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Growing Up With Elvis In Britain

June 03, 2010 | Book

Author Nigel Goodall and digital distributors Andrews UK Limited are pleased to announce the exclusive digital only release of Growing Up With Elvis in Britain, a unique and personal biography of the Elvis Presley phenomenon in Britain from 1962 to 1967, which examines the influence that Elvis had over millions of British teenagers during an era when Elvis could only be seen on the big screen and heard on the radio under a blanket at night.

Goodall, an ardent fan since he was 12 years old, will present his book in the spirit of the excitement that was present just six months before he was a teenager from having to queue up to buy Elviss latest record to bunking off school to go and see his latest movie, and from secretly swapping Elvis bubblegum cards in the school playground to sneaking Elvis Monthly into the classroom to read under his desk and in between lessons.

Spanning five years of Presley, the book will offer a chance for every Elvis fan and reader to reminisce or discover what it was like to be an Elvis fan in Britain in the 1960s - from both the fan perspective and that of Elviss career. It will also offer up an insightful recounting of the British pop scene at the time, and how Elvis maintained his place as the top pop star in Britain with a string of movies that were mostly built around a largely archetype formula of exotic locations, songs and girls.

From the moment the author went to see Elviss tenth film, Kid Galahad, and despite not knowing much about who Elvis really was, he left the cinema enough of a Presley fan to know when he grew up, that is who he wanted to be like. His enthusiasm remained at that level until 1967, when disillusioned and disenchanted by both the music and films that Elvis was churning out, and even more so, incensed that Elvis would appear in a movie set in Britain that he did not even come over to film, the author sold his original record collection at a price next to nothing. Little did he know that just one year later he would be rebuilding his collection as he and most other fans in Britain, reeled in the glory of Elviss comeback.

But back in 1962, after queuing up for over an hour to get in to see his first Elvis movie, and sitting through the film amidst hundreds of screaming and hysterical girls, he turned up his shirt collar like Elvis, rushed to the local record store to purchase the 45rpm EP of the films soundtrack, went home, played the disc over and over on his sisters Elizabethan mono record player, and announced to his horrified parents, that he wanted to go and work for Elvis when he left school.

Over the next five years the author continued with his obsession to never miss one of Elviss movies, even if it meant traveling over 50 miles to see it, and never to miss purchasing any one of Elviss latest records whether single, EP or album, no matter how good or bad they were. Neither did he miss scouting the New Musical Express each week to look for the latest news of Elviss record and film releases, entering competitions to win some of Elviss wardrobe from his movies, and the inevitable, impossible, headline that Elvis was coming to Britain to appear at the New Musical Express Poll Winners Concert at the Empire Pool in Wembley.

It was only when he watched Double Trouble alone in a cinema, and seeing Elvis sing Old MacDonald on the back of pickup truck loaded with chickens, that he knew he had seen and heard enough, and decided, there and then, it was time to catch up with the musical leanings of his peers, and indeed, the rest of Britain.

From a list that included the Stones, the Beach Boys and the Who, it was, of course, the Beatles, who had proved themselves to be the only realistic claimants to Elviss crown just one year after Elvis scored four consecutive number ones, had three movies playing on more or less every screen in the country and had released almost 40 new songs on albums, EPs and singles.

Growing Up With Elvis In Britain will offer a personal account of how the author was swept along on a journey by the sounds and images of Elvis during the 1960s. Drenched in humour, passion and musical history, the book will also examine how Elvis rode the storm of Beatlemania - and survived the onslaught during a decade that threw up some of the biggest frustrations and pitfalls of Elviss career.

The authors idea for this book will be to get away from the standard, run-of-the-mill, bog-standard biography of Elvis. This wont be just another re-telling of Elvis, but a story of Elvis that covers new ground, not before examined in such depth. Covering five years of Presleys career from 1962 onwards, the book will be the unique story of Elvis from the other side of the coin, the fans perspective, and for the first time, to intermingle a fans obsession for Elvis with Elvis's career, insomuch as they are related to the enormous influence that Elvis generated, even during a time when his career was described as having lost its sparkle.

It will be the first time a book on Elvis would offer an explanation on how a fans fanaticism paralleled Elviss own fanatical frustrations towards the same films that were now packing teenagers into hundred of cinemas across Britain, and will reveal information about the 1963 abandoned tour, cancelled film and lost album.

Often regarded as one of the leanest periods of Presleys career, it was probably the most productive. With most of his time devoted to churning out three films and movie soundtracks a year, it is said that his recording career had become increasingly lacklustre, and yet, it was a period that turned out some of his biggest hits, and a period that is so often overlooked and dismissed, this book will set out to readdress that omission.

Set to premiere in the winter of 2010 on iTunes and Amazon, and two weeks later, at over 240 global retail outlets and libraries, this exclusive eBook and MP3 audiobook will illustrate the lasting impression Elvis left on the author and millions of other fans in Britain. It would also be the first to recapture the excitement of what it was really like to see Elvis on the big screen in the early 60s amidst complete and total frenzy inside a cinema, where girls were literally screaming, standing up and pulling their hair out every time Elvis was on screen, sang a song, or jiggled a little.

This book will be the authors labour of love interpretation of what it was like to be a fan at the time, and also to recapture what it was about vinyl that made owning a record so magical, especially an Elvis one, what cinema meant to the Elvis fan, how the pirate radio ships of the 60s helped Elvis through Beatlemania, and what Tin Pan Alley in Londons Denmark Street did for Elvis, from when the author worked for one of Elviss music publishing companies in the same year that Love Letters was a top ten hit.

The appeal of this book would be in its originality to examine a much overlooked period of Elvis Presley from a not yet written perspective. Part autobiographical, part critique, part history, part confessional, part ultimate book of Elviss Hollywood years, Growing Up With Elvis In Britain would provide a timely reminder of what it was like to be a fan at the time, and for those not around between 1962 and 1967, it will serve as the perfect introduction to what they missed.

About the Author: Nigel Goodall is a British-born author with more than 20 books on the movie and pop world to his credit. He has written about some of the biggest names in showbusiness including Elton John, Kylie Minogue, Ray Winstone, Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder, which combined, have sold over a million copies and won him a literary prize nomination.

Formerly a graphic designer with over 300 record sleeves to his name, a brief spell as a pop manager, voice-over artist and disc jockey, and the co-producer of the syndicated 1978 Elvis Gospel

Source:ElvisMatters
drjohncarpenter0117 wrote on June 03, 2010
Reminds me of a very nice lady by the name of Anne.E.Nixon who wrote a very similar account of her younger days in the 60's in Elvis Monthly in the UK.She too had a very detail account from her dairies of the times of her life growing up as a fan in the UK.Again accounts like this from fans does give a feel as to what was happening in the Elvis world back then and the excitement of waiting for singles,albums to be released.To me fans from the early days are people i admire and most of been exciting times.
Tony C wrote on June 04, 2010
The UK was a great place to grow up as an Elvis fan. Although we were a long way from the man himself, we had the "Elvis Monthly" magazine which kept us in touch with what Elvis was doing. People like Anne were travelling to America on a regular basis and giving us very detailed concert reports. As well as the magazine, we had a lot of Elvis on TV. His films were shown quite often, which meant that we could see him every couple of months or less. In the days of home video, this seems crazy, as we now can watch him 24/7. In those days it was an event, having to be in front of the TV at a specific time made one appreciate it more. Elvis was treated with a great deal of respect by the media until around 1975/76. Unflattering pictures started to be published in the tabloid newspapers with headlines such as "Fat and forty". By early 1977, extracts from "Elvis What Happened?" were being published, which showed him in a very bad light. Despite this, we still had great single releases at that time, "Hurt", "Girl of My Best Friend", "Suspicion", etc, as well as the "Elvis In Demand" compilation album containing many then-unavailable items. After the two re-issue singles, going out to buy "Moody Blue" was very exciting as it was a brand new song. I can also remember coming home with "Way Down" and playing it over and over. My feeling was that despite all of the negative media coverage, Elvis could still make great records and would carry on for many more years. How things would change overnight a couple of weeks later.
KTemple wrote on June 04, 2010
Ireland too had a great following of The King in those days. There are members of the club in Dublin who travelled to the shows too. The Desert Storm one springs to mind and the Dec 76 season. Those people have some great stories to tell. The very first number 1 in Ireland when the Irish charts were formed was She's Not You so Im sure there are a lot of similarities between fans experiences in the UK and Ireland at that time.
clp1093 wrote on June 04, 2010
Just thought I'd share some memories of being an Elvis fan in the UK. First memory was hearing Heartbreak Hotel on the radio when I got home from school, it was a Friday, next day with my hard earned pocket money I rushed out and bought it (Gold HMV). Seeing Rock 'n' Roll LP in a record shop window and getting it as a Christmas present (probably still the best ever present!). Queuing in the poring rain to buy Surrender at the local store with my pal who managed to catch pneumonia Seeing all the films in the cinema and getting more underwhelmed with each release. Hearing If I can dream for the first time and thinking "that's my boy". Listening to Elvis in Memphis and fighting back tears of joy, the King was back! Hearing the tragic news of his passing from my wife........ Sitting in a pub discussing US single releases with 3 other nutters regarding the comparative rareness of 'silver line' presses versus 'non silver line'. Finding the Japanese Loving You LP in a record store in Tokyo. Hearing The Legend CD box set and realising the silver disc was the future?? Elvis has always been there throughout my life and websites like this give me great pleasure and amusement, so a big thank you to you all from an old git who still knows how to rock!
aura wrote on June 04, 2010
Now hear the memories of a portuguese fan. I became an ELVIS fan back in 1960 when I first heard "It's Now or Never" (I was only 9) and so I shall remain till the end of my days. Oh what a thrill whenever I bought a new record or when I saw a new film!... (you must bear in mind that in Portugal, in those repressive days of colonial war, it was quite difficult to find those items). I was always searching the magazines and newspapers to find ELVIS photos and news... oh yes, we didn't have the internet! And I still enjoy his music and films and always will! ELVIS didn't add days to our lives, but he surely added much life to our days. I still think I wouldn't fear death if I knew ELVIS was up there ready to sing for me!
drjohncarpenter0117 wrote on June 05, 2010
clp1093, it's fans like you who were there when things happened that made Elvis no 1 so from the bottom of my heart may i take this opportuninty to thank you and all the fans from the beginning a big 'Thank you' for putting Elvis where he was always going to be 'KING of the world.It must of been a fantastic time in the beginning and it's great to hear stories from fans who were there.Love and respect to all Elvis fans,young,old....however long you have been into Elvis.
CrazySteph wrote on June 05, 2010
Why not set up "Growin' up with the King on Veronica" . Those were the days (golden sixties) for continental fans (BE, Lux, BE). C'mon Dutch fans : move it.
clp1093 wrote on June 05, 2010
Thank you drjohncarpenter for your kind thoughts both to me and quite rightly to all fans, young or old. Maybe we need a new thread for all fans to share their memories? All the best to you all
drjohncarpenter0117 wrote on June 05, 2010
clp 1093, would be great for a tread on this forum on this web-site,i for one would love to hear fans stories of growing up with Elvis from the beginning,.........and by the clp 1093 is for me one of the best ever Elvis covers for a HMV release,must of been a real eye-opener seeing that cover in the record shops of the fifties against the tradional artist of the day.HMV no. 2 album again one of those iconic covers that stands the test of time.
circleG wrote on June 06, 2010
A thread is a great idea. i also like to read accounts from fans who were there at the start or were there at concerts.
clp1093 wrote on June 06, 2010
Which one of you guys knows how to start a thread??!!
Loesje wrote on June 06, 2010
You could send us an email with a request ;-)