Guitar Man

[Chucky99]

Guys ,yesterday I was driving a couple of hours and felt the need to listen to Elvis song Guitar man on repeat .
What a fabulous song.
Everything in here is perfect: from elvis vocals, intonation and southern accent to the music rythm and that gorgeous acoustic guitar.
I was intrigued to find out it did not make the top 10 and was placed on a very low # spot
Now the questions:
1.Do you enjoy the song? Do you think it deserved to reach the top 10?
2.How do you describe it as a song? Can I say it is a country rock?
Many thanks, chucky

[drjohncarpenter]

Guys ,yesterday I was driving a couple of hours and felt the need to listen to Elvis song Guitar man on repeat .

Oh boy.

What a fabulous song.
Everything in here is perfect: from elvis vocals, intonation and southern accent to the music rythm and that gorgeous acoustic guitar.
I was intrigued to find out it did not make the top 10 and was placed on a very low # spot

Yes, very intriguing.

Now the questions:
1.Do you enjoy the song? Do you think it deserved to reach the top 10?
2.How do you describe it as a song? Can I say it is a country rock?
Many thanks, chucky

1. Sure, both Elvis' cover and Jerry Reed's original. Deserved? No.
2. It's Elvis covering a Jerry Reed tune. You can call it whatever you want.

[jurasic1968]

I like Elvis version and the great opening of the 1968 TV special.

[r&b]

I enjoy the song, but I cant listen to any song by anyone on repeat for a couple of hours, especially driving. it would drive me nuts. Im in a different musical world than some of the fans on this forum for sure.

[jam62]

The '68 Special versions are better than the record version IMO. I prefer the more aggressive vocal.

[Greystoke]

Elvis's version of Guitar Man is a genuinely terrific recording, in my opinion, and it's elevated considerably by the involvement of Jerry Reed on guitar. It's in a different league to practically everything Elvis had otherwise been recording for years. It doesn't stray far from Reed's own recording, but it's bristling with personality due to the combination of Elvis's voice and Reed's guitar.

With regards to charts, the single would surely have performed better on Billboard with more promotion from RCA and from Elvis, himself, although the likelihood of this being much of a consideration seems slim. It did chart higher in the U.K., but it was surely wasted as a bonus track on the Clambake soundtrack album, which arguably featured Elvis at a career low. Even the association with another Elvis Presley soundtrack album probably turned some people away in spite of how good this recording is.

As jurasic1968 has also mentioned, Guitar Man was a highlight of Elvis's NBC special in 1968, and surely this would have propelled a single release at that time much higher on the charts. Although it was time for something new, with If I Can Dream. It would have been great to hear a live rendition of Guitar Man from 1969 or 1970, though.

content (29) (13).jpeg

Screenshot_20241029-123917~2.png

Screenshot_20241029-124007~2.png

[Rob]

I can definitely understand listening to something like, "He's Your Uncle, Not Your Dad" on repeat.

Never "Guitar Man," though.

[jurasic1968]

Stop it, Rob.

[Greystoke]

I can definitely understand listening to something like, "He's Your Uncle, Not Your Dad" on repeat.

Never "Guitar Man," though.

Blocked!

[jurasic1968]

Right, Greystoke.

[Greystoke]

Right, Greystoke.

It will be a long time before he posts on this thread again.

[londonflash]

Has always been a favourite. Elvis sounds almost liberated to be recording top drawer material. The sparks between him and Jerry Reed are audible.

I remember playing this song a lot when I started getting into Elvis, although I can't say I've ever had a solid two hour binge like our swinging little guitar man of an OP.

[jetblack]

The trouble with the 'Guitar Man' single is that it was included on the 'Clambake' album first and then released as a single three months later in January 1968. It did ok, peaking at position #43 on Billboard with sales of around 300,000. It probably would have sold better if released prior to the 'Clambake' album.

'Guitar Man' did chart better here in the UK, staying on the chart for nine weeks with a peak position of #19.

Andy

[Ciscoking]

I always loved the song . For me its classic Elvis. The TV Special renditions are just stunning. WOW
for that.

.

[Rob]

Right, Greystoke.

It will be a long time before he posts on this thread again.

I'm here! Can you see me?

Hey......

Someone send him a PM and tell him to stop blocking me!

[Igotstung]

Love the Comeback Special version.

[jurasic1968]

Right.

[Ciscoking]

@Greystoke
Your thanks mean a lot to me.
For me you are the best member
on this forum. You have a good
character..you are friendly..and
you have style..and what you write
is always well researched.

[Mister Mike]

The only way I can listen to a song on repeat in my car is if it's on a FTD CD....

[Phil C.]

2.How do you describe it as a song? Can I say it is a country rock?

The story goes that Elvis had trouble capturing it. Mary Lynch (assistant Chet Atkins) managed to track down Reed who was casually fishing. Elvis' guitarists could not achieve ''that sound'' that Reed had mastered. It is indeed country/rock, even with some folk.

[Greystoke]

Right, Greystoke.

It will be a long time before he posts on this thread again.

I'm here! Can you see me?

Hey......

Someone send him a PM and tell him to stop blocking me!

I see you're using a duplicate account. You're going to be more blocked than my toilet if you keep this up.

Not that my toilet is blocked. I unblocked it.

Dammit!

[Greystoke]

@Greystoke
Your thanks mean a lot to me.
For me you are the best member
on this forum. You have a good
character..you are friendly..and
you have style..and what you write
is always well researched.

Thanks, Ciscoking.

[Ciscoking]

It is honest and any time again.
Keep on rockin'..mate.

[Mister Mike]

Seriously you two, just get a room!

[r&b]

Love the Comeback Special version.

Yes it is spectacular, wished it wasnt lip-synched tho. Funny, the next day at work (Dec. 4th 1968) no one had ever heard the song before. As people knew I was a fan, they asked me about. A good single from 1968 went unnoticed by the general public. You had to be a fan to really know it. Sad