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Topic: Frank Sinatra with steel guitar |
Mark Roeder
From:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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Todd Clinesmith
From:
Lone Rock Free State Oregon
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David Matzenik
From:
Cairns, on the Coral Sea
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Posted 31 May 2018 1:52 pm |
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Great balance and tone throughout. 
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Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother. |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 31 May 2018 2:13 pm
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Terrific solo from Billy and that great Sinatra phrasing. Haven't heard this one for a long time. Thanks for posting!.
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 31 May 2018 4:52 pm
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| Andy Volk wrote: |
| Terrific solo from Billy and that great Sinatra phrasing. Haven't heard this one for a long time. Thanks for posting!. |
Phrasing that predates Buck Owens by many years, but Buck learned the lesson on dropping the first beat very well. I also detect 4 bars of melody that got lifted for Hello Dolly 15 years later. Good tune and fine tone on the steel.
Great find, Mark. |
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Andy DePaule
From:
Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon
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Posted 31 May 2018 8:59 pm Nice thanks
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Nice thanks
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2017 Mullen SD-10, G2 5&5 Polished Aluminum covering. Custom Build for me. Great Steel.
Clinesmith Joaquin Murphy style Aluminum 8 String Lap Steel Short A6th.
Magnatone Jeweltone Series Lap Steel, Circa 1950? 6 String with F#minor7th Tuning.
1956 Dewey Kendrick D-8 4&3, Restoration Project.
1973 Sho~Bud Green SD-10 4&5 PSG, Restoration Project. |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 1 Jun 2018 1:25 am
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Here's an illuminating look at Sinatra in the studio; multiple outtakes from a session. The musicians had great respect for him as he was finely attuned to everything they were doing as well as his own vocal performance. Sinatra listened carefully to Tommy Dorsey's trombone playing and swam laps at the YMCA to gain the breath control that made his phrasing so unique.
http://bigozine2.com/roio/?p=278
* end on non-steel content!
_________________
Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Mitch Drumm
From:
Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake
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Posted 1 Jun 2018 2:50 am
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| Fred Treece wrote: |
| I also detect 4 bars of melody that got lifted for Hello Dolly 15 years later. |
You aren't the only person to notice that.
"Sunflower" composer Mack David did as well.
He sued for plagiarism and got an out of court settlement of $275,000 from Jerry Herman, composer of "Hello Dolly".
Frank used Speedy West on "Tennessee Newsboy", but I have not yet determined who the steeler was on his version of Bali Ha'i. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 1 Jun 2018 7:05 am
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The late Billy Tonnesen, who played steel on this record, posted the following here on the Steel Forum in 2008:
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First, I am not posting this to impress anybody! This took place sometime I beleive in 1948. I was the Steel Guitarist with the Ole Rasmussen band playing at the 97th Corral Dance Hall in South Los Angeles, Ca. At the time our upright Bass Player was Dickie McBride and girl singer was Dickie's wife Laura Lee Owens (McBride). Dickie and Laura Lee had come out to California from Houston, Texas. Dickie was working on getting his own recording contract with one of the major labels. One night he approached Myself and our Guitar Player: Earl Finley.
He said he wanted us to learn a song called "Sunflower" (not the Glen Campbell one) and particpate in making a record in a Hollywood Studio.
Of course Earl and I agreed and a short time later we arrived at the NBC Radio studios on Sunset Blvd.
Besides Myself, Earl, and Dickie a drummer named Monte Montjoy and pianist Vic Davis all arrived for the session. Then we found out that the vocalist that wanted to cut the record was "Frank Sinatra".
We rehearsed the song for about an hour and then Frank arrived dressed in his tuxedo along with his arranger. Frank knew we were all pretty nervous and
immediately did everything to put us all at ease. We probably did about four or five takes and he picked out the one he wanted. I was fortunate enough to have a little solo chorus in the middle. When listening back to the take with my little contribution, Frank came over and put his hand on my shoulder and said "that was fat", meaning he liked it. The song was released on a Columbia record as the "B" side of "Once In Love With Amy". It was on a 78" record and "Sunflower" got quite a bit of play on the local radio stations. Do any of you "Old Geezers" ever remember hearing it. I have a copy on an old Cassette tape but it is very scratchy. Perhaps "Mike Gross" could track this down! This was an experience I will cherish and never forget! |
According to the comments on the video, Bill was only 17 when he played on that session (his first session). He was a student of Noel Boggs, and Noel recommended him for the session. No wonder he sounds so much like Boggs!
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Mitch Drumm
From:
Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake
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Posted 1 Jun 2018 9:18 am
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lHax3lJys0
Above is Frank from 1975.
Said to be Al Vescovo on steel. Not doing much.
Kind of a mushy pop/country tune like Ray Price was doing at that time. |
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Mitch Drumm
From:
Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake
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Andy Henriksen
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 1 Jun 2018 11:32 am
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| Fred Treece wrote: |
| but Buck learned the lesson on dropping the first beat very well. |
Pardon my ignorance, but what does this mean? Just coming in with the melody slightly after the 1, rather than on top of it? |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 2 Jun 2018 10:54 am
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| Dave Mudgett wrote: |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgDrSUOApxE |
Yep Dave, that’s it.
Love’s Gonna Live Here is another good example. The Everly Bros also used the mechanism effectively on “Walk Right Back†and “I Kissed Youâ€. There are probably hundreds of other hit song examples.
But of course, there is much more to Frank’s conversational style of phrasing than that, and I’m sure that’s why Andy Volk mentioned it. Singers will be borrowing from Ol’ Blue Eyes forever. If they know what they’re doing....  |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 2 Jun 2018 2:28 pm
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I remember watching an interview of Sinatra where he said people often commented on his unique phrasing. He said he didn't know what they meant, and he was just singing the song the way he felt it. It's called singing behind the beat or ahead of the beat. It can be heard in the chorus of Sunflower. Listen to the chorus and tap out a fast count, 1,2,3,4. You'll find that some of his lyrics are not on an 1/8 note, but somewhere in between, and the following line catches up with the beat.
Willie Nelson once said Sinatra was his favorite singer. Willie is the king of singing behind/ahead of the beat. If you don't believe me, put on a Willie Nelson record and try singing harmony with him. 
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 3 Jun 2018 3:06 pm
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| The bit of country sound there reminds me of a Guy Mitchell album I have around here someplace, with Jerry Byrd on steel. I bought that album in Europe in the early 50s, likely at the PX !! |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 4 Jun 2018 6:05 am
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The point of those laps at the YMCA was to give Sinatra the control to breathe where he wanted to breathe to best deliver a lyric. That way, he could choose to continue a vocal line if desired where other vocalists might be forced to take a breath.
We string players could learn a lesson from vocalists as we all tend to run on because the steel doesn't need to take a breath (except for maybe Alvino Rey's Stringy  )
_________________
Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Mark Roeder
From:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 6 Jun 2018 8:19 am
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Yes.....take an idea for a solo.... then try singing it, that would give you an idea whether it works or not
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Paul McEvoy
From:
Baltimore, USA
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Posted 7 Jun 2018 4:53 am
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| That was great. Thanks for it. |
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