Little Rock Studio finally finished the Rockabilly CD

Keith Hilton · Post by **Keith Hilton** » 18 Aug 2007 1:37 pm

The recording studio in Little Rock took their sweet time finishing up the Rockabilly CD I played on. This is Rockabilly Music, with the E9th pedal steel guitar let lose. The E9th Pedal Steel was loaded for bear, not rabbit. This is not your run of the mill, Granny's Bath Water, Country CD. This is Rockabilly, like the stuff out of Sun Records in Memphis. My black E9th Emmons was BARKING on every cut on the CD. Think God there are still some studio engineers who know how to turn up the steel guitar. 14-29-40-98, I thowed a party on this Rockabilly CD. I will have these CDs at the convention in St. Lous.

Gary Atkinson · Post by **Gary Atkinson** » 20 Aug 2007 8:25 am

Ol' Keith is right this ain't your run of the mill stuff.Some of the songs are Rock And Roll Ruby,I'm Walkin' and I'm Gonna Be A Wheel Someday,all done with some unique styling.There are a couple of slow songs too from the Rock-A-Billy era.This CD will debut in St. Louis. Stop by and give it a listen.
Gary A.

Hal Higgins · Post by **Hal Higgins** » 20 Aug 2007 9:13 am

KEITH ARE YOU GONNA HAVE RHYTHM TRACKS AVAILABLE FOR THIS ALBUM?

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 20 Aug 2007 12:15 pm

Hey Keith and Gary,

I want a copy of this for sure.

Fellow steelers I know it will be a Great CD for enthusiasts for this type music. These guys cut their teeth on these types songs and was there when this stuff was happening.

Keith and I go back a long while. He used to bring his electric 6 stringer into my old junior high school and rip off those Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, etc. tunes. We really dug that! He was my junior high math teacher and the principal and he really was good at both. He played the guitar for me and that's why I never got a paddlin!

It worked at least for me!

These guys can cut it! Get your copy.

Terry Wood
alias Quiet Junior High Student

Keith Hilton · Post by **Keith Hilton** » 20 Aug 2007 1:14 pm

Hal, rhythum tracks for the Rockabilly CD will not be available. I wish they were. Terry, thanks for the kind words. You were a good student and turned out to be a wonderful person. It would have been nice if all the kids were as good a boy as you were. I am very proud that you have become a school teacher yourself. Yes, you are right about us cutting our teeth on this Rockabilly stuff. We should know how to play these songs by now, as we have played them in thousands of Honky Tonks all over the country. We even had the pleasure of working with Carl Perkins. Pedal steel guitar was not used on the original recording of these up tempo songs. That is too bad, because they sound even better with pedal steel. When you listen to this CD you will need to strap on your seat belt. You will probably like what I did on the song "Rock and Roll Ruby". I played all E9th and do 90% of the fill work behind the singing. Of course I get half of the rides and a hot guitar, horns, and piano get the other half. This was not produced in Branson, the production came out of Little Rock, Arkansas

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 20 Aug 2007 2:31 pm

Keith, I wont be at the convention, but I'd like to order a copy by mail. I play pedal steel with a rockabilly/alt-country group here sometimes. I play a uni and end up in B6 mode alot. I'll be interested to see what your E9 sounds like.

Keith Hilton · Post by **Keith Hilton** » 20 Aug 2007 5:57 pm

David, the cost is $12.00 plus $2.00 shipping. Should have copies in from duplication next week. David, I did not get to use any distortion fuzz on this CD, the producers wouldn't let me. I did get to use an evelope filter on a couple of songs. Also used a couple of programs from the ProFex II. One song had Kriss Cross, and one had vibroto I think. Other than that it is hard E9th steel without compromise. I know that a lot of players go to the C6th neck, when they try to play Rockabilly. Using the C6th tuning is OK, so long as it doesn't get to sounding like Western Swing. Nothing against Western Swing, it is just that Rockabilly is not Western Swing, and it is not Ray Price either. You have to get really out on a limb, and throw caution to the wind, using the E9th tuning on Rockabilly.

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 21 Aug 2007 5:41 am

Keith,

We sure missed you at our 2nd Annual Marshfield Steel Guitar Show this year. A bunch of people wondered where that guy was at that played last year. THe one who had that talking turkey that liked Ray Price shuffles.

This is even sounding better that you used only the bare essentials for effects on this recording.

I think the producers were right on. Nothing against Branson, but I have heard some music from other places that I prefer.

I want a copy of this new CD.

Terry Wood

Keith Hilton · Post by **Keith Hilton** » 21 Aug 2007 10:19 am

Terry, as you know, I lived and played in Branson over 22 years. 6 nights a week for over 5 years at the biggest and best night club. You put in your time in Branson also, with the Chasi Childs Show, and with Shoji Tabachi. With Branson or Nashville you have to understand that it is all about the singer. Musicians are just cannon fodder. Everthing will be OK if you understand that as a side man you are not important, it is the singer who is important. I understand the game and so I am OK with it. The general public could care less about musicians, they only know if they like it or don't like it. Music for the general public is hard to understand unless it has a singer. On this CD "Rockabilly Fever" we didn't try to please anyone except ourselves. I really wanted to use a fuzz on a couple of the tunes. The first track I did of "Boppin The Blues" by Carl Perkins I used fuzz. My E9th pedal steel sounded exactly like ZZ TOP burning down the building. But the producers didn't like the fuzz, but they loved pure E9th pedal steel guitar. In a way I guess that is good.