The beginning of the bad boy image was Elvis Presley Jailhouse Rock. This time changing song first hit the charts in 1957 and has never relinquished its popularity. This song stayed at the number on slot for 7 straight weeks as a single in 1957 on the pop charts. It was so popular that it even ran at the number on slot in the UK for 3 weeks in 1958 and again in 2005. For the rebel in country music is also hit number one on the country charts, but only lasted one week along with the R&B charts.

This song did more to make the critics and establishment have a distaste for Elvis than his constantly swiveling pelvis. The song had many real life criminals in it along with some prison life style choices that many got really upset. The lyric “You’re the cutest jailbird I ever did see” was a hidden innuendo for the gay sex that has always been a part of the prison systems worldwide. It was not blatant enough to really cause an uproar, but most in the prison system still to this day do not appreciate their little secret getting so much exposure.

This song was played at Woodstock by Sha-Na-Na along with being remade by Ozzy Osbourne in 1987, in total 31 different groups and performers have recorded this song over the years.

This was one of the last hits Elvis made before he served his country in the Army.

While most of the recordings by Elvis of this song were made in the format of the 45, it was also released as a 78 record. This is how popular the Elvis Presley Jailhouse Rock was when it was released and its popularity has yet to diminish.

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The Elvis’s number one songs collectively ran in the number one spot on the billboard charts for 80 weeks. That is over a year and a half of being on top of all others during his musical career. From the first in 1956 with heartbreak Hotel till the last one Way Down in 1977 just after his death he had a percentage of 1.6% during his career in that time period.

The list of number one hits reached 18 in total. He also had 40 top ten hits during this time which gave him a percentage of 3.7%. That is an outstanding achievement since most musicians were lucky to hit the top spot just once in their career let alone this type of percentage.

One of the most amazing stats of this run by Elvis was when his 45rpm record had hit number one for both sides. Most records had a hit on the A side while the other was just something through in there. This was not the case with Hound Dog and Don’t be Cruel. Hound Dog lasted 5 weeks on top of the charts and Don’t be Cruel lasted 6 weeks.

That first year Elvis had 4 hits to hold the top slot. He repeated the same feat in 1957 with Too Much, All Shook Up, (Let me be your) Teddy Bear, and Jailhouse Rock. Every year up to 1964 he had multiple hits holding the top slot. That year and 1965 he only had one.

It was not until 1969 did he reach the pinnacle again with In the Ghetto and Suspicious Minds. In 1970 he also had one along with the year 1972. This was nearing the end for Elvis then and just a few weeks after his untimely death did Way Down hit the number one spot. It was a fitting tribute to a man that gave so much of himself to the world.

Elvis’s number one songs will live on in our hearts and minds no matter how long it has been since he ventured to the great beyond.

Technorati Tags: Billboard Charts, Elvis Songs, Fitting Tribute, Ghetto, Heartbreak Hotel, Hearts And Minds, Hits During This Time, Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock, Musical Career, Musicians, Number One Songs, Pinnacle, Suspicious Minds, Teddy Bear, Time Period, Top Of The Charts, Top Slot, Top Ten Hits, Untimely Death

Most that knew Elvis, Gospel was what he preferred to sing and listen too. This type of music along with the blues, country, pop and of course rock n roll was all in the ability of Elvis to do and do great. 

This love of gospel started out early in Elvis’s life. His first exposure was at the First Assembly of God’s Church in Memphis on McLemore Avenue.  To the benefit of Elvis’s musical development the gospel quartet known as the Blackwood Brothers also attending this church and graced their voices to the music that Elvis would hear when he attend the services

Over the years of the recordings, he used many gospel singers as his backup singers for the concerts and albums. Some of the better known ones included the Blackwood Brothers, Sweet Inspirations, The Imperials, Songfellows, Stamps Quartet and J.D. Sumner.

It was inevitable that Elvis would produce a gospel album, which finally occurred in 1960 with the release of “His Hand in Mine”. This was not his bestselling album, but it was the one that was recognized by the critics the most. In 1967 he released his second Gospel album named How Great Thou Art”. This was the album he earned his first Grammy Award with.

In 1972 he released “He Touched Me” and again won another Grammy award. Elvis’s third Grammy was for the single “How Great Thou Art”.

These were the only Grammies Elvis ever won. Kinda ironic for the King of Rock n Roll but it is a fact that cannot be disputed.

Elvis Gospel is still being performed today by the backup band that played with Elvis in Las Vegas including the Imperials and the Morrison Orpheus Choir. This is the Elvis music that truly has soul in it.

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There are still new Elvis Presley books hitting the book stands even 34 years after his death. There always seems to be something new to see or reveal about the King of Rock n Roll’s life. Then latest one is concentrated on the November 1971 tour he preformed.

This new book has more than 100 previously unpublished photos that are in both color and black and white for you to relive the times the king was alive. The publisher of this hardcover book is JAT and the text is written by their staff writer Mike Eder. This is a publishing company that has been churning out Elvis books for 23 years now.

This is a welcome addition to most collections, but only time will tell how well it is received.

The best Elvis book to date is still the one that exposes the real Elvis for who he was as a person is “Elvis” by Dave Marsh. This book get personal with insight into how Elvis thought. One of the chapters includes how Elvis began his recording career when he paid $4 to record his first demo as a present for his mother’s birthday.

The pictures that are included in this priceless book are by Bea Feitler and follow him through all the stages of his life from a child, to a recording star, a soldier, then on to a husband and father. This is the book that really lets you know the king and is good for someone young wanting to learn about the legend. It is also great for any fan of Elvis. John Lennon put it best, “before there was Elvis, there was nothing”.

These are only two of the many Elvis Presley books that expose the life and time of the legend.

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The famous words “Elvis has left the building” were a real necessity when the King would be making an appearance in an event or after one of his concerts.

This now famous phrase was first spoken by Elvis’ promoter, Horace Logon. The occasion was a concert on December 15, 1956 when after one of Elvis’s concerts, the crowd wanted to exit the venue all at once to get a final glimpse of Elvis. The full content of the phrase was “Please, young people…. Elvis has left the building. He has gotten in his car and driven away… Please take your seats”.

After that first occurrence, the concert announcer would repeat the main part of the phrase, “Elvis has left the building”, to encourage any lingering concert-goers in search of an Elvis encore to exit the facility.

This was repeated so often that it became a catch phrase with pop culture status. Today, many people are still using this catch phrase to emphasize the departure of someone who is making a dramatic exit. It could be because of an argument or just a showboat. The fact remains the same that the impact that Elvis had on all of our lives is still evident today.

For many, it is also just another way of keeping the memory of Elvis alive. This is the same reason so many fans are still purchasing memorabilia of Elvis. He played such a large part of shaping the nation when we needed a hero the most.

The famous words “Elvis has left the building” can still be heard now and will still be heard for many years to come from both Elvis fans and others.

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When a person is in search of the Elvis albums, there are many sub categories to choose from. His music is considered country for some while others think it is the blues, pop and of course rock n roll. What is really not understood is that some of the king of rocks best selling music was his gospel tunes.

By one count there are over 91 albums currently on the market that contain Elvis Presley songs. 71 of them were released from 1956 to 1977.

The beginning of this long march of successful recordings was the Elvis Presley (Album). It was released on March 23, 1956 on RCA Victor label. Back then only mono was used so no stereo for you Hi-Fi lovers.

The music itself was created by Elvis on 4 separate occasions. Originally only the recordings from January 10 and 11 in 1956 at Nashville and then the January 30 and 31 recordings in New York were going to be used. It was decided before the album was to be released to include the earlier recordings that were done at the Sun Studio in Memphis. These were the songs that Elvis had performed on July 5, August 19 and September 10 in 1954 along with the songs from July 11, 1955.

This was Elvis’s first album, but the firsts did not stop there. This album climbed the charts until it sat at number one for 10 straight weeks. It became the very first Rock n Roll album to sit at number one. It also has the distinction of being the very first Rock n Roll album to sell over 1 million copies.

While all Elvis albums are great to listen too, this one is one of the top 500 albums of all times according to Rolling Stone magazine. He put his heart and soul into it for all of us to enjoy that will last for yours to come.

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For the love of Elvis is the reason his memory is still alive today. This is because of many different reasons including his kindness and thoughtfulness to those that knew him along with complete strangers he befriended.

From his humble beginning to his rise to stardom, there were never any stories about him abusing people or lying to get his way. This was the last superstar to set a great example for the youth of America to follow. He did have a bout with drugs in his later years which are what most attribute to his death, but many say it was the pressure that forced this upon him and have forgiven him for this slight mishap.

No longer is January 8 considered a national holiday as it was in the 1960’s and 70’s, but every year it is still celebrated. Yes this is the day Elvis was born. Every year there is a cake made for him along with a celebration at his last home, Graceland. This is an event many Elvis devotees have attended and enjoyed since his passing.

At the celebration visitors can enjoy hearing Elvis’s band mates tell stories about what Elvis was really like as they share their memories with others that still love the King of Rock n Roll. There is music playing live on stage and food is ready all day long. This is a tradition amongst many fans of Elvis and will go one for the foreseeable future.

The owning of Elvis memorabilia is one of the many ways Elvis fans have kept the memory of him alive now more than 30 years since his passing. For the love of Elvis, this tradition will last until the end of days.

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Our beloved Elvis will never be far from our thoughts or prayers. His impact on the music world and our lives is still being measured to this day. Even the top headliners today give tribute to the only King of Rock ‘n Roll.

Another reminder to us all recently was when U2 visited Elvis’ home as part of their movie Rattle ‘n Hum. The emotion and respect this man still brings out in even the superstars of today is humbling.

No other superstar before, or after, has meant so much to a nation and the world than what Elvis was and is today. This was a superstar that served his country when called upon to do so. He might have never seen action, but that is immaterial. When the call came, he responded and served. As a veteran myself, I admire and respect that.

Not a day goes by without one of his tunes playing in the heads of nearly every lover of music. The swivel of the hips is reenacted each and every day on a dance floor somewhere in America and elsewhere. These memories of Elvis make us smile, but it was that huge heart of gold that we all love and cherish the most.

The superstars today have forgotten what the true meaning of giving is all about. They give for the needed causes amidst the backdrop of cameras and tweets. They want the entire world to know what their cause is and that they are giving of themselves to help make a difference. Elvis gave, but without the publicity. He would deliver presents, in person, to those that needed it but without the fanfare and cameras.

If it was not for the people that received the gifts to let it be known, the gifts of Elvis would have not been realized by the masses. That is one of the things that really set this superstar apart from those that think they are superstars today. It takes more than money to be a real superstar.

As long as we remember, our beloved Elvis will live on in our hopes and dreams forever.

Technorati Tags: Backdrop, Dance Floor, Elvis, Emotion, Entire World, Fanfare, Heart Of Gold, Hips, Hopes And Dreams, King Of Rock, King Of Rock N Roll, More Than Money, Music World, Prayers, Publicity, Reminder, Rock N Roll, Superstar, Superstars, True Meaning