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Elvis And Ireland

January 22, 2013 | Book

Elvis and Ireland by Ivor Casey: Book Description: Elvis and Ireland is the “Irish Biography” of Elvis Presley.

It is the detailed story of Elvis Presley’s life and career, combined with a timeline of events in Irish popular culture and the social changes brought on by his unique brand of rock ‘n’ roll.

What you will find here is just about everything to do with Elvis and his links with Ireland including anecdotes, entertaining trivia on Elvis’s connection with Ireland, his Irish chart successes, as well as areas of censorship.

You will also learn about Irish songs he covered and Irish singers who covered his work. Find out what many Irish personalities have to say about Elvis, as well as what was said about the star from the Dáil to the pulpit. 

Elvis and Ireland focuses on how Irish artists used Elvis and American popular culture for their own artistic efforts, from Ireland’s earliest showbands and beat-groups to the rock legends Rory Gallagher, Phil Lynott and Bono. It covers several decades of Irish popular music without ever losing track of Elvis’s story. In brief this book is a view of Elvis Presley through Irish eyes. Elvis and Ireland brings together the story of the global superstar from his birth to his untimely death, picking up the Irish connections along the way.

To add a further Irish dimension, the book also features artwork of Elvis by three famous Irish artists. Hundreds of Elvis books already exist but rarely does a new Elvis book have something to say from a totally different cultural stand point. All music fans, and not just the Irish ones, will find this an exhilarating journey through the career of the universal music icon.

Published by Appello Press (7 Jan 2013), 246 pages, ISBN-10: 0957375204/ISBN-13: 978-0957375208.
 

Source:Elvis Information Network

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Jerome wrote on January 23, 2013
Who te hell made that drawing?...
jjsmith wrote on January 23, 2013
Sounds like an interesting read, looking forward to it.
Brian Quinn wrote on January 25, 2013
Having read this book what comes across very strongly is the negative effect that the Catholic Religion had on Elvis' music. His records were banned and many of his movies had scenes deleted as they were considered too raunchy for an Irish audience. Secondly, the Irish radio stations would not play rock 'n' roll records and young people had to listen to Radio Luxembourg or alternatively Irish folk music, jazz or opera. Showbands became popular in the late 50's and 1960's and this also detracted Elvis from achieving the fame he got elsewhere as they were performing the hits of the day including his. This situation continued well into the 1960's and many of Elvis' records never got an Irish release until the recent re-releases during the last decade. The book is a good read and gives a comprehensive history of the different eras of Elvis' music and how they were received in Ireland. For me, the negative part of the book is the listing of the many Irish artists who covered Elvis' music as I had never heard of 90% of them.
Hans Otto wrote on January 28, 2013
Having ordered this book on Amazon, I'm looking forward reading it. Should be a very interesting read as these kind of national perspectives are unchartered territories. Let's hope we may get similar books from other countries. There are beyond doubt lots of unique and exiting Elvis stories from almost evry country. Elvis is an important part of our global culture, and it is equally important documenting it.
jjsmith wrote on January 29, 2013
Having recently read this book, I can agree with Brian Quinn below who suggests "The book is a good read and gives a comprehensive history of the different eras of Elvis' music and how they were received in Ireland". It is well researched, very well written and is full of entertaining bits of information to do with Elvis and Ireland. As Hans, below, said "Elvis is an important part of our global culture, and it is equally important documenting it". That is very true. Highly recommended.