Legacy Recordings Celebrates Elvis' 75th Birthday Year with a New Studio Work Inspired by Viva ELVIS by Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas
The undisputed King of Rock 'n' Roll, Elvis Presley remains one of the most iconic and powerful forces in popular culture. "Before Elvis," said John Lennon, "there was nothing."
After Elvis, the world looked and sounded different. With a swivel of his hips and the power of his voice, Elvis broke down barriers and shattered the status quo, revolutionizing the worlds of music, film and fashion while signaling a seismic shift in gender, class, race, and generational relationships.
The Elvis revolution continues with Viva ELVIS - The Album.
The postmodern studio masterwork invokes the spirit and essence of Elvis from a contemporary perspective while furthering the revolutionary impulses of Elvis' sound. Viva ELVIS - The Album re-imagines the king's own vocal performances in a broad variety of new musical settings. This new sound echoes Elvis' own versatility and ability to master all music genres, from Delta blues to rockabilly, from raw soul to gospel, from Southern folk to Vegas pop, while incorporating elements of garage rock, punk, urban and hip-hop.
"Viva ELVIS is a tantalizing musical experience," said Adam Block, Senior Vice President/General Manager, Legacy Recordings. "It's so creative and so contemporary, it effortlessly places Elvis in a current context that appeals to fans of all ages and all kinds of music. There's a freshness, a newness to these songs that grabs you and shakes you and ultimately testifies to the remarkable artist Elvis remains to this very day."
"What would the songs of Elvis be like if he were doing them for the first time today?" asks the album's producer and arranger Erich van Tourneau, Musical Director and Arranger for Viva ELVIS by Cirque du Soleil. "We set out to evoke the soul and spirit of Elvis Presley while building a bridge between his music and future generations of fans."
When working on the music for Viva ELVIS, van Tourneau -- aided by Hugo Bombardier, Assistant Producer and Assistant Arranger on Viva ELVIS - The Album -- spent more than 3,000 hours reviewing countless albums, films, concert recordings, interviews and home recordings of Elvis. More than 17,000 samples of Elvis' songs – the raw material for the show – were made during the process.
Working with tens of thousands of samples of Elvis' voice, van Tourneau and Bombardier often wove several sequences and sounds into the same songs, sometimes changing details such as the key and tempo. In creating Viva ELVIS - The Album, van Tourneau was looking to accentuate and boost the emotional charge of the songs with the incorporation of ragga, punk or hip-hop elements into classic recordings. In all cases, however, the goal was to respect and understand the essence of the original recordings.
In celebration of all eras of Elvis' musical genius, Viva ELVIS - The Album includes songs from Elvis' rise to fame in the '50s, his movie soundtracks, his triumphant return to the stage in the "'68 Special," and his ground-breaking appearances in Las Vegas. "Burning Love," "Suspicious Minds," "Blue Suede Shoes" and "It's Now or Never" are among the songs that have been re-imagined and transformed for Viva ELVIS - The Album.
The first opportunity to hear a sample from this ground-breaking album will take place during Elvis Week in Memphis on Saturday, August 14, during the event "Conversations on Elvis."
Viva ELVIS by Cirque du Soleil, a harmonious fusion of dance, acrobatics and live music, opened earlier this year in a specially designed 1,800 seat theater at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. A tribute to the life and music of Elvis Presley, Viva ELVIS focuses on the essential humanity of the one superstar whose name will forever be linked with the history of Las Vegas: Elvis Presley. Significant moments in his life – intimate, playful and grandiose – blend with timeless songs that remain as relevant today as when they first hit the top of the charts.
Viva ELVIS - The Album is a 21st century venue for rock's first and biggest superstar. The King's Music Lives!
The CD is available for pre-order.
Viva ELVIS- The Album
Five new expo’s announced in Graceland promo clip
In a 9-minute long promo clip for Graceland plans for 2011 and 2012 were announced by EPE. Visitors can expect five new expo’s:
This expo will focus on Elvis youth and the places he grew up. This expo is part of the VIP experience.
‘Elvis in the News’ (2011)
A look at the thousands of TV and News reports that are made about Elvis.
‘Elvis en Lisa Marie’ (2012)
The relation between father and daughter is illustrated in detail.
This expo is part of the VIP experience.
‘Elvis Icons’ (2012)
Dozens of artist are inspired by Elvis. This expo is about all those artists that are talking about this inspiration.
‘Elvis On Tour’ (2012)
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the concert documentary ‘Elvis On Tour’, a new expo will be dedicated to this movie.
(Source: ElvisMatters / FECC)