“When You’re Hot, You’re Hot”
Jerry Reed
Written by Jerry Reed
Billboard
#1 (5 weeks)
June 19 – July 17, 1971
The storyline of the seventies that is starting to emerge is one of stylists winning out over conventional production.
Strong and vibrant personalities that couldn’t be contained by the Nashville sound don’t get more strong and vibrant than Jerry Reed, a spectacular guitarist and songwriter who was also a sneakily good singer. “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot” is mostly spoken word, so he has to rely completely on the first two talents to sell this record.
And boy, does he sell this record, making a completely implausible plotline sound believable from the jump. His enthusiasm as he wins at a dice game is palpable, as is his nervous frustration when arrested and then his hilariously righteous indignation at the judge toward the end, as a debt to a fishing buddy comes due.
There was no way to make this record with the Jordanaires singing in the background and strings swelling with each chorus. Country music will eventually go super nova, and the foundation is being laid down here by letting artists fully express themselves on record.
I’m not sure there’s another period in country music history where this could’ve gotten recorded and released, let alone gone all the way to No. 1.
“When You’re Hot, You’re Hot” gets an A.
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I know this is considered a classic but it just never did it for me. Based on legacy I will give it a “B+”.
Such a big hit this was for the man whose songs “Guitar Man” and “U.S. Male” got recorded by one Elvis Presley that it also got into the Top 10 on the pop charts as well.
“You can ‘splain it all/down at City Hall” (LOL).
I agree with the “A”
Interestingly enough, Jerry’s immediate prior release “Amos Moses” was every bit as innovative as this song, but it ran into some resistance at country radio (Billboard had Amos Moses reach #16, Record World at #10) but Amos Moses was Jerry’s biggest Billboard Hot 100 hit, reaching #8 and reaching #2 on the Canadian RPM charts). Like “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot”, “Amos Moses” was certified gold for sales of one million units by the Recording Industry Association of America.
In contrast, “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot” reached #9 on Billboard Hot 100 hit, reached #4 on the Canadian RPM charts).
For what it’s worth, I haven’t heard many covers of “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot” and while I have heard bar bands tackle “Amos Moses”, “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot” is too hot for most of them to tackle. After all, there was only ONE Jerry Reed
This one gets its share of airplay on classic country station. It’s a fun little novelty song but Reed’s vocal performance has always struck me as the epitome of shlock. I’m okay with that to some degree but in no way would I qualify this as an “A”.
Grade: B
I agree with the A grade and I agree with Paul that this song would be difficult to cover. It works because Jerry Reed was able to sell it.
Bonus Beats:
Jerry Reed made a guest appearance on a 1972 episode of the New Scooby-Doo Movies, where Scooby and Shaggy go to see him perform, where he plays a song that is not “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot.” However, at the end of the clip, Scooby and Shaggy sing “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot.” Here’s that clip:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yWG_R6SjUNY
Here’s a 2022 Nissan commercial aired during March Madness, where a bunch of people in costumes listen to “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot” while driving. For the first time, I have to use a link to something other than Youtube:
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/bnP7/nissan-march-madness-hot-song-by-jerry-reed-t1
Truly, can you picture anyone else singing this besides Jerry Reed? I certainly can’t. It’s a winner, but wouldn’t be in the hands of another artist.
Reed’s frenetic guitar playing and vocals became his public persona. When writing about “Amos Moses,” David Cantwell alludes to Reed as talking jive. That holds true in this hit as well. I think it’s wild and fun, unchained silliness.
The early nineties rivals the start of this decade for how willing Nashville was to embrace artistic diversity largely because Music City hadn’t yet identified a signature sound to fence itself in with yet.
Historians love to contain stylistic eras within neat and tidy ten-year increments, but the features revisiting the hits of the ’90s and ’80s has exposed the shortcoming of such categories of convenience.
I will always celebrate country music when it sounds genuinely fun like Reed does here.