On Stage With ELVIS PRESLEY: The backstage stories of Elvis' famous TCB Band - James Burton, Ron Tutt, Glen D. Hardin and Jerry Scheff

by Stuart Coupe, Stuart Coupe, Stig J Edgren (Editor)

The personal stories and a backstage look into the life on the road with The King - as told by Elvis' beloved TCB Band, James Burton, Ron Tutt, Glen D. Hardin, and Jerry Scheff.

141 pages, Paperback

Published November 7, 2020

Reviews

[Gary Anderson]

Between the time of his triumphant return to live performances in 1969 and his untimely passing in 1977, Elvis Presley performed well over a thousand shows, sometimes as many as three a day during his Las Vegas engagements. Through it all, the personnel of his band was relatively stable: drummer Ronnie Tutt, pianist Glen D. Hardin, bassist Jerry Scheff, legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist James Burton, and orchestra director Joe Guercio. Elvis took his music very seriously during this period, and he insisted on having the best possible musicians behind him. On Stage with Elvis Presley (SEG Publishing, 2020) is an oral history of the TCB Band, as they came to be known, compiled by Australian journalist Stuart Coupe. Coupe elicits fascinating stories and insights from the musicians that I’ve never seen anywhere else.

The TCB Band members were professional musicians, not hangers-on like the Memphis Mafia composed of Elvis’s high school friends, go-fers, and bodyguards. They traveled in a separate orbit, but they spent a lot of time with Elvis on stage, backstage, and off stage, and their stories provide an essential angle on what it was like to be Elvis Presley in those final years.

Although the book delivers fresh, authentic takes on Elvis Presley’s musicianship and approach to performing, it is somewhat amateurish in its production. The book has numerous grammatical errors and misspellings, including the names of some of those close to the Elvis world. Other inaccuracies are relatively minor, but they cast a little shadow on the book’s overall credibility. For example, the Elvis comeback television special was broadcast in 1968, not 1969. The girlfriend who Elvis introduced from the stage in 1977 was Ginger Alden, not Linda Thompson. Still, the quotes from Tutt, Hardin, Scheff, Guercio, and Burton ring true even in the midst of the sloppy editing of the accompanying context.

[Deena Dietrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Stage with Elvis was born from Stig Edgren, who created and produced Elvis – The Concert (you know the one with Elvis singing on the big screen as the TCB band plays live on stage), asking Stuart Coupe, an Australian journalist, to join the Elvis – The Concert 1999 Australian tour. During those three weeks on tour, Coupe interviewed James Burton, Ronnie Tutt, Glen D. Hardin, Jerry Scheff and Joe Guercio separately then brought them all together to compare notes. It was never explained why it took 20 years for this book to be published, just that it had. There is a nice Forward by Jerry Schilling, which of course I love! Besides that, I highly recommend this book (under 150 pages btw) because there are many great first-hand stories (and perspectives) from the members of the TCB Band about their time touring with Elvis in the 1970s that are new to me. If you want to hear more, check out my blog post https://deenasdays.com/2021/01/22/on-...

[Trish Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the stories from the band members but they were so haphazard. There were so many spelling errors and if I heard the word “whilst” one more time, I was going to throw the book.

[Linda A Seidman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Professional life

I enjoyed this book so much ,because it provided great insight to how Elvis really approached his singing! His knowledge of music w was unparalleled! Loved how he treated and approached those he worked with to achieve the best music ever recorded & preformed.

[Ronald House · Rating 5 out of 5]

A REAL STORY OF Elvis by his longtime friends

This book shows the real Elvis by his true and faithful friends! They weren’t out for fame and recognition! They just wanted to talk about their very dear friend!! I love this book!

[Bonnie Fennig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable book with some behind-the-scenes stories that I had not read before in other sources. Obviously, a new book that is not professionally published because the writing is pretty sloppy and there are a lot of typos. But still a fun read.

[Rcavictory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book with funny stories from the Elvis Presley's TCB Band. How he chose the band and back up singers. Good light hearted book.

[Leisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a good book, especially coming off from reading Alannah Nash's book re Elvis and the Memphis Mafia which although very interesting was a much darker story. The relationship between Elvis and his band members was so much different than what he had with the Mafia guys. There appears to be so much more respect and balance and they have great stories to tell. Highly recommended