TCBCast: An Unofficial Elvis Presley Fan Podcast

Latest Episodes:

TCBCast 247-A: A Very Clambake Christmas - Glycol-Oxy-Octonoic-Phosphate Dec 13, 2022

Show notes

As 1967's Clambake passes its balls-to-the-wall groovy titular scene, it quietly becomes a relatively mundane little sports flick about the formulation of a protective sealant for boats... but Justin blows Rabia & Felix's minds by revealing that the infamous "GOOP" later effectively became a reality, before providing historical insights into the 1967 Orange Bowl Regatta held in Miami, Florida, and the real sportsmen who participated in the event and the making of "Clambake."

Finally, the crew wraps up the core discussion on the narrative of Clambake by pondering where the little-heard blues reprise of the title theme, cut from the movie, might have slotted in. There's still more to come as Justin and Rabia close out the episode foreshadowing a "Special" twist on the horizon for the unsuspecting Felix... Part 4 will be an emotional, absolute must-hear, and includes two Sinatra-themed Elvis Songs of the Week!

Suddenly: A Frank Sinatra Podcast is available on all major platforms you'll find TCBCast on.

If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Our final part to this saga will release Friday, December 16. Patreon backers have immediate access to all four parts of "A Very Clambake Christmas" as well as early access to an upcoming bonus episode featuring Gurdip & Justin's reactions to the Elvis On Tour box set!

TCBCast 246-B: A Very Clambake Christmas: Blue Miami Dec 09, 2022

Show notes

Part 2 of our massive review of 1967's "Clambake" centers around the two most memorable musical showpieces in the film: "Confidence" and "Clambake." It's here in Part 2 that we learn the true reason why the Frank Sinatra podcast peeps are here: not only "Confidence"'s infamous similarity to "High Hopes" from the 1959 movie "A Hole in the Head", but Rabia & Felix's recent encounter with a prominent clambake in the "Strictly USA" sequence of the 1949 Sinatra/Kelly musical "On the Town"... and being Australians, they have only the vaguest ideas what a clambake even is.

Then, Justin explains to Felix the process of how songs were generally written and selected for Elvis' movies, exploring the alternate possible title songs submitted for "Clambake," and in a twist befitting such an inexplicable movie, Side B of TCBCast 246 closes sincerely commemorating the life and music of the legendary Glen Campbell.

"Clambake" is available for purchase or rental on most digital movie platforms. Suddenly: A Frank Sinatra Podcast is available on all major podcast platforms you'll find TCBCast on.

If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Side A of TCBCast 247 will premiere next Tuesday and will conclude on Friday, December 16. Patreon backers have immediate access to all four parts of "A Very Clambake Christmas" as well as early access to an upcoming bonus episode featuring Gurdip & Justin's reactions to the Elvis On Tour box set!

TCBCast 246-A: A Very Clambake Christmas - Who Needs Money? Dec 06, 2022

Show notes

You folks have no idea what you are in for. Over the next couple weeks, as a holiday treat, Justin is joined by Felix and Rabia of Suddenly: A Frank Sinatra Podcast for perhaps the most in-depth exploration of the 1967 cinematic classic "Clambake" that maybe anyone has ever undertaken in the last 55 years. Including Song of the Week, our holiday special "A Very Clambake Christmas" (further split into Sides A and B for each episode) total 6 hours. The journey will be long, and perhaps initially confounding, but ultimately deeply rewarding when you finally understand what it's building to.

Side A of TCBCast 246 sees Justin and Rabia giving Felix, who has a near-zero level of knowledge of Elvis Presley (but an open mind!), coming straight off watching his first Elvis movie ever, all the historical and cultural context needed to answer his questions about where Elvis was at this point in his life, how movies starring Elvis were made, and finally getting underway with unpacking "Clambake." By the time the first two hours wrap, we've only made it to the 20 minute mark of the film, taking sidebars to appreciate the cameo appearance of Hal Peary, The Great Gildersleeve, figure out where and what the Heywood gas station is today, and ponder the film's themes about money and capitalism.

"Clambake" is available to purchase or rent from most digital platforms and at least in North America is available for free on several ad-supported movie services like Tubi and Pluto. We cannot possibly recommend highly enough the Kino Lorber Blu-Ray release of "Clambake" if you can track a copy down, it's worth every cent if you're into campy 60s films and especially collecting Elvis's movies.

Suddenly: A Frank Sinatra Podcast is available on all major platforms you'll find TCBCast on.

If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Side B will release Friday, December 9, followed by 247-A next Tuesday and the conclusion (featuring two Sinatra-themed Elvis Songs of the Week) on Friday, December 16. Patreon backers have immediate access to all four parts of "A Very Clambake Christmas."

TCBCast 245: Elvis Death Conspiracies + Billboard R&B Dec. 26, 1953 Nov 29, 2022

Show notes

A note from Justin & Gurdip:

"This episode takes some pretty sharp turns. We hope that after you hear us 'give it the old college try,' you all will appreciate and understand the approach that we eventually landed on for the Patreon-picked main topic on the abundance of conspiracy theories that loomed over pop culture after Elvis's death in 1977, and our pivot to discussing some great music from 1953 before bringing it full circle in a very unexpected way."

For Song of the Week, Gurdip is given "Ain't That Loving You Baby," the Clyde Otis-Ivory Joe Hunter cut recorded in 1958 but held unreleased until the mid-1960s. Then, Justin brings it home with "Bridge Over Troubled Water," the Paul Simon-penned classic that clearly meant a lot to Elvis from the time he recorded it in 1970 all the way to what may very well have been Elvis's last great performance in 1977.

If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. If you are unable to support us via Patreon, but want to support us another way, please make sure to leave a positive review or mention our show to another like-minded music history and movie enthusiast.

TCBCast 244: Elvis on The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show Nov 22, 2022

Show notes

Six performances on television across nine weeks in early 1956. Not only did Elvis's life and career changed so dramatically between them, but the face of America's cultural landscape, as the establishment voices of popular and country music fought the tidal wave of rock and roll on all fronts, winning some small victories like Dot Records's attempt to obliterate Little Richard's original "Tutti Frutti" with Pat Boone's atrocity, but ultimately losing the war as Elvismania takes over the nation.

When Elvis first steps on camera for Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey's TV program in January, 1956, he's a novelty that can only be compared to Johnnie Ray... by the time he leaves, he's on track to being on the big screeen. Bec, Gurdip and Justin sit down to review all six Stage Show appearances, twelve songs in total, and try to unpack their significance.

For Song of the Week, Justin takes the lead first to draw attention to the last real new cut for Elvis penned by Mort Shuman, "You'll Think of Me," then Bec digs deep on the gospel classic "Lead Me, Guide Me" and its writer Doris Akers, and finally, Gurdip tries to reason out why a 1957 Elvis bothered with the moody Cole Porter ballad, "True Love," originally by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly.

Sadly, video of Elvis's Stage Show appearances are largely commercially unavailable. Some individual performances are available in documentaries like Elvis '56, This is Elvis (theatrical and extended cuts) or The Great Performances. Some fans have shared a handful of performances on YouTube and other video hosting sites sourced from old non-official products and VHS collections, but we must acknowledge that there simply is currently no one-stop shop for all of them.

TCBCast 243: Elvis Now - The Album Review Nov 15, 2022

Show notes

From its misleading title to its meme-status cover, for all our joking about 1972's Elvis Now, it's time to put our money where our mouths are and actually see if the music itself is as misguided as the cover that contains it would seem to imply!

For Song of the Week, Gurdip realizes that the 1963 "Return to Sender" sequel song, "Western Union," still sounds good despite being an outdated culture reference. Then, Justin returns to 1971 right away to give some love to the overlooked Nashville cut "Love Me, Love the Life I Lead," its genuinely great songwriting pedigree, and Elvis's raw delivery, long hampered by a muddled mix and melodramatic overdubs.

"Elvis Now" is available to buy and stream on all major music platforms. We also strongly recommend the Sony Legacy box sets "From Elvis in Nashville" and "Back in Nashville."

TCBCast 242: "Something for the Girls" (Loving You Review Part 2) feat. Jamie Kelley and John Michael Heath Nov 09, 2022

Show notes

Justin, Jamie, and John continue their exploration of Hal Wallis's 1957 production, "Loving You," by delving into the stories behind Elvis's costars and how they ended up in the film, particularly Lizabeth Scott and Dolores Hart. Then the guy ponder Loving You's legacy as to how the film handles the cultural zeitgeist around Elvis Presley, seriously contemplate whether Loving You or Jailhouse Rock does it better... and call into question several reasons why the latter has historically received more praise.

Then, for Song of the Week, Justin takes the backseat and lets John steal the show with his heartbreaking, must-hear interpretation of Elvis's 1956 recording of the old country weeper, "Old Shep." Jamie, on the other hand, takes things a bit lighter and reminds us just how rocking Elvis's country material could be with the 1970 cut "It's Your Baby, You Rock It."

Want to hear more from Jamie and John? Check out EAP Society at youtube.com/EAPSociety and www.eapsociety.com, and you can find more of Jamie's music at jamiekelleymusic.com.

TCBCast 241: "The Lonesome Cowboy" (Loving You Review Part 1) feat. Jamie Kelley & John Michael Heath of EAP Society Nov 01, 2022

Show notes

Musician, actor, songwriter, producer and past TCBCast guest Jamie Kelley returns with Elvis collector & expert John Michael Heath, the co-host of their new YouTube video series EAP Society, to sit down with Justin to talk all about what they've been up to in the past couple years, their history as collectors, and then get down into the nitty gritty behind the classic 1957 film starring Elvis Presley himself, "Loving You."

But first - we take a "Detour" to analyze the original short story it was based on, Mary Agnes Thompson's "A Call From Mitch Miller," first published in a June 1956 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine, then dive headlong into the cinematic tale of rock and roll singer Deke Rivers, who comes up through the country and western field with the help of an exploitative manager, only to explode into mass popularity that sets off a firestorm of controversy among those who say his music corrupts youth and... hey, wait a minute... something about this seems oddly familiar?

As we discuss the soundtrack, Justin also begin laying down the rails for a story that runs parallel to the making of Loving You and connects thematically with the movie and will be concluded on the next episode, along with Songs of the Week!

Want to hear more from Jamie and John? Check out EAP Society at youtube.com/EAPSociety and www.eapsociety.com, and you can find more of Jamie's music at jamiekelleymusic.com.

Timestamps:

0:00: Start/Introductions

17:15: Trivia

30:40: Main Topic

TCBCast 240: It Wouldn't Be The Same Without Elvis (feat. Rick London) Oct 25, 2022

Show notes

This week, Justin and Bec are joined by Rick London, longtime Elvis fan since 1955, and music history aficionado. Rick provides a wealth of insights and experiences on what being a contemporary Elvis fan felt like, and how the process of learning about him and consuming pop culture has evolved in the years since, and in a fun sidebar, Justin even gets him to discuss his brief stint in the mid-60s managing and producing a regionally successful indie record for a local garage band that featured the promoter later known for discovering Prince.

In lieu of trivia, Gurdip jumps in to present **his** list of favorite Elvis songs by year, then for Song of the Week, he happily gets his hands dirty, digging into "Petunia the Gardener's Daughter" from the Frankie and Johnny soundtrack. Then, Justin pleads a case for everyone to revisit the hugely overlooked 1973 Stax recording, "Love Song of the Year," released two years later as an album cut on the Promised Land LP, and then promptly forgotten about.

Timestamps:

0:00: Start/Listener Feedback

9:50: Gurdip's List of Favorite Songs by Year

27:30: Main Topic

1:43:30 SotW: Petunia the Gardener's Daughter

1:54:40 SotW: Love Song of the Year

TCBCast 239: Our Favorite Elvis Songs By Year Oct 18, 2022

Show notes

Justin and Bec certainly INTENDED to take things light this week going for an "easy" topic spotlighting their favorite Elvis songs by year recorded, but you know how it goes... they begin breaking down the performances as they go and it turns into a fun exploration across the entire spectrum of Elvis's career.

For Song of the Week, Justin gives attention to another great but underappreciated 1969 album cut off the Back in Memphis album, "A Little Bit of Green," while Bec fondly remembers Angela Lansbury's turn as Sarah Lee Gates by picking "Beach Boy Blues" from 1961's Blue Hawaii.

Timestamps:

0:00: Start/News

6:05: Listener Feedback

19:50: Trivia

32:30 Main Topic

1:58:00 SotW: A Little Bit of Green

2:07:10 SotW: Beach Boy Blues