Das werden wir spätestens wissen, wenn das Buch vorliegt.
MARCH 12, 2002
This is Joe Tunzi's third interview with WWELVIS. As with the first two, he gives us more information into Elvis' "live" and studio recordings. This was conducted on March 7, 2002.
WWE: Well, Joe, here we go with another interview, and let me say that your last two interviews were responsible for the most hits on my site.
JAT: I am happy to hear that, but you have a great site to begin with.
WWE: A lot of people want to know what's coming out from JAT Productions.
JAT: The latest project is very exciting to me. It's actually a book I've been trying to finish for a few years. It's called BEATLES '65 and -- no mystery here -- it's about the Beatles. But I think some Elvis fans will like it too, because the book contains details and some great color photos outside the house, of the Beatles meeting with Elvis. It will also have an exclusive RCA / BMG Special Products CD ELVIS SINGS BEATLES SONGS, containing the five Beatle songs that Elvis covered with great sound -- and believe me, this is going to be a rarity. But it is a Beatles book, and the Beatle fans have been great to work with. I have always loved the Beatles, and it's something I wanted to do for a long time.
WWE: Joe, do you know of any more photos of the Beatles meeting Elvis. You would have thought that the Colonel would have taking some or he would had someone do it.
JAT: Well years ago I would have said I dont think so but after doing this book and talking to so many people who were there I wouldnt be totaly shocked if something turns up. I don't know about the Colonel. He may have drawn the line on this form of exploitation.
WWE: What about the jam session?
JAT: That's too long to go into but everything about the meeting is included in the book. You are going to find some things you didnt know about and some things you have.
WWE: You know I got to ask you - was it ever taped?
JAT: I dont know. Just like the photos - if you asked me three months ago I would have said impossible because all this time you would think some one, some where would have tried to make some big money with it, but as I stated with other issues in SESSIONS 1 and I was proven right, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE though this one would still shock me.
<span style='color:white'>WWE: What about other Elvis projects you may be working on?
JAT: I hope to follow up HOT SHOTS Vol. 1 with Vol. 2 and more unreleased film footage. That's all I can say at this time, because I don't know what I am going to put on it yet. And then SESSIONS VOL. 3, which is completed, and I think it will be out in October.
WWE: Any changes in the book?
J AT: The book has been updated in every way possible. It has new photos, documents, tape legends, rehearsals, home recordings, soundboards, the complete 8-track live recordings, the complete 16-track live recordings, studio sessions, overdub sessions, 81 sessions, bootlegs, and film outtakes of THAT'S THE WAY IT IS and ON TOUR, etc. As much as we can write about will be in here.</span>
WWE: The next question fits right in. Ernst Jorgensen says that you look at lists of songs and assume there are tapes to them.
JAT: This is totally false. I think he said this in an interview where someone recalled that my book mentioned the LEAVIN' IT UP TO YOU rehearsal from January '73, and asked whether he heard the tape. He replied, "No. The distinction in what I write about and what Joe Tunzi writes about is that I write about tapes that did exist. He writes about what he thinks exists". But in the next paragraph of the interview he mentioned the I'M LEAVIN' IT UP TO YOU tape and the guy who owns it, and that it does exist. In any case, anyone who goes through my sessions books will see that I have been very careful in what I say regarding rumored or real tapes. Finally, if you go to page 117 of Jorgensen's book, he lists the songs from a tapebox for which the tape itself is lost. Maybe the tape doesn't have Elvis on it. In any case it's just a listing. I see nothing wrong with it, and he doesn't either. I really don't think I need to go further.
WWE: Here's a question on the proposed 1977 Studio Sessions. Did Elvis ever enter Buzz Cason's Studio, and did the band record any rhythm tracks that Elvis was going to do?
JAT: Good question. The real reason why Elvis didn't record at Cason's studio and what I believe is the truth, will be in SESSIONS 3. And yes, they started working on songs and some were put on tape with Sherill Nielsen singing the lead voice.
WWE: Did Felton intend for Elvis to overdub a vocal to the rhythm track FIRE DOWN BELOW?
JAT: That's one I can't answer, and no one can. Even if Felton supposedly carried the tape around with him, as some people have said, who knows if Elvis even liked it.
WWE: What would you do differently if you produced Elvis Presley?
JAT: First off, Elvis Presley music was produced by several people before Elvis died. I don't think you can produce it again. So that word is a little misleading. I think saying "compiled by" or "Executive Producer" would be more accurate, since you're selecting songs and going forward from there. And I think this is the case with all artists that are dead, not just Elvis. But it's really just terminology, and as I stated before, BMG/RCA have done a great job compiling this material. Michael, Roger, Ernst, all of them. I would like to see better mixes and edits, and there seems to be more distortion on some releases. I would like to listen to a CD for the music at it's highest potential, and this is where Elvis' voice and the rhythm group comes in. Too much dialogue in the wrong places, breakdowns, false starts and incomplete takes before or after almost every track adds up to a format that sounds a little sloppy and overused. I think they should be a bit more polished.
WWE: Here's a question about the AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL book (NOTE: We only have 3 copies left of this great book and CD!!) which I believe is your best book and seller. But in the latest issue of MAN AND HIS MUSIC, Howard Cockburn said he was disappointed. A fan wants to know if you read this review, and how do you feel about it?
JAT: Paul, you know, I know, the Elvis world knows, you can't please everybody. But I'd like to address a few things. First, I'd like to thank MAN AND HIS MUSIC and my buddy Trevor for a great magazine. He does an outstanding job, and I love the magazine. And I'd like to thank Howard Cockburn as well, for taking the time to review it. I think he said that he was at odds with the title and the theme of the book. He questioned what the majority of these photos have to do with America The Beautiful. This just makes me wonder how well Howard looked at the book. The idea was just to show Elvis in situations, not all situations with a U.S. flair to them. It shows Elvis in the U.S. army, stationed in Germany for the U.S. Army, in the movie GI BLUES about a U.S. soldier, singing AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL in Memphis in 1976, playing the national pastime (baseball), U.S. football, meeting U.S. presidents, U.S. governors, etc., movies with an American theme like EASY COME, EASY GO where he plays a U.S. Navy frogman, singing AN AMERICAN TRILOGY with the U.S. flag draped behind him, singing IF I CAN DREAM, about race relations in the U.S., playing in different cities across the U.S. So if Howard didn't understand this, then maybe that's why he was disappointed.
WWE: He also mentioned opportunism.
JAT: The book was titled and ready to go with the CD by August 1. September 11 wasn't an issue yet, so neither was opportunism. The e-mails and response have been great for the AMERICA book. Many people think it's one of the best projects we ever did. Most people I talked to thought the CD America The Beautiful was better than the main label release, from the artwork to the track selections.
WWE: In the AMERICA Book there's a great picture of the night you met Elvis. Can you tell us more about that?
JAT: That's a long story, and one we'll save for another interview. One fan wrote me and said that one photo was worth the price of the book. I don't know if I'd go that far,but let's leave it at that for now.
WWE: What did you think of the track listing for the new 25th anniversary box set TODAY, TOMORROW AND FOREVER?
JAT: It's just about what I thought it would be. The duet with Ann-Margret is something I documented in 1992 in SESSIONS 1 - 10 years ago which some people thought didn't exist, so it's good that it finally turned up. But there is a lot of good stuff on here -- in particular, a great version of LONG LEGGED GIRL from DOUBLE TROUBLE. HIDE THOU ME can be saving the best for last as far as home recordings. BIG BOSS MAN is good and STAY AWAY has great piano licks by Floyd Cramer. I like this version better then the master. The GUITAR MAN opening version from the '68 TV SPECIAL is really good, but I think most fans would find the 70's material the best part of the set. LIFE and FOR LOVIN' ME are really good to hear much cleaner. Included is a heartfelt UNTIL IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO GO, but the heart of this set is Disc 4, track 15 - 23. I MISS YOU is one of my favorites. It's great -- a real tear jerker. And versions of I GOT A FEELING IN MY BODY and IF YOU TALK IN YOUR SLEEP which are close to the master, but are still great to hear. FOR THE HEART is also sung like the master but is fantastic, and I think HURT is the best version we've had including the master. A great way to end it. Look, there are going to be fans who look at this and say "I am disappointed". It's the same thing when any Elvis project comes out. It could have been this way or that way -- that's just the way it goes. But with all things considered, and how BMG positions themselves between this release and it's FTD Series, I think the set fits in perfectly.
WWE: Here are some final questions. Is there any professional film footage from the 1971 Boston show?
JAT: I know nothing about this, but maybe a TV station covered it and filmed it.
WWE: Do you believe fans will get to see any Elvis film footage at the Hayride?
JAT: Well, as you know and I know, there are film performances of Hayride shows that may come out one day.
WWE: D.J. Fontana remembers Elvis recording FOOLS HALL OF FAME. Do you have any info on this?
JAT: Yeah. Tell D.J., "Where's the tape".
WWE: Other than your own, are there any new DVD's coming out that you know of?
JAT: I think MGM is going to release FOLLOW THAT DREAM and KID GALAHAD this year. The estate is re-doing the 68 COMEBACK with unreleased footage and ALOHA FROM HAWAII with different camera angles. This is fabulous. I watched some of this at Graceland and this is going to be a great DVD. It practically looks like a completely different show. If Warner Bros. gets over the poor sales of the movie THAT'S THE WAY IT IS, they will hopefully release some movies and the documentary ELVIS ON TOUR.
WWE: What about this unreleased material from ELVIS ON TOUR? What would you consider some of their best stuff?
JAT: Paul, I think one of the best things that they could do would be to put together the April 9, 1972 Hampton Roads show. This can be shown almost intact. And the greatest unreleased film footage I've ever seen is from the RCA rehearsals of Elvis doing BURNING LOVE, FOR THE GOOD TIMES, NEVER BEEN TO SPAIN, HEARTBREAK HOTEl, HOUND DOG, DON'T BE CRUEL, and LOVE ME. This is the best film that any fan would want to see, especially those who love the seventies.
WWE: Is there anything you would like to add?
JAT: I think that's just about it. I'd like to thank you for asking me to answer some of these questions and like most fans I am looking forward to the 25th anniversary in Memphis -- not only for Elvis, but to see some great friends as well.
WWE: Thank you Joe.
(WWELVIS NOTE: My personal opinion about the BEATLES '65 book / CD project: As Joe has pointed out, his new book is basically a photo book on the Beatles BUT I think it's important to stress that it contains the only known (and hardly ever seen!) SUPER RARE pictures of the only Beatles and Elvis meeting in August, 1965 in California. I have only seen these in black and white in a 30 year old Dutch fan club magazine and I had no idea they existed in color and I don't think anyone else did either. So the inclusion of these, in my opinion, is a very welcomed addition to any Elvis collection and is easily worth the $39.95 price. But the book also gives details about the famous meeting of the Fab Five!! PLUS: Joe got permission from BMG to do a special 5 track compilation CD containing the five Beatle songs that Elvis recorded. This has not only never been done before all on a CD but this is probably the FINAL Elvis CD that BMG will allow an outside party to do because the new management has changed its' position on non label projects (maybe other than TIME LIFE or a very large company although that also is undecided at this time!). So this new JAT project is historic for a few reasons.
NOTE: The following photos are from March 1972 session in California. Elvis is doing "Johnny B. Goode". These will appear (in MUCH BETTER quality!) in Joe's SESSIONS 3 book due October)
<span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>Quelle: World Wide Elvis
Joseph A. Tunzi´s - Elvis Sessions III
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