Author Topic: Elvis' Birthday Today!!!! (Read 159 times)

dean_m · « **on:** January 08, 2004, 07:32:09 AM »

Just wanted to remind you all for what it's worth. Today is the King's Birthday!!!

Born January 8th 1935.

bigredbass · « **Reply #1 on:** January 08, 2004, 12:01:03 PM »

What I really miss, and what Elvis always makes me think of: He looks like he was just having a blast as I remember him. My favorite Elvis is the 50s and 60s before 'the movies'. He changed the world.

The music closest to my heart has always been that Southern amalgam of country of blues and gospel, that he so seamlessly wove into his style.

My favorite bass story from Elvis' career:
If any of you remember the 'Baby You're So Square (and I Don't Care)' video that ran on VH1 quite a bit, you remember the chugging little sixteenth-note riff, doubled with the guitar, that sets up the tune. Bill Black was confronted with this brand new invention, the Fender Bass, at the RCA sessions that included this tune. And like any self-respecting upright player of those days, he made a stab at playing it, got utterly frustrated, and threw it across the room, refusing to touch that !@$%^(*)*)_ thing. Elivs picked it up, hit the groove, and the result is there on vinyl.

He wasn't the King of Rock and Roll for nothing !

Have you heard the news? There's good rocking tonight !

J o e y

bigredbass · « **Reply #2 on:** January 08, 2004, 12:02:37 PM »

What I really miss, and what Elvis always makes me think of: He looks like he was just having a blast as I remember him. My favorite Elvis is the 50s and 60s before 'the movies'. He changed the world.

The music closest to my heart has always been that Southern amalgam of country of blues and gospel, that he so seamlessly wove into his style.

My favorite bass story from Elvis' career:
If any of you remember the 'Baby You're So Square (and I Don't Care)' video that ran on VH1 quite a bit, you remember the chugging little sixteenth-note riff, doubled with the guitar, that sets up the tune. Bill Black was confronted with this brand new invention, the Fender Bass, at the RCA sessions that included this tune. And like any self-respecting upright player of those days, he made a stab at playing it, got utterly frustrated, and threw it across the room, refusing to touch that !@$%^(*)*)_ thing. Elivs picked it up, hit the groove, and the result is there on vinyl.

He wasn't the King of Rock and Roll for nothing !

Have you heard the news? There's good rocking tonight !

J o e y

alembic76407 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 08, 2004, 02:33:00 PM »

my favorite Elvis was the overweight drugged up and couldn't remember the words Elvis, but that's just me, when I toured the USofA in late 77 with a Elvis impersonator, I became a Elvis fan for the first time, and The king was gone, however Elvis's music never sounded better, I used my Series 1 on that tour.

David T

jazzyvee · « **Reply #4 on:** January 09, 2004, 09:54:39 AM »

Erm.. what has Elvis got to do with Alembics??? As influential as he was, I certainly wasn't a fan.

Sure he could sing and I know he could go down ... way on down deep on some of his records, but when he got there he sure didn't have the clarity of my Alembics E'string played at the bottom of the neck.... :-)

bracheen · « **Reply #5 on:** January 09, 2004, 10:56:00 AM »

That's why there's a miscellaneous area. I'm not an Elvis fan either but there are millions of them out there. He is an important part of music history. Music is a lot more than bass or even (ducking now) Alembic. I'm sitting here right now with a Strat in my lap having fun with it.

By the way Joey, I enjoyed the story. Haven't heard that one before.

Sam

dean_m · « **Reply #6 on:** January 09, 2004, 11:05:49 AM »

There's an interesting line in an Elvis ad that I've seen on TV a number of times recently:
Before anyone did anything, Elvis did it all Has anyone seen that ad?
Elvis really didn't have anything to do with Alembic directly. He certainly was a pretty important icon in the development of Rock & Roll though.
AND...
Rock & Roll as well as many forms of music wouldn't be what it is today without the development of the electric bass. I don't think John Entwistle or Sir Paul would have had the same impact playing an upright as they did with the electric. Although it would have been interesting to see. Jim Roberts has a book out called How The Fender Bass Changed The World. Required reading for any bass player. And yes, a couple of cool shots of the King playing a Fender.

To answer your question though Jazzyvee, I just figured we're all fans of all kinds of music and I was just posting a bit of info. Nothing really Alembic related.

Peace,
Dino

jazzyvee · « **Reply #7 on:** January 09, 2004, 12:05:38 PM »

Yeah i understand, I was just making light humour.
Peace and Quiet.....

hodge · « **Reply #8 on:** January 09, 2004, 04:45:53 PM »

deep thoughts and humour aside,ive always foud that the best musician of any gig,is always in the
AUDIENCE. do what YOU do.and ENJOY

bigredbass · « **Reply #9 on:** January 10, 2004, 10:36:11 AM »

76407:

I, too, 'did time' with an Elvis impersonator (a really bad one, that had a great band), and it was the usual for that kind of gig: the white suits, the drummer killing himself playing all those over-the-top Ronnie Tutt parts, the scarves. . . . and I always wondered WHY no one ever did a show as Elvis the young man: Fresh out of Memphis, the world at his feet.

Then one day, it came to me: Who the hell could?

I think it is so sad that he came to throw his life away. The true curse of it all is drugs and alcohol, whether from the street, or over-prescribed for those with the right connections.

In a more cynical life, I often wondered why, if Hendrix, for instance, was such a genius, he OD'd and drowned in his own vomit, I never thought that kind of genius would ever get me a scholarship to Berklee.

Now, it just makes me sad. It's happened too much for me to get mad anymore. And it just keeps happening, Bobby Hatfield passed away just this week. From 'Bird and Hank Williams, to Entwistle, and on and on . . . won't this EVER dawn on people? I guess not.

I'm sure this isn't the thread for this, but I can never think of him (and SO many others) without that tinge of sadness, of lives cut short needlessly. And the party line about sex,drugs, and rock and roll, or burning brightly/burning out fast just doesn't make any sense any more.

J o e y

rraymond · « **Reply #10 on:** January 10, 2004, 12:08:16 PM »

I never worked for an Elvis impersonator, but growing up and playing in bands in Memphis, there was a certain requirement for performing the material. It always amazed me that no matter how horribly mangled a rendition we might pull off, the crowds always loved it. When a guy's music is so loved that a bunch of local yokels can get applause after fairly butchering one of his tunes - that's CHARISMA.