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4.14am
26 July 2011
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This will be the first thread I start in this forum… and who would have ever imagined it would be about Elvis. There were a number of songs of his that I liked — and there’s no doubt about the impact he had on a whole generation (including all four of The Beatles) and generations to come. But I was never a real Elvis fan.
But it was 35 years ago today The King died. I was a young man at the time, working at my first job, and one of the young secretaries in the office was sobbing — and she broke the news to me that Elvis had died.
I was shocked and saddened, especially since he was still a relatively young man. But it certainly didn’t affect me like it did her, and while I never said it to her, I found myself thinking “how in the world can you go to pieces over the death of a celebrity, no matter how much you enjoyed their work?” Just over three years later (Dec 8, 1980), I got my answer, in the worst possible way, and I felt like writing her a letter apologizing for my lack of understanding.
What did Elvis mean to you?
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BeatlebugI've got nothing to say, but it's okay..
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4.43am
16 August 2012
Offline I’ll go on record saying that while I certainly respect what Elvis did for rock and roll in the beginning, I think that his post-army music and movie career was about 95% garbage and has watered down his legacy.
BUT… Credit where due, what he did from ’56-’58 shaped modern music as we know it. There would be no Beatles without Elvis. I don’t have much in the way of memories of Elvis’ life (being only 40). I remember my Mom being sad one day. Years later, she gave me a picture he signed for her.
E is for 'Ergent'.
4.53am
19 September 2010
Offline I’m too young to remember anything, but I think Elvis is the caution tale for aging rockers. I always find it hilarious that, in starring opposite Elvis in 1969’s Change of Habit, Mary Tyler Moore almost struck the final nail in her career coffin, and that doing a late 60’s Elvis vehicle was such a hit to your reputation. I’m just glad nobody else famous has gone through that type of career arc.
As if it matters how a man falls down.'
'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.
9.25am
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Elvis is a legend, what he did for popular culture is only bettered by The Beatles who took it further, but ive never been able to get into his music. John was right when he said that Elvis died when he went into the army, he came out and done all this pap soppy crap (Johns comments about Elvis on Juke Box Jury in 1963 are fabulous “…he sounds like Bing Crosby”) and the movies stink – the same plot being regurgitated 200 times. Plus there are like 4 trillion compilations its impossible to figure out what is decent and what is crap, the same can be said for Buddy Holly sadly. Hopefully The Beatles catalogue wont get into that state without a fight.
One of the iconic moments of the 20th centuries for me would be Elvis singing Hound Dog .
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Beatlebug"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
1.45pm
26 March 2012
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I’ve never been a massive fan of Elvis’s music although he did have a great voice. A very sad tale, really- having to cope with all that fame and iconic status destroyed him. In that respect it’s a blessing the Beatles weren’t together for all that long, because they never became washed-up figures or parodies of themselves.
SHUT UP - Paulie's talkin'
2.04pm
16 February 2011
Offline It’s hard for me to consider Elvis as a musician since he hasn’t wrote a single song by himself, nor arranged anything ( as far as I know), he only plays guitar, and from what I’ve gathered, he’s a rather average player in that. Therefore I’m hesitant to say that his post-army songs were crappy when they weren’t his own to begin with. Of course, most of the songs he did in the sixties and seventies are soppy and quite melodramatic, but I wouldn’t really call them bad. Just not my style.
His talent is, obviously, in singing. How he could perform the way he did without any guidance or theoretical knowledge is beyond me. I know many people have tried to replicate his sound, but it’s almost impossible. He’s a great performer, too. Although his sparkly white jumpsuit-fat period makes me laugh, he’s entertaining, at the very least, and very flexible 
And I always marvel at how well black hair suits him, even if he’s a blond!
What I can’t stand is the way he talked of the Beatles. George’s remark that more drug was found in his blood than blood is a rather cruel one but considering how Elvis treated them, it’s hardly a surprise
2.53pm
Reviewers
14 April 2010
Offline Many of the thoughts above are very true…
- He couldn’t write a good song to save his life
- An average musician at best
- Post army output was dissapointing
- His jealousy of the Beatles was petty
I still say, “Long Live The King”. I would stack him up against any of today’s “American Idol” douchebags all day long.
To the fountain of perpetual mirth, let it roll for all its worth. And all the children boogie.
5.01pm
1 December 2009
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Zig said
Many of the thoughts above are very true…
- An average musician at best
I’m sure you mean his rudimentary guitar & piano playing and not his GREAT voice!
“Elvis’ Golden Records”, an old scratched copy originally bought by my aunt, was one of my favourite albums when I was a 7-8 year old (and only owned about 20 records total), and I still remember that day when that same aunt told me he had died – shocking news, as shocking as seeing how fat he’d gotten. He may have turned himself into a joke (with help from the Colonel) but for a long while, he really had something – there’s a REASON John & Paul and so many others worshipped him, y’know!
GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
5.11pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Regarding Elvis and songwriting, when he started in what 1955 writing your own songs wasnt the big thing, it was for people to write for you, it was beginning to change tho with guys like Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly and eventually John, Paul and then George completely changed the whole remit. I dont hold that against him truth be told, he was a great performer on stage and was a great singer. Things were different back then. Anyway i think he did begin to write songs as time passed, tho im not sure which ones or if they are any good. To me its more that his music lost almost all of its edge and became gloop. The cannon he left behind doesnt equal his legacy.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
5.11pm
1 December 2009
Offline (And as for Elvis dissing the Beatles – well, that’s just a natural reaction to being eclipsed after being on top, plus generation gap and all that. Frank Sinatra said terrible things about Elvis ten years earlier. And I guess Elvis treated the Beatles fairly civilly during their meeting.)
GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
4.19pm
Reviewers
14 April 2010
Offline vonbontee said
Zig said
Many of the thoughts above are very true…
- An average musician at best
I’m sure you mean his rudimentary guitar & piano playing and not his GREAT voice!
Oh, absolutely! His voice and his showmanship were the things that lead me to say “LLTK!”.
meanmistermustard said
Anyway i think he did begin to write songs as time passed, tho im not sure which ones or if they are any good.
That is exactly why I wrote “He couldn’t write a good song to save his life”.
To the fountain of perpetual mirth, let it roll for all its worth. And all the children boogie.
2.00am
18 April 2013
Offline This is an old thread but I bought a couple of Elvis albums today and saw the photography exhibit, “Elvis at 21” yesterday, so I’m adding to it.
I used to listen to my dad’s Elvis 45’s like “Hound Dog” and “Love Me Tender” when I was really young. Elvis died when I was seven. I also listened to other 50’s rock songs like Bill Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock” and Fats Domino’s cover of “Blueberry Hill.” That old music was my first introduction to rock, and after my father died a few years ago I started wanting to rediscover it…since then I’ve become an Elvis fan again, and I really like all of his music, not just the early rock sound. I do agree that his later output is not as good, but it’s not awful.
"If you're ever in the shit, grab my tit.” —Paul McCartney
2.29am
Reviewers
17 December 2012
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I love Elvis. I see why he mattered. But there was some awful awful stuff in his later career. There’s a reason why one of the most famous bootlegs ever is called Elvis’ Greatest S**t. Who else would record a song called There’s No Room to Rumba in a Sports Car? If McCartney’s Mary Had a Little Lamb was a joke, so was Presley’s Old MacDonald. Presley reached peaks that few others would, but hell he hit troughs as well.
"I only said we were bigger than Rod... and now there's all this!" Ron Nasty
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The Beatles Bible 2020 non-Canon Poll Part One: 1958-1963 and Part Two: 1964-August 1966
8.18am
1 November 2012
Offline What’s interesting about Elvis is that if you showed pretty much any old clip of Elvis from the 50s to a young snotty whippersnapper teenager today, he would be unable to be unimpressed by his coolness — no matter how much he may try to affect a “well that’s the old days” crap. Elvis exuded timeless cool that teenagers now — 60 years later — can’t help appreciating; and that probably will be the case for decades to come.
Faded flowers, wait in a jar, till the evening is complete... complete... complete... complete...
3.49pm
3 May 2012
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You’re right there.
I found this short report on Paul leaving his guitar pick for the late, great yesterday:
Moving along in our God given ways, safety is sat by the fire/Sanctuary from these feverish smiles, left with a mark on the door.
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8.47pm
14 February 2013
Offline I am also a huge Elvis fan! While I agree, he wasn’t a talented musician – his voice was killer! And I agree with FunnyPaper – Elvis and the Beatles are timeless. People will be appreciating both for decades to come.
Fabfouremily! Thanks for the link! What an awesome story 
"....take a sad song & make it Meilleur"....
9.36pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Elvis’s legacy will rightly remain for all time. Whether he was a great musician or songwriter really shouldnt be that big a marker against him. The influence he had on music and society beginning in the 50’s was massive and possibly only beaten by The Beatles. And yes the voice – it wasnt the voice that sucked most of the time later on it was either the material he was given or the lousy production/arrangement or whatever chemicals he was on.
Not that many come to mind at the moment but there must be a lot of legends in music who either dont write their own material or play one or more instruments.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
12.08am
27 December 2012
Offline fabfouremily said
You’re right there.
I found this short report on Paul leaving his guitar pick for the late, great yesterday:
And even so, some people are angry Paul crossed the railings to show respect. People these days.
12.11am
1 November 2012
Offline I don’t know, I’ve been impressed by Elvis’ facility and grace handling the guitar (acoustic or electric).
Faded flowers, wait in a jar, till the evening is complete... complete... complete... complete...
8.02am
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Gerell said
fabfouremily said
I found this short report on Paul leaving his guitar pick for the late, great yesterday:
And even so, some people are angry Paul crossed the railings to show respect. People these days.
Morons exist who get angry at anything.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
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