The truth about Elvis at the American Sound Studio: Marty Lacker has told EIN that stories included in George Klein's recently published memoir have more than just stretched the truth. Marty says:
Speaking of books and some of the fiction that has been written in regards to Elvis and his world, I was just sent an excerpt from George Klein's book by a fan in Ireland that was on the Fox News' Fox & friends website and in all my years I have never heard such outright lies.
Basically what George has done has taken part of my description of the night I talked Elvis into recording at American Studios in January, '69 and replaced me with himself plus some unbelievable and totally untrue embellishments. He has even conveniently added a couple of dead people to the scene who cannot contradict him by saying Tom Diskin and Freddy Bienstock was at the Graceland dining room table when he said he told Elvis about Chips Moman and got him to record there. Diskin and Bienstock were not there.
He also said Priscilla and Esposito were at the table and they weren't and he completely leaves out the part that I had talked to Elvis about it in what is known as the Jungle Room before everyone went into the dining room, in which he was silently present along with Sonny,Lamar and Felton Jarvis. He even put himself sitting next to Elvis at the table when it was actually me sitting there after I called Chips at home and talked to him about recording Elvis with Felton standing next to me.
Sadly what Klein forgets that there were witnesses to the whole event who will further make him a liar. If this is a sample of what is in his book, I suggest that if you really want to waste your money on it, look for it in the Fiction section of your favorite bookstore. My complete description of that entire night was written years ago in my two books, Elvis: Portrait Of A Friend and ELVIS AARON PRESLEY: Revelations From the Memphis Mafia and anyone who is familiar with both books will see that my recollection is word for word in both books.
I am fortunate to have what is known as a photographic memory, not only do I remember the words spoken at the same time I am experiencing a pictorial rerun in my mind while I'm telling the story. I remember conversations word for word as well as who is present and where they are standing or sitting. I have no need to make things up to make myself feel better. I am just happy and proud that I was a close longtime friend of Elvis' and we both shared each others lives with the other original MM. I'm equally as proud to have had the opportunity to do things for him that made his life and career more enjoyable for him and better. I'm also happy that he was aware of things I did and was very verbally appreciative of it.
How sad and miserable George's life must be that he has to constantly lie about things. It's a shame he can't be happy just to have been a good friend of Elvis' instead of coming up with the lies to either make the fans or himself look and feel better about him.
Marty goes on to say: This is exactly how it happened word for word, blow by blow and Sonny and Lamar are my witnesses. Unfortunately Felton is no longer with us or he'd verify it. Chips has publicly stated a number of times that it was me who did it.
The time was the evening of Thursday January 9, 1969 the day after Elvis' birthday. We were sitting in what is now known as the Jungle Room although we called it The Den. Elvis was sitting in the big chair next to the window facing the waterfall stone wall. Felton Jarvis was sitting on an ottoman in front of and facing Elvis. On the couch next to Elvis' chair sat George Klein, Lamar Fike and Sonny West. I was sitting in the chair up against the
wall to the left of them.
Much to my chagrin Felton was discussing with Elvis about his session coming up the next Monday in Nashville and Felton was asking Elvis what musicians he wanted. Because I was tired of Elvis continuing to record with those same old tired Nashville musicians who were primarily country and played the same old licks on almost every record I wanted Elvis to record with Chips Moman and his American Studio rhythm section because after becoming part of the Memphis Music Industry a couple of years before then I had quickly realized how creatively great those guys were which is why by that time they had produced over 100 big hits in that tiny studio using the same six man rhythm section. It's also where I produced Rita Coolidge's,(who I had discovered and signed to my new record label) first couple of hits using those guys. I felt that Elvis and them would be a perfect match because they all came from the same southern background. I just wanted Elvis to once again have big hit records and be back on top of the charts where he belonged.
So while listening to Felton, I unconsciously was shaking my head back and forth as if to say, "Oh NO not again!"
Elvis saw me and looked over and said,"What the hell's wrong with you?" I once again, as I had mention Chips to him before said,"I just wish for once you'd try Chips Moman and his rhythm section, they're great Elvis." he gave
me his usual answer, "Maybe someday." Not once did George make a peep. The comment George makes in the book about none of us would speak up to Elvis because he gets mad, is a crock. That was solely George's mentality because he was scared that if he said something Elvis might not like it and cut George off when it was gift giving time. Some of the rest of us original guys had no problem suggesting things to Elvis especially if we thought it would benefit him. Most of all we weren't there for gifts or money.
Just then Lottie the maid came out of the kitchen and said dinner was ready. Everyone got up to go in the dining room but me because I did not want to go in there and listen to them discuss the Nashville session. Elvis said to me,"C'mon, let's go eat." I told him I wasn't hungry and he knew I was lying because he knew I never saw a meal I didn't like,especially steak which was being served that night. So I kept sitting in the chair talking to myself
about that session.
It wasn't more than thirty seconds when Felton came out and said, "Elvis wants to see you in the dining room." I told him,"With all due respect Felton I have no desire to sit there and hear any more about your Nashville session." He then said,"No, Elvis wants to cut in Memphis." I asked if he was kidding me and he said no. With that I was out of that chair in a flash and in the dining room. With Felton standing next to me I said to Elvis,"Is
he kidding me, you want to cut in Memphis?" he said,"Yes, but I have to start Monday night." He then said,"You and Felton set it up with Chips Moman."
Felton and I went to the front hallway to the phone and I called the studio,they told me Chips was at home so I called him there. I said, "Lincoln,(his real name), do you still want to cut Elvis", he said, "Hell yes." I then said,"Well you got him but you have a problem. He has to start Monday night and you already have Neil Diamond booked." Chips said,"Screw Neil, he'll just have to be postponed." I then told him the session had to be a closed one and nobody who does not have anything to do with it cannot be invited. He said,"No problem, you can handle that." He said that even though I was not working for him at that time I didn't become General Manager of the studio until a few months later when he asked me to. I then handed the phone to Felton who made the financial deal with Chips on behalf of RCA.
When he got through with that we went and sat at the table where I sat next to Elvis on the right. The chair that George now says Elvis told him to sit in. I waited until he finished eating and then I said, "Elvis would you do me a favor?" He asked what. I then said, " With this session you're gonna have a great and talented producer and some of the most creative and talented musicians, the sound of the studio is fantastic and we all know you
can sing, would you please get some good songs this time?"He looked at me and said, "Well I was waiting to finish eating and then I wanted you to come upstairs and listen to some new songs by this new songwriter, Scott Davis."that was Mac Davis' real first name. We went upstairs to his room and he played a tape of songs to me and the guys including, "In The Ghetto" and "Don't Cry Daddy." I was happy because they sounded like hits to me. there was also another song I liked called,"Home" but he didn't do that one, I wish he did.
That is the full and complete story of how Elvis got to record at American Studios in 1969.
Speaking of books and some of the fiction that has been written in regards to Elvis and his world, I was just sent an excerpt from George Klein's book by a fan in Ireland that was on the Fox News' Fox & friends website and in all my years I have never heard such outright lies.
Basically what George has done has taken part of my description of the night I talked Elvis into recording at American Studios in January, '69 and replaced me with himself plus some unbelievable and totally untrue embellishments. He has even conveniently added a couple of dead people to the scene who cannot contradict him by saying Tom Diskin and Freddy Bienstock was at the Graceland dining room table when he said he told Elvis about Chips Moman and got him to record there. Diskin and Bienstock were not there.
He also said Priscilla and Esposito were at the table and they weren't and he completely leaves out the part that I had talked to Elvis about it in what is known as the Jungle Room before everyone went into the dining room, in which he was silently present along with Sonny,Lamar and Felton Jarvis. He even put himself sitting next to Elvis at the table when it was actually me sitting there after I called Chips at home and talked to him about recording Elvis with Felton standing next to me.
Sadly what Klein forgets that there were witnesses to the whole event who will further make him a liar. If this is a sample of what is in his book, I suggest that if you really want to waste your money on it, look for it in the Fiction section of your favorite bookstore. My complete description of that entire night was written years ago in my two books, Elvis: Portrait Of A Friend and ELVIS AARON PRESLEY: Revelations From the Memphis Mafia and anyone who is familiar with both books will see that my recollection is word for word in both books.
I am fortunate to have what is known as a photographic memory, not only do I remember the words spoken at the same time I am experiencing a pictorial rerun in my mind while I'm telling the story. I remember conversations word for word as well as who is present and where they are standing or sitting. I have no need to make things up to make myself feel better. I am just happy and proud that I was a close longtime friend of Elvis' and we both shared each others lives with the other original MM. I'm equally as proud to have had the opportunity to do things for him that made his life and career more enjoyable for him and better. I'm also happy that he was aware of things I did and was very verbally appreciative of it.
How sad and miserable George's life must be that he has to constantly lie about things. It's a shame he can't be happy just to have been a good friend of Elvis' instead of coming up with the lies to either make the fans or himself look and feel better about him.
Marty goes on to say: This is exactly how it happened word for word, blow by blow and Sonny and Lamar are my witnesses. Unfortunately Felton is no longer with us or he'd verify it. Chips has publicly stated a number of times that it was me who did it.
The time was the evening of Thursday January 9, 1969 the day after Elvis' birthday. We were sitting in what is now known as the Jungle Room although we called it The Den. Elvis was sitting in the big chair next to the window facing the waterfall stone wall. Felton Jarvis was sitting on an ottoman in front of and facing Elvis. On the couch next to Elvis' chair sat George Klein, Lamar Fike and Sonny West. I was sitting in the chair up against the
wall to the left of them.
Much to my chagrin Felton was discussing with Elvis about his session coming up the next Monday in Nashville and Felton was asking Elvis what musicians he wanted. Because I was tired of Elvis continuing to record with those same old tired Nashville musicians who were primarily country and played the same old licks on almost every record I wanted Elvis to record with Chips Moman and his American Studio rhythm section because after becoming part of the Memphis Music Industry a couple of years before then I had quickly realized how creatively great those guys were which is why by that time they had produced over 100 big hits in that tiny studio using the same six man rhythm section. It's also where I produced Rita Coolidge's,(who I had discovered and signed to my new record label) first couple of hits using those guys. I felt that Elvis and them would be a perfect match because they all came from the same southern background. I just wanted Elvis to once again have big hit records and be back on top of the charts where he belonged.
So while listening to Felton, I unconsciously was shaking my head back and forth as if to say, "Oh NO not again!"
Elvis saw me and looked over and said,"What the hell's wrong with you?" I once again, as I had mention Chips to him before said,"I just wish for once you'd try Chips Moman and his rhythm section, they're great Elvis." he gave
me his usual answer, "Maybe someday." Not once did George make a peep. The comment George makes in the book about none of us would speak up to Elvis because he gets mad, is a crock. That was solely George's mentality because he was scared that if he said something Elvis might not like it and cut George off when it was gift giving time. Some of the rest of us original guys had no problem suggesting things to Elvis especially if we thought it would benefit him. Most of all we weren't there for gifts or money.
Just then Lottie the maid came out of the kitchen and said dinner was ready. Everyone got up to go in the dining room but me because I did not want to go in there and listen to them discuss the Nashville session. Elvis said to me,"C'mon, let's go eat." I told him I wasn't hungry and he knew I was lying because he knew I never saw a meal I didn't like,especially steak which was being served that night. So I kept sitting in the chair talking to myself
about that session.
It wasn't more than thirty seconds when Felton came out and said, "Elvis wants to see you in the dining room." I told him,"With all due respect Felton I have no desire to sit there and hear any more about your Nashville session." He then said,"No, Elvis wants to cut in Memphis." I asked if he was kidding me and he said no. With that I was out of that chair in a flash and in the dining room. With Felton standing next to me I said to Elvis,"Is
he kidding me, you want to cut in Memphis?" he said,"Yes, but I have to start Monday night." He then said,"You and Felton set it up with Chips Moman."
Felton and I went to the front hallway to the phone and I called the studio,they told me Chips was at home so I called him there. I said, "Lincoln,(his real name), do you still want to cut Elvis", he said, "Hell yes." I then said,"Well you got him but you have a problem. He has to start Monday night and you already have Neil Diamond booked." Chips said,"Screw Neil, he'll just have to be postponed." I then told him the session had to be a closed one and nobody who does not have anything to do with it cannot be invited. He said,"No problem, you can handle that." He said that even though I was not working for him at that time I didn't become General Manager of the studio until a few months later when he asked me to. I then handed the phone to Felton who made the financial deal with Chips on behalf of RCA.
When he got through with that we went and sat at the table where I sat next to Elvis on the right. The chair that George now says Elvis told him to sit in. I waited until he finished eating and then I said, "Elvis would you do me a favor?" He asked what. I then said, " With this session you're gonna have a great and talented producer and some of the most creative and talented musicians, the sound of the studio is fantastic and we all know you
can sing, would you please get some good songs this time?"He looked at me and said, "Well I was waiting to finish eating and then I wanted you to come upstairs and listen to some new songs by this new songwriter, Scott Davis."that was Mac Davis' real first name. We went upstairs to his room and he played a tape of songs to me and the guys including, "In The Ghetto" and "Don't Cry Daddy." I was happy because they sounded like hits to me. there was also another song I liked called,"Home" but he didn't do that one, I wish he did.
That is the full and complete story of how Elvis got to record at American Studios in 1969.
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