The Steel Guitar Forum

Who was he, what influence did he have, did he have a steel player and which record (other than the Bear family boxed set) should I be looking for?

I may be totally mistaken, but I seem to remember to have been told once that he had Speedy West on at least some of his recordings (?).

... J-D.

Clive, Skeets was originally from Oklahoma I believe but I'm not sure. He was more of a stylist than a great singer. He was mostly known on the Southern California circuit and was a regular on the old Town Hall Party TV Show for a good while. He had some pretty good records but as the old saying goes "If you remember the sixties, you weren't there" which is true. I do remember working a couple of times with him in a club somewhere near Simi Valley but I'm not sure of the location or name of the place, I think he owned it. As I remember, the place straddled two different county lines and there might have been a line going across the floor designating that. As with most SoCal acts, Ralph Mooney played on some of his recordings but I don't remember hearing about Speedy playing on them but he might have. I remember one record of his about "Big Chief Buffalo Nickle" but I don't think that was the name of it. He seemed to be older than most of the other artists at his peak time. If you'll research the old Town Hall Party you might be able to find out something about him there

Go Here for Info: http://www.talentondisplay.com/SkeetsMcDonald.html

Skeets MacDonald had a hit with "Don't let the stars get in your eyes". I don't remember the year.

Sorry. If i would have read Stephan Gregory's reply first, I wouldn't have had to reply.

I had a couple of Skeets' '78's that had Speedy West playing on them; one I remember was "Bless Your Lil Ole Heart, You're Mine". Only reason I bought them was that Speedy was on them. They were on the Capitol label.

Another artist around the same time was Gene O'Quin who also recorded for Capitol and had Speedy's steel. I think they were all connected with Cliffie Stone's Hometown Jamboree featuring Speedy with Jimmy Bryant.

He was more of a stylist than a great singer.

Now is that ever so diplomatic! I will remember that one.

Boy Jerry... You have a mind like a steel trap. Someone told me I was in SoCal in the sixties, but I don't remember too much except it was a blast.

Skeets also had an exciting tune called "Tatooed Lady," about a lady who had states tatooed in various strategic places. Featuring such lines as "on her (whistles) was West Virginy, and through those hills I loved to roam."

I couldn't make this up.

Joe

I have a Skeets McDonald 45 from his Capitol years in the 50's entitled, "Don't Push me Too Far" backed with "You Better not Go".

Back then, I was a big fan of Skeets, Wynn Stewart, and Joe Carson (still am). You could tell that they all had the same background musicians (all three of them recorded for Capitol) and it was certainly Moon on steel. Then Buck came along (Capitol of course) and guess who. Ahhhh, that "west coast sound", or should we call it that "Mooney Sound"?!

Joe G. would that be the one where he started singing acapella....

Once I married a tattooed lady,
It was on a cold and wintry day.
And tattooed all around her body,
Was a map of the good old USA.
And everynight just before I'd go to sleep,
I'd pull back the quilt and then I'd take a peek.

Then the chorus....

Upon her leg.....was Minnesota,
On her shoulder...Tennessee.
And tattooed on her back, was good old Hackensack,
A place.......where I want to be.
Upon her (wolf whistle) was West Virginia,
Through those hills I really love to roam.
And when I saw that moonlight shining on her Wabash,
That's where I recognize my old Kentucky Home...

Dang, that was from memory......JH in Va.

For those who want to listen, here are two tracks:

1) "Tattoed Lady" from 1950, with Johnny White & the Rhythm Riders (Johnny White on steel)

2) "Remember You're Mine" from 1954, with Speedy West on steel


http://www.lloydgreentribute.com/Austri ... /Forum.htm


Kind Regards, Walter

Myron Reed wrote:Skeets MacDonald had a hit with "Don't let the stars get in your eyes". I don't remember the year.

So did Skeets play with Slim Willet? (We heard that song in Abilene, along with 'Tool Pusher From Snyder.')

'Don't let the stars get in your eyes
Don't let the moon break your heart....'

Jerry, Your memory is good, except the river was Mississippi. Jody.

Jerry,

You must have sung that one back in the day to remember all those lyrics. Great song, and very risque for the times!

Joe

I remember a Rockabilly song recorded for Capitol

"You ought to see your granma rock"

Eddie Stubbs regularly features Skeets recordings,
mainly the '60s stuff with Johnny Paycheck (then
Donny Young) singing harmony. He had a couple of
recordings earlier on Capitol that had great steel,
could have been Moon pre-pedals. They were "You're
Too Late" and "I've Got a New Field to Plow". The
steel was capoed and there was a lot of bar bouncing
two frets up from open like Moon does. If anyone
has these cuts, I'd sure love to have a copy.

Clyde Mattocks wrote:Eddie Stubbs regularly features Skeets recordings,
mainly the '60s stuff with Johnny Paycheck (then
Donny Young) singing harmony. He had a couple of
recordings earlier on Capitol that had great steel,
could have been Moon pre-pedals. They were "You're
Too Late" and "I've Got a New Field to Plow". The
steel was capoed and there was a lot of bar bouncing
two frets up from open like Moon does. If anyone
has these cuts, I'd sure love to have a copy.

I have the complete "Skeets MacDonald" Bear Family box set, with everything he recorded. Email me and I'll try to send you those songs.

Jody Sanders wrote:Jerry, Your memory is good, except the river was Mississippi. Jody.

Actually he recorded the song a couple of times, a couple of years apart, and one version has it as "Wabash" and the other is "Mississippi".

Loved Skeets version of Mona Lisa !!

Who is on pedal steel in this "Skeets" clip?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9mIQAqogkU

Billy Mize

this place is awesome.