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Topic: Paul "Spike" Featherstone |
Chris L. Christensen
From:
Los Angeles, California, USA
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Posted 10 Sep 2008 8:26 am |
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| Does anyone out there know anything about Paul "Spike" Featherstone? Spike played pedal harp with Tex Williams in the 1940s and 1950s, I believe he played guitar, too. I am learning pedal harp and I was pleased to find out that this instrument was used in Western Swing music. I think Spade Cooley had a harp in his band for a time as well, does anyone know what other Western Swing bands that used the pedal harp? Any information would be greatly appreciated. |
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Billy Tonnesen
From:
R.I.P., Buena Park, California
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Posted 10 Sep 2008 3:39 pm
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| Maybe this is a little bit of history on Spike Featherstone. Spike was part of Spade Cooley's band before Tex Williams. Spade Cooley had three basic bands in the fourties and early fifties. I understand he inherited Texas Jim Lewis' band when Texas Jime Lewis was drafted in WW2. I saw this band as a youngster playing at Foreman Phillp's County Barn Dance on Venice Pier, Ca. He started replacing these members prior to moving into the Riverside Rancho in Glendale, Ca. I believe Spike Featherstone joined the band at this time along with some very "trained" musicians i.e., Cactus Soldi, Pedro DePaul and others who were behind most of the arrangements. I saw this band several times in person at the Riverside Rancho (you could get in free if you had a Musician's Union card). Spade then decided he wanted a more pop band with horn sections. The band did not want to go this route so Tex Williams (Spade's voculist} took over the band at the Rancho and Spade moved on to the Santa Monica pier ballroom with his completely new band made of of Horn Sections and some of Bob Wills alumni in the Guitars. Spike Featherstone stayed with the Tex Wiiliams group. Spike also doubled on "Flute" which can be heard in some of the arrangements. The band both led by Spade and Tex was way ahead of it's time and set some real benchmaks for Weatern Swing. |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 10 Sep 2008 9:02 pm
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| are we talking harp like angels play here, or something else? i can't picture a real harp in a band like that. |
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Billy Tonnesen
From:
R.I.P., Buena Park, California
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Posted 11 Sep 2008 4:17 pm
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| Yes it was a real pedal floor harp the same as played by Harpo Marx. It was used for embelishments {Intros, endings, background) it was not used as a solo intrument. It gave the Spade Cooley arrangements some additional class. I do not know who came up with this idea but in the middle to late fouties Spade had such huge crowds that he could afford to have any size band and intrumentation he wanted. Watch the Columbia Pictures short subject on the Spade Cooley band, it's on the internet. |
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