Bing Crosby and Lap steel

Andy Greatrix · Post by **Andy Greatrix** » 10 Jul 2000 6:39 am

I was on my way to play in the Calgary Stampede parade, very early, Fri. morning, when I heard Bing Crosby singing Harbour Lights with some VERY tastey lap steel in the background.The player also did a sparse but beautiful turnaround that had tone and intonation to die for.The announcer on CKUA said the song was from the early 50s'.
Is anyone familiar with this recording and who the steel player was?
All the best,-Andy

Dave Mayes · Post by **Dave Mayes** » 10 Jul 2000 7:36 am

I have that 78 and although I'm out the door to work right now - I'm 99% sure it's Danny Stewart backing Der Bingo on that. I'll check it tonight to be sure.

c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 10 Jul 2000 8:49 am

Dick McIntyre did most of Bings Haw stuff. However if this was done in the mid 50s it could have been someone else. Maybe you can tell: dick had much sweeter tone than Danny, dick used mostly c#m and danny used mostly b11

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Dave Mayes · Post by **Dave Mayes** » 10 Jul 2000 5:11 pm

Lorene Ruymar's book on the Haw. Steel Guitar credits Danny for that in the mini Danny Stewart bio. therein. My ears tell me that's the case too. My favorite work of Danny's ( and a very different sound from his later work ) - is his earliest suff with Augie Goupil & His Royal Tahitians back in maybe 1937. Swing'n like you wouldn't believe !

Andy Greatrix · Post by **Andy Greatrix** » 10 Jul 2000 5:29 pm

Thanks guys.If you like an eclectic variety of music, ckua is on the net.Everything from jazz,new world, contemparary folk,etc.If you don't hear what you like, wait a half an hour. Anyway, thanks again.
All the best,-Andy

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 10 Jul 2000 8:08 pm

Living here in Edmonton, it's great to hear a station like CKUA...it's also available on the net. As Andy says, this station plays most everything, although Hawaiian is still largely ignored. Years ago, 1949-1952, I had a weekly live Hawaiian radio show on CKUA called "Hawaiian Sunset".(Steel, Vibes, r/guitar, Ukulele, Bass and Vocalist)
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Yes, I believe the steel player was Danny Stewart also. Dick did the majority of Bing's recordings, but not in C#m, rather the fuller sounding F#9 tuning. A few of Bings recordings featured Lani McIntire and his Hawaiians ("Sweet Leilani" for instance). Lani was Dick's brother and a fine rhythm guitarist. The name of the steel guitarist in Lani's group escapes me at the moment...anyone recall his name ? Dick also backed Dorothy Lamour and Francis Langford, and would you believe Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong ? ! Honest ! "On a Little Bamboo Bridge" (a rare recording).

c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 11 Jul 2000 6:50 am

In 1946 or 47 during an interview on a radio station in San Luis Obispo CA,Dick stated that he only used c# m with 7th E C# G# E D B and occasionally to "really" play an Andy Iona number ran the C# down to B to get e7

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Dave Mayes · Post by **Dave Mayes** » 11 Jul 2000 7:36 am

I believe Bob Nichols was Lani McIntire's steeler.

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 11 Jul 2000 8:11 am

Hey Guys,

Speedy West also recorded with Bing Crosby.

Terry Wood

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 11 Jul 2000 10:55 am

I've seen film of Speedy playing his Bigsby with Bing-doing Christmas tunes replete with his trademark Spike Jones sound effects.Around the Holliday season,sometimes you can see it on retrospective type TV shows. -MJ-

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 12 Jul 2000 6:27 pm

Yes Dave....Bob Nichols is the name of the steel guitarist who played with Lani McIntire's Hawaiians.
Thanx for jogging this foggy old brain of mine!

CC: If you heard Dick say he used only C#m, I'll certainly believe you. But many of the recordings I have of him are DEFINITELY and POSITIVELY in the F#9 tuning. It's very obvious when you hear him play those big 9th chords in the lower strings. He probably messed around with many tunings during his career just as we all do.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by George Keoki Lake on 12 July 2000 at 07:32 PM.]</p></FONT>

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 12 Jul 2000 7:49 pm

I believe I heard the same recording last week on the radio. I remember the announcer saying that Lionel Hampton was playing drums on that recording!

c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 13 Jul 2000 3:10 am

You can't fool me, Keoki,That was you playing the fat 9ths behind Dick on your pre Rick Silvertone. cc

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George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 13 Jul 2000 9:50 am

Who's calling who FAT ! Honest CC, Dick did use the F#9 tuning...it's unmistakeable. Besides, if you happen to have any of those old BALL arrangements hanging around the house which show Dick playing a Dickerson on the cover, (a guitar he seldom played, incidently), you will come across many arrangements of the tunes he recorded which were written in the F#9 tuning, not the C#m, although there were many written in that tuning as well as E7.

Dickerson guitars were made by a chap named Dickerson. They were NOT named after Dick McIntire. Dickerson had a daughter named Belva who turned out to be a carbon copy of Sol Ho'opi'i...took lessons from him. She died about 6 years ago. When I met her in 1993, she was in a wheelchair. Her married name was Dunn, as I recall. (e&o.e)

c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 13 Jul 2000 10:23 am

I can't believr that Dick would play F#9;just as no gentleman would ever play a dobro.cc

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George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 16 Jul 2000 8:26 pm

Golly gee, here I thought I was a gentleman and I do play a 1934 DOBRO. (Maybe I'm not a gentleman after all, just a klutz!)

C#m and F#9 are so close to one another, it is easy to not notice the difference until you hear those bass strings. Hi to Lo (C#m):
E C# G# E B E. Hi to Lo (F#9): E C# G# E A# F#. To me, F#9 has a beautiful sound especially in Hawaiian music. Listen to a few more of Dick McIntire's recordings and you will soon detect those beautiful 9th chords in his bass strings.

c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 17 Jul 2000 3:06 am

I also play dobro,Keoki, but I never claimed to be a gentleman, only a texican.

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George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 17 Jul 2000 6:49 pm

Just goes to show you CC, nobody's perfect ! (ha!)