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Perry Botkin (Sr.) - Beverly Hillbillies Guitarist

JSngry

By JSngry
in Miscellaneous Music

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JSngry Grand Master

JSngry

Posted
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perry_botkin-botkinjr.jpg

I've been surfing into the BH reruns on TV Land, the early ones, and the guitar musics that I'd been hearing since back in the day (Day One, really, isnce this was a staple in our family's viewing for years, and even now it's a favorite recreational view) finally jumped out and grabbed me by the earballs and told me that whoever was resposible for it was some kinda bad muffalucker. There were all kinds of "jazz" influences in the tunes & playing that I'd always just heard and disregarded that now for some reason caught my ear as the work of somebody who was putting a lot more into sitcom music than they really needed to, if you know what I mean

Turns out it was a cat named Perry Botkin, and turns out that he was indeed a serious player.

Y'all probably know all this already, but just in case not, check it out:

http://bakeyandbetty.com/botkin.html

http://www.uwyo.edu/news/showrelease.asp?id=712

"Elly May's Theme" is a classic (it's as cheesey as it can be, but totally in sync with its function, and oh by the way, tell me this cat wasn't into Tatum) but listen to the shows where he plays (it appears he only did the first two seasons), and come to find out, there's all kinds of crazyass shit going on.

Edited by JSngry
Joe G Newbie

Joe G

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How interesting! You know, I really like that photo. Not just for the instruments (mandocello! and dig that harp guitar back there), but for the almost childlike look on his face.

7/4 Newbie

7/4

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Michael Hedges used them:

muso_micheal_hedges3.jpgmuso_micheal_hedges2.jpg

Pat Metheny is credited with using a 15 string harp guitar on Watercolors, but there's no photo. Here's the one he plays now:

metheny-xguit3-2.jpg

JSngry Grand Master

JSngry

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Back to Botkin, if anybody's listened to the "Elly May Theme" on the first link aobve, what instrument is he using for the high-pitched, Tatum-esque fills? I don't think it's a double-speed tape thing, not after seing all the instrument in that photo...

And really, if you can at all stomach The beverly Hillbillies, go to TV LAnd sometimes and watch a few of those early shows w/Botkin's music. Pretty interesting...

Joe G Newbie

Joe G

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Back to Botkin, if anybody's listened to the "Elly May Theme" on the first link aobve, what instrument is he using for the high-pitched, Tatum-esque fills? I don't think it's a double-speed tape thing, not after seing all the instrument in that photo...

I tend to think it is a double-speed tape thing. I can't imagine how they did it, but I'm not well-versed on those techniques. Floating around in my mind is the memory of having heard some weird organ group thing that featured the same kind of sound... I was riding home from a gig with Jim ... I wonder if we were listening to Larzaro's show...

7/4 Newbie

7/4

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Back to Botkin, if anybody's listened to the "Elly May Theme" on the first link aobve, what instrument is he using for the high-pitched, Tatum-esque fills? I don't think it's a double-speed tape thing, not after seing all the instrument in that photo...

I tend to think it is a double-speed tape thing. I can't imagine how they did it, but I'm not well-versed on those techniques.

Sounds like speed up guitar, Perry imitating Les Paul.

How did they do it? On my Dad's Tandberg reel to reel, the difference in tape speed is one octave. Record at the slower speed, play it back at regular speed and you have an octave higher guitar.

7/4 Newbie

7/4

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Getting it to play back in time would seem to be the tricky part.

I think so too. Of course this didn't stop me from playing around with this when I was 15. :)

JSngry Grand Master

JSngry

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Yeah, the pitch doubles, that part is easy. It's getting the articulation(s) to sound natural that's a bear...

So, no chance of this being something like an electric mandolin or anything?

JSngry Grand Master

JSngry

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Getting it to play back in time would seem to be the tricky part.

I think so too. Of course this didn't stop me from playing around with this when I was 15. :)

Same here, the phrasing has to be almost metronomically anal to make it work. But the real pros can do that.

It's really the articulation that'll bring you down. You gotta think in a different speed than you're playinjg.

  • 3 months later...
Neal Pomea Newbie

Neal Pomea

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I think someone is referring to Jethro Bodine the character on the show and another is referring to Jethro Burns the mandolin player who indeed could play jazz beyond his playing with the comedy act Homer and Jethro. I have an album called S'Wonderful with Jethro Burns on mandolin and Joe Venuti on violin, Eldon Shamblin of Bob Wills' Texas Playboys on electric lead guitar and a steel guitarist whose name I can't remember.

JSngry Grand Master

JSngry

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I was referring to the Jethro in Homer And..., not Max Baer Jr. - and wondering how we know he is not the one playing on the soundtrack -

Perry used an ampex recorder and a 52 les paul for that.

I received a PM from bakeyweymann. He says he's the host of the site that carries the sample, the photos, and all that, so I'm guessing he oughta know.

But fersure, Jethro Burns could play!

  • 10 years later...
AndrewH Newbie

AndrewH

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I'll go for the world record of resurrecting a zombie thread here. There was some discussion on how Perry Botkin Sr did the high pitched part of the song. Some wondered if it was sped up tape and some wondered if it was an instrument. The answer is it was sped up to double speed because if you slow the song down by half the sped up part sounds like a normal guitar. I covered it a few years back and posted it on YouTube with all the parts in the video for fun. So I post the cover of it here for fun and thought some of you might be interested and enjoy it.

 

AndrewH Newbie

AndrewH

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2 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Elly May from Down Under, I have no idea how to thank you!

Haha - I thought you might like that JSngry - I also admire Perry Botkin Sr of course!

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