Roulette Records was where I was signed by Morris Levy. Morris Levy had once owned the famous Birdland jazz club in New York City and had offices in the Brill building. The very first record he had ever released on his Roulette Label (#4001) was Jimmy Bowen's "I'm Stickin' With You" (#4002) and the second was Buddy Knox's "Party Doll", both hits in 1957, and of course I was friends with both and performed at various venues with both artists.
My friend Jimmie Rodgers was also on Roulette.
I did a single for Roulette, which was "Melodie D'Amour," (The A side) and "I Guess I'll Never Know" (The B.) When I had the demo made, I ran into Ersel Hickey. He was heading over to Theresa Brandie's flat. "Let's Listen to it over there," Ersel said, so we went over, put it on the turn table, and Ersel thought "You have a hit."
Ersel wasn't the only person who loved "Melodie D'Amour." Elvis did too. He played it over and over again without another song in between, which is what he did when he really loved a song. I had to wonder if this had something to do with the fact that Dewey Phillips had played "That's All Right Mama" over and over again - with no record in between - when he played Elvis' record on his Red Hot and Blue radio program, which started Elvis' fame and fortune. One of the entourage told me that Elvis had even sung along with my record. When he got back to Los Angeles, he had it put in his juke box, and when it was spent from being played in the juke, he gave it to one of the entourage to keep.
When I stayed over at Elvis' he had a cute way of waking me up after a long party. He would put one of my own records on the turntable, turn it up loud, then stand over me, and say "I though that'd wake you up!"
The history of Roulette Records, a small label, by David Edwards and Mike Callahan here is comprehensive and we're really impressed with what they have to offer researchers in their "stereo newsletter" about other labels as well. Link above!
Showing posts with label Theresa Brandies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Theresa Brandies. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
(44) GEORGE KLEIN - ELVIS PRESLEY'S BEST HIGH SCHOOL FRIEND - INVITES ME BACK TO MEMPHIS
One day in New York I got a phone call from DJ George Klein. I had met George when I played on his radio program during my tour of the mid-south, the same tour in which I had met Elvis Presley for the first time in 1957.
George was Elvis' best friend in high school in Memphis and he and his family had been very generous to Elvis and the Presley family in those days when Elvis was still wearing hand-me-downs from George. I was staying in New York with Theresa Brandies, the President of the James Dean National Fan Club, at her big flat in New York where many of the rock and rollers and a good number of young actors were always welcome. I was on a respite from the Buddy Knox tour. George said "You should be here when Elvis gets home."
We are all awaiting the day when Elvis Presley would be released from his tour of duty with the United States Army, where he was stationed in Germany.
Now the whole while that Elvis was out of the United States, Colonel Parker, his one and only manager, made sure that records by Elvis were released periodically and that he stayed in the news - the fan magazines as well as the newspapers.
There was speculation that Elvis' career might never the less be damaged by his time away, despite the success of those records and his ongoing presence in the press. Elvis himself was worried about being outdone by Fabian, among other stars. Most of all, there was a concern that Elvis had been tamed by his time in the army, that he would never quite be the "Elvis the Pelvis," we all knew and loved.
Now when I told George I didn't have the funds to travel to Memphis to be there when Elvis came back home, he told me to go over to Western Union. I went over and found that he had provided the funds to buy a first class plane ticket to Memphis. George told me I could stay with him and his mom!
To get to the information on George's book, which came out for the 30th anniversary of Elvis' death, click on the title above!
George has also established a college scholarship for Broadcasting! This is typical of his generosity!
http://www.memphis.edu/newsarchive/jan04/klein.html
Finally, here is a You-Tube presentation of Elvis and George in 1956.
George was Elvis' best friend in high school in Memphis and he and his family had been very generous to Elvis and the Presley family in those days when Elvis was still wearing hand-me-downs from George. I was staying in New York with Theresa Brandies, the President of the James Dean National Fan Club, at her big flat in New York where many of the rock and rollers and a good number of young actors were always welcome. I was on a respite from the Buddy Knox tour. George said "You should be here when Elvis gets home."
We are all awaiting the day when Elvis Presley would be released from his tour of duty with the United States Army, where he was stationed in Germany.
Now the whole while that Elvis was out of the United States, Colonel Parker, his one and only manager, made sure that records by Elvis were released periodically and that he stayed in the news - the fan magazines as well as the newspapers.
There was speculation that Elvis' career might never the less be damaged by his time away, despite the success of those records and his ongoing presence in the press. Elvis himself was worried about being outdone by Fabian, among other stars. Most of all, there was a concern that Elvis had been tamed by his time in the army, that he would never quite be the "Elvis the Pelvis," we all knew and loved.
Now when I told George I didn't have the funds to travel to Memphis to be there when Elvis came back home, he told me to go over to Western Union. I went over and found that he had provided the funds to buy a first class plane ticket to Memphis. George told me I could stay with him and his mom!
To get to the information on George's book, which came out for the 30th anniversary of Elvis' death, click on the title above!
George has also established a college scholarship for Broadcasting! This is typical of his generosity!
http://www.memphis.edu/newsarchive/jan04/klein.html
Finally, here is a You-Tube presentation of Elvis and George in 1956.
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