…an extraordinary souvenir and a lesson about what it once meant to be a collector in Poland
By Mariusz Ogieglo
Elvis Presley left an indelible mark on the history of popular music. His songs, the way they were interpreted, and the influence he had on the youth of that time seem to be invaluable. In the fifties and sixties, his recordings dominated the charts almost all over the world. Records with his hits sold in record numbers. They were pressed almost everywhere. Journalists from the most influential world press titles were delighted with the phenomenon of the artist. Elvis Presley was the king of music, film, and the stage for almost three decades.
Unfortunately, in Poland, as well as in other countries of the so-called former Eastern Bloc, where the communist regime was in force for years, there was little of Elvis. There were no records of him. There were no films in which he appeared. There were no books.
But just like all over the world, there were his fans. In the seventies, one of the first (if not the first) Elvis fan clubs was already thriving in Pozna?, whose members met regularly to listen to their idol’s records delivered by relatives living abroad or brought (smuggled) to the country by sailors. At that time, every recording, every single or every hit heard on Radio Luxembourg was worth its weight in gold.
Similarly, materials about Presley, which were practically non-existent in Poland at that time. One of the few sources of knowledge about Elvis were modest and not always flattering press materials and a reprint of Albert Goldman’s book (!) published in Literatura magazine at the turn of the seventies and eighties. Many years later, in 1987, it was only the legendary yellow book by Leszek C. Strzeszewski that appeared in stores.
What if you wanted more? What if the fans wanted to learn more about their idol?
Nowadays, the answer to this question seems downright trivially simple. All you need to do is enter the address of your favorite store or auction site in an internet search engine and, depending on your wallet, purchase all the things that interest you. From fabulously published, richly illustrated books through CDs with recordings of recording sessions, rehearsals, concerts and literally everything you can dream of.
It used to be different, though. And the best proof of that is the package I received from the courier yesterday.
There were several densely but very carefully written notebooks (not like today with garishly colored covers, beautiful photos on the cover, but ordinary gray notebooks). Many of you will now ask what is this? What was in them? Well, I hasten to explain that in these notebooks there was a book. Yes, a book. Or to be more precise, a translation of the book “Elvis Presley – The King” by Michael Preute and Renate Guldner, which Mr. Marcin’s grandfather’s brother, who lived in London for several years and from whom I received this exceptional gift (with the involvement and help of Mr. Krzysztof Wodniczak), translated (and then wrote by hand!) as a gift for his ” beloved daughter – Krecik “!
Isn’t that a beautiful story? And if we add to that that at the time of completion of this translation, i.e. in January 1983, its author was almost 90 years old? Who among us today would be able to afford such a sacrifice?
And here is a final reflection: before you buy another new record or book (and we will, because it often happens to me too) complain again that “it’s
the same thing again “, ”
but that’s all been done before “, etc., please remember those times, the history of THAT notebook and the enormous amount of work that someone had to put in over forty years ago to bring a smile to the face of their child – an Elvis Presley fan like us.
Article written and provided by Mariusz Ogieglo, EP Promised Land (Poland) http://www.elvispromisedland.pl/
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