Rainy Night in Ga" Good steel Instrumental?

Leigh Howell · Post by **Leigh Howell** » 21 Dec 2003 8:27 am

It's one of my favorite R&B songs, and have always wondered how hard,(or easy) it would be to play instrumentally on the steel.

Leigh

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 21 Dec 2003 10:27 am

Leigh: I wanted to know for myself as well as it is a favorite of mine so I went to Tablature and searched all topics. Found one location and it was the same request we have with no replies. Sorry...

Regards, Paul

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 21 Dec 2003 11:03 am

I went to Tablature

Forget tab. Learn to read music. I'm sure you can find either the sheet music to the song somewhere.

When Buddy Emmons wants to learn a new song, do you think he waits for somebody else to tab it out for him?

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 21 Dec 2003 2:26 pm

Good, sound advice, Mike ! But if someone had taken the time to lay it out and post in the Tab Forum, I would want to thank him for the effort by using it. And besides; if all of us played with the talent of a Buddy Emmons, I don't think I'd want to be a steel guitarist for too long. Where do you go from the top ??

Regards, Paul

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 21 Dec 2003 4:33 pm

I don't play pedals but it seems to me this is a pretty simple, diatonic song and should lay out well on the C6th tuning.

It was written by Tony Joe White. Found a chart on this site:
http://www.chordie.com/chord.pere/...a_rainy_night_in_georgia.crd
[This message was edited by Andy Volk on 21 December 2003 at 04:36 PM.][This message was edited by b0b on 21 December 2003 at 05:57 PM.]

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 21 Dec 2003 8:29 pm

I did a bunch of shows with Brook Benton in the 70s. Sang the heck out of that song. Put it in a good key for that real low note when the lyric "heavy rain a fallin'" comes around.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 22 Dec 2003 7:35 am

Well, I'll probably get slammed for this, but it's my character to give honest opinions...

It is a cool song, but IMHO, like so many R&B songs--- when you take away the words, there really isn't much left. In fact, I've never heard an instrumental version of this done on guitar, let alone steel guitar. I have heard it done on B3 organ, though, but aside from the refrain line, it was a pretty dull tune.

To me, some very good songs just don't make good instrumentals.

Leigh Howell · Post by **Leigh Howell** » 22 Dec 2003 10:07 am

I just heard it played on Sax, and it is very beautiful!! I would think that with some of the soulful sounds that can be found on the steel, a player with the feel for it could really make it just as beautiful. I like the words to the song. But It's the soulful sound of the music that always really turned me on.
Leigh

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 22 Dec 2003 3:19 pm

Hinson-I am slamming you,can you feel it!!!!

Great song. One of the most recognizable intros of any tune. Great chords to play over and the melody is cool. Groove section at the end of the tune to stretch out on. You cannot go wrong with a classic soul ballad like this.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 22 Dec 2003 8:40 pm

You cannot go wrong with a classic soul ballad like this.

Then...how come it's not on any of my steel CD's or albums?

(I probably have over 100) Still, no rainy, rainy, rainy, rainy on any of 'em!

(And no, I don't mind if you "push back" once in awhile.

)

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 23 Dec 2003 5:41 am

Probably the same reason that other cool r/b soul standards like Soul Serenade, Betcha By Golly Wow, Change Gonna Come, and plenty of others are not there.

If you have 100 steel guitar CDs-----you probably have 100 versions of Danny Boy, yeecccchhhhhhhh!!!

I am now through slammin'

[This message was edited by Bill Hatcher on 23 December 2003 at 05:42 AM.]

Paul Wade · Post by **Paul Wade** » 23 Dec 2003 9:51 am

i used play this tune in my country band. went over real good. i play it in G useing gmaj7th cords
i used e9th tunning. the singer would give a ride
and, i had a lot of fun playing this R&B tune.
fun , tune to playing around with

paul wade

msad-10

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 23 Dec 2003 10:30 am

I just played this one and thoroughly enjoyed it - more changes than an average pop song, therefore more fun to be had on steel guitar!

Well said, Mike Perlowin, except that I say just listen, then play it. If you really can't fathom the chord-changes, then find the music, but this one, while it is melodic, is pretty simple.

I love to practise on some of those '70s 'mink soul' tunes, as well as the Burt Bacharach song-book and Steely Dan - working out such material will develop your 'ear' much quicker than classic country material, as great as some of those songs are.

Speaking of early pop/soul, who remembers Vince Gill duetting with Gladys Knight on 'Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing'? There's nice steel on that track; does anyone know who played on it?

RR

Gord Cole · Post by **Gord Cole** » 23 Dec 2003 12:49 pm

Roger:
That version of "Ain't Nothin Like..." is from the "Rhythm Country and Blues" CD with Robby Turner on Pedal Steel.
Leigh:
"Rainy Night In Georgia" is on there too with Sam Moore and Conway Twitty singing...and again Robby Turner on PSteel.
Cheers--Gord

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 24 Dec 2003 6:48 am

Thanks, Gord - I'll look out for that one.

RR

Leigh Howell · Post by **Leigh Howell** » 24 Dec 2003 7:23 am

Thanks Gord.
I've got the song by Brook Benton. I saw a tv show once that showed Sam Moore, and Conway recording the song. They did a great version of it!!
Leigh

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 28 Dec 2003 1:28 pm

To me, some very good songs just don't make good instrumentals.

I agree. A lot of great "songs" are actually great poems set to rather simple melodies that can't hold their own without the lyrics.

Dylan is a truly great wordsmith, but I can't think of a single one of his tunes that would work as an instrumental.

I think whether or not a piece of music will work as an instrumental is the test of how good is is. When you get a melody that's strong enough to stand on it's own, and then add a good set of lyrics, you've got a winner.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 28 Dec 2003 1:53 pm

Bill Hatcher,you seem to have it figured out.I wouldn't call call it slammin,There are so many great soul tunes out there that work as great steel songs.I play Rainy Night at least 5 times a week in my soul band,although I play guitar in that band it shouldn't be hard to play on steel guitar.

Russ Hicks · Post by **Russ Hicks** » 6 Jan 2004 12:14 pm

You all make good points....I'm in the middle of a Cth CD,which is really off base for me, but there are so many steel shows popping up over the country,and most of us really enjoy doing them so we need to do a new CD every year....that's why I'm doing this one;aannyywwaayyy,getting back to the tunes....I find I have to be very careful choosing them for the project....for instance, one of my favorie songs was recorded in the seventies by the group 'BREAD' called 'THE DIARY'. I went in last night and we did a track and a 'reference' steel lead on it and after listening back today I'm afraid it's lost most of the magic I had remembered, I think the best instrumentals are the ones we associate the original lyrics with, Of course, there's always tons of exceptions. Like I said, I agree with all of the points made and for me it's going to have to be trial and error.

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 6 Jan 2004 1:23 pm

Then...how come it's not on any of my steel CD's or albums? (I probably have over 100) Still, no rainy, rainy, rainy, rainy on any of 'em!

Donnie, it's because no one has tabbed it out yet.

------------------
HagFan

Mike Sweeney · Post by **Mike Sweeney** » 6 Jan 2004 3:37 pm

It don't need to be tabbed first. It's going to be on my next c.d. I was gonna keep my mouth shut but I decided to let the cat out of the bag.

Mike

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 6 Jan 2004 8:09 pm

My next CD is going to be instrumental versions of the greatest hits of Tupac Shakur and Snoop Doggy Dogg.

NOT!!

Billy Wilson · Post by **Billy Wilson** » 11 Jan 2004 2:08 am

I heard a steel guitar instrumental done as a vocal and I don't know........ The magic just didn't seem to quite be there with out the poetry of the steel guitar doin the tune. BW

Wayne Morgan · Post by **Wayne Morgan** » 11 Jan 2004 11:59 am

Hey Mike P.,,,,Buddy can't learn any new songs,, he already knows them all, in every field, except maybe one song by Joe Wright played in Japinees