Ranch Radio Song of the Day

YouTube ^ | 4/15/2019 | myself

[cowpoke]

Its Swingin' Monday and from their 2011 CD Texas Saturday Night we have the Texas Roundup Band with Steelin' The Blues. THE WESTERNER https://thewesterner.blogspot.com/

[sparklite2]

Up the tempo on this, and with a few
minor tweaks it’s the Steel Guitar Rag.

[cowpoke]

I’ll have to disagree with you on this one. I know there are a lot of rip offs of Steel Guitar Rag, but I’m not hearing it on this steel instrumental.

[sparklite2]

I played Steel Guitar Rag for fifteen years. I’m not saying they ripped this off, but it was certainly influenced by SGR. The chord pattern is there and I anticipated several runs in advance never having heard this before.

[cowpoke]

I’ve played rhythm guitar for many years and it is not unusual for a musician to anticipate runs on a tune. I cannot deny that this tune, along with many others, are “influenced” by SRG, where I disagree is that it “is” the SGR with a few minor tweaks. I just don’t hear it that way. However, I do appreciate your comments and the fact we both enjoy this music and listen to it with a fine ear.

[sparklite2]

I would wildly speculate that someone said, “let’s make a SGR that is bluesy.” So they slowed it way down, but retained the underling current provided by F sharp, when playing in the key of E, to give the tune a power boost. While this is not peculiar to SGR alone, it wasn’t that common, either. Various other melody fragments are these, too. We’ll have to agree to disagree on this one, fellow guitar picker. :)

[cowpoke]

It appears the original version was recorded in 1949 and written by Jerry Byrd & Louis Innis, with a vocal by Rex Allen.

https://youtu.be/6AilVgW-b0o

[sparklite2]

It gets twisty. The original Steel Guitar Rag itself was adapted from ‘Guitar Rag’ by blues guitarist Sylvester Weaver.

“Komara, Encyclopedia of the Blues, p. 385: “The latter [’Guitar Rag’] is a blues guitar landmark, having been appropriated countless times including as ‘Steel Guitar Rag’ by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys in 1936.”

There’s a modicum of incest going on here. LOL

[cowpoke]

And, as you may be aware, there is some controversy over who really wrote the tune that became the SGR, Sylvester Weaver or Leon McAuliffe.

https://youtu.be/8YmZvNwN0KI

[cowpoke]

Oops, you beat me to it.

[sparklite2]

Did you get my pics?

[cowpoke]

Glad you mentioned that. Just checked my email and saw them. Looks like you were having a blast!

[sparklite2]

I got engaged to the dancing girl in the shift.
Military life was good to me. Best years.