The Steel Guitar Forum

I know what you mean, Peter. I remember hearing Sleep Walk on my little transistor radio when I was a kid!

By the way... here is a link to a 1959 VOCAL version of SleepWalk, by Betsy Brye (stage name of Bette Anne Steele) ---> Click

Doug: Is there some way I could download just the rhythm track? I would love to have that just to practice with. Thanks, Tommy...........

Doug: Is there some way I could download just the rhythm track?

Yes ----> Sleep Walk rhythm track

Thanks for all the positive replies. I'm glad you like my version of this classic steel tune!

Robert Murphy wrote:Thanks for the straight up version, it's so often over played. What a great melody. KISS.

It must have been youthful exuberance that caused Jeff Baxter to add so much panache: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jkhs_1FBcE

Seriously though, I had just found this video in a search for ways to play Sleep Walk on fiddle, and only later did I find Santo y Johny

Either I missed this first time around and second or I don't remember.But once again Doug your playing has me at a loss for words. Unbelievable, magic, there I thought of 2. This deserves to be brought to the top again.
Will

Thanks, Will and others! Much appreciated. I've always admired Santo's straight ahead, single string, single note style. He could get more emotion from one string than any player I ever heard! Some of today's players think Santo played "too simple"... but try duplicating his sound. It's very hard to do.

I'm working now on a recording of Tear Drop, S&J's follow up to Sleep Walk, 1959. It's another great example of Santo's single string genius.

Will Houston wrote:But once again Doug your playing has me at a loss for words. Unbelievable, magic, there I thought of 2. This deserves to be brought to the top again.
Will

Not at all meaning to denigrate Doug's fine play (if perhaps it seemed so), I was simply blown away by Jeff Baxter's play with The Ventures (and his obvious enjoyment). The original is of course the statement. Just as with all the players we've seen live playing renditions of Hendrix after having 20+ years to get it right, when someone lays out something so massively original and au departure, it can never be truly duplicated. However, Doug did a fine job to which I should hope to step up some time.
And there is no such thing as "too simple" when it shows just how good the play is!

Alfred, I understand what you're saying completely, and thanks for posting that. I too like Jeff B's interpretation of Sleep Walk. When I play the song live I tend to improvise a bit and add more fills... I think most steel guitarists do. There are a lot of open spaces in the song and it lends itself to improv very well IMO. For this recording I tried to copy Santo's style. It's close, but no cigar!

Doug, I'm really lookin forward to hearin you play "Tear Drop". I remember wearin out my little 45 of Sleepwalk with Tear Drop on the flip side. Btw, both Tear drop and Sleepwalk lay out pretty nice on C6.

That vocal version of Sleepwalk wasn't bad. I was surprised. It would sound better if they removed the orchestra and put a steel guitar in the background, though.