The Steel Guitar Forum

Nice intro and break on this Ray Price cut. Album credits list Julian Tharpe so I'm guessing he also played steel on "Grazin' In Greener Pastures" and maybe the whole "For The Good Times" Album?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ArRYEgfK54

Chalker played on the For The Good Times cut, so it’s probably him on the entire album.

Greg,somebody told me that was Curly Chalker...some of the other stuff on that album sounds like Jimmy Day to me...there are credits on the album?

SH

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Gotta agree it is Chalker. Oh well, great cut. I did see Tharpe play at Ponderosa Park with Barbara Mandrell and like Buddy Charleton the sound dynamic is a lot more impressive in person than on record.

I checked the album cover, no musician credits are listed.

Julian worked the road with Ray and joined the band right when "For the Good times" was a hit. It's Chalker all the way.

ioooooo

Jack Goodson wrote:i do not understand even tho the album list julian that no one thinks it is him?

Jack,does the"For the Good Times"album by Ray Price have Julian's name on it?

I don't have a copy,so I don't know...

SH

loollpo

Jack, I checked the album cover and there are no credits listed.

looooo

Just as Paul Franklin and Steve Hinson posted. It is Curly on the cut posted by the OP.
Not saying Julian didn't record with Ray Price at some time, but not on the “For the Good Times” album.😊

Definitely Chalker on the entire album. Curly did a string of records with Ray during the time Cam Mullen was arranging. Curly played beautiful Day inspired E9th.

Johnny Cox wrote:Definitely Chalker on the entire album. Curly did a string of records with Ray during the time Cam Mullen was arranging. Curly played beautiful Day inspired E9th.

He sure could...I hadn't heard it in a long time till the subject came up yesterday,and I knew this tune was Chalker,but some of the ballad stuff sure sounded like Day...

SH

I have the original LP record album...no credits.




But this later CD album release may have the erroneous credit.



I could be wrong, but I don't believe that Julian ever recorded with Ray Price.

I always liked "Grazing in Greener Pastures" and it has a Jimmy day like break in the middle and outro. It's awesome that someone left that little steel part fade-in to the break at 1:43. The steel tone is super thin but the playing really fits the song. Also cool how the bass, steel and drums are all in synch on the first three notes of the intro.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJiixkRmPn8

"On two, boys."

3-4-1...bomp-bomp-bomp...

That 3-count "punch" intro is one of my favorites!

`

Grady Martin, Jerry Kennedy, Harold Bradley, Ray Edenton - guitar
Curly Chalker - steel
Bob Moore - bass
Willie Ackerman - drums
Bill Pursell - piano
Buddy Spicher - fiddle
Arrangements by Cam Mullins
Recorded:
Mar/1970, Columbia Studio, Nashville

The play off at the end of “Help Me Make It Though The Night” featuring Curly and Grady
always knocked me out.😊

What's really the ice on the cake here is that rhythm section tic tac playing the shuffle notes, that's the best and then you add the steel!

Help Me Make It Through The Night from the Good Times album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LezT4zjFB1E

Never listened to this cut before. Curly in his later years seemed to be able to sound like ay number of top players on the E9th neck. His bar movement was fast and precise and his blocking was super clean. Crank up the volume on the last few seconds of this cut. Thanks for pointing this song out. Cam Mullen's arrangements are so creative.

It sounds like Ray wanted to laugh-good naturedly when Chalker and Grady did their split toward the end. He knew it was a great riff.

Fantastic. I just listened to all those YouTube’s with some good headphones. Thanks. Being a bass player too, the way Bob Moore and Harold Bradley are locked and up in the mix a bit is great. Sorry to drift, but there is more to music than steel guitar

I was talking with Russ Hicks once about those Charlie McCoy Monument instrumental albums from the 1970’s. I don’t remember all the particular tunes we were talking about, but some of the twin steel work was Russ and Curley. The fuzztone twin steels on “Ruby” was one, I believe.

I don’t believe Curley gets credit from the broader steel community as an E9 session guy and was overshadowed by Lloyd, Weldon, Hal, and Pete in that era. He was right there with them.

I have wondered since this first came out as to who the steel player was. I saw Julian with Price somewhere about this time. Talked with him a little while he was putting his 14 string steel in the case.

G.