Rare footage: Tom Brumley in the studio

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 31 Dec 2022 11:47 am

https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531 ... 061016/m1/

Frank Freniere · Post by **Frank Freniere** » 31 Dec 2022 12:37 pm

Wow, that was way cool - the casual brilliance of Tom Brumley. Thanks, Andy!

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 31 Dec 2022 4:01 pm

Andy, I only watched a portion of that, but Brumley is so great, and it's poignant that tonight is the night Ricky died in 1985 outside Dekalb Texas.

Thanks for posting that!

Abram Denzlinger · Post by **Abram Denzlinger** » 31 Dec 2022 5:27 pm

Man, so cool to watch that process. Fantastic producer too! Really stayed engaged to make him feel comfortable. I’m sure that goes a long way when the pressure’s on.

Brendan Mitchell · Post by **Brendan Mitchell** » 1 Jan 2023 3:32 am

Oh man ! You have to admire his persistence and efforts to get it just right . If I was doing that and wasn’t happy after 10 takes I would be ready to give up . Get someone else to do it . What guitar is he using ? Do others here a bit of breakup from his amp ? Sound so sweet . Anyway it was reassuring to see that even the greats don’t just come in and lay down perfect tracks on the first take .

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 1 Jan 2023 4:01 am

Craig Stock wrote:Andy, I only watched a portion of that, but Brumley is so great, and it's poignant that tonight is the night Ricky died in 1985 outside Dekalb Texas.

Thanks for posting that!

Decades after his demise in a fiery plane landing on New Year’s Eve 1985 in De Kalb, Texas, a green peace lily given by Rick Nelson and constant companion Helen Blair to Jordanaires leader and tenor singer Gordon Stoker is still standing.

Great observation, Graig!

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 1 Jan 2023 6:25 am

that looks like a Mullen , he played at his theater in Branson back in 1998/99 when I was there … I bought one of his CD and he asked me to hang around after the show , we had coffee and talk about steel guitars for awhile, Tom was a great player , and a first class gentleman…

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 1 Jan 2023 6:27 am

Tom was so laid back yet his execution and chops were so clean. That's the right-hand blocking I'm always striving for.

What guitar is that: a Mullen? I can't quite make it out.

Thanks, Andy - a very good way to start 2023!

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 1 Jan 2023 7:47 pm

Wow, there's a lot of interesting stuff in that video... I wonder if Tom knew that they were video recording every second of that session!

His picking and blocking are so clean and accurate. It's interesting to watch him work out parts and do punch-ins until he gets what he's after.

I'm curious to know what his LKR does? Starting at about 46:08 he uses that lever to work out a riff going from the V chord back to I. That would be D back to G. It sounds a lot like the main riff in his great tune "Arrowhead".

Dean Holman · Post by **Dean Holman** » 1 Jan 2023 7:58 pm

It is indeed a Mullen. If I remember correctly, Tom had a couple of Mullen guitars’. The other one he had was red, and it had a light gray suede pad. Both guitars were lacquered. Tom sounded great on any guitar that he played. Todd Brumley and I had lengthy conversations about how particular his dad was, and we both came to the conclusion, that his dad’s tone and style, was magical no matter what he played. Tom was blessed to have that soul and technique in his playing. But, as a player myself, I completely understand that we are our own worst critics, and somehow, we can’t exactly hear what others hear. That’s why we strive to do the best we can. I remember the first time that I got to see Tom play live, I was so inspired with his touch, tone, technique, and tasteful playing. Tom, is a very comforting player to listen to, and I sure do miss him a lot.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 1 Jan 2023 8:16 pm

Fascinating to watch. Will need to return when I have more time... Thanks for posting it, Andy!

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 2 Jan 2023 7:59 am

I'm curious to know what his LKR does?

Doug; that is where Tom has always Lowered his E's to Eb.
Ricky

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 2 Jan 2023 8:49 am

Thanks Ricky

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 2 Jan 2023 2:11 pm

I got to briefly play that SD-11 Mullen when a student of mine had bought it, likely from Rolene, and he was thinking of selling it. I loved it, but had to pass on it because it lacked the low end G# I use a lot on my extended E9 setup.

I was immediately playing Brumley licks and getting the exact same tone from his great "In Time" album. Even played through my Webb amp with JBL 15" speaker.
He left a lot on that guitar, let me tell you!

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 2 Jan 2023 2:12 pm

dupe eliminated...

Russ Tkac · Post by **Russ Tkac** » 2 Jan 2023 3:32 pm

So nice!

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 2 Jan 2023 10:44 pm

Very cool... What a player.
That red/blonde Mullen SD11 was at Jim Palenscar's store a while ago. We all took turns at it...still in Tom's KL setup. Really nice steel...who ever has it now has got a good one. Tom used that guitar with the Desert Rose Band for a bit. He had it with him in '92 when they played at the Country Gold festival in Kumamoto, Japan, and he used it on Sara Evans' CD "Three Chords and The Truth".

Nathan Golub · Post by **Nathan Golub** » 3 Jan 2023 4:50 am

What amp is he playing through? It almost looks like this Bassman:

https://guitars.com/inventory/pa2895-19 ... er-bassman

but there seems to be a logo in the upper left corner of the grillcloth. Unless that's a mic or something, it's hard to tell.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 3 Jan 2023 8:47 am

Yes, it looks like his Fender Bassman amp. I think that dark spot is not a logo, but part of a mic stand. The amp has black tolex (like Tom's had), and the controls on top, and the Fender pilot light can be seen glowing in the picture.

Tom was a tube amp guy. I heard him play live in St. Louis in 1981 and he had the warmest sound I've ever heard. Quite a different sound from the other players on the show. That tone, coupled with his snappy right hand technique, sent me back home to the woodshed!

Nathan Golub · Post by **Nathan Golub** » 3 Jan 2023 8:52 am

Doug Beaumier wrote:Yes, it looks like his Fender Bassman amp. I think that dark spot is not a logo, but part of a mic stand. The amp has black tolex (like Tom's had), and the controls on top, and the Fender pilot light can be seen glowing in the picture.

Tom was a tube amp guy. I heard him play live in St. Louis in 1981 and he had the warmest sound I've ever heard. Quite a different sound from the other players on the show. That tone, coupled with his snappy right hand technique, sent me back home to the woodshed!

Yeah, that tone is really fantastic. What a cool video.

Clyde Mattocks · Post by **Clyde Mattocks** » 3 Jan 2023 11:25 am

It is indeed a Bassman. Billy Knowles has that rig now.

Larry Dering · Post by **Larry Dering** » 6 Jan 2023 12:02 pm

Too cool. I got to see Tom many times in Branson at our OSGA events and at his show. Super player a nice guy. His tone and picking was awesome.

David Dorwart · Post by **David Dorwart** » 8 Jan 2023 6:18 am

Anybody figure out those licks he was so adamant about getting right? That’s a nice roadmap we got here

Paul King · Post by **Paul King** » 8 Jan 2023 6:47 pm

Man that was great to watch.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 9 Jan 2023 1:56 am

David Dorwart wrote:Anybody figure out those licks he was so adamant about getting right? That’s a nice roadmap we got here

As you may probaly know the song Tom is playing up to the 28:50 mark comes from the Rick Nelson Live In Concert, it's called I Shall Be Released.
When I was still playing steel I could maybe play only a few of those licks. It sure is helpful to see the positions he goes to over the fretboard.