Deciphering Noel Boggs' "Tenderly", give a listen

Mike Neer · From: NJ

I spent a good 2 hours trying to figure out the tuning of this great track by Noel Boggs and then "Eureka", I got it. This is one of the most difficult pieces I've played yet, not only because deciphering it was such a bear, but mostly because of how difficult it is to execute. I recorded a few takes of it and this is one of the imperfect ones, but you can hear what is required to make it happen. Oh, and by the way, the tuning is B11 (E C# A F# D# C# B ?(string 8 doesn't matter here)). You figure out the rest--I've left many a clue. This one is going to take a few days of practicing to get it clean enough. This is obviously an early attempt at it, but still I marvel at Noel's ingenuity.

BTW, the whole recording, rhythm guitar, bass and steel only took about an hour and a half to do. The steel used is my Clinesmith through a Princeton Reverb.

Tenderly
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links

Chris Tweed · From: Cardiff, Wales, UK

Very very cool. That closing run down of chords had my head swivelling.

Chris

CrowBear Schmitt · From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France

Real Nice Mike ! Very Happy

Don McGregor · From: Memphis, Tennessee

Mike,
You made my day.
Thank you.

Jan Jonsson · From: Gothenburg, Sweden

Mike, that was amazing! What great chords you've managed to create with that tuning.

-- Jan
_________________
CDs: Waltz for Elma (2015), Steel Reflections (2009)
Gear: 10-string Desert Rose "Delta Blues", Fender Deluxe 8, Fender CS Nocaster
Transcriptions of Lloyd Green's music: www.lloydgreentribute.com (Tablature menu)

Andy Volk · From: Boston, MA

Mike, you've got a hell of a good ear. Thanks for all your efforts in decoding all these classic tunes. When you really dig down deep into what these early steel players did ... Byrd, Boggs, Murphey, etc.... it's really mind boggling how they figured out such levels of sophistication out of what some misguided folks think is a limited instrument. They lived in a time of far fewer distractions, had a much better elementary school education as a baseline and had almost no resources other than their own resourcefulness. What they accomplished on the instrument remains incredible. Thanks for bringing the details to light, Mike.

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Congratulations on a technical job that has been done so well..........what a great performance.

You've really nailed down Noel's vibrato and I found it to be supurb but......your high single string phrases have also captured the Noel touch. No thin
twangy wire sound but a wholesome Boggs' sound. GREAT!

Are you really sure he did that in only one tuning?Did you ever see him play 'live'?

He used to jump around all over that four neck guitar in order to get a specific chord here or there. The pop songs he played, not being your typcial 3-chord country tune, required a variety of chord structures.

You did a fabulous job and particularly so, if you managed to do it on just one neck/tuning.

LOVED your accompaniment!

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

Great job, Mike. You did Noel proud.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Doug Beaumier · From: Northampton, MA

Very nice, Mike. "Tenderly" is one of the classics! I have an arrangement of this song in my E9 PSG song book.

Interesting to note... the song is written in 3/4 time, and most versions are in 3/4, although some musicians play it in 4/4, as Noel Boggs did.
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel

Andy Volk · From: Boston, MA

The late jazz violist Joe Venuti used to play the melody on his instrument with exaggerated tenderness until he got to the place in the song where you would first hear the word "tenderly". He's shout out "Tenderly!" in his gruff, booming voice then go on with the violin playing the melody. Too funny.

Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

At one time in the late fourties Noel Boggs was one of my Mentors. I would go over to his house in Lynwood, Ca. where he would show me things and give me tips. Also, he was always playing in a Club with his own group on week nights. He only worked with Spade Cooley on Friday and Saturday nights at the Santa Monica Pier Ballroom. I watched Noel on many a night at some of the Clubs he played at. When playing "Tenderly", and he was playing single notes it was usually on his A6th Neck, and for the great chords he would move up to his E13th neck. Sometimes depending on the tune he would retune some of the strings just for particular chords he wanted to use. I watched him many times jumping necks and adjusting his tuning.

Mike Neer · From: NJ

In the time I spent trying to figure this one out, I tried every tuning from A6 to E13(with a retuned 3rd string) and several uncharted waters and I listened to the arpeggiated 7b5 chords and did the math--there was simply no other way I could find to do it. But then I took a look at B11 and with the string pulls I was able to have it all on the one neck. Is anyone aware of Noel ever doing this?

I originally thought that it might be more than one neck, so I sat down with my T-8 Custom. The more I listened to Noel's track, though, it seemed to me that he was only using one neck, as there's just not enough time between sustained notes and the arpeggios I mentioned.

This is really the first time I've played around with B11 and Tony Locke, you're right, there's a lot of cool stuff there.

Dang, my bass intonation is pretty far off. I just needed something to keep time. Maybe in a future edition I'll redo it.
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links

Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

A whole book could be written on Noel Boggs. His playing with the big Western Swing Bands and three to five chord Country songs often could be imitated by the rest of us SteelPlayers. However, Noel's forte was really in Pop music and when he had his own group in the Cluhs you could not touch him. At one time he had his own Pop sextet playing intermissions at the Palladium on Sunset Blvd. when the big swing bands were appearing there. Unfortunately, in later years Noel had his heart attack and died when playing at the Long Beach "Eagles" with another Pop player "Carl Scroggins".

Mitch Drumm · From: Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake

About 18 months ago, Bob Hoffnar (of this forum) stated that Jimmy Wyble was putting together some sort of scrapbook or tribute to Noel Boggs and that Wyble was looking for material for the project.

I wonder what has become of that as it would surely be something to behold considering how far back Wyble and Boggs knew each other and played together (1944?).

Billy Tonnesen: who can you ID in this group pic of Tommy Duncan's band? The middle row is Boggs, Wyble, unknown, and Joe Holley. Other than that, I can't ID anybody except Tommy.

Guy Cundell · From: More idle ramblings from South Australia

Thanks, Mike. This gives much food for thought.

Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

Mitch:.
Left to right lookking at pictur.
Top Row: Can't remember-Maybe Jack Lloyd
Glynn Duncan - Bass (Tommy's
Brother)
2nd Row:
Noel Boggs
Jimmy Wyble
Cameron Hill
Joe Holly
Bottom Row:
Ozie Stoccard (i think)
Tommy Duncan
MIlard Kelso

These guys were all playing along with Tommy with Bob Wills. When Tommy left Bob this Band went with him. Dave Mings and Ole Rasmussen were operating the 97th Street Corral in So. Los Angeles. Dave Mings had just purchased the Harmony Park Ballroom in Anaheim, Ca. So Ole's Band and Tommy's band split up the nights between the two Ballrooms. The Corral operated 7 nights a week and Harmony Park Wednesday thru Sunday. Don't ask me why but Tommy's crowds decreased and Ole's increased. Tommy finally gave up having his own band. Noel, Jimmy Wyble and Cameron Hill joined Spade Cooley's band.
I still keep in touch with Glynn Duncan (Tommy's brother) who has been retired for years and lives in Hemet, Ca. Glynn would remember more of the details.

Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

Here's a little more Noel Boggs trivia. Noel picked out many 4-string combination chords with his right hand. He did not use a fihger pick on his right hand ring finger. Instead he had a very thick finger nail that he let grow to the length of a pick.

Mitch Drumm · From: Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake

Billy:

Thanks for the info. I should have recognized Kelso.

I met Glynn briefly at a Sacramento Western Swing Society wingding in the early 90s and thought he looked quite a bit like Tommy at that time and a little like Robert Mitchum as well. I certainly could never have picked him out in the above pic.

Cameron Hill died at age 43 in the summer of 1962, so that picture is a bit older than I thought.

That band must have sounded great with Boggs and Wyble and Hill on twin guitars, probably better than the Wills band of the same era.

Re: Ramblin' Jimmy Dolan--did you play on his Modern recording of "If You Care Again"??

Mike Neer · From: NJ

Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

Mitch:
These are some of the records I was on.
o--I wonder if you will ever care again.
o--One Million Railroad Ties From Home
o--I knew you were foolin all along
o--T-For Texas, T-For Tennessee.
Musicians: Myself on Steel, Earl Finley on lead guitar, Tex Atchison on Fiddle, Vic Davis on Piano, Smokey Armstrong on Bass, Bob Lutz on Drums.

These records were made in 1947 and I hadn't developed my style yet. I was playing parts of everyone I had heard. On T-For Texss I had no idea what to stick with and it showed. By 1948 I started thinking for myself and my playing was decidedly improved.

Mitch Drumm · From: Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake

Billy:

Thanks for the info.

"If You Care Again" is my favorite Dolan song and the steel ride on that tune shows you had been spending a bit of time around Noel Boggs. I felt the same way when I heard the Sinatra recording of "Sunflower".

Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

Mitch:.

You were right on the Sunflower Record. When I took my ride I knew I better start out with the melody but halfway through I knew I better add something more and my Joaquin influence kicked in and it all came out pretty decent. I never did care to much for Noels phrasing on his single string rides, like everyone else in L.A. we all wanted to emulate Joaquin. I will now close my contributions to this tab. Nice talking to you. Do you have an E-Mail ?

Mitch Drumm · From: Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake

Billy:

I have sent you a private email on this forum. Check it.

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

Good playing on that Mike! I enjoyed hearing it.

Anthony Locke · From: Texas, USA

Mike, that is an EXCELLENT recording you did. You really captured the sound and subtle nuances that Mr. Boggs did when he recorded that. Good Job!!

Forum Index > Steel Without Pedals	Goto page 1, 2 Next	Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic