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Lisa Presley's World Bill Burk's Elvis World Online

Best of Elvis on YouTube FTD Shop

Classic Movies & Songs Collection: Released earlier this year is the movie and CD package "Classic Movies And Songs". It contains the three movies "Clambake", "Kid Galahad" and "Frankie & Johnny" combined into one package with the "Movie" CD from BMG's "Genre" series. (News, Source: Elvis News)

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Also: see EIN's extensive archives on the sale of EPE

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30th Anniversary Edition Collector: Released on the MBL / AAmc label on November 20, 2007 in France is the 4 CD long-box set entitled "Elvis Presley: 30th Anniversary Edition Collector". CD 1: Heartbreak Hotel - I Was The One - Blue Suede Shoes - Tutti Frutti - That´s All Right - Blue Moon Of Kentucky - Good Rockin´ Tonight - I Don´t Care If The Sun Don´t Shine - Milkow Blues Boogie - You´re A Heartbreakter - Baby Let´s Play House - I´m Left, You´re Right, She´s Gone CD 2: Mystery Train - I Forgot To Remember To Forget - I Love You Because - Just Because - Trying To Get To You - I´ll Never Let You Go - Blue Moon - I´m Counting On you - I Got A Woman - One Side Love Affair - I´m Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry - Money Honey CD 3: Hound Dog - Don´t Be Cruel - Lawdy, Mis Clawdy - Shake, Rattle And Roll - I Want You, I Need You, I Love You - Me Baby Left Me - Love Me Tender - Let Me - Poor Boy - We´re Gonna Move - Rip It Up - Love Me CD 4: When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again - Long Tall Sally - First In Line - Paralysed - So Glad You´re Mine - Old Shep - Ready Teddy - Anyplace Is Paradise - How´s The World Treating You - How Do You Think I Feel - Too Much - Any Way You Want Me (News, Source: Elvis News)

Roger Marshutz dies: Roger Marshutz, a photographer whose images of a young Elvis Presley reaching out to his fans, Marilyn Monroe at the height of her fame and other celebrity shots appeared in fan magazines, on posters and in movie publicity kits during the 1950s and '60s, has died. He was 78. Marshutz died Dec. 15 at his home in Los Angeles of pancreatic cancer, his wife, Nancy, said.

Marshutz began working as a Hollywood photographer in the mid-1950s, taking pictures of the most famous actors of the day, including Rock Hudson, Audrey Hepburn and Paul Newman. At times, he was hired by movie studios to photograph actors for news kits promoting their latest movies. He also worked on assignment for Photoplay and other popular picture magazines.

One of his best known images shows Presley at an outdoor concert in Tupelo, Miss., in 1956, singing to a crowd and reaching for the hands closest to the stage. The photograph first appeared in Photoplay.

On another assignment for Photoplay in 1956, Marshutz photographed Monroe, wearing a black slip dress and long, sparkling earrings, her star power showing. By then she had appeared in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "The Seven Year Itch," two of her most popular films.

Marshutz's photograph of actor Anthony Perkins shows the actor in shadows, riding a bicycle. It was taken in 1957, three years before Perkins played his most famous role as the shadowy Norman Bates in "Psycho."
On a typical day as a Hollywood photographer, "I'd go to somebody's house, like Natalie Wood's or Kim Novak's and spend an afternoon," Marshutz recalled in a 2003 interview with Los Angeles magazine. Other days he worked on a movie lot, snapping pictures of a film in production.

He got started as a photographer in the early 1950s during the Korean War. He served in the Army and was stationed in Pusan, working for the Army Pictorial Service. He documented U.S. military outreach services to the local community, and in his spare time, he wandered the city streets taking pictures of street vendors, shoeshine boys, schoolchildren and others. Some of the images were displayed in "Reconfiguring Korea," a 2006 exhibit at the Peabody Museum at Harvard University.

Along with his work as a Hollywood photographer through the 1960s, Marshutz worked as a commercial photographer for retailers, airline companies and other clients. He also took photos on his own of former gang members and homeless people as well as scenes in nature. He exhibited his work at several local galleries.

Marshutz was born in Los Angeles on Oct. 17, 1929. He attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo but did not graduate and later studied photography at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. He was married three times. Along with his wife, Nancy, he is survived by two sons, one daughter, four stepchildren and several grandchildren.

Contributions in his name can be made to the Patty Boshell Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, 102 NE 2nd St., Suite 280, Boca Raton, FL 33432. (News, Source: L.A. Times/Joan Gansky)

Jimmy Reed inducted into Mississippi Musician's Hall of Fame: Rhythm and blues legend Jimmy Reed is among the 2007 class of inductees into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame. Reed grew up in Leland and died in 1976 at the age of 51. He was at his creative peak between 1955 and 1961, when he wrote hits including "Baby, What You Want Me to Do" and "Bright Lights, Big City." Elvis Presley recorded the first song for his "'68 Comeback Special".

Other inductees include, by category: Freddie Waits of Jackson, jazz; Charlie Feathers of Holly Springs, country; the Rev. Cleophus Robinson of Canton, gospel; Blind Roosevelt Graves and the Mississippi Jook Band of Hattiesburg, rock; Tommy Johnson of Terry, blues.

Previously inducted members of the Mississippi Music Hall of Fame include Faith Hill, Elvis Presley, Jimmy Buffett and B.B. King. (News, Source: WAPT)

Chart Update: The Billboard chart listings for the week ending January 5, 2008:

Top 200 Albums: Home For The Holidays: #126
Comprehensive Albums: Elvis Christmas #128
Comprehensive Albums: Home For The Holidays: #149
Comprehensive Albums: It's Christmas Time #172
Comprehensive Albums: ELV1S 30 #1 Hits: #171
Pop Catalogue Albums: Elvis Christmas #20
Pop Catalogue Albums: It's Christmas Time #33
Pop Catalogue Albums: ELV1S 30 #1 Hits #32
Country Catalogue Albums: Elvis Christmas #2
Country Catalogue Albums: ELV1S 30 #1 Hits #5
Country Catalogue Albums: Ultimate Gospel #24
Independent Albums: Home For The Holidays: #8
Holiday Albums: Elvis Christmas: #22
Holiday Albums: Home For The Holidays: #8
Holiday Albums: It's Christmas Time: #30
Hot 100 Singles Recurrents: Blue Christmas #16
Adult Contemporary Recurrent: Blue Christmas # 20
Hot Holiday Songs: Blue Christmas: #20
Music Video: ELV1S #1 Hits Performances: #24
Music Video: Aloha From Hawaii: #39

Read Elvis International's Shelly Powers interview with Jimmy Velvet

A daughter connects with her father's music: When Nancy Shockley was 4 or 5, she would sometimes awaken in the night to the sound of her father coming home from work, his big "doghouse" bass bumping the furniture. Sometimes she would climb on it and ride it like a pony before her mother chased her off. To the world, her father was Bill Black, bass player for Elvis Presley in those early, heady days of the mid-1950s when Elvis was swiveling and shaking his way toward a music that would rock the world. To Shockley, 56, Black was a doting dad, a working-class guy who could give her only a little time before he died of a brain tumor in 1965. His studio and instruments were sold when she was still a child. She now lives in Covington with her husband, William Shockley, where they own a company that levels ground and prepares sites for construction. She never knew what happened to the bass until the late '70s when Rolling Stone reported that Paul McCartney had it. Last month, about 30 years later, Shockley and the bass were reunited in a remarkable interlude spent with McCartney, the former Beatle, at his studio in England. Sir Paul sang to her, posed for photos and even plucked a few notes of her dad's old part on "Heartbreak Hotel."

Shockley's first attempt to reach McCartney after seeing the article in the '70s was unsuccessful. She let it go. But the bass did not let her go. Years later, in Oct. 2006, it turned up again in the arms of McCartney on an episode of PBS's Great Performances. A clip that spotlighted the bass circulated on Youtube.com where a friend found it and sent it to Shockley.

In the clip McCartney, performing at London's Abbey Road studios, literally unveiled the instrument and presented it as the "original Elvis Presley bass," with its "dashing white trim," he said, that was "played by Bill Black." The bass, identified as a Maestro M-1 Kay model, by scottymoore.net, the Web site of Elvis' guitarist Scotty Moore, was taped at the edges, probably for protection at first, then painted white. McCartney said when Elvis, Moore and Black toured the region, Elvis drove and the bass rode on the roof of the vehicle. McCartney then sang and played "Heartbreak Hotel" on the bass.

Shockley said Gail Pollock, longtime friend and assistant to Moore, gave her a contact for McCartney. Shockley wrote and this time received a letter inviting her to visit McCartney in England. She and her husband arrived in London, Nov. 14, for a four-day stay. The couple, traveling south by train, were "collected," as the English say, by an assistant to McCartney and taken in a van to a recording studio overlooking the English Channel.

Shockley said she wasn't told the name of the studio and declined to provide full details out of concern for McCartney's privacy. But she was almost certainly at his Hogs Hill Mill studio in a restored windmill in a village near Hastings. The couple was offered tea and sandwiches in a kitchen there, and as Shockley gazed out the window, she heard a voice behind her that seemed to come out of the past, say, "Nancy has come to see her daddy's bass."

It was McCartney, casually dressed in jean and loafers. "I almost cried he was so nice," said Shockley. "I immediately felt like this was someone I should have met a long time ago. It was like seeing an old friend."
McCartney led the couple to an upstairs room, apparently an office, where the old bass waited. Shockley choked back tears, and McCartney told her, "Let it go, love."

The three remained there for a time saying little. For Shockley, the silent bass played memories of her father, a former employee at the old North Memphis Firestone plant, who had a musical bent. He was also funny and his stage clowning was often crucial in warming up 1950s crowds for what seemed then like a pretty wild Elvis. The Blacks lived near the Firestone plant until Shockley was about 5 years old, she said, then moved to Pikes Peak Street, off Jackson and a few years later to Frayser. Her mother was Evelyn Steele Black, who died in 2002. Shockley has a sister, Leigh Ann Porterfield of Memphis, and a brother Louis Black of Atoka.

Shockley remembers Elvis coming to her house on Pikes Peak when she was a child and talking business with her dad. She wondered why his car, parked outside, drew curious folks from the neighborhood, and why women had written phone numbers on it with lipstick.

Even after Bill Black left Elvis in 1958, Black was still on the road with his band Bill Black's Combo, and had several hits, including "White Silver Sands" and "Josephine." Shockley knew him mostly during the last two years of his life, after he stopped touring. Shockley imagines the bass stirred memories for McCartney too. It was a gift from Linda McCartney, his wife of 29 years.

Black had sold his bass around 1962 to Mike Leech of The Memphis Boys, according to Moore's Web site, and it remained in Leech's attic until sometime in the late '70s when it was sold to music publisher Buddy Killen, possibly for purchase by Linda McCartney. A PBS.org article states that McCartney used the vintage bass on "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love," songs he recorded in 1995 with the two remaining Beatles, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

McCartney later posed for photos with the Shockleys and played a little of "Heartbreak Hotel" for them. "That's why I have a big grin on my face," said Shockley, about one of the photos. Later he showed them some of the instruments in the studio, including some used in original Beatles' recordings, and played and sang a bit of "Lady Madonna." The visit lasted about 11/2 hours, said Shockley, and then the couple was taken back to the train station.

James Roy of Boston, who maintains Moore's Web site, and is an authority on vintage guitars, notes that most of the instruments from Elvis's '50s performances are privately owned or lost. Moore has not been in possession of his guitars from that time in many years, said Roy. Two are reportedly in private hands.

Graceland owns Elvis' 1956 Gibson. Only one of his Martins used from 1954-56 has surfaced, said Roy, and was owned by a Seattle man the last time he heard. Shockley said folks in the Memphis music community sometimes ask her about the bass and whether she would like to have it back in the family. Sure she would, she said.

"But it's in the best hands it could be right now," with McCartney, she said. "He takes care of it. He loves it. He keeps it alive. And I would like it to stay with him." (News, Source: Commercial Appeal/EP Gold)

Elvis Birthday month on Australian TV: Australian cable TV is celebrating Elvis' birthday month with a fine selection of fifteen of Elvis' best movies. 

FOX Classics, the Foxtel channel is featuring seven Elvis movies to celebrate the King's birthday.
'Love Me Tender' - JAN 7 at 8.30pm
'Jailhouse Rock' - JAN 8 at 8.30pm
'Flaming Star' - JAN 9 at 8.30pm plus 'Roustabout' at 10.00pm
'Wild in the Country' - JAN 10 at 8.30pm
'Blue Hawaii' - JAN 11 at 8.30pm plus 'Speedway' at 10.10pm
There's also a JAN 13th Sunday midday double-bill of 'Roustabout/Wild in the Country'

Turner Classic Movies meanwhile present 'A Tribute To The King' with Saturday night double-bills every weekend.
Jan 5 8.30pm - The Trouble with Girls/Live a Little, Love a Little.
Jan 12 8.30pm - It Happened at the World’s Fair/Double Trouble
Jan 19 8.30pm - Viva Las Vegas/Speedway
Jan 26 8.30pm - That's The Way It Is/Elvis On Tour
All these films also show at 12.30pm on Saturday afternoon the same day - the perfect treat for a summer weekend. (News, Source: EIN)

Jeanne Carmen dies: B-movie queen and legendary blonde bombshell pinup Jeanne Carmen died aged 77 on Thursday after a battle with lymphoma. A 1950's Hollywood party girl and model, Carmen was known for claiming to be a close confidant of Marilyn Monroe—long rumored to have had lesbian affairs—and a lover of such famous celebrities as Clark Gable, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. Born in Paragould, Ark., Jeanne Laverne Carmen was often labeled as the "little country girl" who ran away from home when she was 13 to pursue stardom in New York. A gorgeous platinum blonde, Carmen landed an off-Broadway job as a burlesque dancer and later modeled as a pinup. At 18, Carmen picked up skills as a trick golfer from trick shot master Jack Redmond and claims she used her golfing skills to hustle pro golfers with Las Vegas mobster Johnny Roselli, according to the Associated Press. Eventually Carmen transitioned into acting in a variety of low-budget films, earning the title of "Queen of the B Movies," according to MSNBC.com.

"I was just a little country girl that wanted to be a movie star," Carmen said in a 1996 interview with The Orange County Register. Carmen appeared in such movies as Guns Don't Argue, The Three Outlaws and The Monster of Piedras Blancas.

During her time as an actress and model in Hollywood, Carmen claimed she had affairs with such luminaries as Frank Sinatra, John F. Kennedy, Bob Hope, Clark Gable and Elvis Presley. She also claimed to have become close friends with Marilyn Monroe and did not believe Monroe committed suicide. According to MSNBC.com, Carmen's son Brandon James claims she fled Hollywood after Monroe's death out of fear for her own life. Carmen's rise to stardom has been profiled by The Golf Channel and the E! True Hollywood Story. A Hollywood biopic about Carmen's life is reportedly in the works, with starlets Kate Bosworth and Scarlett Johansson rumored to be in line to play the lead. Christina Aguilera was also supposedly under consideration for the role, but declined to participate after she became pregnant, according to ContactMusic.com. The movie is based on Carmen's son Brandon James' biography The Wild, Wild Life of Jeanne Carmen.

Carmen died on Thursday after a battle with lymphoma in her Orange County home. She is survived by her son Brandon James, daughters Melinda Belli and Kellee Jade Campo and three grandchildren. (News, Source: Amber Smith)

YouTube: Jeanne Carmen talks about drive-in date with Elvis

Visit the Jeanne Carmen website

Elvis with Jeanne Carmen at Sy Devore Halloween party, Beverly Hills, 1957

"2008 Ultimate Elvis Competition" announced: Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. has announced that due to the huge worldwide response and overwhelming success of this year's search, it is launching the second annual "Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest" for 2008. As with 2007, contestants will be selected at existing Elvis tribute artist contests, along with fairs, festivals and other venues holding new contests. Licensed festivals from Australia to New York have confirmed to hold preliminary contests so far, with more to follow. The qualifying rounds and finals will be held in Memphis during Elvis Week in Memphis, August 9 through 17, 2008.

"The worldwide response to the first annual competition was astounding. The contest exceeded all of our expectations," stated Paul Jankowski, Chief Marketing Officer for EPE. "Both the original and the growing new generation of Elvis fans discovered yet another way to celebrate Elvis' on-going contribution to the world of entertainment. We applaud the quality of contestants and again congratulate the winner, Shawn Klush."

"To be named The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist by Elvis Presley Enterprises was one of the most meaningful experiences in my life," stated Klush. "I am greatly humbled and honored to have received such an accolade. I just love doing what I do. I do it for Elvis and his fans." The 38-year-old was selected in the "Viva Las Franklin" preliminary contest in Franklin, TN. Since winning the title he has traveled internationally for performances and appeared on several national television programs.

Judges will be looking for the "best representation of the Elvis legacy" in talent, appearance, performance, stage presence and each contestant's overall tribute to Elvis. The best overall performer will be named the "2008 Elvis Tribute Artist of the Year."

For the 2007 competitions, 24 preliminary contests were held from Norway to New Zealand to Canada and California. For 2008, confirmed preliminary events include Coolangatta, Queensland, Australia; Arnold, Missouri; Windsor, Ontario, Canada; Lake George, New York; Tupelo, Mississippi; Penticton, British Columbia, Canada; the Boston area in Arlington, Massachusetts; and Collingwood, Ontario, Canada.

Yet to be confirmed is an Aussie contest in Melbourne with DJ Fontana as special guest (see news item below dated 21 December). Also unconfirmed are rumors that the world's #1 ETA, Shawn Klush, is coming to Australia in 2008.

For additional information on the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest and Elvis Week please visit www.Elvis.com  or email Ultimate@elvis.com (Almost Elvis, Business Wire/EPE)

"The King of Rock 'N' Roll" DVD/CD/Book: Released in Germany November 11, 2007 is the DVD / CD / audiobook set entitled "The King Of Rock 'N' Roll". The DVD is region code 2. (News, Source: Elvis News)

Special screening of "Jailhouse Rock" in Atlanta, Georgia: PLAZA THEATRE DANCES TO THE “JAILHOUSE ROCK” WITH ELVIS BASH Elvis impersonators and a rare screening of “Jailhouse Rock” celebrate the King’s birthday at the Historic Plaza Theatre. Are your hands shaking, your knees weak? Can’t seem to stand on your own two feet? The Historic Plaza Theatre has the cure for what ails you with a special ELVIS BASH on January 12 to commemorate what would’ve been Elvis Presley’s 72nd birthday.

ELVIS BASH begins with a special Iron Elvis competition when five Elvis Presley tribute artists take the stage to see who will be crowned king. As the Elvises sing the timeless classics live on stage, vote on who has the best studded jumpsuit, lip curl and hip swivel. Performers include award-winning Elvis tribute artist Dana Daniels.

Audience members who know their Elvis trivia may walk away with prizes, too. And don’t miss the girls, girls, girls of Blast Off Burlesque as they dance to Elvis’ greatest hits.

A rare screening of one of Elvis’ most critically acclaimed films “Jailhouse Rock” follows. The 1957 flick tells the story of Vince Everett (Presley), an ex con with rock ‘n’ roll in his soul. After getting out of the big house, he becomes a singing sensation. But will success spoil Vince? Songs include “(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care,” “Don’t Leave Me Now” and “Jailhouse Rock.”

Stuff an Elvis fan’s stocking this Christmas with a pair of ELVIS BASH tickets. The show takes places Saturday, January 12, 2008 at 8 p.m. All seats are $12. Advance tickets are available at the Plaza Theatre box office and at www.plazaatlanta.com. Plaza Theatre, 1049 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta GA 30306. 404-873-1939, www.plazaatlanta.com. (News, Source: Jon Waterhouse)

"Elvis A Legendary Performer Vol. 13" release: The Wolf Call label has announced this album. Track listing: Bossa Nova Baby (Take 2) - Girl Happy (Take 13, Take 4 Of Ending) - He (Monovale Drive, Hollywood 1960 Autumn) - Heart Of Rome (Take 1) - Hi Heel Sneakers (Take 5) - Hide Thou Me (Februar 1966, Rocca Place, Hollywood) - Home Is Where The Heart Is (Take 7) - If I Loved You (Februar 1966, Rocco Place, Hollywood) - I´ll Be Home On Christmas Day (Take 9) - O Come All Ye Faithful (Take 2) - Reach Out To Jesus (Unkown Take) - Roustabout (Take 8) - Seeing Is Believing (Unkown Take) - Sound Advice (Take 5) - Spanish Eyes (Duet S. Nielsen April 1974 Palm Springs California) - Speedway (Master) - The First Noel (Remixed Version) - The Sound Of Your Cry (Take 3) - U. S. Male (Take 10) - Whole Lotta Shakin´ Goin´ On (Overdub) (News, Source: Elvis Club Berlin/EP Gold)

Tour Memphis in January with Essential Elvis: Andrew Hearn from Essential Elvis in Britain informs us:

"Due to the success of our city tour in August, I'm planning another all-day tour of Memphis on January 8th.  Bigger and better than anything offered before, we aim to show fans a huge number of Elvis-related sights in and around the city - and all in the comfort and warmth of a luxury coach.

In August, a hundred excited fans were shown a total of 80 Elvis-related places over a period of 8 hours, and we all had so much fun.  I am personally organising and conducting the tour, and I will be providing the commentary along the way.  You may know that I've recently released a book entitled Follow Me To Tennessee (www.followmetotennessee.com) in which fans can learn about 125 Elvis sights in Memphis, along with accurate facts and stories by people who experienced those places with Elvis first hand.

When? The tour will leave, at 10:30am, from behind the ticket office on the plaza once the birthday proclamation on the lawn has finished.  Our first stop will be at Elvis' Circle G Ranch in Mississippi, and then we'll progress towards downtown Memphis.  Well stop for lunch downtown early afternoon and the tour will finish back at Graceland at approximately 5pm.  

A Special Surprise Guest There's more exciting news - I have enlisted the help of a surprise guest, who will be coming along for the ride.  This person was a personal friend of Elvis' and rode around the city with him over many years in the 1970s.  So, we guarantee some first-hand tales of life with the King - making this particular tour very special.

A Unique Price Structure The cost is up to you... honestly!  I'm not asking for an exact amount.  If you wish to experience the tour, I'd be happy for you to make a payment which reflects the service and professionalism shown during the trip.  Once finished, you simply pay what you feel the tour was worth.  We really can't be any fairer than that.

I'd be pleased to hear from you if you are considering joining us.  It'd be helpful to have some idea of numbers, so booking in advance would be good.  If you've any concerns, questions or ideas, please email me on enquiries@essentialelvis.com or simply hit your 'reply' button. 

See also the Essential Elvis Party poster below (22 December)

	Chart Update: On the Swedish Mid-price Top 10 Elvis' "White Christmas" climbs from #3 to #1 while on the Album Top 60 "The Essential Elvis Presley" climbs from #42 to #36. The compilation DVD "The King Of Rock And Roll" remains #2 on the DVD Top 20. (News, Source: Elvis News)

XRCD releases in Asia: Released in Asia are the double XRCD editions of the “Elvis Viva Las Vegas” soundtrack and the “The Essential Elvis” compilation. The Extended Resolution Compact Disc (XRCD) from JVC brings the listener higher fidelity and improved audio quality by enhancing the process of mastering and manufacturing compact discs. All of this is done within the current CD standard, so no special CD player or decoding box is needed to hear the benefit of the XRCD.(News, Source: Elvis News/eBay)

"The Ultimate Elvis Presley": Released in Italy is the 2 CD / book set “The Ultimate Elvis Presley”. Track listing: CD 1: Blue Suede Shoes / Hound Dog / Tutti Frutti / Shake, Rattle & Roll / Don't Be Cruel / Rip It Up / Long Tall Sally / Ready Teddy / Heartbreak Hotel / Love Me Tender / Blue Moon / My Baby Left Me / I Won't Be Rockin Tonight / That's Allright / Paralysed / I Want You, I Need You, I Love You CD 2: Money Honey / Mystery Train / Poor Boy / Love Me / How Do You Think I Feel / I Got A Woman / How's The World Treating You? / I Love You Because / I Was The One / I'll Never Let You Go / Baby, Let's Play House / Milkcow Blues Boogie / Blue Moon Of Kentucky / Good Rockin Tonight / Just Because. (News, Source: Elvis News)

Hot Shots and Cool Clips Volume 4" DVD: Coming in late Spring  ......Hot Shots and Cool Clips Volume 4 featuring over 50 minutes of unreleased footage...from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Everybody Come Along and celebrate 20 years of JAT PRODUCTIONS with this ultimate DVD. Stay tuned as more productions will be coming on this 20th Anniversary year long Celebration. (News, Source: JAT Productions/FECC)

Elvis HD DVD editions released in Australia: Both Jailhouse Rock and Viva Las Vegas were released in HD DVD format in Australia on 5 December. (News, Source: EzyDVD)

to all EIN readers and their families

Elvis CHRISTMAS YouTube Special! 'EIN's Best of Elvis on YouTube' Christmas Update:  EIN presents a fabulous selection of Elvis Christmas clips with all your favourites. A fantastic 'Blue Christmas', 'I'll Be Home On Christmas Day' blues version, the fun of 'Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me', the 'Santa Claus Is Back In Town' TTWII rehearsal, the marvellous Elvis tribute 'Lonely This Christmas' - plus don't miss out on two gems, the Laurel & Hardy 'Ain't That Loving You Baby' - and of course Spankox's 'Baby Let's Play House' remix. Since EIN started our YouTube pages last December we have accumulated over 250 clips - so enjoy your Christmas with some great Elvis viewing.('EIN's Elvis on YouTube', Source: EIN/YouTube)

"LA. art museum having a merry blue Christmas with Elvis": They've got a blue Christmas with Elvis. But a merry one. Elvis Presley _ dead since 1977 _ is still pulling 'em in. At a city-owned museum in northeast Louisiana, he's the main attraction for the holidays. Through Feb. 24, the Masur Museum of Art in Monroe, La., is showing photographs of Presley's last appearance at the Louisiana Hayride _ the country music show at which an announcer is purported to have been the first to say, "Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building" _ and local artists' interpretations of the King of Rock 'n Roll. "Attendance has been great. It's a fun show, and one that's real easy to bring the family to," said Evelyn Pell, curator of exhibitions and collections at the Masur (pronounced "MASS'-er"). "All ages can enjoy this, because everyone knows who Elvis is." The museum is decorated in blue, celebrating Presley's depressive holiday favorite, "Blue Christmas." Wreaths outside include blue ribbons and blue and silver balls, and the halls are decked with blue lights and blue and silver decorations. The photographs are black and white, taken by staffers for Shreveport's daily newspapers at a Dec. 15, 1956, benefit set up as part of Col. Tom Parker's $10,000 buyout of Presley's $200-a-week contract with the Hayride. Parker, Presley's manager, already had signed bigger deals for Elvis: a $40,000 recording contract, a seven-year movie contract and television appearances. The late Langston McEachern of The Times and Jack Barham of The Shreveport Journal, an afternoon paper which folded in 1991, were friends and competitors. "The Times was on one side of the building, the Journal on the other," Barham recalls. "We'd go on assignment together. We'd be in real competition until one of our cameras didn't work or ran out of film, and we'd swap." Barham, who kept the rights to any negatives the paper didn't use, met Presley while covering another performer on the Hayride, a live country music show broadcast on KWKH-AM radio. "I was going behind the curtain to get different angles to shoot. There was a kid lying down between the curtains there, with a guitar," he recalled. "I stepped over him twice. I said, `Who the hell are you?' He said, 'I'm Elvis Presley, sir.'" They became friends. When Presley was in town, he'd call Barham and invite him out for drinks. One of McEachern's photographs shows Presley in 1954, the year his first two singles were released. "He's wearing a suit and bow-tie, and his band is in Western cowboy gear," Pell said. "He looks really timid. Like he's nervous." The Hayride benefit performance came at the end of a year that began with the release of Presley's breakout hit "Heartbreak Hotel." Presley had two singles in 1954 and seven in 1955. Then in 1956 he went on to 21 records, 10 of them extended play records with two songs to a side, and his first two long-playing albums, with six songs per side. The 3,200 seats in the show's usual home, the Municipal Auditorium, weren't enough so Elvis sang before 10,000 people at the State Fair Grounds. Fans paid $2 in advance, $2.50 at the door. Presley signed autographs backstage for polio victims in iron lungs. Proceeds benefited the YMCA. On stage, he showed off the sneer and gyrations that made parents fear for their daughters. "There's some really great shots of him on his knees, on stage _ the heart of the performance you think of when you think of Elvis performing," Pell said. The next day, The Times described the event as "one of the finest displays of mass hysteria in Shreveport history.....The gyrating rotary troubadour was seldom if ever heard by an audience, screaming every time he moved," it reported. The photographs came to light six years ago, when the Meadows Museum at Centenary College in Shreveport was preparing an exhibit of Jay Leviton's photographs of Presley's 1956 tour. Diane Dufilho, director of the Meadows Museum, said she was directed to the Times and Journal photographers by someone who recalled their photos. McEachern "had all these negatives in a shoebox," Dufilho said. For the Masur's other exhibit, Pell said, "We chose artists in the area to bring people we knew could bring us quality artwork and creative artwork." Many are portraits, but there's an oil pastel of lips _ the Elvis sneer, the Elvis smile, and so on _ with titles of Presley hits, by Linda Snider Ward. The portraits include a mosaic, by Staci Mendaries, of bits of broken records. There's also a photograph by Camille Jungman, an art history instructor at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, of a beauty parlor owner standing next to her portrait of Elvis on velvet, hanging next to a "story about how she got to meet Elvis was young, and he smelled so good and was so handsome. There's this great respect and love for him," Pell said. And yes, she said, "We have one velvet Elvis. In every show, I guess you have to have one." The painting on purple velvet, by Randy Jolly, includes rhinestones on the King's painted white jumpsuit. The shows have brought in a number of people who might not come to more traditional exhibits. "We've had a lot of Elvis fans; we've had people who remember the Louisiana Hayride, listening as they grew up, a lot who want to tell you their Elvis story," Pell said. "Or they have the name of someone they knew who went to high school with Elvis we ought to call for their story." (News, Source: AP)

"FBI Files" book release: Released December 6, 2007 is the 780 pages paperback book entitled "Elvis Presley: The FBI Files" by Federal Bureau of Investigation. The book is published by Filibust (ISBN-10: 1599862433 / ISBN-13: 978-1599862439). Book Description Elvis Presley: The FBI Files contains the actual original and declassified criminal investigation files related to rock and roll musican Elvis Presley. Although Elvis Presley was never the subject of an FBI investigation, the FBI maintained records filed under his name consisting of copies of letters from members of the public commenting on his performances, newspaper clippings, and documents reporting that Elvis Presley was the target of extortion attempts. This publication is being published and made available now for the first time in a paperback book edition for those interested in the history surrounding music legend Elvis Presley. (News, Source: Amazon/Elvis News)

"The Very Best of Love" tin can CD release: This is the cover of the "The Very Best Of Love" tin-can CD which was released by Madacy / SBME Special MKTS (SONY / BMG) on December 18, 2007 and is due for release January 2008 with an additional bonus DVD. The content of the DVD is not yet available. (News, Source: Elvis News)

Merry Christmas from EIN

"Walk Hard" film flops at box-office: The latest film from the Judd Apatow comedy machine, Sony's "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story," was a surprise bomb on devut at US and Canadian theaters, taking in just $4.1 million despite good reviews praising its no-holds-barred humor and John C. Reilly's giddy performance. The film includes good natured parodies of Elvis, Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan, among others. Read more about Walk Hard in our Celluloid Elvis pages. (Celluloid Elvis, Source: Yahoo Movies)

Charmaine's latest Elvis graphic: "Happy Holidays Everyone" Check out all of Charmaine's glorious Elvis graphics

Elvis International's Shelly Powers interviews Jimmy Velvet

Chart Update: On the ARIA Music DVD chart in Australia the Gold certified DVD Elvis The King of Rock 'n' Roll held steady this week at #22 (6 weeks on chart). The Comeback Special slipped five places to #37 while Aloha From Hawaii also slipped five places to #39. Both of the latter music DVDs are certified double platinum. (News, Source: ARIA)

New DVDs in 2008??: Elvis World Japan lists with a question mark thecfollowing DVD releases for 2008 - Elvis: Viva Las Vegas (2007 ABC TV Special) and The Great Performances (Extended version) (News, Source: Elvis World Japan)

The Imperials taking bookings for 2008: EPE advises: The Imperials have asked us to let Elvis fan club leaders and event organizers know that they are now planning their appearance schedule for 2008. They look forward to opportunities to perform for Elvis fans throughout the year. Booking contact information is on their Web site www.theimperials.us.

Elvis and Priscilla's wedding album on eBay: Looking for a last minute, yet exclusive present? Why not check this out: the original wedding album of Elvis and Priscilla is now up for sale on eBay. The album contains exclusive pictures from the wedding ceremony at the former Aladdin Hotel and was a gift from Col. Tom Parker to Vernon Presley who gave it to his son. All pictures are black and white. Elvis kept the album ever since the day he got it.

From Ebay: WHAT A FIND ! Up for sale is the ORIGINAL wedding album of Elvis & Priscilla Presley-Beaulieu. Elvis and Priscilla married on May 1st 1967 at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. Colonel Parker directed the marriage, and had a personal photographer at hand.

After the wedding, Parker presented the wedding album with over 20 exclusive pictures to Vernon, Elvis’s father who, in turn, handed it to Elvis, who kept it for the rest of his life. The personal wedding album remained in the Graceland Archives until American collector Jimmy Velvet purchased it, and included it in the Butterfield & Butterfield Elvis auction. The item is now the centrepiece of a private museum in Europe.

The album with a white leather look cover comes with a Certificate of Authenticity by Jimmy Velvet. (News, Source: EP Gold)

Holiday albums can become classics and the song Elvis didn't want to record: Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks and Toby Keith have a couple apiece. Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton did one together. The ever-prolific Willie Nelson has at least four of them. Most country stars, and many of their pop counterparts, have a Christmas album or two in their catalogs, and for good reason: The records are relatively easy to make and have the potential for big payoff."If it's really good, it can go for 20 years," said Bill Kennedy, vice president of sales for Capitol Records Nashville.Or longer.Released in 1957, "Elvis' Christmas Album" is the top-selling holiday release of all time with 9 million in sales, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. The single "Blue Christmas" is a Christmas classic, even parodied by Porky Pig.Other Christmas blockbusters are Kenny G's "Miracles: The Holiday Album" (8 million) and Barbara Streisand's "A Christmas Album" (5 million), according to the RIAA. But the Christmas kings, at least in terms of sales, have to be Mannheim Steamroller with two albums topping the 6 million mark: "A Fresh Aire Christmas" and "Mannheim Steamroller Christmas."Holiday records are unique in the way they're promoted and marketed."It is a very short window that begins in late October, hits its peak the first two weeks of December, and then falls off the cliff right after the holiday," explained Ben Kline, executive vice president of sales, marketing and new media for Universal Music Group Nashville.Though the window is tight, successful releases will do well for at least a few seasons before trailing off, said Peter Strickland, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Warner Brothers Nashville. This year's hot holiday release is Josh Groban's "Noel," a traditional collection that has already scanned more than 2 million.But for many, the star at the top of the tree remains "Elvis' Christmas Album." Released at the height of Presley's fame, it's a must-have for the serious Christmas music fan.Ironically, the album's biggest hit, "Blue Christmas," was the one track Elvis didn't want to record. As Gordon Stoker, a member of the Jordanaires, the vocal group that backed Presley on that song and many others, recalls, Elvis at first refused to do "Blue Christmas" out of respect for Ernest Tubb, who had had a No. 1 hit with it earlier.When the producers said he had to cut it, he told folks at the session to come up with something so bad that it would never see the light of day as a single, Stoker told The Associated Press recently from his Nashville home."We thought that 'oo-ooo-oooo' was bad enough that they wouldn't release it," Stoker said of the signature backing vocals. To this day, he said, "It still sounds bad to me when I hear it." (News, Source: AP)

EIN Note: Elvis' biggest selling Christmas album in the USA is actually the 1970 Camden release, Elvis' Christmas Album (9 million units accredited). Elvis' 1957 album, Elvis' Christmas Album is certified only 3xP in the USA.

Skullduggery in Memphis?: Honoured by the City and State sued by EPE: From Sid Shaw's "Elvisly Yours Cyberclub Newsletter #51:

I am probably the only person who has been honoured by the City of Memphis, Shelby County and the State of Tennessee but sued by Elvis Presley Enterprises. However, I do have a Graceland book signed by Ken Brixey, the original Marketing Manager thanking me for all I had done to promote Elvis and describing me as Elvis’ best friend in England.

Over an eleven-year period from 1982 until 1992 I organised Elvis Tours to Memphis and Tupelo and took over 1000 people on these tours. I had encouraged thousands more Elvis fans to visit Graceland from all over the world. All my efforts were rewarded by political leaders but because of Jack Soden I was sued by EPE. Originally, in 1982, Soden was “friendly” with me and came to our fan club parties at the Quality Inn on Brooks Road, Memphis where we stayed. I had offered a free life-size replica of the Elvisly Yours bronze statue but said he did not want statues of Elvis he only wanted money. Sid Shaw & EPE's Jack Soden in happier times

Elvisly Yours was the exclusive supplier of Elvis memorabilia to Graceland when it opened in 1982. But, after successfully selling out of all my memorabilia I was told by Soden and his legal cronies I had to get a license from EPE. After my visit in October 1982 Soden completely avoided me. If he saw me he would duck into stores or walk the other way. It was farcical until October 1984 when suddenly I bumped into Soden in the Graceland Mall car park. Instead of hiding he came up to me, gave me a great hug and acted as if the previous two years had been a “Bobby Ewing” dream. Immediately, I thought something is not right…why is Soden hugging me? He had avoided me like the plague for two years. I didn’t think he had turned gay so I was intrigued. He knew something that I did not.

The truth was to be revealed in February 1985 when I was invited to meet the lawyers for EPE in Memphis supposedly to discuss a mutual deal. Instead, I was set up and sued. Incidentally, after Elvis Week in August 1984 all my files were stolen from my warehouse, all invoices, orders, shipping documents, everything relating to my business except my checkbook from my Memphis bank. In the lawsuit EPE stated I was not trading in Elvis products in America and without documentation it made it difficult to substantiate my trading record in the USA. Additionally, not one fan, trade customer, Elvis friend or family member would give evidence on my behalf in the US Federal lawsuit.

Meanwhile, Mayor Bill Morris of Shelby County, Mayor Richard Hackett of the City of Memphis and the State of Tennessee had honoured me with keys to the County, City and State. Mayor Morris was a close friend of Elvis and had even visited my shop in Shoreditch, London. You’d have thought EPE would have honoured me instead of suing me except for one joker, Jack Soden. It is a great pity that I did not elect to have Trial by Jury and instead only Judges made the ruling in my case that was dragged on for over six years by EPE trying to wear me down, but they failed. I am sure I would have won with a Jury Trial. Having Soden cross-examined on the witness stand would have been very damaging for EPE. In his deposition, Soden was very economical with the truth. He said he did not know I was NOT licensed by EPE when Graceland bought my Elvisly Yours memorabilia to sell at their gift shops during Elvis Week 1982. (News, Source: Elvisly Yours)

Anniversary Benchmarks from EPE (Source: FECC)

Longtime Elvis record falls: Singer Josh Groban is giving big thanks to Santa this holiday season. His album Noel maintained the No. 1 slot for an astounding fourth week in a row, surpassing Elvis Presley's record for most weeks at No. 1 for a Christmas album in Billboard Magazine's 51-year chart history. The King's Elvis' Christmas had previously held the No. 1 slot in 1957 for a total of three weeks. Groban's Noel has sold 669,661 albums this past week for total U.S. sales of 2.8 million copies, passing the blockbuster High School Musical (2.7 million) and Daughtry (2.3 million), and shows no signs of slowing down. In addition, Groban's previous multi-platinum albums have had huge sales jumps. Awake, Closer and his self-titled debut have all had jumps of between 45 and 50 per cent this past week.

Noel has also been the best-selling record of 2007 in Canada (which has long been Josh's best selling market per capita in the world) with sales of over 295,000 copies. The album debuted at No. 1 Canada on Oct. 17, has never been lower than No. 5 on the chart and has spent five weeks in total at No. 1 (including the past three weeks) since its release 10 weeks ago. Groban, who has upcoming appearances on Good Morning America on Dec. 22 and 24, Larry King Live on Dec. 24 and the ABC Disney Special on the morning of Dec. 25, has been declared one of Oprah's 'favourite things' on a recent Oprah Winfrey Show. (News, Source: 24Hours)

"Elvis Forever" Limited Edition?: According to the U.K. branch of Amazon BMG will release a limited 2CD edition of the "Elvis Forever" set on January 8, 2008. But the track listing shown will not fit on the two discs this set is supposed to contain. Track Listing: Disc 1: 1. My Baby Left Me 2. Heartbreak Hotel 3. Blue Suede Shoes 4. Hound Dog 5. Love Me Tender 6. Got a Lot O' Livin' to Do! 7. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear 8. All Shook Up 9. Don't 10. Hard Headed Woman 11. King Creole 12. Jailhouse Rock 13. Big Hunk O' Love 14. I Got Stung 15. One Night 16. Stuck on You 17. Too Much 18. Loving You 19. Treat Me Nice 20. I Beg of You

Travelocity Roaming Gnome: Take home the trademark mascot of CBS' "The Amazing Race" and pack him in your suitcase before your next travel adventure. The classic gnome in his blue shirt and red cone hat is available, but the Las Vegas (in an Elvis Presley costume), Mexico (complete with a Mexican hat and maracas) and Hawaii (dressed in a grass skirt and lei) versions are pretty festive.

The 8-inch gnomes weigh 2.5 pounds each and retail for $24.95. The official, 18-inch Roaming Gnome seen on the show retails for $69.99. Visit www.cbsstore.com (News, Source: EP Gold)

Elvis In The Beat of the Night: Essential Elvis, the UK's largest Elvis Presley organisation, is planning a wonderful party to commemorate what would've been Elvis' 73rd birthday, and the venue is as exciting as what's on offer. Join other fans at Vernon Presley's former home on Dolan Drive, just yards from Graceland, to enjoy some great music, film and delicious birthday cake on the evening of January 8th, beginning at 6pm.

You'll be able to mingle with Elvis' friends, associates and colleagues. The EE:UK team are currently finalising details with some very exciting guests, but this year they have a very unique theme - In The Beat Of The Night. Yes, they've tracked down some of Elvis' old police buddies, including ex-Memphis cop Tom Morgan and retired Shelby County Sheriff Gene Barksdale. You'll also get to meet ex-Sheriff and Mayor Bill Morris, and even the current Sheriff, Mark Luttrell, has had an open invite.

Jeanne LeMay, Linda Thompson friend and Elvis' Graceland secretary, will also be there to meet the fans and to sign copies of her new book, Elvis, Linda and Me. Along with others yet to confirm, Mike Freeman will be signing copies of his new DVD, Elvis' Memphis. There will also be some interesting police paraphernalia on display including badges that once belonged to Elvis.

The entrance fee will be just $20.00 (that's just £10.00, if you're from the UK) per person, and you can pay on the door. (News, Source: EP Gold)

Tripping with the King: EIN received this letter recently about a new Elvis book release:

"I 'm sending this letter to Elvis Fan Clubs everywhere to alert you to a new book about Elvis. The book is titled TRIPPING WITH THE KING & OTHERS, written by my very dear friend Sal Orefice.

Elvis Presley was a phenomenon. A hurricane of talent. A self-effacing musical revolutionary with unsurpassed energy and a unique ability to move audiences. Given the number of books written about him we might think we know all there is to know about Elvis, but we would be wrong. The "real" Elvis - the "personal" Elvis known only to his closest friends - is still waiting to be discovered and revealed.

When it comes to Elvis Presley there is always someone who knows "more." Someone who walked at his side, traveled with him, had long intimate talks with him, lived under his roof at Graceland and shared many, many private moments with a man who truly was the King. That man is Sal Orefice.

Sal was privileged to know Elvis as few people have. The stories he tells in TRIPPING WITH THE KING... reveal an Elvis that will surprise and amaze you. After reading those stories you cannot help feeling that you now know a different side of Elvis - the Elvis confronted with questions and choices, the Elvis dealing with his unprecedented stardom, the Elvis who impressed friends and strangers with his humility and the Elvis who embraced life with humor. TRIPPING WITH THE KING... gives an insight into a man who has never truly "left the building" but lives on in our hearts.

Sal also enjoyed a long career as a trusted confidant to other celebrities and stars and he shares many fascinating details about their personal lives as well as his own career.

For anyone interested in knowing more about Elvis Presley and the people who surrounded him, influenced him and loved him, TRIPPING WITH THE KING & OTHERS by Sal Orefice is a "must" read.

The book is currently available at www.AMAZON.com. As a fellow fan of Elvis, I urge you to alert the members of your fan club to this wonderful book. Link to Amazon

Elvis Viva Las Vegas Official Soundtrack - Sony BMG Flyer

(News, Source: Barry McLean)

Sillerman company declares distribution of shares date: CKX, Inc. (Nasdaq: CKXE), announced today that it had set the record date for the distribution of shares of FX Real Estate and Entertainment Inc. stock to the CKX stockholders as December 31, 2007. Stockholders of CKX will receive, on the date the distribution is made, two shares of common stock of FX Real Estate and Entertainment for every ten shares of common or preferred stock of CKX that they own as of December 31st.FX Real Estate and Entertainment has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to register the shares to be distributed. The distribution will take place as soon as is commercially practicable after the date on which the registration statement is declared effective by the SEC.The distribution of shares in FX Real Estate and Entertainment is intended to give CKX stockholders an interest in FXRE's location-based exploitation of CKX's Elvis Presley and Muhammad Ali assets pursuant to the terms of FXRE's license agreements with CKX and its subsidiaries.

For more detailed information please see our Current Report on Form 8-K, which was filed today and may be obtained at the Company's website at www.ckx.com as well as at the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov. (Sale of EPE, Source: Fox Business)

'Dear Ole Humes - The Humes High Class of 1953' book published: EIN has received this delightful self-published book recalling stories and comments from Elvis' friends and school colleagues. Although this has been locally printed, mainly for Humes classmates, the 160-page book is well worth investigating for people interested in Elvis' very early years. As the editor/author Rose Howell - Klimek notes in the inscription,"The idea of doing a book about the Humes Class of 1953 came to me when I was taking a creative writing class at the University of Memphis and became a goal after I took a statistics class at the University of Tennessee. Although our class is known for having Elvis as a member, it actually was full of special people. During the 50th Class Reunion in October 2003, we had fun talking about the good old days. But, we also realized that out of a class of about 200, more than 50 members were deceased and many more couldn't be located. It became apparent eye needed to rite down our memories soon, or they would be lost forever." Of course while many students had little to do with Elvis a surprising number tell some wonderful tales. While they are all "small" high-school stories it is their innocence and honesty that makes them so delightful. For instance from classmate Ann Billie Banks, - "I thought of when the English class read MacBeth. Miss Jennie Allensworth assigned the part of Macbeth to Elvis Presley, who promptly said, "Aw, Miss Jenny, you know I can't read." Of course,

DJ Fontana coming to Australia for the Ultimate Elvis Contest: The legendary DJ Fontana will be coming to Australia in 2008 as part of the worldwide Ultimate Elvis Contest. At the moment it is possible that two separate contests will be organised in Australia - with the final winner going on to the EPE official E.T.A. challenge for 2008. The first Ultimate Elvis Contest is booked to be held in Melbourne at the Dallas Brooks Centre, April 24, 25 & 26, 2008. With high profile ETAs performing in Australia such as Mark Anthony, Dean Vegas and 'She Is The King' (who has been getting very promising recent international exposure) it is sure to be a impressive line-up - that's if they decide to perform. The event is to be hosted by Silvana Laird who manages various artists, among them ETA Silas Paisley. Look here for more info. (News, Source;EIN/Bob Hayden)

Elvis Number One! - 'Baby Let's Play House' remix hits #1 in Italy: Elvis Presley fans send new historic remix of 'Baby Let's Play House' to number 1 in the iTunes Top Singles chart in Italy. The brand new Elvis remixed song, available for download exclusively from iTunes, has reached today the number one spot of Apple's digital online store, knocking down Jovanotti's hit "Fango". At number three in the chart sits Alicia Keys' 'No One.' Elvis entered the iTunes chart three weeks ago and climbed to the top thanks to new and old fans that downloaded the song from the store after the news of this new remixed song by contemporary DJ/producer Spankox started to circulate on the Internet and on the press. Spankox (real name Agostino Carollo) is an Italian, Verona based  J/producer/composer who has also recently remixed tracks for Roxette, Snap! and Vasco Rossi (Italy's no.1 rockstar) amongst others. Italy's number one radio network Radio Deejay has been giving airplay to the track since two weeks ago, bringing first the song to the masses and boosting the downloads. "This new remix by Spankox is much nicer than JXL's remix of A Little Less Conversation" - said Radio Deejay's famous dj-musician Nikki, "because it respects more the feel of the original song". The 'Baby Let's Play House (Spankox Remix) is also available for download in Canada, Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Spain, Holland, Belgium and UK where it's already very popular. "The Spankox Re:Version of Baby Let's Play House will deliver Elvis to a new generation of music fans in an unexpected, cool and compelling way," said Marketing Manager Edward Johnson. After the digital release, the physical release of the record set for January 8th to celebrate Elvis' birthday, will be on a brand new media called VinylCD, a special compact disc playable on a normal CD player but also by a traditional turntable. (News, Source:Various)

Cliff Richard admits "I wanted Elvis to be me": British singer Sir Cliff Richard recently confessed to an embarrassingly strong obsession with Elvis which led him to pray that the rock 'n' roll pioneer would take over his soul. The veteran crooner admits his passion for the King, who died in 1977 aged 42, ran so deep he would dream of embodying the star. He says, "I didn't just want to be like Elvis - I wanted to be him. I'd like to have woken up and found that really he was me. That's the kind of fervour I felt about the power of his music." Early in his career Cliff Richard was groomed as the British Elvis. (News, Source:EIN/contactmusic)

Shawn Klush UK January concert Sold Out - New concert added: Nice to see that due to phenomenal demand the January 22nd London concert by leading ETA Shawn Klush has sold out and a new show on Jan 23rd has been added. In just a short time Shawn Klush has emerged as the world's top Elvis tribute artist. In August 2007 Shawn was chosen by Graceland as the winner of EPEs' first ever Ultimate Tribute Artist Contest in Memphis TN and was also used by EPE in the introduction to the 30th Anniversary Concert in Memphis.  Born and raised in the small coal-mining town of Pittston, Pennsylvania, Shawn's love for music led him to begin imitating his musical idol, Elvis Presley. He performed in the poconos region followed by a tour of Canada where he entered and won the $5,000.00 prize in the "Worldwide Elvis Competition" in Montreal. This caught the attention of the award winning Las Vegas show, "Legends in Concert" where in 2004 he starred as 'Elvis'. On Jan 6th 2005, just 2 days before Elvis' 70th Birthday, Shawn became grand champion at the $25,000.00 "World Elvis Tribute Artist Competition". This year he received "The peoples Choice Award" from Gibson Guitar in Nashville as "Best Concert Elvis". Shawn was recently named the international champion of BBC1's World's Greatest Elvis competition in the United Kingdom. This is a unique chance to celebrate Elvis' 73rd birthday in one of London's most stylish venues. Date: Wednesday 23rd Jan, 200, The Bloomsbury Ballroom, London. Buy Tickets Online here. (News, Source: EIN/Elvis.co.uk)

"Elvis The Biography (Book Review): The first serious Elvis biography (Elvis A Biography) was published in 1971. Reaching the top of numerous best seller lists around the world, Jerry Hopkins biography of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll was irresistible reading for millions of Elvis’ fans and those simply wanting to understand more about the 20th century‘s pre-eminent cultural icon. It was followed in 1980 by a sequel (Elvis The Final Years), completing the remaining years of Elvis’ extraordinary but flawed life. The 2007 edition of Elvis The Biography combines revised editions of the earlier two volume biography and adds new material advancing the Elvis story to the sale of EPE in 2005 to entrepreneur, Robert Sillerman. Read EIN's review of arguably the definitive one volume Elvis biography

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FTD to increase prices of regular releases: Roger Semon and Ernst Mikael Jørgensen send out the December - January Follow That Dream newsletter. Besides the announcement that the title “Long Lonely Highway” has been deleted an increase in some CD prices, for handling and a general increase, is announced for 2008. Books will remain at the current price.

Quote: "Due to spiraling costs, FTD unfortunately has to introduce some pricing increases in the New Year. This will be the first change in 10 years and its implementation is imperative to ensure the label’s profitability. It’s certainly hoped that it will be the last for at least another decade!" (News, Source: Elvis News)

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Lorina Bolig, Elvis genealogist talks to EIN: Lorina Bolig is a professional genealogist, child advocate, relative of Elvis' and author of several books. Her latest book is Ancestors of "Elvis Aaron Presley" 50 Generations The Unofficial Genealogy, the result of more than 13 years research and writing. In a fascinating interview with EIN, Lorina discusses: Elvis' ancestry which includes royal ancestry!;presidential relations; settles the Elvis is German vs. Elvis is Scottish debate; spelling variations of the Presley name over time; tells us what she discovered about the claimed relationship link between Elvis and Oprah; how to research your own ancestry;her upcoming Marilyn Monroe genealogy book; and many more interesting issues. (Interview, Source: EIN)

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Japanese edition of "Careless Love": This is the cover of the Japanese edition of Peter Guralnick's "Careless Love" biography which is due for release December 21, 2007. (ISBN-10: 4622073331/ISBN-13: 978-4622073338). (News, Source: Elvis World Japan/Elvis News)

"You Ain't Ain't Ain't Nothing But A Hound Dog" released: The new audience recorded CD entitled "You Ain't Ain't Ain't Nothing But A Hound Dog" has been released. It contains Elvis' show from July 29, 1976 in Springfield, Mass.

Tracklisting: 2001 Theme / See See Rider/ I Got A Woman / Amen / Love Me / If You Love Me Let Me Know / You Gave Me A Mountain / Help Me / All Shook Up / Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel / And I Love You So / Jailhouse Rock / America The Beautiful / Polk Salad Annie / Elvis introduces his band / Love Letters / Hail, Hail Rock & Roll / Hurt - repeat / Hound Dog / Funny How Time Slips Away / Can't Help Falling In Love. (News, Source: Elvis Unlimited /Elvis News)

"EP 18 Singles": Released by the Dutch Elvis For Everyone fan club is the CD "EP 18 Singles" featuring Elvis Presley's first 18 singles. Also included is a newly remastered live show and seven special and rare fan additions. This CD is included as a special gift with their new magazine which comes out later this week. From the press release: * The number one hits: Heartbreak Hotel, Don't Be Cruel and Love Me Tender. * Love Me Tender is included as a special mix, including the end theme from the movie. * March 19, 1955 live show - newly remastered! * 7 fan additions including: - Blue Suede Shoes (Elvis and Carl Perkins version) - Trying To Get To You (Elvis and Roy Orbison version) - That's All Right (re-creation of the story) - Red Robinson reports from Elvis in Canada - Radio spot for Elvis' concert, August 20, 1977 - and 2 others. (News, Source: Elvis News)

Elvis After Midnight radio show: Elvis After Midnight Show 3 is ready to listen to.  Features include a trivia question on the show's last song; Elvis by Somebody Else; and two more "Your Midnight 3s", and we've included some Elvis Xmas songs too! (1 hour)Click here:  http://easytimeradio.co.uk/elvisaftermidnight.html

If you would like to request your Midnight 3s, with a dedication and perhaps an Elvis memory to share you can do so by replying to this email or refer to the Elvis After Midnight webpage on Easy Time Radio fpr details. (News, Source: Gary Moritz)

Live In Rapid City: A new import label VB Records released as a long-box CD "Live In Rapid City" June 21, 1977 show in Rapid City as filmed from the CBS Television for the Special "Elvis In Concert". Note: Nice to see most pictures are from Omaha on this long-box CD "Live In Rapid City". This show was released a couple of years ago on a import CD - but without the band introduction, so is this a new source? Also claim the audio quality is very good. Track listing:01. Presentation Of Medallion Of Life 02. 2001 A Space Odissey 03. See See Rider 04. I Got A Woman/Amen 05. That's All Right 06. Are You Lonesome Tonight? 07. Dialogue 08. Love Me 09. If You Love Me 10. You Gave Me A Mountain 11. Jailhouse Rock 12. O Sole Mio/It's Now Or Never 13. Trying To Get To You 14. Hawaiian Wedding Song 15. Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel 16. My Way 17. Introductions 18. Early Morning Rain 19. What’d I Say 20. Johnny B. 21. Drum Solo 22. Bass Solo 23. Piano Solo 24. I Really Don’t Want To Know 25. Orchestra Solo 26. Elvis Introduce His Father 27. Hurt 28. Hound Dog 29. Unchained Melody 30. Can't Help Falling In Love (News, Source: EP Gold)

Elvis And Pat Boone: Rockin' Rivals: For release from Koch International on March 4, 2008 - one hour DVD entitled "Elvis And Pat Boone: Rockin' Rivals". Description: An entertaining and insightful one-hour look at the friendly rivalry between Mr. Blue Suede Shoes and Mr. White Buck Shoes, who dominated the pop charts in the 1950s. As Pat himself puts it, "I was the salt and he was the pepper." Included are rare film, TV, and newsreel clips plus revealing interviews with such luminaries as Dick Clark, Tom Jones, Glen Campbell, Kenny Rogers, Phyllis McGuire, Bill Medley, Arlene Dahl, Joe Esposito, Shirley Jones, and the legends themselves: Elvis and Pat Boone. (News, Source: Amber Smith)

"Elvis, Sherlock & Me" (Book Review): Michael Hoey's account of growing up, working in, and meeting the stars of Hollywood is a wonderfully rich memoir and history of the film business covering the decades from the 1940’s to the present. Hoey deftly weaves among illuminating anecdotes about the industry and at times revealing profiles of some of its biggest stars including Elvis (Hoey wrote the screenplay for six of Elvis' films). There are two chapters about Elvis including some great anecdotes and interesting insights! Throughout his memoir, Hoey maintains a colorful picture of a vibrant, multi-layered “Tinseltown” from its golden years to the, in its own way, equally fascinating culture of contemporary filmmaking. Hoey's prose evokes dazzling images of the dramas, highs and lows, and stars of a magical industry which occupies the minds, bookshelves and DVD collections of most people. Elvis, Sherlock & Me will appeal to both Elvis fans and lovers of film. (Book Review, Source: EIN) Read EIN's full review

EC Releases: Elvis DVD boxset: (G.I. Blues - Blue Hawaii - Roustabout - Paradise Hawaiian Style - Fun In Acapulco - King Creole - Girls! Girls! Girls! - Easy Come, Easy Go) Release date August 7, 2007 Region code: 2 Elvis At Sun Records: Two disc DVD & CD. Release date November 12, 2007 Region code: 2 (News, Source: Elvis Club Berlin/EP Gold)

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Hotel's staff holds key to storied past: When Nick Costakis started his job as a water boy at the Hotel Washington in 1956, at the age of 17, real silver was on the tables of the rooftop restaurant. Diners could watch jetliners approach the new National Airport above the barren land that is now Rosslyn.

Over time, Mr. Costakis and the Hotel Washington packed away much of the silver and buildings went up in the District and across the Potomac on the Virginia skyline.

Now, the Hotel Washington is set to close at the end of the year, 90 years after it opened and nearly 52 years after Mr. Costakis started his job. Owner Istithmar Hotels Washington, a subsidiary of Dubai World, plans to replace the property in about a year with a swanky Starwood brand W hotel.

"I've enjoyed it very much," Mr. Costakis said of his tenure at the Hotel Washington, much of it in the banquet department. "I'm sorry we're leaving, but we can't help it."

He said he learned a lot and saw his share of interesting guests: heads of state and other politicians, celebrities and even the national turkey, which stayed at the hotel before the annual pardon.

Mr. Costakis often served John W. McCormack, who lived at the hotel during much of his tenure as speaker of the House in the 1960s.

"He was in Suite 719," Mr. Costakis recalled as if it were yesterday, rattling off the speaker's breakfast menu. "I used to be his waiter every morning."

Mr. Costakis said his friendly nature with customers helped him in ways he never imagined. One guest, whom Mr. Costakis said he never knew by name, advised him 25 years ago to buy shares of Gulf Oil.
"The guy came to me, put his hand on my back and said, 'Son, go and buy. You're going to make money. Don't share nothing,' " he said. "I used to serve the guy, and he liked me." Mr. Costakis tripled his investment.

Among the celebrities who stopped by the hotel were John Wayne, Elvis Presley, Casey Kasem and Jodie Foster.

Mr. Presley's stay was documented in a 1994 book by Joyce Bova (opposite), a former staffer for the investigations subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee. Miss Bova said she had an affair with the singer, much of it at the hotel, beginning in late 1969 when she was 25. Miss Bova said she met Mr. Presley and gave him her number in Washington, backstage at one of his Las Vegas shows that summer. She took the trip to relax from overtime work on a probe of the My Lai massacre in Vietnam, Miss Bova said. She said she received a call from Mr. Presley in Washington the same day he posed for his famous picture with President Nixon. Their affair began that day in Mr. Presley's room, Suite 506, she said. For many years, Suite 506 was preserved as it appeared during his time, said Abel Anane, a 16-year employee of the hotel.

The hotel's well-known rooftop bar and restaurant offers some of the best views of the city. It was popular with Marion Barry, the former D.C. mayor and Ward 8 council member, said Summer Belman, director of sales and marketing at the hotel.

In the 1980s, when she was a waitress in the restaurant, she served a Long Island iced tea to Mr. Barry.

"At that time, I didn't know anything about drinks. I rushed and brought him this long bottle of iced tea," she said. "When I came back, he was laughing and said, 'Thank you very much, but I need a Long Island iced tea.' I had to rush to the bartender and find out what a Long Island iced tea was."

Employees said such memories make it hard for them to leave. After a "Last Hurrah" party on Dec. 31, the hotel will close for renovations. Starwood Hotels & Resorts wasn't able to provide details of the changes in store. Items from the property will be sold at an auction, likely early next month, Ms. Belman said. No matter what goes, the memories will stay with the 250 Hotel Washington employees, whose average tenure is 17 years.

"It's heartbreaking, to be honest with you," Mr. Anane said. "We're dealing with it day by day. It's going to hit us at the end when we close the door. It's been a great ride." (News, Source: Washington Times/EP Gold)

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"Elvis" in top 10 pet names: Her reputation has nose-dived - but Britney Spears has new popularity in the canine world. She is one of the celebrities Britons are most likely to name their dog after. Tyson, after boxer Mike Tyson, is top, followed by Harry, after Prince Harry or the boy wizard Harry Potter.

Ozzy, inspired by Ozzy Osbourne, was third, followed by Robbie (Williams), Rooney (Wayne), Beckham (David), Hilton (Paris), Elvis (Presley) Wallace (Jessie) and Britney (Spears). Beckham named his two dogs Snoop and Puffy after the US rap stars and Joss Stone’s poodle is named after Dusty Springfield.

The Top 10 Celebrity Inspired pet names are:

1. Tyson (Mike)
2. Harry (Potter or Prince)
3. Ozzy (Osbourne)
4. Robbie (Williams)
5. Rooney (Wayne)
6. Beckham (David)
7. Paris (Hilton)
8. Elvis (Presley)
9. Jessie (Wallace)
10. Britney (Spears) (News, Source: The West Australian)

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Elvis songs rank in Dutch Top 2000 song list: Each year during the holidays, all kinds of 'Top Lists' are popping up. Each radio station has his own toplist. THE list among the lists is still the Top 2000 from the Dutch Radio 2 station.

They don't wait to announce the list until they play the songs but they release it before the program starts. 'Bohemian Rhapsody' from Queen is for the eight time (in nine editions) the number 1 song. But it's Elvis that is interesting for us! 'The highest ranking is Suspicious Minds on #81. This is also the highest notation in the last 9 years. There are 18 Elvis songs in the Radio 2 list which airs between 26/12 and 31/12/07 (News, Source: Elvis Matters):

The Early Years of Rock, Later Than Previously Thought: Any documentary series about the history of rock music that manages to get through its first show without mention of Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly or Chuck Berry, and only a passing reference to the Beatles — well, you have to admire its assertiveness. And there is a lot of attitude to wade through in “The Seven Ages of Rock,” the series that starts Monday night on VH1 Classic and runs through Sunday. The producer, William Naylor, is a longtime British documentarian with four earlier series on songwriting to his credit, including “Dancing in the Street” (1996), a 10-part look at rock music’s evolution. For this revisitation he has sliced a very large pie into subgenres, not so much separate ages as competing categories, everything from art rock to punk, heavy metal to alternative. The first episode claims to examine “The Birth of Rock,” setting 1965 as Year 1. The premise is that a generation of young British musicians who had grown up listening to and covering Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Howlin’ Wolf were starting to write their own versions of the blues “delivered with an English twist.” So the Rolling Stones, whose first No. 1 hit in Britain was Hooker’s “Little Red Rooster” in 1964, sing “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” in 1965; the Who, building its own sound, deliver “Can’t Explain.” Bob Dylan turns to Britain for inspiration: hearing what the Animals did with his cover of the folk blues “House of the Rising Sun,” he goes electric by 1965, with all the cultural reverberations that carries. Intriguingly, the original version of this episode, broadcast in May in Britain, fixed heavily on the 1966 arrival of Jimi Hendrix in London, and his dual role as crucible of everything that had gone before and avatar of all that was to follow. But the BBC did not obtain global rights to some of the Hendrix footage, so the episode was restructured for its American release with all mention of Hendrix excised. Packed with archival footage, the episode, which ends as the ‘60s close, is equal parts entertaining history and love note. It occasionally suffers from the pontification so deservedly satirized in rockumentaries like “This Is Spinal Tap.” Where else could a rock writer get away with saying, “It was playing blues that thawed out the emotional permafrost of 1950s postwar English austerity” without getting slapped?Leave the arguments about who should be mentioned for Hard Rock Cafes. It’s a treat to let the spotlight shine a bit longer on some British bands that helped advance the music. The clips of early galvanizing performances by the Kinks and Cream capture a sense of the moment far better than later self-conscious preening could. And the fresh commentary by an amused Keith Richards, a caustic Ginger Baker and a thoughtful Roger Daltrey adds essential authenticity. For example the 1969 Woodstock festival seemed to be “where the business started to just become more in control of what the artists were doing,” Mr. Daltrey says, adding, “I know it felt like the beginning to some people, but to me it was the end.”SEVEN AGES OF ROCK: VH1 Classic, Monday night at 9, Eastern and Pacific times; 8, Central time.Michael Poole, executive producer for BBC; Michele M. Dix and Ben Zurier, executive producers for VH1; William Naylor, series producer for BBC. A VH1 Classic production with the BBC. (News, Source: Daniel Gold, The New York Times)

Elvis DVD Stocking Fillers!!!: Haven't decided yet on your 2007 Christmas presents? Well in that case you should seriously consider these 3 great DVDs from Sony BMG. Available from all leading DVD music stores the special editions of the Comeback Special and Aloha From Hawaii are presented in superb remastered audio-visual sound while The King of Rock 'N' Roll presents many of Elvis' greatest hits for our audio-visual enjoyment.

EIN says: "These 3 DVD releases should be mandatory inclusions in all fan's Elvis DVD music libraries!!!"

See 13 Dec below for EIN's yuletide Elvis CD suggestions...

Chart update #1: After 5 weeks on the ARIA Music DVD chart in Australia, Elvis The King of Rock 'n' Roll slips 3 places to #22. On the back of Christmas TV ads, the two #1 music DVDs, Elvis The '68 Comeback Special and Elvis Aloha From Hawaii re-enter the ARIA Music DVD chart at #32 and 34 respectively. (News, Source: ARIA)

Chart update #2: In Ireland "The King Of Rock And Roll" DVD drops from #4 to #7 on the Music DVD Top 10.
On the Dutch Mega Top 100 the re-issue single "Burning Love" drops from #60 to #97 (News, Source: Elvis News)

Problems with EIN server: In the past few weeks there has been some disruption to the EIN site. It was caused by a hacker who managed to access a number of different websites, including EIN, hosted by our hosting company. At times our Home page was essentially blank and a number of other pages were infected with a virus.

We apologise for any concern this problem has caused any of our visitors!

We believe we have now overcome the problem although it may well be that one or two pages are still infected with a virus. If any reader receives a virus message on visiting our site we would appreciate you contacting EIN and advising details of the affected page so we can upload a fresh, non infected page. Nigel & Piers

Latest celebrity visitors to Graceland: Season 6 (2007) American Idol finalists Blake Lewis (first-runner up) and Haley Scarnato toured Graceland last week. (News, Source: EPE)

Elvis chocolate: Looking for a ‘tasteful’ present this Christmas? Search no more… Russell Stover is the Number One Chocolate brand in the USA. The manufacturer is well known for it's special collectors boxes during the holidays. This brand new Elvis box looks as good on the outside as it tastes on the inside! Nice to give away, but also nice to enjoy yourself! (News, Source: Elvis Matters)

'Tickle Me' book Promo Clip: Joe Tunzi's new book looking at Elvis' movie "Tickle Me" is apparently already sold out! However if you are interested in this publication JAT has added a YouTube promotional clip looking at the book which contains over 100 unpublished photos in colour and black and white, along with informative behind-the-scenes text. The book comes with a bonus CD of "Tickle Me" radio spots along with a screen-saver called 10 years later, a look at Elvis in Pontiac, Michigan at his famous New Year's Eve show. The book also comes with a free 2008 pocket calendar. It's a nice spoof on the original Tickle Me movie trailer. Go here to see the clip and check your Elvis dealers if you want a copy.  (News, Source:JAT)

Elvis Welsh Porthcawl Festival: The King has left the building for good. But thirty years after his death, the legend lives on in the unlikely surroundings of South Wales.  Even before 1977 there were as many as 150 Elvis impersonators, or ETAs (Elvis Tribute Artists), as they demand to be called. Thirty years on, there are more than 30,000 in the US alone. Add to that thousands-strong detachments in Asia and Europe, and fans optimistically predict that at the current rate, one in 10 people on Earth will be an ETA by 2020.  In Britain, Presley-mania thrives at convention centres and themed restaurants from Greenock to Greenwich, but its unlikely centre is the seaside resort of Porthcawl. Yes, Elvis has entered Glamorgan. On an autumn weekend for the past four years, the former miners' retreat has been transformed as a glittering army of 60 sequinned and coiffed ETAs strut their stuff at the Porthcawl Elvis Festival, hoping to walk away with a coveted Elvie award. Go here for the full story. (Almost Elvis, Source: Naveen)

Guitarist John Wilkinson Takes A Sabbatical: TCB band guitarist John Wilkinson has asked ElvisMatters to inform the fans about his recent medical condition. As you may have read erlier on EIN John was taken to the hospital for surgery. With John's permission, we can now give you more details. John was diagnosed with colon-cancer. Two weeks ago he had surgery and in order to be 100% sure that all the cancer cells are removed, John starts with chemotherapy later this month. In the meantime, he's home to rest and recuperate. Given the circumstances, John has cancelled all performances for the next 14 months, maybe longer if necessary. But John told us that, if he feels better after that period of time, he will be 'available' to the fans once again. To quote John: "I will not give up on the fans, for as long as I may live." What his plans include after his sabbatical, is unsure. What matters now, is that he takes the rest he needs and deserves, and prepares himself for the chemotherapy that begins right after Christmas. John will be kept informed on what's happening in the Elvis world, but he'll be 'watching' instead of 'participating'. EIN wishes him all the best for a fast recovery. Fans who would like to send him a get-well card can do so through ElvisMatters, please Click here. (News, Source: ElvisMatters)

Two new Elvis fan magazines out this month: Elvis Unlimited's Christmas issue ElvisNews #101 from Denmark features news, reviews plus interviews with Elvis security staff Dick Grob and Sam Thompson. From France 'Elvis My Happiness' fan club magazine #62 is out with a great cover photo. Printed in French, the magazine includes reviews, news plus new interviews with the TCB Band from their 2007 European tour. (News, Source: Various)

Christmas at Graceland and Lisa Marie featured on The Insider: In one of those blink & you'll miss it current-affair stories Graceland decked out for Christmas the ELVIS way and Lisa Marie were featured on the US TV programme The Insider. Go here to see the clip including footage of Elvis playing in the snow. (News, Source:EIN)

M.R.S 'Elvis New York Sessions' Album at the centre of UK Copyright Row: According to Billboard, U.K. distributor Cargo Records has pulled the plug on an Elvis Presley release after Sony BMG Music Entertainment in the U.K. sent out a letter threatening legal action. In one of the clearest signs to-date of Sony BMG's tough policy of enforcing the copyright of its vintage Presley works -- even though some sound recordings have become part of the public domain -- the music major put pressure on Cargo to withdraw the release, "New York: RCA Studio 1: The Complete Sessions." Sony BMG disputed that a handful of outtakes on the album, which was released by Memphis Recording Service, were public domain. Cargo now won't touch the Memphis release, and the CD has no support from traditional retail outlets. An executive with the distributor, who declined to be identified, described the Sony BMG letter as a "warning" of further action to come. "To save us the risk of legal action, we decided we wouldn't distribute the item,"

ELVIS LIVES - The 30th Anniversary Sydney Tribute: Fans in Sydney Australia will get a chance to see four of Australia's top international Elvis tribute artists in concert this Sunday, December 16th. Female Elvis interpreter SHE IS THE KING (who has been getting a lot of international media interest) will be joined by Paul Fenech, Danny Tupelo, Elias2Elvis in a one-off exclusive concert: ELVIS LIVES - The 30th Anniversary Tribute at the Roxy Parramatta in Sydney on December 16th. Paul Fenech is a well-known Australian TV personality who has his own show on SBS - and a big love of Elvis. Click here for more info and tickets:  (News, Source: EIN)

'Rock Back The Clock' new CD update: The "Straight Arrow" label will release a 2CD-set at the end of this year titled "ROCK BACK THE CLOCK". It will be a special release of Elvis' infamous first New Year's Eve show in Pontiac, Michigan. The producers are aware that this concert was previously issued from another source, but in the case of this release they were able to obtain an ORIGINAL TAPE recorded by the same person that taped the College Park, MD, 27.09.1974 using the same recorder and microphone. That concert has been released on Straight Arrow's 2006 CD "CHAOS IN COLLEGE PARK". The main reason for this new and ultimate Pontiac '75 release is that the sound quality is excellent for an off-line recording. Since no soundboard recording of this show exists, only audience taped documentation of this historic event is available. Over the last 15 years, three independent audience recordings were collected and on each source there was a major problem: excessive echo caused by the large stadium space. This new source is very clear and most importantly, almost echo-free because the person with recorder was sitting very close to the sound system.

Solar Miner IV, winner of the Solar Challenge, at Graceland: Solar Miner IV rolled up to the gates of Graceland this past week for a visit. Solar Miner IV, created by The University of Missouri Rolla Solar Car Team, was the winner of the 2003 American Solar Challenge. The solar car was on its way back to Missouri from Florida after being the star of a new European ad campaign for General Motors. The University Rolla team are now busy building their 2008 car, Solar Miner VI, which will compete in the 2008 North American Solar Challenge that will race solar-powered cars in a cross-country event from Dallas, Texas to Calgary, Alberta. (News, Source: EPE)

This week's Billboard charts: Here are this week's US Billboard charts. Nice to see 'Blue Christmas' getting a lot of radio play. The album charts feature FOUR different Elvis seasonal albums, 'Elvis Christmas', 'It's Christmas', 'Blue Christmas' and 'Home For The Holidays' while 'Elv1s 30 #1 Hits' is nearly back into the Top 40 Pop albums. This year's key 30th Anniversary release 'The King' is nowhere to be seen.  Billboards Charts Top 200 Albums: Home For The Holidays #105 Comprehensive Albums: Elvis Christmas #73 Comprehensive Albums: It's Christmas Time #112 Comprehensive Albums: Home For The Holidays #133 Comprehensive Albums: Elv1s 30 #1 Hits #180 Pop Catalog Albums: Elvis Christmas #15 Pop Catalog Albums: It's Christmas Time #23 Pop Catalog Albums: Elv1s 30 #1 Hits #41 Country Catalog Albums: Elvis Christmas #2 Country Catalog Albums: Elv1s 30 #1 Hits #5 Country Catalog Albums: Blue Christmas #20 Independent Albums: Home For The Holidays #8 Holiday Albums: Elvis Christmas: #21 Holiday Albums: It's Christmas Time: #32 Holiday Albums: Home For The Holidays #39 Hot Singles Recurrents: Blue Christmas #17 Hot Singles Recurrent Airplay: Blue Christmas #24 Hot Holiday Songs: Blue Christmas #22 Music Video: Elv1s #1 Hits Performances #26 Music Video: Aloha From Hawaii: #38 (News, Source: EIN/www.elvischarts.com)

Josh Groban ties Elvis Christmas record: Further to our story below dated 9 December, singer Josh Groban has tied Elvis' festive record by claiming a third successive week at number one on the U.S. album chart with a compilation of Christmas tunes. Groban's 'Noel' scored an increase in sales to claim a third week at number one, keeping Alicia Keys' "As I Am" off the top. (News, Source: Elvis News)

"Elvis The Originals" CD release: The cover art of "The Originals" budget compilation which is due for release February 11, 2008. This 2 CD compilation on the Performance label contains 47 originally recorded remastered tracks. (News, Source: EP Gold)

"Welcome Home Elvis" Special 2DVD release: The Frank Sinatra "Welcome Home Party" will be re-issued on January 14, 2008 by WHE Europe Limited as a 2 DVD Box-set. The bonus contains the "Elvis In Germany" DVD with a 32 page booklet. (News, Source: EP Gold)

Elvis Cadillac sells on eBay: Yes, The King's 1965 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible has seemingly been sold on eBay for at least $119,900, having been flogged by US motorcar firm Daniel Schmitt & Co. Elvis himself co-designed the car (it says here), which until recently was the property of the Elvis Presley Museum in Las Vegas. It's finished with over 40 coats of Gold Pearlescent paint (which hopefully means it'll survive the odd scratch), but it also comes with a poignant tale. See, Elvis never actually got to drive the car, as he died before it was finished. Does it go though? Yes, it runs smoothly, and is still in its original condition, complete with gold discs mounted in the cover, and guitar-shaped speakers. Okay, you might need to install your own satnav system, but make sure it's a gold one... Elvis Presley Cadillac auction page (News, Source: EP Gold) 2007/12/12

"Elvis Presley - The Music And The Legend" 4DVD set: Edgehill Publishing will release the 4 DVD Box-set "Elvis Presley - The Music And The Legend " on February 18, 2008. The total running time is 210 minutes. (News, Source: www.amazon.co.uk/www.elvisnews.com/www.epgold.com)

Problems with EIN server: In the past few weeks there has been some disruption to the EIN site. It was caused by a hacker who managed to access a number of different websites, including EIN, hosted by our hosting company. At times our Home page was essentially blank and a number of other pages were infected with a virus. We apologise for any concern this problem has caused any of our visitors!

We believe we have now overcome the problem although it may well be that one or two pages are still infected with a virus. If any reader receives a virus message on visiting our site we would appreciate you contacting EIN and advising details of the affected page so we can upload a fresh, non infected page. Nigel & Piers

Guess who has been confirmed for EPE's Elvis Presley Birthday Pops: Members of Elvis's original TCB Band James Burton, Glen D. Hardin and Ronnie Tutt are now confirmed as special guest stars for the Memphis Symphony's Elvis Presley Birthday Pops to be presented on the evening of January 5, 2008 at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts.  They will make a special appearance during the show, which features the previously announced Terry Mike Jeffrey (lead vocals) and his band peforming with the orchestra using Elvis Presley original concert charts from the Graceland Archives. 

This concert is presented with the collaboration and sponsorship support of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. and is one of the official events for the Elvis Presley Birthday Celebration 2008. (News, Source: EPE)

.......50+ items added to EIN today.......

	CD suggestions for Christmas: the latest Sony-BMG Elvis albumsnow available from all good music outlets Read EIN's review of "Viva Las Vegas"

Cover art & track listing for latest import CD: Here we have the cover of the CD "Rock Back The Clock" that will be released out soon. Tracklisting: Also Sprach Zarathustra (Theme from "2001 A Space Odyssey") - C. C. Rider - I Got A Woman / Amen (medley) - Monologue (Elvis split his pants) - Love Me - Tryin' To Get To You - And I Love You So - All Shook Up - Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel (medley) - Heartbreak Hotel - One Night - You Gave Me A Mountain - Polk Salad Annie - Elvis left the stage to change the jumpsuit - Sweet Sweet Spirit (by J. D Sumner & The Stamps) - Band Introductions - What'd I Say - Drums Solo (Ronnie Tutt) - Bass Solo (Blues - Jerry Scheff) - Piano Solo (Glen D. Hardin - for the last time with Elvis on stage) - Electric Piano Solo (David Briggs) - School Day (Hail Hail Rock'n'Roll) - My Way (with break) - Love Me Tender - Monologue / New Year Countdown - Auld Lang Syne - How Great Thou Art (with last part reprise) - It's Now Or Never - America (The Beautiful) - Elvis thanks / Introduction of Lisa Marie and Vernon Presley - Hound Dog - Wooden Heart (part only) - Can't Help Falling In Love - Closing Vamp. (News, Source: FECC)

Ike Turner dies: Legendary artist Ike Turner has died aged 76. Turner is best known for his recordings with former wife, Tina Turner. Long before Elvis and Chuck Berry burst into the public eye, Turner was playing rock ‘n’ roll. Some people think he even invented it with the pummeling “Rocket 88” in 1951, recorded with his Kings of Rhythm at Sam Phillips’ Sun studio in Memphis and spiked by Turner’s distorted guitar. The song, released on Chicago-based Chess Records and released under the name of the singer, Jackie Brenston, established a pattern for Turner’s career: He would always be the man behind the scenes, a crucial but often unrecognized cog in the development of blues, R&B, rock ‘n’ roll and soul over the next three decades.“Blues men in America, we were outcasts,” he said in a 2001 interview with the Tribune. “All of our lives, since I was born, we were outcasts. Before the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds came along --- it had to come from whites in England for America to appreciate what we did.”       Turner was also quoted as saying he made $60.00 for doing "Rocket 88". In an interview with Record Collector magazine earlier this year, Turner spoke briefly about meeting Elvis during his Sun days. (News, Source: Chicago Tribune/Record Collector)

Two EPE sponsored ETA contests in Australia in 2008?: EPE has informed the TCB Fan Club in Queensland:

"Thanks for your responses. The reason we need this information is because as we continue to develop our ETA program we want to know if there is enough of demand for ETA's outside US to have multiple contests in other countries such as Australia. We are hopeful that there will be at least two contests in Australia this year affiliated with EPE. There was no guy named Bardo in our contest. This information is inaccurate and others have spread similar inaccuracies but I do assure you and please assure your fan club that the only way to compete in the ETA finals is by winning a prelim. Have a great week." (Almost Elvis, Source: Chris Bamford)

Elvis co-star talks about life and Elvis: Jimmy Hawkins, who played Elvis' sidekick in 'Spinout' and 'Girl Happy' is still alive and enjoying life. Please go to the following URL for the story: http://www.dvdtown.com/news/still-a-wonderful-life-a-conversation-with-jimmy-hawkins/4985 (News, Source: Brian Quinn/www.dvdtown.com/www.epgold.com

Elvis at the ready to fight bushfires: THE Elvis firefighting helicopter has finally arrived on Kangaroo Island, although it may not see any action until later this week. The Country Fire Service has been using between four and seven fixed-wing firebomber aircraft around the clock to battle out-of-control bushfires since last Thursday. CFS chief officer Euan Ferguson yesterday said the nature of the fires on KI meant the 9000 litre Elvis Erickson air crane did not currently have a tactical role.

There are four available nationally and the one now on KI is leased by Victoria, which wants it back. Mr Ferguson expects it to be replaced today by an air crane shared by SA, ACT and Tasmania. He said while Elvis was expensive to operate, it was not being used simply because of strategic operational reasons.

"The Government has made it quite clear to me to put out the fires and then we'll look at the bills afterwards," Mr Ferguson said.

Music legend Paul Anka on his new album and Elvis: The success of Rock Swings, which brought Anka a whole new wave of mainstream attention, clearly paved the way for a follow-up. The singer relished the idea of finding a new collection of tunes to reinterpret, but wanted to stretch his focus at the same time. "Without saying I wanted to do Rock Swings 2, I felt there was a paraphrase there, and I wanted to get more into the texture of the band, thus doing Duran Duran and more of the ballads and a couple of duets," he says. "But then there’s a song like Time After Time, which has always been a ballad, from Cyndi Lauper to Miles Davis to whomever, so I wanted to take that up. As I morphed it out, I found the pocket for each of those songs, adding a slight deviation to them as we went along." (Opposite: A young Paul Anka with Elvis with an unidentified girl)

The "pocket" for Marc Cohn’s Walking in Memphis didn’t come so quickly to Anka; his version on Classic Songs My Way was a second attempt, after failing to find the right groove in it for Rock Swings. "The subtitle to it all, and the whole blanket that it’s in, is Elvis, and it was great to relate to it in that way."Anka is among that rare group of people that can consider themselves a friend of the late rock and roll legend — his My Way was a significant late career hit for Presley — and somehow it informs his take on the lyrics of Walking in Memphis, in a way few singers could realize."I first knew Elvis when I came in at RCA Victor, after he returned from the army," he recalls. "Then we became really close when he came to Vegas, because that was my turf. He really got into My Way towards the end of his life, for obvious reasons, and I tried to talk him out of it!""I didn’t think it was his kind of song, but in his soul he certainly knew where he was going and wanted to articulate that. It’s that kind of song for everybody, from Elvis to Sid Vicious and the common man.""Pressed for a favourite memory of Elvis, Anka pauses for a moment, saying there are several from over the years, many of which came bubbling back to mind on the 30th anniversary of his death this summer. But one in particular seems appropriate for the snowy scene outside his hotel window."We were both up in Vail, Colorado, I was skiing with my family, and Elvis stayed in his room; he had the foil on his windows and you couldn’t get him out of bed until three or four o’clock in the afternoon," he says. "But he’d come out at night, and there’d be lights on all over the mountain, and we go riding snowmobiles. Then you’d go into his suite at the Hilton, and there’d be bullet holes all over the wall because he’d be playing with his guns. But he was a gentleman, a really good guy, he just had a problem dealing with his success getting away from him."Whereas My Way was a sign of the falling curtain for Presley, for Anka it’s been the anthem of a survivor, whose five decades in music have been marked by honours too numerous to count."I’m finally working on an autobiography, I’ve found a publisher I want to work with, St. Martin’s Press and it’s going quite well," he says.

"I did the Howard Stern show, and I got a lot of callers asking me if I was going to do one, so it’s definitely the right time. And it’s not going to be called "My Way" either." (News, Source: Nova Scotia News)

New film set to debut: Tears Of A King has its world debut on Thursday 20 December at the Scera Theater in Orem, Utah. It screens from 6pm to 9pm. The Scera Theater is located at 745 South State Street.Tickets are $10.00 each. A special musical presentation by Matt Lewis will follow the movie - highlights from the movie soundtrack.Call (801) 319-2997 for more details. Visit EIN's Celluloid Elvis page for more info on "Tears Of A King"

New guests announced for Elvis Insiders Reception next month: Three members of the TCB Band will be joining the guest list at the official Elvis Insiders Reception and Tour on Sunday, January 6. Attendees will be able to meet and get autographs from James Burton, Ronnie Tutt and Glen Hardin. In addition to the TCB Band, Larry Geller and Cynthia Pepper will also be special guests at the event. Tickets for the Elvis Insiders Reception and Tour are on sale now. (News, Source: Elvis Insiders)

	Cover artwork for new CD Ringles: Many thanks to Barry McLean for these images: ''Love Me Tender'' features the original B-side '' Anyway You Want Me''.........''Suspicious Minds'' is accompanied by ''You'll Think Of Me''. Both "ringles" contain a ringtone of Elvis #1 Hits and a bonus wallpaper.

"Viva Las Vegas" TV documentary soundtrack: The ABC documentary, Viva Las Vegas, chronicled Elvis’s life during the Vegas years with the focus on his music, ground-breaking style and legacy. The documentary also featured performances by some of today’s biggest stars doing their unique interpretations of the Elvis song that had the most influence on them. The official soundtrack for the Viva Las Vegas television event will be released on 2 January 2008 in America. (News, Source: EPE)

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Overton Park Shell reconstruction: Larry Kelley, Elvis Family of Fans Club tells us:

I'm happy to report that The Overton Park Shell re-construction project is getting underway today!!  The sides of the building are being removed to make it look like it did in the beginning and thru the 50's.  The benches will be removed as well and the entire structure will be renovated to be structurally sound and includes a video screen on each side of the Shell (not like in the 50's but good for programs there).

We are looking for ideas on how the Elvis Fans can be involved.  Of course, a plaque is being considered indicating the first place Elvis performed after his first recording of "That's Alright Mama" on July 30, 1954. 

This is an important project and the City is providing matching funds along with the Levitt Foundation funds but the more we Fans become involved either thru fund raisers or other ideas, the more of a 'presence' Elvis will have there and we all know that no greater performer ever graced that stage than the King!  So if anyone has any ideas, I would appreciate it if you would send them to me at: kingofthehill@mchsi.com and we'll formulate a real organized plan to make this a nice attraction for tourists and Elvis fans alike to visit each time they return to Memphis. Or you may call me at 515-432-4332 and we'll chat about your idea(s).

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Updated Today:	Almost Elvis More than 30 shows and news items added!!

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Top Aussie ETAs set to rock Sydney: AUSTRALIA'S top Elvis tribute artists will come together in Elvis Lives, a 30th anniversary tribute concert at the Roxy Parramatta this Sunday, December 16th 2007. The concert, with Paul Fenech, Danny Tupelo, Elias2Elvis and female interpreter She is the King, will feature songs from the 1950s, '60s and '70s.

Elias2Elvis combines Presley's vocal and physical delivery. "The feeling of performing in an Elvis jumpsuit, singing his songs is something hard to explain unless you've done it," he said. "It becomes a mutual celebration between performer and audience reflecting the man who revolutionised music and became a worldwide icon."

Paul Fenech has been performing for more than 12 years and worked in Las Vegas, Singapore, Malaysia, Andorra, Israel and New Zealand.

Just back from Memphis, She is the King will perform songs from her debut album as well as some of the more gospel and country orientated Elvis songs. She was invited to perform at Graceland and competed in the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Competition in Mississippi this year.

With over 15 years' experience Danny Tupelo brings Elvis to life. His looks, combined with his Elvis sound-a-like voice really gets the fans' hearts thumping. The Roxy, 69 George Street, Parramatta. Bookings: theroxy.com.au (Almost Elvis, Source: Charmaine Voisine)

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Believe it or not! - Elvis Presley, 30 years after death: a world exclusive photograph by the King: Memories in Europe and celebrations for the singer who was once a GI in Germany. Elvis as photographer: Portrait of his friend Joe, photographed in 1958 in Germany. Elvis himself did the make-up. He used the style from his own Hollywood movies. He argued: "You must look as you really are, soft and handsome."Berlin/Memphis (bpb) Elvis Presley is not forgotten. 30 years after his death on August 16, 1977, the fans of his music celebrate around the world the high-kicking King of Rock 'n' Roll. Countless millions of people are still crazy about Elvis. Even those who were born after the death of Presley love his music and his life story, which includes the career from a poor fellow to the Mount Olympus of the greatest stars in show business. © EP-Archive, Marco-VG

The internet bulletin PROMETHEUS is proud to present for the first time a rare photograph, taken by Elvis Presley himself in 1958. It shows his German boyfriend Joe. Elvis met him during his time as a GI in Germany. There are thousands of books published about Elvis Presley, and millions of articles in many languages in the media on all continents. What has not yet been revealed is the secret life of Elvis. That means also his real sexual orientation. The opinion is becoming stronger that Elvis belonged to the group of VIPs, which the famous German tennis-star Boris Becker called "metro sexual". This term can be interpreted as a stage higher than bi-sexual, tolerant towards everybody and curious to test in one's young age new things in intimate human relationships.

Whatever once the baby-faced beauty, with a slick of ebony hair Elvis Presley may have been: his Music has the first importance in the memory of the people.To increase the number of friends and admirers of Elvis on the occasion of this anniversary, new editions of his songs have been published. The TV stations in Germany are now showing a number of Hollywood films with Elvis, as well several documentary series. (Source: John Zavrel/www.meaus.com /www.epgold.com)

 

Wednesday 12 December 2007..............only 13 more sleeps.... Well, It's Christmas time little baby...

'EIN's Best of Elvis on YouTube' Weekly Update: Another Sensational 14 new clips added. Firstly don't miss the marvellous & controversial 'Baby Let's Play House' Remix by Spankox. This week we also feature an incredible selection of interviews with everyone from The Colonel, to Billy Smith, 68 Comeback director Steve Binder and four from Lisa Marie. We also have some live footage of Elvis on stage in 1977 and beautiful videos for 'Sweet Angeline' and 'For The Good Times', along with the topical 'If I Get Home On Christmas Day'. With well over two hundred and fifty videos listed, catch them all before the Internet police take them away! ('EIN's Elvis on YouTube', Source: EIN/YouTube)

The Presleys, McCartney, and the Jaggers: The night the rock clans gathered for Led Zeppelin reunion: The reunion show for legendary rockers Led Zeppelin attracted some legendary fans as the famous rock clans of the Presleys, former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, and The Rolling Stones Mick Jagger gathered for the highly anticipated reunion show. Rock royalty turned out clad in denim and leather to see the band reunited for the first time in 19 years at London's O2 arena. As well as the elder statesmen of what were once two of the music world's biggest bands, three generations of the original rocker - Elvis Presley - turned up. The King's ex-wife Priscilla Presley, 62, their only child together, Lisa Marie Presley, 39, and his oldest grandchild, Riley Keough, 18 made a rare appearance in London with daughter Lisa looking the image of her exulted father. Singer Pink traded silly faces with Lisa Marie Presley while Noel and Liam Gallagher helped themselves to the free bar.

Mick Jagger's children Georgina and James arrived with their mother, Texan model Jerry Hall. So many celebrities turned up to watch Led Zeppelin last night, it was difficult to spot people that weren't famous in the 20,000-capacity crowd. Having already sold an estimated 300 million albums worldwide since their debut in 1968, Led Zeppelin have now made their music catalogue available on the internet for the first time, and signed a deal for ring tones and downloads with a US mobile phone company and released a remastered greatest hits CD.Go here for the article and all the photos. (News, Source: ThisIsLondon)

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'King of the Road'- Tennessee OK's new Elvis plate: Elvis Presley will take to the highways in February when the new Elvis specialty license plate is expected to be ready for distribution through the Tennessee Revenue Department. The plate was first proposed in 2005 and took two years to gather enough buyers and work its way through the state approval process as a fund-raising tool for the Regional Medical Center at Memphis and its Elvis Presley Memorial Trauma Center. Spokesman Michael Scruggs said about 1,160 Tennesseans ordered the specialty tags, exceeding the minimum order of 1,000 plates needed to justify production. The Med will receive about $20 of each $35 specialty license fee, while hoping to increase sales of the plate once they go on sale in February. The plate features a classic Elvis pose from a photograph taken during a 1955 concert in Tampa, just before the release of his first No. 1 hit 'Heartbreak Hotel' in 1956. The plate becomes one of more than 150 specialty plates in production in Tennessee. The most popular is a "Friends of Great Smoky Mountains" plate. (News, Source: Commercial Appeal)

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EPE 2007 Fan Club Presidents CD: This is the nice looking cover to the 2007 Christmas Elvis Fan Club Presidents CD. It features Elvis 1966 recording 'If Every Day Was Like Christmas'. These rare official CDs are always a favourite for collectors. (News, Source: Joseph Krein)

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Mucho "Love" releases from Elvis in 2008: 'Very Best Of Love' a new CD/DVD on the Madacy Label has been announced for Jan 15th 2008 release no details are however supplied. Also available for pre-order is a CD called "Mucho Love" on the USA Fania label. Although featured on other websites, EIN knows that this label specialises in Latin musicians and Salsa music (such as the great Celia Cruz) so the CD is very unlikely to feature Elvis! (News, Source: CD Universe)

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How a Canadian DJ introduced Victoria to Elvis - before he was King: Norm Pringle was a big-band man. He swung to Tommy Dorsey, bopped to Tex Beneke and swayed to Freddy Martin, back when the bandleader was introducing a sensational kid crooner by the name of Merv Griffin. Mr. Pringle played them all on his radio programs.  Then came a day when a disc arrived from a new artist with a sound that left the announcer baffled.  "When we first got his records, we didn't know where to play him," Mr. Pringle said the other day. "I had a country show and a pop show. He played a guitar, so I put him on my country show." Thus, the good listeners of Victoria got their aural introduction to a young man soon to become infamous for his physical gyrations.

Elvis Presley was not yet the King. He was Elvis the Pelvis, a truck driver from the South who was inexplicably sending the kids, especially girls, into a frenzy. In a few short months, he scored a handful of Top 10 hits. Fifty years ago this month, the Presley tornado was lured to British Columbia, thanks to the pleadings of a red-haired, teenaged disc jockey. "When Red Robinson promoted Elvis to Vancouver," Mr. Pringle said, "I hopped on the bandwagon."  He was already spinning new Elvis platters for the radio station CKDA, broadcasting from the basement of the Dominion Hotel. He had made his own small contribution to the frenzy, booking the Capitol Theatre for the release of Loving You, Elvis' second movie. Only girls were invited to attend. The promotion was a smash.  Mr. Pringle also hosted a weekly show called House Party on CHEK-TV, during which he had teenagers lip-synch to the latest hits. One of the regulars, a youngster named Jim Smith, could bump and grind in the Presley style, so Mr. Pringle handed him a guitar and told him to swivel while mouthing words already familiar to every teen.  The boy became known in the newspapers as "Victoria's EP," making him perhaps the first soldier in an army of Elvis impersonators. (These days, the Elvii prefer to be known as tribute artists.)  Mr. Smith's minor rock 'n' roll career eventually gave way to a working life as a bus driver. Elvis was monster. So, on Aug. 31, 1957, Mr. Pringle found himself leading two busloads of Elvis fans, aged from 12 to  86, to catch the concert of a lifetime.  As it turned out, Mr. Pringle would get a rare glimpse of the King of Rock 'n' Roll in a brief, intimate moment. "He was a real charming guy. Pretty smart, too. He knew what to say. Had an answer for everything." Speaking from his home in California's San Fernando Valley, Mr. Pringle can hardly believe the passage of time. He worked for 25 years in Hollywood as a push-button mixer and an audio engineer. In recent years, he has campaigned to raise money for a memorial garden for U.S. troops killed in action in Iraq.  The 84-year-old broadcaster still writes songs - one of his recent efforts is a campaign song for Hillary Clinton, although she has opted for a Celine Dion number. Back in 1952, he had a local novelty hit with Santa Got Stuck in the Chimney.  (News, Source: CrashNorm/The Globe)

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'Elvis Presley - From His Roots' DVD CD release: A 3CD boxset along with an additional DVD entitled "Elvis Presley - Rock And Roll Royalty" is to be released December 7, 2007. Called 'Elvis Presley - From His Roots' this compilation was originally released in 2004 as a BMG 3CD Boxset. It contains 3CDs with 12 tracks on each, representing The 50s, The 60s and The 70s. (News, Source: Various)

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New live Orion CD released: A new live recording of Jimmy Ellis aka "Orion" has been released by Dradco Records. Live At The Pigeon Forge Grand Hotel contains a professionally recorded concert from July 5th 1986 with one of the best Elvis-soundalikes ever. Many will probably remember him as the masked singer that created headlines in the late seventies / early eighties when he recorded for Sun Records. Jimmy performs a great set of songs from his own career and also covers from famous country artists and of course some Elvis songs. The CD comes with an 8 page full colour booklet with many rare and unreleased photos of Jimmy, memorabilia and an informative text about his career during this period. A fun note for the Elvis fans are that D.J Fontana's son David played drums on this recording. Go here to EIN's fascinating Spotlight about Jimmy "Orion" Ellis. (News, Source: ElvisUnlimited)

Tuesday 11 December 2007........................only 14 more sleeps.... here comes Santa Claus...

M.R.S 'My Baby Left Me' to Enter into Guinness Book of World Records: Joseph Pirzada received a call today informing him that the UK M.R.S CD Single release of ‘My Baby Left Me’ released in August 2007 only through HMV Stores is to enter into the 2009 Edition of the Guinness Book of World Records. This is on the basis that it took nearly 52 years from the time it was recorded to be a hit. This is the longest time it has taken any recorded song to become a chart hit. The MRS single release of ‘My Baby Left Me’ entered the UK chart at #19 and has since sold over 20,000 copies. Go here for EIN's review of the single. (News, Source:JP)

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Joe Esposito Interview with Elvis Brazil: EIN's good friend Sergio from Elvis Collectors Brazil recently interviewed Elvis' friend and Tour manager Joe Esposito. In the lengthy interview Joe talks about life through the years with Elvis making his usual observations. Joe talks at length about the final years and about his new books but he also mentions the possibility of more Elvis Home Movies being released. Go here to read the Esposito interview. Go here for more EIN in-depth interviews with Billy Smith and other Memphis Mafia members. (News, Source: Sergio Biston)

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'A Wild Weekend in Huntsville! - Volume Two' new CD: The Madison label will release their latest CD featuring the June 1, 1975 Huntsville afternoon show soundboard recording in January 2008. From their press release: The previous matinee performance in Huntsville was one of the best from this tour, and this one is as good if not better. The sound quality is also superior to the first volume with a fresh, dynamic, lively rocking sound. This show was possibly the longest recording from this May/June '75 tour, none of the concerts were recorded in their entirety. They started to record over one minute before the start of 'I Got A Woman/Amen' and ends with the very last note of 'Can't Help Falling In Love'. The show was completed for your listening pleasure. There were two songs previously released from this June 1, 1975 AS performance, and for the very first time the complete performance will be available on CD.

This new outing from Madison will come with the usual professionally designed 16-page full color booklet, relevant liner notes and photographs from the actual performance that afternoon in Alabama. If you enjoyed the first volume then don't miss out A Wild Weekend in Huntsville! Volume Two.  Tracklist: 1- Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra 2-C.C. Rider * 3- I Got A Woman/Amen 4- Love Me  5- If You Love Me (Let Me Know) 6- Love Me Tender (with false start) 7- All Shook Up 8- Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel 9- The Wonder Of You (with false start) 10- Heartbreak Hotel* 11- Burning Love 12- Introductions by Elvis of  vocalists, band 13- Johnny B. Goode (James Burton) 14- Drum Solo (Ron Tutt) 15- Bass solo (Jerry Scheff) 16- Piano solo (Glen Hardin) 17- Introductions by Elvis 18- School Day (Joe Guercio Orchestra) 19- Release Me* 20- T-R-O-U-B-L-E 21- Why Me Lord? 22- How Great Thou Art 23- Let Me Be There 24- Funny How Time Slips Away (with reprise) 25- Little Darlin' 26- Can't Help Falling In Love 27- Closing vamp/announcement *. All tracks previously unissued except (*) 10, 19 and Tracks 1 (Murfreesboro, May 6)  2 (Murfreesboro, May 6 -> first 3:28 only) 27 (Dallas, June 6) Total Time = 65:44 EIN Note: The best of Elvis' Huntsville performances were included on FTD's excellent 'Southern Nights' CD, go here for EIN review. (News, Source:FECC)

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'Elvis: The Man And His Music' December issue #78 out now: If you are interested in Elvis' music and in-depth articles this is the essential magazine for you. This issue features a rare 1965 Elvis Interview from Graceland, Interview with 'Tickle Me' co-star Ed Faulkner and Keith Flynn's 'It Takes One To Know (Take) One - Part 4' all about the peculiarity of Elvis' multiple takes and releases. The magazine also contains a fascinating article 'The Way It Was In Ottawa, April 3rd 1957' with an interview with Arni May who played drums when Elvis visited Canada, plus a fascinating 1987 Colonel Parker interview along with CD, DVD & Book Reviews. Go here to purchase and for more information. (News, Source EIN)

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No Upstairs footage of Graceland on the new DVD: Updating yesterday's news item which said that the new Graceland DVD "will not only show the downstairs part of the mansion, but also the upstairs", Todd Morgan of EPE now admits that "The new tour DVD does not include any footage of the upstairs of Graceland Mansion and there is no intention at all to suggest otherwise." Sadly it was only the bathroom of the racquetball building that was being referred to. The only way to see Graceland Upstairs footage is still via the documentary movie 'This Is Elvis' which was re-released this year. (News, Source: Various)

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Buyers beware, Elvis fake signatures on Ebay: Listed on Ebay UK are several supposed Elvis signed items, all from the same seller and all for sale within the next week. Advertised signed items include 'Elvis Presley signed owned 1956 book rare (right) for $3,000 and 'Elvis signed Bill Black/Scotty Moore/DJ Fontana postcard' for $7,000! According to FECC autograph experts these however are fakes produced by a Dutch forger called Hans Bakker. Buyers beware. Go to the autographs here. The seller also has a signed Elvis mid 1960's cherry sunburst acoustic guitar with letters of authenticity for sale for $52,000. As EIN has often noted that "letters of authenticity" actually mean very little. Go here to place a bid! (News, Source:FECC/Ebay)

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David Gest's memorabilia auction: Music producer and former husband of Lisa Minnelli, David Gest is to sell his huge collection of music memorabilia at Bonham's auction in London. More than 120 gold singles and albums, given in recognition of sales of over one million, will go on sale later. Gest said since appearing in the reality TV show, I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! his life has changed. "I no longer need a lot of the materialistic things I once felt so passionate about," he said. Gest's items also include an archive of signed contracts along with fan merchandise from major pop music performers of the day including Elvis. Sadly nothing exceptionally exciting is being sold, 1950's Elvis logo'd comb etc - the 1950's styled wallet (photo right) is cute however. It's only a few items all early stuff sold by the original EPE. More cash for The Colonel... At least it's all genuine! (News, Source:EIN)

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'If I Can Dream' McFarlane new figurine: The United E.P. Society have announced that this new McFarlane "Elvis Gospel" figurine will be released in March 2008. Based upon Elvis' 'If I Can Dream' 1968 performance it actually looks much better than most other Elvis figurines. (News, Source: The United Elvis Presley Society)

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Elvis Matters fan-club magazine Volume 19 out now:  This 68 page full-colour edition printed in Dutch contains news, reviews and articles on the club's US trip, the European Tour of the TCB Band, Joe Esposito, Elvis jumpsuits and more. The magazine also features interviews with Richard Moreno who did security for Elvis in the Hilton and Ron Feuer who played the keyboard for Elvis at that and other venues. (News, Source: Elvis Matters)

 

Alan Hanson talks to EIN: Elvis' tours in 1957 were his last before entering the Army. Alan Hanson, author of Elvis '57: The Final Fifties Tours recently sat down to talk with EIN about this incredible year in the Elvis story.In his stimulating and highly informative interview, Alan discusses what is in his critically acclaimed book, the height of Presleymania and the controversy around it, the Nudie Gold Suit designed for Elvis, why the Montreal concert was cancelled, the little known concert Elvis did essentially for military personnel and a lot more about Elvis on tour in 1957. (Interview, Source: EIN)

Do The Clam - as you've never seen it before!: Not regarded as one of Elvis' better film recordings, Do The Clam nevertheless has a catchy beat and lyric. However, for several very different (non-Elvis) performances check out these eclectic offerings on YouTube (including the legendary Japanese artists Akira Fuse and the Blue Comets together!) (News, Source: Amber Smith):

Akira Fuse & the Blue Comets (1965): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4kdVbPMOMkBurlesque performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESvAASOsn2A  

The Legend of the Black Elvis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8PSVU06fK4

And for Elvis on YouTube, don't forget to check out EIN's popular Best of Elvis YouTube

Seedlings from Graceland Magnolia Tree for sale: Carol Kuton tells us:

I just saw an ad in the latest "Better Homes and Gardens" magazine (USA edition), p. 168, showing a seedling you can order that has been cut from a magnolia tree that grows at Graceland.  It's actually named after Elvis.  Neat, huh? You can search "EP Magnolia Tree" and see the info about it if you want. (News, Source: Carol Kuton)

Elvis website changes domain: For those of you who wonder what happened to "www.united4elvis.com", it has moved to another domain: www.rockaroundmemphis.com (News, Source: RockAroundMemphis)

Elvis2001/Elvis Express Radio interviews Patrick Lacy: Joe Krein from Elvis2001 has done a very interesting interview for Elvis2001.net and EER with author Patrick Lacy about his excellent book, Elvis Decoded. Some of the issues covered are whether or not a cranial autopsy was performed on Elvis; was there really a break-in at Forest Hill Cemetery; is Elvis alive?; the Presley Commission; the Beeny DNA samples, Gail Brewer-Giorgio and Billy Miller. EIN recommends this interview to anyone interested in the truth about some of the most contentious issues in the Elvis world.

Listen to the interview Read EIN's review of "Elvis Decoded"

Read EIN's interview with Patrick Lacy

Buying Elvis at Christmas - some tips: Holiday ornaments can be balls of fun in more ways than one. They shine. They sparkle. They glitter. They can make you laugh. They can make you groan with their lameness. They can help you remember precious childhood moments. But there are some particular ornaments that are in a class in themselves -- musical ornaments. These often can light up. The characters might be animated. But above all else, they provide auditory entertainment with short clips of holiday tunes or classic sayings, often from popular films and cartoons.

If you're looking to add a new element to the decor of your Christmas tree this holiday season, you might consider a musical ornament or two. The sounds that musical ornaments provide might just take you back to Christmases past.

When you're out shopping for one, go ahead and test it out at the store.

"You should be able to be in the same room and hear it without having to be right next to it," Parkes says. "It won't sound as good as if you were playing (the song) on a quality sound system, but the quality should be good."If you're buying one to add to a collection, consider appearance, Cipra says. Some people will look for something from a certain time period, style of music or maybe theme.For example, if you're searching for an Elvis musical ornament, you want to make sure Elvis looks like himself and that the scene correctly represents him. Another good reason to try out the musical ornament first is to be sure you like what you're hearing. (News, Source: Nzong Xiong, McClatchy Newspapers)

Elvis' personal make-up case for sale on eBay

Elvis chart update: The re-issue of "Burning Love" is a new entry at #13 on the U.K. Top 40 this week.. This single ends the 2007 UK Singles Campaign containing some of Elvis' UK chart hits which never reached #1.

Elvis - Re-issued singles – 2007

1] Peaked at No.11 Suspicious Minds [original peaked at: No.2]
2] No.13 Blue Suede Shoes [original No.9]
3] No.14 Hound Dog [original No.2]
4] No.14 Teddy Bear [original No.3]
5] No.14 Party [original No.2]
6] No.14 Don’t [original No.2]
7] No.15 Hard Headed Woman [original No.2]
8] No.15 King Creole [original No.2]
9] No.12 A Big Hunk O’ Love [original No.4]
10] No.16 Wear My Ring Around Your Neck [original No.3]
11] No.17 If I Can Dream [original No.11]
12] No.15 Viva Las Vegas [original No.17]
13] No.13 In The Ghetto [original No.2]
14] No.16 You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me [original No.9]
15] No.17 Always On My Mind [original No.9]
16] No.12 An American Trilogy [original No.8]
17] No.13 Burning Love [original No.7]

NB: Heartbreak Hotel the first re-issued single in this set was disallowed for the chart because of the box with it.

On the ARIA Music DVD Chart in Australia, Elvis The King of Rick 'N" Roll slips three places to #19. The DVD is certified Gold and has been on the chart for 4 weeks, peaking at #5. (News, Source: Elvis News/FECC/ARIA)

Radio Dixie Elvis Marathon: Once again this year an “Old Long Syne” Elvis Marathon. It starts at the 23th of December at 10.00 AM ‘till the 1th of januar 2008 approx midnight. At the 8th of Januar there will be an extra broadcast starting 10.00 AM. ‘till the 9th of Januar 09.00 AM. Requests you can drop of on: radio-dixie@hotmail.com (News, Source: It's Elvis Time/EP Gold)

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Elvis at the Hard Rock Cafe in Orlando, Fl: A beautiful leaded glass with Elvis as seen in the "Hard Rock Café" Orlando. Elvis is in the middle (who else?) as you can see on the picture! (News, Source: It's Elvis Time) (Photograph: P. de Meuter)

Readers Digest Feb 2008: Super Elvis collector, Rockin' Robin Rosaaen tells EIN:

'Just an FYI as I hope that you all do get Reader's Digest magazine, as I flew to Las Vegas last week for a great photo shoot there to go with Alanna Nash's interview for the February 2008 issue of Reader's Digest magazine, so this will be out in mid to late January and I do hope you can let all of the Elvis fans know about this as there will be photos and a 3 page interview about my Elvis collection.'

Preview of new Graceland Tour DVD: It seems to have been the week of "Graceland". With the book Inside Graceland released and MRS announcing its book, Elvis' Graceland - The Way It Was (see news below dated 6 Dec 2007), and now Elvis Australia has a preview of the upcoming edition of the Graceland Tour DVD. These videos are a first-look at footage that will be featured in the new DVD which will not only show the downstairs part of the mansion, but also the upstairs.

The DVD will include footage of Elvis' bathroom lounge and dressing room area featuring a walk in closet, Jacuzzi, Whirlpool tub and luxurious multi head shower and steam bath, along with a bathroom and dressing room area for his friends.

You can see previews of the "Welcome to Graceland", living room / music room, dining room and racquetball building. (News, Source: Elvis News/Elvis Australia)

"Elvisly Yours" memorabilia

on sale now for Christmas and the January birthday celebration

Another Elvis record set to be tied: Celine Dion, Christina Aguilera, Garth Brooks, Harry Connick Jr., Whitney Houston and Sarah McLachlan. They are just a few of the multiplatinum artists whose Christmas albums failed to reach No. 1 on The Billboard 200 between 1994, when Kenny G's "Miracles -- The Holiday Album" rang the bell, and last week, when Josh Groban's "Noel" became the first since then to do so.The Los Angeles tenor returned to "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in the same week he visited "Good Morning America" and NBC's "Christmas From Rockefeller Center" special, while ABC used his treatment of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" to accompany a montage of messages from troops stationed in Iraq.All that TV exposure helped "Noel" log a second week atop the chart in the week ended December 2 with 539,000 copies -- a 33% increase in sales.More than that, Groban's new total represents one of the largest weeks logged by a holiday album since Nielsen SoundScan starting tracking sales in 1991. Kenny G's "Miracles" topped Groban's current total for three weeks, the largest of those being 819,000. No other Christmas album in SoundScan history clocked a week as large as Groban's sum.If he holds on to No. 1 next week -- as preliminary data strongly suggest -- "Noel" will be the first to lead Billboard's album chart for three consecutive weeks since Elvis Presley's "Elvis' Christmas Album" did so in 1957. (News, Source: Reuters)

EIN Note: SoundScan was not in existence when Elvis' Christmas Album was released in 1957.

"Charro" DVD release in 2008: This is the cover art of yet another edition of Elvis' movie "Charro" which is due for release January 7, 2008. Product details from Amazon: Actors: Elvis Presley, Ina Balin, Barbara Werle, Victor French Directors: Charles Warren Format: PAL Region: Region 2 (DVD formats) Number of discs: 1 Classification: Parental Guidance Studio: Video International DVD Release Date: 7 Jan 2008 Run Time: 98 minutes (News, Source: Amazon.co.uk /Elvis News) EIN Note: This release appears to be a re-issue of the low grade release rather than the quality release earlier this year from Warner Home Video)

All Shook Up play rocks Balgonie: A lot of December entertainment is about tradition -- the carol festival, the holiday train, the annual Globe production -- but if you're looking for something new, pencil All Shook Up, the Greenall School musical in Balgonie, on your calendar.Joanne Beach, teacher-librarian and show director, says she fell in love with this year's show, her fourteenth high school production, when she saw it in New York on Broadway."This play has never been produced in Canada professionally or amateur. I e-mailed the company and they gave me the rights," says Beach, clearly pleased with her achievement.The plot revolves around Chad the Roustabout, a Fonzie/Elvis cross, played by Grade 10 Richard Corbin. Richards' character is a newcomer to a town devoid of singing, dancing or necking due to the Mayor's decency act.Chad brings the town to life by making the jukebox come alive. He also falls for the town vamp, Miss Sandra, played by Jamie Lemmerick. The triangle is complete with the addition of Natalie Haller, played by Janean Lowenberger. Natalie is highly attracted to Chad and pretends to be male to get closer to him."Natalie ends up hanging out with Chad and at one moment kissing him as a guy and Chad thinks that he might have a forbidden love. It's funny and fun," explains Beach.Corbin knew a bit about the Fonz from his parents. His grandpa grew up with Elvis."We watched some videos on YouTube of the Fonz and Elvis to try and give us an idea of what they were like," Corbin says, adding that the role is challenging because he isn't like Chad. "Chad is a womanizer," Beach interjects. "When women meet him they faint and Richard is saying that he doesn't have that effect on women yet."Lowenberger, on the other hand, is quite comfortable as Natalie. "She's a huge tomboy. So am I," says the Grade 11 student. "I'm a hockey player and I played with boys when I was little so the transition from girl to boy isn't all the difficult."While Lowenberger and Corbin appeared in last year's production, Lemmerick -- a Grade 12 student -- is new to a high school production. The veteran of Do It With Class Theatre says a highlight has been working with so many kinds of people and with those who are musically inclined. The show features 25 Elvis tunes and a lot of choreography."I am not a dancer," says Beach, "but we have many talented student dancers who bring those skills to the play. They choreographed everything and they are actually the best ones to inspire the other students."The student orchestra is lead by Chris Jacklin. Students are also responsible for lighting and set design that Beach promises will have the audience revisiting the 1950s complete with authentic costumes."The best thing for me is seeing the talents of the students coming out. Arts in the school system are not as accentuated as some of the sports so it's nice to see such wonderful, talented students being able to show off their talents," says Beach.All Shook Up tickets are $5 at the door or by calling the school at 771-2566.And, if this isn't enough to pique your interest, the final scene is a triple wedding, a near perfect way for sentimental traditionalists to ring out 2007.

"The play is full of love triangles, twists and hilarity," Beach sums it up. "And, at this time of the year, I think it's nice to get a break and just have some fun." (Play Review, Source: The Leader-Post)

Elvis impersonator gets further jail time for sex crimes against children: AN Elvis impersonator already jailed for ten years for sex crimes against children has been jailed for a further four-and-a-half years. A victim’s mother yelled “rot in hell” as Ricky Crossley was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court.Judge Les Spittle said that girls as young as five were dazzled by Crossley, a former boss of the Elvis Presley fan club in Cleveland, who drove a Jaguar car. Last February he was given a ten-year extended sentence for attempted rape and indecent assault in 2002 on a 15-year-old. Reports in the Evening Gazette and other media led to three more girls contacting police.He has now been jailed for another four-and-a-half years after he admitted indecent assaults on the youngsters aged five, nine and ten. Prosecutor Sarah Mallett said that the girls contacted police after press reports in February when Crossley, 45, was convicted after a trial at Teesside Crown Court. The five-year-old later self-harmed and needed psychiatric help to rid her of nightmare flashbacks.Crossley pinned the nine-year-old to a bed but after she escaped told her: “People sometimes do things that they don't mean.”The 11-year-old was visiting his home when he started talking to her about massage. Crossley was also a former chauffeur to the Mayor of Middlesbrough but he was sacked after he threw a party in the mayor’s parlour.He was arrested while serving his sentence in Holme House Prison. He denied all the allegations, but he pleaded guilty when he appeared for trial. Rod Hunt, defending, said that Crossley had begun his sexual offender's rehabilitation and he had admitted the latest offences. He added: “There has to be a recognition of the age of the offences and that he has already commenced the process of punishment and rehabilitation.”Judge Spittle told Crossley: “They were young girls and they were over-awed by you.“You took advantage of them and you indecently assaulted them.”

One victim and several mothers were in the public gallery as Crossley sat head bowed at the hearing. Crossley, of Marton Road, Middlesbrough, was jailed for four-and-a-half years consecutively to his 10-year sentence, banned for life from contact with children and ordered to register as a sex offender for life. (News, gazettelive.co.uk)

"High Voltage - Birmingham '76 Revisited"- An audio sensation: As announced last month, Elvis’ possibly best concert in 1976 from Birmingham December 29th is about to be released from soundboard - and for the first time in Stereo! This is an upgrade from an old import favorite ‘Burning In Birmingham’. Many hardcore fans however have been recently disappointed by other re-issues with so-called ‘audio upgrades’ and have told us that they had just wasted their money. So EIN called AUDIONICS to see if they can justify their new claims – and we were very impressed with what we heard. With a chance to compare the new ‘High Voltage 76’ with our old beloved ‘Burning In Birmingham’ playing side-by-side, it’s like chalk and cheese. It sounds much better than the audio improvements on both re-releases ‘Shaking Up The Great Lakes’ and ‘One Night Only’. For a start it is pretty impressive stereo, which is not easy to do with a binaural tape. No wonder they feature the two original tracks at the end for comparison! Audionics have achieved this with the best possible audio engineering hardware and software - this is no "home made job"! (You know who you are, ‘Legendary Performers Volumes 100’ etc"). Over 150 studio hours have been spent on this re-master, whereas the old bootlegs would often take only 3 hours of studio time. Audionics also promise that they are cleaning up even the smallest glitches, clicks and audio dropouts! Although I loved the original ‘Burning In Birmingham’ it did have a lot of background audio hiss and the sound spectrum was pretty flat and dead, especially when compared with Elvis’ dynamic performance.

The book will be released by: Uitgeverij Nijgh & Van Ditmar - ISBN number: 90-388-9033-8 (News, Source: Rogier van Luyken)

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"I Sing My Own Kinds": The forthcoming release from the "SR" label scheduled for the middle January, is titled "I Sing My Own Kinds" and will feature the unreleased show from Las Vegas August 10, 1971 Dinner Show + part of the Midnight Show. As everybody knows SR concentrates its work on the early 70's live period of Elvis' activity, trying to always produce unreleased shows with Elvis at the top of his ability. In this our eighth release, we are proud to present two very rare shows, one complete and part of the second to give you a more complete view of the day. Three songs from August 10th dinner were already present as bonus on the first SR release “Trying to Get to Memphis” here you have the possibility to listen the complete concert. Elvis' love of singing is clear in these tapes and we are glad to give you the opportunity to listen to them.

The Dinner show from August 10th, as presented on this CD, represents just one of the best shows of the season. If we look closely at the early Vegas act of August 1971 we can see that Elvis concentrates on the music to produce great shows. Elvis singing straight to the audience without pauses or jokes, the performance is solid and rough; the basic track listing is presented superbly. Songs like Proud Mary, You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling or Polk Salad Annie never sounded better; Elvis is still dynamic on stage especially in songs like Suspicious Minds. He presents the best of his repertoire from the last two years. The only new song is the single I’m Leaving, heavily promoted during all of 1971 and sang until 1974. The man looks, sings and moves in a great way. Elvis is still performing at the height of his ability despite the presence of the golden cage of Vegas and the mediocre management, Elvis is still into his music. His focus, the attitude and his relationship with the music are still evident which enables him to deliver a great show. This level remains throughout the season These recordings come from an early generation copy of the master tape; the sound quality is very good considering the season. The sound was restored in a studio to achieve best possible results. We have spent hours in the studio over the digital restoration of the sound, to achieve the best possible results and to give you the chance to listen with pleasure. For the second time from this label, this new CD will come in a deluxe DIGIPACK, containing a collection of live photographs of the August season and some informative liner notes. Tracks: 01. Also Sprach Zarathustra 1.15-02. That's All Right Mama 2.33-03. Proud Mary 2.57 -04. Jailhouse Rock 1.43-05. You Don't Have To Say You love Me 1.59-06. You've Lost that Loving Feeling 4.23-07. Polk Salad Annie 5.18-08. It's Over 2.22-09. Love Me 1.34-10. Blue Suede Shoes / Whole Lotta Shakin' 1.30-11. Heartbreak Hotel 1.37-12. Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel 1.52-13. Love Me Tender 2.36-14. Hound Dog (false starts) 2.47-15. Hound Dog 1.11-16. Suspicious Minds 5.46-17. Band Introduction 2.02-18. Mike Stone' introduction 1.13-19. I'm Leaving 3.22-20. Lawdy Miss Clawdy 1.29-21. Bridge Over Troubled Water 5.35-22. Can't Help Falling In Love 1.43-23. Closing Vamp 0.23 TIME 57.24

Bonus tracks: 24. That's All Right, Mama 2.43-25. Proud Mary 3.16-26. Jailhouse Rock/Amen 2.45-27. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me 2.07-28. You've Lost The Loving Feeling 4.29-29. Polk Salad Annie 4.25-30. Johnny B. Good 1.58 TIME 21.86
Approximate Total running time: 79.10 (News, Source: FECC)

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French tribute magazine: Released last October in France is a 100 pages magazine Inrocks 2 with a CD entitled “Aux Rancines D’Elvis” containing tracks from artists later covered by Elvis. (News, Source: Elvis News)

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R&B singer Chris Brown comments on Elvis' hip shaking: The young R&B sensation didn't hold back on his feelings about Elvis Presley's shakin' hips when he chatted with Spinner at Movies Rock. Brown said: "You know he got his moves from a brother. He ain't learning no moves from just somebody up in the cornfield. He went to the hood and got some dance moves." (News, Source: Spinner) Visit EIN's archives about Elvis and the black community

The Memphis Flash: Recently released in the U.K. is a budget compilation containing 30 early performances entitled “The Memphis Flash.

Track listing: One Sided Love Affair / My Baby Left Me / Love Me / Anyway You Want Me (That’s How I Will Be) / I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone / I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine / So Glad You’re Mine / I Was The One / I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You) / Paralyzed / Blue Moon Of Kentucky / How Do You Think I Feel / I’m Counting On You / Mystery Train / I Forgot To Remember To Forget / When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again / I Got A Woman / Trying To Get To You / Money Honey / Shake, Rattle And Roll / You’re A Heartbreaker / Long Tall Sally / We’re Gonna Move / Just Because / Ready Teddy / Milkcow Blues Boogie / Tutti Frutti / Good Rockin’ Tonight / How’s The World Treating You / Baby Let’s Play House (News, Source: Elvis News)

The Tupelo Mississippi Flash: Due for release from Proper Records (Rough Trade) on February 1, 2008 is the CD box "The Tupelo Mississippi Flash". This 4 CD set contains 112 tracks.

Track listing "The Tupelo Mississippi Flash":

CD 1: That's All Right/Blue Moon Of Kentucky/Hearts Of Stone/That's All Right/Tweedle Dee/Money Honey
Blue Moon Of Kentucky/I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shin/That's All Right/There's Good Rockin' Tonight
Baby Let's Play House/Blue Moon Of Kentucky/I Got A Woman/Tweedle Dee/I'm Left You're Right She's Gone/Baby Let's Play House/Maybelline/That's All Right/Heartbreak Hotel/Long Tall Sally/I Was The One
Money Honey/I Got A Woman/Blue Suede Shoes/Hound Dog/I Was The One/Love Me Tender/Hound Dog
I Want You I Need You I Love You/Hound Dog

CD 2: That's All Right/Blue Moon Of Kentucky/Good Rockin' Tonight/I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine
Milkcow Blues Boogie/You're A Heartbreaker/Baby Let's Play House/I'm Left You're Right She's Gone/Mystery Train/I Forgot To Remember To Forget/Heartbreak Hotel/I Was The One/Blue Suede Shoes/Tutti Frutti
I Got A Woman/Just Because/I'm Counting On You/One Sided Love Affair/Tryin' To Get To You/I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry/I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darling)/Blue Moon/Money Honey/I Want You I Need You I Love You/Hound Dog/Don't Be Cruel/My Baby Left Me

CD 3: I Love You Because/Lawdy Miss Clawdy/Shake Rattle & Roll/Love Me Tender/Anyway You Want Me/Rip It Up/Love Me/When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again/Long Tall Sally/First In Line/Paralyzed/So Glad You're Mine/Old Shep/Ready Teddy/Anyplace Is Paradise/How's The World Treating You/How Do You Think I Feel?
Let Me/Poor Boy/We're Gonna Move/Playing For Keeps/Too Much/All Shook Up/That's When Your Heartaches Begin/(There'll Be)peace In The Valley/It Is No Secret (What God Can Do)/I Believe/Take My Hand Precious Lord

CD 4: I Need You So/Have I Told You Lately That I Love You/Blueberry Hill/Is It So Strange/Teddy Bear/Loving You/Mean Woman Blues/Got A Lot Of Livin' To Do/Lonesome Cowboy/Hot Dog/(Let's Have A) Party/True Love/Don't Leave Me Now (1)/Jailhouse Rock/Treat Me Nice/Young & Beautiful/I Want To Be Free
Don't Leave Me Now (2)/Baby I Don't Care/Santa Claus Is Back In Town/White Christmas/Here Comes Santa Claus/I'll Be Home For Christmas/Blue Christmas/Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)/O Little Town Of Bethlehem/Silent Night (News, Source: Elvis News)

New MRS release to outdo “Inside Graceland”: After a series of stunning releases, the MRS group is hard at work on its latest project, “Elvis’ Graceland – The Way It Was”.  This time it is a high quality, coffee table hardcover book showcasing images of Elvis’ beloved mansion, Graceland.  EIN is told that the book will contain hundreds of pages and many hundreds of rare and/or previously unpublished photographs all from original negatives and transparencies, including visuals of not only the mansion, but Elvis, Linda Thompson, Elvis’ cars, the Trophy Room, even the bedroom.....and a lot more. 

The book will continue the MRS tradition of providing fans high quality releases at an affordable price!  The release date for “Elvis’ Graceland - The Way It Was ” is yet to be finalized.  More details shortly. (News, Source: MRS)

New photo book from Japan: The Japanese music critic and journalist Yoshiji Kizaki has joined forces with the Japanese Elvis fanclub. The result is a 100 page picture book with over 200 black-and-white photos and 6 color shots, focussing on the press conference of November 20th at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, and the three shows in Honolulu on the 17th and 18th of November – the so called “pre rehearsal shows”. Due for release in mid January 2008. (News, Source: Elvis Matters)

Holiday specials from America's Value Showcase: Visit America's Value Showcase and check out their holiday specials like the GI Blues luggage for just $79.95, collectible bears for just $6.95 and many other great offers on products featuring Disney, Betty Boop, I Love Lucy and more! (News, Source: EPE)

Was Elvis ever excited to meet major stars?: Jerry Schilling answered this question in his interview in the September 2007 issue of Record Collector magazine. Jerry said:

The actor Jack Lord [star of Hawaii 5-0] comes to mind. We'd finish the first show in Vegas and Elvis would say, "Would you take Mr & Mrs Lord up to the suite? I'm gonna have dinner with them." He always spoke softly, because they were real classy people. He really had a reverence around Jack Lord. It was amazing. The only other people that I saw Elvis have that kind of respect for were Priscilla's mother and father. They're wonderful people.

John Wilkinson hospitalised...but on the mend: Rhythm guitarist John Wilkinson was recently taken to hospital for surgery. John had complained of heavy stomach pains in his stomach.

Elvis Matters in Europe reports: Good news! Our dear friend-of-the-family John Wilkinson is doing much better. He has been walking a little, and the doctors are pleased with his progress. He will stay for probably another 2 weeks at the hospital, until he feels ready to go home again.

"Baby Let's Play House" remix hits #1 on iTunes in Italy: The brand new Elvis Presley remixed song Baby Let’s Play House, available since last week for download exclusively from iTunes, has entered the Top 5 of Apple’s digital online store and is today sitting at n.3, just after Alicia Keys’s No One and Italy’s rockstar Ligabue’s Niente Paura. Elvis was the only new entry in the Top 10 which was otherwise little changed.Italy’s number one radio network Radio Deejay has been giving a few spins to the track since last Wednesday, bringing the song to the masses. “This new remix by Spankox is nicer than JXL’s remix of A Little Less Conversation” – said Radio Deejay’s famous dj-musician Nikki.Canada, Italy, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway will be the first territories to release the single and the reaction has been a mix of delight, surprise and respect.“Initially, we're always wary of anything that involves altering Elvis' master recordings in any way, but this Spankox Re:Version is fantastic and just blew us away” said Tom Holzen, President of EP Ltd.“The Spankox Re:Version of Baby Let’s Play House will deliver Elvis to a new generation of music fans in an unexpected, cool and compelling way,” said Edward Johnson, Brand Partnership Marketing Manager of ELPR Inc.Spankox (his real name is Agostino Carollo) is a Verona (Italy) based progressive DJ/producer/composer who most recently wrote and produced the club classic “To The Club” and has produced and remixed tracks for Roxette, Snap! and Vasco Rossi (Italy’s n.1 rockstar) among the others. This release of his treatment to the Elvis classic marks the third time in history that a Presley song that has been remixed by a contemporary DJ/artist will be will mass market: the first two, Rubberneckin’ (remixed in 1998 by American DJ Paul Oakenfold) and A Little Less Conversation (remixed in 2003 by Dutch DJ JXL) were wordwide hits, selling millions of copies.Elvis Presley’s Baby Let’s Play House (Spankox Re:Version) is already available for download exclusively from iTUNES in Canada, Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Spain, Holland, Belgium and UK (where it’s already one of the most popular Elvis’ downloads) and will be available in other territories soon.After the digital release, the physical release of the record, set for Dec. 10^th, will be on a brand new media called CDvinyl: it’s a special compact disc playable in a normal CD player but also by a traditional 33rpm turntable. The packaging of this original Elvis Presley’s CDvinyl, which is indeed a charming collectable item, will also be very special and will resemble that of a 12” vinyl. It will include a radio edit version, an extended version and the original Presley song. Also, as bonus, the ringtone and the fantastic videoclip, filmed in the USA and in Ibiza (that can be already watched on YouTube) will be included in the disc.For more information and to watch the videoclip of Baby Let’s Play House” (Spankox Re:Version) please check out: http://www.babyletsplayhouse.comFor additional press material or photos contact luca@everness.com

Spankox (aka Agostino Carollo) is available for interviews. (News, Source: Luca De Bertolis)

Suspicious Minds CD single alternate covers: Many thanks to Barry McLean for the following images:

Elvis birthday "Grizzlies" game: Elvis Presley Enterprises and the Memphis Grizzlies NBA team are excited to announce the Elvis Birthday Grizzlies game on January 8, 2008 at 7pm against the Los Angeles Lakers. Join us for a fun night of Elvis entertainment and basketball, as we celebrate Elvis Presley’s birthday. The game will include Elvis-themed music, performances and prizes. Tickets start as low as $5 per game. Call (901)888-HOOP, visit grizzlies.com or click here for tickets. (News, Source: EPE)

Elvis lives! (On Burkina Faso postage stamps): University of Michigan economist Joel Slemrod knows how to come up with the kind of headline that catches How the World Works' eye: "Why Is Elvis on Burkina Faso Postage Stamps? Cross-National Evidence on the Commercialization of State Sovereignty." His lead paragraph offers up a delicious slice of cultural/economic globalized miscegenation.

One stamp dealer's advertisement listed for sale stamps picturing Elvis Presley issued by Burkina Faso, Chad stamps depicting Marilyn Monroe, Chechnya stamps picturing Groucho Marx, Grenada Grenadines stamps showing Bob (Elliot) and Ray (Goulding), Mongolia stamps with the Three Stooges and the X-Men, and Montserrat stamps with Jerry Garcia. Most of these stamps never reach the issuing country's shores, and are designed, produced, and marketed by a foreign agency to stamp collectors around the world.

Mongolia stamps featuring the X-Men? What would Genghis Khan do?

How can you not love an economic treatise that introduces the concept of "stamp pandering?" Unfortunately, for those of us whose minds go blank at the first sight of a multivariable differential equation, the going gets a lot harder in short order. And Slemrod's conclusions after investigating four examples of sovereignty commercialization are hardly earth-shattering.

Slemrod's four examples are countries that money launder, offer themselves as tax havens, provide flags of convenience for shipping, and engage in stamp pandering. Unsurprisingly, there is considerable overlap among the first three categories, less so for the fourth. The 44 stamp-pandering countries are two times more likely to be tax havens than not, but don't significantly overlap with the money-launderers or flag-of-conveniencers. Interestingly, both tax haven and stamp-pandering activity appear to require relatively higher levels of "good governance." Money-laundering, not so much.

Generally, well-governed poorer countries that do not have other means of readily raising funds engage in sovereignty-selling activities such as stamp pandering. But that doesn't seem particularly surprising, and makes Slemrod's final sentence: "This provides some support to the notion that when revenue is difficult to raise in other ways commercialization becomes more attractive" something of a buzz-kill.

Why is Elvis on Burkina Faso postage stamps? Because it's hard to make a living in this world when you're a poor African country, and if you have any kind of decent head on your shoulders, you'll grab at every option available. Besides, Elvis made his own living ripping off the musical contributions of African-Americans, so maybe what's really going on in this particular case is some cultural reappropriation.

That still doesn't explain the X-Men thing, however. (News, Source: Salon.com/EP Gold)

Dear Elvis fans! All this year we've been running an Elvis Song Poll to find out what are Elvis' most popular songs as voted in the year 2007.  The big count up is edging nearer as we approach Xmas.  In the meantime, allow me to introduce you all to Easy Time Radio at www.easytimeradio.co.uk

This is an online radio station that specialises in easy-listening and nostalgic music shows including two Elvis show - THE ELVIS CHART SHOW & ELVIS AFTER MIDNIGHT.The Elvis Chart Show features a fan's top 10 Elvis records as voted in the Elvis Song Poll ie "your" top 10s!  The show also takes a look at the current voting in the poll and somebody will be dropping in with their top 10, which could be you too!  If it is, we'll read out your 10 favourite Elvis songs and play your number one choice.  So, listen out  This show will last around 45 minutes each time and we can update you when a new show comes out.  Show #1 is already available to listen to or download at www.easytimeradio.co.uk.  Once on the home page go to Elvis Chart Show and read on.Elvis After Midnight presents Elvis in mellow mood and you're invited to submit 3 songs you would like to hear on the show that fit the mood.  Though not essential we would like you to pick one from the 50s, one from the 60s and another from the 70s.  Also, you can make a dedication with your 3 songs and include an Elvis memory to share with other listeners.  This memory can be about anything from buying your first Elvis record, seeing your first Elvis film, going to Memphis or even seeing Elvis himself.  It can be as trivial as you like, so long as it means something to you. You can email your 3 choices together with your dedication and Elvis memory to elvis@easytimeradio.co.uk or you can reply to this email.  Either way it will get picked up and we'll try our best to include your choices in the show.   This show usually lasts an hour and we hope you'll find the mix of music nice and relaxing to unwind to.  Just go to the Elvis After Midnight page.There are 4 other shows with a mix of easy-listening and nostalgic music.  Elvis will almost certainly be included each time on Melodies On the Move and Jukebox Crazy!  Details about each show are included on the website www.easytimeradio.co.uk

Enjoy listening and I'll be back with some more updates on the Elvis Song / Movie / Album charts.  If you haven't voted in any of these charts then go to www.kianaicons.com for details.

Elvis On Tour Cadillac sold: An Elvis collector in California is now the new owner of the On Tour Cadillac. Elvis used this Cadillac Sedan in the making of his 1972 concert film, "Elvis On Tour". He leased this Cadillac in April of 1972 for his Virginia concert dates and used it for transportation from the airport to the hotel and the Coliseum. The Limo was owned by Albert Durant, at that time the first black limo company owner in Virginia. The footage in the movie is from three different concerts spliced into one clip. Elvis is shown in this limo as it leaves the Coliseum filmed from the outside. The interior shots were taken a few days later from a separate concert in Jacksonville Florida. All three concerts in Virginia were filmed for “Elvis on Tour".Only years after Albert Durant passed away, his family finally sold the car. (News, Source: Elvis Matters)

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Elvis robot update: It was supposed to be the highlight of the Elvis Souvenirs 2007, but it seems that nobody is interested in the Talking Elvis Heads. The price for the life-size head on life-size torso clad in black leather with yellow eyes and a vacuous, faraway look, has dropped again. According to the News & Observer Online, this talking head with a mechanically moving mouth – quote “that looked as if it had been synchronized by the sound crew from the old Godzilla flicks” – unquote – dropped from $399 to $299. Conclusion of the Observer’s article: “There were plenty left a week ago Saturday. We're guessing there are plenty left today.” (News, Source: Elvis Matters) Elvis Robot 2007/12/03     News & Observer  /   www.elvismatters.be

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Time running out in EPE's ShopElvis 12 days of Christmas promotion: Take advantage of some terrific opportunities this holiday season at ShopElvis during their 12 Days of Elvis holiday promotion. They have a series of 12 daily promotions that will be running through December 11. Yes, November 26 to December 11 is actually 16 days, but the Friday promotions last all weekend, which provide the perfect excuse to avoid the crowded malls and do your holiday shopping from the comfort of your home.

Visit ShopElvis.com each day during the 12 Days of Elvis promotion to find links to the special offers below:

Nov 26: Buy a pair of Elvis Shoes, and get any of the Elvis porcelain ornaments for $14
Nov 27: Spend $50; get an Elvis TV ornament for $12
Nov 28: Buy any 30th Anniversary Concert Tee; get a 30th Anniversary Concert Pin FREE
Nov 29: All Dale Earnhardt Jr. Elvis tribute car merchandise, buy one item, get a second one for half price
Nov 30 – Dec 2: Spend $50; save 30% on the 2008 Elvis Wertheimer Mini Calendar
Dec 3: Buy any Elvis purse, tote, or handbag; get a Santa Hat for $5.99
Dec 4: Buy any DVD or Video, save 25% on all Elvis Throw Rugs
Dec 5: Buy the Elvis with Lights figurines; get any Elvis Christmas CD for $17.98
Dec 6: Buy any life-size Elvis Stand Up; save 25% on the Elvis Swinging Legs Clock
Dec 7 – Dec 9: Buy any Follow That Dream CD; get a 2nd one for 15% off
Dec 10: Buy the Ribbon Bear; get a Graceland Collectible Tin with Peanut Butter & Banana Cookie Straws for $19.99
Dec 11: Buy any jacket or sweatshirt; get a Christmas Bag for $10

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"Walk Hard" film review: Whereas the House of Blues icons the Blues Brothers specialize in covers, many of the songs featured in "Walk Hard," the latest film from the Judd Apatow ("Superbad," "Knocked Up") comedy empire, are originals. Each tune is a good-natured parody of artists such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan, among others. Read full review (Celluloid Elvis, Source: Presleys In The Press)

"Elvis: Viva Las Vegas" ABC TV soundtrack release: This is the tracklist and cover art for the ABC "Elvis: Viva Las Vegas" soundtrack CD. The ABC TV special is nominated for an Emmy Award and also a Golden Globe in the category "Best Editing For A TV Documentary". The CD features six Elvis originals and seven tracks by other artists. The release date is first week January 2008.  Tracklist: 1.Jailhouse Rock - Miranda Lambert, 2.Suspicious Minds - Daughtry, 3.Love Me Tender - Chris Issak/Brandi Carlile, 4.Mystery Train - Toby Keith/Joe Perry, 5.Peace In The Valley - Faith Hill, 6.Love Me - Norah Jones/The Little Willies, 7.Viva Las Vegas - Bruce Springsteen, 8.Mystery Train - Elvis, 9.Love Me Tender - Elvis, 10.Love Me - Elvis, 11.Peace In The Valley - Elvis, 12.Jailhouse Rock - Elvis, 13.Viva Las Vegas - Elvis, 14.Suspicious Minds - Elvis,  15.Looking For Elvis - Patti Scialfa.  Click here for EIN's review of the TV programme. (News, Source:Various)

'Inside Graceland' out next week: Elvis Unlimited's upcoming book 'Inside Graceland' will be published next week. Last week EIN previewed 6 photos showing how different many of the rooms were at Graceland back in 1975 when Elvis lived there. Here are another 4 pictures of Linda Thompson posing in various places inside and outside the house. Inside Graceland is a 112 page full-colour book that takes the reader back to the winter of 1975. It features over 100 never  before seen pictures of the  Ludwig XV style red carpet living room, piano room, foyer and dining room. Also great photos of the kitchen, the jungle room, the TV room, the pool room, the trophy room and even upstairs rooms at the racquetball building. Click here to pre-order from Elvis Unlimited: GO HERE for full images. (News, Source:ElvisUnlimited)

UK Midweek Singles Chart: Good news as the final release in the 2007 UK singles series 'Burning Love' is the mid-week charts highest new entry at No 4. This is the last chance this year for Elvis to have a Top Ten single. The full chart is released on Sunday. (News, Source: Brian Quinn)

Elvis on Australian TV this weekend. A double dose of commercial free Elvis on Australian TV this weekend with two excellent documentaries. December 8th, ABC TV: 1.30pm: Elvis, The Great Performances 2.30pm: Elvis By The Presleys (News, Source:Mandy Squair)

Glasgow City to present an Elvis arts exhibition: "How Great Thou Art-is-t" is a spectacular visual celebration which serves to combine the artistic potential of the artists with the cultural heritage of Elvis Presley’s Scottish roots. This visual art collection is an exhibition of new, inspiring, original artwork created and developed within the west area of Glasgow City. The exhibit features portraits of a 20th Century cultural icon offering visitors an exciting and diverse range of unique artworks. The exhibition which also features the the documentary 'Elvis, How Great Thou Art, A Portrait Of The Artist' runs from December 10th - 12th at Glasgow's Mitchell Library’s Main Hall. Go here for more information.  (News, Source: Linda Ann McConnell)

Led Zeppelin and Elvis: It's hard to believe that they were ever in the same room, but in 1972 the two diametrically opposed corners of the music world came together. Led Zeppelin met Elvis Presley. The matchmaker was their mutual promoter, Jerry Weintraub (later to produce the Ocean's 11 with George Clooney), who took Jimmy Page and Robert Plant up to Presley's Las Vegas hotel suite. Zeppelin's music then permeated the airwaves. They were enormously popular, an enigmatic force of hard rock. Presley had already reinvented himself as the jump-suited King of Vegas, and an "honorary drug-enforcement" pal of Richard Nixon's.  For the first few minutes of the summit meeting, Elvis ignored Led Zeppelin. The room was filled with an awkward silence. Bodyguards monitored the temperature.. . . .

The 2007 UK Single Charts: Next week the 2007 'Elvis The King' singles campaign ends with the final re-release 'Burning Love'. This week the penultimate release 'An American Trilogy' entered the UK singles chart at number 12, making it the highest new entry for the week. Unfortunately none of the 2007 singles have managed to reach the top ten. The highest entry being 'Suspicious Minds', released on the 30th anniversary of Elvis' death getting to chart position #11. Somewhat of interest is that 'Viva Las Vegas' actually charted higher in 2007 making # 15 when it only reached number 17 back in 1964.  English websites suspect that the lower chart positions are due to a large number of fans buying the complete box-set, released this month, rather than purchasing each single individually. EIN however believes that the inclusion of downloads into the British charts (the teenage preferred way of buying music) better reflects the modern era but at the same time also stops the chart impact that was a feature of the of "collectability" effect of the 2005 singles.    UK chart positions of the 2007 singles. Heartbreak Hotel - not eligible;  Suspicious Minds-11::  Blue Suede Shoes-13::  Hound Dog-14::  Party-14;  Don't-14 Hard Headed Woman-15::  King Creole-15::  A Big Hunk O' Love-12::  Wear My Ring Around Your Neck-16::  If I Can Dream-17::  Viva Las Vegas-15::  In The Ghetto-13::  You Don't Have To Say You Love Me-16::  Always On My Mind-17::  An American Trilogy-12:: (News, Source:EIN/Elvis.co.uk)

'Christmas With Elvis' new CD: In association with with Platinum Legends, Sony/BMG in the US release yet another Elvis Christmas CD featuring the regular 15 tracks. A similar Hallmark version was announced months ago. (News, Source: Barry McLean)

'She Is The King: Comeback' new CD released: Female ETA 'She Is The King' brand new CD released on iTunes and in shops now. Describing the album as "My personal tribute to the greatest natural talent the world has ever seen" the CD features the classic hits: Viva Las Vegas, Bossa Nova Baby, Burning Love along with lesser appreciated songs such as My Boy, Long Black Limousine and I’ve Lost You. The entire project took about 18 months. EIN's personal favourites are 'Clean Up Your Own Backyard' (a great 'live in the studio feel'), and an outstanding version of 'I've Lost You'. Full EIN review soon. Interested fans should watch this video interview with the Herald Sun newspaper including video clips. Plus you can read EIN's She Is The King in-depth interview with EIN here. Fans in Sydney do not miss out on SHE IS THE KING official debut album launch when she is joined by Australia’s top Elvis tribute artists Paul Fenech, Danny Tupelo and Elias2Elvis for a one-off exclusive concert, ELVIS LIVES (The 30th Anniversary Tribute) at the Roxy, Parramatta Sunday December 16th. Go here for more concert information. ( News, Source:EIN)

50 years ago today- December 1st 1957: As reported in the Memphis Commercial Appeal fifty year ago. "Elvis Presley did something yesterday that must have done his heart a lot of good. He bought tickets for every member of the Humes High School student body 1,400 of them to the E.H. Crump Memorial Football Game for the Blind Friday night. The total cost, at the advance student ticket price of 75 cents, will be $1,050. (Elvis said the students who don't want to keep their tickets can give them away.) But it wasn't so much the money that made the act the kind of thing that would warm not only the cockles of the heart but also the auricle and ventricle. It goes, in fact, even beyond the blow that figures to accompany so grand a gesture in behalf of the blind of one's community. The essence of it is that Elvis is an old (22) Humes boy himself, and just a half a dozen years ago he had to quit the football squad because not to put too fine a point on it he was too poor. "I had to quit and go to work," Elvis recalled yesterday. "That's the way it had to be." (News, Source:MemphisComAppeal)

'It's Now Or Never' Robert Gordon/Chris Spedding CD review: Robert Gordon doing Elvis Presley sounds like a natural. People have been asking for it since Robert's Private Stock days, but Robert was always afraid of being tagged another "impersonator". Over the years, he has sporadically done Elvis covers, and they served as tantalising glimpses of what we could expect from a Robert Gordon "Elvis" album. EIN contributor Arjan Deelen spins the CD to see if Robert Gordon can really cut it on this new tribute to Elvis.  (CD Reviews, Source:EIN/Arjan Deelen)

'ELVIS Viva Las Vegas': BMG CD review: While BMG’s 'The King' was the key focus of this year's BMG Elvis marketing blitz, the real highlight for true fans of The King had to be this fantastic double CD. From the concert opening, "Well, It's One for the money, Two for the show" through to the smart finale of "Well, I gotta go.." Elvis sings his heart out to a fine set-list, displaying a real enthusiasm for his oldies as well as showing off his new material. As a double package featuring a brand new 1969 concert with Elvis at his most energetic, along with a superb selection of greatest live hits in pristine audio quality - Who could ask for more 30 years down the track? EIN's Piers Beagley cranks it up, rocks with The King and discovers exactly why every Elvis fan must buy this CD. (CD Review, Source: EIN, November 2007)

'From Jailhouse To Graceland - The Complete 1957 Recordings': new 2008 CD: A new CD with a 14 Jan 2008 release date from the Xtra music label. 2007 saw a plethora of Elvis 1956 "public domain" CDs swamping the market. Can we expect 2008 to bring us the same number of 1957 re-releases? The publicity states "Original recording remastered" but what is their source material as they certainly don't have the studio Master tapes. If it is BMG's recent Kevan Budd re-issues (ie the 'Loving You' FTD) then there could be troubles ahead as the UK public domain issue heads into legal murkiness. The laugh is of course that their CD is NOT by any means "The Complete 1957 Recordings" as the Christmas Album songs are missing along with tracks like 'Is It So Strange', 'One Night' etc plus 'How Do You Think I Feel?' and 'Hows The World Treating You?' were 1956 songs. It's pathetic exploitation - Where's The Colonel?!  - (Go here for complete list of 2007 Elvis CD releases)

Breaking down Presley and Beatlemania - UPDATE: EIN has updated this very stimulating commentary with more thoughts from Harley Payette who presents his case for Presleymania and Beatlemania. EIN recommends this very thoughtful and cogent commentary to all readers. With themes including sexual tension, civil rights, backlash by society's cultural arbiters, r&b integration and realising the American dream.......this is a powerful exposition! (Spotlight/Comment, Source: HarleyPayette/FECC)

Elvis TV Commercials Special: EIN YouTube Update: Elvis' astounding legacy is never ending and his impact is truly reflected in the fact that Elvis is so often used in today's Television commercials. The recent resurgence started with the swinging "Audi Elvis" and was kicked into this new millennium by the Nike World Cup soccer advert, which then helped Elvis hit Number One in the charts. One of the very best was the recent BBC Radio 2 advert featuring Elvis introducing his band of Superstars. Let's also not forget the excellent Lipton's tea claymation Elvis! With our special thanks to John Pietz, EIN presents sixteen TV adverts featuring Elvis. Not only that, but this week EIN's YouTube selection has now expanded to four indexed pages. With our selection of well over two hundred Elvis videos what are you waiting for? As EIN always says "Catch them all before the Internet police take them away!" ('EIN's Best Of Elvis on YouTube', Source: EIN/John Pietz)

Graceland lit up for Winter: The Graceland Christmas lights were turned on the evening of November 23. Looking extremely picturesque, the live webcam images can be checked out via the Graceland website. Their Elvis Shop is also running a "12 Days of Elvis holiday promotion" which runs through to December 11th. Click here for more info and images (News, Source: EIN)

Graceland "Celebrity Holiday Greetings": For the Christmas holiday season Graceland have been adding some 'Celebrity Holiday Greetings' featuring not only telegrams and cards from Elvis and The Colonel, but also Christmas cards to Elvis.  Who would have thought actress Jayne Mansfield (right) would have sent Elvis her personal Christmas wishes! Some of the telegrams from the wily old Colonel also make interesting reading. In his 1960 Christmas telegram to Bob Hope, The  Colonel can't help himself and asks Bob Hope to "Be sure and mention my special Elvis Presley paper hats for the Christmas season on your show for 'GI Blues'." In another telegram The Colonel asks Liberace to sing Happy Birthday to Elvis in his show as "Your fans and Elvis will appreciate this very much."! The EPE Greetings page is updated each week, click here for more. (News, Source:EIN)

Joanne Kelly talks to EIN: This photograph will bring back a lot of memories for many long time fans. In 1956-57 Elvis helped promote polio vaccinations for the March of Dimes (MOD). He was photographed with the organisation's poster girl, Joanne Wilson, and also having his polio vaccination. Subsequently, Elvis' "Love Me Tender" and an interview were featured on the 1957 LP, Remember Me! March of Dimes 1957 Galaxy of Stars. The LP is now a rare collector's item. But whatever happened to the little girl who was lucky enough to meet and kiss Elvis? Well EIN has tracked her down and we recently had the pleasure of talking to Joanne Wilson (married name Kelly) in a very entertaining and informative interview. Joanne opens up about her exciting time as the MOD poster girl meeting not only Elvis, but many other big name celebrities and tells us what she is doing in 2007. (Interviews: Source: EIN)

Nixon - Elvis internal Correspondence Released: The National Archives today released 122,800 pages of mostly routine correspondence from the Nixon presidency, none of it apparently earth-shaking but some of it mildly interesting. One of the more amusing letters was from Nixon aide Egil Krough Jr., thanking a friend for helping secure a Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs badge for Elvis following his 1970 Oval Office meeting with the president. "We meet many fascinating creatures in this business," Krough wrote, "but I think that meeting between the president and Elvis Presley was one of the most interesting." Presley pledged his support to the president in the war on drugs, only to die a few years later of a heart attack brought on by years of prescription drug abuse.