gibb76 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was pooing myself.

same as Elvis, then.

I was doing my time in the navy and heard the news on the radio.

Thanks Gazza.

But 'King'?

What is there to get so excited about, apart from (apparently - I've not heard many) the early stuff.

To my ears, stuff like Blue Suede Shoes is just neat R&R, rather catchy but without real edge. Rather like Beatles R&R.

Compare "I wanna Be Your Man" by the two right royal bands.

(Obviously) as a Stones' fan from late 60s, and with the benefit of having heard their more gritty, earthy take on Blues/Rock - I was particularly biased and found it hard to take his stuff as 'serious' rock in comparison. "Temperature Rising" or whatever it's called was the only one to make me sit up and take notice in the seventies.

The adulation is beyond my comprehension. Jagger is far more of a king of Rock/Blues - but he'll not be worshipped, nationally or internationally, 30 years after his death. Not even one, I expect.

So, I'm still lost as to why Elvis is such a legend/myth - based on musical reasons. Not a King of Rock, surely. King of something maybe. Strong voice and warm personality. I know he was 'managed' but he lost any 'rock' credentials/credibility when he started doing all those (silly) films. To me, (as a product of the sixties), 'rock' partly/largely = rebelliousness - and really, Mick and Keith represented and lived that role well into the seventies.

(Agreed, there's nothing risible about being overweight - it wasn't meant as a cheap-shot. I guess I must be 'sizist', being weaned on lean, mean rock icons).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-08-17 16:22 by Four Stone Walls.

Back then, even to this day, I go to shows without a ticket and hope to score a good seat through the box office or outside. That was the plan for Elvis. Wish now I bought them ahead of time, I know I would have kept it.

Without him, this board probably doesn't exists.

Four Stone Walls Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks Gazza.
>
> But 'King'?
>
> What is there to get so excited about, apart from
> (apparently - I've not heard many) the early
> stuff.
>
> To my ears, stuff like Blue Suede Shoes is just
> neat R&R, rather catchy but without real edge.
> Rather like Beatles R&R.
>
> Compare "I wanna Be Your Man" by the two right
> royal bands.
>
> (Obviously) as a Stones' fan from late 60s, and
> with the benefit of having heard their more
> gritty, earthy take on Blues/Rock - I was
> particularly biased and found it hard to take his
> stuff as 'serious' rock in comparison.
> "Temperature Rising" or whatever it's called was
> the only one to make me sit up and take notice in
> the seventies.
>
> The adulation is beyond my comprehension. Jagger
> is far more of a king of Rock/Blues - but he'll
> not be worshipped, nationally or internationally,
> 30 years after his death. Not even one, I expect.
>
>
> So, I'm still lost as to why Elvis is such a
> legend/myth - based on musical reasons. Not a King
> of Rock, surely. King of something maybe. Strong
> voice and warm personality. I know he was
> 'managed' but he lost any 'rock'
> credentials/credibility when he started doing all
> those (silly) films. To me, (as a product of the
> sixties), 'rock' partly/largely = rebelliousness -
> and really, Mick and Keith represented and lived
> that role well into the seventies.
>
> (Agreed, there's nothing risible about being
> overweight - it wasn't meant as a cheap-shot. I
> guess I must be 'sizist', being weaned on lean,
> mean rock icons).

LOL..okay

Youre looking at it all from a latter day perspective and totally ignoring the fact that its not JUST about musical preference (which is an entirely personal issue) but that it has a far wider cultural significance. Elvis' film career is of no significance when it comes to his overall contribution to rock n roll. Why people throw that into the mix is beyond me. Its like saying the Stones werent a major contribution to the musical cultural explosion of the 60's and basing your argument on 'Satanic Majesties'

Rock 'n roll (not 'rock', that meaningless expression came later on) was the first form of music for young people. Before that, teenagers basically listened to what their parents listened to. Every cultural phenomenon has to have a figurehead and focal point. America being what it was, it wasnt going to be someone like Chuck Berry, great though he was. Someone who was white who could sound black and looked great fitted the bill nicely.

Add to that the fact that his music fused various musical styles (country, gospel, R&B, etc) of what we know as rock n roll - plus the fact that he could and did master every conceivable form of singing style in popular music, and theres no contest really.

Look at it from a non-American perspective. Elvis never toured outside North America. the rest of the world didnt get all those early ed Sullivan shows, etc. All we had was the records and (later) the films. Yet he was still the biggest musical icon of all time.

John lennon put it best - "before Elvis there was nothing". Obviously, not historically or musically accurate, but in terms of symbolizing what rock n roll meant as a cultural thing, its pretty much true. It certainly would have been to someone growing up halfway across the world with no concept of music that they could emotionally relate to.

He kicked the door open so everyone else could follow. That alone is what makes him the most important artist of the 20th century - even if his musical output may have been bettered by others.

McCartney wrote:

Without him, this board probably doesn't exists.

Exactly. Certainly the key in getting the right mix of country and blues that distilled into rock and roll. Berry might have been more important in the long run, but El started the ball rolling.

"No Anchovies, Please"

" Elvis' film career is of no significance when it comes to his overall contribution to rock n roll"


I agree mostly Gazza but its also fair to say that most of his No1 hits and major albums were from the film era spanning the 60s..
if he had not been making films at this time, it would have been interesting to see how differently history may have unfolded..

also worth pointing out that there was no double A-side releases here - alot of people would say that the B-side singles could have made it as well...


Dog

DoughboyUK Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> " Elvis' film career is of no significance when it
> comes to his overall contribution to rock n roll"
>
>
> I agree mostly Gazza but its also fair to say that
> most of his No1 hits and major albums were from
> the film era spanning the 60s..

Very few of Elvis' biggest hits come from his 60's film career - although some were from the four pre-army films, which are seen by most people as a different era entirely. Most of the 60's number 1's werent from movie soundtracks, and I think its pretty obvious when you look at the UK number 1's from that decade that its the non-soundtrack ones that are the better ones...

[www.elvispedia.org]


> if he had not been making films at this time, it
> would have been interesting to see how differently
> history may have unfolded..

Yep..a shocking waste of talent. And he knew it himself.
>
> also worth pointing out that there was no double
> A-side releases here - alot of people would say
> that the B-side singles could have made it as
> well...


Dont Be Cruel/Hound Dog being an obvious example!

Hmm talkin about Elvis...Phil Lynott s dead made me very sad..and Stuw s dead...and the lost of almost all of The Ramones..Muddy Waters..Marvin Gaye...Jimmy reed...Bob Marley...I was to young but Brians death was so sad foo me when i discovered the Stones!And Jimi Hendrix!!! When i hear ''All Along the Watchtower'' I get happy and sad at the same time...a shock to my system this genie!... so many great artist die...cause they mess with drugs ect its a real shame...We should be glad The R&s are still among us!!

Just listen to ''Any day now'' from Elvis its heartbreaking a bomb full of Soul!!

Great stuff, Gazz.

Me I was at home, aunt visiting, crushed by Elvis death.
Heat wave in whole of Sweden, sniffin' at 40 degrees Celcius.

Santa Cruz California - between Jr and Sr years of high school, on vacation w/ my girlfriend and her family.
I did not return to Santa Cruz for many years after that....finally, in August 1995 I did - and on the 9th, Jerry Garcia died.

I can never go back.

Anastasia Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Santa Cruz California - between Jr and Sr years of
> high school, on vacation w/ my girlfriend and her
> family.
> I did not return to Santa Cruz for many years
> after that....finally, in August 1995 I did - and
> on the 9th, Jerry Garcia died.
>
> I can never go back.

I think thats quite wise!!

i wasn't yet alive when Elvis was "returned to sender"

Lukester Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> .....working at Mr. Jims Sub Shop on Pacific
> Avenue in Virginia Beach.....it was about 87
> degrees and partly cloudy.......why?

Hey Lukster

I was working at Jacks Sub shop in Woburn Mass.

"Before Elvis, everything was in black and white. Then came Elvis. Zoom, glorious Technicolor." - Keith

"Elvis is my religion. But for him, I'd be selling encyclopedias."- Springsteen

"I'm just a singer. Elvis was the embodiment of the whole American culture." - Sinatra

"When I first heard Elvis' voice I just knew that I wasn't going to work for anybody; and nobody was going to be my boss ...
Hearing him was like busting out of jail." - Dylan

"Nothing really affected me until I heard Elvis." - Lennon

"Elvis was God-given. There's no explanation. A messiah comes around every few thousand years, and Elvis was it this time." - Little Richard

"Last time I saw him, we sang 'Old Blind Barnabus' together, a gospel song. I love him and hope to see him in heaven.
There'll never be another like that soul brother." - James Brown

"He was a unique artist ... an original in an area of imitators." Mick

"...all we ever wanted to be was Elvis Presley." - McCartney

"Elvis was such a nice guy, and so talented and charismatic" - Johnny Cash

"Elvis was the King. No doubt about it. People like myself, Mick Jagger, and all the others only followed in his footsteps." - Rod the Mod

"The cutting edge of it was Elvis singing 'Hound Dog.' There was something about that music that got me excited.
Elvis was dangerous in a way that even Buddy Holly wasn't." - Clapton

"Elvis is the best ever, the most original. He started the ball rolling for us all." - Jim Morrison

"His phraseology, his way of looking at a song, was as unique as Sinatra's...
Had Elvis lived, there would have been no end to his inventiveness." - B.B. King

Mick was once asked what the biggest let down in his career and he said .

" I never met Elvis"

Beelyboy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "Before Elvis, everything was in black and white.
> Then came Elvis. Zoom, glorious Technicolor." -
> Keith
>
> "Elvis is my religion. But for him, I'd be selling
> encyclopedias."- Springsteen
>
> "I'm just a singer. Elvis was the embodiment of
> the whole American culture." - Sinatra
>
> "When I first heard Elvis' voice I just knew that
> I wasn't going to work for anybody; and nobody was
> going to be my boss ...
> Hearing him was like busting out of jail." -
> Dylan
>
> "Nothing really affected me until I heard Elvis."
> - Lennon
>
> "Elvis was God-given. There's no explanation. A
> messiah comes around every few thousand years, and
> Elvis was it this time." - Little Richard
>
> "Last time I saw him, we sang 'Old Blind Barnabus'
> together, a gospel song. I love him and hope to
> see him in heaven.
> There'll never be another like that soul brother."
> - James Brown
>
> "He was a unique artist ... an original in an area
> of imitators." Mick
>
> "...all we ever wanted to be was Elvis Presley." -
> McCartney
>
> "Elvis was such a nice guy, and so talented and
> charismatic" - Johnny Cash
>
> "Elvis was the King. No doubt about it. People
> like myself, Mick Jagger, and all the others only
> followed in his footsteps." - Rod the Mod
>
> "The cutting edge of it was Elvis singing 'Hound
> Dog.' There was something about that music that
> got me excited.
> Elvis was dangerous in a way that even Buddy Holly
> wasn't." - Clapton
>
> "Elvis is the best ever, the most original. He
> started the ball rolling for us all." - Jim
> Morrison
>
> "His phraseology, his way of looking at a song,
> was as unique as Sinatra's...
> Had Elvis lived, there would have been no end to
> his inventiveness." - B.B. King


Thanks man!!

Wow this aint no sunday morning comming down!!!This is so good!

Regarding Beely's photo from the '68 special...

About two years ago I read where Peter Guralnick (sp?) who wrote those two excellent Elvis bios shared a story with some fans that he briefly alluded to--but didn't spell out in his Elvis book Careless Love.

The gist of it was, after the taping of the first jam session (with Scotty and DJ and the other guy--Charlie Hodges?) they had to send Elvis' leather pants out to a dry cleaner to clean out the...jam....before they taped the second set.



Re: Where I was Aug. 16,1977: In the ghetto.

yikes



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-08-19 20:39 by Beelyboy.

virgil Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lukester Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > .....working at Mr. Jims Sub Shop on Pacific
> > Avenue in Virginia Beach.....it was about 87
> > degrees and partly cloudy.......why?
>
> Hey Lukster
>
> I was working at Jacks Sub shop in Woburn Mass.


Hey virgil......I also remember Son Of Sam was terrorizing NY City that summer....

I was 7 when he passed. Was watching an episode of the Monkees when my mom came running into the room after hearing the news on the radio. She was screaming, "Elvis died, Elvis died!" She immediately changed my program and had the news on. It was horrible. Our entire family was in an uproar over the news. My mom was bawling like it was a relative that had died.

I've lived in Memphis all my life but THAT week I was on vacation with my family on the Gulf Coast of Florida.....we saw that a lot of Elvis movies were on TV and we said, "what's all this?" The announcer later called him the "late" Elvis Presley. Although Elvis was around everywhere when I was growing up, I never became a fan until a couple of years after his death; oddly enough, punk rock made me explore rock-n-roll's roots and when I first really, really listened to "Heartbreak Hotel," I was sold on him. Just a couple of days ago I was listening to "Baby Let's Play House" (Lennon borrowed a line from it in a song) and was just blown away.

That said, yesterday I went down to Graceland to catch the end of the "festivities." Still quite a few people there and many Brits and Germans. Amazing that 30 years later, he still generates such devotion!

Beelyboy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> yikes


Yeah. I agree.

Found the link that references this story:

[archive.salon.com]