Section 3

A Success and Failure.

Hugh is on the telephone. Listen to his conversation with Herr Kohler.

I have a call for you on line one, Mr. Gibbs. It's Mandred Kohler in Dusseldorf.

Oh, yes. Put him through. Hello, Herr Kohler. How are you?

Very well, thank you. And you?

Just fine.

Glad to hear it ... uh ... I'll come straight to the point, if you don't mind. I'm sure you know why I'm phoning.

Yes, of course. About the ...

Exactly. Are you in a position to give us a definite assurance that the goods will be delivered on time?
Well, um ... you can count on us to do our very best, however...

Hmm. Excuse me, Mr. Gibbs, but I'm afraid that really isn't good enough ... I beg your pardon, I don't mean your best isn't good enough, but will you meet the deadline or won't you?

I ... I was coming to that, Herr Kohler. I must be frank with you. We've run into a few problems.

Problems? What kind of problems?

Technical problems. Nothing very serious. There's no need to worry.

I hope not, Mr. Gibbs, for your sake as well as ours. I'm sure you're aware that there's a penalty in yourcontract with us for late delivery and we'll ...

Yes, Herr Kohler, I'm perfectly aware of that. But do you need the whole order by the 24th?

We would certainly prefer the whole order to be delivered by then, yes.

Yes, but do you need the whole order then?

What exactly are you suggesting?

You can count on us to get half of the order to you by then.

Hmm ... and how long before the other half is delivered?

Another week at the most!

Hmm ... you're sure that's all?

Yes, absolutely! You can depend on us to get half the order to you by the 24th and the other half within aweek.

Hmm ... yes, that should be all right... but there must be no further delays!

There won't be! You can count on that.

Very well, Mr. Gibbs.

Thank you! You've been very understanding.

Goodbye, Mr. Gibbs.

Goodbye, Herr Kohler. And thank you again! Phew! Well, ... that's at least one problem out of the way!

B Elvis Presley.

When Elvis Presley died on 16th August, 1977, radio and television programs all over the world were interrupted to give the news of his death.

President Carter was asked to declare a day of national mourning.

Carter said: 'Elvis Presley changed the face of American popular culture ... He was unique and irreplaceable.'

Eighty thousand people attended his funeral. The streets were jammed with cars, and Elvis Presley films were shown on television, and his records were played on the radio all day.

In the year after his death, one hundred million Presley LPs were sold.

Elvis Presley was born on January 8th, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi. His twin brother, Jesse Garon, died at birth.

His parents were very poor and Elvis never had music lessons, but he was surrounded by music from an earlyage.

His parents were very religious, and Elvis regularly sang at church services. In 1948, when he was thirteen, his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee.

He left school in 1953 and got a job as a truck driver.

In the summer of 1953 Elvis paid four dollars and recorded two songs for his mother's birthday at Sam Phillips' Sun Records studio. Sam Phillips heard Elvis and asked him to record "That's All Right" in July 1954.

Twenty thousand copies were sold, mainly in and around Memphis. He made five more records for Sun, and in July 1955 he met Colonel Tom Parker, who became his manager in November. Parker sold Elvis's contract to RCA Records.

Sun Records got thirty-five thousand dollars and Elvis got five thousand dollars. With the money he boughta pink Cadillac for his mother. On January 10th, 1956, Elvis recorded "Heartbreak Hotel", and a million copies were sold.

In the next fourteen months he made another fourteen records, and they were all big hits. In 1956 he also made his first film in Hollywood.

In March, 1958, Elvis had to join the army. He wanted to be an ordinary soldier. When his hair was cut thousands of women cried. He spent the next two years in Germany, where he met Priscilla Beaulieu, who became his wife eight years later on May 1st, 1967.

In 1960 he left the army and went to Hollywood where he made several films during the next few years.

By 1968 many people had become tired of Elvis. He hadn't performed live since 1960. But he recorded a new LP "From Elvis in Memphis" and appeared in a special television program. He became popular again, and wentto Las Vegas, where he was paid seven hundred fifty thousand dollars for four weeks.

In 1972 his wife left him, and they were divorced in October, 1973. He died from a heart attack. He had been working too hard, and eating and drinking too much for several years. He left all his money to his onlydaughter, Lisa Marie Presley.

She became one of the richest people in the world when she was only nine years old.