Norm Hamlet

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 1 Dec 2002 5:47 am

Norm Hamlet was the first player to inspire me to take up the steel in 1970. His playing on the first Strangers instrumental album is beautiful. It features some brilliant duet work with the awesome Roy Nicholls.

Chris Forbes · Post by **Chris Forbes** » 1 Dec 2002 8:24 am

Man, I've been trying forever to get ahold of those Strangers albums. I've wanted to learn Stealin' Corn for about 10 years now and can never get a copy of the dang thing! If they can reissue some of the Buckeroo's stuff on CD, why not the Strangers? DO YOU HEAR ME YOU WORTHLESS RECORD COMPANY EXUCUTIVE!!??

Frank Parish · Post by **Frank Parish** » 1 Dec 2002 8:50 am

I seen a guy with a Rustler downtown a few months back and at sounded pretty darn good but had to weigh a ton. I think it was D-12! He said it was about 100 pounds. One thing about this is if you've got people to carry your stuff on and off the stage like Mr. Hamlet does you can play them tanks and not be any worse off in the back department. I'm looking for those early Strangers records too. If he writes the book I want one too.

Jack Francis · Post by **Jack Francis** » 1 Dec 2002 3:42 pm

I know what your talking about.
I play a RUS-LER S10 and even it is heavy.
I guess it's old age but my gigs are usually in a 50 mile radius, so I load all my equipment into my van then open the back doors set my case on the floor and put my steel into the case and leave it assembled.
Sure saves the old back

Jack

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RUS-LER S-10 NV 400
TELE's,STRAT FENDER TWIN<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jack Francis on 01 December 2002 at 03:43 PM.]</p></FONT>

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 2 Dec 2002 11:10 am

Joe Henry,

I agree with Chris that "Live at Billy Bob's" is THEE place to start. Just about anything Merle has recored in the past 34+ years is Norm's; except Haggard 1994 which was Sonny Garrish.

I've got 20 Hag LP's and 7 tapes that I'm converting to CD; several others I'd already repurchased on CD. I always thought a collection of the older live albums would make a great box set. Those albums are...

1. Okie From Muskogee
2. The Fightin' Side of Me
3. I Love Dixie Blues
4. Rainbow Stew

The only one of the originals I've found on CD is #3. I've got the others on LP's so...problem solved w/o those brilliant record co. execs.

I love the part in Rainbow Stew where Norm is playing a great break in "The Runnin' Kind" and the PA announcer says, "Attention: For your own safety please don't dance on the floor in the 2nd deck". Big A Stadium must have been rockin'! Album is early 80's and Merle's vocals are out of this world.

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HagFan