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Topic: Buddy Holly and steel guitar |
Gordon Sharp
From:
Kingston, Tennessee
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Posted 22 Feb 2007 8:49 am |
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| Any steelers experiment or try playing songs like True Love Waits by BUDDY,or any songs by Roy Orbinson.There really great steel guitar songs.Also the croud just loves em. Gordon Sharp Kingston Tenn. |
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 22 Feb 2007 9:14 am
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I do "Leah" by Roy O. as a solo Steel piece. I start it in F and transition to G for the 2nd verse and then A for the 3rd.
I've played along with his Greatest Hits CD and it is great stuff for Steel.
Cool!
Pete B. |
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Al Collinsworth
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Posted 22 Feb 2007 9:50 am Buddy Holly
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..
Last edited by Al Collinsworth on 10 Nov 2009 7:47 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Lee Jeffriess
From:
Vallejo California
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Posted 22 Feb 2007 4:28 pm
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I agree, true love ways, would make a great steel tune.
You could also do Reminisin and, give it a bluesy treatment, like Chalkers cryin time.
Lee |
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Henry Nagle
From:
Santa Rosa, California
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Posted 22 Feb 2007 5:21 pm
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Hey Lee!
That is a great song. We're working on covering that song right now. |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 22 Feb 2007 5:30 pm
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My assistant at work used to go to school with Buddy Holly in Lubbock, TX. (He was Buddy Holley then.) She used to hang out with him.
In addition to the guitar he used to play fiddle and banjo, and for a time he had a C&W radio show with Bob Montgomery called the Buddy & Bob Show.
If you want to play like Buddy, play everything in A shapes... A E and D. In other keys use a capo. Strum only on the down strokes. He was one of the few rock & rollers to use a capo on a Fender Stratocaster, and when he played lead he used fingerpicks. |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 22 Feb 2007 10:26 pm
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Yes Gordon, I do the Holly True Love song as an instrumental. Some of the guys I play with have his songs in the set list also so I get to play some steel on them.
Just about any Orbison song you can name makes a great steel instrumental. One of my favorites is Blue Bayou. Many people do not know that Roy O. either wrote, or co-wrote that tune.
Lots of great music from both of these musical giants. |
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Peter Dollard
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Posted 23 Feb 2007 1:28 pm Peggy Sue With Fingerpicks
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| I remember seeing Buddy in concert doing a brisling rhythmic lead part to Peggy Sue. I wasn't close enough to see whether he was using finger picks but I think they would have be torn off in that solo if he had used them. I think it was flat pick only on that song....Peter |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 23 Feb 2007 3:42 pm Re: Peggy Sue With Fingerpicks
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| Peter Dollard wrote: |
| I remember seeing Buddy in concert doing a brisling rhythmic lead part to Peggy Sue. I wasn't close enough to see whether he was using finger picks but I think they would have be torn off in that solo if he had used them. I think it was flat pick only on that song....Peter |
He used a flat pick for rhythm and finger picks for his own style of fingerpicking, which was more likened to folk styles only electrified, and he also used a flat pick for lead. Early on someone told him that he wouldn't get anywhere wearing glasses, so he stopped wearing them, until one day he lost his picks on stage and couldn't find them. From then on he wore his glasses all the time, eventually going out and buying the most conspicuous glasses he could find.
As a teenager he was always my idol. |
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Stephan Franck
From:
La Crescenta, California, USA
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Posted 23 Feb 2007 4:23 pm
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I've been in many rockabilly situations over the years, and I've never seen anybody cover a BH song and not totally lose the crowd after half a verse. There's something melodically about those songs... I don't know... As opposed to say any Johnny Burnette song, which sung by anybody decent, will always bring down the house...
I came to the conclusion that Buddy was the only person who could sing those songs and make them great.
Am I the only one who feels this way? |
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Peter Dollard
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Posted 23 Feb 2007 4:38 pm
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I think Linda Ronstadt cut fine versions of "That Will Be The Day",
"It's So Easy" And "I Guess It Doesn't Matter Anymore". Tanya Tucker cut a hot version of "Not Fade Away" as did the Rolling Stones. I think the quality of his songs attracts alternative versions. In The case of "That Will be The Day" they added two really quality guitar solos and some twin stuff. One thing is for sure: the advances in lead guitar playing that have evolved since the sad departure of the Great Buddy make his songs attractive vehicles for new artists. Whether they surpass the originals is something for each listener to determine. To me it shows how great he was by the number of times his songs have been recorded by other artists..... |
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Stephan Franck
From:
La Crescenta, California, USA
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Posted 23 Feb 2007 5:36 pm
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| Thanks, Peter, i was not aware of those versions. In general, though, still feel that BH is really really hard to cover well. Or it takes a very strong artist. |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 24 Feb 2007 9:29 pm
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| Stephan Franck wrote: |
I came to the conclusion that Buddy was the only person who could sing those songs and make them great.
Am I the only one who feels this way? |
I feel the same way. The only versions that come close are the ones released by the Crickets after Buddy's death, because they had the same backing and Buddy's singing seems to rub off on them. Bobby Vee did some decent versions in the 60s but his voice changed beyond recognition as he passed through puberty.  |
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Brint Hannay
From:
Maryland, USA
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Posted 25 Feb 2007 1:05 am
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I think Blind Faith's version of "Well All Right" is one of the finest BH covers ever. It makes Buddy's own version sound like a sketchy demo. (Which maybe it was.)
(I know this has nothing to do with steel, but I just had to comment.) |
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Al Collinsworth
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Posted 25 Feb 2007 10:11 am Buddy Holly
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edit
Last edited by Al Collinsworth on 22 Apr 2008 10:53 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Craig Stock
From:
Westfield, NJ USA
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Posted 25 Feb 2007 1:28 pm
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I think it's hard to cover a song that was so popular that it is hard for people to like it since they are always thinking of the original.
Most people want to hear the live versions of songs just like the recordings, they can hear the difference and it annoys them if the players stray from it. Most bands probably like to change them for themselves out of boredom, but to the fan the closest to the original is more pleasing.
_________________
Regards, Craig
I cried because I had no shoes, then I met a man who had no feet.
Today is tomorrow's Good ol' days |
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Gordon Sharp
From:
Kingston, Tennessee
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Posted 26 Feb 2007 1:04 pm Buddy Holly and steel
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| Just think Craig about making a steel sing like Buddy or Roy Its for sure no one could ever sing like those guys. Gordon Sharp Kingston Tenn. |
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Sonny Jenkins
From:
Texas Masonic Retirement Center,,,Arlington Tx
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Posted 26 Feb 2007 1:55 pm
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Hey Alan,,I too grew up in Lubbock with Buddy,,,and Jerry Allison, Joe B., Niki, Sonny Curtis,,,and Mac Davis was just a couple of years behind us,,,and Waylon was later a DJ at KLLL,,,it was a great time to grow up in Lubbock. I remember well "Buddy and Bob and the Bluegrass Boys",,,we'd play at the local Drive-in and all of our friends would come by and laugh at us,,,LOL. There was a "ton" of talent in Lubbock in those days,,(too bad I didn't have any,,LOL). I left for my first taste of the "road" when I was 16 (with Jimmy Newman,,,he hadn't adopted the "C" yet) and when I came back home Buddy was knockin'em dead. What is your assistants name??,,I probably knew her.
Last edited by Sonny Jenkins on 26 Feb 2007 2:05 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Terry Wood
From:
Lebanon, MO
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Posted 26 Feb 2007 2:04 pm
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I always liked Buddy Holly too! In my opinion he is an American Legend!
I play his song "True Love Ways" for my wife ocassionally! The melody lays beautifully on the steel guitar. I play it in the key of Bb, with fat chords and strums influenced and similar to a sort of Julian THarpe style.
I also used to play his upbeat tune love song "Everyday."
I liked the story Alan shared about his glasses, reminds me of myself. I can't see with them nor without them. I take them off the audience is just a blur and sometimes I like it like that.
GOD bless!
Terry Wood |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 27 Feb 2007 8:44 pm
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| Sonny Jenkins wrote: |
| What is your assistants name??,,I probably knew her. |
Her maiden name was Faye Spies (pronounced Speece) |
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Sonny Jenkins
From:
Texas Masonic Retirement Center,,,Arlington Tx
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Posted 28 Feb 2007 7:28 am
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| ,,,hhhuuummmm,,,I don't recall that name,,,??? but then at my age,,the memory (among other things) may be starting to sag a little,,,,LOL |
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 11 Mar 2007 9:24 am
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| Sonny Jenkins wrote: |
| ,,,hhhuuummmm,,,I don't recall that name,,,??? but then at my age,,the memory (among other things) may be starting to sag a little,,,,LOL |
I'm in England right now. When I get back to California I'll ask Faye if she remembers you. |
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Stephan Franck
From:
La Crescenta, California, USA
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Posted 11 Mar 2007 9:56 am
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Yeah... I have to stand by what I said. I think there's something just repeticious about those melodies... It just takes extraordinary energy and sex appeal to keep the audience engaged for the whole three minutes. Of course, Buddy had it. Personally, I've NEVER seen anyone pull a BH song live and not lose the audience half way through... Especially a local band. In my experience, for a local band, trying to cover BH or Johnny Cash is bandstand suicide. Right up there: Roy Orbison.
I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm just saying I've not seen it.
And I kow this has nothing to do with steel -- sorry. |
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Joe Shelby
From:
Walnut Creek, California, USA
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Posted 12 Mar 2007 5:38 pm
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At the risk of getting tromped on, I nominate Billy C. Farlow with Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen as the one guy who could pull that one off.
It was the early 1970's, I was in my teens and not
stoned (not yet,anyway), and had heard a fair share of Buddy's work by that time.
As many know, CC&hLPA were a great performing band (don't try to tell that to Bobby [Black]), though
somewhat loose, I 'spose by most standards. Anywho, I thought Billy C. was very charismatic back
then, and did Holly justice.
They cut "Rave On," but their recorded efforts never
held up to the live stuff. The first live album is as
good as they could deliver. Bobby's work is always worth hearing (usually nothing short of spectacular), in any situation. Billy C.needed the
live venue to do his magic.
Sorry, didn't mean to hijack this thread.
Joe. |
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