1973 Elvis – Steamroller Blues

1973 Elvis – Steamroller Blues

While working as a member of The Flying Machine, James Taylor played in clubs in Greenwich Village. He became annoyed at what passed for blues that were sung by white performers in the Village and wrote Steamroller Blues to make fun of them. Years later, he included the song on his second solo album in 1970. He did not release it as a single.

Elvis began singing the song in his concerts. He probably did not mean his performances to mock blues singers the way James did; he may just have liked the song.

In 1973, Elvis broadcast the first worldwide live concert performance. The double album Aloha from Hawaii: Via Satellite included the song. I released the album in quadrophonic sound and became the first album in that format to reach the top of the Billboard album chart.

The live performance from the album became the only single from the album. It stalled at only #17 on the Hot 100 in 1973.