Three meetings of Elvis in 1965 which could convinced him to return to live concerts

[jurasic1968]

In August and September 1965 Elvis was making one of his worst films ever, Paradise, Hawaiian Style. But he met in this period with new successful British artists like Herman's Hermits (August 18), The Beatles (August 27) and Tom Jones (September 29). In the press conference from August 1 1969, after his first concert in Las Vegas, Elvis said he wanted to perform live since 1965. My question is: do you think that these meetings of Elvis with such great artists influenced him to return to live performing?

[Thats_all_right]

Not so sure about Herman's Hermits, but I definitely think meeting the Beatles and Tom would have rubbed salt in the wound of the movies by this time, especially knowing he was stuck with them for a while longer.

I'd say he had the itch to perform live again for a couple of years before 65 but no doubt meeting current acts would have fueled the fire. Unfortunately there seemed nowhere to direct that fire for a couple more years.

[jurasic1968]

Right. Too bad, because Elvis was free more than three month until he began to film Spinout in January 1966. The contract with Hal Wallis expired after PHS and the Colonel signed a new contract with MGM in January 1966.

[colonel snow]

After the movie contracts expired Hal Wallis and other movie producers were no longer interested in the “movie star Elvis” for various reasons (fatness – behaviour etc). Elvis was no longer a money maker for the producers.



colonel snow

[eric c]

i think the quality of the movie scripts did.

[jurasic1968]

The Colonel signed with MGM in January 1966 a contract for Elvis for 4 movies for an incredible salary of 850,000 $ plus 50% of the profits (Speedway, Stay Away, Joe, Live a Little, Love a Little and Trouble With Girls). On Charro and Change of Habit, Elvis had the same salary of 850,000 $. Big money, even these movies were a relative failure at the box office.

[brian]

My question is: do you think that these meetings of Elvis with such great artists influenced him to return to live performing?

No. I think that Elvis loved performing and just naturally missed it after being away from it for so long. Elvis was always going to return to the stage at some point that was always going to happen. After he met those other artists he still didn't perform any concerts for another 3 or 4 years. So they didn't influence him to return to live performing.

[brian]

The Colonel signed with MGM in January 1966 a contract for Elvis for 4 movies for an incredible salary of 850,000 $ plus 50% of the profits (Speedway, Stay Away, Joe, Live a Little, Love a Little and Trouble With Girls). On Charro and Change of Habit, Elvis had the same salary of 850,000 $. Big money, even these movies were a relative failure at the box office.

The point is that because the box office for his movies had fallen so much that going forward Elvis wasn't going to get the same salaries. That's one reason why Elvis didn't make any movies in the Seventies. Colonel Parker would have wanted anywhere from $850,000 to 1 million dollars plus a percentage of the gross for Elvis to star in a movie but producers would've balked at that. Elvis also wasn't getting many offers to star in movies because his last few films had flopped. That's why Elvis started appearing on stage again when he did.

[jurasic1968]

Yes, the studios lost interest in Elvis after 1969.

[colonel snow]

i think the quality of the movie scripts did.

It depends the kind of role you want for your leading star. There must be a match between the stars and the characters in the script. A lot of well-known actors in Hollywood refused for one reason or another to play in a movie with Elvis. They asked to much money / they wanted top-billing above Elvis’ name etc. This doesn’t mean the actors in Elvis’ movies are second choices now.


colonel snow

[brian]

Eric means that Elvis was unhappy with the quality of the scripts he was getting. Elvis wasn't happy with the way his film career had gone and was tired of making crappy films. That's one reason why when all his film contracts ended Elvis started performing live again. Elvis did talk about his desire to make better films and more serious films but that never materialized.

[drjohncarpenter]

In August and September 1965 Elvis was making one of his worst films ever, Paradise, Hawaiian Style. But he met in this period with new successful British artists like Herman's Hermits (August 18), The Beatles (August 27) and Tom Jones (September 29). In the press conference from August 1 1969, after his first concert in Las Vegas, Elvis said he wanted to perform live since 1965. My question is: do you think that these meetings of Elvis with such great artists influenced him to return to live performing?

Interesting suggestion, but nothing we know after those meetings and up to the 1969 press conference indicates any of them made that kind of impression.

The Hawaiian chat with Peter Noone and some of his bandmates was PR-driven, and the conversation seemed forced. It didn't help that 17 year-old Noone was more than a little cheeky, His group was at the pinnacle of their chart successes, while Presley was at a low point. So perhaps he was feeling his oats a bit. You can tell Elvis cannot wait to leave the conversation.

The visit with the Beatles at his private residence in Bel Air nine days later was a mix of PR and mutual curiosity, but Elvis was very surprised at how gracious they were during the visit. There was no talk that we know of about him returning to concerts, though they did jam a bit.

Tom Jones was brought to Paramount in late September by his manager, and this meeting, too, was PR-driven. But Elvis disarmed the 25 year-old Welsh singer by singing a bit of his recent single "With These Hands" as he walked up, and their pleasantries were genuine. Elvis would see Tom's Vegas debut a couple of years later, and lead the standing ovation at the end.

That said, it would be fair to believe that catching Jones at the Flamingo, slaying the audience with rockers, r&b and ballads, all while moving to the beat as he felt, sexiness to fore, planted the seed for a return to live performances.







Backstage at the Flamingo with Tom Jones, Priscilla Beaulieu - Saturday, April 6, 1968
Photo: Alan Band

[colonel snow]

Eric means that Elvis was unhappy with the quality of the scripts he was getting. Elvis wasn't happy with the way his film career had gone and was tired of making crappy films. That's one reason why when all his film contracts ended Elvis started performing live again. Elvis did talk about his desire to make better films and more serious films but that never materialized.

Indeed; the movie project A star is born (with Barbra Streisand) was lost.

colonel snow

[Jaime1234]

I am sure the fact Elvis knew that right after the Beatle left his rented home they would go to their own rented home, only to continue their 1965 tour, must have made him remember his own tours. But I also have wondered what was Elvis reaction to the Beatles own retirement from live concerts, which took place about a year after, following their last San Francisco concert.

[jurasic1968]

One year later, in June 1966, Elvis met also Jackie Wilson, one of his favorite artists since 1956. It's not well known what they talked about, but maybe seeing him live, Elvis became more and more determined to do concerts again. But, like Doc said, seeing Tom Jones on April 6 1968 at Flamingo in Vegas could be the major contributing factor for Elvis to return to live performing.

[pmp]

In August and September 1965 Elvis was making one of his worst films ever, Paradise, Hawaiian Style. But he met in this period with new successful British artists like Herman's Hermits (August 18), The Beatles (August 27) and Tom Jones (September 29). In the press conference from August 1 1969, after his first concert in Las Vegas, Elvis said he wanted to perform live since 1965. My question is: do you think that these meetings of Elvis with such great artists influenced him to return to live performing?

If they did, that influence was a long time coming. And considering the Beatles would perform less than fifty times after meeting Elvis, I doubt they were the best advocates for live performances.

[drjohncarpenter]

I am sure the fact Elvis knew that right after the Beatle left his rented home they would go to their own rented home, only to continue their 1965 tour, must have made him remember his own tours. But I also have wondered what was Elvis reaction to the Beatles own retirement from live concerts, which took place about a year after, following their last San Francisco concert.

That's something I've never wondered about. There was no formal announcement in the late summer of 1966 about a Beatles touring retirement. Or in the years after that.

In fact, in January 1969 they were actively planning for a concert in front of movie cameras. It was only after the formal break-up in 1970 that interviews with the members revealed the distaste for the madness and the unmusicality of the last few years of doing concerts.

[mike edwards66]

My question is: do you think that these meetings of Elvis with such great artists influenced him to return to live performing?

Peter Noone, no. A couple of weeks before meeting the Beatles, Elvis was visited by Peter Noone, a gangly Manc (Manchester lad), with a cheeky smile and matey-attitude (so typical to the place whence he came), who met the King on the set of PHS. Noone jumped straight in "when you coming to England?" . . . "it's headlines in the newspaper every week, when you coming, but you never seem to come".

A laid-back Elvis parried with good humour "Colonel Parker has a bad back". "Yes Sir!", "Yes Sir!" obliged the Colonel. So it went, back and forth, for a few minutes, before Noone, in what must have been a first, taught Elvis a bit of 'northern slang' . . ."doofers" (inanimate stuff). Elvis very sweetly wished Peter the best of luck, and that was that.

The Beatles, no. Sadly the meeting didn't go well. Elvis was more than a little offended by John Lennon, and what might, if they had played their cards right, have been an amazing jam session (what else were they going to do?) never materialised.

Tom Jones, no. Not then at least. Unlike the Beatles, Elvis and Tom Jones had a real - relatively short - friendship. So maybe later.

In reality, the Colonel and Elvis got all they could out of the movie business, and when that dried up and they needed a new way to make money, returning to live performances was the natural choice.

[brian]

Peter Noone, no. A couple of weeks before meeting the Beatles, Elvis was visited by Peter Noone, a gangly Manc (Manchester lad), with a cheeky smile and matey-attitude (so typical to the place whence he came), who met the King on the set of PHS. Noone jumped straight in "when you coming to England?" . . . "it's headlines in the newspaper every week, when you coming, but you never seem to come".

It's a shame that Peter Noone didn't influence Elvis to come perform in England. I could picture Elvis playing Wembley stadium and selling 80,000 seats quite easily. I could see him playing an engagement at the London Palladium and selling out every show. I could see him being treated with great enthusiasm by the public because he was so popular there. I'm sure Elvis would've appreciated all the outpouring of love that he would've received from his fans there.

[mike edwards66]

Peter Noone, no. A couple of weeks before meeting the Beatles, Elvis was visited by Peter Noone, a gangly Manc (Manchester lad), with a cheeky smile and matey-attitude (so typical to the place whence he came), who met the King on the set of PHS. Noone jumped straight in "when you coming to England?" . . . "it's headlines in the newspaper every week, when you coming, but you never seem to come".

It's a shame that Peter Noone didn't influence Elvis to come perform in England. I could picture Elvis playing Wembley stadium and selling 80,000 seats quite easily. I could see him playing an engagement at the London Palladium and selling out every show. I could see him being treated with great enthusiasm by the public because he was so popular there. I'm sure Elvis would've appreciated all the outpouring of love that he would've received from his fans there.

You are absolutely right. Can you imagine 'ELVIS - LIVE AT WEMBLEY - 14 Nights - SOLD OUT!'

[drjohncarpenter]

I recall reading in Little Richard's book that Elvis came to see his show in Vegas, 1968. Richard said Elvis was checking him out, cause he was thinking of returning to live shows himself.
I'm sure Doc will respond with the exact dates and all that stuff.

Thanks for much for the compliment!

Richard's book with Charles White indicates 1969, not 1968. However, it's possible Presley saw him in both years.

See my postings from 2017 and 2021:



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https://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1635211#p1635211



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https://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1856082#p1856082