Elvis Presley: Classic Or Dud?

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdYYcMH4dmw

The movie's gonna be on HBO Max starting Friday. Asked my wife if she had any interest in watching it with me, she said no, so I'll probably pass.

You don't know what you are missing.

i’m in!

another great performance, fun tune too

Does anyone else like to do an Elvis number as karaoke? Have we discussed before?

Also trying to find this article from the Village Voice called “Elvis Presley: Rhythm and Ooze,” by Gregory Sandow.

Don't know if this helps, but if you have access to a library's archives, it's the Aug. 18, 1987 issue, page 71

(Actually it may be Aug. 16 not 18 - I see it listed as both)

Thanks. Saw that date.

Snippets are quoted here.

Also want to see that Kiri Te Kanawa interview.

Here's a brief roundup of a few classical singers talking about him: https://alainrozan.wordpress.com/

Including Bryn Terfel. Seems like the quote is from here:

https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/10/arts/music/10bryn.html

Also something here: https://www.classicfm.com/artists/bryn-terfel/guides/bryn-terfel-hall-valley-king/

"Return to Sender" his Desert Island Disc!

I know, I know, I don't need these opera stars to validate him, but it still makes me happy for some reason.

I particularly enjoyed this

Elvis is now streaming

:D

Does anyone else like to do an Elvis number as karaoke? Have we discussed before?

i do if i can dream a lot

if i did i would do From a Jack To A King

I often do “Polk Salad Annie,” which is fun for various reasons.

Trying to think of another one to mix it up.

film was entertaining, started and ended kind of horribly but the entire middle section is excellent.

The Vegas part was when I really, really believed he was actually Elvis, but thought a lot of the rest of it was pretty good too.