July 31, 2003

The Sun Record Company Awards Party In Conjunction With THE INTERNATIONAL ROCK-A-BILLY HALL OF
   FAME INC. and Rockabilly Fest 2003 


THE INTERNATIONAL ROCK-A-BILLY HALL OF FAME INC. is Located at 105 North
Church Street, Jackson, Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Rockabilly Fest 2003 will be the world's largest gathering of rockabilly history makers. The event begins with the SUN RECORDS AWARDS PARTY at the Garden Plaza Hotel, Jackson, Tennessee on August 7, 2003.

HONOREES AT THE SUN RECORDS COMPANY AWARDS BANQUET

BRENDA LEE - THE LADY AND THE LEGEND

"Atomic Little Brenda Lee -- 9 Year Old Sensation." That was how Brenda Lee was introduced in October 1956. Later, she was dubbed "Little Miss Dynamite," and that nickname stuck because she earned it. Too often, a child performer's career is over by the time he or she hits puberty, but Brenda Lee is still rocking fifty years after first stepping up to a microphone.

Brenda Mae Tarpley, as she was then, won a talent contest in Atlanta when she was six, and first appeared on television the following year. In late 1955, she was introduced to country star Red Foley who was headlining a package show in her hometown, Augusta, Georgia. Foley hosted "The Ozark Jubilee" on ABC radio and TV, and brought Brenda onto the show. After the

"Jubilee," she made television appearances with Perry Como, Steve Allen, Ed Sullivan, and Bob Hope, and played weekend hops ... all sandwiched between her school schedule. It wasn't until Brenda cut "Sweet Nuthin's," a song by rockabilly singer Ronnie Self, in 1959 that she finally scaled the upper reaches of the charts. Self then wrote Brenda's first Number One hit, "I'm Sorry," which topped the charts in July 1960. For most of her career, Brenda recorded in Nashvilleunder the guidance of the late Owen Bradley. The success of "I'm Sorry" convinced Bradley that she could handle more adult material, and it was one of the first records cut in Nashville to use strings. Bradley himself summed up her approach when he said, "She has a tremendous beat and rhythm that a lot of singers don't have. She has a big voice and is able to get the rhythm and beat into her voice that a lot of singers can't do. She'll not only sing to you, she'll preach to you. The first thing she gives you is a dramatic reading of the lyric. A good singer must be involved with the words of the song. Brenda does that. She can sing any type of song." In 1963, Brenda signed an unprecedented 20-year contract with Decca (now Universal) Records, guaranteeing in excess of one million dollars. It was the richest deal ever awarded a female singer. Decca was obviously convinced that she had a long-term future in the music business, and they were right. After a brief retirement following the birth of her first child, Brenda became a mainstay of the country charts; dueting with legends like Willie Nelson, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, and Kitty Wells. In 1964, when Brenda was performing in Mexico City, there was an earthquake. Most Americans, including other performers, left town in a hurry, but when the Mexican press asked if she would still go on-stage, Brenda Lee cocked her head to one side and said, "If the walls are still standing, I'll be singing."

ALL THE KING'S MEN

In July 1954, Elvis Presley made his first record, "That's All Right," for Sun Records. Dee-jay Dewey Phillips was the first to air it, and a tape of Dewey's show plays exclusively at the INTERNATIONAL ROCK-A-BILLY HALL OF FAME, INC. in Jackson, Tennessee.

The SUN RECORDS AWARDS BANQUET honors several of the musicians, background singers, and engineers who worked with Elvis during his earliest years while he was developing the sound that changed the world.

THE JORDANAIRES

One Sunday afternoon late in 1954, the Jordanaires played a show in Memphis. Backstage, they were introduced to an up-and-coming local singer by the name of Elvis Presley. There were a few polite exchanges, then Elvis said, "If I ever get a recording contract, I want you guys to back me up." Thinking back to that night, the Jordanaires' Gordon Stoker remembers wishing Elvis well. "But we never expected to hear from him again," he said. "People were always coming up and saying that." In April 1956, "Heartbreak Hotel" was No. 1, and Elvis was in Nashville for a session. Gordon Stoker was there. Afterward, Elvis took Gordon aside and told him that he'd like to use the Jordanaires on all future sessions. This time, the Jordanaires said they'd be there. True to his word, Elvis brought the Jordanaires onto nearly every one of his sessions for the next fourteen years. At a time when no backing musicians, producers, or engineers received a name-check on an Elvis record, the Jordanaires alone were mentioned. It was enough to earn the Jordanaires "Group of the Year" awards well into the Beatle era. 

Elvis had heard the Jordanaires every Saturday night on the Grand Ole Opry. Formed in 1948 in Springfield, Missouri, they arrived in Nashville in 1949, immediately securing a coveted berth the Opry. "We were the first white quartet to sing spirituals," Gordon Stoker asserted. "It was music that moves, that you can snap your fingers to." In 1950, Gordon Stoker and Hoyt Hawkins replaced the original lead tenor and baritone, and in 1953 Neal Matthews became the second tenor, leaving bass singer Culley Holt as the sole survivor of the original quartet. That was the group that backed Elvis on his Fifties sessions, appeared in his movies and on many of his landmark television appearances. Holt left in 1958, and was replaced by bass singer Ray Walker. This line-up accompanied Elvis until 1970, but didn't follow him to Las Vegas. They stayed in Nashville, and were never short of work. Hoyt Hawkins died in 1982, and was replaced by Duane West.

In addition to their work with Elvis, the Jordanaires backed Jim Reeves, Patsy Cline, Marty Robbins, and virtually every other major name in country music during the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies. "Back around the time of our first hit record in 1953, a record producer told us to forget about the hit parade," Stoker remembered. "Stars are here today and gone tomorrow. The industry needed good back-up singers. We didn't think he was telling the truth, but boy, was he ever. For twenty-three years we had two to four sessions a day, six days a week." They're on records that have sold a combined 26 billion copies. The Jordanaires' influence has passed into the mainstream of popular music. When Gordon Stoker met Paul McCartney, he remembered the former Beatle telling him, "When Elvis' records came out, we listened to the vocal backing harmonies. They encouraged us to sing harmony."

July 31, 2003

Rock 'n' roll pioneer Sam Phillips dead
   
MEMPHIS (AP) — Sam Phillips, who discovered Elvis Presley and helped usher in the rock 'n' roll revolution, died Wednesday. He was 80. 

Phillips died at St. Francis Hospital, spokeswoman Gwendolyn McClain said. No details were available about the cause of death or how long he had been hospitalized. 

Phillips founded Sun Records in Memphis in 1952 and helped launch the career of Presley, then a young singer who had moved from Tupelo, Miss. 

He produced Presley's first record, the 1954 single that featured That's All Right, Mama and Blue Moon of Kentucky.

"God only knows that we didn't know it would have the response that it would have," Phillips said in an interview in 1997. 

"But I always knew that the rebellion of young people, which is as natural as breathing, would be a part of that breakthrough," he said. 

In 2000, the A&E cable network ran a two-hour biography called Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock and Roll.

Phillips was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. 

"When I first heard Elvis, the essence of what I heard in his voice was such that I knew there might be a number of areas that we could go into," Phillips said. 

Presley was good with ballads, Phillips recalled, but there was no need to challenge established balladeers such as Perry Como, Frankie Laine and Bing Crosby. 

"What there was a need for was a rhythm that had a very pronounced beat, a joyous sound and a quality that young people in particular could identify with," he said. 

By 1956, when Phillips sold Presley's contract to RCA for $35,000, the rock 'n' roll craze had become a cultural phenomenon and a multimillion-dollar industry. 

"It all came out of that infectious beat and those young people wanting to feel good by listening to some records," Phillips said. 

Presley died in 1977 at age 42. 

Phillips began in music as a radio station engineer and later as a disc jockey. He started Sun Records so he could record both rhythm & blues singers and country performers, then called country and western or hillbilly singers. 

His plan was to let artists who had no formal training play their music as they felt it, raw and full of life. The Sun motto was "We Record Anything, Anywhere, Anytime." 

In the early days, before Presley, Phillips worked mostly with black musicians, including B.B. King and Rufus Thomas. 

After the success of Presley on Sun, others who recorded for the label under Phillips included Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Conway Twitty and Charlie Rich. 

"We were starting from scratch together," he said in 2000. 

He got out of the recording business in 1962 and sold Sun Records in 1969 to producer Shelby Singleton of Nashville. The Sun studio on Union Avenue in Memphis still exists as a tourist attraction. 

In his later years, Phillips spent much of his time overseeing radio station WLVS in Memphis and others in Alabama. He stayed out of the limelight except for some appearances at Presley-related events after Presley's death. 

"I'll never retire. I'm just using up somebody else's oxygen if I retire," he said in an Associated Press interview in 2000. 

Born Samuel Cornelius Phillips in Florence, Ala., Phillips worked as an announcer at radio stations in Muscle Shoals, Ala., and Decatur, Ala., and Nashville, before settling in Memphis in 1945. Before founding Sun Records, he was a talent scout who recommended artists and recordings to record labels such as Chess and Modern. He also worked as an announcer in Memphis. 

His sons Knox and Jerry also were record producers. 

    SUN 209 (photos) | Sam Phillips         

Sam Phillips, rock pioneer, dies at 80
   Launched Sun, Elvis, Jerry Lee
   By Michael Lollar - The Commercial Appeal, July 30, 2003


Sam Phillips, the man who turned Memphis into the birthplace of rock and roll as architect of Elvis Presley's earliest recordings, died Wednesday evening after an illness of several months. 

A cause of death was not immediately available and funeral arrangements were pending early today for the founder of Sun Records. 

"We're just trying to celebrate his life at this point. When he did it, it was considered a national disgrace,'' said son Knox Phillips of his father's legendary recordings of black and rock and roll musicians. "Now it's considered a national treasure. I don't think any other Memphian had any more effect on the world than Sam.'' 

Knox Phillips said his father fell ill Wednesday while watching a Chicago Cubs baseball game and was taken to St. Francis Hospital. 

Phillips was 80, but even in his later years he remained a youthful presence whose company was sought by major musical acts visiting the city. 

His later years also saw critical plaudits and honors for an unorthodox and controversial style that defined not only the rock and roll sound but rock and roll as a business. 

His former wife, Becky Phillips, described him as inquisitive by nature. 

"Sam wanted to learn anything about everything and to use his knowledge to make a difference," she said in a written statement. "As he grew older, he had a sincere desire to help resolve the prejudice the world reflected." 

Phillips was what one of Elvis's Memphis Mafia members called "the Thomas Edison of rock and roll." Even before Elvis, he recorded Rocket 88 by Jackie Brenston with the driving beat that came to be the hallmark of rock. It is now considered the first rock song, but it was eclipsed by Elvis and the pantheon of rockers, including Jerry Lee Lewis, that Phillips later introduced to the world. 

Ironically, the rhythm and blues record ings that were the bedrock of Phillips's recording business influenced Presley and the entertainers that followed him to the corner of Union and Marshall. 

When he recorded Elvis's version of That's All Right in 1954, Phillips started a chain reaction that turned Elvis into the world's most enduring superstar. An outrage to the '50s fans of Frank Sinatra and Doris Day, the raunchy music helped create the generation gap and went platinum all over again with the release of Elv1s's 30 No. 1 Hits last year. 

Author Peter Guralnick, whose books include a definitive two-part biography of Presley, said Wednesday night Phillips was one of the world's great communicators with a "democratic vision." 

"Against all the odds and societal strictures, he set up a studio that initially recorded nothing but blues and rhythm and blues," Guralnick said. "People who had no voice, he gave them a chance to be heard. The music he gave changed the world." 

Becky Phillips said her husband ran the studio by a simple but revolutionary rule at a time when racial segregation was not just custom, but the law. 

The doors were "open unconditionally - period. A person could be black, white, down on his luck, big or little," she said. "A person's color was determined by what was in his heart and soul . . . He wasn't afraid of telling the truth about talent. If you didn't have it, he never hesitated to tell you." 

Before Elvis ever walked into Sun Studio, Phillips had recorded Howlin' Wolf, Rufus Thomas and Little Junior Parker among others. After selling Elvis's contract to RCA for about $40,000 in 1954, Phillips went on to make stars of Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash and Charlie Rich. 

Originally of Florence, Ala., Phillips moved to Memphis in 1945 after working as a recording engineer in Nashville. He worked for WREC Radio, helping engineer broadcasts of big bands live from The Peabody . 

On the side, he opened Memphis Recording Service, recording black artists and selling the cuts to record companies for distribution. Phillips started Sun in 1952. 

Sun's role in blues music and introducing black bluesmen to the world would have put Sun on the map even without Elvis, says Jack Soden, CEO of Elvis Presley Enterprises. But with Elvis and the rest of Sun's rockabilly cast, Phillips "is a massive part of the history of music. He got it before anybody," says Soden.

November 28, 2001 National Public Radio interview with Sam Phillips

Sam Phillips quote/unquote
   The Commercial AppealJuly 31, 2003

Sam Phillips quoted (as told to The Commercial Appeal) 

"When you're talking about music, now that's my soul." 

On starting Sun Records: 

"I just had to try. It was as much a part of me as breathing. One way or the other, I was going to try it no matter at what risk. I can tell you that was not the social circle you'd think you'd have being an employee of the number-one radio station at that time [WREC]. I don't think anybody in their right mind thought it was going to do any harm or any good. That's the way they felt about it: this is just something he is jacking around with . . . Anyway, we see what happened." 

"Sun gave (musicians) hope. That was the main thing. Without my dedication, they would not have had the opportunity. That's simply the way it was. 

A lot of those people, their names never became anything close to a household word. Do you know how important that was at that time that I recorded them?" 

On seeing Beale Street for the first time in 1939: 

"When I came into Memphis on an early morning Saturday, it was raining about 4 o'clock, in a '37 Dodge rumble seat going to see a great preacher in Dallas, Texas. I was going to have religion. And I tell you, when I got on this street that I wanted to see - I lived in Florence Alabama, at that time, home of W.C. Handy - when I saw this street at 4 o'clock on a Saturday morning, pouring down raining, there was something spiritual about (it)." 

"So many of these great independent labels then that started before we did, I think they just hung around with black artists, which was wonderful. But I knew some country boys that had white skin that was black and I knew some that had black skin that was Southern white in their feeling about music." 

On telling a concert promoter who was worried that Sun's rock-and-roll acts wouldn't know what to do professionally on stage: 

"Not knowing how to get on stage - that's part of their act!" 

On Blue Suede Shoes: 

"God, I needed money to promote that thing. This was in December '55 and I was always told never to release a record in December because it's old hat as of January 1, whatever year it is. And I always released my records in December, I sure did. I guess I got lucky and got away with it. 'Cause I made sure that first year every body had them and I didn't let them get old because I was on that phone a lot and in that car a lot." 

On rockabilly: 

"I always hated (the term) rockabilly. I hated country-and-western (too) because it was two different things. Hillbilly I didn't mind too much, but when you stuck rock in front of billy . . . to me it was rock and roll. Whether it was black rock and roll or white rock and roll, it was rock and roll!" 

On Howlin' Wolf: 

"The Wolf I really think would have been the counterpart of Elvis. If he hadn't left me and been towed away by Chess in Chicago, this guy would have been huge with white youngsters along with black. 

"You will always take something to your grave that you regret. I'm not going to take very many things because I've been too blessed. But I guess I'll take to my grave not having the Wolf around."

    Sam Phillips Rock and Roll Hall of Fame       

Phillips trumpeted independent spirit
   By Bill Ellis, The Commercial Appeal - July 31, 2003

Few music producers shaped the course of a century quite like Sun Records legend Sam Phillips, who died Wednesday evening in the city he moved to 58 years ago. 

In many ways Phillips was the quintessential modern maker of sound. Through his eye for talent, innovative studio techniques, an ear for the right musical moment, and the trumpeting of the independent spirit, Phillips captured one classic performance after another at his tiny 706 Union Ave. studio, first as Memphis Recording Service then as Sun Records. 

Largely during the 1950s, Phillips recorded (often for the first time) such musical giants as B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf, Ike Turner, Rufus Thomas and Little Milton in the blues and R&B arena, and Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Charlie Rich and Roy Orbison in rock and country. 

Memphis producer/musician Jim Dickinson says production up to that point had been largely whatever someone could manage to stick onto a recording, with little thought given to altering the nature of the performer or performance. 

"The idea of creative production, although it was right there for anyone, he was the one who seized it," says Dickinson. "He saw more in these people than they saw in themselves . . . The idea that he was trying to get across on all of his records was the individual's right to free expression. That seems like such a simple thing, but try applying it to pop music now." 

Memphis Beat author Larry Nager says people were making three-minute products before Phillips decided to dig deeper. 

"He wanted to capture the light in the bottle," says Nager. "That moment, that thing that is not tangible. He obviously wanted to sell records, but I don't think that was the (only) goal." 

Hailed as one of the groundbreaking independent record makers, Phillips worked largely outside of mainstream music channels, first by licensing his recordings to other independents such as Chess and Modern/RPM and then establishing his own label in 1952, Sun. 

That desire to do things his way was a prescient move, one that is reflected in today's myriad independent labels. Doing it in a segregated South in the 1950s, however, where he recorded black musicians in spite of his successful stint in commercial radio, well, that was another thing. 

"He was the original indie guy," says Nager. 

Yet being outside the system allowed Phillips the opportunity to do things his way. And his way was all about uniqueness and feel. 

"He wasn't looking for somebody who sounded like someone who was already out there. If you had a unique sound musically or vocally, that would impress him," said former Sun session guitarist Roland Janes, now an engineer/producer at Sam Phillips Recording Service. 

Late Sun artist Harmonica Frank Floyd said Phillips would always ask him if he had anything unique, according to Dickinson. 

"He said over and over, 'Ain't you got nothing unique?' And he's saying this to a man who's blowing the harmonica in and out of his mouth like a cigar!" 

As the late Carl Perkins recounted in his biography with David McGee, Go, Cat, Go!, Phillips knew when he had a hit, even if the artist begged to differ. 

According to the book, when Perkins wanted to fix some guitar mistakes in Blue Suede Shoes, he was stopped by Phillips: "You just listen to this break,'' Phillips answered, cueing up one of Perkins's solos. "Did you hear that? You burnt it! We're not changing anything. Smash, smash, smash - this record's a smash!'' 

Phillips is best remembered for recording That's All Right by Presley, a session that pointed to Phillips's uncanny sense of the new. Born out of a playful jam during a session break, the song might have been considered mere fooling around by another producer. Phillips heard otherwise. No throwaway, this was what he had been searching after. The gestation of rock - that meeting ground between blues and country styles, between black and white working-class cultures, all packaged in youthful exuberance - was born as a result. 

Phillips had no problem explaining the "Sun sound" in technical terms. 

"Setting up mikes was singularly the most important thing that I had to do. Because I had a very limited board, everything was monaural - there was no such thing as overdubbing. So mikes were placed to complement not only the instruments but especially the voice," Phillips told The Commercial Appeal. 

The end result was a legendary list of artists, more than a dozen future blues, rock and country legends, who were recorded by Phillips. "You can get a hit artist and cut four or five hit records on him, that's one thing," says Janes. "But to get a hit record on so many different people . . . that's amazing. And if you think about it, each one of them has a unique, distinct sound, yet you can tell they are all Sun Records artists. That is quite something."

July 30, 2003

Postal museum opening art of stamps exhibit 

WASHINGTON, Jul 30, 2003 /PRNewswire/ -- One hundred pieces of original stamp art from the past 40 years, including five works honoring Elvis Presley, are on display today through February 24, 2004, at the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum, 2 Massachusetts Ave., Washington, D.C...Full story

Smithsonian National Postal Museum The Exhibit

July 30, 2003

McDonald's takes you back to when rock 'n' roll was new
   By Michael Schuman, The Journal Times - July 29, 2003

With four classic 1950s cars in the parking lot and golden arches piercing its slanted roof, the McDonald's restaurant at 400 North Lee St. in the Chicago suburb of Des Plaines, Ill., stands out like a giant redwood on the Illinois prairie.

At this address is the McDonald's #1 Store Museum, the first McDonald's opened by Ray Kroc, restored to look just as it did when the first hamburger was served on April 15, 1955.

Enter and you are frozen in a time when the American body politic liked Ike, when a new music called rock 'n' roll was just starting to catch on and when the term "fast food" meant a quick waiter in a downtown diner.

Don't expect to purchase a meal here; this McDonald's is for your eyes and ears only. Root beer barrels sit like bookends on the counter, glossy red and white tiles deck the walls and a taped commentary by Dick Biondi, a popular 1950s disc jockey, introduces songs that graced Billboard Magazine's hit list in 1955: "Pledging My Love," "Sincerely," "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" and "Maybelline," to name a few. Biondi also introduces a "new rising star, Elvis Presley." ... Full story

July 29, 2003 (Updated: August 11, 2003) 

Rubberneckin' (Remix) 
   


Rubberneckin' (Remix) (CD Single)
Track Listings
1. Rubberneckin' (Paul Oakenfold Remix) 
2. Rubberneckin' (Paul Oakenfold 12" mix) 
3. Rubberneckin' (Original single)    

A music video to support the single will be completed in August. The commercial single will be in stores in September.

Listen to the Remix! High | Low

Source : Elvis 2nd To None

BMG/RCA Records to Release Remix of Elvis Presley's Rubberneckin' On Radio August 25 and In Stores
   September 9 

Remixed by Renowned Hitmaker Paul Oakenfold, Single Will be Featured on ELVIS 2ND TO NONE Available
on October 7

NEW YORK, Aug. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- On the heels of last year's smash No. 1 hit, the JXL remix of Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation," BMG/RCA is set to release a remix of Presley's Rubberneckin' as a commercial single on September 9 and to radio August 25. The single has been remixed by DJ and producer Paul Oakenfold -- one of the most acclaimed remixers in the music business -- and will appear on ELVIS 2ND TO NONE, a follow-up to last year's highly successful "ELV1S 30 #1 HITS." This newest compilation, scheduled for release on October 7, will also include five additional Presley #1 singles, fan favorites and career milestones.

"Last year's overwhelming success of A Little Less Conversation underscored the appeal of Elvis' music to a contemporary audience and we are thrilled to continue this momentum with the new remix of Rubberneckin' " said Joe DiMuro, Executive Vice President, BMG Strategic Marketing Group. "We anticipate it will achieve similar success, under the unique talents of Paul Oakenfold, and serve as an ideal precursor to the launch of ELVIS 2ND TO NONE."

"My hope is that the remix of Rubberneckin' will introduce Elvis' music to millions of new, young listeners and help create a new generation of fans," said Paul Oakenfold. "I was drawn to this project primarily due to the influence of my father who was a dedicated Elvis fan and, with his passing, it is a tribute to him." Paul Oakenfold is often referred to as the world's premier DJ and is one of the most respected remixers in the business, having worked with U2, the Rolling Stones, Snoop Dogg, Smashing Pumpkins and Bjork. His musical tastes span a wide range of genres, including soul, jazz and disco. Oakenfold was one of the founders of the acid house scene that swept England in the late '80s and was a leading proponent of hip-hop.

In addition to the August 25 radio release, a music video for the single will premier in mid-August. The September 9 release on CD and vinyl will include a radio edit version, 12" extended version and the original. It kicks off the newest Elvis campaign, culminating in the October 7 release of ELVIS 2ND TO NONE, which will be distinctly different and a complement to last year's "ELV1S 30 #1 HITS." This newest compilation presents a broader range of Presley's talents and incorporates multiple musical genres including R & B, rock 'n roll, pop, country, dance and rockabilly.

All 30 tracks on ELVIS 2ND TO NONE have been mixed and mastered from the original master tapes for optimum sound quality. This is the same process that drew across-the-board raves from critics, music aficionados and the original band members themselves for the "30 #1 HITS" production. This year's album will include such classics as "That's All Right," "Viva Las Vegas," "Blue Suede Shoes," "I Want You, I Need You I Love You," "Always on My Mind," and "Don't Cry Daddy." Oakenfold's remix of "Rubberneckin' " is sure to be well received among today's generation of music fans and further demonstrates the legacy of Presley's music.

July 29, 2003

Elvis Party Event 2003 (UK) 
   (October 4-11, 2003) 

The Golden Sands Holiday Park in Mablethorpe is the venue for 2003's Party of the Year - and what a treat we have in store for you this year!

The entire TCB Band - Ronnie Tutt, James Burton, Glenn D. Hardin and Jerry Scheff, all legends in their own lifetime - will be our star guests at the Elvis Party Event 2003. This is the first time that they have all performed together at a UK Fan Club Event and it'll give you the chance to hear them play, meet and talk to them, and listen to them relate the stories of their time with elvis. Don't miss it.

Source: E-mail

July 28, 2003

THE MAN WHO SHOT ELVIS 
   Launch - 07/25/2003

He's been called "the man who shot Elvis." William Speer was the first professional photographer to shoot a young Elvis Presley in 1954, in Memphis, Tennessee, at the start of his career. Now, those photos are on display through August 31st at the Oklahoma City International Photography Hall of Fame & Museum. The exhibit features eleven Elvis pictures, plus one of his parents. 

In 1954, when Elvis' publicist, Bob Neal, called Speer to take photos of the young singer, he was already a well-known professional photographer. The photographer, who is now 86, recalled, "I'd never heard of him to tell you the truth, but as soon as I sat him in front of the camera I knew he had it." 

Since Elvis didn't bring a change of clothes to the photo session, Speer was going to stop after four shots -- but his wife suggested that the singer simply take his shirt off. Speer says Elvis was shy about it at first, but finally agreed to the "topless Elvis" photos, which have since become a part of rock and roll history. 

After his own photo shoot, Elvis asked Speer to photograph his parents. One of those Presley family portraits is included in the current exhibit. 

Full info. and photos International Photography Hall of Fame

July 26, 2003

Landmark Sun sound starts with Phillips
   By Bill Ellis - The Commercial Appeal, 26 July 2003 

Flip Flop and Bop. If ever a Floyd Cramer tune could comment on the mess Memphis found itself in after Tuesday's storm to end all storms, that's the one. 

It was also a more than fitting selection for Sonny Burgess as he and his band the Pacers recorded Wednesday night at a powered-up Sun Studio.

Arkansas native Burgess is among a short list of living rockabilly royalty tied to the famous studio, deemed a National Historic Landmark this week - "and a national disaster at the same time!" joked the session's engineer James Lott. 

A ceremony scheduled at the U.S. Capitol was postponed till Wednesday due to travel problems created in the weather's aftermath, according to Sun's acting general manager John Schorr, who plans to attend. 

Sun Studio - the place where many a blues and rockabilly legend cut classic recordings, most under the guiding eye and ear of producer/ founder Sam Phillips - now joins fewer than 2,500 such landmarks from Mount Vernon to Pearl Harbor to the Apollo Mission Control Center that "possess exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States," ones that "have meaning to all Americans," according to the National Historic Landmarks Program. 

In the Memphis area, only the Beale Street Historic District and the Chucalissa mound and plaza complex belong as well (National Historic Landmarks are evaluated by the National Park Service and the National Park System Advisory Board with final decisions made by the secretary of the Interior). 

Not even Graceland, part of the more encompassing National Register of Historic Places, has made it in yet. Which says a lot about the little studio that could. 

Inseparable from the studio is the man who conceived it. Sam Phillips opened the facility in January 1950 as Memphis Recording Service, switching it to Sun as both a studio and label by 1952. 

Beyond producing the music made there, Phillips cooked up the room's angled white-tile ceiling and walls, a clever sonic design envisioned, according to Lott, as if an oversize speaker were on its side. Many have commented on its unique design, which contributed to what we know as the "Sun sound." Onetime Sun engineer/ songwriter/producer Jack Clement has even described the studio as an instrument in and of itself. 

Even more impressive is the roll call of clients for Phillips and Sun. Umpteen future legends recorded there, many for the first time, from B. B. King, Howlin' Wolf, Rufus Thomas, Ike Turner, Jackie Brenston, Little Milton and Junior Parker to Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich, Billy Lee Riley, Warren Smith and, of course, that Elvis guy. 

Talk about your mythical places. 

Burgess (along with original Pacer Kern Kennedy, still in the band on piano) was there in the 1950s as well, making such lasting sides as Red Headed Woman and the great Ain't Got a Thing. 

The studio's significance isn't lost on the veteran performer, who had returned this week, some five decades after making rockabilly history, to lay down tracks for a new album, "Back to Sun." 

To him, the people who recorded there made the magic happen, a list that - in the mind of this writer - must start with its No. 1 visionary, Phillips. 

That vision still holds true 50 years on. Residing at the iconic 706 Union Ave. site is more than a studio. It's a symbol of independent spirit, of the possibilities in human endeavor and creativity, of triumph by the working class and poor in one area that matters more than money: culture. It's a resounding slap in the face to that era's segregation and racism. It looms as a concept bigger than any one of its practitioners - namely, that a raw bit of hillbilly boogie and blues could indeed change the world for the better. 

Sun continues to reverberate throughout American music. Popular tastes and trends can be like tempests from time to time, sweeping the past violently out of their way. Sun remains unflappable through it all with roots so deeply lodged, it's not moving for a long while. That sure sounds like a National Historic Landmark to me. 

July 25, 2003

Elvis Birthplace Undergoes $750,000 Renovation
   WPMI - 7/24/2003 


Construction is expected to be completed in early August on a 750-thousand-dollar renovation of the home where "The King" Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo. 

The construction is the second phase of a series of improvements expected to cost anywhere from one-point-five-million to two-point-five-million-dollars. 

Money has come from the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau, private donations by Elvis fans, corporate donations, profits from the Birthplace gift shop and more. 

Henry Dodge, chairman of the Elvis Presley Memorial Foundation, said Elvis was born in Tupelo and lived at the home 13 years before his family left for Memphis in 1948. 

Last year, the Elvis Presley Memorial Foundation placed a bronze statue of Elvis at age 13 on the home's grounds and completed an extensive renovation of the gift shop. 

Current construction includes a new "Story Wall" that will feature quotes and anecdotes from area residents who knew Elvis as a child. 

The "Fountain of Life," a water feature currently under construction, will focus on the Tupelo years. The "Circle of Life" is a ring of stones, one for each day of Elvis' life, that will circle the two-room shotgun house where Elvis was reportedly born. The Elvis Presley Chapel also is undergoing renovations. 

Officials say the site gets between three-thousand-500 to four-thousand visitors per month.

July 24, 2003

Elvis: Christmas Peace (2 CD) 

Release Date: November 03, 2003

Track List:

CD 1 

  1. Blue Christmas
  2. Here Comes Santa Claus
  3. White Christmas
  4. Santa Bring My Baby Back
  5. I'll Be Home For Christmas
  6. Santa Claus Is Back In town
  7. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
  8. Silent Night
  9. If Everyday Was Like Christmas
10. It Won't Seem Like Christmas Without You
11. If I Get Home On Christmas Day
12. Holy Leaves And Christmas Trees
13. Winter Wonderland
14. Merry Christmas Baby
15. The First Noel
16. The Wonderful World Of Christmas
17. Silver Bells
18. I'll Be Home On Christmas Day
19. It Won't Seem Like Christmas 
20. The First Noel

CD 2

  1. Peace In The Valley
  2. I Believe
  3. It Is No Secret
  4. His Hand In Mine
  5. In My Fathers House
  6. Known Only To Him
  7. Mansion Over The Hilltop
  8. Crying In The Chapel
  9. How Great Thou Art
10. In The Garden
11. Where No-One Stands Alone
12. Somebody Bigger Than You And I
13. Without Him
14. We Call On Him
15. Only Believe
16. Amazing Grace
17. An Evening Prayer
18. He Touched Me
19. He Is My Everything
20. If That Isn't Love

Source: BMG 

July 23, 2003 (Updated: July 30, 2003)

Elvis 2nd To None-New Website

Elvis Album Contains More Hits (Yahoo Daily News)

NEW YORK - Elvis Presley estate has set up a new Web site to support the upcoming Elvis collection "Elvis 2nd to None." 
The site includes a jukebox that previews the tracks that did not make it on last year's "ELV1S 30 #1 Hits." 
Users can create an Elvis video, hear sound bites of Elvis being inducted into the Army or even order the new compilation a full three months in advance. The album will be released Oct. 7. 

July 22, 2003

Tennessee Studio to become U.S. landmark
   Associated Press - July 22, 2003

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Sun Studio, where recording pioneer Sam Phillips discovered Elvis Presley and other rock 'n' roll legends, will receive historic landmark designation from Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton.

The signing ceremony, scheduled to take place Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol, will make Sun the first recording studio in America to become a historic landmark.

The landmark designation is "more for Phillips than some of the stars who recorded there," Park Service historian Patty Henry told The Commercial Appeal. "Even if Elvis had never recorded there, (Phillips) was very influential in pioneering the rock and roll sound."

The designation will make Sun eligible for some federal grants and tax incentives.

Located at 706 Union, Sun Studio is where some of the most important rock 'n' roll, rockabilly, blues and R&B artists of the 1950s recorded. It was where Presley recorded "That's All Right" and Carl Perkins recorded "Blue Suede Shoes." B.B. King, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis also sang there.

July 15, 2003

Graceland to Celebrate Elvis Week 2003




MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 15, 2003--

-- The ten-day celebration of the late superstar's life is held throughout the city of Memphis with numerous events and charity benefits, culminating in the annual Candlelight Vigil on August 15th attended by tens of thousands. Elvis.com to feature 4th annual live internet VigilCast(TM) of the Candlelight Vigil for fans around the world.

Each year since Elvis' death in 1977, thousands of people from around the world have gathered at his home Graceland, in Memphis, to celebrate his life in a week of events now known around the globe as ELVIS WEEK. And, for the fourth year, fans from all over the world can participate in the largest activity, the Candlelight Vigil on August 15th, via the live VigilCast(TM) on AOL.

For a complete, detailed list of events visit www.elvis.com.

The week kicks off on August 9 with a party on Beale Street welcoming the fans. The remaining days are filled with numerous and varied activities such as the 19th annual Elvis Art Contest & Exhibit, Gospel Brunches, the annual Elvis Week Fashion Show and A Salute to Leiber & Stoller at which RCA will make a special award presentation to Lieber & Stoller for their contributions to Elvis' record sales followed by a Jailhouse Rock Sing/Act-Along & More.

Other activities include Conversations on Elvis --'68 & Aloha where Elvis friends and associates share stories and answer questions, marking the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley's 1973 Aloha from Hawaii television special and his 1968 Elvis television special, and the Elvis Aloha Dance Party & Luau. Leather & Leis is the Anniversary screening of Elvis' 1968 & 1973 TV Specials in anticipation of the special edition video/DVD releases coming from Elvis Presley Enterprises and BMG Home Entertainment in the fall of 2003.

Elvis Collectors Club members from around the world gather for the Official Elvis Collectors Club Conference, and returning this year are the Elvis Trivia Contest as well as Jamming with the TCB Band at Elvis Presley's Memphis, featuring former Elvis musicians.

New this year is the Elvis Fan's Choice Awards, sponsored and hosted by Grand Casino, Tunica, Mississippi, presented to recognize favorite performances and facets of Elvis' movies as chosen by an international online survey. Numerous celebrity guests are confirmed, along with a video from Ann-Margret. The annual Candlelight Vigil and VigilCast 2003 (TM) is Friday August 15th. This is the largest Elvis Week event when thousands of fans are invited to walk up to Elvis' grave carrying a candle in quiet remembrance. A portion of the evening will be broadcast live on AOL as the fourth annual VigilCast.

July 10, 2003

Elvis at National Postal Museum
   E-newsletter, July 10, 2003 

Elvis is going to be at the National Postal Museum this summer. And officials of the Washington attraction are hoping that the entertainer whose 1993 stamp set a modern-era sales record that still stands will do the same for their facility. 

   More Info

July 08, 2003

Love Me Tender, buy my tooth? 

LOS ANGELES (Reuters - July 08, 2003) - It may be too late for Elvis Presley devotees to get their hands on one of his sequinned jumpsuits, but die-hard fans can still claim a small piece of the King -- a tooth. 
A pearly white billed as an authentic dental relic from the rock 'n' roll legend, along with a lock of his hair and a gold-plated copy of the hit single "Love Me Tender," are up for sale on the auction site eBay with a minimum bid of $100,000 (60,640 pounds). 

The bits of Elvis had been on display in a Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, hair salon called the Yellow Strawberry since 1992, a spokesman for the collection said. 

Anthony DeFontes said the owner of the Elvis memorabilia was motivated to sell in part because of the cost of insurance and security. 

The tooth had been in the possession of Linda Thompson, a former girlfriend of Presley, DeFontes said. It then found its way to the Elvis Presley Museum before it was auctioned off once before, he said. 

The lock of hair, shorn from Presley's head during his induction into the U.S. Army, was given to talk show host Joe Franklin as a present from the singer, DeFontes said. 

Ebay spokesman Kevin Pursglove said that the site generally bans the sale of human body parts, but he had no immediate comment on the Elvis tooth and hair offering. 

Todd Morgan, a spokesman for Elvis Presley Enterprises, the company that manages Presley's estate, said it was possible that the tooth and hair were genuine. But he said the company does not certify as authentic purported Elvis memorabilia and he ruled out a return of the tooth to Graceland, saying the estate would not make a bid. 

For his part, DeFontes said the owner of the tooth had already rebuffed an advance from an unnamed European firm that had been interested in extracting DNA from the tooth for the purposes of cloning. 

"To him, there will only be one Elvis," DeFontes said. 

Elvis Presley's Tooth, Hair and Gold Record

July 07, 2003

Books: The world according to Elvis 
   The Kingdom lives
   Belfast Telegraph - July, 05, 2003


It's 50 years since a teenager called Elvis Aaron Presley walked through the door of Memphis recording service, paid $3.98 to record a disc for his mother... and changed the face of music forever.

We all know about the man who would be King. Born in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935, he was the second of twins. His brother, Jesse, was stillborn, and Elvis was the apple of his mother Gladys' eye.

Although the young Elvis was raised around gospel music, he also listened to hillbilly, country, blues and even opera on the Presleys' precious radio set. When he was 11 he was given a guitar and decided to make a career out of singing.


Elvis' attraction was that he was a good boy who looked like a bad boy - sex incarnate, as one fan memorably described his snake-hipped moves on stage.

It was an image which belied the truth, though. Actress Natalie Wood denied Elvis ever acted like casanova - "He was more like a pleasant high school date."


Of course later, Elvis would become a love machine, seeking out streams of young women who swooned at his sexy moves. He was unperturbed by critics' accusations of depravity. "Anything that don't frighten the children is in good taste, far as I'm concerned," he declared.


Once he was signed to Sun records, the Elvis bandwagon began to role - and behind it came a whole new generation of entertainers. "Without Elvis, none of us could have made it," said Buddy Holly, who provided the supporting act for one of Elvis's concerts in Texas.


By 1956 the King had notched up more songs in the Billboard Top 100 than any other artist since the chart began - his sales amounted to more than 12m. He'd become a movie star and enjoyed the company of a string of glamorous women.


Just over a year later everything was to change again. Elvis knew his army service was just around the corner. He swapped his quiff and sideburns for the mandatory crew-cut, and on March 24, Elvis Presley, number 55310761, was sworn in to the US army. His military career proceeded as planned - until the unexpected death of his beloved mother.


John Lennon said that Elvis died the day he went into the army. Lennon was talking about the music, but there was another dimension to his remark. 


A part of Elvis had died with his mother, and when he returned to his unit after her funeral, he began to consume the amphetamines which started his fatal drug habit. 


Soon he and his army friends were passing round handfuls of diet pills before heading off on girl-hunting sortays to Munich and Paris.


After leaving the army Elvis married 16-year-old Prescilla Beaulieu, and resumed his career making movies and hit singles. But now he kept his favourite book close at hand - the Physician's Desk Reference which offered information on the combinations of drugs which would keep the King's body clock on artificial 24-hour party time.


He managed to burn the candle at both ends, despite the concern of those close to him. And he kept his adoring public enthralled with modest declarations like: 'When you let your head get too big, it'll break your neck.'


His easy humour proved a great draw too. When asked why he wore a Christian cross, a Star of David and a Hebrew Chi he said: "I don't want to miss out on heaven because of a technicality."


Yet his grasp in reality was fading. In 1970 he wrote to President Nixon, asking for credentials to become a Federal Agent at Large (he was indeed presented with a federal narcotics agent's badge by Richard Nixon, who can't have been aware of the irony in his presentation).


As the 1970s dawned, Prescilla had grown tired of her drug-addled, philandering husband, and left. Her absence was filled with many different women - in fact, Elvis hadn't been faithful to her during their marriage, either.


As his weight ballooned and his drug habit spiralled out of control, the King's reign was coming to a close. His squalid death punctured the myths surrounding the world's most famous singer.


But his legacy lives on. Bob Dylan says the highlight of his career was when Presley recorded one of his songs. Mick Jagger believes no one will ever be his equal. Paul McCartney used to dream of producing an Elvis album..


Bob Hope said that when Elvis started out, he couldn't spell Tennessee. He ended up owning it.


But even today, Presley's kingdom stretches right across the globe. He may have left the building, but his music remains.



-The World According to Elvis is written by Clare Flowers, published by Michael O'mara Books, price L9.99

GRANIA McFADDEN

July 03, 2003

Fans can't help falling in love with `new' Elvis recordings 
   By Larry Katz - Boston Herald - Wednesday, July 2, 2003


How much Elvis is too much Elvis?


For fans of the late Pelvis there's no such thing as too much. Elvis Presley truly is the King when it comes to posthumous releases, with several hundred more after-death albums than Jimi Hendrix and 2Pac put together. 

Elvis releases don't just keep coming, they keep selling. Last year's ``Elvis: 30 #1 Hits,'' released a few weeks after the 25th anniversary of his death on Aug. 16, 1977, rocketed to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart and stayed there for three weeks. Still hanging on (at No. 175) after a 39-week chart run, it has sold more than 9 million copies worldwide.

The good news is that his record company now cares about the quality, not just the quantity, of its Presley releases. For too many years, RCA exploited the Presley catalog by putting out shoddy compilations with the implied assumption that Elvis fans were both rabid and stupid enough to buy anything with his name on it.

Elvis fans still seem prepared to buy any CD with his name on it, but RCA is now treating these consumers, as well as the Presley legacy, with respect. The sea change came in 1992 with the release of the carefully annotated and assembled boxed set ``The King of Rock 'n' Roll: The Complete '50s Masters'' and, thanks in large part to Elvis-loving producers Roger Semon and Ernst Jorgensen, continued through last year's four-CD set, ``Today, Tomorrow, & Forever,'' a collection of 100 previously unreleased tracks.

Those tracks - various outtakes and live recordings - are essentially leftovers. Very valuable leftovers. ``Today, Tomorrow, & Yesterday'' lists for $69.90 and sells in stores and online for around $60. Jorgensen, interviewed by e-mail from his home in Denmark, says ``Today, Tomorrow, & Forever'' has sold more than 200,000 copies.

Do the math. You'll understand why a new four-CD boxed set, ``Elvis: Close Up,'' arrived in stores yesterday with 89 more previously unreleased tracks. It's a heaping helping of different, not better, versions of already-heard Presley songs.

``Unreleased Masters from the '50s'' is the slightly misleading title of Disc One. It contains 20 songs recorded by the young, white-hot Elvis in 1957 before he went into the Army. About half are previously unheard outtakes; the rest are the classic versions. The difference is that they're all in stereo, or at least primitive early ``binaural'' stereo, where Elvis' voice and another instrument are on one track, the rest of the band on the other. The sound has a startling immediacy that, for example, gives a new kick to the familiar ``Jailhouse Rock,'' one of the few hits on ``Close Up.''

``My personal favorites,'' Jorgensen says, ``are the two versions of `Treat Me Nice' - both radically different from the official version and demonstrating Elvis' ability to develop a song, acting as his own producer.''

Disc Two, ``Unreleased Movie Gems,'' includes outtakes from the first four films Elvis made after getting out of the Army. Disc Three, ``The Magic of Nashville,'' offers outtakes from '60s studio sessions. Tracks range from Elvis' first take of ``Night Rider'' to his 12th pass at ``(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame.''

No matter what he sang or how often he sang it, Elvis remained a charismatic vocalist. But what he sings here is often - far too often - second-rate fluff. It's more proof, unneeded by now, of how Elvis abandoned rock 'n' roll for banality.

Does Jorgensen ever feel frustrated listening to Elvis squander his talent singing junk?

``Certainly,'' he replies. ``I think we all do. . . . However, it's my job to preserve his musical legacy - without discrimination - and I can find something to enjoy in most of his work. I think a lot of us are addicted to his voice.''

Disc Four, ``Live in Texas 1972,'' may be the easiest to enjoy. After walking onstage to the pompous strains of ``Also Sprach Zarathustra,'' Elvis steamrolls through a typical set for an enthusiastic San Antonio throng. He's in fine form, but most Presleyites have heard similar recordings before.

Which leads to an inevitable question: Is it possible that eventually we'll see the release of every take of every song Elvis ever sang?

``That's probably a bit too much,'' Jorgensen says. ``On some songs there may be as many as 10-12 takes.''

But have no fear. More Elvis is in our future. Much more.

``We are still searching for more material,'' Jorgensen says. ``Occasionally we get lucky. There will be material for many years to come.''

July 01, 2003

BMG/RCA to Release ELVIS 2ND TO NONE on October 7 
   --------------------------------------------------- EPE 6/30/2003 

Following is a press release issued from BMG/RCA Records on June 30, 2003:


BMG/RCA RECORDS TO RELEASE ELVIS 2ND TO NONE ON OCTOBER 7

- To Meet the Overwhelming Demand for All Things Elvis, Latest Release Features 
A Rare Combination of Hits and Fan Favorites and a Paul Oakenfold remix of Rubberneckin-


Over nine million albums sold worldwide last year, No. 1 in 26 territories, a remixed No. 1 single, and a national TV special all proved that Elvis Presley is still a driving force in the music industry. The historic release of ELV1S 30 #1 HITS captured the nation’s attention as only The King of Rock ‘n' Roll can. Not only did the traditional Elvis enthusiasts respond to the release, but millions of new fans were introduced to the music of Elvis for the first time. 

As the natural follow-up to last year’s overwhelming success, and in keeping with their history of creating, preserving and celebrating great music BMG/RCA will produce -- with the full participation of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. ELVIS 2ND TO NONE, a compilation of additional #1 singles, fan favorites, career milestones, and a few surprises including a remix of Rubberneckin’ produced by DJ Paul Oakenfold, one of the most acclaimed remixers in music history.

Scheduled for release on October 7, this compilation will be distinctly different and a complement to last year’s compilation of No. 1 hits. ELVIS 2ND TO NONE will present a broader range of Elvis’ talents and incorporate a multiple of musical genres including R & B, rock ‘n' roll, pop, country, dance and rockabilly. 

“Last year’s release proved that Elvis’ popularity is on par with today’s top artists,” said Joe DiMuro, Executive Vice President, BMG Strategic Marketing Group. “For some fans, 30 #1 HITS was a way to rekindle an old friendship and for millions of others it was the beginning of a new, great relationship. We believe that ELVIS 2ND TO NONE will build on those relationships.”

All 30 tracks on ELVIS 2ND TO NONE have been mixed and mastered from the original master tapes for optimum sound quality. This is the same process that drew across-the-board raves from critics, music aficionados and the original band members themselves for the 30 #1 HITS production. This year’s album will include such classics as That’s All Right, Viva Las Vegas, Blue Suede Shoes, I Want You, I Need You I Love You, Always on My Mind and Don’t Cry Daddy. Oakenfold’s remix of Rubberneckin’ is sure to be well received among today’s generation of music fans and further demonstrates the legacy of Presley’s music.

“We are thrilled with this latest chapter in the Elvis legacy. This release is the natural follow-up to last year’s production and we believe music fans of all generations will continue to embrace Elvis’ music,” said Jack Soden, President & CEO of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. 

Certainly the success of the 30 #1 HITS proved that Elvis is 2ND TO NONE as a music and entertainment legend. The album reached No. 1 in 26 territories worldwide, including the U.S. where it was a chart topper for three weeks. Over 9 million albums were sold worldwide with 3.5 million in the U.S. Among the hits was the No. 1 remix of A Little Less Conversation” produced by DJ JXL which went to No. 1 in 26 countries including the US and Great Britain. That feat pushed Elvis past the Beatles for most No. 1 hits in the UK. Following the album’s release, a television special, Elvis Lives aired on NBC Thanksgiving night and the special claimed the all important 18-34 demographic for the hour. The retrospective on Elvis examined his legacy today and included covers performed by Norah Jones, No Doubt, Dave Matthews and Chris Isaak with LeAnn Rimes. Furthermore, the ELV1S 30 #1 HITS DVD audio debuted at No. 1 in the sales charts upon its release. 

Of course, Elvis’s musical contributions are unsurpassed: He is the only artist to be inducted into all three music Halls of Fame, including Rock n’ Roll, Country and Gospel. He holds the record for most top 10 pop singles (40), the most gold and platinum awards (140) and is the world’s best selling artist, having sold more records than any other artist in history. His popularity remains intact to this day as there are more active Elvis Presley fan clubs around the world than for any other artist dead or alive. ELVIS 2ND TO NONE will celebrate the music and the man that created the legend. 

BMG is the global music division of Bertelsmann AG, one of the world's leading media companies. BMG owns more than 200 record labels in 41 countries including Ariola, Arista Records, J Records, Jive Records, RCA Records and RCA Label Group - Nashville. In addition, BMG's music publishing operations are the third largest in the world.

June 30, 2003

BMG hopes public still loves Elvis tender
   By David Lieberman, USA TODAY - June 29, 2003


NEW YORK — Bertelsmann's music arm, BMG, is about to try to try to give a dead act, in this case Elvis Presley, a whole new career. On Oct. 7 it will try to build on last year's successful ELV1S: 30 #1 Hits with the release of a follow-up CD: Elvis: 2nd to None.

While the song list for the new record is still being set, it will include five No. 1 singles not on last year's collection (including Viva Las Vegas and Blue Suede Shoes), favorites determined from postings at fan Web sites (I Want You, I Need You, I Love You and Always on My Mind), and seminal tracks (That's All Right).

BMG will try to rope in more young fans with a remix of Rubberneckin' by DJ Paul Oakenfold, who has worked with U2, INXS and Simply Red. 

The CD will be part of a series of albums with sonically refurbished Presley oldies that the privately held German media giant plans to turn out annually — maybe even more often for the next three to five years, says BMG Strategic Marketing Group Executive Vice President Joe DiMuro. "No one's had a career like Elvis' that spanned from 1954 to 1977." 

He's already considering albums of Elvis' Christmas and gospel songs. Plans for next year might focus on it being the 50th anniversary of Elvis' recording debut. And 2006 is the 50th anniversary of his TV-fueled breakout from regional star to national superstar.

For this year, the BMG hype machine is planning pervasive TV ads, billboards and online marketing. And it is helping with an Elvis documentary to be broadcast on NBC. 

Under consideration for the holidays this year are three DVDs, which might include a new version of Elvis' 1968 NBC appearance commonly known as his "Comeback Special" and his 1973 Aloha from Hawaii worldwide televised concert from Hawaii. And Bertelsmann's Random House will publish an Elvis coffee-table book. The King died in 1977.

Plans to keep Elvis rocking are "very, very well thought out," says Elvis Presley Enterprises CEO Jack Soden. "The success of 30 # 1 Hits has created a hunger for more."

That's certainly the case at BMG, which would love to breathe new life into Elvis' work.

ELV1S 30 #1 Hits spent three weeks at the top of the U.S. charts after release last September. It generated $140 million last year from worldwide sales of nearly 10 million albums.

Since the production costs were paid off long ago, the biggest expenses for the new releases are re-engineering and marketing, leaving BMG with a profit margin north of 30%.

The King's return on sales is "the highest of anyone in our group," DiMuro says.

Those results — plus successes by hitmakers including Avril Lavigne and Pink — helped BMG make a $135 million profit in 2002 with 10% of the world market vs. a loss with 8.2% of the market in 2001, Britain's Music & Copyright reported this month.

Even DiMuro doesn't expect to repeat last year's Elvis numbers. But he projects the second shot will generate as much as $55 million by selling up to 6 million units, including more than 2 million in the USA.

And he says the techniques being used to revive Elvis' oldies might also be used to jolt others in the BMG vaults, including Jefferson Airplane, John Denver, Hall & Oates, Lou Reed and Dolly Parton.

June 27, 2003

Elvis musical announced
   Ananova - June 27, 2003 

A new stage musical based Elvis' hit film Jailhouse Rock has been announced. The show is set to open in London's West End before the end of the year and on New York's Broadway next year. It will be based on Presley's 1957 movie and feature songs from the era.

The practice of building a musical around well-loved songs has proved to be a huge moneyspinner for the stage.

Nostalgia fans and lovers of kitsch have made Mamma Mia! - featuring the music of Abba - one of the biggest hits in London.

Its success has helped theatre producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh to invest L35 million in revamping his theatres.

The songs of Queen and Madness already have formed the basis for two other stage hits, while a musical based on Rod Stewart songs, Tonight's The Night, launches later this year.

Jailhouse Rock is being brought to the stage by writer Alan Janes and director Rob Bettinson, whose first collaboration, Buddy, has been running for 14 years around the world.

The musical follows a young man who is sent to prison where he discovers a love of R&B and gospel music, setting him on the path to a singing career. But he discovers he is not ready for the corruption that money and fame can bring with it.

Bettinson said: "Although based on the film, the musical will tell a much bigger story."

June 23, 2003

Not all boarding for Elvis International Airport
   By Jody Callahan - The Commercial Appeal, June 22, 2003


A few hours south of here, it's the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. 

Across the Atlantic, England has the Liverpool John Lennon Airport. 

In California, Orange County has the John Wayne Airport. And Oklahoma City has the Will Rogers World Airport. 

But in the home of Elvis, it's plain old Memphis International Airport. 

Some might argue, though, that a better name would be Elvis Presley Memphis International Airport. 

"That's how I think of it anyway," said Rima Snyder, a visitor from Petaluma, Calif., waiting for her flight at the Memphis International Airport. "You see Elvis stuff in all the gift stores. I think that would be fine with me." 

It's certainly arguable that the King of Rock and Rollhad more effect on popular culture than John Wayne, Louis Armstrong, Will Rogers or even John Lennon (after all, it was Lennon who said "Before Elvis, there was nothing."). 

And there's precedence: the Memphis terminal is named after entertainer and St. Jude founder Danny Thomas. 

"I think that's the way it should be all along," said Terrell Suddarth, a 41-year-old Denver resident waiting on his flight. "That's what Memphis is known for, Elvis and the blues. And you can't really call it the 'Blues Airport.' " 

Not without scaring a few travelers, anyway. 

A name change is possible. Memphis Metropolitan Airport was renamed Memphis International Airport in 1969. 

Technically, the process is simple, said Larry Cox, president of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority. His board would have to approve the change. 

But that doesn't mean it will happen. Cox makes no secret of his dislike for the idea. 

"I don't think any airport should be anything other than the name of the community it serves," Cox said. "I just don't think there's going to be any serious chance of it." 

Even Kevin Kane, head of the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, was equivocal. 

"I don't know if it would ever fly," Kane said. "If I sound like I'm waffling, it's because I think: Who's going to carry that torch to make it happen?" 

So far, the city where the King was crowned has two official institutions bearing his name: Elvis Presley Boulevard and the Elvis Presley Memorial Trauma Center at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis. 

Elvis Presley Enterprises president Jack Soden wouldn't mind one more. 

"If the airport were named after Elvis Presley, that would be a great honor," Soden said. "And it would certainly make millions of fans around the world happy." 

Renaming the airport would require one more change. 

All airports have a three-letter designation, which travelers see on their ticket or luggage. Here, it's MEM. 

If it became the Elvis Presley Memphis International Airport, the new designation would have to be . . . 

TCB. 

Your vote at GoMemphis            archive news! : "Elvis Presley International Airport, Memphis" Campaign

June 21, 2003

  New photos on Keith' Alverson Page 

"COULD THIS BE YOU?" - THE FANS AT THE STAGE WITH ELVIS

 

   

  (These photos have never been seen publicly!!!) 

June 18, 2003

New Website

 



"The Official Elvis Presley Birthplace"  website for the Elvis Presley Memorial Foundation in
Tupelo, Mississippi.  The site (although presently small) is what the Foundation wanted to start 
with. Later, the site will grow to include full e-commerce abilities to purchase the 
one-of-a-kind souvenirs the gift shop contains .... more  
(www.elvispresleybirthplace.com)

                                                                                                                                   "Elvis at 13"

June 18, 2003

25th Anniversary Concert Yields Big Charity Donation 
   --------------------------------------------------- EPE 6/17/2003 


After-expenses proceeds from the ticket sales for Elvis: The 25th Anniversary Concert, presented last August 16th in Memphis, were designated to benefit The Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation. These major events generate lots of bills and lots of follow-up work for several months. Now that all that has just about wrapped up, we are pleased to announce that the show has generated a donation of just over $135,000.00. Our thanks to all the Elvis fans who attended this historic event. 

June 18, 2003

French "Elvis" still rockin' 
   By Tim Hepher 

PARIS (Reuters) - Elvis is alive and has just turned 60. The French Elvis, that is. 

The problem for veteran French rocker Johnny Hallyday is that unlike the original King of Rock 'n' Roll, few outside his native country have ever heard of him. 

That does not deter Hallyday, a national icon who celebrated his 60th birthday with a mega concert at a football stadium in Paris on Sunday evening. 

The gravel-voiced singer -- known simply as Johnny to the French -- reaches retirement age with a new hit single under his belt that has won him a fresh army of local fans. 

Hallyday remains a decidedly French idol despite a lifetime's crusade to bring American-style rock, country music and old-fashioned crooning to a country that jealously guards its independence in almost all other facets of life. 

He is so big in France that it is the prime minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, who boasts of doing impressions of him. 

He commands so much devotion that judges trying a woman three years ago for stabbing her husband in a dispute about him let the repentant fan off with a suspended jail sentence. 

Hallyday and French President Jacques Chirac admire each other and Chirac used one of the singer's perennial hits to set the beat for his election rallies last year. 

Both president and prime minister were expected to turn out for the birthday extravaganza at Parc des Princes on Sunday and ironically, Hallyday has been used by the French government to support its unpopular plans to raise the retirement age to 60. 

As politicians lined up for a share of the celebrity, one fan held up a "Johnny for President" sign inside the stadium. 

"I never miss any of his concerts; I'm a fan. He's supposed to be 60, but the truth is he is ageless," senior conservative politician Jean-Louis Debre told Le Parisien daily on Sunday. 

NOT BORN IN THE USA 

Despite his passion for Elvis Presley, Hallyday -- his real name is Jean-Philippe Smet -- is virtually unknown in the United States where the newspaper USA Today once called him "the biggest rock star you've never heard". 

He made his American debut in Las Vegas to packed audiences, but most of the fans had flown all the way from France. 

Had the French son of a Belgian father been born in America, he had all the qualities -- James Dean looks, a rasping voice, a fast life and succession of wives -- to make it big there too. 

He hung out with the best of them, giving Jimi Hendrix an early break as his support band in the 1960s, but found his route to stardom in America barred mainly by singing in French. 

"We wanted it in French. It sort of represents the greatness and wretchedness of French rock at the same time," lyricist Etienne Roda-Gil joked in a TV documentary aired on Sunday. 

It is not the only irony of Hallyday's rollercoaster career in music and films, beginning as a child star in the 1950s. 

In a country proud of its cultural independence, Hallyday symbolises the "French exception", a policy of promoting home-grown artists and resisting a tide of imports from America. 

When struggling French company Vivendi proposed to sell his record label Universal, which is actually based in the United States, one minister said national interests were at stake. 

Yet the leather-clad Gallic rocker owes his fame to his American image. If he had been born there he might have had more fans, but his records would be subject to restrictions which limit the output of English-language songs on French radio. 

"I was knocked off my feet by Elvis, above all by his voice," he told French weekly VSD in an interview this week. 

"And James Dean was really my role model, because he represented the youth I was part of...Elvis's voice and James Dean's looks, now that would have been the perfect idol." 

Asked whether he sees himself as a living legend, he said "It's certainly better to be a living legend than a dead one." 

June 17, 2003

Elvis could top the charts again with Oakenfold remix 
   Ananova - June 17, 2003 


Elvis Presley could top the charts again later this year with a new remix by Paul Oakenfold of a little known track called Rubberneckin'.

A new hits collection, called Elvis: Second To None, will also be released to coincide with the single's release.

Elvis originally sang Rubberneckin' in his 1969 movie Change Of Habit and was issued as the flip-side to his 1970 hit Don't Cry Daddy.

RCA Records in co-operation with The Elvis Presley Estate, will also release a four CD set of previously unreleased material.

The recordings will be released around the time of the 26th anniversary of Elvis' death on August 16, 1977.

The box set, Elvis Close Up, will include remastered stereo outtakes of recordings Elvis made in the 1950s including Loving You and Jailhouse Rock, tracks from Elvis' first four movies including previously unreleased outtakes and unreleased songs from Elvis' Nashville sessions.

It will also feature Live In Texas 1972, an unreleased concert in San Antonio with songs including Burning Love, Proud Mary, How Great Thou Art, An American Trilogy and Suspicious Minds.

Elvis last topped the UK chart in 2001 with Dutch DJ Junkie XL's remix of A Little Less Conversation.

June 13, 2003

Art Preview: Elvis at Warhol: Mama's boy and devil in disguise 
   By Leslie Rubinkowski - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, June 13, 2003


Two photographs, two kisses, one man. In the first, the man leans toward a woman on a staircase. She grips the railing behind her, shoulder blades curving against the cut of an evening dress. His hands encircle her waist. The tips of their tongues touch.

In the second, he is shirtless and leaning toward his mother, a stocky woman in a housedress, who has just handed him a pair of clean underwear. His lips brush her cheek.

The connection between these images may seem hard to reconcile until you know the identity of the man: Elvis Presley. An exhibit that opens Saturday at the Andy Warhol Museum uses these images and others to document the mix of mama's boy and devil in disguise that made him both celebrity template and cautionary tale. "Where is Elvis? The Man and His Reflection" also offers a window into the early career of this truck driver from Memphis who changed the landscape of popular culture, music and race. 

"The medium of TV and the birth of Elvis came at exactly the same time," said John W. Smith, curator of the show, as he gave a tour of the exhibit last week. "Before, it didn't matter as much what you looked like, with radio or records. With Elvis, it was the whole package."

The show tells this story in 65 images from 1954 to 1967, several of them probably familiar even to those who know little about Elvis or his influence. One of the most well-known is the Roger Marshutz shot of Elvis on stage in his hometown of Tupelo, wearing a velvet shirt his mother made, reaching out to touch a furious wave of fans. (In the understatement of the show, Marshutz explains his method by saying, "I got lucky.") Another famed image is Marvin Israel's take on the 40-foot cutout of Elvis at the premiere of his first film, "Love Me Tender." 

Thirty of the show's 65 photos were taken by Alfred Wertheimer, a freelancer when RCA Records asked him to take some publicity shots of a young rock 'n' roll singer. (His initial response: "Elvis who?")

These photos have become iconic, not just for their beauty but for the narrative they capture. Wertheimer witnessed a few crucial months in Presley's career soon after the singer turned 21 in January 1956. He trailed Elvis to New York for performances on the Dorsey Brothers' "Stage Show" in March and on Steve Allen's variety show in June, where he sang his new hit "Hound Dog" on stage with a basset hound wearing a bow tie and top hat. He caught Elvis surrounded by hopped-up fans and unrecognized in a lunch line; he followed him home to Memphis for the Fourth of July, where he swam in his new pool and slow-danced with his high school sweetheart. 

Wertheimer is a fine photographer, and in Elvis he had an ideal subject. His access is unlimited and extraordinary; the photos of Elvis kissing his date and his mother are less shocking for their content than for the fact that Elvis didn't seem to mind either of them being taken. They also reveal a key to his appeal: Presley is performing in these photos, but at the same time he gives the appearance of not performing at all. He also appears incapable of taking a lousy photograph, even when he just woke up.

Smith stopped in front of a Wertheimer print of Elvis lounging in a train berth, arm flung over his head, staring into space. "He looks like Garbo," Smith said. "It's so perfectly beautiful -- incredibly androgynous."

He is forever ready for his close-up. Shirtless after a shower, he whips his pompadour into a froth before a live gig on "Stage Show." (Judging from these photos, when he wasn't singing or signing autographs Elvis liked to run around half-dressed.) He loafs at a lunch counter in Richmond, the girl in the evening dress beside him, an empty cup of coffee before him. He waits in a lunch line in Sheffield, Ala., for a double order of fried chicken, milk and snow cones. He sits astride his Harley in another well-known shot, cap over his eyes, lip curled, channeling Brando in "The Wild One."

"But look at this," Smith said, pointing to the cycle's chrome. What first appears to be random shadow is really the reflection of a small crowd watching and waiting for Elvis' attention. "What seems to be a moment alone is really him surrounded by all these people."

Those funhouse shapes seem like a foreshadowing of what was to come. The innocence and openness of the 1956 Wertheimer photos, which stop here on July 4, has faded by Sept. 9 of the same year, when Presley steps on stage to sing for Ed Sullivan. His movie career had begun, and something else had ended. 

Staring down this timeline is Warhol's "Elvis (Eleven Times)," a 1962 silkscreen that shows the singer as a gunslinger in a still from the 1960 western "Flaming Star." The freedom of the young man is completely gone, replaced by a silly role in a forgettable film. 

"It's great we have this painting here," Smith said. "Warhol couldn't have necessarily foreseen where Elvis' career would have gone. But he intuited some kind of strangeness or tragedy." 

A different kind of danger is on display on the Warhol's fourth floor. "Douglas Gordon: Blind Star," which also opens Saturday, is a collection of Hollywood publicity stills from the 1940s and 1950s with -- there's really no other way to say this -- the eyes cut out of them. These 100 collaged photos have never been displayed anywhere before.

Gordon, a Scottish-born artist and winner of Tate Britain's Turner Prize, replaced the eyes of stars such as Cary Grant, Greta Garbo and Bette Davis with backings of white or black museum board or mirrors, and the effect is, to say the least, creepy. It's startling how some of the celebrities are hard to identify with their eyes missing, and how the replacements change them. Granted, Boris Karloff doesn't look much different staring through black holes; George Sanders is vacant yet still elegant with his herringbone jacket and stark white sockets. But seeing Debbie Reynolds beaming through mirrors is the stuff of nightmares: Tammy as a harpy from hell. 

The first floor seems safer, though still vaguely sinister. "Where Is Elvis?" ends with a single photo from 1967 of a press conference after Elvis married Priscilla. Both of them are smiling. Both of them wear pompadours that laugh at the laws of gravity. But in the stiff staging of the photo -- after all, not many couples address the press at their wedding -- it's obvious more has changed in the life of Elvis than the height of his hair. It makes you wonder what is behind his eyes.

-------------------------------
Leslie Rubinkowski is a freelance writer and the author of "Impersonating Elvis."

June 12, 2003

Elvis Unlimited's new shop i Sweden is now open

The shop is built on the same concept as the Danish one in Randers, Denmark

You can find everything Elvis from BMG and FTD Cd's to souvenirs, video's, DVD's, books and much, much more.

The Swedish mega fan Björn Axelsson is the daily manager of the Swedish shop. You can e-mail Björn at ontour72@hotmail.com

There will also be a web-page in a short while. The address will be www.elvisunlimited.se Until this site is ready can you e-mail ontour72@hotmail.com for questions or go to www.elvisunlimited.dk

If you're in Sweden for vacation or if you just come by Uddevalla, then is you more than welcome to visit the shop

The opening hours is:

Mon-Friday 10:00 - 17:00
Saturday 10:00 - 12:00


The address is:

Elvis Unlimited
Bratt Gatan 11
45150 Uddevalla
Sweden

Phone: +46 522 388 00

Elvis Unlimited
Store Voldgade 16
8900 Randers
Denmark

Tel. +45 8642 9696 / Fax. +45 8642 8484

www.elvispresley.dk / www.elvisunlimited.dk

Source: Elvis Unlimited

June 12, 2003

Elvis Memorabilia Set for Liverpool Display 
   By Kate Holton - June 11, 2003

LONDON (Reuters) - One of the largest collections outside the United States of personal Elvis Presley memorabilia, including a set of fingerprints and his favorite motorbike, is to go on display in Liverpool Saturday.

The show was set up by the team behind the Beatles Story museum due to Elvis's influence on the Liverpool group.

"For anyone interested in music history, this is the greatest show," Elvis's step-brother David Stanley told Reuters Wednesday.

"Elvis was probably the most influential musician of our time and to see the fingerprints show, it is just such a personal exhibition."

The audio tour is narrated by Stanley.

The temporary display in the Albert Dock, called Fingerprints of Elvis, includes his favorite Harley Davidson motorbike, a gold Mercedes car, stage suits and documents with Elvis' handwriting.

The fingerprints on display were taken for the star's gun license. All the items were provided by two private collectors.

"Elvis was such an amazing influence on the Beatles," Director Jerry Goldman told Reuters. "John Lennon has said that before Elvis there was nothing."

A spokeswoman for the exhibition said it was a great opportunity for Elvis fans to see his memorabilia outside the United States.

"Graceland is such a long way from the typical tourist trail in America," she said, referring to Elvis' home.

She said the exhibition would last as long as it remained popular.

June 10, 2003 (Updated: June 12, 2003)

FTD - DRAGONHEART

DRAGONHEART (Release: July 01, 2003) 
   South Bend - October 1st, 1974
   8287653366-2

Full info

Advance Look at FTD Releases Later in 2003 & Beyond 
   ----------------------------------------------------- EPE 6/11/2003 

The October 1, 2003 release will be a another soundboard recording. It will be the 3:00 a.m. Mother's Day show in Lake Tahoe, 1973. Follow That Dream normally does not release soundboard CDs following each other, but as RCA is releasing the CLOSE UP box set - comprised of three studio outtakes CD's and a 16-track live recording - to the mainstream market this summer, FTD felt that the variety the collector's label is aiming for is best served by a soundboard release for October.

Follow That Dream is also working on three more movie soundtracks, but is holding back because of so many other releases during this time. Some of you have been concerned that there is more product coming out than the fans can afford. However it's important to stress that FTD is fully committed to re-release the original RCA repertoire that is no longer available through retail in addition to their quarterly CDs of newly released collector's material. There will be more of these re-releases of albums deleted from the regular RCA label's retail catalog by the end of the year and certainly next year as well. This Classic Albums series is not limited to movie soundtracks.

June 10, 2003

Screenwriter Henry Garson Dead at 91
   Yahoo Daily News - June 10, 2003 


LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Henry Garson, a screenwriter whose credits included the Elvis Presley film "G.I. Blues," died May 29 at the Motion Picture & Television Hospital in Woodland Hills, Calif. He was 91. 

A former dancer, Garson wrote comedy for radio, including work for Bob Hope and Robert Benchley, and later wrote and directed for television on such shows as "Make Room for Daddy," "I Love Lucy," "A Family Affair," "My Three Sons," "Columbo" "The Mothers-In-Law" and "All in the Family." 

His other film credits included "The Reckless Moment," "Don't Give Up the Ship" and "Visit to a Small Planet." 

June 09, 2003

Elvis' Record Collection to Be Released


MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - From Chuck Berry to Bobbie Gentry, the King liked them all. 

Graceland and Elvis Presley Enterprises have cataloged Presley's record collection with 1,000 albums and singles filling up a 24-page list. 

Elvis Presley Enterprises, which owns the rights to all things Elvis in the United States, allowed only a cursory look at the list. 

A partial copy of the list will be released this month as a perk for members of the Elvis Presley Collector's Club, formed by Graceland as an insider's view of the King's things. 

"He used to say, `I can appreciate the best of everything,' " says Elvis friend and disk jockey George Klein, who once asked Elvis why he liked opera stars Mario Lanza and Enrico Caruso. 

There is only one opera recording (by Lanza) in the Elvis collection, which Graceland spokesman Todd Morgan says "leans heavily to black rhythm and blues and to black and white gospel." 

Graceland archivists cataloged the recordings by title and last names of artists, so exact numbers in each category aren't readily available. That's because many of the groups and solo artists who began as gospel singers crossed over into pop and rhythm and blues and later returned to their gospel roots. 

But Elvis' friends said they did not need to see a list to know that gospel recordings were his favorites and the music he most often played for friends. 

"He loved close harmony," says Red West, a former member of the Memphis Mafia, the nickname given to Presley's closest group of friends. 

He says Elvis' favorite groups were the Harmonizing Four and Golden Gate and his favorite gospel singers included Jimmy Jones, Jake Hess (who sang with the Statesmen and later formed the Imperials) and Mahalia Jackson. 

It was that close harmony that also made him a big fan of the Ink Spots and The Platters, especially love songs, says West. 

Rock bands are a rarity in the collection. There were four Beatles albums and albums by Chicago and the Turtles, but West says Elvis preferred soloists. 

West, a songwriter, once tried to turn Elvis on to the song "Green, Green Grass of Home," but Elvis wasn't interested. When Tom Jones recorded it, Elvis was returning to Memphis on a tour bus. 

"When we got within range of Memphis, he kept stopping every few minutes to call George Klein (at WHBQ radio) and got him to play it every few minutes from Little Rock to Memphis," West recalled. 

Jones and Presley later became good friends, often visiting each other backstage after their Las Vegas shows. 

There are relatively few female singers in the record collection, but Elvis' friends say his favorites included Anne Murray (for her "clear and distinctive voice"), Vicki Carr ("It Must Be Him"), Jackson, Della Reese, Dionne Warwick, Bobbie Gentry, Leslie Uggams, Timi Yuro, the Andrews Sisters, the McGuire Sisters and his former backup group, The Sweet Inspirations. 

His record collection includes a duet album between Memphis father and daughter Rufus and Carla Thomas. 

Elvis, the rocker and balladeer, was not a fan of jazz, but he had an album by Duke Ellington, "Newport 1958," in the collection. There was also only a small sampling of classical music - Brahms' "Symphony No. 1," Beethoven's "Konzert Fur Klavier Und Orchestra No. 5" and Mozart's "Requiem Mass in D Minor."

June 08, 2003

Elvis: Close Up" - Promotional Sampler CD

"Elvis: Close Up" Promo CD-Cover (photos) 

June 08, 2003

"COULD THIS BE YOU?" - THE FANS AT THE STAGE WITH ELVIS

(These photos have never been seen publicly!!!) 

June 06, 2003

Lisa Marie continues to show style in recent interviews 
   By Liz Smith --- SunSpotv - June 5, 2003


LISA MARIE PRESLEY just goes from incredible to more of the same in her recent spate of interviews, culminating in the current Playboy for July. Speaking of her mother, Priscilla, she says, "She watched me closely. After I read her book, I realized why. She'd done things that weren't what your average 14-year-old would do. And I was doing the exact same things." 

You do recall that Priscilla caught the eye of Elvis when she was only 14, and the rest, as they say, became history. Today, the King would probably go to jail for that sort of behavior. 

I think Lisa Marie's current Q&A chat with Rob Tannenbaum may be her best yet. She is down-to-the-bone honest, strikingly, amusingly profane and so appealing that you want to sit down and share a glass or two of red with her. ("It has to be more than $300 a bottle, because then I don't get as bad a hangover!") 

Almost every remark this girl makes - whether about Dad, Mom, Michael Jackson, Nicolas Cage, her career, her kids, her publicity, the old entourage of her Daddy, how much she likes sex, whether or not she has lesbian tendencies - is quotable, ferocious and funny, but her love of expletives has to be censored somewhat. 

She is especially amusing speaking of the famed Graceland family burial plot. Asked if she'll be interred on the Memphis grounds, Lisa Marie quips, "I don't plan on anything. I'm sure I'll end up there. Or I'll shrink my head and put it in a glass box in the living room. I'll get more tourists to Graceland that way." 

We are all enriched in this world of celebrity info mania by having Lisa Marie Presley decide to come out into our midst as an adult. 

June 06, 2003

New photo of the month

 (Updated: Keith Alverson Page)

June 03, 2003
 

(manchester reviews)

"Elvis - The Concert"  M.E.N. Arena  
   Simon Donohue - Manchester Online - 02/06/2003 


ELVIS Presley was there in spirit - and fancy dress. Dozens of party animals had chosen to attend in The King's trademark white trouser suit, shades and slick, quiffed haircut.

But on stage, at least, there was the serious business of breathing life into a show by the most famous rock 'n' roll star of all time.

The fact that he died more than 25 years ago didn't matter at all to the ensembled band of musicians and backing singers, the majority of whom supported Presley throughout his real career.

Using the magic of modern technology - a vast screen showing footage of Presley singing between 1970 and 1977 - we were transported to a magical time before hamburgers and drugs were part of the late star's public life story.

Those fortunate enough to escape the here and now and imagine that Presley was actually there were treated to a spine tingling "live" performance boasting the best of country-tinged blues and gospel sounds.It was made easier to imagine by sublime performances from musicians who are stars in their own right."

James Burton on guitar and Jerry Scheff on Fender bass", Elvis said from the large screen, as he unwittingly name-checked those who would go forth with his legend.

The songs delivered in Presley's inimitable style ranged from classic rock 'n' roll like Johnny Be Good to the tragic narrative of In The Ghetto and crowd pleasers like Suspicious Minds.

And as we left we were handed flyers revealing that Lisa Marie Presley is set to release her debut single. Further proof if it were needed that the Presley name will be with us for generations to come.

Elvis - The Concert

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