Early November 2006
- THE RAZZ: WESTLIFE HIT THE TARGET WITH 14TH 'BULLSEYE'
By Liz & Beverley Lyons
(dailyrecord.co.uk, November 13, 2006)
NEW research from the book of British Hit Singles & Albums has revealed that Westlife have had more "bullseyes" - records entering at No.1- than any other act in chart history. Their latest single, a cover version of Bette Midler's The Rose, gave the band their 14th No.1 this week. Incredibly, all 14 of their No.1 hit singles have debuted at the top of the chart. When their debut single Swear it Again hit the No.1 spot in May 1999, the group also managed an unbroken run of seven consecutive No.1s - a record which still stands six years on. Five of their seven albums were also "bullseyes", with their lowest album chart entry reaching no less than No.3. British Hit Singles & Albums Editor David Roberts commented: "I must admit that at the end of 2003 I thought their chart-topping days were over. "How wrong was I? Their amazing achievement is in having a fanbase that has grown-up with them over seven years. It's a trick few pop groups have emulated."
Top 10 Acts with most chart "bullseyes":
1. Westlife (14)
2. Oasis (10)
3. Take That (8)
4. Spice Girls (8)
5. Eminem (7)
6. Elvis Presley (6)
7. U2 (6)
8. Boyzone (6)
9. Robbie Williams (6)
1
0. McFly (6)
- Shrines to cultural icons hidden on the slopes: Off the trail, Aspen mountain has memorials to John Denver, the Dead and others.
By PAMELA LEBLANC, Cox News Service
(Kansas City Star, November 12, 2006)
John Denver smiles a laminated sort of grin from a snow-encrusted tree trunk, and chimes tinkle in the chilly air. Here, in a cozy alcove off a ski run on Ajax Mountain at Aspen, Mr. Rocky Mountain High lives on, thanks to fans who have created a hidden shrine to the folk singer, who died in 1997. And Denver is not alone. Memorials to Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, Snoopy, Marilyn Monroe and others also have sprouted at this ski resort over the years. ...
- 'Million Dollar Quartet' delivers priceless show
By ELENA JARVIS
(news-journalonline.com, November 12, 2006)
Adjusting for inflation, Sam Phillips' The Million Dollar Quartet would be worth about 10 times that much today. But the immortality it brought Phillips' Sun Records as the "birthplace" of rock 'n' roll? Priceless. As was the Seaside Music Theater's world premiere musical making its debut Friday night at the News-Journal Center. Packed to capacity, the 350-seat Elaine & Thurman Gillespy, Jr. Theater played host to an era-defying audience of young and old, blue and white collars, rockers and country fans, and everything in between.
Fifty years ago, The Million Dollar Quartet was an afternoon jam that began as a recording session for Carl "Blue Suede Shoes" Perkins and his brothers, with newcomer Jerry Lee Lewis among the sidemen. It wound up being one of the most famous musical moments in history. Legend has it that, when Elvis Presley dropped by to say hi, followed by Johnny Cash, the shrewd Phillips knew a photo op when he saw one. He called the Memphis Press-Scimitar and a photo of the four ran the next day with a headline: "The Million Dollar Quartet."
And the rest is, oh, about a gazillion reissues, which unfortunately Phillips never cashed in on due to contracts between the artists and their labels. The Million Dollar Quartet did not see the light of a sales bin, in fact, until the 1980s when the sessions were rediscovered in the Sun archives. "Million Dollar Quartet" is a finger-snapping, heart-thumping, hand-clapping performance worthy of the moment it captures so well, from the Sun Studios-inspired set to a song lineup that makes backup singers out of everyone.
Purists will point out most of the songs included in this 50th anniversary musical weren't recorded on that fateful day of Dec. 4, 1956. Those 47 tracks were heavy on gospel and holiday tunes, though the show does include two, Chuck Berry's "Brown-Eyed Handsome Man" and the standard "Down by the Riverside." They also might take issue with the timeline, given the fact it doesn't always jibe with reality.
Ignore them. Scriptwriters Escott and Mutrux weave a fast-paced production long on humor and insider jokes (that this astute audience got nonetheless) and supported by a stellar cast. While some of the dialogue is fly-on-the-wall fantasy, other portions are delicious riffs on reality. At one point, the writing team offers a brief retelling of Jerry Lee's religious rant and argument with Phillips over the recording of "Great Balls of Fire."
Stealing the show, both in the script and on stage, is Jerry Lee Lewis. Brandon Giles doesn't just play the role, he channels it, stealing the hearts of all the women with his sexy antics and hot piano licks. Robert Lyons as Perkins, the sharp-witted king of rockabilly, brings an edge to the guitar-slinger. Rounding out the quartet is Nick Willett's Elvis and Lance Guest's Cash, who capture the shy sweetness and quiet strength, respectively, of those musical legends. Holding it together is charismatic Greg Roderick as Sam Phillips, who delivers the storyline with expert timing. In the supporting part of Presley's girlfriend, the dazzling Dyanne, played by Jenn Fraser, sizzles in two performances. Remaining standouts in the cast are percussionist Chris Nolin and bassist Chuck Zayas, whose animated accompaniment adds a deeper dimension to the drama.
If You Go
WHAT: "Million Dollar Quartet," produced by Seaside Music Theater
WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. matinee Sunday through Dec. 4.
WHERE: News-Journal Center, 221 N. Beach St., Daytona Beach
TICKETS: General admission $32-$42; $22 for college students; $20 for children. For tickets or more information, visit seasidemusictheater.org or call (386) 252-6200.
- Her art deflates sexual posturing: Inspired by quilts, Clare Rojas threads folktales and landscapes with sly humor
By Cate McQuaid
(Boston Globe, November 12, 2006)
Call Clare Rojas the anti-Elvis. The painter, installation artist, and musician has put CDs out under the name Peggy Honeywell . Her songs hum along with an old-timey folk sound, until you get to a version of the King's "All Shook Up." Rojas sings it in a small, hesitant voice, missing beats. It comically conveys the antithesis of Presley's urgent eroticism, and it has its own sweet truth. ...
- For Dan Connor, it's a welcome return to the stage and to a 'Birdie' starring role
By JOE ADCOCK
(pi.nwsource.com, November 10, 2006)
Dan Connor figures that one reason why he landed the title role in "Bye Bye Birdie" is that he "burped during the audition." "Intentionally," he adds.
BYE BYE BIRDIE
CREATORS: Music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Lee Adams, book by Michael Stewart
WHERE: Village Theatre, 303 Front St. N., Issaquah, then at Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Ave., Everett
WHEN: Through Dec. 31 in Issaquah, then Jan. 5-21 in Everett
TICKETS: $28-$49, discounts for seniors, those under 21 and groups; 425-392-2202, 866-688-8849 (Issaquah), 425-257-8600, 888-257-3722 (Everett) or www.villagetheatre.org
Birdie makes up in charisma what he lacks in refinement. The character is based on Elvis Presley, though the name "Conrad Birdie" is derived from Conway Twitty -- another conscientiously unpolished pop singer. "Bye Bye Birdie" premiered on Broadway in 1960. The story takes a page from Elvis' life: his much-publicized career timeout when he did a stint in the military. Birdie is about to be inducted into the Army. Just before he heads off to basic training, wouldn't it be great publicity if he kissed a wholesome, pretty small-town girl goodbye on national TV, on "The Ed Sullivan Show" to be precise? If you answered "yes," you are attuned to the innocent publicity stunts of mid-20th-century America.
"Birdie" is credited with introducing the first hints of rock music into a staid Broadway musical style. The Village Theatre's revival of the show opens this weekend. Dan Connor's blue-collar, man of the people cred goes way beyond being able to burp on cue. His day job is working construction either as a self-employed general contractor or as a foreman for another builder. During high school (in Arroyo Grande, a small town in central California), he worked in his father's auto shop.
"Elvis Presley and James Dean were my heroes," he said in an interview last week. "Blue jeans and a white T-shirt, that was me, driving an old Mustang. "I ended up in Seattle because of a girl. I followed her up here." The Village production offers Connor a second chance in the Birdie role. "I played it when I was a senior in high school," he says. "It was great -- the girls swooning all over me. It was surreal. But this time I'm better suited to the role. I can hit lower notes. My voice is growlier. "In high school, my voice was a little too pretty for the role. I had classical training. For one thing, smoking rasps up my voice, which is good. My wife hates smoking, though. I'm going to give it up right after the show closes."
... As those of us who are along in years remember, Elvis was photographed only from the belt up when he appeared on the Ed Sullivan show in 1956. Presley's bump-and-grind stage presence had earned him the name of "Elvis the pelvis." His below-the-belt form of self-expression was not deemed acceptable for Sunday night mass audience TV viewing. "I've studied those moves," Connor says. "I get up there on stage and shake my hips -- not necessarily obscene gestures." ...
- Elvis Sullivan DVD
(antimusic.com, November 10, 2006)
(PR) Image Entertainment celebrates the legend of ELVIS PRESLEY with the first-ever DVD release of the undisputed king of rock 'n' roll's historic earth-shattering performances in ELVIS PRESLEY: THE ED SULLIVAN SHOWS. This 3-disc special edition DVD set will debut November 21.
Produced by Grammy and Emmy-award winning producer Andrew Solt (Imagine: John Lennon, This Is Elvis, The History of Rock 'n' Roll, Heroes of Rock 'n' Roll), the DVD consists of the three complete Ed Sullivan Shows on which Elvis made rock 'n' roll and TV history. Elvis first appeared on the show September 9, 1956 and sent shockwaves through a repressed post-war America -- effectively opening a generational rift between parents and their children -- with his soulful singing, sexual hip gyrations and raw rock 'n' roll energy. Elvis attracted a record-breaking audience of over 72 million people -- more than 80% of the television-viewing audience -- which equaled one of every third man, woman and child in the U.S. at that time. Viewing Elvis Presley's three appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show in their entirety frames the context of the country's appetite for entertainment in 1956. By glimpsing this time capsule Elvis's raw, confident and casual performances illustrates why he was so charismatic and how he captured the imagination of the world.
- It's no Heartbreak Hotel
By Rose Luna
(Killeen Daily Herald , November 10, 2006)
There was a time when Elvis Presley kicked his blue suede shoes off and relaxed in Killeen. Since his death in 1977, it is hard to walk a mile in his shoes, but you can buy his Killeen home off of the Internet.
The historic house on 605 Oakhill Drive in Killeen will be available for purchase on Monday at the popular auction Web site eBay.
The 2,400-square-foot house was purchased by Myka Allen-Johnson of Harker Heights last month, after the house was on the market locally for 88 days.
"I didn't buy the house with the intention of selling it on eBay," said Allen-Johnson, a sales representative for CenTex Homes. "I just don't want people to forget that he lived here in Killeen."
After purchasing the house, Allen-Johnson contacted the Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame Rock and Roll Roadshow in hopes of Presley's former Killeen residence being placed on the tour.
The traveling museum archives authentic stage clothing, instruments, personal effects and record awards from legendary recording artists, including Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash and Buddy Holly.
"After talking with them, I really don't have that kind of money to turn the house into a historical landmark," Allen-Johnson said. "They suggested to sell it on eBay to someone who has the money to turn it into something spectacular."
Presley was drafted into the Army in 1957 and was soon stationed at Fort Hood for tank training, where he rented the home for his parents. After applying for permission to live off-base with them, Presley resided in the three-bedroom brick home until his mother became ill with hepatitis and had to return to Memphis to be hospitalized.
While living at the house, Presley installed pink toilets, pink countertops and flowery green carpet, which has since been replaced with updated appliances. But other odds and ends, such as the kitchen cabinets, remain intact from when the King called it home.
A former home of Presley's in Memphis, Tenn., recently sold on eBay for $1 million and will join the roadshow. The auction generated more than 60,000 views on eBay in one afternoon and was featured on CNN and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
The eBay auction of the Killeen house will require pre-qualification before placing a bid, Allen-Johnson said.
"I think it will give Killeen positive notoriety," Allen-Johnson said. "It's neat to know the greatest legend in music lived here."
Contact Rose Luna at rluna@kdhnews.com
- Priscilla Presley justifies selling massive stake in Elvis' Tennessee estate
(Kerala News India, November 9, 2006)
Legendary singer Elvis Presley's widow [ie, ex-wife - Ed.] Priscilla does not consider her decision to sell a massive stake in his estate in Memphis, Tennessee, to be a wrong one, for the sale was hugely beneficial to Graceland's welfare. She had sold 85 per cent of Elvis Presley Enterprises to entertainment investment agency CKK in February last year.
The sold property included rights to the rock legend's name and image. However, Priscilla insists that the takeover of the property did not bring any changes in their lives, as she and her daughter still enjoy the services of the same staff. "Graceland is Graceland. We still have the same staff we've always had and it's still owned by my daughter, Lisa Marie," Contactmusic quoted her as saying. "We partnered with CKX, who came in and acquired the licensing to the name and image of Elvis. What that means is they are able to take us to a place we could not have gone as a private company," she added.
- Producer of Elvis-themed revue chilled with king for few days
By Charles Passy
(Palm Beach Post , November 8, 2006)
When Caldwell Theatre Artistic Director Michael Hall decided to produce the Elvis-themed musical revue Hunka Hunka Burnin' Love as his season-opener, he knew he could bring a special perspective to it. It's not just that Hall was a child of the '50s, those halcyon days of the birth of rock 'n' roll. It's that he could claim a special connection to Elvis himself. "I spent the better part of a couple of days with him," says Hall.
The occasion was the filming of the 1962 set-in-Florida Presley pic Follow that Dream, another in a series of frothy Elvis movies from that era. Hall was a college student home for the summer in Ocala, where he was a director of the community theater. One day, a call came from a Hollywood production company: Was there somebody around who could pull together the townsfolk and see about auditioning and casting walk-ons and extras?
Needless to say, Hall volunteered for the job. And he got the extra duty of staying close to Elvis throughout the shoot, plus cueing him for a scene staged outside a bank. The film's production crew "would just say to me, 'Hang with him.' Everybody in town was wildly jealous," Hall recalls. Indeed, the arrival of the king in Ocala resulted in a state of "pandemonium," Hall says. After all, this wasn't a big city, but rather a dot-on-the-map town best known for horse farms and the Silver Springs attraction. "We had so many people who wanted to be in the movie; it was difficult to figure out how to say no to them," Hall adds.
And how was Elvis? "He was the nicest guy," Hall recalls. "He was enjoying his fame, but it wasn't phony. It was just so heartfelt." A particular anecdote: When Elvis saw a screaming crowd of girls lining up for a glimpse of him, he took the gum out of his mouth and tossed it in their direction. "About 400 girls broke through the line to get it ... To this day, there's probably some middle-aged woman with Elvis gum," Hall says.
But did Hall make it into the movie himself? Just barely. In one scene, you see "the top of my head," he says. But two of his colleagues at the community theater landed larger roles. "They actually had some lines," he adds.
As for Hunka Hunka Burnin' Love, which opens Friday, Hall describes it as "a lot of fun," noting that the three-person show is a celebration of Elvis' music, not an attempt to impersonate him. Hall was familiar with the director of the piece, Kurt Stamm, from his previous work on the Caldwell musical revue, Our Sinatra. So, Hall decided to see Hunka when Stamm presented it at a Michigan summer playhouse. "People were shouting and jumping... I had a great time, too. I said, 'Let's bring it here,' " Hall says, noting the Caldwell production is the Florida premiere. As to what happened to Elvis after Follow That Dream, Hall says it's a shame his life went awry. He sensed that the king might have made a fine actor, but was never properly challenged. "He probably could have done some good stuff," Hall concludes.
- Martin Group's Mixed-Use Development Introduces First Live/Work Spaces in Desert Resort City
By Matthew Marin
(argusleader.com, November 7, 2006)
Once known as the "Playground of the Stars," this city was a popular destination for much of Hollywood's top talent including Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, Elvis Presley, Lucille Ball and Frank Sinatra. Today, Palm Springs, home to vacation-style resorts and condominium communities, has undergone a dramatic turnaround in its housing market, as evidenced by the development of a $35-million, mixed-use, infill property that will provide the city's first live/work lofts. ...
- Japan's Koizumi surfaces in Bush campaign speech
(Yahoo! News, November 6, 2006)
Even though he is no longer Japan's prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi still plays a central role in U.S. President George W. Bush's campaign speeches. At rally after rally before Tuesday's congressional elections, Bush invokes Koizumi, who stepped down in September, as an example of how relationships between countries can change over time and his hopes for the same in the Middle East. From Nevada to Nebraska, he tells of how he took Koizumi, an avid Elvis Presley fan, to the entertainer's Graceland home in Memphis, Tennessee, to show how close the two leaders were. Crowds respond positively as Bush seeks to compare the friendship that has developed between the United States and Japan after World War Two with what is possible if Iraq can become a beacon of democracy in the Middle East.
"Japan was the sworn enemy of the United States. I'm now on the airplane, Air Force One, flying down to Elvis' place, and I was talking about keeping the peace with the prime minister of Japan," Bush says in his stump speech.
"Someday, American presidents will be sitting down with duly elected leaders in the Middle East talking about keeping the peace, and a generation of Americans will be better off for it," he says.
Bush has been pushing a policy of spreading democracy in the Middle East and insists that U.S. forces must stay until the Iraqi government can take care of security.
The unpopular Iraq war has weighed on Republicans fighting to keep control of Congress.
Bush has yet to mention Japan's new leader, Shinzo Abe.
- Quotes of the week
(multi-housingnews.com, November 6, 2006)
A review of the week's most amusing, interesting and revealing remarks:
"That suit weighed 65 pounds." Tony Netos, retired Sioux Falls tailor, on a sequined Elvis Presley jumpsuit to which he added fabric because the King couldn't fit his arm through it on a concert stop in Sioux Falls. ...
|
