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Beatles forums => The Beatles => Topic started by: raxo on March 11, 2006, 12:00:56 PM

Title: ... with Elvis?
Post by: raxo on March 11, 2006, 12:00:56 PM
(http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/2779/ge9nf.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/2213/ge27ci.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)

I've read that this pic is one of the few pics taken of them during their visit to Elvis in 1965. I'm surprised about this ... he was their idol ... where are the pics? no pics ... they don't exist ... they weren't taken ... incredible!!!

I can see John walking (middle of the pic) and George (right) talking to somebody.

Can you see Elvis?

I think that Elvis is the man on the left, by the door (there are four people there, from left to right: a woman, a man, another man looking inside -or at Elvis- and him).

Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: Bobber on March 12, 2006, 12:50:15 PM
No pictures, no recordings. On another forum someone claimed to have tapes of Elvis and The Beatles together, but when asked to upload this kind of stuff, there's always the same answer. The Waynish: "I don't know how to do that." If it should excist, I think it would have come out by now. It's 41 years ago...
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: raxo on March 12, 2006, 01:45:57 PM
Yep, incredible ... they were going to know him ... so the best thing to do was to smoke before ... so much that they almost forgot where they were going to? ??)  ::)
Hadn't anobody got a camera? ... How could these kind of things happen? ...

I'd prefered it all was a hoax, instead ... knowing what The Guys told us on their Anthology project ...
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: pc31 on March 12, 2006, 03:12:11 PM
elvis was starting to do alot of drugs during that era....he also requested that no pictures be taken....so i think save for a few snaps nothing is recorded...
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: raxo on March 12, 2006, 07:36:35 PM
It had to be that ...  :-/

... tho he was quite young by that time ... he looked quite well in that TV show (Comeback Special, 1968 )  ... anyway, it seems that the guys were not very far from him  :) ...
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: Bobber on March 16, 2006, 10:38:23 AM
George and Elvis met backstage (early 70's?) at an Elvis concert. No pictures either there.
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: raxo on March 16, 2006, 01:21:12 PM
Ringo too ...
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: pc31 on March 17, 2006, 12:56:29 AM
i don't blame them i wouldn't want a picture of me and elvis either....
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: Bobber on March 17, 2006, 07:56:14 AM
On the other hand, if I were Elvis, I would want a picture of myself and The Beatles.
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: Bobber on March 17, 2006, 04:17:49 PM
During their first US visit, Elvis extended an offer of friendship to his opposition, but at least one of the Beatles was having none of it. After being told that they'd been sent a cable of congratulations from Elvis, George asked: "Elvis who?"  (From The Beatles Files by Andy Davis)
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: The End on March 18, 2006, 02:23:40 AM
Where did the name 'Elvis' actually come from, any ideas? Everyone else in his family seems to have normal names (his twin brother was Jessie and his Dad was Vernon) but, apart from Declan MacManus, I have not heard of anyone else with that name.
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: Kevin on March 18, 2006, 10:43:12 AM
And does anyone know what Elvis really thought about The Beatles then? Did he go "oh f*ck, the games up" or "they'll never last"?
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: pc31 on March 18, 2006, 11:29:04 AM
he was actually trying to get them busted....elvis wanted to be a marshal and catch the drug abusers in the music industry...this only came to light a few years after they met....monopoly indeed!!
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: Kate on April 09, 2006, 11:21:52 AM
I never liked Elvis the bloody pelvis - this may have to do with the fact that he didn't write his own music......Or maybe because he just was what he was....does that make sense?....aahhh bugger it!

(http://www.beatleschile.cl/elvis_beatles_photos/beatles_elvis.jpg) (http://www.biwa.ne.jp/~presley/jpg2/Elvis-BeatlesMag.jpg)
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: pc31 on April 09, 2006, 02:42:26 PM
katie don't like alvis either............do you like gene vincent???
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: Kate on April 09, 2006, 03:03:04 PM
yep, gene is great - seen the vid on your webpage - classic!!!


just discovered my love for men in leather suits :D ...wink wink nudge nudge ;)

(http://rynn.free.fr/pictures/cavern1.JPG)
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: pc31 on April 13, 2006, 10:43:59 AM
(http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/6171/02c9ex.jpg)
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: Kate on April 13, 2006, 06:34:12 PM
always loved that one marshall  :)

(http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f243/1cass/Beatles/groupic.jpg) (http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f243/1cass/Beatles/9.jpg)
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: The End on April 13, 2006, 09:16:49 PM
Quote from: pc31
([url]http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/6171/02c9ex.jpg[/url])


Not sure about the pink caps though - Gene Vincent had a lot to answer for!!
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: pc31 on April 14, 2006, 01:04:01 AM
he would bopped you in the loo you la!!!!
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: The End on April 14, 2006, 02:11:59 AM
LOL ;D

Yikes - that sounds TOO painful for words!!
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: pc31 on April 14, 2006, 02:14:30 AM
(http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f243/1cass/Beatles/groupic.jpg)
thats faron from farons flamingoes there in the middle...they said he weas drunk as cooter brown.....
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: pc31 on April 14, 2006, 02:15:15 AM
and ringo was still playing for rory storm......
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: The End on April 14, 2006, 04:10:15 PM
Who's the bird - looks like she's only got eyes for Paul!
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: pc31 on April 15, 2006, 10:33:30 PM
i think she is sitting next to john that is a cropped photo....i'll find the whole thing...bill harry wrote about that party i think.....
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: adamzero on April 15, 2006, 11:57:28 PM
The Beatles idolized Elvis--particularly John and Paul.  Elvis wasn't a writer, but he was a consummate performer and vocalist.  His greatest stuff is from the Sun Sessions--his Mystery Train and Blue Moon of Kentucky are incredible.  Some of the early RCA is great too, but by the 60s he was toast.  He couldn't reinvent himself.

In some ways, the Beatles were the perfect response to Elvis.  To his "hot" style and pelvis gyrations they played it cool.  The Beatles did their cowpoke kneebends and that was about it.  Though they could do rock shouters like Money or Long Tall Sally, there was always a little bit of irony, ice, to it.  

As far as I know none of the Beatles ever covered an Elvis song.  Even on John's Rock and Roll album.  Maybe a bridge too far . . . ?


As far as the Elvis name, it's Norse.  All-wise.   El-vis.    I've always doubted that Vernon and his wife had Elvis explicitly in mind when they named Elvis and were probably thinking of the more popular Elvin and just sorted screwed up.  Or thought they could make it "better"--who knows.  I don't think Vernon Presley was a Norse language scholar or anything.   Elvis Aron Presley is his full real name.  They couldn't spell Aaron right either.  
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: pc31 on April 16, 2006, 06:13:08 AM
paul has done elvis tunes(all shook up) as has ringo....at least the other two showed good taste and didn't cover elvis tunes....john did blue suede shoes but that carls song....
that pic al is in alan williams book i think....
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: Kate on April 16, 2006, 07:36:05 AM
I think they (http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f243/1cass/Beatlessmilies.gif) were pretty disappointed when they met Elvis, cause he wasn't at all easy to talk with - that's my guess....well, at least with the (http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f243/1cass/Beatlessmilies.gif) he couldn't share their experiences and the other way round.....though they adored him....don't think they did afterwards....take it that John invented all this little stories (jamming with Elvis) to make it sound more interesting than it ever was....
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: pc31 on April 16, 2006, 07:53:23 AM
aha...its a sam leach photo......(http://www.samleach.com/album/cavern_party_61.jpg)
http://www.samleach.com/photos_beatles.html
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: pc31 on April 16, 2006, 07:54:49 AM
the all nighter....
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: pc31 on April 16, 2006, 08:06:34 AM
maybe its a sam picture....taken by dick matthews....look at this one paul has his foot i think....(http://www.samleach.com/album/engagement2.jpg)
read about sams engagement party....
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: Kate on April 16, 2006, 08:07:48 AM
love those pics....thankx for posting them...I know I have them..... somewhere in various books....
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: pc31 on April 16, 2006, 08:08:18 AM
wait and i will try to find it...the story...it mayb alan caldwells foot....
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: Kate on April 16, 2006, 08:10:19 AM
Elvis met the Beatles![/u] (http://features.absoluteelsewhere.net/ZeKingandI/john_talks_meeting.html)

thought I put this in for everyone who doesn't know......ha ha ha if there is such a thing....
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: Bobber on April 16, 2006, 11:11:55 AM
Quote from: pc31
wait and i will try to find it...the story...it mayb alan caldwells foot....

Yeah, Rory insisted on being on the photograph too, so Paul grabbed his foot.
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: adamzero on April 17, 2006, 03:48:26 AM
Borrowed my brother's "Run Devil Run"--Paul's version of "All Shook Up" didn't shake me up.  It was competent, but Paul in 1997 ain't Elvis of 1957.  But then who is?  Or was?

It's weird how some versions of songs become definitive.  Like almost all Beatles versions of their own songs are the definitive versions.

I'm up in the air re. Blue Suede Shoes.  I love Carl Perkins, but I'm not sure Elvis didn't surpass him.  Anyway, Elvis's Sun Sessions and his first album on RCA is a masterpiece for me that stands right up there with the greatest rock'n'roll ever recorded.  It doesn't hurt to have guitarists like Chet Atkins and Scotty Moore.  And D.J. Fontana on drums.  Great Gawd-a-mighty!  
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: pc31 on April 21, 2006, 03:37:14 AM
me and the fat elvis agree (http://www.hitjokes.com/images/icons/thekingSm.jpg)
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: raxo on June 27, 2007, 08:15:04 PM
Quote from: 345
I got this out of a magazine=)


On the night of Aug. 27, The Beatles went to visit Elvis at his Los Angeles home at 565 Perugia Way.  Author Chris Hutchins was with them.

Elvis and his wife pricilla were sitting in the centre of a horeshoe couch in the den, hutchins said.  "He was wearing a red shirt and close-fitting black jerkin, the high Napoleonic collar rising above his sideburns."
"Priscilla was pure Hollywood starlet.  Her black bouffant towered above her forhead and she was heavily made up with thick black mascara, midnight blue eye-liner, red blusher and heartbreak pink lipstick.  She was wearing a figure-hugging cream jacket with long pants and there was a jeweled tiara on her head.

"Elvis rose to greet his guests, sun-tanned and outwardly relaxed.
"peering 'round the room like peter sellers and putting on an inspector clouseau accent to address his reluctant host, Jogn said, "Oh, zere you are!"

The Mersey river had finally run into the MIssissippi River and already I could see there were going to be some big waves.

There was a sudden silence as the record that was playing came to an end. No one spoke.

The silence became uncomfortable and then embarrassing.  Everyone looked at Elvis.

Nervously, he picked up the remote control and started changing the channels on the TV.

Throwing the device on the coffee table, elvis said, "If you guys are just gonna sit there and start at me I'm goin' to bed.  Let's call it a night, right Cilla? I didn't mean for this to be like the subjects calling on hte King.  I just htought we'd sit and talk about music and maybe jam a little."

"That would be great," Paul enthused, trying to save the situation.

Elvis ordered somebody to bring in the guitars.  Electric guitars are brought in and plugged into amplifiers which are scattered around the room, and a white piano is pushed into the center of the room.  Elvis picks up the bass guitar he has started to learn to play.

The party broke around 2 a.m., but there was a parting shot from John as we bundled each other out of the front door.  "Sanks for ze music, He said, adding sarcastically, "Long live the King."

As we walked to the car Colonel Tom Parker said to me, "Tell the fans it was a great meeting."

Jogn overhears this and laughed and sid, "Tell them the truth, it was a load of rubbish."




And there you go, how the Beatles met the king. Exscuse any typing mistakes etc. I typed it up in like 2 minutes and wasn't very careful hehe. Just thought Id bring that little bit of info to you=)


from here: http://dmbeatles.com/forums/m-1078757475/
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: raxo on June 27, 2007, 08:20:43 PM
We talked about this meeting few days ago ... here:
http://dmbeatles.com/forums/b-cc/m-1098118903/s-570/
http://dmbeatles.com/forums/b-cc/m-1098118903/s-585/
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: alexis on June 28, 2007, 01:50:16 AM
I've read Georg'es description of the meeting somewhere in these forums that gave a very different picture ... he made it sound like they had a good time.

So much stuff we will probably never really know what happened.  I bet that they would have been tickled pink to be Elvis' Jordannaires for an evening. Of course Elvis might not have liked that.
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: The Swine on July 04, 2007, 07:56:33 AM
elvis is an overrated a**hole.
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: BlueMeanie on July 04, 2007, 08:28:03 AM
Quote from: 748
elvis is an overrated a**hole.

I totally agree Mr. Swine. I'll accept that he was an important artist and major influence until he went into the army. After that, he's finished. A lot of this of course, can be blamed on his manager who - when The Beatles were playing stadiums - thought that the peak of an artists career should be a residency in Vegas!
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: Kevin on July 04, 2007, 08:58:47 AM
Quote from: 483

I totally agree Mr. Swine. I'll accept that he was an important artist and major influence until he went into the army. After that, he's finished. A lot of this of course, can be blamed on his manager who - when The Beatles were playing stadiums - thought that the peak of an artists career should be a residency in Vegas!

I think pre-Army Elvis totally earns his status as a rock legend. For a few years he WAS rock and roll. His importance is beyond measure.
Post army - oh dear. When you hear about the Colonel refusing to let him tour, turning down offers for movies like Midnight Cowboy...
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: BlueMeanie on July 04, 2007, 09:04:27 AM
Quote from: 185
turning down offers for movies like Midnight Cowboy...

Blimey, I didn't know that. What an idiot. I don't know much about Parker, due to my relative non interest in Elvis; was he a naive idiot, or lazy, money grabbing, and exploitative? I guess his 20% cut from a tour would have been an awful lot more work that a 20% cut from a million bucks a week at Vegas?
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: Kevin on July 04, 2007, 09:15:58 AM
He was a major control freak. Maybe he was afraid of loosing power over Elvis. (whether Parker was Frankenstein and Elvis his monster is as debatable as the Epstein-Beatles thing.)
The most charitable thing to say (and I'm no expert) is that not all decisions were made with elvis's best interests at heart.
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: BlueMeanie on July 04, 2007, 09:19:00 AM
Quote from: 185
He was a major control freak. Maybe he was afraid of loosing power over Elvis. (whether Parker was Frankenstein and Elvis his monster is as debatable as the Epstein-Beatles thing.)
The most charitable thing to say (and I'm no expert) is that not all decisions were made with elvis's best interests at heart.

Well, Elvis was a bit of a dumb Hick wasn't he, so I guess he was pretty easy to exploit. But Parker was probably constantly paranoid that someone else would start talking some sense into him, and Elvis would see the light.
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: Kevin on July 04, 2007, 09:26:22 AM
Yeah. And for Elvis there were no reference points. How was a rock and roll career supposed to go? A drift into light entertainment might have seemed the sensible thing to do. Noone could have forseen the longevity of the genre in 1962.
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: rand on August 21, 2007, 04:36:16 PM
John was worried about meeting Elvis because he was the biggest thing in music. Paul told John the Beatles were bigger than Elvis...
http://www.angelfire.com/music3/BeatlesTapes/ElvisBeatles.jpg
John was misquoted about the bigger than thing too.
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: wingsman on August 21, 2007, 09:01:06 PM
Is it true that Ringo played football with Elvis?  :P
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: Andy Smith on August 22, 2007, 01:15:49 PM
Quote from: 713
Is it true that Ringo played football with Elvis?  :P

That's what Ringo said on the Anthology so... ;D

Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: adamzero on August 22, 2007, 11:07:45 PM
Andreas Cornelis (Dries) van Kuijk was born Dutch.  He joined the U.S. Army and changed his name to Tom Parker.  He worked in carnivals and later took on the "Colonel" nickname.  He had a management company with Hank Snow, but signed Elvis and split with Snow (some have claimed "stole" from Snow).

He never formally acquired U.S. citizenship, so some speculate that he feared to leave the U.S. for fear of being denied reentry.  Others have speculated that the Colonel might have murdered someone in the Old Country or committed some other kind of crime that might have come to light and prevented him from getting a Visa or citizenship.  

So that's why Elvis seldom played outside the U.S.  When he played in Canada, the Colonel stayed on this side of the border.
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: Bobber on March 12, 2008, 09:11:32 AM
Something of that meeting did survive after all:

Quote
Beatles' Autographs on Elvis' Personal Stationery - August 27, 1965. Iconic is an understatement! It was August 27, 1965. The Beatles were on the eve of playing the Balboa Stadium in San Diego. Elvis was in the midst of shooting Paradise, Hawaiian Style in Hollywood. That night, between 10 and 11 p.m., John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr arrived in limousines at Elvis's domain, 565 Perugia Way in Bel Air, and Elvis personally greeted them at the door for what forever after became known as the "summit meeting" of Pop music and Rock and Roll.

"If you guys are going to stare at me all night," joked Elvis, "I'm going to bed!"

In fact, Elvis was awed too, but the ice broke and the evening found Elvis and John, Paul and George playing guitars (while Ringo, without drums, banged the side of a chair), the group admiring Elvis's new sauna, laughing at a fan who had infiltrated the house and began screaming hysterically, and discussing the terrors of fame. In one moving (and retrospectively chilling) moment, John noted that Elvis was very brave to perform in public before the wildly screaming and actually dangerous fans -- after all, onstage, the Beatles had each other.

A relic survives from that legendary meeting -- Jerry Schilling, a member of Elvis's "Memphis Mafia," got the autographs of all four Beatles on a 5" x 8" piece of Elvis Presley's personal stationery, dated "8/27/65." The autographs are sharp and clean in blue ink, the word "Elvis" is pre-printed in the upper left corner, and the dynamic of the signatures of the "Fab Four" on the stationery of "the King" is -- for lack of a better word -- magical.

Accompanying the lot is a copy of Disc Weekly (September 4, 1965), with the front page headline "Beatles Meet Elvis!" and The National Blast Weekly (October 10, 1965), also with the headline, "Beatles Meet Elvis!!!" All items are in Excellent condition.


(http://images.ha.com/lf?source=url[file:images/InetPub/NewNames/300/3/6/6/4/3664587.jpg],continueonerror[true]&scale=size[450x2000],options[limit]&sink)
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: Kevin on March 12, 2008, 11:08:05 AM
I've always thought there was some debate about the "jam." John is the only Beatle who remembers it, and his memory isn't too reliable. Other "witnesses" who claim it happened - Priscilla for example - weren't in the room when it supposedly took place. I can't be arsed looking it up, but wasn't George's only memory trying to score and Ringo's was playing football. Paul says it never happenerd. But then again they were all very stoned.
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: Bobber on March 12, 2008, 11:13:04 AM
Bear in mind that the above text is a press release from the auction hall.
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: alexis on March 12, 2008, 02:16:43 PM
Quote from: 748
elvis is an overrated a**hole.

Disagree respectfully and entirely. Without Elvis there would have been no RxR as we know it. He WAS the one, like that dude in the Matrix. John Lennon ("Before Elvis there was nothing") wasn't the only one of his musical generation who put a religious-type description of the King.

Debatable of course, his importance post-Army, but 1956-then ... as essential to RxR as gravity is to rollercoasters.
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: alexis on March 12, 2008, 02:21:07 PM
Quote from: 9
The Beatles idolized Elvis--particularly John and Paul.  Elvis wasn't a writer, but he was a consummate performer and vocalist.  His greatest stuff is from the Sun Sessions--his Mystery Train and Blue Moon of Kentucky are incredible.  Some of the early RCA is great too, but by the 60s he was toast.  He couldn't reinvent himself.

In some ways, the Beatles were the perfect response to Elvis.  To his "hot" style and pelvis gyrations they played it cool.  The Beatles did their cowpoke kneebends and that was about it.  Though they could do rock shouters like Money or Long Tall Sally, there was always a little bit of irony, ice, to it.  

As far as I know none of the Beatles ever covered an Elvis song.  Even on John's Rock and Roll album.  Maybe a bridge too far . . . ?

The Beatles performed the first song that Elvis got on tape in Sam Phillip's Sun Studios ("That's All Right Mama"). it was apparently part of their standard stage set list. It's also on the BBC tapes.


As far as the Elvis name, it's Norse.  All-wise.   El-vis.    I've always doubted that Vernon and his wife had Elvis explicitly in mind when they named Elvis and were probably thinking of the more popular Elvin and just sorted screwed up.  Or thought they could make it "better"--who knows.  I don't think Vernon Presley was a Norse language scholar or anything.   Elvis Aron Presley is his full real name.  They couldn't spell Aaron right either.  

Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: Kevin on March 12, 2008, 02:43:45 PM
Quote from: 568

Disagree respectfully and entirely. Without Elvis there would have been no RxR as we know it. He WAS the one, like that dude in the Matrix. John Lennon ("Before Elvis there was nothing") wasn't the only one of his musical generation who put a religious-type description of the King.

Debatable of course, his importance post-Army, but 1956-then ... as essential to RxR as gravity is to rollercoasters.

Agree with this totally. The guy set the template. His importance is immeasurable. And his pre-army image wasn't contrived or invented. He was what he was and rock as most of us know it is thanks to him.
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: raxo on June 02, 2010, 04:18:19 PM
The Elvis Presley Story - Elvis Meets The Beatles

Broadcast on:BBC 6 Music, 3:00am Wednesday 2nd June 2010
Duration: 60 minutes
Available until: 4:02am Wednesday 9th June 2010

Listen here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00srvfx/The_Elvis_Presley_Story_Elvis_Meets_The_Beatles/ (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00srvfx/The_Elvis_Presley_Story_Elvis_Meets_The_Beatles/)
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: Bobber on June 03, 2010, 07:03:43 AM
Elvis singing Old McDonald had a farm? How low can you get? That's even worse than Paul singing Mary Had A Little Lamb!
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: tkitna on June 03, 2010, 08:30:31 AM
Here's Paul and Elvis

(http://www.elviscostello.info/disc/bootlegs/rp.jpg)
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: Kevin on June 04, 2010, 12:30:49 PM
I was thinking about this. Maybe The Beatles greatest contribution to popular muic was to make the self contained (writing own songs, some control over the process of their music) act the norm. Singing factory produced music chosen by a manager has not been cool since.
Dylan's was to make singing about nothing but love etc also very uncool. Ever since, acts have had to have a certain "depth" to have any cred.
And Elvis? He established the white, sexual rebel male as the template for popular music. The music itself wasn't enough. Bye bye fat old Bill Haley or black Chuck Berry as the future of rock.

I struggle to put one of these achievements over the others. Each one is essential for rock as we know it today. Though of course progress isn't always good. I guess you could make a case that popular music was just as good (maybe better) when it was being made by less image conscious acts singing professionally written love songs, rather than pretentious hippy psycho babble written by a bunch of stoned rich rock stars pretending to be something they're not.

I guess I'm thinking Elvis and The Beatles contributions to music were different but no less significant.

And I should have used the word "popularised" for all 3 above. Beatles weren't the first act to write songs, Dylan not the first to sing about something other than love and Elvis wasn't the first white boy on the scene. But I think these are the three acts that made these trends popular.
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: peterbell1 on October 05, 2011, 08:17:57 AM
When The Beatles met Elvis Presley ...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15126945 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15126945)


In pictures: The Beatles and Elvis Presley exhibition ...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-15166951 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-15166951)
Title: Re: ... with Elvis?
Post by: peregrine9 on October 06, 2011, 07:49:34 AM
The Guardian
October4, 2011
When the Beatles met Elvis, and John Lennon put his idol's nose out of joint

Liverpool exhibition reveals what happened at the first and only meeting between the English group and the American singer.It was the meeting of two of the greatest rock'n'roll acts of the 20th century but the first, and only, rendezvous between the Beatles and Elvis Presley almost fell flat, according to a new exhibition in Liverpool. Elvis and Us, which opens to the public at the Beatles Story museum in Liverpool on Wednesday, has been co-curated with archivists from Presley's Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee.The show tells the story of the band's meeting with Presley at his house in Bel Air, California, when the group were on their 1965 US summer tour.It did not start well, according to Tony Barrow, the Beatles' press officer in the 1960s. Having walked past Bentleys and Harley Davidson motorcycles into Presley's home, John Lennon got straight to the point.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/oct/04/beatles-met-elvis-liverpool-exhibition (http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/oct/04/beatles-met-elvis-liverpool-exhibition)