DE TUPELO A MEMPHIS

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Elvis Presley .
The magic of the show.

Elvis on stage and his magic


In the 70's, since Elvis found himself on stage again, his way of approaching his show, his show, took other dimensions different from everything he had done in his early years. The years had passed, his fans had grown and he was facing another younger generation that he would have to capture, with songs of the moment and with a personal and different renewal as an artist. Elvis was a very talented artist and on stage his form matured. of creativity in relation to the conception of a different and special show from those performed by others. He chose a repertoire for his concerts and the idea was to be able to offer the best material to the public, taking into account his long-time fans and the new fans of the present. This would be one of the most important factors in future years, his repertoire, because his personal enjoyment on stage would depend on it. He wanted to satisfy his fans, but he also needed to do something new, good songs...a show that would make him feel alive.He usually prepared the material for a 90 minute show. The previous days the accompaniments, the choir, the harmonies, the transitions were perfected so that the show had an order, especially so that Elvis could make his show as he required when acting. He was very meticulous and although he improvised in many cases, he liked to be clear and determined in what he wanted to achieve in his performance, if there was something he did not like he corrected it and also did not tolerate mistakes being made. He was self-taught as a musician, but he knew exactly what he wanted to do on stage, what he wanted to hear and feel with his musicians. He conveyed all of this through a demonstration either by singing the parts as he wanted to hear them or by playing the piano... And also in the choral parts, Elvis was very demanding and you can often hear him singing parts of the choir, to show them how they had to do. In many cases, he can be seen at a show singing a choir tagline... because it was something he couldn't avoid, but inside he heard the harmony and wanted the choir to follow him. Although he was an excellent performer and his function was that of a soloist, inside him as a musician he wanted to hear all the voices, the instruments, this made him go beyond what a normal singer could do... that is why it is so special and heartfelt in their interpretations. In his shows, the collaboration and rapport with musicians and singers was paramount, so if Elvis had confidence, everything would turn out perfect. Sometimes he would change the order of songs, or start singing and stop... the musicians had to be prepared to this at all times. One of the reasons why Elvis lost interest in the recording studio was this, that he couldn't do the same thing he did live so he couldn't merge with his musicians as he felt before the audience. the. Another important factor in his performance was his karate or dance moves. They also required maximum rapport with the musicians, since Elvis needed everything to be done with the utmost accuracy, he had to be followed without problems. All this with the shows was evolving, because the artist's vision was growing to include more songs, apart from the classics, but depending on the orchestral accompaniment he could make bigger performances over time. With the orchestra, the support of a solid choir and above all his musicians who continued to make him click, his shows could reach perfection and become impressive. That was the intention that Elvis could have with his shows. Elvis liked to watch his musicians while he sang, while they played, he enjoyed himself and he wanted to see them enjoy themselves too, because he knew that this was the secret to offering a good interpretation to the public. The magic of the show had to continue...

"Following the King's Path..."





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Reflection on acting on Elvis The ComeBack Special

It is evident that if we analyze from now on the artist's movements on stage we would perceive a great difference in the way Elvis moved in June 1968 compared to him, in his last public performance in 1961. When Elvis Presley begins to sing in
scene... in his youth, his way of moving begins to evolve due to his nerve and shyness in front of the public... Improvised and energetic dances charged with adrenaline, followed by insinuating and exciting hip movements already produced by his enthusiasm and dedication and satisfaction before his faithful and beloved public already in the heyday. The maturation over time would lead to calmer, more controlled dance movements during the movie era from 1962 to 1967.
Time of subtle restrictions and feeling tied down and repressed for not being able to do what he feels. Arrived at this moment in 1968 without a studied choreography, Elvis Presley comes out on the ring stage in an improvised way, with a renewed spirit, more aggressive, feline... Despite his fears, his body screams
impulsively the new feeling of him.... "Here I am again...
But I'm not the same anymore... And I want to show everything I can give..."
He moves with force with claw.. his actions charged with energy and
sexuality... The influence of karate will also mark his
improvisation of him.... Although his movements are less agile than at the beginning
they are bigger, they are incredible, his dedication, his strength, ... his
disposition of his is such that he throws himself back to the ground with defiant posture, active in conquering him... the result is that he captivates everyone who witnesses his performance,... The end... with open arms in a victorious V marking the end of the performance.
It will never be the same as before.
Because he has been reborn as an artist... "Elvis" The Comeback Special Nbc.
FROM TUPELO TO MEMPHIS XXXVIII The Scene The Comeback Special Sit down

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Reflexiones acerca de la Personalidad de Elvis. 1968

Elvis Presley era ante todo un soñador, creía que aún en la vida se podía ser mejor, de ahí su gran espiritualidad, interiorismo y búsqueda en todo momento de su gran verdad, su motivo en la vida, su finalidad...
En todo momento a pesar de su frustración hasta este año 1968 por su camino artístico, que evidentemente no era el deseado, había llegado a su momento de cuestionarse todas sus razones y buscar cambios a su mundo musical.
Con la canción "If i can dream" encontraría una razón para poder volver a mostrar su más íntimo ser ante el público...Un acierto el poder llegar a este momento en el cual Elvis buscaba una canción para poder volver a su público a lo grande.

Billy Goldenberg, el director musical, le sugirió a Elvis que podría interpretar este tema como un Blues con mucho sentimiento, Elvis escuchó una y otra vez la canción que se escribió originalmente para el programa "Elvis" ComeBack Special.
El día 23 de junio de 1968 se grabaría esta canción, Elvis Presley con toda su energía, afección y entrega absoluta se tiró al piso con el micrófono frente a la sección de cuerdas de rodillas,... Todos los que fueron testigos de la realización de esta grabación coinciden en su testimonio.
Y nadie había visto nunca nada parecido,... La absouluta entrega , pasión, la interpretación tan sincera de Elvis que con su voz traslucía todo su interior , su alma...

Steve Binder y Bones Howe director y productor narran la grabación como uno de los momentos más impresionantes musicalmente en toda su carrera artística,  sería increíble presenciar tal escena en un momento de grabación con una voz , Elvis en su actuación que cuentan fué la más extraordinaria frente a la orquesta impactante ante todos por su entrega, su interpretación, pero lo más grande  estaba por llegar después...

Los productores sacaron a todos los músicos para que se fueran ya a su casa y para que Elvis grabara la voz sobre la pista y él pidió quedarse a oscuras para poder concentrarse mejor, y regrabó su voz en la oscuridad con tal emoción que terminó retorciéndose en el piso en forma fetal... Después de realizar  la cuarta toma entraría en la sala de control, Elvis la escuchó hasta 15 veces como si escuchara la voz de su propio renacimiento y con esta canción encontró el sentimiento que de nuevo le habría impulsado en su carrera para seguir teniendo una esperanza, la magia se había conseguido.
El autor Walter Earl Brown, compositor del tema, jamás llegaría a imaginarse hasta dónde podría llegar la interpretación de Elvis, nos cuenta que cuando Elvis la cantó frente al público sintió algo mágico como algo eléctrico y maravilloso gracias a su canción...que fué tal el sentimiento que todos quedaron mudos, la impresión , del sentimiento tal que les dejó absortos con su interpretación.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZsh2W9IO-s

Una de las cantantes de The Blossom lloraba de emoción y cuenta que le dijo entonces: "Elvis cree en esta canción y la siente con toda su alma".
Elvis era un soñador y con esta canción tan grande encontraría su motivo para volver de nuevo a su público.

Todas estas anécdotas en nuestro programa...
DE TUPELO A MEMPHIS XXXVIII The Comeback Special The Records
"Siguiendo el camino de el Rey..."



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Reflections on the music performed by Elvis Presley



When you write a score, the music, the lyrics, as a composer you always have something inside that makes you feel and hear a clear idea of ​​what the listener could receive. Especially the sense and sensitivity of what you want to convey. Every musician has his own vision of the result of what could be achieved in a performance and in a recording with its subsequent orchestration etc. You can hear it inside yourself even if you only write a Voice Line or a piano accompaniment. Sometimes the result of that arrangement of that accompaniment makes the score itself lose its original freshness, its intention and transparency... And in In some cases, the one who makes the orchestral arrangement can lose the initial meaning of the score even though the singer performs a masterful performance...
But it is clear that when you give your score to someone else, they experience it in a different way. It is the magic of music that turns his own interpretation into the voice of an artist like Elvis and, in conclusion, turns it into his own creation. If we carefully analyze all the songs, all the scores that were written for Elvis Presley, those that were to choose for their repertoire would be very different songs and above all, we must logically take into account the passing of the years.
More than two decades, it is clear that Elvis knew how to sing all styles of music, but it is very interesting to stop and observe the type of songs that he chose over the years or what was offered to him and he could not refuse.
In any case it is amazing and in particular that real songs about pure and sincere love were really very rare. Of more than 800 songs, few songs could be counted that have been written like this. Really, those of true love, those of pure, sincere love, clean love, selfless love, there are very few examples... And happy love even less... .In Elvis Presley's discography there are many themes of lack of love of passion, of forgetting, of loss... the composers who made scores for him did not really offer him songs of pure and true love, but rather of lack of love of disappointment. different intentions... they also didn't go clearly to the sexual plane but hinted at the theme.
It is true that the image and reality about Elvis went from being sexual and defiant over time to maturation, although his intense image and magnetism would also continue, but it is evident that his image, despite his eternal beauty, was not that of a faithful lover. or a lover and the passing of the years towards his physical growth gave him another maturation... But although his music also evolved in style, it changed over time, his songs followed that line, getting lost in heartbreak and loss. Curiously, his pure songs and his great love poured into the Gospel, into his spirituality, his faith, and without forgetting his mother, who was another dimension of love.

The songs about love that Elvis sang were in an intermediate plane, they could be in between love and sex in that other side that does not become, a little dark and not entirely happy that did not reach the absolute and happy delivery. .. There are very few examples of songs that were done in such a sweet heartfelt way as the theme that was performed for these great Nashville sessions the song "Sylvia" composed by Geoff Stephens and Les Reed. Even the orchestration of this song made it lose its initial purity, which can be enjoyed in the shots made on June 8 for a simpler and more progressive accompaniment in its authorship. A sensitive song written with hope, which could give rise to other interpretations. But only the composers could tell us about that, because we don't know who Sylvia was, invented or real...
In any case, the reflection that remains to us could be that of the artist who continues to search for his true love over time through his singing, without being able to reflect it in someone special with whom to share his destiny. The authors who had already composed for Elvis Presley two songs "Heart of Rome" and "This is our dance" for these sessions gave a different point of view with this composition to express a love song. But Geoff Stephens, one of the two composers, curiously believed that Elvis never understood his writing. Although he thinks that he sang it masterfully, he believes that the final result that was given no longer corresponded to his initial intention. What he says is that he didn't focus the fix in a proper direction...
And this would lose the direction and meaning of the score. In any case, the reality is that the interpretations that Elvis made would make the composition his own and what was done with this accompaniment is already part of the production and arrangement that may or may not distort the composition and interpretation of the musicians in its final result.
Ana Albajara

"Following the Path of the King..."
















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