Transcript for the Piece Audio version of Elvis in Asia

MUSIC: Suspicious Minds [FADES UNDER SCRIPT]

(SCRIPT 1) 0:11
You're listening to Alfred "Boy" Sanchez, from the Philippines.

Sanchez was one of the Elvis impersonators in Hong Kong last month to entertain members of the city's Elvis fan club.

ACT: Alfred 1
IN: Together with
OUT: of Japan.
TT: 0:08
Together with me will be performing the Elvis Presley of Malaysia, the Elvis Presley of Hong Kong and the Elvis Presley of Japan.

[MUSIC CROSSFADES TO…]
AMBI: Dining room

(SCRIPT 2) 0:17
Elvis impersonators are an established part of Americana, usually one that gets little respect. But that hasn't stopped the King's fans in Asia from slipping into sequenced jumpsuits and swiveling their hips on stage. Thousands of miles from Memphis, these guys can croon with the best of them.

MUSIC: You Don't Have to Say You Love Me

ACT 2: Hiroshi 1
IN: I love
OUT: about Elvis
TT: 0:03
I love all about Elvis.

(SCRIPT 3) 0:12
Hiroshi Ishikawa sells LCD monitors in Japan, the heartland of Asian Elvis fandom. Sometimes, though, he puts on a red studded jumpsuit and pays tribute to the king on stage.

ACT: Hiroshi 2
IN: When I
OUT: became Elvis (laughs)
TT: 0:04
When I wear costume, I became Elvis…(laughs)

[MUSIC CROSSFADES TO…]
MUSIC 3: Too Lonely Too Long

(SCRIPT 4) 0:05 [63]
Johnny Ma was one of the evening's two Hong Kong Elvises.

ACT: Johnny 1
IN: I’ve been
OUT: our man
TT: 0:18
I've been doing Elvis Presley impersonations for a long time. As an artist, I think he his perfect. No matter what race you are or what country you are from, as long as you are an Elvis fan, we all share the love and unity through Elvis music. He's always our man.

(SCRIPT 5) 0:04
Like Ishikawa, Ma was dressed for the part.

ACT: Johnny 2
IN: I’m wearing
OUT: a scarf
TT: 0:12
I'm wearing a red-color jumpsuit and with all the stones stuck here. This is a scarf.
[MUSIC FADES OUT]

(SCRIPT 6) 0:13
Malaysian Elvis H.T. Long only wore black slacks, a button down shirt, and a casual blazer. He said he was emulating the rock-a-billy Elvis of 50 years ago.

MUSIC: Good Rocking Tonight 0:05

[FADE UNDER AFTER LONG STARTS SINGING]

ACT: Long 1
IN: I can’t
OUT: explain that
TT: 0:06
I can't explain why I like Elvis. It's like when you love someone, how do you explain that?

(SCRIPT 7) 0:12
Long said he stopped considering himself an Elvis impersonator years ago when he converted from Buddhism to Christianity and became a traveling evangelist. But he said he uses Elvis in his sermons.

ACT: Long 2
IN: I sometimes
OUT: gospel songs
TT: 0:14
I sometimes use the Elvis thing to attract the crowd, to bring them in. I'll call it from Elvis to Jesus. What we do is for the first half an hour, we give the people what they came for, Elvis songs. After that I sing the gospel songs.

MUSIC: CC Rider

(SCRIPT 8) 0:03
And then there's Sanchez, from the Philippines.

ACT: Alfred 2
IN: I am
OUT: Elvis Presley
TT: 0:15
I am wearing a shirt with a very wide collar with open breasted, and then the garters on the arm, and then I'm wearing a very wide belt, colored red to match with the shirt and white pants, and then of course the white shoes, the trademark of Elvis Presley.

(SCRIPT 9) 0:03
And those are his street clothes!

ACT: Alfred 3
IN: I said
OUT: Elvis impersonator
TT: 0:16
I said to myself, if ever I would go out in public, I'd like the people to recognize something about Elvis, say my hair, my dress, whatever. I want them to notice me as an Elvis impersonator.
Reporter: Do you always dress like Elvis?
Most of the time, yes, most of the time.

(SCRIPT 10) 0:32
[START FADING MUSIC]
Sanchez used to be an industrial engineer. He started dressing like Elvis all the time when he retired two years ago, which does make him less odd. Compared with most retirees, he dresses pretty well.
In fact, all the Elvises seemed like pretty normal guys, just with a passion for their hobby. [MUSIC STOPS]
Then I met Melvis Kwok, the evening's second Hong Kong Elvis.

MUSIC-Heartbreak Hotel

Melvis doesn't have a day job and he isn't retired. He's a local celebrity in Hong Kong's Lan Kwai Fong bar district, where he can be found most nights.

ACT: Melvis 1
IN: Everywhere I
OUT: one night
TT: 0:14
Everywhere I go inside the bar and I ask the customer to request the songs, and I sing one song only 20 bucks.
Sometimes people they give me 100, 200 even 500. Sometimes I get 1000 in one night.

[BEGIN FADE OUT MUSIC]
(SCRIPT 11) 0:16
1000 Hong Kong dollars is only about 130 U.S. dollars, and Melvis said he has a family. He didn't have the robust, well-fed look of the other Elvises. His white jumpsuit hung on his emaciated frame and his chest looked sunken between his wide lapels.
[MUSIC STOPS]

ACT: Melvis 2
IN: Elvis Presley
OUT: people too
TT: 0:15
Elvis Presley encourage me to do this. If there is not Elvis, I am nothing, so I must continue until I die to sing Elvis songs.

MUSIC 8: Impossible Dream

(SCRIPT 12) 0:18
Other pop stars have cover bands too. But musicians who cover Elvis don't just sing his songs. Something about Elvis gets under his fans’ skin. And into their wardrobes. Whatever that thing is, it's certainly present in Asia as well as America.

[MUSIC PLAYS, THEN FADES]

Back