Wynn Stewart's steel players

Fred Justice · Post by **Fred Justice** » 1 Jan 2008 7:18 pm

That's right Jason, I plum forgot about Jim Scott, what a card. Yes, Jim Scott, Benny Thompson, Buddy Long and Lord knows who else used to go to Anchorage seems like every year. Offered that trip to me several times but I had too many roots and kids to raise, to go with them. Ya, Jim was'nt at Wynn's Country World very long if I recall.
Boy I'll tell ya, Dale Noe could sang the Jim Reeves songs like well, Jim Reeves.
Jason, you got a better memory than me, for sure.

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 2 Jan 2008 3:49 pm

Aw shuck, ain't my recall to claim... just happened to have found Jim some years back trying to find out more about a 60s country outfit he played with when he tried his luck in L.A.

I remain a massive Wynn Stewart fan, and from what I've seen here and on his daughter's tribute pages, I see many others do as well.

Dean Rankin · Post by **Dean Rankin** » 4 Jan 2008 3:52 am

Jason, I stand corrected, it must have been 1968 when I met Jimmy Collins and must have been late 68 or early 69 when Jimmy moved to Idaho. ( Too many beers, I mean years ago!! ). I do have a picture of Jimmy playing his Steel but don't know how to post it.
Dean

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 4 Jan 2008 5:53 am

Hi Dean, well it was almost 40 years ago.

Collins sessions for Wynn.

October 24, 1966 Nashville Tennessee. Producer Marvin H. Hughes
Ol' What's Her Name (ST 2737) - Fuzzy Owens
It's Such A Pretty World Today (ST 2737) - Dale Noe
Unfaithful Arms (ST 2737) - Wynn Stewart
Let's Pretend We're Kids Again (ST 2737) - Bobby Wayne/Dave Pittman
Session crew: Wynn Stewart (vocals, guitar), Robert ‘Bobby Wayne’ Edrington (guitar), Jimmie Collins (steel), Dennis Dean Hromek (bass), David ‘Dave’ William Allen (drums), Jim Pierce (piano), and the Anita Kerr Singers (backing vocals).

March 15, 1967 Capitol Recording Studios. Producer Ken Nelson
The World's Youngest Naughty Old Man (ST 2849)
You Can Always Give Her Back To Me (ST 2737) - Bobby Wayne/Sonny Ferguson
That's The Only Way To Cry (ST 2849)
Out There Is Your World (ST 2737)
Session Crew: Wynn Stewart (vocals, guitar), Bobby Wayne (guitar), Jimmie Collins (steel), Dennis Hromek (bass), Dave Allen (drums), Jim Pierce (piano), and Bob Morris (bass).

July 10, 1967 Capitol Recording Studios. Producer Ken Nelson
Love's Gonna Happen To Me (ST 2849) - Jim Stewart. * Wynn vocal overdub, Nashville, August 31, 1967
I Won't Live That Long (ST 2849) - Tommy Collins/Wynn Stewart
Spittin' Guitar (Instrumental) - Bobby Wayne * unissued
Session Crew: Wynn Stewart (vocals, guitar), Bobby Wayne (guitar), Harold Glen Garrison (guitar), Tommy Collins (guitar), Jimmie Collins (steel), Dennis Hromek (bass), Dave Allen (drums) and George French Jr. (piano).

August 28, 1967 Capitol Recording Studios. Producer Ken Nelson
Down Came The World (ST 2849) - Bozo Darnell/Waylon Jennings
Mama's Gone Home - Tommy Collins * unissued
In Love (ST-113) - Bobby George
Above And Beyond (ST 2849)
Session Crew: Wynn Stewart (vocals, guitar), Bobby Wayne (guitar), Tommy Collins (guitar), Jimmie Collins (steel), Dennis Hromek (bass), Dave Allen (drums) and Jim Pierce (piano).

August 29, 1967 Capitol Recording Studios. Producer Ken Nelson
Big, Big Love (Make Big Love) (ST 2849)
Waltz Of The Angels (ST 2849)
Session Crew: Wynn Stewart (vocals, guitar), Phil Baugh (guitar), Tommy Collins (guitar), Jimmie Collins (steel), Dennis Hromek (bass), Dave Allen (drums) and Jim Pierce (piano).

August 30, 1967 Capitol Recording Studios. Producer Ken Nelson
Loversville (ST 2849)
It's So Cold In Your House And Lonesome In Mine (ST 2849)
Orange Blossom Special (instrumental) * unissued
Daddy's Girl (ST 2849)
Session Crew: Wynn Stewart (vocals, guitar), Phil Baugh (guitar), Tommy Collins (guitar), Jimmy Bryant (guitar), Jimmie Collins (steel), Dennis Hromek (bass), Dave Allen (drums) and Jim Pierce (piano).

August 31, 1967 Capitol Recording Studios. Producer Ken Nelson
Fresh Out Of Love * unissued, lead vocals may be by Dennis Hromek.
Sing The Same Song (ST 2849) - Wynn Stewart/Bobby George
You're That Someone Else (ST-324) - Wynn Stewart/Tommy Collins
Session Crew: Wynn Stewart (vocals, guitar), Phil Baugh (guitar), Tommy Collins (guitar), Jimmy Bryant (guitar), Jimmie Collins (steel), Dennis Hromek (bass), Dave Allen (drums) and Jim Pierce (piano).

Dean Rankin · Post by **Dean Rankin** » 4 Jan 2008 6:16 am

Jason, thanks for the info on Jimmy !! Jimmy was a very good friend and mentor.
Dean

Ken Mizell · Post by **Ken Mizell** » 5 Jan 2008 6:26 pm

I always thought Big, Big Love was Moon. Looks like I was fooled. I never thought the others mentioned sounded like Moon, but I had convinced myself that Moon did Big, Big, Love. Nice playing, no matter who did it.

Ken

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 6 Jan 2008 7:51 am

That's the Capitol version of Big Big Love with Collins. The original on Challenge had Moon. At least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Ken Mizell · Post by **Ken Mizell** » 6 Jan 2008 8:20 am

Thanks Herb. I feel better now.

Ken

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 9 Jan 2008 2:33 am

Herb's spot on, Wynn re-recorded more than a few of the classic Challenge sides.

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 9 Jan 2008 11:42 am

About my favorite Wynn Stewart is the original version of "Wishful Thinking" with Moon and some soprano from he!! singing a "Star Trek" vocal line just the ever so slightest off pitch behind the hook line.... Now THAT's COUNTRY MUSIC IMO (the remake wasn't too bad either, but that original cut just kills!)

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 9 Jan 2008 11:51 am

Dave
There was an early-60's period in country music where the coloratura soprano was used for backup. I recall that the great Vicki Carr was on some Bob Wills tunes from his Liberty years.

Bob Mueller · Post by **Bob Mueller** » 25 Jul 2009 1:44 pm

Well I'm at least a year late reading some of these post but was so interested in folks that knew Whynn,Dale Noe, and Jimmy Collins.
I had the chance to Hear Whynn in Yuma, Az back when "Its Such A Pretty World " was #1 on the charts, and met Jimmy, Bobby, Dennis all such nice guys and Jimmy Collins became my hero.
Lost trak of him until I was in Cortez, Co and heard "Orange Blossom Special" one night and reintroduced my self.
Jimmy was living in Farmington, NM and came down to Mexican Hat 3 nights/wk for about 3 months to play at our SkinBar. The Old TOP-O-HAT. Man could Jimmy play good. We renamed "Orange Blossom Special" "AMTRAK"
I later did buy Jim's Fender 2000 from his Wife and still have it. I should have left his tunning on it.Something like a A6th with one high A# to B pull. It took him at least 10 min. to get that string up there by rubbing it etc.
Well long winded that I am, Sure do miss Jimmy and his great technique on Steel.
Bobby

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 25 Jul 2009 6:39 pm

Moon also wrote "Foolin" recorded by Johnny Rodrigues. This is the best informative thread we have had in quiet a while. Jody.

Jeff Evans · Post by **Jeff Evans** » 26 Jul 2009 3:01 am

Glad the thread came back up.

Jack "Jackie" Thomson said he played for Wynn in 1969–1970. Jack was a kind, gentle man who, like everyone with Stewart experience I've encountered, spoke highly of Wynn.

(Jack continued to work on restoring a ZB guitar for another player at help-a-brotha-out pricing even as Jack fought cancer, a battle he ultimately lost in the mid-2000s.)

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 26 Jul 2009 10:49 pm

I first knew Wynn as a teenager when I was playing backup for the Sqeakin Deacon show at the McDonalds Ballroom in Compton, Ca. on Sunday mornings. I think his Mother brought him down to sing as the show was broadcast on KXLA. Then when playing with the full Ole Rasmussen band for the Sunday afternoon dance Wynn would stick around and sing for the crowd We all knew he was going to be a future Star. I think one of his first gigs was at Sherry's Barn in North Long Beach. Carl West on Steel, Cecil Beas on lead guitar, and a Italian Drummer I think was named Tony.
One of my favorite recordings of Wynn's was "After The Storm". There was no Steel but a lot of "Strings" and backup singers. It was a real production and Wynn was in fine voice IMHO.

Lee Jeffriess · Post by **Lee Jeffriess** » 27 Jul 2009 4:58 pm

Hey Billy, didnt you play with Wynn?.
I have seen a picture of you playing a Fender 1000 with him.
I think your playing at MacArthur park.
Jason I thought all those sessions were Mooney, WOW.
Lee

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 27 Jul 2009 9:36 pm

Lee:.
I will not take credit for ever working in one of Wynn's bands or recording with him. The picture of Wynn and I at the McArthur Park Muscians Trust Fund Concert was just a one timer. I was playing there with Jack Tucker and Tommy Alsup. Wynn did not have a Steel Player with him so I filled in.
I wish I had an original print of the picture for my scrap book.

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 28 Jul 2009 11:39 am

More information on Jimmy Collins:

I played in a road band when I started playing steel (1975 or so) that would play the sophisticated metropolis of Othello WA for a few weeks at a time. Every week on our day off I went to this club in a tiny town outside of Yakima where Jimmy was in the house band and sit in all night long. Jimmy was a great player and very gracious (in a sarcastic way). Great tone with that old fender going through a tube echoplex and a fender amp. The bass player sang Ray Price shuffles all night long, so I though that Jimmy's playing reminded me more of early Emmons or Day than Ralph Mooney, but he could definitely do the Mooney thing.

Mac McGhee · Post by **Mac McGhee** » 28 Jul 2009 12:23 pm

Wynn was part of the Bakerfield Sound. West Coast music if you want to call it that. He was held back because he didn't bow to the likes of Nashville and no one else.
Moon was the Steeler on the first Big Big Love and a song no one seems to mention that was a great one for Wynn was Waltz of the Angels.
When Wynn hit Texas, Kennedale in fact where Moon lives now, Wynn was playing in different places trying to get it all together again. He took a lot of hits from Buck Owens and no one likes or will talk about it. Jody Payne, Kenny Miller, Darrel Hicks played with Wynn here in the area and when wynn performed at Phanter Hall.
The last time I played with Wynn was at Phanter Hall and that was in Oct 1969. He was with Ace Cannon. He also did a short fill in with Jerry Lee there. Wynn gave Hag his first hit and no one seemed to mention it ever until the last few years I have heard Hag talk about it. Payne went with Nelson in the 70s after Sammie Smith and Jody never play anymore with Wynn. Kenny Miller (drummer) also went with Sammie. Wynn Stewart was the strongest singer in Country Music and if you listen to his recordings they tell you how much of his soul is in it. Jan Howard recorded with Wynn and they did have some beautiful music. Wynn should be in the HOF but because of politics (IMHO) it will be awhile, but it will happen. All is not lost for Wynn and I listen to him often. This past Saturday night I had a guy ask me to play a Wynn Stewart song. The band didn't know any so I did Loversville without backup. Playboy was a song requested but no one knew it. What a pity....