1 00:00:01,400 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Taking a Walk podcast Music History on foot. 2 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:11,520 Speaker 1: This is the podcast that covers music storytelling from authors, filmmakers, 3 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: and musicians. We're available at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart the 4 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: Podcast Playground, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you 5 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:25,599 Speaker 1: like what you hear, please share this with your friends. 6 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: On this episode, join host Buzznight with two visionaries in 7 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:34,880 Speaker 1: the media and entertainment business. They're here to talk about 8 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:39,240 Speaker 1: their new documentary Reinventing Elvis The sixty eight Comeback from 9 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:41,240 Speaker 1: the Great Folks at Paramount Plus. 10 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:45,839 Speaker 2: Spencer Prawford is the film's producer and he's also the 11 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:49,240 Speaker 2: founder of Media Or seventeen. He's one of the most 12 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 2: successful documentary filmmakers of our time, most recently with the 13 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 2: award winning Don McLean Dock The Day the Music Died. 14 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 2: He's also the man behind the John Coltrane docum Menory, 15 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 2: Chasing Train, and a host of other great work. We're 16 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 2: also joined by director, producer, and award winning trailblazer Steve Bender. 17 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:12,759 Speaker 2: As The sixty eight Comeback Show was coming together, Steve 18 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 2: Bender was the man right in the middle of this 19 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:20,120 Speaker 2: incredible story in music history. He stood up to Colonel 20 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:24,319 Speaker 2: Tom Parker, who ruled the Elvis Empire with an iron fist. 21 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 2: He pushed Elvis to greatness as he built an environment 22 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 2: of trust with the King. Let's join Buzznight with Spencer 23 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 2: Proffer and Steve Bender next, on Taking a Walk. 24 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 3: Well, gentlemen, it's an honor to have two of the 25 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 3: most iconic figures in music history. On Taking a Walk. 26 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 3: I'd like to welcome Spencer Profer and welcome Steve Binder. 27 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 3: Congrats on the triumphant release of your new Paramount Plus documentary. 28 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 3: And i'd like to say welcome back Spencer to Taking 29 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 3: a Walk. Your past episode with me talking about your 30 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 3: illustrious career and your Don McClain documentary was a moment 31 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:12,799 Speaker 3: of serendeputy for me as we've become pals and I'm 32 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:16,960 Speaker 3: so grateful. But Spencer, let me ask you first, how 33 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 3: did you and Steve Binder become pals years ago? 34 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:24,359 Speaker 4: Very simple? First of all, you should put Steve's name 35 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 4: before mine anytime. But we became pals because he rejected 36 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 4: me as a rock and roll artist. When Steve was 37 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 4: probably the most acclaimed television director in America and he 38 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 4: was hired by NBC to do the Comeback Special, which 39 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 4: he'll tell you about with Elvis. And I knew a 40 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 4: lady who worked for Steve's partner, Bones House. So I 41 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 4: had an audition for Steve with my band and after 42 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 4: two songs, he blew me off. In other words, he 43 00:02:57,200 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 4: didn't blow me off rudely. He blew me off thinking 44 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:02,920 Speaker 4: I wasn't good enough. He was right, and then. 45 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:07,799 Speaker 5: No, the truth of the story, Buzz is that once 46 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 5: we had signed, you know, exclusively doing all the hits 47 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 5: for the Fifth Dimension, the Association, et cetera, my partner 48 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 5: who's brilliant recording producer, bones Ow, he said Steve, if 49 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:28,079 Speaker 5: the Beatles walked in here tomorrow, we'd have to turn 50 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 5: him down because our plate is full and we just 51 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 5: can't take on any new artists. And that's the only 52 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 5: reason I turned Spencer down. 53 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 4: Well, Buzz, I got to be honest, and this has 54 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 4: nothing to do with this paramount Plus you know doc, 55 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 4: which I think is quintessential and I'm very proud to 56 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 4: be the producer of it next to my friend Steve. 57 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 4: I wasn't that good. And years later, when Steve had 58 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 4: a management company and he had Rick Springfield and he 59 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 4: had air supply and I was running and are as 60 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 4: united artist. He came to me and I had just 61 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 4: finished finding the Elo connectivity to releasing the records and 62 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 4: was making tinas. Ask Queena I was a rock guy, 63 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 4: so I admitted that to Steve. I think he liked 64 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 4: my candor. We've been friends ever since. That was nineteen 65 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:20,840 Speaker 4: seventy four. 66 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 3: I love it. I love it well, Steve. There are 67 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 3: so many storylines in this documentary, certainly the hero meaning you, 68 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 3: and the villain and Colonel Parker, and the Star and Elvis. 69 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 3: But one of them also is your tremendous legacy, sir, 70 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:46,839 Speaker 3: as a pioneer and a trailblazer. Your work with the 71 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:53,800 Speaker 3: Freedom Spectacular, the Petula Clark Special talk about how you 72 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 3: were shaped to be a bold creator who has always 73 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:03,360 Speaker 3: had the courage of your con in your pursuit of justice. 74 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:07,600 Speaker 5: I think it all really stems from your upbringing. I 75 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:11,520 Speaker 5: was one of the fortunate ones in life who had 76 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 5: tremendous parents who wanted to give my sister and myself 77 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:23,360 Speaker 5: all the opportunities that they never had when they grew up. 78 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:27,280 Speaker 5: Both of my parents never had the opportunity to go 79 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 5: to college. They insisted that both my sister and I 80 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 5: go to college. Even though I never graduated, I actually 81 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 5: got drafted in the army and right in my senior 82 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:50,039 Speaker 5: year at the University of Southern California. And I was 83 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 5: lucky enough when I went into the military to get 84 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 5: a job with the American Forces Network. And that's what 85 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:02,839 Speaker 5: my appetite of saying, Hey, I like this business. And 86 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 5: you know, when I came home from the military after 87 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:13,440 Speaker 5: two years, a gentleman by the name of Pete Burness, 88 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:16,960 Speaker 5: who unfortunately passed away very young in life, but he 89 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:22,360 Speaker 5: was the film director of the Mister Magoo cartoons. And 90 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:25,159 Speaker 5: he was a friend of a few people that I 91 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 5: met in Europe while I was announcing, like Jim Backus, 92 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 5: who I later directed on Gilligan's Island Believe It or Not. 93 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 5: And you know, one thing just led to the other 94 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:43,239 Speaker 5: and the door opened. I started my television career throwing 95 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 5: pies on a show with a slapstick comic named Soupy Sales. 96 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 5: That led to a relationship for a few years with 97 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:56,919 Speaker 5: Steve Allen, and I directed the Late Night Show with 98 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 5: Steve for Westinghouse. And when you do a show like that, 99 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:05,640 Speaker 5: you meet everybody in show business. You meet the people 100 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:08,680 Speaker 5: in front of the camera and behind the camera, and 101 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 5: I just made such great relationships. And the one thing 102 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 5: I learned is, you know, don't try and bluffe it. 103 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:19,520 Speaker 5: I mean, if you don't know something, say you don't 104 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:23,160 Speaker 5: know it. And there are so many great people willing 105 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 5: to help you. My education in the entertainment industry really 106 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 5: comes from the great people that I've worked with on 107 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 5: the camera crews, the audio people, you know, even the 108 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 5: guys that held the Q cards, you know what they 109 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 5: used to call the idiot cards. And so I just 110 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 5: you know, always had great relationships with the people I 111 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 5: worked with, many of them. If they're still around, I'm 112 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 5: still friends with them. And you know, I've had such 113 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:03,160 Speaker 5: a collectic career over the years of doing so many 114 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 5: different things, from you know, give him Hell Harry, which 115 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:13,640 Speaker 5: got an Academy Award nomination for James Whitmore, to Diana 116 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:17,679 Speaker 5: Ross in Central Park. I mean, you know, the shows 117 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 5: were just coming for my entire career, thank goodness. And 118 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 5: for every person who said they didn't want to work 119 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 5: with me, thank god there was somebody who did. And 120 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 5: you know, Spencer became a very important part of my 121 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 5: life because the reason we're talking today Buzz, to be 122 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:40,680 Speaker 5: honest with you, is all due to Spencer. He's the 123 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:45,559 Speaker 5: one who read a rough of my book on Elvis 124 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:49,760 Speaker 5: Presley and he said, Steve, we've got to expand this. 125 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 5: I mean, this is, you know, not something you just 126 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 5: want to leave and a few people read it. This 127 00:08:56,920 --> 00:08:59,320 Speaker 5: is something that the whole world would be interested in. 128 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 5: And he's the one who pushed for every step of 129 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:08,800 Speaker 5: the way in terms of what's happening right now in 130 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:14,240 Speaker 5: my you know, fourth quarter, My life is so exciting 131 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:17,680 Speaker 5: and I have so much to be thankful for with Spencer, 132 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:21,720 Speaker 5: and so it's been a great ride. I mean, I've 133 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 5: loved my work, and now I have the opportunity to 134 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:30,120 Speaker 5: spend all those missed you know, days, weeks, months, and 135 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:35,439 Speaker 5: years that I basically were forced to, you know, neglect 136 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 5: my personal family. And I'm spending lots and lots of 137 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:43,679 Speaker 5: time right now with all my grandkids. In a combined 138 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:48,720 Speaker 5: marriage with my wife of twenty seven years, we have 139 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 5: nine grandchildren and a great grandchild, and it's so exciting 140 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:59,160 Speaker 5: to see my life, my career through their eyes. And 141 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:03,280 Speaker 5: so I'm very, very grateful to the Spencer and so 142 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:06,640 Speaker 5: many people who have you know had the door open 143 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:08,920 Speaker 5: for me all through my entire life. 144 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:15,080 Speaker 3: Spencer, when when you first met Steve years ago, did 145 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:18,960 Speaker 3: you see his amazing ability, which, by the way, you 146 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 3: also share in managing artists with tremendous grace. 147 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 4: Well, the one thing I knew from people who I 148 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:32,720 Speaker 4: knew that knew Steve other than my just you know 149 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:36,440 Speaker 4: direct one on one was artists. Be it Diana Ross, 150 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 4: be it you know Gosh, I don't know Steve. You 151 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:40,720 Speaker 4: I don't have me. I think for your very man 152 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 4: a special, all his work that he did when he directed, 153 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:47,760 Speaker 4: I feel like I'm his manager, but I'm not. I 154 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:51,000 Speaker 4: get no commission, I just get love. But when he 155 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:55,160 Speaker 4: did the Soul Train Awards, Hullabalow all his shows, I 156 00:10:55,320 --> 00:11:01,040 Speaker 4: figured out it was as much about his personal connectivity 157 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:03,880 Speaker 4: to the talent more than just him being a suit. 158 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:07,719 Speaker 4: The furthest thing that Steve Bender is is a corporate executive. 159 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:11,839 Speaker 4: The thing that I love and admire and feel mentored 160 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:15,840 Speaker 4: by my friendship with Steve is his ability to have 161 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:19,640 Speaker 4: artists revere him. When he introduced me to Diana Ross 162 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:25,160 Speaker 4: years ago after he produced that Central Park special I 163 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:27,720 Speaker 4: think was the first Showtime special in a million people 164 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 4: showed up. Diana said, I am so excited to meet 165 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 4: you because of Steve Bender, and she starts raving. My 166 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:38,719 Speaker 4: first five minutes and talking to Diane Ross, who's her 167 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:41,760 Speaker 4: own superstar, is how great a guy Steve Bender is 168 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:44,479 Speaker 4: to work with. And I think he did five specials 169 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 4: with her, including a big jazz thing. So the thing 170 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:51,640 Speaker 4: I relate most to Steve is because I do relate 171 00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 4: to the artists I work with musical these days when 172 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:59,400 Speaker 4: I make mini movies on their work, is that Steve 173 00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:02,840 Speaker 4: did the same thing in his lane. And that's kind 174 00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:05,400 Speaker 4: of why I think we make great friends and great partners, 175 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:08,480 Speaker 4: because we relate to the creatives more than we relate 176 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:11,640 Speaker 4: to P and L statements. We make money, but we 177 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:14,000 Speaker 4: make money doing good work. You know. 178 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:17,959 Speaker 5: You know, the bottom of my biographies over the years 179 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 5: is whatever you do in life, do it with passion. 180 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:26,280 Speaker 5: Passion is everything, and Spencer is one of the few 181 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:31,040 Speaker 5: people in my life who equals my you know, my 182 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 5: passion for being passionate. And it's a great relationship because 183 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:41,400 Speaker 5: you know, we have so much to contribute to each other, 184 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:46,360 Speaker 5: and it's you know, anything and everything that I've done 185 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 5: in my entire life and career is a new experience 186 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:55,520 Speaker 5: and learning something new in each and every way. When 187 00:12:55,559 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 5: I mentioned Gilligan's Island, I went on that show at 188 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:06,040 Speaker 5: the you know, at the request basically of my personal 189 00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:09,840 Speaker 5: manager at the time, who knew that I had an 190 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:14,000 Speaker 5: appetite for learning the technical side of the business and 191 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:18,719 Speaker 5: television in general. In the days that I started, there 192 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:22,960 Speaker 5: was no videotape even invented. It was all based on 193 00:13:23,080 --> 00:13:25,080 Speaker 5: if you want to record your show, you had to 194 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:28,400 Speaker 5: be on kinescope, which was nothing more than taking an 195 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:32,560 Speaker 5: electronic camera and putting up in front of your TV 196 00:13:32,679 --> 00:13:36,280 Speaker 5: screen and recording off of the screen. So it was 197 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:41,080 Speaker 5: terrible quality, and I think it was Desi Arnez who 198 00:13:41,160 --> 00:13:44,320 Speaker 5: had the smarts to say, when we do the Lucy shows, 199 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:49,360 Speaker 5: I'm shooting it on thirty five millimeter film and that's 200 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:52,800 Speaker 5: why the quality is so fantastic whenever they do any 201 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:57,480 Speaker 5: of the reruns, which I assume there's a Lucy show 202 00:13:57,559 --> 00:14:01,280 Speaker 5: being played somewhere in the world twenty four to seven, 203 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:07,720 Speaker 5: and it was really a case of where, you know, 204 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:12,480 Speaker 5: with all the new technology coming in when I started, 205 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:15,200 Speaker 5: I thought the shows were going to air one time, 206 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:19,880 Speaker 5: live and that's the end of it. And I think 207 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:24,760 Speaker 5: I now, due to the invention of videotape, I must 208 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 5: have at least five or six of my shows that 209 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 5: are put out on DVDs. And you know, it never 210 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 5: was expected in my lifetime. And I think the future 211 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:46,040 Speaker 5: is so exciting, especially if we can figure out how 212 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 5: to control AI artificial intelligence. You know, the future generations 213 00:14:56,640 --> 00:14:59,640 Speaker 5: are going to be just excited about all the new 214 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:05,200 Speaker 5: things that their societies are going to face and deal with. 215 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:07,640 Speaker 5: I mean, when you realize when I was a kid, 216 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:12,720 Speaker 5: there were no jet airplanes, there were no iPhones. The 217 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 5: only fantasies were reading the comic strips and there was 218 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 5: a character name a detective named Dick Tracy who had 219 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:25,360 Speaker 5: a watch on that you could actually use as a telephone. 220 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 5: And I thought, that's, you know, impossible, And sure enough, 221 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 5: I'm wearing a watch where you can make phone calls. 222 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:36,200 Speaker 5: You know, whoever thought we would not only get to 223 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:39,800 Speaker 5: the moon in spaceships, but we're trying now for Mars. 224 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:43,240 Speaker 5: I mean, that's all fantasy when you're growing up and 225 00:15:43,280 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 5: you're a kid, and so it's an exciting it's exciting 226 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:52,600 Speaker 5: to be alive. You know, I've had a great run. 227 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:57,840 Speaker 5: I've you know, turned ninety years old this year, and 228 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:03,680 Speaker 5: I'm still full of enthusiasm for the future. And I 229 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 5: lived now through the eyes of my grandkids and my 230 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:13,320 Speaker 5: own kids, and you know, I'm fearful as well as 231 00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 5: being optimistic of what kind of world we're going to 232 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:19,840 Speaker 5: end up with. But I'm also very optimistic. 233 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:24,280 Speaker 3: Well, Steve, there are some storylines in here, in some 234 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:27,320 Speaker 3: moments in history, and I'd like to ask you of 235 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:29,120 Speaker 3: a couple of them if you could take us back, 236 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:32,600 Speaker 3: because that's what the documentary does so brilliantly. It takes 237 00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:35,440 Speaker 3: you back in time as if you were there as 238 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 3: a fly on the wall. So can you tell that 239 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:47,360 Speaker 3: infamous first Elvis meeting story and concurrently the first one 240 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:49,440 Speaker 3: with that Colonel Parker guy. 241 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:55,720 Speaker 5: Well, before I even begin telling you that, I will say, 242 00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 5: you know, the only time I had any exposure to 243 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:05,440 Speaker 5: Elvis Presley, and this is before I was even entertaining 244 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:09,879 Speaker 5: getting into the business, was seeing him perform live with 245 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:18,640 Speaker 5: his original trio basically Bill Black who was his original 246 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:24,159 Speaker 5: bass player, and Scotty Moore, his original guitarist, on The 247 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:28,040 Speaker 5: Ed Sullivan Show. And I was totally taken in. I 248 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:33,199 Speaker 5: was amused. I'd been reading and hearing a lot of 249 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:38,040 Speaker 5: publicity on Elvis and how special he was, and he was, 250 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:41,080 Speaker 5: you know, kind of acknowledged as the king of rock 251 00:17:41,119 --> 00:17:45,800 Speaker 5: and roll, and you know, most adults felt he was 252 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:51,560 Speaker 5: poisoning the youth of America, which I found amusing. And 253 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:58,040 Speaker 5: then you know, he kind of disappeared and ended up 254 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:01,480 Speaker 5: being a middle and in the middle of the road 255 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:07,679 Speaker 5: film star, and all of those early records that he 256 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:12,920 Speaker 5: recorded by Lieber and Stoller and so forth, he wasn't 257 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:17,000 Speaker 5: recording anymore. He was basically singing songs in the soundtrack 258 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:22,840 Speaker 5: of the movies written by the film screenwriters who had 259 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:26,880 Speaker 5: no experience whatsoever in rock and roll, were probably older 260 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:34,879 Speaker 5: guys themselves, and weren't relating to what really was going 261 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 5: on in the youth culture of America at that time. 262 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 5: And so the first time I met Elvis, I was 263 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:49,760 Speaker 5: told NBC might have a deal with Elvis, with the Colonel, 264 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:53,120 Speaker 5: but they weren't sure, and they just wanted to know. 265 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:56,119 Speaker 5: After seeing a special that I did with Petula Clark 266 00:18:56,160 --> 00:19:01,760 Speaker 5: and Harry Belafonte that became very controver ursul because it 267 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:07,119 Speaker 5: was the first time in American variety television that a 268 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:15,919 Speaker 5: black singer was touched by a white english woman. You know, 269 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:19,560 Speaker 5: she reached out in an emotional moment of an anti 270 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:23,119 Speaker 5: war song that they were duetting and touched Harry on 271 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:27,240 Speaker 5: the forearm and all held broke clues with the representative 272 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:32,320 Speaker 5: of the sponsor, and as a result, it became an 273 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:37,720 Speaker 5: international incident, picked up by Newsweek and Time magazine. And 274 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:41,800 Speaker 5: I had no idea at the time that anything like 275 00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:45,840 Speaker 5: that was still going on in America. I was very 276 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:52,639 Speaker 5: naive and little did I know, and I wanted to 277 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:57,560 Speaker 5: when I was offered the Elvis Presley Special or to 278 00:19:57,600 --> 00:20:00,359 Speaker 5: see if I was interested if they had a deal 279 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:04,040 Speaker 5: with Elvis. I was not all that interested. I was 280 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:07,200 Speaker 5: a West Coast kid. I was into the Beach Boys, 281 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:10,320 Speaker 5: and we were producing the Fifth Dimension in the association. 282 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:15,439 Speaker 5: I was working with Laura Neiro, and so it was 283 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:21,960 Speaker 5: really situation when I went out to meet the Colonel 284 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:26,280 Speaker 5: to see if I qualified to meet Elvis Presley. I 285 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:30,520 Speaker 5: was expecting or I don't even know what I was expecting. 286 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:32,359 Speaker 5: But all I know is when I got to the 287 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:37,280 Speaker 5: MGM studios where the Colonel had his offices, he immediately 288 00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:40,880 Speaker 5: started gifting me and he made me a member of 289 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:52,320 Speaker 5: his so called phony called the Snowman's Club, And I 290 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:57,199 Speaker 5: guess his definition is if you snowed somebody or you 291 00:20:57,280 --> 00:21:01,640 Speaker 5: were great at and I'll just use the initial at bsing, 292 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:07,159 Speaker 5: then you qualified to be in the Colonel's Club. The 293 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:10,639 Speaker 5: initiation was free, but to get out of the club 294 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:13,720 Speaker 5: I think was like one hundred thousand dollars or something 295 00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:17,040 Speaker 5: like that. And there was no club to begin with. 296 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:21,119 Speaker 5: It was strictly an honor. The Colonel called himself the 297 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:25,399 Speaker 5: chief Potentate of the club and had had a membership 298 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:29,280 Speaker 5: card and a booklet and all the rules of the 299 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:32,440 Speaker 5: club and so forth and so on. It was quite humorous. 300 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:38,800 Speaker 5: And he also gave me a quarter inch audio tape 301 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 5: of twenty Christmas songs that was going to be that 302 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:49,920 Speaker 5: year's gift to disc jockeys all over America as Elvis's 303 00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:54,359 Speaker 5: Christmas present. And the Colonel said to me, this is 304 00:21:54,440 --> 00:22:00,600 Speaker 5: what NBC and myself want Elvis to do, and we 305 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:06,119 Speaker 5: want you to execute it if you do the show. 306 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:09,840 Speaker 5: And I went back to my office after leaving the 307 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:13,320 Speaker 5: colonel thinking this is never ever going to happen. I mean, 308 00:22:13,359 --> 00:22:16,240 Speaker 5: the colonel, what's to turn Elvis inn't Andy Williams or 309 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:21,000 Speaker 5: Perry Como or you know, great middle of the road artists, 310 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:26,120 Speaker 5: but certainly nowhere near the definition of rock and roll 311 00:22:26,280 --> 00:22:29,960 Speaker 5: and what Elvis Presley represented. So I went back to 312 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:32,960 Speaker 5: my office thinking, you know, well, I had a meeting 313 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:36,040 Speaker 5: and I guess I'll never meet him. And next thing 314 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:39,480 Speaker 5: I know, when I got back, my secretary said, hey, Steve, 315 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:43,159 Speaker 5: there's a message from who turned out to be a 316 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 5: great executive producer of the show, Bob Finkel. At the 317 00:22:47,119 --> 00:22:52,080 Speaker 5: same time was producing The Jerry Lewis Show for NBC 318 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:56,280 Speaker 5: and also the Phyllis Dillar Show for NBC, and he 319 00:22:56,400 --> 00:23:00,280 Speaker 5: was assigned to be the executive producer on the was 320 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:04,120 Speaker 5: Preshly Special if it happened? And Bob said, I don't 321 00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:06,720 Speaker 5: know what you did the charm, Colonel Parker, but he 322 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:10,120 Speaker 5: loves you, and Elvis will be at your office tomorrow 323 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:14,280 Speaker 5: at four point thirty in the afternoon. And on the clock, boy, 324 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:19,639 Speaker 5: he showed up and walked into my office. You know, 325 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:25,120 Speaker 5: staggeringly great looking. I mean, you know, I'm definitely a 326 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:30,000 Speaker 5: heterosexual and happily married man, but boy, you couldn't take 327 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:32,160 Speaker 5: your eyes off him when he walked in that door, 328 00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:38,560 Speaker 5: and all of a sudden he looked around the lobby 329 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:44,240 Speaker 5: and the hallway and saw all of our gold records 330 00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:47,440 Speaker 5: from all the hits with the Fifth Dimension in the association. 331 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:52,639 Speaker 5: And he told me in our first meeting how comfortable 332 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:54,920 Speaker 5: he felt that he was finally going to be talking 333 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:59,399 Speaker 5: with somebody who spoke his language. And the first question 334 00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:04,879 Speaker 5: he asked me, which is kind of humorous, because I 335 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:09,119 Speaker 5: took him to my office and back alone, and we 336 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 5: sat down and he said, so, what do you think 337 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:15,200 Speaker 5: of my career? And without hesitating, I said, I think 338 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:18,760 Speaker 5: your career is in the toilet. And he looked at 339 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:21,160 Speaker 5: me for a split second, and I didn't know how 340 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:24,080 Speaker 5: he was, you know, feeling. I thought, you know, he 341 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:27,639 Speaker 5: was gonna he wanted to strangle me, but I was 342 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:32,399 Speaker 5: one hundred percent wrong. He said, finally somebody speaking some 343 00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:35,800 Speaker 5: truth to me. And we just hit it off from 344 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:40,320 Speaker 5: day one, and when he went home, Priscilla had just 345 00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:44,760 Speaker 5: delivered Lisa Marie. I think she was two months old 346 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:50,800 Speaker 5: at the time. Lisa Marie and Priscilla told me. When 347 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:54,720 Speaker 5: Elvis came home to the rented house that he had 348 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:59,680 Speaker 5: for Priscilla in Beverly Hills, he said, you know what, 349 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:02,480 Speaker 5: I don't care what the colonel says. I got a 350 00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:06,080 Speaker 5: gut feeling about this kid bender, and I'm going with him. 351 00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:07,840 Speaker 5: I'm going to do whatever he asked me to do, 352 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:10,199 Speaker 5: and he lived up to it. I mean, for the 353 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:14,200 Speaker 5: entire production. You have to realize I only knew Elvis 354 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:18,320 Speaker 5: when we started that first day on the sixty eight 355 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 5: special to the end of it, because when it was 356 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:25,720 Speaker 5: over and I delivered the Master and there was a 357 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:28,600 Speaker 5: little incident where we were going to have beer and 358 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:32,560 Speaker 5: pizza as a little celebration at Bill Beloo, our costume 359 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:37,680 Speaker 5: director's home, our apartment in Hollywood, that's the last time 360 00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:41,280 Speaker 5: I ever saw or talk Elvis Presley. So my window 361 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:45,160 Speaker 5: of time with him really spanned about three or four 362 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:48,240 Speaker 5: months from beginning to the very end. 363 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:55,879 Speaker 3: Incredible, My god, incredible, Spencer, your documentaries, they find this 364 00:25:56,880 --> 00:26:04,399 Speaker 3: absolutely mesmerizing and brilliant way to musically respect the past 365 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:08,600 Speaker 3: but kind of pay it forward to the future in 366 00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:15,240 Speaker 3: terms of how you showcase multi genre influences and kind 367 00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:19,320 Speaker 3: of weave them into the storyline. Can you talk about 368 00:26:19,359 --> 00:26:21,720 Speaker 3: how you did this with this documentary. 369 00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 4: I leave it to the guy who were the principles 370 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:30,439 Speaker 4: One of my skills, assuming I have a few, is 371 00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:34,840 Speaker 4: to be a vacuum cleaner magnet and let the creators 372 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:38,919 Speaker 4: who did the work like the great artists. I'm telling you, 373 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:42,720 Speaker 4: when Paul Simon had a producer, Roy Halley, it was 374 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:47,920 Speaker 4: still Paul Simon's songs. When Mick Jagger performs, he's got producers, 375 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:49,760 Speaker 4: but at the end of the day, it's Mick Jagger 376 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:54,240 Speaker 4: and sang with Kat Stevens or anybody that's great, Carol King, etc. 377 00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:57,959 Speaker 4: Steve Bender is one of those greats. And it was 378 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:00,800 Speaker 4: the responsibility and the good force and I had in 379 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:06,080 Speaker 4: hiring John Shinfeld, who's a fantastic documentary director, to pull 380 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:08,920 Speaker 4: us out. We spent lots of time with Steve. I've 381 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:11,600 Speaker 4: known Steve a long time. I had a very clear 382 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:14,480 Speaker 4: vision of what this could be. But I'm not a director. 383 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 4: I've directed a lot of videos, but I'm not a 384 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:21,440 Speaker 4: documentary or a film director. My job is to provide 385 00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:24,239 Speaker 4: the opportunity for them to be as brilliant as they are. 386 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:27,360 Speaker 4: John Shinfeld did a brilliant job. He's a very very 387 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:30,920 Speaker 4: fine director. But it's all about Steve Bender. This isn't 388 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:35,800 Speaker 4: the Elvis documentary. It's Steve's and Elvis was the vehicle 389 00:27:35,880 --> 00:27:39,520 Speaker 4: by which Steve exerted, not exerted the wrong word, but 390 00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:44,080 Speaker 4: he showcased his brilliance in providing a platform for Elvis 391 00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:46,640 Speaker 4: to be Elvis. That's what we did with the Don 392 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:50,399 Speaker 4: McLean doc. That's what I'm doing with numerous projects that 393 00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:53,479 Speaker 4: are withcoming. I really have to hand it to the 394 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:56,359 Speaker 4: creators to be who they are. My job is to 395 00:27:56,359 --> 00:27:57,480 Speaker 4: pull it out of them. 396 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:00,080 Speaker 5: You know, I'm going to tell you a story that 397 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:05,000 Speaker 5: I haven't told very many people ever. But one of 398 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:08,880 Speaker 5: the great things that happened on the special is when 399 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:13,040 Speaker 5: I was with Elvis and I told him basically, with 400 00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:17,280 Speaker 5: my writers, you know what we wanted to do with him, 401 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:22,960 Speaker 5: which was, you know, miles away from doing a Christmas special, 402 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:28,080 Speaker 5: which had already been locked in by the head of NBC, 403 00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:32,240 Speaker 5: Thom Sarnoff and Colonel Parker. That was the show they 404 00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:35,959 Speaker 5: wanted to do, and we thought they were doing until 405 00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:39,640 Speaker 5: I entered the picture. But the great story is that 406 00:28:39,720 --> 00:28:43,000 Speaker 5: I said, in that big second meeting with Elvis that 407 00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:46,280 Speaker 5: I had, I said, Elvis, this is going to be 408 00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:50,280 Speaker 5: strange for you because you're leaving your security blanket at 409 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:53,680 Speaker 5: the Elvis Presley Estate, and you're going to join me. 410 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:57,440 Speaker 5: I had done two other specials with the same crew. 411 00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:04,040 Speaker 5: Bill Belew, the brilliant costume designer, Gene McAvoy the art director, 412 00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:07,120 Speaker 5: and so forth, and so on, Alan Blind, Chris Beard, 413 00:29:07,440 --> 00:29:12,480 Speaker 5: the writers, And I said, you know, is there anybody 414 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:16,520 Speaker 5: that you would like me to put on the staff 415 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:19,440 Speaker 5: of the show, because everybody you're going to be meeting 416 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:23,360 Speaker 5: will be people you'd never met before, and they're all 417 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:27,240 Speaker 5: new and you just got to trust me that this 418 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:29,920 Speaker 5: is my family. These are the people that I love 419 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:36,720 Speaker 5: working with. And I'd accumulated this gang starting back on 420 00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:40,400 Speaker 5: a show called Hullablue that I did in nineteen sixty five, 421 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:46,160 Speaker 5: I believe it was for NBC. And you know, I 422 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:48,400 Speaker 5: had met a lot of the people that to this 423 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:52,000 Speaker 5: day I'm still friendly with if they're still alive. And 424 00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:57,360 Speaker 5: you know, we were so good that unfortunately I couldn't 425 00:29:57,400 --> 00:30:01,880 Speaker 5: keep them because they were so talented. Chris Beard and 426 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:05,160 Speaker 5: Alan Bly went on to do The Andy Williams Show 427 00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:07,800 Speaker 5: and This Mothers Brothers Show and so forth. They just 428 00:30:08,360 --> 00:30:13,600 Speaker 5: as producers themselves, and all of the people on that 429 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:18,800 Speaker 5: crew grew their careers. But the story is. Elvis said, 430 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:22,480 Speaker 5: there's only one person that I would feel comfortable with, 431 00:30:22,920 --> 00:30:28,560 Speaker 5: and that's putting Billy Strange on as my musical director. Well, 432 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:33,400 Speaker 5: I had been working since Hulliblu and did a Leslie 433 00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:37,880 Speaker 5: Ugghams who was starring on Broadway Special and Patula Clark 434 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:45,920 Speaker 5: Special with a young man named Billy Goldenberg. And Billy 435 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:51,000 Speaker 5: was the dance arranger for the David Winters dancers on Hullablu, 436 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:56,000 Speaker 5: and I just thought he was so talented, and so 437 00:30:56,160 --> 00:30:58,760 Speaker 5: that's who I really wanted to do Elvis with. But 438 00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:03,920 Speaker 5: I agree need to hire Billy Strange because Elvis wanted him, 439 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:08,680 Speaker 5: and I felt it be a good security blanket for Elvis. Well, 440 00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:14,280 Speaker 5: as it turned out, Billy Strange had just had a 441 00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:18,640 Speaker 5: major success with Nancy Sinatra and they had produced a 442 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:22,719 Speaker 5: record called Boots Are Made for Walking, and the record 443 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:25,920 Speaker 5: company was screaming at Billy, you got to get an 444 00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:29,160 Speaker 5: album out, you got to record at least nine more songs. 445 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:32,360 Speaker 5: So he was all tied up, and every time I 446 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:35,000 Speaker 5: called him to say, you know, Elvis is getting ready 447 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:38,560 Speaker 5: to start rehearsals, do you have music for me? And 448 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:42,000 Speaker 5: he said, don't worry, you know it'll be there, and 449 00:31:42,080 --> 00:31:45,280 Speaker 5: as every day went by, I got more and more nervous, 450 00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:48,000 Speaker 5: and I finally called Billy Strange and I said, Billy, 451 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:52,800 Speaker 5: if I don't have lead sheets and piano parts for 452 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:57,719 Speaker 5: Elvis by this Monday, I'm going to fire you. And 453 00:31:57,800 --> 00:32:00,480 Speaker 5: he said, you can't fire me, and I said why. 454 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:03,320 Speaker 5: He said, because I know Elvis a lot better than 455 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:06,320 Speaker 5: you know Elvis. And if you heard that you fired me, 456 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:09,160 Speaker 5: you'd be the one that would be fired. And that's 457 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:12,479 Speaker 5: the way we ended it. And Monday came around, I 458 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:17,160 Speaker 5: had no music and I called Bob Finkeel, my executive producer, 459 00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:20,840 Speaker 5: and I said, I'm going to fire Billy Strange and 460 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:24,360 Speaker 5: he said, you think you know what you're doing, go 461 00:32:24,360 --> 00:32:26,680 Speaker 5: ahead and do what you got to do. So I 462 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:29,880 Speaker 5: fired him. And I called Billy Goldenberg in New York 463 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:33,080 Speaker 5: and I said, Billy, can you please, you know, get 464 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:37,600 Speaker 5: on an airplane this afternoon or this evening and come. 465 00:32:37,880 --> 00:32:40,680 Speaker 5: I need you to be the music director of the 466 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:44,600 Speaker 5: Elvis Presley Special. And thank god Billy did it. But 467 00:32:45,160 --> 00:32:48,680 Speaker 5: the brilliance of Billy Goldenberg is that he took all 468 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:52,880 Speaker 5: those old songs of Elvis and he didn't make him 469 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:57,880 Speaker 5: sound old. He updated all the arrangements and it sounded 470 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:03,200 Speaker 5: big and contemporary, and Elvis loved it. In fact, Elvis said, 471 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:08,600 Speaker 5: right before we started our first recording session, he said, Steve, 472 00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:11,480 Speaker 5: you know, he walked in the studio and he saw 473 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:16,160 Speaker 5: thirty five musicians of the greatest studio musicians in Hollywood, 474 00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:18,800 Speaker 5: and he said, Steve, if I don't like any of 475 00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:22,600 Speaker 5: the Billy Goldenberg arrangements or the music I hear, you 476 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:25,840 Speaker 5: have to promise me to send everybody home and just 477 00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:29,320 Speaker 5: keep the rhythm section. And I promised him I would 478 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:32,440 Speaker 5: do that. And Elvis walked back in the studio. He 479 00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:37,080 Speaker 5: stood next to Billy Goldenberg and they immediately bonded, and 480 00:33:37,800 --> 00:33:40,640 Speaker 5: Elvis even hired Billy to do change a habit with 481 00:33:40,720 --> 00:33:43,960 Speaker 5: Mary Tyler Moore of the movie after we finished the 482 00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:47,920 Speaker 5: sixty eight special, and Billy brought so much to that 483 00:33:48,120 --> 00:33:51,560 Speaker 5: special when it came to the sound of the rock 484 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:52,720 Speaker 5: and roll soundtrack. 485 00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:57,520 Speaker 3: Steve, when you were in the midst of the sixty 486 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:01,120 Speaker 3: eight Comeback Special, you were with Elvis at a dark 487 00:34:02,120 --> 00:34:08,480 Speaker 3: period in American history when when Bobby Kennedy had been assassinated. 488 00:34:10,400 --> 00:34:11,919 Speaker 3: What was that moment. 489 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:16,080 Speaker 5: Like it was, you know, I don't want to underplay 490 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:19,400 Speaker 5: it or overplay it. We were all We used to 491 00:34:19,719 --> 00:34:23,080 Speaker 5: go to my offices on the Sunset Strip to rehearse 492 00:34:23,160 --> 00:34:28,960 Speaker 5: Elvis before we went NBC to start rehearsals in Earnest 493 00:34:29,760 --> 00:34:35,080 Speaker 5: and were the main purpose was for Billy Goldenberg to 494 00:34:35,239 --> 00:34:38,160 Speaker 5: teach Elvis all the new material for the show and 495 00:34:38,200 --> 00:34:42,359 Speaker 5: so forth, and we're all, you know. 496 00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:43,799 Speaker 4: Just just have. 497 00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:46,640 Speaker 5: We'd start at four in the afternoon or four thirty 498 00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:50,560 Speaker 5: and we'd work until you know, midnight or one in 499 00:34:50,600 --> 00:34:57,400 Speaker 5: the morning on a normal day. And this particular evening 500 00:34:59,040 --> 00:35:03,240 Speaker 5: we were in the piano room rehearsing some of the music, 501 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:06,920 Speaker 5: and all of a sudden we heard a big commotion 502 00:35:07,160 --> 00:35:10,239 Speaker 5: from another office that I had, which had a television 503 00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:14,960 Speaker 5: set that was on, and so we all got up. 504 00:35:15,080 --> 00:35:20,360 Speaker 5: It was it was Elvis, Earl Brown, our choir director, 505 00:35:21,160 --> 00:35:25,680 Speaker 5: Billy Goldenberg, myself, and I think Allen and Chris, our 506 00:35:25,719 --> 00:35:29,240 Speaker 5: writers were there as well, and we all piled into 507 00:35:29,320 --> 00:35:34,880 Speaker 5: the TV room and live on television we watched, you know, 508 00:35:35,239 --> 00:35:39,840 Speaker 5: when Bobby Kennedy was shot by Sir Hans Sir Han, 509 00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:46,000 Speaker 5: and you know, we ended up spending the entire night 510 00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:50,680 Speaker 5: until the sun came up in the morning. Not talking 511 00:35:50,719 --> 00:35:53,200 Speaker 5: about the show, but talking about what's going on in 512 00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:58,920 Speaker 5: our country. I mean, Martin, Luther King, John Kennedy, you know, 513 00:35:59,840 --> 00:36:05,800 Speaker 5: all these these you know, gunshots and murders and so forth, 514 00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:10,840 Speaker 5: and you know, and the Vietnam War was going on 515 00:36:11,040 --> 00:36:15,040 Speaker 5: in full rage and so forth. So it was really eerie. 516 00:36:15,120 --> 00:36:19,719 Speaker 5: And it was amazing to me to know how much 517 00:36:19,840 --> 00:36:24,279 Speaker 5: Elvis had already studied all that was going on historically 518 00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:27,800 Speaker 5: in the United States, and he was a real scholar 519 00:36:27,880 --> 00:36:32,600 Speaker 5: when it came to you know, what was going on 520 00:36:32,680 --> 00:36:36,320 Speaker 5: with these assassinations at the highest level of our government. 521 00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:41,359 Speaker 5: And you know, I think it had a lot to 522 00:36:41,360 --> 00:36:44,200 Speaker 5: do to bond all of us with Elvis, where all 523 00:36:44,239 --> 00:36:48,040 Speaker 5: the rumors of you know, him being a racist or 524 00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:52,799 Speaker 5: a redneck or whatever were completely dispelled. I mean, I 525 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:55,400 Speaker 5: liked the guy from beginning to end. That was my 526 00:36:55,520 --> 00:37:01,160 Speaker 5: experience with him. I found him totally. Uh. You know, 527 00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:05,680 Speaker 5: our cast on the On the Comeback Special was kind 528 00:37:05,719 --> 00:37:10,920 Speaker 5: of a United Nations on wheels and we had a 529 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:16,600 Speaker 5: black choreographer, a Puerto Rican choreographer, we had uh, you know, 530 00:37:17,040 --> 00:37:22,799 Speaker 5: Asian dancers. Uh uh. We were a mixed company and 531 00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:25,319 Speaker 5: it was kind of fun and Elvis didn't balk at 532 00:37:25,320 --> 00:37:28,600 Speaker 5: anything we had. We featured him in the gospel segment 533 00:37:28,719 --> 00:37:33,400 Speaker 5: with the Blossoms three, you know, beautiful young black ladies, 534 00:37:34,040 --> 00:37:38,680 Speaker 5: and they, you know, were right alongside of him, and 535 00:37:38,760 --> 00:37:42,239 Speaker 5: he embraced them. I mean, I never saw any racism 536 00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:46,879 Speaker 5: coming from Elvis. I found every time we got into 537 00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:50,200 Speaker 5: any conversation other than show business where we talked about 538 00:37:50,200 --> 00:37:54,440 Speaker 5: our personal lives, I found him, you know, very open 539 00:37:54,560 --> 00:37:58,680 Speaker 5: and liberal. I'm one of those. Unfortunately, I guess too 540 00:37:58,680 --> 00:38:04,399 Speaker 5: many screaming liberals who believe as Earl Brown wrote in 541 00:38:04,440 --> 00:38:08,480 Speaker 5: his song if I Can Dream, you know, I want 542 00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:11,759 Speaker 5: to live in a land where where your brothers and 543 00:38:11,880 --> 00:38:15,799 Speaker 5: sisters walk hand in hand. And that that's been my 544 00:38:15,960 --> 00:38:20,200 Speaker 5: feeling about the country and so forth. That I was 545 00:38:20,239 --> 00:38:25,000 Speaker 5: appalled because I kept running into, not on purpose, but 546 00:38:25,239 --> 00:38:29,640 Speaker 5: all these racist people and edicts. And I understand in 547 00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:34,399 Speaker 5: the South at that time, you know, theater owners were 548 00:38:35,239 --> 00:38:40,520 Speaker 5: literally taking scissors and cutting out the black actors in 549 00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:46,600 Speaker 5: white movies basically. And you know, I just came from 550 00:38:46,600 --> 00:38:51,759 Speaker 5: a very liberal family where we treated everybody by the 551 00:38:52,040 --> 00:38:55,120 Speaker 5: by basically the golden rule. You know, you treat everybody 552 00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:58,279 Speaker 5: as they treat you. I worked at my As a kid, 553 00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:02,760 Speaker 5: I worked in my dad's gast It was a truck station, 554 00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:05,920 Speaker 5: so we had quite a few employees, but most of 555 00:39:05,960 --> 00:39:10,440 Speaker 5: them were either black or Latino or whatever. And you know, 556 00:39:10,520 --> 00:39:12,799 Speaker 5: they were my buddies. I mean, I didn't think of 557 00:39:12,920 --> 00:39:15,760 Speaker 5: them as being different from anybody else. 558 00:39:17,040 --> 00:39:19,319 Speaker 3: I'd like to close with a question for both of you, 559 00:39:20,080 --> 00:39:25,640 Speaker 3: first Spencer, and then for you Steve, same question. It's 560 00:39:25,680 --> 00:39:33,640 Speaker 3: a time of tremendous division today, and Spencer, can you 561 00:39:33,719 --> 00:39:39,600 Speaker 3: talk about how you feel this documentary about the healing 562 00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:45,840 Speaker 3: and unifying power of music is more important than ever today? 563 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:51,440 Speaker 4: Well, I think Steve's vision of everything being color blind, 564 00:39:51,520 --> 00:39:57,040 Speaker 4: being blind, being religious blind is right with where the 565 00:39:57,080 --> 00:40:00,960 Speaker 4: world could be should be. St He's very close friend, 566 00:40:01,040 --> 00:40:05,040 Speaker 4: Mike Stoller wrote a song with Jerry Lieber and Benny 567 00:40:05,200 --> 00:40:08,160 Speaker 4: King called stand By Me, which I am going to 568 00:40:08,200 --> 00:40:12,920 Speaker 4: make a definitive film about how that song speaks to 569 00:40:13,400 --> 00:40:17,520 Speaker 4: the world and when Biden went to stand next to Zelenski, 570 00:40:17,640 --> 00:40:21,320 Speaker 4: when South Korean's decided to contribute a lot of money 571 00:40:21,360 --> 00:40:26,920 Speaker 4: to stand next to Ukraine in their plight, and that 572 00:40:27,160 --> 00:40:30,760 Speaker 4: really kind of is personified by the spirit of stand 573 00:40:30,760 --> 00:40:35,000 Speaker 4: by Me, which is the spirit of what Steve has done. 574 00:40:35,160 --> 00:40:39,400 Speaker 4: What this documentary does is that just shows that good music, 575 00:40:39,440 --> 00:40:43,319 Speaker 4: good vision, and you know Steve being able to put 576 00:40:43,360 --> 00:40:46,880 Speaker 4: people in the round, let Elvis jam with his guys 577 00:40:46,960 --> 00:40:50,759 Speaker 4: and capturing it handheld. I think that's timeless, but I 578 00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:54,319 Speaker 4: think that's good for all races, all colors. We have 579 00:40:54,480 --> 00:40:58,600 Speaker 4: a false version of Blue Sweight Shoes performed by Mafio. 580 00:40:59,120 --> 00:41:03,600 Speaker 4: We have Darius Rucker, who's a brilliant black crossover artist, 581 00:41:04,120 --> 00:41:09,400 Speaker 4: doing his rendition of Heartbreak Hotel. And when Darius speaks 582 00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:13,040 Speaker 4: in the dock about how there was a moment in 583 00:41:13,160 --> 00:41:15,839 Speaker 4: time when he saw this as a kid growing up, 584 00:41:16,200 --> 00:41:19,480 Speaker 4: it really touched him. And he's a superstar today. He's 585 00:41:19,480 --> 00:41:23,319 Speaker 4: a three time Grammy winner, and yet he is a 586 00:41:23,400 --> 00:41:27,240 Speaker 4: human being. So I'm true, big believer that what Steve 587 00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:31,279 Speaker 4: did and what Elvis did has transcended time. And I 588 00:41:31,320 --> 00:41:35,120 Speaker 4: think music travels. I think Bothering Son by Cat Stevens 589 00:41:35,160 --> 00:41:38,240 Speaker 4: sitting on the dock of the Bay by Otis Writing, 590 00:41:38,239 --> 00:41:42,560 Speaker 4: and Steve Cropper, these all are songs and things that 591 00:41:42,719 --> 00:41:45,759 Speaker 4: trendscend race and time, and I think a lot of 592 00:41:45,800 --> 00:41:50,200 Speaker 4: it started with what Steve did with the Petula Clark 593 00:41:50,280 --> 00:41:54,480 Speaker 4: special with Harry Belafonte, what Steve did here, and I'm 594 00:41:54,600 --> 00:41:57,479 Speaker 4: just very very proud to be the guy to help 595 00:41:57,520 --> 00:42:00,759 Speaker 4: bring this to the world. So that's any kind of 596 00:42:00,760 --> 00:42:03,600 Speaker 4: a sign off, that's my opinion. I'm sure Steve has 597 00:42:03,640 --> 00:42:05,240 Speaker 4: even a more articulate version. 598 00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:12,520 Speaker 5: It's Arjoe to out articulate you, Spencer. My feeling is that, 599 00:42:12,800 --> 00:42:15,560 Speaker 5: and I've always felt it as a little kid, before 600 00:42:15,600 --> 00:42:20,120 Speaker 5: I even entertained getting into the entertainment business itself. You 601 00:42:20,120 --> 00:42:23,360 Speaker 5: know the first album that I ever got, which I 602 00:42:23,520 --> 00:42:27,319 Speaker 5: suggest that you know your listeners get a copy of 603 00:42:27,440 --> 00:42:30,360 Speaker 5: and listen to it. This was played in the nineteen 604 00:42:30,480 --> 00:42:36,080 Speaker 5: thirties on CBS. It was written by somebody I got 605 00:42:36,080 --> 00:42:40,879 Speaker 5: to meet, Earl Robinson, who wrote the house I live 606 00:42:40,960 --> 00:42:45,640 Speaker 5: in that Frank Sinatra made famous, and he was a 607 00:42:45,680 --> 00:42:49,880 Speaker 5: real humanitarian. His family was in the lumber business up 608 00:42:49,920 --> 00:42:54,800 Speaker 5: in Washington, the state of Washington. It was. The song 609 00:42:55,000 --> 00:42:59,439 Speaker 5: was the Ballad for Americans, And I remember wearing out 610 00:42:59,520 --> 00:43:05,360 Speaker 5: the set eight rpm this. It came with three this 611 00:43:05,719 --> 00:43:12,080 Speaker 5: in the set, and the whole premise was Hey, the narrator, Hey, buddy, 612 00:43:12,120 --> 00:43:14,560 Speaker 5: are you an American? And then he'd go into all 613 00:43:14,640 --> 00:43:18,560 Speaker 5: these verses of am I a American and he'd deal 614 00:43:18,640 --> 00:43:23,400 Speaker 5: with religion and patriotism and so forth, and there was 615 00:43:23,440 --> 00:43:29,720 Speaker 5: a choir constantly in the background, you know, questioning his Americanism, 616 00:43:29,880 --> 00:43:34,960 Speaker 5: his liberalism and so forth. I love that album. It 617 00:43:35,080 --> 00:43:40,279 Speaker 5: actually played on CBS with the CBS Orchestra in the 618 00:43:40,320 --> 00:43:44,799 Speaker 5: thirties and I think it jammed the phone lines at 619 00:43:44,880 --> 00:43:50,480 Speaker 5: CBS for hours from people who responded to that piece 620 00:43:50,480 --> 00:43:54,960 Speaker 5: of music. I think Odetta also recorded a version of it, 621 00:43:55,600 --> 00:44:00,319 Speaker 5: and it was really a case of where to this day, 622 00:44:00,880 --> 00:44:04,480 Speaker 5: as much as I love other forms of music, and 623 00:44:04,520 --> 00:44:06,760 Speaker 5: you've got to be exposed to those kind of things. 624 00:44:06,800 --> 00:44:12,239 Speaker 5: And thank god my non college parents new enough to 625 00:44:12,920 --> 00:44:16,279 Speaker 5: expose my sister and I to so many forms of 626 00:44:16,480 --> 00:44:22,160 Speaker 5: music and the arts. To me, the only universal language 627 00:44:22,160 --> 00:44:25,920 Speaker 5: that can be understood, no matter what language you speak 628 00:44:26,200 --> 00:44:30,440 Speaker 5: in your native tongue and so forth, is music. Music 629 00:44:30,560 --> 00:44:36,800 Speaker 5: translates emotions and feelings, and whether you understand the words 630 00:44:36,880 --> 00:44:40,840 Speaker 5: or you don't of the lyricists, they just something about 631 00:44:40,880 --> 00:44:46,560 Speaker 5: it that can stir my soul. I can go to 632 00:44:46,600 --> 00:44:53,200 Speaker 5: a symphony orchestra, listen to Tchaikowsky, The War of eighteen 633 00:44:53,320 --> 00:44:56,600 Speaker 5: twelve or something, and get goosebumps, And I know they 634 00:44:56,680 --> 00:45:00,800 Speaker 5: use that piece of music July fourth when they shoot 635 00:45:00,800 --> 00:45:03,400 Speaker 5: out the fireworks and everything. That's a piece of music 636 00:45:03,800 --> 00:45:07,080 Speaker 5: that relates to it. But the point is that it 637 00:45:07,239 --> 00:45:11,799 Speaker 5: stirs your soul, It makes you feel, it brings us 638 00:45:11,880 --> 00:45:16,480 Speaker 5: all together. I'm a great believer, and when I got 639 00:45:16,520 --> 00:45:21,520 Speaker 5: into television, I realized how little anybody in television paid 640 00:45:22,000 --> 00:45:25,760 Speaker 5: to the music. They were all about this is about 641 00:45:25,800 --> 00:45:30,400 Speaker 5: the picture and the soundtrack doesn't matter. Well, I couldn't 642 00:45:30,680 --> 00:45:34,680 Speaker 5: disagree with him more. And that's why I partnered with 643 00:45:35,920 --> 00:45:40,000 Speaker 5: a record producer because I felt, even now, and let's 644 00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:42,520 Speaker 5: get back to the Elvis Presley Special, I think that 645 00:45:42,719 --> 00:45:48,560 Speaker 5: soundtrack is equally as important to the success of the special. 646 00:45:49,239 --> 00:45:52,160 Speaker 5: I look at it today and I say, you know what, 647 00:45:53,520 --> 00:45:57,560 Speaker 5: I could have shot that last month. It didn't need 648 00:45:57,600 --> 00:46:01,000 Speaker 5: to be done fifty some years ago. It's not dated 649 00:46:01,080 --> 00:46:05,120 Speaker 5: in any weight, shape or form. And the driver to 650 00:46:05,160 --> 00:46:09,239 Speaker 5: the whole thing is the soundtrack is the music, and 651 00:46:09,560 --> 00:46:15,080 Speaker 5: it's you know, I think artists get inspired by the music. 652 00:46:15,320 --> 00:46:18,359 Speaker 5: You know. I was listening the other day to an 653 00:46:18,400 --> 00:46:23,279 Speaker 5: old Bobby Darren album with Mac the Knife and all 654 00:46:23,360 --> 00:46:27,239 Speaker 5: those great tunes. But really caught my attention in my 655 00:46:27,360 --> 00:46:31,359 Speaker 5: ear where the arrangements to the music and the orchestra's 656 00:46:31,880 --> 00:46:37,560 Speaker 5: soundtrack behind his single success and so forth. So I 657 00:46:38,560 --> 00:46:42,120 Speaker 5: just can't say enough about you know what music does 658 00:46:42,160 --> 00:46:43,360 Speaker 5: to me and my soul. 659 00:46:44,640 --> 00:46:50,200 Speaker 3: Well, thanks for chilling my soul in a beautiful way. 660 00:46:50,360 --> 00:46:55,840 Speaker 3: I can't wait for everyone to see this documentary. It's 661 00:46:56,040 --> 00:47:00,640 Speaker 3: just tremendous. It's the reinvention of Elvis the sixty eight 662 00:47:00,640 --> 00:47:05,680 Speaker 3: Comeback Special Paramount Plus. I can't thank you enough Steve 663 00:47:05,719 --> 00:47:08,960 Speaker 3: Bender and Spencer Prawfer for being on the Taking a 664 00:47:09,040 --> 00:47:09,920 Speaker 3: Walk podcast. 665 00:47:10,760 --> 00:47:13,359 Speaker 5: Thank you, Buzz, It's been a pleasure from my point 666 00:47:13,400 --> 00:47:13,840 Speaker 5: of view. 667 00:47:14,440 --> 00:47:17,879 Speaker 4: Buzz, you're a rock star. I appreciate you, and yes, 668 00:47:18,120 --> 00:47:20,279 Speaker 4: I do want the world they hear it and I 669 00:47:20,400 --> 00:47:23,560 Speaker 4: want them to feel with Steve Benderfields because that's what 670 00:47:23,640 --> 00:47:26,080 Speaker 4: we should as a society and it's a world that's 671 00:47:26,080 --> 00:47:26,960 Speaker 4: what we should feel. 672 00:47:27,960 --> 00:47:28,760 Speaker 3: Thank you, gentlemen. 673 00:47:30,520 --> 00:47:35,799 Speaker 2: Taking a Walk with Buzznight is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, 674 00:47:36,280 --> 00:47:38,480 Speaker 2: or wherever you get your podcasts.