TCBCast: An Unofficial Elvis Presley Fan Podcast

Olivia joins Justin this week for a meaty follow-up to our EPiC review. Not only does she chime in with her thoughts and observations from her viewing experience, the duo also read and react to all of YOUR many wonderful emails, comments and submitted audio reviews of the film from TCBCast's Patreon supporters.  Then, Song of the Week IS BACK, BABY!! Olivia, taking cues from EPiC, is feeling the "Sweet Inspiration," discussing the history behind the iconic hit recording by The Sweet Inspirations, its American Sound connections, and the time during the August 1970 engagement (narrowly missed by the TTWII film crew) that Elvis sang it to the Sweets, live on stage!  Justin couldn't let the news slip by that Neil Sedaka had passed away, so he reflects on Elvis' 1976 interpretation of Neil's heartbreaking "Solitaire," and deliberates over whether Elvis' own preferred recording process by '76 may have accidentally led to a more claustrophobic final arrangement. They also consider the value of Bergen White's orchestrations and the thematic resonance Elvis may have felt with co-writer Phil Cody's lyrics. Thank you to all of our listeners for your support coming up on 400 episodes, and especially to our TCBCast patrons who wrote in to provide their insights and reactions to EPiC. We loved hearing all your perspectives! Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro & Olivia's Review 17:45 - Patron & Collaborator Reviews of EPiC 1:25:30 - SOTW: Sweet Inspiration 1:43:31 - SOTW: Solitaire

Ryan, Bec, Gurdip and Justin pile in for a round table discussion on Baz Luhrmann's EPiC. You don't need us to tell you it's worth seeing or that it's good - there's no shortage of other opinions you've heard affirm both, so we just dive right in. We discuss our perspectives on how the film presents Elvis and his creative process, major sequences of significance, any insights we picked up along the way, as well as the contexts of our viewing experiences (including the responses of guests we took with us, and anecdotal demographics), and our major takeaways from this remarkable cinematic remix, not simply of Elvis's words and performances, but of the work left behind by Denis Sanders, Pierre Adidge and Bob Abel.  Finally, Justin wraps the episode with a sort-of Song of the Week, discussing how Baz Luhrmann's "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" provided him with some illumination as the Elvis fandom comes to reckon with EPiC as a new collaborative reinterpretation, unpacking the mindblowing critical reappraisal of Elvis' 1970s era in the media reviews of the film, examining a few criticisms of Luhrmann's 2022 film and EPiC from certain corners of the fandom, and bringing the "art vs archive" arc that he and Bec had begun last September after the Toronto premiere (episode 376) to a conclusion.  This episode contains excerpts from Rolling Stone Australia/New Zealand's interview with Baz Luhrmann, which we highly recommend watching in full on their YouTube channel. 

Gurdip, Justin and John quickly gathered last night to discuss initial impressions of the soundtrack album for EPiC which is now available on all major music platforms for purchase and streaming. At the time of recording, John's the only one to have seen the film, so we're judging it based on how it works as its own cohesive presentation, keeping in mind that like all Baz Luhrmann soundtracks, it's a companion piece, but also a standalone work.  There's plenty of hubbub in the Elvis community about the remixing and re-recording of some elements for the soundtrack, but we have exclusive insights on some of the creative choices made for the film and album from Jamieson Shaw, music producer and supervising music editor on EPiC. Shaw very kindly responded to some questions we asked him via email, which John reads aloud for us on this episode (though without attempting Jamieson's Australian accent).  We also break down plenty of the new mash-ups and discover the component elements from across Elvis's catalogue that were utilized in devising these more artful reinterpretations.  We recommend checking out the soundtrack for yourself on your preferred music platform or choice or available physically on CD/vinyl from Sony Music!

In Part 2 of our review of "Elvis: That's The Way It Is" the gang takes a look at our Patreon supporters's votes and comments on which version of the film is preferred, then debate the merits of the inclusion of interviews with fans and hotel staff in the original, as well as the producers' reasons for removing fan favorites such as "I Just Can't Help Believin'" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water' in favor of more well-known Elvis hits like "Don't Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog" for the Special Edition. Justin challenges the commonly held belief that the Special Edition features substantially more time with Elvis than the theatrical cut, Elvis biographer Peter Guralnick's take on the film in "Careless Love" is contrasted with what we now know of Elvis's thoughts on the film, and the group looks forward to how both versions of the movie may influence Baz Luhrmann's EPiC. If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.

Finally tackling a subject as big as "That's The Way It Is" (right on time for EPiC's release) deserved as big of an episode, so the whole core crew is on board: Justin, Gurdip, Ryan, Bec and Olivia. After having revisited both the original 1970 theatrical version directed by Denis Sanders, and the beloved-by-fans 2001 Special Edition overseen by producers Rick Schmidlin and Ernst Jorgensen, the group gets together to compare notes, discuss the merits of each, as movies and as concert films, and explore ideas and themes raised by each... and of course, which version we prefer over the other! Part 1 emphasizes the experience of rewatching the films, how the original 1970 came about, and whether either film depicts Elvis' personality authentically. Plus, Ryan recounts his recent trip to the Westgate and visiting the showroom! If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.

Bec got to attend a special preview screening of Baz Luhrmann's EPiC in Sydney over the weekend, so we wanted to share the overview of her early impressions of the movie with listeners! There are some minor spoilers on a few sequences but broadly most of the surprises will be retained if you only want to listen to this before seeing the film yourself. For those who want all the meaty spoilers, we do have an extended discussion available over on our Patreon with almost a half hour more of Bec digging into many major sequences, themes she picked up on, and a couple minor quibbles that still couldn't put a damper on how much she loved the film. Plus, patrons get to hear Bec quizzing her friend, a non-fan who accompanied her to the preview, on what she thought of the film, thoughts on Elvis as a performer, and whether she'd recommend it to others. 

Sony & Baz Luhrmann have officially unleashed the new, enhanced and overdubbed version of "Oh Happy Day" from EPiC out into the world - the full regular host team was already about to record so without having previously discussed it and only having heard it minutes before, hear our gut reactions to the new single!  "Oh Happy Day" (EPiC Version) is available on all major music platforms, and the EPiC soundtrack will be out at midnight EST on February 20, 2026.

Jamie Kelley of EAP Society joins Bec & Justin for an extensive (but not completionist) exploration of the history of Elvis accompanying himself as a musician, primarily on guitar and piano but also touching upon bass and percussion as well. What were his influences? Was he any good? Why did he mostly abandon the guitar on his recordings once it became the instrument he was considered famous for helping popularize as a rock instrument?  All those answers and more discussed in this deepest of deep dives - so deep, in fact, we didn't even have time for Song of the Week! The team also takes a moment to remember Jerome "Stump" Monroe, who as the drummer for the Sweet Inspirations, was part of Elvis's extended on-stage family and served as Elvis's backup drummer on a handful of occasions. As Jamie talks about during the show, EAP Society is not currently available on YouTube but new episodes with him and John Michael Heath can be found on Spotify. You can also visit EAP Society's website for more information on their show. If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.

Bec's back for 2026 and as we're working up an exciting meaty topic we decided to take it a little lighter to start with (kind of!) as Justin & Bec react to the official theatrical trailer for EPiC, then take a look back at a UK-exclusive Camden released in 1975 entitled "The U.S. Male." Featuring a "greatest hits" of sorts from several other prior Camden compilations, this unusual release from within Elvis's lifetime was a gateway into Elvis's music for numerous Brits, but does it cohere and hold up? And can the duo come up with tracklists that better suit the "US Male" theme? For Song of the Week, both hosts highlight gospel numbers, with Bec swinging in with "Somebody Bigger Than You and I" off the "How Great Thou Art Album" which overlaps Elvis's long affection for music originally by Bill Kenny & The Ink Spots and his love of spirituals. Then, Justin tells of the inspirations behind "Peace in the Valley," how Thomas A. Dorsey came to write it, and the world events which led to Elvis's performance of the song on the Ed Sullivan show (and subsequent recording) in 1957. If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.

Gurdip & Justin kick off 2026 with an exploration of the many songs written by iconic rock and roll songwriting/producing duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller that were recorded by Elvis, and ultimately provide their Top 5 lists of their personal favorites. From Hound Dog to Jailhouse Rock, Trouble to Bossa Nova Baby and beyond, it's all discussed in here - as well as a light overview of their careers, songs and productions before and after working with Elvis. The guys also catch up on several weeks of listener emails, break down the new "Wearin' That Night Life Look" remix from the upcoming soundtrack of Baz Luhrmann's EPiC, and of course dig into two Songs of the Week. Gurdip celebrates the New Year by telling us the history behind "Auld Lang Syne" which Elvis performed in concert twice in the 1970s during New Year's Eve shows, then Justin finds his thrill on "Blueberry Hill," the 1940s hit that was revived by rock legend Fats Domino in 1956 and subsequently covered by Elvis on the "Loving You" album and occasionally brought into his setlist during the 1970s. We highly recommend the compilation "Elvis Sings Leiber & Stoller" which is available on digital storefronts (with added "Three Corn Patches" which was missing from the original physical release), "Hound Dog: The Leiber & Stoller Autobiography" and Ace Records' wonderfully curated compilation series "The Leiber & Stoller Story" bringing together a mix of well-known and lesser-heard songs written and produced by the two musical partners. If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.

Ryan & Bec's annual "solo" New Year's show is a DOOZY! Ostensibly presenting a few of their favorite preferred live performances over their studio counterparts, the two hosts go full celebration mode instead, breaking out the booze, and before you know it, Ryan's stretched the parameters of the topic, Bec's forgotten the meaning of the word "live," and they're both having giggle fits over innuendo. For Song of the Week, Bec rings in the new year with a reminder that "There Is So Much World to See" from 1967's "Double Trouble" - and Ryan forgets that Christmas will be over by the time this episode comes out, so we get one more holiday hit tackled, as he discusses the story behind songwriter Michael Jarrett and Elvis's 1971 Christmas cut "I'll Be Home on Christmas Day"  If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.

Part 2 of our "Spinout" Extravaganza continues! Ghosty Wills taps out at the top of the show, but the rest of the team powers through to explore "Spinout"'s musical sequences and the histories behind them, from the Elvis competitor who cut "Stop Look and Listen" first, to the beautiful 19th century melody behind "Am I Ready," and how the woman who wrote the title track, finally settled a long dispute over the title of the film. Then the team surprises Felix with the three bonus tracks featured on the soundtrack album: "Tomorrow is a Long Time," "Down in the Alley," and "I'll Remember You." The gang also discusses international titles for "California Holiday," listens to some hilarious Elvis outtakes, and finally, close out reflecting back on both "Spinout" and "Clambake" and whether they hold up this year - both as Elvis films, and as holiday watches. From all of us to all of you, we wish you a very Happy Holidays and Merry Clambake! 

MERRY CLAMBAKE! Featuring Justin Gausman, Olivia Murphy-Rogers, Rabia, Felix, John Michael Heath, David "Ghosty" Wills, Garrett Cash and Darin Evans.  Part 1 opens with the revelation of how we tricked Felix into thinking he would have to watch Clambake again, then primarily covers our overall thoughts on the Norman Taurog-directed 1966 flick about a singing racecar driver, "Spinout." Sharing numerous overlaps with 1967's "Clambake", such as co-stars Shelley Fabares and Will Hutchins, "Spin-bake" puts the differences between the two Elvis films in sharp relief - and the earlier movie brings out a whole new world of fascinating themes to explore, from the way "Spinout" handles gender norms & expectations, to its origins as a deeply meta Elvis spoof, plus major cultural references, including allusions to the contemporaneous book & film "Sex and the Single Girl" by Helen Gurley Brown via Diane McBain's character.  Unlike previous years' Christmas episodes, this discussion is much more free-flowing rather than having an overly structured beat-by-beat recap, so having seen "Spinout" is strongly recommended! Part 2 will emphasize the song sequences of "Spinout" more linearly, as well as touch on the film's soundtrack and bonus tracks (which Justin & Gurdip also reviewed in 2023) more strongly through its cinematic lens.   

Gurdip joins Justin for one last shorter pre-Christmas episode as we look back on 2025 and what 2026 may hold for Elvis fans, briefly discuss the EPiC teaser & poster, the news of Making of G.I. Blues FTD's release, and the passing of Raul Malo, lead singer of the Mavericks, who took influence from Elvis's work - discussed back on Episode 275 of TCBCast. Following up from Justin's previous Song of the Week, listener Rob sends in an email taking a crack at translating "Lilla klocka ring igen," the Swedish version of "On A Snowy Christmas Night" and Gurdip shakes off the rust for a classic round of Elvis trivia. For Song of the Week, Gurdip brings the brief "Wheels On My Heels" from 1964's "Roustabout" while Justin tackles the history behind Johnny Tillotson's "It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'," which Elvis covered on the iconic "From Elvis in Memphis" album. If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.

As we await the epic holiday two-parter for this year's Christmas episode, Santa may have just slipped a little something into your stocking a little early! Over at the TCBCast Jukebox, Gurdip and Justin settle in next to the tree to unwrap more Elvis-themed novelty songs that have come out both within Elvis's lifetime and beyond, this time with more of a holiday twist than usual. Tacky Elvis impressions, maudlin and overwrought post-1977 tearjerkers and - weirdly - a couple genuinely catchy ones; this list of Elvis novelty songs runs the gamut! Originally released as a bonus on the TCBCast Patreon in 2023, this episode marks the first time the guys revisited the topic of Elvis novelty songs since 2020. And never fear - there's still one more lighter episode on the slate yet to come just before the big Christmas drop!  

Ryan Droste & Bec Wyles took a brief aside from their upcoming main episode to bring their impressions of and insights on the first official teaser trailer for EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert from Neon & Universal, which has been confirmed for a February 27,. 2026 release date with a one-week IMAX exclusive engagement prior starting Feb. 20. Link to the teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsD6nCbQDcA

This week, Bec decided that it's been a while since she's gotten to talk about '70s concert material, so we're discussing the legendary August 19, 1974, show in which Elvis abandoned his usual setlist and completely changed directions. Opening with "Big Boss Man" instead of "See See Rider", filling out the show with tons of newer and more contemporary material like "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues", "Promised Land" and "It's Midnight" and forgoing most of his iconic hits in favor of more unique and intimate performances just for his Vegas audiences.  We sit down with the soundboard recording and try to reckon with how Elvis chose to make such a bold move, whether fans and audiences appreciated it, and why he abandoned it so quickly to fall back into the comfortable professional grooves that would carry him to the end of his life. And before all that, Bec also fills us in her trip to see Priscilla Presley's recent live talk in Sydney. For Song of the Week, somehow without coordinating it at all, each host picked one of the only two songs written for Elvis by Stanley Gelber, the lawyer-turned-pro songwriter who submitted a handful of demos to Hill & Range in the 1960s, landing an Elvis cut with Bec's pick of "My Desert Serenade" from the Harum Scarum soundtrack. Then Justin rings in the holiday season with Gelber's other song, "On A Snowy Christmas Night," a holiday track that had coincidentally been submitted not long after Harum Scarum (roughly around when Elvis did "If Every Day Was Like Christmas") but somehow wound up in the demo pile later in 1971 for Elvis to record - despite Hill & Range no longer having the rights!  If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.

In this episode's Song of the Week, Justin stumbled into the dark story involving Tommy Dilbeck, the country songwriter behind Eddy Arnold's signature hit "I'll Hold You In My Heart," which Elvis transformed into a bluesy jam at the American Sound 1969 sessions that worked so well it landed on the acclaimed "From Elvis in Memphis." But is the song merely one of romantic longing, or, given what we now know, a hint at a more subtly obsessive message that no one had previously picked up before?  Content warning: potentially upsetting descriptions of domestic violence drawn from period news reports between about 03:30-04:45. Then John pulls double-duty, spotlighting two significant home recordings from 1966, "Hide Thou Me" and "Show Me Thy Way, O Lord," during a period in which Elvis was seeking material for his upcoming gospel project - what would become the "How Great Thou Art" album - and returning to the work of one of his favorite gospel groups, The Statesmen Quartet, to consider songs for potential inclusion. John also gives a quick primer on who the Statesmen were, and how they influenced Elvis's choice of gospel material. If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.

They say Elvis was the King of Rock and Roll, so Gurdip and Justin are joined by John Heath (EAP Society, Atomic Wax) to put forth their picks for the most underrated rockers that Elvis Presley ever recorded: from overlooked singles to forgotten album cuts, 50s to the 70s, in the studio and live, there may just be one in here that you've underrated, too! Although Gurdip has to bow out after this meaty and outrageously fun episode, as a very special Thanksgiving/holiday kickoff treat, a slightly shorter Episode 386 featuring "I'll Hold You In My Heart," "Hide Thou Me" and "Shy Me Thy Ways, O Lord" as Songs of the Week will be dropping into your podcast feed ASAP.  If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.

John Michael Heath joins Justin this week as guest host as they discuss some of their favorite alternate versions of Elvis songs as they appeared in the original movies he starred in, frequently with added instrumentation, backing vocals, or often completely different performances altogether than what was commercially released on record. For Song of the Week, John looks back at "Pieces of My Life," the introspective Troy Seals-penned song off the "Today" album that landed as the B-side of "Bringin' It Back" as a single, and that Elvis only performed live once in Asheville, North Carolina. The song Justin intended to pick for song of the week, however, ended up having an extra twist to it that he wasn't expecting that needs a bit more digging - wait to hear that next episode! If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.