My Elvis Presley Blog

This video insert includes 4 of my favorite gospel songs sung by Elvis.  If it pleases you, listen while you read.  

On my MP3 player, I have over 230 Elvis songs on my “favorites” playlist.  Many of them are gospel songs with Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Run On, Help Me and Bosom of Abraham among my all time favorites. Actually, there isn’t really any gospel tune that Elvis sings that I don’t like. 

If you know anything at all about Elvis, you know that he was raised on southern gospel.  Him and his parents used to sing as a trio and would visit various churches to participate in services and sing.  Certainly there was a lot of old country music influence in his life but until Elvis discovered Beale Street and the African American blues, gospel was his music and he sang it like an angel.

So while listening to my playlist the other day, I noticed that Elvis’s voice and presence is different when he sings gospel versus when he sings any other genre of music.  His singing sounds completely effortless when he’s singing gospel as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.  His voice is softer, smoother and less forced and he sounds comfortable.  This may be because gospel was a major force in his upbringing but I think there’s more to it then that.

I think everybody must have heard by now the story that Gladys use to love to tell about her and young Elvis being in church together. When the choir started to sing, Elvis would squirm out of her lap and run up to the front of the church.  There he would try to imitate the choir singers, singing along and aping their gestures. There are stories about Elvis and his parents sitting on the front porch of their little two room shack singing gospel songs after dinner. So gospel was definitely something that was in Elvis’s soul from a very early age. However is that the only reason why Elvis sings gospel just like you would imagine an angel would?

Chris Beard, a writer for the 1968 Comeback Special, says “Elvis had a supernatural something to him.  He was very spiritual.  He, he was connected to the spirit.  And, a lot of people don’t know this and Colonel didn’t want that to be out there ‘cause it would’ve made him appear to be a little bit sort of like wiggy.  All of us that believe in spirit understand each other and, Elvis was right there. He wanted to have that knowledge.  He wanted to go to other places.” 

And that’s what you hear if you listen closely to Elvis sing gospel. His connection to spirit.  A connection he doesn’t show when singing rock & roll, or the blues, or country.  Those songs he’s obviously singing for his fans and we adore him for it. After all, Elvis fans know that he was the greatest singer to ever grace the planet.  But the gospel songs, those songs Elvis sang just for God. Whatever It is, Elvis had a direct line to It.

“It (gospel singing) more or less puts your mind to rest.  At least it does mine, since I was two.” Elvis is quoted as saying. Every rehearsal that ever took place with Elvis started with him warming up with gospel music.  And every concert that ever took place with Elvis ended with him cooling off in his hotel room singing gospel music. 

So now you understand why Elvis sounds different when he sings gospel music.  His mind is at rest, he’s in his comfort zone, he’s gone back to his roots and he’s completely connected to Spirit.

Listening to Elvis sing gospel is an experience not to be missed.  Even if you’re not a Christian, there’s just something about hearing Elvis sing gospel that calms your mind, eases your heart and let’s you forget your troubles. 

Although Elvis is known worldwide as The King of Rock & Roll, the only Grammy awards he received were for gospel. If you want to hear why click this link below.

Author: June Juanico

Introduction by: Peter Guralnick

Refer to Previous Post: Elvis’s Women: June Juanico

The introduction is written by Peter Guralnick, the author of what is probably the best autobiography of Elvis in my opinion, Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love.  These were the first two books I read about Elvis and so far, after a dozen or so later, remain better documentary evidence of Elvis then anything else I’ve read.  Peter states in his introduction that June, in contrast to all the others, has written this book herself.  It’s a good point and one I appreciate.  Every other book I’ve read with the “My Life with Elvis” theme has had a ghost writer, someone to write prettily and advise about enhancing one’s role in the life of the King of Rock & Roll.

June’s book was a long time in coming considering that June was Elvis’s girlfriend from June of 1955 through to March of 1957.  Published in 1997, 40 years after breaking up with Elvis, this is June’s story of what it was like dating Elvis just before his life took off into the Hollywood fast lane. It took her 20 years after Elvis had passed away to write it so it’s obvious to me at least, that June was reluctant to share her affair with Elvis with the world.  Yet eventually I think we all give in to the lure of the big bucks rolling in if we’ve got any kind of book in us.  And she certainly had that.

The book provides us practically a day by day account from the beginning to the end of the affair.  I have trouble with the affair word since they never slept together.  I always considered a “love affair” meant lovemaking but as I’ve learned lately, Elvis’s idea of lovemaking may have been a quite a bit different then mine so for the purposes of this review, we’ll call it an affair. 

As detailed in my previous post about June, her and Elvis met when he was performing at the Slavonian Lodge in Biloxi, Mississippi where June was born and raised.  He apparently eyed her up as she was leaving the restroom and almost instantly asked her for a date.  After the show, according to June, they spent the entire evening together parked in the car and talking.  Elvis completely spilled his guts out to her about all his problems, hopes, dreams and so on and then at sun up, took her home and laid a great big romantic kiss on her. And then he left the next day to continue his tour.

The story is mostly about the summer vacation Elvis spent in Biloxi and I believe Elvis probably enjoyed the best summer of his life with June in Biloxi just before he went to Hollywood to film Love Me Tender.  He was still able to maintain some privacy at this time and the account June gives indicates they had a perfectly normal summer love affair doing lots of summer like activities. From there, we’re told about how June accompanied Elvis on his Florida tour and the breakneck pace set by Colonel Parker that Elvis had to follow but for which no normal person could reasonably keep up to.   

Then Love Me Tender happened as did Debra Paget and things with June took a chilling turn with June breaking it off finally after becoming engaged to another man.  Dropped him like a hot potato, she did.  When June met him on the train he was taking back to Memphis to dump him, he did not pursue her to argue with her or plead for her not to leave him.  Since at this point he had fallen head over heals in love with Debra Paget (See Love Me Tender review) and had been introduced to the Hollywood lifestyle, I’m sure June looked small town and plain to Elvis after that. I know that sounds uncharitable but I’ll bet it’s true. 

This book was okay for me. I had no trouble sticking with it even though I sometimes found the dialogue between Elvis and June annoying with too many “Baby’s” (Elvis) and “Elvis Presley’s” (June).  I also think June overstretches herself in her portrayal of how important she was to Elvis. About how the book The Prophet, which she did give him, was the one he was reading when he died, (that’s not substantiated anywhere) and that this same book still sits on his bedside table at Graceland. (Maybe but it’s not the one she gave him because Priscilla burned that one).  I found I was rolling my eyes frequently while reading this book mainly due to the cheesy dialogue and the inflated importance she makes herself out to be to Elvis. She was certainly important to him when they were together but out of sight, out of mind was a real problem with Elvis.

Having said that, it was obvious to me throughout the book that June really did and probably still does love Elvis.  I also want to add that it was very enlightening to hear what Elvis was like before his gigantic ego kicked into overdrive and he became convinced of his own superstardom. There are personal photographs too of Elvis and June (and families) that are never seen before. June certainly doesn’t write anything negative about Elvis which is quite refreshing but she also doesn’t gloss over the more needy aspects of his character. It was a much more innocent time then and maybe some of the way June writes reflects that even though it comes off somewhat corny now.  Certainly the Elvis that June dated and loved was a whole lot more innocent during this period then in the days after he met Hollywood.

All in all, a worthwhile read if you are an Elvis fan.  

Elvis® is returning to one of the places where it all started. As part of the 12th annual Indie Memphis Film Festival, Indie Memphis is bringing the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll back to the Levitt Shell in Overton Park with a free outdoor screening of the concert film, “Elvis: ‘68 Special,” at 7 pm, Friday, October 9. In the event of rain, the screening will be held the following Friday.

Presented by Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. and co-presented by the Levitt Shell and the Memphis Flyer, the screening takes place at the site where Elvis first gained public attention by stealing the show from headliner Slim Whitman with his performance of “That’s All Right.” Many music historians call that night at Overton Park in 1954 the world’s first rock ‘n’ roll concert.

Elvis led the rock ‘n’ roll revolution in music and pop culture in the 1950s. Then in the 1960s he concentrated mainly on his movie career. By 1968, it had been more than seven years since he had appeared on stage in front of a live audience. In his first television special, clad in his now-iconic black leather suit, Elvis performs classic hits both alone and, in sequences generally regarded as the forerunner of today’s popular “unplugged” concept, with friends and the original members of his band. The concert also includes splashy production numbers and the giant red “Elvis” letters.

Usually referred to as the “‘68 Special,” the actual name of the program was “Elvis.” Taped in June of 1968 at NBC’s Burbank studios, it first aired December 3 on NBC and generated the network’s biggest ratings victory of the year and the season’s top-rated show. It stands today as one of the great moments in rock music history and as a milestone in Elvis’ career. After this triumph, Presley poured renewed creative vigor into his recording work, wrapped up his movie obligations and returned full-time to the concert stage.

Click here to view the official “Elvis: ‘68 Special” page on the Indie Memphis website, send it to your friends, and even build your own schedule as the festival lineup is unveiled!

Songwriters: Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller

Probably the first rock music video of all time, Elvis Presley’s Jailhouse Rock dance scene was historic in many ways in the making.  Elvis didn’t dance. Onstage he just moved rhythmically to the music. And boy! could he move.  There’s no account anywhere that I can find where Elvis ever danced with a girlfriend other then slow dancing in the dark.  When at clubs or parties, no one ever states that Elvis would ever just dance to fast music the way most of us relate to dancing.

So when Jailhouse Rock was being filmed and talk of the choreography for the title song began, it was quite humorous to read that the choreographer for the scene was aiming for some kind of old fashioned Gene Kelly type of performance from Elvis.  What? Have you seen this guy on stage?

According to George Klein, an Elvis friend from way back, “When Alex Romero, who was the choreographer of Jailhouse Rock, first presented the dance sequence for Jailhouse Rock, Elvis shook his head and he said, ‘That’s not me. I can’t do that, Alex. I appreciate, you know, what you’ve done here.’ He wanted Elvis to do more of a Gene Nelson/Fred Astaire type.  Elvis said, ‘It’s not me. I’ll try it.’ And Elvis being the cooperative guy, he got up and tried.  He said, ‘See Alex, it’s not me.’  And that’s when Alex said, ‘Elvis, I’ll tell you what.  Let me incorporate your stage act into what I wanna do, and let’s see if that’ll work.’  and he went home that night, came back the next day, and had taken Elvis’s stage act and incorporated that into a dance sequence. Elvis said, ‘Hey, I can do that. That’s me.’  And in one take, right there in the rehearsal hall at MGM, Elvis had it down.  And of course it became historic in being Elvis’s best dance sequence in a motion-picture.”

Sharon Sheeley, songwriter and friend of Elvis, remembers coming home from that movie (Pajama Game).  And it was very late at night, and there this little drizzle out.  And “Jailhouse Rock” came on the radio.  And I remember Elvis stopped the car, got out of the car.  It was on Fountain Avenue. And he danced the whole scene he did in the movie, in the middle of the street on Fountain Avenue.  And I kept thinking if people woke up right now and looked out their windows, they’d see Elvis Presley dancing in the streets like Gene Kelly.

Source for George Klein and Sharon Sheeley: Remember Elvis, Produced by Joe Esposito

The recording of Jailhouse Rock took place at MGM’s Radio Recorders on April 30th, 1957.  Morning and afternoon rehearsals were strange for Elvis who was more likely to start rehearsing at 10PM and work through until dawn but this was the movies and people kept somewhat regular hours. Elvis was never known to throw tantrums or lose his temper during rehearsals however he did lose it during this rehearsal.  Elvis always warmed up his voice by singing his favorite gospel tunes with the band and the back up singers.  During the rehearsals here at MGM, Elvis spent the morning doing just that and then broke for lunch.  During lunch, the production team spoke to Gordon Stoker, one of the backup singers in the Jordanaires group and asked that they not join Elvis in the gospel singing if he began doing that again after lunch. They needed to get to work.

When Elvis came back from lunch and got wind of this, he simply stood up and walked out.  As was the way Elvis always worked, if they had just let him be, he more then likely would have finished all the takes they required that day or possibly by the next day but as it was, they had nothing. Other singers may have taken weeks to get what they needed from him.  Elvis returned the next morning and finished all the required songs.  I’ve never read where anybody tried to interfere with his work habits after that.

The soundtrack version of Jailhouse Rock, heard here on this video, includes orchestration and back up vocals that are not on the released single version. That version included only Elvis’s original band Scotty Moore, Bill Black and DJ Fontana with the addition of Dudley Brooks on piano.  Of course the Jordanaires were ever present as back up singers but even the back up vocals were toned down from the soundtrack version. I personally prefer the single released version but I’ll never stop loving watching Elvis perform in this video.  Today it seems almost cheesy in it’s simplicity but remember, we’re talking over 52 years ago.  I was only 4 months away from making my entrance into the world.

Jailhouse Rock debuted at No.1 for the week of November 9th, 1957. This was to be Elvis’s 8th chart topper. During this year, Elvis had the No. 1 hit 17 out of 56 weeks according to Cash Box Magazine Charts.

The single with the B side of Treat Me Nice (one of my all time favorites) was a US #1 hit for 7 weeks.  The song as sung by Elvis is #67 on Rolling Stone’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and was named one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

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There’s nothing I enjoy better then wearing my love for Elvis for all to see. I think it helps keep Elvis on people’s minds and that’s a good thing. Although the two main colors I wear most of the time are pink and black, I actually only own one Elvis Presley t-shirt that I got as a freebie from ShopElvis.com for buying a bunch of other stuff. It’s a t-shirt from Aloha Hawaii and it’s not that great, the decal will eventually peel, but I still wear it proudly. 

My real pride and joy is my official Elvis/Dale Earnhardt Jr. winter jacket special Las Vegas 2007 (30th Anniversary) edition that has gotten me so many looks and compliments, it’s almost embarrassing.  Someday soon I’ll get a picture of that jacket up here because it is a collector’s item now. You can’t get it anywhere that I can find.

But I digress.

Today I added a new section to my blog which features Elvis Presley merchandise hand-selected by yours truly.  Most of the crap you can buy these days with Elvis’s likeness on it is so cheesy, I just know Elvis is spinning in his grave when he sees it. Like Pez dispensers for pete’s sake!  Or bobble heads!  Or Elvis wigs!  Just plain awful stuff no matter how you look at it.

But there is some really cool stuff available and when I find it, I will feature it here under the Elvis Merchandise section of this blog.  To begin, I found the most gorgeous collection of t-shirts (over 360!) and have included my list of 9 favorites.  Check them out here and if you’re friend or family, consider this my wish list.  Christmas IS coming after all.   If you’re an Elvis fan, you’ll definitely not want to go without at least 2 or 3 of these beautiful tributes to The King.

Enjoy!