"Maggie May" and our new mandolin

[Gail Hester]

We loved Bill Graham’s recent article, “The Man With The World's Most-Heard Mandolin Solo.”

The article is here: http://www.mandolincafe.com/news/pub...ns_00938.shtml

My husband was fascinated to learn about the Columbus acoustic-electric mandolin that Ray Jackson played on the original recording of “Maggie May”. When this mandolin, which appears to be identical, became available we bought it for the nostalgia, curiosity and an appreciation of its place in history. It also looks pretty cool.

It is playable but needs a little work and is missing the headstock screw-on name plate. Has anyone else ever come across one of these?

[mandolooter]

No, but way cool!

[MikeEdgerton]

They were imported under a dozen or so brand names that I've seen (thus the screw on nameplate). The body shape is copied from a Kay design. Hans Brentrup bought one of the Kays a while back.

[squirrelabama]

"Every picture tells a story... don't it?......" How's it sound plugged in? Does it nail the Maggie May tone??

[MikeEdgerton]

Here's a Silvertone branded Kay. For some reason in the 60's somebody duplicated this Kay model and the Harmony Batwing model in Japan.

[Elliot Luber]

Judging superficially by the black around the pots, I doubt it's THE original, but it's cool nonetheless (I want one!) Hey, can you post your best Ray immitation? I'd love to hear it.

[Gail Hester]

I had a chance to hear a little “Maggie May” played on it last night and even with rusty strings it sounded a lot like the recording. According to the article it was recorded acoustically using a couple AKG mikes and then double tracked several times. It definitely has that jangly sound reminiscent of a
60s Rickenbacker 12-string.

We have not had a chance to record it or plug it in since I removed the strings so that I can level the fretboard and install new frets… when I get some free time.

I believe that Ray Jackson still has the original mandolin that he used on the recording.

[woodwizard]

That is too cool.

[lmartnla]

Is that him playing mandolin in this Maggie May video on YouTube? It looks like a bowl back. Or is it pick-synched?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xikQ0...eature=related

[Bill Snyder]

Well, that whole video is synced.

[PseudoCelt]

Is that him playing mandolin in this Maggie May video on YouTube? It looks like a bowl back. Or is it pick-synched?

The mandolin "player" in the video is the late John Peel, legendary British radio DJ and friend of Rod Stewart & The Faces. I heard somewhere that the cameramen were told not to film him (possibly because he wasn't a member of the right union?), which is why Rod Stewart spends quite a bit of time standing behind/next to him.

Patrick

[Elliot Luber]

They did a real poor job of faking the playing. Ron Wood misses his first solo almost entirely, and he stops faking the second break mid-solo to gesture for the mandolin playeer to turn around and face the camera, then you can see that they mando guy isn't even moving his right hand through most of the solo. Not the boys' best performance by far. Even lost the soccer ball. If they tried this today, they'd have a Milli Vanilli incident for sure. I guess it's still a great song and THE quintessential rock mando solo.

[PhilTod]

I still remember what I was doing when Maggy May came out! (Yeah i'm old.) In high school I won this album in some kind of "good guy of the week" promotion. Back then, I thought the mandolin was some wierd, funky looking little instrument that nobody but by friend's strange dad played. Sure glad I grew up to see how wrong I was!

[MikeEdgerton]

This is for Gail or anyone else that has one of these. I just won an auction for one of these (with different branding) and I'm not sure if it has the pots or not. Has anyone got one they can look inside and get a quick wiring diagram and the values on the pots for me? I can figure it out but it would be nice to know what was there originally. Thanks.

[Dray]

I have a 1960's Crestwood electric that looks a lot like your Columbus in the photo. I love playing it!

Dray
Pike County Breakdown via Nashville

[MikeEdgerton]

Cafe member mrmando has a wonderful site called www.emando.com that has a section titled Builders. Look under Inactive Builders, search for Crestwood, Columbus, Dixon, etc. and you'll see these were all built in the same factory but branded differently. Mine has arrived minus the pots and knobs as I suspected. I've ordered parts for it from Stewmac and we'll see how it comes out. The bright shining light is that it came in a 30's or earlier vintage hard case. I need to get pictures of it up.

[Gail Hester]

Mike, I hope you were able to get the information you need. Mine is burried in storage and I have not had a chance to get it.

[Fretbear]

The non-credit that Ray got on that hugely successful album was pretty sad considering how much he contributed to it's charm.

"The mandolin was played by the mandolin player from "Lindesfarne" whose name escapes me....."

[billkilpatrick]

I had a chance to hear a little “Maggie May” played on it last night and even with rusty strings it sounded a lot like the recording. According to the article it was recorded acoustically using a couple AKG mikes and then double tracked several times. It definitely has that jangly sound reminiscent of a
60s Rickenbacker 12-string.

I believe that Ray Jackson still has the original mandolin that he used on the recording.

in the bbc interview, jackson plays the mandolin - a historical performance, to be sure - and says (in the article) that his original track was recorded as you describe. he also says he hasn't been able to duplicate that sound since.

just in case ... - here's the interview:

[Shelagh Moore]

My partner has an identical Columbus to Ray Jackson's in playable condition which we will probably put up on the Mandolin Cafe classified in the near future.

[journeybear]

The non-credit that Ray got on that hugely successful album was pretty sad considering how much he contributed to it's charm.

"The mandolin was played by the mandolin player from "Lindesfarne" whose name escapes me....."

In this recent thread I reached the conclusion that Ray may have actually gained from this - though it doubtlessly chaffed him at the time and for much longer - as this is (by my reckoning) one of the best-known gaffes in liner-note history - there surely is such a thing ...

+ x + x + x + x + x + x + x + x + x + x + x + x + x +

The following are from an old thread, and hopefully the posters have seen the errors of their ways, so apologies to them ... but for those wandering in to this resurrected thread, I would like to point out one or two things ..

They did a real poor job of faking the playing. Ron Wood misses his first solo almost entirely, and he stops faking the second break mid-solo to gesture for the mandolin playeer to turn around and face the camera, then you can see that they mando guy isn't even moving his right hand through most of the solo. Not the boys' best performance by far. Even lost the soccer ball. If they tried this today, they'd have a Milli Vanilli incident for sure. I guess it's still a great song and THE quintessential rock mando solo.

It's pretty obvious they were faking it. No real attempt to play the song was made. They were poking fun at the then-common practice of lip-synching to a recording. I mean, really - where are the mikes? Where are the amps and guitar cords? And who are these guys? Those are his Faces buddies, who didn't play on the recording (except Ron Wood), and Rod did them a favor getting them on the telly as his star was rising and theirs had faded.

The mandolin "player" in the video is the late John Peel, legendary British radio DJ and friend of Rod Stewart & The Faces. I heard somewhere that the cameramen were told not to film him (possibly because he wasn't a member of the right union?), which is why Rod Stewart spends quite a bit of time standing behind/next to him.

Eh? His face is quite visible quite often. This looks more like an in-joke, or repayment of a favor to me. I've seen some of these old British music shows, and it's not unusual for the hosts to get on screen during performances.

[MikeEdgerton]

Mike, I hope you were able to get the information you need. Mine is burried in storage and I have not had a chance to get it.

I got it, I found a friend that had one. I should be good to go.

[Stephen Lind]

They did a real poor job of faking the playing. Ron Wood misses his first solo almost entirely, and he stops faking the second break mid-solo to gesture for the mandolin playeer to turn around and face the camera, then you can see that they mando guy isn't even moving his right hand through most of the solo. Not the boys' best performance by far. Even lost the soccer ball. If they tried this today, they'd have a Milli Vanilli incident for sure. I guess it's still a great song and THE quintessential rock mando solo.

the Faces did not take themselves too seriously in those days
they were to busy having fun
hence the wet bar that accompanied them on stage during their actual live performances
which, by the by, were stellar

[mrmando]

hence the wet bar that accompanied them on stage during their actual live performances
which, by the by, were stellar

The performances or the drinks?

[Dray]

My 1960's Crestwood mandolin