Zac, you’re killin’ it with these episodes! Last week with Don Rich and now with Roy Nichols. Two of my biggest influences for country guitar. (I was a rock and blues player before I got into country.) Listening to Roy and Don, as well as James Burton, got me started off right with country. I was always way more into the Bakersfield stuff than the Nashville stuff, even when I lived in Nashville! Interesting fact: in about 1973 I heard an all-women country band called Helen Long and The Long Shots, whose lead guitarist was named Marcia Nichols. So I asked her if she was related to Roy, and it turned out she was his ex-wife! She was a good player too.
Cool video! The studio version of "Mama Tried" actually had THREE of the most influential country guitar pickers on it! James Burton picking the intro, Roy Nichols on lead guitar, and Glen Campbell on rhythm guitar and backing vocals!
This is Jack Bond….For Roy B. fans, at Roy’s request, I wrote the title cut on his album THAT’S WHAT I AM HERE FOR… the original 2nd verse, which they altered for some reason, was “I’m tryin’ so hard to tell you, but I just can’t move my lips; the words roll right on past my tongue, on down to my finger tips” Roy bluesed it up, but gave me full credit, which was incredibly generous! He was the best!
Waylon was the reason I discovered the Telecaster, but Roy made me go to the store and buy my first. The swinging scale runs, and pre-bends had me hooked immediately.
another .02...first time I saw Merle was at a State Fair in 1983. Roy played the whole show on a black Les Paul Custom and his playing was off-the-charts great. Every solo was perfect.
I was fortunate enough to get to visit with Mr. Nicholas when Merle passed through our town. What a nice guy. Sorry he left us so soon, but he paid his dues many times over.
I'm 2 years late but I still enjoyed this. Since I was 4-5 years old I dreamed of being Luther Perkins, Don Rich or Roy Nichols so those guys have been on my short list of heroes for 50 years. Thanks for the show.
Roy Nichols was the absolute man. Ronnie Van Zant would agree. Merle is like the Ozzy of country music in the sense that he got the absolute pick of the litter with having a GREAT lineage of guitar players. Roy, Redd, Reggie Young, James Burton?! SMOKIN'!
Apart from the laughing after Buchanan's solo @ around 1.02 in Nichols sneaks behind Haggard and turns Buchanan's amp down!! Buchanan is truly embarrassed!! www.youtube.com/watch?v=h Shm4o7kkNk
Always fantastic content Zac! That opening lick and solo on Mama Tried is what got me into country music. Cool to learn the back story, with both Roy and James.
WELL, I had the Honor of being My Hero's personal Roadie in 1974 On Oahu at Pearl Harbor N C O Club , If ya want the whole story ask me , I got to carry Roy's amp and Guitar into the gig and set it on stage and then Tune His lovely Las Paul with a strobe tuner ..He just trusted me . I was 24 yrs old.. As sad as I was that wasn't playing his Tele { That's what I had } he kicked Holy Butt on that Guitar , Norm Hamlet and Tiny Moore were in the Band then and they play the most Hair Raising triple Harmonies I ever heard . Then or Now .. There's more .. John Driver , Austin Tx.
I've been a big fan of the Maddox Brothers & Rose for a long time, and of course The Strangers. I listened to a couple of the Wynn Stewart tracks from about 1962 and he's already playing in his recognizable Tele style, I need to track down some recordings from the 50s to see how his style evolved from the playful jazzy boogie style of 1949 and '50 into the 60s style. Both are great but so different.
I found a series of interviews on TH-cam that Johnny Paycheck did with Eddie Stubbs at WSM. Wynn had the Nashville Nevada club in Las Vegas. He hired paycheck to come in and play steel with the house band. He co-wrote Apartment number nine with the bass player Bobby Austin. Bobby left when Ken Nelson recruited him to Capitol. Haggard took over the bass spot, then eventually took over the band, with Roy, when he got his Capitol deal. Not long after that paycheck ended up back in Ohio and convinced George Jones to hire him, but that’s another story.
Super informative, entertaining, and inspirational. Can you please do a video about the telecaster custom deluxe ( HH , with 70s headstock)? And who used them etc.? Thanks Zac , more power to you
Awesome video! You know more about Roy than I do. Mama Tried was one of the first country guitar solos that I learned when I was 17. I would also like to say that a really good album to listen to before Roy switched to the Telecaster was Country Music Hootenanny, which can be found on TH-cam. That album was live recording recorded in Bakersfield in 1963. I believe Roy played either a Gibson or an Epiphone on that record. He played in The Trading Post Band, which was the house band for that show. Here is link for that album th-cam.com/video/-GVDnyi5ISo/w-d-xo.html
Another great video, thanks! Got to see Roy with The Hag back in the 70’s when he was touring with some members of the original Texas Playboys , Eldon Shamblin playing an old gold Strat with some sort of plastic cover on the back, Tiny Moore on an old electric mandolin etc. It was a real eye opener and something I’ll always remember.
Thanks for the video. Very informative! I am going to offer a very unpopular opinion: I prefer Roy on the Les Paul and the Peavy T60 over the Tele. (Don't throw stones). I own and enjoy several Telecasters myself. I just enjoy hearing guitars other than Tele's in Country!
Question…. I was talking with Frank Mull… I ask him who played lead guitar on the studio recording of the fighting side of me.. he said he wasn’t sure … He wasn’t around back then.. but he also said that Roy played 99% on everything that was recorded in California… But for some reason, he thought James might’ve played on the flight inside of me… anyway, he was going to ask James ..Which he was in the hospital at the time. This has been about probably, probably last year. Anyway, I never did get A definite answer!!!
I would go with my dad to Ray Hennig's HOT music in Waco,& all I rmbr was Black Diamond strings being offered.I think they sold them at Montgomery Wards as well.This would've been in the late 60's,early 70's.
Been trying to verify that Roy was the lead solo guitar on "What am I Gonna Do (With the Rest of My Life) on Merle's 1983 album "That's the Way Love Goes". I hear some live versions that are close but that studio recording is one of my favorite guitar solos of any genre! Thanks!
Really enjoyed this, I’m a big fan of Roy Nichols and his playing style. I would love to know why he ditched the 65 maple cap tele as I have one myself with the spaghetti logo. Thank you
The way Roy Nichols' flat picking 1/2 step swings is nothing short of amazing. I often wondered where John Jorgenson may have been influenced somewhat....I think I've figured it out. Great show Zak. Keep up the good work!
Always loved his solo on: “Every Fool Has a Rainbow” check out the live versions too! And I’m surprised Honky Tonk Nightime Man wasn’t mentioned. Probably on Spotify list.
This has to be my favourite Ask Zac episode to date. I love Roy Nichols. We have all stolen so much from Roy’s technique especially the that 7th note and the half bend which I use a lot of myself. I love your album collection too! I also love that solo on Merle’s recording of Honky Tonk Night Time Man. So much historical facts on this episode. Great job sir!!!
Sorry I messed up there. Hit the go button by accident. I was saying "there side of how they got to their impact of original playing we love." Could you also do one on Jimmy Olander of Dismond Rio. Another great Tele player.
Zac, I always heard that James Burton played the dobro lick as you stated At the beginning of Mama Tried, but recently on a Country Reunion tribute to Merle Haggard, his son's claimed that Glenn Campbell played the dobro part on the recording, have you ever heard that?
Wish I could give 30 thumbs up! Lol bless you my fellow Texan, again for an insightful, beautiful show. Nichols and Django are my two faves, so thank you so much for this wonderful show. The Live From Muskogee album changed my life!! Bless you, Zac!
Another great and informative show. I was raised on the Merle Haggard/Roy Nichols sound. Definitely influenced my playing over the years. Good stuff Zac!!
Roy had great tone. He knew how to roll of the tone knob to get to the sweet spot. I learned that from Vince. Vince said he learned it from Roy. It really cool how things get passed down from our predecessors.
Zac, listen to this recording of Roy's brother, Gene talking about his brother and a lot of Roy's history! th-cam.com/video/ftDyhr1alhM/w-d-xo.html You mentioned about his Dad playing bass! Apparently, their father was quite the musician and played several instruments! Also, I wasn't aware of him playing for Johnny Cash especially on the song, "Tennessee Flat top box"! I met Roy and the boys one time in, of course, Fresno, California at "Trac Records". I knew the owner/engineer there pretty good so I visited him there quite often. That day I walked in and Stan, was in the control room so I went in and looked out the window into the studio and saw a bunch of guys in there. One sitting at the piano, another in the drum booth, and of course the steel guitar player sitting at his guitar, but I had to almost stand on my tip-toes to look, but the rest of them were laying on the floor with their guitars strapped on their bellies and chests.... playing! I must have looked bewildered, when I asked Stan who they were, not thinking that any professional guitar players who laid on the floor to play weren't very professional-like... he laughed at me, and said, "Those are the strangers! Who?" I said, "That's Merle Haggard's band!" I think he was more bewildered that I didn't know who they were! But, in this little gem of Gene Nichols above, he mentions about them laying around on the floor to play! Btw, I went to a Merle Concert in San Jose, California about 20 or so years later at a large club there. My wife at the time and I got there a little early and when we went to sit down at our table, I looked over at the stage and there was Roy and Norm setting up their equipment so I walked up to the railing on the stage and said "Hey!" Roy looked over at me and said "Hey Bob, where the h__l you been keeping yourself?" I was just a snot nosed kid that first time, and he still remembered me even though we hadn't seen each other since that first time!
Man, your attention to detail and nuance is so great! on that eighth note run it starts on a C# not a C - totally changes the mood of the line! Love your videos
Perhaps my all time favorite (out of many favorite) episodes you've done, Zac. Thanks for all the biographical background, the playing tips, and the record recommendations. My education happily continues thanks to you.
I couldn't agree more. I always look forward to Zac's show. Very informative viewing and Zac's genuine personality and his love for guitarists and guitars/gear really adds up to making these episodes real gems.
Nice one Zac. The first time I heard “Mama Tried” was on a live album back in 1971. But it was a Grateful Dead live album! Now I’m looking for a Merle Haggard live album to hear the original. Ain’t life strange?
Those live albums you held up were my first albums I paid for. They are in my blood. Roy was one of a kind, he and Bonnie solidified the sound of Merle Haggard. Between Merles life experiences and his incredible gifts..there will never be another. To me he is the best there ever was or will be. Thanks for recognizing Roy, I much appreciate it.
Hi Zac, the okie from Muskogee live album, is it Roy on Workin Man Blues ? The lead solo sounds more like James, the studio recording which I understood James Burton did. I’m confused I guess. Lol. I just learned the face melting solo Roy is seen playing on Austin city limits from anyone can play guitar video. th-cam.com/video/w0Uu9c8WHDU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=W0fXGNCeMQ3Hx3WX great lesson from this fellow
In that Live from Austin..does he have Boss SD-1 and DS-1? I see yellow and orange pedals on the floor..they would have been brand new at the time for '78!
WoW.... what great picking. Thank you for showing how to play that distinct legendary intro for "Mama Tried". I've been a fan of Merle Haggard since '67. I am so fortunate and lucky to have seen him "Live On Stage" four times. Never got to meet Roy Nichols, but met and talked to Merle and Bonnie. What a sweet and gracious lady Miss Bonnie was. I was, and still am a huge fan of The Hag, Bonnie Owens, and Roy Nichols nearly sixty years after hearing "I'm A Lonesome Fugitive" playing on the radio in '66 & '67. Most certainly enjoyed the video, and am a fan of yours too, Zac! 👋🤠Howdy from Tom in 🇨🇱 Texas 🇨🇱
I got to meet Redd through Don Crum in Murfreesboro back in 2000 at a Catfish King.He let Don and I sit in with his band for a couple. Met he and his wife there-Super Nice people. He had the coolest sticker on his old pickup."Guitarded" w/the Handicap logo.
Zac I just want to say thank you so much for these history lessons! I moved to Texas from the UK 6 years ago and fell in love with country but because I found it late in my life there are huge gaps in my country history knowledge! You sir are doing a great job of helping fill that knowledge! Super awkward when teaching when someone asks about Merle and I’m like ‘sure, I’ve heard of Merle travis’
You are exactly right that Roy used different strings. Had the chance to pick up Roy's guitar at Beckly WV back in 1976 (with His permission of course) and the strings felt like a heavy gauge, either a medium or heavy because I asked him how he bent strings that heavy of course his reply was "hey if you had hands as big as mine you could bend a bass string" unquote, By the way you have got the mama tried lick down better than anyone Ive heard. The break does involve a little open skipping which most guitarist do not do ...Stay pickin!!!!!
Back in 70’ my last year in the Air Force I was stationed at Takhli Thailand. They had a music hobby shop where you could listen to records and record to cassettes that were fairly new then. My dad liked country western music and had several Jimmy Rogers records on the Blue bird label ( 78’s). Any way I saw Merle Haggard Live in Philadelphia album and recorded that and sent home to dad. I really liked that record and after I discharged in Jan 71’ I bought that record and later on when the tribute to Bob Wills came out I bought that too. Both great albums. I’m going to try and find the Okie from Muskogee album on vinyl. I’ve been a Merle fan since 70’. About 25-30 years ago Merle came to our little county fair in Susanville. Unfortunately he was drunk or on drugs and while the band was great Merle not so much although he did give a great effort. He was upset the audience in the stands didn’t give a big applause and said basically no encore for you and hoped the second show was a better audience. He has a song where he says he kicks out the stage foot lights… Thanks for the video.
I always wondered why the lived versions of Working Man Blues had so more more subtleness. I knew Burton played on many earlier Haggard records. I also knew the great Ray Flacke played on I think I'll Just Sit Here & Drink. I love your videos, because I love all things Tele. I get annoyed when great guitarists get endorsements and start playing other guitars. They just aren't close to the Tele. For example, Albert Lee's sound has so much going on that when he switched to the Ernie Ball guitar, he lost a lot of the balls from his sound.
Nice work Zac ! I have a habit of hopping in with a comment to something before the vid is over. Not now. I recall a GP magazine that featured Roy in the early '70s. Was he holding a Tele ? Nope. It was Merle's acoustic, i believe a Martin with a pickup and Merle's name inlaid into the fingerboard. I haven't thought of this in years. Always like Merle's work but don't have anything. I need to fix that. Thanx for the trip down memory lane :)
There's no doubt that Merle's ' Recorded Live ' is a gem. I bought that sealed about 40 yrs ago and had forgotten about it until I got a HiFi tube amp a few years ago and it just kinda fell out of a stack of records. It's one of those ' open the windows and make the neighbors hear it ' albums. Truly an intricate audio experience in country and live... if you've got a good ear 😄
Roy first played a stratocaster when the first came out..especially on the tv cousin herb trading post. To this day...still the best sounding strat I've ever heard. Roy was all over the neck and had that 'woody' sound as i recall...He never played a 'klunker'..which is amazing considering that he played 5 nights a week...for several years...
Merle also used to play the rainbow ballroom on the old 99 highway in Fresno. There he met and played with my uncle Art Craig one of the best guitar players to come out of the central valley . I was privileged to meet quite a few artists of the likes of Dottie West , Charley Pride along with the Hag and many others. We used to have a yearly dance at my uncles where a lot of the best of the best played. At a benefit we had for my uncle before he past we all got our chance to play for him, the best of the country world was there including Red Volkaert . I enjoyed your history lesson but I actually lived it
It was my understanding that James Burton played the "Mama Tried" parts originally. My friend Jody Payne was in LA playing rhythm guitar on some of those sessions, and that was his take. (He also played in Merles band for about six months until he was fired for smoking weed)
Hello Zac , all these guy's you are talking about are new to me , did one off them ever makes it big outside the US ? Maybe the country fan's out here know about these guy's , but country wise my journey/knowlegde doesn;t go any futher then the german schlager music my parents liked .
I had the honor of seeing Hag nine or ten times. I was more honored to get to talk to Mr Roy Nichols for about an hour in Chicago IL, March 1973. Roy told me the same thing, don't be afraid to roll the tone back for more sustain on the bridge pickup. Good job. Roy and Don Rich both went to Gibson because Fender wanted their guitars back to test the ware every five years and neither wanted to give up the Teles. Per Don Rich. Good job Zac.
Very interesting and informative, Always good to have some musical history to see how some of the great players evolve.love the channel and really enjoy what your doing.lm amazed Roy used a wound third string but growing up in England watching Eric Clapton and Peter Green l shouldn't be surprised .Peter Green used a wound third string and used Clifford Essex strings in the Blues Breakers.
How much Bakersfield Tele sound comes from West Coast steel players or did West Coast steel players take their sound from the Tele players? I think the reason I like players like Brumley and Mooney is they sound like Tele players.
I'm a little behind on catching this video Zac.... but I had to say completely awesome! I think any guy that's ever picked up a Tele and tried to play some serious country has done his best to mimic Roy's signature licks, yours truly included. The body of music that he played on is the soundtrack of my youth, and still my favorite era of country music by far. I also have to say Redd Volkaert is such a great entertainer in his own right, not only one of the best players ever, but I can listen to him tell stories and crack those insider guitar player jokes all night long, my favorite video you've done so far without a doubt!
I never realized til a couple years back, that Nichols was such a small man- not that it matters, one bit! Just interesting what you learn from TH-cam videos lol
Great episode. Roy is one of my favorite tele players. I’ve always loved his jazz-influenced lines. One of my favorite ones is on the live from Philadelphia album during the band intro leading into stealin corn. Makes me grin every time I hear it!
Great show!! The guitar sound greater!
A compliment from Redd, you made my month.
Nothing gets past you, Redd.
Hi Redd, are you the same picker from the band Prairie Fire up here in Alberta, Canada?
Zac, you’re killin’ it with these episodes! Last week with Don Rich and now with Roy Nichols. Two of my biggest influences for country guitar. (I was a rock and blues player before I got into country.) Listening to Roy and Don, as well as James Burton, got me started off right with country. I was always way more into the Bakersfield stuff than the Nashville stuff, even when I lived in Nashville! Interesting fact: in about 1973 I heard an all-women country band called Helen Long and The Long Shots, whose lead guitarist was named Marcia Nichols. So I asked her if she was related to Roy, and it turned out she was his ex-wife! She was a good player too.
I love these deep dive history videos....big surprise huh? :)
Thanks, Keith. And I love every episode you release!
Cool video! The studio version of "Mama Tried" actually had THREE of the most influential country guitar pickers on it! James Burton picking the intro, Roy Nichols on lead guitar, and Glen Campbell on rhythm guitar and backing vocals!
YES
How about 2 hours with GE Smith in his home basement, have him show off his collection of amps and guitars
I’ll second that.
Oooooh....
I vote for G E Smith also.
I
Yep, I’d watch that. Really dig G.E.
Roy Buchanan always cited Roy Nichols as a big influence on his playing 👍👍
Next episode.......
@@AskZac Should be a good one! Roy B. was always an ol' country boy at heart, I think. Crank the Vibrolux, lol !
Blues for Roy was, I believe written by Roy B as a tribute to Roy Nicole's
This is Jack Bond….For Roy B. fans, at Roy’s request, I wrote the title cut on his album THAT’S WHAT I AM HERE FOR… the original 2nd verse, which they altered for some reason, was “I’m tryin’ so hard to tell you, but I just can’t move my lips; the words roll right on past my tongue, on down to my finger tips” Roy bluesed it up, but gave me full credit, which was incredibly generous! He was the best!
Waylon was the reason I discovered the Telecaster, but Roy made me go to the store and buy my first. The swinging scale runs, and pre-bends had me hooked immediately.
another .02...first time I saw Merle was at a State Fair in 1983. Roy played the whole show on a black Les Paul Custom and his playing was off-the-charts great. Every solo was perfect.
Roy and Merle go together like Waylon and Mooney and Buck and Don. Meant to be.
This was awesome. Neat hearing all the info on how the men made the music. Love every minute of it. Thanks for posting.
I was fortunate enough to get to visit with Mr. Nicholas when Merle passed through our town. What a nice guy. Sorry he left us so soon, but he paid his dues many times over.
Thanks for putting these Spotify playlist together Zac! They are awesome!
Glad you like them!
I'm 2 years late but I still enjoyed this. Since I was 4-5 years old I dreamed of being Luther Perkins, Don Rich or Roy Nichols so those guys have been on my short list of heroes for 50 years. Thanks for the show.
I like that you show us some of the vinyl records in your collection.
Love that live Silver Wings version. Hear the crowd roar when he starts his solo!
Roy Nichols was the absolute man. Ronnie Van Zant would agree. Merle is like the Ozzy of country music in the sense that he got the absolute pick of the litter with having a GREAT lineage of guitar players. Roy, Redd, Reggie Young, James Burton?! SMOKIN'!
"Sounds like Roy" was Ronnie's homage to Roy Nichols on Skynyrds version of honky tonk night time man. Steve Gaines is another fantastic guitar player
Don't forget Reggie Young's playing on I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink and That's The Way Love Goes.
Some of his best!
Roy is the reason I started playing guitar - definitely my number one tele hero!
Hey Zac, you should do a video about Luther Perkins and Bob Wooton, they are the guitarists for the Tennessee two and Tennessee Three for Johnny Cash
They are on the list
Apart from the laughing after Buchanan's solo @ around 1.02 in Nichols sneaks behind Haggard and turns Buchanan's amp down!!
Buchanan is truly embarrassed!!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=h Shm4o7kkNk
Always fantastic content Zac! That opening lick and solo on Mama Tried is what got me into country music. Cool to learn the back story, with both Roy and James.
WELL, I had the Honor of being My Hero's personal Roadie in 1974 On Oahu at Pearl Harbor N C O Club , If ya want the whole story ask me , I got to carry Roy's amp and Guitar into the gig and set it on stage and then Tune His lovely Las Paul with a strobe tuner ..He just trusted me . I was 24 yrs old.. As sad as I was that wasn't playing his Tele { That's what I had } he kicked Holy Butt on that Guitar , Norm Hamlet and Tiny Moore were in the Band then and they play the most Hair Raising triple Harmonies I ever heard . Then or Now .. There's more .. John Driver , Austin Tx.
I want to hear the rest. zac (at) askzac.com
I've been a big fan of the Maddox Brothers & Rose for a long time, and of course The Strangers. I listened to a couple of the Wynn Stewart tracks from about 1962 and he's already playing in his recognizable Tele style, I need to track down some recordings from the 50s to see how his style evolved from the playful jazzy boogie style of 1949 and '50 into the 60s style. Both are great but so different.
I found a series of interviews on TH-cam that Johnny Paycheck did with Eddie Stubbs at WSM. Wynn had the Nashville Nevada club in Las Vegas. He hired paycheck to come in and play steel with the house band. He co-wrote Apartment number nine with the bass player Bobby Austin. Bobby left when Ken Nelson recruited him to Capitol. Haggard took over the bass spot, then eventually took over the band, with Roy, when he got his Capitol deal. Not long after that paycheck ended up back in Ohio and convinced George Jones to hire him, but that’s another story.
Super informative, entertaining, and inspirational.
Can you please do a video about the telecaster custom deluxe ( HH , with 70s headstock)? And who used them etc.?
Thanks Zac , more power to you
Awesome video! You know more about Roy than I do. Mama Tried was one of the first country guitar solos that I learned when I was 17. I would also like to say that a really good album to listen to before Roy switched to the Telecaster was Country Music Hootenanny, which can be found on TH-cam. That album was live recording recorded in Bakersfield in 1963. I believe Roy played either a Gibson or an Epiphone on that record. He played in The Trading Post Band, which was the house band for that show. Here is link for that album th-cam.com/video/-GVDnyi5ISo/w-d-xo.html
Another great video, thanks! Got to see Roy with The Hag back in the 70’s when he was touring with some members of the original Texas Playboys , Eldon Shamblin playing an old gold Strat with some sort of plastic cover on the back, Tiny Moore on an old electric mandolin etc. It was a real eye opener and something I’ll always remember.
Thanks for the video. Very informative! I am going to offer a very unpopular opinion: I prefer Roy on the Les Paul and the Peavy T60 over the Tele. (Don't throw stones). I own and enjoy several Telecasters myself. I just enjoy hearing guitars other than Tele's in Country!
Question…. I was talking with Frank Mull… I ask him who played lead guitar on the studio recording of the fighting side of me.. he said he wasn’t sure … He wasn’t around back then.. but he also said that Roy played 99% on everything that was recorded in California… But for some reason, he thought James might’ve played on the flight inside of me… anyway, he was going to ask James ..Which he was in the hospital at the time. This has been about probably, probably last year. Anyway, I never did get A definite answer!!!
My uncle's Dad, Smiley Maxedon help Roy Nichols get his shot after Roy playing with him, then with Lefty Frizzell, and of course Merle Haggard.
I would go with my dad to Ray Hennig's HOT music in Waco,& all I rmbr was Black Diamond strings being offered.I think they sold them at Montgomery Wards as well.This would've been in the late 60's,early 70's.
Been trying to verify that Roy was the lead solo guitar on "What am I Gonna Do (With the Rest of My Life) on Merle's 1983 album "That's the Way Love Goes". I hear some live versions that are close but that studio recording is one of my favorite guitar solos of any genre! Thanks!
Grady Martin also played on that track with Roy. I think the solo is Grady and Roy. The tone seems to change.
Really enjoyed this, I’m a big fan of Roy Nichols and his playing style. I would love to know why he ditched the 65 maple cap tele as I have one myself with the spaghetti logo. Thank you
Not sure why. He seemed to not play any one guitar for very long.
@@AskZac thank you
Here are the STRANGERS!!
th-cam.com/video/8NtubJEfslI/w-d-xo.html
Great music history lesson Zac . Roy truly had an iconic country guitar tone . Very enjoyable !
The way Roy Nichols' flat picking 1/2 step swings is nothing short of amazing. I often wondered where John Jorgenson may have been influenced somewhat....I think I've figured it out. Great show Zak. Keep up the good work!
If it wasn't for the live albums as a little kid, l wouldn't have heard of Roy or Don and many others! Blue Rock!!
Roy Nichols: the man on the spitting guitar. Not to be confused with Wynn Stewart's. Lol
Always loved his solo on: “Every Fool Has a Rainbow” check out the live versions too! And I’m surprised Honky Tonk Nightime Man wasn’t mentioned. Probably on Spotify list.
On the list!
That Muskogee album is killer! And the next one was great!
Love these history videos Zack!! Very good!! Roy was the man!! My mom had all the Merle Albums and now I have them. Listen to them constantly.
Hi zac , you’ve done it again mate , absolutely killer loved it , thanks for the lesson on Roy’s intro bends on mama tried 👍
Great episode. I think Roy's tone had a lot to do (obviously) with his attack.
My favorite county players of all time. Thanks Zac
Leon Rhodes was not too bad either playing for Ernest Tubb.
Thanks. I also checked the original version which is always good for the feel. Great true music and guitar playing.
Thanks a lot!
Learned about Roy Nichols from your interview with Redd. You're doing an awesome job keeping these names and players alive. Thank you!
A Program about STEPHEN BRUTON?
I was gonna suggest a Roy Nichols episode a while back. I'm very happy right now
This has to be my favourite Ask Zac episode to date. I love Roy Nichols. We have all stolen so much from Roy’s technique especially the that 7th note and the half bend which I use a lot of myself. I love your album collection too!
I also love that solo on Merle’s recording of Honky Tonk Night Time Man. So much historical facts on this episode. Great job sir!!!
Thank you!!
Marty Haggard claims Glen Campbell played the dobro part on mama tried
Thank you so much Zac. Your knowledge on these great Tele players let's us see their style and side of how
Sorry I messed up there. Hit the go button by accident. I was saying "there side of how they got to their impact of original playing we love." Could you also do one on Jimmy Olander of Dismond Rio. Another great Tele player.
I will
My dad was friends with Roy they were bolth great player's
Zac, I always heard that James Burton played the dobro lick as you stated
At the beginning of Mama Tried, but recently on a Country Reunion tribute to Merle Haggard, his son's claimed that Glenn Campbell played the dobro part on the recording, have you ever heard that?
I have not. Glen certainly could have played that part.
Wish I could give 30 thumbs up! Lol bless you my fellow Texan, again for an insightful, beautiful show. Nichols and Django are my two faves, so thank you so much for this wonderful show. The Live From Muskogee album changed my life!! Bless you, Zac!
Thanks for that!
I just got into Roy Nichols and his style of playing. This is a great intro!
Another great and informative show. I was raised on the Merle Haggard/Roy Nichols sound. Definitely influenced my playing over the years. Good stuff Zac!!
Thanks!
Roy had great tone. He knew how to roll of the tone knob to get to the sweet spot. I learned that from Vince. Vince said he learned it from Roy. It really cool how things get passed down from our predecessors.
Zac, listen to this recording of Roy's brother, Gene talking about his brother and a lot of Roy's history! th-cam.com/video/ftDyhr1alhM/w-d-xo.html You mentioned about his Dad playing bass! Apparently, their father was quite the musician and played several instruments! Also, I wasn't aware of him playing for Johnny Cash especially on the song, "Tennessee Flat top box"!
I met Roy and the boys one time in, of course, Fresno, California at "Trac Records". I knew the owner/engineer there pretty good so I visited him there quite often. That day I walked in and Stan, was in the control room so I went in and looked out the window into the studio and saw a bunch of guys in there. One sitting at the piano, another in the drum booth, and of course the steel guitar player sitting at his guitar, but I had to almost stand on my tip-toes to look, but the rest of them were laying on the floor with their guitars strapped on their bellies and chests.... playing! I must have looked bewildered, when I asked Stan who they were, not thinking that any professional guitar players who laid on the floor to play weren't very professional-like... he laughed at me, and said, "Those are the strangers! Who?" I said, "That's Merle Haggard's band!" I think he was more bewildered that I didn't know who they were! But, in this little gem of Gene Nichols above, he mentions about them laying around on the floor to play!
Btw, I went to a Merle Concert in San Jose, California about 20 or so years later at a large club there. My wife at the time and I got there a little early and when we went to sit down at our table, I looked over at the stage and there was Roy and Norm setting up their equipment so I walked up to the railing on the stage and said "Hey!" Roy looked over at me and said "Hey Bob, where the h__l you been keeping yourself?" I was just a snot nosed kid that first time, and he still remembered me even though we hadn't seen each other since that first time!
Fantastic story. I have listened to that with Gene. Valuable insight.
Man, your attention to detail and nuance is so great! on that eighth note run it starts on a C# not a C - totally changes the mood of the line! Love your videos
Subscribed from the first Haggard riff.
Perhaps my all time favorite (out of many favorite) episodes you've done, Zac. Thanks for all the biographical background, the playing tips, and the record recommendations. My education happily continues thanks to you.
My pleasure!
Zac, you always make Tuesday morning worth waking up early for, Thanks!
I couldn't agree more. I always look forward to Zac's show. Very informative viewing and Zac's genuine personality and his love for guitarists and guitars/gear really adds up to making these episodes real gems.
My pleasure!
Nice one Zac. The first time I heard “Mama Tried” was on a live album back in 1971. But it was a Grateful Dead live album! Now I’m looking for a Merle Haggard live album to hear the original. Ain’t life strange?
Good and strange
Those live albums you held up were my first albums I paid for. They are in my blood. Roy was one of a kind, he and Bonnie solidified the sound of Merle Haggard. Between Merles life experiences and his incredible gifts..there will never be another. To me he is the best there ever was or will be.
Thanks for recognizing Roy, I much appreciate it.
You are so welcome!!!
Zac, another great history lesson! I love this stuff, thanks.............
My pleasure!
I have some great Wynn Stewart records with some sweet guitar pickin by Roy Nichols.
Likewise.
They still thought the older ones were better in the 60s
Hi Zac, the okie from Muskogee live album, is it Roy on Workin Man Blues ? The lead solo sounds more like James, the studio recording which I understood James Burton did. I’m confused I guess. Lol.
I just learned the face melting solo Roy is seen playing on Austin city limits from anyone can play guitar video. th-cam.com/video/w0Uu9c8WHDU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=W0fXGNCeMQ3Hx3WX great lesson from this fellow
Roy live, James in studio on "Workin"
@@AskZac James studio version is coming from Roy’s live version a lot then. Regards thanks !
In that Live from Austin..does he have Boss SD-1 and DS-1? I see yellow and orange pedals on the floor..they would have been brand new at the time for '78!
MXR phase 90 and distortion plus
@@AskZac AHH, thanks!!
WoW.... what great picking.
Thank you for showing how to play that distinct legendary intro for
"Mama Tried". I've been a fan of Merle Haggard since '67.
I am so fortunate and lucky to have seen him "Live On Stage" four times.
Never got to meet Roy Nichols, but met and talked to Merle and Bonnie. What a sweet and gracious lady Miss Bonnie was. I was, and still am a huge fan of The Hag, Bonnie Owens, and Roy Nichols nearly sixty years after hearing
"I'm A Lonesome Fugitive" playing on the radio in '66 & '67.
Most certainly enjoyed the video, and am a fan of yours too, Zac!
👋🤠Howdy from Tom in
🇨🇱 Texas 🇨🇱
I got to meet Redd through Don Crum in Murfreesboro back in 2000 at a Catfish King.He let Don and I sit in with his band for a couple.
Met he and his wife there-Super Nice people.
He had the coolest sticker on his old pickup."Guitarded" w/the Handicap logo.
Another home run episode! Thanks Zac
My pleasure!
Buck, Don, Merle, Roy, Wynn, Maddox Bros & Rose, etc. I see the Bakersfield Theme. Perhaps Mooney should be next.... How's your steel playing Zac?
Can you do a video on Waylon Jennings style and sound
Zac I just want to say thank you so much for these history lessons! I moved to Texas from the UK 6 years ago and fell in love with country but because I found it late in my life there are huge gaps in my country history knowledge! You sir are doing a great job of helping fill that knowledge!
Super awkward when teaching when someone asks about Merle and I’m like ‘sure, I’ve heard of Merle travis’
Merle Travis is equally important
@@AskZac sure is! It it’s nice to be able to understand there’s more than one haha
My dad didn't buy many albums when I was a young boy,but he bought "The Fighting Side of Me".
That's how I learned Corrina Corrina,.
You are exactly right that Roy used different strings. Had the chance to pick up Roy's guitar at Beckly WV back in 1976 (with His permission of course) and the strings felt like a heavy gauge, either a medium or heavy because I asked him how he bent strings that heavy of course his reply was "hey if you had hands as big as mine you could bend a bass string" unquote, By the way you have got the mama tried lick down better than anyone Ive heard. The break does involve a little open skipping which most guitarist do not do ...Stay pickin!!!!!
Really enjoy hearing these stories !!
Great job Zac!!
Glad you enjoyed!
I would like to get info on your telecaster looks old but I'm thinking maybe it's been made to look like that love it
It's a 57
Back in 70’ my last year in the Air Force I was stationed at Takhli Thailand. They had a music hobby shop where you could listen to records and record to cassettes that were fairly new then. My dad liked country western music and had several Jimmy Rogers records on the Blue bird label ( 78’s). Any way I saw Merle Haggard Live in Philadelphia album and recorded that and sent home to dad. I really liked that record and after I discharged in Jan 71’ I bought that record and later on when the tribute to Bob Wills came out I bought that too. Both great albums. I’m going to try and find the Okie from Muskogee album on vinyl. I’ve been a Merle fan since 70’. About 25-30 years ago Merle came to our little county fair in Susanville. Unfortunately he was drunk or on drugs and while the band was great Merle not so much although he did give a great effort. He was upset the audience in the stands didn’t give a big applause and said basically no encore for you and hoped the second show was a better audience. He has a song where he says he kicks out the stage foot lights… Thanks for the video.
I always wondered why the lived versions of Working Man Blues had so more more subtleness. I knew Burton played on many earlier Haggard records. I also knew the great Ray Flacke played on I think I'll Just Sit Here & Drink. I love your videos, because I love all things Tele. I get annoyed when great guitarists get endorsements and start playing other guitars. They just aren't close to the Tele. For example, Albert Lee's sound has so much going on that when he switched to the Ernie Ball guitar, he lost a lot of the balls from his sound.
That's Reggie Young on "Think I'll Just Stay Here."
Ha Zac I was just about to correct that about me playing on “Sit Here and Drink.” You beat me to it Zac.😄
I wish I had played on it!🤷♂️😄
Nice work Zac !
I have a habit of hopping in with a comment to something before the vid is over.
Not now.
I recall a GP magazine that featured Roy in the early '70s.
Was he holding a Tele ? Nope. It was Merle's acoustic, i believe a Martin with a pickup and Merle's name inlaid into the fingerboard. I haven't thought of this in years.
Always like Merle's work but don't have anything. I need to fix that.
Thanx for the trip down memory lane :)
Thanks for the sources!
There's no doubt that Merle's ' Recorded Live ' is a gem. I bought that sealed about 40 yrs ago and had forgotten about it until I got a HiFi tube amp a few years ago and it just kinda fell out of a stack of records.
It's one of those ' open the windows and make the neighbors hear it ' albums. Truly an intricate audio experience in country and live... if you've got a good ear 😄
Roy first played a stratocaster when the first came out..especially on the tv cousin herb trading post.
To this day...still the best sounding strat I've ever heard. Roy was all over the neck and had that 'woody' sound as i recall...He never played a 'klunker'..which is amazing considering that he played 5 nights a week...for several years...
Roy used 9 Gauge
Merle also used to play the rainbow ballroom on the old 99 highway in Fresno. There he met and played with my uncle Art Craig one of the best guitar players to come out of the central valley . I was privileged to meet quite a few artists of the likes of Dottie West , Charley Pride along with the Hag and many others. We used to have a yearly dance at my uncles where a lot of the best of the best played. At a benefit we had for my uncle before he past we all got our chance to play for him, the best of the country world was there including Red Volkaert . I enjoyed your history lesson but I actually lived it
It was my understanding that James Burton played the "Mama Tried" parts originally. My friend Jody Payne was in LA playing rhythm guitar on some of those sessions, and that was his take. (He also played in Merles band for about six months until he was fired for smoking weed)
Hello Zac , all these guy's you are talking about are new to me , did one off them ever makes it big outside the US ? Maybe the country fan's out here know about these guy's , but country wise my journey/knowlegde doesn;t go any futher then the german schlager music my parents liked .
I had the honor of seeing Hag nine or ten times. I was more honored to get to talk to Mr Roy Nichols for about an hour in Chicago IL, March 1973. Roy told me the same thing, don't be afraid to roll the tone back for more sustain on the bridge pickup. Good job. Roy and Don Rich both went to Gibson because Fender wanted their guitars back to test the ware every five years and neither wanted to give up the Teles. Per Don Rich. Good job Zac.
Very interesting and informative, Always good to have some musical history to see how some of the great players evolve.love the channel and really enjoy what your doing.lm amazed Roy used a wound third string but growing up in England watching Eric Clapton and Peter Green l shouldn't be surprised .Peter Green used a wound third string and used Clifford Essex strings in the Blues Breakers.
Roy Nichols👍👍👍
How much Bakersfield Tele sound comes from West Coast steel players or did West Coast steel players take their sound from the Tele players? I think the reason I like players like Brumley and Mooney is they sound like Tele players.
I would shit my pants if you did one with Jim Campilongo
Fill your britches?
Zac...so cool to hear Terry Downs mentioned....He Loves Roy's Style and a good Friend of Redd.
I'm a little behind on catching this video Zac.... but I had to say completely awesome! I think any guy that's ever picked up a Tele and tried to play some serious country has done his best to mimic Roy's signature licks, yours truly included. The body of music that he played on is the soundtrack of my youth, and still my favorite era of country music by far. I also have to say Redd Volkaert is such a great entertainer in his own right, not only one of the best players ever, but I can listen to him tell stories and crack those insider guitar player jokes all night long, my favorite video you've done so far without a doubt!
Merle Haggard's favorite guitar player so many people think it was the great James Burton did all that Pickin
I never realized til a couple years back, that Nichols was such a small man- not that it matters, one bit! Just interesting what you learn from TH-cam videos lol
Great episode. Roy is one of my favorite tele players. I’ve always loved his jazz-influenced lines. One of my favorite ones is on the live from Philadelphia album during the band intro leading into stealin corn. Makes me grin every time I hear it!