More of "who was that steeler"

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Sunny Callen
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Joined: 1 Feb 2001 1:01 am
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More of "who was that steeler"

Post by Sunny Callen »

Maybe there -should- be a dedicated area for this - our forum members are sure a helpful and well-informed bunch when it comes to answering these questions - mine this time is:

Who played steel for Hank Thompson and the Brazos Valley Boys on the Albums #1 Country & Western Band - Hank Thompson and the Brazos Valley Boys - Capitol T 1741 and Golden Country Hits - Capitol S 2089?

On line search hasn't turned up much - but I've also heard some references that Lloyd Maines played on all the tracks on both LP's. Anybody??
Herb Steiner
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Post by Herb Steiner »

Sunny
The "No.1 Country Western Band" tunes were recorded over a long period of time, from 1954 to 1958. Primarily the steel guitarists were Bobby White and Pee Wee Whitewing, either together or separately. Merle Travis is listed as a steel player on several of the sessions. Bobby Garrett played on "Blue Skirt Waltz."

The "Golden Country Hits" album was recorded in 1960 and has Bobby Garrett on steel guitar.

Although Lloyd Maines produced Hank's most recent recording, I believe he had definitely not yet reached puberty when these albums were recorded and so the chance of his performing on them is slim. Not that he wasn't playing his ass off when he was 2 years old, but that his feet couldn't yet reach the pedals. Image

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Jussi Huhtakangas
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Post by Jussi Huhtakangas »

Again, Herb is correct with this! But I don't think Merle ever played steel on Hank's sessions ( though I've read, that he owned a single neck Bigsby steel ) , but he did play lead guitar on nearly all of the sessions after "Wake Up Irene". There were couple of times when Merle couldn't do Hank's session; once Joe Maphis was hired to do Travis' licks ( on Dance Ranch-album ) and once Bobby Garrett played Merle's thumb style parts on his steel.
Paul Graupp
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Post by Paul Graupp »

<SMALL> and once Bobby Garrett played Merle's thumb syle parts on his steel guitar.</SMALL>
Ahhh, yess ! I remember it well !! Image Image Image

Surpassed only by Sir Robert Seymour's being asked to play the Chet Atkins Tribute or being asked by Merle to fill in for him.

On steel guitar, of course !!

Regards, Paul
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