The Steel Guitar Forum Store 

Post new topic Steel player on Billy Walker songs?
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Reply to topic
Author Topic:  Steel player on Billy Walker songs?
Per Berner


From:
Skövde, Sweden
Post  Posted 12 Mar 2010 9:29 am    
Reply with quote

I've been listening to old Billy Walker songs on Spotify lately, and I've discovered some really ace steel playing. Anyone who knows who played on great stuff like Smoky Places, Circumstances and Honkytonkitis?
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Mitch Drumm

 

From:
Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake
Post  Posted 12 Mar 2010 10:27 am    
Reply with quote

I don't know, but he recorded each of those songs numerous times, so it would depend on which version you were listening to.

I don't think the original version of Circumstances from the early 60s had any steel. Grady Martin played guitar on it.
View user's profile Send private message

Al Udeen

 

From:
maple grove mn usa
Post  Posted 12 Mar 2010 11:02 am    
Reply with quote

Hal Rugg was on some of Billy's cuts!& is most likely what you are referring to!
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Steve Hinson

 

From:
Hendersonville Tn USA
Post  Posted 12 Mar 2010 11:20 am    
Reply with quote

Some of my favorite stuff-Billy Walker records!I've been listening to a bunch of BW lately..."She Goes Walking Thru My Mind","When a Man Loves a Woman","Sing Me a Love Song to Baby"...Weldon Myrick is on those sides...those are GREAT records!
_________________
http://www.myspace.com/stevehinsonnashville
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Jeff Evans


From:
Cowtown and The Bill Cox Outfit
Post  Posted 12 Mar 2010 12:03 pm     Re: Steel player on Billy Walker songs?
Reply with quote

"Smok[e]y Places"

It's run-off-the-road good and one of the Ruggsiest things I've ever heard. This is the earliest and rawest of the three (all Hal) versions I've found.


Last edited by Jeff Evans on 16 Aug 2017 5:41 am; edited 1 time in total
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Graham


From:
Marmora, Ontario, Canada
Post  Posted 12 Mar 2010 3:22 pm    
Reply with quote

Two MGM lp's - When A Man Loves A Woman - 1970 - (Title Song) and I'm Gonna Keep On Loving You - 1971 - (She Goes Walkin' Thru My Mind) feature Lloyd Green on steel.
_________________
Rebel�
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Ray Montee


From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
Post  Posted 12 Mar 2010 3:59 pm     Steel with a different flavor...................
Reply with quote

"Just Call Me Lonesome"; "Let's Think about Living";
"Alone with You"; "They'll Never Take Her Love From Me"; "I Take the Chance".......

From Billy Walkers' LP of "EVERYBODY's HITS but MINE".........

JERRY BYRD is the steel player thereon.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Jack Stanton


From:
Somewhere in the swamps of Jersey
Post  Posted 12 Mar 2010 7:27 pm    
Reply with quote

Mr. Emmons graced "Honkytonkitis". The same album has a killer version of "Remenber Me" with some great C6th by Buddy.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Per Berner


From:
Skövde, Sweden
Post  Posted 12 Mar 2010 10:59 pm    
Reply with quote

"Smoky Places" reminded me a lot of the steel sounds from Loretta Lynn's records, so I thought it might have been Hal Rugg. Honkytonkitis sounded more like Russ Hicks to me, while my guess for Circumstances would be Buddy Emmons.

Thanks, guys!
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Dr. Hugh Jeffreys

 

From:
Southaven, MS, USA
Post  Posted 14 Mar 2010 8:49 am    
Reply with quote

Billy Walker used to appear with my Western Swing band at the Eagles Nest in Memphis in the 1950's. I could have done some recording with him if I changed my style: back then I was playing 4-part harmony on my Multi=Chord steel; Billy said that did'nt sound like a steel to him. I replied that was the reason I played that way because no one else did so.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Tommy Shown

 

From:
Denham Springs, La.
Post  Posted 14 Mar 2010 6:40 pm    
Reply with quote

Billy was one of my favorites while growing up.I have been looking and requesting"When a Man Loves a Woman", but nobody will play it. I miss him,the last time I saw him was on "Midwest Country" on RFDTV. I believe it was one of the last appearences he had done.
Tommy Shown
View user's profile Send private message

Bill Plemmons

 

From:
Simpsonville, SC
Post  Posted 17 Mar 2010 6:49 am    
Reply with quote

Anyone know who did the steel on his songs "Word Games" and "Here I am alone again". First time I heard him was in June 1951, singing "Ting-a-ling". I was in tech school at Sheppard AFB Tx at the time and someone had a radio tuned to KWFT Bill Mac show. I became an instant fan and got to meet him later on, he was a great talent and a nice guy.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Steve Hinson

 

From:
Hendersonville Tn USA
Post  Posted 17 Mar 2010 12:00 pm    
Reply with quote

Bill,I'm pretty sure Buddy Emmons is on"Word Games"...don't know about the other tune you mentioned.
_________________
http://www.myspace.com/stevehinsonnashville
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Jim Keith

 

From:
Anna Texas, USA
Post  Posted 18 Mar 2010 5:38 am     Buddy Emmons
Reply with quote

Buddy played on both those songs, he mentioned here one time that he used the guitar that is on the Rainbow Album. Don't remember what tuning it was.
_________________
Jim Keith
Regal resonator, Rondo SX lap guitar, Kustom amp
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Buddy Emmons

 

From:
Hermitage, TN USA * R.I.P.
Post  Posted 18 Mar 2010 1:55 pm    
Reply with quote

Jim... The guitar I used on Word Games was the 12 string single neck I used on the Rainbow Album. The tuning was E13th, which is simply the E9th tuning with a C# note between the upper E and B strings.
View user's profile Send private message

Ray Minich

 

From:
Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra
Post  Posted 20 Mar 2010 5:52 am    
Reply with quote

"Dim lights, and lonely people" was a BW track on a mix LP my parents bought about 1964. Sounds like Pete Drake's fingers to me...
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Stephen Gregory

 

Post  Posted 20 Mar 2010 8:27 pm    
Reply with quote

Steve Hinson wrote:
Some of my favorite stuff-Billy Walker records!I've been listening to a bunch of BW lately..."She Goes Walking Thru My Mind","When a Man Loves a Woman","Sing Me a Love Song to Baby"...Weldon Myrick is on those sides...those are GREAT records!
Absolutely!! These are some of the greatest tracks Billy ever recorded. Grady Martin on Guitar? I just put all the above plus ("I'm gonna keep on loving you") on my ipod a couple of months ago. I believe Rayburn Anthony wrote "Sing me a love song to baby" for Billy, which went to #1.
View user's profile Send private message

Steve Hinson

 

From:
Hendersonville Tn USA
Post  Posted 21 Mar 2010 4:43 am    
Reply with quote

Yeah,Grady Martin on guitar...that Gibson/Echoplex tone-my favorite!I really miss that sound...but any time I need a fix,I just listen to those old records!
_________________
http://www.myspace.com/stevehinsonnashville
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Stephen Gregory

 

Post  Posted 21 Mar 2010 4:37 pm    
Reply with quote

Steve Hinson wrote:
Yeah,Grady Martin on guitar...that Gibson/Echoplex tone-my favorite!I really miss that sound...but any time I need a fix,I just listen to those old records!

Yes the great tone Grady got but also the signature vibrato he ended phrases with (Intro to "When a Man Loves a Woman"). Grady used that tone and that left hand vibrato on tons of sessions in the late 60's thru the mid 70's, super tasty. I believe he accomplished the vibrato by finishing the phrase 1 fret flat and then pushing the note around the tone center. Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4_xrEs5Z6A
View user's profile Send private message

Jim Keith

 

From:
Anna Texas, USA
Post  Posted 28 Mar 2010 3:31 pm     Billy Walker Records
Reply with quote

Great to see the compliment from Buddy. Hope you are enjoying your retirement.

If anyone is interested in a copy of Billy Walker's Lovin' and losing,and Billy Walker featuring Alone Again. I have both those albums, and am going to list them in the for sale section. These are the 2 albums Buddy Played the rainbow guitar on. I think these show the best steel playing I ever heard behind a singer.

Jim
_________________
Jim Keith
Regal resonator, Rondo SX lap guitar, Kustom amp
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Jeff Evans


From:
Cowtown and The Bill Cox Outfit
Post  Posted 16 Aug 2017 5:39 am     Smoke It Up . . . Again . . . Hal Rugg
Reply with quote

(Cloud 8 killed my upload, so here.)

Smok[e]y Places - 1970
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Frank Freniere


From:
The First Coast
Post  Posted 16 Aug 2017 6:22 am    
Reply with quote

Thanks for resurrecting this thread, Jeff!
View user's profile Send private message

Ron Hogan

 

From:
Nashville, TN, usa
Post  Posted 16 Aug 2017 8:51 am    
Reply with quote

Jeff and Frank,
I started working for Billy in 1980 here in Nashville and worked on and off with him for 25 years.

Most times he had either Myrick or Rugg and then a few times with Buddy. In later years it was Tommy White.

Ron Hogan
View user's profile Send private message

Jeff Evans


From:
Cowtown and The Bill Cox Outfit
Post  Posted 16 Aug 2017 9:02 am    
Reply with quote

You're welcome, Frank.

That intro's pretty exhilarating, isn't it.

Ron, did you cop the grips and phrasing pretty readily?
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Ron Hogan

 

From:
Nashville, TN, usa
Post  Posted 16 Aug 2017 9:44 am    
Reply with quote

Yes Jeff. But Billy didn't do that song much on the road. If he had a request for it, then he would do it.

Ron


Last edited by Ron Hogan on 16 Aug 2017 3:05 pm; edited 1 time in total
View user's profile Send private message


All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Jump to:  

Our Online Catalog
Strings, CDs, instruction,
steel guitars & accessories

www.SteelGuitarShopper.com

Please review our Forum Rules and Policies

Steel Guitar Forum LLC
PO Box 237
Mount Horeb, WI 53572 USA


Click Here to Send a Donation

Email admin@steelguitarforum.com for technical support.


BIAB Styles
Ray Price Shuffles for
Band-in-a-Box

by Jim Baron
HTTP