2R03: Elvis Presley Con't 3 + Chuck Berry

October 5, 2015
4:02 PM

Moral panic gets worse

o
Earlier 50s; the problem is that we have some white people tuning into

black music
Justification: if black people want to make music, white kids shouldn't
be listening to it
o
Now white artists are doing music on prime time by doing covers of
songs recorded by back artists
Elvis went on a show called Texaco show theatre: Milton Berle
o
Elvis would always go out with his acoustic guitar
o
He was a perfectly good guitar played
o
The guitar was not important to Elvis, especially when he was
performing
o
One day Berle told Elvis to leave the guitar and dance to his songs
o
At the end of his performance of Hound Dog, he slows down and starts
busting a move with his hips and legs(songs became sexually charged)
o
Berle was threatened with letters to block/stop Elvis Presley from
performing in and dancing on stage

People wanted to pass laws that would prevent Elvis from

dancing

The threats weren't involving Elvis's performance, what scared

them was when the camera turned around and focused on the
girls screaming(losing control)

Middle class society saw this as very sexual(loss of control)

Black culture saw this as normal

Black culture is immoral

Elvis has annoyed a lot of people with his promiscuous

performances
o
Elvis appears on another television show: Steve Allen show; and tries
to perform hound dog again
Elvis is not charting R&B after 1957
o
Elvis enters the army - March 1958 to March 1960
o
March 1961 - last public performance for 7 years
o
His goal is trying not to offend anyone, especially the white audience
o
Elvis goes to Germany

There for 2 years

Comes back in spring of 1960

He ends up making movies after his "last" public performance;

made ton's of money from the songs he performed in the films

But this time, the songs were really controlled

o
The 1968 'comeback special'

Elvis coming out and doing back and forth dialogue with popular
actors

Elvis has different personas

White jeweled

Black leather jacket

Having fun and you see a sparkle in his eyes

o

He thought it was a resurgence of his career but

Kernel prevented him from doing that

Regular suit
o
1970-77 Las Vegas

Gained really weight(unhealthy)

Became really pale

Gots so many drugs in his system and forgets the lyrics to the
song he was performing

Surrounded by all these people who are the key the launching
Elvis's career back to track
o
Elvis dies August 16th, age 42
Elvis was the most successful in terms of the attention and sales he got along
with hits
He is more

Chuck Berry

He always has his guitar; he plays solos with electric guitars

Early history
o
Born in St.Louis (mid-west)
o
Music competitions
o
Father was a carpenter and contractor
o
He wanted to be wealthy
o
He's a young African American man, what's his best choice for making
money
o
Berry realizes he isn't going to make a lot of money being a R&B star,
he wants to make the pop charts
o
Participated in music competitions
o
To distinguish himself he would deliberate would play country and
western music
o
He would sing in a high voice with a high congestion
o
Chuck kept winning all these competitions and getting a lot of
attention
o
He's been to a couple of studios but wasn't interested because they
wanted him to do blues (R&B)

Chess Records
o
Try to get him to play R&B
o
Can be compared to Elvis
o
He did covers to country and western songs
o
Chuck berry sits down and changes the lyrics and sound of popular
country and western song
o
"Maybellene" - first big success July 1955