The Beatles and Fifties Elvis

However, it was a statement Elvis made to Nixon in '70 in an effort to convince Nixon to issue him a Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs badge that unfortunately Elvis will be remembered how he felt about the Beatles. Elvis may have been saying what he thought Nixon wanted to hear but that statement years later prompted Ringo to say that Elvis had tried to get the group “banned” in America.

When I first heard this, it as my low point being an Elvis fan. I suffered thru the movies, Tepper/Bennett tunes, but this just showed how out of touch Elvis was with the times and made him seem like the enemy to the youth culture. Its funny, in retrospect Elvis was probably stoned when he visited Nixon.

seriously?

I think you are being a hyperbolic.

It did not show Elvis being out of touch with the times and there wasn't anything really wrong with what he was saying.

Who cares what Elvis said to Nixon because it wasn't important and nothing happened with regards to his alledged statements.

Elvis was not stoned either that's a myth.

That's another topic.

(The handwriting in the letter sure is . . . intriguing. Ok. No proof he was stoned. But was he thinking straight? Naw. And when he said "I have no other agenda" he lied, stoned or not.)

rjm

I believe he was thinking straight.

Elvis certainly looks stoned in the photos of him and nixon.

He wasn't stoned and to me he doesn't look like it.

Now stop getting off topic.

Why do you believe he was "thinking straight"? The whole purpose of that meeting with Nixon was so that Elvis could get his hands on that silly badge, so he could have the authority to carry around the drugs (and take them) whenever he wanted, without being questioned. That was Elvis' theory, anyway. Your one of these people who think, "he could do wrong brigade" deleted - see guidelines #2 You are a prick, Brian. You started it, i was just commenting.

There you go trying to ruin my Saturday with your comments and calling me names.

I believe he was thinking straight because if he was stoned out of his mind Nixon and the white house staff would have noticed it.

No one has ever mentioned that and there was nothing in his comments to indicate he was stoned or not thinking straight.

Those were Elvis' opinions whether you agree with them or not and his hobby was to collect badges.

You are being a prick and also a dumb ass.

If you want to call someone names don't start with me because i'll destroy you.

By the way i grow tired of this attitude where if you genuinely stick up for Elvis not being stoned it's a do no wrong stance.



Now have a nice weekend and don't bother me anymore or call me names again.

You will NEVER destroy me, Brian. Believe me! Anyways, thanks for this great thread, i've really enjoyed reading it.

I wonder if the Beatles saw the Comeback special and their opinions on it.

I wonder if the Beatles saw the Comeback special and their opinions on it.

I read somewhere, can't remember where or even if the story is true, but Paul was in America at the time it was being made and someone offered him tickets for the sit down show. Can anyone verify this?..........

Aargh. This thread seems to have turned into a free-for-all, with a number of different threads with different sets of participants, some of whom, in addition to focusing on topics totally irrelevant to the discussion, have shown themselves to be extremely abusive, aggressive and unpleasant. Are they really entitled to spoil this for the rest of us?.

No, but unless we find a solution other than getting Mods involved, it's going to continue.

My thanks to all those members who have contributed worthwhile comments to this discussion. They know who they are.

Thank you, NumberEight for creating a great topic

It's easier said than done when you feel so passionately about something but we should all just respect the opinions of others, wether we agree with them or not. If everyone did that, the world truly would be a far better place... and if you don't agree, you can kiss my ass!

I wonder if the Beatles saw the Comeback special and their opinions on it.

I read somewhere, can't remember where or even if the story is true, but Paul was in America at the time it was being made and someone offered him tickets for the sit down show. Can anyone verify this?..........

Even if someone could verify it, no-one would believe them.

If the Beatles didn't like "It's Now or Never"

whew! Those show just how inferior a singer Paul was to Elvis!

If the Beatles didn't like "It's Now or Never"

whew! Those show just how inferior a singer Paul was to Elvis!

Here we go again! lol.

Personally i love Pauls voice.. its unusual which is what attracts me to Elvis' also. Some of the things he has said about not liking Elvis' movie stuff should be taken with a pinch of salt... because at the end of the day he's a cheeky Scouser and they are renouned for their humour and light-hearted banter as well as lots of other idiosyncracies. You can take the Scouser out of Liverpool but you'll never take Liverpool out of the Scouser. Is it just me, or is he looking more and more like Ken Dodd these days? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwrZwbpH7EU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZciEaUBmtrw

If the Beatles didn't like "It's Now or Never"

whew! Those show just how inferior a singer Paul was to Elvis!

Here we go again! lol.

Personally i love Pauls voice.. its unusual which is what attracts me to Elvis' also. Some of the things he has said about not liking Elvis' movie stuff should be taken with a pinch of salt... because at the end of the day he's a cheeky Scouser and they are renouned for their humour and light-hearted banter as well as lots of other idiosyncracies. You can take the Scouser out of Liverpool but you'll never take Liverpool out of the Scouser. Is it just me, or is he looking more and more like Ken Dodd these days? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwrZwbpH7EU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZciEaUBmtrw

Good point. Ringo got all kinds of flack a few years ago for some comments he made about Liverpool; and John, of course, never let an opportunity go by to vent his opinion (of the moment) on this or that. Elvis was very guarded in his public comments; the Beatles were not.

whew! Those show just how inferior a singer Paul was to Elvis!

Hardly a point of dispute for most of us, for whom Elvis' voice was better than pretty much anyone on the planet.

But Paul could give it a pretty good shot when he tried:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1zDUl7z_dw

(Paul's impersonation of Elvis' spoken voice could use a little help though.)

I wonder if the Beatles saw the Comeback special and their opinions on it.

I read somewhere, can't remember where or even if the story is true, but Paul was in America at the time it was being made and someone offered him tickets for the sit down show. Can anyone verify this?..........

Anyone got an answer to this?

I read somewhere, can't remember where or even if the story is true, but Paul was in America at the time it was being made and someone offered him tickets for the sit down show. Can anyone verify this?..........

Anyone got an answer to this?

It's untrue. The sit-down performances were taped on Thursday, June 27, 1968. At that time Paul was in England, working on sessions for the Beatles and others. He had flown back from the U.S. on June 25.

See more here -->

25 June 1968- Mixing, editing- Revolution 1, Revolution 9 | The Beatles Bible
http://www.beatlesbible.com/1968/06/25/mixing-editing-revolution-1-revolution-9/

26 June 1968- Recording- Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey | The Beatles Bible
http://www.beatlesbible.com/1968/06/26/recording-everybodys-got-something-to-hide-except-me-and-my-monkey/

27 June 1968- Recording- Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey | The Beatles Bible
http://www.beatlesbible.com/1968/06/27/recording-everybodys-got-something-to-hide-except-me-and-my-monkey-2/

28 June 1968- Recording- Good Night | The Beatles Bible
http://www.beatlesbible.com/1968/06/28/recording-good-night/

30 June 1968- Paul McCartney records Thingumybob by Black Dyke Mills Band | The Beatles Bible
http://www.beatlesbible.com/1968/06/30/paul-mccartney-records-thingumybob-by-black-dyke-mills-band/

What a wonderful post.

Thank you so much for making extremely clear what the Beatles felt about Elvis during his fallow period -- and his renaissance near the end of the decade. Despite what some claim on this topic, most all their points dovetail nicely with that of any fan of the man and his music.

Where did you find some of these quotes?

Back to where we started out...

Paul McCartney in Melody Maker, July 19, 1964
“He did much better stuff in the early days when the songs did not come from films. In fact, we all liked him much better then. The songs were good, and we all used to think he was great.
I still like Elvis’ singing. His voice is good and he does the songs well. But the songs are not very good, in my opinion. I wish he would come away from the films for his records. Then, I think things would be much better.
I’m not knocking Presley’s singing, just the choice of material. I don’t rate it at all since he got so involved with the film songs. I even heard the other day that Elvis was planning to have all his singles from films in the future.
What a drag.”

It's difficult to believe that Paul's opinion was any different from that of the majority of Elvis fans at the time.


Paul McCartney in Record Mirror, May 15, 1965

"We’ve all bought sixteen mm film projectors with sound and everything. And we hire loads of films, it’s surprising but you can get some of the really latest top films. For instance, I’ve got Topkapi and Tom Jones. And we hire some of Elvis’s films too. I like them in the same way that I like Double Your Money".

Double Your Money was a UK quiz show that no-one (no-one I knew, anyway) took seriously.
Paul's comment about Elvis' films brings to mind a scene from the film A Hard Day's Night:
TV Producer: If you don't cooperate, you won't get to meet Susan.
George: And who's this Susan when she's at home?
TV Producer: Only Susan Canby, our resident teenager.
George: Oh! You mean that posh bird who gets everything wrong?
TV Producer: Excuse me?
George: Oh, yeah. The lads frequently sit around the telly and watch her for a giggle. One time, we actually sat down and wrote these letters saying how gear she was and all that rubbish.
TV Producer: She's a trendsetter. It's her profession.
George: She's a drag. A well known drag. We turn the sound down on her and say rude things.
TV Producer: [horrified] Get him out of here! He's knocking the program's image!
George: Have I said something amiss?
TV Producer: Get him out!


Ringo Starr in Melody Maker, January 8, 1966
Elvis: “I liked his early records. Don’t like what he’s doing now. Met him. He’s okay.”

Still four months to go until May 1966...


Ringo Starr, on the then-current “rock and roll revival”, in Disc and Music Echo, March 28, 1968
“Anyway, the only records I can think of that are anything like rock are [The Move’s] Fire Brigade and Elvis’s Guitar Man and ours [Lady Madonna].”

Now it's Ringo's turn to express what was probably the opinion of the majority of Elvis fans at the time.


Ringo Starr in Disc and Music Echo, February 7, 1970
Ringo had been in Las Vegas the previous weekend renewing his friendship with Elvis Presley, their first meeting since 1965. He had been sneaked in through the kitchen of the International Hotel, then seated in the audience for Presley’s cabaret show [presumably one of the January 30, 31 or February 1 shows]. During the act, Elvis announced that Ringo was in the audience and had him stand up for a bow. Later, Ringo, his wife Maureen, and Peter Brown of Apple got together with Elvis and Colonel Parker for a chat. Ringo told reporters later that he and Elvis had considered working together.
(Narrative adapted from The Beatles Press Reports, W. Fraser Sandercombe, Collectors Guide Publishing, Burlington, Ontario, 2007)
Ringo: “Elvis was great. Really fantastic. He was everything he’s cracked up to be, and more.”

John Lennon in Disc and Music Echo, February 28, 1970
John (on being asked what he listened to on the radio): “I even think that Elvis is sounding nice again. I’m an Elvis fan from way back.”

To my mind, this probably represents John's true feelings about Elvis. The "again" is significant. Lennon's later comment that "Elvis died when he joined the army", while a sincere expression of his disappointment and frustration with Elvis' mid-sixties output, is clearly an oversimplification, a pithy (and, unfortunately, memorable) one-liner that fails to capture the complexity of Lennon's feelings about Elvis. Of course, Elvis' post-1970 output and career path may have renewed Lennon's feelings of disappointment, but I prefer to leave it at February 1970. By that date, Elvis had redeemed himself and his career.

Although no-one knew it at the time, the Beatles had already ceased to exist. So John's and Ringo's comments above are among the last documented opinions about Elvis by any of the Beatles while they were still - in the public mind at least - the Beatles. So maybe we should leave it there. Even Beatles need heroes.

What a wonderful post.

Thank you so much for making extremely clear what the Beatles felt about Elvis during his fallow period -- and his renaissance near the end of the decade. Despite what some claim on this topic, most all their points dovetail nicely with that of any fan of the man and his music.

Where did you find some of these quotes?

Thank you for your kind comments. I appreciate it.

The quotes can all be found in The Beatles Press Reports book I referenced. It's an excellent source of UK press reports. The book quotes the Beatles' own words verbatim, but paraphrases the journalists' own writings (presumably to avoid copyright issues). Maybe someone could do something similar for Elvis. If they have, I haven't come across it.

I read somewhere, can't remember where or even if the story is true, but Paul was in America at the time it was being made and someone offered him tickets for the sit down show. Can anyone verify this?..........

Anyone got an answer to this?

It's untrue. The sit-down performances were taped on Thursday, June 27, 1968. At that time Paul was in England, working on sessions for the Beatles and others. He had flown back from the U.S. on June 25.

Yes, it's true that McCartney wasn't in the US at the time of the sit down shows, but that doesn't mean that no-one offered him tickets. He was in LA from June 21 to June 24 for a promotional conference with Capitol. It's not at all inconceivable that someone offered him tickets for Elvis' upcoming show while he was there. If you'd been at that conference with access to a couple of spare(!) sit-down show tickets and wanted to impress Paul McCartney, what would you have done?

What a wonderful post.

Thank you so much for making extremely clear what the Beatles felt about Elvis during his fallow period -- and his renaissance near the end of the decade. Despite what some claim on this topic, most all their points dovetail nicely with that of any fan of the man and his music.

Where did you find some of these quotes?

Thank you for your kind comments. I appreciate it.

The quotes can all be found in The Beatles Press Reports book I referenced. It's an excellent source of UK press reports. The book quotes the Beatles' own words verbatim, but paraphrases the journalists' own writings (presumably to avoid copyright issues). Maybe someone could do something similar for Elvis. If they have, I haven't come across it.

I read somewhere, can't remember where or even if the story is true, but Paul was in America at the time it was being made and someone offered him tickets for the sit down show. Can anyone verify this?..........

Anyone got an answer to this?

It's untrue. The sit-down performances were taped on Thursday, June 27, 1968. At that time Paul was in England, working on sessions for the Beatles and others. He had flown back from the U.S. on June 25.

Yes, it's true that McCartney wasn't in the US at the time of the sit down shows, but that doesn't mean that no-one offered him tickets. He was in LA from June 21 to June 24 for a promotional conference with Capitol. It's not at all inconceivable that someone offered him tickets for Elvis' upcoming show while he was there. If you'd been at that conference with access to a couple of spare(!) sit-down show tickets and wanted to impress Paul McCartney, what would you have done?

It's funny, i can't for the life of me remember where i read the story. It was only recently that i read it. Now that you bought up the "promotional conference with capital" i remember reading that's where they were offered to him, but McCartney said something like, "thanks, but i've got to go back to England soon"....

Of course, as the Doc says, it wouldn't have been during the sit-down shows has McCartney was in England recording songs for the Beatles is classic, amazing double album The Beatles, or more commonly known as The White Album.

After all, isn’t this what the Beatles were hoping for? Elvis to break away from his movie soundtracks
and then when hearing the opportunity of this finally happening, they pass? I find it hard to believe If someone offered Paul tickets for the sit down show and he said something like, "thanks, but i've got to go back to England soon." I can see Paul passing up attending a premier to one of Elvis' movies and a Christmas season broadcast with Elvis singing Christmas carols, but I'm sure Paul would have been interested in attending after hearing Binder's outline for the show. He probably would have asked for more tickets!

The quotes can all be found in The Beatles Press Reports book I referenced.

Thanks. Found it:
http://www.amazon.com/Beatles-Reports-W-Fraser-Sandercombe/dp/1894959612

Yes, it's true that McCartney wasn't in the US at the time of the sit down shows, but that doesn't mean that no-one offered him tickets. He was in LA from June 21 to June 24 for a promotional conference with Capitol. It's not at all inconceivable that someone offered him tickets for Elvis' upcoming show while he was there. If you'd been at that conference with access to a couple of spare(!) sit-down show tickets and wanted to impress Paul McCartney, what would you have done?

Is is possible? Sure. Likely? No.

The one to offer McCartney tickets would have had to be connected to management (Parker, Diskin) or NBC (Steve Binder, Bob Finkel). In no interview with Steve or Bob or anyone connected to the 1968 special have I ever read of such an offer being made or refused. The Beatles were the #1 band in the world, one might imagine it would be remembered.

In addition, Binder states that the original plan for June 27 was for management to distribute tickets. The day before (June 26) he discovered they had done absolutely nothing with them. Another Parker mind game, perhaps? In a panic, Binder gave them to anyone and everyone in order to fill the seats for the tapings.