Elvis Presley: The Searcher Page #7

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West:

Elvis was still underage,

under 21.

The Colonel set up

an appointment

with Vernon Presley

and Gladys and talked to 'em.

"I'd like to buy

his contract from Bob.

I think he has

a lot of potential."

They were suspicious

of everybody,

and they should've been

suspicious of the Colonel,

but the Colonel filled 'em

with all kinda hope.

They said, "Well, okay."

Jorgensen:

In that whole

scenario here,

we have the Colonel

locked in on the idea

that he wanted RCA.

Because he knew RCA

from Hank Snow,

and he even puts up

money of his own

as an opening

to the dealings with RCA,

which he would lose

if he didn't bring in

the RCA contract.

He really believed

in Elvis's potential.

Linn:

When I got into

the music business

in, uh, November of 1956,

in those days,

most of the-- most, not all,

but most of the records

that were being recorded

were ballads.

Just walkin' in the rain

(whistling)

Getting soaking wet

(whistling)

Torture in my heart

Linn:

You know, they weren't stuff

like Elvis was doing.

It wasn't what, unfortunately,

had the nomer of "race music"

and rock and roll,

and they released as little

of it as they possibly could.

They felt they had

the shareholders

of the company

to worry about.

They had distributors

to worry about.

They had stores

to worry about.

They had radio stations

to worry about.

They said, "Our whole world

is tied up in white music."

People come to their windows

They always...

Linn:

They were very,

very reluctant

to expose black music

until such times they

couldn't avoid it anymore.

Elvis:

You know what it takes,

you got it, baby

You are the only one

I've chose

Don't leave me here

with all these heartaches

Jorgensen:

After a lot of going

back and forth,

eventually the Colonel

pushes RCA

to buy the contract,

and all the recordings

that were made,

both that were released

and those that weren't.

Elvis:

When it rains,

it really pours

Linn:

I think he's the test object

for the majors to really

get in the game,

and it worked.

Phillips:

People have asked

me repeatedly,

"Do you regret

selling Elvis Presley?"

Elvis:

I got a feeling

for you, baby

Phillips:

I do not.

Elvis:

And you're the only one

who knows

About my troubles,

troubles, troubles

Man:
It'll just be

one second, Elvis.

All right.

(audience chuckles)

Elvis:

My boy, my boy,

got my guitar.

Man:

Uh, Steve?

Can we have a lot of gain

on this playback?

Steve:
More gain.

Man:
Right.

Are we on television?

Binder:
Huh?

Are we on television?

Just a minute.

Binder:
One day

in the middle of taping

a production number...

(playing guitar)

...we're called into

Colonel Parker's office.

Elvis:

I'll have a blue

Christmas

Binder:
Colonel says,

"It's been called

to my attention

that we don't have a

Christmas song in the show."

And when those blue

Binder:

"Elvis wants a Christmas

song in the show.

Don't you, Elvis?"

Man:
Aw, yeah!

You'll be doing...

Binder:

His hands cross,

his head goes down,

and I hear Elvis

mumble, "Yes, sir."

I watched Elvis

cower to Parker.

Elvis:

Blue, blue Christmas

(women scream)

I said, "If that's

what Elvis wants,

that's what I'll do."

The Colonel says, "Okay,

then we're all in agreement."

Elvis walks out the door.

Head goes up, lot of energy,

and he jams me in the ribs,

and says, "F*** him."

(chuckles)

Blue, blue, blue Christmas

Decorations of red

On a green Christmas tree

Won't be the same dear

If you're not here with me

And when those blue

Snowflakes start fallin'

That's when those blue

Memories start callin'

You'll be doin' all right

With your Christmas of white

(song fades)

Petty:

Elvis was one of

the first artists

that actually

produced himself.

By the time he lands at RCA,

he's in charge.

They're a rock and roll band,

and Steve Sholes

didn't know

how to make

one of those records.

Elvis did.

Light:

Elvis was a very

different person

and a very different artist

going in to make

the first RCA record

than he was walking in

as an absolute rookie at Sun.

He'd been out touring

and playing in front of people

for those months in-between.

He had experience

in the studio.

He had had the inspiration

of Sam Phillips,

watching, pick the songs

and the arrangements

and all of that.

Petty:

You can hear

"Heartbreak Hotel"

has got echo chamber,

because he's clearly

asking for echo.

And they don't know

how to give him the slapbacks,

so they're turning up

the chamber,

and he's just like,

"Okay, I'll make this work."

And he does.

(laughs)

Petty (imitating Elvis):

Heartbreak Hotel,

where I will be

So lonesome, baby

I'll be so lonely, baby

Elvis:

They're so lonely,

they could die

Now, the bellhop's

tears keep flowing

Howe:

My function was in the booth.

But I always spent a lot

of time out in the studio.

What you saw from Elvis

was that being in

a recording studio

or being on stage was

exactly the same thing to him.

Elvis:

They're so lonely

Howe:

He was always a real

organic part

of the music physically.

Extremely animated

when he sang.

He never stood still.

Elvis:

Take a walk down

Lonely Street to

Heartbreak Hotel

Where you will be,

you will be so lonely

Howe:

And the guys, they just

shifted right into that mode

that Elvis was in.

Elvis:

So lonely, you could die

Howe:

If something wasn't

working right

or it was too slow

or too fast,

they all looked to him,

and then he would

move to the music.

If the music was right,

he was a show out there.

He was a captivating person,

and nobody made

suggestions to Elvis.

Elvis:

Although it's always crowded

You still can find some room

For brokenhearted lovers

to cry when they're blue

Where they'll be so

They'll be so lonely, baby

Well, they're so lonely

They'll be so lonely

they could die

Springsteen:

Elvis's music was shot

through with the blues,

which he played

quite a bit of.

But he was always

mixing genres.

Zanes:

Elvis, by the

first RCA record,

is already showing

that he can pull in

a wide range of genres,

but they all come out Elvis.

Petty:

He didn't invent

rock and roll, per se.

I mean, you've got

Little Richard and Joe Turner

and all these people

on that tip,

but what Elvis did isn't that.

(laughs)

You know what--

What he did is different.

It's bringing

the country music in,

bringing white

gospel music in,

and it becomes pop music.

Maultsby:

Most of Presley's

first recordings

were basically covers

of black singers.

(piano playing)

Little Richard, Arthur Crudup,

Joe Turner, Lloyd Price.

Lloyd Price:

Well, now, lawdy,

lawdy, lawdy, Miss Clawdy

Girl, you sure

look good to me

Please don't

excite me, baby

Know it can't be me

Elvis:

Because I give you

all of my money

Yeah, but you just

won't treat me right

Springsteen:

Elvis and Elvis's music

pointed to black culture

and said,

"This is something that's

filled with the force of life."

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