SOUTHAVEN - A Web site touting a proposed Elvis theme park in DeSoto
County has been temporarily taken off the Internet, according to the
park's developer.
Circle G Ranch Resort LLC spokeswoman Vicki Burrow said the Web site
is being revamped to make it more user friendly.
Burrow did not say when the site will be back in operation.
The site, www.circlegresort.com, advertised memberships in the
development of the Circle G Ranch Resort, which is to be built on the
site where Elvis and Priscilla Presley spent their honeymoon in 1967.
The $600 million development is expected to cover 882 acres in Horn
Lake.
However, developers still haven't closed on much of the land.
Gerald McLemore, a spokesman for the McLemore family that owns the
original 155-acre Circle G Ranch property, said the land hasn't been
sold.
"They (the developers) are continuing on our option
arrangement," he said.
The developers have also failed to complete the purchase of a 317-acre
tract owned by the Hugh Dancy Co., immediately east of the Circle G
Ranch property.
Update, Nov. 5, 2002: Here's the
latest update on the roster of celebrities involved in the NBC TV
special on November 28. Interviews with Bono, Britney Spears, Serena
Williams, Justin Timberlake, Naomi Campbell, Macy Gray, Carson Daly,
Kevin Bacon, Sheryl Crow, Steven Tyler and many more. Musical
performances by: Dave Matthews, No Doubt, Norah Jones, Lee Ann Rimes
and Chris Isaak. More news to come. TV ads to start airing soon. The
Elvis special caps a very heavily promoted, widely watched night on
NBC. Elvis Lives is preceded by a Faith Hill concert special.....
Elvis Presley Enterprises has crashed its mighty cash-stuffed fist
upon the table, and now the Michigan Elvisfest has to either change
its name or hold an Elvis festival without Elvises.
The third annual nonprofit Elvisfest drew more than 7,000 people to
Frog Island Park in Ypsilanti last summer. The Depot Town Association
charged $5 per ticket and rendered unto Elvis 10 percent of the net in
exchange for the use of his name.
Next year's celebration of the fat dead singer is scheduled for July
11-12, and plans were proceeding nicely until director Tracy Briggs
received a letter Thursday from one Iris Houston, a licensing account
coordinator for Elvis Presley Enterprises.
EPE, based in Memphis, is entrusted with safeguarding Presley's image
and squeezing as much money as possible from his memory. Apparently,
it has decided that Elvis impersonators -- or tribute artists, as they
prefer to be called -- sully the memory of the beloved drug-addled
glutton who liked to fire pistols at his television and ultimately
died on the toilet.
"We have decided to focus our efforts on the real performance
material and the actual persona of Elvis Presley," the letter
says. "... Hopefully, you can understand our decision to no
longer license any festivals that include tribute shows or talent
contests."
Actually, Briggs thinks it's short-sighted. "To me," she
says, "when you go to an Elvis festival, the first thing you want
to see is a sequined jumpsuit." And won't impressionable kids be
more inclined to grow up and buy Elvis CDs if they're exposed to his
music by impressionists?
Briggs, a stay-at-home mom from Ann Arbor, directs the Michigan (This
Space Available) Fest as a volunteer. The rest of the staff makes the
same $0 per year she does. "We can't attack Elvis Presley
Enterprises with our legal team," she points out, "because
we don't have one."
Besides, she probably wouldn't have a leg to shimmy on. So she's being
careful to keep things as friendly as possible with EPE while she
prepares to beg for an extension.
"We'd like to use the name for another year," she says,
"but it doesn't look promising."
The 2002 festival featured a dozen or so performing Elvises and at
least 80 more strolling the grounds. Other replica acts included the
Blues Brothers, the Beatles, Roy Orbison and Ray Charles.
The show will go on in 2003, Briggs promises, even if it has to do
without Elvis' name and likeness. The Elvisfest hasn't begun
considering a new identity, but if the goal is a portly, deceased
entertainer, there's always Burl Ives.
---
THE PROTECTORS of all things Elvis declined to explain why they don't
like tribute artists. "I'm not answering any questions right
now," snapped Houston, the licensing agent. "You need to put
all questions in writing." The written questions weren't
answered, either, but at least EPE was consistent. Briggs says that
from what she's been told, the real Elvis always got a kick out of the
fake ones. "He would take pictures with them. He'd ask for their
autographs." The impersonators did not charge him for the
signatures.
---
IF I'VE seemed unduly harsh toward the King, by the way, it's only out
of irritation with the keepers of his flame. The truth is, I like
Elvis. I know all the words to "Jailhouse Rock," and a key
evening in the courtship of my eventual spouse involved me singing a
karaoke rendition of "Teddy Bear." I would explain further,
but she's spent nine years trying to wipe that picture from her mental
Etch-a-Sketch. Anyway, as penance for the weight jokes, I will go home
tonight and listen to three of my favorite Elvis tunes, "Love Me
Tenderloin," "His Latest Flambe" and "Return to
Zehnder's."
LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) --- Having sold more than 102
million albums in the United States alone, Elvis Presley is accustomed
to collecting sales awards from the RIAA.
Regardless, it's notable that RCA's remastered hits package
"Elvis 30 #1 Hits" swept through the certifications of gold
and platinum to earn double-platinum honors in October.......
Don't
hesitate to snag this collection of Frank Sinatra dueting with Elvis,
Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Dean, Sammy and even
Bing.
There are 21 tracks - all gleaned from Sinatra's TV appearances and
broadcast specials between 1957 and 1960.
Considering the songs were taped on TV sound stages in front of
audiences on inferior microphones, the sonics are pretty good.
The most interesting, unusual combination is Sinatra and Presley, the
pair trading tunes. Frank offers "Love Me Tender" while
Elvis weaves "Witchcraft" into that melody.
Deep
in an Oak Brook safe, next to a box containing Wilson, the volleyball
from the movie "Cast Away," and near Wally Schirra's
sky-blue flight-training suit from Apollo 7, sits a hunka-hunka ball
of hair that could soon spark a bidding war.
The dyed-black glob, sealed in a glass jar, is purported to be
clippings from the King himself.
Gross? Perhaps. Expensive? For sure.
Some predict the clippings, said to have been collected by Elvis
Presley's personal barber, could fetch more than $100,000 in an online
auction that started Monday and runs through Nov. 15. Oak Brook,
Ill.-based MastroNet Inc. is conducting the auction.
The sale hits as Elvis' popularity is again soaring. In August fans
commemorated the 25th anniversary of Presley's death with observances
worldwide. Earlier this month a new collection of his songs reached
No. 1 on the Billboard charts.
What that means for bidding on the hair no one knows. By Tuesday, the
second day of the auction, only one person had offered a bid, at the
opening price of $10,000. But interest is expected to build, from
Elvis memorabilia collectors and those who fancy hair.
"It will bring a king's ransom," said Louis Mushro, a
celebrity hair collector from Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich..
He said he has considered bidding on the hair but fears he will not
have enough money to last in a bidding war. Mushro, who has sold
strands of celebrities' hair on the online auction site eBay, said he
received $811 for a strand of Abraham Lincoln's hair. His current eBay
offering of a strand of Presley's hair stood at $76 Tuesday afternoon.
A second strand of Presley's hair, for sale on eBay by a Tampa man,
had a bid of $56 Tuesday.
"They're bringing in some good prices," Mushro said.
"It's just the finest gift you can give someone. I find it
fascinating that you can have a real part of a person whom you admire
so much."
Not everyone is impressed. Jerry Osborne, an Elvis memorabilia
collector from Port Townsend, Wash., said he does not buy or sell
Presley's hair because he does not believe it can be authenticated.
Osborne, who has written 15 books on Elvis collectibles, said he once
got a call from a man who claimed to be a doctor who helped perform
Presley's autopsy. The caller wanted to sell the instruments he said
were used in the autopsy. Osborne turned him down.
"It's a whole different world," he said.
"Unfortunately, it's the fringe-type collectibles that get the
most attention."
Officials at the MastroNet auction house said they have not conducted
DNA testing on the hair because they have no Elvis DNA with which to
match it.
"Short of a DNA test, any relic associated with a famous person
requires somewhat of a leap of faith," said John Reznikoff, a
hair expert. "The question is, Are you hopping over a crack or
are you jumping over the Grand Canyon?"
Reznikoff compared the hair with a sample he already owns--which he
keeps with a picture in a blue-suede frame--and ruled it a match.
"A lot of people say, `How do you know?'" he said of the
MastroNet hair. "My confidence is so strong in it that I'm
probably going to bid on it."
Reznikoff, who works for University Archives, a private company based
in Westport, Conn., owns hair said to be from about 100 celebrities,
including Marilyn Monroe, Albert Einstein and Napoleon. He believes
the predicted sale price for Presley's hair, $100,000, will prove low.
"It is a very desirable piece," he said. "It sounds a
little macabre, but it really isn't. People have been collecting hair
for hundreds of years."
Auction house officials said the hair up for bid was saved by Homer
"Gill" Gilleland, Presley's barber for more than 20 years.
Gilleland, who traveled with Presley to shows, would color the King's
sandy-blond hair black, then cut it into a towel around Presley's
neck.
Friends of the barber say he would bundle the towel with the hair
inside and take it home. There, he would put the hair in a plastic
bread bag, where it stayed until Presley died in 1977. Shortly
thereafter, Gilleland began selling strands of the hair in a souvenir
shop across the street from Presley's Memphis home, Graceland, friends
said.
Before Gilleland died in 1995, he gave a bag of the hair to a friend,
Tom Morgan. Morgan, a 61-year-old municipal employee for Memphis,
decided to sell the hair this year to cash in for his retirement.
"There's no question that it's the real deal," said John
Heath, an Elvis expert who knows Morgan and was friends with
Gilleland. "I've seen the hair and I know the history of the
hair."
MastroNet is selling the fuzzy black ball with letters of
authentication from Heath, Morgan and Reznikoff. On its Web site and
in its catalog, MastroNet describes the item as an "enormous
quantity of hair from the head of the `King'--Elvis Presley--saved by
his personal barber."
Brian Marren, vice president of acquisitions for the auction company,
said it will be up to the hair's buyer to find an Elvis sample and
conduct a DNA test. The tests can be conducted for as little as $500
through Internet companies, although some companies charge
considerably more.
"For us to do that, we'd have to go to a relative [of Presley's],
and we didn't want to get into that," Marren said. "We're
very confident it will match up."
Marren's company started as a sports memorabilia auction house but
branched into other collectibles last year. One of the first items
MastroNet sold was the Montgomery, Ala., bus on which Rosa Parks
helped spark the civil rights movement. The 53-year-old General Motors
bus was sold last year for $492,000 to the Henry Ford Museum in
Dearborn, Mich.
In previous auctions, MastroNet has sold single strands of hair said
to be from John F. Kennedy and Lincoln for about $3,000 each, a rare
Honus Wagner baseball card for more than $1.2 million, and a Babe Ruth
signed baseball for $53,000.
"We do a few offbeat items every auction," Marren said.
"I think there will be quite a bit of action on it."
Marren said he has received calls from collectors about the hair. He
can also envision a home shopping television show buying the hair,
then reselling individual strands or small batches to viewers.
MastroNet also is selling portions of Elvis and Priscilla Presley's
divorce papers, complete with the couple's signatures. Bidding starts
at $5,000. The papers include the 1972 property settlement agreement
and the 1974 stipulation modifying marital termination agreements and
order.
Todd Morgan, a Graceland spokesman, and no relation of Tom Morgan,
said he has heard about the hair auction but offers no official stance
on the sale. Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc., which runs Graceland, has
never been asked for DNA samples to authenticate Elvis memorabilia,
Morgan said.
"That would take a lot of discussion," he said. "There
just hasn't been a reason to explore that."
Question: Sonny, why have
you decided to write a second book on your relationship with Elvis
Presley, more than 25 years after "Elvis: What Happened?," a
book you co-authored with you cousin, Red West and bodyguard, Dave
Hebler.
West: The second book,
tentatively titled, "Taking
Care of Business," is based on my life with Elvis and all the
wonderful memories that I have of those years (1960-1976). I think
that I need to get on record the love I felt for Elvis and my total
commitment to him, which the first book didn't do a good job of doing.
Q: What was the purpose in writing
the first book? Many people have speculated you did it for the money.
Some speculated you did it out of revenge because Elvis fired you, and
some have speculated that you did it to issue a challenge to Elvis to
get off drugs because you loved him. Can you set the record straight?
West: The reason for writing the
first book was 180 degrees from the reason for writing a second book.
The first was written as a challenge to Elvis to change his
prescription drug habits. He was in total denial and could not see
where he was headed. As far as writing it as a motive for revenge for
getting fired, I was fired on a couple of occasions prior and never
even considered writing a book. If I wanted to do it just for the
money, I had an opportunity, as did Red and Dave. We were contacted
during the first few days of writing it, by a private detective named
John O' Grady, representing Elvis, to come up with an amount for not
writing the book. We never even considered a figure, because it would
have made us just like those that were giving him whatever he wanted.
It would have been much
simpler to accept the money, and there is no doubt it would have been
a substantial amount, because he didn't want the book written.
Q: Looking back, are there
any regrets with your involvement with "Elvis: What
Happened?"
West: I do have some regrets
on the book. Not writing it, but the way it was written by the author
assigned by World News Group, whom we signed a contract with to write
the book. The book is true, but the sensationalism was used so
blatantly, that it took away a lot of the sincere message we were
trying to send Elvis. In fact, I was supposed to go on a tour to
promote the book, but was canceled because of my press conference the
day after Elvis' death, for my being very critical of our author,
Steve Dunleavy, who was on "Good Morning America" acting
like an ass with another ass, Geraldo Rivera. They were more
interested in conveying their dislike for each, than discussing the
sensitivity of Elvis' tragic death.
Q: What will be the focus of this
new book?
West: There isn't really any
centralized focus that I am trying to convey in the new book. It
really will be just a book about this wonderful, talented and warm
human being that I shared most of my young adult years with for 16
years. If I just tell my story the way I want, you will have a lot of
things brought into focus.
Q: What will you say in this book
that you didn't say in your first book?
West: I plan on researching
my mind in such a manner as I have never had the opportunity to do
before. There wasn't a day that went by, that something didn't happen
that was interesting, or comical, or very touching. There are so many
other areas too numerous to mention right now, but will be in my book.
Q: What new insights will you give
into Elvis Presley?
West: There will be some things
that have been written before, by me and/or others, but I hope to give
you a different insight into them. As an example: Elvis'
pre-occupation with death was not why Elvis had an interest in going
to the funeral home after closing hours to view corpses. It was an
interest in how morticians were able to take a somewhat disfigured
face and prepare it in such a manner as to enable there to be an open
casket funeral so their loved ones were able to view them in a
reposing manner to say their good-byes. He was also interested in the
technique used to prepare them physically for burial.
Q: What do you think Elvis Presley
Enterprises and Priscilla Presley will have to say about your new
book?
West: I would like to think
they would be supportive of the book, because my love and devotion to
the man will be evident in every word I write. But, regardless of
their support or non-support, I am writing this book from my heart and
I hope they will read it. I think it will give insights to Lisa Marie
that she may not know about her father that will make
her even more proud, if there is space for more pride. As for
Priscilla, I think she is pretty much aware of how much I loved Elvis
and how I protected him not only from physical harm, but emotional
situations in all areas I was able to do so.
Q: What is the one thing you miss
most about Elvis Presley?
West: There isn't really any one
thing I miss most about Elvis. There are so many things to miss
about him. His sense of humor, his warmth, zaniness, zest for life,
music and friendship, but not necessarily in that order. In my book, I
plan to bring out those feelings just mentioned and share them with
everyone.
Q: What is the fondest
memory you have of The King?
West: Once again, I can't come up
with my fondest memory because there were so many. Once I have put all
of them in my book, I might, just might, be able to pick out one that
has the smallest edge to the others.
Q: Why do you think Elvis
Presley is bigger 25 years after his death, than he was when he was
alive?
West: I think it is a bit unfair
to Elvis and his fans worldwide to say he is bigger today 25 years
after his death than he was when he was alive. Who knows how big he
would have gotten if we had him these years that he has been gone. New
songs, new styles, new movies, etc.. It is true he has picked up many
new fans, but why can't we accept the thought that he would have even
picked up many more if he was alive all of these years with new
products being released to the fans. It goes without saying, Elvis'
fans are the greatest, most loyal fans in the world, and have proven
it over the years to the extent of being the reason the statement,
"bigger today than he was when he was alive" is being said.
ELVIS LIVES - New NBC Television Special (AIR DATE NOW CONFIRMED!)
The USA air date for Elvis Lives is now confirmed for Thanksgiving,
Thursday, November 28, 10:00 PM EST/9:00 PM CST. Word still to come on
air dates for other countries.
Following
is a press release issued from EPE today:
ELVIS PRESLEY ENTERPRISES, LEIBER & STOLLER AND SOFA ENTERTERMENT
WIN INJUNCTION IN FEDERAL COURT
LOS ANGELES, CA – 10/22/02 -- A Federal Appeals Court has issued an
injunction barring the further sale of "The Definitive
Elvis," an unauthorized DVD collection of Elvis Presley material
compiled and released by Passport Video, it was announced today by
Elvis Presley Enterprises.
The suit against Passport Video and parent company Passport
International was jointly filed by EPE, SOFA Entertainment, Leiber
& Stoller, the Steve Allen Estate and other rights holders to
Presley’s work and image.
"It’s a very important victory for these rights holders,"
said entertainment litigation attorney George Hedges, of the Los
Angeles-based law firm of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges,
LLP. "The defendant maintained that the use of copyrighted
materials constituted fair use under the copyright laws. Our position
is that their appropriation of the heart of these legendary
performances constituted a classic case of copyright
infringement."
Hedges, who specializes in entertainment litigation, noted that
"this is a very important agenda for the estate. We need to get
the word out that we are going to protect our rights and that we are
not going to allow Elvis Presley copyrighted properties to be
appropriated and used without permission. If this kind of use
constitutes fair use, the value that Elvis created in his life’s
work would be lost."
"The plaintiffs are now proceeding with our case for
damages," added Hedges, who recently represented Mel Gibson and
Leonard Nimoy in litigation cases involving image likeness and
copyright.
"The Definitive Elvis" featured extensive use of
unauthorized copyrighted materials of Elvis Presley from television,
film, live and recorded performances, as well as still images.
"We’re pleased, obviously we feel vindicated," said Gary
Hovey, Vice President of Entertainment and Music Publishing for Elvis
Presley Enterprises, Inc. "Passport had taken the position that
they could just take anyone’s copyright work and use it without
compensating the rights holder, which in our opinion is ridiculous.
For someone to just take material is piracy."
Among the unauthorized material used in "The Definitive
Elvis" was Presley performances from the Ed Sullivan Show, which
are owned by SOFA Entertainment. Said producer Andrew Solt, president
of SOFA, "It is unfortunate that we had to go to court to protect
our rights, but this week's victory in Federal court against the
wholesale theft of material from SOFA Entertainment's "Ed
Sullivan Show" archive serves as fair warning to those who might
try to appropriate and undermine the valuable copyrights of television
libraries like ours. We, with the Estate of Elvis Presley and Leiber
& Stoller, have won an important battle against those who believe
they can simply hijack our intellectual property while demonstrating
total disdain for the law."
"The Definitive Elvis" also included several songs from the
legendary songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, including
"Jailhouse Rock," "King Creole," "Loving
You" and "Girls, Girls, Girls," all used without
permission. Presley recorded more than two dozen songs by Leiber &
Stoller. The team’s prodigious output has also been recorded by the
Beatles, the Coasters, the Drifters, the Rolling Stones, and others.
"We are very pleased with Judge Lew's decision. Writing songs is
our livelihood," Leiber and Stoller announced jointly in a
released statement yesterday. "Those who choose to steal rather
than license our works have once again been put on notice that such
actions are not only unacceptable – they are unlawful."
Lee County supervisors agreed Monday to allow a monument honoring
Elvis Presley to be placed on the courthouse lawn, one of a series of
memorials to be part of a driving tour through Tupelo.
The courthouse monument would mark Presley's appearance on a live
jamboree radio show broadcast from the southeast corner of the
courthouse in the mid-1940s.
The Tupelo native who was to become the king of rock and roll sang his
first song on live radio during a Mississippi Slim's program on WELO
during one of the jamborees, the Tupelo Convention & Visitors
Bureau informed supervisors.
CVB officials said the monument would consist of a plaque reading:
"In 1946 Tupelo radio station WELO broadcast weekly music
jamborees from the Courthouse. Mississippi Slim, who had his own show
on WELO, arranged for Elvis to perform at the jamboree. Elvis' dream
was to become as famous as Mississippi Slim and to have his own radio
show one day."
The CVB will put up the memorial. The plaques feature an image of a
young Presley carrying a guitar, a representation on the statue that
stands outside his birthplace in east Tupelo. The Courthouse marker
will be one of four to be placed this year at locations that were
significant in Presley's life.
Five have already been put in place marking Tupelo Hardware, Mayhorn
Grocery, Lawhon Elementary school, Milam Junior High school and
Johnnie's Drive In, CVB assistant director Pat Rasberry wrote county
officials.
All are of the same size and dimension. Another will be placed at the
old Tupelo fairgrounds.
In other action, the board agreed to act as applicant for a grant to
support the new Faith Haven facility on Roebuck Road in Tupelo. The
grant, requiring a 50 percent local match, would help cover the cost
of utilities and road work at the facility.
Supervisors said they would pave the street, a $12,247 in-kind
contribution, as part of the local match.
OAK BROOK, Ill. (AP) — Elvis has left the building but his hair is
still around. Next Monday, bidding begins on what's being called the
largest collection of the King's hair clippings.
The Elvis locks were gathered by Homer ``Gill'' Gilleland, who was
Presley's personal hair-stylist for more than 20 years.
Five years ago, he gave the collection to close friend Tom Morgan Jr.,
who has decided to sell it. Morgan coordinated security for Elvis'
funeral.
The clippings are accompanied by letters of authenticity from experts
in hair collecting and Elvis memorabilia. Bidding will start at
$10,000. The online auction will be on mastronet.com.
October 21, 2002
Dinner
at Eight - A 1975 Vegas Recording - Release Date: November 15,
2002 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EPE 10/21/2002
The 19th release from Follow That Dream is tentatively set for
November 15, 2002 and is entitled Dinner at Eight. This time we
were lucky to find, in private possession, a tape of Elvis’ dinner
show in Las Vegas on December 13, 1975. Different to most of what we
call soundboards, this concert was recorded on a reel-to reel
tape, not the usual cassette. The show is still in mono though, and
there are a few tape problems along the way, but in general it sounds
good.
The first-quarter 2003 release in January will be one of the concerts
RCA recorded during Elvis’ triumphant 1969 engagement at the
International Hotel in Las Vegas. Details to come.
Track Listing for Dinner at Eight:
C.C. Rider - 3:10
I Got A Woman/Amen - 9:47
Love Me – 2:21
Help Me Make It Through The Night – 3:06
Trying To Get To You – 2:33
And I Love You So – 3:34
All Shook Up – 1:13
(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear/Don’t Be Cruel – 4:32
Wooden Heart – 2:03
You Gave Me A Mountain – 3:13
Polk Salad Annie – 4:41
Band Introductions – 8:40
How Great Thou Art - 3:11
Softly, As I Leave You – 2:54
America – 2:24
MysteryTrain/Tiger Man – 2:43
Blue Christmas – 3:03
Can’t Help Falling In Love
Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. owns the 1968 TV special Elvis, the
1973 television special Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii, via Satellite and
the 1977 television special Elvis in Concert, along with any existing
additional footage shot for these shows. There has never been an
official video release of the 1977 show. The '68 and Aloha shows have
been out on video/DVD. Also out on video/DVD have been the Aloha
rehearsal show, entitled The Alternate Aloha Concert, and outtake
footage from the '68 TV special, entitled Elvis, One Night with You.
In 2002, EPE's contract with Lightyear Entertainment, the North
American distributor for the '68 and Aloha material, ended. These
programs are no longer in distribution but for leftover stock in some
retail outlets and in the continuous stock maintained by Graceland/EPE
for its own merchandising operations. EPE was without an overseas
distributor for these programs for some time and opted to cease
pursuing one for the time being. Why are these programs off the
market? The reason is very exciting. We are presently working on our
dream "ultimate" video/DVD editions of the '68 and Aloha
material. The plan is to release these new editions worldwide in all
formats sometime in 2003. As this project evolves, we will post
information in News here on Elvis.com and update this section of the
FAQ.
Following is further information about each of Elvis' three TV
specials:
Elvis (1968)
The '68 material was distributed in the home video packages '68
Comeback Special and One Night With You for a long time. These
programs were released on DVD in 2000. Presently, these programs are
no longer in distribution as we prepare for a projected 2003 release,
a comprehensive collection of this material. As most fans know, Elvis
shot two "sit-down" shows and two "stand-up" shows
from which the scenes of live performance in black leather were chosen
for the TV special and the video/DVD releases. Our plan is to give you
both stand-up shows and both sit-down shows in their entirety and, for
historical context, the show as edited for television and home video,
along with some special features. (For instance, for the DVD we have
already completed a commentary interview with Scotty Moore and D.J.
Fontana you can choose to listen to while you watch the two sit-down
shows they were in with Elvis. We brought them into a recording studio
to watch the shows in their entirety and recorded a conversation with
them about it as they watched.) We will reveal and explain all this in
full detail as the project reaches completion.
In 1999/2000 came some frustrating news with regard to the '68
releases that were available. The song Are You Lonesome Tonight had to
be deleted. Clearance from the song's publisher was up for renewal and
an agreement for its continued use could not be reached. It is our
fond hope that the music publishing problem can be worked out so that
this song can be included in the comprehensive release of the 1968
material planned for 2003. (The music publishing issue is explained in
further detail in its own section further down this page.)
Aloha from Hawaii (1973)
Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii, via Satellite, his 1973 TV special performed
on January 14, and The Alternate Aloha Concert, his full dress
rehearsal show performed on January 12, were distributed on home video
for a long time. A DVD release came in 2000. Presently, these programs
are no longer in distribution as we prepare for a projected 2003
release, a comprehensive collection of this material.
The plan for how the Aloha material is to be presented in the new
edition will be revealed and explained in detail as the project
reaches completion. Unlike the '68 TV special material, which includes
an exciting amount of previously unreleased footage, there's not much
Aloha material fans have not had access to in the packages that have
been in release. But, we have plans to present all this in a very
special way for the new edition.
In 1999/2000 came some frustrating news for the Aloha programs that
were available. The songs Johnny B. Goode, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
and I Can't Stop Loving You had to be deleted from the Aloha release.
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry had to be deleted from the Alernate Aloha
release. (Elvis did not perform the other two songs in the rehearsal
show.) Clearance from the songs' publishers was up for renewal and an
agreement for their continued use on home video/DVD could not be
reached. It is our fond hope that the music publishing problems can be
worked out so that these songs can be included in the comprehensive
release of the Aloha material planned for 2003. At the moment, all
looks good for two of the songs, with the remaining difficulties being
with the publisher for Johnny B. Goode. (The music publishing issue is
explained in further detail in its own section below.)
About the Music Publishing Problems for 68
& Aloha
Contracts we have with the various owners/publishers of the songs in
the TV specials expire over time and come up for renewal. The
longstanding arrangement with all of the publishers is that each is
paid equally - a "favored nations" agreement it's called in
the biz. Upon expiration time, most renewals are routine, but
sometimes one publisher will insist on a big increase in what they're
paid. Our agreeing to do so with one publisher would automatically
give all the other songs' publishers a raise because of the favored
nations agreement. This would cripple the budget for distributing the
particular video/DVD involved and drive up the retail price to
compensate, particularly if the publisher in question were demanding
an exhorbitant figure. It would also set the bar higher for publisher
payment expectations for new projects with this material. A publisher
can choose to be disagreeable for other reasons, too.
Sadly, we were at a total impasse with a few publishers when
Lightyear, our contracted distributor, was ready to put out a new run
of 68 and Aloha videos (new packaging, ehanced sound) in 2000 and put
them out on DVD for the first time. For the most part, we would have
preferred to halt distribution of the videos and delay the
introduction of the programs on DVD until the publishing problems
could be resolved, but Lightyear's contract with us gave them the
right to have video and DVD in the marketplace and we had to honor
that contract. Also, there was a continuous demand for the material
from the public to be met. We did the best we could. We had the song
deletions noted on the new packaging, we put information here in this
FAQ section and made other efforts to communicate with the fans.
We've made a lot of headway with some music publishing problems during
the many months of work and planning for the new "ultimate"
editions for 2003. If any problems remain as these editions near
completion, we will let you know. We might even call upon you for help
after we've exhausted all the traditional means of working something
like this out.
The music publishing obstacles for video and DVD (also for television)
do not affect RCA's soundtrack releases. Clearances for record
releases are more standardized and not subject to the treacherous
waters of negotiation can be for video/DVD/TV releases.
Elvis in Concert (1977)
The 1977 television special Elvis in Concert, which was shot during
Elvis' last concert tour in June of 1977 (not actually the last
concert itself as Vernon Presley indicated in a statement at the end
of the special) aired a couple of times on network television and
parts of it, and additional footage shot during the production of it,
have been used in various television and video documentary projects
over the years. However, much to the disappointment of a number of
fans, we have no plans for releasing a home video of the Elvis in
Concert material at this time.
Because of the severity of Elvis' health problems at the time the
special was shot, Elvis was far from his best in the way he looked and
the way he performed, though there are some truly brilliant moments in
the footage. The true fans look at this through the eyes of love,
respect and understanding, and see the great historical value - as do
all the members of our staff. But, this not so with much of the
general public and the media. It's not that we don't want the fans to
have this footage or that we don't know how much it would mean to
them. We do. There just simply is no way to get it only to the real
fans (and we've exhausted all kinds of ideas) without also having
Elvis served up to the general public and press for ridicule. They
already emphasize and exaggerate the tragedy and sadness of the last
years of his life too much. Right now, the emphasis for us is to
remind them of all that came before. We receive many calls, letters
and E-mails from fans pushing for us to release this footage on home
video. There is not a single argument in favor of our releasing it
that has come from fans that hasn't come up amongst our management
team. We talk about it at length periodically. Up to now, some members
of the management team who decide these things have not become
comfortable with releasing it. Perhaps that could change someday. For
now, our position remains as explained herein. "Not now"
does not necessarily mean "not ever". We'll see. In the
meantime, we truly understand, respect and appreciate (and share on so
many levels) the feelings of those fans who want the 1977 material
released.
A
bird flew out of an open engine compartment of a Lockheed Jetstar
yesterday, but inside the plane, once owned by Elvis Presley, the red
velvet seats were plush and the golden bathroom faucets gleamed.
The 10-passenger jet hadn’t been flown in a few years and probably
won’t be again — it’s missing four engines — but that didn’t
stop Mark Kuykendall from purchasing the rock ’n’ roll icon’s
former personal jet.
After Presley’s death in 1977, Elvis’ father, Vernon Presley, sold
it to an aircraft company and it eventually landed in the hands of
Roswell resident Roy McKay, according to Kuykendall.
McKay said he sold the plane in 2000 to a Polish man, who removed the
engines and installed them into a different plane.
Since then, the plane has been grounded at the Roswell Industrial Air
Center.
Kuykendall, of Sevierville, Tenn., said he’d add the plane to his
other collectables, including Presley’s 1960 Lincoln Continental
limousine and a 1958 Cadillac El Dorado that Joe DiMaggio gave to
Marilyn Monroe.
He said he plans to disassemble the jet and ship it to Tennessee via
tractor-trailer.
The jet was somewhat of a birthday present for Kuykendall, who turns
40 today.
He said he’s not sure where he’s going to store it, but he said
the plane needs a few repairs on the outside.
“It doesn’t need a lot of restoring inside. I just need to put the
covers on the outside” over the engine compartments, he said.
Kuykendall declined to disclose how much he paid for the plane, but
McKay said that he sold it to the man from Poland for more than he
paid for it.
“It looks like a time capsule,” Kuykendall said. “It looks like
it’s brand new.”
Toward the back of the jet were cup holders, a bar and a small
kitchen.
The ladder to climb inside wobbled slightly, but a local locksmith was
on hand to repair it.
Kuykendall’s wife, Kim, said walking into the plane was “kind of
like stepping back in time.”
Kuykendall owns Shades of the Past, a museum for antique, classic,
muscle and race cars.
“I’d rather not let it sit here,” Kuykendall said. “I just
like to preserve history. That’s what I like to do.”
One side of the historic Graceland gate will be removed tonight for
repair at the National Ornamental Metal Museum.
A satellite TV truck bumped into and slightly damaged the south half
of the driveway gates during Elvis Week in August, Graceland spokesman
Todd Morgan said Wednesday.
"It's probably the most recognized piece of architectural metal
work in the world," said Jim Wallace, director of the Metal
Museum.
Both halves of the gate feature musical notes and a silhouette of
Elvis Presley playing guitar.
The now-famous gate debuted on April 26, 1957, when a proud young
Presley posed for pictures with it. Elvis wore a bright yellow jacket,
brown trousers, red socks and red belt, and white, green and blue
shoes decorated with guitar-shaped figures, according to an account in
The Commercial Appeal.
While posing, Elvis noticed that motorists began stopping.
"Let's go. They're beginning to come," the newspaper story
quotes Presley.
The lore of the gate grew over the years.
Elvis's uncle, Vester Lee Presley, and first cousin, Robert Harold
Loyd, were fixtures as gatekeepers.
The same gate protected Elvis from an angry, gun-wield ing Jerry Lee
Lewis, who drove up to it on successive nights in 1976 demanding to
see the King.
Young rocker Bruce Springsteen also wanted to see Elvis that year; the
closed gate forced Springsteen to jump the stone wall fronting
Graceland. Guards turned Springsteen away at the front door, saying
Elvis was in Lake Tahoe.
Shortly after Presley's death in 1977, three young men from Little
Rock were apprehended on the Memphis-Arkansas Bridge after prying off
some of the gate's musical notes.
The vandalism brought a plea from Elvis's father, Vernon Presley:
"I'm begging the public not to ruin it. I'm sure Elvis would not
want it done. We'd like to keep it intact and as pretty as possible
without being ragged."
The Metal Museum will bring about six people to lift the gate from its
hinges, Wallace said.
The Metal Museum will re-install the repaired gate by 10 a.m. Sunday,
he said.
"Our usual human and electronic security that we always have at
the front gate area will be upgraded, " Morgan said, while the
gate is missing.
Wallace declined to say how much the repair would cost.
ELVIS 30 #1 HITS reigns supreme at #1 on the Billboard 200 in the
United States for the third week. Sales worldwide are outstanding,
nearly 6 million units. In America alone, the record has sold over 1
million units and will be certified platinum by the RIAA. Sales awards
for ELVIS 30 #1 HITS will be presented at Graceland on January 8th as
part of the Elvis
Birthday Celebration.
Following
is a press release issued today from RCA/BMG:
THE KING STILL ALIVE… ATOP THE CHARTS ELV1S
30 #1 HITS SELLS NEARLY 6 MILLION WORLDWIDE
Album Stays No. 1 in Europe and U.S.
RCA Records’ Presley Collection Continues to Astound, Reaching Top
of the Charts in 24 Territories
New York, NY -- October 16, 2002 – BMG and RCA Records announced
today that ELV1S 30 #1 HITS has sold nearly 6 million units worldwide,
having reached the top spot in an astounding 24 countries and the top
five in five others.
In addition, ELV1S 30 #1 HITS held its No. 1 position in the U.S. for
the third consecutive week and in Europe for the second consecutive
week. The album was released worldwide on September 24th.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Long live the King. Elvis Presley is extending
his reign over the U.S. pop charts for a third straight week thanks to
a greatest-hits album released 25 years after his death, according to
sales data issued on Wednesday.
"Elvis: 30 #1 Hits" sold 205,000 copies during the week
ended Oct. 13, pushing its three-week domestic tally over the
1-million mark and relegating the veteran rock band Bon Jovi to the
No. 2 spot for the biggest album debut of its career.
A similar pattern occurred in the U.S. charts the week before, when
the Presley retrospective deprived the Rolling Stones of what would
have been their first No. 1 album in 21 years. The Stones' latest hits
package, "Forty Licks," slipped from No. 2 to No. 3 in its
second week with sales of 147,000 copies, according to album sales
tracker Nielsen SoundScan.
The heavily promoted "Elvis" album also has been a
tremendous hit overseas, selling nearly 6 million copies worldwide and
topping the charts in two dozen countries, according to RCA Records.
The album has reigned supreme in Europe for a second consecutive week,
RCA said.
Presley kept his posthumous grip on the pop charts with the help of a
$10 million global marketing campaign by RCA and its parent BMG with a
collection featuring such classics as "Don't Be Cruel,"
"Jailhouse Rock" and "Return to Sender." BMG is
the global music division of Bertelsmann AG
The album also has benefited from renewed interest in the King of Rock
'n' Roll generated by the 25th anniversary of his death and a
hot-selling new remix of the song, "A Little Less
Conversation," which appears on the new CD.
Deep
in an Oak Brook safe, next to a box containing Wilson, the volleyball
from the movie "Cast Away," and near Wally Schirra's
sky-blue flight-training suit from Apollo 7, sits a hunka-hunka ball
of hair that could soon spark a bidding war.
A
bird flew out of an open engine compartment of a Lockheed Jetstar
yesterday, but inside the plane, once owned by Elvis Presley, the red
velvet seats were plush and the golden bathroom faucets gleamed.
