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Topic: Side Men |
Paul Strojan
From:
California, USA
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Posted 21 Nov 2019 9:56 pm |
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| What has happened to the sidemen? It seems in the old days a lot of the singers had instrumentalists and bands that were a big part of their distinctive sounds. From the first not of the intro, you knew who you were going to hear based on the sound of the lead instrument. Where is today's Don Rich, Don Helms or Luther Perkins? |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 22 Nov 2019 7:43 am
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The big (commercial) part of the industry simply does NOT want them! They're trying to sell singers, or more correctly "images with a voice". They want absolutely no part of an instrumentalist that's going to be unique and identifiable taking attention away from their "stars".
Interesting you should mention Don Rich because I think Buck's career kinda tanked after Don died.  |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 22 Nov 2019 11:04 am
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| Donny Hinson wrote: |
Interesting you should mention Don Rich because I think Buck's career kinda tanked after Don died. |
I don't think Buck ever recovered from Dons death. 
_________________
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jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 22 Nov 2019 11:38 am
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| Donny Hinson wrote: |
The big (commercial) part of the industry simply does NOT want them! They're trying to sell singers, or more correctly "images with a voice". They want absolutely no part of an instrumentalist that's going to be unique and identifiable taking attention away from their "stars".
Interesting you should mention Don Rich because I think Buck's career kinda tanked after Don died. |
Definitely. I feel that Don (and the steel players he had over the years) made Buck Owens. I don't think Buck was a good singer at all, but when Don added his harmonies, Buck's voice came to life.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 23 Nov 2019 9:32 am
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I heard that Buck just about hung it up when Don died.
Erv |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 23 Nov 2019 9:33 am
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I think the answer is a little more complicated. Nowadays, guitarists are expected to be able to get that “Don Rich sound†or play in that “Albert Lee style†or cop that “Stevie Ray vibe†on a moment’s notice. I can’t speak for fiddlers or steel guitarists or saxophones, but guitar players spend an awful lot of time trying to sound like somebody they admire, and a lot of them do it very well. So now when you hear an opening riff on a new song, you might not know who it is playing, but the musical ideas and the tones you’re hearing have roots that are pretty easy to trace.
What I miss, especially in modern country, is the rippin 16-bar solo section after the bridge, split between guitars and fiddles and mandolins and of course, steel guitars. |
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Joey Ace
From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 23 Nov 2019 10:48 am Don Rich
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| In a late 1990s interview, Owens said, "He was like a brother, a son, and a best friend. Something I never said before, maybe I couldn't, but I think my music life ended when he died. Oh yeah, I carried on and I existed, but the real joy and love, the real lightning and thunder is gone forever. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 23 Nov 2019 3:00 pm
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| It may be just a coincidence, but it was just before Don died that Buck stopped being promoted by Capitol Record Co. as "Buck Owens and his Buckaroos". From then on, it was just "Buck Owens". |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 23 Nov 2019 7:52 pm
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I’m listening to Luke Combs sing “Beer Never Broke My Heartâ€. It’s a good swamp beat song with a classic bluesy twang style guitar intro with some banjo picking in the back, but the sound is decidedly hard edged.
There are no musician credits listed on AllMusic.com.
I think recording is more about the producer than the supporting musicians now - almost as much as the artists. And, I maintain that for a working musician, a signature sound is not as important as versatility and adaptability. |
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Bill Liscomb
From:
MA
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Posted 24 Nov 2019 4:42 am
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| How 'bout Dwight and Pete? |
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Clyde Mattocks
From:
Kinston, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 24 Nov 2019 5:42 pm
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To the record companies, it's just more effiecient to have producers with their own teams of players to work everything they do. That tends to drive everything into a generic sound. There's little chance to create a unique sound for every artist. Growing up, my heros were the sidemen and I could almost always pick them out.
_________________
LeGrande II, Nash. 112, Fender Twin Tone Master, Session 400, Harlow Dobro, R.Q.Jones Dobro |
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Chris Walke
From:
St Charles, IL
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Posted 4 Dec 2019 7:36 am
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This isn't new, is it?
Back in the day we had the Swampers in Muscle Shoals, the Wrecking Crew in LA, etc, but they often weren't credited. |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 4 Dec 2019 10:34 am
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| Chris Walke wrote: |
This isn't new, is it?
Back in the day we had the Swampers in Muscle Shoals, the Wrecking Crew in LA, etc, but they often weren't credited. |
They had their distinctive sound, just as easily recognizable as an individual player might have. You knew when you heard it whether a song had the Motown sound, or the New York sound, or the Southern sound, or the LA sound, even if you didn’t know the group or artist. You almost didn’t need the individual credit listing if you knew the recording studio. And the bands! Everybody knew the names of the players in their favorite bands, not just because they were always credited, but because they had a sound and a style. I hope that is still true, at least. |
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Bill Liscomb
From:
MA
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Posted 4 Dec 2019 6:49 pm
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| In the 90's it seemed that everything I liked listening to had Mark O'Conner, Roy Huskey Jr and Jerry Douglas playing on it - anybody who was anybody had them playing on their CD. Plus there was American Music Shop with Mark O'Conner and Jerry Douglas. Today, I can't name any... |
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Ron Funk
From:
Ballwin, Missouri
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Posted 7 Dec 2019 6:15 pm
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If you watch the 1995 Darrell McCall ISGC video that Bill Ferguson recently posted, Darrell makes reference to this specific topic...saying something along the lines of:
"....what happened to 'the bands?'....now all we hear talk about is 'the singer'...and nothing about his supporting pickers......"
".....I'm trying to let people know that if I put out an album, their gonna get BE playing steel"
(Sadly, those days remain gone.) |
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Michael Sawyer
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 17 Dec 2019 5:30 pm Don rich
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| Donny Hinson wrote: |
The big (commercial) part of the industry simply does NOT want them! They're trying to sell singers, or more correctly "images with a voice". They want absolutely no part of an instrumentalist that's going to be unique and identifiable taking attention away from their "stars".
Interesting you should mention Don Rich because I think Buck's career kinda tanked after Don died. |
Yep-and it was sad when Hee Haw stuck Don at the back away from Buck. |
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Posted 18 Dec 2019 7:05 am
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| Quote: |
| I think the answer is a little more complicated. Nowadays, guitarists are expected to be able to get that “Don Rich sound†or play in that “Albert Lee style†or cop that “Stevie Ray vibe†on a moment’s notice. |
Very true. But mostly they lack emotion and a distinctive style.
_________________
Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube. |
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Tom Keller
From:
Greeneville, TN, USA
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Posted 18 Dec 2019 1:50 pm
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| In my opinion, Hee Haw killed Buck Owens. If in doubt just check the quality of his recordings before Hee Haw and after Hee Haw. |
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Ron Hogan
From:
Nashville, TN, usa
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Posted 18 Dec 2019 3:17 pm
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Remember that Darrell McCall was a side man himself. Playing bass for Ray Price and Faron Young. So he’s in tune to that.
When I worked the road for Darrell, if he liked your steel break, he’d give you another with a big smile on his face. He made you feel appreciated.
OLD SCHOOL |
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Ron Hogan
From:
Nashville, TN, usa
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