Return Of The Original Elvis Tribute

The other day I received an e-mail from Arjan Deelen, who's the man behind "The Original Elvis Tribute" that has been touring Europe in both 2009 and 2010. Here's some of what he wrote:  

'The Original Elvis Tribute 2011' will be touring again in May '11, and for that tour this topnotch production will include the legendary Bobby Wood on piano, the elusive Johnny Christopher (first time in Europe!) on guitar & vocals, and the charismatic Duke Bardwell on bass. Three men who all played a key role in Elvis' career, brought together for the first time for this remarkable tribute show featuring some of the finest singers and musicians in the music business. This is one of the most authentic touring Elvis shows - and the only one featuring his original musicians.

I couldn't help but notice that this time around songwriter Michael Jarrett, who wrote "I'm Leavin'" and "I'll Be Home On Christmas Day" for Elvis, wasn't part of the band. I sent a reply to Arjan, asking him why.

Arjan Deelen: Michael Jarrett is a remarkable man, and a great songwriter & musician. He has been an inspiration to me on many different levels, especially personally. He adds a great deal to the shows, and that’s why I have brought him over to Europe for 19 shows so far. I have always felt that some  people that played a role in the Elvis story never really received the credit they deserved, and Michael is definitely one of them. Fortunately, the show has corrected that, and he is receiving far more credit now for his tremendous songs than he ever did.

For the next tour, we wanted to highlight more musicians like Michael, who deserve to be better known by the fans. I am very proud of the fact that we will be bringing a.o. Johnny Christopher this time, who played rhythm guitar on the STAX sessions in ’73, and who wrote or co-wrote songs like “Always On My Mind”, “Mama Liked The Roses” and “If You Talk In Your Sleep”. Johnny has never been in Europe before, and he’s never done an Elvis tribute show.  Johnny will be playing guitar on the show, and he will also be singing his own songs, just like he did on the original demos for Elvis.

That’s what our show is really about. We want to bring the fans something fresh, a new angle on the Elvis story. Johnny will also be bringing his old buddy Bobby Wood from American Sound Studios. As you know, Bobby played on Elvis’ arguably finest moment, the FROM ELVIS IN MEMPHIS album. We’re all looking forward to working together with Johnny and Bobby, and we all believe that they will add a great deal to the show. Bobby has even promised me that he will be singing “If I’m A Fool (For Loving You)”, a song that he originally recorded in ’64 that Elvis later covered at the Memphis ’69 sessions.

Elvis Today: I think it's exciting that you combine musicians from different periods of Elvis' career, as well as live/studio musicians. What does this mix of musicians bring to the show, in your opinion?

Arjan Deelen: I think it brings a lot of freshness to the shows. I have been involved in the organization of Elvis meetings for many years, and in my honest opinion many of these shows featuring original musicians are in a bit of a rut, because they want to play the same old songs again and again. It seems to me that they are unwilling to take any chances. I also feel that it’s a pity that many fanclubs book the same acts again and again. I think that’s one of the reasons why the interest in Elvis shows in general is dwindling. I mean, how many times can you present the same show to people before they get sick and tired of it?

My aim is to present original musicians that people haven’t seen, or at least those that haven’t been overexposed, and I try to present them in a different context. Instead of letting them play with the musicians they’re used to, I present them together with top session players that are still eager to impress. Believe me, it makes the original guys work harder too! That’s why the shows that we have done so far have such a tremendous energy to them. To give you an example, just take a look at this clip from a show we did at a castle in Poznan, Poland last May:

"My Babe" (May, 2010)

We want to generate some of the original excitement and energy that Elvis himself created at his concerts, and I think it works. The crowd reaction at the shows has been amazing. It’s very satisfying to see that the show is doing so well all over Europe.

Sounds exciting, doesn't it? If you want to more information, I can recommend a visit to "The Original Elvis Tribute" website. There you'll find, among other things, details about the band, tour dates and rare audio including Bobby Wood's own 1964 recording of "If I'm A Fool (For Loving You)."

Like A Baby

Now I know how Elvis must have felt as the birth of Lisa Marie was approaching. Soon to have our first child ourselves, I've even acted like Elvis, having taken my wife on a couple of practice runs to the hospital just like he did, checking which entrance to drive to.

Being reminded of this Elvis episode, I looked it up in a couple of books. Turns out there are two versions of what happened when Elvis and Priscilla were driven to the hospital when she was having their baby.

According to Jerry Schilling, the plan was to go to Methodist Hospital, with him at the wheel. In his book Me And A Guy Named Elvis, he tells the story of how Charlie rode shotgun and pointed out that they had arrived at the wrong hospital, having forgotten to tell Jerry that they'd switched over to Baptist Hospital.

Alan Fortras (in his book Elvis From Memphis to Hollywood) as well as Lamar Fike (in Elvis And The Mempis Mafia) paints another picture, with a couple of decoy cars leading the press to Methodist Hospital while Jerry or Charlie (here their stories disagree) forgot the game plan and headed to Methodist as well.

It all worked out in the end though, Priscilla giving birth to Lisa Marie at Baptist, on February 1, 1968. She was a beautiful child and Elvis was, of course, both excited and proud. I'm sure I will be too, in a couple of days. And I'm confident we'll find the right hospital, although there are two of them here as well.

Caught In A Mine

As my wife's born in Chile, I've been following the reports about the trapped Chilean miners with interest. I can't even begin to imagine what it must feel like to be trapped 700 meters below ground, waiting for months to be rescued.

But in steps Elvis to lighten the mood. I was thrilled to read on the Elvis Information Network that one of the miners is an Elvis fan who not only insisted on a photograph of Elvis being sent down to him, he also raised the spirits of the other miners by organizing Elvis singalongs.

Hearing about his, EIN contributor Brian Quinn and others contacted Elvis Presley Enterprises, saying it would be a nice gesture if EPE were to arrange a free trip to Graceland for the trapped miner and perhaps, his colleagues, when they were rescued and had time to overcome some of their trauma. This was their answer:

"Yes, we are in touch with CNN Chile and have sent a big package of movies and music to him that they are sending down to him for the rest of the time. We are also talking with them about a visit!"

It's amazing, isn't it? There he is, this miner, a fan just like you and me, trapped deep underground for more than two months, waiting to be freed and finding strength through Elvis' movies and music. Elvis would've been proud, I'm sure.

Elvis The Movie

Kurt Russell bears a striking resemblance to Elvis, and he sounds a lot like him too. That's the first thing thats hits me watching Elvis The Movie from 1979, released on DVD for the first time recently.

Made just two years after Elvis' death, director John Carpenter does a good job recreating Elvis' life and career, choosing to end the movie with his triumphant return to the stage in 1969.

And although there is nothing in it suggesting Elvis took drugs, personal problems like his marriage flling apart is hinted at, in a way signaling the decline that is to follow.

If Kurt Russell looks like the real thing, then singer Ronnie McDowell sounds very much like Elvis. It's uncanny watching the scene where Russell records "My Happiness," lip-syncing to McDowell's version of a song that wasn't released until 1990.

But being an Elvis fan it's easy to spot the mistakes in the movie, some of which are pretty big ones. Elvis performing "Tutti Frutti" while visiting a German beer joint during his army days is a fantasy that made me think of a similar scene in the movie Top Secret, where actor Val Kilmer sings the same song in a restaurant in East Germany.

Another blooper is Elvis doing a concert tour around 1963, performing in his famous gold jacket, singing "A Fool Such As I" and "Crying In The Chapel." Clearly inspired by (or mixed with) the three charity shows he did in 1961 (two in Memphis and one in Hawaii) , it's nevertheless a nice "what if" scene, where Russell looks even more like the original.

As a matter of fact, I found the 60's a much more incorrect exercise than the 50's part of the movie. Right after Elvis wedding in 1967 we see him dressed in his clothes from Paradise, Hawaiian Style, on his way to shot another movie. A couple of sceens later he's at the piano home at Graceland singing "Bosom Of Abraham" (together with the real Charlie Hodge!) wearing the red shirt/black striped pants from That's The Way It Is.

Then there's the comeback in Las Vegas, where he dons a jumpsuit looking very much like one from 1972, and performing "The Wonder Of You" right after "Blue Suede Shoes."

But all mistakes asides (artistic freedom?) I found watching Elvis The Movie an entertaining experience, mainly thanks to Kurt Russell's performance. If I had to pick one scene, it would be the one where he wakes Priscilla up in the middle of the night, quoting The Prophet by Khalil Gibran. Pulling off a scene like that not only takes great acting skills, it also lends a deeper meaning to the film.

PS: If I had to pick two scenes, I would also choose the one with Elvis rehearsing "Suspicious Minds" at his home in Bel Air. Suddenly, there is the real Kathy Westmoreland among the singers.

In My Spare Time

The fact that I'm an Elvis fan keeps spreading through the walls at the university where I've been working since December last year. I've written about one aspect of this before, in a post called Preseucoila imallshookupis. Here's another:

Being a public relations officer, I'm in frequent contact with the editor of the official news magazine for the staff at the university. Recently he and I became friends on Facebook, and not long after that I got a message from him, telling me he didn't have a clue I was such a dedicated Elvis fan, running a blog and working on a book. Obviously, he'd found the link on Facebook to my blog.

The editor then told me he was deeply impressed with people taking their hobbies seriously, and asked me if I would like to be portrayed in the magazine under the headline In my spare time.

Writing back, I answered that I would very much like to be interviewed. But when he replied if it was OK to take a photo of me at home, in the special room with Elvis stuff he assumed I had ("and maybe a jumpsuit too") I got cold feet. In no uncertain terms I told him it was alright to photograph me in front of my CD records, but that I didn't have a room solely with Elvis things and that I certainly didn't own a jumpsuit!

In the editor's next answer, he told me not to worry, that it would be a serious, well at least "half-serious" article. I guess we'll find out later this autumn when the interview will have taken place and the article has been published. I'll keep you posted.

More News From The Colonel's Office

Leafing through some old copies of the magazine Elvis Monthly from the 90's I stumbled across an interesting issue, no 421 from January 8, 1995. Celebrating Elvis' Diamond Jubilee Year, it featured re-prints of articles written during Elvis' lifetime.

Studying some of the articles gave me an idea of what it must have been like to read about what was happening to Elvis and his career when he was alive. I found the one written by Tom Diskin, titled More News From The Colonel's Office, especially interesting Here are som excerpts:

Excitement ran high at the recent sneak preview of MGM's "STAY AWAY, Joe". The Comments of everyone summed up to: "This is the sort of thing we've really been waiting for." MGM is releasing "STAY AWAY JOE" for the Easter Season so you can check with your theatre manager when it will be showing in your community.

The long awaited ELVIS'S "GOLD RECORDS, VOLUME 4" has been released by RCA Victor–a great addition to the record collections of fans everywhere. In the meantime, DJ's are giving the hit treatment to Elvis' current single "GUITAR MAN/HI HEEL SNEAKERS"

The Christmas Season Radio Shows presented by Elvis and the Colonel drew thousands of letters of thanks and appreciation. The reaction to the sacred album "HOW GREAT THOU ART", has been especially significant and recently this LP has been nominated by the recording industry as one of the outstanding sacred albums of 1967.

Elvis will be making three new motion pictures in 1968 and the studios are all aiming towards new and different stories. The first will be for MGM, presently titled "KISS MY FIRM BUT PLIANT LIPS"; the second for National General Pictures is titled "THE JACK VALENTINE STORY"; and the third, as yet untitled, will also be for MGM.

Imaging reading the above at the beginning of 1968. How exciting it must have been to learn that Elvis' career was once again on the move. But how did The Jack Valentine Story end up becoming Charro!?

Don't Think Twice, It's All Right

Seems my brother was kind of right when he guessed how the FTD treatment of Elvis (Fool) was going to play out. "I think the track listing for the aborted, original Fool album will also be included," he told me over the phone a while ago. And here are the official details released yesterday:

Originally released in 1973, the track listing was changed substantially before its commercial release. Here for the first time, ALL the proposed recordings are in included for the first time.
In addition it features great unreleased outtakes plus a 12-page booklet with great photographs and wonderful unseen memorabilia. As a treat it features plenty of unreleased Outtakes, Steamroller Blues (45rpm mix) and the longest 'Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right' unedited at over 11 minutes.

So, definitely something to look forward to. I have to admit I was afraid there would be no long version of "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," as we already got the unedited master (9:16) on Elvis Now. But this time around it seems we'll get the real unedited version, running a little over 11 minutes. Finally!

I also have to comment the cover used for the other upcoming FTD release Elvis As Recorded At Boston Garden '71. It's one of the best I've seen since I Sing All Kinds, and it's a nice tribute to Elvis As Recorded At Madison Square Garden. As for the show itself, recorded on November 10, 1971, this is what FTD has to say:

Still at the height of his power, Elvis received critical acclaim for this show and now this official release finally makes it available for fans around the world. With so few live recordings available from this period, this is a key release for anyone’s collection.

Still not sure if you're going to buy it? Maybe this will help you change your mind.