Re: runnin' with the devil

[Paul Hammond <pauleh@xxxxxxx>]

Ok,

   So I went and saw my friend last night to ask them about the riff Jimmy 
plays during "boogie mama" and Bill Haley's guitarist Bill Turner - who took 
over for Franny Beecher in 75 was there playing. Prior to heading down the 
street to see em I figured out the riff so I could ask them - definitely a 
swing horn style run ala Glen Miller, familiar to me from that era, and also 
from an intro piece to a blues number I wrote 20 + years ago. 

 So hanging with friends watching the band, they go into Dion's "The Wanderer" 
and Bill gets to the solo and says - "This is how Franny would play it" and lo 
and behold - he plays the riff that Page does up and down the neck in "Boogie 
Mama"! So I think he was not referencing the original wanderer solo - but how 
Franny would improvise. So then they do a couple other numbers and they play 
one I recognized from seeing Franny play it live called "Goofin Around" which 
was from the 1956 movie "Don't knock the Rock". Well I looked it up this AM on 
youtube and sure enough at about :43 in Franny starts playing that riff, and at 
:47 it is ultra obvious. Not only that, his playing in the song overall is 
awesome for the time - can't be faked easily by amateurs. As far as I know this 
is the earliest documentation of that run on electric guitar - except for maybe 
Les Paul doing it at some point, which wouldn't surprise me, however Bill Haley 
was the act that knocked Les out of the forefront of music for a while, with 
the crazy new sound of Rock and Roll, so who knows.

 So during the set between songs Bill was giving history lessons about the 
origins of rock and all - the kind of stuff we love - like the four lads from 
liverpool that opened for Bill Haley when he toured the uk. And that Franny 
Beecher was the first guitarist to take swing jazz era guitar playing and 
integrate it into what became known as rock and roll. And that the real 
birthplace of rock and roll was right here in the Delaware Valley, here in PA - 
and don't let anybody tell you any different! And how Franny played with Glenn 
Miller in his band - so there is the connection! Having grown up in the same 
neighborhood as Franny, I had been hearing about him for years, and how he was 
a great guitarist, and most definitely, one of if not the first Rock and Roll 
guitarists. He was definitely the first Rock Guitarist to tour England, and was 
cited by George Harrison, Jeff Beck, Brian Setzer, and others as an early 
influence. So the early British guitarists were definitely aware of what was 
coming out of our little corner of the world over here.

 Franny just turned 88 and is still playing once a month with my friends band, 
and he still can do some of those "quick licks" that he was so well known for. 
I learned a lot from him over the years, and play things learned from him every 
time I play live. The link to him doing "Goofin Around" is listed, it is easy 
to find on youtube! Enjoy! PH

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqunRXAP6bI


On Dec 10, 2009, at 3:44 PM, Nech wrote:

> I always thought that passage sounded alot like one from Bill Haley's band...
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5fsqYctXgM
> 
> pauleh@xxxxxxx wrote:
> 
>> Immediately prior to that he does the break down from Freddie King's 
>> Hideaway, in which he botches the run down in the most 70's rocked out kind 
>> of glorious manner. The repeating run you refer to does sound 40's swing but 
>> is more like a Les Paul guitar passage. Also sounds like Bill Haley's guy 
>> Franny Beecher, who had those early rock and roll/swing style riffs down 
>> when Page was still figuring out what he wanted to do with his life. I have 
>> a chance to see one of Bill Haley's guitarists Bill Turner this weekend, so 
>> I will ask him if no one else can figure it out. Good thing James figured 
>> out what he wanted to do with his life! Cheers! PH
>> 
>> On Dec 9, 2009, at 5:40 PM, ZepContent@xxxxxxx wrote:
>> 
>> 
>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHKE2MnF1E8&feature=related
>>> 
>>> from  about 3:04 to 3:18
>>> what is this that Jimmy is referencing?
>>> 
>>> it is an oh  so familiar run that I just can't place
>>> 
>>> is it from rockabilly or from  40's era swing / jump blues or where?
>>> 
>>> thanks in advance
>>> 
>>> I've  always loved it in all of JP's executions of it
>>> flubs and  all
>>> 
>>> for TSRTS it is stellar JP
>>> and the cool looks on his face as he  goes for it
>>> nothing better     
>> 
>> 
>