John Lennon playing lap steel guitar

Kay Das · Post by **Kay Das** » 9 Nov 2009 11:09 pm

Just about 15 seconds..not the greatest technique. Jerry Byrd would not approve...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFxFDAqgnQU

Kay

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 10 Nov 2009 3:42 am

Byrd would have liked the paycheck I bet.

Ben Sims · Post by **Ben Sims** » 10 Nov 2009 7:29 am

Here's the whole song, without voiceover:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HJ2zDu_11w

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 10 Nov 2009 10:03 am

Must have been one of the last times the old gang played together in the studio. Probably not the happiest of clams, but they seem into it, except for Ringo.
And what the - is he using for a slide?

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 10 Nov 2009 10:53 am

What did George say?
"Elmore James got nothing on this boy".
Or something else?

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 10 Nov 2009 11:54 am

Ron Whitfield wrote: And what the - is he using for a slide?

Cig lighter??? Big ink pen??? ??????

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 10 Nov 2009 12:14 pm

Someone in the comments said a shotgun shell!?!

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 10 Nov 2009 1:42 pm

It appears to have brass, or more likely, gold, at both ends. Not a shotgun shell. Most likely a lighter.

Darrell Urbien · Post by **Darrell Urbien** » 10 Nov 2009 11:07 pm

Can't be sure.. Were any of them smokers?

Derrick Mau · Post by **Derrick Mau** » 11 Nov 2009 2:42 am

You gotta give the man credit for trying though.
He did pretty well for someone who doesn't play steel often, or at all, if any.

Believe me, I've heard worst, and from people who been at it for awhile.

George Piburn · Post by **George Piburn** » 11 Nov 2009 3:49 am

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 11 Nov 2009 8:01 am

http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum2/HTML/004224.html
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum2/HTML/007112.html

Mike D · Post by **Mike D** » 11 Nov 2009 1:46 pm

I think it's something made of plastic. The 'tone'

he's getting sounds like when I'm sitting around on the couch and play slide with the TV remote.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 11 Nov 2009 1:54 pm

......yoko..!..you're breakin' up the band...!!

Dave Boothroyd · Post by **Dave Boothroyd** » 12 Nov 2009 2:00 am

The people on the Hofner site are all certain that the "slide" is a BIC disposable cigarette lighter.
Those Hofner Hawaiian guitars sound pretty good with a real slide. I remember having a great time playing what turned out to be "Crossroads" on a borrowed one at a meeting of Hofner owners.
I think I'd have played even better if I'd ever used that old style Hawaiian tuning before!
Still the audience loved it and Basil had gone by then, so that left me as the best steel player there. (out of one!)
Cheers
Dave

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 13 Nov 2009 6:00 am

I noticed roight away that he's not muting the strings behind the bar which is interesting.

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 13 Nov 2009 8:55 am

Cool video ... From the sound of it, I would not bet against a bic lighter.

Kay Das · Post by **Kay Das** » 13 Nov 2009 11:51 pm

Just about the most famous bic lighter in music history ...but in my view, a very unremarkable steel guitar performance

He could done better playing slide guitar, like George Harrison.

Craig Stenseth · Post by **Craig Stenseth** » 14 Nov 2009 2:13 pm

I bet the caption for this one is, "play it like this, John"!

http://www.thebeatles.com/#/images/26_01_1969_1

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 14 Nov 2009 4:04 pm

Kay Das wrote:a very unremarkable steel guitar performance.

Wow, I have the opposite feeling after watching the video. I always figured this was Harrison on slide, and even tho the recorded track doesn't match the video take, it's Lennon playing quasi-steel guitar, and making a legendary recording. He obviously wasn't that familiar with a steel or the bar, but being a musical genius he still managed a magical moment.
George's statement of John's 'I did it!' look was spot on, and how fortunate to have the camera catch it.
No, Byrd wouldn't be impressed, but I am!

Pete Honychurch · Post by **Pete Honychurch** » 16 Nov 2009 12:14 pm

he said in an interview way back when that he played it with a lighter. sounds like it too. interesting....

John Bushouse · Post by **John Bushouse** » 16 Nov 2009 7:35 pm

OK, it's not lap steel, but he plays slide on a pretty cool National. And the guy to his right is playing a National, too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbNQnQCZReY

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 16 Nov 2009 9:03 pm

We have those loyal Formites here that are happy to have their alleged instrument of choice, the "Steel Guitar" called everything under the sun........but, what it actually is....a steel guitar.

NOW in this topic alone, some of us can't get with the program sufficiently to decided on whether we're playing a SLIDE GUITAR or a steel guitar with a bar.

To heck with tradition.......

Let's keep on re-writing history! Any name will do.

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John Lennon playing lap steel guitar

John Lennon playing lap steel guitar

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