Buc McMaster Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 Took to the back porch since it wasn't too freakin' hot today. Some extraneous noise as a consequence but what the heck. Played on a new-to-me Gretsch American tenor ukulele from the late 1930s that I picked up last week, a little beat up but a sweet sounding old piece of wood nonetheless. This was a tough one for me and I'm honestly tired of trying to get it right so, here we go, warts and all.............. :unsure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz122Jh-Mdo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 Another good performance, Buc! Hard to beat the Gene Pitney version, but yours is somewhat lighter, which is a nice change for what was a pretty dark song in its original form. For some reason, listening to your voice and the little uke, doing a lighter version of a darkish song, reminded me of Marty Robbins and "El Paso". Now that would be a great song for your voice and a uke! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooseguy Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 Took to the back porch since it wasn't too freakin' hot today. Some extraneous noise as a consequence but what the heck. Played on a new-to-me Gretsch American tenor ukulele from the late 1930s that I picked up last week, a little beat up but a sweet sounding old piece of wood nonetheless. This was a tough one for me and I'm honestly tired of trying to get it right so, here we go, warts and all.............. :unsure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz122Jh-Mdo Buc : A really great rendition - both instrumental and voice Regards, Moose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin 1940D28 Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 From another lefty that learned righty, nice job. My favorite "Pitney" song, after high school. "The Man who Shot Liberty Valence". Would ya' do it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 Stellar. The melody is beautiful, and verses and bridges etc all melt into each other. Well it seems to. You take credit for that. Your signature just says you like to sing a song now and then. You sing a song like Sinatra sings a song. Bravo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 No apologies needed for that, Buc. You sound very good. You make the uke sing too..............I remember when this song was popular in the early 60's. I've always interpreted it as being a song of teenage angst, but it was the theme song for a movie about rape and murder. The movie was pretty dark and sinister for that era and didn't do well at the box office, but Pitney made a lot of money with the song........I enjoy your performances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 Buc, you always bring a smile to may face with your uke posts. I'm somewhat embarrassed to say that my introduction to this song was the Montrose version in the early 70's. Then 25 years later I went back and found the Gene Pitney original. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerohead Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 What a nice chimey little box you have there Buc! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buc McMaster Posted September 27, 2015 Author Share Posted September 27, 2015 Thanks, folks! I used to play El Paso on guitar some years back, and did kick Liberty around a bit. The Robbins tune really needs an alternating bass line to sound anywhere near right so I'll let that one lay. Liberty? Maybe.......... The tenor's 17" scale is quite different from the sopranos (about 13" or so) Ive been playing, but the instrument feels so good in the hand. Big, fat neck relatively speaking. It is a bit on the quiet side for a tenor and that's due to my string choice - I like the sweetness of the fluorocarbon strings opposed to a larger gauge of nylon or other synthetic. Still in re-entrant tuning or high G here. Most players prefer low G tuning on a tenor or baritone but to my ear that tuning loses the unique ukulele sound.......sounds more like a guitar in low G........not that there's anything wrong with sounding like a guitar, but it is a ukulele and ought to sound like one........yes? And, OWF, if you've got your ears on, you'll be happy to hear that I did reacquire the Collings concert last month. Happy to have it back in the quiver too! A very nice piece I special ordered lefty from Collings..........should have never let it go! Thank you, Sal, but invoking Sinatra is.....well......a stretch..........but thanks! (And thanks to all those that tolerate my no-guitar ways. I suspect there are some that grumble to themselves about my ukulele postings......they are certainly free to ignore them. Thanks to those that do put up with an "outsider" in their midst! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 I used to play El Paso on guitar some years back, and did kick Liberty around a bit. The Robbins tune really needs an alternating bass line to sound anywhere near right so I'll let that one lay. Liberty? Maybe.......... The tenor's 17" scale is quite different from the sopranos (about 13" or so) Ive been playing, but the instrument feels so good in the hand. Big, fat neck relatively speaking. It is a bit on the quiet side for a tenor and that's due to my string choice - I like the sweetness of the fluorocarbon strings opposed to a larger gauge of nylon or other synthetic. (And thanks to all those that tolerate my no-guitar ways. I suspect there are some that grumble to themselves about my ukulele postings......they are certainly free to ignore them. Thanks to those that do put up with an "outsider" in their midst! That little O-18 Martin Marty Robbins played on El Paso wasn't a whole lot bigger than your tenor uke..... I think it's your phrasing and mellow vocal styling that reminded me of Robbins. And he ain't a bad guy to be compared to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greatwhite_10 Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Nice one, Buc. Enjoyed the rendition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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