Our weekend in Memphis

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!

Where have the FTD's gone?

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.

Favorite Album Cover #5

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.

SUCH A NIGHT

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.

FTD to release Blue Hawaii

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.

VIVA LAS VEGAS TV SPECIAL

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

THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM

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

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!

CHRISTMAS DUETS

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.

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

ELVIS NEW YARS EVE

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

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.

30 CD Collection on the way.

This was took from elvisnews.com. Elvis Unlimited is the source of the info.


Ernst Jorgensen is working on a 30 CD Box Set that will contain all official masters as released during Elvis' life time with another 3 or 4 hours of the most interesting alternate takes, demos, live recordings, home recordings. The set will be USA made and a limited edition to less than 10,000 units.
Ernst Jorgensen : This is a one shot deal. It's coming, it's here, it's gone as Colonel Parker would say. It will be 30 CDs in a very prestigious packaging with a fantastic book with it. USA made limited edition less than 10,000. It's killed me for 15 months now. The work load has been absurd but I could not deny it. I could not deny being a part of that. To me, it is the most astonishing wonderful idea. Here's a whole definition at this time is that it is all official masters as released during Elvis' life time with another 3 or 4 hours (and we have to define that) of the most interesting alternate takes, demos, live recordings, home recordings. There will not be 1 unreleased element on that box because that would be brutally unfair and only encourage bootlegging. You have to want to own that thing. We're not taking you as hostages. But at the same time, it is also a total restoration of every Elvis master with new digital technology.

This for sure will cause a lot of talking amongst Elvis fans. The complaint you always hear is that too much time is spent on shoving the same Elvis material down our throat. Not enough time on the work that's still out there we do not have our hands on or the stuff that needs some updating. This set seems like a good idea to me. Do I really need to get this? Answer is no. I have pretty much stopped getting the general releases of Elvis material since I already have most of it ten times over and I concentrate on the FTD's. Though I will probably will get this if it is within reason because it just sounds like it would be neat to have and I am sure it will sound great. Though I still need to get to buying some FTD's at a fast pace. I was way behind in collecting these great treasures. I need to catch up! I just have to hold myself back and only buy a few times a year because when I do buy them I seem to spend about $150 at a time!

Fun In Acapulco

I have always been a big fan of Elvis' movie Fun In Acapulco. It is not one of his better films as far as script or his performance, but it for some reason has always been at the top of my favorites list. This is the first movie and soundtrack of the early 60's I would just consider alright. Though some of the music in my opinion is very fun and enjoyable even if someone that had as much talent as Elvis should have not been singing it. One of my favorite songs from the movie is I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here. Below is a alternate take. It defiantly is a little different then the one released as anyone who has heard this song as much as I have can tell. I still like the original release a little better. Though this version is pretty cool as well. Watch this cool video and listen to this song as you see some cool pictures from the movie as well.

OUT IN HOLLYWOOD

Since I got back from EW last month I have not had the time to do any reviews of any of the new FTD's I got. I am hoping get to them all soon. I am going to start out with my favorite one I brought back, Out In Hollywood. I have been wanting this CD for a very long time. It is one of the FTD's that has been discontinued and I was really down I was not able to obtain it. I am a huge fan of the movie music and this is a good CD for the collection. The first night I was in Memphis I was in one of the shops and looked over and saw about five copies of this CD sitting with the others available. I was going nuts! I could not believe they had it. I do not know what they had it, but I was glad they did. I did not see anymore in any of the other shops. So of course I grabbed one up right then. Most of the songs at the time this CD was released had not been put out before. Though I have heard some of these songs before as they came out on other FTD's over the past few years. This has 22 great songs and I love hearing these other takes. The first song on the CD that caught my attention was take 6 of Cross My Heart And Hope To Die. I have heard this before on my Girl Happy FTD but I was still happy to hear it. It has always been on of my favorite movie songs. Take 4 of Lonely Man was pretty key. I do not think I have heard this before. All the songs on here are key, but one really stood out. The vocal overdub of (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care. This is freaking awesome. I have never heard this before and I really dig it. Hearing Elvis' voice while singing all alone with not music just reminded me how great he could sing, but how he could change his style and delivery. This was of course from 1957. It also reminded me how his voice continued to change over the next 20 years. Overall this is a really solid CD in my opinion. If you do not like his movie music or are not into all the recordings overall, it might not be for you. This is not a collection of his best movie music, but it contains some pretty good songs. It has for now made it in my top ten FTD list.

AIN'T THAT LOVING YOU BABY

The song of the day today on Elvis News is Ain't That Loving You Baby. The original version was a more slow tempo song, but later a fast version was released. After reading some comments on Elvis News it got me to thinking which version I liked the best. I think it has to be faster one. I remember discovering it way back when I first got my 50's Masters box set. I would listen to it over and over. It is a great song either way. Elvis is the 50's is hard to beat.

Slow Version



Fast Version

A look back at Elvis Week 08

I have had to neglect the blog for the most part this week. I have been having to work twelve hour day and then come home and rest. I am going to catch back up hopefully this weekend. Anyway to the week I spent in Memphis. Elvis Week was a blast as usual. The attendance was the smallest It has been in the eight years I have been going. I know it was coming off a anniversary year, which means usually the fallowing year less people show up. Other factors I know caused this but it was still a bit shocking. Although It was still a lot of fun. Music and Movies and Club Elvis at the first of the week was awesome. It was as good as last year. The only thing missing for me was The Dempsey's. I really like them and would not have minded them playing again this year. The Insiders Conference turned out to be pretty awesome as well, even though the first day was pretty slow. I think this is when I really started realizing how much of a difference this year was. The seating was not even half full for either day. The vigil was great and it is the reason we come. The rain did not bother me at all, although I was glad it pretty much stopped when the evening hit. Vince and I had a fun time before we left seeing Memphis and some sites we had not seen before that held meaning to Elvis fans. I bought lots of cool stuff as usual. Overall I got to say I had a blast and I can't wait to go back. I guess I just felt a let down after last year. When I look back on my past Elvis Weeks I point to 08 and 03 as weeks that did not have the same energy and feel. It has to be because those years came off the 25th and 30th anniversary. Those weeks I do not think will ever be topped. For me those were far and away the best weeks I have spent in Memphis. Last year was the best times I have ever had, so no matter what happened this past week it was not going to be the same.

I will say getting to go to the expo and meeting Chris Noel was one of the coolest things ever! She was freaking awesome. Also the Graceland VIP tour was really cool. I only do it every now and then but thought it was worth the money. I actaully saw more around back of the house this time. The last time I did the VIP tour they rushed me around and I hardly could see a thing.

Also a quick rundown of the things I got while in Memphis.

A few Elvis t shirts, Elvis and Priscilla Barbie set, Lansky shirt, The Complete 68 Comeback Special CD set, new Graceland DVD, Elvis Number 1 performances vol 2 DVD, picture of Elvis from It Happened, 56 Gibson instrument form the old Collectors Club collection, How Great Thou Art CD, and many other small things. I was really happy with what I got.

Also I got the fallowing FTD's....

Frankie and Johnny soundtrack,Elvis Sings Memphis, Tennessee, Out In Hollywood, The Impossible Dream,Elvis New Years Eve,and The Way It Was.

With these addition's my CD collection is now up to 144. My FTD collection 36 which is a total 44 counting the ones that are 2 disc. I am focusing on buying only FTD's now unless something is released mainstream that I really feel I need for the collection or if it is an old release I think is cool for some reason.

I am really digging into the Frankie and Johnny soundtrack at the moment and will do a review in the next few days.

EW DAY 3

Today we were out early and down at Graceland a little after 8:00. We had a ticket for the VIP tour. For you that have not been to Graceland, or have not done the VIP tour, a short explanation. It means you can tour the mansion and all the exhibits as many times as you want. You get to see an extra room, see the back of the property, and straight to the front of the line access. Anyway we were in a bind today. The Elvis and Priscilla barbies went on sale today at 10:00. Our tour was at 9:15. They has a ceremony for the unavailing of the dolls with an auction for doll set number one and then you could buy one of the first one's to come straight from Graceland. I had to be part of this. I had been wanting these dolls for a long time now. I was not going to order one from the Internet or get one in another store. No, I had to have one of the first ones from Graceland. So we went up to the house and just rushed in and out quick like. We got back in like 20 minutes, which is way fast. It usually takes me an hour or two to go through the house. We charged down to the place where the Barbies were going to be sold to get in line.
First they auctioned off doll set number one. That doll was autographed by Cilla and the money was to go to a good cause, Presley Place. The doll ended up going for $6,800! Then they gave out some signed wedding pictures from Elvis and Priscilla's wedding. Finally after an hour and a half, I got my doll. It was the highlight of the week so far. I think these are super cool and look cool. They are limited, so between all the crazy Elvis fans and all the Barbie collectors, these should be in demand and be worth some money. We finally got to start out day at Graceland and do the tour right. We did some of the exhibits first such as the car museum, Sincerely Elvis, and the Jets. Nothing new but still as cool as ever to see that stuff. Then we did the tour of the house the right way. Some cool new stuff in the trophy room and in the bonus room that is the VIP only room. I will go into more detail next week when I get home and post some pictures. We also saw the new Private Presley exhibit. I thought it was really well done. I will go into that more later on as well. Finally we went back to the room for some rest to get ready for second day of Music and Movie's day 2.
The night started off with Terry Mike Jeffrey and Band. He was joined later by some members of the TCB band that played with Elvis as well as the Imperials. It was a pretty good show. I was very excited because Terry played some Elvis movie music. He played Drums Of The Island from Paradise Hawaiian Style. You do not hear that often at Elvis events. Finally we got to what everyone on the lawn came to see, ELVIS! They played the 2001 edition of That's The Way It Is. It was cool seeing it on the big screen. When Elvis broke into Polk Salad Annie I was going nuts. After that was over it was around 11:00 and we were still not done. We went to Club Elvis at the Car museum. It is a dance party with Elvis music. It was pretty cool. Spankox, the DJ who just did the Baby Let's Play House Remix was on hand to do some of his other Elvis remixes. It was a lot of fun, I just wish I could have got there earlier to enjoy more beverages and really get into things. We only had an hour or so when we got there until it ended because it was so late when we got there.



Sorry I have no pictures from the event. No flash photography in the museum and the pictures I got are not that good. They are not even worth posting. Tomorrow is day one of the Elvis Insiders conference. It should be a lot of fun. I will be back with a post on it at some point. For now I am off to sleep. I hope this makes sense and I did not leave anything out. I am running on no sleep and I have been partaking in some beer drinking.

Retraction...

I just said I could not listen to another artist sing with Elvis on a song. One lady could, and she was awesome. That is the exception to the rule though. Ann and Elvis were pure magic! I needed an excuse to post something about Ann anyway, I have not in a long time. How the hell was this cut from the movie? Great song and it has a cool vibe.

Fallow up to my last post...

I was on the EI forums and saw someone posted some information on the duet album and it has a partial track list.

Partial track listing (not in sequence): "I'll Be Home For Christmas" with Carrie Underwood "Blue Christmas" with Martina McBride "Here Comes Santa Claus" with LeAnn Rimes "Silent Night"with Sara Evans "Merry Christmas Baby" with Gretchen Wilson "Silver Bells" with Anne Murray "White Christmas" with Amy Grant "O Little Town" with Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman of Little Big Town “Santa Claus Is Back In Town” with Wynonna Judd.

Maybe the songs with Carrie, Martina, Amy, and Wynonna turn out alright. I actually like Wynonna. Not only is she cool and a big Elvis lover, she is pretty good. I have the Judd's Greatest Hits! Some of these people are pretty good. I just do not think I can ever listen to a song with someone singing with Elvis, it is a let down. I am rambling on about this. I have to let it go. I need not to get off on Gretchen Wilson next!