The Steel Guitar Forum

A fine performance here from Glen Campbell and, of course, this stellar band! A young Keith Urban is given a name-check and there's a nice interview with Jimmy Webb, too.

Is that Tommy White on the Emmons? He sounds terrific even if he is having to keep his eyes glued to the chart! It's not the most straightforward of songs, let's be fair.

What show is this, please? I don't know that host.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHuRNK0YsvQ

Great post Roger. Totally speechless in regard to that performance and arrangement!! Wow! The show I believe was ,"The Nashville Now" show. The host was Gary Chapman. That is one complicated song!

Wow! What a performance. Yes, Gary Chapman host, also a steel player. I see other faces in the band that who's names I cannot recall. I do see Tommy White on the Emmons beside Wanda Vick on fiddle.

I can't bring the piano player's name to light either, Tommy probably knows, but he's the instrumental heart and soul of this performance. The entire house band just nailed it. I don't know how it could have been better.

Glen Campbell...what a treasure...how we miss him. Nothing he couldn't sing or play. Talent the likes of which are few and far between.

Jimmy Webb, one of the greatest song writers ever. We're about the same age. To think while I was 19 working menial day jobs and chasing girls, he had already written hit songs.

Thanks for posting this Roger. It's a magnificent performance.

Sometimes I have to just shake my head at the depth of Campbell's prodigious abilities; along with that stage-presence came a consummate skill on guitar and the voice of an angel.

But it isn't just that, it's the sheer joy that emanates from him as he makes music. Jerry has just the right word - he was a treasure.

Like most of us, I first became aware of him with 'Wichita Lineman'. The construction of that song is so masterful that we could have been forgiven for minimizing Glen's part in its success but the reality is that there was a plaintive quality to his voice that just drew you in.

I didn't get to see him in person until maybe 1971. By the time he came to London he was, of course, a major international star. That performance, complete with a full orchestra, was life-changing for me. I didn't know how uplifting an artist could be. It goes without saying that I have remained a lifelong fan and, as much as I love Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Ronnie Milsap, George Jones and Karen Carpenter, Glen will always be my favourite singer.

'Yes!' to the pianist! 'MacArthur Park', though, was written on a piano so it's no surprise that its role in the song is so pivotal.

Tommy's playing here makes me wish that he'd been a part of the recorded versions of the song - it'll be hard to hear it without steel now! Well played, my friend.

For all of those who need more of Glen and Jimmy, there's an absolute 'must have' album called 'Reunion' from, I believe, 1975. Initially a ten-track release featuring unfamiliar Webb compositions, it was later extended to include tracks from later Campbell LPs making this later release a complete compendium of their collaboration through the years. It's on Raven Records and is titled 'Reunited with Jimmy Webb - 1974-1988'. It's hard to find now but worth the chase - beautiful songs like 'Still Within the Sound of my Voice', 'Light Years', 'Lightning in a Bottle', 'Christian, No', and many more.

Thanks for your responses; as soon as I stumbled on this clip, I knew I had to share it. It made my day and I hope it's improved yours.

I believe that this clip is also from 'Nashville Now'. Is this an earlier host? A fine vocal from Glen and I believe that's the late Larry Sasser on the Emmons. What's the time-line here?

How nice that he acknowledges the band at the end (he did in the 'MacArthur Park' video, too); he was once a sideman himself and knew their importance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgr2KAMEr-k

Wow!

Holy sweet merciful crap...
Nobody can touch that, not even close.

PS- “Steel on the Webb”, good one, Roger 🤠

Thanks for the link, Roger. Great performance! Glen was certainly special. Unbelievable talent on so many levels. Here’s a link to when we played on The Chris Isaak Show. Starts with Wichita Lineman. https://youtu.be/mhtExv5v_Fg

Thanks for that Marty. Chris's show was so good and still not available besides Youtube.

Must have been so great to play with him, as a kid my first memories of records was my parents album of Galveston with our old record player cabinet. Was lucky to see him on his last tour in Redbank, NJ at the Count Basie.

Yeah, Craig…it’s a shame Chris’ show isn’t more available. It’s always fun to watch him and his guests. Great host.

When I was in my early teens, I’d watch the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour and loved it. That was never lost on me when I’d play with him.

Ain’t no one ever going to be like GC he will always be the best! Here is my 2 cents worth .. https://youtu.be/S4PEf7yYCZE

Marty:

Many thanks for sharing that link. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wish I'd got to play with Glen Campbell!

Ron - I'd seen that before but had forgotten it. Boy, he had some chops, didn't he? Rock solid time, too; what an intimidating talent he was.

Marty, A few years back I bought a limited edition GC box set, it had a Good Time Hour belt buckle, signed picture, guitar pick, three CD's of hits, obscurities, and a DVD of Good Time Hour and other live performances.

Was worth the $!

Just no better than Glen Campbell. I worked with him many times over 40 years. He was always gracious and kind to me. Playing for Glen was and will always remain a highlight of my career.
Roger, thanks so much! Yes, I kept my head in the chart on the vid of McCarther’s Park. I believe it was a first for Glen to have pedal steel on that particular song. No way was I going to botch it.😊

Glen's long time piano player was T.J. Kuenster

You're correct, Dick, but, if he was playing a TV show where there was a resident band leader/MD, that's who would often take the piano chair.

There have been occasions when Jimmy Webb himself happened to be there and he played piano, usurping both TJ and the resident MD.

I just listened again (it's very easy on the ears!) and I'm struck by that cute device in the piano-part at around the 2.44" mark.

It's a twice-repeated phrase on the piano that's surely straight out of the 'Beauty & the Beast'/Alan Menkin book-of-tricks - that flattened 5th was never in 'MacArthur Park' before, I'm sure. I love it.

Another 'PS":

I think that's TJ Kuenster playing piano with Glen. After the short edited-out interval we see a different pianist leading the band on the intro-music. He must be the show's MD, surely?

Tommy? If you're still reading this can you elucidate?

I just watched this again. Can't get enough. I have the PC connected HDMI to the TV sound system now where I get better sound. Get to hear more of Tommy and hear the steel better.🙂 Just fabulous all around.

Me neither, Jerry - isn't it wonderful?

What you've done is technically way beyond my reach but I wish I could improve upon the audio. The volume level is too low, as well.

Roger Rettig wrote:Me neither, Jerry - isn't it wonderful?

What you've done is technically way beyond my reach but I wish I could improve upon the audio. The volume level is too low, as well.

Not rocket science Roger. If your PC and TV accepts common HDMI cables.

I just used a 25 ft. HDMI cable to connect between the HDMI jacks of the TV and PC. That way, the TV screen can act as a PC monitor and utilize the TV's sound system controls.

Thanks. Jerry - I will give it a try.

One of my favorite Glen songs, Brian Wilson's 'Guess I'm Dumb'

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=gl ... &FORM=VIRE

A very young Glen Campbell. I've always liked that song (Brian Wilson is another truly great talent) and it's hard to imagine anyone other than Glen being up to its challenge. Those are some tricky intervals!