"From Nashville With Music" (1969) Big Ben Keith: early or possibly earliest footage of "Harvest" Bolt-On

[robert kramer]

"From Nashville With Music" (1969) - packed full of pure gold dust.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A53a-9J ... =1&t=1044s

Marty w/ Bill Johnson on an early, early Emmons, (1:46), Leon, Gimble and Lightin' Chance burning (12:36), the always welcome Cousin Jody on his Gibson EH 150 (13:05), Carl Smith w/ Johnny Siebert on another early, early Emmons (16:41), George & Tammy and the Jones Boys w/ Sonny Curtis on his ZB (22:59), Buck & Don w/ Tom on his ZB, Bill Anderson, Jimmy Gately and the Po Boys w/ with Sonny Garrish (demonstrating as to why Sonny is Sonny and why an Emmons is an Emmons), (31:53), Buck & Don w/ Tom on his ZB (37:34), Wynn Stewart (my favorite singer) syncing to the recording w/ Jimmie Collins on steel (45:45), Merle, Bonnie, Roy and Norm w/ Bonnie & Jerry Ward (bs. gtr) on backup vocals. Then Bonnie steps out front on "Lead Me On" showing why she forever be "Queen of The Coast." (50:45), Also, Charlie Pride w/ Gene O'Neil, off camera, on steel (1:03.04)

Of interest to Big Ben Keith fans, here is the earliest footage I've seen of the "Neil Young" bolt-on, three years before "Harvest." w/ The Jordanaires (1:08.58), JoAnne Steele(1:11.39) and
Don Gibson (1:15.34) all w/ Dale Sellars, Gimble and DJ. Fontanna.

Finally, Marty w/ Bill Johnson on his Emmons through a Leslie (1:17.54).

JoAnne Steele w/ Big Ben Keith: stl gtr

[Steve Hinson]

Hey Bob!

That's Big Ben and indeed the"Harvest"S`10 Emmons,all right...

He's playing with Pete Drake's"Mavericks"band...Pete must have got a session and got BBK to sit in for him-Pete loved Ben and used to tell stories about Ben and Odell Martin back when they worked with Faron Young...a wild bunch, to say the least!

The other"Mavericks"were Jack Drake(bass)and Billy Ray Reynolds(acoustic gtr)...not sure on piano but quite possibly Bunky Keels...I've been a lucky boy, getting to know and work with many of the cats of that era!

[robert kramer]

Hey Steve, More on BBK & Pete Drake. There's a YouTube, I couldn't find, of Faron Young on "Nashville Now" talking about when Big Ben Keith and Dewey Martin were on the "Country Deputies" band at the same time. Here is a clip on Waylon and Neil Young on "Nashville Now" with BBK and his Emmons S-10. Also posting a still from the same broadcast of our old compadre, Rufus Thibodeaux, who crossed paths w/ Ben Keith on the Neil Young band. Rufas had some funny, funny stories from that run.

"Are You Ready For the Country" Waylon Jennings and Neil Young
Rufus Thibodeaux @ 7:47 Ben Keith @ 8:12
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq7q6dPB0u4

BBK and RT 2.jpg

Here are the credits for "From Nashville With Music." Pete Drake was the "Musical Coordinator." It looks like they renamed Pete Drake's "Mavericks," "The US Males," for the TV show. I was thinking Bunky, too, but it's Terry Dale. I looked him up. He was from Azle, Texas, and worked with Faron, Barbara Mandrell, Hank Williams Jr., Gary Morris, and certainly others. Sounds like there was a Leslie at Pete's Place.

Credts 2.jpg

Indeed, The best part of the entertainment business for me is hanging and sometimes working with the musicians and stars of this era hearing, their stories and watching them work and seeing how it's done. To quote Pee Wee Rodgers (and this certainly applies to me, too) "I'm not very good, I just like to hang around Show Folk."