1992

Elvis’ second grandchild born [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 17 when I wrote this article back in 1992 for The Elvis Beat #3, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

Lisa Marie Presley gave birth to Elvis’ second grandchild and first grandson on October 21 in Tampa, Florida. The 7-pound, 8-ounce boy is the second child of Lisa and her husband, musician Danny Keough. Danielle, their first child, is now three. […] The baby was not named until almost a month after his birth. On November 19, the name was finally announced to the world: Benjamin Storm Keough. […]

As usual, the tabloids had a field day and made accusations that Lisa wants nothing to do with her father or his fans and intends that Benjamin never learn of his famous grandfather. […] Fans should remember to keep all of this in perspective – these same tabloids are responsible for thousands of bogus stories, including idiotic claims that Elvis is alive, various pieces of untrue trash about Elvis, and other memorable headlines, such as: “Aliens stole my face!”

Don’t be quick to draw conclusions based on this so-called “news.” We never believe the tabloids’ strange Elvis stories, so we certainly should not believe similar stories about his daughter. Lisa deserves the privacy Elvis was never given […].

Lisa, who is 24, lives with her husband in Los Angeles and there has been much speculation that she will soon follow in both of her parents’ footsteps and pursue an acting career. […] With Elvis as their grandfather, and a musician as their father, maybe Danielle and Benjamin will be the musical duo of the 21st century.

Chris On Tour [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 17 when I wrote this item back in 1992 for The Elvis Beat #2, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

On Tour With Elvis is a new book by Christopher Brown of Canada which gives a detailed look at one of Elvis’ 1975 concert tours.

The author stresses that On Tour With Elvis, which is not available in bookstores, is a very positive book that would be of special interest to fans of the 1970s Elvis.

This book is only available in limited quanties, so act fast and contact Christopher Brown at the following address for more information. […]

WHEN ELVIS DIED is back [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 17 when I wrote this item back in 1992 for The Elvis Beat #2, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

When Elvis Died is returning to bookstores this month in an updated paperback form. This is one of only ten Elvis books recommended by Graceland. I read the original edition and found it to be an excellent book, dealing with the media coverage of Elvis’ death. The new edition will also include a complete listing of his films and network television appearances.

Review – ELVIS: THE LOST PERFORMANCES [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 17 when I wrote this review back in 1992 for The Elvis Beat #2, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

Elvis: The Lost Performances (Turner Home Entertainment), starring Elvis Presley, directed by Patrick Michael Murphy, released June 24, 1992.

“There was a guy who said one time . . . he said, ‘You never stood in that man’s shoes or saw things through his eyes. Or stood and watched with helpless hands while the heart inside you dies. So help your brother along the way, no matter where he starts. For the same God that made you made him, too – these men with broken hearts.’ I’d like to sing a slong along the same line,” Elvis finishes his beautiful speech and the band breaks into “Walk A Mile In My Shoes.”

Elvis: The Lost Performances is by far the best Elvis video ever. Hours of unseen footage from Elvis: That’s The Way It Is (1970) and Elvis On Tour (1972) were rescued from an MGM vault in Kansas, an abandoned salt mine. From this footage, one hour was chosen for The Lost Performances.

Part one gives the viewer a front-row seat at Elvis’ August 1970 engagement at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. These are the most spectacular parts of this video, allowing fans to relive the excitement, or perhaps experience it for the first time. This is Elvis at his best.

The next segment gives a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse of Elvis in rehearsal for the aforementioned concerts. These clips demonstrate Elvis’ magnificent personality and sense of humor. Also of interest, Elvis sings several 1950s songs which have never been released in 1970s versions.

Finally, the clock turns to 1972 and Elvis is spotlighted on tour in Hampton, Virginia, and Greensboro, North Caroline. The highlights of this part are Elvis singing “Are You Lonesome Tonight” and “How Great Thou Art.”

A lot of effort was made to produce this video, and it shows. Turner Entertainment Company and Elvis Presley Enterprises are to be commended for their dedication to releasing “pure” Elvis on this video; the songs have not been cut and there is no annoying narration. It’s just Elvis, and that’s all his fans ever wanted.

This video really shows “the great performances” and no fan should be without it.

Songs:

  1. “Introduction/Walk A Mile In My Shoes”
  2. “The Wonder Of You”
  3. “Don’t Cry Daddy/In The Ghetto”
  4. “There Goes My Everything”
  5. “Make The World Go Away”
  6. “Just Pretend”
  7. “Heartbreak Hotel”
  8. “Twenty Days And Twenty Nights”
  9. “Love Me”
  10. “Hound Dog”
  11. “Don’t Be Cruel”
  12. “I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water”
  13. “I Was The One”
  14. “The Cattle Call”
  15. “Baby, Let’s Play House”
  16. “Don’t”
  17. “Money Honey”
  18. “All Shook Up”
  19. “Teddy Bear/Don’t Be Cruel”
  20. “Are You Lonesome Tonight”
  21. “I Can’t Stop Loving You”
  22. “How Great Thou Art”
  23. “Release Me”
  24. “I Can’t Stop Loving You”

Rating: 10 out of 10

Review – ELVIS: THE GREAT PERFORMANCES (1992 CBS TV version) [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 17 when I wrote this review back in 1992 for The Elvis Beat #2, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

Elvis: The Great Performances (CBS), hosted by Priscilla Presley, directed by Andrew Solt, aired April 24, 1992.

The TV version of Elvis: The Great Performances is not as good as the two volume video versions from 1990 for several reasons.

First of all, the original narration of Elvis’ friend George Klein has been replaced by the phony-sounding narration of Elvis’ ex-wife, Priscilla Presley.

The other problem is that his version contains fewer songs due to the 30 minutes of boring commercials supplied by JC Penney.

The songs it does contain are “great performances,” but they are ruined by being edited and chopped up. However, this is a problem that exists on the videos, too, and all of Andrew Solt’s other Elvis productions. It should be a crime to cut Elvis songs. I would much rather see 10 complete performances instead of 25 bits and pieces.

My advice: See the original video versions of The Great Performances (Volume One: Center Stage and Volume Two: The Man And The Music), or, even better, see a real Elvis video like Elvis: That’s The Way It Is or Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii.

Songs include:

  • “Shake, Rattle, and Roll/Flip, Flop, and Fly”
  • “Heartbreak Hotel”
  • “Blue Suede Shoes”
  • “Hound Dog”
  • “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You”
  • “Ready Teddy”
  • “Love Me Tender”
  • “Don’t Be Cruel”
  • “Got A Lot Of Livin’ To Do”
  • “Teddy Bear”
  • “Jailhouse Rock”
  • “Trouble”
  • “Fame And Fortune”
  • “Return To Sender”
  • “All Shook Up”
  • “If I Can Dream”
  • “Suspicious Minds”
  • “Always On My Mind”
  • “An American Trilogy”
  • “Unchained Melody”
  • “Money Honey”

Rating: 6 out of 10

Volume I, Issue 2: Editor’s Corner [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 17 when I wrote this item back in 1992 for The Elvis Beat #2, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

August 16, 1977: A date burned into the memory of almost every Elvis fan. But rather than dwell on the sadness of that day, fans have instead used it as an annual celebration of his many accomplishments.

This year, Elvis fans from across the world will brave the August heat of the South and converge on the city of Memphis to mark the fifteenth anniversary of his passing. Crowds are expected to surpass the enormous amount that made the tenth anniversary excursion in 1987, displaying once again Elvis’ great influence on so many people.

But even more fans across the world will be “celebrating” at their homes, rather than his. Each marking the day in his or her own special way.

1992 has already been an incredible year for Elvis fans. It has seen: The release of a new 1970s concert video and a 5 CD 1950s set, and the official commencement of a 1993 Elvis stamp.

35 years from now, when there are six or seven Elvis stamps and all audio and video material has been officially released, as fans mark the 50th anniversary they will look back at 1992 as a landmark year when a new dedication to quality Elvis releases began and Elvis finally began to receive some of the recognition he so justly deserved.

If you are one of the fortunate people going to Memphis to experience Elvis Week ’92, I would like to wish you a safe and wonderful trip. Although this is a new club, and thus limited to an extent, I have tried my best to make this a very special issue of The Elvis Beat to show my respect and admiration for Elvis. I hope you enjoy it.

Elvis lives on in the 90s [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 17 when I wrote this article back in 1992 for The Elvis Beat #2, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

1992 is a revolutionary year for Elvis on CD. With the release of ELVIS: The King Of Rock ‘n’ Roll – The Complete 50s Masters, a 5-CD set containing 140 songs, and the new “Elvis In The 90s” series, RCA seems to have finally made a commitment to release quality Elvis recordings in the CD format.

The “Elvis In The 90s” series is dedicated to bringing back all of the key albums yet to be released on CD or which have been deleted from the RCA catalog completely. Also planned for the future are boxed sets for this 1960s and 1970s material. Work on this massive project is expected to be finished by 1996.

Below is an incomplete list of Elvis CDs released within the last year. Due to the large number of discs currently being released, the list is not up-to-date.

Elvis’ New CDs

  • ELVIS: The King Of Rock ‘n’ Roll – The Complete 50s Masters (5 CDs)
  • Collectors Gold (3 CDs)
  • The Lost Album
  • ELVIS – NBC TV Special
  • On Stage
  • He Touched Me
  • As Recorded At Madison Square Garden
  • Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite
  • Elvis Today
  • Elvis In Concert