COMING SOON 4 TRACK CD LISA - MARIE PRESLEY

1. S.O.B. 
2. The Road Between 
3. Lights Out 
4. Nobody Noticed It 

2003/01/12 Elvis World Japan. / Ep.Gold.Com.

ELVIS ON COVER HIGH TIME MAGAZINE.

The February 2003 edition of the High Times magazine (a magazine about smoking pot) features Elvis on the cover. This edition focuses on two of the most influential men in history: Jesus and Elvis. The article on Elvis is titled: 'The King and I'. 

The synopsis:
What is it about Elvis that makes all them old ladies go nuts? Our intrepid reporter packs his suitcase full of acid and heads to Graceland to investigate the Elvis myth. Torn between the perfect love of Elvis and the earthly rewards of Satan, will this journalist ever make it back from the farthest regions of the lysergic universe to tell his tale? 

2003/01/12 ElvisNews / Ep.Gold.Com.

CD-ROM ELVIS AND BEATLES.

Just released in Malaysia is a new CD-Rom with MP3's from the Beatles And Elvis. It features 160 songs by the Beatles and 100 songs by Elvis Presley. Many are alternate versions on this factory pressed picture disc.

2003/01/12 ElvisNews / Ep.Gold.Com.

CNN LARRY KING LIVE INTERVIEW WITH JERMAINE JACKSON.

CALLER: Hey, Jeremy, one question I've had is Elvis Presley. Is Michael a fan of his? Because they're so much alike. 
JERMAINE JACKSON: Yes, very much. We're fans of Elvis, too. We grew up watching his movies, everything. We like him. 
KING: Did you ever meet him? 
JERMAINE JACKSON: We met him one time in the elevator in... 
KING: Vegas? 
JERMAINE JACKSON: I think it was Tahoe. And he came and we were doing a show there. And he came in and we were coming down or some were going up. And he said -- something like, Oh, yeah, you Jackson boys. 
But we were in awe because it's Elvis. 
KING: Michael was there, too? 
JERMAINE JACKSON: Yes. 
KING: It's Elvis. So it's the Jackson 5 and Elvis on this elevator? Just an ordinary little elevator trip. 
JERMAINE JACKSON: Yes. 

2003/01/12 Elvis World Japan / Ep.Gold.Com

Canadians top world in devotion to Elvis 30 No. 1 Hits sales highest per capita.

A young Private Elvis Presley in Friedberg, West Germany, in 1959.

Canadian devotion to Elvis Presley was recognized at a special ceremony this week at Graceland.

Canada led every country but the United States with sales of more than 600,000 copies of the album Elvis: 30 No. 1 Hits, released last September, says BMG Canada.

On a per capita basis, sales were higher in Canada than anywhere else. A plaque to commemorate the six-times platinum certification was unveiled at a ceremony marking what would have been Presley's 68th birthday on Wednesday.

"We were overwhelmed with the response from Canadians to this CD release," Lisa Zbitnew, president of BMG Canada, said in a statement Thursday.

"To witness the end result of Canada being the No. 1 territory of Elvis in the world is nothing short of incredible."

Plaques were also presented to mark sales of the CD in 26 other countries.

Last year was something of a comeback year for Presley, as long-time fans marked the 25th anniversary of his death and the success of a dance remix of A Little Less Conversation.

2003/01/12 Patrick Hughes / Ep.Gold.Com.

DECEMBER 2002 - PLATINUM EUROPEAN AWARDS.

A total of thirteen albums were certified in December 2002, with seven achieving Platinum Europe for the first time and six awarded a double or multi Platinum Europe Award. 

Liverpool trio Atomic Kitten achieved their first Platinum Europe Award with their album Feels So Good. Containing two of the girlband's UK hit singles of 2002 - It's OK! and The Tide Is High - the album features a title track penned specially for the girls by Kylie Minogue. 

Blue's award for their second album, One Love, crowned an award-winning year for the London band. Exceeding sales of one million in Europe within two months of its release, the album features a duet with Elton John, Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word, and collaborations with songwriters Connor Reeves and Rob Davis. 

Recorded in a studio measuring just twenty feet by ten feet and featuring instruments as diverse as the dulcimer, toy piano and melodica, A New Day At Midnight is the latest album from David Gray. The product of Gray's winning partnership with song writing partner Clune and producer Lestyn Polson, the album's Platinum Europe Award follows a double award for White Ladder in 2001. 

Representing a career spanning more than three decades, Greatest Hits 1970-2002 is the latest double album from Elton John, containing the singer-songwriter's best-loved songs from his flamboyant early years to the present day. 

This Is Me Then, the third album from Jennifer Lopez, has been awarded a Platinum Europe Award just one month after its release. With nine songs penned by the artist herself, the album features a duet with LL Cool J on All I Have and a cover of Carly Simon's You Belong To Me. 

Phil Collins' Testify is his first new studio album for six years. Already topping sales of one million in Europe, the album's award follows previous Platinum Europe success with Dance Into The Light and Hits. Testify has won awards in twelve European countries. 

Italian artist Zucchero has achieved massive success in his home country with his latest album. Released in September 2001, Shake has won six platinum awards in Italy and has been awarded a Platinum Europe Award for sales across Europe. 

S&M, Metallica's collaboration with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, has steadily built sales since its first Platinum Europe Award in 1999. Showcasing the band's greatest hits from the last twenty years, the album - which also features two new tracks, Human and No Leaf Clover - now receives a double Platinum Europe Award as sales exceed two million. 

Nickelback's second album Silver Side Up has also been awarded a double Platinum Europe Award. Containing tracks written from before the release of the group's debut album right up until the time of recording, Silver Side Up was produced by Rick Parashar (Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog) and mixed by Randy Staub (Metallica, U2). 

Elvis Presley's 30 #1 Hits brings more success for the King as sales exceed three million in Europe. The album contains all 31 Elvis singles that have been number one in the US or UK, from Heartbreak Hotel to the posthumous hit A Little Less Conversation. 

As sales of The Eminem Show pass the three million mark in Europe, the controversial rapper receives a triple Platinum Europe Award for the album which topped one million European sales within a month of its release in May 2002. 

Laundry Service from Shakira has been awarded its fourth Platinum Europe Award of 2002. Her first album to include English language songs, Laundry Service reflects the Colombian artist's eclectic influences in its mix of rock, Latin and Middle Eastern flavours. 

Awarded a triple Platinum Europe Award within one year of its release, Whitney Houston's 1998 album My Love Is Your Love has now exceeded sales of four million in Europe. 

2003/01/12 IFPI / Ep.Gold.Com.

NIPPER GETS NIPPED.

RCA, J Label Consolidation Gets Underway, 50 Get Trimmed, Mostly in Back-Office Positions 

January 8, 2003 

The much-anticipated restructuring of the RCA Music Group, combining the RCA and J labels under Clive Davis, began in earnest this morning. 
Cutbacks were made across the board in all departments, with backroom functions the main target. Despite the combined operations, the labels will continue to be run as separate entities. 

Sources estimate a total of about 50 employees from both RCA and J were affected by the consolidation. 

"Staff reductions at RCA Music Group are part of our effort to eliminate duplicate positions and responsibilities among certain areas at RCA and J," read a BMG statement. "The streamlining is part of an integration of the two labels under the RCA Music Group banner, but these changes won't affect the independent, creative integrity of the two labels. The reductions demonstrate a common-sense approach to operating RCA Music Group that preserves the A&R, promotion and creative expertise of RCA and J, but allows the group to operate with lower overhead costs." 

These moves were made to make the combined entity "leaner, meaner and more of a team." The streamlined unit now becomes one of three label components under the BMG music umbrella alongside Antonio L.A. Reid's Arista Records and Jive/Zomba, recently acquired by parent Bertelsmann from Clive Calder for $2.74 billion in a put option. 

Among the top executives affected by the move were RCA Sr. VP A&R David Bendeth, promotion head Ron Geslin, VP Promo execs Ron Poore, Eric Murphy and Tony Monte, as well as J sales head Dave Yeskel and J VP Promotion Steve Kline, who we reported left last week. 

The company is also expected to announce some major hirings within the next few days. More details to come as we get them. 

2003/01/11 Hits Daily Double / Ep.Gold.Com.

THE ELVIS INTERNATIONAL - SHOP HOLLAND.

This is the one stop shop for the real die-hard Elvis Fans in Europe.
Famous for their unique assortment.

Here you find:
Cd's - Promo Cd's - DVD's & VCD's - Video -.
On Vinyl : Singles - Extented 45 - 78's - 10 inch albums - Long Play Albums. ( from all over the World )

Magazines - Books - Orig. Film Posters - Memoribilia - Private Items - 16 mm Films.... etcetera.......

Opening Hours:

Friday : 18.00 - 21.00 
Saturday : 13.00 - 18.00
Sunday : 13.00 - 18.00

THE ELVIS INTERNATIONAL - SHOP HOLLAND.
Sionstraat 12
1947 JT  Beverwijk
 Holland - The Netherlands.

2003/01/11 Ep.Gold.Com.

CELEBRATING ELVIS BIRTDAY AND RECORD ACHIEVEMENTS

Joe DiMuro, RCA Records, joined EPE CEO Jack Soden in welcoming fans from all over the world in attendance at Wednesday's Elvis Presley Proclamation and Record Awards Presentation on the lawn at Graceland. Awards from 27 territories ranging from gold to triple platinum were carried onstage and displayed.

2003/01/11 EPE / Elvis From Poland. / Ep.Gold.Com.

NEW GRACELAND GUIDEBOOK.

Available now is the all new edition of the Graceland guidebook. 
It features a special forword by Lisa Marie. 
The hardcover book contains 108 pages and is filled with exclusive photos and stories. 

2003/01/11 EPE / Ep.Gold.Com

VARIOUS E 1 CHART UPDATES.

The CD 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' remains #17 in the Danish Album Top 40 in the second week of 2003. Danish television showed the "Elvis Lives" special on his birthday.
In its 15th week on the CD 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' fell from #18 to #20 in the German album chart.
The CD 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' remained steady at #12 in both the Dutch Top 40 Album Chart and the Mega Top 100 Album Chart.

2003//01/11 Various / ElvisNews / Ep.Gold.com

THE MAN IN WHITE VOLUME 3 IMPORT CD OUT NOW.

Today we recieved our copy from "The Man In White Vol.3" and we're not going to say a lot about this release. The recording date was "August 14, 1970 - Midnight Show" at the Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas. The last five tracks are bonus tracks from a show somewhere in August 1970.

It's a audience recording the sound is real flat, too much treble and too much noise. Coverart is quite basic.

Tracklisting: That's All Right - Amen / I Got A Woman / You Don't Know Me / I Got A Woman - Mystery Train / Tiger Man - Folsom Prison Blues / I Walk The Line - Monologue / Love Me Tender - Johnny B. Goode - Whole Lotta Shakin' / Blueberry Hill - The Wonder Of You - You've Lost That Loving Feeling - Polk Salad Annie - Introductions - Oh Happy Day - All Shook Up - Blue Suede Shoes - One Night - Bridge Over Troubled Water - Suspicious Minds - Can't Help Falling In Love * Bonus Tracks (August 1970) * Memphis Tennessee - Sweet Caroline - Sweet Inspiration - More - Bridge Over Troubled water 

2003/01/11 Solid Gold Elvis / Ep.Gold.Com.

RESPONSE FROM EPE ON RANDY'S ARTICLE FROM YESTERDAY.

Graceland staff member, confirmed the media report was very inaccurate.The Graceland staff member said, the Elv1s album is not Elvis' biggest selling album, and even though they did not know which album was, they were very sure the Elv1s album was not the top seller.

The Graceland staff member also said, the Moody Blue album was never given a plaque for sales of over 10 million, so this was just a very inaccurate statement from years ago.

Thanks!
Randy.

2003/01/11 Randy / Ep.Gold.Com.

ELVIS CONVENTION 2003 - EXTRA SHOW SUNDAY APRIL 6th, 2003

After the great success with ticket for the Saturday show sold in just 24 hours, have we decided to do an extra show on Sunday April 6th 2003 at 4 P.M.
As you can read below will all the profit from this show go directly to the Danish children cancer foundation.
April 6th will be the date when the second Elvis Unlimited Convention this yaer will take place in Randers, Denmark. This years Convention will be totally different from all the other Elvis shows that have been in Denmark. The overall tema for this show will be the 30th anniversary for the "Aloha From Hawaii" show. The basic song line up will be from the legendary show, plus of cause many more songs.
Our special guests this year will be The TCB Band and The Sweet Inspirations. There will not be only one lead singer at this show, but a good handful of great Danish and international singers. The profit from the show will directly to the Danish children cancer foundation. The ticket price will be 360.- Danish Kroners. Please call +45 8642 9696 or e-mail: info@elvispresley.dk for more information.

2003/01/11 Elvis Unlimited / Ep.Gold.Com

ALOHA FROM HAWAII - 30th ANNIVERSARY VCD.

Today we recieved the news that there will come a special two VCD set released in China that is celebrating the 30th Anniversary from the "Aloha From Hawaii" special. 

The first disc contains the complete "Aloha From Hawaii" concert, the second disc contains the complete "Alternate Aloha" concert. They added also two bonus interviews "September 1972 and November 1972" 

2003/01/10 Solid Gold Elvis / Ep.Gold.Com.

THAT OLD FEELING HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ELVIS.

Time Dot.Com On Line published a great article written by Richard Corliss on Elvis's birthday.
Called: Richard on the King's Legacy.

To read this great article: Go to the Menu Reviews or


2003/01/10 Richard Corliss - Time.Com. / Ep.Gold.Com.

STORY ON BARBARA BUCKNER

 By Charity Apple -Times-News.

We made an unlikely pair of roommates - a 64-year-old breast cancer  survivor and a 29-year-old reporter - but a friendship developed inside  that Memphis, Tenn., hotel room more than three years ago.
You could call it timing or the happenstance of two strangers cast together on a trip to Graceland. Whatever it was, that weekend - July 16-18, 1999 - kept replaying itself during Barbara's funeral Saturday at  Riverside Baptist Church in Graham. The Rev. Bob Stephenson, who had only known Barbara a few months, made the  comment that "she made an impact that stayed with you."
I experienced that feeling, firsthand. Barbara was one of three women  chosen for a breast cancer documentary, "Snow Angels," by filmmaker Ken  Vrana of Type A Productions in Cary. The film also followed Terry Coble of Graham and Zenobia Johnson of Danville, Va., documenting operations and doctor's visits in 1999-2000 at  Alamance Regional Medical Center, along with the impact the disease has on  family and friends.

Barbara and Terry, avid Elvis Presley fans, wanted to include a visit to Graceland in the film. The administration there agreed to let Ken film the event on the grounds. Zenobia Johnson was unable to make the trip. Packed into a Winnebago with seven other people, Barbara talked about the  time Elvis came to Williams High School in 1957, and Terry Coble began  singing "Love Me Tender." The two laughed like giddy schoolgirls.
The night we arrived in Memphis, I remember wondering what Barbara and I could possibly talk about. The weariness of the long trip remedied that,  and we were soon fast asleep. The next morning, however, we had plenty to discuss. John F. Kennedy Jr.'s  plane had disappeared somewhere between New Jersey and Martha's Vineyard,  Mass. We watched in disbelief as search parties were called on to locate  the plane.

A tour of Graceland was a welcomed distraction. Barbara and Terry got to sit on the front lawn, something most visitors don't get to do. And Terry  petted one of the horses boarded there.  "How can I be bitter about this (cancer)?" Barbara asked as she sat on the lawn during a moment of filming. "I have four grandchildren and I've  traveled to all parts of the world. I just thank you, Lord, for another  day."
That night, Barbara and I watched as the television news reported that the search for John F. Kennedy Jr.'s plane had been unsuccessful, to that  point. Barbara mentioned how important it was to have hope and faith. These were words she didn't just throw around in conversation; this woman lived by  them. Over a bag of potato chips and a couple of sodas, I discovered that she had survived more than just cancer's grip. As an infant, she was severely burned and had to have several operations to restore the use of her right hand.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1976. At the time, the diagnosis  was considered the same thing as a death sentence, but Barbara, a young  nurse at Alamance County Hospital, never gave up hope. She overcame the disease, but it resurfaced in 1989, when she was  diagnosed with Stage 4, the last stage of the disease. Ninety percent of  patients in Stage 4 die within five years, but there are exceptions, and  Barbara was definitely one of them.

My face was wet with tears as I heard this woman speak. She then did something that those who knew her would expect. Barbara started asking about me. At the moment, I laughed. I knew at that moment that this story would be more than just work - this woman would become a part of my life.
Throughout the project's duration, Barbara and I met for lunch (Mayflower Seafood was one of our favorite spots, and so was Blue Ribbon Diner). I  had lost both grandmothers years before, and Barbara had said at one  point, "I'll be your grandmother."  And in a lot of ways, she was. Barbara and I talked at least once a month,  and she always ended the conversation the same way - "I love you, Charity."
The objectivity that comes with a reporter/source relationship was  abandoned. I had found a friend, one who followed the 50-hour labor and  delivery of my son, and somehow seemed to sense when I was having a tense  day. The call would come, out of the blue, and it always ended with me  smiling.  As her granddaughter, Ginny Buckner, so eloquently put it during the  funeral, "You had the intention of cheering her up, and she ended up  cheering you up."  

That's how Barbara was. But there was never a time in the 26-year battle  with breast cancer that she gave up or threw a pity party.  "I'm doing good, Charity," she'd always say. Despite the constant  chemotherapy and radiation treatments, the chipper tone in her voice never  waned.  She often said that "God has left me here for a reason. I want to help  women understand that this can happen to them. And they can fight it  through faith and love."  The Rev. Bob Stephenson said on Saturday that the Buckners (Barbara and  husband Ronald "Pal" Buckner) are the "kind of people you look forward to  seeing. A bright spot in your day."  I'll miss that monthly phone call - and I'll definitely miss her. I had  planned on calling her Jan. 2, a day too late. At the time, I hadn't read  the obituaries. I received the news from a family member.  Barbara's death only reiterates the fact that you have to tell people you  love them, while you have the chance. She did that every day.

 "Snow Angels" will debut at the Paramount Theater, 128 E. Front St.,
 Burlington at 7 p.m. Jan. 12. Admission to the documentary debut is $20.
 Tickets are available at 222-TIXS or from noon to 3 p.m. weekdays at the
 Paramount box office.

 Charity Apple is the Assistant Accent editor and Here & Now adviser at the
 Times-News. She can be reached at (336) 506-3057 or
 charity_apple@link.freedom.com.

2003/01/10 Charity Apple / Ep.Gold.Com.

FANS CELEBRATE ELVIS PRESLEY'S BIRTHDAY.

MEMPHIS, Tennessee,
Christine Lewis wrapped herself in the flag — an Elvis flag — to celebrate what would have been the King of Rock 'n' Roll's 68th birthday. 
Lewis, 52, of Somerset, England, was among 600 to 700 fans gathered Wednesday on the front lawn of Graceland, Elvis Presley last residence, to cut a cake and sing "Happy Birthday." Celebrants stood in line up to 1 1/2 hours to get onto the grounds for the party. 
"I could imagine him being here. I cried so much," Lewis said. 
For the occasion, she wrapped herself in a flag with red and blue stripes and white stars. Inside the largest star, in the center of the flag, was an image of Presley. 
Lewis and several traveling companions stayed at the Heartbreak Hotel, which is across the street from Graceland and part of the Elvis estate's sprawling layout of gift shops and museums. 
"It's all been so wonderful. Very moving," she said. 

Doreen Jones, 67, and husband, Trevor, 66, traveled from Southport, England. As is common for fans from abroad, they also took side pilgrimages to Tupelo, Mississippi, the small town where Presley was born, and to Nashville. 
It was Mrs. Jones' first visit to Graceland, which was decorated by Presley with almost as much flash as one of his bespangled jumpsuits. 
"It was absolutely marvelous, the atmosphere and the colors," she said. 
Presley's grave is in a small garden beside Graceland, but Mrs. Jones was unable to talk about that part of the tour. "I just can't," she said, her voice breaking as her eyes filled with tears. 
She was quickly comforted by other fans. 

For the birthday, Graceland managers cut a blue and white cake before a display of framed gold and platinum awards for "Elvis 30 1 Hits," an album released last year on the 25th anniversary of the singer's death. 
The album has sold more than 8 million copies worldwide and the awards were from 27 countries, including the United States. 
The anniversary of Presley's birth on Jan. 8, 1935, draws several hundred fans each year and this year's crowd was somewhat larger. By contrast, a weeklong commemoration of the anniversary of his Aug. 16, 1977, death attracts 20,000 or more. 
Presley died at age 42 of heart disease and drug abuse. 

Sherrye Scott, 50, a local fan, sported an Elvis concert jacket and Elvis T-shirt decorated with a sparkling teddy bear pin. 
Scott said she often stood outside the Graceland gates when Elvis was alive trying to get a glimpse of him. 
She still remembers the day in 1969 when he came down from Graceland to talk with her and other fans. 
"We got kisses, hugs and autographs," Scott said. "He loved his fans. He was so giving." 


2003/01/10 Woody Blaird - Associated Press. / Yahoo News / Ep.Gold.Com.

SAD CHART NEWS FROM NORWAY.

Sorry to inform you, but the CD 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' dropped out of the Top 40 album chart in Norway.

2003/01/10 ElvisNews / Ep.Gold.Com.

BILLBOARD POLL: ELV1S' IS COUNTRY FANS.

From Billboard's Year-In-Music Voting Booth we have the first result. 

He was the "King of Rock'n'Roll," but Elvis Presley's country success is well remembered and appreciated by fans of the genre, according to a Billboard.com poll. Out of 12,335 votes, Presley's posthumous "ELV1S: 30 #1 Hits" (RCA) ranked No. 1 among the albums that finished in the top-15 on Billboard's year-end Top Country Albums chart, taking in 54% of the tally. In actuality, the hits set finished at No. 6 on the 2002 country wrap-up.

2003/01/10 ElvisNews / Billboard / Ep.Gold.Com.

Hi,my name is Randy and I have read a very inaccurate press release.A press release claimed,that the Elv1s album is his biggest seller,but they were comparing it with his highest certified American album,which has sold over 7 million in America alone.I am sure,that RCA presented Graceland with a plaque,that credited the Moody Blue album with 11 or 12 million sales,during the 1980s.The press release made another mistake,because it said that his 1950s Christmas album was his best seller until now,but it was his early 1970s Christmas album that has sold over 7 million copies,and the 1950s album has sold over 3 million copies.Can you clear this up with BMG,because alot of Elvis fans cannot understand how this press release could be so inaccurate,which can be proven by past RCA plaques and release dates? Thanks!

Inaccurate Press Report for E1 I would just like to say that I fully support the comment made by reader 'Randy' concerning the Press Report which stated that E1 is Elvis' biggest selling album. This is clearly not the case. It may be his fastest selling album worldwide however. At present, as Randy states, 'Elvis' Christmas Album (1970's package) is his biggest selling album with over 7 million copies sold in the USA alone. Brian Quinn

THE PRESS CONFERENCES VOLUME 2.

Elvis Unlimited will release a follow up to their double Cd "The Press Conferences" next. The second volume will contain the complete press conferences from Canada (1957), Brooklyn, New York (1958) and Honolulu, Hawaii (November 1972) all of those digital mastered for the best possible sound quality. Some parts of those press conferences have all ready been released on other Elvis Cd’s, but not in this quality or in their entire playing time. "The Press Conferences, Vol. 2" will be a single Cd in a beautiful digi-pack. The price will only be 15.99 Euro

2003/01/10 Elvis Unlimited / Ep.Gold.Com.

ELVIS CONVENTION 2003 SOLD OUT IN RANDERS, DENMARK.

Elvis Convention 2003 in Randers, Denmark is now sold out! There have been sold 1000 ticket in two days. The profit from this show will be donated to the Danish children cancer foundation.

We’re now working on one more show Sunday April 6th, 2003

2003/01/10 Elvis unlimited / Ep.Gold.Com.

PRODUCER ELVIS 30 # 1 HITS DAVID BENDETH HAS LEFT THE BUILDING AT RCA / BMG. US..

As you all know my contact with the Producer from 30 # 1 Hits Album: David Bendeth was close and David was even a columist for Ep.Gold for exclusive
news.

I asked David if it was true that he left RCA/BMG and this was his confirmation:

Andylon, It is true, all I can say is that it was a great 15 years and I leave behind many fond memories, thanks David.

I also wish David all the best in 2003 and would like to thank him and all the Elvis Fans Worldwide for making the Album he produced the biggest seller ever.
 Elvis30 # 1 Hits album is exspected very soon to reach the 10 million units.

Thank you David, and we do keep in touch. ...... Andylon.

2003/01/09 David Bendeth / Andylon Lensen / Ep.Gold.Com.

PRESENTATION OF GOLD AND PLATINUM AWARDS FOR ELVIS 30 # 1 HITS ALBUM.

Following is the list of gold and platinum awards for ELV1S 30 #1 HITS presented at Graceland today during the Elvis Presley Day proclamation ceremony. Note that sales requirements for gold or platinum status vary from country to country.

Africa - Platinum (over 50,000 sold)
Austria - Platinum (over 40,000 sold)
Australia - Platinum (# units not noted on award)
Belgium - Platinum (over 50,000 sold)
Brazil - Double Platinum (# units not noted on award)
Canada – Six Times Platinum (over 600,000 sold)
Chile - Platinum (# units not noted on award)
Denmark - Platinum (over 50,000 sold)
Finland - Double Platinum (over 60,000 sold)
Germany - Not labeled gold or platinum (over 300,000 sold)
Hong Kong - Platinum (# units not noted on award)
Italy - Platinum (over 100,000 sold)
Japan - Platinum (over 250,000 sold)
Korea - Gold (# units not noted on award)
Mexico - Gold (# units not noted on award)
Netherlands - Platinum (over 80,000 sold)
New Zealand - Triple Platinum (# units not noted on award)
Norway - Platinum (over 40,000 sold)
Portugal - Gold (over 20,000 sold)
Singapore - Triple Platinum (# units not noted on award)
Spain - Double Platinum (# units not noted on award)
Sweden - Double Platinum (over 120,000 sold)
Switzerland – Platinum for A Little Less Conversation (JXL Remix) (over 40,000 sold) on same award with Double Platinum for ELV1S 30 #1 HITS (over 80,000 sold)
Taiwan - Platinum (# units not noted on award)
Thailand - Platinum (# units not noted on award)
United Kingdom - Triple Platinum (over 900,000 sold)
United States - Triple Platinum (over 3 million sold)

A gold or platinum award from France is expected, but for some reason did not arrive for today’s presentation. Gold and platinum from other countries could come in the weeks ahead. Upgrades to gold and platinum status in various countries could come as sales continue. So far, nearly 9 million units of ELVIS 30 #1 HITS have been shipped to retailers around the world.

2003/01/09 EPE / Ep.Gold.Com.

MORE DETAILS ON LISA MARIE PRESLEY ALBUM.

Fox News in the U.S. had an item on Lisa's debut album, it gives more details on the tracks and production. 

Lisa Marie Presley's long-awaited debut album is coming to us on April 8. That's the word yesterday from sources at Capitol Records, where Presley evidently has a contract.

So what would a Lisa Marie album be like?

For one thing, Presley has written all the lyrics on the album for songs titled: "The Road Between," "Gone," "Indifferent," "Excuse Me," "To Whom It May Concern" (which I guess she could perform as a medley with "Return to Sender"), "So Lovely," "SOB" and a few others.

One song, called "Savior," Presley co-wrote with Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins. Another, the closer, called, "Better Beware," she co-wrote with her first husband, Danny Keogh.

There's no indication from the liner notes if Lisa Marie's songs address issues such as her late father, Scientology, her marriages to Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage, or Graceland. But one song, "The Road Between," is supposedly about her hometown of Memphis, Tenn.

Nearly all of the self-titled album was produced by Eric Rosse, an up-and-coming European producer. One track was worked on personally by Capitol Records boss Andy Slater. None of them were produced by Glen Ballard, Alanis Morissette's producer, who had worked on and off with Presley for years on the project. Nevertheless, a couple of the songs Ballard co-wrote with Cliff Magnes are included, and one the pair wrote with Keogh.

Also missing from the album is the one song credited to Presley in the BMI music database, "You Made Me Love You."

The long-aborning project has been the subject of much discussion, particularly since it was once rumored that Presley had a deal with Michael Jackson to record an album in exchange for marrying him. That project, produced by David Foster, never came to fruition, although miracle-worker Foster did record tracks with her.

2003/01/09 Yahoo / ElvisNews / Ep.Gold.Com.

SEE ELVIS THE AUSTRALIAN WAY

Joan Tillitzki from the Hunter region fan club sent Bob these pictures.
Joan was travelling on the bus when one of her friends said with a grin
"ELVIS IS ALWAYS BEHIND YOU JOAN"

When the bus came to the next stop, the driver said to Joan to go and have a look
at the advertising sign on the back of the bus?

Joan returned with a smile on her face and said I know some other Elvis fans
would like to see that. So here it is, all the way from Australia.

2003/01/09 J.Tillitzki / Bob Hayden / Ep gold.Com

PORTUGUESE CHART UPDATE.

The E 1 Album is no longer in the Album Charts in Potugal.
But at the same time A littlle Less Coversation is No # 9 on the single charts this week.

2003/01/09 Burning Star / Ep.Gold.Com.

TAMPA MUSIC PRODUCER BUYS ELVIS'S GRAND PIANO FOR $685.000.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- When it comes to pianos, Elvis Presley isn't the king -- but he's close.

A white grand piano once used by Elvis to jam with "The Killer,'' Jerry Lee Lewis, sold this week to the tune of $685,000.

That's more than the 1999 auction price of $662,500 for Marilyn Monroe's baby grand piano but less than the $2.1 million paid in 2000 by British pop star George Michael for the piano on which Beatle John Lennon composed the song "Imagine.''

Memphis guitarist and music producer Robert A. Johnson and partner Larry Moss sold the Knabe grand piano Monday to a Tampa, Fla., music producer who hopes to put the piano on a casino-sponsored promotional tour, then turn it into an exhibit in a proposed Don Kirshner rock museum in Disney World.

Michael Muzio, chairman of Blue Moon Group Inc. in Tampa, also acquired Johnson's Memphis Music label. He said has projects in the works with musicians Cheap Trick, Eddie Money and the Bar-Kays. The sale also included several other pieces of rock memorabilia, including an Elvis guitar.

Muzio said he paid a total of $1.3 million for the properties, including Memphis Music, which will be merged with his company. He also owns the dance-band label Nebulous Records and the hip-hop label Blue Moon Records. He said Johnson will remain as president of Memphis Music, which will be ``more of a rock label.''

The sale came the same week as Elvis's 68th birthday celebration. His birthday is Wednesday.

The piano was originally used from the early 1930s to 1957 in Ellis Auditorium in Memphis, where it was played by such artists as W. C. Handy, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Cab Calloway.

Graceland memorabilia consultant John Heath said Elvis bought the piano after he bought Graceland and used it until 1969, when his wife gave him a new Steinway grand piano for his 34th birthday.

Elvis friend George Klein said Elvis loved to play the piano at home rather than guitar and often played for family and friends. He said one of the most memorable moments at the Knabe grand came one night soon after Elvis's return from his stint in the Army.

"Elvis had rented a theater and we were planning to go out when (Sun Studio founder) Sam Phillips called,'' Klein said. "He said he and Jerry Lee (Lewis) were in the neighborhood and asked if they could drop by.''

In the days before home video cameras, the historic moment was not recorded. But Klein and others watched as Elvis and Lewis played together on the piano for more than an hour.

"When Jerry Lee left, Elvis kept sitting there saying, 'That guy's a genius, a genius.' "

2003/01/09 Associated Press - Memphis, Tenn. / Ep.Gold.Com.

CD MEMPHIS??? BY LISA MARIE PRESLEY.
Release Date; Apr.8, 2003 (Capitol Records) 

Tracks: 
The Road Between 
Gone 
Indifferent 
Excuse Me 
To Whom It May Concern (?? a medley with "Return to Sender") 
So Lovely 
SOB 
Savior(Co-wrote with Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins) 
Better Beware (Co-wrote with Danny Keogh) 
? 
? 
? 


2003/01/09 Elvis World Japan / Ep.Gold.Com.

JOHN WILKINSON VISITS BAD NAUHEIM.

Bad Nauheim, Elvis's "European hometown" during his army days, is ready for the Big Anniversary Week. Special guest this year is former TCB- rhythm guitarist John Wilkinson. On Elvis's birthday, John attends the (sold out) Birthday Party of the Swiss fanclub.

But the highlight of his stay in Europe is set for Saturday, January 11th when "The young man who makes records for RCA" hosts a special show for the fans in the Dolce am Kurpark-theater in the center of Bad Nauheim. Opening act that evening is Oliver Steinhoff with his live band, while John takes questions from the audience and picks a few of his favorite Elvis songs with the band. Souvenir and CD-booths are open all night. 

Tickets for the Elvis Tribute Show featuring John Wilkinson are 16,50 to 28 euro. Ticket Hotline: 0049/60.32.92.99.22, or elvisshowfanclub@tiscalinet.ch. 

2003/01/09 John Wilkinson.net / Ep.Gold.Com.

GOSPEL GRAMMY NOMINEES.

Contenders in the 45th annual Grammy Awards reflect a diverse yet decidedly mainstream roster of the best-selling today's acts. But in the gospel field we found a nimination for an album which is a tribute album for late Bluff City gospel giant and past Grammy winner James Blackwood, "We Called Him Mr. Gospel Music," that features onetime Elvis Presley vocalists the Jordanaires. 

2003/01/09 ElvisNews / Ep.Gold.Com.

FAME IN AMERICA: 15 MINUTES, 50 YEARS, OR...

Biographers of Elvis Presley, Marlon Brando, and Andy Warhol take part in a panel discussion at 6:30 on Tuesday, January 14 at The Great Hall of The Cooper Union. Best selling author Bobbie Ann Mason (Elvis,) Patricia Bosworth (Brando,) and Wayne Kosentbaum (Warhol) will also sign copies of their books just published in the Penguin Lives series. The Cooper Union is located at Third Avenue and Seventh Street in New York City.

2003/01/09 ElvisNews / Ep.Gold.Com.

ELVIS 30 # 1 HITS - THE BOOK.

Hal Leonard Publishing has released a book related to the CD/LP " 30#1 Hits ". The ISBN number is 1562188933. The book has 176 pages.

2003/01/09 Hal Leonard Publishing / Ep.Gold.Com.

ELVIS CREDIT CARD LAUNCHED IN LONDON.

Customers can apply online for a bank's Elvis Presley credit card. An impersonator was on hand at the launch of online applications for the Bank of Scotland's Elvis Presley Credit Card in London. The launch was at Elvisly Yours in Baker Street - on what would have been Elvis's 68th Birthday.

2003/01/09 ElvisNews / Ep.Gold.Com.

ELVIS BIRTHDAY WEEK UPDATE.

From ELVIS WORLD magazine in Memphis, the first update, as the fans begin arriving for Elvis' birthday Wednesday:

A Small Crowd In '03.
This being the 50th anniversary of Elvis' graduation from Humes High School, Graceland saluted the Humes Class of '53 at its club presidents dinner Saturday night (4th) at The Peabody. Attendance was quite sparse compared to other such lunches and dinners in years past.

Maybe EW got it wrong, but we were of the understanding the Humes alumni from 1953 would be invited to this affair and this would evolve into their class prom (which was also held at the Peabody 50 years ago).

Only 4 Humes graduates showed up and of these, only George Klein was from the class of '53 (he being class president). Buzzy Forbess, who lived with Elvis in Lauderdale Courts, and Gene Raspberry, who was a freshman the year graduated, were invited on stage to tell their 
stories of being with Elvis during his Humes years.

Buzzy (as he did as our EW Lunch speaker at Marlowe's in August 2001) spun some insider stories about Elvis and his music. Raspberry recalled only Elvis' appearance in the talent show, where the program listed him as "Elvis Prestley." And Klein told only one story -- of when Elvis was in the 8th grade.

As only Graceland would, the club presidents dinner kicked off with a dog fashion show in an effort to try to raise funds for the Memphis Humane Shelter. Doggies trotted across the dance floor a full 30 minutes before anyone had a bite to eat and -- not swearing here, but it "looked like" it -- one little doggie squatted on the dance floor 
and left his "calling card," which was quickly scooped up.

Jack Soden, CEO of Graceland, thanked the fans for their over-the-top support in 2002 and said special plans are already being made for huge Elvis promotions through the year 2008.

ELVIS WORLD LUNCH at Marlowe's today drew some 40 fans from 3 countries. We were not expecting many fans. As we've been predicting the past six months, everyone left it on the playing field in 2002 and 2003 attendances are expected to be far, far below last year.

We made the announcement that soon we will have news on the possibility of reprinting "Early Elvis: The Humes Years."

If we go this route, it will be a very limited press run -- about 500 books -- and we won't even start the presses until we KNOW we have half the books pre-sold. 

So, those of you who have been squawking that you've been looking for this book for years and can't find it ... and begging us to reprint -- soon you should have your chance to "put up or shut up."

34 NEW GOLD & PLATINUM RECORDS will be awarded to Graceland on Wednesday, the day of the annual birthday cake cutting. These, of course, will come from "A Little Less Convesation" and "30 #1 Hits" releases of 2002.

GET READY FOR THE SENSATIONAL. (After all, Elvis in big in the news this week because of his birthday.) At least one USA tabloid has been working furiously the past two weeks trying to pin down a report that Lisa Marie was fearing she was pregnant! EW has checked with family and close friends and our reports are this just is not so.

One person we rely on heavily for factual inside reports pointed out that the rumor was that while LM feared being preggie, she never even went to the trouble of getting a home testing kit. Also, same person reported to us her feelings on this -- that it's a publicity stunt to keep LM in the news as the release of her first recording nears.

It's (the CD) officially scheduled in early April; but a family member told EW that LM said it "could" be moved up to March; and that a single could be released in early February.

ELVIS, ETC. Alanna Nash's major book on Tom Parker has undergone a title change and is scheduled to be released in late May or early June . . . 

That multi-gazillion $$$ deal that was to transpose the Circle G Ranch and surrounding properties into a major resort and residential center is now officially dead in the water. The promoters have missed all deadlines to all parties on partial payments. 

I -- personally -- was approached 2 or 3 years back to lend my name to the then-promoters in an effort to attract investors from amongst you -- the fans. I was offered a sweet deal of $10,000 a month!!! just to stand around and tell the readers of EW (and anyone else who would listen to me) that this was a sweet deal and they should invest. 

Hey! $10,000 a month could buy a lot of spaghetti and ravioli! But I've never been motivated by money; and I have always worked overtime to protect my good name and reputation; as well as worked overtime to protect the fans from such promoters.

We've told you since Day One on this latest effort not to invest; that if you had money to invest, put in into something more safe -- like Enron or WorldCom. And time, once again, has proven our instincts correct.

Process servers who have been looking for weeks/months to locate Donna Presley Early and hand her summons to court dates (plural) today handed her the papers as she was signing autographs at Jamie Coyne's Elvis Impersonator extravaganza in Las Vegas, EW has been told today. We will keep you updated in EW as this legal drama unfolds.


2003/01/08 Elvis World Magazine - Bill E. Burk / Elvis News / Ep.Gold.Com.

ELVIS # 2 ON THE 100 GREATEST ROCK N ROLL MOMENTS IN TV.

The Beatles' live debut appearance on American television in 1964 on the Ed Sullivan Show has topped a list of the 100 greatest rock and roll moments in TV. In second place in VH-1's 100 Moments That Rocked TV is Elvis Presley's 1968 NBC TV Comeback Special and in third place is the 1981 launch of MTV.
The 1985 broadcast of Live Aid is at 7 while the Who's performance on The Smothers Brothers when Keith Moon set flash powder in his drum kit causing an explosion is at 10. Elton John's performance of Candle in the Wind at Princess Diana's funeral is at 12, and the Sex Pistols' swearing on Bill Grundy's Today Show is at 26. 
An estimated 73 million Americans tuned in to watch the Ed Sullivan Show when the Beatles performed All My Loving, Till There Was You, She Loves You, I Saw Her Standing There and I Want To Hold Your Hand. 

The crime rate in US cities reportedly dropped dramatically during the show's broadcast time. 

The Beatles also appear at 23 for their performance of All You Need Is Love in the first global TV link up, at 36 for their concert at Shea Stadium and at 61 for the group's Anthology six hour documentary. 

The 100 Moments That Rocked TV will begin airing on VH-1 on Monday, January 13.

2003/01/08 Ananova / Ep.Gold.Com.

ELVIS'S TOP HITS RELEASE IS "HIS BIGGEST SELLING ALBUM" .

Elvis Presley's greatest hits collection has become his biggest selling album.

On the eve of what would have been The King's 68th birthday, record firm BMG said Elv1s: 30 #1 Hits had beaten his previous best, the Elvis Christmas Album.
His number one hits package has sold more than nine million copies around the world.
The Christmas release - first issued in 1957 and re-released in 1973 - has not yet topped the eight million level.
Darren Henderson of BMG said: "This rounds up a phenomenal year for Elvis Presley proving that his music is indeed timeless.
"A new generation has discovered Elvis Presley and we look forward to continue supporting the influential role that Presley plays in music and culture."

Last year marked the 25th anniversary of Presley's death and saw him notch up a posthumous number one with "A Little Less Conversation". It was his 18th number one, edging him ahead of The Beatles' 17.

2003/01/08 Ananova / Ep.Gold.Com.

BMG IS SHAKIN WITH DVD - AUDIO FORMAT.

LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) --- Following its market trial of Elvis Presley (news)'s "Elvis 30 #1 Hits" in DVD-Audio, BMG has announced its support for the format. The global music division of Bertelsmann AG is planning to release 12 or more DVD-A titles this year and ramp up production after that. 

The Presley compilation debuted in the top spot of the relevant charts when it came out Sept. 24 as a regular CD and again Dec. 10 as a DVD-A. As of last month, Presley's DVD-A had sold about 15,000 copies, nearly half of which were in the United States. 

"We are pleased to bring our artists and their music to fans in this exciting format," BMG chief operating officer Michael Smellie said. "DVD-Audio provides consumers with a new level of musical entertainment with both exceptional sound quality and a compelling visual experience." 

Of the major labels, BMG, Warner, Universal and EMI now have DVD-A releases in their catalog. Analysts say DVD-A represents a noticeable improvement in sound quality over CDs. Recordings in the format are also far more difficult to copy, a characteristic that makes them an attractive alternative to CDs from the music industry's point of view. 

DVD-A discs provide uncompressed, multichannel, high-definition audio, typically at 24-bit, 129 kHz sampled audio, compared with 16 bits and 44.1 kHz for CDs. Additionally, DVD-A enables a greater dynamic range because it can support a higher quality of pulse-coded modulation. They can also display video, graphics and text on a compatible device. 

On the negative side, these discs cannot be played in a standard CD player. The vast majority of them will play flawlessly in an ordinary DVD video player, however, and there are specialized players on the market. 

Adding to the potential confusion, there is a standard called Super Audio CD, or SACD, competing to replace the CD. Developed by Sony and Philips -- the same team that came up with the CD 20 years ago -- SACD also provides significantly better sound quality and visual capabilities in a harder-to-copy format; it even has an embedded watermark. It does this by recording the analog signal at a high (2.8224 MHz) sampling frequency and converting it to 1-bit data. 

Sony has been joined by Virgin, Telarc, DMP and other labels in releasing SACD recordings since the format launched in 2000. They take advantage of disc capacity to add a hybrid version so that they can be used in existing CD players, though the improvements are only possible on a specialized player. 

BMG is the global music division of Bertelsmann AG. It owns more than 200 record labels in 42 countries, including Ariola, Arista Records, J Records, Jive Records, RCA Records and RCA Label Group -- Nashville. 

2003/01/08 Chris Marlowe / Ep.Gold.Com.

COLLECTORS ARE ALL SHOOK UP OVER FAKE ELVIS STUFF.
The Wall Street Journal 

The sequins are coming off the Elvis Presley memorabilia market. 

Thanks to hype surrounding the 25th anniversary of the singer's death last August, the King of Rock 'n' Roll is enjoying the biggest financial success of his posthumous career. But all the attention is sending a torrent of fake concert posters, alleged handwritten lyrics, stage outfits and other Elvis collectibles cascading onto the estimated $250 million market for his memorabilia, experts say. 

Top auctioneers including Sotheby's Holdings Inc. and Christie's International have had to pull so-called Elvis items on the eve of sales or refund money to buyers when the items were later shown to be fake; Christie's alone confirms that since 2000, it has refunded about $26,000 to buyers of questionable Elvis memorabilia. 

The proliferation of fakes is so great that the San Francisco-based auction house Butterfields says it has considerably curtailed its acceptance of Elvis consignments. Butterfields pioneered the big-money Elvis market, holding the first major auction of Elvis memorabilia ever in 1994, and two more later in the decade, setting records like $63,000 for the King's old American Express card and $26,480 for his sunglasses. "The problem is that rock memorabilia has gotten so expensive that it's worth it to fake items," says Catherine Williamson, head of entertainment memorabilia for Butterfields. 

Fakes are causing headaches for more celebrities these days, partly because the universe of what passes for "memorabilia" keeps expanding. "There's really no limit to what crazed fans will pay money for," says Tim Luke, a Jupiter, Fla., dealer and Sothebys.com affiliate. Indeed, Christie's sold a scrapbook containing a piece of John Lennon's uneaten toast for about $1,900 several years ago, and one of Carol Channing's eyelashes sold at auction last year for $75. 

Fake items abound in this world; hundreds of supposed John Lennon autographs actually postdate his 1980 death. But Elvis "is the worst," Mr. Luke says. Beyond the sheer volume and variety of odd King collectibles -- a set of birthing forceps supposedly used to deliver him sold on eBay this fall for $600 -- Elvis himself was generous, giving away thousands of belongings during his lifetime. Complicating matters further, his executors never comprehensively cataloged what he owned. When Elvis, who would have turned 68 on Wednesday, died in 1977, entertainment memorabilia was largely viewed as garage-sale flotsam. As a result, says a spokesman for the estate, scores of items simply "wandered out" of the star's home. 

Today's megastars are taking note. Madonna, for one, recently hired a team to catalog her memorabilia, in large part to guard against fakes sinking her collectability in the future. (She started getting serious about the effort after the Hard Rock Cafe trumpeted ownership of one of her molars; she says one isn't missing. Hard Rock declined to comment on the dental dispute.) Darlene Lutz, the singer's art adviser, says her team is archiving items with a computerized cataloging system similar to those used by museums. The white wedding gown Madonna donned in 1984 for her "Like a Virgin" MTV awards performance was among the first entries. "She knows it's her only shot at controlling what happens to everything," Ms. Lutz says. 

For its part, Graceland, the Memphis headquarters of the Elvis Presley estate, says it's seen a dramatic spike in requests from collectors to help determine what's real. But rendering opinions on what's authentic and isn't, says Graceland lawyer William R. Bradley, "would open us up to all kinds of liability." What's more, Graceland trimmed its budget in 2002 due to a downturn in foreign tourists, leaving the estate with a staff of three archivists, down from five. "We're overloaded," a spokesman says. 

Experts say the proliferation of fakes is dragging down prices for authentic Elvis memorabilia. One notable example: The "Sun 209," the first 45 Elvis recorded for the tiny Sun Studios, traded for $2,500 three years ago. But prices have sunk to around $1,500 since unscrupulous dealers started peddling bootlegged re-releases as originals. (The real 45s have three circular indentations called "push marks" under the label that form a triangle -- but the re-releases are otherwise nearly identical.) 

Items without pristine ownership histories are increasingly going unsold on the auction block. In October, Florida collector Bill Williams put up for auction a guitar some experts believe is the first instrument Elvis ever played. But because Mr. Williams didn't have hard evidence backing up the claim -- a photo of Elvis playing it, for example -- no one bought it. 

"Fakes are making buyers incredibly leery," says John Heath, a leading Elvis collector and appraiser in Marion, Ark. He recently paid $12,000 for several 1956 concert handbills he saw on eBay that he says turned out to be "unequivocally bogus." (Among other problems, he discovered a handbill was never printed for Elvis's 1956 concert at the New Frontier Casino in Las Vegas, although he had bought one.) Kevin Pursglove, a spokesman for eBay, says the firm never vouches for authenticity, instead leaving the issue "entirely between buyers and sellers." 

One particularly troublesome collectors' niche: autographs by the King. Boston manuscript dealer Kenneth Rendell, a longtime handwriting expert by profession, estimates that 95 percent of the Elvis autographs currently listed on online auctions are forgeries. Dealers sometimes offer handwritten lyrics to Presley's famous songs but they're almost always fake, he says. It turns out: "Elvis absolutely hated to write." 

Certainly, some Elvis items are holding their value. The King's elaborate jumpsuits sell for around $100,000 each. (Up-close concert photos help prove he actually wore them; he also perspired so profusely in his later years that many are sweat-stained.) Only a few dozen posters for his 1970s concerts are known to exist and are valued at about $20,000 in good condition. And a signed program from a 1950s national tour he did with a group of bands -- he wasn't headlining yet -- can bring $1,200, according to Mr. Luke, president of TreasureQuest Auction Galleries. 

Still, even experts can be fooled: In September, Mr. Luke put a gold record for the Elvis song "Promised Land" up for bids on Sothebys.com. But a potential bidder tipped him off that Elvis's 1975 recording of that song never went gold. Mr. Luke checked and yanked the item from the sale. Sotheby's declines to comment on Elvis fakes, but a spokeswoman confirms that it is currently investigating a recent claim from one buyer that a $60,000 dinner jacket allegedly worn by the King might not have been. 

With all the bogus material floating around, some vigilant collectors are taking extra steps to verify their prizes' authenticity. After Healther Mozart paid $5,500 at Christie's in 1999 for a pink and black 1955 jacket worn and autographed by Elvis, the San Francisco collector hired a Michigan laboratory that uses chemicals to date materials. The results: The ink was from the 1980s. She says she demanded a refund and got it. (Christie's confirms the incident.) "I'm not one of those people who believe Elvis was still around signing things in the '80s." 

2003/01/08 Brooks Barnes - The Wall Street Journal. / Ep.Gold.Com.

ANYONE IN EUROPE LIKE TO HOST A PREMIER?

Hi Everyone,

It's 2003 and, as they used to say, the first day of the rest of our lives. One of the 3 women in my breast cancer documentary, Barbara Buckner, passed away from her breast cancer in New Years Day, and I spent this past weekend going to her wake and funeral. Breast Cancer is a horrible disease and I would not wish it on my worst enemy, but in Barbara's case, she was one of the dearest people I've ever met and truly fought the good fight. She was in her 60's and had been battling her breast cancer for 27 years! During that time she had 3 reoccurances and yet, as she said at the end of the film, when she was asked how she was feeling, she responded by saying, "What can I say, except thank you Lord, for just another day!"

The first in what we hope will be 30 breast cancer premiers will be held in Barbara's home town this coming Sunday and while, unlike the events you are working on, this is a tiny one, it already looks like they may have to show the film twice to accommodate everyone who wants to attend. In some cases I have only recently met you and others of you I have known for some time, but Barbara's passing was the final push I personally needed to sit down and write to you. She desperately wanted to see the premier in her home town and, of course, that did not happen, but it did truly remind me of how fragile we all are and how time is really all we have, when everything is said and done.

In Ireland, a place I am particularly fond of, people tend to use the phrase "At the end of the day," a lot. None of us ever know what day will be our last but what we can do, is try and make a difference to as many people as we can while we're here. That's what I am personally committed to and that's what my company, Caitlin Productions is mandated to do.

As most of you know, we had a number of breast cancer premiers primed and ready to go, the first to have occurred soon after 9/11. Of course, not only did that day in September change everything all the work and planning that had been put into those premiers vanished overnight. Now, one stop at a time we have managed to get ourselves to the point where we're ready to move ahead again and I am bound and determined, that will your help, this year we will be able to change the lives of a lot of people in need. That can only be done however, if we get off our collective duffs and have these premiers. On paper we have 20 being worked on all over the country and in Europe as well, but on paper is not going to make them happen. That can only come from our hearts and the sweat of our brows. To that end, I'd like to first introduce each of you to each other and then outline what I hope will be our next steps.

In no particular order, we first have Carole Harder, a self admitted one woman band, who runs a major organization dedicated to helping grow the character and well-being of the youth of this country. Carole is the only gal we have home-based out in the heartlands of the US and she is hoping to put together premiers in Iowa, New Orleans and San Diego. Elaine Vesko is another dynamo, located up in Allentown, Pennsylvania and she's bound and determined to make a premier happen in her neck of the woods. Tim Sells is down in Nashville and is involved with the Tennessee Department of Health. We are hoping to put on a major premier down there which, in addition to the typical dinner, screening of the film and auction, will also include a major Country Music concert!

Donna Green's my buddy out on the west coast and at the moment our only west coast person. Donna's working on 2 or three possible premiers herself. One in Bellingham, Washington, one in Chicago and maybe one in New Mexico or New Orleans. Lynn Anderson (yes that Lynn Anderson - in my humble opinion one of the best singers who ever laid down a song) is investigating the possibility of doing something out in Taos. I'm hoping she'll also give the folks in Nashville a kick in the butt and get them moving on their premier! :-)

Carrie Coble Smith is a great gal and breast cancer survivor in Henderson, NC. One of the women in my film is actually related to Carrie and she is very involved in breast cancer on every level. Sandi Wiemers is a new friend and breast cancer survivor and I have just started talking to her about going a premier. Perhaps ya'll can lean on her a little. Malcolm works for Carnival Cruise Lines and is a wonderful person and amazingly talented performer. We are hoping, insomuch as part of my film was shot on a Carnival Ship to get Carnival to do a premier on one of their cruises. Marianne McCullough is another new friend but I  am very excited about this new relationship. She's part of the RBC Center venue, here in Raleigh, the home of the Stanley Cup Finalist Hurricane's last year. I'll be meeting with Marianne this week and I have a very good feeling about the future. Andylon Lensen was my first European person and is located near the beautiful city of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. We'll be talking to folks over there very soon. Gregor Retkowski is my newest German friends, who I met through Andylon and who I hope to be partnering on to distribute the 6 hour documentary I've been working on about Elvis Presley. I'm hoping Greg can point me to someone in German who might be willing to do a premier.

Last, but certainly not least is Mari Hearn-Zych. She lives in Canada and like Sandi Wiemers is very involved in the sport of twirling. Sandi has expressed a real interest in doing a breast cancer premier in Canada and we're hoping that now we're in the new year, things will rapidly pick up on that front.

It is our goal this year, to raise many millions of dollars to aid those in need but I can not do it without your help. To that end I would also like to give you a list of cities we'd like to hold premiers in, so that if you know anyone in any of those places you can point them in my direction:

1. Boston
2. New York City
3. Philadelphia
4. Pittsburgh
5. Washington, DC
6. Charleston, SC
7. Myrtle Beach, SC
8. Atlanta, GA
9. Any major cities in FL
10. New Orleans
11. Any major cities in Texas
12. Phoenix
13. Denver
14. San Diego
15. LA
16. San Francisco
17. Portland, OR
18. Seattle
19. Chicago
20. Detroit
21. Salt Lake City

Rest assured that I will be there to help you all along the way, to put your premiers together and to the best of my ability I will personally attend each one. That said, there are only so many weekends in the year and we need to begin to buckle down and select our dates for our premiers as soon as possible. That was you'll have a goal to work towards and I'll be able to set my calendar accordingly. Between my music writing, 2 new films I'm committed to and a host of other things, it requires that I be very organized. I'm also not going to let any of you tell me you're just soooooooooooooooo busy. I'll trade a couple of my weeks with you any time. Ladies and gentlemen . . . we have people to help and maybe a few lives to try and save and I'm personally not going to rest until we can make that a reality. Let's join together and make 2003 the year we really made a difference in the world! Happy New Year and Love to all of you.

Sincerely,

Ken.

2003/01/08 Ken Vrana / Andylon Lensen / Ep.Gold.Com.

ELVIS CONVENTION 2003 IN RANDERS DENMARK.

April 5th will be the date when Elvis Unlimited Convention will take place in Randers, Denmark.
This years Convention will be totally different from all the other Elvis shows that have been in Denmark.
The overall tema for this show will be the 30th anniversary for the "Aloha From Hawaii" show. The basic song line up will be from the legendary show, plus of cause many more songs.
Our special guests this year will be The TCB Band and The Sweet Inspirations. There will not be only one lead singer at this show, but a good handful of great Danish and international singers.
The profit from the show will directly to the Danish children cancer foundation.
The ticket price will be 360.- Danish Kroners. Please call +45 8642 9696 or e-mail: info@elvispresley.dk for more information.

2003/01/08 Elvis Unlimited / Ep.Gold.Com.

ELVIS&JUNE DOCUMENTARY WILL BE BROADCAST ON A&E

The A&E broadcast itself won't have the added content. A&E will offer a "collector's version" of the TV program with added content in both DVD and VHS formats. This collector version is not available anywhere else. Also, A&E broadcast, Monday January 20 at 8.00 and again at midnight! ( the same night, not the next day)

2003/01/08 Stuart Goldman / Ep.Gold.Com.

DID ELVIS SUCCOMB TO TOUR VETO?


Speculation lays blame on Parker
Sunday, January 05, 2003 - Fresh from the smash success of the "Elvis 30 #1 Hits" collection, which has sold more than 8 million copies to date worldwide, fans are imagining a 68-year-old Elvis Presley. He would have turned that age on Wednesday. 

The question still remains: How did another image of "the King" - the ballooning waistline, a prisoner to prescription drugs - hold residence alongside the young, sleek rebel who changed the face of music in the '50s? In 1977, he died at the age of 42 in his Memphis mansion. The death certificate said heart attack. The tedium of a crushing routine would be nearer the truth.

It all started in the early '70s, when Elvis had taken on the beast of Las Vegas.

"His manager, the late Col. Tom Parker, was very afraid of security measures. That's why he started Elvis' comeback in Vegas, as opposed to going on tour. He wanted a secure environment, where he could control things," RCA Records historian Ernst Jorgensen said recently.

Mostly, Presley stayed put in his penthouse kingdom. The result was a profound inner loneliness, and Vegas turned into a slippery slope. Despite declining health, he maintained a full schedule of live appearances. When he made his final, awful descent, he was a compromised performer.

"It's a damn shame," band member Glen D. Hardin told Mojo magazine. "Things might have turned out differently for him if he'd been able to tour the world. I think he would've put himself in tip-top shape, and really enjoyed it, just to be in a different place, and have some different food, and meet some different people.

"What's crazy is that all of us worked with other people, and we were traveling all over the world, and he didn't. He couldn't. That was all wrong."

In his brusque manner, the colonel vetoed the notion of touring internationally time and again, citing obstacles such as tax problems, security issues and production details. And Parker, nee Andreas Cornelis van Kujik, hid the fact that he was an undocumented alien.

"But I sincerely doubt that America would have made any problem for its most famous artist's manager so he couldn't get back into the country. He'd been there since 1929. I don't think they would suddenly throw him out," Jorgensen said.

At the time, the colonel tried to do what he knew how to do. He had absolutely no experience in what it would require to take an entourage like Elvis' around the world. That would have been one stumbling block.

Traveling and crossing borders in the early '70s, when most musicians had some supply of something that they shouldn't have, may have also scared the colonel.

"And it could have been Elvis himself. There's a tendency to blame everything that was wrong with his career on the colonel, and everything that was great on Elvis," Jorgensen said. "That's a little too comfortable. I believe that if Elvis had really wanted it, it would have happened. He didn't want it enough to overrule the colonel and say, 'Well, this is what I need to do.' It wasn't that he couldn't stand up to the colonel. There were other instances where he definitely did so.

"We can't ask the colonel. And if we could have, he wouldn't have answered, anyway. Historians like to have that single simple explanation that cuts through everything, but I don't think it's here - it's a number of elements put together. Had Elvis lived for another 20 years, he probably would have toured abroad."

What else might Elvis be doing if he were alive today? He considered his singing career primarily as a means to an end. His real ambition was to be a movie star.

"Hopefully, he'd have been doing some incredible acting roles, which he had been pushing for," said "Diamond Joe" Esposito, one of Elvis' close confidants who spent 2002 plugging his "Elvis: His Best Friend Remembers" VHS and DVD.

"He really wanted to be a serious actor. His creative disappointment led to his unhappiness."

Because of studio pressures and Parker's greedy shortsightedness, Elvis made 33 mostly forgettable movies that left him largely thwarted in what he had hoped would be an important motion-picture career.

He recorded his fair share of lazy, thoughtless songs for them. Forty years ago this month, at a session in Hollywood, he cut not only "No Room to Rhumba in a Sports Car" but also "You Can't Say No in Acapulco."

So it is easy to overlook just how many great songs were originally written for Elvis' movies, from early classics like "Jailhouse Rock," "Teddy Bear," "Love Me Tender" and "Can't Help Falling in Love" through such later gems as "Viva Las Vegas" and "Wooden Heart."

Check out "Can't Help Falling in Love," a collection of Hollywood hits, one of four single-CDs to be reissued on Tuesday that chronicle key areas of Presley's career. The other genre-based titles are "Heart and Soul" (love songs), "Elvis 56" (seminal early tracks) and "Great Country Songs."

2003/01/08 G.Brown - Denver Post / Elvis from Poland / Ep.Gold.Com.

REVIEW: "CRAZY" , THE FUNNY SIDE OF ELVIS PRESLEY BY KENNETH DOKKEBERG.

I recently recieved my copy of this cd and I had pretty big expectations for it after what I had heard. 

First of all, this is NOT just another "talking album". After listening through it it is clear that these spoken words have been carefully chosen out of hundreds of hours of Elvis recordings, both audience and soundboards. Some of these snippets have been out before but think they are presented here in the right, and nice, package. I found it more interesting and fun to listen to this cd than for excample the "Having fun with Elvis on stage" albums. Also the sound is clearly and improvement over the boots they have been taken from so I think they have done a great job with the remastering.

The content of this cd is really funny. You get a really good insight into Elvis' sense of humour and the great connection he had on stage with J.D. Sumner ( "He is the worlds lowest bass singer in more ways than one..." ). Elvis' own self irony is clear when he talks about his past. When it comes to the press he simply says: " I find out most things about myself by reading the paper!" and that is a statement that says it all! hehe... He introduces The Sweet Inspirations: "Don't give them that much applause, they'll ask for a raise!" Funny comments like these throug the whole cd...

Now, we are in for a treat. We get some unreleased stuff from Elvis' concert im Memphis on March 20, 1974. What we hear is portions that were edited out of the official release and the bootleg "Steamroller Blues". For the first time on cd you get to hear the false start on "Help Me" thatwas rumoured to excist. It is also nice to get the Hilton Hawaiian Village press conference from November '72 before "Ispector Clouseau" ends this cd ...or was it Elvis?

Conclusion: If you want a funny insight to Elvis' humour this is the cd to get. It is very well put together and is a cd you can actually listen to. It is a cd I can play to my friends thatare not Elvis fans and it will still get them to smile. This cd is only pressed in 500 copies and will therefore not be available that long. 

Thanks for the attention!

2003/01/08 Kenneth Dokkeberg / Ep.Gold.Com

GREAT NEW WEBSITE: VEGAS VALENTINOS

Although not necessarily Elvis-related, a look at the new Vegas Valentinos (U.S.A.) website is more than worthwile for every Elvis fan. This band plays a mix of cool rock 'n' roll songs and originals, and you can listen to various samples on their site. Although they are not impersonating Elvis, their live-version of 'Trying To Get To You' is very reminiscent of 70's Elvis. You can visit their very entertaining website at: www.vegasvalentinos.com

2003/01/08 Arjan Deelen / Ep.Gold.Com.

E1 ALBUM 1 MILLION SOLD IN THE UK?... NEW BOX-SET IN JULY?......A FOLLOW UP FOR E 1 CD , TOP TEN'S CD?..... NEW REMIX -SINGLE FOR ELVIS?.....

Charlie Stanford at BMG(UK) informs me that E1 has sold just under 900,000 copies so far and that they have shipped a million overall. So by the end of this week E1 should be Triple Platinumin the UK.

He also confirms that a Box set will be released in July along the lines of TTF Box-set.

He has also heard the rumours of a follow-up to E1 as being the Top 10's but this cannot be confirmed.

No news on the single front but Charlie feels that if there is one forthcoming it must receive sufficient publicity, perhaps by being featured in a major film.

2003/01/07 Charlie Stanford - BMG - UK / Brian Quinn / Andylon Lensen / Ep.Gold.Com

2003/01/07 ElvisFantasyFest - Portage, Indiana / Ep.Gold.Com

A SHORT REVIEW ON THE NEW ELVIS PARAMOUNT DVD RELEASES.

First the good news, All offer 1.85:1 widescreen prints and 5.1 surround enhanced sound and restored English mono.
Girls! Girls! Girls! has always suffered from very poor video prints, the opening credits were especially bad with too much contrast with Elvis looking like he is in the shade. I'm glad to say the DVD improves the situation greatly. Fun In Acapulco looks especially beautiful and for some reason stands out as the best transfer. Both Paradise and Easy Come, Easy Go look particularly good too.
On the negative side we get no extra features not even the trailers. Another disappointment is there are no chapter stops for the songs as in the previous Paramount release. Not much care was given to these releases in this respect, I'm sure they just wanted to get them out in time for Jan 8th. Typical crappy artwork also, I'd much rather see reproductions of the original movie posters on the covers. Each contains an insert that list the chapter stops with some fotos ( nothing special ). Girls! Girls! Girls! features a photo from Roustabout and Paradise one from Blue Hawaii. Well, all in all worth getting for the beautful widescreen transfers and 5.1 sound. We're all getting pretty used to not getting much extra though.
This text was written by Johnny Tyronne of the Elvis Busts Worldwide.

2003/01/07 Johhnny Tyromme - Elvis Busts Worldwide / Ep.Gold.Com.

E 1 CHART UPDATE UK.

The Elvis 30 # 1 Hits Album dropped this week from No # 8 to No # 14 in the Top 75 Albums Charts in the UK.

2003/01/07 Dot Music. / Ep.Gold.Com.

How many of us wish we’d had the chance to jam with Elvis Presley? Some of you out there did, and we can only image what an awesome experience that must have been; but for the rest of us, it was a one in a lifetime, missed opportunity. We all thought Elvis would live forever and, of course, through his music he still does, but now you might actually have a chance to become part of musical history, in a way that has never been available before.

Type A Productions, a multimedia production alliance, is creating a multi-CD tribute album, designed to honor
The King of Rock and Roll, and while you may not have had the chance to sit down and pick with Elvis yourself, this could be the next best thing. They will be inviting musical artists from all over the world to contribute to the Presley legacy, by participating in this exciting musical tribute and that participation can occur in a number of ways. 

Some of the artists they select, will be asked to choose their favorite Elvis tune and do their version of it for the CD. Others will create an original tune for the CD, and finally, Type A will be creating a number of what could best be described as super groups, made up of many musicians who will contribute wholly instrumental tunes. Type A has also selected 2 of the most respected producers in the industry to executive produce the CD and their names will be announced shortly. 

Because it would be impossible to get all the performers who will want to be involved in this project, in one place at one time, Type A will be recording the material in 5 different locations in the US and perhaps one in Europe as well. They expect those sessions to occur in Muscle Shoals, for the folks down in that part of the country, New York City, for the New York, Jersey and Philly people, Los Angeles for the LA, Palm Springs and Vegas people, the Bay Area, for the artists, up in Marin and finally a Nashville session for everyone in Nashville and Memphis. 

We are also hoping to find a producer in Europe who might like to produce some overseas artists. We are looking for singers and musicians from all disciplines, from Rockabilly and R&B to Country and alternative music, and a number of major artists have already agreed to participate. There are, however, limited spaces available and as much as Type A would like to accommodate everyone, that is simply not going to be practical. If you would like to be considered for this wonderful tribute, to the man who started it all, you need to do 3 things, as soon as possible:

1. E-mail or call Type A Productions and let them know you’d like to be considered. E-mail is preferred and that address is KVRANA@nc.rr.com. The phone number is (919) 469-5662

2. Once you have made that contact, Type A will send you a form to fill out, officially confirming your desire to become involved.

3. Once you receive that form, fill it out completely and return it to, Type A Productions, and include a CD of your music. The address is: Type A Production, Inc. , 102 Lantana Circle, Cary, NC 27513

We cannot express strongly enough, the necessity to do this as soon as possible. We want to be able to include everyone who’d like to be included. Become part of this landmark project and help create a new chapter in musical history!

2003/01/07 Ken Vrana / Ep.Gold.Com.

TYPE A PRODUCTIONS LOOKIN FOR PERSONALLY OWNED OF E.

I am presently working with one of the top fine arts photography dealers in the US and we are planning a show of never before see Elvis images in April. The purpose of the show if to generate interest in the images in the hopes of getting a very wealthy buyer to want to purchase them, negatives and all. They would pay a huge amount of money depending on the quality of the images and the uniqueness of the subject matter. If you know anyone who may have such images.
I know that some people do not want to sell their images and I completely understand that, but even if they had 3 or 4 they were willing to part with, as opposed to all of them, they could make enough money on this arrangement to be comfortable for many years. 

Serious reactions will be contacted by Type A Productions.

E-mail to Type A Productions through this Elvis Website Ep.Gold: steamroller@wanadoo.nl

2003/01/07 Ken Vrana / Andylon Lensen / Ep.Gold.Com.

E 1 FINLAND.

Elvis 30 #1 Hits dropped one spot to # 4 on the official Finnish album chart. The "Elvis Lives" TV special will be broadcasted here on January 19th, which might well help to keep the CD on the chart for a little while longer.

2003/01/07 Kari Paju -Finland / Ep.Gold.Com.

LATEST ELVIS IN CONCERT, 2002 NOW RELEASED ON IMPORT VCD.

Here is the latest release on VCD for the Memphis 2002 concert VCD.

2003/01/07 Kenneth Dokkeberg / Ep.Gold.Com.

SUGGESTING A BOOK ABOUT YOUNG LOVE FOR LOCAL SCHOOL LIBRARIES.

Early in his career, Elvis Presley received a fan letter from a dying child named Karen. Karen was 10 years old. She was an orphan with cerebral palsy, and she was dying of heart failure in a private institution called "Brown House" in Vancouver, Canada. Elvis read her letter and wrote back, inviting Karen to be his special friend. And thus began a May-to-December pen pal friendship that saw Karen experience young love -- "first love" before dying. Because Elvis cared, Karen was able to experience the thrill of young love. First love before the darkness came.

Besides Elvis, Karen's only other friend was a 19-year-old nurse's aide named Lena Canada. Lena Canada has written a tearjerker of a book about the pen pal friendship between Elvis Presley and Karen, entitled "To Elvis, With Love," by Lena Canada. I invite area schools to acquire this book for the school library. It's a book that tugs at the heart, and a must-read about first love.

2003/01/07 Richard D Pope - Ashville citizen - Times / Ep.Gold.Com.

PICTURE OF THE WEEK

This week we have another RARE Photo of Elvis on plane 1968.

Go to the Menu : Pic Of The Week or

2003/01/07 Bob Klein / Ep.Gold.Com

NEW 2 CD FROM FOLLOW THAT DREAM NEW YEARS EVE '76 DELAY.

The new 2 cd from the label "Follow That Dream " : NEW YEARS EVE '76, has a delay 'till the end of february, 2003..
More details this week.

2003/01/06 Ernst Jorgensen / Andylon Lensen / Ep.Gold.Com.

10th ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIONS FOR THE ELVIS STAMPS.

The First Day of Issue ceremonies for the official USPS Elvis postage stamp were on Elvis Presley's birthday, January 8, 1993 at Graceland. The Elvis stamp, with over 517 million sold, remains the most highly publicized and biggest selling commemorative postage stamp of all time. During the 2003 Elvis Birthday commemorations, Graceland/EPE and the United States Postal Service invite Elvis fans to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the historic Elvis postage stamp.

2003/01/04 EPE / Ep.Gold.Com.

BILLBOARD CHART UPDATE.

On the Billboard Album Chart the compilation 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' dropped from #15 to #18 in its 14th week on the charts. In the cCountry Charts the CD is #5

2003/01/04 ElvisNews / Ep.Gold.Com.

DUTCH CHART UPDATE

In both the Dutch mega Top 100 Album Chart and the Top 40 Album chart the compilation 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits climbed one spot from #13 to #12. The recently broadcasted special 'Elvis Lives' seems to pay off.

2003/01/04 ElvisNews / Ep.Gold.Com.

ELVIS A. PRESLEY, MUSIC, MAN , MYTH.

A Spanish agency is very enthusiastic about Marc Hendrickx's book "Elvis A. Presley, Music, Man, Myth". We can assure you that this book is one of the best books about the King, with over 600 pages of facts and more than 700 pictures. Back in 2000, when we had an email interview with Marc, we already expressed that we were sorry that the book was only available in Dutch and French. Now a German version will be released later this year, and more languages should follow. With a small petition we like to support Marc with some service to see if there is enough interest for a Spanish edition. Therefore we ask the Spanish speaking fans to support this petition, if you are really interested in having this book. The support will be sent to Marc after January 31. 

2003/01/04 ElvisNews / Ep.Gold.Com.

E 1 CHART UPDATE.

The Elvis 30 # 1 Hits Album in Turkey climbed back from # 3 to # 1 this week.
In Portugal the E 1 Album dropped out of the Album Charts.
Also this week E 1 is now  # 18 in the Uk Album Charts.

2003/01/04 Various / Ep.Gold.Com.

OTIS BLACKWELL CD.

In April 2003 an interesting Otis Blackwell CD is released. The CD' They Called it Rock And Roll' contains several classics by Otis Blackwell which Elvis recorded. It also includes the demo of 'Paralyzed' Otis made for Elvis Presley. 

The track listing:
1. Fever (4:15)- 2. Fever (4:02)- 3. Don't Be Cruel (3:14)- 4. Studio Chatter 1 (0:20) - 5. Great Balls Of Fire (3:08) - 6. All Shook Up (2:45) - 7. Shadow Of Your Memory (3:14) - 8. Shadow Of Your Memory (3:19) - 9. Handyman (2:56) - 10. Studio Chatter 2 (0:13) - 11. Return To Sender (2:31) - 12. The Whole Worlds On Fire (2:13) - 13. The Devil Has Won (3:33) - 14. Studio Chatter 3 (0:09) - 
15. Just Keep It Up (2:43) - 16. Breathless (2:41) - 17. Extra Added Attraction (2:55) - 18. Great Balls Of Fire (3:24) - 19. Paralyzied (Demo for Elvis Presley) (1:37) - 
20. Heartbreak Hill (Demo for Fats Domino) (2:50)

2003/01/04 ElvisNews / Elvis Club Berlin / Ep.Gold.Com.

NEW BOOK ELVIS PRESLEY ( A PENGUIN LIFE )

Out since december 2002 is the book 'Elvis Presley: A Penguin Life', written by fellow Southerner Mason. It is a 178 pages biography. 

From Publishers Weekly:
Mason credits Elvis with inventing rock and youth culture and "[puncturing] the balloon of 1950s serenity and conformity." She posits that the result of his stint in the army "was to erase his rock-and-roll rebel image and turn him into a mainstream all-American boy next door," and that in 1969, after almost a decade spent making bad films, "he was genuinely invigorated by making good music again." 

It's when Mason offers her insight into Southern culture that the biography turns superficial, like her attempt to contextualize the bloated figure of the drug-addled singer's late years by noting that "in the deep-fried South, his shape was a familiar sight, typical of his age group." 

2003/01/04 ElvisNews / Ep.Gold.Com

GUINNESS BOOK OF HIT SINGLES.

Elvis Presley, Elton John, and Madonna (news - web sites) are among the top U.K. singles artists in the 50-year history of the British chart, according to the latest edition of the Guinness Book Of Hit Singles. 

Presley ranks as the top male; Madonna is the top female. Surprisingly, the Beatles only come in at Number Nine. The top group honor goes to the Shadows, the band that often backed British singer Cliff Richard (news), who lands just above them on the list in the Number Two spot. The following are Guinness's Top 20 British single chart artists of all time: 
1. Elvis Presley 2. Cliff Richard 3. The Shadows 4. Elton John 5. Madonna 6. Diana Ross 7. Michael Jackson 8. Rod Stewart 9. Beatles 10. David Bowie 11. Frank Sinatra 12. Queen 13. Status Quo 14. Stevie Wonder 15. Paul McCartney 16. Tom Jones 17. Rolling Stones 18. Bee Gees 19. Roy Orbison 20. Everly Brothers 

2003/0104 Yahoo / Ep.Gold.Com.

THE ROCK N' ROLL YEARS - MY WISH CAME TRUE.

The Rock'n'Roll Years - My Wich Came True
The famous Elvis author from Holland Ger Rijff and Elvis Unlimited Production is now working on a new book about Elvis in the 1950's. 
It will be entitled "The Rock'n'Roll Years - My Wich Came True" The book will mainly focus on the years 1954-58.
The release is due for March 2003. There will be a lot of un-published pictures in this book.

2003/01/03 Elvis Unlimited / Ep.Gold.Com.

ELVIS 30 # 1 HITS ALBUM NOW PLATINUM IN BRAZIL.

It has official stated by the Brazilian organization : ABPD that the Album Elvis 30 # 1 Hits is official platinum.

2003/01/03 ABPD - Brazil / Ep.Gold.Com.

E 1 SCANDINAVIAN CHART UPDATE.

Elvis 30 # 1 Hits Album is # 27 this week in Norway, in Sweden the Album E 1 dropped two places at # 5 and in Denmark it is also this week # 13.

2003/01/03 Various / Ep.Gold.Com.

EUROPEAN COPYRIGHTS EXPIRING ON RECORDINGS FROM 1950's.

European copyright protection is expiring on a collector's trove of 1950's jazz, opera and early rock 'n' roll albums, forcing major American record companies to consider deals with bootleg labels and demand new customs barriers. 

Already reeling from a stagnant economy and the illegal but widespread downloading of copyrighted music from the Internet, the recording companies will now face a perfectly legal influx of European recordings of popular works. 

Copyright protection lasts only 50 years in Europe compared to 95 years in the United States, even if the recordings were originally made and released in America. 

So recordings made in the early to mid-1950's by figures from Maria Callas to Elvis Presley and Ella Fitzgerald have begun to go out of copyright in Europe, opening the way for any European recording company to release albums that had been owned exclusively by particular labels. 

Although the distribution of the albums will theoretically be limited to Europe, record chains and specialty stores in the United States, routinely stock imports from Europe and elsewhere. The expected crush of material has already sent one giant company, EMI Classics, into a shotgun marriage with a bootleg label it had long tried to shut down in an effort to protect its lucrative Callas discography. It also has the American record industry talking about erecting a customs barrier. "The import of those products would be an act of piracy," said Neil Turkewitz, the executive vice president international for the Recording Industry Association of America, which has strongly advocated for copyright protections. "The industry is regretful that these absolutely piratical products are being released." 

The association is trying to persuade European Union countries to extend terms of copyright. In the meantime, Mr. Turkewitz said, "We will try to get these products blocked," arguing that customs agents "have the authority to seize these European recordings even in the absence of an injunction brought by the copyright owners." 

The expiration of copyright protections for recordings from earlier decades has already led to voluminous European reissues of such historically important artists as the great violinist Jascha Heifetz and the legendary jazz cornetist Bix Beiderbecke. But the recordings of the 50's are viewed as being of another order. 

This was the era when recording techniques took a quantum leap and when the long-playing record came into its own and was embraced by the public. Even monaural records from the period, prior to the emergence of stereophonic sound, are prized today by classical and jazz audiophiles. And artistically, the decade marked the golden years of opera icons like Renata Tebaldi; the birth of rock heralded by recordings by Little Richard, Chuck Berry and Elvis; and enormous outbursts of creativity from seminal jazz figures such as Theolonius Monk and Miles Davis. "That decade of recording transformed music and how the public consumes music," Mr. Turkewitz said. It was also the great decade of Callas, who was under exclusive contract to EMI. The looming expiration of copyright on EMI's extensive Callas discography is what finally compelled the London-based company to take its unprecedented action. 

EMI Classics (formerly Angel Records) has been the official keeper of the Callas discography since 1953 when the Greek soprano, then 29, made her first recordings for the company. Over the years, EMI has had to contend with independent labels that released unauthorized Callas recordings, mostly taken from pirated live performances. In the late 1990's, the bane of EMI's existence was a Milan-based independent called Diva, the largest producer of the unofficial recordings. 

But last year, with the support of the Callas Estate in Athens, EMI cut a deal with Diva, which two years ago reconstituted itself as Marcal Records (for Maria Callas) and moved its offices to the Virgin Islands. EMI recently released a new batch of Callas recordings, including four complete live operas and five CD's of live concerts and rehearsals. The source for these was Marcal. 

The strategy would seem to be, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Richard Lyttelton, president of classics and jazz for EMI Recorded Music, concedes as much. 

"For many years EMI was in opposition to Diva," Mr. Lyttelton said in a recent interview from London. "But there has been an irresistible pull for us to work together." With this deal, as Mr. Lyttelton explained, EMI "wanted to try to legitimize the market" for these live Callas recordings "rather than try to suppress it." 

The company hopes that its unprecedented deal with a former adversary may prove an indirect way to maintain dominance in the Callas market, which has been crucial both to EMI's artistic legacy and its bottom line. In most years, according to Mark Forlow, vice president of EMI Classics, Callas recordings, the majority of which were made between 1953 and 1960, account for some 5 percent of the company's sales, more than any artist on its current roster. "It's amazing," Mr. Forlow said recently; "those records just keep selling." In 1997 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the soprano's death at 53, EMI issued the first of three installments of its complete Callas Collection, which included 42 releases, including 31 complete operas, all impressively re-mastered, intelligently packaged and rich with program notes. 

With its new releases, EMI has issued live Callas performances that not so long ago it tried to suppress, banking that that same quality will draw Callas fans and keep them away from lesser choices. As a further inducement, the new EMI releases are being retailed at mid-price. 

This strategy has been tried for years by specialty labels like Mosaic Records, a re-issue company that does critically praised boxed sets of classic jazz recordings. 

Mosaic recently released a 7-CD set of recordings by Bix Beiderbecke, who died in 1931. But cheap competition from European labels has been making projects like this one cost-ineffective, said Michael Cuscuna the label's president. 

"With the Beiderbecke set, we went to the original metal discs and did the best possible sound transfers," he said. "But a handful of European companies have put out this stuff just dumped off the original 78's. That the recording exists in such an inferior state hurts the music." Mr. Cuscuna asserts that some European labels simply wait for a re-issue to come out in the United States then copy the transfers and steal the photographs. "Yet, consumers still go for the cheaper product," he said. "It's discouraging. We've got to get the major labels to take a stand." 

Of course, consumer advocates and champions of access to creative products see many copyright protections as overlong, unfair to the public and ultimately stifling to creativity. 


2003/01/03 Anthony Tommasini - New York Times / Ep.Gold.Com.

TOP 25 GROSSING MOVIES US. 2002.

In the U.S. the Disney movie 'Lilo And Stitch' was #12 on the Top 25 Grossing movies of 2002. 

2003/01/03 ElvisNews / Ep.Gold.Com.

ELVIS POPULAR IN INDIA.

Here are the results of the Top 50 Countdown Poll on GO 92.5 FM for 2002 - the top FM Radio Station in Bombay, India:
1) Enrique Iglesias - 5180 votes
2) Las Ketchup - 4290 votes
3) Elvis - 4210 votes
4) KK (an Indian singer) - 3695 votes
5) Shakira/Ronan Keating -

2003/01/03 ElVis News / Ep.Gold.Com.

ELVIS PRESLEY'S AUSTRALIAN CHART UPDATE

Further to Bob Hayden's report on Elvis' Australian chart placings for the year ending.
Well Bob has advised forwarded us some fantastic details that will interest Elvis fans worldwide.

ELVIS HAS BEEN AWARDED THE TOPSELLING DANCE SINGLE WITH
"A LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION" .......

and

AWARDED THE TOP SELLING "DVD" AND ALSO THE TOP SELLING 
"VIDEO/AUDIO VISUAL" FOR "THE DEFINITIVE ELVIS" ISSUES.

This caps off a great year in Australia for Elvis and surely more awards are forth coming for the Elvis estate in the future?

2003/01/03 Bob Hayden / Epgold.com

ELVIS 30 # 1 HITS ALBUM IN CHINA.


About the report on two new Elvis CDs in China, "A little less conversation" is included in the "Elvis 30 # 1 HITS " CD , but it was not shown in the package, it is track 31. 

2003/01/03 M H Lai / Ep.Gold.Com.

ELVIS NOT LOST......SOMEWHAT FORGOTTEN???

It has been a few months since my last article, as I have been very busy preparing for a book I plan on writing soon, as well as numerous questions
I have received regarding Elvis collectibles. Thank you in advance for your questions, and feel free to keep them coming.
In this month's column Iwant to write about the remberence of the King..

To read the complete article: Go to the Column: Joe Wright or


2003/01/02 Joe Wright / Ep.Gold.Com.

PLATINUM CERTIFICATION FOR 30 # 1 HITS CD IN JAPAN.

"Elv1s 30 #1 Hits" CD was certificated as "Platinum Disc" for over 200,000 sales in Japan from RIAJ(Recording Industry Association of Japan). 

2003/01/02 Elvis World Japan / Ep.Gold. Com.

ELVIS LIVES TV SPECIAL ON CMT.

Jan.8, 2003, CMT 
06:00 pm ET; Charro 
08:00 pm ET; Elvis Lives 
09:00 pm ET; Charro 
11:00 pm ET; Elvis Lives 

2003/01/02 CMT / Ep.Gold.Com.

ELVIS DAY ON TCM

Jan.8, 2003, TCM 
09:00 am ET; Harum Scarum 
10:30 am ET; Spinout 
12:30 pm ET; Double Trouble 
02:30 pm ET; Live A Little, Love A Little 
04:00 pm ET; Stay Away, Joe 
06:00 pm ET; That's The Way It Is, Special Edition 

2003/01/02 TCM / Ep.Gold.Com.

RANCH OWNERS DISSOLVE PACT WITH DEVELOPERS.

The option contract to sell the Circle G Ranch as a cornerstone for a $600 million resort has been dissolved after developers missed two payments. 
The McLemore family terminated the contract after developers missed a payment due the week of Dec. 16, said Gerald McLemore, a spokesman for the family that owns the 155-acre ranch at Goodman and Miss. 301 in Horn Lake. 
The developers missed another payment after that, he said. 

The agreement required the developers - a partnership based in Alpharetta, Ga. - to make $1,000-a-day payments until they closed with a $6.5 million purchase. 
"Our agreement was that they were to make the payments every 10 days,'' McLemore said. 
"When they failed to make the payments, the contract ended. Nobody is mad at anybody, and we're still talking, but for right now, we don't have a contract on that property.'' 

Attempts to reach the developers - Circle G Ranch Resort LLC - Monday were unsuccessful. 
The Circle G developers allowed an option to buy 317 acres adjacent to the Circle G property to expire in September after missing payments on that agreement. 
That land is owned by the Hugh Dancy Co. 

The 317-acre tract, which is east of the original Circle G Ranch land, would have been the site of one of two championship golf courses. 
Vernon Simpson, vice president for the Dancy company, said Dec. 19 he hadn't heard anything from the developers since the option expired. 
McLemore said he still hopes the resort will be built. 
"I'd like to see it for the significance of the property, and I'd like to see it as an attraction for the area,'' he said. 

The developers proposed building a golf and entertainment resort keyed to the property once owned by Elvis Presley. 
Plans included two golf courses, two hotels, a large auditorium, theaters and other facilities. 

2003/01/02 William C.Bayne / Go Memphis.Com / Ep.Gold.Com.

MALAYSIAN VCD PROMO.

New Promo BMG - EMI Sampler VCD given free with a Malaysian Music Weekly magazine - Various Artistes with 1 MTV Music Video dance track A Little Less Conversation by Elvis Presley VS JXL (Complete Version)

2003/01/02 H.T.Long / Ep.Gold.Com.

"ELVIS PRESLEY HIGHLY PLACED IN THE AUSTRALIAN CHARTS"

Elvis Presley has had an amazing year in the Australian Music Charts.

Elvis achieved MULTI - PLATINUM sales awards from ARIA during the past year,
for A LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION single and 30 NO 1 HITS album.

ARIA released the best single song and album chart placings over the weekend
and ELVIS reached the following in the TOP 100.

Single... A LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION was 3rd best selling single release

ALBUM...30 NO 1 HITS was 9th best selling album released.

This is fantastic news for the Australian Elvis Fan, and all the Australian FAN clubs 
should be very pleased indeed. Their excellent work over the past year has kept 
Elvis and more imprtant 'HIS MUSIC' at the forefront of the Australian music scene.

We only have to wait now till 8th Jan 2003 for Graceland to receive the awards and 
then have them hang with all the other Australian Gold and Platinum Awards

2003/01/02 BOB HAYDEN / Ep.Gold.Com

ELVIS COOLEST MUSIC STAR OF ALL TIME.

Rock legend Elvis Presley has been voted the coolest music star of all time.
The King pipped reggae hero Bob Marley, Godfather of Soul James Brown, guitar guru Jimi Hendrix and Beatles legend John Lennon to the title.

And his 1969 smash hit Suspicious Minds was voted the coolest song of all-time - ahead of James Brown's Sex Machine, Walk On The Wild Side by Lou Reed, Billie Jean by Michael Jackson and Sign 'O' The Times by Prince.
But he was beaten to the title of Coolest Celebrity of all time by Hollywood  tough guy Steve McQueen.

Mohammed Ali boxed clever to be named the coolest sports star in the survey of 4,000 people by Carling Extra Cold lager.
Macho McQueen was also named as the coolest movie star, followed by the elegant Audrey Hepburn and doomed 50s icon James Dean.
Al Pacino starred in three of the Top 10 Coolest Movies of all time - The Godfather Parts One and Two and Scarface.
A spokeswoman for Carling Extra Cold said: ''This survey is part of our ongoing research into Cool, to support the launch of Carling Extra Cold.

''We wanted to find out once and for all who exactly are considered the ultimate cool customers in the world of movies and music.
''Steve McQueen is the classic choice. He embodies what many people consider to be the cool attributes - strong, sexy and independent.
''He was named the Coolest Celebrity of all time but others - especially Al Pacino and Elvis - gave him a run for his money.''

 Results in full:

 Coolest Music Stars
 1. Elvis Presley
 2. Bob Marley
 3. James Brown
 4. Jimi Hendrix
 5. John Lennon
 6. Frank Sinatra
 7. Madonna
 8. Kurt Cobain
 9. Prince
 10. David Bowie
 11. Robbie Williams
 12. Huey Morgan (Fun Lovin Criminals)
 13. Lenny Kravitz
 14. Bono
 15. Bryan Ferry
 16. Tom Jones
 17. Lou Reed
 18. Michael Hutchence
 19. Bjork
 20. Keith Moon

 Coolest Bands
 1. Massive Attack
 2. Velvet Underground
 3. Nirvana
 4. Roxy Music
 5. Red Hot Chilli Peppers
 6. U2
 7. The Beastie Boys
 8. Public Enemy
 9. The Rolling Stones
 10. The Beatles
 11. Pink Floyd
 12. Fun Loving Criminals
 13. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
 14. Cypress Hill
 15. Depeche Mode
 16. Portishead
 17. New Order
 18. Blondie
 19. Oasis
 20. White Stripes

 Coolest Songs
 1. Suspicious Minds Elvis Presley
 2. Sex Machine James Brown
 3. Walk On The Wild Side Lou Reed
 4. Billie Jean Michael Jackson
 5. Sign 'O' The Times Prince
 6. Sexual Healing Marvin Gaye
 7. Under The Bridge Red Hot Chilli Peppers
 8. Unfinished Symphony Massive Attack
 9. Vogue Madonna
 10. Wonderwall Oasis
 11. Satisfaction Rolling Stones
 12. New York New York Frank Sinatra
 13. Layla Eric Clapton
 14. No Woman No Cry Bob Marley and The Wailers
 15. Whole Lotta Love Led Zeppelin
 16. My Way Frank Sinatra
 17. Wish You Were Here Pink Floyd
 18. Imagine John Lennon
 19. Light My Fire The Doors
 20. I Heard It Through the Grapevine Marvin Gaye

 Coolest Movies
 1. The Godfather Part One (1972)
 2. The Italian Job (1969)
 3. Goodfellas (1990)
 4. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
 5. Scarface (Al Pacino version) (1983)
 6. The Matrix (1999)
 7. The Godfather Part Two (1974)
 8. Apocalypse Now (1979)
 9. Enter The Dragon (1973)
 10. Rebel Without A Cause (1955)
 11. Pulp Fiction (1994)
 12. The Great Escape (1963)
 13. The Magnificent Seven (1960)
 14. The Usual Suspects (1995)
 15. Bullitt (1968)
 16. Saturday Night Fever (1977)
 17. Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
 18. The Seven Samurai (1954)
 19. Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969)
 20. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)


 Coolest Movie Stars
 1. Steve McQueen
 2. Audrey Hepburn
 3. James Dean
 4. Al Pacino
 5. Samuel L Jackson
 6. Jack Nicholson
 7. Christopher Walken8. Marlon Brando
 9. Robert De Niro
 10. Sean Connery
 11. Steve McQueen
 12. Tony Curtis
 13. Johnny Depp
 14. Brad Pitt
 15. Marilyn Monroe
 16. Kevin Spacey
 17. John Wayne
 18. Jackie Chan
 19. Ray Winstone
 20. Tom Cruise

 Coolest Celebrities of All Time
 1. Steve McQueen
 2. Elvis Presley
 3. Mohammed Ali
 4. Al Pacino
 5. Frank Sinatra

2003/01/02 Jay Williams - SWNS - Group UK / Ep.Gold.Com.