| Author |
Topic: How Many of You Play Sleepwalk on Stage? |
Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
|
Posted 11 Oct 2013 2:57 pm |
|
Year after year the memory of Sleepwalk endures. Ask anyone in the general public which is their favorite steel guitar solo and a large proportion of them will say Sleepwalk, which also makes it a favorite requested number. 
It's incredible to think how young Santo Ferrina was when he worked out the arrangement. Almost everyone has played it since then, but I don't think anyone has improved on its simple perfection, and we today have his version for reference; when he and Johnny recorded it they had nothing to follow.
I'll bet that many people took up playing steel because of the inspiration of Santo and Johhny. |
|
|
 |
Terry Winter
From:
Saskatchewan, Canada
|
Posted 11 Oct 2013 3:57 pm
|
|
| I used to play it regular but only periodically now but yea, it is the most recognizable steel guitar song out there as I bleive it was an intoduction of the steel guitar to a whole new age of youngsters at the time. |
|
|
|
Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
|
Posted 11 Oct 2013 4:03 pm When I was a bit younger............
|
|
I used to get requests for that tune on a regular basis perhaps twenty years ago..........
It seemed always to be appreciated by the crowd. |
|
|
|
Dave O'Brien
From:
Florida and New Jersey
|
Posted 11 Oct 2013 4:29 pm Sleepwalk
|
|
Never these days...it seems the front man always wants the spotlight. The days of throwing the ball to a side man for a song or instrumental is long over.
_________________
Dave O'Brien
Emmons D-10, CMI D-10, Fender Deluxe Reverb, PV 112, Fender Pro Reverb
www.myspace.com/daveobrienband |
|
|
|
Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
|
Posted 11 Oct 2013 4:46 pm
|
|
I still play it often because I work with two 'classic Country' bands that feature a couple of instrumentals every night... not that Sleep Walk is classic Country, but it's still the best known steel guitar hit of all time and people recognize it and love it. They often come up to the bandstand after I play it and ask about the song, who recorded it? the name of tune? etc. It's great to work with singers who encourage the steel guitarist to play instrumentals and make them a featured part of the show.
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel |
|
|
|
John De Maille
From:
On a Mountain in Upstate Halcottsville, N.Y.
|
Posted 11 Oct 2013 5:12 pm
|
|
| I had to play it for the bride and grooms song, at a wedding this summer. I was really surprised that they asked for that song. It worked out well and they were appreciative. Other than that, I've never played it publicly before. |
|
|
|
b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
|
|
|
|
Dan Hatfield
From:
Columbia, Mo USA
|
Posted 11 Oct 2013 5:37 pm
|
|
| Its requested quite often at the places I play and the one who likes it most is my wife. |
|
|
|
Joseph Barcus
From:
Volga West Virginia
|
|
|
|
Rick Stratton
From:
Tujunga, California, USA
|
Posted 11 Oct 2013 6:23 pm
|
|
I've always liked Sleepwalk. It has such a haunting "vocal" sound quality to it.
That's way before I even knew it was played on a steel guitar.
Years ago, I worked on a hokey horror movie called "Sleepwalkers"(as a make-up artist). One scene we shot had playback of the song for probably 3 days.
Still didn't get tired of it!
It was one of the 1st songs I tried to learn on lap steel a few years ago.
Last month, I played my 1st gig on pedal steel.
I enjoyed adding some lush chords and playing around with the arrangement a bit. Even let our lead guitar player take a solo!
It was one of our biggest hits of the night!
People still love it, and many told us of the sweet memories it brought back to them.
Hard to argue with that! |
|
|
|
Howard Steinberg
From:
St. Petersburg, Florida , USA
|
Posted 12 Oct 2013 4:37 am
|
|
People love this tune. A lot recognize it but few know the name (at least in my experience). I had a bride and groom request sleep walk for a first dance. They had no clue of what the name of the tune was, but the bride was able to hum the melody. The down side for me is having played it about 50,000 times.
_________________
Justice Pro Lite (4-5), Justice D-10 (8-5)x2 , Quilter Steelaire, Hilton Pedal, BJ's bar. |
|
|
|
Bill Moore
From:
Manchester, Michigan
|
Posted 12 Oct 2013 5:01 am
|
|
I play it pretty often. Last night we did Sleepwalk and also had a request for Steel Guitar Rag.  |
|
|
|
Roger Shackelton
From:
MINNESOTA (deceased)
|
|
|
|
William Lake
From:
Ontario, Canada
|
Posted 12 Oct 2013 9:10 am
|
|
A few years ago, while undergoing financial desperation, I took my S10 Carter out in front of the local liquor store to busk.
Whenever I played Sleepwalk (a lot) I always got donations. It kept me from starving that year 
Thank you Santo & Johnny.
_________________
Bill |
|
|
|
Howard Steinberg
From:
St. Petersburg, Florida , USA
|
Posted 12 Oct 2013 10:14 am
|
|
Tear drop was the follow up to sleep walk. It's kinda sleep walk inside out. It's easy to play and can be easily run together with sleep walk. I think the flip side of sleep walk was "all night diner," which wan an up-tempo tune. I'm embarrassed that I know this.
_________________
Justice Pro Lite (4-5), Justice D-10 (8-5)x2 , Quilter Steelaire, Hilton Pedal, BJ's bar. |
|
|
|
Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
|
Posted 12 Oct 2013 10:16 am
|
|
Me, too. I really like it and, as has been stated here, it's a crowd favourite. I played the tune this last Summer for eighty straight nights!
There's a haunting quality to the melody that even I can't destroy - one of those songs in which the steel takes on the ambience of the human voice.
Very pretty and, in my opinion, way more acceptable than that other staple, 'Steel Guitar Rag'! If I'm asked for that I usually pretend that I've never heard of it...
_________________
Roger Rettig - Emmons D10, JCH D10, Quilter TT-12, B-bender Teles and old Martins.
---------------------------------- |
|
|
|
Ted Solesky
From:
Mineral Wells, Texas, USA
|
Posted 12 Oct 2013 11:31 am the song
|
|
| I played it straight like it was recorded. Many guitarist play it jazzed. It help put the steel on the map. A great dance song. It made $$ for the artists Santo and Johnny and the record company. Sorry to say, but to record companies, $$ is what counts. The Emmons and Day and others are what I dig. But, I'm just a pick at it picker. The people don't know what they're missing. Ted |
|
|
|
Bob Simons
From:
Kansas City, Mo, USA
|
Posted 12 Oct 2013 1:35 pm
|
|
Even though I've been playing in a duo with a keyboard playing New Age Jazz and R&B we end every night with a very straight "Sleepwalk" and it usually is the favorite tune we play.
_________________
Zumsteel U12 8-5, MSA M3 U12 9-7, MSA SS 10-string, 1930 National Resonophonic, Telonics Combo, Webb 614e, Fender Steel King, Mesa Boogie T-Verb. |
|
|
|
Bo Legg
|
Posted 12 Oct 2013 7:16 pm
|
|
Well I was there with a pack of cigarettes rolled up in one of my rolled up white tee shirt sleeves with a pair of white loafers to match and my hair dripping with Wildroot.
"Sleepwalk" was just another one of those great I vi IV V songs but it was an instrumental and the girls didn't swoon over instrumentals and we didn't know a steel guitar from a harmonica or care.
The girls just wanted to hear a guy singing this their favorite of all of those I vi IV V Do Wah songs to them back then. I about cry every time I watch this video. Those had to be the best years ever, you dig!
click here
So I mix the two when I play "Sleepwalk" |
|
|
|
Walter Bowden
From:
Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
|
Posted 12 Oct 2013 7:26 pm
|
|
Santo hit some nice harmonics
_________________
Emmons S10, p/p, Nashville 112, Zion 50 tele style guitar, Gibson LP Classic w/Vox AC30, Fender Deluxe De Ville and a Rawdon-Hall classical |
|
|
|
Larry Baker
From:
Columbia, Mo. U.S.A.
|
Posted 13 Oct 2013 2:08 pm
|
|
Looks like Miley got her tongue routine from Rick???
_________________
Mullen G2 SD10 3 & 5 The Eagle
NV112 amp===Earnie Ball V.P. |
|
|
|
David Cubbedge
From:
Toledo,Ohio, USA
|
Posted 22 Oct 2013 8:27 am
|
|
I just heard a local rock-a-billy band (Kentucky Chrome) play it - the lead singer played it on a little 6-string C6 lap steel on a three leg stand. It was nice!
_________________
Red Emmons D10 fatback #2246D with sweet Hugh Briley split cases, Black Emmons S10 #1466S, '73 Fender "Snakeskin" Twin Reverb, Peavey Nashville 400, Line 6 Pod XT, Fender 400, Fender Stringmaster Double-8, too many guitars, one bass! |
|
|
|
Frank Freniere
From:
The First Coast
|
Posted 22 Oct 2013 11:59 am
|
|
| I do. |
|
|
|
Rick Stratton
From:
Tujunga, California, USA
|
Posted 22 Oct 2013 12:59 pm
|
|
Larry:
I got my routine from the Maori people of New Zealand (Not meant to be disrespectful)!!
I don't know where Miley got hers from....
Gene Simmons from KISS?
_________________
Jackson Pro-IV D-10, Fender Dual-Pro 8, Epiphone Zephyr-6 |
|
|
|
Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
|
|
|
|
