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Topic: Non event Patsy |
Willis Vanderberg
From:
Petoskey Mi
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Posted 26 Sep 2005 10:43 am |
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Can you believe this...The Always Patsy Cline was on in Tampa , with no steel.
Now, The Show Palace Dinner Theater in St. Pete is doing the show with no band. The music is on CD...go figure..
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Larry Bell
From:
Englewood, Florida
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Posted 26 Sep 2005 11:36 am
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That's really sad, Bud
With Roger 'Mr. Patsy' Rettig just down the road a piece -- not to mention a dozen or more steel players, many of whom could easily handle the show, within 50 miles or so of Tampa Bay. It's really surprising since the band is on stage for that show and are an integral part of the visuals -- not to mention the music.
SAD
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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1984 Sho-Bud S/D-12 7x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps
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Jack Dougherty
From:
Spring Hill, Florida, USA
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Posted 26 Sep 2005 11:50 am
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Hey Bud...
Even more proof the steel is little known outside the "group" I've said this before ..it's the best known unknown instrument around...The producers of this show are either unaware or they don't want to pay "live " musicions for the gig..
Sad indeed!!!!
JD
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There is no such thing as too many steels!! Zum D10 8/8
Electronics.. constant state of flux |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 26 Sep 2005 12:26 pm
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That's terrible. So the props on stage are now a table, a couple of chairs, and...what else?
Lee, from South Texas |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 26 Sep 2005 1:02 pm
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Let's see...
First, no steel.
Then, no band.
Lastly, no audience!
Why, I guess no one likes that old music!
(At least, that's what someone will probably think.)
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 26 Sep 2005 1:53 pm
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| Jim McNealon, who lives in Citrus Park, did the Patsy show in Tampa about 5 years ago. He got tied up, at the time with his day job (Electrician) and asked me about doing it, however, I already had commitments. |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 26 Sep 2005 2:57 pm
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| I did the "Almost Patsy"show in Anchorage about 7 years ago,I'm still looking for the rest of my money! |
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John Davis
From:
Cambridge, U.K.
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Posted 27 Sep 2005 10:35 am
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Well here in the UK I am enjoying being part of the Patsy Cline Tribute show and all playing live and loving it........show goes to Ireland in the spring loads of steel parts and I even get to kick off part two with an instrumental...........Happy Camper,Happy Camper,Happy Camper,Happy Camper,  |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 27 Sep 2005 1:58 pm
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Just a slight correction to Bud's original 'post': the St Pete show is actually 'Best Little Whorehouse in Texas', not 'Always - Patsy Cline', but his point remains a valid one. I can recall a time when a theatre would not have been licenced to do a show in such circumstances - things seem to have changed!
While most of my engagements come to my by 'word of mouth', I still attempt a little 'networking' in an effort to keep my book full. Bud knows this, and was good enough to draw my attention to the upcoming St Pete show (at the Show Palace Dinner Theatre'). I duly contacted the production office, only to learn that there was no band at all - just a CD!!!
When I contacted the Tampa theatre regarding their 'Patsy' show earlier in the year, they told me: 'Our orchestra is complete - we're not having a steel guitar.' My impression was that the man I spoke to didn't know what a steel guitar was....
Making a living this way doesn't get any easier, and the pre-recorded tracks in use at the smaller theatres are just another nail in the coffin. It does beg the question: where do they get them? Maybe from the same place they get the scripts and musical score (the publisher)!!!!? That's scary....
Roger Rettig |
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Joe Miraglia
From:
Jamestown N.Y.
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Posted 28 Sep 2005 7:45 am
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| Correct me if I'm wrong,but did Patsy use a Steel that much? I always thought that she was more pop than country at the time of her death. On CRAZY- was there a steel? |
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Larry Bell
From:
Englewood, Florida
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Posted 28 Sep 2005 8:06 am
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Hi, Joe
Yes, there was steel guitar on 'Crazy'. It was Forumite Walter Haynes. While it's true that Patsy was an early crossover artist and a lot of her stuff is pop flavored (for that time), there was a lot of steel guitar in her music.
Rog,
No steel for Whorehouse is just as bad or worse. It is a prominent instrument in that production. Several I have done have had the band on stage as well, although it's not as critical as 'Always Patsy'.
And, you're right: this doesn't bode well for steel guitar -- or live music at all for that matter.
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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1984 Sho-Bud S/D-12 7x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 28 Sep 2005 11:05 am
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Here's an interesting side-bar to the above....
'Patsy...' was recently staged at the Flat Rock Playhouse in Western NC. It was the second time they'd done it, and I was sorry not to be able to do this production; the theatre is well-run and the management are terrific (and it's surrounded by golf-courses!)
The playwright, Ted Swindley, was directing, and put out feelers during the run, asking the band members how much money they'd want to give permission for their performance to be recorded '...for archive purposes'. One of the guys suggested $100 per man but, in the event, they were asked to stay an extra day and go to a local studio to do the work. They were paid $400 each.
Given this latest trend, an unworthy thought has occurred to me; is it possible that those tracks will be made available to would-be presenters of the show as a low-cost alternative to hiring a band? If I'm wrong, and these tracks are ONLY to be sent out as a guide in the rehearsal process, then I'll stand corrected, but I was surprised that $400 was paid when only $100 was asked for. It suggests to me that a 'live' recording was too risky, and that a 'clean' and well-mixed tape was essential for their purposes.
Hi, Larry:
The steel part in 'Whorehouse' is certainly the principal musical 'lead', and I think there'd be a dearth of colour without it. The producers/directors of the 'Patsy' shows I have done, regardless of their lack of familiarity with country music in general, have always said: 'We couldn't do this show without steel!'
Joe:
I do know what you mean. Back in the UK in the early-'60s, I didn't realise that Cline was a country artiste. She had at least two UK hits, but the biggest was 'She's Got You' - that seemed to us to be a 12/8 r'n'r ballad in the Brenda Lee tradition. Thanks to Chet and Owen Bradley, a lot of Nashville records at that time had little or no fiddle, and the steel was required to provide only chord 'pads' for the most part.
Steel is, however, prominent in the 'Patsy' score (I'm very happy to confirm !)
Roger Rettig[This message was edited by Roger Rettig on 28 September 2005 at 02:03 PM.] |
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John Davis
From:
Cambridge, U.K.
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 10:18 am
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| Hi there, Sandy Kelly from Ireland here. First of all good to hear that Roger Rettig is alive and well and setting the USA on fire. Roger was the steel/lead guitarist on the London West End production of Patsy Cline the Musical which I played the lead role back in the late ninties. Its sad to hear that shows are now going out using "tracks" instead of live musicians. At present I am in the middle of a very success 30 date U K tour of my show "Patsy Cline the Concert" with a six piece live band. I would not do it otherwise. As for "steel guitar" you just have to have it if you want to do Patsy songs the proper way and I have found one of the best players I have ever had for this present tour. Remember the name John Davis. John has kindly let me use his membership to post this message. Must go "Show" about to start. Good luck and God Bless you all and especially "Patsy Fans". Sandy Kelly. |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 2:12 pm
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This should really be another 'thread', I guess, but it's great to hear from you, Sandy!
I should tell everyone here that Sandy has a terrific voice, and we did something like 500 performances of 'Patsy Cline - A Musical Tribute', not only in the West End, but on a series of UK tours. The show also featured George Hamilton IV, who, as some here will already know, is a delight to work with.
I don't think we've reached a point where using tracks is the norm on the US show by any means, but it may be rearing its ugly head here and there.
Thanks, John D., for linking Sandy to the SGF. Are you playing steel on her shows? If so, my best wishes go to her and her family - break a leg, Sandy!
RR
PS: I don't know about setting anything on fire - it's more like scraping a living - but life is good....[This message was edited by Roger Rettig on 29 September 2005 at 03:13 PM.] |
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John Davis
From:
Cambridge, U.K.
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Posted 30 Sep 2005 7:14 am
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Roger Iam like a dog with two tails!!! and no you can`t have your job back!!!
Last night Whitley Bay tonite Tewkesbury houses almost full! it don`t get much better than this for an old fart like me!!
Thanks for the plug Sandy |
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Tim Whitlock
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 1 Oct 2005 7:56 am
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I recently backed up a local singer doing a Patsy tribute. While listening the the material, I found precious little steel guitar. Ended up playing steel on a few songs, but mostly baritone guitar to get the "tick-tack" sound, which to my ear is much more essential to Patsy's (and Owen Bradley's) recorded music.
Edited to add: Some of the festival shows I've done in the past couple of years show an alarming trend towards pre-recorded backup music. It's sad that promoters and producers feel that this kind of cheap fakery would be appealing to an audience. Sadder still is that they seem to be right.[This message was edited by Tim Whitlock on 01 October 2005 at 09:01 AM.] |
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Gene Jones
From:
Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)
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Posted 1 Oct 2005 8:03 am
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I have played many of those "Hank Sr" tributes, but I don't remember any of them as being a tribute to the steel-guitar that made him immortal! Same for Patsy!
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www.genejones.com
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Brendan Mitchell
From:
Melbourne Australia
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Posted 2 Oct 2005 5:13 pm
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| Ouch |
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Larry Bell
From:
Englewood, Florida
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Posted 2 Oct 2005 7:20 pm
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Actually, as Roger pointed out, both 'The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas' and both Patsy Cline tributes are CHOCK FULL of STEEL and give the steel player a good workout, with some signature parts and some improv parts.
Leaving the steel out of the band in any of these three musicals is ridiculous; leaving the entire band out could be suicide (or not). Audiences are pretty savvy these days and (in the words of Ed Earl in 'Whorehouse') know when someone's pissin' on their boots and callin' it a rainstorm. They may not like a canned band. But they may just not notice. In any case, it's SAD when the overall amout of live music out there decreases.
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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1984 Sho-Bud S/D-12 7x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps
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