tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35099250590461976672024-03-05T13:31:10.129+01:00Elvis TodayThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.comBlogger552125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-15014596548872585702022-05-11T14:32:00.003+02:002022-05-12T20:42:24.626+02:00Sold Out Shows On Super 8<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2Qoou_m-dG_wy4mvr2GRK_kCHMLhlfiG725cnGI94vHRJu9qx9AYadU7kvXbFiADAmkhEUM6S3ZZZp5E0I4fLj7amLZPl4Wg3oLl7_gH6ynpRKry2XRxxUoASvNWen5-Il0SODjMypqiNa-_cPPMhLMb5GA4qeeIRRHovX5w38bDNzcxPnP_62vqIw/s600/soldoutcoverfront.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="449" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2Qoou_m-dG_wy4mvr2GRK_kCHMLhlfiG725cnGI94vHRJu9qx9AYadU7kvXbFiADAmkhEUM6S3ZZZp5E0I4fLj7amLZPl4Wg3oLl7_gH6ynpRKry2XRxxUoASvNWen5-Il0SODjMypqiNa-_cPPMhLMb5GA4qeeIRRHovX5w38bDNzcxPnP_62vqIw/w299-h400/soldoutcoverfront.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sold Out! The Ultimate 8 mm Collection Vol.10</i> features fan footage from 1976–1977.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The tenth volume in the <i>Sold Out! The Ultimate 8 mm Collection</i> series, featuring 8 mm footage filmed by fans who attended some of his concerts in 1976 and 1977, confirms Elvis deteriorating condition during the last face of his career. But it also shows that Elvis, in periods, could get back in shape, and move around the stage like his old self, delivering solid performances. <p></p><p>His first tour in 1976 is represented by fan-shot footage from Johnson City, March 17 and Charlotte three days later. I especially enjoyed the evening performance in Charlotte, featuring footage in good quality. Granted, Elvis looks a bit heavy in his bicentennial suit, but he sings well and seems to be having a good time. </p><p>Maybe he put in a little extra effort due to the fact that he had a new pianist (Shane Keister) and drummer (Larry Londin) with him. Larry Londin can be seen behind his drums, belting away with a smile on his face, clearly enjoying himself. "Good job, man," Elvis tells him after his drum solo during the introductions. And at the end of "Polk Salad Annie," Larry Londin really lets loose on the drums while Elvis throws the mike and does some karate moves. Really cool.</p><p>It is also enjoyable to watch Elvis interact with a couple of kids that are lifted up on stage, especially a boy dressed in a home made jumpsuit. "Can he do imitations? Can he sing 'Hound Dog' honey?" Elvis asks the boys mother, then launches himself into the song, urging the boy to sing along, the boy looking up at him, then looking down again, shaking his head at his mother. He was probably shy or scared stiff. But he must have gained courage, as he is back on stage a while later, receiving a scarf and a kiss from Elvis. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ71QB5sj5YPZ9Lc7gBij467VNmGSakYJ8AfRd1Nipfxw2uMAyrlzBuFvBNb8K6gdZqdR0ZVqZDhUAhkp9jcmjvzrl8aAUmcwbq_DTgQe62xlU3RWNeGGvVI5R7Zn4Y2sK2ZK7dxtC8MMS9mF6vs4-rUDr7_fJAFz-33VK9-wgbZ9NA_fz4UJccvDIZw/s600/soldoutdiscs.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ71QB5sj5YPZ9Lc7gBij467VNmGSakYJ8AfRd1Nipfxw2uMAyrlzBuFvBNb8K6gdZqdR0ZVqZDhUAhkp9jcmjvzrl8aAUmcwbq_DTgQe62xlU3RWNeGGvVI5R7Zn4Y2sK2ZK7dxtC8MMS9mF6vs4-rUDr7_fJAFz-33VK9-wgbZ9NA_fz4UJccvDIZw/w400-h225/soldoutdiscs.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Each volume in the series includes two DVD discs.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Three months later, Elvis takes the stage in Charleston (July 24), and one week after that, New Haven is on the tour schedule (July 30). Not only does the footage reveal that Elvis has gained more weight, he also moves slower and with less energy. And he sounds tired, exhausted and out of breath, especially on the New Haven concert. </p><p>Still, there is no mistaking the excitement flooding through the arena as Elvis enters the stage, with all those flash bulbs going off and a lot of people in the audience screaming at the top of their lungs. And there are some enjoyable moments, like when Elvis hands soprano singer Kathy Westmoreland a scarf at the end of "The Hawaiian Wedding Song." But as a whole, this is one of the weakest concerts with Elvis that I know of. </p><p>On October 22, Elvis was captured on super 8 film while performing in Champaign, and the transformation is almost unbelievable. Positive things had obviously started to happen, as he is much leaner and radiates more energy. Also, he moves around a lot more, right from the start during "See See Rider," and his singing reveals a more powerful voice. A great example of this is "You Gave Me A Mountain," a song that is so much stronger than the version from New Haven three months before. </p><p>Another great moment is seeing him throw his guitar to Charlie Hodge after the ending of the "I Got A Woman"/"Amen" routine. The footage from Champaign actually reminded me of how Elvis moved and looked during his Pittsburgh concert on New Years Eve two months later. And it certainly helps that he is wearing a new jumpsuit as well, the Inca Gold Leaf suit. </p><p>Therefore, it is a bit sad to watch the footage from Tempe (March 23, 1977) and Norman, filmed two days later, revealing that things have gone to worse again. The volume ends on a more positive note, with Elvis' Chicago performance on May 2, 1977, an above average show that year with Elvis in a good mood and voice. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNSk4jfbwcfYnzbvSWvKJn4FwDO5KoA5MkgBqiPo5bIRQgp1qM9ILn47JG4T1omEWmrIGXxoLn69dKRm-weaNqHwl_UMm1_Zl7noVlDUzOJ6eS5T0hqnDCGw7VN3ZKCKLw4Ze6cHk6wKR9c1YxNrzElzq6I4ovVoH2kxGaMpwUCoN4r9WtmSxvMIvgA/s600/soldoutcoverback.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="449" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNSk4jfbwcfYnzbvSWvKJn4FwDO5KoA5MkgBqiPo5bIRQgp1qM9ILn47JG4T1omEWmrIGXxoLn69dKRm-weaNqHwl_UMm1_Zl7noVlDUzOJ6eS5T0hqnDCGw7VN3ZKCKLw4Ze6cHk6wKR9c1YxNrzElzq6I4ovVoH2kxGaMpwUCoN4r9WtmSxvMIvgA/w299-h400/soldoutcoverback.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Content and running time of the tenth volume.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Releases such as the <i>Sold Out! The Ultimate 8 mm Collection</i> series don't change history. But they do paint a more varied picture of what it was like seeing Elvis on stage during the 1970's, and the tenth volume is no exception. Like I wrote at the beginning of this post, 1976 and 1977 was a downhill slide for Elvis, but watching the super 8 footage it is evident that for short periods of time, he got his act together, looking and performing better.</p>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-37238516443582999262022-02-28T21:20:00.002+01:002022-02-28T22:00:46.064+01:00From One Elvis Collection To Another<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdSzInjAvO90HtvqPNbAB9tg2AglCNOY7ian5ATEzk1KujzhUORAEGS7RrdxjXB7ZkTAoISf3JJ_lnz1F9Co3aTlPh5zngalfp8LftjoF5uIVEPj0WoE-uYaDNc-mbODk6QDjkJwUeSqDtmj1pl_gh5VwZKFttIggBMcmPD8kvR8WcKFU5xn5I5lPZ_Q=s1800" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdSzInjAvO90HtvqPNbAB9tg2AglCNOY7ian5ATEzk1KujzhUORAEGS7RrdxjXB7ZkTAoISf3JJ_lnz1F9Co3aTlPh5zngalfp8LftjoF5uIVEPj0WoE-uYaDNc-mbODk6QDjkJwUeSqDtmj1pl_gh5VwZKFttIggBMcmPD8kvR8WcKFU5xn5I5lPZ_Q=w320-h400" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Elvis collection for sale.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The other day my wife notified me of the following post on Facebook by our local record store:<div></div><blockquote><div>We have received a collection with over 400 used CD records by Elvis! Come on in and take a look!</div><div></div></blockquote><div>Studying the post and the accompanying photo of the collection, I decided to take a look at it in person. So away I went, nearly rushing to the store, half expecting all those Elvis records being surrounded by fans like myself. </div><div><br /></div><div>Of course that wasn't the case. But approaching the shelves with the Elvis CD's, I spotted an older couple looking at them, the man uttering something like "Are all those records really by Elvis?" Turning to them I responded cleverly, "There can never be too many Elvis albums," which earned me a smile from the woman. </div><div><br /></div><div>I then turned my attention to the collection, examining the CD's. The majority of them were RCA/BMG albums, but I also noticed some of the earlier FTD releases as well as a couple of bootlegs. A closer look revealed a few Japan pressings as well. As I've always had a soft spot for Japanese Elvis Presley releases, I picked them up (among them was <i>On Stage</i>, one of my favorite Elvis albums).</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXaYhM_Vo-t15iFAA3yi8WVbNqZ9Qy-HgRw9PCbWp9b9B4ImmZXbjQpiFBetFSfgjPagwKDe1sWsYxUzLbq2utfcgVMxZ4tcaC6OZxyxGhPN1W-RdBBeXiSndkCDZtv7W_e5pMHUY6pYtRskW7gLIjtZ4dz0I9wgiUlvfM4AoZnt5yyrxbkI3Y4xDpDQ=s600" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="596" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXaYhM_Vo-t15iFAA3yi8WVbNqZ9Qy-HgRw9PCbWp9b9B4ImmZXbjQpiFBetFSfgjPagwKDe1sWsYxUzLbq2utfcgVMxZ4tcaC6OZxyxGhPN1W-RdBBeXiSndkCDZtv7W_e5pMHUY6pYtRskW7gLIjtZ4dz0I9wgiUlvfM4AoZnt5yyrxbkI3Y4xDpDQ=w398-h400" width="398" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The CD <i>An Elvis Double Feature: Speedway, Clambake </i>was released in 1989.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />As an afterthought, I also grabbed a strange looking release titled <i>An Elvis Double Feature: Speedway, Clambake </i>boosting a picture from the Aloha show on the cover. However, it only featured 16 songs in total, that is, eight songs from each movie album, respectively. Strange, indeed. </div><div><br /></div><div>As I was about to pay for the CD's, I asked the saleswoman if the collection was from someone who had passed away, and she told me it was. Just like me, she thought it a bit sad but also "good that those albums get a new home." I agreed, went home and added them to my collection. In these troubled times, it felt good to spend a little time with Elvis.</div>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-7106441302986811752022-01-15T14:03:00.014+01:002022-01-16T22:29:10.274+01:00He Touched Me – Undubbed Version?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSe8BPrW6VU5Ry5N_AJrIUyZuSKzJ9Q3I2muSLx1yJg1yyrg5OgVX_--kGbFm-N0HUJSX3y5U_Ycp5Dn0ZVfWXcrRaXje6SCj38F75ZHvlXsjptwzQ2okOq0St-RaO-U--biqGpn8y3noONYlrxOTYMrhVDcn1kdnK8ZvJppJOZFK-fuOmNBao7laKpA=s604" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="599" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSe8BPrW6VU5Ry5N_AJrIUyZuSKzJ9Q3I2muSLx1yJg1yyrg5OgVX_--kGbFm-N0HUJSX3y5U_Ycp5Dn0ZVfWXcrRaXje6SCj38F75ZHvlXsjptwzQ2okOq0St-RaO-U--biqGpn8y3noONYlrxOTYMrhVDcn1kdnK8ZvJppJOZFK-fuOmNBao7laKpA=w396-h400" width="396" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front cover of the <i>He Touched Me </i>album.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Having listened to the undubbed Christmas masters from <i>Elvis Back In Nashville</i> all through the Holidays, I decided to turn my attention to the undubbed religious masters on the same CD set.<div><br /></div><div>Just like the Christmas masters, the track order is identical to the original album, in this case <i>He Touched Me</i> released in 1972. The exception is "Amazing Grace" which is included on disc one among The Country/Folk Sides. <div><div><br /></div><div>But unlike the Christmas material, the religious songs were recorded with background singers present in the studio. Most of the tracks were then left undubbed for release on the <i>He Touched Me</i> album. I guess this was a decision on producer Felton Jarvis part, mimicking the sound of Elvis singing gospel privately with his friends and backup singers to help unwind after a show.</div><div><br /></div><div>A look in my well thumbed copy of <i>Elvis Session III</i> by Joe Tunzi revealed that only four of the religious songs on the <i>He Touched Me</i> album were overdubbed: "Amazing Grace" and "I, John" (both with more backup vocals), "He Is My Everything" (with strings) and "A Thing Called Love" (with strings and horns). </div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibqPuAMSpZ5r0B99W97jqf4XNfjZQIt41Ru8qXRFNLYpaK9gOkSNs6p3PxMbSWIfueKpO0YYKH-W1cAHykanfzU35DrIrLyj1W5TBNq2lMIxKQkeSfF5jBQ_xfJKKrGHSoeMH5ytpSuTJ0XRkibQszgzdcbQ8zA94-7F_nQkUa2a_Dh6_teHz7MDnykw=s558" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="558" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibqPuAMSpZ5r0B99W97jqf4XNfjZQIt41Ru8qXRFNLYpaK9gOkSNs6p3PxMbSWIfueKpO0YYKH-W1cAHykanfzU35DrIrLyj1W5TBNq2lMIxKQkeSfF5jBQ_xfJKKrGHSoeMH5ytpSuTJ0XRkibQszgzdcbQ8zA94-7F_nQkUa2a_Dh6_teHz7MDnykw=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back cover of <i>He Touched Me</i>.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Still, I was looking forward to the whole undubbed <i>He Touched Me</i> experience, and it started well. The title track and album opener was as moving and soothing as ever, and the sound crystal clear. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then followed the more modern up tempo Christian number "I've Got Confidence," sounding fantastic with the electrical guitar more prominent and the song lasting about 25 seconds longer than on the original album, with frantic hand clapping and the band cooking. What a treat! (I recognized snippets of Elvis' voice at the end used to great effect on the version featured on the <i>Where No One Stands Alone</i> album released a couple of years ago, featuring new backing music and vocals.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Next up was another pleasant surprise. Usually, when I listen to "Amazing Grace," I almost wonder if Elvis is there at all due to all the backing vocals. But in the undubbed format, I noticed that Elvis voice was more up front and the background singers more in the, well, background. The whole thing sounded so much clearer and less muddled. </div><div><br />I then turned my attention to "Seeing Is Believing," with electrical sparks flying from James Burton's guitar. As always, it reminded me of "I've Got Confidence," and I noticed another extra seconds at the ending here as well. I bet the writer of the song, Red West, was in the studio listening. How exciting it must have been for him to hear this. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was then unexpectedly disappointed. While I listened to "He Is My Everything" without the strings, I noticed that the original backing singers were gone, too. Slightly confused and irritated, my spirits lifted with the help of the next track, "Bosom Of Abraham." I always find it irresistible and infectious, reminding me of some of the spirituals on Elvis' earlier religious albums. The interaction between Elvis and the Imperials is pure joy. </div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4YqbRjiOUPvS73HHQ4JdTaXatMSxqQx-XD6Thjcd31Ivwgy_Vjo0kWF9ymJFd5_ItppHiesvGWe3MlMbxnkzfPzOrb_1JGWaHc3d6ArPLyIDqy2xuDfMOrOp4PiVswtWxUh0Bn0VF_wuxeYBCb5po371KncwNhyKRLKSSihjaIXjujUjd6FhauCW9_w=s580" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="579" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4YqbRjiOUPvS73HHQ4JdTaXatMSxqQx-XD6Thjcd31Ivwgy_Vjo0kWF9ymJFd5_ItppHiesvGWe3MlMbxnkzfPzOrb_1JGWaHc3d6ArPLyIDqy2xuDfMOrOp4PiVswtWxUh0Bn0VF_wuxeYBCb5po371KncwNhyKRLKSSihjaIXjujUjd6FhauCW9_w=w399-h400" width="399" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Bosom of Abraham" was released as single together with "He Touched Me" in March, 1972. Interestingly it was titled "The Bosom Of Abraham."</td></tr></tbody></table><br />In my imagination, I then flipped the album to the B-side. The two first numbers, "An Evening Prayer" and "Lead Me, Guide Me" sounded beautiful as always, maybe even more so in this new mix. But then surprise och disappointment struck again. As was the case of "He Is My Everything," the background vocals had been eliminated on "There Is No God But God." Although a pleasant enough song, in my opinion it really benefits from the backing vocalists responding to Elvis' singing. </div><div><br /></div><div>Fortunately, the rest of the tracks from "He Touched Me" were left undubbed as they were recorded in the studio. "A Thing Called Love" without the strings and horns worked well, even though bass singer Armond Morales' vocals were mixed down (in the original recording he is singing in union with Elvis throughout the song). "I, John" sounded more like a gospel quartet song without the overdubbed female singers and "Reach Out To Jesus" ended with the passionate ending I remember so well.</div><div><br />Two more religious tracks were recorded during the Nashville sessions 1971, and they are included after the "He Touched Me" tracks. "Put Your Hand In The Hand" and "Miracle Of The Rosary" were eventually saved for <i>Elvis Now </i>("Amazing Grace" replaced "Miracle Of The Rosary" when no Folk album materialized), but it's evident they would have fit on Elvis' third religious album as well.</div><div><br /></div><div>All in all, I enjoyed the undubbed version of <i>He Touched Me.</i> But it annoyed me that two of the tracks had their backing vocals removed. It also rhymes badly with what is written in the booklet:</div><div><blockquote>NOTE: As the vocal interaction between Elvis and the backing singers is deemed fundamental to the gospel performances, they have been left as originally intended by Elvis and A&R man Felton Jarvis.</blockquote></div><div><div>So, to sum it up. You now have two options to experience the <i>He Touched Me</i> album. You can either listen to the original album, with four overdubbed songs and the eight remaining tracks undubbed, or you can pick the one offered on the <i>Elvis Back In Nashville</i> set with all twelve tracks undubbed but two of them with the original backing singers removed. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Additional reading:</b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2021/11/guest-blog-elvis-back-in-nashville.html">Guest Blog: Elvis Back In Nashville – A Review (November 28, 2021)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2021/12/christmas-songs-for-you-from-elvis.html">Christmas Songs To You From Elvis (December 24, 2021)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2011/11/he-touched-me-review.html">He Touched Me – A Review (November 20, 2011)</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-20782626670404818552021-12-24T13:20:00.001+01:002021-12-24T17:45:23.219+01:00Christmas Songs For You From Elvis<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9aHQMFEiz75_-bDmGhssQMg_6GLI_HwjqXpLu_x0Olin7JPdlO_2_L6jNLvOO29nOWSjP8pqClOdgRFFUIvfIGqqB5iUkfW6mzRcfBwlhGyQl03XL-EEZuQQofFwcZkao-5VQ90a5y175i2LdM7HNzi9oGk9cOHChBIIt-jrk4fFGvjZDJuLlneaTUA=s600" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="600" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9aHQMFEiz75_-bDmGhssQMg_6GLI_HwjqXpLu_x0Olin7JPdlO_2_L6jNLvOO29nOWSjP8pqClOdgRFFUIvfIGqqB5iUkfW6mzRcfBwlhGyQl03XL-EEZuQQofFwcZkao-5VQ90a5y175i2LdM7HNzi9oGk9cOHChBIIt-jrk4fFGvjZDJuLlneaTUA=w400-h398" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front cover of <i>Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas</i>.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Elvis' Christmas songs always play an important role in getting into the Christmas spirit for me. This is especially helpful when living in Gothenburg, Sweden, where rain is more common than snow in the winter. So, since the beginning of December, I have been busy playing the undubbed Christmas tracks on the recently released <i>Elvis Back In Nashville</i> 4-CD set featuring his 1971 Nashville recordings.<p></p><p>Listening to them for the first time, I was reminded of my review of the FTD's treatment of <i>Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas</i>, released ten years ago. I looked it up, and, among other things, this is what I had to say:</p><p></p><blockquote>With the help of outtakes not being overdubbed in any way, it reveals a more intimate and sensitive side of the Christmas recordings that took place in Nashville during two nights in May, 1971. </blockquote><p></p><p>The same holds true for the Christmas masters, that without overdubs, form a softer and gentler version of the 1971 seasonal album, as my brother wisely points out in his recent review of the <i>Elvis Back In Nashville</i> set (the track order is the same as on <i>Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas</i>). One such an example is "On A Snowy Christmas Night," where an organ and some beautiful acoustic guitar playing that was buried in overdubs on the original release, lends the song a more delicate feel. </p><p>In the same way, "It Won't Seem Like Christmas (Without You)" and "Holly Leaves And Christmas Trees" both work extremely well undubbed, sounding more sorrowful than before. Even the bombastic "If I Get Home On Christmas Day" offers a more sincere listening experience without the strings, horns and backing vocals producer Felton Jarvis used when making the overdubs 50 years ago. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiI4yS9ed7WFAan6sgCj3r5DqokjK64WIMqwl1coVYlP385VRrssaS1tJJnkwAmM_bJuNEpQwiArFuWtBT3qU6K7zh7Gw71UHZY3v4243Zc0jw6hwyWVFngildbNofQT2oGaaSpy6ZnvpLC2dHxAXAtkm_TEtjBimVMHqkRdj839Ghr-8J-kYym-fDZQg=s599" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="599" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiI4yS9ed7WFAan6sgCj3r5DqokjK64WIMqwl1coVYlP385VRrssaS1tJJnkwAmM_bJuNEpQwiArFuWtBT3qU6K7zh7Gw71UHZY3v4243Zc0jw6hwyWVFngildbNofQT2oGaaSpy6ZnvpLC2dHxAXAtkm_TEtjBimVMHqkRdj839Ghr-8J-kYym-fDZQg=w400-h393" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elvis as santa on the cover of the single "Merry Christmas Baby."</td></tr></tbody></table><br />One of the highlights on the original album is the blues classic "Merry Christmas Baby," and finally we get the complete unedited and undubbed version. For some inexplicable reason, the unedited version released on FTD's <i>Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas</i> switches to the original album master mix (with a guitar overdub) approximately four and a half minutes into the song, and then back again to the undubbed mix about one minute and ten seconds later. <p></p><p>The rehearsal part found on the FTD version is also included on <i>Elvis Back In Nashvill</i>e, and this is what I wrote about it in my original review in 2011: </p><p></p><blockquote>Listening to Elvis saying "Yeah, just run it a couple of times and I'll come in there, you know, somewhere. Let's set the rhythm first," it's easy to imagine him in the middle of the studio with a mike in his hand, his musicians in a semi-circle around him.</blockquote><p></p><p>Another favorite from <i>Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas, </i>and one that I rank among the best Christmas songs Elvis ever recorded, is Michael Jarrett's "I'll Be Home On Christmas Day." I have always had a soft spot for the bluesier June remake version, and that one is included on the <i>Elvis Back In Nashville</i> set as well.</p><p>This is what the songwriter Michael Jarrett had to say about Elvis approach to his song, in an interview I did with him in the beginning of 2012:</p><p></p><blockquote>I believe he approached my song in his own special way, that is to say; he related to what the lyrics were saying and the overall sentiment the song conveyed to him during this time of his life. I believe he chose the song to record because it had personal meaning to him.</blockquote><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9YXzdrj9Popk20gq00qyPR0Z0_bYJTV25WhObhUyJNrtVchTGVK2vrrCyArsndJ1wucbvuqa0iPtgCSiEgDU6R5NOtKT9azM1nHJrYBXgbop0Ln_NvGQMpWFatvKpfxL3DSkhalpynUm-rpOAUKRGNC-gUvwaqi0rdPD5OJpoKS5s-uwEcelqemRA5g=s600" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="600" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9YXzdrj9Popk20gq00qyPR0Z0_bYJTV25WhObhUyJNrtVchTGVK2vrrCyArsndJ1wucbvuqa0iPtgCSiEgDU6R5NOtKT9azM1nHJrYBXgbop0Ln_NvGQMpWFatvKpfxL3DSkhalpynUm-rpOAUKRGNC-gUvwaqi0rdPD5OJpoKS5s-uwEcelqemRA5g=w400-h390" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"O Come, All Ye Faithful" was the B-side of the single "Merry Christmas Baby."<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />One song that I actually think benefits from the overdubs Felton Jarvis did is "O Come, All Ye Faithful." Granted, the organ that is now more prominent lends the song a more sacred feel. But I miss the choir as well as the original voices that sang the song with Elvis (unidentified, but most likely Charlie Hodge and Red West). Together with the strings and horns they make the song so much more mightier and powerful.<p></p><p>I still remember buying <i>Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas</i> on cassette in the early eighties, then playing it in my room on my new cassette recorder. I shared my memories of that in a post published in Deecember, 2010:</p><p></p><blockquote>Listening to the cassette, I was mesmerized by Elvis' singing, hearing for the first time the title track as well as the bombastic "If I Get Home On Christmas Day" and the incredible "Merry Christmas Baby."</blockquote><p></p><p>Some 40 years have passed since I first heard Elvis singing about the wonderful world of Christmas, and every year I return to it so that Elvis can help me get into the Holiday mood. This year was no exception, but a little different, listening to it in another format without all the overdubs. It worked just as well, though, and with that I'd like to take the opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas. </p><p><b>Additional reading:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2021/11/guest-blog-elvis-back-in-nashville.html">Guest Blog: Elvis Back In Nashville – A Review (November 28, 2021)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2012/01/michael-jarrett-on-making-of-ill-be.html">The Making Of "I'll Be Home On Christmas Day" (January 9, 2012)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2011/12/elvis-sings-wonderful-world-of.html">Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas – A Review (December 17, 2011)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2011/12/merry-christmas-baby.html">Merry Christmas Baby (December 7, 2011)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2010/12/wonderful-world-of-christmas.html">The Wonderful World Of Christmas (December 1, 2010)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2008/12/ill-be-home-on-christmas-day.html">I'll Be Home On Christmas Day (December 24, 2008)</a></li></ul><p></p>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-39464694341292387312021-11-28T18:37:00.006+01:002022-01-15T18:43:05.357+01:00Guest Blog: Elvis Back In Nashville – A Review<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoW8fJfrVzDF8FInk7Q2aSLDUE-frJBwwZleOmu7-B5zmbKOJ9W6uhTXm-vdzws2KM19qVpiTpZdWJo6ydoAPoSibI8q4NJkY6ZDKsyQtEi1CcoioC0N_GuTR_Lh-RUu-5cY2WNSHV64Au/s600/Elvis+Back+In+Nashville.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="600" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoW8fJfrVzDF8FInk7Q2aSLDUE-frJBwwZleOmu7-B5zmbKOJ9W6uhTXm-vdzws2KM19qVpiTpZdWJo6ydoAPoSibI8q4NJkY6ZDKsyQtEi1CcoioC0N_GuTR_Lh-RUu-5cY2WNSHV64Au/w320-h294/Elvis+Back+In+Nashville.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The natural
follow-up to last year's <i>From Elvis In
Nashville</i> 4-CD set is out, and although I haven't yet received the physical
product, I've listened quite a lot to it on Spotify. Containing masters and
outtakes from Elvis’ 1971 Nashville session, <i>Elvis: Back In Nashville</i> presents the 43 masters on the first two
CD’s and the outtakes on the final two discs.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The sound
is great, no doubt about it. Instruments that previously have been buried in
the mix now sound crystal clear. The drums in ”It's Only Love” for example,
without the horns to drown them out, are really moving the song forward.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I've always
had a soft spot for these 1971 recordings. Elvis' voice is not as good as in
1970, actually it is sometimes quite weak, but it morbidly fits well with so
many of these lost love/broken man songs. Like on ”I'm Leavin’,” one of my
favorite Elvis recordings. So I was so much looking forward to this box set.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEire2aGBCUDIfH7H9MQ-ogCO_lRKFCiGpZGyItnOjG4OrcwLrdc_vWqB2lzuEBRe1RR7QaU-dW8_l6MUYqIW3Et1nqhbbVWiAAgvxFTZDcJVBCJjqvAYhjobrrprB0w0_KDDUVWsGotScOb/s1500/backinnashville-front.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEire2aGBCUDIfH7H9MQ-ogCO_lRKFCiGpZGyItnOjG4OrcwLrdc_vWqB2lzuEBRe1RR7QaU-dW8_l6MUYqIW3Et1nqhbbVWiAAgvxFTZDcJVBCJjqvAYhjobrrprB0w0_KDDUVWsGotScOb/w320-h320/backinnashville-front.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The idea of
presenting the tracks without overdubs, as they were recorded in the studio, is
a great one. Many of these songs were really suffering from overuse of horns
and strings (although one could argue that they were recorded with overdubs in
mind). And I have no problems either with new mixes, making some instruments
more prominent than before, and some less so.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But on the
first CD the producers have made a strange decision: About half of the masters
are presented with the background singers removed. Yes, the singers that were
in the studio with Elvis! This was one of the big differences compared to the
1970 Nashville sessions where no other singers than Elvis and Charlie Hodge
were present. And now, The Nashville Edition, The Imperials, Mille Kirkham and
the Holladays, are gone.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If this had
been properly made, maybe I could have accepted it. But often the background
singing is bleeding through, and with earphones you sometimes can hear it quite
clear. It's like it's there, but far, far away. And even without the
bleeding-through, this makes for some strange listening. On ”The First Time
Ever I Saw Your Face,” Ginger Holladay is very much audible during the false
start. Then during the master, she is not there anymore.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first
CD actually reminded me of the two <i>Our
Memories of Elvis</i> albums from 1979 where the same kind of removal mixes
were made. It didn't make sense then, and it doesn't make sense now.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1t5oVN0a15VRJerolpbIuSn20h2kSI03xNvLhf5F1_WSW1vMLyeHUbKdsurv55UO2Or_wl3GUE8-dVlAi5WHgcZghHlWT4wyDc_vhKHYZ-UutrqpgeIxLvNBa19zLRImLUHI-JpMun6b/s1214/BackInNashville-back.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1214" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1t5oVN0a15VRJerolpbIuSn20h2kSI03xNvLhf5F1_WSW1vMLyeHUbKdsurv55UO2Or_wl3GUE8-dVlAi5WHgcZghHlWT4wyDc_vhKHYZ-UutrqpgeIxLvNBa19zLRImLUHI-JpMun6b/w316-h320/BackInNashville-back.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><br />It's a
greater delight to listen to the second disc, with songs that would form the
albums <i>Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of
Christmas</i> and <i>He Touched Me</i>. The
background voices are luckily intact on the gospel material and a lot of the
instruments that you couldn't hear before are really up front. "I've Got
Confidence" really rocks! The background singers were not present during the
recording of the Christmas songs (I guess the Christmas tree that was put up in
the studio took up too much space!) and without overdubs, the songs form a
softer and gentler version of the 1971 seasonal album. Unlike some of the folk
and pop tracks from CD 1, the Christmas recordings often work without
additional singers.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The
outtakes discs (where the producers thankfully have not removed the background
singers) work well, although there are too many false starts and too much
studio banter to really make it a great listening experience. But there are
some gems here, including a previously unreleased take on one of the best
Christmas songs, Michael Jarrett's ”I'll Be Home On Christmas Day.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In all
fairness, the big problem with this release is the first CD. Unfortunately,
that was the disc I looked forward to the most, as it collects all the pop and
folk masters from these sessions for the first time. The undubbed Christmas
masters are, a bit surprising, the big win for me, and I will play that portion
of CD 2 a lot come Christmas time.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Despite my
objections, it's terrific that box sets like this are still produced. However,
I hope the producers get it together for the next volume in this series,
containing Elvis' 1972 and 1975 masters. I have a great title for that release:
<i>Back In Hollywood</i> (Well, he was there
a lot in the 60's, right?). And an advice: Do not remove instruments and vocals
recorded in the studio. </span>Please.</p><p class="MsoNormal">/Mårtenbrother</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Additional reading:</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2021/10/amazing-grace-elvis-back-in-nashville.html">Amazing Grace: Elvis Back In Nashville</a></li><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2021/09/until-its-time-for-you-to-go-elvis-back.html">Until It's Time For You To Go: Elvis Back In Nashville</a></li><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2021/08/im-leavin-elvis-back-in-nashville.html">I'm Leavin': Elvis Back In Nashville</a></li><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2021/04/guest-blog-from-elvis-in-nashville.html">Guest Blog: From Elvis In Nashville – A Review</a></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-61397812496411010892021-11-05T16:28:00.005+01:002021-11-08T12:39:07.853+01:00In Memory Of Hard-Working Ronnie Tutt<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUkwr8Qe0XrY6XJHA-C2Oz-Ln5S1QcQfaIeJ1IRWzkmAY0OBW5ohYZut1fHP6BUTqhOG-zW4Eam2IcCLY8-fzAWlA5OwhWXu59I3TVt1MraILp5qYomQNkQr21eYGAKWYNAsMTGXmU6f-P/s550/rontuttelvis7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="550" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUkwr8Qe0XrY6XJHA-C2Oz-Ln5S1QcQfaIeJ1IRWzkmAY0OBW5ohYZut1fHP6BUTqhOG-zW4Eam2IcCLY8-fzAWlA5OwhWXu59I3TVt1MraILp5qYomQNkQr21eYGAKWYNAsMTGXmU6f-P/w400-h278/rontuttelvis7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorite shots of Ronnie Tutt and Elvis together. "I emulated and accented everything that he did just instinctively," Ronnie later said in an interview.</td></tr></tbody></table>Just like other fans all around the world, I was saddened to learn about the death of Elvis' drummer Ronnie Tutt on October 16. At the same time, I found comfort in the fact that I saw him perform during five "live on screen" concerts; in 1999, 2000 (twice), 2010 and 2012, respectively. <p></p><p>And perhaps even better, I also had a chance to say hello to him in 2016 after a show called <i>Aloha from Copenhagen</i> that celebrated Elvis' 81st birthday and the 44th anniversary of the historical <i>Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite</i> concert. On stage were, besides Ronnie Tutt, two other members of the TCB Band (James Burton and Glen D. Hardin) as well as Terry Blackwood from the Imperials and Austrian singer Dennis Jale.</p><p>As Ronnie signed my copy of the double LP <i>Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite</i>, I remember my brother asking him if the TCB necklace he wore was the original one given to him by Elvis. Turned out it wasn't.</p><p>When we sat on the train taking us home to Sweden, we told each other that we would probably never have the opportunity to see the TCB Band play live again. Unfortunately, that proved to be true.</p><p>But as I look at Ronnie Tutt's autograph right now, I am reminded of how much he, like the rest of the TCB Band, meant not only to Elvis, but to me as well. And I'd like to end where it all began for Elvis and Ronnie, back in 1970, during the auditions for the 1969 Las Vegas engagement. In an interview that Arjan Deelen conducted in 1999, Ronnie Tutt had, among other things, this to say when he was asked why Elvis picked him as his drummer:</p><p></p><blockquote>It wasn't just a matter of expertise, but a matter of rapport. It was a matter of sensing, and watching his eyes, and watching everything he did. I emulated and accented everything that he did just instinctively. Every move, almost like a glorified stripper! And he loved that.</blockquote><p></p><p><b>Additional reading:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.elvis.com.au/presley/interview-ronnietutt.shtml">Interview with Ronnie Tutt by Arjan Deelen</a></li><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2017/01/aloha-from-copenhagen.html">Aloha From Copenhagen</a></li></ul><p></p>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-39373661367738466352021-10-10T23:28:00.008+02:002021-10-11T08:19:13.224+02:00Elvis Sings For Children And Grownups Too! Volume 2<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI-GRNqlmuswW9J4IHJ_9mO078-hBmFE112LpI1gsHgztqA5QzWi_gkKHJbdUy9_3bt9U1WZmSCgAkBEvLQu-tupeDZchx27z-FVCLYnw2GzJXdU5GxAzUEdvzC8tzED9JsdcgCu-yB3jx/s1282/esfcvol2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1282" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI-GRNqlmuswW9J4IHJ_9mO078-hBmFE112LpI1gsHgztqA5QzWi_gkKHJbdUy9_3bt9U1WZmSCgAkBEvLQu-tupeDZchx27z-FVCLYnw2GzJXdU5GxAzUEdvzC8tzED9JsdcgCu-yB3jx/w400-h400/esfcvol2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In an alternative universe: <i>Elvis Sings For Children And Grownups Too! Volume 2</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />FTD has announced three new releases for next month: <i>The Pot Luck Sessions</i> 5 CD set, a 2 CD soundboard titled <i>South Bound Tampa/Atlanta '75</i> and the double vinyl <i>Raised On Rock: I've Got Rhythm In My Soul</i>. <p></p><p>In an alternative universe a fourth album was added for a December release with the following announcement:</p><p>43 years after its original release FTD is pleased to announce the Classic Album version of <i>Elvis Sings For Children And Grownups Too!</i> Packaged in 7" format with a full color 16-page memorabilia booklet, this 1-CD set also includes a previously unknown master tape featuring the second volume in the series. </p><p>Newly found documentation (included in the booklet) reveals that a planned<i> Elvis Sings For Children And Grownups Too! Volume 2</i> was scrapped due to the first volume's poor sales figures and weak #130 on Billboard's Top LPs chart during its 11 weeks on the chart (although it fared much better on the Country LPs chart with #5 and 16 weeks). </p><p>Of special interest is the inclusion of an alternate take of "Your Time Hasn't Come Yet, Baby," which suggests that producer Joan Deary had access to the <i>Speedway</i> session tapes which has never been found since. </p><p><i><b>Elvis Sings For Children And Grownups Too!</b></i></p><p><i>The Original Album</i><br />01. Teddy Bear 02. Wooden Heart 03. Five Sleepyheads 04. Puppet On A String 05. Angel 06. Old MacDonald 07. How Would You Like To Be 08. Cotton Candy Land 09. Old Shep 10. Big Boots (MO-04, alternate take) 11. Have A Happy</p><p><i>Volume 2</i><br />12. Lover Doll 13. Datin´14. Queenie Wahine's Papaya 15. Mexico 16. Earth Boy 17. Confidence 18. Your Time Hasn't Come Yet, Baby (take 4, previously unreleased) 19. Take Me To The Fair 20. It's Carnival Time 21. Don't Cry Daddy 22. House Of Sand 23. Sing You Children</p><p><i>Bonus Songs (considered for Volume 2 but dropped in favor of "Don't Cry Daddy" and "House Of Sand")</i><br />24. Carny Town 25. A Dog's Life </p><p><i>Duet versions</i><br />26. Datin' (duet with Donna Butterworth) 27. Queenie Wahine's Papaya (duet with Donna Butterworth) 28. Mexico (duet with Larry Domasin)</p><p>Back in this reality, of course no second volume of <i>Elvis Sings For Children And Grownups Too!</i> was ever planned by Colonel Tom Parker who schemed to put out the original album as early as 1975. Or who could really tell? One thing is for sure though: there were certainly enough songs for a sequel. </p><p>PS: I originally thought of posting this on April 1 next year but couldn't wait that long. </p><p><b>Additional reading:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2010/10/elvis-sings-for-my-baby-girl-and-me-too.html?showComment=1310909165601">Elvis Sings For Me And My Baby Girl Too!</a></li></ul>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-21599875186990401512021-10-02T22:06:00.008+02:002021-10-13T08:50:19.068+02:00Amazing Grace: Elvis Back In Nashville<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPM0Qt2hMOtNXSmCArkJrSRcgSBa6Xm1odTmaTKCpgNn8z_6FGKUy8E5CGtYjip4iwwzO4svcYjofCbeZyv0l8KxFjkHFXo3nISN0xDXrx66DxClqFwoRVeb-lJ20OHZSRY8T9BOJa0Kt/s1180/amazing+grace.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="1180" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPM0Qt2hMOtNXSmCArkJrSRcgSBa6Xm1odTmaTKCpgNn8z_6FGKUy8E5CGtYjip4iwwzO4svcYjofCbeZyv0l8KxFjkHFXo3nISN0xDXrx66DxClqFwoRVeb-lJ20OHZSRY8T9BOJa0Kt/w400-h173/amazing+grace.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bluesy take 2 of "Amazing Grace" is the third digital single promoting the <i>Elvis: Back in Nashville</i> set due for release on November 12.</td></tr></tbody></table>Barely had I written about the second promo/preview/digital single from the upcoming 4 CD set <i>Elvis: Back In Nashville</i> when the third one was released yesterday. This time the spotlight is put on the first (incomplete) and second take of "Amazing Grace." Take 2 was first made available on the <i>Walk A Mile In My Shoes – The Essential 70's Masters</i> back in 1995, while the whole sequence containing both takes found its way onto the FTD version of <i>He Touched Me</i> (2011). <p></p><p>I actually reviewed the latter in a post here on my blog back in November 2011 (was it really that long time ago?!), so I revisited that and read what I had written about the two first takes of "Amazing Grace." Apparently I focused a lot on the studio banter: </p><p></p><blockquote>Another example is the banter before the second take of "Amazing Grace" (following the first abandoned one) which has Elvis saying "I hit the wrong words, I was singing 'Love Me Tender'," and one of the musicians answering, "You was singing the hell out of it, whatever it was." I think he's right. I actually prefer the bluesy take 2 over the more conservative master.</blockquote><p></p><p>Listening to the audio promo today made me realize this still holds true. Ernst Jorgensen puts it well in his excellent book <i>Elvis Presley: A Life In Music</i> (1998):</p><p>For this voice piece the rhythm section set a slow, solid, unobtrusive beat, while Chip Young added some bluesy acoustic slide guitar and David Briggs contributed flashy piano runs straight out of the showy gospel music tradition. </p><p>But for some reason, after the second take producer Felton Jarvis told Chip Young to run a straighter course, resulting in a more traditional master of the song (take 5). For the first time this can now be heard on the promo (it wasn't included on FTD's version of <i>He Touched Me).</i> The dialogue runs something like this:</p><p>Felton Jarvis: Chip, don't play that funky stuff there man, really just straight.</p><p>Chip Young: Alright.</p><p>Felton Jarvis: Simplicity you know.</p><p>Then another person says: Jerry, you're not gonna play on your kick drum, are you?</p><p>Jerry Carrigan: Ah, not much, no.</p><p>The other person: OK. </p><p>So there went the bluesy version out of the window in favor of the master that we know from the <i>He Touched Me</i> album. I like that one too, but take 2 has the edge. In my book, yet another excellent choice to help promote <i>Elvis: Back In Nashville</i>.</p><p><b>Additional reading:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2021/09/until-its-time-for-you-to-go-elvis-back.html">Until It' Time For You To Go: Elvis Back In Nashville</a></li><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2021/08/im-leavin-elvis-back-in-nashville.html">I'm Leavin': Elvis Back In Nashville</a></li><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2011/11/he-touched-me-review.html">He Touched Me – A Review</a></li></ul><p></p>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-7054143747089239362021-09-29T22:41:00.006+02:002021-10-02T19:05:37.867+02:00Until It's Time For You To Go: Elvis Back In Nashville<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqocOl0mBJv5t96sBxFrjVKypaAszuclJ3KescuBugUkPivBbWjbAoM-rIicZPhblupQNHNk7PynLfXKCE45Feu555h6aUOVHJDJJfT8yo8RzwprHHkQFgrEZJ2sYir5y4VNIP-x5evd08/s1095/until+its+time+for+you+to+go.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="1095" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqocOl0mBJv5t96sBxFrjVKypaAszuclJ3KescuBugUkPivBbWjbAoM-rIicZPhblupQNHNk7PynLfXKCE45Feu555h6aUOVHJDJJfT8yo8RzwprHHkQFgrEZJ2sYir5y4VNIP-x5evd08/w400-h209/until+its+time+for+you+to+go.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Until It's Time For You To Go" (take 5) has been released as an offical lyric video.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />So far I have been pleased with the the audio promos/digital singles RCA have chosen to promote the upcoming <i>Elvis: Back In Nashville</i> 4 CD set. In August the first attempt of the stunning "I'm Leavin'" was released (including a new rehearsal part), and a month later we were treated with take 5 of the beautiful "Until It's Time For You To Go." <p></p><p>I thought it would be interesting to see what some of my favorite Elvis books have to say about "Until It's Time For You To Go" that was originally released as a single in January 1972, coupled with "We Can Make The Morning." First out is Robert Matthew-Walker and his book <i>Elvis Presley: Studies in Modern Music</i> (1979):</p><p></p><blockquote>"Until It's Time For You To Go" became a classic hit for Presley and this performance is one of his best. He infuses each word with an added meaning.</blockquote><p></p><p>In 1982 a book called <i>The Complete Elvis</i> edited by Martin Torgoff came out. Among other things, it included an A-Z section, that my brother and I loved to study. Today he sent me a mobile photo of what was written about "Until It's Time For You To Go":</p><p></p><blockquote>Elvis turned Buffy's 1970 version of her own folksy composition into a ballad with piano and strings nicely complemented by the Imperials. The lyrics are stretched and phrased beautifully. </blockquote><p></p><p>Moving on to my well thumbed copy of <i>Elvis Presley: A Life In Music </i>from 1998 (if I could keep only one of my Elvis' books this would be the one) Ernst Jorgensen paints this picture of the recording of "Until It's Time For You To Go" on May 17, 1971:</p><p></p><blockquote>Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Until It's Time For You To Go" was the next folk number to which Elvis gave his full attention. This kind of material might have been suitable for a pop album, less so for a single – but Elvis was throwing himself into his performances with abandon now, and all anyone could do was stand back and watch.</blockquote><p></p><p>It's obvious Elvis cared for "Until It's Time For You To Go." Not only did he try to better his May version with a remake of the song at the June sessions (although it was the May recording that was eventually chosen for release as a single), he also included it in his live repertoire. </p><p>I have to confess I like it too. It's a tender song that always strikes a chord when I listen to it. That leaves you, dear reader. What do you think of Elvis' version(s) of "It's Time For You To Go"? </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOZz1lZqHXs&ab_channel=ElvisPresleyVEVO">Take 5 of "Until It's Time For You To Go" on YouTube (Official Lyric Video)</a></li></ul><p></p><p><b>Additional reading:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2021/08/im-leavin-elvis-back-in-nashville.html">I'm Leavin': Elvis Back In Nashville</a></li></ul><p></p>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-37033640724884766962021-09-18T14:25:00.002+02:002021-09-18T14:42:45.459+02:00Ralph Strobel Signed Harum Scarum Album<p></p><p></p><p></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrfL7e7iUChZZsQzBIgEAiAIgbXvSoDDLr5OzUk_UFxljymqQgATl0Y0DAWFJ5jnGn_fdICVWm-sOD-gtq73sT9Vh_hofZuQlByI0DLr6pnVngckqD61_PWHgIk2yG7FTR77j8tmWAUV-/s2048/autograph-ralph-strobel.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrfL7e7iUChZZsQzBIgEAiAIgbXvSoDDLr5OzUk_UFxljymqQgATl0Y0DAWFJ5jnGn_fdICVWm-sOD-gtq73sT9Vh_hofZuQlByI0DLr6pnVngckqD61_PWHgIk2yG7FTR77j8tmWAUV-/w400-h300/autograph-ralph-strobel.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of Ralph Strobel's autograph on my <i>Harum Scarum</i> LP. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Last week I received two packages from Ralph Strobel, who played the oboe on the <i>Harum Scarum</i> sessions on February 24–26, 1965. A couple of months back I found out that he is an assistant professor emeritus at Ball State University, so I contacted him and asked if he would like to answer some questions about those sessions. He graciously accepted, and reading his story I almost felt like I was there in the studio with him.</p><p>Some time after publishing the interview on my blog, I got another idea. Would Ralph Strobel agree to sign my copy of the <i>Harum Scarum</i> album? He thought it was a great idea, so I sent the cover across the Atlantic at the beginning of the summer. As I was going to Denmark on my vacation, Ralph Strobel wisely decided to send the cover back to me after I had returned. It took about a month to reach me, but it was well worth the wait. </p><p></p>Opening the package, and pulling out the album cover, I saw that it was signed <i>Ralph Strobel "OBOE"</i> on the front cover in the lower right hand corner. It looked great. <i>Harum Scarum</i> is now one of those records in my collection I value the most – those signed by musicians I've met in real life or through e-mail conversation who once played or sang with Elvis. <p></p><p></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrFYZ0Fclfzk4oViyLYgvD4LVJZDt25iaQPl4i-tCn-hg0A4LGjjeOi_1blKYFO6E2qFLO71KtgZHpGkG9kFKQ0Ck9Go1nBx_otWH_L9U0vA_p9Tkd0SAzvK8OdzEWnwlsEceBrZCcIlV/s2048/harum-scarum-cover.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2032" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrFYZ0Fclfzk4oViyLYgvD4LVJZDt25iaQPl4i-tCn-hg0A4LGjjeOi_1blKYFO6E2qFLO71KtgZHpGkG9kFKQ0Ck9Go1nBx_otWH_L9U0vA_p9Tkd0SAzvK8OdzEWnwlsEceBrZCcIlV/w398-h400/harum-scarum-cover.jpg" width="398" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My signed copy of the <i>Harum Scarum</i> soundtrack.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>In the smaller package I found an Elvis souvenir in the form of a very nice toothpick holder as well as a letter from Ralph Strobel where he told the story behind it. He also explained that he was happy that I had encouraged him into writing about the Elvis recording sessions, something he had wanted to do for years. That made me feel good.</p><p>I am happy to call Ralph Strobel my friend and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank him again for writing about his time recording with Elvis, signing my <i>Harum Scarum</i> album and sending me the Elvis toothpick holder. It meant a lot.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Additional reading:</b></div><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2021/05/harum-scarum-ralph-strobel-oboe.html">Harum Scarum: The Ralph Stobel (Oboe) Interview</a></li><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2012/03/they-wrote-upon-it.html">They Wrote Upon It</a></li><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/search?q=they+wrote+upon+it+too">They Wrote Upon It Too!</a></li></ul>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-65778596640395841832021-08-28T17:25:00.004+02:002021-08-28T21:06:13.534+02:00I'm Leavin': Elvis Back In Nashville<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiECHQC4GWd-ozqS7DSCzKVCnPuu3ZOSQ-Vc7tPmSXamBVwJOnF2oVlnwxjYtpaz88AHKcwNXAgRXBUp3mzKyjtwE_wZO1DwT0rJ2pPcd6315k7hvEdQvuGALD4SKeiPRpH1aYDu4LUPk6-/s300/Elvis-Back-in-Nashville.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiECHQC4GWd-ozqS7DSCzKVCnPuu3ZOSQ-Vc7tPmSXamBVwJOnF2oVlnwxjYtpaz88AHKcwNXAgRXBUp3mzKyjtwE_wZO1DwT0rJ2pPcd6315k7hvEdQvuGALD4SKeiPRpH1aYDu4LUPk6-/s16000/Elvis-Back-in-Nashville.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first take of "I'm Leavin'" is included in the upcoming set <i>Elvis: Back In Nashville</i>.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />During Elvis Week I was pleased to see the announcement for the 4 CD set <i>Elvis: Back In Nashville</i> covering his 1971 Nashville sessions. Like last year's <i>From Elvis In Nashville</i> it showcases Elvis Presley and his band as they sounded during the actual session without orchestral and vocal overdubs. <p></p><p>But, unlike the 1970 Nashville recordings, many of the 1971 tracks included backing singers. One such example is "I'm Leavin'" that has been released as the first official audio promo/digital single for the set. Featuring take 1, you get to hear Elvis, the musicians and the Imperials rehearse the song (this was not included when take 1 was originally released on the <i>Elvis Now</i> FTD back in 2010) and then deliver a beautiful first attempt. </p><p>I decided to email Michael Jarrett who wrote the song, sending him the link to the audio promo and asking him what his reaction was, listening to the take. This is what he wrote back: </p><p></p><blockquote><p>I just listened to Cut #1. Amazing! Truly amazing for this older songwriter to be like a fly on the wall in the studio listening to these great players 'carving out' my song. Actually, it's not very often that songwriters get a <i>peak behind the curtains</i> at the making of a song they've labored over to get just right in presenting to an artist or producer for recording consideration. Too Cool! ..So wonderful to hear them talking ..it's like being right there.</p><p>Thinking back fifty years, oh my! ..</p><p>When I first ventured into Hollywood back in the Spring of 1970, I hit the streets running with a pocket full of songs and a pocket full of dreams. With the help of a friend, I was fortunate to get a few meetings with some music producers right away. This was very lucky for a 'newcomer' to Crazyland, L.A. ...but I digress :)</p><p>Some of these music producers let me know right away that my songs were <i>'esoteric'</i> and certainly not "commercial". Others just played a few seconds on the tape of each song and would then turn to me and say, "I just didn't hear anything that caught my ear" ..and I'm thinking after hearing this person say that to me, ... Certainly You Didn't Hear Anything Because You Didn't Even Listen!!</p><p>This producer then said to me, "let me suggest that you go back home and listen to the songs they play on "Top 40 music stations" and write songs like that. I will be happy in the future to listen to them. ...good day ..</p><p>Good day, INDEED!</p><p>I just told this story to encourage songwriters out there that might be reading this to follow your heart when you write and don't be swayed by what others say about your writing! It's the doing of it that is the most important thing.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Boy did Michael Jarrett prove those music producers wrong. Not only is "I'm Leavin'" a firm favorite among many fans (me included), Elvis obviously liked it too and sang it live many times. </p><p>I'm really looking forward to <i>Elvis: Back In Nashville</i> that is to be released on November 12. Until then, be sure to listen to take 1 of "I'm Leavin'." Mixing engineer Matt Ross-Spang has done a great job and if the rest of the sessions sound like this we will have us another winner. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://youtu.be/YLA1Qj2aSos">Take 1 of "I'm Leavin'" on YouTube</a> </li></ul><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Additional reading:</h4><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2021/05/writing-im-leavin-for-king.html">Writing I'm Leavin' For The King (May 29. 2021)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2021/05/im-leavin-50-years-ago.html">I'm Leavin' 50 Years Ago (May 20, 2021)</a></li></ul><p></p>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-3615979497833308772021-08-16T22:26:00.013+02:002021-08-17T21:55:07.068+02:00Welcome To My World<p><i><b></b></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i></i><i style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn17YD-mcem2S2pXnKs36ECroDSNvipV265cmxDkn3WWP4ohaD2LgBTY0jqX6SaTi_pZjbucK9JAVih4vw5DuCx9Mjbu8jixDG5kEpr1Iqf1WonXyZav_7ww1zPpSiZpKv5j_U5FreLqAD/s2048/HPIM0313.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn17YD-mcem2S2pXnKs36ECroDSNvipV265cmxDkn3WWP4ohaD2LgBTY0jqX6SaTi_pZjbucK9JAVih4vw5DuCx9Mjbu8jixDG5kEpr1Iqf1WonXyZav_7ww1zPpSiZpKv5j_U5FreLqAD/w300-h400/HPIM0313.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elvis grave at Graceland photographed during Elvis Week 2005.</td></tr></tbody></table></i></div><p><i><b>This post is a loose translation of a radio program I did in Sweden after having returned from Elvis Week in Memphis 2005 - 16 years ago.</b></i></p><p><i>Intro music: Beginning of "Welcome To My World"</i></p><p>The song "Welcome To My World" is playing in the visitors' headphones on their way up to Elvis Presley's home in Memphis - Graceland. And even though the song was not originally sung by Elvis to greet tourists, I think it feels quite appropriate. </p><p>Because Graceland, and a large part of Memphis for that matter, is truly a world that revolves around Elvis. And this is especially true during the days around August 16, which is the date Elvis died. This is when the annual Elvis Week takes place, when fans from all over the world and of all ages gather in Memphis to pay tribute to their idol.</p><p><i>Music: Ending of "Welcome To My World"</i></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UJTBQOY359ocrPQERhP4ypf01TrHZohX_j4-auxeTTaDYKsyF6_N4JcIdGKiwfEWnsxzsHp9jgmU4DXItKnJ0Z9XjZoxXPoG1ClfL7pzqV2Bm2vVffWKW1bI95U5N8PxkRG_orpxQP9-/s2048/HPIM0466.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UJTBQOY359ocrPQERhP4ypf01TrHZohX_j4-auxeTTaDYKsyF6_N4JcIdGKiwfEWnsxzsHp9jgmU4DXItKnJ0Z9XjZoxXPoG1ClfL7pzqV2Bm2vVffWKW1bI95U5N8PxkRG_orpxQP9-/w400-h300/HPIM0466.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A huge sign in Memphis stating the obvious.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>On the way from the airport, I see huge billboards by the roadside with the slogan "Elvis lives." And once at the hotel, this feels like the place to be if you, like me, have liked Elvis since childhood.</p><p><i>Music: Beginning of "Heartbreak Hotel"</i></p><p>In the foyer, Elvis music blasts out from the head speakers by the bar, everywhere are people wearing Elvis t-shirts, and at the reception there is an Elvis impersonator wearing a blue jumpsuit and obligatory sunglasses.</p><p>And as if that wasn't enough, I see Elvis' old friend Sonny West sitting at a table signing autographs. It turns out that he performs at the hotel every night, talking about his time with the King. After saying hello, I ask him to comment the fact that Elvis, 28 years after his death, seems to be more famous than ever.</p><p>"Well, if you would have asked me at the end of the fifth year, at the fifth anniversary of his death, if he would continue to be so big, I would have said 'No i don't think so.' Would I have been wrong, right."</p><p>But since new fans are constantly discovering his music, he continues to be at least as famous now as then, is Sonny's explanation.</p><p><i>Music: Beginning of "Memphis, Tennessee"</i></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GnFd5K2Lu7zEi3jNNm2jzW3yn84DuM2Ql9rd-LVe2uDH1BxoMOJBnG0jWEBGbMeA6tAs3Q7Jbcy8vS8FFsqzc7gOVqolABHQW2Te9fahGFdV8bKzmRzz0tgJgEamf2HLVobTZpSc4T-q/s2048/HPIM0239.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GnFd5K2Lu7zEi3jNNm2jzW3yn84DuM2Ql9rd-LVe2uDH1BxoMOJBnG0jWEBGbMeA6tAs3Q7Jbcy8vS8FFsqzc7gOVqolABHQW2Te9fahGFdV8bKzmRzz0tgJgEamf2HLVobTZpSc4T-q/w400-h300/HPIM0239.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of Graceland - a dream come true.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Just a few minutes bus ride from the hotel is Graceland, the destination of my journey. The house is located on Elvis Presley Boulevard, opposite Graceland Plaza, where the bus stops. Here, tourists flock around the souvenir shops that have grown up like mushrooms out of the ground, and the wealth of invention when it comes to what to buy with Elvis motifs knows no bounds.</p><p>In addition to sweaters, caps, key chains and fridge magnets, there are, for example, baby clothes, slippers, wallpaper, rubber ducks, the Elvis wine Jailhouse Red, bowling balls and Graceland in the form of a soft toy.</p><p>But I'm here to see the real Graceland. The trip costs 28 dollars, but in addition to the house I get a look at Elvis' cars, motorcycles and his private jet Lisa Marie, christened after his daughter.</p><p>The house itself turns out to be a bit smaller than I thought. But it's fascinating to see the different rooms, especially the Jungle Room where Elvis recorded his last studio songs among gods statues, a small waterfall and armchairs with armrests shaped like dragons.</p><p><i>Studio banter: "It's Easy For You"</i></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6SnUAdZdeSWZdUJp1kJBY_OAlnkaOd_yyqO5icjdVXD9HXYBD_ncLINNRf30DENawnzUrdiudfYNQjIaT_6AEJh_e3_p9qXntgd6hYBS9dNKJ3pjPu5VtggcS7YcurNjucnbsu8uDCvn8/s2048/HPIM0304.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6SnUAdZdeSWZdUJp1kJBY_OAlnkaOd_yyqO5icjdVXD9HXYBD_ncLINNRf30DENawnzUrdiudfYNQjIaT_6AEJh_e3_p9qXntgd6hYBS9dNKJ3pjPu5VtggcS7YcurNjucnbsu8uDCvn8/w400-h300/HPIM0304.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Trophy Room - mindblowing.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Another highlight is the Trophy Room, Elvis' old squash hall where the walls are covered with gold plates from floor to ceiling and some of the most famous jumpsuits are on display. I just stare with my mouth open like all the other tourists. Then, after the tour has ended at Elvis' grave, I meet two lyrical Danes, Kirsten and Jörgen.<p></p><p>"This is a dream come true, I have seen pictures of Graceland and know it meant a lot to Elvis, so it was fantastic to see it."</p><p>"It has always been a dream to see it, since I became a fan at twelve, and now I had the means to do it."</p><p>As Elvis, for obvious reasons, can't perform for us, we who are in Memphis have to make do with the next best thing. During Elvis Week, a number of concerts are arranged with his old musicians. Among them are the guys who accompanied Elvis in 1969 on songs such as "Suspicious Minds" and "In the Ghetto."</p><p><i>Music from the actual concert</i></p><p>And pianist Bobby Wood and organist Bobby Emmons, who are usually anonymous studio musicians, think it's fun to be in the spotlight for once.</p><p>"Its a good feeling, you know, that there are fans out there, people that actually like you."</p><p>"They consider that what we did had some bearing of the records that they love so much, it just makes you feel great.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4WjSjPnByVrZxg4WJAgHbE3ly2Q7fx-Owhech7rNZCwpur0cXBaRzwsImsAxVpe7juFitB49u_bfmQgj7kBqQ5aB8cbaQpf6288Jyl2DW2m_8Or6VMM13UweG22g4vehggTcLAdCqtk5/s2048/HPIM0416.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4WjSjPnByVrZxg4WJAgHbE3ly2Q7fx-Owhech7rNZCwpur0cXBaRzwsImsAxVpe7juFitB49u_bfmQgj7kBqQ5aB8cbaQpf6288Jyl2DW2m_8Or6VMM13UweG22g4vehggTcLAdCqtk5/w400-h300/HPIM0416.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Together with two of my musical heroes: Bobby Emmons and Bobby Wood.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>During one of the last nights in Memphis, I am part of a somewhat different experience - the Candlelight Vigil.</p><p>Traditionally, the night before the anniversary of Elvis' death on August 16, the celebration during Elvis Week reaches its peak as thousands of fans gather outside Graceland to honor the King. Together with all the other fans, I receive a candle, and then stand in the queue that slowly winds through the gates to Graceland, past Elvis' grave and out again. It feels a bit like a marathon, there are fluid checks everywhere and it takes three and a half hours.</p><p>TV is there and the next day I read in the newspaper that we were 10,000 people who attended.</p><p><i>Music: The beginning of "Talk About The Good Times"</i></p><p>Elvis Week is over and it's time to go home again. I have to agree with my Danish friends that it has been a fantastic experience that I will never forget. For a week, everything has revolved around Elvis and I have met people from all over the world who share my interest.</p><p>The only thing I regret is that I didn't buy Graceland as a soft toy.</p><p><i>Outro music: "Talk About The Good Times"</i></p>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-91267373974956508422021-07-30T23:35:00.006+02:002021-08-04T22:06:15.448+02:00Guarding Elvis In The Summer Of ´61<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9kuAOgUlMzEgIyGk3zAqqjzxWUvln-WMd8ayElcWyP6QH8CQpzEk6HUEqCK7Ynpsw_0MRYPtVf2aiTrRUw5X-_8FaSPM__QI6VVPs2-XCtwZDsAFrwo_r0hpiTZgv1LNKoMnar2XsMvJC/s829/Ocala-bank.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="829" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9kuAOgUlMzEgIyGk3zAqqjzxWUvln-WMd8ayElcWyP6QH8CQpzEk6HUEqCK7Ynpsw_0MRYPtVf2aiTrRUw5X-_8FaSPM__QI6VVPs2-XCtwZDsAFrwo_r0hpiTZgv1LNKoMnar2XsMvJC/w400-h178/Ocala-bank.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toby (Elvis Presley) enters a bank to take out a loan in the movie <i>Follow That Dream</i>. The scene was filmed in Ocala, Florida.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Currently on vacation in Denmark with my family in our summer cottage by the sea, there is little time for blogging. But stumbling across an interesting article on the Internet where Martin Stephens, 82, reminisces about guarding Elvis while he filmed <i>Follow That Dream</i> in 1961, I just had to write a short post about it.</div><p>The article is titled "The summer of Elvis" and written by Susan Smiley-Height of the Ocala Gazette. In it, Martin Stephens recalls the story of how he, as a 22 year old police officer, was assigned to provide security for Elvis on the movie set in Ocala, Florida, where they did the bank scenes (most of the movie was shot in Yankeetown).</p><p><i>“We weren’t worried about riots or somebody hurting Elvis. The security was strictly to keep people back,” he explained. “He couldn’t do nothing without a crowd. We would offer to chase people off, and he’d say, ‘No, no, that’s what I’m supposed to do.’ He was very personable and a nice guy. He was interested in people and was easy to work with.”</i></p><p>He tells the reporter that it was unbearably hot in the bank as the film crew turned off the air conditioning because it made too much background noise. Elvis had to change his denim shirt every 15 to 20 minutes. He also remembers how Elvis got hold of a pair of sunglasses worn by a deputy on the security detail. (<i>"I know, though the deputy never admitted it, that he sold his sunglasses."</i>)</p><p>According to Martin Stephens, the filming in Ocala took place over two long weekends. (<i>"The building is still there, right before the railroad tracks if you're going into town."</i>) In the article, he describes one of his fondest memories during the time he was assigned to accompany Elvis on the movie set: </p><p><i>“They had rented the Marion Hotel, and the movie crew went over there to eat. When we went to eat lunch that first day, Elvis told me, ‘Let’s go.’ So I grabbed three guys. We went over there, and I didn’t know exactly what we were supposed to do. Elvis went inside, so I said, ‘Well, I guess we guard the doors,’” he said. “We’re standing there, and in a minute, Elvis comes out and says, ‘Come on boys, you don’t have long to eat.’ We go in, and he’s got a table, and he says, ‘I went ahead and ordered for you.’ They brought us T-bone steaks, and he got a grilled cheese sandwich. ‘I didn’t know what you wanted,’ he said. ‘I just went ahead and ordered for you.’ That’s the guy I remember.” </i></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ocalagazette.com/the-summer-of-elvis/">Read the article "The Summer of Elvis" on the Ocala Gazette website</a></li></ul><p></p>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-22695836439780439562021-07-06T22:38:00.003+02:002021-07-06T22:56:05.733+02:00"It Was A Helluva Show"<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyA0-ZO3cYCyd5a9YGrLMOw8JsrUBnBLIffZ2Zcgf252tfnUNh3av6rABLoGjKhM3WYmkaAqG-IjH0RZjJ2wxgV0SS5wcj5lCaOolbkq8onQtTKDZO0UCg3pM1GLnsGlr1K4ppbfDvoNBv/s530/ftd-elvis-the-bicentennial-show.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="530" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyA0-ZO3cYCyd5a9YGrLMOw8JsrUBnBLIffZ2Zcgf252tfnUNh3av6rABLoGjKhM3WYmkaAqG-IjH0RZjJ2wxgV0SS5wcj5lCaOolbkq8onQtTKDZO0UCg3pM1GLnsGlr1K4ppbfDvoNBv/w320-h290/ftd-elvis-the-bicentennial-show.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I have a confession to make. The last couple of years my pile of unopened FTD concert releases has gotten higher and higher. Therefore, two days ago, on July 4, I thought the timing just right to remove the shrink-wrap from the <i>Elvis: The Bicentennial Show</i> 2 CD set released in 2017 and listen to CD 1 and Elvis' performance in Tulsa on Independence Day, 1976.<p></p><p>Before pressing the play button I checked out the review of this release on the Elvis Information Network, where it had this to say about the sound quality:</p><p><i>Tulsa was recorded on reel-to-reel and so would sound fabulous, as did the July 3rd Fort Worth soundboard, were it not for some awful distortion. While it can be interesting to hear alternate mixes with various instruments high in the mix, the Tulsa show sounds terrible for having James Burton’s guitar wound up ridiculously high and so distorted. Obviously his guitar level was way over-driven on the original recording and it sounds terrible. </i></p><p>Surely it can't be that bad, I thought, but it was. Which is a shame, as the show is a pretty good one, including highlights such as "America," "An American Trilogy," "Hurt" (sung twice) and "How Great Thou Art." And judging by the screaming fans it must have been an exciting way to spend the Fourth of July that particular year. This is what Bill Donaldsson of the <i>Tulsa Tribune</i> had to say about Elvis' performance:</p><p><i>He gave his fans about the best concert any pop singer can. He sang songs ranging back to the beginning of his career, several new ones, and he didn't shortchange the faithful. Remarking that he had only one show to do Sunday, and therefore could extend his performance, the star held the stage for more than an hour. [...] If Presley repeats with the same voltage he displayed this time around, his devoted fans will be fully repaid for their efforts to get those tickets. It was a helluva show.</i></p><p>Elvis concluded this particular tour in Memphis the very next day, on July 5, with a great show. Maybe it was the fact that it was an evening show and not an afternoon show like the one in Tulsa, maybe is was because it was Elvis' home town. Probably it was a combination of both. Elvis is focused, is clearly having fun on stage and delivers such gems as "Softly As I Leave You," "One Night," "Blue Christmas" and "That's All Right."</p><p>The Memphis show has been bootlegged twice on CD, and the sound quality is very good (with James Burton's guitar exactly where it should be in the mix). Had I been at the helm of the FDT label, I would have included this concert as CD 2 on the <i>Elvis: The Bicentennial Show </i>instead of the one from Duluth, October 16, 1976, that was RCA's Joan Deary's initial choice for the 1980 box set, according to the before mentioned review on the Elvis Information Network. </p><p>Or come to think about it, the best thing would probably have been to swap the order of the CD's and rename it <i>Elvis: Mid-South Magic</i> or <i>King Of Rock 'N' Roll Day</i> (as proclaimed by then Memphis Mayor Wythe Chandler). Including the Tulsa show as kind of a bonus CD due to the terrible mix would have been a more logical move, at least in my book.</p><p>That said, the shrink-wrap has been removed and I have finally listened to <i>Elvis: The Bicentennial Show</i>. I wonder what concert will be next?</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Additional reading:</h4><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.elvisinfonet.com/ftd_review_Elvis_The_Bicentennial_show.html">Elvis: The Bicentennial Show - in depth review (Elvis Information Network)</a></li></ul><p></p>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-31377604521064330962021-06-29T23:14:00.002+02:002021-07-03T22:58:25.663+02:00Mama's Little Prince: The Mårten Melin Interview<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf280kcn1frUoyuGgIl-LmNN5V36G6yT065u_19SoMyn40msWhV4G6CAbYrj9eSsaPetoerklF-6soh-0suD-3VLUKWFsmNkAZ4rfvbpGmKIj2F_FRdqwy09vvR3_5Q8aZ03Bt9vr6yAc_/s1594/marten-mamas-little-prince.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1594" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf280kcn1frUoyuGgIl-LmNN5V36G6yT065u_19SoMyn40msWhV4G6CAbYrj9eSsaPetoerklF-6soh-0suD-3VLUKWFsmNkAZ4rfvbpGmKIj2F_FRdqwy09vvR3_5Q8aZ03Bt9vr6yAc_/w320-h213/marten-mamas-little-prince.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></div><i><br />Interview with Mårten Melin about his book Mama's Little Prince.</i><div><i><br /></i></div><div>My brother Mårten Melin is the author of the Swedish book <i>Mammas lilla prins</i> (<i>Mama's Little Prince</i>), a novel about Elvis Presley's childhood. Yesterday I published <a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2021/06/mamas-little-prince-sample-in-english.html">a sample of it in English</a> here on my blog and today's post features an interview with Mårten where he talks about his book. <br /><p></p><p><b>First, can you tell me a little bit about your relationship to Elvis?</b></p><p>Well, I've been a fan since our brother Staffan bought the German 2-LP collection <i>Elvis Forever</i>. My favorite song was "King Creole" so the first album I bought with my own money was the <i>King Creole</i> soundtrack. Elvis has always been important to me, and I would say I listen to him almost every day.</p><p><b>Why did you decide to write a novel about Elvis childhood?</b></p><p>As a writer I always look for good stories. And I realized that Elvis' childhood is exactly that, a great story, with his still-born twin, his constant singing and his over-protective mother. I first wrote a more poetic script with snapshotlike scenes. That version became a short story for Swedish Radio, narrated by actor Sven Wollter. But my publisher Rabén & Sjögren wanted a story that was more like an ordinary novel. So I gave it a try and it worked out well. They did publish it, at least!</p><p><b>What ages is it aimed at?</b></p><p>The publisher says 9-12 years, but I'm sure it works for adults as well.</p><p><b>How did you go about your research?</b></p><p>I thought of going to Tupelo, but I don't think that would have helped since I guess it just doesn't look the same anymore. But I read a lot of books, the most important being Elaine Dundy's Elvis and Gladys. I also found some interviews with Elvis' friend Sam Bell, and photos and maps of Tupelo from the 1940's. Dundy found out about Elvis' obsession with the comic book character Captain Marvel, Jr. So I use that in the book.</p><p><b>How did you plan the plot?</b></p><p>The first version of the story was much about him getting ready for his performance at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show. But then I found out that a lot of interesting things happened after that, so the story pretty much follows his life from the first day of school in September 1945 to the family's move to Memphis. Then I thought it would be effective with a short epilogue from his more famous days, where he for a few seconds looks back at his childhood.</p><p><b>Elvis is one of the most famous persons that has ever lived. What challenges did that entail when writing the book?</b></p><p>Strangely enough there is not really that much known about his childhood. But I guess the challenge is to not think about fans reading the book and complaining that some details are made up. Which brings us to your next question ...</p><p><b>The novel is based on true events. But how much is truth and how much is fiction?</b></p><p>I would say of the things in my book that didn't occur in Elvis' real life, that they could have occured. A lot of stuff did happen: he did win fifth place in the fair show, he did jump to the black people's seats at the cinema, and he must have thought about his lost twin a lot, being a lonely (and only) child.</p><p><b>What were the biggest challenges in writing the book?</b></p><p>To try to find Elvis' own voice. Since it's written in the first-person point of view that was very important. How did he really think about things? How did he express himself? Also, since it is a novel based on truth, how much can you change the facts without straying to far away from the real life of Elvis? </p><p><b>There are many topics in the book that are as relevant to youngsters today as they were when Elvis was a boy: your first love, the relationship with your parents, racism, bullying, being popular and so on. Was it easier or harder to write about that with the help of Elvis?</b></p><p>It helped a lot, I would say. He wasn't very popular in school, so I thought: Why was that? And he did attend a Halloween costume party, so that set my brain going: What did he wear? Who did he meet there? Some of the facts of Elvis' childhood is very brief, so it's ideal writing a novel about it. Why on earth did he wear glasses on that talent show in 1945? There are no other photos of him wearing them! I had to find the answer to that. (Or rather, make it up!)</p><p><b>The book ends with Elvis on stage in 1971, remembering his childhood. How much of the boy do you think was left in Elvis by then? Was he still Mama's little prince?</b></p><p>I think the life of Elvis Presley would have looked a lot different if his mother hadn't died when he was so young. He did go back to Tupelo in 1970, showing his wife some of his childhood sites, so he must have remembered something. But I also think he didn't want to think too much about his poor days. He was a person that lived very much in the present. (Otherwise he would have taken care of his economy a bit more, as well as himself!)</p><p><b>What do you want the reader to remember after reading the book?</b></p><p>Maybe that your childhood is important to who you later become. That even famous, larger-than-life people have once been children. And that wishes and life-goals can come true if you really believe in them.</p><p><b>You have said yourself that this is probably the first novel about Elvis' childhood. Why do you think that is the case?</b></p><p>For a lot of adults, being a child is just something you are before you grow up. And, as I said, not too much is known about Elvis' childhood. Other writers have just not been too interested in that part of his life.</p><p><b>Which reactions do you hope to get?</b></p><p>It would be great if my readers, adults and children, will become more interested in the life and career of Elvis. But I also hope they think it's just a good story!</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Additional reading:</h4><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2021/06/mamas-little-prince-sample-in-english.html">Mama's Little Prince: A Sample In English</a></li><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2021/06/mamas-little-prince.html">Mama's Little Prince</a></li></ul><p></p></div>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-88963046369819586642021-06-28T21:16:00.007+02:002021-07-30T20:53:27.455+02:00Mama's Little Prince: A Sample In English<p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzAPqFE8mnSWeLtuBmpKGqCZ0GZT-j02yktk0Q5tjfjg23qUi_Rh82vOspcKTRgGhdCRr1ueJJN6NnJJo95NvJSJi8ktALPZ8-clr2HlD3QpeQ1D7RLUGjloPdJ59VJD_Ij_5iKkAr0Dbj/s462/elvis-presley1945x.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzAPqFE8mnSWeLtuBmpKGqCZ0GZT-j02yktk0Q5tjfjg23qUi_Rh82vOspcKTRgGhdCRr1ueJJN6NnJJo95NvJSJi8ktALPZ8-clr2HlD3QpeQ1D7RLUGjloPdJ59VJD_Ij_5iKkAr0Dbj/w260-h400/elvis-presley1945x.jpg" width="260" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mamas Little Prince</i>: Elvis Presley in 1945.</td></tr></tbody></table>As I promised in my previous post, this one will include a sample from my brother Mårten Melin's new book <i>Mama's Little Prince</i>, translated by him as it is written in Swedish. The novel was released today, it has 213 pages and the reading age is from 9 years.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">But before we begin, I'd like to let Mårten himself introduce the book:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>This is the story about Elvis Presley. But not the one about the world-famous entertainer,
adored by millions. No, this is the story about the poor eleven-year old boy
from Tupelo who just wanted to sing. And to buy his mama a pink cadillac.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>It's about
the boy who would be known to the world simply as ”The King”.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Dealing
with issues like bullying, racism and the first big love, you really don’t have
to be an Elvis aficionado to enjoy it. But after reading it, maybe you will be.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Based on
true events, and thoroughly researched, the story takes place in the small town
of Tupelo, Mississippi in the mid-1940’s. Elvis Presley moves from house to
house with his mama (who likes to spend money) and his daddy (who’s not to keen
earning them). Among bullies, neighbors, friends and love interests, he plans
for the future: to become a famous singer. But how is he to achieve his goal?
Could the talent contest at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy show be the
beginning of success? Or will the feelings of guilt, being the only surviving
twin, hold him back?</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>This is a
story told with warmth and humor, filled with both sadness and triumph. We
believe it’s the first book of its kind: a novel for young people about the
young would-be king, before fame and fortune came his way, when Elvis Presley
was still just his mama’s little prince. Or at least, when she thought he was.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So now, without further ado, here follows a sample in English<br /> from <i>Mama's Little Prince</i>. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>Chapter 15</b></h4><p class="MsoNormal">I place the
cans on top of the fence. Squeeze the rocks in my hand.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I haven’t lost it. I hit
all of them. I put the cans on the fence again, pick up the rocks. It’s the
same cans I had on Berry street. Same rocks, too. I never did unpack them, not
until now.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">”Will you let me try?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I turn around. There’s a
black guy standing there, about my age. He’s alone, standing in the garden on
the other side of the fence. I don’t answer his question, just nod towards the
house behind him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">”You live there?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">”Sure. With my grandpa.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I wonder where his parents
are, but before I ask he says:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">”Most people here on the
Hill are black.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I shrug.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">”Not us.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">We look at each other for
a while, then I hand him the rocks.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">”Be my guest.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">He climbs over the fence,
glancing to both sides as he does. He takes the rocks and throws the first one.
He misses.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">”Throw like this, from the
side.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I show him. He misses
again, but he’s getting there. Third time he scores. He smiles at me and I
can’t help smiling back at him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">”Name’s Sam,” he says.
”Sam Bell.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">”Elvis. Elvis Presley.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">We shake hands, just as if
we’re grown-ups.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">”Where did you live before
you came here?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">”Mulberry Alley. But
originally we’re from East Tupelo.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> ”Got any siblings?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> I think of Jesse, of
course I do. But I just shake my head. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span>”Nah, it’s just me
and my ma and daddy.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> ”Mulberry,”
he says. ”That’s close to Shakerag. It’s pretty wild, I hear.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> ”Yeah!”
I say. ”There was this man, he could really play the guitar!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> Sam
laughs.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> ”I
was thinking of fights and stuff. You like music?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> ”I
love music.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> ”I
got something for you then. Come on!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> I
gaze towards the house.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> ”I
just gotta tell mama. Follow me!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> ”You
sure?” Sam asks.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Yeah!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We
run up to the house, it’s like a race that Sam wins. We enter, mama sits there
with a cup of coffee, listening to the radio. Of course, Grand Ole Opry is on
soon. But it can’t be helped, I’m too curious to see whatever Sam wants me to
see.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Mama,
I’m going out with a friend.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mama
looks at me.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”What
friend?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”A
new one, he’s living next door. Sam, say hello to my mama.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sam,
who has been standing in the hallway, takes a few steps forward and bows. He
looks nervous.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Nice
to meet you, ma’m.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mama
looks at him, surprised.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Well,
hello Sam. What you gonna do?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Just
listen to some music, ma’m.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mama
nods her head.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”All
right. Just be back at five.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Thanks,
mama!” I say. ”Bye!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When
I pass the window from the outside, I look up. Mama is standing there, looking
at us. I wave at her, she waves back.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Your
mama’s all right, Elvis.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I
smile at him.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”I
guess she is.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> * </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sam starts to run, I have to work hard to keep up with him. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Let’s
see,” he says. ”Yes! There they are.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I
hear music. Guitar and singing, it’s a woman’s voice.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Who?”
I ask.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”I
don’t know their names, but ... there!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sam
is pointing to a man and a woman sitting outside a little drug store. They each
have a guitar, but only the woman seems to be singing. They could be about
mama’s and daddy’s age.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <i><span lang="EN-US">Look down, look down that lonesome
road<br /> Before you travel on<br /> Look up, look up and
greet your maker<br /> For Gabriel blows
his horn<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">At first I believe they have a
speaker somewhere, it’s so loud! The singer makes faces, she’s really into it,
singing with her eyes closed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I applaud them when
they’re done. The woman looks at me, surprised, then she smiles. They play some
more and I long to get home, to play the guitar myself. Somebody comes out and
hands them sodas.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">”She sounds a little like </span>Sister
Rosetta Tharpe,” Sam says.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Who?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”You
gotta listen to her. Let's go to my house!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Does
she live there?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sam
laughs, then starts to run. He makes a gesture that I should follow him. Does
he ever walk?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> * </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sam’s house looks just like ours. It smells of tobacco inside.
An elderly man is sitting in an armchair, reading the paper. He looks up at
Sam.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”There
you are, my boy! How’s everything?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Great,
grandpa. This is Elvis, he lives in the house behind ours.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”How
are you, sir?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I
bow, just like I’ve been taught to do in front of older people. Sam’s
grandfather raises his eyebrows, then smiles at me.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Just
fine, son. Welcome to the Hill!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Could
we use the record player, grandpa?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Record
player?” I cry out. ”You have a record player?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Of
course! We can’t listen to a record without a record player, can we?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I
look around. And there it is, the big brass horn is gleaming in the sunlight
that looks in through the curtains. They have a piano as well. What luxury!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sam’s
grandfather laughs out.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”You
gotta have a record player to hear the really fine songs. What will you play?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Sister
Rosetta Tharp,” Sam says.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Good choice!” his grandfather says.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sam
starts to browse through a pile of records. I want to hear them all.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He
finds the record he’s looking for, puts it on the turntable and starts to wind
it up. When the turntable is spinning, he puts the needle down, and soon a
powerful voice fills the room. Sister Rosetta Tharpe slides on the notes,
drowns out the trumpets in the background. Sometimes she talks more than she
sings. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When
she’s holding the last note I hold my breath. What a voice!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Music
is really everywhere. Outside stores, in the church, on the radio. But with a
record player you can decide for yourself when you want to listen, what you
would like to listen to. It must be the greatest invention of all time.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”She
sounds like the woman at the store, doesn’t she?” Sam asks.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Uh-huh,”
I say. ”Only better.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We
listen to the other side of the record. It's just as good as the first. I want
a record player too. And records!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I
make a promise to myself that when I grow up I’m going to have a whole room
full of them.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then
it’s time for me to go, mama will wonder where I am if I don’t come home.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”It
was nice meeting you, Elvis. You’re a very polite boy. Come back anytime.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Thank
you, Mr Bell.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I
bow before I go out through the door. Sam joins me. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”You
know what, Elvis? You’re weird.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”What
do you mean?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”You
don’t have to call my granddad Sir. Whites usually don’t say that to black
people.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”He’s
your grandfather. He’s older than I am. Of course I will call him Sir.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sam
gives me a big smile.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”As
I said, you’re weird.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He
says it like it’s a good thing.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”See
you!” I say and jump over the fence.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sam
waves back at me.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> * </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Next Saturday he enters our garden where I sit and practice.
I keep playing, while he’s standing there, listening. When I’m finished he
laughs a little.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”You
sound like a black person when you sing.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I
shrug.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”I
don’t think I sound like a black person.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Is
that so?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Or
a white person, for that matter.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”So
who do you sound like?” Sam asks.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I
have to think about that for a while.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”I
sound like myself.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sam
laughs again.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Wanna
do something?” he asks.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Sure,”
I say.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”What
do you like except music?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”The
movies! We can go to the movies! Strand has a showing at three o’clock.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”But
we can’t sit together,” he says.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Don’t
worry about that,” I say.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”And
I don’t have any money either.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”I
have money,” I say. ”I can pay for the both of us.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”All
right, it’s a deal!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We
go into the kitchen. Mama gives us each a sandwich and we’re off.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”Two
tickets, please!” I say.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The
cashier looks suspiciously at Sam, then at me. But she gives me the tickets. I
hand one of them to Sam.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”See
you inside!” I say. ”Keep a seat for me.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”What?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”You
heard.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The
house is half-filled, mostly with children. I wave at Sam, he waves back, but
looks at me, uncertain.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When
the lights go down, I climb the railing that separates Sam’s part of the house
from mine. It’s easy.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I
sit down beside him.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”You’re
a fool, Elvis,” he says and laughs.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">”In
the dark you can’t see who’s white and who’s black, can you?” I say.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I
think of music, of different voices. Is it really possible to hear who’s black
and who’s white? For real?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>© Mårten Melin, 2021</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i> </i><i>If you are a publisher and interested in this book,
please contact Rights director Åsa Bergman, Rabén & Sjögren Agency, at </i><a href="mailto:asa.bergman@rabensjogren.se">asa.bergman@rabensjogren.se</a> </p>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-20327138104369077912021-06-27T19:48:00.001+02:002021-06-27T19:48:55.382+02:00Mama's Little Prince<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluZe-A1uuW86vp22GyoZJa9jE1s4sUvaGuy1bkGhQ4Pgnibedfu6UCv0M2zIW5BI9snM8SXw23uF7Q_DTVJcZFLoGgF4yejm49BmU7h6CodTW97oaUygeuONbU3HTz9mC5ftHwpOeW8KN/s1062/mlp_c1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="797" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluZe-A1uuW86vp22GyoZJa9jE1s4sUvaGuy1bkGhQ4Pgnibedfu6UCv0M2zIW5BI9snM8SXw23uF7Q_DTVJcZFLoGgF4yejm49BmU7h6CodTW97oaUygeuONbU3HTz9mC5ftHwpOeW8KN/w300-h400/mlp_c1.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brother Mårten, who is an author, has written a novel about Elvis' childhood called <i>Mama's Little Prince</i> (<i>Mammas lilla prins</i> in Swedish). </td></tr></tbody></table>As I have mentioned from time to time here on my blog, I am lucky to have a brother - Mårten - who is just as huge an Elvis fan as I am. What I haven't told is that he is also an author who has published over a hundred books for children and teenagers that have been translated into various languages and won him several prestigious awards here in Sweden. <p></p><p>The reason I bring this up now is that he has written what is probably the first novel about Elvis' childhood, called <i>Mama's Little Prince. </i>This is how the book is presented on the publisher's website (translated into English):</p><p><i>Tupelo, Mississippi, 1945. Elvis is ten years old and loves to sing. His mother encourages and believes in him, but at the same time she wants to protect him from all evil. They have been very close since Elvis' twin brother died.</i></p><p><i>At school, Elvis is pretty lonely. He gets teased for being a mama's boy and for bursting into song as soon as he gets the chance. But there is a girl in the class who likes to hear him sing. Her name is Eloise. To her, Elvis dares to tell about his secret dream: that he one day will sing in front of thousands of people.</i></p><p><i>In Mamma's Little Prince, Mårten Melin shows evidence of a new side when he in a tenderly portrayed portrait brings to life the childhood idol Elvis Presley. The boy, who before the breakthrough, lived in poor conditions in a city marked by class divisions and segregation. This is a story about school, exclusion and your firs loves. And above all: the love of music.</i></p><p>Since the book is coming out tomorrow, I thought it appropriate to dedicate the next couple of posts to it. The first will include a chapter in English, translated by the author as the novel is written in Swedish. The second will feature an interview I did with my brother a couple of days ago where he talks about, among other things, why he decided to write a book about Elvis' childhood, how he did his research and what the biggest challenges were. </p><p>And yes, I have had the honor of reading <i>Mama's Little Prince</i> in advance, and it's great. So stay tuned.</p>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-38495930347376130552021-06-19T23:31:00.005+02:002021-10-13T08:51:57.283+02:00What If: Celebrating My Birthday In Memphis, June 10, 1975<p><i></i></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HbGPYsPUMxhjqyheNhFvrL3NulKU7lum4bMzz-z_k4nSsbZPNRM8G5o-oKLSTNSOe9Xx3fO48yKmpUcJQwo4jiaBJFJUc1zbsdKDPeyAtnE-up8-z3uRxlKgeycpmWH-d55Oy850FYqT/s400/FTD-Elvis-Hometown-Shows-cover.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="400" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HbGPYsPUMxhjqyheNhFvrL3NulKU7lum4bMzz-z_k4nSsbZPNRM8G5o-oKLSTNSOe9Xx3fO48yKmpUcJQwo4jiaBJFJUc1zbsdKDPeyAtnE-up8-z3uRxlKgeycpmWH-d55Oy850FYqT/w400-h359/FTD-Elvis-Hometown-Shows-cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elvis on stage in Memphis on June 10, 1975. I turned eight that day.</td></tr></tbody></table><i><br />Last week, on June 10, I listened to the second CD on the FTD release Elvis Hometown Shows, featuring Elvis' 1975 concert in Memphis. It seemed appropriate. Not only was it my birthday, but the show was performed on that date as well, although 46 years ago. I was in Sweden celebrating my eighth birthday at the time, but imagine if I had been in the Mid South Coliseum instead. To borrow a phrase from fellow blogger Tyggrius who runs the Mystery Train Blog: You've just crossed over into ... the edge of reality.</i><p></p><p>My parents had been Elvis fans for as long as I could remember. I grew up listening to them talking about how great he was and there wasn't a day when one of this records wasn't on the turntable. And they must have told the story of how they met a hundred times. Would you believe it was outside the cinema after watching the Swedish premiere of <i>Blue Hawaii</i> on March 31, 1962, with their respective friends?</p><p>Five years later, on June 10, 1967, I was born. To celebrate, my dad gave my mom a copy of the <i>Double Trouble</i> album that had been released just a couple of days earlier. So "Old MacDonald" was probably one of the first Elvis songs I heard, together with the rest of the tracks on that LP. My mom later confided in me that she wasn't overly impressed with it at the time, but that it has remained special to her all the same. Like me.</p><p>A couple of days after my fifth birthday, in 1972, my parents bought me my first Elvis album ("A late present" they called it). It was a brand new copy of the <i>Elvis As Recorded At Madison Square Garden</i> recorded on my birthday, June 10, and rush released just eight days later. It was love at first sight. One of my earliest memories is holding the cover in my hands and thinking Elvis looked like a superhero. I don't remember the first time I listened to it, but my parents do. Apparently I was moving around a lot to the music with a big smile on my face, enjoying every second of it. I still do.</p><p>Three years later I guess you could call med a full-fledged Elvis fan. I listened to all the new releases my parents bought, read the fan club magazines they subscribed to and dreamed of seeing Elvis in concert. My two-year younger brother couldn't understand what all the fuzz was about, and neither could my three-year younger sister. My youngest brother, just three years old, showed some promise, though, clapping his hands every time I played an Elvis record.</p><p>With my eighth birthday just a couple of days away, my parents told me they had a surprise. As Elvis' latest single "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" was blasting through the speakers, they asked me to turn the volume down. "We are flying to Memphis in two days, and you are coming with us. You are going to see Elvis perform on your birthday in Memphis."</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1tp09j1DinzcVSpU_cEq-HYELraxDBAx1awJkBeReglR1rQzlZ7VCPRIcn5h5d4V_rGRNjtDubmIfanYEqgXctYszlyoSUFnKGgQCnNkBr7t2xdkyGeh-yxwvp97Gjj8QlusqfveS5Hgq/s519/1975-june-10-memphis.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="397" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1tp09j1DinzcVSpU_cEq-HYELraxDBAx1awJkBeReglR1rQzlZ7VCPRIcn5h5d4V_rGRNjtDubmIfanYEqgXctYszlyoSUFnKGgQCnNkBr7t2xdkyGeh-yxwvp97Gjj8QlusqfveS5Hgq/w306-h400/1975-june-10-memphis.jpg" width="306" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mid South Coliseum, June 10, 1975.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>When I think back on my journey to Memphis, some memories are crystal clear while others are faded or a bit sketchy. I don't remember much of the actual flight or the hotel where we stayed but thankfully a lot from the actual concert is still vivid in my mind: all the cars and people outside the Mid South Coliseum as we arrived, the excitement in my parents' eyes as the first notes of "Also Sprach Zarathustra" sounded through the building, Elvis entering the stage in his Indian feather suit and so many flashbulbs going off it looked like daylight. </p><p>Another thing I will never forget was the screaming fans, my mom among them. "We love you, Elvis!" she shouted at the top of her lungs more than once. I think my dad was close to screaming, too.</p><p>As for the show, I remember bits and pieces, like Elvis throwing his guitar at a guy on stage (Charlie Hodge) who dropped it. I also recall Elvis kissing a lot of girls during "Love Me," and handing out plenty of scarves as well. My parents later told me he ripped his suit during this song, and joked about it throughout the concert, something I didn't notice. I guess my English wasn't as good as I thought it was.</p><p>Two songs I clearly remember that he sang was the rockers "Burning Love" and "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" as those were among my favorites at the time (they still are). Before the show I told my parents I hoped he would perform them and he did. The extended endings of both songs were so exciting!</p><p>If I close my eyes I can also see most of the people in the audience clapping their hands during the chorus of "How Great Thou Art" and maybe half the audience standing. When he finished the song everyone was at their feet and they would not stop applauding. That I will never forget. </p><p>A funny thing is I don't remember the final part of the concert or Elvis leaving the stage. But that's OK. My parents and me shared an incredible experience together with the other 12,364 people in the audience that night. It remains the best birthday I have ever had.</p><p><i>Back in this universe, my parents met under completely different circumstances. I became a fan after one of my brothers bought an Elvis album in the late 1970's, and I first laid eyes on the Mid South Coliseum during a trip to Memphis and Graceland in 2005. But that's another story. </i></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Additional reading</h4><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.elvisinfonet.com/ftd_review_Elvis_Hometown_Shows.html">Elvis Hometown Shows - Elvis Information Network review</a></li><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2008/06/what-did-elvis-do-on-my-birthday.html">What did Elvis do on my birthday?</a></li></ul><p></p>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-76970949891413673102021-06-05T23:11:00.004+02:002021-06-06T18:45:22.925+02:00Harum Scarum: The Charlie McCoy (Guitar) Interview <p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0FfHcyhXmj2yeDhcIzyNhfIQwW2xYgzZkYE_PIlelRl46cXyyaH3si760NymOfr-zEufzfAY5olCUtu8pzZAt_36Oltc-0u6Mcmyvmc7dqx1GBCo-_-yQD10n9pb6ciPOzlDSL9Qeqld/s808/charlie.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="808" height="95" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0FfHcyhXmj2yeDhcIzyNhfIQwW2xYgzZkYE_PIlelRl46cXyyaH3si760NymOfr-zEufzfAY5olCUtu8pzZAt_36Oltc-0u6Mcmyvmc7dqx1GBCo-_-yQD10n9pb6ciPOzlDSL9Qeqld/w400-h95/charlie.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><i>Interview with Charlie McCoy who played guitar on the Harum Scarum soundtrack.</i><p></p><p>In my recent interview with Ralph Strobel, who played the oboe on the <i>Harum Scarum</i> recording sessions on February 24-26, 1965, he had, among other things, this to say about the soundtrack:</p><p>“I believe that other than myself there is only one other living musician that performed in the soundtrack of <i>Harum Scarum</i>. That musician is outstanding guitar player Charlie McCoy. Charlie was born March 28, 1941. I was born September 23, 1940. We are both 80 years of age.” </p><p>In an email to me, Ralph Strobel suggested that perhaps I could contact Charlie McCoy to see what he remembers regarding the <i>Harum Scarum</i> sessions.</p><p>I thought that was a great idea and sent Charlie McCoy an email, mentioning the interview with Ralph Strobel, and asking him if he would like to answer a couple of questions about those recordings back in February, 1965. I was happily surprised when he wrote back to me within a couple of hours. That really made my day!</p><p>He started his letter with mentioning Rufus Long, who played the flute on the <i>Harum Scarum</i> soundtrack. Here goes:</p><p>Rufus Long was a very good friend of mine. He has played on one of my solo CDs. I’ll try to answer your questions here. </p><p><b>How did you become a musician?</b></p><p>I came to Nashville in 1959 to audition as a singer. I was turned down but was then invited to watch a Nashville recording session for 13-year-old Brenda Lee. When I watched that session, I decided that I didn’t want to be a singer. I wanted to be a studio musician. </p><p><b>So what happened then?</b></p><p>I moved to Nashville to stay a year later and on May 9, 1961, I played on my first session as a studio musician. (With a new singer from Sweden named Ann-Margret.) This past May 9, I celebrated 60 years as a studio musician and I’m still going. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWJjZfUVE8gMZF6d_FPfM0Uy5Zl6QvjhgsUpc0y4uUvSf5gMIsFwGRPZ-le-aIxafJUDwy_BRSRO-AswW4RVMVdZPVoKWIGIGlf4N-0S_sSDph7q6E_BEXlz7GR2VfWJIPTFLlIEAnhb6/s462/ann-margret.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="237" data-original-width="462" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWJjZfUVE8gMZF6d_FPfM0Uy5Zl6QvjhgsUpc0y4uUvSf5gMIsFwGRPZ-le-aIxafJUDwy_BRSRO-AswW4RVMVdZPVoKWIGIGlf4N-0S_sSDph7q6E_BEXlz7GR2VfWJIPTFLlIEAnhb6/w400-h205/ann-margret.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: left;">Charlie McCoy's first recording as a harmonica player was the song "I Just Don't Understand", by Ann-Margret for RCA.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><b>How did you end up playing on the recording session for the <i>Harum Scarum</i> soundtrack?</b><p></p><p>The movie company changed dates on the sound track and all the regular musicians who usually played on Elvis’ recordings were booked. We were the relief band. </p><p><b>I believe this was the first time you worked with Elvis. What were your thoughts when you said yes to play on an Elvis recording?</b></p><p>I was thrilled. He had been one of my favorites growing up as a rock and roll guitar want to be, loving those Scotty Moore sounds on his records. </p><p><b>And how was it to meet him?</b></p><p>He was so very nice, shook everyone’s hand and said, “Thanks for helping me!” </p><p><b>Do you remember how the recordings took place?</b></p><p>Like normal Nashville sessions, hear the song, learn it on the spot (no charts) and within 30 to 45 minutes, you have a record. The only rehearsals were to learn each song, perhaps 20 minutes. </p><p><b>How was it to work with Elvis?</b></p><p>It was great, we, the substitute band, were thrilled to be working with him. </p><p><b>What did you think of the songs that were recorded?</b></p><p>I thought the songs for <i>Harum Scarum</i>, overall, were probably way below the average in his other movies. </p><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXRQVmKcTiMF4Q_eTHpn5MbZ-PhvemIqCAVSea79f9TWhE4gU-VPqaeH4SeCQD-EkKDFBpbz8ILGk9fVW5oRkTZ3IZdjVicMtLwxaRreq0SuCHK0GMoQBoQL9M_5Te4FJ1-J52oMW0x7AX/s400/harumscarum_soclosetoparadise.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="187" data-original-width="400" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXRQVmKcTiMF4Q_eTHpn5MbZ-PhvemIqCAVSea79f9TWhE4gU-VPqaeH4SeCQD-EkKDFBpbz8ILGk9fVW5oRkTZ3IZdjVicMtLwxaRreq0SuCHK0GMoQBoQL9M_5Te4FJ1-J52oMW0x7AX/w400-h188/harumscarum_soclosetoparadise.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elvis singing "So Close, Yet So Far (From Paradise)" in a jail cell after being apprehended in King Toranshah's palace.</td></tr></tbody></table><b>“So Close, Yet So Far (From Paradise)” is often seen as the highlight of the session, what do you think of it?</b><p></p><p>I’m sorry to say that after about 14,000 sessions, no I don’t remember that one. </p><p><b>You continued to work with Elvis through the 60’s, as well as on his studio recordings from 1970 and 1971. Any memories you’d like to share?</b></p><p>I ended up on 13 Elvis albums. My main instrument is harmonica, and I got to solo on “Big Boss Man”, “High Heel Sneakers”, “I washed My Hands In Muddy Water” and in <i>Frankie and Johnny</i> on “Hard Luck”.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Additional reading:</h4><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2021/05/harum-scarum-ralph-strobel-oboe.html">Harum Scarum: The Ralph Strobel (Oboe) Interview</a></li></ul><p></p>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-65763765259497019402021-05-29T22:21:00.002+02:002021-05-29T22:59:17.471+02:00Writing I’m Leavin’ For The King<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhflgnJ8J0z6yyblyHq-vPS5_8-Mlwdd9TJzSt1AJYnenq-1IS-iUscMQ7VWBnuQm9mVmM_Bm4WgIuZMluzg2qK3FtIEXVm6htSoU7Blyu1MLfBoP6_FWSvWJn73t-rttGlTAJqwXrrS4tk/s600/Michael-Jarrett-vers.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhflgnJ8J0z6yyblyHq-vPS5_8-Mlwdd9TJzSt1AJYnenq-1IS-iUscMQ7VWBnuQm9mVmM_Bm4WgIuZMluzg2qK3FtIEXVm6htSoU7Blyu1MLfBoP6_FWSvWJn73t-rttGlTAJqwXrrS4tk/w400-h320/Michael-Jarrett-vers.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Jarrett wrote "I'm Leavin'" which was recorded by Elvis in 1971.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>After publishing my latest blog post about “I’m Leavin’” I emailed Michael Jarrett who wrote the song, telling him it was 50 years since Elvis recorded it. I thought his reaction was so interesting that I asked his permission to use it on my blog. <blockquote><p>50 years! Wow! I can still remember writing this song while sitting on a tiny stool in a glass-covered shower (water off, of course). The natural sound in that environment was; lots of reverb. :-) There was barely room for me and my guitar in that small space and I was enjoying the heavy reverb sound and was just fooling around with a few things when the La La La's came out in place of lyrics that had not yet popped into my head. </p><p>As it turned out, I didn't have to replace the La La's with lyrics. My writing partner, Sonny Charles, convinced me that the La La's could actually be the "hook" of the song. So we continued to compose the rest of the piece together that day.</p><p>Sonny was very important in the writing of "I'm Leavin'". He didn't contribute all that much regarding the music and lyrics as much as his suggestion to me about the build up to the words, "I'm Leavin". He suggested that we sing the build up twice before the resolve into, "I'm Leavin''." I believe that suggestion really made the song happen. Some things we never forget, eh? </p></blockquote><p>Reading this I had to ask Michael Jarrett another question. Did he also remember the first time he heard Elvis' recorded version of the song and what he felt at that moment? This is his answer: </p><blockquote><p>Yes, I'll always remember. Sonny Charles and I were playing chess one late afternoon at his Laurel Canyon home when Sonny's girlfriend came running up the stairs into his house excitedly saying, "It's on the radio, It's on the radio!" Sonny asked, "What is?" Judy said, "It's Elvis singing I'm Leavin’!". </p><p></p><p>When we got down the stairs to her car, the car door was still wide open and there blaring on her car radio was Elvis' golden voice singing our song. Judy turned to me and said, "Elvis is singing the song just like you singing like him!!” To preface her statement, I must tell you that when making the demo of "I'm Leavin'" to give to Joe Esposito to take to Elvis, I sang the song as much like Elvis as I could to try and peak his interest.</p><p>The L.A. radio station was KRLA. I also must confess that; I stayed up most of that night listening to our song being played once an hour as Elvis' latest release. It's difficult to really convey in words how I felt that wonderful day other than to say, I was extremely elated!! </p></blockquote><p></p><p>I’d like to thank Michael Jarrett for sharing his memories of writing “I’m Leavin’” and hearing Elvis version for the first time. I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Additional reading:</h4><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2021/05/im-leavin-50-years-ago.html">I'm Leavin' 50 Years Ago (May 20, 2021)</a></li></ul></div>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-11726697530172940072021-05-20T22:41:00.004+02:002021-05-21T08:42:34.239+02:00I'm Leavin' 50 Years Ago<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAw1DcK7v06Llac2sz-vtnyg-2P9ZgEZqUCNSHC81fmwbnRrW8K6bW02737NAbwwu7Wdp92TFJpOBplI2lr7jk8540BoZYyHVmZOCVAQr-FYubXC5DuRVp8nNRo8TCf0pxmJwijMY8dcih/s2048/Im-leavin.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1030" data-original-width="2048" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAw1DcK7v06Llac2sz-vtnyg-2P9ZgEZqUCNSHC81fmwbnRrW8K6bW02737NAbwwu7Wdp92TFJpOBplI2lr7jk8540BoZYyHVmZOCVAQr-FYubXC5DuRVp8nNRo8TCf0pxmJwijMY8dcih/w400-h201/Im-leavin.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A treasure: My copy of "I'm Leavin'" signed by Michael Jarrett.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Today in 1971, exactly 50 years ago, Elvis recorded "I'm Leavin'," one of my all time favorite songs. With its haunting quality I find it irresistible, and I know many fans share my opinion. Elvis obviously liked it too.<p></p><p>I am honored to know Michael Jarrett who wrote the song. Not only did he write a really nice foreword to my second book <i><a href="https://www.blurb.com/b/3723394-the-elvis-today-blog-volume-2">The Elvis Today Blog: Volume 2</a>. </i> He also went to the trouble singing my copy of the single "I'm Leavin'," pointing out that "we'll have to send Elvis across the ocean a couple of times to do this, but I think it will work." And it did. That single is now one of the records in my collection that I value the most. </p><p>Ten years ago, I wrote a post on my blog where I, with the help of outtakes, some studio banter, information in books and last, but not the least, some imagination, tried to describe what was going on when Elvis recorded "I'm Leavin'" on May 20, 1971, at RCA Studio B, Nashville. In a comment to that post Michael Jarrett wrote the following:</p><p></p><blockquote><p>Thank you Thomas for painting us a great picture of the "I'm Leavin" recording session. It's so cool to hear these outtakes and the coming together of the song ... It's like being right there in the studio as it's happening when they were "carving it out " ... they all worked extra hard on it and it shows.</p><p>Elvis recording what was then - and probably now - a song considered in the music business to be 'esoteric'; meaning that it had personal meaning to him; like it did for me when I wrote it.</p><p>I'm still amazed each time I hear him sing it; especially knowing that it had such meaning to him ...</p></blockquote><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Additional reading:</h4><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2011/10/special-moments-with-ftd-10.html">Special Moments With FTD 12</a> (the post I mentioned above describing the recording of "I'm Leavin'")</li><li><a href="http://www.elvistodayblog.com/2008/03/la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la.html">La la la la la la la la la la la la la</a> (another post where I write about the song "I'm Leavin'" and Michael Jarrett)</li></ul><div><br /></div><p></p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/deA5LBSOso0" title="YouTube video player" width="400"></iframe>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-7002490186791840902021-05-14T23:16:00.006+02:002021-08-26T15:06:54.542+02:00Harum Scarum: The Ralph Strobel (Oboe) Interview<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDnJZ7_7xkneU8cl0PUzGvgLhppAC9z68Biq0i4uQpp2cJQ6vdKow1Y1vgMQ3EFuXlxsfl6trBtHOg08WpFf26cBoLBw528SMtyiWZW7nTWb5nBKJTQPYfegXcd5buXfXyeGQuY18WkT3/s597/ralph-strobel.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="597" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDnJZ7_7xkneU8cl0PUzGvgLhppAC9z68Biq0i4uQpp2cJQ6vdKow1Y1vgMQ3EFuXlxsfl6trBtHOg08WpFf26cBoLBw528SMtyiWZW7nTWb5nBKJTQPYfegXcd5buXfXyeGQuY18WkT3/w400-h201/ralph-strobel.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Interview with Ralph Strobel who played the oboe on the Harum Scarum soundtrack.</i></p><p>As my ten-year-old daughter is playing the flute (I played the clarinet for some 20 years and my brother the oboe), I started thinking about Elvis music with woodwind instruments in it. The flute led me to the recording sessions for Elvis’ movie <i>Harum Scarum</i> from 1965, where the studio musicians were joined by Rufus Long on flute and Ralph Strobe on oboe in order to lend a middle Eastern touch to the soundtrack. The recordings took place on February 24-26, that year.</p><p>A bit of research revealed that Rufus Long unfortunately had passed away in 2016. However, I also found out that Ralph Strobel is an assistant professor emeritus at Ball State University. Therefore, I contacted him, asking if he would like to answer some questions for my blog. I was delighted when he wrote a long letter back and I can’t thank him enough for taking the time sharing his memories of recording with Elvis.</p><p><b>First, can you tell me a little bit about your background in music?</b></p><p>In the fifth grade I took a year of piano lessons. I am glad I learned to read both the treble and bass clefs before starting a wind instrument. A year later at the age of 11, my parents bought me a metal clarinet for $27.50. That seemed like a great deal of money for an instrument in 1952. I liked the clarinet, but other woodwind instruments fascinated me, and at the age of 13 a school oboe was available so I decided to try it. When I was 14, I also learned to play the saxophone. The clarinet and saxophone were played in marching band, pep band, and dance band. I continued to play the oboe in our high school band and symphony orchestra. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWXBRuUmCXqGGZwIc8olA5yypM5FdEu0qWOC6vvjSHr9o2aZf2kd9dxKl-CVYJjhpMR98KbTRGVlz2vpksoHfqKUnKGx4djpFtmsJqbehUXJskSMQGwNLMfFeU6UeT3E2wGmEo7tNVEW7/s1280/oboe.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1280" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWXBRuUmCXqGGZwIc8olA5yypM5FdEu0qWOC6vvjSHr9o2aZf2kd9dxKl-CVYJjhpMR98KbTRGVlz2vpksoHfqKUnKGx4djpFtmsJqbehUXJskSMQGwNLMfFeU6UeT3E2wGmEo7tNVEW7/w400-h281/oboe.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The oboe is is a type of double reed woodwind instrument.</td></tr></tbody></table>In 1958 I graduated from Coeur d'Alene High School in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Since I liked performing in ensembles and music in general, I decided to major in music and graduated from the University of Idaho in 1962 with a bachelor's degree in performance. I studied all the woodwind instruments privately, but the oboe was my major instrument. I had previously studied the oboe with a lady who was principal oboist in the Spokane, WA Symphony. She invited the conductor to her home and he listened to my playing. He was impressed and asked if I would like to become the 2nd oboe player in the orchestra. I was 18 at the time. The violin teacher at the University of Idaho would drive us to Spokane for rehearsals and concerts. This was my first professional experience and I was paid a bit for performing. Spokane has a very fine orchestra. <p></p><p>After leaving Idaho, I was given a graduate assistantship scholarship at the University of Michigan. I taught a beginning oboe class to other music majors five days a week each semester. While there, I also studied all the woodwind instruments privately and received a master's degree in 1964 in performance. </p><p>After leaving Ann Arbor I went back to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, not knowing what would be next. In August of 1964 I received a phone call from Nashville, Tennessee. My name had been given to a professor there at Peabody College. A new music school was opening in Nashville that was a part of the college. It was the Blair Academy of Music. (Now known as Blair School of Music and a part of Vanderbilt University). I was interviewed over the telephone to teach oboe and bassoon at Blair. I was also told I could begin a doctorate at Peabody College which I did. Unfortunately, I did not complete the doctorate which I now regret. I was hired at the Blair Academy and also auditioned for a 2nd oboe position in the Nashville Symphony and was hired.</p><p><b>How did you end up playing on the soundtrack sessions for <i>Harum Scarum</i>?</b></p><p>In November of that year I received a phone call from RCA Studios regarding my first recording session. Another oboe player was originally scheduled to play these sessions but had a conflict so gave my name as being capable of doing so. I was told the sessions would be February 24-26, 1965 with Elvis Presley and would begin each night at 10 p.m. Since I am a night owl that was fine with me and I certainly could use the money.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eXcmp5go_0bRSUolapMyI88FBS7F3HnmAKl-JU-AUSeBETis9ZtxXL6TPuQ2tXgf9l4tAJgqM-Orktsr4vlCOivpRJtC4Ab-kPSIu2b9b5PT_AXxwcMSaxuZpUdLHvRp0E_hafvCyRuz/s720/Studio+B.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="720" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eXcmp5go_0bRSUolapMyI88FBS7F3HnmAKl-JU-AUSeBETis9ZtxXL6TPuQ2tXgf9l4tAJgqM-Orktsr4vlCOivpRJtC4Ab-kPSIu2b9b5PT_AXxwcMSaxuZpUdLHvRp0E_hafvCyRuz/w400-h208/Studio+B.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RCA Studios in Nashville.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>In late February of 1965, Nashville was hit with a terrible snow storm, but fortunately I was able to drive to the RCA studio which was on 17th Ave. S., less than a mile from my apartment. I arrived at the RCA building before 10 p.m. The building is on a corner and on the side street, there were two police cars with flashing red and blue lights and what looked to be over 100 young female fans on the side of the building, apparently waiting to greet Elvis. Policemen were outside their cars watching these screaming females jumping up and down in a very cold temperature of 10 degrees.</p><p>I went to the front of the building and found the door to be open. A lady was working at the front desk and I told her I was to be the oboe player. She told me to go straight back to Studio B. I did so and noticed my friend Rufus Long, principal flutist from the Nashville Symphony, was also playing the session. We were the only wind players. </p><p><b>And when did Elvis arrive?</b></p><p>The musicians waited for some time and finally at 11 p.m. Elvis walked into the studio with his manager Col. Tom Parker and the man who conducted the ensemble. Elvis was dressed to kill, wearing a blue suede suit, bow tie, and blue suede shoes. Finally, everyone was ready to begin recording one of the songs.</p><p>The conductor told Rufus and I, "We won't be needing you on this first song, so just sit over there on the other side of the room until we do." Then we were told there would be no sheet music handed to anyone. I thought, "Oh no, I'm not a jazz musician, I can't improvise. How will I know what to do?" </p><p>Then it was explained that all the songs used in the film would be older songs that had been recorded some years ago by various singers. The conductor had brought a small record player with a 45 rpm recording of each song. Once he put the needle down on the record, each of the four outstanding guitar players began writing each chord in every measure on a piece of staff paper. I was impressed that these men could identify each chord without hesitation. They could also easily identify the key the song was in and would write C Major, G Major, etc. The record was played a number of times. Another impressive musician was the pianist, Floyd Cramer. Floyd played piano for many country singers and Elvis. He was a genius at improvisation.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUztDLvIzTRVAx3nRjKEralqICdcRFXJF6_Hb78OHS26QcMWOhnsfkFPpBJbQcWQ0sJuXWA5Ik9gSz1D2s0wfyAVZ1q1JljNClPx3TGYJCqBp8755chWDEZj8MMBA7_XM2difRS8XUdCO/s791/shake-that-tambourine.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="791" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUztDLvIzTRVAx3nRjKEralqICdcRFXJF6_Hb78OHS26QcMWOhnsfkFPpBJbQcWQ0sJuXWA5Ik9gSz1D2s0wfyAVZ1q1JljNClPx3TGYJCqBp8755chWDEZj8MMBA7_XM2difRS8XUdCO/w400-h248/shake-that-tambourine.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chords for "Shake That Tambourine," the only song recorded on February 24.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>So what happened next?</b></p><p>There was quite a bit of rehearsal time before the recording began. It was obvious that Elvis was not prepared at all. When the recording began, Elvis was having problems with the lyrics and rhythm. The conductor would stop and everyone would try again. This happened over and over many times. Finally, Elvis got upset with himself and every time he made a mistake he would say, "Oh ---- !! (I told my Music History 100 classes at Ball State that Elvis's favorite cuss word rhymed with mitt, fit, and a few other words I best not mention. The students laughed)!</p><p>After numerous tries to get the song recorded, we were told there would be a thirty minute break. Someone had gone to a restaurant and brought in huge boxes of food for all of us. The boxes were filled with coffee, cold drinks, all types of sandwiches, French fries, etc. We had a nice snack. Then it was back to work.</p><p>I asked Rufus, "If it takes this long to get one song on tape, how is it possible in the next two nights, to get ten more?" He didn't have any idea! Now it was 2:30 a.m. and Rufus and I were getting paid just to watch. Elvis was still upset with himself cussing away, but the men in the control room and the conductor were always very polite.</p><p>Finally, at 5 a.m. the 50th take of the song was perfect and we could stop for the night. Rufus and I hadn't played a note, but were making money. Also, the Musician Union rules state that after two and a half hours, all musicians are paid time and a half. We liked that rule!! Upon leaving, the police cars with flashing lights and the young screaming girls were still outside in the freezing cold.</p><p><b>And how was it when you came back for the second night of recordings?</b></p><p>The second night was quite similar. Police cars were there with flashing lights, and many young girls screaming and carrying on. We began promptly at 10 p.m. as I recall. Elvis wore the same blue suede suit and boots. Now it was time to record a song that required both flute and oboe. The conductor would play a recording of the piece and while the record was playing, he would tell us what we were to play. There were no problems for either of us to quickly write down the melodies and identify the key the song was in.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFNTtdQm6HlUxW9jPdEuluBkWBQDyeXaZNTC69FGZUre5oh7niisB418ytsxf73imgM1QEGBezbAw9G29_62d6G4MTWRUkJTBnVidCJUV5BvD3ZTkhtWBu1Bnyek7TMUZawjXu5VlDtk1/s720/elvis-studio-feb65.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="649" data-original-width="720" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFNTtdQm6HlUxW9jPdEuluBkWBQDyeXaZNTC69FGZUre5oh7niisB418ytsxf73imgM1QEGBezbAw9G29_62d6G4MTWRUkJTBnVidCJUV5BvD3ZTkhtWBu1Bnyek7TMUZawjXu5VlDtk1/w400-h360/elvis-studio-feb65.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elvis at RCA Studio B on February 25. 1965.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>It was obvious that Elvis had done some major practicing and was having no problems. I don't recall any of his cussing that night. Again, at 2 p.m. we took a break with more boxes and nice food. </p><p>That night there were five songs put on tape that could be used in the film and long play record. We went home at 4:30 a.m. Again, police cars with flashing lights and young girls were still outside in the cold. I imagine these girls got rested up in the day like Elvis did?</p><p><b>What are your recollections of the third and last night of the sessions?</b></p><p>The third night had the last five songs to be recorded. The same situation with the cold weather, snow, flashing lights on police cars, and screaming young females outside. Elvis was decked out in the same beautiful suit as usual. Again, Elvis was prepared and no problems, so five more songs could be recorded. I recall that after one of the songs, the engineer said, "Good, that was a take!" Floyd Cramer piped up and said, "We'll have to do it again. I played one wrong note!" So we went through it again with Floyd commenting, "Now, it's right!" I believe we finished at 5 a.m. that morning.</p><p>Elvis then went to each of us individually and shook hands with all. He commented that he thought there would be some really good acting in the film <i>Harum Scarum</i>. If you have read the book <i>Elvis and Me</i> by his ex-wife Priscilla Beaulieu, Elvis was disappointed that was not the case. When I left the RCA building the same situation was outside with the police cars and screaming females. In all three nights, all the musicians cleared well over $500.</p><p><b>Did you see <i>Harum Scarum</i> and what did you think about the soundtrack?</b></p><p>Yes, I did see the movie when it came out and also have the recording. The disappointing part is that the flute and oboe tracks are very much in the background and can not be heard well. One thing I should have done that I didn't think to do what to ask Elvis for his autograph. Today, it would be worth some money. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKg4uuYCUh3wKSeZPlvprilVW2LsGPGGpISL69fXxoRRHd3GvY4kl0p4HapAEEDwUJI6UW5FTi5feCRQLiukUZmcbeBuDsrzf3zisJEv_awz5kIdmla9Hshxy8uX1hqYDRrSv0ovC2MBJT/s794/harum-scarum-cover-back.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="794" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKg4uuYCUh3wKSeZPlvprilVW2LsGPGGpISL69fXxoRRHd3GvY4kl0p4HapAEEDwUJI6UW5FTi5feCRQLiukUZmcbeBuDsrzf3zisJEv_awz5kIdmla9Hshxy8uX1hqYDRrSv0ovC2MBJT/w400-h395/harum-scarum-cover-back.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The back cover of the album <i>Harum Scarum</i>, released in November, 1965.</td></tr></tbody></table>I believe that other than myself there is only one other living musician that performed in the soundtrack of <i>Harum Scarum</i>. That musician is outstanding guitar player Charlie McCoy. Charlie was born March 28, 1941. I was born September 23, 1940. We are both 80 years of age. <p></p><p><b>Did you record with other artists while living In Nashville?</b></p><p>I also recorded for two of Floyd Cramer's piano solo albums playing oboe and English horn. They are <i>The Class of 1967</i> and <i>The Class of 1968</i>. These albums are instrumental versions of songs that were popular in those years. Floyd was born October 27, 1933. Being a heavy smoker, he succumbed to lung cancer on December 31, New Year's Eve, 1997 at the age of 64.</p><p>In May of 1968 I recorded with the famous country singer, Eddy Arnold. Eddy was born May 15, 1918 and died May 8, 2008 at the age of 89. The album I'm playing on is called <i>The Romantic World of Eddy Arnold</i>. Many of these songs were hits at the time. The arrangements were made by Bill Walker, a man from Australia who conducted the orchestra for these sessions. There were many wonderful oboe and English horn solos in the arrangements. Rufus Long was the other woodwind player, who played flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, and baritone saxophone. The tracks the woodwinds are on are prominently heard on the recording.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2GN7hXCdVeEM2tDVbnLsYLBsleWN_0HpnC9u4XQUjnrp9vJYCjgmemcHgZRZPKwXQiPlUkxzYr0c_C58jO4ci6GcbJ-e1kdEWxD8_2ktMu6qph5FNEdCbjFNhjHkhesiw3IodB0XddhQB/s500/Romantic-World-Of-Eddy-Arnold-cover.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2GN7hXCdVeEM2tDVbnLsYLBsleWN_0HpnC9u4XQUjnrp9vJYCjgmemcHgZRZPKwXQiPlUkxzYr0c_C58jO4ci6GcbJ-e1kdEWxD8_2ktMu6qph5FNEdCbjFNhjHkhesiw3IodB0XddhQB/w400-h400/Romantic-World-Of-Eddy-Arnold-cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Romantic World of Eddy Arnold </i>includes three songs that Elvis would later record: "It's Over," "What Now My Love" and "Gentle On My Mind."</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Every couple of years I receive a royalty check for these recording and the <i>Harum Scarum</i> film. It's not a big amount, but I always save the check stub to prove to anyone I am being truthful. The check stub has my name and those I performed with.</p><p><b>You are now an assistant professor emeritus of music performance at Bell State University, Muncie, Indiana. What road took you there?</b></p><p>The second year I lived in Nashville I taught elementary band in the public schools. I heard one band director say that young players couldn't play with good intonation so it wouldn't do any good for them to tune their instruments. I could not believe such a stupid remark! I made a point with fifth and sixth graders to learn good intonation, rhythm, dynamics and phrasing. I was even complemented by a principal of one school that he could identify the songs the students were playing. He said, "Previous band directors just let the kids make noise." I told him it didn't have to be that way at all.</p><p>The following year the Nashville Symphony was given a government grant to begin a chamber orchestra made up of 16 musicians. I was then the principal oboe player in the symphony. The 16 full time members would travel by bus to perform in Central Tennessee schools during the day and evenings. Unfortunately, after two years the grant money had run out and the chamber orchestra folded.</p><p>The following year I left Nashville and lived in Durham, NC where I played full time with the North Carolina Symphony. From 1968-72 I taught oboe and played principal oboe in the symphony at the Brevard Music Center, a large summer music camp. In 1969 I got into college teaching at taught at Jacksonville University in Florida. A year later I taught at Texas A & I University in Kingsville, TX and performed with the Corpus Christi Symphony.</p><p>In 1971 I heard about an opening at Ball State University, Muncie, IN for an oboe professor and principal oboe position with the Muncie Symphony. I applied for the job. Dr. Robert Hargreaves was the director of the Ball State School of Music and was also the conductor of the Muncie symphony. Dr. Hargreaves had been a guest conductor for the Nashville Symphony when I performed there. He remember me and my oboe playing. </p><p>I auditioned in August of 1971 for Dr. Hargreaves and a committee of six music faculty members. I played the first movement of a concerto for them and expected to play other solos material. Instead, the committee wanted to hear oboe solos from the entire orchestral literature. There was no music brought and everything was from memory. This group drilled me for more than thirty minutes mentioning works that had major oboe solos. Fortunately, I have a good memory for this, and no matter what they asked I played it for them. Even today, although I am retired, I could still play these solos from memory. Melodies go through my mind every day. I'm sure this is what got me the job. I began teaching here in September of 1971 and retired after 35 years in July of 2006.</p><p><b>Finally, I understand I am not the first one to contact you about your Elvis sessions?</b></p><p>I believe it was 2002 when I received an e-mail from a man who wanted to know if I was the Ralph Strobel that played in the soundtrack of <i>Harum Scarum</i>. I assured him I was. He wanted to know if he could send me a picture postcard of the <i>Harum Scarum</i> album cover for my autograph. I told him that was fine. In a few days I got his letter and returned his card signed Ralph Strobel "oboe" as he wanted. He later told me he was a police officer in Lakeland, Florida who collected autographs of famous people. I told my Music History classes I had no idea I was a "famous" individual until this man pointed it out to me.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7yeFFqEOdnIio7Rf3W88qAWcN0NzhWl_tHFFzSQ9_u38hR7o-v9xZYNiKQNGCWpmA_G8yMlUxgbjTFsg1Dk1lvmtJddNIPUfuZX60LsHdG5QhynzCEPGB41HKjRxuhcI86oa_xWJRksM/s563/track-listing-harum-scarum.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="186" data-original-width="563" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7yeFFqEOdnIio7Rf3W88qAWcN0NzhWl_tHFFzSQ9_u38hR7o-v9xZYNiKQNGCWpmA_G8yMlUxgbjTFsg1Dk1lvmtJddNIPUfuZX60LsHdG5QhynzCEPGB41HKjRxuhcI86oa_xWJRksM/w400-h133/track-listing-harum-scarum.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Track listing of the album <i>Harum Scarum</i>, on which Ralph Strobel played the oboe.</td></tr></tbody></table>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-65652368693040175252021-05-07T23:13:00.009+02:002021-05-08T10:19:53.422+02:00The Swedish RCA LP's<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-20qt3oks0U9skdZfBD948sg2iFCnzZwMyXLdwxwZFvLOFHvmfd-h4wHaFNsDFPTD-mXUCfUhquDggVENk-k21hgy8csTw0ekA9d7znh2_rHBZcMV0qLYCu_vODb8gCeXK6fDa9pBjajU/s1731/Swedish+Pressings.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1146" data-original-width="1731" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-20qt3oks0U9skdZfBD948sg2iFCnzZwMyXLdwxwZFvLOFHvmfd-h4wHaFNsDFPTD-mXUCfUhquDggVENk-k21hgy8csTw0ekA9d7znh2_rHBZcMV0qLYCu_vODb8gCeXK6fDa9pBjajU/w400-h265/Swedish+Pressings.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Examples of Elvis LP titles manufactured in Sweden in the late 1970's. <br />Photo: The "RCA Elvis" Facebook page.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>This week I started collecting Swedish RCA LP's in earnest. But the fact is I have done this unknowingly since I bought my first Elvis album <i>Blue Christmas</i> back in the late 1970's. That one was manufactured in Sweden, as stated on the back cover which also included some text in Swedish. And although in time I came to realize that other Swedish pressings existed, I never really gave it any serious thought. Until 2016.</p><p>That's when I bought <i>How RCA brought Elvis To Europe</i>, released through FTD the same year and written by the Norwegians Sigbjørn Stabursvik and Hans Otto Engvold. It's a fantastic book, and a treat especially for fans living in the Nordic countries, as it, among other things, includes a full history and discography for Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. </p><p>I spent a lot of time with it the following weeks, reading how RCA Victor launched Elvis and the RCA label globally in 1956. For a Swede like me, it was fascinating to learn how Electra Grammofon AB, one of Sweden's largest record companies, engineered most of the early Elvis activity in Northern Europe. In fact, Sweden was one of the first countries worldwide to release an Elvis Presley record. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEqkkXnbfAuXysLHVsTU3pkAQrOWH7GeLDUdYYaktvwUqc6telWhrogJwjsgGhlmF7L6Xj0E5UGzZdeiAF5_w5hUoCjWGq7SuoojfMPKBu_izBLzMnZs1q_HS6K88YM4Hi5A6MV2VI4BM_/s665/how-rca-brought-elvis-to-europe.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="665" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEqkkXnbfAuXysLHVsTU3pkAQrOWH7GeLDUdYYaktvwUqc6telWhrogJwjsgGhlmF7L6Xj0E5UGzZdeiAF5_w5hUoCjWGq7SuoojfMPKBu_izBLzMnZs1q_HS6K88YM4Hi5A6MV2VI4BM_/w400-h230/how-rca-brought-elvis-to-europe.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover of <i>How RCA brought Elvis To Europe.</i> It's a great book.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><i>How RCA brought Elvis To Europe</i> is one of those Elvis books I found myself revisiting from time to time. One such occasion took place early in 2019, when I once again read the introduction to the pages dealing with the Swedish RCA LP's: </p><p><i>Original stock of Moody Blue sold out immediately after the tragic death message on 16 August 1977. This prompted a Swedish Moody Blue pressing, the first of many LP titles manufactured in Sweden that fall. [...] Eleven titles were probably made in 1977, and two in 1980.</i></p><p>It was while studying the list of Swedish RCA LP's that I noticed that <i>Elvis' Golden Records Volume </i>3 wasn't among them. As I stated earlier, I was aware of other titles manufactured in Sweden. And now I suddenly remembered that I had owned a worn copy of one of them, namely the third volume in the <i>Golden Record</i> series, later exchanging it for a copy in far better condition (a German pressing). Apparently a dumb move.</p><p>I decided to pay a visit to a store not far from where I live that sells used records. Grabbing my jacket, I went out the door, and in a couple of minutes stood leafing through all the Elvis albums for sale. Suddenly I spotted <i>Elvis' Golden Records Volume 3.</i> Holding it in my hands, I turned it over, and there on the back cover, in small print, it said, "Manufactured by Grammofon AB Electra, Solna Sweden."</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWP8u0lg9mEGJjSo617HXUr_fbw6ZZ1Io3Yt2CiIKiAysyokZ2XNLvowwSOVyyCUwVIdg9XCWnD57bUTS8UXNANV8XtE9NN7qggrY0EkwyeqX-wVKL0-jj4Ql7NS_Pxs6NQ0E1XjafbQb/s2048/back-cover.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="2048" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWP8u0lg9mEGJjSo617HXUr_fbw6ZZ1Io3Yt2CiIKiAysyokZ2XNLvowwSOVyyCUwVIdg9XCWnD57bUTS8UXNANV8XtE9NN7qggrY0EkwyeqX-wVKL0-jj4Ql7NS_Pxs6NQ0E1XjafbQb/w400-h208/back-cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proof it's a Swedish pressing.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Feeling like a true detective, I took a couple of pictures of it and then wrote to the authors via their "RCA Elvis" Facebook page that they had listed at the end of the book:</p><p>Thomas: "Hi! Today I found <i>Elvis' Golden Records Vol 3</i> manufactured in Sweden."</p><p>RCA Elvis:<b> </b>"Excellent find. Thank you Thomas. We'll inform our Swedish contacts about this one and hear their opinion about how rare it is."</p><p>About two weeks later the authors posted this on their Facebook page:</p><p><i>SWEDISH LP DISCOVERIES</i></p><p><i>Not long ago Thomas Melin alerted us to the existence of a Swedish Elvis' Golden Records Vol. 3. So ... could there possibly be a Swedish Elvis' Gold Records Volume 4 out there as well? That was the question we needed to ask ourselves. And the answer turned out to be, oh yes indeed, there is a Vol. 4 also. And as if that isn't enough, Elvis In Hollywood turns out to have been made in Sweden as well!</i></p><p><i>All three seem to have been made at approximately the same time, during late 1977 or 1978. Labels are orange, with n©b, and the second type of label.</i></p><p><i>Covers are similar to late 70's German issues, although with "Manufactured by Grammofon AB Electra, Solna Sweden" at the back, plus SIB Tryck Tumba in the lower right corner. SIB Tryck was (and still is) a printing company located at Tumba on the outskirts of Stockholm.</i></p><p><i>Thank you's to Thomas Melin, Paul Dowling and Jarle Jensen.</i></p><p>It felt really cool reading that I had contributed in a small part to new findings when it came to Swedish Elvis LP's on the RCA label. But for some reason it would take another two years before I felt the time was right to start collecting those pressings from Sweden. Just a few weeks ago I spotted a Swedish copy of <i>Pure Gold</i> (with the Take Off! cover) on the online marketplace Tradera. So I placed a bid and won the auction for a ridiculous small sum of money. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4NmUgVQXOVDx30RdpElsu3V7uvg6xAv_2VorrtVM7PuafEFP4aLvH_AfzwdmJMB_kuqwia-PZRjENUBrxkbs0zeROSjkzKR-4hfi-Uwd58kO1tbYaRC6qQZWRm1L6MPnLTNCOtlzPfF0X/s765/pure-gold.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="765" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4NmUgVQXOVDx30RdpElsu3V7uvg6xAv_2VorrtVM7PuafEFP4aLvH_AfzwdmJMB_kuqwia-PZRjENUBrxkbs0zeROSjkzKR-4hfi-Uwd58kO1tbYaRC6qQZWRm1L6MPnLTNCOtlzPfF0X/w400-h203/pure-gold.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pure Gold</i> with Take-Off! cover and two extra songs.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The album arrived just the other day, in excellent condition. I noticed that it featured <i>Frankie And Johnny</i> and <i>Clean Up Your Own Back Yard</i>, which are not on US editions. (I wonder what is the story behind that one?)</p><p>Then another thought hit me, Maybe some of my other LP's were Swedish pressings as well? A little while later I had the answer. No less than five of them (not counting <i>Blue Christmas,</i> <i>Elvis´Golden Records Volume 3</i> and <i>Pure Gold</i>) were manufactured in Sweden: <i>Blue Hawai</i>i, <i>Moody Blue</i> (one of my first LP's as well), <i>Burning Love And Hits From His Movies</i>, <i>Elvis In Concert</i> and <i>Elvis Forever Volume 2</i>. </p><p>Maybe this should come as no surprise as I live in Sweden and started to buy Elvis records in the late 70's and early 80's. Nevertheless, half of my collection of Swedish pressings is now completed, with a minimum of effort from my side. I wonder how hard it will be to find the other eight? </p><p style="text-align: left;">This is the complete list (so far) of Swedish RCA LP's (Maybe there are others out there?):</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>Burning Love And Hits From His Movies</i></li><li><i>Elvis' Golden Records Volume 1</i></li><li><i>Elvis' Gold Records Volume 2</i></li><li><i>G.I. Blues</i></li><li><i>Blue Hawaii</i></li><li><i>Elvis In Concert</i></li><li><i>Elvis' Golden Records Volume 3</i></li><li><i>Elvis' Gold Records Volume 4</i></li><li><i>Elvis - NBC-TV Special</i></li><li><i>Pure Gold (Take Off! cover)</i></li><li><i>Elvis In Hollywood</i></li><li><i>Welcome To My World</i></li><li><i>Moody Blue</i></li><li><i>Blue Christmas</i></li><li><i>Elvis Forever Volume 2</i></li><li><i>The Las Vegas Years</i> (Same content as record 6 on the <i>Elvis Aron Presley</i> box set, with liner notes in Swedish)</li></ul><p></p><p><i>This post is dedicated to Sigbjørn Stabursvik & Hans Otto Engvold, authors of the book How RCA brought Elvis To Europe.</i></p>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-1246595993743146492021-05-01T23:39:00.006+02:002021-05-06T20:16:27.514+02:00Let Us Pray – That’s The Way It Never Was<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMorZJYH3ZO_2NVS9hwekDHHE7ghg1T976Ch5gCEMsqjFaJFU76ndUhtu0gcfrIKfwv2BvBosNf7ZqkSs9fhQE88pSWx13VYpuFnqgLsNC9Fjr2vMFj5XJXK2qeRqlTO1nhgiBpR0w6NH/s2400/let-us-pray.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="2400" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMorZJYH3ZO_2NVS9hwekDHHE7ghg1T976Ch5gCEMsqjFaJFU76ndUhtu0gcfrIKfwv2BvBosNf7ZqkSs9fhQE88pSWx13VYpuFnqgLsNC9Fjr2vMFj5XJXK2qeRqlTO1nhgiBpR0w6NH/w400-h89/let-us-pray.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The close up with the guitar (middle shot) is in fact taken from the "Rubberneckin'" scene earlier in the movie. The clothes and the guitar itself gives it away.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I thought I
had it all figured out. This was going to be a great post. However, it didn’t turn
out that way at all, despite some hard work behind the keyboard. Here is what
happened.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It all began
while watching a video clip on YouTube of Elvis singing “Let Us Pray” in Father
Gibbons’ Church at the end of the movie <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Change
Of Habit</i>. Suddenly it hit me that there was something wrong with the close-ups that showed Elvis’ hand strumming his guitar. The clothes and the guitar itself were not the same as in the other shots. In fact, they were taken
from the beginning of the film where Elvis is belting out “Rubberneckin’” in Dr.
John Carpenter’s apartment above the clinic. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Now, why had
I not noticed this before? I did a quick google search, typing, “elvis let us
pray scene movie blooper” but found nothing. Was I really the first one
to have spotted this? I googled a bit more, changing the words some, but the
result was the same. Not a thing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I then looked
up the editor on Wikipedia. Douglas Stewart (March 29, 1919-March 3, 1995) was
an American film and television editor who won the Academy Award for Best Film
Editing for the film <i>The Right Stuff</i> (1983) along with four co-editors. Could such
a professional really have cheated while editing the ending of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Change Of Habit</i>, using close-ups from
another scene? Or had he somehow mixed up the footage, not realizing his
mistake?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYN9bPrydvgMN9jHv_ewtta6cNg0azxeRBX5fmHrbRVJdTBBsm4cQBcGEPz91wDK6UBDrJd562pJ267RvtLfntILG3t242W519aj3DQOeUwstCNhnqkTAn2FmYiY5nMAoMW7qAlmiedzb/s499/meandaguynamedelvis.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="332" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYN9bPrydvgMN9jHv_ewtta6cNg0azxeRBX5fmHrbRVJdTBBsm4cQBcGEPz91wDK6UBDrJd562pJ267RvtLfntILG3t242W519aj3DQOeUwstCNhnqkTAn2FmYiY5nMAoMW7qAlmiedzb/w133-h200/meandaguynamedelvis.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>Whatever
the reason, I got the idea to write a blog post about how those close-ups ended
up in the final scene, using a bit of fiction. To get some inspiration, I read a couple of passages in Jerry Schilling’s book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Me and
a Guy Named Elvis</i> that dealt with him becoming a film editor
during the late 60’ and early 70’s. <div><br /></div><div>I was then ready to start typing something
like this:<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Douglas Stewart’s editing room in the basement
of one of the post-production buildings at Universal Pictures was full of
various reels of dialogue, songs and sound effects. As an assistant editor, it
was my job to allow Douglas Stewart to work uninterrupted and I took great
pride in maintaining order and structure in the editing room.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">My plan was to have the assistant editor make a blunder, handing over close-up footage
from the “Rubberneckin’” scene to Douglas Stewart who was busy editing the
final of the movie, neither of them noticing the mix up. The assistant editor
would spot the mistake when <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Change Of Habit</i> was about to hit the cinemas, but by then it would be too late. Or something like that.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">As I attended the premiere on November 10 I felt a sense of pride, having played a minor part in
the editing of the movie. But that feeling was replaced by a chill running down my
spine as I realized that the close-ups of Elvis guitar didn’t match the rest of
the footage in the "Let Us Pray" movie final. What had happened?<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Getting
comfortable in front of my laptop I decided to watch the clip on YouTube once more
before starting to hammer away at the keyboard. As I watched the scene unfold it was painfully clear that Douglas Stewart wasn’t to blame. Neither was my fictional
assistant editor. In fact, no one was, as the clip was clearly re-edited and remixed long after the actual movie was finished in 1969. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">No doubt the footage from "Rubberneckin'" had been used intentionally to create this version (which was released on a bootleg DVD called <i>Born To Rock 3</i>, something I would have known had I bothered to read the text under the video clip). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Why hadn't I spotted this before? </span>I found another clip, this time of the real ending, and
sure enough, the close-ups with the guitar were nowhere in sight. And of course the whole scene was edited completely different. I felt like a
fool.</span></p></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FbWSu0yZMDU" title="YouTube video player" width="400"></iframe>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3509925059046197667.post-48730989834561079372021-04-23T22:39:00.006+02:002021-06-27T19:54:25.262+02:00On Stage On Super 8<p>Because so few of Elvis' live concerts were professionally filmed, fans have to turn to amateur super 8 footage to get an idea of what it was like to see him on stage during a certain tour or engagement. I was reminded of this a couple of weeks ago when my brother sent me the link to a clip on Youtube from Elvis' January/February 1970 Las Vegas "On Stage" session. </p><p>One of the first times I came in contact with fan footage was when I ordered the VHS <i>Return To Splendour</i> from the British fan club back in 1994 (it was released on DVD 10 years later). It was fascinating to follow Elvin live on stage from 1969 up to 1975, but unfortunately it was silent concert footage. The narrator Anne Nixon did a great job describing the different jumpsuits but I missed the sound of Elvis.</p><p>Things have improved since then. Thanks to the availability of soundboards and modern technology, it's possible to sync footage and sound with the help of video editing software. Although I guess it takes a lot of patience to do a really good job.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUqWr6ZC7EIrpxRTKtL5oKjMG5-g9qgc6ofHfcoQ2OfIC7QwvDN93nLI8MVj0SZZ9xT6bxefMJKWu6rgsJ7RkrAQEs9lj7BmZGRYuThH8psERWz7Sgo3NcbzKL9Us4Iz9DdfJxb-IWPnr/s1001/elvis-msg-super8.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="1001" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUqWr6ZC7EIrpxRTKtL5oKjMG5-g9qgc6ofHfcoQ2OfIC7QwvDN93nLI8MVj0SZZ9xT6bxefMJKWu6rgsJ7RkrAQEs9lj7BmZGRYuThH8psERWz7Sgo3NcbzKL9Us4Iz9DdfJxb-IWPnr/w400-h200/elvis-msg-super8.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elvis launching himself into "That's All Right" at Madison Square Garden. <br />Notice the man passing, oblivious of this historical moment.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>One example that works really well is the 20 minutes of fan-shot footage from the June 10, 1972 afternoon show at Madison Square Garden. Synched with audio, it was released on the 2 CD+DVD set <i>Like A Prince From Another Planet </i>in 2012, including a complete performance of "That's All Right."</p><p>Another release worth mentioning is the bootleg <i>Final Countdown To Midnight</i> box set from 2014, featuring the nearly complete Pittsburgh New Year's Eve concert from December 31, 1976. Apparently quite a few fans in the audience that night brought along a super 8 camera, as the DVD includes a lot of multi-camera angles, with perfect sound synchronization. My brother and I actually watched it together one New Year's Eve, I think for the 50th anniversary of the show. We had a great time.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPws3m8jKWjjxbGAbAH8JXOuEE6b4f4257ElCkWmDHLYskvwC6ZV7Qv9SvggmuZFXSY8TePp0QdsfDT1uIJQhb9Xq4sS17UwY8UM4BUMYaTUyecrgEYpEy0y5ccuSW6D_tSs4t_oIttbJ/s890/elvis-pittsburgs-super8.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="890" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPws3m8jKWjjxbGAbAH8JXOuEE6b4f4257ElCkWmDHLYskvwC6ZV7Qv9SvggmuZFXSY8TePp0QdsfDT1uIJQhb9Xq4sS17UwY8UM4BUMYaTUyecrgEYpEy0y5ccuSW6D_tSs4t_oIttbJ/w400-h206/elvis-pittsburgs-super8.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No less than three super 8 cameras captured Elvis during his "I Got A Woman"/"Amen" <br />routine on New Year's Eve in Pittsburgh, 1976.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I really wish FTD would to something along the same lines. That is, release a DVD with super 8 footage in great quality synched with sound. </p><p>The 2018 documentary <i>Elvis Presley: The Searcher </i>features super 8 film of Elvis performing "An American Trilogy" from what I guess must be the June/July tour in 1973, and the quality is amazing. So how about releasing more of where that came from, together with a book and a CD? What a great FTD project that could be.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU0x4KREpZniYxx71QbZttQfhljZbHddvDLW2kbA9Ct082keosd7aSN2ziPAFSfs9g9oSvw07Ph3haOE6Ga5Jr_KgBn58gDv4eO8wkpnPkcLSnSMVA6ZTh5yix-sS9RLezCH_r13E5dFsg/s2048/elvis-1973-super8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1231" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU0x4KREpZniYxx71QbZttQfhljZbHddvDLW2kbA9Ct082keosd7aSN2ziPAFSfs9g9oSvw07Ph3haOE6Ga5Jr_KgBn58gDv4eO8wkpnPkcLSnSMVA6ZTh5yix-sS9RLezCH_r13E5dFsg/w400-h240/elvis-1973-super8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exceptional quality on this super 8 footage having Elvis singing "An American Trilogy" in 1973, used in the documentary E<i>lvis Presley: The Searcher</i>.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>A recent example of fan footage complete with sound (I'm guessing both original and dubbed) is the <i>SOLD OUT! </i>volumes, 2 DVD sets containing rare 8 mm footage from the collector Rex Martin. Apparently there was some controversy surrounding the release of this material, as a lot of the footage has been made available on YouTube as well. </p><p>But back to the clip from Elvis' second Las Vegas engagement, in January/February 1970. "Fun to watch," my brother wrote in the email that included the link to Youtube, and it was. During the 3 minutes and 42 seconds that it played, I got to watch and listen to snippets of no less than 11 songs:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>All Shook Up</li><li>I Got A Woman</li><li>Long Tall Sally</li><li>Don't Cry Daddy</li><li>Let It Be Me</li><li>I Can't Stop Loving You</li><li>Walk A Mile In My Shoes</li><li>Sweet Caroline</li><li>Polk Salad Annie</li><li>Suspicious Minds</li><li>Can't Help Falling In Love</li></ul><div>Once again, this time with the help of 8mm footage with synched sound, I was reminded of why the <i>On Stage </i>album is one of my favorites, and how incredible it must have been to to see Elvis in person. </div><div><br /></div><div>The only thing I can't figure out is what sound source has been used. "All Shook Up" has, to my knowledge, only been officially released on the FTD album <i>The On Stage Session: The Opening And Closing Shows - February, 1970</i>, but "Walk A Mile In My Shoes" is only featured on CD 1 (Opening Show) and "I Got A Woman" on CD 2 (Closing Show), so maybe both were used? Or a bootleg?</div><div><br /></div><div>A final note: Obviously some of the super 8 fan footage was shot with sound, but the one from February 1970 is not. When the screen goes black between the snippets of footage the sound continues. My theory is that the person behind the camera didn't bring along any spare cassettes of film, just the one in the camera which was enough for 3 minutes and 20 seconds of filming (that explains the short sequences). As the clip clocks at 3 minutes and 42 seconds with sound running all the time, it can't be shot together with the film. And besides, the first super 8 sound on film cassette was not released until 1973. Before that, it was a silent system only.</div><p></p>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253626531289651309noreply@blogger.com0