P. Baugh's "Country Guitar" - Steel medley?

Gerald Menke · Post by **Gerald Menke** » 13 Nov 2008 12:47 pm

I am sure you all know that great, great recording by Phil Baugh, where he plays in the styles of many famous country pickers - Luther Perkins, Chet, Merle Travis, just nails each one. I was wondering if anyone has ever done a steel medley, with a vocalist introducing the steeler being "quoted" , as Vern Stovall does for each guitarist Phil mimics on his lone hit from 1964.

Thanks for reading my post, if you've never heard this recording or any of Phil Baugh's playing,do check him out. He is one of my favorite underrated guitarists.

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 13 Nov 2008 12:55 pm

Not sure if I still have it but Bobby Black and his brother did a number called "Steel Guitar Haven" that started out with a Jerry Reed riff and then on through various classic steel players. It is a truly awesome composition and the picking is very authentic.

Greg

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 13 Nov 2008 1:08 pm

We do that song all the time, in fact will be doin'
it tomorrow again, at a local gig! Here's the most northern tribute to Phil Baugh, the gig was in Lapland, way above the arctic circle last spring

:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8rbxe0ZgMg

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 13 Nov 2008 5:17 pm

Can't find the Bobby Black version but pretty sure it was entitled "The Lee Brothers".

Here's Thumb Carslile's Springfield Guitar Social for another song in a similar vein:

Thumbs!

Greg

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 13 Nov 2008 5:33 pm

I was wondering if anyone has ever done a steel medley, with a vocalist introducing the steeler being "quoted"

I'm afraid it's left up to the listener to recognise the intimated players..Buddy Emmons does a superb "Take-off" of quite a few on this track

How many players can you name that this medley honours ?

John McGlothlin · Post by **John McGlothlin** » 13 Nov 2008 6:01 pm

1. Bashful Brother Oswald 2. Little Roy Wiggins 3. Jerry Byrd 4. Leon McCuliffe 5. Herb Remmington 6. Bud Issacs but it surprises me that he never put the famous B Bowman Hop on that recording made famous of course by the great Billy Bowman.

robert kramer · Post by **robert kramer** » 13 Nov 2008 8:09 pm

"The Black Brothers At Guitar Haven" is available right here on the Forum in the CD & Tapes section. The steel & take-off guitar showcase is from Bobby Black's "California Freedom" album for sale on both LP and cassette. Highly recommended.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 14 Nov 2008 7:10 am

I've heard it done several times (without the narrations), but IMHO it usually falls short since steelers get so hung up on playing with just one tone. Much of any famous player's trademark sound is his amps tone, and steelers just seem at a loss to ever change theirs. Playing "Together Again" with John Hughey's tone is like printing money on cardboard. It might remind people of the real thing, but you sure ain't foolin' anybody!

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 14 Nov 2008 9:48 am

Hummmmmm!

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 14 Nov 2008 9:59 am

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 14 Nov 2008 12:39 pm

Buddy Emmons does a superb "Take-off" of quite a few on this track..... Clickable link

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 14 Nov 2008 6:09 pm

I first played with Phil in 1955 at the Moonlight Ballroom in Yuba City. I was my last Hoo-rah playing with Ole Rasmussen. Ole was operating the Dance Hall and I agreed to help him after coming out of the Army. He hired Phil Baugh to play lead Guitar, Jesse Ashlock and Harvey Walker on fiddles.
Phil caught on real fast and I knew he was going to be a star player.

The Moonlight Ballroom had a Canvass roll back roof. During the week we would have to patch the roof to keep the rain out. There was only a Saturday night dance and we prayed in did not rain. Finally towards the end of the year I came back to So. Calif. to go back to school. At the end of the year there was the big Marysville/Yuba City flood which wiped out the "Moonlight". Going back to previous years all the name singers and bands booked in to the "Moonlight" (Ray Price, Bob Wills, Lefty Frizell, etc. etc.).

Just a little more ancient history !

Walter Stettner · Post by **Walter Stettner** » 15 Nov 2008 2:23 am

I have posted two clips on my website:

http://www.lloydgreentribute.com/Austri ... /Forum.htm

#1 is the Black Brothers track with Bobby and Larry Black (as already mentioned before)

#2 is a great track by the "United Steels of Europe" (Gerry Hogan, Andre Sommers, Koos Biel and Nils Tuxen)

Listen to this!

Kind Regards, Walter

robert kramer · Post by **robert kramer** » 15 Nov 2008 6:57 am

Here's Phil Baugh with "Country Guitar"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwws6XPZ1JM

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 15 Nov 2008 7:10 am

Walter, great tracks, thanks for posting those!

I've been trying to persuade Joe Wright to do the definitive steel guitar version of 'Hot Rod Lincoln'. He could pull it off both vocally and steel-wise. I can hear it now...

Buddy Emmons pulled over...

Curly Chalker pulled over...

Lloyd Green pulled over...

Speed West pulled over...

etc, etc.

It would be an absolute killer way to end a set.

Walter Stettner · Post by **Walter Stettner** » 16 Nov 2008 2:17 am

Joe could do it, for sure!

Kind Regards, Walter

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 16 Nov 2008 6:03 am

Billy Tonnesson, I heard that you went to work for Teddy Wilds at the Hitching Post in Gardenia around '56, did you see Phil around at the time, or did he stay in NorCal for a few more years?

cheers

J.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 16 Nov 2008 6:51 am

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 16 Nov 2008 12:17 pm

Jason:.
Phil did come to So. Calif. maybe about 1960. I used to run into him quite a bit and we remained good friends. It's getting a little harder to pin-point exact dates from so long ago. I remember playing a couple of gigs with him and he was doing his Guitar Players impersonations. I don't know when he left for Nashville.

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 17 Nov 2008 12:24 pm

He was supposed to join Dewey Groom's crew in Texas in 1965, but stayed.
In December of '69 he went to Texas to work as part of Ray Price's band, then later moved to Nashville, around 1971 or so.

Thanks Billy, I know Phil did a stint in Vegas in Chuck Mills band, most likely pre-1960.

cheers

J.

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 18 Nov 2008 7:51 am

Robbie Fulks had a feature in his live show where he would do the quote thing with the steel player for a while. I'm not sure if he has any of that on a CD though.

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 20 Nov 2008 12:24 pm

HERE is an online tribute to Phil.

those of you who knew Phil, please feel free to contribute!

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 23 Nov 2008 7:16 pm

.. man, thanks for reminding me about the myspace tribute Scott.. I had a real cool pic of Phil in a cowboy hat playing with Chuck Mills, that I was going to pass on to for the page.
But the file was corrupted by a virus. so I'm trying to track down Chuck's son again, it's a great pic.

He looks quite young, I assume it's between '56 and 1960 as Chuck kind of came and went between Vegas and Hollywood in that period before he split for Vegas altogether.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 30 Apr 2009 4:53 pm

That track is a reworking of Tex Ritter's Hillbilly Heaven, even to the end where he says "and I'm glad I did."

Cleverly done.

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 30 Apr 2009 5:37 pm

Here are a couple not yet mentioned.

Vocal by Eddie Hill; guitar imitations of Thumbs Carlille, Les Paul, Garland, Acuff/Oswald, Travis, Byrd, and Atkins. I think it is Hank Garland on guitar.

Eddie Hill - The Hot Guitar

I think the Hill recording was the inspiration for this tune by Tiny Murphy in which he calls out Joaquin, Byrd, Boggs, Speedy, Oswald. All steel by Tiny Murphy, recorded in Chicago.

Tiny Murphy - Hot Steel

Both of these are from circa 1951/52.

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P. Baugh's "Country Guitar" - Steel medley?

P. Baugh's "Country Guitar" - Steel medley?

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