ELVIS WEEK 2007

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Quote:

"Elvis Presley is the greatest cultural force in the 20th century."

(Leonard Bernstein)


Quote:

"If you're an Elvis fan, no explanation is necessary; If you're not an Elvis fan, no explanation is possible."

(George Klein)


Quote:

"For a dead man, Elvis Presley is awfully noisy."

(Professor Gilbert B. Rodman)


 

Quote:

"Absolute id crashed into absolute superego...as the uptightset man in America shook hands with just about the loosest."

(Mark Feeney on the 'Elvis meets Nixon' meeting)


Quote:

"Elvis is everywhere"

(Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper)


Quote:

"...especially in the South, they talk about Elvis and Jesus in the same breath"

(Michael Ventura, LA Weekly)


Quote:

"The image is one thing and the human being is another...it's very hard to live up to an image"

 

(Elvis Presley, Madison Square Garden press conference, 1972)


Quote:

"Elvis was a major hero of mine. I was actually stupid enough to believe that having the same birthday as him actually meant something"

(David Bowie)


Quote:

"No-one, but no-one, is his equal, or ever will be. He was, and is supreme"

(Mick Jagger)


Quote:

"I wasn't just a fan, I was his brother...there'll never be another like that soul brother"

(Soul legend, James Brown)


Quote:

"Before Elvis there was nothing!"

(John Lennon)


Quote:

"There were rock 'n' roll records before Heartbreak Hotel, but this was the one that didn't just open the door…it literally blasted the door off its rusted, rotten, anachronistic hinges...producing, no propelling, a fundamental, primordial and unstoppable shift in not only musical, but social, political and cultural history"

(JNP, BBC website)


Quote:

"Elvis, the musician, is largely a relic belonging to the baby boomer generation...Elvis, the icon, is arguably one of the most potent symbols of popular culture"

( Dr. John Walker)


Quote:

"It [rock & roll] was always about Elvis; not just because he was Elvis, but because he was the big star"

(Bono from U2)


Quote:

"If they had let me on white radio stations back then, there never would have been an Elvis"

(Little Richard)


Quote:

"Elvis loved opera, and he especially liked Mario Lanza. He would watch The Student Prince which was set in Heidelberg, over and over again. He loved the power of the big voices. And he loved big orchestras. He liked real dramatic things"

(Marty Lacker in 'Elvis and the Memphis Mafia')


Quote:

"If life was fair, Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead"

(Johnny Carson)


Elvis' #1 Pop Singles on Cashbox, USA:

Heartbreak Hotel (1956)

Don't Be Cruel (1956)

Hound Dog (1956)

Love Me Tender (1956)

Too Much (1957)

All Shook Up (1957)

Teddy Bear (1957)

Jailhouse Rock (1957)

Don't (1958)

Stuck On You (1960)

It's Now Or Never (1960)

Are You Lonesome Tonight? (1960)

Surrender (1961)

Good Luck Charm (1962)

Return To Sender (1962)

In The Ghetto (1969)

Suspicious Minds (1969)

Burning Love (1972)

(The Cashbox chart is now defunct)


Elvis Facts:

Elvis was 5' 11" tall

 

Elvis' natural hair color was dark blond

 

Elvis' blood type was O Positive

 

Elvis' shoe size was 11D

 

One of Elvis'( maternal) ancestors, Morning White Dove (born 1800, died 1835), was a full-blooded Cherokee Indian

 

Elvis' uncle, Noah Presley, became Mayor of East Tupelo on January 7, 1936

 

The Presley family moved to Memphis on November 6, 1948

 

Elvis was issued a Social Security card in September 1950 with the # 409-52-2002

 

In 1954 some of the shows played by Elvis & The Blue Moon Boys were at the Overton Park Shell; the Bel-Air Club; Sleepy-Eyed John's Eagle's Nest Club and the Louisiana Hayride

 

Elvis' first manager was Scotty Moore, then Bob Neal, before signing with Colonel Tom Parker

 

The first DJ to play an Elvis record was Fred Cook (WREC), not Dewey Phillips (WHBQ). However, Dewey had the distinction of being the first DJ to play an Elvis record in its entirety

 

Elvis once dated famous stripper, Tempest Storm

 

Elvis was filmed from the waist up only during his 3rd and final appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show

 

In the 50s Elvis was friendly with rising stars, Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner and Ty (Bronco Lane) Hardin

 

Gladys Presley was 46 years old when she died, not 42, as many books suggest

 

The Roustabout album sold 450,000 copies on its initial release, 150,000 copies more than any of the preceding three soundtrack LPs. It was Elvis' last "soundtrack" album to reach #1 on the major album charts in the US

 

Elvis received $1m for filming Harum Scarum (aka Harum Holiday). The film grossed around $2m in the US

 

Elvis and Priscilla married on May 1, 1967

 

They were officially divorced on October 9, 1973

 

Elvis earns nearly $3.5m in 1968 and pays just over $1.4m in income tax

 

Elvis' return to live performing in Las Vegas on July 31, 1969 was in front of an "by invitation only" audience. Stars in attendance included Wayne Newton, Petula Clark, Shirley Bassey, Burt Bacharach and Angie Dickinson

 

On January 9, 1971, the national Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) announced Elvis as one of "The Top Ten Young Men of the Year". Elvis spoke at the official awards ceremony on January 16

 

"Elvis: Aloha From Hawai" made entertainment history on January 14, 1973, when it was beamed around the world by satellite. In the Philippines it drew 91% of the audience, in Hong Kong 70%. The viewing audience was estimated at more than 1 billion

 

For his 4 week Hilton Vegas season in August 1973 Elvis received $610,000

Sales of Elvis' 1973 album, Raised On Rock, were less than 200,000 units on its initial release

 

Elvis paid $2,959,000 in income tax in 1973

 

In December 1976 Elvis was sworn in as a special deputy sheriff of Shelby County (Memphis) by Sheriff Gene Barksdale

 

Elvis' final live concert was in Indianapolis on June 26, 1977

When Elvis died, he and his father Vernon, were embroiled in an FBI investigation called Operation Fountain Pen

More than 1,500 books have been published about The King in more than 30 languages

 

At Dec 2005 Elvis' biggest selling album in the US is the budget priced, Elvis' Christmas Album, with accredited sales of 9 million units (fingers crossed it reaches 10 million to give Elvis his first "Diamond" award)

 

By early2006, Sony BMG's "collectors label", Follow That Dream, had released more than 50 Elvis CDs

 

During the 1980s, tour guides at Graceland stated that Elvis' biggest selling album (globally) was Moody Blue, with sales exceeding 14 million

 

While Sony BMG estimates Elvis' global sales exceed 1 billion, the company is unable to substantiate this figure. Accredited sales worldwide are estimated to be less than 400 million

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review:

"Elvis Presley as The One Called Charro!"

Joseph A. Tunzi Productions, USA, 2006, Softcover, 112 pages, Illustrated, ISBN: 1888464143 (+ bonus 6 track CD)

"The year is 1870. Jess Wade rides into a Mexican border town in response to an urgent message from a former girl friend. The message, however, is a ruse..."

JAT Productions has released another visually pleasing, but flawed photobook, this time showcasing one of The King's lesser appreciated films, Charro! Filmed in 1968 and released in 1969, Charro! was Elvis' 29th motion picture and one modelled on the very successful Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns starring another iconic star, Clint Eastwood.

The release is broken into four (visual) parts: Elvis On Screen; Candid Moments; Publicity; and Charro! in Color. Not surprisingly, the publicity stills and color section are particularly eye-catching.

The photos are varied and generally very good with each of the four parts offering adifferent visual perspective on the film.
As a visual archive of Charro!, Joseph Tunzi has produced a comprehensive record which many fans will enjoy and appreciate. And the full page close-up's of Elvis are certainly appealing.

While more expensive, the use of 'full gloss' paper could have given all visuals a much greater impact. As it is, a murky quality affects at least some of the photos.

Bill Bram contributes a fascinating but all too brief narrative including interviews with members of the production crew. For instance, we learn how a body double was used for Ina Balin's famous nude bath scene and also of another deleted scene involving nudity. Many male fans will be delighted to know both the deleted nude scenes are visually presented in the book.

Bram also offers an insightful explanation of why Elvis was better at dramatic roles in the 1950s than he was by the late 1960s.

And Joseph Tunzi himself reveals that while there are no known outtakes of the rehearsal scenes, a complete version of the film exists with the deleted nude scenes!

As with all of JAT's photobooks, this one would have benefitted from an injection of significantly more text. Photobooks can only offer one dimension of their subject matter and much more narrative on the making of Charro! would have added real value to this release. Others will undoubtedly argue it is simply the visuals which matter.

However, to me this the area where Tunzi lets himself down. Unlike the Ger Rijff photojournals, the JAT releases lack much needed balance between the visual and narrative elements.

Rare visuals from the making of Charro!

In line with other recent JAT publications, "Elvis Presley as The One Called Charro!" comes with a bonus six track CD. There are five previously unreleased radio spots plugging the film and track 6 is a fascinating audio featurette including interviews with director Charles Marquis Warren and co-stars Ina Balin and Barbara Werle.

Charro!

Jess Wade...Elvis Presley

Tracy...Ina Balin

Vince...Victor French

Sara Ramsey...Barbara Werle

Billy Roy...Solomon Sturges

Opie Keetch...Paul Brinegar

Gunner...James Sikking

and introducing Lynn Kellogg as Marcie

 

Visual opposite by Night Rider Designs

(and is not included in "Elvis Presley As The One Called Charro!")

Another area I believe JAT needs to improve in is its book design. The Ger Rijff designed photojournals have set a high standard and JAT could improve its overall design by incorporating one or two ideas from the Rijff releases. The Elvis photobook world is an increasingly cluttered one and it will be interesting to see for how much longer its devoted fan base remains loyal to JAT's hackneyed and unimaginative format.

As regular readers of my book reviews will know, I take real issue with "softcover" photobooks. The nature of these releases is that people will open them up and browse through the visuals on offer. Unfortunately, in softcover format, the covers quickly become dog eared and creased. While I appreciate the added cost of hardcovers is usually prohibitive, a more durable cover format, possibly flexicover, is badly needed.

The limited edition print run of "Elvis Presley as The One Called Charro!" is now "sold out" on the JAT website. Copies are still available from various Elvis dealers and occasionally on ebay.

Verdict: Pricey release of interest due to solid text by Bill Bram and visuals of the two deleted nude scenes. Overall the book lacks balance between its (minimalist, but intriguing) narrative and (abundant) visual elements.

Click to comment on this review

 

Top 10 Most Popular Pages (early July 2006)
Worst photo of Elvis
Interview: Jean-Marc Juilland (BMG Audio Restorer) - "I Found My Thrill"
CD: One Night Only
Book Review: Elvis In Munich
Almost Elvis
Elvis Conspiracy
CD Reviews
Book Reviews
June is Elvis Film Month on EIN
Interview: EIN talks to Elvis Presley In Concert Promoter
 
Reviews
CD: One Night Only
Book: Elvis In Munich
"Charro" Film Review
FTD: Made In Memphis
CD: 'Hail To The King' (MOJO)
Magazine: MOJO
Book: Elvis Through My Eyes (Denson)
DVD: Love Me Tender (Special Edition)
CD: Inspirational (genre album)
CD: Elvis Country (genre album)
DVD: Kraig Parker - 50th Anniversary Tribute
CD: Pieces Of My Life
CD: Elvis rock
DVD: Behind the Scenes at the Seattle World's Fair
DVD: The TCB Gang - The Way It Was
CD: In The King's Shadow..The Rock 'n' Roll Years (El Gamble)
Book: Inside Loving You
FTD: Loving You
FTD: Southern Nights
DVD: "Promised Land" (Steve Preston)
DVD: Colonel Parker
Film: Elvis Killed My Brother
CD: Elvis A Legendary Performer Vol. 7
DVD: A Tribute To The King (Scotty Moore)
Book/CD: Memphis Recording Service
Book: Elvis and the Memphis Mafia
CD: All Shook Up (reggae tribute)
'Elvis On Tour Outtakes' DVD review
'Hitstory' CD EIN in depth review
FTD: Summer Festival
DVD: Elvis & Me
FTD: All Shook Up
FTD: Tickle Me
CD: Elvis by the Presleys
Book: Dewey and Elvis
Articles
The King has rebel roots
Elvis in Tucson
Elvis helps bring peace to Afghanistan
Elvis & Tupelo
Act Naturally: Elvis, the Beatles and "rocksploitation"
Is Elvis alive?: Major investigation identifies flaw in 'Elvis DNA findings'
"David vs. Goliath": Sid Shaw's legal battle with EPE
Elvis' blackest day on stage
Elvis' musical legacy - 'A Complete Body Of Work
The Best Elvis CDs, Books & DVDs ever released!
Elvis & the Mexican Bracero
Tribute to Charlie Hodge
The Top 10 Elvis releases of 2005
Wilson Pickett & Elvis
Elvis That's The Way It Is: 1970 vs. 2001
Elvis' Bad Break!
The amazing story of Jimmy (Orion) Ellis
Graceland 2005
Elvis and Las Vegas
The man who bought Elvis (Robert Sillerman)
Presley Commission Report
Mario Lanza meets Elvis
A Kick Upwards For Elvis' Movies
How Mario Lanza influenced Elvis
Enduring economic power of Elvis
Graceland - the ultimate bachelor pad
Elvis was not a racist!
The Definitive Elvis "blues" album
Elvis on The Creative Edge - Part 2 - The CD
'Elvis Seriously'- Why is Elvis' voice too often ignored
Elvis & Ed Sullivan - The Real Story
It's Over - Gordon Minto on 18 #1's
Elvis - symbol of freedom or not?
The importance of being Elvis
Elvis rules on television! (updated August 2005)
Elvis in the 50s - Maxine Brown
How & where to sell your Elvis collection
Elvis in the 1970s
More on Elvis on TV
Elvis - Hero with 1000 faces
Elvis Film Guide
Elvis rules on television! (updated May 2005)
How did Elvis die?
 
Interviews
Andreas Roth (author of "Elvis In Munich")
Elvis Presley In Concert - Aussie Promoter
Jean-Marc Juilland (BMG Audio Restorer)
Rev. Mother Dolores Hart
David Stanley talks to EIN
Charlie Hodge talks to EIN
Kevan Budd (BMG)
Ernst Jorgensen on Elvis' record sales
Billy Smith (Part 2)
Billy Smith (Part 1)
Ernst Jorgensen (Sirius Radio)
Lamar Fike (Part 2)
Lamar Fike (Part 1)
Marty Lacker (part 2)
Marty Lacker (part 1)
David Bendeth, producer of 'Elvis 30#1s'
Ernst Jorgensen
Ernst Jorgensen
 
Audio-visual
Elvis Only Radio
Elvis On Tour (Hampton Roads) footage
Elvis On Tour
Graceland cam
Listen to the Elvis "strung out" in Vegas audio
The "Real" Elvis off-stage
Unreleased Elvis audio now online
View EPE Graceland tourism ads
View video of "All Shook Up" opening night on Broadway
"Images In Concert" Photo Database
 
Reference
All about Elvis
All about Elvis tribute artists
All about Lisa Presley
All about Graceland
Contact List
Elvis CDs in 2006
Elvis DVDs 2006
Elvis books 2005-07
Elvis Week 2007
Elvis film guide
Elvis Online Virtual Library
Elvis Presley Research Forum
Elvis was a racist? (archives)
Elvis Week 2005
Links to Elvis' family & friends
Online Elvis Symposium
Sale of EPE "Archives"
6th Elvis Website Survey
Spotlight on The King
"Wikipedia" Elvis bio
 
 

Quote:

"Elvis Presley is the supreme socio-cultural icon in the history of pop culture"

(Dr. Gary Enders)


Quote:

"Elvis is the 'glue' which holds our society together....which subconciously gives our world meaning"

(Anonymous)


Quote:

"Eventually everybody has to die, except Elvis"

(humorist Dave Barry)


Quote:

"He is the "Big Bang", and the universe he detonated is still expanding, the pieces are still flying"

(Greil Marcus, "Dead Elvis")


Quote:

"I think Elvis Presley will never be solved"

(Nick Tosches)


Quote:

"He was the most popular man that ever walked on this planet since Christ himself was here"

(Carl Perkins)


Quote:

"When I first heard Elvis' voice I just knew I wasn't going to work for anybody...hearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail"

(Bob Dylan)


Quote:

"When we were kids growing up in Liverpool, all we ever wanted was to be Elvis Presley"

(Sir Paul McCartney)


Quote:

"You can't say enough good things about Elvis. He was one of a kind"

(Johnny Cash)


Quote:

"And don't think for one moment he's just a passing fancy....he's got enough of it to keep him on top for a long time"

(R. Fred Arnold, Fury magazine, Aug 1957)


Quote:

"It isn't enough to say that Elvis is kind to his parents, sends money home, and is the same unspoiled kid he was before all the commotion began. That still isn't a free ticket to behave like a sex maniac in public"

(Eddie Condon, Cosmopolitan)


Elvis records reaching #2 & #3 on the Cashbox Pop Singles chart:

#2: A Fool Such As I (1959)

#2: A Big Hunk Of Love (1959)

#3: Hard Headed Woman (1958)

#3: One Night (1958)

#3: (You're The Devil) In Disguise (1963)


Elvis Facts:

Tickets for Elvis' show on March 29, 1957 in St. Louis cost $2.00 to $2.50

While in Germany Elvis was hospitalised with tonsillitis in October 1959

Despite being an illegal immigrant, photographic evidence shows Colonel Tom Parker traveled to Canada with Elvis in 1957

Elvis strongly believed there weren't enough good songs in King Creole to justify releasing a soundtrack album. RCA initially agreed, releasing two very successful EPs from the movie. A soundtrack LP eventually followed

During the 1960s Elvis had his own football team, Elvis Presley Enterprises, which played in the Memphis touch football league. In the 1962 final, EPE narrowly lost to Delta Automatic Transmission, 6-13

In Clambake, (Elvis) Scott Hayward's driving licence shows February 23, 1940...taking 5 years off Elvis' real age

In the 1970s Elvis was offered $5m to stage a concert in front of the Pyramids in Egypt. When the Colonel declined the offer, Saudi billionaires raised the offer to $10m