The Steel Guitar Forum

Regardless there is some mighty fine steel playing from the Cooley band, namely Noel Boggs and Joaquin...Joaquin in particular was an incredible innovator on steel, who played amazingly advanced harmonies and harmonically rich and rhythmically diverse and swinging improvised melodic lines, as deep as any swing era horn player. I'll go as far to say he was one of the biggest influences on the future of the steel guitar, via Buddy Emmons, Speedy West, Curly Chalker and on and on. His playing sounds totally fresh and timeless.

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http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, transcribers, technique tips and fun stuff. Joaquin Murphey transcription book, Rhythm Tuneup DVD and more...

Sorry if i upset you Bill...wasn't my intentions..just my views...lets move on in friendship....sorry..God Bless...He Sure Has Me

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Whitney Single 12 8FL & 5 KN,keyless, dual changers Extended C6th, Webb Amp, Line6 PodXT, Goodrich Curly Chalker Volume Pedal, Match Bro, BJS Bar..I was keyless....when keyless wasn't cool....

<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by George Redmon on 13 July 2005 at 11:23 AM.]</p></FONT><font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by George Redmon on 13 July 2005 at 12:10 PM.]</p></FONT>

I look forward to reading and seeing more about Spade Cooley. Everyone has things in their life they don't like to dweel on and Cooley it appears was no exception, but the fact remains he was a great musician. I first heard him on a re-issued vinyl 33 rpm three decades ago and I couldn't quit listening to "Oklahoma Stomp," it blew me away. I am just now finding the same thing out about Wade Ray. What great players these people were.

Let me add my mee too--I'm with Dave,George,Bill and John on this topic--It's TIMELESS..that struggle between light and Darkness. As a child I watched KTLA ch.5 at my grandparent's --2 favorites were Jalopy racers from Ascot(?) and Spade Cooley's band later-on. Influences can't be denied--etched in my mind for always. Any one remember Dick Lane shouting "Whoaa-a-a Nelly!"? Great altruistic stuff.

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I was lucky enough to have been in high school at the time of Spade's TV shows on KTLA channel 5 and remember some of it. What really stands out in my memory is there was a 17 year old lead guitarist named Jimmy Notrell or something like that along with the great Joaquin Murphy and those guys did some awesome things. I remember being astounded at how a steel player could play single note lines as fast and clean as a guitar player. Joaquin was a monster player and he's still mind boggling to this day! Spade had a great band and used the cream of the crop in his group. They could cook with the best of 'em.....JH in Va.

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It's all on 12, who needs 20!

The thought of being able to turn on the tv and watch Joaquin at work--there's a thought that boggles my mind. Let me go see what's on MTV.

Hi Jon.

Regardless of what has been said about Spade
Cooley, to me he will always be.

The King Of Western Swing.

Thanx fer puttin' this one up Chas

Too bad Spade changed his style with the 'Spade Cooley Orchestra' after the great years with Tex and Joaquin. While still quite proficiant musically, it was mostly syrupy dreck to meet the pop style of the day, leaving only Bogg's sweet steel work the only thing worth listeng for. No wonder Welk followed so easily and paved the road for good ol' Rock and Roll to take over.

Jon, Ascot Raceway Park/Lions Drag Strip in the Long Beach oil fields was one cool place to enjoy an evening in So. Cal if you weren't at The Olympic Auditorium on Sat's getting another dose of the best in 'pro' wrestling. Dick Lane was terrific at his TV job, properly driving us kid's nuts with his scripted ineptness. There is unfortunately only one example of his TV wrestling day's known to exist, as LaBell sold all the reels for a pitance to be reused.

L.A., what a great place to grow up, and to be from!

Great musicians of that day could be counted on one hand and they all played for Spade Cooley. Roy Ayers is exactly right, Cooley was a great artist. Remembering back (1946?) Roy, Hugh Jefferies and other steel players was really impressed and copied Spade Cooley's music and I might add Roy and Hugh played it very well. Spade Cooley , in my view, at that point in time right up to now was and is #1.

Thank You Barney

You said it all.

Jody Carver

Amen Barney and Jody. CC

SPADE COOLEY FOREVER AMEN.