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Post by erik on Jan 22, 2016 23:41:30 GMT -5
And that's the thing. The biggest obstacle that Elvis had was the manager he had had since 1955, one who wouldn't let him do much of anything on his own (and nothing after Steve Binder and Chips Moman gainsaid him and helped Elvis to his biggest triumphs). Any other manager would have been more than content to at least have Elvis talk to David Bowie, or to Linda, about a project--and hopefully also allow Elvis to get help for his own health problems. But not the Colonel.
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Post by sliderocker on Jan 23, 2016 22:50:25 GMT -5
And that's the thing. The biggest obstacle that Elvis had was the manager he had had since 1955, one who wouldn't let him do much of anything on his own (and nothing after Steve Binder and Chips Moman gainsaid him and helped Elvis to his biggest triumphs). Any other manager would have been more than content to at least have Elvis talk to David Bowie, or to Linda, about a project--and hopefully also allow Elvis to get help for his own health problems. But not the Colonel. Parker caused most of Elvis's problems with his artistic goals, but I also feel Elvis also contributed some of his problems. He was too insecure, too afraid to stand up for what he wanted. Then there were others around Elvis, who took credit for Elvis having recorded this song or that song, as if Elvis never would've heard the songs without them. True, some of the people around Elvis were in the music business: Red West was a musician-songwriter as well as actor and who supplied Elvis with many songs. Marty Lacker worked for local Memphis recording and publishing companies and provided Elvis with songs. Lamar Fike worked for Elvis's various music publishing companies and brought in quite a few songs, including "Kentucky Rain." Others around Elvis claimed to have brought songs to Elvis, including Priscilla, who claimed she was the one who was responsible for Elvis hearing "An American Trilogy." Marty Lacker and the late singer-songwriter Mickey Newbury disputed Priscilla's claim, saying it was Elvis's producer (and Newbury's producer) Felton Jarvis, who took the song to Elvis. Priscilla apparently aspired to have a Yoko Ono-like influence in Elvis's musical life and yet, in her book, she recalled Elvis's reaction when she tried to get Elvis to listen to and record some of her new musical favorites. He went off on her, telling her he was getting advice from everyone on what he should record and it was driving him crazy. Priscilla even wanted to go to the recording studio and chip in her opinion on the songs, much like Yoko was doing with negative effect in the Beatles' recording session. Only difference was John wanted Yoko at the sessions. Elvis did not want Priscilla at his sessions. Elvis had also written some songs with Red in the early 60s and Priscilla weighed in on his efforts, calling them no good. It was said Elvis lost interest in trying to write songs after that. I believe Elvis would've been willing to have listened to Linda and maybe even Bowie, as they were artists as well. Still, I'm also mindful of the fact that Elvis was growing weary of his movies by the early 60s and yet, when actress Stella Stevens tried to enlist his aid in revolting against their movie studio for better roles, Presley refused, saying the movies were making money and one shouldn't rock the boat. The two also had another problem: they disliked each other, despite both being from Memphis and both born in the same year. Elvis was unhappy with the movies he was making, including the one with Stevens and yet it was another instance of Elvis not liking anyone else telling him what he should do. Stevens likewise was bored with the movies she was being put in and wanted something better. She initially refused to do the Elvis movie but had to back down after she was threatened with suspension. Between Linda and Bowie though, my money would've been on Linda because of the similarities in their musical tastes, although I still think Linda would've demurred to Elvis or possibly have been too afraid to say much of anything. And who could possibly rule out Linda being smitten with Elvis and being part of his world and him being a part of her world and vice versa?
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Post by moon on Jan 24, 2016 10:52:01 GMT -5
No doubt in my mind that Barbra S. Wanted top billing top everything. Love her music and some of her movies. Total overblown ego. But, on the other hand back in her prime women were treated like second rate crap in Hollywood and it always appeared she had to claw her way through the good old boy Hollywood network. They hated her "that pushy Bitc_. " I remember reviews of her movies and all they concentrated on was how demanding bitchy blah blah that she was. Hard to believe th a t the top male actors and directors weren't difficult as well. I say go Barbra !!! Back to Elvis: sounds like all COlonel cared about was getting the royalties for himself not what might have been in Elvis's best interest. By that time of star is born ( which I never liked but it did well) Elvis w a s in bad shape and this could have been a good career move for him even with second billing and the royalty risk. He w a sent cleaning up in the movies by that point.
Another BS one. I remember reading that originally Steve McQueen was signed to play Ryan Oneils part in what's up Doc but he quit because he an BS both wanted top billing
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Post by jhar26 on Jan 25, 2016 3:18:06 GMT -5
And that's the thing. The biggest obstacle that Elvis had was the manager he had had since 1955, one who wouldn't let him do much of anything on his own (and nothing after Steve Binder and Chips Moman gainsaid him and helped Elvis to his biggest triumphs). Any other manager would have been more than content to at least have Elvis talk to David Bowie, or to Linda, about a project--and hopefully also allow Elvis to get help for his own health problems. But not the Colonel. Parker caused most of Elvis's problems with his artistic goals, but I also feel Elvis also contributed some of his problems. He was too insecure, too afraid to stand up for what he wanted. Then there were others around Elvis, who took credit for Elvis having recorded this song or that song, as if Elvis never would've heard the songs without them. True, some of the people around Elvis were in the music business: Red West was a musician-songwriter as well as actor and who supplied Elvis with many songs. Marty Lacker worked for local Memphis recording and publishing companies and provided Elvis with songs. Lamar Fike worked for Elvis's various music publishing companies and brought in quite a few songs, including "Kentucky Rain." Others around Elvis claimed to have brought songs to Elvis, including Priscilla, who claimed she was the one who was responsible for Elvis hearing "An American Trilogy." Marty Lacker and the late singer-songwriter Mickey Newbury disputed Priscilla's claim, saying it was Elvis's producer (and Newbury's producer) Felton Jarvis, who took the song to Elvis. Priscilla apparently aspired to have a Yoko Ono-like influence in Elvis's musical life and yet, in her book, she recalled Elvis's reaction when she tried to get Elvis to listen to and record some of her new musical favorites. He went off on her, telling her he was getting advice from everyone on what he should record and it was driving him crazy. Priscilla even wanted to go to the recording studio and chip in her opinion on the songs, much like Yoko was doing with negative effect in the Beatles' recording session. Only difference was John wanted Yoko at the sessions. Elvis did not want Priscilla at his sessions. Elvis had also written some songs with Red in the early 60s and Priscilla weighed in on his efforts, calling them no good. It was said Elvis lost interest in trying to write songs after that. I believe Elvis would've been willing to have listened to Linda and maybe even Bowie, as they were artists as well. Still, I'm also mindful of the fact that Elvis was growing weary of his movies by the early 60s and yet, when actress Stella Stevens tried to enlist his aid in revolting against their movie studio for better roles, Presley refused, saying the movies were making money and one shouldn't rock the boat. The two also had another problem: they disliked each other, despite both being from Memphis and both born in the same year. Elvis was unhappy with the movies he was making, including the one with Stevens and yet it was another instance of Elvis not liking anyone else telling him what he should do. Stevens likewise was bored with the movies she was being put in and wanted something better. She initially refused to do the Elvis movie but had to back down after she was threatened with suspension. Between Linda and Bowie though, my money would've been on Linda because of the similarities in their musical tastes, although I still think Linda would've demurred to Elvis or possibly have been too afraid to say much of anything. And who could possibly rule out Linda being smitten with Elvis and being part of his world and him being a part of her world and vice versa? Elvis shouldn't have needed a Bowie, Ronstadt, Yoko or Priscilla for quality control. Surely he recognized himself that most of his 60's movie stuff was crap - both the movies and the songs associated with them. As talented as he was, I think that Elvis lacked self-respect. If, say, Sinatra had been presented with such poor material he would have ran them out of the country. But Elvis would just record anything that was given to him. Of course it didn't help matters any that his fans would buy anything and go see anything with Elvis in it. So it was easy money I guess. But legacy wise Elvis spend too many years playing the matinee idol, and this coincided with the exact same time when rock'n'roll/popular music was going into the opposite direction. Yet he could have done it differently. His first album after he got out of the army (not that he should have enlisted to begin with) "Elvis is Back" is the path he should have continued to walk on.
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Post by sliderocker on Jan 25, 2016 6:32:34 GMT -5
Elvis shouldn't have needed a Bowie, Ronstadt, Yoko or Priscilla for quality control. Surely he recognized himself that most of his 60's movie stuff was crap - both the movies and the songs associated with them. As talented as he was, I think that Elvis lacked self-respect. If, say, Sinatra had been presented with such poor material he would have ran them out of the country. But Elvis would just record anything that was given to him. Of course it didn't help matters any that his fans would buy anything and go see anything with Elvis in it. So it was easy money I guess. But legacy wise Elvis spend too many years playing the matinee idol, and this coincided with the exact same time when rock'n'roll/popular music was going into the opposite direction. Yet he could have done it differently. His first album after he got out of the army (not that he should have enlisted to begin with) "Elvis is Back" is the path he should have continued to walk on. Right, but what you've got to remember about Elvis's movie period is that Colonel Parker committed Elvis to making four or five movies per year, almost all of them requiring ten to twelve songs. It was a cookie cutter process for the movie writers and songwriters alike,as much as it was for Elvis. And songwriters were forced to compete to come up with the best songs and what we heard on the soundtrack albums were the best songs. We didn't hear the worst that Elvis heard, and that had to disillusion him. Strictly speaking, the songwriters bore the blame for bad songs but then, you've got to remember what working conditions they were under. Parker was taking a good chunk of their songwriting royalties even though he already had the publishing royalties. There was no need for him to do that. Even Elvis objected, but no one could tell Parker what to do. You couldn't blame the songwriters for using songs that were in the public domain for their Elvis songs. Many of them had no objections to writing quality songs for Elvis. But, the public domain songs paid the least royalties and as Parker was going to take as much as he could from them, why not give him as little as possible? Many of those same songwriters had songs on the "Elvis Is Back" album, by the way. (And also, btw, Elvis was drafted into the army, he did not enlist.) No, he shouldn't have needed quality control from David Bowie or Linda, although here I am talking about either of them working on a project together as artists. Linda would've been a good musical partner for Elvis. Their musical tastes ran about the same, even to the love of Mexican/Latino music. Elvis liked a challenge, whether it was recording or a movie or a concert, so he probably would've been interested in a project with Linda or Bowie. But, what we are also talking about here is that Parker had a morbid fear of other celebrities being around Elvis, giving him ideas. He feared being fired by the biggest artist he ever got his parasitic hands on. And he should've been, too. Priscilla aspired to be Elvis's Yoko, influencing his recordings and projects, and more or less taking the credit for Elvis's success. It was no more or no less what some of the Memphis Mafia members were doing, although as I pointed out, some like Red West, Lamar Fike and Marty Lacker had music connections themselves and were capable of finding good songs for Elvis. Red was a songwriter and cowrote a few songs with Elvis, the same ones Priscilla put down as not being good enough and causing Elvis to lose interest in trying to write songs. That's where Elvis should've been encouraged, not put down. That would've given him control over the songs he was recording. But, Priscilla wanted to share Elvis's success as well as being responsible for it, even though he'd already been going strong for some time.
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