Swingin' On The Steel by Ray Montee

Todd Clinesmith · Post by **Todd Clinesmith** » 19 Dec 2008 7:20 am

Incredible Ray,
You put everything there for a perfect steel tune, melody, harmonics and a harmony.
Now where can I buy the record ?
I need to get up there and say hi....
Your fan to the south
Todd

Bob Littleton · Post by **Bob Littleton** » 19 Dec 2008 7:45 am

Ray's a real treasure here in the Portland area! Incredible tone and a real gentleman!

Bob Littleton
West Coast Steel Guitar

DeWitt Scott · Post by **DeWitt Scott** » 19 Dec 2008 8:24 am

Hey man, nice tone you had there! I enjoyed listening to you play. You must have had a long and enjoyable career and will be looking forward to meeting you some day and listen to the many stories you must have to tell. Scotty

Rick Alexander · Post by **Rick Alexander** » 19 Dec 2008 8:45 am

Ray Montee will be performing live at the TSGA Jamboree Non Pedal Session in Dallas TX on Friday March 13 2009.
http://rickalexander.com/BigSteel/2009N ... ssion.html
A golden opportunity to see and hear this master of the steel guitar . .

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 19 Dec 2008 9:49 am

Skipper - yer my hero - Drew

Jamie O'Connell · Post by **Jamie O'Connell** » 19 Dec 2008 1:12 pm

Fantastic! Really nice job Ray. Thanks for posting that Rick.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 20 Dec 2008 10:57 am

Ray,,,,,I'm sittin' here, with a huge smile on my face! Thank you!
BTW, what's the tuning on that neck?

Chris Scruggs · Post by **Chris Scruggs** » 20 Dec 2008 2:39 pm

Beautiful playing, Ray! Way to go!

Chris

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 20 Dec 2008 3:40 pm

Rick Aiello wrote:That's just too cool ...

My thoughts exactly!

Steven Cearley · Post by **Steven Cearley** » 21 Dec 2008 8:26 am

Hmmm? 1964 . . . lets see . . . I was a big 13 years old. Great job, Ray.

Edward Meisse · Post by **Edward Meisse** » 21 Dec 2008 11:33 am

I was 14. I wish I had heard of steel guitar at that time. The tone was terrific. But the harmonics!!! It's hard for me to imagine myself doing an uptempo melody in harmonics. But appearantly it CAN be done.

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 21 Dec 2008 6:06 pm

Many thanks for the kind words......

I've always enjoyed playing steel guitar and have always attempted to do my best. It makes this olde man feel mighty happy to hear the compliments PRIOR
to my funeral.

Hopefully I'll have the opportunity to meet many of you while attending the Texas Steel Guitar Show in March, 2009. Again, many thanks.

Special thanks to Rick Alexander for installing the video on YouTube. Without him, this could not have been possible.

Rick Schmidt · Post by **Rick Schmidt** » 22 Dec 2008 7:27 am

That was GREAT Ray!!!

Billy Wilson · Post by **Billy Wilson** » 22 Dec 2008 9:35 am

Love it!! The band sounds real good and tight too. Got any more clips of you guys?

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 22 Dec 2008 5:32 pm

Rick Alexander wrote:Ray Montee will be performing live at the TSGA Jamboree Non Pedal Session in Dallas TX on Friday March 13 2009.
http://rickalexander.com/BigSteel/2009N ... ssion.html
A golden opportunity to see and hear this master of the steel guitar . .

Take your video camera along and maybe we can be treated to some more of the Skipper and his talents.

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 23 Dec 2008 9:33 am

Rick Alexander wrote:Ray Montee will be performing live at the TSGA Jamboree Non Pedal Session in Dallas TX on Friday March 13 2009.
A golden opportunity to see and hear this master of the steel guitar . .

sounds like a great photo opp for a SWP forum group shot......

Rick Alexander · Post by **Rick Alexander** » 23 Dec 2008 1:40 pm

Alan, you get your wish my friend!
We'll be video-ing all the NP Session performances and posting the videos on YouTube just like we did last year.
The Skipper is definitely one of the great steel players, and his playing should be heard by all!

Howard, you've been reading my mind again!!

I was thinking of asking all the NP Session participants to assemble at 4:00 PM (just as soon as the show is over) for a group photo shoot.
Of course, any and all SWP folks present should be in it whether they played in the show or not.
We just have to find a capable non-participant to take the photo(s).
We'll either have to enlist a pedal player or just pull somebody off the street . .

Wait a minute, I almost forgot - the 12 second delay feature on my camera!
We can totally do this . .

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 25 Dec 2008 5:30 pm

Hi Billy!
In response to your question: NOPE! The station provided Heck, the leader with only one copy of one show. So sad. Some 3-5 years of shows, mostly in living color too.

The shows were always well rehearsed and the musicians worked together really well. Don, the accordianist, suggested most of the arrangements and the public found them to quite acceptable.

It was always fun to do the show. We'd rehearse a couple of hours on Wednesday evening; then, a couple of hours just prior to the show, and then we did the show LIVE! Some stress, to be sure, but that's why we are professionals, right? Just joking.

This is the only show I've EVER worked, without a lead guitarist at me elboe. I hate piano/accordianists however, DON was absolutely the very best I've ever know. It was indeed an honor for me to have worked with him.

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 25 Dec 2008 5:31 pm

Rick Alexander · Post by **Rick Alexander** » 25 Dec 2008 8:04 pm

NOPE! The station provided Heck, the leader with only one copy of one show. So sad. Some 3-5 years of shows, mostly in living color too.

That is sad - all those wonderful performances that have been lost.
All we can do now is make sure the ones we still have and the ones yet to be recorded DON'T get lost.
Fortunately that's much easier to do now than it was then . .

Michael Misetich · Post by **Michael Misetich** » 26 Dec 2008 1:11 pm

Skip,

As usual, great performance on the Bigsby, especially the harmonics. I remember watching that particular Heck Harper show because it was the last of the series; almost 44 years ago to the day. Is it possible that KGW may have additional film of this series or the Circle Eight Hoedown show in their library? When Heck passed away, KGW showed three or four clips of Heck singing on earlier programs.

Many years ago, I interviewed Heck for the Portland State University newspaper. They did not run the story and I tried to get the Oregonian to run it in their Sunday supplement. They passed on it. On one of the tapes I recorded, Heck told a humorous story about his early career.

In the 1930s, he came to Chicago from his home in Wisconsin to audition for a one-time appearance on the National Barn Dance. He got the gig and because he was very nervous, he decided to practice his song before he went on in the WLS men's room. Heck said he struck up a conversation with a guy who walked in in the middle of his restroom rehearsal. Feeling pretty important, Heck boasted that he would be singing on the Barn Dance later that evening. He asked the guy if he was a performer or just a member of the crew. The guy responded that he was trying to be a singer. Later, as he was standing in the wings waiting to go on, Heck saw this same guy walk out on stage as the announcer said "and now ladies and gentleman, Red Foley!

Looking forward to seeing you at the Texas show in March

Mike

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 27 Dec 2008 9:19 am

Michael......Heck told me that this was the only video copy they would give him. They had both the black and white shows and later the color videos.

I understand that STeve Malnacheck got a host of tapes from Martha Flateau. I've attempted to communicate with Steve but get the cold shoulder.

Perhaps you could have more success. I beleive he lives in/around the Milwaukie area. GOOD LUCK.

There were lots of great instrumentals and vocals on those shows...... "Bells of St.Mary" that I did standing with the dlb-8 Rick is ONE I can still recall.

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 30 Dec 2008 11:06 am

Rick Alexander, are YOU.......going to be playing that fabulous rythmn guitar at the Texas Jamboree?

Great guitar playing on your CD and would love to have that kind of rythmn behind me during my mini-performance.

Rick Alexander · Post by **Rick Alexander** » 30 Dec 2008 1:21 pm

Ray, thanks for the kind words.
I'd be happy to play rhythm guitar for your set in the Non Pedal Session.
That means I get to be in your next video!

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 31 Dec 2008 12:42 pm

Hey there Rick!

Are you going to be wearing WHITE for that gala video performance?

I just wanted to be sure so I could coordinate my attire with yours without creating any type of visual clash, if you will.

By the way I've dispatched a copy of "Hawaiian Memories"........so that you can hear a touch of my style of playing.

By the way, if you will be so kind to do so, I'd prefer that you stand with that g'tar to my LEFT. I've grown up listening to my accompaniment on that side and simply don't know how to act when it's elsewhere.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Swingin' On The Steel by Ray Montee

Ray

To my Forum Friends...................

more video clips............................

double post

Regarding KGW-TV.............

Rythmn Section at Texas Shin-Dig

RICK & the TSGA Jamboree