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The Hank Williams Sound

Posted: 20 Nov 2001 5:57 am
by Andy Alford
What was the Hank Williams sound?If you removed ----- from his songs it would no longer sound like a Hank Williams song.Please tell us what you think.

Posted: 20 Nov 2001 6:25 am
by Bill Sharpe
Don Helms. without question Image

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B#



Posted: 20 Nov 2001 7:22 am
by Larry Miller
HANK!

Posted: 20 Nov 2001 10:12 am
by Red Kilby
DON HELMS<<<<<<<<<. Without a Doubt<<<<. You can tell its a Hank tune just by the intro which was generaly Don<<<<<<.

Posted: 20 Nov 2001 10:57 am
by John Steele
....except when it was Jerry Byrd....

I thinik the crisp, choppy, honky-tonk backbeat is a very distinctive component of Hank's music.
I've noticed in some old pictures that the upright bass players had this little pad fixed to the upper bout of their bass, and they held a drummer's brush between the fingers of their right hand to accentuate this... Not that Hank's bass player necessarily did that, but it's an interesting component of the music of the time.
-John

Posted: 20 Nov 2001 2:31 pm
by Tele
I think the guy that did those click-clacks or honky tonk back beat is Sammy Pruitt who is/was a great jazz guitarist.
I heard Hank advised him to play no "vanilla" Image

Andy

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1962 Sho~Bud D-10 : 1969 Emmons D-10 : Bigsby T-8: 1959 Gibson Super 400CES :1957 Standel 25L15
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Posted: 20 Nov 2001 5:28 pm
by Jason Odd
The Blues, Hank was one honky tonkin' blues singer.

Posted: 20 Nov 2001 5:51 pm
by Janice Brooks
I think it was the twang factor. Don, Sammy and Jerry did not have the polish of Bob Wills and Hank Thompson on their recordings.



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Janice "Busgal" Brooks
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Posted: 20 Nov 2001 6:30 pm
by Donny Hinson
I think it was a combination of Don, and the "slap" rhythm that gave him that sound.

Posted: 21 Nov 2001 2:56 am
by Martin Abend
Jason,

funny, that you mention it. I started this morning with Robert Johnson on my CD player, then switched to Hank and it amazed me how much their music has in common. Never noticed it before. I feel o.k, though Image

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Posted: 21 Nov 2001 5:31 am
by Jason Odd
Martin, I'd just been listening to singer Gene O'Quin (1950s Capitol recording artist) and I realised how influential that tight little clicking bluesy ensemble sound was, how Hank and the hillbilly boogie sound of others had shaped modern country in the early 1950s and late 1940s.
It's like listeing to 1950s sides by Lefty and sides by Hank... Hank was more ofa bluesy artist, while Lefty's honky tonk was a stripped down Western Swing Southwestern approach.

Posted: 21 Nov 2001 4:06 pm
by Bill C. Buntin
I, IV, V changes in 2/4 time. Upright Bass, Straight steel and that RAW fiddle. Not to mention just "Being Country Boys" has a lot to do with it.

Posted: 22 Nov 2001 5:45 am
by Andy Alford
Stand up and honor Hanks music.We need to know what you think.

Posted: 22 Nov 2001 3:14 pm
by Gary Harris
John Steele mentioned the "little pad" on the upright bass. This was done by Ernie Newton and perhaps others. Ernie left the music business and worked for a pro golf course some place.
When you compare Hank Williams to Bob Wills it is like comparing apples to oranges. It is a matter of your personal taste. Personally I think Jerry Byrd was light years ahead of any Bob Wills steel player although I enjoyed Wills too. Being the best does not mean that the public will clammor for one of your recordings, a case in point is "Sleep Walk". Lloyd Green's version of that song is superior to the original, however the record sales or the air play, again, no comparison.