www.ElvisWorld-Japan.com
Don't touch

(Sep.20-Oct.5,2001)
(On Pink BG Color) Written in Japanese
Japanese i Mode Telephone only http://www.biwa.ne.jp/~presley/imode/
(Compiled by Haruo Hirose)

www.ElvisWorld-Japan.com


(Oct. 5, 2001)

Sam Phillips, founder of Sun Records in Memphis, admires his plaque on the wall of the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. He was inducted in a ceremony Thursday night.
Sun founder takes shine to hisplace in country's stellar ranks
By Bill Ellis (The Commercial Appeal, October 5, 2001)

NASHVILLE - As you pull into Music City, a highway billboard for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum reads "Elvis Has Never Left the Building.''

In truth, it took Presley decades to get there officially. He was inducted in 1998, 21 years after his death. Now his first producer, Sun Records founder Sam Phillips, has joined the King of Rock and Roll in country music's highest honor.

Thursday night in a ceremony at the institution's new downtown address, Phillips along with 11 others joined the ranks of 74 performers, producers and founding music men who have been inducted into the Hall since it was established in 1961 by the Country Music Association.

Phillips was delighted, especially that the Nashville status quo finally had come around to recognizing the impact country had on the energetic new genre - then dubbed rockabilly - that he forged at his groundbreaking Memphis studio and record label.

Phillips and Sun Records launched the careers, after all, of several artists who would go on to have success in the country market, including Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Charlie Rich and 1980 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Johnny Cash.

"I really do feel that it was not a situation where they wanted to keep me out,'' said Phillips in a pre-dinner panel at the hall's Ford Theater. "They just couldn't quite understand. ...

''When you do something different, it takes a little while for people to see the essence of many different genres of music coming together,'' Phillips said. ''And without country music, and without gutbucket blues, and without the gospel quartets, I don't think there'd be any rock and roll.''

Phillips sat ever-so-aptly in the panel next to another artist who blurred musical boundaries, Phil Everly of inductees the Everly Brothers.

"So many of us ... were really country acts, were raised country and had country hits,'' said Everly of early rock and roll artists. "And then we got separated from the family, so to speak.''

Phillips - who was among the first class of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees in 1986 - was one of two inductees proper at the gala event along with singing/songwriting legend "Whisperin''' Bill Anderson. Another 10 were added this year only to honor the hall's new home, which opened to much fanfare in May at 222 Fifth Ave. S.

Fittingly, Presley's premier backup singers, gospel quartet giants the Jordanaires, were among that second roll-call.

However, the Jordanaires were everyone's A-list harmonizers in Nashville, singing on records by Patsy Cline, George Jones, Jim Reeves, Loretta Lynn, Rick Nelson and countless others. They also were important in the development of writing studio charts.

Living members Gordon Stoker and Ray Walker were present and shared several stories about their five decades in the business including working (and playing) in the studio with Presley.

Recalled Walker: "He would tickle your ear, he would put his finger in your mouth, he would shuck you under the chin, he would stick you in the back - trying to break you up.''

Other inductees were the Delmore Brothers, Don Gibson, Homer & Jethro, Waylon Jennings, the Louvin Brothers, Webb Pierce and label executives/producers Don Law and Ken Nelson. The inductees will be recognized during the 35th annual CMA Awards to be broadcast Nov. 7 on CBS.


Ken Nelson, Sam Phillips, Bill Anderson and Ray Walker, from left; talk in the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Oct. 4, 2001. The men are among the 12 new inductees to the Hall of Fame. Nelson and Phillips are record producers, Anderson is a country singer and Walker is a member of the Jordanaires, who sang backup for Elvis Presley.



Sam Phillips, Ken Nelson Grateful for Hall of Fame Honor
by Michael Gray

Working in Memphis, Sun Records founder Sam Phillips specialized in blues and early rock 'n' roll more than in straight-ahead, bona fide country music. So the legendary producer, talent scout and label owner doesn't take for granted his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Thursday (Oct. 4).

"For years they had a hard time deciding whether I deserved to be in the Country Music Hall of Fame," Phillips admits during a recent phone interview from his Memphis home. "I quite understand that. I really do ... Deserved or not, thank God I made it."

Phillips, 78, earned country music's highest honor by introducing the world to Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins and Charlie Rich, among others. Many made their first -- and best -- recordings for Phillips. Presley and Cash are members of the Country Music Hall of Fame themselves.

The pioneering rockabilly recordings Phillips oversaw at Sun in the '50s were infused with spontaneity and energy, and they incorporated elements of rhythm & blues. "Turn Around," an original by Perkins, was one of Phillips' earliest and best straight-country productions. Recorded in late 1954, it features fiddle and steel guitar and owes a measure of debt to Hank Williams in its composition and execution.

"In no way was I attempting to chastise or corrupt or do anything that would be adverse to the great basis of country music and its experiences," Phillips says with the grand flair of a Southern preacher. "Many things were being done in Nashville at the time that I thought were good. I really didn't have a desire to outdo Nashville -- or New York or Los Angeles. I just had my own feelings about the blues and, especially, Southern white and black gospel."

Raised on a tenant farm outside of Florence, Ala., Phillips emphasizes that Southern rural music -- including country, blues and spirituals -- laid the foundation for many other forms of American music. "The Country Music Hall of Fame is the embodiment of that impact," he maintains. "My induction therein shall have a glory for me personally I never experienced before."

Phillips will be inducted with 11 other members in the largest class to enter at one time. Among them are Ken Nelson and the late Don Law, producers who headed the country divisions of Capitol and Columbia, respectively.



(Oct. 5, 2001)

Thursday October 4, 06:35 PM
Presley love letter goes straight to bidder's heart

LONDON (Reuters) - A letter written in 1958 by Elvis Presley proposing marriage to his girlfriend Anita Wood fetched 14,100 pounds at a Christie's auction of pop memorabilia.

The letter, and a cream silk shirt worn by Presley in the late 1960s -- purchased by the Hard Rock Cafe for 2,900 pounds -- were part of a five-decade collection of pop memorabilia which went under the hammer on Thursday.



(Oct. 4, 2001, Thanks to Arjan Deelen)

Dutch Cover of "America The Beautiful" Charity CD.



(Oct. 4, 2001)

Rockin' for Charity to Present 'Elvis Through the Years' On Oct. 20 in Ann Arbor

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 3 -- Rockin' for Charity is proud to present ``Elvis Through the Years'' on Saturday, October 20, 2001 at the Ann Arbor Pioneer High School Center for the Performing Arts from 1-11 p.m. The day will be packed with fun for everyone and will feature a live band, 5 of the nation's top Elvis Presley tribute artists, a personal friend and confidante to Elvis, raffles, a silent auction, and licensed vendors selling official Elvis Presley memorabilia. Ann Arbor Pioneer High School is located at the corner of Main Street and Stadium Boulevard in Ann Arbor, Michigan across from the University of Michigan Football Stadium.

The following Elvis Presley tribute artists are scheduled to appear:

Leo Days -- 1998 Collingwood North American International Elvis Tribute Artist Champion
Quentin Flagg -- 2001 Images of the King Finalist
Travis Morris -- 1998 Images of the King Champion
Stephen Kabakos -- 2001 Images of the King Champion
Doug Church -- the legendary Voice of Elvis and the 1991 Images of the King Champion
The ExSpence Account Showband -- the nation's top Elvis Presley tribute band

Special guest for the event will be Ms. Cricket Coulter -- a close friend and confidante of Elvis Presley. Cricket will speak on her personal experiences with Elvis Presley and show the audience the side of Elvis that she knew ... Elvis the man and friend.

Ticket prices for ``Elvis Through the Years'' are $40, $30, and $15 and are available through all Ticketmaster ticket centers or on-line at www.ticketmaster.com . To charge tickets by phone please call 248-645-6666.

This event has another side to it -- not only will it be a day for fun, but it will also be a day to help others. Rockin' for Charity is a non-profit corporation that has vowed to hold one fundraising event each year to benefit selected charities in the Ann Arbor/Detroit Metropolitan area. This year's selected charities are the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, From the Heart for CS Mott Children's Hospital, and the Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation. Due to the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Rockin' for Charity decided that a portion of this year's proceeds will also be donated to the Red Cross Disaster Relief fund to help those affected by the sad events in New York City, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania.

For more information on the event, please check out Rockin' for Charity's web site at www.rockinforcharity.com.



(Oct. 4, 2001, from MB, posted by B.Quinn)

Springsteen, Bon Jovi to perform at New Jersey benefit
by LiveDaily Staff

Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Joan Jett, Phoebe Snow and Sonny Burgess will be among the artists who will join former Elvis Presley sidemen Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana for benefit concerts on Oct. 18 and 19, the Newark Star-Ledger reported. The sold-out concerts, which will take place at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, N.J., will benefit Monmouth County victims of the World Trade Center attacks.
The concerts--which will also feature E Street Band members Garry Tallent and Max Weinberg--were initially planned as tributes to Sun Records, Presley's first label.



(Oct. 2, 2001)

Newsletter from (1 OCT 2001)


Graceland Lights Go Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In support of this the Estee Lauder Companies pursue the lighting of famous landmarks around the world in pink lights for the month of October. Graceland is proud to join this effort.

For the month of October 2001, the white lights and multi-colored lights that normally illuminate the Graceland Mansion facade and front grounds switched to pink bulbs. A Breast Cancer Awareness Month banner on the front of the stone wall that surrounds the mansion property will explain to passersby why there's a soft pink glow around Graceland every night of October.

Last year, some of the locations that participated in the pink lighting program were the White House, the Empire State Building and Liberty Park (Birmingham, AL), Sky Dome (Canada), Tokyo Tower, and Torre di Pisa.

10月は「乳がん啓発月間」だそうで、 グレイスランドが ピンクに ライトアップ されています。



(Oct. 2, 2001) (Sept.25, 2001)

Newsletter from (1 OCT 2001)

RCA To Release Special Elvis CD To Benefit Disaster Relief

In the wake of the recent tragedies in New York and Washington, RCA Records is set to release America the Beautiful, a new enhanced CD-single by Elvis Presley featuring three stirring performances. This marks the first new Elvis Presley single from RCA Records in over twenty years. Included on the CD-single are: If I Can Dream, recorded live for Elvis' legendary 1968 Comeback TV special; America the Beautiful, recorded on stage in December 1975 at the Las Vegas Hilton; and Amazing Grace, recorded at RCA's Studio B in Nashville on March 15, 1971. This will be an enhanced CD in that it will be encoded with special information and links one can access when playing the disc on one's computer and in that will have a video component viewable by computer - the footage that corresponds to the recording of Elvis' performance of the song If I Can Dream. (Enhancements for computer viewing do not affect normal playing on a regular CD player.)

America the Beautiful is due to arrive in stores October 16 with 100% of net proceeds donated to the American Red Cross Liberty Disaster Relief Fund. The disc will be in record stores worldwide, including the Elvis record shop at Graceland. It will also be available through the various online distributors of recordings, including Shop Elvis here at Elvis.com. Graceland/EPE is honored to cooperate fully with this effort, and has donated the video clip and waived all artist and music publishing royalties it would normally receive from an Elvis record or video release. Graceland/EPE will also donate its own retail proceeds from its sales of the disc.

Said RCA Records president Jack Rovner, "After this most unspeakable tragedy, now is a time of unity, helping the survivors and the families who lost their loved ones. We hope this release from Elvis Presley can contribute to that."

The idea for the project came about in the wake of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks, as executives from RCA Records, Elvis Presley Enterprises,Inc., and the worldwide Elvis fan base worked together to form a response to the tragedy. Says Michael Omansky, senior vice president, strategic marketing, for RCA Records, "Like everyone, RCA Records and our associates wanted to make a meaningful contribution, given what happened. Elvis Presley is the most influential musical artist in history, a centerpiece for RCA Records, and we saw an immediate opportunity to marry that spirit of the past with the tragedy of the present."

Added Jack Soden, president & CEO of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc., "In his lifetime, Elvis always responded to people in need. We know he would rush now to give his voice and spirit to the aching hearts and shattered families left behind in this tragedy. If his music can bring even a moment of shelter from the pain and resources to the recovery, then his legacy will have all the meaning he could ever have hoped for."

If I Can Dream (RealAudio)



(Oct. 1, 2001)

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) - Dan Cushman, a prolific fiction writer whose 1953 novel ``Stay Away, Joe'' was made into a movie starring Elvis Presley, died Saturday of heart failure. He was 92.
The former New York Times book critic wrote dozens of books and was best known for ``Stay Away, Joe.''
The book's portrayal of American Indians stirred controversy in Montana, and Indian novelist James Welch vetoed an excerpt for inclusion in ``The Last Best Place,'' a Montana anthology.
In 1998 Cushman received the H.G. Merriam Award for Distinguished Contributions to Montana Literature, joining such notables as Richard Hugo, A.B. Guthrie Jr. and Norman Maclean.
Cushman was first paid for his writing when he received $5 a week for reporting news for a newspaper in Big Sandy, Mont.
``It was in Big Sandy where I learned all the trouble you can cause by printing all the news of a small town,'' Cushman said.
He wrote books set in the South Pacific, the Congo and the Yukon, and drew on his colorful life for much of his fiction. Cushman worked as a cowboy, printer, prospector, geologist's assistant, advertising writer and radio announcer.



(Sept.30, 2001)

    ELVIS TRIVIA
  • Some songs recorded for Viva Las Vegas didn't make the final cut. Elvis originally was supposed to sing "Do the Vega" at the talent show instead of "Viva Las Vegas." The garden scene, in which Rusty shares her fears of a racing injury, was to include a duet called "I'd Only Love You More."
  • Comedian Jack Carter, who plays himself as the Flamingo talent contest emcee, was headlining the Flamingo showroom (with Leslie Uggams) when the Viva Las Vegas film crew was in town.
  • Future showroom star Glen Campbell was among the studio musicians recording the Viva Las Vegas musical tracks at Radio Recorders studios in Los Angeles. "All eyes were on Elvis until Ann-Margret walked in," he recalls.
  • Both Elvis and Ann-Margret dressed in yellow, singing "What'd I Say," they changed the words to "What'd I Say." Ray Charles sings; "See the girl with the red dress on, She can burn like that all night long." Elvis sings; "See the girl with the red dress on, She can do the dog all night long." The dog was a kind of dance step they did in "What'd I Say."



(Sept.29, 2001, Thanks to Guillermo)
(Sept.26, 2001, Thanks to Paul Dowling of World Wide Elvis)

"America the Beautiful" is at #70 on top sellers chart of amazon.com.

Looking at the top 100 CD's in Amazon.com, Elvis' charity CD-single appears to be the third biggest seller amongst singles releases!!!!

Only three singles, namely W. Houston's "The Star Spangled Banner" ( at the #29 position), Enrique Iglesias´ "Hero" ( not yet released but on the #59 position ) and Elvis´ "America the Beautiful¨ ( also not yet released, but already on the 70th position) appear in the list. The rest are all albums.
(Guillermo)


Cover Artwork of
Charity CD-Single

America The Beautiful
Amazing Grace
If I Can Dream
Release date: Oct.16.

For more info,
go to World Wide Elvis.



DVD "Clambake" is out now.
My order of "Clambake" was shipped yesterday from amazon.com.

Order it from



(Sept.28, Sept.21, 2001, Thanks to Keiko Y.)

金曜特集 「ザッツ・ラスベガス・ エンターテインメント」
9月28日(金) NHK BS-2、 夜8:00 - 10:20
▽豪華ショーが続々登場  ▽プールでサーカス
▽プレスリーが20人?
【リポーター】奥菜  恵
 ラスベガス。 かつて カジノで 隆盛を極めた この町は、 今、 テーマホテルが 立ち並び、 一日に 60もの 華やかな ショーが 繰り広げられる、 世界的な エンターテインメント・ シティである。
 マジックショー、 イリュージョンから、 ブロードウェイなどで 人気を誇る パフォーマンスまで。 番組では 世界の 頂点を極める 飛びきりのショーや ラスベガス 屈指の アトラクションを 現地の 雰囲気そのままに 直送!
 ゴージャスな 衣装と 早変わりの セットで 20年余り、 人気を 誇り続ける レビューショー “ジュビリ”。 世界トップ3に 数えられる 女性イリュージョニスト “メリンダ”の 華麗な イリュージョン。 モンゴル雑技団から バルセロナ五輪 金メダリストまで、 なんと17カ国の “肉体芸術家” が演じる パフォーマンス・ショー “O(オー)” などを、 舞台裏の ドキュメントも 交えて 一挙公開!  ラスベガスの 魅力を 余すところなく お伝えする、 本場の ステージショーを どうぞ お見逃しなく。



(Sept.27, 2001)

"Aloha From Hawaii," Elvis - The Concert in Hawaii, 2003?

Glen Hardin: I'm not sure all what the plans are, but Jack Soden at Graceland told us just a couple of weeks ago, he made a very firm point of the fact that they're not ready to end the show and they figured out that if they don't get on the ball and promote it, they're going to lose it, and so they're going to dedicate themselves to saving the show. And I think … as you know it hasn't been as successful in America as it has been over here, and that's a shame. But I think they're going to sit down and decide what they're going to do, television advertising, and I think they'll add some new songs and do some things to it. There's talk about going back to Hawaii in 2003 and do the Aloha Special on the big screen like the show we do now, on the 30th Anniversary of when they did that, and I sure hope that happens, I thought that was a great show. So that's all I know about the plans. But it's not going to end.

For more, read Glen Hardin, Jerry Scheff Interview


EPEは、2003年 "Aloha from Hawaii" 衛星生中継 30周年を 記念しての、 Elvis The Concert の "Aloha from Hawaii" バージョンを、 ハワイで行う 計画を 立てているようです。



(Sept.25, 2001)

Tuesday September 25, 7:01 am Eastern Time
Press Release
SOURCE: Collectables Records
Return of the King: New Elvis Collection Featuring His #1 Hits On 45RPM Vinyl Due September 25

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 25 -- On September 25, 2001, Collectables Records will release a twenty-three record collection containing authentic 45RPM vinyl repressings of Elvis Presley's hits on the RCA Victor and Sun record labels. This is the first time that Elvis' #1 hits from the RCA record label and all of his singles recorded for the legendary Sun Records are being reissued in this unique context.

This collection contains twenty-three 7-inch vinyl singles with full-color picture sleeves, packaged in a black lacquered box along with a full-color poster.

These vinyl singles include Elvis' groundbreaking rockabilly work on Sun Records and all of his #1 hit singles recorded for RCA Victor. The singles are pressed on red-colored vinyl with original label logos.

A comparable collection of the original pressings of these singles would sell for thousands of dollars on the collector's market.

Included in the collection are: Heartbreak Hotel / I Was The One; I Want You, I Need You, I Love You / My Baby Left Me; Don't Be Cruel / Hound Dog; Love Me Tender / Anyway You Want Me; Too Much / Playing For Keeps; All Shook Up / That's When Your Heartaches Begin; (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Loving You; Jailhouse Rock / Treat Me Nice; Don't / I Beg Of You; Hard Headed Woman / Don't Ask Me; A Big Hunk O' Love / My Wish Came True; Stuck On You / Fame And Fortune; It's Now Or Never / A Mess Of Blues; Are You Lonesome Tonight / I Gotta Know; Surrender / Lonely Man; Good Luck Charm / Anything That's Part Of You; Blue Christmas / Wooden Heart; Suspicious Minds / You'll Think Of Me; That's All Right / Blue Moon Of Kentucky; Good Rockin' Tonight / I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine; Milkcow Blues Boogie / You're A Heartbreaker; Baby Let's Play House / I'm Left, You're Right; Mystery Train / I Forgot To Remember To Forget.

The #1 HIT SINGLES COLLECTION will be available for sale in stores nationwide as well as via their website http://www.oldies.com.



(Sept.24, 2001)

Monday September 24, 8:10 am Eastern Time
Press Release
SOURCE: MDI Entertainment, Inc.
Elvis Presley To Rock West Coast California Lottery signs up for MDI's Hottest Instant Promotion

HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 24, 2001--The California Lottery and MDI Entertainment, Inc. have reached agreement on what will be the largest Elvis Presley(R) Instant Lottery promotion ever launched, the company announced today.

The Elvis(R) Instant game will include 19 million $2 tickets, the largest to date. MDI's exclusive world-wide lottery licensing program with Elvis Presley Enterprises empowers lotteries to create promotions designed around official Elvis merchandise, memorabilia, movies, music and dream trips.

The California Lottery's Elvis(R) promotion will begin in January 2002 to coincide with the January 8th birthday of ``The King of Rock and Roll.''

During 2002 Elvis Presley Enterprises will kickoff the international observance of the 25th Anniversary and celebration of his memory. ``Elvis Week'' in August 2002 is expected to generate tremendous media and fan attention.

The California promotion will feature Grand Prize Elvis Experience trips for two to Elvis Presley's Graceland(R) in Memphis Tenn. including round-trip airfare to Memphis, VIP Platinum tours of Graceland Mansion and attractions, and accommodations in Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel(R) with Elvis-themed luxury suites. Although details are still being finalized, the game also will include a variety of prizes from the official Elvis merchandise and memorabilia collection.

Elvis Presley will be the second major California Lottery promotion with MDI. In March, the Lottery and MDI launched a highly successful Harley-Davidson game. Six other lotteries have launched Elvis promotions and as many as 12 more are planning promotions in the next five months.

``Elvis Presley's music and particularly his many movies are a part of California legend,'' said California Lottery Director Joan Wilson. ``The Grand Prize trips and exclusive Elvis merchandise and memorabilia should make this Scratcher(R) game a lot of fun.''

``The California Lottery operates on a very large scale, and we are pleased to be working on this exciting project,'' said Steve Saferin, President and CEO of MDI. ``Elvis Presley(R) continues to have a mystical appeal that crosses all boundaries.''

MDI holds an exclusive license through Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. to create lottery promotions worldwide.

More than twenty years after his death, Elvis Presley endures as the single most universally popular music icon worldwide. The ``King of Rock and Roll'' has sold more than one billion records, starred in 33 movies, and his legend draws more than 750,000 fans to Memphis annually.



(Sept.24, 2001)

A South Korean walks past a van, with a banner saying "Cheer up America" posted by South Korean Elvis Presley fan club for the victims of terrorist attacks in the U.S., near the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Monday, Sept. 24, 2001



(Sept.23, 2001)

Koizumi Eases Suspicious Minds With Elvis Tribute
Japanese Prime Minister Contributes Liner Notes To BMG Funhouse Collection Of His Favorites
BY STEVE McCLURE (Billboard, Sep.15,2001)
TOKYO - With his tousled mane of hair, charismatic personality, and unprecedented outspokenness, Japanese premier Junichiro Koizumi seems to have taken a few cues from his idol, Elvis Presley.

Since becoming prime minister in April, the charismatic Koizumi has become a political pop idol. Highschool girls snap up Koizumi posters and key-chain holders as good-luck charms. His personal Lion Heart e-mail magazine has attracted more than 1 million subscribers since its June launch, and he enjoys the highest popularity rating of any postwar Japanese prime minister.

Now he has lent his name to a collection of his favorite Elvis recordings. Junichiro Koizumi Presents My Favorite Elvis Songs debuted at No.4 on the Japanese album chart Aug. 29, just one slot behind Mariah Carey's Glitter. Released by BMG Funhouse Aug. 22, the 25-track album is rapidly approaching the sales target of 150,000 copies, according to the label. Proceeds from the album's sales are going to various charities.

"Since I took office [as prime minister], I have been so busy that I literally have no time for sleep," Koizumi wrote in a recent message to the Elvis Presley Fan Club. "But on weekends, when I find time to go back to my private home, I listen to Elvis songs. His voice eases my fatigue."

While some suspicious minds may think that Koizumi is merely using Presley to broaden his political appeal, the prime minister is a longtime fan who says he wants young people to discover the man from Memphis and his music.

"Elvis will be remembered forever and so will his songs," Koizumi writes. "We should share this legacy with many more people, not just Elvis fans. More especially, we should teach the younger generation about this '50s-generation singer who was our hero."

Koizumi calls himself a henjin, or eccentric. Although he is a third-generation conservative politician, he has adopted an unconventional political style, appealing to the public over the heads of Japan's all-powerful bureaucracy and promising radical political and economic reform.

"He's our most human and popular prime minister," says BMG Funhouse strategic marketing manager Katsumi Miyata, who oversaw the album project.

Koizumi - whose Jan.8 birthday is the same as Presley's - says he's been hooked on Presley's music ever since hearing "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" as a teenager. Along with his brother Masaya, he has been a leading member of the Japanese Elvis fan club. In 1987, he represented Japan's political world at the unveiling of a bronze statue of Presley in Tokyo's trendy Harajuku district, and in 1999 he wrote the liner notes for the Japanese edition of the Artist of the Century compilation. Koizumi also wrote the liner notes for Junichiro Koizumi Presents My Favorite Elvis Songs.

Japanese prime ministers are not noted for their love of rock'n'roll. Like most Japanese above a certain age, their musical tastes generally run toward the soppily sentimental ballads known as enka, whose staple subject matter is doomed or unrequited love.

In fact, there aren't any out-and-out rockers on Junichiro Koizumi Presents My Favorite Elvis Songs. Instead, Koizumi's selection tends to run toward such big, emotional, karaoke-friendly ballads as "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You," "That's When Your Heartaches Begin," "Can't Help Falling in Love," "Bridge Over Troubled Water," and "The Impossible Dream." One industry observer speculates that the fact that Koizumi and his wife divorced in 1982 may be the reason there are so many sayonara songs on the album.

Koizumi achieved his own impossible dream April 24 when, after several unsuccessful attempts, he was elected president of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, thus automatically becoming the nation's prime minister.

"We had wanted him to do some sort of Elvis-related project, but the idea didn't seem to have much popular appeal," says Miyata. "But when he became prime minister, things were different. There was a lot of pressure from the fan club for Koizumi to do something [to publicize Presley's music]."

Miyata says that the project got rolling in June, thanks in large part to Masaya Koizumi's liaison work. BMG Funhouse got the necessary clearances through BMG's offices in the U.S. and Germany, including getting the OK for the album's cover art, which features a photo of a smiling Koizumi superimposed next to an image of Presley dating from 1960.

BMG Funhouse president/CEO Hidehiko Tashiro has even written a letter to U.S. President George W. Bush, asking Bush to give his blessings to the project and describing the album as a unique milestone in U.S.-Japan cultural relations.

It's hard to imagine what the King would have made of it all.



(Sept.22, 2001, Thanks to Henrik Knudsen & Arjan Deelen)

Charity Single

Ernst has confirmed that BMG, together with Red Cross, are releasing a CD, with 3 songs. The money for the sale is going 100% to the victims and their relatives. The single will be sold all over the world.
The 3 songs are: If I Can Dream, America The Beautiful and Amazing Grace. We at Records & Books will donate the profit, from our sale to the same account. Read more news on this page as we get it.
Henrik Knudsen - Elvis Unlimited

I talked to Ernst Jorgensen today, and he told me that the Elvis "tribute" CD single for the victims of the terrorist attack on September 11th is now a reality.
It will consist of the following songs: "If I Can Dream," "America The Beautiful" and "Amazing Grace"
The proceeds from this single will go to the Red Cross. The front cover will be the same as the AMAZING GRACE release: a photo from "Love Me Tender", because BMG wanted to have an unglamorous cover. The Red Cross logo will also be on the frontcover. The CD single should be out within a week, or two weeks at the latest. Let's all support this wonderful initiative, and order this single now!
Arjan Deelen


BMG(米国)は エルヴィスの チャリティ・シングルの 発売を 決定したようです。 利益は 全て 赤十字に 寄付されます。 シングルCDの 曲目は、 "If I Can Dream," "America The Beautiful," "Amazing Grace" です。



(Sept.21, 2001)


"Get Away To Graceland" Sweepstakes (Lifetime TV)



(Sept.21, 2001)

Newsletter from (20 SEP 2001)

ELVIS WEEK 2002 - 25th Anniversary
Saturday, August 10 - Sunday, August 18

This is a very basic outline of events Graceland/EPE is working on for Elvis Week 2002 - the 25th anniversary. These early postings of information and updates are provided mainly as a service to those who need to have a good idea of our schedule in order to make their travel plans. This information will be updated as much as possible, as often as possible, including our adding the many other events presented by other organizations. Whatever information we have that can be announced will always be posted at www.elvis.com. The buzz is that Elvis Week 2002 will be the biggest ever.
Event tickets are not expected to go on sale until sometime in the first quarter of 2002.

Saturday 10 An Elvis Happening on Beale Street
Sunday 11 Gospel Brunch at Elvis Presley's Memphis
Monday 12 RCA Gold & Platinum Presentation
Elvis Fan Forum with EPE
Tuesday 13 Elvis Week Fashion Show
Elvis Week Dance Party
Wednesday 14 Fan Club Presidents Luncheon
Special Event (Details to come>
Thursday 15 Candlelight Vigil & Vigilcast
Friday 16
Elvis in Concert 2002 (working title)
Evening concert event at the Pyramid arena. Start time to be determined. The real Elvis Presley stars via video in this concert event with his real, original bandmates live on stage. Another big reunion show much like the one we did in 1997. Once again, we plan to bring together a large cast of singers and musicians who worked with Elvis on stage through the years. Those who are not familiar with this concept should see the explanation found in the Elvis-The Concert area of our site. The 2002 show in Memphis will use the same production technology as our touring Elvis-The Concert show, but will be a much more elaborate production than anything we've done before. Names of cast members will be posted once confirmed. Tickets are not expected to go on sale until sometime in the first quarter of 2002. As with all our special shows, we will have a special "pre-sale" period for Elvis fans to have an opportunity to buy tickets before ticket sales are advertised to the public at large.
Saturday 17 Elvis Fan Fest
Conversations on Elvis
Elvis Gospel Concert (working title)
Evening concert event at the Pyramid arena. Start time to be determined. Gospel music from Elvis' repertoire (songs he recorded and others that he liked) performed by singers who were bandmates, friends and/or favorites of Elvis - including performers from the Elvis in Concert 2002 event the night before. Elvis, via video, will sing lead on a few songs. Names of cast members will be posted once confirmed. During the show the Gospel Music Association (GMA) will make a special presentation in recognition of Elvis' November 2001 induction into the GMA's Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Tickets are not expected to go on sale until sometime in the first quarter of 2002. Ticket information will be posted here and sent out via our e-newsletter service well in advance of the on-sale date. As with all our special shows, we will have a special "pre-sale" period for Elvis fans to have an opportunity to buy tickets before ticket sales are advertised to the public at large.
Sunday 18 Gospel Brunch at Elvis Presley's Memphis



(Sept.20, 2001)

Elvis Box (Chronicle Books - October 2001)
$17.46
\2,636 は全ての商品 国内配送無料です。

The King of Rock and Roll lives! And now fans everywhere can enjoy authentic Elvis memorabilia without making a roadtrip to Graceland. From Elvis Presley's third grade report card to rare fan club mementos, the Elvis Box contains 14 reproductions of genuine Elvis artifacts, some never before exhibited. These pieces chronicle Elvis's life, from his childhood and early recording career, through his service in the army, his movies of the sixties, and his dramatic concert performances of the seventies. With a red velvet interior as svelte as a pair of blue suede shoes, die-hard Elvis fans and music enthusiasts alike will love this behind-the-scenes look at the life of the undisputed King of Rock and Roll.


The Elvis Box includes:
  • Fan club member card
  • Pay Stub
  • Presley family portrait
  • Third grade report card
  • 6 x 9 autographed glossy
  • Christmas postcard
  • Auto insurance form
  • Abridged 12-page fan club album
  • Job application
  • Concert poster
  • Box of 9 trading cards
  • Paycheck
  • Press release
  • Portrait, circa 1952


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And many many more "Elvis News" since 1996.

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