what was your first real recording experience?

Jamie Lennon · Post by **Jamie Lennon** » 2 Sep 2010 8:51 am

First major recording was on Georgette Jones album.
Next one in January for Georgette

Tom Stolaski · Post by **Tom Stolaski** » 2 Sep 2010 10:30 am

Living in Kalamazoo with Mark VA and Larry Bell, I also had my first big recording session on pedal steel at Uncle Dirty's Sound Machine. It was The Morrow Brothers making an album for their church. The hardest part was coming in to overdub and trying to match bad timing. It was a good learning experience. I still have a copy of the album.
One thing that I did not like about the studio, was that it was way too dead. Every inch of that place was covered in shag carpet. There was not one inch of hard reflective surface.

Dr. Hugh Jeffreys · Post by **Dr. Hugh Jeffreys** » 2 Sep 2010 12:59 pm

In the 1950's, I did much recording at Sun in Memphis. I met Sam Phillips when I was on staff at WREC; Sam was an announcer, engineer, (worked on my amp many times), and later he had a show he called SATURDAY AFTERNOON TEADANCE, which was a success. Sam later quit the station and rented a small pace at 706 Union Ave., Memphis which he called Memphis Recording Service. I did much recording there and did all of Sam's copywriting for a couple of years. I recorded an album with Johnny Bernero's and did all of his arranging and steel work. In 1957 I did 2 sides with Johnny Cash; Scotty Moore was the sound eng. on that. (he and Bill Black had been "discharged" from Elvis. Sam and Jack Clement were the main eng. on the board. Sam was not a musician, but had a good ear for commerciality. I recorded (and wrote) a lot of jingles there too. I also recorded at Meteor Records (Memphis), and Kahn Records, Sherena Records (for Dr. Geo. Pallus). I ask Sam if he would let me record some jazz cuts for steel and strings, but he said at that time, he had to recoup his money fast. At that time I was an available sideman; I played with every band and orchestra in Mfs. except the Symphony. I also played guitar. Lee Jefferies (steel man with Big Sandy) called me and made me aware that the Bernero album had been released; he supplied me with a copy. I was offered a traveling gig with Tex Ritter, also with Dub Taylor's Rodeo Show, but I did not want to get into all the traveling.

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 2 Sep 2010 1:32 pm

Hugh:

Just found this picture of the house band at The Eagle's Nest in Memphis. What would be the date on this picture?

Is that a Gibson guitar you have?

I'm guessing that is you on steel on Bernero tracks like "Rockin' At The Woodchopper's Ball" and "Cotton Pickin' Boogie"?? Tasty.....

Did you play on any of Meteor's released records?

Dr. Hugh Jeffreys · Post by **Dr. Hugh Jeffreys** » 2 Sep 2010 5:31 pm

Mitch: Yes! Guilty on all charges (ha). The date is c. 1954 to c. 1956 and 1/2. That was my "house band." My friend, Rob Bowman flew down c. 7 yr ago from Toronto (he teaches at York Univ. there) to get my approval to use that photo in his book: SOULSVILLE USA, a history of stax records. Rob earned his PhD here at Univ of Mfs. for writing that book as his dissertation. The photo: L to R = Jim (Red) Stewart, on 3rd fiddle; 2 yr later, Jim became the founder of Stax Records (the rest is "history") next is Howard (Speedy) McNatt, who had been with Eddie Arnold since day one. Eddie settled with Speedy and Roy Wiggins for 1/3 of the proceeds; they came out very well. That's about when Eddie began to do Pop Concerts with various symphonies. Next is Joe Bracciante who played my 1st violin charts; he also played tenor and clary very well. Before my gig, Joe played with the Mfs Symphony and Synphoneta. In the early 60's, Speedy played with the Mfs Symphony; we got back together in 82 to cut several Western Swing sides at Air Trans Rec. Studio in Mfs. He passed away 1990 of throat cancer. Our MC and comic was Sleepy-Eyed John (Lepley) who leased the Eagles Nest; he was a very famous and successful DJ at WHHM. My drummer: Ed Morgan; Bass: Dan Mchugh; Guitar: Tiny (Woodson) Dixon. (he also played on WMC TV with Slim Rhodes as did John Hughey. Me: Multichord pedal steel/leader/arranger. Piano: Ted Enlow; Vocals: Ginny Ford (and Barbara Pittman). I played on J. Bernero's album (he was Elvis' FIRST drummer) and did the arranging. I heard that the cuts we did at Meteor were released --in the dark; ie, w/o our knowledge. On JB's album, the personnel was: Ted Enlow; Pee Wee Womble trumpet; Bill Tarrence, Bass; Johnny, drums; vocal, Smokey Paul; Sax, Dick Wharton; Me, steel/arranger; Backup singers: Barbara Pittman singers. Sam Phillips and Jack Clement were on the control board; the backup singers were added at a later date. The photo shown is on p. 4 of Rob's book. At the Eagles Nest, Elvis, Scotty, and Bill filled in our intermissions (for all the beer they could drink).

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 2 Sep 2010 7:13 pm

Hugh:

Thanks much for the comments. I found that pic on Google where you can read most of that Stax book.

I really like those Bernero recordings and Enlow's voice.

Here are some pix from the era. The advertisement is from the Memphis Press Scimitar, November 17, 1954.

The other pic is some 19 year old hanging out in front of the Eagle's Nest, a few months after making his first record. He looks more like 15.