DEC4 (2026)

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26/04/2026

This podcast episode, our leading contributor, Gary Wells Vintage Leisure, guides us through the fascinating story of Colonel Parker, the Presley Estate, and a tenacious Memphis lawyer determined to get to the truth.

In the wake of Vernon Presley’s death in 1979, court-appointed attorney Blanchard Tual presented a 300 page report detailing his forensic investigation into Colonel Parker’s financial arrangements with the Presley family, which he described as ‘excessive, imprudent, unfair to the estate, beyond all reasonable bounds of industry standards’, and stated that Parker had ‘violated his duty to Elvis and the estate’. A Memphis judge went on to assert that Parker’s behaviour ‘shocks the conscience of the court’. We learn that the report also called for a thorough investigation into Parker’s business associates, including RCA, and find out what, if anything, happened as a result of Blanchard Tual’s devastating findings.

Gary also recounts his own memorable (and slightly starstruck) 2024 meeting with Mr Tual himself, still practising law in Memphis, and for some additional context, we look at another astonishing show business partnership; superstar recording artist Tommy James and Morris Levy of Roulette Records.

Join us at our website, or on your favourite podcast platform. 🎧

On SoundCloud On YouTube This episode, our leading contributor Gary Wells guides us through the fascinating story of Colonel Parker, the Presley Estate, and a tenacious Memphis lawyer determined to…

07/03/2026

For this latest instalment in our occasional podcast series, Elvis and the Press, we’re joined once again by our leading contributor, Gary Wells (Vintage Leisure), to take a deep dive into the local coverage of Elvis’ performance in Saginaw, Michigan, on April 25th, 1977. It was the first of two non-consecutive shows to nearly 7 200 at the Wendler Arena, with a second concert added to the end of the 13 night tour in response to the demand for tickets. Reviewers for the Saginaw News observed that Elvis 'sings as well as ever', 'seemed in rare form' and 'that he seemed to be having as good a time as his fans'.

We look beyond the familiar myths and clichés of this period to consider how Elvis' inspired performance, captured in an unofficial audience recording, fits with what we know, or think we know, about his final months on the road, and ask whether the generally accepted narrative does justice to the reality.

Special thanks to Gary, and to Francesc Lopez whose incredible website, elvisconcerts.com, celebrates 30 years online in 2026.

Join us at our podcast website, or on your favourite pod place.
https://dec4podcast.com/2026/02/18/elvis-and-the-press-saginaw-michigan-april-25th-1977/

On SoundCloud On YouTube For this latest instalment in our occasional series, Elvis and the Press, we’re joined once again by our leading contributor, Gary Wells, to take a deep dive into the …

26/01/2026

Pioneering Elvis information website, elvisconcerts.com, celebrates an incredible 30 years online this year. Creator and webmaster Francesc Lopez has curated an unrivaled archive of rare facts, stats, and in-depth insights into Elvis’ life as a professional touring entertainer. There is also a comprehensive database with an easy search function so that you can explore an extensive library of information by multiple criteria.

Our written interview with Francesc has been updated for this 30th anniversary. We find out about the technical challenges he faced during the internet’s formative years, and explore in detail some of the features that make this site an essential, trusted source. We ask a couple of ‘fans’ questions as well, and expand on some of Francesc’s thoughts and recommendations with additional context, background and links.

Huge thanks to Francesc for taking the time to answer our questions again, and for his tireless work in creating and maintaining one of the most informative, fact-based and accurate Elvis sites online.

Link here;
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/07/21/francesc-lopez-podcast-supplement-founding-webmaster-of-pioneering-elvis-website-elvisconcerts-com/

Expanded and Updated January 2026; Celebrating 30 Years Online for elvisconcerts.com Francesc Lopez is the founder and webmaster of the pioneering website, elvisconcerts.com. He very kindly agreed …

30/11/2025

This year marks 40 years since the release of Malcolm Leo’s BAFTA nominated biographical documentary, The Beach Boys: An American Band.

With our leading contributor, music, film and pop culture historian Gary Wells, we learn about some of the key people on both sides of the camera, and of Malcolm Leo’s established method of sourcing a wide variety of music and interview clips (long before the easy accessibility of digital archives) to create an intimate, first-person narrative.

The Beach Boys: An American Band is a fan’s movie; if you already love the Beach Boys, you’ll love them even more after immersing yourself in this documentary. (Spoiler – we love it!). If you’re just starting out on a journey of discovery learning about the Beach Boys and their impact on 20th century music and culture, this is a wholly enjoyable place to begin. But, it’s worth noting that it was far from the complete story even then, and there have been 40 more years of eventful Beach Boys history since.

Join us at our website or search your favourite podcast platform.

Our leading contributor Gary Wells joins us to explore two tumultuous decades in the lives of the Beach Boys, through the lens of Malcolm Leo’s 1985 BAFTA nominated biographical documentary, …

26/11/2025

The pioneering cinema documentary, Elvis That's The Way It Is, premiered this month in 1970.

The director, two-time Oscar winner Denis Sanders, said that, “What we’re trying to do is capture Elvis the entertainer, from the point of view of the fans, the hotel, the city, the audience."

Elvis That's The Way It Is remains a fascinating, eccentric time capsule of Elvis’ career, of a disappearing Hollywood, and of a new business model for Las Vegas hotels and casinos which had undergone a seismic shift transitioning from organised crime to corporate control. We're joined by by music, film and pop-culture historian, Gary Wells (Vintage Leisure) to discuss some of the fascinating people that made this unique era what it was, and discover the artists and crew that created a remarkable cinematic moment in time.

Join us at our website or your favourite podcast platform 😀

Updated August 2025 – Omnibus Edition The very first time Gary Wells joined us back in 2021, we talked about the 1970 MGM concert documentary, Elvis That’s the Way It Is, which we presented a…

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