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Hi Heel Sneakers

Rating:
4.3 / 5

Words & Music: Robert Higginbotham

Put on your red dress baby 'cause we're going out tonight, oh yeah!
Put on your red dress baby 'cause we're going out tonight, yeah!
Well now wear some boxing gloves in case some fool might start a fight
You know what I'm sayin'

Put on your hi-heel sneakers, put your wig hat on your head, oh yeah!
Put on your hi-heel sneakers, slap that wig right on your head, yeah!
Well I'm pretty sure now baby, pretty soon you're gonna knock 'em dead

Oh gonna mess around baby
all right!
Da da da da etc.

Put on your red dress baby 'cause we're going out tonight, oh yeah!
Put on your red dress baby 'cause we're going out tonight, yeah!
Well now wear some boxing gloves in case some fool might start a fight
You know what I'm sayin'

Put on your hi-heel sneakers, put your wig hat on your head, oh yeah!
Put on your hi-heel sneakers, slap that wig right on your head, yeah!
Well I'm pretty sure now baby, pretty soon you're gonna knock 'em dead
Walk around baby!

Da da da etc.

Put on your hi-heel sneakers, put your wig hat on your head, oh yeah!
Put on your hi-heel sneakers, slap that wig right on your head, yeah!
Well I'm pretty sure now baby, pretty soon you're gonna knock 'em dead
All right take it home baby!

Da da da etc.

Recordingdate: 1967/09/11, first released on: single (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Hi Heel Sneakers:

(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(steel guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(drums)
(piano)
(organ)
(harmonica)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(sax)

Availability

Find available albums with Hi Heel Sneakers.

Lex wrote on January 09, 2009
Showing he was on the way back... I love most of the session (all except Singing Tree and Just Call Me Lonesome), but this is by far the best song of it.
dgirl wrote on May 27, 2010
I love this song. It showed Elvis still had it and could put out a great double-sided single (with Guitar Man) that sounded current. My friends started to give Elvis a second look when this came out and that made me feel good.
JerryNodak wrote on October 19, 2010
I like the shortened single version. But find the unedited version too long and repetitive.
Deano1 wrote on October 19, 2010
Elvis gives this blues song a harsh, hoarse treatment (there use to be a rumour that Elvis had a cold when he recorded this one because he sounds hoarse; but the hoarseness was not evident on the rest of the session) and the result is good; but not great. A track that definitely deserved to be on an album during Elvis' lifetime; but not single material. Perhaps, that was RCA's plan. They didn't want the B-side taking away from the A-side of the single like the previous single ("Big Boss Man" had to compete with it's B-side "You Don't Know Me" and both sides wound up being mid-chart hits. HHS held up it's end of the bargain as it did not even bubble under the hot 100 (only the 3rd Elvis B-side at that time to not chart or bubbled under);. It didn't help, as "Guitar Man" stalled five places short of "Big Boss Man" at #43.
Steve V wrote on October 19, 2010
This was the first single in years that totally thrilled me like the old days. Great B-side to a great A-side. Yes it stalled on the charts. This was due to all the bad singles & soundtracks that were released in the prior years that many fans on this site call harmless fluff & fun. They were so harmless they almost destroyed his career. As great as this single was, it was ignored by the record buying public. Elvis needed that TV special which was soon to follow. Also a pity there was no legit LP this song (& other studio gems at the time) could find its way onto.
bajo wrote on October 19, 2010
This one has been growing on me over the years! It was continuing the promise given by the Big Boss Man/You Don't Know Me single. And continued with U S Male/Stay Away and then rolled into what we now know is history! I really dig those sessions! Guitar Man really made some sparkle back then imo!
old shep wrote on February 07, 2011
Originally a 1964 smash hit for Tommy Tucker, AKA Higginbotham a white blues singer.The song must have been recorded a hundred or so times before Elvis picked it up in 1967. I like Elvis' version and the fact that around this time he finally realised he needed to throw of the restrains of sub standard material from those many mediocre soundtrack recordings'
RobIreland wrote on February 07, 2011
These kind of songs from Elvis should have been big hits for him ! Sadly the public over looked them thinking they were more mediocre movie hits !High Heel Sneekers from Elvis is one of his best rawest funkiest performance ever ! i personally wish he had went down this road a little longer .
Pedro Nuno wrote on September 03, 2012
Great, Great Song and Rendition! Love the long version and it’s rawness that should be released as a master it is. Fantastic single. The beginning of Presley resurrection after being dead and buried for Rock and Pop music. This is my Elvis my King, this should had been his path till the end.
Martin DJ wrote on September 03, 2012
Fantastic song! Elvis doesn't say "Oh gonna mess around" though but "Do the mess around", a reference to the Ray Charles hit Mess Around.
NONE000000 wrote on September 03, 2012
Great song and it's the kind of song Elvis was born to sing. This one and "Stranger in my Own Hometown" are two of my favorites in this genre by Elvis. Also "Down in the Alley","Power of my Love" and the way he sang "Trouble" in 1968. Indeed, Elvis was on his way back at this point and it seemed to take getting back to his blues and country roots, with ever-present gospel influence. And you can really start to hear those influences again in this song and the other ones I mentioned. (This is a long way from "Yoga Is...." or "Dog's Life"; it's like the real Elvis was just bidding his time during the 60s, slowly rebuilding himself as the Beatles and Doors and Dylan peaked and Hendricks and Joplin and Redding died and Flower Power flamed out. And in 1968 Elvis was ready again. Hi Heel Sneakers is clearly a step back towards Elvis being on top of his game)
ElvisSacramento wrote on October 26, 2012
This is such a brilliant, fun, electrifying and catchy blues song and Elvis' rendition of it was spectacular. Elvis' rendition of it should definitely be way better known than it actually is.
sugartummy wrote on March 11, 2013
Elvis sta
sugartummy wrote on March 11, 2013
Elvis starts the long version with a fragment from Don't forsake me from the movie High noon. I heard several versions of this song and it's those kind of song you just can't ruin. Elvis does a brilliant version of it.
Natha wrote on August 24, 2013
I recall the release and that I was thrilled by it. Amidst the many 'movie songs' which were sort of related to the script, this one has that drive again which attracted me to the King! Though his version was gret, it would have been even more fantastic if he had done this song live in the late sixties, early seventies! One of those songs to push the rewind button every now and then!
Gorse wrote on September 26, 2013
This bluesy track brought back the earthy rocking gut wrenching Elvis. Personally I had enjoyed the softer in-between years or mid sixties more than some others on this forum but I can appreciate why the ardent rock fans welcomed this one with open arms.
Jim Davidson wrote on August 27, 2015
The first few bars have a very Beatle- esque feel.
Jeoliverm wrote on February 19, 2020
It's not usual, but the (mid sixties live) Jerry Lee Lewis's version is much better than Elvis's. For me the Elvis's version doesn't flow as it should. Maybe that was what he wanted.
DerekH wrote on July 21, 2022
Great recording, for 1967.
Milky White Way wrote on July 22, 2022
A lot of people refer to this period as showing his way back but personally I don’t think he ever lost it. The over saturated soundtracks may have done damage but Elvis would have faced the Beatles and Stones regardless. There were only two years in the sixties that Elvis didn’t record regular sessions, 64 and 65. He gave us the wonderful lost album sessions in 63 and then in 66 the wonderful HGTA sessions and the stunning I’ll remember you. We will never know what would have happened to his career if he didn’t do the movies, maybe he would have just fizzled out like all the other Rock n Roll singers. Personally I’m glad I have the soundtracks to enjoy and I’m thrilled I have High Heel Sneakers. But as for this 67 session You Don’t Know Me is the best and finds it’s way in my all time top 5 Elvis songs. HHS 4 stars
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