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Is Glen Campbell on "Guitar Gold"? Let's Discuss!

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Cowpoke
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Re: Is Glen Campbell on "Guitar Gold"? Let's Discuss!

Post by Cowpoke »

Well Glen always said he played all sorts of music with Dick Bills, including the big band stuff and Frank Sinatra songs. Also, it was around the late 50s (at least this is what Glen's autobiography suggests) that Glen started discovering the music of Django Rheinhardt. Of course there aren't much recordings from the 50s available with Glen on it. It's mainly the Ceneco singles and maybe some very early session work around Albuquerque.


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Dee
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Re: Is Glen Campbell on "Guitar Gold"? Let's Discuss!

Post by Dee »

Thanks for the time period for "The Champs" audition tape, Cowpoke.

I am just looking to list Glen's other recordings prior to the wrecking crew period; instrumental recordings that would have been similar to "Guitar Gold".
Was jazz an established style for Glen in 1958?
I don't think he played jazz when he was with Bills and the Boys. I could be wrong, but didn't they play country western swing?
Dylan Jazz was not released until 1965, and it was a tribute to Dylan's music by a group of studio musicians that included Glen and others.
Dee


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Cowpoke
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Re: Is Glen Campbell on "Guitar Gold"? Let's Discuss!

Post by Cowpoke »

Dee, I believe my best guess was that that audition tape was recorded around April/May/June 1960, based on the fact that Glen plays/mentions Red Eye/Little Matador, supposing Glen focused on playing The Champs latest release at the time.

Glen could play many different styles by 1958 after years of playing with Dicks Bills and The Sandia Mountain Boys. So, finding similar releases from around 1958 might be difficult. To me, Guitar Gold has Glen playing in his jazz style. He hasn't often recorded jazz. Best other examples is Dylan Jazz from 1965. To my ears, the same person plays lead guitar on both albums (Guitar Gold and Dylan Jazz).


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Mike Joyce
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Re: Is Glen Campbell on "Guitar Gold"? Let's Discuss!

Post by Mike Joyce »

I have never heard Glen sound so nervous. That is a great gem of a clip. Thanks for sharing Dee.


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Dee
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Re: Is Glen Campbell on "Guitar Gold"? Let's Discuss!

Post by Dee »

Let's take a different approach with sleuthing whether Glen Campbell played guitar/lead guitar on "Guitar Gold".

We appreciate YOUR help!

What are Glen's other known recordings (solo vocals, instrumentals, any recordings) from around 1958 (the year "Guitar Gold" was supposedly recorded) that can be compared with the guitarist on "Guitar Gold"?

Here's Glen's audition tape for The Champs from 1959? Do you know the audition's year, Cowpoke?

:arrow: https://soundcloud.com/user-573836299/g ... ition-tape" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Mike Joyce
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Re: Is Glen Campbell on "Guitar Gold"? Let's Discuss!

Post by Mike Joyce »

Hi guys, have this album too. I bought it decades ago. I can't even remember where from.However after reading the comments previously when this was discussed I had my doubts if Glen was involved. However Cowpoke makes a good point, that if they did this and got away with it, surely many more would do the same thing.Either way I am glad to own it. And if Glen isn't on it, it's worth having for the fact it is the only album from the sixties Glen DIDN'T play on :D


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Cowpoke
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Re: Is Glen Campbell on "Guitar Gold"? Let's Discuss!

Post by Cowpoke »

Well i certainly agree with Dee there are quite a few strange things about this release but the one thing I am pretty sure of, based on what I hear, is that it's Glen on lead guitar.
I also agree with Tim that record companies don't just start releasing records under an artist's name that have nothing to do with the artist. In that case we would have seen dozens of fake Glen Campbell releases in the late sixties.


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Dee
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Re: Is Glen Campbell on "Guitar Gold"? Let's Discuss!

Post by Dee »

Well, as arlw suggested, "go with your gut feeling".
IMO...:) For the reasons I had posted previously, I did not believe Glen played guitar on "Guitar Gold".
The tracks do not sound like they came from a session (but what do I know?).
These tracks are more than just musicians jamming together at the spur of a moment on one afternoon.
Isn't it odd that the other musicians were not credited? The album notes that GC sat in with Stan "and his group".
Who is Stan Capps? Who were the musicians in his band?
The musicians on this record sound very accomplished to me; why not credit them?
Instead of identifying the band members and giving the record buyer more info about Capps and the history of his group, the LP pushes "Glen Campbell".
Based on arlw's information obtained from Glen, it could be possible that he was sitting in on these recordings, but not playing lead guitar,
Still my gut feeling is that someone was trying to make money using GC's name--after he rose to fame and won all of those first 5 Grammy Awards. :|
Also, I feel the single was not released. Just a hunch. If arlw doesn't have it, no one else has it! (Please prove me wrong!) :)
Just my two cents!
If anyone has time to do the research, it would be interesting to find out if there had been a Customtone Studio located at 2700 ___?___ Street in Houston, TX in 1958.
Also, who rented the post office box provided on the back of the album cover?
Great discussion! Thank you, The_Beach!


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Re: Is Glen Campbell on "Guitar Gold"? Let's Discuss!

Post by The_Beach »

After listening to this a few times now i have no doubt this is Glen Campbell! It is his style of play! It has too be! I doubt they would slap his name on the album if he has absolutely no connection to it! I bet glen just think he playes better now 10 years later at that point and tough it would hurt his reputation like the Starbay records so he never wanted to associate his name with any of those albums including Guitar Gold.


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Cowpoke
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Re: Is Glen Campbell on "Guitar Gold"? Let's Discuss!

Post by Cowpoke »

I agree with Arlw that for a collector it's an important record even if Glen would not be on it. I think it's him by the way.
About the single: I have never seen it but in my files I have even a catalog number for it:

Customtone 110-13

So I think either Hair or KOA has a copy? Or perhaps (the late) Richard Price. Now why did I never notice the b-side wasn't on the album?! :x


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