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Post new topic Abe Mulkey, Lloyd Green & Lefty Frizzel
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Author Topic:  Abe Mulkey, Lloyd Green & Lefty Frizzel
David L. Donald


From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
Post  Posted 13 Aug 2006 3:20 am    
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Anybody got an mp3 of Abe's song
with a rare producing job by Lefty,
and some fine steel from Lloyd?

I am reading Lefty's bio all week,
and this song sounds intriguing.

I bet Lloyd has some reminicences about the session too.
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Tommy Minniear

 

From:
Logansport, Indiana
Post  Posted 13 Aug 2006 9:15 am    
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David, I have also read Lefty's bio and have the book that accompanies the Bear Family boxed set. I remember reading somewhere that along with the Abe Mulkey sessions, he also produced a session or two on his daughter, Lois. I saw a press picture somewhere of Lefty and Lois at the sound board in the studio following the session/s. I have no idea where copies of Lois' or Abe's - Lefty produced sessions might be obtained. I would love to hear them as well as any info about the sessions. I belive they would provide one with a better understanding of the music that Lefty actually heard in his mind.

Tommy Minniear
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David L. Donald


From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
Post  Posted 14 Aug 2006 1:52 am    
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I suspect the last remake session of his original hits
might have been pretty good also.

I really didn't know much of Pee Wee Whitewing,
but on the Best of Lefty cd I have he has some nice parts.
I didn't realize Curley Chalker played with him either.

I haven't had the cd, album cover and book notes together to correlate,
but I listened to the cd in the car today,
and enjoyed it more digging the historical perspective.
I have been singing Long Black Veil for decades,
but never realized it was Lefty who done it first.

I can hear Jim Beck's recording style, which was advanced for the time.
A fine engineer with a musical ear,
and a loathsome personality it seems.

Starnes, comes in several notches lower IMHO;
An avaricious career wrecker in the worst sense.

If Mr. Gant tried to do a Ray Price like remake to Lefty
to "fit in" with the prevailing 70's sound, that also was a major mistake.
A one in a million voice need not be
drowned in strings and sappy choral work.
(same goes for Ray IMHO)

This is proved true by so many later singers,
stripping it back to that earlier style,
with modern technique and themes.

I can imagine what Lefty could have done
with good honest managment actually thinking
to make money by furthering his TOTAL career,
not feathering their pockets as much as possible
at his expence.

Talk about eating the golden goose!

But seeing, Don Helms, Lloyd and Lefty in the same sessions,
gives me that little,
2 degrees of separation goose bump thing while listening.

I find, despite the borderline cornyness of some songs,
that I really like the 50's country sound more than 60-80's.

I can imagine Lefty produced by Alison Krauses producers....
oooeeeh doggies, Fine Music!

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 14 August 2006 at 03:04 AM.]

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David L. Donald


From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
Post  Posted 14 Aug 2006 7:04 pm    
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I am surprised there is little further info forth coming
on lefty and his circle???
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Dave Burr

 

From:
League City, TX
Post  Posted 15 Aug 2006 4:40 am    
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David, What's the name of the book? I would like to get it ~ I could read and/or listen to stories about Lefty all day.

DLD said:

quote:
I can imagine Lefty produced by Alison Krauses producers....
oooeeeh doggies, Fine Music!



David, for the most part that would be Alison. She has produced (along with her band) everything she's done since her 1992 album "Everytime You Say Goodbye". She's actually produced a number of things for other folks including four albums for The Cox Family, Nickel Creek's first two albums, singles for Dolly and Reba and I believe she's currently producing an Album for Alan Jackson.

Back on point; I would love to hear more about Lefty's involvement in production of other artists.

Respectfully,
dBurr
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Tommy Minniear

 

From:
Logansport, Indiana
Post  Posted 15 Aug 2006 5:54 am    
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Abe Mulkey and Lois Frizzell are the only two singers that I have discovered any mention of Lefty producing.

There was always plenty of steel guitar in Lefty's recordings, excluding the Saginaw Michigan LP. I believe that was an "era" thing, as they were competing with the "Waterloo"/"Battle Of New Orleans" shadow which was hanging pretty heavy over Columbia records at the time. All of these songs were produced by Don Law. I think Mr. Law stumbled onto a winning combination and used this type of production (no steel guitar) on every artist he was producing at the time.

Weldon Myrick was one of the pedal steel players on the last two LP's Lefty recorded for ABC/Dot records. Hal Rugg being the other.

Rusty Adams, one of Lefty's old drinkin' buddies told me one time that he/they(Whitey Shaffer, Doodle Owens, etc.) had nicknamed Lefty: "Pedal Throat" because the way he pharsed his words reminded him/them of the same way a pedal steel guitar sounds. True or not, I've always thought it was an interesting observation and reasonably accurate.

Dave Burr, here is the title of the bio:

Lefty Frizzell: The Honky-Tonk Life of Country Music's Greatest Singer (Hardcover)
by Daniel Cooper

There a few used copies available if you do a search in books on Lefty at: www.amazon.com

Tommy Minniear

[This message was edited by Tommy M on 15 August 2006 at 07:10 AM.]

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Smiley Roberts

 

From:
Hendersonville,Tn. 37075
Post  Posted 15 Aug 2006 10:11 pm    
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I have a copy of the book,autographed by the author.(Cooper) In the book,they make reference to the "little house" that Lefty would go to,whenever he would get into an argument w/ his wife. My house is located 4 doors down from the "little house".

Here's a "funny" story.
Back,when I first moved into my house,(1975) I was home,watching TV one day,when there was a knock at my door. I looked through the small window in the door,& there was a woman standing there. She didn't look like a "solicitor",so I opened the door & asked her what she wanted. She explained to me that her car was at a repair shop & she needed a ride over there. She saw that my driveway was the only one w/ a car in it,so she decided to ask me for the ride. I said "sure". We got in the car,& I introduced myself,& she said,"My name is Alice Frizzell". I asked if she ever heard of a singer named Lefty Frizzell. She said,"Yes,that was my husband." Well,I almost drove in the ditch.

When she got back,she invited me over the house & showed me some of Lefty's memorabilia,including the original manuscript of "I Love You A 1000 Ways",that he wrote for her,while he was in a jail cell. That,now,hangs on the wall at the CMHOF.

She,then,gave me 2 nice 16" x 20" wall posters of Lefty,which I,still,have hanging up in my music room. That sure was an exciting day for me,since I was a "Lefty" fan from way back. I got to back him,& Abe Mulkey up one time at a show in Vineland,N.J. about 1966 or 67. Somewhere in this mess,I still have a small poster,advertising it. (sorry to be so long-winded. I took lessons from Jody Carver. )

------------------
  ~ ~

©¿© It don't mean a thang,
mm if it ain't got that twang.



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David L. Donald


From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
Post  Posted 16 Aug 2006 12:13 pm    
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No Smilely, not long winded.
Very informative, with a pretty cool story.
I had a definite sense that Alice was a real character.
This confirms that.

I wish there were more kinescopes of his early TV performances.
Especially if Chalker was playing too.

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 16 August 2006 at 01:14 PM.]

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Jeff Agnew

 

From:
Dallas, TX
Post  Posted 17 Aug 2006 3:43 am    
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No Chalker here, but my TiVo did pick up a very old Porter Wagoner show with an appearance by Lefty and Abe. They did "She's Gone, Gone, Gone" and it must have been soon after the recording because Lefty made a comment about hoping he could remember the words.

Abe didn't play but stood right beside Lefty and did the high harmony parts. Lefty made a point of introducing him after the song. It was a fabulous performance and made me wish for more live recordings of Lefty. Watching his face while he sings is an education in country music by itself.
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Scott Wehmeyer

 

From:
Texas, USA
Post  Posted 19 Aug 2006 12:00 pm    
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Someone put up the video from the Porter Wagoner show on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSNrbjiDaMg&mode=related&search=
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David L. Donald


From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
Post  Posted 20 Aug 2006 1:00 am    
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Cool!
Great guitar intro too.

Boy they sang well together.
Really quite like a bluegrass brother duo.

You can really hear his influence on Merle on this cut.
We used to do this in my bluegrass band in NYC,
and very much in this style.
Except mandolin instead of lead gt.

To bad there wasn't a steel solo.

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 23 August 2006 at 04:28 AM.]

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Tommy Minniear

 

From:
Logansport, Indiana
Post  Posted 22 Aug 2006 5:34 am    
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The book that accompanies the Bear Family Records boxed set "Life's Like Poetry" lists the following steel players on Lefty's recordings over the years:

Jimmie Curtis, Jimmy Kelly, C.E. White, Curly Chalker, George McCoy, Herby Hall, Paul Blunt, Ernie Harvey, Dale Gilley, Harland Powell, Bob Meadows, Don Helms, Johnny Sibert, Marian Hall, Wayne L. Burdick, Charles Eugene O'Neil, Pete Drake, Buddy Emmons, Lloyd Green, Weldon Myrick, Stu Basore, Hal Rugg, and Jeff Newman.

There are a few sessions where the musician info is "unknown". There are no listings for musicians used on demos that are included in this boxed set.

Jimmy Day was the steeler that I recall reading was in the band Lefty had early in his career.

I'm sure there are those that know more about steel players that worked with Lefty in various "pickup bands" over the years. It was also common practice for artists to share bands/musicians on package shows during the 50's, 60's, & even into the 70's (I've heard some real horror stories about that practice). From what I understand, he didn't employ a road band after the early years; just a musician or two at a time.

Irregardless, it is safe to say that Lefty Frizzell had a lot of steel guitar in his music.

Tommy Minniear
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Buck Grantham


From:
Denham Springs, LA. USA
Post  Posted 23 Aug 2006 10:28 am    
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I made a tour with Lefty in 1953. I played lead guirar for the band. Lum York (who has passed away ) wasthe bass man and comedian. Lou Millet (from Louisiana) was the front man. Lowell Thomas (from Mississippi) Was the steel man. I met up with Pee Wee Whitewing in California at that time. He had just left Hank Thompson to go into the service but he didn't go. Him and Bob White ended up both playing for Thompson.
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