Movie - Shame on You

[Jerry Hayes]

I remember those TV shows well which were on KTLA channel 5 in Los Angeles. That was the station owned by Gene Autry. I'm a huge Bob Wills fan but Spade's group was a much more "polished" group than Bob's. They were a very precise and well rehearsed band than just about any other western swing band in history. Tex Williams sang the vocal on Spade's hit of Shame, Shame on You". When he left to form the Western Caravan almost the entire band went with him, including Joaquin. I always thought that Tex's band was a mirror image of Spade's as they were the same musicians and Tex went on to have a bunch of hits under his own name. Herb probably remembers Joaquin on that TV show. What a monster player he was. It was incredible how he'd get those single string things that sometimes you'd think was a lead guitarist playing instead of a steel. He could play more way back without pedals than most of the players of today can do with them.....JH

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Livin' in the Past and Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

[Herb Steiner]

I don't think Joaquin left Spade to join the Caravan. What I gleaned from Joaquin was that he left Spade in late 1945, before the great Tex Williams exodus, to play with the Plainsmen along with George Bamby, and Noel Boggs took his place. Then the migration occured with Tex leaving first, then Cactus, Smokey and Deuce. Then Pedro (who'd just gotten out of the army) joined his old buddies Cactus and Smokey, since they'd played together in Detroit with Texas Jim Lewis' band before coming out to CA. Joaquin joined the Caravan in early 1947, I think. The early recordings of the Caravan that I've got didn't have JM on them.

Noel played with Spade before the horn section came on; there were 2 cuts of "Spadella," one with Murph and one with Noel, but both had the non-horn band. Likewise, 2 cuts of "Devil's Dream," also with Murph and Noel. Also 2 cuts of "Boggs Boogie," one with horns and one without.

For that matter, there were also 2 different cuts of the Plainsmen's "Sweet Georgia Brown" and "Honeysuckle Rose," both with different solos by Joaquin. Likewise with Smokey's cuts of "New Panhandle Rag," two different solos by Murphey.

C.C., did you ever hear or see Deuce when he had the western trio with his brother Ace on guitar and fiddler Tex Atchison? They were called the "Wagoneers." Late 50's, used to play at Knott's Berry Farm.

I certainly will accede to any corrections, but I think the timeline I've given is correct. Murph's memory was a little dim when I interviewed him. Maybe Michael Johnstone or C.C. can enlighten us more.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association


<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 06 December 2004 at 06:02 PM.]</p></FONT>

[Herb Steiner]

Hey, I just talked to Dick Contino!! He lives in Vegas, is 74 years of age, and sounds great. And he still plays for a living. It doesn't get much better than this, lemme tellya!!

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

[c c johnson]

Herb,as near as I can recall you are on the button about Noel, the exodus, and times.No I didn't get to see or hear of the Wagoneers. Dick Contino; boy I bet that was a thrill. I would like to have had your phone bugged and listened to both of you. See ya in Dallas! CC