LOST TREASURES – Velvet Elvis

Posted on 23 July 2014

LOST TREASURES

VELVET ELVIS

“Velvet Elvis”

Velvet Elvis LP Cover(1)

By Peter Marston

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Ask your average music fan to list some of the important music scenes in the history of rock ’n’ roll and the answer will undoubtedly include, in roughly chronological order, Memphis, Liverpool, San Francisco, Detroit, New York and Seattle. More knowledgeable fans might add Minneapolis and Athens, Georgia. But you will have to wait a long time and be speaking to a very knowledgeable fan before you hear Lexington, Kentucky mentioned. But in the mid-’80s, in the bars and clubs surrounding the University of Kentucky (venues like LMNOP and Great Scotts), you’d find some terrific indie-rock and power-pop being played by bands like Vale of Tears and Paul K and Weathermen. The most successful band to come out of that scene, however, was Velvet Elvis, which perhaps explains why the Lexington scene is so rarely mentioned.

 

Velvet Elvis was formed in 1984 by Dan Trisko, an aspiring singer and songwriter. Trisko recruited drummer Sherri McGee, bassist John Clark and keyboardist Doug Carmon. This lineup recorded an independent EP, but when Trisko sought to direct the band toward more professional aspirations, Clark and Carmon bowed out and were replaced by Scott Stoess and Jeff Yurkowski on bass and keyboards, respectively. An LP, What in the World?, was recorded and released in 1986, generating much local excitement and some college radio airplay, but little else.

 

That is, until a copy of the album found its way to producer Mitch Easter. Trisko had included feedback postcards in the sleeves of What in the World? and Easter replied, writing that he loved the record and suggested they record the follow-up at the Drive-In, with him as producer. Although recording a follow-up was not at the top of the band’s agenda—after all, What in the World? had just been released—they packed up the van and headed straight to North Carolina. Eight tracks were recorded and shopped with Enigma Records taking the bait. A month later, another set of recording sessions took place, this time at the legendary Ardent Studios in Memphis. The album—self-titled Velvet Elvis—was released in April, 1988.

 

The opening track, “When It Comes,” is one of the highlights and sets the general tone for the album: lots of jangly rhythm guitars, country-influenced lead guitar, group vocals, big drums and bass. Think R.E.M. and the BoDeans weaned on ’70s AM radio instead of the Velvet Underground. “I Got Everything” alternates moody verse material with an upbeat, if ironic, chorus. “Something Better” is a mix of the Byrds and the Smithereens with soaring keys and down-home harmonies. “Something Happened Today” is perhaps most notable because it features Big Star alum Jody Stephens on drums. It’s another song that combines moody verse material with a very poppy chorus, again, not unlike the Smithereens. “What in the World” is perhaps the closest thing to pure pop on the album, though it is definitely cloaked in the trappings of Americana. The closing track, “Over and Out,” is a rocker that recalls the work of ’80’s contemporaries, Guadalcanal Diary. The remaining tracks are not quite as memorable but do a good job of maintaining the tone and energy of the album.

 

Two singles were released from the album, “Over and Out” and “Something Happened Today.” Both received a fair amount of college radio play, but neither charted. The band was not particularly pleased with Enigma’s promotion of the album and singles and decided to get out of their deal with the label. They succeeded, but could not secure another deal with a new label and only eighteen months after the release of Velvet Elvis, the band broke up. All the members of the band continued to play music, but none went on to match the success of Velvet Elvis. The band reunited in for benefit concerts in 2003 and 2009, both in the band’s hometown of Lexington.

 

Velvet Elvis is available only in its initial CD release. Affordable used copies are readily available through all the usual outlets. It has, to date, not been released in the digital domain. Fans of Easter and R.E.M. should definitely track this one down!

 

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Pop Pioneer and “Lost Treasures” writer, Peter Marston is the leader of long-running power pop band, Shplang, whose most recent album, “My Big Three Wheeler” has been described as “the Beatles meet Zappa in pop-psych Sumo match.”  You check it out at this link:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/shplang

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LINKS:

AMG Listing:  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/velvet-elvis-mn0000314477/biography

post on Willfully Obscure blog:  http://wilfullyobscure.blogspot.com/2009/02/velvet-elvis-what-in-worldand-more.html

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Velvet-Elvis/165268440679?sk=info

VIDEO:

“OVER AND OUT”

One Response to “LOST TREASURES – Velvet Elvis”

  1. Dave Franco says:

    Saw them live in Chicago. Sounded better than the record. Special thing going on- on stage with the different vocalists. A gem of a cd.