Reggie Young's Memories Of Recording With Elvis Presley
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ค. 2024
- Reggie Young is one of the greatest guitar players of all time. This is an interview I did with him in his living room outside of Nashville. In this part of the interview we talk about recording with Elvis Presley at American Sound Studio in Memphis.
Here is a short list of some of the songs Reggie Young played on:
The Box Tops - The Letter, Cry Like a Baby
J.J. Cale - Cajun Moon and Cocaine
Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline
Dobie Gray - Drift Away
The Highwaymen - Highwayman and Desperados Waiting for a Train
Willie Nelson - Always on My Mind
Danny O'Keefe - Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues
Elvis Presley - Suspicious Minds, Kentucky Rain, In the Ghetto
Billy Joe Royal - Down in the Boondocks
Dusty Springfield - the Dusty in Memphis album, Son of a Preacher Man
Billy Swan - I Can Help,
B.J. Thomas - Hooked On A Feeling, Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song
You can hear the rest of this interview on episode 153 and 159 or my podcast. Here's the link:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
otisgibbs.com
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Reggie Young
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In The Ghetto
Suspicious Minds
Kentucky Rain
The Memphis Boys
American Sound Studio
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What's your favorite Elvis Presley Song?
More importantly, what's your favorite song that Reggie Young played on? My favorite Reggie Young guitar performances is probably Drift Away. It's just so damn perfect in every way and that guitar part is as good as it gets. Same with Son Of A Preacher Man. The solo on I Can Help is cool as all hell. I could listen to it over and over.
@@SteveCutlerLive Thank you and much love to ya, Steve!
Thanks for this. My favorite song with Elvis, from the recording sessions in 1969, is Gently on my mind. I do belive that Reggie is playing guitar on it? My favorite song from the songbook of Otis Gibbs is The darker side of me, it's a brilliant song that breathes the heart and the spirit of Elvis and Reggie Young.
Morover, Reggies guitar playing on Help me make it through the night, with Highwaymen, is so beautiful.
@@twoshirtman7096 I love watching Reggie on that Highwaymen PBS special. I get sucked in every time it comes on.
And thank you for the kind words! : )
@@otisgibbs You're welcome, and thanks for all the great knowledge of music that you're sharing in the videos on your channel. You're an excellent singer-songwriter as well.
@@grooveandflow1271 Those are all excellent choices, Matthew! : )
Love the Buffett lyrics: " 'Cause I was drunk I wasn't knee crawlin', slip slidin', Reggie Youngin' Commode huggin' drunk I was God's own drunk and a fearless man". God bless ya, Otis, another great story and memory. Salute!
Thanks, Dan!
You can’t say enough about the contributions of Reggie Young! As legendary as there ever was one!
Thank you for a continuing history of music which is much in common with what the Lomax Family did for the early folk music recordings. Your documenting of it here is a boon to others who may be collecting historical information. Thank you Otis for your service, labor, and time.
Thank you, Artemis. I appreciate the kind words! : )
I welled up when he spoke of Elvis passing. So sad
A young man smothered by the Entourage, The Suits and Success. Fitting how 'Suck' is the first part of success, cause that sure seems to be what it does... Sucks the life right out of the soul. Loved his voice. I'd heard this one a while ago and loved it then too. Your podcasts are wonderful. Your heart is in every one. Amy, your cats, your love of people and the musical magic they all helped to conjure up. Thank you 💖
Thank you, Keith! I appreciate the kind words. : )
Never heard of Reggie before this, though I’d certainly heard him. I’ll have to check out his work. Thanks for preserving these stories Otis, it’s a noble cause :)
Thank you kindly for saying that, Connor! : )
You may have never heard of the man but you have heard his licks and sound, AMAZING!!
What you are doing is showing people how the sausage is made, an old term I know, but so honest and real. If anyone knows how it happens, these background musicians do. I appreciate your serving it up with honesty we can believe. I am fascinated by it. I love it. Thank you Otis for being real and true to the history of music! I just discovered your podcast and I encourage all music lovers who love the history of it to do the same! Keep on going strong Blessings!
Thank you, Teesee!
Thanks Otis for recording history. Keep it up my friend !
I discovered Reggie while watching the Highway Men . Had to figure out who this guitar player was ! What a talent .
He was a legend
Peace in the Valley is my favorite. Elvis loved music. He was filled with it.
Suspicious minds is by far my favorite Elvis song and probably one of my favorite songs overall. That's saying a lot considering there's a lot of Waylon, Jerry Reed, Merle, and lord knows who else in on the mix tape.
Wow I just found this. No doubt the mold was absolutely broken when Reggie was formed! RIP!
Man oh man I couldn't imagine sitting in a room and Elvis walked in, and then get to play for him ! Wow Otis you certainly have a great bunch of friends to share stories with us ,I am a huge Elvis fan, to me he's the greatest singer to ever grace this earth,Thank you for taking the time to share these memories of people we otherwise would never hear what a treat to hear from Reggie what is was like to be in the band with Elvis.........P.S....i would have gone on the Road with Elvis !!!!!!
I think I would have taken the Elvis road gig too, Rob! : )
Memphis record was an is my favorite!..great chemistry 🥰
Suspicious minds
I'm with ya, Penny!
I loved Reggie's playing. Drift Away stands out as especially memorable. The recordings he and his fellow musicians did at American Studio in Memphis are timeless gems. For a complete story of this hit-making rhythm section check out the book Memphis Boys.
Suspicious Minds! My favorite intro to any song!
A few weeks ago "Suspicious Minds" came on the radio. I am a guitarist and sometimes I like to figure out what a player is doing, just in my head by ear. I listened to that and thought, "Whoever that session player is, he's a real tight player. He has real style. All these unsung studio wizards we never know about..." And I couldn't quite follow all he was doing. "Elvis only had the best around him" I considered. More recently I was studying Neil Diamond and I heard "Sweet Caroline." There is this very delicate, two-pulse guitar chord that goes on in the verses, up on the neck. It's very characteristic to the song. I was saying to myself: "That SEEMS simple but I can't get a chord to sound like that. How does that guy make a chord sound so light and, different?" I couldn't figure whether he he was stroking with a pick, or plucking in some artful way. It was like magic. I can play any chord, and whap my pick across the strings like anybody. But I thought "I couldn't make it sound like that." So tonight I did a search on "session player" and "Sweet Caroline" -- and there he was. A real guitar Magic Man, for sure. I guess Nashville has always been full of guitar sages. "Nashville Cats" was written about them.
I'm glad you enjoyed this! Reggie was an amazing player/person. : )
that’s why i love YT
and of course guys like you opening up magic boxes full of wonderful stories
thank you
Thank you for the kind words! : )
Ottis what an incredible interview. I was so sad when he passed away. From Ireland 🇮🇪
Reggie was amazing and this interview was beautiful to hear.My fave riff is that insane intro to Billy Swans "I Can Help".When i was a kid i figured out a half ass version of the solo and it really informed my playing,even though I was doing it wrong!
That really is a great solo! I was watching a Chuck Mead livestream a couple of weeks ago and Audley Freed was playing guitar. They played that song and Audley played it frickin perfect. They made a joke about it and made him play it over and over again and he sounded amazing. I love that about Nashville. It's one of the only places where you could find guitar players that would completely understand everything happening in that guitar part and do it justice.
This is just fantastic and the music they made there are considered Elvis best outside of Sun Studios this guy is a legend great interview...
You pick the best guys, with the best stories. Well done Otis !!
I dig these old interviews , thanks brother..
Thanks, Garry!
Wow, what a great interview. I'll try to keep this short....Reggie's wife is Jenny Lynn, a great vocalist, fiddle and cello player. I played drums in her band called Jenny Lynn & the Men in Phoenix,AZ in 1995 & 1996. Things change and we kept in touch. She worked part-time for Waylon when he needed her and thats where she met Reggie and they married. I lost touch with her and heard that she had married a guitar player and had moved to the Nashville area. We caught up with each other in the early 2000's and while I was on vacation and in Nashville visiting my daughter I gave her a call and she invited me out to her house for lunch. I walked in the front door and she introduced me with; "Oh, this is my husband, Reggie" . Ok, then I noticed a few gold records on the wall and then it all came together. OMG, it's Reggie Young! The sitar guitar on the boxtop hits and he showed me the guitar. He played on Elvis recordings and everybody else in the world. What a great person, a very humble person and I'll never forget that day.
In every way, Reggie Young stands as tall as Elvis, Dobie Gray, Neil Diamond, Waylon, etc. They wouldn't have been as great without him! He was their equal. A shame he never got the recognition he deserved. But you, Otis, are helping!
A very dear lifelong friend of mine was on Sun records in the early days,with the likes of Elvis,Carl perkins..ect..Jack Earls, the rockabilly legend,and a great great human being,who is still alive and so is his wife.
I had the honor of backing him on many gigs,and will never forget any of them.His Son's and I played lots of music together for many years. Here is an Elvis story for ya
Jack is said to be the inspiration for the elvis motorcycle album cover. Jack was the real deal and was known to be a scrappy young man,lets just say he could hold his ground.Jack usually rode his Harley to the studio and wore the airline hat.....One day Elvis showed up at Sun and Jack's bike was parked were Elvis liked to park...Elvis came strutting in and said " hey, who is parked in my spot " and someone replied " Jack, ..........uh....you tell him..." Elvis let it go at that.
It was so much fun Backing Jack- He would just turn to the band and say " A chord fellas...2 3 4"- and we'd start carving something out ,and usually- it was close enough for Jack...Could win any crowd in it's entirety in 15 seconds...amazing gift he had with crowds..great great man
Brilliant video as ever Ottis.... being a big Elvis fan, I loved hearing this story from someone who was there when history was being made, and actually played on great songs. At the end of the day, it’s the Session musicians who seem to actually make the songs what they are. I think Elvis was a guy who just wanted to sing, and got overwhelmed with the whole situation. Anyway, thanks for this and all the other videos, helping me personally get through this crazy period, and keep them coming PLEEEEEASE!!! Oh yeah my favorite Elvis song??? The Wonder of You. Peace, love, and happiness to you.
Thanks, George! With all of the pomp and circumstance and bright lights and glitter, it's easy to forget how great Elvis was. The Wonder Of You is a great one. I've always thought that I Want You, I Need You, I Love You was my perfect Elvis song. He had way better songs, but no one could sing that song like he did. It shows off all of his personal vocal eccentricities. It's pure Elvis. : )
Thanks Otis I just love this kind of stuff. I think I first became aware of Reggie through his work with Waylon and then the Highwaymen then began learning it was him on so many of those great ol’ songs I grew up on.
Favorite Elvis songs have to be Kentucky Rain, Suspicious Minds and I’ve always had a soft spot for Burning Love since the first time I heard it back in the summer of ‘72. Still remember where I was thinking WOW alright Elvis!
Favorite song Reggie played on probably Drift Away, how can you go wrong with that?
I had Burning Love on 45 when I was a kid and I wore that sucker out! What a great record, Bob!
Devil in Disguise my favorite Elvis song, and Wearin That Loved On Look , favorite that Reggie played on
Thanks again Otis!
Thank God for Chips standing up to Elvis’ suit guy! What a great batch of songs with a mature Elvis
Love Suspicious Minds. Great cut for E. P. Great tune for Waylon and Dwight and I don’t know how many other people!
RIP all these folks who are gone!
Thanks, Larry! : )
We all need to stand up to most 'suits', most of the time, in most places. :)
@@artemisXsidecross Haha! : )
I have worked in operating rooms almost all my life. Every once in a while, I would have to assist in an organ recovery (in the old days we called it a harvest). All these docs and recovery assistants would come in and we would watch someone die. Then we'd go to cutting. At that point I'd have my nurse put "Please Don't Bury Me" on. None of the entourage would get it, but usually the old doc in charge would stop for a second, listen, and smile under his mask. That song put a little levity in an otherwise emotionless situation.
That was such an appropriate song for a very sad occasion. It's hard to understand why everyone else didn't understand the significance.
Great interview Otis love your show love Reggie young when I was 11 or 12 and dobie greys drift away came on I could not get enough and then Elvis’s suspicious minds knowing Reggie young played on that too that’s amazing ,years later I became a musician and worked as a meat manager at a high end grocery store up in Los Altos hillls
I met a lady who is a big Elvis fan so big that she was able to purchase several of his jumpsuits but the most important item she had was Scotty moores Gibson which I was able to hold in my hands what a surprise to know Reggie young also played it , thank you so much
Otis in the mornings & a good cup of Joe. T.C.B. 🤟
Check out Reggie Young's funky work on jazz flutist Herbie Mann's Memphis Underground. Love the interviews, Otis. Thanks!
Excellent suggestion! : )
Yes, it’s a great album … And actually, my introduction to Reggie Young
After Reggie moved to Nashville he played on so many hits by Merle Haggard, Steve Wariner and George Strait and many others. The harmonics that he played on Steve Wariner"s You Can Dream Of Me no one was doing that then, the out solo on Merle's Think I'll Stay Here and Drink, and most of George Strait's early hits The Chair, The Fireman and so on. Reggie is one of the most overlooked and underrated guitarist ever. Be sure to listen to Reggie's only solo album "Forever Young" that he released just before he passed it's a fantastic instrumental album. RIP Reggie.
Thank you for speaking with Reggie Young. What a player. What a prince. I’m so far as his parts, there are many. The Johnny Rivers cover of “Six Days On The Road”, The Carpenters treatment of “Mr Postman” for uptempo numbers. Great questions and nice that you let us listen to your time with RY.
Wow! Thank you for sharing your amazing! Interview
Thanks for caring enough to listen, Greg!
Otis I always enjoy coming back and listening to this. This one is extra special to me. Thank you for sharing it with us
Suspicious Minds. There are so many.
Unbeleivable stuff! Thank you Otis. I think this is important.
Thanks for the kind words! : )
Great interview. Reggie gives us a glimpse of recording back in the day with some giants of the industry. I was fortunate to see Reggie playing with Waylon only months before Waylon’s passing. Waylon introduced the band and when he introduced Reggie he said he was “the best in the business”.
That's beautiful, John!
John where were they playing? I was always curious if Waylon played some small shows after his Nashville show in 2000. I know he was pretty sick. Thanks so much.
Reggie Young plays on Waylon's last album, the "Never Say Die: Love" show from the Ryman in 2000. It's also on DVD.
@@marccohen4571 he played the Taste of Chicago. It was on the day featuring country music acts. He was struggling a bit in the oppressive heat in the middle of the day outside in July. Later on that day I felt a little sad because I figured that would be the last time I would get a chance to see him because I figured he wasn’t going to be around for too much longer. Unfortunately I was right.
@@johnrosier1686 Thanks for sharing that story. I am a huge Waylon fan. Unfortunately, the hard living caught up with him. I even read he had emphysema towards the end. Sad he was only 64 still a relatively young man.
Been listening to you for over a year, sorry I didn’t subscribe, not signed in to TH-cam. Some of the best content I come across.
Always dug “Son of a Preacher Man”. I guess that was Reggie playing the tasty guitar track. The bass playing on the outro is fantastic!
My personal favorite Elvis song is “Love Letters”.
Thank you so much for what you Do
I’ve covered Kentucky Rain for years and can never find a drummer who can nail it. Chrisman’s nuances and snare work are incredible. Rumor has it that the side stick quarter note counts in the breakdown were just intended to be played to keep the band on meter but they ended up in the final mix and they’re brilliant. Elvis really poured himself into these songs and it shows. Some of my favorite of his catalog. Great interview!
There's too many...Reggie had the American hits, the Muscle Shoals hits, Nashville hits,all the stuff with Waylon, and even the greatest B sides of all time. . Damn! One immensely successful body of work!
Amazing that Scotty Moore's guitar featured on the American sessions, even if Scotty himself was not. Kudos to Reggie Young for recognising the serendipity of that moment.
Otis, I appreciate your interviewing style. You allow your guest to speak uninterrupted. Your questions are brief and to the point without pontificating. You could teach a class on proper interviewing technique. It reminds me of the great Bob Edwards when he had his shows on NPR. Thanks for doing what you do.
You need to do an interview with Charlie McCoy. He has been on so many great hits from Desolation Row to The Boxer that it is ridiculous-he is the Zelig of Country music and rock and roll during the golden years
In the Ghetto...Love these interviews Otis...Thanks!
Thanks, Slim!
That was PURE gold SM and KR those songs take me to a special place in my soul to here the great Reggie Young tell the story's of those songs pure gold BIG THANK YOU !!!!
So many great guitar hooks on songs by this guy. You mentioned a few great ones but I’ll add: the wild whole-tone scale intro (and solo) on Billy Swan’s “I Can Help,” his electric sitar on the Box Tops’ “Cry Like a Baby,” and his and Bobby Womack’s weaving guitars on Wilson Pickett’s and Womack’s own “I’m in Love.”
I've been enjoy'n your vid's 4 awhile now & just wanted to leave you a little note. We really appreciate you spread'n there stories & keeping them alive. Very nice work, my friend ^ ^
Thank you!
Thanks again. 1954-56 Blue Moon on RCA.
Thanks, these are the important stories going forward. Our struggling musicians today need these. Music is turning now back towards something far more authentic. History is fundamental.
Awesome ❤
My favorite Elvis song is “Too Much”
WoW! This was beyond SuperBadASS! Thank you
Great work Otis, thank you very much.
Great interview from you of one of the best.
Thanks, Steve!
Thanks for sharing this. Awesome story and interview. Feels like I’m there watching it.
Cool
Great interview and questions. Always loved the guitar licks Reggie came up with on so many of those songs.
Thank ya kindly, Peter!
You should have your own Sirius channel. A platform for music, books, stories and interviews. DO IT! (Smile)
What a gracious, lovely, and as you so aptly described, generous. Reggie’s style of playing was so fluid and warm. To hear him describe playing Scottie Moore’s guitar during those sessions w/ Elvis! Wow! Just brilliant! Thanks for sharing and ‘archiving’ this interview! 💜🙏💜
this was like mana from heaven. great interview. now I'm off to listen to Drift away. thank you.
I feel so lucky to have come across your channel. And I'm listening to Reggie Young, one my favorite guitars, talk about his playing life. Thanks Otis
I don't know how I just saw this. Fantastic work! Love the details you got out of him.
Thank you Otis! I really enjoyed the interview. My favorite Elvis song is Trying to get to you, the studio version, and the Reggie Young song he played on is Hooked on a feeling with BJ. So many other great Reggie guitar songs I really like.
That’s pretty good sound for an old Radio Shack cassette tape.
Love this Otis. Saw you in Wakefield this time and brought along my son, you've got to pass it on haven't you, and then found this gem. Lovely stuff.By the way bought the new album and played it on a trip the next day. It's great. See you next time in Wakey.
A plus on an interesting interview
Thanks, David! : )
I want to say something In my Town Pierre (Pier) South Dakota, we had the Keyboard/Organ player from Elvis TCB band play some times at a old hotel that have been apartments since the 1990's that there is a bar below before he passed in the 2010's he was from South Dakota in Rapid City as a kid. David Briggs or Tony Brown, I know it is not the others.
Reggie played with the Highwaymen also.
Good man Otis...
Kentucky Rain
Hell yes! : )
Suspecious Minds and Mystery Train
@@bobwalthall1424 Excellent choices, Bob!
Great first hand account.
Reggie was the best!
Check out REGGIE’S only solo recording,FOREVER YOUNG.
Greatest guitarist by a mile .😉
You need to remember that, when he was in the Army, Reggie literally played for the king...Haile Sellasi.
Listening to History….. fave song is “In the Ghetto “…
Elvis' trajectory guard similarity to Stallone's Rocky Balboa. The poor guy who finds sudden fame, sees the ghost of decay, goes back to the origins and reborn from the ashes, finding his way and becomes an Immortal Legend.
🤟
Son of a preacher man
For me it has to Suspicious Minds. After hearing the stories and then listening to the outtakes of that song, hearing how either sick/throat sore Elvis was, I just can't imagine he put together that kind of vocal.
But Long Black Limousine ain't half bad, neither
That man could sing his ass off. It really is a great performance for sure!
@@TR-yi8up Ain't that the truth! : )
Favorite song ? that's a tough one American Trilogy, suspicious minds,to many to pick a favorite
I am a big E fan. Thanks for posting these stories about American Sound.
What are the names of your cats? I love cats.
Thanks, Jeff! It's Frankie, Malcolm and Darrell. : )
Burning Love
Favorite
Elvis song DONT, Reggie, anything Highwaymen
God bless you brother
"Promise Land" has a couple of excellent Reggie solos.
Reggie didn't play on Elvis' version of "Promised Land". That was recorded at Stax Studios in 1973, and the lead guitarist was James Burton.
Kentucky rain
It has to be American Trilogy.
Same rat problem happened in NOLA with the covid. No garbage in the alleys and the rats migrated looking for food. I really love these oral histories. Thanks!
I hadn't heard that about the NOLA rats, Neil! I was in NOLA just a week or so before everything got shut down and I'm feeling pretty lucky that I didn't randomly come into contact with that damn virus.
The fact that Elvis almost didnt get to record "Suspicious Minds" because of Colonel Parker's insistence that songwriters give up half their royalties just shows how stupid and short sighted Parker was. Elvis was the best singer and the biggest star on Earth, and yet he was forced to dig thru B list scraps to find songs to record. Thats a f***ing crime.
Do u have a Facebook page Sir
I'm definitely gonna be in the minority here, my favorite is"Yogi is,As Yogi Does."
Is there any non hit album that is under the radar and cool to own that you can recommend of Reggie? thank you for this!!
Thank you for the kind words! Recommending something is hard because we all have different definitions for under the radar. Having said that and off the top of my head, John Prine's first album, Guy Clark's Old No 1, Danny O'Keefe's first album, King Curtis' King Size Soul. You should be able to find all of those on Spotify and I hope that's helpful. : )
🎉🎉😢😢し