sony vs bmg

[Raised on Rock]

Same here,something about these albums just makes sense to me...shows you what can be done when the effort is put in. I think one reason for it is that they don`t hop around from era to era,you aren`t listening to the early `60s voice one minute and then being hit with the early `70s voice right after it before being bounced back to good ol` mono Rock`n`Roll from the `50s..... it all makes more sense that way.
I remember playing the "A hundred years from now" album for a friend of mine who is well into the whole country-rock side of things and he was convinced that the tracks must have been made with new backings etc.... very very surprised to find that,if anything,this was mostly what was really recorded in the studio.

Totally get what you are saying, with a few exceptions, never a big fan of mixing different eras on the same cd. Those type of cd's do not help people outside Elvis world, to get the right picture, the right context of each song, so you could appreciate the relevance of the track.

Thematic releases, help to understand the man better, thematic by historic context, rather than music style (no best of country, gospel, love, but in the vein of: Sunrise Elvis, Elvis '56, Suspicious Minds, Memories, remember those? the Essential Elvis series for sure. FTD has done a wonderful work on that line, but not much has been done outside of it after Sony came in. The thing here is, that I'm talking about presenting Elvis as an artist, while Sony would only care to present Elvis as, let's cash in once again on this.


So about the question in this thread:

I thing BMG was thinking a little bit more far sighted by trying to re introduce Elvis and different sides of him to new audiences, those where the 50's, 60's & 70's boxsets, Platinium, Artist of the Century, the 90's follow ups to the Essential series, all of the moderate success in terms of money making, but successful in their reviews, and introducing a different and a lesser known side of Elvis to the mainstream, also restoring his credibility as a serious musician/artist, (one beyond Viva las Vegas) to the mainstream press.

Sony is rather cashing in the easy way with what Elvis is already well known for, the big hits. Leaving FTD to exist just to exploit and cash in with what was on the vaults with a buying public that needs no marketing. When the vaults are empty, and most of the original Elvis fans on the grave, consider it done. Something that is not necessarily wrong, but what is being done to introduce Elvis to the new generations beyond the 50 most well known songs? beyond: introducing the hit making machine, those where his hits, that's it, bye bye, thanks for the money.

[Jungleroom76]

FTD aside, but talking about general public releases (the best of, greatest hits, country, love song, type of cd's) the thing to me is, they haven not used those 750 songs to the limit, they have done that with the same old usual 250 well known songs, we had like a hundred "best of" type of cd's with the same dam 250 songs.

There is a whole array of Elvis music (in many cases some of his best sides), that still remains totally unknown to the fans. There is still a chance to market that music to a general audience, both for their own profit and also at Elvis benefit, a chance that had mostly remained death.

Precisely right Raised on Rock!!!

And I think that BMG is heading in the right direction with the upcoming ELVIS75 - GOOD ROCKIN' TONIGHT box set!! Just look at some of the lesser known, lesser used songs that are going to be included:

* MY HAPPINESS
* ONE SIDED LOVE AFFAIR
* I'M GONNA SIT RIGHT DOWN AND CRY (OVER YOU)
* PARALYZED
* THE THRILL OF YOUR LOVE
* DOIN' THE BEST I CAN
* THERE'S ALWAYS ME
* JUDY
* I NEED SOMEBODY TO LEAN ON
* IT HURTS ME
* THIS IS MY HEAVEN
* TOMORROW IS A LONG TIME
* I'M LEAVIN'
* LOVING ARMS
* GOOD TIME CHARLIE'S GOT THE BLUES

While all of the usual suspects are included on the set too (HOUND DOG, DON'T BE CRUEL, etc.) for the millionth time, the fact that the above listed songs are being included on a mainstream release proves (at least for this release) that BMG seems to be digging a little deeper into the regular Elvis catalog to come up with some lesser-known songs to hopefully pull in some new fans.

Of course, there are dozens of other lesser-used songs that could have been included in this set to really open the Elvis catalog up to the new, casual Elvis fans...but one step at a time...

Let's hope this is THAT step in the right direction!!!

TCB!
Mike

[KPM]

FTD aside, but talking about general public releases (the best of, greatest hits, country, love song, type of cd's) the thing to me is, they haven not used those 750 songs to the limit, they have done that with the same old usual 250 well known songs, we had like a hundred "best of" type of cd's with the same dam 250 songs.

There is a whole array of Elvis music (in many cases some of his best sides), that still remains totally unknown to the fans. There is still a chance to market that music to a general audience, both for their own profit and also at Elvis benefit, a chance that had mostly remained death.

I think BMG back in the 90's was doing a better job than Sony, stuff like: Artist of The Century, Platinum, and the follow up to the Essential series were moves over the right direction. Sure, and album full of alternate takes, was not of everybody interest, but as some stories have come up already on this thread, there were quite some people (non fan people I mean) discovering a new side of Elvis, and liking it, one beyond the same old top 10 hits and beloved love songs.

FTD is fantastic for us fans, but it is also creating a very elitist audience for Elvis music beyond the greatest hits, and does not brings a lot of new fans to the map.

Stuff like audience recordings, full sessions and all that is perfect for FTD, but stuff like the Classic Albums series (not all of them), could have worked more than well to restore and revive Elvis mainstream catalogue, delivering the original album, and a extra CD full of new stuff.

Also some the thematic releases could make to the mainstream, as they were the old essential series, ones that although they were not chart toppers at all, were starting to get nice reviews in the specialized critic, helping to rediscover a new Elvis, to a new audience, something that stopped to happen with Sony and a mile of best of CD's, totally a step back to the 80's.

Perhaps unknown to the general public or a casual fan-but I would think most "fans" have by now got most of his music (unless they are very very young)
IMO unless we want Sony to start working on new modern backing for some of the more obscure good songs-or remixes- its very unlikely that a song like "Let Yourself Go" (which I have heard fans want to be spotlighted or remixed) is just going to be dated sounding.
Well of the 750 songs-lets not forget that a good portion are movie music-31 films with an average of about 7-8 songs a film (so lets say without going to the trouble of actually counting) thats about 220-250 movie songs-and all have been released and released The majority of those songs are only of interest to us fans.
That leaves about around 250 songs left you say have not been used to the fullest. I would assume that if they are not covered as well as you like-that the labels just do not see potential in the songs to sell or grab new fans.
I think the best music is the 1950s, the early 60s and then the late 60s till his death.
Reissue after reissue have highlighed this music very well IMO.
I posted an incomplete list of Elvis music on album-"421 albums" on an earlier post-and I think everything Elvis ever recorded has been released, rereleased and repackaged many times over.
Once again...... I am not taking the labels side-just trying to look at it from a realistic view of what they can and can not do.
We want the labels to run like we would run them-promoting Elvis to the fullest-but no label is a fan club-they are a business and they can not run by the standards you and I would use as fans.
They answer to a board of directors , stock holders, etc.........and a person put in charge of running the Elvis line will who makes decisions as a fan-would end up out of work quickly if the choices they make "which involve large costly promotional campaigns" do not pay off.
So someone who may actually love Elvis music (like Ernst) who is involved in planning releases and promotions has to be mindful of what the label will and will not go for-and if he oversteps or misteps he may be out of work.
His replacement may have no love for Elvis music beyond profit-and then its even worse.
Elvis 30#1s was well thought out, well promoted and the label did go to expense to push it-and with the hype of digital remastering and "30#1s" plus the added ALLC success and it did well.
They then try a couple years later Elvis 2nd to None-they did spend and promote it-but it did not do as well.
I see where its frustrating to us fans-I share in it at times-but without huge profits for a release-no label is going to work on using the less known songs to construct a huge campaign on.
The label will say
"the songs which made Elvis the top seller in the world had to be good and those are the ones which will have the best chance of drawing new fans................and if those can't bring new fans why should songs which were not his biggest hits?"
Frustrating I know but there is a logic to the argument.

[KPM]

Very well said.You can only package the same material in so many ways after all these years.He's been gone a long time.I think it's been better than it was in the past though.The legacy edition of From Elvis In Memphis was nice.No matter what though it's still the same songs over and over.The public and most fans dont really have an interest in the stuff FTD puts out.

Just saw that the other day and it was well done also heard of a new box set in December
OCTOBER 13, 2009
LEGACY RECORDING COMMEMORATING
ELVIS PRESLEY'S 75TH BIRTHDAY WITH THE RELEASE OF
ELVIS 75 - GOOD ROCKIN' TONIGHT,
THE ULTIMATE CAREER-SPANNING BOXED SET
Four CD Set Featuring 100 Songs & 80 Page Booklet
Available Everywhere On Tuesday, December 8
* * * * *

[Raised on Rock]

FTD do a good Job with what material they have unearthed over the years, there is very little left that would surprise us... To be honest a good package of Elvis hits in the best quality every few years is the way to go.

Us... the fans. But there are tons of material to surprise the non fans, we fans constantly talk about how we surprise people showing to them, "another" Elvis, something that is not those same old big hits, and how actually their reaction is positive, so just more repacking of Elvis hits is really the way to go?

Yet somehow, you are right, that is the most plausible future for Elvis right now.

[Raised on Rock]

Perhaps unknown to the general public or a casual fan-but I would think most "fans" have by now got most of his music (unless they are very very young)

That's what I mean, general public its something that has to be reached, fans are already fans, most of us might not even need new releases, yet, business wise, to work a new fan base, is priority, let's face it, most of the " I buy it all" Elvis fans are the oldest ones, and they won't be there (no disrespect) more than 20 years.

Those new audiences could be reached with new thematic releases, with lesser known songs, (not with modern new backing tracks, that would be a very bad idea, no overdubs and not well known material would be enough, your story about your relative proves it), portraying a more obscure Elvis, more than obscure, simply portraying Elvis as it was beyond the hits.

But you said it well, I am talking about to make people familiar with the artist beyond the hits, while the logic is as you well pointed:
"the songs which made Elvis the top seller in the world had to be good and those are the ones which will have the best chance of drawing new fans................and if those can't bring new fans why should songs which were not his biggest hits?" But its a sad logic and shorts sighted, isn't actually the array of music beyond his hits, what made of us fans of many different generations, the crazy abnegated, caring and loyal fans that had made those bastards millionaires?

In my own experienced, I've noticed more interest on Elvis music, both on the press, as in non Elvis fans but music fans near to me, in the days when BMG did stuff like the Essentials, Tiger Man and Platinum, than with the #30 hits stuff (which was a smart hits compilation anyway) and the thousands repacking of his then after.

I've noticed a clear effort during the 90's to reintroduce to the word (not just that elitist Us the fans) Elvis Presley as a serious artist and it did pay off, not much maybe in terms of $$$, but did in the critics, reviews in getting many new dedicated $$$ fans.

This decade, written by sony seemed to trashed away those efforts, in favor of the marvelous logic that has permeated Elvis history: let's milk once again that cow, until is death.

Now, that cow is not dead yet, but his life went exile to FTD, wonderful stuff happening there, Beatle Fans, Stones Fans, whoever fans envy us for having FTD, Ernts is the Man, but what will happen, when most of Elvis fans are with the man, and the younger ones, well they already have it all ???

The question is:
Repack hits and more hits till burn him out like in the 80's? or to start finding a way to cleverly re -establish Elvis catalogue (both the original and the worthy outakes) not just for the fans but to general audience, thinking ahead in time, for the days when both FTD is long gone (nothing else to do) and so gone will be most of Elvis original fans, (the younger ones death into buying apathy cause we have it all).

[Brian]

I agree with you Raised on Rock I said the exact same things in another thread.

[Raised on Rock]

Precisely right Raised on Rock!!!

And I think that BMG is heading in the right direction with the upcoming ELVIS75 - GOOD ROCKIN' TONIGHT box set!! Just look at some of the lesser known, lesser used songs that are going to be included:

* MY HAPPINESS
* ONE SIDED LOVE AFFAIR
* I'M GONNA SIT RIGHT DOWN AND CRY (OVER YOU)
* PARALYZED
* THE THRILL OF YOUR LOVE
* DOIN' THE BEST I CAN
* THERE'S ALWAYS ME
* JUDY
* I NEED SOMEBODY TO LEAN ON
* IT HURTS ME
* THIS IS MY HEAVEN
* TOMORROW IS A LONG TIME
* I'M LEAVIN'
* LOVING ARMS
* GOOD TIME CHARLIE'S GOT THE BLUES

While all of the usual suspects are included on the set too (HOUND DOG, DON'T BE CRUEL, etc.) for the millionth time, the fact that the above listed songs are being included on a mainstream release proves (at least for this release) that BMG seems to be digging a little deeper into the regular Elvis catalog to come up with some lesser-known songs to hopefully pull in some new fans.

Of course, there are dozens of other lesser-used songs that could have been included in this set to really open the Elvis catalog up to the new, casual Elvis fans...but one step at a time...

Let's hope this is THAT step in the right direction!!!

TCB!
Mike

Haven't heard of this one, seems like a decent clever one! lets as fan not put it down for having nothing new, as this one, as much as the recent From Elvis in MEmphis, is great quality stuff, to get Elvis around general audiences.

[KPM]

If I worked for Sony and my prime objective was to get young people more interested in Elvis-I would have contemporary artists come into the studio strip all but Elvis's vocal from his lesser known songs and then build a modern
more update sound on that song.
I'd ask Eric Clapton to work on "Power of My Love" and maybe
Springstein, Dave Mathews, John Mayer, McCartney, all could pick a more obscure song-and produce it however they wanted.

The Elvis vocal would have to remain as is-but if they wanted to duet, add voices , whatever that would be their call as producers.

IMO that is a route which would be the most effective in gaining "young people as potential fans" But many long term fans don't want this done-they want people to accept the music as it was recorded when Elvis was alive.

I have to be frank-many songs which have been suggested as ways to "highlight Elvis to younger audiences" will sound "dated" to most of them.
Do not get my wrong-You and I will not agree with their opinion-but you and I are already fans.
This is 2009 and even though Elvis was groundbreaking in 1955-to most young people hearing even the songs from 1969 may seem like us hearing Patty Page, or Bing Crosby when we were there age......it will seem dated and old. So it is very hard to grab these people-even if the songs they hear are totally new and undiscovered to their ears.
There are always people who "get Elvis" from the moment they hear or see him ......virtually every generation since he came on the scene has had those individuals who "get Elvis" and for those people it will not matter if its "Hound Dog" "Don't Be Cruel" or something like the movie songs or "Power of my Love" they will get it as soon as they hear it.
For the ones who do not get it-you need something more-such as I suggested.
So IMO you either have to go with the gimmicky way of duets, new backing, remixes or you go the route of RCA/BMG/SONY and you reissue and remaster and rely on the people who "get Elvis" from the moment they hear him.

I think the labels realise the backlash from many fans when something like ALLC is done-or the Christmas Duets album so they are hesitant about doing what I suggested -remember I said "if my prime objective was to get more young people interested in Elvis"
But you see that is not the only objective that the labels have had to deal with.
I hope I did not offend anyone with these thougths-because I know many do not want anything but the songs as they were recorded-and truthfully my thougths are close to that-I think as little as possible should be changed.
But reissue after reissue-good ones like the Essential Series and the not so good ones which are thrown together.... have been done over and over...
have not produced a huge rush in younger fans.
Unfortunately young people are hugely conscious of what "everyone likes and thinks is hot" and Elvis is not truely hot to the last couple generations.
The big bang in the pond happened in 1956 and the further from the start of that bang-the less explosive it looks to young ones who do not understand what the pond looked like-before the ripples began.

[Raised on Rock]

If I worked for Sony and my prime objective was to get young people more interested in Elvis-I would have contemporary artists come into the studio strip all but Elvis's vocal from his lesser known songs and then build a modern
more update sound on that song.
I'd ask Eric Clapton to work on "Power of My Love" and maybe
Springstein, Dave Mathews, John Mayer, McCartney, all could pick a more obscure song-and produce it however they wanted.

If the right people is chosen, (and not an awful bunch of second rate stars as in the christmas duets Cd) and they do produce radical new backing tracks, good marketing, a DVD with showing those people working the new backing tracks, (sometimes bringing in old TCB Band members to collaborate with them) talking about Elvis and so, this could work smoothly and be actually a great project. Would love to see all the people you mentioned, (except Springstein, he's done lol), other people I would like to see there could be Elvis Costello (James Burton could pick some new licks with him), Jack White, Jimmy Page, Cat Power, Keith Richards.

Anyhow, this should be a one time only thing, to produce new backing tracks should not be a constant.

I have to be frank-many songs which have been suggested as ways to "highlight Elvis to younger audiences" will sound "dated" to most of them.

This could be a bit of a myth about tastes in younger people you know.

First of all there is no: the younger people, there are quite several kinds of audiences among young people, who might dig many different kinds of music, both old and new.

Sure a majority might just be interested in whatever prefabricated artist is being marketed to them around the day, but there are other kinds of young people and there are not a minuscule minority. In other words, older gals and guys, cool it down with the: all new artist are prefabricated commercial crap, or a bunch of weirdos creating an awful noise, talking about drugs and naked girls, something that we can not call music. There is actually a whole array, of real musicians, doing stuff that it is as respectable as what Elvis, or Dylan or Beatles did in their time (actually most of them are quite respectful and even fans of those artists of the past), and although it is not a majority, there is a big audience, in younger people to them.

Now talking about that sector in younger people, the fact that something could be old, and do sound dated, it is never at all a reason for not liking something, (some of the today bands that they like do actually search for more and more for a vintage sound rather than modernity), most of these younger audience are actually followers of many acts from the past, despite their "dated old sound", and that is actually part of the charm they see in that music.

But ODDLY, when you talk to them about Presley, and those could be Bo Diddley fans, blues fans, The Animals fans, early Stones Fans, Chucky Berry Fans, Motown or Stax fans, even old vintage rockabilly or country music fans, whatever, they just don't care about Elvis, the reason, the usual one: isn't he the fatso chumming on a burger on stage doing Love Me Tender in Vegas with an awful low voice? Want another reason: this young people are not into the commercial sound of today right? well, Elvis Presley, sure, the guy of the #30 No1 hits Cd right? the guy of the thousand greatest hits and love songs compilations right? well wasnt' he the commercial prefabricated one of his time? Once again Presley is losing and so, how many new fans among young people did the #30 1 hits campaign did get?

So my friend is really not much about Elvis being old music, "dated" sounding music, Beatles are "dated" music too, and well they are appealing enough to younger people as to be releasing a video game devoted to them right?

Too me, the reason behind why younger people do not get Elvis, and not a lot of younger fans are coming (while other old acts do), it is the fact that they DON´T know who's Elvis. I mean sure, everybody knows Elvis, but just the most superficial side of it, a Clambake rerun on TCM? Love Me Tender on the radio station your granny listen on Sundays? Some newcasts about Graceland around August. But the true artist and musician that HE was, its is mostly left aside. Immediate example: every time I show someone my age or younger stuff from the real Elvis, either playing to them records or showing to them DVD's like the old Elvis '56 or that documental on Elvis first album on the classic album series, or just explain to them who he was, his sound, the importance of his music to contemporary music beyond the hits, the reaction, if there is no new fans, it is anyway almost unanimous: WOW I didn't knew that, I though Elvis was about something else, wow, this is actually good stuff, send me some mp3 on this kind of stuff man. In a lesser degree, at least now, if they are not interested, they do know who he was, what he did, and there is respect instead of a cruel laugh.

So from a 29 years old fan, that it is actually quite immerse in today music, and is pretty much in contact with younger people than me, this is what is happening with Elvis among young people.

Yes a project as the one you mention, if done by the right people (and it is not at all something like the new tracks done by Jarvis in the 80's, or the ALLC and the Baby Let's Play house remixes or even the cheapo chep christmas duets) it could be definitively a nice way to put Elvis on the spot.

But then what? another greatest hits release? Yes Elvis music has been repacked over and over, but yet, rarely has been done in a way that puts the true artist before legend, the elvis music legacy before the money money making. And, as much as everything has been repacked till it hurts, most of it is now out of print, and as usual Elvis catalogue is a crying shame (talking FTD aside).

So again, yes, BMG in the 90's (yes with a lot of faults) but do was making a better job by far than Sony around these decade in those terms.

There are always people who "get Elvis" from the moment they hear or see him ......virtually every generation since he came on the scene has had those individuals who "get Elvis" and for those people it will not matter if its "Hound Dog" "Don't Be Cruel" or something like the movie songs or "Power of my Love" they will get it as soon as they hear it.
For the ones who do not get it-you need something more-such as I suggested.
So IMO you either have to go with the gimmicky way of duets, new backing, remixes or you go the route of RCA/BMG/SONY and you reissue and remaster and rely on the people who "get Elvis" from the moment they hear him.

RCA BMG SONY since '56 has never had a clear route or direction about what they want to do with Elvis apart of big time money with the less effort. Yet I will say again, 90's BMG direction was by far the most acceptable, as they actually have a goal by trying to re introduce a by then quite burned Elvis, as a serious artist, a true musician and not just a hit making machine.

Another route: education, yes, to educate new generations about who is Elvis Presley and the importance of his music. NO I'm not talking about an Elvis course on school! give me a break lol. I'm talking about, the best and most effective way they reintroduce The Beatles to the younger generations, the best way to re introduce why they are so important regardless time, the way they got a bunch of new fans on their pockets, the way the did established their importance as artist/musicians in younger generations, was called THE BEATLES ANTOLOGHY, around 6 hours of mastery on DOCUMENTARY making shown for FREE in prime time television around a whole week.

In those terms, what does younger generations have got on education about Elvis, around two or three TV mini series that resembles more to a dam soap opera?

Yes we got "Elvis '56" (which ironically was in fact taken as an idea by McCartney to develop the anthology), a great one on Elvis, but friends that was quite some generations ago!!! More recently we got "Elvis Presley", on the classic albums series, but that got little exposure and once again about the same year, what happened with Elvis from '57 to '77?

...the Essential Series... ...have not produced a huge rush in younger fans.

They stopped the series and moved to a similar project but in a small production label called FTD directed just to the fans. As fans we loved that as that allowed to have projects with content that will hardly or actually were impossible to be released in the mayor label.

Yes, that happened cause stuff like the Essential Elvis series did had a market, but a small one, so big production was not to profitable. YET, they where the kind of releases, that although not big sellers, little by little where noticed by the specialized press, getting in fact great reviews, the best in decades, in other words, those 90's releases that stopped to occur, where the ones that little by little where reintroducing Presley to a younger generation as a Genuine ARTIST, showing his true music making (exposing the tracks as they where, corny overdubs away) making music press aware of what before and today its only told on elvis fanzines, aware of Elvis Presley music beyond the hits. Those where the days that the world outside the Elvis world, started to talk, for the first time in decades, of Elvis as a real musician, a still influential, one to comeback any time for inspiration, and that although not as profitable as the JXL remixes and the #30 hits, in long terms do was the way to reach the newer generations. But as you said, the record label is a business, not an Elvis Presley cultural preservation, so the logic they go, well you put it quite clearly on a previous post.

[debtdbruno]

If I worked for Sony and my prime objective was to get young people more interested in Elvis-I would have contemporary artists come into the studio strip all but Elvis's vocal from his lesser known songs and then build a modern
more update sound on that song.
I'd ask Eric Clapton to work on "Power of My Love" and maybe
Springstein, Dave Mathews, John Mayer, McCartney, all could pick a more obscure song-and produce it however they wanted.

The Elvis vocal would have to remain as is-but if they wanted to duet, add voices , whatever that would be their call as producers.

IMO that is a route which would be the most effective in gaining "young people as potential fans" But many long term fans don't want this done-they want people to accept the music as it was recorded when Elvis was alive.

I have to be frank-many songs which have been suggested as ways to "highlight Elvis to younger audiences" will sound "dated" to most of them.
Do not get my wrong-You and I will not agree with their opinion-but you and I are already fans.
This is 2009 and even though Elvis was groundbreaking in 1955-to most young people hearing even the songs from 1969 may seem like us hearing Patty Page, or Bing Crosby when we were there age......it will seem dated and old. So it is very hard to grab these people-even if the songs they hear are totally new and undiscovered to their ears.
There are always people who "get Elvis" from the moment they hear or see him ......virtually every generation since he came on the scene has had those individuals who "get Elvis" and for those people it will not matter if its "Hound Dog" "Don't Be Cruel" or something like the movie songs or "Power of my Love" they will get it as soon as they hear it.
For the ones who do not get it-you need something more-such as I suggested.
So IMO you either have to go with the gimmicky way of duets, new backing, remixes or you go the route of RCA/BMG/SONY and you reissue and remaster and rely on the people who "get Elvis" from the moment they hear him.

I think the labels realise the backlash from many fans when something like ALLC is done-or the Christmas Duets album so they are hesitant about doing what I suggested -remember I said "if my prime objective was to get more young people interested in Elvis"
But you see that is not the only objective that the labels have had to deal with.
I hope I did not offend anyone with these thougths-because I know many do not want anything but the songs as they were recorded-and truthfully my thougths are close to that-I think as little as possible should be changed.
But reissue after reissue-good ones like the Essential Series and the not so good ones which are thrown together.... have been done over and over...
have not produced a huge rush in younger fans.
Unfortunately young people are hugely conscious of what "everyone likes and thinks is hot" and Elvis is not truely hot to the last couple generations.
The big bang in the pond happened in 1956 and the further from the start of that bang-the less explosive it looks to young ones who do not understand what the pond looked like-before the ripples began.

Bang on post Ken

[KPM]

If the right people is chosen, (and not an awful bunch of second rate stars as in the christmas duets Cd) and they do produce radical new backing tracks, good marketing, a DVD with showing those people working the new backing tracks, (sometimes bringing in old TCB Band members to collaborate with them) talking about Elvis and so, this could work smoothly and be actually a great project. Would love to see all the people you mentioned, (except Springstein, he's done lol), other people I would like to see there could be Elvis Costello (James Burton could pick some new licks with him), Jack White, Jimmy Page, Cat Power, Keith Richards.

Anyhow, this should be a one time only thing, to produce new backing tracks should not be a constant.







This could be a bit of a myth about tastes in younger people you know.

First of all there is no: the younger people, there are quite several kinds of audiences among young people, who might dig many different kinds of music, both old and new.

Sure a majority might just be interested in whatever prefabricated artist is being marketed to them around the day, but there are other kinds of young people and there are not a minuscule minority. In other words, older gals and guys, cool it down with the: all new artist are prefabricated commercial crap, or a bunch of weirdos creating an awful noise, talking about drugs and naked girls, something that we can not call music. There is actually a whole array, of real musicians, doing stuff that it is as respectable as what Elvis, or Dylan or Beatles did in their time (actually most of them are quite respectful and even fans of those artists of the past), and although it is not a majority, there is a big audience, in younger people to them.

Now talking about that sector in younger people, the fact that something could be old, and do sound dated, it is never at all a reason for not liking something, (some of the today bands that they like do actually search for more and more for a vintage sound rather than modernity), most of these younger audience are actually followers of many acts from the past, despite their "dated old sound", and that is actually part of the charm they see in that music.

But ODDLY, when you talk to them about Presley, and those could be Bo Diddley fans, blues fans, The Animals fans, early Stones Fans, Chucky Berry Fans, Motown or Stax fans, even old vintage rockabilly or country music fans, whatever, they just don't care about Elvis, the reason, the usual one: isn't he the fatso chumming on a burger on stage doing Love Me Tender in Vegas with an awful low voice? Want another reason: this young people are not into the commercial sound of today right? well, Elvis Presley, sure, the guy of the #30 No1 hits Cd right? the guy of the thousand greatest hits and love songs compilations right? well wasnt' he the commercial prefabricated one of his time? Once again Presley is losing and so, how many new fans among young people did the #30 1 hits campaign did get?

So my friend is really not much about Elvis being old music, "dated" sounding music, Beatles are "dated" music too, and well they are appealing enough to younger people as to be releasing a video game devoted to them right?

Too me, the reason behind why younger people do not get Elvis, and not a lot of younger fans are coming (while other old acts do), it is the fact that they DON´T know who's Elvis. I mean sure, everybody knows Elvis, but just the most superficial side of it, a Clambake rerun on TCM? Love Me Tender on the radio station your granny listen on Sundays? Some newcasts about Graceland around August. But the true artist and musician that HE was, its is mostly left aside. Immediate example: every time I show someone my age or younger stuff from the real Elvis, either playing to them records or showing to them DVD's like the old Elvis '56 or that documental on Elvis first album on the classic album series, or just explain to them who he was, his sound, the importance of his music to contemporary music beyond the hits, the reaction, if there is no new fans, it is anyway almost unanimous: WOW I didn't knew that, I though Elvis was about something else, wow, this is actually good stuff, send me some mp3 on this kind of stuff man. In a lesser degree, at least now, if they are not interested, they do know who he was, what he did, and there is respect instead of a cruel laugh.

So from a 29 years old fan, that it is actually quite immerse in today music, and is pretty much in contact with younger people than me, this is what is happening with Elvis among young people.

Yes a project as the one you mention, if done by the right people (and it is not at all something like the new tracks done by Jarvis in the 80's, or the ALLC and the Baby Let's Play house remixes or even the cheapo chep christmas duets) it could be definitively a nice way to put Elvis on the spot.

But then what? another greatest hits release? Yes Elvis music has been repacked over and over, but yet, rarely has been done in a way that puts the true artist before legend, the elvis music legacy before the money money making. And, as much as everything has been repacked till it hurts, most of it is now out of print, and as usual Elvis catalogue is a crying shame (talking FTD aside).

So again, yes, BMG in the 90's (yes with a lot of faults) but do was making a better job by far than Sony around these decade in those terms.





RCA BMG SONY since '56 has never had a clear route or direction about what they want to do with Elvis apart of big time money with the less effort. Yet I will say again, 90's BMG direction was by far the most acceptable, as they actually have a goal by trying to re introduce a by then quite burned Elvis, as a serious artist, a true musician and not just a hit making machine.

Another route: education, yes, to educate new generations about who is Elvis Presley and the importance of his music. NO I'm not talking about an Elvis course on school! give me a break lol. I'm talking about, the best and most effective way they reintroduce The Beatles to the younger generations, the best way to re introduce why they are so important regardless time, the way they got a bunch of new fans on their pockets, the way the did established their importance as artist/musicians in younger generations, was called THE BEATLES ANTOLOGHY, around 6 hours of mastery on DOCUMENTARY making shown for FREE in prime time television around a whole week.
In those terms, what does younger generations have got on education about Elvis, around two or three TV mini series that resembles more to a dam soap opera?

Yes we got "Elvis '56" (which ironically was in fact taken as an idea by McCartney to develop the anthology), a great one on Elvis, but friends that was quite some generations ago!!! More recently we got "Elvis Presley", on the classic albums series, but that got little exposure and once again about the same year, what happened with Elvis from '57 to '77?





They stopped the series and moved to a similar project but in a small production label called FTD directed just to the fans. As fans we loved that as that allowed to have projects with content that will hardly or actually were impossible to be released in the mayor label.

Yes, that happened cause stuff like the Essential Elvis series did had a market, but a small one, so big production was not to profitable. YET, they where the kind of releases, that although not big sellers, little by little where noticed by the specialized press, getting in fact great reviews, the best in decades, in other words, those 90's releases that stopped to occur, where the ones that little by little where reintroducing Presley to a younger generation as a Genuine ARTIST, showing his true music making (exposing the tracks as they where, corny overdubs away) making music press aware of what before and today its only told on elvis fanzines, aware of Elvis Presley music beyond the hits. Those where the days that the world outside the Elvis world, started to talk, for the first time in decades, of Elvis as a real musician, a still influential, one to comeback any time for inspiration, and that although not as profitable as the JXL remixes and the #30 hits, in long terms do was the way to reach the newer generations. But as you said, the record label is a business, not an Elvis Presley cultural preservation, so the logic they go, well you put it quite clearly on a previous post.

I think what you are talking about is trying to make people fans-thru some better exposure of Elvis the artist-instead of the image they have- and IMO its just not so easy.
As I said many people just see it-from moment one-others never see it, perhaps don't want to see it. I have run into several of those in the last 40 years-they see Elvis as you described munching on a burger singing Love me Tender and thats all they want to see,
I have shown the 68 Special to a few of these or TTWII-some of Elvis's finest performing moments-and they still do not see it (call it a myth driven block if you will) But I hear on line people who saw Blue Hawaii or some other Elvis film-and they got it from that moment on.
I have 3 kids 27, 25. 23 in ages-and they know Elvis is a great artist-but they do not listen to him on regular basis, do not collect his music-they will admit they appreciate his contribution to music-but just like other music much better one daughter is a Beatle fan she says it has more depth and is more varied.
I truely do not think much can be done to market someone who is no longer here that has not been tried.
If TTWII and the 68 Special do not highlight ELVIS the artist-what else is there to be fabricated which can highlight him better that those 2 things?
I think part of the problem the labels have had with Elvis (from day one) is the all across the board material he did-which makes him hard to pin down and hard to have a prime direction for.
I say again I am not siding with the label-but there are many things they have no control over as I pointed out-press accounts of Elvis, books about Elvis, todays rock press which have little seemed appreciation for him and sell him short in their publications, impersonators, and unfortunately the truth of the life Elvis led and his ultimate last 3 years of drifting.
I do not see the type of loyalty to singers, groups that I saw in the 50s 60s and 70s by the last few generations. My own daughter was a huge Madonna fan for a short time then Alanis Morrisette fan-for a year, then Dave Mathews, then John Mayer, and now for the last few years the Beatles.
Same with many of her friends...... they float from artist to artist in hot spells. I recall the huge one year surge for Tony Bennett in the late 80s, Tom Jones also had a surge in the early to mid 90s-both short lived.
I think its unrealistic IMO to think we will ever see a huge surge that lasts for any amount of time for Elvis by succeeding generations-the world moves to fast-videos have the fast cut because people today bore so quickly.......... so it all moves fast.....not enough time to stop and really investigate something-too boring to do so. To me its a little sad.

[Brian]

I have shown the 68 Special to a few of these or TTWII-some of Elvis's finest performing moments-and they still do not see it (call it a myth driven block if you will) But I hear on line people who saw Blue Hawaii or some other Elvis film-and they got it from that moment on.
I have 3 kids 27, 25. 23 in ages-and they know Elvis is a great artist-but they do not listen to him on regular basis, do not collect his music-they will admit they appreciate his contribution to music-but just like other music much better one daughter is a Beatle fan she says it has more depth and is more varied.
I truely do not think much can be done to market someone who is no longer here that has not been tried.
.

Not every young person is going to like Elvis no matter what you do, but you could pick up a few here and there.
I consider the 68 special to be the greatest performance ever by anyone, but for younger people of a different generation I can understand how they would feel differently.
While Elvis' performance is great during the 68 special he mainly sings his hits from the 50's and early 60's which a lot of young people just won't like. their are a lot of people who can't separate a great performance from great songs and if they simply don't like the music they won't like the performance.
Frank Sinatra is considered to be one of the greatest vocalists in history but if you were to play some songs of his for someone who is in their 20's and 30's they won't like his type of music and because of that some of them will consider him a poor vocalist because they can't separate the two.

I think after Elvis died and in the 80's and 90's it wasn't a good time to be an Elvis fan but in 2002 The animated film Lilo and Stitch came out with several Elvis songs and references of him that along with the remix of A Little less conversation, 30#1 hits, and the 2002 t.v. special Elvis lives certainly helped his image as it became a much better time to be an Elvis fan compared to the 80's and 90's.
I've met kids that don't like Elvis' music but they do like A Little less conversation remix as it's got a modern sound.

[debtdbruno]

True Brian. I'm in contact with a lot of women who would have been 'teenagers' when Elvis was starting out.
They don't get him, never liked his music, or him as a Man..............we're all different I suppose.

[SleepyJack]

Just wondering if any of you have come across this or have thoughts on it...
I`ve often come across people who seem to have,for one reason or another,developed a kind of anti-Elvis "snobbery" as far as the music goes,in general this isn`t usually the mainstream music-buying public but rather the ones who buy magazines etc that are for fans of older music...magazines like "Mojo" etc. While they would be more than happy to praise the work of Buddy Holly,Eddie Cochran and those their opinions on Elvis usually seem to be a bit "off"..... I sometimes think that Elvis` own success and record sales over the years sometimes works against him as well.
As well as that,I think that the generations that are buying music now are further removed from the days of Elvis, much of it is based on people who write their own songs and music,music that was,in turn,influenced by singer/songwriters like Dylan,Neil Young etc.... and Elvis` complete lack of that has caused him to drop down in many peoples estimation.
Just a couple of thoughts anyway..

[KPM]

Not every young person is going to like Elvis no matter what you do, but you could pick up a few here and there.
I consider the 68 special to be the greatest performance ever by anyone, but for younger people of a different generation I can understand how they would feel differently.
While Elvis' performance is great during the 68 special he mainly sings his hits from the 50's and early 60's which a lot of young people just won't like. their are a lot of people who can't separate a great performance from great songs and if they simply don't like the music they won't like the performance.
Frank Sinatra is considered to be one of the greatest vocalists in history but if you were to play some songs of his for someone who is in their 20's and 30's they won't like his type of music and because of that some of them will consider him a poor vocalist because they can't separate the two.

I think after Elvis died and in the 80's and 90's it wasn't a good time to be an Elvis fan but in 2002 The animated film Lilo and Stitch came out with several Elvis songs and references of him that along with the remix of A Little less conversation, 30#1 hits, and the 2002 t.v. special Elvis lives certainly helped his image as it became a much better time to be an Elvis fan compared to the 80's and 90's.
I've met kids that don't like Elvis' music but they do like A Little less conversation remix as it's got a modern sound.

I pointed out that Elvis picks up young fans each year-but not by any certain song or new album of obscure songs-his talent and charisma pick them up from the first exposure to him-they get it immediately.
IMO these type fans are going to be long term fans-not grabbed by a certain album or song which may happen to tickle their fancy-but grabbed by Elvis himself as most long term fans are.

You bring up 2002- in 2002 none of the things which happened were truely planned in some grand coordinated scheme.
ALLC was not even sanctioned by the estate nor BMG until they saw it was picked up by the Soccer championships as it anthem and was getting worldwide airplay-the Dutch DJ who remixed it was not working for them in his remix efforts, the film was a Disney film which had been planned for years, the special was EPEs work and the 30#1s was in the works by BMG since the Beatles #1s had come out.
Each fed and helped the others.....not to mention the publicity which naturally came by it being the 25th anniversary year of the death of Elvis.

This was the "perfect storm" for Elvis's legacy but like any storm it was out of nowhere with a lot of things feeding it which just happened.

You will not see this type thing happen often.

[Raised on Rock]

Just wondering if any of you have come across this or have thoughts on it...
I`ve often come across people who seem to have,for one reason or another,developed a kind of anti-Elvis "snobbery" as far as the music goes,in general this isn`t usually the mainstream music-buying public but rather the ones who buy magazines etc that are for fans of older music...magazines like "Mojo" etc. While they would be more than happy to praise the work of Buddy Holly,Eddie Cochran and those their opinions on Elvis usually seem to be a bit "off"..... I sometimes think that Elvis` own success and record sales over the years sometimes works against him as well.
As well as that,I think that the generations that are buying music now are further removed from the days of Elvis, much of it is based on people who write their own songs and music,music that was,in turn,influenced by singer/songwriters like Dylan,Neil Young etc.... and Elvis` complete lack of that has caused him to drop down in many peoples estimation.
Just a couple of thoughts anyway..

Now you hit the nail on what I'm talking about. That´s the sector of younger people I was talking about, actually the one I do hang around.

In my experience the thing is that when we talk to this old music fans, they see Elvis as the commercial puppet, a media creation an nothing else, his music appearing on Lilo & stich, and a thousand greatest hits compilations or a JXL remix, don't help, but make it worst.

Yet Im my experience, when you show to these people, people into real music old or new, the real Elvis beyond the image, they are usually blown away, and if not a real interest its created, some nice degree of respect is achieved, (enough for me), so the reason behind that anti elvis thing, from my experience it is PLAIN IGNORANCE about him.

Back on topic, what BMG was doing in the 90's was doing more about solving that, while what SONY has done this decade, has ruined that and go back to more food for the Elvis as a media creation image.

[KPM]

Just wondering if any of you have come across this or have thoughts on it...
I`ve often come across people who seem to have,for one reason or another,developed a kind of anti-Elvis "snobbery" as far as the music goes,in general this isn`t usually the mainstream music-buying public but rather the ones who buy magazines etc that are for fans of older music...magazines like "Mojo" etc. While they would be more than happy to praise the work of Buddy Holly,Eddie Cochran and those their opinions on Elvis usually seem to be a bit "off"..... I sometimes think that Elvis` own success and record sales over the years sometimes works against him as well.As well as that,I think that the generations that are buying music now are further removed from the days of Elvis, much of it is based on people who write their own songs and music,music that was,in turn,influenced by singer/songwriters like Dylan,Neil Young etc.... and Elvis` complete lack of that has caused him to drop down in many peoples estimation.
Just a couple of thoughts anyway..

Most definitely I have seen this anti-Elvis "snobbery" its like they dismiss him as "unexplainable"..... they downgrade his talent and ability-constantly mention his lack of songwriting ability.
No one mentions that Crosby, or Sinatra did not write-and neither truely played an instrument on their recordings ever.
They point not to Elvis's domination of music from the 1950s into the early 60s, nor to his triumphs of the late 60s into 1973..... but to the less than quality movie music and the last 2-3 years of his life.
Its like the fact that his sales are so astronomical they think it was a fluke-not any talent involved at all.

[Raised on Rock]

I think what you are talking about is trying to make people fans-thru some better exposure of Elvis the artist-instead of the image they have- and IMO its just not so easy.

No, I don't care about making new fans, that is people choice.

I'm talking about expose Elvis music beyond his very commercial image and greatest hits to a broader audience that merely the elite of his fans.

That in order to: 1 preserve his legacy (something that as you said is not in the interest of the label being that a mere business) but no. 2 to boost the sales of his record by bringing in a substantial increase on the population that might be potential buyers, rather than relaying and just brutally exploiting a specie on extinction (that might be on the interest of the label cause in the end will mean, another 50 years of money making on this property of them).

[Raised on Rock]

Most definitely I have seen this anti-Elvis "snobbery" its like they dismiss him as "unexplainable"..... they downgrade his talent and ability-constantly mention his lack of songwriting ability.
No one mentions that Crosby, or Sinatra did not write-and neither truely played an instrument on their recordings ever.
They point not to Elvis's domination of music from the 1950s into the early 60s, nor to his triumphs of the late 60s into 1973..... but to the less than quality movie music and the last 2-3 years of his life.
Its like the fact that his sales are so astronomical they think it was a fluke-not any talent involved at all.

Yep, and I´ll say it again, it is called ignorance, how do you solve that? yet whatever answer we might get it is not is not the labels concern, their is, as it seems right now, to make more money on the ones do buy anyhow his music until their are done.

Other types of projects and releases, focused on solving that would be less profitable, yet in the long term, will give Elvis a significant buying audience for another bunch of decades.

Who knos, maybe Elvis had to simply die out for a few generations, and to be rediscovered under a different most positive and objective light in the future, away from both us fans and them anti elvis.