Alvino Rey - Talking Steel Guitar (4:46 Video)

[Jim Fogle]

This is a really strange except video from the 1944 comedy musical "Jam Session". https://youtu.be/6NL4S0e8S90?feature=shared

Alvino Rey played with virtuosity, demonstrating his guitar's 'singing' quality by manipulating the tone and volume controls. 'Stringy' (the guitar's nickname) was able to sound as if 'HE' were saying words.
Of course 'Stringy' wasn't, but Luise King, Rey's wife was. Luise stood backstage with a small plastic tube connected between her mouth and Rey's amplifier, forming words with her lips and throat muscles. Rey would make her make 'IT' say his name as he glided the steel bar along the strings of his steel guitar, all while playing, perfectly dressed in a perfect tuxedo. With the device, Rey and Luise were able to create eerie vocal sounds in four- or five-part harmony, which seemed to mysteriously emanate from the steel guitar. Alvino Rey (talking guitar) and Gilbert Wright (Sonovox) separately invented two different devices to get their sounds in 1939.

ALVINO REY
BIG BAND PIONEER. SOUND EFFECTS, TUNING INNOVATOR AND FATHER OF THE PEDAL STEEL GUITAR
BORN: JULY 1, 1908 OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA DIED: FEBRUARY 24, 2004
INDUCTED in the Pedal Steel Hall of Fame in 1978. https://b0b.com/wp/isghof/

[Anthony Lis]

Yes, an amusing (if a little bit strange) excerpt!

[robert kramer]

Great to hear Harold Fogle's name again. Stonewall Jackson employed a long line of steel players, but for me, Harold was the Wall's steel man.

re: Alvino and Luise, here is a passage from a work in progress:

Alvino Rey.jpg