"Guitar Man" is a 1967 country song written and recorded by Jerry Reed, who took it to No. 53 on the Billboard country music charts in 1967. Elvis Presley soon covered the song, singing over Reed's guitar; the collaboration reached No. 1 on the Billboard "Hot country singles" charts.
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Jerry Reed version
"Guitar Man" was written and first recorded by Jerry Reed in 1967. His original version was released as a single on RCA Victor and later appeared on the album The Unbelievable Guitar and Voice of Jerry Reed.
Reed’s version reached No. 53 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1967. Although only a modest chart success, the recording attracted attention for its guitar work and vocal delivery.
The song later gained wider recognition when Elvis Presley covered it the same year, with Reed providing guitar for the session.
Elvis Presley versions
According to Peter Guralnick's two-volume biography of Presley, the singer had been trying to record the tune, but missed the sound Jerry Reed had brought to the original release. RCA managed to locate Reed and brought him to the session at RCA's Studio B in Nashville. The twelfth take eventually became the 1968 single master, after Reed overdubbed some additional guitar and the length was edited to omit Elvis ad-libbing Ray Charles' "What'd I Say" (which he had previously covered in 1963 for Viva Las Vegas) towards the end of that take.
Presley opened his 1968 comeback special a medley of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller's "Trouble" and this number. With dark, moody lighting highlighting his presence, the sequence alluded to Presley's original "dangerous" image, and served to prove that the singer was still "sexy, surly and downright provocative".
Under the supervision of Presley's producer Felton Jarvis, the song was (partially) re-recorded in 1980 with a new backing track that again included Jerry Reed playing his unique guitar licks, and spent one week at number one on the country chart the following year.
Personnel
1967 recording
Elvis Presley – lead vocals
Jerry Reed – lead guitar
Scotty Moore – rhythm guitar
Chip Young – rhythm guitar
Harold Bradley – rhythm guitar
Bob Moore – bass
Floyd Cramer – piano
D. J. Fontana – drums
Buddy Harman – drums
1980 re-recording
Elvis Presley – lead vocals
Jerry Reed – lead guitar
Jerry Shook – rhythm guitar
Larry Byrom – rhythm guitar
Mike Leech – bass
David Briggs – piano
Jerry Carrigan – drums