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Topic: When steelers were featured in rock & roll |
Dan Sawyer
From:
Studio City, California, USA
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Posted 2 Dec 2006 11:50 pm |
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Browsing around Youtube, i found some clips of Bill Haley and the Comets from the early days of rock and roll. Most of them show his steel player prominantly, but this one is one where you can see his hands.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfbNl4HRUIg
Just found another one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVsq2OkUvGI&mode=related&search=
Did the steel player ever play a solo? The rest of the Comets band is really good. The steeler must have been a good musician too. [This message was edited by Dan Sawyer on 03 December 2006 at 12:08 AM.] |
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Eddie Cunningham
From:
Massachusetts, USA
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Posted 3 Dec 2006 10:16 am
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I remember seeing Bill & the Comets live back in the mid 50s and as I recall the Comets were originally a country band. Bill was with the "Down Homers" and left in the late 40s to form his own group. But when he hit with "Rock Around the Clock" they went strictly "Rock & Roll" and the steel guy was like a "cheer leader" !! As I recall he was very friendly and personable but didn't play much if any steel on their rock stuff. I don't recall his name but he played a D-8 Gibson.
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Gary Lynch
From:
Creston, California, USA
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Posted 3 Dec 2006 10:51 am
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By the way, Bill Haley was one of the outstanding pioneers of Rock or Rockabilly what ever you want to call it. When I watch his guitar riffs, I am amazed how great they were. He was not appreciated lake many of the other pioneers of the 'new' sound were.
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Gary Lynch
From:
Creston, California, USA
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Posted 3 Dec 2006 10:58 am
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| What brand of non pedal is he using? |
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Gary Lynch
From:
Creston, California, USA
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Scott Thomas
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Posted 3 Dec 2006 11:43 am
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I have a track by Bill Haley and the Saddlemen called "Rock the Joint" as part of a "Legends of Guitar" compilation put out by Guitar Player magazine entitled "Vol. One Rock: the '50s". It's the same tune as Rock Around the Clock, (which was recorded two years later) right down to the guitar solo--note for note--just different lyrics.
It has steel guitar clearly heard throughout AND a solo. 
I tried to learn it once, but I thought he was using a G# or something on top, and I couldn't get up there with my high E.
Here's a little of what the liner notes say:
"Incidently, the Comets were one of the few rock units to occasionally employ accordian and steel guitar. Billy Williamson is heard here on the latter."
[This message was edited by Scott Thomas on 03 December 2006 at 11:45 AM.] |
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Craig Stenseth
From:
Naperville, Illinois, USA
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Posted 3 Dec 2006 12:09 pm
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| I never knew they had an accordian player, either. |
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Chris Cummings
From:
England
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Posted 3 Dec 2006 1:23 pm
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If you watch Rudy's rock closly you'll notice Rudy struggles to get his jacket off near the end but manages it then all of a sudden he is wearing it again !!
Some trickery going on ! |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 3 Dec 2006 5:57 pm
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| Remember that Bill Haley had a whole career in Western Swing before he ever recorded rock & roll. At one time he ran a C&W radio station, and he used to put together charity shows of stars. This he could do because he had a wide network and was well known in C&W circles. Ironically at the time of his first country hit, "Icy Heart", he was booked for the Opry but had to cancel because his "Rock This Joint" had made the charts and he had to go on the road to promote it. Show business played down his country background because they didn't want to bring attention to the fact that he was far from being a teenager and was too old to promote as a youngster. You should read his biography, which is fascinating. |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 3 Dec 2006 6:06 pm
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A bit of trivia... did you know that Bill Haley's mother was a concert pianist from England, and one of the reasons Bill spent so much time in England was to visit his relatives ?
(Of course, later he spent decades out of the country to avoid the IRS, but that's another story !) |
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Bobby Boggs
From:
Upstate SC.
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Posted 3 Dec 2006 6:18 pm
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| Oh no! Not the R words and steel guitar..bb |
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TonyL
From:
Seattle. WA
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Kevin Ruddell
From:
Toledo Ohio USA
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Posted 31 Dec 2006 5:36 am The Essex Haley recordings
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| The late Schoolkids records of Ann Arbor reissues the Haley Essex label recordings and I grabbed a copy before they went under . Fun stuff . I think the original version of Rock This Joint was by Johnny Preston on the Gotham label |
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 31 Dec 2006 8:10 am
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| i bet Bill H played a lot of Louis Jordan tunes too since he was such a mainstay |
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