Moore, Scotty (Scotty Moore)

If a young Scotty Moore auditioned for a movie role of a guitar hero rock n 'roll, he would, without hesitation, pointed to the door. With delicate appearance educated youths, . neatly combed hair, . bow tie and constrained manner of behavior on the stage, . 1954 Moore more like a dry cleaning worker, . whom he, . proper, . was, . than the legislator guitar modes in its direction, . whom he subsequently became,
.

However, it is this trait of trustworthiness and reliability, which external affairs of Moore's the complete opposite of Elvis, the musical was based on the expressive appeal to the King of rock 'n' roll. Perhaps, without Moore's Elvis would have remained obscure singer of country-style, while Moore probably would be who was - satisfied with their situation, valuing possible and being an excellent guitarist

. HISTORY AND ROOTS

. In retrospect, it becomes clear that the musical atmosphere of Memphis in the early 50's harbored the potential energy of the blues and country, who come to interact, like the components of nitroglycerin to cause a violent reaction
. On the one hand Beale Street, Memphis bluesmen habitats, moved the young BB King, Ike Turner and Junior Parker, and to meet them were Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Burnett

. At the same time in his company "Sun Records" producer Sam Phillips recorded this new, . energetic music separately, . in the "rhythm and blues" and "Hillbilly", . that was motivated by racial prejudice in society, . while starting dimly aware, . that somewhere between these two styles is now bonanza,
.

In this musical flow and joined guitarist, in the past - a sailor, whose name was Scotty Moore. Scotty was born in 1931. in Gadsdene, Tennessee. He first picked up the guitar when he was eight, following the example of his father and older brothers who all played music together, but, unlike them, Scotty did not give up this occupation. When he was sixteen years left to serve in the Marine, he took with him a guitar. Discharged after four years he spent on the shores of China, Japan and Korea, Scotty settled in Memphis, began working in dry cleaning from his brother.

At the same time he tries to find a use as a guitarist. After spending some time some time "alone", Moore began playing with bassist named Bill Black, who collected his first real band, "The Starlight Wranglers". Like most semi-professional teams of Memphis, "The Wranglers" played in the style of Honky-tonk, based on country, but with an admixture of blues, jumping, swing - all that the audience wanted to hear. During this period, Moore polishing technique bass moves his thumb, combined with the complex melody lines on the upper strings in the style of country music guitarists Merla Travis and his followers - Chet Atkins. But the range of his interests are not limited to country music - Moore absorbs the idea of jazz guitarists PE Farlou and Barney Kessel, a pioneer of jazz, rock and pop music Les Paul, as well as a rising blues star BB King.

In the early 50-ies in Memphis had only two prominent record labels - RPM, specializing mainly in the blues, and "Sun", recording artists of all styles. Moore realized that in order to go beyond Memphis, "The Wranglers" were supposed to release a record. He introduced himself as Sam Phillips and finally obtained permission to record for your group. Their single, released in the spring of 1954, remained completely unnoticed. However, Phillips drew attention to the quality of Moore as the competence and perseverance, and when he turned up an inexperienced young singer named Elvis Presley, appealed to Moore for help.

Presley, who was then nineteen, came to the studio to Phillips, to record a song on the birthday of his mother. Sensing that a guy can get something, Phillips again invited him to write, but could not find the right material for Presley's performing style, and in late June 1954. Moore himself has asked to see it. Moore well remembers their first meeting: "It was like for him not unfamiliar songs. I called the thing, and he once sang it, whether it was in the style of country music, pop music or any other. I also noticed, . that he has a great sense of rhythm - in singing and accompanying himself on guitar. "Although Elvis's talent was obvious, . absence of a specific repertoire is a big problem, . and Moore more hesitantly offered Phillips another sample, . this time three, . with Bill Black's bass,
.

This event, which took place July 6, 1954, still described as a "big bang" rock 'n' roll and is considered the birth of a new style in music. For Moore, this is the "explosion" was just another day in a series of everyday life as a professional musician, when they, along with Blake and Presley have tried different songs and styles in search of the repertoire. "We just do their job," - recalls Moore. "We played mostly rhythm and I have to complete the sound is sometimes added a solo phrases: We never thought that doing something out of the ordinary."

. The first was written a lyrical ballad in the style of country music "I Love You Because." If the musicians have stopped her, but today Presley if he had remembered it only as one of the sweet-army of youngsters performing banal material
. But in a break Elvis picked up his acoustic guitar and began singing in his manner of thing bluesman Arthur Crudup "That's All Right Mama". Bill Black has to play along on bass bipartite kantrovy course, and Scott added finger accompaniment on his Gibson ES-295. Hearing what is happening, Phillips ordered Trinity to start all over again, this time with dangle film. A minute and 54 seconds later the "big bang" has been completed and the history of rock 'n' roll began its countdown. Moreover, according to Sam Phillips, it never was. The trio "The Blue Moon Boys", as they called themselves, took another year and a half records, concerts and promotion on local radio stations before the Dorsey Brothers TV show presented by Elvis mass audience and started a real boom. During this "pre" period, "The Blue Moon Boys" offer the public a product ingredient is country, blues, pop and sex appeal. Scotty in his game combines style M. Travis, clear melodic lines and his own blues phrases, forming what later became "rockabilly".

Simultaneously, Moore served as manager of the group, and the names of all three participants were written on posters the same. Soon, however, the stakes have grown superficial experience in business, Scotty. At the end of 1955. Phillips sold Presley's contract with the company RCA, and with the subsequent release of "Heartbreak Hotel" Elvis was a phenomenon on a national scale. At the same time, Presley took the matter into their own hands-country producer, Colonel Tom Parker, who has separated from the Bill of Scotty and Elvis has to pay them just as the accompanying musicians.

Musically everything was much more interesting. The group added a drummer D. J. Fontana, and the records used vocal group back vocals and piano. This additional support is provided Scotti greater freedom as a guitarist. Proceeding from the idea that the main task of the group - to support the soloist, Moore created the guitar arrangements are examples of accompaniment. But when the moment comes let myself go, Moore is not afraid to stand out. His solo on "Heartbreak Hotel," "Baby Let's Play House" and especially "Hound Dog" are full of spontaneous energy.

Moore has played and recorded with Presley before and after the service of Elvis in the Army (1958), performing a great party for "Jailhouse Rock," "Too Much," "My Baby Left Me" and many other things. He also appeared in the frame in several early films with Elvis. However, while Presley was earning millions of dollars, Scotty and Bill could barely in time to make the rent, and Moore was forced to seek additional sources of income. Experience in recording Scotty sent him to study the technical side of working in the studio, first as co-owner of "Fernwood Records" (produced by Scotty Wayne Thomas hit "Tragedy"), then returning to the "Sun" to the post of manager production. Bill Black left the band for good, tasted success with his own instrumental project "The Bill Black Combo".

In 1964, Mr.. Scotty tried to follow the example of Blake's, releasing a solo album "The Guitar That Changed the World" (a modest Moore would not choose such a name without assistance). Consisting of instrumental versions of hits "The Blue Moon Boys", the plate failed miserably, and Scott was forced to postpone his performing career on the second plan. After moving to Nashville, he opened his own recording studio, "Music City Records", which dealt with the engineer and producer activities, and sometimes participated in the records Presley. Bill Black died of a brain tumor in 1965.

In 1968. Presley called the Moore and Fontana play with him for a special television show live from Las Vegas, on the return of Elvis on the big stage. After the concert, Elvis Scotty again invited to speak with him, but Moore did not see great prospects of returning to the Presley empire, that the role of the guitarist of rock 'n' roll has been firmly passed to James Burton. In 1973, Moore sold his company and began working as an independent engineer, hardly playing guitar for twenty years. Already in the early 90's he took part in several concerts with Carl Perkins, his old friend, and in 1997 wrote, finally, the disc "All the King's Men", which also played the D. J. Fontana and the whole cohort of stars - "students" Scotty - "The Band", Keith Richards, Ron Wood and Jeff Beck. Around the same time, Moore, at the insistence of his daughter, working on his autobiography (co-authored with Dr.. Dickerson) "That's Alright, Elvis: The Untold Story of Elvis's First Guitarist and Manager".

Moore has long deserved honors were rendered to him March 6, 2000, when Scott was enrolled in the Hall of Fame and Rock 'n' roll, the first in a new category "of the accompanying". Scotty properly appreciated the award, noting that he should have been accepted as a participant in "The Blue Moon Boys" - in the end, they were indeed a single group.

STYLE AND tricks

Energy first recordings on "Sun" was so great that many students felt that they involve up to six or seven musicians, whereas in fact it only made the trio "The Blue Moon Boys". This illusion has greatly contributed to Moore's style of play, combining the simultaneous performance of rhythm and melody. Sam Moore described it as: "foundation is a typical blues passages, some of which I took from Travis, and part from Atkins. I played with his thumb in combination with the other - so as to receive, in most cases using a mediator on the thumb, and the others - the usual mediator. "

. Listen carefully to all the records Scotty made at the "Sun", you catch different variations of the basic idea of "melodic rhythm, and you will see how ingenious Scotty adapted it for different tonalities, the pace and rhythm
.

Like most guitarists, formed the music "country", Moore learned that a good solo starts with a good melody. Surprisingly, many of the best solo Scotty quite accurately repeat the party Elvis departing from it only at the beginning or end. Example 3 - an excerpt from a solo Scotty "Heartbreak Hotel." As you can hear, it combines the rhythmic pattern of vocal party raw rock 'n' Roll guitar sound.

GUITAR AND EQUIPMENT

Almost all life Scotty played the guitar company Gibson. Quite a while, he switched to Fender Esquire with a whole deck, then in 1953. bought a gold hollow ES-295 odnokatushechnymi pickups P-90. On this guitar, he plays on nearly all accounts the period of "Sun". Later he changed it to L-5, a larger semi-acoustic guitar, which was used until 1957, when he finally found his "firm" tool, Super 400. Interesting, . that his first Super 400, . used in "Jailhouse Rock" and several other recordings from Presley and Moore sold for 80 dollars in the early 60's, . recently been resold at auction for $ 100,000 - an amount several times greater, . than fee, . Scotty, who earned a lifetime of writing and the performances of Presley,
.

As for amplifiers, Scotty initially used a tweed Fender Deluxe, and in 1955 became one of the first low-volume amps Ray Butts Echosonic, with whom he could transfer the studio sound of "Sun" to the stage. It was the second amplifier, produced by Echosonic (the first was made for Chet Atkins, and the third - for Carl Perkins).

To play the band's sound Scotty Moore you need a tube amp, reverb and delay pedal for the effect of "slapback" (single short repetition), but, as befits any great guitarist, their sound - especially in his hands.