Living In Paradise, May 1979: Difference between revisions
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Elvis' legendary paranoia rears its bespectacled head. He apparently feels he is in good company. "I'm sure everybody's had occasion to go to absolute extremes in order to... y'know, even to say things you don't believe. Ask Lenny Bruce." (He wasn't available for comment). | Elvis' legendary paranoia rears its bespectacled head. He apparently feels he is in good company. "I'm sure everybody's had occasion to go to absolute extremes in order to... y'know, even to say things you don't believe. Ask Lenny Bruce." (He wasn't available for comment). | ||
As things wore on, Elvis' attitude towards the press began to surface. Obviously as El hasn't done any serious talking to the press in ages, his bitterness and hate towards the media must be acute. I've always held this against Elvis, but after having seen the cream of the rock press in ugly action, I can sympathize (to a degree) with Elvis. The <i>Voice</i>'s R.G. and <i>Rolling Stone</i>'s C.F. are the worst offenders. El's comment on his relationship with the press | As things wore on, Elvis' attitude towards the press began to surface. Obviously as El hasn't done any serious talking to the press in ages, his bitterness and hate towards the media must be acute. I've always held this against Elvis, but after having seen the cream of the rock press in ugly action, I can sympathize (to a degree) with Elvis. The <i>Voice</i>'s R.G. and <i>Rolling Stone</i>'s C.F. are the worst offenders. El's comment on his relationship with the press was probably the most significant statement of the afternoon. | ||
"The press is not infallible, and nor am I, so I understand there's a certain amount of misinterpretation. That's why, everybody here — I don't honestly know all your names, I know some of your faces — I know that pretty much anybody here from the music press knows that our history in the music press is one of not talking to you, for good reasons, for misinterpretation that's gone down, and if only for that reason you must understand that this seems important enough to me to want to come here, myself, and not sake a press statement that could be misinterpreted again, that's why I'm here, so you can ask me questions about it. | "The press is not infallible, and nor am I, so I understand there's a certain amount of misinterpretation. That's why, everybody here — I don't honestly know all your names, I know some of your faces — I know that pretty much anybody here from the music press knows that our history in the music press is one of not talking to you, for good reasons, for misinterpretation that's gone down, and if only for that reason you must understand that this seems important enough to me to want to come here, myself, and not sake a press statement that could be misinterpreted again, that's why I'm here, so you can ask me questions about it. | ||
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Elvis: Pardon me? (question is repeated). I think that was something said that night, actually. I think several things along that line were said. The only things that were printed was stuff said about black artists. Oh, I said numerous things about white artists. That's not my fault it wasn't reported, 'cos it doesn't make good copy. They don't print the things I said about Crosby, Stills & Nash. And they didn't print the things where Bonnie said that "All limeys were lousy fucks and couldn't get it up." | Elvis: Pardon me? (question is repeated). I think that was something said that night, actually. I think several things along that line were said. The only things that were printed was stuff said about black artists. Oh, I said numerous things about white artists. That's not my fault it wasn't reported, 'cos it doesn't make good copy. They don't print the things I said about Crosby, Stills & Nash. And they didn't print the things where Bonnie said that "All limeys were lousy fucks and couldn't get it up." | ||
The press conference ended in a very interesting and revealing manner. As I mentioned before, Elvis was totally calm; it was Jake who did the sweating, and I'm not joking. In a move barely noticed (I know of only two people present who picked it up), while Elvis was in mid-sentence, Jake gave El the "cut" sign — index finger slashed across throat | The press conference ended in a very interesting and revealing manner. As I mentioned before, Elvis was totally calm; it was Jake who did the sweating, and I'm not joking. In a move barely noticed (I know of only two people present who picked it up), while Elvis was in mid-sentence, Jake gave El the "cut" sign — index finger slashed across throat — and El mumbled a quick goodbye and fled the room. Is Riviera Global moving into mind control? | ||
I've left Elvis' most mysterious, and maybe, important (in | I've left Elvis' most mysterious, and maybe, important (in my opinion) remark for the end. Whether it was a slip of the tongue (nothing is accidental, Freud sez), or something that Elvis meant to mean something else entirely, is totally judgemental at this point. I'll leave the interpretation up to you: "I don't want to be known for (Ohio incident). ''I don't want the last the last I ever do in America'' to be that I'm a racist." | ||
In conclusion, the conference was bullshit. Necessary bullshit perhaps, but bullshit nonetheless. There were no questions about the Bramlett/Stills incident that I had to ask Elvis. Here are the questions I was dying to ask: "Are you Wally?" (the name Elvis was supposed to have when he was alleged to be the guitarist for the rehearsal-only pre-Rotten Sex Pistols), "What ''is'' the first line to 'Watching The Detectives'?," and finally, "Will you ever record an album with your father?" (Ross | In conclusion, the conference was bullshit. Necessary bullshit perhaps, but bullshit nonetheless. There were no questions about the Bramlett/Stills incident that I had to ask Elvis. Here are the questions I was dying to ask: "Are you Wally?" (the name Elvis was supposed to have when he was alleged to be the guitarist for the rehearsal-only pre-Rotten Sex Pistols), "What ''is'' the first line to 'Watching The Detectives'?," and finally, "Will you ever record an album with your father?" (Ross MacManus, a 50's big-band vocalist who bears a striking resemblance to his real-life son, Declan Patrick MacManus). But none of these questions got asked. | ||
That [[Concert 1979-03-30 Passaic|night]], at the Capitol Theatre, El opened the set with his spectacular cover of the obscure 1964 Merseybeats tune "I Stand Accused." I've always admired a man with a sense of drama. | That [[Concert 1979-03-30 Passaic|night]], at the Capitol Theatre, El opened the set with his spectacular cover of the obscure 1964 Merseybeats tune "I Stand Accused." I've always admired a man with a sense of drama. |
Latest revision as of 01:10, 21 February 2020
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