Post by sacrilegend on Jun 28, 2007 17:35:50 GMT -5
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), was an American singer, musician and actor. He is often known simply as Elvis; also "The King of Rock 'n' Roll", or simply "The King".
Presley began his career as a singer of rockabilly, performing country and rhythm and blues songs. He sang a combination of country music and blues with a strong back beat, and an energetic delivery - one of the earliest forms of rock and roll. He developed a versatile voice and had success with other genres, including gospel, blues and pop. Presley made thirty-three movies and set many records for concert attendance, television ratings and records sales. He subsequently became one of the best-selling and most influential artists in the history of popular music.
His premature death, aged 42, shocked his fans worldwide.
Musical influences
Initial influences came exclusively through his family's attendance at the Assembly of God, a Pentecostal Holiness church. Rolling Stone magazine wrote that: "Gospel pervaded Elvis' character and was a defining and enduring influence all of his days."
The young Presley listened a lot to local radio; his first musical hero was Mississippi Slim, a hillbilly singer with a radio show on Tupelo’s WELO. Presley performed occasionally on Slim’s Saturday morning show, Singin’ and Pickin’ Hillbilly. "He was crazy about music... That’s all he talked about," recalled his sixth grade friend, James Ausborn, Slim’s younger brother. "I think gospel sort of [inspired] him to be in music, but then my brother helped carry it on." Before he was a teenager, music was already Presley’s "consuming passion." J. R. Snow, son of 1940s country superstar Hank Snow, later recalled that Presley knew all of Hank Snow’s songs, "even the most obscure."
The family's move to Memphis expanded Presley's musical horizons. He became a regular at record stores that had jukeboxes and listening booths - playing old records and new releases for hours. He began to attend services at the East Trigg Baptist Church. Memphis Symphony Orchestra concerts at Overton Park were another Presley favorite, along with the Metropolitan Opera. His small record collection included Mario Lanza and Dean Martin. Presley later said: "I just loved music. Music period."
Presley went to blues and hillbilly venues and was an audience member at the all-night white - and black - gospel sings downtown. He "spent much of his spare time hanging around the black section of town, especially on Beale Street, where bluesmen like Furry Lewis and B.B. King performed". King says that he "knew Elvis before he was popular. He used to come around and be around us a lot... on Beale Street".
First public performances
Presley began regular live performances in Memphis by promoting his first Sun single. He played at the Bon Air, a club used by hard-drinking lovers of hillbilly music. Johnny Cash later recalled Presley playing during breaks at the Eagle’s Nest club.
At the Overton Park Shell (July 30), Presley, Moore, and Black were billed as the Blue Moon Boys, with Slim Whitman headlining. Presley was apparently so nervous during this show that his legs shook uncontrollably. His wide-legged pants emphasized his leg movements, apparently causing the young women in the audience to go 'crazy'. Presley is said to have had little understanding about what caused the fans to scream, but he would consciously incorporate similar movements into future shows. DJ and promoter Bob Neal, who had been approached by Sam Phillips to get Presley on the Overton Park bill, was now the trio's manager (taking over from Scotty Moore).
Presley appeared at the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville, on October 2. Hank Snow introduced Presley on stage. He performed "Blue Moon of Kentucky" but received only a polite response. Afterwards, Jim Denny, the Opry manager, is said to have told the singer: "Boy, you’d better keep driving that truck."
Tillman Franks booked Presley's first appearance on Louisiana Hayride (October 16, 1954). Before making the booking, Franks - never having seen Presley - referred to him as "that new black singer with the funny name". During the first set, the reaction was muted, but the second show had a younger audience and Franks advised Presley to "Let it all go!" House drummer D.J. Fontana, who had worked in strip clubs, was able to use beats to accentuate Presley's movements and - along with Bill Black's usual enthusiastic stage antics - the crowd was more responsive.
According to one source: "Audiences had never before heard music like Presley played, and they had never before seen anyone who performed like Presley either. The shy, polite, mumbling boy gained self-confidence with every appearance, which soon led to a transformation on stage. People watching the show were astounded and shocked, both by the ferocity of his performance, and the crowd’s reaction to it... Roy Orbison saw Presley for the first time in Odessa, Texas: 'His energy was incredible, his instinct was just amazing...I just didn’t know what to make of it. There was just no reference point in the culture to compare it.' 'He’s the new rage,' said a Louisiana radio executive... 'Sings hillbilly in R&B time. Can you figure that out. He wears pink pants and a black coat.'" Sam Phillips said Presley "put every ounce of emotion... into every song, almost as if he was incapable of holding back." When he collapsed after a concert in Florida, the emergency room doctor warned the singer to slow down because he worked as hard in twenty minutes as the average laborer did in eight hours.
Presley's sound was proving hard to categorize - he had been billed or labeled in the media as "The King of Western Bop", "The Hillbilly Cat," and "The Memphis Flash". On August 15, 1955, he was signed to a one-year contract with "Hank Snow Attractions", a company owned by Hank Snow and "Colonel" Tom Parker. Parker became Presley's manager thereafter.
By August, 1955, Sun Studios had released ten sides credited to "Elvis Presley, Scotty and Bill", all typical of the developing Presley style.
Breakthrough year: 1956
On November 21, 1955, Parker negotiated a deal with RCA Victor Records to acquire Presley's Sun contract for $35,000.
To increase the singer's exposure, Parker finally brought Presley to television (In March 1955, Presley had failed a TV audition - for Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts). He had the singer booked for six of the Dorsey Brothers Stage Show (CBS), beginning January 28, 1956, when he was introduced by Cleveland DJ Bill Randle. Jackie Gleason, the show's producer, was so disturbed by Presley's performance he later apologized for putting on "a porno act". Parker also obtained a lucrative deal with Milton Berle (NBC) for two appearances.
On January 27, Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel", was released. By April it would reach number one in the U.S. and sell a million copies. On March 23, RCA released the first Presley album: Elvis Presley. As with the Sun recordings, the majority of the tracks on this album were songs by or from country artists.
From April 23, he had a two-week booking at the Venus Room of the New Frontier Hotel, Las Vegas - billed as "the Atomic Powered Singer". His performances were not well received, by critics or guests (it was an older, more conservative audience). However, Presley, Scotty and Bill saw Freddie Bell and the Bellboys live in Vegas, and liked their version of Leiber and Stoller's "Hound Dog". By May 16, Presley had added the song to his own act.
After an April 3 appearance, Presley returned to the Milton Berle Show on June 5 and performed "Hound Dog" (without a guitar).After singing it uptempo, he then performed a slower version, using the microphone stand as a support. His exaggerated, straight-legged shuffle stirred the audience - as did his vigorous leg shaking and hip thrusts in time to the beat. Presley's "gyrations" created a storm of controversy: the next day's press used such words as "vulgar" and "obscene" because of the strong sexual content perceived by some. He was obliged to explain himself on a local New York City TV show, Hy Gardner Calling: "Rock and roll music, if you like it, and you feel it, you can't help but move to it. That's what happens to me. I have to move around. I can't stand still. I've tried it, and I can't do it".
The Milton Berle appearances drew such huge ratings that Steve Allen (NBC), not a fan of rock and roll, booked him for one appearance. Allen announced: "... We want to do a show the whole family can watch and enjoy. And that’s what we always do." After Allen introduced "the new Elvis" (in white bow tie and black tails), he remarked: "You are certainly being a good sport about the whole thing." Presley then sang "Hound Dog" to a top hat and bow tie-wearing bassett hound perched on a pedestal. The day after (July 2), Presley, Scotty, and Bill recorded the single "Hound Dog"; they did thirty takes before Elvis was satisfied. Scotty Moore later said they were "all angry about their treatment the previous night". Presley often referred to the Allen show as the most ridiculous performance of his career. Nevertheless, Allen had for the first time beaten The Ed Sullivan Show in the Sunday night ratings, prompting a previously critical Sullivan (CBS) to book Presley for three appearances for an unprecedented $50,000.
Although country vocalists The Jordanaires accompanied Presley on the Steve Allen show, their first recording session with him was July 2, for the recording of "Any Way You Want Me". The Jordanaires would work with the singer through the 1960s.
Presley's first Ed Sullivan appearance (September 9, 1956) was seen by an estimated 55-60 million viewers. During the second, Presley only had to shake his legs to get screams from the audience, which a bemused Sullivan didn't notice him doing when stood next to the singer. On the third show, the family-minded Sullivan censored Presley's "gyrations": he was shown only above the waist. Despite this, Sullivan still declared at the end: "This is a real decent, fine boy. We've never had a pleasanter experience on our show with a big name than we've had with you... you're thoroughly all right."
On November 16, Presley's first movie was released - Love Me Tender. It was panned by the critics, but did well at the box office.
Legacy
Elvis Presley statue in Memphis, TN.Biographer Ernst Jorgensen has written: "When Elvis died, it was as if all perspective on his musical career was somehow lost. From the utter ridicule of the tabloids [regarding his latter-day obesity and performances] to the almost religious dedication of the most ardent fans, any wish to understand Elvis Presley the singer seemed almost totally obscured."
Presley's recorded voice is seen by many as his enduring legacy (His death triggered a huge boost in record sales, as well as other merchandise). In The Great American Popular Singers (1974), Henry Pleasants wrote: "Elvis Presley has been described variously as a baritone and a tenor. An extraordinary compass... and a very wide range of vocal color have something to do with this divergence of opinion. The voice covers two octaves and a third... Moreover, he has not been confined to one type of vocal production. In ballads and country songs he belts out full-voiced high G's and A's that an opera baritone might envy. He is a naturally assimilative stylist with a multiplicity of voices - in fact, Elvis' is an extraordinary voice, or many voices."
Gospel tenor Shawn Nielsen, who backed Presley, said: "He could sing anything. I've never seen such versatility... He had such great soul. He had the ability to make everyone in the audience think that he was singing directly to them. He just had a way with communication that was totally unique." Bob Dylan remarked: "When I first heard Elvis' voice I just knew that I wasn't going to work for anybody; and nobody was going to be my boss... Hearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail."
Many others have paid tribute to Presley's uninhibited performing style, as well as his singing. Deep Purple's Ian Gillan said: "For a young singer he was an absolute inspiration. I soaked up what he did like blotting paper... you learn by copying the maestro." Rod Stewart declared: "Elvis was the king. No doubt about it. People like myself, Mick Jagger and all the others only followed in his footsteps." Cher recalled: "The first concert I attended was an Elvis concert when I was eleven. Even at that age he made me realize the tremendous effect a performer could have on an audience."
In the late sixties, composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein remarked: "Elvis is the greatest cultural force in the twentieth century. He introduced the beat to everything, music, language, clothes, it's a whole new social revolution... the 60's comes from it." Presley helped to lay a commercial foundation which allowed other performers to be recognised. African-American acts like Fats Domino, Chuck Berry and Little Richard came to national prominence after Presley's acceptance among the mass audience of White American teenagers. Richard commented: "He was an integrator, Elvis was a blessing. They wouldn't let black music through. He opened the door for black music."
By 1958, singers adopting Presley's style, like Billy Fury, Marty Wilde and Cliff Richard (the so-called "British Elvis"), were rising to prominence in the UK. Elsewhere in Europe, Johnny Hallyday became the French equivalent and the Italians Adriano Celentano and Bobby Solo were also heavily influenced by Presley.
The singer has also been widely imitated - and parodied - outside the main music industry. Presley songs continue to be very popular on the karaoke circuit and many from a diversity of cultures and backgrounds work as Elvis impersonators ("the raw 1950s Elvis and the kitschy 1970s Elvis are the favorites.").
Presley's informal jamming in front of a small audience in the '68 Comeback Special is regarded as a forerunner of the so-called 'Unplugged' concept, long before MTV even existed.
In 2002 it was observed: "For those too young to have experienced Elvis Presley in his prime, today’s celebration of the 25th anniversary of his death must seem peculiar. All the talentless impersonators and appalling black velvet paintings on display can make him seem little more than a perverse and distant memory. But before Elvis was camp, he was its opposite: a genuine cultural force... Elvis’s breakthroughs are underappreciated because in this rock-and-roll age, his hard-rocking music and sultry style have triumphed so completely."
Discography
Albums
Total record sales to date: Estimated at over 1 billion worldwide.
The 1950s
Elvis Presley (March 23, 1956) US #1 (10 weeks)
Elvis (October 19, 1956) US #1 (5 weeks)
Loving You (July 1, 1957) US #1 (10 weeks) - partial soundtrack
Elvis' Christmas Album (October 15, 1957) US #1 (4 weeks)
Elvis' Golden Records (March 21, 1958) US #3 - compilation
King Creole (September 19, 1958) US #2 - soundtrack
For LP Fans Only (February 6, 1959) US #19 - compilation
A Date With Elvis (July 24, 1959) US #32 - compilation
Elvis' Gold Records Volume 2 (November 13, 1959) US #31 - compilation
The 1960s
Elvis Is Back! (April 8, 1960) US #2
G.I. Blues (October 1, 1960) US #1 (9 weeks) - soundtrack
His Hand in Mine (November 10, 1960) US #13
Something for Everybody (June 17, 1961) US #1 (3 weeks)
Blue Hawaii (October 1, 1961) US #1 (18 weeks) - soundtrack
Pot Luck (June 5, 1962) US #4
Girls! Girls! Girls! (November 9, 1962) US #3 - soundtrack
It Happened at the World's Fair (April 10, 1963) US #4 - soundtrack
Elvis' Golden Records Volume 3 (August 11, 1963) US #3 - compilation
Fun in Acapulco (November 1, 1963) US #3 - soundtrack
Kissin' Cousins (April 2, 1964) US #6 - soundtrack
Roustabout (October 20, 1964) US #1 (1 week) - soundtrack
Girl Happy (March 1, 1965) US #8 - soundtrack
Elvis for Everyone (August 10, 1965) US #10 - compilation of previously unreleased material
Harum Scarum (November 3, 1965) US #8 - soundtrack
Frankie and Johnny (March 1, 1966) US #20 - soundtrack
Paradise, Hawaiian Style (June 10, 1966) US #15 - soundtrack
Spinout (October 31, 1966) US #18 - soundtrack
How Great Thou Art (February 20, 1967) US #18
Double Trouble (June 1, 1967) US #47 - soundtrack
Clambake (October 10, 1967) US #40 - soundtrack
Elvis' Gold Records Volume 4 (January 2, 1968) US #33 - compilation
Speedway (May 1, 1968) US #82 - soundtrack
Elvis (NBC-TV Special) (November 22, 1968) US #8 - TV soundtrack
Elvis Sings Flaming Star [Budget LP on RCA Camden] (April, 1969) US #96 - compilation of previously unreleased material
Originally released as 'Singer Presents Elvis Singing Flaming Star and Others' in October, 1968
From Elvis in Memphis (June 17, 1969) US #13
From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis (October 14, 1969) US #12
The 1970s
Let's Be Friends [Budget LP on RCA Camden] (April 1970) US #105 - compilation with previously unreleased material
On Stage: February 1970 (June 23, 1970) US #13
Worldwide 50 Gold Award Hits Vol. 1 (August 1970) US #45 - compilation
Almost in Love [Budget LP on RCA Camden] (October 1, 1970) US #65 - compilation
Elvis' Christmas Album [Budget LP on RCA Camden] (November 1970) -edited reissue of 1957 album
Elvis In Person at the International Hotel
Back In Memphis
The above two albums are the individual discs that made up the From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis double LP of October 1969, reissued separately
That's the Way It Is (November 11, 1970) US #21 - partial soundtrack
Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old) (January 2, 1971) US #12
You'll Never Walk Alone [Budget LP on RCA Camden] (March 22, 1971) US #69 - compilation
Love Letters from Elvis (June 16, 1971) US #33
C'mon Everybody [Budget LP on RCA Camden] (July 1971) US #70 - compilation
The Other Sides - Elvis Worldwide Gold Award Hits Vol. 2 (August 1971) US #120 - compilation
I Got Lucky [Budget LP on RCA Camden] (October 1971) US #104 - compilation
Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas (October 20, 1971) US #1
Elvis Now (February 20, 1972) US #43
He Touched Me (April 3, 1972) US #79
Elvis Sings Hits from His Movies [Budget LP on RCA Camden] (June 1972) US #87 - compilation
Elvis: As Recorded At Madison Square Garden (June 18, 1972) US #11
Burning Love and Hits From His Movies [Budget LP on RCA Camden] (November 1, 1972) US #22 - compilation
Separate Ways (Elvis Presley album) [Budget LP on RCA Camden] (January 1973) US #46 - compilation
Aloha From Hawaii: Via Satellite (February 4, 1973) US #1 (1 week) - TV soundtrack
Almost in Love [reissue of 1970 Budget LP on RCA Camden with one track variation] (March 1974) - compilation
Elvis (July 16, 1973) US #52
Raised on Rock/For Ol' Times Sake (October 1, 1973) US #50
Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 1 (January 2, 1974) US #43 - compilation with unreleased material
Good Times (March 20, 1974) US #90
Elvis: As Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis (July 7, 1974) US #33
Having Fun With Elvis On Stage (August 1974) US #130 - spoken word album
Later released by RCA in October.
Promised Land (January 8, 1975) US #47
Pure Gold (March 1975) - compilation
Today (May 7, 1975) US #57
Double Dynamite [Budget LP on Pickwick Records] (December 1975) - compilation
Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 2 (January 8, 1976) US #46 - compilation with unreleased material
The Sun Sessions (March 22, 1976) US #76 - compilation
His Hand in Mine [reissue of 1960 LP] (March 1976)
From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee (April 20, 1976) US #41
Frankie and Johnny [Budget LP on Pickwick Records] (November 1976) - compilation
Welcome to My World (March 17, 1977) US #44 - compilation
Moody Blue (July 19, 1977) US #3
Elvis in Concert (October 3, 1977) US #5 - partial TV soundtrack released posthumously
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley_discography
(Oh my, I sense another hottie for my list)
Presley began his career as a singer of rockabilly, performing country and rhythm and blues songs. He sang a combination of country music and blues with a strong back beat, and an energetic delivery - one of the earliest forms of rock and roll. He developed a versatile voice and had success with other genres, including gospel, blues and pop. Presley made thirty-three movies and set many records for concert attendance, television ratings and records sales. He subsequently became one of the best-selling and most influential artists in the history of popular music.
His premature death, aged 42, shocked his fans worldwide.
Musical influences
Initial influences came exclusively through his family's attendance at the Assembly of God, a Pentecostal Holiness church. Rolling Stone magazine wrote that: "Gospel pervaded Elvis' character and was a defining and enduring influence all of his days."
The young Presley listened a lot to local radio; his first musical hero was Mississippi Slim, a hillbilly singer with a radio show on Tupelo’s WELO. Presley performed occasionally on Slim’s Saturday morning show, Singin’ and Pickin’ Hillbilly. "He was crazy about music... That’s all he talked about," recalled his sixth grade friend, James Ausborn, Slim’s younger brother. "I think gospel sort of [inspired] him to be in music, but then my brother helped carry it on." Before he was a teenager, music was already Presley’s "consuming passion." J. R. Snow, son of 1940s country superstar Hank Snow, later recalled that Presley knew all of Hank Snow’s songs, "even the most obscure."
The family's move to Memphis expanded Presley's musical horizons. He became a regular at record stores that had jukeboxes and listening booths - playing old records and new releases for hours. He began to attend services at the East Trigg Baptist Church. Memphis Symphony Orchestra concerts at Overton Park were another Presley favorite, along with the Metropolitan Opera. His small record collection included Mario Lanza and Dean Martin. Presley later said: "I just loved music. Music period."
Presley went to blues and hillbilly venues and was an audience member at the all-night white - and black - gospel sings downtown. He "spent much of his spare time hanging around the black section of town, especially on Beale Street, where bluesmen like Furry Lewis and B.B. King performed". King says that he "knew Elvis before he was popular. He used to come around and be around us a lot... on Beale Street".
First public performances
Presley began regular live performances in Memphis by promoting his first Sun single. He played at the Bon Air, a club used by hard-drinking lovers of hillbilly music. Johnny Cash later recalled Presley playing during breaks at the Eagle’s Nest club.
At the Overton Park Shell (July 30), Presley, Moore, and Black were billed as the Blue Moon Boys, with Slim Whitman headlining. Presley was apparently so nervous during this show that his legs shook uncontrollably. His wide-legged pants emphasized his leg movements, apparently causing the young women in the audience to go 'crazy'. Presley is said to have had little understanding about what caused the fans to scream, but he would consciously incorporate similar movements into future shows. DJ and promoter Bob Neal, who had been approached by Sam Phillips to get Presley on the Overton Park bill, was now the trio's manager (taking over from Scotty Moore).
Presley appeared at the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville, on October 2. Hank Snow introduced Presley on stage. He performed "Blue Moon of Kentucky" but received only a polite response. Afterwards, Jim Denny, the Opry manager, is said to have told the singer: "Boy, you’d better keep driving that truck."
Tillman Franks booked Presley's first appearance on Louisiana Hayride (October 16, 1954). Before making the booking, Franks - never having seen Presley - referred to him as "that new black singer with the funny name". During the first set, the reaction was muted, but the second show had a younger audience and Franks advised Presley to "Let it all go!" House drummer D.J. Fontana, who had worked in strip clubs, was able to use beats to accentuate Presley's movements and - along with Bill Black's usual enthusiastic stage antics - the crowd was more responsive.
According to one source: "Audiences had never before heard music like Presley played, and they had never before seen anyone who performed like Presley either. The shy, polite, mumbling boy gained self-confidence with every appearance, which soon led to a transformation on stage. People watching the show were astounded and shocked, both by the ferocity of his performance, and the crowd’s reaction to it... Roy Orbison saw Presley for the first time in Odessa, Texas: 'His energy was incredible, his instinct was just amazing...I just didn’t know what to make of it. There was just no reference point in the culture to compare it.' 'He’s the new rage,' said a Louisiana radio executive... 'Sings hillbilly in R&B time. Can you figure that out. He wears pink pants and a black coat.'" Sam Phillips said Presley "put every ounce of emotion... into every song, almost as if he was incapable of holding back." When he collapsed after a concert in Florida, the emergency room doctor warned the singer to slow down because he worked as hard in twenty minutes as the average laborer did in eight hours.
Presley's sound was proving hard to categorize - he had been billed or labeled in the media as "The King of Western Bop", "The Hillbilly Cat," and "The Memphis Flash". On August 15, 1955, he was signed to a one-year contract with "Hank Snow Attractions", a company owned by Hank Snow and "Colonel" Tom Parker. Parker became Presley's manager thereafter.
By August, 1955, Sun Studios had released ten sides credited to "Elvis Presley, Scotty and Bill", all typical of the developing Presley style.
Breakthrough year: 1956
On November 21, 1955, Parker negotiated a deal with RCA Victor Records to acquire Presley's Sun contract for $35,000.
To increase the singer's exposure, Parker finally brought Presley to television (In March 1955, Presley had failed a TV audition - for Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts). He had the singer booked for six of the Dorsey Brothers Stage Show (CBS), beginning January 28, 1956, when he was introduced by Cleveland DJ Bill Randle. Jackie Gleason, the show's producer, was so disturbed by Presley's performance he later apologized for putting on "a porno act". Parker also obtained a lucrative deal with Milton Berle (NBC) for two appearances.
On January 27, Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel", was released. By April it would reach number one in the U.S. and sell a million copies. On March 23, RCA released the first Presley album: Elvis Presley. As with the Sun recordings, the majority of the tracks on this album were songs by or from country artists.
From April 23, he had a two-week booking at the Venus Room of the New Frontier Hotel, Las Vegas - billed as "the Atomic Powered Singer". His performances were not well received, by critics or guests (it was an older, more conservative audience). However, Presley, Scotty and Bill saw Freddie Bell and the Bellboys live in Vegas, and liked their version of Leiber and Stoller's "Hound Dog". By May 16, Presley had added the song to his own act.
After an April 3 appearance, Presley returned to the Milton Berle Show on June 5 and performed "Hound Dog" (without a guitar).After singing it uptempo, he then performed a slower version, using the microphone stand as a support. His exaggerated, straight-legged shuffle stirred the audience - as did his vigorous leg shaking and hip thrusts in time to the beat. Presley's "gyrations" created a storm of controversy: the next day's press used such words as "vulgar" and "obscene" because of the strong sexual content perceived by some. He was obliged to explain himself on a local New York City TV show, Hy Gardner Calling: "Rock and roll music, if you like it, and you feel it, you can't help but move to it. That's what happens to me. I have to move around. I can't stand still. I've tried it, and I can't do it".
The Milton Berle appearances drew such huge ratings that Steve Allen (NBC), not a fan of rock and roll, booked him for one appearance. Allen announced: "... We want to do a show the whole family can watch and enjoy. And that’s what we always do." After Allen introduced "the new Elvis" (in white bow tie and black tails), he remarked: "You are certainly being a good sport about the whole thing." Presley then sang "Hound Dog" to a top hat and bow tie-wearing bassett hound perched on a pedestal. The day after (July 2), Presley, Scotty, and Bill recorded the single "Hound Dog"; they did thirty takes before Elvis was satisfied. Scotty Moore later said they were "all angry about their treatment the previous night". Presley often referred to the Allen show as the most ridiculous performance of his career. Nevertheless, Allen had for the first time beaten The Ed Sullivan Show in the Sunday night ratings, prompting a previously critical Sullivan (CBS) to book Presley for three appearances for an unprecedented $50,000.
Although country vocalists The Jordanaires accompanied Presley on the Steve Allen show, their first recording session with him was July 2, for the recording of "Any Way You Want Me". The Jordanaires would work with the singer through the 1960s.
Presley's first Ed Sullivan appearance (September 9, 1956) was seen by an estimated 55-60 million viewers. During the second, Presley only had to shake his legs to get screams from the audience, which a bemused Sullivan didn't notice him doing when stood next to the singer. On the third show, the family-minded Sullivan censored Presley's "gyrations": he was shown only above the waist. Despite this, Sullivan still declared at the end: "This is a real decent, fine boy. We've never had a pleasanter experience on our show with a big name than we've had with you... you're thoroughly all right."
On November 16, Presley's first movie was released - Love Me Tender. It was panned by the critics, but did well at the box office.
Legacy
Elvis Presley statue in Memphis, TN.Biographer Ernst Jorgensen has written: "When Elvis died, it was as if all perspective on his musical career was somehow lost. From the utter ridicule of the tabloids [regarding his latter-day obesity and performances] to the almost religious dedication of the most ardent fans, any wish to understand Elvis Presley the singer seemed almost totally obscured."
Presley's recorded voice is seen by many as his enduring legacy (His death triggered a huge boost in record sales, as well as other merchandise). In The Great American Popular Singers (1974), Henry Pleasants wrote: "Elvis Presley has been described variously as a baritone and a tenor. An extraordinary compass... and a very wide range of vocal color have something to do with this divergence of opinion. The voice covers two octaves and a third... Moreover, he has not been confined to one type of vocal production. In ballads and country songs he belts out full-voiced high G's and A's that an opera baritone might envy. He is a naturally assimilative stylist with a multiplicity of voices - in fact, Elvis' is an extraordinary voice, or many voices."
Gospel tenor Shawn Nielsen, who backed Presley, said: "He could sing anything. I've never seen such versatility... He had such great soul. He had the ability to make everyone in the audience think that he was singing directly to them. He just had a way with communication that was totally unique." Bob Dylan remarked: "When I first heard Elvis' voice I just knew that I wasn't going to work for anybody; and nobody was going to be my boss... Hearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail."
Many others have paid tribute to Presley's uninhibited performing style, as well as his singing. Deep Purple's Ian Gillan said: "For a young singer he was an absolute inspiration. I soaked up what he did like blotting paper... you learn by copying the maestro." Rod Stewart declared: "Elvis was the king. No doubt about it. People like myself, Mick Jagger and all the others only followed in his footsteps." Cher recalled: "The first concert I attended was an Elvis concert when I was eleven. Even at that age he made me realize the tremendous effect a performer could have on an audience."
In the late sixties, composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein remarked: "Elvis is the greatest cultural force in the twentieth century. He introduced the beat to everything, music, language, clothes, it's a whole new social revolution... the 60's comes from it." Presley helped to lay a commercial foundation which allowed other performers to be recognised. African-American acts like Fats Domino, Chuck Berry and Little Richard came to national prominence after Presley's acceptance among the mass audience of White American teenagers. Richard commented: "He was an integrator, Elvis was a blessing. They wouldn't let black music through. He opened the door for black music."
By 1958, singers adopting Presley's style, like Billy Fury, Marty Wilde and Cliff Richard (the so-called "British Elvis"), were rising to prominence in the UK. Elsewhere in Europe, Johnny Hallyday became the French equivalent and the Italians Adriano Celentano and Bobby Solo were also heavily influenced by Presley.
The singer has also been widely imitated - and parodied - outside the main music industry. Presley songs continue to be very popular on the karaoke circuit and many from a diversity of cultures and backgrounds work as Elvis impersonators ("the raw 1950s Elvis and the kitschy 1970s Elvis are the favorites.").
Presley's informal jamming in front of a small audience in the '68 Comeback Special is regarded as a forerunner of the so-called 'Unplugged' concept, long before MTV even existed.
In 2002 it was observed: "For those too young to have experienced Elvis Presley in his prime, today’s celebration of the 25th anniversary of his death must seem peculiar. All the talentless impersonators and appalling black velvet paintings on display can make him seem little more than a perverse and distant memory. But before Elvis was camp, he was its opposite: a genuine cultural force... Elvis’s breakthroughs are underappreciated because in this rock-and-roll age, his hard-rocking music and sultry style have triumphed so completely."
Discography
Albums
Total record sales to date: Estimated at over 1 billion worldwide.
The 1950s
Elvis Presley (March 23, 1956) US #1 (10 weeks)
Elvis (October 19, 1956) US #1 (5 weeks)
Loving You (July 1, 1957) US #1 (10 weeks) - partial soundtrack
Elvis' Christmas Album (October 15, 1957) US #1 (4 weeks)
Elvis' Golden Records (March 21, 1958) US #3 - compilation
King Creole (September 19, 1958) US #2 - soundtrack
For LP Fans Only (February 6, 1959) US #19 - compilation
A Date With Elvis (July 24, 1959) US #32 - compilation
Elvis' Gold Records Volume 2 (November 13, 1959) US #31 - compilation
The 1960s
Elvis Is Back! (April 8, 1960) US #2
G.I. Blues (October 1, 1960) US #1 (9 weeks) - soundtrack
His Hand in Mine (November 10, 1960) US #13
Something for Everybody (June 17, 1961) US #1 (3 weeks)
Blue Hawaii (October 1, 1961) US #1 (18 weeks) - soundtrack
Pot Luck (June 5, 1962) US #4
Girls! Girls! Girls! (November 9, 1962) US #3 - soundtrack
It Happened at the World's Fair (April 10, 1963) US #4 - soundtrack
Elvis' Golden Records Volume 3 (August 11, 1963) US #3 - compilation
Fun in Acapulco (November 1, 1963) US #3 - soundtrack
Kissin' Cousins (April 2, 1964) US #6 - soundtrack
Roustabout (October 20, 1964) US #1 (1 week) - soundtrack
Girl Happy (March 1, 1965) US #8 - soundtrack
Elvis for Everyone (August 10, 1965) US #10 - compilation of previously unreleased material
Harum Scarum (November 3, 1965) US #8 - soundtrack
Frankie and Johnny (March 1, 1966) US #20 - soundtrack
Paradise, Hawaiian Style (June 10, 1966) US #15 - soundtrack
Spinout (October 31, 1966) US #18 - soundtrack
How Great Thou Art (February 20, 1967) US #18
Double Trouble (June 1, 1967) US #47 - soundtrack
Clambake (October 10, 1967) US #40 - soundtrack
Elvis' Gold Records Volume 4 (January 2, 1968) US #33 - compilation
Speedway (May 1, 1968) US #82 - soundtrack
Elvis (NBC-TV Special) (November 22, 1968) US #8 - TV soundtrack
Elvis Sings Flaming Star [Budget LP on RCA Camden] (April, 1969) US #96 - compilation of previously unreleased material
Originally released as 'Singer Presents Elvis Singing Flaming Star and Others' in October, 1968
From Elvis in Memphis (June 17, 1969) US #13
From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis (October 14, 1969) US #12
The 1970s
Let's Be Friends [Budget LP on RCA Camden] (April 1970) US #105 - compilation with previously unreleased material
On Stage: February 1970 (June 23, 1970) US #13
Worldwide 50 Gold Award Hits Vol. 1 (August 1970) US #45 - compilation
Almost in Love [Budget LP on RCA Camden] (October 1, 1970) US #65 - compilation
Elvis' Christmas Album [Budget LP on RCA Camden] (November 1970) -edited reissue of 1957 album
Elvis In Person at the International Hotel
Back In Memphis
The above two albums are the individual discs that made up the From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis double LP of October 1969, reissued separately
That's the Way It Is (November 11, 1970) US #21 - partial soundtrack
Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old) (January 2, 1971) US #12
You'll Never Walk Alone [Budget LP on RCA Camden] (March 22, 1971) US #69 - compilation
Love Letters from Elvis (June 16, 1971) US #33
C'mon Everybody [Budget LP on RCA Camden] (July 1971) US #70 - compilation
The Other Sides - Elvis Worldwide Gold Award Hits Vol. 2 (August 1971) US #120 - compilation
I Got Lucky [Budget LP on RCA Camden] (October 1971) US #104 - compilation
Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas (October 20, 1971) US #1
Elvis Now (February 20, 1972) US #43
He Touched Me (April 3, 1972) US #79
Elvis Sings Hits from His Movies [Budget LP on RCA Camden] (June 1972) US #87 - compilation
Elvis: As Recorded At Madison Square Garden (June 18, 1972) US #11
Burning Love and Hits From His Movies [Budget LP on RCA Camden] (November 1, 1972) US #22 - compilation
Separate Ways (Elvis Presley album) [Budget LP on RCA Camden] (January 1973) US #46 - compilation
Aloha From Hawaii: Via Satellite (February 4, 1973) US #1 (1 week) - TV soundtrack
Almost in Love [reissue of 1970 Budget LP on RCA Camden with one track variation] (March 1974) - compilation
Elvis (July 16, 1973) US #52
Raised on Rock/For Ol' Times Sake (October 1, 1973) US #50
Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 1 (January 2, 1974) US #43 - compilation with unreleased material
Good Times (March 20, 1974) US #90
Elvis: As Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis (July 7, 1974) US #33
Having Fun With Elvis On Stage (August 1974) US #130 - spoken word album
Later released by RCA in October.
Promised Land (January 8, 1975) US #47
Pure Gold (March 1975) - compilation
Today (May 7, 1975) US #57
Double Dynamite [Budget LP on Pickwick Records] (December 1975) - compilation
Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 2 (January 8, 1976) US #46 - compilation with unreleased material
The Sun Sessions (March 22, 1976) US #76 - compilation
His Hand in Mine [reissue of 1960 LP] (March 1976)
From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee (April 20, 1976) US #41
Frankie and Johnny [Budget LP on Pickwick Records] (November 1976) - compilation
Welcome to My World (March 17, 1977) US #44 - compilation
Moody Blue (July 19, 1977) US #3
Elvis in Concert (October 3, 1977) US #5 - partial TV soundtrack released posthumously
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley_discography
(Oh my, I sense another hottie for my list)
