BRUCE JACKSON: Six Years On The Road With Elvis

[DEH]

Lets imagine that this guys family had those handful of recordings of Elvis talking about Tigerman and none of us had ever heard them. imagine they were the only ones that had those recordings. Interesting huh? that is an example how they could be sitting on something revealing and they probably would not even know it. that's what I mean how this stuff could possibly be important to Elvis history and they are hoarding it. On the other hand part of me wishes they were the only ones who had those recording so that Long Ass Tigerman thread did not exist.

[moonandback]

Bruce didn't record all shows.
For example, he missed almost the whole may 1976 Tahoe engagement because he flew back to Australia around may 1st.

[StefanKock1]

What to do? wait? First of all , have a discussion with the familly, and explain to them the historical value of those recordings , to assure them that they will be associated with the project , and that a friendly patnership,is deeply wished. Also show them that their collaboration will be praised and appreciated . It's a matter of gentlemen agreement , not a battle , who will help to celebrate both Elvis and Bruce talents and memorys.I don't see any impossibilities in this plan. If they continue to refuse then , the law will talk and not for a huge ammount paid to the attorneys.

If those tapes are in the hands of the Jackson family unrightfully it would make a lot of sense that 'the law would have talked' already a very long time ago and not 40 years after Elvis's death. So either, those tapes are with the rightful owner or there's nothing of interest voor Sony and they let it be.

[Rockin_John]

Who says the tapes have dissapeared? As far as i know the tapes are still in the collection of the Jackson family, who refuse to sell them, because they don't want to.

What's your source for this statement?

[steve in SC]

Everyone probably already knew this, but it just accrued to me yesterday reading these posts that this:

Bruce Jackson.JPG

...must be Bruce Jackson in ELVIS ON TOUR, correct?

I'm looking forward to this book and also agree that a Springsteen follow up book would be interesting as well.

Those 2 pictures are from Charlotte, NC April 13, 1972, my first Elvis concert. Memories!

[Johnny2523]

Who says the tapes have dissapeared? As far as i know the tapes are still in the collection of the Jackson family, who refuse to sell them, because they don't want to.

What's your source for this statement?

I have no source, i already said that i read / heard it a few times over the past few years...(I think it might have been on this board even).

[midnightx]

Something is a little odd , cause Mr Jackson was an employee as sound engineer and paid by elvis estate or , RCA to manage the sound on tour so the recordings he has done were not his property , they belong to the employer. So if the Jackson familly have those recordings in their hands , legally speaking it won't be to hard to reintegrate the soundboards in the vaults of elvis estate or or Sony BMG.Do somebody have any information on that ?

That is a very big assumption that any tapes Jackson had in his possession at the time of his death belonged to a former employer and were not his property. As far as I can tell, there is no documentation that has ever surfaced that reveals the terms of Jackson's employment, who specifically paid him (Tom Parker, Elvis Presley, RCA Tours, etc), and if there were any provisions related to soundboard tapes. Additionally, it does not appear that Tom Parker requested copies of soundboards until the mid-1970's, so any soundboards recorded prior to that directive would not necessarily have been the property of management, nor does anyone know if there was any contractual language barring Jackson from making copies of soundboard tapes. Furthermore, it is unclear how many soundboards Jackson may have actually had in his possession. As far as the legalities go for reintegrating Jackson's soundboards into Sony's archives or EPE's archives, you are making another baseless assumption that either party is legally entitled to Jackson's recordings. It could be very complicated trying to determine a viable trail to the rightful owner of said soundboard tapes, tapes that have limited retail value to begin with. As it presently stands, the Bruce Jackson estate is the rightful owner of the sound recordings in its possession, a fact that no one has legally challenged up to this point.

[Juan Luis]

Something is a little odd , cause Mr Jackson was an employee as sound engineer and paid by elvis estate or , RCA to manage the sound on tour so the recordings he has done were not his property , they belong to the employer. So if the Jackson familly have those recordings in their hands , legally speaking it won't be to hard to reintegrate the soundboards in the vaults of elvis estate or or Sony BMG.Do somebody have any information on that ?

That is a very big assumption that any tapes Jackson had in his possession at the time of his death belonged to a former employer and were not his property. As far as I can tell, there is no documentation that has ever surfaced that reveals the terms of Jackson's employment, who specifically paid him (Tom Parker, Elvis Presley, RCA Tours, etc), and if there were any provisions related to soundboard tapes. Additionally, it does not appear that Tom Parker requested copies of soundboards until the mid-1970's, so any soundboards recorded prior to that directive would not necessarily have been the property of management, nor does anyone know if there was any contractual language barring Jackson from making copies of soundboard tapes. Furthermore, it is unclear how many soundboards Jackson may have actually had in his possession. As far as the legalities go for reintegrating Jackson's soundboards into Sony's archives or EPE's archives, you are making another baseless assumption that either party is legally entitled to Jackson's recordings. It could be very complicated trying to determine a viable trail to the rightful owner of said soundboard tapes, tapes that have limited retail value to begin with. As it presently stands, the Bruce Jackson estate is the rightful owner of the sound recordings in its possession, a fact that no one has legally challenged up to this point.

Making a mountain out of a mole hill comment!

[Rockin_John]

Who says the tapes have dissapeared? As far as i know the tapes are still in the collection of the Jackson family, who refuse to sell them, because they don't want to.

What's your source for this statement?

I have no source, i already said that i read / heard it a few times over the past few years...(I think it might have been on this board even).

Then, please, if anyone can confirm this step forward.
I think it sounds ridiculous.

(not trying to undermine you personally, this IS a place where we discuss these things)

[midnightx]

Who says the tapes have dissapeared? As far as i know the tapes are still in the collection of the Jackson family, who refuse to sell them, because they don't want to.

What's your source for this statement?

I have no source, i already said that i read / heard it a few times over the past few years...(I think it might have been on this board even).

Then, please, if anyone can confirm this step forward.
I think it sounds ridiculous.

(not trying to undermine you personally, this IS a place where we discuss these things)

As already pointed out earlier in the thread, you seem to be confusing Bruce Jackson with Rex Martin. There has been no indication anywhere that Bruce Jackson's estate no longer has his tape collection, although there are probably a number of forum members who would gladly loot the Jackson estate archives.

[drjohncarpenter]

I have no source, i already said that i read / heard it a few times over the past few years...(I think it might have been on this board even).

Then, please, if anyone can confirm this step forward.
I think it sounds ridiculous.

(not trying to undermine you personally, this IS a place where we discuss these things)

It's rumour, not fact.

[misterB]

Well , even if they are the rightfull owners . It's not an obstacle to conclude a deal , and if they still have those concerts it will be more profitable on every aspect (Including financally) to release them than to leave it in a dusty drawer.The market is for sure small, but not as small as a new novel of any writer of the past , or any newfound music of a classical composer!

[Keith Richards, Jr.]

Do we know for a fact that these tapes still exist? Would the Jackson family really keep all these old tapes if they had no intention to ever sell them, and also no interest in Elvis? I know that if I owned all that junk I would get rid of it and move on.

[Robert]

Do we know for a fact that these tapes still exist? Would the Jackson family really keep all these old tapes if they had no intention to ever sell them, and also no interest in Elvis? I know that if I owned all that junk I would get rid of it and move on.

Since Jackson was a very smart man, he and his family knew they had something special in possession.
I asked him about soundboard tapes and he simply stated he kept the special ones.

So it's safe to say some of the more sought after shows 'may' be in their hands.
It's also safe to say some tapes escaped his collection way back, such as the Ft Worth tape containing 'Happy Birthday Bruce'

[Juan Luis]

Do we know for a fact that these tapes still exist? Would the Jackson family really keep all these old tapes if they had no intention to ever sell them, and also no interest in Elvis? I know that if I owned all that junk I would get rid of it and move on.

Since Jackson was a very smart man, he and his family knew they had something special in possession.
I asked him about soundboard tapes and he simply stated he kept the special ones.

So it's safe to say some of the more sought after shows 'may' be in their hands.
It's also safe to say some tapes escaped his collection way back, such as the Ft Worth tape containing 'Happy Birthday Bruce'

What's the name of that CD? Thanks.

[midnightx]

Do we know for a fact that these tapes still exist? Would the Jackson family really keep all these old tapes if they had no intention to ever sell them, and also no interest in Elvis? I know that if I owned all that junk I would get rid of it and move on.

Since Jackson was a very smart man, he and his family knew they had something special in possession.
I asked him about soundboard tapes and he simply stated he kept the special ones.

So it's safe to say some of the more sought after shows 'may' be in their hands.
It's also safe to say some tapes escaped his collection way back, such as the Ft Worth tape containing 'Happy Birthday Bruce'

That is a vague teaser, and perhaps not meant to be taken literally. Of course you were there, I was not, so I don't know if he said it in jest or was serious. Furthermore, how would Jackson have known what was special at the time the concerts took place? Many Elvis concerts and tours blended together. It was not until years later when Elvis enthusiasts were able to draw a consensus and determine which ones were truly special. It isn't as if Jackson sold off his collection of tapes, sans the "special ones," to collectors, BMG/RCA, EPE, or Tom Parker after he reviewed the contents. He had what he had. Additionally, if Tom Parker requested that he receive all copies of soundboards circa 1974, why would Jackson have had July 75, or Pittsburgh 76, or Indy 77? Jackson may very well have had various shows from 1972-1973 before he was instructed to give them to management, but unless he made copies for himself, it would seem that most of the 1974-1977 tapes were funneled to management. As such, Tom Diskin may have had a number of tapes that he discarded, tapes presumed to be in Jackson's collection. Essentially, it is all speculation. Certain "special" tapes are definitely known to exist in the possession of collectors and persons associated with Elvis, and it is unclear exactly where and how they received such tapes (although Elvis was likely a possible source on occasion), but there is no way to know what Jackson actually had and what his estate presently possesses.

[Robert]

Do we know for a fact that these tapes still exist? Would the Jackson family really keep all these old tapes if they had no intention to ever sell them, and also no interest in Elvis? I know that if I owned all that junk I would get rid of it and move on.

Since Jackson was a very smart man, he and his family knew they had something special in possession.
I asked him about soundboard tapes and he simply stated he kept the special ones.

So it's safe to say some of the more sought after shows 'may' be in their hands.
It's also safe to say some tapes escaped his collection way back, such as the Ft Worth tape containing 'Happy Birthday Bruce'

That is a vague teaser, and perhaps not meant to be taken literally. Of course you were there, I was not, so I don't know if he said it in jest or was serious. Furthermore, how would Jackson have known what was special at the time the concerts took place? Many Elvis concerts and tours blended together. It was not until years later when Elvis enthusiasts were able to draw a consensus and determine which ones were truly special. It isn't as if Jackson sold off his collection of tapes, sans the "special ones," to collectors, BMG/RCA, EPE, or Tom Parker after he reviewed the contents. He had what he had. Additionally, if Tom Parker requested that he receive all copies of soundboards circa 1974, why would Jackson have had July 75, or Pittsburgh 76, or Indy 77? Jackson may very well have had various shows from 1972-1973 before he was instructed to give them to management, but unless he made copies for himself, it would seem that most of the 1974-1977 tapes were funneled to management. As such, Tom Diskin may have had a number of tapes that he discarded, tapes presumed to be in Jackson's collection. Essentially, it is all speculation. Certain "special" tapes are definitely known to exist in the possession of collectors and persons associated with Elvis, and it is unclear exactly where and how they received such tapes (although Elvis was likely a possible source on occasion), but there is no way to know what Jackson actually had and what his estate presently possesses.

FYI, my conversation was appr two years before Bruce died so at the time the big stream of soundboards was already released.
While I never asked for a list of soundboards in possession, the fact that he referred to 'special' shows probably points to some of the highly anticipated concert recordings, still missing until this very day.
Your guess is as good as mine.

[Garfield]

What's the name of that CD? Thanks.

Holding Down The Fort.

[drjohncarpenter]

Do we know for a fact that these tapes still exist? Would the Jackson family really keep all these old tapes if they had no intention to ever sell them, and also no interest in Elvis? I know that if I owned all that junk I would get rid of it and move on.

No, we don't.

[ORION]

Call me out-of-the-loop, ignorant, or just niave, BUT if Bruce Jackson was Elvis' only soundman / engineer the last six years that Elvis was on the road then it stands to reason that he was the one who hit the record button on all of those soundboards that have come to us via FTD or the various bootlegs/imports. So, if Bruce Jackson held on to all those tapes he recorded (perhaps all of Elvis' shows), I question why it is that Ernst only has access to a select amount of soundboards ? Why would Bruce only turn over a select portion of them ? I also have to ask how did tapes escape Ernst that labels like Madison (thinking of Boston '71) managed to get a copy of... Did Bruce ever 'sell' any of his tapes ?

Does anyone really think this book will answer these type of questions ?

[drjohncarpenter]

Call me out-of-the-loop, ignorant, or just niave, BUT if Bruce Jackson was Elvis' only soundman / engineer the last six years that Elvis was on the road then it stands to reason that he was the one who hit the record button on all of those soundboards that have come to us via FTD or the various bootlegs/imports. So, if Bruce Jackson held on to all those tapes he recorded (perhaps all of Elvis' shows), I question why it is that Ernst only has access to a select amount of soundboards ? Why would Bruce only turn over a select portion of them ? I also have to ask how did tapes escape Ernst that labels like Madison (thinking of Boston '71) managed to get a copy of... Did Bruce ever 'sell' any of his tapes ?

Does anyone really think this book will answer these type of questions ?

Not sure about all road dates, but Bill Porter and Felton Jarvis were also seen at the boards during different Elvis concerts. My understanding of FTD soundboards is they come from RCA's archives, much of which was added to when the company acquired Tom Parker's private materials.

[Juan Luis]

What's the name of that CD? Thanks.

Holding Down The Fort.

Thanks.

[DEH]

if the story is true that he was holding on to "special shows" which I think would mean special in positive way then that tosses out the story that they were not giving up the tapes to protect Elvis's image. the whole thing doesn't make sense. where did the original story come from that they were holding on to a lot of soundboards anyways?

[Robert]

if the story is true that he was holding on to "special shows" which I think would mean special in positive way then that tosses out the story that they were not giving up the tapes to protect Elvis's image. the whole thing doesn't make sense. where did the original story come from that they were holding on to a lot of soundboards anyways?

Who is they?

[drjohncarpenter]

if the story is true that he was holding on to "special shows" which I think would mean special in positive way then that tosses out the story that they were not giving up the tapes to protect Elvis's image. the whole thing doesn't make sense. where did the original story come from that they were holding on to a lot of soundboards anyways?

What "story"? I've never heard this. What "special shows"? Ones where Sherrill Nielsen took two solos?

Why keep pushing rumour and innuendo on this topic? It's pointless.