Elvis is a hack

[Mark]

Blitzy, I know that as soon as you insult someone you've lost the argument and all, but this thread just proves you know absolutely fuck all about music - and I don't care if you've studied musical history! Elvis was great, and reason why is because he DID manage to hold his own against the black performers of the day (who RULED the R'n'B roost with top-10 albums and packed houses (of black AND white audiences) in the 50s). Hell, if it wasn't for Elvis making R'n'B into mass-appeal music (and in effect, Rock'n'Roll) then the black artists of the day wouldn't have had THEIR mainstream success - even at a time when racism was still the accepted norm.

He put rock on the radio, and black music soon followed once the audiences opened up to guitar-based music. And along the way he recorded some of the great rock tracks of the day.

 

[Spiff]

What he said.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I would just like to say I am not questioning Elvis' ability or integrity at all, I think he is great, this is more of a comment about society at the time holding the black artists back etc, not so much to do with Elvis himself. My point is that, yes, Elvis opened the floodgates, but if circumstances were different, he would not have had to, as black artists would have been given more exposure in the first place.

The reason people took to Elvis' R'n'B was because he was white. He performed like a black man, but it was ok to give him exposure and such, because he was white. Sure, he was good at what he did, but so were other people, they just happened to be black.

 

[Spiff]

So how does that make him a hack?

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Perhaps 'hack' was a harsh way of putting it, but I really don't think he deserves his reputation.

 

[Gavin]

IThe reason people took to Elvis' R'n'B was because he was white. He performed like a black man

Congratulations, that is the most rediculous comment i have ever read.


People to to him because he was basically a sex god and did somthing totally new.
I suppose australia must have been racist because they took to AC/DC doing chuck berry covers

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Obviously you don't understand what I am saying.

 

[Southy]

argument

 

[Gavin]

I do understand where your coming from but i disagree with what your saying.
Your theory is. Elvis was popular because people liked R'n'b music but because they were racist they wouldn't buy it because it was performed by black people.
But then when elvis came along it was ok to like the music because it was performed by a white man so they bought the record.
This is what i don't agree with.
I don't think being white as apposed to black was the main reason for his sucess.
There were many very popular black artists selling records to white people before elvis came along.
Chuck Berry is a good example.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

It isn't so much that people wouldn't buy black artists albums but they would buy Elvis', it was more that black artists weren't given the opportunites Elvis was. Elvis was pushed and pushed and pushed, it was easier for him to get tv spots because people didn't have to worry about his race etc.

 

[Sydo]

Elvis was pushed and pushed and pushed, it was easier for him to get tv spots because people didn't have to worry about his race etc.

This is all true..

 

[Gavin]

Yes i agree with that, but it does not mean he was successful because of racism .
Most of the current rnb artists are black, but thats not because of racism either. Its just because the indestry has realised that thats what they can market to sell at the moment.

 

[Don't Blame Me I Voted Satan]

There is still 1 factor u r neglecting and thats "if". Elvis was the 1 who inspired a whole new generation of rock and thats fact all these theories of urs r fiction and cannot b known unless.... hey does any1 hav a time machine in here? :Spin:

 

[Blitzkrieg]

You can't compare the current music industry to that of the 40s and 50s. Any racism now is mild in comparison.

I am not saying Elvis was successful because of racism, I am saying other artists were held back because of racism, making it easier for him.

 

[Southy]

why do people spell fucked up in here?

 

[Sydo]

hey does any1 hav a time machine in here? :Spin:

Yes, beer.

 

[phlogiston]

No, we need to go backwards.

 

[Goreripper]

I do understand where your coming from but i disagree with what your saying.
Your theory is. Elvis was popular because people liked R'n'b music but because they were racist they wouldn't buy it because it was performed by black people.
But then when elvis came along it was ok to like the music because it was performed by a white man so they bought the record.
This is what i don't agree with.
I don't think being white as apposed to black was the main reason for his sucess.
There were many very popular black artists selling records to white people before elvis came along.
Chuck Berry is a good example.

Blitzy is right in saying that Elvis was successful because he was white. That's true. Elvis aped the style of black musicians that he admired, but because he was white, conservative 1950s America allowed it to be played on radio and TV. He made black music popular during a time when black performers were incredibly stigmatised in the US. Don't forget, Elvis popularised black music at a time when segregation was still in full force in most parts of the US, black music could only be played on black radio stations and black performers could only play in black music halls. Elvis making black music acceptable to whites did quite a lot to forward the cause of black musicians in the late 50s and early 60s. The interesting thing about Chuck Berry is that when his records first started being played on the radio, most people thought he was white. It wasn't until he appeared on TV playing one of his songs that people realised he was black. In a lot of ways, Elvis WAS a hack in that he had no formal musical training, wrote very little of his material and had very little say in the direction of his own career. However, like Frank Sinatra, he was very good at interpreting a song and that's where his real talent came to the fore. Elvis could basically take any song and make it his own. Not a lot of artists can do that.

 

[Sydo]

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Thank you Gore.