The Steel Guitar Forum

A Session with Chet Atkins is a true classic. It features Chet's great 50s Gretsch sound through his new Ray Butts Ecosonic amp with excellent non-pedal steel from Bud Isaacs who was soon to ignite a pedal steel revolution with his sound on Webb Pierce's recording of Slowly. I'm not hearing any pedals on this one. The full record is here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHEL_P1qJHw

I hear Bud use a pedal a little on Corrine, Corrina. Maybe he just got the pedal guitar an hour before the session.

More pedal on "Gay Ranchero". But not much!

"Frankie & Johnnie" features the common country pedal mashing of triads that we know and love.

Doh! I have this one but hadn't listened to it in a long time so assumed non-pedal. Just remember Doug, to err is human, to forgive Bovine.

Listening to Bud Isaacs make me smile.

I bought this album used at a flea market back in the 1980s and later transferred it to CD. I seem to have lost it over the years, so it's nice to hear it again on YouTube! Great picking, live and real in studio, lots of energy. I especially like Chet's early stuff like this. His playing was so much more exciting and his sound was more raw and alive than his later albums. Good stuff!

Thanks for posting I had forgotten that this album also featured the legendary Dale Potter on fiddle whose playing to me, certainly stands the test of time.

The same poster has about 4 more of Chet's early records up on the Tube.

Andy Volk wrote:Doh! I have this one but hadn't listened to it in a long time so assumed non-pedal. Just remember Doug, to err is human, to forgive Bovine.

There is a nice story about this quote from the time after WWII when we still had National Service (conscription) in the UK.

A platoon of very unmilitary recruits was being put through its paces on the drill square by the Company Sgt Major accompanied by the Platoon Sgt. One recruit turned the wrong way and received an earful of coarse invective from the Sgt Major, when a very cultured voice from the middle of the platoon said "To err is human, Sir".

"Who said that?" snapped the Sgt Major.

"Alexander Pope, Sir".

Whereupon the Sgt shouted, "I've got his name Sir!"

I enjoyed these tunes very much, but did anyone notice that there is no mention of Bud Isaacs or steel guitar in the liner notes. ??



ROGER

Musicians were Bud Isaacs, Steel Guitar; Dale Potter, Fiddle; Ray Eddington, Rhythm Guitar; John Gordy, Piano and Celeste; Bob Moore, Bass, Buddy Harmon, Drums.

http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-session ... 0000883184

Thanks, I really enjoyed that. I was eight when that came out, my uncle must have worn that record out; he had a big blond early fifties Gibson L5.

When I hear the Gay Ranchero I always think of Lalo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UVLYFY7t7g