I’ve added a new reference page to The Mystery Train Elvis Blog, Elvis Presley Discography. It lists the Elvis singles and LP albums released in the United States during his lifetime.
View The Mystery Train Elvis Blog’s Elvis Presley Discography page. You can also access it using the Elvis tab at the top of the page.
Thanks again to Thomas for taking over as guest conductor last week. I decided to just take the whole week off from keeping up with Elvis news and writing the blog. Honestly, what I learned during my week away from The Mystery Train is that I need time off from here more often, despite how much I love it. Taking a few steps back made me realize that sometimes this fun little hobby consumes too much of my life.
Last Train To Memphis: The Movie That Wouldn’t Die
With that being said, I did have a chance to go back and catch up on the news. One of the main stories to hit the Elvis sites last week was talk of a movie version of Last Train To Memphis: The Rise Of Elvis Presley, Peter Guralnick’s definitive early Elvis biography. The book was first released in 1994, seventeen years ago. I believe Hollywood has been trying to turn this into a movie for almost that long.
I can actually remember covering the Last Train To Memphis movie for the fan club newsletter I wrote back in the early to mid 1990s. My last story on the subject was something to the effect of “Unfortunately, plans for a movie version of Last Train To Memphis have been put on hold.”
Over the years, the project has continued to garner a mention out here in web land every now and then. IGN Movies even reviewed a rough draft script for Last Train To Memphis by Jim Uhls (Fight Club) back in 2000. None other than The New York Times listed a now-abandoned Last Train To Memphis incarnation with Mike Newell directing, Leonardo DiCaprio producing, and John Goodman appearing in an unidentified role (perhaps Colonel Tom Parker?). Long-time Elvis friend Jerry Schilling was also attached to the project as co-producer.
Here we are, well over a decade later, and plans for the movie have apparently been put back on the track, with John Fusco set to write a new adaptation for producer Steve Bing (“John Fusco Takes His Shot At Early Elvis” — Deadline Hollywood). Fusco‘s biggest credit to date is 1988’s Young Guns, while a few of Bing’s past productions have been documentaries. He also wrote the Chuck Norris Missing In Action series of movies.
My hope is that Last Train To Memphis: The Rise Of Elvis Presley will not be yet another conventional dramatization of Elvis’ life, but instead a definitive documentary using archival music, footage, and photographs to tell the story. After all, the only person who can really do Elvis justice is Elvis himself. Johnny Depp need not apply.
An ultimate Elvis documentary would fill the void left by the now-dated This Is Elvis and Elvis: The Great Performances. If they do this movie right, there’s a sequel already waiting in the wings in the form of Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley, Guralnick’s somewhat disappointing 1999 follow-up that covered the remainder of Elvis’ life.
Sometimes, initiatives take flight right out of the Projects That Will Never Happen Department, and maybe that will be the case with Last Train To Memphis.
Live like Elvis – at any budget
ElvisBlog was one of several sites to cover one of Elvis’ former homes going on the rental market. The southern California residence that then-newlyweds Elvis and Priscilla used in 1967 can be yours for just $25,000 a month and includes, amazingly enough, “floor-to-ceiling walls throughout.”
If $25,000 a month is too much for you, then perhaps you might want to furnish your own version of Graceland instead by perusing eBay’s local classified advertisements (“Recreate Graceland Forever!” — The eBay Classifieds Blog). The Jungle Room is pretty cool, especially since two of my favorite albums were recorded there, but I think Elvis’ TV Room is more my style.
Judging a blog by its book cover
Finally, be sure to check out the ultra-slick cover to Thomas’ forthcoming book, which compiles his first 271 posts on the Elvis Today blog. It also features one never-before-published article. Hey Thomas, I’m just wondering, who is going to star in the inevitable movie version of the Elvis Today blog?
When Ty announced that The Mystery Train Elvis Blog would honor the 44th anniversary of 1967 with special features on that Elvis year all throughout 2011, I couldn’t keep my fingers away from the keyboard. Not only does 1967 mark the year I was born, it also saw the release of the soundtrack album Clambake, and I’d like to talk a little bit about the latter.
Clambake (1967)
Actually, Clambake isn’t strictly a soundtrack album as it includes no less than five bonus songs, four of them recorded in Nashville on September 10-11, 1967. No doubt this is a big part of the explanation why I like it. And although one of the worst soundtrack songs Elvis ever recorded is featured on it as well, a lot of the movie material works surprisingly well.
Clambake is the only soundtrack album to kick off with a bonus song, and what a start it is. For starving fans back in 1967 it must have been a joy to listen to Elvis belting out “Guitar Man.” This is one of the songs that revealed that Elvis was again showing signs of musical creativity and a newly found interest in his career.
Although the same thing can’t be said about the next song, I actually enjoy the title track “Clambake.” It’s a fun number and I love it when Elvis sings “Aaaaaaaallrigh” at the beginning of the instrumental break.
The duet “Who Needs Money?” is a dreary song, but what follows is the pretty little ballad “A House That Has Everything.” Unfortunately, it’s then time for “Confidence,” a song I would list among the five worst numbers Elvis ever recorded. A children’s song that is unlikely to appeal to any child, or grownup too, for that matter.
The last song on side 1 of the original LP is “Hey, Hey, Hey,” a number many fans think is crap. I agree that the lyrics are silly and that the scene in the movie where it’s sung is an awful one. But I think it works well on record, it’s a funky, enjoyable number.
Side two is actually better than the first one, no doubt because the rest of the bonus songs can be found on it, together with the beautiful “You Don’t Know Me,” certainly one of Elvis’ best soundtrack ballads. When I bought the LP I never understood why it was labeled “Specially recorded for records.” It was years later that I learned that Elvis wasn’t satisfied with the version recorded during the Clambake session, on February 21, 1967.
“The Girl I Never Loved” is another beauty, I love it when Elvis sighs while singing “The kiss I never got, somebody else will make…” A sensitive ballad.
Why is is that some of the best songs are always cut from the movies? “Animal Instinct” from Harum Scarum and “Sand Castles” from Paradise, Hawaiian Style are two such examples, the bonus song “How Can You Lose What You Never Had” from Clambake another.
The three excellent bonus songs “Big Boss Man,” “Singing Tree,” and “Just Call Me Lonesome” round off the original Clambake album, released in October 1967, four months after I was born. I first listened to it maybe fifteen years later, and still do now and then. Clambake, gonna have a clambake!
/Thomas, Elvis Today
Throughout 2011, The Mystery Train Elvis Blog is commemorating the 44th anniversary of 1967. Why? Riders of this train love exploring Elvis’ entire career, not just the 1950s. Find out more here.
In honor of Saint Valentine’s Day, here is my top ten list of Elvis songs released during his lifetime that contained some form of the word “love” in the title. Can you believe I had about 70 different songs to choose from to compile this list? Here are the best of the best.
#1 Can’t Help Falling In Love (1961)
Blue Hawaii
Other notable versions: 1968 live (ELVIS-TV Special); 1969 live (From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis).
#2 Love Me (1956)
Elvis
Other notable version: 1968 live (A Legendary Performer, Volume 1).
#3 You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ (Live-1970)
That’s The Way It Is
#4 Burning Love (1972)
Burning Love And Hits From His Movies, Volume 2
Other notable version: 1973 live (Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite).
#5 Pledging My Love (1976)
Moody Blue
#6 Love Me Tender (Live-1968)
ELVIS-TV Special
#7 After Loving You (1969)
From Elvis In Memphis
#8 Wearin’ That Loved-On Look (1969)
From Elvis In Memphis
#9 Power Of My Love (1969)
From Elvis In Memphis
#10 Your Love’s Been A Long Time Coming (1973)
Promised Land
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!
Thomas over at the Elvis Today blog has a real talent for summing up the experience of being an Elvis fan. In today’s post, “The Truth About Me,” he reflects on when he first became a fan, including a reprint of an article he wrote 21 years ago for a Swedish Elvis fan club.
“During the years me and my other brother have built a record collection that we’re proud [of],” he wrote in 1990. “Not because it includes a lot of valuable editions, but because we think we own most of the stuff released officially by Elvis, and to us it’s the music and not the value of the collection that counts.”
In the end, the music is all that really matters. Whether you are listening on vinyl records, MP3s, cassette tapes, CDs, or even 8-tracks, Elvis is still there. His music is what brings us all together. His music is our shared experience. And no matter what classless jokes or baseless claims people want to lob at him, Elvis always wins in the end because his music pounds through all of that noise and demands to be heard.
“The image is one thing, and a human being is another,” Elvis said in 1972. “It’s very hard to live up to an image.” While the image of Elvis has morphed over the years, the underlying truth of his statement remains. Like Thomas says, you don’t need an expensive collection to explore the music and go beyond the image.
After all, a scratched-up record of seemingly no value can in fact be priceless.
One of the stories I’ve enjoyed covering most here on The Mystery Train is Elvis Presley Enterprise’s Super Bowl watch party, held February 6 on the front lawn of Graceland. At $500 a ticket, the catered event benefited St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The day also featured Elvis-style football games on the lawn and a silent auction of sports and Elvis items. According to St. Jude, this ultimate Super Bowl party raised nearly $85,000.
As I mentioned Monday, Elvis’ rendition of “That’s All Right” could briefly be heard in the background during the Super Bowl TV broadcast while it played over stadium loudspeakers. I wondered at the time if those partying at Graceland picked up on this.
I decided to contact Elvis Presley Enterprises and find out. It turns out that the attendees did indeed hear Elvis during the game. “We also got emails from fans around the world who also heard the music clip being played,” said Alicia Dean, Media Assistant for EPE.
Dean also cleared up another one of my questions about the event. EPE’s original announcement stated that it was “only the second time an event has been held on the lawn, or anywhere on the property, since Elvis’ passing” (“Super Bowl Watch Party at Graceland to Benefit St. Jude” — Elvis.com). According to Dean, the first event was a party benefiting the TJ Martell Foundation on Ocotober 7, 1994, which was the day before the Elvis Aaron Presley: The Tribute concert at the Pyramid.
Elvis Aaron Presley: The Tribute was a live, pay-per-view television event featuring various music stars performing Elvis songs, including Faith Hill, Chris Isaak, Michael Hutchence, and Cher. It also resulted in the album It’s Now Or Never: The Tribute To Elvis, which contained a few of the songs from the show. Some footage of the concert also appeared in the December 1994 ABC TV special Elvis: The Tribute, hosted by John Stamos.
In life, Elvis always gave time and money to good causes, and EPE has done a terrific job of continuing that tradition over the years since his death. Many of Elvis’ fans have also continued in that spirit as well. As I’ve mentioned before, one organization worth checking out is the Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation, which is run by Lisa Marie Presley and the rest of the EPE management team and includes projects such as Presley Place.
Related Links
I hope the fine folks enjoying the Super Bowl watch party at Graceland yesterday were able to make this out. While watching the game on FOX-TV, I could faintly hear music they picked up from the stadium loudspeakers near the end of the first half.
That is nothing unusual, except this time it was a familiar voice singing “That’s All Right.” It didn’t last long, but it was awesome to hear Elvis playing in the Super Bowl! It was definitely a remix, probably the one from Viva Elvis: The Album. The Green Bay Packers went on to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers to become champions of the National Football League. Elvis Presley Enterprises’ Super Bowl watch party benefited the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The Mystery Train 