Hank's Guitar Boogie Special
I recorded this one in my parents living room as far back as sometime between Xmas and New Year's Eve 1966, just two guitar dubs and no drums. Those were added several years later (no, I'm not kiddin'!!). I didn't realise it at the time that the whole track does somehow bear a striking resemblance to the stuff Les Paul was doin' way back in the early '50s (aka speeded up lead guitar and all that), at least that's what people have told me.
And that's probably also the reason why some media folks from time to time has bestowed me with the rather awkward nickname "the Les Paul of rockabilly"!! A real quickie this one..took me only app. a quarter to record (to my parents relief, lol!), just rhythm and lead guitar and
totally improvised all the way in one take only (I've never ever been a fan of doing retakes! If things doesn't happen the first time around, I'd rather throw the whole damn thing away instead of wasting time on something that obviously wasn't meant to be in the first place, period!). The flanging bit in the beginning and end was added at the same time as the drums and the guitar throughout is that treble happy Hagström 'plank' again. Start tapping...
My Bucket's Got A Hole In It
"My Bucket's Got A Hole In It" (what a title!). I first (not surprisingly) heard this one by the originator himself, Hank Williams, Sr. and then it went on down the line from Sun wild man Sonny Burgess to Ricky Nelson and beyond and finally ended up with this (what a shame, ha, ha!). I hardly remember when or where I cut it, but it must've been sometime in the mid-'70s, I reckon, judging from the 'distinctive' sound of that Gretsch Country Gent. Now, this may come as a surprise to you but I've ALWAYS hated that thin sound of Gretsch guitars, which is a far cry from a fully fledged Gibson with a pair of roaring PAF 'buckers attached. Brian Setzer (of all people) nailed it right on the button in the foreword to the book, "GRETSCH - The Guitars of the Fred Gretsch Company" (!!), when he said (quote): "The instrument should theoretically feedback (6120s), should always be out of tune (Bigsbys and roller bridges) and should generally disassemble themselves (questionable neck joints) yet they play better the more trashed they get"! And PLAY better than any Gibson they do, based on that heavenly neck (at least on my gorgious lookin' Gent!). And ever since I fasten my peepers at a certain EP cover of Eddie Cochran flashing his customized Bigsby equipped 6120 (with a Gibson P-90 'Soapbar' pickup in the neck position, that he put there himself) doin' "20 Flight Rock", I've been sold on their LOOKS (much better lookin' than any Gibson out there, no matter what!). Well, frankly speaking, any guitar that's flashing a Bigsby has won my heart forever, even if it sounds like crap! What a paradox then that Fred Gretsch was stubborn enough not to listen to the 'Country Gentleman' himself, Chet Atkins, when he came strollin' by with one inventive (and great!) solution after the other, such as neck-through-body constructions (better sustain and stability) and 'heavier' pickups (louder and more gutsy sound), etc. No wonder he got tired of it all at the end and left to the other side of the fence for Gibson (good choice!) to finally get the 'oomph' he wanted out of his axes! But that's another story...keep tappin', folks!
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