The Elvis Presley stories repeated most often these days are rarely flattering. Some emphasize his lethal appetite for fatty foods and prescription painkillers; others dwell on bizarre anecdotes like his meeting with Richard Nixon, where he warned the president that the Beatles had an “anti-American spirit.” The overall picture in these tales depicts a sweaty, bloated country bumpkin in a sequined jumpsuit who is quick to fire a gun at his own television set. It’s a pathetic, cartoon distortion of the man that has little relation to the musical genius from Tupelo, Mississippi, who played a crucial role in the development of rock & roll in the 1950s and continued to innovate within the art form for the reminder of his career. … [Read more...] about ‘Elvis Presley: The Searcher’ Pulls Back the Veil on the King
Elvis presley
Elvis Presley’s Albums to Comprise 60-Disc New Box Set
Priscilla Presley, who was married to Elvis and is the caretaker of his estate, told Rolling Stone last year that, as with the orchestral album, she hoped to explore other ways to keep his music in the public consciousness in the future. “Our culture and music has changed so drastically, I think that we have to keep [Elvis] right in line and do whatever we can to keep him current,” she said. “I’m not saying we’d change his voice. It will always be him singing. But it will be a new take on it. He would have been the first to jump in. We’re just carrying out, really, the DNA of Elvis Presley and keeping him authentic.” … [Read more...] about Elvis Presley’s Albums to Comprise 60-Disc New Box Set
Hear Elvis Presley’s Dramatic, Newly Orchestrated ‘American Trilogy’
Presley’s wife Priscilla, who manages his estate, told Rolling Stone in a recent interview how she found the song and brought it to her husband. “I was driving down Sunset Boulevard, and I heard Mickey Newbury singing it, and I went ‘Oh, my God’ and made a U-turn and went back to the house,” she said. “No one usually ever brought songs to him. Elvis picked out all of his songs, with the exception of movie songs which matched the scenes. No one ever said, ‘Hey, El, you got to do this song.’ … [Read more...] about Hear Elvis Presley’s Dramatic, Newly Orchestrated ‘American Trilogy’
Hear Elvis Presley’s Powerful, Newly Orchestrated ‘If I Can Dream’
When it came to picking the songs for If I Can Dream, Priscilla purposely chose tunes that weren’t “the obvious songs,” even if it’s hard to avoid some of his biggest hits. So alongside “Love Me Tender” and “Burning Love,” the new collection features the Aloha From Hawaii standout “Steamroller Blues,” the 1962 single “Anything That’s Part of You” and the Neil Diamond–penned “And the Grass Won’t Pay No Mind.” It also features a new guitar line by Duane Eddy on “An American Trilogy,” operatic vocals by Il Volo on “It’s Now or Never” and Michael Bublé singing half of a feisty duet on “Fever.” “One of the main concerns was not having an artist that would compete with Elvis,” Priscilla says. “This was thought out. This was not putting his name on something. Michael was so professional and such a perfectionist. Elvis loved … [Read more...] about Hear Elvis Presley’s Powerful, Newly Orchestrated ‘If I Can Dream’
Elvis Presley Classics Get Orchestration on ‘If I Can Dream’
“This would be a dream come true for Elvis,” Priscilla Presley said of If I Can Dream in a statement. “He would have loved to play with such a prestigious symphony orchestra. The music…the force that you feel with his voice and the orchestra is exactly what he would have done.” … [Read more...] about Elvis Presley Classics Get Orchestration on ‘If I Can Dream’
