Bud Glass talks to ElvisInfoNet.com
Interview by Piers
Beagley
Bud Glass is one of the
world's best known collectors of Elvis memorabilia.
He also happens to be friends with a great number
of Elvis personal acquaintances like Sonny West, Kathy
Westmoreland & Sandi Miller. His 'Behind The Image'
DVDs & book are essential for any true Elvis fan
and now he has also created a special Elvis memorabilia
exhibition, "The King's Ransom", which was
a real hit at Elvis week in Memphis last year.
EIN - Thanks for agreeing
to talk with us. I know that you spent sometime
with one of EIN's major contributors, Sanja Meegin,
last August in Memphis.
BG - It is my pleasure. Sanja
is a great fan and a wonderful person. She came
by THE KING'S RANSOM exhibit in Memphis last August
and we had a wonderful time.
EIN - Do you go to Memphis
every year for Elvis week and tell us a bit about
The King's Ransom exhibition?
BG - The King's Ransom is
an exhibit of personal treasures once owned by Elvis,
from the private collections of Russ Howe, Tom Salva
and myself. We have separately been collecting authentic
personal items for years, and decided that the rest
of the world may enjoy a museum type exhibit of
these rare items. We have some very interesting
items including stage and screen costumes, clothing
from Elvis' personal wardrobe from the 1950's to
the 1970's, rings, bracelets, watches and other
jewelry. We also have a large collection of Elvis'
personal guns and badges, including the actual badge
Elvis received from President Richard Nixon at the
White House on December 21, 1970.
I'd like also mention some
of Elvis' personal items including his prescription
sunglasses, his Precision Tool photo I.D. badge
from the 50's, original Army Induction papers, red
velvet bedspread from Graceland, his pajamas, and
even his personal Bible that was on his night stand
the day he passed away! There is much more in the
collection than I can possibly tell you and everything
is displayed with photos of Elvis with the items.
It is a very impressive display, if I do say so
myself.
EIN - How many of you are
involved in the exhibition - Russ Howe and Tom Salva
were both with you in Memphis, are they also partners?
BG - Russ Howe and Tom Salva
and I are best friends and partners. We thought
that since these things have been in our private
collection for years, we would share it with other
fans who would enjoy seeing it all. Most everything
in our collection is on public display for the very
first time.
The
King's Ransom
in Memphis, 2004.
Russ Howe,
Sonny West,
Bud Glass
and
Tom Salva
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EIN - You seem pretty young
to have such an Elvis collection. What started your
interest in Elvis?
BG - I am actually 40 years
old, but thanks for calling me young! My interest
in Elvis started when I was a boy living in Illinois.
I heard an Elvis recording of Jailhouse Rock and
I was hooked. For many years I searched for anything
other than the material that was available in any
store. I found someone with some audio tapes of
unreleased Elvis concerts and that sparked a desire
to obtain every concert possible.
I did a tremendous amount
of research to locate people who attended Elvis
concerts. I looked for photos, recordings, 8mm film
footage shot at any performance or candid footage.
Years of work and searching for any rare material
I could find has been the main reason for the bulk
of my collection. I currently have over 900 performances
on tape, as well as a large collection of photos
and film footage. I eventually started collecting
Elvis personal items as well and am fortunate enough
to have made some great friends in the Elvis world.
Many of the items in my collection are from those
who personally received the items from Elvis.
EIN - Tell me more about
your connection with J D Sumner & your interest
in gospel music? I believe your father was a Baptist
preacher.
BG - My parents are from
the south. Although I was born and raised near Chicago,
Illinois, my southern roots run deep. As the oldest
son of a Baptist preacher, I was raised on southern
gospel quartet music. I was a fan of J.D. and The
Stamps long before I even knew who Elvis was. My
father is still a Baptist preacher in Florida. I
was fortunate enough to know J.D. and The Stamps
on a personal level over the years. My wife, kids
and I would spend many weekends with them and on
many occasions, I would also meet up with them in
Nashville or Memphis. My kids were raised around
them, and looked at J.D. as a grandfather, and still
call Ed Enoch and Ed Hill "Uncle Ed".
EIN - How is Uncle Ed now?
Have you seen him? We all heard that he was in hospital
& were concerned.
With
Ed Enoch backstage in Memphis Aug. 16, 1996
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BG
- He's recovering from a stroke but I haven't been
able to get up to Nashville to see him. I have spoken
to Ed Enoch who says he is doing ok - he has had
a stroke before. I'm hoping to hear from him soon
- he's a good man.
EIN - Isn't it sad for all
of us that Elvis' friends and acquittances are getting
old (as we all are!) I think it is important that
people like you do produce DVDs including interviews
about Elvis' life with his colleagues before it
all gets too late. The interview with Ed Hill on
Behind The Image 2 is a treat.
BG - I feel that these are
stories that need to be told and I want to explore
further than the generic answers that they might
have given at fan conventions or whatever. You just
have to ask the right questions. One of the last
things I did in Elvis Week last year was talk to
Al Dvorin about his introduction to our 'Born To
Rock' book. I had been encouraging Al to write a
book of all his memories. He had started to put
his notes down on tape but I don't know how much
he finished. He had some incredible stories.
EIN - You must have been
very upset when J.D. Sumner passed away.
BG - It was very upsetting as I had spent a lot
of time with J.D. and got to know the real man behind
the legend. Most Elvis fans are interested in J.D,
The Stamps, and others in the Elvis group because
of their connection with Elvis. Although I am an
extreme Elvis fan, my love and respect for J.D.,
Ed Enoch and Ed Hill had nothing to do with Elvis.
Although we naturally talk
quite a bit about Elvis, I wish Elvis fans would
realize what a legend J.D. was, outside of his seven
years with Elvis. He is responsible for so many
great things. He was the lowest bass singer in the
world according to the Guinness book of world records.
He was a Grammy winner who wrote literally hundreds
of songs. He was founder of The Gospel Music Association
and The National Quartet Convention. He was the
first to have all four vocalist using separate microphones
and first to convert a bus for travelling! He was
truly a great man. I was honored to have known him
personally and I miss him dearly.
EIN - You are probably best
known for your "Behind The Image" DVDs
& books, what started you on that project?
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Bud
Glass with J.D. Sumner
just months before he passed away in 1998
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BG - Several years ago, I
obtained what has to be the most incredible home
movie footage in existence. I literally tried for
15 years to talk the owner into selling it to me.
I realized that there were many other fans like
me out there who love rare Elvis footage as I do,
so I decided to share it with fans around the world.
I was only interested in producing a top notch,
quality production that was 100% positive. So much
has been told about the Legend of Elvis Presley,
so I decided to explore more of the man behind the
image.
By interviewing friends of
mine in the Elvis world who knew Elvis personally,
like Kathy Westmoreland, John Wilkinson, Sandi Miller
and others, I wanted to show the more personal side
of Elvis. After years of talking to people who knew
Elvis, I came to the realization that no one person
really knew the real Elvis. This is mainly because
Elvis only exposed a certain portion of himself
and his soul to different people based on how he
connected with that person. Each person who knew
Elvis personally holds a piece of the puzzle.
I believe that only through
the collective efforts of taking those individual
pieces and putting them together, do we start to
see a glimpse of the true man behind the image.
EIN - What do you think separates
your 'Behind The Image' series from others of a
similar nature?
BG - I really wanted and
to present a different perspective into the real
Elvis Presley & I set out to use all my rare
footage, photos and interviews to kinda' put together
the pieces of the puzzle. Although the bulk of my
footage is concert footage, it was never before
released and ultra rare. I mixed it with the limited
amount of candid "home movie" type footage
I had, to go along with the stories that were told
by those who knew him best. The goal for me was
never to make a buck - the money that is made covers
production costs and helps to finance the next production.
With all of my dvd and book
productions, my goal has always been to leave a
small dent in the Elvis world with something I can
be proud to have my name on. And to contribute back
to the wonderful world of Elvis that has brought
me so much joy over the years.
EIN - I was particularly
impressed with the book 'Behind The Image' - While
there are a plethora of photo books out there, something
about the candid photos as well as Sandi Miller's
notes made it very special - a kind of reference
book. How did the book come about?
BG - Soon after I started
on the first BEHIND THE IMAGE dvd, I knew right
away that I wanted to do a follow-up book that also
dealt specifically with the private side of Elvis.
Sandi Miller is a fan who
became a friend to Elvis, and who spent time at
his homes in California, at rehearsals in the studio
and in Vegas. She was also with Elvis on the set
of his movies and she took a great deal of photos,
and also kept journals. I was fascinated with the
fact that she had kept journals, since everyone's
memories fail us sometimes. Her diary entries ensured
that the details of the stories were as fresh as
the day they happened. I think it is a great insight
into a side of Elvis that was not seen by typical
fans.
Only one other person has
ever used her photos so, for the most part, everything
I used was unreleased. If you do recognize a particular
photo, I was able to put six or eight more along
with it that had never been seen since they were
taken over 30 years ago. I love showing complete
sets of photos whenever possible.
EIN - I thought the use of
Sandi's journals combined with her photos was a
great idea.
BG - Sandi had never allowed
anyone access to her private journals, so this was
a great opportunity to put together a candid book
that would be like no other before. My friend Russ
Howe has what is most likely the largest collection
of Elvis photos in existence. The added use of his
images made a good book even better in my opinion.
I am a stickler for details
and I do loads of research in everything I produce.
Instead of a crazy caption, I prefer to put the
date, location, and what was happening in each photo.
It kills me when I have photos with no date or information,
because I like to add all the relevant information
I can with every photo. To me, it makes a beautiful
photo book into a reference book of sorts as well.
I am glad you feel the same way about my books being
a reference type book since I seem to have accomplished
my goal.
EIN - Ok, but to be honest
however in my review of your 'Behind The Image'
Vol.1 DVD on this site I actually complained that,
although the Elvis footage was superb, I felt that
we didn't really get 'Behind The Image'?
BG - I can only release what
I have available to me. I agree that more candid
footage would be better. Unfortunately, I have MUCH
MORE concert footage than candid footage available
to use. Although this is unfortunate, it still does
not prohibit me from showing the man behind the
image in other ways.
There is rare candid footage
in my documentaries, and there are also rare candid
photos, and stories told first hand from the people
who were there with Elvis. The candid footage is
short, but you must remember the footage is a visual
aid to the story being told. You will never learn
about the man behind the image from just watching
home movies. It is the entire package combined that
shows the private side of Elvis I am trying to expose.
After you hear the stories
of the personal side of Elvis as they are told by
the people who were there, then see him on stage
in front of all those people, it makes you look
at Elvis a bit differently, as you start to see
into his soul. You realize this legend is after
all, a mortal just like you and me. And even this
seemingly confident KING, has weaknesses, vulnerability
and insecurities like the rest of us. The concert
footage serves it purpose in my documentaries.
EIN - One thing I do like
is the fact that Elvis is more relaxed in your concert
footage since he is often not aware that he was
being filmed.
BG - I agree and do feel
that Elvis did cut loose & be more un-inhibited
in my footage. Without the TTWII cameras he did
not feel the nervousness and pressure. I also find
it interesting how Elvis really moved on stage in
the 1970-71 footage I have shown so far. Elvis off-camera
is a different person than Elvis on-camera. So to
have such close and clear footage of an un-inhibited
Elvis, shows more of the real man behind the image
to me.
If you want to watch Elvis
recite from a script, watch his movies. If you want
to see a slightly nervous Elvis perform, watch Aloha
From Hawaii, but always bear in mind that as long
as there was a professional film crew there, Elvis
was aware of this and it was always in the back
of his mind throughout the entire performance.
If you want to see the REAL
Elvis
watch an amateur film shot when Elvis
was not aware of the cameras. The private side of
Elvis is also explored in my dvds. What made him
laugh, cry and what he discussed in private about
several things, including how "he could buy
everything as far as your eyes could see, but he
could not buy the one thing he truly wanted
peace
in his heart".
I don't think it is a fair
statement to say you learned nothing new about the
man behind the image from the documentaries. I learned
things I had never known before. I guarantee you
heard stories from the people interviewed that you
have never heard before. I guarantee you saw rare
footage that you have never seen before. If you
want sensationalism, you purchased the wrong dvd.
I don't do that.
EIN - Are you working on
further volumes of 'Behind The Image' - what can
we expect with the next volume?
Behind
The Image - Volume 2
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BG- As you know, BEHIND THE
IMAGE VOLUME 2 was released. We are currently working
on VOLUME 3. If you saw the preview for volume 3,
then as you know, you are in for a real treat. If
you have not seen the preview yet, please visit
the official web site, where you can view previews
of all of my productions. www.behind-the-image.com
There is absolutely no question that the rare, unreleased
footage I use in my productions is the best, closest,
clearest home movie footage in existence. I cannot
give you too many details at this point, other than
the footage in this volume is mainly from 1971-1973,
and is guaranteed to blow your mind!
EIN - I believe that you
an incredible amount of home footage of Elvis -
Just how much do you own, make me jealous!?
BG - I have many hours of
footage that still has never been released. I own
the original reels and they have never been transferred
from the original super 8 reels since it was shot
and developed over 30 years ago. I love sharing
my footage through my documentaries with fans who
appreciate it as much as I do. I despise it when
collectors buy rare footage and put it in their
closets, keeping it to themselves. My goal is free
the footage to live and breathe again, and to be
enjoyed by fans around the world as it should be.
I am just a fan myself, releasing the type of productions
that I wish others were releasing.
EIN - So what do you know
about the 'Pied Piper of Cleveland'. I am sure that
by now it must be an urban myth, despite what rumours
I have heard. What are your feelings, do you know
anyone who has seen it?
BG - I have to say that I
do know that a portion of it exists, about 15 minutes
of footage. I haven't seen it myself but this 15
minutes of footage does have Elvis in it - however
it does not include his actual performance, he's
just off to the side. So Elvis is in the footage
but the rumour is of course that Elvis' performance
is out there somewhere.
Remember that we it took
a long while for the CBS outtakes to actually appear
I just hope that Pied Piper turns up before we're
too old. I can tell you that the complete 1958 Russwood
Park performance was filmed and that exists. We
got a glimpse of it on the Elvis Memories thing,
but I hear that it was professionally filmed and
in colour! I guess that is was faith is based on,
"belief in things not seen"!
I can tell you that, sadly,
I lost a good friendship in obtaining the footage
for the Behind The Image DVD just because of other
unscrupulous collectors. I truly want this rare
footage to be shared.
EIN - Even Ernst Jorgensen
admits that paying high amounts for rare Elvis footage
is a problem, so how much are you willing to pay
for rare Elvis footage - and how can you afford
to be such an avid collector?
BG - It is hard to say how
much I would be willing to pay for footage. The
bulk of the footage used in the BEHIND THE IMAGE
series was very expensive, but it is without a doubt
the best, closest, clearest private footage in existence.
I am by no means a wealthy man and to continue to
purchase new material, I must find a way to help
finance that purchase.
In addition to the price
of the footage, you must consider the additional
cost to turn that raw footage into a quality production.
People have no idea how long and hard I work on
each book and dvd release. I have a great team that
works hard to help me release the best possible
productions at a reasonable price & I would
like to take this opportunity to mention Greg Retkowski
and Andre Mester who helped to make BEHIND THE IMAGE
what it is today. I am proud of the quality that
goes into each production, but with that high quality
is high production costs.
In the same way I made the
same decision with my books to create the most beautiful,
full color, hardback books possible. If I were more
interested in my profit margin, it would obviously
show in my work. I am against throwing photos on
a page and calling it a book. If I were to do that,
I could release a book every 3 months.
The work that I put into
my books & DVDs takes a tremendous amount of
time, effort and research and hard work. I am only
interested in releasing quality productions and
as long as the fans continue to support my efforts,
I will be happy to continue sharing it with them.
EIN - You said that you have
seen bloopers & outtakes from Elvis' movies,
including Jailhouse Rock. Can you give us a clue
of what might be out there and what definitely exists?
BG - I have seen 3 hours
of outtakes from Jailhouse Rock. Perfect quality,
but with no sound. I have seen the complete karate
footage that exists for what was to be "The
New Gladiator". Again silent, but the sound
reel does exist. I have also heard of the existence
of 'Loving You' outtakes, although I have never
seen them. I have been trying for several years
to purchase home movie footage shot on the set of
'Follow That Dream'. I believe there is still a
lot of other unreleased material out there. I only
wish they would release it while the people who
lived during Elvis' lifetime are still around to
enjoy it. There will always be Elvis fans, but the
next generation of fans will look at Elvis more
like legendary folklore. Those of us who grew up
in Elvis' lifetime are the ones who would most appreciate
seeing this rare material.
EIN - Were you are
referring to 'Plantation Rock' in 'Girls,
Girls, Girls' was that really filmed? If it
exists I am amazed that EPE haven't got hold
of it for one of their documentaries.
BG - I was actually
talking about the footage of Elvis singing
'Where Do You Come From' which definitely
exists. But don't think that just because
EPE haven't released the footage, that they
might not have it. They have more than we
think. Of course EPE are not as anxious to
please die-hard collectors as they are to
please the masses. Maybe this new EPE buy-out
will actually benefit fans since they should
push EPE to new horizons.
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EIN - I have seen some
pretty low-quality home footage of Madison
Square Garden. Do you know if both concerts
were filmed professionally & in full?
BG - Well, rather than
the home-movie footage that we know, there
was also a closed-circuit stationary camera
that piped the feed into the Press box area.
I know for a fact that this footage exists.
What was filmed was the complete June 9th
& 10th both performances, and at least
20 minutes of June 11th - that's quite a bit!
The camera was positioned high above the stage
and it was done for VIPs, so that they could
see the show from their own booth. Most people
don't even know that this footage is out there,
but portions of this material were on the
'King Of Entertainment' DVD. The mystery to
me is that there were also movie cameras on
the stage with Elvis, what happened to that
footage? Outtakes do exist for ELVIS ON TOUR
as I am sure you know. I'm hopeful that FTD
might release perhaps an hour or two of raw
footage of 'On Tour' for the fans on a DVD,
we know that it would sell.
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EIN - What about the book
of Behind The Image 2 - are you mainly using Sandi
Miller's notes again?
BG - It will be like the
first BTI book and I'll be using some of Sandi's
and Russ Howe's material but this time I have also
pooled from several other people's photos as well.
The great thing about these productions is that
people are now contacting me suggesting that I use
their rare material. There are some amazing unknown
stories behind photos that you have never seen before.
I can't tell you how excited I am about this new
volume, I think it even tops the first book! I'm
hoping that it will come out mid-year, not too far
off.
EIN - Do you have to get
clearance for material you use on your DVDs or is
your ownership actually enough?
BG - My video productions
are documentaries and I only use my own personal
footage, to which I own the copyright. I use photos
owned by myself and friends who grant the permission
for their use. However the footage I own is all
silent. Even if it were recorded with sound, I could
not use that. As you know I unfortunately cannot
use Elvis' singing voice.
EIN - Does your personal
collection contain any other celebrity memorabilia?
BG - I actually do
have a large collection of non-Elvis related
memorabilia. I have items from Marilyn Monroe,
Frank Sinatra, John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart,
Michael Jackson, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis,
Marlon Brando and many more. I also collect
autographs, including historic figures. I
own John Wayne's shirt from the Warner Brothers
film "Operation Pacific" and even
Humphrey Bogart's personal, Italian-made "Borsalino"
hat.(see photo opposite)!
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EIN - I hope that you make
Elvis happy, wherever he is, by keeping both his
and Marilyn Monroe's clothes suggestively wrapped
up together each night! That might be the closest
he'll ever get!
BG - I have a dress of hers.
I am really not interested in obtaining large collections
of celebrity items other than Elvis. I try to get
one piece from each celebrity that interests me,
or who I consider to be legendary. My Marilyn Monroe
item is a white dress that she owned and wore, but
not THE white dress as in the famous photo. (Laughing)
I must take a photo of Elvis' and Marilyn's clothes
wrapped together - that's cute! I don't think that
Elvis ever met Marilyn but I did recently learned
that he did at least meet Jane Mansfield on a movie-set.
I never knew that!
EIN - In your personal collections
what is your most valuable Elvis footage & what
is the rarest?
BG - My rarest footage has
to be the home-movie footage shot in 1976 in the
Jungle room, of the home recording session where
Elvis sings 'Hurt' and 'Way Down'. The footage that
will be on BTI 3 of Elvis walking out of his hotel
wearing the Super Fly hat in 1973 also has to also
be some of the rarest I own. The footage on BTI
1 of Elvis walking out to the gate and talking with
the fans in 1969 is also rare. The footage on BTI
2 from Houston, Texas on November 11, 1971 has to
be the best, closest, clearest amateur fan footage
ever shot and it is my personal favorite. - By the
way, I was obviously just joking about the Jungle
Room footage
sorry, a man can dream can't
he?
EIN - For a moment you got
me wondering & I nearly believed you! That's
a mean joke. So what is your favourite possession?
BG - Believe it or not, one
of my favorite Elvis possessions is my enormous
collection of unreleased concerts, recorded by fans
in the audience. The reason that it means so much
to me is because I have spent a lifetime building
the collection; countless hours of research and
tracking people down who attended the shows and
so it represents a large portion of my life. As
far as personal items Elvis once owned, my favorite
is the large gold and black star sapphire ring Elvis
owned and wore in 1970. I have several photos of
Elvis wearing it, and he later gave it to my dear
friend John Wilkinson. John can be seen wearing
it on the Aloha From Hawaii special as well as on
BTI 1.
Elvis
& Bud's black star ring in 1970
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EIN - As an Elvis Information
website we get a lot of questions regarding the
authenticity of Elvis' items - particularly Elvis
signatures and other items on Ebay. How do you feel
about this fraud especially when you can see innocent
fans being badly ripped off?
BG - This is a sore spot
with me. There are many people out there, including
some well-known people in the Elvis world, who are
faking everything from signatures to Elvis "personal
worn items". This not only takes advantage
of unsuspecting fans who think they are buying an
authentic item, it also bastardizes the legitimate
collections of people like me who spend a great
deal of time, effort and money to build them to
what they are today. When the market is flooded
with fake items, it de-values Elvis items in general
and casts doubt on the legitimacy of authentic items.
The reason Marilyn Monroe items typically sell for
more than Elvis' is a direct result of the market
being flooded with Elvis items and most of them
fake. There are less Marilyn items out there, so
it is simple "supply vs. Demand". EIN
- Have you seen the pillowcase from Elvis' coffin
that has recently been on Ebay? Are these people
for real? BG - Why someone would even want such
an item, even if it were legitimate is beyond me!
EIN - Can you give potential
Elvis memorabilia buyers any useful tips?
BG - For a start you must
be very careful when purchasing any celebrity owned
item. You need to do your homework and not blindly
trust the seller. I never buy an item from someone
whose "friend's, sister's half-brother's second
cousin got the item from Elvis himself back in 63'!"
Always try to buy as close
to the original source as possible. The problem
still remains that many dishonest people will fake
letters of authenticity from people who were known
to have had contact with Elvis, but are dead and
cannot be reached to prove the letter and item in
question is real. The problem has grown larger through
Ebay. While Ebay is obviously a great medium to
buy and sell Elvis items, it has also made it even
easier for the fakes and forgers to move their bogus
items. It also sickens me to see idiots on ebay
selling things like "the braces that were on
his teeth at Elvis' concert that he attended on
2/21/77".
Another big problem I have
is with celebrity memorabilia sellers who obtain
a legitimate Elvis shirt, like the famous shirt
worn in "Fun In Acapulco" and then DESTROY
it, by cutting it into 1 inch square swatches to
sell for $59.95 each! They do the same thing with
Elvis scarves. The reason? The scarf alone is worth
about $400, but cutting the same scarf into 200
swatches they can make $12,000. It all boils down
to greed.
EIN - How did you get involved
with Bob Klein and the new photo - book 'Born To
Rock'?
BG - I have known Bob for many years and he has
an incredible collection of Elvis photos, one of
the largest out there. After covering the man "behind
the image" in my DVD and book series, I wanted
to also cover Elvis on-stage. I wanted to do it
in a way it had not been done before. Most candid
shots of Elvis were taken with inexpensive, instamatic
cameras and some photos turn out great, but many
more are less than perfect. They are extremely rare
and I consider them all treasures, but they lack
the sharpness and detail of photos taken by a 35mm
camera.
Bob Klein approached me with
a new series of photos he had just obtained directly
from the man who professionally photographed them
in 1975 and 76. Elvis' performances at the Nassau
Coliseum are popular shows and well known among
fans because of the "America's Own" import
album that came out in the 1980's, and more recently
on CD. I thought these would be great shows to cover
in my first concert book.
EIN - While Elvis produced
some very fine concerts in mid 1975, the Gipsy suits
really didn't make him look the best, so was "Elvis:
Born To Rock" really the right title to use
on your new book?
BG - C'mon you must not have
read my overview of 1975 in the beginning of my
book! In 1975 Elvis was still "kicking ass
and taking names". He even beat the Beatles
attendance record for a single one-night appearance.
I'm sorry but it sounds as if you may have the same
"tunnel vision" that a lot of reporters
had that covered Elvis' concerts over the later
years. Many of them were not necessarily Elvis fans
and when they arrived at the concert, they were
then shocked to see that the Elvis on stage before
them was not the same hip-shaking tornado from the
Ed Sullivan shows.
He was immediately compared
to what he was in the 50's and slammed because he
had the nerve to age and change his style somewhat
over the years! And put on a few pounds, like we
all do! Do these changes mean he was not "BORN
TO ROCK"? Rock and Roll is not necessarily
what Elvis does, it is who he is. Have you ever
talked to someone who attended those shows? I have.
They all say he rocked the house and left the fans
screaming for more.
Did he move like he did in
the 50's? No. Did he look as trim and youthful as
he did in the 50's? No. Did he ROCK? NO QUESTION
ABOUT IT!
EIN - That's actually a great
answer and in fact I do agree about Elvis rockin'
in 75. I just wished he hadn't worn those dreadful
gipsy outfits!
BG - Ok, I'm not here to sugar-coat anything, but
I actually admire Elvis for making the extra effort
to change-up his costumes and try to make them pleasing
for the fans to look at during his performance.
(although I don't personally care for the choker
her wore). I will agree that some of his outfits
were more flattering than others, but the outfit
obviously has no bearing on Elvis' performance,
as evidenced by the reactions of the fans who were
there and witnessed the performances first hand.
The title is perfect in my opinion, but you are
certainly entitled to your own opinion.
EIN - What other projects
do you have planned?
BG - I am also co-producing
the Adrenaline 2 dvd that will be coming soon from
Praytome Publishing. We are also working on the
third dvd in the BEHIND THE IMAGE series. I am also
currently working on a new special project that
you will soon see advertised in the BTI 2 book.
I can't give any details yet, but it will be the
most incredible release of its kind.
|
Bud's
wife Cindy with J.D. Sumner
June 1995
|
EIN - What is your take on
the final years, did you ever discuss them with
J.D. Sumner?
BG - Years ago, when J.D.
was alive, the CBS TV tapes started circulating
and so I showed him, Ed Hill and Ed Enoch those
outtakes from the TV special. They hadn't seen this
material since it aired in 1977, and it was so upsetting
that Ed Enoch got up & walked away. In the meantime
J.D. just looked on in disbelief saying, "My
God". He commented that it was like watching
a child grow up. If you are close to them, and living
with them, you just can't see the gradual changes.
And spending so much time with Elvis, the gradual
change wasn't as noticeable.
J.D. knew that Elvis wasn't
in the best of health but he said to me, "I
just had no idea he looked like that." Ed Enoch
later told me he was so upset because Elvis was
such a close friend and he so wished that he could
have done something to help him. Those guys really
loved Elvis.
EIN - Does Elvis occupy your
whole time or do you have a secret job outside the
Elvis world?
BG - Elvis takes up a great
deal of my time, but Bud Glass Productions was around
before the Elvis productions started. I have several
other non-Elvis projects I work on, including my
other celebrity memorabilia. I have also created
and copyrighted a game that sold in the 90's at
several Walmart stores. I am currently devoting
a lot of time to THE KING'S RANSOM exhibit, and
will be on the road quite a bit this year during
our 2005 Tour.
EIN - Have you toured your
'King's Ransom' exhibition outside the USA - and
what about rumours of bringing to Australia?
BG - We will be in Canada
this year, so we will have officially left the United
States. We have had interest in Japan, Australia
and parts of Europe, so there is no telling where
we may end up going.
EIN - Thanks for talking
to EIN, it's been fun! Well we hope that we do see
you here in Sydney one day.
BG - The pleasure is all
mine and keep up the great work with your website.
The Elvis world is in need of more good unbiased
news and information sources like yours.
© 2005
www.elvisinfonet.com