The Steel Guitar Forum

Is "Country Favorites, Willie Nelson Style" the best steel album from Willie? (Buddy Charleton as member of The uncredited backup band: Ernest Tubb's Troubadors.)

Do any of his later, outlawish albums feature good, strong steel?

I don't know about Willie's best steel album, but my favorite steel moment on Willie's records is on Phases And Stages. John Hughey takes a really outside ride on "Sister's Coming Home/Down At The Corner Beer Joint". Hughey's solo is loose and cool, but the real treat is that he's playing the C6, which you don't often get to hear him playing.

Phases And Stages is hands down my favorite all time Willie. For those who aren't familiar with it, it's the story of the destruction of a man and woman's relationship. Side A were songs from the woman's point of view, and Side B the man had his say.

An added treat is Johnny Gimble on the fiddle, particularly his solo outro on "How Will I Know". Highly recommended.

"The Troublemaler." Steel work attributed to "James Clayton Day."

My favorite Wille record is one called (And Then I Wrote). I only have it on a record though, no CD or tape. (Country Favorites) is a more modern recording with great tone and pedal steel.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Fred Murphy on 06 March 2001 at 12:13 PM.]</p></FONT>

Willie has some newer stuff which is great. Check out "Six Hours at Pedernales" and "Just one Love". I think those are the correct album names. Both feature Buddy Emmons. Another great album is the one he cut with Ray Price. I think it was "San Antonio Rose"? Whatever the name, it also featured Buddy Emmons. Moises Cauldron was on it also. I believe Johnny Gimble played the fiddle.

Willie also has a video made at the Texas Opry, I believe, where he plays a Gibson Chet Atkins model guitar and a Strat. The entire tape is good, however, on "Fraulein" he requests the "steel guitar of Mr. Jimmy Day" or something close. Jimmy playing as only Jimmy could. The Willie video, "The Big Six-O" has Robbie Turner, I think.

A side note, I always wanted to hear Willie sing and have Reece performing his magic behind him!

Maybe Reece would like to live on Willie's bus for a few months first to get into the mood.

Shotgun Willie with the master Jimmy Day on it.

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Jimmy Day once told me that he'd work w/ Willie,"for expenses only",just to get to work w/ him.

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<SMALL>"Willie also has a video made at the Texas Opry, I believe, where he plays a Gibson Chet Atkins model guitar and a Strat. The entire tape is good, however, on "Fraulein" he requests the "steel guitar of Mr. Jimmy Day" or something close. Jimmy playing as only Jimmy could."</SMALL>

That's a great tape, and lots of Herb Remington on there as well.

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Bob Shilling, Berkeley, CA--MSA S10

The album with Bloody Mary Morning..I used to have it..I think it's Jimmy Day on it. Jimmy was incredable.GRHS.

I think Reece worked with Willie in the movei "Honeysuckle Rose."

Several years ago I attended the Audio Engineering Society trade show. I was looking at (and drooling over) a Sony 48 track digital recorder (Priced at $260,000) and when I looked up and Willie was standing 2 feet away from me also checking out the machine.

I started to lose it and act like the star struck fan I was, but I could see he wasn't into greeting fans. He was there to look at equipment. So I backed off, but fortunately I was wearing my steel guitar belt buckle. (I ALWAYS wear it.) I told him I played steel in a local band, and and showed him the belt buckle, and he immediately became very friendly and chatted with me for a few minutes.

It was the highlight of the day.

Mike, my uncle who used to roadie for country-rock cover bands in the 1970s, later went into all sorts of industrial maintanence, including vent systems, which saw him being called in at the last minute to fix the air con units at the Tennis Centre here some years ago when Willie was playing in Melbourne.
He proudly recalled being escorted through a smoke haze filled dressing room (what was that about!?!), and got to say hi to an appreciative Willie who thanked him and got him seats for the next show.

I've been a "Willie" fan since the early '60's. I have both of his Liberty albums on vinyl,but I also have a 2 cd set,put out by Liberty,in '94,called,"WILLIE NELSON The Early Years". It contains 61 selections,some,never before released,& a booklet containing vintage pics & stories. Don't remember what I paid for it but,I know it was well worth it. Features lotsa Jimmy Day.

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"The album with Bloody Mary Morning..."

I'm pretty sure the original recording of that was on Phases and Stages, and that would be John Hughey on steel.