|
|
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
|
Concept by Joseph Pirzada Text by Joseph Pirzada and John Michael Heath Published by Memphis Recording Services Ltd, MRS100209, 2005, EU, Softcover, No ISBN Reviewed by Nigel Patterson
...."One of 2005's finest releases"....
The 5.1 DVD Audio CD contains 11 fully restored tracks from 1953-1954. Each track has been remastered using never before released original sources of masters, acetates and tapes to produce the highest quality sound possible. AND IT SHOWS!!! The remastering was done by Mark Ritchie and Joseph Pirzada at Barefoot Studios in London. While Kevan Budd's "Elvis At Sun" compile gave us great sounding audio for Elvis' Sun Studio tracks, Memphis Recording Service gives us clear, vibrant sound not only with the studio recordings, but also the "live" Hayride performances. For some, That's All Right, sans the echo, will take some getting used to, but what a release! The Memphis Recording Service allows us to shut the blinds, turn out the lights, sit back and enjoy the early primal Elvis sound at its best! An archival photograph accompanies each song on the DVD Audio CD. The tracklist for the 5.1 DVD Audio CD is: 1. My Happiness Text and Visual Elements: The book element, The Beginning of Elvis Presley - The Birth of Rock 'n' Roll, features exclusive new information, unseen documents and color photos covering the humble beginnings of Elvis' music career and its effects on the birth of Rock’n’ Roll during 1953 -1954. Undoubtedly, the book's strong point is its many stunning color and b&w visuals and historic, archival reproductions of newspaper advertisements, billboard posters, reviews, program schedules and the like. From a photo of the pre-release acetate of 'That's All Right' to Scotty Moore's management contract with Elvis, Elvis' more complex first recording contract with Sun Record Company, Inc. and a series of fantastic photos taken at the Eagles Nest night club in Memphis, the visual aspect of the package will give you goosebumps! Various of the photos have only been published previously in black & white, and there is no doubt that in their "colorised" form they take on a whole new look and feel. The text is quite well written, engaging the reader's interest with its to the point style and illuminating our knowledge of what Elvis was doing before he became famous:
With very good page design the text and visuals nicely complement each other. Interestingly, the page color is a pleasing yellow, and the paper is high quality semi-gloss stock. The book element also contains a 1953-1954 recording log and a list of Elvis' 1954 tour dates. The publisher has "sold out" of its copies of the first edition of the Memphis Recording Service and many suppliers are down to their last few copies of the the first edition. A second edition is planned. Verdict: Joseph Pirzada's Memphis Recording Service captures our interest with stunning and well balanced visual, narrative and aural elements. One of the finest releases of 2005. I for one can't wait for Volume 2 in the series! Click to buy the Memphis Recording Service Click to comment on this review See EIN review of "Memphis Recording Service Vol. 2" - 2006's release See EIN review of MRS 'Off Duty with Private Presley' Book/CD See EIN review of 'Tupelo Welcomes Elvis Presley Home' CD/Book See EIN review of MRS 'G.I Blues - Café Europa Sessions' See EIN review of BMG Elvis At Sun See EIN review of Dewey and Elvis - a phenomenal story See EIN review of The Blue Moon Boys: The Story of Elvis Presley's Band
|
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: "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 Menphis touch football league. In the 1962 final, EPE narrowlt 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 ofered $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
|
||||||||||||||||
