The Steel Guitar Forum

Ray, I would've loved to hear some of those bands!

The disappearance of instrumental music from popular culture is a mystery to me.

I think the live music crowds vanished because of TV.

I've played with way too many bands who couldn't keep track of where they were in a song if it didn't have words. Any instrumental that wasn't in 12-bar blues form was out of the question.

My favorite instrumental

I'll chart it for you.

/ 1 good ev ning/friend 2 3 4/ 1 pay me /

Well, I have played in bands where we did 3-4 instrumentals during the night and other bands where one guy sang all night and was afraid to let anyone else play or sing.

Recently, we attended a concert of a well-known and he featured the fiddle player on one medley and guitarist on a ride on a song, but the great steel player was never featured.

Also, no one else sang other than harmony vocals with him. The well known was sure to get his over two hours in on the show without an intermission. Needless-to-say, even though he was really good, we all got bored of him after about 120+ minutes. We wouldn't ever attend another show by this entertainer.

I think that every band should feature all the players and all singers within their group. This is one of the reasons I have became very selective as to whom I perform with or jam with. I have actually played jams at people's homes where they played or sang all night but didn't want anyone else to do anything. These days, I wouldn't even consider playing with a band all night these days, unless they feature everyone.

May GOD bless, those who share!

Terry Wood

Keep 'em dancin,' keeps 'em drinkin'

Yep, sadly, that IS and HAS been the theme for a very long time.

When the Grand Ole Opry began and for years, there were MANY insturmentalists. In fact there just may have been more of them than vocalists. That has all changed now.

I will be flamed from here to eternity, but I call this the epitome' of ego that singers are the "elect" and the "band" (instrumentalists) are only a "necessary evil".

There is not a voice on this planet, IMO, that is any prettier than a Steel Guitar when played by one of the maestro's! This goes for fiddles, piano's and lead guitarists of similar ilk.

Notice how Little Roy Wiggins played the intro, long breaks AND the ending on most all of Eddy Arnold's songs for 25 yrs! Same for soooo many other singers BEFORE "they" became the focus of music. Check out Stan Hitchcock's "The Shadow of Your Smile" featuring a complete instrumental by Curly Chalker.

Wow!

I believe "ego" and professional jealousy IS the main reason there is not much more of this now.

Before this and even way back, a singer was ONLY an extension of the "orchestra". Today it is just the reverse. In addition, WHY do they have to dance? What is wrong with sitting and simply enjoy the "listening" of beautiful music played by instrumentalists.

Are we to believe that those who "drink" can not drink if they are not dancing. Has any one ever proven this? Or is this just some theory that got started and like "the earth is flat" syndrome, everyone bought into it as a fact.

I don't know, but I often wonder.

My dear friend Tommy Dodd took me to a gig where he was playing PSG, a week ago tonight. They played a number of songs where few were on the dance floor, yet other songs they filled the dance floor. I saw NO one leave in either case. In several cases, the audience got up and lauded the band. And few people on this earth would not have done the same.

In one case I was so taken by Tommy's magic, that I could not believe my ears, that any player of any instrument could do that. And I am sure many of those that were clapping and yelling felt the same. It was absolutely incredibly done. With such taste and euphamistic acuity.

In the 40's and 50's, it was common for radio DJ's to play pure instrumentals often. And I will say without question, that IF they did that today and carefully selected instrumentals like Buddy's "Once Upon a Time in the West", and "Blue Jade", the station would be inundated with calls begging for more.

We will never know, because that is about as likely as Osama "Sin" Laden becoming Born Again.

Oh well.

carl

IMO the instrumental that should be classified as a masterpiece is Curly Chalker playin If.
For those who never heard it,he did it with no back up.
I read where the producer had him do it by him self to show the control he had over a steel guitar.

Quote:
Keep 'em dancin,' keeps 'em drinkin'

Really? How many people do you see on the dance floor with a drink in their hand? Get 'em dancing up a sweat, change the tempo or groove so they sit down and drink, get 'em back up dancing, and when they sit down the ice is melted, so they order another round.

One approach I like is to do three-song medleys, with a full length instro in the middle. It also helps to play the melody and not get too far out, because a lot of people dance to the melody, not the rhythm.

Ray after 50 plus years working with different kinds of groups,I have never played with a trumpet player that knew the greatest trumpet song ever.After saying that it is my most requested instrumental:Wonderland By Night,also sounds better on steel. Gordon Sharp,Kingston Tenn.

Ray Montee,I think Besides spelling "Instrumentals" I think playing Remington Ride is one of the most interesting and it is difficult requiring a lot of Practice. I'm still working on it. Ray