Help with Looney Tunes Steel

Dyke Corson · Post by **Dyke Corson** » 8 Jul 2003 10:49 am

Does anyone know who did the steel work on old "Looney Tunes" cartoons, especially the Roadrunner ones? I seem to remember Speedy West being mentioned as one of the players. Did they ever play on the background/theme music, or was it just for sound effects? Thanks in advance!

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 8 Jul 2003 11:17 am

I think it was Freddy Tavares. Brett Day, Emmons S-10, Morrell lapsteel

George Rozak · Post by **George Rozak** » 8 Jul 2003 1:37 pm

I have to agree with Brett about Freddie. I seem to especially remember Freddie being credited with the first long note intro on the original "Loony Tune" tune.

George

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Sho-Bud: Professional & Fingertip

Gary Jones · Post by **Gary Jones** » 8 Jul 2003 1:56 pm

Ernie Ball told me that he had done some of the steel work on the Warner Bros cartoons. I know he was doing sessions around LA around that time, playing a Bigsby. Last time I spoke with Bobbe Seymour he told me that he has sold Ernie's old Bigsby 2 or 3 times.

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Gary Jones, KLVX - Trying to keep it straight amongst the Gilded Palaces of Sin

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 8 Jul 2003 3:36 pm

Brett wins.
Maybe Earnest Bovine will post the Looney Tunes steel cue chart again.
But it was Earnest's introduction of the chart as a challenge, that you have to stay in shape to meet the demands of LA session work that had me ROTFLMAO.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 8 Jul 2003 3:49 pm

The steel guitar chord-slur, which is heard in the "Looney Toons" theme, is generally attributed to Freddie Tavares. (Freddie was one of the R&D guys at Fender from '53-'64 who helped to design their Stratocaster and Fender bass, by the way.) I think this theme was first recorded in the early '40s. The Roadrunner didn't come along until almost 1950, so other steelers may well have done tracks on some of his cartoons (most of which were done in the '50s and early '60s).

Bob Watson · Post by **Bob Watson** » 8 Jul 2003 10:56 pm

[This message was edited by Bob Watson on 09 July 2003 at 12:06 AM.]

Bob Watson · Post by **Bob Watson** » 8 Jul 2003 11:04 pm

Dyke, I seem to remember being at the Steel Convention in St. Louis, probably the era when it was at the Chase Park Plaza, where Speedy West mentioned during his spot that he had played on some of the Looney Tunes sessions. I also remember Herbie Remington doing some "special effects" during his spot that year, in particular I remember him mimicking the sound of a chimpanze laughing. Evidently there were a few different steel players who played these sessions. As mentioned before, I bet Mr. Bovine would have the answer to your question. [This message was edited by Bob Watson on 09 July 2003 at 12:09 AM.]

Michael Brebes · Post by **Michael Brebes** » 9 Jul 2003 5:47 am

Here's the post with Earnest's Looney Tunes cue sheet. http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum15/HTML/003526.html

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 9 Jul 2003 6:24 am

Thanx, Michael!

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 9 Jul 2003 9:34 am

I bet Mr. Bovine would have the answer to your question.

OK, but what is the question?
I think it is this: Is the steel guitar a musical instrument, or is it merely a toy, a joke, and a sound effect?
In my experience at Warner Brothers, the steel guitar is a respected member of the orchestra. Its contribution to underscoring proudly builds upon the tradition of Bernard Herrmann and David Raksin. I know that I confer a great dignitude upon our profession with every featured solo, as when character gets tossed into a giant rubber band and is flung into the stratosphere like a slingshot.

P Gleespen · Post by **P Gleespen** » 9 Jul 2003 10:21 am

Dignitude!!!

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 9 Jul 2003 12:36 pm

Dyke Corson · Post by **Dyke Corson** » 9 Jul 2003 2:23 pm

Thanks for all the replies! I guess the real question(s) are who were the players, and were they just used for the sound effects, or did they actually play some music in the background songs on the cartoons? This is all because this Sunday in church the sermon has to do with the Roadrunner, Looney Tunes, etc. and my wife (praise band leader)and the pastor want to incorporate some steel guitar (me) and some steel guitar history into the church service. So, thanks for all the help!!

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 9 Jul 2003 3:18 pm

I suppose I'm as guilty as the next guy with making little tweety bird noises and "dog whistles" above the 24th, and stupid whale mating calls....

So shoot me....

Seriously though as I'm forced to watch old WB cartoons a lot, I notice TONS of little noises, walking, climbing, water drips, fret grating sawing noises, Boioioioinngggs that are just PRICELESS. The bowed saw parts are just beyond words too. I wonder if there's any on Ebay for under 4 grand...Musical Saws

I doubt if theres a lot of tablature for them. I'd think that chord and tuning problems would be a little easier to deal with though...

EJL[This message was edited by Eric West on 09 July 2003 at 04:19 PM.]

Dave Horch · Post by **Dave Horch** » 9 Jul 2003 9:09 pm

I think a lot of the Looney Tunes musical influence was from the Spike Jones School of Musical Comedy. Like the (Jones band) guy who would gargle the theme from the Blue Danube, or the trombone player who’s trousers would slide down in direct correlation to the position of the trombone slide position – but in reverse!. Great fun stuff.

Dignitude!

Best, -Dave[This message was edited by Dave Horch on 09 July 2003 at 10:24 PM.]

Dyke Corson · Post by **Dyke Corson** » 15 Jul 2003 9:43 pm

Thanks for all the replies!! We did the Looney Tunes theme several times in church last Sunday, mostly before and after video clips that were used in the sermon. I played the parts from Mr. Bovine's chart!

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 16 Jul 2003 3:52 am

I had a gig here with the Atlanta Symphony a couple of years ago. There was a group of guys traveling the country doing a wonderful concert using the videos of the old Warner Brothers cartoons and PLAYING THE MUSIC LIVE!!!! You talking about hard as heck!!
Anyway I got a call to do the gig on steel guitar. So I packed up a little lap steel that I had made and go to the afternoon rehearsal for the gig that night. My job was to play that glissando on steel before every cartoon and then the orchestra came in. Then all I had to do was sit back and watch the cartoon and listen to a 100 piece orchestra play---and then get paid!!! Cool gig.

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 16 Jul 2003 7:47 am

Yes, that show is called "Bugs Bunny On Broadway" and it was conceived and conducted by George Daugherty. The original cartoons are projected on a giant screen, and they play the original dialog and sound effects tracks, while the orchestra plays live to a click track. Everybody wore headphones when I did it altho I think they tried some shows where only a few people wore them.
And of course, playing the steel guitar is the best gig since you just make a funny noise and then sit around watching cartoons while all the other musicians work. But there is definitely some pressure since you must keep track of whether there are 4 ,6, or 8 free clicks before you play, and you MUST hear that first one, or else the whole thing will be a click late!
They could not find the original written parts at Warners so they had to do "takedowns" meaning listen to the old shows and write out all the parts.
They took about 6 musicians on the road and used local players. The show was on Broadway (NY) for a few weeks, and also across North America and the Far East. I played some of the first shows (San Diego and LA) but of course it didn't take long for them to figure out that they don't need an actual steel guitarist to do a sound effect. The principal second violinist, who did many of the takedowns and traveled with the show, told me that he bought an old lapsteel in a pawnshop and did those sounds himself for most of the shows.
Who can forget
"The Rabbit Of Seville", (Elmer Fudd gets a hare-cut)
"What's Opera, Doc?" (the entire Ring cycle and more in 7 minutes)
"High Note" (animated musical notation)
"Long Haired Hare" (Bugs spells Leopold and destroys the Hollywood Bowl)
etc

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 16 Jul 2003 11:54 am

(Thanx, Earnest!)