “Off to See the Lizard,” “Permanent Reminder of a Temporary Feeling” and “Oysters and Pearls.”
In addition he wrote'Elvis Imitators' included in his multi-million selling boxset, 'Boats, Beaches, Bars and Ballads' where Buffett did indeed imitate Elvis!
As the following link indicates, Jimmy was also friends with many major rock stars and celebrities including Paul McCartney, Elton John, Bono, Jon Bon Jovi, Brian Wilson, actor Michael Douglas, and surfing legend, Kelly Slater (see E-OnLine). - See more about Jimmy's incredible life here (News, Source:Eonline, paulleslie.com, Forbes.com, ElvisInfoNet)
'How was Elvis discovered at Sun Records? - Startling new revelation': Elvis author Trina Young has posted a very intriguing new article noting that a previously unacknowledged person may have had a hand in Elvis recording at Sun Studios.
For years, there has been a longstanding debate of who deserves the credit for discovering Elvis Presley, back in 1954: Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Records and Presley’s record producer, or Marion Keisker, Sam’s assistant at the studio.
While doing research for her 2023 book, Fact versus Fiction in the 2022 Elvis Movie, author Trina Young came across a surprising and shocking fact, that has been overlooked for decades by Elvis historians.
In researching Presley’s early years, she acquired a copy of the 1956 magazine called Elvis Presley Speaks! It is a 66-page magazine, entirely filled with exclusive photos and stories about Elvis. It was written by reporter Robert Johnson who did an extensive interview with Elvis for this magazine, and had photographer, Robert Williams, follow Elvis around his hometown of Memphis, during the summer of 1956. But stop the presses! Right in plain sight on pages 8 and 9 was a shocking revelation! Elvis Presley Speaks! mentioned yet another
person who may have had a hand in Presley’s fate. -
This just blows my mind, how fate can change in an instant! Go HERE to the article..
and check out EIN's detailed review of her excellent book 'Fact versus Fiction in the 2022 Elvis Movie' (News, Source;TY/EIN)
Delayed - 'Elvis Remembered' (by Shelly Powers): This 240 page, large sized hardcover release, which was originally due for release on Sep 1, has been delayed until Sep 30 - mid October (depending on your country). The book description:
When Shelly Powers was 7, she told her mother that she'd marry Elvis Presley when she grew up. But over her 12 years living in Vegas, she joined an Elvis fan club. After a few Elvis conventions she met Presley's personal photographer, Ed Bonja, and with him made her first Elvis Interview. What started as one interview became many more, and with them many more friendships with people in Elvis' circle. Each of the 11 of Elvis' intimates interviewed here has a good story to tell.
Interviewees include: Ed Bonja Tour manager and official photographer 1970-77 . Cynthia Pepper Co-star in the movie "Kissin' Cousins". Darleen Thompkins Worked with Elvis on "Blue Hawaii" and remained close till his death. Patti Perry Met Elvis when she was 17 and only female member of "Memphis Mafia". Myrna Smith Elvis backing singer 1969-77 . Joe (Diamond Joe) Esposito Lifelong friend, body guard and co-best man. Sonny West Lifelong friend of Elvis. Jerry Schilling Lifelong friend. Larry Geller Spiritual advisor and personal hair stylist.
Jimmy Velvet Friend for 20 years.
Packed with remarkable photographs, this will be a memorable fans' resource and enjoyable reading for anyone. (News, Source: Amazon sites/EIN)
The Elvis film that made Roger Ebert feel miserable:RogerEbert.com features a 1967 review of the film Easy Come, Easy Go. In it, renowned film critic, Ebert revealed he wasn’t an Elvis fan, preferring the voice of jazz and pop singer Julie London. Ebert previously refused to see one of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s movies, G.I. Blues, with his friends. He felt silly going to see Elvis’ Easy Come, Easy Go, which he termed “a latter-day version of the same bloody thing.”
He wrote, “I went to my neighborhood theater, and I went inside for the Saturday matinee, and I sat down with the kids and the teenage couples, and I saw the movie. And if you think this has all been an elaborate buildup for some unexpected surprise like I liked it, you’re wrong. I was miserable from beginning to end.” Ebert awarded Easy Come, Easy Go merely one out of a possible four stars.
Ebert contrasted Easy Come, Easy Go with other musical films. “There is such a thing as a good movie musical. Singin’ in the Rain, maybe, or West Side Story. And there is such a thing as a good low-budget film exploiting currently popular singers. A Hard Day’s Night, for example, which slipped up and became great instead of merely good.
And then, I suppose, there must be such a thing as Presley movies like this one, obviously produced with a minimum of care and with the sole purpose of contriving a plot, any plot,
to fill in between when Elvis sings,” he added. Ebert said the movie involved Elvis’ character discovering treasure but that he didn’t want to spoil the surprise of the plot.
The soundtrack EP for Easy Come, Easy Go did not chart on the Billboard 200. The title tune never charted on the Billboard Hot 100.
Two of the other tunes from Easy Come, Easy Go were released as a UK double A-side single: “You Gotta Stop” and “The Love Machine.” Those songs did not chart. While 1967 was not a good year for Elvis, he’d return to the spotlight in 1968 thanks to the ’68 Comeback Special and songs like “Suspicious Minds” and “If I Can Dream.” Easy Come, Easy Go wasn’t a career highlight for Elvis and Ebert wasn’t a fan. (News, Source: msn.com)
The Presley Phenomenon, Beatlemania and Swifties - what makes artists like Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Taylor Swift iconic: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was something of a rock star in his day. While classical music is usually not not chart-topping in the 21st century, Mozart stood out from the crowd in his day because of the breadth and mastery of his music.
Though he “was not a revolutionary musician,” as Britannica editors wrote, he “wrote in all the popular genres of his time, and he excelled in every one.”
Mozart’s legacy lived on in his successor, Ludwig van Beethoven — another one of the “greats.” Both these musicians escaped being cursory footnotes in the history of music and instead, they propelled forward as icons.
There are plenty of stars who this could apply to, like Tina Turner or Journey but for our purposes, we are looking at three musicians whose careers have or perhaps will fit this bill: Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Taylor Swift.
Using these three artists as a case study, we asked the question: what makes a star larger than life? ... Here’s some patterns we saw.
Trendsetting styles are vital to stardom - Becoming a global megastar requires a recognizable image. Elvis pioneered the bold stage look, the Beatles roused fans with their shaggy, moptops and Taylor Swifts’ style is so iconic she accidentally sparks trends. Elvis Presley fancied bubble-gum pink getups, applied mascara like a pro, embellished with lace and showed off his navel in cropped shirts.
Presley redefined what it means to be a global megastar. Curating an iconic, identifiable image is vital to stardom.
“Seeing Elvis’ wardrobe connects people to him in a way that a guitar or gold record doesn’t,” Graceland’s vice president of archives and exhibits Angie Marchese told CNN. "Elvis created an image that has gone on to shape and define generations. An image that still endures today.”
Presley’s legendary image paved the way for rock and pop legends such as David Bowie, Prince and the New York Dolls.
He pioneered “glam rock” through gender-fluid styles such as his famous gold lame suit designed by Nudie Cohn.
“The flamboyance of Elvis’s stage-wear liberated men to wear clothes that were more outrageous than they had worn since the 19th century,” says British tailor Edward Sexton, per Esquire. Elvis’ bold fashion sense continues to inspire musicians. Bowie took jumpsuits to the extreme with outrageous proportions and embellishments. Heavy eye makeup was part of the New York Doll’s signature look and Harry Styles fancies himself somewhat of a modern-day Elvis through his appreciation for sequins and androgyny.
“I think (for) the people I have always admired and looked up to in music, clothes have always been a big part of the thing. Like Bowie, Elvis Presley. It’s always been part of the thing,” Styles told Dazed magazine.
Styles is right. Megastardom requires a recognizable “look.” Whether that be Nirvana-esque grunge or ’80s hair metal bands style. You can thank Elvis for that.
The Beatles kept their stage style simple — sharp suits, white shirts and leather Chelsea boots — it was their moptop hairstyle that caught the most attention.
“The Beatles display a few mannerisms which almost seem a shade on the feminine side, such as tossing of their long manes of hair,” wrote pop psychologist Joyce Brothers, per Smithsonian Magazine. “These are exactly the mannerisms which very young female fans appear to go wildest over.”
Once named “Arthur” by George Harrison, the unconventional style ripped through the unremarkable cropped hair style popular during the era. To get the look? Simple, “stay in bed and grow out your hair,” said John Lennon, per Vogue.
Guys began trading their tidy, close-cut hair styles for Beatles moptops.
Many adults weren’t keen on look. “This ridiculous style brings out the worst in boys,” said a English school headmaster, per Smithsonian Magazine. “It makes them look like morons.”
The Beatles’ groundbreaking hair style cleared the way for the Ramones’ bowl cuts, Liam and Noel
Gallagher’s copycat haircuts and even Justin Bieber’s long-haired flow, which dominated the 2010s.
Taylor Swift’s blonde bangs have become an essential part to her signature look, but they aren’t taking the fashion world by storm the way the Beatles’ moptop did.
Compared to other pop-stars, Swift’s stage style is relatively tame. Her looks are rarely eccentric or polarizing. Still, Swift’s style influence is ridiculously powerful.
In April, Swift went out to dinner in a pair of butterfly cutout jeans. Within a matter of days, the $700 pair of jeans were sold out online and the style’s sudden popularity prompted loads of similar, more affordable designs, per Best Products.
In “You’re On Your Own, Kid,” Swift mentions friendship bracelets. “So make the friendship bracelets / Take the moment and taste it,” she sings.
To the untrained fan, this line is rather unremarkable. For a Swiftie, this line presents an opportunity to bemore like Swift — through making and wearing
friendship bracelets.
Swift fans decorate themselves with loads of friendship bracelets as a symbol of Swiftie fandom. The bracelets feature Swift’s song titles, lyrics or album eras. During concerts, fans trade the bracelets amongst each other.
The trend is so widespread at A-list celebrities such as Jennifer Garner, Channing Tatum and Nicole Kidman are taking part.
“It’s a nice way for us all to be connected,” an Eras Tour attendee told the Hollywood Reporter. “It’s great to see the staff get into it and for everyone to have a good time bonding over their love for Taylor Swift.”
Read the full article - which also discusses each artist's music (News, Source: Hanna Seriac, Deseret News)
'Elvis' (by Susan Doll): Publications International has just reissued Susan Doll's incisively written and attractively illustrated book which was originally published in 2006 as Elvis: American Idol.
The text covers all major elements of Elvis' life from his "Early Years to his "Final Act".
Professor Doll has written numerous books about Elvis including the scholarly, Understanding Elvis: Southern Roots vs Star Image (an enlightening analysis about Elvis' film canon).
...
Discover the real story behind the legend. The biggest milestones and highlights of his life are all covered, including:
- His early years as a performer on stage and the stories behind some of his most pivotal recordings.
- The important people in his life, including parents and family, business partners and band members, and of course, Priscilla.
- Career-defining moments like appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, the '68 Comeback Special, and his fabled Las Vegas shows.
- Rare and historic photos, album covers, and magazine covers.
Elvis may have left the building, but Elvis allows you to revisit the life of an American idol, whether you're a devoted Elvis fan, pop culture enthusiast, or just want to know more about the King.
Her Elvis reissue is available from Amazon. Hardcover, 320 pages. (News, Source;NP/ElvisInfoNet)
Saturday 2 September 2023
Elvis' S&W 53 Revolver Sells for $200,000: While the Elvis owned guns recently on offer at the Rockhurst Elvis Week auction got passed in, last week's Rock Island Premier Firearms Auction sold Elvis' Smith & Wesson Model 53 revolver for $199,750! That was over twice the value of the estimate $60,000 – $90,000.
RIAC noted, “The collectibles market has been experiencing unprecedented growth in several genres. When you combine two of those genres, Elvis’ memorabilia and collector firearms, the result is tremendous excitement and high totals at auction.”
Manufactured in 1974, this Smith & Wesson Model 53 revolver (S/N 4K82595) is chambered in .22 Remington Jet and
and has an 8 3/8″ barrel.
In 1976 it was returned to the Smith & Wesson factory to be gold inlaid and engraved with United States bicentennial motifs to become a gift for Elvis Presley.
The engravings were executed by master engraver Russell Smith. Hiram’s, a gun shop in California, commissioned the work and gifted the gun to Presley in November of 1976.
This revolver is exceptionally well preserved with over 99% of its original factory blued finish retained. .
For more info about this revolver go to Rock Island Auction Company’s website. (News, Source;RIAC/EIN) - EIN thanks Bruce Bailey for the word-up
'The Making of ELVIS Movie' Exhibition at Graceland Extended: The 'Making of ELVIS Movie' Exhibition which opened back in January at Graceland's "Elvis Presley's Memphis" is extended through the end of March 2024!
The movie exhibition, done in partnership with Warner Bros., NFSA of Australia, and Baz Luhrmann, looks at the beginning of the creative process for the celebrated film and follows it through its journey to the big screen, taking the story from paper to film.
Highlights include behind-the-scenes videos of the making of the film, research videos, during the set builds in Australia, and in rehearsals, plus handwritten notes, drafts of scripts, storyboards, and more. The exhibition is also getting an update!
Four new costumes will be added to the movie exhibition soon as four are moved to be part of the new Elvis exhibition at Arches London Bridge!
GO to EPE-Graceland for more info (News, Source;EPE/ElvisInfoNet)
'The Sun Singles Collection' New Vinyl: Coming soon from the Public Domain 'Not Now Music' label, Elvis 'The Sun Singles Collection' in 180G Yellow Vinyl.
... The story of Elvis Presley’s ‘discovery’ has passed into showbiz legend and his recordings at Sun Studios have gone down in history.
By chance, two covers stood out; Arthur Crudup’s That’s All Right and Bill Monroe’s Blue Moon Of Kentucky which were adapted into high-energy mixes of Blues, Country and Rockabilly. Reaction in the Memphis area was enthusiastic and the Band continued to perform their weekly slot on the Louisiana Hayride Radio Show and bonus tracks from the Hayride Radio Show have been included on this LP.
Elvis was the first and greatest star of the Rock ‘n’ Roll era and his early recordings will always retain their appeal.
Tracklist-
Side A 1. That’s All Right, 2. Good Rockin’ Tonight, 3. Milkcow Blues Boogie, 4. I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone, 5. Mystery Train, 6. I Love You Because, 7. Just Because,
Side B 1. Blue Moon Of Kentucky, 2. I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine, 3. You’re A Heartbreaker, 4. Baby, Let’s Play House, 5. I Forgot To Remember To Forget, 6. That’s When Your Heartaches Begin, 7. The Truth About Me (Teen Parade Interview) EIN loves the cover art!!!
Go here to 'Not Now Music' for more info (News, Source;ElvisDay-ByDay/NotNowMusic)
'Elvis: Houston, Fort Worth, Baton Rouge 1974' FTD in-depth Review: This FTD triple-pack features Elvis' important March 3 1974 Houston Astrodome performance plus two more concerts from Elvis’ third tour of 1974.
In the first half of 1974 Elvis was clearly enjoying performing before the emotional turmoil of ‘Desert Storm’.
The Houston Astrodome show is an important concert recording since there was no orchestra involved, while the two other concerts
- Fort Worth, June 15 Evening Show and Baton Rouge, June 17 - come from the first two cities on Elvis' third tour of 1974.
FTD have already released nine concerts from this particular tour, so can there really be anything new to discover from yet another two concerts?
'Rock 'n' Roll No.1 - MONO II STEREO' New CD: From the French RDM label..... Rediscover Elvis Presley's first album with a new stereo mix! The influence and impact of this album released in 1956 was considerable. This CD edition opens with all twelve tracks from the original US album, as heard around the world on its first release plus the additional five tracks from the UK version as Bonus Material’ along with two further recordings from Elvis’ first RCA single.
Today, CDs and vinyl have reverted to the original mono recordings. However, as technology and
production techniques are constantly evolving, the idea of creating new stereo mixes from mono recordings, with new techniques for separating instruments and vocals originally recorded on a single track, is now possible. The original mono mixes of these tracks were clearly oriented for radio play and were therefore heavily compressed. The stereo mixes newly created for this CD allow you to find the naturalness of the original recordings and give the impression of being in the heart of the studio with Elvis and his musicians.
Of course, the original mono recordings released during this landmark year will forever remain a vital part of rock 'n' roll history and even though that feeling of excitement at hearing a new album from Elvis is now a thing of the past, that doesn't mean we can't embrace new ways of listening to old albums, rediscovering 'The Young Man with the Big Beat' all over again. Audio production by Anthony Stuchbury - 'Info and ORDER here at RDM' - check out the great 'Sound Samples' (News, Source;RDM)
'Elvis News Report September 2023': Elvis super-fan Emiel Maier presents all the recent news including.. More background info regarding the Re-Inventing Elvis doco, Riley Keough on
Priscilla's burial request, the Graceland exhibition coming to London, Joel
Weinshanker announces new Elvis movie, a new Elvis & Lisa duet has surfaced and much much more..
'Elvis: August Season In Vegas 1974' FTD OUT NOW: The new 1974 Las Vegas 3-CD set announced by FTD is at your local Elvis dealer today. Even better the 'How Great Thou Art Sessions' is finally released after months of delay..
.. 'Elvis: August Season In Vegas 1974' features three great shows. August 27 (Evening show), August 29 (Midnight show) and August 30 (Evening show). Considering sonic limitations, these soundboard recordings offer very good sound quality... - 'The How Great Thou Art Sessions' (5CD set)
This 5 CD collection of "complete" session Masters and outtakes is presented in the usual 8”x 8” slipcase with a 28-page booklet featuring notes, photos, session data and memorabilia.
Recorded in May and June 1966, the 3x Platinum winning album also gave Elvis his first 'Grammy' award for "Best Sacred Performance"..... OUT NOW.
Elvis 'Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite' in the charts: The 50th anniversary release of Elvis' classic 'Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite' has made a few, albeit minor, impressions in the worldwide charts this month.
There of course can be no doubt that keen Elvis fans have already bought this release multiple times before.
Serious collectors will have bought the 2022 FTD release (see review here)
Despite all of this the 50th anniv release of 'Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite' has made... - Switzerland Top 100 Album Charts
reached #10 (August 20) - UK Charts
In the UK Official Album sales chart - (this is "real sales", not streaming) -
'Aloha' is at #13.UK - Vinyl Album charts -
'Aloha' is at #33
Interesting to note that the new vinyl concept of 'ELVIS LIVE 1972' made #14 in the UK Vinyl LP charts back in April. (see EIN review)
In the Official UK "Top 100 Album Chart" sadly 'Aloha' did not feature at all with only the classic 'Elv1s: 30 #1 Hits' still sitting at #45.
This is notably above 'The Beatles #1s' at #57.
Sadly it is obvious that "Elvis Week" has even less impact chart-wise in the USA. The Billboard Top 200 has no entry at all for 'Aloha From Hawaii' only 'Elv1s: 30 #1 Hits' at #163 On a more positive note - The Spanish Album Charts has -
'Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite' at #50
The Spanish Vinyl charts has - 'Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite' at #13 - The Scottish Top 100 Album charts -
Last week had 'Aloha' at #13
While the original 1973 'Aloha' LP release made the Billboard Album chart #1 in February 1973 - and UK's #11 maybe it is incredible that a re-release makes any album chart at all fifty years on.
We are sure Elvis would be amazed. (News, Source;EIN)
Elvis in Literature #2 – 'Inside Elvis' by Ed Parker: Continuing EIN’s occasional series of interesting and (hopefully) thought-provoking Elvis excerpts (references/discussions) found in general literature. 'Inside Elvis' by Elvis' good friend and martial arts instructor, Ed Parker, is one of the most liked memoirs by a member of Elvis' inner circle. Originally published in 1978, today it is difficult to find the original hardback.
Thematically, Parker’s book is about who Elvis was as a person. He discusses several subjects not often included in books about Elvis, including Elvis’ interest in psychic healing and UFOs, and he also comments on Elvis’ relationship with Red West.
Ed Kealoha Parker was an American martial artist, actor, senior grandmaster, and founder of American Kenpo Karate. Parker had a minor career as a Hollywood actor and stunt man. His most notable film was Kill the Golden Goose. In this film, he co-stars with Hapkido master Bong Soo Han.
But Parker is best known to Kenpoists as the founder of American Kenpo and is referred to fondly as the "Father of American Kenpo." He is formally referred to as Senior Grand Master of American Kenpo. Parker also authored more than a dozen books, most about the martial arts.
He served as one of Elvis' bodyguards during his final years.
Go to 'Elvis in Literature #2' – Inside Elvis by Ed Parker' for the whole story (Spotlight, Source;ElvisInfoNet)
Elvis' influence on singer-songwriter, Chris Isaak: Elvis Presley‘s songs have been a huge influence on Chris Isaak. For example, Isaak said one of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s tunes inspired him to make music.
During a 1996 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Isaak discussed hearing Elvis’ “I Forgot to Remember to Forget.” “I was 20 and didn’t know what I was going to do with myself,” he recalled. “I was doing anything to keep from working. I went to a junk store and bought an old Elvis 45, which you never see — people don’t throw out their old Elvis records. It was the first time I heard something and went, ‘Wow. I want to do this as a job. I want to play music all the time.'”
“My big heroes were the same as everybody else from my generation. Elvis was just like, okay nobody can be that good looking, nobody sings that pretty. The sound of that voice echoed. I just went, that’s the best sound I’d ever heard from anybody.
"When I originally that first Elvis 45rpm and then put it on my record player it changed my life. I think everybody in my generation, we wanted to be Elvis.”
Listen to Chris Isaak’s cover of Can’t Help Falling In Love With You from his Beyond the Sun album (recorded at Sun Studio) (News, Source: CheatSheet/EIN)
EIN Exclusives and News from earlier in August ...
'Elvis Forever 2023':Where were you when Elvis died? What were you doing? Throughout our lifetimes there are very few dates that resonate with such clarity.
While some key historical events such as 9/11 or the Boxing day 2004 Tsunami are remembered, other unique moments are lost as vague memories.
The day of Elvis' death I was recording a "best of Elvis" cassette for my best friend.
A lightning storm was raging through London, the rain pouring down outside when my Mother called upstairs, "Have you heard, Elvis Presley has died?" -
A moment never forgotten.
... I can guarantee you one thing: we will never again agree on anything as we agreed on Elvis.
The newspapers the next day told the story. Go here to EIN's 'Elvis Forever 2023' for emotional reminiscences and also those traumatic news headlines ...
The world would remember, everything would change, but in 2023 Elvis' legacy still lives on.. (Spotlight, Source;ElvisInformationNetwork)
'Me 'n Elvis' Charlie Hodge book Reprint: The 1984 book from Elvis' good friend Charlie Hodge has long been out of print.
Described as "A beautiful tribute to Elvis by a friend who clearly loved him dearly... another side of the complex and many faceted man that Elvis was."
Recent news posted by Jennifer Hodge is that "The Good news is that Charlie's book is being re-printed as we speak!"
No ELVIS music in Priscilla movie!: Director Sofia Coppola has confirmed that EPE refused the use of Elvis' music for the new ‘Priscilla’ biopic!
Written and directed by Sofie Coppola the upcoming ‘Priscilla’ biopic will not include Elvis songs due to the estate turning down involvement in the film.
Even though “Priscilla” is adapted from Priscilla Presley’s memoir “Elvis and Me.”
Coppola reached out to EPE which is majority-owned by ABG at 85 percent, with the Presley family owning the other 15 percent. This would be under Lisa Marie's watchful eye at the time
Coppola noted, “EPE don’t like projects that they haven’t originated, and they’re protective of their brand. But that made us be more creative.”
Instead the “Priscilla” soundtrack has Phoenix covers of classic songs, played by Coppola’s husband and band frontman Thomas Mars.
Cailee Spaeny plays Priscilla, with Jacob Elordi as Elvis.
Priscilla is an executive producer on the film, which was made for less than $20 million.
The film is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival and later screen as the Centerpiece selection for the New York Film Festival.
Following the release of the teaser trailer for the film, the Elvis estate issued a statement claiming they were
were unaware of “Priscilla” being produced.
An estate official stated that the movie's interpretation of Graceland was inaccurate, calling the first trailer “like a college movie.”
In turn, Priscilla praised the film, “I am excited about the interpretation of my book by the masterful Sofia Coppola. She has such an extraordinary perspective and I have always been such an admirer of her work. I’m certain this movie will take everyone on an emotional journey.”
With Riley Keough now in charge it will be fascinating to watch EPE's reaction to the film. (News, Source;Yahoo/ElvisInfoNet)
'Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback' DVD: In an interview this week on the "Ward Bond' show producer Spencer Proffer discussed aspects of his documentary 'Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback'.
Spencer has worked with Stevie Wonder, produced Tony nominated Broadway show 'It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues", Executive Producer on Emmy Nominated "Robbie Robertson: Going Home".
He has served as a Supervising Music Producer on over 129 films and TV programs and events to date.
Spencer Proffer talks about the background details of producing 'Reinventing Elvis', Steve Binder's unwavering truth, Col Parker etc, and also notes that there will a DVD release "with Bonus Features" out "six months from now" ie around Christmas time.
Interview runs 22 min watch Here on YouTube (News, Source;ElvisDayByDay/EIN)
Elvis in Print: A Comprehensive Annotated & Illustrated Bibliography 1955-2023 - Volume 1: After more than two decades research, the first volume of what will be the definitive account of books published about Elvis, is scheduled for release on January 8, 2024.
Compiled and written by EIN's Nigel Patterson, the four volumes of Elvis in Print: A Comprehensive Annotated & Illustrated Bibliography 1955-2023 will comprise around 2,000 pages, with listings for more than 4,000 books and around 2,000 images.
Volume 1 is the first of two detailing English language, “non-fiction” releases. It contains more than 450 pages, listings for more than 800 titles, book covers for more than 500 listings, and interesting Sidebar articles discussing controversial releases and issues in the massive Elvis book catalog.
Elvis as Religion (including Psychic Experiences and Spirituality)
Elvis for Younger Readers
The 'Listings' include available publishing details for the original release and subsequent re-issues (including hardcover, softcover and digital editions) and a book synopsis, which varies between one or two sentences and several paragraphs.
Elvis in Print will be published in hardcover, softcover, and Kindle formats. It will be available from Amazon stores (the hardcover edition will only be available in those countries where Amazon offers this format).
EIN will publish more information and sample pages in the coming months.
Note: The accompanying image is not the final cover artwork. (News, Source: EIN)
- - - - ELVIS WEEK 2023 - Highlights - - - -
Thousands at Candlelight Vigil?: The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports that Graceland officials put the head count at The August 15 Candlelight Vigil as "close to 15,000 people".
EIN's roving reporter did not put the number as quite so high.
From MCA..... "The Candlelight Vigil had a double meaning Tuesday night: The temperature was an extraordinarily pleasant 72 degrees as the fans with lighted candles began the slow, stately hike to the Meditation Garden on the south side of the mansion where Elvis and other members of the Presley family are interred.
The weather was a comfort on an evening when the Presley faithful were mourning not just the King of Rock 'n' Roll but also Elvis' only child Lisa Marie who died Jan. 12 at 54 and whose grave is located opposite her father's.
Early Tuesday evening, however, this year's 45th annual vigil seemed like it would be sparsely attended, perhaps because no Presley family member - not Priscilla, nor Lisa Marie's daughter Riley Keough - was in attendance.
But the people kept coming, and by 830pm. the line at the gates of Graceland was very long, and the closed-to-traffic section of EP Boulevard in front of the mansion
was crowded with diehard fans, curious onlookers, and artists who created makeshift shrines in the road out of Elvis souvenirs, candles and other materials. Graceland officials put the head count at close to 15,000 people." (News, Source;MCA/EIN)
'Elvis Week 'Aloha from Hawaii' 50th Anniv Concert' Review: August 16, 2023 Graceland presented Elvis' Aloha from Hawaii 50th Anniv concert, live on the big screen backed by a live band on stage plus a special guest appearance by TCB Band member Glen Hardin.
EIN roving reporter Mandy Squair was there... .. The concert was sold out and being the musical highlight of Elvis Week 2023 the audience was high with excitement.
Tonight sadly only Glen Hardin from the original TCB band would appear to join the musicians for the final five songs.
Of course, seeing Elvis on the big screen playing LIVE always generates a fabulously exciting and emotional feeling.
Of course, seeing Elvis on the big screen playing LIVE always generates a fabulously exciting and emotional feeling.
Tonight’s show was the Aloha presentation including the added ‘NBC inserts’ with Elvis' post show recorded songs.
Elvis seemed to be on top form as always, even if at times the band lacked that funky genuine Jerry Scheff bass and James Burton’s cutting guitar solos.
And tonight it was only a backing band plus brass section but with no Orchestra. So several of the songs, such as ‘What Now My Love’, felt a little sparse without the usual violin backing section.
It was interesting to know that tonight the backing vocalists included Donna Rhodes who was part of original Elvis recording sessions starting with the 1969 Memphis sessions.
In the middle of the show there was also a delightful segment where Linda Thompson talked about memories of being at Aloha.
In fact Elvis Week 2023 seemed to belong to Linda Thompson. In comparison the 40th anniversary of Aloha which featured a speech by Priscilla (rather than Linda - who was actually at the event!) Glen D Hardin came on for the last segment, starting with ‘I'll Remember You’, with ‘An American Trilogy’ and ‘A Big Hunk O’ Love’ nicely focusing on his piano playing.
It all ended too soon Elvis has left the building - but it certainly was a memorable 50th anniversary tribute to Elvis' landmark concert.
However with no Ronnie Tutt, no Joe Guercio and no Bill Baize who were present at the 40th anniversary Aloha show in Hawaii it is a sad reminder how time slips away....
See EIN '40th Anniversary Aloha 2013 review' here (News, Source;ElvisInfoNet)
Linda Thompson Talks Elvis: Elvis Week 'Conversations on Elvis' ran for 3 and half hours and featured plenty of guests including Ernst Jorgenson, Tanya Lemani (Little Egypt), Guitarist Mike Deasy, TCB's Glen Hardin and actor Lee Majors (see below) but the highlight had to be the wonderful Linda Thompson.
It was her first time ever invited by EPE to Elvis Week and she even took groups of fans on personal tours of Graceland ($1000 a ticket!).
She spoke for 30 minutes and had plenty of stories to tell.
She showed off her "The Mother Of All TLC" pendants designed by Elvis, described how she helped design the Graceland interiors - the Peacock windows are her design - and lots of stories of living in Graceland.
And a loving tribute to Lisa Marie Linda Thompson was a total delight. Watch the interview here on YouTube - thanks to "CC Rider". (News, Source;CCRider/ElvisInfoNet)
'Lee Majors Talks Elvis': The real highlight of 'Conversations on Elvis' was Lee Majors discussing his interactions and friendship with Elvis.
Lee Majors is also a real character and very funny raconteur. He chatted about Elvis for 25 minutes.
Elvis was a fan of Lee Majors' sixties TV series 'The Big Valley' and while filming 'Clambake' on the same movie lot wanted to meet Lee Majors.
Lee Majors even ended up in a lovely bit-part in Clambake (see below) and saw Elvis in Las Vegas every year.
'Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite' Elvis Week Q&A and Listening Session: Watch producers Ernst Jørgensen / Roger Semon and recording engineer Matt Ross-Spang when Tom Brown talks to them about the new upgraded 50th anniversary release of Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite.
It's very enjoyable viewing including some nice clips, however there was no actual "Q&A" from the audience which would have made it even more interesting.
Delightful to see Ernst Jørgensen, Roger Semon and Matt Ross-Spang all get so excited when discussing the venture.
Runs 80 minutes (News, Source;ElvisInfoNet)
16 August 2023 - 46 years ago today the world lost the greatest entertainer of all time.
"Elvis was God-given, there’s no other explanation. A Messiah comes around every few thousand years, and Elvis was it this time.”- Little Richard “I remember Elvis as a young man hanging around the Sun Studios. Even then, I knew this kid had a tremendous talent. He was a dynamic young boy. His phraseology, his way of looking at a song, was as unique as Sinatra’s. I was a tremendous fan and had Elvis lived, there would have been no end to his inventiveness.” - B.B. King
“Nothing really affected me until I heard Elvis. If there hadn’t been an Elvis, there wouldn’t have been a Beatles”- John Lennon
"It was like Elvis came along and whispered some dream in everybody's ear, and somehow we all dreamed it." - Bruce Springsteen
"When I first heard Elvis' voice, I just knew that I wasn't going to work for anybody; and nobody was going to be my boss. Hearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail." - Bob Dylan
"Elvis Presley's death deprives our country of a part of itself. He was unique, irreplaceable." - President Jimmy Carter
“I would like to pay tribute to the greatest entertainer of all time, Mr. Elvis Presley. Elvis was Las Vegas. .. He really was the king.” - Celine Dion
"I've been an Elvis fan since I was a kid. If it hadn't been for Elvis, I don't know where popular music would be. He was the one that started it all off, and he was definitely the start of it for me." - Elton John
Watch Candlelight Vigil Presentation REPLAY:Last night the world honoured the life and legacy of Elvis Presley and observed the annual Candlelight Vigil at Graceland on August 15.
The ceremony for the 45th anniversary was organized as always by the Elvis Country Fan Club.
EIN was impressed by the number of youngsters in the crowd this year. The 'ELVIS' movie has obviously created an interest in Elvis for a new generation.
This year special homage was paid to both Elvis and Lisa Marie - and the vigil commenced with their poignant duet "Where No One Stands Alone".
Joel Weinshanker spoke to the crowd noting that, "The only thing important to Lisa Marie was Graceland and her Dad's legacy."
The on-line comments section flowed with loving tributes to Elvis including..
Serena who wrote... "as someone who is part of Gen z and watching the ELVIS movie over and over and listening to his music. Elvis has saved me so much. His music calms me at my worst times."
and Mary M who touchingly noted, "Look at all these fans that love you Elvis. You never thought it would last and that they'd forget you but never ... Your soul is still with us. Thanks for sharing your life with us."
‘Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback’ on Paramount+ : The New Elvis documentary starts on streaming service Paramount+ today, August 15 (US / Canada) and internationally on Wednesday, August 16.
Television has been the arena for electrifying watershed musical performances, the Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” Queen at Live Aid, Tony Bennett’s “MTV Unplugged” , that become the stuff of legend: signal moments that are knitted into our understanding of an artist’s life.
But in the long history of the medium, there has been nothing quite as epochal as “Singer Presents … Elvis,” commonly called “The ’68 Comeback Special,” an hour that changed not just the way we looked at Elvis but also the way he looked at himself.
The hour fulfills its metaphorical premise, that of a man going forward by going back, reclaiming his roots and his artistry: Elvis redux. It is arguably, barely arguably, the most significant moment in his career, after the day at Sun Studios in 1954 when Elvis, backed by his own guitar, Scotty Moore‘s electric Gibson ES-295 and Bill Black’s double bass, got real gone for a change.
The program has become the subject of a new documentary, “Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback,” now on Paramount+.
Directed by John Scheinfeld, the film is based largely on the reminiscences of executive producer Steve Binder, who directed the ’68 special and with whom Presley formed a bond of trust to the oft-reported displeasure of his territorial manager, Col. Tom Parker. Binder, whom Parker would interchangeably call “Bindle,” recalls the embattled production, laughing as he goes, like a veteran far enough removed from the war to appreciate its absurdities.
So just in time for Elvis Week this new documentary takes an in-depth look at the historical special dubbed the superstar’s “comeback” performance. 'Reinventing Elvis' also features exclusive footage and interviews Elvis fans won’t want to miss.
Elvis made history on Dec 3, 1968, when he performed “Jailhouse Rock,” “Hound Dog” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love” live in a studio in Burbank, California. It was one of the most-watched programs of that year and marked a major turning point for the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s career.
Within the Paramount+ doco, you’ll get to hear from the special’s original director, Steve Binder, as well as interviews with Elvis experts, memories from Elvis’ audience members and new versions of Elvis hits by musicians including Darius Rucker and Maffio. (News, Source;ElvisInfoNet)
'Eleven Hundred and Twenty-Four' New Deluxe Book: A quick title change on the new book announced by Elvis Files' Erik Lorenzen. Today he updated, "two of the world's most famous Elvis historians, Jean-Etienne Baduel and Keith Flynn, have concluded that all the shows Elvis did from 1969 to 1977 were ELEVEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOUR.
Some websites show a special 3am show on September 7/8, 1970, but that didn't happen! The ELVIS FILES team are very happy to have these two on the team."
The book is now a 1,200-page Deluxe set 'Eleven Hundred and Twenty-Four'.
Three volumes, housed in a slipcase.
..
The 3-book-set covers everything from the Opening Night performance on July 31, 1969 until the last concert Elvis ever did on June 26, 1977 at Market Square Arena, Indianapolis.
It includes detailed information on all the concerts, every suit he wore on stage, all the information on every CD ever
released by RCA, Sony and the FTD Collectors label and more. - ─ €269 including postage World Wide.
Go to 'Elvis Files' to Pre-order . (News, Source;EL/ElvisInfoNet)
'Aloha from Hawaii' 50th Anniv Release OUT NOW: The 2023 upgrade of 'Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite'" - was released yesterday August 11, 2023. -- To purchase on streaming services - Go here. 'Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite' is the apogee of an astounding career trajectory that began with Elvis' return to live performance in 1968 with an electrifying "comeback" television special that restored him to pop dominance after a seven year hiatus from the concert stage.
For the first time in one authorized package, the entirety of the original January 14, 1973 performance, the previous night's dress rehearsal with a live audience (recorded in case of technical mishaps during the satellite transmission), several bonus tracks inserted into the US broadcast of the event and a Blu-ray transfer of the concert film. The deluxe set includes a 28-page booklet featuring in-depth liner notes penned by lifelong Elvis fan /respected music critic Randy Lewis, rare photos and memorabilia from the event, Ernst Jørgensen and Matt Ross-Spang have fully remixed the album from the original 16-track live recordings, first captured on tape by esteemed mobile engineer Wally Heider and newly digitized for this release with audiophile 24-bit, 192 KHz transfers, to bring fans a fresh listen to what, for many, is the most treasured performance of Elvis' latter-day years on the road.
Jørgensen noted, "To me that is the biggest thing: Aloha never sounded this good and Elvis never sounded this good."
'Elvis Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite'3CD/Bluray Box-Set price $55 and Double-LP VINYL price $37
Purchase via streaming services here EIN Note: Fans report that, as expected, compared to the 2022 'Aloha' FTD version it is only the Rehearsal Concert that has been newly remixed by Matt Ross-Spang.
Similarly the BluRay shows no improvement on previous DVD copies. SEE full details and tracklistings here "Elvis FTD / SONY Release News 2023"
(News, Source;RCA/EIN)
'Las Vegas Summer Festival 1972' MRS CD Review: This 4CD set contains a varied selection of live performances drawn from Elvis’ seventh engagement in the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel during Elvis’ summer festival in the month of August 1972.
It features the 11 August Dinner and Midnight Show plus 12 August Dinner and Midnight Show. For the first time ever these performances are released in "Stereo". Bonus rehearsal tracks, recorded days before the engagement began, are also included.
The accompanying 40-page booklet includes rare photographs, memorabilia and liner notes help set the scene.
Key songs include My Way, Fever, Its Over, Until It’s Time For You To Go, American Trilogy, What Now My Love, Little Sister/ Get Back, Never Been To Spain, For The Good Times and A Big Hunk O' Love'.
Elvis was in superb form and with more new songs in his set-list sounding even better with the new MRS audio remaster it is a power-packed set.
Riley Keough Official New Owner of Graceland and Sole Heir of Presley Estate: Friday August 4, almost three months after Riley Keough settled her courtroom battle over her mother Lisa Marie Presley’s estate, the actress has been named the sole trustee.
The 33-year-old actor and musician was approved by LA Superior Court on Friday, August 4, according to court documents. The new ruling also allows Keough to preside over the sub-trusts for her twin sisters, Harper and Finley. Riley also retains sole ownership of Elvis Presley’s Graceland estate, which Lisa Marie inherited following his 1977 death.
While Riley did not openly address the earlier legal battle or Priscilla’s ealier claims, it was confirmed in May that they settled the case.
The two women had agreed to make Riley the sole trustee of Lisa Marie’s estate with the twins serving as sub-trustees. Per the agreement Priscilla receives a one-time lump sum of $1 million from the estate account. (News, Source;Yahoo/ET/ElvisInfoNet)
'Elvis: A Musical Revolution' Opening Night Review: Sydney Australia 's opening night of 'Elvis: A Musical Revolution' was given its first review by City Hub's John Moyle. The review includes ... Billed as a bio-musical, Elvis:A Musical Revolution is told through a series of vignettes based loosely on events and anecdotes about the King’s life, often in his own words, and accompanied by over 40 songs highlighting his career that ranged from hillbilly music, gospel, blues, rock and roll to show tunes.
For much of the show, Elvis (Rob Mallett) is on stage with his original band The Blue Moon Boys, while his mother Gladys and father Vernon, music producer Sam Philips and manager Colonel Tom Parker also accompany him on his rise to fame.
One character who proved to be a crowd favourite on the opening night was Kid Elvis, who also provides the touchstone to his life throughout the production.
Musical highlights, of which there are many, start with Kid Elvis and Gladys singing “Peace in the Valley”, performing it in perfect falsetto harmony that provides a moment of great tenderness.
The second act brings the music of Elvis into maturity and the scene where Elvis struggles with a new band to shape “Hard-Headed Woman” illustrates how hard he worked to capture the performance.
Elvis’ duet with Frank Sinatra (Ben Hall) on “Love Me Tender” and “Witchcraft” is an example of a great lead being supported by equally talented cast members.
The full company work with Mallett to bring the show to a glittering close with “Burning Love” and “Suspicious Minds”, moments worthy of the price of admission alone. Throughout the show Mallett is comfortable in Elvis’s skin without resorting to mimicry and always in control vocally.
Across the production, the choreography (Michael Ralph) shines and makes the most of the set in its many guises and the size of the State Theatre’s large stage.
When Hollywood Elvis becomes smitten by Viva Las Vegas co-star Ann-Margaret (Kirby Burgess) it brings about a heart breaking confrontation from Priscilla.
It also gives Burgess her moments to shine in one of the most stunning dance routines seen on Sydney stages for years.
Under the musical direction of Daniel Puckey the songs have taken on a fresher and tougher R’nB feel and full credit to the band for their delivery. Go here to 'Elvis: A Musical Revolution' for Sydney and Melbourne tickets
See full City Hub review here (News, Source;CityHub/EIN)
'Elvis and the Colonel' New Book: Described as 'An Insider's Look at the Most Legendary Partnership in Show Business' by Greg McDonald and Marshall Terrill. 'Elvis and the Colonel' is a fresh biography of legendary manager Col Tom Parker, with a contrarian and corrective point of view.
Colonel Tom Parker, often reviled in his time, led the strategy from the earliest days of Elvis's career. Together, they built the most legendary partnership in show business. For the first time, Col Parker's story is told by an insider, Greg McDonald, who worked under Parker for years. Never-before-heard stories of Parker's collaboration with Elvis reveal the man behind the legend and the strategies that made Elvis a commercial groundbreaker.
Ingrained lore has it that Parker took advantage of "poor country boy" Elvis to sign the singer who became "The King". But Elvis and the Colonel shows that Elvis was not foolish when it came to business arrangements. This book is full of stories of innovations Parker made with his star client, including:
--ingenious merchandising (eg, selling both "I love Elvis" and "I hate Elvis" buttons)
--licensing and branding, from suits to toys, ashtrays to guitars
--establishing The King as an artist-in-residence in Las Vegas
--creating televised concert events, like Elvis' Christmas special
Many of the practices Parker established are still deployed today by most major agencies. Parker's experience as a carny and an immigrant shaped his management style when he was at his peak. The heart of Elvis and the Colonel is the long, strong, warm and complex relationship between two iconic men.
From St. Martin's Press. -
Out November 2023 (News, Source;MarshallTerrill/EIN)
(Film Review) Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback…..”a battle for artistic integrity”: EIN’s Nigel Patterson recently immersed himself at the cinema watching John Scheinfeld’s documentary film, Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback (based on Steve Binder’s account of the making of Elvis’ legendary Special). Reinventing Elvis takes a deeper dive into the making of the Comeback Special, featuring interviews from some of the surviving performers and audience members, as well as Presley experts placing it in the context of the times and the singer's career.
Nigel left the cinema after viewing a fascinating and illuminating account full of drama, humor, and ultimately reclamation. Read Nigel’s full review
‘Las Vegas Closing Night 1972’ New MRS: The UK ‘Memphis Recording Service’ (MRS) label will release a deluxe 2CD set, and an single VINYL LP titled ‘Las Vegas Closing Night 1972’ both on 29th September 2023.
The CD and the LP features a live performance recorded on 4 September 1972, during the last night of Elvis’ seventh engagement in Las Vegas at the Hilton Hotel.
The show is presented in stereo.
A bonus CD of remastered rehearsal tracks, recorded days before the engagement began, is also included.
The accompanying booklet - featuring rare photographs and memorabilia from the final evening – also includes liner notes that set the scene.
Please note the bonus CD is not available on the LP.
This is a follow up to their successful 4cd set ‘Las Vegas Summer Festival 1972’ Go to 'All The CD News 2023' for tracklistings
EIN Note: The 4 Sept Dinner show has previously been released in mono by FTD 'Destination USA' and also the 2009 Madison bootleg 'A Hilton Double Shot' (News, Source;MRS/ElvisinfoNet)
LP TRACKLIST Sept 4 1972 (Dinner Show)
SIDE A
01. Also Sprach Zarathustra
02. See See Rider
03. Johnny B. Goode
04. Until It’s Time For You To Go
05. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
06. Polk Salad Annie
07. What Now My Love
08. Fever
09. Love Me
10. Blue Suede Shoes
11. Heartbreak Hotel
12. All Shook Up
SIDE B – 26:42
01. Love Me Tender
02. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel
03. Little Sister / Get Back
04. Hound Dog
05. I'll Remember You
06. Suspicious Minds
07. For The Good Times
08. A Big Hunk O' Love
09. You Gave Me A Mountain
10. Can't Help Falling In Love
(Book Review) 'Fact vs. Fiction in the 2022 ELVIS Movie' (Trina Young): EIN’s Nigel Patterson recently sat down to read Trina Young’s fourth book about Elvis. Given its core intent, Fact vs. Fiction in the 2022 ELVIS Movie is not a standard narrative, but rather, an illuminating treatise assessing degrees of fact and fiction in what was the most successful non-franchise movie of 2022, Baz Luhrmann’s spectacular assault on your visual and auditory senses, ELVIS.
For the core section of the book, Ms Young rates each scene based on four different criteria (note that for each scene it's time in the film is included). The author then provides narrative details for each of the last three criteria, the Storyline information often running to several pages. Her ratings for historical accuracy (truth) can be truly enthralling.
Trina Young Interview 'Fact vs. Fiction in the ELVIS movie':Elvis expert and author Trina Young has recently published her new book 'Fact vs. Fiction in the 2022 ELVIS Movie: An Unauthorized Scene-by-Scene Analysis'.
Described as .. 'Out of respect for Elvis, this book clears up any misleading information or artistic license that may confuse people between what is shown in the film and what is true Elvis history. The purpose of this book is to offer a balanced side to the story.'
Having spent a lot of time recently explaining the true story-line of Elvis' amazing legacy to new fans - who have discovered ELVIS through the recent Luhrmann biopic- this book sounds fascinating.
After all, having been the most successful ELVIS movie of all-time getting down to the truth of the matter is pretty important.
Elvis, Ann-Margret, the filming of Viva Las Vegas (aka 'Love in Las Vegas'), the slap heard across Hollywood, (and more): The story of the behind-the-scenes filming of Elvis’ best and highest grossing film, Viva Las Vegas (released in 1964), is colorful, and one that had repercussions for Elvis’ subsequent films as well as a rare loss for Colonel Tom Parker.
Drawing on a wide range of sources, EIN’s Nigel Patterson takes a reflective look at the drama between star, manager, Ann-Margret, Viva Las Vegas film director and what it all meant.
'Elvis: From King to Legend 72-73' Review: This new documentary is a unique in-depth look at the incredible 12 month period in Elvis' career that is often skipped through in the usual Elvis biopics.
In two parts it has been researched and produced by Elvis super-fan Dennis Laverty.
Once again he has assembled footage, interviews and memorabilia from hundreds of sources. Packed full of rare interviews plus fabulous old TV clips and pertinent commentaries from more than 40 of Elvis' associates.
Laverty explains, “In this documentary you will go on every Elvis tour and Las Vegas season, see short films from every show plus hear interviews from over 30 associates. The film is a positive one and hopefully after watching both parts the viewer will then ask, "What Happened to Elvis" that he could die four short years afterwards." EIN's Piers Beagley checks it out...
(Spotlight; Source;ElvisInformationNetwork)
'From Elvis at Sun' Stereo CD Review: A new ‘From Elvis at Sun’ “Mono II Stereo” release from the Danish Memphis Mansion label.
The compilation includes the five classic SUN SINGLES plus the other nine alternate cuts that RCA would purchase from Sam Phillips.
Keen Elvis fans must surely have a serious fascination about how Elvis' early ground-breaking recordings were created.
Why do Elvis' classic rock’n’roll singles sound so good, especially given the low quality recording equipment of the time? And how were they laid down in the studio?
One way to discover the wonders of 50’s rock’n’roll inventiveness is to examine "stereo" versions of the old mono recordings and it is only since the creation of the cutting-edge audio process DES (Digitally Extracted Stereo) that we can do this.
Previous Mono <> Stereo versions have not quite made their mark. So is it possible that this new 2023 set can help fans appreciate the real magic and brilliance of Elvis at SUN? EIN's 2,600 word review by Piers Beagley looks in-depth at whether new upgrades in "DES" software can help create something special from these old SUN classics...
(CD Reviews, Source;ElvisInformationNetwork)
(Spotlight) 'Elvis biopic and Agent Elvis – Revisionist History and Reinforcing Negative Stereotypes?':In a thought-provoking 3,000 word article, EIN’s Nigel Patterson examines the impact of Baz Luhrmann’s film 'ELVIS' and the adult-orientated animation, Agent Elvis.
Undoubtedly in any mass-media the dehumanisation of Elvis is a real issue but marketing the man has always been more concerned with the “mainstream” commodification of his name since mid-1950s. So are these new millennium productions good or bad for how society views Elvis and which one will have the greatest impact? .. Read the article... Now Updated with YOUR comments
(Spotlight, Source:ElvisInfoNet)
'Elvis Presley: The Airplanes & The King' (Carlos Varrenti): The 3rd edition of Carlos Varrenti's book about Elvis and his airplanes has been published. The 1st edition was in Spanish and the revised, expanded 2nd edition (400+ pages), in English. However, the book was not widely available. The 3rd edition (285 pages) features new information but also has been edited to reduce the total number of pages and make the book affordable for more fans. Unlike the earlier editions this volume is available to all fans from Amazon sites!
The book is described as:
.. As an aeronautical engineer and lifelong Elvis Presley fan, I have always been fascinated by the King's connection to aviation. Since my first visit to Graceland in 2001, I have been compiling every detail I could find about Elvis and his planes - every short paragraph in a book, every video, every photograph, and every bit of information. Now, I am thrilled to share this wealth of knowledge and unique Elvis stories in the third edition of "The Airplanes & the King."
.. This book provides a detailed account of Elvis's aviation history, featuring photos and stories from 1955 through 1977. It offers a fascinating look at Elvis's life on tour from an original and compelling perspective. The book includes archival material, personal stories, and stunning imagery that will captivate aviation enthusiasts and Elvis fans alike. Whether you are a die-hard fan or simply curious about the King's connection to the skies, "The Airplanes & the King" is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of aviation and popular culture.
EIN's Nigel Patterson read the 2nd edition earlier this year. Read Nigel's detailed review (News, Source: EDBD; Amazon/EIN)
'Elvis LIVE 1972' (double-LP) Review: On this brand new ‘ELVIS LIVE 1972’ double-vinyl release producer Ernst Jørgensen has cleverly included nearly all of the concert highlights from RCA's ‘On Tour’.
The album features a "best of" the four 'On Tour' concerts using one key section from each of the first three concerts (one per vinyl side) plus the missing unique tracks on Side D.
'On Tour' classics from Hampton Roads 'Polk Salad', 'Big Hunk O' Love', from Richmond 'It's Over', Greensboro 'Burning Love', 'Funny How Times Slips Away', 'For The Good Times' plus San Antonio 'Proud Mary', 'How Great Thou Art' are all included...
But if fans already own all these songs from the recent 'On Tour' box-set can this vinyl version really be worth buying?
This title was released on March 24 2023.
Book Review: 8mm Elvis - The Story of Elvis on 8mm': Long before the days of Bluray, DVD and VHS people watched home movies on 8mm film. '8mm Elvis The Forgotten Format' is a glossy, colour, hardback book cataloguing the history of Elvis on 8mm film.
Author Vince Wright has been collecting all the Elvis 8mm he could find since the 80s.
He explained.. “I was cataloguing all these films hoping someone would write a book about it – I waited, they didn’t, so I did.”
So in 2023, and after many years of searching and researching, the author has released his comprehensive narrative and visual record of Elvis on 8mm.
This book is unique in its narrative and visual content and is an important inclusion in the complex jigsaw puzzle that forms a complete record of the multi-varied story of Elvis Presley. Go here to read Nigel Patterson's review
(Book Reviews, Source;ElvisInformationNetwork)
'Elvis On Tour' Box-Set In-Depth Review:The January 2023 'Elvis On Tour' SONY release is a 6CD / 1 Blu-Ray box set comprised of the audio from four of the shows (and two rehearsals) that were part of Elvis’ 1972 North American tour.
Originally recorded for the Elvis On Tour concert film that was released later that year, the set features a total of 145 tracks, including 91 previously unreleased tracks, as well as the award-winning concert film on Blu-ray.
RCA/Legacy's Elvis On Tour box set is produced by Ernst Jørgensen and mixed by Grammy Award-winning Memphis-based producer Matt Ross-Spang.
Elvis' April 1972 concerts were magnificent, so hopefully this expensive 50th anniversary release including newly remastered concert performances captures the magnificence and excitement of the movie and Elvis' stunning shows.
After fifty years surely SONY/RCA will get it right.....
'ELVIS: Opening Night 1972' MRS CD Review: Elvis’ first 1972 Las Vegas season ran from January 26th through February 23rd, 1972. Elvis was in great shape both physically and vocally, and he was once again serious about performing.
While a large number of fans think that Elvis started losing inspiration and impetus after the power-year of 1970, his rejuvenation of his first live performances in 1972 demonstrate another more positive aspect. Introducing the new songs 'You Gave Me A Mountain', ‘I'll Remember You’ , 'A Big Hunk O'Love' and the brilliant 'An American Trilogy' would enrich Elvis’ live shows for the rest of his career. So while Elvis collectors may have heard the bootleg recording multiple times before, you have never truly enjoyed this concert, or appreciated its importance, until this sessional MRS audio Remaster.
Elvis was in superb form and this set-list - along with the new MRS audio remaster - is truly sensational. Check out EIN's detailed review here
(CD Reviews;ElvisInformationNetwork)
2023 UK Tour - Elvis Presley + The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, tickets on sale this Friday: Elvis never toured the UK, in recent years the magic of technology has made that possible with a series of acclaimed shows.
Hot on the heels of this year's hit Elvis biopic comes a return of 'The Very Best of Elvis – In Concert, Live On Screen with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra'.
The unique concert experience is coming back to the UK in autumn 2023, taking in a number of arenas.
"The full-scale concert brings the King up close on screen alongside the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra live on stage performing the King of Rock and Roll’s most well-known 'rocking' songs and his tender, heart-wrenching ballads, with special guests to be announced in due course," said promoters.
'A show like no other, expect an overwhelmingly encapsulating and enthralling evening'
'These shows are a chance to both honour the legacy of an icon who has defined popular culture for over half a century, and for fans to see The King live, who never had the chance to before.'
The full Elvis with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra 2023 tour dates are as follows:
• 25 October – Glasgow OVO Hydro
• 26 October – Manchester AO Arena
• 27 October – Birmingham Resorts World Arena
• 28 October – Newcastle Utilita Arena
• 29 October – Leeds First Direct Arena
• 31 October – London The O2
• 1 November – Cardiff International Arena
Tickets available from Friday, Dec 2 from venues, or via ticketline.co.uk, bookingsdirect.com or ticketmaster.co.uk. (News, Source:MayerNissim, smoothradio.com/EIN)
'The Elvis RCA Camden Collection' EIN Spotlight:Most fans have had a love-hate relationship with Elvis' Camden collections. On one hand they are seen as an artistic misstep being released at a time when Elvis was back riding high on the charts saturating the market with a series of albums containing little-known songs. Yet on the other hand many younger fans used these budget collections as a way to enter the amazing world of Elvis’ vast back-catalogue.
The RCA Camdens featured the first release of an Elvis live recording, 19 previously unreleasedtracks and 58 tracks previously unreleased on an album. That is quite impressive even if Col Parker only had his increased revenue as the main goal.
Now updated with Readers' Feedback - Read this fascinating article and tell us YOUR THOUGHTSabout Elvis' Camden releases... EIN contributor Neil Colombari reveals all...
(Spotlight; Source;Neil Colombari/ElvisInfoNet)
(Book Review) Elvis Live At The International 50th Anniversary Edition (Kieran Davis): In 2011, Kieran Davis released the highly praised book, Elvis Live At The International. In 2022, he has published an expanded 50th Anniversary edition…and what an expansion it is!
The latest edition dwarfs the original with 432 pages compared to 172 in the original release.
And the added 250+ pages of additional material is stunning, making the 50th Anniversary release one of the best Elvis books published in 2022.
As its title reflects, the book covers Elvis' appearances at the International Hotel in Las Vegas between 1969 and 1971 (it was renamed the Las Vegas Hilton in July 1971). The narrative element is significantly based around fan, Peggy Elzea’s copious diaries, and a bumper array of archival material. Peggy’s experience seeing Elvis in Las Vegas is one every fan will envy. There is so much fascinating information and so many striking images in the book that it is hard to know where to start in describing it...
'ELVIS' DVD, BluRay, 4K OUT Now: Baz Luhrmann's 'ELVIS' movie now released as DVD, BluRay and 4K Blu Ray, out September 13.
The BluRay review includes,, The 1080p transfer offers a very crisp and faithful representation of Elvis' specific appearance. Cinematographer Mandy Walker reportedly shot the entire film .. with custom "Elvis" lenses made from special glass. Meant to evoke the era in which it represents this formula genuinely produces an image evocative of a classic cinematic appearance. With the addition of artificial film grain, the illusion is even more convincing. Still, this is ultimately a purely digital image through and through, and one with a varied color palette that ranges from dark and muted to almost candy-colored in its overall intensity, especially in some of the specific background elements by costume and production designer Catherine Martin. Bonus features include
- Bigger Than Life: The Story of Elvis (22:22) The challenges and joys of adapting Elvis' life for the big screen.
- Rock 'N Roll Royalty: The Music and Artists Behind ELVIS (7:33)
- Fit for a King: The Style of Elvis (8:02) - An overview of the iconic stage outfits and period clothing used in the film.
- Viva Australia: Recreating Iconic Locations for Elvis (7:26).
- "Trouble" Lyric Video (2:15).
- Musical Moments (19 clips, 46:19 total) All of the music segments. (News, Source;ElvisInfoNet/Bluray.com)
USA >>>
UK >>>
Don't miss out on one of EIN's most-viewed and controversial interviews of all-time - Mike Stone tells all.
EIN Interview with Mike Stone: Mike Stone has had a long and successful career in athletics, in the entertainment business, as an author, sports instructor, bodyguard and personal fitness trainer.
Mike Stone was also a key figure in the emotional roller-coaster that described Elvis and Priscilla Presley's lives in the seventies. In this exclusive EIN interview Priscilla's ex-partner, karate champion and author talks about his amazing life, including... - Meeting Elvis and Priscilla
- Hawaii, Elvis and Karate
- Being Phil Spector's bodyguard
- Sitting next to John Lennon recording
- Priscilla and karate
- Fans blaming him for Elvis' marriage split-up
- Elvis putting a "Hit" out on him
- Finding peace in the Philippines
- His new autobiography
UPDATED- The collapse of the Elvis Bootleg Empire: Has Ernst won the war?’: Back in 1999 Ernst Jorgensen and Roger Semon convinced BMG to let them start the FTD collectors label in order to counteract the Elvis bootleg companies which had been selling unreleased material to fans since the very first vinyl bootleg 'Please Release Me' was issued back in 1970.
Of all the bootleg labels that have come and gone the 'Madison' label was one of the very few that always produced high-quality releases and which happened to start at the same time as FTD. The designs were top-notch and with detailed sleeve notes they easily competed with the legal Elvis releases.
In 2021 ‘Madison’ have returned with the new bootleg ‘A Legendary Performer Volume 9’ but all is not what was promised. The Elvis bootleg vaults are empty and FTD appears to have won the game. Go here as EIN’s Piers Beagley checks out the lack of new material and considers the bootleg era at an end... And EIN wants YOUR SAY -Our article is now updated with YOUR FEEDBACK - and more... (Spotlight; Source;ElvisInformationNetwork)
Don't forget that EIN's Elvis Facebook page regularly features fabulous RARE newly discovered photos of Elvis. This month EIN celebrates our 45,000 members! - including several of Elvis' own friends and colleagues So Elvis fans don't miss out on these rare and exciting photographs.
Now with over thousands of great photos, News and with more added every day – including YouTube footage.
Elvis "BACK ON DVD!": Paramount have re-released three classic Elvis movies this month on DVD. 'G.I. Blues'- BACK ON DVD! The year was 1960... 'Girls! Girls! Girls!' - BACK ON DVD! The year was 1962... 'Paradise, Hawaiian Style'- BACK ON DVD! The year was 1966...
From Paramount Pictures.-
Release date: March 12, 2021.
From Amazon for $14.99. (News, Source;ElvisInfoNet)
.
.
.
.
‘From Elvis in Nashville’ Box-set EIN In-Depth Review:
A 4CD collection presenting the definitive chronicle of Elvis' 1970 marathon sessions with the "Nashville Cats".
Recorded live in RCA's Studio B over the course of an epic five day run in June 1970 now, for the first time, the sessions are presented in pristine audio, newly mixed by acclaimed engineer Matt Ross-Spang without the added overdubs appearing on earlier releases.
Elvis’ 1970 Nashville session was very different from the previous Memphis sessions or even Elvis’ later sessions. Nashville was a real mix of Elvis recording RCA supplied demos along with one-take spontaneous favourites Elvis threw into the mix.
As Elvis noted, "It don't take much to get these guys going, boy, I'll tell you…. Just give them a "well..." and they're gone. That's what I call 'Sittin' on ready". EIN's Piers Beagley explores this new box-set to discover one of the best Elvis releases in years..
(CD Reviews, Source;ElvisInformationNetwork)
US CD box-set
US Vinyl
UK CD box-set
UK Vinyl
.
.
.
.
‘TTWII 50th Anniversary Collectors Edition’ FTD Book Review: FTD's most expensive set ever published, David English and Pal Granlund bring the complete background story of 'Elvis: That's The Way It Is'. Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the movie's 1970 release, this ultimate collector's edition includes two hardback books, eight cds with over 450 minutes of music,
including newly discovered unreleased performances.
With access to 2,000 original negatives and 35mm slides, restored and repaired, many of which have never been seen before, the book also contains items from the MGM and RCA archives including paperwork, documents, memos and recording information.
Two books, 600 pages, plus all the MGM recorded rehearsals - including 70 tracks officially unreleased.
FTD's most expensive set but with the vast majority of the rehearsals already out on bootleg, can it really be worth the US$270 plus postage. Initially Sold Out and already into its first reprint what makes it so desirable? EIN's Piers Beagley investigates and discovers plenty .. Go here to our 6000 word review including plenty of extracts and stunning images. (FTD Reviews, Source;ElvisInformationNetwork)
Amazon Deals on ELVIS Blu-rays - Beware of excessive prices at some Elvis dealers.
.
.
.
.
'ELVIS In The 2010s' A Personal Review of the Past Decade: Rather like Elvis’s own career, each decade since Elvis’s death appears to have had a theme or identity of its own. Clearly the late 1970s were difficult for RCA as they struggled to find the right direction with which to take their posthumous releases, and so it was the 1980s that was the decade when the company slowly but surely learned how to look back at Elvis's legacy and start to make some sense of it.
The 1990s were when that reached a peak, with the decades boxed sets, and the Elvis in the 90s series, thus bringing virtually the whole catalogue back into print in a coherent way.
The 2000s were when errors of judgement at retail level started to occur (despite huge successes like Elv1s), but also when FTD came into its own and flourished. And so what will we make of Elvis releases of the 2010s when we look back on them from the future? Go here for EIN contributor Shane Brown's personal take on the highs and lows of Elvis product that has come our way over the last decade....
(Spotlight, Source;ShaneBrown/ElvisInformationNetwork)
Elvis LIVE Aug 23, 1969 Album Review + Elvis Concert Review 1969: ..."The atmosphere throughout the entire hotel was nail-bitingly electric! It is difficult for me to describe and paint a true portrait of attending in person this unique occasion - Elvis' Return to Splendor LIVE in 1969 - but I'll try my best. I want, and hope, you will understand the excitement of what has to be the pinnacle of Elvis' career to date!" Joan Gansky was lucky because not only was she in the audience for Elvis' TV musical renaissance of the '68 NBC Special but she also saw Elvis at his most dynamic - first at his August 22nd 1969 Midnight Show and then the following night at his August 23rd Dinner Show. Joan Gansky has written this insightful and emotional article for EIN in 2019, fifty years later, looking back at this special event from 1969 as well as providing her review of the new RCA vinyl album of the August 23rd Dinner Show. One of EIN's most important articles we have ever published- Go here for Joan and Paul Gansky's incredible articles and exclusive photos
(Review/Spotlight, Source;ElvisInformationNetwork)
'What was Elvis searching for?' EIN Spotlight: The question is raised – but never answered – in the title of HBO’s recent absorbing, imperfect documentary 'Elvis Presley: The Searcher'.
At the start it seems clear what the teenage Elvis was searching for – an escape from the oblivion of poverty in the American South. Yet his quest was cultural as well as financial.
Later Elvis read obsessively, seeking out such books as The Impersonal Life, Joseph Brenner’s guide to self-discovery and Kahil Gibran’s book of fables, The Prophet. In his copy of Gibran’s tome, Elvis jotted down the line: “A singer can sing his songs but he must have an ear to receive the song”.
So what exactly was Elvis searching for? In this fascinating EIN Spotlight respected author Paul Simpson takes a close look at this all important question which, for some reason, was basically ignored in the recent HBO documentary..
Mindi Miller Interview with EIN: Mindi Miller was a working actress when she met Elvis in early 1975. She was interested in karate (she performed all her own movie stunts), exploring spirituality and the Bible and so they had a lot in common. Mindi Miller and Elvis bonded over their common interests and soon afterwards he asked her to go on tour with him in April 1975.
She stayed friends with Elvis through the years - along with members of the 'Memphis Mafia' - and attended his funeral.
EIN's Sanja Meegin recently caught up with Mindi Miller to talk about her close friendship with Elvis over the years.
In this fascinating interview she discusses. . . - Her first night with Elvis
- How Elvis persuaded her to cancel her overseas movie & modelling plans
- Their mutual interest in Karate
- Graceland and meeting Lisa Marie
- Attending Elvis' funeral . . . and much much more... Go here for EIN's Sanja Meegin and her intimate and detailed discussion with the delightful Mindi Miller - Now with Reader Feedback.
Official Elvis CD Box-sets at bargain prices through Amazon UK
'Marty Lacker: A Life Well-Lived' & Elvis at American Studio's Interview: It was with immense sadness that last month EIN had to report on the death of our great friend - and a true friend to Elvis - Marty Lacker. We will miss him dearly. Marty is well-known as one of the key members of the Memphis Mafia and also co-Best Man at Elvis' wedding. He was known for both his honesty and being forthright with his opinions. He was the only member of the Memphis Mafia who still watched and commented on recent Elvis News. He had no issue with holding people to account (especially ones who would inflate their importance within Elvis' legacy) and would regularly ask EIN to add his comments or to correct any inaccuracy. Elvis fans often ask about Marty Lacker's background, how he came to meet Elvis, as well as his involvement in the music industry outside of working for The King.
As a prelude to Ken Sharp's fascinating interview with Marty Lacker and a discussion about Elvis' famous American Studio' Memphis sessions, EIN presents "Marty Lacker: a life well-lived" in which Marty tells of his life in the music industry, his friendship with Elvis along with his dislike of the over-controlling Col Parker. Go here to learn all you need to know about Marty Lacker as well as Elvis outstanding Memphis American Sound sessions in 1969. (Spotlight; Source,KenSharp/ElvisInformationNetwork)
'The World of FTD' In-Depth Review: The new deluxe book 'The World Of FTD' has been received by some lucky fans and Elvis collector Mike Lodge has provided EIN with a very detailed review - of well over 3 thousand words! The book was authored and designed by Keith Flynn with input from a large number of other Elvis specialists including EIN's Piers Beagley, EM&HM's Trevor Cajiao, Geoffrey McDonnell, Gordon Minto and many others. It is 1,200 pages, hardbound three book set, chronicling every release by FTD.The book also features 100s of high-quality photos from the collection Erik Lorentzen
KJ Consulting are proud to publish this Box Set which weighs 8 kilos.
UPDATED - Paul Dowling EIN Interview Part Three: Paul Dowling is without doubt one of the major names in the Elvis World. He started collecting and selling Elvis vinyl over 40 years ago and has one of the world's largest Elvis Presley record collections. He started his "WorldWide Elvis" shop back in the seventies, way before the internet, where fans could get hold of rare Elvis records and memorabilia.
With such a fascination with Elvis, Dowling not only became a big name in the early years of Elvis bootlegs but later became friends with Ernst Jorgensen and helped RCA with various official releases.
In the final part of our fascinating interview Paul Dowling discusses .... - Dodging the FBI agents that were sent after him
- Unreleased Elvis material that still hasn’t come out
- Why does Ernst Jorgensen doubt this claims
- His BMG project 'For The First Time Ever' - what happened
- The true story of obtaining the Million Dollar Quartet tape
- His thoughts on Paul Lichter, Sean Saver, Sherif Hanna, Rex Martin
- Spending time with Alan Fortas
- Jim Curtin, newly added story
'Ultimate Elvis' New Electronic Edition: Announced by Elvis sessions expert Keith Flynn for publication November 1 is the brand new concept of the 1750 page super-deluxe Elvis sessions book 'Ultimate Elvis' Electronic Edition.
This incredible three volume book will now be available as an e-book on an i-pad or android tablet. - Created in HTML5
Fully updated e-books will open in any web browser on any operating system, so no need for separate downloads for different operating systems. - Life-Like 'Flipping' Pages
Flip through pages as if you are reading an actual book, but also being able to zoom-in to view smaller images and captions.
- View as Double or Single pages
View as double pages on a computer or laptop etc, and single pages when viewing in portrait on an i-pad or Android tablet. - Fully Navigational Table Of Contents
Jump back and forth to the sections of the books you want to read, instead of flipping through numerous pages to find what you want. PRICED AT - all 3 Volumes for £60 = US$93
On sale from November 1st 2015. Try Before You Buy -
Download free zip-file containing 27 pages from Volume 1, before you decide to buy the complete set. -
NOTE - These books are MASSIVE so you will need approximately 1GB of spare disc space for these three volumes, -
Click HERE to Keith Flynn's 'Ultimate Elvis' Electronic Edition to try.
Go HERE to EIN's independent review of 'Ultimate Elvis' (News, Source;ElvisInfoNet)
Did Elvis Record 'Tiger Man' At Sun?: A question that has puzzled Elvis fans through the years is whether he actually recorded the song ‘Tiger Man’ during his years at SUN studios.
The basic question is why did Elvis refer to 'Tiger man' several times in concert as “The second song that I ever recorded, not too many people heard it”?
And if Elvis DID record it, then why hasn’t any reference to it at SUN or proof of its existence been found?
Elvis would first perform ‘Tiger Man’ in concert at his first 1969 Las Vegas International season and would continue playing it through the years – usually in a medley with Mystery Train - until his last performance at Saginaw on May 3 1977. He would sing it over 150 times on stage! The thought that there might be an acetate or undiscovered tape of Elvis at SUN singing ‘Tiger Man’ is a mouth-watering concept - but is it an unlikely fantasy or strong possibility?
Go here to our detailed 'TIGER MAN' spotlight as EIN's Piers Beagley puts in the hard yards to check the facts from the fantasy . (Spotlight; Source;ElvisInfoNetwork)
Copyright the Elvis Information Network.
Elvis Presley, Elvis and Graceland are trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises.
The Elvis Information Network has been running since 1986 and is an EPE officially recognised Elvis fan club.
EIN is a not-for-profit Elvis Fan Club website posting daily news and informative articles for Elvis Presley's legion of fans.
EIN tries to credit all news sources, as well as link to the original articles if excerpts are used.
If you believe we have used copyrighted material please contact us and we will remove it immediately.
EIN also has a local Australian national Elvis Fan Club for paid up members featuring quarterly newsletters along with free EIN members cds plus an annual EIN Elvis Mega Quiz with special prizes.
The printed newsletters have extra content, articles and reviews to this website along with the popular Elvis EIN Mega Quiz.
' ELVIS EIN QUIZ', Elvis EIN quiz, elvis EIN mega quiz, elvis mega quiz, EIN mega quiz, ELVIS EIN QUIZ, EIN
lvis mega quiz,
Elvis Pesley News, Elvis Presley News, Latest Elvis Presley News, Elvis Presley News,Elvis Presley News, Elvis Presley News, Elvis Presley News, Elvis Presley News, Elvis Presley News, Elvis Presley News, Elvis Presley News, Elvis Presley News, Elvis Presley News, Elvis Presley News, Elvis Presley News, Elvis Presley News, Elvis Presley news, Piers Beagley Elvis presley, piers beagley elvis, piers beagley elvis presley, piers beagley elvis, Elvis Presley News, Elvis Presl
