Mid March 2003
- Contemplating the roles of the voice
The art of song plays a huge part in pop music, is only a sidelight in classical
By Joshua Kosman
(San Francisco Gate, March 23, 2003)
Quick -- what do Bruce Springsteen, Norah Jones and Matthias Goerne have in common?
That's an easy one. They all sing songs for a living. But even though the performers' job descriptions may be superficially similar, there is a huge difference between the roles that songs play in the respective realms of popular and classical music -- differences that came sharply to mind during a recent local spate of classical song recitals. In the larger context of classical music, the art of song is something of a marginal form. We sometimes tend to lose sight of this in the Bay Area because local presenters -- including the folks at San Francisco Performances, Cal Performances, the San Francisco Opera Center and more -- keep us so well stocked with recitals. ...
In pop music, by contrast, songs are pretty much the only game in town, either financially or artistically. From country to hip-hop, soul music to death metal, song is the genre into which all the inspiration -- and all the money -- flows. Composer Ned Rorem puts the point with characteristic directness in the notes to his 1997 magnum opus "Evidence of Things Not Seen," an evening-length song cycle that had its West Coast premiere in San Francisco this month as part of the Other Minds Festival. "If in the world of Elvis song is a trillion-dollar business," he writes, "in the world of serious classical music song is the least remunerative of expressions." Leaving aside the tone of peevish self-pity that seems to infect everything Rorem writes (from his published diaries to his voluminous postings to the letters column of the New York Times), the point is well taken.
-
A last day with Elvis
(The Western Mail - The National Newspaper Of Wales, March 22, 2003)
COMEDIAN Rob Brydon has revealed that he would share his last day on earth with Elvis - but he would want to turn the clock back too. "I want the Elvis circa 1969 to midway through 1971, the early Las Vegas years," Brydon tells Max Boyce on Boyce's show The Final Curtain on BBC Radio Wales at 1.05pm today.
- Hit the parade, then rock to Elvis' beat
By BARBARA L. FREDRICKSEN
(St. Petersburg Times, March 22, 2003)
"Oldies in the Park," a Chasco concert with classic rock 'n' roll and 1970s funk and disco, kicks off at 4 p.m. today.
Today's big Chasco Fiesta event is the Chasco Parade at 1 p.m. through downtown New Port Richey. The milelong parade starts at the intersection of Gulf and Grand boulevards, goes north and around Orange Lake, south to Main Street, and west to U.S. 19.
Shuttle rides to and from downtown are available every 30 minutes from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. from the parking lots at Faith Lutheran Church and Pasco Board of Realtors on Sunset Road, from the New Port Richey Recreation Center on Van Buren and from the lot at Congress and Indiana (future home of Upper Room Apostolic Church).
After the parade, grab your dancing shoes, because today's big Chasco Fiesta entertainment event, "Oldies in the Park," has classic rock 'n' roll, songs made famous by Elvis Presley and some wild 1970s-style disco music.
The show goes from 4 to 11 p.m. on the stage in Sims Park.
- Burnin' love for the illusion of greatness
By LOUIS TEMPLADO
(Asahi Shimbun, March 22, 2003)
`The life of an impersonator means expressing love for someone by expressing the greatness of their aura.' He's got the sideburns, the sequined pantsuit and the 50-pound belt buckle. But whatever you do, don't call Martin Fontaine ``Elvis.''
The French-Canadian is the star and soul of one of this spring's most anticipated stage shows, a potpourri of projected images and dancers, glittery suits and musical numbers meant to recreate the career of one of the West's most recognizable icons.
``The Elvis Story,'' comes to Tokyo as the world rediscovers the King-again. The ``Elvis 30 #1 Hits'' CD went gold worldwide last year, Disney's ``Lilo and Stitch'' animated film features a half-dozen Elvis Presley tunes and in Japan, even the prime minister has issued a CD selection of his favorite Elvis tunes.
The musical, which will run from April 26 to May 11 at Tokyo's International Forum before moving to Osaka for two performances, is a polished affair indeed: The show has run nightly at Le Capitole in Quebec City since 1995, where Fontaine has played the lead an astounding 900 times. That may make him a hound dog, but Fontaine insists that it doesn't make him an Elvis impersonator. ``I'm an actor-singer playing the role of Elvis on stage,'' says the star.
- Were you paying attention?
(Chicago Sun-Times, March 21, 2003)
Question 46 [of 50]
In her little red wagon, Lilo wheels around a record player and a photo of Elvis in "Lilo & Stitch." What is Elvis wearing in the photo?
- The Presley Legacy Lives On in Music
(curlio.com, March 21, 2003)
The Elvis legacy of music lives on. Though he has left us, and his influence is sorely missed, his daughter Lisa Marie Presley is about to enter the music scene.
ELVIS Presley's daughter has quietly made her first singing appearance - at an industry trade show in Orlando.
Lisa Marie Presley's debut, to promote her first album, was before 1000 enthusiastic record executives.
But it was hard for the audience to hear Presley's voice above her band.
Alan Kaplan of Music Universe said she had "star presence".
There is a sample from her new album available from her website, www.lisapresley.com. I checked out the new track. It wasn't what I expected, and I wasn't getting it at first. But as I got into it, I found I really liked what I heard from her. She has a very powerful, clean singing voice. She exhibits power that I haven't heard in a female voice since Cher was in her heyday. Her musical style is also similar to Cher's work, particularly in the late 1980's. Its a classic style rock that definitely carries a southern fried edge. If that kind of music is your thing, I think you'll like what she is offering.
Give it a listen... and come back here, and let us know what you thought!
- Love me tender: ELVIS the ferret is All Shook Up because his furry friends can't find a new home
(northantsnew.co.uk, March 19, 2003)
Love Me Tender was the message from Elvis, who wants to find loving new homes for his six friends who are currently in foster care. RSPCA fosterer Chrissy Hillyard, 51, of Avenue Road, Rushden, now wants A Little Less Conversation and A Little More Action in her bid to find homes for the playful pets. Oscar, Stanley, Joshua, Amber, Sadie and Izzy were found wandering the streets in locations across the county including Kettering, Wellingborough and Raunds. The ferrets are believed to be between six months and two years old and either have white fur or a mixture of grey and white, which is described as polecat fur. Mrs Hillyard lives with her husband Roger, 56, and daughter Fay, 23, and has six ferrets, including Elvis, as well as three horses, a sheep, two dogs, a cat, 13 cockatiels, chickens and ducks.
- 2 FOR THE MONEY
(Daily Record, March 18, 2003)
Elvis Presley's karate suit, lined with red satin, and Orson Welles's copy of the screenplay of Citizen Kane both fetched £11,000 at an auction in Los Angeles.
- Bank mergers and the public interest: Like Elvis, proposals for bank mergers live on despite consumer woes they may cause
By Sue Lott
(straightgoods.ca, March 18, 2003)
What do Elvis Presley and a bank merger have in common? Both are presumed dead, but somehow keep being brought back to life.
- Motel Hell: The Regency Hotel has had its ups and downs -- way downs (2nd item)
By DAVID HOLTHOUSE
(Denver Westword, March 18, 2003)
There's a manila folder in the Western History Department archives at the Denver Public Library marked "Regency Inn." Inside is a color brochure dated 1973, depicting the Regency's trademark gold dome and tower, situated at the intersection of 39th Avenue and Elati Street, just west of the asphalt artery that was then the Valley Highway and is now Interstate 25. "Have a love affair with Denver at the Regency," the brochure invites. "Visit a world of friendliness and gracious living. A world of splendor and grandeur amid the majestic Rocky Mountains." Once the favorite Denver hotel of Elvis Presley, the Regency is no longer fit for the King. ...
"Since I've acquired the Regency Hotel, I've spent millions and millions of dollars on improvements to the facility, making it a safer place for its guests and entertainment clientele, including a new $600,000 fire-alarm system," says Cormier. "When I came, the elevators weren't working at all, and we put a lot of money into getting them running again. They're old, but they're safe. They just haven't figured out the numerical sequence of the floors. Maybe in another 35 years. One of the features of the elevators is the doors open a lot more than they should. But a lot of people say that when the doors open and nobody's getting out, they'll say, 'Elvis just got off the elevator,' because we have the ghost of Elvis Presley here at the Regency. And we have Elvis fans coming into town who stay at the Regency, and they're not the clientele you would see at the nightclub, or someone like Lee. These are people who could stay at the Hyatt Regency or the Adam's Mark just as easily, but they come here to see the ghost of Elvis Presley."
Cormier resides in the former Elvis Presley Suite, a round penthouse atop the Regency's tower. "It has probably one of the nicest views of any high-rise in the city, overlooking Coors Field, the lights of the cityscape and the hustle and bustle of I-25 and I-70," he says. "I appreciate it very much."
- US central bank likely to hold fire
By Tim Ahmann
(Bangkok Post, March 18, 2003)
Federal Reserve officials meet today to consider cutting US interest rates to levels not seen since 1958 - when Elvis Presley entered the army - but they seem likely to hold off in hopes war jitters end soon.
- Beauties and the Beach - Hollywood Swimsuit Collection
Source: Underwater Adventures
(Yahoo! Finance / PRNewswire, March 17, 2003)
Underwater Adventures celebrates spring with its annual Spring Break Beach Party March 21-April 6, 2003 with festivities including an all-new swimsuit exhibit featuring famous suits from the silver screen. Other activities planned for the beach party include virtual volleyball, free entertainment, contests such as limbo and trivia, dancing, and games. Beauties and the Beach, Hollywood Swimsuit Collection will debut on March 22, 2003 featuring famous Hollywood swimsuit fashions. Twelve suits will be included in this exhibit, such as Die Another Day's Jinx suit, the rabbit fur and leather suit worn by Raquel Welch in One Million Years B.C., an Elvis Presley Hawaiian Short, and Bo Derek's gold one-piece in "10". Along with the suits, posters and other movie relics will also displayed. The suits are being re-created by Minneapolis resident, Denae Anderson. "We've tried to capture a piece of movie history with each suit," explains Jerrod Sumner, Underwater Adventures' Director of Guest Services. "There is a suit that signifies every generation, from Ester Williams to Lilo and Stitch."
- All shook up: Elvis impersonator living childhood dream
By DARIN FENGER
(yumasun.com, March 17, 2003)
Elvis impersonator Barry Stephen gives folks at Penny's Diner a pleasant surprise when he pops in for a quick photo and song Friday morning. If Barry Stephen had a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich for every time someone has hollered "He IS alive!" at the grocery store or requested some gyrations of the ol' pelvis at the gas pump, well, his belly would be bursting at its sequined seams. But so are the hazards of being an Elvis impersonator in Yuma. Not that Stephen minds being jokingly mistaken for his beloved Idol, mind you. In fact, he probably responds quicker to "Hey, Elvis!" than he does his own name. ... But in all of that, it's been fans' smiles that have worked the strongest magic on the hard-working performer. "That's one of the great things about entertainment. The country can be at war and lots of bad things going on in people's lives, but music can always take their minds off it all for at least a little while," Stephen said. "I'm just pleased to do that. When I get done and see those big smiles, it's just a great feeling." Although his career is going top speed these days, folks have been paying to hear Stephen sing all his life. It was growing in South Carolina that he performed his first concert - and got that first taste of fame. "I was in a park and just jumped up on a bench with a broom stick," he said. "These little kids gathered around me and took up a collection for me. I was so excited that I had to leave to tell my mom." Like Elvis, Stephen grew up with a passion for church music. ... But it was on an earlier trip to Vegas that Stephen's Elvis was truly born. It was also there that he actually got to meet The King. It's a story he loves to tell. He was buying a ticket to an Elvis concert at a casino when he suddenly heard a most glorious sound coming from the show room. Yup, the star was inside performing. And after two run-ins with security guards, Stephen's dream finally come through. "The security guard was running me off when Elvis stopped him and told me to come over to him," Stephen said, smiling so big. "It was wonderful to finally meet him!"
- Elvis Cabbie Says The Chicks Dig Him
By TOM HENRY
(The Milwaukee Channel.com / Associated Press, March 17, 2003)
Elvis has left the building -- but he's still driving a cab. The King -- of Seattle cabbies --is Dave Groh, who does his Elvis impersonation behind the wheel. He even has the bejeweled white jumpsuit. While nature has given Groh Elvis' heft -- he doesn't have the King's dark hair. So, Groh needs to make regular visits to a hairdresser to get his blond locks died black. There's more than just tips in being the Elvis cabbie. Groh says just like the real King of Rock and Roll, he's a chick magnet, too.
- Area's 1st Elvis festival rocks Zenobia:
Artists, fans gather to pay tribute to the king
By TOM HENRY
(Toledo Blade, March 16, 2003)
Before we get into all the shake, rattle, and roll that went on the last two days at the normally subdued Zenobia Shrine, we offer the following public service announcement: Don't use the words "Elvis impersonator" to describe men with chin-length sideburns, jet-black hair, sunglasses, gyrating hips, and a swagger to their walk. Yes, the world has become more complicated. Political correctness surrounds us, no doubt. But just in case you were wondering, Graceland is not fond of the term. Organizers of Toledo's first Elvis festival said that one of the promises they made to get their event sanctioned by Presley's estate was to avoid such references. Call 'em Elvis Tribute Artists. Or there's a more formal option: Tribute Artists to the King. Just don't call 'em Elvis impersonators. Got it?
Great. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's try to figure out why 1,200 people - most from within a 250-mile radius, but some from as far away as California - spent part of their weekend paying tribute to an artist who has been dead since Aug. 16, 1977. Elvis, of course, was not just any artist to them or any musicologist worth his or her salt. More than 25 years after his death, millions of his albums are still being sold each year. His Graceland mansion - as well as his gravesite behind it - remain among America's most popular sojourns. Without getting into a long discourse about Presley's impact on rock history, we'll yield to a theory touted by Michelle Rosencrantz: That Elvis was a near-religious experience for his ardent fans. She counts herself among them. "He drew some people to God with gospel music who might not have otherwise been drawn," she said. "It was almost like religion. I know it's a strange thing to say, but it's true."
Mrs. Rosencrantz, 39, is president of a newly formed group in Toledo called Elvis Presley's Sweet Sweet Spirit Fan Club. It organized the festival as a fund-raiser for The Family and Child Abuse Prevention Center, The Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation, and the Shriners Hospitals Transportation Fund. She recalls being wooed by Elvis' deep, soothing voice at the tender age of 3, while listening to an aunt's 45 rpm singles. When she was 5 - or maybe even the worldly age of 6 - she saw photos of him for the first time and developed the inevitable girlhood crush. Ironically, by the time she was swept off her feet in 1995 by her future husband, Bob Rosencrantz, she was - unbeknownst to her - dating a longtime Elvis imper .. well, ok, let's call him a longtime Elvis Tribute Artist. Robert Rosencrantz entertains loyal followers of Elvis at Toledo's first and fully Graceland-sanctioned Elvis festival at the Zenobia Shrine this weekend. About 1,200 devotees came from across the country to attend. Elvis died Aug. 16, 1977.
"I thought she was just making it up to impress me," Mr. Rosencrantz said, when asked what thoughts ran through his mind when the two eventually realized their mutual interest in Presley. Mr. Rosencrantz, also 39, is the fan club's vice president. He said he has been - ahem - a tribute artist since 1982. ...
One of the biggest hits was an hour-long performance by D.J. Fontana, Presley's drummer from 1954 to 1968. ... Mr. Fontana said he has been trying to figure out the Elvis mystique for almost a half century. He said he remembers Presley as a polite, affable singer who was respectful to others and commanded respect without getting overly excited. "You could feel it in the air when he came in," he said. Actress-singer Julie Parrish of Santa Monica, Calif., agreed. "There was an electric feeling around him," said Ms. Parrish, a one-time Toledo and Tecumseh resident who starred with Presley in his 1966 film, Paradise, Hawaiian Style. ... Mr. Rosencrantz agreed with his wife that being an Elvis fan is a near-religious experience. He said he is impressed by how today's youth is attracted to his legacy. "Elvis was put here for a reason, and I think it was to bring people together," he said.
- Jukebox jury gives verdict on best song
By Bridget Morris
(ndtv.com, March 16, 2003)
A 40-year-old track whose indecipherable lyrics were subject to an FBI investigation has been named the ultimate jukebox record. Louie Louie by The Kingsmen made it to just 26 in the UK charts in 1963, but became one of the most famous garage rock hits. It tops a list of the 100 singles which experts from Mojo magazine say all music fans ought to own. Writers such as Nick Hornby were asked to come up with the singles which would grace a fantasy jukebox. They generally chose tracks which also had outstanding B-sides to give listeners a greater choice when they dropped their coin into a Wurlitzer. ... Elvis Presley's classic 1961 hit (Marie's The Name) His Latest Flame was judged runner-up.
- Rock n roll memorabilia up for auction
(ndtv.com, March 16, 2003)
It's rock and roll Hollywood style this weekend at Butterfields auction house in Los Angeles. Up for sale Sunday are a collection of memorabilia from the music genre's early days. Guitars, sheet music, recordings, photos and clothing from rock and roll icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly and more are in the collection. From the man dubbed the king of rock n' roll; custom-made guitars played by Elvis Presley during his career in music and movies, and one-time studio session recordings of famous Elvis standards, including 'Blue Suede Shoes'. There's also an assortment of clothing from Presley's personal wardrobe, including a Karate uniform worn by Elvis in the early 1970's. Also among the collection are equipment from the Sun Records studio where Elvis recorded some of his early music in the 1950's. Butterfields officials say the recording gear together is valued at between 100-thousand and half a millions dollars (US).
- Blues, soul and rock'n'roll
(Times Online, March 16, 2003)
For many visitors, a trip to Memphis is a pilgrimage - but it's music, not religion, that's the draw. If you're interested in rock'n'roll, or blues, or soul - if you want to understand how just about all modern popular music started off, in fact - this is where you'll find the answers. The essential first stop for many would have to be Elvis Presley's "mansion" (in fact, it's surprisingly small), Graceland (3734 Elvis Presley Boulevard; 00 1 901-332 3322, www.elvis.com). It's as kitsch as you've heard, and no, they don't let you into the smallest room where the King gasped his last. You can see some rather fine gold lame and rhinestone-encrusted outfits, though.
If it's the music rather than the man that inspires you, head instead for Sun Studios (706 Union Avenue; 521 0664, www.sunstudio.com), where Elvis was first discovered and cut his earliest recordings. This is arguably the most famous and prestigious recording studio in the history of rock'n'roll: Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash also did much of their best work here. ...
- Music companies mock law with poster 'vandalism'
By Anthony Browne
(Times Online, March 15, 2003)
THE world's largest music and sports clothing companies are under attack for "guerrilla marketing", the booming industry in covering bus shelters, walls, litter bins, junction boxes, post boxes and empty shop fronts with posters and stickers plugging their wares. Local authorities say the endemic flyposting amounts to little more than "corporate vandalism" which is blighting Britain's city centres more than teenagers' graffiti. Westminster council is leading the campaign against the practice. Simon Milton, the leader of the council, said: "It's an ugly antisocial scourge of the streets that is degrading the city. Once you allow your city to be taken over by flyposting, you're inviting a lot more serious problems. It is persistent corporate vandalism. Corporate antisocial behaviour is now as much of a problem as noisy neighbours." Flyposting is illegal, but music industry sources admit that multinational corporations deliberately and repeatedly break the law to market their goods because it is so effective, and because the fines are so small that they form a tiny part of the overall advertising budget.
Flyposting fines
Footlocker UK: Footlocker, £2,000
Telstar records: Mis-Teeq, £200 and £300
Warner records: Brandy, £200
Azuli records: Another Late Night, £450
Sony Music: Pay As You Go, £1,800
BMG Entertainment: Elvis vs JXL, £525
Universal records: New Found Glory, £450
EMAP Elan: FHM, £350
Viaduct: SMILE, £1,500
- PUB WHERE ONLY THE PRICE HAS CHANGED
(Hull Daily Mail , March 15, 2003)
It is the pub that time forgot. The decor harks back to a time when Elvis was thrusting into the limelight and the good folk of England bought their butter with ration coupons. Painters and decorators have barely been near the Victoria Hotel, Market Place, Hornsea, in half a century - other than to wind down after a busy day. ... All that, however, is soon to come to an end.
- New job for 'Elvis'
(icwales.co.uk / The Western Mail , March 15, 2003)
AN Elvis Presley impersonator has been appointed as Anglesey's first community caretaker. John Renton, 52, earns part of his living as a singer, paying tribute to the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Under his stage name Johnny O he also performs tributes to another of his musical heroes, Roy Orbison. But he is turning the volume down in his new job, which involves helping the more vulnerable residents in parts of Holyhead to lead peaceful lives.
- Notre Dame show-choir steps out to Nashville: Group first from Canada to appear at U.S. festival
By Nicholas Read
(Vancouver Sun , March 14, 2003)
Hoping to make a splash but knowing it will be a good time in any case, Notre Dame show-choir will put its best foot forward. Vancouver's Notre Dame Catholic School show-choir is off to Nashville's Grand Ole Opry next week to show the Americans what a Canadian show-choir can do.
It is the first and only choir from outside the U.S. to be invited to perform in the U.S. National Show-choir Competition, a three-day event that brings together show-choirs from 11 U.S. regions and now, for the first time, Canada. ... This is more like a Broadway show. Choir members move as individuals as they sing. They leap, they groove, they work up a sweat. They do it to carefully choreographed dance steps. It's a lot more Chicago than it is King's College Chapel. ... When he was asked to put together a choir program at Notre Dame, he ditched the pale blue robes for a wardrobe of black leather jackets.
He had the kids singing hits from the '50s, replete with turned-up collars and Elvis sneers, and a tradition was born. ... All the other choirs won their right to perform in Nashville by competing in regional festivals. However, in Canada, there is no official show-choir competition, so Notre Dame was invited solely on the basis of its audition video and CD.
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