Elvis Articles

The Rise in Popularity of Cover Bands in the UK

Article by Jeff

In any English town or city, on any Friday or Saturday night, you will always be able to walk in to a pub and be entertained. And usually for free, as one of the thousands of that musical phenomena called the covers band can be found performing to revelling audiences.

Covers bands are not a new thing; although their origins are difficult to trace, they have been around for decades. In that time they have become favourites at wedding receptions, in pubs and clubs everywhere and even as support acts for original bands.

One of the reasons for this is the enormous variety that these bands offer. Cover bands tend to specialise in a genre such as heavy metal or country and western, for example, or they might focus on an era, such as the 70s. But almost without exception their playlists include the best and most popular songs of their chosen field.

And this is where they differ from their close relation, the tribute band. Whilst there are tributes to current bands, many formed to pay homage to an original band who may have split or who may no longer tour, focusing solely those bands songs on, replicating the style, look, sound closely, sometimes even gaining the approval of original band members.

Indeed, many tribute bands have become successful in their own right; most are content playing to relatively small audiences in clubs and music venues, but some of the more polished examples can be seen at larger events and multi-day tribute festivals that have sprung up to cater for budget conscious music fans by mimicking Glastonbury type festivals with multiple stages simultaneously hosting a range of genres.

There is a growing demand for cover and tribute bands alike and agents market them in just the same way that they handle original bands.

Tribute bands have been around longer than their cover cousins, but the debate will continue as to whether the Beatles or Elvis Presley were the first artists to be honoured by tribute equivalents.

About the Author

Jeff J. endorses Chris Tyrrell who writes for Indio Black, one of the most entertaining bands on the cover band UK music scene. Visit their website for more details.

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When the Whitehouse Became the Greenhouse

Article by Energi

It was the year we all waved goodbye to Elvis Presley, Bing Crosby and Marc Bolan. We welcomed the likes of George Lucas and the beginnings of his Star Wars saga and John Travolta set the dance floor alight as Saturday Night Fever swept the nation.

The UK celebrated the Queens Silver Jubilee as the Sex Pistols topped the single chart with their anti-establishment anthem ‘God Save the Queen’. The 1970′s proved to be a tough decade for many UK citizens; inflation was out of control, pay rises were capped, the 3 day week was introduced, industrial action was wide spread and power cuts were frequent.

Across the globe coal prices increased as a result of prolonged industrial action in the UK. That coupled with the after affects of the 1973 oil crisis meant that not only Britain was struggling to cope, but many other countries had to seriously consider reducing their power consumption to avoid total shutdown.

Across the Atlantic in 1977, James Earl Carter was elected as America’s thirty ninth president. This forward thinking man saw the energy crisis as “a clear and present danger” and took steps to combat its affects. In this year, President Carter had an array of solar roof panels installed on the Whitehouse to heat its water. He also had a wood burning stove fitted in his living quarters and introduced national controls regulating heating and air conditioning use in government and commercial buildings.

The President urged US citizens to reduce their car use, to use public transport or to car share where possible. In 1977 he set up the United States Department of Energy (DoE) which encouraged energy conservation and promoted the development of renewable energy such as wind and solar power companies.

By 1978, President Carter introduced the Energy Tax Act as part of the National Energy Act. The purpose of this law was to promote fuel efficiency through a variety of taxes and tax credits and to spark a shift away from the nation’s reliance on fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil.

The Energy Tax Act also included a ‘gas guzzler’ tax. This tax was levied against domestic vehicles whose fuel efficiency was below 15 miles per gallon. There was however an exemption for vehicles above 6,000lbs in weight, making the tax counter productive as many US citizens opted for the largest suburban utility vehicles (SUV’s) or station wagons instead of the smaller, more efficient vehicles Ford, Chrysler & GM were trying in vain to market.

The following year, during the 1979 energy crisis, President Carter made his famous ‘Malaise’ speech;

“I’m asking you for your good and for your nation’s security to take no unnecessary trips, to use carpools or public transportation whenever you can, to park your car one extra day per week, to obey the speed limit, and to set your thermostats to save fuel… I have seen the strength of America in the inexhaustible resources of our people. In the days to come, let us renew that strength in the struggle for an energy-secure nation.” – Jimmy Carter, 1979.

This speech received a mixed response from both the US government and its citizens. These days such speeches would be met with similar scepticism, however, many are looking back at what President Carter attempted to achieve with growing warmth. President Carter believed that changing the way we use energy as an individual is as impactful as making regulation changes for the industrial giants to adhere to.

The first thing Jimmy Carter did when he entered the Whitehouse was to turn down the thermostat and put a cardigan on before fitting solar roof panels to heat its water. If only all world leaders were as keen and passionate about energy conservation as President Carter was, what could we have achieved over the past 30 years?

If you’re interested in solar roof panels for your home, school, college or business, contact Energi, the North West’s leading renewable energy experts.

About the Author

Residential Solar Energy SystemsEnergi PlcThe Gordon Manley Building, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ TEL: 01524 510290EMAIL: enquiries@energiplc.com

Product Sourcing For Ebay: Don’t Get Caught In These 3 Deadly Traps

Article by Pete Sadler

Are you new to product sourcing for Ebay? While this is an excellent business model, like any business, there are traps which can catch the unwary…

When choosing your wholesalers for Ebay sellers, here are some points you need to be aware of:

1. Compensation – Keep in mind that you are running your Ebay business to make money. There are several different compensation programs in the market. The most common model allows you to set your own retail rate: your partner’s unit wholesale price for each product plus your own markup. So the minimum bid you will accept in your auctions is your retail rate. Every time you sell an item, you earn at least your markup. This method is straightforward and easy to track. Some wholesalers operate different compensation models, so remember to double-check the terms and conditions. Make sure you understand the compensation model. Here are some questions you need to ask:

Is payment by check only? Is direct deposit available?Is there a minimum amount you need to earn before they pay you your commission?Who handles taxes?Are you required to make a long term commitment?

2. Sell only what’s hot on Ebay – You need to be in tune with the market. To make money right from the start, you need to offer only the best items to sell on Ebay. For example, your music CDs dropshipper needs to offer the latest hits as well as the evergreens and golden oldies. Selling Elvis Presley CDs can make a decent amount of cash every month, but selling the latest chart topping single could net your the same amount in one day! If you need to find a new product sourcing for Ebay partner who offers the hot product, then do so. Don’t limit yourself to your trusty pet accessories dropshipper during the Christmas season, find a dropshipper who offers the latest Christmas toys and decorations. Here are some questions to ask yourself before you setup your Ebay shop or auction:

Do you know what is hot this season?Does this wholesaler offer these items?Is this model new, or has it been offered the past umpteen years?

3. Shipping and handling – Make sure your partner handles the shipping and handling. Also make sure you pass the postage and handling costs to the customer. One of the main attractions of using a wholesale dropship supply partner is to avoid having to go to the post office yourself. Make sure that your partners directly ship the products from their warehouses within one or two days after the payment is received. Here are the pitfalls to be aware of:

Do you need to maintain any inventory? The answer had better be “No!”Do you need to pay postage out of your own pocket? You are supposed to pass this cost directly to your customer.Does your partner charge you any additional administrative costs?Do you have to pay any storage costs?If you have to answer “Yes” to any of the 4 questions above, find another vendor!

When picking your partnerships for product sourcing for Ebay, keep these 2 points in mind – minimum costs and maximum simplicity. Otherwise you may as well set up a workshop to produce your own products for sale.

About the Author

Looking for the best product sourcing for Ebay partners? Click here to learn how you can find good dropshippers in product sourcing for Ebay.

Interesting Facts About Saddle Shoes

Article by Jayesh Bagde

Saddle shoes are also considered as formal leather footwear. There are various types for different lifestyles.

Saddle shoes are two-toned formal leather footwear. These are white shoes with a colored saddle across the center of the shoe. The color is usually white and black. The toe and back of it are white. It can be worn by both men and women, in different styles. It ranges from ultra high platforms to golf cleats.

This type of shoes has these features:- Vamp- Instep- Throat- eyelets and – Tongues are black in color.

The vamp and in-step are shaped like a saddle in the center. A matching black strip runs on the back of the shoe heel. Some saddle shoes have a buckle on top of the black strip. These saddle shoes’ sole consists of different “low heeled” sole that has a coral coloration. Saddle shoe manufacturers have made saddle shoes in different color combinations and designs. Saddle shoes are versatile that it can match any wardrobe.

Saddle shoes were first sold in1906. They were first worn by boys. Girls started wearing them during the 1920s. But during the 50s, these shoes were usually worn by women with:* poodle skirt* white blouse and* white cuffed ankle socks

The clothing styles then were:- tight fitting blouses- pirate pants- pedal pushers- jeans- petticoats- Peter Pan collared blouse- Twin sweater shirt- Cinched belt- Pleated skirts and others

Saddle shoes are considered as sporty shoes. They are worn like loafers before sneakers became trendy footwear. They are not worn on formal occasions by boys. They can be worn on informal occasions, by older boys and matching them with sport jackets

Men’s saddle shoes or men’s saddle oxfords were known even during the post-war era. This happened when they were:- Jiving- dancing jitterbug and – listening to the vinyl album of Elvis Presley

At that time, the market demanded men’s saddle shoes, which later on created many men’s two-toned colored saddle shoes.

Saddle shoes are remarkable because they can be worn by boys of all ages. Ordinarily, older boys do not wear styles worn by younger boys. Saddle shoes appear to have been suitable to all age groups.

Saddle shoes for men are still very much available in the market. Today, men’s variety saddle shoes come in different styles. There are even athletic men’s variety saddle shoes for very active individuals. For the golf enthusiasts, there are “golf saddle” shoes. Hence, waterproof men’s variety saddle shoes are out in the market as well. For those who prefer the casual variety, saddle oxfords are recommendable. These are popular amongst executives.

At current, men wear saddle shoes for golf and sometimes with retro attires. A lot of golf saddles have a classic saddle appearance. They have advance features for comfort and support. Sporty or athletic saddle shoes now possess shock absorbing mid-soles and stabilizers. Sporty saddles even have superb toe-hold. This is another reason why they are known amongst golfers. Having a shoe with good toe-hold is important when playing golf, especially when swinging or putting.

If you want to rock and roll, you can try the fashion footwear that replaced the loafers. Saddle shoes, especially for the younger generation, are considered outstanding amongst all other American shoes.

About the Author

For more information on Saddle Shoes please visit our website.

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Cheap Halloween Costume Ideas

Article by William Smith

Halloween costumes based on pop culture icons are nothing new. From Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley to the Star Wars characters, inevitable familiar faces will no doubt agonistic up from year to year. Halloween costumes can be grouped into several alternate categories. We’re going to give you a few suggestions to help you get your artistic juices abounding. Halloween costumes made for kids are offered in a very wide range and most of the adult costumes are artificial smaller for children. This makes it fun for although a mom or dad want to dress up as Dr.Alternatively of buying make believe weapons, make them out of card- board and color and asylum with aluminum foil – easy to make Ninja stars, knife. Use long stick or old sweep handle for a bo, take two paper towel rolls, associate with piece of twine, cover them with black architecture paper and you have num-chucks. Instead, get inspired with the inexpensive and original ideas that follow. With just a few dabs of glue and the slide of an iron, you can make your child tops on the trick-or-treat block or the bash of the Halloween party with these no-sew kids’ Halloween costume masterpieces.Adult costumes run to start into individual categories that rest favourite aggregation after year. Their abiding popularity is cod part to their beingness and part to their bearing of fun. Adult costume searches at the site are on the rise, aerial past searches for children’s costumes by approximately 20 percent. A slew of “sexy” costumes made the top of the list, with “sexy prisoner” being one of the most searched. Adult Halloween costumes are available in all season period for prehistoric times to those of the unknown future. It does not matter if you would like to be a rooten tooten cowboy wrestling with the cattle or a Cinderella, Halloween is the optimal time for indulging your inner child.For more information check out BuyThisCostume

About the Author

William Smith writes regularly about entertainment related topics. I hope you enjoy this article.

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Inexpensive Halloween Costume Ideas

Article by James Taylor

Halloween costumes based on pop culture icons are nothing new. From Marilyn Monroe including Elvis Presley to the Star Wars characters, inevitable familiar faces arbitrary no doubt show up from year to year. Halloween costumes can be grouped against several alternate categories. We’re going to give you a few suggestions to help you get your artistic juices abounding. Halloween costumes made for kids are offered in a very wide range and most of the adult costumes are made smaller for children. This makes it fun for although a mom or dad want to dress up as Dr.Alternatively of buying make accept weapons, make them out of ace- board and color and asylum with aluminum foil – easy to make Ninja stars, knife. Use long stick or old broom handle for a bo, take two paper towel rolls, connect with piece of twine, cover them with black architecture article and you have num-chucks. Instead, get inspired with the inexpensive and original ideas that follow. With just a few dabs of glue and the slide of an iron, you can make your child tops on the trick-or-treat block or the bash of the Halloween party accompanying these no-sew kids’ Halloween costume masterpieces.Developed costumes run to start into individual categories that rest favourite assemblage after year. Their continuing popularity is cod part to their beingness and part to their significance of fun. Adult costume searches at the site are on the rise, soaring past searches for children’s costumes by approximately 20 percent. A slew of “sexy” costumes made the top of the list, with “sexy prisoner” being one of the most searched. Adult Halloween costumes are available in all time period for prehistoric times to those of the anonymous future. It does not matter if you would like to be a rooten tooten cowboy wrestling with the cattle or a Cinderella, Halloween is the optimal time for indulging your inner child.For more information check out BuyThisCostume

About the Author

James Taylor writes regularly about entertainment related topics. I hope you enjoy this article.

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New Cheap Halloween Costume Ideas

Article by Robert Taylor

Halloween costumes based on pop culture icons are nothing new. From Marilyn Monroe including Elvis Presley to the Star Wars characters, inevitable familiar faces will no doubt show up from year to year. Halloween costumes can be grouped into several sub categories. We’re going to give you a few suggestions to help you get your artistic juices flowing. Halloween costumes made for kids are offered in a very wide range and most of the adult costumes are made smaller for children. This makes it fun for although a mom or dad want to sartorial up as Dr.Alternatively of buying make accept weapons, make them out of ace- board and color and cover with aluminum foil – easy to assemble Ninja stars, knife. Use long stick or old sweep handle for a bo, take two paper towel rolls, connect with piece of twine, cover them with black construction paper and you have num-chucks. Instead, get inspired with the inexpensive and original ideas that follow. With just a few dabs of glue and the slide of an iron, you can make your child tops on the trick-or-treat block or the bash of the Halloween party with these no-sew kids’ Halloween costume masterpieces.Developed costumes run to beginning into discrete categories that rest favourite aggregation after year. Their continuing popularity is cod part to their beingness and part to their significance of fun. Adult costume searches at the site are on the rise, aerial past searches for children’s costumes by approximately 20 percent. A jillion of “sexy” costumes made the top of the list, with “sexy prisoner” existent one of the most searched. Adult Halloween costumes are available in every time period for prehistoric times to those of the anonymous future. It does not matter if you would like to be a rooten tooten cowboy wrestling with the cattle or a Cinderella, Halloween is the optimal time for indulging your inner child.For more information check out BuyThisCostume

About the Author

Robert Taylor writes regularly about entertainment related topics. I hope you enjoy this article.

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The Russian Guitar: An Instrument Of The People

Article by Victor Epand

In comparison with the rest of its family, the Russian guitar has a relatively short history. While the Europe has been enjoying the melodious sounds of the guitar in one form or another since the 14th century, the guitar did not find its way to Mother Russia until the end of the 18th century, nearly 400 years later. However, once it arrived, it found a warm welcome, and the guitar has since become an established facet of Russian culture. Interestingly, its story has been inextricably linked with the politics of the country, and the instrument’s popularity has risen and fallen with the times.

Firstly, the Russian guitar is different from the classical, or Spanish, guitar. The main and most important difference is that the Russian guitar, or semistrunnaya gitara, has seven strings as opposed to the classical instrument’s six. There are also versions with two necks and 11 or 12 strings, but these are less common. The instrument is traditionally played without a pick, using fingers for either strumming or picking. Its invention is attributed to Andrei Sychra, who was born in the late 18th century and wrote over one thousand compositions during his lifetime.

Prior to the revolution of 1917, the Russian guitar was far more common and popular in Russia than the Spanish guitar. Its popularity was at its height during the later half of the 19th century, which may be at least partially attributed to the popularity of “city romance” songs at the time. It was during this period that peasants from the country were flocking to the cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg, and these songs, which were guitar oriented and touched upon the life of the common man, were in keeping with the social movement. However, during the early Soviet eras of Lenin and Stalin, such music was considered bourgeois and fell into disfavor. The old Russian school of guitar, however, continued to be strong and the seven-stringed instrument persisted.

Although the Spanish guitar has gained some popularity in Russia over the past hundred years, especially in genres such as jazz and rock and roll, the Russian guitar continues to be the norm. The emergence of Russian bard music, or music written outside of the Soviet establishment, helped combat the influence of the Spanish instrument. This genre emerged in the 1960s, and its music relied heavily on the same techniques originally used in the “city romance” songs 50 years previously. Such music, and the Russian guitars it required, helped prevent Russian culture from being overrun by Western musical influences like the Beatles and Elvis Presley.

Up until the late 1970s, Soviet guitar factories continued to produce only seven-stringed instruments. Manufacturers began a gradual switchover at that point and today, both types of instrument are available in Russia. The Russian guitar continues to be popular in its homeland, however, probably due to its flexibility, the relative simplicity of some basic chords and the ease of playing alternating bass lines. In fact, the appeal of the Russian guitar is so strong that Russian emigre guitarists living in western countries have been known to modify six string acoustic guitars to seven string instruments.

About the Author

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, keyboards, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio. You can find the best marketplace at these sites for guitars, Russian guitar, sheet music, guitar tabs, and home theater audio.

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Guitar Inlay: Beautiful And Useful

Article by Victor Epand

There are lots of reasons that people opt to learn to play the guitar rather than another instrument. It may have to do with a preference for country music over that of orchestras. They may be drawn to the potential volume of the electric guitar or the portability of its acoustic cousin. Or maybe they just think guitars look cool. Yes, ever since they first became “sexy” via the genre of rock and roll (thank you Elvis Presley), guitars have had a certain element of “coolness” that is simply unattainable with many other instruments. Additionally, guitars have a fair amount of potential when it comes to visual elements, or inlay. Such decoration is set into the exterior wood of the instrument and can be located almost anywhere, including the fingerboard, headstock and around the sound hole.

In recent years, simple guitar inlay is often done in plastic. On some low-end guitars, inlay isn’t really inlay at all; it is simply painted designs. However, vintage instruments and modern ones of high quality often have inlays of mother of pearl, abalone, ivory, colored wood or other exotic and beautiful materials. In an interesting adaptation, LEDs and optical fiber inlays have become popular with some rock musicians in recent years. The advantage with such inlays is that they allow the guitarist to see the fingerboard under dark conditions, such as dimly lit gigs.

Inlay found on the fingerboard of a guitar (also known as the “fretboard”) actually serves a dual purpose, at least in many cases. Designs located here are used not only as decorations, but as indicators to the guitarists as to which fret is which. The inlay usually takes the form of pips, which can be in a variety of shapes. The dot is the most common and the easiest to produce, but diamonds, parallelograms, trapezoids, large squares and even creative designs like lightning bolts and “shark fins.” Interestingly, distinctions have evolved among some major guitar manufacturers that dictate what shapes of pips shall be used. For example, while one producer uses dots, another uses isosceles trapezoids.

In addition to the inlay of the fingerboard, decorations on the headstock are also common. The headstock, sometimes called the “peghead,” is the bulbous portion of the guitar at the end of the neck. One common pattern of inlay is the manufacturer’s logo. This is often found on a guitar’s headstock and is sometimes accompanied by an abstract shape or design. The logo is also often inlaid into the instrument’s pickguard, if one is present.

Finally, inlay around an acoustic guitar’s sound hole (electric guitars lack sound holes) is very common, although it can vary considerably in complexity. Often, more high-end guitars will boast more elaborate decorative inlay schemes. In such instances, the inlay can cover the sides and back of the instrument in addition to the area around the sound hole. On limited edition and custom-made guitars, the inlay can cover the entire guitar. Such guitars are often works of visual art in their own right in addition to being high-quality musical instruments.

About the Author

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, keyboards, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio. You can find the best marketplace at these sites for guitars, inlay, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio.

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Waterfalls in the Movies

Article by Johnny T. Cheng

It’s not just nature enthusiasts, waterfallers, hikers, and holiday makers that love waterfalls. Hollywood loves them, too! In fact, they’re featured in many movies and their presence in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy even influenced our decision to honeymoon in Jackson’s home country of New Zealand. Indeed, I remember vividly the scenes of Gollum getting caught at the Forbidden Pool (The Two Towers), Aragorn sending Boromir’s corpse on a raft over the waterfall at Tol Brandir (The Fellowship of the Ring), and the plethora of waterfalls at the Elven enclave of Rivendell (The Fellowship of the Ring; The Return of the King).

So this got me to wonder: which other movies have waterfalls in them?

One of the most recent that comes to mind is the latest installment of Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones adventure – Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull where the mighty Iguazu Falls featured prominently. Although some creative liberties were taken with this waterfall (e.g. that there were three drops, that you could survive going over the Devil’s Throat, and that there was some hidden lost word somewhere behind the waterfall), the movie made us look back upon our experience at the falls and identify where the camera crew got their shots from.

Plus, who can forget the waterfalls in Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park series (e.g. Manawaiopuna Falls in Kaua’i and Honokohau Falls in Maui come to mind)?

Or what about the 1980 movie The Blue Lagoon (1980) starring Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins, where they slid down the Waitavala Water Slide in Taveuni, Fiji?

Even waterfalls that weren’t filmed on location like in the movie I remember seeing as a kid The Goonies (1985), which had a young Sean Astin (you know, Sam – Frodo’s sidekick) and a young Cory Feldman amongst others. The scene I’m thinking about had a waterfall in some underground cavern that eventually became the scene of the kids’ escape back into the outside world.

Some other examples of waterfalls in the movies that are out there include:

Niagara (1953) starring Marilyn MonroeDr No (1962), a James Bond movie starring Sean ConneryCocktail (1988) starring Tom CruiseBlue Hawaii (1961) starring Elvis PresleyLilo & Stitch (2002) the animated Disney flick

And finally, there’s the soon-to-be-released movie starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman in Baz Luhrmann’s Australia where movie trailers have shown the remote Mitchell Falls in the Kimberley and the Emma Gorge Waterfall near the exclusive El Questro Lodge on the Gibb’s River Road west of Kununurra. In fact, Kidman claims that she and allegedly several other women got pregnant after waterfall swims because the waters near Kununurra somehow enhanced fertility.

Indeed, Hollywood is attracted to waterfalls and I guess that also makes them waterfall fans like me!

About the Author

Johnny T. Cheng is author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls (Story Nature Press). Find out more about his book and the waterfalls he’s visited at http://www.world-of-waterfalls.com.

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