Want to be Elvis? You’ll need more than blue suede shoes

stephen says:

05:28am | 08/01/10

I like Elvis Presley, and one of the reasons why I like him is because my dad hated him. He used to sit in a fat chair with his arms folded and his head tilted to one side, maybe watching Blue Hawaii, turn to me and ask ‘you reckon that blokes good lookin’?
‘Er, does a frog’s arse get wet in summer ?’
Now Colonel Tom and me agree on one thing : Elvis had talent, and weren’t afraid to spill the beans.
He’s a curiosity too, because his aura came on the back of the ‘gilded age’ in America,e.g. the 1950’s. America likes to think the 50’s were it’s ‘innocent’ days, what with bobby sox, white wall tyres and the invention of sci-fi. America’s never been innocent (neither am i) but, hell, she sure is interesting.
Elvis made America so much more so.

Bruce says:

06:49am | 08/01/10

I liked Elvis Presley because he was innovative and at his basic best in the 50’s. After the 50’s, I believe he was just a good looking manufactured entertainer. He certainly still released some good music, however, Presley never really progressed, which I blame Tom Parker for. Once the creative artists of the mid sixties came along Presley really looked quite ordinary and basically went out of fashion except to the die hard fans. He was not the first to play rock and roll music, but he definately broke the mould and gave rock its dominant place in music.

T.Chong says:

07:09am | 08/01/10

The Elvis festival is a good example of what a regional center can do, when the ‘woe-is-me’, ‘city people hate us’ mentality is put aside.
Everyone seems to gain.
Good luck to the organisers, and to all the Priscillas and Elvises:
        “Thank you,thank you very much”

Mr. Peabody says:

07:09am | 08/01/10

There is a saying, not totally true but a good guide. Everything Elvis released before 1960 was a masterpiece and everything he release after 1960 is rubbish. Having said that his two best albums came out in 1960. After that his musical style changed completely. What is interesting is that two for his biggest hits in the mid 1960’s were songs recorded in 1958 and 1960.

What really killed his career in the 60’s was the 8 year movie contract that his signed. His films make by old men past their prime. Presley was their cash cow and there was not a thing he could do about it.

Mr. Peabody says:

07:27am | 08/01/10

Oh, I should add that my pet hate are Elvis impersonations. They cheapen Elvis and his accompaniments. Elvis is called the ‘kong of Rock n’ Roll’ for a reason and it’s not because of the 1970’s fat Elvis in jumpsuits or those crap movies.

H of SA says:

08:46am | 08/01/10

I used to not get Elvis. Then one night I was watching Rage on ABC and on came Elvis singing “If I can dream” staring straight at the camera with no edits. I was a fan from then on.

SLF says:

08:50am | 08/01/10

@Mr Peabody…The Kong of Rock n’ roll’....the best typoe we will see on here all day, well done.

I am not an Elvis fan as such, but not to get it is to be a little lacking in social and cultural history. Elvis what the first real global superstar, he was the groundbreaker, the one who changed the way music was listent to and seen by many. In today’s disposable music society when a TV audience can vote for the next big thing, it is easy to assume that when Elvis emerged on the scene, there were thousand of identikit acts, there simply were not.

Poseidon Burke says:

09:16am | 08/01/10

On letters and the suggestions of T. Chong perhaps Rann should write two letters…

“You know, when they forced Khruschev out, he sat down and wrote two letters to his successor. He said - “When you get yourself into a situation you can’t get out of, open the first letter, and you’ll be safe. When you get yourself into another situation you can’t get out of, open the second letter”. Well, soon enough, this guy found himself into a tight place, so he opened the first letter. Which said - “Blame everything on me”. So he blames the old man, it worked like a charm. He got himself into a second situation he couldn’t get out of, he opened the second letter. It said - “Sit down, and write two letters”. ” Traffic 2000

Liz says:

09:44am | 08/01/10

It’s your age dearie you ‘were born to late’ as Dylan said/wrote, maybe you don’t know who he is either.Just leave it for the ones who do.

Margaret Gray says:

10:03am | 08/01/10

“...I’d struggle to tell you more than one of the titles to Elvis Presley’s songs. And I certainly couldn’t name any of his movies…”

Such a sheltered life, Lucy.

You appear to have missed out on most of the music of the 20th century.

Such a pity…what a gold mine of treasures and influences.

I dread to think what you call “music”. (Belle+Sebastian? [LOL])

“...His outfits are outrageous and from what I’ve seen of his wink and swaying hips it’d it be enough to make anyone gag…”

Why squat on mid-70’s Elvis?

If a 21 year old Elvis walked up to you and asked for a kiss you’d faint…flat out.

Believe me, I know.

So would your grandma and your mama.

Young Elvis makes Taylor Lauter look like Jack Black.

Do a google search and you’ll see I’m right.

The Badger says:

10:17am | 08/01/10

Poseidon Burke - It’s actually three letters and has nothing to do with Khrushchev.  It is about a departing senior executive at a company (pick a company). same advice, open the first, etc. The first letter says re-organize, The second says blame your predecessor, the third says write three letters

Traxman says:

11:11am | 08/01/10

So Lucy, what sort of music do you like ?

T.Chong says:

11:32am | 08/01/10

Poseidon Burke: you’re a charmer, doing a bit of internet stalking? or noting what I say for a portfolio of Lefty bias?
If you have now advanced to reading two articles a day (congrats, sincerely),
then even you would have noticed more than one person comments on more than one story.
Most people can comment on more than one subject, with some good humor and acceptance of opposing POVs
This story is a separate issue, not a political one.
You’re either creepy or some pathetic cyber bully -FO .Plain and simple.

Eno says:

12:28pm | 08/01/10

I love the idea of Elvis impersonators - I’ve seen some good ones and some shockers and always been amused..

..oddly I’m not an Elvis fan though.

Stefano says:

03:37pm | 08/01/10

Yeah, Elvis was OK. Wrote and performed some decent stuff. But I always felt there were others better. In that era, on the basis of voice alone, the Big O and Gene Pitney left him for dead.

Davy says:

04:13pm | 08/01/10

I think it great that a small country town has a festival that brings it so much attention but I’m not sure why anybody would want to emulate a fatty who died inhaling peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Cant people find their own fame. To me its the same logic as if you wear the right clothes you’ll be somebody.

Mikko says:

05:33pm | 08/01/10

Lucy, hop in the Tardis, take a trip back to the early Fifties and turn on the radio. You will be bombarded by wall to wall schmaltz by the likes of Doris Day, Perry Como and Guy Mitchell. Then fast forward just a few years to the mid Fiftees when a guy nicknamed the Hillybilly Cat dropped a bombshell with hits such as Say Mamma, Mystery Train and Heartbreak Hotel which upset parents the world over but opened up a whole new world to teenagers. Elvis showed the way forward for other great rockabilly acts such as Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochrane, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis,then a decade later he and these fellow pioneers inspired a host of other great talents such as The Beatles, The Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix….
Elvis took the African American’s great but largely unknown rhythm and blues and brought it to the world, which has been a much more exciting place as a result. And if anyone thinks he lost it by the end of the Fifties, take the Tardis - no, just Google the Elvis 68 Comeback Special, have a look and listen as he borrows Scotty Moore’s Gibson guitar, sits down with his old band members and belts out Baby What do You Want me to Do?, Tryin’ to Get to You and Lawdy Miss Clawdy, courtesy of Youtube.
Then compare him with the likes of Justin Timberlake or most other current cardboard “idols”.
You might just start to understand.

cats says:

08:58pm | 08/01/10

Margaret Gray - what are you, like a hundred years old? “Such a sheltered life” - lol how is it sheltered to not have lived in the first half of the century. It’s called being born after Elvis died..

Being 20 years old, i don’t understand the Elvis obsession either. The only thing i can compare it to is Spice Girls. They are something i was a huge fan of when i was 8 years old, and were massive. I listen to much different music now (heavy metal) but i would gladly join in a Spice Girls festival. While i would not be as estatic as Elvis fans, i would dance along to a Spice Girls impersonation group.

Lauren says:

10:03pm | 10/01/10

Elvis festivals and Elvis impersonators are just overkill to me. I’m 22, don’t know much about the singer except the typical fat costume, the cringeworthy movies, or that television clip of him performing shown waist up.

I “get” that he is a bloody big deal, that its a historical fact his influence was the turning point in music. But its too much, and the more I hear about it, the more I don’t want to know about it. Kind of like Twilight, more I hear about it, the more I dislike it. Those fans are as crazy as the Elvis fans “he would have been 75 this week!!!” (although comparing Twilight-garbage to Elvis is blasphemy, I admit)

Roy Orbison, Eric Clapton, the Stones, Beatles - those guys I’d want to know about, but not Elvis.