More than 27 years after he was officially declared dead Elvis Presley is poised to make history by claiming the 1,000th British chart No 1.
Since his death in August 1977 Elvis has been sighted in any number of unlikely places, ranging from burger bars and supermarkets to funeral parlours and sheepdog trials.
He has been a priest, a policeman and a lorry driver. One fan even claimed to have spotted him returning a Dyson cleaner to the John Lewis department store in Welwyn Garden City.
Record company executives are now, however, plotting to resurrect him in the incarnation that won him fame, fortune and iconic status — as a pop star.
Sony BMG hopes that by releasing all of Elvis’s previous chart-toppers he will be able to claim the coveted 1,000th number-one slot early in the new year.
Band Aid 20 became the 997th No 1 with Do They Know It’s Christmas? and it has led the singles chart for four weeks.
The X Factor winner Steve Brookstein has been tipped as the 998th with his single Against All Odds, which has sold 40,000 copies so far, taking the No 2 position and with Band Aid sales expected to slow now Christmas is past.
Elvis’s 18 previous No 1s are being re-released over 17 consecutive weeks from January 3 to April 25, starting with All Shook Up and ending with A Little Less Conversation.
Strict chart rules mean All Shook Up is ineligible because it will come in a collectors’ box, so Jailhouse Rock will be released on the same day. The record label has described the attempt at claiming the 1,000th No 1 for Elvis as “the most ambitious singles release campaign in the history of the UK record industry”. Gennaro Castaldo, an HMV spokesman, said: “With Band Aid 20 currently occupying the top spot, it’s difficult to predict precisely when the 1,000th No 1 will occur. However, there’s a possibility that it could fall to Elvis, which would be a fantastic and truly fitting way to celebrate the landmark.
“Sales of singles around this time of year tend to be at their lowest. So if Elvis fans are out in force to buy his reissued No 1s, there’s every chance this could happen.” The 1,000th No 1 will be one of the last based on sales of singles in the shops alone. In the next few months the chart will be changed to incorporate internet downloads.
Hits for a King:
1 All Shook Up (June 14, 1957)
2 Jailhouse Rock (Jan 24, 1958)
3 One Night/I Got Stung (Jan 23, 1959)
4 A Fool Such As I/I Need Your Love Tonight (April 24, 1959)
5 It’s Now Or Never (Nov 3, 1960)
6 Are You Lonesome Tonight (Jan 19, 1961)
7 Wooden Heart (Mar 9, 1961)
8 Surrender (May 25, 1961)
9 (Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame (Nov 2, 1961)
10 Rock-A-Hula Baby/Can’t Help Falling In Love (Feb 1, 1962)
11 Good Luck Charm (May 10, 1962)
12 She’s Not You (Aug 30, 1962)
13 Return To Sender (Nov 29, 1962)
14 (You’re The) Devil In Disguise (July 4, 1963)
15 Crying In The Chapel (May 27, 1965)
16 The Wonder Of You (July 11, 1970)
17 Way Down (Aug 13, 1977)
18 A Little Less Conversation (June 22, 2002)
... and other chart toppers:
The first No 1: Here In My Heart Al Martino (1952)
No 100: Do You Mind Anthony Newley (1960)
No 200: Help! The Beatles (1965)
No 300: Knock Three Times Dawn (1971)
No 400: Don’t Cry For Me Argentina by Julie Covington (1977)
No 500: A Little Peace Nicole (1982)
No 600: China In Your Hands T’Pau (1987)
No 700: Twist and Shout Chaka Demus and Pliers (1993)
No 800: Bootie Call All Saints (1998)
No 900: Lady Marmalade Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya and Pink (2001)
It's Now Or Never For Elvis
December 28, 2004 | Music
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jean michel wrote on
December 28, 2004
Hi ! I do hope it will come true but I wonder if they gonna make it with only 27000 singles or so put on the market. + does any know if the sets sold in Holland & Belgium are part of this limited amount or extras copies made for their respective markets?
RobIreland wrote on
December 28, 2004
Cant see it happening myself. Why would the public who isnt an Elvis fan but interested enough to buy the recent hit compilations go out and buy the same songs on single form ?? I will be buying the singles in vinyl and dvd format. If every fan does this then maybe they stand a chance, wouldent it be great though !!
Digger wrote on
December 28, 2004
The british fan club has about 25000 members. Okay maybe a few fans won´t buy the singles, but others will buy the Vinyl AND the CD version. So now just the other european fans should order their single via british-internet stores (like HMV), so many of the new re-releases could be a new number one! Think about it and order your copy in the UK only!
data wrote on
December 28, 2004
you don't get people's intrest in the singles box if you don't make them know it is almost in the stores. PROMOTION on radio and TV and here in Belgium i have not seen anything yet. Nothing on the radio and nothing on TV. So again BMG is counting only on the loyalty of Elvis fans to buy the box. This is not the way to put Elvis in the picture and get other non Elvis fans intrested. It is a nice idea but it won't bring in a lot of new fans. If the singles make the charts it won't be for a long time and a number 1, i hope so but.... Now i like to see Elvis make the charts and i hope they all make it but it still is my believe that a new remix brings in a lot more intrest for Elvis and a new generation of fans. But once again you need PROMOTION these days and lots of it. A site on the internet is fine but only Elvis fans go and see it so it is nice for us fans but other people don't even know it is there. I hope i am wrong
King Of Western Bop wrote on
December 28, 2004
Didn't they discount the bulk buying of "That's Alright Mama" from the official sales figures on the grounds that it was being done with the intent of getting Elvis to No.1? It seems like the clever young things involved in the record industry these days (radio D.J.'s included) see Elvis as old hat. The only time I heard "A Little Less Conversation" played on the radio was when it actually went to No.1. Afterwards nothing. Yet I still have to suffer listening to god knows how many different re-mixes of Kylie Minogue's "Cant Get You Out Of My Head" still being played by radio stations for the zillionth time. Look at the time these same people have boycotted the playing of Cliff Richard's music? Their attitude to Elvis is barely different.
get real wrote on
December 29, 2004
id LOVE to be proven wrong but,,id say theres not a hope in hell of this happening. i think we should be delighted if we could get a few top 10's or top 40's out of this 18 #1 releases. Of course it would be nice - but its not going to happen.
Jefffirmin wrote on
December 30, 2004
Given the limited availability of these releases I don't think much promotion is needed. There are enough hardcore fans out there to swallow up every available copy. I'm sure we'll see some high chart positions over the next few months. I just wish that the USA No 1's were being included in the collection. That might have given a few new UK No. 1's.
data wrote on
December 30, 2004
No promotion, and enough hardcore fans. Elvis for the fans only, back to the mid 1960s. OK then release only FTD CDs give them to fan clubs and that's it. Elvis is for everyone and if you bring out something on this scale then you need promotion,you need promotion these days for everything you bring out, that is the way it works today even more so then yesterday and that's the way to get the most out of something. And limited is stupid, you have to see what the market wants and play in to that. By making it limited you could also say from the beginning "for the fans only" why bother then to bring these releases to stores. Bring out the box as it is 18 singles and fans buy it, is that what you want?
RobIreland wrote on
December 31, 2004
This box set is going to make BMG lots of cash !!, thats what they want !!!
RobIreland wrote on
January 04, 2005
I am just back from Buying the CD format of the box and Jailhousr Rock. Well seems they have let us down again. All the advertising said that the Vinyl version of the singles would be housed in an American picture cover and then the UK sleeve inside.
Not so im afraid, it has just the UK cover. The CD versions are very eye catching.
Only thing is, in my HMV store here in Belfast, Ireland I had to ask for the Jailhouse Rock single and when I did I was told that it was inside the box along with All Shook Up . After I put the mis informed Shop assistant right I had to go on and explain to him that JR shold be the one on display as it has the potential to chart, it only resulted in a blank stare from the shop assistant !
So dosent matter if they are eye catching if they are not on display then we have no chance of charting these singles to number one .