Category Archives: ELVIS COMMENTARY MINI-NUGGETS

Mt. Rockmore:  The photo in Caption Contest 7 came from the entrance to the now defunct Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  The permanent sand sculpture depicted Elvis, John Lennon, Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix.  In my opinion, the artist who created it did a better job on the likenesses of Elvis and Lennon than he did on Marley and Hendrix.  And what’s with Bob Marley on there, anyway?  If you’re memorializing great dead rock stars, I could see Buddy Holly, James Brown and several other rockers before Bob Marley.  Believe it or not, this is not the first Mt. Rockmore sculpture.  Here is another from the Flintstones Theme Park in Custer, South Dakota:
 

Elvis Songs Describe Blago:  The Chicago newspapers have been full of commentary about deposed Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich.  Two of them even mentioned Elvis.  According to Stefano Esposito of the Chicago Sun-Times, “He liked to crank up Elvis Presley’s ‘Blue Hawaii’ and sing along to the stereo.  Chuck Goudie of the Daily Herald listed some famous Elvis songs that fit Blago’s bill: “A Fool Such As I,” “Put The Blame On Me,” “Suspicious Minds,” “T-R-O-U-B-L-E,” “There Goes My Everything,” and maybe eventually “Heartbreak Hotel.”   It’s too bad Elvis never had a song called, “Devious Scumbag Politician.”

A Peek At The Future:  EPE has three new Graceland exhibits for 2009.  “Graceland’s 70th Anniversary Celebration” is already open.  Coming in March are “Elvis in Hollywood” and “Elvis Lives: The King and Pop Culture.”  The press release for “Elvis Lives” reads in part:

“This interactive exhibit showcases Elvis in action as he entertains crowds in a stunning video presentation.  Visitors can trace Elvis’ impact on pop culture by taking  a trip down an Elvis time line, test their knowledge at an Elvis trivia kiosk and explore Elvis’ music through listening stations that feature classics from the king of Rock ‘N Roll.”

If you ever wondered what EPE is going to put on all those acres of land it bought around Graceland, “Elvis Lives” gives you a good clue.  However, I think video presentations, trivia kiosks and listening stations are just the tip of the iceberg.  Get ready, big-time Interactive Elvis is coming.

Stupid Reporter Questions:  Over the years, reporters have posed lots of stupid questions to Elvis.  Possibly the worst questions came from Luther Voltz of the Miami Herald on August 4, 1956.  Voltz asked Elvis how he felt about some strange subjects: the Andrea Doria ship disaster, the popular Empire waistline in fashion, prominent politicians Estes Kefauver and Adlai Stevenson, and famed cellist Pablo Casals.  Elvis told the reporter he would rather keep his views to himself because he did not want to be labeled.  That was fast thinking by Elvis, because, as he later admitted to friends, he had never heard of any of those people or things.  Elvis always enjoyed telling the story of how he outsmarted the reporter who tried to embarrass him.

Keep That Pelvis Far from Me:  Did you know Elvis was mentioned in the lyrics of one of the songs in the movie Grease, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John?  “Look At Me, I’m Sandra Dee” was sung by co-star Stockard Channing’s character Rizzo.  Here are some of the lyrics:

Look at me, I’m Sandra Dee, lousy with virginity.
Won’t go to bed till I’m legally wed.  I can’t, I’m Sandra Dee.

I don’t drink or swear, I won’t rat my hair, I get ill from one cigarette.
Keep your filthy paws off my silky drawers.  Would you pull that crap with Annette?

Elvis, Elvis, let me be, keep that pelvis far from me.
Just keep your cool, now you’re starting to drool.  Hey, fungool, I’m Sandra Dee.

Not Worth $200 To Me:  Somebody might pay $200 for a 20 inch long statue of Elvis riding on a motorcycle if it really looked like Elvis.  However, this so-called collectible on a Phoenix antique website just looks terrible.  It may be the worst reproduction of Elvis’ face I have ever seen.  Look close, that’s not a bazooka strapped to Elvis’ back, it’s a guitar case. 

That Hep Presley Cat Is A Gas:  When Elvis performed at the New Frontier Hotel in 1956, some negative comments appeared in the Las Vegas Sun.  This prompted several letters to the editor, including an unusual one from Mr. Ed Jamison.  Here are two excerpts:

“This cat Presley is neat, well gassed and has the heart.  His vocal is real and he has yet to go for the open field.  He is hep to the motion of sound with a retort that is tremendous.  These squares who like to detract their imagined misvalues can only size a note creeping upstairs after dark.  This cat can throw ‘em downstairs or even out the window.  Presley’s voice is that of American youth looking at the moon and wondering how long it will take to get there.”  What???  At least Mr. Jameson followed with, “He deserves his ever-growing audience.  Nobody should miss him.”  Now, that I understand.

The King Of Las Vegas:  Elvis didn’t make much of a splash with his 1956 performance in Las Vegas, but when he came back in 1969, he up shook the place.  I like this quote from Nick Naff of the International Hotel:  “The first time he was booked here, some of us had our doubts.  I mean, we opened July Fourth with Barbra Streisand, who’d just won an Oscar, had three pictures going.  She was one of the hottest entertainment properties in the world.  We knew we had something.  Elvis [who was the second performer at the new hotel] was an unknown stage property.  He hadn’t appeared anywhere in eight years.  We knew he’d be something of a draw, but my God! Elvis was a blockbuster.”  Elvis turned out to be an even bigger draw in subsequent runs at the International.  I’m not sure how this figure was verified, but it has been reported the Maitre d’ and head waiters split $10,000 in tips per night when he performed the following February.

Strange Elvis Memento On Display:  Back in 1976, Elvis was headed by car to a concert in Roanoke, VA.  As the car passed through Lynchburg, Elvis felt the need to go to the bathroom, so they stopped at the Koffee Pot restaurant to use the facilities.  Once finished, Elvis took the toilet paper roll and autographed it for owner Estelle Meadows.  Here is a picture of the memento, which has been on display at the restaurant for years.  Note, Elvis even drew a TCB logo on it. 

©  2009    Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister    All Rights Reserved    www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis’ Opening Act in Las Vegas:  Comedian Sammy Shore was the opening act for Elvis in Las Vegas from 1969 to 1972.  Shore’s act relied on wacky physical comedy, but he was an old-school comic who kept it clean.  Both Elvis and Col. Parker liked that about Shore when they saw him open for Tom Jones three weeks before Elvis’ engagement at the International Hotel began.  Parker offered him the slot as opening act for Elvis, and Shore jumped at the chance.  I like the line he worked into his act about all of the bodyguards Elvis needed to keep away the hordes of girls.  Shore said, “Why don’t you go where all the girls won’t bother you – my dressing room.”

An Elvis Asteroid:  I’m always a little hesitant to repeat assertions about Elvis that I read on Wikipedia, but this one has a ring of authority.  Asteroids are all given a number and some get a name.  #17059 is Elvis.  Other notable asteroids include #2309 – Mr. Spock, #2001 – Einstein, and #5450 – Socrates.

Frank Sinatra Quotes about Elvis:  Look how Frank Sinatra changed his opinion of Elvis over the years.
1956 – “His kind of music is deplorable, a rancid smelling aphrodisiac.  It fosters almost totally negative and destructive reactions in young people.”
1977 – “There have been many accolades uttered about Elvis’ talent and performances over the years, all of which I agree wholeheartedly.  I shall miss him dearly as a friend.  He was a warm, considerate and generous man.”

Elvis Versus Beethoven:  Two freshmen Yale students spent their Christmas 1956 holiday in Manhattan.  Their taste in music did not include Rock & Roll, and they became alarmed at the number of “I Like Elvis” buttons they saw.  For a $45 investment they produced 1,000 “I Like Ludwig” buttons, referencing classical composer Ludwig van Beethoven.  According to Time Magazine, they set up placards with this slogan on it:  “Combat The Menace!  Get Your Ludwig Button.”  In a matter of hours, they sold all 1000 for 15ȼ each to their former classmates at the New York High School of Music and Art.  That’s pretty amazing, and it earned them a few bucks.  However, I’ll bet it can’t compare to what Elvis made on his buttons.

Something Different in an Elvis Poem:  There have been hundreds of poems written about Elvis and most of them been sincere, adoring, and gushing with syrupy sweet sentiment.  You don’t find many like this one.  The author is unknown, but he obviously didn’t like his daughter’s obsession with Elvis.

ENOUGH OF ELVIS

I’ve simply had all I can take
I’ve got an Elvis bellyache
My teenage daughter’s in a trance
I fear she’ll get St. Vitus dance!

That be-bop business was bad enough
But this Presley Hound Dog stuff
On radio, records and TV
It’s just too dog gone much for me.

I think I’ll down some real corn liquor
Then go after that cotton-picker
Fix them sideburns with the shears
And wrap that geetar ‘round his ears.

Just think how peaceful it would be
Without that guy from Tennessee.

Colonel Parker Cheerleading for an Elvis Movie Contract:  Col. Parker never missed an opportunity to promote his client, Elvis Presley.  On March 26, 1956, Elvis had a screen test for Hal Wallis at Paramount Studios, but Wallis did not immediately offer Elvis a contract.  After two weeks of waiting, Col. Parker decided to drum up some fan support.  During the intermissions at two Elvis concerts in the Denver Coliseum on April 8, Col. Parker went on stage and announced, “If you want to see Elvis Presley in the movies, write to Paramount Pictures.”  This same tactic was probably used at the other shows on this tour, and it may have worked.  On April 25, Elvis finalized a seven-movie deal that paid him $15,000 for his first film, $20,000 for his second, and so on.  In retrospect, it seems Parker should have held out for more.  Elvis was getting that kind of money for TV appearances later in the year. 

Worst Dressed Males:  In 1957 columnist Hedda Hopper presented her list of the worst-dressed personalities, and Elvis was one of the offending males.  However, he had some pretty good company.  Also included were Marlon Brando, Spencer Tracy, Tab Hunter, Dennis Hopper, Paul Newman, and Bing Crosby.

Who Started Elvis Week?:  Graceland did not open to the public until 1982, but the genesis of Elvis Week occurred a few years earlier with no assistance from EPE.  In 1978, one year after Elvis died, a number of fans gathered outside the gates, lit candles and spent the evening talking and reminiscing.  The next year there were more.  The first organized ceremony is credited to the Elvis Country Fan Club based in Austin, Texas.  Each year, more and more fans came to Memphis for the candlelight tribute, and various other activities were organized.  Graceland opened to the public in the summer of 1982, and fans urged EPE management to open the gates at midnight, August 16, during the candlelight tribute.  Management agreed, and allowed the fans to walk single-file up the driveway to Elvis’ gravesite and back down.  With the growing influx of fans to Memphis each August, Graceland/EPE took the lead in organizing Elvis Week from then on.  But, it was the fans that got it started.

Kelly Osbourne’s Elvis Themed Wedding?:  Heavy metal rocker Ozzy Osbourne has a daughter named Kelly who will wed model Luke Worrell in Las Vegas next spring.  So what will the daughter of the former Black Sabbath frontman have for her wedding décor?  Bats?  Coffins?  Vampires?  No, Kelly Osbourne is planning an Elvis-themed affair.  A friend is quoted, “They want their wedding to be fun rather than a big, solemn occasion.  They share the same sense of humor and unconventional streak, so they want to celebrate with something different and memorable.”  OK, just so an Elvis impersonator doesn’t come out of a coffin and bite the head off a bat.

©  2008   Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister   All Rights Reserved   www.ElvisBlog.net

Colonel Tom Parker’s Dancing Chickens:  Many Elvis fans know that Col. Parker managed Eddie Arnold and Hank Snow before taking over Elvis’ career.  However, I’ll bet you didn’t know this.  According to www.leftlion.com, Colonel Parker once had a carnival act with dancing chickens.  He got them to dance by putting them on an electric hotplate covered with sawdust, accompanied by a record player.  Lucky for him, PETA wasn’t around back then.

Another Chicken Story:  This comes from the caption under an Elvis picture on Flickr.  “In January 1961, Elvis signed a 5 year contract with Hal Wallis.  To celebrate, he went out and bought a Rolls Royce Phantom V from a Beverly Hills dealer, only to bring it home and have his mother’s chickens pick away at their reflections in the elegant finish.”  Well, Gladys died in 1958, so we know this is a fabrication.  But if you are going to tell a fib, you might as well go for a big one.  Chickens at Elvis’ home in exclusive Bel Air while he’s filming movies in 1961?  Yeah, sure.  There’s a lot of bogus stuff about Elvis floating around on the Internet, but this takes the cake.

Elvis Ultrasound:  Do you like the comic strip “Baby Blues”?  I love those kids Zoe, Hammie and Wren.  The authors of the strip have published their work in a number of books.  One of the compilations is titled, “I Saw Elvis In My Ultrasound.”  Why not?  Elvis has been sighted everywhere else.

A Bidding War For Elvis:  The website Elvis Presley From Poland has a story about the Army and the Navy fighting over which service would get Elvis.  Supposedly the Navy offered him the opportunity to form an “Elvis Presley Company” comprised of sailors from Memphis, and he could personally pick his friends to be part of this special company.  Well, if Elvis’ Memphis buddies had escaped the draft so far, I bet they were glad he didn’t agree to that one.  The Army supposedly offered Elvis the chance to perform on a worldwide tour of all the Army’s prestige posts, with first-class travel to them.  However, Colonel Parker decided that “a front-line combat unit was where he should do his soldiering.”  Front-line combat?  What fighting was the Army doing in Germany in 1958?

That’s A Big Velvet Elvis:  According to www.canada.com, the largest velvet Elvis is on display at the Tattoo Factory in Chicago.  It measures 12 ft by 12 ft, and depicts Elvis with a tear in his eye.  Put that on your list of stops for your next visit to the windy city.

The Man From Psycho Scores Higher Than Elvis:  This story tickles me for a couple of reasons.  One of Elvis’ soundtrack songs from the movie Blue Hawaii is “Moonlight Swim.”  So, where was the scene?  On a beach at midnight?  No, Elvis sang the song in the daylight while cruising in a convertible filled with lovely young babes.  Elvis never released the song as a single, but Tony Perkins did.  Before becoming famous for his role in Psycho, Perkins sang in a few Broadway plays.  His version of “Moonlight Swim” reached #24 on the charts in 1957.

Metal Elvis:  The website for Talent Booking USA has a promo for an Elvis tribute band (not a tribute artist – a whole band).  The singer looks and sounds like Elvis, and the musicians are look-a-likes of famous members of heavy metal groups Guns N' Roses, Motley Crue, etc.  If these guys ever show up in Memphis during Elvis Week, I might just take in their show.

Elvis Bootleg Songs In Russia:  Back in 1957, the Los Angeles Daily Mirror reported that bootlegs of Elvis’ hit singles were selling for 50 rubles ($12.50 US dollars).  What does that equal in dollars today?  $200?  $500?  Where did Russian kids get that kind of money?  Guess what the songs were recorded on.  Used X-ray film.  Pretty clever, but how did they play them on their turntables?

Fired For Playing An Elvis Presley Song:  There once was a disc jockey at radio station KEX in Portland, Oregon who got fired because he played Elvis’ recording of “White Christmas.”  The station manager banned the song and fired Al Priddy because the song “is not in the good taste we ascribe to Christmas music.  Presley gives it a rhythm and blues interpretation.”  If an R&B interpretation of Christmas music gets you fired, it’s a good thing the DJ didn’t play “Santa Claus Is Back In Town.”  That could have gotten him banned from the city.

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©  2008   Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister   All Rights Reserved   www.ElvisBlog.net

The Missing Elvis Star:  There is a website where an aspiring screenwriter can post a synopsis of his script in hope that an agent or movie producer will take an interest in it.  Recently posted on www.newenglandfilm.com was The Missing Elvis Star, by Scott Andrews.  Here is his plot summary:
“Elvis Presley’s Star is stolen off the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame by three French tourists on the 4^th of July.  The President issues a state of emergency and makes it a priority for his Presidential legacy to recapture the missing Star.  The Star is found with Elvis Presley alive.  Both are brought back to America with a five-million person parade in D.C. and Hollywood, with 80 year old Elvis replanting his own Star on the Walk of Fame.”
Writer Andrews calls his creation an action, comedy, block-buster hit movie.  Sounds like a long shot to me.  I wonder who could play 80 year old Elvis.

Calvin and Hobbes and Elvis:  Hopefully you are familiar with the comic strip “Calvin and Hobbes.”  In an old strip, everyone in Calvin’s class at school was assigned to read and summarize a newspaper article.  What article did Calvin pick?  It was the tabloid classic, “Space Alien Weds Two-Headed Elvis Clone.”  I mentioned this title in Mini-Nuggets – 9, and I never thought it would appear again.  I guess you never know when it comes to Elvis.

Minus-Zero on The Elvis Scale:  During the 1992 presidential election, some of the press corps started comparing Bill Clinton to Elvis.  Clinton wore black sunglasses and played “Heartbreak Hotel” on sax on the Arsinio Hall Show, and his campaign plane was nicknamed “Air Elvis.”  One of his opponents in the primary was Massachusetts Senator Paul Tsongas.  Tsongas was a much duller personality than Clinton, and columnist Molly Ivins rated Tsongas “minus-zero on the Elvis scale.”  So, which of today’s candidates do you think rates highest on the Elvis scale?  For my money, it is Sarah Palin.  What do you think?

Back When They Were Called Elvis Impersonators:  Now that Graceland has conferred legitimacy on Elvis Tribute Artists, and the best of them are truly fine showmen, there is much more respect given to this growing group of entertainers.  Surprisingly, a recent article in http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk stated that there were between 37 and 150 working Elvis Impersonators back in 1977 when he died.  Now they say there are over 30,000 ETAs in the US alone.

My Pastor Told Me This One:  The Pastor at my church has a great sense of humor, and he often tells jokes.  The other day, he called to tell me he heard a cool answer to the Jeff Foxworthy line: “You know you are a redneck when….”  It was: “when you have an Elvis Jello mold.”  I resisted telling Pastor that I didn’t find that too funny.  However, consider this.  EPE has licensed all sorts of weird Elvis stuff, but I have never seen a Jello mold shaped like Elvis’ face.  I hope I never do.

Letterman Top Ten List:  David Letterman has included Elvis in his famous Top Ten Lists at least three times that I am aware of.  Thoughtful reader Arleen Scharf e-mailed me this one:  Top Ten Most Polite Ways to Say Your Zipper is Down.  #6 was “Elvis is leaving the building.”  I like that much more than #1, which was “I always knew you were crazy, but now I can see your nuts.”

Pappy and Elvis:  In 1966, Warner Brothers released a Merrie Melodies cartoon titled “The Dixie Fryer.”  Mel Blanc provided the voices of main character Foghorn Leghorn as well as two chicken hawks named Pappy and Elvis.  Foghorn travels to the deep-south and encounters the chicken hawks who crave a delicious chicken dinner.  He needn’t worry.  The chicken hawks are portrayed as ignorant rednecks, and Elvis is a total air-head.  Many years later, the PC police at the Nickelodeon network edited out a scene with a squirrel rifle and another with “dueling pistols.”  I wish they had also changed the idiot chicken hawk’s name to something besides Elvis.

Cher Turned Down Elvis?:  Website www.pcpages.com/elvistimes/news.htm recently mentioned an interview in which singer/actress Cher talked about Elvis.  She said she once received a phone call from Elvis, and he expressed how much he admired Cher and her music.  Then he invited her to spend the weekend with him.  Cher said she just didn’t have the nerve to do it and turned Elvis down.  Now, she says she couldn’t believe she did that.  I don’t believe it either.  Cher had a chance to go from Sonny Bono to Elvis, but she turned it down.  No way.

(C)  2008   All rights Reserved   Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister   www.ElvisBlog.net