Talk:Elvis Presley/Archive 19

message: Im sorry but my hamster has more talent than Elvis. He didnt have 1/4 the talent of Prince, James Brown, Michael Jackson and the Beatles. Rolling Stones, Madonna, and Dylan are utter garbage too.
:"This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the [Elvis Presley] article. This is not a forum for general discussion about the article's subject". This appears at the top of all talk pages. Your comment isn't signed. You can put your comments in your own blog, or join a chat room where others have such enlightening observations to share with the world. Don't write them here. Rikstar 11:25, 29 July 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: "Well, you'd have to consider that it was the fifties, and that your opinion matters little to anybody, especially his fans.Punkymonkey987 03:32, 15 August 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Talent? 

message: This article is becoming to long, especially the section 1969-1977 - Elvis's final years. The whole section can exist as an article itself. I estimate the readable prose of the article must be approximately 100KB. I suggest some division. AW 03:03, 3 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Being formely involved in a project to improve this page without much in the way of results - I've been thinking the same myself. This page should include a biography in general terms with seperate articles on "Elvis and relationships", "Elvis and race" etc. being made independent and linked here and there here. So I second your motion. --Northmeister 04:05, 3 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Details concerning Elvis's "Top 10 Gold hits" and the selling of his many records in the section, "1969-1977 - Elvis's final years" may be condensed and perhaps put into a table. I do not think that it is necessary to create more separate articles. Onefortyone 04:20, 3 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Aware of article's length 

message: To my dismay, I have now seen what has happened to the Elvis Presley article a few days ago. User:Northmeister has removed several paragraphs from the article in order to cut it from a very biased point of view. He himself states on his user page, "I've been a lifelong fan of Elvis Presley." Therefore, he removed most material that included some critical remarks concerning the singer's life. The article now reads as if it has been chiefly written by Elvis fans.
There are still expressions in the article that clearly show the dominance of biased fan views:
*"He remains a pop icon thirty years after his death..."
::Query: is this really true? In an article entitled "Getting today's teens all shook up over Elvis", Woody Baird says, "Teenagers in the 1950s and '60s went wild over Elvis Presley, much to the consternation of their parents, but kids in the new millennium aren't so stirred by rock 'n' roll's original rebel. 'I can't try to sell somebody Elvis who doesn't know who he is . . . that he's not just some guy who's been gone for 30 years,' said Paul Jankowski, chief of marketing for Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc." Therefore, "the multimillion dollar Elvis business will try to connect with a new generation of teenage fans." They endeavor to show up more film clips, photos and other material from the vast Presley archives online. 'We will take our MySpace page and we will focus on expanding our number of friends on MySpace, that kind of thing,' Jankowski said..." However, Baird concludes, "Moving Elvis content online should be easy; making Elvis cool again will be more difficult. After all, for most kids, Elvis is the music of their parents' - or grandparents' - generation." See 
*"In a musical career of over two decades, Presley set numerous records including, concert attendance, television ratings, and records sales, while became one of the best-selling artists in music history."
*"His shows in Vegas were known for their highly energetic performances—both vocally and physically—and his trademark jump-suits and capes, which added to the drama. His concert performances were staggering in quantity, numbering 1,145 in the eight years from 1969 to 1977. He continued to perform to sold-out auditoriums around the U.S. until his sudden death in 1977."
*"By 1957 Presley was the most famous entertainer in the world."
Further changes suggest that fans now dominate the article:
*A new section entitled "Southern star" has been created.
*The section concerning the influence of his manager Colonel Tom Parker which was correctly entitled Presley and his manager "Colonel" Tom Parker has been renamed and some critical passages have been removed. For inexplicable reasons, the section is now entitled "American icon". 
*There are now two different sections in the article stressing Elvis being a US mega star: "American idol" and "American icon". 
*On the other hand, more critical paragraphs such as A danger to American culture?, Political beliefs and The Elvis cult and its critics have been deleted.
*The Death and burial section has been removed.
*The Elvis lives? section is still in the article.
*etc. ELVIS AARON PRESLEY HAS BEING SEEN AND WITNESSED TO THE POLICE OF HIS DEATH. AS HE DIED ON THE LIVINGROOM FLOOR BUT SAID TO HAVE DIED IN AN AMBULANCE. IF YOU HAVE BEING TOLD HE DIED ANYWHERE ELSE BY ANYONE DON'T BELIVE THEM THEY ARE LIEING!
Several well-sourced details have been totally removed from the older version of the article, for instance:
- from the Early life section:
*"Vernon Presley is described as "taciturn to the point of sullenness"Peter Guralnick, Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley, p.12. and as "a weakling, a malingerer, always averse to work and responsibility,"Albert Goldman, Elvis: The Last 24 Hours, p.16 whereas his mother, Gladys, was "voluble, lively, full of spunk."Guralnick, Last Train to Memphis, p.12. Priscilla Presley describes her as "a surreptitious drinker and alcoholic. When she was angry, "she cussed like a sailor."Priscilla Presley, Elvis and Me, p.172"
*"Neither Gladys nor Vernon had finished elementary school. The result was one "menial job after another. One run-down apartment after the next, barely enough money to put food on the table for a family of three."Connie Kirchberg and Marc Hendrickx, Elvis Presley, Richard Nixon, and the American Dream (1999), p.7.
*The little boy "grew up a loved and precious child. He was, everyone agreed, unusually close to his mother."Peter Guralnick, Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley, p.13. "Much has been written about the unusually close relationship between Elvis and his mother, often with the suggestion of something unhealthy afoot," because "Elvis, sole survivor of a pair of twins delivered by Gladys, would reap the love and attention normally given two boys."Robert Rodriguez, The 1950s' Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Rock & Roll Rebels, Cold War Crises, and All-American Oddities (2006), p.86 His mother "worshipped him," said a neighbor, "from the day he was born." Elvis himself said, "My mama never let me out of her sight. I couldn't go down to the creek with the other kids."Guralnick, p.13.
*Interestingly, the following passage is still to be found in the article: "On the evening of April 5, 1936, the Presley's survived the fourth deadliest tornado in US history that took 233 lives."
- from the Death and burial section (which has now been totally removed):
*On August 16, 1977, at his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee, Presley was found lying on the floor of his bedroom's bathroom by his fiancee, Ginger Alden, who had been asleep. A stain on the bathroom carpeting was found that indicated "where Elvis had thrown up after being stricken, apparently while seated on the toilet. It looked to the medical investigator as if he had 'stumbled or crawled several feet before he died'."Guralnick, Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley, p.651. (This is now part of another section.)
In the section concerning the influence of Elvis's manager Colonel Parker, which was correctly entitled Presley and his manager "Colonel" Tom Parker but is now wrongly entitled American icon, these well-sourced critical remarks have been removed:
*Parker's success led to Presley expanding the "Colonel's" management contract to an even 50/50 split. Over the years, much has been written about "Colonel" Parker, most of it critical. "Endlessly deferring to his manager," says John Harris, the singer "watched his own career dive first into B-movie schmaltz and thence towards the dead-end that was Las Vegas."John Harris, "Talking about Graceland". The Guardian, March 27, 2006. Marty Lacker, a lifelong friend and a member of the Memphis Mafia, says he thought of Parker as a "hustler and scam artist" who abused Presley's reliance on him.  Priscilla Presley admits that "Elvis detested the business side of his career. He would sign a contract without even reading it."Priscilla Presley, Elvis and Me, p. 188. This would explain the strong influence the Colonel had on Presley. Nonetheless, Lacker acknowledged that Parker was a master promoter.Marty Lacker, Lamar Fike, and Billy Smith, Elvis Aron Presley: Revelations from the Memphis Mafia (1995). A detailed biography of Parker was written by Alanna Nash and published in 2003.
The last passage now reads:
*On September 9, 1956, at his first of three appearances on the Sullivan show, Presley drew an estimated 82.5% percent of the television audience, calculated at between 55-60 million viewers. On his third and final appearance (January 6, 1957) on the The Ed Sullivan Show, Sullivan, apparently very impressed by Presley, pointed to him and told the audience "This is a real decent, fine boy. We've never had a pleasanter experience on our show with a big name than we've had with you ... You're thoroughly all right."
Significantly, this additional remark has been omitted:
*However, it has also been said that Presley's manager orchestrated the compliment in exchange for permitting Presley to appear, after Sullivan had earlier publicly stated his refusal to allow Presley on his program.
: I also removed this unreferenced statement that is completely contrary to Sullivan's enthusiastic reactions to Presley during the two of three shows he hosted when Elvis was on the show. My edit was undo with no justification. Steve Pastor 14:43, 8 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Couldn't agree more about the fan element having too much influence in this article. It is however a little ironic, Onefortyone, that some of the contributions you have proposed, like those questioning Presley's sexuality, would cause people like me to ask: "What has happened to this article?" I've read a lot of justifications about contributions being based on recognised publishings or sources, as if this means any such contributions should be included. But I just don't get the bi/homosexuality thing with Elvis. Rock Hudson, Montgomery Clift, etc., OK. But Bill Dakota, Albert Goldman, FBI files, etc. just aren't enough to seriously question his sexuality, especially when one can call into question the motivation of those making such claims. I don't give a damn whether he was gay or not, but I do care about this article having an encyclopedic format and content. Some original research by some authors may allude to homosexuality, so let them publish it, but this article isn't the place for relatively unsubstantiated material. I do stress that I agree with you about this looking a bit like a fan site in places at the moment, and I'm glad there is some detail regarding his long-term drug misuse.Rikstar 04:48, 10 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I wasn't talking about Elvis's possible bisexuality, as this was not even mentioned in the long version of the article. I was talking about several other well-sourced paragraphs which have now been removed from the article, for instance, the section on the "Elvis cult and its critics", etc. And why is the material about Elvis's drug abuse now part of a "Controversy" section at the end of the article? As some few of the new edits indeed make sense, I won't touch the article at the moment and just have a look what is going wrong. However, you can be sure that I will return later with several changes. Onefortyone 23:51, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

text: By the way, why did you delete this quote which was added by Northmeister? Here is Robert Pattison, The Triumph of Vulgarity: Rock Music in the Mirror of Romanticism (Oxford University Press 1987), p.113:  "Elvis explained rock's energetic sexuality in defending himself against his refined detractors: 'They all think I'm a sex maniac. They're just frustrated old types, anyway. ...' " Onefortyone 01:01, 11 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Onefortyone, I was referring to the Bill Dakota stuff you referenced in this talk page, in which you specifically and unequivocally refer to Presley's possible bisexuality, 'closeness' to Nick Adams, etc. As for deleting this quote which was added by Northmeister - I didn't. Editing the main article is a bit like walking on egg shells; I now wouldn't dare change/delete anything significant without proposing it in the talk pages. I probably won't bother anyway - I think editing should be enjoyable, but the main Elvis article and discussion have been heavy going for a long time.Rikstar 03:42, 12 May 2007 (UTC)

text: "To my dismay, I have now seen what has happened to the Elvis Presley article a few days ago. User:Northmeister has removed several paragraphs from the article in order to cut it from a very biased point of view. He himself states on his user page, "I've been a lifelong fan of Elvis Presley." Therefore, he removed most material that included some critical remarks concerning the singer's life. The article now reads as if it has been chiefly written by Elvis fans." 
Well I've just looked at the main article again. It does, as I agreed before, have a fan site element to it. But in terms of format and headings, It is better in that it has a more encyclopedic feel to it. Gone are whole sections that emphasised aspects that encyclopedias would not detail or even mention at all. But granted it needs work. 
There is nothing wrong with this article being chiefly written by Elvis fans, or even looking as if it has, so long as NPOV is maintained. And there is every indication that some editors who happen to be fans are making every effort to recognise their own potential for bias and to seek support in achieving a NPOV. What this article does NOT need is contributions that take it outside of an encyclopedic framework and which do so as if there is a sustained and deliberate attempt to inject a dubious and rather unsavoury negativity disguised as an attempt to restore a NPOV. If all editors had the insight to recognise their own potential for bias and any apparent propensity to stick to dubious agendas, we might get a decent article written soon, instead of about ten years from now.
Rikstar 05:32, 12 May 2007 (UTC)

text: The article seems a bit too fan influenced. I wish that some of the input by Onefortyone  (biased though he may or may not be) got more air time. Elvis was wonderful, but an encyclopedia article, especially a wikipedia article should be brutally honest. --Timtak 15:52, 17 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: What has happened to the Elvis article?

message: There are several versions of this "quote"
:Over and over I remember Sam [Phillips] saying, “If i could find a white man who had the Negro sound and the Negro feel, I could make a billion dollars.” (Sun Records co-manager Marion Keisker, citerad i Hopkins 1971: 66)
:Marion Keisker ... recalled Sam Phillips saying repeatedly, “If I could find a white boy who could sing like a nigger, I could make a million dollars.” (Goldman 1981a: 129)
:If I could find a white man who had the Negro sound and the Negro feel, I could make a million dollars. (Sam Phillips, citerad I Choron & Oskam 1991: 7)[ http://www.netikka.net/sek/docs/elvis-hela_avhandlingen.pdf] Elvis 
Note the different words as the "quote" is repeated from text to text. The orginal "quote" is based on a second hand rendering. This is addressed in the following book - 
:After Elvis: The Posthumous Career of a Living Legend By Gilbert B. Rodman
page 32 “On more than one occasion, however, Phillips has denied making any such statement (Marcus, 198: 16n; Worth and Tamerius, 1988; 153n) and Keisker is the only source of direct evidence to the contrary.”
 (emphasis added) —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Steve Pastor (talk • contribs) 14:38, 8 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: The problem is that there are two living eyewitnesses to the event who contradict each other. Even Greil Marcus chooses to give more credence to Keisker's version than to Phillips's. It could well be that nowadays Phillips don't want to compromise himself and therefore denies to have said anything of the kind. Rodman, who discusses in detail the different versions of the story, also says, p. 34, "What Phillips did or didn't really say is almost irrelevant (...); of infinitely greater significance is what people believe he said and the effects of such beliefs." So I think the quote belongs in the article. Onefortyone 00:12, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

text: There are many ways to present Phillips' philosophy. And there are many, many worthwhile things to add to Presley's music and performances, which in my opinion is somthing that should be a major part of this article. Also, there are many recorded interviews with the principals of this story. We no longer have to rely on second hand accounts of many things. We also no longer have to rely on someone elses account of what the music sounds like with the availablity of samples. He said/she said doesn't rise to my level of verifiablity. Especially when the supposed "quote" has verious permutations. Steve Pastor 19:59, 12 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Sam Phillips "quote" 

message: I've truncated the Legacy and reformated the article regarding 21st century. Added "Accomplisments and Awards" then changed title to "Commerative measures" but am unsure of sub-header title and what it should be. Tried to reduce the trivial nature of the 21st Century section with new section "Recent Developments" - of course feel free to twik these sections if you feel you can improve them. Trying to get article length within acceptable standards - as earlier complaints of length were lodged by others and in the original Featured article rejection. I am pleased with the efforts of several editors thus far towards making this article acceptable to the "Good" category and someday be a "Featured" piece. --Northmeister 17:16, 12 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: This edit shows more than a thousand words which kind of "relevant" and "encyclopedic" information you wish to have included in the article in order to reduce its trivial nature. Onefortyone 01:12, 13 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I certainly hope so! Joan inspired me with her words: . --Northmeister 02:50, 13 May 2007 (UTC)

text: I must say that one of the first things I noticed about this article, in the introduction, is POV. It goes on a lot about how Elvis' voice had a a great "centre of gravity" and the like. Claiming that possibly no one to this day can sing for such a diverse range of music. This is not really factual, more the opinion of someone who liked his music.-Anonymous —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 121.45.127.83 (talk) 06:41, 13 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Agreed, whoever you are. I skirted round those bits when I tried to clean up the intro, but they need to be changedRikstar 10:17, 13 May 2007 (UTC)

text: Made above changes - also added reference to pill taking in the army (Military Service section). It seems to have started here and this is widely accepted. It should be mentioned because of it's later significance. Rikstar 12:25, 13 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I agree. --Northmeister 13:45, 13 May 2007 (UTC)

text: Agreed. I'll have a think. It also strikes me that a few comments on his health and cause of death are based on the opinions of people who, as far as I know, aren't or weren't medically qualified e.g. Kathy Westmorland and Sam Phillips. Their inclusion looks a bit desperate, as if in the interests of balance, editors are trying to argue that he wasn't as obese or drug dependent as he actually was. I think comments of this nature should come from a medical source. Rikstar 01:47, 14 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: True - I think that would be a good policy to go by with medical questions. --Northmeister 01:57, 14 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I've shortened the heading. I'm also thinking of changing the word 'abuse' to 'misuse' throughout (except if it's a quote of course): the two words are often seen as synonyms, but they aren't. Elswhere, I think the return to live performance section looks and reads too long. Rikstar 02:21, 14 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Agreed. In regards to 'return to live...' - we should concentrate on the highlights of that decade (mostly the 1970s) rather than all the trivia like stuff of "And he again returned to Las Vegas..." to paraphrase. --Northmeister 02:41, 14 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Have cut the 'return to live...' section; some of the 'he went here, then there' stuff has gone. Also added a bit about RCA struggling to get Elvis to record as his health deteriorated which I may expand a bit. Rikstar 05:09, 14 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I'll take a look. Been busy going through all the known articles and putting in the template where it relates. --Northmeister 05:13, 14 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Article improvement efforts

message: I've added a photo of Elvis from Aloha Hawaii - to see his look at the time. Photo's should show his transformation through the years I think. Not sure if one exists for his last years or not. Also added 1945 fair 'old shep' singing - first time before crowd. --Northmeister 05:31, 14 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Yep, it all helps. And the 'Aloha' pic makes up for that hideous statue in Memphis... Don't want to tempt fate, but I think this article is getting somewhere. Rikstar 05:52, 14 May 2007 (UTC)

text: I've trimmed the 'Return to live performances' section, but it still comes across like his major chart successes only came as a result of touring post 1968. His major chart impact was in the '50s (though it varied from country to country), but this isn't reflected in earlier sections. I don't think the chart success of 56-59 should be mentioned in great detail; we need to avoid the boring format of the early versions of 'Return to live performances' which listed everything bar what he ate for breakfast on tour. Maybe the 'Return to live performances' section needs cutting even more. Rikstar 08:15, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

text: "Presley is only one of four artists (Roy Orbison, Guns N' Roses and Nelly being the others) to ever have two top five albums on the charts simultaneously." This is an interesting statistic, but has little to do with 'Commemoration'. More I think, the more these latter sections don't work too well at the moment. The Legacy section looks too short and the sections following it make trivial facts and stats about Elvis seem more important than his legacy. I'll look at expanding the legacy section. Rikstar 08:29, 15 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I've been thinking the same myself. I cut the legacy section down, but maybe to much. See what you can do - I'll be working on the article a little later. --Northmeister 22:20, 15 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I have been busy on all sections, just trying to get everything to gel and look NPOV, and reinstated some of the legacy section. There's also a new section on early TV as this was getting long. Some sections still lack references. I hope people will use the talk page to discuss proposed changes of significance. Rikstar 22:44, 15 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Improvement Efforts II

message: I look forward to the day that we can replace a description of this performance to a clip of it that everyone can see for themselves. Dance is one of my hobbies. Presley's estate sanctioned a line dance to go with "Such a Night". There are, what I thought would be pelvic movements in the dance, so I did big hip/pelvic rolls. Boy was I surprised when I actually saw how Elvis moved. As I wrote originally, the movement he did was in his legs. I have stopped rolling my pelvis in this particular dance, because Elvis was rotating his knee and leg, not his pelvis or hips. There is of course some movement in his hips, but it is incidental. If they had wanted his hips and pelvis to show,  he would not have been wearing black pants, coverd in part by a light colored sport coat. When this show was broadcast, his performance was over in little more than 2 minutes. Just as most people believe that they saw someone stabbed in the shower scene in "Psycho" (Hitchcock only shows the knife rising and falling, head shots, and blood going into the drain) people thought they saw Elvis thrust his pelvis. Likewise, people go to salsa lessons expecting to wiggle their hips. Hip motion in salsa comes primarily from stepping onto a straight leg, something Elvis does almost spastically in this preformance, and others.  Also, dance for the majority of the population, has come quite a ways since the mid 1950s. Now, Fosse's dancers used their pelvis and hips! Just as I hope that Wikipedia would want to include the fact that a tomato is in fact a fruit, even though everyone calls it a vegetable, I hope we will not perpetuate an inaccurate description of how Elvis moved. If anyone knows where this clip can be found on line, please add a link! Steve Pastor 16:47, 16 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I can't dance, and the description we've got now is better than previous versions. Just glad we managed to avoid using the term 'spastic' and its derivatives in the main article! A link to the Milton Berle clip would be very nice. What d'ya think a http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afuJnsWRkwE ??Rikstar 17:26, 16 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Wondering if there is anyway to imbed the clip into the article? --Northmeister 18:29, 17 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Unfortunately, I'm not sure how to do this. There may also be other versions of this clip: the link I posted is from the film This is Elvis(I think) and has commentary over the Milton Berle soundtrack... I'd prefer it to be the unadulterated original. What the heck, I'll add a link anyway Rikstar 23:05, 17 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Hound Dog on the Milton Berle Show

message: Maybe this will look better after I've seen it for a while, but I doubt it. Emphasizing through the end of the 1950s at this point goes way outside any time line, since the next section is on early TV appearances, all of which were in 1956. There was a synergy between the TV appearances and the 1956 releases. Presley didn’t cut “Hound Dog” until after the Steve Allen show. The post 1956 records can be picked up later. Also, the lengthy list of songs just looks bad, especially the ones in red (Yes, I know, article to come. It still looks bad.) I think we are a bit off track here. Thought I would give whoever added this first crack. Steve Pastor 16:47, 17 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: See what you can do with it. Maybe it needs to be moved elsewhere or split up into relevant sections. I am open to suggestions. --Northmeister 18:16, 17 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Steve Pastor, you're so right. I got so carried away and tired with all my hard work on my edits that I forgot the time line thing, and that post-'56 list looks so bad. I'll do my best to revise this. I think the 'Going national...' section is now unnecessary and can be partly absorbed into the previous section, and then the pre-army RCA hits might need some mention after the 'Controversy king' section, to maintain this time line thing. I say might because it seems inconsistent to not mention the chart hits he was having at this time when there is so much reference to his tour dates and chart hits in the 'return to live performing' section. Personally, I'd like to continue to do as I've done before and cut the "song/album 'x' was released and reached number 'y' in the charts" type stuff 'cos this information is available elsewhere. And apart from that, it's boring as hell, especially to those who are not Elvis fans, or just neutral. While I'm at it, I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their recents efforts in revising this article - it's only polite [User:Rikstar|Rikstar]] 22:22, 17 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I agree. --Northmeister 22:43, 17 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: "paragraph list" of recordings with RCA

message: What's up with that? I want to add an incident about Nat King Cole being beaten up, while at the same time he was a #1 selling artist, as an example of how things were in the 50s. Where did a workable link to that go? Think maybe the rewrite edits are coming to fast? Steve Pastor 19:07, 17 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Not sure what your referencing? --Northmeister 19:49, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

text: The last few days, you could click on the Disam link, and find your way to the Cultural Impact, etc sections. Now you just end up back at the Elvis article.???Steve Pastor 20:53, 17 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I'm still not sure of what this is. Best thing is to go and fix the link you speak of, so it works right. I would but not sure of where it was. --Northmeister 22:44, 17 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Disambiguation Discomboobulation

message: Elvis's Ed Sullivan appearances need some rewriting. Here is Elvis expert Greil Marcus on the Ed Sullivan Shows (see ):
*Beginning on September 9, Elvis’s three appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show focused the nation. As if in counterpoint to the contest between President Dwight D. Eisenhower and his challenger Adlai Stevenson then just underway, the country tuned in, and suddenly you were on one side or the other. Was Elvis Presley a sexual predator, offering fantasies of ravishment to girls and rape to boys? A black man disguised as a white man? The hood who menaced you for your lunch money on your way to school and your new jacket on the way home? A homosexual in a pink shirt and dripping with make-up? A threat to all rules, of every kind, from every source, family, church, the law? Or was he the most exciting thing you’d ever seen? And was there a difference? 
*As you trace Elvis’s journey through the country in 1956, you can feel the tension build. From show to show, month to month, as Berle or Allen or Sullivan flitted around the ever more relaxed, seemingly invulnerable Presley, you enter a queer drama, where legitimate, northern, fully socialized and socializing individuals, great celebrities secure in their belief that they will and deserve to be remembered forever, try eagerly, or desperately, to at once distance themselves from and attach themselves to the Memphis Flash in the pan. It’s a trend, they’re going to ride it out, they were here before he was and they’ll be here when he’s gone, but they’re like moths drawn to his flame. Berle in a skit where girls tear his clothes off, then in another where he presents himself as Elvis’s twin brother, “Melvin,” who “taught Elvis everything he knew” (a sick, if not cruel idea, given the still-birth of Elvis’s real twin brother, Jesse Garon). Allen dressing Elvis in white tie and tails and forcing him to sing “Hound Dog” to a basset hound, and then Sullivan, for Elvis’s second appearance on his show, attempting an Elvis shuffle: “I can’t figure this thing out. He just goes like this—and everybody yells.” They can’t help hinting, all but shouting in their scripted confusion, that they have no idea what’s going on—or what might come next. It was a drama of anxiety, and never so well played as by the British actor Charles Laughton, for Elvis’s first night on The Ed Sullivan Show. ...
*Presley was the headliner, and a Sullivan headliner normally opened the show, but Sullivan was burying him. Laughton had to make the moment invisible: to act as if nobody was actually waiting for anything. He did it instantly, with complete command, with the sort of television presence that some have and some—Steve Allen, or Ed Sullivan himself—don’t. ...
*For the first of his two appearances that night, as a performer Elvis had come on dressed in grandma’s nightgown and nightcap. ...
*Earlier, he stood before the Jordainaires, his vocal backup quartet, his band off-screen. Now they were all there, Elvis, Scotty Moore on guitar, Bill Black on stand-up bass, D. J. Fontana on drums, three Jordanaires on their feet, one at a piano. They were shown from behind; the camera pulled all the way back. They went into “Ready Teddy.” It was Little Richard’s most thrilling record, there was no way Elvis was going to catch him, but he didn’t have to—the song is a wave and he rode it. Compared to moments on the Dorsey shows, on the Berle show, it was ice cream—Elvis’s face unthreatening, his legs as if in casts—but it didn’t matter. ...
*Compared to Elvis’s performances on the first Sullivan show, what happened on the Dorsey shows—Elvis all but bursting out of dark clothes, his eyes almost blackened with shadow, his hair impossibly high, Moore and Black at his sides as if the three were an advance patrol behind enemy lines, the whole performance shot for lights flaring up in gloom—was back-alley noir compared to Sulllivan’s Broadway, less family entertainment than muggings at one end of the street and five-dollar tricks turned against the wall at the other, but the breadth of the moment told its own story. ...
*With Sullivan back to host Elvis’s second and third appearances, story played itself out. On October 28, ... Elvis came out looking pleased, at home. He reprised “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Love Me Tender.” He laughed at himself, burlesqued his performance, as he would throughout the night—except for odd moments, as with “Love Me,” in his second of three segments, when, after “Oh, so lonely,” with the camera in close he simply stopped, and a quiet smile drifted across his face, a moment of beauty and peace, just before he remembered to lift his upper right lip. He closed with “Hound Dog.” ...
*“I SPOKE TO SULLIVAN TODAY AND THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME MISUNDERSTANDING REGARDING PRESENTATION OF PRESLEY,” Elvis’s manager, Tom Parker, had written in a telegram to his agent, Harry Kaclcheim of the William Morris Agency, on July 12, just after the Elvis-in-tails Steve Allen Show. “I WILL DO WHATEVER IS FAIR BUT MUST INSIST ON COMPLETE CONTROL OF PRESENTATION AS TO SONGS WE HAD TOO MUCH ADVERSE PUBLICITY ON LAST SHOW REGARDNG ELVIS BEING TIED DOWN TOO MUCH AT LEAST TEN TO ONE.” If anyone had tied Elvis down on his first two appearances on the Sullivan Show, it was Elvis himself, but on his third and final appearance, on January 6, 1957, the notorious night when Elvis was shown only from the waist up—not only for “Hound Dog” and “Heartbreak Hotel,” but even for the closing spiritual, “Peace in the Valley”—Elvis did not tie himself down. Leaving behind the bland clothes he had worn on the first two shows, he stepped out in the outlandish costume of a pasha, if not a harem girl. From the make-up over his eyes, the hair falling in his face, the overwhelmingly sexual cast of his mouth, he was playing Rudolph Valentino in The Shiek, with all stops out. That he did so in front of the Jordanaires, who this night appeared as the four squarest-looking men on the planet, made the performance even more potent. Though the self-parody remained, the strangeness was back. 
*In a show highlighted by the national television debut of “a very pretty young comedienne,” as Sullivan introduced Carol Burnett, who did a series of impressions of hapless female singers auditioning on Broadway, a breathtaking routine from the British ventriloquist Arthur Worsley, and more than eleven endless minutes devoted to the Broadway musical The Most Happy Fella, Elvis didn’t fit. Every time you looked at him, you wondered who he was, what he was doing there: where, in his heart, he really was. There was a time in the second of his three segments that night, in the midst of “When My Blue Moon Turned to Gold Again,” when a kind of vortex opened up, and there was a moment of suspension. In a close-up, the uniqueness of Elvis’s face escaped from its presentation; for an instant, he was too handsome, and too handsome in too different a way, for the show, for any show, for the spectacle he himself had enacted throughout the previous year, to contain. “May God bless you as he’s blessed me,” Elvis had said with eloquence and feeling as he closed his performance on October 28, but on the last night no words so clear would have done, and so, outside of the eloquence of the Reverend Thomas A. Dorsey’s words in “Peace in the Valley,” there were none. ... 
See also the following account taken from Michael David Harris, Always on Sunday: Ed Sullivan, An Inside View (1968), p.116:
*Sullivan signed Presley when the host was having an intense Sunday-night rivalry with Steve Allen. Allen had the singer on July 1 and trounced Sullivan in the ratings. When asked to comment, the CBS star said that he wouldn't consider presenting Presley before a family audience. Less than two weeks later he changed his mind and signed a contract. The newspapers asked him to explain his reversal. "What I said then was off the reports I'd heard. I hadn't even seen the guy. Seeing the kinescopes, I don't know what the fuss was all about. For instance, the business about rubbing the thighs. He rubbed one hand on his hip to dry off the perspiration from playing his guitar." There was a press conference in the studio on the day of Presley's first appearance and Sullivan was impressed by the way the singer handled himself. One reporter asked if he was bothered when silly little girls put their lip imprints all over his new white Cadillac. "I tried to interrupt and help him out, but Elvis disregarded me completely: 'Well, ma'am,' he said politely, 'if it hadn't been for what you call these silly little girls, I wouldn't have had that white Cadillac.' Isn't that a beautiful line for a kid? "Today Elvis' gyrations are strictly old hat," Sullivan says, though he tried to sign the singer up again last year. He phoned Presley's manager, Col. Tom Parker, and asked about a price. Parker came up with a list of instructions and conditions and after hearing the demands Sullivan said, "Give Elvis my best—and my sympathy," and he hung up. Onefortyone 01:57, 18 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: This is interesting stuff and I've got more like it on my book shelves. I'm just not sure what bits you think are significant for inclusion and what can be added without over-extending the TV appearances section. Rikstar 08:58, 18 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I think we need to keep in mind that many of the people who wrote about Elvis were writing books. Much of what they write is opinion and doesn't need to be repeated here. I would like to see us concentrate on what happened, not an interpretation of it. For instance, we can hear the young women giggling, laughing, etc, when Elvis "gyrates". What does it mean? Someone should write a book where they are free to guess. There is plenty to add about Elvis's breakthrough year 1956. Elvis at the New Frontier in Vegas is coming soon. I agree that we don't want to bloat things up too much. There is an article on the Ed Sullivan Show that is pretty short. Maybe there? Steve Pastor 16:51, 18 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I agree with Rikstar and Pastor here. --Northmeister 17:49, 18 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Elvis's Ed Sullivan appearances

message: I think there needs to be some detail about the sexual content of Presley's act in the breakthrough year bit, as opposed to just saying it was "controversial". I'll have a look. Also, the bit about Freddie Bell and Hound Dog, which 141, edited at one point, could lose the "a major attraction in town, at the Sands casino hotel" as it just bloats the piece Rikstar 05:57, 19 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I think your right here - thanks for all the work.  --Northmeister 06:26, 19 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: "At one point during the second, Sullivan stood on stage with Presley. While Sullivan was addressing the audience, Presley, who had been standing quietly, began shaking his legs, eliciting screams from the young girls in the stage audience. Sullivan then looked at Presley, but missed what the singer had done to cause the audience reaction as Presley assumed his former, serious demeanor." I may be wrong, but I think this observation is a bit of a weak example of what the audience saw on set; it's sort of a fan's description and non-fans would probably think: "Eh??" I say we should really be describing the (sexual) nature of the performances as a whole (The descrption of the Berle "Hound Dog" performance is different 'cos it was a sensation and merits some detail - an embedded clip or some stills would be great).  By the way, I think the heading change to "Breakthrough year" was a heck of a good move... as was "Awards and recognition" Rikstar 05:57, 19 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Northmeister's deleting tactics clearly show that he endeavors to whitewash the article. He did a revert and falsely claimed in the edit summary that my edits are simple revert to earlier version and not improvements. See . This is not acceptable. In fact, I have included additional and well sourced material. Lively descriptions of Elvis's Ed Sullivan appearances must be included in the article, especially if the additional material is backed up by authorities on Elvis such as Greil Marcus. The Wikipedia article is not a fan site. Onefortyone 12:16, 19 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Onefortyone, it is ironic that I was addressing this very issue when our joint efforts resulted in an editing conflict! I too was going to add some of Marcus's observations. As for "Northmeister's deleting tactics" and "endeavors to whitewash the article", I really think such comments are not fair. If Northmeister wanted to he/she could have attempted a thousand changes to prove they were the no.1 Elvis Fanatic, but they haven't. It's been said before, but we should assume good faith, and work jointly, as I believe you and I were just prior to this talk. Rikstar 13:02, 19 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Recent changes

message: Just a question. The following passage is still to be found in the opening of the article. To my mind, most of this material should be included in the different sections of the article.
:After a performance hiatus imposed by movie commitments in the 1960s, Presley re-emerged as a live performer of old and new hit songs, both on tour and in residency at Las Vegas, Nevada. His performances were known for their energetic drive, his karate-influenced stage movements and his elaborate jump-suits and capes. Never venturing to perform abroad, he continued to have sell-out shows in auditoriums around the U.S. until shortly before his sudden death in 1977."Fans Of Elvis Pay a Lot to See Little" by Damien Jaques, The Milwaukee Journal, April 28, 1977, retrieved October 22, 2006"They Screamed For Elvis 'All it took was a shake of a finger'" by Paul Betit, Kennebec Journal, May 25, 1977, retrieved October 22, 2006"There's no doubt about it -Elvis is still 'king'" by Jeri Gulbransen, Rapid City Journal, June 22, 1977, retrieved October 22, 2006 Though his appearance had worried many for several years, his death seemed to stun the American nation and shock his fans worldwide. Only in the ensuing years did it emerge that Presley had complex and chronic health problems, perhaps most significantly, severe and enduring prescription drug addiction. His death sparked national mourning, but controversy regarding the circumstances and cause of his death soon followed. 
Query: did Elvis's dead actually "stun the American nation"? Which sources say such things? This seems to be wishful thinking of some fans. According to Samuel Roy, "Elvis' death did occur at a time when it could only help his reputation. Just before his death, Elvis had been forgotten by society." Except for the fans who held his memory in honor, he was chiefly "referred to as 'overweight and over-the-hill.'" A CBS special on Presley was aired on October 3, 1977, shortly after the singer's death, which "only seemed to confirm the rumors of drug abuse." See Roy, Elvis, Prophet of Power, p.173. During the 1970s, frequent points of criticism were the overweight and androgyny of the late Las Vegas Presley. Time Out says that, "As Elvis got fatter, his shows got glammier." See Time Out at Las Vegas (2005), p.303. It has been said that the star, when he "returned to Las Vegas, heavier, in pancake makeup, wearing a white jumpsuit with an elaborate jeweled belt and cape, crooning pop songs to a microphone ... had become Liberace. Even his fans were now middle-aged matrons and blue-haired grandmothers, who praised him as a good son who loved his mother; Mother's Day became a special holiday for Elvis's fans." See Marjorie Garber, Vested Interests: Cross-Dressing & Cultural Anxiety (1992), p.380´. According to several modern gender studies, the singer had, like Liberace, presented "variations of the drag queen figure" in his final stages in Las Vegas, when he excessively used eye shadow, gold lamé suits and jumpsuits. See Patricia Juliana Smith, The Queer Sixties (1999), p.116. Significantly, all this material, supported by several independent university studies, has been deleted from the article. Onefortyone 12:30, 19 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: "There is every indication that some editors who happen to be fans are making efforts to recognise their own potential for bias and to seek support in achieving a NPOV. What this article does NOT need is contributions that take it outside of an encyclopedic framework and which do so as if there is a sustained and deliberate attempt to inject a dubious and rather unsavoury negativity disguised as an attempt to restore a NPOV. If all editors had the insight to recognise their own potential for bias and any apparent propensity to stick to dubious agendas, we might get a decent article written soon, instead of about ten years from now."
Hello, Onefortyone. Are you alright? I assume you have read the above paragraph. So here we are again, so soon after I first posted it and, to my surprise, we are discussing dubious edits that would take this article way outside what most people would consider an acceptable format. I agree that the intro could be altered, especially the bit about his death 'stunnning' the nation. You could have politely pointed this out, but you had to have a dig at those pesky darn Elvis fans, didn't you? Why you mentioned the Samuel Roy quote: "only seemed to confirm the rumors of drug abuse." is a mystery; it doesn't back up any claim of yours that isn't covered in the current article. As for the other sources, you don't make a big thing about them being 'Experts On Elvis', as you did with Greil Marcus, but it seems their observations regarding 'drag queens', 'androgyny', 'pancake makeup', etc. should somehow sit undisturbed in what is (and I'm boring myself now) a general encyclopedia article. As you have often said to other editors: "THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE"!! Rikstar 09:30, 20 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I am happy to see what I think are some nice improvements in this Elvis page since the last time I was here, including seeing some misleading and totally unsubstantiated garbage by people like Albert Goldman and others, removed, including totally unsubstantiated claims (by people who never even knew him, who clearly didn't like him in Goldman's case, and were only out to smear his name) that Elvis was a "racist" or "bisexual" or committed "suicide", which is all a joke. It's all about "facts", that's all. The guy never gave anyone who knew him even a hint to make them even think for a moment that he was bi, and the guy grew up on and loved "black" music, among other types. He had many black friends throughout his life, and was friends with many black artists and celebrities who were around in his day who have spoken nothing but of missing him and of their fondness for him, and their friendship with him. Not idiot rappers who are racists themselves, who have been fed lies and have no clue about Elvis or who he was, but many black people who actually did know him, what he did for them, and the way he treated them as friends.  —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 209.247.5.139 (talk • contribs).  
Well, he only became famous because he stole black music which is in itself racist, he may well have been bisexual, and his death was almost certainly a deliberate overdose. (BillRodgers 14:59, 25 July 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Does this paragraph belong in the opening of the article?

message: As evidenced above and numerous times in the past (which can be viewed through his edit history) and which includes but is not limited to:
*Sorry, This is not true. There are even some discussions how gay some Elvis lyrics may have been, for example in the song, "Teddy Bear": 
    
Baby let me be, 
your lovin' Teddy Bear 
Put a chain around my neck, 
and lead me anywhere 
Oh let me be 
Your teddy bear. 
    
Once the reader gets past the requisite Abu Ghraib reference, it could well be that Elvis is singing about the leather-laded gay bear scene.
    
As for Abu Ghraib, let us further examine the king's famous "Jailhouse Rock" 
    
The drummer boy from Illinois went crash, boom, bang, 
the whole rhythm section was the Purple Gang. 
Let's rock, everybody, let's rock. 
Everybody in the whole cell block 
:was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock. 
Number forty-seven said to number three: 
"You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see. 
I sure would be delighted with your company, 
come on and do the Jailhouse Rock with me." 
Let's rock, everybody, let's rock. 
Everybody in the whole cell block 
was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock. 
The sad sack was a sittin' on a block of stone 
way over in the corner weepin' all alone. 
The warden said, "Hey, buddy, don't you be no square. 
If you can't find a partner use a wooden chair. 
    
When was the last time you heard of a co-ed prison? There is also the expression "Purple gang". The reader may know that lavender is the official gay color. Number 47 also seems to have something for fellow inmates. In addition, you may try to figure out what two partners might do with a wooden chair. If you have any ideas, let me know. 
*Revision as of 00:08, 24 April 2005 
80.141.197.110 (Talk) 
This is what you claim you are. Sorry, it seems more likely that you are a member of the Elvis Mafia who wants to make money selling "girl's guides to Elvis Presley" and all of this stuff and therefore wants to keep alive the story of Elvis the prodigious lover of women. Why are you so keenly interested in suppressing other opinions in this talk on Elvis? According to the Wikipedia guidelines, you are not allowed to delete contributions by other users on discussion pages. 
*11:01, 24 April 2005 (hist) (diff) Talk:Elvis Presley 
I have been living for some time in Memphis. I am interested in facts throwing new light on the king's life and career. If Bret and Dee Presley are right this would explain a lot, for instance, the strong influence of Colonel Parker. What's wrong with the fact that Elvis may have been gay or bisexual? 
THEN HE ADDS ON SAME DAY
As a musician, he is still a much loved legend. 
*Rewrites it to say this on Revision as of 12:50, 24 April 2005 (edit) (undo)
80.141.232.231 (Talk) :
I have been living for some time in Memphis. I am interested in facts throwing new light on the king's life and career. If Bret and Dee Presley are right this would explain a lot, for instance, the strong influence of Colonel Parker, though I would not go so far as to say that those men of the Memphis Mafia who were with Elvis everyday from 1956 on were all gay. What's wrong with the fact that Elvis may have been gay or bisexual? As a musician, he is still a much loved legend. 
He then writes on same day:
Could this be the normal behavior of a womanizer who slept with hundreds of girls and women?
*Revision as of 14:00, 25 April 2005 (edit) (undo)
80.141.201.224 (Talk) 
Sorry, but this means nothing as many homosexual men have been wooing and marrying straight woman in order to provide a safe cover for their true sexual orientation. Many of them may be too ashamed to acknowledge their feelings for fear of reprisal. Even Rock Hudson and Elton John were married and still gay as can be. 
*Revision as of 20:40, 26 April 2005 (edit) (undo)
80.141.248.192 (Talk) 
In an article by David S. Wall there is an interesting discussion of radical policing strategies implemented over the years by Elvis fan clubs and organisations. See  The article clearly states that one of these strategies is " 'community policing' to achieve governance at a distance and typically effected through the various fan clubs and appreciation societies to which the bulk of Elvis fans belong. These organisations have, through their membership magazines, activities and sales operations, created a powerful moral majority that can be influenced in order to exercise its considerable economic power. Policing by mobilising the organic ‘Elvis community’ – the fan and fan club networks – has been achieved in a number of different ways, for example, when Dee Presley, nee Stanley, Elvis’s former step-mother, wrote a supposedly whistle blowing account of Elvis’s last years. The fan clubs refused to endorse the book and condemned it in their editorials. The combined effect of this economic action and negative publicity was poor sales and the apparent withdrawal of the book. With a combined membership of millions, the fans form a formidable constituency of consumer power. Dee Presley subsequently wrote an article in the National Enquirer about Elvis’s alleged incestuous relationship with his mother. This action invoked an angry reaction from the fans; for example, the T.C.B. Gazette, journal of the Looking for Elvis Fan Club in Mobile, Alabama, published an open letter by Midge Smith to encourage all fans to boycott the Star, a US tabloid: ‘[a]s Elvis fans, we all feel compelled to protect Elvis from those that profit from his name and image, only to turn the truth into trash’. Smith’s stance was supported by the fan club, which appealed to ‘‘‘Elvis’’ fans world-wide not to purchase the Star magazine any more’.  
Another interesting, but slightly complicated, example of the de facto ‘community’ policing of Elvis occurred after the organisers of the Second International Elvis Presley Conference, held at the University of Oxford, Mississippi in August 1996, invited San Francisco-based Elvis Herselvis, a lesbian Elvis impersonator, to perform at the conference. The conference organiser, Professor Vernon Chadwick, sought ‘not to provoke controversy gratuitously’, rather, ‘to test the limits of race, class, sexuality and property, and when these traditional strongholds are challenged, controversies arise from the subjects themselves’. Furthermore, as an official University event, the conference must comply ‘with all applicable laws regarding affirmative action and equal opportunity in all its activities and programs and does not discriminate against anyone protected by law because of age, creed, colour, national origin, race, religion, sex, handicap, veteran, or other status’. Whilst these intentions were widely known, a number of local Baptist Ministers complained to the Mayor of Tupelo about the inclusion of Elvis Herselvis on the conference programme and sought to block funding for the conference. The church’s concerns were supported by the organiser of the Elvis birthplace and Museum, then EPE followed suit. Conference organiser Chadwick argued that these actions ‘really get interesting when you throw in all the indigenous racism, homophobia, and class distinction that Elvis suffered in the South and throughout his career’. Chadwick received a formal, but diplomatic, letter from EPE’s licensing officer which formally POLICING ELVIS withdrew support for the conference. It referred specifically to the controversial nature of the ‘performers’ invited to the 1996 conference and alluded to the ‘possible [negative] media exposure of this controversial event’. Indeed, it seems probable that the estate’s own actions were themselves forced by the broader community view. Whilst the withdrawal of Graceland’s support was not critical to the survival of the conference, the organisers were disappointed because of the event’s cultural affinity with Graceland." 
    
It could well be that the ample suppression of the opinion Elvis may have been gay on the present discussion page must be seen in the same light. ~~~~ 
*Revision as of 19:14, 27 April 2005 (edit) (undo)
80.141.184.12 (Talk) 
It could well be that the ample suppression of the opinion Elvis may have been gay on the present discussion page must be seen in the same light. Therefore, the passage, "just about every other author, writing in the vein of the worldwide Elvis industry which has a tendency toward supporting only a 'favorable' view of the king, believes that Elvis was heterosexual", should be included in the Wikipedia article. ~~~~
I would agree if there were not the Memphis Mafia, a group of men who used to hang 
with Elvis all day and night. So it is an undisputable fact that Elvis spent much more time with men than women. Thus is more likely that he preferred men. 
and on the same day goes to Nick Adams: 
*Revision as of 14:53, 3 June 2005 (edit) (undo)
80.141.178.108 (Talk) 
Significantly, she seems to have been the only woman in the Memphis Mafia, as there were only men around Elvis. You might see some parallels to Andy Warhol's "Factory", but there were more women around Warhol. Very interesting indeed. ~~~~ 
and also
As everybody now can see, this user calls me a liar for placing some information taken out of books on Elvis in the article. He may indeed be a member of the worldwide Elvis industry which has a tendency toward supporting only a 'favorable' view of The King and therefore tries to suppress all other information which is not in line with this media monopoly. ~~~~ 
*Revision as of 09:43, 4 June 2005 (edit)
80.141.191.66 (Talk)
Note: I have found previous edits (long before I showed up) by the same ANONYMOUS user with a single mission under twenty-three different IPs. Again, all for the exact same Elvis Presley, David Bret issues with no other edits. Like they tried to do to me, this ANONYMOUS user used intimidation and relentless bullying tactics while reverting other User's edits until they drove them away. (SEE LIST AT :Wikipedia:Vandalism in progress) Ted Wilkes 23:30, 3 Jun 2005 (UTC)
replies: text:  See my reply here. I am still of the opinion that Northmeister is identical with my old opponent Ted Wilkes alias multiple hardbanned User:DW. Onefortyone 06:07, 14 July 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I feel I have to take this opportunity to formally register my own dissatisfaction with Onefortyone. However, I will check his proposed edits, a few  have been appropriate. Like Northmeister, I make this statement, with no malice toward Onefortyone - it is simply based on his history of disruptive and manipulative actions here and with other articles, his previous bans from this article, and with other celebrities biographies and not without just cause. Rikstar 14:20, 20 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I have no problems with what you propose above and agree that onefortyone's contributions that are summarized, non-trivial in nature - should by right be included. If he would only work with us to improve this article - shorten it (for wiki-standards) and make it NPOV it would be fine. I proposed above and do again that he submit his contributions on the talk page and allow other editors to comment or revise before putting them in - thus showing good faith with us that he wishes to help and not obstruct our intentions - ie. A Good NPOV article that is encyclopedic, pithy or in summary style as much as possible, void of trivial matters, and ready for 'Featured' presentation. --Northmeister 15:32, 20 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Disruptive behavior of 80.141 or 129.* from Duesburg, Germany also known as Onefortyone

message: I concur and will scan through the whole thing again to achieve a shorter, pithier article of the type many of us desire. The intro can be cropped, and bits merged into other sections Rikstar 16:16, 20 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I added the third paragraph to the opening but trimmed down for format reasons. Also reformated other parts of the article including a rearrange of the sections.  Took out Ancestry and Voice but if editors feel these need to be back in then I am open to that. Feel free to rearrange my rearrangement for format and fit. --Northmeister 19:56, 20 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I'll take a look. Good idea with Ancestry. I think Voice is important, not sure where it might fit. I still think the following bit about the 2nd Ed Sullivan show is a weak observation: "At one point during the second, Sullivan stood on stage with Presley. While Sullivan was addressing the audience, Presley, who had been standing quietly, began shaking his legs, eliciting screams from the young girls in the stage audience. Sullivan then looked at Presley, but missed what the singer had done to cause the audience reaction as Presley assumed his former, serious demeanor." I'm gonna look for something meatier, more significant, to replace it. I've left this Greil Marcus quote for my reference: "Elvis came out looking pleased, at home. He reprised “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Love Me Tender.” He laughed at himself, burlesqued his performance, as he would throughout the night—except for odd moments, as with “Love Me,” in his second of three segments, when, after “Oh, so lonely,” with the camera in close he simply stopped, and a quiet smile drifted across his face, a moment of beauty and peace, just before he remembered to lift his upper right lip. He closed with “Hound Dog.” He was burned in effigy in Nashville and St. Louis; the ratings were huge." Rikstar 20:20, 20 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Have re-written Hollywood section to reduce its size; hope it's OK. Rikstar 20:21, 22 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: It looks fine to me. The middle paragraph seems out of place - and has for sometime to me. I think because we leap from his start of the movies right into why he 'hated' them. I've generally avoided the issue to work on other sections though. --Northmeister 20:44, 22 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text:  I know what you mean... I've had stab at it; it's helped to cut this section as well. Rikstar 21:28, 22 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: "In August, 1956 in Jacksonville, Florida a local Juvenile Court judge called Presley a "savage" and threatened to arrest him if he shook his body while performing at Jacksonville's Florida Theatre. The judge justified the restrictions by saying Presley's music was undermining the youth of America. Throughout the actual performance, he stood still as ordered, but poked fun at the judge by wiggling a finger. Similar attempts to stop his "sinful gyrations" continued for more than a year, including his often-noted final appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show (during which he performed the spiritual number "Peace in the Valley"), when he was filmed only from the waist up. Due to his choice of songs, controversial style of singing and on-stage movements, municipal politicians throughout the United States began denying permits for Presley appearances. This only caused his fans and others curious about his controversial reputation to travel elsewhere to see him perform. On radio, adult programmers announced they would not play Presley's music, citing their religious convictions that his music was "devil music" and revealing their racist beliefs by openly claiming Presley was peddling "nigger music." Many of his records were condemned as wicked by Pentecostal preachers, warning their congregations to keep 'heathen rock and roll music' out of their homes and away from their children's ears (especially the music of "that backslidden Pentecostal pup.") However, the economic power of Presley's fans became evident when they tuned into alternative radio stations that did play his records. In an era when radio stations were shifting to an all-music format, in reaction to competition from television, profit-conscious broadcasters learned quickly when sponsors bought more advertising time on new 'all rock and roll' stations, some of which reached enormous markets at night with clear channel signals from AM broadcasts." 
All is this great but there are no citations. It shouldn't be cut, but we need to traces sources. Rikstar 22:11, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

text: "Similar attempts to stop his "sinful gyrations" continued for more than a year, including his often-noted final appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show (during which he performed the spiritual number "Peace in the Valley"), when he was filmed only from the waist up." I seem to remember that Presley was not shown exclusivley in a tight shot until he did the leg shaking while Sullivan was talking to the audience. Presley pulled a fast one, and someone decided to not give him that option again. "attempt to stop sinful gyrations"? I found out recently that Presley was in a cowboy comedy skit on the Berle show. This puts the comic aspects of the Hound Dog Steve Allen incident in a different context, in spite of what people have wirtten. P.S. The makers of Elvis '56 think Allen was trying to be funny, too. Any interpretations of what happened are fraught with various influences. As someone wrote earlier... just the facts. Steve Pastor 22:29, 22 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: The "cowboy comedy skit" was on the Steve Allen show. I still say some sources would be good to create a similar paragraph (or two) to the stuff I posted, specially the Jacksonville gig and any 'devil's music' references. Rikstar 22:47, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

text: Darn, caught on a detail. Berle did the Evil Twin routine. Nevertheless, in 1956, this was not Elvis the King, it was Elvis the up and coming 21 year old star who wasn't taking himself too seriously. No doubt there are quotes, direct quotes, or newspaper articles that concentrate on what happened, rather than someone's interpretation of what happened, that could be used. Steve Pastor 14:53, 23 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Further edits

message: I have several books which state Presley's second demo single was "I'll Never Stand In Your Way" and "Casual Love Affair". The article says different.
Also, the same sources state that Elvis did play for Humes High Tigers football team, but he reluctantly quit at his mother's request (she worried he'd be injured). He's also said to have worked evenings at the Marl Metal Products Company while at school. Anyone shed any light on this? Rikstar 20:45, 24 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: And I thought it was because he wouldn't cut his hair. If it's not verifiable... Coach, are you reading this? ... you know what to do. Regarding where he worked, I think that fact that he came from working class poverty tells us a lot more about him than where he may have worked in the evenings. Steve Pastor 21:39, 24 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Am I the only one that finds the "malls and courtyards of the Courts with other local musicians" statement odd? 22:48, 24 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: So, it's odd? Any suggestions? Rikstar 18:35, 25 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Appreciate the need for recent changes. I think there's a bit of a danger that some decent stuff could be deleted and replaced with weaker material, because of there being no quoted source(s) for some of the existing article. New text that is almost word for word the same as its source can introduce a clash of writing styles, but I'll look at this to even things out. Rikstar 01:27, 26 May 2007 (UTC)

text: Some recent additions to the article are "sketchy". Newsweek wrote that Elvis first met with Scotty Moore, as reported by Scotty, then went to Phillips the next night. Please don't add too much detail. It might be good at this point to only add things that can be found in two independent sources, ones that don't repeat each other. Even with that, too much detail will bloat the article again. One of the reasons this article was left alone until recently was that there was too much stuff to check. Please don't go there again. Steve Pastor 20:32, 26 May 2007 (UTC)

text: Here's another example -  "but was unable to identify the African-American vocalist". How did he know this person was African American? There are at least several examples of "white" people who sang "like African Americans". Pre-Elvis there was Johnny Ray for one. Sketchy. BTW Phillips was constantly looking for new talent, and can be seen giving a candid assessment of his efforts on tape. Steve Pastor 20:46, 26 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: As I primarily took on this arduous editing job to drastically reduce 'Elvis', I'm hardly likely to bloat it back up. You'll note that recent additions have not lengthened the article because of cuts to the 'controversy' section. I'll only add detail if it provides useful insight and I think it is well sourced. BTW, I'm still not happy with the Ed Sullivan section - the bit about him shaking his legs, girls scream, Ed's clueless, etc. If it is to stay it needs rewriting; it currently looks like a clumsy inclusion by an Elvis fan. The Milton Berle/Hound dog section is a bit like that too. But we are getting somewhere...Rikstar 04:46, 27 May 2007 (UTC)

text: First let me write that there has been much overall improvement, even with the rewrites of things that I have included, because I think they are important. The "how Elvis got started at Sun" part needs work, as by several accounts Phillips had Scotty Moore check out Elvis before having him come to the studio. Regarding the tv show, please watch the shows before making any changes that are substantial. You may be able to get them through a local library, or Netflix, etc. This is important, in my opinion. Remember, we have had only things that other people have written to go on for nearly 50 years. Now, we can see for ourselves. It's patently obvious that Elvis goofed off while Ed was addressing the audience. It's pretty obvious, too, that it was young women and girls who were screaming. There are no men's voices to be heard. (There were no dubbed in screams or laugh tracks used on Ed's shows, I don't think.) The recordings of the performances are the best "verifiable source" in existence. There is much myth that has sprung up around this man. Partly based on inaccurate descriptions of what he did, what he is supposed to have said, etc. BTW, somewhere, it should be mentioned that some of Elvis's greatest assets were his youth and good looks. I have several sources (my favorite is a BB King statement, which can be seen on dvd) that he tought Elvis would be popular whether he could sing or not. Steve Pastor 18:55, 28 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I've got the TV performances on DVD; I'll check 'em out. I'll also look at the Sun reference (See below). There's a ref. to his youth and good looks in the Legacy section, BTW. Rikstar 21:51, 30 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Factual accuracy

message: Been doin' some snoopin' around... According to Carr & Farren, and the Elvis Presley's Sun recordings article, "Blue Moon of Kentucky" (BMOK) was recorded July 5/6. Carr & Farren state that Dewey Phillips first played "That's All Right" on radio Saturday evening, July 10. Furthermore, they state that Sam Phillips took 3 acetates for Dewey to listen to/air: including fast and slow tempo versions of BMOK. So it seems the bit in the article about Phillips and the boys rushing to record (or even re-record??) a flip side might not be true. Earlier versions of the Elvis article say BMOK was recorded 10 days after "That's All Right", which might be wrong. Sources with this possible kind of innaccuracy (The Rockabilly Legends; They Called It Rockabilly Long Before they Called It Rock and Roll by Jerry Naylor and Steve Halliday??) are questionable. The Carr & Farren book is a detailed account that took (they say) 7 years to research. If no objections, I'll do a rewrite - and folks can pick at the result, as they see fit. It'll probably lengthen the section, but I think that's warranted. Rikstar 06:46, 31 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: IF BMOK was indeed recorded the same day as TAR, it means that one source is right, and a whole bunch of other ones are wrong. Frustrating, unproductive day of recording, with Phillips getting more and more frustrated. Elvis just starting to sing TAR to release nervous energy. And Dewey Phillips didn't play TAR until 5 days later? Can we put so much faith in one source? Or are there more that tell this same story? I know there are at least several that agreed with the "current" version in the article. PS Newsweek used the word "rushed". But then, they also wrote that the boys worked on a version of Chuck Berry's Maybelline, which is a neat trick because he didn't write and record it until 1955. I have yet to find an article that is 100% accurate. Steve Pastor 23:11, 1 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: There doesn't seem to be any doubt that BMOK was recorded at the same session as TAR; I've got 3 sources, including the Sun recordings article. If there is doubt, it is if the actual version on sun 209 was done at the time, or sometime between July 11 and the 19th (but where is the evidence?). As for the Dewey Phillips show, Red Hot and Blue, it was a Saturday only show, so the earliest Saturday after July 5/6 (definitely a Monday/Tuesday) is the soonest Sam could get the record played i.e. the 10th. The best way around any doubts is to phrase the article in such a way that it has minimal detail without being innacurate - which I hope I have done. "I have yet to find an article that is 100% accurate". I couldn't agree more... Rikstar 23:34, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

text: Please post anything that says otherwise, but I get the impression that early apocryphal tales of what happened are doing the rounds again. Maybe this is to do with the way internet data just keeps on growing. Rikstar 06:38, 2 June 2007 (UTC)

text: Scotty Moore tells the story of setting up the first? session with Elvis on camera in the "Rockabilly Legends..." DVD. Moore is clear that Phillips asked him to call Elvis and assess his abilities, and that he met with both Elvis and Bill Black before going to Phillip's studio. Regarding BMOK, he states that it was Bill Black who started singing the song, just goofing off as Elvis had done with TAM. Regarding the date it was recorded, he says only that, "when we got back to work". Steve Pastor 18:45, 2 June 2007 (UTC)

text: I think I heard a Scotty Moore statement regarding this. Maybe I'll get back with it. Steve Pastor 19:12, 2 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I totally agree about Moore's account of their first meeting - I just don't think going into "I called him then he came round to mine and then x turned up and we rehearsed," etc, etc. is going to add anything significant except bloat the article. The fact is they got together and that's good enough for me. I'm not sure which version of BMOK Scotty is referring to - there are two studio versions I know of.
The Red Hot and Blue stuff is really interesting; I've taken out the bit about it only playing black music. The main point still holds that Presley and Dewey had to convince listeners that he was white. If we cannot get confirmation for TAR being first aired - and I hope we can - then the date can be dropped. Louis Cantor has written a book (University of Illinois press) called "Dewey and Elvis"; I wish I could get my hands on a copy...Rikstar 08:57, 3 June 2007 (UTC)

text: http://oldies.about.com/od/elvis/a/elvis1954_2.htm has timeline lists of Elvis's gigs, etc. and gives July 7 as the day Dewey played TAR Rikstar 15:46, 3 June 2007 (UTC)

text: Scotty says, on camera, "We heard it (TAM) on the radio, but then we had to go back in and he said "OK, we got to have a B side. I can't put out a one sided record." We were going through the same process. This time it was Bill...." The text in the book that accompanies the dvd supplies the "ten days" detail. Scotty Moore on camera is pretty persuasive stuff, but, who knows. Jerry Nayler, the lead author of "Rockabilly Legends..." was lead singer for the Crickets after Buddy died. And, holy cow, "Rag Mop"? I know that one. (I'm sorry!) Anyhow, I agree that we don't need too much detail. People who write books need detail, and sometimes.... Steve Pastor 19:41, 4 June 2007 (UTC)

text: Adding to the uncertainty over dates... "Following Elvis' early sessions, solo visits to the Memphis Recording Service, to cut two personal acetates, Sam had Scotty arrange for the young singer to come over to his home for a try-out session. Scotty also had Bill come by later in the session, which is said to have taken place on Sunday afternoon, 27th June 1954"  Most accounts say they went right in to the studio the next day, meaning... Maybe no one knows for sure. Steve Pastor 22:29, 4 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: You're dead right Steve, no one knows for sure. Read so much about actual first early live gig dates, but discrepancies abound. I've been tyin' myself in knots runnin' after 'facts' and claims 'x' did this, then 'y' did that... I apologise - to you and anybody else - for any claims of certainty  I made regarding facts or sources. Stuff this recent in history shouldn't be such a mine field. Long as we stick to the 'known' facts, though, this could be that elusive featured article. Rikstar 00:13, 5 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: First recordings at Sun Studios

message: I've felt obliged to broaden this, having re-read a lot of source material. Presley's impact was substantial in different ways and it needs to be reflected in the main article. Rikstar 09:12, 2 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Controversy

message: :Image:Elvispresleydebutalbum.jpeg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in Wikipedia articles constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.
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replies: text: If anyone can deal with the problem BetacommandBot's mentioned above, please do. Rikstar 15:25, 3 June 2007 (UTC)

text: Fair use rationale for image updated. --Northmeister 16:56, 4 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Fair use rationale for Image:Elvispresleydebutalbum.jpeg

message: I think this needs to mention and quote from significant names in music influenced by Presley eg. Springsteen, Dylan, etc. Currently, the section just mentions contemporaries of Elvis and tails off into stuff about impersonators. Rikstar 20:35, 3 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I agree. The photo stuff is made by a overzealous bot and is in my opinion harmful to wikipedia. But, that said, I will do what I can. I see no reason why this photo violates fair use - as it is used in an article about Elvis and near a section that includes the album covers topic - further it is used in an article about the album itself. --Northmeister 03:23, 4 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Yeah, I was reading about the bot's activities on a speedway site. I'm looking into updating the Legacy section with suitable citations. Rikstar 06:47, 4 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Legacy

message: I think this is too long and looks like a list of trivia. The stuff about him being first, in the top ten, etc. of various polls, should be summarised with appropriate links/citations. Hall of fame induction, etc. should predominate. Rikstar 07:26, 4 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Awards and recognition 

message: :Image:GIBluesElvis.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in Wikipedia articles constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.
Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.
If there is other other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page.  Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.BetacommandBot 10:56, 4 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Fair use rationale for image updated. --Northmeister 16:56, 4 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Thank you, Northmeister, on both accounts. Rikstar 00:15, 5 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Fair use rationale for Image:GIBluesElvis.jpg

message: I think the article is getting near at least a 'good article nomination' if not featured status. I think getting the good tag first is the appropriate step to take. This is, if the editors feel we are at that point as I do. If we can get consensus on this we should nominate it for a community response. At the very least, guidance can be given; at the most it would get 'good nomination' advancing to 'featured status' thereafter. --Northmeister 01:33, 7 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Can't argue with that. We still need to look at formatting the references consistently... Anyone want to help?? Rikstar 05:55, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

text: I've deleted the Elvis Lives? section. This might merit a sentence in the Legacy section, but it looks extremely weak on its own. Rikstar 11:41, 7 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Featured or Good Article status

message: I'm about through with this (I know: famous last words...). There are bits that need tweaking/checking (cost of Elvis Sun demo's?, etc). Maybe Controversy over his death could be really paired down and added to Final year and death - I'll try this. But, we've got the bare bones of a decent article (comments above aside, too). I've been consistently ruthless editing down every little byte, if only because I think there's probably additional significant things that can be added and we've now got a few bytes to play with (and I'm really glad there's been a partial lockdown to help me GET STUFF DONE). Any additions are gonna have to be good though, and may need to be re-written to maintain style (which I'm happy to try, if no one else is). I apologize if I've been a bit over-zealous (like dumpin' the Elvis Lives???  and Controversy over death bits), but things can be put right. Northmeister, I'm OK about this being reviewed for its status as it is, 'good nomination' or whatever (and my fingertips are numb). The feedback's got to be useful, and hopefully, encouraging. Thanks BTW to every polite, sane, knowledgeable editor out there who has taken the plunge, and especially to Northmeister for twistin' my arm to get involved in what looked like a nightmare (I know, it may become one again...). I'm kinda looking forward to reverting back to being an "ELVIS FAN" (but am I really??) instead of being an objective/fact freak. Rikstar 22:56, 7 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Whatever you are fan or not is unimportant - objectivity is the key and you've shown that quite well. Anyway, if Pastor can agree I think we should move forward with the 'good' nomination and look from there. --Northmeister 00:24, 8 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: And finally...

message: I see no mention of a live concert in 1961 in Memphis, Tenn.  I was a 19 year old, stationed just outside Memphis at the time and attended Elvis's concert there.  As I recall, it was his first concert after his discharge from the Army.  The current entry says his only concert was for charity in Hawaii.  That is incorrect. RlpowelsonRlpowelson 02:32, 8 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Interesting... just give more details and some other sources that mention it, and it would be considered for inclusion. Rikstar 04:54, 8 June 2007 (UTC)

text: I've found a reference to this charity concert in Peter Guralnick's book - Ellis Auditorium, February 25, 1961. I'll amend the text. Rikstar 11:13, 9 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  1961 Concert in Memphis 

message: Anyone know if, and to which extent if so, he had songs written for him? 67.68.31.35 19:41, 11 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: "I've never written a song in my life. It's all a big hoax." Elvis Presley Steve Pastor 20:58, 13 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  As a songwriter 

message: Elvis's stepmother of 17 years Dee Stanley is not mentioned yet in this article. His father Vernon is mentioned once.  They lived with him at Graceland for  a while and he obviously had some sort of a relationship with both of them. Rick Stanley (step-brother) is mentioned however. More on stepsiblings might be of interest.User:Brenont 05:16, 13 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I think this is tricky; there are lots of people in Presley's life who have not been mentioned. The question has always been: who do we include/leave out, to keep the article to a reasonable length, and to reflect the significant people who had an influence on him. it could be argued that, for example, Chet Atkins, Bill Black, Bones Howe, Boots Randolph, Larry Geller and a whole string of songwriters deserve more of a mention than they've got - and deserve it more than his stepmother. Additions need to be significant and should fit into the article so it still appears balanced. Rikstar 15:38, 13 June 2007 (UTC)

text: After hearing Elvis mention Carl Perkins on tape after recording Blue Moon of Kentucky (you can hear it on the Elvis '56 DVD), and reviewing the article, I see only one sentence about the music he grew up with. Nevertheless, Rikstar put one heck of a lot of effort into getting this down to an acceptabe size. So, as he writes, there is much that has to be left out. Steve Pastor 21:07, 13 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: The lack of anything much about early music influences is a good point; I've amended the Early years section to include stuff about this. Rikstar 11:50, 14 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: The government references I've used from other Elvis links about his musical influences need to be checked; they may not be accurate, but I'll check the original source and change them accordingly. Rikstar 23:01, 14 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Relationship with father and stepmother 

message: Adding stuff that is more than a minor edit is fine, but it needs to be significant. A recent editor (Intersting) has added a whole paragraph - details a fight Presley broke up in 1977. I'd argue this is less significant than other material that could be included, and Elvis was involved in a similar, more newsworthy incident in 1956, which resulted in a court appearance. But that has been left out. There are hundreds of anecdotes like these, but we can't add 'em all, so it might be best not to add any, and leave all that stuff for other publications, documentaries, fan sites etc. Rikstar 07:29, 14 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: So far, there is very little about where Elvis got the hillbilly sound. Obviously, he listened to "hillbilly" music. He also hung around people who were playing rockabilly before Sam Phillips began recording it. Not including the country influences in discussions, and reporting only the blues and gospel influences is common. As is the ignoring of the fact that the majority of his early recordings were of country tunes. Rikstar, will you be addressing this? If not, I will attempt to. But the shear volume of recent additions will make that difficult. Steve Pastor 23:57, 14 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Yes, I will be mentioning the white country influences. The Dept. of Interior quotes are suspect so I'll change that, and I think I've got some suitable sources to replace them. Rikstar 04:37, 15 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: As we could use the extra space, I am afraid I will be removing the 'fight' paragraph added by Intersting, for the reasons given above in this section. Rikstar 04:47, 15 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Have made a few changes to Legacy - to reflect the breadth of his influence. Also added to Musical influences, regarding country/hillbilly influences. Will make a few minor edits to achieve better accuracy and to maintain balance. Rikstar 23:01, 15 June 2007 (UTC)

text: Priscilla narrated a televised biography on Elvis and talked about his charitable contributions.  None of that has been addressed and I don't know enough about it to write anything.  Maybe one of you more familiar with his work in that area might want to address this. - Maria202 17:01, 16 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: We have got mentioned two charity concerts he did in 1961. This at least indicates he was charitably minded to those who know nothing about him. I think expanding on this might make the article look biased -and it will make it overlong. Rikstar 23:33, 18 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Please discuss new edits here

message: In 1992 it was observed: "For those too young to have experienced Elvis Presley in his prime, today’s celebration of the 25th anniversary of his death must seem peculiar."  1992 was the 15th anniversary; the 25th anniversary of his death was in 2002.  This needs a fix.
:Done. Thank you. Rikstar 17:31, 20 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Mistake in "Legacy" 

message: I think Elvis Presley is almost due for re-submission. The references need work however, which is a tedious job (See Moving Forward, above). They need standardizing and inline additions are need to title/explain sources. If online sources are still up to date, a retrieval date needs to be added to each. I'll start, but help would be appreciated. Rikstar 08:57, 22 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: The book references are more or less done, but some publishing names and years are missing. Web links still look poor. I've also added to the Early years to balance his initial impact with his later decline. I think  this gives the Legacy section more meaning to the uninitiated.   Rikstar 10:42, 23 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Featured article submission

message: DUDE!! How do you edit this thing?? Some of this is so unbelievably wrong!! Like, they spelled his middle name wrong...It's Aron...with ONE "A". It's spelled wrong on his gravestone too, but they did that in honor of the fact that before Elvis died, he was going to change his middle name to have to "A"'s. And Elvis didn't WANT a guitar for Christmas. He wanted a bike, but they couldn't afford one so his mum bought him a guitar instead, and things just took off from there.
:MAN!! Have you read the 'Aaron' issue notes? The reasons for it being 'Aaron' are clearly stated. If they are "so unbelievably wrong!!" (which is not impossible), then simply use this talk page to list the sources that back up your claims. Your say so, or mine, isn't good enough on its own. These new sources can then be discussed amongst other editors. We can't change things unless they are backed up with evidence that is generally deemed reliable. As for the birthday present, nowhere in the article does it say he WANTED a guitar. The article specifically says he was "given" a guitar, which is perfectly accurate. An earlier version did indeed mentioned that he wanted a bike (which is also accurate), but because the article was way too long and had other problems, serious edits, even of accurate details, had to take place. Only in the last week or so has the stripped down article been fleshed out with stuff, including additional details (and had its notes and citations improved)to bring it up to Featured Article status. This article is partially locked because of serious editing issues that have prevented the article's improvement since it failed to achieve FA status. Rikstar 08:24, 27 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: the bicycle (rifle??) thing has been added. Rikstar 20:44, 28 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  ?!?! 

message: Although growing, the pared down version of about 68Kb was missing a few important bits, e.g. about Tom Parker. I've also noted the length of other biographies, like Bob Dylan's, and these are substantially longer, yet have Featured article status. As long as Presley's article contains only significant content (of an encyclopedic nature), I think its limited expansion is OK. Rikstar 10:21, 30 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Have added a 'References' section - FA biogs, like Dylan's, have one. Includes works that are referenced more than once in the main text and Notes. 'Further reading' section, formerly 'Bibliography', can be trimmed. Notes need to be formatted as Author, short title, page no. - this is as per wiki footnotes guide. Are there any other editors out there to help with this??? I'm feeling like Robinson Crusoe at the moment... Rikstar 06:13, 2 July 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Article length

message: Artice probably near its "maximum" in length - less than 80kb - Dylan's is 100kb or so (FA status - I thought it was a decent one to emulate). Have seriously wanted to maintain NPOV: hard given controversy about Presley on many levels. I believe there is plenty of stuff to cover the lows/dark side and negative reaction to him - and what will the die-hard fans think?!?! - will a 50/50 division of disapproval = NPOV??. I think any encycopedia entry would have to be somewhat on the positive side about his contribution, impact and influence. Notes are extensive, but necessarily so, given the subject. Web notes need work. I would still urge all editors to discuss major changes/comments on this page. I admit to not being so fastidious in that regard, but I hope the end result is something approaching Featured Article standard. Rikstar 16:07, 13 July 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: The article seems a bit too fan influenced. I wish that some of the input by Onefortyone  (biased though he may or may not be) got more air time. Elvis was wonderful, but an encyclopedia article, especially a wikipedia article should be brutally honest. --Timtak 15:52, 17 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: You're right - it does make me think - about the "Many more points of criticism [that you think] could be made." Be interesting to read what they are. I agree with you about the Jaycees speech quote - I don't like it - but I don't think it is "totally irrelevant". The stuff on his parents... a lot was removed to simply reduce the article's length (the article's about Elvis - not his parents). His mother's alcohol misuse is already mentioned in the 'Army' section - there's no point in repetition. I think Vernon's prison stint and its impact is important and should be included. Rikstar 10:48, 14 July 2007 (UTC)

text: Have added new section "Sex symbol..." detailing stuff about his looks, sex life, etc. An important inclusion. Rikstar 22:05, 17 July 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Also added Mike Stone incident.Rikstar 08:28, 18 July 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: The End is Nigh!...

message: 141- It seems to me that a good deal of the objections to edits you listed under this heading on this page have been addressed: The biased prose (multiple references to him being 'iconic', 'staggering', etc.), being a mama's boy, his father's laziness, Gladys's booze problem, Parker's influence and reputation, Presley's sex life (or lack of it), his adultery, etc.  Other points not flattering Presley have also been included: the Nixon meeting and his intent to have Mike Stone killed. In the absence of further details from you, your (talk page) assertion that the article "still requires a lot of clean up" does seem a bit gratuitous. Rikstar 05:33, 19 July 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Some of the above issues have been addressed by a new 'Sex Symbol' section. I felt this was an obvious addition, especially having read a lot of evidence which does support the idea that he wanted female company, but not always for sexual gratification. Its specific content might not be final. Any comments welcome. Rikstar 07:41, 21 July 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: What has happened to the Elvis article? II

message: In the last sentence of the first paragraph of Early Life there is an occurance of 'the the'.
::Good catch.  Fixed it. Maria202 14:37, 20 July 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Early life

message: Additions have been made to the '1956' section, specifically the Steve Allen episode. N.B. these changes have NOT been made because the earlier version was a clear "whitewashing [of] historical facts", nor because the earlier version didn't "make sense". Rikstar 07:46, 27 July 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Have also expanded a note in Legacy regarding the continuing lobbying power of his fans. Rikstar 08:51, 27 July 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: New edits