March 23 1956 - 'Town & Country Time' WMAL TV, Capitol Arena, Washington

Jimmy Dean : So, you're gonna be on the S.S. Mt. Vernon tonight?

Elvis : Yep

Jimmy Dean : Have you ever worked on a boat before?

Elvis : Nope

Jimmy Dean : I imagine you're looking forward to this aren't you?

Elvis : Yep

(Source : 'Behind The Image Volume 2')

Elvis Gives Out With Crazy Cool Interview (by Bea Ramirez)

Shortly before he was to go on stage at the Heart O’ Texas Coliseum, Elvis Presley, the 21-year-old king of the nation’s rock ’n’ roll set, sat in a darkened Cadillac limousine for an interview—well hidden from the sight of nearly 4,000 screaming, squealing teenagers who were on hand to welcome him Tuesday night.

All the hep cats were there and not enough fuzz (cops). Out in the stands and on the floor, his audience of idolizing teen-agers did all but hiss and boo to rid the stage of a group of other hillbilly entertainers and bring Presley out behind the microphone that he handles more like a limp blonde than a mechanical gadget.

Still Elvis made them wait … and he stared out at them, half scared and half unbelieving. Then with some sort of spasmodic movement, he turned to talk about himself.

Elvis : “What do you want to know about me, honey?”

Bea : “Elvis, have you any idea at all about just what it was that started the girls going crazy over you?”

Elvis : “No, I don’t. I guess it’s just something God gave me. I believe that, you know. Know what I mean, honey? And I am grateful. Only I’m afraid. I’m afraid I’ll go out like a light, just like I came on. Know what I mean, honey?”

Presley has a way with that “honey” business. When he talks, he looks straight ahead, or sort of dreamy like in no direction at all. Then he turns with that “know what I mean, honey?” His face is close, real close. Right in your face—almost.

Bea : “When do you start making your first movie, Elvis?” (Everybody calls him Elvis.)

Elvis : “Oh, early in June, I think, because … ”

At this point he stopped talking and stared ahead into the crowd. He squinted his eyes, jerked up a pencil (which had no lead) and began scribbling on the dash of the car. Then he turned and said: “Huh, did you say something?”

Bea : “Elvis, when you start acting, will you keep the sideburns?” (The sideburns come down below his ears.)

Elvis : “Oh, I don’t know, it depends on what type part they put me in. You know, I’m supposed to do ‘Billy the Kid’ pretty soon.”

Bea : “But Elvis, ‘Billy the Kid’ has been done to the ground.”

Elvis : “Yeah, I know, but this time it will be different.” The way he says “different” it really will be.

Bea : “Elvis, will you sing in your first movie?”

Elvis : “No, honey, sure won’t. Going to be in it with Katharine Hepburn and Burt Lancaster, and I won’t sing. I don’t want to, I want to be an actor.” Then he turns and stares into the crowd again, listens to one of the other entertainers singing and grins slowly.

Bea : “But Elvis, have you thought how unhappy all these girls are going to be if you stop singing?”

Elvis : “Huh, what was that? Oh, I’ll never stop singing, honey, never.”

He was beginning to make me wonder if I knew what I was talking about, so I changed the subject:

Bea : “Elvis, I hear you walk in your sleep.”

Elvis : “Well, I have nightmares.”

Bea : “What kind?”

Elvis : “I dream I’m about to fight somebody or about to be in a car wreck or that I’m breaking things. Know what I mean, honey?” (I don’t have any idea what he means.)

Bea : “Where are you from?”

Elvis : “From Memphis, Tennessee”

Bea : “Oh, yes, that’s where all the hill-billy singers come from, isn’t it?”

Elvis : “Maybe so, but I’m no hill-billy singer.”

Bea : “Well, have you typed yourself … I mean your type of singing?”

Elvis : “No, I don’t dare.”

Bea : “Why?”

Elvis : “Cause I’m scared, know what I mean, honey? Real scared.”

Bea : “What of?”

Elvis : “I don’t know … I don’t know. Know what I mean, honey?”

At this point I thanked him for his time and started to make a beeline for the door. He grabbed my hand, sat there looking sleepy-eyed into my face and fanned his long lashes while he said:

Elvis : “Write me up good, will you honey?”

And he drove out to meet the hysterical adoration of young girls and boys whose emotions he has found are easy to stir up with a song.

(Source : 'Waco News Tribune')

The original 'The Truth About Me' promotional cardboard disc when issued in the U.S. attached to the Elvis Answers Back magazine in November 1956 and later as a flexi-disc in Teen Parade magazine, had the additional line "I want to thank all of my loyal fans who have watched my performances, and in that way became friends of mine" just before he says "I sure appreciate you listening to my RCA Victor records" at the end. This dialogue does not appear on 'The Truth About Me' which is on the Elvis Answers Back Magazine/CD set or Young Man With The Big Beat box-set.

When 'The Truth About Me' was issued in the U.K. as a mail order from Weekend Mail magazine in March 1957, it also contained the additional line but it was edited to take out the "RCA Victor" reference at the end. On CD2 accompanying the The Best Of British book from Follow That Dream however, the same edit (Elvis Answers Back CD & Young Man With The Big Beat) has been used instead of the original U.K. edit.

The only CD containing the original U.S. edit of 'The Truth About Me' is the 2017 Memphis Recording Service book & 3-CD set Elvis: Studio Sessions '56 - The Complete Recordings.

This interview was recorded by Ron Ross, who was a DJ for WOWO Radio, before Elvis went on stage for the evening show in Toledo, Ohio. The tape also contains part of the evening show, with Elvis being introduced on stage and then singing 'Heartbreak Hotel', 'Long Tall Sally', and 'Don't Be Cruel'.

A short part of the interview above was found as part of a radio show and podcast from 2016, celebrating 90 years of WOWO radio. The same broadcast also contains the start of Elvis singing 'Heartbreak Hotel'.

Thanks to Chris Kennedy and Grzegorz Borzęcki for help with research.

(*Please note: To access the WOWO web site you must be located in the United States, or use a VPN connected to the United States)

December 1956 - Unknown Location

In December 1956, the National Foundation For Infantile Paralysis Inc., released two records to radio stations across America, titled "Remember Me! - Galaxy Of Stars". The discs featured 20 stars, one of whom was Elvis, speaking in support of the 1957 March Of Dimes, with the broadcast of the message restricted between the dates January 2 - 31 1957. The following is a transcript of the disc containing Elvis' part:-

DJ : According to ‘Variety’ the show business newspaper, and I quote:
“Controversy has always meant cash in show biz, and the latest proof is Elvis Presley, whose jet-propelled career…” Well, the rest of the story is something any pop music fan can write for himself.
But for the straight story, here is the man himself, Elvis Presley…

Elvis : Well there’s one thing I’d like to know right away.
What’s so controversial about me?

DJ : That puts me in a bad spot right away.
You’re the one who’s supposed to be answering the question!

Elvis : Well no offence meant, but all right I’ll answer it.
Some people seem to have the idea I’m a controversial influence on the young folks.
Whatever I do I always want to do my best for the teenagers.
I certainly never want to do anything that would be a wrong influence.
When I sing I just…I just sing from my heart.

DJ : Well, it’s pretty apparent the people like you, too, Elvis…sideburns and all.
In 1956 your record sales totaled up to a fantastic ten million. To what do you attribute that, Elvis?

Elvis : Well, now you’re putting me on a spot!
Some people say it’s because I’m offering folks a new kind of rhythm.
I really don’t know about that, though.
Actually, my kind of rhythm is really about as old as music itself.

DJ : Let’s put it this way, Elvis.
What you’re really doing is giving the public something old, something new, nothing borrowed, with a touch of the blues. Would you agree to that?

Elvis : Yeah, I’ll buy it.
But there’s one thing I’d like to say…and that’s this:
As long as I live I’ll never stop being grateful to the American people for giving me this big break.

DJ : And so young in life, too.

Elvis : Yeah, that’s right.
And that kind of leads me into the reason for being here.
You know, so many kids and adults too have gotten just about one or the roughest breaks that can happen to a person.
I’m talking about polio.
Sure, we’re on the way to conquering it, thanks to the Salk vaccine, but take it from me…it sure isn’t licked yet.
Right now some 80,000 polio victims need help.
Some of them are paralyzed so that they can’t even move a finger.
Most of the others can’t do the simplest everyday things that we take so much for granted.
But the situation isn’t hopeless.
We can help these people. And the way to do it is this:
Join the 1957 March Of Dimes. Please. It’s very urgent.
Give every dime and dollar you can to this great cause.

DJ : Well, you’ve got a lot of fans out there, Elvis.
I know they’ll heed your words.
And I also know they’re waiting for a song. What’ll it be?

Elvis : Er…we’ll do ‘Love Me Tender’ for ‘em.

MUSIC: ‘Love Me Tender':

Elvis : This is Elvis Presley again.
Don’t forget, folks…give a break to a polio sufferer.
The need is urgent.
Join the 1957 March Of Dimes. Thanks.

DJ : Thank you, Elvis Presley. All I can add is… don’t abandon those polio victims who so desperately need your help. Send your dimes and dollars to your local March Of Dimes headquarters.

April 2 1957 - Maple Leaf Garden, Toronto, Canada

Reporter : Do you have any plans to get married?

Elvis : (Smiling broadly and turning both thumbs down) I haven't even thought about it. I was engaged twice, but I don't remember that far back.
My first romance occured when I was nine. I fell in love with a woman of 20 and I thought that was it. Now I like all girls.

Reporter : What's it like traveling from place to place doing one-night stands?

Elvis : It's a hectic life, but I'd rather be on tour than making movies and appeaqring on television.

Reporter : Do you have any plans to quit show businass?

Elvis : Not for some time yet. It'll probably quit me first.

Reporter : Do you ever get stage fright?

Elvis : Always. It's the waiting part that gets me. It's not so bad once I've done the first couple of numbers. But I'm never completely at ease.

Reporter : Does the affection teenagers have for you affect your private life?

Elvis : It cartainly does. I haven't been shopping since Christmas.
Then I took a girl from Las Vegas along with me, and I got caught by so many people that she got completely lost and had to take a cab home.
I've been scared a few times during shows, too, though I can only remember twice when the audience was actually out of hand.

Reporter : Have you ever thought of becoming a doctor, lawyer or psychiatrist?

Elvis : I hadn't thought about becoming a psychiatrist, but I thought about going to a few of them.

Reporter : Have you ever considered wearing a disguise?

Elvis : My sideburns would give me away. Besides, a disguise makes you look more of an oddball than you really are.

Reporter : Who chooses your songs?

Elvis : My contract with RCA allows me to choose all my own material. That's a mistake a lot of artists make. Nobody knows what you can do better than you.

Reporter : How come you aren't wearing blue suede shoes?

Elvis : I have five pair of blue suede shoes at home, but I never wear them. That kind of thing gets worn out after a while.

Reporter : Do you have any advice for teenagers?

Elvis : Stay in school if you can. I didn't realize how important it was until I got out.

Reporter : Do you write home to your mother while touring?

Elvis : Honey, I haven't written a letter since I left sixth grade.

(Source : 'Elvis - The Final Fifties Tours' by Alan Hanson)

April 3 1957 - Ottowa, Canada (Interviewer : Gord Atkinson)

Gord Atkinson : Elvis, is this the first time you've been to Canada?

Elvis : Yes, it's my very first trip to Canada.

Gord Atkinson : Though it is too soon for any impressions, do you have any?

Elvis : No. Yes. Well, I do. I was in Toronto last night and I was very much surprised by how wonderful the people are.
How friendly, you know, in this part of the country.

Gord Atkinson : They have certainly been waiting for you for a long, long time.

Elvis : I have been wanting to come up here. In fact when I started looking at the tour, I said: "By all means.
I want to go to Canada. "About a year ago, I tried to get them to book a tour up here but I wasn't well enough known.
A year aand a half ago, everybody didn't know me well enough

Gord Atkinson : Sounds almost unbelievable.

Elvis : So they figured I wouldn't make enough money

Gord Atkinson : No doubt about that now. Elvis, you've certainly even topped the popularity Frank Sinatra had in his heyday.
This may seem like a foolish question for a Presley fan to ask - it seems like an obvious answer - but have you, yourself, given any thought to what it is about you that has made you the phenomenal show business personality that you are?

Elvis : I sure have, only I don't like to figure it out because I'm afraid if I find out what it is, I might lose it. So I just keep guessing myself.

Gord Atkinson : You just recently built a home?

Elvis : Well, I didn't build it, I just bought it. It's an estate. It's about ten miles from where I live now.
We had to have a larger place because I have accumulated so much junk in the last two years, I just don't know where to put it.

Gord Atkinson : Will you be living with your parents?

Elvis : Yes

Gord Atkinson : You are an only child, aren't you?

Elvis : Yes sir

Gord Atkinson : Do you have a girlfriend, may I ask?

Elvis : I don't have a special girl. I mean, when I'm home I date a few different girls in Memphis, but I don't have a particular one.

Gord Atkinson : Have you given any thought to the fact that some day you might meet a certain someone and decide that you'd like to get married?

Elvis : I probably will

Gord Atkinson : Do you think this would hurt your popularity?

Elvis : It probably will. I have no plans for marriage soon, I haven't met anybody yet

Gord Atkinson : What about your singing style? Would you say that you are an outgrowth of country music, or the pop field? Or a combination of both?

Elvis : I guess I kind of like 'ern both - more rock and roll than anything else. Rock and roll is actually, you see, what put me over.

Gord Atkinson : There are many people waiting to talk to you and I want to thank you so much.
I have something here to present to you. It's a scroll from our program, called 'Campus Corner'. It is a show that is presented each Saturday.
It's a teenage show, if you can imagine. We had apopularity poll, with the boys and girls on the station voting. And for the past vear and a half you have been number one.

Elvis : Oh, that's great. Thank you very much.

Gord Atkinson : Elvis, I wonder if you'd like to say something to all those fans right now?

Elvis : I would like to tell them how I deeply appreciate this.
I guess I've gotten more mail from Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal than any other place.
I've gotten more fan mail from right around this area than I have from anywhere in the United States.

Gord Atkinson : That's wonderful

Elvis : I am not telling that to you just because I am here, but it is very true.
That is one of the reasons why I always wanted to come up here, because I've gotten more letters from Canada than I can count.

Gord Atkinson : That should make your fans here very happy. It has been a sincere pleasure talking to you, Elvis Presley.

Elvis : Thank you very much

(Source : 'Elvis - Word For Word' by Jerry Osborne)

April 5 1957 - Sports Arena Interview Room (6.00pm)

Elvis : I haven't got to the point where I'm completely at ease with this sort of thing.

Reporter : How long can you stay atop the music world?

Elvis : I don't know whether I'm going to last. My future is uncertain, but I simply take one day at a time, and take whatever comes with each.

Reporter : Do you think people will come to see you in five years from now?

Elvis : I won't predict the future. They may not. People get tired of you, you don't stay hot forever.

Reporter : Do you believe yours, or any kind of music could cause juvenile delinquency?

Elvis : The kids might dance and yell a bit, but they aren't robbing anybody.

Reporter : Is there a special girl in your life Elvis?

Elvis : There is none - period. I wouldn't object to getting married..

Reporter : How about to one of your fans?

Elvis : Yeah. I would just have to fall in love with somebody..

Reporter : What quality would you look for?

Elvis : Female.

April 5 1957 - Sports Arena Interview Room (Interviewed by High School Reporters)

Question : What did you think of your movie 'Love Me Tender'?

Elvis : It was pretty horrible. Acting's not something you learn overnight. I knew that picture was bad when it was completed. I'm my own worst critic But my next picture is different. I know i done a better job in it. It's called 'Loving You' and it's gonna be released August 1.

Question : Do you think rock 'n' roll will last?

Elvis : It's sure gonna take something mighty good to replace it. Maybe I won't be around forever, but rock 'n' roll is here to stay for a while.

Question : Do you think rock 'n' roll is causing juvenile delinquency?

Elvis : No music can do that. It's from something else. If there's a riot or some trouble, rock 'n' roll has nothing to do with it.

Question : What's your favourite record?

Elvis : 'Don't Be Cruel'.

Question : What do you think of Calypso?

Elvis : (This was obviously a touchy subject, as Elvis looked to one of his managers for the go-ahead. He got it). Calypso is good. Who am I to say it's not?

Question : How long do you plan to keep your hair that way, and what do you think of boys and girls who cut their hair the same way as yours? (This from Linda, one teenager who could hardly be classified as non-partisan: she was wearing a Presley haircut, sideburns and all).

Elvis : Well, I like to think people would wear their hair the way they want to. But for my next picture I have to get a crew cut 'cause it's a prison picture. (Chorus: Oh Elvis, don't get your hair cut!)

Question : When will you be drafted? How long will you serve?

Elvis : Everyone thinks I've been drafted already but I haven't. I only passed the physical. But I'm not definitely going in. If I do go in I'll serve two years. But I'll continue making records.

Question : What are your most memorable high school experiences?

Elvis : (No answer from Elvis).

Question : Well? Didn't you have any?

Elvis : Well, it wasn't a very exciting life. A few dates maybe.

Question : Did you ever go steady? (This from a girl 17, who does)

Elvis : Yeah, I went steady twice. Once for two years even.

Question : What do you think of Ivy League clothes?

Elvis : I wear them all the time (Laughter).

Question : Are you going to appear on television any more, even though they only show you above the waist?

Elvis : (Once again, a look to his manager) I dunno (He shrugged).

Question : Are you nervous now, before a show?

Elvis : I'm always nervous before a show. Right now I have a real bad cold so it's worse.

Question : How did you rank in your high school claps?

Elvis : Rank? What do you mean?

Question : You know, what were your marks?

Elvis : Oh, a C-plus or B-average. (Smiles from the students).

Question : Is it true you can't get married before you're 23 - that it's in your contract?

Elvis : No, I can get married whenever I want.

Question : (From a pretty blonde) What do you think of Natalie Wood?

Elvis : She is a girl, no different from anyone else. That's what all the stars are like - the same as everyone else.

Question : What are your plans for the future Elvis? Movies? Records?

Elvis : I just take every day as it comes. I don't plan too far ahead. There'll be record albums, of course, and movies too. Don't know any more; maybe I'll go back to driving a truck.

(Source : 'A Touch Of Gold Lame' by Erik Lorentzen)

October 26 1957 - Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California

Reporter : Do you wear a wig?

Elvis : No.

Reporter : Who are you mad about now?

Elvis : No one in particular.

Reporter : Did you say you didn't need the press anymore?

Elvis : No.

Reporter : What is your ultimate ambition?

Elvis : My ultimate ambition is to become an actor.

Reporter : Are you studying drama?

Elvis : I'm not studying anything. I figure it's experience that counts, not studying.

(Source : 'Elvis - The Final Fifties Tours' by Alan Hanson)

October 28 1957 - Pan Pacific Auditorium, Los Angeles, California

Elvis Presleys recent appearance at the Pan Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles has our Associate Editor, Dolores Diamond, scurrying over there with pen and camera for this backstage interview and exclusive pictures of Elvis, on and off the stage.

Elvis Presley, calm and collected, despite nine thousand screaming girls awaiting him out front, strolled in backstage, propped himself on the table, his legs dangling and swinging freely. Attired in a red jacket, a black shirt and pants, a yellow tie, and black shoes with a cool silver belt studded with rhinestones, he made a rather colourful figure. And a frank one, as you will see!

Dolores : Elvis, exactly how do you feel about all these interviews?

Elvis : The press makes entertainers, and the deejays, too. If the press didn't write, no one would know what you're doing. Everyone needs the press

Dolores : As the reputed King of Rock 'n Roll, how do you feel about the comments Frank Sinatra made railing Rock 'n Roll enthusiasts nothing but a bunch of 'cretinous goons' and the music itself as 'the martial music of every side-burned delinquent on the face of the earth'

Elvis : He has a right to his opinion, but I can't see him knocking it for no good reason. I wouldn't knock Frank Sinatra. I like him very much.
If I remember correctly, he was also part of a trend, just like Rock "n Roll. I think it's the greatest music ever natcherly 'cause it's the only thing I can do! If I were a pop singer, I'd prefer pop

Dolores : What pop singers do you dig most ?

Elvis : I like Pat Boone, the Four Aces, the Ames Brothers, Dean Martin, Tommy Sands, and Ricky Nelson real well. (Ricky, incidentally, was in the audience opening night, left in the middle of one of Elvis' numbers.) I like classical music, too

Dolores : Do you dislike anything?

Elvis : Who am I to sit here and knock someone else? If someone has strived for something, then it's OK. I don't dig in and question it.
I never knock anyone who's successful

Dolores : Is that your criterion? Anything which is successful is automatically good?

Elvis : Yes, I guess so

Dolores : Some critics have openly accuscd you of inciting juvenile delinquency. How do you feel about this?

Elvis : I don't understand it. Delinquency to me means robbing, knife fighting, and things like that. I've done nothing to cause that and I'd never set up a pattern like that for others to follow

Dolores : Do you think a lot about your fans?

Elvis : I sure do, I always try to conduct my personal life to set a good example for them. I think about this all the time

Dolores : Elvis, is it true that you don't smoke or drink?

Elvis : Yes

Dolores : Being in the public eye constantly must be quite a strain, especially dating. What are some of the limitations?

Elvis : Well, I can't roam around like I used to. Can't go to football games or other public places

Dolores : What do you do on a date?

Elvis : Well, usually we just ride around. I get mobbed if I go anyplace. Sometimes the girl comes up to my apartment and we have dinner there.
Sometimes we go to a drive-in for a hamburger, or we go to a real late movie

Dolores : What do you do in Memphis?

Elvis : Well, most of my friends are in Memphis. That's why I established a home there. We've been kicked out of the same places, you know, it's easier to be yourself there

Dolores : You've invited many girls to visit you in Memphis, Elvis. What happens when they get there?

Elvis (grinning) : Oh, we go motorcycle riding and to the movies. Nothing much

Dolores : Are you planning on taking any more gals to Memphis?

Elvis : File your application at the door, honey

Dolores : How many have gone so far?

Elvis : Five (He named off Venetia Stevenson, Natalie Wood, and several others I'd never heard of.)

Dolores : What about Yvonne Lime?

Elvis : Yeah, I forgot Yvonne. That makes six

Dolores : Who pays their fare?

Elvis : I pay all the expenses

Dolores : Do you still date any of these girls?

Elvis : I still see Venetia once in a while. I own three horses, take her riding

Dolores : (handing him comment in 'Modern Teen' listing Anita Wood as his "number one girlfriend") Would you care to comment on this caption?

Elvis : (reading it very seriously) Yes, I would. There's no truth in it. What happened was Anita was seeing me off at the station. A reporter approached, a photographer told me to kiss her and I did. The reporter said, "Number one?" I said, "Yeah, sure" and boarded the train.
I was half-way to California before I realized what he meant. By then, it was in the papers that she was my number one girlfriend.

Dolores : Is there a current number one girlfriend?

Elvis : I've felt close to falling in love a couple of times. In fact, I almost was engaged twice before I got into show business. But I don't care enough for one girl to be identified with them. Honey, I prefer to date 'em all until I find the right one

Dolores : Do you feel that any of these girls have dated you tor publicity or to further their own careers?

Elvis : Yes, several (He gallantly refused to name them)

Dolores : What prevented you from getting involved at the last minute with some of these girls?

Elvis : It's funny, but if you don't care for the gal, it'll come out. What happened was I discovered that I didn't care as much as I thought I did. So now I let things ride. In a way, it's lucky I didn't get tied up

Dolores : Can I say, on the record, that you have no romantic interests as of this interview?

Elvis : I am not in love now. But I can't guarantee about tomorrow

Dolores : Any preferences in women?

Elvis : I don't favor any one type. I like girls!

Dolores : Getting back to your career, you've undoubtedly heard that some writers have printed that Presley is on the decline, that your popularity is waning. Do you think it is?

Elvis : Well, about the reports that I'm through, this is a new one. I haven't noticed any decline. Anyway, you can't stay on top forever. Even if I stopped singing tomorrow, I'd have no regrets. I had a ball while I was there

Dolores : Financially, you're pretty well off, aren't you, even if you retired tomorrow?

Elvis : I don't know exactly how much I've made. It's over a million a year

Dolores : Gross or net?

Elvis : Gross, I believe

Dolores : Don't you have some 20-year contract, too?

Elvis : My RCA Victor recording contract calls for a moderate salary over a 20-year period. Then I have two music publishing companies, plus the Elvis Presley Enterprises." (The latter sells everything from Presley photos and buttons to lipsticks, shirts, and other wearing apparel

Dolores : How many personal appearances have you made?

Elvis : Last year I did 87, this year only 20. (For two appearances in Los An- geles, about an hour total on the stage, Elvis cleared $65,000!)

Dolores : How much did your films 'Loving You' and 'Love Me Tender' gross?

Elvis : I wouldn't know. Hal Wallis didn't tell me

Dolores : He doesn't have to tell you, Elvis. You can get the figures from Variety or the trade magazines. Don't you read them? What do you read?

Elvis : I read 'Superman' and 'Captain Marvel'

Dolores : What about news magazines or newspapers?

Elvis : I don't have time to read

Dolores : What sports do you go in for?

Elvis : Well, I don't particularly like baseball. I like football and boxing. I played football myself once, and I enjoy watchng the 'Peewee Leagues'. As for fighting, I watch them on TV". My favorites are Sugar Ray Robinson and Rocky Marciano. I know Rocky very well.
He was going to teach me how to fight, but I chickened out

Dolores : Would you like a role in films as a fighter?

Elvis : You bet, a singin' fighter. Actually, I'd like to do a straight dramatic show. I'm betting on an acting career

Dolores : Some critics have said that Colonel Parker, your manager, and you have a Svengali-Trilby relationship. Is this true?

Elvis : Huh?

Dolores : Elvis, do you obey Colonel Parker? Does he rule your private life?

Elvis : Heck, no. Colonel Parker only advises me on business matters and that's all! I'm young, have to do what I want. I hardly ever see him

Dolores : Elvis, you've had quite a few Gold Records marking sales of over a million. What is your favourite song to date?

Elvis : Dolores, I wish you'd straighten out somethin' right here. Many magazines have printed that I have eight Gold Records, but I believe in giving a man credit for what he's done, and I've had 19 Gold Records! My favorite is 'Don't Be Cruel'

Dolores : What was the hardest song for you to sing?

Elvis : 'Jailhouse Rock.' It's the hardest song to sing that I've ever recorded. My tongue practically falls out on this one.
A quarter million of my Xmas album have sold to date!

Dolores : Say, why did you change 'Blue Moon' all around?

Elvis : Honey, when I recorded 'Blue Moon', I didn't know the words to it. When I got to the bridge, I just started yelling

Dolores : Elvis, what was the first song you ever sang?

Elvis : Old Shep' was tlie first song I ever did in iny life; I won $5 in a contest singin' it

Dolores : Now what about all the gyrations you fo through when you sing ?

Elvis : I wasn't aware of what I was doin' until people told me. I Just sing like they do back home. When I was younger, I always liked spiritual quartets and they sing like that

Dolores : It is commonly stated that 'The Singin' Idol' which Tommy Sands did on TV and now is doing for films is a thinly veiled biography of you. Is it really?

Elvis : I didn t see it on TV. From what I hear, the only similarity between it and me is that we both were singers. My grandfather isn't dead yet.
I just heard from him last week.
And that character's manager was nuthin' like the Colonel! (The audience started screaming and applauding for an act which preceded Elvis. He Jumped to his feet, ran over to see who was on) (Laughing) I can t have any of that, applauding for someone else!

Dolores : How do you feel when the girls scream for you?

Elvis : Well, I figure it doesn't last, so I might as well enjoy it while I can

Dolores : Are you nervous at this moment?

Elvis : I'm a little shaky. I go on stage and then I relax, after I start singin'

Dolores : Do you ever forget your lyrics?

Elvis : Sometimes, but no one knows it. They can t tell what I in singin'. anyway.
I never rehearse; the band travels with me and knows all my numbers. Of course, I have to rehearse for TV shows and for movies

Dolores : What goes on ahead of you?

Elvis : I have no idea. I haven't seen the other acts. I get out there and sing for about 50 minutes, do about 17 numbers, all of the favourites

Dolores : Would you say you prefer this type of personal appearance, say to a nightclub appearance in Las Vegas?

Elvis : Ouch! Two years ago, I laid the biggest egg of my life in Vegas. The older groups just don't go for Rock 'n Roll.
My ego went through the floor with that one! There were good crowds, but no response like in a teenage audience.
I felt like I was pulling a booboo

Dolores : Do you have lines in this act?

Elvis : No, I ad lib strictly. When I come off that stage, I look like I've been through a meat grinder

Dolores : Elvis, do you read music?

Elvis : No. And I can't play the guitar, either

Dolores : What do you do with it if you don't play it?

Elvis (laughing) : I use it as a brace

Dolores : Well, your name is listed on the credits of several hit tunes as the author. How do you write music if you don't read it?

Elvis : It's all a big hoax, honey. I never wrote a song in my life. I get one-third of the credit for recording it. It makes me look smarter than I am.
I've never even had an idea for a song. Just once, maybe

Dolores : When?

Elvis : I went to bed one night, had quite a dream, and woke up all shook up. I phoned a pal and told him about it. By morning, he had a new song - 'All Shook Up'

Dolores : How do you leave a show without causing a riot?

Elvis : Everything is pre-arranged. I'm just like a robot getting in and out. I just follow along, that's all.
I leave before the audience knows I'm out of the building. They tell me to be at a certain door by 10:10 and I am! No bows, no curtain calls.
I finish the last number, and away I go

Dolores : Do you study the day's rushes when you make a movie?''

Elvis : I sure do. I always critiiize myself in films. When I attend a movie theatre, I'll get up and leave during the numbers I don't like.
Then I come back in after they're over

Dolores : Do you have a teenage audience when you re singing in a movie?

Elvis : In 'Loving You' I did, but in Jailhouse Rock' I had to sing without a live audience, and it was a lot harder

Dolores : What did they finally do with your sideburns?

Elvis : They covered them with make-up, I'm keeping them as long as I can, that is, until they draft me

Dolores : Elvis, do you think you'll ever return to school and further your education?

Elvis : No, I see know point in studying. I don't think I need it, do you? But there is one thing, I'd like to be a good actor.
I'm always striving to be natural in front of the camera. That takes studying, of a sort

It was time for the show, so we terminated the interview. Elvis Presley is quiet, courteous, and freer with his quips than expected.
He's shrewd, so don't under estimate him. He'll be around for a long, long time.
Incidently, he is quite tall, much-better looking than his photographs with a clear complexion and dark blue eyes.
He changed into his gold lame jacket with sparkling lapels and went out to mesmerise the audience, all 9,000 of them

(Source : 'Dig' Magazine - June 1958 - Thanks to Richard Otis)

November 10 1957 - Carousel Room, Hawaiian Village Hotel, Honolulu, Hawaii (After 3.00pm show)

Reporter : How do you like Hawaii?

Elvis : I love it. If I move, I'll move here... if they'll ever deport me! I never realised that I'd be in Hawaii. I'd never heard of the place...

Reporter : What do you think of the local fans?

Elvis : Terrific! I want to say that my reception in Hawaii was one of the most well-behaved of my career. I've been on stage long enough to tell you is an audience has manners, and today I could have safely leapt off stage into the midst of them.

Reporter : What are your vital statistics?

Elvis : Six feet tall, I reckon, and 180 pounds.

Reporter : Do you excercise when you're not singing?

Elvis : No, that's enough.

Reporter : What are your favourite colours?

Elvis : Depends on what it is. Cars I like in loud colours, clothes in dark colours.

Reporter : What is your ambition?

Elvis : My ambition is to become a good actor. But I'll never put my singing second, 'cause that's what's given me the oportunity to become an actor... I sing a lot at home... I think that I'm learning more... I enjoy making movies.

Reporter : What do you think of your film 'Love Me Tender'?

Elvis : I was miscast. I shouldn't have been in it. It was rushed.

Reporter : What's your favourite song?

Elvis : My favourite recorded tune is 'Don't Be Cruel'. I also like 'You'll Never Walk Alone' and 'Till'.

Reporter : Do you think of your fans when you are at a recording session or performing on stage?

Elvis : You have to think of them to try to get songs that people will like.

Reporter : Did you invent rock 'n' roll?

Elvis : I explored it. It existed long before I did. It was called rhythm and blues. I just tried a new interpretation.

Reporter : How often do you have a haircut?

Elvis : Not often, and when I do, it doesn't look like a haircut.

Reporter : What's your ancestry?

Elvis : Irish, I reckon. And some Italian. Never gave it a thought.

Reporter : What's the first thing you'll look for in your wife?

Elvis : Female!

Reporter : How about southern cooking?

Elvis : I don't like fried chicken. I like pineapples and coconut.

Reporter : Has success affected your life?

Elvis : Of course. I never realised anything like this was possible, that I'd ever be in Hawaii, Las Vegas, or Hollywood. It's quite a change to jump into this stuff. If you're not careful you'll crack up.

Reporter : Is it true you're asking $100,000 for a TV appearance?

Elvis : I'll have to ask my manager. Colonel Parker brought out the fact that why be on TV and let 60 million people see me free when we charge the movie-makers so they can charge the audience to see me. Understand? I don't!

Reporter : Do you feel an obligation to your public?

Elvis : I do feel an obligation. I'm very careful not to do anything that would disapoint my fans. I behave myself all the time. People have pre-concieved ideas about me. It's natural. I've often said, "I won't like that person", and then found out he's a nice guy.

Reporter : What's your reaction to those older people that don't like you?

Elvis : Honey, I can't please everybody. Maybe they're Pat Boone fans.

(Source : 'A Touch Of Gold Lame' by Erik Lorentzen)

January 3 1959 - 'Telephone Call' from USA to Bad Nauheim, Germany (Interviewer : Keith Sherriff)

Keith Sherriff : Elvis, how are you?

Elvis : Just got in from work. I still got my fatigues on.

Keith Sherriff : Are you concerned about your popularity fading while you're overseas?

Elvis : Well I don't really know about that. I have no way of telling. And I'm in no position to worry about it right now.
It's pretty hard to say about something like that. I've got so much on my mind all the time... if I'd worry about everything I would go nuts.

Keith Sherriff : Along those lines, how many songs did you record before you left the States?

Elvis : Not very many.

Keith Sherriff : Do you have any plans to record in Germany?

Elvis : I don't plan to, but that would all be handled in the States. I really don't know what they're gonna do.

Keith Sherriff : Do you miss Memphis, and your home?

Elvis : I would give my neck to be hack home. I am homesick all the time... you just don't know. I'm happy to do my part in the Army, but you'll never know how much I want to get back home. ..back in the entertainment business. I guess I'll stay in the entertainment business one way or another the rest of my life... whether playing or as a stagehand.
You will never know how wonderful old Memphis is until you've been away for a while.

Keith Sherriff : There was one story that said you might sell Graceland. Is that true?

Elvis : That's strictly a rumor. I would never sell Graceland! Not at no price to nobody, as long as I can hang on to it. Besides it would be foolish to sell now that I've got it completed. And, uh, I don't think my mother would like it if l did.

Keith Sherriff : Some people saying you wrote your latest hit "I Got Stung." Did you, Elvis?

Elvis : No. I never wrote a song myself. 1 probably could've if I sat down and tried hard enough but I never had the urge.

Keith Sherriff : Has there been any talk of you being put in Special Services, to possibly entertain troops and so forth?

Elvis : Well, I don't know just what they're gonna do with me, you know what I mean.

Keith Sherriff : Do you have to say "yes sir"?

Elvis : You better believe it.

Keith Sherriff : The papers carried a story about you and a German girl. Anything to that report?

Elvis : About the German girl, there is nothing to it but a lot of ... publicity. That's all it is.
Don't get me wrong, she's a cute little girl and all of that but it's mostly a lot of publicity.

(Source : 'Elvis - Word For Word' by Jerry Osborne)

Note: This interview is listed as being from Wednesday January 28 1959 in 'Elvis - Day By Day' by Peter Guralnick and Ernst Jørgensen.

Elvis gave a ten-minute interview to WCMS Radio in Norfolk, to a lady disc jockey by the name of Miss "Sam" Barbee. It was done via trans-Atlantic phone on February 10 1959 and she not only recorded it, but aired the entire thing on Valentine's Day while taking live fan call-ins. Then she sent copies of the entire broadcast to Elvis in Germany!

(Source : Cash Box - March 14 1959)

Thanks to FECC for finding interesting new information about this previously unknown interview.

1959 (exact date unknown) - 'Telephone Call' from Kingston to Germany (Interviewer : Unknown)

Elvis : Well, I have three movies to make in 1960, plus a television show. I think I've got a lot of work to do but I'm willing to try.

WBPM Radio : Elvis, we don't want to keep you away from your duties too much longer for Uncle Sam. It's certainly been a pleasure chatting with you for these few minutes, all the way from Germany. And your fans here, we would just like to tell you, Elvis, are more loyal than ever. I think this is true.

Elvis : Well, I certainly appreciate that and I'll do my best to live up to it, and I'm looking forward to coming back and everything.

WBPM Radio : One more note. We've had more requests for this question than, I think, for any other. Elvis, when you get out of the Army are you going to keep your crew cut, or are you going to let your hair grow long?

Elvis : Am I going to do what?

WBPM Radio : Are you going to let your hair grow long?

Elvis : Oh! To a certain extent, yes.

(Source : 'Elvis - Word For Word' by Jerry Osborne)