View Full Version : Hoss before he was whooped
Scotti Adams
Feb-19-2009, 9:48am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfPN1nDsyog&feature=PlayList&p=CAA4EFC12889EDC1&playnext=1&index=27
Could it be?
mandopete
Feb-19-2009, 9:51am
Wow, they all look soooo different - I barely recognized Sam.
Chuck Naill
Feb-19-2009, 10:07am
Well it was before Tony got Clarence's D-28. I miss Tony's voice.
The F5 was a little bright, I liked it. If it was Hoss that would have made it about 34 years old, right?
45ACP-GDLF5
Feb-19-2009, 10:20am
This mandolin is not Sam's 1937 Gibson F5 "Hoss"-- Sam bought "Hoss" from Tut Taylor in January 1973. This footage is from Sept. 1971
Jonathan James
Feb-19-2009, 10:30am
Good catch on the date!
And, Norman Blake and John Hartford tried to scratch the thick finish off Hoss by hand before Tut got ahold of it, I believe.
45ACP-GDLF5
Feb-19-2009, 10:42am
Good catch on the date!
And, Norman Blake and John Hartford tried to scratch the thick finish off Hoss by hand before Tut got ahold of it, I believe.
True. Norman would sand the top here and there, until he finally gave it to Randy Wood. In Sam's 2002 Instructional dvd, he goes into detail about Hoss' background and all the work that's been done to it over the years. :mandosmiley:
Ken Olmstead
Feb-19-2009, 11:26am
Seems incredible that the was another "Hoss" in Sam's hands. I mean it is not like those things are everywhere. Is it possible that this is the mandolin he eventually bought? Inquiring minds want to know! :)
The video is top flight! The guy also has the most amazing bluegrass playlist on youtube! Spend some time on his channel...golden!
TonyP
Feb-19-2009, 11:52am
the other things that struck me was notice Sam's not planting his pinky? And he sings totally different now...
Michael Ramsey
Feb-19-2009, 12:15pm
the other things that struck me was notice Sam's not planting his pinky? And he sings totally different now...
This was prior to Sam breaking his right wrist. I don't know exactly when that happened, but Herb Lambert (search HIM here or on YouTube) told me he remembers Sam breaking that wrist, not too long before a gig. So, Sam's arm was in a cast and he had to chop mandolin with a cast and developed the powerful chop he is known for today.
To quote Paul Harvey, "now, you know the rest of the story."
Seems like I remember it from an article that Sam had a car door slammed on his hand. Anyone else remember that?
first string
Feb-19-2009, 3:00pm
Seems like I remember it from an article that Sam had a car door slammed on his hand. Anyone else remember that?
That's what I heard too.
Denny Gies
Feb-19-2009, 3:08pm
I think this video is from a longer tape of a festival or two that was put out a few years ago. If it is the one I'm thinking of there is great footage of the original Country Gentlemen, the Osborne Brothers, Earl Scruggs, the Japanese group Train 45 or 45 Special or something like that. Anyway, the entire video is great; even includes footage of campground pickin'.
barry k
Feb-19-2009, 3:18pm
Randy told me that a lot of wood came out of that mandolin, claimed it was quiet before the regrad.
EggerRidgeBoy
Feb-19-2009, 3:35pm
I think this video is from a longer tape of a festival or two that was put out a few years ago. If it is the one I'm thinking of there is great footage of the original Country Gentlemen, the Osborne Brothers, Earl Scruggs, the Japanese group Train 45 or 45 Special or something like that. Anyway, the entire video is great; even includes footage of campground pickin'.
That is the DVD "Bluegrass Country Soul" (http://www.amazon.com/Bluegrass-Country-Soul-Various-Artists/dp/B000GDI2KG/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1235075887&sr=1-5)
june39
Feb-19-2009, 3:43pm
Sam was playing my 39 F5 for that set in Bluegrass Country Soul which may explain why it sounds a little bright. He didn't pick up Hoss until a bit later.
Doug McCash
woodwizard
Feb-19-2009, 4:31pm
I love these kinds of threads about our heroes and their axes. This is great. I am 11 days older than Sam so in '71 I think my hair was hanging down pretty long back then too.
Bluegrass Boy
Feb-19-2009, 5:12pm
I believe Sam broke his wrist around "94 or thereabouts. I remember Tom Rozum telling the story about how they both had theirs wrists in a cast at about the same time. He said he heard that Sam would do picking exercises to keep his chops up. Tom said he did finger excercises too....with the TV remote. Some of us are just more motivated than others.
The Japanese band was Bluegrass 45 from Kobe. Featured Akira 'John' Otsuka on mandolin, his brother 'Josh' on guitar and varying others. Innovative, out of the box band - they did everything from hoedowns to jazz (Take 5) to Neil Diamond songs. Excellent musicians, superlative singers. Akira and John Duffey were friends, and he has Duffey's old pre-war F-12.
I believe Sam broke his wrist around "94 or thereabouts. I remember Tom Rozum telling the story about how they both had theirs wrists in a cast at about the same time. He said he heard that Sam would do picking exercises to keep his chops up. Tom said he did finger excercises too....with the TV remote. Some of us are just more motivated than others.
From what I remember it was much earlier than '94 that Sam slammed his fingers in a car door and had to finish his tour with a different grip on his right hand. He said it was then he changed his right hand style. I think the broken wrist must have come much later. This is just my recollection mind you. I don't think the car door mishap required a cast but he had to reposition his right hand to finish the tour and it changed his playing from then on. I could be wrong but I swear I remember reading that somewhwere years ago.
RichieK
Feb-19-2009, 7:39pm
I remember that configuration of the Bluegrass Alliance doing the very popular , at that time, 'Fox on the Run', with Tony and Sam singing...Hard to imagine today.
And please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that Akira can play the same mandolin right handed and turn it up side down and play it lefty too! Amazing.
f5loar
Feb-19-2009, 8:26pm
Now I stand to be corrected but I'm pretty sure that Sam and Tony did not do the Fox in the BA. It was the next line up of BA with Garland Shuping on banjo that first came out with the Fox on the Run with a different version then the Cliff Walldon or Country Gentlemen version.
They quick released a 45 to get it out to radion stations before the Gentlemen's version came out on the LP.
Speaking of BA there is a reunion coming up March 20 in Louisville, KY. The Bluegrass Hotel festival's main feature is a confirmed concert performance by Sam Bush, Curtis Burch, John Cowan, J.D. Crowe, Tony Rice & Dan Crary w/ Special Guest star appearances. This special concert is a ticketed event. Some big headliners and
The concert will also feature performances by other original members of the New Grass Revival & The Bluegrass Alliance, including Danny Jones, Buddy Spurlock, Tony Williamson, Jack Lawrence, Al White, Harry Bickel, Steve Cooley, Glenn Lawson, Marshall Billingsley, Chuck Nation, Bob Briedenbach, Thayne Bradford, Danny Wiley, Keith & Darrell Sanson, Bill Millet, John Jump, Robert Pool, Marty Townsend, Dennis White, and others. Opening set by the Buzzard Rock String Band featuring Harry Bickel, Harry Sparks, Doc Hamilton & George Gruhn.
MnRoss
Feb-19-2009, 8:40pm
The video is called Bluegrass Country and Soul. It was made by I believe by Carlton Haney in the 80's useing old film footage from some of his early festivals. It's a great video and there is a version floating around that has a fun interview of Carlton and Jimmy Martin at IBMA as a trailer. I believe Carlton was related to Bill Monroe in some way thru marriage and he started the 1st real Bluegrass festival in 1965 at Fincastle Va. It's a fun video and shows some great bands having fun in the day.. Osborn Bros with drums and electric bass..
RichieK
Feb-19-2009, 9:42pm
Tom,
They sure did it..I've got a cassette with them doing it live along with 'One Tin Soldier' and all of the others that they used to play. Pretty sure it was with Ebo, Lonnie and Courtney.
Might be from Bean Blossom, and it says '1971' on it..Now I've got to go to the basement and find all of those cassettes!
Richie
MikeEdgerton
Feb-19-2009, 9:47pm
Hoss with a Florida. Wow.
pickinNgrinnin
Feb-19-2009, 9:57pm
One Tin Soldier conjures up the 70's movie Billy Jack!
RichieK
Feb-19-2009, 10:00pm
Tom,
When did Sam stop playing the converted A model? Wasn't he still playing that until he got 'Hoss' around 1973? (That's when Tut and Randy Wood told me he got 'Hoss'.) Doyle was playing an A then too.
And too bad about Garland Shuping..very nice guy to a bunch of us kids when he was in BA and then Jim and Jessie. I understand that he made some F-5's too.
Eric Hanson
Feb-19-2009, 10:14pm
Seems like I remember it from an article that Sam had a car door slammed on his hand. Anyone else remember that?
I talked with Rhonda Vincent after a show about technique. She said that King Sammy had it broken in the back door of a giggin' van by Bela. Shortly before a show. Ouch!!
If this is urban legend please correct me.
Phillip Tigue
Feb-20-2009, 12:00am
Speaking of Sam and New Grass history...I saw somewhere (I think in the youtube comments from that video) something about Harry Shelor being in jail? Anyone know?
f5loar
Feb-20-2009, 2:57am
I'd sure like to know for sure it it was with Sam and Tony doing Fox. Tony was in a group with me and Garland Shuping before BA so maybe that's possible. But I am sure it was the Garland BA that cut the 45 of Fox. Sam hung out in Raleigh in those days and did have the CEWard A5 conversion from an A50. He only borrowed the F5 for that show in Camp Springs. He was all the time borrowing mandolins.