Thursday, February 20, 2014

Distorted guitars - the c&w connection

Nodding to the guitar distortion of Wanda Jackson's -62  "I don't wanta go" (which I incorrectly stated as an 1965 recording), let's try to follow the use of "fuzz" effect in C&W

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaA5qlzUDks         Wanda/ don't wanta go

Unfortunately, Wandas' are still to be registered at PraguerFrank's discografies- so only as uneducated guess I may ponder this as being another Grady Martin job.
Grady who? Er, leading guitarist of 50s/60s Nashville " A-Team" studio mafia.
Said to have stumbled upon pitched distortion effect, due to faulty mix board at Marty Robbin's "Don't worry" recording session. Grady Martin is quoted as not sure if  he then used 6-stringed bass or standard guitar, btw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB7H6pT3DW4      Robbins/ don't worry

Two years later, Martin had further developed that sound effect- by deliberately letting amp tubes oscillate in their fittings- as demonstrated on Carl Butler's c&w-go-psychedelic "Wonder drug". 


073 CO 69827/CB-54? WONDER DRUG 4-42593/CS-8802
16 January 1963 Columbia Recording Studio, 804 16th Ave. South, Nashville, TN - Carl Butler & Pearl (Carl Butler [vcl], Pearl Butler [vcl], Grady Martin [gt], Pete Drake [steel], Joe Zinkan [bass], Buddy Harman [drums], Jerry Rivers [fiddle], Bill Purcell [piano]. Producer: Don Law & Frank Jones)


175 CO 65201/OB 2245/ZSP 51221 DON'T WORRY 'BOUT ME 4-41922 3-41922 4-33070/CS 8435 KG 31361 C 32294 C2-38870 BCD-15655
176 CO 65206/OB 2246/ZSP 51222 A TIME AND PLACE FOR EVERYTHING 4-41809 3-41809/CS 8435 BCD-15655
13 July 1960 [14:30-18:30] Bradley Film & Recording Studio, 804 16th Ave. South, Nashville, TN – Marty Robbins (Marty Robbins [vcl], Grady Martin [gt], Jack Pruett [gt], Bob Moore [bass], Louis Dunn [drums], Floyd Cramer [piano]. Producer: Don Law)