Any videos of Mooney in the Wynn. Buck, & Merle early era?

Gary Hoetker · Post by **Gary Hoetker** » 23 Aug 2020 8:54 am

I haven't seen any.... How wonderful would it be if there are some out there to share with Moon and his Fender 1000/

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 23 Aug 2020 1:44 pm

I'm trying to think of the earliest Moon footage I've seen and it's probably with Waylon. seems like there would be something from the 60s but I guess he was more of a studio man in those days? hope something turns up

Ed Javner · Post by **Ed Javner** » 23 Aug 2020 7:18 pm

Try: https://cocaineandrhinestones.com/ralph ... usic-sound

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 23 Aug 2020 8:36 pm

Boy I wish! That's my favorite Mooney era. I think the Buck stuff was mostly session work. He played a lot of club dates with Wynn. I believe he toured with Merle Haggard for a short while.

Here is a video of Moon playing a Fender 1000 with Waylon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIwtDSc ... io=1&t=263

He was seen before 1971 with the Shobud. This Fender looks like it was painted but its hard to get a good look. Anyhow Moon uses a wah wah pedal on one of the songs.

Jonathan Shacklock · Post by **Jonathan Shacklock** » 26 Aug 2020 12:11 am

Dave Zirbel wrote:Boy I wish!

https://youtu.be/2PCL9W54QVw

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 26 Aug 2020 5:55 am

that's Norm Hamlet doing his best Moon impression

Jonathan Shacklock · Post by **Jonathan Shacklock** » 26 Aug 2020 6:14 am

Oh boy, I guess you're right Scott, my mistake

. I was fooled by the Fender and some of those licks! They both had a very similar look back then.

Sorry to get anyone's hopes up, I would love to see some early Moon footage too!

Jacek Jakubek · Post by **Jacek Jakubek** » 14 Sep 2020 12:00 am

Jonathan Shacklock wrote:https://youtu.be/2PCL9W54QVw

He's playing over Merle's singing. I guess he didn't get the memo steel players are not supposed to do that...Maybe this rule wasn't yet invented back then

Chris Clem · Post by **Chris Clem** » 21 Sep 2020 11:44 am

I just posted some audio of the 1st Booby Austin LP recorded in 1966/67 with Ralph Mooney. It's one of those LPs you don't see to often. Fuzzy Owen did the recording at Tally in Bakersfield and sold the masters to Capital.

If anyone has info on who else plays on these session, pass it along,I have been trying to nail down all the musicians who played on this....Chris

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2biYdyIgneo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtM9eTkLIJM[/url]

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 21 Sep 2020 4:24 pm

thanks for posting the Bobby Austin album. I own the vinyl but it's in horrible shape. I didn't realize that Ralph wrote the song Gone Home To Mama, on side 2.

sounds like he was emulating Pete Drake's Apt #9 intro a little bit, from the Tammy Wynette cut.

Chris Brooks · Post by **Chris Brooks** » 22 Sep 2020 6:36 am

Chris Clem, I am impressed with the strong singing of Bobby Austin (had never heard of him)--and Mooney's playing, of course.

On a Fender, right?

Chris

Pete Finney · Post by **Pete Finney** » 22 Sep 2020 10:41 am

sounds like he was emulating Pete Drake's Apt #9 intro a little bit, from the Tammy Wynette cut.

I could be wrong but I think it's the other way around; the Bobby Austin single on Tally came out first, and there's even a story of Tammy taking that record to play for Billy Sherrill after he told her he'd cut a session on her if she found some good material. And then of course it became her first single.

Both great though!

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 22 Sep 2020 4:03 pm

The earliest Wynn video I know of is Playboy and Wishful Thinking, both black and white and introduced by Eddy Arnold. Early 60s? Probably from an Arnold TV special? I can't recall if he had his own show at one time.

No band in sight----it doesn't even sound like they are live off-camera. Horrible sound, but I don't think it's a lip-synch job. Very strange video overall.

I forget the story about Apartment Number 9. Something like Austin wrote all but Paycheck's one line, but put his wife's name (Fern Foley) on it rather than his own.

robert kramer · Post by **robert kramer** » 25 Sep 2020 7:38 am

Just to add to the above: Wynn Stewart appeared on ABC-TV's "Jubilee USA" July 9, 1960 with guest host, Eddy Arnold, and guests Ferlin Husky and his manager Simon Crum, and Wynn Stewart. Wynn Stewart performs "Wishful Thinking" and "Playboy." Wynn gives subdued performances and I'm sure it's the house band backing him live. There's no way it's Mooney and I doubt Wynn or the network would have paid to have The Tourists flown in from Las Vegas.
"Jubilee USA" originated from the Jewel Theater in Springfield, Missouri and Wynn Stewart was born in Morrisville, Missouri, 25 miles to the north.

Later, Arnold introduces the house band: Doc Martin: steel guitar (Bigsby), Johnny Galley: drums, Bob Boam: accordion. They play an instrumental and they're great. Doc Martin is certainly capable of rendering some Mooney type licks but it's not Moon. That's not a criticism of Doc Martin who plays great steel in a 6th based pop music style and they're on camera backing Ferlin on "Up The Lazy River." Massey Ferguson is the sponsor and there are spots for ABC TV Shows: â€œMaverick,â€ "The Rebel," "The Rifleman" and "Mattie's Funday Funnies."

Wynn Stewart is my favorite singer and like I said, his performances here are subdued, nothing like his records and appearances on the Buck Owens Show TV Show with the Buckaroos. On "Jubilee USA," it's physically painful to watch Eddy Arnold condescending to Wynn Stewart. I'll stop there.

Wynn Stewart on Buck Owens Ranch Show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gZRE-cFhxY

Johnny Galley drums / Doc Martin: steel guitar / Bob Boam: accordion:

Doc Martin:

Wynn Stewart "Jubilee USA" July 9, 1960

Jim R. Harrison · Post by **Jim R. Harrison** » 25 Sep 2020 11:23 am

Robert:- Thanks for the link to the Buck Owens TV show. However, this particular link did NOT show Wynn Stewart. It showed Buck singing with Don Rich, who also played lead guitar. You could hear Tom Brumley on steel but he wasn't really shown.

robert kramer · Post by **robert kramer** » 25 Sep 2020 11:42 am

Jim Harrison, Here's a correct link to Wynn Stewart singing "It's Such A Pretty World Today" on the Buck Owens TV Show. Thanks for head's up.

I never answered the question posted in the original post: if there was any footage of Wynn Stewart w/ Ralph Mooney on steel? I've never seen any. If any existed, it would probably be from a local Vegas TV show or a local Bakersfield show but probably not on a nationally broadcast show where it would be easier to find. Wynn Stewart did not like to tour, which limited his career.

Gary Hoetker · Post by **Gary Hoetker** » 25 Sep 2020 5:31 pm

Guys...Iâ€™m sure that it is Jimmie Collins playing pedal steel on â€œPretty World Today.â€ Collins is featured in the Capitol LP containing th same song.

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 25 Sep 2020 7:02 pm

Gary Hoetker wrote:Guys...Iâ€™m sure that it is Jimmie Collins playing pedal steel on â€œPretty World Today.â€ Collins is featured in the Capitol LP containing th same song.

I don't think so. Looks like Tom Brumley to me

Here's Collins with Wynn, Dennis Hromek, and Bobby Wayne. Very dark hair.

Compare:

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 25 Sep 2020 9:20 pm

here's Wynn Stewart singing Playboy as Mitch and Robert mentioned above. no Moon but cool old footage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JylcbHB3tFk

and here's the other song he did, Wishful Thinking:
https://www.facebook.com/GatorRockVideo ... 235835211/

and for the heck of it, here's Doc Martin a few years earlier playing a cool steel instrumental on what appears to be a Fender Stringmaster lap steel equipped with some makeshift pedals. indeed, when the song is over they mention how Doc is a steel guitar "customizer" who added the pedals himself. great stuff:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q4JRvO_UUI

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 25 Sep 2020 10:01 pm

Pete Finney wrote:
sounds like he was emulating Pete Drake's Apt #9 intro a little bit, from the Tammy Wynette cut.
I could be wrong but I think it's the other way around; the Bobby Austin single on Tally came out first, and there's even a story of Tammy taking that record to play for Billy Sherrill after he told her he'd cut a session on her if she found some good material. And then of course it became her first single.

Both great though!

right you are sir!
I knew Bobby wrote the song but for some reason I was thinking Tammy cut the single first. Pete Drake's steel is such a big part of the Tammy version, possibly my favorite thing he ever played... good to know Ralph had a little something to do with it

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 26 Sep 2020 7:31 am

scott murray wrote:here's Wynn Stewart singing Playboy as Mitch and Robert mentioned above. no Moon but cool old footage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JylcbHB3tFk

and here's the other song he did, Wishful Thinking:
https://www.facebook.com/GatorRockVideo ... 235835211/

and for the heck of it, here's Doc Martin a few years earlier playing a cool steel instrumental on what appears to be a Fender Stringmaster lap steel equipped with some makeshift pedals. indeed, when the song is over they mention how Doc is a steel guitar "customizer" who added the pedals himself. great stuff:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q4JRvO_UUI

I met Doc Martin in the 80s when he came to a Porter Wagoner show in Missouri...he sat on the bus and talked to us for a long time...a wonderful cat.

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 26 Sep 2020 2:28 pm

Have a listen to Jimmy Collins.

His only instrumental recording as far as I know.

In the style of Speedy West.

Before he was associated with Wynn Stewart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELPnPFw7dfE

Wasn't it determined some years back that he is deceased?

Bill Fisher · Post by **Bill Fisher** » 26 Sep 2020 5:45 pm

The above photo is Tom Brumley. Looks to be taken from Buck Owens Ranch Show taped in Oklahoma City mid 60's - early 70's.

Bill

Jack Wilson · Post by **Jack Wilson** » 27 Sep 2020 6:17 pm

That is not a Bigsby that Doc Martin is playing. That is a guitar he built when he copied a Bigsby owned by Bud Issacs

The Steel Guitar Forum

Any videos of Mooney in the Wynn. Buck, & Merle early era?

Any videos of Mooney in the Wynn. Buck, & Merle early era?

robert kramer note