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Topic: JERRY BYRD once had great line............ |
Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 15 Mar 2014 3:07 pm |
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he was playing a club scene and a rather obnoxious fellow came up and said, in essence:
"I don't suppose you could play "Steel Guitar Rag" could you"?
Jerry replied: "You probably aren't going to believe this but of all the clubs here in Hawaii, you happened to pick the only one where you're NOT going to hear Steel Guitar Rag". |
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Dave Grafe
From:
Hudson River Valley NY
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Posted 16 Mar 2014 8:06 am
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| They would ask for a really good steel instrumental if they knew the names of any... |
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 16 Mar 2014 10:17 am
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I continually remind the audience that if they have a request, to just jot it sown on a Hundred Dollar Bill, and pass it up to the stage. 
fwiw, JB did play it at one time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08ugQ9QPJQQ
Last edited by Pete Burak on 16 Mar 2014 11:06 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 16 Mar 2014 11:05 am THANKS Pete!
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Very nice of you Pete to share this example of Jerry's fabulous playing of the Hawaiian, lap, slide,
Rickenbacher steel guitar.
For some of you long-time Jerry Byrd fans, you might note this was NOT the original Mercury recording. The playing sounded like it was however the TONE and acoustics of this recording was not late 1940-s or early 1950's, no doubt re-released as they were doing at one, attempting to get a more 'modern' sound.
There was an interesting story about Jerry's recording. I don't know it accurately enough to retell here however in essence, it was something about recognition of all the great steel players as it somehow related to this specific song. Jerry was passed over and he told me that for that reason he'd never again play that tune. |
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Willis Vanderberg
From:
Petoskey Mi
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Posted 19 Mar 2014 10:45 am
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I have often wished I could be passed over from playing that song.
A gentleman came to the stage at a large convention we were playing for.He offered fifty dollars for " Old Shep ". No one else knew the words but I did, I sang it and it went over very well. |
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David Shepack
From:
New Jersey, USA
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Posted 26 Mar 2014 7:08 am
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So…is " Steel Guitar Rag" on the no play list?
At Bluegrass Festivals," Rockytop" and "Fox On the Run", requests are met with the eye roll.
Music stores have signs " No Stairway to Heaven "
A Blues Jam had a sign. " No Mustang Sally, Pride And Joy "
I saw a woman , running from a jam, screaming " Oh No…. Wagon Wheel "
The thing is, most of these blacklisted songs are overplayed ( which is I guess why they are blacklisted ) because they are really good songs. I try to play what people want to hear. I taught my first serious band, that you are not playing for yourself, or your musician friends in the audience. You are playing for the patrons and the person who hired you. Most people want to hear songs that they know.
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Maverick
Fender Blues Deville
Flatiron Mandolin
Gibson RB4 Banjo |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 26 Mar 2014 8:08 am
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David, the thing is, there's all different types of musicians and all different types of listeners. Some listeners want to hear familiar stuff and want to dance or sing along--it's all about them having a good time. Then there are those who like to be challenged--these are the people I enjoy playing for most.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Jack Aldrich
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 26 Mar 2014 12:14 pm
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In another thread, I said that, in my years of playing in bars and "animal lodges" (elks, Eagles, Moose), if SGR got requested, I played it. Keep the customers happy so they'll buy more drinks and keep coming back. My wife at the time, called the fiddle fave "The Old BS".
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Jack Aldrich
Carter & ShoBud D10's
D8 & T8 Stringmaster
Rickenbacher B6
3 Resonator guitars
Asher Alan Akaka Special SN 6
Canopus D8 |
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Jack Aldrich
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 26 Mar 2014 12:18 pm
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I lifted E's version of SGR from the White Album, btw. And - I, also will not play it when I'm playing Hawaiian, even if requested. It also doesn't play well in either C6 or B11.
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Jack Aldrich
Carter & ShoBud D10's
D8 & T8 Stringmaster
Rickenbacher B6
3 Resonator guitars
Asher Alan Akaka Special SN 6
Canopus D8 |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 26 Mar 2014 12:31 pm Jack............
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What is YOUR preferred tuning/key for playing SGR?
Have used C6th for decades and it always worked for me as it did for JERRY BYRD. |
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 26 Mar 2014 3:39 pm
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After all the discussion on a recent thread entitled "uppty steel players" I decided I'd better learn to play SGR because you never know! I've been doing it on the C6 using Leon McAuliffe's recording as a guide, and I've pretty much got it down in a basic form. I'm nowhere near figuring how to do it on the E9.
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Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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Jack Aldrich
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 26 Mar 2014 4:22 pm
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As I said, I learned it from Buddy's recording on an E9 neck of a pedal steel. I have played it out of C6 on one of my lap steels or dobros, but, as I said, it just sounds muddy to me. Of course, it could be me. Ray - I got to stop by and see you on one of my trips to Eugene this summer. It'd be a pleasure to meet you.
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Jack Aldrich
Carter & ShoBud D10's
D8 & T8 Stringmaster
Rickenbacher B6
3 Resonator guitars
Asher Alan Akaka Special SN 6
Canopus D8 |
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