Original FAQs compiled by Jibbs and Ealasaid with assistance from Oleg years ago. Additional FAQs supplied by Kayt from questions asked at shows, etc.

Although the guys will happily answer questions at length in person, we realize that some people lack the opportunity or the courage to ask. So, here we have the Frequently Asked Questions list!
Got one that's not on here? Drop us a line and we'll add it!
Updated more or less monthly (new questions at the bottom). Scroll down or jump straight to your question!
Basics
Who's in the band?
What's the big red triangle thing?
Who sings what?
How many CDs do they have out?
Where can I get the music?
Do they have any videos out?
Have they been in any movies?
Did I see them on TV?
Where did the name come from?
When did the band start?
Where were the guys born, and where have they lived?
What are their birthdays (day, month, year)
When is the band's aniversary?
Are they really Russian (and/or: "from Siberia?")?
Does Red Elvises have a Myspace page?
 Details
What do they see as their main musical influences?
What is that they're singing during "Flaming Cheese?"
Where do Igor and Oleg get their suits?
Who does the rapped second verse in "Beat of a Drum" on Shake Your Pelvis?
What type of music does the band like to listen to on the road? Favorite CDs?
What kind of dye does Oleg use on his hair, when he dyes it?

Miscellaneous
Do they like soup?
How many pairs of red, suede, platform, or cow-print shoes do the members have all together? (By cow-print I mean "pattern that looks like a cow's hide," not "covered in little cow footprints.")
Did Oleg start dyeing his hair so he would match his bass, or does he dye his bass to match his hair?
What made Igor pick magenta for his hair color several years ago?
What's inside your refrigerators when your on tour?
I (Kayt) have frequently been asked at shows, "Do you travel with the band?"

Who's in the band?
Original band members were Igor Yuzov - guitar, Oleg Bernov - bass, Zhenya Kolykhanov - lead guitar, and Avi Sills - drums. Avi left the band at the end of December 2000. Zhenya left at the end of 2002. In 2003 through 2006 other musicians joining (and leaving) Red Elvises were Oleg-Schramm Gorbunov (keyboards, accordion), Craig Pilo (drums), Alex "Sasha" Green (keyboards) and Adam Gust (drums) who left and later returned. In Summer 2006 Elena Shemankova joined the band on keyboards, accordion and saxophone and has remained, aside from a couple of visa-renewal trips back to Russia, ever since. As of 2007, the lineup consists of Igor Yuzov, Oleg Bernov, Adam Gust, Elena Shemankova, and Beth Garner, who joined in March 2007, on guitar and flute.

What's the big red triangle thing?
It's a contrabass balalaika. (Oleg adds: "Sometimes it is also a Siberian style surfboard.")

Who sings what?
  • Grooving to the Moscow Beat
    • Grooving to the Moscow Beat - Igor, Zhenya, Oleg
    • Boogie on the Beach - Oleg
    • Good Golly Miss Molly - Igor (verses), Zhenya (chorus)
    • Please Don't Tell Me - Igor
    • Tango - Igor
    • My Love is Killing Me - Igor
    • Leech - Jen Cass, Zhenya
    • Scorchi Chornie - Oleg
    • Harriet - Igor
    • Ballad of Elvis and Priscilla - Igor, Jen Cass
    • Sad Cowboy Song (old version)- Zhenya
  • Surfing in Siberia
    • Here I am in Hollywood - Igor
    • Siberia - Igor
    • Don't Stop the Dance -Igor
    • Give Me One More Chance - Igor
    • Jerry's Got the Squeeze Box- Igor
    • I Wanna Rock n' Roll all Night - Igor
    • My Darling Lorraine - Igor
    • Three Alley Cats - Zhenya
    • Rock n' Roll Music - Oleg, Igor, Zhenya
  • I Wanna See You Bellydance
    • Rocketman - Igor
    • I Wanna See You Bellydance - Igor
    • Voodoo Doll - Zhenya
    • Gypsy Heart - Igor
    • Hawaii - Igor
    • I'm not that kind of Guy - Igor
    • Sad Cowboy Song - Oleg
    • Stewardess in Red - Zhenya
    • Suzanna - Igor
    • 200 Flying Girls - Igor
    • All I Wanna Do - Igor
  • Better Than Sex
    • Red Lips Red Eyes Red Stockings - Zhenya
    • Hanky Panky Kind of Love - Igor
    • Wild Man - Zhenya
    • Painted Love - Igor
    • Joint was Jumping - Zhenya
    • Wonderful Night - Igor
    • To The Top - Zhenya
    • Strip Joint Was Closed - Oleg
    • Closet Disco Dancer - Igor
    • Jumping Cat Boogie - Zhenya
    • Mamasita - Zhenya
  • Shake Your Pelvis
    • Everybody Disco - Igor
    • Beat of a Drum - Zhenya (with Avi rapping)
    • Girl From Malibu - Zhenya
    • 200 lbs. of Pure Love - Igor
    • Girls Gonna Boogie Tonight - Zhenya
    • We Got the Groove - Igor
    • Rocketship - Zhenya
    • Colors of Rainbow - Igor
    • Techno Surfer - Zhenya
    • City of Angels - Igor
    • Cosmic Surfer - Zhenya
    • Good Guys - Igor
  • Bedroom Boogie - completely Zhenya
  • Welcome to the Freakshow - completely Igor
  • Lunatics and Poets - all songs sung by Igor except for "Love Rocket" which is Oleg (Note: sometime during 2006 or 2007 Oleg began singing "Memoirs of a Phuket Geisha" at live shows.)

How many CDs do they have out?
13 (counting the Six-String Samurai Soundtrack: Groovin' to the Moscow Beat, Surfing in Siberia, I Wanna See You Bellydance, a Russian version of Bellydance, Better Than Sex, the Six-String Samurai Soundtrack (on Rykodisc), Red Elvises Live, Shake Your Pelvis, Bedroom Boogie (out of print), Welcome to the Freakshow, Rokenrol (out of print), Lunatics and Poets, and 30 Greatest Hits.

Where can I get the music?
You can buy most of their CDs at their live shows or you can order them through the Official Site, on the "Buy Stuff" page.

Do they have any videos out?
Individual videos: "Boogie on the Beach," "Love Pipe" and "I Wanna See You Bellydance." The first two are available as a bonus feature of the Six String Samurai DVD. All three are available for viewing on Red Elvises' website.
A VHS video, Live on the Pacific Ocean, released in 1997, is available on Amazon.com (search VHS and then "Red Elvises").
A brand new DVD, Live in Moscow, was released in 2006 and is available at live shows and on Red Elvises' website.

Have they been in any movies?
There are a few: Canadian film The Pitch Red Elvises appear as themselves playing on Venice Beach boardwalk. There is a very independent production of Tree Girls South of Oxnard where you see the band performing on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica and Oleg has a little part in it. The soundtrack is all Red Elvises music. There is another film called Skippy. Red Elvises appear as themselves, performing "Three Alley Cats" at a night club. And, of course, Six-String Samurai - their music was used extensively in the soundtrack and they make a cameo appearance in the film itself. Mail Order Bride was shown twice at a film festival in Santa Monica, california and later released on DVD (available on Amazon.com). The soundtrack is nearly all Red Elvises music and Igor and Oleg are seen playing in a short scene at the end. Originally, they were wearing 18th(?) century costumes and powdered wigs but that was cut so you see them looking more like themselves.

Did I see them on TV?
The Elvises appeared on Melrose Place, on Kit-Kat commercials, Talk Soup, Penn and Teller's Sin City Spectacular and an episode of the short-lived TV series Fastlane. VH1 produced "Taking it to the Streets" documentary on the Red Elvises and PBS airs a live concert. Avi Sills (original drummer) also appeared as Bachelor number #1 on the Dating Game. Also: Crook and Chase, Extreme Gong, Tammy Fay, Vicky Gabareau (Canadian) tons of news segments on local TV station across the US.

Where did the name come from?
We've heard something crazy about Elvis coming to Igor in a dream wearing a red dress and saying "you will name your band Red Elvises." Another rumor is that red is Oleg's favorite color and they felt "you can't go wrong with Elvis." If we hear any other explanation we'll let you know.

When did the band start?
November of 1995.

Do they like soup?
Oleg says:
There is soup and there is art.
Soup...............................Art
You can't live without soup.
Soup is good.

How many pairs of red, suede, platform, or cow-print shoes do the members have all together? (By cow-print I mean "pattern that looks like a cow's hide," not "covered in little cow footprints.")
Oleg said some years ago:
"Four hundred 83 and a half, because Zhenya lost a shoe somewhere in Texas."
Check out the Nice Shoes gallery for a growing collection of photos! Update, 2007: They own a few less pairs of shoes now since they had some success selling some of their more popular pairs of shoes on eBay. Check out any announcements of future shoe sales on Red Elvises Myspace page!

Where were the guys born, and where have they lived?
Oleg says:
All of them were born in a hospital.
Igor in Leipzig, East Germany, but grew up in Ukraine.
Oleg in Velikie Luki, Russia,
Adam is from sunny Minnesota, Elena is from Moscow and Beth told me she's originally from Garland, Texas but we're awaiting the 411 on their exact birthplaces.

What are their birthdays (day, month, year)
Igor March 27
Oleg August 15
We're in the process of getting birthday info for Adam, Elena and Beth.
For historical purposes:
Zhenya April 23
Avi June 23
Oleg adds, "They act 17."

What do they see as their main musical influences?
According to Oleg, "Spice Girls"

What is that they're singing during "Flaming Cheese?"
Well, part of it is "Havah Nagilah," a traditional song. Want lyrics and translation of the whole thing ("Hava Nagilah," not "Flaming Cheese")? Check out this page.

Did Oleg start dyeing his hair so he would match his bass, or does he dye his bass to match his hair?
Oleg says:
"To answer that question we are gonna have to go all the way to the Civil War... Tom Waits
What came first: the chicken or the egg?
You follow me?"

Note: Oleg doesn't often dye his hair bright red any more. Natural is good too!

What made Igor pick magenta for his hair color several years ago (viewable in some older photos, see the Archives link)? (4/1/00)
He likes the color he likes "Deep Purple" he likes Barney Any of these three. He just wanted his hair some unusual color, purple for example. "Pimpin' Purple" was available among other colors at a store in Portland, Oregon.

Where do Igor and Oleg get their suits? (4/1/00)
Many of them are custom made in Thailand.

Who does the rapped second verse in "Beat of a Drum" on Shake Your Pelvis?
It's Avi rappin' on "Beat of a Drum"

When is the band's aniversary?
April 25, 1996, when the original lineup was firmed up.

What type of music does the band like to listen to on the road? Favorite CDs?
Oleg says:
There is all kinds of music in Red-Mobile. There is Fat Boy Slim (On the floor at the Boutique - my personal favorite)
There is Chris Isaak, Rolling Stones, Slim Shady, Beatles, Britney Spears (all 2 of them), all kinds of ethnic music, Thai pop...

We also watch movies on DVDs and like to encourage our fans to send us their favorite movies on DVDs.

 Update, July 2007... Latest word on music on the road is: Timberland Shock Value, Poe Haunted, Django Reinhardt Rulz, Peter Gabriel Secret World Live, Led Zepplin Compilation, Meters Anthology.

(Not exactly frequently asked, but such a great question we had to put it in here)
What's inside the bandmembers' refrigerators when they're on tour?

Oleg simply said:
"...you come back home and everything in your refrigerator turns into a science project..." Tom Waits
(We await more information from the rest of them...)

What kind of dye does Oleg use on his hair, when he dyes it?
Nuclear Red by "Special Effects." Oleg says you have to bleach your hair white before dying it red.

Are they really Russian (and/or: "from Siberia?")?
You betcha! Not exactly from Siberia but Igor, Oleg and Elena are most definitely Russian. For the record (historical purposes), former bandmates Zhenya, Oleg-Schramm and Sasha are also Russian and Avi was/is from Austin, TX. Adam and Beth are American.

I (Kayt) have frequently been asked at shows, "Do you travel with the band?"
The short answer is no (I wish!!). But I do travel to see them as much as I can, especially when they're within what I consider driving distance of where I currently live (East Coast). And once I'm in the same town away from home with them they usually are kind enough to let me ride with them to the shows, so the longer, more complicated answer to that is "Sort of...from hotels to venues, but when I'm lucky enough to be able to travel from city to city with them I drive my car and follow their van."

Does Red Elvises have a Myspace page?
Yes, they do! It can be found at www.myspace.com/redelvises.

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