No Respect For Tommy

Tim Harr · Post by **Tim Harr** » 27 Nov 2003 1:20 pm

The Grand Ol Opry you see on TV is only one small slice.

Listen top the radio or Internet feed to hear the whole Grand Ol Opry.

If you judge the program on the on that small slice then you are judging a team's entire baseball season on one inning...

Some people are so critical... It has changed deal with it...it is not like they bill the show as "The opry you grew up with..."

If you don't like it ..then dust off your old records and live in the past...it is your choice. This issue has been beat down on this forum for years... it ain't changin..

Peter Dollard · Post by **Peter Dollard** » 28 Nov 2003 9:41 am

I think a point I was trying to make but failed to do so was simply this: The two songs in question were released with an important steel part one that characterized the song. Whether the songs were originally too "country" or not they attracted enough listeners to make them popular to a certain degree and therefore I think the artist has a certain duty to use the appropriate backing...you cannot make a fiddle sound like a steel and you cannot take an acoustic guitar with a metal slide and even imply what Milos Deering did. Yes the artist can do what he wants but at the risk of offending those that liked the original sound. As for the issue of using the venerable Mr. White,it simply would have made the song a lot better damn it and that still counts for something whether you want to be perceived as a"country" artist or not. Since Tommy has the ability to make every note count and not overplay they should have used him. Peter

Dave Robbins · Post by **Dave Robbins** » 28 Nov 2003 1:20 pm

Peter,

I agree "with you" in that I too would have preferred she used steel for the solo on "Blue," however, as I stated before, that was "her" call, not Tommy's or Opry management's. The arrangements were LeeAnn's and her band's, and theirs alone. Tommy would have been an excellent choice for filling the non-existant part, but apparently, LeeAnn prefers to travel sans steel guitar these days.

The "implication" in this topic by some has been that "once again" it must have been the fault of Opry management either being too cheap, inept, or not wanting Tommy to play behind LeeAnn. I assure "anyone" assuming this that is was not the case! I am not always in agreement with decisions that are made concerning the Opry either, especially since I have been playing there for over 10 years myself, but.. I'll defend it vigorously when assumptions or blame are played falsely.

As usual, it was assumed by some on this forum that the Opry management must be at fault for LeeAnn and Radney not having steel. There are far more times when steel "is" used by an artist who don't have steel, such as when Pat Boone played the Opry only a few weeks ago. Tommy amiably filled that position. Management could have said "No" because there was no steel on the album, but instead, the staff band, including "Tommy" backed Pat flawlessly! Even Pat acknowledged the Opry staff band.

So, in the future, before anyone starts in with their usual "bashing" of the Opry, it might be wise to ask a few questions. It could prevent invalid "assumptions" by those who prefer to make a habit out of "badmouthing" the Opry and consequently "slighting" those "professionals" who try their very best to please a "listening audience."

I'm through with this topic.

Dave[This message was edited by Dave Robbins on 28 November 2003 at 10:09 PM.]

Tommy White · Post by **Tommy White** » 28 Nov 2003 1:22 pm

Peter,
Thank you so much for the vote of confidence in me and I totally agree with your last post.
T.W. www.tommywhite.net [This message was edited by Tommy White on 28 November 2003 at 01:29 PM.]

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 28 Nov 2003 3:53 pm

hey pete...i wondered where you were hiding...it's fitting to see you reappear stirring up a hornets nest, as usual....
i agree..if tommy's there, i want to here him blow...there's nothing better!

Peter Dollard · Post by **Peter Dollard** » 28 Nov 2003 5:30 pm

In my two posts on this issue I tried to focus on the thing that bothered me. I do not hold the Opry responsible for what Lee Anne wants to do. To that end the onus falls on her to decide whether she wants to use a steel but it does raise the issue of why she thought the steel was so non essential in the song. The people that went out and purchased it, to some degree, were attracted by the steel and so she promptly turns her back on them by not including in in the song. The Opry could have at least asked her if she would consider using it on that one particular song. I understand that the Opry is the only game in town and I also like most of what they do.I think asking her(WHICH THEY MAY HAVE DONE) was the thing to do.Peter[This message was edited by Peter Dollard on 28 November 2003 at 05:31 PM.]

Cal Sharp · Post by **Cal Sharp** » 29 Nov 2003 9:58 am

Well, whoever is at fault here - "Blue" sucks without the steel. A marketing decision, I suppose. I would have never gone to the trouble to download it from Napster it it hadn't had steel in it. He-he. She may have alienated some of her country fans, if she has any left after all the pop stuff she's recorded, but the rest of her demographically targeted consumer fan base probably didn't even notice Tommy White, conspicuous by his absence.[This message was edited by Cal Sharp on 29 November 2003 at 10:25 AM.]

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 29 Nov 2003 10:06 am

FWIW....I played steel with Bill Mack, who wrote "Blue", and he wrote it many years ago for Patsy Cline when she was still alive. We played the song long before LeeAnn recorded it. We did it on a theater show, and because of the chord progression it was one of my favorites.

www.genejones.com

Douglas Berry · Post by **Douglas Berry** » 30 Nov 2003 9:54 am

Is there anyplace that plays that good fiddles and steel guitar hard core country music anymore?I think Kid Rock doning a cowboy hat and passing as country singer is pretty pathetic.Nashville is no more country than a New York City subway ride.Even the radio stations here in real cowboy country are sounding like crap,what is this world coming to?All of these great talented musicians and songwriters in our great country are being upstaged by what?Garth Brooks singing an old eagles tune from the Rock era,and Brittany spears showing her thing?

Willis Vanderberg · Post by **Willis Vanderberg** » 30 Nov 2003 5:46 pm

One of my steel picking friends caught Jack Greens show in Traverse City Michigan a couple of weeks ago.She asked one of his people if he had a steel with him and was told he doesn't use a steel anymore.Hard to imagine Jack without a steel...
I guess I see it a little different from some folks.This new country music I mean..When was the last time anyone had a number one hit for more that a couple of days ? Let alone twenty or thirty weeks as it used to be. I am reminded by the passing of Don Gibson of some of his great songs.
How about something now days to compare to Lonely Street or Sea Of Heart Break,Oh lonesome me,Sweet Dreams,I'd be a legend in my time.Then throw in Willies songs , Harlens and Kristopherson and Cindy Walker.I could go on for another hour and not even make a dent in the GREAT COUNTRY SONGS.So I play my old Legrande three and Fender thousand and listen to the good stuff.NOW...There Is Some Good News.
Come on down to Florida where all us old folks have retired to and where we still play the good stuff.

Bud