Have A Clambake!!

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

2009-03-23T21:00:00.002-04:00

Elvis and Mary Ann Mobley from the movie Girl Happy. Girl Happy is one of my favorite movies and Mary Ann is on of my favorite actresses of all time. She was so pretty.

I have been away for a week due to a very busy work schedule. I never got out of the office before 9:00 last week so I was pretty exhausted. Hopefully this week will be a little better and I can get back to posting on here.

The Rock wanted to be Elvis

2009-03-16T21:23:00.002-04:00

Dwayne Johnson also known as The Rock is a huge Elvis fan. Here he mentions wanting to be Elvis when he was growing up. I have heard him talk about Elvis a lot and how much of a fan he is. He is even know to bust out singing some Elvis. I was not a big fan of his as a wrestler, but I have changed my opinion of him over the years. He is pretty damn cool.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

2009-03-16T21:21:00.001-04:00

This has always been one of my favorite pictures. This was taken in Hawaii in 1961.

DOLL OF THE WEEK

2009-03-13T20:11:00.002-04:00

Tuesday Weld is the doll of the week. I have always loved her. She played in the movie Wild In The Country with Elvis. They also dated while filming this movie. I have been in the mood to watch that movie and think I will this weekend.

Pictures from Memphis

2009-03-10T20:28:00.003-04:00

This is the "Millionaires Suit" from the movie Clambake I discussed a few weeks ago on here. I still have not figured out if this is the real suit Elvis has in the movie or not. As I said I know one had been cut up into small pieces to be sold with and Elvis album. I do know this suit is not EPE's, but it being loaned to them by a couple from Memphis. I am still going to research this at some point. It was pretty cool to see it anyway, I have always been curious about this outfit.

This is the Blue Hawaii part of the Elvis In Hollywood exhibit. Blue Hawaii has always been on of my favorite movies. It was very cool to see some of this stuff that is tied in with the movie.

Two of the horses from Graceland.

This is me getting my picture took in front of the sign at the entrance across from Graceland. It is a tradition for Vince and I to get our pictures took in front of it.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

2009-03-09T20:58:00.001-04:00

This has always been one of my favorite pictures of Elvis.

Our weekend in Memphis

2009-03-09T20:12:00.002-04:00

Well Vince and I had a good time in Memphis even if it was way too short of a trip. We left at about 1:30 in the morning Friday and arrived in Memphis at about 9:00. We went straight to Graceland after getting a quick bite to eat. It was just opening up for tours and we just walked around and checked out all the shops. We spent the afternoon going to some stores in Horn Lake. We finally got to check in at the Heartbreak Hotel about 3:30 so we could get a little rest before the meet and greet with Darlene Tompkins and the screening of Blue Hawaii. Darlene spoke some before the movie came on about the movie and Elvis. The movie started and Darlene kind of mixed with the crowd and spoke some about things throughout the movie. Unfortunately I missed a good portion of the movie because I was out in the hall on the phone tending to some things going on back home. After the movie we got some food and headed back to the room. We turned on the 24 hour Elvis channel the hotel had and watched Girl Happy as we went to sleep. We both could barley function by that time!
Saturday we got up pretty early and headed over to Graceland for our VIP tour. Going up to the mansion was as great as it always is. This was my thirteenth time and it was as moving as the first time I ever went in. As soon as I step into that house I just get the best feeling. You feel so welcomed and know Elvis would be glad you were there. I can't really come close to describing it. The reason for this big weekend trip was to see the new exhibits. The special VIP only Graceland exhibit was very cool. A lot of the same stuff as usual was in the room but a lot of stuff had been added as well. Old documents, receipts, letters, and such telling the history of the home. I was very fascinated by this. The thing that intrigued me the most was some of the receipts from when Elvis redecorated Graceland after he has purchased it. It kind of gives you insight of how the house looked and the feel it might have had. I was trying to imagine that anyway. You could really tell he was going all out and was for sure making good on his promise to give his mother the nicest home in town. The automobile museum also had two new additions to it. They added another Rolls Royce Elvis owned as well as a 6-door Mercedes Benz limousine featured in the movie Elvis on Tour. I has seen the limo last EW at the expo, but I had never seen the Rolls. That was a pretty sharp car. Another new thing added was the exhibit Elvis Lives: The King and Pop Culture. It was loaded with books, collectibles, cd's, movies, and more that has to do with Elvis over the years. The last exhibit was called Elvis In Hollywood. This was my favorite part of the tour because I am such a big fan of his movies. It showcases all 33 movies and documentaries Elvis made. Some cool stuff from Jailhouse Rock, Clambake, Viva Las Vegas, and Blue Hawaii I never have seen are on display. I was very excited over getting to see that stuff. After spending way too much money on cd's we finally started to make our way home late Saturday.
Overall it was a great trip. I am glad we decided to go. It was very tiring(I am still dead tired!) and I was a little preoccupied by some other stuff but I don't regret going. I really can't wait to go back in August. I picked up some new FTD's while out in Memphis. No way I was going to be in those shops and not buy a few. Nevada Lights,On Tour,Blue Hawaii,Kid Galahad, Elvis Today,Raised On Rock, and Wild In The Country was added to the collection. I have really enjoyed what I have got to hear from them. I will be doing some reviews on here for sure.
That puts my cd collection up to 157. I am really getting it built up now!

BACK FROM MEMPHIS

2009-03-08T15:31:00.001-04:00

Vince and I made it back from Memphis late last night. I am totally worn out but it was a lot of fun. I will be back at some point to post but I am tired and have to deal with some family stuff. I will get rested up and come back later.

We're taking a walk down Lonely St. to Heartbreak Hotel

2009-03-04T19:41:00.002-05:00

All plans are final, we got our days off and we are heading to Memphis late Thursday night/Friday morning to Memphis to enjoy our Graceland VIP Package. We're gonna get to stay in the Heartbeark Hotel, see a screening of Blue Hawaii, got to a meet and greet with Blue Hawaii co star Darlene Tompkins and enjoy our VIP passes to Graceland Mansion to see the opening of three new exhibits. I'm psyched up and ready to go and I know Mike is whipping around wildly ready to leave. I'll take my psp and try to blog from the hotel and you know that many pics will be taken and posted on here. Take it easy!

Vince

Ann-Margret talks about Elvis

2009-03-03T21:05:00.003-05:00

I ran across this video some time ago and have enjoyed watching it.This is from an interview Ann did in 1994 where she talked about Elvis. She doesn't talk about Elvis all the much. I respect that about her. She could make all kinds of cash talking about the relationship between the two. Though she doesn't talk all that much about Elvis you can tell she cared about him very much. She is pure class and always been on of my favorite people ever.

Elvis makes list of The 50 Most Stylish Men Of The Past 50 Years

2009-03-03T20:33:00.008-05:00

Elvis was named by GQ magazine as one of the 50 most stylish men of the past 50 years. Here is what was wrote in GQ magazine.

"Elvis may have been more about bling and booze in his later years, but early on - according to Bernard Lansky, self-proclaimed clothier to the King - his style was always “clean as Ajax.” A hard thing to pull off as a muddy Mississippi white boy who popularized a defiantly black way of dressing; pegged pants, hi-boy collars, immaculate hair, and the plaid jacket that Lansky tailored for Elvis’s star-turning appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The King set the sartorial tone for Jerry Lee Lewis and a host of other Memphis rock ’n’ roll legends, all of whom made Lansky’s men’s shop the place to go if you were an up-and-coming musician. And though he may have gone Vegas in later years, Elvis ultimately returned to his roots. “I picked the white linen suit, blue shirt, and white tie he was buried in,” says Lansky, one of the honorary pallbearers at Presley’s funeral. “It was sharp.”"

Alright first of all as great as it is that Elvis was on this list, who the hell wrote this? They obviously don't know much about Elvis. Bling and booze? Ok, Elvis was about some bling, but never booze! Elvis never liked to drink really, and this is just the kind of thing that make me so mad. People who write about Elvis now always seem to just throw stuff out there that they think it right. They never actually do any research if they don't know. Sad thing is that most people that really don't know Elvis might buy into this. Just gives people more to be negative about when talking about Elvis.

Anyway, as far as Elvis and his style of the 50's, he is dead on. One of the first things I really liked about Elvis was his clothing style of the 50's. It was different yet so cool to me. The oversize pegged pants, the oversize jackets, and colors. The white shoes also always appealed to me. Lansky's was the place to shop back in the 50's after Elvis blew up. They still are the place to shop and I try to buy something every time I go to Memphis. Mr. Lanksy is super cool and it is a must to go speak with him when you are in town.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

2009-03-02T20:14:00.002-05:00

Elvis in 1969 from the movie The Trouble With Girls.

Vince's Movie Poster Of The Week - The Trouble With Girls

2009-03-02T09:32:00.002-05:00

Memphis Bound?

2009-03-02T09:21:00.005-05:00

Mike and I are hoping to be able to head to Graceland and actually get to stay at the Heartbreak Hotel this coming weekend. It pretty much rests on if I can get off saturday and Sunday off. I've got my fingers crossed and i'm about 60% sure I can pull it off. Wish us luck!!

New item to the collection

2009-02-28T11:44:00.003-05:00

I just ordered me a die cast model of the Dale Earnhardt legends car that features Elvis on it. I am super excited about this. Dale and Elvis are for sure two of the coolest people to ever walk this earth. This will look great beside my Dale Jr die cast I have with Elvis on it.

DOLL OF THE WEEK

2009-02-27T20:58:00.003-05:00

Donna Douglas is the doll of the week. She played with Elvis in the movie Frankie and Johnny. It is probably my least favorite Elvis movie. Though I still dig it and Donna is one of the reasons way. She is most famous for a role on the television show The Beverly Hillbillies. That happens to be one of my favorite shows ever.

Insult to Elvis' Memory

2009-02-25T21:15:00.002-05:00

I was just sitting around thinking of all the trash people rip off from Elvis today and this is number one on my list......The F'n Honkey Tonk Man. This shit makes me wanna kick Vince McMahon in the nuts.

Where have the FTD's gone?

2009-02-25T19:44:00.002-05:00

I am going to have to rant a little on here for a moment. I have been wanting to order some cd's from the FTD label for a few weeks now. Though two of the cd's I want to get, Wild In The Country and Kid Galahad are not available. I got to thinking and I can't remember them being available for some time now. I have not heard anything about these being discontinued but I do not know what the cause could be. It is pissing me off a little because I really want both of these releases. Hopefully they have them in stock soon because I am itching to buy several new Elvis cd's.

Vince's Movie Poster Of The Week - Charro!

2009-02-24T21:26:00.004-05:00

Don't Be Cruel

2009-02-24T20:58:00.002-05:00

"Don't Be Cruel" is definately in my top five favorite Elvis songs of all time. When I hear other artists try to record it, it's like mixing pizza and peanut butter, they just don't mix. One exception to the rule is from the Elvis: Viva Las Vegas documentary when Chris Isaak and Brandi Carlile team up to sing the song as a duet. It's a really good rendition of the classic song especially hearing them sing like they are singing to each other. It's different but pretty damn good. Check out the video!

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

2009-02-23T20:23:00.002-05:00

From the 1961 movie Blue Hawaii.

Jailhouse Rock: Black and White or Color?

2009-02-23T19:20:00.005-05:00

I'm a huge fan of Jailhouse Rock (obviously with my pen name) because it shows the raw Elvis of the 50's in a badass sort of way. To me, Jailhouse Rock was never meant to be seen in color even though you can see it that way. It takes away the rawness of the movie and just looks very unnatural to me. This past Elvis Week was awesome because I got to watch Jailhouse Rock on the front lawn of Graceland at the Music and Movies event. Sadly, they wont be doing that this year. Another thing that I love about the move is the awesome soundtrack with my favorite song being "Young and Beautiful." What's sad about the whole thing is three days after completing the film, Elvis' co-star Judy Tyler was killed in an automobile accident which prevented Elvis watching the movie because they were close friends. On a lighter note, the movie has one of the most famous dancing scenes in history and is sometimes credited to be the first music video and that is of course the sequence of "Jailhouse Rock". Little do people know that the choreographer for the movie, Alex Romero, originally created a dance in a style that was geared for a more classically trained dancer than Elvis. After Romero saw that it wasn't going to work for the song, he asked Elvis how would he normally move to the song thus creating Elvis as an uncredited choreographer for the film. Flippy.... real flippy

Vince is back!

2009-02-23T19:02:00.005-05:00

Hey everybody! I want to apologize for my hiatus from the best damn Elvis blog on the net. The only excuse I have is that I kept drawing blanks for topics. Don't get me wrong, i'm a huge Elvis fan but Mike is way more knowledgeable towards the King than I ever could be. I want to thank him for keeping the blog going strong and keeping his creation going. I got to thinking and I just said screw it and with the help of Mike's persuasiveness, If I cant make topics to blog about, i'll just rant about Elvis. I hope to make ya'll happy, thanks again!

New Hollywood exhibit at Graceland

2009-02-22T15:53:00.003-05:00

One of the new exhibits at Graceland is centered around Elvis' time spent making movies. I was listening to Elvis Radio the other day and they had been talking about one of the things on display is the "Clambake Suit". Which is what Elvis has on in the picture above. The say it is the first time is has been on display. I will have to say it is awful, but for some reason I have always found it interesting. Maybe because it is so odd. Or It might have to do with the fact I have always been a big Clambake fan. Now in a post a while back I was talking about this suit being auctioned off. That suit was the first one made for Elvis but was too small and never used. From everything I have ever seen wrote about this suit, it says it was cut up into tiny bits. Then sold in the record "Elvis: The Other Sides — Worldwide Gold Award Hits, Volume 2". So I am curious to what suit Graceland has. I will for sure have to investigate this some more.

ELVIS WEEK 09 LOGO

2009-02-21T09:12:00.002-05:00

The logo for EW this year was unveiled a few days ago. It has me all excited because I am ready to go back to Memphis!

DOLL OF THE WEEK

2009-02-21T08:56:00.002-05:00

Sue Ane Langdon is the doll of the week. She played in the movies Roustabout and Frankie and Johnny with Elvis. I really enjoyed her role as Madame Mijanou. She was hilarious in that part.

I have not done a very good job with the blog this week. I have been working fourteen hour days and it has about done me in. I haven't felt like doing much, hopefully I will get several post in this weekend to make up for it.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

2009-02-16T21:18:00.003-05:00

This looks like a publicity picture from around the time of Girls!Girls!Girls! in 1962.

Dale Earnhardt and Elvis to be on race car together

2009-02-14T12:54:00.002-05:00

It has been announced that later this month a #3 race car will be introduced with Dale Earnhardt and Elvis both on it. It is part of the "Enduring Legends" series that has saw Earnhardt share a car before with Johnny Cash and John Wayne. The car with Elvis will be unveiled in Las Vegas where it will be in display through the Vegas race. At the first of March the car will be sent to Graceland to be displayed in the automobile museum where it will stay until April. Then the car will be sent to the home office of DEI for display. Collectible editions of this car will be available for purchase. I am very excited about this because I am a huge fan of the Earnhardt's and they are big fans of Elvis'. Dale Jr often speaks of his love for Elvis. It is going to be neat to see this car, hopefully I can make it out to Memphis to see the car in person. I will for sure be getting on the the collectible reproductions to put along with my Budweiser #8 Elvis themed car Dale Jr drove a few years ago.

Favorite Album Cover #1-Elvis Presley

2009-02-14T12:35:00.003-05:00

My favorite album cover is from the self titled first RCA release from early 1956. This is one of the more iconic covers of all time and has been very influential. A lot of people of copied this cover to some degree, most famous of course is the London Calling album by the clash. RCA couldn't have picked a better picture for this release in my opinion. This new thing Elvis Presley was a part of is all summed up in the picture. It is wild, loud, and out of control. You get a sense of just how out of control this music is in this picture. The twenty year old Elvis is flat out getting it on stage. The pink and green lettering was interesting as well, and something that has always been the theme of the artist who copied this cover.

DOLL OF THE WEEK

2009-02-13T20:08:00.002-05:00

Cynthia Pepper is the doll of the week. She played in the movie Kissin' Cousins with Elvis.

Favorite Album Cover #2-Elvis Country

2009-02-13T19:59:00.003-05:00

My second favorite album cover is from the 1970 album (I'm 10, 000 Years Old ) Elvis Country. I have always thought the picture on Elvis and his parents was very cool. One of my favorite pictures of Elvis period. Elvis was only 2 years old at the time of the picture.

Favorite Album Cover #3-Elvis Is Back!

2009-02-12T21:55:00.002-05:00

This album was Elvis' first release after getting back from Germany. It was released in April on 1960. It has always been one of my favorite albums, and is one of Elvis' best. The cover for this album is cool and I dig Elvis' hair.

Favorite Album Cover #4-Elvis In Person

2009-02-10T23:51:00.004-05:00

Elvis In Person is from the 1970 and contains a recording of a 1969 concert in Vegas. It was a very good show. I remember being very young and wanting this CD just because I thought it looked so cool. I love this picture and the way it is set in the black background with Elvis having the black suit on is very cool.

Favorite Album Cover #5

2009-02-09T20:39:00.003-05:00

This week I am counting down my favorite album covers from Elvis. They are not necessarily my favorite albums. These don't include albums from movies either. Later I will have a separate countdown for those. Number five on my list is the cover from Elvis Golden Records Vol. 2, 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong. This was released in 1959 and is one of the more famous Elvis album covers. A few artist have borrowed the idea of this cover over the years.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

2009-02-09T20:33:00.002-05:00

This is a shot from the movie It Happened At The Worlds Fair. Of course this is the movie that Elvis' character was named Mike Edwards. One of his coolest characters, and where my pen name came from.

DOLL OF THE WEEK

2009-02-07T12:25:00.003-05:00

Debra Paget is my doll of the week. She has been my DOW before but I ran across this picture the other day and was thinking about how much I have always liked her. I believe she is one of the more underrated beauties of the 50's. She played with Elvis in his first movie Love Me Tender, and Elvis had a huge crush one her! She had a boyfriend at the time but they became very good friends during the filming. Her mother loved Elvis and thought a lot of him. She played in a few good movies in the 50's including The Ten Commandments but unfortunately her film career declined in the late 50's. She still is one of my favorite actresses from all of Elvis' movies.

SUCH A NIGHT

2009-02-04T21:45:00.003-05:00

I ran across this live version of Such A Night the other day. It was one of my favorite songs off the Elvis Is Back album. It is not a song Elvis would sing live later on when he returned to the stage. This version if from the 1961 concert in Hawaii to benefit the Pearl Harbour site. I would love to have this entire concert on cd because I would say it was a pretty good one. It was one of the few times Elvis performed live in the early sixties. I know one thing, he still was as good as he was in 58 when he left. Hopefully one day FTD will give this show some work and put it out.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

2009-02-02T19:20:00.003-05:00

Elvis in Memphis about to give out a bunch of money to various charities around Memphis and some others that were important to him. He did this many many times year after year. His favorite thing to do once he came into money was to give back to others. Nothing pleased him more. One of the many reasons I admire Elvis.

DOLL OF THE WEEK

2009-01-30T21:25:00.003-05:00

The doll of the week is Chris Noel. She played with Elvis in the movie Girl Happy which is one of my all time favorites. Here she is visiting troops in Vietnam. She spent a lot of time doing this and very involved with helping solders. I got to visit with her in Memphis this past EW and she was very nice. I enjoyed talking to her and got a copy of the Girl Happy script along with an autographed picture from the Girl Happy.

You've got to Fallow That Dream

2009-01-28T21:02:00.002-05:00

I have not done a movie review in a long time so I thought I might do one tonight. The movie I am going to discuss is Fallow That Dream. Elvis would start filming the movie in July of 61 and the movie would open in May of 62. The film would be Elvis' ninth and fifth since getting out of the Army. Elvis plays the role of Toby Kwimper. Arthur O'Connell played his father "Pop". They have took in twin boys that are some sort of cousins, a baby girl who is a orphan, and a young lady named Holly whose parents died when she was thirteen. The whole bunch are on their way to Florida for vacation when they run out of gas on a new highway that has not been opened yet and has not got the first thing on the road. So they set up on the side of the road beside the water until someone can come by to help. A government official stops by and gives the family a hard time and Pop says they are homesteading there just to rile the official. Holly seems to like the idea of starting a life here and making her a real home for herself and she expresses this to Toby. They talk Pop into doing that so they decide to stay put. After finding out they have a perfect spot for fishing right in their backyard, they decide to open a business that ties into the fishing. In the meantime the government official had not forgot about the Kwimper's and is hatching a plan to get rid of them. Joanne Moore plays a social worker who the government official has brought in to help plan to run the Kwimpers off. She has a an immediate interest in Toby even though he pays her no mind. That would come back to hurt them later. More problems were beginning to arise for the family. Some traveling gangsters who run a gambling ring have just popped in next door. After they find out that the Kwimper's are homesteading and trying to make their own little town and no government officials had any rule there, they decide to stay. The gangsters try to get the Kwimper's to leave but the family will have none off it. After they have some disagreements about the rowdy ways of the gangsters crowd, they try to get a hit on Toby. It fails of course, and they finally leave after Toby blows up their trailer, which was a total accident. The social worker and government official have been at work to get back at the Kwimper's and they have the twin boys and little girl took away by a children welfare group. The Kwimper's go to court, and they are made out to look really bad by the social worker and official. Though Toby comes in and acts as the lawyer for the family and tells the total truth. The judge sees this was all brought on just to make the Kwimper's look bad and that they are good people and should get the kids back. The young girl Holly(Anne Helm) seems to be interested in Toby throughout the movie but Toby doesn't seem interested in her or any other girl. Finally at the end of the movie she makes a real move and Toby ends up with her in his arms and kissing her. This is an Elvis movies of course you knew he was going to end up with the beautiful girl in the end!

This movie would end up doing pretty well and would get to as high as #5 at the box office. I have always thought Fallow That Dream was a really good movie and toward the top of the list as far as decent Elvis films and good performance's. Toby is a character that seems to maybe be a little slow, but in face he is just laid back and a lot smarter than giving credit for. Elvis plays a kind of backwoods type of guy but does it in such a charming way you don't really even think about that. I think his speech in the courtroom ranks as one of his two or three best moments on film. This movie has everything I love about Elvis movies. Great scenery, good music, humor, and lots of beautiful women. Arthur O'Connell who plays the father is wonderful and I have always been a big fan of his. Joanne Moore, who I always remember from the Andy Griffith show, was good in her role as well. I can't forget Anne Helm. She's not just knock dead gorgeous like some women of Elvis movies, but she is very pretty. She has a certain innocent vibe about her I always have liked. Her and Elvis dated for a while during filming and got pretty hot and heavy during breaks during filming from what I have heard. I usually do a music review separate so I will not go into much detail about that. The film doesn't contain many songs. Some are a hit and some are a miss but Elvis' voice is great. Overall I give this film very high marks. It is a film I think maybe even the non Elvis fan might enjoy and is worth finding if you have not seen it.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

2009-01-26T20:52:00.002-05:00

Elvis in concert in 1972.

Sound Advice

2009-01-25T21:08:00.002-05:00

I am still in a serious Elvis movie marathon. I watched Blue Hawaii about 6 times, Girl Happy a few times yesterday. Today is has been Fallow That Dream and Spinout a few times each. I am hoping to get to do a review on Fallow That Dream tomorrow. Until then enjoy the song below from Fallow That Dream.

DOLL OF THE WEEK

2009-01-23T20:21:00.002-05:00

I am going to start doing my posts again honoring some of the hot ladies I have always had a thing for. Quentin Dean played in the movie Stay Away Joe with Elvis. I have been watching this movie a lot this week. She was so freaking hot! Too bad she pretty much disappeared in the late sixties. She cracked me up in Stay Away Joe.

My Internet has been down for this whole week so I am going to catch up on some stuff this weekend on here. I am pretty much doing nothing but listening and watching Elvis this weekend.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

2009-01-19T19:39:00.000-05:00

From the movie Stay Away Joe.

Finally!

2009-01-18T19:19:00.001-05:00

It was announced last week that DJ Fontana and Bill Black will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in April. It is long overdue. Elvis fans have been yelling about this for a long time. It is only right they are in the hall considering they were instrumental in Elvis' early success.

FTD to release Blue Hawaii

2009-01-14T22:19:00.003-05:00

FTD is going to be releasing a 2 disc edition of the Blue Hawaii soundtrack. I have been waiting on this for years. Blue Hawaii is on of my favorite Elvis movies and contains some of my favorite music from his films. Some Elvis fans have a negative reaction to this upcoming release for various reasons. I don't understand the complaints really. I think it is a very good collection of Elvis tunes and one of his best efforts during the movie years. I am excited and can't wait for this to come out.

Aloha!

2009-01-12T20:11:00.001-05:00

The Image Of The Week comes from the 1973 Aloha From Hawaii concert. I have been listening to it a lot the last few days.

New additons to Graceland tour

2009-01-10T14:03:00.003-05:00

It was announced that some new stuff is to be added to the Graceland tour to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Graceland. Some new stuff is being added to the automobile museum including a skit boat Elvis owned named after his mother. An interactive exhibit called " Elvis Lives: The King and Pop Culture". Also an exhibit called Elvis in Hollywood charting Elvis rise in the movies. I am excited about it all but really think the Elvis in Hollywood thing is going to be cool. Even though a lot of people mock his movies I love them and they are one of the first things I can remember watching when I was young and they introduced me to Elvis. Also he did make a few good movies. Now I am ready to go to Memphis and visit Graceland!

A late Happy Birthday

2009-01-10T13:55:00.002-05:00

This past Thursday was Elvis' birthday. I was so wrapped up in the National Championship I didn't have time to get on here to post. Also I was busy watching Elvis On Tour waiting for the game to come on. Some good Elvis movies and documentaries were on this week to celebrate Elvis.

CLAMBAKE!

2009-01-10T13:52:00.002-05:00

I finally was able to hunt down a Clambake movie poster. I have been wanting one of these for a long time now. It was not very easy to find one. I am very excited about it because Clambake is one of my favorites and also I think it just looks cool.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

2009-01-05T22:47:00.001-05:00

Elvis with a group of girls in 1957.

2009-01-01T22:30:00.002-05:00

Sorry I have not been around in a few weeks. The holidays were very busy for me and I have been slammed at work. We have been pretty much running the store with just two of us(compared to four under normal conditions) and I have not had time for much else. A lot of work and sleep is been about all I have had time. What little time I have had on the internet I have been tied up in fallowing Florida 2009 recruiting class. I am going to get back to posting here every few days very soon hopefully.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

2008-12-15T20:04:00.002-05:00

Elvis takes time to sign some autographs.

VIVA LAS VEGAS TV SPECIAL

2008-12-14T20:46:00.003-05:00

Tonight I am going to talk about the TV Special that came on last year called Elvis Viva Las Vegas. The show was to focus on Elvis in Las Vegas. Elvis' friend would talk about being there and such while some of today's stars performed some Elvis tunes. Man, nothing gets me more excited than listening to someone kill and Elvis classic! Anyway lets start with the documentary side of the show. It was alright but nothing special. To any real Elvis fan it was nothing new with no new insight. They only touched the surface of the history that city and Elvis shared. Basically it was Elvis was out of the loop in the 60's, Elvis came back in Vegas, Elvis was the biggest thing in Vegas up to that time, Elvis went downhill, Elvis got caught up in drugs. Blah, blah, blah, same old shit man. I guess for the casual fan or someone who doesn't really know Elvis and his time in Vegas it would be somewhat informative. To me it was nonsense and there was so much more that could have been talked about. The usual suspects were on there from the Elvis circle talking. Joe, GK, and Jerry Schelling. The only Elvis buddies still in the good graces of EPE. Of course Priscilla was on there. Tom Jones actually spoke some on the show. That was interesting for the simple fact I have not seen Tom speak about Elvis and the time they shared in Vegas. Really though he just said we sang in his penthouse to late in the night. Not much more than that. I have never been big on Tom Jones or his music. Just never struck me and I have not been able to see the appeal in it even though many people think he is great. Some other people speak on Elvis and his impact such as 5o Cent, Beyonce, and Dewayne Johnson. That was cool I guess. I liked seeing The Rock speak on Elvis because I know he is a really big fan.
Now for the performances. I am not going to go into detail about every performance. I just didn't like many of them. Though I can't take many people singing any Elvis songs. Some though were just really bad. Maranda Lambert singing Jailhouse Rock was awful! I am sorry, I am sure some people find her talented but she need to leave one of the greatest rock songs ever alone! Instead of the raw out of control feel that the original offers, this has a sloppy somewhat country/pop about it. Though some of the songs I did like a lot. Chris Isaak and Brandi Carlile did a version of Don't Be Cruel that was pretty good. I think Chris Isaak is great and the song had a real good feel about it. Also The Little Willies with Norah Jones did a version of Love Me. Now if anyone else to ever walk the earth had been singing this song I would have been freaking out. Love Me is one of my favorite songs ever. Though Norah Jones is one of my top three favorite artist ever and she did a great job on this song. It was wonderful and it is a version I listen to quite often. Elvis' version is still a lot better, but she puts a great spin on it and it is very enjoyable. Now the only other song on the show that I liked might surprise some. It was In The Ghetto with Three 6 Mafia. It was actually a rap song they did with a nice beat from In The Ghetto that used Elvis' voice in the chorus. I am not a big fan of rap but I do like a few groups and artist a lot. I have been down with Three 6 Mafia since high school. They are from Memphis and some of the baddest producers/rappers ever! I would much rather hear a rap song with Elvis singing the line "In The Ghetto" then hear some hack butcher the real song.
So overall I do not rate this very high but it was worth buying for me just for the three performance's mentioned above which I loved. The information contained on here is alright but if you see it keep in mind a lot of interesting stuff has been left out and it would be worth researching.

Check out Chris and Brandi singing Don't Be Cruel

2008-12-11T20:21:00.002-05:00

I am finally getting around to watching my DVD of the special that came on awhile back about Elvis and Las Vegas. I watched most of it when it came on TV but I am watching the whole DVD tonight and I will post my thoughts on it in the next day or so.

Viva Las Vegas in Blu Ray is freaking awesome!

2008-12-08T22:43:00.002-05:00

I got my copy of Viva Las Vegas on Blue ray today and I am watching. I was wondering if it would be that much better looking but thought it would be worth a try. I am so glad I got it, It looks great! The colors just pop out at you, and Elvis never looked better. That Ann-Margret chick looks pretty damn good as well! The only other Elvis movie offered in the Blue ray format currently is Jailhouse Rock, which I will get pretty soon. I hope they come out with some more. I would love to see Blue Hawaii in this format, it would be stunning.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

2008-12-08T21:00:00.003-05:00

Elvis and Wanda Jackson. I am guessing this has to be sometime in 1955 by looking at Elvis' hair. The two dated for a short time but it was not serious. They did remain friends and Elvis was found of her singing. She was known at the time as the Queen of Rock and Roll and she sang a lot of rockabilly. One of her biggest his was Let's Have A Party which Elvis recorded for his movie Loving You in 1957. She also had a album come out a few years back where she sang some other songs of Elvis' and even sang about him. I have always liked her and she has spoke well of Elvis.

Off to Atlanta

2008-12-05T15:44:00.002-05:00

Vince and I are heading down to Atlanta for the weekend to see the SEC Championship. Vince is a big Bama fan and I live for Florida Gator Football. So it will be an interesting trip but a lot of fun, for one of us at least. If my man Percy shown above can somehow play I will feel a lot better and everything should be ok. See you next week.

DOLL OF THE WEEK

2008-12-05T15:34:00.002-05:00

Elsa Cárdenas is the doll of the week. She played with Elvis in the 1963 movie Fun In Acapulco, which happens to be on of my favorites. She was fighting with Ursula Andress for Elvis' attention in the movie. She was a very hot lady for sure! In the early sixties she played in some American movies and shows but mostly before and since Fun In Acapulco shes only played in Spanish stuff. It is too bad cause she was a lot of fun to watch her.

EW concert event announced

2008-12-03T20:29:00.002-05:00

The fallowing was found on elvis.com

“Elvis at the International, a Celebration Concert” reunites many of those who were on stage with Elvis in Las Vegas at the International Hotel" in 1969 for his historic return to live performances.40 years after Elvis Presley triumphantly returned to the stage at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. will reunite many of the original cast for an Elvis Week 2009 concert celebration. Live musical performances along with video and audio will create a magical music experience that will be almost as exciting as being there in the summer of 1969.
The concert will be held during Elvis Week 2009 on Friday, August 14 at 8:00 p.m. at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in Memphis, TN.
Performers currently scheduled to participate include; Joe Guercio, Elvis’ orchestra conductor for many of his Vegas performances; The TCB Band members James Burton and Glen D Hardin; Elvis’ back up singers The Imperials, including Joe Moscheo, Terry Blackwood, Sherman Andrus and Gus Gaches, The Sweet Inspirations, including Myrna Smith, Estelle Brown, Portia Griffin, and Millie Kirkham.
Additional vocals will be provided by Terry Mike Jeffrey and Andy Childs.
Other artists will be announced as their appearance is confirmed.
“This will be one of the most unique concerts we have produced,” said Kevin Kern, EPE spokesman. “We have an entire team researching all the elements that went into producing that show so we can create a completely new experience that takes the audience back in time.”
On July 31, 1969, the first night of what would become Elvis’ Las Vegas career opened to an invitation-only, celebrity filled audience. This was only the beginning of what would become a record-breaking run in Las Vegas that shattered all records and created a style of entertainment that is still seen today.

This sounds pretty neat and I will be there for sure. I just wish they would do one more concert with the whole band, Elvis and all. I only got to go to one before, during the 30th anniversary in 07. That was the coolest thing ever! Anyway this is already getting me excited for EW 09.

2008-12-02T22:32:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the lack of activity the last week. With my birthday, the holidays, work, and other things I hardly had any time to get on the Internet. I hope to be able to get a few posts on here the next few days before I go out of town.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

2008-11-24T21:00:00.002-05:00

VEGAS,1969. I am still worn out from the trip to Florida. We drove down slept in the truck, watched the game then drove back home. Got back to Loudon about 3:30 Sunday morning. I am just now getting back to normal. It was a lot of fun though. I have a few good post planned for this week so I will be back tomorrow.

2008-11-21T06:27:00.004-05:00

I have not got a chance to be on here due to some very long work days. I am working on landing some new business that could be really big and it was a lot to get done by yesterday. I should be back on here in the next few days. Vince and I are heading to Gainesville to see the Gators play. I have been really into That's The Way It Is disc 2. Here is a video of on of my favorite songs from the DVD.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

2008-11-17T22:38:00.002-05:00

Elvis in the movie Kid Glahad.

THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM

2008-11-16T20:55:00.003-05:00

Tonight I am going to talk about the FTD, The Impossible Dream. This CD contains a concert from Elvis in vegas in Vegas in 1971. I had been wanting this release for a long time and finally got it this past August. I had heard mixed reviews of it but still felt the need to have it. I do not have many live recordings from 71 and needed to hear some. First of all it was clear that by this time Elvis was already tired of the Vegas thing. I already knew that this was the case, but hearing this was just more proof. He has been told to make his shows go by faster, something else that must have pissed him off and in turn effected his shows. This show does not come close to the Vegas stuff from 70 or some of the stuff from the tours in 72. Though some nice things can be found on this recording. It's Now Or Never is heard one here and is one of the first times Elvis sings this in concert in the 70's. I prefer to hear the original studio version any day but it is neat to hear it here live for possibly for the first time. I will have to say the version of The Impossible Dream is freaking awesome. I love this song and Elvis does it beautifully on here. The other songs are fine and I enjoy listening to this CD but it is not Elvis at his best. I wouldn't consider this even close to one of the ten best Elvis shows on CD from the 70's. The songs seem to be rushed but Elvis does seem to be in a good frame of mind and is doing the best he can under the circumstances. This is probably not a release for casual fans but real Elvis fans should enjoy this anyway even if it does not rank up there with On Stage or An Afternoon In The Garden or any other of the great live shows I have been privileged to listen to.

Elvis is number 1.....as usual

2008-11-16T20:42:00.003-05:00

The fallowing was found at Elvis News courtesy of yahoo.

Posted on the Y! Music Playlist Blog by Robert of the Radish is a playlist of the biggest selling singles of all time in the United States. The biggest selling single has sold almost twice as many as its closest competition. In 1997, Elton John released a remake of his classic 1973 song "Candle In The Wind" with new lyrics that paid homage to Diana, Princess of Wales after her untimely death. This single sold over 11 million copies in the United States. An incredible figure. Unfortunately, "Candle In The Wind" is not available for streaming via Rhapsody at this time, so it is not included in the final playlist here.
So what are the runners up to "Candle In The Wind 1997"? Well, only two have broken the 6 million mark ("A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis Presley & "Here Without You" by 3 Doors Down"), and only 12 have cracked the 4 million mark.
Please note that I am speaking only of sales in the USA. Look for future blog posts to reveal top sellers in other countries and worldwide.
A "single" is a song recording that has been marketed for sale as a unit, usually with a second track, or "b-side". For the most part singles also appear on a full-length album and tend to be the track(s) a record company feels have the best chance for massive sales and airplay.
1. A Little Less Conversation - Elvis Presley 2. Here Without You - 3 Doors Down 3. Another One Bites The Dust - Queen 4. Apologize - Timbaland 5. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You - Bryan Adams 6. Hey Jude - The Beatles* 7. Hound Dog / Don't Be Cruel - Elvis Presley 8. I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston 9. Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye 10. Low - Flo Rida 11. Macarena - Los del Rio 12. Ridin' - Chamillionaire 13. We Are The World - USA For Africa** 14. Whoomp There It Is - Tag Team

Elvis pretty much blew everyone out of the water on this list with the exception of Elton John who was not on the list. Elvis was the only artist to be on this list twice. Pretty amazing that the single that did produce 6 million sold was ALLC in 2002, was 25 years after Elvis' death. One single 25 years later sold more than most singers in a lifetime! Elvis' two singles in the top seven came 46 years apart. That's pretty impressive as well. Talk about longevity.Good to see a list where Elvis is getting some credit unlike other list that play with numbers to make certain artist higher up(see Billboards lists) or magazines with their own agenda(see Rolling Stone magazine) who have BS lists of artist or achievements. That's another rant for another day though!

2008-11-15T23:48:00.003-05:00

I have been really busy with work this week and been totally consumed with football today. I am going to try to post some stuff tomorrow. I have been listening to a lot of the FTD The Impossible Dream today and think I will try to do a post on my thoughts on it.

DOLL OF THE WEEK

2008-11-15T23:38:00.003-05:00

Sophia Loren has always been a favorite of mine. She was one of the most stunning ladies ever. She didn't really have a connection with Elvis other than they happened to meet each other once. The picture below was took in February of 1958 at Paramount Studios while Elvis was filming King Creole. According to the people that was present she flipped for Elvis like every other female that ever came in contact with him. The proof is in the picture from that day like the one posted here. Many other pictures exist of them and they are really cool. I really can't get over how damn hot Sophia was.

I finally got Elvis Radio!

2008-11-12T20:24:00.001-05:00

I have been wanting Elvis Radio forever! XM radio finally has it available and I am happy. I just like the thought I can always turn to one station and I am guaranteed to like what is on. Even though I could pull my CD case out and listen to any song they play pretty much. The really cool thing is getting to listen to GK and some of the people he has on his show. It is very interesting to hear people who knew and worked with Elvis speak.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

2008-11-10T21:59:00.002-05:00

Elvis on a train. I am guessing this is 1959, but I am not for sure.

TODAY IN ELVIS HISTORY

2008-11-09T21:38:00.003-05:00

Elvis concluded the work on It Happened At The World's Fair with some publicity stills. It Happened At The Worlds Fair is probably my favorite Elvis movie, and one of my all time favorite movies period. Elvis Character Mike Edwards of course inspired my pen name on here.

2008-11-08T06:52:00.002-05:00

I am up early this morning watch Paris When It Sizzles. Man I love Audrey Hepburn. Anyway I'm going into work, then leaving out for Nashville at noon. The Gators roll into town to take on Vanderbilt. I'm super excited because Florida can wrap up the SEC East tonight. Anyway I will be back tomorrow night sometime if I don't freeze to death. I will check in then. I plan on listening to a lot of Elvis on the way over. So expect a review from on of my latest FTD's.

MORE DODIE

2008-11-07T23:06:00.001-05:00

Here is another picture of Elvis and Dodie from Easy Come Easy Go. I dunno, just something about her has drove me crazy for the longest time.

DOLL OF THE WEEK

2008-11-07T22:47:00.004-05:00

The lady in the picture with Elvis is Dodie Marshall. This is from Spinout, she had a few lines at the party. Later she would co star with Elvis in Easy Come, Easy Go. She had a pretty large part in that movie. Anyway, I have always thought she was pretty damn hot, but do not know much about her. I have never seen her in anything else. I am curious to whatever happened to her. Shes smoking and make Easy Come worth watching over and over again.

ELVIS WEEK 09 ALREADY STARTING TO TAKE SHAPE

2008-11-06T22:14:00.002-05:00

It was announced that EW 09 will be from August 8th-August 16th. A few of events have been listed so far, with many more to come. I have been ready for it since I got home this past August. It looks like some of the same great things will be happening and I am looking forward to that. One thing they are doing away is the Elvis Insiders Conference. I am very disappointed in this. EPE says that they feedback had started to get negative on the event. People said they were sick of the current format, the cost, and the long hours it ran. I have enjoyed it a lot the times I have got to go. It was one of the highlights of the last EW for me. The whole point of going to EW is the Vigil and honoring Elvis. I will go every year not matter what because of that. Though if they start killing events I enjoy maybe I need to think about cutting back on going seven or eight days. Hopefully they have the Movies and Music event again. I know they have had some mixed reviews about that as well. I absolutely love that event, and will be highly pissed if it gets done away with. Either way though I can't wait for EW 09. I think I am going to have to make a short trip out there after the first of the year just because I don't think I can wait that long. I need to get to Graceland!

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

2008-11-03T23:26:00.002-05:00

This picture was took at Graceland in 1960. It was the day Elvis returned home for the first time after he got back from Germany. I have seen many pictures before from Elvis in the backyard with his cake, but never this one. It looks as if he is in Graceland. Notice the pictures in the background that fans had made Elvis and sent him in. I notice on of them that I have seen in many books that are in the current archives. Elvis always saved pretty much anything and everything his fans sent him. Graceland still carries on with that tradition for the most part today.

SPINOUT

2008-11-02T19:30:00.004-05:00

Tonight I am going to talk about the movie Spinout. Elvis would make the movie in 1966 and would be his twenty second movie. Elvis would play the part of Mike McCoy. Mike is a guy who travels around playing gigs with his band. He also happens to race cars. Early in the movie Mike captures the attention of a young lady named Cynthia(Shelly Fabares). Her father Howard who owns a company that has ties in racing immediately tries to talk Mike into singing for his daughter for her birthday. The father also has ideas about Mike driving a car for him. Mike is not interested in either. After the powerful father pulls some strings to get Mike to perform for his daughter, Mike has some words for the Howard. While camping out Mike runs into a lady by the name Diana St. Clair. Diana is a beautiful blond author who is writing a book and wants to use Mike as the subject. The attention of these ladies is starting to bother a member of Mike's group. Les is the girl who plays the drums for Mike who has a thing for him though he does not have a clue. After some mind games from Howard that gets Mike to stay in town, Mike sets up shop out of a home next door to Howard and Cynthia. To get Mikes mind off Diana the guys and Les set up Mike to test drive Howard's car. Mike is impressed with the car. Though after a speech from Howard about Mike being good enough to drive his car, but not win his daughter, Mike tells Howard off. At a party Mike is throwing Howard bumps into Diana who is there scoping Mike out. The two hit it off. In the meantime Les is getting some love from a guy who she meets while in town who is really struck on her. Cynthia still hot for Mike is dealing with Philip, he dads assistant who is madly in love with her. All this is of no interest to Mike. Mike has no plans on settling down and is busy partying it up with the girls at his shindig and have a good time. The race finally comes around and Mike ends up getting his car stole by Philip who is trying to prove to Cynthia he is a man by racing. Mike ends up getting in his Deusenberg and joining the race. After the car was out of gas, Mike talked another racer into letting him have his car if the guy got any winnings Mike earned. Mike of course won the race. Mike then has a decision to make, which lady was her going to merry. Mike made the wise decision. He stayed single and let the other guys get the ladies they were in love with. Mike replaced Les with another hot female drummer and he continued on his way.

In my opinion Spinout is a pretty decent movie. Is is middle of the pack, not his worst by far, but not up there with King Creole or Wild In The Country either. The same could be said for the soundtrack as well. I personally like it a lot, but I love all the movie music for the most part, even the bad songs! The soundtrack does offer a good song or two and a few fun tunes. Like most Elvis soundtracks, the good songs are overlooked because of the awful songs that can be found on them as well. As with all Elvis movies it is loaded with beautiful ladies. Shelly Fabares appears for the second of three times in a movie with Elvis. She is one of my favorite actresses ever. She beautiful and plays her part well. Also with Elvis in this movie is Deborah Walley who plays the part of Les. She was not all that found of Elvis when she signed to make this movie. She did not know that much about him. After getting to know him they dated and would become close friends. Deborah greatly admired Elvis and would end up honoring his memory up until the time she passed away. She was always attending Elvis events during Elvis Week and things of that nature. She was a great lady.

2008-11-02T13:03:00.002-05:00

This has been a bad week to try to blog. I have been working long hours and pretty much thinking about nothing outside of the Florida/Georgia game that went down yesterday. Now that Florida has beat the hell out of Georgia I can rest easy.I will be blogging a lot more this week. I did manage to get Spinout in the other night and will do a review last this evening on it. Now I am going to go get ready to watch the race. I will be back tonight.

Spinout

2008-10-29T21:57:00.002-04:00

I just got home from work and for some reason I am really wanting to watch Spinout. I have been thinking about it all day. I seen a few minutes of it on a few days ago and have been meaning to watch it ever since. I will fallow up with a review on it tomorrow. It is been a long time since I took a look at an Elvis movie. See you then.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

2008-10-27T19:58:00.002-04:00

Always been on of my favorite photographs. From the set of Viva Las Vegas.

Mike't top 5

2008-10-27T19:49:00.002-04:00

I have been listening to a lot of the 50's masters box set, disc 3. So all my songs are coming from 1957. I have been stuck on this CD for some time.

1.That's When Your Heartaches Begin
2.Don't Leave Me Now
3.One Night Of Sin
4.(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care
5.I Beg Of You

DOLL OF THE WEEK

2008-10-24T14:39:00.001-04:00

Ann is the doll of the week. She is the best. One of the few ladies I think Elvis ever truly loved. No more blogs until next week. I am off to Florida to see the Gators play. Late

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

2008-10-21T20:51:00.001-04:00

Elvis with Scotty and Bill.

Mike's Top 5

2008-10-21T20:49:00.003-04:00

I did not get to post my top five last night because I have not been able to pull away from Entourage season 4. Anyway here it is.

1.Love Me
2.Playing For Keeps
3.Blue Moon
4.I Can Help
5. Harbor Lights

CHRISTMAS DUETS

2008-10-19T20:33:00.002-04:00

I have spent some time listening to the duets release. I got pretty much what I expected. Lets start off first with the artist that are on here. It is a pretty good list I guess. Lets be honest, I am not going to favor anyone while they are singing on the same track as Elvis. Some do better than other though on here. Blue Christmas with Martina McBride is the first track, and is probably the one I like the most. It comes closest to somewhat resembling the same song as Elvis did in the 50's. Martina sings pretty well to.I'll Be Home For Christmas by Carrie Underwood and White Christmas by Amy Grant are also alright. Even though I am not a fan of their music, all these ladies can sing pretty well and showcase that on here. Wynonna Judd also sings on Santa Claus Is Back In Town. She does a pretty good job and I really can't say that I was disappointed with hearing her on here. I am actually I fan of hers to some degree and she is a huge Elvis fan. Everyone else on here does an alright job I guess but I wont listen to any of the songs again more than likely. One song really bothered me. That was Marry Christmas Baby with Gretchen Wilson. It is not really because of here because honestly I couldn't even make it to her part. I tried three times and kept pushing the skip button. Song is awful. They new sound is really bad in my opinion and seems to drown out Elvis. This in my opinion is Elvis' best Christmas song. The original had such a nice blues feel and the instrumentals on the track was awesome. My big problem with the whole thing is the new instrumentals on the tracks compaired to the old ones. I am sure a lot of people think the new sounds better. Not to me I think it sounds awful and when it kills the voice of Elvis I have a huge problem with that. Overall I would rate this release 5 on a 1-10 scale. It has some nice vocalist on it and maybe it will gain Elvis some new fans, I don't know. Though the CD has some really bad quality's in this Elvis fans eyes. I for sure will be playing the originals this Christmas.

Track Listing:1. Blue Christmas with Martina McBride2. I'll Be Home For Christmas with Carrie Underwood3. Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane) with LeAnn Rimes4. Santa Clause Is Back In Town with Wynonna Judd5. Silent Night with Sara Evans6. White Christmas with Amy Grant7. Merry Christmas Baby with Gretchen Wilson8. O Little Town Of Bethlehem with Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman of Little Big Town9. Silver Bells with Anne Murray10. O Come, All Ye Faithful with Olivia Newton-JohnBonus Tracks11. The First Noel (2008) Elvis Presley12. If I Get Home On Christmas Day (2008) Elvis Presley13. Winter Wonderland (2008) Elvis Presley

Also this newest addition to my collection puts my CD count to 145.

Now to put me back in the right frame of mind after listening to this nonsense this weekend, lets listen to the song I was yelling about without the "new and improved" sound and guest on the track.

Elvis Christmas duets.

2008-10-17T21:22:00.005-04:00

Last night I was out and picked up the Elvis Christmas duets CD that just came out. If anyone has been reading the blog for anytime they know I was going off about this when I first heard about it. I can't stand the thought of anyone singing with Elvis hardly. Also the rumor of Jessica Simpson being on there lit me up. Not many people can stand side by side with Elvis on a song and hold their own. She has zero talent and would have looked like a fool and butchered a song. Anyway after hearing a few samples I thought I would give it a shot and see what it is all about. I have kinda scanned through it and have mixed feelings on it. Over the weekend I will listen to it all a few times and post a review with my thoughts on it. Fallow the link below to see a video about the making of this album and get some insight from some of the artist on it. It is pretty cool and neat to see these people speak about Elvis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h30z1CuYCkM

DOLL OF THE WEEK

2008-10-17T21:11:00.003-04:00

Carolyn Jones is the doll of the week. She appeared with Elvis in King Creole in 1958. This was Elvis' best movie. Not only was his acting great but the script and cast was top notch. She and Elvis played off each other well. She is probably best known however for her role in The Adams Family TV series.

Dont give a damn..

2008-10-15T21:26:00.002-04:00

I'm not feeling that great and I am highly agitated at the moment. I am about to go watch Jailhouse Rock though. Vince was one of the coolest characters Elvis played in his movie career. A true bad ass, did not give a damn, and cared only about himself. This short clip is one of my favorites from this great movie.

Tom Hanks digs Elvis movies!

2008-10-14T21:39:00.002-04:00

This is a clip of Tom Hanks on the David Letterman show a long time ago. He talks about Elvis movies and even mentions Clambake!

TRY SOME SUGAR AND SPICE!

2008-10-13T21:05:00.002-04:00

Our pal Kieth who has many great blogs just started another one called Sugar And Spice. This is going to be great! One of the things I dig the most is beautiful dolls, and he will be all about that! I have a link in my links section. Check it out!

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

2008-10-13T20:51:00.003-04:00

Elvis in Hawaii in March of 1961. Elvis was there to do a benefit show for the memorial for the USS Arizona since they needed money to build it. All the proceeds plus some of Elvis' own cash went towards the project. From what I have seen wrote, the took Elvis' name off the memorial. Someone gave the statement that he was a junkie and it was not good the memorial be attached to Elvis' name. Very sad, Elvis was so proud of this memorial and that he helped make it happen. I have heard this thing is crumbling and about to sink. Let it screw those ungrateful people. Elvis is not around now to save the damn thing! Sorry, I was highly agitated when I first read of that happening and it gets me mad thinking about it.

Also notice Minnie Pearl sitting in the background, she was there to be part of the show as well.

Mike's top 5

2008-10-13T20:46:00.003-04:00

My favorite songs of the moment. I am kinda of all over the place this week. I have blaring all styles and eras of Elvis this past week.

1.Love Me
2.You'll Think Of Me
3.Blue Moon
4. Hey, Hey, Hey
5. One Night(Live, TTWII)

THE TWINS ARRIVE!

2008-10-12T21:41:00.000-04:00

Lisa Marie Presley is a mom again. A publicist says the 40-year-old singer gave birth Tuesday to twin girls, whose names were not released. One baby weighed 5 pounds, 15 ounces and the other came in at 5 pounds and 2 ounces. A statement released Saturday says Presley gave birth by Caesarean section. She lives in the Los Angeles area and the publicist says the births took place somewhere on the West Coast but won't provide details. The statement says "babies and mom are happy and healthy and resting at home." Presley is the daughter of Elvis Presley and is married to music producer Michael Lockwood. She has a 19-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old son by a previous marriage. (Lisa Marie Presley's World, Source: Amber Smith)

ELVIS NEW YARS EVE

2008-10-12T20:59:00.003-04:00

I am going to review one of the FTD's I picked up in August when I was in Memphis. It is a 2 disc live show from December 31 1976 in Pittsburgh PA. The common perception from many people has Elvis had lost it in his later years. While it is true that he did show some odd behavior at times and at other times was not in good health and it affected his show, he still brought it on most nights. These CD's are kinda of rough sounding but it is a historic moment and I am glad to have it. Elvis actually rolled up into Pittsburgh looking pretty good and in good spirits. Elvis has been in bad shape towards the last of 76 and his last Vegas shows were pretty poor from what I have heard. When this concert rolled around he had turned it around, like he always did when he REALLY WANTED TO! As I said the sound it not that great, as it was recorded by a fan in attendance. You still can hear Elvis well, and his voice sound great and he seems to be having a good time. Elvis would sing almost 30 songs over a two hour period and he is good from beginning to end. The first CD has 16 songs on it and a few songs that standout to me are My Way and Trying To Get To You. My Way is done beautifully and Trying To Get To You as a cool vibe to it and it is the best version I can remember hearing from the later tours. The second disc has 17 songs on it. Love Letters is awesome and Elvis' voice is top notch. Hurt is also good, and I enjoy hearing this live. I have always loved this song. Reconsider Baby is also sung, one of my favorite songs Elvis did live. It does not match some of the other live versions from earlier in the decade, but it is pretty good. Also Elvis bust into Rags To Riches at the piano. It is awesome! I have never heard this live before and from what I know it is the only time he done it on stage. Overall I give this FTD very high marks just because of the great show Elvis puts on. it really does show he still could bring it to the stage despite the troubles he was going through and his bad health. Despite the bad sound quality I highly recommend this for any Elvis fan.

Above is footage from the show of Elvis singing Hurt. Just awesome! I wish I could have been there to see it.

YOU'LL THINK OF ME

2008-10-10T19:43:00.003-04:00

I have been playing this song over and over today. I bet I listened to it 20 times! This was recorded in 1969 and is one of my favorite Elvis tunes from the late sixties.

DOLL OF THE WEEK

2008-10-10T19:37:00.002-04:00

Joan Freeman is the doll of the week. She played with Elvis in the 1964 film Roustabout.

BLUE MOON

2008-10-08T19:29:00.002-04:00

I have been gone for a time now. This last weekend my life revolved around football and so far this week I have had a hard time at work and have pretty much crashed when I got home. I have a lot to write about though because I have been going over and over a live concert during the days that I was to review. I also got the DVD of the Vegas special that aired on ABC and I'm going to watch it and review it as well. One of the guys on that DVD is Chris Isaak who is a huge Elvis fan. He is one of the few people I have heard sing one of Elvis' songs and I actually like it. I am a fan of Chris' own stuff as well. This video here I found is of him performing at an Elvis tribute a long time ago singing Blue Moon. Blue Moon has always been one of my favorite songs from the Sun era and Chris does it well. Watch and enjoy! I will be back with more tomorrow hopefully.

When My Blue Moon Turns Gold Agian

2008-10-02T22:22:00.002-04:00

I have not been on here at all this week. I am still highly agitated over last weekends disaster in The Swamp and I have been working like crazy. In the next few days I hope to post a lot on here and hopefully Florida wins this weekend and I get out of my funk. Enjoy this video below of this clip from the last Sullivan appearance. I have been listening to this song a lot the last few days.

Make these idiots go away......

2008-09-29T21:17:00.003-04:00

A week or so after some lady came put saying she was Elvis' half sister, and Vernon was her dad, this nut Tim comes back around. I remember this guy and his nonsense from a few years ago. By now you would think these people would realize this crap does not work. Check out his blog, he has one,http://www.iselvismydad.blogspot.com/. He looks more like the lovechild of Ricky and Dee Stanly than one of Elvis' kids!

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

2008-09-29T21:06:00.000-04:00