1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 3 00:00:10,383 --> 00:00:14,383 ♪ MTV ♪ 4 00:00:14,383 --> 00:00:16,650 All right. Hold it, fellas, while we do this. 5 00:00:16,650 --> 00:00:18,083 Just a moment. - Standing by. 6 00:00:18,083 --> 00:00:19,450 All right, places everyone, please. 7 00:00:19,450 --> 00:00:20,650 Don't roll tape yet, please. 8 00:00:20,650 --> 00:00:22,117 Quiet, please. 9 00:00:22,117 --> 00:00:23,249 You wanna get the slate here? 10 00:00:23,249 --> 00:00:24,483 Roll. 11 00:00:24,483 --> 00:00:25,650 All right, here we go. 12 00:00:36,817 --> 00:00:39,683 Welcome to NBC 13 00:00:39,683 --> 00:00:41,783 and "The Elvis Presley Special." 14 00:00:51,249 --> 00:00:54,850 I've got an audience now that we put together. 15 00:00:54,850 --> 00:00:57,717 I've got my whole camera crew ready to go. 16 00:00:57,717 --> 00:01:00,083 We're getting ready to roll tape. 17 00:01:00,083 --> 00:01:02,983 We have Bob Finkel, our executive producer, 18 00:01:02,983 --> 00:01:06,517 going to do a warm up for the audience. 19 00:01:06,517 --> 00:01:10,383 Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Elvis Presley. 20 00:01:12,317 --> 00:01:15,350 And then, next thing I know, he's announcing Elvis, 21 00:01:15,350 --> 00:01:17,683 and there's no Elvis. 22 00:01:23,583 --> 00:01:25,617 My stage manager called me and said, 23 00:01:25,617 --> 00:01:27,450 "Uh-oh. We're in trouble, Steve. 24 00:01:27,450 --> 00:01:29,783 You've gotta go see Elvis in the makeup room." 25 00:01:31,750 --> 00:01:35,083 Elvis asked everybody in the makeup room to leave 26 00:01:35,083 --> 00:01:36,650 'cause he has something really important 27 00:01:36,650 --> 00:01:39,450 he wants to talk to me about. 28 00:01:39,450 --> 00:01:44,149 He looks at me and he said, "Steve, I hate to do this, 29 00:01:44,149 --> 00:01:47,317 but I'm not going out there. I can't." 30 00:01:47,317 --> 00:01:49,450 And I said, "What are you talking about?" 31 00:01:49,450 --> 00:01:51,583 He said "My mind is a blank. 32 00:01:51,583 --> 00:01:55,216 I can't go out there. I'll embarrass myself." 33 00:01:55,317 --> 00:01:57,017 I was stunned. 34 00:01:57,017 --> 00:02:00,317 Elvis and I had been working so closely together. 35 00:02:00,317 --> 00:02:04,950 By the late 1960s, he had become irrelevant. 36 00:02:04,950 --> 00:02:07,083 I was hired to direct and produce 37 00:02:07,083 --> 00:02:09,717 a TV special that would help resurrect 38 00:02:09,717 --> 00:02:12,550 his once great career. 39 00:02:12,550 --> 00:02:16,116 Along the way, we had a few obstacles to overcome. 40 00:02:16,116 --> 00:02:19,817 Most created by Elvis's notorious manager, 41 00:02:19,817 --> 00:02:22,317 Colonel Tom Parker. 42 00:02:22,317 --> 00:02:26,817 Now, everything we were working so hard to achieve 43 00:02:26,817 --> 00:02:29,517 felt like it was about to fall apart. 44 00:02:31,083 --> 00:02:32,917 I said, "Elvis, I haven't asked you 45 00:02:32,917 --> 00:02:36,583 to do anything that you didn't wanna do on this special. 46 00:02:36,583 --> 00:02:38,617 I'm not asking you this time. 47 00:02:38,617 --> 00:02:42,550 I'm telling you, you have got to go out there." 48 00:02:42,550 --> 00:02:45,182 I turned my back on him, I walked out, 49 00:02:45,317 --> 00:02:47,483 and I went to the control room, 50 00:02:47,483 --> 00:02:50,650 freaking out, saying, "He's not going to come." 51 00:03:52,983 --> 00:03:57,483 I think all artists go through a real period of insecurity 52 00:03:57,483 --> 00:04:01,317 when they're asked to perform in front of audiences. 53 00:04:01,317 --> 00:04:03,517 I certainly feel that as a director. 54 00:04:03,517 --> 00:04:07,917 Every time I went in to direct anything, I was wondering, 55 00:04:07,917 --> 00:04:09,817 am I a fraud? 56 00:04:09,817 --> 00:04:12,149 It's just human nature. 57 00:04:13,650 --> 00:04:16,450 This was having Elvis walk out there cold 58 00:04:16,450 --> 00:04:20,550 after not performing for years in front of a live audience. 59 00:04:20,550 --> 00:04:22,317 He was scared to death. 60 00:04:23,450 --> 00:04:25,216 And walked up to the control room 61 00:04:25,317 --> 00:04:27,583 not knowing if he was going to actually come out. 62 00:04:27,583 --> 00:04:29,650 And then, one of my cameramen said, 63 00:04:29,650 --> 00:04:31,317 "Steve, look at camera four." 64 00:04:33,450 --> 00:04:36,450 All right. All righty. 65 00:04:42,783 --> 00:04:44,982 Here's Elvis. 66 00:04:44,982 --> 00:04:47,982 Here we go, buddy. 67 00:04:47,982 --> 00:04:49,883 Come look at this. 68 00:04:51,149 --> 00:04:53,550 - OK. 69 00:04:56,116 --> 00:04:57,450 Well, good night. 70 00:04:59,483 --> 00:05:01,949 And then, it was that old vaudeville thing 71 00:05:01,949 --> 00:05:03,116 of get the hook. 72 00:05:03,116 --> 00:05:04,583 I couldn't get him off the stage. 73 00:05:05,982 --> 00:05:09,082 ♪ You got me peepin' you got me hiding ♪ 74 00:05:09,082 --> 00:05:11,383 ♪ You got me peep, hide, hide, peep ♪ 75 00:05:11,383 --> 00:05:15,016 ♪ Any way you wanna roll ♪ 76 00:05:15,016 --> 00:05:20,317 ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ 77 00:05:20,317 --> 00:05:23,082 ♪ You got me doin' what you ♪ 78 00:05:23,082 --> 00:05:25,717 ♪ Baby, what do you want me to do? ♪ 79 00:05:28,317 --> 00:05:30,350 ♪ We're goin' up, ahh, ahh ♪ 80 00:05:30,350 --> 00:05:32,216 ♪ We're goin' down ♪ 81 00:05:32,317 --> 00:05:34,650 ♪ We're goin' up, down, down, up ♪ 82 00:05:34,650 --> 00:05:38,650 ♪ Any way you wanna let it roll ♪ 83 00:05:38,650 --> 00:05:41,483 ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ 84 00:05:43,750 --> 00:05:46,350 ♪ You got me doin' what you want me ♪ 85 00:05:46,350 --> 00:05:48,717 ♪ Baby, what do you want me to do? ♪ 86 00:05:51,717 --> 00:05:55,650 I think he knew that this special was going to be 87 00:05:55,650 --> 00:05:56,916 his make or break special. 88 00:05:56,916 --> 00:05:58,082 Aw, yeah! 89 00:06:04,883 --> 00:06:06,783 - All right! - Yeah! 90 00:06:06,783 --> 00:06:09,383 To see Elvis come out in a leather suit 91 00:06:09,383 --> 00:06:12,783 looking cooler than anybody's ever looked, right, 92 00:06:12,783 --> 00:06:16,317 and singing with such passion, 93 00:06:16,317 --> 00:06:17,850 it's so cool to see, 94 00:06:17,850 --> 00:06:19,450 especially in the context of where he was 95 00:06:19,450 --> 00:06:21,016 in his career at the time. 96 00:06:21,016 --> 00:06:22,916 You have Elvis performing in a way 97 00:06:22,916 --> 00:06:25,650 that you hadn't seen him perform in a decade. 98 00:06:25,650 --> 00:06:27,450 As soon as he starts singing, he's just, 99 00:06:27,450 --> 00:06:29,116 right back in the groove. 100 00:06:29,116 --> 00:06:31,216 And it's a killer performance. 101 00:06:31,317 --> 00:06:33,783 You could see his antenna go on--ding-- 102 00:06:33,783 --> 00:06:35,182 and he was just there. 103 00:06:35,317 --> 00:06:36,550 And after that, he never looked back. 104 00:06:47,550 --> 00:06:50,216 For many reasons, I was really excited 105 00:06:50,317 --> 00:06:52,383 about this sequence. 106 00:06:52,383 --> 00:06:55,317 It wasn't easy to get Elvis or the Colonel 107 00:06:55,317 --> 00:06:57,750 to agree to even do it. 108 00:06:57,750 --> 00:07:02,817 In fact, nothing about this production was easy. 109 00:07:02,817 --> 00:07:05,849 ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ 110 00:07:08,550 --> 00:07:10,817 ♪ You got me doin' what you what you want me ♪ 111 00:07:10,817 --> 00:07:13,849 ♪ Baby, what do you want me to do? ♪ 112 00:07:16,383 --> 00:07:18,650 ♪ You got me doing what you want me ♪ 113 00:07:18,650 --> 00:07:21,182 ♪ Baby, what do you want me to do? ♪ 114 00:07:25,317 --> 00:07:29,383 - You got it! 115 00:07:55,417 --> 00:08:00,517 ♪ When I look out my window ♪ 116 00:08:00,517 --> 00:08:05,317 ♪ Many sights to see ♪ 117 00:08:05,317 --> 00:08:10,383 ♪ And when I look in my window ♪ 118 00:08:10,383 --> 00:08:13,450 ♪ So many different people to be ♪ 119 00:08:13,450 --> 00:08:17,116 In the 1960s, the bigotry in the South is heinous, 120 00:08:17,116 --> 00:08:19,317 the politicians are heinous. 121 00:08:19,317 --> 00:08:21,016 All through the Southern zone, 122 00:08:21,016 --> 00:08:24,149 it's still colored-only restrooms, water fountains, 123 00:08:24,149 --> 00:08:26,916 but also, the seeds of the Civil Rights Movement 124 00:08:26,916 --> 00:08:29,517 in the air. 125 00:08:29,517 --> 00:08:31,350 And then, cities on fire. 126 00:08:31,350 --> 00:08:33,517 Riots going on, 127 00:08:33,517 --> 00:08:36,849 Vietnam with napalm and chemicals, 128 00:08:36,849 --> 00:08:38,216 wounded soldiers, 129 00:08:38,317 --> 00:08:40,782 protesting in the streets. 130 00:08:40,782 --> 00:08:44,116 That became the beginning of this great divide, 131 00:08:44,116 --> 00:08:47,216 and that divide kept growing. 132 00:08:47,317 --> 00:08:49,317 It really tore the country apart. 133 00:08:49,317 --> 00:08:51,016 ♪ Yeah ♪ 134 00:08:51,016 --> 00:09:01,006 ♪ Must be the season of the witch ♪ 135 00:09:08,550 --> 00:09:10,982 When you look at the Elvis movies of that time 136 00:09:10,982 --> 00:09:13,982 and contrast that with what's going on in the real world, 137 00:09:13,982 --> 00:09:17,749 it's almost as if Elvis is living in a parallel universe. 138 00:09:23,317 --> 00:09:25,016 And then The Beatles came along 139 00:09:25,016 --> 00:09:28,583 just at the time the movies were so dreadful, 140 00:09:28,583 --> 00:09:31,982 and all of a sudden, Elvis looked old hat. 141 00:09:31,982 --> 00:09:33,916 What do you think of the comment that you're nothing, 142 00:09:33,916 --> 00:09:35,982 but a bunch of British Elvis Presleys? 143 00:09:35,982 --> 00:09:37,816 It's not true! It's not true! 144 00:09:37,816 --> 00:09:40,816 - Oh! 145 00:09:40,816 --> 00:09:44,317 Part of what's bittersweet about Elvis in the late '60s 146 00:09:44,317 --> 00:09:46,749 is that in a certain sense, he's-- 147 00:09:46,749 --> 00:09:48,317 everyone knows who he is 148 00:09:48,317 --> 00:09:51,016 and everyone regards him as a godfather 149 00:09:51,016 --> 00:09:52,949 of this rock and roll thing that's happening, 150 00:09:52,949 --> 00:09:54,682 but at the same time, he's a little bit 151 00:09:54,682 --> 00:09:56,016 on the outside looking in. 152 00:09:56,016 --> 00:09:57,816 And so Elvis is trying to figure out, 153 00:09:57,816 --> 00:10:00,417 like, how do I relate to this thing that's happening? 154 00:10:00,417 --> 00:10:02,149 If The Beatles are the new thing, 155 00:10:02,149 --> 00:10:04,383 does that mean I'm the old thing? 156 00:10:06,417 --> 00:10:08,949 I think, on some level, he had to have felt threatened 157 00:10:08,949 --> 00:10:10,682 because The Beatles put out a movie, 158 00:10:10,682 --> 00:10:13,949 and it's called "The Citizen Kane of jukebox musicals." 159 00:10:13,949 --> 00:10:16,617 No one was saying that about any of the Elvis movies. 160 00:10:16,617 --> 00:10:20,016 And now, the Spinal Twist. 161 00:10:23,417 --> 00:10:25,916 The Spinal Twist! 162 00:10:29,816 --> 00:10:33,317 Now, back to the Lotus. 163 00:10:35,216 --> 00:10:37,616 Can we go someplace and talk? 164 00:10:37,616 --> 00:10:40,649 Sure, come on. 165 00:10:40,649 --> 00:10:42,216 And you think of not just The Beatles, 166 00:10:42,216 --> 00:10:44,283 but all the other acts that came in their wake-- 167 00:10:44,283 --> 00:10:45,682 the British Invasion, and Dylan, 168 00:10:45,682 --> 00:10:47,550 and the later groups in the '60s. 169 00:10:47,550 --> 00:10:50,016 Elvis was a music fan, and we know he had records 170 00:10:50,016 --> 00:10:51,417 by a lot of those artists. 171 00:10:51,417 --> 00:10:53,016 He was listening to that stuff. 172 00:10:53,016 --> 00:10:54,583 And I think as the decade went on, 173 00:10:54,583 --> 00:10:58,350 he could see the music industry passing him by. 174 00:11:15,216 --> 00:11:17,116 Singer presents "Elvis," 175 00:11:17,116 --> 00:11:20,417 starring Elvis Presley in his first TV special. 176 00:11:20,417 --> 00:11:24,949 His first personal performance on TV in nearly 10 years. 177 00:11:24,949 --> 00:11:26,816 There were a lot of factors that came together 178 00:11:26,816 --> 00:11:28,849 in having the special happen. 179 00:11:28,849 --> 00:11:32,016 It began when Elvis's manager, Colonel Parker, 180 00:11:32,016 --> 00:11:34,016 is trying to cut another movie deal. 181 00:11:34,016 --> 00:11:35,982 And he liked to get his million dollar deal, 182 00:11:35,982 --> 00:11:38,616 and he couldn't get one because no one wanted 183 00:11:38,616 --> 00:11:40,450 to put up a million dollars for an Elvis movie-- 184 00:11:40,450 --> 00:11:41,649 not anymore. 185 00:11:41,649 --> 00:11:43,517 Finally, he gets a deal with NBC 186 00:11:43,517 --> 00:11:45,116 where they will put up the money 187 00:11:45,116 --> 00:11:47,350 for a movie and a TV special. 188 00:11:47,350 --> 00:11:49,016 So that's why we have the special 189 00:11:49,016 --> 00:11:52,149 because his film career had gone so far below the water 190 00:11:52,149 --> 00:11:54,049 that Parker realized, we need something 191 00:11:54,049 --> 00:11:57,782 so I can save face and get my million dollar deal. 192 00:12:03,716 --> 00:12:08,582 Welcome to NBC, and "The Elvis Presley Special." 193 00:12:14,417 --> 00:12:15,582 You can do better than that. 194 00:12:15,582 --> 00:12:16,816 I'm gonna say it all over again. 195 00:12:16,816 --> 00:12:19,317 I wanna really hear something. 196 00:12:19,317 --> 00:12:20,916 Anybody have to go to the bathroom? 197 00:12:22,716 --> 00:12:26,016 Welcome to NBC, and "The Elvis Presley Special!" 198 00:12:29,317 --> 00:12:30,816 My father was Bob Finkel, 199 00:12:30,816 --> 00:12:34,916 and he was reaching the pinnacle of his career 200 00:12:34,916 --> 00:12:37,749 as a musical variety special producer. 201 00:12:37,749 --> 00:12:40,516 His style was very hands-on. 202 00:12:40,516 --> 00:12:44,816 He was a classy guy, he was smart, and he was innovative. 203 00:12:44,816 --> 00:12:47,949 Tom Sarnoff, who was the head of NBC at the time, 204 00:12:47,949 --> 00:12:51,317 called in my dad and said, "I wanna do this show, 205 00:12:51,317 --> 00:12:53,116 and I want you to do it." 206 00:12:53,116 --> 00:12:57,682 My father said, "I can't direct this and produce it, 207 00:12:57,682 --> 00:13:00,317 "but I'll come on as executive producer, 208 00:13:00,317 --> 00:13:02,049 and let me find somebody." 209 00:13:02,049 --> 00:13:05,749 And he had been noticing the career of kind of 210 00:13:05,749 --> 00:13:07,116 a young guy in town. 211 00:13:07,116 --> 00:13:08,450 His name was Steve Binder. 212 00:13:16,816 --> 00:13:19,049 I'm in my office, and the telephone rings. 213 00:13:19,049 --> 00:13:20,582 It's Bob Finkel. 214 00:13:20,582 --> 00:13:22,582 And he said, "Look, Steve, we may be doing 215 00:13:22,582 --> 00:13:25,682 "an Elvis Presley special, and I would like you 216 00:13:25,682 --> 00:13:27,616 to produce it and direct it." 217 00:13:27,616 --> 00:13:30,317 I was not a fan of Elvis Presley. 218 00:13:30,317 --> 00:13:32,616 To tell you the truth, I was a West Coast guy. 219 00:13:32,616 --> 00:13:35,116 I was into The Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, 220 00:13:35,116 --> 00:13:38,549 and The Fifth Dimension, all those West Coast acts. 221 00:13:38,549 --> 00:13:40,949 But what really sold me 222 00:13:40,949 --> 00:13:44,182 was meeting Elvis Presley in person. 223 00:13:50,982 --> 00:13:54,716 The first time that Elvis and I met was at my office. 224 00:13:54,716 --> 00:13:57,549 And the first question out of Elvis's mouth is, 225 00:13:57,549 --> 00:13:59,849 "Steve, what do you think of my career?" 226 00:13:59,849 --> 00:14:04,016 And I said, "Truthfully, I think it's in the toilet." 227 00:14:05,449 --> 00:14:07,716 And there was this moment. 228 00:14:09,350 --> 00:14:11,016 Elvis just stared at me. 229 00:14:11,016 --> 00:14:14,549 I couldn't tell if he was hurt, angry 230 00:14:14,549 --> 00:14:16,916 or how he was going to respond. 231 00:14:16,916 --> 00:14:19,482 Then Elvis burst out laughing. 232 00:14:19,482 --> 00:14:21,849 And he said, "Finally, somebody's 233 00:14:21,849 --> 00:14:24,516 talking truth to me." 234 00:14:39,782 --> 00:14:43,716 The 1950s was the advent of the nuclear age, 235 00:14:43,716 --> 00:14:46,482 and it became a mad race for nuclear supremacy. 236 00:14:46,482 --> 00:14:48,949 The Cold War dug in quickly. 237 00:14:48,949 --> 00:14:52,317 And this battle between the United States and the USSR 238 00:14:52,317 --> 00:14:55,049 provided a consensus here at home. 239 00:14:55,049 --> 00:14:56,949 You might have different views on different issues, 240 00:14:56,949 --> 00:14:59,182 but we all hated Russia together. 241 00:15:06,317 --> 00:15:10,616 There was a new consciousness of a generation in the 1950s. 242 00:15:10,616 --> 00:15:12,317 There's gotta be more to life than just 243 00:15:12,317 --> 00:15:15,317 wanting to have bigger bombs than the Russians. 244 00:15:15,317 --> 00:15:18,449 ♪ Now, the bellhop's tears keep flowin' ♪ 245 00:15:18,449 --> 00:15:20,949 ♪ And the desk clerk's dressed in black ♪ 246 00:15:20,949 --> 00:15:23,816 ♪ Well, they've been so long on Lonely Street ♪ 247 00:15:23,816 --> 00:15:26,816 ♪ They'll never, never look back ♪ 248 00:15:26,816 --> 00:15:29,649 ♪ And they're so lonely, baby ♪ 249 00:15:29,649 --> 00:15:32,382 ♪ Well, they're so lonely ♪ 250 00:15:32,382 --> 00:15:37,649 ♪ They're so lonely, they pray to die ♪ 251 00:15:43,382 --> 00:15:46,049 I see him as somebody who was a pioneer 252 00:15:46,049 --> 00:15:48,416 and smashing up some of the conformity 253 00:15:48,416 --> 00:15:50,549 of the Eisenhower '50s. 254 00:15:50,549 --> 00:15:51,716 There was something about him, 255 00:15:51,716 --> 00:15:53,882 an aura, that he created, 256 00:15:53,882 --> 00:15:56,649 and it made him one of the revolutionary figures 257 00:15:56,649 --> 00:15:58,349 of Cold War America. 258 00:15:58,349 --> 00:16:03,316 ♪ If your baby leaves you and you've got to tale to tell ♪ 259 00:16:03,316 --> 00:16:06,416 ♪ Well, just take a walk down Lonely Street ♪ 260 00:16:06,416 --> 00:16:08,482 ♪ To Heartbreak Hotel ♪ 261 00:16:08,482 --> 00:16:12,082 ♪ Where you'll be so lonely, baby ♪ 262 00:16:12,082 --> 00:16:14,849 ♪ Well, you'll be lonely ♪ 263 00:16:14,849 --> 00:16:19,649 ♪ You'll be so lonely you could die ♪ 264 00:16:19,649 --> 00:16:21,482 ♪ Well ♪ 265 00:16:33,316 --> 00:16:36,016 No artist ever exploded on the national scene 266 00:16:36,016 --> 00:16:39,949 with the volcanic impact of Elvis Presley. 267 00:16:39,949 --> 00:16:41,816 I always say to people who weren't alive 268 00:16:41,816 --> 00:16:44,216 when this happened in 1956, 269 00:16:44,316 --> 00:16:47,082 you cannot imagine the way the world changed. 270 00:16:47,082 --> 00:16:49,949 Changed the way we think, the way we felt, 271 00:16:49,949 --> 00:16:51,549 changed the youth culture. 272 00:16:51,549 --> 00:16:53,216 It brought about the whole focus 273 00:16:53,316 --> 00:16:55,816 on teenagers who had music and films 274 00:16:55,816 --> 00:16:58,349 to separate themselves from their parents. 275 00:16:58,349 --> 00:17:01,882 It was as if we went from black and white to Technicolor. 276 00:17:06,316 --> 00:17:08,816 That's where I actually got my-- 277 00:17:08,816 --> 00:17:12,182 my style of singing from, was rhythm and blues 278 00:17:12,316 --> 00:17:15,516 and gospel mixed with country and Western. 279 00:17:15,516 --> 00:17:17,016 He had all these influences. 280 00:17:17,016 --> 00:17:20,316 We know he drew on R and gospel and country, 281 00:17:20,316 --> 00:17:22,716 but he fused them into something else in a way 282 00:17:22,716 --> 00:17:24,316 that no one had done before. 283 00:17:24,316 --> 00:17:25,849 He was innovative. 284 00:17:25,849 --> 00:17:28,982 Part of what made that Elvis explosion so influential 285 00:17:28,982 --> 00:17:31,649 is that moment of fusion. 286 00:17:31,649 --> 00:17:34,049 That detonation, that sense of a Big Bang 287 00:17:34,049 --> 00:17:35,716 of things coming together. 288 00:17:41,149 --> 00:17:43,849 He's a spark that creates this explosion. 289 00:17:45,916 --> 00:17:48,682 There's a part of Elvis that gets on stage 290 00:17:48,682 --> 00:17:51,582 and people go absolutely crazy. 291 00:17:51,582 --> 00:17:54,649 That kind of frenzy is something that nowadays, 292 00:17:54,649 --> 00:17:56,449 you see in hip-hop. 293 00:17:56,449 --> 00:17:59,416 The idea that there's gonna be someone who emerges 294 00:17:59,416 --> 00:18:01,316 from youth culture, who captures 295 00:18:01,316 --> 00:18:04,782 everyone's imagination, whom parents hate. 296 00:18:04,782 --> 00:18:09,049 Elvis was emerging in mainstream celebrity culture. 297 00:18:09,049 --> 00:18:12,316 He was an outlaw hitting the stages. 298 00:18:12,316 --> 00:18:14,482 And yet, nobody knew what to do with him because 299 00:18:14,482 --> 00:18:16,516 he was so likable and so lovable. 300 00:18:26,882 --> 00:18:28,782 Not everybody loved Elvis Presley 301 00:18:28,782 --> 00:18:30,316 when he first came on the scene. 302 00:18:30,316 --> 00:18:32,849 Some people thought he really was a threat 303 00:18:32,849 --> 00:18:35,181 to the National Security. 304 00:18:35,316 --> 00:18:38,349 When he played Louisville in November of 1956, 305 00:18:38,349 --> 00:18:41,482 the police filmed the show for the FBI. 306 00:18:41,482 --> 00:18:43,616 When he played Jacksonville, Florida, 307 00:18:43,616 --> 00:18:46,016 Judge Marion Gooding sat in the audience 308 00:18:46,016 --> 00:18:48,349 just daring him to be lascivious. 309 00:18:48,349 --> 00:18:51,882 The PGA, the YMCA, or somebody, they thought I was-- 310 00:18:55,148 --> 00:18:58,782 And they said, "Man, he's gotta be crazy." 311 00:18:58,782 --> 00:19:01,616 So, they-- 312 00:19:01,616 --> 00:19:04,115 the police came out, and they filmed the show. 313 00:19:04,115 --> 00:19:06,649 So I couldn't move, I had to stand still. 314 00:19:06,649 --> 00:19:09,516 The only thing I moved was my little finger like that. 315 00:19:09,516 --> 00:19:11,882 ♪ You ain't nothin' but a hound dog ♪ 316 00:19:11,882 --> 00:19:13,982 ♪ Cryin' all the time ♪ 317 00:19:13,982 --> 00:19:16,482 You know, for the whole show. 318 00:19:17,882 --> 00:19:19,516 People don't realize that 319 00:19:19,516 --> 00:19:22,181 for a white person to be singing songs 320 00:19:22,316 --> 00:19:24,516 that were African-American compositions 321 00:19:24,516 --> 00:19:27,148 that came deep from Black culture, 322 00:19:27,148 --> 00:19:30,148 Elvis was seen as betraying the white race 323 00:19:30,148 --> 00:19:32,316 to a lot of bigots in the South. 324 00:19:32,316 --> 00:19:34,016 You could burn his records, 325 00:19:34,016 --> 00:19:35,482 you can hang them in effigy, 326 00:19:35,482 --> 00:19:37,049 you could flip him off, 327 00:19:37,049 --> 00:19:38,916 you could say he's a communist, say he's a radical, 328 00:19:38,916 --> 00:19:40,816 but you still had Elvis. 329 00:19:40,816 --> 00:19:44,482 He was a kind of prince of that particular moment 330 00:19:44,482 --> 00:19:46,616 in American life. 331 00:19:52,449 --> 00:19:56,316 Elvis matters because he's the king of rock and roll. 332 00:19:56,316 --> 00:19:58,482 I think the reason Elvis matters, 333 00:19:58,482 --> 00:20:00,282 there are two sides to this. 334 00:20:00,282 --> 00:20:00,316 there are two sides to this. One, there's just Elvis the performer 335 00:20:00,316 --> 00:20:02,081 One, there's just Elvis the performer 336 00:20:02,081 --> 00:20:04,382 and the great music he did. 337 00:20:04,382 --> 00:20:08,016 But in a sense, now, maybe even the greater legacy 338 00:20:08,016 --> 00:20:09,316 is the influence he had 339 00:20:09,316 --> 00:20:11,882 because he inspired so many people 340 00:20:11,882 --> 00:20:14,081 that went on to do music that inspire 341 00:20:14,081 --> 00:20:15,816 the next generation and so on. 342 00:20:15,816 --> 00:20:18,982 ♪ Well, since my baby left ♪ 343 00:20:18,982 --> 00:20:21,549 ♪ I found a new place to dwell ♪ 344 00:20:21,549 --> 00:20:24,181 ♪ It's down at the end of Lonely Street ♪ 345 00:20:24,181 --> 00:20:26,115 ♪ It's Heartbreak Hotel ♪ 346 00:20:26,115 --> 00:20:30,081 ♪ And I'll be, I'll be so lonely, baby ♪ 347 00:20:30,081 --> 00:20:32,849 ♪ I'll be so lonely, yeah ♪ 348 00:20:32,849 --> 00:20:36,482 ♪ I'll be so lonely, I could die ♪ 349 00:20:36,482 --> 00:20:38,782 For me, it was the music and his voice. 350 00:20:38,782 --> 00:20:40,115 It's just absolutely amazing. 351 00:20:40,115 --> 00:20:42,248 When he opened his mouth to sing, you know, 352 00:20:42,248 --> 00:20:43,782 all you could say was, "That's Elvis." 353 00:20:43,782 --> 00:20:45,316 He was original. 354 00:20:45,316 --> 00:20:47,749 I mean, he's one of those artists 355 00:20:47,749 --> 00:20:49,181 that 100 years from now, 356 00:20:49,181 --> 00:20:50,749 they're still gonna be talking about Elvis. 357 00:20:50,749 --> 00:20:52,181 He's influenced everybody. 358 00:20:52,181 --> 00:20:53,316 I mean, I'm talking about rappers, 359 00:20:53,316 --> 00:20:54,649 I'm talking about country singers, 360 00:20:54,649 --> 00:20:55,816 I'm talking about everybody. 361 00:20:55,816 --> 00:20:57,248 I mean, we're all influenced by Elvis. 362 00:20:57,248 --> 00:20:59,416 We might not know it, but we are. 363 00:21:03,349 --> 00:21:05,549 I'm from Dominican Republic, 364 00:21:05,549 --> 00:21:07,882 and I'm supposed to be listening to salsa, 365 00:21:07,882 --> 00:21:09,316 bachata, merengue, like-- 366 00:21:11,316 --> 00:21:13,949 Then, here you go, I'm introduced to Elvis. 367 00:21:27,682 --> 00:21:32,582 What made Elvis' sound unique is, it was like, 368 00:21:32,582 --> 00:21:34,816 this is how I see it. 369 00:21:34,816 --> 00:21:37,048 I think he was Dominican in the other life 370 00:21:37,048 --> 00:21:40,582 because the way he moved while he was playing his songs 371 00:21:40,582 --> 00:21:46,616 and that African feel, that's what really resonated to me. 372 00:21:46,616 --> 00:21:49,916 With the soul and the spirit of what Elvis used to do, 373 00:21:49,916 --> 00:21:56,749 it's like he created something that never existed. 374 00:21:56,749 --> 00:21:59,616 Elvis's music, I felt it. 375 00:21:59,616 --> 00:22:01,948 I didn't see it. I felt it. 376 00:22:01,948 --> 00:22:04,849 And that's what I apply in my music at all times. 377 00:22:04,849 --> 00:22:06,782 When I'm creating, when I'm songwriting, 378 00:22:06,782 --> 00:22:10,948 when I'm producing, I make sure that my heart is there, first. 379 00:22:10,948 --> 00:22:13,915 ♪ Well, it's one for the money ♪ 380 00:22:13,915 --> 00:22:16,349 ♪ Two for show ♪ 381 00:22:16,349 --> 00:22:18,782 ♪ Three to get ready now, go, cat, go ♪ 382 00:22:18,782 --> 00:22:22,981 ♪ But don't you step on my blue suede shoes ♪ 383 00:22:22,981 --> 00:22:25,849 ♪ Well, you can do anything but lay off my blue suede shoes ♪ 384 00:22:25,849 --> 00:22:28,682 Most people's idea of Elvis is the caricature of Elvis. 385 00:22:28,682 --> 00:22:32,148 Right, they know the jumpsuit, they know the sideburns. 386 00:22:32,148 --> 00:22:34,682 They don't necessarily know how, I think, great 387 00:22:34,682 --> 00:22:37,316 Elvis was as a performer and as a singer. 388 00:22:37,316 --> 00:22:39,416 Because I've obviously borrowed a lot from Elvis. 389 00:22:39,416 --> 00:22:40,882 I've studied him my whole life, and there's 390 00:22:40,882 --> 00:22:43,382 a lot that I just kind of instinctually now, 391 00:22:43,382 --> 00:22:45,948 you know, I kinda go back to some of those Elvis-isms, 392 00:22:45,948 --> 00:22:47,482 you know, and try to steal some of that. 393 00:22:47,482 --> 00:22:49,048 'Cause it's great. It was him feeling the music, 394 00:22:49,048 --> 00:22:50,816 and that's how I approach it. 395 00:22:50,816 --> 00:22:53,649 I mean, always, my goal is to feel music like Elvis did. 396 00:22:53,649 --> 00:22:56,981 ♪ Yeah, blue, blue, the blue suede shoes ♪ 397 00:22:56,981 --> 00:22:58,981 ♪ Blue, blue, the blue suede shoes ♪ 398 00:22:58,981 --> 00:23:01,148 ♪ Blue, blue, the blue suede shoes ♪ 399 00:23:01,148 --> 00:23:02,782 ♪ Blue, blue, the blue suede shoes ♪ 400 00:23:02,782 --> 00:23:04,482 ♪ Well, you can do anything, but lay off ♪ 401 00:23:04,482 --> 00:23:08,015 ♪ Of my blue suede shoes ♪ 402 00:23:08,015 --> 00:23:09,616 Oh! 403 00:23:12,382 --> 00:23:13,782 Whoo! 404 00:23:17,948 --> 00:23:19,849 The sensational adventure 405 00:23:19,849 --> 00:23:21,516 of the notorious Reno Brothers 406 00:23:21,516 --> 00:23:23,549 and the girl they fought over. 407 00:23:23,549 --> 00:23:27,215 Starring Richard Egan as Vance Reno, 408 00:23:27,316 --> 00:23:29,716 Debra Paget as Cathy, 409 00:23:29,716 --> 00:23:33,349 and introducing Elvis Presley as Clint Reno. 410 00:23:33,349 --> 00:23:35,848 Elvis did four movies before going in the Army. 411 00:23:35,848 --> 00:23:38,081 The first one, he's really more of a secondary player. 412 00:23:38,081 --> 00:23:39,616 He's not even the lead. 413 00:23:39,616 --> 00:23:41,516 The other three, is a lead character. 414 00:23:41,516 --> 00:23:44,382 And they always made him a singer in those. 415 00:23:44,382 --> 00:23:47,015 His character was a singer, I mean, a performer. 416 00:23:47,015 --> 00:23:49,349 So they weren't really trying to push him too much 417 00:23:49,349 --> 00:23:52,516 and have him do something else outside of that. 418 00:23:52,516 --> 00:23:54,382 As far as favorite Elvis movies, 419 00:23:54,382 --> 00:23:57,582 I'm always kind of tied between "Jailhouse Rock" 420 00:23:57,582 --> 00:23:58,815 and "King Creole." 421 00:23:58,815 --> 00:24:00,148 Here we go. 422 00:24:00,316 --> 00:24:01,382 You'll be great tonight. 423 00:24:01,382 --> 00:24:03,215 I heard you rehearsing before. 424 00:24:03,316 --> 00:24:04,716 What kind of songs are they you're singing? 425 00:24:04,716 --> 00:24:05,915 Folk songs? 426 00:24:05,915 --> 00:24:07,015 I guess so. 427 00:24:07,015 --> 00:24:08,181 That's what I thought. 428 00:24:08,316 --> 00:24:09,549 What planet? 429 00:24:10,948 --> 00:24:12,416 Just laugh it up, kid. 430 00:24:12,416 --> 00:24:13,881 No offense. 431 00:24:16,449 --> 00:24:19,549 "King Creole," it's a fun movie, but it's also dark. 432 00:24:19,549 --> 00:24:21,316 And that was Elvis's favorite movie because he was 433 00:24:21,316 --> 00:24:22,915 able to act in that one. 434 00:24:22,915 --> 00:24:26,081 Listen, Mr. Evans, we moved into this neighborhood 435 00:24:26,081 --> 00:24:27,749 three years ago. 436 00:24:27,749 --> 00:24:29,682 In the three years that I've been going to school here, 437 00:24:29,682 --> 00:24:32,915 I've shined shoes and dusted people off in a barber shop. 438 00:24:32,915 --> 00:24:35,881 I've done towel duty in four different men's rooms. 439 00:24:35,881 --> 00:24:38,449 I've stacked chairs and bottles and swept the floor up 440 00:24:38,449 --> 00:24:41,115 of every joint on Bourbon Street. 441 00:24:41,115 --> 00:24:42,649 It's gotten so I look longer at a dame 442 00:24:42,649 --> 00:24:45,516 with clothes on than one without. 443 00:24:45,516 --> 00:24:49,015 I'm not a hoodlum, but I am a hustler. 444 00:24:54,382 --> 00:24:57,048 His lucrative career as rock and roll king 445 00:24:57,048 --> 00:24:58,649 interrupted for a while. 446 00:24:58,649 --> 00:25:01,181 Elvis Presley begins his military service 447 00:25:01,316 --> 00:25:03,582 at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. 448 00:25:03,582 --> 00:25:05,781 Yeah, hurl it-- oh, wait a minute. 449 00:25:05,781 --> 00:25:07,781 Everybody ready? 450 00:25:07,781 --> 00:25:10,948 Rock and roll music, if you like it and if you feel it, 451 00:25:10,948 --> 00:25:13,015 you can't help, but move to it. 452 00:25:13,015 --> 00:25:15,616 That's what happens to me, I-- 453 00:25:15,616 --> 00:25:16,981 I can't help it. 454 00:25:16,981 --> 00:25:18,349 There's quite a group of people who don't sort of 455 00:25:18,349 --> 00:25:19,716 approve of the thing you do. 456 00:25:19,716 --> 00:25:21,516 They seem to think that it contributes 457 00:25:21,516 --> 00:25:24,148 to juvenile delinquency and all sorts of things. 458 00:25:24,148 --> 00:25:25,748 I've tried to figure it out. 459 00:25:25,748 --> 00:25:27,215 I don't see how they can think that it would contribute 460 00:25:27,316 --> 00:25:29,316 to juvenile delinquency 461 00:25:29,316 --> 00:25:31,516 if someone saw me singing and dancing. 462 00:25:31,516 --> 00:25:33,649 I don't--I don't see that. 463 00:25:33,649 --> 00:25:35,748 I think it was important for Colonel Parker 464 00:25:35,748 --> 00:25:37,616 to get Elvis drafted-- and he did, 465 00:25:37,616 --> 00:25:39,881 he negotiated the whole thing-- 466 00:25:39,881 --> 00:25:41,649 for a couple of reasons. 467 00:25:41,649 --> 00:25:44,482 One, Elvis was still being seen as kind of 468 00:25:44,482 --> 00:25:47,482 a dangerous hooligan by one segment of society. 469 00:25:47,482 --> 00:25:49,482 And the Colonel had plans for him 470 00:25:49,482 --> 00:25:51,948 to assimilate, to be an establishment figure 471 00:25:51,948 --> 00:25:53,682 when he came back from the service. 472 00:25:53,682 --> 00:25:54,748 Do you feel that rock and roll, 473 00:25:54,748 --> 00:25:56,516 the popularity of rock and roll, 474 00:25:56,516 --> 00:25:58,881 will diminish in any way while you're in the Army? 475 00:25:58,881 --> 00:26:00,382 That's hard to tell. 476 00:26:00,382 --> 00:26:02,848 The only thing I can say is I hope not. 477 00:26:02,848 --> 00:26:04,981 Oh, there's no question, Elvis Presley going 478 00:26:04,981 --> 00:26:08,748 into the military hurt his musical career, 479 00:26:08,748 --> 00:26:11,549 but it helped his public persona 480 00:26:11,549 --> 00:26:13,948 because Elvis was seen as a good boy. 481 00:26:13,948 --> 00:26:17,616 It sent a larger message that Elvis loved America. 482 00:26:17,616 --> 00:26:19,848 And it seemed like Uncle Sam 483 00:26:19,848 --> 00:26:21,915 was saving Elvis from debauchery, 484 00:26:21,915 --> 00:26:25,449 but it robbed us of great years of Elvis. 485 00:26:27,181 --> 00:26:29,482 Oh, Waihila, I think I'm scared. 486 00:26:29,482 --> 00:26:32,015 He's been gone for two years. 487 00:26:32,015 --> 00:26:33,316 What if he's changed? 488 00:26:33,316 --> 00:26:34,948 Just be patient with him. 489 00:26:34,948 --> 00:26:39,148 Some boys need time to get adjusted to being back home. 490 00:26:47,316 --> 00:26:49,316 Some of 'em get the hang of it right away. 491 00:26:51,648 --> 00:26:54,482 Elvis' going into the Army basically ended 492 00:26:54,482 --> 00:26:56,115 his career as an innovator. 493 00:26:56,115 --> 00:26:57,582 He never lost his talents, 494 00:26:57,582 --> 00:27:00,148 but he wasn't doing anything innovative. 495 00:27:00,316 --> 00:27:02,449 And it wasn't taking rock to the next level, 496 00:27:02,449 --> 00:27:04,015 the next stage. 497 00:27:04,015 --> 00:27:06,915 He became, you know, just more of an entertainer, 498 00:27:06,915 --> 00:27:09,881 which is fine if you're happy doing that. 499 00:27:09,881 --> 00:27:11,449 Except, he wasn't happy doing that. 500 00:27:13,316 --> 00:27:16,015 Elvis made the series of movies throughout the '60s, 501 00:27:16,015 --> 00:27:18,582 and they just kinda went downhill. 502 00:27:18,582 --> 00:27:19,715 Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute. 503 00:27:19,715 --> 00:27:21,316 There's something wrong with my lip. 504 00:27:23,316 --> 00:27:26,715 You remember that, don't you? 505 00:27:32,316 --> 00:27:33,349 I've got news for you, baby. 506 00:27:33,349 --> 00:27:36,781 I did 29 pictures like that, man. 507 00:27:36,781 --> 00:27:39,382 There got to be a sort of template for what we think of 508 00:27:39,382 --> 00:27:41,048 as the Elvis movie. 509 00:27:41,048 --> 00:27:44,648 Basically, you had Elvis as an individual character who 510 00:27:44,648 --> 00:27:46,615 very much stands on his own. 511 00:27:46,615 --> 00:27:48,981 And he's in some kind of rugged, manly profession... 512 00:27:48,981 --> 00:27:51,615 As the explosive ordnance disposal man. 513 00:27:51,615 --> 00:27:53,449 For the last three days, I've been a full-fledged employee 514 00:27:53,449 --> 00:27:55,115 of the Hawaiian Tourist Guide Service. 515 00:27:55,115 --> 00:27:56,349 I'll fill in for El Trovador 516 00:27:56,349 --> 00:27:57,848 if you give me a job as a lifeguard. 517 00:27:57,848 --> 00:27:59,848 Thanks, Sam. I'm still a fisherman. 518 00:27:59,848 --> 00:28:01,048 You're a good pilot. 519 00:28:01,048 --> 00:28:02,449 Now you're a roustabout. 520 00:28:02,449 --> 00:28:04,015 Is that good? 521 00:28:04,015 --> 00:28:05,981 And, you know, a bit of a tough guy. 522 00:28:05,981 --> 00:28:07,148 You better move. 523 00:28:07,148 --> 00:28:09,148 Why don't you move me? 524 00:28:18,482 --> 00:28:20,015 He was always very much an individual 525 00:28:20,015 --> 00:28:22,015 and needing to make his own way. 526 00:28:22,015 --> 00:28:26,681 And there's a young woman who he's interested in 527 00:28:26,681 --> 00:28:27,948 who, in some of these, they're sort of 528 00:28:27,948 --> 00:28:29,715 confrontational at the beginning, 529 00:28:29,715 --> 00:28:32,416 but he wins her over at the end by doing it his way. 530 00:28:37,581 --> 00:28:39,316 Did you ever? 531 00:28:41,981 --> 00:28:45,648 And somehow, he's a singer on top of that, too. 532 00:28:45,648 --> 00:28:47,615 That's where it gets a little crazy. 533 00:28:47,615 --> 00:28:49,748 A race car driver and a singer. 534 00:28:49,748 --> 00:28:53,548 And the Navy frogmen, oh, and he's a singer. 535 00:28:53,548 --> 00:28:56,848 And a cowboy and, you know, he's a singer. 536 00:28:56,848 --> 00:28:58,948 They're just silly, and the scripts aren't good. 537 00:28:58,948 --> 00:29:01,881 - Behave yourself! 538 00:29:04,316 --> 00:29:05,781 Ahh! 539 00:29:05,781 --> 00:29:07,915 You don't eat out much, do you? 540 00:29:10,081 --> 00:29:12,781 Good afternoon. This is The Barrow Gang. 541 00:29:13,648 --> 00:29:15,316 Now, if everybody would just take it easy, 542 00:29:15,316 --> 00:29:17,482 nobody will get hurt. 543 00:29:17,482 --> 00:29:19,848 Well, 1967, it was one of 544 00:29:19,848 --> 00:29:23,048 the high water marks in Hollywood history, 545 00:29:23,048 --> 00:29:24,615 when you were bringing this sort of 546 00:29:24,615 --> 00:29:27,148 gritty social realism into play. 547 00:29:27,148 --> 00:29:30,548 What we've got here is 548 00:29:30,548 --> 00:29:32,748 failure to communicate. 549 00:29:32,748 --> 00:29:35,048 With movies like "Cool Hand Luke" 550 00:29:35,048 --> 00:29:36,748 with, you know, Paul Newman, 551 00:29:36,748 --> 00:29:38,481 or Sidney Poitier, you know, 552 00:29:38,481 --> 00:29:40,048 "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," 553 00:29:40,048 --> 00:29:42,981 you're dealing with race relations in an intense way. 554 00:29:42,981 --> 00:29:44,781 In "The Graduate," you're bringing in 555 00:29:44,781 --> 00:29:46,848 a youth culture story. 556 00:29:46,848 --> 00:29:49,981 These are movies dealing with societal issues 557 00:29:49,981 --> 00:29:51,181 that are complex. 558 00:29:56,316 --> 00:29:59,181 There's still something wrong. 559 00:29:59,316 --> 00:30:02,615 I mean, Elvis Presley's movies of the 1960s, 560 00:30:02,615 --> 00:30:04,248 they were brainless. 561 00:30:04,248 --> 00:30:05,282 That bugs you, doesn't it? 562 00:30:05,282 --> 00:30:06,615 It's just good business. 563 00:30:06,615 --> 00:30:08,815 A single girl sells more tickets. 564 00:30:08,815 --> 00:30:11,148 - I'll keep it. - Where? 565 00:30:11,148 --> 00:30:14,248 It's just, he was a much greater artist than that. 566 00:30:14,248 --> 00:30:16,416 It's a good thing you weren't wearing a charm bracelet. 567 00:30:16,416 --> 00:30:20,781 The pity, the reason people laugh or mock Elvis's films 568 00:30:20,781 --> 00:30:23,815 is that we all know he was better than the movie. 569 00:30:23,815 --> 00:30:25,848 Would you like me any better if I hated money, 570 00:30:25,848 --> 00:30:27,416 grew a beard, and stood on my head? 571 00:30:27,416 --> 00:30:29,548 Any change would be an improvement. 572 00:30:32,681 --> 00:30:36,081 By 1968, Elvis needed a comeback for many reasons. 573 00:30:36,081 --> 00:30:39,781 One, to regain his footing in the marketplace, 574 00:30:39,781 --> 00:30:42,048 but also to save his own soul. 575 00:31:01,115 --> 00:31:03,181 I had three meetings with Colonel Parker, 576 00:31:03,316 --> 00:31:06,015 and Colonel Parker was an enigma. 577 00:31:06,015 --> 00:31:08,215 He could be charming and kind 578 00:31:08,316 --> 00:31:12,515 or he could be harsh and dismissive and humiliating, 579 00:31:12,515 --> 00:31:16,015 often within the scope of a very short period of time. 580 00:31:16,015 --> 00:31:20,515 His personal motto was, "you either con or you get conned." 581 00:31:20,515 --> 00:31:22,316 So as long as you kissed the ring, 582 00:31:22,316 --> 00:31:25,481 you got along well with him, but if you challenged him 583 00:31:25,481 --> 00:31:28,115 or questioned him, look out. 584 00:31:39,948 --> 00:31:43,481 I've learned that nothing in Elvis' world is too bizarre. 585 00:31:43,481 --> 00:31:44,815 Colonel Tom Parker was not 586 00:31:44,815 --> 00:31:46,815 from Huntington, West Virginia. 587 00:31:46,815 --> 00:31:49,981 He wasn't a Colonel. His name wasn't Tom or Parker. 588 00:31:49,981 --> 00:31:55,316 He was born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk in Holland in 1909. 589 00:31:55,316 --> 00:31:59,648 Then in 1929, he left under mysterious circumstances. 590 00:31:59,648 --> 00:32:01,048 He just left in the dead of night. 591 00:32:01,048 --> 00:32:02,615 He didn't take his clothes. 592 00:32:02,615 --> 00:32:03,815 No money, no identifying papers. 593 00:32:03,815 --> 00:32:05,748 He left all of it behind. 594 00:32:05,748 --> 00:32:08,316 He cut off all contacts with his family. 595 00:32:08,316 --> 00:32:11,316 We do know from a very reliable researcher 596 00:32:11,316 --> 00:32:13,581 that he had a police file. 597 00:32:13,581 --> 00:32:17,948 He has been implicated in a murder. 598 00:32:17,948 --> 00:32:21,181 A murder of a woman who was the wife of the greengrocer. 599 00:32:21,315 --> 00:32:23,148 This was a shop that was on the street 600 00:32:23,148 --> 00:32:25,481 where his mother lived and that he frequented. 601 00:32:25,481 --> 00:32:28,215 We don't know for sure that he killed this woman, 602 00:32:28,315 --> 00:32:32,681 but we can say he lived his life as someone on the lam. 603 00:32:32,681 --> 00:32:34,781 There's almost no paper trail for him, 604 00:32:34,781 --> 00:32:36,615 not even a marriage license. 605 00:32:36,615 --> 00:32:38,715 He never became a U.S. citizen. 606 00:32:38,715 --> 00:32:41,315 This is a guy who had something to hide, 607 00:32:41,315 --> 00:32:43,915 and he disappeared in the very window of time 608 00:32:43,915 --> 00:32:46,015 that this woman was killed. 609 00:32:46,015 --> 00:32:48,748 He also had a peculiar quirk. 610 00:32:48,748 --> 00:32:52,315 He would take bets about how much pepper he can eat. 611 00:32:52,315 --> 00:32:54,981 He would pour spoonfuls of pepper into his hand 612 00:32:54,981 --> 00:32:56,881 and then he would eat it all. 613 00:32:56,881 --> 00:32:59,448 And they would take bets on how many spoonfuls 614 00:32:59,448 --> 00:33:03,315 he could ingest before he just couldn't do it anymore. 615 00:33:03,315 --> 00:33:06,048 Now, that may just be some kind of parlor trick 616 00:33:06,048 --> 00:33:08,081 for the Colonel, but I do find it interesting 617 00:33:08,081 --> 00:33:10,881 that the woman who was killed in Holland, 618 00:33:10,881 --> 00:33:12,481 whoever killed her-- 619 00:33:12,481 --> 00:33:15,081 and I do think that she was killed in an act of rage 620 00:33:15,081 --> 00:33:17,315 rather than a premeditated situation 621 00:33:17,315 --> 00:33:21,615 because she was beaten to literally, a pulp-- 622 00:33:21,615 --> 00:33:24,381 whoever did that had presence of mind 623 00:33:24,381 --> 00:33:28,615 before he left to sprinkle pepper around the apartment. 624 00:33:32,148 --> 00:33:34,415 Why pepper? 625 00:33:34,415 --> 00:33:38,648 Because, perhaps, the Holland Police Department 626 00:33:38,648 --> 00:33:43,048 used dogs in 1929 who might have picked up a scent. 627 00:33:43,048 --> 00:33:45,948 Now, who would have known to do that? 628 00:33:45,948 --> 00:33:49,481 Maybe, somebody who trained animals, right? 629 00:33:49,481 --> 00:33:50,981 Guess what Colonel Parker was doing 630 00:33:50,981 --> 00:33:54,815 when he wasn't loading big rounds of cheese onto ships? 631 00:33:54,815 --> 00:33:56,181 He trained animals. 632 00:33:56,315 --> 00:33:58,915 So there's no real proof, hard proof, 633 00:33:58,915 --> 00:34:00,481 that he killed that woman, 634 00:34:00,481 --> 00:34:03,081 but there's a lot of circumstantial evidence. 635 00:34:03,081 --> 00:34:04,581 There were other suspects. 636 00:34:04,581 --> 00:34:07,548 He was never actually named, except implicated 637 00:34:07,548 --> 00:34:10,348 by a family member many, many years later. 638 00:34:10,348 --> 00:34:13,315 Something awful had to have happened over there. 639 00:34:13,315 --> 00:34:16,381 Something he could not fix, and he could fix anything. 640 00:34:23,915 --> 00:34:28,681 In the beginning, Elvis was very dependent on the Colonel, 641 00:34:28,681 --> 00:34:30,948 and it was Parker who turned him 642 00:34:30,948 --> 00:34:32,915 into a national phenomenon. 643 00:34:32,915 --> 00:34:34,581 That much is true. 644 00:34:34,581 --> 00:34:36,881 I've always thought of Parker as a great promoter, 645 00:34:36,881 --> 00:34:39,081 but not necessarily the best manager. 646 00:34:39,081 --> 00:34:40,648 The Colonel turned Elvis into the first 647 00:34:40,648 --> 00:34:41,848 really branded artist. 648 00:34:41,848 --> 00:34:43,515 The first artist that had, you know, 649 00:34:43,515 --> 00:34:46,781 it was Elvis' name and face was printed on everything, 650 00:34:46,781 --> 00:34:48,315 and you never had that before. 651 00:34:48,315 --> 00:34:50,315 The Colonel was really a pioneer in that. 652 00:34:50,315 --> 00:34:54,748 I saw the reaction this boy received from the people, 653 00:34:54,748 --> 00:34:56,681 and I knew I could help him. 654 00:34:56,681 --> 00:34:59,415 - Well, what has been your-- - I think my experience 655 00:34:59,415 --> 00:35:03,815 and, in a small way, handling his future 656 00:35:03,815 --> 00:35:06,081 with making contracts where, perhaps, 657 00:35:06,081 --> 00:35:08,948 someone would offer a certain amount of the money 658 00:35:08,948 --> 00:35:10,748 and I thought this artist was worth more, 659 00:35:10,748 --> 00:35:12,515 and I held out for my price. 660 00:35:12,515 --> 00:35:14,348 Colonel Parker prided himself on getting 661 00:35:14,348 --> 00:35:16,348 the best deal for his client, 662 00:35:16,348 --> 00:35:18,381 but he didn't have a lot of vision. 663 00:35:18,381 --> 00:35:21,948 And he didn't seem to know how to develop Elvis's talent. 664 00:35:21,948 --> 00:35:23,815 It's kind of like, once he had a good thing, 665 00:35:23,815 --> 00:35:25,315 he was just gonna keep working it. 666 00:35:25,315 --> 00:35:28,214 He has a tremendous amount of personality. 667 00:35:28,315 --> 00:35:30,615 They admire him. They like his singing. 668 00:35:30,615 --> 00:35:34,081 I don't have the answer, why, and I don't think 669 00:35:34,081 --> 00:35:36,315 I wanna find out because business is good. 670 00:35:36,315 --> 00:35:39,481 Elvis knew that the Colonel jump-started his career, 671 00:35:39,481 --> 00:35:41,815 and he knew that he wouldn't have gotten to 672 00:35:41,815 --> 00:35:44,315 where he ended up without the Colonel. 673 00:35:44,315 --> 00:35:46,214 And I think Elvis was loyal to that. 674 00:35:46,315 --> 00:35:48,348 The Colonel knew that he was loyal to that. 675 00:35:48,348 --> 00:35:50,348 I think the Colonel may have taken advantage of that 676 00:35:50,348 --> 00:35:52,948 and knew how to push Elvis's buttons. 677 00:35:54,615 --> 00:35:57,581 In a lot of ways, Elvis was trapped by his dependency 678 00:35:57,581 --> 00:35:58,981 on Colonel Parker. 679 00:35:58,981 --> 00:36:00,715 He was forever stuck because he didn't 680 00:36:00,715 --> 00:36:03,481 have the emotional backbone to buck him. 681 00:36:05,180 --> 00:36:06,180 You know, in the beginning, the Colonel and Elvis 682 00:36:06,315 --> 00:36:08,848 had a pretty good relationship. 683 00:36:08,848 --> 00:36:11,147 Elvis considered him a father figure. 684 00:36:11,147 --> 00:36:13,214 And he needed a strong father figure 685 00:36:13,315 --> 00:36:15,515 because his own father was weak. 686 00:36:15,515 --> 00:36:17,214 Elvis really thought, the Colonel could 687 00:36:17,315 --> 00:36:18,815 lift them out of poverty. 688 00:36:18,815 --> 00:36:21,515 Vernon, his father, said, "Don't screw this up. 689 00:36:21,515 --> 00:36:24,315 Us Presley's have been poor forever." 690 00:36:24,315 --> 00:36:27,114 And so, Elvis did what he was told to do. 691 00:36:27,114 --> 00:36:29,315 But if somebody else actually bucked 692 00:36:29,315 --> 00:36:31,681 the Colonel for him, like Steve Binder, 693 00:36:31,681 --> 00:36:34,015 he was very happy about it. 694 00:36:34,015 --> 00:36:36,315 I got a phone call from Bob Finkel 695 00:36:36,315 --> 00:36:40,348 saying, "OK, it's time for you to meet Colonel Parker." 696 00:36:40,348 --> 00:36:42,715 First thing the Colonel does, he shakes my hand 697 00:36:42,715 --> 00:36:46,981 and hands me a little box with Elvis' picture 698 00:36:46,981 --> 00:36:49,481 on the front cover, and inside is 699 00:36:49,481 --> 00:36:51,515 this 1/4 inch tape of him singing 700 00:36:51,515 --> 00:36:53,315 about 20 Christmas songs. 701 00:36:53,315 --> 00:36:56,481 He tells me, "This is our gift to disk jockeys 702 00:36:56,481 --> 00:36:58,381 "all through the United States, 703 00:36:58,381 --> 00:37:02,348 and this is what Tom Sarnoff and I want you to do." 704 00:37:02,348 --> 00:37:03,915 The Colonel wasn't interested in doing 705 00:37:03,915 --> 00:37:07,948 anything imaginative in a Christmas special at all. 706 00:37:07,948 --> 00:37:10,114 He just wanted your typical Christmas special 707 00:37:10,114 --> 00:37:12,515 like you could have seen from anyone else at that era-- 708 00:37:12,515 --> 00:37:14,715 You know, with Andy Williams or Perry Como-- 709 00:37:14,715 --> 00:37:16,147 nice and comfortable. 710 00:37:16,147 --> 00:37:17,715 And Steve thought to do a show like that would 711 00:37:17,715 --> 00:37:19,147 be squandering Elvis' talent. 712 00:37:19,147 --> 00:37:20,681 If you have a performer like Elvis, 713 00:37:20,681 --> 00:37:22,548 don't you want to do something better with him 714 00:37:22,548 --> 00:37:24,147 than put him in a fuzzy sweater 715 00:37:24,147 --> 00:37:26,147 and sing the Christmas songs? 716 00:37:26,147 --> 00:37:29,481 From the first minute of meeting Parker, in my head, 717 00:37:29,481 --> 00:37:32,648 I'm saying, "I'm not doing this." 718 00:37:32,648 --> 00:37:36,114 After that meeting, I go back to my office 719 00:37:36,114 --> 00:37:38,581 and my secretary says, "There's a message 720 00:37:38,581 --> 00:37:40,515 for you from Bob Finkel." 721 00:37:40,515 --> 00:37:43,348 I called Finkel up at NBC and Finkel says, 722 00:37:43,348 --> 00:37:44,915 "I don't know what you did to charm him, 723 00:37:44,915 --> 00:37:46,681 "but the Colonel loves you. 724 00:37:46,681 --> 00:37:47,881 "He's approving you. 725 00:37:47,881 --> 00:37:49,214 "Elvis will be at your office tomorrow 726 00:37:49,315 --> 00:37:50,980 at 4:30 in the afternoon." 727 00:37:52,915 --> 00:37:54,980 The first thing he told me was 728 00:37:54,980 --> 00:37:56,681 he didn't wanna do television. 729 00:37:56,681 --> 00:37:58,348 It wasn't his turf. 730 00:37:58,348 --> 00:38:00,648 And I said, "Elvis, what's your turf?" 731 00:38:00,648 --> 00:38:04,114 He said, "My turf is making records." 732 00:38:04,114 --> 00:38:07,748 And I said, "Great, then you make a record 733 00:38:07,748 --> 00:38:09,581 and I'll put pictures to it." 734 00:38:09,581 --> 00:38:13,415 That's the very line that made him feel comfortable, 735 00:38:13,415 --> 00:38:15,915 aside from seeing our offices with all 736 00:38:15,915 --> 00:38:17,681 the gold records on the walls. 737 00:38:17,681 --> 00:38:20,515 At the time, I had partnered up with a very 738 00:38:20,515 --> 00:38:24,448 talented, successful record producer named Bones Howe. 739 00:38:24,448 --> 00:38:27,947 So Elvis felt comfortable that he was in hands with people 740 00:38:27,947 --> 00:38:30,047 who spoke his language. 741 00:38:30,047 --> 00:38:33,014 Years later, Priscilla Presley said to me, 742 00:38:33,014 --> 00:38:34,915 "You know, Steve, I don't know if you ever knew this, 743 00:38:34,915 --> 00:38:38,315 "but when Elvis came home from your first meeting with him, 744 00:38:38,315 --> 00:38:40,047 "he told me, 'You know, I had this meeting 745 00:38:40,047 --> 00:38:41,548 "'with this young guy, Binder, 746 00:38:41,548 --> 00:38:44,080 "'and I don't care what the Colonel says, 747 00:38:44,080 --> 00:38:45,681 "'I'm gonna go with Binder. 748 00:38:45,681 --> 00:38:47,681 I'm gonna do whatever he asked me to do.'" 749 00:38:47,681 --> 00:38:51,047 It was really, the first time that Elvis had an ally. 750 00:38:51,047 --> 00:38:53,581 Somebody who really understood him 751 00:38:53,581 --> 00:38:56,415 and could move mountains to help him achieve 752 00:38:56,415 --> 00:38:58,315 what he wanted artistically. 753 00:38:58,315 --> 00:39:02,881 And who had the cojones to face the Colonel. 754 00:39:02,881 --> 00:39:04,815 Elvis could not do that. 755 00:39:04,815 --> 00:39:08,980 And so the Colonel was greatly threatened by Steve Binder, 756 00:39:08,980 --> 00:39:11,047 who not only had Elvis's trust, 757 00:39:11,047 --> 00:39:13,980 but knew how to take him in new creative ways of thinking 758 00:39:13,980 --> 00:39:15,914 that would rejuvenate him. 759 00:39:15,914 --> 00:39:17,715 But then, of course, that meant that the Colonel 760 00:39:17,715 --> 00:39:19,848 would lose control, and the Colonel 761 00:39:19,848 --> 00:39:22,047 could not take that risk. 762 00:39:34,914 --> 00:39:38,615 Well, Steve Binder had a long career in television. 763 00:39:38,615 --> 00:39:42,315 He knew music and he knew entertainment. 764 00:39:42,315 --> 00:39:44,114 He had his own way of doing things. 765 00:39:44,114 --> 00:39:47,681 He'd established himself, and because the work was good, 766 00:39:47,681 --> 00:39:50,515 he was allowed to do things the way he saw fit. 767 00:39:50,515 --> 00:39:57,515 Steve was one of those directors that cared. 768 00:39:58,914 --> 00:40:02,281 A lot of directors, they're on a clock. 769 00:40:02,281 --> 00:40:04,348 They just want you to do your thing. 770 00:40:04,348 --> 00:40:09,815 And if they don't hate it, they just flip you off 771 00:40:09,815 --> 00:40:11,147 and move on, you know? 772 00:40:11,147 --> 00:40:13,515 Whereas, Steve did not do that. 773 00:40:13,515 --> 00:40:15,880 I watched him. He was very patient. 774 00:40:15,880 --> 00:40:18,880 He would talk to the talent. 775 00:40:18,880 --> 00:40:21,581 I was impressed by Steve. 776 00:40:21,581 --> 00:40:27,080 Steve had such a way of communicating calmness 777 00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:28,548 and confidence. 778 00:40:28,548 --> 00:40:30,548 In whatever you were doing, 779 00:40:30,548 --> 00:40:33,980 you felt that it was gonna be good. 780 00:40:33,980 --> 00:40:37,180 He never yelled at people. 781 00:40:37,180 --> 00:40:43,080 He just did his job so beautifully. 782 00:40:45,114 --> 00:40:46,814 Oh, yes. 783 00:40:46,814 --> 00:40:50,247 There are so many things I like in this big, huge world. 784 00:40:50,247 --> 00:40:52,715 I like blue oceans and dark green woods, 785 00:40:52,715 --> 00:40:56,281 crashing waves and swaying branches. 786 00:40:56,281 --> 00:40:57,980 I like orange and red lollipops 787 00:40:57,980 --> 00:40:59,381 and spinning carousels, 788 00:40:59,381 --> 00:41:01,381 wooden horses and puppy dogs. 789 00:41:01,381 --> 00:41:04,214 I like milk white clouds and falling rain, 790 00:41:04,315 --> 00:41:06,615 babbling brooks and baseball games. 791 00:41:06,615 --> 00:41:09,548 I like to run and jump, laugh and cry. 792 00:41:09,548 --> 00:41:13,615 I like the sky above, the Earth below, and God. 793 00:41:16,914 --> 00:41:21,748 I wonder why some people don't like me? 794 00:41:24,147 --> 00:41:25,880 Three gentlemen approached me 795 00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:30,448 about producing and directing a one-hour Freedom Spectacular 796 00:41:30,448 --> 00:41:33,515 celebrating the integration 797 00:41:33,515 --> 00:41:36,581 of white schools with Black students. 798 00:41:36,581 --> 00:41:39,748 I would have total creative free hand to do anything 799 00:41:39,748 --> 00:41:41,581 I wanna do for an hour. 800 00:41:41,581 --> 00:41:44,681 And the vision these guys had was to project them 801 00:41:44,681 --> 00:41:46,880 not on television, not in theaters, 802 00:41:46,880 --> 00:41:50,180 but in arenas all across the country 803 00:41:50,315 --> 00:41:53,847 to raise money for the NAACP. 804 00:41:53,847 --> 00:41:56,947 Up to this point, the Freedom Spectacular 805 00:41:56,947 --> 00:41:59,947 was the biggest production of my career. 806 00:41:59,947 --> 00:42:03,615 One of the producers of the Spectacular, Bill Sargent, 807 00:42:03,615 --> 00:42:06,515 hired me to direct his next production, 808 00:42:06,515 --> 00:42:09,648 the first rock and roll feature film, 809 00:42:09,648 --> 00:42:12,814 which came to be known as the "T.A.M.I. Show." 810 00:42:20,681 --> 00:42:22,747 It was an incredible opportunity 811 00:42:22,747 --> 00:42:26,180 for me to experiment 812 00:42:26,315 --> 00:42:29,780 and also to direct some of the top rock and roll 813 00:42:29,780 --> 00:42:30,780 talent of the day. 814 00:42:38,114 --> 00:42:39,315 It was historical. 815 00:42:45,615 --> 00:42:50,315 ♪ Feel that beat coming strong ♪ 816 00:42:50,315 --> 00:42:56,114 ♪ Feel the beat wanna tap along ♪ 817 00:42:56,114 --> 00:42:57,415 ♪ Jump for joy ♪ 818 00:42:57,415 --> 00:43:01,648 ♪ We're telling you, it's Hullabaloo ♪ 819 00:43:01,648 --> 00:43:03,548 I went to New York to direct a show 820 00:43:03,548 --> 00:43:06,315 called "Hullabaloo" for NBC. 821 00:43:06,315 --> 00:43:08,780 It was one of the first prime time 822 00:43:08,780 --> 00:43:11,880 rock and roll shows on network television. 823 00:43:11,880 --> 00:43:15,780 It was kind of the opening of my idea of saying, 824 00:43:15,780 --> 00:43:18,648 I would really like to specialize 825 00:43:18,648 --> 00:43:22,114 in specials so the word means something 826 00:43:22,114 --> 00:43:24,080 and it just isn't a gimmick. 827 00:43:24,080 --> 00:43:27,548 I want to take one artist at a time 828 00:43:27,548 --> 00:43:30,714 and create a show for them that nobody else could do. 829 00:43:30,714 --> 00:43:33,415 It would be built around their music 830 00:43:33,415 --> 00:43:36,548 and their personal experiences. 831 00:43:36,548 --> 00:43:38,814 The first one was Leslie Uggams, 832 00:43:38,814 --> 00:43:41,047 who was on Broadway at the time while I was doing 833 00:43:41,047 --> 00:43:43,581 "Hullabaloo," starring in a Broadway hit 834 00:43:43,581 --> 00:43:46,348 called "Hallelujah, Baby!" 835 00:43:46,348 --> 00:43:48,980 When I started directing in television, 836 00:43:48,980 --> 00:43:51,515 there was a real segregation 837 00:43:51,515 --> 00:43:53,980 in media in general, even films. 838 00:43:53,980 --> 00:43:57,348 There were stories of Southern theater owners 839 00:43:57,348 --> 00:43:59,980 cutting out Black artists. 840 00:43:59,980 --> 00:44:02,947 I didn't intentionally set out to make 841 00:44:02,947 --> 00:44:07,614 any noise in terms of wanting to integrate my casts. 842 00:44:07,614 --> 00:44:10,515 It all seemed to just, happen organically. 843 00:44:18,980 --> 00:44:23,348 I'm making this tailor-made special for Petula Clark. 844 00:44:23,348 --> 00:44:28,080 And we build a segment for her guest star, Harry Belafonte, 845 00:44:28,080 --> 00:44:30,315 where he sings and dances 846 00:44:30,315 --> 00:44:33,080 and then Petula coming in to finish the segment, 847 00:44:33,080 --> 00:44:38,047 singing a song she wrote, which is an anti-war song. 848 00:44:38,047 --> 00:44:41,914 I told Petula just, when you come out, just go up to Harry, 849 00:44:41,914 --> 00:44:45,548 stand shoulder to shoulder with him, and see what happens. 850 00:44:45,548 --> 00:44:49,348 ♪ They will die for their country ♪ 851 00:44:49,348 --> 00:44:52,814 ♪ They will die for you and me ♪ 852 00:44:52,814 --> 00:44:55,448 ♪ Amid the pungent smell of death ♪ 853 00:44:55,448 --> 00:45:02,147 ♪ That's on the path of glory ♪ 854 00:45:02,147 --> 00:45:04,714 Once Petula was alongside of Harry 855 00:45:04,714 --> 00:45:07,847 and the chemistry was starting to boil between the two 856 00:45:07,847 --> 00:45:12,080 of them, Petula is the one who reached out to Harry, 857 00:45:12,080 --> 00:45:15,080 touched his forearm. 858 00:45:15,080 --> 00:45:18,515 Now, I hear a commotion in the sponsor's room. 859 00:45:18,515 --> 00:45:20,315 He evidently is going nuts. 860 00:45:20,315 --> 00:45:22,680 Saying, "They'll never use that on the air. 861 00:45:22,680 --> 00:45:24,580 We're gonna use one of the other takes." 862 00:45:24,580 --> 00:45:27,547 And storms out of the sponsor's room. 863 00:45:27,547 --> 00:45:29,980 Now we finish the segment. 864 00:45:29,980 --> 00:45:33,647 Claude Wolff, Petula's husband, says, "Come on, Steve. 865 00:45:33,647 --> 00:45:35,747 We're going down to the editing room." 866 00:45:35,747 --> 00:45:37,980 He was behind me 100%. 867 00:45:37,980 --> 00:45:41,348 So we go down the NBC corridor to the editing room 868 00:45:41,348 --> 00:45:45,448 and I order the editor to erase all the other takes. 869 00:45:45,448 --> 00:45:47,147 And the editor was shaking. 870 00:45:47,147 --> 00:45:50,214 He had me sign a release saying that I gave him permission 871 00:45:50,315 --> 00:45:52,047 to erase the masters. 872 00:45:52,047 --> 00:45:53,980 But thank God we made the decision 873 00:45:53,980 --> 00:45:56,448 to do that or for sure, they would have aired 874 00:45:56,448 --> 00:45:59,481 one of the non-touching takes. 875 00:46:03,680 --> 00:46:05,614 And all hell broke loose. 876 00:46:05,614 --> 00:46:09,147 It became an international incident. 877 00:46:09,147 --> 00:46:13,080 It was really hard for me to imagine in 1968 878 00:46:13,080 --> 00:46:15,315 that the audience or the sponsor 879 00:46:15,315 --> 00:46:19,914 would be offended by seeing a white woman touch a Black man. 880 00:46:19,914 --> 00:46:24,614 I didn't realize, at the time, that the real impact that 881 00:46:24,614 --> 00:46:27,814 that moment would have. 882 00:46:27,814 --> 00:46:30,180 When Bob Finkel hired me to direct and produce 883 00:46:30,315 --> 00:46:32,047 the Elvis special, 884 00:46:32,047 --> 00:46:35,014 he said, "I saw your Petula Clark special 885 00:46:35,014 --> 00:46:37,747 "and loved it and the controversy 886 00:46:37,747 --> 00:46:39,448 "that it stirred up. 887 00:46:39,448 --> 00:46:42,914 "That and your reputation in the business as a young rebel, 888 00:46:42,914 --> 00:46:46,080 "the fact that you're around the same age as Elvis, 889 00:46:46,080 --> 00:46:49,547 makes me think you guys would make a perfect combination." 890 00:46:56,348 --> 00:46:59,180 To me, the importance of the entire special 891 00:46:59,315 --> 00:47:02,980 was Elvis Presley rediscovering Elvis Presley. 892 00:47:02,980 --> 00:47:06,547 I think he had lost confidence in himself. 893 00:47:06,547 --> 00:47:08,381 Well, I gotta do this sooner or later, 894 00:47:08,381 --> 00:47:10,480 so I might as well do it now, baby. 895 00:47:21,580 --> 00:47:25,980 ♪ Since my baby left me, I found a new place to dwell ♪ 896 00:47:25,980 --> 00:47:28,680 ♪ And it's down on the end of Lonely Street ♪ 897 00:47:28,680 --> 00:47:30,780 ♪ At Heartbreak Hotel ♪ 898 00:47:30,780 --> 00:47:32,147 He walked up there and he started singing, 899 00:47:32,147 --> 00:47:34,914 and it was just-- the air came out of the room 900 00:47:34,914 --> 00:47:37,315 because everybody was just flabbergasted 901 00:47:37,315 --> 00:47:39,914 that this was Elvis. 902 00:47:39,914 --> 00:47:43,315 Elvis the way Elvis should be. 903 00:47:43,315 --> 00:47:46,348 I wanted to get back to raw, wild, 904 00:47:46,348 --> 00:47:50,315 the guy who was chased by the vice squad 905 00:47:50,315 --> 00:47:53,847 whenever he appeared for fear that he would totally destroy 906 00:47:53,847 --> 00:47:57,315 the youth of America with his obscene gestures. 907 00:47:57,315 --> 00:47:59,047 ♪ Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit ♪ 908 00:47:59,047 --> 00:48:02,114 ♪ And you ain't no friend-- ohh ♪ 909 00:48:02,114 --> 00:48:04,847 ♪ You ain't nothin' but a hound dog ♪ 910 00:48:04,847 --> 00:48:07,114 ♪ Cryin' all the time ♪ 911 00:48:07,114 --> 00:48:09,880 ♪ You ain't nothin' but a hound dog ♪ 912 00:48:09,880 --> 00:48:12,080 ♪ Crying all the time ♪ 913 00:48:12,080 --> 00:48:14,147 ♪ Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit ♪ 914 00:48:14,147 --> 00:48:17,680 ♪ And you ain't no friend of mine ♪ 915 00:48:17,680 --> 00:48:19,180 ♪ Right, go, baby ♪ 916 00:48:19,315 --> 00:48:21,947 I called Allan Blye and Chris Beard, my writers. 917 00:48:21,947 --> 00:48:24,847 Allan and Chris really came up with 918 00:48:24,847 --> 00:48:27,347 the entire concept for the show. 919 00:48:27,347 --> 00:48:30,680 We spoke to Elvis for weeks. 920 00:48:30,680 --> 00:48:33,214 He came down to Steve's office. 921 00:48:33,315 --> 00:48:34,614 It was exciting as hell. 922 00:48:34,614 --> 00:48:37,847 He understood himself very well. 923 00:48:37,847 --> 00:48:40,780 He had a great sense of humor about himself. 924 00:48:40,780 --> 00:48:42,747 We wrote the show about him, 925 00:48:42,747 --> 00:48:44,514 the great reflection of Elvis's life 926 00:48:44,514 --> 00:48:46,315 at this point in his career. 927 00:48:46,315 --> 00:48:48,814 They definitely said we wanna do a gospel segment 928 00:48:48,814 --> 00:48:50,480 with a lot of gospel songs. 929 00:48:50,480 --> 00:48:54,614 We wanna do a guitar man segment of a boy who comes 930 00:48:54,614 --> 00:48:56,314 from nowhere and nothing, 931 00:48:56,314 --> 00:49:00,347 gets all his fame and fortune playing the big arenas 932 00:49:00,347 --> 00:49:03,147 and making the big bucks and realizes 933 00:49:03,147 --> 00:49:05,314 he wants nothing in life more 934 00:49:05,314 --> 00:49:09,947 than to be home playing on his old guitar just having fun. 935 00:49:09,947 --> 00:49:13,347 We'd written a script based on what Elvis had said to us. 936 00:49:13,347 --> 00:49:15,914 We pitched him the idea that we wanted to do 937 00:49:15,914 --> 00:49:17,947 and he loved them. 938 00:49:17,947 --> 00:49:20,114 His reaction was, "I love it. 939 00:49:20,114 --> 00:49:21,847 I love everything you've done." 940 00:49:21,847 --> 00:49:24,514 And I said, "Elvis, I've never done a show with a star 941 00:49:24,514 --> 00:49:28,414 "who didn't comment something about the concept 942 00:49:28,414 --> 00:49:29,914 "or the rundown. 943 00:49:29,914 --> 00:49:32,314 Isn't there anything you wanna add or change?" 944 00:49:32,314 --> 00:49:34,114 He said, "Nope, let's just do it." 945 00:49:35,614 --> 00:49:38,447 ♪ If you're looking for trouble ♪ 946 00:49:38,447 --> 00:49:41,180 ♪ You came to the right place ♪ 947 00:49:41,314 --> 00:49:44,047 ♪ If you're looking for trouble ♪ 948 00:49:44,047 --> 00:49:46,947 ♪ Just look right in my face ♪ 949 00:49:46,947 --> 00:49:49,980 ♪ I was born standin' up ♪ 950 00:49:49,980 --> 00:49:52,047 ♪ And talkin' back ♪ 951 00:49:52,047 --> 00:49:57,547 ♪ My daddy was a green-eyed mountain jack ♪ 952 00:49:57,547 --> 00:50:01,114 ♪ Because I'm evil ♪ 953 00:50:01,114 --> 00:50:05,414 ♪ My middle name is misery ♪ 954 00:50:05,414 --> 00:50:09,214 ♪ Whoa, whoa, whoa ♪ 955 00:50:09,214 --> 00:50:13,314 ♪ Well, I'm evil ♪ 956 00:50:13,314 --> 00:50:17,280 ♪ So don't you mess around with me ♪ 957 00:50:33,080 --> 00:50:36,014 When you see all these other Elvises in silhouette 958 00:50:36,014 --> 00:50:38,547 behind him, my first thought was, 959 00:50:38,547 --> 00:50:39,847 is this like an intimidation thing? 960 00:50:39,847 --> 00:50:41,747 Being like, Elvis is back. 961 00:50:41,747 --> 00:50:44,213 He's got an army. He's got a crew. 962 00:50:44,213 --> 00:50:47,447 Like, don't mess with Elvis and the Elvises. 963 00:50:47,447 --> 00:50:49,780 ♪ Well, I quit my job down at the car wash ♪ 964 00:50:49,780 --> 00:50:52,246 ♪ I left my mama a goodbye note ♪ 965 00:50:52,246 --> 00:50:56,114 ♪ By sundown I'd left Kingston with my guitar under my coat ♪ 966 00:50:56,114 --> 00:50:58,047 ♪ I hitchhiked all the way down to Memphis ♪ 967 00:50:58,047 --> 00:51:00,380 ♪ Got a room at the YMCA ♪ 968 00:51:00,380 --> 00:51:02,314 ♪ And for the next three weeks, I went ♪ 969 00:51:02,314 --> 00:51:04,580 ♪ Hunting them nights just looking for a place to play ♪ 970 00:51:04,580 --> 00:51:06,914 ♪ Well, I thought my picking would set them on fire, 971 00:51:06,914 --> 00:51:09,914 ♪ But nobody wanted to hire a guitar man ♪ 972 00:51:09,914 --> 00:51:15,314 He's just--he's on fire from start to finish. 973 00:51:15,314 --> 00:51:17,814 ♪ And if you ever take a trip down to the ocean ♪ 974 00:51:17,814 --> 00:51:20,014 ♪ Find yourself down around Mobile ♪ 975 00:51:20,014 --> 00:51:22,147 ♪ Make it on out to a club called Jack's ♪ 976 00:51:22,147 --> 00:51:24,047 ♪ If you got a little time to kill ♪ 977 00:51:24,047 --> 00:51:26,514 ♪ Just follow that crowd of people, you'll wind up ♪ 978 00:51:26,514 --> 00:51:28,314 ♪ Out on his dance floor ♪ 979 00:51:28,314 --> 00:51:30,114 ♪ Digging the finest little five piece group ♪ 980 00:51:30,114 --> 00:51:32,114 ♪ Up and down the Gulf of Mexico ♪ 981 00:51:32,114 --> 00:51:34,080 ♪ Guess who's leading that five piece band ♪ 982 00:51:34,080 --> 00:51:35,647 ♪ Well, wouldn't you know, it's that ♪ 983 00:51:35,647 --> 00:51:37,414 ♪ Swingin' little guitar man ♪ 984 00:51:56,480 --> 00:51:59,080 One day I was in my office prepping for the work 985 00:51:59,080 --> 00:52:00,847 we were going to do that evening 986 00:52:00,847 --> 00:52:03,447 when Elvis arrived with his entourage. 987 00:52:03,447 --> 00:52:06,447 And I noticed he was staring out the window 988 00:52:06,447 --> 00:52:08,514 looking down on Sunset Boulevard. 989 00:52:08,514 --> 00:52:10,847 And I was curious what was going on 990 00:52:10,847 --> 00:52:12,914 in his mind at the time. 991 00:52:12,914 --> 00:52:17,080 I said, "Elvis, what do you think would happen 992 00:52:17,080 --> 00:52:19,847 "if you and I walked out on Sunset Boulevard--" 993 00:52:19,847 --> 00:52:22,714 which was directly in front of our front door 994 00:52:22,714 --> 00:52:25,080 of the office building-- 995 00:52:25,080 --> 00:52:26,614 "What do you think would happen?" 996 00:52:26,614 --> 00:52:29,980 And he looked at me and he said, "Why?" 997 00:52:29,980 --> 00:52:31,947 I said, "I'm just curious. 998 00:52:31,947 --> 00:52:33,480 "Do you think they'd rip your clothes off, 999 00:52:33,480 --> 00:52:35,179 "or do you think they'd attack you, 1000 00:52:35,314 --> 00:52:37,380 or do you think they would ignore you?" 1001 00:52:37,380 --> 00:52:40,080 About two or three days later, he comes in the office. 1002 00:52:40,080 --> 00:52:42,814 He says, "We're going down on Sunset Boulevard, 1003 00:52:42,814 --> 00:52:46,480 and we're gonna test your question from the other day." 1004 00:52:46,480 --> 00:52:49,347 And it's now, maybe, 5:00 in the evening 1005 00:52:49,347 --> 00:52:51,614 and the traffic's starting to build up. 1006 00:52:51,614 --> 00:52:55,213 We're out doing small talk on the curb. 1007 00:52:55,314 --> 00:52:57,179 After a little while, he's starting 1008 00:52:57,314 --> 00:53:00,347 to get impatient and nervous, I can tell. 1009 00:53:00,347 --> 00:53:04,314 He's starting now to focus his attention on cars driving by. 1010 00:53:04,314 --> 00:53:06,447 Every once in a while, there'd be a pretty girl sitting 1011 00:53:06,447 --> 00:53:10,179 on the passenger side and he'd try to get her attention 1012 00:53:10,314 --> 00:53:13,480 and so forth, and nothing-- and I mean, nothing. 1013 00:53:13,480 --> 00:53:16,814 And finally, Elvis said, "OK, you proved your point." 1014 00:53:16,814 --> 00:53:20,113 We went back upstairs and I sensed 1015 00:53:20,113 --> 00:53:25,514 a sort of air of trusting me more coming from him. 1016 00:53:25,514 --> 00:53:28,947 I can't put my finger on it, but it just seemed, 1017 00:53:28,947 --> 00:53:31,314 we got closer after that. 1018 00:53:31,314 --> 00:53:33,113 We're supposed to do a little thing right now 1019 00:53:33,113 --> 00:53:36,113 and it's supposed to fit into the show, 1020 00:53:36,113 --> 00:53:38,046 just a part of a song. 1021 00:53:38,046 --> 00:53:39,314 It cuts some of the show. 1022 00:53:39,314 --> 00:53:40,213 So if you'll just bear with us until we 1023 00:53:40,314 --> 00:53:45,314 get this thing out of the way. 1024 00:53:45,314 --> 00:53:46,780 You ready, Steve? 1025 00:53:46,780 --> 00:53:48,447 I think over the course of their relationship, 1026 00:53:48,447 --> 00:53:51,714 there certainly was a bonding between Steve and Elvis. 1027 00:53:51,714 --> 00:53:54,414 When he saw the depth of what they were 1028 00:53:54,414 --> 00:53:56,514 gonna do on the special, that he was involved 1029 00:53:56,514 --> 00:53:59,580 in the creative process and that what he was being given 1030 00:53:59,580 --> 00:54:01,580 to do was good and compelling 1031 00:54:01,580 --> 00:54:03,880 and something he enjoyed doing. 1032 00:54:03,880 --> 00:54:06,113 I think Elvis knew he could relax 1033 00:54:06,113 --> 00:54:07,580 and be comfortable with Steve. 1034 00:54:09,013 --> 00:54:10,814 Steve, you wanna the other thing? 1035 00:54:10,814 --> 00:54:11,814 It'll just be one second, Elvis. 1036 00:54:11,814 --> 00:54:12,980 All right. 1037 00:54:12,980 --> 00:54:14,414 Ready when you are, Steve B. 1038 00:54:14,414 --> 00:54:16,747 I think he just, trusted Steve 1039 00:54:16,747 --> 00:54:18,747 to make all those decisions. 1040 00:54:18,747 --> 00:54:22,113 And I think Steve was the middle man 1041 00:54:22,113 --> 00:54:24,046 between him and the Colonel. 1042 00:54:24,046 --> 00:54:26,747 That Steve was the person 1043 00:54:26,747 --> 00:54:31,046 that could relate to what Elvis wanted 1044 00:54:31,046 --> 00:54:33,146 and work with the Colonel 1045 00:54:33,146 --> 00:54:35,780 to get that fabulous end result. 1046 00:54:44,780 --> 00:54:49,547 ♪ I get up on mountain and I call my bear cat back ♪ 1047 00:54:51,447 --> 00:54:54,046 ♪ Well, I get up on the mountain ♪ 1048 00:54:54,046 --> 00:54:58,547 ♪ And I call my bear cat back ♪ 1049 00:54:58,547 --> 00:55:02,079 ♪ My bear cat comes running and the hound dogs ♪ 1050 00:55:02,079 --> 00:55:03,380 ♪ They stay way back ♪ 1051 00:55:03,380 --> 00:55:05,614 ♪ Way back, way back, way back ♪ 1052 00:55:05,614 --> 00:55:07,480 ♪ Ain't no end to the song, baby ♪ 1053 00:55:11,680 --> 00:55:16,314 I'm a great believer in luck and timing. 1054 00:55:16,314 --> 00:55:19,213 I couldn't have been luckier than when I took Elvis 1055 00:55:19,314 --> 00:55:22,213 out to NBC for the first time. 1056 00:55:22,314 --> 00:55:23,780 He asked me, "Steve, do you think 1057 00:55:23,780 --> 00:55:25,946 "it would be possible for me to live 1058 00:55:25,946 --> 00:55:28,314 out here when we do the show?" 1059 00:55:28,314 --> 00:55:29,979 And I said, "What do you mean?" 1060 00:55:29,979 --> 00:55:32,314 He said, "Well, you know, I've rented a home for Priscilla 1061 00:55:32,314 --> 00:55:35,179 "and the new baby in Beverly Hills. 1062 00:55:35,314 --> 00:55:37,714 "It's going to take me at least 40 minutes 1063 00:55:37,714 --> 00:55:41,447 "going each way back and forth every day. 1064 00:55:41,447 --> 00:55:45,213 "And I could save so much time and be so much 1065 00:55:45,314 --> 00:55:47,614 more relaxed if I lived out here." 1066 00:55:49,113 --> 00:55:52,347 I said, "Yeah, I don't think there would be a problem." 1067 00:55:52,347 --> 00:55:54,647 We offered Elvis the dressing room 1068 00:55:54,647 --> 00:55:56,380 right next to Stage 4 1069 00:55:56,380 --> 00:55:59,314 where we'd be taping the entire production. 1070 00:55:59,314 --> 00:56:01,946 I called up the person in charge at NBC 1071 00:56:01,946 --> 00:56:04,046 and I said, "Do you think it's possible we could get 1072 00:56:04,046 --> 00:56:06,314 a bed in that dressing room?" 1073 00:56:06,314 --> 00:56:08,847 He arranged it, and we had two pianos. 1074 00:56:08,847 --> 00:56:12,614 We had an upright and we had a baby grand in there. 1075 00:56:12,614 --> 00:56:15,547 We would finish rehearsals early 1076 00:56:15,547 --> 00:56:19,879 in the evening around 6:00 or 7:00 probably, at the latest. 1077 00:56:19,879 --> 00:56:22,414 He had the rest of the evening to himself. 1078 00:56:22,414 --> 00:56:24,380 So he'd go into his dressing room 1079 00:56:24,380 --> 00:56:27,714 and his entourage was there, and they would jam 1080 00:56:27,714 --> 00:56:29,879 until 2:00, 3:00 in the morning. 1081 00:56:29,879 --> 00:56:32,547 It was like looking through a keyhole and saying, 1082 00:56:32,547 --> 00:56:35,079 "I'm not supposed to be seeing what I'm looking at." 1083 00:56:35,079 --> 00:56:36,113 One more time, Johnny. 1084 00:56:36,113 --> 00:56:37,414 - One more time. - Ahh! 1085 00:56:37,414 --> 00:56:38,547 We got it. 1086 00:56:38,547 --> 00:56:40,480 - Oh, yeah. - You got it. 1087 00:56:43,580 --> 00:56:45,146 You had it. 1088 00:56:47,314 --> 00:56:49,614 I remember how much joy it brought to Elvis. 1089 00:56:49,614 --> 00:56:53,514 Elvis on his own was wonderful, but when he most came alive 1090 00:56:53,514 --> 00:56:56,480 is when he had the guys around. 1091 00:56:56,480 --> 00:57:00,347 ♪ The bell hop's-- ♪ 1092 00:57:00,347 --> 00:57:01,580 Wait a minute. Wait a minute. 1093 00:57:01,580 --> 00:57:03,979 Wait a minute. I forgot the lyrics. 1094 00:57:03,979 --> 00:57:05,614 Wait a minute, wait a minute. 1095 00:57:05,614 --> 00:57:07,480 I forgot the lyrics. 1096 00:57:07,480 --> 00:57:10,213 Uh-- 1097 00:57:10,314 --> 00:57:12,113 ♪ The-- ♪ 1098 00:57:12,113 --> 00:57:13,813 It was magical. 1099 00:57:13,813 --> 00:57:16,213 And I said, this is more important than all the money 1100 00:57:16,314 --> 00:57:20,514 we're spending on all these extras, dancers, singers, 1101 00:57:20,514 --> 00:57:23,013 costumes, sets, et cetera. 1102 00:57:23,013 --> 00:57:24,846 This is the magic. 1103 00:57:24,846 --> 00:57:27,347 I've gotta capture that in the dressing room, 1104 00:57:27,347 --> 00:57:28,979 but the Colonel wouldn't let me. 1105 00:57:28,979 --> 00:57:32,813 He was adamant that nobody go into the dressing room, 1106 00:57:32,813 --> 00:57:34,514 let alone with a camera. 1107 00:57:34,514 --> 00:57:36,813 I think Parker was always trying to convey the message 1108 00:57:36,813 --> 00:57:39,347 that, "However well you think you know Elvis, 1109 00:57:39,347 --> 00:57:41,514 I'm the one that really has control." 1110 00:57:41,514 --> 00:57:43,547 But I knew I had to do it. 1111 00:57:43,547 --> 00:57:45,647 I mean, there was no special without that. 1112 00:57:45,647 --> 00:57:47,514 So I kept hounding him and finally, 1113 00:57:47,514 --> 00:57:49,480 I guess, I hounded him enough where 1114 00:57:49,480 --> 00:57:51,447 he finally, out of aggravation, said, 1115 00:57:51,447 --> 00:57:52,979 "Steve, I'll tell you what. 1116 00:57:52,979 --> 00:57:54,347 "I won't promise I'll let you use it, 1117 00:57:54,347 --> 00:57:56,779 "but I'll let you recreate it on stage 1118 00:57:56,779 --> 00:57:59,680 if you're that passionate about having him do it." 1119 00:58:02,079 --> 00:58:03,747 The Colonel emphasized 1120 00:58:03,747 --> 00:58:06,414 that it would be would be a waste of my time. 1121 00:58:06,414 --> 00:58:09,013 "Remember," he said, "This is only 1122 00:58:09,013 --> 00:58:12,380 "a one-hour Christmas special, and there's 1123 00:58:12,380 --> 00:58:15,480 no time to put this crap in." 1124 00:58:15,480 --> 00:58:17,779 ♪ You got me doing what you want me ♪ 1125 00:58:17,779 --> 00:58:19,846 ♪ Baby, what do you want me to do? ♪ 1126 00:58:19,846 --> 00:58:23,079 The minute that I locked in to recreating 1127 00:58:23,079 --> 00:58:27,680 the improvisation segment on stage, Elvis asked me, 1128 00:58:27,680 --> 00:58:31,380 "Do you think I could bring my drummer and guitarist 1129 00:58:31,380 --> 00:58:33,213 in to do it with me?" 1130 00:58:33,314 --> 00:58:38,813 This guy over here has played guitar for me for 104 years. 1131 00:58:40,879 --> 00:58:42,946 For the last 14 years. 1132 00:58:42,946 --> 00:58:44,480 His name is Scotty Moore. 1133 00:58:44,480 --> 00:58:48,447 Scotty. 1134 00:58:53,514 --> 00:58:56,514 And the loudmouthed guy over here-- 1135 00:58:58,314 --> 00:59:00,046 he's been my drummer for a long time. 1136 00:59:00,046 --> 00:59:01,347 His name is D.J. Fontana. 1137 00:59:07,380 --> 00:59:08,746 He's been a friend of mine for something like 1138 00:59:08,746 --> 00:59:09,779 10 or 12 years. 1139 00:59:09,779 --> 00:59:11,879 Alan Ford is with his back to you. 1140 00:59:16,380 --> 00:59:20,946 Uh, this is old, what's his name here. 1141 00:59:20,946 --> 00:59:22,647 - You know. 1142 00:59:22,647 --> 00:59:25,514 This is Charlie Hodge. 1143 00:59:25,514 --> 00:59:28,314 That was brilliant because it immediately 1144 00:59:28,314 --> 00:59:30,079 put him in a relaxed position. 1145 00:59:30,079 --> 00:59:32,580 And he's going to sing songs that he sang 1146 00:59:32,580 --> 00:59:34,580 when they started out. 1147 00:59:38,314 --> 00:59:41,079 ♪ Well, that's all right, mama ♪ 1148 00:59:41,079 --> 00:59:42,979 ♪ That's all right with you ♪ 1149 00:59:42,979 --> 00:59:46,347 ♪ That's all right, mama, just anyway you do ♪ 1150 00:59:46,347 --> 00:59:50,514 ♪ That's all right ♪ 1151 00:59:50,514 --> 00:59:56,614 ♪ That's all right, now, mama, anyway you do ♪ 1152 00:59:58,946 --> 01:00:01,246 ♪ Well, Mama, she done told me ♪ 1153 01:00:01,246 --> 01:00:03,213 ♪ Papa done told me, too ♪ 1154 01:00:03,213 --> 01:00:05,347 ♪ Son, that girl you're fooling with ♪ 1155 01:00:05,347 --> 01:00:06,580 ♪ She ain't no good for you ♪ 1156 01:00:06,580 --> 01:00:08,913 ♪ But that's all right ♪ 1157 01:00:08,913 --> 01:00:10,679 ♪ That's all right ♪ 1158 01:00:10,679 --> 01:00:15,879 ♪ That's all right, now, mama, anyway you do ♪ 1159 01:00:15,879 --> 01:00:18,314 When I see Elvis doing unplugged, 1160 01:00:18,314 --> 01:00:21,314 it's like, wow, he's brave, you know. 1161 01:00:21,314 --> 01:00:23,347 And it's like you're naked. 1162 01:00:23,347 --> 01:00:25,280 You're naked to the world. 1163 01:00:25,280 --> 01:00:27,480 It's just that soul, that roughness, 1164 01:00:27,480 --> 01:00:30,246 of singing with your heart and giving it all. 1165 01:00:30,246 --> 01:00:32,913 And Steve, coming up with that idea, 1166 01:00:32,913 --> 01:00:34,447 I think it was just, genius. 1167 01:00:34,447 --> 01:00:35,846 ♪ Anyway you do ♪ 1168 01:00:35,846 --> 01:00:37,580 Take it, boys. 1169 01:00:40,113 --> 01:00:44,146 The Elvis that I knew was happy when he was singing. 1170 01:00:44,146 --> 01:00:47,480 I know in the "Comeback Special," I saw so much joy. 1171 01:00:47,480 --> 01:00:51,679 I finally saw pure joy 1172 01:00:51,679 --> 01:00:55,613 when he was sitting around with the guys. 1173 01:00:55,613 --> 01:01:00,079 We might do one more song for you 1174 01:01:00,079 --> 01:01:02,913 because we have another audience waiting to come in. 1175 01:01:05,946 --> 01:01:07,314 Man, I just work here. 1176 01:01:11,846 --> 01:01:14,746 Most of the special would be shot movie-style-- 1177 01:01:14,746 --> 01:01:17,946 scene by scene, one or two cameras, 1178 01:01:17,946 --> 01:01:20,347 and without an audience. 1179 01:01:20,347 --> 01:01:21,946 But for the improv segment, 1180 01:01:21,946 --> 01:01:25,314 I felt it was critical to inspire Elvis 1181 01:01:25,314 --> 01:01:27,113 with the kind of excitement and energy 1182 01:01:27,113 --> 01:01:30,547 that only a live studio audience can bring. 1183 01:01:31,913 --> 01:01:33,480 I went over to Colonel Parker 1184 01:01:33,480 --> 01:01:35,514 and I said, "Colonel, how many tickets 1185 01:01:35,514 --> 01:01:38,613 will you need to watch Elvis do the improv?" 1186 01:01:38,613 --> 01:01:40,447 And the Colonel said, "Bindle--" 1187 01:01:40,447 --> 01:01:42,546 he would call me Binder on certain occasions, 1188 01:01:42,546 --> 01:01:44,179 but other times, Bindle-- 1189 01:01:44,314 --> 01:01:47,514 he said, "You haven't understood the Colonel ever. 1190 01:01:47,514 --> 01:01:49,879 If I take the tickets, 1191 01:01:49,879 --> 01:01:51,514 you have to give me all of the tickets, 1192 01:01:51,514 --> 01:01:53,146 not just some of them. 1193 01:01:53,146 --> 01:01:59,113 I can deliver you young girls who are fanatic Elvis fans." 1194 01:01:59,113 --> 01:02:01,314 So I gave him all the tickets. 1195 01:02:01,314 --> 01:02:03,779 Now, on the day we're going to tape it, 1196 01:02:03,779 --> 01:02:05,546 I'm expecting thousands of people 1197 01:02:05,546 --> 01:02:08,546 to be standing outside NBC Studios in Burbank 1198 01:02:08,546 --> 01:02:09,913 waiting in line. 1199 01:02:09,913 --> 01:02:12,646 I get a phone call from NBC saying, 1200 01:02:12,646 --> 01:02:15,979 we've added personnel to handle the crowd. 1201 01:02:15,979 --> 01:02:19,913 And Steve, it's eerie out here because there's nobody here. 1202 01:02:19,913 --> 01:02:22,146 Should have known he was lying to me again. 1203 01:02:22,146 --> 01:02:26,179 He was trying to sabotage the improv segment all the time. 1204 01:02:26,314 --> 01:02:28,879 And so, Bones Howe, my partner, and I 1205 01:02:28,879 --> 01:02:31,813 called a couple of disk jockeys we knew personally 1206 01:02:31,813 --> 01:02:33,513 and asked them to-- on the radio-- 1207 01:02:33,513 --> 01:02:35,646 say, "If you wanna come see Elvis for free, 1208 01:02:35,646 --> 01:02:38,513 get your asses to Burbank." 1209 01:02:38,513 --> 01:02:41,079 We went to a very famous iconic restaurant 1210 01:02:41,079 --> 01:02:42,414 called Bob's Big Boy. 1211 01:02:42,414 --> 01:02:44,579 And we went to customers asking, 1212 01:02:44,579 --> 01:02:46,513 would you like to see Elvis Presley? 1213 01:02:46,513 --> 01:02:48,213 We told everybody at NBC-- 1214 01:02:48,314 --> 01:02:50,879 invite your girlfriends and boyfriends and wives. 1215 01:02:50,879 --> 01:02:56,579 I think intern is a more glamorous term for the fact 1216 01:02:56,579 --> 01:02:59,646 that I was working my father's office for a summer job. 1217 01:02:59,646 --> 01:03:01,347 And I was pulled out of the office. 1218 01:03:01,347 --> 01:03:03,314 My dad's secretary was pulled out of the office. 1219 01:03:03,314 --> 01:03:07,913 They called my sister who was a sophomore in high school-- 1220 01:03:07,913 --> 01:03:09,146 come on down. 1221 01:03:09,146 --> 01:03:12,513 And they sat us around this stage, 1222 01:03:12,513 --> 01:03:13,913 not knowing what we were getting into. 1223 01:03:13,913 --> 01:03:15,779 And it was bright lights, and it was hot. 1224 01:03:15,779 --> 01:03:17,646 And what is happening? 1225 01:03:20,579 --> 01:03:22,146 And then the other thing that strikes you 1226 01:03:22,146 --> 01:03:24,314 is just, how good he looks. 1227 01:03:24,314 --> 01:03:26,746 I mean, especially-- what does everyone remember? 1228 01:03:26,746 --> 01:03:28,946 People that aren't Elvis fans-- 1229 01:03:28,946 --> 01:03:31,314 You know, the black leather suit, they all know that. 1230 01:03:31,314 --> 01:03:34,347 So my first thought was, he's really confident 1231 01:03:34,347 --> 01:03:35,579 in how he looks. 1232 01:03:35,579 --> 01:03:37,913 He can wear a full leather suit 1233 01:03:37,913 --> 01:03:42,079 and every bulge is out there for the world to see. 1234 01:03:42,079 --> 01:03:44,813 Oh, my God. 1235 01:03:44,813 --> 01:03:47,613 No woman who ever saw that will forget that. 1236 01:03:47,613 --> 01:03:49,813 I really thought it was just, perfect. 1237 01:03:49,813 --> 01:03:55,046 I mean, it was a touch of rebel in him 1238 01:03:55,046 --> 01:03:57,446 to be wearing that rather than what we'd seen 1239 01:03:57,446 --> 01:04:02,179 him wear in the movies, which were more conservative. 1240 01:04:02,314 --> 01:04:05,813 And it was like the old Elvis is back. 1241 01:04:05,813 --> 01:04:07,314 I thought it was coolest thing I've ever seen. 1242 01:04:07,314 --> 01:04:08,913 And I just remember thinking, when I was a kid, 1243 01:04:08,913 --> 01:04:10,979 why didn't he always wear that? 1244 01:04:10,979 --> 01:04:13,179 There's one thing about this-- 1245 01:04:13,314 --> 01:04:17,479 this TV special I'm doing. 1246 01:04:17,479 --> 01:04:19,979 They're going to--they're going to let me do 1247 01:04:19,979 --> 01:04:22,179 what I wanna do, which is sit down. 1248 01:04:26,546 --> 01:04:28,546 Not really. 1249 01:04:32,679 --> 01:04:37,079 But--well, I'll think of something. 1250 01:04:37,079 --> 01:04:38,579 Just give me the time. 1251 01:04:38,579 --> 01:04:40,613 He seemed very nervous, 1252 01:04:40,613 --> 01:04:44,813 but there was somehow, some kind of 1253 01:04:44,813 --> 01:04:46,813 happiness behind that. 1254 01:04:46,813 --> 01:04:50,979 He was smiling, and it was, like, exciting for him. 1255 01:04:50,979 --> 01:04:54,713 Even though, he was a little shaky, maybe. 1256 01:04:54,713 --> 01:04:57,213 And then he started playing the guitar 1257 01:04:57,314 --> 01:05:00,146 and started singing, and he just relaxed. 1258 01:05:00,314 --> 01:05:02,179 And he was great. 1259 01:05:02,314 --> 01:05:06,779 ♪ Well, lawdy lawdy lawdy, Miss Clawdy ♪ 1260 01:05:06,779 --> 01:05:12,813 ♪ Girl, you sure look good to me ♪ 1261 01:05:12,813 --> 01:05:16,679 ♪ Well, please don't excite me, baby ♪ 1262 01:05:16,679 --> 01:05:19,446 ♪ I know it can't be me ♪ 1263 01:05:23,314 --> 01:05:24,613 What was I thinking? 1264 01:05:24,613 --> 01:05:26,779 I think, I just, I don't even want to blink. 1265 01:05:26,779 --> 01:05:28,314 I don't think-- 1266 01:05:28,314 --> 01:05:30,879 I don't think I was thinking other than just 1267 01:05:30,879 --> 01:05:36,079 I've got to take this all in to keep this in a memory. 1268 01:05:36,079 --> 01:05:42,213 It was a one in a lifetime for me to be there. 1269 01:05:43,546 --> 01:05:47,846 ♪ I'm going to tell, tell my mama ♪ 1270 01:05:47,846 --> 01:05:52,946 ♪ Lord, I swear, oh, what you've been doing to me ♪ 1271 01:05:52,946 --> 01:05:55,913 ♪ I'm going to tell everybody ♪ 1272 01:05:55,913 --> 01:06:00,479 ♪ That I'm down in misery ♪ 1273 01:06:00,479 --> 01:06:04,579 I was a diehard Elvis fan, even through those movies. 1274 01:06:04,579 --> 01:06:07,046 I believed in him totally. 1275 01:06:07,046 --> 01:06:08,813 It was not cool. 1276 01:06:08,813 --> 01:06:11,313 My high school friends thought I was crazy 1277 01:06:11,313 --> 01:06:12,746 so I didn't tell anybody. 1278 01:06:12,746 --> 01:06:15,513 Nobody knew that I'm going to go see Elvis. 1279 01:06:15,513 --> 01:06:17,379 But this was it. 1280 01:06:17,379 --> 01:06:22,113 I mean, I had waited 12 years to see Elvis in person. 1281 01:06:22,113 --> 01:06:24,313 I had no idea what I was going to see. 1282 01:06:24,313 --> 01:06:28,713 And we got the first "MTV Unplugged." 1283 01:06:28,713 --> 01:06:33,946 And it was astonishing to be 1284 01:06:33,946 --> 01:06:37,379 10 to 12 feet away from Elvis, 1285 01:06:37,379 --> 01:06:41,613 and the energy and the feeling of those musicians 1286 01:06:41,613 --> 01:06:42,779 and the rawness. 1287 01:06:42,779 --> 01:06:47,646 ♪ I said, bye, bye-bye baby ♪ 1288 01:06:47,646 --> 01:06:53,746 ♪ Girl, I won't be coming no more ♪ 1289 01:06:53,746 --> 01:06:56,879 ♪ Goodbye to little darling ♪ 1290 01:06:56,879 --> 01:07:00,046 ♪ Down the road I go ♪ 1291 01:07:09,413 --> 01:07:11,779 And he was doing the songs that I remembered 1292 01:07:11,779 --> 01:07:13,313 and none of the movie ones 1293 01:07:13,313 --> 01:07:14,746 that were kind of interchangeable. 1294 01:07:14,746 --> 01:07:17,346 These were the songs we remembered and had energy. 1295 01:07:17,346 --> 01:07:19,013 It was very exciting. 1296 01:07:19,013 --> 01:07:22,479 It was so--it was really overwhelming, yeah. 1297 01:07:30,579 --> 01:07:35,713 I was seated right next to the stage, the front row, 1298 01:07:35,713 --> 01:07:36,913 for the first take. 1299 01:07:36,913 --> 01:07:39,179 My sister was on one side. 1300 01:07:39,313 --> 01:07:41,579 If you split it, we were looking at each other. 1301 01:07:41,579 --> 01:07:44,313 And he came and he sat down on the edge of the stage 1302 01:07:44,313 --> 01:07:45,779 between me and my sister. 1303 01:07:48,479 --> 01:07:51,113 ♪ Memories ♪ 1304 01:07:51,113 --> 01:07:55,413 ♪ Pressed between the pages of my mind ♪ 1305 01:07:55,413 --> 01:07:59,178 It was Elvis Presley. I mean, he was huge. 1306 01:07:59,313 --> 01:08:03,946 As nervous as he was, he was in his milieu. 1307 01:08:03,946 --> 01:08:05,846 ♪ Just like wine ♪ 1308 01:08:05,846 --> 01:08:09,313 It was truly awe. He's right there. 1309 01:08:09,313 --> 01:08:13,313 And it was--he was very sweaty and everything, 1310 01:08:13,313 --> 01:08:15,446 which was kinda great, you know. 1311 01:08:15,446 --> 01:08:20,479 ♪ Like golden Autumn leaves around my feet ♪ 1312 01:08:20,479 --> 01:08:23,679 ♪ I touched them and they burst apart ♪ 1313 01:08:23,679 --> 01:08:30,679 ♪ With sweet memories ♪ 1314 01:08:30,679 --> 01:08:36,879 ♪ Sweet memories ♪ 1315 01:08:36,879 --> 01:08:39,779 ♪ Of holding hands and red bouquets 1316 01:08:39,779 --> 01:08:42,346 ♪ And twilight trimmed in purple haze ♪ 1317 01:08:42,346 --> 01:08:46,579 ♪ And laughing eyes and supple ways, and quiet nights ♪ 1318 01:08:46,579 --> 01:08:49,513 ♪ And gentle days with you ♪ 1319 01:08:49,513 --> 01:08:51,446 I think it's "The Hollywood Reporter" 1320 01:08:51,446 --> 01:08:53,746 that says, "It looks as if someone had accidentally 1321 01:08:53,746 --> 01:08:56,046 taped the rehearsal at times." 1322 01:08:56,046 --> 01:08:58,946 And there is that sense of looseness to it, right? 1323 01:08:58,946 --> 01:09:01,746 The sense of, like, is this the finished product? 1324 01:09:01,746 --> 01:09:03,946 And I think that was a really smart choice that they made. 1325 01:09:03,946 --> 01:09:07,212 Instead of doing something that felt like a spectacular, 1326 01:09:07,313 --> 01:09:09,579 a gala that they'd practiced over and over again, 1327 01:09:09,579 --> 01:09:12,513 it did, sometimes, feel like you were eavesdropping. 1328 01:09:12,513 --> 01:09:15,579 Without question, it was a segment 1329 01:09:15,579 --> 01:09:17,746 that towered over every other. 1330 01:09:17,746 --> 01:09:24,313 It was the most electrifying, animalistic rock and roll. 1331 01:09:24,313 --> 01:09:26,546 And I think it blew everybody away. 1332 01:09:26,546 --> 01:09:29,546 Watching that in the round and that broken down 1333 01:09:29,546 --> 01:09:33,313 really unplugged performance is inspiring. 1334 01:09:33,313 --> 01:09:35,646 It's inspiring to see people just sitting around 1335 01:09:35,646 --> 01:09:36,946 and playing music. 1336 01:09:36,946 --> 01:09:38,413 No production on it. 1337 01:09:38,413 --> 01:09:40,046 Just playing music, feeling it, 1338 01:09:40,046 --> 01:09:41,613 cutting up with his buddies, 1339 01:09:41,613 --> 01:09:44,979 messing up, doing it again, and giving it his all. 1340 01:09:49,379 --> 01:09:53,946 ♪ Always lived a very quiet life ♪ 1341 01:09:53,946 --> 01:09:58,746 ♪ I ain't never did no wrong ♪ 1342 01:09:58,746 --> 01:10:03,112 ♪ Now I know that very fine life ♪ 1343 01:10:03,112 --> 01:10:07,379 ♪ Has been too lonely too long ♪ 1344 01:10:07,379 --> 01:10:09,746 I love Elvis singing "One Night." 1345 01:10:09,746 --> 01:10:10,879 You know, he's got the electric guitar. 1346 01:10:10,879 --> 01:10:12,479 ♪ One night with you ♪ 1347 01:10:12,479 --> 01:10:14,513 You know, he's just-- he's just jamming out. 1348 01:10:14,513 --> 01:10:16,946 And Elvis's rhythm was great. 1349 01:10:16,946 --> 01:10:18,513 Talk to any guitar players in town 1350 01:10:18,513 --> 01:10:20,879 and have them watch that video of Elvis singing that, 1351 01:10:20,879 --> 01:10:22,813 and they go, "That is cool." 1352 01:10:22,813 --> 01:10:25,078 Like, his pocket is great. 1353 01:10:25,078 --> 01:10:26,313 And that was all Elvis's band really 1354 01:10:26,313 --> 01:10:28,479 ever did was just follow Elvis. 1355 01:10:28,479 --> 01:10:33,813 ♪ One night with you, whoo ♪ 1356 01:10:33,813 --> 01:10:38,846 ♪ Is what I'm now praying for ♪ 1357 01:10:38,846 --> 01:10:43,413 ♪ The things that we two could plan 1358 01:10:43,413 --> 01:10:49,679 ♪ Would make my dreams come true ♪ 1359 01:11:04,546 --> 01:11:08,579 I know that there was drama because I felt it 1360 01:11:08,579 --> 01:11:12,112 coming from Steve because he was normally 1361 01:11:12,112 --> 01:11:16,379 in charge and the person making the right decision. 1362 01:11:16,379 --> 01:11:19,379 Or if it wasn't right, he would say, "Eh, try it again." 1363 01:11:19,379 --> 01:11:21,913 And you knew he was gonna fix it. 1364 01:11:21,913 --> 01:11:25,913 And I don't think that he was free to make every decision 1365 01:11:25,913 --> 01:11:29,178 on his own on that special. 1366 01:11:29,313 --> 01:11:32,513 The Colonel was the enemy. 1367 01:11:32,513 --> 01:11:34,078 He was a bully. 1368 01:11:34,078 --> 01:11:35,613 He was dishonest. 1369 01:11:35,613 --> 01:11:37,579 I could tell you a lot of stories. 1370 01:11:37,579 --> 01:11:40,413 We insisted that if I produced and directed 1371 01:11:40,413 --> 01:11:44,313 the television special, I would be paid royalties 1372 01:11:44,313 --> 01:11:49,145 if a soundtrack album of the special was ever released. 1373 01:11:49,145 --> 01:11:51,746 The Colonel blew his stack. 1374 01:11:51,746 --> 01:11:54,346 He calls me at home and he says, 1375 01:11:54,346 --> 01:11:56,212 "Steve, you have nothing to worry about. 1376 01:11:56,313 --> 01:11:57,813 "I give you my word. 1377 01:11:57,813 --> 01:12:00,679 "There's never going to be a soundtrack album 1378 01:12:00,679 --> 01:12:03,579 so you can go ahead and do the TV." 1379 01:12:03,579 --> 01:12:07,613 Which I did, like a fool, and didn't get it in writing. 1380 01:12:07,613 --> 01:12:10,813 The next thing I know, not only did the album come out, 1381 01:12:10,813 --> 01:12:12,679 but he made the deal with RCA 1382 01:12:12,679 --> 01:12:15,379 before he made the phone call to me. 1383 01:12:15,379 --> 01:12:19,112 I mean, he loved doing things like that. 1384 01:12:19,112 --> 01:12:21,413 I didn't know anything about him. 1385 01:12:21,413 --> 01:12:22,813 Nothing. 1386 01:12:22,813 --> 01:12:25,313 But when I met him and said hello to him, 1387 01:12:25,313 --> 01:12:27,346 I had this chill. 1388 01:12:27,346 --> 01:12:29,145 I didn't care for him. 1389 01:12:29,145 --> 01:12:30,879 I did not like him. 1390 01:12:30,879 --> 01:12:32,513 I didn't know why. 1391 01:12:32,513 --> 01:12:35,379 Later, I figured it out. 1392 01:12:35,379 --> 01:12:38,746 I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Colonel. 1393 01:12:38,746 --> 01:12:41,145 I always say, it's nice to be important, 1394 01:12:41,145 --> 01:12:43,078 but it's more important to be nice. 1395 01:12:43,078 --> 01:12:45,679 And that's the way I like to live my life. 1396 01:12:45,679 --> 01:12:49,546 And he did not have that philosophy, the Colonel. 1397 01:12:49,546 --> 01:12:51,746 Did not have that. 1398 01:12:53,446 --> 01:12:56,145 The Colonel constantly throughout the production 1399 01:12:56,145 --> 01:12:58,878 kept asking where his Christmas songs were. 1400 01:12:58,878 --> 01:13:00,579 One day, he was furious, 1401 01:13:00,579 --> 01:13:03,313 and he called Elvis and I off the set 1402 01:13:03,313 --> 01:13:04,945 to come to his office. 1403 01:13:04,945 --> 01:13:08,479 His office incidentally, he was offered the Dean Martin 1404 01:13:08,479 --> 01:13:11,413 dressing room, but he turned it down in favor 1405 01:13:11,413 --> 01:13:14,413 of a broom closet next to Stage 4. 1406 01:13:14,413 --> 01:13:17,579 And had two William Morris agents 1407 01:13:17,579 --> 01:13:21,112 dressed as soldiers standing guard 1408 01:13:21,112 --> 01:13:23,012 in front of his little doorway. 1409 01:13:23,012 --> 01:13:24,446 So we walk in there. 1410 01:13:24,446 --> 01:13:26,346 The Colonel's sitting behind this little desk 1411 01:13:26,346 --> 01:13:27,746 looking ridiculous. 1412 01:13:27,746 --> 01:13:31,346 Elvis is standing there with his head bowed. 1413 01:13:31,346 --> 01:13:34,713 Colonel spoke directly at me and he said, "Bindle, 1414 01:13:34,713 --> 01:13:36,813 "it's been called to my attention 1415 01:13:36,813 --> 01:13:40,446 "that there are no Christmas songs in the show. 1416 01:13:40,446 --> 01:13:43,713 "Elvis wants a Christmas song in the show. 1417 01:13:43,713 --> 01:13:45,313 Right, Elvis?" 1418 01:13:45,313 --> 01:13:47,679 And Elvis sort of mutters, "Yes, sir." 1419 01:13:47,679 --> 01:13:49,845 And I said, "Elvis, if you want 1420 01:13:49,845 --> 01:13:51,313 a Christmas song in the show, 1421 01:13:51,313 --> 01:13:53,112 all you have to do is tell me." 1422 01:13:53,112 --> 01:13:54,746 The Colonel then interrupts and says, 1423 01:13:54,746 --> 01:13:57,579 "So it's understood from this moment on, 1424 01:13:57,579 --> 01:14:01,112 'you will put a Christmas song in the show. 1425 01:14:01,112 --> 01:14:03,978 "OK, boys, you can go back to the stage now 1426 01:14:03,978 --> 01:14:06,346 and go back to work." 1427 01:14:06,346 --> 01:14:08,945 We walk out the door, we turn left, 1428 01:14:08,945 --> 01:14:10,912 no sooner do we turn the corner, 1429 01:14:10,912 --> 01:14:16,446 Elvis jabs me hard in my ribs and says, "Fuck him." 1430 01:14:16,446 --> 01:14:18,313 And that was the end of that. 1431 01:14:20,045 --> 01:14:23,346 After that, Bob Finkel, my executive producer, 1432 01:14:23,346 --> 01:14:26,313 did an incredible job of keeping Colonel Parker 1433 01:14:26,313 --> 01:14:28,513 out of my hair and I was free 1434 01:14:28,513 --> 01:14:31,812 to work with Elvis one-on-one. 1435 01:14:31,812 --> 01:14:34,112 Colonel didn't give a damn about Elvis Presley. 1436 01:14:34,112 --> 01:14:38,579 He didn't give a damn about anything but winning. 1437 01:14:38,579 --> 01:14:40,812 As far as I'm concerned, by this time, 1438 01:14:40,812 --> 01:14:43,346 I had known him a little bit and I knew, 1439 01:14:43,346 --> 01:14:47,446 it never was about art or the music or integrity. 1440 01:14:47,446 --> 01:14:49,812 He had to be the power guy. 1441 01:14:49,812 --> 01:14:53,778 Even when he realized he was losing battle after battle, 1442 01:14:53,778 --> 01:14:58,679 it was all about he had to have the final word. 1443 01:14:58,679 --> 01:15:04,313 The Colonel was a master con man, in my opinion. 1444 01:15:16,479 --> 01:15:18,912 When we started the Presley project, 1445 01:15:18,912 --> 01:15:21,978 all the pre-production was done at my offices 1446 01:15:21,978 --> 01:15:23,479 on the Sunset Strip. 1447 01:15:23,479 --> 01:15:25,546 At 4:00 in the afternoon we started. 1448 01:15:25,546 --> 01:15:27,413 That's when Elvis would arrive. 1449 01:15:27,413 --> 01:15:31,346 And we'd work sometimes until midnight or 1:00 a.m. 1450 01:15:34,778 --> 01:15:38,712 This particular night, we heard this strange 1451 01:15:38,712 --> 01:15:41,912 screaming reaction from the other room. 1452 01:15:41,912 --> 01:15:46,112 We all stormed in to see what the commotion was about. 1453 01:15:46,112 --> 01:15:48,479 And it was live on television, 1454 01:15:48,479 --> 01:15:51,845 the assassination of Robert Kennedy. 1455 01:15:55,012 --> 01:15:58,546 We watched it in horror. 1456 01:15:58,546 --> 01:16:03,912 I think Elvis, as the rest of us were, all in shock. 1457 01:16:03,912 --> 01:16:08,812 And we spent until almost the next morning talking about, 1458 01:16:08,812 --> 01:16:11,513 what the hell is going on in our country? 1459 01:16:19,313 --> 01:16:22,546 I shall not seek 1460 01:16:22,546 --> 01:16:25,446 and I will not accept 1461 01:16:25,446 --> 01:16:27,313 the nomination of my party 1462 01:16:27,313 --> 01:16:29,646 for another term as your president. 1463 01:16:38,513 --> 01:16:42,112 1968 is the tumultuous year in American history. 1464 01:16:42,112 --> 01:16:45,945 It begins with the Tet Offensive in Vietnam 1465 01:16:45,945 --> 01:16:48,878 meaning, there is no light at the end of the tunnel. 1466 01:16:48,878 --> 01:16:52,313 We're stuck in Vietnam. It's a quagmire. 1467 01:16:52,313 --> 01:16:55,313 Lyndon Johnson has to throw his hands up in the air and say, 1468 01:16:55,313 --> 01:16:57,178 I'm not running for reelection. 1469 01:16:57,313 --> 01:16:59,112 That's unusual for a president, 1470 01:16:59,112 --> 01:17:02,978 but Vietnam had him in a hole. 1471 01:17:02,978 --> 01:17:07,313 And then add to that, the killing in April of Dr. King 1472 01:17:07,313 --> 01:17:09,613 and then in June of Bobby Kennedy, 1473 01:17:09,613 --> 01:17:11,145 bloodshed in the streets. 1474 01:17:11,145 --> 01:17:13,645 I mean, when Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, 1475 01:17:13,645 --> 01:17:16,645 there were riots in over 100 cities in America. 1476 01:17:16,645 --> 01:17:21,145 People forget just, what a tinderbox the country was. 1477 01:17:21,145 --> 01:17:24,778 ♪ Better run through the jungle ♪ 1478 01:17:24,778 --> 01:17:26,145 ♪ Better run through ♪ 1479 01:17:26,145 --> 01:17:28,178 And then you cut to the summer of '68 1480 01:17:28,313 --> 01:17:31,645 and you had the Chicago Democratic Convention. 1481 01:17:31,645 --> 01:17:34,678 Holy hell breaks out. 1482 01:17:34,678 --> 01:17:40,778 Mayor Daley's police with dogs and clubs and tear gas. 1483 01:17:40,778 --> 01:17:44,313 The Democrats produce Hubert Humphrey, the vice president, 1484 01:17:44,313 --> 01:17:47,112 who had been perpetrating the war in Vietnam, 1485 01:17:47,112 --> 01:17:49,078 as their nominee. 1486 01:17:49,078 --> 01:17:53,413 And then George Wallace is running a third-party movement 1487 01:17:53,413 --> 01:17:56,413 all on racism and bigotry. 1488 01:17:56,413 --> 01:17:59,012 And then that Nixon, of all people, 1489 01:17:59,012 --> 01:18:02,479 is now becoming the face of how to heal the nation. 1490 01:18:02,479 --> 01:18:07,978 It became a bloody, ugly, sad year in American history. 1491 01:18:07,978 --> 01:18:14,178 ♪ Better run through the jungle ♪ 1492 01:18:14,313 --> 01:18:17,379 ♪ Whoa, don't look back to see ♪ 1493 01:18:19,878 --> 01:18:22,313 We have speed. Quiet, please. 1494 01:18:23,513 --> 01:18:24,978 OK, here we go. 1495 01:18:24,978 --> 01:18:27,745 5-13. 1496 01:18:27,745 --> 01:18:29,945 In addition to the two sequences 1497 01:18:29,945 --> 01:18:31,845 shot in front of a live audience, 1498 01:18:31,845 --> 01:18:34,513 we had several big production numbers. 1499 01:18:34,513 --> 01:18:36,745 Each highlighting a different aspect 1500 01:18:36,745 --> 01:18:39,678 of Elvis's musical journey. 1501 01:18:39,678 --> 01:18:42,778 In one of these, Elvis as a young guitar man 1502 01:18:42,778 --> 01:18:45,912 hits the road to seek his fame and fortune. 1503 01:18:45,912 --> 01:18:49,878 There was also a scene set at an amusement park 1504 01:18:49,878 --> 01:18:54,745 that allowed Elvis to show off his martial arts skills. 1505 01:18:54,745 --> 01:18:58,078 Another was a gospel segment in which Elvis displayed 1506 01:18:58,078 --> 01:19:01,878 his spiritual side backed by The Blossoms 1507 01:19:01,878 --> 01:19:03,878 and The Claude Thompson Dancers. 1508 01:19:07,778 --> 01:19:12,512 ♪ Living below ♪ 1509 01:19:12,512 --> 01:19:17,645 ♪ In this old, sinful world ♪ 1510 01:19:17,645 --> 01:19:23,912 ♪ Hardly a comfort can afford ♪ 1511 01:19:27,413 --> 01:19:31,778 ♪ Striving alone ♪ 1512 01:19:31,778 --> 01:19:35,912 ♪ To face temptation so ♪ 1513 01:19:35,912 --> 01:19:40,379 ♪ Won't you tell me, where could I go ♪ 1514 01:19:40,379 --> 01:19:44,012 ♪ But to the Lord ♪ 1515 01:19:44,012 --> 01:19:46,745 When he does that song, that's a gospel performance. 1516 01:19:46,745 --> 01:19:49,313 You could hear church. 1517 01:19:49,313 --> 01:19:51,413 And not just a church, you could hear Black church. 1518 01:19:51,413 --> 01:19:54,878 The way he emotes and the way he just, 1519 01:19:54,878 --> 01:19:58,413 delivers it and gives it all from the soul. 1520 01:19:58,413 --> 01:19:59,945 You know that Elvis used to 1521 01:19:59,945 --> 01:20:01,413 sit outside some Black churches 1522 01:20:01,413 --> 01:20:04,745 and just be mesmerized by what was going on. 1523 01:20:04,745 --> 01:20:06,778 He's constantly thinking, "I wanna sound like that," 1524 01:20:06,778 --> 01:20:08,145 and that's a beautiful thing. 1525 01:20:08,145 --> 01:20:14,279 ♪ Where could I go but to the Lord ♪ 1526 01:20:14,279 --> 01:20:19,112 ♪ Now, won't you tell me where could I go ♪ 1527 01:20:19,112 --> 01:20:23,279 ♪ But to the Lord ♪ 1528 01:20:23,279 --> 01:20:24,878 When we look at the "Comeback Special" 1529 01:20:24,878 --> 01:20:27,279 and you're seeing Black dancers, white dancers, 1530 01:20:27,279 --> 01:20:29,413 and Black musicians and white musicians, 1531 01:20:29,413 --> 01:20:32,778 obviously, that does not seem shocking to us today, 1532 01:20:32,778 --> 01:20:36,145 but at the time, that was more unusual to see on screen. 1533 01:20:36,145 --> 01:20:42,545 Integration on television was not fully realized. 1534 01:20:42,545 --> 01:20:45,745 And Steve Binder, to me, in my opinion, 1535 01:20:45,745 --> 01:20:48,512 whether it started at the "T.A.M.I Show" in '64 1536 01:20:48,512 --> 01:20:53,878 or the NAACP Special and then the "'68 Comeback Special," 1537 01:20:53,878 --> 01:20:56,212 obviously, I think that Steve Binder 1538 01:20:56,212 --> 01:20:58,812 sees the world as one color. 1539 01:20:58,812 --> 01:21:03,112 He really pushed the envelope in those days. 1540 01:21:03,112 --> 01:21:08,578 And Elvis had such a background from his upbringing 1541 01:21:08,578 --> 01:21:12,045 of soulful music and had such an influence 1542 01:21:12,045 --> 01:21:15,112 from African-American musicians. 1543 01:21:15,112 --> 01:21:19,045 And I think that was a part of Elvis' music 1544 01:21:19,045 --> 01:21:21,512 that was so important to capture, 1545 01:21:21,512 --> 01:21:23,112 and Steve saw that. 1546 01:21:23,112 --> 01:21:26,346 ♪ I used to smoke, drink, and dance the hoochy-coo ♪ 1547 01:21:26,346 --> 01:21:29,445 ♪ I used to smoke and drink, smoke and drink ♪ 1548 01:21:29,445 --> 01:21:31,178 ♪ And dance the hoochy-coo ♪ 1549 01:21:31,313 --> 01:21:32,912 ♪ Oh, yeah ♪ 1550 01:21:32,912 --> 01:21:34,978 ♪ Now I'm standing on this corner ♪ 1551 01:21:34,978 --> 01:21:37,845 ♪ Praying for me and you ♪ 1552 01:21:37,845 --> 01:21:41,678 One of the things that marks Elvis's contemporary 1553 01:21:41,678 --> 01:21:43,345 is his ear for this stuff, 1554 01:21:43,345 --> 01:21:46,878 is that he understood that yes, I'm a rock and roll singer, 1555 01:21:46,878 --> 01:21:48,878 but I have a debt to country music, 1556 01:21:48,878 --> 01:21:50,812 I have a debt to rhythm and blues, 1557 01:21:50,812 --> 01:21:52,678 I have a debt to gospel music. 1558 01:21:52,678 --> 01:21:55,313 And so, I suspect to some people 1559 01:21:55,313 --> 01:21:58,078 who had maybe slotted him as a certain kind of person, 1560 01:21:58,078 --> 01:22:00,912 a guy who makes silly teen movies in the '60s 1561 01:22:00,912 --> 01:22:03,178 or a guy who made those hits in the '50s, 1562 01:22:03,313 --> 01:22:07,012 to realize that his music is in dialogue with gospel music, 1563 01:22:07,012 --> 01:22:10,012 that he is in tune with this American roots music 1564 01:22:10,012 --> 01:22:11,712 because it's the time when lots of groups 1565 01:22:11,712 --> 01:22:15,178 are rediscovering rootsy American music. 1566 01:22:15,312 --> 01:22:18,645 ♪ People let me tell you about kingdom come ♪ 1567 01:22:18,645 --> 01:22:21,945 ♪ I'm saved, I'm saved ♪ 1568 01:22:21,945 --> 01:22:25,512 ♪ Well, I can preach until you're deaf and dumb ♪ 1569 01:22:25,512 --> 01:22:28,478 ♪ I'm saved, I'm saved ♪ 1570 01:22:28,478 --> 01:22:30,112 ♪ I'm saved ♪ 1571 01:22:31,212 --> 01:22:32,978 And of course, there was 1572 01:22:32,978 --> 01:22:35,878 the notorious bordello sequence. 1573 01:22:35,878 --> 01:22:38,078 ♪ Oh, baby, I'm gonna teach you ♪ 1574 01:22:38,078 --> 01:22:42,745 ♪ What love's all about tonight ♪ 1575 01:22:42,745 --> 01:22:46,978 Yes, I remember it like it was yesterday. 1576 01:22:46,978 --> 01:22:49,178 It was very racy for 1968. 1577 01:22:49,312 --> 01:22:52,945 And I remember showing midriff and showing 1578 01:22:52,945 --> 01:22:56,812 body parts that probably, TV wasn't real ready for. 1579 01:22:56,812 --> 01:22:57,878 ♪ Enjoy yourself ♪ 1580 01:22:57,878 --> 01:23:01,178 ♪ And baby, don't fight ♪ 1581 01:23:01,312 --> 01:23:04,012 And the dancing was very sexy. 1582 01:23:04,012 --> 01:23:06,178 It was very stylized. 1583 01:23:06,312 --> 01:23:09,478 That was an incredibly fabulous number. 1584 01:23:09,478 --> 01:23:11,512 Beautifully shot and choreographed. 1585 01:23:11,512 --> 01:23:16,645 Elvis always brought kind of a profound earthly manner 1586 01:23:16,645 --> 01:23:18,678 to his motion. 1587 01:23:18,678 --> 01:23:20,778 He moves fantastically. 1588 01:23:20,778 --> 01:23:22,812 He'd never say no to anything. 1589 01:23:22,812 --> 01:23:24,212 "Let me try it." 1590 01:23:24,312 --> 01:23:28,445 And he was so mild and easygoing. 1591 01:23:28,445 --> 01:23:32,078 One moment that was funny, the bordello scene, 1592 01:23:32,078 --> 01:23:34,012 and I got a really fine collection 1593 01:23:34,012 --> 01:23:37,312 of lovely, lovely fantastic ladies, really talented. 1594 01:23:37,312 --> 01:23:39,645 And he said, "Jamie?" 1595 01:23:39,645 --> 01:23:41,178 I said, "Yes?" 1596 01:23:41,312 --> 01:23:43,845 He said, "Oh, These girls are too good. 1597 01:23:43,845 --> 01:23:46,478 I'm getting excited." 1598 01:23:46,478 --> 01:23:49,912 ♪ You'll be ready for the grand finale ♪ 1599 01:23:49,912 --> 01:23:52,478 ♪ So come on baby, let's go ♪ 1600 01:23:52,478 --> 01:23:56,045 ♪ Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go ♪ 1601 01:23:56,045 --> 01:23:58,845 Well, I was a virgin hooker. 1602 01:23:58,845 --> 01:24:01,478 I kinda take pride in that. 1603 01:24:01,478 --> 01:24:05,078 That was my part that I had interviewed for. 1604 01:24:05,078 --> 01:24:08,912 All right, places everyone. 1605 01:24:08,912 --> 01:24:10,378 I walked into rehearsal. 1606 01:24:10,378 --> 01:24:12,978 We were to prepare how we were going to dance. 1607 01:24:12,978 --> 01:24:15,678 And he was standing in his jeans. 1608 01:24:15,678 --> 01:24:17,678 And it was, I mean, it was too tempting. 1609 01:24:17,678 --> 01:24:20,078 I hadn't seen him for a couple of months. 1610 01:24:20,078 --> 01:24:23,112 So I just kind of tiptoed up. 1611 01:24:23,112 --> 01:24:24,645 Ready here. 1612 01:24:24,645 --> 01:24:25,745 Give it a minute. 1613 01:24:25,745 --> 01:24:27,178 All right, Elvis is ready. 1614 01:24:27,312 --> 01:24:28,512 Okay, roll. 1615 01:24:28,512 --> 01:24:31,045 It wasn't work. NBC was paying me, 1616 01:24:31,045 --> 01:24:33,612 but I think it was apparent to everybody 1617 01:24:33,612 --> 01:24:36,478 that we, very much, enjoyed what we were doing. 1618 01:24:36,478 --> 01:24:40,512 And we had fun dancing and practicing and being silly. 1619 01:24:40,512 --> 01:24:42,745 That last one was a 19. 1620 01:24:42,745 --> 01:24:44,512 Just pick it up from there. 1621 01:24:44,512 --> 01:24:46,012 Standby. Here we go. 1622 01:24:46,012 --> 01:24:47,845 Let's just take one second. 1623 01:24:47,845 --> 01:24:49,177 I'm going to try something different on the opening 1624 01:24:49,312 --> 01:24:50,378 of Susan's face. 1625 01:24:51,912 --> 01:24:54,978 Steve was one of the best directors I've ever had. 1626 01:24:54,978 --> 01:24:58,112 He definitely was in control of everything. 1627 01:24:58,112 --> 01:24:59,912 But he allowed that free liberty 1628 01:24:59,912 --> 01:25:02,745 for us to express ourselves. 1629 01:25:02,745 --> 01:25:04,045 It was just natural. 1630 01:25:04,045 --> 01:25:05,478 And I think allowing Elvis and I 1631 01:25:05,478 --> 01:25:08,078 to be natural and play how we did, 1632 01:25:08,078 --> 01:25:11,312 it brought out more in us. 1633 01:25:11,312 --> 01:25:13,645 Thank you, Elvis. See you tomorrow. 1634 01:25:14,812 --> 01:25:15,712 Okay, let's do the dance segment. 1635 01:25:15,712 --> 01:25:18,978 Five, please. 1636 01:25:18,978 --> 01:25:25,312 When there is a chemistry, he was very sensuous, 1637 01:25:25,312 --> 01:25:29,712 very masculine, and it elicited the femininity and the flirt 1638 01:25:29,712 --> 01:25:32,345 and the coy and the tease in me. 1639 01:25:32,345 --> 01:25:35,111 And I think we played off each other. 1640 01:25:35,111 --> 01:25:37,478 ♪ Now take a real deep breath and put ♪ 1641 01:25:37,478 --> 01:25:41,144 ♪ Your red lips on mine ♪ 1642 01:25:43,177 --> 01:25:46,545 ♪ Do like I tell you, everything's gonna ♪ 1643 01:25:46,545 --> 01:25:50,612 ♪ Be just fine, oh, yeah ♪ 1644 01:25:50,612 --> 01:25:54,345 ♪ Just kiss me nice and easy, take your time ♪ 1645 01:25:54,345 --> 01:25:57,978 ♪ Because baby, I'm the only one here in line ♪ 1646 01:25:57,978 --> 01:26:03,012 ♪ All you gotta do it just let yourself go ♪ 1647 01:26:03,012 --> 01:26:05,712 Ultimately, that sequence proved 1648 01:26:05,712 --> 01:26:09,945 too risqué for the network and the sponsor. 1649 01:26:09,945 --> 01:26:12,144 Although, I fought tooth and nail, 1650 01:26:12,144 --> 01:26:15,478 they made the decision to cut it out of the show. 1651 01:26:19,012 --> 01:26:21,378 Through a strange set of circumstances, 1652 01:26:21,378 --> 01:26:24,645 it appeared in the special nine years later 1653 01:26:24,645 --> 01:26:28,077 when it was rebroadcast after Elvis' death, 1654 01:26:28,077 --> 01:26:30,678 and it's been there ever since. 1655 01:26:30,678 --> 01:26:33,111 921. 1656 01:26:33,111 --> 01:26:38,545 ♪ My daddy was a green-eyed mountain jack ♪ 1657 01:26:38,545 --> 01:26:40,312 ♪ Because I'm evil ♪ 1658 01:26:44,778 --> 01:26:47,678 Whoo! Run out of breath. 1659 01:26:47,678 --> 01:26:49,211 Huh? 1660 01:26:49,312 --> 01:26:51,312 Elvis was such a prankster. 1661 01:26:51,312 --> 01:26:54,111 He did not just rehearse. 1662 01:26:54,111 --> 01:26:55,812 He would, like, do funny things. 1663 01:26:55,812 --> 01:26:59,612 And some of it was just so off the cuff. 1664 01:26:59,612 --> 01:27:01,612 That's 922. 1665 01:27:01,612 --> 01:27:03,678 Plus tax. 1666 01:27:05,578 --> 01:27:07,177 Watch my clacker here. 1667 01:27:07,312 --> 01:27:09,077 You watch my clacker there. 1668 01:27:09,077 --> 01:27:11,111 That's 927. 1669 01:27:14,312 --> 01:27:16,345 His eyes would give him away. 1670 01:27:16,345 --> 01:27:19,345 I just knew, OK, he's gonna be silly. 1671 01:27:19,345 --> 01:27:23,144 And he just had that look that could just 1672 01:27:23,144 --> 01:27:26,211 really melt you and make you laugh. 1673 01:27:26,312 --> 01:27:27,778 Steve, you wanna do the other thing? 1674 01:27:27,778 --> 01:27:28,978 "Trouble" again? 1675 01:27:28,978 --> 01:27:30,044 - One second. - Well, I don't. 1676 01:27:30,044 --> 01:27:31,312 I'll see you tomorrow. 1677 01:27:32,445 --> 01:27:34,144 OK, are you ready? 1678 01:27:34,144 --> 01:27:35,745 No, but we'll try it anyway. 1679 01:27:37,044 --> 01:27:39,512 Let's get it. Let's rock and roll. 1680 01:27:39,512 --> 01:27:41,412 Well, I'm gonna have to do it sooner or later 1681 01:27:41,412 --> 01:27:43,545 so I might as well get on with it, baby. 1682 01:27:43,545 --> 01:27:45,177 Let's go. 1683 01:27:55,845 --> 01:27:58,678 Better on with it, again. I missed it that time. 1684 01:27:58,678 --> 01:28:01,211 The most successful part of the "Comeback Special," 1685 01:28:01,312 --> 01:28:03,545 I think, though, is the arena segment 1686 01:28:03,545 --> 01:28:07,345 where Elvis is out in that same seductive suit 1687 01:28:07,345 --> 01:28:10,044 prowling around the stage and singing a medley of his hits. 1688 01:28:10,044 --> 01:28:12,011 That's gold. 1689 01:28:13,812 --> 01:28:15,177 ♪ Uh, I'm all shook up ♪ 1690 01:28:15,312 --> 01:28:17,812 ♪ Ohh, uhh ♪ 1691 01:28:17,812 --> 01:28:20,445 ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ 1692 01:28:20,445 --> 01:28:23,545 ♪ Well, a-bless my soul, what's wrong with me ♪ 1693 01:28:23,545 --> 01:28:26,144 ♪ 'I'm itching like a man on a fuzzy tree ♪ 1694 01:28:26,144 --> 01:28:28,912 ♪ My friends say I'm acting wild as a bug ♪ 1695 01:28:28,912 --> 01:28:30,077 ♪ I'm in love uh-uh ♪ 1696 01:28:30,077 --> 01:28:31,044 ♪ I'm all shook up ♪ 1697 01:28:31,044 --> 01:28:33,645 ♪ Ohh, uhh ♪ 1698 01:28:33,645 --> 01:28:35,312 ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ 1699 01:28:35,312 --> 01:28:39,011 Elvis was absolutely electric when he was on stage. 1700 01:28:39,011 --> 01:28:41,944 And I think he had a lot of that built up 1701 01:28:41,944 --> 01:28:43,478 for the "'68 Comeback Special." 1702 01:28:43,478 --> 01:28:47,944 I mean, you saw this guy who was like a caged tiger 1703 01:28:47,944 --> 01:28:49,878 just ready to pounce, right? 1704 01:28:49,878 --> 01:28:52,177 There's something touching, there's something sweet 1705 01:28:52,312 --> 01:28:55,845 about seeing someone who is such a big star 1706 01:28:55,845 --> 01:28:57,578 who's also working that hard. 1707 01:28:57,578 --> 01:29:00,144 ♪ I met a girl that I love so ♪ 1708 01:29:00,312 --> 01:29:02,545 ♪ My heart beats so it scares me to death ♪ 1709 01:29:02,545 --> 01:29:05,345 ♪ When she touched my hand, what a chill I got ♪ 1710 01:29:05,345 --> 01:29:07,878 ♪ Her lips are like a volcano that's hot ♪ 1711 01:29:07,878 --> 01:29:10,378 ♪ I'm proud to say she's my buttercup ♪ 1712 01:29:10,378 --> 01:29:11,878 ♪ I'm in love ah-ooh-uhh ♪ 1713 01:29:11,878 --> 01:29:12,845 ♪ I'm all shook up ♪ 1714 01:29:12,845 --> 01:29:15,312 ♪ Ohh, uhh ♪ 1715 01:29:15,312 --> 01:29:18,512 ♪ Yeah, yeah, I'm all shook up ♪ 1716 01:29:18,512 --> 01:29:22,478 ♪ Ohh, uhh ♪ 1717 01:29:22,478 --> 01:29:23,545 ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ - * I'm all shook up ♪ 1718 01:29:23,545 --> 01:29:25,312 Ah! 1719 01:29:25,312 --> 01:29:27,378 What's interesting about the songs that they have him do 1720 01:29:27,378 --> 01:29:30,211 in both the sit down and stand up shows is they are 1721 01:29:30,312 --> 01:29:32,312 mostly songs from the '50s. 1722 01:29:32,312 --> 01:29:35,512 I mean, the '50s versions are great, 1723 01:29:35,512 --> 01:29:37,345 but he's matured. 1724 01:29:37,345 --> 01:29:39,745 I mean, well, obviously, he's 10 years older. 1725 01:29:39,745 --> 01:29:42,011 But he's also developed as a singer 1726 01:29:42,011 --> 01:29:44,911 and it's a much more powerful voice. 1727 01:29:44,911 --> 01:29:47,312 ♪ The warden threw a party in the county jail ♪ 1728 01:29:47,312 --> 01:29:50,345 ♪ The prison band was there they began to wail ♪ 1729 01:29:50,345 --> 01:29:52,378 ♪ The band was jumping and the joint began to swing ♪ 1730 01:29:52,378 --> 01:29:54,977 ♪ Should have heard them knocked out jailbirds sing ♪ 1731 01:29:54,977 --> 01:29:56,678 ♪ Let's rock ♪ 1732 01:29:56,678 --> 01:29:59,977 ♪ Everybody, let's rock ♪ 1733 01:29:59,977 --> 01:30:02,244 ♪ Everybody in the whole cell block 1734 01:30:02,244 --> 01:30:04,378 ♪ Was dancing to the Jailhouse Rock ♪ 1735 01:30:04,378 --> 01:30:08,011 He didn't update them by making them psychedelic 1736 01:30:08,011 --> 01:30:09,478 or whatever the current trend was, 1737 01:30:09,478 --> 01:30:11,345 but he did reinvigorate them. 1738 01:30:11,345 --> 01:30:13,345 So they sound vital and contemporary, 1739 01:30:13,345 --> 01:30:16,244 and they don't sound like he's just doing oldies. 1740 01:30:16,244 --> 01:30:19,678 Those songs have to be interpreted the right way 1741 01:30:19,678 --> 01:30:22,678 and played the right way in order to get that energy 1742 01:30:22,678 --> 01:30:25,177 and that feeling across. 1743 01:30:25,177 --> 01:30:29,312 Every song, it was just, like, a marriage. 1744 01:30:29,312 --> 01:30:34,044 It was so perfect together within one. 1745 01:30:34,044 --> 01:30:37,645 And he executed it the right perfectly. 1746 01:30:37,645 --> 01:30:40,111 ♪ Come on and do the Jailhouse Rock with me ♪ 1747 01:30:40,111 --> 01:30:41,977 ♪ Let's rock ♪ 1748 01:30:41,977 --> 01:30:45,211 ♪ Everybody, let's rock ♪ 1749 01:30:45,211 --> 01:30:47,545 ♪ Everybody in the whole cell block 1750 01:30:47,545 --> 01:30:50,011 ♪ Was dancing to the Jailhouse Rock ♪ 1751 01:30:50,011 --> 01:30:51,745 ♪ Shifty Henry said to Bugs ♪ 1752 01:30:51,745 --> 01:30:53,645 ♪ "For heaven's sake's, no one's looking ♪ 1753 01:30:53,645 --> 01:30:55,578 ♪ Now's the chance to make a break" ♪ 1754 01:30:55,578 --> 01:30:58,211 ♪ Bugsy turned to Shifty and he said, "Nix, nix ♪ 1755 01:30:58,211 --> 01:31:00,678 ♪ I want to stick around I want to get my kicks" ♪ 1756 01:31:00,678 --> 01:31:02,077 ♪ Let's rock ♪ 1757 01:31:02,077 --> 01:31:05,345 ♪ Everybody, let's rock ♪ 1758 01:31:05,345 --> 01:31:07,645 ♪ Everybody in the whole cell block ♪ 1759 01:31:07,645 --> 01:31:10,678 ♪ Was dancing to the Jailhouse Rock ♪ 1760 01:31:10,678 --> 01:31:13,077 ♪ Dancing to the Jailhouse Rock ♪ 1761 01:31:13,077 --> 01:31:17,944 ♪ Dancing to the Jailhouse Rock ♪ 1762 01:31:17,944 --> 01:31:20,712 ♪ They were dancing rock ♪ 1763 01:31:20,712 --> 01:31:25,844 ♪ They were dancing to the Jailhouse Rock ♪ 1764 01:31:25,844 --> 01:31:28,378 ♪ Ahh ♪ 1765 01:31:28,378 --> 01:31:31,044 All right. 1766 01:31:31,044 --> 01:31:32,944 Elvis has such a humble nature about him, 1767 01:31:32,944 --> 01:31:37,211 an innate humbleness to him, that you don't watch him 1768 01:31:37,312 --> 01:31:38,745 and go, "This guy is cocky." 1769 01:31:38,745 --> 01:31:42,378 You go, "This guy's having the time of his life on stage, 1770 01:31:42,378 --> 01:31:45,911 and so is everybody in the audience." 1771 01:31:45,911 --> 01:31:49,977 ♪ Love me tender ♪ 1772 01:31:49,977 --> 01:31:52,612 ♪ Love me true ♪ 1773 01:31:52,612 --> 01:31:58,345 ♪ All my dreams fulfilled ♪ 1774 01:31:58,345 --> 01:32:04,977 ♪ For my darling, I love you ♪ 1775 01:32:04,977 --> 01:32:09,678 ♪ And I always will ♪ 1776 01:32:24,777 --> 01:32:26,645 Thank you. 1777 01:32:34,345 --> 01:32:37,777 After I finished the edits and delivered the show to NBC, 1778 01:32:37,777 --> 01:32:40,678 the Colonel went to Tom Sarnoff, the head of NBC 1779 01:32:40,678 --> 01:32:42,811 at the time, and said, "I'm not allowing you 1780 01:32:42,811 --> 01:32:45,345 "to air this special until there's 1781 01:32:45,345 --> 01:32:46,977 a Christmas song in it." 1782 01:32:46,977 --> 01:32:51,312 So I'm ordered to get over to NBC and explain to them, 1783 01:32:51,312 --> 01:32:53,211 why I don't have a Christmas song. 1784 01:32:53,312 --> 01:32:54,844 I walk into the office. 1785 01:32:54,844 --> 01:32:56,744 There's all the executives sitting there, 1786 01:32:56,744 --> 01:32:59,312 and there's the Colonel leaning on his cane. 1787 01:32:59,312 --> 01:33:01,811 His eyeballs are on me. 1788 01:33:01,811 --> 01:33:03,877 So it was really a case of where I'm sitting there 1789 01:33:03,877 --> 01:33:07,111 inside panicked, and all of a sudden, I remembered, 1790 01:33:07,111 --> 01:33:08,345 wait a minute. 1791 01:33:08,345 --> 01:33:09,677 When Elvis did the improv, 1792 01:33:09,677 --> 01:33:12,312 I think he sang "Blue Christmas." 1793 01:33:12,312 --> 01:33:19,077 ♪ I'll have a blue Christmas ♪ 1794 01:33:19,077 --> 01:33:22,911 ♪ Without you ♪ 1795 01:33:22,911 --> 01:33:26,512 ♪ I'll be so blue ♪ 1796 01:33:26,512 --> 01:33:31,111 ♪ Just thinking about you ♪ 1797 01:33:33,944 --> 01:33:38,744 ♪ Decorations of red ♪ 1798 01:33:38,744 --> 01:33:45,044 ♪ On a green Christmas tree ♪ 1799 01:33:45,044 --> 01:33:48,744 ♪ Won't be the same ♪ 1800 01:33:48,744 --> 01:33:52,612 ♪ If you're not here with me ♪ 1801 01:33:52,612 --> 01:33:57,211 I saw the Colonel make these super executives, 1802 01:33:57,312 --> 01:33:59,811 who probably had more money than Colonel Parker, 1803 01:33:59,811 --> 01:34:02,312 probably had more power than Colonel Parker, 1804 01:34:02,312 --> 01:34:06,777 I saw them bow down to the Colonel and kiss his behind. 1805 01:34:06,777 --> 01:34:09,445 They were terrified of him, and I was wondering, 1806 01:34:09,445 --> 01:34:12,877 where's all this power coming from? 1807 01:34:12,877 --> 01:34:15,977 The Colonel had great powers of intimidation. 1808 01:34:15,977 --> 01:34:18,312 And so the Colonel always tried to find out 1809 01:34:18,312 --> 01:34:21,744 where your soft spot was, where you were vulnerable, 1810 01:34:21,744 --> 01:34:24,644 and he would not hesitate to use that. 1811 01:34:24,644 --> 01:34:28,144 The Colonel brings to mind a mob boss man. 1812 01:34:28,144 --> 01:34:32,312 Parker would say, "It's better to be feared than to be liked." 1813 01:34:32,312 --> 01:34:33,811 He was a control freak. 1814 01:34:33,811 --> 01:34:35,911 And so he really didn't care, 1815 01:34:35,911 --> 01:34:38,144 as long as it had one Christmas song in it. 1816 01:34:38,144 --> 01:34:41,777 And that may have been just to save face. 1817 01:34:41,777 --> 01:34:46,677 ♪ But I'll have a blue ♪ 1818 01:34:46,677 --> 01:34:49,312 ♪ Blue, blue, blue Christmas ♪ 1819 01:34:54,345 --> 01:34:56,711 After Colonel Parker approved 1820 01:34:56,711 --> 01:34:59,312 the final edit of the special, 1821 01:34:59,312 --> 01:35:01,345 we were sitting in a screening room 1822 01:35:01,345 --> 01:35:04,312 with five or six of Elvis' entourage. 1823 01:35:04,312 --> 01:35:07,512 And the most uncomfortable feeling for every director 1824 01:35:07,512 --> 01:35:09,677 is having to sit through a screening 1825 01:35:09,677 --> 01:35:12,345 when everything you did you think is terrible 1826 01:35:12,345 --> 01:35:16,077 and you know this is a disaster and so forth and so on. 1827 01:35:16,077 --> 01:35:17,777 Now, you're sitting in a screening room 1828 01:35:17,777 --> 01:35:21,211 with your star and his friends, 1829 01:35:21,312 --> 01:35:24,944 and there's no reaction. 1830 01:35:24,944 --> 01:35:27,011 They're not laughing. They're not applauding. 1831 01:35:27,011 --> 01:35:28,911 They're not doing anything. They're just waiting to see 1832 01:35:28,911 --> 01:35:30,412 what Elvis does. 1833 01:35:30,412 --> 01:35:33,177 He finishes the screening, and he says, "OK, guys, 1834 01:35:33,312 --> 01:35:35,144 "I want you all to leave now. 1835 01:35:35,144 --> 01:35:38,211 Steve and I are gonna watch it again by ourselves." 1836 01:35:38,312 --> 01:35:39,811 I now show it to Elvis, 1837 01:35:39,811 --> 01:35:41,811 and here's a whole other human being. 1838 01:35:41,811 --> 01:35:45,478 There's a guy laughing, applauding himself. 1839 01:35:45,478 --> 01:35:47,777 I mean, he loved it. 1840 01:35:47,777 --> 01:35:49,511 It's been a long time, baby. 1841 01:35:53,412 --> 01:35:55,544 Long time. 1842 01:36:05,378 --> 01:36:07,177 My boy, my boy. 1843 01:36:07,312 --> 01:36:09,144 I think he finally got to say to himself, 1844 01:36:09,144 --> 01:36:12,211 "Wow, you know, look what I can still do." 1845 01:36:12,312 --> 01:36:15,312 It must have just been a joy to have put so much of yourself 1846 01:36:15,312 --> 01:36:17,312 into something and then you see the end result 1847 01:36:17,312 --> 01:36:18,644 and it's just as good or perhaps 1848 01:36:18,644 --> 01:36:20,644 even better than you thought. 1849 01:36:27,577 --> 01:36:31,511 The last time I saw Elvis, he slips me a piece of paper 1850 01:36:31,511 --> 01:36:33,011 with a phone number on it. 1851 01:36:33,011 --> 01:36:35,577 And he whispers to me, "Call me." 1852 01:36:35,577 --> 01:36:37,644 ♪ Phony little two-bit town ♪ 1853 01:36:37,644 --> 01:36:41,877 When I called the number he gave me, somebody answered it, 1854 01:36:41,877 --> 01:36:45,644 and said, "He's not available." 1855 01:36:45,644 --> 01:36:47,777 When Elvis and Steve wanted to be friends 1856 01:36:47,777 --> 01:36:49,611 after the "Comeback Special," 1857 01:36:49,611 --> 01:36:51,144 the Colonel got worried, 1858 01:36:51,144 --> 01:36:54,412 and so, Steve Binder must be banished. 1859 01:36:54,412 --> 01:36:56,312 And I do think with all my heart 1860 01:36:56,312 --> 01:36:59,444 that if Steve had remained in his creative life 1861 01:36:59,444 --> 01:37:03,211 that Elvis Presley would not have died at the age of 42 1862 01:37:03,312 --> 01:37:05,544 on the bathroom floor in his beloved Graceland. 1863 01:37:05,544 --> 01:37:08,644 He was so rejuvenated by that "Comeback Special," 1864 01:37:08,644 --> 01:37:10,711 and the music that he made right after that 1865 01:37:10,711 --> 01:37:13,011 was some of the best he ever made in his life, 1866 01:37:13,011 --> 01:37:15,211 but then he went right back to doing 1867 01:37:15,312 --> 01:37:17,677 what the Colonel wanted him to do. 1868 01:37:17,677 --> 01:37:19,711 The Elvis and Colonel story is very much 1869 01:37:19,711 --> 01:37:21,877 a Shakespearean tragedy. 1870 01:37:28,577 --> 01:37:30,444 The following program is brought to you 1871 01:37:30,444 --> 01:37:34,477 in living color on NBC. 1872 01:37:46,312 --> 01:37:48,411 It always seemed to me like some of the reaction 1873 01:37:48,411 --> 01:37:50,044 to the "Comeback Special" 1874 01:37:50,044 --> 01:37:53,644 was that people were surprised that it didn't suck. 1875 01:37:53,644 --> 01:37:55,111 Right, like, some of the reaction 1876 01:37:55,111 --> 01:37:58,044 to the "Comeback Special" is low expectations. 1877 01:37:58,044 --> 01:37:59,777 My mother wanted to watch it. 1878 01:37:59,777 --> 01:38:04,312 So, to keep my mother company, I watched the singer special. 1879 01:38:04,312 --> 01:38:07,711 And, oh, were my eyes opened. 1880 01:38:07,711 --> 01:38:10,544 I had no idea Elvis Presley was still in there, 1881 01:38:10,544 --> 01:38:14,844 the Elvis Presley I fell in love with as a little girl. 1882 01:38:14,844 --> 01:38:16,377 It did very well on the ratings. 1883 01:38:16,377 --> 01:38:19,544 For that season, it was the top-rated show. 1884 01:38:19,544 --> 01:38:22,377 It really rejuvenated Elvis. 1885 01:38:22,377 --> 01:38:25,377 It had been so long since anybody 1886 01:38:25,377 --> 01:38:29,344 had seen him in his glory. 1887 01:38:29,344 --> 01:38:32,144 It was a historic moment. 1888 01:38:32,144 --> 01:38:36,777 So here, 1968 is this year of bloody turmoil, 1889 01:38:36,777 --> 01:38:40,177 but yet, it ends on a high note. 1890 01:38:40,312 --> 01:38:44,077 When John F. Kennedy was murdered in 1963, 1891 01:38:44,077 --> 01:38:46,577 it was The Beatles going on "Ed Sullivan" 1892 01:38:46,577 --> 01:38:49,411 that brought the morale of America back. 1893 01:38:49,411 --> 01:38:52,144 By '68, with all the tragedy and sadness, 1894 01:38:52,144 --> 01:38:55,144 something about Elvis being on television 1895 01:38:55,144 --> 01:38:58,511 made Americans feel good about America. 1896 01:38:58,511 --> 01:39:01,711 We're still aiming to fulfill John F. Kennedy's 1897 01:39:01,711 --> 01:39:03,077 dream to the Moon. 1898 01:39:03,077 --> 01:39:04,977 The Apollo program is gearing up, 1899 01:39:04,977 --> 01:39:07,077 and we're getting photographs of Earth 1900 01:39:07,077 --> 01:39:09,644 as this whole blue-green planet 1901 01:39:09,644 --> 01:39:11,377 that people are looking at. 1902 01:39:11,377 --> 01:39:15,877 Elvis and the Moon now are the hopes of America. 1903 01:39:15,877 --> 01:39:20,377 ♪ For I can't help ♪ 1904 01:39:20,377 --> 01:39:24,177 ♪ Falling in love 1905 01:39:24,311 --> 01:39:30,644 ♪ With you ♪ 1906 01:39:35,311 --> 01:39:36,844 Yeah! 1907 01:39:44,911 --> 01:39:49,111 - Thank you. Thank you. 1908 01:39:49,111 --> 01:39:51,344 Whoo! 1909 01:39:51,344 --> 01:39:53,977 Colonel Parker kept telling everybody, 1910 01:39:53,977 --> 01:39:57,577 we were going to end the show with a Christmas song. 1911 01:39:57,577 --> 01:40:00,644 This was his Custer's last stand. 1912 01:40:00,644 --> 01:40:02,677 He thought Elvis should close the special 1913 01:40:02,677 --> 01:40:04,711 with a Christmas song or some kind 1914 01:40:04,711 --> 01:40:07,243 of saccharine thing like, "I Believe," 1915 01:40:07,243 --> 01:40:10,111 which Steve was just determined not to do. 1916 01:40:10,111 --> 01:40:12,611 The thing is, he didn't have anything for Elvis to do. 1917 01:40:12,611 --> 01:40:14,211 He didn't have anything else to suggest. 1918 01:40:14,211 --> 01:40:16,977 I went to Billy Goldenberg, my musical director, 1919 01:40:16,977 --> 01:40:19,211 I went to Earl Brown, my choral director, 1920 01:40:19,211 --> 01:40:22,011 and I said, look, guys, we all now know Elvis. 1921 01:40:22,011 --> 01:40:24,311 Instead of him giving a speech at the end of the show, 1922 01:40:24,311 --> 01:40:26,411 which the Colonel would never ever approve, 1923 01:40:26,411 --> 01:40:27,844 put it into a song. 1924 01:40:27,844 --> 01:40:30,277 I mean, let the people know the inner Elvis 1925 01:40:30,277 --> 01:40:32,177 and how he feels about 1926 01:40:32,177 --> 01:40:34,210 the Martin Luther King assassination, 1927 01:40:34,210 --> 01:40:36,243 the Bobby Kennedy assassination. 1928 01:40:37,577 --> 01:40:39,511 I got a phone call a few days later. 1929 01:40:39,511 --> 01:40:41,977 It was Earl Brown who called me saying, 1930 01:40:41,977 --> 01:40:44,011 "I think we have it." 1931 01:40:44,011 --> 01:40:46,311 So I met him early one morning at NBC 1932 01:40:46,311 --> 01:40:48,911 where Elvis was having breakfast across the way 1933 01:40:48,911 --> 01:40:50,677 at the commissary. 1934 01:40:50,677 --> 01:40:52,677 They sat down at the piano. 1935 01:40:52,677 --> 01:40:54,711 Four bars in, I knew it was a hit. 1936 01:40:54,711 --> 01:40:56,277 Elvis came across. 1937 01:40:56,277 --> 01:40:58,811 I said, "Elvis, this is the song for your closing 1938 01:40:58,811 --> 01:41:00,577 of your special." 1939 01:41:00,577 --> 01:41:03,077 They played it. 1940 01:41:03,077 --> 01:41:07,544 Typically, in Elvis fashion, he said, "Play it, again." 1941 01:41:07,544 --> 01:41:10,044 And then after that, he said, "Play it, again." 1942 01:41:10,044 --> 01:41:11,911 I don't know how many times they played it 1943 01:41:11,911 --> 01:41:13,176 over and over for him. 1944 01:41:13,311 --> 01:41:15,377 In the meantime, the Colonel wanders in, 1945 01:41:15,377 --> 01:41:18,344 saying, in a loud voice, "Over my dead body 1946 01:41:18,344 --> 01:41:20,077 will he ever sing--" 1947 01:41:20,077 --> 01:41:23,144 I don't know if he called it a piece of crap or whatever. 1948 01:41:23,144 --> 01:41:26,644 But Elvis looked at me, hearing Colonel Parker, 1949 01:41:26,644 --> 01:41:28,444 and he said, "I'll do it." 1950 01:41:32,111 --> 01:41:34,844 When Elvis first emerges in the 1950s, 1951 01:41:34,844 --> 01:41:36,677 it's not really the something to say era. 1952 01:41:36,677 --> 01:41:39,911 That's not necessarily, the expectation that we have 1953 01:41:39,911 --> 01:41:40,877 from rock and roll stars. 1954 01:41:40,877 --> 01:41:42,477 And even now, I think 1955 01:41:42,477 --> 01:41:45,544 reasonable people might debate about whether it's a good idea 1956 01:41:45,544 --> 01:41:48,611 to expect rock stars to have something interesting to say. 1957 01:41:48,611 --> 01:41:52,311 But this was his way of at least acknowledging that he's 1958 01:41:52,311 --> 01:41:54,311 living in a moment where people 1959 01:41:54,311 --> 01:41:56,911 are interested in the idea that a rock star 1960 01:41:56,911 --> 01:41:58,577 might have a message to send. 1961 01:42:09,511 --> 01:42:11,577 From the very depths of his soul, 1962 01:42:11,577 --> 01:42:14,377 he brings out this performance that's remarkable. 1963 01:42:14,377 --> 01:42:17,143 I mean, it's a showstopping moment. 1964 01:42:17,143 --> 01:42:21,210 One of the best performances of all time by anybody, 1965 01:42:21,311 --> 01:42:23,444 especially in the context of the times. 1966 01:42:23,444 --> 01:42:25,911 I was born 20 years after Elvis died. 1967 01:42:25,911 --> 01:42:28,611 I can watch that and feel impacted 1968 01:42:28,611 --> 01:42:30,744 and feel inspired 1969 01:42:30,744 --> 01:42:33,911 and feel what Elvis was feeling at the time. 1970 01:42:44,677 --> 01:42:48,511 For me, I was connecting with the reasons he did it-- 1971 01:42:48,511 --> 01:42:51,511 the death of Dr. King, the death of President Kennedy, 1972 01:42:51,511 --> 01:42:53,311 the Civil Rights Movement. 1973 01:42:53,311 --> 01:42:55,677 It's Elvis really being real and telling you 1974 01:42:55,677 --> 01:42:57,911 about how he feels. 1975 01:42:57,911 --> 01:42:59,477 You could tell when he's singing 1976 01:42:59,477 --> 01:43:01,311 that he believes every word. 1977 01:43:02,611 --> 01:43:06,644 It is very crucial that we listen 1978 01:43:06,644 --> 01:43:10,311 to that song and those words. 1979 01:43:10,311 --> 01:43:15,210 It can speak to us today, yesterday, and tomorrow. 1980 01:43:15,311 --> 01:43:18,877 That song is a portrait and the sound 1981 01:43:18,877 --> 01:43:21,344 of a man saving his own life. 1982 01:43:21,344 --> 01:43:24,511 I get goosebumps very few times in my life, 1983 01:43:24,511 --> 01:43:26,477 but when I get 'em, I really get 'em. 1984 01:43:26,477 --> 01:43:28,677 To this day, I will never forget it. 1985 01:43:28,677 --> 01:43:32,911 Elvis gives the greatest performance of his life. 1986 01:43:32,911 --> 01:43:37,076 It was so raw and powerful, I tip my hat. 1987 01:43:37,076 --> 01:43:38,644 He is the King of Rock and Roll. 1988 01:43:38,644 --> 01:43:40,311 There is no doubt about it. 1989 01:43:47,011 --> 01:43:49,644 ♪ There must be lights ♪ 1990 01:43:49,644 --> 01:43:54,644 ♪ Burning brighter somewhere ♪ 1991 01:43:54,644 --> 01:43:56,877 ♪ Got to be birds ♪ 1992 01:43:56,877 --> 01:44:02,076 ♪ Flying higher in a sky more blue ♪ 1993 01:44:02,076 --> 01:44:04,377 ♪ If I can dream ♪ 1994 01:44:04,377 --> 01:44:08,544 ♪ Of a better land where all my brothers ♪ 1995 01:44:08,544 --> 01:44:10,076 ♪ Walk hand in hand ♪ 1996 01:44:10,076 --> 01:44:14,977 ♪ Tell me why, oh, why, oh, why ♪ 1997 01:44:14,977 --> 01:44:19,544 ♪ Can't my dream come true ♪ 1998 01:44:21,010 --> 01:44:24,076 ♪ Oh, why ♪ 1999 01:44:24,076 --> 01:44:26,711 ♪ There must be peace ♪ 2000 01:44:26,711 --> 01:44:31,911 ♪ And understanding sometime ♪ 2001 01:44:31,911 --> 01:44:34,344 ♪ Strong winds of promise ♪ 2002 01:44:34,344 --> 01:44:39,544 ♪ That will blow away all the doubt and fear ♪ 2003 01:44:39,544 --> 01:44:41,811 ♪ If I can dream ♪ 2004 01:44:41,811 --> 01:44:47,744 ♪ Of a warmer sun where hope keeps shining on everyone ♪ 2005 01:44:47,744 --> 01:44:51,311 ♪ Tell me why, oh, why, 2006 01:44:51,311 --> 01:44:58,377 ♪ Oh, why, won't that sun appear ♪ 2007 01:45:03,943 --> 01:45:07,943 ♪ We're lost in a cloud ♪ 2008 01:45:07,943 --> 01:45:11,911 ♪ With too much rain ♪ 2009 01:45:11,911 --> 01:45:15,477 ♪ We're trapped in a world ♪ 2010 01:45:15,477 --> 01:45:19,644 ♪ That's trouble with pain ♪ 2011 01:45:19,644 --> 01:45:21,844 ♪ But as long as a man ♪ 2012 01:45:21,844 --> 01:45:25,811 ♪ Has the strength to dream ♪ 2013 01:45:25,811 --> 01:45:29,611 ♪ He can redeem his soul 2014 01:45:29,611 --> 01:45:33,644 ♪ And fly ♪ 2015 01:45:33,644 --> 01:45:36,943 ♪ He can fly ♪ 2016 01:45:36,943 --> 01:45:39,344 ♪ Deep in my heat ♪ 2017 01:45:39,344 --> 01:45:45,110 ♪ There's a trembling question ♪ 2018 01:45:45,110 --> 01:45:48,943 ♪ Still, I am sure that the answer ♪ 2019 01:45:48,943 --> 01:45:52,176 ♪ Answer's gonna come somehow ♪ 2020 01:45:52,311 --> 01:45:55,976 ♪ Out there in the dark ♪ 2021 01:45:55,976 --> 01:45:58,711 ♪ There's a beckoning candle ♪ 2022 01:45:58,711 --> 01:46:00,477 ♪ Oh, yeah ♪ 2023 01:46:00,477 --> 01:46:04,344 ♪ And while I can think, while I can walk ♪ 2024 01:46:04,344 --> 01:46:08,076 ♪ While I can stand, while I can talk ♪ 2025 01:46:08,076 --> 01:46:11,943 ♪ While I can dream ♪ 2026 01:46:11,943 --> 01:46:15,311 ♪ Please, let my dream ♪ 2027 01:46:15,311 --> 01:46:17,811 ♪ Come true ♪ 2028 01:46:17,811 --> 01:46:21,377 ♪ Ohh ♪ 2029 01:46:23,010 --> 01:46:26,744 ♪ Right now ♪ 2030 01:46:26,744 --> 01:46:30,176 ♪ Oh, let it come true right now ♪ 2031 01:46:30,311 --> 01:46:34,943 ♪ Oh, yeah ♪