Jerry Reed's "Hot A' Mighty" & "Lord Mr. Ford" Albums

[the-ocean87]

Just got the CD with both albums on it (released in 2010 on T-Bird).
In the credits are many guitar players listed. But not Jerry. Of course he plays some acoustic-guitar on the records ,"Two timmin' " for example. But does he also play electric guitar?
And who is the guitar player who plays all those funky licks?
Even Chet is listed as playing guitar on the "Lord Mr. Ford" album. On which tracks does he appear, anyone knows this??

[craigdobbins]

Yes, Jerry played both gut string (a Baldwin and a flamenco of some kind) and electric (Tele and Les Paul) on those albums, and maybe a little steel string and high string acoustic.

I can't give you a complete track-by-track, but on Lord, Mr. Ford, that's Jerry on the Baldwin (open G, capo IV) and Paul Yandell on the electric thumbpicking part. Jerry of course played lead (center channel) on Pickie, Pickie, Pickie. The two accompaniment guitars (l/r) are Paul and I think Pete Wade. Two Timin' is Jerry on the Baldwin (dropped D, capo II).

There's a lot of high string on those albums, and that's probably Paul and Pete too. That's Jerry on Les Paul on Goodnight Irene, and on Tele on That Lucky Old Sun. Paul played lead on I'm Gonna Write a Song. The fingerpicked Dobro on You Can't Keep Me Here in Tennessee may also be Jerry. He had a Dobro that he used on a lot of sessions (pictured on the cover of KoKo Joe). On Caribbean, Jerry says "Pick it, Chester!", so I assume Chet is in the mix somewhere.

Paul told me that Jerry liked to get "a room full of guitar players" and teach them all the licks he wanted them to play. Both Jerry and Paul told me that they cut the tracks as live as possible, with the full band. Usually no lead sheets, either, because Jerry wanted everyone to learn their parts and play from the heart. Sometimes, Jerry (or Jerry and Paul) would record the lead parts later, if it interfered with Jerry's vocals.

Thanks,

Craig

[the-ocean87]

Thank you, Craig. That was very helpful!

[craigdobbins]

There's a really cool fingerpicking pattern that Paul showed me, sort of a walking bass pattern with your thumb and chord tones with your fingers. You can here it buried in the mix on Folsom Prison Blues, and split l/r (Paul and Jerry) on Nashville Woman. I think it may be in It's Tough All Over, from Uptown Poker Club, too.

Craig