When Elvis Met Tom Jones backstage - April 1968 (updated)

[Oqi]

What fantastic piece of history, thank you very much... Few things ive never seen before!!!!

[davide]

Glad everyone enjoyed this topic, and the comment's and feedback, make it worthwhile -
With thanks
Davide

[Z0S0]

again, excellent post

it IS great elvis went & checked out tom, tho i suspect he was kinda putting the feelers out & it was partly a recon mission , not just a casual visit for entertainment !& i agree with the doc, that meeting & more specifically that SHOW clearly influenced elvis a great deal, i can quite believe it 'lit a fire' in elvis that hadnt been burning since 61 ! he must have felt jealous & shameful watching Toms show ! im glad they met & glad they became friends , however lightly!

but DAMN how amazing does elvis look in those pics - holy sh*t !
he hadnt looked that good & COOL since probably 57 & i dare say he looks better, than ever, he really was at his peak for the 68 comeback!
Tho i dont personnaly consider tom as technically 'handsome' - he was clearly a ladys man but damn i bet he felt quite ugly & insignificant next to elvis that night!

reminds me of jerry reeds take/quote on that actual topic which i found hilarious !

[Little Darlin]

OUTSTANDING work Davide. Thanks for taking the time

[epf]

Thanks for a fascinating read. An important piece of history and the story of his comeback.
I am going to read this post a couple of times, trying to find out which piece of Tom influenced Elvis and vice versa.
Nice too was the story surrounding 'The green grass of home' and Elvis publicly mentioning it.

Thank you very much!

[drjohncarpenter]

I am going to read this post a couple of times, trying to find out which piece of Tom influenced Elvis ...

Check out my reply on page 1.

[Walter Hale 4]

Excellent stuff Davide. Thanks for going to all that effort. Much appreciated by everyone.

[epf]

I am going to read this post a couple of times, trying to find out which piece of Tom influenced Elvis ...

Check out my reply on page 1.

Yes, i did see that, doc. But i feel it goes deeper than that. But basically that is it. Just trying to figure out who influenced who when. This piece clears up a lot.

[Revelator]

Let me add my thanks to the general chorus. The success of Tom Jones stung Elvis out of apathy because he could recognize that Jones was capitalizing on the qualities that had made Elvis a star. I don't know if he ever felt that way about any other performer. And yet one wishes Elvis had manifested the same level of excitement towards many other artists in the 60s and 70s. Jones helped Elvis revitalize himself, but the career model Elvis took from Jones became something of a Las Vegas-set dead-end. It has been said by some unkind critics that Elvis became a Tom Jones impersonator. I wouldn't go that far, but it's plain that Elvis's vision for his career perhaps owed too much to Jones, a terrific performer who nevertheless failed to grow and remained a creature of the 60s.

[Elvisfan10]

Let me add my thanks to the general chorus. The success of Tom Jones stung Elvis out of apathy because he could recognize that Jones was capitalizing on the qualities that had made Elvis a star. I don't know if he ever felt that way about any other performer. And yet one wishes Elvis had manifested the same level of excitement towards many other artists in the 60s and 70s. Jones helped Elvis revitalize himself, but the career model Elvis took from Jones became something of a Las Vegas-set dead-end. It has been said by some unkind critics that Elvis became a Tom Jones impersonator. I wouldn't go that far, but it's plain that Elvis's vision for his career perhaps owed too much to Jones, a terrific performer who nevertheless failed to grow and remained a creature of the 60s.

I don't think Elvis copied him, I think it was definitely the other way around seeing as Tom Jones started performing way after Elvis and it would seem more likely that Tom knew about Elvis before Elvis knew about Tom. Elvis wasn't exactly the kind of guy who stood stiff like a board on the stage, so why would he need to copy Tom's routine? He studied Tom Jones as a way of getting a feel for what 60's audiences were accepting. Would they be more accepting of Elvis' wild energy or would they have the same mindset that parents had when he was doing stage performances in the 50's? You have to remember that the first time Elvis went to Las Vegas, people didn't like it and that was a major blow to him. I'm sure that he studied other artists, but of course Tom Jones likes to think way too highly of himself when it comes to Elvis just like everyone else who wants to claim importance to Elvis and his fame. Elvis needed reassurance that he wouldn’t have to go through the same trauma that he went through the first time around. He wanted to make sure it was okay to be himself, to let loose like he always did without people hating him for it.

[drjohncarpenter]

Let me add my thanks to the general chorus. The success of Tom Jones stung Elvis out of apathy because he could recognize that Jones was capitalizing on the qualities that had made Elvis a star. I don't know if he ever felt that way about any other performer. And yet one wishes Elvis had manifested the same level of excitement towards many other artists in the 60s and 70s. Jones helped Elvis revitalize himself, but the career model Elvis took from Jones became something of a Las Vegas-set dead-end. It has been said by some unkind critics that Elvis became a Tom Jones impersonator. I wouldn't go that far, but it's plain that Elvis's vision for his career perhaps owed too much to Jones, a terrific performer who nevertheless failed to grow and remained a creature of the 60s.

Nice post and spot-on, save the last sentence. In the last 15-20 years, Jones has expanded his audience demographic, and grown as an artist, by working with contemporary producers and material to create some genuinely exciting records and performances. His most recent album has been very well-received.

[Revelator]

In the last 15-20 years, Jones has expanded his audience demographic, and grown as an artist, by working with contemporary producers and material to create some genuinely exciting records and performances. His most recent album has been very well-received.

You're right Doc--I hadn't listened to enough of Jones' recent work to speak so dismissively of it. Compared to so many other artists from that period, he's doing quite well in his old age.

[sparky6365]

Brilliant post. Fascinating to see the original newspaper with Mrs Luther King at her husband's casket and the photo of Elvis and Tom Jones underneath it. This pinpoints the moment for me and, of course, later on it was said that If I Can Dream and In The Ghetto were both partly inspired by the death of Martin Luther King.

[keninlincs]

Thoroughly great work David,thanks again

[davide]

I have been able to locate the full frame version seen below, though smaller - the cigar can be seen in Elvis' hand.



With thanks
Davide

[keninlincs]

I have been able to locate the full frame version seen below, though smaller - the cigar can be seen in Elvis' hand.



With thanks
Davide

Thanks

[Elvisfan10]

I wonder why the cuigar was airbrushed out of the pictures when the originals show it. The one picture only show a tiny bit of the cigar in his mouth, but the original showed a much longer one. Either someone wanted people to think elvis wasn't a smoker or they didn't like the fact that he smoked.

[davide]

I should have mentioned that the visit to Vegas, took pace during the middle of production of the movie 'Live a Liitle, Love A Little,' Elvis and his party travelled during the weekend, from L.A. as no filming took place at this time.


MGM Publicity photo.


'A Little Less Conversation,' production number.

I have also located the photo below which has the cigar intact. The photo is also less cropped.





full frame version, with cigar intact.


Davide

[Johnny 99]

posts like this, are the reason I come here - bravo once again Davide!

[mrbthebarber]

Davide, I don't know how you do it but you've done it again, EXCELLENT. To me, you remain FECC's most informative & exciting contributor. Keep up the good work.

[Good Time Charlie]

That man was something special eh!

[Mitch]

Davide, I don't know how you do it but you've done it again, EXCELLENT. To me, you remain FECC's most informative & exciting contributor. Keep up the good work.

+ 1

[TCB TED]

Davide has made quite a few posts that make this the best discussion forum
I've been lucky enough to follow.

Having said that, DJC has posted at least a dozen topics that should be
required reading, like the Sinatra/Timex post.

[PiersEIN]

BRILLIANT post
- Thanks Davide, your contributions are always so positive and make FECC a great place to visit.

Cheers
Piers .

[TJ]

Great job David.

Interesting how in April 1968, with his career at a very low ebb, Hutchins still refers to Elvis as one of the "world's two leading solo figures in pop."

And how incredibly cool for Hutchins to have witnessed not only this, but also Elvis' meeting with the Beatles!