The Steel Guitar Forum

My favorite song changes every 3.5 minutes.

Today and always my favorite songs are both written by Mickey Newbury...Vocal "The Trilogy" by Elvis...Steel "Sweet Memories" by Jeff Newman Live at the PSGA.

"Old Country" by Mark Chestnut, the Steel Guitar is Fantastic. It's 1:00am, and I can't put it down. I have got to go to bed. Good Night everybody.

That's a hard question for sure, I would have to say that the song that won me over to country music was hank Williams Jr's song Stoned at the juke box 1975.

I love the steel work on that song

Just rebooting this a bit.
Lost in the feeling by conway twitty (john hughey on steel of course)
High country snows by Dan fogelberg. All of it

JD Crowe and the new south. You can share my blanket. Steel by Jim Murphy i think.

I'll think of something by Mark chesnut.

When the moon across the bushland beams, by Slim Dusty

Mascara by John Stephen. If you do nothing else today, listen to that song on YouTube .

I could go on but i don't think i could stop.

"Ode To Billy Joe" by Bobby Gentry.

Wow, so many excellent choices! But I think I will choose what seems to me a fairly obvious choice, but always a favorite of mine - even before I started listening to a lot of country - see if you can guess as I leak a few clues.... While definitely country, it also combines elements of blues and jazz. It's original version brought the talents of three of the biggest names together. 1) Big E played steel, and the intro is still rather unique for country (you got it now, I bet). 2) Willie Nelson wrote it. 3) Ray Price first recorded it. Yep, how could we not include "The Nightlife" in this thread? I guess I like it because it works on so many levels and crosses so many genres.

But, for second choice I will go for one penned and first performed by James Taylor - "Bartender Blues".

Will you allow me a third choice? How about "Down to My Last Cigarette", Billy Walker, and also covered by KD Lang

Douglas Schuch wrote:Big E played steel, and the intro is still rather unique for country

Have seen it written that Mr. Emmons patterned his intro after one that Herb Remington originally played. In any event, it's hard to disagree with "Night Life" as your song choice.

Jack Hanson: <i>Have seen it written that Mr. Emmons patterned his intro after one that Herb Remington originally played.</i>

Which one?

Douglas Schuch wrote:Jack Hanson: <i>Have seen it written that Mr. Emmons patterned his intro after one that Herb Remington originally played.</i>

Which one?

From Forumite Andy Volk's fine tome Lap Steel Guitar, page 121, quoting Mr. Remington:

"I played the original steel part with Paul Buskirk and Willie Nelson here in Houston in 1955. We worked up the intro that everybody's familiar with on Night Life; that came from me and Paul. That thing was released as a 45 but it just didn't go anywhere until Ray Price recorded it. Emmons took that intro and everybody thought that's where it came from. Not that it makes all that much difference..."

Great book. Highly recommended.

I'm reviving this old thread as I stumbled across this video today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eZuqdsd_5c

I believe this is the original mentioned in the book you discuss, Jack. And, indeed, you can hear some strong similarities to Buddy E's intro... but also some huge differences. This one lacks the strong blues/jazz sound that Buddy's version has. You hear it in the guitar riff after the line "Listen to the what the blues are saying": Buddy plays this part very similar. Throughout the song, the guitar is capturing the bluesy aspect of the song. In fact, one of the few songs I'd rather listen to the guitar than the steel.

In summary, I'd say the steel guitar as played by Mr. Remington, while very pretty, does not capture the bluesy, "dark" side on the Night Life, and Buddy's version absolutely did. Did Buddy draw on what Herb R played? Yes, clearly. But he also took it into another realm. And that is what music is all about... particularly when covering a song that has been previously recorded.

PS: perhaps others would like to continue the discussion on favorite country songs? Did not mean to hijack the thread!

"You're Lookin' at Country" - Loretta Lynn

"The Year Clayton Delaney Died" - Tom T. Hall

"Luckenbach, Texas" - Waylon and Willie

And my signature karaoke fan favorite ...

"Feed Jake" - Pirates of the Mississippi.

Those were the days,

Ian

I think most would agree that the post should be "favorites" instead of "favorite". Kinda like asking "who's your favorite child?".
A few offf the top of my head:
"Kern River"-Merle Haggard
"The Old Violin"-Johnny Paycheck
"I got the Hoss"-Mel Tillis
"One's On The Way" Loretta Lynn
"That's The Way Love Goes"-Merle Haggard
"Country Boy" -Albert Lee
...

Ther's nothing more lonesome morbid or drear , than to stand in the bar of "A pub with no beer". Slim Dusty. Without a doubt.

"They'll Never Take Her Love From Me" by Hank Williams. Great song, and every version I've ever heard you can hear the intensity in Hank's voice. Great steel by Don Helms, too...what more could you want?

https://youtu.be/TOgMGMQoDTQ

Close second is "Sing Me Back Home" by Merle Haggard.

Ian wrote:"You're Lookin' at Country" - Loretta Lynn

"The Year Clayton Delaney Died" - Tom T. Hall

"Luckenbach, Texas" - Waylon and Willie

And my signature karaoke fan favorite ...

"Feed Jake" - Pirates of the Mississippi.

Those were the days,

Ian

Pat Severs did great steel work on "Feed Jake" by Pirates of The Mississippi. He also played on their version of the Hank Williams song "Honky Tonk Blues", "Fightin' For You," "Rollin' Home", and "Dream You"

Your Cheatin' Heart and I Walk the Line

Jack Hanson wrote:

Douglas Schuch wrote:Jack Hanson: <i>Have seen it written that Mr. Emmons patterned his intro after one that Herb Remington originally played.</i>

Which one?

From Forumite Andy Volk's fine tome Lap Steel Guitar, page 121, quoting Mr. Remington:

"I played the original steel part with Paul Buskirk and Willie Nelson here in Houston in 1955. We worked up the intro that everybody's familiar with on Night Life; that came from me and Paul. That thing was released as a 45 but it just didn't go anywhere until Ray Price recorded it. Emmons took that intro and everybody thought that's where it came from. Not that it makes all that much difference..."

Great book. Highly recommended.

not that it makes much difference, but buddy added an appropriately styled intro and everything else that built on willie's sophisticated approach to chords and melody. far superior in my mind than any version that came before it.

I've always been partial to rodeo songs...
My all time favorite is Dan Seals "Everything That Glitters Is Not Gold"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU9qWR6Bosw

and after that it's "Amarillo By Morning" by George Strait

i'd forgotten about that song. i remember loving it also. touching video too!