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Lot 131

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Elvis Presley Electric Sitar.

Elvis Presley Electric Sitar. This amazing instrument was designed by Vincent Bell a veritable guitar maestro who played the sitar and various other guitars parts on some of the most famous pop records in modern history. This particular guitar was played by Memphis guitar legend Reggie Young on Elvis Presley's greatest recording session 'The Suspicious Minds Sessions' at the American Recording Studios in Memphis, resulting in Elvis' groundbreaking soulful album 'From Elvis in Memphis'. It was this recording session that began the turnaround in Elvis' career and paved the way for his well known subsequent concerts up until his untimely death. The sessions were overseen by Lincoln 'Chips' Moman, one of the most successful and respected record producers songwriters and studio musicians in the history of American popular music, indeed it was Chip's intervention over Presley's record company that enabled Elvis to make these historic recordings instead of the film-based drivel that he had been turning out in the previous years. Moman and Elvis had long been friends and so it was no surprise that Elvis, hearing of the success of the studio, chose to record there. The Sitar belonged to Chips, and was kept it in the studio. It was used on many tracks for many artists. During the sessions for RCA that took place between January 13-16 and 20th-23rd 1969 The Sitar can be very clearly heard on the track, "You'll think of Me' recorded by Elvis on the 14th January between 7and 10pm, the track ended up as the B-side to Suspicious Minds. The intro is all Sitar! It was also used on Stranger in My Own Home Town and Rubberneckin'. Aside from Elvis, Reggie also played the Sitar on many other hits including Dusty Springfield's 'Don't You Forget About Me'

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