(347) ELVIS PRESLEY HOLLY LEAVES AND CHRISTMAS TREES

Here is what we said on post 89:

Elvis' recording of Holly Leaves and Christmas Trees is here in this YouTube Video presentation. It was written by entourage member and body guard Red West and another songwriter, Glen Dale Spreen. Elvis published it himself, buying it for his Elvis Presley Music, one of three publishing entities he owned.

Can you tell we're warming up to the holidays here? Well, we think today is the first of the twelve days of Christmas. And Elvis always made a big deal of Christmas, with gifts to others, gifts to The Entourage, gifts to his employees, gifts to his family, gifts to his friends, and gifts to strangers, through generous donations to a great number of charities, mostly Memphis-based.

But for Elvis this spirit of giving had everything to do with his idol, the only idol he ever had, King of all Kings, Jesus Christ.

(334) PLACES TO GO THINGS TO DO : P.J. PROBY at the RED VELVET

P.J. PROBY is one of my oldest friends from back in the day, and one of those who is still going strong!

His then agent NAN MORRIS (we're all still friends) went with The Entourage to the RED VELVET club with Elvis Presley to hear P.J. sing. Nan was one of the guys.

P.J. sang a song from the Broadway musical about gang life in New York in the 1950's WEST SIDE STORY, a song called "Somewhere
HE STOPPED THE SHOW!
When all the applause was over, Elvis stood up and Elvis requested "P.J. sing that again!" P.J. did! It was Elvis' way of bestowing honor on someone he respected a great deal!
 


VIDEO REPLACED NOV 2013.
CURRENT OFFICIAL SITE LINK PJ PROBY NET  - music samples 2013

(331) RED WEST SINGER-SONGWRITER ACTOR and FEROCIOUS ELVIS BODYGUARD

RED WEST wrote about thirteen ELVIS PRESLEY'S songs... including a few for VIVA LAS VEGAS... He and I also wrote a few.

I've always admired Red's creative spirit and versatility. He had his own band at Hume highschool and could play chords up the neck of a guitar that even Elvis didn't know and was a lot of fun and part of the entertainment at the parties.

But back in the day, the thing that RED WEST was most known for was skipping the karate and getting right into wrapping a guy around a pole! He did what he had to do to bodyguard Elvis and talked about doing so after the fact.

Here is an interview of Red West that Elvis' all time friend GEORGE KLEIN did on his MEMPHIS SOUNDS show. I'm proud to say that Red continued to pursue his dream of being an actor after Elvis died, and he is well regarded and successful at it.

This video has some scenes of Elvis and the guys horsing around and Elvis throwing in a few karate moves. At the time I was also taking karate. Sometimes Elvis and I had a few rounds.

(290) HOW DID ELVIS FEEL WHILE HE WAS ALIVE ABOUT IMITATORS ?

The truth is Elvis was very aware of competition. He had to be.

Elvis educated himself about the music business. He sent one of the entourage out to buy all the Top 40 records for his juke box at the house. He watched movies and television performances. He had his preferences of course, and he had a recording contract to fulfill, so of course he wanted his songs to be the best selling and shortly he would, like most musical artists of our generation, have more competition than ever.

But 1963 would prove to be a very good year for Elvis Presley...

Often, as had happened to me, a regional market artist would quickly record a version of the song, and the result was split sales and no one having a hit that could pull in the big money.

Because Elvis thought of his closest friends as brothers, he expected none of us to directly compete with him when it came to recording the SAME SONG. At the same time he seemed complimented when someone tried to sound like him.

(131) EP ENTERPRISES : ELVIS' FOOTBALL TEAM

Elvis' football team was called EP Enterprises. At five foot ten, I was one of the smaller guys on it. We played in public parks against other teams, sometimes comprised of people from the studios, often pick up teams. We even played at Los Angeles Valley College, which is still there, in Valley View (then Van Nuys), in the San Fernando Valley. Some members of The Entourage played football too.

I've heard it stated that other teams let Elvis and his team win a lot. Not at all! I remember playing some vicious games with Elvis and his team coming away from a game with their clothes ripped and muddy! Elvis carried extra clothes with him to change into and gave me a shirt of his to replace one of mine that was destroyed. Gary Lockwood, who had started out as a real football player was on the team. Sometimes other teams put some real football players on theirs! Maybe we weren't playing to kill but they were. Maybe we were playing for fun, but we wanted to win!

It is through playing football on Elvis' team that I met a singer I'd always admired but had never met up with before, despite the New York days when I met the Everly Brothers, or the road tour days with Buddy Knox; Rick Nelson!

(130) TUESDAY WELD INGENUE

Tuesday Weld had a wild unconventional reputation. To compare, maybe we could say sort of like the actress Drew Barrymore had early on; there were other similarities including growing up way too fast. She looked innocent and sexy and she had a quality to her of being very modern for the times. Elvis and his friends liked that quality in women.

I know a lot of information on the net says Tuesday and Elvis had an off screen romance but not to my knowledge. Let's just say that Tuesday showed up with Gary Lockwood for football games and that more than one member of the Entourage was interested in her, meaning, if you have read what I've said about Elvis and his policy about women, anything that happened between Elvis and Tuesday wasn't serious. And, the guys knew this because they didn't have to be hands-off, but that doesn't mean they got anywhere with her.

Gary would have been too respected by all of us to do that!

Now we looked at a lot of sites that mention Tuesday and declined to link to any of them. Let's say that she had longevity as an actress that was perhaps unexpected of someone early on assigned to be a "sex kitten," and at the same time her talent was rarely fully exposed in the roles she took. Like a lot of women who were as pretty as Tuesday she wasn't thought to be especially smart - but she was.

Earlier in this blog I talked about what it was to ever be taken seriously as an actor. Tuesday stayed in there and her nominations for an Emmy and an Acadamy Award recognized her talent.

(125) THE BIG GRAPEVINE / ELVIS GOT THE INSIDER INFORMATION

Elvis was one of the most popular stars in the world and as a result he got privileged information. He was attached to what we called "the Big Grapevine," - Inside Information - the real truth - about a great number of stories that hit the press - and the rag sheets - spun a whole other way. We'd be sitting around the house talking and laughing and he'd tell something he learned that was particularly scandalous or strange, like the idiosyncrasies of other top stars. He knew things about everybody.

There was a top star - a singer - who was a kleptomaniac but only for neck ties...

Elvis said that President of Columbia Pictures, Harry Cohn (and his wife), had given millions to charity but didn't want anyone to know about it. So he would threaten to kill anyone who told in such a serious and intimidating manner that even when he laughed people took him seriously.

One time an actor visited Harry personally upset about the budget of a film he was working on. The star wanted to quit. Harry and the star got into it, and the star took a leisurely whizz all over Harry's desk, which was covered with scripts for the film...

We used to laugh and joke about all of this.

(124) SCATTER THE PLAYBOY CHIMP

One member of The Entourage who was also a close personal friend of Elvis' was his pet chimp Scatter! Scatter chased women too! Most of the time the women made a run for it before he could get his nails into them! Elvis thought it was funny when women screamed and yelled at Scatter's approach. Usually he would pick the little guy up in his arms and have the guys take him back to his little residence in the furnace room.

Scatter took off on his own adventures around Bel Air one time too many and the neighbors complained. Elvis had to send him to Graceland TM to live and, banished from all the fun, the poor little guy took it badly and went to Eternal Life. Elvis felt terrible about it.

(120) ELVIS' HOME MY HOME AWAY FROM HOME & THE ENTOURAGE

Working for Elvis could be round the clock, odd hours, long hours, and traveling. It was hard on a man's personal life, his marriage, especially because of the perks and benefits like having beautiful women over to the house so often, the parties. Members of the entourage enjoyed the life of a millionare along with Elvis.

The entourage wasn't the same men through the years. Some men stayed with Elvis from beginnings of his career to his death while others moved on to other jobs or came and went. I suggested a couple men that Elvis hired.

I wasn't one of The Entourage. I can understand that this idea of who or who wasn't in it is confusing. Yes, I was there with them a lot in the early to mid 1960's. The relationships, living with Elvis, paid or not paid to work, could be familial. But I had my own work, singing, songwriting, and eventually producing music. I never actually worked for Elvis Presley and as a result my friendship with him never suffered from the issue of money.

During the Los Angeles party years my social life and therefore my private life and Elvis' were woven together. I stayed hands off the women he called his "girlfriends." He stayed hands off the women who were mine.

But I always knew that if I ever got into real trouble, Elvis would help me.

(119) TELEVISION, ELVIS PRESLEY and JOHN F. KENNEDY

An event that prooved that television was gaining importance beyond entertainment was the United States Presidential elections of 1960. Richard Nixon, the Republican, and John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the Democrat, debated on television. This brought the campaign from the whistle stops and rubber chicken luncheons into the homes of Americans who were charmed by JFK's more youthful body language, charismatic smile, and optimistic outlook. Historians have since remarked that Nixon's dark beard, uncovered by studio makeup, gave him a dour, dark look.

Now Elvis and me always sided with the poor because we had both grown up poor and come out of nowhere. That made us Democrats, right? Except that we were also self-made men who had made it out of poverty in youth through talent, luck, and damn hard work. That made us Republicans, right? I can't tell you who Elvis voted for when he voted, I can tell you that we were both patriotic and we both believed that John Fitzgerald Kennedy was a President who was going to change the world.

Now the link below is really exciting. It takes you to the JFK PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY and links that can take you to television clips about the campaign and election. You can be sure that Elvis, me, and the guys (and any gals who happened to be around at the time) were fascinated with the machinations of politics and watched some of this coverage.

JFK PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY HOME PAGE link above

Here is the televised debate

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/JFK+in+History/Campaign+of+1960.htm

(115) 1961 ALAN FREED, MR. ROCK AND ROLL, on KDAY RADIO LOS ANGELES

ALAN FREED was another Personality DJ, one who moved into concert promotion.

In 1961 I also performed on the radio on Alan Freed's show on KDAY Radio in Los Angeles, playing Melodie D'Amour live.

This was Alan's last show, his last station, and I think he knew it. He had once been Mr. Rock and Roll. Some people even said that Alan had invented the term based on some African American slang. Alan, who was at least part African American, had produced some great rock and roll shows in New York City. I drove Eddy Cochran to perform on one of these shows and had later met Ritchie Valens backstage.

Alan Freed was unfortunately convicted in a radio "play for payola" scandals and never recovered his status after that. Some people said Alan Freed took the fall for a number of other DJ's and Promoters who were also involved in radio play for payola.



I only know that Alan was decent to me, and there was never a hint from him or those around him that I pay for radio play in any way. And I felt bad for him, especially that he might have been the guy who took the fall for several others. But I don't know the details of what went on.

Melodie D'Amour turned out to be one of Elvis Presley's favorites. Members of the entourage told me he took the record to Vegas and played it 23 days and nights straight before offering it to the home juke box in Los Angeles. That's what Elvis did when he loved a song. He played it over and over again, just as Dewey Phillips had played "That's All Right Mama," over and over again on his Red Hot and Blue show in Memphis, which started a career for Elvis.

Alan was the FIRST PERSON ever inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and may be the first actual Rock and Roll concert producer/promoter. Go to his site and follow the links to other sites that Alan Freed is mentioned on. Be sure to listen to the audio clips to hear Alan broadcasting.

OFFICIAL ALAN FREED WEB SITE link above!

(102) ELVIS'S MEN, HIS GUYS, THE ENTOURAGE

The men Elvis surrounded himself with were called "his guys," or "the crew," or "the entourage." The whole idea of this entourage of ever changing men being a "mafia" came later, and in my opinion was an unfortunate connotation. Elvis wasn't the only celebrity with his own people surrounding him for security or for companionship either. Frank Sinatra was known for his "Rat Pack," and aviation pioneer and filmmaker Howard Hughes, known for keeping starlets as mistresses, had his "Mormon Mafia."

Well, in any case, some of these men started out as friends of Elvis Presley and other were hired in, and they were considered in some way to be "family," because of the many hours they were around Elvis in his employ. They were on payroll and they were there to make the busy and complicated professional and personal life of a superstar easier and more secure. They were there to do things Elvis' way. And he was very much in charge.

As his companions, they benefited, living the life of a millionaire with Elvis, not because their pay was high, not at all. It was because of the benefits - including women, beautiful women.

(88) RED WEST / MUSICAL TALENT and THE ENTOURAGE

Recently I overheard a slew of slander against Elvis' men - The Entourage. Since The Entourage was an ever changing group of men, this character didn't know who - or what he was talking about.

Characterized with that prejudice against Southerns as rude, crude, overgrown frat boys, and a bunch of "dummies," the man went on and on.

There was a time when I decked a guy at a news stand for making fun of Elvis - the Elvis who was once called "The Hillbilly Hepcat." Prejudice!

I can tell you that Elvis respected intelligence and that a few men in the entourage where college educated. He wasn't an education snob though. He was successful without higher education and he never judged a person by it.

Elvis also loved to be surrounded by musical people. Besides Cliff Gleaves, the funny man, entourage member Red West, best known as one of Elvis' bodyguards, also had recorded and had musical talent and songwriting ability.

Red West and I wrote a couple songs together, one called "I Feel Like Crying," and another called "Don't You Cry." We pitched them and sold them to Pat Boone, who still owns the publishing on it, at his publishing house Cooga Mooga.

NEW LINK 2011 Above : Rockabilly RED WEST on Rockin' Country Style.

(66) THE ENTOURAGE Versus THE RAT PACK - Elvis' Boundaries When It Came To Women

While Elvis was filming "G.I. Blues" and having an affair with Juliet Prowse, came the day there was some pounding on the door of his hotel suite. Elvis answered the door himself, though any of the guys could have done so for him.

Frank Sinatra was out there determined to see Juliet. Elvis wouldn't let him in.

Elvis had not long before appeared with Frank on Frank's "Welcome Home Elvis" television special out of Miami but Elvis saw no reason NOT to date Frank's girl.

Understanding Elvis' idea of "boundaries" when it came to women is important to understanding his sense of friendship. No real friend of Elvis would EVER, and I mean EVER, date a woman who was HIS! You had to spend a lot of quality time with Elvis to know which of the many women he remarked upon as "girlfriends" really were! So to be part of his close circle you knew who he was really interested in, even if he was really interested in a FEW women! To be a part of Elvis's circle and start up with a woman he wanted was the fastest way to be excommunicated. I've only heard of one man in his group who in later years very likely had an affair with a woman who was most special to Elvis.

He was territorial. He tested you to see if he could trust you.

Since no one in Frank Sinatra's Rat Park was a real friend to Elvis, since none of them were part of his inner circle, or a member of his entourage, he saw no reason not to date Juliet. He didn't think Frank or any other star owed him in any way for the same reason.

For those of us who really cared about Elvis, we were hands off his women! And being around Elvis meant being around women, women, and more women, most of them beautiful, many of them - not all of them - ready, willing, and able. There were jokes that the Entourage and his friends at the parties got "the left overs." There's truth to it. I can say that I'm not the man who got the most women.

Having met a good number of women that Elvis had affairs with, while he had his type, I wouldn't put a dime on the big deal psychological theories about Elvis Presley's sexuality.

(65) G.I. BLUES - LOS ANGELES HERE WE COME! and JULIET PROWSE

In the fall of 1960 I had my Roulette contract and a hit. I was still touring with Buddy Knox, and I was also doing some independent bookings. My road travels brought me to Los Angeles. I was doing radio, television, and live performances.

Colonel Parker's next coup was to have Elvis Presley star in a movie in which he played a G.I. while the American public still had fresh memory of Elvis' patriotic service in the U.S. army. The movie was called "G.I. Blues."

Elvis was staying at a hotel in a suite. This is where the promise we made three years earlier when I first met him in Memphis - "See you on the coast!" came real. I had met some of the men who were in Elvis' early entourage when I went to Memphis to see him come home from the army. In the weeks before his arrival I spent some time with some of the men who surrounded Elvis as friends and as employees. Now, as I made my way through Los Angeles, I stayed on Elvis' sofa in his suite for a short time. This was my entry into Elvis' personal world as it was becoming, a world in which a bunch of high spirited guys - mostly with Southern roots like we had - surrounded Elvis, making his life easier, half working, half playing, providing him trustworthy company.

At the time, Elvis was dating his co-star, Juliet Prowse. She was a South African born dancer, known for her beautiful skin and long, long shapely legs. The two of them were in lock up in his bedroom.

Here's a You Tube Presentation of GI Blues. Elvis wore a uniform through most of it.

GI Blues on the IMBd movie database

Click on the title NEW LINK added January 12, 2011

A You Tube presentation on a party for Juliet Prowse.

Juliet had class and real movie star charisma. She was a dancer first and foremost and had a kind of bodily confidence that was dynamic.