The Steel Guitar Forum

Does anyone have any info on a bandleader from California by the name of Amil Presson?

This individual was active through the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and several Forumites worked for Amil, yet I've found very little info on this performer.

Jason,

Way back when, I worked for Amil in some bar
in Carson CA. He is the nicest man. Looks like Chuck Connors. He gave me a copy of his
album "Held Over" on Haap Records with Jerry Odell on steel. Amil is a very good guitar player and singer. I was lucky to have work with him for that short time. I believe he now lives in hemet CA. or there 'bouts.
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GB

Thanks Gary, I didn't know about that either.
Good luck with the new CD by the way.

Hey Jason,
I last saw Amil in the latter part of '85 and he was living and working at a club out around Hemet, California. I've known Amil since the early 60's. I first met him when he was working a club called the Music Box I think He had a steel man named Major Simpson working with him at that time. I built a homemade guitar from spare parts and an old Telecaster neck which Amil bought from me. He put a string bender made from a choke cable on the thing which I believe might have been before the MSA thing that Phil Baugh played. I have a tape of a demo session we played with Amil which featured Amil on vocals and rhythm guitar, James O'Rafferty on steel, Bruce MacLachlan on drums, and myself on lead guitar. I've forgotten who the bass player was. I have a record album of Amil also which is quite good and features him with his then wife, Hallie playing drums and doing harmony vocals. Amil had a great thing going with Hallie. I used to love to hear them sing that old Buck Owens tune "Don't Ever Tell Me Goodbye". Amil did sort of resemble Chuck Conners with longer hair. Amil played quite a while at the Avalon Room (formerly Cec's Lost Weekend) in Carson, Cal. He had a long time bass player around that time named Lloyd Carlson who was my half brother. I haven't seen or heard of Lloyd in over 25 years or so at this time. Amil played one of the first Telecasters I saw which had the factory installed Bigsby tailpiece. He also had the first import Datsun pickup truck that I ever saw. He bought it when he and Hallie were at the Avalon Room. He also played at Henry's Lariet for a good while and also at a club called the SkyLite in Compton.

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Have a good 'un! JH U-12

Too cool Jerry, you and Brandin are geat!
I do believe that Jim Bob Segwick did a stint with Amil in 1964-1965 or so, it would be cool to get him in on this one as well... James... where are yooouu..

You got an email coming Jerry, many thanks.

Yes! That's the place. Henry's Lariet, with the stage behind the bar. Very creepy.

Amil also played a beautiful instrumental call "Choice".

Hey Brandin,
I'd forgotten about that instrumental called "Choice". It was done in D chord and featured finger tapping with the right hand a long time before Eddie Van Halen was even thinking about playing guitar. Most people don't realize that's an old country technique. There's an old tune called "Mickey Mouse Waltz" done the same way and also another one called "Chopsticks" which isn't any thing like the piano tune of the same name. What is your real name, maybe I remember you from So. Cal.

Jason, I'll work on that tape this weekend and get it to you........

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Have a good 'un! JH U-12


<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jerry Hayes on 04 January 2002 at 03:47 PM.]</p></FONT>

Brandin is his real name...his first name is Gary - he's easy to spot. Just check out the guys surfing off the Santa Ana river jetty, his is the only board out there with a steering wheel on it.



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My Marshalls.

Jason, I'm also a former steel player, current friend of Amil's. He's alive and kicking in Hemet, CA. Drop me a line and I'll do what I can to put you in touch. You aint a revenooer, is you? : )

Hello, Gary Brandin and Jerry Hayes! How's by you two?

Btw, Amil's last two ongoing LA area gigs were at the Mare's End (formerly the Bedroom, I think) in Carson. Then weekends for a while at a sports bar, the Point After, also in Carson. I played both gigs with him. Circa 1985-97 or thereabouts.

When I played with Amil, he played the cool song (he wrote?) "Choice" in D, but I altered the key to E for my solo, so I could also do hammers and pulls on E9. Besides which, I love that old trick of modulating up/back down that I first heard used effectively by English rockers Nick Lowe and Dave Edmund.

johnnypez@earthlink.net
MSA D-12 / Webb / ProFex II

Heck John, I ain't no revenooer... my pappy wouldn'ta stand ifin' I was.

I'll email you soon, thanks for dropping a line.
Hey Jerry, Brandin (Gary Brandin) worked at the Foothill... you guys had the same bosses at different times! (that is sooo SoCal).

I saw Amil playing in the Hemet area in the early '90s. Had the fantastic Bobby Boydd (may he rest in peace) on steel.

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John Paul Jones

GFI U-12
Evans FET500 amp
ART T2 effects
HM-4 harmony machine

Amil is alive and well. Not playing much these days. He says it's too much trouble to haul all the stuff, set it up, play, tear it down and lose money. Occasionally we'll get together and play "real country music." Sorry Teresa Galbraith. Amil is one of the funniest guys I have ever played with. One night a "lady?" came up to the bandstand in a very short miniskirt and black boots up to her knees. In a split second, Amil turned to me and said: " Hey Jim Bob, look!----- Puss and boots!" We couldn't play for 5 minutes due to the band cracking up. Talk about quick wit! He is a real lover of "Honky Tonk Country" ala Buck Owens, Price, Conway, etc. It's too bad that it seems like the fun is over. Maybe it would be easier to accept if we had ever GROWN UP