If Danny Gatton Did it..Does that make it Okay??

[savit260]

Quick! Who were the other 62 in front of him!!??


Being the 63rd greatest guitar player according to *oof* Rolling Stone is kinda like, well... that and a buck-fitty will get you a cup of coffee.

Well seeing how you asked.




1Jimi Hendrix
2 Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band
3 B.B. King
4 Eric Clapton
5 Robert Johnson
6 Chuck Berry
7 Stevie Ray Vaughan
8 Ry Cooder
9 Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin
10 Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones
11Kirk Hammett of Metallica
12 Kurt Cobain of Nirvana
13 Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead
14 Jeff Beck
15 Carlos Santana
16 Johnny Ramone of the Ramones
17 Jack White of the White Stripes
18 John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
19 Richard Thompson
20 James Burton
21 George Harrison
22 Mike Bloomfield
23 Warren Haynes
24 The Edge of U2
25 Freddy King
26 Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave
27 Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits
28 Stephen Stills
29 Ron Asheton of the Stooges
30 Buddy Guy
31 Dick Dale
32 John Cipollina of Quicksilver Messenger Service
33 & 34 Lee Ranaldo, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth
35 John Fahey
36 Steve Cropper of Booker T. and the MG's
37 Bo Diddley
38 Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac
39 Brian May of Queen
40 John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival
41 Clarence White of the Byrds
42 Robert Fripp of King Crimson
43 Eddie Hazel of Funkadelic
44 Scotty Moore
45 Frank Zappa
46 Les Paul
47 T-Bone Walker
48 Joe Perry of Aerosmith
49 John McLaughlin
50 Pete Townshend
51 Paul Kossoff of Free
52 Lou Reed
53 Mickey Baker
54 Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane
55 Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple
56 Tom Verlaine of Television
57 Roy Buchanan
58 Dickey Betts
59 & 60 Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien of Radiohead
61 Ike Turner
62 Zoot Horn Rollo of the Magic Band


Not tooo shabby for a guy that's flying under the general publics radar.




I'm sure most of us would be quite happy to make a Rolling Stone top 100 bass players list.



Hell, I'd by thrilled with being considered one of the top 100 in Boston for cryinoutloud!

The only people who know who Danny Gatton was are, for the most part, dad blues guitar player types. Sorry, but that doesn't get you on the A-list. Or B-list. Or C-list.

No, but having these guys as fans of your playing is pretty impressive in my opinion. Les Paul, James Burton, Lenny Breau, Joe Bonamassa,Vince Gill, Evan Johns , Chris Cheney, Bill Kirchen, Albert Lee, Steve Vai, Buckethead, Arlen Roth, Ricky Skaggs, Slash , and Richie Sambora

 

[smcd]

Again, a little respect is definitely in order.

"Respect"?? As in "don't say anything but praise about anyone that's dead"??


Sorry. That dog won't hunt.

 

[smcd]

No, but having these guys as fans of your playing is pretty impressive in my opinion. Les Paul, James Burton, Lenny Breau, Joe Bonamassa,Vince Gill, Evan Johns , Chris Cheney, Bill Kirchen, Albert Lee, Steve Vai, Buckethead, Arlen Roth, Ricky Skaggs, Slash , and Richie Sambora

"Dude could play" isn't really a contribution by itself.

 

[bass player 48]

Wait a minute... I've never heard of this guy, so I had to look at his wiki page...


Since when does suicide = tragic death?

P.S. - That bass is a train wreck.

IMHO

 

[savit260]

"Dude could play" isn't really a contribution by itself.

But "raised the bar" certainly is.

Gatton certainly raised the bar, and had certainly gained the respect of many many gifted players.

 

[5StringBlues]

Since when does popular appeal mean a rat's arse to how important or valuable an artist was to the entertainment and music world?

Exactly.Danny Gatton wasn't trying to play music to a mass audience.He played the music he wanted to play.If he had wanted mass approval and Top 40 play I'm sure he could have taken steps to achieve that.He could have become a side man or joined a rootsy rock type band and gained a wider exposure.But he didn't,he played what he wanted to play,made a decent living doing it,and was well respected among his peers.

Works for me.


Meanwhile,we all sit here posting on TB.

 

[Thankful birds]

"Dude could play" isn't really a contribution by itself.

Think back to that Scotty Moore chicken pickin' thing I said. Gatton took that idea and added his banjo playing background to make that more than just downbeat filler. He combined that with Joe Pass-style passing notes and melodies, and Albert King style blues to make something that wasn't quite jazz, wasn't quite country, wasn't quite rhythm and blues and wasn't quite blues, but was just Gatton. Nobody played like him before him.

It would be like going to a bluegrass festival and for the first time in your life hearing Stanley Clark sit in with his percussive upright bass sound, or hearing Jaco play horns parts on bass, or Wooten's two handed tapping on a piccolo. It's not that it's one of those things that just isn't done, it's that it wasn't even thought of. People freak when they see Gatton play.

All I can say is, check out his Austin City Limits performance. The guy is undeniably amazing. Lots of guys have adopted his style of chicken pickin into their blues playing. By the way, those guitar payers who love Gatton- guys like Vai and Les Paul, gave him the nickname the "Telemaster' as he's widely considered to be the greatest guitar player of what guitarists call the "tele sound".

 

[smcd]

....to make something that wasn't quite jazz, wasn't quite country, wasn't quite rhythm and blues and wasn't quite blues, but was just Gatton.

This could explain his lack of popularity among non-guitar players.

as he's widely considered to be the greatest guitar player of what guitarists call the "tele sound".

I thought Roy Buchanan held that title.

 

[thisSNsucks]

WOW that sucks! lol

 

[electracoyote]

"Respect"?? As in "don't say anything but praise about anyone that's dead"??


Sorry. That dog won't hunt.

Like momma would say, how about, "if you can't say anything decent, don't say anything at all." Or maybe your natural ethics and sense of decency might kick in. Or are you a professional troll?

Asking passersby who Danny Gatton is, come one man. That's ridiculous. Ask passersby who Jaco Pastorius or Pino Palladino is, they won't know them either.

Weak, man, weak.

 

[savit260]

This could explain his lack of popularity among non-guitar players.








I thought Roy Buchanan held that title.

Gatton expanded on the foundation of Buchanan, and even played in Buchanans band at one point.

It's not hard to mention Gatton and Buchanan in the same breath as they were contemperaries, and both moster players.

Gatton had the edge in chops IMO though.



Roy's not exactly a household name either now , is he?

 

[Thankful birds]

I thought Roy Buchanan held that title.

They are often compared, and I believe were friends, but Buchanan wouldn't really be noted as the master of the tele sound, although he is noted for mostly using teles. Certainly Bucahanan employed a lot of the tele "spank" style that tends to define that guitar, but Buchanan also had a style all of his own. Specifically, he was known for his "effects without effects" playing that involved controlled uses of feedback and volume swells to achieve some really interesting soaring notes, as well as a sort of pedal steel like sound.

Gatton, on the other hand, was the guy who took that sort of staccato, tele spank playing and perfected it. Guys from Setzer to Horton Heat to G.E. Smith cop Gannon licks.

 

[P. Aaron]

Now, admit it: if this was on eBay, without the name, a lot of vintage buffs would be screaming "Butcher!!"

According to the biography: Unfinished Business, Danny Gatton cut up Les Pauls, Telecaters, Stratocasters, and all sorts of other guitars tweaking them, and trying out all sorts of modifications.

It terms of setting stuff up to be playable, the book says Danny was pretty good and did it on the side for friends and celebrities who happened to end up in his part of town.

It isn't really surprising to see this, but instruments fetch so much more money when simply played, or remain unaltered.

I am not even sure if having the cache of Gatton tied to it will help it's long term viability. As great as Gatton's work is, it's still limited to a few good recordings of great perfomances.

 

[Dave Bassincus]

A (low level)celebrity-owned novelty instrument. It has been butchered.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. It's the attitude BEHIND the opinion that makes me want to puke.

 

[smcd]

Like momma would say, how about, "if you can't say anything decent, don't say anything at all." Or maybe your natural ethics and sense of decency might kick in.

I see. The old "But he made the trains run on time" axiom.

Or are you a professional troll?

Not caring very much for Danny Gatton = Salaried internet gadfly?


I don't see the logic here...

 

[Cinimod]

Well seeing how you asked.




1Jimi Hendrix
2 Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band
3 B.B. King
4 Eric Clapton
5 Robert Johnson
6 Chuck Berry
7 Stevie Ray Vaughan
8 Ry Cooder
9 Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin
10 Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones
11Kirk Hammett of Metallica
12 Kurt Cobain of Nirvana
13 Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead
14 Jeff Beck
15 Carlos Santana
16 Johnny Ramone of the Ramones
17 Jack White of the White Stripes
18 John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
19 Richard Thompson
20 James Burton
21 George Harrison
22 Mike Bloomfield
23 Warren Haynes
24 The Edge of U2
25 Freddy King
26 Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave
27 Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits
28 Stephen Stills
29 Ron Asheton of the Stooges
30 Buddy Guy
31 Dick Dale
32 John Cipollina of Quicksilver Messenger Service
33 & 34 Lee Ranaldo, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth
35 John Fahey
36 Steve Cropper of Booker T. and the MG's
37 Bo Diddley
38 Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac
39 Brian May of Queen
40 John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival
41 Clarence White of the Byrds
42 Robert Fripp of King Crimson
43 Eddie Hazel of Funkadelic
44 Scotty Moore
45 Frank Zappa
46 Les Paul
47 T-Bone Walker
48 Joe Perry of Aerosmith
49 John McLaughlin
50 Pete Townshend
51 Paul Kossoff of Free
52 Lou Reed
53 Mickey Baker
54 Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane
55 Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple
56 Tom Verlaine of Television
57 Roy Buchanan
58 Dickey Betts
59 & 60 Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien of Radiohead
61 Ike Turner
62 Zoot Horn Rollo of the Magic Band

A few of those seem more iconic than actually being amazing guitarists (The edge for one, i think he's terrible)

 

[electracoyote]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. It's the attitude BEHIND the opinion that makes me want to puke.

+1

 

[smcd]

A few of those seem more iconic than actually being amazing guitarists (The edge for one, i think he's terrible)

It's a completely dumbed down list that is rife with corporate/social politics. Jack White is 17?? Come on...

 

[Dark Horse]

What a ridiculous thread. Obviously Gatton has "some degree" of celebrity since people are here defending him and know who he is, even though he died a long time ago.

Back to the bass -

 

[savit260]

Not caring very much for Danny Gatton = Salaried internet gadfly?


I don't see the logic here...

The logic here is that being disrespcetful of the guys obvious tallent, and being oblivious to his contributions, even after explained to you, seems rather trollish.

You could have simply said something like "I'm not a fan of that type of playing" or "I've never heard of the guy" and I'm sure no one would be bothered by that, but that's not the path that you chose.


Gatton also had a reputation for modifying the daylights out of his instruments, so this bass should come as no shock to anyone familar with him.