I just got's to know.....

[Stanley Doble]

1 penny on a million selling record is $10,000. Giving Col Parker $3,333 leaves you with $6,666. I can see why a song writer would go for that deal, if he or she didn't think that particular song had what it took to go gold without Elvis.

I can also see why a "big name" song writer would turn up his nose at such an offer - he doesn't need it to get a big name artist to play his songs.

Even a second rate song writer would hold back his best stuff.

This explains why after a certain point, no more Leiber and Stoller songs and why Elvis recorded "Do the Clam" and a lot of other 3d rate material.

 

[Fanch]

Lebanon isn't that far from Chattanooga. Had you not wasted so much time with Wilbur there in Chattanooga, you would have had the time.

Interestingly Mae Axton is from your part of the country, Texas--as are many good songwriters and musicians. We have a saying here: "If it weren't for Texas, there wouldn't be a Nashville." She came up to Nashville by way of Oklahoma and then Florida where she was a high school English teacher. Life takes many unforeseen twists and turns.

My visit with Wilbur was invaluable. I got to try on Wilbur's Vintage Brown FQHH that was a size 44 and fit me like a glove, although I could have used another inch or so more in the sleeves. I learned from Wilbur the virtue of the veg tanned vintage FQHH that to me was very flexible and easily broken in, much more so than the chrome tanned FQHH. With this newly acquired insight, I changed my two jackets on order with Aero from MWHH to Vintage FQHH. In any case, Wilbur was a gracious host, and I am in his debt.

 

[oneterrifichog]

My visit with Wilbur was invaluable. I got to try on Wilbur's Vintage Brown FQHH that was a size 44 and fit me like a glove, although I could have used another inch or so more in the sleeves. I learned from Wilbur the virtue of the veg tanned vintage FQHH that to me was very flexible and easily broken in, much more so than the chrome tanned FQHH. With this newly acquired insight, I changed my two jackets on order with Aero from MWHH to Vintage FQHH. In any case, Wilbur was a gracious host, and I am in his debt.

You know the Hat Guys had a big get together up on Monteagle, TN a few years back and about 50 + guys and their wives showed up for a weekend of discussions and a tour of the Winchester Hat Company in nearby Winchester, TN. It was extremely informative. Even the straws were represented when one fellow showed up with an extremely rare Panama from the 40's.

Just a thought.... obviously would need to discuss on a different thread, don't want to hijack this one.

 

[Feraud]

All my years at the Lounge and I think this is the first Elvis thread. It took us long enough!

 

[too much coffee]

You know with jacket season upon us or not too far away for you Texans, maybe someone could spearhead a get together. We could do leather jackets, boots, bikes, selvedge jeans, wallets, Filson, etc......And for entertainment we'll get Hoosier Daddy to do his loin cloth dance!
Someone take the reins, start the thread.......figure the location, other logistics et al. Maybe committees to spread the effort, you guys know what I'm talking about.
The whole shindig would probably make the Hatfields and McCoys look kind of tame!

coffee

 

[Peacoat]

1 penny on a million selling record is $10,000. Giving Col Parker $3,333 leaves you with $6,666. I can see why a song writer would go for that deal, if he or she didn't think that particular song had what it took to go gold without Elvis.

Actually Mae and Tommy each got $3,333. The Colonel had a 50/50 contract with Elvis (the norm was 25% for the manager), so the Colonel got a little over $1500 for something he was not artistically involved in. But that was the Colonel. Actually everyone did somewhat better than that as the record sold over one million copies, especially when LP albums later came out.

Back then songwriters would go for about any deal they could get that would give them some cash in hand. Sad, but true. They needed money for day to day expenses. That's why we hear of songs being sold for $300 cash. It was a cheap commodity. My musician/writer friends in the 70s and 80s always needed rent money--among other things. Although I have grown out of that stage, I doubt it has changed much today. During that time, I loaned money to many musicians who needed rent money, airfare to get back home money and beer money. All of those loans were paid back--may have taken a while, but they were paid back. I can't say the same for my non musician friends.

An interesting note is that, although Elvis was nominated for something like 14 Grammys, his only wins (3) were for Gospel records. That's right, his greatest popular (secular) songs never won a Grammy. Now that doesn't quite pass the smell test for me.

 

[Stearmen]

Elvis's best song! And to think, it was a throw away song that almost didn't get recorded. Talk about talent! [video=youtube;G5kNVizmNL4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5kNVizmNL4[/video]

 

[Stanley Doble]

Actually Mae and Tommy each got $3,333. The Colonel had a 50/50 contract with Elvis (the norm was 25% for the manager), so the Colonel got a little over $1500 for something he was not artistically involved in. But that was the Colonel. Actually everyone did somewhat better than that as the record sold over one million copies, especially when LP albums later came out.

Back then songwriters would go for about any deal they could get that would give them some cash in hand. Sad, but true. They needed money for day to day expenses. That's why we hear of songs being sold for $300 cash. It was a cheap commodity. My musician/writer friends in the 70s and 80s always needed rent money--among other things. Although I have grown out of that stage, I doubt it has changed much today. During that time, I loaned money to many musicians who needed rent money, airfare to get back home money and beer money. All of those loans were paid back--may have taken a while, but they were paid back. I can't say the same for my non musician friends.

An interesting note is that, although Elvis was nominated for something like 14 Grammys, his only wins (3) were for Gospel records. That's right, his greatest popular (secular) songs never won a Grammy. Now that doesn't quite pass the smell test for me.

I was thinking out loud, in a general way, about the whole payola thing. It can get complicated. In the fifties it was not uncommon to give disc jockeys a cut of the song to get it played. They knew it was worth it because the right jock could put over a song.

As one guy put it, the singers were making millions. The record companies were making millions. The radio stations were making millions. The disc jockeys were making $85 a week. The A&R men had money to spend and they used it where it would do the most good.

Everyone remembers the million selling songs but nobody remembers the ones that never sold worth a hoot. It was impossible to predict which way any song would go but they knew you had to have air play. Some songs that are classics today flopped when first released and only clicked when someone else recorded them a year or 2 later.

That's another thing. At the time every song was a temporary phenomenon. Last week's pick to click, this week's hit, next week's golden oldie. Look at the charts from the fifties and sixties, there was a flood of great songs coming out every week.

So, if a song had had its day the writer would quite happily sell it for a few hundred bucks, knowing that 9 times out of 10 no one would ever hear it again.

One well known song writer was actually insulted when people commiserated with him over some smash hit he sold cheap. "You would think I only wrote one song in my life" he said."But that was my business. I wrote hundreds of songs, most of them done to order. If I wrote a song for someone and they had a hit with it, good for them. It never bothered me in the least".

 

[ButteMT61]

Man, I mention a pair of socks in a thread and PADDY slaps me and creates a new thread. What's next on this thread- Lisa Marie's wedding photos? lol

 

[oneterrifichog]

Man, I mention a pair of socks in a thread and PADDY slaps me and creates a new thread. What's next on this thread- Lisa Marie's wedding photos? lol

Was she wearing Leather too???? Now that would be nice...

You are right this thread has bounced around a lot.....apologize for my part.

I am thinking Paddy never liked Elvis....but if you did man we think you ought to pipe in.

 

[Peacoat]

Elvis never wore socks; he wore leather.

 

[ButteMT61]

Elvis never wore socks; he wore leather.

He wore leather socks momma baby.

 

[Stearmen]

In case your like me and are sick of the same old, same old with Elvis songs, here is a great recording from The Louisiana Hayride. Incredibly it is a wire recording from the television! [video=youtube;Lc_pOl1Av8U]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc_pOl1Av8U&feature=related[/video]

 

[Worf]

Holy Thread HiJack Batman! No, Elvis' early "Sun" recordings are a treasure... What could've been.

Worf