Time to remember Elvis again

Every November 1st, which is as we all know is All Saints’ Day, RJ FM and later also RJTV would do its rock ’n roll bit about commemorating the departed. They would conduct a poll about who is the more important artist or the bigger star between the departed Elvis Presley and The Beatles, one of whose members, John Lennon has also gone to the great beyond. Listeners would phone in their choice and give the reason why. The one who gets the most votes is declared the winner.

I thought of this because, Aug. 15, the date of Presley’s death, 32 years ago, is fast approaching and also because of the recent passing of King of Pop Michael Jackson. Should RJ radio or RJTV decide to do this poll again, will they now make it a three-way bout? Like they would now ask, who is the greatest among Elvis, John Lennon and new addition Michael Jackson. Whoever wins is actually irrelevant but choosing and defending one’s choice can be quite fun.

There is a three-month wait for the answer to that. So let us now go to the more pressing matter. And that is Elvis. You know how it is when August comes around. Elvis fans really make a big deal out of celebrating the King of Rock ’n Roll’s contribution to pop music, as we know it today. And mind you, this is a worldwide thing, what with all those active fan clubs, impersonators and the mini-industry that has grown out of everything Elvis like the continued use of his songs and image.

Here in the Philippines, the main celebration will be at Merk’s Bar Bistro at Level III, Greenbelt III, Ayala Center, Makati City on Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. Set to perform are The Best Elvises in the Philippines. I have had the chance to watch a few Elvis impersonators in other countries and I can honestly say that the Pinoys are among the best. A lot of the others treat Elvis as a caricature. Some cannot even sing. They just try to look and move like Elvis. The Pinoys may look Asian but they sound close to the original and are the most expressive.

And these Best Elvises are the following: Romy Dancel, Eat, Bulaga! Elvis Contest winner; Homer Mendoza, Elvis ’50s Best Sound Alike; Eric Alvarez, Grand Champion Enchanted Kingdom Elvis Contest 2009; Nonie Yambao, The New Elvis Presley of the Phils.; Chito Bertol, host and founding chairman of the EPFC and Original Elvis Presley of the Phils.; Douglas Masuda, Elvis from Japan; Alex Torres, winner of EPFC Elvis Contest 2007; and Jun Poncio, the Pinoy Elvis of Australia.

The show is presented by the Elvis Presley Friendship Club Phils. Intl., the only one accredited by the Presley empire in Graceland, USA and a member of the Elvis Presley Alliance of Asia which includes Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand and the Philippines. Set to accompany the Elvises are the Elvis Pinoy Band and also featured are the Elvis Girl Dancers. Tickets are now available at the Manila Seedling Bank Foundation and at Merk’s. Proceeds will benefit the various environmental projects of the Manila Seedling Bank.

MYX International Top 20 videos

From MYX, the Filipino music channel, here are the top MYX International Top 20 videos of the week. Touch My Hand by David Archuleta; Fire by 2NE1; White Horse by Taylor Swift; Nobody by Wonder Girls; 21 Guns by Green Day; Paranoid by Jonas Brothers; New Divide by Linkin Park; How Do You Sleep by Jesse McCartney; Waking Up in Vegas by Katy Perry; Sorry Sorry by Super Junior.

Come Back To Me by David Cook; Hush Hush by the Pussycat Dolls; Paparazzi by Lady GaGa; Battlefield by Jordin Sparks; No Surprise by Daughtry; I Do Not Hook Up by Kelly Clarkson; Ego by Beyoncé; Sweet Dreams also by Beyoncé; Good Girls Go Bad by Cobra Starship and Leighton Meester; and F***You by Lily Allen.

Top hits on radio

On radio, the top guy of the current batch is American Idol (AI) runner-up Adam Lambert with one of his Idol songs Mad World. Other singles now getting good airplay are: No Boundaries by this year’s AI winner Kris Allen; Boom Boom Pow by the Black Eyed Peas; Already Gone by Kelly Clarkson; The Climb by Miley Cyrus; Antukin by Rico Blanco; Dahil Minahal Mo Ako by Sarah Geronimo; Patron Tequila by Paradiso Girls; Jai Ho by Al Rahman and The Pussycat Dolls; Updated Version of Me by KC Concepcion; Always You by Charice; Walang Iwanan by 6Cyclemind; and Upuan by Gloc9 feat. Zelle.