The Original Elvis Tribute 2011 - Spotlight

THE ‘ORIGINAL ELVIS TRIBUTE’ STRIKES AGAIN!

An Audio-Visual Account of the Spring ’11 Tour.

"A live concert is exciting to me because of all the electricity that is generated in the crowd and on stage. It's my favorite part of the business - live concerts."
- Elvis, 1972

Another year, another tour. Was it worth it? You bet! From humble beginnings in ‘08/’09, the ‘Original Elvis Tribute’ has become one of the leading Elvis tribute shows worldwide. Attendances were once again surprisingly good, the crowds were thrilled, there were great reviews even in the mainstream media, and the fans really seem to connect with the show and the musicians that are a part of it – for this tour, the show consisted of: Robert Washington (vocals), Duke Bardwell (bass), Bobby Wood (piano), Jerome ‘Stump’ Monroe (drums), Chris Casello (guitar) and the gorgeous Sue Moreno on vocals.

DIFFERENT

It’s also a great compliment to see that the show really seems to have made an impact on other similar shows as organized by European fanclubs. Before we came along, most of them seemed satisfied to book the same acts doing the same old show year in, year out. It’s therefore good to see that they are finally trying to come up with different ideas, like request box type shows. When I started doing this, I felt very strongly that the fans would get tired of seeing the same show again and again, and that’s why we try to give the audiences a different take on the Elvis phenomenon, a.o. by including the lesser-known songs.

Where else do you hear stuff like this:

- It Feels So Right

- Young & Beautiful

- Wearin’ That Loved-On Look

Click on songs above through to YouTube for live video clips

(Left:Live in Tampere, Finland)

To create the same level of excitement, we have to be better every year. And that’s a tough challenge to live up to. This year we decided to add some extra muscle to the band by way of Jerome ‘Stump’ Monroe, Sweet Inspirations drummer and replacement drummer for Elvis on a number of occasions, as well as session man extraordinaire Bobby Wood, the keyboard player who was such an integral part of those legendary Memphis ’69 sessions. And right from the get-go, they belonged.

STUMP

It was particularly cool to see Duke Bardwell and Stump reunite after 35+ years. They were often reminiscing about the Elvis days, and it was fun to hear so many stories which have never made it into print.

One story that I thought was pretty cool was Stump remembering Elvis barging into the Sweet Inspirations dressing room one night, looking for Sylvia. Apparently she had some financial difficulties at the time, and Elvis wanted to help her out.

Stump says that Elvis came in together with his entire entourage, just as he (Stump) was enjoying a big joint. The whole room was filled with the smell of marijuana, and Stump still remembers the fear that he felt at that point: “I thought my ass was fired!”. But Elvis just laughed and said: “Don’t worry about it, Stump. You can take care of yourself”.

(Right: Stump on stage in Madrid, Spain)

REUNIONS

There was another reunion in store for us, because in Oslo the band met up with Ed Bonja. Stump and Duke were genuinely happy to see him again, and Ed also really seemed to enjoy talking to them again after so many years. Ed saw the Oslo concert that night, and he was really impressed with the show. A week later he wrote: “The show was absolutely fantastic, and those guys can play with anyone. Robert has a fantastic voice, and I'm so happy I finally got to hear him in person. Also, the song selection was so well thought out and completely enjoyable. Congratulations on a great tour!”.

(Right: Ed Bonja, Sonny West, Bobby Wood and Sandi Pichon in Oslo)

Sonny West was there as well, and he was also very impressed with the show. He told us: “I really enjoyed the show. When Robert did ‘Trying To Get To You’, it reminded me of those times in the 60s at home when Elvis would sing for us. I would always ask for that one. Robert sang it just like Elvis – amazing”.

BOBBY WOOD

Someone who really made an impact on the whole band was Bobby Wood. With his easygoing personality and his great musicality, it was easy to see why Elvis had so much respect for him (Bobby remembers with pride that while listening to the playback of ‘I’ve Got A Thing About You Baby’, Elvis observed that Bobby was “one of the most commercial piano players that I’ve ever heard”).

(Right:Bobby signing the ‘Memphis’ album in Bonn, Germany)

On the tour, Bobby quickly became the ‘go-to guy’ whenever someone wanted to discuss the arrangement of a song. Nevertheless, I sensed some reluctance on his part when I asked him to sing ‘If I’m A Fool (For Loving You)’.

As some of you probably know, Bobby originally had a hit with this song in ’64, and Elvis recorded the song in ’69 as a nod to him. He told me that it had been years since he last sang on stage, but he finally agreed that he would do it. And of course the audiences loved it.

Here’s Bobby singing that song, plus a few more Memphis ’69 songs (check out Bobby jumping up & down during “Suspicious Minds”!):

- Suspicious Minds

Click on songs above for YouTube live video clips

One night early on in the tour, Duke, Stump and I were talking about the people from Elvis’ band that had died recently, like Myrna Smith and Sherrill Nielsen. Duke remarked on how sad it was to see all these wonderful, talented people leave us.

Stump also expressed his deep sadness about their deaths. He said that he loved working with Myrna, and that she was a great upbeat person who always had a smile for everybody. Stump also remembered Sherrill with great fondness, and said that he had seen him in Vegas not so long ago.

(Right:Stump and Bobby Wood talk of Elvis and old times in Holland)

Both Duke and Stump observed that the shows with Elvis seemed like only yesterday, so it was really difficult for them to accept the deaths of these very special people… J.D. Sumner, Myrna Smith, Sylvia Shemwell, Sherrill Nielsen…

I asked Duke whether he would like to sing ‘Peace In The Valley’ on the shows. Somehow it seemed appropriate. Duke embraced the idea, and his soulful version of this old spiritual became one of the highlights of the shows:

- ‘Peace In The Valley’

As good as the original guys are, I think it’s safe to say that the Number One Attraction in the band is Robert Washington. Not only is he a charismatic, vibrant performer who really knows how to wow a crowd, but he also has some remarkable pipes. In fact, vocally he is easily the best Elvis performer around today.

On this tour, he once again blew everybody away with his vocal tour-de-forces on songs like ‘How Great Thou Art’ and ‘Without Love’, he seduced them with beautiful ballads like ‘Young & Beautiful’, took them on a night out on Beale Street with raunchy blues stuff like ‘Power Of My Love’ and ‘It Feels So Right’ and made them dance the night away with the rock & roll of ‘Burning Love’ and ‘Hound Dog’. It was a joy to watch him dazzle audiences night after night.

Robert is the only performer in the Elvis scene where you see the audiences going completely apeshit like this. The reactions to him where very real, almost primal, even in countries that are traditionally a bit reserved, like Norway. It was also not unusual to see people cry during songs like ‘How Great Thou Art’. It was very powerful (and sometimes very emotional) to be a part of it all. Stump summed it up best when he said: “If Elvis were alive today, he would have loved the show. He would have told us: ‘Good job, guys’”.

(Right:Robert Washington Live in Oslo, Norway)

Here’s some of my own favorite videos from the tour:

- How Great Thou Art
- Hound Dog
- Always On My Mind
- Trying To Get To You
- The Wonder Of You
- Walk A Mile In My Shoes

(Right: From left to right: Duke, Stump, Arjan Deelen, Sue, Robert)

‘The Original Elvis Tribute’ will be back in April 2012, and we want to make this tour even more special than the previous ones. Duke Bardwell, Bobby Wood, Robert Washington and Jerome ‘Stump’ Monroe have already confirmed that they would love to do it again. We also have a very special surprise for the next tour, as we will be bringing Ginger and Mary Holladay over to Europe for the first time ever.

The Holladay sisters, right with Elvis in 1969, and as they are today, still singing live on stage.

The Holladay sisters were amongst the leading female backing vocalists in the 60s and 70s, and their powerful voices are featured on countless hits & classics. Elvis loved their voices, and he always made sure that Felton would use the Holladays for his recording sessions. Ginger and Mary can be heard on hit-singles like ‘Suspicious Minds’, ‘In The Ghetto’, ‘The Wonder Of You’ and ‘You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me’, as well as on numerous EP albums like ‘From Elvis In Memphis’, ‘Back In Memphis’, ‘That’s The Way It Is’, ‘Elvis Country’, ‘Love Letters From Elvis’, ‘Elvis Now’, the Grammy award-winning ‘He Touched Me’, ‘Fool’, ‘Raised On Rock’, ‘Good Times’, ‘Promised Land’ and ‘Today’. Their voices were even overdubbed on live-recordings like the ‘On Stage’ album.

Ginger Holladay is also one of the very few people who actually got to record a live duet with Elvis in the studio: On March 15, 1971, they recorded ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ at RCA’s studio B in Nashville. She remembers that she was quite nervous about doing the duet with Elvis, and that she had to stand on a crate to be eye-to-eye with him. “Elvis was really getting into the lyrics of the song, and he was being very romantic with me. I was only 18 at the time, and I felt intimidated by him. He would try to hug and kiss me, and I’d pull back. Of course, now I regret not kissing him when I had the chance!”. *

APRIL 2012

The Holladays have lots of great stories to tell about their association with Elvis, so the European fans really have something to look forward to. And, these women can really sing. Bobby Wood told me that they sound exactly like on the original recordings. So our upcoming April 2012 shows will mark the first time ever in Europe that the original backing vocals to such classics as “Suspicious Minds” and “In the Ghetto” are being reproduced live in concert. This in itself will make the shows an unforgettable experience, but we have a lot more surprises planned for 2012 (which incidentally marks the 35th anniversary of Elvis’ death).

*The duet between Ginger and Elvis was first released on the bootleg 4 LP-set “Behind Closed Doors” (1979). CLICK HERE to listen to the Ginger Holladay Elvis Duet (download size 3MG)

For more information you can visit our website www.elvisnews.dk or you can also contact me directly at: deelen@elvis.dk

It’s great to be an Elvis fan. See you next year!

READER'S FEEDBACK

From: Sari, Dan and Daniel Nordlund - Finland
We have seen both Original Elvis Tribute shows here in Vaasa. Elvis and his music has filled our life for a long time. we love him so much. These shows brought Elvis so close to us. Thanks to the wonderful singer Robert Washington . His voice is so close to Elvis, you close your eyes and you can just feel him. The whole band was amazing and best of all they were charming, lovely, people with a big heart. They took also beautifully care of our son Daniel (13) who is a big Elvis fanatic from age of 6 and keeps on Elvis legacy here by singing and playing his songs. He will never ever forget the kindness of these peoples. Specially Duke Bardwell. He had time to speak a lot with him and Daniel got even to play with the band.. Great memories. And special thanks for the best manager Arjan Deelen who made this all possible. You are just great. There is still one special thing in this show. It was really a tribute to Elvis without any "Elvis clothes". No plastic and thats why i think Robert Washington really could make us to feel that Elvis was there. he sang from all his heart.
We can hardly wait to see you again!!!

From: Mariusz Ogiegło
"The Original Elvis Tribute Show". First time I worked with Duke, Michael and rest band during unforgettable show in Cracow in May 2009. In was special time for us, polish fans. First time when member of Elvis' TCB Band coming to Poland. Fans was very exciting this. One year later, in 2010 "The Original Elvis Tribute Show" back to Poland. This time on two phenomenal show. First on CK Zamek in Poznań. It was my second meeting with Duke Bardwell, Michael Jarrett and first time with Sue Moreno, Chris Casello and Robert Washington (WOW, what a voice!). Next show band play on Ruda Śląska. This concert was recording for special DVD project (and probably it will published on next year!).
When people sometimes ask me, "what is Your favourite Elvis' song?" I answer "I don't have favorite Elvis' song. I love one Elvis' recording session - American Sound Studio 1969". "The Original Elvis Tribute Show 2011" was dream come true (for me)!Phenomenal performance of hits from '69 sessions like "Any Day Now" or "Wearin' That Loved On Look".And when I heard Robert singing "How Great Thou Art" i think: "I don't believed that someone can sing 'How Great Thou Art' like Elvis. Robert doing it!". Thank You for all and I hope see You next year!
All the best, - Mariusz Ogiegło - OFC EP "Raised On Rock"

From: maria harju
I have seen this Orginal Elvis tribute show 2 times, 2010 and 2011 in Vaasa Finland. I have been a big fan of Elvis Presley from when i was just a little girl. And this show is just the best! All the people on the show are in credible professional mucisians and plays the songs so good!! The singer in the show Robert Washington is so charismatig peformer and his sigingn voice sounds so close like Elvis, you just close your eys and you feel like Elvis Presley him self is singing to you!! And beautiful singer Sue Moreno brings the great style of 1950s to the show whith her great voice and present beside Robert is fabulous!!! I must say this too, that all the great people on the show are just the nicest easy to go chat with after the show!! And i cant wait them to come back next year 2012!!!! :)
Love Virpi.

From: Jutta Vetter
I am a big Elvis fan from Finland. In my opinion, The Original Elvis Tribute was a brilliant show - I've seen it every time it has been in my
country! What I liked most about it was the authenticity of the show with all the skillful original Elvis musicians playing a very wide range of Elvis
songs - not only the biggest hits as in most other Elvis productions. It was entertaining, fun and really offered something for everybody. There weren't any fancy jumpsuits, scarves and hipshaking, but it was rather a true tribute to Elvis and his music. 100% rock'n'roll nostalgia!
Best regards from Finland, Jutta Vetter

From: Kaj Höglund
Like to tell a little bit of the show in Ritz, Vaasa 3rd May, 2011 (couldn´t attend the 4th May concert, which I heard was really good too...)
Great show, great performances. Really nice, that Bobby Wood joined the band, and Jerome Stump. Wood sang also beautifully, "IF I´m a fool for loving you". Before it he told a story of the session in American Studios in 1969! Also about this song. Robert Washington had amzing voice. And he gave it all! Once again.....Casello played soo good, a real virtuose! Fun tuo watch! Beuatiful Su Moreno is a real jem! Singing beautifully! Stylish! Drummer Jerome Stump - played as other members did...wonderfully! And leader of the band, Duke Bardwell sang also Peace in the Valley! He can both play and sing!
Thanks to the wonderful OET-band and Arjan Deelen! Welcome to Vaasa again!!!!
Kaj Höglund - Vaasa, Finland

From: Jari Koskela
The Original Elvis Tribute is an interesting combination of musicians from different eras of Elvis career. Duke Bardwell, Bobby Wood & Stump Monroe worked well on stage. One of the interesting thing is a setlist which is surely challenging the listerner: lots of interestings and some rarely heard tracks. One of the best parts of the show is the gospel sequence. While listening How Great Thou Art and closing your eyes you could almost feel like The Man Himself is on stage. Singer Robert Washington is an excellent performer and he's sounding quite close to Elvis. And he surely knows how to take audience. Really enjoyable concert.
- Jari Koskela

From: Helmut Radermacher
I was the MC for the German show, the last one of the European tour in May this year. That was a really great performance with artists like:
Bobby Wood, the very good musician, who of course sang his hit from 1964 – If I’m A Fool For Loving You
Duke Bardwell, a really funny guy, that surprised us all with his singing of „Peace In The Valley“ with a voice like Ray Walker oder J. D. Sumner.
Stumps Monroe, who played three shows with Elvis as a drummer in the 70s. All other shows he played before Elvis with the Sweet Inspirations or Imperials. So he knew all Elvis arrangements.Also we had the great guitarist Chirs Casello, the lovely female singer Sue Moreno and the marvelous singer Bobby Washington, that is a black guy, but looks Hawaiian Style. He has a perfect body and also a perfect voice, that can sing Elvis-songs of the 50s, 60 and 70s.
We all hope, that they can come back to Germany next year.
Regards - Helmut, www.GoldenBoyElvis.de

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'The Original Elvis Tribute 2011'

Spotlight - By Arjan Deelen

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