Part of the interview with actress Tina Louise and an unknown journalist asking a couple of questions, can be found on an audio tape called An Audio Scrapbook, hosted by George Klein and released by Simon And Schuster in 1994.

Thanks to Andrew Wolczyk for finding this audio.

March 7 1960 - "Onboard Train" arriving in Memphis, Tennessee (Interviewer : Bill E Burk & Other Media)

Media : Elvis, you look a little tired.

Elvis : I couldn't sleep any last night.

Media : What did you do?

Elvis : We just tallked and kidded around most of the night. I guess it will take awhile for me to realize I am out of the service. I'm still tense inside. If I act nervous it's because I am.

Media : Did you do any reading in Germany? What did you read?

Elvis : I read Mad magazine a lot. Other than that, I read Western novels and some magazines. No movie magazines though.

Media : You look a little thin. What's your weight now?

Elvis : I'm down to one hundred and seventy pounds and want to stay about that weight. I weighed one eighty-two when I went in. Guess it was the Army life and it's not a bad life.

Media : What have you missed most about being away from Memphis?

Elvis : Everything! I mean that. Everything.

Media : What's the first thing you want to do?

Elvis : I want to get home, and I may stay right at home for a couple of days. Then I want to get around and meet some of the old gang. It's been nearly two years since I've seen any of them. That's a long time.

Media : Are you anxious to get out of the uniform?

Elvis : No. I don't have to be wearing it now. I sorta like this uniform. I've been out of the Army forty-two hours now. Yeah, forty-two hours.

Elvis : I'll probably get put in jail about that. It was a tailor's mistake in Germany. We had a rush job on it the last day I was there. I called and told him to sew on sergeant's stripes, and he added a fourth stripe.

Media : Do you plan to take off the bottom stripe?

Elvis : I haven t thought much about it. I don't suppose they would send me to jail for having it.

Media : Since you didn't make any personal appearances while in the service, have you kept up with your singing?

Elvis : I sure have. I had plenty of time for it when I was off duty. I would play records and sing. I guess I got in more singing than I would if I had been working on it.

Media : What are your plans for the movies?

Elvis : Well, my ambition is to develop as an actor. I am looking forward in some ways to the Frank Sinatra show. It will he my first appearance on TV in over two years. I know I will have butterflies when I go on. I've been gone a long time... a long time.

Media : It's been reported that you have stated that you want to pattern your movie career after Frank Sinatra. It that true?

Elvis : I have great respect for Mr. Sinatra as an actor. However, I've never made that statement, that I want to pattern my career after Mr. Sinatra . I want to do it my own way, but it will take time and experience.

Media : Do you plan to wiggle your hips when you return to singing?

Elvis : I'm gonna sing and I'll let the shaking come naturally. If I had to stand still and sing I'd be lost. I can't get any feeling that way.

Media : Any special plans for romance when you get home?

Elvis : I don't know who I'll go with in Memphis. I've been gone a long time. I guess I'll just let nature take its course. Eighteen months out of this country is a long time. It has been a good experience in many ways. I have learned quite a bit. But I'm glad to be back. I really don't know what's ahead. I'm not exactly worried, but I'm not sure of myself either.

(Source : 'Elvis - Word For Word' by Jerry Osborne)

A newspaper article which mentions this interview, is reproduced in the FTD/David English book Welcome Home Elvis.

Thanks to Grzegorz Borzęcki and The Elvis Presley Preservation Society for finding, and sharing, film footage of this interview, and posting it online, although the interviewer was incorrectly identified as being Morris McLemore instead of Bill Wyler.

April 1960 (exact date & location unknown) - "Telephone Call" (Interviewer : Unknown)

Elvis' side of the conversation only

How It Feels to Be Home

Elvis : I'm Just now beginning to realize that I am out, believe it or not. Because when I first came home it was a little strange for the first few weeks. I kept expecting somebody to come in and say "well, it's time to go," you know. I couldn't realize where I was going or exactly what I was doing. Believe it or not, after two years like that you become adjusted to that type life and you become used to it and all of a sudden overnight it changes again, it's pretty hard just to go right back into things and feel your old self, you know.

Army Life Is Quite an Experience

Elvis : Army life was quite an experience for me. I had a difficult time adjusting. Many nights I would lie awake in my bunk most of the night, unable to sleep. After I got used to Army life, I would awaken at five every morning, no matter if I didn't go to bed until four. But that will change I guess.
I will be working at night, playing at night and living at night. So I guess I will soon be changing schedules. Right now I just want to rest.

Not Much of a Dancer

Elvis : I can't dance to rock and roll music. I can slow dance, but I never learned to bop.

About Recording a German Song

Elvis : There were some German songs I liked, but I never thought of recording one.

And His Favorite Singer Is

Elvis : I cant say. There are so many that it wouldn't be fair to name one and overlook others.

(Source : 'Elvis - Word For Word' by Jerry Osborne)

April / May 1969

Media : How did it feel to get back to performing live again?

Elvis : It felt really great. I just can't describe it.

Media : Why has it taken so long for you to perform live again?

Elvis : During the last few years I've been tied up in movies, so I was too busy to do live shows.

Media : How did it feel to appear on TV again?

Elvis : It felt terrific. But it has been so long since I last appeared, I think it was the Frank Sinatra show way back in 1960, when I came out of the Army.

Media : Were you a little nervous?

Elvis : Very much so. In Fact, I was more than that. I will go as far to say I was petrified. You could tell that at the start of the show. As soon as I got hold of the mike, my hands were shaking. [*NOTE: Elvis is possibly relating to the first stand-up show at NBC, on the evening of June 29, 1968]

Media : If this show is a sucess, will you do more live shows?

Elvis : Yes, I sure will. I know it's been such a long time - too long - and I feel a bit rusty. But I'll get better as I go on. I know that I've almost got the feel back for live shows.

Media : Will you do more TV?

Elvis : I sure hope so.

Media : What about other live shows, and touring?

Elvis : Yes, I want to do more live shows, and I want to tour again very much.

Media : How about a world tour?

Elvis : Yes, I would like that. I would like to go and do a European tour and visit England. But I would like to tour the States again first, just to get my feel back.

Media : Whose idea was it to do a TV special?

Elvis : Well, that's a long story. We all had a say in it, but we all felt it was about time. We decided to do it before it was too late and I got too old.

Media : Originally, wasn't the show going to be a Christmas special?

Elvis : Yes it was. But after some serious thought we decided to change that. I'm so glad we did.

Media : How do you judge your life now, being a married man and a Father? Has it changed you at all?

Elvis : Well I suppose it has, in a certain way, being married and having a child. I feel a kind of responsibility. I've got everything to work for. But, believe me, I wouldn't change anything for the world.

Media : Do you want to do more movies in the future?

Elvis : I would like to do more, but only if the script is good. I don't want to sing in them anymore. I'd still like to develop into a serious actor, while there is still time.

Media : Your recent movie Charro was a good role for you. You did a good job acting in that.

Elvis : Yes, I really enjoyed making Charro. It was the best film I've done since Flaming Star. The story was good and so was the cast. I would like to do more films like this in the future.

Media : Is it true that Clint Eastwood turned it down?

Elvis : He did, but I'm glad. The role was just right for me. It was good to be in a film with no singing in it.

Media : What about the song "If I Can Dream"? Is it a change of style for you?

Elvis : I agree, it's a great song. Steve Binder and Bones Howe told Earle Brown to write a song for the TV special, and he did just that. This is what he came up with. What a song! I don't think that it is a change of style for me. I try to do all types of songs. This was just too good, I just couldn't turn it down.

Media : What do you think of the song "MacArthur Park"?

Elvis : I think it's a great song. If Richard Harris hadn't recorded it, and they had given it to me, I would have done it.

Media : How does it feel to have been on stage again?

Elvis : Frightening. Scary. But fabulous. I will do more live shows.

(Source : 'Elvis - Word For Word' by Jerry Osborne)

August 1 1969 - International Hotel Conference Room, Las Vegas, Nevada (Press Conference)

(Elvis enters the Conference Room)

Media : Why have you waited so long to perform live again? Did you return to live performing because of the phenomenal successes of Welsh singer Tom Jones and British crooner Engelbert Humperdinck?

Elvis : I think they are great ... but my decision to return was made in 1965, and it was hard to wait ... I don't think I could have waited any longer. We had to finish up the movie commitments we had before I could start on this. I missed the live contact with an audience. It was getting harder and harder to sing to a camera all day

Media : Can you remember first coming to Vegas?

Elvis : Sure, I was 19 years old, nobody knew me ... "Where you from ... boy?" they would ask

Media : How do you like being a father?

Elvis : I like it

Media : Are you and Priscilla planning on adding to your family?

Elvis : You'll be the first to know (Laughter)

Media : What things do you do when you are at home at Graceland?

Elvis : I ride horse back, swim and talk with the tourists hanging out at the gates

Media : How does your wife feel about you being a sex symbol again?

Elvis : I don't know... you would have to ask her

Media : Do your wife and daughter accompany you?

Elvis : Priscilla is here, but my daughter is in L.A. with her nanny. She could not make it

Media : How do you manage to stay so young?

Elvis : I don't know, one of these days I'll probably fall apart. I feel, I've just been lucky

Media : Are you tired of your present type of movie, have you grown tired of the movie plots?

Elvis : Yes, I want to change the type of script I've been doing

Media : What kind of scripts do you like?

Elvis : Something with Meaning. I'm going after more serious material. I couldn't dig always playing the guy who'd get into a fight, beat the guy up, and in the next shot sing to him

Media : Do you think it was a mistake to do so many Movie Sound-Track Albums?

Elvis : I think so. When you do ten songs in a movie, they can't all be good songs. Anyway , I got tired of singing to turtles

Media : When you met the Beatles, no press was allowed, why was that?

Elvis : I think because we could relax more that way and we could talk candidly

Media : Do you like to wear leather jackets, like the one you wore in your TV Special?

Elvis : No, I hate wearing them, because they are too hot when your working

Media : Where did you get the design for your stage out-fits?

Elvis : I got the idea from a karate g.i. I once had

Media : What do you think of the Hollywood scene?

Elvis : I just don't go for it, I have nothing against it, but I just don't enjoy it

Media : How long did you rehearse for these shows?

Elvis : I practised for nearly three months. Today I went through three complete dress rehearsals. This was the fourth time I did that show today ...I'm really beat

Media : How did you choose the songs for the show?

Elvis : I just sang my favorite songs

Media : Do you want to do more live shows?

Elvis : I want to, I would like to play all over the world. I chose Las Vegas to play first because it is a place people come to from all over

Media : Are you trying to change your image with songs like 'In the Ghetto'?

Elvis : No, 'Ghetto'was such a great song, I just couldn't pass it up after I heard it. There are a lot of new records out now that have the same sound I started, But they're better. I mean, you can't compare a song like 'Yesterday' with 'Hound Dog', can you?

Media : Why have you led such a secluded life all these years?

Elvis : It's not secluded honey, I'm just sneaky (Laughter)

Media : Is it true you dye your hair?

Elvis : Sure, I have always done it for the movies

Media : Did you enjoy performing live again?

Elvis : Yes, This has been one of the most exciting nights of my life

Media : Did you feel nervous during the show?

Elvis : For the first three songs or so, I didn't feel relaxed until after 'Love me Tender'before I loosened up, Then I thought, what the heck.... get with it man, you might be out of a job tomorrow

Media : Do you have a share in the International Hotel?

Elvis : No, I have not

Media : Why did you choose a negro backup group?

Elvis : They help get a feeling and get to my soul

Media : Have you ever seen England's top singer, Cliff Richard?

Elvis : Yes, I met him in Germany a long time ago

Media : Mr. Presley, I've been sent here by "Lord Sutch Enterprises" to offer you one million pounds sterling to make two apperances at the Wembley Empire Stadium in England. This price will include a documentary that will be filmed during and after the shows. It will only take 24 hours

Elvis : (Pointing to Col. Parker) You'll have to ask him about that

Col. Parker : Just put down the desposit

Media : Elvis, how much do you get paid for these performances?

Col. Parker : We are pleased with the deal. I am glad he is here

Media : Is it true you get paid in International-stocks?

Col. Parker : Certainly not... The only thing we get for free are the crickets in the rooms

Media : Do you still own about 10 cars?

Elvis : I have never owned that many, only four or five at most

Media : Elvis is there any other individual you would rather be?

Elvis : Are you Kidding! (Laughter)

(Source : 'For Elvis CD Collectors' web site - "Pep's Reviews")