Click on the plectrum to buy the book.
"We called him the briefcase soundman because he'd disappear then turn up with his briefcase two hours before the show for a thorough check of everything. We thought that was a little unfair as we had already checked it. He always wanted to see for himself that everything was safely strapped down before the platform went into the air.' - Bill McCartney
Two tonnes of audio equipment hung over EP's head. Click on either pic to buy a copy of the highly-acclaimed book about Bruce Jackson's life on the road with the Elvis Presley Show.
Wembley, 1988
This gloriously illustrated book emerges as a unique source book for understanding Australian social and cultural history.
Click on image to play video
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'Bruce wanted to convince himself twice of every detail before we hauled the loaded platform up and locked it off' - Bill McCartney, Bruce's right-hand man
Flying the speakers was Bruce Jackson's idea, used originally for Elvis and now of course adopted universally at every live concert. Bruce said he was at a 'Disney World On Ice' show and noticed that the speakers were suspended. Of course … they had to be suspended because you can't put speakers on the ice. He adapted the idea when Elvis went on the road in 1971.
Getting the speakers off the ground appealed to Colonel Parker because it made room for more seats. In the early days the speakers were strapped onto a platform then hauled up with chain motors, the same motors that factories used to lift a roller door, turned upside down. They were hard to rig, hard to control, hard to keep the platform level. Sometimes those early motors were not strong enough to lift the load. 'Looking back, it was a little dangerous to have a couple of tonnes of heavy audio equipment suspended directly above Elvis' head. We were developing and improving things all the time. If you ever marvel at the hanging speakers that provide the crystal sound in the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House, or the hanging curved arrays of multiple speakers at any concert anywhere in the world, thank Bruce Jackson.' - Bill McCartney BRUCE JACKSON'S HISTORICAL LEGACY NOW SITS A LITTLE FIRMER THANKS TO THIS STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL BOOK PRODUCED BY HIS BROTHER GARY
Rock music fans will know that Bruce Jackson went on to work for Bruce Springsteen as he claimed Elvis' live music throne as the epitome of American rock’n’roll. Jackson’s skill was pivotal in that ascendency, and shows that this unsung Australian was a crucial figure in providing the pulse for rock’n’roll to emerge as a behemoth of popular culture by the 1980s.
It was Jackson who provided the sound for the opening and closing ceremonies at the Sydney Olympics. If you ever marvel at the hanging speakers that provide the crystal sound in the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House, thank Bruce Jackson. His premature death piloting his single engine plane in Death Valley in 2011 robbed the world of one of Australia’s brightest talents. Jack's Elvis Tracks: Bruce Jackson Special
Elvis Fans! In a special edition of Jack Mullins' radio program Jack's Elvis Tracks on Saturday, Jan 18 at 7pm US Eastern/4pm Pacific (11am Sunday January 19 on Australia's East Coast), Jack explored the legacy of Bruce Jackson, Elvis’ soundman. Jack plays a few short audio clips from Bruce's soundboard of Elvis' December 30, 1976 show in Atlanta. Such a night! Elvis was in fine form.
By arrangement with Jack Mullins we've made Jack's entire Bruce Jackson Special radio show available for free download on the Bruce Jackson On The Road With Elvis Facebook page. Enjoy! Get a copy of the book for the full story.
JACK'S ELVIS TRACKS
BRUCE JACKSON SPECIAL Jack Mullins Bruce Jackson Special has been well received worldwide by a record audience. Download the entire show here including three short excerpts from the soundboard of Elvis' show in Atlanta on December 30 1976. Such a night! Elvis was in love and in fine form.
"WE SANG HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ELVIS"
"I was there. The local fan club - Happiness Is Elvis - had organized it. They brought a birthday cake and got permission from the stage guards to bring it to the front edge of the stage. Lit the candle and got Elvis' attention. He and the band stopped and the fan group started singing and then the whole audience joined in. It was an incredible moment and amazing to hear. I was so excited to get to sing Happy Birthday to him. He was clearly touched."
- Tina Smith, Atlanta "I DID HUNDREDS OF SHOWS WITH ELVIS"
"Bruce Jackson may not be the first name you think of when you think about rock’n’roll, but if you’ve ever been to a live show, you have become part of his enduring legacy. He is one of the most significant but least heralded Australian contributors to the success of rock’n’roll as a popular culture. His technical wizardry helped revolutionise the sound you hear every time you go to a concert.
Bruce Jackson’s historical legacy now sits a little firmer thanks to this stunningly beautiful book produced by his brother Gary. At one, simple level it is the story of a boy with an interest in electronics and music who defied the conventional path of becoming an electrician, dropped out of uni, established a sound production company in Australia, joined an American sound company, and ended up working with Elvis. As this gloriously illustrated book reveals however, the full story is much more complex, and emerges as a unique source book for understanding Australian social and cultural history. FOREWORD BY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
“When I first met Bruce Jackson I only knew two things about him. I knew that he had worked for Elvis, which I thought was great, and that he was Australian. I don't think I knew any Australians and we started working together and he did the sound and I learned very early on that Australians are unique.
He had ultimate patience. For many tours we did every single thing we could to give our audience the best sound that was possible. He revolutionised the approach to my sound on stage. Working with him was funny, because he was an engineer. Engineers can be abstract, hard to get a hold of their mind. But the other side of Bruce was, Bruce was very, very loving. He was very warm. He had Australian irony. He was also sentimental. He'd get choked with emotion, you know, if you were at the end of a tour and told him how great the sound was he had put his heart deeply into his work. But at the end of the day he was just a good friend, he was a lovely friend of mine." - Bruce Springsteen Bruce Jackson On The Road With Elvis is a large format (240 X 315mm, 210 page) beautifully presented hardback book printed on premium, semi-matt art archive paper with a custom made slipcase. This original account of a remarkable Australian's life is also a fresh, new insight into the life of Elvis Presley. This highly-acclaimed book featuring many original photographs from the Jackson family collection has been welcomed by Elvis' fans around the world.
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FIRST RELEASE:
1976 TOUR DIARY CD US$25 + postage First release of the entire 1976 TOUR DIARY compered by Jackie Kahane. This was a private TCB-member-only end-of-tour party. Jackie creates the impression that Elvis will be joining them, for the first time ever ... but it is Felton Jarvis who turns up instead, dressed in one of Elvis's jumpsuits to the usual Elvis fanfare. Felton throws out scarves and does a brilliant job of imitating Elvis and answering Jackie's questions in character. A raw, uncensored but totally respectful tribute from the cast and crew to their much-loved boss - even Elvis's girlfriend was there and laughing her head off - but of course in the nature of roasts like this one, everyone who was on tour comes in for humorous comment and the language can be confronting at times but understandable in the among-friends context. Remember this was forty years ago and many social attitudes from back then have now changed.
REPLICA BACKSTAGE PASSESELVIS PRESLEY SHOW US$20 + postage
Tour crew backstage passes were among the many items Bruce collected from the more than 600 shows he did on the road with Elvis. A4 sheet of 7 stickers from the Bruce Jackson collection, printed on premium adhesive PhotoTex stock. Pre-cut. peel-off, re-positionable.
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"There was a bloke called Bruce Jackson from Sydney who was a genius. He grew up in Vaucluse and in the late sixties started getting into sound. In about 1971, when he was just 22, he became the sound engineer for Elvis Presley"
"Bruce should be a household name in Sydney. I think he is an absolute legend. He revolutionised Elvis Presley's sound. He was the first person to put the speakers up off the ground, and fly them from scaffolding. He did a whole lot of stuff for Elvis Presley. Elvis absolutely adored him. And then after Elvis died in 1977, this bloke became Bruce Springsteen's front of house guy. A lot of the sound and techniques in common use today come from elements that Bruce developed". Robbie Buck, ABC Radio, Australia |
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Me and Bruce in Auckland, New Zealand in 1983. The story is told in my voice as his younger brother.
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Sydney boy Bruce Jackson was Elvis Presley's soundman on tour for six years from 1971 until Elvis's death on August 16 1977. Bruce Jackson then worked for Bruce Springsteen on tour for more than ten years. In 1988 Bruce quit touring to build a new company APOGEE. Following an 'offer he couldn't refuse' from Barbra Streisand's manager Marty Erlichman, Bruce was pivotal in coaxing Barbra Streisand back onto the stage after a 27 year absence, for which he won an Emmy. Along the way he also toured with most of the biggest names in the business at the top of their game, including The Jackson Five; Blood, Sweat and Tears; Glen Campbell; Johnny Cash; Rod Stewart; Carly Simon; James Taylor; Fleetwood Mac; Stevie Nicks; The Rev Al Green; Art Garfunkel; Cat Stevens; Black Sabbath and many more. He was also Director Of Sound for the Sydney Olympics, redesigned the in-house sound for the Sydney Opera House and the Hollywood Bowl. Bruce's numerous inventions and technical innovations changed forever the way concert sound is heard, as those with industry experience will be aware.
Bruce died piloting his own plane in Death Valley, California, in 2011. He left behind a trove of letters, audio tapes and memorabilia. My partner Helen and I have used these artefacts to painstakingly author this work. |
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ELVIS SINGS HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BRUCE
June 3, Fort Worth, 1976. "I don't know how he knew it was my birthday. He came over, shook my hand and said, 'I want to wish you a happy birthday, Bruce.' The group broke into happy birthday music accompanying him as he sang to me."
Click on the plectrum or the image to see the video
and hear Elvis sing Happy Birthday to Bruce |
"This is a beautiful primary source that should grace the libraries of all schools that still put books in them. For teachers it will provide insights and sources that will make lessons more enriching. For students it will allow them to dream that all things are possible, and that is a most precious gift." - Bernie Howitt, NSW History Teachers' Association
Feedback from a customer in Gymea, Sydney: "Love the book but at 2kg it's too heavy to read in bed."
Feedback from a customer in Gymea, Sydney: "Love the book but at 2kg it's too heavy to read in bed."
Click on image to see the interview.
We had an opportunity to talk about the book live on national television on the CBS TEN Network's Studio 10 morning program in Sydney.
If Elvis sang Happy Birthday to you - it'd be pretty cool right? Yes, is the right answer. Bruce Jackson was Elvis' right hand man. His brother Gary has written a book about his bro and Elvis. Myf Warhurst found out more...
Kick off your afternoon with Myf and a great mix of music, culture and everything in between. Meet the people creating the art that helps us make sense of the world, celebrate the classics and discover new music that you need to know about right now. ABC702
Click on image to play video. Hear Elvis sing 'Happy Birthday' to Bruce.
Felton Jarvis sits stageside with Bruce Jackson as Bruce mixes stage monitors
in close communication with Elvis.
in close communication with Elvis.
Click on image to play video. Hear Bruce describe getting his TCB pin from Elvis.
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Bruce Jackson was Elvis Presley's touring soundman for six years. On July 5, 1976, in Memphis at the end of a tour, Elvis gave Bruce a gold TCB necklace and welcomed him to the inner circle, adding that it was long overdue.
Raised in a castle overlooking Sydney Harbour, Bruce Jackson dropped out of university course in 1968 to build stroboscopes, amplifiers and colour-organs for the emerging psychedelic light show culture. Little did he know that in just three years he'd be on the road managing Elvis Presley's sound and poised to change forever how live concert sound was presented. In six years with the Elvis Presley Show Bruce established a close professional and personal bond with Elvis who trusted him implicitly to deliver the best sound possible. Bruce's inventions and technical advances were adopted by the entire live concert touring industry.
Bruce was killed flying his own plane in Death Valley, California in 2011. He was a keen collector of memorabilia and left a haunting day to day record of his life on the road in postcards, letters and talking tapes. I've used them plus interviews with his colleagues and my own experience as his younger brother to write a fitting tribute to both men. The book delivers an intimate, engaging narrative of Bruce's extraordinary life, up close with the world's top performer. After Elvis died, Elvis-fan Bruce Springsteen hired Bruce Jackson, saying "I've got Elvis's guy...Elvis's man is working for me in the house." - Gary Jackson
Bruce was killed flying his own plane in Death Valley, California in 2011. He was a keen collector of memorabilia and left a haunting day to day record of his life on the road in postcards, letters and talking tapes. I've used them plus interviews with his colleagues and my own experience as his younger brother to write a fitting tribute to both men. The book delivers an intimate, engaging narrative of Bruce's extraordinary life, up close with the world's top performer. After Elvis died, Elvis-fan Bruce Springsteen hired Bruce Jackson, saying "I've got Elvis's guy...Elvis's man is working for me in the house." - Gary Jackson
The hardcover book comes in a custom slipcase
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SOUNDMAN Bruce Jackson's LIFE TRAVELLING WITH THE ELVIS PRESLEY SHOW"Bruce Jackson was the sound guy from central casting. Tall, good looking, and Australian. He knew more about audio electronics than anyone I ever met. He made his clients sound their best, and then some. He had a mastery of live audio that is impossible to explain. Bruce spoke to Elvis like a normal person. He gave the mega-star the reassurance he needed before a show." - Julius Grafton, publisher CX Magazine, the trade journal for the live audio and lighting industry in Australia.
Years of work have gone into making this book a fitting tribute. Bruce's first person narrative and contributions by friends and colleagues plus the eye-witness perspective of his brother Gary come together for an extraordinary insight. This is, incredibly, a new look at Elvis by someone who worked with him in a professional relationship that evolved into a personal friendship. |
Terra Haute, Indiana. July 9, 1975. Bruce mixed stage monitors for hundreds of shows on
the road, so close to Elvis that he could talk to Bruce during the concert, and he often did.
the road, so close to Elvis that he could talk to Bruce during the concert, and he often did.
“I mixed and ran the sound for Elvis for six years until his death on August 16 1977. I was 22 when I started working for him. It didn’t seem like a big deal at the time, working strange hours and constantly on the road to the next city or town. I did hundreds and hundreds of shows with Elvis across mainland United States and Hawaii.” - Bruce Jackson
"This is a book about a brilliant, flawed and fascinating human who served some of the greatest names in entertainment. Bruce lived as a teenager in one of Sydney's most opulent harbour-side mansions, yet he was just like a common man.
He didn't much care about diplomacy. He called a spade a shovel and could make the rational arguments that opened up tight budgets controlled by tight managers.
He died in an unexplained accident while piloting his beloved Mooney single engine airplane in Death Valley, California.
This book is an important work of history, and a labor of love by his younger brother Gary. I know well the breadth of research and fact-checking that has gone into these pages. Bruce's uncommon letter writing and photography, along with carefully kept audio tapes opens up a window into an era that the world will never see again." - Julius Grafton
He didn't much care about diplomacy. He called a spade a shovel and could make the rational arguments that opened up tight budgets controlled by tight managers.
He died in an unexplained accident while piloting his beloved Mooney single engine airplane in Death Valley, California.
This book is an important work of history, and a labor of love by his younger brother Gary. I know well the breadth of research and fact-checking that has gone into these pages. Bruce's uncommon letter writing and photography, along with carefully kept audio tapes opens up a window into an era that the world will never see again." - Julius Grafton
Stuart Coupe hosts Dirt Music Saturdays at 1pm
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Seems a lot of people dug the Dirt Music radio show on 2SER this afternoon. The first hour was a look at the career of Australian sound engineer Bruce Jackson who worked with Elvis Presley and Bruce Springsteen amongst others. Joining me in the studio was his brother Gary Jackson who has written and assembled an amazing book on Bruce's life and career. 
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BRUCE JACKSON ON THE ROAD WITH ELVIS is now available, online and in selected retailers. It's a beautiful book. An extraordinary tribute to Bruce Jackson and Elvis Presley.
Bruce Jackson: On The Road With Elvis is a warm-hearted biography written and creatively directed by Bruce’s brother Gary Jackson, with a foreword by Bruce Springsteen. It details his unconventional upbringing in a castle on Sydney Harbour (run as a boutique hotel by his parents), through to the formation of Aussie sound company JANDS in the late 1960s when he was still in his teens (he was the ‘J’ and Phil Storey the ‘S’ in J-AND-S) before heading to the USA to become a live sound man for the biggest stars of the day.
Bruce became Elvis Presley’s live sound engineer at the age of 22 during Presley’s hard-touring 1970s, working his magic behind the sound desk until The King’s death in 1977.
In the 1990s, amongst hundreds of other top acts, Bruce most notably became Barbra Streisand’s sound man on several tours and filmed specials, using a microphone modified with a RØDE capsule that RØDE Chairman and Founder Peter Freedman AM had custom-made for him, dubbing it the ‘Jackson Special’.
An accomplished pilot, Bruce died tragically in an aircraft crash in 2011.
Bruce became Elvis Presley’s live sound engineer at the age of 22 during Presley’s hard-touring 1970s, working his magic behind the sound desk until The King’s death in 1977.
In the 1990s, amongst hundreds of other top acts, Bruce most notably became Barbra Streisand’s sound man on several tours and filmed specials, using a microphone modified with a RØDE capsule that RØDE Chairman and Founder Peter Freedman AM had custom-made for him, dubbing it the ‘Jackson Special’.
An accomplished pilot, Bruce died tragically in an aircraft crash in 2011.
Bruce Jackson and Peter Freedman AM at Peter’s 50th birthday, 2008
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“Bruce Jackson was a bona fide pioneer of Australian pro audio,” says Mr Freedman. “He was an innovator and a genius, really. Over the years he was also a dear friend to another young sound man – me! – generous with his knowledge and support during key times in my professional life. Making the ‘Jackson Special’ for him when he was working with Barbra Streisand was an honour and a real source of pride for the RØDE team in our early years.
“Bruce Jackson: On The Road With Elvis is a tremendous tribute to Bruce’s life and work, providing incredible insight into the man on a personal level, and the technical genius his innovations proved he was. It’s also a very cool coffee table book and a must-have for Elvis fans and audio pros – every studio should own a copy. Congratulations, Gary, on a terrific celebration of a legend.” Bruce Jackson: On The Road With Elvis by Gary Jackson is available at brucejackson.com.au |