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Post by sliderocker on Aug 19, 2015 20:05:33 GMT -5
This from the Elvis Information Network:
For the first time in a very long time, an album by Elvis Presley is in Billboard's Top 10 albums! The Elvis Forever CD, sold by the United States Post Office in conjunction with their new Elvis Forever stamp, makes it Top 10 Billboard debut at number 7, beating even current Billboard mainstay Taylor Swift. Unbelievable. The Post Office sold a lot of the first Elvis stamps. Will history repeat and will the CD offered for sale at the Post Office benefit as well, boosting Elvis's overall sales total even higher?
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Post by erik on Aug 19, 2015 20:52:21 GMT -5
It sure looks like it, doesn't it? He may have "left the building" thirty-eight years ago, but his name alone apparently still sells, despite all the pointless and tasteless jokes about his sequin suites, peanut butter and banana sandwiches, the godawful B-movies of the 1960s, and atrocious songs of the "Song Of The Shrimp" variety.
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Post by sliderocker on Aug 20, 2015 18:28:36 GMT -5
It sure looks like it, doesn't it? He may have "left the building" thirty-eight years ago, but his name alone apparently still sells, despite all the pointless and tasteless jokes about his sequin suites, peanut butter and banana sandwiches, the godawful B-movies of the 1960s, and atrocious songs of the "Song Of The Shrimp" variety. That it does, and strangest of all, the CD, I think, is only offered in the post office, which makes its entry into the Billboard charts kind of unique, as the post office has never offered recorded music before. If it sells in the millions, would the post office look to selling other albums as well as a way out of their financial woes? They were sold on the power of Elvis with that first postage stamp, and the post office then looked to other deceased musical artists as potential honorees. That's the only thing I disagree with. Why not honor the artists who are living as well instead of waiting until they pass from this world? I don't know if the Elvis estate received a royalty for the Elvis stamps sold, but if it did, it would've been a small one. Still, that would've amounted to a sizable sum of money as I think I remember hearing that first stamp sold right around 100 million total. Easy to see why the post office wanted a repeat of some sort. |
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Post by erik on Aug 20, 2015 20:03:50 GMT -5
Quote by sliderocker:
I think it is very hard to judge what an artist is really worth until he/she is gone; and while I certainly agree that they should honor those that are still around, it is a very hard thing to please everyone. In any case, Elvis' name sells stamps as well as records--though if they had wanted to do this while the man was still alive, even into the final three years when his life was all too terribly slipping away fro him, they could have, and I don't think anyone really could have objected (save, of course, maybe for the Colonel, who'd want a 50% cut).
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Post by Goldie on Aug 20, 2015 23:27:34 GMT -5
Nice lineup.
Elvis Presley Forever CD
18 Track CD
Exclusive 18 song CD featuring Elvis’s most beloved hits, including previously unreleased versions of “If I Can Dream” and “What Now My Love”
The track-listing on the Elvis Presley Forever CD is:
1. That’s All Right
2. Heartbreak Hotel
3. Hound Dog
4. Don’t Be Cruel
5. Jailhouse Rock
6. It’s Now or Never
7. Are You Lonesome Tonight?
8. Little Sister
9. Can’t Help Falling in Love
10. Return to Sender
11. Bossa Nova Baby
12. Viva Las Vegas
13. In the Ghetto
14. Suspicious Minds
15. Burning Love
16. The Wonder of You
17. If I Can Dream (From upcoming Fall 2015 release. Previously unreleased)
18. What Now My Love (Exclusive to USPS release, Elvis Forever. Previously unreleased)
Made in the USA
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Post by sliderocker on Aug 21, 2015 21:02:20 GMT -5
I think it is very hard to judge what an artist is really worth until he/she is gone; and while I certainly agree that they should honor those that are still around, it is a very hard thing to please everyone. In any case, Elvis' name sells stamps as well as records--though if they had wanted to do this while the man was still alive, even into the final three years when his life was all too terribly slipping away fro him, they could have, and I don't think anyone really could have objected (save, of course, maybe for the Colonel, who'd want a 50% cut). I think some have definitely tried to judge an artist's worth while they're still alive, but all too often, it doesn't happen until after the person is gone. But, some will talk about an artist being remembered for years and years after death and the sad reality is many are forgotten a few years after their passing. Of Elvis, Wolfman Jack was on record as saying people would still be talking about Elvis a hundred years after his death. Here we are, almost four decades after that sad day, and people still remember Elvis and buy his recordings and watch his movies. It's possible Wolfman Jack's observation was correct and Elvis will still matter to the people of 2077, maybe even 2177 or 2277. I don't know how many other deceased artists that will happen with or the artists who are living now but who will move over to the other side of the veil. Many of the giants, yes or maybe. I think some of the 'giants' will fade when the majority of their fandom starts dying out. Look at the majority of actors, actresses and singers who were considered giants in the 30s, 40s and 50s. Many are long forgotten in addition to being long gone. And the reason for that is so are the fans to whom they mattered. But for Elvis, being honored on a stamp came a long time after he was gone and some congressmen and senators were horrified about the prospect because of Elvis's drug problem. And I remember some giving the post office heat about honoring him, but the post office prevailed. It was stupid as they wanted to deny Elvis's great contribution because of his personal failing, as if the politicians had any room and nerve to talk. Had Colonel Parker been alive, he would've wanted a 50% cut, no doubt about that, but the post office probably would've said no deal and that would've been the end of that. But, as Parker had been cut off in 1981 from the Elvis estate, even if Parker had been alive, he would've been out of the deal unless he had managed to sweet talk Priscilla into letting him back on board. And Prissy probably would've gone for letting him back in. |
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Post by erik on Aug 21, 2015 21:15:49 GMT -5
Quote by sliderocker:
Re. Elvis' drug problem--I wonder if the same reaction would occur if the Postal Service considered Michael Jackson (who also had a drug problem, which subsequently overtook him with fatal results too).
The unfortunate thing, of course, besides the fact that Elvis died far too young at 42, is that the manager who all but ran this man's career into the ground after 1962 outlived his client by twenty years. Sometimes there's just no justice in this world, even for a King.
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Post by Goldie on Aug 22, 2015 1:35:01 GMT -5
Mark my words, Linda Ronstadt will have her own stamp someday.
That being said, what photo should be used?
Being that they used the rather young, good looking Elvis I suggest using the cover photo of the newly released Just One Look album remastered by John Boylan. Beautiful stamp worthy photo. Of course, in 40 years stamps may be obsolete so I would use the photo for whatever takes its place.
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Post by rick on Aug 22, 2015 5:24:23 GMT -5
This isn't the first time the U.S. Postal Service has sold a CD in conjunction with the release of a stamp.
A few years ago in tandem with the release of a Frank Sinatra stamp, the USPS sold a Sinatra compilation. It came in several versions, but the one sold by the USPS had a few different bonus tracks that ones available in retail stores or on Amazon.
I really only can see the USPS doing this for someone with wide appeal such as an Elvis Presley or Frank Sinatra.
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Post by erik on Aug 22, 2015 11:13:50 GMT -5
Quote by rick:
And even with Ol' Blue Eyes, the USPS must have had issues: Carmine; Muzio; and Sam Giancana, for starters (LOL).
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Post by sliderocker on Aug 23, 2015 14:52:38 GMT -5
Re. Elvis' drug problem--I wonder if the same reaction would occur if the Postal Service considered Michael Jackson (who also had a drug problem, which subsequently overtook him with fatal results too).
I think the post office will have a more difficult time of it with the congress and the senate if they decide to honor Jackson. I don't think any deal killer on Jackson would be because of his death from the propofol but the child molestation charges he faced. Not once but twice, and not to mention a story I saw before his death that indicated he settled out of court with ten other families and not just the one that drew the headlines.
I recall the state of California (and other states as well) changed the laws so that an accused molester could not avoid a criminal trial by settling with a family if they were rich enough. If Jackson was truly innocent, he should not have settled in the first case or any case. The second case, which resulted in him actually facing criminal charges, suggested he possibly was a child predator and someone given to taking risks to satiate his need to molest young boys. Had Jackson lived, I think we would've gone through a third allegation of him molesting a young boy and a third trial, possibly ending up with an actual conviction. It was as if he were naive enough to believe he could keep on doing what he was doing and that the law couldn't and wouldn't stop him.
So, if the post office does consider the idea of honoring Jackson on a stamp, that might not be a can of worms his fans would want the congress or senate to open to further investigation. Jackson's artistry could survive his death from propofol, but the child molestation charges practically destroyed his career while he was living. It didn't finish him, but if the congress and senate were leery of him being honored on a stamp and wanted to investigate the molestation charges on him first before any such honor, and found there was some truth to the charges, that would finish him totally. And only the diehard fans would still be fans.
The unfortunate thing, of course, besides the fact that Elvis died far too young at 42, is that the manager who all but ran this man's career into the ground after 1962 outlived his client by twenty years. Sometimes there's just no justice in this world, even for a King.
Parker's damage was more than just running Elvis's career into the ground, it was also running Elvis into the ground. When Elvis died in 1977, Parker and Lamar Fike, a member of Elvis' Memphis Mafia and Elvis's connection to his publishing companies, were up in Maine getting ready for the concert in Portland that would never take place. Upon hear the news, Fike went off on Parker, accusing him of running Elvis into the ground. The drugs had been part of it but Elvis had been in seriously declining health the last three years of his life. That, according to the British documentary series Autopsy, which featured a British medical coroner who had seen Elvis' medical records. Elvis apparently had been having health issues the last ten years of his life, but it was the last three where he started to go downhill.
Parker may not have known the state of Elvis' health in the earlier years when he started having problems. But, later on, when the precarious state of his health was visibly noticeable, Parker refused to cancel a concert Elvis was scheduled to perform, telling his associates to get him revived and up, because that was the only thing that mattered. The implication in that story seemed to be Parker ordering Elvis' associates and Dr. Nick to give him whatever drug he needed to get going instead of getting him to a hospital. He barely made it but after the concert was flown back to Memphis to be admitted to the hospital. Some of the drugs were doing the damage but as one writer noted, there was enough wrong with Elvis health wise, that without the drugs he was given, he might have died much earlier than he did.
Had Parker not kept him on the road and stayed out of the recording sessions harassing Elvis on the publishing, Elvis might have lived a little longer. Parker bears more of the blame for pushing Elvis into an early grave, though many blame Elvis himself. I choose not to blame Elvis but those around him. He wanted to be rid of Parker but his dad talked him out of doing so in 1973. Others around him were also members of the Parker fan club and anytime Elvis started talking about ridding himself of Parker, the PFCs would be right there to cause him to doubt himself on what needed to be done. All of it was money based and the belief that if Elvis ridded himself of Parker, there would be no more money for them. With friends like that, Elvis would've been better off getting himself a new group of friends.
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Post by sliderocker on Aug 23, 2015 15:21:15 GMT -5
Mark my words, Linda Ronstadt will have her own stamp someday. That being said, what photo should be used? Being that they used the rather young, good looking Elvis I suggest using the cover photo of the newly released Just One Look album remastered by John Boylan. Beautiful stamp worthy photo. Of course, in 40 years stamps may be obsolete so I would use the photo for whatever takes its place. I was looking at the photos of Linda, and apparently, some country has already issued a $1.00 postage stamp on Linda. The photo used used is one from the 70s, Linda in a flowery dress, playing tambourine. The country is probably Liberia, an African country that likes the US and the American culture. They issued a stamp on Elvis while he was living, and even a coin, I think. If and when Linda is ever honored with a US stamp - and that's something that won't happen until she's at least ten years gone per post office rules (unless they changed that), it would be nice if they used a photo of Linda in her prime for the stamp design. Linda is a beautiful woman but I think it would only be fair to honor her from the time she came into her own as an artist, and that was the 70s. One can find many gorgeous photos of Linda that convey different faces of her, from sweet, young and innocent and to self assured of herself. She's remained beautiful as she's gotten older but Linda from ages 20 to 33 are the years where she looked spectacularly timeless, radiantly vibrant and forever young that I remember the most. And they are the years I would want non-Linda fans to remember because she worked her butt off building her career and she succeeded. She had that edge, which is something that is lost once an artist becomes established and a little more jaded by success and stress. That shows in some of her later photos too, as she lost some of her vibrancy. But, I'd want a stamp of Linda to be something that would do her justice and justice to her work. |
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Post by Mats Palm on Aug 28, 2015 2:44:01 GMT -5
Well, Elvis did great things after 1962. From Elvis in Memphis 1969 and Elvis Country 1970 easily ranks among his best work ever! And even the recent Elvis at Stax is great.
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Post by erik on Aug 28, 2015 8:38:31 GMT -5
Quote by Mats Palm:
I won't dispute any of those things. It's unfortunate that the media's (and, subsequently, the public's) attention span is, in my opinion, so limited nowadays when it comes to the man. He did indeed make great music right to the bitter end, even during the years when those heinous B-movies seemed to swamp everything else ("Crying In The Chapel"; "Ask Me"; "Love Letters"; "Big Boss Man"; "Hi Heel Sneakers", etc.). And obviously From Elvis In Memphis is a masterwork--arguably the pinnacle of his career, not counting what he did in the late 1950s.
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