Category Archives: CONCERTS

Remembering Gordon Stoker

Posted on March 31, 2013 by | 4 Comments

I’m usually thankful when something shows up in the news that inspires an ElvisBlog article.  The exception is when the news is about the death of another Elvis buddy or bandmate or anyone else from Elvis’ world.  In the past few years, this blog has remembered John Wilkinson, Jerry Leiber, Lamar Fike, Boots Randolph, and Charlie Hodge.  There were other losses as well, like Myrna Smith of the Sweet Inspirations

But none of these deaths saddened me the way it did this week when I learned Gordon Stoker had passed away at age 88.  I had personal contact with this wonderful stalwart of the Jordanaires, and he gave me some memories I will never forget.  So, my salute to Gordon Stoker will be to tell some of them here.

 

Milton Berle Show June 1956

Elvis performing on the Milton Berle Show on June 3, 1956. Gordon Stoker is the second closest Jordanaire to Elvis.

 

Making Moves With Jordanaires

Another shot from that show, and Elvis is doing his moves. Gordon Stoker is second from the left. Did you recognize Elvis’ outfit in both pictures as the one he wore in the film clip of him doing “Hound Dog” on Milton Berle… the performance that created so much commotion.

 

Gordon Stoker between Ed Sullivan and Elvis

Gordon Stoker between Ed Sullivan and Elvis

 

Okay, the stories.  I spent a lot of time around Gordon Stoker during Elvis Week 2004, at the 50th Anniversary Legends Concert.  EPE had deemed it the 50th anniversary of rock & roll, dating back to July 5, 1954, when Elvis recorded his first song.

At that time, I was a contributing editor for Elvis International magazine, published by Darwin Lamm.  Darwin has promoted some great Elvis Week concerts, and he did it again for the 50th anniversary show.  This Legends Concert featured Scotty Moore, DJ Fontana, the Jordanaires, Boots Randolph, Ronnie McDowell, and lots more.  They were followed by the TCB Band Concert.  Great double-bill.

I had backstage-access passes for both concerts.  I functioned mostly as a go-fer, but if somebody wanted a cold bottle of water, I was happy to get it for them.  Plus I was scoring autographs like crazy from everybody backstage.

I was around Gordon at the afternoon practice session, and all the hanging-out beforehand.  My contact with him was minimal, but I became a familiar face.  It was the same thing with the concert, but when it ended, I got a new job.  All the performers signed autographs after the show.  I was part of a four man group that escorted the performers to the autograph tables out in the lobby.  Then we positioned ourselves strategically behind the signers to make sure nobody got pushy in the lines or tried to come behind the tables.  At that point, I had gone from go-fer to bodyguard.

I was stationed near Gordon Stoker.  After a half-hour or so, I was told Gordon needed to leave.  After an active day, this eighty-year-old diabetic was having a little trouble.  All the Jordanaires decided to leave together, so we escorted them out of the lobby and to the service elevator.  I ended up with Gordon, and some stupid fool came up and wanted Gordon to stop and pose for a photo with him.  I had to tell the guy, “Hey, get back and let us pass.  Gordon needs to get some food.”

When the Jordanaires got to the elevator, they took off for the nearest restaurant.  So, after saying hardly anything to Gordon all day, I was now a favorably familiar face.

All this occurred on August 13, so there was lots more of Elvis Week to go.  Gordon and the Jordanaires were there for a few more days, and so was I. The next night I walked past the open restaurant area out in the hotel lobby and saw Gordon Stoker eating at a table alone.  I entered the restaurant, went up to him, and asked how he was doing.  He was fine, and we had a nice little conversation.  To my surprise, he asked me to join him.  You bet I did.

When the waitress came by, Gordon ordered for me.  He was eating meatloaf and raving about it, so he wanted me to have it, too.  He was right.  It was great meatloaf.  We chatted through the whole meal, and he was charming.   He gave me his business card, and wrote my e-mail and phone number on the back of another.  Said he would put it in his book.  I didn’t think we’d actually do any messaging, but he sure made me feel good.

Then, Gordon picked up the whole tab.  I had gone from go-fer to bodyguard to friend.  It was just a perfect night.

 

Sadly, we now say goodbye to Gordon Stoker.  Another member of Elvis’ world has left us.  We’ll miss you, Gordon.  Say hi to Elvis for us.

And, thanks for the meatloaf.

 

Cool shot of Gordon Stoker and Elvis

Cool shot of Gordon Stoker and Elvis

 

©  2013    Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister    All Rights Reserved    www.ElvisBlog.net

 

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Posted in CONCERTS, ELVIS and OTHER STARS, Main Page

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Who Is This Guy?

Posted on October 7, 2012 by | 4 Comments

Look at this picture for a moment and try to guess who it is.  Maybe a young Leonard Nimoy?  Maybe a bad guy in a movie you saw recently?

The answer may surprise you.  It’s Elvis.  Or, at least it’s supposed to be, but it doesn’t look much like him, does it?  Here’s what’s confusing:

This an original ticket for “ELVIS -  Aloha From Hawaii,” the concert broadcast around the world on January 14, 1973   The ticket was the latest addition to the Image Gallery on the official Elvis Insiders’ website, so it we assum it’s the real deal.  The guy on the left is definitely Elvis.  But, the guy on the right sure doesn’t look like him.

It may be difficult to see, but under the pink ELVIS, it does say “Aloha from Hawaii – Via Satellite.”  At the bottom left, it says the concert was a benefit for the KUI LEE Cancer Fund.  Above that, it says the concert was at the Honolulu International Convention Center.

There’s one other interesting thing about the ticket.  Look at the time of the concert – 1:00 A.M.  At first, I assumed that was so the show would be seen during primetime for folks back in the mainland.  But then I did some research.  The sixty-minute live concert, broadcast by satellite on December 14, went only to countries in the Pacific: Australia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, South Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and a few other small nations in the Far East.  The next day, the concert was rebroadcast to twenty-eight countries in Europe.

However, Americans did not see the show until almost two months later on April 4, 1973 on NBC.  The telecast was expanded to ninety minutes with additional footage of Elvis’ arrival in Honolulu added for the opening sequence.  Also, Elvis had recorded four extra songs after the audience had left the Convention Center.  These were edited into the program in a format that would later be called a music video.

 

This is the schedule for the production of “Aloha from Hawaii.”  There are some technical terms and abbreviations on it, but you can pretty much figure out what’s going on.  Elvis had dinner at 8:30 and went to make-up and wardrobe at 11:30.  There was a warm-up act and audience shots until 12:30 A.M. when Elvis came on stage and performed for an hour.

 

And this is what he performed.  The website where I found it doesn’t say if it written by Elvis, but he usually worked out concert playlists himself.

So, “ELVIS – Aloha from Hawaii” was a really big event in Elvis’ history.  It was watched by more than one billion people.  It represented a big break-through in satellite broadcast technology.  It was produced on a budget of $2.5 million.

 

Editor’s note:  Thanks to alert reader David, the ticket mystery has been solved.  He states in the comment below:

“I believe the other photo on the Aloha From Hawaii ticket is Kui Lee, the songwriter who died of cancer and who wrote, I’ll Remember You, and who the concert is dedicated to and the proceeds were to go to the cancer fund in his memory.”

And this is from Wikipedia:

Kuiokalani Lee (July 31, 1932 – December 3, 1966) was a singer-songwriter, and the 1960s golden boy artist of Hawaii. Lee achieved international fame when Don Ho began performing and recording Lee’s compositions, with Ho promoting Lee as the songwriter for a new generation of Hawaiian music.

 

©  2012    Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister    All Rights Reserved    www.ElvisBlog.net

 

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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Impressed Again with Elvis’ Impact on Popular Culture

Posted on August 4, 2012 by | 2 Comments

I live in Greenville, SC, a small city of about 70,000 people with an extended metro-area population of perhaps 400,000.  It is a pleasant, beautiful city, and it has a wealth of cultural opportunities, including five venues that present plays and musical events.

Last year, I wrote about one venue, the Greenville Little Theater, which presented ELVIS: Shake, Rattle, and Roll.  Elvis tribute artist Scot Bruce starred in this presentation, and it ran for eighteen shows over a three-week period.  I was skeptical that our community could support so much Elvis, but the shows were very popular and many were completely sold-out.

Now, a year later, it is obvious that my city can handle even more Elvis than that.  It is also obvious that Elvis’ impact on popular culture is strong and growing.  So strong, in fact, that the coming season at the Greenville Little Theater includes three Elvis-related events.

First, Scot Bruce is back for another extended run of his Shake, Rattle and Roll show, including on one on August 16, the date of Elvis’ death.  So, the big-time Elvis fans in the area won’t have to go to Elvis Week in Memphis to honor the King.  We can do it right here.

Scot Bruce specializes in Elvis’ music from the 50s and 60s.  Last year, he performed 28 songs, split into two segments. He opened with a delightful set of Elvis’ early hits.  I especially liked when he was joined at center stage by just the guitarist and bass player, and they did a tribute to Elvis’ songs from Sun Records.

 

I will be going back again this year to see Scot Bruce perform and I can’t wait.  This is a really fun show.

 

Then, a month later, the theater will present Smokey Joe’s Café, which features thirty-nine rock and roll songs by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.

The show is presented in revue format with no unifying theme or dialogue, just thirty-nine songs performed by the members of the cast in various combinations.  Smokey Joe’s Café has been around since its premiere in Los Angeles in 1994.  It ran on Broadway from 1995 to 2000, a total of 2,036 performances, and now theaters around the country present it for their local audiences.

Leiber and Stoller wrote a bunch of songs for Elvis, and eight are included in the show:

Mike Stoller, Elvis, and jerry Leiber in 1957

 

Finally, the Greenville Little Theatre will present a two-week run of the comedy Elvis Has Left the Building.  The title is appropriate, because in the play Elvis is AWOL on the evening of a big performance in 1970.

The main character is the Colonel, and the plot revolves around his efforts to save the show.   He reaches back to the old hypnotism shtick from his carny days, and somehow comes up with two emergency pseudo-Elvises.

When our local theater director picks the two actors for these roles, I hope he comes up with men that resemble Elvis better than these guys in a Virginia production of the play.

 

There is no denying that Elvis is prominent in the entertainment shows being presented this season in my little city.  I never considered Greenville, SC to be a hotbed of Elvis fans, but two years ago when Elvis on Tour had its one-night showing here, the theater was jam-packed, so maybe we are.

I think the real reason so much Elvis-related entertainment is coming to town is because Elvis, thirty-five years after his death, is ingrained in American popular culture more than ever.  Keep an eye out for Elvis coming to your town in one form or another.

 

©  2012    Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister    All Rights Reserved    www.ElvisBlog.net

 

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

 

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Posted in CONCERTS, Main Page, TRIBUTE ARTISTS

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Scotty Moore Returns to Live Performances After 24 Year Absence

Posted on July 28, 2012 by | 3 Comments

When Scotty Moore returned to Nashville after appearing in the ‘68 Comeback Special, he never dreamed it was the last time he would perform on stage for 24 years.

Elvis and Scotty Moore in the famous “Pit Session” of the the ’68 Comeback Special

 

In fact, Elvis had talked about wanting to do a tour in Europe.  Now that he was essentially finished with movies, Elvis was energized to perform live again, and Scotty was excited about getting back on stage with him.  Scotty went home to Nashville and waited for a call from Elvis to say the European tour was on.

Of course, Col. Parker put a quick end to such an idea.  He was an illegal alien from Holland and knew he couldn’t get a US passport, so he could never accompany Elvis to Europe.  And, Parker was not about to allow Elvis to tour over there without the constant presence of his manager.  So the tour idea died.

Scotty went on with his life as a studio sound engineer, work that kept him associated with the music business, without ever performing.  Years later he owned a cassette duplicating company, and followed that by opening a printing shop that made the label inserts for the tapes.

Scotty’s guitars sat essentially untouched for years.  He actually thought of himself as a ‘former guitar player,’ and was comfortable with it.  He did, however, maintain contact with many dozens of folks in the music business – including Carl Perkins.

Perkins underwent cancer surgery in 1991, but in early 1992 it was in remission.  He felt strong enough to record a new album, and wanted to do it in the old Sun Studios in Memphis.  So, Perkins called Scotty and asked him to join the project.  Scotty resisted, repeatedly saying, “I can’t do this.”  However, Perkins persisted, and soon he, Scotty, DJ Fontana and a group of their studio musician friends completed the recording session that resulted in 706 ReUnion.

Cover of CD Re-release, Not Original Album

 

Two years earlier, Carl Perkins had been the headliner at the first “Good Rockin’ Tonight” concert, presented during Elvis Week by Darwin Lamm, editor and publisher of Elvis International magazine.  Perkins was unable to sing at the second annual concert in 1991 because of his cancer surgery, but he was back as headliner again for “Good Rockin’ Tonight 3” in 1992.

Again, Carl Perkins worked on Scotty to join him – this time, on stage playing the guitar. Scotty agreed, and became part of the most exciting line-up in the history of Elvis Week concerts.  Not only did the fans get to see Elvis’ first guitar player, they also got to see his last one, James Burton.

James Burton and Scotty Moore Rehearsing

 

The Sun Rhythm Section, featuring Sunny Burgess and DJ Fontana opened the show and wowed the audience with an excellent Rockabilly set.  Also on the bill were the Jordanaires who backed Elvis on too many records to count and Ronnie McDowell who sang the songs on several Elvis movies and TV biographies.

From left – James Burton, DJ Fontana, Scotty Moore. Behind Carl perkins on stool — Jardanaires, Ronnie McDowell (in black, white belt), and others.

 

Scotty’s long-time friend, Gail Pollock, summarized the show, “It was electric.”  Especially, when Carl Perkins and Scotty Moore were on stage together.

 

After that, Scotty was hooked.  A week after the concert in Memphis, he went to England to perform with the Jordanaires.  He had been away from performing for 24 years, but at age 61, Scotty Moore was back.  Thousands of fans have seen him at concerts in the years since, and Scotty Moore has brought tears of happiness to more than a few of them.

 

Many thanks to James Roy, webmaster for www.scottymoore.net, and to Gail Pollock for their help in supplying the photographs and historical reference material for this article.

 

©  2012    Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister    All Rights Reserved    www.ElvisBlog.net

 

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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Posted in CDs / RECORDS, CONCERTS, ELVIS and OTHER STARS, ELVIS WEEK, Main Page

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The Most Significant Month In Elvis' History

Posted on January 2, 2011 by | 1 Comment

Back in late 2005, I was trying to think of something to write for the upcoming Birthday Tribute Issue of Elvis International magazine. 

I always try to submit something for each issue, and Darwin Lamm, the publisher, likes to do anniversary themes.  So, I checked out what went on with Elvis fifty years earlier in January, 1956.  I quickly realized that lots of important stuff happened, and I had my story idea.  The result was an article with a short title and the longest subtitle I ever used:

 

Fast forward five years, and my buddy, Alan Hanson, posts an article on his Elvis-History-Blog.  Check out his title:

 

Hot dog, I thought.  Alan is pushing a different month.  I couldn’t wait to compare both arguments and see which month won.  In all honesty, it seems like March 1956 probably was the most significant, or pivotal, month in Elvis’ career.  Congratulations, Alan.  However, let’s look at Alan’s summary of life-changing events for Elvis in March and see how those in January 1956 compare.

First Hit on the Charts:  That, of course, was “Heartbreak Hotel,” and it appeared on the Billboard Top 100 pop chart at #68 on March 3. 

 
Elvis’ first national hit was a big event for sure.  But, not so fast.  When was it recorded?  On January 10, Elvis had his first recording session for RCA in Nashville.  Before that, all his recording had been at Sun Records in Memphis, and they were mostly Rockabilly numbers.

 
At RCA’s famed Nashville Studio B, Elvis recorded two songs that had previously been hits for other performers:  “Money Honey” (Drifters) and I Got A Woman” (Ray Charles).  But he also recorded one new song, a slow, bluesy number unlike anything he had done at Sun.  America’s teenagers would ultimately take “Heartbreak Hotel” to #1.

So, which month wins?  I’m sticking with January.  If you are talking about a pivotal event, you can hardly beat changing your record company, your studio, your musical style, and the make-up of your backing band – and getting a #1 hit out of it.  Sure, “Heartbreak Hotel” first reached the charts in March, but that wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been recorded in January.

First LP Release:  Alan correctly notes that Elvis Presley was released on March 23, and it quickly rose to the top of the charts where it stayed for ten weeks. 

 

But once again, we can ask which is more important – when it was recorded or when it was released?  Elvis Presley contained twelve songs, but five of them had been recorded at Sun Records in 1955.  The other seven were all recorded in January 1956.  If all twelve had been recorded then, this would be another win for January.  So, we’ll be generous and call this a tie.

There is one interesting side note on the album Elvis Presley.  It did not contain the huge hit “Heartbreak Hotel.”  Apparently, Col. Parker decided the fans would buy the album anyway, and he was certainly correct.  He followed the same plan with the second album, Elvis, which did not contain the huge hits “Hound Dog” and “Don’t Be Cruel.”

Final Appearance on the Louisiana Hayride:  In addition to new firsts for Elvis, March also contained some lasts.  However, so did January.  On January 2, 1956, Elvis performed at a high school auditorium in Charleston, Mississippi.  This was his last show in small venues.  From then on, it was all big theaters and arenas.  Is this more significant than the last of a long run at the Louisiana Hayride?  I think so.

 

However, there was one other important last for Elvis in January.  On January 20 in Fort Worth, he did his last appearance as a supporting act.  From then on, Elvis would always be a headliner.  That’s a pretty pivotal event.

Elvis had seventh billing on May 10, 1955

 

Final Appearance on Stage Show on TV:  Elvis made six appearances on the Dorsey Brothers Stage Show on CBS, and the last was on March 24.  How could that be more pivotal than his first appearance on the show on January 28?   Chalk up another win for January.

Elvis’ on His First TV Appearance – Jan 28, 1956

 

Ever Explosive Personal Appearances:  Okay, you have to give it to March on this one, but just barely.  Elvis did plenty of very explosive personal appearances in January, too.  Of course, this trend started before January 1956 and continued well beyond March, so it’s impossible to pick any month as the pivotal one.  Maybe this category should be skipped.

Hollywood Screen Test:  January had nothing similar to this for Elvis, so March gets the nod again.

Elvis Hooks Up With Colonel Parker:  This was a major significant event, and nothing occurred in January of comparable importance.

 

It looks like Alan’s last three points tipped the scales in favor of March 1956 as the most pivotal month in Elvis’ history.  If my focus had been different five years ago, I would have picked the same month as Alan, but, I was searching for a fifty-year anniversary theme to publish in January 2006.  If I had been searching for the Elvis’ most significant month, I would have written about March 1956, but I couldn’t have done any better job presenting the case than Alan Hansen did.  Be sure to check it out.

 

©  2010    Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister    All Rights Reserved    www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

 

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Posted in CONCERTS, HISTORY, Main Page, TV SHOWS

Dead Elvis, for Bassoon, Clarinet, and Trumpet

Posted on April 24, 2010 by | Leave a comment

Some friends in my neighborhood went to a concert by our city’s symphony orchestra over the weekend, and the husband couldn’t wait to tell me the title of the last piece the orchestra played.  It was “Dead Elvis.”  My friend even produced the concert program to prove it.  He was particularly impressed that the featured soloist, a female bassoon player, was dressed in a white jumpsuit, Elvis wig, and trademark sunglasses.

 “Dead Elvis” Bassoon Soloist

Naturally, I wondered why the composer, Michael Dougherty, would title his composition “Dead Elvis,” so I did a little research.  I never did find anything about his motivation, but ClassicalArchives.com went into great detail on his concept.

For one thing, Mr. Daugherty decided to use the same instrumentation as Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat.  The website explained that these instruments were limited to bassoon, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, one percussionist, violin and double bass.  I guess I should have put them all in the title of this article, but that would have been way too long.  Does anyone know if there is a tradition in classical music of composing works to be performed by a limited group of instruments?  Is there a history of some other composer then trying to also write a piece using just those same instruments?

Who knows?  Who cares, right?  We just want the Elvis story.  Well, the website says “Dead Elvis” is analogous to the story in that famous Stravinsky composition.  In that one, the violinist sells his soul to the devil, while in Dougherty’s work, Elvis sells his soul to record agents, Hollywood, and Las Vegas.  If you ask me, it looks like the bassoonist sells her soul to Yoda from Star Wars.  Doesn’t the jumpsuit collar above look like Yoda ears?


As far as I know, classical music has no lyrics, so how does a symphony convey these messages about someone selling his soul?   Here’s something else the website tells us about the meaning of “Dead Elvis.”  The main musical motive of the piece is the Dies Irae chant, which is used in reference to Elvis’ death.  This medieval chant for the Day of Judgment appears in every movement of the piece.  Are you getting the idea that this composition was not written for the enjoyment of Elvis fans?

Apparently, other symphony orchestras have used the gimmick of their bassoon player dressed up as Elvis for the performance of “Dead Elvis.”  Here is one from the Cleveland Orchestra that rates much higher on the Elvis scale.

If guitar players call it their axe, what would you call this?

 

The website article ends with this, “Over the course of the piece, it is easy to imagine the journey of Elvis from a young man to a burned out Vegas lounge act.”  Well, it is easy for me to imagine I never want to hear “Dead Elvis.”

 

©  2010    Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister    All Rights Reserved    www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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Posted in CONCERTS, Main Page, THE MOST UNUSUAL ELVIS ARTICLES ON THE WEB

Viva Elvis — Sorting Out the On-Line Reviews

Posted on February 28, 2010 by | Leave a comment

At 8 AM on the morning after Viva Elvis had its official opening performance in Las Vegas, I Googled Viva Elvis to see what the entertainment critics had to say about the reworked Cirque du Soleil show.  For two months, there had been many reviews panning the initial trial presentations of Viva Elvis.  I was hoping the bugs had been worked out and the critical review would be positive.

Believe it or not, Google found over 2 million results for my search.  On the first page of these, there was a selection called “News results for Viva Elvis,” and you could click on links to fifty different articles.  As a service to ElvisBlog fans, I checked out every one of them.  Here are my choices for the five most interesting, and they come at the subject from substantially different directions.

Best Look at Costumes and Backstage:

I liked the Lights, Vegas, Action blog of Vegas.com for several reasons.  The text by Kristine McKenzie was organized into four categories: The Cast, The Music, The Costumes, and The Acrobatics.  There is also a video showing snippets of several dance numbers as well looks at some costumes and other backstage stuff.  And finally, there is a gallery of nine still shots plus three more in the body of the article.  Click on the picture below to go to this informative site.

 

Most Glowing Review (and most intellectual):

I was a bit surprised to read the review on the Time magazine website and find it so complimentary.  Time columnist Richard Corliss used his considerable writing talents to praise Viva Elvis using adjectives like spectacular, fantastic and ecstatic.  I love the way he says that Cirque du Soleil shows are to the typical Broadway shows what Avatar is to the 1933 King Kong.  Corliss tends to write in a scholarly manner, and he incorporates a lot of words we regular folks don’t use in everyday conversation.  I’ll share the ones I had to look up, so you won’t have to do it, too.  Éclat (striking effect). Hagiography (worshipful biography), Oeuvre (body of work), Oneiric (relating to dreams), Terpsichore (choreography), Caconical (recognized/accepted), and Chorines (chorus girls).  You will enjoy this review, so click this picture to go to it.

 

Best Videos about Viva Elvis:

CNN.com has a good article by KJ Matthews on its website.  I liked the analysis of how Viva Elvis differs from the Cirque show Love about the Beatles.  There are actually three videos you can check out, and two are good.  “A Look at Viva Elvis” covers the theater, the specially-built stage, set pieces, and backstage activity.  You may have already seen this video on the Elvis Insiders website.  I also liked “Sneak Peak at Viva Elvis,” which has excerpts of Priscilla’s interview on the Larry King Live TV show.  The last video is titled “Elvis, Obama, and Vegas,” but you can skip it unless you want to hear President Obama doing damage control over his recent slam at Las Vegas.  Click on the pink Caddy below to link to this site.

 

Best Description of the Elvis Songs Used in the Show:

There almost 40 Elvis songs used in the show, either in their entirety or in medleys.  The deepest discussion of the music in Viva Elvis is found in the show preview on the Las Vegas Review-Journal website.  Columnist Mike Weatherford has been writing regularly about Viva Elvis for two months, and this time he interviews Musical Director Erich van Tourneau.  It is revealing when van Tourneau discusses trying to keep Elvis moving artistically – trying to imagine how Elvis would do his hits today.  There is no video and only two photos.  Click on the one of van Tourneau below to read the interview.

 

Most Detail About What is in Viva Elvis:

As you may know, Cirque du Soleil is Montreal based enterprise, so it is no surprise that the Montreal Gazette would cover Viva Elvis on their website.  Columnist Pat Donnelly has written a lengthy article covering (in sequence) just about every element of the show.  I don’t know how anyone could read his piece without yearning for a trip to Vegas to see Viva Elvis.  Because there are no photos accompanying the article, here’s one I picked for you to click on to go to it.

 

©  2010    Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister    All Rights Reserved    www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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Posted in CONCERTS, Main Page, NEWS, WEBSITES WITH ELVIS CONTENT

Opening Night – VIVA ELVIS

Posted on December 15, 2009 by | Leave a comment

(Ed. note)  The official opening of Viva Elvis was on February 19, 2010.  Click here to read the ElvisBlog article covering our favorite on-line reviews of the show.

 

The long awaited trial run opening of Cirque du Soleil's new show VIVA ELVIS is just three days away.  On Friday, December 18, 2000 fans will file into the specially built theater at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas to view this wonderful tribute to The King.  Regular ticket prices start at $99 and go up to $175, but during the preview period through the end of January, all are subject to a 25% discount

 A basic room at the Aria is $149 per night.  If you want a spectacular view of CityCenter and the strip, it will cost $199.  If you want to celebrate Elvis' 75th birthday by catching VIVA ELVIS and staying at the Aria on January 8, those room rates jump to $259 and $309.

The Aria website has a link with information on showtimes, prices, and a seating chart.  It looks like the show will happen even on Christmas Eve and Christmas day.  The site has this to say about VIVA ELVIS:

Viva ELVIS™ by Cirque du Soleil®, a harmonious fusion of dance, acrobatics and live music, is a tribute to the life and music of Elvis Presley. Nostalgia, modernity and raw emotion provide the backdrop for his immortal voice and the exhilaration and beauty of his music.

Created in the image of The King of Rock 'n' Roll – powerful, sexy, whimsical, truly unique and larger than life – the show highlights an American icon who transformed popular music and whose image embodies the freedom, excitement and turbulence of his era.

Significant moments in his life – intimate, playful and grandiose – blend with the timeless songs that remain as relevant today as when they first hit the top of the charts. Viva ELVIS focuses on the essential humanity of the one superstar whose name will forever be linked with the history of Las Vegas and the entire world of entertainment: Elvis Presley.

 

 

Here are some interesting tid-bits from Reed Johnson's LATimes.com article earlier today.  They are from quotes attributed to Gilles Ste-Croix, Cirque Senior V.P. of Creative Content, and Stephanie Mongeau, Viva Elvis Executive Producer.

Evoking an extraordinary man and his shape-shifting times.

A retro-contemporized tribute that unfolds like a live concert.

None of the show's 75 artists actually will portray or represent Presley on stage.

Those unmistakable purrs and growls will be set to punchy new musical arrangements – like “Black Eyed Peas meet Elvis”

I will be interested to see the reviews of these Black-Eyed-Peas-like arrangements of Elvis' music.  Personally, I'm rather fond of the Scotty Moore and James Burton sounds.  There will surely be a soundtrack CD coming out soon (like just in time for Elvis Week, maybe?), so we can listen to the music even if we can't get to Las Vegas to see the show.

 

It may be a few years until I get out to Las Vegas and see Viva Elvis, but you can be sure that trip will be on my Christmas wish list every year until I do.

 

(C)  2009   Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister   All Rights Reserved    www.ElvisBlog.net

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Posted in CONCERTS, Main Page, NEWS

GUEST COLUMN

Posted on November 22, 2009 by | Leave a comment

 

Your Elvis blogmeister is in the middle of a busy week leading up to Thanksgiving, with two different groups of relatives coming to stay for a few days.  So, it is time to take it easy and share with you an interesting Elvis article posted by my friend Ty at www.TheFilmFrontier.com.  Ty gave me the OK to reprint his article, and in return, he may reprint my Elvis/Star Trek Connections.  Believe it or not, his blog contains both Elvis and Star Trek features, a very interesting combination.

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How Michael Jackson's This Is It could help Elvis fans

 

Posted by Tygrrius, October 15, 2009

 

Many fellow Elvis fans seem to have tired of all of the recent comparisons with Michael Jackson. However, they should take notice of one Michael Jackson project. Filmed just days before Jackson's death in June, This Is It opens in theaters and IMAX later this month.

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Assembled from over a hundred hours of footage, the documentary captures rehearsals and other behind-the-scenes moments for Jackson's concert engagement that ultimately was not to be. If This Is It turns out to be a big success, Jackson's fans can expect to see even more of that footage in sequels or at least in an expanded version on Blu-ray with lots of bonus material.

Why should we Elvis fans care about this? Success for This Is It may well lead someone at Warner Home Video to finally wake up and remember that they are sitting on dozens of hours of valuable behind-the-scenes, rehearsal, and concert footage of another singer known as “The King.”

In 1970, MGM's cameras filmed several rehearsals and concerts for his Elvis Summer Festival engagement at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. Released in November of that year, the resulting Elvis: That's The Way It Is documentary was grand and captured Elvis in his prime–but left dozens of hours on the cutting room floor.

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1970 VHS

 

In 1972, MGM's cameras rolled again, this time for Elvis On Tour, capturing rehearsals, behind-the-scenes, and concerts in March and April. The film went on to win a Golden Globe, the only Elvis movie so honored. Again, dozens of hours of footage were filmed but not used.

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Since that time, we've seen a bit of these outtakes. In 1992, Warner released Elvis: The Lost Performances, an incredible one-hour VHS video that included outtakes from both films. In 2001, Warner released a new edit of That's The Way It Is, containing so many outtakes and changes as to actually be a different film than the original. Though both were compelling, these projects were just the tip of the Elvis documentary iceberg.

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 In 2001, Warner released a new edit of That's The Way It Is, containing so many outtakes and changes as to actually be a different film than the original. Though both were compelling, these projects were just the tip of the Elvis documentary iceberg.

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2001 New Edit DVD

Though both versions of That's The Way It Is are available, Elvis On Tour and The Lost Performances never received DVD releases. Maybe we can't go back in time just yet, but Elvis fans should at least be able to experience these historic films and outtakes.

First off, the original versions of Elvis: That's The Way It Is and Elvis On Tour should be fully restored in high definition and digital sound and released on Blu-ray (as well as DVD for those fans who have not yet upgraded), with top-notch bonus features.

Why stop there? Next, Warner should choose whichever That's The Way It Is and Elvis On Tour concerts are most complete (not all were filmed in their entirety) and release them as separate, all-new concert experiences. Don't tag them as Elvis On Tour or That's The Way It Is re-edits, just make completely new projects and leave the original documentaries to stand alone as accounts from the time. Most important, don't over-edit these concerts. Use Elvis' original setlist and flow as much as possible.

Why shouldn't a That's The Way It Is concert be given a full-fledged theatrical release, with an Elvis marketing blitz unheard of since his death? Can you imagine watching one of the That's The Way It Is concerts on an IMAX screen?

Sure, theatrical and IMAX releases are long-stretches, but I think at least Blu-ray releases for Elvis: That's The Way It Is and Elvis On Tour are real possibilities if Michael Jackson's This Is It takes off.

A fan can dream, can't he?

                                                               Tygrrius, Webmaster of the Film Frontier

 

Editor’s Note:  There is one other option for Elvis: That’s The way It Is that might be of interest to fans.  In 2007, Warner Home Video released a Two-Disk Special Edition that contains both the original 1970 release and the 2001 redone version.  As Ty said, they are completely different films.  Gone from the newer version is footage of the fans, venue set-up, and an interview with the editor of Tiger Magazine.  This is replaced by footage of Elvis goofing around at rehearsal, his false starts on songs in concert, his pre-show jitters when he worries about forgetting song lyrics, and the jokes he makes with the band and the audience.  Several songs are dropped in the redone version, including “Sweet Caroline” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” and are replaced with others including “Suspicious Minds” and “Polk Salad Annie.”

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2007 DVD with Both Original and New Edit Versions


While the films are not restored in high definition Blu-ray with digital sound, getting both versions for less than $10.00 at Amazon.com is a real bargain.  Of course, like everything put out in recent years, the set includes some never-before-officially-released bonus material.   

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CIRQUE du SOLEIL ANNOUNCES VIVA ELVIS NAME SELECTION

Posted on November 5, 2009 by | Leave a comment

 

As speculated here on September 18, Cirque du Soleil has chosen Viva ELVIS as the name of their new Las Vegas show.  The opening date has not yet been announced, and the Cirque website does not yet have any information on ticket prices.  Earlier rumors have pegged the official opening night to be January 8, 2010, Elvis' 75th birthday.  If so, scalpers should have a field day reselling tickets for that birthday bash.  Supposedly, preview shows in late December will be attended by family, friends and other VIPs.

 

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