Remember "Hot Rod Lincoln"?

[Hidesert]

Well, if Kirchen tries to pull that stuff here in New Mexico, he's gonna get pulled over and ticketed by our own Jr Brown and his "Guitsteel"….

 

[lermgalieu]

This was actually the first version of this song I ever heard.

 

[Mister Magic]

I'm seriously considering buying a Telecaster now. I spent the last hour researching them after reading this thread.

 

[yodedude2]

first version i heard that left a mark was pat travers':

 

[58kites]

You haven't really heard it until you've heard Bill Kirchen's live extravaganza. Lester Flatt to the Sex Pistols, and the only special effects are his fingers.

When I was a teen, I just about wore out my copy of Hot Licks, Cold Steel and Truckers Favorites.
That record got played every time my three best boy friends and four best girl friends got to drinking and getting high.

I moved to Austin in 1996 but I bet it was just awesome living here from 1969-1989....

Janis, Johnny Winter, ZZ Top, Commander Cody, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimmy Vaughn, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Willie Nelson, Patti Griffin, Asleep at the Wheel, Lucinda Williams, Shawn Colvin, Dixie Chick, Eric Johnson, Marsha Ball and the list goes on.

Venue's: Antone's, Armadillo World Headquarters, Austin City Limits, Liberty Lunch, Broken Spoke, Threadgills, Austin Music Hall, La Zona Rosa, Continental Club, The Paramount Theatre, and the list goes on.

 

[dave hope]

Really great song, story (really, a story) and picking

 

[mongo2]

I had the pleasure of doing sound for both bands in the 80s and 90s; both are basically one guy (George Frayne and Ray Benson, respectively) and a bunch of really good side men. Very professional acts to work with, and very entertaining shows.

I worked the follow spot at a local venue that featured Asleep At The Wheel one night back in the mid '70s. Being a fan it was a treat for me and yes, it was an excellent show.

The opening act happened to be a somewhat loose confederation of players I was involved with for a couple of years who would get together to jam at a local bar every week. That was strange.

I've listened the the other versions posted here and elswhere and I gotta say, IMO, Kirchen's version is iconic.

 

[Ostie]

Long time fan of the Commander here. Glad to see Billy is still rockin' that Tele. GE Smith said "if you can only have one guitar, make it a Tele."

 

[jnewmark]

I'm seriously considering buying a Telecaster now. I spent the last hour researching them after reading this thread.

There are probably more iterations of Telecasters than any other Fender guitar. Besides bass, I also play guitar and wanted a more 50's style Tele, and wound up with a Squire model. My guitar playing bandmate , who owns a MIA Tele, wants me to trade with him, it plays and sounds that well. Don't discount the Squire models of Tele's before you buy.

 

[5StringBlues]

Bill's a bad boy!

 

[mellowgerman]

Awesome. Bill strikes again!

 

[jamro217]

He was also one of the first to reverse the control plate to put the switch at the bottom and the pots at the top. That way he could use his pinky for swells. Just a brilliant and talented man.

 

[ELG60]

There's a local guitarist who does an admirable job of this version:


I remember the Commander Cody version on the radio. I thought it was cool as all . . . get out.

 

[Paul New]

He's still around and still pickin' like the badass he is. If you're of a Tele state of mind you can join a workshop he does through Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch.

i spent a week with him at Augusta Heritage a few years ago. He is a bad man.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

You haven't really heard it until you've heard Bill Kirchen's live extravaganza. Lester Flatt to the Sex Pistols, and the only special effects are his fingers.

I remember the Johnny Bond version that went up to Billboards #26 in 1960. Johnny Ryan wrote it in 1955 and recorded it. Never heard his original until I searched You tube for it. The Johnny Bond one was the one I remember. I had no idea what Grapevine Hill was until I had to drive over it coming out of L.A. over 20-years later.

 

[Philonius]

"Jimi! I said 'scuse me while I kiss this guy."

 

[Lo-E]

Bill Kirchen played my wedding!

Along with being a phenomenal talent he's also a heck of a nice guy.

 

[WillyW]

Bill Kirchen played my wedding!

Along with being a phenomenal talent he's also a heck of a nice guy.

I wonder if he'd play at my next wedding?

 

[jdh3000]

You haven't really heard it until you've heard Bill Kirchen's live extravaganza. Lester Flatt to the Sex Pistols, and the only special effects are his fingers.

Oh that was cool! I had only ever heard Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, and Asleep at the Wheel do it, but this was a blow out.

I remember playing that on guitar years ago. I would try to come up with different horn licks and brake squreling sounds. It was a breath cayching fest singing it so fast. Wish I had thought up some cool stuff like this to throw in... Best I did was go into Folsom Prision in the middle...

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Keyser Soze]

Commander Cody put his Lost Planet Airmen on hiatus in the mid-1970s. Two working groups arose from the ashes; Lead singer Billy C. Farlow started his own group and Bill Kirchen started a band called the Moonlighters. Both had instrumentation and repertoires similar to the Cody band, both were seriously smoking bands.

I was fortunate enough to live in a town that had a stalwart reefer circuit club that booked both these bands regularly. Great memories knocking back a few beers while these greats rocked the house. Kirchen is a Guitar God and, as mentioned several times in this thread, a super-nice guy. We are lucky to still have him carrying the flag and thriving.