Elvis Presley: Classic Or Dud?

Thumbs up: the "Suspicious Minds" goofy-adlib makes it to the screen
Thumbs down: Bones Howe but no Chips Moman? Guess they couldn't afford the screentime to go to that "funky, funky studio."

I agree with poster One Eye Open.

If the argument is "yes, but that wouldn't be so popular or commercial" - sure, I can agree. But I think that One Eye Open and I think it would be, on balance, a better film about Elvis.

What really would have gotten my goat is if they had done "Sweet Caroline" with the recently interpolated baseball stadium chant.

Isn't ludicrous overstatement Luhrmann's trademark?

RIght. Which is somewhat at cross-purposes with Elvis's perfectly orchestrated overstatement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEpUx6uIeXI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGQytB3wQMs

Just noticed the backing singers (Is it the Sweet Inspirations here?) trying to follow what he is doing in the beginning. So cool.

At about 1:56.

Sweet Inspirations plus Kathy Westmoreland.

Considering he looks tired and off his face, and he's reading from a piece of paper, that's a spectacularly good lead vocal too

Yes, exactly.

The movie ends with a more extreme version of that, which I think was discussed upthread already.

Wait, one of the Sweet Inspirations was married to Jerry Schilling? Where was that in the movie?

At times I thought - is this the recorded vocal? They're very similar!

Is that thing punched in or sweetened at all? It’s kind of amazing.

Also, is it really in fact the first live performance? That tour started two weeks prior.

"We're going to spring a new song on you. We don't know it too well but... if we goof it up just bear with us we'll get it right. It may take a little while but we'll get it right."

Guralnick says he didn't even want to record it!

Bonus points if someone can tell me what artist released a version before Elvis did.

"That's new and we've never done it on stage before so if we goof it up, I'm sorry."

Even if he is fudging a bit because he is embarrassed about reading off the paper and it is not actually the very first performance it’s still amazing.

Bonus points if someone can tell me what artist released a version before Elvis did.

Arthur Alexander!

I know him as June.

another example of how Elvis had some of the greatest drummers in the biz

Elvis himself was kind of a virtual drummer.

You know who had the most fun with Elvis on stage?

Elvis.

Skinny, fat, little or full-size?

Yes.

He always carried a wiggle.

Is it because of what happens on the road?

Thumbs up: “Beatles and Beards”
Thumbs down: no Dewey Phillips

I mean we were thrilled about Elvis, but it wasn’t like doing Neil Diamond.

Thumbs down: no Dewey Phillips

They did show a DJ playing two records at once though, didn't they?

Right, now I remember. And that was when we heard “Viva Las Vegas” turn into Vanilla Ice saying “check out my hook while my DJ revolves it.”

Or was it a certain sample from Beck’s “Where It’s At.”

Rock and roll music, if you like it, if you feel it, you can’t help but move to it.

That’s what happens to me, I can’t help it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkIiVux4keI

I’m pleasantly surprised at the movie. Definitely not a fan of Baz’s style and in the opening minutes with the hyperactive editing I thought I would hate it but it tones down considerably.

Final half hour or so shows there’s a better, very emotive movie somewhere in there. Austin Butler actually nails it.

OTM. Some of his sheepish guilty husband stuff reminded me of Heath Ledger in I'm Not There.

Yeah I have to admit tears weren’t far by the end… the marriage breakdown, isolation, physical and mental degradation and the integration of real EP footage brought the movie to a strong final imo.

I used to think my dad was Elvis
But I haven’t told him that yet
I haven’t told my dad either

Wow. Shonka Dukureh, the singer and actress who portrayed Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton in Luhrmann’s Elvis, has died.

RIP. That was a good performance.

Came to post this for some reason:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOAbrFgCWPs

Kind of the CBGB version.

That electric bass solo is (fire emoji).

Maybe not quite at this level but close.

Here's some stuff I recently learned about The Sweet Inspirations that I guess I will post here. The original leader was Cissy Houston whose real name was Emily Drinkard, and at one point she had a group known as the Drinkard Singers managed by her sister, Lee Drinkard, or Arthur Lee Drinkard Warrick, mother of Dione and Dee Dee Warrick then Warwick who were also in the group, along with either Judy Clay or Doris Troy. At some point Cissy and Dee Dee formed The Sweet Inspirations with Syvlia Shemwell, Judy Clay's sister. Dee Dee went solo and was replaced by Myrna Smith and finally Estelle Brown was added. This quartet backed up Aretha, Dionne, Doris Troy, Judy Clay and many others. They joined Elvis's band for his Vegas shows but I believe Cissy left soon afterwards to start a solo career, make Myrna Smith the chief Sweet. Myrna later married Jerry Schilling (Elvis bought them a house) and perhaps was the only Sweet to sing on some of Elvis's studio recordings such as "Hurt." Jerry Schilling also managed or had something going on with The Beach Boys or Carl Wilson at some point so Myrna worked on some Carl Wilson records as co-writer.