I'll Be Home For Christmas Written by Kim Gannon, Walter Kent & Buck Ram and recorded Sept 7 1957 at Radio recorders. take 15 Another song recorded by many, but made famous by Bing Crosby. Elvis latches on to the sentimentality and milks every last drop out of this one.
Blue Christmas Written by Billy Hayes & Jay Johnson and recorded Sept 5 1957 at Radio recorders. take 3. The song was first recorded by Doye O'Dell in 1948,[3] and was popularized the following year in three separate recordings: one by country artist Ernest Tubb, one by musical conductor and arranger Hugo Winterhalter and his orchestra and chorus, and one by bandleader Russ Morgan and his orchestra (the latter featuring lead vocals by Morgan and backing vocals by singers credited as the Morganaires).[4] Tubb's version spent the first week of January 1950 at No. 1 on Billboard magazine's Most-Played Juke Box (Country & Western) Records chart, while Winterhalter's version peaked at No. 9 on Billboard's Records Most Played by Disk Jockeys chart and Morgan's version reached No. 11 on Billboard's Best-Selling Pop Singles chart.[5] Both Morgan's and Winterhalter's versions featured a shorter pop edit of the original lyrics. Also in 1950 crooner Billy Eckstine recorded his rendition, backed by the orchestra of Russ Case, with these shortened lyrics in a variation close to what is now the common standard for this song; the orchestral backing of this recording has often been wrongly accredited to Winterhalter.[6] Elvis Presley cemented the status of "Blue Christmas" as a rock-and-roll holiday classic[7] by recording it for his 1957 LP Elvis' Christmas Album. Presley's version is notable musicologically as well as culturally in that the vocal group the Jordanaires (especially in the soprano line, sung by Millie Kirkham) replace many major and just minor thirds with neutraland septimal minor thirds, respectively.[citation needed] In addition to contributing to the overall tone of the song, the resulting "blue notes" constitute a musical play on words that provides an "inside joke" or "quail egg" to trained ears.[citation needed] "Blue Christmas" was also included on a 1957 45 EP (Extended Play) entitled Elvis Sings Christmas Songs (EPA-4108), which also included "Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)" on side one, with "Santa Claus Is Back in Town" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas" on side two. Presley's original 1957 version was released as a commercially available single for the first time in 1964. This single was also a hit in the United Kingdom, reaching No. 11 on the British singles chart during the week of 26 December 1964.[citation needed] ------------------------------------------ This song is great, and one of my favourite Christmas songs ever. Elvis and the Jordanaires do a great job of putting this song over and the song almost accidentally lends itself to a rock and roll take via the blues roots of rock and roll, and the name of the song itself. A piece of inspired interpretation to me. But I am sure one of our many experts in the forum can correct me if I'm wrong there.
Santa Bring My Baby Back Written by Aaron Schroeder & Claude DeMetrius and recorded Sept 7 1957 at Radio recorders. take 9 The song, written by Aaron Schroeder and Claude Demetrius, has been a popular Christmas song during the Holiday season on radio stations for decades although it was not released as a single. The song appeared originally as part of an RCA Victor 45 EP, EPA-4108, with "Santa Claus is Back in Town", "Blue Christmas", and "I'll Be Home for Christmas" in 1957. The EP reached #1 on the Billboard EP chart. The song was recorded on September 7, 1957 and features the vocal backing of the Jordanaires. "Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)" was paired with "Santa Claus Is Back In Town" and was issued as a UK single concurrently with the album's release in 1957. The single reached #7 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1957. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Here we have a nice bouncy rock and roll Christmas song. Only the lyrics would really let you know that this si a Christmas song. Obviously I didn't grow up in this era, but I get the feeling this may have all been something a little different for a Christmas album? Anyway this is a Christmas album I could see a lot of folks playing over the holiday season.
O' Little Town Of Bethlehem Written by Phillips Brooks & Lewis Redner and recorded Sept 7 1957 at Radio Recorders. take 4 This is a beautiful Christmas song that puts the real meaning of Christmas front and center. This is a very reverent version from Elvis, done in a fairly traditional manor. On this album, for me, it works so well due to the contrast we have around it. I think it is significant that we have a fairly light and fun side one and a very straight and honest side two. To me this works very well and gives this album even more mileage.
Silent Night Written by Joseph Mohr & Franz Gruber and recorded Sept 6 1957 at Radio recorders. take 9 This, one of the most famous Christmas songs, surely, was originally written in 1818 and I figure there are few people in the modern world that are not familiar with it to some degree. Again Elvis does a very reverent version and sings it beautifully. He seems to be focusing on singing it a delicately as possible. I think he does a beautiful job of it personally.
The last four songs are from the EP and I am a big fan of Elvis' gospel songs. For me this is now my favourite Christmas album by a long, long way. Peace In The Valley I Believe Take My Hand, Precious Lord It Is No Secret (What God Can Do)
The Music - Quick find quide The Sun Recordings (some, not all) - My Happiness Elvis Presley - The Album Thread The My happiness transfer to digital - Elvis Presley - The Album Thread That's All Right Elvis Presley - The Album Thread Good Rockin' Tonight Elvis Presley - The Album Thread I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine Elvis Presley - The Album Thread You're A Heartbreaker Elvis Presley - The Album Thread Milk Cow Blues Boogie Elvis Presley - The Album Thread Baby Let's Play House Elvis Presley - The Album Thread I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone Elvis Presley - The Album Thread Mystery Train Elvis Presley - The Album Thread I Forgot To Remember To Forget Elvis Presley - The Album Thread Sun EP's That's Alright Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Good Rockin' Tonight Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Jan 27 1956 Heartbreak Hotel Elvis Presley - The Album Thread b-side I Was The One Elvis Presley - The Album Thread Elvis Presley - March 23 - 1956 - Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 1 Blue Suede Shoes Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 2 I'm Counting On You Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 3 I Got A Woman Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 4 One Sided Love Affair Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 5 I Love You Because Elvis Presley - The Album Thread (Sun recording) track 6 Just Because Elvis Presley - The Album Thread (Sun recording) track 7 Tutti Frutti Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 8 Tryin' To Get To You Elvis Presley - The Album Thread (Sun recording) Tryin' to get to you Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 9 I'm Gonna Sit Right Down (and cry)Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 10 I'll Never Let You Go (li'l darlin') Elvis Presley - The Album Thread (Sun recording) tarck 11 Blue Moon Elvis Presley - The Album Thread (Sun recording) track 12 Money Honey Elvis Presley - The Album Thread March 23 1956 Elvis Presley EP Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * double EP Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * April 20 1956 Heartbreak Hotel EP Elvis Presley - The Album Thread May 4 1956 I Want You I Need You I Love You Elvis Presley - The Album Thread b-side My Baby Left me Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * I want you I need you I love you - live Milton Berle Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * June 8 1956 Shake Rattle and Roll Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * July 13 1956 Don't Be Cruel Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * (bside - but essentially double a side) Hound Dog Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * August 17 1956 The Real Elvis Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Aug 31 1956 - 7 singles released Blue suede shoes/Tutti Frutti I got a woman/I'm counting on you I'll never let you go/I'm gonna sit right down and cry over you trying to get to you/i love you because blue moon/just because money honey/one sided love affair Shake Rattle and Roll Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * b-side Lawdy Miss Clawdy Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Sept 5 1956 Any Way You Want Me Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Sept 14 1956 Love me tender - single Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * (Love Me Tender, single b-side) Any Way You Want Me Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Ed Sullivan Show 9 Sept, 28 Oct, 6 Jan 57(Including Footage) - Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * The Complete Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show on 29. Sept 1956 - Elvis Presley - The Album Thread another edit - Elvis Presley - The Album Thread Elvis - October 1956 - Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 1 Rip It Up Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 2 Love Me Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 3 When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 4 Long Tall Sally Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 5 First In Line Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 6 Paralyzed Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Paralyzed (rock and roll dancing) Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 7 So Glad Your Mine Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 8 Old Shep Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 9 Ready Teddy Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Ready Teddy tv performance Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 10 Anyplace Is Paradise Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 11 How's The World Treating You Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 12 How Do You Think I Feel Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Oct 19 1956 - Elvis vol 1 EP Elvis Vol 2 EP Interviews 1956 - Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * - Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Love Me Tender EP - Nov 1 1956 - Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 1 Love Me Tender Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 2 Let Me Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 3 Poor Boy Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 4 We're Gonna Move Elvis Presley - The Album Thread Jan 4 1957 Too Much Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Too Much Ed Sullivan show Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * b-side Playing For Keeps Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Jan 25 1957 Strictly Elvis EP Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * March 22 1957 All Shook Up Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * b-side That's When Your Heartaches Begin Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * April 11 1957 Peace in The Valley EP Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 1 Peace In The Valley Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Peace in the Valley (Ed Sullivan Show) Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 2 It's No Secret What God Can Do Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 3 I Believe Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 4 Take My Hand Precious Lord Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * June 11 1957 Teddy Bear Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * b-side Loving You Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * June 20 1957 Loving You LP Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 1 Mean Woman Blues Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 2 Teddy Bear Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 3 Loving You Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 4 Got A Lot O' Livin' To Do Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 5 Lonesome Cowboy Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 6 Hot Dog Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 7 (lets have a) Party Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 8 Blueberry Hill Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 9 True Love Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 10 Don't Leave Me Now Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 11 Have I Told You Lately That I Love You Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 12 I Need You So Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * (Rca complete albums bonus track) Tell Me Why Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * June 20 1957 Loving You EP vol 1 & 2 Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * August 21 1957 Just For You EP Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 1 I Need You So - Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 2 Have I Told You Lately That I Love You - Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 3 Blueberry Hill - Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 4 It's So Strange - Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * It's So Strange - Million Dollar Quartet Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * or alternately Don't Leave Me Now Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * September 24 1957 Jailhouse Rock Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Treat Me Nice Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * October 15 1957 Elvis Christmas Album - Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 1 Santa Claus Is Back In Town Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 2 White Christmas Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 3 Here Comes Santa Claus Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 4 I'll Be Home For Christmas Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 5 Blue Christmas Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 6 Santa Bring My Baby Back Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 7 O' Little Town Of Bethlehem Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 8 Silent Night Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 9 Peace In The Valley Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 10 I Believe Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 11 Take My Hand Precious Lord Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 12 It's No Secret What God Can Do Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * October 16 1957 Elvis Christmas EP - Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * October 30 1957 Jailhouse Rock EP Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 1 Jailhouse Rock Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 2 Young And beautiful Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 3 I Want To Be Free Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 4 Don't Leave Me Now Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 5 Baby I Don't Care (you're so square) Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread *
Miscellaneous - Quick find Good resources for information elvisrecords.com | The Elvis Presley Record Research Database Thanks @Shawn Elvis Presley U.K. Discography Thanks @Purple Jim Elvis Presley 1956 | The King of Rock 'n' Roll Elvis Presley in Canada | Official Graceland Blog Elvis Presley Recording Sessions Thanks @MEMPHISSUN EPA-4041 Just For You | elvisrecords.com Thanks @SKATTERBRANE The Roots Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * First recording transfer to digital Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * The Crudup connection Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis talks about the Sun collection Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * The Sun Story of Elvis Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Fashion Legacy Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Home Movies Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Interview with Elvis August 1956 Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Live interview 1956 Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Interview Memphis 1956 Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * RCA contract Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Letter to a fan Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Newspaper Articles Elvis wiggles, fans scream at Pan pacific Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley is told: Clean it up Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * In a spin Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Rage over Elvis Presley is a bit sickening Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Presley Rocks, rolls theater audiences here Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Presley, Disc Star, To Sing Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Police protect singer from bobby soxers Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Presley here tonight mobbed in Alamo city Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Jack Wasserman Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Teen letter writers roll back and rock our Elvis Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Wiggle Ok - Vice Squad Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * LA police slap Presley Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley rises to fame as vocalist who is virtuoso of hootchy kootchy Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Presley at arena Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Memphis boy, Elvis Presley, signs contract with Gleeson Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Presley lures 12,000 fans to amphitheater Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * 23,000 fans think Presley is fantabulous Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * 14,000 scream for Elvis Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * 14,600 fans squeal, jump, as Elvis shakes, gyrates Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley, the Tennessee Terror (in language of the Netherlands) Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Talked About Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread *
Ok folks ... I'm out for a while. Like i say, while I am gone (about a week) please feel free to comment on Jailhouse Rock the single, the EP, the movie, the Christmas album and the songs on it or the Christmas EP .... or anything else in the references above and I'll look forward to hitting 1958 in about a weeks time. Cheers, Mark
Can I just throw back to Loving You for one post. I said last week that, due to the studio involved, there was virtually no chance of a blu ray in the foreseeable future. Well, the next day it was reported on a forum that a blu ray will be available from restored film elements in January!
Beautiful! Refer back to anything anytime mate. In reality, I am a novice compared to most of you, and any involvement, comments, input are greatly appreciated.
Ok, I'll be hitting the road in the morning so while I'm gone I'll leave y'all with several things to discuss. Hopefully we'll get some more Jailhouse Rock input. Hopefully we'll get some more Christmas album input. But obviously at this stage of 1957, this is the big one! Elvis gets drafted. I'm going to post the info I can find on how it all went down, and I am sure with the folks we have on here that it can be moulded into actual facts .... I am never sure if a lot of the online info is accurate .... but here is what we have. .....
Private Elvis Aaron Presley, US Army - Elvis A. Presley Birth name Elvis Aron Presley Born January 8, 1935 Tupelo, Mississippi, U.S. Died August 16, 1977 (aged 42) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. Allegiance United States of America Service/branch United States Army Years of service 1958–1960 Rank Sergeant Unit Company A, 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 32nd Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Division Awards Army Good Conduct Medal Elvis Presley served in the United States Army between March 1958 and March 1960. At the time of his draft he was the most well-known name in the world of entertainment. Before entering the U.S. Army, Presley had caused national outrage with his rock and roll music. Many parents, religious leaders, and teachers groups saw his draft as a positive thing. Despite being offered the chance to enlist in Special Services to entertain the troops and live in priority housing, Presley decided to serve as a regular soldier. This earned him the respect of many of his fellow soldiers and people back home who had previously viewed him in a negative light. During his service, Presley's life was affected in many ways, beginning with the death of his mother. Not long before he was to be stationed in Germany,[1] Gladys Presley died of a heart attack brought on by acute hepatitis and cirrhosis at age 46. When he was stationed in West Germany, he met his future wife Priscilla Beaulieu and became dependent on stimulants and barbiturates. This unhealthy addiction eventually led to his divorce, and ultimately his death at age 42 in 1977.[2] After his release from military service, Presley found a new fan base among an older age group, thanks in part to his army career and releases of ballads over rock and roll songs. Draft On January 8, 1956, Presley turned twenty-one years old. Like most American men of that age, he was now eligible to be drafted. Colonel Tom Parker, Presley's manager, was well aware of his client's draft status and how it could affect his career.[3] In the summer of 1956, Parker wrote to the Pentagon requesting that Presley be considered for Special Services. Special Services would allow Presley to do only six weeks basic training and then resume life as normal with the exception of performing several times a year for the armed forces.[3] However, Parker had no intentions of allowing his client to ever sign up for Special Services. Special Services would require Presley to perform for free, with each performance being recorded and filmed for sale to television stations throughout the world. Only the armed forces would profit from these recordings, and Parker was in no way willing to allow anyone, even "Uncle Sam", to enjoy Presley's talents for free.[3] Over the course of the next twelve months Parker led Presley to believe that it was still possible to avoid the draft completely.[3] Unknown to Presley, Parker had no intentions of avoiding the draft. In his eyes, after a year of some negative publicity about Presley, this was the perfect opportunity to change the view that older America had of him.[3] Parker explained to Presley that this was a great situation, one that neither of them could refuse. When Presley was told that he would have to serve as a regular soldier he was furious; how could his manager, the man who had claimed to be able to do anything, not be able to find a way out of the draft? Parker promised Presley that if he worked hard, kept his nose clean, and served as a regular GI for two years, he would return "a bigger star" than when he left.[3] On January 4, 1957, Presley attended Kennedy Veterans Hospital in Memphis for a pre-induction Army medical. On January 8, Presley's twenty-second birthday, he was declared 1-A by the Memphis Draft Board; physically fit and likely to be drafted some time in the next eight months. It was on December 16 that it was officially announced that Presley would be receiving his draft notice. While fans around the country were upset about the news, parents and teachers groups were ecstatic. Presley had been, in their opinion, a menace to society.[4] The Navy offered to create a special Elvis Presley Company made up of men from Memphis and Presley's closest friends. They also offered him the chance to perform in Las Vegas, and have his own private quarters.[4] The Army offered Presley the chance to tour the world and visit Army bases to boost morale among soldiers and encourage other young men to enlist. Presley politely told both parties that he would consider their offers.[4] The Pentagon, too, had been in touch to offer Presley the opportunity to join Special Services, entertaining the troops without having to actually train as a regular soldier; among many soldiers and veterans it is known as "the celebrity wimp-out".[4] After discussing each possibility with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, Presley decided to join up as a regular soldier. In Parker's words, "Taking any of these deals will make millions of Americans angry".[4] King Creole extension Presley was originally scheduled to be inducted on January 20, 1958. However, due to commitments at Paramount and the filming schedule of his latest film, King Creole, Presley had to personally write to the Memphis Draft Board to request a deferment. He explained to them that Paramount had already spent up to $350,000 on pre-production of the film, and that many jobs were dependent on him being able to complete filming, which was due to begin on January 13. They granted him an extension until the middle of March. When news of the extension broke, angry letters were sent to the Memphis Draft Board complaining about the "special treatment" that Presley was receiving. According to Milton Bowers, head of the draft board and angered by the public outcry, Presley "would have automatically gotten the extension [anyway] if he hadn't been Elvis Presley the superstar".[4] Worried that rock and roll music was a passing "fad", Presley wanted to make King Creole the best role he had ever acted.[3] He knew that two years out of the limelight would mean hard work when he returned, and so he gave his all in that film to show the world that he had the potential to return as a serious, dramatic actor. Author Alanna Nash described it as "the performance that would forever define his potential".[3] Induction Presley being sworn into the U.S. Army at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, March 24, 1958 Two weeks after finishing King Creole, Presley reported for his induction on March 24, 1958, a day dubbed "black Monday" for his fans by the press.[5] Presley was given a physical and assigned Army serial number 53310761, before being sworn in and made leader of his group. Parker, with the permission of the Army, had arranged for news crews from around the world to be on hand to report Presley's entry into the Army. After his final goodbyes to family and friends, Presley and his fellow recruits were taken by bus to Fort Chaffee, Arkansas.[6] Fort Hood Presley spent four days at Fort Chaffee before being transferred to Fort Hood in Texas.[5] After being assigned to Company A of the Third Armored Division's 1st Medium Tank Battalion, Presley completed basic training by June. He had become a pistol sharpshooter, and expressed his enjoyment at the "rough and tumble" of the tanks obstacle course.[5] To friends back home, however, he was less upbeat. In letters to friend Alan Fortas, Presley described his homesickness and insisted that he hated the training.[5] Eddie Fadal, another of Presley's friends, remembers that Presley would worry about his career, fearing it was all over. One of Presley's instructors, Bill Norwood, who let Presley use his phone to call home on many occasions, recalls Presley breaking down in tears during many of these phone calls.[5] After a short break to record new material for RCA Victor in June, Presley returned to Fort Hood to finish his tank training. He was now living off post, in his own house, with his mother, father, grandmother, and friend Lamar Fike; soldiers who had dependents living off post were allowed to live with them.[5] Having his family close by cheered him up immensely, although he still spoke to friends about his fears for his career. Parker, who was often a visitor to Presley's home, would attempt to reassure his client. Parker had arranged for enough material and merchandise to be available to keep Presley's name in the public arena during his two years in the service. Although Presley nodded along in agreement with his manager, he was not really convinced that he could return to what he had known previously.[5][6] ---------------------------------------- No matter what one thinks of Elvis, I think it must be respected that even in spite of his concerns about his career, it showed great character to just bite the bullet and join the army and do the right thing. So many in positions like he was, have taken the easy way out, with few repercussions. I guess for Presley, already seen in some quarters as some sort of amoral delinquent, he may have felt that he had to just go the course .... but anyhow, we know what happened and although the movies took up too much of his post army time, there was still enough fantastic music to keep this rocker rolling.
As long as the Colonel was still able to make a living during those two years, that's the important part.
I disagree. Sure The Beatles were a force but even they were knocked out of the number one spot by Dean Martin. Elvis certainly had the chops to do it but not the desire or material at the time. It took a while to awaken the sleeping giant inside Elvis but his '66 gospel sessions, '68 comeback and '69 sessions showed what he was capable of all through the 1960's if he'd not been so complacent
I wasn't talking about record sales at all. Of course Elvis could have sold amazingly well to his particular market but that had nothing whatsoever to do with The Beatles and Stones' market, "rock", the "counter-culture", etc. I meant that Elvis couldn't compete artistically as he was only an interpreter. He was also way out of fashion and old school as far as youth culture was concerened. In relation to those criteria, he couldn't possible have competed. He did compete with Tom Jones, Glen Campbell, Englebert Humperdink,...
IMO he could easily have competed artistically with anyone (whatever that means as it's 100% subjective) when he put his mind to it. Maybe he didn't have commercial appeal to the hippies, big deal - you can't please everyone all of the time now, can you.
I disagree on that too. With the British Invasion, there was also renewed interest in the 1950's rock and roll pioneers like Little Richard, Buddy Holly and certainly Chuck Berry. Sha-na-na even played Woodstock with acts like Hendrix and The Who. I think it was plain old complacency on Elvis' part. Elvis was a musical force when he wanted to be. The Sun Records years, the early RCA years, the return from the Army sessions, the '66 gospel sessions, the '68 comeback, and the '69 Memphis sessions all showed that he was still relevant. How many Jimi Hendrix original composions are there? Didn't Hendrix interpret many of his most well know songs that were covers? A lot of the "counter culture" of that time was old school slick marketing and pandering. Sorry for getting ahead of where we are on this great Elvis thread. I am really enjoying the stroll through all things Elvis after a couple of years of taking a break from Elvis music.
I think that the notion that one needs to write their own songs in order to have artistic credibility is a terrible one, and was the most negative thing to come out of the 60s rock explosion. There's absolutely nothing wrong with being an Elvis, or a Tony Bennett, or any number of gifted singers who could take someone else's song and say more with it than a whole army of so-called singer-songwriters could with their own material. In some ways, pop music has yet to recover from the widespread dismissal of the very valid art of interpretation. Not that this was any fault of Dylan or the Beatles, but rather fans (journalists? Critics?) who thought that the fact that those acts (mostly) wrote their own material meant that they were inherently better than what had come before (as a side note, they weren't the first to do so, the most obvious examples being Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly, but I digress). I do agree with you that there was no way that Elvis could have consistently competed on a commercial level with the Beatles/Stones/whoever, but that was down to the aforementioned biases...not to mention that no one in popular music has managed to have massive, sustained commercial and cultural success over two distinct periods. You do have superstars like Elton John, who managed high-placing singles and albums in the 80s without really being an influential force the way he was in the 70s, but then, Elvis didn't do too poorly for himself either, even during the (relative) commercial slumps of his career.
I don't know if that's true. I think he did the right thing in 1964 by simply avoiding the studio, aside from soundtrack commitments, for two years. He had been recording for ten years by this point and, musically, he was lost. After 1960, each non-movie album was weaker than the last. The Lost album of 1963 still had some nice tracks, but Elvis was treading water and clearly had no idea what he wanted to record or what he should be recording. What he certainly SHOULDN'T have been recording was more tracks like Western Union or Echoes of Love, which were just bland copies of what he had done better elsewhere (and no better than what he was churning out for movies). The 1964 session of It Hurts Me and Memphis Tennessee was a rare sign of inspiration amidst all the mediocre songs he was recording, but clearly he had nothing to follow it with. So, he did the right thing. He retreated from the studio (movies accepted) and went away to find himself. By the time we catch up with Elvis singing non-movie songs in the private recordings of 1966, it's quite clear he had been slowly but surely trying new styles and new sounds. Just as he had during the army years, he had recorded nothing in the studio but in those two years had trained his voice to sound different, and had started discovering new music too. By the time we get to the How Great Thou Art sessions, Elvis has a relatively good idea of where he should be and what he wanted to sound like - and what he should be recording. Sure, there are a couple of bland pop records, but Down in the Alley and Tomorrow Is a Long Time are far cries from Blue River and What Now What Next Where To. And, from then on, the comeback had begun - not commercially, of course, but artistically. From 1966 to 1968, Elvis was once again engaged in the studio recording process (movies aside), and was quite clearly a man on a mission as he worked through the likes of Guitar Man, Big Boss Man, You'll never Walk Alone, US Male, and Hi Heel Sneakers (among others). And despite what has been told to us over the years, people were noticing. In 1968, months before the arrival of the TV show, there was a significant flurry of serious articles about Presley and his work in the press - they were the first since 1963 (excepting ones about his marriage). I'm not talking about three column inches, but multiple-page stories in some cases. A couple of them remark on how different Elvis was at this time - how much more confident he had become. But they also remark on a new drive in his work and in the man himself. Had he just continued in the studio in 1963 churning out Tepper and Bennett rip-offs of previous songs, would that drive and ambition have returned? I very much doubt it. Sometimes the right thing to do is walk away and regroup.
I understand your perspective... but i find it slightly exaggerated. I don't think he was merely competing with the cocktail lounge singers ... and i think if he was interested in more hard material, he could easily have competed with the younger late sixties and early seventies crew. Perspective is everything i guess ... but, for example . . Joe cocker was an interpreter, but several of his interpretations were easily on par with and often better than the originals. For a while he was counted among the elite artists. I can still post the occasional comment down here ... woo hoo
