TCBCast: An Unofficial Elvis Presley Fan Podcast

Latest Episodes:

TCBCast Bonus: Baz Luhrmann's Elvis - The First In-Depth Elvis Expert Review (feat. Bec Wyles) Jun 09, 2022

Show notes

Recorded, edited and published as an early access bonus to the TCBCast Patreon within hours of the Sydney premiere on June 5, the fabulous Bec Wyles, who was in attendance at the invitation of WB, sat down with Justin for her in-the-moment, unprocessed and unfiltered reactions to the film.

Baz Luhrmann's Elvis is an audio-visual barrage that overwhelmed even a quick-minded Elvis expert like Bec so, helped along by Justin's compiled plot details from early media reviews, Bec brings many other new surprises and spoilers that had not been identified or reported by mainstream media reviewers to that point. If you are wanting to go in with every single surprise preserved, you have been warned - skip this episode! Gurdip and Justin will be back for a regular TCBCast next week.

Thank you to all of the TCBCast Patreon supporters, new and existing, for your continued support. Patrons have exclusive early access to new episodes, and now an archive of over a year and a half of full-fledged bonus episodes from the TCBCast crew including unofficial reviews, commentaries and breakdowns of Elvis & early-rock related movies, albums, topics and more.

TCBCast 219: Doncha Think It's Time (feat. Bec Wyles) Jun 01, 2022

Show notes

Justin and Bec power through a mostly spur-of-the-moment episode to read listener emails, catch up on the latest in the barrage of media around Baz Luhrmann's Elvis, including what we've heard from the soundtrack on the Red Carpets at the Cannes and London premieres.

For Song of the Week, Justin rings in Pride Month with "Riding the Rainbow" from 1962's Kid Galahad, while Bec selects "Doncha Think It's Time," a poppy track among the handful of Elvis's late 1950s pre-Army recordings.

Bec is off to see Baz Luhrmann's Elvis this weekend at the Sydney premiere - Patreon supporters will get to hear her exclusive first reactions this weekend; if you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.

Timestamps

0:00: Start/News

23:30: "Elvis" Soundtrack News

42:50: Listener Feedback

47:15 SotW: Riding the Rainbow

59:30 SotW: Doncha Think It's Time

TCBCast 218: The Sweet Inspirations May 26, 2022

Show notes

Recorded well before both Trailer 2 and the world premiere of Baz Luhrmann's Elvis at Cannes, Gurdip and Justin get caught up pre-premiere news and answered a patron's nostalgic email regarding the 20th anniversary of the A Little Less Conversation remix, then get down to business reviewing The Sweet Inspirations' self-titled 1967 album, which gave them their biggest hit single, "Sweet Inspiration."

Featuring a range of material from across the soul, R&B and even country genres, all with the signature sound of American Sounds' Memphis Boys just as we're familiar with on Elvis's 1969 material,"The Sweet Inspirations" in an insight into what appealed to Elvis most about them when he brought them on for his live shows in 1969. The guys also very briefly touch on how the group came to be, a handful of the most notable recordings they were featured on both before and after their time with Elvis.

For Song of the Week, Justin knocks another 50s song off the dwindling list of remaining recordings from that era, picking "How Do You Think I Feel" from Elvis's second album, while Gurdip makes up for being unable to chime in on the calypso-influenced "Ito Eats" from Blue Hawaii on the last regular episode.

If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.

Timestamps:

0:00 Start/News Catch-Up

32:15 Listener Feedback

42:30 Main Topic

1:27:00 SotW: How Do You Think I Feel?

1:40:30 SotW: Ito Eats

Baz Luhrmann's Elvis Trailer #2 Breakdown Bonus (feat. Ryan and Bec) May 24, 2022

Show notes

All hands are on deck for our initial reactions and emergency breakdown of the second theatrical trailer for Baz Luhrmann's Elvis.

Just as in our previous breakdown, we spend time exploring what creative choices indicate to us about the direction, themes and tone of the upcoming feature film, as well as provide historical context, speculation, and pointing out details you might have missed!

Plus, plenty of discussion on key topics like how the film will tackle Elvis's relationship with Priscilla, hearty debates over Austin Butler's singing, and the exciting release of soundtrack details, including Eminem and Cee-Lo Green's new collab, "The King and I." FYI - we would not typically do this, but because we were not expecting this trailer to drop so quickly, we are delaying TCBCast 218 to later this week so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle as we think the topic deserves full attention as well.

TCBCast Bonus: "Baz Luhrmann's Elvis" Catch-Up w/Ryan Droste May 23, 2022

Show notes

As part of our monthly Patreon-exclusive pop culture spin-off TCBCast Now, Ryan Droste joined Justin this month for an extended discussion catching up on his thoughts on the interviews, TV spots and other information that dropped related to Baz Luhrmann's Elvis. That segment is being released here on the main feed as a bonus episode.

FYI This was recorded before Trailer 2 dropped the morning of May 23, we will be doing ANOTHER full-length breakdown bonus episode this week as well, on top of our regularly scheduled episode of TCBCast dropping tomorrow.

TCBCast Now is the monthly spin-off where we talk about movies, TV, games and music beyond (but surprisingly often connected with) Elvis Presley, including Songs of the Month. This month's songs were "Born in the USA" by Bruce Springsteen and "Diamond Studded Shoes" by Yola. If you would like to hear loads more bonus content, including plenty of exclusive unofficial film commentaries and Elvis-era album reviews, please consider supporting our show at Patreon.com/TCBCast.

TCBCast 217: Night and You... and Blue Hawaii, Part 2 (feat. Bec Wyles) May 17, 2022

Show notes

In Part 2 of Justin and Bec's discussion on Elvis's smash 1961 Paramount film "Blue Hawaii," Bec finally unleashes a years-pent-up question about Nancy Walters' Abigail Prentice, and the duo reassesses Justin's claim that "Blue Hawaii" was one of the most important movies Elvis made.

Then, for Song of the Week, Bec gambles on "Chesay" from Frankie & Johnny as a gesture to past guest co-host Olivia, while Justin gives a little attention to the underplayed ballad "If I Were You" from the "Love Letters From Elvis" album, pointing out that it came from Gerald Nelson, the same writer who also gave us such, um... "gems" like "Yoga Is As Yoga Does" and "The Love Machine."

If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Patrons received this episode 10 days early! 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.

Timestamps:

0:00 Start/Main Topic, Part 2

1:02:15 SotW: Chesay

1:11:30 Sotw: If I Were You

TCBCast 216: Polū Hawai'i, Part One (feat. Bec Wyles) May 10, 2022

Show notes

Gurdip is out this week to handle some necessary family concerns, so Justin is joined by Bec once again to talk about the film he once called "the most important movie Elvis ever made": 1961's "Blue Hawaii"!

Bec has plenty to say on the love rectangle protagonist Chad Gates finds himself in one corner of, while Justin digs into the film's cinematic legacy, going back to a Bing Crosby movie from the 30s.

But first - hear Bec react in real time to seeing the new "Hayride" preview from Baz Luhrmann's Elvis! (Note - I mention not being able to identify the character next to Jimmie Rodgers Snow; I was referring to the leaked clip which was highly compressed, blurry and watermarked. It's clear in the official WB release that it's David Wenham as Jimmie's father Hank Snow.)

Next week, we'll pick up with Part Two, covering the second portion of the film and our Songs of the Week!

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.

Timestamps:

0:00 Start/News

14:30 "Elvis" Hayride Clip Reactions

22:50 Listener Feedback

35:40 Main Topic, Part 1

TCBCast 215: April Showers, May Flowers May 03, 2022

Show notes

Hey TCBCast listeners - April was a rough month for the hosts, so they're taking things a bit easy this week as a mental reset in anticipation of a full slate of content for the month of May.

Gurdip and Justin discuss some light Elvis news, answer some listener messages, and then for Song of the Week, Gurdip is uplifted by "Beyond the Bend" from the It Happened At the World's Fair soundtrack, while Justin take a look at the upbeat "In Your Arms" from the Something For Everybody soundtrack. Then, Justin veers off in a totally different direction to spend a little time getting off his chest his unusual fascination with Elvis soundalike Marvin Benefield's uncanny, original 1962 recording "Don't Go," cut at the same session as Tommy Roe's "Sheila" under producer Felton Jarvis and with many of the same Nashville band members working on Elvis's early 60s pop material.

Timestamps:

0:00 Start/News

14:45: Listener Feedback

23:50: SotW: Beyond the Bend

35:00: SotW: In Your Arms

45:00: SotW: Don't Go (Vince Everett)

TCBCast 214: Album Review: Burning Love and Hits From His Movies, Vol. 2 Apr 26, 2022

Show notes

We're taking a look at the album that dropped the same day as "Elvis On Tour", the Camden that paired his hit single with a handful of seemingly disconnected songs from Elvis's movies... but as you'll hear, there may just be a secret connection between them that you won't expect!

Then, for Song of the Week, Gurdip keeps things light covering the underrated "Clambake" ballad, "The Girl I Never Loved," while Justin goes big, tackling Elvis's massive 1957 hit single "All Shook Up," some of the many versions from Elvis and others over the decades, and addressing Elvis's cowriting credit alongside Otis Blackwell.

Timestamps:

0:00 Start

4:00 Doja Cat "Vegas" Single Reaction

20:00 Listener Feedback

28:40 Main Topic

1:08:00 SotW: The Girl I Never Loved

1:14:40 SotW: All Shook Up

TCBCast 213: Elvis On Tour Movie Review, Part 2 (feat. Bec Wyles) Apr 19, 2022

Show notes

Part 2 of our review of the 1972 documentary "Elvis On Tour" includes discussion on various releases of EOT, its audio-visual components, and pondering whether it has been overshadowed by Aloha From Hawaii. We also debate whether a potential Special Edition would be any more insightful or artistically merited for the mainstream given the known material, or if fan voraciousness is the only thing left driving demand.

Then, for Song of the Week, Bec tackles 1967's "Mine", reminding us a bit more about the lives and work of songwriters Sid Tepper and Roy Bennett. Gurdip, being a "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" himself, spotlights the Million Dollar Quartet jams of Chuck Berry's ode to men of color, and finally Justin rounds the show out with Elvis's sweet and vulnerable but once-neglected Sun Records recording, "Tomorrow Night" and learning the tragic story of how it was one of the last melodies written by its composer, Wilhelm Grosz.

Elvis On Tour is available on DVD, Blu-Ray and a version that restores "Johnny B. Goode" is available on many digital services. If you have Facebook, please make a point to visit the excellent "Release the Elvis On Tour Footage News" group for an excellent repository of history, information and photos related to the making of Elvis On Tour.

Timestamps:

0:00 Start/Main Topic

43:20 SotW: Mine

1:00:05 SotW: Brown Eyed Handsome Man

1:16:20 SotW: Tomorrow Night