In 1967, Reed notched his first chart hit with “Guitar Man,” which Elvis Presley soon covered. Presley had come to Nashville to record in 1967, and one of the songs he was working on was “Guitar Man,” which Reed had written and recorded. “I was out on the Cumberland River fishing, and I got a call from Felton Jarvis (then Presley’s producer). He said, ‘Elvis is down here. We’ve been trying to cut ‘Guitar Man’ all day long. He wants it to sound like it sounded on your album.’ I finally told him, ‘Well, if you want it to sound like that, you’re going have to get me in there to play guitar, because these guys (you’re using in the studio) are straight pickers. I pick with my fingers and tune that guitar up all weird kind of ways.'”
So, Jarvis hired Reed to play on the session. “I hit that intro, and [Elvis’s] face lit up and here we went. Then after he got through that, he cut ‘U.S. Male’ at the same session. I was toppin’ cotton, son.”
I’m going to miss him too.
Yes! Finally somebody GETS it! When I mentioned Reed’s passing at work today, EVERYONE said “Jerry WHO?”. I mean, according to my Handbook of Cool, that’s reason enough right there to start looking for a new job!
I will try to use the phrase “I was toppin’ cotton, sonâ€, at least once in the next week.
Awesome.
Pretty Mary Sunlite! Remember that song from Scooby Doo? I bet your humming it right now. And who can forget the Smokey and the Bandit movies? Great stuff.
What does ‘toppin’ cotton’ mean? :(
‘East Bound and Down’ was the official theme song to my friend and I’s crazy Springfield, OH to Gettysburgh, PA roadtrip. Roadway Inn was the official scummy hotel, and Pontiac Trans-Am was the official car.
Damn. Still not a bad run. Now, trying to figure out how to play a song off a record when the original’s guitar isn’t tuned to any standard is mighty hard, but Im gona have to get a copy of guitar man (I think ive it on record somewhere already actually) and give it a crack.
Two words. Two very, very important words: Hobo jungles.
Tell me someone’s working on a graphic novel based on Amos Moses.
Tell me someone’s working on a graphic novel based on Amos Moses.
I can neither confirm nor deny that at this time. Stay tuned.
Amos Moses is one of the greatest songs ever. No shit, no irony, the song is awesome. Great lyrics, masterful guitar picking and “raised him a son who could eat up his weight in groceries” makes me laugh every time I hear it. A graphic novel based on that song would be too good to be true.
I also liked Jerry Reed’s acting, even though he was always just playing himself. Especially “Hot Stuff” with Dom DeLuise. I love that movie.
Rest in Peace, Brother. Enjoy that big ole fishin’ hole in the sky.
YOU CANNOT EXCEED MY NEED FOR JERRY REED!
I heard Mojo Nixon say a few weeks ago and I think it’s even more true today than it was then.
Amos Moses? I first heard that on Hilarious House of Frightenstein!
May he rest in peace and rise in glory.
:(
I had no idea Jerry Reed passed on.
DAMN.
I really like(d) him.
Between Smokey & the Bandit, Scooby-Doo and his assorted film and musical output, I felt that he was a real friendly, likable guy.
May he Rest in Peace.
One of the first iTunes purchases I made was The Essential Jerry Reed, to supplement my long-standing love of “truckin’ jams”.
RIP, Snowman.