Steel Guitar in 1928?

William Renfroe · Post by **William Renfroe** » 17 Aug 2017 8:43 am

I have a CD that is entitled "Roots." On it, there is a fabulous version of Jimmie Rogers' "In The Jailhouse Now" recorded in 1928. It has some of the best Steel Guitar playing that I have ever heard. Is it possible that the Steel Guitar on the recording is original.......or was it "added" later?

Interested in your opinion(s)!

Thanks!

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 17 Aug 2017 9:07 am

Jimmie Rodgers' steel player was Ellsworth Cozzens, who would later become uncle to Mike Auldridge.

William Renfroe · Post by **William Renfroe** » 17 Aug 2017 12:18 pm

Thanks for your reply! Very good info!

WR

Aaron Jennings · Post by **Aaron Jennings** » 17 Aug 2017 12:58 pm

I also read that Cliff Carlisle performed on a few recordings for Jimmie, and that this relationship is why Jimmie allowed Cliff to style himself as a 'Blue Yodeler' while Jimmie was still alive.

I believe this was in 'Meeting Jimmie Rodgers'. Great Book.

Anthony Lis · Post by **Anthony Lis** » 18 Aug 2017 7:53 pm

?--William, are you sure you heard steel guitar? Are we talking about the "Jimmie Rodgers" that recorded at the "Bristol Sessions" in 1927? THAT Jimmie Rodgers recorded "In the Jailhouse Now" twice, but neither time with steel guitar:

1. 2-15-1928, with Ellsworth Cozzens on BANJO

2. 7-12-1930, with Rodgers alone, accompanying himself on standard guitar

I think you perhaps heard the 3-18-1955 overdubbing session applied to #2 above, which featured Joe Talbot playing steel guitar (at the RCA Victor Studio on McGavock Street in Nashville). All this gleaned from the set of country-music discographies assembled by "Praguefrank".

http://countrydiscoghraphy2.blogspot.co ... dgers.html

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 18 Aug 2017 7:55 pm

The 1955 recording:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L528_RTAXWo

The band was overdubbed over Rodgers' original 78s.

William Renfroe · Post by **William Renfroe** » 19 Aug 2017 5:59 am

Thanks! I did misspell Rodgers' name in my initial post. Sorry 'bout that! My initial inquiry addressed the great steel playing on the version of "He's In the Jailhouse Now" which is included on the CD "Roots." One reply to my question suggested that the steel was played by Ellsworth Cozzens on the 1928 recording.

Best,

WR

William Renfroe · Post by **William Renfroe** » 19 Aug 2017 6:51 am

By the way....the version of "He's In The Jailhouse Now" that I am referencing has the lyrics "I had a friend named Campbell, he used to rob, steal and gamble....." Seems there was more than one version of the song by Rodgers. Definitely some good steel playing on the "Roots" version....added after the original recording?

Jim Robbins · Post by **Jim Robbins** » 19 Aug 2017 8:34 am

If it sounds like a steel with a pick-up it would be the overdubbed version. The first electric guitar recording is generally credited to Bob Dunn with Milton Brown and his Brownies in the 1930s. (It was a steel guitar.) I think James Sallis's book on guitarists talks about that. If there was a 1928 Jimmie Rodgers recording with electric steel guitar it would be pretty well known since Rodgers himself is so well known. Also, there weren't any electric guitars in 1928. I couldn't find a cd called "Roots" with the song on it so I'm not sure I've heard the version you are talking about.

The 1955 overdubbed version has the "I had a friend named Campbell" lyrics. Mike Neer posted the link. Here's the un-overdubbed version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSq8mnDH_1o
The youtube notes say it's a 1930s recording, which corresponds to the info posted by Anthony Lis. Here's the 1928 version with banjo (& the friend is named Rambling Bob, he used to steal and rob): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3L2qf3q-ok .

Great song.

Walter Stettner · Post by **Walter Stettner** » 19 Aug 2017 11:31 pm

As far as I know, Hank Snow was a big fan of JR and he was one of the driving forces behind his band, the Rainbow Ranch Boys, overdubbing some of Jimmy's recordings.

Kind Regards, Walter

William Renfroe · Post by **William Renfroe** » 20 Aug 2017 6:03 am

I saw Hank Snow in concert in Pensacola, FL (I believe that it was in the early 1950's). Outdoors in the Pensacola High School stadium. Not the best "venue." Very enjoyable, however!

Best,

WR

William Renfroe · Post by **William Renfroe** » 29 Aug 2017 7:37 am

By the way.....I didn't correctly identify the CD that I have cited. The actual title of the CD is "Country Roots" The company that produced the CD is K-TEL. It has Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams, Merle Travis, Roy Acuff, Bob Wills, etc., songs on it.

WR

Bryan Staddon · Post by **Bryan Staddon** » 29 Aug 2017 1:04 pm

When dealing with anything related to K-Tel albums, it could be anything from any source. They were notorious for their questionable business model. Cheap knockoffs,Fake Bands, Shady publishing deals, Guys from Jersey pretending to be the Kinks, whatever! And probably no one ever got paid. I bought one once when I first started buying records, Greatest Hits of The Sixties, then smaller print, songs by the kinks,the zombies,the grass roots. Then after listening and going (huh) finding microscopic print: Preformed by The Bright Set who were probably some guys from Jersey.

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