TCBCast 357: "Rocker," "Return of the Rocker" and the Rockabilly Revival Era (feat. Ghosty Wills from "We Say Yeah: A Cliff Richard Podcast")

David "Ghosty" Wills, host of "We Say Yeah: A Cliff Richard Podcast" and the Vintage Rock and Pop Shop joins Justin this week to explore how the "rockabilly revival" era, which technically spanned a near 20-year period between roughly 1970-1990 but culminated around 1981-83, led to the release of two compilations of Elvis material that RCA felt best captured his image as a rebellious rock and roll icon. From the 50s nostalgia of the 1970s to the success of acts like The Stray Cats, Robert Gordon, Dave Edmunds and Shakin' Stevens, Justin picks Ghosty's brain for his memories of becoming a young Elvis fan during this fascinating period of revitalization for classic rock and roll. For Song of the Week, Ghosty brings a thought-provoking finale to the main topic by looking for insights in The Stray Cats's 1992 recording "Elvis on Velvet;" a psychobilly takedown of the media's intense (and weird) fascinations with Elvis. Meanwhile, Justin heads back to the '50s myself to hear how Elvis transformed the country standard "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" into a jaunty, bopping tune on the 1957 "Loving You" album. Be sure to check out "We Say Yeah!" on all major podcast platforms! As mentioned early in the episode, you can also hear Ghosty interviewed about his work as a voice actor on the podcast "4Kids Flashback." If you enjoy TCBCast, please consider supporting us with a donation at Patreon.com/TCBCast. Your support allows us to continue to provide thoughtful, provocative, challenging and well-researched perspectives on Elvis's career, his peers and influences, and his cultural impact and legacy.