Cool John Hughey/Conway Twitty video

[Richard Sinkler]

I don't know how many of you have seen this video, but here it is. This is the best version of the Twitty Birds ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUQM6OV6cYE

[Barry Blackwood]

Hands down.

[Bill Lowe]

good stuff....that drummer is a trip!!

[Rick Abbott]

That was great! Thanks for posting this.

[Jim Hussey]

Hey Richard, where did you find this great clip? The drummer is a trip and it's clear everyone is having a great time.

As I was watching I was reminded of this clip: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YoAGzUrFuA4

The whole band is more subdued, but John is over the top, the drummer sneaks in some flare at 1:20, and then leaves his mark on the ending. This is one of my favorite Conway clips. It is classic Hughey on all fronts.

[rpetersen]

Cripes - Did you notice the amp behind John!!!

[Richard Sinkler]

Hey Richard, where did you find this great clip? The drummer is a trip and it's clear everyone is having a great time.

As I was watching I was reminded of this clip: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YoAGzUrFuA4

The whole band is more subdued, but John is over the top, the drummer sneaks in some flare at 1:20, and then leaves his mark on the ending. This is one of my favorite Conway clips. It is classic Hughey on all fronts.

I'm Facebook friends with a relative of Big Joe Lewis, the bass player. She has a page on FB and she posted this video.

John is always over the top with Conway. I feel he really developed Conway's sound. Now you know why John is my favorite but barely above Buddy. I love that video you posted, but I don't care for the color of his guitar.

[Richard Sinkler]

Cripes - Did you notice the amp behind John!!!

I believe it is a Dual Showman with Reverb. I believe the friend I have, Joe Lewis' relative, said this was shot in Germany (I could be wrong - senior moment) so I think the backline might have been supplied. I have never seen any other video or pics with that amp.

Some other observations:

All men are wearing ties.

There is a tall column next to Porkchop. I've been trying for a long, long time to figure out what it is. It's 2 cabinets (at least it looks 2 to me) stacked on top of each other. The top looks like it has a horn. In the bottom, you can see a silver dust cone speaker, probably a JBL.

The SG bass that Big Joe is playing looks like a toy. I've been told it's a short scale bass. Man "Big" Joe is sure big.

[Bill Lowe]

[Richard Sinkler]

I think that top pic was from the movie, "Invasion of the Vocalmasters.

[Joe Goldmark]

And in that 2nd video they put Big Joe on the riser and it's like "bass player from the mountain."

Little Joe

[Chris Templeton]

That is a fantastic video! Thanks for posting!
Richard said, " I feel he really developed Conway's sound".
When I visited Speedy at his home in Broken Arrow, OK, he mentioned that this was the reason John left Conway.
His pay didn't reflect his contribution to Conway's sound.
This video sure makes the case for that.

[chris ivey]

obviously conway's voice and john's steel created magic. they were, individually, the best at what they do. together it was mind blowing and i'm sure
they were both aware of the other's value.

i had assumed that conway dropped john because of the direction music was going at the time, unfortunately for us and john. more of a producer-type decision. the steel era had run it's course for many many years of hits.
but money may have been part of the equation, such as i had heard was the case with jaydee and the
chris hillman...er...i mean.....desert rose band!

you always wonder how many 'stars' appreciate how important certain sidemen are to their sound and career. i've known many who were nothing without
them.

[Henry Matthews]

The amp in the colored picture,middle left is an Evans and in fact, I know where that exact amp is. It belonged to the late Jim Evans and is here in town. John had written a note on which songs were recorded with that amp and put in back of amp, and it's still in back of amp. Image of me was one song if I remember correct and also 15 Years was one.

[Chris Templeton]

Great point about Conway's musical direction, Chris. Ray Price made a similar decision about his musical direction (no steel, add strings),
Maybe there was a severance pay issue. I don't know.

[Richard Sinkler]

obviously conway's voice and john's steel created magic. they were, individually, the best at what they do. together it was mind blowing and i'm sure
they were both aware of the other's value.

i had assumed that conway dropped john because of the direction music was going at the time, unfortunately for us and john. more of a producer-type decision. the steel era had run it's course for many many years of hits.
but money may have been part of the equation, such as i had heard was the case with jaydee and the
chris hillman...er...i mean.....desert rose band!

you always wonder how many 'stars' appreciate how important certain sidemen are to their sound and career. i've known many who were nothing without
them.

That's the story I heard too. I wanted so bad to ask him. But, Conway was heading into the pop arena.

[chris ivey]

one thing noticeable in all these clips is how complete and full these tunes sound with a four piece band. i love 4 and five piece bands.
conway plays just enough guitar to fill a few gaps and john covers everything else. three part harmony, great rhythm and groove and conways incredible voice.
bitchin.
waylon and buck also pulled off the small band thing.
great songs by great singers and the perfect compliment of sidemen.

[Jim Hussey]

I love that video you posted, but I don't care for the color of his guitar.

Richard: You have to admit that John and that video kind of puts the whole BLACK guitar theory in the wind. I actually like the color of that guitar and wish I knew where it is today.

[John Booth]

I'd have fired the drummer, but John, Conway and Big Joe were amazing.

[David Weisenthal]

Wow, very enjoyable. Would love to see more of this. Back to the used record store tomorrow for some Conway.

[Bill Lowe]

That's a lot of music for 4 guys. Cool vibe, including the drummer. Wish we had more of that today. Does anybody know what year the video was?

[Steve Hinson]

That's a lot of music for 4 guys. Cool vibe, including the drummer. Wish we had more of that today. Does anybody know what year the video was?

The YouTube caption reads"1969-70".

[Billy Carr]

These were very first guys I remember going to see on a Friday night in Runnelstown, MS. sometime 71'. I had just started trying to learn PSG and met John Hughey that night. He was playing a D-10 Emmons p/p that looked sunburst with a sticker on the front apron of a tiger where the Lagrande stickers were placed years later. John let me help him take his guitar down and spent a few minutes talking to a 14 year old kid he'd never seen before. Fast forward to 2016 and at 58, I'm still a Hughey man. I play several of his signature licks, etc. out of respect. I've always liked each steelman and have listened and studied most but Hughey remains my favorite. In the present time, I've been watching/listening to Paul Franklin, Tommy White, Mike Johnson, Mike Sweeney, Lloyd Green, JD Maness and Gary Carter.

[Jamie Mitchell]

Cripes - Did you notice the amp behind John!!!

I believe it is a Dual Showman with Reverb.

i think you're correct.
sitting on a 2x15 cab?

[Richard Sinkler]

I'd have fired the drummer, but John, Conway and Big Joe were amazing.

Porkchop is a very good drummer. Fit's in with the others. I'd rather have someone like him in a band rather than these drummers nowadays that feel the need to use all of his 8 cymbals and every drum in the drum set. His antics was part of Conway's show.