Steel player on Billy Walker songs?

Per Berner · Post by **Per Berner** » 12 Mar 2010 9:29 am

I've been listening to old Billy Walker songs on Spotify lately, and I've discovered some really ace steel playing. Anyone who knows who played on great stuff like Smoky Places, Circumstances and Honkytonkitis?

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 12 Mar 2010 10:27 am

I don't know, but he recorded each of those songs numerous times, so it would depend on which version you were listening to.

I don't think the original version of Circumstances from the early 60s had any steel. Grady Martin played guitar on it.

Al Udeen · Post by **Al Udeen** » 12 Mar 2010 11:02 am

Hal Rugg was on some of Billy's cuts!& is most likely what you are referring to!

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 12 Mar 2010 11:20 am

Some of my favorite stuff-Billy Walker records!I've been listening to a bunch of BW lately..."She Goes Walking Thru My Mind","When a Man Loves a Woman","Sing Me a Love Song to Baby"...Weldon Myrick is on those sides...those are GREAT records!

Jeff Evans · Post by **Jeff Evans** » 12 Mar 2010 12:03 pm

"Smok[e]y Places"

It's run-off-the-road good and one of the Ruggsiest things I've ever heard. This is the earliest and rawest of the three (all Hal) versions I've found.

Graham · Post by **Graham** » 12 Mar 2010 3:22 pm

Two MGM lp's - When A Man Loves A Woman - 1970 - (Title Song) and I'm Gonna Keep On Loving You - 1971 - (She Goes Walkin' Thru My Mind) feature Lloyd Green on steel.

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 12 Mar 2010 3:59 pm

"Just Call Me Lonesome"; "Let's Think about Living";
"Alone with You"; "They'll Never Take Her Love From Me"; "I Take the Chance".......

From Billy Walkers' LP of "EVERYBODY's HITS but MINE".........

JERRY BYRD is the steel player thereon.

Jack Stanton · Post by **Jack Stanton** » 12 Mar 2010 7:27 pm

Mr. Emmons graced "Honkytonkitis". The same album has a killer version of "Remenber Me" with some great C6th by Buddy.

Per Berner · Post by **Per Berner** » 12 Mar 2010 10:59 pm

"Smoky Places" reminded me a lot of the steel sounds from Loretta Lynn's records, so I thought it might have been Hal Rugg. Honkytonkitis sounded more like Russ Hicks to me, while my guess for Circumstances would be Buddy Emmons.

Thanks, guys!

Dr. Hugh Jeffreys · Post by **Dr. Hugh Jeffreys** » 14 Mar 2010 8:49 am

Billy Walker used to appear with my Western Swing band at the Eagles Nest in Memphis in the 1950's. I could have done some recording with him if I changed my style: back then I was playing 4-part harmony on my Multi=Chord steel; Billy said that did'nt sound like a steel to him. I replied that was the reason I played that way because no one else did so.

Tommy Shown · Post by **Tommy Shown** » 14 Mar 2010 6:40 pm

Billy was one of my favorites while growing up.I have been looking and requesting"When a Man Loves a Woman", but nobody will play it. I miss him,the last time I saw him was on "Midwest Country" on RFDTV. I believe it was one of the last appearences he had done.
Tommy Shown

Bill Plemmons · Post by **Bill Plemmons** » 17 Mar 2010 6:49 am

Anyone know who did the steel on his songs "Word Games" and "Here I am alone again". First time I heard him was in June 1951, singing "Ting-a-ling". I was in tech school at Sheppard AFB Tx at the time and someone had a radio tuned to KWFT Bill Mac show. I became an instant fan and got to meet him later on, he was a great talent and a nice guy.

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 17 Mar 2010 12:00 pm

Bill,I'm pretty sure Buddy Emmons is on"Word Games"...don't know about the other tune you mentioned.

Jim Keith · Post by **Jim Keith** » 18 Mar 2010 5:38 am

Buddy played on both those songs, he mentioned here one time that he used the guitar that is on the Rainbow Album. Don't remember what tuning it was.

Buddy Emmons · Post by **Buddy Emmons** » 18 Mar 2010 1:55 pm

Jim... The guitar I used on Word Games was the 12 string single neck I used on the Rainbow Album. The tuning was E13th, which is simply the E9th tuning with a C# note between the upper E and B strings.

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 20 Mar 2010 5:52 am

"Dim lights, and lonely people" was a BW track on a mix LP my parents bought about 1964. Sounds like Pete Drake's fingers to me...

Stephen Gregory · Post by **Stephen Gregory** » 20 Mar 2010 8:27 pm

Steve Hinson wrote:Some of my favorite stuff-Billy Walker records!I've been listening to a bunch of BW lately..."She Goes Walking Thru My Mind","When a Man Loves a Woman","Sing Me a Love Song to Baby"...Weldon Myrick is on those sides...those are GREAT records!

Absolutely!! These are some of the greatest tracks Billy ever recorded. Grady Martin on Guitar? I just put all the above plus ("I'm gonna keep on loving you") on my ipod a couple of months ago. I believe Rayburn Anthony wrote "Sing me a love song to baby" for Billy, which went to #1.

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 21 Mar 2010 4:43 am

Yeah,Grady Martin on guitar...that Gibson/Echoplex tone-my favorite!I really miss that sound...but any time I need a fix,I just listen to those old records!

Stephen Gregory · Post by **Stephen Gregory** » 21 Mar 2010 4:37 pm

Steve Hinson wrote:Yeah,Grady Martin on guitar...that Gibson/Echoplex tone-my favorite!I really miss that sound...but any time I need a fix,I just listen to those old records!

Yes the great tone Grady got but also the signature vibrato he ended phrases with (Intro to "When a Man Loves a Woman"). Grady used that tone and that left hand vibrato on tons of sessions in the late 60's thru the mid 70's, super tasty. I believe he accomplished the vibrato by finishing the phrase 1 fret flat and then pushing the note around the tone center. Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4_xrEs5Z6A

Jim Keith · Post by **Jim Keith** » 28 Mar 2010 3:31 pm

Great to see the compliment from Buddy. Hope you are enjoying your retirement.

If anyone is interested in a copy of Billy Walker's Lovin' and losing,and Billy Walker featuring Alone Again. I have both those albums, and am going to list them in the for sale section. These are the 2 albums Buddy Played the rainbow guitar on. I think these show the best steel playing I ever heard behind a singer.

Jim

Jeff Evans · Post by **Jeff Evans** » 16 Aug 2017 5:39 am

(Cloud 8 killed my upload, so here.)

Smok[e]y Places - 1970

Frank Freniere · Post by **Frank Freniere** » 16 Aug 2017 6:22 am

Thanks for resurrecting this thread, Jeff!

Ron Hogan · Post by **Ron Hogan** » 16 Aug 2017 8:51 am

Jeff and Frank,
I started working for Billy in 1980 here in Nashville and worked on and off with him for 25 years.

Most times he had either Myrick or Rugg and then a few times with Buddy. In later years it was Tommy White.

Ron Hogan

Jeff Evans · Post by **Jeff Evans** » 16 Aug 2017 9:02 am

You're welcome, Frank.

That intro's pretty exhilarating, isn't it.

Ron, did you cop the grips and phrasing pretty readily?

Ron Hogan · Post by **Ron Hogan** » 16 Aug 2017 9:44 am

Yes Jeff. But Billy didn't do that song much on the road. If he had a request for it, then he would do it.

Ron

The Steel Guitar Forum

Steel player on Billy Walker songs?

Steel player on Billy Walker songs?

Re: Steel player on Billy Walker songs?

Steel with a different flavor...................

Buddy Emmons

Billy Walker Records

Smoke It Up . . . Again . . . Hal Rugg