5th Annual Independent
Survey Of Elvis Websites.
By: Elvis Central International, February
06, 2004
What site has the best articles?
A range of sites were nominated with the top three being:
#1: www.elvis.com.au (Elvis
Information Network) - 54 votes
#2: EP Gold (23 votes)
#3: www.geocities.com/elvissymposium
(22 votes)
What site has the best interviews?
After a three way tussle between For Elvis CD Collectors Only, Elvis
Information Network and EP Gold, the winner was:
www.elvis.com.au (Elvis Information
Network),
Note : Although Ep.Gold did not anticipate this year with this 5th
Annual
Independent Survey Of Elvis Websites.
We thank the ones who did voted for us.
2004/02/06/Ep.Gold.Com.
Graceland Chair.
The Swedish fashion designer J. Lindeberg
has designed an armchair called
"Graceland". The chair is shown at a big furniture exhibition in
Sweden
between February 4-8. On the last day of the exhibition there is a big
auction where the Graceland chair is one of the objects, so if you want to
watch your Elvis DVDs in style, place your bid.
2004/02/06/Elvis Unlimited Sweden/EPGold.com
Danish Gospel Show DVD
Here is the cover of the gospel show Elvis
Unlimited put together last year.
This show features the Bill Baize, The Sweet Inspirations and Bob Moore with
a cast of artists from Denmark, Sweden, Norway and The Netherlands.
2004/02/06/Elvis Unlimited/EPGold.com
New Sinatra DVD highlights
his noteworthy duets with Elvis Presley.
In his celebrated, two-volume biography of
Elvis Presley, author Peter
Guralnick recounts a scene that underscores the drama involved in the young
rock sensation's guest appearance on Frank Sinatra's television show in
March 1960 -- a classic pop pairing that's highlighted in a DVD titled
"Sinatra: The Classic Duets."
Three years before the TV show, Presley, whose "Jailhouse Rock"
was
streaking up the national charts, was in Los Angeles to perform at the old
Pan Pacific Auditorium.
Backstage, a reporter handed the singer a magazine article in which Sinatra,
whose tastes leaned more to the big-band era, lashed out at the rebellious
new sound that was sweeping the country.
"Rock 'n' roll smells phony and false," Sinatra declared. "It
is sung,
played and written for the most part by cretinous goons and by means of its
almost imbecilic reiteration, and sly, lewd, in plain fact, dirty lyrics...
it manages to be the martial music of every side-burned delinquent on the
face of the Earth... . (It) is the most brutal, ugly, desperate, vicious
form of expression it has been my misfortune to hear."
The reporter wanted Elvis' reaction.
"I admire the man," Presley said politely. "He's a great
success and a fine
actor, but I think he shouldn't have said it. He's mistaken about this. This
is a trend, just the same as he faced when he started years ago. I consider
it the greatest in music."
So the singers must have been wary when Presley, fresh from his U.S. Army
duty in Germany, agreed to go on Sinatra's special, which was titled
"Frank
Sinatra's Welcome Home Party for Elvis Presley."
The show was certainly a win-win situation.
Besides picking up the highest fee for a
TV guest spot at the time
($125,000), Elvis, still struggling for credibility among adults, benefited
from the prestige of saying hello again to his young fans while standing
alongside the most acclaimed singer of the pre-rock era. For Sinatra, the
advantage was even more concrete: Presley guaranteed huge ratings -- and
sure enough, two-thirds of U.S. sets were tuned to the show.
After two numbers by Presley (not shown on the DVD), Sinatra joined him on
stage for a self-conscious medley -- the Presley hit "Love Me
Tender" and
the Sinatra favorite "Witchcraft."
The surprise is that Presley seems more comfortable than the veteran
Sinatra. While the latter seems uncertain about just how to act during the
medley, Presley throws in a few of Sinatra's signature stage gestures,
including a shake of the shoulders and some snapping of the fingers. Sinatra
may have toyed with the idea of shaking his hips a la Elvis but must have
thought better of it.
Even if Sinatra wasn't a fan of rock 'n' roll, there is one Sinatra who was
thrilled by Presley's presence on the show -- daughter Nancy. Interviewed
for the DVD about the telecast, she says: "I was 18 years old and in
love
with Elvis, totally in love with Elvis. (It) melted my heart to meet him in
person."
The emotional high point of the DVD, released by Hart Sharp Video in
association with Sinatra Enterprises, comes when Sinatra and his vocal
inspiration, Bing Crosby, team on the bittersweet "September
Song." Where
Presley and Sinatra strained to find common ground, Sinatra and Crosby come
across as artists with such mutual respect you can sense them marveling at
each other's vocal touches each step of the way.
2004/02/06/Robert Hilburn Los Angeles Times/EPGold.com
ELVIS On The Road - First Latin American Elvis Convention
Events will take place on April 8-11, 2004 in Sao Paulo, Brazil's Hilton
Hotel.
* Collectors Exhibits of rare Elvis items. Memorabilia, CD's, original
records, etc.
* FUN IN ACAPULCO, THAT'S THE WAY IT IS (ORIGINAL 1970 and SPECIAL EDITION)
and ELVIS ON TOUR to be shown at Hilton's cinema.
* Live Concerts.
* Breakfast, lunch and dinner activities with international Elvis' related
guests.
* To be confirmed: ELSA CARDENAS (FUN IN ACAPULCO), PATSY ANDERSEN
(GRACELAND),
JOE ESPOSITO (MEMPHIS MAFIA), GEORGE KLEIN (MEMPHIS MAFIA), JERRY SCHILLING
(MEMPHIS MAFIA), CYNTHIA PEPPER (KISSIN' COUSINS) and musicians: RONNIE
McDOWELL, TERRY MIKE JEFFREY, JAMES BURTON, JERRY SCHEFF, RONNIE TUTT, GLEN
HARDIN ,
THE SWEET INSPIRATIONS (ESTELLE, MYRNA & PORTIA), THE GOLDEN COVENANT
(Ex-STAMPS: ED ENOCH, ED HILL, RICK STRICKLAND)
* Brazilian performers:
EDSON GALHARDI, TENNESSEE BAND and MAURICIO CAMARGO BRITO
* Elvis experts:
CARLOS ARES (ARGENTINA), MARCOS FAJARDO (CHILE), GEORGINA (MÉXICO), JERRY
OSBORNE (EUA) y NORTON COLL (BRASIL).
2004/02/06/Ep.Gold.Com
Again a great recording
ruined by this high pitched ringing noise and it's
on every track including the applause.
Guess it is the same producers who mastered the How Great Thou Art Sessions
Volumes , also did Ampex's America's Own.
2004/02/06/EP.Gold.Com
Ultimate Gospel CD
Here is the cover and the track listing of the upcoming CD "Elvis -
Ultimate
Gospel"
1 How Great Thou Art
2 So High
3 Amazing Grace
4 Crying In The Chapel
5 You'll Never Walk Alone
6 Swing Down Sweet Chariot
7 Milky White Way
8 His Hand In Mine
9 I Believe In The Man In The Sky
10 Where Could I Go But To The Lord
11 If The Lord Wasn't Walking By My Side
12 Run On
13 He Touched Me
14 Bosom Of Abraham
15 Lead Me, Guide Me
16 Joshua Fit The Battle
17 If We Never Meet Again
18 I, John
19 Reach Out To Jesus
20 Who Am I?
21 Help Me
22 Miracle Of The Rosary
23 Take My Hand, Precious Lord
24 (There'll Be) Peace In The Valley (For Me)
2004/02/06/Elvis From Poland/EPGold.com
The next 3 FTD- Special Editions is planned for Next Year.
(Ernst
at The International Shop. December 2003)
An extra release April 1st on FTD
Special-Edition (7 Inch package) re-issue from' Elvis As Recorded Live On
Stage In Memphis TN.' The three FTD - Special Editions will be released
in May this year entitled : Paradise Hawaiian Style, Spinout and
Double Trouble. After these three film- releases on the FTD Special -Edition
in May this year, the next three FTD's is planned for next
year 2005 and all three (with the great package on 7 inch)
contain all studio releases. Next week more information and details from
Ernst Jorgensen and Andylon in their exclusive Interview published for
Ep.Gold.
2004/02/04/Ernst Jorgensen - FTD / Andylon Lensen/EPGold.com
Laughter, she wrote?
By Hal Boedeker ( February 4 2004)
Angela Lansbury is a Hollywood icon, yet at a CBS Super Bowl party for weary
TV critics, she's not an obvious magnet for attention. After all, it has
been nearly eight years since Murder, She Wrote left the CBS lineup. But the
actress, 78, quickly charms listeners with her candor and wit. She has a new
movie (The Blackwater Lightship) and a new career plan. ... Lansbury has
left a wide-ranging gallery of performances on film, from voicing Mrs. Potts
in Beauty and the Beast to playing Elvis Presley's mother in Blue Hawaii.
She was an Oscar nominee for The Picture of Dorian Gray and a vivid presence
in The Harvey Girls, State of the Union, The Long Hot Summer, The World of
Henry Orient and Death on the Nile.
2004/02/05/Hal Boedeker/EPGold.com
Elvis Presley
The Originals Elvis?
where do over 400 of Elvis's songs come from?
Information about original versions of numbers recorded by Elvis Presley.
Vis this great information at
http://users.pandora.be/davidneale/elvis/originals/index.html
2004/02/05/ Andylon Lensen/EPGold.com
Quizshow Even Or Double.
On sunday 25th swedish television will
start a quizshow that will run every
sunday during the spring, the show is called Even or Double and has history
way back to the radiodays.
The new series will be for young people between 9-14, in the first program a
girl named Teresia is gonna compete on the subjet of Elvis. A big part of
the program includes John Wilkinson and was filmed on location at Elvis
Unlimiteds successfull fanmeeting in Uddevalla Sweden with John as guest of
honor. The meeting drew a crowd that was double to what Björn Axelsson from
Elvis Unlimited Sweden excpected, so for the next meeting the venue has to
be a lot bigger.
2004/02/05/Unlimited Sweden/EPGold.com
Sonny West in UK.
We are pleased to announce Sonny West will
be in the UK on 29th February
2004. Click here: http://www.essentialelvis.co.uk/
to visit our EVENTS
page for details.
2004/02/05/Andrew Hearn.essential Elvis/EPGold.com
Cancer-fund stamp closing
in on Elvis
The breast cancer stamp has two more years
to beat Elvis for the title of
most popular stamp in postal history -- its creator's goal.
The stamp is the brainchild of Sacramento surgeon Ernie Bodai. It has raised
$36.3 million for breast cancer research since 1998.
``I'm ecstatic,'' Bodai said Tuesday. ``We have two more years of this
wonderful fundraising mechanism.''
So far, 509 million of the stamps have been sold. That's only 8 million less
than the Elvis Presley stamp, which was discontinued in 1997.
The first-class stamp sells for 45 cents. After production expenses,
proceeds go to the National Cancer Institute and the Department of Defense,
which dole out research grants.
2004/02/05/Epgold.com
Update on "A Little
Bit of Heaven"
For those who are not familiar with the
song title "A Little Bit of Heaven",
this was supposed to be the new James Burton Instrumental. The Belgian
singer Big Boy Frankie (who'll be appearing at the Sport Palace in Antwerp
early this month) had asked James to play overdub on his next single. James,
who happened to be in Belgium, agreed and indeed, in November of 2003 he did
a wonderful overdub. I was present at that session, and so was Yvonne
Groenendijk, who runs James's website.
However, in December of last year, we got a call from the management of Big
Boy Frankie. They had released the single on a 2 track-CD. Track one was a
vocal track, the second was instrumental, credited to James Burton. Also,
his name and picture are on both the label and the card board sleeve. Little
did we know that James was not asked for permission. In fact, when we saw
the CD, we mailed the label (Blackline) and the singer, and twice we got the
same reply: Yes, James Burton agrees to this release. Therefore, we were
under the impression that this was a release with the full consent of James
Burton. That changed when we presented James a copy of the CD in January. As
we only then found out, James had never given permission to the Blackline
label to use his name or picture, and he was NOT happy with the release of
an instrumental track. We regret that a Belgian label has 'tricked' James
into this, and offer our apologies. This release, of course, has nothing to
do with Elvismatters. We offered the CD for sale to the fans in good trust.
Although this is not an illegal product, we will withdraw it from our online
shop. The single, however, is still available in the Belgian CD stores. As
soon as Big Boy Frankie or the Blackline label comment on this unfortunate
incident, you'll read it here.
2004/02/05/elvismatters.be/EPGold.com
John Wilkinson
audio.
John Wilkinson sang 3 songs live on the recent Elvismatters Birthday
parties. These can now be heard in our members area, see audiocorner
extra.
Exclusively for our members at :http://www.elvismatters.be
2004/02/05/elvismatters.be/EPGold.com
ASK ERNST...EXCLUSIVE
INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED BY ANDYLON.
Andylon confirmed us she will provide
us ,exclusive for EP.Gold., new
interviews with Ernst Jorgensen.
Anyone who has new questions that concerns the new FTD releases can
E-mail
us at polksalad@planet.nl
and this will be forwarded to Andylon.
WATCH
OUT FOR ELVIS
IF you've ever thought of exaggerating a crash claim, look out - Big
Brother
could be watching you. Car insurer e-sure is using "spy in the sky"
technology to check claimants'
stories. Yesterday the firm began running a pilot test for ELVIS -
Electronic Location Viewing System. It enables staff to judge claims
where distances and road markings play a role.
Using a computer, they can zoom in on aerial photos of accident scenes -
down to road marking level. The system can even "place" cars
on a photo so distances can be measured to the nearest six inches.
e-sure says ELVIS will cut the cost of investigating conflicting
accounts of a road layout or distances. It should also weed out
exaggerated or fraudulent claims faster.
Peter Wood, e-sure chairman, said: "It is every insurer's
responsibility to hit fraud hard while processing genuine claims more
quickly with better service.
"This technology is part of our drive"" .
2004/02/04/ Daily Mirror/EPGold.com
"All Shook Up" features
in Tim Burton's new film, "Big Fish"
The song All Shook Up was played mid-film, during a parachute jump in
the
Korean war.
Ewan McGregor stars!
2004/02/04/EpGold.com
Spring
Fever with Elvis
2004/02/04/elvismatters/EPGold.com
Record
Fair in Belgium.
8 februari LIER / CC De Mol -
Aarschotsesteenweg
7 maart GENT / Citadelpark
14 maart BRUGGE
3 - 4 april MECHELEN
4 april ANTWERPEN
12 april HERENTHOUT
17 - 18 april UTRECHT
25 april ANTWERPEN / Zaal Schijnpoort - Schijnpoortstraat - Strip en
Platenbeurs (www.stripsmeteenhart.org)
30 oktober VUCHTE
2004/02/04/EPGold.com
DVD
set "Elvis Presley Recollections" .
5 DVD set "Elvis Presley
Recollections". It tells the career of Elvis
Presley from his explosive entry into the world of Rock till his tragic
death.
2004/02/04/Elvisclubberlin/EPGold.com
True
Stories - The Elvis Presley Anthology
This is upcoming DVD "True Stories - The Elvis Presley Anthology".
This is an intimate portrait of the King including recreations of
his
musical performances: 'Heart And Soul', 'The Fans', 'Untold Stories' and
'A
Perspective'.
2004/02/04/ Elvis Club Berlin/EPGold.com
Swedish
Elvis Stamp
Swedish mail will celebrate 50 years
of Rock And Roll by issuing a series of
stamps called "Rock 54-04". There will be 7 Swedish artists
and one foreign
artist, yes that will of course be Elvis Presley.
2004/02/04/Elvis Unlimited Sweden/EPGold.com
BEHIND THE IMAGE VOL.1
The DVD Elvis Behind The Image Vol.1 – “You know the legend now meet the man” was released in 2002.
And after all the years we got finally the ultimate footage from Elvis on his 1970 tour. On Top of that we got center stage crystal clear 8mm footage from the famous “Fringe Suit” and not only short clips we got the full treatment!
Another
highlight of this DVD was with no doubt the candid footage with shows
for the first time ever our man in private at his California homes. All
this incredible footage was never been circulated and digitally
transferred from it’s original reels for the very first time!
But
this DVD was not an all in all 8mm product. B T I
Was
a documentary and you got this wonderful footage as an bonus. The
important part of the DVD no matter how sensational the footage was are
the interesting interview guest like Kathie Westmoreland , John
Wilkinson and last not least long time personal friend Sandi Miller .
This “high roller” of the Elvis World
appear for the first time ever on an documentary and with their
In-dept interviews they really reveal the man Behind The Image.
And
finally as an bonus feature we got an “visit” to the famous “Elvis
A Rama” in Las Vegas for the people who can not afford a trip like
that J.
For
legal reason there is no Elvis singing voice included on this DVD but
what we get here as Background music is the best we have so far on DVD
of this nature!
With
it’s strong content, the longest running time ever as an Collectors
DVD (75min.) and the good price 42 Euro (which is less than all the
other products of this kind ) this DVD set’s new standards in the
Elvis DVD World and belongs in every collection of an real Elvis fan!
The
EPGold team work very hard
to keep you updated with the latest News on the upcoming Elvis Behind
The Image Vol.2 – Welcome To His World DVD. In next week we will have
nice surprises for you so come back an join us celebrating a huge
Welcome Back BTI Party online. Epgold were you got the hottest news
first! The original!
2004/02/03/Behind-the-image.com/EPGold.com
FOR SALE ELVIS IN CONCERT AWARD
Here is a great opportunity for every serious Elvis collector or Elvis museum, to buy this great Elvis The Concert Award only one was made. This award was made for Graceland in August 1992. Later it was auctioned for the Make A Wish Foundation. For further information you can drop an e-mail to polksalad@planet.nl
Here is some more information about this award including an artickle from a Dutch newspaper.
James Burton does not
approve of this new CD releases single "A Little Bit
of Heaven".
James Burton does not approve of the release of Big Boy Frankie's single
"A
Little Bit of Heaven". They never got permission to use his name.
James is
very upset about this. James said he is not promoting a CD that is not his.
He certainly does not approve of them releasing it as HIS instrumental CD.
God save The King.
Elvis Presley's estate have caused consternation amongst his millions of
fans worldwide, after sanctioning a deal to chop up a tape of The King's
first recordings.
Wealthy memorabilia fans have been alerted to the news that the tape,
containing songs recorded by Elvis in the early 1950s, is to be cut into
small snippets and auctioned off.
The tape is apparently now so old that it cannot be played. However,
although the recordings have long since been translated to more modern
technology, the news has outraged Elvis fans.
Dave Marsh, author of the book 'Elvis', reacted angrily to the news. He
commented: "If they were cutting up something that was purported to
be the
original copy of the 'Declaration Of Independence' or an original copy of
'Moby Dick', we wouldn't even be asking, 'What's the big deal?'"
"They're destroying something forever that in the future could have
real
value. To destroy something that's such an important historic artefact is
destroying a key part of American culture," said Marsh.
The master tape of the recordings was bought at auction in Tennessee in
1992
and was released by Sun Records as the 'Sun Sessions', before Elvis quit
the
legendary label.
US firm Master Tape Collection will cut the tape and then auction the
segments for around $500 each. The cuttings will be presented on a plaque.
A spokesman for Elvis Presley Enterprises defended their decision,
insisting: "Whether it's OK to cut up a deteriorated tape that found
its way
into a private collection could be debated endlessly.
"We do not own the tape. It was not our decision to make," he
told the BBC.
Mix Elvis' vocal tracks with a symphonic orchestra?
The OEPFC's suggestion to mix Elvis' vocal tracks with a symphonic
orchestra
has not been ruled out by both Ernst Jorgensen and BMG. Let's see what the
future will bring.
2004/02/02/OEPFC Magazine/EPGold.com
New Import CD "The Night When Elvis Sung When The Snow Is On The Roses"
.
Set for release next week is the Import CD with a long title "The
Night When
Elvis Sung When The Snow Is On The Roses". This CD contains a
recording of
Elvis' Las Vegas performance of August 24, 1970 midnight show.
2004/02/02/EpGold.Com
Follow That Dream DVD in USA release.
"Follow That Dream" DVD
will be released in USA on Apr.20, 2004.
Region 1 NTSC for USA & Canada.
2004/02/02/EPGold.com
Riley Keough
Elvis Presley's granddaughter, Riley
Keough, will star in David Yurman's ad
campaign launching in April. David and Sybil Yurman, who just won the
Lifetime Achievement Award at the Gem Awards Gala, will have Lisa Marie
Presley's 14-year-old beauty co-starring with Kate Moss and Patti Hansen.
(Rush & Molly)
2004/02/02/EPGold.com
JAILHOUSE ROCK - THE MUSICAL
A
unique celebration of 50 years of rock n’ roll from one of the UK’s most
successful writing and directing teams, Jailhouse
Rock - The Musical features
a rich catalogue of 1950’s rock ‘n’ roll classics. Adapted from the
original Presley movie, the show tells the story of Vince Everett, a young
man from the wrong side of the tracks who discovers his own unique musical
talent whilst doing time in jail and emerges to become the world’s
greatest rock ‘n’ roll star.
The
show heralds the arrival of a bright new star in the form of Mario Kombou,
as leading man Vince Everett, the role that brought his hero Elvis worldwide
adulation. Mario is joined by Lisa Peace as Peggy van Aulden, the woman who
launches Vince’s career and with whom he eventually falls in love, Roger
Alborough as country and western singer and hardened con Hawk Houghton and
Gilz Terera as Vince’s loyal friend behind bars Quickly Robinson.
Jailhouse
Rock - The Musical
has been adapted for the stage by the writer/director/producer team of
Alan Janes and Rob Bettinson whose previous show
‘Buddy’, introduced the new concept of the rock ‘n’ roll
musical to the West End and ran for 13 years in London and across the globe.
The creative team includes Adrian Rees (Designer), David Mackay (Musical
Supervisor) and Drew Anthony (Choreographer).
Jailhouse
Rock - The Musical
is based on the
motion picture ‘Jailhouse Rock’, originally produced by Pandro S. Berman.
Produced by Alan Janes and co-produced by Jonathan Alver and Stephen Dee, Jailhouse
Rock – The
Musical
is a Theatre Partners, Jailhouse Company and Volcanic Island production.
Prior
to London the show will open in Plymouth at the Theatre Royal (first preview
Friday 20th February), before playing two weeks at the Palace Theatre in
Manchester (first night Tuesday 9th March).
Tickets,
on sale now, are priced between £45.00 - £19.50.
Theatre
bookings:
Plymouth
Theatre Royal Box Office 01752 267 222
Manchester
Palace Theatre Ticketmaster 0870 401 7000
Piccadilly
Theatre box office Tel: 0870 060 6630.
For
Further Information:
The
PR Contact.
Contact:
Phil Symes or Nicolas Small.
Tel:
020 7323 1200.
Email:or
publicity@theprcontact.com
2004/02/01/EPGold.com
New promo CD from Holland
The CD contains 6 Elvis
songs: That's All Right/Heartbreak Hotel/Little
Sister/Suspicious Minds/Burning Love/Way Down (Take 2)
2004/02/01/Club Berlin/EPGold.com
50th Anniversary Of Rock
And Roll.
Elvis International announces that on the
50th Anniversary of Rock N' Roll,
fans from around the world will salute the legendary performers and
musicians who worked with Elvis on stage as well as on his recordings.
Scotty Moore. DJ Fontana. The Jordanaires. Boots Randolf. Milllie Kirkham
and so many more of the original force behind Elvis and other Rock N' Roll
performers will return in an all star gathering on Aug. 13th in Memphis.
The 2004 Edition of Elvis Week, the annual August festival of dozens of
events at Graceland and throughout Memphis in recognition of the anniversary
of the entertainer's passing will take on a 50 Years of Elvis/50Years of
Rock N' Roll theme.
2004/02/01/Elvis Unlimited/EPGold.com
American Veteran Awards TV
Special Features New Elvis Award.
The
8th Annual American Veteran Awards telecast will be on The History
Channel on Sunday, February 9, 2003 at 7:00 PM ET/PT. (Check local
listings.) The awards ceremonies were taped in November 2002. It was in this
latest presentation that the American Veteran Awards, a project of Veterans
Foundation, Inc. introduced a new award - the Elvis Presley Best Patriotic
Song Award. The first Elvis award was presented to country duo Brooks &
Dunn
for their song Only in America.
The AVA contacted Graceland/EPE seeking permission to name the award in
honor of Elvis and asking our cooperation and assistance. Our thanks to the
AVA for this wonderful recognition for Elvis and our congratulations to
Brooks & Dunn for being the first recipients.
Check out the American Veteran Awards web site for more information.
http://www.avashow.com/
2004/02/01/Avashow/EPGold.com
America's Own Elvis Presley Audience -
Import CD Released.
This
new double CD set from the Ampex label is now out. It contains the
complete July 19, 1975 afternoon show at the Nassau Coliseum and several
bonus tracks from the evening show.
We were also informed that the next release from this label would be titled
'' When Evening Falls '' with the complete concert from May 27, 1977 in
Binghamton, NY. More infos we have it !!!
Here's the track listing of '' America's Own Elvis Presley '' :
CD #1
01- Also Sprach Zarathustra ; 02- See See Rider ; 03- I Got A Woman / Amen ;
04- Big Boss Man ; 05- Elvis Talks ; 06- Love Me ; 07- If You Love Me ( Let
me Know ) ; 08- Love Me Tender ; 09- All Shook Up ; 10- Teddy Bear / Don't
Be Cruel ; 11- Hound Dog ; 12- The Wonder Of You ; 13- Trying To Get To You
; 14- Burning Love ; 15- Introduction of the band #1 ; 16- Johnny B. Goode (guitar
solo by James Burton ) ; 17- Chicken Pickin' ( guitar solo by JamesBurton )
; 18- Drums Solo ( by Ron Tutt ) ; 19- Bass Solo ( by Jerry Scheff) ; 20-
Piano Solo ( by Glen D. Hardin ) ; 21- Introduction of the band #2 ;22-
School Day ; 23- T-R-O-U-B-L-E ; 24- Heartbreak Hotel ; 25- Killing Me
Softly ( sung by Voice ) ; 26- Let Me Be There ( with reprise ) ; 27-
BosomOf Abraham / You Better Run ; 28- You Gave Me A Mountain ; 29- Little
Darlin' .
CD #2
01- Mystery Train / Tiger Man ; 02- Funny How Time Slips Away ( with
reprise) ; 03- Can't Help Falling In Love ; 04- Closing Vamp ; 05- I Got A
Woman /Amen ; 06- Big Boss Man ; 07- Love Me Tender ; 08- The Wonder Of You
; 09-
Polk Salad Annie ; 10- T-R-O-U-B-L-E ; 11- Why Me Lord ? ; 12- How GreatThou
Art ( with reprise ) ; 13- Let Me Be There ( with reprise ) ; 14-You'll
Never Walk Alone ( Elvis playing piano ) ; 15- Little Darlin' ; 16-I'm
Leavin' .
Bonus tracks : 05-16 recorded at the July 19, 1975 Evening show in
Uniondale, NY
2004/02/01/EPGold.com
ELVIS TV FOR FEBRUARY (UK)...
2004/01/30/EPGold.com
2004/01/30/Clarity Payment Solutions/EPGold.com
NASHVILLE (Billboard) - "Elvis Ultimate Gospel," an RCA compilation of Elvis Presley's gospel hits, will hit stores March 23, featuring such tracks as "Amazing Grace," "Crying in the Chapel" and "How Great Thou Art."
The only artist inducted into the rock, country and gospel halls of fame, Presley had an affinity for religious music. He won his first Grammy for "How Great Thou Art" and two more for subsequent gospel recordings
2004/01/30/http://www.elvisclubberlin.de/EPGold.com
| Elvis
fans flood event The Shreveport Times (Jan.26, 2004) Amber Treidel, 11, has been an Elvis fan since she visited Graceland at age 2. Sunday she and her mother came from Campti to Shreveport for a different kind of Elvis sighting. Treidel and others were looking for Elvis - The Hayride Years '54-56, a book that chronicles Elvis Presley's time on the Louisiana Hayride, before the king became the king. A steady stream of fans came through the Southern Maid Donut Co. on Hearne Avenue. Some love Elvis, some love all '50s music, and some, like Felton Pruett, a steel guitar player on the Hayride, were there from the beginning. Reprinted posters advertising an upcoming performance by Elvis at the Hayride hung on vending machines. Those who bought a book could take a poster home along with a compact disc of Elvis' music from the Hayride. Frank Page and Joey Kent co-authored The Hayride Years and signed it at the doughnut shop. The location was chosen because when he was on the Hayride, Elvis frequented a now-closed Greenwood Road shop. Southern Maid was the only product Elvis ever endorsed, Kent said. The doughnut shops sponsored the Hayride and some of the treats are immortalized in the Hayride book. The two authors have their own connections with the show. Kent's father bought the Hayride in 1975 and Page had been both emcee and producer of the show when it was owned by radio station KWKH. About 10 years ago Page approached Kent to write a book. "I set about researching the Hayride and interviewing dozens and dozens of former artists there," Kent said. "And over the last 10 years (we) have amassed a huge archive of material and knowledge on the subject and in doing so we gathered quite a bit of material on Elvis and so we decided to make the first book release about Elvis." A large coffee table book on the history of the Hayride should be available either at the end of 2004 or the beginning of 2005, Kent said. The pair will also publish a book dedicated to Elvis' last show on the Hayride, and this summer a four-CD set of performances by several Hayride greats, such as Hank Williams and Johnny Cash, will be released. Larry Anderson of Shreveport bought a copy of the book and he was happy to learn a Hayride museum is in the works. "There's a lot of history here," he said "and we need to do something with it 2004/01/30/The Shreveport Times/EPGold.com |
Elvis Visit Last Hideout
Saddam
U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Cesar
Castro, carrying a life-size cardboard cutout of
Elvis Presley, was the latest visitor to this muddy farming area that has
become a tourist site of sorts since Saddam Hussein was pulled out of an
underground bunker on Dec. 13 after nearly eight months on the run.
Soldiers with the 4th Infantry Division, chiefly responsible for finding
Saddam, had taken to calling him Elvis. Their missions - chasing tips, vague
intelligence and sightings of the ousted dictator - came to be known as
"Elvis hunts."
Castro, with the Tikrit-based 4th Infantry, put his arm around the shoulders
of the glittering, gold suited Elvis and got his comrades to take his
pictures in front of the former dictator's last hiding hole.
"It seemed like a good idea to bring (a cutout) of Elvis to Saddam's
hole to
show that Elvis was even here," Castro, a 42-year-old Dallas native,
said
with a grin. "I was surprised though. I thought the hole was going to
be
bigger."
2004/01/29/ Associated Press /EPGold.com
The Story Of Elvis re-released on DVD.
2004/01/29/EPGold.com
Elvis Meeting In England, presented by Andrew Hearn Of Essential Elvis
2004/01/29/EPGold.com
MAGAZINE 50 YEARS OF ROCK AND
ROLL
This month's edition on Q Magazine has a six page article "From Elvis
to the
Beatles; The Music that Changed the World". Elvis, Beatles, Dylan,
Berry &
Hendrix on the cover; Elvis in gold lame.
The feature on Elvis, as the "big bang" of rock 'n' roll, and lots
of great
features on The Beatles, Jerry Lee, Beatles etc. They also list the top 20
singles and albums of 54-69:
Singles:
1 That's All Right: EP
2 She Loves You: The Beatles
3 Little Red Rooster: Stones
4 Respect: Aretha Franklin
5 What'd I Say: Ray Charles
6 Blue Suede Shoes: Carl Perkins
7 Rock Around the Clock: Bill Haley & His Comets
8 Dancing in the Streets: Martha Reeves and the Vandellas
9 Only the Lonely: Roy Orbison
10 Louis Louis: The Kingsmen
11 Last Train to Clarksville: The Monkees
12 You Really Got Me: The Kinks
13 White Rabbit: Jefferson Airplane
14 Yakety Yak: The Coasters
15 Apache: The Shadows
16 Leader of the Pack: The Shangri-Las
17 Jai T'Aime...Mon Plus: Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsburg
18 Move it: Cliff Richard
19 Israelites: Desmond Dekker & The Aces
20 Rock Island Line: Lonnie Donegan
Albums
1 Revolver: The Beatles
2 The Freewheeling Bob Dylan: Bob Dylan
3 SGT Pepper: The Beatles
4 Pet Sounds: The Beach Boys
5 The Velvet Underground & Nico: The Velvet Underground & Nico
6 Let it Bleed: The Rolling Stones
7 Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin
8 Are You Experienced: Jimi Hendrix
9 Tommy: The Who
10 Piper at the Gates of Dawn: Pink Floyd
11 Live at the Apollo: James Brown
12 Elvis Presley: Elvis Presley
13 Disraeli Gears: Cream
14 Music from the Big Pink: The Band
15 The Notorious Byrd Brothers: The Byrds
16 Big Brother and the Holding Company: Cheap Thrills
17 The Stoogies: The Stoogies
18 Rockin' at the Hops: Chuck Berry
19 The Graduate OST: Simon & Garfunkle
20 Muddy Waters at Newport 1960: Muddy Waters
2004/01/28/Elvis 2nd To None/EPGold.com
Myrna Smith is one of the original
Sweet Inspirations, the backing group who
sang with Elvis in concert from 1969 until the end. She has also provided
the world with some of the best soulful harmonies that have ever been
recorded. Myrna was recently in Australia and talked excusively to EIN.
Go to : http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/interviews/myrna_smith.shtml
2004/01/28/Piers Beagley/EPGold.com
Master & Sessions Import Sets Cool Romeo label.
From the same producers as the '' Unsurpassed Masters '' box-set.
The first one is a 4 CD box set on the Sun Sessions while the second is a
double CD set on the '' It Happened At The World's Fair '' sessions.
More details soon.
2004/01/28/EPGold.com/Columnist Andylon
Unique Elvis Concert by Joe Guercio
2004 - "50 years of Rock 'n' Roll" - will be an
unforgettable Elvis-year. On
Saturday, May 15th, Elvismatters presents a never-before-seen evening. No
one other than JOE GUERCIO, the legendary Orchestra Conductor of the Elvis
Presley shows, has agreed to conduct a 75 piece orchestra in honor of Elvis.
"Elvis Classics" is the name of the event, and it's a world
premiere. To
quote Joe: "This will not be a traditional classical concert. I want it
to
rock and swing, just the way Elvis wanted his music to sound. This
Classics-concert has got to be the ultimate tribute to the Elvis sound of
the seventies."
Vocals are by Jenson Bloomer (UK), on leadguitar is Tony Smith (UK).
Imagine: "Bridge over Troubled Water" or "An
American Trilogy", performed by
a group of 75 top-musicians, conducted by Mr. Joe Guercio and with Jenson
Bloomer as frontman. You'll witness a pure and overwhelming Elvis show, like
you've never heard before. Classic and rock, all in one. Elvis would have
been proud of the result. Before the concert starts, Joe Guercio will answer
questions on stage, after the show Joe is available for autographs and
pictures.
Tickets are 17 and 27 (VIP) euro only. Order them now at the office of your
fanclub: (0032)14.31.44.40 or info@elvismatters.be.
Don't miss out on this
unique event!
The best seats (front row) are 37 euro - but only 10 of those seats are
still available. Don't wait too long, and mail now!
Elvis Classics - Saturday May 15th - VITO-showroom, Mol Belgium - doors: 16
hrs, show: 20 hrs - with large Elvis-shop
2004/01/28ElvisMatters.be/EPGold.com
Home Of Teenage Elvis Presley Seeks
Ideas for Use
Elvis Presley
The developers of the historic renovation of Lauderdale Courts, now Uptown
Square, are soliciting ideas from the public on how to use the apartment
where teenage Elvis Presley and his family once lived. Uptown Square is part
of a historic renovation and community development endeavor called Uptown
Memphis. Ideas can be submitted via the internet through March 31, 2004.
From 1949 to 1953, Elvis and his mother, Gladys and father, Vernon lived at
185 Winchester, Apt. 328. It was from here Elvis would wander to close-by
Beale Street for inspiration by listening to the likes of B. B. King and
Rufus Thomas. It was the architecturally designed communal courtyards that
gave Elvis his first stage to perform before family and neighbors. He also
would use the laundry room to practice his guitar.
On the National Register of Historic Places, Uptown Square was set for the
wrecking ball before journalists, grass root preservationists and Elvis fans
stepped in and called attention to the fate of the building. Built in the
1930's by a cadre of Memphis' finest architects as a Roosevelt era WPA
housing development, Uptown Square consists of 66 buildings on a 22 acre lot
of Downtown Memphis.
Developers The Uptown Partnership and the City of Memphis will be completing
the first phase of the 347-unit, garden-style apartment community by end of
January 2004. The Elvis unit is part of the third phase to be completed in
spring 2004. This also coincides with Memphis' celebration of the 50th
Anniversary of Rock 'n' Roll throughout 2004.
The Uptown Partnership, a Belz-Turley
Community Development Company, and
Elvis Presley Enterprises are working closely to make the unit special.
"While the rest of the apartments have wider floor plans, the Elvis
unit and
the two units above it will maintain its original floor plan," stated
Henry
Turley, managing partner for The Uptown Partnership. "We have some
ideas of
what to do, but thought this would be great to get the public to weigh in on
this historic renovation."
Teenage Elvis Home
"Uptown Square will be an exciting new neighborhood and a great place
to
live in downtown Memphis," said Jack Soden, President/CEO, Elvis
Presley
Enterprises. "Moreover, another early phase of Elvis' life will be
preserved
and remembered."
Uptown Memphis is the resurgent 100-block Downtown neighborhood, just east
of Harbor Town in Memphis, Tennessee. The Uptown community covers 100 city
blocks stretching roughly from the Mississippi River east to Ayers, and from
Poplar Avenue north to Cedar and Chelsea Avenue. Uptown includes some of
Memphis' oldest neighborhoods such as Greenlaw, the first planned "suburban"
community in Memphis and the teenage home sites of Elvis Presley. Soon to
feature 1,000 new homes and apartments, along with public improvements such
as new parks and streetscapes, Uptown is
the concerted public-private
revitalization by Downtown Memphis pioneers Jack Belz and Henry Turley as
master developers and the City of Memphis.
For more information and to contribute visit ...
- Uptown Memphis Website:
http://www.uptownmemphis.org/elvis.htm
2004/01/28/Uptown MemphisEPGold/Andylon
| Elvis looked even better in
person, Priscilla says
DOWNTOWN - Priscilla Presley, Elvis Presley's teen bride and later a successful actress, author and businesswoman, recounted her whirlwind life Tuesday night to a near-capacity crowd at the Aronoff Center. "Elvis and Me" was the title of Priscilla Presley's 45-minute talk, part of the Smart Talk Women's Lecture Series. "I'm here to share with you the life I've been so fortunate to have, including my formative years with Elvis," Presley told the predominantly female audience. "I honestly wouldn't change it for the world." Presley said she first met Elvis when she was a 14-year-old "Air Force brat" living with her parents in Wiesbaden, West Germany. "He was more handsome than he looked in films," she recalled. When she went to the airport to say goodbye to Elvis when his Army hitch was up, her life changed forever, Presley said. "My life with Elvis was never public until I showed up at the airport. Suddenly being thrust into the public was confusing." Two years later Elvis invited her to visit him in Los Angeles. "The spark was rekindled," Presley said. She eventually moved in with Elvis, then married him and the couple had a daughter, Lisa Marie. The pressures of Elvis' stardom and his dependence on prescription drugs lead to their "amicable divorce" in 1973, she said. "Elvis and I had a loving relationship," she recalled. After her divorce, she and a partner opened a clothing store, which started her career, Presley said. Presley was the first speaker in the Smart Talk Women's Lecture Series presented by The Cincinnati Enquirer. Other speakers are Star Jones (Feb. 3), Mariane Pearl (March 23), Suze Orman (May 18), and Goldie Hawn (June 1). |
2004/01/27/The Cincinnati Enquirer/EPGold.com
New Information RCA / FTD Releases 2004.
Ernst Jorgensen gave the following news during a luncheon with Bull Burke
and some fans:
- By the end of 2004 or begin 2005 a new SUN BOOK will be released
- There will be a follow-up album to the ELVIS NUMBER 1 and SECOND TO NONE
albums.
- There will be a new gospel-set
- The announced SUN release will contain 19 masters, no surprises but in
better sound
- The April 1 FTD release will contain a soundboard recorded in Las Vegas
January, 1971.
- In may the soundtracks PARADISE HAWAIIAN STYLE, SPIN OUT and DOUBLE
TROUBLE will be released on the FTD label.
And the hottest news is the remixed and complete release of Elvis' March 20,
1974, Memphis concert, probably on the FTD label. All the missing songs and
some talking of Elvis will be on this album, including the false start of
Help Me. The concert has been released complete on FORT BAXTER's
Steamroller blues, but half of this disc came from the original RCA release
As Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis and the 'new' half of an acetate. The
difference in sound and the missing of the dubbed in applause (which is a
very annoying thing on the original album anyway) on the unreleased tracks
spoiled some of the listening pleasure.
Hope FTD delivers the best live-album ever with this release..!
Great and enough stuff to look forward to.
2004/01/28/Source: Jordan's Elvis World / Elvis News Network./EPGold.com
_________________________________________________________________
Elvis Presley Documentary in the Works
RALEIGH, N.C. - Filmmaker Ken Vrana will mark the 69th anniversary of Elvis
Presley's birth Thursday by working on his own "Tribute." Vrana
has traveled
250,000 miles over the past 3 1/2 years to collect 570 interviews for a
documentary about Presley, who died at his Graceland home in Memphis, Tenn.,
on Aug. 16, 1977. As fans mark Presley's birthday, Vrana will be editing his
footage.
"Officially, we've completed the interviews," Vrana says. "Unofficially,
I
still have a wish list of about a dozen `big' people like Paul McCartney
I'll continue to chase, to insert later if I can get them." He plans to
release "Tribute" as an 11-hour DVD box set, with a companion
coffee-table
book. It's not a profit-making venture: Vrana has spent $280,000 on the
project so far and says any proceeds will go to charity. Vrana wasn't much
of an Elvis aficionado when he was working on another documentary called
"The Fans," about devoted followers of NASCAR, professional
wrestling,
college basketball and Presley.
But the Elvis fans' stories stood out as worthy of their own film. The cast
of interview subjects eventually stretched well beyond fans, from Presley's
old girlfriends and bandmates to other music legends such as Bill Monroe and
B.B. King. "Tribute" is being financed by Vrana's wife, Lisa, who
is a
marketing specialist - and also his film editor.
"My wife was saying, `If we don't sell this, it will be one of the most
expensive home movies of all time,'" he said.
2004/01/28/EPGold.com
2 latest releases on the Memory label:
A Dinner Bell in Vegas ( August 20, 1970 dinner show )
01. Opening Vamp - 02. That's All Right, Mama - 03. I Got A Woman/Ave Maria
(excerpt) - 04. Tiger Man - 05. Monologue - 06. Love Me Tender (with false
start) * - 07. I've Lost You - 08. I Just Can't Helpp Believin' - 09.
You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - 10. Polk Salad Annie - 11. Band
Introductions - 12. Johnny B. Goode - 13. Band Introductions (ctd.) - 14.
Celebbrity Introductions (Ruth Boyd and the Rinky-Dinks) - 15. The Wonder Of
You - 16. Heartbreak Hotel - 17. Memphis Tennessee (one verse) - 18. One
Night - 19. Blue Suede Shoes - 20. Hound Dog - 21. Bridge Over Troubled
Water - 22. Suspicious Minds - 23. Can't Help Falling In Love - 24. Clossing
Vamp/Announcements.
Bonus tracks (Las Vegas August 18 1970 Midnight show):
25. I Just Can't Help Believin' - 26. Johnny B. Goode - 27. The Wonder
Of
You - 28. All Shook Up - 29. Suspicious Minds.
Note:
This show has been released the sound has been improved plus two
missing
songs are added
A Bright Midnight with Elvis ( August
20, 1970 midnight show )
01. Opening Vamp - 02. That's All Right, Mama - 03. I Got A Woman/Ave Maria
(excerpt) - 04. Tiger Man - 05. Playing with laughing box/Monologue - 06.
Love Me Tender (with false start) - 07. I've Lost You - 08. Sweet Caroline -
09. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - 10. Polk Salad Annie - 11. Band
Introductions - 12. Sweet Inspiration - 13. Band Introductions (ctd.) - 14.
Johnny B. Goode - 15. Band Introductions (ctd.) - 16. The Wonder Of You -
17. Heartbreak Hotel - 18. Blue Suede Shoes - 19. Hound Dog - 200. More (one
verse) - 21. Bridge Over Troubled Water 22. Suspicious Minds (laughing
version) - 23. Can't Help Falling In Love - 24. Clossing Vamp.
Bonus tracks (Las Vegas 19.08.1970 Dinner show):
25. Tiger Man (as show opening song) - 26. I've Lost You - 27. You Don't
Have To Say You Love Me - 228. Polk Salad Annie - 29. Bridge Over Troubled
Water.
This show was released on Import CD Midnight Inspirations, again sound
has
been improved and issued at correct speed.
Released Import CD on White Star
label.
The King Live at the H.I.C. (November 18, 1972)
01. Elvis On Tour Spot - 02. Excerpts From The Aloha From Hawaii Press
Conference, Las Vegas. September 6, 1972 - 03. Oh Happy Day (Live, Las
Vegas. August 14, 1970, M.S.) - 04. It's Crying Time (Live Las Vegas. August
12, 1970, M.S.) - 05. Excerpts From The Aloha From Hawaii Press Conference,
Honolulu, Hawaii. November 20, 1972 - 06. Tiger Man (Slow Version) (Live,
Las Vegas. August 11, 1973, M.S.) -
07. Intro - 08. See See Rider - 09. I Got A Woman / Amen - 10. Good Evening
Ladies And Gentle Men - 11. Until It's Time For You To Go - 12. You Don't
Have To Say You Love Me - 13. Polk Salad Annie - 14. Elvis Talk To The Fans
- 15. Love Me - 16. All Shook Up - 17. Heartbreak Hotel - 18. Blue Suede
Shoes - 19. Just Pretend - 20. Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel - 21. Love Me
Tender - 22. Little Sister / Get Back - 23. Hound Dog - 24. I'll Remember
You - 25. How Great Thou Art - 26. Suspicious Minds - 27. Introductions -
28. What Now My Love - 29. Fever - 30. Burning Love - 31. You Gave A
Mountain - 32. A Big Hunk Of Love - 33. Can't Help Falling In Love - 34.
Closing Vamp
35. Amazing Grace (Live Las Vegas August 14. 1973) - 36. Early Morning Rain
(Live spring of 1977)
Note:
This show has never been released.
2004/01/28/EPgold.com
Elvis Fans All Shook Up Over Plan to Sell Bits of Reel
(BMG's Ernst Jorgensen confirmed it is a copy of
the mastertape. RCA]has the
original in their vaults and Sam Philips only had one single
tape machine)
By David Segal, Washington Post Staff Writer
January 27, 2004
NEW YORK -- At 11 a.m. today, in a midtown Manhattan music studio, a handful
of record industry veterans will huddle around a reel of tape they say is an
original master from the historic 1954 recording debut of Elvis Presley.
Then, after a brief introduction, the tape will be chopped to pieces.
Thousands of pieces, if all goes as planned. The owner of this tape intends
to dice it into two-inch bits, which will then be mounted on framed plaques
and sold to fans for $495 apiece. It's being billed as a chance for Elvis
lovers to own a sliver of one of the most famous moments in pop history --
the songs recorded in Memphis's Sun Studio by Presley under the eye of
producer Sam Phillips. The Sun sessions are widely considered the birth of
rock.
"Exactly how many we make is function of how many pieces
of tape will
withstand cutting," says Michael Esposito, president of Master Tape
Collection, based in Bloomfield, N.J. "The song 'That's Alright, Mama'
runs
2:20, and the tape runs at 15 inches per second, so that piece of tape alone
could allow us to produce 800 to 900 plaques."
Spluttering fans, take note: Esposito says he has made top-quality digital
copies of the music on the tape. And he claims that the reel is
deteriorating so quickly, it will be unplayable in a matter of years. But
the project has, nonetheless, earned him a legion of new enemies. Message
boards on Presley fan sites have been filled with slashing posts by
collectors who consider Master Tape's cut-and-mount concept an outrage.
"Next they'll be selling little bits of the Mona Lisa," huffed
someone
identified as Greg on the elvis-collectors.com message board, "or maybe
a
slice of the U.S. Constitution or the dead sea scrolls." "If this
is real,
I'm pretty sure that God made a commandment against doing this kind of
thing!!" fumed "elvis fan" on the same page.
If this is real. The leading authority on Elvis's recording career has
serious doubts. Actually, that's putting it charitably. Ernst Jorgensen, the
author of "Elvis Day by Day" and the man who oversees the CD
repackaging of
Presley's back catalogue for RCA, the King's label, heard the tape when
Esposito tried to sell it to RCA a few years ago. He passed, convinced that
he was listening to a copy of a master tape that RCA already owns.
"We [RCA] have the original and Sam had only one tape machine, and he
certainly didn't have the money to run two tapes at the same time," he
said.
"And there's nothing new on the tape they have. About 95 percent of it
has
already been released in the marketplace, and the rest will eventually be
released in the coming years."
There are also questions raised by the physical appearance of
the tape
and the box it came in, Jorgensen says. The tape that he saw has telltale
markings of assorted edits, suggesting it's a patchwork of tapes strung
together, he says. As damning evidence, Esposito's tape contains songs
spanning the entire 16-month period of the Sun sessions. All the other
masters feature just a few days' or weeks' worth of material, Jorgensen and
other Presley experts maintain. Jorgensen believes that what Esposito has
comes from what he called a "safety copy" of songs from
"Golden
Celebration," a 1984 reissue. "It's also in poor taste,"
Jorgensen added.
"Inherent in everything Elvis is greed. It will haunt him forever."
Esposito is convinced, however, that what he has is the genuine
article,
and he offered a 10-page "forensic report" that he says settles
nearly every
question of the tape's provenance. Though the story includes what it calls
"a mystery," it won over Elvis Presley's estate, which sold Master
Tape a
license allowing the company to use Presley's image to market its plaques.
(They will be available online at www.censored.com).
"We're not making any judgments about [the tape]," said Todd
Morgan, a
spokesman for the estate, Elvis Presley Enterprises. But he later added:
"All we can go by is the research they presented, and it's convincing."
Also in Esposito's corner is the man he hired to authenticate the tape, Tony
Bongiovi, a producer with 50 gold and platinum albums to his credit. On
Friday, Bongiovi sat in Nola Studios, where today's news conference is
scheduled, and offered a listen. On the tape, a take of "When It Rains,
It
Really Pours" breaks down and you can hear Presley, guitarist Scotty
Moore
and Phillips trying to figure out what went wrong.
"What happened?" Presley asks. "Try it one more time,"
Phillips says from
his control booth. "And Scotty, don't make it too damn complicated in
the
middle there." Phillips offers more directions, then Elvis chimes in
again,
addressing either Moore or bass player Bill Black: "Hey, you know when
you
first hit bah-dah-dah . . . ya old boom, boom, boom, you just hold that till
you get the change." And a moment later: "All right, let's hit it."
ongiovi
stops the tape before the band tries "When It Rains" again. A
small man with
a booming voice, he's overjoyed about beavesdropping on rock's prince as he
fumbles toward his throne.
"Here's Sam Phillips talking to Elvis Presley. Elvis Presley!" he
shouts.
Bongiovi says he spent 20 hours authenticating the
tape, aided by sound
engineer and owner of Nola, Jim Czak.
What Bongiovi found compelling was evidence that he was listening to
"unprocessed sound." "Generally, when a master tape comes out
of a studio,
there might be too much bass or too much treble," he said.
"It goes to a mastering engineer, who then takes that and smooths all
that
out so that it can be put on a vinyl record. Well, the tape we have,
nothing's been corrected. There's hum on it. Hasn't been touched."
An element of the unknown shrouds any account of the Sun
session masters,
which yielded a batch of world-changing tracks, including "Good Rockin'
Tonight" and "Mystery Train." Presley was an 18-year-old
truck driver when
he began the recordings in
July 1954, and a year later he had enough momentum to catch the attention of
RCA, which paid $35,000 to Phillips to buy out Elvis's contract.
That sale included all of Phillips's master tapes. He delivered 15, and RCA
turned them into cash right away. Before the label released its own string
of hits with Presley, starting with "Heartbreak Hotel," it
rereleased his
Sun material, which, with the added heft of a national publicity campaign,
rose higher than they had the first time around.
According to Jorgensen, RCA then stashed the masters in a warehouse in
Indianapolis, near the company's manufacturing plant. About nine of those
tapes were destroyed in 1959 when someone in upper management decided to
save money on storage costs by tossing out thousands of reels. They had
copies, after all. Who cared?
"I talked to some of the men who were at the plant back then,"
Jorgensen
says. "I wanted to cry when they told me about it. I couldn't bring
myself
to ask how they destroyed them."
Negligence and luck saved the surviving six, which either were mislabeled in
Indianapolis or kept in a Nashville storage facility that was spared an
austerity program. Those six are kept in a climate-controlled vault built
into a mountain in Pennsylvania.
Esposito doesn't claim to have one of the nine reels that were presumed to
be destroyed. Instead, he believes he owns a tape that Phillips didn't hand
over to RCA, and which somehow wound up in a warehouse along with a huge
cache -- between 400 and 500 tapes -- that includes the work of other Sun
stars, including Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. Nobody knows
how that trove got to the warehouse, he says, but it was uncovered in 1992
when it was purchased by a couple at auction -- sold off because the owner
of the storage bin hadn't paid the rent. Esposito won't say how much he
spent for the tapes, which he purchased through a middleman, but calls it
"a
substantial sum of money."
The Master Tape forensic report states that Esposito called Phillips in July
2002 and told him what the tape looked like. The color ("chocolate
brown")
and the brand (Scotch) matched Phillips's memory of it, the report says. But
Phillips never heard or saw the tape because of his hectic travel schedule,
the report says, and last year he died.
Real or not, the tape will test the legendary ardor of Presley fans.
Esposito didn't take pre-orders, so he has no sense of demand. But Elvis
isn't the first 20th-century legend who has been shredded for dollars.
Last summer, one of Babe Ruth's jerseys was snipped into one-inch square
swatches and sold in trading-card packs, which infuriated more than a few
baseball fans.
2004/01/28/EPGold.com/Andylon
Todd Morgan On Cutting Up SUN Master
Copy
Graceland spokesman Todd Morgan said Monday the music from the tape "is
completely and perfectly preserved in the vaults of BMG/RCA. Whether it's OK
to cut up a deteriorated original tape that found its way into a private
collection could be debated endlessly." But Morgan said Graceland does
not
own the tape and it was "not our decision to make. The project would
have
happened with or without us. Our licensing department's decision was whether
to grant the requested licensing cooperation. Master Tape Collection
presented convincing evidence of the tape's authenticity and our licensing
department thus felt comfortable working with them."
EPE licensed Elvis photographs and the Elvis name to be used by Esposito's
company as part of the marketing effort for what Master Tape calls "one
of
the single most important reels of tape ever to be unearthed."
The tape owner Michael Esposito said he acquired the 6-inch-diameter reel
from a "broker" for a Nashville warehouse where the tape was
stored until
the 1990s. When the tape's owner failed to make rental payments on the
storage facility, the tape went to the facility owner by default, he said.
He declined to say how much he paid, except that it was a "substantial
amount."
Fan reactions were:
"I think it would be crazy. Very little is done in the name of Elvis.
It's
always a money thing," said Mary Stonebraker, president of Elvis'
Hometown
Fans club.
One of Elvis's aunts, Lois Smith, in her late 70s, said she's mystified by
any potential market for pieces of audiotape: "I don't like it worth a
dang
. . . Who in the world is going to buy a little old piece of tape if it
won't even play?"
2004/01/28/The Tennessean/EPGold.com
This is an exclusive LIMITED EDITION collector's framed disc and artwork for
Elvis Presley's '30 #1 HITS' Album - "9 Million Sales Worldwide -
Release
Year 2002."
Limited to only 750 Worldwide, this collectors piece is presented.
Information go to : http://www.platinumart.f2s.com/elvis_presley.html
2004/01/28/ Platinum Art/EPGold.com (Columnist Andylon)
ASK ERNST...EXCLUSIVE
INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED BY ANDYLON.
Andylon confirmed us she will provide
us ,exclusive for EP.Gold., new
interviews with Ernst Jorgensen.
Anyone who has new questions that concerns the new FTD releases can
E-mail
us at polksalad@planet.nl
and this will be forwarded to Andylon.
2004/01/29/Epgold.com.
ELVIS TV FOR FEBRUARY (UK)...
2004/01/30/EPGold.com
2004/01/30/Clarity Payment Solutions/EPGold.com
NASHVILLE (Billboard) - "Elvis Ultimate Gospel," an RCA compilation of Elvis Presley's gospel hits, will hit stores March 23, featuring such tracks as "Amazing Grace," "Crying in the Chapel" and "How Great Thou Art."
The only artist inducted into the rock, country and gospel halls of fame, Presley had an affinity for religious music. He won his first Grammy for "How Great Thou Art" and two more for subsequent gospel recordings
2004/01/30/http://www.elvisclubberlin.de/EPGold.com
| Elvis
fans flood event The Shreveport Times (Jan.26, 2004) Amber Treidel, 11, has been an Elvis fan since she visited Graceland at age 2. Sunday she and her mother came from Campti to Shreveport for a different kind of Elvis sighting. Treidel and others were looking for Elvis - The Hayride Years '54-56, a book that chronicles Elvis Presley's time on the Louisiana Hayride, before the king became the king. A steady stream of fans came through the Southern Maid Donut Co. on Hearne Avenue. Some love Elvis, some love all '50s music, and some, like Felton Pruett, a steel guitar player on the Hayride, were there from the beginning. Reprinted posters advertising an upcoming performance by Elvis at the Hayride hung on vending machines. Those who bought a book could take a poster home along with a compact disc of Elvis' music from the Hayride. Frank Page and Joey Kent co-authored The Hayride Years and signed it at the doughnut shop. The location was chosen because when he was on the Hayride, Elvis frequented a now-closed Greenwood Road shop. Southern Maid was the only product Elvis ever endorsed, Kent said. The doughnut shops sponsored the Hayride and some of the treats are immortalized in the Hayride book. The two authors have their own connections with the show. Kent's father bought the Hayride in 1975 and Page had been both emcee and producer of the show when it was owned by radio station KWKH. About 10 years ago Page approached Kent to write a book. "I set about researching the Hayride and interviewing dozens and dozens of former artists there," Kent said. "And over the last 10 years (we) have amassed a huge archive of material and knowledge on the subject and in doing so we gathered quite a bit of material on Elvis and so we decided to make the first book release about Elvis." A large coffee table book on the history of the Hayride should be available either at the end of 2004 or the beginning of 2005, Kent said. The pair will also publish a book dedicated to Elvi |