The Steel Guitar Forum

Al, what a great piece of cocktail lounge music,great feel, and where do you find all thoes chords, and at that time, I was only 12yrs old, wish I'd known about the steel at that time.
You and yours have a great new year.god bless, Slim.

Al,

Great job on a great old song. BTW, the movie "Laura" came out in 1944.

For my January submittal, I decided to go Western Swing this time with "My Home In San Antone."

WOW Al

that was the year I was born!!

ill be given that one a listen

you da man Al!!!!

Mike

Al that is excellent chord work on that song and every song you have posted....sounds great.

Charles has just posted my Jan tune'Blue Skies'
Vernon Hester
www.etsga.org/steelguitarplayers.htm

Derrick-Thanks for your kind comments all the way from England. I did play in a lot of Hotels, cocktail lounges, some with dance floors back in those days, and I liked big chords, from the Alvino Rey Days, and all the classic and jazz standards.

I use a standard C6 setup only on E6 with a couple of pulls , important to me, that are not seen often on the standard C6. I use P5 and P6 and put P7 on a RLK so I dont need to use both feet on the pedals. A Happy New year to you and your family with many more in the years ahead....al.

Roy-I heard your great rendition of "Laura" and it is a great tune. I saw the Movie in 1944.
So I remembered my 1951 recording and got it out and put on Tilley's Site, just for old times sake.

BTW-I downloaded your song "Home in San Antone" and yours is a Great Western Swing version of a Great Western Swing classic. Thanks to Tilley's Website, we can hear all our members play their steel guitars in their own indivdual style. Happy New year..al.

Mike-thanks for your response. That was a good year for you to be born in, lots of good music to hear and play.Happy New Year to you....al.

John-Thank you much for the encouraging words.I can't believe that was recorded 57 years ago with my used 1942 Gibson ElectraHarp that I bought in 1947, 8 strings 6 pedals, like Alvino Rey had back then. He got me started on all the big chords, with his famous solos.Happy New year ...al.

Vern-You did a fine job on your Rendition of the old pop, jazz tune "Blue Skies. Maybe these old classic standards are coming back again.

Bobbe Seymour has got a new CD out with all those great tunes on it called "As Time Goes By". It is a great CD of those Classic Standards. Happy New Year....al.

Al,
Thanks, I listen to your big chord song the other day,nice job.
I always admired Alvino Rey.In the old days of TV when we would need a filler at the end of the movie I would splice a Alvino and the King Sisters tune into the filler. So They had lots of play on WLOS-TV in the 50's.
Vern

Charles has posted my new song for Jan. called "All Of Me". Your doing some fantastic work Vernon Hester on your song Blue Skies...great sounding C6 playing.

John-I Liked your song "All of Me". One of my favorite old standards. Very good clean picking and chords......al.:)

Tilley just put my Jan song on his Website, thanks Tilley.

This is an old Jazz Classic that I did in 1950 with my old 1942 Gibson 8 string 6 Pedal Electraharp.
One of Duke Ellington's many great songs that he wrote. "Sophisticated Lady", (Billy Eckstein had a great vocal hit on it) back then....al.

Once again, thank you Charles for putting up my version of Danny Boy.
A little information on the song, which was written by a doctor living in Bristol England and wrote the song in 1910 after a prophetic vision of his sons death in the trenches in world war one.
His name was Fred Weatherly, and his sister in law living in America sent him the music ,Londonderry Ayre to go with the lyrics.
I have a little more info on the man if anyone is interested, as over the years folk have come up with many versions as to who wrote the song, and where it came from.
Charles, many thanks for your wonderfull site and commitment to portraying all steel guitarists who have a tune they wish their fellow players to hear,Slim.

Derrick-I just had a chance to download your Song "Danny Boy".. Nice playing. That song is always so beautiful...al.

Al Marcus wrote:Derrick-I just had a chance to download your Song "Danny Boy".. Nice playing. That song is always so beautiful...al.

Hi Al, many thanks for your kind remarks.
Strange world, what goes round comes round.
Had a look at your web site, great time capsule, as I have just been writing backing tracks for, some of the song you played all thoes years ago,i.e. Autumn Leaves,Sentimental Journey,It had to be you,Stardust, Unforgrtable,You'r Nobody Till,Ain't MisbehavingAs Time Goes By, and even a Blues'y style of Crazy.
My friend I grew up with, his name is Roger Winslet, yes it's Kate Winslets dad, and I,are set on going out and performing all, and more of this type of song, I think they are great, and all thou a little younger than your good self, bring back some good memouries of our younger day's.
Once again Al, thanks for your kind words, and you are so right, it is a nice song,but I was filled with pure panic whan I performed it at a convention.Talk again soon, Fond regards, Derrick.

Hey Derrick, when you get those backing tracks, how about sending one or two over. Sounds like a bunch of my favorite good songs..Keep on picking...al.

Direct Email- almarcus@cmedic.net

Charles has posted my new tune on his site."2 Guitars".Come listen
Used Emmons and MSA.
Vernon Hester
www.etsga.org/steelguitarplayers.htm

Vernon-I just heard your new song. Great E9th playing! Sounds good to me. Thanks to Tilley for this website in allowing all of us to play our different styles of recordings. Most of the guys never heard of my old new song "Sophisticated Lady" (Duke Ellington song)
It is nice to hear the same guys play that we visit on the Forum.....al.

You did a great job Derrick on Danny Boy, very good arrangement and chords. Al Marcus your playing sounds fantastic as always with that great Duke Ellington song, I love the big band music. Vernon Hester you sound really great on that song 2 Guitars, very good tone.

Thanks Al,John.
I was experimenting with tone difference on the 2 guitars.Started with the 32 yr old MSA,(til 1:06) Then used a like new Emmons LeGrande(til 2:10) for the middle part,finished the tune with the MSA. Everything was the same,I unplugged the Emmons and plugged up the MSA,did not change the pre-amp or effects.Then edited the 2 parts together.
Vernon

John McGlothlin wrote:You did a great job Derrick on Danny Boy, very good arrangement and chords. Al Marcus your playing sounds fantastic as always with that great Duke Ellington song, I love the big band music. Vernon Hester you sound really great on that song 2 Guitars, very good tone.

Many thanks John for the kind words, it's as close as I could get to the Emmons version.Derrick.

Vernon-I played your song again and couldn't hardly hear the difference between the two guitars. If I heard a difference with these old ears, it might be that the Legrand II might have had a slight more live string seperation, but harldy noticeable. What is your opinion on it? Great sound and playing to me on both guitars.Thanks to Tilley for his website...al.:)

Al,
The Emmons has new strings is the only difference I can hear.(And my playing error) on the Emmons I put new ones on the MSA after the test and
it back to its orginal tone.Both Guitars had humbuckers,BL-710 in the MSA,Emmons Dual coil installed. I was thinking about buying the Emmons,but sent it home after the test.(my Brothers 2nd Guitar).Think I might go for a Zum.
Vernon