*(1973) RCA ''Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues'' (Takes 1 FS, 4 LFS, 6 Complete) Elvis Presley

''Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues'' (CPA5-1627)
Recorded Thursday/Friday December 13, 14, 1973 (9:00 PM - 12:00 AM) (1:00 AM - 4:00 AM)

Name (Or. No. of Instruments)
Elvis Presley - Vocals
James Burton - Lead Guitar
Charlie Hodge - Guitar
Johnny Christopher - Guitar
David Briggs - Piano & Organ
Norbert Putnam - Bass
Ronnie Tutt - Drums

J.D. Sumner & The Stamps consisting of Bill Baize, Ed Enoch, Dave Rowland - Backup Vocals
Voice consisting of Donnie Sumner, Sherrill Nielsen, Tim Baty, Per Eric ''Pete'' Hallin - Backup Vocals
Mary Holladay, Susan Pilkingson, Kathy Westmoreland, Mary ''Jeanie'' Green - Backup Vocals

"Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues" is a song written and performed by American folk singer Danny O'Keefe, and is his biggest hit, this song struck a cord with restless young people who were stuck living dreary lives in dead-end small towns while their friends were moving away to better things. "Charlie" is a fictional character, but O'Keefe was managed by Charlie Greene, who also managed Buffalo Springfield and had the ear of Ahmet Ertegun at Atlantic Records. After hearing O'Keefe perform the song on a steel guitar, Ertegun signed him and produced his 1970 debut album, with included the first version of this song.

The first version of this song was recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Alabama, which is where Atlantic Records had many of their artists record (great musicians, few distractions, excellent rates). Another song from the album, "Covered Wagon," was chosen as a single but stiffed.

"Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues" was re-recorded for his second album, ''O'Keefe'', which was released in 1972. This time, it was recorded at American Studios in Memphis with Arif Marden producing. This time, the song was released as a single and became a big hit.

As the song was climbing the charts, O'Keefe was sent on the road on a bill with the Hollies and the Raspberries. Unfortunately, he didn't have a second single and was not a good fit for the tour. "It wasn't really a brilliant way of building me as an artist," Danny told us. "I didn't do the coffee house circuit until some years later."

This song that tells the tale of a man the good life left behind and who takes "pills to ease the pain." In an interview with Mojo magazine July 2010 O'Keefe recalled the writing of this song: "It was very simple and got to the heart of the matter," he said. "It was written in not much over an hour. I think I hoped that a country artist would cover the song, but it made reference to pills and those references were taboo for country singers then."

O'Keefe told Mojo about the song's lyrical content: "Maybe it was about hipsters drawn to the high life. I lived in interesting times and there was a lot of experimentation with every kind of drug. There were a lot of damages and strange intersections of lives that provided much grist for a young songwriter's mill''.

O'Keefe on the song's legacy: "The success of one's dreams is always exhilarating. Elvis cut the song with the same group of musicians I had, so there was a pride in continuity, but I didn't think he brought anything new to it. Over the years I've come to appreciate it more as part of the song's great legacy''. This was to be O'Keefe's only hit but he is also known for penning "The Road," a song recorded by Jackson Browne on his 1977 album, Running On Empty.

Elvis Presley recorded this song for his 1974 album ''Good Times''. Some of the musicians who recorded the hit version of this song in Memphis with O'Keefe had played on various Elvis recordings. Other artists to cover the song include Willie Nelson, Charlie McCoy, Waylon Jennings, Dwight Yoakam, Charlie Rich, Conway Twitty, Leon Russell and B.J. Thomas.

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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