Steel Guitar Rag recording by Speedy West

Jim Palenscar · From: Oceanside, Calif, USA

I have a customer that is looking for Speedy's recording of SGR and I told him that one of you wonderful folks would have it. If so- we would beg,borrow,steel to get it-- thanks- Jim

Herb Steiner · From: Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064

"Slide, slide... Speedy slide that thing!" Smile

Ah, the wonderful Cliffie Stone Singers! Smile

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Jim Taylor · From: Escondido California, USA

I decided I would go ahead and register. I bought a PSG set up from Jim today that I will pick up tomorrow. I started playing a lap steel early in 1953 and I quit in 1954 or 1955(growing up and all). Speedy is the one responsible for me starting to begin with. Our family was pretty poor (weep-weep) and one Christmas Speedy gave my folks a Capitol 45 RPM record with his version of SGR (he was a neighbor) for them to give me as a Christmas present. There were no vocals at all. That is the song that got me hooked. I don't like the one with vocals on it nearly as well. I am hoping to find a way to get the fully instrumental version. I do not recall if Jimmy Bryant was on the recording as well.

Jim Taylor · From: Escondido California, USA

OOPS, I forgot to mention - Thanks to Jim for all of the help in selecting my new starter equipment. I moved up from a 6 string lap to a PSG since I knew I would have a steep learning curve anyway. Might as well give my self a chance to take it a little further.

James Morehead · From: Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.

Could someone please post a sound clip? I would sure love to hear Speedy do that tune!! Wink

Ernest Cawby · From: Lake City, Florida, USA, R.I.P.

I have Leon's version on my desk top and can play it with the click of my mouse.

ernie

Jim Palenscar · From: Oceanside, Calif, USA

Leon's version is wonderful- I agree. Jim wants Speedy's version and we've come up dry looking for it.

James Morehead · From: Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.

Ernie, let's hear the Leon clip, too. It's cool to hear different artist's, interpretations. I sure hope Speedy's version will surface! I have a great version from an old Ernest Tubb record with probably Charleton and Rhoades---have ya'll heard it?

Alvin Blaine · From: Picture Rocks, Arizona, USA

It's track 4 on disk 2 of the Bear Family "Jimmy Bryant & Speedy West - Flamin' Guitars" box set. Complete with a choir(Cliffie Stone Singers) singin' the Merle Travis lyric for the song.

Jim Palenscar · From: Oceanside, Calif, USA

Thanks Alvin (and Chuck Lettes)- the version that Jim is intereseted is the instrumental version (sans Cliffie)

Jim Taylor · From: Escondido California, USA

I have a hypothesis on why I can’t find out anything about Speedy’s instrumental version of SGR. It’s at the bottom of this post. I can guarantee you that he had a version that was recorded by Capital no later than December of 1952 because I got it for a Christmas present then. The record (45 RPM single) that I received was not purchased as it was given to my parents by Speedy himself. I don’t believe it was a demo record as it was on Capitol’s purple label. I believe the demos had a white label. The only instrumental (no Cliffie singers) that I have been able to find is one from Tennessee Ernie Ford’s TV programs. There is an album of 1953 recordings called “Tennessee Ernie Ford – Shows of 1953” that has SGR on it. The sample clip is only about 30 seconds, but that clip is all instrumental. I have ordered that CD and will post my results.

My hypothesis is that a competing artist at Capitol convinced them not to release Speedy’s recording. That makes me wish even more that I still had that record. I’m still interested in this recording if anyone can dig up any additional information.

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

It's on CD#2 of the boxed set "Flaming Guitars" that Scotty sells:
http://scottysmusic.com/speedycdt.htm

I have this set, and it's great. The accompaning book tells the whole story, with lots of pictures of Speedy with Cliffie Stone and the gang in Los Angeles. I received it as a Christmas gift from Forum members back in the early days. Thanks, guys! Very Happy

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Jim Taylor · From: Escondido California, USA

That is track number 4 on the second CD, but it has the vocals of the Cliffie Stone Singers. The record I had did not have any vocals on it at all. I believe the one you are referring to was recorded in 1954, the one on the Tennessee Ernie Ford show was 1953 and the one I was searching for was 1952.

I did purchase that 4 CD set, and it is great.

Egil Skjelnes · From: Meland,Frekhaug

Hello Jim
That was a tough one to find!.I have all of Speedy`s records from the old 78`s/45`s,to his radio transcriptions from Germany.It seems like he never recorded this on his regular records,exept for the vocal version.BUT,I found one all instrumental version in my collection,a very good one too.It is on a radio transcription by "The Cass County Boys" on World-R 736.It has a very good steel by Speedy,and a fiddle solo in the middle.Also in the backing is an accordeon.A good version.I`m sorry,but at the moment I am not able to tranfer it to CD,but hope to one day soon,and if nobody else can help you at the moment,I will take care of your mail adress in my folder if you send me an email.I don`t know if he ever played this instrumentally on other shows,but 2 different LP`s from Germany with only radio stuff he made,this tune is not on them,so the only all instrumental version I know of ,is this with Cass County Boys.I have not checked if Dagmar Binge in Germany has released a CD set of Cass stuff,if so,it may be there.Do a search for Dagmar Binge,or Cattle records,or Castle records.Check their releases.
Hope this brings you a step or two forward.
Kind regards from Egil on Norways National Day!!!

Egil Skjelnes · From: Meland,Frekhaug

Hello again
I did a search on the German Binge labels,and they do have a CD by Cass County Boys having this Steel Guitar Rag on.BUT,They list Noel Boggs as the steeler!?.In the steel guitar discography,this recording is listed under Speedy West,so now I`m not sure.Maybe someone else can confirm this.Both Noel Boggs and Speedy were masters at the same time,and I can`t really tell from the playing on this cut who it is.To my ear,it can be either of them!
Egil.

basilh · From: United Kingdom

If you want to know Who is this Egil Skjelnes ?
The Hawaiian Record Collectors Directory By Keith Grant lists him thus :-

Jim Palenscar · From: Oceanside, Calif, USA

Thanks so much Egil- email sent!

Jim Taylor · From: Escondido California, USA

Egil - Thank you very much for your time and effort. I will send you a PM.

Jim Taylor · From: Escondido California, USA

I thought I would post the only picture I have of Speedy. Hopefully I get the posting of the attachment done correctly. On the left is Speedy and on the right is my Dad. This was taken in either 1951 or 1952 in Van Nuys, CA. It must have been taken by Opal (Speedy's first wife) as our family did not have a camera.

Egil Skjelnes · From: Meland,Frekhaug

Hello Jim Taylor.
I am very curious about the old 45 that you got for Christmas! The reason is-I can`t find any info about a version of St.Gtr.Rag exept for the Cliffie Stone version with vocals.All the singles have been reissued on different CD`s as well,also the shows that he and Jimmy Bryant did alot of,there is no all instrumental "steel guitar rag" exept for the one I found with Cass County Boys.But as mentioned in my second post, it may be Noel Boggs.
Do you still have this old 45 laying around,so you can check the number on it? Or remember what the other side was?.Maybe we got a special release here that was meant to be,but was not really released by Capitol,and only exist as a few test pressings? I have a few such,but not by Speedy.I will send Dagmar Binge a letter,and see if he can confirm who played on this version with CCB.
In the meantime,take care,and if someone else know,drop us a line!.
Egil.

Jim Taylor · From: Escondido California, USA

Unfortunately neither my Mother nor I have any idea what happened to that record. I know that I received it for Christmas in 1952 and that it was my favorite record. Once I got into playing and could play that song then the record became less important to me. I had always thought that my folks purchased the record, but when I spoke to my Mom about it last week she said that Speedy gave it to them. I can guarantee you that it existed as it was very important to me at the time. However, that was a long time ago and it probably got cleaned out and thrown away as I grew older and took up more space. I had no idea how unique it would turn out to be.

I also don't recall what was on the other side as the SGR recording was what interested me.

Egil Skjelnes · From: Meland,Frekhaug

Hi again
I got an mail from Dagmar Binge,and the info they have on the Cass County Boys are very accurate,and they say it is Noel Boggs,so we have to correct this in the discography.They used Noel Boggs on all,or at least almost all of their records,and Radio stuff.
So that means,I don`t have an instrumental version by Speedy.Don`t have the T.E.Ford record.
Regards,Egil.

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Joe Goldmark's Steel Guitar Discography lists the following:

Jim Taylor · From: Escondido California, USA

Egil - Thanks for your follow up, I really appreciate it.

Jim

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Okay, it's a long shot, but I see Steel Guitar Rag listed on a Sundazed Jimmy Bryant set called "Frettin' Fingers". I recognize that a lot of the other songs are West/Bryant duets. Could it be?

Also, I see the Cliffie Stone 45 on Ebay.
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