Session players whose solos/hooks made the record a hit?

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 13 Sep 2007 2:04 am

Paul Burlison and Link Wray have each also been credited with accidentally creating the first fuzz tone. It probably happened to a number of players' amps at one time or another. Not sure who was really the first to capitalize on the accident and put that sound on a record. It's interesting to me that there's an entire industry of boutique amps and stomp boxes devoted to trying to get tones that either first happened by accident or were the result of inexpensive, low-fi gear ... like Elmore James rig.

The studio engineers are the unsung heroes in all of this ... like the guys who got the idea to run the signal from Duane Eddy's amp out to the water tank outside the studio and back into the board for massive, twangy reverb.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 13 Sep 2007 2:32 pm

Just to add to the "Pretty Woman" urban legend, about 20 years ago I attended a Don Williams concert in which Don introduced Billy Sanford as the guitarist who played the PW lick.

Eventually we'll flesh it all out.

Randy Mason · Post by **Randy Mason** » 13 Sep 2007 10:35 pm

Billy was there. I forgot him, but Buddy Harman did say he was there.

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 13 Sep 2007 10:37 pm

Under "Urban Legends," I always heard that Grady Martin set his amp down, and jarred a tube loose. Thus was born the fuzz-tone on "Don't Worry 'Bout Me."
Link Wray would cut holes in his speakers. THAT'S rock and roll!

Eric Jaeger · Post by **Eric Jaeger** » 14 Sep 2007 10:54 am

Stephen Gambrell wrote:Under "Urban Legends," I always heard that Grady Martin set his amp down, and jarred a tube loose. Thus was born the fuzz-tone on "Don't Worry 'Bout Me."
Link Wray would cut holes in his speakers. THAT'S rock and roll!

Hmmm, I'd heard it was either Ike Turner or Pat Hare, with the story being that the amp fell off the station wagon in transit, and since they couldn't fix it they just played it. Faint memory it was "Rocket 88"?

-eric

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 14 Sep 2007 1:01 pm

Stephen Gambrell wrote:Under "Urban Legends," I always heard that Grady Martin set his amp down, and jarred a tube loose. Thus was born the fuzz-tone on "Don't Worry 'Bout Me."
Link Wray would cut holes in his speakers. THAT'S rock and roll!

The fuzz sound on "Don't Worry" was due to a malfunction of one of the inputs on the recording console. It was not done with a guitar amp. What is really cool is that the input blew at the start of the six string bass solo that was played by Grady Martin. Robbins insisted it be left in.

It created a stir among record producers at the time who wanted to use the same effect on their recordings. Wonder if they ever got the console fixed?

Al Collinsworth · Post by **Al Collinsworth** » 14 Sep 2007 3:00 pm

Archie Nicol · Post by **Archie Nicol** » 14 Sep 2007 3:35 pm

Bobby Valentino on `Young at Heart` by the Bluebells.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=AxQWpmQKI_k

Courtroom judgement:
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=717262002

Arch.

Bill Cunningham · Post by **Bill Cunningham** » 15 Sep 2007 1:35 pm

The piano intro and turn around on Behind Closed Doors really makes that recording. I have no idea if Charlie Rich played it or one of the other A-Team piano guys did. I don't guess you can interview him either though.

Eddie Lange · Post by **Eddie Lange** » 16 Sep 2007 9:37 pm

Behind Closed Doors- probably Hargus "Pig" Robbins' most classic work. And he is very much alive and well, and would be a wonderful interview. Pig was a part of the "Nashville Cats" series at the Country Music Hall of Fame a few months ago. In this series they have interviewed some of the legendary members of the "A" team. During Pig's interview, they played an outtake of the guys working out Behind Closed Doors. They start a take and Pig plays a little bit bluesier intro then the one that we are all used to hearing. They stop the take and you can hear Billy Sherrill come over the talk back and say " Uh, Robbins, lets just stick to some of the Old Rivers type stuff on this." He was of course refering to the Walter Brennan recitation. I thought that was pretty good and we of course all know that Billy Sherrill knew what he was doing when it came to making a classic record. It was a great outtake and it was wonderful to hear the guys creating such a classic cut.

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 17 Sep 2007 7:35 pm

Don Walters wrote:
Vince Gill's "Look At Us" No steel guitar
I'm sure you don't mean that, Les ... you must be thinking of some other song ...

Don, what I meant was, "if there was no steel guitar" in the song, it may not have been the hit it was.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 18 Sep 2007 4:33 pm

"You can make excuses or you can make changes. But you cannot make both!"

Al C., can I change my excuses?

Bob Merritt · Post by **Bob Merritt** » 19 Sep 2007 7:00 am

Andy,
In your intro to the thread you mentioned BE for "Night Life". His intro to, and solo in, Judy Collin's "Someday Soon" MADE that song IMO. Unlike Night Life, it made it to mainstream top 40 charts.

Would guess most of the readers of the magazine are not steel players so BE would be an great/interesting interview if could get him.
bob

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 19 Sep 2007 7:32 am

Great suggestion Bob, and true - the magazine is for the general guitar audience. I've already interviewed Bud Isaacs about his playing on Web Pierce's Slowly so it would be tough to justify another steel player. Thyat said, BE's performance on someday soon IS a masterpiece.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 19 Sep 2007 7:44 am

An acquaintance and someone I gigged a little with in the past, Ralph Casale, "Happy Together" by the Turtles.

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 19 Sep 2007 11:18 am

Although it wasn't a hit, and probably isn't very well known to anyone who isn't a steeler, it sure is hard to imagine John Sebastian's "Rainbows All Over Your Blues" without the classic steel track & solo by Buddy Emmons.

Chuck Thompson · Post by **Chuck Thompson** » 19 Sep 2007 9:50 pm

another old song - i cant imagine "almost persuaded" without that descending piano lick. is that hargus robbins? for some reason i cant think of recent songs (less than 10 years)that have a hook, intro or solo that really really makes the song, maybe i am just getting old and cranky or maybe i dont listen to the radio enough

Tim Harr · Post by **Tim Harr** » 20 Sep 2007 7:39 am

Paul Franklin on Ped-a-bro "Forever and Ever, Amen"

Les Green · Post by **Les Green** » 20 Sep 2007 8:50 am

Has anyone mentioned ol' Luther? (Folsum Prison Blues)

Eddie Lange · Post by **Eddie Lange** » 20 Sep 2007 10:46 pm

Yes Chuck, that was Pig on Almost Persuaded. That is definetly a country classic in my book.

Randy Mason · Post by **Randy Mason** » 5 Oct 2007 2:58 pm

I just had a visit with Buddy Harman at the rehab where he is staying and asked him again who was on that session. Grady Martin was not there. He was sure of that. Moss, Sanford, Orbison, Boots, McCoy, played the lick. Buddy goes home tomorrow.

Bob Ritter · Post by **Bob Ritter** » 6 Oct 2007 2:24 pm

Duane Eddie, is he still goin these days. but he might not be a session player just an ordinary star..lol. but I like him a lot and this riff too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxQ9aTmcLoo

Franklin · Post by **Franklin** » 7 Oct 2007 5:09 am

Cool thread.

Hargus "Pig" Robbins played the piano intro on "Behind Closed Doors" and the cool licks on "Almost Persuaded". As a sidenote, he also played the piano on many of Jerry Lee Lewis's country songs.

Listen closely to the "Pretty Woman" guitar riff, the saxophone of Boots Randolph is also playing unison with the guitars.

Paul

Joe Stoebenau · Post by **Joe Stoebenau** » 7 Oct 2007 7:16 am

How about Larry Carlton and his intro and plaing on Steely Dan's Jose. Not to mention just about everything else he played!

Jam On,
Joe

Randy Mason · Post by **Randy Mason** » 7 Oct 2007 10:50 am

Of course my brother Brent on Alan Jackson's "CHATTAHOOCHIE".

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Session players whose solos/hooks made the record a hit?

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