Jerry was from Atlanta. He was comedic so most people don't know he was one of the best guitarist of his time. Jerry Reed, Burt Reynolds and Bo Hopkins were friends. Bo was from my here in my hometown, he was also a friend of mine. So when Bo convinced Jerry and Burt to buy a place on the lake here I often got invited to the parties. I was in college at the time so naturally I was always up for hanging out and gawking at the ever present groupies. But often late in the night when the party had wound down we would talk Jerry into picking. To this day I consider myself blessed to have been able to sit overlooking the lake at night, watching and listening to some world class guitar picking.
He was actually from Rockmart GA and worked with my dad at a cotton mill when Jerry was younger. I was Jerry's aunt's neighbor for many years. My father was the one who had to fire him because all he wanted to do was sit on cotton bales and play his guitar. My daughter had the pleasure of having thanksgiving with Jerry and his wife a few years before he died. He told my daughter that if it was for my dad firing him he didn't know if he would have gone to Nashville when he did. My dad never told me exactly what he said but it was along the lines of " if you want to play that thing why don't you go somewhere where they want to hear it. We were watching hee haw one night and my father made the comment about Jerry. If anyone ever needed to make it big that man did because he came from nothing and grew up hard.
I've always thought it a little sad that Jerry Reed, a virtuoso of fingerstyle guitar and a soulful balladeer, is remembered primarily for his novelty songs like "Amos Moses," "When You're Hot, You're Hot," "She Got the Goldmine and I Got the Shaft," and, of course, "East Bound and Down" from Smokey and the Bandit. His spoken/sung rendition of "I Love You (What can I Say) gives me all the feels.
@@tomh5006, none other than the legendary Chet Atkins bowed to his expertise and acknowledged that Jerry Reed was a better fingerstyle player than himself.
I Love You(What Can I Say) is my all time JR fave. The one time I got to see him live and spoke with him, I begged him to re-release it. I also love his release of his authored A Thing Called Love
One of the best songs by Jerry Reed, is "Guitar Man". He wrote and recorded this song, then Elvis Presley decided to record it as well. His producer called Jerry and invited him to play his guitar on Elvis's recording. To say that Jerry was exited, is an understatement. Jerry was a great musician and singer; also an actor. Very talented and I miss his music.
One of the DJs on Sirius/XM said there was more to the story than that. He said Elvis was trying to record the song, but he wasn't satisfied that either he nor any of his band could get the guitar part just right. So he asked his producer "We can't get this....see if you can get that hillbilly picker to come in and play this for us." So they brought in Jerry.
The word you're looking for to describe Jerry Reed is "swagger." He had an amazing swagger! There is a line dance to this song that was hugely popular in the 70's and this was before The Hustle became a thing. This song brings back good memories
The studio version is Jerry picking at his finest. Jerry was also a bit of a comedian and many of his peers said that if he took his guitar playing more seriously, he could have been the best.
Ive heard this song dozens of times, always loved it, but unbelievably this is the first time it occurred to me that the "stump" that Amos used to knock alligators in the head with was THE STUMP OF HIS OWN ARM!
Not really. While you can have a bayou with a surrounding swamplands, neither are necessarily dependent on each other. A bayou is simply a slow moving part of a stream, river, lake overflow, or sea inlet that is in a flat, wide lowland area. It is void of most large trees and plants and can be either. The water can be either fresh or salt (or a mixture). A swamp is a wetland that is usually full of stagnant water and has a large amount of trees and other large plants. Swamps can also be completely cut off from any other water source, other than runoff and flooding and the water is usually fresh water. Of course some bayous may become stagnate, and some swamps may be connected to other water ways. The biggest difference is in the vegetation of the two. I was always taught to think of a bayou as an open plain with very slow moving, or stagnant, water and a swamp as a forest that is always flooded.
Only got to see him in concert once but man was he a character. Even stopping the concert to stop security from keeping people from dancing to his music in the wrestling ring
There is probably video on TH-cam of a TV special and there was a segment where Jerry, Chet Atkins and Roy Clark were all playing together. It is amazing. Also if you ever get the chance to watch an old movie called Smokey and the Bandit starring burt reynolds and Sally Field. Jerry was a co-star as well and you will hear him throughout the film as the soundtrack is almost entirely him playing and singing songs which he wrote for the film.
I like to describe this kind of music as "swampy". Some others to check out: "Swamp Witch" - Jim Stafford "Right Place, Wrong Time" - Dr. John "The Legend of Wooley Swamp" - Charlie Daniels
Hi Dave - JVE again. Couple more Jerry Reed songs that are fun - "Preacher and the Bear", and "She got the Gold Mine; I got the Shaft". On another note, I searched out a song by the "Amazing Rhythm Aces" - "Third Rate Romance". My search led me to a concert they did in Kentucky - you should give it a listen. I also wasted some time on a two-man concert from 1983 in Ontario, Canada with Glen Campbell and Leon Russell - also a gem. Thanks so much - as always - for your for your take on all these old songs! I grew up with them, and it's great fun watching you discover so many of these for the first time. Best regards, JVE
Jerry Reed was a fantastic performer, great guitarist and one hell of a charming man. Music wasn’t locked in genre, so if you liked it ,it got in the sauce. The song is a Tall Tail ,lots of fun . Linda Rondstaht’s Blue Bayou is wonderful also
When I was a kid, the joking threat people said was if you don't do something, like clean your room, take out trash, etc. that "I'm going trolling for gators and use you as bait."
Here's another name to add to your list; Doug Kershaw. He's a real Cajun fellow, doing music straight out of bayou country. I'd suggest start with the song called Diggy Liggy Lo, but you could just make a list of live and studio recordings and throw a dart at it and you'll hit a good song. He did originals and covers. Played a fiddle and sang, and he had more fun playing live music than anyone I've ever watched.
As a guitar player it would be good to hear the studio version... Then you'll understand Jerry Reeds placement in top tier guitarists. Chet Atkins said that Jerry Reed could be the best guitarist in the world if he took it seriously. Reed was a guitarist who played a variety of genres, including rockabilly, country, rock, outlaw country, country rock, swamp rock, and jazz. He was known for his unique and intricate picking technique, which was influenced by Merle Travis and Earl Scruggs. His style was nicknamed the "claw" because of the way his hand appeared while playing. He played on hits by John Hartford, Homer & Jethro, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner, and Elvis Presley. Yeah copied and pasted haha! Thanks as always for the cool reactions!
The word 'cajun' is from the word Acadian who were a group of French people who were 'shipped' to the US from Acadia what was to become Nova Scotia, Canada.
The French were from the expulsion of the Acadians in Canada, when England won the country from France. They mixed with the people down in Louisiana, producing unique food and language.
I am from English raised family, had an accent till 10yrs living in of all places - LOUISIANA! This vid was sent to me by a friend! Your pronunciation is ok! NOT CORRECT but it is ok! I seen Americans massacre the wording, and they were born here! I love your video both for the music which I was familiar with Reed since childhood (born in 1971), and Reed was known for his story telling songs! Again Thank you!!!
Bayou pronounced Bye-You, check out Crystal Gale - Blue Bayou. And interestingly enough Cajun is actually a mispronunciation of Canadian as after the Seven Years War (French and Indian War to Americans) many French Canadians moved out of Canada to Louisiana.
Cajun is an American shortening of Acadian, 1755 the English with assistance from New England colonists , exiled the Acadian from what is now Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Maine ,prepertrated ethnic cleansing/ genocide. Half of us died , @allenporter6586
Underrated guitar player. To me top 3 all time. He's well known for the movie Smokey and the Bandit! He does the theme song. Watch ol Bandit Run. Burt Reynolds was also in the movie. And of course the BEAUTIFUL SALLY FIELDS
“Bayou” is pronounced “BY -u”. A bayou is a minor fresh water river that can flow into larger tributaries and often traverse swamps. Alligator hunting, illegal for many years is now legal and regulated by the state for (alligator) population control.
Bi-you. It's a long inlet from a sea or bay. A swamp is a land type that just as much water as it is land. Alligators used to be endangered because of overhunting. It's now a managed hunt in the month of June with strict quotas. And for more information on "Cajun" history, look up the story of French Acadians.
While checking out Jerry Reed you might check out East bound and down. He actually stared in the Burt Reynolds move Smokey and the bandit he played a truck driver smuggling Coors beer from Texas to Atlanta. Back in the 70s and 80s Coors beer could not be sold East of the Mississippi river rich people in Atlanta would pay anything to have something that no one else could get. The movie is a classic it stared Burt Reynolds Sally Field Jerry Reed and the epic Jackie Gleason. General Moters could not make enough black and gold Trans amm' s everybody wanted a Smokey and the Bandit car.
The Cajuns were the catholic residents of Acadia, dispossessed of their lands because of their religion after the Crown gained Canada from the French. The lucky ones went to Louisiana, many died in Boston Harbor in prison ships as they were not afforded warm clothes or heat through the winter.
Cajun is an adulterated version of Acadian. They were French settlers expelled from northeast Canada that settled in Louisiana. "Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie" is a poem by Longfellow that I had to memorize as a long ago high school student, that talks about the Expulsion, beginning in 1755.
Yeah ... Hey Dave 🙋♂, you really need to hear the studio version ... MUCH cleaner, better flow and sound. This is good, but that is GREAT !!! Of course, that's my humble opinion, but you owe it to yourself to hear that version ... it *_IS definitely_* more country !!!
Bsyou cam vary a bit in definition depending on location. In my area... Marsh- flooded area which can drain at times, mostly stagnant. Bayou - slow moving current the majority of the time and never drain. Bayous are the pathways off the main channels we take back into the swamp.
Cajun is short for French Canadian, the group of people who migrated to French-governed colony of Louisiana from the Acadian region of Canada when they were expelled prior to the British and French hostilities in the region, roughly mid-18th century. And yes, mighty fine cuisine that Cajun is. Amos Moses was released in 1970, a few years after the American alligator was listed as an endangered species in 1967. I don't know when it became illegal to kill them, but I know now it is legal with certain permits and parameters. Just love Jerry Reed. I had this 45 single when I was a little girl, and a little crush on his nephew who was in my class at school in a town just south of Nashville.
@@mr.knowitall6440 yes. Maybe you know more of a distinction. I always thought of Acadians as historically the original, French speaking Canadians and consider the terms synonymous, especially during the mid-18th century exile period. But I guess if you are looking at it from a contemporary viewpoint at the now multi-cultural Canada, it wouldn't make sense.
Mr. Reed wrote and recorded a song called Guitar Man. Elvis heard and wanted to record it. He and is session players where in the studio, and couldn't get it down, so they decided to get Jerry in on it. They finally found him fishing, brought him in, they recorded it, Elvis was happy with it, as Jerry was leaving they told him he'd have to give up I think half his rights to the song as was the usual thing, when Elvis recorded a song, per Tom Parker. He said he would not and yall go tell Elvis he can't release it, Jerry became the first person to get over on Elvis manager Tom Parker.
Country Funk is a great name for this!!❤ Country music comes from all gengres!! There is Country Blues , Country jazz, country Rock, you can go on and on! Country music represents all music areas from Our Country!!❤❤❤
I'm sure you've already figured this out but, Jerry Reed was a very successful Nashville songwriter, singer, actor, and one of the best guitarists to have lived. He was very successful in all of these fields but he was first and foremost a guitarist. And what a guitarist he was ! He was close friends with Chet Atkins, the two of them made many instrumental albums together.
I think the word you might be looking for is "Moxy" or "Posture" Jerry Reed was a wealth of talent. He could light up a room with his humor and make us dance when we were down. I enjoyed his music. Thanks for reminding me of this great artist.
he was in the movie/s Smokey and the Bandit with Burt Reynolds and Sally Field (played Forest Gump's mother). can't remember if he did any of the songs in it.
Billy Joe Shaver is a GREAT Outlaw Country Songwriter... His Son Eddy Shaver was a Blues/Rock/Chicken picker taught by ABB's Dickey Betts.... MUST SEE .... Live Forever live with Eddy and Billy Joe in ntheir band SHAVER!!! Also Georgia on a Fast train is a GREAT TUNE Eddy also played with Dwigt Yoakum when Pete Anderson was hurt.... Worth a View 4 sure!
Bayou vowels are pronounced ah ee oo, so when you cram it all together and speak the word it's "by you". Amos probably led the sheriff on a merry chase for the purpose of getting the sheriff lost in the swamp. The swamps can be ever changing because of tidal waters and such, including floods. But if you were raised in the bayou and you've been boating around forever you know it like the back of your hand - and you know what changes and where. You don't forget your way home because you go out to see the state of the swamp after some water event happens, so that you will know the way home, so that you will know where the good hunting will be, and in the case of Amos Moses if he is hunting without a license or tags for his alligator kills, he'll know exactly where to lead or lure the sheriff to meet his demise. Amos Moses being a good Christian boy would not commit murder... But he might let an alligator do it! In his hey day, which was the 70s there were a lot of silly songwriters because it was a thing. Sun bands only had one or two silly songs. And some groups were just made of silly songs.
I used to go to Summer camp in the 70's and they would hold a dance in a open air covered arena (it was a co-ed camp). When they played this song, the entire camp would line dance to it. All the boys tried to really show their moves.
Cajuns are folks of French heritage which were displaced from Nova Scotia when the British took over the area around 1713. They were forced to leave there homes and give up right to their land. Most wound up in Southwest Louisiana. A bayou is a slow moving waterway which is normally considered as a small river or stream with a confining bank on each side. A swamp is a large open shallow body of water with no particular banks to define it.
I was surprised the first time I found out how good he was with that guitar. He was also an actor most famously from "SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT" with Burt Reynolds. His music would be classified as country rock, since it played on both kinds of radio stations. He was great no doubt.
Country music fundamentally is simple cords. But Jerry Reed, Glen Campbell and a few others were standouts because their songs came with very complicated chords and complex picking in their own style.
One of the greatest guitarists to ever walk the planet. Look up some of the instrumentals he wrote and played. The man was a genius, I read somewhere he wrote/composed over 500 songs.
hello, I LOVE JERRY REED ! - first time i noticed him = the snowman in the BANDIT movies with burt reynolds. ... what i find entertaining about many of jerry reeds songs, odd characters, vs. law men. ... or ... standout individuals that break the rules ! ... jerry reed's music almost always gets you moving. his songs even if you remove the lyrics bring your mind and body energy. the lyrics tell stories, and highlight social things we all can compare with. notice - none of his 'characters' come from wealth, all his characters arrive from low levels of society. and his songs make light of difficult situations. ... jerry reed - the snowman - drunkerd semi driver, always behind, in the shadows of others , until needed. thats my take on jerry reed, hes the wind under the other peoples wings!
Dave, you need to make a list of some of these guitar pickers that have worked together for many, many years. On that list (but it's not limited to just these...) you should find Jerry Reed, Chet Atkins, Roy Clark and Vince Gill. Vince has a random group that he works with on stage also. They all know each other and have a great time pickin' together when they have the time. It will absolutely make your evening. They're not the only top tier musicians out they're but on the short list.
Little bit of education about LA and Cajuns. I'm half Cajun myself on my mother's side, my grandmother's maiden name was Thibodeaux and spoke Cajun French and English, my mother's maiden name was Hebert. My grandmother's father was a Cajun trapper in the swamp around the same area the song is about in the early 1900s... lived off of fish, shrimp, gators, turtles, and aquatic mammals he trapped and used the skins for trading in the closest town. People made their living like this and it is ridiculous if you heard any stories about using people as alligator bait. It is a joke Jerry used to illustrate how hard life was living off the swamp. This is a fictitious story. At the time Jerry made this song popular, it was against the law to trap wild gators and skin them in the wild because the population was endangered. They were raised on farms for their skin and tail meat which is now served in upper class seafood restaurants in New Orleans as appetizers. Tourists go to New Orleans because of Mardi Gras and eat in the restaurants and think they are having authentic Cajun food but it is more Creole food than Cajun, and there is a difference that you can research on Google on LA cultural foods. Now alligators are no longer endangered, and there is a cable show called Swamp People who trap alligators during open season like many other wild animals that people hunt, and they are issued tags as to how many they can trap so the population is protected like other swamp wild creatures. As for Jerry's music, he is one of the great guitar players and his duets with Chet Atkins and Glen Campbell were absolutely a joy to hear.
Another swamp/alligator song you’d probably like, too is Tony Joe White “Polk Salad Annie”. Funky like this. Also, an astonishingly BEAUTIFUL song about a bayou is Linda Ronstandt, “Blue Bayou”.
Jerrry Reed was the best country guitarist ever. He could play early Carl Perkins style rock n' roll with the best. He could also play jazz as well as anyone including Chet Atkins. And, of course, he had his own unique style of country using the "claw" picking technique. If you want to listen to a few more exceptional country style guitar players (and, of course, more Jerry Reed) you might want to check out Glen Campbell, Chet Atkins and Roy Clark. All were incredible guitar players.
"Polk Salad Annie" (1969), Tony Joe White is akin to the theme of Jerry Reed's 1971 song. Jerry Reed Hubbard was a singer, guitarist, composer, songwriter and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films. Rest in peace Jerry.
Jerry Reed had his OWN genre…it’s called Jerry Reed. There was only one.
Well put.... and ABSOLUTELY true!!!
You said it
Isn’t every artist? Or at least the big ones. No one else sounds like Dolly Parton or Willy Nelson, or Freddy Mercury
Jerry was from Atlanta. He was comedic so most people don't know he was one of the best guitarist of his time. Jerry Reed, Burt Reynolds and Bo Hopkins were friends. Bo was from my here in my hometown, he was also a friend of mine. So when Bo convinced Jerry and Burt to buy a place on the lake here I often got invited to the parties. I was in college at the time so naturally I was always up for hanging out and gawking at the ever present groupies. But often late in the night when the party had wound down we would talk Jerry into picking. To this day I consider myself blessed to have been able to sit overlooking the lake at night, watching and listening to some world class guitar picking.
What a memory to treasure. Not many share that experience.
He was actually from Rockmart GA and worked with my dad at a cotton mill when Jerry was younger. I was Jerry's aunt's neighbor for many years. My father was the one who had to fire him because all he wanted to do was sit on cotton bales and play his guitar.
My daughter had the pleasure of having thanksgiving with Jerry and his wife a few years before he died. He told my daughter that if it was for my dad firing him he didn't know if he would have gone to Nashville when he did. My dad never told me exactly what he said but it was along the lines of " if you want to play that thing why don't you go somewhere where they want to hear it. We were watching hee haw one night and my father made the comment about Jerry. If anyone ever needed to make it big that man did because he came from nothing and grew up hard.
No one is better than Jerry Reed at story telling. Him and Tom t. Hall
ANYTHING with Jerry Reed... is SUPERB! Rest in peace, Jerry! ❤
I've always thought it a little sad that Jerry Reed, a virtuoso of fingerstyle guitar and a soulful balladeer, is remembered primarily for his novelty songs like "Amos Moses," "When You're Hot, You're Hot," "She Got the Goldmine and I Got the Shaft," and, of course, "East Bound and Down" from Smokey and the Bandit. His spoken/sung rendition of "I Love You (What can I Say) gives me all the feels.
Greatest may be strong, but to me none better. Finger style he's awesome at it
@@tomh5006, none other than the legendary Chet Atkins bowed to his expertise and acknowledged that Jerry Reed was a better fingerstyle player than himself.
Poor band had to use Peavey amps and guitars no matter what they were used to. 😂
I Love You(What Can I Say) is my all time JR fave. The one time I got to see him live and spoke with him, I begged him to re-release it.
I also love his release of his authored A Thing Called Love
@@charlesstutesman7228 "A Thing Called Love" is another great one. You've got good taste. 😉
Staying on the Louisiana vibe, give Bobby Bare’s “Marie Laveau.” Greetings from Louisiana.
Or Redbone’s “Witch Queen of New Orleans”… which is also about Marie with an American Indian taste.
Or THE LEGEND OF WOOLY SWAMP by Charlie Daniels
Jerry Reed and Chet Atkins "Muleskinner Blues". Phenomenonal bluegrass guitar.
One of the best songs by Jerry Reed, is "Guitar Man". He wrote and recorded this song, then Elvis Presley decided to record it as well. His producer called Jerry and invited him to play his guitar on Elvis's recording. To say that Jerry was exited, is an understatement. Jerry was a great musician and singer; also an actor. Very talented and I miss his music.
One of the DJs on Sirius/XM said there was more to the story than that. He said Elvis was trying to record the song, but he wasn't satisfied that either he nor any of his band could get the guitar part just right. So he asked his producer "We can't get this....see if you can get that hillbilly picker to come in and play this for us." So they brought in Jerry.
@Urugami45 100% right, his pick pluck style was his own and very few if any could replicate it.
The word you're looking for to describe Jerry Reed is "swagger." He had an amazing swagger! There is a line dance to this song that was hugely popular in the 70's and this was before The Hustle became a thing. This song brings back good memories
I remember dancing to Amos Moses when I was a teenager in the mid 70s.
Yes! I was saying it out loud- when he was looking for the right word. Swagger for days!
We did a simplified version of the Amos Moses dance at summer camp!
Jerry was always amazing and friendly, can do anything.
Amos Moses is one of the best line-dancing songs.
Really should listen to the studio version too. It gets a giggle out of me every time.
Yes the studio version is much better than this live version.
Jerry Reed is absolutely one of the greatest guitarist there ever was.
Loved Jerry. I'm 75 and we loved him and his fun songs.
The studio version is better in my humble opinion, but you can't go wrong with Jerry Reed. Great choice.
Love Jerry Reed. He was hilarious in the Smokey and the Bandit movies with Burt Reynolds.
The studio version is Jerry picking at his finest. Jerry was also a bit of a comedian and many of his peers said that if he took his guitar playing more seriously, he could have been the best.
Liked the studio version much better IMHO !!!!!
Ive heard this song dozens of times, always loved it, but unbelievably this is the first time it occurred to me that the "stump" that Amos used to knock alligators in the head with was THE STUMP OF HIS OWN ARM!
bayou (buy you) is more likened to a natural canal or channel in the swamp that are navigable
Not really. While you can have a bayou with a surrounding swamplands, neither are necessarily dependent on each other. A bayou is simply a slow moving part of a stream, river, lake overflow, or sea inlet that is in a flat, wide lowland area. It is void of most large trees and plants and can be either. The water can be either fresh or salt (or a mixture). A swamp is a wetland that is usually full of stagnant water and has a large amount of trees and other large plants. Swamps can also be completely cut off from any other water source, other than runoff and flooding and the water is usually fresh water. Of course some bayous may become stagnate, and some swamps may be connected to other water ways. The biggest difference is in the vegetation of the two. I was always taught to think of a bayou as an open plain with very slow moving, or stagnant, water and a swamp as a forest that is always flooded.
Only got to see him in concert once but man was he a character. Even stopping the concert to stop security from keeping people from dancing to his music in the wrestling ring
There is probably video on TH-cam of a TV special and there was a segment where Jerry, Chet Atkins and Roy Clark were all playing together. It is amazing. Also if you ever get the chance to watch an old movie called Smokey and the Bandit starring burt reynolds and Sally Field. Jerry was a co-star as well and you will hear him throughout the film as the soundtrack is almost entirely him playing and singing songs which he wrote for the film.
I like to describe this kind of music as "swampy". Some others to check out:
"Swamp Witch" - Jim Stafford
"Right Place, Wrong Time" - Dr. John
"The Legend of Wooley Swamp" - Charlie Daniels
Stay out of my playlist dang it. 😂😂😂
Preacher and the Bear - Jerry Reed
Marie LeVeux - Bobby Bare
Hi Dave - JVE again. Couple more Jerry Reed songs that are fun - "Preacher and the Bear", and "She got the Gold Mine; I got the Shaft".
On another note, I searched out a song by the "Amazing Rhythm Aces" - "Third Rate Romance". My search led me to a concert they did in Kentucky - you should give it a listen. I also wasted some time on a two-man concert from 1983 in Ontario, Canada with Glen Campbell and Leon Russell - also a gem.
Thanks so much - as always - for your for your take on all these old songs! I grew up with them, and it's great fun watching you discover so many of these for the first time. Best regards, JVE
Jerry Reed was a fantastic performer, great guitarist and one hell of a charming man. Music wasn’t locked in genre, so if you liked it ,it got in the sauce. The song is a Tall Tail ,lots of fun . Linda Rondstaht’s Blue Bayou is wonderful also
When I was a kid, the joking threat people said was if you don't do something, like clean your room, take out trash, etc. that "I'm going trolling for gators and use you as bait."
Here's another name to add to your list; Doug Kershaw. He's a real Cajun fellow, doing music straight out of bayou country. I'd suggest start with the song called Diggy Liggy Lo, but you could just make a list of live and studio recordings and throw a dart at it and you'll hit a good song. He did originals and covers. Played a fiddle and sang, and he had more fun playing live music than anyone I've ever watched.
I adore Doug Kershaw!
You Fight Your Fight - love it (Doug Kershaw).
As a guitar player it would be good to hear the studio version... Then you'll understand Jerry Reeds placement in top tier guitarists. Chet Atkins said that Jerry Reed could be the best guitarist in the world if he took it seriously. Reed was a guitarist who played a variety of genres, including rockabilly, country, rock, outlaw country, country rock, swamp rock, and jazz. He was known for his unique and intricate picking technique, which was influenced by Merle Travis and Earl Scruggs. His style was nicknamed the "claw" because of the way his hand appeared while playing.
He played on hits by John Hartford, Homer & Jethro, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner, and Elvis Presley.
Yeah copied and pasted haha! Thanks as always for the cool reactions!
This song was famous in the early 70s
The word 'cajun' is from the word Acadian who were a group of French people who were 'shipped' to the US from Acadia what was to become Nova Scotia, Canada.
The French were from the expulsion of the Acadians in Canada, when England won the country from France. They mixed with the people down in Louisiana, producing unique food and language.
I am from English raised family, had an accent till 10yrs living in of all places - LOUISIANA! This vid was sent to me by a friend!
Your pronunciation is ok! NOT CORRECT but it is ok! I seen Americans massacre the wording, and they were born here!
I love your video both for the music which I was familiar with Reed since childhood (born in 1971), and Reed was known for his story telling songs! Again Thank you!!!
Bayou pronounced Bye-You, check out Crystal Gale - Blue Bayou. And interestingly enough Cajun is actually a mispronunciation of Canadian as after the Seven Years War (French and Indian War to Americans) many French Canadians moved out of Canada to Louisiana.
Cajun is an American shortening of Acadian, 1755 the English with assistance from New England colonists , exiled the Acadian from what is now Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Maine ,prepertrated ethnic cleansing/ genocide. Half of us died , @allenporter6586
Underrated guitar player. To me top 3 all time. He's well known for the movie Smokey and the Bandit! He does the theme song. Watch ol Bandit Run. Burt Reynolds was also in the movie. And of course the BEAUTIFUL SALLY FIELDS
Where the hell did you come from man? Great reaction to a crazy old song I think I’ll subscribe ….
Just stumbled onto your TH-cam channel. This was great!
“Bayou” is pronounced “BY -u”. A bayou is a minor fresh water river that can flow into larger tributaries and often traverse swamps. Alligator hunting, illegal for many years is now legal and regulated by the state for (alligator) population control.
it's amazing that a musician could write a song that was basically a comedy story, and it was this great..
Jerry Reed was a great songwriter and storyteller another great song of his is "She got the gold mine I got the shaft".
Bi-you. It's a long inlet from a sea or bay. A swamp is a land type that just as much water as it is land.
Alligators used to be endangered because of overhunting. It's now a managed hunt in the month of June with strict quotas.
And for more information on "Cajun" history, look up the story of French Acadians.
Jerry Reed was such an accomplished musician, but he was also such a fun entertainer. Loved him.
Super special guitarist, so gifted. And live version is totally different than the recording. What an awesome funny guy, Son!
Always loved Jerry Reed and i often sing this song just to have a great time.
While checking out Jerry Reed you might check out East bound and down. He actually stared in the Burt Reynolds move Smokey and the bandit he played a truck driver smuggling Coors beer from Texas to Atlanta. Back in the 70s and 80s Coors beer could not be sold East of the Mississippi river rich people in Atlanta would pay anything to have something that no one else could get. The movie is a classic it stared Burt Reynolds Sally Field Jerry Reed and the epic Jackie Gleason. General Moters could not make enough black and gold Trans amm' s everybody wanted a Smokey and the Bandit car.
Jerry Reed is the man when it comes to pickin a guitar!
This was a great cross-over am radio hit for him. Yeah kinda funky.😊
My impression was that the alligator got the sheriff. He was alive when Amos Moses tossed him in for bait.
I always thought Jerry Reed was the coolest guy ever. A lot of his songs have that bluesy, funky vibe. I love his videos with BB King.
He was such a great player, actor and funny man. Just sooooo cool.
The Cajuns were the catholic residents of Acadia, dispossessed of their lands because of their religion after the Crown gained Canada from the French.
The lucky ones went to Louisiana, many died in Boston Harbor in prison ships as they were not afforded warm clothes or heat through the winter.
Cajun is an adulterated version of Acadian. They were French settlers expelled from northeast Canada that settled in Louisiana. "Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie" is a poem by Longfellow that I had to memorize as a long ago high school student, that talks about the Expulsion, beginning in 1755.
Yeah ... Hey Dave 🙋♂, you really need to hear the studio version ... MUCH cleaner, better flow and sound. This is good, but that is GREAT !!! Of course, that's my humble opinion, but you owe it to yourself to hear that version ... it *_IS definitely_* more country !!!
I learned in High School (75-79) how to line dance to this song. In the days before gators came off the endangered species list.
Bsyou cam vary a bit in definition depending on location.
In my area...
Marsh- flooded area which can drain at times, mostly stagnant.
Bayou - slow moving current the majority of the time and never drain.
Bayous are the pathways off the main channels we take back into the swamp.
Cajun is short for French Canadian, the group of people who migrated to French-governed colony of Louisiana from the Acadian region of Canada when they were expelled prior to the British and French hostilities in the region, roughly mid-18th century. And yes, mighty fine cuisine that Cajun is. Amos Moses was released in 1970, a few years after the American alligator was listed as an endangered species in 1967. I don't know when it became illegal to kill them, but I know now it is legal with certain permits and parameters. Just love Jerry Reed. I had this 45 single when I was a little girl, and a little crush on his nephew who was in my class at school in a town just south of Nashville.
Wrong... Cajun is a pronunciation of Acadian. 🤨
@@mr.knowitall6440 yes. Maybe you know more of a distinction. I always thought of Acadians as historically the original, French speaking Canadians and consider the terms synonymous, especially during the mid-18th century exile period. But I guess if you are looking at it from a contemporary viewpoint at the now multi-cultural Canada, it wouldn't make sense.
Mr. Reed wrote and recorded a song called Guitar Man. Elvis heard and wanted to record it. He and is session players where in the studio, and couldn't get it down, so they decided to get Jerry in on it. They finally found him fishing, brought him in, they recorded it, Elvis was happy with it, as Jerry was leaving they told him he'd have to give up I think half his rights to the song as was the usual thing, when Elvis recorded a song, per Tom Parker. He said he would not and yall go tell Elvis he can't release it, Jerry became the first person to get over on Elvis manager Tom Parker.
Now I am waiting for some Tony Joe White! Poke salad Annie!
I concur one hundred percent. Elvis does a mean version too.
I thought the exact same thing! Great minds...!
Country Funk is a great name for this!!❤ Country music comes from all gengres!! There is Country Blues , Country jazz, country Rock, you can go on and on! Country music represents all music areas from Our Country!!❤❤❤
I'm sure you've already figured this out but, Jerry Reed was a very successful Nashville songwriter, singer, actor, and one of the best guitarists to have lived. He was very successful in all of these fields but he was first and foremost a guitarist. And what a guitarist he was ! He was close friends with Chet Atkins, the two of them made many instrumental albums together.
45 minutes south of Thibodaux. LA is where I live.
My little brother's middle name is Amos indeed......we listened to Jerry all of my life! Chet Atkins put him on the "map" and they were great friends
I think the word you might be looking for is "Moxy" or "Posture" Jerry Reed was a wealth of talent. He could light up a room with his humor and make us dance when we were down. I enjoyed his music. Thanks for reminding me of this great artist.
Absolute legend often imitated,never replicated!!!!
A performer I was lucky to meet in Branson, Mo in the 70’s. Very dry cutting sense of humor. Always laughing!
the studio version is great!! I grew up in the 70's on this song, we all sang and danced around the house to it!
Excellent for going into the lyrics. I am impressed.
We had to square dance to this Song in the 6th grade!!!
It was a lot of fun!!!!!
I LOVE Jerry Reed!!!!!! His songs are stories.
Jerry Reed had good stage presence , contagious personality .🐊🐊
Such a throw back
he was in the movie/s Smokey and the Bandit with Burt Reynolds and Sally Field (played Forest Gump's mother). can't remember if he did any of the songs in it.
Who killed the sheriff? Quicksand, gators, wild hogs, water moccasins, and skunk ape. Either way, being lost in the swamp is a death sentence.
Amazing guitar player.
He wrote a lot of humerous but realistic songs.
I really enjoyed his music.
Remember "Lord Mr. Ford"?
Billy Joe Shaver is a GREAT Outlaw Country Songwriter... His Son Eddy Shaver was a Blues/Rock/Chicken picker taught by ABB's Dickey Betts....
MUST SEE .... Live Forever live with Eddy and Billy Joe in ntheir band SHAVER!!! Also Georgia on a Fast train is a GREAT TUNE
Eddy also played with Dwigt Yoakum when Pete Anderson was hurt....
Worth a View 4 sure!
Every one of Jerry’s albums had one “burner” even if the rest was not that interesting. He was a real picker. Absolutely worth checking out.
Bayou vowels are pronounced ah ee oo, so when you cram it all together and speak the word it's "by you". Amos probably led the sheriff on a merry chase for the purpose of getting the sheriff lost in the swamp. The swamps can be ever changing because of tidal waters and such, including floods. But if you were raised in the bayou and you've been boating around forever you know it like the back of your hand - and you know what changes and where. You don't forget your way home because you go out to see the state of the swamp after some water event happens, so that you will know the way home, so that you will know where the good hunting will be, and in the case of Amos Moses if he is hunting without a license or tags for his alligator kills, he'll know exactly where to lead or lure the sheriff to meet his demise. Amos Moses being a good Christian boy would not commit murder... But he might let an alligator do it!
In his hey day, which was the 70s there were a lot of silly songwriters because it was a thing. Sun bands only had one or two silly songs. And some groups were just made of silly songs.
He’s a legend! And it’s pronounce Bi-U
He is country! But his own style
I used to go to Summer camp in the 70's and they would hold a dance in a open air covered arena (it was a co-ed camp). When they played this song, the entire camp would line dance to it. All the boys tried to really show their moves.
This particular performance of it is a bit funkier than the studio version.
I love how Jerry Reed has fun preforming.
Cajuns are folks of French heritage which were displaced from Nova Scotia when the British took over the area around 1713. They were forced to leave there homes and give up right to their land. Most wound up in Southwest Louisiana. A bayou is a slow moving waterway which is normally considered as a small river or stream with a confining bank on each side. A swamp is a large open shallow body of water with no particular banks to define it.
I'd only ever heard the Pleasure Barons cover. This was cool.
I saw him live at Billy Bob's in the mid 80s great show 👏 👍
Listen to the original recorded version they played on the radio... that's my all time favorite version!
Jerry is one of the very few "Certified Guitar Players" as determined by Chet Atkins. Excellent company.
Chet Atkin and Jerry reed playing “Jerry’s breakdown” is some great guitar playing
I was surprised the first time I found out how good he was with that guitar. He was also an actor most famously from "SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT" with Burt Reynolds. His music would be classified as country rock, since it played on both kinds of radio stations. He was great no doubt.
Jerry Reed was an amazing talent and he wrote a lot of songs as well as performances. You should check out Lord Mr Ford, among others
Looks Jerry & the boys may have had a Peavey sponsorship at the time. Nice guitars.
Listen to "This little thing called love". Covered by others but Jerry's version comes from his heart.
Jerry was one of my favorite performers , he was one heck of a guitar picker.
Country music fundamentally is simple cords. But Jerry Reed, Glen Campbell and a few others were standouts because their songs came with very complicated chords and complex picking in their own style.
One of the greatest guitarists to ever walk the planet.
Look up some of the instrumentals he wrote and played. The man was a genius, I read somewhere he wrote/composed over 500 songs.
It's amazing that Jerry Reed could belt out a song like he did yet he spoke with a stutter.
Mel Tillis
hello, I LOVE JERRY REED ! - first time i noticed him = the snowman in the BANDIT movies with burt reynolds. ... what i find entertaining about many of jerry reeds songs, odd characters, vs. law men. ... or ... standout individuals that break the rules ! ... jerry reed's music almost always gets you moving. his songs even if you remove the lyrics bring your mind and body energy.
the lyrics tell stories, and highlight social things we all can compare with. notice - none of his 'characters' come from wealth, all his characters arrive from low levels of society.
and his songs make light of difficult situations. ... jerry reed - the snowman - drunkerd semi driver, always behind, in the shadows of others , until needed.
thats my take on jerry reed, hes the wind under the other peoples wings!
I have known this song since I was a kid I have to say I like the studio version better. Preacher and the bear was the flip side
Dave, you need to make a list of some of these guitar pickers that have worked together for many, many years. On that list (but it's not limited to just these...) you should find Jerry Reed, Chet Atkins, Roy Clark and Vince Gill. Vince has a random group that he works with on stage also. They all know each other and have a great time pickin' together when they have the time. It will absolutely make your evening. They're not the only top tier musicians out they're but on the short list.
Great actor too! He was in the Smoky and The Bandit movies.
He also played the bad guy, Bama McCall in the movie Gator with Burt Reynolds.
These musicians are irreplaceable. We will never see the like again unfortunately..
Little bit of education about LA and Cajuns. I'm half Cajun myself on my mother's side, my grandmother's maiden name was Thibodeaux and spoke Cajun French and English, my mother's maiden name was Hebert. My grandmother's father was a Cajun trapper in the swamp around the same area the song is about in the early 1900s... lived off of fish, shrimp, gators, turtles, and aquatic mammals he trapped and used the skins for trading in the closest town. People made their living like this and it is ridiculous if you heard any stories about using people as alligator bait. It is a joke Jerry used to illustrate how hard life was living off the swamp. This is a fictitious story. At the time Jerry made this song popular, it was against the law to trap wild gators and skin them in the wild because the population was endangered. They were raised on farms for their skin and tail meat which is now served in upper class seafood restaurants in New Orleans as appetizers. Tourists go to New Orleans because of Mardi Gras and eat in the restaurants and think they are having authentic Cajun food but it is more Creole food than Cajun, and there is a difference that you can research on Google on LA cultural foods. Now alligators are no longer endangered, and there is a cable show called Swamp People who trap alligators during open season like many other wild animals that people hunt, and they are issued tags as to how many they can trap so the population is protected like other swamp wild creatures. As for Jerry's music, he is one of the great guitar players and his duets with Chet Atkins and Glen Campbell were absolutely a joy to hear.
Another swamp/alligator song you’d probably like, too is Tony Joe White “Polk Salad Annie”. Funky like this. Also, an astonishingly BEAUTIFUL song about a bayou is Linda Ronstandt, “Blue Bayou”.
Jerrry Reed was the best country guitarist ever. He could play early Carl Perkins style rock n' roll with the best. He could also play jazz as well as anyone including Chet Atkins. And, of course, he had his own unique style of country using the "claw" picking technique. If you want to listen to a few more exceptional country style guitar players (and, of course, more Jerry Reed) you might want to check out Glen Campbell, Chet Atkins and Roy Clark. All were incredible guitar players.
"Polk Salad Annie" (1969), Tony Joe White is akin to the theme of Jerry Reed's 1971 song. Jerry Reed Hubbard was a singer, guitarist, composer, songwriter and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films. Rest in peace Jerry.