Monday, December 31, 1984

DECEMBER 1984 WEST BERLIN, STOCKHOLM


Victor Halperin: White Zombie (US 1932), the first zombie movie.

2 Dec 1984  Zlatye gory / Golden Mountains (SU 1931). D: Sergei Yutkevich. video
2 Dec 1984  Tabus von Vorgestern. Video
4 Dec 1984  Der Tiger von Eschnapur (DE 1938). D: Richard Eichberg. video
7 Dec 1984  La maschera del demonio (IT 1960). DF. D: Mario Bava. video
7 Dec 1984  The Gorgon (GB 1964) D: Terence Fisher. video
8 Dec 1984  Dracula (GB 1958) DF. D: Terence Fisher. video
8 Dec 1984  Island of Terror (GB 1966) DF. D: Terence Fisher. video
9 Dec 1984  Videoabend bei Helmut Arlt
11 Dec 1984  The Son of Kong (US 1933). D: Ernest B. Schoedsack. video
12 Dec 1984  Body Snatcher
12 Dec 1984  I Was a Male War Bride (US 1949). D: Howard Hawks
12 Dec 1984  tapes reserved for viewing:
    Nosferatu
    The Face Behind the Mask
    X The Man With the X-Ray Eyes
    The Curse of the Werewolf
    The Terror
    La maschera del demonio
    Dracula (Fisher)
    The Day of the Triffids
    Dracula - Prince of Darkness
    The Revenge of Frankenstein
    Blood from the Mummy's Tomb
    Revenge of the Creature
    Dawn Patrol
    I Was a Male War Bride
    Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
    Paid to Love

14 Dec 1984  Der Student von Prag. timed
14 Dec 1984  White Zombie (US 1932). D: Victor Halperin

STOCKHOLM
16 Dec 1984  Das indische Grabmal (DE 1938). D: Richard Eichberg. video
16 Dec 1984  TV: Bagen
16 Dec 1984  Orchestra Wives (GB 1942). D: Archie Mayo. Glenn Miller. video
16 Dec 1984  The Revenge of Frankenstein (GB 1958). D: Terence Fisher. video
18 Dec 1984  Nosferatu (DE 1922). D: F. W. Murnau. video [2]
20 Dec 1984  The Invisible Man (US 1933). D: James Whale. video
21 Dec 1984  Der Student von Prag. video
22 Dec 1984. Dracula. D: Terence Fisher. video
23 Dec 1984  The Mummy (GB 1959). D: Terence Fisher. video
23 Dec 1984  Vera Cruz (US 1954). D: Robert Aldrich. video
24 Dec 1984  Frankenstein (US 1931). D: James Whale. video
24 Dec 1982  The Bride of Frankenstein (US 1935). D: James Whale. video
31 Dec 1984  Casablanca (US 1942). D: Michael Curtiz. video [3] After the New Year's party.

Monday, December 24, 1984

My Elvis Presley complete records project, Christmas 1984



In 1984 in Stockholm I borrowed from my friend Jouni Suomalainen his complete collection of Elvis Presley LP's, listened to them in chronological order and copied a Christmas selection of favourite tracks on compact cassette tapes.

The conventional wisdom about Elvis was that his 1950s were great, and after the army he went downhill, but Jouni persuaded me to listen carefully to the records of the early 1960s which were his favourites. Indeed, Elvis's voice grew into its full grandeur then, but unfortunately his talent was wasted in too many worthless projects.

The 1968 comeback show was a return to form in all ways. Even his 1950s hits such as "Love Me" and "Trying To Get To You" he now sang with a new, devastating force, made greater through his better command of his voice.

The early 1960s still have a special place in my memories. It was then that Elvis sang his best traditional blues track, "Reconsider Baby", and also his most magnificent spiritual songs. His interpretation of the Swedish hymn "How Great Thou Art" ("O store Gud", 1885, "Oi herrani", lyrics by Carl G. Boberg to a Swedish folk melody) is overwhelmingly better than any other I have heard. Elvis brought the impact of Mahalia Jackson and other great black gospel singers to his version and made other white singers look pale. His voice was rich and subtle, and in his best songs there was a haunting sadness underneath.

Even his most memorable Christmas songs were blues tracks: "Merry Christmas, Baby" (1971) and "Blue Christmas" (the 1968 comeback interpretation was the best).

CASSETTE IA
Merry Christmas, Baby (The Wonderful World of Christmas, 1971) 5'47"
Blue Christmas (live) 2'54"
One Night (live) 2'42"
Lawdy, Miss Clawdy (live) 1'50"
Baby, What You Want Me To Do (live) 1'45" (Elvis TV Special, 1968)
"I was lucky" (interview 1958) 38"
Love Me (live 1968) 2'33"
Trying To Get To You (live 1968) 2'55" (A Legendary Performer [I], 1973)
Tiger Man (live 1968) 2'39" (Elvis Sings Flaming Star, etc., 1968)
Peace In The Valley 3'15" (Elvis' Christmas Album, 1957)
The Girl Of My Best Friend, 2'22"
Girl Next Door Went A-Walkin' 2'13"
Reconsider Baby (Elvis Is Back, 1960)
In My Father's House 2'03"
Milky White Way 2'12"
If We Never Meet Again (This Side Of River) 1'56" (His Hand In Mine, 1960)
Suspicion 2'36"
Kiss Me Quick 2'57" (Pot Luck, 1962)

CASSETTE IB
I Gotta Know 2'17"
Surrender 1'52"
Are You Lonesome Tonight? 3'04"
His Latest Flame 2'08"
Little Sister 2'30" (Elvis' Golden Records, Vol 3, 1963)
How Great Thou Art 2'59"
Crying In The Chapel 2'23" (How Great Thou Art, 1967)
Shake, Rattle and Roll with introduction 2'36" +
I Got A Woman (Third Dorsey Show 11.2.1956 live) sum 5'32"
Baby, Let's Play House (Fourth Dorsey Show 18.2.1956 live) 2'12"
Blue Suede Shoes (Fifth Dorsey Show 17.3.1956 live) 2'19"
Money Honey (Sixth Dorsey Show 24.3.1956 live) 2'27"
Don't Be Cruel 2'11"
Ready Teddy (First Sullivan Show 9.9.1956 live) 1'57"
Love Me 3'15" +
Hound Dog "we are going to sing a sad song" (Second Sullivan Show 28.10.1956 live) sum 5'55"
Peace In The Valley (Third Sullivan Show 6.1.1957 live)
Return To Sender (Girls! Girls! Girls! 1962) 2'06"

CASSETTE II
Devil In Disguise 2'19" (Elvis Gold Records Vol 4, 1968)
Flaming Star 2'27" (Elvis Sings Flaming Star, etc., 1968)
In The Ghetto 2'46"
Any Day Now 2'58" (From Elvis In Memphis, 1969)
Blue Suede Shoes
I'm Counting On You
I Got A Woman
One-Sided Love Affair
I Love You Because
Just Because (Elvis Presley, 1956)

The selection was also based on the fact that I already had collections of Sun Records.

In 2022 at the Midnight Sun Film Festival in Sodankylä I heard from Vesa Suomalainen that his brother had recently died in Uppsala, Sweden, but not from Covid. I will never forget the friendly gentleman Jouni Suomalainen. He had a distinguished side career as a street photographer all his life.

Jouni Suomalainen: " Jag blev intresserad av ’ street foto ’ när jag var ungefär 14. Min kusin som var 10 år äldre presenterade mig kameror, deras funktioner och syfte. Efter detta presenterade han gatufotografins stora namn, deras bilder gjorde ett stort intryck på mig. Han var perfektionist och duktig fotograf själv, han visade hur man håller kameran, trycker avlösaren och fotar, han tog många bilder på mig och våran familj. Han var så duktig, det väckte i mig tanken om jag kunde göra något likadant. Jouni " 24 April 2021

Jouni Suomalainen: " Street foto intresset har jag haft från när jag var 14. Köpte första riktig kamera när jag var 25. Gick en fotoskola i Stockholm 83-85. Jag är gatuvandrare fotar gatuliv, gillar det mest. " 11 September 2021