The Nashville A-Team

Nashville A-Team is the name of studio musicians of varying composition, which played in the recording studios of Nashville between 1956 and about 1978 in the background of the famous artist.

General

Until 1946, the majority of recording sessions for country music in New York or Chicago were denied. Only in that year was built in Nashville as the first recording studio, Castle Studio of three radio technicians of the transmitter WSM. After the recording studios sprang up. Increasingly, the focus shifted to the production of country music to Nashville. Just the 16th Avenue South as part of the famous Music Row of Nashville today is home to 23 studios and music publishers, the city made ​​together with the music producers and session musicians to the center of American country music. For a time, the musicians were so busy that they hardly found for the night. In 1955, when the Owen Bradley Studios opened, the Music Row is the epitome of the based in Nashville music industry.

Earliest meeting individual members of the Session crew were seen the recordings of 28 December 1953 Ray Price ( Grady Martin, Rusty Gubbard, Don Helms, Bob Moore, Farris Coursey ). On May 30, 1955 playing for Eddy Arnold, the musicians Hank Garland, Ernest Newton and Farris Coursey, the day after Garland / Harman at Jim Reeves. On September 15, 1955, Garland, Grady Martin gathered, Lightnin ' Chance and Harman at Roy Hall for the original of There's A Lotta Whola Shakin' Goin 'On. Garland and opportunity accompanied Faron Young on January 15, 1956, from April 27, 1956 Garland, Chance, Chet Atkins and Buddy Harman were represented. Marty Robbins took their help on March 13, 1956 (El Paso, April 7, 1959) to complete. Jimmy Newman relied on their services from March 1956.

The individual studio musicians were experienced instrumentalists. Hank Garland took himself as a performer since May 1949 plates in Nashville. Bob Moore took already on 14 October 1949 as a 17 -year-old participated in recording sessions for the Country singer Little Jimmy Dickens. Grady Martin finally already played guitar in the million-seller Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy by Red Foley, added on November 7, 1949.

The A-Team and the Nashville Sound

The Nashville sound began according to the majority opinion on 7 November 1956, when Ferlin Husky recorded his country hit Gone. The song has all the characteristics of the Nashville sound, ie no violins and no steel guitars, but with a background choir. However, also included those songs to the Nashville sound, which fiddles and steel guitar could be heard. In huskies recording session on December 2, 1957 represented Hank Garland ( guitar), Floyd " Lightnin ' " Chance ( bass) and Buddy Harman (drums) represented. Discernible sound delivered not only the recording studios and the recording technology, music producers and performers, but also the professional working session musician in almost the same composition.

Brenda Lee resorted to the services of the A teams already at their first recording session on July 30, 1956 back ( Jambalaya, on 12 April 1957 for Dynamite ). Bobby Helms hired Garland, Grady Martin, Ray Edenton, Bob Moore, Buddy Harman and Owen Bradley on April 25, 1956. On his first number -one hit Miss (15 November 1956) this session musicians were also present. The country duo Rusty & Doug ( Kershaw ) attacked on Atkins, Garland and Cramer first time back on November 8, 1956. In Bobby Darin LP session on May 6, 1957 Garland, Moore and Ferris were Coursey (drums) present, although it is more likely attributable to This pop music. As of July 12, 1957 they were represented at Carl Smith, Little Jimmy Dickens at from 4 März 1957. Oh Lonesome Me / I Can not Stop Loving You by Don Gibson on December 3, 1957 was a classic example of the Nashville sound. The Browns were accompanied by members of the A-Team on 1 June 1959 with their worldwide hit Three Bells. As of September 18, 1959 members of the A- team played alternately with the hits of Roy Orbison. They accompanied as Bill Anderson, Carl Dobkins Jr. ( My Heart is an Open Book, November 7, 1958), Ronnie Self ( 16 February 1957), Roger Miller ( from 13 December 1958 King of the Road of 3 November 1964 ) and Johnny Horton ( Sink the Bismarck, January 7, 1960).

At Country legend Don Gibson can be measured as consistent members of the A- Team had participated in the recording sessions. Alone Grady Martin took with Don Gibson at least 64 sessions in part, continuously from April 30, 1958 to November 15, 1977. Buddy Harman was even involved in at least 79 sessions to 24 November 1980. Bassist Bob Moore brought it to at least 22 sessions until March 27, 1973 Increasingly, came in the loose connection of the A - team dynamics, as existing members with new instrumentalists -. Were replaced - usually age-related. Bobby Dyson about took over the role of bassist Bob Moore to 25 July 1978. These personnel changes also caused a gradual change of the Nashville Sounds.

Statistics and members

The core of the A- team was recognized over the years for the following instrumentalists:

• Guitar: Grady Martin, Hank Garland, Jerry Kennedy, Ray Edenton (also mandolin, ukulele and banjo), Harold Bradley, Paul Yandell, Pete Wade, Norman Blake, Jimmy Capps, Fred Carter Jr., Jimmy Colvard;
• Mandolin: Jethro Burns;
• Bass Guitar: Bob Moore, Joe Osborn, Ernie Newton, Henry Strzelecki, Junior Huskey, Floyd " Lightnin ' " Chance;
• Drums: Buddy Harman, Jerry Carrigan, Ferris Coursey, Larrie Londin;
• Keyboards: Floyd Cramer, Owen Bradley, Hargus " Pig" Robbins;
• Fiddle: Tommy Jackson, Johnny Gimble, Buddy Spicher, Dale Potter, Vassar Clements, Brenton Banks;
• Steel Guitar: Pete Drake, Jerry Byrd, Buddy Emmons, Ralph Mooney, Lloyd Green, Buck West, Shot Jackson, Jerry Kennedy, Maurice Anderson;
• Saxophone: Boots Randolph;
• Harmonica: Charlie McCoy;
• Harp: Mary Alice HÖPFINGER;
• Violin: Howard Carenter, Lilian Van Hunt and Brenton Banks;
• Trumpet: Carl Garvin (trumpet / clarinet), Danny Davis and William McElhiney;
• Background choir: The Jordanaires, The Anita Kerr Singers, The Hardin Trio

Alone drummer Buddy Harman was present at around 17,000 recording sessions. He can be heard at the evergreens Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel ) and Oh, Pretty Woman ( Roy Orbison ), Cathy's Clown ( The Everly Brothers) or King of the Road ( Roger Miller). Overall, the core consisted of just 50 people ( without background choirs ).

End of the A - Team

Beginning of the seventies brought " outlaws " like Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson more back country music back to its original roots, familiar rarer over the employed producers and attacked increasingly on their own studio musicians back, especially by the almost unchanged permanent group of people the recordings on the years had lost its individuality and dynamism. Thus, the Nashville sound lost while his musical dominance of one, but the music world remained fragmentary. The age of the leading Nashville Sounds was about 1980 to the end, especially as the instrumentalists come by once in the years or had already died ( Grady Martin † 2001, Hank Garland † 2004, Buddy Harman † 2008). Some musical approaches were preserved until today.