The Belgian ElvisMatters fan club announced the release of a free CD for all their members. A free and exclusive Christmas Card Deluxe CD with an Elvis track "Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me" and a free extra, the freshly recorded "If Every Day Was Just Like Christmas", by the Dutch singer Bouke. The CD comes with the Christmas edition of the fan club's magazine.
Godfathers Of Rock: The Top 10 Rock And Roll Managers
If drummers and bass players get lost in the media’s frenzy to focus on singers and guitarists, then have a little sympathy for the rock manager. Sometimes a svengali figure, sometimes a glorified accountant, sometimes a crook in rock and roll clothing, one thing is certain – every band needs a manager. Managers play an indispensable role in any band’s career, good and bad. Here are 10 of the most successful, colorful and, for the most part, musician-friendly managers in rock and roll history.
01. Colonel Tom Parker (Elvis Presley)
The role model for most of rock and roll’s subsequent managers, Parker was a natural-born huckster. He took the greatest talent in pop history to the top of the entertainment game with tactics he learned as a carny. In the circus, he entertained the crowds with dancing chickens, and critics might say he treated Elvis Presley much the same way through the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s.
Parker was a cutthroat businessman, for himself first and his artist second. He was on a 50% commission with Elvis, at a time when 15-20% was the norm. He always demanded money up front, cultivated income from merchandising and totally controlled Elvis with the media. Directly after Elvis’ funeral in Memphis, Parker was in meetings to negotiate merchandise deals. An illegal American immigrant, Parker never allowed Elvis to tour internationally for fear of letting Presley out of his hands or control. But for good or bad, he was a devoted manager, always there when Elvis toured, played Las Vegas or made movies. He oversaw every aspect of the worldwide network of Elvis fan clubs, merchandise and record company deals.
The other managers are:02. Brian Epstein (The Beatles)
03. Peter Grant (Led Zeppelin)
04. Malcolm McLaren (Sex Pistols)
05. Don Arden: (Black Sabbath, Gene Vincent, The Animals, Small Faces)
06. Andrew Loog Oldham (The Rolling Stones, Marianne Faithful, Humble Pie)
07. Allen Klein (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones)08. Kit Lambert (The Who)
09. Simon Fuller (Spice Girls, Annie Lennox, Amy Winehouse)
10. Irving Azoff (The Eagles, Van Halen)
Complete Elvis Presley Masters Update
The limited edition first run of 1000 numbered units sold out very quickly and SONY Music just announced that the second edition is available for pre-order now and will be delivered to consumers in January 2011 (target date January 17th, target price: 750 $US). The second edition will be equal in quality and design to the limited edition first run but it won’t be individually numbered nor will it contain a limited edition certificate of authenticity.
(Source: Ultimate Guitars / Elvis Express / ElvisMatters)