‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ welcomed Elvis Presley in 1957 to sing his hit ‘Too Much.’ When Ed introduced Elvis, he threw his hands in the air. Ed was smiling because he knew the girls would freak out when he mentioned the name!
The audience did respond with tremendous shouts! Elvis took the stage backed by 4 male harmony singers dressed in plaid blazers, shirts, and ties. The backdrop was a massive picture of sheet music featuring large music notes. Elvis was wearing a shiny vest with a collared shirt.
The backing band is simple, containing only guitar, bass, and drums. The accompaniment is pure R&B, representing the early sound of ‘The King.’ Elvis stares down at the audience while singing.
The camera purposely refuses to show the whole body of Elvis, keeping the shot close-up of his head, shoulders, and upper chest. After the third chorus, Elvis takes a small step back, and his eyes let you know he intends to move his body!
He starts snapping his fingers, and his shoulders are bouncing, indicating his torso movements. He lets out a yell, ‘Yeah!’ The audience loses their minds!
After the first couple of moves, Elvis lifts his eyes to see the audience’s reaction. The camera cuts to the guitar player. While it is an impressive guitar riff, the main reason was to get the attention off of Elvis and his moves!
Elvis is still moving because the screams keep coming all the way through the guitar solo! He comes back on camera to deliver the last verse and chorus. He gives a big smile to the audience as he gives one final big move! A classic clip of ‘The King’ in action!
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