Rare Grateful Dead "Blue Suede Shoes" Elvis Cover 12-12-1973

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Rare Live Grateful Dead "Blue Suede Shoes" Elvis Presley Cover 12-12-1973 - Omni Soundcheck

The Dead soundchecked this a couple of times, on 1 & 12 December 1973, but never played it live. In the soundcheck on 12/12/73, Garcia essentially sang the complete version:

Lyrics:
Well it's one for the money, two for the show
Three to get ready now go cat go
But don't you step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes

You can knock me down, step on my face
Slander my name all over the place
Do anything that you wanna do
But oh oh honey lay off of them shoes
Don't you step on my blue suede shoes
Well you can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes

You can burn my house, steal my car
Drink my liquor from an old fruit jar
Do anything that you wanna do
But oh oh honey lay off them shoes
Don't you step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes

Blue, blue, blue suede shoes
Blue, blue, blue suede shoes
Blue, blue, blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off my blue suede shoes

History:

Johnny Cash had planted the seed for the song in the fall of 1955, while Perkins, Cash, Elvis Presley, and other Louisiana Hayride acts toured throughout Texas and the South. Cash told Perkins of a black airman whom he had met when serving in the military in Germany. He had referred to his military regulation air shoes as "blue suede shoes". Cash suggested that Carl write a song about the shoes. Carl replied, "I don't know anything about shoes. How can I write a song about shoes?"

Both Perkins and Presley started at Sun Records under Phillips, but Presley recorded the song in early 1956 after his Sun contract was purchased by RCA Victor. Presley's version was recorded at the RCA Studios in New York, with Presley on vocals and rhythm guitar, backed up by his regular touring trio of Scotty Moore on lead guitar, Bill Black on bass, and D.J. Fontana on drums. According to Scotty Moore, when the song was recorded, "We just went in there and started playing, just winged it. Just followed however Elvis felt." According to reports confirmed by Sam Phillips, RCA producer Steve Sholes agreed not to release Presley's version of the song as a single while Carl's release was hot.[13]

Elvis performed the song to nation wide television audiences three times in 1956. The first time was on February 11, 1956 on the Dorsey Brother's Stage Show. Elvis performed it again on his third Stage Show appearance on March 17, then again on the Milton Berle Show on April 3.[2] On July 1 Steve Allen introduced Elvis on the Steve Allen show, and Elvis, appearing in formal evening wear, stated "I think that I have on something tonight that's not quite right for evening wear." Allen asked, "What's that, Elvis?" "Blue Suede shoes" was the answer, as Elvis lifted his left foot to show the audience. Elvis mentions Blue Suede shoes a second time on this show. In a song during the "Range Roundup" comedy skit with Steve Allen, Andy Griffith, and Imogene Coca, he delivers the line, "I'm a warnin' you galutes, don't step on my blue suede shoes."[14] These performances and mention of Blue Suede Shoes on nationally broadcast shows were seen by millions of Americans.

Meanwhile, although Presley is supposed to have promised Perkins that he wouldn't cover the song on a single record,[15] "Blue Suede Shoes" was the first song on the first ground breaking album Elvis Presley, which was released in March. RCA released two other records with "Blue Suede Shoes" the same month: one an Extended Play with 4 songs, and a 2x extended play version with 8 songs.[3]

RCA released the Presley version as a single on September 8.[4] This single reached #20, whereas the Perkins version had topped the chart.

In 1960, Presley re-recorded "Blue Suede Shoes" for the soundtrack of the film G.I. Blues. While Elvis' character's group "The Three Blazes" plays a ballad at a Frankfurt night club ("Doin' The Best I Can" by Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman[5]), a bored GI plays "Blue Suede Shoes" by Elvis Presley on the juke box, remarking that he wants "to hear an original". When another soldier tries to unplug the juke box, the entire place erupts into a fight.[16] This studio re-recording marked one of only a few occasions in Presley's career in which he agreed to re-record a previously issued song.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Rare
• Grateful
• Dead
• Blue Suede Shoes
• Elvis
• Presley
• Cover
• 12-12-1973
• las
• vegas
• jerry
• garcia
• gdsetlists

[smarcus1031]

Very interesting. Never heard this before, but it sounds more like a Jerry Garcia Band rehearsal...

@kingoma61 the Grateful Dead never recorded or played Drink Up or Go Home...I made a recording of Jerry, Nelson, Rothman and Dan Healy playing it during a two hour jam session at a Grateful Dead Thanksgiving party in 1986...

[AVDiDomenico]

@homegrownsmokerbbq I agree but chill!! smoke a spliff and relax my brother!

[homegrownsmokerbbq]

fuck all Godchaux haters. eat shit.

[TheGr8tfulred]

very cool. suprised there's not more views. long live rock n roll and the dead. amen

[Marakesh7]

Definately more Carl Perkins than Elvis.

[jerryme72]

blue suede shoes was carl perkins----donna jean was a back up singer for elvis...

[uhhjessicaleighbetch]

@BustaLip she didn't ruin nothin, but she sure as hell didn't do any good

[quartzimaging]

this is kind of nice. but it doesn't sound live...more like a studio goof-off.

[rubyrose456]

SWEETNESS!!!!!

[TheElissaS]

Hey I think this is pretty cool.