Elvis Presley & The Hound Dog

Since May 1957 when Decca Records became the UK manufacturing and distribution arm of the American conglomerate RCA Victor records, its success was achieved without the help of the charismatic ‘Nipper’ dog logo. The new UK logo did, however, develop into a symbol of importance to fans of the new style of music that had been stirringly called ‘rock ’n’ roll’. Within 18 months of issuing the first Elvis Presley record (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Loving You (RCA-1013) in July 1957, the singer’s original British label, HMV, who owned the British ‘Nipper’ logo, was becoming an ‘also ran’ in the rock ’n’ roll stakes.

The last HMV Elvis single, I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone / How Do You Think I Feel (HMV POP 428) was issued in January 1958 and barely charted, and the whole HMV catalogue of Presley platters was eventually deleted in September 1958. During 1958, the groundbreaking HMV label had struggled to replace its number one seller, and following Elvis’ chart-topping single All Shook Up in July 1957, the company did not have another single at the top of the charts during the rest of the decade. In fact, the next #1 on HMV came in August 1960, with that classic example of homegrown British rock ’n’ roll Shakin’ All Over by Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, produced by Elvis’ champion at the label, Walter Ridley.

April 1957, and Elvis—in the famous gold jacket—performs onstage alongside the RCA Victor dog

From that time in May 1957, when RCA assumed their position of ‘official distributors’ of Elvis Presley recordings in Great Britain, there was uncertainty amongst record collectors of the validity of the situation. This was caused by the continued advertising by HMV as, following the withdrawal of the agreement by RCA Victor of their sole distribution rights, they negotiated a period where sales continued alongside the releases by Decca UK on the newly formed British (dog-less) RCA label.

Until September 1958, HMV—whilst not releasing any new products—had the right to continue the sales of all its remaining stockpile which ran alongside the releases of Elvis on the RCA label until the whole HMV Elvis catalogue was eventually deleted. Indeed, the years 1957-1958 were as much the continuation of the HMV years as they were the dawn and beginnings of the RCA years.

The fact was that, until January 24th 1958 when Jailhouse Rock topped the charts, the dogged power of ‘Nipper’ and HMV reigned supreme over RCA. All was o change in 1959 when, as sole distributors of Elvis Presley records in Great Britain, RCA became a force to be reckoned with as they successfully maintained the image of Elvis throughout that difficult two year period during which he served his country in the armed forces. We didn’t know the true facts at the time, but he was not able to record for RCA Victor in America from the early hours of the morning of June 11th 1958 until the evening of March 20th 1960.

Back in 1958, amidst the tinsel and glitter of New Year’s Eve as Auld Lang Syne was sung by Elvis and his buddies for the first time on foreign soil, there would still be apprehension for Elvis about what was in store in the future. He had left behind a career as the top entertainer in the world; he’d lost his mother; left his current girlfriend, Anita Wood, behind in America; and sailed to a new continent to do a job for his country. On that boat to West Germany, Elvis must have felt like the loneliest guy in the world, suffering heartache, homesickness and fear about his future.

Elvis boards the bus for Ft. Chaffee with his briefcase in hand

As music industry manager and Memphis Mafia member Jerry Schilling related, “Elvis pretty much thought it was all over. I mean, his heart was probably most heavy because of his mother.

“Did Charlie Hodge help his spirits on that boat? I think he surely did, yes. Elvis acknowledged special things and we talked about everything, but he never once mentioned his mother in the 20 years I knew him. Charlie was always telling jokes and I realised that personally and musically what an influence little Charlie was on Elvis.” The friendship between Elvis and Charlie was maintained until that fateful day in 1977 and it was all based on the support and friendship that Charlie gave to Elvis at the time of his greatest need.

Elvis with RCA executives in August, 1956 in Los Angeles, California

There was bad news on the doorstep on Wednesday February 4th 1959 when the British newspaper headlines announced the death the previous day of Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens who had all perished in a plane crash in Clear Lake, Iowa. It was a black Tuesday for rock ’n’ roll in Iowa, but the effects of the tragedy were felt in shockwaves across the world. Would 1959 be the year when everything connected with teenage music ground to a halt?

Elvis was in the Army, ballads were the newest craze, and now three of the genre’s biggest names had perished together in America. Buddy Holly and the Crickets had toured Britain the previous March to rave reviews, and touring American rockers, led by Bill Haley in 1957, had become a ‘must see’ event on their one night stands across the length and breadth of the country. The Platters, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, Freddie Bell & The Bellboys, Charlie Gracie, Little Richard, Paul Anka, Pat Boone and Connie Francis had all appeared on the stages of Britain’s theatres to keep the music alive, but in 1959 rock ’n’ roll tours were in short supply.

But at this point a knight in shining armour was waiting in the wings to inject life into the dying corpse of rock ’n’ roll. His name was Jack Good and, showing great vision and ambition, he created the television shows Oh Boy! and Boy Meets Girl, which often included performances by visiting American rock ’n’ rollers. The British answer to the Elvis effect was also created by idiosyncratic impresario Larry Parnes (or Mr Parnes Shillings and Pence, as he was nicknamed) who, as an entrepreneur and promoter, fed and watered a stable full of stars with such dynamic names as Marty Wilde, Vince Eager, Duffy Power, Dickie Pride and Billy Fury. Tommy Steele was still there but Cliff Richard was, by this time, the undisputed leader of British rock ’n’ roll and he, and The Shadows, preached that gospel to teenagers across the land in concert tours during 1959 and the following years.

The last four December charts of 1959 featured many British artists, and as the new decade dawned, the early charts of 1960 retained the balance that was very much in favour of homegrown talent. St Lucia-born Emile Ford moved to Great Britain to study engineering and he, along with his group The Checkmates, were the last UK chart-toppers of the ’50s with their revival of the old 1916 composition of What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For? That last UK chart- topping single of 1959 was released on the small ‘home grown’ I’ve Records label in time for the lucrative Christmas market. This haunting arrangement of a very old song replaced the Columbia recording of Adam Faith singing What Do You Want? at the top. Both songs posed questions, but immortality was gained when Emile’s recording became not only the last chart-topper of the ’50s, but also the first Top Of The Pops in the ’60s. It was often later said that the ’60s started without a bang because the music was planted in the middle ground between the end of hard rocking rhythm and the advent of the Beatles.

On April 17th 1960, at the end of the first leg of a British tour, Eddie Cochran was killed in a car crash in Chippenham, Wiltshire on his way to London’s Heathrow Airport. His fellow passengers, fiancée Sharon Sheeley and Gene Vincent, survived the crash. The leather-clad popular American rocker later returned to the UK to complete the tour that featured Jerry Keller who took the place of Eddie Cochran.

The first year of the new decade did wonder for emerging talent with Adam Faith, Emile Ford, Johnny Kidd and Billy Fury all joining Cliff Richard and The Shadows, alongside Marty Wilde as the heart throbs of UK music fans.

As 1959 was drawing to a close, all the major competing British record companies were discussing their strategy and sales plans for the beginning of a new decade in which they hoped to maximise their profitability. The UK arm at RCA was quite naturally concerned about the future of Elvis Presley, as none of his recordings had featured in the charts since September 19th 1959, when A Big Hunk O’ Love eventually faded from view.

It would be April 9th 1960 before Elvis returned to British chart action, and statistically that span of 28 weeks was the longest period during his recording career when his name did not feature on the all-important NME listing. RCA UK used every means possible to promote the products of Elvis as their top-selling artist, including the continued advertising and recycling of the 1957 Christmas recordings, in the run-up to the last two festive periods of the 50s and the first of the Swinging 60s.

The newly published book Elvis: The Best Of British 1959-1960 chronicles the story of exactly how the Elvis Presley image, through astute management and creative promotion, was maintained and improved upon regardless of the fact that he was in West Germany. They succeeded, for during this period, despite the fact that he was out of their sight, Elvis was certainly not out of the minds of his fans, and the music press were also champions of his cause as they continually published pictures of him working in the army. The continuing story includes how RCA issued to excellent double-sided hits to take Elvis back to the top of the charts as well as maintaining a steady stream of releases in both the EP and LP formats during 1959, despite having no new recordings in their vaults. Their successes during 1959 were built upon during the following year when eventually they had new material to release and with a bang, they announced that Elvis was back.

Success followed success as G.I. Blues hit the cinema screens and was declared a massive hit as cinema-goers flocked to view Elvis, handsome in his uniform, recreating a romanticised version of his army life in Germany.

Elvis had come a long way from recording My Happiness at Memphis Recording Service in 1953, but 1960 held similar uncertainties for him as he wondered if his career was over following the dramatic changes in musical trends during the two years he had been gone. Elvis need not have worried, because despite all his musical contemporaries’ aspirations and successes—he was still acknowledged as the inspiration.

ELVIS: THE BEST OF BRITISH—1959-1960

Elvis: The Best Of British, The RCA Years 1959-1960, the book from which this article is taken, is the concluding volume of the trilogy Elvis: The Best Of British. This new 500-page work contains the fascinating facts about Private Presley’s RCA UK releases during these two vital years and Colonel Parker’s plan to engineer Elvis’ move away from rock ’n’ roll to attract a new generation of fans whilst still retaining his crown as ‘The King’.

In the book you can discover exactly how Elvis, on his triumphant return from army service, reinvented his career at the top of the entertainment world when RCA declared ‘Elvis is Back!’ before the movie G.I. Blues changed his life forever.

Inside, over 1100 rare or previously unpublished photographs, charts and unique items of memorabilia create a visually enhanced record of a superstar with unsurpassed acclaim. There’s the inside story on the management strategy to keep Elvis’ name in the public eye whilst he was away, which not only succeeded in retaining his image of more than just a singer, but as the pulse at the heart of a generation.

As well as a wealth of invaluable information for the Elvis fan, Elvis: The Best Of British, The RCA Years 1959-1960 includes . . .

• Every known photograph and press cutting of Elvis in Scotland, his only time on British soil

• Photographs from the pivotal meeting with Hal Wallis in a German restaurant where Elvis’ future movie career was mapped out

• The story of the New York Elvis songwriter who was thrown into the East River by mobsters, and the British composer who appeared on a £10 bank note

The story is also graphically illustrated via the music, for included in the package is a 30-track CD featuring many performances officially released for the first time. Hear Elvis personally introduce his British chart-toppers during this two-year period along with other classic tracks, rare movie versions and audio movie promotions. Added to that, there are exciting songwriter demos, just as Elvis first heard them.

 

It is a quote. VINTAGE ROCK PRESENTS – ELVIS COLLECTORS EDITION 2015