Elvis' Babe wrote:that lennon quote doesn't bother me nearly as much as the "elvis died when he went into the army" or whatever...that one ticks me off.
that's probably the source of the elitism towards elvis' career...the hippies tend to take lennon's words as gospel, and therefore are unable to see past this era for elvis' musical output. and many reduce it even further down to the sun records material.
though both quotes are pretty scandalous.
To John, Elvis was 'The Man'.
I just listened to that Lennon interview recently and his comment there really torques me at one level. I understand it. But the comments torque me.
However, I don't hold Lennon to that quote literally. I doubt that the 'hippies' even considered Elvis at all...Lennon definitely considered Elvis…considered Elvis as a heart felt role model!
On one side Elvis did die when he went in the army...if you are the type that wanted to keep Elvis in the 56ish music mode. (Which I don't. If Elvis continued with this model, he would have definitely been a flash in the pan as opposed to THE PAN).
There is no doubt that there was a significant change when Elvis returned to the studio after returning from that army. I don't attribute any style to his new music...it was just not his 56ish style. But it can't be argued (except for someone who will prove me wrong on this board
) that Elvis' pre-army style was not the same as the post-army style. (Not better or worse but different).
Lennon had an expectation that Elvis wouldn't change...and he did. (I think Elvis was right to change and saw the situation...rock n roll in its pure incarnation was dead... or at least would die (ie. the not what Lennon wanted from his hero).
An observation: when a young person of fame states something its recorded in history but sometimes history doesn't record their re-think as they mature. For example: I know that at one point in my life that I said that 'I hate girls'. Well things have changed, now I love girls, girls, girls and more girls!' Elvis and John didn’t get the opportunity to mature for one reason or the other.
I know that Lennon took issue with the polished approach to the Abbey Road album. He wanted to keep with the 60's version of Elvis '56 style or in other words the Beatles roots.
There is a parallel here. He wanted to steer the Beatles back to their roots...the same roots that he felt that Elvis sold out on. And the same roots that Lennon felt that he sold out on.
In other words Lennon felt that the Beatles sold out, therefore, he related it back to the fact that he felt that Elvis sold out. He wanted straight rock & roll album...so I take it that he was, at heart, a purist from the Beatle standpoint and from the Elvis standpoint. (Beatle fans back me up here).
Look. Here's another way to look at it. Lennon stole lyrics from an early Elvis song. "I'd rather see you dead little girl than to see you with another man". He was definitely impacted by early Elvis and I think he wanted Elvis to be 'his Elvis' (maybe no different that some of our thoughts at times). Forget the fact that Lennon resented the Beatle fans that wanted the Beatles to stay the ‘boys from Liverpool’ Lennon wanted Elvis to be the Elvis from ’56.
I love both Elvis and Lennon so this is how I reconcile John's comments...
bpd
P.S. I don't understand your comment about the quotes being 'scandalous'. Don't disagree; just don't understand your point of view.
P.S.S. For the record, I don't think that Elvis sold out on anything except for maybe the Hollywood thing, but he was young. When I was his age I didn't have a clue how to fight against management. Recently I've hit a milestone in my life...I have now lived longer than both John Lennon and Elvis Presley…And...I still don't I still don't do too well against management.
Let's always remember the maturity level at any given age when considering career moves and comments...
If you actually get to this point in my post, thanks for reading the entire thing.
