The Steel Guitar Forum

Did Jerry Byrd play Hawaiian Steel Guitar on this album? Thanks in advance.
Jay Y.

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He played all over Marty's record.

Jerry said that Marty was a very decent steel player as well.

Jerry Byrd also co-wrote the original Hawaiian tunes with Marty Robbins.

Marty Robbins could most certainly play the steel guitar. Mostly without the pedals however. I was doing some work at the Queen Elizabeth Theater in Vancouver BC in the early eighties when Marty Robbins and his band were doing an afternoon rehearsal on the main stage. He sat behind a Fender T8 non-pedal steel (“I think” the steel player’s name was John Voight) for about twenty minutes picking out melodies and was without a doubt more than just a raw beginner.

Other than that, the man had a God gifted voice that was able to put heart grabbing emotion into Hawaiian lullabies. What an irreplaceable loss he was to music!


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(I am not right all of the time but I sure like to think I am!)

Little Roy Wiggins was one of Marty's steel guitar hero's. Little Roy told me a story about going to Marty's house and Marty got his steel out and played an Eddy Arnold song and Roy's licks note for note. This wouild have been sometime in the 60's but Roy didn't say exactly when.

What songs are on that album? Please......

I believe this is the album:-

1. » My Isle of Golden Dreams
2. » Lovely Hula Hands
3. » Sweet Leilani
4. » Now Is the Hour (Maori Farewell Song)
5. » Island Echoes
6. » Hawaii's Calling Me
7. » Beyond the Reef
8. » Hawaiian Wedding Song
9. » Aloha Oe (Farewell to Thee)
10. » Love Song of Kalua


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Ron (Chippy) Wood
Emmons D10
Emmons D12

There's MORE than just 12...
The Lot

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<SMALL>Steel players do it without fretting</SMALL>

In October of 1957, Marty recorded an album entitled "The Song of the Islands" which included 13 songs listed under "The Lot" above. I played one of them from "The Lot" and it was from that session. For those 13, the steel player was not Jerry Byrd but rather James Farmer, who was Marty's steel player during most of the 50's.

The songs on this album are as follows:

Crying Steel Guitary Waltz
Beautiful Ohio
Now is the Hour
Down Where the Tradewinds Blow
Sweet Leilani
Beyond the Reef
Constancy
Don't Sing Aloha When I Go
Song of the Islands
Moonland
Island Echoes
My Isle of Golden Dreams
Aloha Oe (Farewell to Thee)

I have no knowledge of the others.

Ben Rubright
Port Charlotte, FL

I have played a few of the others and it is pretty clear there are two different steel players on these recordings. The sound is different and the styles are different.

Ben Rubright

Ben,
Is "Song of the Islands" available on CD? Also, my album (Columbia CL1087)has only 12 songs. Its missing "Beautiful Ohio". ?
Also, what tuning(s) are James Farmer using on these cuts?
Thanks,
Brett

I have a reissue LP of "Song Of The Islands" on the Harmony label (H31258). It only has 9 songs on it.

I also have "Hawaii's Calling Me" reissue LP on Bear Family Records (BFX 15123). This is practically a Jerry Byrd album as he wrote 5 of the tunes and takes a gorgeous solo in every one. On the back it shows a little picture of the Bear Family reissue of "Song of the Islands" (BFX 15130) which lists all 13 songs.

The Bear Family CD of "Hawaii's Calling Me" actually contains all of the tracks from both LPs. I know I bought it but I think the wife made off with it. Guess I gotta buy another one. This is a "must have" CD for Jerry Byrd fans, in my opinion. It dates from the early 60's, and is among the best of Jerry's Nashville Hawaiian efforts.

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Here's a link to the CD on Amazon.

Hi Brett:

I bought the 5 cd Marty Robbins Bear Family Set of Columbia stuff that he did from 1952-1958 (approx)......with a touch of stuff that he did that I don't consider country. Apparently, Beautiful Ohio was recorded with all the other Hawaiian songs but did not make the "Song of the Islands" album. It is not Hawaiian and that is probably why it did not make the album....however, it is one of my favorites. I am sure you would like it. I have never seen it on an album other that the 5 cd set.

Ben Rubright
Pt. Charlotte, FL

Here is more info on the Bear Family CD "Hawaii's Calling Me" - it contains BOTH Hawaiian LPs Marty recorded, with Jerry Byrd and James Farmer.

Bear Family notes say:

"Marty's two Hawaiian LPs, 'Hawaii's Calling Me' and 'Song Of The Islands' were among his best. His smooth vocals adapted well to the gentle lilt of Hawaiian music, and Marty recruited two of the best steel guitarists in Nashville, Jerry Byrd and Jim Farmer, to re-create the Hawaiian sound. The two original LPs are rounded out with Marty's first Hawaiian single, My Isle Of Golden Dreams/Aloha Oe, from 1953. 25 other titles include The Hawaiian Wedding Song, Drowsy Waters, Beyond The Reef, Down Where The Tradewinds Blow, Crying Steel Guitar Waltz, and Now Is The Hour."

Kind Regards, Walter

www.lloydgreentribute.com
www.austriansteelguitar.at.tf

Brett:

I see that I ignored some of your question above. I believe that I have seen "Song of the Islands" on CD but not sure where...perhaps the Ernest Tubb record shop. Since I have all of the songs I would not have paid it much attention.

I don't know James Farmer's tuning. I have some videos from the fifties showing him planying a single neck fender. I can see no pedals, but from the sound of it, there must be one. I am sure it is aftermarket. I will look at the video again and try to pay more attention. The steel that he used on Song of the Islands has the same sound as the one used on all of Marty's 50's recordings, so I believe that it is the same one and that one SURELY has at least 1 pedal.

I think it was a Fender Dual 8 with one after market pedal that James Farmer played. The pedal has the basic E9 AB pedal change and he used it a lot. Bear Family has rereleased pretty much everything that Marty Robbins ever recorded, both on cd and vinyl. And on top of that there's a DVD of Marty at Town Hall Party in the late 50's, James Framer is on steel on those. Marty also sings a couple of Hawaiian tunes on that DVD.

Marty Robbins fell in love with Hawaii and the Hawaiian Music while he was serving in WWII via the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific. In case you might not know, Marty enlisted at very young age about 16.

He recorded a bunch of things with Jerry Byrd. In fact there was a television series Marty had called "The Drifter," and Jerry was his special guest. I have a copy of this video. It features Jerry a bunch.

Marty could cut it all. He could sing anything well! Jerry was the perfect match on these Hawaiian songs with Marty. We will all miss them both, but thank GOD for their recordings!

GOD bless!

Terry Wood

Bear Family way to go Marty Robbins Hawaii's Calling Me 28 songs the notes in the included booklet are very interesting. Jerry wrote the notes on backcover of Original LP Hawaii's Calling Me. Joe Vincent played first 2 songs-Jim Farmer played on 12 songs and Jerry Byrd played on 14 songs. Plus Jerry wrote 6 songs. Bear Family BCD 15568 has both of the Marty Robbins LP plus more on 1 CD. Wonderful music. Al

In the late 50's and early 60's I sat in on steel quite often for Marty on some of the traveling package shows which were so popular in those days.At the time I was playing a D-8 Stringmaster with a single pedal handling the E to A change. Marty, a very good steel player himself, once jokingly told me after playing my guitar that the only reason he called on me was that my guitar was set up just like Jimmy's and I had a knack for making it sound like Jimmy, plus, I was willing to endure his clowning around trying to distract me just as Jimmy would. Marty was a fun guy to be around.

Slightly off topic, but I do know that when my folks first met Pete Drake he was touring with Marty Robbins (any one remember the old "Dream Bowl" dance hall in Napa?). Not sure if he did any recording, maybe "Don't worry About Me"?

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Dave Wren
'95Carter S12-E9/B6,7X7; Session500; Hilton Pedal
www.ameechapman.com

When Marty left Phoenix, He had been at Fred Caire's Ballroom for a long time. After he left, Chuck Mayfield (who could sound amazingly like Marty) started there, with me playing steel, as much like Jimmy Farmer as I could .We were not allowed to do anything except Marty's music, or the crowd would have thrown us through the wall. My favorite
of Marty's stuff is "I couldn't keep from crying".