Elvis on itv1 tonight

[horseman]

We loved this to bits,an I was talking an telling youngest g-son 11, what it was like in that time:)as he was on the pc here,I was probably on a loser from the start,but I was pretty sure it was the start of one hell of a biggey, an I bet me an wife ain't alone there:)

[johno]

We loved this to bits,an I was talking an telling youngest g-son 11, what it was like in that timeas he was on the pc here,I was probably on a loser from the start,but I was pretty sure it was the start of one hell of a biggey, an I bet me an wife ain't alone there:)
yes his passing was one helliva loss of talent......:~(

[Anne x]

ok I watched ITV3 the real presleys

what does one say great guy been to graceland all be it plastic toon (my friend got her souvenuirs stolen in toilets ) could not wait to be out of memphis
but he was a great sorta guy lovely voice

like lennon hyped to end although lennon did say and I quote nothing before Elvis

same can be said for loads of singers depends on taste

[helenwyler]

I watched it too - such an exciting performer for the first three years, till military service and Colonel Parker hijacking his raw talent to earn megabucks in Hollywood mush...[disgust]

Didn't John Lennon say on Elvis' death something like "Why are you mourning him now? He died 20 years ago." Have to agree, tho wasn't old enough to appreciate him first time round!

[NLP]

Great show but then I think everything to do with Elvis is great

[nanoo]

I watched both shows on telly last night and loved every minute of both of them. It took me right back to my youth, there were a great many GOOD singers and groups back then but nobody could touch Elvis. I used to get the magazine --- Elvis Monthly. He came to Britain only once and that was to refuel at PRESTWICK AIRPORT on his return from the army in Germany, I was lucky enough to see him that day as i lived nearby at the time. However, from my vantage point he was so far away but he waved to everybody before he left so i can always say i saw him here in Scotland. The King is dead -LONG LIVE THE KING.

[thirsaloon]

I watched the “Young Elvis In Colour” to. I totally agree he was a great performer and a fantastic showman but for Lennon to say there was nothing before Elvis and for anyone to agree is a load of rubbish if you ask me.

Don’t forget that a lot of what Elvis was singing as well as Lennon with the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Animals etc was Rhythm and Blues (a term which was first used in 1948 to replace the racist terms used like “Race Records” and “Jungle Music”), Gospel or Blues were other big influences. In two words “Black Music”. It was this music which influenced countless artists and still does. “Rock and Roll” was actually black slang for sexual intercourse!

Elvis like so many other white acts did covers of old rhythm and blues songs like Hound Dog by Big Mama Thornton, Big Joe Turners Shake Rattle and Roll, even Lulu doing Shout an Isley Brothers hit and so on, the list is endless. Typical of the time black music was covered by these white artists and then released to the public who had no clue about the original artist/ writer who also got no credit or royalties for the simple reason of being black. Whilst the white acts and their management, record companies coined it in the originators got nothing!

Very few acts, the Stones being one of them made a point in giving credit to the likes of Howlin Wolf, B.B. King, Ike and Tina Turner, Muddy Waters, Ruth Brown, Etta James, Albert King, Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, James Brown etc

As soon as the song was covered by a white artist it was seen as more acceptable. Most of those covers are pretty lame to if you compare them. If you ask me, yeah Elvis may have brought it to a wider audience but he only copied and added to the foundations that were already there and built over many hard years.


Although he has had a rough time over the years and rightly so at times, it was good to see Ike Turner getting some credit for a change for writing Rocket 88 in 1951, the song that is highly regarded as being the first REAL Rock and Roll record.


As Little Richard said about the origins of so called “white” Rock and Roll: - “Rhythm and Blues had a baby and they called it Rock and Roll!”

Sorry Elvis fans but that’s my view on it!

[TRUCKER]

its a shame he died so young a loss of a great showman.

[scorrie]

I watched it too - such an exciting performer for the first three years, till military service and Colonel Parker hijacking his raw talent to earn megabucks in Hollywood mush...[disgust]

Didn't John Lennon say on Elvis' death something like "Why are you mourning him now? He died 20 years ago." Have to agree, tho wasn't old enough to appreciate him first time round!

I knew a guy at School who was a big Elvis fan. One day he got into a real rant over the way Elvis' career went and then went on to blame Colonel SANDERS for the whole thing.

[scorrie]

I watched the “Young Elvis In Colour” to. I totally agree he was a great performer and a fantastic showman but for Lennon to say there was nothing before Elvis and for anyone to agree is a load of rubbish if you ask me.

Don’t forget that a lot of what Elvis was singing as well as Lennon with the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Animals etc was Rhythm and Blues (a term which was first used in 1948 to replace the racist terms used like “Race Records” and “Jungle Music”), Gospel or Blues were other big influences. In two words “Black Music”. It was this music which influenced countless artists and still does. “Rock and Roll” was actually black slang for sexual intercourse!

Elvis like so many other white acts did covers of old rhythm and blues songs like Hound Dog by Big Mama Thornton, Big Joe Turners Shake Rattle and Roll, even Lulu doing Shout an Isley Brothers hit and so on, the list is endless. Typical of the time black music was covered by these white artists and then released to the public who had no clue about the original artist/ writer who also got no credit or royalties for the simple reason of being black. Whilst the white acts and their management, record companies coined it in the originators got nothing!

Very few acts, the Stones being one of them made a point in giving credit to the likes of Howlin Wolf, B.B. King, Ike and Tina Turner, Muddy Waters, Ruth Brown, Etta James, Albert King, Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, James Brown etc

As soon as the song was covered by a white artist it was seen as more acceptable. Most of those covers are pretty lame to if you compare them. If you ask me, yeah Elvis may have brought it to a wider audience but he only copied and added to the foundations that were already there and built over many hard years.


Although he has had a rough time over the years and rightly so at times, it was good to see Ike Turner getting some credit for a change for writing Rocket 88 in 1951, the song that is highly regarded as being the first REAL Rock and Roll record.


As Little Richard said about the origins of so called “white” Rock and Roll: - “Rhythm and Blues had a baby and they called it Rock and Roll!”

Sorry Elvis fans but that’s my view on it!

I agree with your thinking on this.

I recall a documentary about the early days of Elvis and one of the producers who was talent scouting at the time said "I'm looking for a white guy that can sing coloured"

There is no doubt that if Elvis had been Black it would all have been very different.

[nanoo]

that's the point though, he was white and singing that type of music, so brought rock and roll a whole lot quicker to the fore. I've no doubt that a coloured group or singer would have made a breakthough eventually. Give the guy his due though, he was there, then and made it happen for him.