Gene O'Neal tearing it up w/ Charley Pride

[Alex Cattaneo]

Boy, I love this man's playing. Can anyone recommend some studio recordings featuring Gene O'Neal?

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

[Mike Neer]

He recorded 2 LPs with The Pridesmen (Charley's band) on RCA.


Here's a tune of his that he recorded on Midland, called Funky Monkey:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vroXlv9gXTI

[Alex Cattaneo]

Mike, do you know the album titles by any chance?

[Mike Neer]

One is called "Charlie Pride Presents The Pridesmen" (RCA, APL 1-0315) and the other is "The Pridesmen" (RCA, APL 1-1190).

[Brad Malone]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRx5ZAT17aQ

[Mike Neer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRx5ZAT17aQ

One of my favorites, Brad.

[Mike Neer]

Here's a full LP for you, Alex: The Judy Lynn Show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9PkZBRdXZA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8RhIqdYoS0

[Brad Malone]

Hey Mike, I think we have the same taste in Music..Speedy West was and still is my Steel Guitar Hero..I still have a hand written letter by him where he diagrammed the Tunings he used on the "Steel Guitar Spectacular Album"..as you know that album was recorded on a Fender 1000 with eight pedals and no knee levers although one of his pedals pulled 3 strings which enabled him to convert his E9th tuning to A6th by pushing pedals 5 and 6 together. The Truck Drivers Ride tune was recorded on his Bigsby..the tuning he recorded it on was probably A6th but I'm not exactly certain..could have been his F#9th.

[Jerry Overstreet]

Gene's intrumental album "Funkey Monkey" is still available on cassette tape from b0b's store above. It's from the 70's and some of the tunes are a bit dated, but I still enjoy listening to it a lot. I don't know of a source for CD offhand, possibly Scotty's Music.

The lively "Spitoon" on E9th and great C6 work "Tripps to Win" are a couple of my favorites on it. Then there's the classic "Exodus".

I believe he did some recordings with Jo-El Sonnier and Clinton Gregory too among others.

He was a fabulous musician and one of my heroes...another one who left this life way too soon.

[Archie Nicol]

I like his use of a capo on this one;

pick here

Arch..

[Jim Hartley]

The most signigicant recording of Gene's would be "Kiss an Angel" with Charley Pride. I know, Lloyd did almost all of Pride's sessions, but it was in fact Gene on what may have been Charley's biggest hit. I had the great fortune of working with Gene for a couple years and it was always a blast. I still miss him a bunch.

Jim

[Roy Thomson]

I would like someone to explain the technique Gene used to play the Funky Monkey instrumental.
Looks like he is hammering a finger over the pickup??

This has been a question in my mind....anyone care to comment or enlighten??

Roy T

[Jerry Overstreet]

I've been trying to figure it out ever since I saw him do it at the St. Lou. convention way back when.

Looks like he was tapping the strings over the pickup with maybe the 1st and 2nd fingers, but I could never do it to any efficiency. I had to give it up and just pick the strings when I do it. Hold the boo-wah pedal down and play on the bottom strings.

Maybe one of his close friends or fellow pickers will know.

[Audie Shields]

I knew Gene for alot of years and we were good friends. I still have one of his thumb picks and the handle that came loose from his case. Gene got that sound by hitting the string almost right on the changer.It was more of a hard tap. Gene had a great aggressive attack. He told me that your tone would be better if you turned down and picked hard. He called it playing strong.He also said that if he hit a wrong note he would play it again only louder to punish his self. We were at a jam session out in Portland Oregon one night and the band did a song that he didnt know.He deadened the strings and with his middle fingerpick he tapped the tenth string around the 20th fret to the beat of the song. If you move your finger up or down the neck the tap which sounds kind of like a cowbell will be in pitch to the music. He was a great player.

[Larry Hamilton]

It's a two handed move. Tap with pick, hammer on with bar, down pressure with the bar to get the bend. that's all he showed me (once)then laughed real big. I have beat my guitar to death for over twenty years and still can't do it.

[Walter Stettner]

Gene is the featured player on the Kenny Serratt album "Ridin' The Big A", mostly road and truck driving songs.

Kind Regards, Walter