Jerry Byrd recording info needed

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

I have Jerry Byrd's CD, "Steel Guitar Hawaiian Style", released in 1995, but which is a reissue of tunes that were recorded earlier. I'm trying to find out when the actual songs were recorded, in particular:
HiLo March
Sand
Hanalei Moon.

I imagine he may have recorded some of these tunes more than once but, if so, I need the recording date (year, or approximate) for the versions that were re-released on this CD in 1995. Anybody know?
thanks,
jc

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

Jim....One of my Byrd Albums on vinyl, "On The Shores of Waikiki",(Mercury SRW 16183) includes Hilo March. I have had this album for at least 30 years and the liner notes indicate that the songs have been processed into a stereo format from original discs recorded several years before. No further clue except the credit for Hilo March is "(Traditional)MRC Music, Inc(BMI)".

I'm sorry I couldn't help more.
Gene

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Thanks Gene. Does the Mercury LP have a date on it anywhere?

Terry Wood · From: Lebanon, MO

Hi Jim,

I purchased the copy that's on CD now, first on L.P. form sometime in late 70's or early 80's. I can't remember the exact date and my L.Ps. are all packed up now since we are moving this summer. These recordings you have were not recorded in the 60's. However, Byrd probably recorded some of the same tunes earlier.

Hope this helps.

GOD bless.

Terry J. Wood
Heavenly Math
3 Nails + 1 Cross = 4 Given

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

No Jim there isn't....everything seems to be written to "deliberately" preclude any dating of the album.

I've noticed that to be the case on many of my re-mixed/re-issued albums of the vinyl era. Seems to be a marketing strategy...they apparently think it will sell better if a person reading the liner doesn't know how old the material is!

Gene

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

OK, thanks guys. Let's try this: anybody got an email address for Jerry Byrd??

Doug Beaumier · From: Northampton, MA

Jim,

I'm pretty sure that Steel Guitar Hawaiian Style was recorded in the mid 70's.

At least 2 of the songs you listed were recorded twice by Jerry. The original
Sand is on Hawaiian Beach Party which I believe was recorded in 1953.
Another version of Sand is on the later Steel Guitar Hawaiian Style. The
original has some vocals as well as steel.

I've heard two different JB versions of Hilo March. To see a discography
of Jerry's albums click here: BYRD DISCOGRAPHY

------------------
www.dougbsteel.com

[This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 10 August 2001 at 07:49 AM.]

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

The responders here make good points. There are mucho problems in trying to ascertain when certain recordings were done when buying a given album or CD. Many times albums included tunes that were recorded much earlier. And often with no dates, and what is worse, NO records were kept to give the date with any degree of accuracy.

A classic example is: Steelin' the Blues. Jerry recorded this first on a 45 in the 40's. He later changed his way of playing this tune. And he recorded it again on an LP. There is still another version of this tune and maybe more. Various albums include one or the other of these recording with not a hint of when or where it was recorded.

"Sand" is another of his classics. The original version is very early. Later recordings were done differently and in some cases even different tunings were used. Again, higly unlikely anyone knows for sure including Jerry. He has forgotten when a lot of this was done. And justifiably so. He did soooooooooo much behind soooooo many and he recorded many instrumentals.

A bit of personal trivia. My all time favorite of Jerry's is "La Golendrina" as done on his orginal "Hi Fi Guitar" album in the 50's. I love this tune better than ANY thing JB ever did. I waited for years to see him play it. And he did, on the stage of the ISGC the 2nd to the last time he ever played there. But sadly (for me) it was NOT at all like I remember the record and how I learned it. But that is not unusal. I find myself changing how I play a given tune. And I suppose after playing something sooo many times it becomes quite boring to the stars also.

Carl

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

The liner notes to "Steel Guitar Hawaiian Style" are signed:
-Jerry Byrd (1976)
which to me implies that's when he recorded the original tunes.

------------------
Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Thanks, guys. Brad, I did see that date on the liner notes, but on the back of the CD booklet, at the bottom in small letters it also says "This recording contains previously released selections", so I don't want to assume it was 1976 when the disc itself (compilation) was released.

Paul Graupp · From: Macon Ga USA

Jim: I put Jack Byrd's e-mail address on your post in Steel Players.

Carl: Mega Dittos on La Golendrina !! I recall talking to Bert Rivera once when I was following the Hank Thompson Band around.
He recalled playing that, "Down on the border when he was a kid."

Correct me if I'm wrong for I may well be, but didn't Steelin' The Blues comes out first as a vocal with the Voice of Disneyland, Rex Allen doing the honors and Jerry replying to him ? I can hear his voice to this day for it was a very distinctive one to be sure !!

I was going to post this as a new topic but it will fit in here as well.

I recall a story about Jerry after he had gone to Hawaii. He had a student who was 8 years old and I don't know if the boy's name was mentioned but they said he played for a huge audience and when he had finished, "There wasn't a dry eye in the house !"

In rereading Andy's post of a JB Interview, Jerry says that he was concentrating on youngsters so I was wondering if anyone knows who the lad was and what has become of him. He surely must have had the gift; look who was showing him how....

Best Regards, Paul

George Keoki Lake · From: Edmonton, AB., Canada

Jerry does not have an e-mail address. I don't think he even has a computer, or wants one. His telephone number is private. There is a "Jerry Byrd" listed in the Honolulu Telephone Directory, but the name is the only similarity.

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Thanks, guys. I've been able to reach Jack Byrd who is going to provide whatever info he can, so thanks for your help.

We can close the thread now.

Vernon Hester · From: Cayce,SC USA, R.I.P.

The liner notes list the album recorded in 1976. Open the Cd and remove the front cover,then read the inside and Bryd gives a complete discription of the sesion with the guitars(Acoustic and electric).If your Cd is without this info e-mail me and I will scan my copie and send it to you.
Vern

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Thanks, Vernon. Mine does say that, but on the back of the booklet it also says "this recording contains previously released selections" which seems to contradict the 1976 signature, so it's a bit unclear to me.

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

Yes Paul,

"Correct me if I'm wrong for I may well be, but didn't Steelin' The Blues comes out first as a vocal with the Voice of Disneyland, Rex Allen doing the honors and Jerry replying to him ? I can hear his voice to this day for it was a very distinctive one to be sure !!"

Here is the story as I recall it. Bear in mind this was NOT told to me by Jerry, but since I had heard it from other sources it may indeed have some validity to it.

This is what I recall:

Seems that the producer (I believe it may have been Owen Bradley-not sure) feared that a pure instrumental might not sell as well as one with some vocal on it. It also seems that Rex Allen was near by when they were recording. The producer went and asked Rex if he would care to do some vocal on the "Steelin the Blues" recording.

Rex agreed and the producer right then and there (in the session) wrote the words that Jerry had JUST written the music to. The shouting of "HEY" during the end of the vocal was done by various people in the studio at the time.

It is my understanding also, that it was because of this recording that Rex began to use JB on many of his hit recordings during that ERA. Rex loved JB's playing a lot. (Who didn't?)

Of course the back side of "Steelin' the Blues" was Jerry's classic "Drowsy Waters", which he also wrote. And again these original recordings can be found (as well as other versions) on a number of his albums.

Long live Jerry Bryd and God bless him always and all of you,

carl

Paul Graupp · From: Macon Ga USA

I'm learning so many things on the Forum that the thought occured to me:

Don Gibson had a song with the lyric: When I've learned enough to really live, I'll be old enough to die.

I think I'm going to live a long time. There is so much I don't know !

Carl, thanks for being the gentle man you are for we surely appreciate you and your knowledge. I never enjoyed History in school but this is the tops !!

Regards, Paul

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

The FIRST TIME I heard JB playing "Hilo March" was on his fabulous 78 rpm Mercury album entitled NANI HAAWAII, featuring Danny Kuaana & His Islanders. (If you haven't heard this album, you've missed more than you will EVER imagine!)
This album is full of Rick "moaning" and "growning". I've never heard anything like it before or since!
Are you certain JB "wrote Drowsy Waters"?
I don't think so! It's an old Hawaiian tune bearing another name however. KEOKI will know this........I'm sure.

billchav · From: Houston, TX USA

Ray, you are correct. "Drowsy Waters-Wailana" words and music by Jack Ailau and first copyright dated 1916 by Miller Music Co. I am in the process of doing some research of words to the older Hawaiian Music and found this interesting. I should still have some 78's with Rex singing on Jerry's great recordings. www.billchaviers.com

George Keoki Lake · From: Edmonton, AB., Canada

This was all hashed out in the "PARADISE ISLE" thread...Jerry certainly never wrote "Drowsy Waters". This tune goes back to the early 1920's and its REAL title is Wailana Waltz. ("Wai" in Hawaiian is "water"). There are probably well over a hundred recordings of this tune floating around out there, Jerry's is the most beautiful IMHO.

[This message was edited by George Keoki Lake on 10 August 2001 at 09:03 PM.]

Vernon Hester · From: Cayce,SC USA, R.I.P.

I remember in the 1930's the late Ed Hines would come and visit my father and he would have just returned from the Hawaii. He and my Dad would play the old tunes for hours,Hilo March,On the Beach,Drowsy Waters,Etc.Ed would stay a week or so then off to parts unknown. He was a piano tuner by trade but loved Hawaii music. The last time I saw Ed was in the late 60's and he sat at my D-8 Ricky and we had an hour or so of beautiful music from Ed and my Dad.Boy, sure would like to hear them today.
Back to Bryds CD he has recorded many of the songs on different sessions,as they are some of his favorites,I have many albums with diferent musicians,playing Hilo March and others. He and Chet did one of the best versions of Kohalo March. We copied their arrangment and used it quite often.
Vern

[This message was edited by Vernon Hester on 11 August 2001 at 11:49 AM.]

Vernon Hester · From: Cayce,SC USA, R.I.P.

I will see my friend Bill Blevins at Saluda on the 19th. Bill was with Bryd on many of occasions,He used to sit with Bryd and Chet in the grass at WSIX (They use to do a radio show there) as they rehearse.He has a few of Bryds Old Guitars, I have a tape of Bill and Bryd sitting in a Motel room playing some beautiful music. Anyhow I will quiz Bill and share the info with you folk.
Best
Vern

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