Wayne Holcombe - Posted - 02/16/2010:  04:48:51

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I've been doing a lot of listening to this record for the past week or so.I'd forgot how good the banjo playing is on this record.Definitely uses a lot of tuner twisting and a lot of Don Reno type licks according to a friend of mine.
Walter Hensley ????

Any other guesses?
Wayne

corcoran - Posted - 02/16/2010:  05:21:50

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In past threads, there were suggestions that it was either Buck Trent or Curtis McPeake. Whoever the banjo player was, the album is clearly a classic.

Michael

Banjowen - Posted - 02/16/2010:  06:56:11

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quote:

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Originally posted by flange5st

....I believe that was Sonny Osborne.......peace

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I'm no expert but it doesn't sound like Sonny's style to me.

The Hammer - Posted - 02/16/2010:  07:03:24

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I have heard over the years that it was Sonny Osborne.
It is a great recording.

WildJimbo - Posted - 02/16/2010:  09:03:27

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It's Buck Trent. I even posted sound clips from known Buck recordings of the same tunes. I could probably dredge all that up again...

Drag out your Homer LP, go to Side B and Play Camptown Races. I hear a great deal of Buck Trent in that - not just in the Camptown Races, but the second part of that tune they switch to Cindy. Well, Buck recorded Cindy on his "Sound of a 5-String Banjo" album. The two are amazingly similar. It's not just the lead, it's the back up too. I've posted both tunes here.

From the Homer LP:
toolrocket.com/jim/banjo/homer...races.mp3

From the Buck Trent LP:
toolrocket.com/jim/banjo/homer/02Cindy.mp3

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Edited by - WildJimbo on 02/16/2010 13:00:42

The Old Timer - Posted - 02/16/2010:  12:34:37

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Dad bought that LP when it came out back in the 1960s and we loved it, cause it had "new tunes" for banjo players to learn (actually old tunes, but not in the Earl repertoire). Loved the wild cover photography, and we sure wondered what brand some of those banjos were!

And how we speculated on the pickers! "Homer" surely must mean Homer Haynes of Homer and Jethro, so that led to speculation Jethro was on there too. Banjo picking guesses included Buck Trent, Sonny Osborne and vague unnamed "Nashville banjo pickers". We never did find out who they all were.

That LP ranked high back in the 60s along with all those good Bill Emerson LPs, Walter Hensley, Stanley Alpine, and the other budget label banjo albums!

Maybe someone can post a photo scan of the cover of that old LP?

gDGBD - Posted - 02/16/2010:  12:39:30

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WildJimbo - Posted - 02/16/2010:  12:57:25

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...and there's also the "Flaming Banjos" release.

Wayne Holcombe - Posted - 02/16/2010:  13:18:45

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Whats the songs on the Flaming Banjos album ???


Isn't that Roger Sprung's banjo in the middle of the cluster????

WildJimbo - Posted - 02/16/2010:  13:47:14

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Songs are...

...on the cover. :)

Same cuts as the Banjos on Fire LP.

The "set" I have includes an LP called Wild Oats. I'll try and get a picture of it posted this evening.

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Edited by - WildJimbo on 02/16/2010 13:51:49

Wayne Holcombe - Posted - 02/16/2010:  15:03:52

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The cuts on the album are what is on the ON FIRE album.It says double album so what is on the double part?
Not trying to be snide,.Just curious.
Wayne

5stringpicker2 - Posted - 02/16/2010:  17:01:14

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Sweet album, I have several copies of it. every time I see one I buy it. My Grand Mother got my first copy for me in the 60s.

(I )===='---<::)

WildJimbo - Posted - 02/16/2010:  18:15:22

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quote:

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Originally posted by Wayne Holcombe

The cuts on the album are what is on the ON FIRE album.It says double album so what is on the double part?
Not trying to be snide,.Just curious.
Wayne

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The double part is the Wild Oats record.

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Edited by - WildJimbo on 02/16/2010 18:29:41

banjer5 - Posted - 02/16/2010:  18:37:34

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I have a copy of the "Flaming Banjos" LP too and always wondered who was the banjo picker. It is definitely some fine picking. I must have had that LP for close to 40 years.
Fred

WildJimbo - Posted - 02/16/2010:  22:11:06

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I hate to be pushy, but it's more than just "sounds like". Don't take my word for it. Go list to the clips I posted.

Open this one from the HOMER album: toolrocket.com/jim/banjo/homer...races.mp3

Scroll to about 1:45 and listen to the banjo break...

Now open this one from a KNOWN recording of Buck Trent: toolrocket.com/jim/banjo/homer/02Cindy.mp3

Go back and listen to both, back to back. Listen closely to the backup too.

While you're at it listen to the "trouble spots" you'll hear them. They happen in the same places on both recordings.

Anyway... I can't force anyone to believe it, but it's Buck.

Thing is, for years I speculated. Wondered, but was pretty well convinced it was Buck Trent. However, once I purchased Buck's LPs from the early 60's - Sound of a 5-String Banjo and Sound of a Bluegrass Banjo - I went scrambling for my copy of Homer and the Barnstormers. I played them back to back, song after song, and doing so confirmed my long held belief that it was indeed Buck.

Funny though, when I first got a copy of Homer back when I was learning to play my Dad told me that the banjo player had to be Buck Trent. So when I got the other records years later and finally convinced myself I couldn't wait to show Dad. He just looked at me like I was silly and said, "I told you that 30 years ago." I should know to listen to my Dad by now, eh?

As for the Wild Oats recording... sigh, not particularly Wild. The pants are nice though. ;)

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Edited by - WildJimbo on 02/16/2010 22:17:54

banjer5 - Posted - 02/17/2010:  04:47:45

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Yep, The "Wild Oats" shoulda been called "Wild Pants".

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Edited by - banjer5 on 02/17/2010 04:48:40

dbrooks - Posted - 02/17/2010:  04:59:06

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I too had this album in the 60's. I always thought that Buck Trent did a lot of the banjo work on there. I was a regular viewer of the Saturday evening country music shows -- Flatt and Scruggs and the Porter Wagoner Show (with Norma Jean before Dolly made her debut). It just always sounded like Buck's playing.

I'll be the first to admit that I was just learning about the music and players, so I never considered myself an authority, It's interesting that this album is still attracting listeners.

David

Wayne Holcombe - Posted - 02/17/2010:  05:41:37

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Now if we can only get Buck to admit to being Homer.
Wayne

WildJimbo - Posted - 02/17/2010:  08:12:59

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quote:

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Originally posted by Wayne Holcombe

Now if we can only get Buck to admit to being Homer.
Wayne

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There was a thread - long since gone - where someone had actually contacted Buck. He neither confirmed or denied being Homer, but did make the comment (or something to the effect) of whoever it was he sure sounded a lot like him...

I'm also fairly convinced that the recording was done with the same musicians - and likely the same studio - as his "Sound of a 5-String Banjo" LP.

Forrest - Posted - 02/17/2010:  08:21:59

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That was me. I emailed Buck through his web site and got a response from his agent. The agent asked him and per the return email, Buck replied that he couldn't remember doing that album, but whoever it was sure sounded a lot like him.

I'll see if I can dig that email up somewhere.

scaggs7 - Posted - 02/17/2010:  10:08:06

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I have that LP also .
When did it come out..63-64 ?

WildJimbo - Posted - 02/17/2010:  11:04:31

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quote:

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Originally posted by scaggs7

I have that LP also .
When did it come out..63-64 ?

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Homer and the Barnstormers came out on the Somerset label (SF-195) in 1963.

Charles Trent's "The Sound of a 5-String Banjo" was recorded in 1962. It was released under the Smash label that was distributed by Mercury - the jacket says Smash but the label on the record says Mercury.

After listening to these recordings again today it makes me wonder if the Homer recordings were not alternate takes that Buck or someone wanted released but maybe couldn't due to label contract restrictions... there I go speculating.

WildJimbo - Posted - 02/17/2010:  11:08:20

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Oh.. for those that might not have the Homer record: basementrug.com/697

Mike Casey - Posted - 02/17/2010:  16:04:03

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I bought a copy of this in the mid 60's and it is still one of my favorites. I love the tuner work on Grandfather's Clock. I would not be surprised if it was Buck Trent. I used to watch the old Flat and Scruggs and the Porter Waggoner TV shows. I loved to hear Buck take on a song with all the tuner effects. I would be surprised to learn that Speck Rhodes was playing the banjo on Five String Banjos On Fire.

fiddleedee - Posted - 03/16/2010:  09:15:10

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I spoke with Roger Sprung recently about that album. He said that those are, indeed, his banjos (all three) on the cover photo. He said that the photo was taken by George Pickow, Jean Ritchie's husband. The story Roger related is that they dug a hole in a field and set the banjos down in the hole, then lit some lighter fluid about four feet in front of the banjos and took a long shot (with a telephoto lens) to get the fire to look like it's under the banjos.

He also says that neither he nor George knows who is playing on the album. There is an interesting discussion in this month's Bluegrass Unlimited's "Notes & Queries" column about about bluegrass albums from the early sixties that have artists and bands recording under pseudonyms (pg. 18). It seems it was the thing to do back then.

Roger has since sold all but the center banjo, which he still plays.

jbrbanjo - Posted - 04/12/2010:  10:38:09

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I am with you, WildJimbo. 100% sure this is Buck Trent !