Elvis Recorded "Tiger Man" At Sun --> Mystery Solved ?

Just noticed a quote from Ernst that he has found no evidence of Elvis recording Tiger Man at Sun.
Disappointing news.


"TC: Here's a question you won't have been asked before: what's the very latest on your long-delayed Sun book/CD project?

EMJ: We will definitely release it when it's finished,but it's not finished yet. How's that for an answer? I'm sorry about this but I have made more suggestions on the release date than I should have.

TC: I realise you don't want to give away any of the book's surprises, but have you, for example, found any evidence that, say, "Tiger Man" was recorded at Sun?

EMJ: No I haven't found any evidence - just the slightest possibility with the one tape box that mentions "other seections", but that's still guesswork. This is from Steve Scholes' handwritten notes. I have them all and they will be in the book."

So when did Ernst say that? do you realise that this book has been in production for 10 years hopefully a lot of discoveries were made in those 10 years!

Buning Love

Not sure, just noticed it another thread.

Thats important to remember. I for one hope that 'Tiger Man' would be found. At this point its anyones guess. Was it recorded? Most of the evidence on this thread points to it and i am sure it was, will we ever see it? Your guess is as good as mine.

Funnier things have happened, the orginal Roustabout was found, the first two takes of Thats all Right, the MDQ tape, the Dec 15, 56 Concert, the Hawaii 61 Concert. My rational mind says we will not ever hear it. but my hopeful side says its right around for the corner for the 35th Anniversary.

Burning Love

Thats important to remember. I for one hope that 'Tiger Man' would be found. At this point its anyones guess. Was it recorded? Most of the evidence on this thread points to it and i am sure it was, will we ever see it? Your guess is as good as mine.

Funnier things have happened, the orginal Roustabout was found, the first two takes of Thats all Right, the MDQ tape, the Dec 15, 56 Concert, the Hawaii 61 Concert. My rational mind says we will not ever hear it. but my hopeful side says its right around for the corner for the 35th Anniversary.

Burning Love

Exactly what evidence points to Tiger Man being recorded by Elvis at SUN.

Keep something in mind. IF they ever found it . . . just an imagining, ok, NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE, will know about it unless and until the moment of actual release.

This would be THE HOOK to sell the thing to music lovers in general and El-nerds alike. And there are counterfeiters about. So, it would be protected, like the Hope Diamond. Really.

No point speculating, therefore.

rjm

For me the greatest curcumstancial evidence was Elvis numberous refererances that this was his second record.

Burning Love

I've been following this thread with great interest - fantastic original post, John, thank you. I do agree that Elvis' pre- / post-song statements are tantalising.

To me, there's something ... odd ... about the way he introduces the song. It's as if he's saying, "There's a story behind this that you don't know and I'm not telling." Do you hear it too?

It's as if we have think outside of the box to find the answer.

Did he record it for another studio?

Was he present at the recording of Rufus' single (as per the Prisonaires legend)?

Something or someone definitely triggered a memory and Elvis felt compelled to react.

There's more to this than meets the eye ...

IMO..we over-interpret too many things Elvis did and said.

I think something happened in mid august 1970 to make him think that about tigerman and then something made him realize it wasn't true and he dropped the subject altogether.

Perhaps someone convinced him of being wrong..in later times he never mentioned it again..

Perhaps someone convinced him of being wrong..in later times he never mentioned it again..

Exactly. he never mentioned it before August 1970. never mentioned it on the 68 special. It was always in a medley with Mystery train. then all of a sudden in mid August 70 he sings the song on it's own and mentions that. sings it for a handful of shows that way. Then stops all of sudden. the song is dropped. and in 1971 it's back in a medley with Mystery train.

he does it in that show in 1973. never mentions anything about having recorded it in the 50's. and then it's back in the medley with Mystery train.

I've been following this thread with great interest - fantastic original post, John, thank you. I do agree that Elvis' pre- / post-song statements are tantalising.

To me, there's something ... odd ... about the way he introduces the song. It's as if he's saying, "There's a story behind this that you don't know and I'm not telling." Do you hear it too?

Yes, indeed I do. It's perhaps the most unusual, and pointed, introduction of a song in the Presley career that we have on tape. And it is said so many times, and with such seriousness. It is significant.

It's as if we have think outside of the box to find the answer.

Did he record it for another studio?

Was he present at the recording of Rufus' single (as per the Prisonaires legend)?

Something or someone definitely triggered a memory and Elvis felt compelled to react.

There's more to this than meets the eye ...

Absolutely. And my hope is someone, somewhere, reading this topic (over 11,000 views and counting) will provide for us the missing piece to this puzzle.

I'll accept a reel of tape, an acetate, a story about meeting with Elvis in the second week of his August 1970 engagement spurring memories of a long-forgotten rejected single, anything!

Holy Moly!

Absolutely. And my hope is someone, somewhere, reading this topic (over 11,000 views and counting) will provide for us the missing piece to this puzzle.

I'll accept a reel of tape, an acetate, a story about meeting with Elvis in the second week of his August 1970 engagement spurring memories of a long-forgotten rejected single, anything!

I kinda hoped you really did actually "know," and were holding back. Now, I realize it's reason and logic, and that reason and logic is incontrovertible, in my view: you are correct. But they don't have it, do they? They don't have it. Or know where it is. It existed, but they don't have it.

(My fear is what George suggested: that it WAS a demo done as Emerson suggested, and the Memphis recording scene had shrunk to the point where you had to "see Sam" for a record, so any demo's anywhere WOULD END UP AT SUN, ANYWAY. It was ALL for Sun, really. And if Sam got something he didn't like? Smasheroo. Broken. In the trash, after being trashed. They were easy to break, those things. Elvis physically broke a lotta demos. We know in '68, he threw them into the wall, shattering them. So, if Sam was going through a buncha "stuff" sent over, I'd strongly wager he would "thumbs up" for consideration, and "thumbs down" with a crash. Destroyed. That's why I PRAY it was in July, '54, and AFTER his first efforts, not before. I hope it was what Elvis considered his second COMMERCIAL thing he ever recorded, and not the second "record" he ever recorded. I am going to listen again. Because if it were the latter, it's gone . . . into a Black Hole.)

Black Hole.jpg

rjm
P.S. -- It has been proven that in the known Universe, "information cannot be lost," even to a real Black Hole. This might be the exception that proves the rule.
P.P.S. -- The Doc's intense research is paralleled elsewhere. http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/34239 And I honestly take it just as seriously. Maybe more, because this is about humanity, and art.

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The `story behind it' comment is intriguing but I'm still far from convinced that the mystery has been solved.
Ernst's comments were in the recent edition of The Man and his Music so I guess that's thew final word on the subject for now.

Holy Moly!

Absolutely. And my hope is someone, somewhere, reading this topic (over 11,000 views and counting) will provide for us the missing piece to this puzzle.

I'll accept a reel of tape, an acetate, a story about meeting with Elvis in the second week of his August 1970 engagement spurring memories of a long-forgotten rejected single, anything!

I kinda hoped you really did actually "know," and were holding back.

My purpose was pretty well-stated from the get-go, and clarified further in the discussion that followed. There is a reason my topic title is a query, and not a declaration, as any keen reader will notice.

Holy Moly!

Absolutely. And my hope is someone, somewhere, reading this topic (over 11,000 views and counting) will provide for us the missing piece to this puzzle.

I'll accept a reel of tape, an acetate, a story about meeting with Elvis in the second week of his August 1970 engagement spurring memories of a long-forgotten rejected single, anything!

I kinda hoped you really did actually "know," and were holding back.

My purpose was pretty well-stated from the get-go, and clarified further in the discussion that followed. There is a reason my topic title is a query, and not a declaration, as any keen reader will notice.

I'm a keen reader, but I keenly hoped it was a rhetorical question. Seems no. But, your logic is incontrovertible. There is hope.

rjm

Hasn't Ernst pretty much debunked all this speculation?

We will find out if and when the FTD Sun project is released...

We will find out if and when the FTD Sun project is released...

Maybe something might be holding it up.

ROAR.jpg

rjm

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We will find out if and when the FTD Sun project is released...

The quest for "Tiger Man" is in the hands of someone -- or something -- beyond Ernst's forthcoming work. How I hope they read this topic.

Any sane person would accept Ernst word on the subject.

He has no knowledge of Elvis Presley recording Tiger Man at SUN records.



But now we have some being or force who knows better...........it will be fascinating if this person, or force escapes the deluded mind it is trapped in

THANK YOU so much, Doc!!! Being a relative newbie to this forum, I had not read this before. It would be awesome if someone were to have an acetate and allow it to be released to the public. Thank you once again for your time, effort, and this information! It is very much appreciated!

rlj

THANK YOU so much, Doc!!! Being a relative newbie to this forum, I had not read this before. It would be awesome if someone were to have an acetate and allow it to be released to the public. Thank you once again for your time, effort, and this information! It is very much appreciated!

rlj

I appreciate your kind words.

Any sane person would accept Ernst word on the subject.

He has no knowledge of Elvis Presley recording Tiger Man at SUN records.



But now we have some being or force who knows better...........it will be fascinating if this person, or force escapes the deluded mind it is trapped in

True, but Elvis mentioned recording Tiger Man, in some manner, too many times in August of 1970, to have it be discounted because we don't have it on wax. We catch Elvis in top form in 1970, which to me means, that he isn't going to make a mistake like saying he recorded a record, when he didn't during this time frame, no way. JMO.