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Topic: Sleep Walk !! mp3 |
Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Don Kona Woods
From:
Hawaiian Kama'aina
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Posted 11 Jan 2008 9:15 pm |
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Very nice job, Doug! 
Aloha, 
Don |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 12 Jan 2008 3:55 am
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Most accurate version Doug, Congrats on the replication..
First time I've heard someone play it with respect to the lyrics and the definitive version..BIG KUDOS..
So much better than the insipid re-recording by the "Other Brother"
HIS version ? Slightly overshooting the runway somewhat !
Whereas your version Doug is the equal to the ORIGINAL with two exceptions !!*
The real deal :-
Original version
* The Bb chord at the end of the middle 8 ISN'T played by the band, THEY stay on G whilst the steel FORCES a Bb against it, and the last 3 chords on the regular electric guitar are different.. |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 12 Jan 2008 4:17 am This is what I hear at the end..YMMV
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One final thought, these comments are meant to be complimentary as I've NEVER heard a better duplication, and I'm pretty sure that there's less than a handfull of players in the whole world who could even come close to the way you've done it..
You SHOULD re-do the backing with the same diligence you used on the melody and put it on an album for posterity's sake. |
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Randy Reeves
From:
LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 12 Jan 2008 4:52 am
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very nice. played with authority. I just happened to tune my Ricky to E6. so today instead of shoveling snow
I will try one of my favorites tunes out. I wont be posting the results because and spoil anyones day. |
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Howard Tate
From:
Leesville, Louisiana, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 12 Jan 2008 4:52 am
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| Wonderful playing, Doug. |
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Robert Murphy
From:
West Virginia
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Posted 12 Jan 2008 6:02 am
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| Thanks for the straight up version, it's so often over played. What a great melody. KISS. |
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J D Sauser
From:
Wellington, Florida
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Posted 12 Jan 2008 6:30 am
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Except for the "korean" band in the back ground it sounds like a re-mastered copy of the original.
Nice!
... J-D. |
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Andy Sandoval
From:
Bakersfield, California, USA
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Posted 12 Jan 2008 11:32 am
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Just Great! Doug, your version comes pretty dang close to capturing the original's feel and tone. I love it  and I challange Mr. J D  to come up with a better rhythm track.  |
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Gary C. Dygert
From:
Frankfort, NY, USA
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Posted 12 Jan 2008 11:43 am
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Doug, you nailed it. That's the tuning I like best. Now, if I could just play as well as you...
_________________
No-name lap steel and Beard Gold Tone reso in E6 and E7 |
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Tom Pettingill
From:
California, USA (deceased)
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 12 Jan 2008 6:22 pm
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Thank you All for your kind comments! I appreciate it.
I had a lot of fun recording this classic steel tune. For many years I played this on pedal steel guitar, trying desperately to duplicate the tone and the feel of the original, to no avail. The pedal steel’s Tone was too fat, too bassy, too much sustain, not raw enough. A couple of years ago I tried it on lap steel... and quickly realized that the thin, stark, plain & simple tone of a vintage lap steel is the ticket!
A couple of forum members asked about the scale length of my Valco lap steel. It’s 25". In general, I prefer 22.5" for easier bar slants, but I didn't use any slants for SleepWalk, so that was not an issue. The longer scales produce noticeably more sustain IMHO, so sometimes the trade off is worth it. My lap steel is a 1957 English Electronics Tonemaster. I bought it last year on eBay for $60. The body was broken in half. Some glue and C-clamps fixed that. The electronics were excellent, and I installed a set of Rick A.’s Nibro magnets. The strings-through pickup really screams.
Yes, I know that the BIAB backing track is kind of lame... but it’s so quick and easy! It only takes 3 minutes to put a track together. Right now I have minimal recording equipment and minimal recording space, so BIAB works for me. Eventually I will record some good backing tracks using "real instruments".
About the tuning... I learned about this E6 tuning here on the Forum’s "Steel Without Pedals" section a few weeks ago! A couple of members were discussing it, so I tried it, and I liked it! It relates somewhat to E9 PSG and to the "E shape" bar chord on standard guitar, so it feels very comfortable to me. I’m playing some lap steel on my gigs now, and I need a familiar tuning so I can quickly jump on the chords, majors, minors, etc. when a song comes up.
This E6 tuning is very close to C#m7, the tuning Santo used on the original SleepWalk, just string 2 is different. All of the harmonies in the Original recording are available on E6 with no bar slants.
Baz, thank you for your kind words. It means a great deal coming from you! I heard that part in the Original that you mentioned... the Bb chord played on steel while the band holds a G chord. I couldn’t believe my ears, and I just couldn’t write the track like that. Bb played over G... sounds like someone made a mistake! It sounds dissonant to me. Is it possible that S&J made a mistake in the original... and they liked the result and left it in there? In 1959 multi-track punch-ins were not an option!
Yes, the ending chords (played on regular guitar) are different. One of these days I will record a good rhythm track, true to the original. Thank you again for all of the positive comments!
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel
Last edited by Doug Beaumier on 12 Jan 2008 6:29 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Dave Bader
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 12 Jan 2008 6:26 pm
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Hey Doug it sounds great! Mind if I put it on my Ipod?
What string gauges are you using for that tuning? |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Eddie Cunningham
From:
Massachusetts, USA
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Posted 13 Jan 2008 11:04 am Great song & sound ! ! and Teardrop ??
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| Hi Doug !! Great sound on a great song !! Could you possibly give us all a double treat and put on " Teardrop " ?? ; another great S.& J. song !! Eddie "C" ( the old non-pedal geezer ) |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 13 Jan 2008 11:20 am
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| basilh wrote: |
| ...First time I've heard someone play it with respect to the lyrics.. |
Weren't the lyrics written after the instrumental was recorded ? If not, I don't think many people have heard the tune sung.  Do you have a recording of a vocal version ? |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 13 Jan 2008 12:08 pm
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| Quote: |
| ...First time I've heard someone play it with respect to the lyrics.. |
Actually, I never heard a vocal version of this song, although I have seen the written lyrics. I just tried to clone the original S&J version from 1959.
As I remember, the original sheet music lists the writers as Santo, Johnny, and Ann Farina. Ann wrote the lyrics, I believe. I always assumed that the lyrics were written at the same time as the melody. Does anyone have a "vocal" version of Sleep Walk?
Eddie, thank you. Tear Drop is an awesome tune, and I would like to tackle it someday. I'll need a big "plate reverb" for that one! 
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel |
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Gary C. Dygert
From:
Frankfort, NY, USA
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Posted 13 Jan 2008 12:44 pm
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There is supposed to be a vocal version at npr.org, but I couldn't find it. This is a link to a fast instrumental version by Debashish Bhattcharya, with bad chords: http://www.npr.org/templates/dmg/dmg.php?mediaURL=http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/asc/asc13.debashish.ram&NPRMediaPref=RM
The vocal was recorded in 1959 by Betty Anne Steele. These are the words, as best I can tell:
SLEEPWALK
Sleepwalk, 'stead of dreaming I sleepwalk,
'Cause I lost you and now what am I to do?
Can't believe that we're thru.
Sleepwalk, 'cause I miss you, sleepwalk
While the memory of you lingers like a song.
Darling I was so wrong.
The night fills my lonely place;
I see your face spin thru my brain.
I know I want you so;
I still love you so, and it drives me insane.
Sleepwalk, every night I just sleepwalk.
Please come back and when you
Walk inside the door
I will sleepwalk no more. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Gary C. Dygert
From:
Frankfort, NY, USA
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Posted 13 Jan 2008 5:25 pm
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The singer's first name was Bette. She may have also gone by Betsey Brye. I once had an mp3 of her, but that was in a computer that crashed and burned. I can't find it now on the internet. The Supremes recorded this, too. This may be more accurate:
SLEEPWALK
Sleepwalk, 'stead of dreaming I sleepwalk,
'Cause I lost you and now what am I to do?
Can't believe that we're thru.
(I don't care how much you tell me.)
Sleeptalk, 'cause I miss you, I sleeptalk
While the memory of you lingers like a song.
Darling I was so wrong.
(But I'll be right some day.)
The night fills my lonely place;
I see your face spin thru my brain.
I know I want you so;
I still love you so, and it drives me insane.
Sleepwalk, every night I just sleepwalk.
Please come back and when you
Walk inside the door
I will sleepwalk no more. |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 13 Jan 2008 5:36 pm
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Here is an article I did in our magazine last year discussing the lyrics etc.
High resolution pics here Click this
The original recording and a video of Santo & Johnny playing it are here :-
Audio
Video
Last edited by basilh on 13 Jan 2008 6:00 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Gary Stevenson
From:
Northern New York,USA
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Posted 13 Jan 2008 5:46 pm
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Wow That took me back to a high school dance and a band called the Bell Tones. Stumbling across gym floor to ask a girl to slow dance to this song. Neato daddyO!!!!!!!!!!  |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Rich Taylor
From:
Florida, USA
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Posted 14 Jan 2008 6:56 pm
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| Doug - The song sounds great and thank you Basilh for posting the tabs , I didn't realize how close my 8 string E13 tuning was to the original tuning. Can't wait to give it a go. Thanks - Rich |
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Mark Mansueto
From:
Michigan, USA
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