Jim Reeves song

Michael Breid · Post by **Michael Breid** » 27 Apr 2005 6:50 am

I heard a song by Jim Reeves called, "The Blue Side Of Lonesome". Does anyone know who played steel on that session? It sounds like the old RCA Studio B Nashville sound. Possibly Chet on electric guitar, Bobby Moore on bass, and Cramer on piano, and may be Drake or Emmons on steel. The steel part is great. Can anyone
answer this puzzler for me? Thanks-
Michael

Bill Beall · Post by **Bill Beall** » 27 Apr 2005 7:12 am

I've been worndering the same thing. Reeves used very little steel in his recording sessions but what he did use was great. He did use Cramer a lot for piano. Atkins did a lot of his lead guitar, too. But who was the steel on the rare occasions when there was a steel?

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 27 Apr 2005 7:32 am

I have not heard that for a long long time but I remember it "turned my head".
From my recollection it sounded like Pete Drake and he used C6th neck. The high G string with pedals on the second and third raising 1/2 and a whole tone respectively.

Jim Vogan · Post by **Jim Vogan** » 27 Apr 2005 7:55 am

That song is on this site. It's on page two in the archives. http://recordlady.webgcs.com/main2.htm

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Rick Garrett · Post by **Rick Garrett** » 27 Apr 2005 11:54 am

If I knew what year it was recorded I might could narrow this down. I haven't heard it so I couldn't say for sure.

Rick
P.S. I looked it up and came up with a recording date of 1966 so Pete Drake might be a good guess or maybe Jimmy Day.[This message was edited by Rick Garrett on 27 April 2005 at 01:04 PM.]

Graham · Post by **Graham** » 27 Apr 2005 1:13 pm

Song was originally recorded somewhere between 1956 and 1962. Released on 1962 lp "Country Side of Jim Reeves." Steel players on the lp were Pete Drake and Jimmy Day. Song was over-dubbed and re-released in 1966 and was title of 1967 lp.

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Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 27 Apr 2005 3:26 pm

I listened to the cut on the Record Lady's site.

Steel? What steel??? If there's any steel on that cut at all, it's some very light, extremely soft padding by Pete Drake.

The phrase "insignificant and wholly forgettable" comes to mind.

Maybe you heard a different version?

That must be it.

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 27 Apr 2005 3:45 pm

Donny,
You are right. That is a remix with the strings replacing the steel.

Roy

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 27 Apr 2005 5:25 pm

Wow, thanks Roy!

(Thought I was going "steel deaf" there for a minute!

)

While I'm blabbin' here, one of Pete Drake's early works that I really like (one that helped establish him as a top steeler), is on the Record Lady's site. The song is called "Another", by Roy Drusky from about 1961, and it's on "Requests Page One".

It's one of them songs that made me say..."I gotta get me a pedal steel guitar!"

Hal Higgins · Post by **Hal Higgins** » 28 Apr 2005 7:24 am

Pete Drake did most of the steel guitar work on Jim Reeves albums in those years. Probably one of the most commercial players there ever was.......

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Michael Breid · Post by **Michael Breid** » 28 Apr 2005 10:56 am

Boy, did I open a can of worms or what? The version of the Jim Reeves song on the "easy listening" station I heard definitely has steel, and pedal steel too. I'm not that familiar with Drake's sound, so don't know if it was him or not. Too bad those record idiots overdubbed strings on the re-mix version. I'll bet that took out the warm flattop guitar chords and the upright bass part too. What a bunch of losers. Well gang, that's where the GnashTrash people seem to want to put "real country music". Right down the toilet. What a shame. I'm buying all the old country re-issue CD's before they ruin them.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 28 Apr 2005 3:30 pm

Fear not, Michael, this perversion with 101 strings was a '60's thing, and has kinda passed. Ray Price once did an album like that called "Take Me Ass I Am", all violins and no steel or flat-top. I think it sold about 17 copies.

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 28 Apr 2005 10:53 pm

"Blue Side Of Lonesome"-DEFINITELY Pete Drake!! I have 2 copies of the album. One,w/ a b/w cover,& one w/ a color cover. Identical pics,identical albums. No release date on on either like they usually do.

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Peter · Post by **Peter** » 30 Apr 2005 3:11 am

Nic du Toit did a nice version with Benny Koen, the "South African Jim Reeves".
Maybe he will post a link.

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Peter den Hartogh
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[This message was edited by Peter on 30 April 2005 at 04:12 AM.]

Butch Foster · Post by **Butch Foster** » 30 Apr 2005 9:54 am

I really enjoyed steel legend Bobby Garrett on many Reeves' songs. ETRS many years ago had a complete discogrophy of who played on Reeves various recordings, does anyone remember who put it together or have a copy? I am interested in a listing of all the songs Bobby Garrett did with Reeves.

Rick Garrett · Post by **Rick Garrett** » 30 Apr 2005 10:01 am

I've often wondered if there was a union list or something that would document the songs that he did play on. If you find such a thing I sure would appreciate knowing about it. Thanks

Rick

Nic du Toit · Post by **Nic du Toit** » 30 Apr 2005 11:14 am

Seeing this thread reminded me of a recording I made for a local artist (Benny Koen) doing Jim Reeves songs.
Benny sounds remarkably close to the real thing.
'Blue side of lonesome' is one of the tracks, and I remember doing the fills on E9. Those days I only had the Emmons E9 on a double body, with a pad on the C6 neck. To me the licks sounded as if done on an E9 neck. During the time Pete Drake produced Jim Reeves, I believe, he was one of the busiest producers in Nashville. I find it interesting that Pete Drake still found time to play around with different tunings on a C6 (and to make it sound like an E9).
You are welcome to listen to Benny's version, and my steel playing.

This album "Welcome to My World" is still for sale at $20 (postage included)

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