Elvis Presley: Classic Or Dud?

I suppose a thing about Elvis is, how familiar is he really? He *seems* over-familiar - we think we know it all already - and maybe many folk do, several times over. But often, when I actually go and play the stuff rather than just think about it abstractly, it surprises me. It turns out to be more exciting than I imagined, or there are great songs I'd forgotten about; etc. I mean: the reality of Elvis might, possibly, be more (rather than less) interesting than the idea.

with all due respect to little richard (who i love) and chuck berry (who i respect), elvis was rock n' roll, until those damned beatles showed up, as he epitomized what it was all about viz. white kids doing naughty things viz. commingling with blacks. he had the hair, the looks, the moves -- few people have looked as bad-ASS as the king did on his comeback special -- and most importantly the voice, the one thing he'd have after everything else was gone.

search: "mystery train," "jailhouse rock," "surrender," "can't help falling in love," "anything that's part of you," "it hurts me," "tiger man," "if i can dream," "wearin' that loved on look," "i'll hold you in my heart," "tomorrow never comes," "american trilogy," etc muthafuckin' etc.

destroy: the films and most of the concomitant music, the cult, his private life, the karate...it's not too difficult to figure out what should be discounted.

I'm like Tom, I appreciate the idea of Elvis but I can't be bothered to listen to him, like ever. I own none of his CDs, because I have no desire to turn him on. If he comes on the radio, I won't turn it off, but really it's not my cup of tea. I won't search him out, simple as that.

Elvis I think does the business, but proceed with caution. The really bad sixties movie cuts aren't even good for camp value.

DESTROY: Greil Marcus. Much of the time, he's worse than the folks who see the image of Elvis in the grease spattered on a toaster of the local Waffle House.

As for me, I would say classic. I think a lot of the mythology surrounding him has belittled the music he created.

Other than that, he never meant a thing to me. Dud I guess. I'm such a fucking kid.

No wait, that was William Lyon Mackenzie King!

Dennis Lee to thread!

I don't understand how anyone can say he's a "watered-down Little Richard" since (a) they sound nothing at all alike, even when Elvis covered Little Richard songs, and (b) Elvis started making records before Little Richard cut "Tutti Frutti," the first record he made in the style he's famous for.

Though he IS undeniably a great singer, with really terrible management, though try telling that to the billion dollar EP Estate.
Like Ali, his talent was squandered, though there are many moments of transcendence throughout his career.

Also, in Linda Gail Lewis's autobio, she claims that the time Jerry Lee stormed the gates at Graceland, it was because a doped up EP had called him to come rescue him, a claim not as preposterous as it seems.
Elvis might have been King, but Colonol Parker ruled.

Here's a question to ponder: What would Elvis's legacy be had he not been so incredible looking?

One of whom I phoned just to hear her voice after her repeating "Listen, we will invite some guys over, listen to Elvis and play some yahtzee".

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.

Maybe I should just start a thread for that stuff.

https://www.elvisinfonet.com/myrna.html

After Elvis died my husband Jerry Schilling was working with The Beach Boys and in fact we were dining with the Colonel the very night that Dennis Wilson drowned.

Every time I've ever mailed or sent something as "Return to Sender," I think about the chorus to Elvis's hit in a non-stop loop.

(bring that up because that's what happened as I carried a mistaken package to the UPS store)

an all time hook

by Otis Blackwell! (with Winfield Scott)

Scotty Moore got a writer's credit on that?

Oh no, different guy.

how has this pic not become a meme yet

https://i.imgur.com/wYkk0eB.jpg

Think it must be because Loren and Mansfield were at the next table.

Fun fact that I just learned from Andrew Hickey’s A History Of Rock Music In 500 Songs podcast: because Sun had a disc cutting machine in the early ‘60s, and Stax didn’t, if Stax needed an acetate they’d have it cut at Sun. The acetate for “Green Onions” was cut at Sun by Scotty Moore.

Wait which episode was that, or are you going to make me listen to all 500?

It’s actually from the most recent one, in which he answers questions from listeners

Recent Andrew Hickey talk here and elsewhere led me to find his on-target review of the Elvis movie: https://andrewhickey.info/2022/07/11/elvis-film-review/

thx for posting- a good read!

though uh he is VERY thorough lol
“Now I should also take a moment here to address my non-conventional use of punctuation. I know it is common for a period to be used in a natural break but as you’ll see I prefer …”

That was interesting, this guy’s a good writer

Fwiw, John Goodman isn’t really fat anymore

yes! he’s pretty lean these days

But also---wrinkled as hell, deflated-looking. And deflated-seeming, last time I could stand to watch The Connors. Like some older people I've known---

wow that’s a great review. thank you

This fucking clip is amazing. I'm sure it's upthread somewhere but holy shit — not just the way the rhythm section (Jerry Scheff and Ronnie Tutt) go off about two and a half minutes in, but the way Elvis reacts to Tutt, grinning like he can't even help himself given what he's hearing, and then the way he plays with the backup singer a minute later, stalking across the stage at her like a goddamn tiger...just an unbelievable performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1g5tVGZhfk

Cool, thanks.

Does he pretty much always say/sing “shove it up your nose” at that one point? Used to think that was a one-off but it seems to keep reappearing.

unbelievable confidence