The Steel Guitar Forum

OK, who's willing to cough up an .mp3 of this fabled performance? In my attempt to check out all the Joaquin stuff I can, this one's evading me.

Also, do either of the two Andy Parker & The Plainsmen CD compilations out there ("Call of the Rollin' Plains" and "Texas Belle") have any significant Joaquin work?

Finally, anyone know how much, if at all, Joaquin turns up in any of the feature films or Soundies that Andy Parker or Spade appeared in? Only one I know of for sure is the Warner Bros. featurette "King of Western Swing."

Thanks!

He's only on 2 tunes on "Call Of Rollin Plains". I don't know about the other one

Doug, you can find some of the JM soundies and other stuff with him on youtube.

I'd also suggest getting all The Plainsmen material you can get hold of, with or without Murph. What he's not on, you can play over and pretend you're one of the greatest of allllll tiiiiiime.

That single with SGB is a tough one to get, and they always manage to leave those two off comps. They are some of his best cuts.
I finally bought the 45 on Ebay long ago, only to have it arrive in 2 pieces...

There is a forum member who has a bunch of Murphey's stuff. I have offered to remunerate him if he could put it onto a CD for me. He said he'd do it if he could find the time. This was a while back and he still hasn't found the time. I'm jealous that he's so busy. I still have time for a full time job. But that's my problem. I don't want to go throwing people's names out because it might result in them getting a bunch of unwanted PMs or EMs. But maybe if he sees that there are alot of people interested, we'll see such a CD for sale on the Forum catalogue? I really love JB. I have alot of his stuff. I follow his advice and teachings. But I far prefer Murphey's sound. And Murphey's style seems to be the direction I'm headed. I'd love to hear alot more of him.

Wow, that took all of an hour or so! A generous SGF member just emailed me the aforementioned mp3s. Whatta community! I have to agree with all I've heard about these performances: jawdropping steel work by Mr. Murphey. Don't believe I've heard any better. What a joy.

Somewhere, over the rainbow...

Ron Whitfield wrote:Somewhere, over the rainbow...

Sorry. I don't get it .

...just dreaming...

I do quite a bit of that myself.

Doug, once you get all the Coast tunes together.
Your next task is to find all the alternate takes that were released on the Tops label.
Murphey is also on other peoples Coast records.
Lee

I did notice that New San Antonio Rose on Tops is different from the version on Coast. Are the versions of both Honeysuckle and Sweet Georgia Brown on Coast also different then the 45 on Tops?

Not to get too compulsive about it, but it'd be nice if someone (or some group of people) would try to compile a comprehensive Joaquin discography. As I come across these various recordings there's something a little different to be gleaned from every one.

For example, just got a copy of the LP "Mr. Music Himself" (Vol. 1) which I guess is audio transcriptions from Spade's TV show. Not only does it have some breathtaking Joaquin performances, but the arranging and over the top bebop-like performances from other players are really eye-opening. Great combo of hip and schmaltz, like Raymond Scott meets Lawrence Welk. Spade really did have some big organizational and showmanship chops and took a lot creative chances. Would be nice to SEE those TV shows, but after once doing some preliminary looking for kinescopes it didn't leave me with much hope. Those things, if they made them at all, were destroyed pretty routinely and methodically. Too bad.

Still, after hearing a lot of this stuff, so far I have to agree that the Coast "Honeysuckle Rose/Sweet Georgia Brown" sides are as if handed down from above.

Raymond Scott meets Lawrence Welk

That's a great way to describe Spade Cooley alright. These are very inspiring recordings. Very spirited. And I think that was Murphey's biggest strength. Every note sounds desperately exhuberant. And he plays so fast....... I too wish all this stuff was more generally available.

I am still looking for the 78 rpm on Coast if anybody has a copy for sale please let me know.

I have some old Spade Cooley recordings on cassette tape which was given to me years ago. My favorite for hearing Joaquin play was the original recording by Spade of "You Can't Break My Heart" {it's been broken before}. After Tex Williams sings the first chorus and bridge, here comes Joaquin, and is he wound up. He plays a chorus and continues into the bridge and completes the entire segment. It was as if the first part was so good that he was given the high sign to keep going and it just kept getting better IMHO. There was a later recording of the same song but it never came up to the first.