Here's a great olde tune for you!

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 23 Sep 2010 4:42 pm

For those that have enjoyed those olde Ray Price shuffle songs, I'm sure you're gonna like the latest post on JERRY's MUSIC Page of the JerryByrd-FanClub.com.

Rex Allen, Sr., is doing his rendition of "I'll Keep On Loving You".....in the style of the day, back in the early 1960's out of Nashville.

JERRY BYRD performs another of his sensational solo's and some really fine back-up as well.

Why not drop in and visit the sight and then let us know you're impression of this latest post?

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 23 Sep 2010 8:16 pm

Ray,

Thank you soo much for posting this. I know that Scotty says he is JB's greatest fan, and of course BE says he is. Then we have Wayne Tanner, and you.

And of course consensus has it that Al Stotler took sole position of that..

Well me got news....

Ain' no budy on this planet loved him lack me

He was my musical virtuoso from a little boy; and that was over 65 yrs yrs ago. Sadly I never had the chance to see him play any where, until I saw him in person at Little Roy Wiggins store in Nashville, long after I had gotten grown.

So I misssed out on soo much. I would give almost anything to have all his recordings. But of all the recordings I see that he made on your website, the one that I really want most is "Harbor Lights" with the Harmonicats.

I first heard this rendition in '51, on a juke box in Tampa, Florida, when I was in my first year of college at Tampa U. It still rings in my ears. Jerry did a superb job on this recording. And I have never heard that recording since. Even though I have tried enumerous times to find it. Nice to see you have it listed.

If ANY one knows were I can get a good copy of this recording, PLEASE let me know.

Thanks again Ray for your website and the work you are doing to keep the "Masters" legacy going.

May Jesus rest Jerry's soul and may He bless all of you always,

c.

PS:

Thanks to Art Ruymer (and Lorene) for sending me the following photo for my book.

Les Green · Post by **Les Green** » 24 Sep 2010 5:58 am

First time I'd heard that one. Just another example of the touch this master had.

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 24 Sep 2010 8:33 am

Carl Dixon:

Here ya go--JB and The Harmonicats

http://picosong.com/kws

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 24 Sep 2010 8:58 am

Thanks for the post and your comments.

Most likely, everyone that ever HEARD.... JERRY BYRD automatically became his number #1 Fan for life.

With YOU, it was 'Harbor Lights'. With me, It was "Moonland". And aw yes.....the power of the Juke Box.

One night, I flew into this isolated, dark and cold
northern MONTANA town knowns as Great Falls and after parking our Aero Commander 720, pressurized, 7-passenger executive aircraft we headed into town. My Captain delivered 'us' to a popular bar in town. I saw this record by Ferlin Husky entitled "Next to Jimmy". From the first three notes in the intro, I was hooked. What a beautiful song. Jerry later stated it was his first recording in months and was the first using his Diatonic tuning.

Take care now.

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 24 Sep 2010 9:18 am

With YOU, it was 'Harbor Lights'. With me, It was "Moonland". And aw yes.....the power of the Juke Box.

Actually, my favorite of Jerry's is:

"La Golendrina"

I have that recording, so I mentioned "Harbor Lights" which was IMHO one of his greatest, but to date, I have not been able to find it. Some have sent me and/or refered me to a Harmonicats recording of "Harbor Lights", sadly it did not have JB on it.

c.

Stuart Legg · Post by **Stuart Legg** » 24 Sep 2010 9:22 am

Ray I went to the Fan Club site and I couldn't find Rex Allen Sr. mentioned.
I didn't have time to read the whole site word for word but I did scan the whole thing pretty good and it just didn't jump up and bit me.
I'm not a JB Fan so to me the whole thing seemed at best well done but boring and I didn't want to take in everything on the site to find Rex.
My only interest here is that my father is a Rex Allen Sr. fan.
I can understand if in view of my previous comments you wouldn't want to address this and just call me an idiot but there well may be others who are JB fans that might be having the same problem and then again maybe not.

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 24 Sep 2010 9:23 am

My great friend Mitch Drumm.......

has included a direct LINK for you in his above post
and your long remembered tune is right there for you to listen to once again and again and again!

ENJOY!

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 24 Sep 2010 9:34 am

Stuart:

Go to the JB fan club site.

Look for "Jerry's Music" in the left margin and poke it. A new page will open. Scroll to the bottom of that new page and you will see the link.

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 24 Sep 2010 9:38 am

I'm sorry Stuart.....
that you found the JBFC site to be "boring".....
and not falling into the parameters of your liking...
but I won't hold that against you.To make it easy for YOU.........

The first tune on the site can be found at the extreme bottom of the HOME PAGE. Now, this is a Hawaiian tune and most likely not to your liking either.

The Rex Allen tune you were seeking can be found at the EXTREME BOTTOM of JERRY's MUSIC PAGE. There is a player there, on which you can punch 'play' and then hear the great voice of Rex booming forth.

Beyond this........I know not what more I could possibly do to be off assistance to you. ENJOY!

Jim Eaton · Post by **Jim Eaton** » 24 Sep 2010 10:29 am

I had the pleasure of working with Rex Allen Sr. on a radio spot for "Stehl Chain Saws" about 15 yrs ago.
The ad agency guy call me and said they wanted "steel guitar". I took my D-10 Emmons and just to play it safe I took my Martin D-18, Gibson Mastertone 5st and my Dobro also. As it turned out they wanted "steel string guitar" so having my D-18 took care of that issue. Rex Sr. was a real pro doing the voice over, working out his tempo to make the copy fit the time element of the commercial.
I was just doing a simple little finger picking pattern over D-G-A letting the strings ring out as I went along. Then they ask me to do the same thing, but could I move it up a step. So I played the same thing over E-A-B, but they wanted that same ringing sound I had before. So I dug into my case for the capo I always keep there and it was missing.
I looked in my "junk" bag, no capo!!!!
Rex Sr. came over and said "No capo, no problem".
He grabbed a #2 pencil off the desk, whipped out his pocket knife and cut it in half and then cut a notch on both ends, hooked a rubber band on it and handed it to me and said "Here's an old cowboy capo like we use to make when we needed one". I put it on my D-18 at the 2nd fret, hooked the rubber band around the back of the neck and we finished the session on the next take. I have that "Old Cowboy Capo" to this day as my personal memory of working with one of the giants of country music and one of the nicest guys you would ever want to meet!
JE:-)>

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 24 Sep 2010 10:47 am

Mitch Drumm wrote:Carl Dixon:

Here ya go--JB and The Harmonicats

http://picosong.com/kws

Mitch,

You have no idea how pleased I am to see your post. It was exactly 57 yrs ago this spring, when I last heard that rendition of an old favorite song. I just downloaded it and my, the nostalgia and tears that is flowing through my heart (and eyes) as I write this and listen to sounds from heaven.

I learned to play it later as I remembered it. I see now that I did not do it just right. I shall change that, you can rest assured. For nothing would do it justice like he did it.

It is the JB I love to hear play. In later years, he changed a wee bit. Still awesome, but on this recording you can hear the unprecedented timbre of Jerry's playing shine thru, added to that awesome "moan" that ONLY a prewar bakelite Rick can give. My, my, my.

Wow. You done it sir.

Thank you sooo very much dear friend, and may Jesus richly bless you for your kindness in posting that. It means more than I could ever tell you,

c.

And now it is time to get out the old 7 string Rick, dust it off and learn it right this time! Yipee

Come to think about it, I have not played that steel in 10yrs! Bout time don' ya thank?

Stuart Legg · Post by **Stuart Legg** » 24 Sep 2010 2:42 pm

Thanks Mitch and Ray. I got it now. I took the time to read a little this time and found it to be interesting.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 24 Sep 2010 4:01 pm

What an excellent performance by Jerry. In my opinion the harmonicas don't fit the song, but it's such a popular song for Hawaiian guitarists that Jerry must have made other recordings of it with different backing.
Does anyone know of any others ?

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 24 Sep 2010 4:58 pm

Alan:

JB also recorded Harbor Lights for Monument on the "Satin Strings Of Steel" LP in the 60s.

The recording with Jerry Murad's Harmonicats was a hit single on the Mercury label in 1950 (#19 on the charts). There are 2 Mercury LPs that contain a recording of Harbor Lights, but I am not sure (without playing them) if both of those appearances are the Harmonicats version. It may be (?) that he recorded it twice for Mercury and 3 times total.

Marty Robbins did a vocal version on which I think JB plays steel.

http://tinyurl.com/2bdazkn

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 24 Sep 2010 5:56 pm

Thank you Mitch,

For posting that link. No disrespect, but I like the Harmonicat's rendition much better. I hinted at this in my previous post.

As Jerry told Wayne Tanner and I (and a host of others), "I HATE the sound on those older recordings and I NEVER listen to them!"

So he changed how he played. And that is his prerogative. I give him that. But I prefer the older style and sound better. But hey, who am I? He IS the master, and he can do what he wants. And DID!

Thanks again,

c.

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 25 Sep 2010 9:05 am

I too, find some of the depth in Jerry's TONE on some of those earlier recordings to be quite superior to that of later years.

The intro on 'I Gotta Have My Baby Back' with Rex Allen; "Pedal from a Faded Rose" also with Allen and others of that era have NEVER been equalled by anyone else.

As for Harbor Lights with the Harmonicats..........
I've heard two seperate recordings of this and have them somewhere here but have no idea of where they're at, at this moment.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Here's a great olde tune for you!

Here's a great olde tune for you!

Hey Carl...............

Carl...............this is your LUCKY DAY!

I wonder if there is a REX ALLEN web site?

Carl, as usual, you hit the nail right on the head..........