'Elvis Music FAQ'

Elvis Music FAQ chronicles the trajectory of Elvis’ musical career, with a look at his pioneering original record label Sun, insight into his management, a summation of each Presley concert tour, and a full review of every record he ever issued. Eder goes back to Elvis’ first albums to reveal the pure intent of his musical vision. Readers will get a fresh perspective on old albums and rediscover the impact of Elvis’ creative genius. Casual Elvis fans may be surprised at just how many genres of music were included in his work—gospel, country, pop ballads, and of course, rock and roll. Instead of dealing with lightweight trivia and speculation, Elvis Music FAQ gets to the heart of why records recorded six decades ago still have such a grip on the world’s imagination. His songs aren’t just one aspect of his storied career—they encompass who Elvis was as a person and as a performer in equal measure. Containing dozens of rare images, this book sheds light on America’s fascination with the King. Plenty of EIN readers have pre-ordered the book and want to know more - EIN's Piers Beagley poses the questions to author Mike Eder.

Elvis Music FAQ is the upcoming book by author and Elvis expert Mike Eder. High-quality photo-books seem to have dominated Elvis publishing recently so it's great to see a new book coming out purely about Elvis' music.

EIN - Mike, thanks for agreeing to an interview, I'm really looking forward to the book finally getting published. How long have you been working on your book 'Elvis Music FAQ' ?

Mike Eder:I have been working on it since the fall of 2011. I did the initial chapter for the proposal and then wrote most of it in from June to December 2012. Editing has gone on pretty constantly since then, ending only about one month ago. I had input on pretty much every aspect of the book. Backbeat has a great team who came up with a lot of great ideas, but they were very respectful of me as the author at all times. It is a nice feeling.

EIN - It must be hard to gather so much information and then distil it down to a publishable size!

Mike Eder: It is because I am a completest by nature. I basically used my Elvis record collection to write this book. I have read over 300 Elvis books myself so I knew what really had NOT been said. Or at least I didn't feel it was said in the same way. I do cover every song and make some sort of comment on each one. I did draw the line on home recordings as they weren't really meant for public consumption and truthfully there is too much we just don't know about to cover them as definitively as I like to generally. Every tour is mentioned and given a review of sorts, all the films, and every major record, LP, EP, or 45, released during Elvis' lifetime.

The FAQ series of books tend to cover some quirky stuff and I also had fun doing chapters on "borrowed" songs, records made by imposters, etc (see below left). I always try to be accurate on my dates and most importantly to have a balanced perspective. I am hard on myself that way but the great thing about doing an FAQ book is that you can take your subject seriously without losing the reader. These aren't dry reference books, but rather meant to be thought provoking and fun. I want there to be a degree of entertainment for the reader.

I know what I like as a fan of Elvis, and music books in general, so I try to make it a book people will want to thumb through again. At the same time I put basically as much information as a typical reference book might have. Whether you have one scratchy 45 and a Christmas comp CD, or every pressing known to man, I aimed to make it work for any kind of Elvis listener. I want it to be a different sort of project in that any sort of fan can take something away from it.

EIN - Do you have a favourite period 50's, 60's or 70s?

Mike Eder: Well my very favorite Presley recordings generally come from 1954-60 and then 1968-72. I like a lot of stuff from 1961-67, and bearing in mind his troubles at the time, I also find much to enjoy during the later years. Though from a live standpoint the pickings get slim by 1976. Still I think the two periods I mentioned are when Elvis was enjoying what were ultimately two different kind of peaks.

There is no secret that Elvis was a great artist who made some bad records. I try to make sense of those and maybe try to understand how many of them came about. Elvis must bear the blame for making some bad decisions, yet I have no anger or disgust at him for not always making the best choices.

EIN – Throughout his career Elvis performed so many different types of music, do you think that your reviews might reflect your own taste in music?

Mike Eder: One thing I would like to point out is that I am a huge fan of most any sort of rock, folk, blues, country, and gospel from the early fifties to the early seventies. I tend to focus on that one period of music history, but my tastes within that time are quite wide. I think that has put me in the unique position in that I like most of the styles Elvis tried. I have no hang up about him doing pop songs, if they are good pop songs. I like hard rock and I like love songs. It all depends on what I get from it myself.

Aside from the kind of historical factual information that a responsible writer does not let their own feelings color, I ignore other critics and try to tell the story that I get from the music personally. My own take on the whole Elvis Presley story is different than those that have been published before and I hope that's why I have been able to gain readers over the years. I don't want to come off like my tastes are more definitive than anyone else's, I only want to make a case for what moves or doesn't move me.

EIN - What about Elvis' key SUN sessions - is there anything more to discover?

Mike Eder: I never say never. I have no insider information on it, but in being a fan and researcher on Elvis' for so many years there are songs I think may be more likely to exist. "Tiger Man" and "Satisfied" are two I feel have a small chance of showing up. Very shaky info exists but "Uncle Penn" may even be a reality. All speculation on my part mind you. One thing did exist and that was Gary Pepper having a recording of the "Southern Made Donut" ad. Phil Gelormine had heard it at his house but the tape is probably gone now.

One quick aside is that I envy all who are going to soon discover the SUN period in any meaningful way. It is still hard to believe how much good music came out of that label, and Elvis is just a part of that story. Maybe, ultimately, the most important part but there is just so much for future generations to uncover, if only from the standpoint of hearing it for the first time. Again I envy that first thrill of "That's All Right" coming on.

EIN - A lot of fans will have seen your articles in Erik Lorentzen's and Joe Tunzi's books, what made you decide to publish a book yourself?

Mike Eder: Well that is really the main thing. I have had good response to writing about Elvis. I care about his work, and I care that he be seen as an actual real person and artist. I make a point to never judge him. Having said that I do not flinch from the dark moments when I have to confront them. I think I just tell it in a way that takes a different view. I have no doubt that I would have had serious issues if I had the kind of fame Elvis had. Most anyone would.

EIN - Elvis' legacy covers all bases - Movies, Televison, fashion, even something as crazy as jumpsuits - why do you think Elvis' music is worthy of a stand-alone book?

Mike Eder: This is an easy one. Elvis is just damn good. I like him for the same reason I like anyone who is commercially successful or not. Ultimately he made good records. Records that reached a level I don't think many have been able to match. It's that simple to me. The music is what drives the whole Elvis phenomenon. Without the music nobody would have delved deeper, his voice is the main factor that stands out. He was cool, he looked great most of his life, he even was a decent actor when given a chance, yet none of that would have convinced Sam Phillips to record him. When Elvis was inspired there was just nobody with a more natural feel for music, nobody with better instincts. He didn't follow the rules because he understood music doesn't have to adhere to previously set boundaries.

EIN - Of course there have been key books about Elvis' music already - such as Ernst Jorgensen's 'Life In Music', Ken Sharp's 'Writing For The King' or Tunzi's 'Sessions' - what will your 'Elvis Music FAQ' offer to fans?

Mike Eder: All I can say is that those books are different in their aim. I have no interest in doing anybody else's style or format. I wouldn't be able to put the stamina of writing a 400 page book with something that wasn't completely my own thing. It's not interviews, it isn't a reference book in form - though it can be used that way as far content. It is just kind of its own category, Let me say I enjoy all those books very much, I just don't have the same goals as an author. Robert Matthew Walker's or Gerry McLafferty's books are actually more in tune with mine, not in form but in that they both took a very individualistic take on Elvis' work. Of course there a few guidelines when you write for a specific series like "FAQ": In saying that I was allowed to basically just set up the structure from scratch.

EIN - Will your book cover all of Elvis' recording sessions and concerts and tours - That's a lot?

Mike Eder: Yes I am happy to say it does. Not only that but I think I managed to delve into them. I was given a generous amount of space so that's the main reason why I could do this. I also want to stress again that I look at each record release of Elvis' lifetime as it's own artistic entity. Not that all art is of the same quality, yet even "Harum Scarum" has its own weird artistic value. Mostly as being an example of being one of those strangely intriguing things with a major talent that are unbearably bad camp. I take the humiliation that Elvis endured in Hollywood quite seriously, but I think he would see the humor of the films from a vantage point of so many years now passing. Even then he was unusually good humored considering how wrong some of the roles really were for him.

EIN - Have you discovered some new facts and information that will surprise us?

Mike Eder: It's hard to answer this because I would have to sit and comb through and look for that kind of thing specifically. The trick about writing about Elvis is to present a well known story in a fresh way. If that isn't done a book will just lose impact when new titles come along. I want this to stand the test of time. There are things in there that I learned first hand. There are things I learned on EIN or elvis-collectors and I made an effort to underscore how valuable internet researchers are to sorting out the real hard facts of Elvis Presley's career.

I didn't really think along the lines of uncovering untold tales so much as telling the tale with the right tone and an active interest in almost all the styles Elvis attempted. I have read a lot on Elvis so I know there are some things that have not been often repeated. The new info largely stems from me being an avid vinyl collector since 1981 nonstop. I buy CD's but vinyl is always what has captured my ear and eye.

Because I am not a CD oriented person I think people will be shocked how much vinyl thrived during the decade or two it wasn't a focus for anyone outside of a diehard collector. With that situation changing my case for the original albums Elvis made is so much easier to make now.
I don't know if many readers would know about certain things or not. For instance the gospel chapter was largely new territory for me so I think people will be pretty fascinated just how many types of gospel Elvis touched on. His influence in that field is vast and I didn't realize to what level until I educated myself more about the history of it.

EIN - Is your book more list-based or text based - what were you aiming for? Mike Eder: Text based, but I think most things people generally would list can be found in there. EIN - Are there any photos in your book? Any unusual ones? Mike Eder: Erik leant me a few but most of it is right out of my personal Elvis collection. Mostly I had fun here and took advantage of the fact that I was able to pick records to use without any restriction. That was very cool for a record collector to learn and I aimed to use things that haven't been in print much. Some traditional items were too essential too ignore but I really put time into selecting graphics from some offbeat releases. I even found a scanner that could handle LPs so I just indulged the vinyl fan in me. Some cool memorabilia was also used, funny magazine covers etc..

EIN - Colonel Parker, good or bad? Mike Eder: Good initially, not so good after. When I have watched shows on Parker, or read about him one thing struck me is that a lot of hyperbole has been used. I mean nobody has written anything resembling real life in regards to him and I think he wanted it that way. He wasn't the greatest person I have studied and I did have a hard time liking him. I devote one chapter to him and he can't really be taken out of any of the others. I try to be even but nobody is going to think I am a particular fan. That said he did do some really interesting things for Elvis, he was an interesting character. Elvis would not have been "ELVIS" without him if you catch my drift. That's good because Elvis became a legend, but a manager who really cared for "the man and the music" to borrow a phrase would have made a positive difference. Ideally he would have been replaced around 1962 or so.

EIN - Elvis was the greatest entertainer in history - why was he so weak as to not say "NO" to purile crap like 'Old MacDonald's Farm' or 'Queenie Wahine'?

Mike Eder: He would be the only person to really completely answer something as specific as that. I feel that he basically provided the answer in the "Elvis On Tour" interview. He obviously was sick that he gave in and did it, but I don't think he knew he could say no. That might seem like an excuse but one quote always stuck me. I think it was in a 1956 interview with Army Archard (my memory may be off on the details of it) that off the record Elvis was asked why he doesn't study acting seriously before making a film. He stopped for a moment and said, "I don't suspect you have ever been poor". Now again you can say that is an excuse, but tell that to a 21-year old Elvis who was getting to be a movie star. It probably was just unreal at first, and gradually the standards lowered. He knew it too.

As early as "Blue Hawaii" he was embarrassed for Anne Fulchino to see him. He was an artist so it had to have hurt. That he knew means something, that he didn't step up was to his detriment in all ways. He might never have fallen into bad personal patterns had he known how to make positive but firm changes when he had to. On the other hand who did he have to follow as an example? He kind of had to pave a new trail and there were self-inflicted bumps to be sure.

EIN - Do you really review every song Elvis recorded?

Mike Eder: Yes I do, not too much to say about some of them, but all have a review. I was able to do a paragraph or so on most. Some a lot more obviously, some less. I lumped a couple of soundtrack songs almost together but in a way that you still can take an individual feeling away from it In other words What can be said about "A Boy Like Me, A Girl Like You" that differs greatly from "I Don't Want To"? Conversely how do you stop yourself from going on about "If I Can Dream" or "Mystery Train"? I tried to balance it best I could and I did try to think of something for every last cut. I am pretty pleased about that because one thing I didn't like in other books is that some songs are generally ignored.

EIN - Some fans of course love Elvis' fluffy soundtrack songs over material that we would consider far more worthy. Did you have fun checking out and examining every song Elvis recorded?

Mike Eder: It was fun, I do simply enjoy hearing Elvis music. Taste is so subjective and when a general consensus is formed I don't go along with it unless I happen to agree, so I defend those kind of fans on that level. I do not buy into the notion that we all are going to like the same music. When it comes to an artist like Elvis, even those who aren't attracted to his music cannot write about him credibly without acknowledging that certain songs of his changed history. I don't particularly like "Love Me Tender" as a record, but it is an essential record in rock and roll history. It cannot be removed from that history simply because Elvis made better music that didn't get as widely heard

EIN - 'Do The Clam' charted #4 in Australia, going higher than Love Me Tender or Kentucky Rain - is there any hope for us?!

Mike Eder: Not at all! Joking of course. I like this question because the industry is so weird and random sometimes. You just don't know what kind of record is going to connect with people. People have entire careers out of reading future trends in entertainment or media, but nobody can say why "Do The Clam" would do better than "Kentucky Rain" under any kind of circumstance. You can break it down to the promotion at any given time, to disc jockeys picking up on it, to unusually good exposure, but it really is a freak of nature when this happens. I guess popular taste cannot ever truly be the sole measure of quality. That can be of some value at times, but obviously not in cases like this.

EIN - In your opinion, what Elvis song can you not get enough of - what Elvis song do you never want to hear again?

Mike Eder: "I'm Leavin'" is to me a perfect record in all ways. I don't know what it is but I hear new things in it all the time. Now that can partially be down to the various mixes one comes across but I don't think so in this case. It just has a magic, something I can't quite articulate. I feel it very deeply.

Never is a strong word for any song. "Golden Coins" or "Barefoot Ballad" pop in my head when I read this so I guess songs like those. The former isn't even funny bad, just kind of bleh. I am much less tolerant of the worst movie songs than the later years. That said if I never hear something like the 8-1-76 show again it would be OK with me. I just feel so sad when I hear a great entertainer get himself in that much trouble.

EIN - Do you investigate Elvis' role as a producer?

Mike Eder: Yes I have always been curious that he does not get more credit there. He was a great producer because he understood sound. He wanted his demos pressed on a vinyl format, he listened to his music on cheep radios. He was ahead of his time that way and he just kind of did it. If you call a producer the person that comes up with the feel of a record, Elvis fits that description perfectly. He wasn't a tech wiz as far as board work etc. he just knew how his music should sound. The results weren't always perfect, but Elvis did have a lot of say so on most of his non movie work. At least more than is realized.

My feeling is that Elvis isn't recognized for being pioneering record producer because he didn't get the credit at the time. Had his management had a feel for how to promote Elvis as a growing creative entity his production input would have been the center of deserved publicity. Maybe that he didn't produce other artists outside of some demos for Voice is why his production skills aren't nearly as trumpeted as they should be.

EIN - Felton Jarvis, good or bad for Elvis in the studio? Mike Eder: He wasn't the most subtle when it came to overdubs was he? Yet neither was Chips Moman and maybe that needs to be considered. The raw material Chips had was so good that this is often ignored, but he ushered in a new era as far a really putting forth an Elvis who used voices and strings as a key part of his recordings. Before I go further it must be said that Chips was at a different level than Felton, period. I don't see Felton as bad other than in the fact that he did go overboard with some of the later additions He was a cheerleader and fan yes, but Elvis needed that more and more as the years went on. Just emotionally he needed that kind of love there in order to get through the sessions. It let him laugh a little, and I think he knew when Felton was just boosting him and when he really was providing input.

You can tell that on the session tapes that Elvis doesn't take all the "it's a gas" comments too seriously if they weren't deserved. I think it was to keep the atmosphere light so Elvis could create, or later at least participate actively long enough to get some work done.

All this being said I think Felton's love for Elvis has been used against him unfairly. When Elvis was still healthy and the songs were there, some really great things happened. "How Great Thou Art", the 1967-68 non soundtrack recordings, Nashville 1970-71, even Stax to some degree brought forth some very interesting material. Especially in the era before Chips, Felton got Elvis on the right track again. He was feeling good about making records, doing the kind of music he enjoyed etc. The results got patchier with time, but I think Felton said right out he wished Elvis would have done a lot more rock. He wanted things like "Promised Land" to dominate and that's not a bad thing at all.

"How Great Thou Art", "Elvis Country", even "He Touched Me" showed that Felton could make could strong modern albums with Elvis that fit together. He didn't always have an artist who was willing to do so, and maybe he should been stronger with Elvis. Of course we are talking about Elvis Presley, standing up to him in any fashion is something that couldn't have been easy. Sadly I think he would have been open to that if Steve Binder is anything to go on. It just didn't happen enough and Felton wasn't the "problem" to the level some see him as.

EIN - By 1973 it seems obvious that (as quoted by Marty Lacker) "Elvis looked at recording as a drudgery". In fact Elvis never went into a recording studio at all in 1974.
We know that music was what made Elvis happy - so why do you think Elvis felt so bad about being in a recording studio, after the great success of the fabulous Memphis & Nashville sessions only a couple of years previously?

Mike Eder: Well Elvis was just not happy at the time about life, recording was just one of things that didn't come as easy anymore. Musically I think you can reassess these sessions now with some degree of detachment from the decline that had started. Some very good music was made in 1973 at Stax and at Palm Springs, the fact that he simply was not happy was the factor that makes them seem remote in certain ways.

I think this unhappiness effected everything Elvis did after "Aloha". That he did so much that was interesting is down to that he did love music, even when he loved nothing else including himself. Still there is no doubt that Elvis could not put out like he had in 1969. He no longer was able because he wasn't in good shape anymore. Yet that doesn't mean he wasn't an artist to be reckoned with. Elvis could still be quite good in 1973, it's just that he shouldn't have been compromised at all from a physical standpoint so young. We all know why and it was because he had serious depression that by then was resulting a clear drug addiction. You can argue about drugs before 1973 all you want, they were there. Yet, speaking purely on a creative level, they just aren't super important to the story until after "Aloha". I'm not denying they didn't provide warning signs at certain shows or sessions before that, but even in the later years not everything needs to carry that association so strongly. In a lot of books about any subject a general "critical consensus" will be formed. I think maybe the biggest surprise for the seasoned Elvis reader is that I just refuse to be tied to anything like that. I have my own points of reference, I have my own background of music exploring that differs from anyone else's.

EIN- Do you think fans will fans be surprised by your take in the reviews?

Mike Eder: I think people will be surprised the most in that I stepped up and defended some unpopular albums like "Now" or "Raised On Rock". Not trying to make them into masterpieces but there is some very good music on records like those. They weren't coherent statements from Elvis, but I think things like "Early Morning Rain" or "Are You Sincere?" shouldn't be punished for being indifferently treated by RCA. If "Raised On Rock" had better photos used, maybe a brief liner note, perhaps even some talk of Stax being the studio, I just can't see it being trashed to the level it is. It is not a great album by any means but it isn't near his worst. If "Now" had been on Camden well I don't think the shortcomings of the title, packaging, or theme would have mattered so much. Today the albums mean something different than when Elvis was alive. The surrounding trends and expectations are gone, all we can say is if a song hits us or it doesn't. A lot of the albums aren't near as good as they could have been, but they are a legitimate window into Elvis at any given time. He didn't even know about all of his albums, but that too kind of says something about the times that a reissue just can't. All the original Elvis releases from 1954-77 have some value for being records of their period. I try to make a major point of that.

EIN - Finally, what are your feelings about The Jungle Room sessions?

Mike Eder: Well a lot of the same comments as I had for Stax apply. He was obviously in worse shape than before, his voice was not as confident on some of the notes. October was lot better and I think all of those songs are pretty good. "Way Down" etc. "From Elvis Presley Blvd" is a tough album to hear, I find it interesting as Elvis last coherent artistic statement. The statement may be one of gloom, confusion, loss, and depression, but it very much a real album.

Roy Carr and Mick Farren wrote a book in 1982 or so called "Elvis: The Illustrated Record". Now actually I like the book more for the photos than the critiques in general. At the time they expressed a very traditional view of Elvis as of 1982. You kind of knew what they were going to feel about each record before you read it. They loved the Sun and early RCA stuff. Dismissed most of the sixties and seventies music with obvious exceptions like "Elvis Is Back!", "From Elvis In Memphis" etc. Some albums you doubted they even played. Yet the one album they wrote about in a revelatory way for me was "From Elvis Presley Blvd." They called it pained blues, said it may have been the most revealing thing Elvis ever cut. This is classic for me, they described it ultimately as "required uneasy listening". That has been one of my favorite terms to describe challenging music ever since.

So to me it is one of those albums you may not like in any regular sense, but it has a weight to it you cannot ignore. Of course I think some tracks like "For The Heart" and "Hurt" (good single choices) stand outside of this and are simply good songs.

EIN: Thanks for such detailed answers, now I am even more excited about your book!

- EIN note, the images used in the review above are not from the book.

Interview by Piers Beagley.
-Copyright EIN September 2013
EIN Website content © Copyright the Elvis Information Network.

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