To listen: Click image, then choose Track 30 on page that results.
June 21
Why today? Catching up on an event I missed over the weekend: Sunday would have been the 86th birthday of Mr. Guitar, Chet Atkins. In his honor, here’s one of the scores of songs he played on as a Nashville session musician — a real hillbilly wailer from Don Gibson’s pre-Nashville Sound days.
About the record: RCA Victor 47-6880 (B-side), recorded Feb. 25, 1957, at the label’s Nashville studio in the Methodist Church’s Television, Radio and Film Commission building on McGavock Street. Released in March 1957. First LP appearance was on Rockin’ Rollin’ 1, Bear Family BFX-15089, released in 1982.
Chet also produced this session, the first for Gibson in his second stint with RCA. The double-duty was common for Atkins on artists he produced (including Jim Reeves and The Browns) in those first years for him in the control room. Gibson re-recorded “I Can’t Leave” the following year — a version I’ve not heard but, given its presence on the Oh, Lonesome Me album, I’m guessing has the Nashville Sound groove that made Gibson a star. That’s certainly not the case here. This doesn’t even sound like Don Gibson, who seems uncomfortable shouting into the mic. It’s easy to see why he bounced around from label to label until Chet Atkins the producer pointed him in the right stylistic direction.
As for Chet the sideman, it wasn’t just Victor artists his guitar work supported. You can catch his distinctive style on records by the Louvin Brothers, the Carlisles, Webb Pierce, George & Earl, Marty Robbins and more. I always perk up my ears when listening to ’50s country records to see if I can catch Atkins in action. That’s just what we’ve got here, the day after his birthday and just over a week before the ninth anniversary of his death. In my opinion, you can never get too much Chet.
4 comments
Comments feed for this article
June 21, 2010 at 2:00 PM
Kyle Cantrell
You’re right on the money, Kevin, on the difference between this and the later version. The second track is definitely more in his later vein–in fact, it reminds me very much of “Give Myself A Party”–while this one is much more “earthy,” with the chugging fiddles and Chet’s exquisite guitar solo. On the remake, the guitar (which could have been played by Chet, although it doesn’t sound like him) is much more muted and the piano (presumably played by Floyd Cramer) is prominent.
I think the most striking thing they settled on with Don, however–starting with that “Oh Lonesome Me” session–was a change in his vocal delivery. His earlier vocals sound much more nasal and strained. On the later tracks, including the remake of this song, he is singing more from the diaphragm and in a lower register. This seems to allow him to sound more expressive and confident. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed hearing this version of the song.
June 21, 2010 at 2:44 PM
3chordsaday
I do prefer the updated Gibson singing style better. Once Jim Reeves opened the door to lips-on-the-mic vocals, I guess Chet moved that way wherever he could. (I detect that change in the Browns’ Nashville Sound output vs. their earlier work, as well.)
Here’s the musicians my source lists for both versions of “I Can’t Leave”:
2/25/57: Chet Atkins [gt], Luke Brandon [gt], Summie Hendrick [steel], Tommy Jackson [fiddle], Tommy Vaden [fiddle], Junior Huskey [bass], Walter Lenk [drums]. Cut at McGavock studio.
2/27/58: Rusty Kershaw [gt], Velma Smith [gt], Bob Moore [bass], Buddy Harman [drums], Floyd Cramer [piano] + Jordanaires. Cut at Hawkins Street studio (later dubbed RCA Studio B.)
“Chugging fiddles” indeed, from two of the best: Tommy Jackson and Tommy Vaden.
June 22, 2010 at 7:16 AM
Kyle Cantrell
I never would have guessed Rusty Kershaw was the guitarist. He is actually playing in duet with Cramer on the song’s turnaround.
June 21, 2010 at 2:35 PM
3chordsaday
There was a problem with the link earlier in the day, but I think it’s fixed now.