Skeets McDonald?

clive swindell · Post by **clive swindell** » 10 May 2007 6:34 am

Who was he, what influence did he have, did he have a steel player and which record (other than the Bear family boxed set) should I be looking for?

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 10 May 2007 7:41 am

I may be totally mistaken, but I seem to remember to have been told once that he had Speedy West on at least some of his recordings (?).

... J-D.

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 10 May 2007 7:57 am

Clive, Skeets was originally from Oklahoma I believe but I'm not sure. He was more of a stylist than a great singer. He was mostly known on the Southern California circuit and was a regular on the old Town Hall Party TV Show for a good while. He had some pretty good records but as the old saying goes "If you remember the sixties, you weren't there" which is true. I do remember working a couple of times with him in a club somewhere near Simi Valley but I'm not sure of the location or name of the place, I think he owned it. As I remember, the place straddled two different county lines and there might have been a line going across the floor designating that. As with most SoCal acts, Ralph Mooney played on some of his recordings but I don't remember hearing about Speedy playing on them but he might have. I remember one record of his about "Big Chief Buffalo Nickle" but I don't think that was the name of it. He seemed to be older than most of the other artists at his peak time. If you'll research the old Town Hall Party you might be able to find out something about him there

Stephen Gregory · Post by **Stephen Gregory** » 10 May 2007 8:01 am

Go Here for Info: http://www.talentondisplay.com/SkeetsMcDonald.html

Myron Reed · Post by **Myron Reed** » 10 May 2007 10:01 am

Skeets MacDonald had a hit with "Don't let the stars get in your eyes". I don't remember the year.

Myron Reed · Post by **Myron Reed** » 10 May 2007 10:07 am

Sorry. If i would have read Stephan Gregory's reply first, I wouldn't have had to reply.

Bob Kagy · Post by **Bob Kagy** » 10 May 2007 5:46 pm

I had a couple of Skeets' '78's that had Speedy West playing on them; one I remember was "Bless Your Lil Ole Heart, You're Mine". Only reason I bought them was that Speedy was on them. They were on the Capitol label.

Another artist around the same time was Gene O'Quin who also recorded for Capitol and had Speedy's steel. I think they were all connected with Cliffie Stone's Hometown Jamboree featuring Speedy with Jimmy Bryant.

Bill Cunningham · Post by **Bill Cunningham** » 10 May 2007 6:07 pm

He was more of a stylist than a great singer.

Now is that ever so diplomatic! I will remember that one.

Jim Bob Sedgwick · Post by **Jim Bob Sedgwick** » 10 May 2007 6:26 pm

Boy Jerry... You have a mind like a steel trap. Someone told me I was in SoCal in the sixties, but I don't remember too much except it was a blast.

Joe Goldmark · Post by **Joe Goldmark** » 10 May 2007 9:09 pm

Skeets also had an exciting tune called "Tatooed Lady," about a lady who had states tatooed in various strategic places. Featuring such lines as "on her (whistles) was West Virginy, and through those hills I loved to roam."

I couldn't make this up.

Joe

Bob Kagy · Post by **Bob Kagy** » 11 May 2007 5:02 am

Ben Rubright · Post by **Ben Rubright** » 11 May 2007 5:56 am

I have a Skeets McDonald 45 from his Capitol years in the 50's entitled, "Don't Push me Too Far" backed with "You Better not Go".

Back then, I was a big fan of Skeets, Wynn Stewart, and Joe Carson (still am). You could tell that they all had the same background musicians (all three of them recorded for Capitol) and it was certainly Moon on steel. Then Buck came along (Capitol of course) and guess who. Ahhhh, that "west coast sound", or should we call it that "Mooney Sound"?!

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 11 May 2007 6:30 am

Joe G. would that be the one where he started singing acapella....

Once I married a tattooed lady,
It was on a cold and wintry day.
And tattooed all around her body,
Was a map of the good old USA.
And everynight just before I'd go to sleep,
I'd pull back the quilt and then I'd take a peek.

Then the chorus....

Upon her leg.....was Minnesota,
On her shoulder...Tennessee.
And tattooed on her back, was good old Hackensack,
A place.......where I want to be.
Upon her (wolf whistle) was West Virginia,
Through those hills I really love to roam.
And when I saw that moonlight shining on her Wabash,
That's where I recognize my old Kentucky Home...

Dang, that was from memory......JH in Va.

Walter Stettner · Post by **Walter Stettner** » 11 May 2007 7:35 am

For those who want to listen, here are two tracks:

1) "Tattoed Lady" from 1950, with Johnny White & the Rhythm Riders (Johnny White on steel)

2) "Remember You're Mine" from 1954, with Speedy West on steel

http://www.lloydgreentribute.com/Austri ... /Forum.htm

Kind Regards, Walter

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 12 May 2007 3:38 am

Myron Reed wrote:Skeets MacDonald had a hit with "Don't let the stars get in your eyes". I don't remember the year.

So did Skeets play with Slim Willet? (We heard that song in Abilene, along with 'Tool Pusher From Snyder.')

'Don't let the stars get in your eyes
Don't let the moon break your heart....'

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 12 May 2007 7:04 am

Jerry, Your memory is good, except the river was Mississippi. Jody.

Joe Goldmark · Post by **Joe Goldmark** » 12 May 2007 9:53 am

Jerry,

You must have sung that one back in the day to remember all those lyrics. Great song, and very risque for the times!

Joe

Frederic Mabrut · Post by **Frederic Mabrut** » 13 May 2007 1:28 am

I remember a Rockabilly song recorded for Capitol

"You ought to see your granma rock"

Clyde Mattocks · Post by **Clyde Mattocks** » 14 May 2007 8:42 pm

Eddie Stubbs regularly features Skeets recordings,
mainly the '60s stuff with Johnny Paycheck (then
Donny Young) singing harmony. He had a couple of
recordings earlier on Capitol that had great steel,
could have been Moon pre-pedals. They were "You're
Too Late" and "I've Got a New Field to Plow". The
steel was capoed and there was a lot of bar bouncing
two frets up from open like Moon does. If anyone
has these cuts, I'd sure love to have a copy.

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 14 May 2007 9:07 pm

Clyde Mattocks wrote:Eddie Stubbs regularly features Skeets recordings,
mainly the '60s stuff with Johnny Paycheck (then
Donny Young) singing harmony. He had a couple of
recordings earlier on Capitol that had great steel,
could have been Moon pre-pedals. They were "You're
Too Late" and "I've Got a New Field to Plow". The
steel was capoed and there was a lot of bar bouncing
two frets up from open like Moon does. If anyone
has these cuts, I'd sure love to have a copy.

I have the complete "Skeets MacDonald" Bear Family box set, with everything he recorded. Email me and I'll try to send you those songs.

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 14 May 2007 9:11 pm

Jody Sanders wrote:Jerry, Your memory is good, except the river was Mississippi. Jody.

Actually he recorded the song a couple of times, a couple of years apart, and one version has it as "Wabash" and the other is "Mississippi".

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 15 May 2007 8:05 am

Loved Skeets version of Mona Lisa !!

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 16 May 2007 3:35 pm

Who is on pedal steel in this "Skeets" clip?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9mIQAqogkU

Jim Bob Sedgwick · Post by **Jim Bob Sedgwick** » 16 May 2007 5:20 pm

Billy Mize

Randy Phelps · Post by **Randy Phelps** » 16 May 2007 7:43 pm

this place is awesome.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Skeets McDonald?

Skeets McDonald?

SKEETS MACDONALD

Re: SKEETS MACDONALD