Writing For The King 400-Page Book + Previously Unreleased Live Recodings
Writing For The King is a 400 page Book with more than 140 interviews with songwriters like John Fogerty, Paul McCartney, Leiber & Stoller, Pomus & Shuman, Phil Spector, Tommy Durden, Red West, Mark James, Tony Joe White and publisher Freddy Bienstock.
Included are two CDs, the first contains previously unreleased RCA recordings of Elvis performing live in Las Vegas (1969 through 1972), the second a selection of the original demos submitted to Elvis.
The demo CD takes us from Heartbreak Hotel through classics like Teddy Bear, Trouble, Burning Love and Way Down.
'Writing for the King' by Ken Sharp is a fascinating behind-the-scenes story of politics, money, inspiration and great trivia about Elvis and the songs he turned into classics.
Disc 1 - The Recordings - Elvis Presley
All selections on this disc are live recordings from Elvis concerts at recorded at The International Hotel in Las Vegas, a.k.a. The Las Vegas Hilton.
M = Midnight Show
D = Dinner Show
August 1969:
BLUE SUEDE SHOES (24th/M) 2:51
(Carl Perkins)
I GOT A WOMAN (24th/M) 2:36
(Ray Charles)
ALL SHOOK UP (24th/M) 3:06
(Blackwell/Presley)
LOVE ME TENDER (24th/M) 2:46
(Matson/Presley)
JAILHOUSE ROCK / DON'T BE CRUEL (24th/M) 2:38
(Leiber/Stoller) / (Blackwell/Presley)
HEARTBREAK HOTEL (24th/M) 4:05
(Axton/Durden/Presley)
HOUND DOG (24th/M) 1:26
(Leiber/Stoller)
WORDS (25th/D) 2:41
(Barry, spectacle & Robin Gibb)
YESTERDAY/HEY JUDE (25th/D) 4:34
(Lennon/McCartney)
IN THE GHETTO (25th/M) 2:43
(Mac Davis)
February 1970:
DON'T CRY DADDY (16th/D) 2:50
(Mac Davis)
POLK SALAD ANNIE (16th/D) 5:38
(Tony Joe White)
KENTUCKY RAIN (17th/D) 3:16
(Rabbitt/Heard)
WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES (16th/D) 2:50
(Joe South)
August 1970:
SOMETHING (11th/D) 4:45
(George Harrison)
YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVIN' FEELIN' (11th/D) 4.45
(Mann/Weil)
I JUST CAN'T HELP BELIEVIN' (13th/D) 3:13
(Mann/Weil)
February, 1972:
NEVER BEEN TO SPAIN (14th/M) 3:30
(Hoyt Axton)
LOVE ME (14th/M) 1:55
(Leiber/Stoller)
(LET ME BE YOUR) TEDDY BEAR / DON'T BE CRUEL (14th/M) 1:52
(Mann/Lowe) / (Blackwell/Presley)
A BIG HUNK O' LOVE (14th/M) 2:04
(Schroeder/Wyche)
August, 1969:
SUSPICIOUS MINDS (24th/M) 6:56
(Mark James)
CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE (24th/M) 2:09
(Peretti/Creatore/Weiss)
Disc 2 - The Demos - Various Artists
HEARTBREAK HOTEL
(Axton/Durden/Presley)
Singer: Glenn Reeves
(LET ME BE YOUR) TEDDY BEAR
(Kal Mann/Bernie Lowe)
Singer: Otis Blackwell
DON'T ASK ME WHY
(Fred Wise/Ben Weisman)
Singer: Jimmy Breedlove
HARD HEADED WOMAN
(Claude DeMetrius)
Singer: Jimmy Breedlove
TROUBLE
(Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)
Singer: Unknown
WEAR MY RING AROUND YOUR NECK
(Bert Carroll/Russell Moody)
Singer: Gus Coletti
POCKETFUL OF RAINBOWS
(Fred Wise/Ben Weisman)
Singer: Jimmy Breedlove
NO MORE
(Don Robertson/Hal Blair)
Singer: Don Robertson
(MARIE'S THE NAME OF) HIS LATEST FLAME
(Doc Pomus/Mort Shuman)
Singer: Mort Shuman
GOOD LUCK CHARM
(Aaron Schroeder/Wally Gold)
Singer: Robert Moseley
DEVIL IN DISGUISE
(Bill Giant/Bernie Baum/Florence Kaye)
Singer: Bill Giant
VIVA LAS VEGAS
(Doc Pomus/Mort Shuman)
Singer: Mort Shuman
C'MON EVERYBODY
(Joy Byers)
Singer: Bob Johnston
KISSIN' COUSINS
(Fred Wise/Randy Starr)
Singer: Malcolm Dodd
MY DESERT SERENADE
(Stanley Gelber)
Singer: Kenny Karen
COULD I FALL IN LOVE
(Randy Starr)
Singer: Malcolm Dodd
THE LOVE MACHINE
(G. Nelson/F. Burch/C. Taylor)
Singer: Gerald Nelson
CLAMBAKE - alternate song
(Winfield Scott)
Singer: Winfield Scott
WEARIN' THAT LOVED ON LOOK
(Dallas Frazier/A. L. Owens)
Singer: Dallas Frazier
I'VE LOST YOU
(Howard/Blaikley)
Singer: Peter Lee Sterling
THE NEXT STEP IS LOVE
(Evans/Parnes)
Singer: Paul Evans
MARY IN THE MORNING
(Cymbal/Rashkow)
Singer: Johnny Cymbal
BURNING LOVE
(Dennis Linde)
Singer: Dennis Linde
T-R-O-U-B-L-E
(Jerry Chesnut)
Singer: Jerry Chesnut
RAISED ON ROCK
(Mark James)
Singer: Mark James
WAY DOWN
(Layng Martine Jr.)
Singer: Layng Martine Jr.
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Tupelo's Own Elvis Presley DVD
Never before have we seen an Elvis Presley concert from the 1950's with sound. Until Now! The DVD Contains recently discovered unreleased film of Elvis performing 6 songs, including Heartbreak Hotel and Don't Be Cruel, live in Tupelo Mississippi 1956. Included we see a live performance of the elusive Long Tall Sally seen here for the first time ever. + Plus Bonus DVD Audio.
This is an excellent release no fan should be without it.
The 'parade' footage is good to see as it puts you in the right context with color and b&w footage. The interviews of Elvis' Parents are well worth hearing too. The afternoon show footage is wonderful and electrifying : Here is Elvis in his prime rocking and rolling in front of 11.000 people. Highly recommended.
Tupelo's Own Elvis Presley DVD Video with Sound.
