Well, I was trying to come up with a neat special for this week's adventure, and when I got here to July 10th, 1957, it was staring right at me:
Our big buddy's first starring role in a movie- Loving You- released last night! It spawned a member of this week's Panel- and my idea for a special this week! Stay tuned for- the top ten Elvis movies!
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| "WHAT? Are you serious?" |
The top SEVEN M10 spots remain the same as last week! Meaning the cover of Didn't Want To Have To Do It is #1 for a second week. The remaining three spots, however, are all new blood- starting with more new stuff from the Jayhawks! at #10...
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And now- Gogi Grant! Nice to finally meet you!
No, you're good, we're hovering off the coast of 1957 right now. So Wayward Wind is kind of thought as a one hit wonder, but it's actually your second hit...
Yes, I did Suddenly There's A Valley a couple years back, but everyone seems to forget it.
I just listened to it. Pretty tune, certainly misses a bit of the oompf that WW had.
Really? I thought it was a better vocal performance.
Maybe, but WW was a better song.
Well, more up-tempo, anyway.
It was voted #27 on the best western songs of all time...
Wow! What was #1?
Ghost Riders, actually. I'd have liked to have heard you do that!
You know, since you have a time machine, you could probably commission all sorts of songs like that...
True, but being an imaginary time machine, it would have to be imaginary songs.
Oh, so then I'm not really here... you just think I am?
Not even I, ma'am. Though I would enjoy...
So, you're kind of a pervert... or a charlatan...
Yeesh, those are my choices? No, I'm just trying to bring some joy and memories into a world where everyone wants to focus on hate and selfish interest. Perhaps we best get to the music...
Yes. I'm so sorry, I guess I'm having a hard time figuring this out, being imaginary and all. Well, according to your notes, we have 12 songs from 25 stations, and with one exception, only two songs got more than one vote, and they had quite the battle! So why don't we give you the song with 2 votes, as well as the big two, so you all have a little more to guess at?
That sounds great to me, Ms Grant.
You can call me Gogi... for now! So anyway, you may pick from:
Elvis's Teddy Bear, which was in the movie Loving You, and was at #4 on Cashbox.
The Everly Brothers with Bye Bye Love at #2.
And Tommy Dorsey's Orchestra with So Rare at #3.
Wait, #1 didn't make it?
Nope, Pat Boone's Love Letters only got 1 vote. In fact, outside the finalists, the top 10 got 3 votes total. So those are your choices... but now, let's move on to...
Elvis: My movies?
No, the #9 song on the M10, and debut #2. This is newcomer to the M10 Hazel English...
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Now, let's look at this list! I used 6 different sites (including IMDB and Ranker), a 10-9-8 scoring scale as per usual, and this list actually captured 23 out of 31 Elvis credits! But the top ten...
10 (three way tie)- Kid Gallahad (1962), Roustabout (1964), and Spinout (1966), all with 8 pts.
9- Follow That Dream (1962) and Anne Helm, 10 pts.
8- Loving You (1957) with Delores Hart, 13 pts.
7- GI Blues (1960) with Juliet Prowse, 14 pts.
6- Love Me Tender (1956) with Debra Paget, 26 pts.
5- Flaming Star (1960) with Barbara Eden, 29 pts... say, King, I'm getting an idea...
What's that, boss?
How about we do an Elvis movie beauty pageant next week! Take the girls in these ten movies, and have a mini Beauty Pageant a la the big one at the end of the year?
Say, not bad... but who'll judge 'em? I don' wanna honk any of 'em off...
How about I pick 4 finalists and have Misty do the treat thing like Scrappy used to? Kind of the warm-up for this Christmas?
Sounds good, that way we don' have ta let Wayne Newton pick 'em...
WN: Why can't I do it?
EP: Cause Bellbottom still ain't settled with the girl you picked at the Christmas Party last year!
Okay, so it sounds like a date. Be here next week for the Elvis Movie Beauty Contest! In the meantime, back to our list...
4- Blue Hawaii (1961) with Joan Blackman, 36 pts.
3- King Creole (1958) with Carolyn Jones, 43 pts.
2- Jailhouse Rock (1957) with Judy Tyler, 44 pts.
And number one, from 1964, with 52 pts...
...Viva Las Vegas with Ann-Margaret!!!! Boy I can't wait to do that Beauty Contest!
An' just think, boss! After next week, they'll all be eligible for the big Beauty Contest!
Good thinking, bud! There'll be something extra in your check this week!
C'mon, man! Not another autographed picture....
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Third debut at #8- the riotous return to the M10 of Dent May....
Before I get to the 6D, here's the stat pack...
Teddy Bear claimed the big mover spot, going 29 to 4 in one leap.
Canada rejoins our English speaker's #1s this week, with Teddy Bear also holding the top spot there.
In the UK, it was Lonnie Donnegan, Puttin' On The Style.
And Australia still doing the all-versions list just like Cashbox, had the combined efforts of Perry Como or the Four Lads doing Round And Round. And in a moment you'll see why I did this before moving to the 6D.
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So one of my all-time favorite Don McLean compositions is the ballad And I Love You So. He never released it himself; it became a hit when in 1973, Perry Como (see, there's connection #1) took it to #29. That ropes us back to the Australian #1, Round And Round (which was not only connection #2, but Perry's last #1 in the States). Now, the Four Lads (who had the lesser of the twinned hits of the song) did a favorite of mine, Moments To Remember. That song was written by Robert Allen and Al Stillman, who also got credits on Johnny Mathis's two sided It's Not For Me To Say/ Warm And Tender, which was this week's #5 and got one Panel vote (connection #3). This was arranged by the legend of Easy Listening, Ray Conniff. And Ray was involved in a bit of a dust up when the version of Singing The Blues he arranged for Guy Mitchell clobbered Marty Robbin's version on the chart (Connection #4). So Marty demanded Conniff arrange his follow up, and it became the song at #6 that didn't get any Panel love- A White Sport Coat (And A Pink Carnation)!
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Now, since you already know about this week's M10, we can go right to the final. Miss Gogi, would you do the honors?
Sure, but can I ask- does this mean I'll be in your Beauty Contest?
And have been in previous contests...
But I never won...
Well the final is always a random thing...
And I suppose you don't ask for... favors... in order to win...
Elvis: Wayne did!
Wayne: I DID NOT! You can't prove it!
Wayne, by the way, has vacation scheduled that week. And no, other than the treats that help the doggie du jour to pick, which I supply...
Wayne: Are you calling me a dog?
Elvis: You asked that last year, ha ha!
Could we possibly let Gogi tell us the voting results, GENtlemen- using the term loosely?
GG: Thank you! So here goes...
So Rare got just 8% and came in third...
Elvis, you got 24% for second...
EP: CRAP!
Steady, buddy! That might be the highest #2 poll in history- not that I'm gonna bother to check on it...
GG: And at #1, with 32%....
...the Everly Brothers with Bye Bye Love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EP: Oh, great, not those two nitwits again!
C'mon, bud, we always have what could loosely be called fun with Don and Phil! So between the Smothers... er, the Everly Brothers, and the Movie Beauty Contest, you won't want to miss next TM!
Hi, Chris!
ReplyDeleteI was very excited to see you over at Shady's Place, good buddy. Thank you again for stopping by and inviting me over to your clubhouse. I see that I might have arrived a week early for the actual Time Machine Beauty Contest, but if your invitation still stands (and if you can tolerate another comment from me) then I promise I'll be back next Friday to check it out. In your reply please confirm that the BC will be held next Friday.
I like the sound of the St. Paul, Minnesota, band The Jayhawks. I visited their site and read about their latest album which is described as follows: "In classic Jayhawks fashion, the songs here mix the influence of American roots music with British invasion and jangly power-pop, but there’s a newfound vitality at play, as well, an invigoration of confidence and energy that could only come with the injection of fresh blood. The result is an album that, much like the band’s lush harmonies, brings multiple distinctive voices together into a singular whole, a collection that, ironically enough, finds unity in individuality and identity in reinvention." Shady sez: "Cool!"
I well remember the summer of 1957. Gogi Grant's hit "Wayward Wind" was played often on the radio in my region. We went to the seashore that summer and rented a beach cottage with two other families. "WW" spent more than half the year riding the chart and was very hot during those weeks we vacationed in Ocean City, Maryland.
Wow - I really like the sound (and sight) of Australian-American indie popper Hazel English. English speaks my language... know what I mean, Vern?)
Oh, NO! SHelley Fabares was in three Elvis movies: Girl Happy, Spinout and Clambake, but apparently they didn't make the list of best Elvis films, and that means Shelley is not eligible for the Beauty Contest! (Can I give her a write-in vote?) I liked Judy Tyler because she played the Indian princess character on The Howdy Doody Show. Judy and her hubby were killed in a car crash right after production wrapped on Jailhouse Rock, and Elvis was said to be so upset he couldn't bring himself to watch the movie. Debra Paget was also one of my favorite beauties. I saw her in Bird of Paradise, Demetrius and the Gladiators, The Ten Commandments, From the Earth to the Moon, Tales of Terror and The Haunted Palace as well as in Love Me Tender. I would also like to write-in a vote for the gorgeous Yvonne Lime who appeared in that 1957 Elvis movie Loving You with Delores Hart. Look at my recent post paying tribute to Ms. Lime:
https://tctgyb.blogspot.com/2020/04/orange-you-glad-this-lime-is-not-lemon.html
Thank you again for inviting me to experience a ride on your Time Machine. As I told you, and as "Arnolt" also stated: "I'll be back." I scrolled down and saw pics of you playing with and hugging your new dog Misty. That makes me very happy, good buddy. Bless you for giving another loving animal a chance at a great life and in doing so honoring the memory of beagle Scrappy, a personable pooch I will always remember. I hope you and Laurie stay healthy as we continue to deal with the plague. Take care and I'll see you next Friday, Chris!
I wondered if you might stop by early, glad you did! The Jayhawks are one of the superstars of the M10 for sure, and I think the new disc XOXO might be their best. In addition, the M10 is currently playing their cover of GFR's' Bad Time from 1995.
DeleteShelley was a 'guest last time through the cycle, and Girl Happy and Spinout did get votes. You be seeing SF at this year's Christmas party.
I read the Judy Tyler story, so sad that they were so young.
Again, glad you stopped in, see you next Friday!
Music of my childhood so many great songs and memories of being young and dancing
ReplyDeleteChris, I really enjoy the snappy patter you write for your imaginary hosts and can picture them all talking! ☺ Of the M10 offerings, my preference is Bitter Pill. The Jayhawks have a good sound. Looking forward to the Elvis Beauty Contest! I'd say Ann-Margret has the edge.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to remember if I've seen any of Elvis' movies. I don't think I have. Everything I know of him are from clips and news stories. He was a bit before my time. Enjoy your Sunday!
ReplyDeleteClick link below for my new domain. Warmly,
Elsie