Johnny Bush's Walking 3's

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeZ2Az-8M7A

I've always been fascinated by the unusual walking 3 count bass....shuffle sort of thing that Johnny and band does on some tunes.

I don't think I've ever heard anyone else do that.
Is this something unique to Bush or Texas Dance Hall music?

The link above is the only one I could find with this unusual meter, but songs like "Warmth of the Wine", and "She Led Me Back to the Wine", etc. are built on it.

Tony Glassman · From: The Great Northwest

Sounds like it's either a waltz or is in 6/8.

Richard Damron · From: Gallatin, Tennessee, USA (deceased)

If you follow the chord changes, it's in 3/4 time - a waltz.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Yes, I understand it's waltz time, it just that the sound of a walking bass in 3 time is something I've never heard anyone else do...at least in this style of music.

He does several songs with that feel.

Pete Finney · From: Nashville Tn.

Ray Price "The 24th Hour" from the Night Life album (recorded in '62 I think?) has the same walking bass waltz feel, and I think there's a few others... Don't know if that was the first but Bush no doubt learned to play that style with Ray...

I love that feel too...

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Thanks Pete. I don't have that RP album, but I'll have to check out the 24th Hour tune.

Apologies for the poorly written first post, guys. I did not mean to state that waltz time was unusual, it's rather common of course, the walking bass feel in that time sig is what I was referring to.

Thanks all.

Per Kammersgaard · From: Sonderborg, Denmark

I believe it was Bobby Flores, who once called it a "3/4 shuffle".....

PK

Larry Miller · From: Dothan AL,USA

Joe Osborne plays the "walking three's" on "The Backside of 30" by John Conlee

Jerry Erickson · From: Atlanta,IL 61723

On Fiddlin' Frenchy Burke's first album, he does the walking 3's on Jole Blon for part of the song.

Cal Sharp · From: the farm in Kornfield Kounty, TN

It's a cool thing. Junior Pruneda used to walk the bass on the solo on "Waltz Across Texas" with ET, and that was 30+ years ago.
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Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Yes it is a cool thing. It sort of takes you off guard if you're not used to hearing it though.

Thanx for the examples. Maybe I shoulda written I don't remember hearing anyone else doing it. Perhaps it's because it comes up a fair amount in some of JB's songs.

I am familiar with some of the other tunes, of course. I guess my memory fades with time.

Looing back through my records, I find a Gib Guilbeau lp that has a tune or so in the style.

Anyhow, it's not something you hear everyday and not at all around here or on today's radio.

Jole Blon. That's the Cajun National Anthem isn't it? Cool

Johnny Thomasson · From: Texas, USA

It's pretty common in Texas dance halls.
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robert kramer · From: Nashville TN

I always thought the waltz shuffle came from the Miles Davis' song "All Blues" from the 1959 LP "Kind of Blue." Price cut "The Twenty-Fourth Hour" at the Bradley Studios 1/12/61 with Pig, Joseph Zinkan on acoustic bass, Steve Bess on drums and Mr. James Clayton Day on steel guitar.

Still, as stated above, the 3/4 shuffle most likely came up from the dancehalls and requests to play a fast waltz for the dancers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui8x9_WEl1g

Ellis Miller · From: Cortez, Colorado, USA

I heard it a lot in my formative years. It was just a 3/4 version of the 4/4 shuffle. I was/am a big Ray Price fan so it seemed quite natural to me. Some of the new-retro Texas artists pull it out from time to time like Justin Trevino.
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Jim Smith · From: Midlothian, TX, USA

Jeff Evans · From: Cowtown and The Bill Cox Outfit

"Walking waltz" is a nice term, isn't it? The feel can take a song from stuck-in-the-mud to walking on air.

Please note: it isn't about being up-tempo.

"Just for the Record"

[Defunct link removed. Too bad — it's a good song.]

robert kramer · From: Nashville TN

Here is a quote by Buddy Emmons from page 44 of the notes to the Ray Price Bear Family Box Set: "Ray Price and the Cherokee Cowboys" (BCD 15843 KJ) The context is Emmons talking about how Price would sometimes provide input into the band's arrangements:

"One exception, Emmons remembered, was an instrumental waltz, that the band played at dances (but never recorded). "We were trying to play it in waltz time, and it just didn't feel good to him (Price) so we started looking for ways to alter arrangements, and finally somebody suggested to have the bassman just play 4-4, as a jazz waltz, and we did and he (Price) said 'that's it. That's what I want'

Jeff Evans · From: Cowtown and The Bill Cox Outfit

Are sad songs and walking waltzes not selling this year?

Waltz of the Angels – Emmons/McCall

She's Playin' Hard to Forget – Myrick/Bandy

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

It seems the difference is that a waltz usually has an emphasis or "lift" on either the 1st or 2nd beats. In this Bush-style, the three beats are all even and square, which creates that 'walkin' effect (as opposed to, perhaps, 'skipping')
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Drew Howard · From: 48854

Oh man!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll6YMCH7PPY

Jerry Erickson · From: Atlanta,IL 61723

Thanks for that one Drew! Marty opened a set at the Wild Horse Saloon with that song. It was for a Fender dealer party at Summer NAMM. Matching finishes on the guitars,steel and drums!