The LuLac Edition #1066, Jan. 9th, 2010
PHOTO INDEX: OUR INTERVIEW LOGO.
INTERVIEW
Yesterday Elvis Presley would have turned 75 years old. We talked to an Elvis fan who saw him 21 times.
Q: When did you start going to Elvis concerts?
A: In the 70s. Spent a ton of money going to Vegas.
Q: Why Elvis?
A: Elvis was my youth. Elvis was the guy who was an example of what a guy should be in the fifties.
Q: How so?
A: He served his country, brought himself up from poverty and made himself a star.
Q: Didn’t Colonel Parker do that?
A: Elvis had the talent though.
Q: Overall do you think the Colonel served the King well?
A: Financially yes, career wise I think he should have let Elvis do more, experiment more.
Q: I read where the Colonel didn’t want Elvis to break the formula, that this was the key to making money. True?
A: Oh yes but I think Elvis was stifled by Parker.
Q: Do you think Elvis was in a way intellectually lazy and thought the Colonel’s path was one of least resistance?
A: Maybe. Why do you say that?
Q: Elvis was the star, the boss. People like Wayne Newton and Bobby Darin told him to jettison the jump suit and don a tux and do more.
A: Naw, he’d turn into Don Ho.
Q: You think?
A: Yeah, the jumpsuit did it for him. You’ll never convince me otherwise.
Q: Then I won’t try. When do you think Elvis was at his performing peak?
A: 1970, 1971, 1972. Saw him do “Burning Love” in Vegas. Awesome.
Q: Did you see him near the end?
A: Yeah.
Q: Disappointed?
A: Hell no, he was evolving.
Q: Some say he was evolving into a tragic mess.
A: Those “some” you refer to are idiots.
Q: So even at the end you felt you got your money’s worth?
A: Absolutely.
Q: Ever meet him?
A: No but I went to a memorial at Graceland in ’77.
Q: How was that for you?
A: Crazy. Crowded. But it was the least I could do.
Q: What do you think of the King’s daughter marrying Michael Jackson?
A: (Obscenity).
Q: Favorite Elvis song?
A: C’mon.
Q: Okay, top 5.
A: You first.
Q: Okay, “The Wonder of You”, “Kentucky Rain”, “If I Can Dream”, “Can’t Help Falling In Love” and “Don’t Be Cruel”.
A: Interesting picks. My top are “Hound Dog”, “All Shook Up”, “Suspicious Minds” “Blue Christmas” and “U.S. Male”.
Q: That last one is an obscure one. 1967-'68.
A: Yep.
Q: Can I add one more?
A: Sure.
Q: “Way Down”, the song that was on the charts the day he died.
A: Oh yeah.
Q: If you ever met Elvis what do you think you’d say to him?
A: I’d say…..”thanks man, thanks”.
Q: All those trips, money well spent?
A: Yep, I would’ve paid triple.
Q: And Colonel Parker would have let you.
A: (Laughing) Yeah. The bastard.
posted by David Yonki @ 8:02 AM
16 comments
16 Comments:
Gotta disagree re Elvis's best years. The early days with Scotty
Moore inventing lead guitar licks and Elvis on overdrive followed by the Memphis sessions during the era mentioned and "Suspicious Minds" stand tall although some great songs were mentioned by both you and the interviewee. I saw the King in '75. The whole show was terriffic from musicians to back up vocalists. The guy had something, charisma, a term much abused today.
Most managers get 15%. The Col took 50 and Elvis never complained.
The sad part was that he never let his star do a good movie. I believe Elvis might just have pulled it off, (He was offered A Star is Born opposite Striesand) but as stated the formula was never broken.
In the end it was sad. To have so much and and the same time so little. He surrounded himself with flunkies and although he often didnt agree with Parker he never went against him and that was his choice.
As a friend of mine down South once wrote, "We knew Jesus was the answer, but Elvis was the King."
Cassidy
Dave, I enjoyed this interview. I have to comment that I really enjoyed Elvis singing the Hawaiian Wedding Song but the two of you put together a great list. To me, Elvis had it all but it was his ballads that I truly enjoyed. The Wonder of You and Can't Help Falling in Love are also two of his songs that were made for his voice and style. For years, Elvis and Sammy Davis Jr were right at the top of my favorite entertainers.
If you are really interested in the true Elvis story, read Peter Guralnicks excellent two part bio of the King.
Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love Published by BackBay.
No bullshit, super research.
If you are really interested in the true Elvis story, read Peter Guralnicks excellent two part bio of the King.
Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love Published by BackBay.
No bullshit, super research.
Scotty Moore link Cassidy and friends might like.
James Burton link for the "other" master who played with Elvis.
BTW Is that an Electro Voice RE-45 you're using in the Interview logo Dave?
I meant RE15.
Was lucky enough to do business with Scotty in Nashville several years ago. He owned a studio and later a tape duplicating company. Really nice humble man. James Burton was on lead the night we saw Elvis and you are right he was
always a master. When the call came that Elvis was going on the road, great studio musicians
cancelled all their dates.
Thanks for both links.
Cassidy
RE-15? What the hell are you smoking?
It's clearly a 635-A The workhorse of the video world in microphones as it's omnidirectonal pattern insures it picks up everything in the environment.
Drawback? No proximity effect so lightweight voices stay that way.
Positive attribute? Could be used as a hammer without damage.
Hey 8:14
'RKC used RE15's when Yonk was there.
The 635a's are very very similar.
And since Yonk was "talkin' Elvis":
"The microphone that Elvis used for the concert segments for TTWII was an ElectroVoice RE-15 but he also used other different mics during his career. Here is a list of the mics he used from 1969-1974:
1969: ElectroVoice RE-15, Shure 545, RCA HK 102
1970: ElectroVoice RE-15, Shure SM-53, Shure SM-58, AKG 1200
1971: ElectroVoice RE-16, Electro Voice RE-15
1972: ElectroVoice RE-15, Shure SM-57
1973: ElectroVoice RE-15, AKG D-224
1974: ElectroVoice RE-15 (Houston only), Beyer Dynamic M-160, AKG D-224, ElectroVoice CS-15 E"
I hope you can see WHY I would pose such a question to the editor who often displays an appreciation of all forms of classics.
With a few years experience under your belt you may realize why some things may not seem so "clearly" apparent from a blog photo.
Apologies accepted grasshopper.
Good audio information and most useful. Now can we get back to the shirt? Does anyone know the stitch pattern or anything about the fabric or dye used. I'd guess the size at a 2 or 3XL. No info on the trousers as they are not pictured.
Just kidding fellas.
WTF? Is there life out there?
3:55 wrote: With a few years experience under your belt you may realize why some things may not seem so "clearly" apparent from a blog photo.
Apologies accepted grasshopper.
No apology offered or needed. If you can't tell by the picture, even without enlarging it - the difference between an Re-15 and a 635a you need:
A: Corrective lenses
B: Schoolin'
C: All of the above
You also wrote: The 635a's are very very similar.
Yup, an omni directional Microphone is "very very similar" to a Cardioid one. Riiiight. Just because they look alike to your uneducated eye (See above)doesn't make them alike in most ways to a person with more than "a few years experience under their belt."
Is there life out there?
Yes. The internet and Obama said so.
Dave got the shirt from Charlie Sheen's house. Apparently he helped him with his health insurance policy during his last argument with the wife.
Isn't this a political blog?
Enjoy the cultural side lights but really, someone asks a question about a mic and elicits all this venom?
I looked at the links and they do LOOK alike and that was the basis of the question.
There has to be a Pompous Audio Blog or Angry Engineer WannaBe site better suited for those kind of responses.
It started with a simple question.
5:31- Isn't this a free country?
What say you Yonkster- 635a or RE-15?
Post a Comment
<< Home