Who really wrote 'The Steel Guitar Rag'

Leroy Riggs · Post by **Leroy Riggs** » 25 Jan 2009 4:04 pm

I am not intending to get any ire raised in this question but it probably will.

If you listen to the 'Guitar Rag' written and copyrighted by Sylvester Weaver, it clearly is the same song that Mc Auliffe/Travis also copyrighted as 'Steel Gutar Rag' some years later.

How much modification to a song is necessary to make a song 'unique' enough to make it re-copyrightable under a different title?

Do you agree or disagree that plagiarism was involved here?

It's interesting also that Weaver is given credit for the first use of the slide-guitar style. When you consider how often the slide-guitar style is used today, it proves that what goes around, comes around, I guess.

Chuck Hall · Post by **Chuck Hall** » 25 Jan 2009 6:07 pm

Here is what I found. Go figgure. Just for what it's worth. lol

STEEL GUITAR RAG
Written by Merle Travis, Cliff Stone and Leon McAuliffe

Been runnin' around, seen many a town
So maybe you'll find I'm the kind of guy to brag
But listen to me and see, if you don't agree
No melody rolls like that old STEEL GUITAR RAG.

And when they slide that thing along the strings
It sounds so doggone heavenly, you hear an angel sing
An' when you start your feet, your heart will beat
The rhythm to that old STEEL GUITAR RAG.

You may be kind choosy 'bout the kind of songs you hear
You may like songs that's bluesy, so you cry right in your beer
But if you like a tune that's bound to drive away your care
Make happy your soul with that old STEEL GUITAR RAG.

Leroy Riggs · Post by **Leroy Riggs** » 25 Jan 2009 6:51 pm

You're saying that Mc Auliffe/Travis only has the copyright to the words?

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 26 Jan 2009 12:21 am

No, Travis wrote the lyrics few years later than Leon's recording, Cliffie had a hand in helping him and publishing it, the melody is credited to Leon.

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 26 Jan 2009 6:09 am

There are some past forum threads on this.

Sylvester Weaver was considered to have been the first recorded blues guitarist. Note in this discography a recording date of 1923 for "Guitar Rag":
http://www.wirz.de/music/weasyfrm.htm
Anyone who listens to that 1923 recording (widely available on several compilations) can't fail to hear the exact correspondance between it and the much later McAulliffe recordings.
From what I understand, Bob Wills was under some pressure from radio stations to provide some new theme music, and was pressuring his musicians for same. Leon said, "here's something I've been working on"... and of course it became his signature tune and probably the most recognized steel guitar tune, alongside "Sleepwalk".
I've always wondered whether Leon recalled hearing Weaver's version, and hence plagiarizing it, or if it was somehow unconcious as with George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord".
I suppose only Leon knew for sure, but it's not just similar to Weaver's tune, it's exactly the same.

Leroy Riggs · Post by **Leroy Riggs** » 26 Jan 2009 7:36 am

Thanks.

Mark, I did search for 'Weaver' and 'Sylvester" and did indeed find a reference to the 'Guitar Rag' but there was not discussion on this issue.

I choose not to search for any other of the keywords involved because there would have been hundreds pages to search thru. (Such as 'steel', 'rag', etc.)

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 26 Jan 2009 2:08 pm

In parts of the SGR I always could hear strains of "When The Saints Go Marching In".

Leroy Riggs · Post by **Leroy Riggs** » 26 Jan 2009 6:23 pm

You can always tell when someone wants to hear the Rag. They will come briskly walking across the dance floor with direct eye contact with the steeler.

When you see that, you're going to get a Rag request.

I hate the song--I've played it so much.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 27 Jan 2009 7:50 am

The difficulty in identifying the writer of SGR may be because nobody wants to admit it.

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 27 Jan 2009 8:58 am

The way they explained it to Little Richard was "A black man doesn't need that much money, so we will assign all those songs to our company."

Eddie Cunningham · Post by **Eddie Cunningham** » 27 Jan 2009 2:20 pm

I have a C.D. on the "Yazoo" label of OLD Hawaiian Steel guitar songs from the 20s and 30s that lists Sylvester W. as the composer and original recorder of Guitar Rag and it is the same tune etc. as the Steel Guitar Rag!!! It also mentions Leons later version and I thought I read somewhere that Leon may have purchased the song from Sylvester and just cleaned it up as his own ?? Merle Travis did write and record the words to the song. Many times songs are sold and the name of the original composer is not carried forward !! Very interesting !!! Eddie "C"

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 27 Jan 2009 3:38 pm

Though the "Guitar Rag" and the later "Steel Guitar Rag" are quite similar, there are some subtle differences, both in the melodies and the chords. Back in those days, I imagine everyone wasn't as "sue happy" and protective as they are nowadays, so the slight differences may have been enough satisfy any dispute that came up. Both songs were popular, and both titles probably got pretty good distribution. I imagine that, as today, the labels made the bulk of the money, and the writers and performers got only small percentages of what the songs actually earned.

Leroy Riggs · Post by **Leroy Riggs** » 27 Jan 2009 4:04 pm

...Leon may have purchased the song from Sylvester and just cleaned it up...

This is possible but HFA shows two distinct copyrights, one for Sylvester and one for Leon/Travis.
.

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 27 Jan 2009 7:48 pm

It actually goes back a hundred years or more to "Old Buttermilk Rag".

Roger Shackelton · Post by **Roger Shackelton** » 28 Jan 2009 1:42 pm

Does anyone know the words to,"OLD BUTTERMILK RAG"?:lol:

ROGER

Dean Dobbins · Post by **Dean Dobbins** » 28 Jan 2009 4:04 pm

Along this same line, who wrote "Lovesick Blues"?

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 28 Jan 2009 9:45 pm

Dean Dobbins wrote:Along this same line, who wrote "Lovesick Blues"?

"Lovesick Blues" was a Tin Pan Alley tune written by Cliff Friend and Irving Mills in 1922.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 29 Jan 2009 5:56 pm

Michael Johnstone wrote:It actually goes back a hundred years or more to "Old Buttermilk Rag".

I wonder...did Hoagy Carmichael get "Ol' Buttermilk Sky" from that one?

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 29 Jan 2009 8:18 pm

I learned that tidbit from Steve Ripley and Leon Russell. It was 30 years or more ago when we were all hanging out in Tulsa and they actually sat down and played and sang it to me. The lyrics went: "Old Buttermilk Rag,Old Buttermilk Rag..." exactly like the first couple repeating steel melody licks in Steel Guitar Rag. I can't remember the rest of the lyrics at this point cause I only heard it that one time but they followed the melody and changes exactly too. That information probably came to those guys through Gene Crownover or Leon McAuliffe - both old school Tulsa types as well. Little known fact: Leon Russell(ne Russell Bridges)took on the stage name Leon Russell as a teenager in honor of one of his musical heros growing up - Leon McAuliffe.

Bob Gondesen · Post by **Bob Gondesen** » 2 Dec 2010 8:10 pm

All concerned ,
My wife and I were at a steel convention in st louis
a couple of years back . we had the honor of riding the elevater with Leon , such a nice christian man.
he told my wife he was saved in a elevator ''meaning
he turned his life around .
He said he wrote gospel words to steel guitar rag.
I was wondering if any of you guys heard it .
Thanks
Bob Gondesen
La Marque , Texas

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 2 Dec 2010 8:45 pm

I assume Leon was referring to the version on this LP---his last recording, from 1985. He passed away in 1988. The song is credited to "McAuliffe/MaGee".

Leon Grizzard · Post by **Leon Grizzard** » 3 Dec 2010 5:53 am

Leroy Riggs wrote:
...Leon may have purchased the song from Sylvester and just cleaned it up...
This is possible but HFA shows two distinct copyrights, one for Sylvester and one for Leon/Travis.
.

Unlike patents, where you have demonstrate originality and there I'd a review process, the copyright office just registers whatever you send them and leaves it to interested parties to protect their allegedly infringed works.

Tammi Bailey · Post by **Tammi Bailey** » 26 Dec 2013 8:32 pm

Actually Leon wrote only the music and his daughter Lucy own the copyright for it.

There is a great story of why he wrote it.

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