Conway Twitty and Commander Cody best albums ?

Ariel Lobos · Post by **Ariel Lobos** » 8 May 2012 3:53 pm

There's a music shop with many albums to buy , can anyone recommend me good ones with cool steel on it ?

Bud Angelotti · Post by **Bud Angelotti** » 8 May 2012 4:17 pm

CC - We've Got a Live one here, Live at the Armidillo

MARK GILES · Post by **MARK GILES** » 8 May 2012 4:42 pm

Bud got it right. We've got a live one here with Bobby Black on steel. One of my favorite albums and Player.

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 8 May 2012 5:04 pm

Commander Cody's 'Hot Licks, Cold Steel' and Conway's 'I Can't Stop Loving You' are two of my favorite albums by anyone ever.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 8 May 2012 5:39 pm

For Twitty records, my faves are "She Needs Someone To Hold Her", "How Much More Can She Stand", and "I Wonder What She'll Think About Me Leaving".

Ariel Lobos · Post by **Ariel Lobos** » 8 May 2012 6:01 pm

Thanks ! tomorrow i'll see it holding a list with your advices...

Fish · Post by **Fish** » 9 May 2012 5:09 am

For the Commander Cody choices, I agree with everyone above. Bobby Black tears it up on "Live at the Armadillo World Headquarters" and especially on "Hot Licks, Cold Steel and Truckers Favorites."

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 9 May 2012 5:27 am

Convay Twitty- Hello Darlin' Decca Records DL 75209
I wonder what she thinks about me leaving Decca DL 75292. Each and every track features John Hughey.

Ariel Lobos · Post by **Ariel Lobos** » 9 May 2012 11:06 am

I Founded " I can't stop loving you " and "How much more can she stand , both are beautifull , John Hughey on steel right ?

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 10 May 2012 9:14 am

john was basically on all conway's albums. there is no bad album from him as long as you get one note from john.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 10 May 2012 11:56 am

I think I remember reading here somewhere that Lew Houston was on some of Conway's earlier albums along with John. I think on 15 Years Ago, or Next In Line, or some of those early songs. Anyone know for sure. They all sound like John to me.

Todd Brown · Post by **Todd Brown** » 10 May 2012 12:34 pm

15 Years Ago and Next in Line was John Hughey. Lew Houston left him around '68. I think Lew was with Conway from about '65-'68 out in OKC. Recorded maybe 1 or 2 records with him. Working Girl, Image of Me, Dim lights Thick Smoke, those songs were recorded with Lew. Just the very early stuff. Before Hello Darlin'. Everything from '68 on through Conway's career was John Hughey.

BTW, I read somewhere that Lew left Conway because he was starting to blow up in the Country scene and the band would have to fly to more and more gigs. Lew didn't like flying, so he left. Does anyone how know true that is??? Man, I wonder how he felt later on about leaving Conway right before he reached that superstar status!

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 10 May 2012 3:10 pm

Thanks. Image of me was the one I was told was Lew. My memory is not what it used to be.

Chas. J. Wagner · Post by **Chas. J. Wagner** » 10 May 2012 3:31 pm

From a "Traditional Country Hall of Fame" artist profile on Kitty Houston (married to Lew Houston)...

LEW HOUSTON IS THE PICKER ON THE STEEL GUITAR ON CONWAY'S SONG CALLED"THE IMAGE OF ME" & "WORKEN MAN ". LEW PICKED ON ALL OF CONWAY'S HIT SONGS, RIGHT UP TO CONWAYS RECORDING OF THE HUGE HIT THAT MADE HIM A MEGA STAR ...

"HELLO DARLIN'"!

Here's a pic of the happy couple...
KITTY AND LEW HOUSTON
AND THE
STEEL DRIVERS

Ariel...I apologize for the "drift"...

Ariel Lobos · Post by **Ariel Lobos** » 10 May 2012 3:51 pm

Im learning a lot !

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 10 May 2012 8:27 pm

Lew was an amazing player. Dig these two classic performances with Lew on steel:

If You Were Mine To Lose

Working Girl

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 11 May 2012 1:55 am

Lucky me. I got to lay down some Lew Houston licks at tonight's gig. Image of Me is on our active play list.

Ariel Lobos · Post by **Ariel Lobos** » 11 May 2012 4:08 am

Excelent player, i didnt know him , in the first song there is no VP , how can he get this sustain ? any effect there or just from his hands ?

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 11 May 2012 6:30 am

"Working girl" studio version (with original album cover):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzvXEHzEDMc

Todd Brown · Post by **Todd Brown** » 11 May 2012 6:38 am

Ariel, as far as I know, Lew never used a vp. All of his guitars had volume and tone knobs on the deck. Similar to a lap steel. You'll also notice he has his pedals on the right!

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 11 May 2012 10:24 am

I saw Lew Houston with Conway live (and in person!) in the very early days. Lew was quite amazing. He could make a steel sound exactly like a lead guitar then turn around and make it sound like a great steel player does. His blocking and picking technique was as unique as Julian Tharpe's.

Greg

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 11 May 2012 3:09 pm

First thing John cut with CT was"Next in Line"...Lew was on the country stuff before that...although seems to me I've heard Pete Drake on some of the first country stuff.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 11 May 2012 8:44 pm

Funny how Cody's 'Live One' get's the nods, when it was universally slammed for decades as a toss off by anybody mentioning it, even by band members. I find most any thing Cody does to be a good thing. May he still have a few more good world tours left in him.

Brint Hannay · Post by **Brint Hannay** » 11 May 2012 10:24 pm

Ron Whitfield wrote:Funny how Cody's 'Live One' get's the nods, when it was universally slammed for decades as a toss off by anybody mentioning it, even by band members. I find most any thing Cody does to be a good thing.

I agree with that last statement. But for my money, although it contains fewer songs, "Live From Deep In the Heart of Texas" (the actual title of the one recorded at the Armadillo World Headquarters) is the ultimate. Better recorded than "Live One"--the sound is really immediate--the band really cooks, and Bobby Black's aggressive tone is to die for. "Live One" is just a little (relatively) tame by comparison. But I have, and greatly enjoy, copies of every CC and his LPA album I've ever been able to find.

(The album "Sleazy Roadside Stories" is more material from the same time at the Armadillo World Headquarters.)

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 12 May 2012 8:35 am

ya know..going back to reassess commander cody, bobby black was incredibly instrumental(!) in making steel guitar hip. ..and for putting the c6 into boogie!

rock that boogie, dudes!