Eddie Rabbitt Legacy

Bill Maynard · Post by **Bill Maynard** » 29 Mar 2009 8:21 am

I did not pay much attention to his music when he was around and performing. But, now I hear it and truly appreciate his efforts more than ever. His style was unique and he was a clear cut Country Music vocalist in every respect. He was from what I gather one of America's truly underrated C/W music star. I just hear " On Second Thought" a couple of times in the past month and that made me put my thoughts down and send it to all of the Forum Members.Thanks for your contributions to this C/W music world. I know there are many like me who appreciate your work. Rest in peace Eddie, I for one miss you...

Ray Riley · Post by **Ray Riley** » 29 Mar 2009 7:05 pm

His music on Clint Eastwood movies are Inseparable. " Every Which Way But Loose"and "Any Which Way You Can"

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 29 Mar 2009 10:32 pm

On Second Thought was my favorite of his tunes,That's a REAL honest to goodness country tune,also loved the vidio. DYKBC.

Ford Cole · Post by **Ford Cole** » 30 Mar 2009 4:30 pm

Who played steel on the recording "On Second Thought?"

Tommy Shown · Post by **Tommy Shown** » 30 Mar 2009 5:18 pm

I too liked On Second Thought, It was good and country and heartfelt. Something that is missing from Nashville today. (YOU HEAR THAT WSM?)
Tommy

Dennis Manuel · Post by **Dennis Manuel** » 30 Mar 2009 5:57 pm

Paul Franklin played steel on the recording "On Second Thought".

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 2 Apr 2009 7:20 am

I've always liked "Two Dollars In The Jukebox". We've been playing that one since it was first released. It's a great shuffle and usually fills up the dance floor.

We also still play "Room At The Top Of The Stairs" and "Hearts On Fire".

Lee, from South Texas

Ken Newman · Post by **Ken Newman** » 3 Apr 2009 11:33 am

in an e-mail to me from bill rehrig, friend , and road manager, and fiddler, and all round talent. braggin' up eddie's talents in business:

Hi Kenny, It was great to see that someone really noticed how good Eddie was and he isn't getting any mention now days for all the great things that he contributed to the country music business.

He was a great writer and entertainer performer type. We were riding down the road sitting in the back of the bus talking about what Eddie should record on his upcoming album. I said to Eddie, "why don't you write one of those great country songs like you used to write years ago like Two Dollars in the Jukebox. Eddie grabbed his guitar and said do you mean like this and he started writing "On Second Thought". It was his last number one hit in l989.

He was very musical and would have been a great producer. He could hear the entire arrangement as soon as he wrote the song. He actually hummed the beginng lick to the great steel solo that Paul Franklin played on the record.

I had to go and meet Paul Franklin in the studio while he was doing a session with my tape recorder and get Paul to record the solo slowed down and he explained which strings and pedals he used to play the solo so that Ned Davis Eddie's steel player at the time could learn exactly note for note.
Eddie's not getting the credit that he deserves in country music today.
Hope your doing good.
Your friend,
Bill.

Joel Johnston · Post by **Joel Johnston** » 4 Apr 2009 11:57 pm

Ken - was it Ned Davis playing the steel in the video? I recall the video being set up like a Grand Ole Opry spot from the 60's with the musicians greasing their hair, etc. and I didn't recognize the steel player as Paul. Of course, it's been decades since I've seen the video - if anyone can find a link to it, that would be great. I've searched YouTube in the past with no luck.
My first exposure to Eddie Rabbit music was through Roy Drusky's recording of a very early Eddie song called "Working My Way Up To The Bottom". He was definitely under appreciated.

Ken Newman · Post by **Ken Newman** » 7 Apr 2009 7:31 am

will have to contact bill rehrig on that question to see if he knows. sometimes those videos are simply performed by actors standing in for musicians. a canadian '''real''' fiddle player once told me he did one in montreal holding and bowing his fiddle as would a left handed player. he also said ''no-one'' ever challenged him to date. not even the songster. will check back with answer.

Ken Newman · Post by **Ken Newman** » 7 Apr 2009 11:33 am

joel, e-maled bill rehrig. must have caught him in his office as here is the accurate answer,,plus more eddie history from bill.

Hi Kenny, Yes that was Ned Davis in the video and all the other guys were Eddie's band even I got to play fiddle on that video. Harold Hensley was the announcer and they made it in black and white to resemble the old country shows years ago.

The Roy Drusky song "Working My Way Up to the Bottom" was the first song that Eddie got a cut on when he came to Nashville for the first time. He told me that he stayed at the Andrew Jackson Hotel on an upper floor and got the idea to write that song after he took a bath in the bathtub and saw and heard the sound of the water going to the bottom in the drain he got the idea that before you get to the top you have to work your way up to the bottom.

He said he thought that because he got that cut real soon after he wrote it that it would be an easy thing to do but he said it was years until he got his next cut.

The first time he came to Nashville on a Greyhound bus and the next time he drove his cadillac here and the engine gave out as soon as he got to 16th avenue. That was about in l968. He never moved back to Jersey after that. He got a job with a publishing company making 37.50 a week until he got the big cut "Kentucky Rain" that was Elvis's 50th million selling record.

He said that he noticed all the great singers singing in the clubs in Nashville and realized that he would be better off concentrating on writing and that would be a better way to make it in Nashville, he was right about that and it still holds true today.
Talk to you later,Bill.

Will Houston · Post by **Will Houston** » 9 Apr 2009 12:10 am

I Can't Help Myself, 1977 I believe, one of my altime fave songs.

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 12 May 2009 5:56 pm

Lee Baucum, glad to hear someone else remembers, even PLAYS, "Hearts On Fire," I always love that ballad, even sang it when it first came out, circa 1978 or thereabouts. Yes, Eddie Rabbit is way under-remembered and honored!

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 12 May 2009 8:13 pm

Eddie Rabbitt was another one of the "hidden treasures" in country music until he started rcording. My favorites are "Hearts On Fire" and " On Second Thought". Jody. PS: Pauls solo on "Second Thought" ate my lunch for a while, but I finally got it.

Buddy Jennison · Post by **Buddy Jennison** » 18 May 2009 9:20 pm

I met Eddie BEFORE he got hot. He lived on Belmont Blvd., and I lived around the corner on Ashwood Ave., in the Monster House. Back then, everyone sat on the floor, when writing. He'd come over, we'd write till we got tired, he' split, I'd go around the corner, to his house, we'd sit on the floor and write, He did all the guitar pickin'. A nice cat to be around. Went on till he started to get hot, so I backed out. "Little" Buddy.

Randy Phelps · Post by **Randy Phelps** » 19 May 2009 6:01 pm

I"ve been on an Eddie kick the last couple of weeks. my younguns are hooked on "suspicions"...

I played 5 or 6 Rabbit songs to death back in the old days... I guess my favorite Eddie written song was a hit for Ronnie Milsap "Pure Love"....

always liked how he worked Capn' Crunch into the lyric.

RIP Eddie! I don't guess you were straight country but you sure were a good guy and wrote a really good song!

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Eddie Rabbitt Legacy

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