a blog about elvis presley's music and records
ELVIS IN THE ’70s collects articles and essays that focus on Presley’s activities in that decade or music recorded between 1970 and 1976. Most of the articles will be the latter, but pieces on his concerts, his appearances on television, or his movies may also be found here.
Articles that cover a longer expanse of time—like a piece on all his #1 hits from around the world from 1956 into the 21st century—will be placed in the more general Elvis on Record category.
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ONE STRANGE MOMENT IN HISTORY occurred when President Richard Nixon (the crook) welcomed Elvis Presley (the king) to the White House on December 21, 1970. The president posed for photos with the reclusive singer, making it appear as though Tricky Dick was receiving the endorsement of one of the least political celebrities in the world. [Read more] “the day the king met the crook (one strange moment in history)”
SOME COPIES OF “BURNING LOVE” may be the most valuable commercially-issued Elvis single of the ’70s! Despite its last sale on eBay for almost a thousand dollars, many collectors are unaware of this record’s value or its origin. This article addresses those facts and warns readers that this rarity has been bootlegged and these counterfeit copies are being sold to unsuspecting fans! [Read more] “the most valuable elvis 45 of the ’70s has been bootlegged!”
EXPORT-ONLY RECORDS ARE NOT COMMON in the record business. But in 1974, RCA in the US had to manufacture records by several artists to be exported to England for sale in the UK. Why this occurred while there were British pressings of the same records being manufactured at the same time remains a topic of discussion among record collectors. [Read more] “british pressings of elvis presley’s “my boy” are common in the u.k.”
RCA 2458EX IS AN ODD RECORD, one of the oddest in the vast catalog of Elvis records. It was manufactured in the US expressly to be exported to the UK and sold there in 1974. Instead of the usual creamsicle orange label that was the standard for RCA records at the time, this weird record had labels that were as gray as the Incredible Hulk was in 1962! [Read more] “valuable insert associated with elvis presley’s “my boy” may be bootleg!”
A SPECIAL EXPORT-ONLY pressing of the “My Boy” single was manufactured in the US expressly for sale in the UK. RCA Victor 2458EX was shipped to England in late 1974, apparently because British plants were unable to meet the demand for new product on their own. [Read more] “there is a special export-only pressing of “my boy” (rca 2458EX)”
TAKING WIKIPEDIA TO TASK for the seemingly endless number of mistakes in their pop music entries is like shooting the proverbial moose in a barrel. I could even make it a daily endeavor and turn this blog into a non-stop rant about Wikipedian boners. Fortunately, that does not interest me—at least, at this time. [Read more] “wikipedian boners about elvis and “steamroller blues””
MY APOLOGIES, I AM LATE (STILL) with the promised set of articles on the Gold Standard Series of Elvis records. And a second, more controversial article offers a revealing look at a highly sought-after collectable with a dubious pedigree. I am still working on technical aspects of my blogs and still have obstacles in the path of having them up-to-date and running quickly and smoothly. [Read more] “freddie does elvis proud on “crazy little thing called love””
FROM ELVIS PRESLEY’S FIRST RECORD in 1954 through 1968, the major national pop charts were tallied in such a way that both sides of a single could make the chart as individual hits independent of one another. This greatly benefited Elvis, as his singles usually carried two strong sides, each capable of being an A‑side. [Read more] “were elvis’ double-sided hits of the ’70s two hits or one?”
WITH THE RELEASE of If I Can Dream in October 1968, Elvis began a string of superb singles and albums that lifted him from the doldrums of the lifeless Hollywood movies that had defined his career for years. These new records lifted him back to the toppermost of the poppermost across the planet. [Read more] “the alternative “love letters from elvis” album”