The Elvis / Jerry Reed "Guitar Man" story

[MarkRhodes]

Told by singer-songwriter Otis "Big Whiskers" Gibbs.

(Below, Jerry's original of the song, then the Elvis cover.)

[citizenk74]

Classic! And what a terrific song! Good on Elvis, and good on Jerry Reed!

[Vladan]

Sorry, I can't resist:

My Band camp

[MarkRhodes]

Sorry, I can't resist:

I was a big Ray Stevens fan as a kid. Like my dad, I had a thing for funny songs. Learned all the words, of course. Longest title I'd ever heard: "Jeremiah Peabody's Polyunsaturated, Quick Dissolving, Fast Acting, Pleasant Tasting Green And Purple Pills."

[Michael Neverisky]

Great story!

Jerry Reed was a monster guitar player, an idiosyncratic one but a monster nonetheless. I've played a number of styles of music on the guitar over the decades, all fingerpicking, and Jerry's instrumental tunes have been among the most challenging to get right. I have that old "Unbelievable..." vinyl pictured above in my collection.

[MarkRhodes]

Great story!

Jerry Reed was a monster guitar player, an idiosyncratic one but a monster nonetheless. I've played a number of styles of music on the guitar over the decades, all fingerpicking, and Jerry's instrumental tunes have been among the most challenging to get right. I have that old "Unbelievable..." vinyl pictured above in my collection.

Are you familiar with the tuning Jerry used that's mentioned in the video?

[MarkRhodes]

According to this article, it's Dbmaj9sus4, which I'd never heard of as a tuning at all...

The Complex and Groovy Fingerpicking of Guitarist/Actor Jerry Reed | Guitar World

[neatomic]

"big whiskers" presents a colorful tale...but with ample liberties

jerry reed had been around since the 50's...was signed to capitol records! wrote a hit for gene vincent

later signed to rca and knew the whole rca nashville studio gang...inc. chet atkins...who was big rca producer & knew everybody inc elvis....i.e. jerry was a known entity


also jerry just didnt come in and play on that one track...he's all over those elvis sessions

jerrys tune the claw is still a tour de force..and a badge of honor for many an up and coming country picker...just check how many covers of it are on u-tube!!

older, slowed down a bit and with chorus...but still jerry

cheers

[MarkRhodes]

"
also jerry just didnt come in and play on that one track...he's all over those elvis sessions

I had heard before that Jerry was called in to play on "Guitar Man" because the guys on hand---all savvy pros---weren't getting the guitar part to work right. Perhaps because Jerry played it in an unusual tuning to facilitate the use of more open strings.

Jerry was an established session player by then ('67), of course, but that doesn't mean Elvis knew him. Elvis heard the song and wanted to do the song.

An article about the sessions: Jerry Reed and The Importance of Elvis Presleys Guitar Man Sessions | Elvis Articles

Addendum: it says "Tupelo Mississippi Flash" became Reed's first Top 20 song. (It came out a year after Guitar Man.) Tom Jones recorded that and it was the flip side of "The Green, Green Grass Of Home." I had that 45 as a kid and thought "TMF" was cool

Here's Jerry's original version---which I didn't hear until much later.

And here's the Tom Jones version. (That pictures of the 45 brings back such sweet memories---mine looked just like that.)

[neatomic]

well, as they say, it's all in the tellin'...knowin the record (spin) industry...elvis probably showed up at the rca studio nashville with no tunes and the rca guys pitched him tunes...fact that reed was known songwriter & just cut his lp wth chet atkins producing for rca!!...keeps it all in the family $$$$!! hah

and bit that he squeezed ep and col tom out of publishing split on his first session.... yet came back to play on many more...doesn't quite add up!! i'm sure rca made out very nicely!! haha

they had the writer, the artist, the studio and the recording label!!

cheers

[sgosnell]

I read, or heard, not sure which, an interview with Jerry in which he talked about the action on his guitar. He said he wanted it so low that he could just blow on the strings and fret them. That's low, boy.

[Dave70]

Jerry Reed, man been a while since I've listened to him... he was a fine player son!

Thanks for bringing him up again folks, I just listened to this one :

This is a real nice example of TASTY guitar comping imho...

[MarkRhodes]

Though he played classical guitar in the early days, when Jerry took up the Tele he knew what to do with it. "Sit down on 'em, Amos."

[neatomic]

in the early days of the net...(if such a thing ever existed!)...there was a soundfile of jerry reed intstrumental only tracks makin the rounds...it was great!!..he's was phenomenal on any stringed instrument...tele, peavey, gutstring

but like another great picker-roy clark- he was always a bit goofy!! haha....as if they didn't really know how great they were on guitar!! weird

cheers

[MarkRhodes]

Jerry Reed's F16 story.

[neatomic]

^ now that's iconic storytelling...what a delivery!! haha... plus he killed it on guitar..what a great

he was a staple of vintage network tv...besides a film actor...a real pro


he'd make an interesting american masters show!

cheers

[dot75]

I was a big Ray Stevens fan as a kid. Like my dad, I had a thing for funny songs. Learned all the words, of course. Longest title I'd ever heard: "Jeremiah Peabody's Polyunsaturated, Quick Dissolving, Fast Acting, Pleasant Tasting Green And Purple Pills."

[citizenk74]

Aaahhh...... Ummagumma! Memories........

[Michael Neverisky]

Delightful interview with John Knowles about Jerry. John has transcribed a number of tunes by Jerry Reed and Chet Atkins and is a fine player himself.

[MarkRhodes]

Delightful interview with John Knowles about Jerry. John has transcribed a number of tunes by Jerry Reed and Chet Atkins and is a fine player himself.

Listened to the whole thing and enjoyed every word. Thanks for posting this.