Ralph Mooney & Waylon

Josh Moss · Post by **Josh Moss** » 5 Jul 2021 6:13 pm

Man, these 2 could throw it down. Waylon with Mooney was the best.

"Louisiana Women" (live in Texas 1975)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_4mrX794ZM

Paul King · Post by **Paul King** » 6 Jul 2021 6:36 am

I always said Ralph Mooneys style fit Waylon perfect. They were a great combination.

Ken Mizell · Post by **Ken Mizell** » 22 Jul 2021 8:57 am

Mooney is one of my all time favorites, from the early Buck Owens days (58-60), through Wynn Stewart, Merle Haggard, and on to Waylon. I love all of it. I believe the era when Moon was with Waylon was some of the best of all. Moon was kind of "turned loose" with Waylon, from fast picking to some beautiful slow stuff, like "The Last Letter" and "Couple More Years." The ain't nobody like Ralph Mooney.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 22 Jul 2021 10:33 am

Mooney with James Burton on some of those old Capitol sessions was some of the most exciting pedal steel playing I ever heard. Check out Wynn Stewart's 'Man, Man, Mr Sandman'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D6kAZc17kQ

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 22 Jul 2021 11:26 am

hi Roger!
Wikipedia lists Clarence White and Roy Nichols (also Tommy Collins and Bobby George) as the guitar players on Something Pretty, which is the album that features Man Mr. Sandman. it sure sounds like Clarence to me, pre-B-bender. great stuff!

by Wynn's next album, Clarence had the bender and used it on this one (Ralph's on it too): https://youtu.be/m0MsHU3TLsE

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 22 Jul 2021 11:35 am

I don't want to name-drop but I had a conversation with JB about that track. He said it was him!

Stylistically, it could be either James or Clarence but not, in my opinion, anyway, Roy Nicholls. We'll never know - two of the three proponents are sadly departed.

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 23 Jul 2021 11:19 am

I had a conversation with Al Perkins once who told me JB had taken credit for Al's steel break on Ooh Las Vegas, so... I'm sticking with Clarence

Colin Swinney · Post by **Colin Swinney** » 23 Jul 2021 11:50 am

I just got hip to Burton and Mooneys “Corn Pickin and Slick Slidin”, what a record! I think this ones my favorite.

https://youtu.be/k7d4_bduO2w

I also thought it was pretty interesting when I learned the intro to Waylons “Rainy Day Woman” was the same as Wynns “Big, Big Love”. I guess Ralph figured if he was going to rip someone off, it might as well be the best… himself!

https://youtu.be/16oMP_r5Q8M

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 24 Jul 2021 1:08 pm

Colin- check out the song Run Away I posted a couple entries up. it's got the same intro too!

Colin Swinney · Post by **Colin Swinney** » 24 Jul 2021 6:02 pm

Haha, that is too funny Scott. My band does Rainy Day Woman and it's definitely my favorite one to play, I totally get wanting to fit those licks in where ever they could go.