Chalker Tab Project for "Danny Boy"

Tom Bradshaw · Post by **Tom Bradshaw** » 20 Aug 2004 7:00 am

A couple of weeks ago I responded to an inquiry (on the Pedal Steel thread) about Forumites wanting the tab for Danny Boy (from Chalker's Counterpoint album that I released away back in the '80s). I have been able to retrieve the tab for that tune and would like to make it available to Forum members. If there is a Forum member who will post the tab here on the Forum, please contact me and I'll supply the original tab to you for doing so. The fellow who tabbed it out away back then, Bob Grossman, has checked it and feels that it is still accurate, although he says that if anyone wants to also post a version that they feel is more accurate, he welcomes it.

Additionally, if someone can post the complete tune so it can be heard and recorded from the Forum's web site, I will gladly consent to the tune being recorded for hearing here. Listeners can then record it for themselves so they can learn it from the tab provided. Let me hear from those who would like to participate in this project. ...Tom

Tom Bradshaw · Post by **Tom Bradshaw** » 20 Aug 2004 7:12 am

Wow, was that fast. Forum member Jay Fagerlie has agreed to do the posting of the tab and the music. I'll be mailing him the tab and the recording today. Look for the completion of this "project" to be announced on the Forum in a week or so. Thanks you Jay. ...Tom

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 20 Aug 2004 7:21 am

My pleasure, Tom
FWIW, YOU, Mr. Bradshaw, are partly to blame for my addiction to the world of steel guitar. A couple of years ago, I contacted you for reasons I don't even remember now, (must've been pretty minor if I don't remember...) and you replied with TWO copies of the Steel Guitar Magazine, including the double issue. And let me tell you, this action, along with the chance meeting of Forumite Chris Ivey, was all it took to get me hook, line, and sinker. In my expierence, the world of steel guitar has been one great expierence after another, filled with exceptional people, and it's my pleasure to help out any way I can.
So let me thank you, Tom, for inviting me in.

Jay

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 20 Aug 2004 9:13 am

Wow, so nice to see that post, Jay. It's actually thrilling to be reminded of the brotherhood and cameraderie that has helped so many folks find their way in the steel world. In the midst of the recent bashings and disagreements on the forum it's just great to read this! Thanks, and kudos to both you and Tom. (Looking forward to the tab as well!)

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Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com

Charles Curtis · Post by **Charles Curtis** » 20 Aug 2004 9:14 am

I'd like to thank you too, Tom. Many years ago you sent me those booklets and since then a few other things. It has always been a pleasure doing business with you.

Frank Estes · Post by **Frank Estes** » 20 Aug 2004 9:51 am

Me too, Tom! I bought a bunch of stuff from you over the years. I probably made my first purchase around 1980-81.

The issues of Steel Guitarist magazine were the best and so were the cassette club albums: I bought the ones by Buddy Charlton, Hal Rugg and Sonny Garrish.

Thank you for offering this tab, too!

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Frank Estes - 1978 Emmons D-10 8+7 #2441D

Tom Bradshaw · Post by **Tom Bradshaw** » 20 Aug 2004 4:33 pm

Hey guys, thanks for the kind remarks. Curly's album, Counterpoint, is one of his best, although other than Nashville Sundown, all were excellent in my opinion. "Nash-Down" would have been excellent too if the album's producer had allowed Curly to record the C6th arrangments he had worked up prior to the recording session. When the producer arrived and Curly began to record, the producer stopped everything and said he wanted the tunes recorded "like the other steel sounds coming from Nashville studios." Curly wanted to strangle the guy, but told me he had committed to the recording studio time and had vouched to all the sidemen that they would get paid. So, he moved his hands over to his E9th neck (where he said he hardly knew where anything was) and the outcome was a disappointment to him. When I got the release rights to that album, Curly said he was sorry that I intended to re-release it. He wanted it to die.

Besides "Nash-Down" I have the re-release rights to "Big Hits On Big Steel." I own Curly's Counterpoint and Nevada Breaks albums. Scotty owns Curly's remaining album, "More Ways To Play." Scotty and I have talked about re-releasing all of Curly's recordings as an anthology collection. It would consist of about 3 CD's (about 60 tunes). Scotty also has some unreleased live recordings which he owns. If we do get serious about this, we will probably be asking Forumites if it is a good idea, and would such an anthology series have a market. But, no need to fill up this topic here with notes of approval. This is a project that will require a lot of thinking before such an outlay of funds is chanced on just breaking even (which is the usual outcome when producing steel albums).

Another thought to make such a venture work would be to include the tab to each recorded tune on the CDs. That might prompt more steelers to buy the album and better assure a break-even outcome. ...Tom [This message was edited by Tom Bradshaw on 20 August 2004 at 05:37 PM.]

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 20 Aug 2004 6:36 pm

Thank you very much Tom for offering to do this. You have done so much for the steel guitar player over the years. I am sure all the forum guys will appreciate the tab and music both.

Also thank you Jay for offering to help out with this generous ofering by Tom Bradshaw. The spirit of steel guitar comradie is still alive........al

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My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 20 Aug 2004 6:58 pm

.[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 17 November 2004 at 07:47 PM.]

Bill Stafford · Post by **Bill Stafford** » 21 Aug 2004 2:10 am

This is so good to see. Thanks Tom. Curly was ahead of his time and will be for a long, long time-probably forever. Just like Byrd was and is..
Bill Stafford

Charles Curtis · Post by **Charles Curtis** » 21 Aug 2004 4:36 am

I would be interested in a CD, boxed set of Curly's work and the tab would be a plus. I would also be interested in a CD, boxed set of Julian Tharpes' recordings, even without the tab (I think that it may be real difficult to tab Julian's speedpicking). I like the non-studio recordings when the artists voice can be heard, sometimes discussing the song he is about to play.

George Kimery · Post by **George Kimery** » 21 Aug 2004 4:38 am

Tom: I have never thanked you either for the great help you gave me. Back in 1963 through 1968, I was in college and couldn't wait to graduate so I could buy a pedal steel. Instructional material was almost non-existent. I did somehow latch onto your chord construction on the Pedal Steel guitar booklet. You also had the copedents of most of the artists listed. I spent many, many hours making charts of which pedals and which strings would give me which chords. I studied the pedal steel for 5 years without a guitar!
The first pedal steel I every saw was Bobby Bowmans and that was an Emmons that he had in the trunk of his car. He opened the case and all I saw was the underside, but man, I had to have one of those. After graduating from college and getting my first job, I bought a car and a steel in that order. That was in 1968. I got your catalog also and just drooled. I didn't have any money to buy anything, but I had that one booklet. Thanks Tom for giving me the only thing I had. It meant so much to me.

KENNY KRUPNICK · Post by **KENNY KRUPNICK** » 21 Aug 2004 10:41 am

I'd love to have Curly's arrangement to Danny Boy.

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 21 Aug 2004 11:02 am

So would i

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 21 Aug 2004 6:17 pm

Tom: Before you get lost in the new project; don't forget you promised us a story about Curly and the Nevada Breaks session. I'm still looking for that one with unabated breath because, like some of what you have written in this thread, it would be a GREAAAT Story !!

Regards, Paul

Graham · Post by **Graham** » 21 Aug 2004 7:20 pm

Tom:
I would be glad to post both on the Rebel™. Ricky and Jeff site I have as well.

Site consists of steel intros, breaks and turn-arounds from 1951 to present and a lot of them have been tabbed out, primarily by Ricky Davis and Jeff Lampert but also with submissions from other various members of the Forum.

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Rebel™
ICQ 614585
http://users.interlinks.net/rebel/steel/steel.html

[This message was edited by Graham on 21 August 2004 at 08:23 PM.]

DeWitt Scott · Post by **DeWitt Scott** » 21 Aug 2004 8:59 pm

A couple of things for you.

I produced many steel guitar recordings from the 1970's through the 1990's and "More Ways To Play" by Curly Chalker was one of them. The tune "Long Black Limosine" is on that recording. I had a show here in St. Louis and invited Curly to play on it and the day after the show he came to my store sat down with Russ Wever and they tabed the tune out. It was my original intent to tab all the tunes on the recording but it was so time consuming that we dropped that idea.

When I had the "Steel Guitar International" newsletter (SGI 1978-1994) I would put in runs-licks-tunes etc. and had the artist help me tab them out. The method of communication wasn't the best in the world at that point in time and all my contacts had to be made by mail and word of mouth. This thread is a great method of sharing ideas instruction wise. Scotty's Music depends on sales to survive but I am willing to post The Long Black Limosine along with the recording like Tom has offered.

About Julian Tharpe. Most of his recordings are on Midland Records. Named after the street that my store is on. "Midland". I also have 7 full cassettes of Julian, most of which are recording live here in St. Louis. All of his LP's are also on the cassettes. I have been trying to find someone who is willing to listen to the cassettes, weed out the duplicates and then pick the best quality tunes and release them on a CD. The profit going to both Julian's family and a donation to the Steel Guitar Hall Of Fame, Inc. One of Julians fans turned the project down. Another fan of Julian has a copy of all 7 cassettes. It has been about two years now and he hasn't made much progress. It is a huge task. With my sons(and Don Curtis) running 95% of the store now maybe after this years Steel Guitar Convention is over I might tackle the project. Is this a good idea? Would you want the tune tabed out?

Just food for thought. Scotty

Jerry Clardy · Post by **Jerry Clardy** » 22 Aug 2004 3:17 am

Scotty - I would like to have a copy of all of Julian's work in any format. With or without tabs.
Jerry Clardy

Graham · Post by **Graham** » 22 Aug 2004 4:54 am

Scotty:
Same offer as I made to Tom in my message above yours.

Regarding the Tharpe material, check your email.

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Rebel™
ICQ 614585
http://users.interlinks.net/rebel/steel/steel.html

Charles Curtis · Post by **Charles Curtis** » 22 Aug 2004 6:34 am

Scotty, I too would like a copy of Julian's work; preferrably on CDs. Whether I'm around here much longer or not; I believe that Julian and Curly's work should be preserved in a permanent format for obvious reasons. I think they probably had the talent to focus their energy in more lucrative careers but had such love for the psg or for whatever reason pioneered wonderful music that we enjoy today. Scotty, do you know which fingers Julian used when speedpicking? Does anybody?

Bill Napier · Post by **Bill Napier** » 22 Aug 2004 8:50 am

I bought Curly's "More Ways to Play" from Mr.Tom Bradshaw. I was inspired to buy it after hearing what I assumed was a "bootleg" recording someone had made of Curly playing "Long Black Limosine" at a jam. Fantastic!
Unfortunately, when I received the "legal" tape I was very disappointed. The piano almost dominates the music, and pushes Curly's superb picking into the background. If I had the means to override that loud piano, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
For those of you on the thread about the fiddle players who don't or won't share the fills with you, that is the exact feeling I get when I hear that piano.
Otherwise, both of Curly's tapes I bought from Tom are real treasures.

Charles Curtis · Post by **Charles Curtis** » 22 Aug 2004 2:19 pm

This is something to consider. Years ago I spent a lot of time and money doing my family history; this entailed a lot of traveling etc. Once I had it together, it occured to me that in the event of a disaster it could be lost. Therefore, I made copies of it along with the photos I had collected and colorized and gave it to different family members; they were most appreciative and I had secured this effort. This is simply something to think about when something is rare and dear.

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 22 Aug 2004 7:17 pm

.[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 17 November 2004 at 07:47 PM.]

Jerry Clardy · Post by **Jerry Clardy** » 25 Aug 2004 3:55 am

Charles - Here's a link to the topic of Julian's Speed picking fingers:
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum15/HTML/007023.html

Charles Curtis · Post by **Charles Curtis** » 25 Aug 2004 6:36 am

Thanks Jerry; I was too hasty in reading that before and missed it. The key being, thumb and index finger. I wonder if he wore his finger picks extended or with his fingertips further in? Anyone ever notice?