Thursday, January 31, 2008

New Exhibits at Graceland

It was announced this week that some new exhibits at Graceland will be opening up in the nest few months. Private Presley will be the name of one of them. It will focus on Elvis's time in the army and the first few months after he came back home. You will get to see some of his fatigues, uniforms, and other items from his army life. The other exhibit is called Elvis 68. It will focus on the NBC special, or what most people have came to know as the comeback special. It will feature suits from the show as well and never before seen pictures and documents. Also Graceland will offer a new VIP tour. You will get to see many things that you cant see on the normal tour. The original deed to Graceland, outfits, and other never before seen things from the archives. On this tour you will get to also see stuff from the working barn that most people have never got to see as part of the tour. It sounds like a lot of neat new stuff. I will for sure drop the sixty something for the VIP tour on my next trip. Make me want to go to Memphis now! Too bad I still have a hundred and eighty something days left till EW.

You Can't Say No In Acapulco


Tonight I am going to continue my reviews of the movie soundtracks. I am going to talk a little bit about the music in Fun In Acapulco. The movie and soundtrack came out in 1963. The soundtracks from the previous two films Girls! Girls! Girls! and It Happened At The Worlds Fair had not done so well. They almost decided not to even do a soundtrack for the movie. What a poor decision that would have been. You will notice with this soundtrack and with the ones that fallow, the material and quality work would go downhill. Some movies still had standout performances from time to time, but never a great soundtrack from start to finish. Fun In had elven tracks on the original album and two bonus songs. Elvis's voice was still great and it was a shame he was not given better songs, or he was not doing some normal album releases still. A few songs do stand out to me in this movie. Bossa Nova Baby is a great song and one of my favorite movie songs ever. I also think You Can't Say No In Acapulco is a good song. Mexico and I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here are also fun songs in my opinion. The FTD release of the soundtrack is awesome as usual. The bonus tracks are pretty good. As usual I go nuts over the outtakes. Hearing Elvis craft a song and even cut up at times is pretty cool. I really enjoy the first couple of outtakes of You Can't Say No In Acapulco. Elvis seems to have a hard time with the first of the song. In the end it turns out great and is the one song in the movie that still gives you a hint of the great vocal ability Elvis possessed at the time. Fun In, not the best soundtrack ever but certainly a lot of fun. I would rank it in the middle of the pack as far as soundtracks go.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

That's not alright

In September of last year ABC aired a special called Viva Las Vegas. I am not going to get into what it was about or my rant on it. Really it was just a bunch of today's singers doing Elvis songs. Faith Hill was on there and happened to do two songs. She is premiering two videos from that special today on her site. She did That's Alright Mama and Peace In The Vally. I am not a big fan of either one she did. Nothing against her, she is a pretty good singer I suppose. If you dig Faith you might like these songs. I have no love for her version of That's Alright. Her version of Peace In The Vally was a lot better in my opinion. I can handle her doing that one. I am cool with some people doing some Elvis songs to pay tribute, but pick wisely. If you want to check out the videos of these two songs be sure to visit faithhill.com.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

CLYDE MCPHATTER


Clyde McPhatter was one of the best vocalist of all time. For my money he is the best. This is an Elvis blog, so you might ask why am I rambling about Mr. McPhatter. Not only do I think Clyde is one of the greatest, but so did Elvis. Elvis had so many influences, but a great deal of them where r&b singers or groups. In 1950 Mcphatter would join a group called Billy Ward and his Domino's. This group was known as a favorite of Elvis's when he was a teen. Mcphatter was on the track Sixty Minute Man which was a big hit and one of the first few songs that could be put under the label rock and roll. After a few more hits Clyde would quite the group. Despite being the lead on most of the songs and being the strongest singers, he made little money. He would then would form a group called the Drifters. They are without a doubt one of my favorite groups of all time. The early stuff really stands out to me. The reason is simply Clyde. He would have a few hits with the group including Money Honey and Such A Night. Two songs Elvis would go on to record. No doubt he has a impact On Elvis. McPhatter would soon leave the Drifters to start a solo career. He would record the hits A Lovers Question and The Treasure Of Love. He never had a whole lot of success as a solo artist. McPhatter past away in 1972 at the age of 39 due to several health issues. McPhatter never has got the credit he deserved for whatever reason. Many of the great pure vocalist of the 50's and early 60's get overlooked for the most part. In early days when Elvis was asked who his favorite singer was he replied that is was Clyde McPhatter. I am with Elvis. McPhatter was truly something great.

Monday, January 28, 2008

IMAGE OF THE WEEK



In August of 1969 Elvis would make his comeback to the stage at the International Hotel In Las Vegas. This picture is from one of the shows during that engagement.

Vince's Top Five

1. Little Egypt
2. Don't Be Cruel
3. All Shook Up
4. Trouble/Guitar Man (68' Comeback)
5. Blue Moon Of Kentucky

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN?


Have you seen this man anywhere? Vince has dropped off the face of the earth. If you can provide any information on his whereabouts please contact us here at Have A Clambake. A reward will be given out. The reward will be a VHS copy of Harum Scarum.

January 28 1963

On this day in 1963 the principal photography on Fun In Acapulco began at Paramount Studios.This is one of the coolest movies ever. So tonight it is going to be about Fun In. I will be back later on with some kind of thoughts on the movie or soundtrack.
Guadalajara, guadalajara...Guadalajara, guadalajaraTienes el alma de provincianaHueles a limpio a rosa tempranaAve de jara fresca del rioSon mil palomos to case rioGuadalajara, guadalajaraSabes a pura tierra mojada(ay!! ja ja, ay, ja ja,aj! ja, ja..ay!! ja ja)Aj!!! colomitos lejanos....aj!!!..ojitos de agua hermanosAy colomitos inolvidables, inolvidables como las tardesEn que la lluvia, des de la loma, ir nos hacia, hasta zapopamAy!! misermano..ay-ja-ja...mexicano...Ay colomitos inolvidables, inolvidables como las tardesEn que la lluvia, des de la loma, ir nos hacia, hasta zapopam

Edwards Top 5 of the week

My top five favorite Elvis songs for the week are....

1.Love Me
2.Baby Lets Play House
3.Reconsider Baby
4.Kiss Me Quick
5.Moody Blue

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Soundtracks

I have did a review or two of the movie soundtracks. I will continue to do that until I do all thirty one movies. I am going to go ahead and let you in on what I view as his best. I will also let you know what my personal favorites are.
I ranked the best soundtracks based on a combination of Elvis's voice quality, production, arrangements, and material.
1.Blue Hawaii
2.GI Blues
3.Viva Las Vegas
4.Tickle Me
5.Girls!Girls!Girls!

Here is a list of my top five favorites.
1.Blue Hawaii
2.It Happened At The Worlds Fair
3.Tickle Me
4.Girl Happy
5.GI Blues

I will continue to do my reviews and go in depth on each movies music.

NOTE: I do not include the 50's movies when I am talking about these list on the movies and soundtracks. Those four movies stand alone. I will try to rant about my reasons on that later to clear that up.

Lets Have a Party

This morning I am watching a classic. Loving You would be Elvis's second film, which was shot in 1957. Elvis would play Deke Rivers a delivery boy who has some musical talent who ends up making it big. Elvis is with a group of performers that are traveling around as part of a show. The lady who put him in the show is the manager and love interest of the shows biggest star. Deke ends up being so big he steps out from the group because he does not need them. Deke ends up not knowing if he even wants to preform anymore. You can tell Elvis is still pretty raw as an actor in this movie. However you see a big difference from Love me Tender. He would share his first on screen kiss with Jana Lund in this movie. Dolores Hart was the love interest of Elvis's in this movie. She would also go on to appear with Elvis in King Creole. She has always been a favorite of mine because she is so pretty but seems to have an innocence about her. Scotty Moore,DJ Fontana, and Bill Black would also make their onscreen debuts in this movie. The soundtrack is pretty solid. The soundtrack would be made up of seven songs. My favorites being Mean Woman Blues and the classic Teddy Bear. As far as quality goes, this is one of the ten best movies Elvis made. Interesting note that Elvis would never watch this movie. His mother and father appear in the film. He could not stand to see his mother on film after her death.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

The Collection grows

Last week I went crazy and dropped a hundred dollars on Elvis movie posters. It was money well spent. I got replica prints of the original movies posters from Kid Galahad,Girls!Girls!Girls!, It Happened At The Worlds Fair, and King Creole. The Creole poster is the alternate one used back in 58. I will post pics of them when I get them framed and put on the wall. These things are a steal at only 24.99 a pop. I have been looking for these for quite some time. I am really pumped over the IT poster since it is my favorite movie. They have several others that I hope to get in the coming months.

Friday, January 25, 2008

DOLL OF THE WEEK


Shelley Fabares is my second favorite actress from the Elvis movies. She was Elvis's most frequent leading lady. She appeared in Girl Happy,Spinout,and Clambake.Elvis was documented as saying Shelley was his favorite person to work with. She was not only a great actress but an accomplished singer in the early 60's. She had a number one hit with Johnny Angel in 1962. Actually she got knocked from the number one spot by some cat from Memphis with the song Good Luck Charm. In honor of one my my favorite actresses of all time I am going to watch Spin,Girl, and Clam this weekend.
To the seven people who read this blog, I am sorry for not being very active on here this week. I have had to deal with a bunch of nonsense this week and was not home very much to get on. I will be blogging like crazy this weekend as I do nothing but sit around and watch Elvis movies and Florida basketball.

As for Vince, I don't have a clue where he is. He has disappeared mysteriously.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

EW08

It is less than 200 days until EW. That seems like a long time away but it is not really. It is already time to start making plans. A lot of fans go every year so you have to plan early if you want to make sure to go to all the key gatherings. Last year I did so much and it made the week the best ever. This year I plan on doing more than ever before, and going to see things I have never seen or researched before. I'm looking forward to going to the insiders conference for the first time in a three or four years and also going to club Elvis for the first time. I hope to go to that anyway, damn thing sales out fast! I am having a fit, I can't wait for the coolest week of the year to get here.

Monday, January 21, 2008

IMAGE OF THE WEEK


The picture above is of Elvis and Fats Domino is Las Vegas. I am thinking this picture is from 64 from just a guess by the way they both look. I might be off a little but not by much. Elvis is by far my favorite singer ever. Fats however is my second favorite and miles ahead of anyone else in my opinion. Fats is the most underrated rocker ever. He was making records long before Elvis or any other of those boys of the mid 50's that took off. As far as sales and achievements in the 50's Fats is the only artist that even comes close to Elvis. All the other artist who run there mouth about how they did this and that in the 50's, and should get respect, need to bow down to Domino first. He did it bigger and better than most. He lasted a lot longer than most of them as well. All the while he stayed as humble and generous as a person could be. Alright I will shut up now. I started this IMAGE OF THE WEEK thing just to show some raw Elvis pics and I have got off into a ran. I just get pissed cause Fats does not get the run he deserves. FATS IS THE FREAKIN MAN! Elvis loved Fats and looked up to him when he started out. Fats has much love for Elvis as well and speaks high of him to this day.

Wish List



The Martin Guitar Company is offering a special edition guitar like Elvis used for a short time. In early 1955 Elvis would trade his 1942 d-18 Martin in for a 1955 D-28 Martin. Elvis would use this guitar until October of 1956 when he went with a Gibson. Most any picture you see of Elvis with a guitar in 55 or 56 is with the D-28 with the leather cover Elvis had made for it. Martin is offering a limited run of 175 replicas. The D-28 like Elvis has has three different models to choose from ranging from $6,999 to $11,499. The one shown in the picture here is the one you can get for $11,499. This would be an awesome thing for the Elvis fan to have. I can only dream of it though. I don't have the twelve grand to spend on it.

countdown to EW

200 days to go! It will be here before you know it.

Edwards top 5 of the week

1.Baby Let's Play House
2.Love Me
3.Milkcow Blues Boogie
4.I Was The One
5.Wear My Ring Around Your Neck


Well, if you've seen my milk cow,Please ride her on home. I aint had no milk or butter, Since that cows been gone.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

MAHALO!


Now, here's an oddity. On January 14, 1973, Elvis performed a concert in Hawaii that was broadcast live in the Far East and Europe and taped for broadcast in the U.S. on April 4. After the performance, the audience was ushered out and he performed five more songs, four of which were added to the U.S. TV special but none of which appeared on the resulting LP, Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite. One of the five, "Blue Hawaii," and was released on Elvis: A Legendary Performer, Volume 2 in 1976. Finally, in 1978, all five tracks (the others are "Early Mornin' Rain," "Hawaiian Wedding Song," "Ku-U-I-Po," and "No More") I had personally never heard of this album or never knew it even existed until the past month. Overall for it to be rare, it's pretty darn cool. My favorite song on this album is "Early Mornin' Rain". Seeing how this came up on an album makes me anxious on what the future holds for Elvis, knowing there are recordings never heard or released. Ill keep my fingers crossed hoping the unheard material will come out.

Kicking it at High Tension Grove

I am watching Wild In The Country at the moment and feel the need to share my thoughts on it. First lets look at a few facts about the movie. This would be Elvis's seventh film which would premier in June of 1961. Wild In The Country was one of the few flops when it comes to Elvis movies. It was one of the few roles where Elvis was challenged as far as an actor. It was not the usual movie the "Presley formula" produced. This movie is considered by a lot of fans as on of the best performance's Elvis ever gave.Elvis played the part of Glenn Tyler, a troubled but talented young man. Elvis has three ladies in this movie that is involved with in some way. Hope Lange plays a psychiatrist who tries to help Glenn with his literary talent. Millie Perkins plays Glenn's sweetheart. The beautiful bad girl Tuesday Weld plays the troubled cousin who tries to seduce Glenn. Gary Lockwood(It Happened At The Worlds Fair) also appears in the film. The soundtrack only consists of four songs. Another reason why the movies flopped in my opinion. People always talk about Elvis's awful movie music and such. Though fact is the less he sang in a movie, the worse it did with the public. Wild In The Country has always been on of my favorite movies. It showcases Elvis's talent, has a few key songs, and Millie and Tuesday are smoking hot. For those who said Elvis could not act, see this movie. You might have a different opinion.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Baby Let's Play House gets remixed

An Italian DJ that goes by Spankox(real name Agostino Garollo) has remixed Baby Let's Play House. When I first heard about that I was pretty pissed. I don't mind a good DJ doing a remix of an Elvis song. The first two have been alright and it helps open up younger fans to Elvis Presley. Though some songs should not be touched. If you want to mess with lesser known movie songs like ALLC or Rubberneckin, that's fine. Baby Lets Play House is a classic and one of the best Elvis rock songs ever. Though when I gave it a listen I changed my mind a little. I still would rather hear the original songs over any of these remixes. This new mix might end up being my favorite yet. I don't know why really, maybe because I like this song a lot better than the first two songs they mixed.Overall I would give this a thumbs up because the mix itself is alright and it is something that might draw in new fans. Opening new people up to Elvis Presley is the most important thing. You can check the mix and video on youtube. If you think the song is crap, turn it down and watch the vid, it is pretty key at times. As for me I am going to go put in a Sun CD and listen to the original

Friday, January 18, 2008

Dig right in and do the clam



Girl Happy is one of my favorite movie soundtracks. This might not be one of the best as far as material or the quality of Elvis's voice. Though It has always appealed to me and has a few unforgettable songs. The title track from the movie is of course Girl Happy. A very fun tune that you can help but sing. Spring Fever is a song that in the movie Elvis sings with Shelley Fabares. It is a good song, however on the album Shelly's part is missing and kind of makes the song incomplete. Fort Lauderdale Chamber Of Commerce is a freaking classic. When most Elvis fans talk about the crap Elvis had to sing, this song always seems to come up in conversation. A part of me totally agrees, and wishes the man never had to sing that stuff. He did however sing it, and I choose to enjoy it. I have always found the idea of singing this to a random girl to swoon her to be funny. Maybe that's why I have always got a kick out of the song. Startin' Tonight is a pretty good song with a good vibe. For some reason the VHS versions of Girl Happy left this song out. I remember it being in when it was on TV way back when. It now can be seen on the new DVD release. It is worth hearing. Wolf Call is another one of my all time movie favorites. Something about the song is just fun, and I can't help but sing it every time I hear it. Do Not Disturb is a slow song that is a key song for swooning girls. A solid song in my opinion that don't get any run. Cross My Heart and Hope To Die is my favorite song on the album. I have always liked the arrangement and vocals on this track. Another solid swooning song. The Meanest Girl In Town is probably my least favorite song from the movie. Though it is still a pretty damn good song. Do The Clam. Freaking classic, don't need to say anything else. Puppet On A String, the best song on the album. This is a classic and I think Elvis does his best job vocally on this song of any track from Girl. I've Got To Find My Baby is a solid track to end the movie. Overall I can't find a bad song on the album. Some of the songs are a little weak, but Elvis brings them to life. The beat track on the album is Puppet On A String as I stated before. My personal favorite is Cross My Heart And Hope To Die. I am as a big of fan of Elvis's movies and the songs in them as I am of anything Elvis did. I really love the soundtracks. Girl Happy might not be one of the best artistically, but is for sure in my personal top five of favorites. I would recommend getting the Girl Happy soundtrack. Get the Follow That Dream release. The sound is awesome and it has lots of outtakes. They are gold. Also you get the key book with all kinds of info on the soundtrack and movie.

Hey everybody gather round,Listen to that bongo sound. Grab the first one in your reach,Now were going to shake the beach. Do the clam, do the clam,Grab your barefoot baby by the hand. Turn and tease, hug and squeeze, Dig right in and do the clam

DOLL OF THE WEEK

Yvonne Craig appeared in two Elvis films,It Happened At The Worlds Fair and Kissin' Cousins.She was long been a favorite of mine. She is pretty, the those hips kill me. She only had a small role in IT. She plays the girl Elvis falls for in Kissin' Cousins. She lights up the screen with her beautiful smile and kick ass body. Yvonne is also famous for the role of Batgirl in the Batman series in the 60's. I am off to watch Yvonne in Kissin.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Im dead


I have been pretty busy tonight with some stuff I had to get done. I have not got to put as much into the blog as I would like. I will be back with a load of Elvis related stuff this weekend. I am pretty tired as well so I am going to get back to what I was doing so I can get done and curl up in a ball and die. However it is important to note that I am working on plans for EW already. Better to get the in place early. I am currently watching Roustabout as I do this. After that is over I am going to go to bed watching Clambake. It is still all about Elvis, even when I am busy.


Wednesday, January 16, 2008

The Enigma Known As Elvis Aron Presley to me


I've slacked off on the blog quite a bit lately due to me being half dead and out of it for the past few days. First off I apologize to Mike for slacking and carrying the blogs on here. Anyways my blog tonite is about how I became the fan that I am today. I kinda touched base with it in my blog about my first trip to Graceland but i'm gonna get more into detail about it right now. I was introduced to Elvis at an early age by my dad. I remember he got a commerotive Jailhouse Rock plate for his birthday. I had always heard the name Elvis but never knw who it was until my dad played the Aloha from Hawaii concert he had recorded when it originally came on. As he sang Cici Rider thats what I called Elvis when I was little....Cici Rider. As I got older I came more famaliar with the other hits like "Don't Be Cruel" All Shook Up" and "Blue Suede Shoes". I never thought much about actually how big Elvis was until about 2 years ago. I remember talking to Mike about how I had the 30 #1 Hits Elvis CD and I thought that was his best songs hands down at that time. Id ride around listening to "Suspicious Minds" on repeat all day lol. I remember hanging out with Mike one day and he introduced me to songs I never knew he sang. I remeber it blowing my mind because I never got past the 30 #1 Hits album and I was like damn. From there Mike started opening up his music by burning cds that he had for me. To make a long stoiry short, I knew I was a huge Elvis fan when I went to Graceland and actually felt how cool it was to be an Elvis fan. Seeing what he has achieved and how he still is a force even after his death still amazes me. Ive started an Elvis collection, right now its not much (Just some movies, a figure, Pez dispensers, some posters, tshirts and cds) but I plan on collecting for as long as possible. I know all this wouldnt have been possible without Mike giving me the jumpstart on the Midnight Express lol. Im looking forward to the next Elvis pile so we can brainstorm on ways of celebrating his life even more.

This is what cool is



The above picture Is one of my favorite pictures of Elvis. Elvis always was and always will be the definition of cool. This picture just sums up everything that is cool about him. Look at him go.

Is Vince alive?

We have not heard from Vince in quite a while. If anyone see somebody the looks like Vince, let us know here at Have a Clambake.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Thoughts on ETA's

I am going to ramble on my feelings towards the ETA's. ETA stands for Elvis tribute artist. Elvis impersonators are all they are really. I have never been one that really can get into the ETA's. I can take a little bit at one time. I enjoy seeing a few from time to time during Elvis week. Most of the time however I would rather not see or hear from them. I guess some are pretty good. I just cant stand to see these guys who look nothing like Elvis. Something just really bothers me about it. I can't put my finger on it really. I would just rather pop a video in and see the real thing. I guess the thing that bothers me the most is the singing. I have not heard any that impress me. In one sense, maybe it is unfair because I am comparing them to Elvis. Though they are trying to put on a show acting like Elvis, so it is only natural that I compare them in that way. A select few kind of get the sound Elvis had. None of them would ever fool me though. Someone who spends as much time listening to Elvis as I do is going to pick up on the difference right away, no matter how convincing they are. Again, no matter how good they are, I would rather hear the real thing. Let me make it clear I am not trying to disrespect these people who are ETA's. Most of them are big fans just trying to pay tribute to our guy. I just cant get into the whole thing and never will.
Also, what the hell is up with 90 percent on them doing the 70's era Elvis. I am not even going to get started on my rant about that. In conclusion, no ETA's for me. I respect most of them, but don't care to see them or listen to them.

Everett Top 5

1. Rubberneckin'
2. Suspicious Minds (That's The Way It Is Version)
3. Tiger man (That's The Way It Is Wersion)
4. Always On My Mind
5. Just Pretend


"I'm the king of the jungle, they call me TIGER MAN!!!"

Monday, January 14, 2008

Edwards top 5

These are the current songs in my top five.
1.Love Me(orginal studio master)
2.Trying To Get To You(original studio master)
3.She Thinks I Still Care
4.You'll Think Of Me
5.Wolf Call

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Chillin in the Jungle Room with Tori



I have always thought it would be cool to kick it in the Jungle Room. If I did get the chance to, I would defiantly want to have this chick with me. The picture above is from the 2007 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. The beautiful models name is Tori Praver. She is one of the hottest women I have ever saw. This is one of the coolest pictures ever. During the shoot in Memphis for the layout she did some other pictures at Graceland,Humes, and Sun.

Elvis and Three 6 Mafia, it doesn't get any better


Memphis rap legends Three 6 Mafia recorded a song at the end of the last year where they sampled Elvis's vocals from In The Ghetto. They throw a sick beat on the music from the original song and add some lyrics. If this was any other rap artist doing this I would be having a fit. They would have probably made a mess of it. No such thing happened in this case though. DJ Paul and Juicy J are two of the best producers in the rap game. They have a long history of success and are always being asked to produce for today's top artist. Elvis is my all time favorite singer, and Three 6 Mafia is my all time favorite group. So I was all about this track. I give it a big thumbs up and glad they did this. It was also neat to hear them comment about Elvis when they appeared on the Elvis special late last year. Three of Memphis's finest on one track, that's pretty baller.

Stop, Look, And Listen


I finally recieved my "Change Of Habit" DVD Saturday starring Elvis Presley and Mary Tyler Moore. Released in November of 1969 this would be Elvis' last scripted movie. In this movie Elvis plays Dr. John Carpenter who runs a free clinic in the ghetto (no pun intended) when three undercover nuns ( Mary Tyler Moore, Barbara McNair, and Jane Elliot) come to work at the clinic. Mary Tyler Moore is smoking hot in this movie and is obviously the love interest of Elvis. Elvis starts to fall for her but she keeps a distance because of her vows. Does Elvis help her change her mind??? You'll have to see for yourself. It also has two pretty cool songs that which are 'Rubberneckin' and Change Of Habit. If you want to see another acting side of Elvis, this is definately the movie. There is maybe three songs he sings in the movie and it shows a more dramatic side of him. Check it out!!

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Yes I'm Girl Happy


Damn look at Elvis sitting between those two fine ladies. I am watching Girl Happy tonight so I will give you my thoughts on it. Girl Happy was Elvis's seventeenth film. Elvis shot the movie in the summer of 64 and opened in theaters in April of 65. The movie also has my two favorite ladies from Elvis movies, Mary Ann Mobley and Shelly Fabares. Girl Happy was number 25 on the top grossing films of 65 earning around 3.1 million.
Girl Happy is not the best script ever, or was the soundtrack the best one he ever recorded. Though this is probably in my top five when it comes to Elvis movies. The movie is set in Fort Lauderdale Florida. It is about a bunch of college kids on spring break. Elvis is sent down to keep an eye on his boss's daughter. Elvis chases girls, sings some songs, and tries to keep the girl out of trouble. In the end Elvis's character ends up falling for the girl he is watching. Shelly Fabares plays the part of the girl Elvis ends up with. She does a good job in the part, and is oh so beautiful. Mary Ann plays the part of the girl Elvis's character chases around before settling on Shelly's Character. Loads of sexy babes fill this movie. Elvis,Shelly,Mary Ann, and good music make this an easy choice for one of my favorite movies. I wont get too much into the soundtrack because I have decided to do reviews on them separately from time to time. My favorite songs from the movies however are Cross My Heart and Hope To Die and Do Not Disturb.

Im not dead

Sorry guys, i've had a busy past couple days. Started off with participating in a wedding and ended up having Walking Pneumonia. Ive slacked off in the blogs but I'll be kicking it off again tomorrow. I recieved my "Change of Habit" DVD in the mail and Ill post a review on it when I watch it tomorrow along with the "Elvis Lives" DVD. I may go as far as even posting a blog telling how I became such a huge fan so.....until then JUST PRETEND!


VINCE

My favorite shirt

I have not wrote anything on duds in a while. This shirt is my favorite. I got it last year just before Elvis Week so I could wear it at the concert. You can pick one of these up at Lansky's. I might just have to get another in a different color combination.

countdown

209 days until EW 08. I have only been back from Memphis nine days and I am already having a fit.

Elvis By The Presleys review(CD)

I picked up the 2-CD set Elvis By The Presley's tonight. I could not find any other Elvis Cd's at the store I did not have. Disc one does not have anything on it that is not on many of my other discs. The second disc is what really made me get this CD. It has some outtakes that has been previously unreleased. As I have stated in my previous reviews, I really strive to gather up as many outtakes as I can. It Wouldn't Be The Same Without You is a demo Elvis did in early 54. I have heard this before but it is nice to have on here. It is cool to hear the young Elvis.Anything That's Part of you is an interesting song. Elvis helped write this song and was very proud of it. I have always thought it was a pretty good song. The real standout for me on this set is the Jailhouse Rock outtakes. I have never got to hear any of these. I wish I could hear more of the outtakes from the 50's but I don't think there are as many available as the later stuff. In my opinion Jailhouse Rock is the number one rock and roll song of all time. It is worth my fourteen dollars just to have these. Overall this is a pretty good buy. If you are a casual fan this would be great to have. The more dedicated fan should have most of this material already and probably skipped this release. I try to buy as many Elvis Cd's as I can, so I had to add this.

This puts my collection to 123 Cd's.

The Family Album

I am going to review George Klein's new book today. It is really just an picture album with some of George's thoughts here and there.I have seen most of the pictures in the book already. However some I have not seen before. Either way it was interesting to get some thoughts form GK throughout the book. All in all this book is put together pretty good. I would recommend it for sure.

Friday, January 11, 2008

DOLL OF THE WEEK

Priscilla is the doll that tops all dolls. She is beautiful and smart. It does not get much better than that. I still think Cilla is pretty damn hot today. Elvis fans have differing views about her. I am not going to get too much into that at the moment. I might be here all night if I do. I just want to say that I am a big fan of hers and respect all she has accomplished. LOVE YOU CILLA!

E L V I S

I did not get to write much tonight. I was at a ball game for the most part of the night and then came home and got caught up with some other crap. Tomorrow I will comeback strong. I just decided to post this pic for the hell of it. Any damn time I search Elvis out on the net this pic comes up. It appears to be from when he went to see Nixon at the White House. It is pretty cool I suppose, mostly I just thought it would make Vince giggle when he saw it though.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Lets just sit back and admire beauty


I am extremely tired. I have been out looking at a truck and trying to figure expenses all evening. I am not going to write anything much tonight. So I am going to post this picture of the lovely Riley to gawk at. I will be back at full force tomorrow with a load of nonsense.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Happy Birthday Elvis!

Tonight was pretty raw. Mike and I started off by watching "Change Of Habit" and playing some Elvis trivia and listening to some Elvis music. After Trivia and "Change Of Habit" we proceeded to watch some of "Roustabout" ( which Im gonna have to add to my buy list) which I thought was pretty damn cool. We giggled to some "Little Egypt" some and capped the night off cracking up to something said in "The Jungle Room Sessions" cd. All in all it was an awesome night for the birth of Elvis and i'm about to top it off with "That's The Way It Is". We've also decided to set aside a night or two for Elvis with different themes every month. Stay Tuned!!!

Elvis Pile

Line up for a night of Elvis
Change Of Habit
Remembering Elvis
50's Masters Disc 3
60's Masters Disc 4
Elvis Trivia(old school edition)

We will make random comments under this post as the night goes on.

The theme tonight is Change Of Habit. This is going to become habit to get piles going monthly.

Jacob Hester is pretty damn cool

Jacob Hester is a running back for the LSU Tigers. I am no fan of LSU. I am as a big of a Florida Gators fan as there is. So I really did not care much for Hester. I really had no reason to dislike him other than he pretty much beat my Gators all by himself. Well I have changed my mind about him. According to an article about him, he is a huge Elvis fan. He said he grew up in a home that had Elvis music in it and it just stuck. He has been to Graceland nine times and even has an Elvis room. In the article I saw he spouted off Elvis facts and such, and is truly a freak when it comes to Elvis. That's pretty awesome. I can respect and admire him for that. Jacob Hester you are one cool dude and thanks for beating the piss out of The Ohio State University. GO SEC!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY E!


At 4:00 on the morning of January 8th in 1935 Gladys Presley would give birth to a baby boy. His name was Jesse Garon. He was dead. Thirty five minutes another boy would arrive. His name was Elvis Aron. His mom knew he was special. She would later tell Elvis that when one twin dies, the one who lives gets the strength of both. This young boy would go on to become the most successful and most popular entertainer ever.
To celebrate this special day, Vince and I are having an Elvis romp tonight. We will watch his movie,play his music, play Elvis trivia, and blog a little. We will be back with more later. For now, I am going to finish Stay Away Joe while waiting on Vince.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Elvis Month 07

I work at a nursing home facility and this past August we celebrated the life of Elvis. During Elvis Month we had had a number of events that was Elvis themed/related. We startred off by watching the 68 Caomeback which was freakin awesome and everyday through the month of August the residents listened to Elvis during dinner. I love my job and care for the residents dearly so I decided that I would grow my hair and sideburns out a bit, dye it black, slick it back and dress up in a homeade outfit looking like one of his jumpsuits. Everybody was surprised to see me dressed up but the residents loved it and to this day they know me as "The Elvis Guy". To top off Elvis Month we had a impersonator come and perform to the residents which was pretty cool, he had a decent voice and didnt look like an idiot like some others do. At the end of his show we had our picture taken together while I was in my outfit and wouldnt you know the freakin pic made it into the newspaper. I may have looked like a fool but the residents loved it, that's all I cared about.

Vince's Top Five

1. Clean Up Your Own Backyard
2. Dont't Be Cruel
3. Rubberneckin'
4. American Trilogy
5. Let Yourself Go

Edwards Top 5 of the week.

Here is the top five Elvis songs for the week for Mr. Mike.
1.Love Me(original studio master)
2.Baby Lets Play House
3.Way Down
4.My Baby Left Me
5.Don't Drag That String Around

Well, you may go to college,You may go to school.You may get religion,But don't you be nobodys fool.
Now baby,Come back, baby, come.Come back, baby, come.Come back, baby,I wanna play house with you.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

King Of The Whole Wide World

This morning I have decided to watch Kid Galahad. Kid was Elvis's tenth film. The film would open in August of 1962. Elvis would play the part of Walter Gulick. Fresh out of the Army and needing a job. He takes up boxing to gather up some money.To make a long story short Elvis wins the fights and gets the girls. Kid is a very good movie. Gig Young and Charles Bronson also appear in this movie. It is reported that Elvis did not like Young at all. Joan Blackman plays the female lead that Elvis ends up with. She has appeared earlier with Elvis in Blue Hawaii. Joan was a pretty lady, but Lola Albright was the lady who did it for me. She played the part of Willy's girl.Elvis sang six songs in this movie. I think all of the songs are pretty good. I Got Lucky and Riding The Rainbow are my favorites. Kid Galahad ranked #37 for top grossing films grossing about $1.75 million.

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Danny?


It is hard to tell from the picture since it is from a distance. I think this might be Danny Kohana though. He introduced himself that way to me anyhow. He even gave me his autograph, but It was misplaced before I could get home.

LOVE ME TENDER



I am back to do another movie review. In 1956 Elvis made his first movie for Twentieth Century-Fox. The original title for the movie was to be The Reno Brothers. It was later changed to Love Me Tender to capitalize on Elvis's popularity. The movie is set in 1865 at the end of the Civil War. Elvis played the part of Clint Reno, the youngest of four Reno brothers. The brothers had been off fighting in the Civil War and come back home to find out there family had thought they died. The oldest brother Vance comes back to also find the love of his life, Cathy, was now married to Clint. Eventually Clint thinks Vance and Cathy are still in love with each other and gets enraged. He joins up with some guys who are after the brothers because they have some money they confiscated from Union troops. In the end Elvis gets shot and dies. It is the only movie where Elvis's character dies. This movie is not the best, and you can certainly tell Elvis is pretty raw as an actor. I still think this movie is great. The first four movies from the 50's I put in a category all by themselves. Only four songs are sung in this movie. Which was four too many for Elvis's liking though. Anyhow, they are pretty fun songs. Love Me Tender was a number one and would become a classic song. I enjoy watching Elvis perform these number because he moves around much like he would have on stage. That right there is a treat in itself. I have always been drawn to the number Let Me.Overall I would say this is a pretty good effort for Elvis's first acting role. I love Debra Paget, she is beautiful.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Elvis is always number 1

I feel the need to further elaborate on Vince's post. Six out of the last seven years Elvis has been the top earning deceased celebrity. The only reason Cobain topped the list last year was because of the sale of half his musical catalog. Every now and then an entertainer will make a run at the top spot here and there because of something of this nature. The one thing that is always consistent is Elvis. That because Elvis was the best ever, and his fans are the best fans out there.

Elvis Presley vs. Kurt Cobain

I can't believe I even put those 2 names in the same title. In 2006 Kurt Cobain was named "The Richest Dead Celebrity" over Elvis. In 2007, Elvis reclaimed the title and Cobain wasn't even named in the Top 10. Cobain was nothing more than a flavor of the week. The about Cobain is that he wasn't even famous until after his death. Hell I dunno even what to ramble on about Cobain so I guess the blogs stops here. ELVIS IS NUMBER 1!!!

Please make it go away!




This might be worst thing I have ever seen. Vince and I noticed one in Memphis a few months ago. I didn't really pay any attention to it at the time. Then I saw an article about it on the Internet. My first thought of course was that this looks nothing like Elvis. I heard one the other day and it scared the crap out of me! I could not handle having one of these things jarring about and looking so strange. I try to buy as much Elvis related product as I can. However I will skip on this item.

Doll of the week


Rusty Amo was smoking hot. I could watch Ann all day long. She could sing pretty well too. The Lady Loves Me and You're The Boss are fantastic songs she did with Elvis. You could just see that the chemistry she had with Elvis was something special. It is too bad they didn't do another movie together. I was feeling the need to watch Viva Las Vegas tonight so I thought it was only appropriate Ann was the doll I spotlighted this week. Love you Rusty!

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Stylin Memphis style


I am all about some cool duds. This shirt which you can pick up from Lansky's is going to be a must. I am slowly building a nice wardrobe from Mr. Lansky's store. I must say that this stuff is top of the line. Great quality of materials. The sales staff is the best around. It is worth the money to get top notch clothing and look so sharp. So I am telling you go to Lansky's and get you something!

Thoughts on new FTD's (continued)

The Jungle Room Sessions. I have been really wanting to hear this for a long time. As you can tell by the title of this disc, it was recorded in the Jungle Room at Graceland. These songs made up some of the material on the last two albums that would be released. This CD is awesome from start to finish. The standout tracks for me are Solitaire,Way Down, and He'll Have To Go.
Elvis Southern Nights is composed of material form a tour in 1975. This is a great live album. It is not the best I have heard, but it is pretty solid from start to finish. I liked hearing Elvis do Jambalaya.
Elvis At The International is a concert from Elvis' stint in Vegas in 69. This is the show from August 23rd midnight show. This CD is similar to the show from the FTD All Shook Up. As the case with All Shook Up, this CD rocks. Any of the show from the international in 69 are worth listening to. This gives you a glimpse into what the shows had been like when Elvis first came back to the stage.Reconsider Baby is my favorite from this disc. I love this song, and live it is even better.
Elvis In A Private Moment. This is a collection of private recording of Elvis from 59 all the way up to 1966. Most of the material comes from 59-60. I Wonder, I Wonder, I Wonder is my favorite. I put this CD in for the first time this afternoon and listened to this song about five times.
Pot Luck Is one of my all time favorite Elvis albums. I love all the eras, but If I was forced to pick my favorite, the early to mid sixty's studio work would on top of my list. Kiss Me Quick, (Such An) Easy Question, and That's Someone You Never Forget are awesome. To hear them in this quality of sound is cool. This is a two disc special so the second disc is full of different takes. This is what I love the most from FTD. It would be a travesty not to get to hear these great outtakes. The whole second disc is top of the line.

Thoughts on new FTD's

I am going to give you some thoughts about my new FTD's that I got while in Memphis. For those who might not know what I am talking about when I say FTD, let me give you a short explanation. Fallow That Dream records releases material that is not normally part of the usual releases by Sony BMG. Many live concerts and studio outtakes are found on these releases. This is for the serious collector when it comes to Elvis' music. They cost you a lot more than most normal CD's you can buy. It is worth every penny in my opinion though. My favorite CD's come from the FTD label. For a more detailed explanation visit the news and FAQ's section on Elvis.com.
Now to my thoughts on my new CD's. I picked up two movie soundtracks. I am a huge fan of the movies so I always make it a point to buy a soundtrack when I am buying new material. I picked up Girls! Girls! Girls! and Harum Scarum. The Girls CD is great. This has some great outtakes on it. I loved hearing Mama and I Don't Want To Be Tied outtakes. Harum Scarum was also a treat. This is not the best soundtrack the Elvis catalog has to offer in my opinion. I still find my self loving most of the songs on here. I have always liked the songs Hey Little Girl and Go East Young Man. Hey Little Girl has a few extra takes on the album that I enjoyed. I also got Long Lonely Highway. This covers some of Elvis' work in Nashville in the 60's. This will for sure be a favorite from now on. Most of the songs on here are favorites of mine.About sixteen of the songs are previously unreleased material. Shes Not You is my favorite track of this CD.
I am going to take a break now. I will be back shortly to cover the other five CD's I got.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

EW countdown

Man I cant wait until EW 2008. It is a long time away but Vince and I are already counting down. 219 days to go!

Still the King of the jungle


I will fallow up on Vince's post on the NBC special. This is without a doubt one the the most important events in Elvis' career. After being away form live audiences for all these years it was time to get back to doing what Elvis did best. He was not tearing up the charts with any albums either. Elvis was starting to become irrelevant to some. Elvis was as nervous has he had ever been. He was scared to death that he would flop. All it took was him getting out in front of the audience and he came alive. Tiger Man is a song I thought really fit this special. As someone once said, it was like Elvis was telling everyone he was back and still on top. My favorite moment of the show has to be the Guitar Man production number. The deluxe edition is the way to go if you are planning on getting this. It is a three disc set that has some great stuff on it. You have the original Elvis special as it was seen in 68. It has both the stand up and sit down sessions. A lot of music right there that you don't see in the original special. You get most of the footage shot for all the production numbers as well as the If I Can Dream segment. Also some great outtakes on there. I would highly recommend it to anyone. Elvis is defiantly on top of his game here. Every time I watch this and see him walk on to the small stage for the first time I immediately think just how damn cool Elvis was and still is.

If You're Lookin' For Trouble.....

The review i'm doing tonight is of my favorite show titled "Elvis" or more commonly known as "The 68' Comeback Special". In December of 1968 over half of the american televison audience tuned to NBC hear Elvis open his special with the following words..."If you're lookin' for trouble, then you came to the right place." Clad in the famous black leather biker outfit, Elvis done a sitdown show with former bandmates Dj Fontana and Scotty Moore. In my personal opinion, this is when Elvis was at his best. He hooked the audience in by singing his old hits like "All Shook Up" 'Dont Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog" but he really showed his vocal ability with the finale "If I Can Dream". I only have the 68' Comeback Special Edition which is the cheapest version out there but Mike owns the Deluxe Edition and im sure he'll fill you in on the special features it has. The 68' Comeback is a must have for all Elvis fans, He was top notch and ready to sing and prove to the world why he's king of the jungle and why they call him "Tiger Man"

I'll Be Back

I am home from Memphis now. The trip went by in a hurry and I am already to go back. Overall the trip was pretty good. Anytime you can go to Graceland it is special. I was sad to leave anyhow. I did not get a whole lot of stuff. Got a few shirts, GK's new book, and some new FTD's. I posted the other day the four I got when I first got in. Today I also picked up the Harum Scarum soundtrack, Pot Luck, Southern Nights, and Elvis at The International. I will be sure to review all of them in the coming days. I am pretty tired at the moment so that's all I am going to post today. I will be back tomorrow with more.

"Well Ill be back, yeah! Ill be back. Like a homesick train on a one-way track. I got to travel and hit the gravel. Ill be back, yeah! Ill be back"

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Take me to the fair


In my quest to visit the many historical places that have to do with Elvis I am going to set my sights on Seattle. I have found that many things from the 1962 Worlds Fair still exists. I would find it interesting to visit these grounds where the fair was held. It Happened At The Worlds Fair is my favorite movie and to see these things would be pretty special. The whole idea of what the Worlds Fair also intrigues me. I think it would have been neat to go to one back then. They seem so extravagant with a lot of neat things. To see where this movie was made and the history of the great fair would make this trip worth the trouble. I might have to look into this in the very near future.

Memphis day 4

I did not do much today but sit around and watch my Gators fall apart once again. They are still not growing up which problem next year. That is a rant for another forum though. We went down to Beale tonight but it was very cold and windy and did not stay out long. Nothing was open yet anyway. It was kind of disappointing because I was hoping to go to Pats. We are taking off tomorrow after I do some shopping. We did not get to tour the city. It is not a big deal, I will just have to make a point to get out here in the spring and do nothing but strictly tour. Hope to get some key stuff tomorrow on my way out.

Vince's Top 5 Of the week

Sorry I'm a day late on my post but here's my top five of the week:

1. Rubberneckin'
2. My Way
3. Little Sister
4.Mess Of Blues
5.Bridge Over Troubled Water