BERT WEEDON - THE TRUTH!
JNugent
>I mentioned Bert Weedon in a mail about Malmsteen last week, and someone
>wrote back and said 'Who the heck is Bert Weedon?'
>Bert Weedon was a guitarist from the late 50's early 60's who was a
>paragon of technigue and creative flair. He was most famous for his
seminal
>tutorial 'Bert Weedon's play in a day',( I think - don't sue me..) which
>launched the guitar playing careers of millions of hopeful plank spankers
in
>the rock & roll era.
>I saw him live at the Wolverhampton Opera House in about 1963, (age about
6)
>as a sort of guitar bashing novelty act, during the Christmas pantomime.
>With the exception of my Grandfather, we all found him excruciatingly
>embarrasing. Came across in the same sort of twinkly eyed cowboy vein as
>Rolf Harris - cheesy but lovable.
Yes - Bert was (and still is) a part of the show business industry rather
than a guitar hero - although he had his moments in the 50s and early 60s. I
saw him play live last week (Easter Sunday) in London. In fact, I was stage
manager and had an opportunity to see him at very close quarters.
Bert had been famous since the mid-fifties (mainly as a featured guitarist
with various bands and orchestras, and later as a session-man), but he had
several big-selling instrumental hit records in the very late 50s and
early-to-mid 60s ("Guitar Boogie Shuffle", "Ginchy", "Sorry Robbie", "Night
Cry" and 12-String Shuffle" - and others).
In 1977, he had a monster LP hit with a collection of re-recordings of some
of his own hits and covers of other guitar hits: "Bert Weedon's 22 Golden
Guitar Greats". At the height of the Punk era, that LP was at number 1 in
the UK album charts for weeks, and went "gold" - not bad for someone who was
over fifty even then!
Bert's major claims to fame with the general public rested on two unique
activities. First, he had a guest spot on the weekly childrens' TV show
"Tuesday Rendesvouz" (originally called something else - I can't remember
what), and always played a number as well as explaining technical aspoects
of the instrument and associated equipment to the viewers. He also acted as
host and interviewer for the many pop acts of the day that passed through
the studio. Many people over 40 remember Bert's TV appearances and have
always had a soft spot for him because of them.
Secondly (as Peter pointed out), Bert wrote the seminal guitar-tutor book
"Play In A Day" (published by Francis, Day & Hunter), which through many
re-prints and re-editions, must have been the "Bible" for hundreds of
thousands of UK guitar-learners (it certainly was for me). I understand that
some years ago (in the 80s), Bert updated "Play In A Day" as an
instructional video.
Lastly, Bert's connections with Francis, Day & Hunter must have been what
introduced him to a young composer then under contract to the same company -
Jerry Lordan. Jerry offered Bert a guitar instrumental in late 1959 (at the
time, virtually every Bert Weedon single was a guaranteed hit) and Bert
recorded it for inclusion on his "King Size Guitar" LP (1960). Jerry has
since stated that he wasn't happy with Bert's version and wanted it recorded
with a more aggressive edge to the playing - he therefore offered "Apache"
to the Shadows, who were looking for an instrumental to record. The Shads'
version was a monster international hit (everywhere in the world except
America), but a Danish guitarist called Jorgen Ingmann heard their version
and recorded it as the B-side of his single "Echo Boogie". It was that
B-side (complete with arrow swishing noises) that became an American number
one and the tune has been covered by virtually every guitar instrumental act
since, from the Ventures to Link Wray, via Davie Allan. And it all started
with Bert Wedon (who still anounces the tune as "one that Jerry wrote for
me"...).
chot
I. too, remember him as a tot in the late 1950s with Tuesday Rendezvous,
but I think he was in a children's TV programme before that in the mid-
1950s.
I can't say watching him was what kindled my interset in the guitar, but
it made me aware of it. Come to think of it, what current kid's TV prog
has a regular spot on guitar techniques? How old is Bert Weedon?
The two guitarists that got me really going on guitar in the 1960s were
John Pearse, whose fingerpicking styles I still use today. He had
expressions such as "dum-chicka, dum-chicka" to describe his licks and
the wonderfully expressive "working clawhammer" to describe
fingerpicking syncopation. For simple, easy to follow fingerpicking
tuition he was a forerunner of Fred Sokolow.
The other guitarist who influenced me in the 1960s was Josh White,
hugely under-rated and these days little known, but his late night TV
slots in the early 1960s, just him, his guitar and that wonderful blues
voice, were spellbinding. It was very much cross-over blues, jazz and
swing, but there were memorable workings of "Strange Fruit," "Motherless
Child," and what other blues singer has covered "Cockles and Mussels" as
a blues? While the Clancy Brothers thought it a pub song to bash out at
full belt, Josh White recognised it as a soulful Irish blues song.
In article <7eq7nq$hb8$4...@news6.svr.pol.co.uk>, JNugent
<JNu...@AC30.freeserve.co.uk> writes
--
chot
JNugent
>Well done for archiving the input Bert Weedon had on kids in the 1950s.
>I. too, remember him as a tot in the late 1950s with Tuesday Rendezvous,
>but I think he was in a children's TV programme before that in the mid-
>1950s.
"Tuesday Rendezvous" was broadcast in the early 60s (circa 1961 onward for a
couple of years), and Bert's theme tune for it ("China Doll") was released
as a single that year. The programme had a predecessor - whose name I can't
remember, but it hadn't been called "Tuesday Rendezvous" until then.
>I can't say watching him was what kindled my interset in the guitar, but
>it made me aware of it. Come to think of it, what current kid's TV prog
>has a regular spot on guitar techniques? How old is Bert Weedon?
In the mid-seventies, the Bay City Rollers' children's slot TV show (don't
laugh!) had Big Jim Sullivan in a similar role. Big Jim hates being reminded
of it!
>The two guitarists that got me really going on guitar in the 1960s were
>John Pearse, whose fingerpicking styles I still use today.
>The other guitarist who influenced me in the 1960s was Josh White,
>hugely under-rated and these days little known, but his late night TV
>slots in the early 1960s, just him, his guitar and that wonderful blues
>voice, were spellbinding.
I too remember Josh's late-night sessions on Granada TV - and some by Big
Bill Broonzy in the early 60s. Can't say I was impressed by John Pearse,
though I did catch his guitar-instructional programmes. Remember the
(non-guitar) late-night slots with the Jacques Loussier Trio?
Frank A Muller
Leslie Crowther (or am I getting REALLY confused?)
I remember he had a huge single cutaway archtop. Was it a Gibson or a
Gretsch, I can barely remember. Glad to hear he's still going. Onya Bert!
George Geddes
of that name, btw - then moved on to a Guild, having his own signature model,
no less. Until fairly recently he was using Yamaha guitars and amps, but now
endorses Marshall amps and plays a Strat.
George
JNugent
>Bert used a blond Hofner - he was one of the Committee that designed the
guitar
>of that name, btw - then moved on to a Guild, having his own signature
model,
>no less. Until fairly recently he was using Yamaha guitars and amps, but
now
>endorses Marshall amps and plays a Strat.
I got a close look at Bert's Strat (a Strat Plus) at the Pipeline Convention
last Sunday (4/4/99). Apart from the gold-plated hardware and the Lace
Sensors, I was very struck by the custom shaped tremolo arm on the guitar -
it was shaped rather like the custom "Chet Atkins" arm that some Bigsbys
have.
The shape was essentially a vertical drop away from the bridge, with the arm
being curled back around almost in a semi-circle so that the knob was
approximately in the same position vis a vis the bridge that a Bigsby arm
would be. It allows for playing near the bridge while still being able to do
a quick "shake" on the trem.
Another interesting thing was that Bert still sounded like himself! If I
hadn't been able to see the Strat, I'd have assumed it was his Yamaha. There
was no trace of the classic Fender sound - more like a Hofner/Guild throaty
twang.
chot
I thought this NG was just for young players and greys like me wer just
onlookers. Perhaps we should have a separate NG for twangers over 40?
No, the guitar has no age barriers, only in the minds of those who play
and listen.
But How old is Bert Weedon?
And can us oldies speak more in the NG?
In article <7etafj$h5q$1...@news6.svr.pol.co.uk>, JNugent
<JNu...@AC30.freeserve.co.uk> writes
--
chot
Ross Edwards
--
Remove the "XYZ"s to mail me.
chot <ch...@chot.demon.co.uk> wrote in article
<QGAv5LAE...@chot.demon.co.uk>...
George Geddes
Strat, never mind play it...
George
George Geddes
>
> I got a close look at Bert's Strat (a Strat Plus) at the Pipeline Convention
> last Sunday (4/4/99). Apart from the gold-plated hardware and the Lace
> Sensors, I was very struck by the custom shaped tremolo arm on the guitar -
> it was shaped rather like the custom "Chet Atkins" arm that some Bigsbys
> have.
>
> The shape was essentially a vertical drop away from the bridge, with the arm
> being curled back around almost in a semi-circle so that the knob was
> approximately in the same position vis a vis the bridge that a Bigsby arm
> would be. It allows for playing near the bridge while still being able to do
> a quick "shake" on the trem.
Jim, I suspect the mod. was down that very afternoon. I was briefly in the
'green room' and Bert was deep in conversation with the gentleman who does the
'EasyMute' tremelos, and the latter was extolling the virtues of same. I didn't
get a close look at Bert's Strat, but I think I might have noticed a change. It
did look a bit weird, though, when I saw him on stage.
George
Peter Gay
>chot wrote:
>
>> This is spooky.
>>
>> I thought this NG was just for young players and greys like me wer just
>> onlookers. Perhaps we should have a separate NG for twangers over 40?
>>
sensible at all - just look at the best gutar ever thread - what a mind
boggling waste of time. Besides, a newsgroup for twangers over 40 would be
elitist - we would all have vintage guitars, for a start.
Pete
Jonathan J Quick
<1WHQ2.4072$UT...@news-reader.bt.net>...
>
> If us oldies didn't contribute to the newsgroup nobody would say anything
> sensible at all - just look at the best gutar ever thread - what a mind
> boggling waste of time. Besides, a newsgroup for twangers over 40 would
be
> elitist - we would all have vintage guitars, for a start.
Oldies? Over 40 = oldie???!!! Hey I'm 42 next week and I don't feel old at
all, I'm better than any 100 guitarists half my age and still have the
massive Fretboard Wizard Ego I had when I was 25. When I'm 75 I'll consider
myself to be an "oldie". Maybe.
JJ.
--
Email: jjq...@foxtrot.co.uk
Home page: http://www.foxtrot.co.uk
Band page: http://www.foxtrot.co.uk/bttw.html
JNugent
>>> I thought this NG was just for young players and greys like me wer just
>>> onlookers. Perhaps we should have a separate NG for twangers over 40?
>If us oldies didn't contribute to the newsgroup nobody would say anything
>sensible at all - just look at the best gutar ever thread - what a mind
>boggling waste of time. Besides, a newsgroup for twangers over 40 would be
>elitist - we would all have vintage guitars, for a start.
OK, I'll start with a 1965 Burns Marvin.....
chot
more erudite than the "best ever lick" and "greatest guitar player
ever" NG posters, guitars today are better than guitars of yesterday. We
might have fond memories of Burns, Hofners, Framus, Watkins, etc, but
the sound of today's acoustic and electric guitars is far superior to
the sounds of the guitars that set the standard in the UK in the 50/60s
chot
JNugent
>Let's get one thing agreed among the grey guitar market. While we are
I think it's generally agreed that basses are "better" (even though that
depends on one's point of view), and that amplifiers are *much* better now,
despite the fans of the Vox AC30 (guess who has one of those?) and the
Fender Bassman. But IMHO, guitars are *not* better then the best of
yesteryear. That best would certainly include the best of the original
Fenders, Gibsons, Gretsches, Guilds, Burns, Hofners, etc.I don't say that
Watkins or Framus are in that league (though the new Framus guitars are
world-class).
My Burns Marvin "out-Strats" any Stratocaster, old or new. And I have two
Strats.....
Paul Guy
Special" !!! (that went on down the line, from platform nine, *many*
years ago) for Christmas, 1959. Two days later I went round to the music
shop and bought Bert's "Play in a Day". Should have sued the bugger for
misleading advertising, 40 years later I'm still trying...
The only time I ever saw Bert live was at the Radio Show at Earl's
Court, when I was about 15. He did a short spot, about three tunes, and
the last one was "Orange Blossom Special", which he introduced with:
"I am now going to play the guitar at *one thousand notes per minute*".
I was with my mate Geoff and we went round the back to get his autograph
afterwards. The conversation went something like this:
Geoff: "Were you really playing a thousand notes a minute?"
Bert: "Yes, didn't you count them?"
True story.
Jonathan J Quick <n...@spam.here> wrote:
> Peter Gay <pete...@southwestern.1way.co.uk> wrote:
> >
> > If us oldies didn't contribute to the newsgroup nobody would say
> anything sensible at all - just look at the best gutar ever thread -
> what a mind boggling waste of time. Besides, a newsgroup for twangers
> over 40 would be elitist - we would all have vintage guitars, for a
> start.
My killfile includes the entry:
KILL if SUBJECT contains "best"...
> Oldies? Over 40 = oldie???!!! Hey I'm 42 next week and I don't feel old at
> all, I'm better than any 100 guitarists half my age and still have the
> massive Fretboard Wizard Ego I had when I was 25. When I'm 75 I'll
> consider myself to be an "oldie". Maybe.
Well I'll be 51 next month... sometimes I realy feel like an "oldie",
but not when I get up on stage to play...
Paul
--
Paul Guy Guitars (Handbuilt / Custom built / Repairs)
Katarina Bangata 65, 116 42 Stockholm
Homepage: http://home.swipnet.se/guyguitars
George Geddes
guitar for a fairly reasonable price. This was certainly not always the case in
the 60s!
George
links
"Frank A Muller" <FAMu...@pumptech.com.au> wrote:
>Yes, I too remember Bert. Didn't he play on that awful kiddies program
with
>Leslie Crowther (or am I getting REALLY confused?)
>
>I remember he had a huge single cutaway archtop. Was it a Gibson or a
>Gretsch, I can barely remember. Glad to hear he's still going. Onya
Bert!
>
with that young kid I'd like to know where the kid is now as that show
would be over 23 years old now.
Links
Joseph C. Hunter
pa...@guyguitars.se says...
> The only time I ever saw Bert live was at the Radio Show at Earl's
> Court, when I was about 15. He did a short spot, about three tunes, and
> the last one was "Orange Blossom Special", which he introduced with:
Orange Blossom Special? Isn't this the one The Hellecasters do on Return
of the Hellecasters? I'd be amazed if he could play at that sort of
speed, I never had him marked down as a speed freak or C&W guy.
JNugent
>pa...@guyguitars.se says...
>> The only time I ever saw Bert live was at the Radio Show at Earl's
>> Court, when I was about 15. He did a short spot, about three tunes, and
>> the last one was "Orange Blossom Special", which he introduced with:
>Orange Blossom Special? Isn't this the one The Hellecasters do on Return
>of the Hellecasters? I'd be amazed if he could play at that sort of
>speed, I never had him marked down as a speed freak or C&W guy.
OBS is an old standard, and was often used by European instrumental groups
(eg, the Spotnicks) in the early 60s. And by C&W groups of course.
Peter Gay
Tony Meloche wrote in message <3713F1...@remc11.k12.mi.us>...
>chot wrote:
>> the sound of today's acoustic and electric guitars is far superior to
>> the sounds of the guitars that set the standard in the UK in the 50/60s
Remember those teardrop Vox's from the sixties. Specially designed so you
couldn't practice sitting down.
So what WAS the worst guitar you ever put back on the rack after 2 bars?
P
chot
Hofner Congress f-hole acoustic for £18, ssecondhand. The sound was
sort-of okay, but the action was so high (unadjustable) that it creased
teenage fingers and was impossible to play above the 5th fret. I have a
picture of me playing it outside the Waterhead Hotel in Ambleside from
circa 1968 with a dolly bird staring into my eyes and my eyes wincing
from the pressure (of the strings, not on my trouser zip). That was in
the days when Lake District pubs welcomed busking guitarists, before
they thought scruffy oiks were not as profitable as second-home grey
incomers who are happy to buy frozen food passed off as country cooking.
I will sell this picture for £50, which is £30 more than the guitar is
worth (musically).
Similar thoughts and experiences welcome.
In article <4p_S2.1155$Yd3...@news-reader.bt.net>, Peter Gay <peter.gay@
southwestern.1way.co.uk> writes
--
chot
Paul Guy
Right you are. Ol' Bert could get up quite a lick of speed, actually -
he could certainly do as well as Bo Winberg (Spotnicks lead guitarist).
If you listen to the drums on the Spotnicks' OBS it's a dead giveaway -
it was recorded at a lower speed and speeded up. Winberg could fake it
quite well miming on TOTP though. (Spacesuit and all.)
Rev Timothy N Nurse
|>Tony Meloche wrote in message <3713F1...@remc11.k12.mi.us>...
|>>chot wrote:
|>
|>>> the sound of today's acoustic and electric guitars is far superior to
|>>> the sounds of the guitars that set the standard in the UK in the 50/60s
|>
|>
|>Remember those teardrop Vox's from the sixties. Specially designed so you
|>couldn't practice sitting down.
|>So what WAS the worst guitar you ever put back on the rack after 2 bars?
A Woolworths Audition brand 'cello' style guitar - if we are ignoring 'toy'
Beatles guitars and only looking at those with serious pretentions.
--
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Only thing that sounds as good is ????????????????????
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