on-line sales at iTunes and iTunes PLUS

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 15 Jul 2007 4:58 am

This is interesting, if nothing else it's a memento, not too many outsell Bing Crosby's Sweet Leilani..

Matt Johnson · Post by **Matt Johnson** » 15 Jul 2007 6:10 am

Nice!

So iTunes classifies you as rock

It's cause of all those distortion pedals you put in front of your Marshall stack isn't it?

Pretty cool Basil. BTW, I've been enjoying your version of Sweet Leilani that is on this collection from Cumquat Records: Various Artists - Treasury Of Hawaiian Guitar Music.

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 15 Jul 2007 6:27 am

Thanks Mat, actually iTunes won't change the classification, I've asked them and they say I don't have the authority from the record company to request that !!

As for EMI, they don't care as long as the album sells, and sell it does, and always has done from day 1 (1967)

with regard to Sweet Leilani on Cumquat, I was honoured that Bruce saw fit to include me on that particular album.
Have you figured how many tunings I'm using on that one ?

Never used Marshall always used 1 or 2 of these

Like this :-

Basil

Matt Johnson · Post by **Matt Johnson** » 15 Jul 2007 12:41 pm

Neat picture of you playing. What kind of steel was that?

I'm guessing that it is a couple of different tunings--at least two--but I have a tough time determining such things. I don't think I could guess what the tunings are without embarrassing myself, but it all sounds good!

Love the strums and the soaring, volume swells. Definitely up there on my list of favorites.

Anyone else heard Basil's version of Sweet Leilani?

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 15 Jul 2007 1:54 pm

Matt Johnson wrote:Neat picture of you playing. What kind of steel was that?

I made it from White Oak With engraved plastic fretboards and pick-ups made from the coils and magnets out of telephone handsets that I found hanging around in various 'phone boxes.The "Nameplate" is actually the Fender logo cut out from one of their catalogs.

'Telephone Parts'
on reflection it was quite irresponsible....
but at the time !! the late 50's, it was almost impossible to get parts,
and us 'Non Colonials' were living in a bit of a wilderness re. guitar accessories..

The U.K. telephones had a U shaped magnet with coils around each 'leg' and a metal plate on top of the magnet... this magnet determined the ultimate string spacing.. and also gave me the capability of a "trim pot" for each string volume.....as the whole system was quite a low impedance, it also required a pre-amp...this in itself opened up the possibilities of enhanced tone circuitry etc.
BTW that Vox amp in the background and the Hofner Golden have stories of their own to tell !!