Frank Sinatra and steel guitar

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 31 Oct 2013 9:15 pm

What connection does Frank Sinatra have with steel guitar?

Very little, other than mentioning it once or twice in It Happened In Monterey. But this cut is a lesson in playing swing music. In fact, it's simply great music from Nelson Riddle... a master arranger... and the premier vocalist in jazz. Take heed.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 31 Oct 2013 9:31 pm

Forum member Billy Tonnesen recorded with Sinatra on the song Sunflower, 1949. Billy's steel guitar is featured on the record. He plays a real sweet solo about 1 minute into the tune.

The song -----> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4Wqi-P8TGs

The details ----> http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=129624

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 31 Oct 2013 9:39 pm

Doug
WOW!! EXCELLENT!

You gotta be patient, but there are some gems to be found here in Forumland.

I have this song recorded by Eddie Dean, with Murphey on steel guitar. Eddie Dean was a greatly under-recognized (IMHO) western singer, songwriter, and actor.

I had no idea Sinatra recorded it!

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 31 Oct 2013 11:19 pm

I like Billy's description of the session. He was playing a gig in Los Angeles, 1949, when his band was asked to do a session...

...we arrived at the NBC Radio studios on Sunset Blvd... 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.

Jack Stanton · Post by **Jack Stanton** » 1 Nov 2013 8:11 am

Man, what a great story!

John Alexander · Post by **John Alexander** » 1 Nov 2013 10:48 am

Nice to hear that!

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 2 Nov 2013 9:47 am

Well Herb, everyone knows Jimmie Dean, but I guess you and I are the only ones who ever heard of Eddie Dean, and I didn't know that Jim ever recorded with him!

Jerry Hayes R.I.P. · Post by **Jerry Hayes R.I.P.** » 2 Nov 2013 11:23 am

Gene it was probably Joaquin Murphy who recorded with Eddie Dean as Eddie did most of his stuff on the West Coast and that's where Joaquin mostly played. I got to play behind Eddie D. a couple of times in my west coast years and he was really a fine singer. Eddie had a lovely wife named "Dearest" and she was a nice lady.........

Back to Billy Tonneson, he's been overlooked some over the years but he was a legend in SoCal. I remember him back when he was still playing an old Fender 1000. He used to amaze me at how he'd use both necks "all the time". I used to see Noel Boggs going from neck to neck in the middle of a line on non pedal steel but Billy did it on a pedal steel regularly.... He later got a Sierra with a 12 string neck on the outside and a 10 stringer on the inside... He's always been a very smooth player with a great tone and was always a pleasure to watch. Plus he's a big old boy at around 6'6" tall or so...........JH in Va.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 2 Nov 2013 7:36 pm

Oh yes, it was definitely Joaquin Murphey on the Eddie Dean recording of Sunflower. He also recorded one entitled I'm A Kansas Man, prob'ly from the same movie and also with Murph. The Plainsmen did some Eddie Dean movies when Joaquin was part of the band.

Eddie Dean is most noted for One Has My Name (The Other Has My Heart).

Dennis Atkins · Post by **Dennis Atkins** » 3 Nov 2013 4:55 pm

I really liked the Sinatra recording. Great sound. I have a couple of things by Eddie Dean, and for those of you who may not know about him, he is one of the singing cowboys of the movies.

He did some films with Lash LaRue, and Fuzzy Knight.

I guess that I am dating myself, as I saw a lot of these films growing up. I remember Bob Steele, Ken Maynard, (credited as being the first singing cowboy, although John Wayne mouthed words in Singing Sandy, before Ken), Hoot Gibson, Buck Jones, Tim McCoy, Johnny Mack Brown, Wild Bill Elliot, Rocky Layne, as well as Gene and Roy, and Hoppy.

So of went off topic, but the song was really fun to listen to.

Dennis

Jerry Hayes R.I.P. · Post by **Jerry Hayes R.I.P.** » 4 Nov 2013 7:36 am

Herb, Eddie also had a very good recording of "Hillbilly Heaven" which did quite well. Tex Ritter had the big hit but I think Eddie's did better on the west coast which happened a lot back in those days. Remember "Apt. #9"? I never heard Tammy Wynette's recording of it which hit big back east but in SoCal the DJs all played Bobby Austin's cut........JH in Va.

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 7 Nov 2013 2:06 pm

And, Apt #9 was written by Johnny Paycheck, shown here playing steel for Buck.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 9 Nov 2013 9:55 am

And, Apt #9 was written by Johnny Paycheck, shown here playing steel for Buck.

Co-written, actually. The other writer? Bobby Austin..