Attack of the 50 Foot Blog – Page 43

Notes on The Belly of the Whale

Post author By elvisgumby
Post date January 4, 2014
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I have written music off and on throughout my life. Most of the things I did early in my life weren’t work keeping around. There are bits and pieces of this music stored away in drawers at my father’s house but it’s really not worth digging up. Sometime around 1998 or 1999, I started work on the song that would become The Belly of the Whale. At the time, I lived in Livingston, Tennessee. We only lived there three years and my youngest child was born while we were there. She might have been born before I started working on this song. At the time, I felt that I was being moved to minister to people that I really didn’t like. By writing this song, I attempted creatively address this feeling.

Christmas

Christmas Gifts

Several years ago, I worked at a place where I supervised several people. There were probably 6 of them and all were women. As Christmas time drew near, I wanted to give each of them a gift but I didn’t have a good idea of what too get. I asked my wife if she would get something for them. She said yes and asked what I would like to give them. I said I didn’t know but I would like it to be nice. This was all of the guidance I gave her.

Elvis Week Graceland Restaurants

Japanese Elvis Week

Earlier this week, I went to eat lunch at one of the local Chinese/Japanese restaurants. This restaurant is close to where I work. It is also my family’s favorite place to get sushi so I am there often. Because of the threat of an ice storm, I was wearing a heavy coat. I was also wearing a hat. I don’t wear hats that often but when I do, I usually wear one of the hats from my trips to Graceland.

It's Gonna Rain Six Minutes After Seven Album Video

It’s Gonna Rain Video Notes

Post author By elvisgumby
Post date September 16, 2013
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I have talked about writing It’s Gonna Rain in a previous blog post. When I decided to do a video for this song, I turned to my son for help. He was in charge of filming and editing all of my live action videos including the ones for Arkansas and Electric Jesus. I decided to replicate the construction on a very small scale with footage of making a paper boat. We needed to test the boat so I decided the best test would be in a large tub that we normally use at parties to ice down drinks. One of the challenges for any video shoot that involves rain is getting it to show up. We included footage of an actual rain shower at our house and I was impressed that it showed up so well. We hoped to get some shots of it “raining” on the boat. The rain would be water from a hose. The rain effect didn’t work. It destroyed one of the boats that we made for the shoot. We decided to just so the boat swirling around as the tub was filled with water.

4-H 4-H Chicken Shack Song Writing Video

4-H Chicken Shack Notes and Video

Post author By elvisgumby
Post date September 6, 2013
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I have written in a previous blog post about one of my 4-H experiences. For a couple of years in high school, I participated in 4-H as a member of a crop judging team. I spent a lot of time learning how to identify different types of seeds. I spent very little time learning how to evaluate hay which seemed to be the more important part of the competition. Anyway, I learned a little about crops and had a great time. We would go to competitions at the Mid-South Fair in Memphis. But the one that really counted was at the West Tennessee State Fair in Jackson. This was also my first exposure to the 4-H Chicken Shack.

Elvis Week Graceland

Graceland 2013

This year has been one of the hardest years for me to come up with a way of approaching my annual trip to Graceland. In recent years, I have had some idea of an approach that I wanted to take before I even left home. This year has been full of distractions. Other things seemed to take more importance that a trip I have taken ten times before. Why was I going this year? It seems to be more out of habit than anything else. People expect me to be at Graceland on August 15. And these are not people that are there. Friends and family want to ask me about it.

Elvis Week Graceland

Graceland 2012

Before I left town, I stopped off at the bank. I thought I recognized the teller as a lady that had gone to Lambuth when I was there. I decided that it was not her and that it could possibly be her mom or a much older sister. Definitely not someone my age. When she waited on me, she asked me if she knew me from somewhere. It turns out she was exactly who I originally thought she was. It also meant this lady was only a year older than me.

Elvis Week Graceland

Graceland 2011 or Old Women Falling Down

Post author By elvisgumby
Post date August 17, 2013
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This was the tenth consecutive year that I have gone to the candlelight vigil at Graceland. You might think that I have some sort of ritual that I go through before I leave, but it really varies from year to year. There have been years when it was vital that I purchase tires before I left. This year, I decided to get a haircut. I’ve eaten at home before I left, stopped for fast food on the way and eaten Mexican food in Jackson before I left. This year, it was a trip to Krystal before the haircut. Lots of people ask if I “dress up” for the vigil. For the past several years, I’ve worn a bowling style shirt that my wife made for me but this year, I just wore a polo shirt. Each year has its own style, its own flow and routine. I try to be as open as I can to the possibilities for each year. I hope I learn and experience something new and different. This year was no disappointment.

Elvis Week Graceland

2010 Graceland Trip

“Oh! This is nice! Louie!!” She looked around the store with a dead look on her face. Finally Louie shows up and she shows him the life size cardboard cutout of Elvis. “Wouldn’t this look nice in our living room?” Louie replied “actually it wouldn’t.” It was a rare moment of honesty that you don’t see that often at Graceland. I don’t know where they were from, but judging from their skin tone and a possible accent, Mr. and Mrs. Louie may not even be from the U. S. Even if they are, there is a good chance they flew to Memphis for Elvis week. In a post economic meltdown world, I can imagine them trying to board a plane with this thing. How much would it cost and where do you store it? It reminds me of the flight I took out of Memphis the day after Elvis’ birthday several years ago. A fan club from England was on the flight and someone was trying to board with a velvet Elvis painting. They don’t go under the seat or in the overhead very easily. Now you can’t even find a velvet Elvis painting at Graceland. Louie isn’t the only one feeling the pressure. It seems like Elvis Presley Enterprises as well as the fans are all feeling the economic crunch. On a week that celebrates the death of a musical icon, the presence of death feels even more real this year.

Elvis Week Graceland

2009 Elvis Week Observations

Post author By elvisgumby
Post date August 10, 2013
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When you’ve been to Graceland for the candlelight vigil 6 years in a row, you don’t expect trip number 7 to have any firsts. You think you’ve seen it all. This one had several firsts. Here is a list:

First time to write my name on the wall.
First time to go on the trip with more than one friend at a time.
First time to take pictures inside the house with a good camera.
First time to talk to brothers that were both Elvis Tribute artists.
First time to break in line at the candlelight vigil (in front of the brothers and their wives).
First time to get hugged by an Elvis tribute artist (the brothers).
First time to get a kiss at the candlelight vigil (from one of the brother’s wives).
First time to see a crowd of Elvis fans stand during the singing of “American Trilogy”. It was during the “Dixieland” part of the song and the guy leading it sounded like he was from New Jersey.
First time to see a group of Elvis fans use a communal wash cloth to wipe down while standing in line for the candlelight vigil, even after they dropped it on the ground.