Elvis Memorabilia You Might Have Missed

Last update: 8 January, 2006

Not all Elvis items are sold all over the world -- not all Elvis items even reach the general sales place. Below are a few of the more unusual items from my own collection. Hope you enjoy!

Elvis Film Books

A number of Elvis's films were based on books. Some books were published with special covers, linking them to Elvis's film (e.g. "Charro," "Follow That Dream," "Stay Away Joe," "Flaming Star", "Wild In The Country"); others were not republished (e.g. "Kid Galahad" -- the cover shown here dates from 1947!); still others were republished, but with no mention of a film (e.g. "A Stone For Danny Fisher"(King Creole), "Kiss My Firm But Pliant Lips" (Live a Little, Love a Little) and "Chautauqua ("The Trouble With Girls..."), though the cover shown here dates from 1961).
Of the covers shown here, all but "Kiss My Firm But Pliant Lips" are paperback.
To see a larger picture of a cover, just click on the cover.
If you're interested in other covers of Elvis books, I have scanned some of the best for your amusement.

French "Always On My Mind" 45rpm single

BMG France seem to enjoy issuing Elvis recordings that are different to the rest of the world -- see the horrible "Chante Avec Elvis" below, and consider also the excellent "Romantique" CD release of a few years back, to mention just a couple of examples. They did it again in 1999 with the CDs "Love Songs" and "Rock Songs", issued also as a 3-CD box set, the third CD being a "bonus" CD called "French Songs" and containing 4 tracks. At the same time, a 45 rpm single was issued, with "Always On My Mind" and "Are You Lonesome Tonight?". The cover uses the same photo used on the Love Songs CD and the box for the 3-CD set.

French "Chante Avec Elvis" EP/Book set

And you thought that "Elvis Sings For Children (and Grownups Too)" was bad! The date indicated on this stereo EP (RCA CF513) is 1976. The set is clearly aimed at French children, the record marked "Disque Enfant, and the inside of the "book" containing several childish wintry illustrations. The makers clearly had a high opinion of the average French child's linguistic capabilities, though, accompanying the illustrations by the lyrics to the four tracks which make up the EP: White Christmas, Silent Night, Blue Christmas, and I Believe (which has nothing to do with Christmas, of course!). The images show the back and front covers of the book -- click on them to see larger versions.

The ELVIS TOBY

This somewhat unusual depiction of Elvis is actually a Toby Jug (a serving jug in the form of a full figure). The Toby shows a singing Elvis in a red Hawaiian shirt, with representative items of his career around the base, including a teddy bear, a hound dog, and a pair of blue suede shoes (around the back)! The handle at the back of the jug is in the form of a music note and Elvis seems to be sitting on drums. The jug was planned for release in 1993 by UK ceramics company Kevin Francis, and was even included in their sales brochure of that time. Only a few colour trials were ever produced, however (there is also a yellow-shirted colourway), before licensing difficulties put an end to the project.
UK International Ceramics has for several years had plans to produce an Elvis character jug (a pouring jug based on a head-and-shoulders representation), but so far this has not been released and I am unaware of any trials. (Royal Doulton produced an Elvis character jug in 1984, but, again, licensing problems prevented its release.)

The ELVIS THUNDERBIRD

The back of the display box contains the following text:

"Born on the 8th January 1935 in East Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis Aaron Presley went on to have 107 records reach the US top 40 and had 21 UK number one hits. Still today the most successful recording artist of all time, Elvis is an icon to millions across the world and has become a legend since his premature death at the age of 42 in August 1977. This Ford Thunderbird is a fictional representation of a classic American car, decorated as tribute to Elvis during his major revival in the 1970s and featured a white metal figure of the King."

The pink Thunderbird is decorated with Elvis's name on the bonnet and boot. A metal model of Elvis playing a guitar sits on the front seat! It was issued by Corgi Classics Ltd in 1998 and is "For UK Sales Only" (well, that's what it says on the box!). It's not the pink Cadillac I've always dreamt of, but at least it's a start...

Dutch Christmas Stocking Promo

Released in 1994 by BMG Nederland, this promo set for the "If Every Day Was Like Christmas" CD consists of a green felt Christmas stocking containing a 45 rpm disk. Side A is "If Every Day Was Like Christmas" and side B is (mysteriously!) "How Would You Like To Be", a song from "It Happened At The World's Fair" which has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas and is (fortunately) not on the CD -- BMG does it again!

The King Of Belgium CD

The first 500 copies of the 1999 book, "Elvis King of Belgium", were issued with this otherwise unobtainable CD. The 4 tracks are Suspicious Minds, In The Ghetto, Tomorrow Is A Long Time, and Separate Ways.

The Rusty Wallace Miller/Elvis Stock Car

A "limited" edition (if 30,000 can still be termed "limited"!) 1:64 scale model of an American stock car, as driven by one Rusty Wallace. The top of the box shows the driver, the car and Elvis, here in a shot from the TV Special "Elvis". The main side panels include a graphic representation of a guitar. The car itself is a 1998 Ford Taurus (is that the same as a Ford Taunus in Europe?), carrying the '68 image of Elvis on the bonnet and the words "Viva Las Vegas" on the boot.

Elvis Socks

Marks & Spencer, the UK clothing store, sold a series of socks in the 1990's under the name, "Greats of Our Time" (top image). Elvis was one of those chosen to be displayed and M&S didn't do too bad a job. For the technically inclined, the socks are One Size 39-47 (6-12) and are made of Lycra (83% cotton, 16% nylon, 1% Elastene); colour is black and they were made in the UK. There is no mention of EPE, or of the socks being an "official product," so perhaps M&S removed them from the sales floor for fear of legal action. Who knows, one day they might be as rare as the M&S Elvis LP!
A pair of socks that does carry the official seal of approval, if you go in for things like that, was marketed in 1997 by "Cartoon Club" -- that just about sums up EPE and its attitude to Elvis, if you ask me. These socks (see lower image) even carry a facsimile of Elvis's signature on the sole (not shown here) -- Elvis might have had a lot of soul, but he doesn't deserve to have his name trodden on, EPE! Again, for the sartorially desperate: 50% cotton, 22% acrilic, 25% nylon, 3% Lycra.

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