We haven’t had Elvis Presley grace GTP with his presence in quite a while, so I thought I’d share my favorite obscurity of his. It’s from a bootleg album.
One on my favorite Elvis albums, even though it’s a bootleg, is Cut Me & I Bleed released on Double G Records. The album is a collection of alternate studio, home, and live rehearsal recordings that present “another side” of Elvis. Pedestal removed, Cut Me & I Bleed chooses to present “The King” in a raw, more human, and often explicit manner, one that often eschews the family friendly image constructed by the Elvis foundation.
Of all the tracks (22 in all), the real gem of the bunch, and a personal favorite, is Presley’s stripped down rendition of Percy Mayfield’s “Stranger in My Own Home Town” (studio rehearsal version, July 24, 1970). I can’t think of a more appropriate song for Elvis to cover at this time in his life. Set amongst friends in a rehearsal jam session, Elvis gives one of the rawest, grittiest, yet honest and soulful performances I’ve ever heard from him.
It’s an extended blues riff and the King gets a little dirty with the lyrics here and there, but it’s both stripped down and heartfelt as hell. See what you think.
Get The Picture 
I believe N. Dean will evolve into a Roquan role.
LikeLike
So were Ron Tut and James Burton in the band playing on this track?
LikeLike
It’s a bootleg, so there’s no official listing of musicians, but on the final version of the song that was released, here’s who played on it:
LikeLike
Really nice find, Senator. It sounds as if EP had as much fun recording it as I did listening to it. Thanks for posting.
LikeLike
Reggie Young also played that great guitar on “Drift Away”. Often credited to Steve Cropper – another fine player.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Can you still find this Senator ? If so where should ya look for such a diamond of The King
LikeLike
Don’t think there’s an official place for it now. Have to scour the Internet.
LikeLike
For a second there I thought I was watching Deadwood.
LikeLike
Captures the same magic as his famous sit-down for NBC’s cameras two years earlier in Burbank. Amazing that I hadn’t heard this…thanks for posting it.
I don’t really see why the estate would sit on this, given some of his onscreen comments about groupies in “Elvis on Tour”, which came out when he was alive.
LikeLike
Ah, Elvis….My parents loved him. I was more interested, however, in the part of their record collection than contained Motown artists, The Beatles, and the first Led Zeppelin album I ever heard….Led Zeppelin II.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cannot begin to relate to having parents who owned Zeppelin II. For my early thirties-born folks, popular music was assassinated by Elvis in 1956. Mom came around on the Beatles in her last years.
LikeLike
This is fantastic!
Thanks for posting!
LikeLike