Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I have sometimes wondered what would have happened had Elvis decided to visit the UK after witnessing the reception The Beatles had been given on their first visit to the States. I feel certain that had some concerts been arranged his reception here in Uk would have been on a par with that afforded The Beatles, he was still an Iconic figure to many in UK and could have stolen their thunder so to speak. Even in the States he could have reacted by doing major tours but really left it till 68 and that comeback TV special which then prompted the tours, Vegas etc.

Would he have stopped the march of the Beat Generation,I 'm uncertain but he clearly would have diverted attention away from it here in UK. Those like myself who sort of grew up with the beat generation would still have thought The Beatles were better etc. Elvis fan's would probably have been in their twenties by 63 but unlike the sort of disillusionment felt by visit of Bill Haley, who received a tremendous reception oN first visit,till young kids realised that the man credited with starting Rock and Roll was a middle aged guy who looked old enough to be their Dad, this would not have been case with Elvis.

I was never a Elvis fan but probably may due to age then anything.

Thoughts for discussion perhaps.

A great Clough question Roy. What might have been?

I don't think that The Beatles were "stoppable or toppable" at that point Roy. They took the music of Elvis to the next level.

I consider that the momentum of Elvis was stopped in its tracks when he enlisted in the army in the spring of 1958. There is no doubt that his career was all shook up as a result.

After his return to civilian life he was swept away by the movies and the soundtracks were no substitution for touring.

To me, he was working more on his acting than his singing and performing at this time and while it continued to give him exposure, he was losing his ground with the younger generation. I agree that he was still making hits, however, he had lost his raw and rough edge and the energy which made him famous.

Yes Peter I agree but my question was based on the perception that after viewing what was happening to The Beatles, could he do anything about it, conjecture of course but we all know he was controlled by the Colonel, who was no more a Colonel than you or I.

It is alleged in some documentaries I have seen that one of the reasons he did not want Elvis leaving US was because he was afraid that he personally would be arrested or not get back into States.


I still believe that Elvis was, despite all the rubbish movies he was making, an icon that had he visited UK for first time in 63 or 64, a whole new generation of fans would have been discovered at expense perhaps of The Beatles, I believe their bandwagon would have stuttered but not rolled to a halt.

The Beatles were still performing live up to 66 comparisons would have been made, as it was his comeback in 68 was too late to harm The Beatles they were making a good job of that themselves by that time.

I have to agree with Peter. Elvis, or more likely Col. Tom, had the King belting out some pretty bad movies and even worse soundtracks. Most of this occurred, I think, at the height of the Beatles popularity. I also think there was a slight generation gap between Elvis' fans and those of the Beatles.

Roy: I don't think there was anything that Elvis could have done about it, even had he toured the UK at that point. His act and material could not have kept up with the more hip, more vibrant and more energetic Beatles of the day who were offering new original material. The King had lost his throne and was abdicated, courtesy the US army.

Lennon had an interesting take on Elvis' fizzle.

"Up until Elvis joined the army I thought it was beautiful music and Elvis was for me and my generation what The Beatles were to the 60s. But after he went into the army I think they cut 'les ********' off. They not only shaved his hair off but I think they shaved between his legs too. He played some good stuff after the army, but it was never quite the same. It was like something happened to him psychologically. Elvis really died the day he joined the army. That's when they killed him and the rest was a living death."

That Elvis was an icon is indisputable I believe, and to take it a step further, he was responsible for showing a successful style of performing to the Fab Four who learned the lession and took full advantage of it.

I think that I am possibly not putting across my point succinctly enough I accept his material and what he was doing at point of The Beatles at that point but what I am trying to convey is the picture of a resurgent Elvis performing somewhat in the style of the Comeback special who by reverting back to the undisputed king of rock and roll tag he had could have made a difference. Essentially in 63/63 The Beatles were 4 working class lads from Northern England who had made good, but I believe had Presley come to UK his career would have been rekindled, fans of The Beatles may even have thought 2hey this guy is the real deal that's where their got their inspiration from.

Try not to make comparisons as to how Presley was at start of Beatles fame but how he could have changed things. It may well be he couldn't and in States probably the case but here in UK there was still even then a mystique about Presley.

Roy: The last I read a few years ago, it was Elvis that has had more number one hits in the UK that The Beatles, 18 to 17 , respectively. So from this perspective, given his popularity it remains a plausible argument that he might have taken the UK by storm, even during his "puffy" stage I suppose.

Going head to head with the Fab Four at the peak of his performance would be an interesting match-up to be sure. All Shook Up versus I Saw Her Standing There. Which one would have captivate the UK more? Would the mystique of Presley have reigned supreme?

I don't think you guys have quite hit the nail squarely, yet.

When Elvis went into the Army in '58, I was 9 years old. He was not a blip on my radar yet. Of course I knew who he was, but I myself was in my Pinky Lee phase...

When he got out of the Army in March, 1960, I was almost 12 and much more musically-aware. It was several years before the Beatles still, but Elvis was making record, some of which, IMO, were the best-written and -produced in his career.

Among these were "Return to Sender", "Good Luck Charm", "His Latest Flame", "Little Sister", "Follow That Dream", "One Broken Heart For Sale", and "Devil in Disguise".

Unfortunately, for every one of these wonders, there are a half-dozen clunkers, each one from a movie whose theme was picked by Col. Tom, who was obviously tapping into every single fad of the times, usually enough in advance of the trend to keep Elvis riding high. So we have two Florida movies (one a Spring Break theme), one Hawaii classic, one New Orleans, a couple of Army themes, two religious, two clam movies (no kidding), etc.

Tom Parker wanted Elvis in MOVIES. That's where the money was. When that train slowed down too much, TV beckoned and Las Vegas' millions became too easy to turn down for a fat, bejewelled princely has-been with his stretch-panted, stretch-marked harem of faithful once-teenagers-now-moms.

But a British/European tour? He'd done that once before. In the Army.

And the pay was too low.

I suppose I should've said "borderline has-been" Elvis ALWAYS packed 'em in, although he slipped off the cutting edge about 1962 or '63.

Nicely put Paul. I consider that your comments provide the best explanation thus far as to why Elvis' music changed direction. Certainly management played a central role here.

We are, nonetheless, still faced with the crux of Roy's question. Had Elvis appeared on the scene in answer to, if you will, the Beatles' "invasion" would he have appealed to the UK audience in a way that would have stopped the Fabs in their tracks?

Perhaps one way to speculate whether Elvis had a "snowballs chance" at heading the Beatles off at the pass would be to see what acts were sweeping the UK fans off their feet in 1963.

A quick look at the charts revels that it was British acts, almost entirely, that were selling in 1963. To his credit, Elvis did well on two songs, Return To Sender in December 1962 and Devil In disguise in August 1963. These are the only blips on the radar screen and he flew beneath the radar for the next while with hits being hard to come by.

In 1963 it was a time of groups, original material and as such I consider that, even with his track record, that Elvis would have been at the back of the pack at this time. Notwithstanding his success and popularity in the UK, he was not doing well. Other American acts of note at the time included Roy Orbision and The Supremes.

Paul does indeed make some good comments Peter but with tongue in cheek spoils the argument with the British /European Tour comment, factually Paul never British tour even in the Army only time he has saw Britain was from an Aircraft Window when plane he was on touched down in Prestwick Scotland.

I do think you are near to my thoughts somewhat, I am slightly older than you a few months but again awareness of music really came in 1960 when I too was 12.

Facts are Presley from January 56 to July 63 had 21 top ten hits majority being number 1 or 2, One Broken Heart For Sale one of his shortest singles I believe only made number 12 over here.. From July 63 onwards the hits became noticeably smaller except for Crying In The Chapel in 65 and In The Ghetto in 69 which were number 1 and 2 respectively.

It is this concept of his popularity in UK up till July 63 that I am raising, a visit here would in my view have revitalised his career even though the popularity of The Beatles was enormous, I still believe that a Elvis UK tour would have had old and new fans returning to the cause.

Peter you are indeed correct on the 18 number ones though his last number one was really down to the mixing skills of the outfit that recorded it whose name escapes me, but until you mentioned it I did not realise it had been credited to Presley.

I believe it was A Little Less Conversation remixed by JXL, Roy.

And my tongue remains planted firmly in my cheek, at least until my 7500th post, Roy.

Paul, one more time!