Over the past few years Elvis Presley pops-up in our topics and we had some great debates about him. I posted this topic on his 30th, anniversary for more effect, I want to ask a couple of questions that's been bugging me, " is he really more popular now then when he was alive and why?", "does he have any real fans under the age of 40?" and lastly, " which Elvis is your favorite?"...mine?, there was only early Elvis the true "King", and he died in 1959. 

I think Elvis' popularity these days is a nostalgia thing for the older ones, and kitschy thing for the younger. I think he is a footnote to most under 40 and I, like you, feel that the real Elvis died when he stopped waggling those hips and slid into Vegas.  The young Elvis was hot.  What he turned into was a parody, a veritable cartoon.  Tom Parker ruined him, absolutely ruined him.

I think Elvis' popularity these days is a nostalgia thing for the older ones, and kitschy thing for the younger. I think he is a footnote to most under 40 and I, like you, feel that the real Elvis died when he stopped waggling those hips and slid into Vegas.  The young Elvis was hot.  What he turned into was a parody, a veritable cartoon.  Tom Parker ruined him, absolutely ruined him.


Danoota&Me, I think early Elvis still lives in us today is why he is as popular now as back then in the 50's. He was the good bad boy that re-defined the word "cool" as a way to live your life, I think we do that, hey! we are in the 00's! that's cool! isn't it?

hey! we are in the 00's! that's cool! isn't it?



Yeah! We made it!  :)  (thousands didn't  :-\\  )

Well I am 38 and he definitely exists for me. I was raised on his music and still remember the day the announcement came over our school PA system that he had died.

I love each of his eras equally for different reasons. I have a soft spot for the 68 leather comeback special because its the year of my birth and he is just so raw in it.

Well I am 38 and he definitely exists for me. I was raised on his music and still remember the day the announcement came over our school PA system that he had died.

I love each of his eras equally for different reasons. I have a soft spot for the 68 leather comeback special because its the year of my birth and he is just so raw in it.


His 68' show was aired the other night and watching it this time 38 years later he looked like he enjoyed the leather suit early Elvis part of his show the most. This was the Elvis and his songs (his interpretation of many borrowed songs) that made him the King. He played to the audience and the camera with his unique charisma like he did in 1956, showing the world the true Elvis Presley that made him King of the 50's Rock and Roll revolution, and the Elvis Presley, that was over shawdowed by the Beatles, was not the real true Elvis that he is now in 68' that dumb dumb Elvis trying to be an half assed actor.

Yes, he was a dumb dumb actor in dumber movies and Danoota&me is 100% correct, Col. Parker steered him wrong in a lot of career avenues.

Long live "early" Elvis he will live in the minds of his original fans forever.

I love Elvis...and I am only 30 years old. He died the year that I was born, but I can appreciate his music and his movies, just as much as an original diehard fan back in the day. :)

I think he is a footnote to most under 40 and I, like you, feel that the real Elvis died when he stopped waggling those hips and slid into Vegas.


Ironic that most of his 'impersonators' choose to adopt this 'Vegas/Rhinestone jumpsuit' image in their acts...

As for me, I vividly remember the day he died...I wasn't too clued up on him then, but did make up for it!

I wouldn't call myself a die-hard fan, but can appreciate the legend behind the man...

(However, I will draw the line at watching his films... :P)

As for me, I vividly remember the day he died...I wasn't too clued up on him then, but did make up for it!


I was never a fan of the man or his music, but I also remember well the day he died!

The King is dead ... long live the King!

Hmm. Guess  I'm not a 'dyed in the wool' Elvis fan ... 'cause I tend to favour his Vegas year type songs .. when he was supposedly in decline. Those earlier songs of his ... Teddy Bear, Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock, .. Love me Tender .. Wooden Heart .... etc; etc; ... sound just so dated to my ears ... and depress me to an extent. There was just something about that time/those type of songs that didn't do it for me .... around 1956-59.

However, some exceptions .. 'It's now or never'  .. based on the Italian song 'O sole mio (1960); 'Surrrender' (1961); and maybe ('Maries the name) His latest flame (1961). Then forward to 1969 ... to where I start to become some kind of a fan ... 'In the Ghetto'; 'Suspicious Minds' The wonder of you' .. but the song that really pushed him upwards in my estimation was 'I've lost you' (1970) ... such a haunting and beautiful song for me at that time. Further cemented by 'I just can't help believing' (1971) ... I reckon his version craps on B.J Thomas' effort big time. The other great song he did in my opinion around that time .... 'Until it's time for you to go' (1972) ... made it to #5 in the UK chart. Lovely violin work on that one, and an angelic fade out type choir .. very haunting. I also like 'Suspicion' from 1976. His versions of 'My Way' and 'You don't have to say you love me' are ok ... but too strongly associated with Frank Sinatra/ Dusty Springfield for me... and I prefer their versions still.

So.. my fave 3 Elvis songs: 'I've lost you'; 'I just can't help believing'; 'Until it's time for you to go'.

Finally .. to answer the question:  Re: Elvis Presley... still "The King" 30 years dead, are you a die hard fan? Maybe I should tackle that in two parts?

I'm not sure if he was ever the 'King' ...  a bit of hype there .. but he did have some great songs / an accomplished voice.

As for the last part of the question ... 'are you a die hard fan?' ... 1, 2 and 3 were all pretty good, so I 'm looking forward to seeing  no. 4!  :D

For the record, 'Suspicion' dates from 1962 (off the 'Pot Luck' LP)...his other hit from '76 ('Girl Of My Best Friend') is also an old LP track...

Not sure why they were released as singles...perhaps the record company were desperate for Elvis material...he hadn't shuffled off by that point!

Both songs were sizeable hits for other artists in America, which proves how strong the songs were...

I only really like a few from his 70s period...the best being 'It's Only Love', which was incredibly passed over by the British arm of the record company in 1971 and only surfaced here in 1980 as part of a '25th Anniversary' reissue package...

For the record, 'Suspicion' dates from 1962 (off the 'Pot Luck' LP)...his other hit from '76 ('Girl Of My Best Friend') is also an old LP track...


Well, I was going by my UK chart book ...

Suspicion entered the UK chart on Christmas day 1976, reaching no.9, and spending 12 weeks on the chart. Doesn't look like it had charted there in previous years .. so it obviously couldn't have been released there for some reason ... back in the 60's.  ???

Well, I was going by my UK chart book ...

Suspicion entered the UK chart on Christmas day 1976, reaching no.9, and spending 12 weeks on the chart. Doesn't look like it had charted there in previous years .. so it obviously couldn't have been released there for some reason ... back in the 60's.  ???


Oh, I'm not at issue with 'the book' (heaven forbid!)...and at the time it was a 'new' record, just an 'old' recording...

The song itself did chart in Britain beforehand...in 1964 in a version by Presley soundalike, Terry Stafford...

As I said, I'm not sure why the record company chose to release it, but it's money in the bank, I suppose... ::)

Ironic that most of his 'impersonators' choose to adopt this 'Vegas/Rhinestone jumpsuit' image in their acts...

As for me, I vividly remember the day he died...I wasn't too clued up on him then, but did make up for it!

I wouldn't call myself a die-hard fan, but can appreciate the legend behind the man...

(However, I will draw the line at watching his films... :P)


They choose the glitzy Elvis to impersonate because 99% of them don't look like sing like or talk like him and the only way we know they are impersonating him is by those Flash Gordon uniforms he wore on stage.

Elvis may have been the king but Jim Morrison was the GOD!!!!




Cat

Elvis may have been the king but Jim Morrison was the GOD!!!!




Cat



Cat! I always respect your opinoin, but, Jim Morrison???

Cat! I always respect your opinoin, but, Jim Morrison???


They were both   HOT!!!

http://www.poster.net/p-collection/p-collection-elvis-classic-9958909.jpghttp://www.postergiant.com/mu00071b.jpg

They were both   HOT!!!

http://www.poster.net/p-collection/p-collection-elvis-classic-9958909.jpghttp://www.postergiant.com/mu00071b.jpg



Ohh, baby!  ;)



Cat

Ohh, baby!  ;)



Cat


"????"...If you say so, what ever floats your's and Danoota's boat!

"????"...If you say so, what ever floats your's and Danoota's boat!



Ok, my opinion of Elvis:  I like some of his music as well as his movies but I don't go gaga over him. (I do love the song "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You".) As far as looks, he was ok but didn't really do anything for me but I can understand why others find his so attractive. As for Jim, I think his was extremely good looking but a very complex person-which sort of added to his "genius" (or as some may say, his "madness"). I have listened to the Doors more than I have listened to Elvis-but that is me. As for the quote ("Elvis may have been the King of Rock-n-Roll, but Jim was the God"), I can't remember where I heard that but I liked it and it sort of fits.


Cat

I'm not a die-hard Elvis fan, but after visiting Graceland last year I have a much greater appreciation for him. He truly was the King.

I'm not a die-hard Elvis fan, but after visiting Graceland last year I have a much greater appreciation for him. He truly was the King.



I would love to go to Graceland someday!!

I would love to go to Graceland someday!!


Everyone must go to Graceland.

You'd dig it the most.  ;)

Everyone must go to Graceland.

You'd dig it the most.  ;)


I think one year I will go to Graceland...and then go to Dollywood....wow, I think I would be in my glory!! Elvis stuff, and Dolly stuff in one trip! Wowzers! ;D :D

I think one year I will go to Graceland...and then go to Dollywood....wow, I think I would be in my glory!! Elvis stuff, and Dolly stuff in one trip! Wowzers! ;D :D


My cousin visited Graceland several years back, and she said she thought it was really "tacky."

After touring it myself, I must admit that I couldn't exactly disagree with her, but then I remembered that they left most of it exactly the same as it was on the day he died and I thought to myself, "Sure, Graceland might be tacky, but whose house wasn't tacky in 1977?" 

My cousin visited Graceland several years back, and she said she thought it was really "tacky."

After touring it myself, I must admit that I couldn't exactly disagree with her, but then I remembered that they left most of it exactly the same as it was on the day he died and I thought to myself, "Sure, Graceland might be tacky, but whose house wasn't tacky in 1977?" 


I wonder if they show you the royal 'throne' the 'king' was sitting on before he finally keeled over. It may well have looked something like this:

                    ->          http://www.inthe00s.com/avatars_custom/avatar_7277.gif

I've heard he was reading a book or mag about the scientific investigation into the  Turin shroud at the time that he was 'Taking care of business' ...

Ok, my opinion of Elvis:  I like some of his music as well as his movies but I don't go gaga over him. (I do love the song "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You".) As far as looks, he was ok but didn't really do anything for me but I can understand why others find his so attractive. As for Jim, I think his was extremely good looking but a very complex person-which sort of added to his "genius" (or as some may say, his "madness"). I have listened to the Doors more than I have listened to Elvis-but that is me. As for the quote ("Elvis may have been the King of Rock-n-Roll, but Jim was the God"), I can't remember where I heard that but I liked it and it sort of fits.


Cat


Cat, I always respect your opion and if you're saying in your most deepest thoughts of Elvis is that he's just ok and Jim can walk on water...that's cool!

I'm not a die-hard Elvis fan, but after visiting Graceland last year I have a much greater appreciation for him. He truly was the King.





I'm not a die-hard Elvis fan, but after visiting Graceland last year I have a much greater appreciation for him. He truly was the King.



Al-B, that's next on my list to visit. I couple of years ago I went to the Cathedral of rock and roll music the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame now I want to see the King's Castle, the reason why the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame even exsists in the first place. If the flights are not over booked I'll try again to get there this Fall. I'll let you know.

My cousin visited Graceland several years back, and she said she thought it was really "tacky."

After touring it myself, I must admit that I couldn't exactly disagree with her, but then I remembered that they left most of it exactly the same as it was on the day he died and I thought to myself, "Sure, Graceland might be tacky, but whose house wasn't tacky in 1977?" 


the tackier the better....bring on the tackiness!!! woot!! ;D :D

People can always get into things later. ;)

While I'm not a huge fan in general, I like a few of his songs, especially the more upbeat rockish ones like "Jailhouse Rock". I certainly recognize and appreciate his talents as well as the influence he had on youth culture and rock and roll. Anything that existed after him very likely wouldn't have existed. Although there's been a few aboveground hits that poked their head through, he was the first real superstar from about 1955-1958, but it had a lasting impact beyond that. In fact, right around the time he died, there was an Elvis comeback of sorts, since by the mid '70s it was long enough ago for the masses to be nostalgic for him. For better or worse, I think he'll always be immortalized as a semi-young man because of his death, too.

Even as recently as the early-mid '90s, there were oldies stations that played his songs. I imagine just the mystique he has as the first rock and roll superstar will be enough to get people interested in him, even if just in a cursory way.

People can always get into things later. ;)

While I'm not a huge fan in general, I like a few of his songs, especially the more upbeat rockish ones like "Jailhouse Rock". I certainly recognize and appreciate his talents as well as the influence he had on youth culture and rock and roll. Anything that existed after him very likely wouldn't have existed. Although there's been a few aboveground hits that poked their head through, he was the first real superstar from about 1955-1958, but it had a lasting impact beyond that. In fact, right around the time he died, there was an Elvis comeback of sorts, since by the mid '70s it was long enough ago for the masses to be nostalgic for him. For better or worse, I think he'll always be immortalized as a semi-young man because of his death, too.

Even as recently as the early-mid '90s, there were oldies stations that played his songs. I imagine just the mystique he has as the first rock and roll superstar will be enough to get people interested in him, even if just in a cursory way.


Marty, If I'm correct you're in your early twenties but you seem to know about rock music far more then your years. To bad you didn't live in the times when rock music was going through it's hard knocks in it's beginings you would be one of the die hards today on the roots of rock and on early Elvis. He was part of everyone's conversations, he was loved and hated by everyone in America in his beginings, he was powerful, so powerful that politians, law enforcers, religious leaders wanted him shut down because parents worried about their teenage daughters and losing their virginity to a picture of him on their bedroom wall, and worried that their sons would turn into leather wearing teenage delinquents. He was a force to be reckon with in all classes of people. Yes, this new phenom was changing the music and the culture of America and we, as well as he, didn't know it at the time and in time he won out over the establishment and was crowned the "King".

He influenced a generation of young post war kids to live your life the way you want it and not by others standards and if you practiced it much of life you become a die hard fan by default and now dead 30 years is why he's still the King and as long as this post war gerneration of die hard fans stay alive over the next 30 years, early Elvis will live in our memories on how he started it all for everyone to follow. Maybe your parents or grand parents can give you some stories on early Elvis...this is how his real image lives on and on.

It's so so sad that the young people today only know of Elvis Presley only as the guy who's picture is on key chain or some other embarrassing piece of garbage trinkett made in China.

The original die hard early Elvis fan have a mission! to keep Elvis's real image alive by educating the younger generation on what he did for rock and roll music and a cultural change in America...I hope I'm doing my part in this mission with the help of this this terrific site "In the 00's".     

I wonder if they show you the royal 'throne' the 'king' was sitting on before he finally keeled over. It may well have looked something like this:

                    ->          http://www.inthe00s.com/avatars_custom/avatar_7277.gif

I've heard he was reading a book or mag about the scientific investigation into the  Turin shroud at the time that he was 'Taking care of business' ...
Nah, unfortunately his upstairs bedroom (and bathroom) is closed to the public tour of Graceland.

If his toilet really did have a tongue I'm sure he would've made a song about it.  :D

If his toilet really did have a tongue I'm sure he would've made a song about it.  :D




Maybe he did? .. When he sang 'You were always on my mind' ... he was serenading the tongue .. which understood the lyric as 'You were always on my behind'  :D

http://www.inthe00s.com/avatars_custom/avatar_7277.gif
"Yes .... I was!"  :)

The toilet (oops) .. I mean the king's royal throne .. was also immortalised in songs such as 'Stuck on you' (when he had .. uhm .. problems) and 'It's now or never' ... when he was constipated. When he got relief ... he sang 'There goes my everything!'  :D ;D

Cat, I always respect your opion and if you're saying in your most deepest thoughts of Elvis is that he's just ok and Jim can walk on water...that's cool!






I don't think Jim could walk on water, I just thought he was a very fascinating character. Definitely more than 2 dimensional than a lot of the "stars" today are. And I think that Elvis was a bit complex too, not as much as Jim, but still, he was not 2 dimensional either. Because of their status, Both Elvis & Jim could get away with a lot of s**t that you and I could never do. They both had people cow towing to their every whim-no matter how bizarre it was.






Al-B, that's next on my list to visit. I couple of years ago I went to the Cathedral of rock and roll music the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame now I want to see the King's Castle, the reason why the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame even exsists in the first place. If the flights are not over booked I'll try again to get there this Fall. I'll let you know.



I would love to go to the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame but it is in Cleveland and I HATE Cleveland with a passion (long story-and very personal).




Cat

Not a die hard Elvis fan, but I do remember exactly where I was when I heard the news that he had died. And there are a few of his songs that I just love, and he was hotter than hot in his younger days!  :-*

Not a die hard Elvis fan, but I do remember exactly where I was when I heard the news that he had died. And there are a few of his songs that I just love, and he was hotter than hot in his younger days!  :-*


My daughter was born 8/10/77 and she was home from the hospital 2 days when he died, and I remember moments after getting up enough nerve to pick her up from the bassinet and holding her for the first time a news special report flashed on the TV about his death. It was a very happy moment that went sad quickly. I looked at her and said "you were born, he dies, life goes on". Strange, but those words were not true, his life, like her life, has been going on strong for the same 30 years, but I still remember it like it was yesterday for both of them.

I was much more of a fan when I was a child in the 70s.  My parents had the album of his concert Live from Hawaii (1973 if I recall correctly - don't quote me on that though, I would have only been 4 when it took place).  As I recall, it was an amazing concert.

While he doesn't really have the appeal (to me) that he once did, "Can't help falling in love" still makes me swoon to this day.  And I STILL love the "music box" version from his 1961 film, Blue Hawaii http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBCR9-8z5E0