Happy Day, Happy Day! I'll Just Be Sittin' Back Pickin'!

Discussion of history's greatest guitar player.

Happy Day, Happy Day! I'll Just Be Sittin' Back Pickin'!

Postby Doug Working » Wed Dec 13, 2017 7:03 pm

Happy, happy joy, joy!

I have been searching HIGH AND LOW for years for John Knowles' "Sittin' Back Pickin'" . Not the book, but the audio. I used to have it many moons ago, but in the process of moving and marriage separation, the tape was lost. That was one of my greatest earthly treasures. But miraculously, I still have the book.

I was about to give up. I kept hearing those dreaded words "Out of publication." Then out of the blue, through a bit of serendipity, I just found a place that did some hunting for me, and miraculously found three copies of the cassette!

I am elated. John's arrangements are pure gold.

So soon they will be in my mailbox, and I will be happily Sittin' back Pickin! Yee-haw!

Doug

Btw, John's arrangements are NOT easy, but they are indeed ingenious, showcasing John's killer chops. "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair" is one of the most beautiful melodies on guitar I have ever heard. "Rolls" is a workout for the left hand. "Yesterday" brings to mind Chet's arrangement. Lots of wonderful tunes on that little cassette.
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Re: Happy Day, Happy Day! I'll Just Be Sittin' Back Pickin'!

Postby Doug Working » Mon Feb 19, 2018 7:11 pm

I am SO happy to finally have this tape in my hands. It's like a dream come true. Was impossible really, as it is long out of publication. That Frank at Guirarists Forum was able to find this for me is really a miracle.

The tape is really sweet. John, CGP that he is, is at his finest, and the arrangements are nifty and beautiful. Chihuahua waltz brings a smile, as John didn't resist the temptation to include a real, barking chihuahua in the tune. "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair" is as delicate as a rare china vase. Amazing voicings! Good stuff. Exactly what you would expect from John. Probably two or three years work ahead of me, I'll bet. Next to Chet, I truly admire John. One of the greatest, in my book.

Anybody here who has not heard it, your'e missing a treasure, and I'll be glad to share it with you, if there is a way to do that.

Doug
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Re: Happy Day, Happy Day! I'll Just Be Sittin' Back Pickin'!

Postby DagerRande » Mon Feb 19, 2018 9:57 pm

Doug, I purchased that book/CD combination directly from John when it first came out in about 1981 or 1982. I agree with you about the "Old Joe Clark" arrangement and "Black is the Color" is sort of haunting and beautiful. I have since digitized the tape.
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Re: Happy Day, Happy Day! I'll Just Be Sittin' Back Pickin'!

Postby Doug Working » Tue Feb 20, 2018 7:04 pm

Wow!

Isn't John just great? He's always so precise, a TECHNICIAN, and his voicings are excellent. He is able to find voicings on the fingerboard that I never dreamed existed.

Also on the tape is "My Little Waltz." John phrases it a bit different than Chet, nevertheless, he does a great job. In my opinion, John is a consummate picker. His knowledge of the guitar and transcribing is top o' the line. I actually had the waltz arrangement down pat at one time. Been a while, though.

I also had his Jerry Reed tape, too. He did a beautiful job with a beacoup of Jerry's tunes. I need to check into my tapes to see if that one is still in my possession. I still have the book, for sure. Just not sure about the tape. *

So you digitized it, eh? (Jed Clampett voice) "Weeeeeeee, doggies, Jeffro!" I searched the world over to find it when a friend here had a digital copy?

I'm kicking myself!!

Wow! (Slaps forehead) I coulda' had a V8!!!

Anyway, John is one of the best. A true blue CGP.

Doug

* Is it just me, or are cassette tapes making a bit of a comeback?
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Re: Happy Day, Happy Day! I'll Just Be Sittin' Back Pickin'!

Postby DagerRande » Tue Feb 20, 2018 9:32 pm

I was worried about the longevity of that tape and that's why I digitized it. No, I don't think cassettes are making a comeback. My cassettes are from the era when it was a current technology. I'm even old enough to remember when cassettes were a "new thing". I was used to reel to reel tape and cassettes seemed more convenient and portable. I never liked 8-tracks. My dad had a few of them. There was no easy way to get to a particular part of the tape without letting it play until the part you wanted came back around.
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Re: Happy Day, Happy Day! I'll Just Be Sittin' Back Pickin'!

Postby Doug Working » Wed Feb 21, 2018 6:57 pm

I also remember the first cassettes. Remember it vividly. Even remember my first tapes I purchased. (Porter and Dolly!) back then, I thought it was the coolest, most awesome thing since proverbial sliced bread. I STILL have a warm spot in my heart for cassettes.

Now I have hundreds of tapes. A LIFETIME of collecting and recording tapes. I hung onto a LOT of them. Music, voices of my family and friends, and more. And I have probably lost hundreds more over the years. I recently took a couple months to go through every one of my remaining cassettes and categorize and catalog every single one. Took MONTHS, scattering them all over my floor, as I had to listen to each one to find out what was in it.

Needless to say, at least a couple hundred of them are Chet tapes. Surprised?

The reason I was wondering if they are making a comeback is because I can now purchase cassette players in Wally World. I think that's recent.

I now remember the name of the John Knowles Jerry Reed tape. It was "Heavy Neckin'"

You wouldn't by one shot in a million have that one digitized, would you?

Doug
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Re: Happy Day, Happy Day! I'll Just Be Sittin' Back Pickin'!

Postby DagerRande » Thu Feb 22, 2018 8:50 pm

Doug, as far as "Heavy Neckin" being digitized, send me your email address. I don't think you ever did.
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Re: Happy Day, Happy Day! I'll Just Be Sittin' Back Pickin'!

Postby Doug Working » Fri Feb 23, 2018 7:03 pm

I did e-mail you maybe a week or two ago. Maybe the mail didn't go through. No prob. I'll e-mail you again.

Doug
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Re: Happy Day, Happy Day! I'll Just Be Sittin' Back Pickin'!

Postby DagerRande » Fri Feb 23, 2018 7:08 pm

Doug, I know you sent me a message through the ChetBoard but I didn't remember you including your email address. I'll check again. You probably don't need to send it again.
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Re: Happy Day, Happy Day! I'll Just Be Sittin' Back Pickin'!

Postby Doug Working » Fri Feb 23, 2018 7:13 pm

What I meant was I sent you regular e-mails. One or two, I think.

I just tried again. Should have arrived now.

Doug
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