TGIF Oldies- Jerry Reed: When You're Hot, You're Hot/Amos Moses 1970/71

Reaganite Republican ^ | January 21, 2011 | Reaganite Republican

[Reaganite Republican]

Georgia Native Jerry Reed Hubbard (1937-08) was an American country music singer, country guitarist, session musician, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films... nothing short of an American cultural icon.

As a musician, "The Snowman" was best known for "(Who Was the Man Who Put) The Line in Gasoline"; "Lord, Mr. Ford (What Have You Done)"; "Amos Moses"; "When You're Hot, You're Hot," (Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance); and "East Bound and Down," the theme song for the film Smokey and the Bandit, in which he co-starred with Burt Reynolds.

Back in '67, Reed notched his first official country chart hit with "Guitar Man," which Elvis Presley soon covered. Presley had come to Nashville to record in 1967, and one of the songs he was working on was "Guitar Man" (which Reed had written and recorded earlier). 

"I was out on the Cumberland River fishing, and I got a call from Felton Jarvis (then Presley's producer). He said, 'Elvis is down here. We've been trying to cut 'Guitar Man' all day long. He wants it to sound like it sounded on your album.' I finally told him, 'Well, if you want it to sound like that, you're going have to get me in there to play guitar, because these guys (you're using in the studio) are straight pickers. I pick with my fingers and tune that guitar up all weird kind of ways.'"

Jarvis hired Reed to play on the session. "I hit that intro, and Elvis' face lit up and here we went. Then after he got through that, he cut my "U.S. Male" at the same session. I was toppin' cotton, son..." 

Subsequently the songwriter recorded an Elvis tribute, "Tupelo Mississippi Flash," which proved to be his first Top 20 hit. Elvis Presley also recorded two other Reed compositions: "A Thing Called Love" in 1970 and "Talk About The Good Times" in 1973.

Johnny Cash would also release Reed's "A Thing Called Love" as a single in 1971, which would reach #2 on the Country Singles Chart. After releasing the 1970 crossover hit "Amos Moses", a hybrid of rock, country, funk, and Cajun styles (below), Reed teamed with Atkins for the duet LP Me and Jerry. 

During the 1970 TV season, he was a regular on The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, and in 1971 Reed issued his biggest hit, the chart-topper "When You're Hot, You're Hot", which was also the title track of his first solo album. Both "Amos Moses" and "When You're Hot, You're Hot" sold over a million copies.

In the mid-1970s, Reed's recording career began to take a back seat to his acting aspirations. In 1974, he co-starred with his close friend Burt Reynolds in the film W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings. While he continued to record throughout the decade, his greatest visibility was as a motion picture star, almost always in tandem with headliner Reynolds; after 1976's Gator, Reed appeared in 1978's High Ballin and 1979's Hot Stuff. 

He also co-starred in all three of the Smokey and the Bandit films; the first, which premiered in 1977, landed Reed a #2 hit with the soundtrack's "East Bound and Down." 

Reed also took a stab at hosting a TV variety show, filming two episodes of The Jerry Reed Show in 1976. Guests included Tammy Wynette, Ray Stevens, and Burt Reynolds. 

In 1982, Reed's career as a singles artist was revitalized by the chart-topping hit "She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft)," followed by "The Bird," which peaked at #2. His last chart hit, "I'm a Slave," came in 1983.

And btw, if you've never seen the unheralded The Survivors (1983) with Reed, Walter Matthau, and a young Robin Williams you ought to... hilarious imo.

Wikipedia   

Three videos/more at Reaganite Republican

[andy58-in-nh]

Didn’t he write that in the Carter era...?

Yes, he did. Only now, we're really "rolling downhill like a snowball headed for Hell". Or at least, a lot faster.

[Reaganite Republican]

Ol’ Snowman knew what he was talking about...

[Reaganite Republican]

Ol’ Snowman knew what he was talking about...

[GSWarrior]

Amos Moses was a hell of a man.

[NewMexLurker]

a 17(?)yr old Tanya Tucker

A college buddy and I also saw a young Tanya Tucker in concert back in '76. My buddy had a crush on her and stood in a very long line to get her autograph after the show. After about two hours, he showed me his prize. I had to ask him, "Who the heck is Tarzan Parker?". Worst handwriting I've seen, this side of a prescription form.

[pops88]

Back around 1980 I was a cocktail waitress in a nice restaurant next to a hotel, trying to put myself through college. I was told Jerry Reed came in one night while passing through town. The lounge staff couldn’t believe how much he drank and was still able to walk out. According to them, he drank a LOT as in they never saw anyone drink that much before. They also said he had a big smile on his face and was friendly and nice. That’s how I remember him.

[goat granny]

loved his songs, singing and acting...funny man and talented.