Looks like the dice turned up an Elvis double-shot! Yesterday we heard Bruce cover Elvis’ breakthrough smash hit; today’s entry is a bit more obscure.
“Guitar Man” actually originated with Jerry Reed, who took it to #53 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1967.
https://youtu.be/PbkfPQKyJcA
Elvis Presley covered “Guitar Man” that same year, and if the guitar man playing on the track sounds familiar, that’s because it’s Jerry Reed himself–Elvis recruited him when he was unable to get the song to sound the way he wanted it to.
Elvis’ version reached #43 on the Billboard Hot 100, which means that Reed charted with two different versions of the same song in the same year.
Elvis and Jimmy’s team-up seems to have done the trick for them back in 1967, so it’s fitting that when Bruce covered “Guitar Man” for the first and only time, it was a team-up as well.
On the evening of April 12, 1995 (26 years ago today, coincidentally), Bruce joined James Taylor, Elton John, Paul Simon, Jon Bon Jovi, and more at Sting and Trudie Styler’s annual Rainforest Benefit concert.
That year, the event had an Elvis theme, and several covers of The King’s songs appeared in the set list that night. One of those covers was “Guitar Man,” with Sting on lead vocals and Bruce on lead guitar (and a very nice solo).
That event tends to be remembered for Bruce’s duets with James Taylor on “The River” and Elton John on “Streets of Philadelphia” (along with Bruce’s first full performance of “I’m Turning Into Elvis“), but his supporting turn with Sting on “Guitar Man” was an under-the-radar highlight of a fun and unpredictable night.
Guitar Man
First performed: April 12, 1995 (New York City, NY)
Last performed: April 12, 1995 (New York City, NY)
Why is it called MatR?
Meeting Across the River is the series name, but it’s too long for most headlines