Thanks for the above info` i`m going to order those Peter Guralnicks books.I`ve got 4 or 5 Elvis cd`s but have not given him a really good listen or know a great deal about him.

Thanks,Bassblagger.

Hi Bassblagger and welcome to the Elvis forum Those two Guralnick books are fab, I'm sure you'll enjoy them and we can always suggest great Elvis CDs to get :dance:

Thanks,i`ve got mostly his early stuff but am going to expand my collection.I`ve put a link of me & my mates having a go at don`t be cruel on my notepad if anyone`s intrested??It`s not up to much,but were getting better slowly,very slowly!!!

Cheers,Bassblagger.

Thanks,i`ve got mostly his early stuff but am going to expand my collection.I`ve put a link of me & my mates having a go at don`t be cruel on my notepad if anyone`s intrested??It`s not up to much,but were getting better slowly,very slowly!!!

Cheers,Bassblagger.

Hi Bassblagger, Great to hear that you and your mates play Elvis Will check it out!

Nice one thanks Tilly.

Nice one thanks Tilly.

My pleasure, bassblagger :D

 

Hound Dog - Leiber & Stoller Autobiography

 

Due for release from Simon and Schuster is the book "Hond Dog - The Leiber & Stoller Autobiography". The 336 pages book, illustrated with b/w potos, is written by the two songwriters and with David Ritz. It will hit the streets on June 9, 2009. (ISBN: 978-1-4165-5938-2).

 

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y48/elvis1959/leiber.jpg

 

From the press-release:

 

Hound Dog- The Leiber & Stoller Autobiography

 

"Leiber and Stoller? There would be no rock and roll without them." -Paul Shaffer

 

"The golden days of rock 'n' roll flit by in this sprightly memoir by the celebrated songwriting duo.As arranged by collaborator Ritz, the authors harmonize well in their alternating reminiscences.hort and sweet and catchy." -Publishers Weekly

 

"A revealing, accessible career overview of two of rock 'n' roll's primary architects. Informative and opinionated-a treasure trove for fans of rock music." -Kirkus Review

 

Legendary songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller were in the delivery room for the birth of rock and roll, yet as Stoller said the day they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, "We never planned to write rock and roll. We just tried to write good rhythm & blues." Whatever it was they thought they were writing, this extraordinary team produced scores of hits, and was behind some of the greatest records of the 1950s and 60s-from Elvis Presley's recording of "Hound Dog" and The

Coasters' "Charlie Brown" to Ben E. King's "Stand by Me" and The Drifters' "On Broadway."

 

In their joint memoir, HOUND DOG: The Leiber and Stoller Autobiography (Simon & Schuster; June 9, 2009; $25.00), written with David Ritz, these usic pioneers share the fascinating story of their wild ride in the usic industry. Both were born in 1933, Leiber in Baltimore, MD and toller in Queens, NY. Growing up in a rough, interracial neighborhood, eiber made after-school deliveries for his mother's grocery store. Soller, whose aunt was a concert pianist and whose mother had dated Gorge Gershwin, had a slightly more genteel upbringing. But both boys hared a common love for boogie-woogie and the blues, and when, at age senteen, their lives converged in Los Angeles, the pair began a

collaboration that would produce the soundtrack for the Baby Boomers' adolecence.

 

Leiber and Stoller got their start writing the kind of blues-influenced music they revered. They began supplying songs for some of the top black artists on L.A.'s legendary independent labels, including Charles Brown, The Robins, Little Esther, Johnny Otis, and Little Willie Littlefield, for whom they wrote the now-classic "Kansas City." But it was a song they wrote for Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton that would change Leiber and Stoller's destiny. "Hound Dog" was originally a raw blues number filled with implicit sexual humor. But a few years later, a new singer named Elvis Presley recorded a hopped-up version that topped the charts. Suddenly, Leiber and Stoller were writing "rock and roll." They would

later compose some more of the King's biggest hits, including "Jailhouse ock," which they wrote, along with three other songs for the movie, in one four-hour session.

 

From the start, Leiber and Stoller were more they just songwriters-"We didn't write songs, we wrote records," they said. Compelled, often out of artistic necessity, to supervise recording sessions, they became "record producers" before the term had even been invented. Working with such industry trailblazers as Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler, they oversaw classic recordings of their own songs, as well as songs written by others. Ensconced in the legendary Brill Building in New York, they

nurtured the talent of up-and-coming songwriters like Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and Gerry Goffin and Carole King. They also worked with a young, eccentric, and extremely ambitious writer-producer named Phil Spector.

 

On the business side, Leiber and Stoller endured the constant volatility of the music industry, weathering myriad shady deals and the demise of numerous record labels they started. Through it all, they always returned to the music, pushing the boundaries of their talents to produce new tunes for ever-changing tastes. When the British Invasion threatened to kill off their brand of rock and roll, they had the last laugh with the Kurt Weill/Bertolt Brecht-style ballad "Is That All There Is?" that Peggy Lee took up the charts in the same year the Beatles' "Get Back" and the Rolling Stones' "Honky Tonk Women" were defining pop music. In the nineties, after years of struggling to write an original musical, their Smokey Joe's Café became a hit on Broadway, celebrating and renewing interest in Leiber and Stoller's unrivaled musical legacy.

 

In HOUND DOG, Leiber and Stoller share the details of their personal lives including their childhood difficulties, marriages-both failed and enduring-personal and professional friendships, children, and encounters with the rich, talented and famous-including Tennessee Williams, Chet Baker, and James Dean. Rich in anecdotes from the golden age in pop music, the autobiography of these two musical geniuses is a must-read for anyone who ever danced to a 45 record or sang along with a transistor radio.

 

About the Authors

 

Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Smokey Joe's Café: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller opened in 1995 and became the longest-running musical revue in Broadway history.

 

David Ritz has worked with many celebrities, including Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and B.B. King. He co-wrote the song "Sexual Healing" with Marvin Gaye and Odell Brown.

 

Source: Email / Updated: May 19, 2009

'Hound Dog: The Leiber & Stoller Autobiography'

by Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller with David Ritz - An EIN Preview

 

http://www.elvisinfonet.com/interview_leiberstoller2009.html

My Years With Elvis And The Colonel by Charles Stone

 

Although many fans are talking about the latest FTD 2 CD Set Dixieland Delight which was released in cooperation with Praytome Publishing and Bud Glass Productions there is another release just right ahead before we release the Praytome Publishing Multimedia box Set Dixieland Delight that will set the focus on the 5 Huntsville performances -- and that is -- My Years With Elvis And The Colonel by Charles Stone which is definitively the very first book about 'Elvis & The Colonel' that is written by a guy who was there.

 

 

http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/books/book...e_colonel.shtml

 

Elvis Book News, Elvis News June 6, 2009

Excerpt from Leiber & Stoller bio:

 

EIN recommends "Hound Dog" the autobiography of the song writing team responsible for many of Elvis' greatest songs and one of the greatest song writing duos in rock/pop music history..... Leiber and Stoller. It is a great read!! Here is an excerpt:

 

Stoller: I guess it must have been in April of '57 that we met Colonel Parker for the first time. It happened over dinner at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Jean Aberbach was the conduit.

"The Colonel wants to see you in person before you meet Elvis," said Jean.

"Is this an audition?" I asked.

"The Colonel is very careful about who he lets into Elvis's circle."

"I'm very careful about who I have dinner with," said Jerry.

Jean didn't laugh. "Just be on your best behavior," he told us both.

 

Leiber: Of course, the Colonel wasn't really a colonel. He was Thomas A. Parker, whose former job as a carnival barker defined his personality. He had a definite shtick ("Pick a number from one to ten"). He told dozens of canned jokes. I can't remember any of them except that they weren't funny. But it didn't matter that we didn't laugh, because the Colonel wasn't really conscious of us. Of course, he knew we were the songwriters of "Hound Dog" and the new songs for Jailhouse Rock. He knew more hit songs for Elvis meant more money for him. Beyond that, though, he was more interested in putting on his own show than getting to know us.

 

He had his long cigar and his confected Southern accent. He was fat and smart and a nonstop talker whose ego was always on parade. He told us in great detail all he had done for Elvis — and all he intended to do.

"Elvis," he said, "is going to be bigger than the president, bigger than the pope."

Naturally we agreed.

 

Stoller: The Colonel had the kind of energy that sucked all the air out of the room, even the dining room at the Beverly Hills Hotel. I had little interest in the man. Elvis was the guy we were eager to meet. The session was due to start later that week.

 

Leiber: My heterosexual credits have long been established, so I can comfortably say that the first thing that hit me when I walked into the recording studio and found myself standing next to Elvis Presley was his physical beauty. Far more than his pictures, his actual presence was riveting. He had a shy smile and quiet manner that were disarming.

 

All this happened at Radio Recorders Annex, the same studio where Big Mama had recorded "Hound Dog" back in August of 1952. Elvis wanted us there to produce the songs for the soundtrack we'd written for him.

 

Stoller: It's important to remember that on the day we met Elvis, he was twenty-two and we were twenty-four. We were contemporaries. Remember, too, that Jerry and I shared the uppity view that he and I were among the few white guys who knew about the blues. In the first five minutes of conversation with Elvis, we learned we were dead wrong.

Elvis knew the blues. He was a Ray Charles fanatic and even knew that Ray had sung our song "The Snow Is Falling." In fact, he knew virtually all of our songs. There wasn't any R&B he didn't know. He could quote from Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, B.B. King, and Big Bill Broonzy.

 

Leiber: When it came to the blues, Elvis knew his stuff. He may not have been conversant about politics or world history, but his blues knowledge was almost encyclopedic. Mike and I were blown away. In fact, the conversation got so enthusiastic that Mike and Elvis sat down at the piano and started playing four-handed blues. He definitely felt our passion for the real roots material and shared that passion with all his heart. Just like that, we fell in love with the guy.

 

"Let's get started," Elvis said. "Let's cut some records."

We jumped right into "Jailhouse Rock." The initial idea was just to show up at the studio to meet Elvis. But, as naturally as the winter turns to spring, we found ourselves in charge of the session. We were producing the guy. Mike worked out the arrangement with Elvis's band — Bill Black on upright bass, Scotty Moore on guitar, D.J. Fontana on drums, and Dudley Brooks on piano. As far as the vocals went, I was amazed to see that Elvis was happy to hear me sing the song with what I considered the right attitude. He was following my vocal cues.

 

Stoller: Elvis was completely open and never acted like a diva. When it was time to do the actual recording, Jerry was in the control booth and I stayed on the floor. I played piano on one cut, and Jerry, with his unique style of body language, conducted Elvis's vocals.

 

The other thing that amazed us was that no one was rushing us to get through. During a recording session, Jerry and I were used to watching the clock. The musicians' union allowed four songs in three hours or you got into the dreaded overtime. On Elvis's sessions, though, those restrictions were lifted. The Jordanaires (Elvis's backup vocal quartet), the guys in the band and Elvis's paid companions (the so-called Memphis Mafia) would order lunch — peanut butter sandwiches and orange pop — while the clock kept ticking.

Sometimes we'd do two or three takes on a song; sometimes up to twenty-five. And yet, even in this relaxed atmosphere, by evening time we'd cut three songs.

 

Source – EIN

Elvis: Vegas '69 - 200 page hardcover book

 

Elvis: Vegas '69 is a 208 page hardcover book filled with text and photos, a book which features the entire story behind what led to Elvis returning to the stage after a long absence and features over 100 new interviews with key people. So it's a combination of images and text, not just another photo book. And at 208 pages, it is more than double the page count of JAT's '69 book. Yes, there will be some image overlap -- but there will definitely be quite a few images that did not appear in that book. 150 stunning full color and B&W images. In any case, this is a complete book, filled with text and images, taking the reader back to one of the most exciting moments in Elvis' career. Go behind closed doors and learn the backstory behind what led to Elvis' triumphant return to live performance. Due for release in August

 

http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/books/elvi...egas_1969.shtml

 

Elvis Book News, Elvis News, By Ken Sharp June 15, 2009

Elvis In Gold Trailer :cheer:

 

The latest project from JAT Publishing, Elvis In Gold", is scheduled for release in about 4 weeks. There's a trailer available on YouTube for this project.

 

 

Source: For CD Collectors Only / Updated: Jun 27, 2009

 

Some fab pics on the clip :wub:

Elvis, The Beauty Queen & Me Update

 

It's been a year in the making, but we are almost ready to release "Elvis, The Beauty Queen & Me", with Jeanne LeMay. The majority of this DVD was filmed during Jeanne's trip to the UK last year. She was filmed talking candidly about her time with Elvis at Graceland, on tour and in Vegas. She openly discusses how she was able to enjoy a close relationship with Elvis through her friendship with Linda Thompson, how she became a secretary at Graceland and what went on there. Her memories of those times are funny, fascinating and extremely riveting. Jeanne is a great talker and her warmth comes across beautifully in the programme according to Essential Elvis' editor Andrew Hearn on his blog.

Over the past few months Essential Elvis has been lucky enough to have tracked down and acquired some stunning new 1974 cini film of Elvis, still on the original reels! He and and David Wilson have been working hard on having the reels digitally transferred and restored. The speed has now been expertly corrected, the picture quality has been enhanced and the brightness and colour has been worked on enabling us to now offer the footage in virtually perfect quality.

 

So, what is the footage of?

 

You'll get to see Elvis in Vegas during his August 29th 1974 midnight show, September 1st dinner show and the infamous September 2nd closing show (wearing the beautiful Tiger jumpsuit). There's lots of karate on these clips with Red West coming on stage at one point. Elvis even knocks poor Charlie on his backside.

There will also be some 1973 footage shot at Graceland. This includes the gates, the grounds, up at the mansion itself and the pool area. This is not the poor quality Dutch footage that has been doing the rounds for years, but new footage taken from the reels and restored by Essential Elvis. This is TV quality material.

 

They are also extremely excited to tell you that we have been restoring some amazing footage (running for a staggering 13 minutes) of Elvis in Kansas City, Missouri on the evening of June 29th 1974. This is the most beautiful clear, close-up footage that they have seen in a long, long time with Elvis wearing the fantastic Embroidered Eagle jumpsuit

 

Source: Essential Elvis / Updated: Jun 28, 2009

 

The King and Dr. Nick: What Really Happened with Elvis and Me: Dr. Nick's highly anticipated memoir now has a publisher, cover and release date.

 

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y48/elvis1959/book_drnick_2010.jpg

 

The publisher is Thomas Nelson and the hardcover book is due for release on 16 February 2010. It contains 256 pages.

Authors: Dr. George Nichopoulos (Author), Rose Clayton Phillips (Contributor)

ISBN-10: 1595551719..........ISBN-13: 978-1595551719

 

Book synopsis: The truth about Elvis's death from the doctor who spent eleven years as "the King's" personal physician, father-figure, and confidant - "Dr. Nick."

 

Dr. Nichopoulos spent a decade with Elvis on the road and at Graceland, trying to maintain the precarious health of one of the world's greatest entertainers. But on August 16, 1977, he found himself in the ambulance with Elvis on that fateful last trip to the ER. He signed the death certificate.

From that day forward, Dr. Nick became the focus of a media witch hunt that threatened his life and all but destroyed his professional reputation. Now, for the first time, Dr. Nick reveals the true story behind Elvis's drug use and final days-not the version formed by years of tabloid journalism and gross speculation. Put aside what you've learned about Elvis's final days and get ready to understand for the first time the inner workings of "the king of rock n' roll."

Amazon is now taking pre-orders. Price is US$24.99

 

Source EIN

 

Don't think I shall be rushing out to get this one ^_^

'Elvis: Vegas '69', Ken Sharp EIN interview: :cheer:

 

'Elvis: Vegas '69', will be the essential Elvis book purchase of 2009. The new 200-page book commemorates the 40th anniversary of Elvis’s historic return to live performance. Written by Ken Sharp author of the critically acclaimed ' Writing For The King' the book tells the remarkable story of Elvis's return to the concert stage told through first-hand accounts by those lucky enough to be on hand to witness Elvis' miraculous artistic and creative rebirth.

EIN recently interviewed Ken Sharp to find out more about the book, what to expect, who were his contributors - and whether he has met Lisa Marie! (Yes he has!).

Click here to this interview and fabulous Elvis in 1969.

 

http://www.elvisinfonet.com/interview_ken_...p_vegas_69.html

 

(Book Reviews, Source;EIN)

 

Will have to keep a lookout for this book :dance:

 

http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/books/book...ine_elvis.shtml

 

"Inside The Dream" Book Review:

 

Fans will know Jimmy Velvet as a friend of Elvis’ as well as the creator of the Elvis Presley Museum and owner of one of the world's biggest collectors of rock’n’roll memorabilia. Jimmy Velvet was also a successful recording artist and personally knew almost all the major stars that you can imagine - and was also luckily an enthusiastic photographer who always had his camera with him. He toured with Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard – and ELVIS - just to name a few! Being a contemporary of these mega-stars he managed to capture thousands of candid photographs in a way that a press photographer couldn’t.

 

The photographic memoirs of Jimmy Velvet’s amazing life ‘Inside The Dream’ was released in 2007.

EIN’s Piers Beagley spent several days examining this hefty photo-biography to give you this detailed review - including rare photos of Elvis and more!

 

http://www.elvisinfonet.com/book_review_ji...side_dream.html

 

(Book Reviews, Source;ElvisInformationNetwork)

Is there anything you don`t know about Elvis Tilly?lol.That last train to memphis was a great book,what a really grounded & humble person Elvis came across as.The second book was really sad i thought but a very good book also.

Cheers,Bassblagger.

Is there anything you don`t know about Elvis Tilly?lol.That last train to memphis was a great book,what a really grounded & humble person Elvis came across as.The second book was really sad i thought but a very good book also.

Cheers,Bassblagger.

Wow! Thanks Bassblagger, but the great thing I'm finding about being an Elvis fan, is that there is always something new to find out about him and I'm still learning loads :dance:

 

I agree, the two Guralnick books are fantastic - they tell you so much about Elvis and they are my fave books about him. Another book which I really enjoyed is Elvis and the Memphis Mafia by Alanna Nash . The book was written by Alanna Nash with the help of Billy Smith, Marty Lacker and Lamar Fike and it gives you another perspective on Elvis.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elvis-Memphis-Mafi...h/dp/1845131282

 

If you click on the picture of the book, you can see inside the book.

 

At the moment I am reading Elvis: Still Taking Care of Business by Sonny West and I will let you know what it's like as soon as I finish it.

 

I think im as much a fan of Elvis the person as i am of his music after reading the last train to memphis.

He did make fantastic music to though!!!!!

What dvd`s do you advise getting Tilly,i just got his 69 come back special,are there many stand out one`s from his early years???

Thanks for any info`,

Bassblagger.

I think im as much a fan of Elvis the person as i am of his music after reading the last train to memphis.

He did make fantastic music to though!!!!!

What dvd`s do you advise getting Tilly,i just got his 69 come back special,are there many stand out one`s from his early years???

Thanks for any info`,

Bassblagger.

You sound like me, Bassblagger. I started out a fan of his music, first and foremost, but very quickly, I found out that Elvis, the man behind the music, was fascinating. I can never get enough of reading about him :cheer:

 

The '69 Comeback Special is a must have so you have certainly started your collection well. I started with that one and the Aloha From Hawaii which I love!

Another fab one is That's The Way It Is which is one of my faves.

If you like to see Elvis in the early years, one DVD I would definately recommend is Elvis Presley - The Ed Sullivan Shows. You can see why he made the impact on the world like he did :dance:

Gosh, there are so many I love, but a few more are Elvis '56, Elvis on Tour and This Is Elvis.

 

I'm including a link to Amazon so you can have a look at the ones I mentioned, plus a load of others. Think we, Elvis fans all need to win the lottery :lol:

 

Just thought of another one - Tupelo's Own Elvis Presley. It was a fantastic release a couple of years ago B) As the synopsis says -

 

TUPELO'S OWN ELVIS PRESLEY is a recently rediscovered 'lost' film, with Elvis performing six songs including 'Heartbreak Hotel', and 'Don't Be Cruel' live in Mississippi 1956. This limited edition release also includes a 1957 interview with Elvis, a DVD audio section that includes 21 tracks from the Tupelo concerts and a 200-page book.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/elvis-presley-Blu-...sley&page=1

 

Have fun choosing :yahoo:

Nice one Tilly,thanks again!!