Elvis Presley, Memphis and Pop Culture
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Chips Moman & Marty Lacker Earn Their Notes!
Legendary Memphis songwriter/producer Chips Moman and veteran music business leader Marty Lacker will have their names added to the Brass Note Walk of Fame on Beale Street on Sunday.
A ceremony commemorating the occasion will take place at 5 p.m. in front of the Superior Bar at 159 Beale.
The Georgia-born Moman hitchhiked to Memphis as a teen and became a gifted rockabilly guitarist and band leader in the 1950s. He later became one of the architects of the early Stax Records and author of some of the most enduring songs in the history of rhythm and blues and country music -- from "Dark End of the Street" to "Luckenbach Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)."
Now retired and living back in his native Georgia, Moman -- who suffered a stroke in 2008 -- will not be in attendance at the Beale Street ceremony, due to his health.
Accepting his award will be his friend Marty Lacker.
"Memphis honoring Chips is long overdue," says Lacker. "He's a guy who brought a lot of good publicity and promotion, with all the music he cut, from the start of Stax in '59 all the way through the decades."
"He brought big-name artists here. And the fact of the matter is, people were coming here to get his sound," says Lacker. "He feels greatly honored and obviously wishes he could come for the ceremony."
Moman famously helped usher a creative rebirth for Elvis Presley, producing his comeback sessions in Memphis in 1969. And it was Moman who helped build and shape the famed American Sound Studios and its house band -- generating the most prolific run of chart hits ever, starting with the Gentrys and Sandy Posey and continuing on with the likes of Neil Diamond, B.J. Thomas, Presley and many others.
In 1972, Moman closed up American studios, eventually landing in Nashville, where he would spend the next dozen years dominating the country field, writing hits and producing albums by Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Tammy Wynette and Ronnie Millsap.
Moman did return to Memphis in 1985, heading a new studio operation and recording the high-profile Class of '55 album featuring Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison.
Also being honored with a Brass Note is Lacker, a longtime confidante of Elvis Presley, and a key behind-the-scenes player in Memphis music during the 1960s and 1970s.
In 1967 Lacker helped launch the local Pepper Records label (signing and producing a young Rita Coolidge).
Lacker was instrumental in bringing Elvis Presley to record with Moman at American Sound Studios, which yielded Presley hits including "Suspicious Minds" and "In the Ghetto." Lacker would go on to become American's vice president and business manager for several years, before starting his own company, Mempro.
In the early '70s, Lacker also helped co-found the local NARAS/Grammy chapter as well as the serving as the chairman of the original Memphis and Shelby County Music Commission, and was involved in producing the period's Memphis Music Awards.
"A big thing that I wanted to accomplish was to organize the music industry in town. Memphis was not a very organized city; everybody did their own thing," says Lacker who helped coordinate the launch of the professional industry organization Memphis Music Inc. "At the end of the day, you can't underestimate what the music that came out of Memphis has brought to this city."
Now retired, Lacker has authored or co-authored a pair of books on Presley, "Elvis: Portrait of a Friend" and "Elvis and the Memphis Mafia," and has been active in campaigning for Moman and the American Band to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Beale Street Brass Note Walk of Fame program was launched in 1986 by Performa Entertainment Real Estate and has since honored more than 100 Memphis music notables. For more information on Sunday's ceremony, go to bealestreet.com.
A ceremony commemorating the occasion will take place at 5 p.m. in front of the Superior Bar at 159 Beale.
The Georgia-born Moman hitchhiked to Memphis as a teen and became a gifted rockabilly guitarist and band leader in the 1950s. He later became one of the architects of the early Stax Records and author of some of the most enduring songs in the history of rhythm and blues and country music -- from "Dark End of the Street" to "Luckenbach Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)."
Now retired and living back in his native Georgia, Moman -- who suffered a stroke in 2008 -- will not be in attendance at the Beale Street ceremony, due to his health.
Accepting his award will be his friend Marty Lacker.
"Memphis honoring Chips is long overdue," says Lacker. "He's a guy who brought a lot of good publicity and promotion, with all the music he cut, from the start of Stax in '59 all the way through the decades."
"He brought big-name artists here. And the fact of the matter is, people were coming here to get his sound," says Lacker. "He feels greatly honored and obviously wishes he could come for the ceremony."
Moman famously helped usher a creative rebirth for Elvis Presley, producing his comeback sessions in Memphis in 1969. And it was Moman who helped build and shape the famed American Sound Studios and its house band -- generating the most prolific run of chart hits ever, starting with the Gentrys and Sandy Posey and continuing on with the likes of Neil Diamond, B.J. Thomas, Presley and many others.
In 1972, Moman closed up American studios, eventually landing in Nashville, where he would spend the next dozen years dominating the country field, writing hits and producing albums by Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Tammy Wynette and Ronnie Millsap.
Moman did return to Memphis in 1985, heading a new studio operation and recording the high-profile Class of '55 album featuring Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison.
Also being honored with a Brass Note is Lacker, a longtime confidante of Elvis Presley, and a key behind-the-scenes player in Memphis music during the 1960s and 1970s.
In 1967 Lacker helped launch the local Pepper Records label (signing and producing a young Rita Coolidge).
Lacker was instrumental in bringing Elvis Presley to record with Moman at American Sound Studios, which yielded Presley hits including "Suspicious Minds" and "In the Ghetto." Lacker would go on to become American's vice president and business manager for several years, before starting his own company, Mempro.
In the early '70s, Lacker also helped co-found the local NARAS/Grammy chapter as well as the serving as the chairman of the original Memphis and Shelby County Music Commission, and was involved in producing the period's Memphis Music Awards.
"A big thing that I wanted to accomplish was to organize the music industry in town. Memphis was not a very organized city; everybody did their own thing," says Lacker who helped coordinate the launch of the professional industry organization Memphis Music Inc. "At the end of the day, you can't underestimate what the music that came out of Memphis has brought to this city."
Now retired, Lacker has authored or co-authored a pair of books on Presley, "Elvis: Portrait of a Friend" and "Elvis and the Memphis Mafia," and has been active in campaigning for Moman and the American Band to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Beale Street Brass Note Walk of Fame program was launched in 1986 by Performa Entertainment Real Estate and has since honored more than 100 Memphis music notables. For more information on Sunday's ceremony, go to bealestreet.com.
Priscilla Talks About Viva Elvis Album
LOS ANGELES -- First there was Viva Elvis: the Cirque du Soleil show. Now fans of The King can experience Viva Elvis: The Album.
In a QMI exclusive, the legendary rocker's ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, sat down in a chic Beverly Hills hotel to talk about the new album and her life with Elvis, who died in 1977 at the age of 42. The 65-year-old widow also touched on the world of music and her admiration for the Cirque du Soleil.
Earlier this year, Priscilla Presley was closely involved in the planning of the Cirque's Viva Elvis show.
What do you think about the musical arrangement of Viva Elvis?
The album is inspired by the Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas. The Cirque du Soleil is famous for taking risks and it's a great partnership because Elvis is known as someone who also liked risks. So if you have to take a risk, this is the album to make. There's no question that many people will like the album and I hope that the young generation will like it. It's possible that some purists will be disappointed, but the point of the album is to keep Elvis up to date, contemporary. This album is playful, pleasant. He would have been 75 years old this year; the Cirque du Soleil celebrates his music, his films, his home life.
What is your favourite song and why?
On the album? I love Suspicious Minds. Many of my personal memories of Elvis are connected to this song. He knew it would be a success.
You have previously said that Elvis flew into a terrible rage when he heard a version of Suspicious Minds that he believed had been altered by (then-manager) Colonel Parker. What do you believe he would think about the arrangements on Viva Elvis?
First, I have to say that Elvis was a very humble man and that he would have been honoured to be immortalized in a show on the Vegas strip. It was one of his favourite spots. What counts is the celebration of Elvis and the Cirque du Soleil's interpretation. As for Suspicious Minds, Elvis had a vision in his mind for this song, and he didn't appreciate someone else interpreting it differently.
The songs on the album are among the ones in the Cirque show. Did you have any say in that?
I had no part in it. It's the Cirque.
Were there any musical arrangements that you didn't like or did you insist that certain Elvis songs not be remastered?
The musical arrangements were done by Sony and the songs were chosen by the Cirque. I didn't make any demands. The music remains the same, it's just an update, a way of making it more contemporary.
Elvis recorded more than 800 songs but the Vegas show, and the album, don't include several hits like That's All Right, (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear, If I Can Dream and Such a Night. Why?
It's a celebration of Elvis, not a celebration of his hits. The Cirque du Soleil chose songs from the "young" Elvis. And they also wanted the songs to represent his movies.
For the show, you collaborated with the Cirque du Soleil. Why did you choose them? How was the experience?
They like taking risks just Elvis, they are internationally known, they have 20 shows, seven in Vegas with Viva Elvis, and they're very successful; so it's a perfect match. Elvis changed the culture of music and they (the Cirque) are in the process of changing the culture of entertainment.
Your contract with the Cirque du Soleil includes several future projects including a show in Europe and Asia. Is this finalized and if so, what sort of shows are you doing?
It will depend on the exact plans. But I love that other countries, where Elvis is only known from his recordings and videos, get to experience this kind of thing. People want the complete Elvis experience, the touch, the feel. These projects will be well thought out and planned.
Elvis died 33 years ago. What do you miss most about him?
I miss his smile, his sense of humour, his presence. He was a really unique person.
Elvis would have been 75 years old this year. If he was still alive, what do you think his musical style would have been and who would he have looked up to?
He believed that there was a place for every style. He used to love songs that had a history. I can't imagine Elvis living without music. He loved the purity of artists who could touch the soul like Tom Jones, Dean Martin; artists who sang from the heart, the soul. He would definitely have liked many of today's artists, but the music industry is going in a different direction than where he was coming from.
Cirque boss raves about Priscilla
Priscilla Presley, the widow of rock legend Elvis Presley, is seen by admirers as a generous, honest woman who rarely hesitates to share her opinions. QMI sat down with Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of the Cirque du Soleil, to talk about Presley's contribution to the Viva Elvis show, which plays at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
"She was extraordinarily generous with our employees whenever she came to Montreal or Las Vegas," said Lamarre, one of the few Canadians to have worked so closely with the King's wife.
"There's a ton of pressure when you do a project like this, whether it's the Beatles, Elvis Presley or Michael Jackson," he said.
"We don't want to disappoint the people who carry on the heritage of these icons. In Elvis Presley's case it's Priscilla."
Lamarre said Presley was easygoing throughout pre-production, though unafraid to make her views known.
"She had very personal observations and it was important to listen."
Lamarre recalls one scene in Viva Elvis that depicts the couple's wedding. Personal photos are projected on a long wedding dress throughout the number.
"She was very generous to allow us to use (the photos)," said Lamarre.
The Cirque keeps touch with Priscilla, who occasionally drops by to check out the show and meet the production team.
And she's never shy to point out exactly how she feels about the extravagant tribute to her Big Hunk O' Love.
In a QMI exclusive, the legendary rocker's ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, sat down in a chic Beverly Hills hotel to talk about the new album and her life with Elvis, who died in 1977 at the age of 42. The 65-year-old widow also touched on the world of music and her admiration for the Cirque du Soleil.
Earlier this year, Priscilla Presley was closely involved in the planning of the Cirque's Viva Elvis show.
What do you think about the musical arrangement of Viva Elvis?
The album is inspired by the Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas. The Cirque du Soleil is famous for taking risks and it's a great partnership because Elvis is known as someone who also liked risks. So if you have to take a risk, this is the album to make. There's no question that many people will like the album and I hope that the young generation will like it. It's possible that some purists will be disappointed, but the point of the album is to keep Elvis up to date, contemporary. This album is playful, pleasant. He would have been 75 years old this year; the Cirque du Soleil celebrates his music, his films, his home life.
What is your favourite song and why?
On the album? I love Suspicious Minds. Many of my personal memories of Elvis are connected to this song. He knew it would be a success.
You have previously said that Elvis flew into a terrible rage when he heard a version of Suspicious Minds that he believed had been altered by (then-manager) Colonel Parker. What do you believe he would think about the arrangements on Viva Elvis?
First, I have to say that Elvis was a very humble man and that he would have been honoured to be immortalized in a show on the Vegas strip. It was one of his favourite spots. What counts is the celebration of Elvis and the Cirque du Soleil's interpretation. As for Suspicious Minds, Elvis had a vision in his mind for this song, and he didn't appreciate someone else interpreting it differently.
The songs on the album are among the ones in the Cirque show. Did you have any say in that?
I had no part in it. It's the Cirque.
Were there any musical arrangements that you didn't like or did you insist that certain Elvis songs not be remastered?
The musical arrangements were done by Sony and the songs were chosen by the Cirque. I didn't make any demands. The music remains the same, it's just an update, a way of making it more contemporary.
Elvis recorded more than 800 songs but the Vegas show, and the album, don't include several hits like That's All Right, (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear, If I Can Dream and Such a Night. Why?
It's a celebration of Elvis, not a celebration of his hits. The Cirque du Soleil chose songs from the "young" Elvis. And they also wanted the songs to represent his movies.
For the show, you collaborated with the Cirque du Soleil. Why did you choose them? How was the experience?
They like taking risks just Elvis, they are internationally known, they have 20 shows, seven in Vegas with Viva Elvis, and they're very successful; so it's a perfect match. Elvis changed the culture of music and they (the Cirque) are in the process of changing the culture of entertainment.
Your contract with the Cirque du Soleil includes several future projects including a show in Europe and Asia. Is this finalized and if so, what sort of shows are you doing?
It will depend on the exact plans. But I love that other countries, where Elvis is only known from his recordings and videos, get to experience this kind of thing. People want the complete Elvis experience, the touch, the feel. These projects will be well thought out and planned.
Elvis died 33 years ago. What do you miss most about him?
I miss his smile, his sense of humour, his presence. He was a really unique person.
Elvis would have been 75 years old this year. If he was still alive, what do you think his musical style would have been and who would he have looked up to?
He believed that there was a place for every style. He used to love songs that had a history. I can't imagine Elvis living without music. He loved the purity of artists who could touch the soul like Tom Jones, Dean Martin; artists who sang from the heart, the soul. He would definitely have liked many of today's artists, but the music industry is going in a different direction than where he was coming from.
Cirque boss raves about Priscilla
Priscilla Presley, the widow of rock legend Elvis Presley, is seen by admirers as a generous, honest woman who rarely hesitates to share her opinions. QMI sat down with Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of the Cirque du Soleil, to talk about Presley's contribution to the Viva Elvis show, which plays at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
"She was extraordinarily generous with our employees whenever she came to Montreal or Las Vegas," said Lamarre, one of the few Canadians to have worked so closely with the King's wife.
"There's a ton of pressure when you do a project like this, whether it's the Beatles, Elvis Presley or Michael Jackson," he said.
"We don't want to disappoint the people who carry on the heritage of these icons. In Elvis Presley's case it's Priscilla."
Lamarre said Presley was easygoing throughout pre-production, though unafraid to make her views known.
"She had very personal observations and it was important to listen."
Lamarre recalls one scene in Viva Elvis that depicts the couple's wedding. Personal photos are projected on a long wedding dress throughout the number.
"She was very generous to allow us to use (the photos)," said Lamarre.
The Cirque keeps touch with Priscilla, who occasionally drops by to check out the show and meet the production team.
And she's never shy to point out exactly how she feels about the extravagant tribute to her Big Hunk O' Love.
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