AboutMel Priddle Expertise For 50 years I have been listening to, buying and searching into the music of Elvis Presley. If you have a question relating to any song that Elvis recorded (officially, unofficially or privately), then I guarantee to give you an answer. Likewise with his movies. Questions relating to Elvis' private life I prefer to leave to others.
Experience Ex-cinema manager, film publicist, record merchandiser, and Elvis music lover since 1955.
Question In 1979, my girlfriends' father, Pete Falco, played a tape for me that he purported to be Elvis Presley, singing "Tell me pretty baby". Pete had written the song while doing gigs on the West coast with a band called "Joey Falco and the Red Hots". A man in Grand Prairie, Tx. named Andrew Jackson, made a large number of 45's from the original tape(s). RCA sued Pete for copyright infringement, and fraud at the same time. I have proof that the recording is truly Elvis. What are your feelings about this? Jim
Answer Hello Jim,
My information on this particular recording is that it was claimed to be Elvis' first ever recording, supposedly made at Audio Recorders in Phoenix, Arizona in 1954. It was released in 1978 on the Elvis Classic label (EC-5478), lasted 2 minutes 12 seconds, with writing credit going to Andrew (Lee) Jackson, production by Pete Falco, and music publishing by Sheri-Kay Publishers/Golgotha BMI. It was distributed by Cin/Kay Records Distributors of Nashville, Tn.
In an affidavit signed by Pete Falco on July 6th 1978, he stated that he paid Elvis $15 to record "Tell Me Pretty Baby" with his group, the Red Dots. Elvis' father, Vernon Presley contested the song's authenticity, stating that Elvis was never in Phoenix in 1954 and never recorded for any company before Sun Records.
Apparantly a singer by the name of Michael Conley later admitted making the fake recording, although his manager, Hal Freeman, stated that Conley lied.
Unknown or "lost" recordings by Elvis are extremely rare. If you have new information that the recording of "Tell Me Pretty Baby" was genuine, then I'm sure that the entire Elvis world will be absolutely delighted.
My personal opinion, from listening to my own copy, is that it is not Elvis singing. But I would be delighted to be proved wrong.
