Spade Cooley on the Western Swing on 78 blog

[Brad Bechtel]

http://westernswing78.blogspot.com/2008 ... nce-o.html

This is pretty good stuff, but the real highlight is (of course) Joaquin Murphey's solos.

[Twayn Williams]

Cool, thanks for the link!

[Andy Volk]

Fabulous site! Thanks, Brad. However, it doesn't sound like Joaquin on the steel to me on the Cooley LP. It doesn't seem to have have that Murph "je nais ce qua". 'Bet it was someone else since Joaquin had probably split the band for the Plainsmen by that time.

[Doug Freeman]

However, it doesn't sound like Joaquin on the steel to me on the Cooley LP.

Really? Wow, well I'd settle for the "je nais ce qua" of his understudy any day. I love hearing Spade when I haven't listened to any western swing for a while. That music, with that instrumentation, is so sweet yet audacious all at once. Jumps out of the speakers. Thanks!

[Russ Blake]

I'm pretty darn sure that's Joaquin. I know because I can't stop smiling!

[Andy Volk]

Maybe it is. What do I know?

[c c johnson]

I take exception to that part of the blog that states that Spade forced his daughter to watch as he killed her mother. I was subbing in Spades bands and others at the time and the band members massaged this quite well. She testified that she walked in as Spade finished killing her mother. Infact if it had not been for her testimony the concensus is that Spade may have not been convicted. Noel Boggs told me alot of things about the trial and his visits to Spade in prison and there are alot of things that do not seem kosher about the trial etc. cc

[Jussi Huhtakangas]

It's Murph on that album, it was recorded in the mid 50's when he rejoined Spade.

[CrowBear Schmitt]

Man, that stuff is Gooooooooood !

what blows me away, considering i'm (like so many) an Emmons fan, is that when i hear Joaquin's playin' i can hear just how much he influenced Buddy when he was a young man

Thanx Brad

[Mike Neer]

One of my favorites. His playing is amazing on this record.

[Roger Shackelton]

HELLO WESTERN SWINGSTERS

HAS ANYONE HEARD OLE RASMUSSEN PLAYING "FLYING HOME"?
MUST BE LATE 40s OR EARLY 50s.









SORRY FOR THE CAPS, NOT!

[Andy Volk]

Doh! I shoulda listened to more than just two cuts. Yearning couldn't be anyone BUT Joaquin!

[David Cook]

Hi, Thanks so much for the heads up. GREAT steel guitar!!!!

[Kevin Brown]

Fantastic tracks for us lappers to be inspired by, however theres is a niggling doubt for me about the player, first time through its Murphey, but the more I listen I hear non murphey licks and phrasing, but whoever it is its damn fine playing, wish someone could pick that up and fly the flag these days, its the bluesy feel that floors me, many thanks for the post

[Mitch Drumm]

The 8 songs on that LP were all recorded in Hollywood on either September 2 or 20, 1954, with Joaquin.

Boggs and Murphey both had at least two stints with the Cooley band.

Noel made some wonderful recordings with Spade on Decca a couple of years before these recordings were made. Songs like Horse Hair Boogie, Carmen's Boogie, Swingin' The Devil's Dream, and One Sweet Letter From You. Most of them with Jimmy Wyble on guitar.

I like them every bit as much as the stuff with Joaquin. Boggs didn't sound much like Murphey in the 1940s, but the later material with Spade can almost fool you for a while, and then you hear a Noel trademark that gives him away.

I think all of Spade's Decca recordings are on CD.

Here is a rather long article on Spade's trial and police investigation:

http://tinyurl.com/zodnj

[Kevin Brown]

Thanks, Mitch, thats that sorted then, to have heard that live must have been awesome, specially with a big band, just great great stuff

[Mark Durante]

Fantastic stuff, thanks Brad. Lots of great Joaquin. That last one "Sail On" sure sounds like Boggs though.

[Billy Tonnesen]

I was part of the last half of the fourties and early fifties in the So. Calif. Western Swing era. I saw Joaquin at the Riverside Rancho with Spade Cooley and Tex Williams. I was a personal friend of Noel Boggs. To my ear they never did play alike. Joaquin was more mellow and had the Hawaiian influence in his playing and was awsome in his single string playing which could be traced back to Sol Hoopi. Noel's playing had influences of the Big Pop band phrasing using big block chords. His tone was more crisp and any single string work was completely differen't from Joaquin's. It never was hard for me to identify their playing when listening to records.

[Russ Blake]

Hey Billy,
Are you on the Cornhusker's version of Flying Home that is mentioned above? I sure love the sound you guys got in that band! Never heard that one, though.

[Billy Tonnesen]

This probably isn't the place to discuss my career, but yes that was myself and Earl Finley on Lead Guitar on our attempt of playing the classic "Flying Home". I think it was about 1946 or 1947 and was cut on the "Crystal Label" a local Los Angeles independent label. It was all pretty primitive recording technology. I was just starting to get my "sea legs" on playing Western Swing Steel. Thanks for asking.

[Russ Blake]

You're right, Billy, I probably should have started a new thread. Thanks for the reply and for all the great music through the years.

[Ron Whitfield]

Billy's contribution's in various threads are some of what helps make this such a fine forum, and these are exactly the places to discuss whatever comes to mind.

Do tell!

[Mark Durante]

Billy,
We want to hear anything you got to say, anytime.
Thanks