June 19, 2002

 Interview With Roger Semon, Elvis Expert
    CNN SUNDAY MORNING - June 16, 2002

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: It's been 25 years since Elvis Presley died, but his music has continued to thrive and remind us of the days when Elvis' slicked back hair, black leather and sexy hip swings were all the rage and, of course, we were all shook up.

This morning, we have a rare glimpse into The King's past. It's a new four CD boxed set with 100 songs of outtakes, alternate versions and never heard before live recordings of Elvis Presley's music.

Joining us live from London this morning is Roger Semon, an Elvis expert and consultant for BMG, where he has been associate producer for Elvis Presley. RCA Records and BMG Heritage are behind the release of "Elvis, Today, Tomorrow & Forever." Roger, so glad you're with us. Tell us how you came across all this great music.

ROGER SEMON, ELVIS EXPERT: Well, it's been a long, ongoing exercise over a long period of time. Very early in the '90s, RCA commissioned myself and some other folks to go through all of the archives and to transcribe all of Elvis' session recordings, and we've been doing that meticulously now ever since this day. And for that reason alone, obviously, we were able to secure and find lots of rare recordings of Elvis Presley, and it's an ongoing exercise.

PHILLIPS: All right, we're going to get right into it. We're going to start and listen to the first song, "Treat Me Nice."

(MUSIC)

PHILLIPS: Now this is from Elvis' personal collection, right?

SEMON: Actually, that's not true. I'm not sure where you got that information from, but "Treat Me Nice" was obviously recorded for the movie "Jailhouse Rock," and obviously one of the songs that Elvis really thought was going to be a big hit single in its own right.

Elvis recorded the song three times and the particular version from on this album was actually from the first session and the version that was actually included in the film but never released, and it's a really exciting record.

Elvis actually slaps the back of a guitar throughout the record, which was something that he also did for "Don't Be Cruel" and "All Shook Up." So he really did think this was going to be a number one single. PHILLIPS: Oh, wow. Yes, I've (UNINTELLIGIBLE). We had a note here that it was from his personal collection. Well, that's OK. I bet he's got a lot of great stuff in his personal collection. OK, let's go to song number two. This is "Today, Tomorrow & Forever."

(MUSIC)

PHILLIPS: Now if you kept listening to that, you would hear the voice of Ann-Margret, isn't that right? Didn't they do this together?

SEMON: Yes, they did. Elvis recorded this song for the "Viva Las Vegas," and it's such a beautiful song and obviously the title of this boxed set "Today, Tomorrow & Forever." Elvis actually recorded three duets with Ann-Margret for the "Viva Las Vegas" movie and, in fact, all three of them were actually deleted from the film, probably for some contractual reason. The other two songs were released a number of years ago, but this one, as I said earlier, has been part of an ongoing research that we've had and only recently did we discover this duet that had long been rumored.

And obviously, as we know, Elvis and Ann-Margret supposedly were very close to each other throughout this film, and this duet really captures something that goes beyond just a performance. It's really great.

PHILLIPS: Really quickly, let's listen to her.

(MUSIC)

PHILLIPS: Wow, she was quite the beautiful woman too, and you were very politically correct about that.

SEMON: She was.

PHILLIPS: Didn't they sort of have a love affair going on though?

SEMON: Well, I think it's fair to say that if you've seen that film, there is electricity that goes beyond just the power going to the projector.

PHILLIPS: Absolutely. I agree, Roger. All right.

SEMON: Yes, it's pretty (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

PHILLIPS: All right, listen to the next song, "Are You Lonesome Tonight." Let's listen in.

(MUSIC)

PHILLIPS: Now what's the mystery that surrounds this song, Roger?

SEMON: Well, it's unusual. In the very few songs that were actually recorded by Elvis at the request of the Colonel, Elvis' manager. But when Elvis came out of the army, apparently "Are You Lonesome Tonight" was one of the Colonel's wife Marie's favorite songs of all time. I believe it was first recorded in about 1927, and then it was a hit for Blue Baron (ph) I think in the 1950s, which Elvis based his interpretation on.

So Elvis was insecure about recording this in Nashville in 1960, but because the Colonel wanted him to, he actually had a go at it there, and I have to say that I don't think even to this day there's been a recording by any artist that is actually so pure, so clean, and so simple in its arrangement and form.

And I think it was this particular song, along with "It's Now or Never" the really transformed Elvis from the Rock and Roll rebel of "Jailhouse Rock" and "Don't Be Cruel," into you know a world-renowned leading singer and song stylist. So it was a brilliant interpretation but at the request of the Colonel.

PHILLIPS: Oh, wow that's amazing, very romantic too. All right, this is my favorite, "In the Ghetto." Let's listen to this and then talk about it.

(MUSIC)

PHILLIPS: Wow, truly his first protest song, wouldn't you say?

SEMON: Most definitely, and I think one of Elvis' purest performances. There was a lot of controversy at the time when this song was first brought into the studios. Elvis was recording back in Memphis for the first time since he'd recorded there at Sun in the mid '50s, and there were some brilliant songs that were brought into the studio at that time and there was a new young songwriter that had been creating some stir during that time, and his time was Mac Davis.

And Mac Davis submitted "In the Ghetto," which was originally entitled "The Vicious Circle," and I believe at one time it was rumored that it was meant for the Righteous Brothers, and certainly wasn't written for Elvis. But Elvis really loved the song, really wanted to record it, and there was some concern by other members of his entourage because of the political nature of the song.

But I think realistically, Elvis when he sang it realized that he'd also come from a very poverty-driven background and that he could really relate to the lyrics.

So at the time, people were suggesting that he shouldn't do it, but thank God that he did do it, because it's such a superb recording and this very early take of the song was included on "Today, Tomorrow & Forever" for obvious reasons, because it is so beautiful.

PHILLIPS: Oh, it is beautiful. I loved it when I heard that. I listened to it over and over again.

SEMON: It's lovely.

PHILLIPS: It's got so much passion in there. All right, here we go, the final one.

SEMON: Yes.

PHILLIPS: "U.S. Male," let's take a listen.

(MUSIC)

PHILLIPS: He was quite the U.S. male, wasn't he, Roger?

SEMON: Well, perfectly written really, wasn't it, for The King?

PHILLIPS: Absolutely.

SEMON: I mean, it's just unbelievable. Elvis at this time was just coming out of the doldrums quite frankly. I mean, you know, Elvis' bad career was probably a lot of people's best, if you know what I mean. But Elvis was kind of out of the charts, trying to find a new direction musically, and certainly I think this was very inspirational for the fans during that time, because most of Elvis' songs had been strictly movie based and didn't really have any depth and meaning way back then.

And I think when people first heard this on the radio, they were truly inspired by it. Elvis met up with another RCA recording artist at the time called Jerry Reed, and Jerry Reed was renowned for writing great songs, but also his unique picking guitar style, which had attitude about it, was accentuated, and almost blues driven.

So Elvis again managed to get back to his roots musically and it reflects in the performance. There's a great comical innuendo with the lyric. It's brilliantly performed and this sort of early take of the song, I think, is quite exceptional and deserves to be on the set.

PHILLIPS: And I know African-Americans really influenced his music. You can hear the gospel. You can hear...

SEMON: Oh, without fail.

PHILLIPS: Oh, wonderful stuff.

SEMON: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Roger, how can...

SEMON: Well, I think realistically -- yes.

PHILLIPS: No. No. Go ahead, I'm sorry.

SEMON: I'm sorry.

PHILLIPS: How can folks get their hands on this boxed set?

SEMON: I was just going to say really -- well, I think realistically they can get their hands on it by going to the record stores on June 25 when it's commercially available and, as I say, it's the first comprehensive collection of Elvis' entire career that's completely, previously unreleased. And as you just said, you know, it reflects every single aspect of Elvis' brilliant recording career, Gospel, blues, Rock and Roll, ballads, movies. Everything's in there that anyone could ever possibly want and it really does truly reflect, you know, the stature of the artist and how really great Elvis Presley was as an artist.

PHILLIPS: And there are some pretty funny outtakes on there as well. Roger Semon, thank you so much. What a pleasure and what a delight, sir. We appreciate you sharing the Elvis story with us.

SEMON: Thank you very much.

PHILLIPS: All right. We got much more ahead, stay with us.

June 19, 2002

Elvis road manager meets fair goers
   By Dave Downey (North County Times) June 19, 2002

DEL MAR ---- The theme of the 2002 San Diego County Fair is "Elvis: A Tribute to the King of Rock & Roll," so fair organizers invited Joe Esposito, Elvis Presley's road manager of 17 years, to make an appearance for two days during the popular summer event.

On Tuesday, Esposito, 64, talked with both old and young Elvis fans at the Del Mar Fairground's Elvis Exhibit near the O'Brien Gate, while signing autographs of pictures, books and anything else admirers put down in front of him.

Today is the last chance to meet Esposito. He is scheduled to be at the exhibit from 4 to 6 p.m.

Esposito was inundated with questions from children who had heard about the legend of The King but did not know a lot of details. Some didn't even know what he looked like. They wanted to know who was who in the black-and-white photographs Esposito was selling for $5. The picture of Elvis standing next to the much shorter Esposito was taken on The King's wedding day, May 1, 1967, in Las Vegas. Esposito was best man.

"That's Elvis," Esposito said, pointing at the photograph.

"And that's me when I had hair ---- a long time ago," he said.

The children weren't the only ones curious.

Mike Grassi, 40, of La Costa, a longtime Elvis fan, took advantage of the opportunity to ask a question that had long troubled him.

"Do you think that if his mother would have lived those last few years of his life that things would have been different?" Grassi asked.

"He might have been happier," Esposito answered. "But who knows? Being a superstar looks wonderful, but it is really not. It's a tough life."

It is hard to say, Esposito said, whether The King's life might have turned out differently.

Esposito was Presley's road manager and a close personal friend as well, having met Elvis during the singer's two-year stint in the U.S. Army between March 1958 and March 1960. He saw the best. He also saw the worst.

Esposito was at The King's side the day of his tragic death on Aug. 16, 1977. Esposito performed CPR while waiting for paramedics to arrive. They pronounced Presley dead.

Still, being Presley's road manager had to be exciting all those years, said Tony Lach, 52, of Vista.

"It must have been a fun ride," Lach said.

"Oh, yeah ---- overall," Esposito said.

Esposito, wearing a striped shirt and black slacks, and sporting a "TCB" neck chain above an open collar, signed Grassi's book, "To Mike, TCB, Joe." TCB is for taking care of business, he said.

A quarter century after his death at the age of 42, The King is still taking care of business overseas as his long-ago hit "A Little Less Conversation" has rocketed to the top of the charts in Great Britain, Esposito said.

"I am amazed that he's been gone for 25 years, and he's got the No. 1 song in England," Esposito said. "How could that be?"

June 19, 2002

Officially Approved by Elvis Presley Enterprises
  
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Considered one of the most important figures in popular American music and culture, Elvis Presley ushered in a new era of hip-swiveling rock n' roll. When he died on August 16th, 1977 at Graceland, millions mourned the "The King" and a chapter in musical lore was closed. Yet, today, twenty-five years after his untimely passing, his star shines more brightly than ever.


On the milestone anniversary of his passing -- along with the millions who continue to revere Elvis and his musical legacy -- relive his incredible life and times with ELVIS: HIS BEST FRIEND REMEMBERS, a one-of-a-kind, collectible tribute from real-life best buddy "Diamond Joe" Esposito. Making its world debut on July 30, 2002 on DVD ($14.95 M.A.P./ $19.98 S.R.P.) and VHS ($9.95 M.A.P./ $14.98 S.R.P.), this program, officially approved by Elvis Presley Enterprises, takes fans on an up-close and personal look at the man behind such chart-busters as "Heartbreak Hotel," "Blue Suede Shoes," "Don't Be Cruel," "Hound Dog," and "Love Me Tender." As a rock n' roll bonus, consumers purchasing ELVIS: HIS BEST FRIENDS REMEMBERS and CHANGE OF HABIT or any other title from Universal's DOORS Collection will save $3 instantly!

Loaded with hundreds of amazing and rarely-seen photos, home movies, press conferences, film clips, newsreels, classic performances and interviews with those who knew him best, ELVIS: HIS BEST FRIEND REMEMBERS features Esposito telling all in this rare compilation of materials that candidly chronicles the nearly 20 years they spent together on and off the road -- from their Army years until Elvis' tragic death -- and everything else in between. Viewers will even get the unbelievable first-hand account of exactly what happened on the tragic day of Elvis' death! This must-own program is the ultimate collector's item for both die-hard fans and new fans alike. It also contains a special bonus music video of "Cry Like Memphis," sung by talented actress/singer Tamara Walker (The Bold & The Beautiful).

The DVD contains over 30 minutes of additional bonus footage, featuring, among other things, some of Joe's favorite Elvis stories, including "Elvis Buys a Chimp," "Germany - 1959," "A Kiss from Don Ho" and segments on Elvis impersonators. Also included are the trailer for ELVIS: HIS BEST FRIEND REMEMBERS and production notes.

Available for the First Time Ever on DVD - CHANGE OF HABIT!

CHANGE OF HABIT was Elvis' last scripted screen role as a hip, young doctor who sets up a clinic in the inner-city slums of New York. When three nuns forsake their habits to join forces and help him out in his downtrodden clinic, one of them (Mary Tyler Moore) falls in love with the guitar-playing doc and has to decide whether to stay with him or go back to the church. "Rubber Neckin'," "Let Us Pray," and "Change of Habit" are several of the unforgettable featured songs and, now, for the first time ever, the classic CHANGE OF HABIT will be available on DVD -- assuring optimal picture and sound for "The King" in his last role ever.

DVD extras include the original theatrical trailer, production notes and cast and filmmaker biographies. CHANGE OF HABIT is available for the first time on DVD for $14.95 M.A.P./ $19.98 S.R.P. ($9.98 VHS), just in time to commemorate the inimitable legend on the 25th anniversary of his death.

Universal Studios Home Video is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Vivendi UNIVERSAL Entertainment (VUE) ( www.universalstudios.com ), the U.S.-based film, television and recreation entity of Vivendi Universal, a global leader in media and communications.

June 18, 2002

Man who wrote Elvis hit  (The Sun)
   From Clodagh Hartley in Nashville


THE man whose song put Elvis Presley on top of the charts again 25 years after his death told yesterday of his delight.

A Little Less Conversation by Elvis vs JXL is a sensational remix of a composition Billy Strange wrote for The King 34 years ago.

It shot to No1 after almost constant play in Nike’s TV commercials featuring Eric Cantona and stars of the World Cup.

Yesterday Billy said The King would have been thrilled to be singing for a whole new army of young fans.

Elvis’s success means he has now had the greatest number of No1s in the UK with 18, beating the record previously held by The Beatles.


Now aged 72, Billy spoke exclusively to The Sun at his studios in Nashville, Tennessee.

He said: “Elvis would have been 67 this year. I’ve got great memories of him and I’m proud my song is making young kids admire him all over again.”


Billy recalled how The King shook his hips to the beat and snapped up the song when he first hummed it to him.
He said: “Elvis asked me for something up-tempo and funky for his Comeback Special in 1968.

“I had already written the melody for A Little Less Conversation. I played him the tape and hummed it out.

“He started swayin’ his hips and shaking his butt. He looked at me, smiled and yelled, ‘Yeah Billy, I love it. Let’s do it’.

“So we went into the recording studio and cut it.

“I never dreamed that our work together would be resurrected. But I am very very pleased and proud of its staying power.”

He added: “It would have been a special delight for Elvis. He would have been thrilled to bits.”

Billy stands to make millions now the song has gone to No 1 and is set to top charts in America and across the rest of the planet thanks to the World Cup telly ads.

Helping guide Elvis Presley and Billy into the digital age has been Dutch DJ Tom Holkenborg — Junkie XL.

It was he who lifted The King’s original vocal from A Little Less Conversation and layered it on to a modern dance groove.

He remixed the song at his own expense, but Nike bosses quickly snapped it up, turning JXL into the hottest property in dance.

It is the first time the Elvis Presley estate has given permission for a Presley song to be tampered with.

Elvis’s voice is unchanged on the track but the rhythm is faster and it begins with a one-minute upbeat instrumental.

Billy Strange co-wrote the song with lyricist Mac Davis for Elvis’s 1968 movie Live A Little, Love A Little.

But it was best known as part of Elvis’s legendary TV Comeback Special the same year which relaunched his musical career after years of making movies.

Billy recalled: “Mac was a gifted poet and he would come up with words on the spot.

“I guess he must have had a girlfriend at the time who he wanted to talk a little less — but who knows. Mac would just write a song instantly.

“He came to me with the words and I wrote the melody. We didn’t know it would eventually be sung by Elvis.”

Guitarist Billy, who began performing at the age of five, recalled how he first met The King in Nashville.

Elvis needed a guitar player and called Billy personally after hearing his work with other artists including The Beach Boys, The Monkees and Frank Sinatra.

Billy was an old hand at musical arranging and scoring and had warmed up audiences for Hollywood TV and radio shows.


He hit it off immediately with Elvis.

Billy said: “I was staying at a hotel in Nashville in 1965 when my telephone rang and this unmistakable voice said, ‘Billy, this is Elvis, I’d like for you to stop by my studios and play some music with me’.

“I was absolutely thrilled so I went along and he just sat at the piano playing gospel songs.


“We had a lot of fun, so much so that we never got around to recording anything that first day.
“I then played guitar on Elvis tracks including Viva Las Vegas and I was scoring on Live A Little, Love A Little when the TV Comeback special came around.

“He first said he needed a ballad and I suggested Memories. He loved it. Then he asked for the funky up-tempo beat and that’s when I told him about A Little Less Conversation.”

Three-times married Billy, who grew up in California, lived the lifestyle of a millionaire playboy with Elvis.

He said: “I got along very well with Elvis’s manager Colonel Parker. He was a great man.”

Billy and Elvis used to ride their Harley Davidson motorbikes around the Hollywood Hills in the early hours — the only time the singer could escape his screaming fans.

Billy laughed and said: “Elvis used to call me up at around 2am or 3am and say, ‘Hey Billy, let’s go for a ride’. All other hours of the day he was mobbed by hundreds of girls.

“I would meet him at his Beverly Hills mansion and we would ride for hours until sunrise all over Hollywood. Elvis loved his Harley. He said he felt free on it.

“He was happy back then. He had a beautiful wife and a baby daughter he doted on.

“I also used to drop by to see him at Graceland, Memphis, any time I was travelling to Nashville from LA.

“The place was always surrounded by people so I would ring ahead and he would instruct the guards to let me in. We would just lounge around playing records. He had a great collection.”

Billy added: “I lost touch with Elvis around four years before he died in 1977. He just crawled into this hole and was not able to communicate with any of his friends.


“We didn't stay away, we just couldn’t get through to him. It was a very sad time.”
Elvis died at Graceland on August 16, 1977, at the age of 42.

Billy recalled: “I was at Nancy Sinatra’s house when the call came through that Elvis had died.

“Nancy took the call and told me we were requested at the funeral. I couldn’t go. I wanted to remember him as the young, vibrant success that he had been.

“I lost a dear friend when Elvis died. I couldn’t bring myself to go to the funeral of one who expired so needlessly and tragically.

“Nancy couldn’t face it either. It was a very emotional time.”

Billy, who lives in Nashville with his third wife Jean, will rake in a fortune from the airplay of A Little Less Conversation.

He said: “I stand to make millions if it goes to No 1 all over the world — and I’ve certainly got my fingers crossed for that.”

Mac Davis

(BORN: January 21, 1942, Lubbock, TX)

At his commercial peak in the mid-'70s, Mac Davis was one of America's most popular entertainers, a countrypolitan-styled singer and actor who found considerable success in both fields. Born Scott Davis on January 21, 1942, in Buddy Holly's hometown of Lubbock, TX, he began performing in local rock groups while still in his teens. After moving to Georgia, Davis first broke into the music business in 1962, when he was hired by the Chicago-based record label Vee-Jay as their Atlanta-based regional manager. After joining the Liberty label three years later, in 1967 he moved to Los Angeles to head the company's publishing arm, Metric Music; in addition to running Metric's day-to-day operations, he also began composing his own songs, with Glen Campbell, Bobby Goldsboro, Lou Rawls, and Kenny Rogers & the First Edition among the artists recording his work.
In 1968, Elvis Presley recorded Davis' "A Little Less Conversation," and soon after the King was requesting more of his work. After notching a Top 40 hit with Davis' "Memories," Presley reached the Top Five in 1969 with the songwriter's "In the Ghetto," a single from the landmark From Elvis in Memphis LP. Davis also arranged the music for Presley's first television special before signing his own recording contract in 1970. In that year, he released his first chart single, "Whoever Finds This, I Love You," from his debut album, Song Painter.

In 1972, Davis scored a number one pop hit with "Baby, Don't Get Hooked on Me," which also reached the country Top 20. His crossover success continued throughout the decade, with singles like 1974's "Stop and Smell the Roses," 1975's "Burnin' Thing," and the following year's "Forever Lovers" scoring with listeners in both camps. Between 1974 and 1976, Davis hosted a musical variety show for NBC television, followed by a string of specials; in 1979, he also starred in the film North Dallas Forty with Nick Nolte.

Davis' success continued in the early '80s; "It's Hard to Be Humble," the title track of his 1980 album, was the first of four consecutive Top Ten country hits that culminated with his biggest country single, "Hooked on Music," the next year. In 1980, he also starred in a TV movie, Cheaper to Keep Her. However, a co-starring role opposite Jackie Gleason and Karl Malden in 1983's disastrous The Sting II effectively ended Davis' career in Hollywood, and by 1985, he had recorded his last Top Ten hit, "I Never Made Love (Till I Made Love With You)." In 1990, Davis made a comeback as a songwriter, co-authoring Dolly Parton's hit "White Limozeen"; that same year, he also took over the title role in the Broadway hit The Will Rogers Follies. Will Write Songs for Food, his first LP in nearly a decade, appeared in 1994. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

June 18, 2002

Disney Auctions Offers Elvis Memorabilia and Experiences In Honor of Elvis Lovers Lilo & Stitch
   Source: PR Newswire - June 17, 2002

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif., June 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Authentic memorabilia from the Estate of Elvis Presley and exclusive VIP vacation experiences to Elvis Week in Memphis, commemorating the 25th anniversary of Elvis' death, will be auctioned at Disney Auctions ( www.disneyauctions.com ), presented by eBay from June 17 through July 4. The auction surrounds the June 21 nationwide theatrical release of Walt Disney Pictures' "Lilo & Stitch," an animated comedy with an exuberant and quirky lead character, a little girl named Lilo, who has strong feelings for Elvis and his music.


Details on the "Lilo & Stitch" Elvis auction items include:

-- Two VIP experience packages at Graceland during Elvis Week 2002 --


trips include a private tour of Graceland by a personal friend of
Elvis, VIP guest reception at the Elvis Presley Auto Museum during the
Graceland Candlelight Vigil, and front row tickets to "Elvis: The 25th
Anniversary Concert" among other features.

-- Authentic Elvis costume scarves -- two very rare scarves from the
private collection of Colonel Parker. One scarf was designed for
Elvis' performance collection.

-- Authentic Elvis collector's items -- rare items ranging from albums to
original "one sheet" movie posters. Items are direct from the Elvis
Presley Estate.


Net proceeds from these auctions items will be donated to the Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation for Presley Place, a 12-unit transitional housing facility for homeless families in Memphis.

"Only in the rarest and most special of circumstances do we make any items from our private archival collection available to the public," stated Jack Soden, President and CEO of Elvis Presley Enterprises. "We love the film and are pleased that it highlights both Elvis' music and his fans, especially as we mark the 25th Anniversary of Elvis' passing."

The sound track from Walt Disney Pictures' "Lilo & Stitch" features six of Elvis' biggest hits, including "Blue Hawaii," "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Suspicious Minds," sung by the King of Rock and Roll himself. An exciting new recording of the Elvis hit "Burning Love" is sung by Grammy Award-nominated country singer Wynonna.

Disney Auctions & Walt Disney Internet Group

Disney Auctions ( www.disneyauctions.com ) presented by eBay is an online marketplace from Walt Disney Internet Group and eBay. It features authentic, rare and one-of-a-kind Disney collectibles and memorabilia from every aspect of Disney's fabled entertainment legacy. Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG) provides strategic leadership and operational management for The Walt Disney Company's Internet properties including category leaders Disney.com, ESPN.com, ABCNews.com and ABC.com. Steve Wadsworth is president of WDIG, which is headquartered in North Hollywood, CA, and has operations in Seattle, New York, Orlando, Fla., Tokyo and London.

For further information, please contact Brandy Phillips of Weber Shandwick, +1-310-407-6577,
   brphillips@webershandwick.com, for Disney Auctions.

June 17, 2002

'Suede' may not be ballet, but it's fun
   By William Glackin (Sacramento.com) - June 17, 2002


"Blue Suede Shoes," the 2002 edition of "Steppin' Out," the annual major show of Dance Theatre West, the concert dance company of David MacDonald's Broadway Academy on El Camino Avenue, is subtitled "A Celebration of the Music of Elvis Presley in Dance."

Its talented, exuberant, apparently tireless performers take that goal so seriously they appear to be having the time of their lives. Their state of mind is infectious, so much so that when the roaring climax of the dancing arrives with some big-band arrangements of "Jailhouse Rock," "Hound Dog" and "Shake, Rattle and Roll" the happiness coming off the stage of the Broadway Playhouse is not only exhilarating, it's actually moving.

Presley was a superstar in many areas, including films, recordings and television, but ballet was not one of them. "The Ballet of Blue Suede Shoes" (another subtitle) takes its idea from a 1996 production of the Cleveland-San Jose Ballet Company, later done in California. The show being done six times on El Camino, however, has only a few touches borrowed from the world of ballet. There are no toe shoes in it, and unlike Twyla Tharp's "Deuce Coupe," created to the music of the Beach Boys for a ballet company, it has no references to classical ballet. Basically you could call it jazz-pop-modern. It's good, whatever, and real fun to watch.

Except for short dance numbers at the beginning and end, it is danced entirely to recordings by Presley, numbers meticulously listed in the program. Produced by MacDonald, directed by Diana Ruslin and choreographed by her and five other choreographers, it is divided by subject matter and, one gathers from the singing, sort of chronologically into seven subject divisions: "High School," "Hot Dog Drive In," "In the Army," "Highways and Lonely Streets," "Saturday Night" "Jailhouse," and "Rockin' Golden Oldies."

These changing, meaningful times are somewhat reflected in the excellent costumes, Dan Kern's simple sets and props, the choreography and above all, tellingly by the performers.

Presley used material from many sources, one of the most famous being the great blues singer "Big Mama" Willie Mae Thornton for "Hound Dog." But if Presley fans are not likely to find many surprises in the show, others may. In among the banalities of the romantic ballads from the movies, there are some startling serious gems like "In the Ghetto," which is about being born poor in Chicago and learning to fire a gun and steal a car as you grow up scuffling.

In all, there are 36 songs in the show. MacDonald and Ruslin are good at touches of realism that help the dancing ring true, like carhops on skates chewing gum as they do their work at Mel's Drive In.

The direction is also very savvy about changing the pace quickly. The show rarely takes time to linger over anything, but Friday's opening audience was frequent in its applause and enthusiastic. One of the many they singled out was Sara Baggaley, who did a perfect job of fulfilling the promise of "Long Tall Sally" (choreographed by Ruslin). But the show also is charged with the candlepower of well-applied talent by Sarah Carpenter, Jim Hunnicutt, Jennifer Kern, David Landeros, Danielle Pohlman, Kourtney Staab, Gina Talcott, Sara Taylor, Skye Wedlock and guest dancer Kody Cox. Not to forget Ruslin's companions in choreography, Kitty Barowitz, Kat Ashley, Vicki Green, Keith Goings, and Terri Taylor-Solorio.

It may also be said that for someone who obviously has never taken Elvis Presley seriously enough, the show was a remarkable learning experience. Just noticing how the size of his voice and his attack on a song grew over the years was instructive.


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


Blue Suede Shoes

A two-hour dance show by Dance Theatre West at the Broadway Playhouse, 4010 El Camino Ave., based on 36 songs popularized by Elvis Presley. Repeats at 7:30 p.m. July 12 and 13 and 3 p.m. July 14. Tickets: $8, $10 and $12

June 17, 2002

Beatles vs Elvis: Who is number one?
   By Alex Webb (BBC News) June 17, 2002

Elvis Presley and The Beatles represent the two poles of pop music superstardom.

On one side, the patriotic American truck driver with a voice that conquered the world over a two-decade career - and on the other, the four sharp-tongued Liverpudlians who came and went with the 60s but changed pop history.

Both acts have huge, devoted followings - and both have, for more than two decades, tied for the honour of having the most UK chart-topping singles - 17.

But on Sunday Elvis clinched a new number one with A Little Less Conversation and pulled ahead, to 18 number ones.

Elvis's impressive total has made history - but Beatles fans might point out it took him a long time to do it.

His first 17 number ones were amassed over the twenty years from All Shook Up in June 1957 to Way Down at the time of his death in August 1977.

And his 18th chart topper means that he has taken exactly 45 years to break The Beatles' record.

The Fab Four's number ones came between April 1963 - From Me To You - and June 1969 - The Ballad Of John And Yoko - just over six years.

And the Beatles' solo efforts have resulted in a further seven UK number ones since the band split in 1970.

There is another point that Beatles fans like to make.

Many dispute the number two placing of the group's second single, Please Please Me, in 1963.


Chart watcher David Stark of Songlink magazine told BBC News Online: "Technically they had 17 number ones, but Please Please Me was number one in every chart except that of Record Retailer, now Music Week, which is seen as the chart of record.

"So in my opinion Elvis has just equalled them.

"But it's a great record - and it's definitely the longest period between an artist's first and last number ones."

But, Mr Stark added: "Andy Williams had his first number one, Butterfly, in April 1957.

"So if his new record with Denise Van Outen - a version of Can't Take My Eyes Off You - hits number one, records could tumble again."
 

June 16, 2002

UK SINGLES CHART

Elvis Presley & The Beatles - No. 1 singles in the history of the British pop charts >>

June 16, 2002

Elvis lives! at least on top of UK pop charts


LONDON, June 16 (Reuters) - The King has grabbed the British pop crown, and bested the Beatles to do it.

With a little help from a Dutch DJ and a dash of World Cup fever, Elvis Presley has soared to the top of the British charts 25 years after his death with a new version of an obscure tune that made little splash when it was first released.

Figures from the Official UK Charts Company showed on Sunday that a dance remix by the Amsterdam-based DJ and record producer JXL of Presley's "A Little Less Conversation", came straight into the charts at No. 1.

The result breaks a long-running tie between the U.S. music legend and the Beatles for the most No. 1 hits in the United Kingdom. Until Sunday, it had stood at 17 apiece.

The original version of the song, which Elvis sang in his 1968 film "Live a Little, Love a Lot", reached No. 69 on the U.S. singles charts in 1968 and failed to enter the chart at all in Britain.

Presley died in August 1977.

The song has caught the public's ear recently because it features in an athletic shoe advertising campaign aired repeatedly in Britain during television coverage of the soccer World Cup.

It also was on the soundtrack of the 2001 movie "Ocean's Eleven".

The record books may contain an asterisk since the JXL recording takes some liberties with the song -- there is a minute-long electronic introduction, dance loops and techno tracks.

"If you hear the first minute of the song, you would have no idea that it's Elvis. It sounds like a techno song," RCA general manager Richard Sanders said this week. "And when you hear his voice kick in, it's like, 'Oh, my, that's Elvis!'"

Sanders said it marks the first contemporary remix of Presley's music allowed by RCA, a unit of Bertelsmann AG's BTGGga.F BMG. RCA owns rights to the original master recordings of Presley's entire catalogue, a spokesman said in Los Angeles this week.

By taking the top slot, "A Little Less Conversation" knocked Will Young's remake of The Doors' "Light My Fire" to sixth place after two weeks at No. 1.

Other new entrants in the top 10 were Kylie Minogue -- who took second place with "Love at First Sight" -- and Sophie Ellis Bextor with "Get Over You/Move This Mountain", which went in at number three. The lowest top 10 new entrant was Chad Kreoger FT Josey Scott with "Hero" at number four.

Eminem's "Without Me" fell to number five from number two and "The Logical Song" by Scooter shot to number seven from 181.

Liberty X's "Just A Little" fell to eight from three while Ant and Dec's soccer anthem "We're On The Ball" fell to nine from four. Rounding off the top ten was Ronan Keating's "If Tomorrow Never Comes" down from number five.

June 16, 2002

Scotty Moore, Jerry Scheff and Glen Hardin
   in Paris (photos) >> - June 01, 2002 

June 15, 2002

HISTORIC REMIX OF ELVIS PRESLEY'S 'A LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION' HAS EVERYONE TALKING

------------------------------------- (EPE - June 14, 2002)

RCA/BMG AND ELVIS    PRESLEY ENTERPRISES SET TO RELEASE FIRST REMIXED PRESLEY SONG BY A
   CONTEMPORARY DJ/ARTIST

Elvis Presley is on the verge of another career milestone nearly 25 years after his death. Presley's classic "A Little Less Conversation," re-mixed by progressive DJ JXL, will be released as a commercial single in the U.S. on June 25. The track has been tapped as the soundtrack to Nike's already highly talked-about, worldwide advertising campaign, "Secret Tournament," that began airing worldwide in April and is scheduled to run through this summer's football World Cup.

JXL is an Amsterdam based progressive DJ/producer who most recently produced the world class premier of DJ Sasha. This release of his treatment to the Elvis classic marks the first time in RCA's history that the company will mass market a Presley song that has been re-mixed by a contemporary DJ/artist.

Click a link below to hear the songs:
Radio Edit
Extended Version
Original Elvis Recording

 

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