Ralph Mooney with Jonie Mosby - Listen!

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 12 Apr 2008 3:22 pm

Here's a great cut from Starday SLP-328 featuring Ralph Mooney on steel around 1965. This sound never fails to floor me even after a hundred listens. I burnt this from my Starday LP to a .wma at 192kbps. Notice the great dynamics and raw sound and very little compression in the sound. Again, most steel veterans have heard all of these cuts many times but I'm guessing that not all newer players have heard all of these great sounds.

Ill Leave The Front Door Open

Greg

Tony Glassman · Post by **Tony Glassman** » 12 Apr 2008 4:46 pm

I love that cut. The Mooney intro was the first thing I ever worked out on pedal steel..........Many Thanks

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 12 Apr 2008 6:45 pm

Notice the great dynamics and raw sound and very little compression in the sound.

Exactly! "Dynamics" and "compression" are direct opposites. With lots of compression, there can be no dynamics. And with and with great dynamics, there is little or no compression.

That's a good cut, Greg, and a great example of what was then known as the "west coast" sound.

Fish · Post by **Fish** » 12 Apr 2008 10:07 pm

High Art. Thanks for posting this classic track, Greg.

I remember when Johnny & Jonie regularly played the Ban-Dar in Ventura, California.

Graham · Post by **Graham** » 13 Apr 2008 3:49 am

To hear more, try and get yourself a copy of Johnny & Joni's '65 lp Mr & Mrs Country Music, which this song was on.

Kevin Mincke · Post by **Kevin Mincke** » 13 Apr 2008 4:17 am

That's a great cut Greg with ol' Moon! Thanks for sharing it

Ken Mizell · Post by **Ken Mizell** » 13 Apr 2008 12:36 pm

I love it! Another thread was talking about "styles." That's STYLE!

Andy Greatrix · Post by **Andy Greatrix** » 13 Apr 2008 1:49 pm

After all these years, Ralph Mooney still gives me goose-bumps.

autry andress · Post by **autry andress** » 13 Apr 2008 1:58 pm

And after The Great Ralph Mooney retired.....
Country Music has never been the same.

May God bless the Moon.

Bernie Gonyea · Post by **Bernie Gonyea** » 13 Apr 2008 4:44 pm

Greg; Thanks a million for that listing with our man, Mr. Moon; Ken, you are so right when calling this man's playing, " STYLE ". It was his playing that brought Buck Owens singing to the peak, several years ago, on the west Coast. And his years with the late & great Waylon; kept Ralph's fabulous talent out front for all to hear and love. Has anyone heard how Ralph is doing, in recent days??Thanks..Bernie

Ken Mizell · Post by **Ken Mizell** » 13 Apr 2008 6:16 pm

Bernie - You are so right. There are many stylist out there, many greats, and I have a lot of favorites, but Moon always seems to find his way to the top of my list.

From time to time I plunder my way through Ricky and Rebels Steel Clips web site and find Mooney playing on many songs with Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Wynn Stewart, Waylon, and some others from the West Coast. Great stuff. Some of his slow stuff is really pretty playing. I have a recording of him playing on an album with George Hamilton IV, and his turnaround on Together Again is beautiful - I think he plays an entire verse on it, not just the abbreviated turnaround that made the song so famous.

I never get tired of talking about Moon.

autry andress · Post by **autry andress** » 22 Jan 2011 8:12 am

We love ya Ralph & you are in our Prayers.

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 22 Jan 2011 8:41 am

Beautiful! Fender 1000?

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 22 Jan 2011 1:25 pm

Jonie Mosby was part of the Husband and Wife team of Johnny and Jonie Mosby here in So. Calif. Johnny probably produced this record. I worked with them in a couple of clubs in Lomita, Ca. (So.Bay area) and also with an expanded band at the Jubuilee Ballroom in Baldwin Park, Ca. until it burned down one Friday night along with my 4-necked Wright Custom Steel. Together they had a big hit here in So. Calif. called "Just Before Dawn".

God Bless, and pray for Ralph Mooney with his health problems !

Brendan Mitchell · Post by **Brendan Mitchell** » 22 Jan 2011 2:28 pm

That link wont work for me

Greg Simmons · Post by **Greg Simmons** » 22 Jan 2011 4:01 pm

Oh yeah

Thanks Greg

Ken Mizell · Post by **Ken Mizell** » 22 Jan 2011 5:33 pm

I just sat here and listened to that one three times in a row. Great stuff.

God Bless and comfort Ralph Mooney in his time of need.

Julian Goldwhite · Post by **Julian Goldwhite** » 22 Jan 2011 6:33 pm

That's a fantastic example of the classic Bakersfield sound!

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 22 Jan 2011 6:44 pm

Wow, I had this record back in the early 70s! Thanks for the memory, Greg

Ken Mizell · Post by **Ken Mizell** » 22 Jan 2011 7:04 pm

Moon's work on that one sounded like a cross-over between his Buck Owens style, and his Wynn Stewart style. I wonder if he was using a Fender 1000 on that one, or if he still had the old homemade one that he used for so long in the late 50's and early 60's?

Any of y'all have the Buck Owens album "Dust on Mothers Bible"? While most of it is Tom Brumley, there are one or two cuts with Moon. One is called "I'll Go All The Way With Jesus." His intro and turnaround (and fills, of course) on that one are really great.

There's soo much great Mooney stuff out there, yet so little time to find and listen to all of it.

One of my favorite intros and turnaround by Moon is on "House Down The Block" by Buck Owens.

Considering Moon's pedal pumping style and the steel guitars he had, I often wonder if he didn't have to keep a big stash of fresh strings handy all the time.

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 22 Jan 2011 7:49 pm

All The Way With Jesus in mp3 format

Greg

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 22 Jan 2011 8:20 pm

The House Down The Block

Ken Mizell · Post by **Ken Mizell** » 22 Jan 2011 8:43 pm

Greg - You do good work.

The other Mooney cut on that Buck Owens gospel album is "Bring It To Jesus."

There is some top notch Brumley playing all over that album too.

Greg Simmons · Post by **Greg Simmons** » 23 Jan 2011 9:43 am

I can never tire of listening to our beloved Moon - I suspect I'm not alone

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 22 Mar 2011 10:16 am

BUMP!

The Steel Guitar Forum

Ralph Mooney with Jonie Mosby - Listen!

Ralph Mooney with Jonie Mosby - Listen!

The Great Stylelist, Mr. Moon

Ralph Mooney