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Elvis Invited The Beatles To Graceland

May 05, 2007 | Other
In an interview, the CEO of Stax Studios in Memphis, Deanie Parker, mentions a special gesture from Elvis. The story spread around town that the Beatles would come to Stax in Memphis – home of their heroes – to record a new studio album. When Elvis picked up the rumour, he invited the Fab Four to stay in Graceland. “I was so excited about it,” says Deanie Parker, “I was seeing dollar signs. I talked to Jim Stewart and said, 'If the Beatles do come here, will you give me permission to take the carpet up, cut it into squares, and sell it?'

Everyone else was worrying about the logistics — how were we gonna get them from the airport," Keyes says. "We were gonna put them up at the Holiday Inn Rivermont, but Elvis Presley said it would be better if they stayed at Graceland”. The session however, never happened.
Source:ElvisMatters
My boy, my boy wrote on May 05, 2007
I wonder if this story is true...I don`t think so !
Jerome wrote on May 05, 2007
Yes if, if, if... we could go on and on like this..
Steve V wrote on May 05, 2007
Maybe Paul or Ringo could verify this story?
Viva wrote on May 05, 2007
Would this be the same Stax Studios which has removed any reference to Elvis from it's premises? In any event, I would have thought the Beatles would have wanted to record at Sun Studios as that's where their influences recorded.
Adam wrote on May 05, 2007
The Beatles Met Elvis in Graceland. I think it was in 1965.. Elvis was playing Bass that night which they though was funny. He was surrounded by the Memphis mafia. John lennon said about the meeting, that it was a dream come true for him, He also said "The beatles always wanted to meet Elvis, They never wanted to meet frank sinatra and those kind of people, it was always Elvis" The Beatles were huge Elvis fans. The story about Stax is not true I believe, and you're right it would have been The Sun studio if any studio..
artfromtex wrote on May 05, 2007
Adam, the meeting you're thinking of happened in Palm Springs, not Memphis.
aura wrote on May 05, 2007
Sorry, The Beatles never met Elvis at Graceland. They met Elvis at his home in Bel Air, California, on August 27th 1965. Pls see Peter Guralnick's "Careless Love" page 210. And, yes, he was surrounded by the Memphis Mafia and by his wife Priscila (not yet at that time) and other M.M. wives and girlfriends. I do not believe the second part of the story, I never read something about it; Elvis was not very thrilled to meet The Beatles; they were very interested to meet Elvis, Paul McCartney even said he was the only person they wanted to meet in the U.S.A.
Steve V wrote on May 05, 2007
aura, nope it was not Palm Springs either. It was at the house on Perugia Way , Bel Air, California, on 8/27/1965 to be exact. Check it out.
Steve V wrote on May 05, 2007
Sorry aura, I meant Adam!
Mielvis wrote on May 06, 2007
None of you know as none of you were there
Mystery Rider wrote on May 06, 2007
uggh the Beatles at Graceland, there goes the neighborhood. But maybe Wrongo Starr Can verify the story, and if so who cares. 1965 has come and gone so have george and that other guy who lived in new york with the funny hair and glasses wearing sergeant stripes on his shirt, he should have been arrested and deported.
Deke Rivers 6 wrote on May 06, 2007
All a bit pointless really, nothing came of it, no recording's as far as we know,thank's again to Parker.Glad they both met though.John was my favourite, then Ringo & George.
Bill E. Burk wrote on May 08, 2007
I fear maybe I was to blame here about the report the Beatles were to record at STAX. A man claiming to be Brian Epstein checked into the Holiday Inn-Rivermont and told management to keep it quiet he was there -- that he was scouting Memphis to bring the Beatles in to record. The management (all close friends of mine, even today, though the hotel is long gone) reported this to me and I printed the report of Epstein/Beatles Recording in my column. HI-R even gave "Epstein" a free suite during that visit in hopes of landing the entire Beatles entourage once they arrived to record. TURNS OUT, this "Epstein" was phony as Hell ... and there went the story. Of course, The Weasel didn't have THAT in his book.