Elvis: 42 years on ... and the world turns ...

It's hard to believe but here we are, 42 years on from a day carved indelibly in the memory of every Elvis fan old enough to be around when the stunning news of Elvis' death was announced.

42 years gone, but paradoxically, 42 years where he has been with us ever more visible and all encompassingly than when he lived.

Today Elvis is bigger and more entrenched in popular culture and conscience than back in 1977, when his legendary status was acknowledged but barely understood by the world at large. Today Elvis' iconic status and continued relevance is universally acknowledged. It's not just Elvis fans commemorating this 42nd anniversary, not just the native English speaking countries of the world. Today the whole world joins us in remembering Elvis Presley, universally acknowledging him as the King. From the USA, UK, East and Western Europe, South America, to Thailand, Japan and down to Australia, the media coverage is pan global and prolific. Today, the world commemorates and celebrates the living legend that is Elvis Presley.

And yet today's view of Elvis is so different from that of 42 years ago.

Indeed it is so different from even 10 years ago.

And the Elvis world itself has changed too, beyond all recognition in fact. Today, on the 42nd anniversary, it's perhaps a good time to reflect on how things have changed over the last 42 years.

The Commercial Appeal August 17, 1977.

Another time, another place: a personal perspective of history

To understand just how monumental a perception change has taken place we need to go back to how things were in 1977. When Elvis died I was a 14-year-old teenager living in a rurally remote part of the U.K. Getting up to date news of Elvis was limited. We had the bible of Elvis - the Jerry Hopkins biography of the King and more recent information could be got via reading the fan publications 'Elvis Monthly' and 'Elvisly Yours' in WH Smiths (but not purchasing them). It was only once the tabloids (The Sun and The Daily Mirror principally), after years of ignoring Elvis, suddenly found in 1977 that pictures and stories of Elvis sold papers, that the worrying stories of Elvis' health problems started to appear on a regular basis.

Elvis was still hitting the pop charts with regularity. Suspicion and Girl of My Best Friend had been released as singles and had climbed high in the UK pop charts, as had Moody Blue (memorably danced to by Pans People on BBC's Top of the Pops) and Way Down (Way Down shooting to number 1 upon his death). If people had an Elvis album, it tended to be the releases of the budget Camden Record label (these were still austere times compared to now), and if records stores stocked any Elvis album, it was a mere handful. Greatest hits and/or 'best of' albums were a rarity.

Our exposure to Elvis film footage was courtesy of television, principally through the broadcasting of the 68 Comeback Special, That's The Way It Was, and the Aloha Special, and the screenings of many of Elvis' movies in the kiddies morning time slot during the school holidays. The video player was still a new thing, and if Elvis VHS videos cassettes existed, they were not readily available.

Being an Elvis fan back then was not such a great thing amongst our peer groups.

Teenagers like my older sister were dismissive of Elvis, preferring the hard rock of Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, and if older music was listened to it was that of the Beatles and Beach Boys and their ilk.

Classmates were more into the current bands and stars.

Vernon Presley Talks to the Media (August 16, 1977) (01:35)

Latest Audio (and video) updates : Video courtesy of Elvis Presley MP3 Audio Central.

To admit being an Elvis fan invited scorn and ridicule, and even occasional sympathy at such poor judgment.

And yet, there was something about Elvis that touched people, whether fans or not. Whether fan or not most people remember where we were when we heard Elvis had died. I myself was in bed trying to sleep when my mum popped her head around the door and told me that it had just been announced at the end of the ITN Ten O Clock News that Elvis was dead. It was hard to believe.

Following Elvis' death

Shortly after Elvis'death, the Elvis in Concert CBS Special was screened. Elvis was clearly overweight but mesmerizing. The newspaper serialization of Elvis 'What Happened?' provided weeks of detailed exposure into a life hitherto unknown. For years after, the contents of the 'What Happened' book set the tone of any coverage of the King and the fat Elvis of 1977 came to personify 1970's Elvis in a negative way in the popular conscious. Jumpsuit Elvis came to epitomize his decline and much of his musical legacy and contribution to 20th-century popular culture remained undervalued, and in many cases, unrecognized by the population at large. Elvis remained unfashionable especially amongst the young.

 Elvis Presley Funeral Procession August 18, 1977 (10:15)

'Raw' footage of Elvis' Funeral Procession August 17, 1977 - Never before seen.

 Latest Audio (and video) updates : Video courtesy of  Elvis Presley Video Central.

The Rise and Rise of the King

This state of affairs may have continued but for the emergence of Ernst Jorgensen, who together with Roger Semon, systematically set out to preserve, restore and re-establish the musical legacy of Elvis. The success of their endeavors was to be the catalyst for transforming the way Elvis was viewed, although other factors also came together to aid this. The release of The King of Rock N Roll: The Complete 50's masters box set got the ball rolling. Reviews in popular musical publications such as the influential Q magazine set the tone, with 5 stars ratings and awed respect being given to the body of work the box set contained.

Such sentiments were echoed in mainstream newspaper and youth lifestyle magazines.

The follow-up box sets of From Nashville to Memphis: The Essential 60's Masters, Walk a Mile in My Shoes: The Essential 70's Masters, Elvis in Las Vegas, Elvis: Close Up, Platinum: A Life in Music all got widespread media coverage and highly positive reviews. (And have since been re-released). Almost imperceptively, popular opinion on Elvis started to change. Acknowledging the genius and beauty of Elvis' music not only became acceptable, it became de rigueur. At last Elvis' work was being seen for what it was. Masterful, inspired, moving and invigorating to soul and spirit.

Elvis was back, and now it wasn't just die-hard fans exulting his god-like status.

That change in status was confirmed and advanced in 2002 when Nike used the remix of A Little Less Conversation in their global football advert. When 'Elvis: 30 #1 Hits was released a new generation in the world was ready to embrace the King and the CD sold millions.

The King Lives

Today, Elvis is more alive than ever. He has a CD release schedule via Sony Music, Follow That Dream (FTD) and bootlegs, that dwarfs anything that was ever released while he was alive. It also buries the release schedule of the global stars of today

Back in 1977 the numerous greatest hits, love songs, live collections simply didn't exist. In the UK, Arcades '40 Greatest Hits' was really just the beginning. The Camden Records series did pull together songs from one or more movies, and the Legendary Performer series was beginning to accommodate fans desire for collections of rarer material. Compare this with what Elvis material is now available 42 years on and how it is packaged and there is simply no comparison. Boxed sets, book sets, dIgi fold with booklets, DVDs containing 20 plus songs, compilations that cover every theme and stage of Elvis career, plus the tremendous availability of alternative takes and rare concert performances by the Follow That Dream label. In short, compared to the desert of material available in 1977, today we're drowning in Elvis releases and CDs!

And it's not just CDs. Look at all the DVD releases. Not just the celebrated 68 Comeback Special and Aloha Special Editions, or the That's The Way It Is Special Edition. There seem to be hundreds of Elvis DVDs available, a stark contrast to 1977 when viewing Elvis at home via VHS videotape was not an option. Back then, one was totally reliant on what was broadcast on terrestrial TV to get to see Elvis in the 'flesh'.

As for print media, there are now hundreds of books about Elvis that are available. And new ones seem to get released every other week. The content of the book range from respectable biographies, reminisces from friends and family, books of photo's, to detailed investigations and profiles of specific parts of his life and career. (See the terrific 'Elvis Files' books!!!) Compare that to 1977 when what was generally available could be counted on one hand (indeed one finger in my own case!). You also get good coverage of all things Elvis in the newspapers today, and not just the tabloids as it was back in 1977. The broadsheets are just as prolific in their coverage and certainly provide more depth.

Most newspapers will be doing something to highlight this 42nd anniversary.

The biggest difference though is the emergence of the internet.

And in this medium, compared to all other stars in the world, Elvis is King. The proliferation of the personal computer (both at work and at home) and the emergence of the internet as a prime means of communication and information have changed the Elvis landscape forever. Not to mention smartphones and tablets. Countless Elvis websites have sprung up providing a wealth of information and news on a scale unimaginable back in 1977.

You get more Elvis news in a week online than you used to get in a year back in 1977 before Elvis died.

And it's not just news that's available.

An unbelievable wealth of Elvis products is readily available from CDs, DVDs, books, clothes to other memorabilia. and the Youtube phenomena has produced a staggering collection of Elvis clips and footage, many not available from official Elvis releases. What's more, official Elvis Presley fan clubs from around the globe reach their member via their websites, making them and what they offer so much more accessible.

King of the Whole Wide World

With the high volume of CD, DVD and book releases, the regular flow of Elvis news from sites like Elvis Australia, and the prominent level of coverage Elvis gets in mainstream media it's sometimes difficult to remember that Elvis is actually dead. Indeed, in many ways, Elvis is more alive today than he ever was.

Today, on the 42nd Anniversary of his death, it has never been better to be an Elvis fan. The mesmerizing magic of Elvis and the world's fascination with him is stronger than ever. His music and contribution to popular culture is readily acknowledged and recognized, and the most amazing array of Elvis products and information are available. The stigma of being a fan is greatly diminished and everywhere there seem to be people willing to admit a fondness for his music. Indeed, with the younger generation, he is cool once again.

The 42nd Anniversary celebrations, centered on Graceland, will be a media event across the globe. It'll feature as a news item across most print and television media, and in many countries, the opportunity to broadcast special programs on Elvis and reshow some of his movies and concerts will be taken. It'll be viewed with interest by existing fans and undoubtedly draw new fans into the fold.

And what of the future? What of the next 42 years?

Both Elvis and the Elvis industry have come along way since 1977. Undoubtedly in the next 42 years, Elvis reputation will continue to grow. His legendary status is now secured and his ability to touch people's hearts and souls is unlikely to diminish short term. There's something about Elvis that was and remains special, in a way no other entertainer or personality can or will be. Colonel Tom Parker, back in 1956, realized one fundamental truth when he actively sought out opportunities to get Elvis the wider exposure RCA, television, and movies would deliver. Expose Elvis to an audience and Elvis would do the rest. This hasn't changed. Whenever people see Elvis they are touched and moved in a way that defies explanation. The millions of fans Elvis has and his high presence in today's popular conscience is a testament to that.

So, today on Elvis 42nd anniversary that is much to celebrate and look forward to. Elvis has been resurrected and embraced by a world that has finally seen the light. The world is now ready to join with us in commemorating the most extraordinary charismatically talented entertainer this planet has ever produced, or indeed, will ever produce. Thirty years after his death, how the world has turned.

Elvis - 42 years ago and now

A brief summary of the main changes and developments since Elvis' death.

 More articles by Mark Cunliffe

 Elvis Presley & The Events of 1977 By David Troedson
The Death Of Elvis Presley | August 16, 1977
 A Broken Heart... Hastened Death
 World's At Standstill For Elvis' Fiancee
 Firemen's Call To Graceland Was Anything But Routine
 Elvis Presley's Epitaph & Eternal Flame Memorial
 The Priceless Gift : To Lisa Marie from Daddy
 Elvis (A poem, written August 1997)
 Elvis Presley (1935-1977): Echoes of Love
Elvis' Last Will And Testament
Elvis dies and the age of Rock is over
 Australian Press 1977
Elvis Presley Phenomenon Becomes History : Forest Hill Cemetery on Aug. 18, 1977

Interview with Vernon Presley
 Elvis returning to Graceland
 Elvis Presley on Holiday in Hawaii : March, 1977
 Elvis Presley Louisville Kentucky : May 21st 1977
 Elvis Presley Macon, GA : June 1, 1977
 Elvis Presley June 25, 1977 : 8.30pm Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, Oh
 Elvis Presley June 26, 1977 : 8.30pm Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, In.

 Elvis Presley on Holiday in Hawaii - March, 1977

Interview with Joe Esposito
Friends Remember Elvis Presley
Friends Remember Elvis Presley - Part 2
 Kathy Westmoreland Remembers (August 16, 1977)

Read more Anniversary Articles;

Why Elvis?  By Paul Simpson
Elvis: 42 years on ... and the world turns ... ... By Mark Cunliffe
Elvis Presley | 30 Years On and Still The King By David Troedson
A personal Presley pilgrimage By Scott Jenkins

Elvis Presley Family History : 1669-1935
Gladys and Vernon Presley - Elvis Presley's Mother and Father
Jessie D. McDowell (J.D.) Presley - Elvis Presleys Grandfather
Elvis Presley's Graceland - 3764 Elvis Presley Boulevard

 For a more (very) detailed history of Elvis Presley see our pages; starting at Elvis Presley 1935-1953

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