The Original "Farewell Party"

[Ricky Davis]

Never forget; the original in 1968, sung by Johnny Bush with the great Jimmy Day on Intro and Solo; I tabbed out after we buried Jimmy Day in 1999(RIP)

https://youtu.be/wibwO0TIciM
[tab]
Farewell Party 1 (Jimmy Day)/steel intro/key of F/E9th pedal steel

(C) (C7) (F)
1._____________|_______________|________________13|______________|
2._____________|______13____13_|_13~~~~~__________|______________|
3._13__________|____________13b|_13b~13~__________|______________|
4._13_15___13__|_______________|__________________|_13~~~~~~~~~~~|8
5.____15~a_13~a|_13___13~a__13a|_13a~13~_13~13a~~~|______________|
6._____________|_13b__13b______|_________13b~~~~~~|_13___________|8b
7._____________|_______________|__________________|______________|
8._____________|_13L___________|_________13L~~~~~~|______________|
9._____________|_______________|__________________|______________|
10.____________|_______________|__________________|_13~~a~13~a~13|8~a
[/tab]

[tab]
Farewell Party (Jimmy Day)I have to say; this was very difficult for me, both emotionally
and mentally. How do you tab such emotion. Jimmy Day was known
for the best "feel" player and it is very hard to write down all
the inflections and emotion, he puts in playing around, and through
the measures of time, and song. As I, and all of Jimmys' family and
friends said our last goodbyes to this wonderful man; "Farewell Party"
played by "Jimmy Day"; was the last song we heard at his funeral.
I did shed tears on that very sad day. And I have to say; tears were
shed today as I listened along and tried to capture the most emotional
steel player in history. I miss you Jimmy Day.
Ricky Davis


Farewell party(Jimmy Day)steel break/key of F/E9th pedal steel


(F) (Bb)
1.___________|______________|_______________|__________6|
2.___________|______________|_______________|___________|
3.___________|______________|_______________|___________|
4.____6~~~7~~|~8____~10~~8~~|_______________|_______6___|
5._8a_6~a~7a~|~8~a__~10~~8~a|_6~~~8~a___6a~6|_6~~~~____6|
6._8b_6b~~7b~|~8b___________|_6b~~8b____6b~~|_6b~6~_6___|
7.___________|______________|_______________|___________|
8.___________|______________|_6L~~8_________|___________|
9.___________|______________|_______________|___________|
10.__________|______________|_______________|___________|
(F) (F)

1._____________|________________|_______________|__________|
2._____________|________________|_______________|__________|
3._6___________|________________|_______________|__________|
4._6__8~~~~~7R~|~8~~~~__________|_8~~~__~10~~8~~|_________8|
5._6__8a~~~~7a~|~8a~~~__8a~7a~8a|_8~a~__~10~~8~a|_____8~a~~|
6.____8~b~~~7b~|~8b~~~__8b~7b~8b|_8b~~__________|_8b_______|
7._____________|________________|_______________|__________|
8._____________|________________|_______________|_8___8~~~~|
9._____________|________________|_______________|__________|
10.____________|________________|_______________|_8a_______|
(D) (Daug) (G)

1.________________|________________|_________10______|
2.______8______8~~|________________|_________________|
3._____________8b~|________________|_________________|
4._______________8|______________10|_10~~~~______10~_|
5._8a~~___8a______|_10~~~_10~1/2a~~|_10a~~~______10~a|
6.___8~___8~8b____|_10~~~_10~~~~~~~|_10~b~~______10b~|
7.________________|________________|_________________|
8._8~~~___8_______|_10_____________|_________________|
9.________________|_______10~~~~~~~|_________________|
10._______________|________________|_________________|
(G7) (C) (G)

1.__________________|______________________|_______________________|
2._8~8~~6_________2_|_1~~~~~__15___________|_______________________|
3.__________________|______________________|_______________________|
4.________3~~__2____|________________15~~~~|_10~~_____10___________|
5._8~8a~6_3~3a_2a_2_|_1~~15~a_15a~15 15~15a|_10a~_____10~a_10a~8a~8|
6._8~8b~6_3~3b_2b_2b|_1b~15b_________15b~~~|_10~b_10b_10b__10b~8b~~|
7.__________________|______________________|_______________________|
8.__________________|______________________|_______________10~~8L~~|
9.__________________|______________________|_______________________|
10._________________|______________________|_______________________|
(D) (D7) (G)

1.___________|_______________|____________|_______________
2._______8___|_______________|____________|_______________
3.___________|_______________|____________|_______________
4.__________8|_____________5~|_3~__3~~~~~~|_______________
5._8~8a~~~~~~|_10~a________5a|____________|_3~~3a~~5a~~6a~
6._8~~~~~~~~~|_10~~___5~5b~~~|_3~__3b~3~3b|_3b~~~~~5b~~6~~
7.___________|_______________|____________|_______________
8._8~~~~~~~~~|_______________|____________|_______________
9.___________|_10~~__________|____________|_______________
10.__________|_______________|_3~__3a~3~3a|_______________
[/tab]
Jimmy Day
January 9, 1934-January 22, 1999

[Paul King]

Thanks Ricky. I knew it was recorded before and it sure made a big hit for Gene Watson. I will go to that link and give it a listen. I am sure it is a great recording as well.

[Ricky Davis]

Thanks Paul; I was just reminding everyone of the "Also" legendary steel players influence of that song.
Of Course Lloyd being one of my Long time mentors; was Jimmy's Best man and his wedding and Jimmy was Lloyd Green's best man at his wedding; and Jimmy was also one of my long time mentors.
It goes without saying: "There is Lloyd and there is Jimmy; there is Jimmy and there is Lloyd".
Ricky

[Paul King]

I never knew that about their weddings. Both men could play extremely well.

[Joe Krumel]

Thanks so much Ricky,love and respect the history.

[Ron Funk]

A great series of changes in the first bar of 3rd line of Jimmy Day's solo.

Thanks Ricky

[Jonathan Reynolds]

Did Little Jimmy Dickens record Farewell Party before Johnny Bush? Just curious.

[Ricky Davis]

Yes the Song was written by Lawton Williams. Lawton had the original recording in 1960. Little Jimmy Dickens recorded the song in 1961 and there were many many recorded versions of that very song; including instrumental versions through all the years till current.
What I posted was Johnny Bush original recording with Jimmy Day on pedal steel.
Ricky

[Rick Campbell]

Great playing and singing. The rumba beat (or whatever it is) on the choruses feels out of place to my ears, but I suppose they had a reason to do it.

RC

[Dana Blodgett]

Thank you Ricky!