The Steel Guitar Forum

Does anybody out there know where I might purchase a copy of an old recording by Herb Remington called "Steel Guitar Waltz" It was a neat song with twin steel overdub doing counterpoint. I used to have it on an old 78 record but I think someone re-issued it on different media later on.

I might have that tune..........

I'll check on it first thing in the morning.

If I do, can you accept an MP-3 attachment to an email?

Hi Ray....
Yes, I can accept MP-3's via e-mail. I would be more than happy to pay you for your trouble if you have that sound track. I haven't found anyone that has even heard of "Steel Guitar Waltz" let alone have it. I thought it was on the backside of an old 78 record I have of "Jean Street Swing" (another great, but little known, Remington instrumental).... but I was wrong.
Thanks for trying to dig that up for me.

Roger,
Here's a little info you might find interesting about that tune and its' original beginnings. Hopefully I've still got the facts straight,,,afterall, it has been over 50 years or more ago.
I remember when Herby first played it to me (before it was ever recorded) in his steel guitar parlor or maybe even at the Parker Music store (which later became H & H Music) in one of the teachers' rooms) on a triple neck Fender 8 string (I know it was the short scale guitar and I think it was either the "Custom" or maybe "Deluxe" model with the Traposoid pick ups and was a blonde guitar) on his A-6 tuning. This part I'm not real sure of,,,,seems like it was in the key of D on the 5'th fret or maybe in the key of F on the 8'th fret.
He first played me just the single string melody and then with a grin on his face, said "now look at this",,,,and he griped the first three strings (a major triad) and proceeded to play the tune with three part harmonies, sliding the bar up the neck with reverse and forward slants as well as some straight bar positions and grips thrown in there too......... he asked "what do you think about that",,,,,ofcourse, I was dumb founded and practally speechless at what I had just seen and heard.
To me at that time, it was probably one of the more astounding things I had ever seen or heard on a steel guitar.
A little later it was actually recorded that way. But, at that time Herby was beginning to dabble in the "multi track" thing ala "Les Paul and Mary Ford" and did it with the multi track, or as we called it back then, "stacked tracks" method playing each of the melody and harmony notes separtely. As well as I can remember he used an Echo Plex or another simular brand to record with.
I was so very forunate to have witnessed a lot of and so many of those "pioneering days" of the steel players back then, which included not only "straight steel" but also pedal steel.
To this very day, I still "lean on" a lot of the things I learned from some of the Greats back then, in and during the '40's, '50's and early '60's.
It was a facinating time period for a young country bumkin like me, eager to learn as much as I could and be able to play some of it.
Herb and I are still very close friends and I feeel most forunate to be able to pick up the phone and talk with him or to drive over to his house and have a nice visit.
He is a "book of knowledge" about steel guitars and its' players.
I think this a pretty close accounting of how this particular tune came into being.
BB

Bobby.... Thank you so much for your interesting response regarding Herb Remington. I think it was way back in 1952 when I was 15 years old and playing steel in local clubs and on a local Kansas City radio station that I was blown away by the stuff Herb was playing. It was, for the most part, magic to me. I remember taking Herb's record of "Remington Ride" over to a neighbor who was music director for a radio & TV station in addition to being the top Hammond B-3 player in town. He helped me to figure out how to play "Remington Ride" and I was off and running. you were so fortunate to be in the same area and be so close to him in your formative music years. his music will live on forever and it is wonderful to see some of the local players going back to vintage non-pedal steels.

Great stories, gentlemen! I just learned Remington Ride yesterday!
(yes, I am new to steel) Now I need to hear Steel Guitar Waltz...

Ray Old Buddy:

It is SO GOOD to see you posting again. I read everything that you submit. Thanks so much....after all, you are a 'Lights out' kinda guy!!! Dallas will never be the same......regards, etc.

I've never heard the song, could someone post it please. Thanks, Leon

I just had a flash...... Was it you Ben, that was heard to shout out, across that darkened "non-pedal" or "Hawaiian Room" there in Dallas.....

......."It was that darn olde antique Volu-Tone amp
that blew all of the lights out"!

Just curious..........I still consider you a friend.

The "Steel Guitar Waltz" is not available on YouTube

Is it true that Herb is the one who first played (and composed) the famous intro for the song Night Life and Buddy Emmons then took up on the idea and made it the great intro it is today?

I used to have it handy buts it's been put away for years. I think I bought in around '51 or'52. It's been packed away for a very long time.

I told you I would.........

I promptly flipped it up on the turntable and hit the 'start button'...........and NOTHING!

I then dug around and found the instructions for my Crosley 3-speed record player and after reading them,
I hit the 'go button' once again and NOTHING!

I will dig out another player tomorrow and will get it on the computer and with some luck, I'll get it up for you guys to listen to. It's on the flip side of Remington Ride.......... How 'bout that?

Alain-Yves Pigeon wrote:Is it true that Herb is the one who first played (and composed) the famous intro for the song Night Life and Buddy Emmons then took up on the idea and made it the great intro it is today?

Not true, although Herb R. was on the first recording of Night Life, Willie's cut from 1959 or thereabouts.

The Price intro is a turnaround that Tadd Dameron wrote and was used in several bop tunes of the 50's, such as "Lady Bird," "Parker's Mood," et al. It was Buddy's application to the tune.

Here's a discussion about the tune from a couple years back http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... n&start=25

Here's an interview with Herb at Steel Guitar Madness, lifted from the South Bend Tribune.

...Mishawaka native Buddy Emmons, a steel guitarist who would later play with country music notables Ray Price and George Jones. Emmons' father would bring his young son to hear Remington play.

Hello.
This tune was released as follows.-On both 45 single,and as 78 stonecake
Remington ride/ steel guitar waltz.-Okeh 18005
I have both copys.
It is also found on the double LP "Jean street swing" relesed by Tom Bradshaw many years ago.
Best from Egil.

Ray Montee wrote:I told you I would......... It's on the flip side of Remington Ride.......... How 'bout that?

WELL, if that's the case it was played on a Fender 1000. I know that because Mr. Remington told me that Remington Ride was done on a Fender 1000 (Mk1);-)

Well maybe I'm stretching a point somewhat. In actuality the Album "Remington Rides Again" was done on a Fender 1000, irrespective of what the sleeve portrays.

From: DELETED for obvious reasons
Subject: Re: for the attention of Mr. Remington...Admiration for the past 50 years
Date: 5 December 2010 22:22:41 GMT
To: basilhenriques@european-steel-guitar-hall-of-fame.com

Mr. Henriques,

My apologies for the delay in answering your very nice letter.

The album - "Remington Rides Again" - was recorded using (you are correct in that it was a Fender) - actually an 8 string Fender 1000 minus the pedals.

Thanks for the compliments - they are appreciated.

Most sincerely,

Herb Remington

Herb Steiner wrote:

Alain-Yves Pigeon wrote:Is it true that Herb is the one who first played (and composed) the famous intro for the song Night Life and Buddy Emmons then took up on the idea and made it the great intro it is today?

Not true, although Herb R. was on the first recording of Night Life, Willie's cut from 1959 or thereabouts.

The Price intro is a turnaround that Tadd Dameron wrote and was used in several bop tunes of the 50's, such as "Lady Bird," "Parker's Mood," et al. It was Buddy's application to the tune.

Herb, I knew that there was something with that Night Life song, look at what I found in the Andy Volk book Lap Steel Guitar.

From the book Lap Steel Guitar by Andy Volk, on Herb Remington on page 121

It’s not generally known that you’re actually the steel player behind Buddy Emmons’s famous intro to Willie Nelson’s song, Night Life.

I played the original steel part with Paul Buskirk and Willie Nelson here in Houston in 1955. We worked up the intro that everybody’s familiar with on Night Life; that came from me and Paul. That thing was released as a 45 but it just didn’t go anywhere until Ray Price recorded it. Emmons took that intro and everybody thought that’s where it came from. Not that it makes all that much difference but we were kind of proud of the sound we got on that album. I went to the studio yesterday as a matter of fact – this is the same studio 30 years later – and I played it and knocked ‘em out

I knew I had seen this somewhere. This does not change anything you mention in your interesting post and thanks for the reference to the Parker's Mood song.

Regards,

ayp

Alain
Not to dispute Herb R., but I'm listening at this very moment to the 1959 recording of "Nite Life (sic)" as recorded and released by "Paul Buskirk and His Little Men, featuring Hugh Nelson." You can definitely hear Herb R. in the background and doubling the intro/turnaround with Paul Buskirk.

HOWEVER... ... the intro and turnaround on the 1959 cut is the 1 6 2 5 progression that was later on Willie's Liberty recording of Night Life. It's not the 1 b3 b6 b2 progression that was on the Ray Price recording.

I'm on my way to a gig at the moment, but I'll try to put the song up later, probably tomorrow.