polk salad annie rehearsed

Polk Salad Annie was first played on the opening show of the 1970 jan/feb season.
It was mentioned as one liners on some shows in the 1969 vegas season.
Could it have been rehearsed before the 1969 vegas season?
Either as a legitimate possible song to be performed or as a jam because it was perculating in Elvis conciousness?
A 1969 rehearsal of this song would be 2nd on my list of rehearsal songs id like to hear, second only to American Trilogy before the 1972 jan/feb vegas season.

Polk Salad Annie was first played on the opening show of the 1970 jan/feb season.
It was mentioned as one liners on some shows in the 1969 vegas season.
Could it have been rehearsed before the 1969 vegas season?
Either as a legitimate possible song to be performed or as a jam because it was perculating in Elvis conciousness?
A 1969 rehearsal of this song would be 2nd on my list of rehearsal songs id like to hear, second only to American Trilogy before the 1972 jan/feb vegas season.

"Polk Salad Annie" was likely not rehearsed in July 1969. It was released by Tony Joe White in late June, and did not crack Billboard's Top 20 until August, peaking at #8 on August 23. This is why one-liners started popping up in Elvis' show, he'd heard it on the radio and obviously liked it.

690628_Monument 1104_White.JPG

Tony Joe White, "Polk Salad Annie" (Monument 1104, June 28, 1969)
Note: produced by Billy Swan and arranged by Bergen White, both of whom have Elvis connections.


The song began appearing on rehearsal rundowns in early January 1970 at RCA Hollywood, and was a highlight on the January 26 opening night at the International Hotel in Las Vegas.

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He had the song already in mind when he gave a one liner on August 5, 1969 MS

August 5, 1969 MS

He also performed a one-line during the show (allegedy August 3rd DS) on the Opening Night, 1969 and Return of the Prodigy cds. It is just before he sings All Shook Up - listed about 3:15 into the clip below.

Last edited by Mike C on Thu Jan 03, 2013 12:39 am, edited 1 time in total.

In 1967 Tony Joe White wrote and recorded a song "Old man Willis" for Monument records (Monument 1053; another version was released in 1969 (Monument 1127). In 1968 he re-wrote the lyrics into Polk salad Annie and recorded the song for Monument.

In june 1969 producer Felton Jarvis recorded Old man Willis with Nat Stuckey (RCA 47-9833 / LP).

colonel snow

In 1967 Tony Joe White wrote and recorded a song "Old man Willis" for Monument records (Monument 1053; another version was released in 1969 (Monument 1127). In 1968 he re-wrote the lyrics into Polk salad Annie and recorded the song for Monument.

In june 1969 producer Felton Jarvis recorded Old man Willis with Nat Stuckey (RCA 47-9833 / LP).

It's evidently not just a lyric re-write, the melody and arrangement differ as well. Going by the 1970 Stuckey release, it's good White revamped the tune.

Nat Stuckey, "Old Man Willis" (RCA 9833, May 2, 1970)

700502_RCA 9833_Stuckey.JPG

White clearly based his work on earlier songs, one that immediately comes to mind is Chuck Berry's superb "I'm Talking About You."

Chuck Berry, "I'm Talking About You" (Chess 1779, February 6, 1961)

610206_Chess 1779_Berry.JPG

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Polk Salad Annie was first played on the opening show of the 1970 jan/feb season.
It was mentioned as one liners on some shows in the 1969 vegas season.
Could it have been rehearsed before the 1969 vegas season?
Either as a legitimate possible song to be performed or as a jam because it was perculating in Elvis conciousness?
A 1969 rehearsal of this song would be 2nd on my list of rehearsal songs id like to hear, second only to American Trilogy before the 1972 jan/feb vegas season.

"Polk Salad Annie" was likely not rehearsed in July 1969. It was released by Tony Joe White in late June, and did not crack Billboard's Top 20 until August, peaking at #8 on August 23. This is why one-liners started popping up in Elvis' show, he'd heard it on the radio and obviously liked it.

690628_Monument 1104_White.JPG

Tony Joe White, "Polk Salad Annie" (Monument 1104, June 28, 1969)
Note: produced by Billy Swan and arranged by Bergen White, both of whom have Elvis connections.


The song began appearing on rehearsal rundowns in early January 1970 at RCA Hollywood, and was a highlight on the January 26 opening night at the International Hotel in Las Vegas.

I thought it was released june 1968. Thanks for the correct info.
I guess we'll have to settle for a january 1970 rehearsal then

Polk Salad Annie was first played on the opening show of the 1970 jan/feb season.
It was mentioned as one liners on some shows in the 1969 vegas season.
Could it have been rehearsed before the 1969 vegas season?
Either as a legitimate possible song to be performed or as a jam because it was perculating in Elvis conciousness?
A 1969 rehearsal of this song would be 2nd on my list of rehearsal songs id like to hear, second only to American Trilogy before the 1972 jan/feb vegas season.

"Polk Salad Annie" was likely not rehearsed in July 1969. It was released by Tony Joe White in late June, and did not crack Billboard's Top 20 until August, peaking at #8 on August 23. This is why one-liners started popping up in Elvis' show, he'd heard it on the radio and obviously liked it.

690628_Monument 1104_White.JPG

Tony Joe White, "Polk Salad Annie" (Monument 1104, June 28, 1969)
Note: produced by Billy Swan and arranged by Bergen White, both of whom have Elvis connections.


The song began appearing on rehearsal rundowns in early January 1970 at RCA Hollywood, and was a highlight on the January 26 opening night at the International Hotel in Las Vegas.

I thought it was released june 1968. Thanks for the correct info.
I guess we'll have to settle for a january 1970 rehearsal then

You are very welcome!

I would love to hear a January 1970 RCA Hollywood rehearsal, as well as one from July 1969. Or two!