Monthly Archives: January 2020

ELVIS 15th ANNIVERSARY – 6 Hour Radio Tribute

Back in 1992, the Creative Radio Network produced a six-hour radio program to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Elvis’ passing. It was heard on 480 radio stations around the world.

A promo package was sent to all the station program directors. One page is reproduced below. The print is small, but the description of the program contents is:

“Six hours full of the greatest hits and memories. The music will excite your listeners all over again; the rare recordings along with intimate personal portraits will surprise them… and the memorable moments will bring a tear to the eye, as we pay tribute to the most exciting and magical entertainer ever.”

The promo material set to the radio stations also had this to say about the tribute:

“It’s filled with the greatest of Elvis’ music, along with intimate reflections by close friends. Hosted by Lance LaGault and co-hosted by Joe Esposito, it’s a documentary covering the phenomenon that is Elvis Presley.”

Here’s a list of the folks who provided those intimate reflections.

This very rare six-CD set comes with the original radio station cue-sheets for each hour. It is a lot of Elvis enjoyment at a bargain price.

Just $15.

The Elvis Hour

Note:  This item has been sold.

The Elvis Hour is also from Creative Radio Network and follows a similar format to that on the 15th Anniversary CDs, except it is 50 CDs, not 6. The promotional material says:

“Each show is one hour filled with great hits, memories and personal portraits as conveyed by his friends and fellow performers. The Elvis Hour was broadcast to more than 600 stations world-wide.”

This CD set is a truly rare Elvis collectible. If you would like to check out what is on each CD click on https://www.elvis.net/ephour/elvishour.html  Here is what it lists for hour #1.

There are two promo clips you can listen to for each hour to help you decide if you would interested in owning.

Pricing:

Hours 1-25 $25
Hours 26-50 $25

All 50 Elvis Radio Hours $45

Elvis Stamp USPS Commemorative Edition

Note:  This item has been sold.

This measures 12-1/2” x 12-1/2” and looks very much like an Elvis album cover.

And when you open it up, it looks even more like an Elvis album with a die-cut circle to show the album inside. But it’s not. It is actually one of the most impressive marketing efforts by the US Postal Service. They obviously wanted to do something special for the introduction of the Elvis stamp back in 1992.

This is the commemorative booklet that came inside the cover. It is slick, very sharp, professionally done.

Inside, it contained color photos, a well-written tribute to Elvis, and a timeline of important events in his life.

On the right of this picture are four special envelopes the USPS also offered, each with a color picture of Elvis, the stamp, and the gates of Graceland to postmark it from Memphis, TN.

The picture above also shows two copies of the ballot used to select which Elvis stamp the public wanted to have issued. Also, there is a single stamp and a block of four.

The Postal Service offered these Commemorative Editions on a limited basis. They obviously knew how much Elvis fans loved to buy collectibles, so they had other goodies you could buy.

This entire package, everything pictured here, is available for $25. This is a rare Elvis collectible that you will love to own.

If you want one of these offered items, let me know by email at philarnold@charter.net. Please don’t put it in Comments. Do indicate if you want a PayPal invoice, and I’ll get one right out. If you’d rather pay by check, I’ll hold your selection for you until it arrives.

Thank you so much for your support.

Speaking of sending checks, here’s a reminder. If you wish to keep reading ElvisBlog after it goes static online in a few weeks, please send a check for $10 to

Phil Arnold
159 Browning Dr.
Greer, SC 29650

Do that and you will be getting 100 ElvisBlog posts sent by me direct to your email.

I keep finding more Elvis stuff that you fans might possibly like to own, so I need to do a few more posts to put them all out there. These will be balanced by an equal number of regular posts. When that’s all done, ElvisBlog as you have known it online will come to an end.

You long-term ElvisBlog readers will remember I used to do Elvis Caption Contests.  There were 26 of them, the last on April 15, 2018.  I’m not really sure why I never did more after that, because there’s still lots of unused photos in the Caption Contest file.

I recently looked in that file and said to myself, I should use the pictures while I can.  So, let’s take a look at them.

This looks like Elvis incorporating accordion playing and card tricks into his act.

I think this is a shot from Roustabout.  I can’t remember; did he steal the girls’ towels?

Does anybody know what’s going on here?

Look closely.  Elvis is singing into four mics.

I’m afraid this is another Photoshop job, but it had great potential for a clever caption.

Michelle Carey, my favorite Elvis co-star.  See the board between them in bed. I really liked the scene in the movie when Elvis throws that board away.  Followed by the big letdown when we didn’t get to see what went on with those two after that.

That’s a big bullet you’ve got there Elvis.

Big sunglasses, too.  But what’s Elvis doing?  Pulling open his shirt to show off his chest hair?

All my photos get filed with a name.  This one is labelled, “Big Ones.”

This stupid shot is from “Follow That Dream.”  I believe that’s Red West on the right with a gun aimed at the group.  Elvis played this slapstick scene very well, and later in the movie, he absolutely nailed the dramatic role in the court house.  One of his best.

Don’t you love Elvis’ eyes in this?   He had a bunch of good facial expressions in the movies.

This is from that bizarre dream sequence in “Live A Little, Love A Little.”  I do like Michelle Cary, but the dancing dog was just stupid.

Here’s the real one in the movie.  This just begs for a good caption.

Elvis, you lucky guy.  I don’t remember why I thought this had potential for a good caption.

I titled this one, ‘Elvis explains his eyeliner techniques,” but I have no idea what’s going on.

This looks like it might have been taken in Hawaii.  Does anybody know who that guy is?

Here’s Priscilla working to protect Elvis’ legacy by promoting an Elvis slot machine.  Elvis would have been so proud. I played a different Elvis slot while in Las Vegas on vacation 25 years ago, and I didn’t do very good.

The name at the bottom left shows this is a Photoshop job, but I don’t care.  Elvis looks so happy behind the bar.

This isn’t Photoshopped, but I wish it was.  That would be better than having this in an actual Elvis movie.  Still, I thought the photo might inspire a sharp caption.

This is filed as, “Vacuum Attack by a Crazy Maid.”     I have a lot of Michelle Carey pictures in this file, don’t I?

This happened in December, 2005. At least when it was repaired, it gave the fans some clear space to write on.

Elvis is wearing black pants because he wore the gold off the knees of the original suit pants doing this kind of stuff.

I wish I had used this one in a caption contest and seen what good ones you could come up with.

This is so strange.  It probably defies coming up with a good caption.

Remember that shower scene from Roustabout?  I think this motorcycle shot came from there, too.   For some reason they are black and white, but the movie was in color.

I think I came up with a pretty good caption for this.  “Hey Red, are you sure this is the right venue for the show?”

Yes, it’s Michelle Carey again.  I thought up a caption for this picture, too. “Hey, buddie, watch out with that thumb.”

I’ve got a huge file of thumb pictures like this. Elvis got pretty friendly with his thumbs.  Maybe I’ll do a post with all these pictures.

©  2020    Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister    All Rights Reserved

Reminder:

There will be two more regular posts and several more posts where I’ll offer Elvis stuff for sale.  After that, www.ElvisBlog.net will become a static website.  For those who wish to continue receiving ElvisBlog as a paid subscriber, I will send new posts to your email inboxes.  To receive 100 new posts over the next two years, please send a check for $10 to:

Phil Arnold
159 Browning Dr.
Greer, SC 29650

I appreciate your support.

And thanks to you folks who jumped in and bought 3 boxes of the Elvis International magazines I offered on Thursday.  The two remaining lots are great values.  Check them out and see if one would work for you.

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

As you may know, the experience of writing for Elvis International led me to start this blog back in 2005. I had accumulated so much reference material that sharing little bits of it each week on a blog post seemed like a natural progression.

Elvis International editor, Darwin Lamm, used almost 40 of my articles over a twelve year span. During that time, I not only got multiple copies of all the issues in which my work appeared, but also almost all of the prior issues.

I can’t take this stack of magazines with me when I downsize, but I also don’t want to take them to the recycle bin. They deserve to be in the hands of loyal Elvis fans, so here are great deals on five groups of them. All prices are delivered, no sales tax, no shipping costs (I cover the $7-8 postage).

The Legacy Issues:    $25 

Note:  This group has been sold.

This is a group of 13 issues from 1988 to 1992. Note that this includes the very rare premier issue, top left. There is a copy of it for sale on Amazon at $29. Included in the dozen+ articles in each issue were regular features by two close Elvis friends, Eddie Fadal and Joe Esposito. Others close to Elvis, like DJ Fontana and Carl Perkins, contributed strong articles.

Photographs Become More Prominent:    $22

Fourteen issues from 1992 to 1997. Although the earliest issues had some photographs, they were mostly small and black-and-white. As Elvis International moved into its sixth year and beyond, photographs became a more important feature. The number increased, full-page pictures appeared, more and more color shots were included, and the first of many Al Wertheimer photographs were given full-page treatment.

The Birthday and Anniversary Issues Come into Being     $25

Note:  This group has been sold.

Fifteen Issues from 1997 to 2002. Elvis International was by now the class of Elvis magazines. More and bigger color photos, many full-page, including the first two-page centerfolds. The concept of celebrating Elvis birthdays and anniversaries with special editions in January and August began with this group. The quality of the writing got better, too, as I became a regular contributor in the last seven issues.

The Change to Two Issues Per Year     $20

In 2004, Elvis International went from four issues a year to two. In addition to strong subscriber sales, the magazine was also now heavily marketed at the Elvis Birthday Celebration and Elvis Week. With more articles, great color photos, and covers of slick, heavy stock, these magazines were intended to be souvenirs the fans took home after their visits to Graceland. A sign of things to come, the 30th Anniversary issue was so thick it could not be stapled, so it was produced with a flat spine. I had time to write multiple articles in these issues, with four being my all-time record.

The Big Finale – The Last Four Years     $35

Note:  This group has been sold.

Elvis International had by now morphed into true collectors items for folks who made the trek to Memphis to celebrate Elvis. There were more pages and they were a heavier stock. The size was much larger than the earlier editions, and every issue had a flat spine. The covers were glossy, very heavy stock, and many were embossed. The array of full-page color photographs was stunning, and most issues had centerfolds.

These eleven copies offered here are absolutely first class in every way.

If you want one or more of these Elvis International packages, let me know by email at philarnold@charter.net . Please don’t put it in Comments. Do indicate if you want a PayPal invoice, and I’ll get one right out. If you’d rather pay by check, I’ll hold your magazines for you until it arrives.

Speaking of sending checks, here’s a reminder. If you wish to keep reading ElvisBlog after it goes static online in a few weeks, please send a check for $10 to

Phil Arnold
159 Browning Dr.
Greer, SC 29650

Do that and you will be getting 100 ElvisBlog posts sent by me direct to your email.

I keep finding more Elvis stuff that you fans might possibly like to own, so I need to do a few more posts to put them all out there. These will be balanced by an equal number of regular posts. When that’s all done, ElvisBlog as you have known it online will come to an end.

Six great musical talents. Do you know what’s different about Elvis than the others? He’s the only one who didn’t write music. Didn’t seem to hurt his career any.

Awww. What a cute little guy. His Nana is an avid Elvis fan, and she knitted this jumpsuit for him. He’s even got a TCB medallion necklace on. Good job, Nana.

This is how much Elvis earned for a week at Crown Electric back in 1954 — basically a dollar per hour. With inflation, that equates to $9.50/hour in today’s money.

Look how the signature on the check has been crossed out and another written in. Would banks honor a check like that today?

Clever, but impossible. Wouldn’t you hate to shake one and mess up all that work if it was real..

I think Dick Williams went off the deep end here. Elvis’ Frantic Sex Show. Give me a break. Please check out this ElvisBlog post from 2008 about the entire column. You won’t believe some of the stuff Williams said. Fake news back in 1957.

Viva Elvis is long gone, but I’ve got a file full of unique images from the Cirque de Soleil show.

Have you ever seen ELVIS JUICE for sale anywhere? Here’s what the website says about it:

Primed with tart pithy grapefruit peel for a citrus assault on the senses. This zest zenith delivers intense US hop aromas. Gigantic grapefruit notes are tail-gated by orange and pine. All piled high on a caramel malt base.

I think I’ll pass.

How about a cute Elvis piggy bank? With an American Eagle Jumpsuit design.

Here’s another cutie. He’s got better shades than the other.

I think I used this before, but it still makes me laugh.

That’s some serious artwork. Wonder what gave the artist the idea.

This comes from a Hard Rock Café in Nagoya, Japan. I like the hound dog between Elvis’ legs.

Believe it or not, there is a website where.people post photos of little scenes they have created using Peeps. Peep Elvis is about to sing for the fans.

I like it better when folks Photoshop Elvis into pictures like this. No attempt to fool people.

That sure seems like something Elvis would have said. And it works very well with the image. Would you like to come up with something else Elvis-like that would work?

What would you put in the box?

I’ve got several of these Elvis/elves cartoons and they are all about as bad as this.

This is a scene from The Golden Girls, season 4, episode 7, when Sophia got married.  A group of Elvis impersonators provide the music at the ceremony.  The guy highlighted  in the back is Quentin Tarantino making a spirited cameo.

Elvis hound dog plush toys have been around for decades. This newer one is funny to me. Love the eyes. Too bad the labeling doesn’t show because you really can’t tell it’s an Elvis hound dog.

Nicely done. I don’t get the message, but I love the image.

© 2020 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net

Reminder:

There will be two more regular posts and one or two more posts where I’ll have Elvis media stuff for sale. After that, www.ElvisBlog.net will become a static site. For those who wish to continue as a paid subscriber, I will send new posts to your email inboxes. To receive 100 new posts over the next two years, please send a check for $10 to:

Phil Arnold
159 Browning Dr.
Greer, SC 29650

I appreciate your support.

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

Like I said last week, there will be just three more articles posted on www.ElvisBlog.net before this blog moves to email direct delivery that I send. Actually, I am going to stretch it out a bit. While there is still a wider audience, I’ll mix in some posts about stuff I’d like to sell.

Most of it will be Elvis goodies from my Fuzzy Room, but this time it will be great Rock & Roll books I collected over the years. If your interest in music reaches beyond just Elvis, you may find some books here that interest you.

The Roots & Rhythm Guide to Rock

This book contains 304 pages of brief profiles of hundreds of rock artists, plus thumbnail descriptions of every significant album they made. At the back, there are 78 pages of rock anthologies – album collections of various artists, some with a particular theme, like The Best of Do-Wop Ballads. This book touts itself as the most comprehensive guide to the golden age of rock and roll.

$10 to US locations; probably double that to Canada. That includes packaging and shipping costs. Nothing to add.

Hollywood Rock

Marshall Crenshaw is a songwriter, guitarist and singer who had a couple of hits in the 80s. He also is a student of rock & roll music in the movies. In his book he reviews over 300 movies with plot summaries, notable quotes, and description of every rock song in the movie. He also has a rating system showing his opinion of the overall music content. He is opinionated, but it is a very fun, interesting read.

$8 to US locations. Double to Canada (same on every book here). Shipping costs are on me.

The Heart of Rock & Soul

The subtitle tells it all – “The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made.” That is according to the author Dave Marsh, a famous rock writer. Marsh is very opinionated in explaining his selections. It starts off with “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye as his #1 choice and counts on down the list. Elvis made the list fourteen times, with “Mystery Train” coming in the highest at # 12. This is a fun read through the entire 717 pages.

$10. This book is heavy and I’m eating a lot of shipping cost on it.

Rock On: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock N’ Roll

I have looked up stuff in this book so frequently that it is showing some signs of wear, but that means this valuable reference source is available for cheap. It covers the 50s and early 60s, and includes profiles of over 1,000 artists. It lists the members of every group, how every artist or group got started, and a list of hits, release date and record label. 672 pages. Frankie Valli is quoted on the cover sleeve, “Absorbing and entertaining… a book to read through or dip into at random.” He’s right.

$8. Shipping is probably going to cost me half of that.

Rock Facts

The subtitle is, “The inside story on over 1,500 of rock& roll’s best kept secrets.” If you like trivia, you will love this book. It’s amazing that someone could dig up all this obscure stuff. For example, on page 1 we learn that four #1 songs had just three letters in the title: Why – Frankie Avalon, War – Edwin Starr, ABC – Jackson 5, and Ben – Michael Jackson. They’ve got all kind of things like that. You’ll keep busy for a long time reading all this trivia.

$10. Canada is double because there is no book rate to there.

Feel Like Going Home

Peter Guralnick is one of the foremost rock authors. He has done three books on Elvis. In this book he covers both blues and rock. There is a long chapter on the early years of rock & roll, citing both the good and bad elements. He voices some pretty strong opinions. Then there are chapters on Elvis, Sun records, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Chess Records. The blues gets a similar treatment – a lengthy history plus portraits of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and others.

$8

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Albums

This is not only a wonderful reference book, it is intriguing reading. Organized by recording artist, it lists the album name, when it first charted, how high it rose on the Billboard charts, and the number of weeks it stayed there. Bonus info includes the titles of any hit songs that came from each album, and the names of the members of every group plus when and where they were formed. This book was published in 1987, so it has nothing about albums after that.

$8

Roots of Rock

24 early rock stars from Bill Haley to Chubby Checker are profiled in articles that previously were published in Goldmine magazine (for record collectors). There are interviews, history, editorial opinion, and more. It is especially relevant for record collectors with listing of the most collectible 45 and most collectible album for each artist.

$12. This is a bigger, heavier book.

This is a superbly crafted coffee-table book produced by seven leading music writers. It’s in like-new condition. Starting in 1955, the authors cover 380 albums by 300 artists. They give history, opinion, and over 1,000 excellent color photographs of the album covers and the artists. Readers will learn so much from this book.

$15. This is an even bigger and heavier book. Gonna cost me a lot for shipping.

If you want one or more of these books, let me know by email at philarnold@charter.net. Please don’t put it in Comments. Indicate if you want a PayPal invoice, and I’ll get one right out. If you’d rather pay by check, I’ll hold the book for you until it arrives.

I appreciate the support you’ve given in earlier sales, so I hope it works for books, too.

Speaking of sending checks, here’s a reminder. If you wish to keep reading ElvisBlog after it goes static online, please send a check for $10 to

Phil Arnold
159 Browning Dr.
Greer, SC 29650

Do that and you will be getting 100 ElvisBlog posts sent by me direct to your email.

Responses have been coming in at a slow pace, so a few extra posts about Elvis goodies will give more time to make sure every reader understands that ElvisBlog as you have known it online is about to end..

During the LSU/Clemson championship game Monday night, the cameras will certainly show several shots of fans. I think it’s a good bet they will find this fellow called the LSU Elvis in the stands.

His name is Dixon McMakin, and he is a fixture at all LSU games. He’s been an Elvis fan since he was six-years-old when his grandmother told him how she lived next-door to Elvis in Memphis.

You will notice he is wearing a replica of Elvis’ famous Tiger Jumpsuit. That works well since the LSU team is called the Tigers. (But so is Clemson).

During the LSU/Clemson championship game Monday night, the cameras will certainly show several shots of fans.  I think it’s a good bet they will find this fellow called the LSU Elvis in the stands.

His name is Dixon McMakin, and he is a fixture at all LSU games.  He’s been an Elvis fan since he was six-years-old when his grandmother told him how she lived next-door to Elvis in Memphis.

You will notice he is wearing a replica of Elvis’ famous Tiger Jumpsuit.  That works well since the LSU team is called the Tigers.  (But so is Clemson).