The Steel Guitar Forum

Absolute boredom has me watching the old movie, Nashville. One of worst movies I have ever seen. But as a steel guitar player, I am obsessed with catching glimpses and hearing some of the greats that blazed the trail for the rest of us.

The opening scene has Henry Gibson in a recording studio. The camera pans through the musicians, and there is Lloyd Green on steel and Jeff Newman on banjo (yes, you read that right, BANJO). Jeff gets some good screen time as he sits just to the left of the window of the vocal booth window where Henry Gibson is torturing us with his "singing". You were unable to hear any steel or even banjo at all.

Now, I am about half way through the movie, and there are some scenes from The Grand Ole Opry. Great steel guitar content here. Weldon Myrick and it looks like Sonny Burnette on steel guitars (yes both at the same time). As you can recall, at one time the Opry had three staff steel guitar players, Weldon, Sonny, and Hal Rugg. No third steel guitar on stage though. In one of Henry Gibson's horrible songs, Weldon takes a freaking awesome solo, and Gibson even mentions Weldon's name. Weldon was one of the best ever. After the song is over, you see Jimmy Capps lean over and talk to Weldon (probably to say what a horrible singer Gibson is with an equally horrible song and how Weldon saved it). That one song made the pain of watching the movie a little more tolerable. Hoping to get to see some more great playing in the second half.

After the Opry scene, there is a bar scene with Vassar Clements with Doug Jernigan.

The steel player who piqued my interest was Stu Basore!! His fills in 'Tapedeck in His Tractor' were terrific!

Other than that, I found the film hard work.

I am watching again and was mistaken about not hearing Lloyd and Jeff in the studio scene. They are there loud and clear.

Interesting, I would like to see that movie some time.

Also, Johnny Gimble can be seen playing fiddle.

I really enjoyed the movie myself. Pretty chaotic, HORRIBLE singing, but I thought it was a good movie and a good commentary on American society in general

Also, Johnny Gimble can be seen playing fiddle.

I really enjoyed the movie myself. Pretty chaotic, HORRIBLE singing, but I thought it was a good movie and a good commentary on American society in general

That movie toured the country for a while. When they were in Indy, they
hired our band to do fill ins. They would stop the movie and we would play something that fit the story line. The band was 'Chuck Dean and the Music City Revue' from Indianapolis. Don't know who thought that was a good idea because when we got done, we had to go to the Holyoke and play until 3:00am.

According to Jeff, the producers wanted a short-haired banjo player. He was qualified, available, and got the job!

I think that's Joe Edwards on the fiddle in that clip.

Charlie Hansen wrote:I think that's Joe Edwards on the fiddle in that clip.

Yes, that's Joe Edwards on fiddle. Henry Gibson singing reminds me of George Hamilton IV.

Opryland scene, I saw Stu Basore on steel, Johnny Gimble and Buddy Spicher on fiddles.

RC

If you watch closely in the “riverboat” scene, you can see Stu Basore cussing as he misses the last of a string of harmonics at the conclusion of one of the Ronnie Blakey tunes. I love it.