The Shade Trio
recorded 21 October 1972 at the Black Garter Club
Hal Smith: rhythm guitar & lead vocal
Zoomer Roberts: lead guitar & harmony vocal (lead vocal on "Golden Rocket"
Ross Swall: electric bass
In the early 1970's, Henry Beebe took a job selling tires at Sears Roebuck, and the hours often made it impossible for him to make the Shade Tree Boys gigs. On these occasions, Hal Smith would move me to electric guitar, bring in another bassist, and sing the straight country songs he'd started out with in the 1950's. He also did early Johnny Cash material at a breakneck pace, his right arm becoming a blur as he hammered out percussive rhythms on his battle-scarred Martin D-18. I was playing a Fender Esquire through a $25 Gibson amp. From the evidence that can be had from a 40-year-old multi-generational tape, it got the job done. The bassist here is Ross Swall.
Hal referred to this little aggregation as "The Shade Trio" (tree-o -- get it?), and while it didn't satisfy those who came expecting to see the Shade Tree Boys' x-rated comedy act, these were some of happiest days of my musical life.
Listen to "So Doggone Lonesome"
Listen to "Hey Porter"
Listen to "I Was There When It Happened"
Hal used to say, "You're not supposed to sing religious songs in bars, but God knows that's where they're needed!" This rum-soaked performance of "I Was There When It Happened" is one of only two renditions of this song I can remember Hal doing in my years with him. The thumping sound you hear is Johnny Cash rolling over in his grave.
Listen to "No Reason to Quit"
Listen to "All Over Again"
I knew the guitar solos from most of Johnny Cash's Sun records, and that knowledge served me well in the years I played with Hal Smith. But this song -- which Cash recorded for Columbia circa 1959 -- was news to me. I therefore invented a guitar break that I felt certain would be close to what Luther Perkins must have played. Hal praised it and I kept playing it. When I finally heard Cash's recording years later, I was surprised at how little my solo resembled Luther's.
This was recorded on a Panasonic 8-track deck. There is a glitch where the tape changed tracks. Hey -- it was 1972!
Listen to "Pearly Shells"
Listen to "Medley: (Now and Then There's) A Fool Such As I & (There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover"
Listen to "Remember Me (I'm the One Who Loves You)"
Listen to "Medley: I'm Movin' On & The Golden Rocket"
