|
1966 |
|
| January 8 |
Elvis celebrated his 31st birthday by attending It's A
Mad Mad Mad Mad World at the Memphian. He would continue to watch films
almost every night while he was at home. Elvis received a telegram from
RCA, declaring: "Your understanding and cooperation made 1965 the
biggest of all the ten years you have been with us", what seemed more a
statement of hope than of history. |
| January 14 |
Elvis ordered a professional slot car racetrack for
$4,990. By the end of the month all of the guys had their own personal
cars and soon there were many contested races. |
| January 18 |
Elvis received a letter from the Colonel with lots of
business details, regarding the upcoming new contracts with RCA, MGM and
Paramount. |
| January 22 |
There had been an unusual 4 inch snowfall and Elvis and
the guys were having a snowball fight in front of Graceland. They even
built a snowman in front of the house. |
| January 28 |
Again there were some rumors about the selling of Elvis'
contract by the Colonel. Elvis telephoned the Colonel but was reassured
by him: "not unless they want to pay us enough so we can retire and not
have to work any more. If they want us u under those conditions I
strongly suggest our selling." |
| January 30 |
Elvis left for Los Angeles at 10.00 a.m. in his Dodge
motor home. |
| February 3 |
Elvis arrived in Los Angeles and settled into his new
home at 10550 Rocca Place, Bel Air, which, like the Bellagio house, was
rented from Mrs. Reginald Owen. This new ranch-style house was meant to
offer more privacy for Elvis and Priscilla. Marty Lacker, who was
responsible for its interior decoration, would reside there along with
Charlie Hodge. The others had their own homes by now. |
| February 11 |
Elvis reported to MGM for preproduction on Spinout. |
| February 14 |
Elvis attended a music meeting to select songs for the
soundtrack. |
| February 16 |
Elvis began 2 days of soundtrack recording at Radio
Recorders, starting at 3.00 p.m. and working till midnight. The core of
the Nashville studio band had been flown in and was joined by "Tiny"
Timbrell and guitarist Tommy Tedesco. |
| February 17 |
Elvis was at Radio Recorders, and continued soundtrack
recording from 7.00 p.m. to midnight again.
At the conclusion of recording Elvis decided, impulsively, to take the
Greyhound bus for a trial spin to Las Vegas for the weekend. |
| Februayr 21 |
Principal photography began on Spinout. |
| March 19 |
Elvis flew to Las Vegas for the weekend. |
| April 5 |
Elvis bought some spiritual studies from Gilbert's Book
Shop. |
| April 8 |
Principal photography for Spinout was completed and by
the end of the following week Elvis' work on the film was done. |
| April 16 |
Elvis and his group left Los Angeles. Elvis drove the
Greyhound bus himself most of the time, listening to tapes with
potential material for his upcoming recording session. |
| April 20 |
The group stayed over in Albuquerque. Like always, they
traveled by night and slept during the day |
| April 23 |
Elvis arrived at Graceland at 9.00 p.m. and was welcomed
by about 50 fans at the gates. |
| April 28 |
During Elvis' stay at home, movies were screened at the
Crosstown Theater almost every night. |
| May 7 |
Elvis watched some movies at the Crosstown. |
| May 13 |
Like on many other nights Elvis rented the Fairgrounds
after the movies. |
| May 18 |
The group went to the Fairgrounds again and ate and
drunk for more than $100. |
| May 22 |
Elvis played touch football at Whitehaven High School,
near Graceland. |
| May 25 |
Elvis left for Nashville at 1.00 a.m. on a rented
Greyhound. At Studio B Elvis met his new producer, Felton Jarvis.
According to Chet Atkins, Felton's temperament would suit Elvis better.
Felton was already a big fan of Elvis.
This was the first time in more than 2 years that Elvis was in the
studio to record something else than soundtracks.
He had to deliver 2 singles, a Christmas single and a gospel album.
Elvis worked form 10.00 p.m. to 7.00 a.m. on this first night. He
concentrated on the album How Great Thou Art, but recorded Tomorrow Is A
Long Time from Bob Dylan as well. |
| May 26 |
Elvis went into the studio again and worked from 6.30
p.m. until 7.00 a.m. The Imperials were present too and Elvis was
extremely happy with their presence. Because Floyd Cramer wasn't
available until 9.00 p.m. David Briggs was booked for the early session.
Even after the arriving of Cramer, Briggs kept on playing the piano,
because Elvis had grown used to his sound. |
| May 27 |
Elvis went into the recording studio again from 7.00
p.m. to 5.00 a.m. |
| May 28 |
Like the days before Elvis went into the studio again,
but without the Imperials his spirit to record was gone. Only 2 songs
were completed between 7.oo and 10.00 p.m. |
| June 10 |
Although Elvis was back in Nashville to record again, he
stayed in his hotel with a bad cold and sent Red West to take his place. |
| June 11 |
Elvis remained at the hotel, still refusing to go to the
studio. Instead he listened to the recordings of Red West, which were
very good. |
| June 12 |
Finally Elvis reported to the studio where he spent very
little time on the vocals although the songs obviously meant a lot to
him; Indescribably Blue, I'll Remember You and If Every Day Was Like
Christmas. |
| June 14 |
Back in Memphis Elvis wrote a letter of thanks to Felton
Jarvis. |
| June 26 |
Elvis flew back to Los Angeles with Red West, Jerry
Schilling, Marty Lacker and Charlie Hodge, because his bus needed a new
engine. The others had left a few days earlier, driving Elvis' new black
Cadillac Eldorado convertible and several other cars plus a trailer full
of motorcycles. |
| June 27 |
Elvis reported to MGM for a music meeting and wardrobe
fittings for Double Trouble, which was for the time being called You're
Killing Me. |
| June 28 |
Elvis worked on the new soundtrack from 7.00 p.m. to
2.45 a.m. at Radio Recorders with a complete contingent of musicians
from Nashville. |
| June 29 |
After a 7.00 p.m. cast insurance medical exam, Elvis
resumed soundtrack recording at the MGM recording stage till 3.00 a.m. |
| June 30 |
Elvis overdubbed vocals for three songs from 7.00 p.m.
till midnight on MGM's recording stage. |
| July 1 |
Elvis began a week of rehearsals for Double Trouble at
MGM. |
| July 11 |
Principal photography began on Double Trouble. |
| August 6 |
During filming of Double Trouble Elvis would spend most
weekend in either Las Vegas or Palm Springs. |
| August 30 |
Elvis completed principal photography on Double Trouble. |
| September 2 |
Elvis finished his work on Double Trouble. |
| September 21 |
Elvis signed a lease for one year for an very modern
house in Palm Springs. |
| September 27 |
Elvis gaat naar Paramount voor "Easy Come, Easy Go". Hij
ontmoet Hal Wallis en
John Rich, de directeur. |
| September 28 |
Elvis went to Paramount for preproduction for Easy Come,
Easy Go. He attended a music meeting with Hall Wallis and John Rich,
director. |
| September 29 |
Elvis arrived too late for a wardrobe fitting, and went
for lunch in his dressing room. Therefore he was way too late for his
recording session. They even noted that in the production notes. Elvis
had an appointment at the studio to get his hair cut. Instead of that he
had his hair cut at home and arrived to late for his recording session.
However, by midnight he had completed several songs, including She's A
Machine. |
| Ocotber 3 |
Principal photography began on Easy Come, Easy Go,
Elvis' last picture for Hal Wallis and Paramount. |
| October 10 |
Elvis filmed on location at the Long Beach Naval
Station. |
| November 7 |
The photography of Easy Come, Easy Go was completed. |
| November 22 |
In spite of the fact that the shooting of Easy Come,
Easy Go was ended more than 2 weeks before, Elvis wasn't released by Hal
Wallis until now. So Elvis had spent most of the last 2 weeks at his new
Palm Springs home. |
| November 24 |
After spending Thanksgiving with the Colonel in Palm
Springs, Elvis drove home to Memphis in his rebuilt Greyhound bus. |
| November 29 |
Just outside of Little Rock Elvis heard Georg Klein play
Tom Jones' Green Green Grass Of Home on his radio show. Elvis kept
calling Georg over and over again to hear the song again. This much to
annoyance of Red West, because he brought the song to Elvis attention
the year before and was told it was too country for Elvis.
At home, at Graceland, Elvis' bedroom was redecorated, mostly into red
and black. This would stay the almost the same until Elvis' death. |
| December 2 |
Elvis went to the Memphian almost every other night. The
movies of this night were Fantastic Voyage and Dead Heat On A
Merry-Go-Round. |
| December 5 |
Elvis developed a serious interest in horseback riding.
He purchased 3 pairs of boots, 5 jackets, and various other items from
Ben Howell and Son Saddlery in Whitehaven. |
| December 12 |
Elvis donated all kind of checks with a total amount of
$105,000 for charities. |
| December 15 |
Elvis gave a present to George Klein: a
yellow Cadillac convertible. |
| December 19 |
Elvis was interviewed by the Memphis Commercial Appeal
and talked about Christmas time as well as in the past as in the
present: "Everything is so dreamy when you are young. After you grow up
it kind of becomes just real." |
| December 20 |
Elvis bought 2 horses. One was his Christmas gift to
Priscilla. The other was for Jerry Schilling's fiancée, Sandy Kawelo, so
that Priscilla had somebody to ride with. |
| December 24 |
Elvis proposed to Priscilla. He presented her the ring,
he had bought from jeweler Harry Levitch some time before. |
| December 25 |
Elvis spent Christmas at Graceland with Priscilla and
his family. Christmas dinner was catered by Monte's Catering Service as
always. |
| December 28 |
Elvis returned one of the horses he had bought earlier
this month and bought 2 others instead. |
| December 29 |
Again Elvis bought a horse this day. This time it was a
chestnut sorrel horse named Whirlaway. |
| December 30 |
Again the purchase of the day was a horse, along with a
great deal of equipment for riding.. |
| December 31 |
Again there were several horses bought today as an
addition to the stable. Elvis held his annual New Year's Eve party at
Manhattan Club, but he didn't attend himself, because there was not a
parking place available.
His guests however enjoyed the catering by Monte's again as well as the
music: Willie Mitchell and his band. |