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Topic: Buddy's "Black Album" question |
Ricky Littleton
From:
Steely-Eyed Missile Man from Cocoa Beach, Florida USA
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Posted 23 Dec 2004 4:00 pm |
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I am a MAJOR fan of "Witches Brew" and think it's one of the best "show how it can be done" instrumentals ever recorded.
My question is this:
Was it recorded on the "Black Album" using the E9 neck or C6? The "Live at the ISGC" version is C6th. Also, what did BE use for the "fuzz effect" on the Black Album.
Also, just a comment, I think the production of this album is/was some of the cleanest recording done for an instrumental album.
Comments from everyone are welcome, but would really like to hear some of Buddy's comments about this album.
Merry Xmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!!!
Ricky...
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Emmons LeGrande - 8x4
Session 400 Ltd, Peterson VS-II Tuner
Dan-Echo, E-Bow, Ibanez Distortion, Boss Comp./Sustain, Ibanez Auto-Wah, PX4 Pandoras Box
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Buddy Emmons
From:
Hermitage, TN USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 23 Dec 2004 4:39 pm
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Ricky,
I can’t remember what I used for the fuzz effect on the Black Album but I originally recorded it on the C6 tuning. I had planned to record the song with just an Echo Plex but received a Gibson wah pedal at the last minute, so I played around with it and came up with the bubbling effect. I had no name for the tune until we recorded it, so the name surfaced after several of us kicked it around in the studio.
Here’s an interesting note regarding Blue Jade, which was cut without drums: We spent an entire day in the studio and the drummer, Marty Allred, who was also working with Roger Miller at the time, had a little too much fun the night before. He came to me at around six in the evening and said he received a call from Florida saying his grandfather died the night before and he was too grief stricken to go any further. I told him I was sorry to hear that and told him we’d finish the last song without him.
When I returned to California, Roger asked me how the album went and I said fine up to the last tune. He asked me what happened and I told him about Marty. Roger laughed and said, “Yeah, I know what you mean. Marty’s grandfather has died twice on me since I hired him.”
Marty is gone now but he was one of the finest drummers I’ve ever worked with. He was such a driving force on the album that to this day, I don’t understand how he could have had so much energy and fold so quickly on the last tune; but he did, and nobody really suffered for it so I was honored to have him aboard. I didn’t mean to wrangle but when someone mentions the Black Album, that incident is the first thing I think of.
[This message was edited by Buddy Emmons on 23 December 2004 at 04:41 PM.] |
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Paul King
From:
Gainesville, Texas, USA
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Posted 23 Dec 2004 4:50 pm
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| The "Black Album" is such a classic, tonight I will pull it out and listen to it all over again. Thanks Buddy for the story and for such a great record. I can sit for hours and listen to Buddy Emmons play, live and on tape. |
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Ricky Littleton
From:
Steely-Eyed Missile Man from Cocoa Beach, Florida USA
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Posted 23 Dec 2004 4:57 pm
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Buddy:
Saw in your profile that you are interested in astonomy.
Funny thing, I just started an engineering task to modify a 24 inch mobile telescope for use out at the Cape! Been doing radar so long, now I have to learn about telescope and using stars to calibrate them for launch support!!!!
Ricky...
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Emmons LeGrande - 8x4
Session 400 Ltd, Peterson VS-II Tuner
Dan-Echo, E-Bow, Ibanez Distortion, Boss Comp./Sustain, Ibanez Auto-Wah, PX4 Pandoras Box
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Don Walters
From:
Saskatchewan Canada
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Posted 23 Dec 2004 8:02 pm
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| Quote: |
| I think the production of this album is/was some of the cleanest recording done for an instrumental album. |
Many of us on here feel it's the steel guitar album. And we're right!  |
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Winnie Winston
From:
Tawa, Wellington, NZ * R.I.P.
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Posted 24 Dec 2004 2:35 am
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As far as "Witch's Brew"... well... Buddy is being quite modest!
That "black album" was one of the first records I got when I started playing. It was to set a standard to which I (and many others!) could aim. It was, generally, filled with great tunes. Who had not tried to emulate "Danny Boy" or "Blue Jade"?
But "Witch's Brew" is unique to Buddy. I can't imagine anyone else even trying.
It took a while for me to understand he was using an Echo-Plex unit-- one of the great toys in the olden analog days. The machine is simply a tape loop with the distance between the record and playback head as a variable.
You set the distance, play a note (DUM) and listen for the delay (dum). By fooling with the variable of distance and picking speed, you can get into a nice rhythm (DUM dum DUM dum DUM dum...). Then you just put THAT on continuous play, and then play over it.
I must say that when I first heard "Witch's Brew" I assumed it was a lot of fancy studio overdubbing. Needless to say I was blown away when I first saw Buddy at Scotty's (1974?) and he did it live on stage.
As an aside, one of the neatest Echo-Plex usage I've seen was done by Eddie Adcock-- the banjo player for the Country Gentlemen. He had an old Fender pedal which moved up and down for volume, and side to side for tone. He mounted it next to the Echo-Plex unit, and connected the side-to-side movement to the variable plsayback head. He used it with a Telecaster-- and could vary the echo at will. It was pretty neat!
JW |
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Steve Alonzo Walker
From:
Spartanburg,S.C. USA (deceased)
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Posted 24 Dec 2004 4:47 am
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| I Heard Buddy Tell About The Swirling Sound At The End Of "Whiches Brew" He Said Weldon Held a Microphone Over A Toilet And Flushed It! |
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Jerry Tillman
From:
Florida
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Posted 24 Dec 2004 5:12 am
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| I wonder if Mr.Emmons knows how much and how many enjoy these stories and info on playing the steel and the music his has recorded.And I must say I,m a little jealous that he writes so well.Thanks ,lakeshrk. |
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Buddy Emmons
From:
Hermitage, TN USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 24 Dec 2004 6:24 am
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Danny Gatton had a variable control on his Echo Plex for extremely long delays. He and I were on stage at the Cellar Door trading four bar blues phrases when I heard this tremendous outburst of applause from the audience immediately after one of my solos. Of course I puffed up like a toad, thinking I had just knocked their socks off (heh heh). The next time around I heard more laughter than applause. I hadn’t played one of my Mickey Mouse clichés during my solo so it suddenly dawned on me that the crowd’s response was due to something other than my brilliance.  After I finished my next solo I looked up and saw Danny’s folded hands resting on the cutaway section of his guitar and he was smiling down at me while this incredible solo was coming out of his amp. He had recorded his segment in the next key with the sound cut off to the amp and then played it back during his four bars. Try to follow that. I couldn't and we ended the blues shortly thereafter.[This message was edited by Buddy Emmons on 24 December 2004 at 09:22 AM.] |
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Bill Simmons
From:
Keller, Texas/Birmingham, AL, R.I.P.
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Posted 24 Dec 2004 10:32 am
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I had to take this opportunity and say that the "Black Album" is the greatest steel guitar album in every aspect.
I FINALLY had the honor to meet Mr. Emmons and his lovely wife Peggy at this past years TSGC in Dallas.
I don't think Mr. Emmons fully realizes the countless steel players around the world he has influenced, inspired and touched with his incredible gift of music over the years. My prayer is that '05 will be a wonderful year of good health and happiness for Buddy and his dear wife Peggy.
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Bobby Boggs
From:
Upstate SC.
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Posted 24 Dec 2004 7:08 pm
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Loved the Gatton story...Oh, the Black Album wasn't bad either.  .........bb |
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Russ Hicks
From:
Pegram, Tennessee, USA
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Posted 25 Dec 2004 8:38 am
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| 'Buddy's Black'was cut at Cinderella Sound Studio with Wayne Moss engineering....I had done sessions there and knew Wayne and I knew that Buddy was recording that day so I drove there to see if I could sneak in and watch....I knew J.Hughey, W.Myrick and a few other steelers were there, but I couldn't muster up enough courage to go in....I drove around the block several times and then finally went back home. I don't know how many copies of that album, as well as the Mercury album, that I have worn out, and I can't imagine that Buddy realized at the times he was doing these albums what standards he was setting for steel guitar and what history he was creating with those projects. |
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Jason Odd
From:
Stawell, Victoria, Australia
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Posted 25 Dec 2004 4:51 pm
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Hey Rus Hicks, great to see you on the Forum.
Your post caught me by suprise, I've just been listening to my Christmas present to myself, the new reissue CD of Bergen White's 1970 SSS International album 'For Women Only.'
I was looking online trying to figure out who was on it as it was mostly cut at Cinderella Sound Studio with Wayne.
A fantastic baroque pop album, more in line with .. oh I dunno a Mike Love (Beach Boys) solo album if he cut it in Nashville.
Amazing stuff.
The sleeve notes run through Bergen's whole career, there's some great quotes, one of which was a cool one that almost slipped by.
It mentions Bergen singing with Charlie McCoy's band the Escorts, short lived I think, but great.
I'm waiting for my copy of the two for one Area Code 615 CD to come in, I just picked up the Robert Knight reissue (there's two CD reissues of all his Mac Gayden era tracks, one of Collector's Choice, the other on BGO, the latter has a better sleeve and look. Soundwise they're much the same).
Anyway, while I was looking for more info on the sessions online, I was also looking for more info on The Emmons Co./Black Album and even Miller's road band due to this very topic.
So wondeful that they would converge like this, gotta love the Forum.
Russ, a fantastic post as well. |
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Jason Odd
From:
Stawell, Victoria, Australia
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Posted 25 Dec 2004 5:04 pm
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Also, the CD reissue of the Black Album, is it simply Buddy doing it, or does he have a distributor, etc?.. does anyone here know, perhaps Buddy is still checking out this topic?
Oh yeah, and Buddy, great to have your input on this one, very cool.
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Tiny Olson
From:
Mohawk River Valley, Upstate NY
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Posted 26 Dec 2004 6:28 am
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Buddy and Russ:
I just love hearing those stories. More parts of the history and behind-the-scenes tales of this instrument that are just so cool.
Chris "Tiny" Olson |
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Charlie Moore
From:
Deville, Louisiana, USA
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Posted 26 Dec 2004 6:56 am
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| If this is the Tiny Olsen that was with Gene Watson, my friend you would have some great stories as well'....CM....... |
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Ernie Renn
From:
Brainerd, Minnesota USA
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Scott Henderson
From:
Camdenton, Missouri, USA
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Posted 27 Dec 2004 8:07 am
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Hye Russ!
I kinda had that same fear when this big ol boy came walkin up the drive way to the BARN back in March. hehehehehe Who would of known he was not only a great player but a heck of nice guy.
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Steelin' away in the ozarks and life,
Scott
www.scottyhenderson.com
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