Miscellaneous

Graceland hosting Super Bowl benefit for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

/ TY

“The thing I keep up with most is professional football. I know all the players. I know all their numbers, who they play for. I’ve had people quiz me on it, just in games when we got nothing to do. And that’s a big thing with me right now. I watch all the games that I can. I get the films from the teams themselves if I can. But next to the entertainment thing, and music, that, I guess would be the biggest.”
–Elvis Presley, August 1962

The front lawn of Graceland will play host to a Super Bowl “watch party” benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (“Super Bowl Watch Party at Graceland to Benefit St. Jude” — Elvis.com).

“The party will mark only the second time an event has been held on the lawn, or anywhere on the property, since Elvis’ passing,” states the official Elvis site. The (American) football Super Bowl game will take place on February 6.

Besides watching the game, the catered event will also feature football games similar to those Elvis and friends once played at Graceland. (I wonder if they will include the use of firecrackers, as those of Elvis allegedly did? Probably not!) There will also be a silent auction of sports and Elvis related items. Tickets are $500.

Elvis was a strong supporter of St. Jude, which was founded by Danny Thomas. In 1964, Elvis donated the USS Potomac, a yacht once owned by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, to the organization.

NFL playoff games are taking place today between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers (NFC) and the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets (AFC) to determine who will play in this year’s Super Bowl. Does watching the Super Bowl on February 6 on Graceland’s front lawn sound a little cold? Don’t worry, that part will take place “in a heated tent decorated in a style similar to Elvis’ TV room,” according to Elvis.com.

Kudos to Elvis Presley Enterprises for this event and its other efforts to continue Elvis’ “generosity of spirit,” as Lisa Marie Presley once so eloquently called it.

* * *

Additional source: Elvis: Word For Word by Jerry Osborne, Harmony Books, New York, 2000.

Elvis Is Back! Legacy Edition coming in March

/ TY

The Second Disc yesterday posted a write-up and track listing for the forthcoming Sony Legacy Edition of Elvis Is Back! (“‘Elvis is Back’ is back” — The Second Disc). The Legacy Edition is a 2-CD set containing the LP albums Elvis Is Back! (1960) and Something For Everybody (1961). Also included are the associated singles from those albums. Singles were often left off of Elvis’ main LP releases during that time because they were saved instead for the Golden Records compilation LP series.

Recorded just after his return from the Army, Elvis Is Back! represents one of Elvis’ all-time greatest albums. I haven’t covered the Elvis Is Back! Legacy Edition here until now because both featured albums have already received separate two-CD deluxe set treatments on Sony’s Follow That Dream Elvis collectors label.

The FTD editions contained tons of alternate takes and the like in addition to the master takes, while the Legacy Edition sticks only to the master takes. Hardcore fans will want the FTD releases instead, but the Sony Legacy edition looks to be perfect for more mainstream fans, or perhaps those who are just starting to explore Elvis’ catalog beyond the typical greatest hits collections.

Previous Legacy Edition releases for Elvis were From Elvis In Memphis (coupled with Back In Memphis) and On Stage-February 1970 (coupled with Elvis In Person). Elvis Is Back! Legacy Edition (coupled with Something For Everybody) hits stores on March 1.

If you are interested in the Sony Follow That Dream editions instead, you can look for them at ShopElvis.com and other online Elvis retailers.

Elvis impersonator charged with assaulting James Burton’s son

/ TY

Here’s a bizarre story to start the day. ElvisMatters reports that an Elvis impersonator has been arrested and charged for assaulting Jeff Burton, son of the real Elvis’ long-time guitarist James Burton, at an imitator convention in Birmingham, England (“Elvis impersonator assaults son James Burton” — ElvisMatters).

For additional information, see a detailed story at the Birmingham Mail.

Jeff Burton is a singer and guitar player (not to be confused with the NASCAR race driver of the same name). Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Happy Elvis Day 2011

/ TY / 8 Comments

As you probably know, today would have been Elvis Presley’s 76th birthday. Do you do anything special to celebrate Elvis Day? When I was in high school, I made it a point to watch That’s The Way It Is and the ’68 Comeback Special on VHS. Sometimes, I threw in One Night With You and Aloha From Hawaii if I had enough time.

Though I will sometimes pull out a DVD or two, these days I usually just try to fit in as much Elvis listening as possible. For instance, I’ve had my iPod set to play all Elvis all the time since Thursday. [Now playing is “Love Me” from the August 12, 1970, Midnight Show, on That’s The Way It Is (2000 Special Edition).]

Twenty-four years from now, it will be the 100th anniversary of Elvis’ birth. If I am fortunate enough to still be on this Earth and relatively healthy by then, I plan to spend January 8, 2035, in Tupelo, Mississippi. I can’t think of a better place to be on that day. By then, I will be approaching 60 years old, while The Mystery Train Elvis Blog will be approaching post #3,000. I’m not sure which of those numbers scares me more.

Wherever you happen to be this year, and however you choose to celebrate, I hope you enjoy Elvis Day 2011.

Generosity of spirit

/ TY

As 2010 draws to a close and we begin looking ahead to 2011, I would like to encourage readers of The Mystery Train Elvis Blog to take a moment to remember those less fortunate than us. There are many worthy organizations out there that need your support, including the American Humane Association and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

One organization that Elvis fans in particular may want to check out is the Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation, which is run by Lisa Marie Presley and the rest of the Elvis Presley Enterprises management team. With projects such as Presley Place, the foundation continues the spirit of giving that Elvis promoted during his life.

Below is a circa 2001 statement from Lisa Marie, which I’ve kept for years.

There are many things about my father, Elvis Presley, that so many others and I can admire eternally. He rose from humble beginnings and when the realization of his dreams and aspirations exceeded all that he had imagined, it gave others hope – a new awareness of their own potential, whatever challenges they might be facing in life. With his success came the accolades and respect he deserved. However, the fame also brought with it a harsh kind of scrutiny and judgment that no one should ever have to experience. The truth of his artistry and his character always rose above this. It always will. His place in our musical and cultural history, and in so many hearts, will always be secure.

One of the very special aspects of Elvis Presley’s character was his generosity of spirit. He expressed it with benefit concerts and charitable donations that were well known by the public. But most of what he did for others was done quietly, without publicity. My father never once forgot what it was like to want, to need, to do without. He spent most of his life bringing happiness to others, endlessly giving to those around him. It is one of the things that I admire most about him.

In his own tradition of giving, we have created the Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation to do good works for the community and to honor my father’s memory in ways that I know would make him very proud.”
–Lisa Marie Presley

Lisa Marie sums up her father better in three simple paragraphs than perhaps anyone ever has in the last 75 years.

* * *

Thank you, Elvis. You’re still bringing us happiness.

Sweet Inspiration Myrna Smith, 1941-2010

/ TY / 6 Comments
The Sweet Inspirations (1967)

The Sweet Inspirations (1967)

There is more sad news this month. Myrna Smith, a member of the Sweet Inspirations vocal group, has passed away. She was 69.

The Sweet Inspirations backed Elvis on stage from his return to live performances in 1969 through his death in 1977, performing with him in over a thousand concerts. Before becoming an integral part of Elvis’ live show, the Sweets were already a Grammy-winning gospel group that had backed Aretha Franklin, among others. Outside of their time with Elvis, their best known hit as a group was “Sweet Inspiration,” which was released as a single in 1968.

Myrna appears with Elvis in the documentary movies That’s The Way It Is (1970) and Elvis On Tour (1972). She also appears with him in the television specials Aloha From Hawaii (1973) and Elvis In Concert (1977). “They help me get a feeling and get to my soul,” Elvis said of the group in 1969.

She can be heard on the following Elvis albums released during his lifetime:

  • From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis (Elvis In Person At The International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada) [1969]
  • On Stage-February 1970 [1970]
  • That’s The Way It Is
  • Worldwide Gold Award Hits, Volume 2 [1971]
  • Elvis As Recorded At Madison Square Garden [1972] (includes Elvis introducing Myrna)
  • Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite [1973]
  • Elvis (Fool)
  • Elvis Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis [1974]
  • Pure Gold [1975]
  • Elvis: A Legendary Performer, Volume 2 [1976]
  • From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee
  • Welcome To My World [1977]
  • Moody Blue

She also can be heard on countless other Elvis albums released since his death.

She loved Elvis “like a brother”

In a 2005 interview available on Elvis Australia, Myrna shared a special memory of Elvis:

This is when we first met him, y’know. [Elvis] had us up at the penthouse, and he was playing 45s. We were having a little party, a little get-together – drinks at the bar and stuff. [He] came up to me and said, ‘Do you wanna dance?’ It was a slow record. So I said, ‘O.K.’

“And I don’t think that Elvis had ever danced with a black woman before, because he started dancing with me, [and] I felt like just grabbing him and holding him, ’cause his whole body was trembling.

“And, but he was, y’know, he was shy anyway. But all these girls, y’know, that he’d been around, and he’s this macho lover, whatever, and he was [really] just a little boy […] that’s what he was, y’know.

“I looked upon him, a part of my family, like. [W]hen he died and I was screaming, my mother said, ‘He’s not in the family. [Why] are you cry[ing], [why] are you breaking up?’

“Because I love him, he’s like a brother.”

Myrna dated Jerry Schilling, one of Elvis’ best friends, for a number of years. After Elvis’ death, the two married. Schilling went on to manage the Beach Boys, and Myrna co-wrote many of the songs on Beach Boy Carl Wilson’s 1981 self-titled solo album. Her marriage with Schilling ended in 1985 after five years, but the two remained friends.

In recent years, the Sweet Inspirations have continued to record albums and have performed in the Elvis Presley In Concert touring show.

Myrna, thank you for sharing your incredible voice with all of us. You will be missed, but always remembered.

My thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends during this time.

* * *

Sylvia Shemwell, another member of the Sweet Inspirations, passed away earlier this year.

* * *

Additional Research Sources

  • The Elvis Encyclopedia by Adam Victor, Overlook Duckworth, New York, 2008.
  • Elvis Presley: A Life In Music – The Complete Recording Sessions by Ernst Jorgensen, St. Martin’s Press, New York, 1998.
  • Me And A Guy Named Elvis: My Lifelong Friendship With Elvis Presley by Jerry Schilling with Chuck Crisafulli, Gotham Books, New York, 2006.
  • ELVIS: His Life From A To Z by Fred Worth and Steve Tamerius, Wings Books, New York, 1992.

Elvis’ Christmas special

/ TY / 2 Comments

For today’s Christmas edition of The Mystery Train Elvis Blog, I originally planned to write a short retrospective of the 1982 album Memories Of Christmas. Last week, I browsed over to the Elvis Today blog and found that Thomas had just written almost the exact same “Memories Of Christmas” post I had planned (even down to beginning with a reference to 1994’s If Every Day Was Like Christmas album). Hey Thomas, get out of my head, man!

In all seriousness, Thomas and I have very similar views and approaches when it comes to Elvis, so these things happen to us from time-to-time. There was one small element of Memories Of Christmas that he did not mention in that particular post, however, so I decided to use that as a springboard to a new idea. This time, I ran it past him first to make sure he did not already have it in the works for this week.

Thomas gave me the all clear, so today I’m going to talk about Elvis’ 1967 Christmas special.

Wait, wait, wait. Don’t fire off a correction message to me just yet.

Yes, I said 1967 Christmas special. That was not a typo.

While Elvis’ 1968 Christmas special is legendary, nearly lost to time is Elvis’ Christmas special from the previous year. His 1967 Christmas special no doubt inspired the original concept of the ELVIS (’68 Comeback) special.

Season's Greetings From Elvis flyer (1967)

Season’s Greetings From Elvis flyer (1967)

On Sunday, December 3, 1967, a special called Season’s Greetings From Elvis aired on over 2,000 stations across the United States. Why is it mostly forgotten? Season’s Greetings From Elvis was a radio special.

The special contained no new numbers by Elvis, but instead featured previously released Christmas and religious music. The songs in the half-hour show included:

  • Here Comes Santa Claus (1957)
  • Blue Christmas (1957)
  • O Little Town Of Bethlehem (1957)
  • Silent Night (1957)
  • I’ll Be Home For Christmas (1957)
  • I Believe (1957)
  • If Every Day Was Like Christmas (1966)
  • How Great Thou Art (1966)
  • His Hand In Mine (1960)
  • I’ll Be Home For Christmas (1957)

The special’s finale, “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” contained a new voice-over by Elvis: “Thank you for listening. I’d like to wish you a merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year.” Oddly, this 1967 audio was later placed on top of “Silent Night” on Memories Of Christmas (and re-released on 1994’s If Every Day Was Like Christmas). However, the beginning music of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and not “Silent Night” can still be heard in the background on those releases as Elvis speaks the lines.

Exactly one year later, on December 3, 1968, the more famous Elvis Christmas special aired for the first time. Colonel Tom Parker’s original concept for the ’68 special sounded like little more than a TV version of Season’s Greetings From Elvis. The eventual show turned out much different, of course, and changed everything.

To fellow Elvis fans across the world, I’d like to wish you and your families a wonderful Christmas.

* * *

Image Source
Thank you to Holger Bock at Rare Elvis for providing the original image of an RCA promotional flyer for the 1967 radio special. Please do not reproduce this image without obtaining permission of Holger at Rare Elvis.

Research Sources

  • Careless Love: The Unmaking Of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick, Little, Brown And Company, Boston, 1999 (page 282).
  • Season’s Greetings From Elvis, Elvis In Norway, 2010.
  • Elvis: Word For Word by Jerry Osborne, Harmony Books, New York, 2000 (page 204).
  • Elvis: The Biography by Jerry Hopkins, Plexus, London, 2007 (page 205).
  • ELVIS: His Life From A To Z by Fred Worth and Steve Tamerius, Wings Books, New York, 1992 (page 560).