I can’t get over how relaxed and appealing the kick drum sounds on this recording – almost threatens to steal the show:
“Steel Guitar Jubilee”
Lloyd Green (1964)
I admit, it’s hard to completely tune out the immaculate musicianship of the others who are supporting Lloyd Green on his 1964 debut LP, The Big Steel Guitar. released on Bob Shad’s Time Records — a label whose roster included Gordon Jenkins, Al Caiola, Hugh Montenegro, and (somehow) Ray Charles for a couple of (possibly “dodgy“) 45s.
Buddy Killen: Bass
Murrey “Buddy” Harman: Drums
Bill Pursell: Percussion
Fed Carter, Harold Bradley & Kelso Herston: Guitar
Hargus “Pig” Robbins: Piano
Charlie McCoy: Harmonica
Discogs made a mistake: Tom Bradshaw himself confirmed via email that he, in fact, was not sitting in the producer’s chair for 1964’s The Big Steel Guitar.
Remember SESAC from Zero to 180’s previous piece on Hank Garland’s “lost album” from 1960? According to Sandra Brennan in the All Music Guide to Country, SESAC would play a pivotal role in the development of Lloyd Green as one of the top session players working the Nashville scene:
In 1964 [Lloyd Green] began working as a part-time assistant at the SESAC office for Roy Drusky. Although the pay was low, the job did give Green the opportunity to make demos and do session work. He remained with SESAC for three years, and soon was earning $50,000 a year from session work. Green worked with pop musicians as well, including Dame Vera Lynn, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr, as well as on the Byrds’ seminal Sweetheart at the Rodeo. He had just a handful of solo chart hits, including instrumental versions of ‘I Can See Clearly Now‘ and ‘Here Comes the Sun‘ in the early 70s. He also made the charts singing ‘You and Me.’
Big Steel Guitar would also be reissued as Steel Guitar Record Club No. 4 in 1975 – courtesy of Tom Bradshaw (referenced above).
Historical note: “Steel Guitar Jubilee” – penned by Earl ‘Joaquin‘ Murphey & Smokey Rogers – was originally released by Smokey and His Western Caravan in February 1951.
<= Can you believe it has only been one year since we last checked in with Lloyd Green? =>
Lloyd Green’s ‘Secret‘ Hawaiian Album of 1964
1964 would see the release of a second (though unnamed) Lloyd Green full-length album, Hawaiian Enchantment, albeit on a different label — Modern Sound Records.
Link to 2002 interview with Lloyd Green, courtesy of Chart Records Appreciation Site.
