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Topic: Slim Whitman's steel player |
Randy Reeves
From:
LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 25 Jan 2010 10:39 am |
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a good frtiend visited this weekend. he had a Slim Whitman CD for me to hear. I remember his falsetto and yodels from when I a little kid. I remember grabbing a bromm horse and singing along.
my question : who was Slim's steel player. ? |
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Fred Shannon
From:
Rocking "S" Ranch, Comancheria, Texas, R.I.P.
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Posted 25 Jan 2010 4:21 pm
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Probably Hoot Rains from Shreveport Louisiana. The boy with the high slide. He was certainly one of them and he has passed on in the last couple of years.
phred
_________________
There are only two defining forces that have offered to die for you; Jesus Christ and the American GI!!
Think about it!! |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 25 Jan 2010 4:21 pm Slim Whitman's steel player?
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| Someone here on the Forum will be able to answer your question but I simply wanted to mention that JERRY BYRD did a number of singles and at least one LP for Whitman back in the late 1950's/Early 1960's. |
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Andrew Brown
From:
Houston, Texas, USA
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Sam Lewis
From:
Conway, Arkansas, USA
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Posted 25 Jan 2010 8:44 pm
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Yep, "Hoot" Rains. His brother "Curley" of "Hoot and Curley" played standup bass for my band in Shreveport back in the late 50's. Also had "Preacher" Harkness on fiddle and his brother "Bernie" on piano. Lot of water under the Texas Stree bridge since then.
_________________
SL D-10, SL U-12,SL SD-10, Custom Tele w/B bender, Steel King, TC300 Effects, Goodrich H-10K pedal, Fender V/T Pedal, Hilton Pedal Elite seat. |
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Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 26 Jan 2010 2:29 am
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I loved those octave single note slides that Hoot used to do on those records. I think it was on "Rose Marie" that he did a nice single note solo, I don't believe he did much chord work.....JH in Va.
_________________
Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!! |
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Randy Reeves
From:
LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 26 Jan 2010 4:29 am
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I knew if I posted the question here I would get the answer. right on! those single string, high note is what caught my attention right away. I found it kind of unusual, yet very natural and perfect for those songs, such as Indian Love Call.
thanks. |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 26 Jan 2010 4:56 am
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"I found it kind of unusual, yet very natural and perfect for those songs, such as Indian Love Call. "
And perfect for blowing up Martian's brains! Ack! Ack ack!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MhgnMX73Pw |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 26 Jan 2010 5:06 pm
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| John Billings wrote: |
"I found it kind of unusual, yet very natural and perfect for those songs, such as Indian Love Call. "
And perfect for blowing up Martian's brains! Ack! Ack ack!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MhgnMX73Pw |
When I first watched that movie, I found the idea that Slim Whitman's recordings defeated an alien invasion hilarious. 
Slim Whitman's steel guitarist didn't go in for the sort of steel guitar work that most C&W steel guitarists did. Instead of creating a background harmony he inserted those long slides between the vocal phrases, so that the steel became part of the song, not just the background. |
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Fred Shannon
From:
Rocking "S" Ranch, Comancheria, Texas, R.I.P.
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Posted 26 Jan 2010 5:12 pm
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Well Alan, I guarantee you Hoot didn't do that on purpose. Truth of the matter is, he missed the note and he just kept sliding the bar up until he hit it. In the mix everyone liked it so much they left it in. It sometimes was referred to as the "shooting arrow" but the steelers that had to back Slim afterwards called it something else. LOL
As Sammie Lewis posted two of the old Louisiana Hayride boys, Hoot Rains, and Curley Herndon (I think he was Hoots step brother--not sure) had a radio show on the same station, that broadcast the Louisiana Hayride, called the Hoot and Curley show. Almost rivaled the Hayride for listeners.
When Sammie left Barksdale AFB he was shipped to Harmon AFB in Stephenville, Newfoundland and I joined his band there in the early '60's. Sammie Lewis is one more professional steeler I can tell you and the best bandleader I've ever worked for. That's gospel. Take it to the bank.
Phred
_________________
There are only two defining forces that have offered to die for you; Jesus Christ and the American GI!!
Think about it!! |
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Sam Lewis
From:
Conway, Arkansas, USA
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Posted 26 Jan 2010 8:57 pm
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Thanks, Fred, old friend, for the kind words. It's been a great ride and I have had the pleasure of having some of the all around best musicians work with me and, my friend, you rank right at the top. Getting too old to do much now (80 in August) but still have fun.
_________________
SL D-10, SL U-12,SL SD-10, Custom Tele w/B bender, Steel King, TC300 Effects, Goodrich H-10K pedal, Fender V/T Pedal, Hilton Pedal Elite seat. |
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Randy Reeves
From:
LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 27 Jan 2010 10:29 am
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thank you for all thsi information. the 'Mars Attack'
link is too funny.
so Hoot plays a non pedal steel guitar? |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 27 Jan 2010 10:36 am
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Randy,
That whole movie is hysterical! Ack ack! If you haven't seen it, rent it |
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Randy Reeves
From:
LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 27 Jan 2010 10:50 am
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it was long ago when I saw that flick. I just now finished cueing it up in netflix. gotta see that again.
thanks. |
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Craig A Davidson
From:
Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin USA
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Posted 28 Jan 2010 8:14 am
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| Not to highjack this thread but Jimmie Crawford also worked with Slim at one time. He himself told about playing the opry and Weldon or Hal swapping the fretboards on his guitar so his chimes and such wouldn't work on Indian Love Call. |
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