Oh No, Mr. Presley

[Elvis 1972]

Whilst looking through some books this morning, I came across this cutting which I found really amusing! It's from a British newspaper dated 3 June 1956.

OH NO, MR PRESLEY

Discs by Jack Bentley

Get ready to meet the "Rock and Roll Romeo" - Elvis Presley. Presley, who has American mums and dads really worried about the effect his singing has on their teenagers, is due to hit these shores in a few months.

The backwoods boy is described as "the poor man's Johnnie Ray." But Johnnie's exhibitionism has never aroused the incredible hysterical scenes that greet this imitator.

One girl carved his name four times on her arm with a knife. Another kissed a reporter's fingers because he said he had shaken hands with her idol.

Unlike most other objects of teenage worship, Presley freely admits to his many romances. He is a man who speaks his mind, so he shouldn't mind if I speak mine.

His latest disc - "Blue Suede Shoes" (HMV POP 213) - strikes a new vocal level. Mr Presley has a very good ear - for putting cigarettes behind!

Rita

[Diane]

Interesting article Rita, the guy is very obvious in his left-handed compliments isn't he?:P

Elvis wasn't anything like Johnnie Ray at all.:D

Diane

[nolvis]

That was pretty funny Rita!:)

[toffe]

Thank you, great one! :blush:

[Diana]

:P Thanks, Elvis1972! It is funny and interesting! Thank you! But the autor of it is sure jealos to Elvis' success!

[Elvis 1972]

Interesting article Rita, the guy is very obvious in his left-handed compliments isn't he?:P

Elvis wasn't anything like Johnnie Ray at all.:D

Diane

Hi Diane, it goes to show what the critics were like in 1956, especially in the UK. Did Elvis copy or was he influenced by Johnnie Ray? Just take a look at him in the movie "There's No Business Like Show Business." And as they said at the end of "Loving You".... "America, judge for yourself" LOL!

Rita

[EP4MEUK]

All I can wonder is what great achievements this writer accomplished in their lifetime :hmm:and if they had to eat their words very soon after writing the article :lmfao:

Thankyou for posting.......and to think I was not even born then :P

Susan x

[KPM]

Interesting article Rita, the guy is very obvious in his left-handed compliments isn't he?:P

Elvis wasn't anything like Johnnie Ray at all.:D

Diane
Johhny Ray was actually a little spooky to me. He'd pull at his hair and look like he was really about to have an attack of some kind. When he sang his big hit Cry" he looked like he might actually do it.

[Elvis 1972]

Johhny Ray was actually a little spooky to me. He'd pull at his hair and look like he was really about to have an attack of some kind. When he sang his big hit Cry" he looked like he might actually do it.

It is interesting that you should say that Johnnie Ray looked that he might cry whilst he was singing "Cry," he did actually cry on stage whilst he was singing, some say it was because he was partly deaf but I am not sure of the reason why.

Rita

[Diane]

I will have to check that movie out Rita lol

Thanks, Diane

[Diane]

I found Johnny Ray on YouTube singing Cry and nope, I didn't see any resemblance in his performance of the song to Elvis at all. Elvis kidded a lot on stage but he didn't go into psychotic behavior.:D

Diane

[Elvis 1972]

I found Johnny Ray on YouTube singing Cry and nope, I didn't see any resemblance in his performance of the song to Elvis at all. Elvis kidded a lot on stage but he didn't go into psychotic behavior.:D

Diane

Hi Diane, the debate about Elvis being just a Johnnie Ray imitator back in 1956 seemed to have been all the rage back then. Here is a typical example in a letter from a C. H. Yandle, of Coulsdon, Surrey who wrote at the time:

They make him laugh!
Some of the NME readers make me laugh when they attempt to compare Johnnie Ray with Elvis Presley and Gene Vincent. They seem to forget that J.R. was a top-line star while Presley and Vincent and other ghastly singers like these were still in their cradles.

It's interesting to note that on the "Melody Maker" charts for 24 November 1956, Johnnie Ray was number one with "Just Walking In The Rain" but Elvis had four titles on the chart - "Hound Dog," "Don't Be Cruel," "Blue Moon" and "I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine" which shows just how popular Elvis was. We all know that Elvis' career grew and grew whereas Johnnie Ray's chart career just faded.

Rita

[Diane]

That debate about Elvis and Johnny Ray is something I totally missed. I don't recall hearing or reading anything about that at all. I found it interesting but ludicrous to compare them that's for sure.:)

Diane