Obscure names in the Steel Guitar World keep popping up!

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 1 Oct 2011 7:34 am

From time to time, the names of rather obscure steel guitar pickers pop-up here on the SGF and lengthy discussions frequently follow.

I've always wondered WHY....CECIL CAMPBELL of RCA Victor Records, failed to garner any more that a passing yawn when his name is mentioned.

He recorded with RCA from 1934 to 1951. He always featured steel guitar on his records. He was a noted steel guitarist in his day. Why, even ROY SMECK gets more publicity than does Mr. Campbell.

I wonder why?

John Bruce · Post by **John Bruce** » 1 Oct 2011 10:52 am

Hi Ray,
I just recently got a hold of Steel guitar Swing by Cecil Cambell and the Tennessee Ramblers. It's chock full of steel, and has some great tunes on it. After listening to it, I was surprised that more people haven't mentioned him. Maybe your post will remind people to check out his stuff. Is his later stuff still in circulation (repressed) or is it something that you have to hunt for?
Thanks for bringing this topic up,
John

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 1 Oct 2011 11:56 am

Ray,I have wondered the same thing. Like Frank Arnett,In my opinion NO ONE ever came close to him playing the old west coast sound. But except for a few old fossils like me know anything about him,That's a shame,all new players should hear this GREAT picker.My favorite album of his is [MODEL T] fantastic picking.YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 1 Oct 2011 12:34 pm

Either in the late 50's or early 60's there was a good Steel player here in So. California named CHUCK HATFIELD. I believe he said he had worked on an Eddy Arnold band in the East. I have never heard what happended to him !

Tony Palmer · Post by **Tony Palmer** » 2 Oct 2011 11:11 am

Ray, I've thought about your question and your other post about Manny Escobar and other New England steel players that may not be known very well.
I think the answer is simple: the steel guitar community gets to know other steelers through the big, national type steel shows, so if they're not on the steel show circuit, not many steelers will get to know them.
Or, barring that, if they don't have a self produced CD available for other steelers to buy, they will not be heard by those unable to attend shows.
So, I don't think anyone is deliberately overlooking any of the really good, but perhaps unknown, steelers, I just think it is whether or not they market themselves, or allow themselves to be marketed.
But I understand the point you're making....we tend to think there are only a few dozen accomplished steel players around because those are the only ones we ever hear at shows, or get mentioned on the forum.
The local steel clubs, like Rhode Island Steel Guitar Association and others, are the breeding grounds of very talented steel players and we should all go out of our way to support them whenever we can.

Clyde Mattocks · Post by **Clyde Mattocks** » 2 Oct 2011 11:35 am

Cecil Campbell used to come thru my town playing between features at the Carolina theater. I saw him several times when I was a kid of maybe ten or eleven. I was already taken with that sound. As I remember, his playing was sort of harsh and jerky, but to me, he was a big star.