SONG OF THE DAY Jerry Reed – I Feel For You

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Born in Georgia in 1937, Jerry Reed Hubbard, better known as Jerry Reed, was a singer-songwriter, guitarist, composer and actor who shaped and influenced the sound of country throughout his lengthy career that spanned over five decades.

Known and revered by many for his unique and intricate picking technique, as seen in his composition The Claw, his playing has inspired/inspires generations of guitarists all driven to play like Reed! When he was a child he was quoted for saying (whilst running around strumming his guitar), “I am gonna be a star. I’m gonna go to Nashville and be a star.”….How right was he!! Jerry Reed was born for music!

His discography extends over pages and pages and details of his musical career are vast, but in the 53 years he was active Reed worked and collaborated with a number of musicians. His music was covered by the likes of Johnny Cash (A Thing Called Love) and  Elvis, who issued Reid’s self-penned Guitar Man in 1968, but this song was of many. Elvis and Jerry had also worked together prior to this and in 1967 Reed played guitar for Elvis Presley’s Big Boss Man!  The pair performed together in a number of sessions which then attracted the attention of Chet Atkins at RCA. Reed and Atkins struck up a bond and began recording together, with Atkins also producing some of his music.

Which leads me nicely on to today’s song, which was produced by Atkins! In 1971 RCA issued Ko-ko Joe, which was backed with today’s little heart-cracker, I Feel For You. Never more different could two sides be, the flip side is a little instant sticker-in-the-head. A story of heartbreak with a twist, Reed’s vocals drown the heartstrings in sorrow as his brooding tone agonisingly observes how you “wish you could die boy to get that woman off of your mind….”. It’s a great little song!  Check it out above.