Posted on 12/09/2022 8:17:20 PM PST by FLNittany
From the video's description:
"Glen aces an instrumental composition by Mason Williams.
With acknowledgement to the wonderful musicians with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra who are performing here with Glen Campbell.
Regardless, hell of a song. And of course Glen picks it apart.
Glen playing a strat. We didn’t see that too often.
Great song btw, I’ve been playing it on guitar myself for decades.
"Classical Gas" is an instrumental musical piece composed and originally performed by American guitarist Mason Williams with instrumental backing by members of the Wrecking Crew. Originally released in 1968 on the album The Mason Williams Phonograph Record, it has been rerecorded and rereleased numerous times since by Williams. One later version served as the title track of a 1987 album by Williams and the band Mannheim Steamroller.I wonder if Glenn Campbell might have played on Classical Gas as part of The Wrecking Crew. That is incredible Williams was the head writer for the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (where did all that great television go?).Originally named "Classical Gasoline", the tune was envisioned to be "fuel" for the classical guitar repertoire. The title was later inadvertently shortened by a music copyist. Mike Post, later famous for television theme music, was a producer and arranger for the song.
Williams was the head writer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour at the time of the piece's release and premiered the composition on the show. Williams performed it several times over several episodes.
I bought "The Mason Williams Phonograph Record" when it came out. Wiki provides this funny tidbit about the album...
All tracks are written by Mason Williams, unless otherwise noted. Arranged by Al Capps, except Overture and Classical Gas by Post and Dylan Thomas and Life Song by Williams. The first printing of the vinyl label misspelled The Prince's Panties as "Princess Panties"."Princess Panties" - LOL. You have to wonder if maybe that was another copyist "mistake."
I like another set of postings featuring Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb called "In Session", from a Canadian TV show.
From the YT channel:
Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb: In Session is the sixty-second album by American guitarist Glen Campbell—a collaborative album with Jimmy Webb—released in September of 2012. The album and its accompanying DVD were filmed, taped, and recorded in December of 1988 in the Hamilton, Ontario studios of CHCH-TV as part of the Canadian concert series In Session. Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb: In Session offers a rare look at Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb performing together, Campbell on guitar and singing, and Webb accompanying him on piano.
Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb: In Session playlist.
TRACKLISTING:
01. "Wichita Lineman" (Jimmy Webb) - 3:50
02. "Gentle On My Mind" (John Hartford) - 2:46
03. "Dreams of the Everyday Housewife" (Chris Gantry) - 2:27
04. "Highwayman" (Jimmy Webb) - 3:01
05. "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" (Jimmy Webb) - 3:06
06. "Classical Gas" (Mason Williams) - 3:04
07. "It's Only Make Believe" (Conway Twitty, Jack Nance) - 2:29
08. "Little Green Apples" (Robert L. Russell) - 3:28 (duet with Debby Campbell)
09."Southern Nights" (Allen Toussaint) - 3:01
10. "Rhinestone Cowboy" (Larry Weiss) - 3:05
11. "Galveston" (Jimmy Webb) - 4:00
12. "Since I Fell for You" (Woodrow Johnson) - 2:52
13. "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" (Jimmy Webb) - 3:03
14. "William Tell Overture" (Gioachino Rossini, arr. by Glen Campbell, Dennis McCarthy) - 2:49
15. "True Grit" (Don Black, Elmer Bernstein) - 2:58
16. "Still Within The Sound of My Voice" (Jimmy Webb) - 4:00
17. "Amazing Grace" (John Newton) - 3:13
18. "Don't Pull Your Love/Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" (Lambert, Brian Potter) - 3:18
19. "MacArthur Park" (Jimmy Webb) - 7:34
20. "Let It Be Me" (Gilbert Bécaud, Manny Kurtz, Pierce Leroyer) - 2:16 (duet with Debby Campbell)
21. "Time in a Bottle" (Jim Croce) - 2:28
22. "Try A Little Kindness" (Bobby Austin, Thomas Sapaugh) - 4:57
PERFORMERS:
Glen Campbell - vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Debby Campbell - vocals
Gary Bruzesse - vocals, drums
Jeff Dayton - vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Noel Kirkland - vocals, fiddle, banjo, acoustic guitar, keyboards
T.J. Kuenster - musical director, vocals, keyboards
Kenny Skaggs - vocals, acoustic guitar, steel guitar, dobro, mandolin
Russ Skaggs - vocals, bass guitar
The South Dakota Symphony
A great concert.
Sources: Kent Hartman (The Wrecking Crew) and Robert Lloyd ("Time of the Session"; LA Weekly)
Electric bass: Max Bennett, Carol Kaye, Larry Knechtel, Joe Osborn, Bill Pitman, Ray Pohlman, Bob West
Double bass (upright bass): Chuck Berghofer, Jimmy Bond, Red Callender, Lyle Ritz
Drums: Hal Blaine, John Clauder, Jim Gordon, Jim Keltner, Earl Palmer, Joe Porcaro
Guitar: Bill Aken, Doug Bartenfeld, Ben Benay, Vinnie Bell, Dennis Budimir, James Burton, Glen Campbell, Al Casey, David Cohen, Jerry Cole, Mike Deasy, John Goldthwaite, Carol Kaye, Barney Kessel, Lou Morrell, Frank Marshall, Don Peake, Bill Pitman, Ray Pohlman, Howard Roberts, Irv Rubins, Louie Shelton, P.F. Sloan, Billy Strange, Tommy Tedesco, Al Vescovo
Keyboards: Mac Rebennack (Dr. John), Al De Lory, Larry Knechtel, Mike Melvoin, Don Randi, Mike (Michel) Rubini, Leon Russell
Percussion: Larry Bunker, Frank Capp, Gary L. Coleman, Gene Estes, Victor Feldman, Milt Holland, Joe Porcaro
Vibraphone & Marimba: Julius Wechter, Terry Gibbs
Other Percussion: Jingle Bells and Tambourine Sonny Bono
Max Weinberg in his book "The Big Beat" does include Bono in a list of members of the Wrecking Crew as "percussion" and Bono appears in the photograph labeled, "The Wrecking Crew" on p. 79 of the book.
Saxophone: Allan Buetler, Gene Cipriano, Steve Douglas, Bill Green, Jim Horn, Plas Johnson, Jackie Kelso, John Lowe, Jay Migliori, Nino Tempo
Trombone: Richard "Slyde" Hyde, Lew McCreary, Dick Nash, Lou Blackburn
Trumpet: Bud Brisbois, Roy Caton, Chuck Findley, Ollie Mitchell, Tony Terran
Flute: Jim Horn
Harmonica: Tommy Morgan
Vocals: Ron Hicklin Singers often performed backup vocals on many of the same songs on which the Wrecking Crew had played instrumental tracks.
Conductor and arranger: Jack Nitzsche
Unfortunately, it’s hard to find out which of that great cast of members played on which song.
Sounds a little ... soft. Nylon strings, maybe?
Which guitarist played on which song is only known in a couple of cases. Bummer.
OTOH my respect for Sonny Bono goes up, knowing that he was part of the group, even if only a little bit.
Great video and song!
I scanned your list quickly and missed Sonny Bono. Jingle Bells and Tambourine, though? Not quite the caliber of Glenn Campbell. But you are right, respect goes up a little bit.
Very entertaining. Geezer music.
Good Lord, he looks as good and sounds better than he did 50 years ago!!
Thanks for this—very uplifting!
Excellent concert. I was unaware of his great talent as a guitarist until I saw this concert and have seen many other clips on YouTube demonstrating Glens’ talent. He was arguably the best and most versatile popular music guitarist of our time.
BFL
I just got the big TV, sound bar, sub, and satellites going in the great room at the new place. Watched/played an older (2010? 2012?) Crossroads Guitar Fest (Clapton et al) on it, works great. Will follow up with this when I’m back up there tomorrow.
Well, you sent me down the YouTube rabbit hole there.
Thanks for posting!
Very good performance by Glen and the rest. One could save a lot on overhead costs by going with this guy for the same song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S33tWZqXhnk
I liked Glen Cambell's playing a lot and I've heard it said he was one of the best guitar players in the world. Glen knew lots of chords and chord progressions, but to say he was the best player in the world is quite a stretch. I can name at least 20 players in the world of rock and jazz that Glen couldn't hold a candle to. Glen could play simple leads and that's about it. Compared to say a Steve Vai or a Guthrie Govan, Glenn could be considered practically an amateur... A ham-and-egger as they say.
Don't get me wrong, I loved Glen's playing and really loved his songs, and he may have been one of the very best at one time, although guys like Joe Pass back in the day could take Glen to school.
If Glen is\was the best player in the world then why can a semi-pro ham and egger like myself play every song he ever published with ease? No, he's not and never was "the best in the world" In my opinion. But I'm really thankful to him for all his great songs.
He sure was. I could sing his stuff when I was 7.
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