The Steel Guitar Forum

Bobbe's Newsletter this week mentioned the rivalry between Buddy Emmons and Curly Chalker.

This must be the first time many of us have heard of this. Can anyone elaborate?

I don't know, Bobbe would know for sure; but I think it was a friendly rivalry. I know Buddy enjoyed playing bass for Curly at the St Louis convention many moons ago. cc

I believe Bobbe didn't mean there was a rivalry between Buddy and Curly, but between the fans.
Some of them liked Buddy, others Curly..
At least, that's the way I read the newsletter.

The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox have been rivals for longer than I can remember. Are we talking that kind of rivals. Because occasionally there have been fights in both stadiums.


JD

i think more like the rivalry of both playing cuts on a marcel dadi album trying to outdo the other.

In the notes to Tom Bradshaw's double LP reissue of Curly's records, Curly is quoted as saying that there were RUMORS of problems between him and Buddy,but they were false and he and Buddy were very close friends.

Also, if you read the back of Buddy's Black Album, Curly was one of his studio guests.
Both of them fantastic talents (unlike me )

Many years ago in the 70's, Buddy Emmons was interviewed by Bob Powell for the UK publication Country Music People. Bob threw some names at Buddy, including Pete Drake, Red Rhodes and Jeff Newman, all of whom received a very acerbic evaluation from him on the technical merits of each one (especially Mr Drake). However, when Bob asked him of his opinion of Curly, he was highly complimentary.

What was that old expression:

IT TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE !!

Regards, Paul

I have a CD that has a lot of different things on it,One tune[not sure but think it's Johnny Bush]doing a western swing tune on it,it's a live cut,it has Buddy and Curly on it,both takes rides on it,Did the two of them every record anything together ? Anyone know ? DYKBC.

Buddy and Curly were both featured on a couple of Marcel Dadi's instrument albums.

In the late 60's Buddy and Curly worked together at the Black Poodle Club in Nashville. They'd switch off playing bass/steel. One week it's be Curly on steel and Buddy on bass. The next might be Buddy on steel and Curly on bass. That's the place where Roger Miller offered Buddy the job that led to him moving to California to play bass for Roger.

I heard a story years ago in Nashville that one night Buddy Emmons played some of his usual great stuff in a club and Pete Drake was there. This is probably all completely wrong- but the story went - that Buddy looked at Pete Drake and said "can you do that?". Pete took out his wallet and had a wad of $100 bills. He rolled them and said "Can you do that"? So the moral of the story was that a talking steel guitar paid more than an expertly played one.

... especially if the talking steel guitar had been first shown to him by the expert player (which, I believe may be the rest of the story...*)


*though I'm not sure how it all relates to Alvino Rey

Steve, I've heard that story but it was Curley instead of Buddy.......JH in Va.

Well whether it was Curly or Buddy, wasn't record producing and related activities a bigger part of Pete's financial success than his steel playing? I know he played on lots of sessions through the 60's and while the talking think was a neat novelty at the time I don't think it had much staying power. Sorry for the thead drift.

Ken, I remember ordering a back copy of that 1972 edition of Country Music People in '76. I seem to recall that, when asked about Red Rhodes, he replied that he was another Pete Drake. He also mentioned a young monster player of the time. If my memory serves me right, I think he was referring to Tommy White. I wish I still had the magazine.

Arch.

The cut that Charles is referring to is Johnny Bush's version of "Home In San Antone." This IMHO is perhaps the greatest slab of steel guitar put to vinyl. Certainly the greatest twin steel recording. Buddy is on one channel and Curly on the other, and when one is soloing, the other is playing a rhythm part. Plus Buddy Spicher & Harold Bradley, and a dynamite Johnny Bush vocal and they all stretch out. It's a studio cut, but seemingly pretty live in the studio.

This was originally only released as a 45 and never made it to an LP. Later it made it's way onto a greatest hits J.B. CD, but horrors, the ending was chopped off, as I remember. However, there is a CD called "Legends Of Guitar Vol. 2" on Rhino, that features it in all it's glory.

Joe

That's the one Joe,another cut on there I like is Tony Rice's [Me and my guitar],also a piece of history,The original of Mother Maybell's Wild Wood Flower,You are right about The Johnny Bush tune,Buddy and Curly KICK BUTT on that one.Don't get any better than that. The CD I'm talking about is called Country vol 2,think I found it in a cutout bin some where years ago. DYKBC.

PS,don't know if this CD can be found anywhere,If not if a FEW of you would like to have it,would be glad to make you a cassette of it,[my CD burner bite the dust] NO CHARGE. DYKBC.

Archie Nicol wrote:Ken, I remember ordering a back copy of that 1972 edition of Country Music People in '76. I seem to recall that, when asked about Red Rhodes, he replied that he was another Pete Drake. He also mentioned a young monster player of the time. If my memory serves me right, I think he was referring to Tommy White. I wish I still had the magazine.

Arch.

Archie - Buddy was referring to a 'monster' player from Detroit who was 14 years of age. His name? Paul Franklin

Ken Byng wrote:
Archie - Buddy was referring to a 'monster' player from Detroit who was 14 years of age. His name? Paul Franklin

Are you sure he wasn't talking about THIS "Monster player"?

Thanks for the clarification, Ken. Paul Franklin, eh? I wonder what ever happened to him.

Arch.

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