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Post new topic The Great Curly .. Chalker
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Author Topic:  The Great Curly .. Chalker
David Wright


From:
Pilot Point ,Tx USA.
Post  Posted 8 Jan 2007 7:45 pm    
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His tone is so Curly.. and on a MSA... humm.. is it the hands or ??????
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fmoHKQbjjg
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Lee Baucum


From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
Post  Posted 8 Jan 2007 8:45 pm    
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Notice the palm-pedal on Jimmy Capp's guitar?

There are lot's of great videos of Chalker on YouTube right now. I don't know who's posting them, but I sure do appreciate it.
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Bill Hatcher

 

From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
Post  Posted 8 Jan 2007 10:03 pm    
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..and notice that he did not use it.

Curly sounds great!!
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Charles Davidson

 

From:
Phenix City Alabama, USA
Post  Posted 9 Jan 2007 11:26 am    
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Some may not agree with me[because there are some great players]but IMO Curly was and STILL is the absolute king.I've always been proud of the fact that he and the great Jimmy Day were natives of my home state.
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Ken Byng


From:
Southampton, England
Post  Posted 9 Jan 2007 2:43 pm    
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I was always amazed that Curly was naturally left handed but learned to play right handed.

Incredible
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Terry Wood


From:
Lebanon, MO
Post  Posted 9 Jan 2007 2:57 pm    
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Lloyd Green is another lefty and plays right handed!

Terry Wood
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Bill Stafford


From:
Gulfport,Ms. USA
Post  Posted 9 Jan 2007 3:22 pm     Alabama pickers
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Add Julian that wonderful trio, and yes, Chalker was the best-anothr IMOHP. Must be in the water....
Bill Stafford
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Bobby Caldwell

 

From:
St. Louis, Missouri, USA * R.I.P.
Post  Posted 9 Jan 2007 3:36 pm    
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How great is that? Two of my heros playing so great. 'WOW'. I could stand alot more of that. Bobby
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Archie Nicol R.I.P.


From:
Ayrshire, Scotland
Post  Posted 9 Jan 2007 4:12 pm    
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I know this whole thread should be on `Steel On The Web`, but if more folks see it here, What the...
Nice E9 work this time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdAQe4qa85o&mode=user&search=

Arch.
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Bill Hatcher

 

From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
Post  Posted 9 Jan 2007 5:50 pm    
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Wonderful work by Chalker.

The sound quality of these live TV broadcasts is just incredible.
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Mike Perlowin


From:
Los Angeles CA
Post  Posted 9 Jan 2007 7:02 pm    
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The three videos where Curly is playing an MCI guitar were all taaken from the 1986 California concert, and are all included in the DVD I am producing.

Barring unforseen delays, the disks should available at the Mesa show, and available from me by mail the following week


Last edited by Mike Perlowin on 9 Jan 2007 9:33 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Clyde Bloodworth

 

From:
Chancellor, AL (deceased)
Post  Posted 9 Jan 2007 7:40 pm    
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Curly hung the moon!!!
Clyde
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Charles Curtis

 

Post  Posted 10 Jan 2007 6:27 am     Curly Chalker
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I remember the first time I heard Curly; I was driving our second car, a 1951 Mercury, and he was playing "The Race Is On". I've been a fan ever since. Unfortunately I never met him in person, but it seems to me that he pioneered, in the early days, a new sound with the C6th that took the psg in new directions. It's too bad that there are not more videos of this amazing musician. Hopefully more will surface. I am anxiously waiting for the forthcoming DVD of Curly.
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Darvin Willhoite


From:
Roxton, Tx. USA
Post  Posted 10 Jan 2007 8:17 am    
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Man this is great stuff. Curly probably hadn't even been playing E9th very many years when these were recorded, but he was great on either neck. Nashville Sundown is still one of my favorite steel albums, and its all E9th.
_________________
Darvin Willhoite
MSA Millennium, Legend, and Studio Pro, Reese's restored Universal Direction guitar, a restored MSA Classic SS, several amps, new and old, and a Kemper Powerhead that I am really liking. Also a Zum D10, a Mullen RP, and a restored Rose S10, named the "Blue Bird". Also, I have acquired and restored the plexiglass D10 MSA Classic that was built as a demo in the early '70s. I also have a '74 lacquer P/P, with wood necks, and a showroom condition Sho-Bud Super Pro.
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Alan Miller

 

From:
, England, UK.
Post  Posted 10 Jan 2007 1:14 pm    
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Nashville sundown is my favourite Curley album too, How good were those three turnarounds on you tube that Archie directed us to....Was he further up the fret board that john Hughey there ? Cant wait for the DVD.
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Mark Dunn

 

From:
Suffolk, England
Post  Posted 10 Jan 2007 1:16 pm    
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Wow, that's so nailed. Mike, I can't wait to get my hands on one of those Curly DVD's. The first one that makes it to England has to be mine. Thanks for all the work you've put in to make it possible.
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Gary Walker

 

From:
Morro Bay, CA
Post  Posted 10 Jan 2007 11:42 pm     The great Curly..Chalker
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There's not much in life that I'm prejudiced but when it comes to Curly, he has no equal. I have many great heros on the steel, but when Curly grabs the C6 neck, I'm carried away on a cloud.

I too, would love to see and hear more of him when he was at his peak, as demonstrated on the Wilburn Brother's show. I saw him in Dallas at Dewey Groom's Longhorn Ballroom in July of '69 and stood three feet from him while he played and I've never been the same since.
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Charles Curtis

 

Post  Posted 11 Jan 2007 6:48 am    
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Notice how Curly, at this early time, on certain chords, lifted his ring finger and little finger to get an additional ring. Also, on the video, "Misc steel breaks", Curly's flawless playing on the E-9th, especially in regard with the upper register. I think that he will be studied and admired for years to come; life is so brief. I remember going to a benefit for Curly here in Maryland; I think that this was done by Dean Black. If I'm wrong, someone can correct me, but I was happy to help.
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Roger Shackelton

 

From:
MINNESOTA (deceased)
Post  Posted 11 Jan 2007 10:57 am    
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I have been a Curly Chalker fan ever since I heard "Big Hits On Big Steel" in the late 1960s. I was so surprised to find out that Curly was playing a Fender 2000 on this recording.
I really loved the tunes Curly recorded with Carl Smith. "I Love You Because", "Good Deal Lucille" etc.
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Terry Wood


From:
Lebanon, MO
Post  Posted 12 Jan 2007 6:28 am    
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Here is some more info on Harold Lee Chalker alias The Great Curly Chalker that some readers of this may not be aware.

Curly was also an accomplished guitarist, and played trumpet for awhile in Vegas. He had a brother that played steel. I can't remember his brother's name though.

My favorite story of Curly was the one that the late Jeff Newman used to tell about Curly. Part of the story went something like this. When he, Jeff, first arrived in Nashville, he really needed work and finally got a gig. So he goes to play that night, and low and behold who comes in to play bass on the job but Buddy Emmons. Wink A little later the guitarist for the gig shows up and it's Curly. Laughing They had Jeff sandwiched in between them all night and as you can imagine Jeff was on edge all night. Shocked Who wouldn't be? Sitting between two of the greatest steel players who ever lived. Your heroes and of course the story as told by Jeff was hilarously funny. They teased and harassed him all night. Jeff said, Curly kept asking him to play something on the C6th neck and Jeff said I barely knew how to tune it. I wish I had that story as told by Jeff on tape. He was such as Master Story Teller. To me it was one of the funniest stories I ever heard about steel players.

Just thought for those who hadn't heard this it would be of interest.

May GOD bless!

Terry Wood
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