Workin Man Blues

[scelerat]

Just what it says on the label. Anyone know when this clip is from or who the players are? Great groove and solos throughout.

 

[MikeVB]

Looks like late 70s - early 80s era Austin City Limits.

I can't remember Merle's sidemen but seems like he employed the same core band for a very long time similar to Willie.

 

[T Dizz]

sheeeit, I though I wrote that song!

 

[4406cuda]

1969 or 1970

James Burton was in that band

 

[udi9]

Merle is the man.
the clip is from Austin City Limits - 1978.
Norm Hamlet on steel, the legendary Roy Nichols on guitar, Biff Adam on drums (I think), Wayne Durham on bass and Ronnie Reno on acoustic guitar. I'm not sure about the others...

 

[buellwisner]

Others seem to have been

Don Markham: trumpet and sax
Bonnie Owens: vocals
Paul Anastasio: fiddle
Gordon Terry: fiddle
Mark Yeary: piano

Pretty standard, classic lineup for the most part.

 

[27sauce]

1969 or 1970

James Burton was in that band

Aka Roy Nichols

 

[lhallam]

Interesting, seems Merle may have borrowed that rhythm lick from "Cumberland Blues" or maybe the other way around.

Great gtr solo, once again I hear some similarities.

 

[27sauce]

This is from '78, it's on DVD.

 

[Thinsocks]

1969 or 1970

James Burton was in that band

From what I understand James just played on the records. As stated above, the guitar player in the band during that time was Roy Nichols.

 

[Thinsocks]

They didn't play the pickup lick in the above video... which I think is my favorite part of the tune.

 

[jimmyj]

Wow, Roy Nichols sounds like Dickey Betts except with a tele bridge pickup tone. There are about 3 licks in there that are exactly something DB plays a lot. I don't know if Betts listened to a lot of Roy or if Roy heard some of the ABB by the time this was filmed in '78.

 

[27sauce]

Wow, Roy Nichols sounds like Dickey Betts except with a tele bridge pickup tone. There are about 3 licks in there that are exactly something DB plays a lot. I don't know if Betts listened to a lot of Roy or if Roy heard some of the ABB by the time this was filmed in '78.

Or they both listened to Django.

 

[Telebasher]

James Burton played on the original studio cut.

 

[guitarjazz]

Who cares about the gitars: listen to that voice.
Roy Nichols was a badass...so was James. James used to stretch sessions just for the cha-ching.

 

[Carmour]

Wow, Roy Nichols sounds like Dickey Betts except with a tele bridge pickup tone. There are about 3 licks in there that are exactly something DB plays a lot. I don't know if Betts listened to a lot of Roy or if Roy heard some of the ABB by the time this was filmed in '78.

Probably from a common influence before both of them. Fine pickin though. Love the steel style licks too

 

[buellwisner]

Interesting, seems Merle may have borrowed that rhythm lick from "Cumberland Blues" or maybe the other way around.

Great gtr solo, once again I hear some similarities.

Other way around. Roy Nichols was a big influence on Jerry, I think. "Working Man Blues" was out before "Cumberland Blues."

. . . which appeared on Workingman's Dead. I doubt that was coincidence.

 

[buellwisner]

Wow, Roy Nichols sounds like Dickey Betts except with a tele bridge pickup tone. There are about 3 licks in there that are exactly something DB plays a lot. I don't know if Betts listened to a lot of Roy or if Roy heard some of the ABB by the time this was filmed in '78.

Roy Nichols is a giant and wa well-known by 1970 or so (he'd been at it a long time even before joining The Strangers). I'm positive that Dickey would have known his playing, as did many of Dickey's peers.

Of course, Dickey apparently grew up playing a lot of Western Swing, which is the style that Roy's playing evolved out of. So they probably did share some influences. Oh, and "definitely" on Django as a shared influence.

 

[buellwisner]

James Burton played on the original studio cut.

Probably, as he played on most of the '60s Hag records.

Of course, Roy played on those records, too. On other songs ("Fugitive," "Mama Tried," etc.), Roy is usually playing the distinctive rhythm parts (fretting on a dobro, no less, IIRC).

 

[swiveltung]

I love Merle. There's a great version of this song by another player, probably done maybe a decade ago. Features a hot tele rif throughout and a little different feel. I cant seem to find it anywhere though.