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