TCBCast: An Unofficial Elvis Presley Fan Podcast
"Elvis is history," Carl Perkins once said, "and anytime anyone or anything becomes history, whether it be Pearl Harbor or Elvis, it will never go away. The world will never tire of his songs." TCBCast is an unofficial fan podcast featuring co-hosts Gurdip Ladhar and Justin Gausman, along with regular guest co-hosts Ryan Droste and Bec Wyles, plus an array of Elvis fans and experts setting out to better understand that history, and those songs. Tackling topics from throughout Elvis's lifetime and beyond, TCBCast seeks to offer thoughtful, intelligent, heartfelt and honest discourse on Presley's career, his influences, the people who made his work possible, and the cultural phenomenon surrounding his iconography. TCBCast is not associated with or endorsed by Graceland, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Authentic Brands Group or Sony.
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TCBCast 359: Favorite Tracks with David Briggs & Elvis (feat. John Michael Heath)
04/30/2025
TCBCast 359: Favorite Tracks with David Briggs & Elvis (feat. John Michael Heath)
This week, John Michael Heath from EAP Society joins Justin to reflect on the music of pianist, producer, and songwriter David Briggs, who first joined Elvis in the recording studio in 1966 and continued working through the rest of Elvis's career periodically in and out of sessions and live shows. David passed away this past week at the age of 82. The guys select some of their favorite tracks featuring David's work, and also remember Wink Martindale and Will Hutchins who both passed away as well. For Song of the Week, call it a belated Easter segment, with Justin selecting Elvis's versions of the country standard "There Goes My Everything" and its gospel counterpart "He Is My Everything" from the early 1970s. John then gives us a quick primer on how to interpret Elvis's approach to the melding white and black gospel traditions for the How Great Thou Art sessions before spotlighting the more direct influence of Jimmy Jones & The Sensationals on "So High." Justin then takes the baton and together the duo explore the earlier (and Biblical) roots of the song and a couple neat secularized R&B versions of the same song. You can hear more from John and Jamie Kelley at youtube.com/EAPSociety or visiting eapsociety.com. If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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TCBCast 358: "Welcome to My World" (1977) - An Album Discussion (feat. Rabia from "Suddenly: A Frank Sinatra Podcast)
04/24/2025
TCBCast 358: "Welcome to My World" (1977) - An Album Discussion (feat. Rabia from "Suddenly: A Frank Sinatra Podcast)
Rabia from "Suddenly: A Frank Sinatra Podcast" and "TCBCast After Dark" joins Justin for a main feed discussion all about the 1977 compilation "Welcome to My World," which brought together an intriguing collection of country recordings spanning from 1958-1973 with some loose thematic threads that we try to tease out. Plus, Rabia dug up a handful of original contemporary reviews that reveal how critics received this album at the time, both positively and negatively! For Song of the Week, as voted on by TCBCast Patreon backers, Justin rolls with the final track featured on the album, Don Gibson's "I Can't Stop Loving You" which was a mainstay of Elvis's setlists for a number of years and also recorded as a jam during his 1969 sessions. Justin reflects on Gibson's original, Ray Charles' iconic cover, and what Elvis might have intended with his frequent inclusion of it in his live shows. Rabia then takes us home with a dive into the rare one-liner Elvis did (twice!) of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips," a Tin Pan Alley song resurrected in 1968 - the same year Elvis was filmed on the set of his NBC TV special singing the song - by the immensely talented pop culture phenomenon that was Tiny Tim. You can find "SUDDENLY" on most major podcast platforms where TCBCast is also available. If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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TCBCast 357: "Rocker," "Return of the Rocker" and the Rockabilly Revival Era
04/16/2025
TCBCast 357: "Rocker," "Return of the Rocker" and the Rockabilly Revival Era
David "Ghosty" Wills, host of "We Say Yeah: A Cliff Richard Podcast" and the Vintage Rock and Pop Shop joins Justin this week to explore how the "rockabilly revival" era, which technically spanned a near 20-year period between roughly 1970-1990 but culminated around 1981-83, led to the release of two compilations of Elvis material that RCA felt best captured his image as a rebellious rock and roll icon. From the 50s nostalgia of the 1970s to the success of acts like The Stray Cats, Robert Gordon, Dave Edmunds and Shakin' Stevens, Justin picks Ghosty's brain for his memories of becoming a young Elvis fan during this fascinating period of revitalization for classic rock and roll. For Song of the Week, Ghosty brings a thought-provoking finale to the main topic by looking for insights in The Stray Cats's 1992 recording "Elvis on Velvet;" a psychobilly takedown of the media's intense (and weird) fascinations with Elvis. Meanwhile, Justin heads back to the '50s myself to hear how Elvis transformed the country standard "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" into a jaunty, bopping tune on the 1957 "Loving You" album. Be sure to check out "We Say Yeah!" on all major podcast platforms! As mentioned early in the episode, you can also hear Ghosty interviewed about his work as a voice actor on the podcast "4Kids Flashback." If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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TCBCast 356: The G.I. Blues Sessions & Soundtrack
04/10/2025
TCBCast 356: The G.I. Blues Sessions & Soundtrack
For the first time since the third-ever episode of TCBCast, we're immersing ourselves fully in the music of the US Army's own Tulsa MacLean! Bec and Justin explore the three recording sessions in April & May 1960 that led to the iconic, bestselling #1 album. As it turns out, unusual for Elvis sessions, numerous songs had vastly different arrangements attempted as Elvis and the band struggled to find their footing with the material, as well as contend with external pressures that frustrated Elvis. With classic pop-tinged songs like "Wooden Heart," "Pocketful of Rainbows" and "Doin' the Best I Can" supplemented by material that alluded back to Elvis's earlier 1950s stylings like "Blue Suede Shoes," "Frankfort Special" and "Shoppin' Around," this was a ton of fun to explore. For Song of the Week, Justin decided to pick "Let's Be Friends," which was cut from the film "Change of Habit" and instead became the title track of a low-budget compilation the following year, and tries to puzzle out where it might have fit in the movie's story. Then Bec lays all her cards on the table, selecting "From A Jack to A King," the country classic that Elvis almost semi-jokingly laid down at Chips Moman's American Sound Studio. If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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TCBCast Bonus - Terry Stafford: "Suspicion" (1964) Album Discussion
04/01/2025
TCBCast Bonus - Terry Stafford: "Suspicion" (1964) Album Discussion
Gurdip's back!!! ...kinda? April Fools! Originally released back in May 2022 on our Patreon, Gurdip demanded to have his say about Terry Stafford and his famous cover of "Suspicion," so Justin obliged and they sat down not just with the single, but Terry's full 1964 album. Released on the Crusader Records label to capitalize on Stafford's surprise Top 5 success with his hit recording of the same name, "Suspicion" featured an array of Elvis-likes from original Brill Building songwriters behind some of Elvis's early '60s material, including Doc Pomus, Ben Weisman, Fred Wise, and Sid Wayne. As you'll hear, evidence strongly suggests that many, if not all, of the songs included were pitched to Elvis for consideration, with several even getting recorded. Justin also guides us a little further past the album to Stafford's post-Suspicion career, including later singles and more significantly as a songwriter himself, with such hits as Buck Owens' "Big in Vegas" and George Strait's "Amarillo by Morning." Joe W. Specht's short-but-thorough biography "The Life and Music of Terry Stafford" was immensely helpful to finding more information on Stafford's story. It's available as of this posting through Texas State University's website here: No foolin' - This "TCBCast Jukebox" is one of our all-time favorites we've done. If you enjoyed this, we've also done bonus episodes about Elvis's musical contemporaries such as Ann-Margret, Johnny Cash, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, The Platters, Dean Martin, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, and many more, with more on the way as exclusive bonus content. Please consider joining up over at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy. While we're out this week, Justin and Bec will be back next week with a discussion about "G.I. Blues" - revisiting it, its soundtrack and recording sessions for the first time since literally our third-ever episode of TCBCast!
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TCBCast 355: Elvis's Vehicle Songs
03/26/2025
TCBCast 355: Elvis's Vehicle Songs
Intrigued by a concept thrown down by a listener, Bec and Justin decided to seriously just go for it and rank (ala the animal songs episode) Elvis's songs about modes of transportation - trains, cars, jet planes, the works. But they had to be substantially about the specific vehicle or use it heavily as a theme, not just a passing reference! As you'll hear, the team begins ranking them - and then to their horror realized after recording that they'd somehow forgotten the biggest and best of them all, so tagged on an ending to the main topic that rectified that little oversight!! Then, for Song of the Week, Justin takes the baton from his own previous SotW, digging into Elvis' minor hit recording of Jerry Chesnut's rowdy honky-tonk rocker, "T-R-O-U-B-L-E." Bec, meanwhile, goes light and selects "A World of Our Own" from 1962's "It Happened at the World's Fair." Wanna hear our list (plus a few miscellaneous other tracks)? Check our playlist here: If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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TCBCast 354: SOTW Spectacular - "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" and "Trouble"
03/19/2025
TCBCast 354: SOTW Spectacular - "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" and "Trouble"
Justin and Bec forego a typical main topic this week, opting instead for effectively two main topics with absolutely massive, iconic Songs of the Week! Bec's Song of the Week is "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" and she explores the roots of it from the 1965 Italian ballad "Io che non vive (senza te)" through to Dusty Springfield's hugely successful English adaptation and eventually to Elvis's famous performances of it in the 1970s, across his 1970 Nashville sessions, the concerts filmed for "That's The Way It Is," and even much later and deeper into the decade. Justin then traces the lineage of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller's legendary "Trouble," originally featured in the 1958 film "King Creole," but increasingly recognized over the years as one of Elvis's most enduring recordings, symbolizing the myth of him as a rebellious rocker, most prominently recently featured in Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis." We go deeper, though, touching on the history of stop-time in Dixieland jazz and, most influentially on Leiber/Stoller, in Muddy Waters's "Hoochie Coochie Man." Understanding the history behind that song, the hoochie coochie itself, and the way Trouble has become representative of expressions of both masculinity and femininity unlocks a deeper sense of the song's significance as one of the all-time masterpieces of Elvis's entire recorded works. Oh yeah, and the duo react to the first trailer for Disney's live action remake of Lilo & Stitch! If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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TCBCast 353: E.P.'s EPs: The Extended Play Records of Elvis Presley
03/12/2025
TCBCast 353: E.P.'s EPs: The Extended Play Records of Elvis Presley
This week, Bec and Justin explore the history behind the Extended Play format and how this record format played an important part in the consumption of Elvis's music by fans during his early career with RCA, and also briefly explore some of the more obscure and interesting international EPs that caught their eyes while digging into the topic. Then for Song of the Week, both hosts go for some serious weepers, tackling iconic 70s breakup songs, with Justin selecting Elvis's melancholy version of Tony Joe White's "For Ol' Times Sake" and Bec spotlighting the heartbreaking 1972 hit "Separate Ways," which Elvis fans know was co-written by Elvis's good friend Red West, who gave the song a slightly autobiographical bent. Some resources that were helpful to us EP-wise: Plus & If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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TCBCast 352: Double Trouble Review, Part Two: "Croisière Surprise"
03/04/2025
TCBCast 352: Double Trouble Review, Part Two: "Croisière Surprise"
Gurdip and Justin continue their discussion of 1967's "Double Trouble" as this infamous Elvis film finally introduces its more zany comedic elements with The Wiere Brothers, Helene Winston's grabby "Gerda" and a goofy Captain and First Mate intent on blowing up their own ship. The wacky side characters liven up the back half of the story - though the script remains equally as confusing and its attempts at absurdity flounder. But - what if there's a twist to the story of Double Trouble that no one's ever pondered before that may make revisiting the film a bit more tolerable in the future? Justin's come up with a theory that may change the way you view the movie, though definitely not intended by the filmmakers! Song of the Week will return next week with our episode on the history of Elvis's Extended Play records! If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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TCBCast 351: The Worst Elvis Movie? "Double Trouble" TCBCast Review, Part 1
02/25/2025
TCBCast 351: The Worst Elvis Movie? "Double Trouble" TCBCast Review, Part 1
This is it! We've finally decided to just do it and visit the one Elvis movie often considered to be among the worst of his narrative feature films, 1967's "Double Trouble," directed by Norman Taurog for MGM from a script by Jo Heims, and co-starring Annette Day, Yvonne Romain, John Williams, Monty Landis, Leon Askin, Norman Rossington, Chips Rafferty and The Wiere Brothers. It's classic TCBCast, just Justin and Gurdip on their own. Justin digs deeper than most and read through "The Choice," the obscure original 1960 novel that "Double Trouble" was VERY loosely inspired by (enough to merit a "story by" credit for author Marc Brandel, but that's about it.) Then, the guys dig into the "comedy" renowned for its story about killers lurking in the shadows hunting a rich heiress, bumbling jewel thieves, slapstick police officers, a mysterious femme fatale and waiting patiently for the age of consent. Promoted as a fun romp across "mad mod Europe," yet filmed entirely on set in the United States (not counting second unit) and mostly just set in Belgium, "Double Trouble" is perhaps one of the most contentious narrative films in the Elvis canon. And yet... one of us ends up liking it more than you might expect? You'll just have to listen and find out... If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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TCBCast 350: "A Valentine Gift For You" (1985) Album Discussion
02/14/2025
TCBCast 350: "A Valentine Gift For You" (1985) Album Discussion
This week, to mark the Valentine's Day holiday, Gurdip, Bec and myself gave a listen to the one explicitly Valentine-themed Elvis compilation, released 40 years ago amid celebrations of Elvis's 50th birthday. Far from being a mere collection of famous love songs, some surprising deep cuts make the grade, but also a lot of songs about broken hearts, which confounds Gurdip. For Song of the Week, Bec digs into the title theme from 1961's "Wild in the Country," and Gurdip matches with another movie title track, this time from 1967's "Double Trouble." Justin, however, takes the opportunity to examine the history behind one of the few songs Elvis ever publicly declared among his favorites, "Padre," which he recorded in 1971 but wasn't released until 1973. Plus, if you're needing something to listen to today, we've got a special Valentine's Day playlist made up featuring songs from this album and a mix of other romantic tracks: If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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TCBCast 349: The "Almost Famous" Elvis Hot 100 Hits, Part 2 (feat. Chris Jones)
02/11/2025
TCBCast 349: The "Almost Famous" Elvis Hot 100 Hits, Part 2 (feat. Chris Jones)
Following on from Part 1, Justin, Olivia and guest host Chris Jones (of the "Hall of Songs" podcast) explore Elvis's Hot 100 hits that never made it to the Top 40, closing out the movie era with tracks from Speedway and Live A Little, Love A Little and moving into the 1970s, a decade that surprisingly offered Elvis far more pop success than may often be perceived, as only 5 of his single A-sides charted outside the Top 40 (and only the Christmas and gospel singles not charting whatsoever in the Hot 100). Also touched upon are the three posthumous Hot 100 hits that never reached the Top 40: The Elvis Medley, and the remixes of A Little Less Conversation and Rubberneckin'. For Song of the Week, Chris is inspired by having recently watched "The Big Lebowski" to pick Elvis's 1966 home recording of the Sons of the Pioneers cowboy classic that opens that film, "Tumblin' Tumbleweeds," while Olivia goes deep on the extensive history behind Elvis's version of the apocalyptic spiritual "I, John," rooted almost entirely in Black gospel tradition until Elvis's 1971 recording released on the "He Touched Me" album in '72. Visit or find it on your podcast platform of choice to hear more of Chris and his buddy Tim. If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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TCBCast 348: The "Almost Famous" Elvis Hot 100 Hits, Part 1 (feat. Chris Jones)
02/06/2025
TCBCast 348: The "Almost Famous" Elvis Hot 100 Hits, Part 1 (feat. Chris Jones)
Chris Jones from "Hall of Songs" ( or on any major podcast platform) joins Justin and Olivia for an exploration of Elvis's Billboard Hot 100 hits that charted outside of the Top 40; meaning #41-#100. Exploring Elvis's career through this unique angle shines a light on less-known songs, and some surprising famous ones that didn't go as high as you might think, while also revealing surprising insights about different periods of his music. All this is inspired by Chris and Tim Malcolm's upcoming new project "The Almost Famous," where they look at songs that only ever peaked at #41 on the Hot 100, of which Elvis has two and they may one day cover! Part 1 covers roughly 1956 through early 1968; we ran a bit long with our Songs of the Week so Part 2 - releasing Tuesday, Feb. 11, will cover 1968-2003 plus SOTW. If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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TCBCast Bonus - Billboard Top 20 February 1, 1969: The Week "If I Can Dream" Peaked
01/28/2025
TCBCast Bonus - Billboard Top 20 February 1, 1969: The Week "If I Can Dream" Peaked
After an intensive holiday season, we're taking a week off, so from the TCBCast Patreon archives we bring an episode from December 2023 when Bec and Justin convened to explore the Top 20 hits during the week in early 1969 that "If I Can Dream" peaked at #12, the highest it would reach on the Hot 100. What kept Elvis out of the Top 10? Turns out a lot of really iconic music! Unlike our usual Billboard charts episodes, the duo decide to go for broke and cover all of the Top 20, not just to include Elvis, but numerous other iconic songs of 1969 from acts as far reaching as Dusty Springfield, Jay and the Americans, The Turtles, Marvin Gaye, Sly & the Family Stone, BJ Thomas, Tommy James & the Shondells and many more. Then, we jump in our time machine back to November 2021's bonus episode and hear Gurdip and Justin's "Songs of the Month," as Gurdip spotlights a very Elvis-and-Buddy-Holly-influenced rockabilly cut from Buddy Knox, "Party Doll," while Justin picks "Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray" a beautiful but an otherwise largely overlooked Patsy Cline tune occasionally encountered in a famous video game, and which manages to have a TON of Elvis connections. If you enjoy this kind of discussion and what we do on TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy. This month, patrons are getting an album review of Chuck Berry's "Berry Is On Top" and a discussion on the 3rd episode of the CMT TV Series "Sun Records." We'll be back next week!
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TCBCast 347: Ranking Elvis's Animal Songs
01/21/2025
TCBCast 347: Ranking Elvis's Animal Songs
TCBCast is a zoo this week! In old-school TCBCast fashion, Gurdip and Justin are ranking the songs that Elvis did mostly all about critters of the world, from hound dogs to snowbirds and everything in between. It's wildly unscientific, please don't take it too seriously! The idea is to get you thinking about the lyrics to Elvis's songs more closely. As we mention, you would be SHOCKED at how many animals get mentioned in Elvis songs you wouldn't expect - and not all movie songs, either! For Song of the Week, Gurdip re-lives his frustrations as a young Elvis fan with RCA's handling of the clearly lyrically incomplete release of "Mexico" from "Fun in Acapulco," while Justin gets funky with the Lord listening to "Seeing is Believing" from the "He Touched Me" album. If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy. (PS we have been made aware that somehow we all missed the "alligator" of Polk Salad Annie - don't come for us!!)
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TCBCast 346: The "Lost Album" Sessions of 1963/64
01/15/2025
TCBCast 346: The "Lost Album" Sessions of 1963/64
Gurdip and Justin delve into the recording sessions from May 1963 and January 1964 which produced songs initially spread out across numerous singles and albums over a five year span. While the music reflected a more polished Nashville-tinged pop sound that Elvis had been subtly building upon in the early 60s, giving us such iconic recordings as "Devil in Disguise," "Memphis Tennessee" and "It Hurts Me," fans at the time never quite got the chance to take full stock of what Elvis was artistically doing at this moment in time. But decades later, the material comprised the retrospective compilation "For the Asking" aka "The Lost Album." The guys sit down to look back on all of it. For the first Songs of the Week of 2025, Gurdip surprises with a short excursion to hear Elvis' live on-stage gag performances of "The Mickey Mouse Club March." Then, Justin spotlights "Look Out Broadway," the aspirational showtune from "Frankie and Johnny" that makes numerous Gilded Age pop culture references and features vocalists Ray Walker and Eileen Wilson chiming in as other characters... in one of the very few traditional musicals Elvis ever made in his film career! If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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TCBCast 345: Before Elvis: A Book Discussion (feat. Preston Lauterbach)
01/07/2025
TCBCast 345: Before Elvis: A Book Discussion (feat. Preston Lauterbach)
After Gurdip & Justin discuss the latest FTDs: The Making of King Creole, The Last Tour Volume 2 and The Girl Happy Sessions, the guys answer a handful of listener emails, landing on one from fellow patron Robin, whose visit back to an early TCBCast episode that touched upon the subject of Elvis's Black influences, which conveniently leads us right into our main topic. For the main discussion, John Michael Heath of EAP Society taps in as we're joined by Preston Lauterbach, author of acclaimed books such as "The Chitlin' Circuit," "Beale Street Dynasty," "Bluff City: The Secret Life of Photographer Ernest Withers" and several others about Black musicians in the early 20th century, whose latest book, "Before Elvis: The African-American Musicians Who Made The King" is being published by Hachette Books on January 7, 2025. Keen-eared Elvis fans may also recognize Preston's voice as an interviewee from 2018's "Elvis Presley: The Searcher." Preston's new book examines the life stories of Arthur Crudup, Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton, Reverend W. Herbert Brewster, Junior Parker and Calvin and Phineas Newborn and numerous other major and minor figures that factor into their stories and complicated, nuanced relationships with Elvis both as a person and as a phenomenon as they impacted him, and he in turn impacted them. It's a book for Elvis fans and non-fans alike, even Elvis skeptics are sure to find it extremely revealing as Preston thoroughly dispels many rumors and accusations thrown at Elvis over the decades, with receipts, while centering his narrative around lifting and celebrating the voices and life stories of these figures far beyond a mere connection to Elvis. Yet it never shies away from hard truths, all informed by a history of Memphis, the political landscape of the Deep South in the 1950s, inner workings of the record and music publishing industries, and the ways both white and black audiences responded to changing perceptions of artists, genres and influences across the decades. It's likely to be the most in-depth discussion about the book to be done in its release media cycle, as Preston was extraordinarily generous with his time, answering all our questions, geeking out with us about Memphis music history, and having a thorough discussion that we hope will help this episode stand on its own, well into the future beyond the publication date. You can learn more about "Before Elvis" and where to buy it at: And you can follow Preston's blog on Substack at: If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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TCBCast 344: Elvis (1956) Album Discussion & Revisiting the Sept. '56 Sessions
12/31/2024
TCBCast 344: Elvis (1956) Album Discussion & Revisiting the Sept. '56 Sessions
Ryan and Bec, for their annual team-up and the last TCBCast of 2024, decided to take a listen to Elvis' second album, "Elvis" (also known as "Elvis No. 2" in some regions) which, believe it or not, has not technically been reviewed on TCBCast! Together, they ponder where this sophomore effort, recorded all in a weekend in early September 1956 just as Elvis was preparing to make "Love Me Tender", stacks up by comparison to his iconic debut record. Bec digs up more info on the recording sessions since the last time these were discussed, including other songs considered and some of Elvis's special celebrity guests who were present on one of the days. Meanwhile, Ryan debates which of the trio of Little Richard covers featured comes closest to matching the incomparable Richard's high bar. But first - Bec springs trivia on Ryan! There's no song of the week this week due to their busy holiday schedules, but after the album discussion, the duo briefly chat about their favorite Elvis Christmas songs and Elvis holiday memories. Happy New Year to all our listeners! If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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TCBCast 343: A Very Clambake Christmas 2024 - The Clambake Files
12/23/2024
TCBCast 343: A Very Clambake Christmas 2024 - The Clambake Files
Merry Clambake! The entire TCBCast gang is joined by Rabia and Felix from Suddenly: A Frank Sinatra Podcast, Jamie and John from EAP Society, Kristen, Benita and Margarita from Those Elvis Girls, David "Ghosty" Wills from We Say Yeah: A Cliff Richard Podcast, Garrett Cash from "The Beat! With Garrett Cash", and Darin Evans, all in a manner never quite heard before - a non-linear episode intercut across four different discussions! The TCBCast Gang tackles the movie head on, giving Gurdip, Ryan and Bec (who missed most of the last two Christmases) the chance to voice all their questions about what makes this low-rated Elvis movie so eminently watchable... and also confusing. Meanwhile, Olivia brings her own deep dives. Oh, and most of them are drinking. The Suddenly Crew took an experimental approach this year, watching the film "Bake to Front," starting their viewing at the halfway point of the film and working their way back around to the infamous "Clambake" musical sequence as an unintended finale. Those Elvis Girls discuss what makes Elvis' films fun to watch, what it's like to view his film career while being relatively new to the fandom, and call for #JusticeForClambake! And a gathering of film buffs get together to explore the year 1967 in film: what the big hits and notable releases were, and how Elvis' film career slots into the overall picture between the fading old Hollywood studio system and the more experimental and independent New Hollywood. Most fun of all, there's an exploration of some of the movies that Elvis Presley himself is known to have watched in 1967. There's a few surprises in store throughout as well! As of this episode's release date, "Clambake" can be watched freely (with ads) on TubiTV and Pluto TV in the United States and may be available on a streaming platform in your region as well. The "Clambake" soundtrack is on all major music platforms. Chapters: 0:00: Start (Part 1 Begins) 9:40: TCBCast Host Intro 32:05: Those Elvis Girls Intro 40:38: "Bake to Front" 50:00: 1967 In Film 1:16:25: An Alternate Opening, Gold Bullion & Sunken Treasure 1:33:53: "Sure Must Have An Awful Long Cord": Mobile Car Phones in 1967 1:42:14: Golddiggers of a Different Sort 1:51:29: GOOP, Baby! 2:06:27: Elvis, the Cinephile 2:29:48: (Part 2 Begins Here) The End of the Hays Code & Elvis' Late-Career Films 2:46:48: Airboats and Costuming Woes 2:54:33: Shelley Fabares 3:08:04: The Women of Clambake 3:21:27: Character Business You Never Noticed + "Slang of Ages" 3:36:41: The Girl I Never Loved, and Other Soundtrack Songs 3:44:23: "With a C..." and Alternate "Confidence" Demos 3:57:06: The Films That Released Alongside Clambake 4:07:00: Magical Mystery Tour, Kiddy Songs and In The Ghetto 4:22:18: "The Magic Word" and Shortnin' Bread 4:35:20: Closing Thoughts - TCBCast Hosts, Film Buffs & Those Elvis Girls 4:43:08: What is a "Clambake Musical"? 4:46:30: Closing Thoughts - EAP Society & Suddenly 4:52:30: Why Clambake? & Finale Thank you to all our friends who joined in this year. Please make sure to follow their shows: Suddenly and We Say Yeah can be found on all the same major podcasting platforms as TCBCast. EAP Society can be found at youtube.com/EAPSociety and EAPSociety.com. Those Elvis Girls can be followed at youtube.com/ThoseElvisGirls and instagram.com/Those.Elvis.Girls, and Garrett Cash's radio show "The Beat with Garrett Cash" can be found on Soundcloud at https://soundcloud.com/garrett-cash-635212819.
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TCBCast 342: Christmas Duets (feat. John Michael Heath)
12/12/2024
TCBCast 342: Christmas Duets (feat. John Michael Heath)
Justin is joined by John Michael Heath from EAP Society for a thorough examination of the 2008 album "Christmas Duets" which paired Elvis' original vocal tracks from 1957 and 1971 with 1:1 re-creations of the backing tracks and some of the biggest female entertainers in the field of country music at the time: Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride, Wynonna Judd, Gretchen Wilson and others, as well as bringing in a couple entertainers Elvis himself had been a fan of in the 70s: Olivia Newton-John and Anne Murray. Often written off as a mere cash-grab, the duo discuss the careers of the album's producers, the talented studio band brought in to replicate the original arrangements, and several other guests that reveal a more nuanced picture of a likely genuine tribute to Elvis that ended up trying to play things too safe and went awry in the process - and the guys ponder what makes artificial duets work or flop. They also discuss the exciting news about Peter Guralnick's upcoming book, now officially confirmed as "The Colonel and the King," releasing August 5, 2025. For Song of the Week, John's selection of "I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago," the traditional folk song which Elvis used to link the 1970 concept album "Elvis Country," and the version by Brownie McGhee that Elvis is known to have taken inspiration from, suddenly opens doors that lead to the histories behind numerous other Elvis recordings that will blow you mind, including (but not limited to) our other Song of the Week, "Adam and Evil" from "Spinout." If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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TCBCast 341: "A Date With Elvis" Album Discussion
12/04/2024
TCBCast 341: "A Date With Elvis" Album Discussion
Bec joins Justin for a look back at one of the few Elvis albums she had early in her fandom, the iconic 1959 release "A Date With Elvis." Released while Elvis was overseas in Germany during his military service, "A Date" in some respects serves as a companion piece to the earlier "For LP Fans Only," compiling a handful of tracks previously unavailable on the LP format, while also having a more intriguing and novel design: a gatefold that allowed you to hang the album over and count the days until Elvis' return, or even more photos and thoughts from "Elvis" inside! And how does this oddball collection of tracks from Sun Records, Jailhouse Rock, Love Me Tender and a random EP hold up as a listening experience? All that and more on this episode! Then, for Song of the Week, Bec gets in the holiday spirit with "Who Needs Money?" from "Clambake" and Justin doubles down, going deep on Elvis' 1971 version of the traditional 18th century Christmas hymn, "O Come All Ye Faithful." If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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TCBCast 340: Elvis Things We're Thankful For
11/28/2024
TCBCast 340: Elvis Things We're Thankful For
To celebrate the American Thanksgiving holiday, Gurdip and Justin got together to reflect on the things they're most thankful for about or within the Elvis world, from songs and movies to releases and the fandom, it's a contemplative discussion on this week's show! For Song of the Week, Gurdip selects the rarely-heard "Britches," which was cut from the 1960 film "Flaming Star," and Justin digs deep on Elvis's 1969 cover of Hank Snow's signature song, "I'm Movin' On." To those of our listeners in the United States - Happy Thanksgiving! If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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TCBCast 339: COMEBACK (Documentary & 1968 TV Special Discussion)
11/19/2024
TCBCast 339: COMEBACK (Documentary & 1968 TV Special Discussion)
Gurdip, Ryan, Olivia, Bec and Justin discuss at length the new Netflix documentary directed by acclaimed sports doc filmmaker Jason Hehir, "Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley," purportedly about the making of the 1968 Comeback Special. Following in the wake of the special's prominence in Baz Luhrmann's 2022 biopic and the Paramount Plus documentary "Reinventing Elvis," the gang is surprised to learn this is an unchallenging, conventional retelling of Elvis' life story leading up to 1968 intended for the most casual of potential viewers. There's a few new bits of footage, thoughtful contributions from the small group of talking heads and a fairly well-constructed first half, but the TCBCast crew's smaller grievances about certain inaccuracies, exclusions or lack of nuance begin to pile up around the midpoint until the whole thing topples over in its coverage of the special itself, culminating in an outburst over the way the film handles the special's iconic finale. So, the crew all went back to rewatch the original 1968 broadcast version of "Singer Presents Elvis" - complete with original sponsor advertisements - which we have not revisited on TCBCast properly since 2018, and reflect on both the special itself, the incredible work of its extremely under-recognized crew who made it possible for Elvis to shine, and whether the documentary captures what was so great about the NBC special in a way that is useful or insightful. "Return of the King" is streaming via Netflix, the 50th anniversary version of the "Comeback" Special is available on Apple TV or purchasable on digital distribution platforms, and an original broadcast version of the special, intact with Singer Sewing Company commercials, has also been made available on the Internet Archive. The video clip we mention near the end of the show is viewable on EAP Society's YouTube channel. If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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TCBCast 338: The That's The Way It Is Rehearsals, Part 2
11/13/2024
TCBCast 338: The That's The Way It Is Rehearsals, Part 2
Justin and Bec wrap their discussion on the recorded and filmed rehearsals undertaken for the Las Vegas engagement documented in the feature film "That's The Way It Is". The duo continues through July and August 1970's rehearsal dates, right up to August 10, the day Elvis would take the stage in front of paying customers, and reflect on the insights into Elvis and his band's creative processes along the way. Then Gurdip taps in for Song of the Week, selecting the rowdy gospel number "If the Lord Wasn't Walking By My Side", which Elvis cut for his "How Great Thou Art" album. Justin's Song of the Week is Elvis's 1970 version of Joe South's plea for empathy and understanding, "Walk A Mile in My Shoes." Our primary resource for this episode was the content contained within the Follow That Dream release "That's The Way It Is: 50th Anniversary Collectors Edition" including the book by David English and Pal Granlund. Don't forget that the Netflix documentary "Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley" releases today, November 13, 2024 on Netflix. We intend to have a full-group discussion soon! If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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TCBCast 337: That's The Way It Is Rehearsals, Part 1
11/05/2024
TCBCast 337: That's The Way It Is Rehearsals, Part 1
Justin and Bec begin to explore the recordings that remain from the rehearsals leading up to the August 1970 concerts that would become the centerpiece of the 1970 documentary film "That's The Way It Is." The film's director, Denis Sanders, was fascinated by Elvis as a creative force and wanted audiences to get a glimpse of his working process - some of which briefly appeared in the final film, some surfaced in the MGM collection "The Lost Performances" and further material in the Special Edition re-edit of the film from 2001 - but despite several official releases of select material and numerous bootlegs over the years, it wasn't until 2020 that Sony's FTD sub-label officially released the vast majority of the audio of the TTWII rehearsals for the most ardent fans to hear and learn from. In this first part, the duo only cover the first two days of rehearsals filmed & recorded, July 14-15, 1970, but also lay the groundwork for the more dense back portion of the rehearsals. Our next episode will cover the rest from July and August 1970 as well as Songs of the Week from Gurdip and Justin. If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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TCBCast 336: Who Are You? Who Am I? Who Are We?
10/29/2024
TCBCast 336: Who Are You? Who Am I? Who Are We?
Justin and Bec have a relaxed discussion about all the exciting Elvis news from within the last week or so, including the trailer for "Return of the King," a behind the scenes preview from Layered Reality's upcoming Elvis Evolution show, Ernst Jorgensen's experimentation with Peter Jackson's MAL de-mixing technology and more. Plus, Elvis trivia returns for a week! For Song of the Week, Bec tackles the romantic "Speedway" ballad "Who Are You? (Who Am I?)" then Justin - just for the laugh of doing them both in a single episode - digs into the understated but similarly named 1969 gospel number "Who Am I?" If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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TCBCast 335: "From Here to the Great Unknown" Final Thoughts
10/22/2024
TCBCast 335: "From Here to the Great Unknown" Final Thoughts
Olivia joins Justin for their thoughts on the TV special Riley Keough did with Oprah, filmed at Graceland, Riley's Graceland Q&A, and the rest of Lisa Marie's book now that things have started to finally settle. The duo also answers a bunch of listener feedback, discuss dialogue edits on "The Last Tours, Volume 1" FTD, and a recent video Olivia watched about one of Elvis' Ed Sullivan performances of Hound Dog. For Song of the Week, Justin selects Elvis's cover of the Waylon Jennings hit "You Asked Me To," and ponders the implications of a minor lyrical change Elvis made in his final version. Olivia highlights Elvis's 1976 recording of Larry Gatlin's "Bitter They Are, Harder They Fall." If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.
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"Return of the King" Netflix Trailer Reaction
10/17/2024
"Return of the King" Netflix Trailer Reaction
Netflix has dropped the trailer for the new documentary about the making of the 68 Comeback Special releasing November 13. Gurdip and Justin were in the middle of recording another episode when the trailer landed, so the guys dropped everything to react immediately. Watch the trailer for "Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHStpufGGzA
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TCBCast After Dark: The Elvis Files (1991), and The True History of Elvis and Operation Fountain Pen
10/15/2024
TCBCast After Dark: The Elvis Files (1991), and The True History of Elvis and Operation Fountain Pen
This week, you're getting to hear a special bonus episode from our special Patreon miniseries "TCBCast After Dark." Justin is joined by Rabia and Felix of "Suddenly: A Frank Sinatra Podcast" for this discussion. There is a new introduction providing additional context. Aired in 1991, produced by Mel Bergman, "The Elvis Files" was a LIVE TV broadcast hosted by "Clambake" and "Speedway" co-star Bill Bixby presenting Elvis conspiracy theorist Gail Brewer-Giorgio's array of so-called "evidence," but here's the genuinely shocking twist out of all of this: one of the things they dug up from the FBI's declassified files on Elvis Presley was actually partly true. However, its association with the Elvis conspiracy world and it being used to claim that Elvis faked his death as an undercover agent has prevented the real, genuinely historical facts of how Vernon Presley was scammed out of nearly $400,000 in 1976 from being an integral part of the tellings of the last years of Elvis' life, making TCBCast first within the Elvis world to reintroduce it properly and give it serious attention. Critical resources for this episode include: Chasing Phil: The Adventures of Two Undercover Agents with the World's Most Charming Con Man by David Howard: Retired FBI Agent J.J. Wedick's website FBIRetired's article about Operation Fountain Pen: A discussion with David Howard at the Mob Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada: Additional clippings from contemporaneous articles referenced herein will be posted alongside this episode on the TCBCast Facebook page. If you appreciated this, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy. The entire "After Dark" miniseries in available in full is available to patrons at all tiers.
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TCBCast Bonus - "From Here to the Great Unknown" Impressions
10/09/2024
TCBCast Bonus - "From Here to the Great Unknown" Impressions
Gurdip, Ryan, Bec, Olivia and Justin all are at different stages of reading Lisa Marie Presley & Riley Keough's new book, but the team was able to get together to record a brief initial impressions bonus episode. We strongly recommend the book. There are spoilers in this episode but not for the whole book. Please be aware that there is discussion of sexual abuse from ~7:00-13:40. If that may be upsetting to you, please skip over that portion. We did not feel it appropriate to pepper the episode with clips, music, etc. It's just us and our largely raw reactions this time. We have had as much time as everyone else to process what we've in the book, and only one of us has completed it in full, so please be generous with us, and be kind to everyone else out there as this book's contents are sure to create some contention in the Elvis world. It's a very raw, emotional read/listen but we cannot recommend it more highly, both as a book and in audiobook form.
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