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Topic: Where did the idea come from on NL? |
Billy Carr
From:
Seminary, Mississippi, USA (deceased)
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Posted 24 May 2005 11:16 pm |
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| Seems like I may have read an article on the Night Life song a while back that said someone else had actually recorded NL before BE did w/RP. I'm thinking it may have been Herb Remington. Whatever happened to the Sho-Bud BE used on NL? I'm not hung up on NL but these are a couple of things I was wondering about. Seems like this particular guitar would have historial value. ( I'm not crazy! I just love steel guitars!) |
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Jussi Huhtakangas
From:
Helsinki, Finland
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Posted 25 May 2005 1:38 am
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| Yup, it was Herb Remington on the Willie Nelson original. If I'm not totally mistaken, the guitar used on Night Life was also the one on Steel Guitar Jazz-album and you can see it here: http://www.buddyemmons.com/NightLife.htm [This message was edited by Jussi Huhtakangas on 25 May 2005 at 02:40 AM.] |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 25 May 2005 5:40 am
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While we're at it, I've never been clear on the relationship between Night Life and the old Lovin' Spoonful tune (cover?) from the 60's, "Sportin' Life", which is very much the same tune and chord changes, with very similar lyrics:
"Because this ole night life,
This sportin' life,
Ya know it's killin' me"
Can anyone enlighten us as to which song came first? Did Willie Nelson, or did John Sebastian, commit plagiary? The truth will OUT! |
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Jon Jaffe
From:
Austin, Texas
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Posted 25 May 2005 7:51 am
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| Jim, Sportin’ Life is Short for Sportin’ Life Blues. I think it may have been a traditional song. I heard both Brownie McGee and Rev Gary Davis sing it in the 60’s. Wasn’t Gershwin’s character in P&B named Sportin’ Life. Maybe, they all borrowed from a traditional song. I never related it to “Night Life” before, but that is a great point. [This message was edited by Jon Jaffe on 25 May 2005 at 09:08 AM.] |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Spicewood TX 78669
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Posted 25 May 2005 8:22 am
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The Ray Price intro on NL (Dmaj7, F9, BbMaj7, Eb7#11), not present on the Willie Nelson version... any of them..., is a traditional jazz turnaround from the bop era (like on "Parker's Mood), but was revolutionary for a country record. Fer sure.
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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association
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Alan Shank
From:
Woodland, CA, USA
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Posted 25 May 2005 10:58 am
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"The Ray Price intro on NL (Dmaj7, F9, BbMaj7, Eb7#11), not present on the Willie Nelson version... any of them..., is a traditional jazz turnaround from the bop era (like on "Parker's Mood), but was revolutionary for a country record. Fer sure."
What key is that in?
Cheers,
Alan Shank |
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Jody Cameron
From:
Angleton, TX,, USA
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Posted 25 May 2005 12:54 pm
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| The key would be "D". |
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Bill McCloskey
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Posted 25 May 2005 1:12 pm
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Sporting Life is an old traditional song and has been recorded by many people including Dave Van Ronk, Chris Smither and others.
I always assumed that Willie had ripped it off to write Night Life. It has pretty much the same progression, minus the bridge, and similar lyric and lyrical structure.
I think this is just an example of the "folk process" that Dylan used with great success. |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Spicewood TX 78669
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Posted 25 May 2005 3:54 pm
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There was an interesting show on TV recently, either on PBS, Discovery, TLC, or something like that, on "sportin' life." Not the song, but the genesis of the expression.
A "sport" was a guy that lived the high life, seemed to make his money gambling, and spent it on partying, clothes, women, drink, and the general hedonistic lifestyle. He flaunted money and had a devil-may-care attitude.
Sounds like a couple guys I used to know. 
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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association
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Earnest Bovine
From:
Los Angeles CA USA
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Posted 26 May 2005 7:58 pm
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quote:
"The Ray Price intro on NL (Dmaj7, F9, BbMaj7, Eb7#11), not present on the Willie Nelson version... any of them..., is a traditional jazz turnaround from the bop era (like on "Parker's Mood), but was revolutionary for a country record. Fer sure."
What key is that in?
It's basically the ice cream changes (1 6 2 5) in key of D, with some chord substitutions.
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Earnest Bovine
From:
Los Angeles CA USA
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Posted 26 May 2005 8:01 pm
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quote:
Sporting Life is an old traditional song and has been recorded by many people including Dave Van Ronk, Chris Smither and others.
I always assumed that Willie had ripped it off to write Night Life. It has pretty much the same progression,
I heard Little Richard explain it on TV. He said the man from New York told him "A colored man doesn't need that much money, so we will copyright this for you and give you fifty dollars now and then." Come to think of it, I think Willie Nelson sold his share for fifty bucks too. |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 27 May 2005 4:07 am
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| Are you sayin' Little Richard was the co-writer of Night Life with Willie Nelson? Is his last name "Buskirk"? |
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Earnest Bovine
From:
Los Angeles CA USA
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Posted 27 May 2005 6:20 am
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No, Richard was talking about a different song.
Also he said "They didn't invent the woooooo! I invented the woooooo!" And "Where is my valet? I need an enema." |
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John Bechtel
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.
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Posted 27 May 2005 7:42 pm
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Any Steel that BE ever played has great ‘Historical~Value’! I was always fond of the sound BE got on his turn~around on I Love You So Much, It Hurts Me, (E.T.) on his Fender 1000.
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“Big John” Bechtel
’04 SD–10 Black Derby w/3 & 5 & Pad
’49-’50 Fender T–8 Custom
’65 Re-Issue Fender Twin–Reverb Custom™ 15” Eminence
web site |
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Don Walters
From:
Saskatchewan Canada
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Posted 28 May 2005 7:34 am
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"Sportin' Life" is also on the Slidin' Smoke album by Mike Auldridge and Jeff Newman.
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