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 curly chalker (Page 1)
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| Author | Topic: curly chalker |
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Paul Wade Member From: Mundelein, Illinois, USA |
posted 29 July 2005 05:00 AM
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just wondering, did curly ever record or played "nite life" in his sets or live? paul wade |
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Jim Phelps Member From: just out of Mexico City |
posted 29 July 2005 12:36 PM
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Seems like I've heard him play it, I'll have to check now, I still have a cassette I made of him live around '90. I'm sure someone else around here could tell you for sure anyway... |
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BobbeSeymour Member From: Hendersonville TN USA |
posted 29 July 2005 12:51 PM
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He played it thousands of times, on steel and on lead guitar when he worked for me. He played it as awsome as you would ever believe. The blues section was where he went nuts, he'd go for five minutes at a time, and have everyone in the club screaming and applauding. Women would throw babies in the air! But then he did several "show off" tunes incredibly well. Never a dull moment. I hired Curly and Phil Baugh together once to help me in a western swing gig on music row in Nashville, I wish it would have been recorded, it was a true musical slug fest, not a dry eye (or ear) in the house. Faron Young sat in and it had to be the most entertaining night that ever was, in my life any way. (except for one time in a motel room in Montan----------,) oh never mind. |
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Jim Phelps Member From: just out of Mexico City |
posted 29 July 2005 01:46 PM
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Thanks Bobbe, for sure you'd know. I was pretty sure I'd heard him do it and have even played it with him, but I don't trust my memory that much anymore. It all blurs together.  |
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BobbeSeymour Member From: Hendersonville TN USA |
posted 29 July 2005 02:28 PM
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I guess so, at your age! (Ha!) |
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Lee Baucum Member From: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) - The Final Frontier |
posted 29 July 2005 02:51 PM
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I've heard that Bobbe is still not allowed to return to Montana... |
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Donny Hinson Member From: Balto., Md. U.S.A. |
posted 29 July 2005 05:15 PM
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Every time I listen to "Big Hits On Big Steel", I miss his playing a little more.  Many play in the style of the other "greats" of the steel guitar world, but no one's ever come forth to carry the Chalker torch. |
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Len Amaral Member From: Rehoboth,MA 02769 |
posted 29 July 2005 05:27 PM
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I wish Curly's music was available on CD. maybe it will be at some point. I wear out the cassette tapes. |
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Paul King Member From: Gainesville, Texas, USA |
posted 29 July 2005 07:50 PM
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The only bad thing I know of about Curly Chalker is he played on Hee Haw. When I used the word bad I just mean they never showcased his talent. Curly was a monster player and would leave people like me just shaking their head in disbelief. I wish I could have seen him more than I did and I for one sure miss him. |
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Jeff Lampert Member From: queens, new york city |
posted 29 July 2005 10:11 PM
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A massively intelligent, imaginative, and visionary musical mind with Herculean technical capability. Words are simply insufficient to describe the magnitude of the loss. ------------------ |
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Jim Phelps Member From: just out of Mexico City |
posted 29 July 2005 10:47 PM
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quote:
quote: Couldn't agree more. There've been a couple people who I've heard others say "plays just like Chalker", and I'm sorry, IMHO no they don't. Lot of people don't know Chalker had a great sense of humor too. |
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Gary Walker Member From: Morro Bay, CA |
posted 30 July 2005 01:08 AM
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It's true, Hee Haw really didn't show how great Curly's playing was but once in a while, he could sneak in a specialty of his own. Behind the Hagar twins, he played some fine stuff. When he would play with Roy Clark is when Roy would let him solo. One of the best solos was Roy Playing "In The Mood" which he did on an LP in about '63 or so. On the 25th anniversary show of Hee Haw, Roy's ITM tune featured Curly taking a signature solo on the C6 as only he could do. It's among my treasured Chalker stuff on video. |
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Charles Curtis Member From: Bethesda, Maryland, USA |
posted 30 July 2005 04:19 AM
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Wouldn't it be great if all Curly's video recorded appearances would be put on a dvd? |
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Howard Tate Member From: Leesville, Louisiana, USA |
posted 30 July 2005 05:18 AM
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A steel guitar moment that stands out in my memory was on Hee Haw. I can't remember the song, all I remember was Curly extending his left ring finger beyond the bar and tapping a string with it to get one of his licks. That's all I remember about it, but I think about it a lot, trying to understand what he was doing. ------------------ |
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Roger Edgington Member From: San Antonio, Texas USA |
posted 30 July 2005 08:39 AM
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When Hee Haw first came on I heard they would have Curly and Leon Rhodes and I couldn't hardly wait. Sure wish they would have let them play some like they were really capable of doing. I was ready for some hot stuff after hearing Leon and Charleton with ET. |
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Gary Walker Member From: Morro Bay, CA |
posted 31 July 2005 08:29 PM
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I had heard that Tom Bradshaw had inquired about obtaining copies of the instrumentals the Hee Haw band had recorded and the asking price was 100K. Obviously, Gaylord over-estimates the worth of their precious decaying tapes. Donny, I agree with "Big Hits On Big Steel". It is the benchmark of Curly's playing. [This message was edited by Gary Walker on 01 August 2005 at 10:27 PM.] [This message was edited by Gary Walker on 20 September 2005 at 10:15 PM.] |
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Charles Davidson Member From: Alabama, USA |
posted 10 August 2005 04:33 PM
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I have a vidio of Curly backed by a great three piece band,no vocal's or other distracting,just pure Curly.I thing these were being sold to help him with his health problems.Dont know if there is any left.It'been several years ago. I think I got mine from Scotty's he may still have some I dont know.If you can get it.Do it ,You wont be sorry!!! It was taped in a night club somewhere in California with the house band,guitar,drums,and bass. |
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Charles Dempsey Member From: The Cradle of the Stars. |
posted 10 August 2005 07:21 PM
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Hee-Haw is seriously under-rated. Yes, it was comedy music, but it kept country music in the public eye at a time when the "mainstream" was one big dope-head meltdown. IMHO, Buck Owens is bigger than the Beatles. Heh, |
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Jim Bob Sedgwick Member From: Clinton, Missouri USA |
posted 10 August 2005 07:32 PM
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I played Bass on the Video done at Jack Laux's California Country Club in Ontario, CA. Mike Perlowin was instrumental in making copies of this video available. I do not know if they are still available though. MIKE ? |
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Dave Mudgett Member From: Central Pennsylvania, USA |
posted 10 August 2005 07:58 PM
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The Chalker touch is unmistakable. I keep going back to S'Wonderful, with Curly, Joe Venuti, Jethro Burns, and Eldon Shamblin. His chord voicings and swing feel on that record just blew everyone else away, IMHO. It ain't just speed or technique - he's the coolest cat on the planet for that kind of stuff, to me - Ellington, Gershwin. What would he have sounded like with Duke Ellington's band? I'd love to have heard that. I don't think anybody could swing harder than Curly. He just sinks into the pocket better than any jazz steeler (or frankly, most any other jazz musician) I've ever heard, no disrespect intended to anybody. I could easily imagine Curly fitting in with the deep blues guys like T-Bone Walker, Muddy Waters or B.B. King, where feel is everything. Curly just oozed the blues, in the best sense of the word. I just picked up an old LP "The Thompson Touch", with Chalker, Phil Baugh, Johnny Gimble, and Buddy Spicher and others backing Hank Thompson. Some great stuff, including some killer E9-sounding country intros/solos. Curly didn't get to stretch out as much as I would have liked, but he just lit up the serious swingin' material like "Don't Get Around Much Anymore". I sort of think of him as the "Wes Montgomery of steel guitar". Rich tone, unique and innovative voicings - often imitated, never duplicated. No argument, lots of other great jazz players, but he leaves a gigantic void, IMO. |
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George Redmon Member From: |
posted 10 August 2005 08:14 PM
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Dave...you are so so right..every word. Everytime you think you had curly figured out, he would blow you away with something else...i think like you do, he could have fit right in with any of those jazzer's and had room to spare.... George Redmon Worlds #1 Curly Chalker Fan ------------------ |
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Charles Davidson Member From: Alabama, USA |
posted 10 August 2005 08:46 PM
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Jim Bob Thanks for the responce,I assumed you guys were the house band ,Any way you all were great. The guitar player was phenomenal.This is one of my most watched vidios,Over the years I pull it out every month or so and watch it.I burned myself a CD of it so I would always have it.I have always been a C'6th nut,I'm not putting down all the other great 6'th players the list is to long to mention,but I bet most of them would agree,Curly was the MAN!!!By the way he was just as good on the ninth neck as well.It's a shame every steeler on the planet cant see this show..Thanks again. Charles Davidson. |
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Russ Wever Member From: San Diego, California |
posted 17 September 2005 03:46 AM
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Paul, Took me a while to dig this out, but click here for Curly playing Night Life. ~Russ |
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basilh Member From: United Kingdom |
posted 17 September 2005 04:33 AM
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quote: At least not to that particular restaurant !! Baz |
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Dan Sawyer Member From: Studio City, California, USA |
posted 17 September 2005 11:41 AM
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Curly's playing knocks me out but i don't have any of his recordings. Which one do you guys recommend as the best? They were playing one of his records on the Steel guitar Radio station where he was playing with a big band (lots of brass). Anybody know the name of that? |
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T. C. Furlong Member From: Vernon Hills, Illinois, USA |
posted 17 September 2005 12:57 PM
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Dave, I was lucky to be in the studio with the Four Giants of Swing when they recorded S'Wonderful. A very interesting couple of days to say the least. The studio had provided a not-so-good sounding Twin Reverb for Mr. Chalker to use. He hated the sound so much that I went home and got him my Peavey Session 400 which he liked a lot. From that moment on, he was very grateful and my best buddy in the world. What an honor! All of his solos that were played through the bad amp were taken off the record for a variety of reasons and overdubbed later by Jethro Burns playing a Telecaster. Eldon Shamblin actually played only one guitar solo on that record. If you listen carefully you can hear the bleed of Curly Chalker's unused solos. Russ, thanks for posting the MP3 of Night Life. It is a great reminder of what a versatile and wonderful musician Curly Chalker was. Also, it was so great to chat with you in St. Louis! Paul, give me a call sometime. TC |
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Gary Walker Member From: Morro Bay, CA |
posted 17 September 2005 11:33 PM
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Russ, wow, you da man. As we've discussed before, I could never get enough of Curly's playing. He truly was a standout in the steel guitar field and what a shame that nobody can duplicate him effectively, as stated above. Thanks for the great teaser. I may find it difficult to sleep tonight for thinking of that fine solo. |
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Dave Mudgett Member From: Central Pennsylvania, USA |
posted 18 September 2005 03:38 PM
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T.C. - you are indeed fortunate. Very cool story. I love that record, but I always felt that it could have used more steel - but then, I never get too much. I'm gonnna have to go listen for the unused solo bleed. Yup, I think of Curly playing a Black Mica MSA D-10 Classic into a Session 400 - what a sound for jazz - that's why I got one. It's a great sound - deep, rich, and beautiful - the PSG analog of a cool old black Les Paul Custom guitar. Those steels are under-rated, IMO, but not under-weight. |
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Michael Weaver Member From: Ephrata, Pennsylvania |
posted 18 September 2005 04:51 PM
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After clicking on the link to listen to the "Night Life" clip, I click on download, and nothing happens..... |
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Dave Mudgett Member From: Central Pennsylvania, USA |
posted 18 September 2005 06:43 PM
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Right now, it says "Bandwidth Exceeded". Clearly a lot of people have downloaded, and these free hosting services have fairly stringent daily limits. Just wait and try another day. |
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James Cann Member From: Phoenix, AZ (heart still in Boston) |
posted 18 September 2005 09:18 PM
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Dan, If you like E9 (and who doesn't?), get a hold of Curly's "Nashville Sundown" tribute to Gordon Lightfoot. Great Stuff throughout, particularly his rendition of "Alberta Bound." Hang on to your hat when he takes his ride! |
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Russ Wever Member From: San Diego, California |
posted 19 September 2005 01:12 AM
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James - Sometimes I'll be listening to Nashville Sundown and notice the Lloyd Green influence - (I'll be playing in your area this winter) T. C. - That's a swell story about you and Curly - Nice to see ya at ISGC. Dan and Gary - I've got some tour dates in California comin' up - are we close? ~Russ |
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Terry Wood Member From: Marshfield, MO |
posted 19 September 2005 09:32 AM
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I never knew Curly personaly but I have all of his recordings and heard him play live a few times. His style was like other steel greats Julian Tharpe, Speedy West, Zane Beck, Maurice Anderson and Bob White. These guys had their own sound and style. They wore their own kind of hats. I admire and love them all! I really miss Curly and these guys! GOD bless you all! Woody |
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Bobby Boggs Member From: Pendleton SC |
posted 19 September 2005 10:30 PM
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I've been trying for 3 days to hear the clip. Has anyone been able to download it? BTW. Russ thanks for posting it. |
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Russ Wever Member From: San Diego, California |
posted 20 September 2005 01:14 AM
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Bobby and Micheal - Check your email, I sent you the clip straightaway. ~Russ oh yeah, and be sure to let us |
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Michael Weaver Member From: Ephrata, Pennsylvania |
posted 20 September 2005 03:04 AM
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thank you very much, Russ, for the clip. I only wish that it was 2 hours instead of 2 minutes!!!! thanx again!!!! |
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Paul King Member From: Gainesville, Texas, USA |
posted 20 September 2005 04:58 AM
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The "Nashville Sundown" project is a nice project on the E9th. The song "Alberta Bound" has been mentioned above and Curly just burns it up. His E9th playing was top notch as well even though Hee Haw was not smart enough to realize it. I still have a sore spot on that show not showcasing his talent just as they did not showcase Bobby Thompson. At any rate Curly left us a very high goal to reach. |
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Bobby Boggs Member From: Pendleton SC |
posted 20 September 2005 07:05 AM
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Paul I agree with what you said about Hee Haw, Curly and Bobby Thompson. However I never cared for the Nashville Sundown LP. Surprised Curly let them release it.Maybe he couldn't stop them.But that LP is not in the same league as the Big Hits on Big Steel LP. Only my opinion of course..Regards....bb [This message was edited by Bobby Boggs on 20 September 2005 at 07:07 AM.] |
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Terry Wood Member From: Marshfield, MO |
posted 20 September 2005 09:00 AM
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Hi Guys, Again, I'm in agreement with Jim Phelps and the others, no one else sounds like Curly. Also no one else sounds like Julian Tharpe, Speedy West, Jerry Byrd, Zane Beck or Bob White. Guys that is why when we loose these steel greats we loose a part of us. It is sad that a lot of younger players will never really get to know or hear these guys again. They can only hear them through some of the recording efforts. Someone mentioned Curly's sense of humor. It is true he did have a great sense of humor and so did Julian Tharpe. If you really knew Julian he would keep you entertained for hours with his sense of humor. Julian has one brother still living in southern Alabama and his sense of humor reminds me so much of Julian. I miss thse guys, Speedy, Julian, Zane, Bob and Curly. GOD bless ya'll! Woody |
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W Franco Member From: silverdale,WA. USA |
posted 20 September 2005 10:53 AM
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I too am getting the exceeds bandwith. Do I just have to wait and try later? |
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