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Stell Guitar Rag
Old-Time Instrumental by Leon McAuliffe; Lyrics are attributed to Merle Travis, Cliff Stone.
ARTIST: From Wills, Bob; and the Texas Playboys. Western Swing. Historic Recordings..., Old-Timey LP 105, LP (1966), trk# 10 [1936/09/29]
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
DATE: First recorded Bob Wills 1936 (instrumental)
RECORDING INFO: Steel Guitar Rag [Me IV-L28a] - McAuliffe, Leon
Rm - Soft Steel Piston ; Guitar Rag ; New Steel Guitar Rag
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RELATED TO: Fire On the Mountain [Appalachian]
OTHER NAMES: Sal Let Me Chew Your Rosin Some; Let Me Chew Your Rosin Some; Rosin Gum;
SOURCES: Kuntz; Folk Index; Meade.
NOTES: "Steel Guitar Rag" is the seminal Western swing instrumental credited with popularizing the steel guitar as an integral instrument in a Western band.
Written by Leon McAuliffe, it was first recorded by Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys in 1936. The song stylistically bears a striking resemblance to a popular Hawaiian song, "On The Beach At Waikiki" (words, G.H. Stover; music, Henry Kailimai; arrangement, Sonny Cunha; 1915), which was widely performed on the vaudeville circuits in the U.S. McAuliffe's composition is likely adapted from "Guitar Rag" recorded by guitarist Sylvester Weaver in the late 1920s. Many musicians and bands have recorded this instrumental over the years. A recent version was performed by country hall of famer Jimmy Russell.
The versions with lyrics are attributed to Merle Travis, Cliff Stone and Leon McAuliffe.
Townsend, San Antonio Rose,p. 99: There are authorities, McAuliffe among them, who believe this recording ["Steel Guitar Rag", March 25, 1935] and the subsequent use of the instrument in Wills's organization played the leading role in making the steel guitar popular in American music."
Harrington,Sonic Cool, p. 22: "In September '36, Leon McAuliffe had a huge hit with 'Steel Guitar Rag,' which helped popularize the sound of the electric guitar to the whole nation."
Lange, Smile When You Call Me a Hillbilly, p. 121: "McAuliffe's guitar eventually became an integral part of Bob Wills sound, particularly after the release of 'Steel Guitar Rag' in the late 1936. McAuliffe turned the instrumental piece, which was derived from a Hawaiian tune, into country music's first steel guitar standard."
Stambler, Country Music, p. 289: " 'I've [Leon McAuliffe] written some songs that are good, but not many. I can't manufacture 'em, they have to come to me. I wrote 'Steel Guitar Rag' and the bridge to 'San Antonio Rose'—the trumpeter wrote the words—but Bob has total credit.' "
^ Oliphant, "Texas Jazz", p. 50-51: "As early as 1933, Leon McAuliffe also was playing steel guitar, and in 1935 he joined Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, recording with the latter his own composition, 'Steel Guitar Rag,' during a session of September 29-30, 1936."
^ Koskoff, Music Cultures in the United States, p. 129: "The debut of the song 'On the Beach at Waikiki' at the Panama-Pacific Exposition [1915] is credited with sparking a national fad for Hawaiian songs."
^ *Ruymar, The Hawaiian Steel Guitar, p. 50, quoting John York, president of the Western Swing Music Society: "When you next listen to a recording of Leon McAuliffe playing Steel Guitar Rag or Pan Handle Rag, listen for the Hawaiian style with a slight difference. Leon's influence came from listening to recordings of Jim and the Genial Hawaiians, and of Sol Ho'opi'i."
Santoro, Stir It Up, p. 183: "Hawaiian sounds began to outsell other forms of pop music on the mainland U.S., and had such an impact that Mexican bands added steel guitar players and masqueraded as Hawaiians to crash the lucrative U.S. vaudeville circuit."
Dempsey, The Light Crust Doughboys Are on the Air, pp. 57-58: "Dough Boy Kenneth Pitts admired McAuliffe's tune, 'Steel Guitar Rag,' which McAuliffe adapted from a tune called 'Guitar Rag' by blues guitarist Sylvester Weaver."
Komara, Encyclopedia of the Blues, p. 385: "The latter ['Guitar Rag'] is a blues guitar landmark, having been appropriated countless times including as 'Steel Guitar Rag' by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys in 1936."
The Steel Guitar Rag as sung by Merle Travis
[G]Been travelin' around, seen many a town,
Maybe you'll find I'm the [D7]kind of guy that [G]brags.
But take it from me and [G7]see, if[C] you don't a[G]gree
No melody rolls, like that[D7] ole steel guitar[G] rag.
And when they[C] slide that thing, a[G]long the strings
It[A7] sounds so dawg gone heavenly, you'll[D7] hear them angels sing
When you[C] start your feet, you're[G] heart will beat,
A [D7]rhythm of that ole steel guitar [G]rag.
You maybe kinda choosy about the kind of songs you hear,
You may like them that's bluesy , make you[D7] cry right in your beer,
But[G] if you want a song that's bound to[C] drive away your tears,
Make happy your[G] soul with that[D7] ole Steel Guitar[G] Rag
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