Hee Haw Returns to TV

[Rick Campbell]

Hee Haw reruns will be starting on RFD-TV on Sunday September 7 @ 8:00 PM. It will air every Sunday. This will be a good opportunity to see some good video of country music. I plan to record it so I can skip over the parts that don't interest me, and also watch the things I want to see over and over.

[Roger Crawford]

Darn, if I only got RFD-TV!

[Mike Perlowin RIP]

I understand that every so often they would feature Curly Chalker playing a instrumental. Please make sure you record those.

[Rick Campbell]

"Call you cable com-pan-ee
And say I want my RFD"

Once these are shown on TV, someone will likely place clips on YouTube. At least they did most of the Wilburn Brothers with Hal Rugg and Buddy Spicher.

[Roger Crawford]

Cable? What's that???

[C Dixon]

No disrespect, but I just do not want to sit through 60 minutes of quintessential "corn", to watch 20 seconds of steel guitar. Or the possible 10 second "break" of a steel player, who happens to be a member of a guest singer, IF said singer gives him a break. This is not to mention the fact that neither the TV technical director NOR the cameramen, in all likelyhood, can find the steel, IF they even know what one is.

Also, I have always felt more or less, let down by one of the world's greatest guitar players-Roy Clark, since I don't seem to ever recall seeing him play WITH a steel, outside Hee Haw, and even here, it was seldom.

He may have of course, but I never saw it. So, I am not at any loss not having cable or satellite.

Come next Feb though, I have to make a decision. I did buy the "Digital to Analogue" converters, that have been made available for those of us that only use an outdoor antenna. That DOES have its advantages however, since cable companies are quite prone to NARROW their channel "bandwidths", in order to permit more channels.

This of course partially defeats the advantages of not only digital video, BUT it almost totally destroys the real benefits of HDTV thru cable, in all too many cases. I see this in my kids cable driven HDTV/s in comparison to mine, during HDTV broadcasts, since they get it on cable, whereas I receive it off the air. They even remark about it.

This is an area where I think the FCC should become livid; and pass rulings that favor the customer who has bought TV's capable of the most incredible pictures in the history of TV, only to find they got shafted by their cable company diminishing their abilility to see the full video response of HD.

So far I am aware of no satellite company doing this. Since over the air, they can utilize almost unlimited bandwidths easily. However, IF they couldn't, they would be NO different than cable companies. Sadly.

May Jesus right ALL wrongs,

carl

[Bob Martin]

Hi Carl, Just as you meant no disrespect I don't either. Here's the way I look at "Hee Haw". In days where any older country music and any shows that even talk about classic country music (meaning older country music)I find it very refreshing to see some of the stars that were on the bleeding edge of classic country music even if it is reruns.

While not all folks enjoy this kind of music and corn ball humor some do and these days this kind of music is getting harder and harder to find and watch some if I have to put up with a little corn ball humor to see such artists as Merle, George, Paycheck, Conway, Little Jimmy, Hank Snow, Jerry Reed and well I could obviously go on and on as I'm sure you know

Some of these artists have steel players and some don't but they were all country legends and quite a few are not here today to be seen any more so I for one am delighted to have a chance see them preform one more time.

So as I understand your dislike of setting thru a lot of dribble to see some artists that don't even have steel players a lot of us are just delighted to do so

As far as the limited bandwidth for high def shows on cable and satellite shows it's just a matter of fact that we will have to live with at least for a while. Now for the wider bandwidth on over the air antennas (analog) you are correct but trust me it will soon be the more like satellite and cable. As these local stations all go digital they will be in the limited bandwidth war as well due to having to use the digital bandwidth rather than the old way (analog)so in 09 you can expect a lower quality of the OTA high def quality and also in the plain standard def for the same reasons cable and satellite have now. Soon the FCC will open more bandwidth for cable and satellite and the OTA channels as well as a matter of fact it's already there but it's just not cost effective for the cable and satellite companies to pay for it yet but in the next year you can look for the federal government to intervene in the high pricing of the extra bandwidth as a matter of fact one or possibly both of the big satellite companies have already bought quite a bit of extra bandwidth and I believe they are offering it as something like the (super high def package) I'm not sure the exact name but it's something like that.

So I believe in 09 you will see a lot of changes in the quality of both over the air and cable/satellite viewing quality. Anyway we will have to wait and see form the exact outcome lets hope it's good

Bob

[Roger Shackelton]

Howdy Country Cousins,

The HEE-HAW shows could be recorded and edited later to get rid of undesirable portions, in order to suit individual tastes. EH!


Roger

[Ron Page]

I told you my darlin' that you looked like a goffer
You got so mad you ain't spoke to me since
You may not have big old buck teeth my darlin'
But how do you eat apples through that old picket fence?

Where oh where are you tonight?
Why did you leave me here all along?
I searched the world over and thought I'd found true love
You met another an thhhhh you was gone

They didn't air from 1968 to 1997 because nobody cared to watch. Now with DVR, why not?

[Lee Baucum]

Yes, Mike. They did, indeed, feature Mr. Chalker quite a few times on that show. That was my first experience in seeing and hearing him play. I just couldn't get over the music that man could produce.

Even back in my "hippie" days, I enjoyed both the humor and the music on that show. I wish we had RFD.

Lee

[pdl20]

I wonder if we will get paid for these reruns again after all these years or are they Public Domain now.its 33 yrs ago for me.i did get a check or two back in the early 90's for reruns with Dottie West.

[Kenny Foy]

The last time they run the reruns there was a lot of Russ Hicks,Culry, Buck Reid, Richard Bass, John Hughey,Faron and alot of other performers and musicians. It was just entertaining.

[Ken Mizell]

I would certainly like RFD too. We have Brighthouse, and I've written them about it already. They submitted a channel request for me. Maybe someday... Every time I see one of you guys writing about the nice stuff you are seeing on RFD, I get quite envious of you.

I used to watch lots of Hee Haw when it was first run. I recall lots of steel,including Jay Dee, and later Jerry Brightman with Buck Owens. Fortunately, their camera people and/or producers knew what a steel guitar was.

Ken

[Ronnie Boettcher]

I would be thrilled to see the reruns. I have time warner cable, but no RFD. Only portions of the show I didn't watch was the "Hagers". No country in them. That must have been the producers way of sneaking in the downfall of good country music. And I know Buck Owens didn't like some of the trash they forced on him. I was driving stock cars back then, and we had a portable TV hooked up in the pits, when Hee Haw aired. (Keep the classic country playing)

[Nick Reed]

It's a known fact that Roy Clark doesn't like Steel. Also, I've personally never cared for his singing. His show in Branson is one I'd never go to see.
Nick

[Larry Lorows]

I get RFD and will watch Hee Haw whenever I can. I don't make an effort to watch the Grand Ole Opry for the same reasons, that have been stated here time after time. Between the two shows, I'll take Hee Haw anytime. Larry

[Dennis Graves]

I always liked Hee Haw. Like some others here, Roy Clark, I can do without and the Hagers also. I knew Junior Samples pretty good. We lived in the same town back in Georgia.
I would enjoy watching the old shows again, especially the girls

Dennis

[John Coop]

I have a video showing my hero and mentor "Shot" playing his white Sho~Bro with Roy and the Clark Family. Roy is playimg a Sho~Bud flat top and there is also a Sho~Bud bass. Coop

[Joe Casey]

I think thats a bad rap saying "its a fact" Roy Clark doesn't like steel when in fact his Vegas and other shows carried one..Smiley when he was with Tommy Overstreet did many shows with Roy..Roys show was the Roy Clark show which of course featured Roy Clark and his forte is Guitar..Roy is a showman..Hee Haw is a Cornball but entertaining Country show that featured many greats of the time..I have attended a few tapings and its interesting how the looseness of the cast had fun doing that show...Many retakes because they blew lines and pulled pranks on one another..In fact they had to stop Doc Peters and I from cracking up...I've met Roy a few times and found him to be as close to the image he projects...I still have visions of two large tour busses parked on Kulig street in Springfield Mass and the guys all outside playing frisbie as Smileys Mom cooked them all a home cooked meal...If you like Country music Hee Haw is a home cooked meal....

[James Cann]

...how the looseness of the cast had fun doing that show...Many retakes because they blew lines and pulled pranks on one another...

This is what I always enjoyed as much as the music itself. Let's just hope that Hee-Haw stays in re-run land. It would be sad indeed to see it representing
today's country music and artists.

[Rick Campbell]

I just hope it doesn't come on at the same time as Nashville Star, then I won't know what to do. Yeah right!!!

As bad as I hate the corny parts, Hee Haw did have some good music. RFD airs the Wilburn Brothers, Porter, Pop Goes the Country (which usually keeps the band off screen)and the Johnny High Show (but, I've heard very little real country there, mostly pop and boggie woogie...or "new country" if you like to use that term) The Mid-West Country show has some local country entertainers and an ocassional visit by some vintage stars like Moe Bandy, Stonewall, Narvel Felts, Leona Williams, etc... and every now and then some of the new generation of real country singers like Justin Trevino.

[Wade Romonosky]

I know there is not alot of steel on Roy's records but he had TROY KLONTZ in his band for 6 years. Thats a long time to employ a player of an instrument that you don't like. So maybe Roy does like steel after all.

[C Dixon]

I don't know whether Roy liked, or disliked, steel or not.

All I know is, I never saw him use one when he was playing instrumentals on all too many occassions. He may have indeed had one, and I just never was aware of it. If so, then I apologize.

But Roy is not the only situation where this occurred. Take the following examples.

1. Sonny James

2. LeRoy Van Dyke

3. The Oak Ridge Boys.

4. The Four Guys

5. Chet Atkins (with the exception of him and Jerry Byrd when they had their TV show years ago)

6. Boots Randolph

7. Floyd Cramer

8. PeeWee King

9. Scores and scores of "Gospel" groups who use one, but rarely EVER give the steel a break. Yet, they never fail to give the piano player one. And OFTEN they give the lead guitar a break if they have one in the band. Why?

10. The hundreds and hundreds of songs on TV where, they gave the piano, fiddle, and lead guitar many many breaks, and EVEN though they often have a steel player, he wasn't given one. I saw this just yesterday when someone gave a link to a Hank Snow "Utube" video, on a forum thread.

In fact, during the entire song, all you could see of Kayton Roberts was a thin part of his right arm, and the right end of his red Fender D-8 Custom. Yet you could see EVERY other player clearly.

What is worse, Kayton plays an incredible rendition of this song.

And even though Chubby Wise kicked off the song and played part of the break AND Hank himself took a part, there was nothing for Kayton. How many times did I see this in other of Hank's songs

Ernet Tubb (before pedals) did this ALL the time. All one can hear is Jerry Byrd (in the background) doing a few "Gene Autry" type steel "glisses". That HAD to be deliberate

Take Gene AND Roy Rogers and Tex Ritter also in 100's of their songs in their 'heyday'. What did their steel players EVER do? And lest we forget the Sons of the Pioneers. What was sooooooo golden about an accordian that the steel player had to be almost oblivious. Except of course for that occassional boring "gliss".

Yet in almost every bluegrass band that uses a dobro, it is rare that the dobro player is not prominently displayed and "breaked" ALL the time.

Note: Jerry Douglas, Josh Graves and Bashful Brother Oswald, etc, etc.

I am sure many of you could site an unlimited number of examples of this on radio, TV and recordings; where there is clear evidence of the bias "against" the steel guitar.

I could go on and on, but my considered opinion is:

There is something there. It may be subtle; and it even may be subconscious; but whatever it is; I will go to my grave believing that all of the above either:

1. Did not like the sound of steel guitar

OR....

2. They were envious, and were determined NOT to have one in the band at all, or they deliberately chose NOT to give the steel player the same "outfront" spots, they ALWAYS gave the other "lead" unstruments.

EVEN Merle Haggard, I believe, has a touch of this. I have a number of videos where this is clearly evident. As wind instrument players and lead guitarists, INCLUDING Merle himself, etc, OFTEN dominated breaks, to the downplaying of the steel guitar. Yet, Norm Hamlet is one of the finest Steel Guitar players on this planet.

sad.

Look at what Eddy Arnold did, when he wanted to go Pop! He got rid of a steel guitar player that had been with him on EVERY recording except for 2 in Eddy's 25 year rise to fame. In fact, the fans would often clap louder for Roy than Eddy, and this made Eddy very upset on more than one occassion.

Judy Lynn did this SAME thing on stage to Gene O'Neal once, when she walked over to him and whispered something in his ear. Later Gene told me she said, "TONE DOWN and MOVE BACK!"



Oh well!

carl

[Doc Rickles]

Good and accurate observation Carl.

Steel is my favorite instrument of all time and has been tragically ignored many, many times.
I have chosen to honor and respect every steeler I know that wears picks and has a bar.
I have also chosen to take the high road of instruction in the bible.

Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

For your information the bible also has some words on this wonderful instrument.

Psa 33:2 Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.

Let eveything that hath breath,praise ye the Lord.

Doc Rickles

[Ron Page]

Carl, with all due respect, Haggard isn't in the group of artist who eschew steel guitar. Norm Hamlet has been his band leader for decades now.

Johnny Cash never felt that steel fit his sound. I think he maybe painted that one with too broad of brush. If you catch Merle's version of Folsom Prison Blues on his Live At Billy Bob's TX album, you'll hear that song done like never before because of the added steel guitar by Norm Hamlet.

Some other prominent acts that out-did Roy Clark in this area include Diamond Rio and Alabama.