Exploring Jimmy Day

[Dave Zirbel]

I've been on a Jimmy Day kick lately....well actually for awhile but more now than ever. Can someone point to to the essential recordings he's played on, besides the instrumental albums? Also wondering what the secret is to his playing. I'm no expert but was he still using slants a lot with pedals and did he half pedal his A pedal a lot? Also seems he used the top chromatic strings sparingly. Also would be interested in some tabs or courses that show some of his tricks.

Without any gigs I may start practicing again, which hasn't happened for a decade or two... :

thanks
dz

[Mitch Drumm]

I assume you've got the Ray Price stuff covered.

My favorites are the Willie Nelson recordings from the 60s.

Some of them were scattered across a series of RCA albums.

Others were released as demo recordings, I guess mostly for Pamper Music. All done in the 60s I think, but released many years later.

Here's 3 screen shots.

The first one comes from various Nelson semi-obscure LPs from the 80s.

The second one is an actual CD released as "The Demo Sessions", I think after the year 2000.

Last one is a few as side man, mostly 50s.

I can't say he's on all of these tracks, but he is on many of them.

You can fish on Youtube. Problem is, Willie recorded some of those songs more than once, so you gotta find the track with Jimmy.

He was a side man in Nashville on a lot of studio recordings with a lot of artists for the better part of 10 years before he spent all that time with Ray Price, but it'd be tough to name a collection containing them. As early as 1952 or 53 as I recall.

While you are on Youtube, see if you can find Bill Goodwin's "Shoes Of A Fool".

[Dave Magram]

Dave,

Here's one that I really like. It was the first LP that I learned from: blocking technique and a few basic licks.

Really nice production, and Jimmy is all over it!

I'll Sing You A Song And Harmonize Too
Skeeter Davis
Just When I Needed You; Am I That Easy To Forget?; Have You Seen This Man?; Your Cheatin' Heart; One You Slip Around With; Devil's Doll; Chained To A Memory; I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know; Standing In The Shadows; Under Your Spell Again; Set Him Free; Let Those Brown Eyes Smile At Me.

I read somewhere that when this LP came out, it inspired Buddy Emmons to return to Nashville from California.

- Dave

[Greg Cutshaw]

I believe Jimmy Day also played on the Warren Smith country songs like "Odds and Ends, Bits and Pieces":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik8X3G0kenU


(Wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!)

[Bill Fisher]

Listen to Farewell Party by Johnny Bush, if you want to hear something "Fantastic".

Bill

[Ricky Davis]

OH you mean THIS Farewell Party??
https://youtu.be/NEjnLKxo-BY
Jimmy Day played on the whole first album by Johnny Bush called "Sound of a Heartache" EXCEPT for "sound of a heartache"and one other; that Buddy Emmons played on.
Here's my Tribute Tab of that Very Farewell party intro and solo my old mentor Jimmy Day played; and we played his version of Farewell party at his memorial and funeral.
[tab]
Farewell Party 1 (Jimmy Day)/steel intro/key of F/E9th pedal steel


(C) (C7) (F)
1._____________|_______________|________________13|______________|
2._____________|______13____13_|_13~~~~~__________|______________|
3._13__________|____________13b|_13b~13~__________|______________|
4._13_15___13__|_______________|__________________|_13~~~~~~~~~~~|8
5.____15~a_13~a|_13___13~a__13a|_13a~13~_13~13a~~~|______________|
6._____________|_13b__13b______|_________13b~~~~~~|_13___________|8b
7._____________|_______________|__________________|______________|
8._____________|_13L___________|_________13L~~~~~~|______________|
9._____________|_______________|__________________|______________|
10.____________|_______________|__________________|_13~~a~13~a~13|8~a
[/tab]
[tab]
Farewell Party (Jimmy Day)I have to say; this was very difficult for me, both emotionally
and mentally. How do you tab such emotion. Jimmy Day was known
for the best "feel" player and it is very hard to write down all
the inflections and emotion, he puts in playing around, and through
the measures of time, and song. As I, and all of Jimmys' family and
friends said our last goodbyes to this wonderful man; "Farewell Party"
played by "Jimmy Day"; was the last song we heard at his funeral.
I did shed tears on that very sad day. And I have to say; tears were
shed today as I listened along and tried to capture the most emotional
steel player in history. I miss you Jimmy Day.
Ricky Davis


Farewell party(Jimmy Day)steel break/key of F/E9th pedal steel


(F) (Bb)
1.___________|______________|_______________|__________6|
2.___________|______________|_______________|___________|
3.___________|______________|_______________|___________|
4.____6~~~7~~|~8____~10~~8~~|_______________|_______6___|
5._8a_6~a~7a~|~8~a__~10~~8~a|_6~~~8~a___6a~6|_6~~~~____6|
6._8b_6b~~7b~|~8b___________|_6b~~8b____6b~~|_6b~6~_6___|
7.___________|______________|_______________|___________|
8.___________|______________|_6L~~8_________|___________|
9.___________|______________|_______________|___________|
10.__________|______________|_______________|___________|
(F) (F)

1._____________|________________|_______________|__________|
2._____________|________________|_______________|__________|
3._6___________|________________|_______________|__________|
4._6__8~~~~~7R~|~8~~~~__________|_8~~~__~10~~8~~|_________8|
5._6__8a~~~~7a~|~8a~~~__8a~7a~8a|_8~a~__~10~~8~a|_____8~a~~|
6.____8~b~~~7b~|~8b~~~__8b~7b~8b|_8b~~__________|_8b_______|
7._____________|________________|_______________|__________|
8._____________|________________|_______________|_8___8~~~~|
9._____________|________________|_______________|__________|
10.____________|________________|_______________|_8a_______|
(D) (Daug) (G)

1.________________|________________|_________10______|
2.______8______8~~|________________|_________________|
3._____________8b~|________________|_________________|
4._______________8|______________10|_10~~~~______10~_|
5._8a~~___8a______|_10~~~_10~1/2a~~|_10a~~~______10~a|
6.___8~___8~8b____|_10~~~_10~~~~~~~|_10~b~~______10b~|
7.________________|________________|_________________|
8._8~~~___8_______|_10_____________|_________________|
9.________________|_______10~~~~~~~|_________________|
10._______________|________________|_________________|
(G7) (C) (G)

1.__________________|______________________|_______________________|
2._8~8~~6_________2_|_1~~~~~__15___________|_______________________|
3.__________________|______________________|_______________________|
4.________3~~__2____|________________15~~~~|_10~~_____10___________|
5._8~8a~6_3~3a_2a_2_|_1~~15~a_15a~15 15~15a|_10a~_____10~a_10a~8a~8|
6._8~8b~6_3~3b_2b_2b|_1b~15b_________15b~~~|_10~b_10b_10b__10b~8b~~|
7.__________________|______________________|_______________________|
8.__________________|______________________|_______________10~~8L~~|
9.__________________|______________________|_______________________|
10._________________|______________________|_______________________|
(D) (D7) (G)

1.___________|_______________|____________|_______________
2._______8___|_______________|____________|_______________
3.___________|_______________|____________|_______________
4.__________8|_____________5~|_3~__3~~~~~~|_______________
5._8~8a~~~~~~|_10~a________5a|____________|_3~~3a~~5a~~6a~
6._8~~~~~~~~~|_10~~___5~5b~~~|_3~__3b~3~3b|_3b~~~~~5b~~6~~
7.___________|_______________|____________|_______________
8._8~~~~~~~~~|_______________|____________|_______________
9.___________|_10~~__________|____________|_______________
10.__________|_______________|_3~__3a~3~3a|_______________



Jimmy Day
January 9, 1934-January 22, 1999
[/tab]
You're welcome,
Ricky

[George Duncan Sypert]

According to the credits on the Warren Smith CD that I have, Ralph Mooney was the steel player on those songs shown above. That was my impression long before I found the credits listed. Ralph Mooney was the reason a great many artist of that era ever got played on the radio. There were many of them.

[Dave Zirbel]

Was he playing a Fingertip on Farewell Party?

How do you tab such emotion. Jimmy Day was known
for the best "feel" player and it is very hard to write down all
the inflections and emotion, he puts in playing around, and through
the measures of time, and song.

exactly...

[George Duncan Sypert]

I saw Ray Price and the Band in September of 1961 at Arnold Hall Airmens Club on Lackland AFB one afternoon. Jimmy Day was playing steel, Willie Nelson was playing bass, Shorty Lavender on Fiddle, don't remember the guitar player or drummer by name.

Willie had his pants legs rolled up as I recall and I had assumed that he had just joined the band.

I had seen Ray in Austin at the Skyline Club in Jun or July and Donnie Young (Paycheck) was playing bass, with Ray Sanders doing the front work and harmony singing.

[Ricky Davis]

Dave Jimmy Day was playing his "Blue Darlin" Sho~bud Permanent on that Johnny Bush album.

Also here's another little surprise hardly anyone knows: Who was the guitar player on that Album?? ..........guess....guessss.....waiting.....waiting...........ok yes it was none other: JERRY REED......
Ricky

[Dave Zirbel]

Thank you for the info and the tab Ricky!

[Len Ryder]

Ricky----That rendition of Last Date by Johnny Bush is not only tasty, it's the whole darn meal. Don't think I've ever heard Jimmy Day play with that much feeling before.

[scott murray]

When A House Is Not A Home was one of Jimmy's signature songs.
I believe he played on both the Jimmy Dickens record: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eetc13c8xUE

as well as this live version by Roger Miller, who wrote the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSyjsVtrmTM

[Nick Fryer]

Great post here.....JD has been my favorite for awhile and my intro into E9. Some of my favorite sideman recordings are three records he did with George Jones, two are Hank Williams Tributes and one is a Bob Wills tribute.

George Jones: My Favorites of Hank Williams
George Jones: Salutes Hank Williams
George Jones: Sings Bob Wills

JD is all over these three records. You can find them on a 3 in 1 CD on eBay.

I learned his version of Bud’s Bounce from Golden Hits. I learned the melody and his solo break. This, along w some of the fills on the George Jones records, has been the single most important thing for me in learning E9. Love the way he uses the C pedal w the A and B pedal to get bluesy sounds, also the half pedal Aug + 5 chords are classic. Also his single note solo is showing me how to play all the blues scale positions with A and B pedal. I’ll be following this post closely to learn more. Thanks all!

[robert kramer]

"Listen to Farewell Party by Johnny Bush, if you want to hear something "Fantastic"." (Bill Fisher)

Also Johnny Bush's: "Danny Boy"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbk9r6YXuFk

Where do you start with Jimmy? I think the secret to his "technique" is there is no distance between his being (soul) and his horn - he's wired straight through - no thought process involved. Day has the greatest sustain of all steel players. There's no accounting for this. It's not his steel; he must be getting it by way of pure will. I hear stuff not to be found on the steel. It's just "Jimmy Day."

As familiar as "Crazy Arms" is to us all, try and revisiting in its historical context. This is a revolution. I constantly change my mind between who is the greatest steel player: Jimmy or Emmons.

Ray Price: "April's Fool"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_XIWgTTePc

Willie Nelson: "She's Not For You"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6trhU23ULq4

Johnny Bush: "What A Way To Live"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTM3vS1n9Hc

[Al Udeen]

Check out Day on the Original 'Pick me up on your way down" by Charlie Walker.
The intro features a forward slant bar technique.

[Bill Ford]

There are a lot of top players but absolutely none that has the soul and feeling that JD could deliver. If Jimmy couldn't bring a tear to your eye...you weren't listening.

[Greg Milton]

Thanks for posting these Youtube links, everyone! There is some spectacular playing on these songs!

[Larry Bressington]

Wonderful stuff, Love JD and all of his work, I think he did a lot of the Jim Reeves stuff too? https://youtu.be/W0qy5Zlkd7U

[Franklin]

Larry,
That is Pete Drake playing C6th on the Jim Reeves track you posted...Pete would openly say Jimmy Day was his emotional inspiration! Petes emotion feels a lot like Jimmy at points in the track.
Paul

[George Duncan Sypert]

I heard Leon Payne, the writer of this song, sing this at the Melody Ranch Club in San Antonio in 1962 before it was ever recorded to the best of my knowledge. I sat and visited a lot of Wednesday night with Leon. A very nice fellow and a great song writer. One of my heroes from the 50's. Can't believe I got to meet him and talk about some of his songs.

[Glenn Suchan]

I've mentioned it in the past and I'll say it again: This is my favorite Jimmy Day performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWxbhLXtpHE

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

[Bobby D. Jones]

I wonder if anyone seen inside of Mr. Day's volume pedal and how it was set up?
I cut the sleeve on the pot shaft that the string wraps around smaller in diameter, Till I have about 270 degree travel on the pot, from the original 180 degree travel. I Reset the stops also. I turn my amp volume up to 9+, This allows holding the volume and sustain to do some of Mr. Day's phrases.
Some of his phrases you can hear him pick certain strings and actually engage pedals and levers without picking the strings in the moves, Giving him some of his unique phrases and licks.
With this volume pedal I can also get a few near E-Bow sounds I cannot get with my other volume pedal.
Just thinking out of the box a bit.

[Donny Hinson]

I always liked Jimmy's original "Liberty Drive" a lot! (Herb Steiner did a good cover of this back in the '90s.) But you've probably already heard all of Jimmy's instrumental stuff. Somewhere in my basement locker, I've even got the original "Steel and Strings" reel-to-reel tape.

Anyhow, for something different, here's a couple of Patsy Cline hits featuring Jimmy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvcCZM0tqz8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeZZQrpGD-4

And a couple by Bill Anderson:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq02D67QPFY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVi6nLvP1J0