Stan Paregien, Editor
In the late 1940s and early 1950s Speedy West was the hottest thing going. His style, and that of guitarist Jimmy Bryant on the recordings of Tennessee Ernie Ford and Kay Starr, captured the listening public. Most could recognize the lead guitar sounds, but Speedy's aggressive and explosive delivery was truly different and unforgettable.
Capitol quickly asked the two to record as soloist's, as well as a duo. And record sales? No other mainstream instrumentalists sold as they did at that time! Bryant, a transplanted Georgian, played a Fender Broadcaster, one of the first solid-body guitars. West, from Missouri, played pedal steel. Together, they created a sort of manic country bebop -- think of them as the Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie of country music.
Speedy West sent a nice Martin guitar to his dad to repay him for the kindness of giving up his Gibson.
Leo Fender began updates and innovations on his amplifiers, and West was one of his favorite guinea pigs. “Leo would give me an amp to record or play a job with, and I would report back with improvements. I had one of the first Fender Twins and I told Leo I wanted JBL speakers in it. Leo had used Jensens only up ’til this point, about 1952. So I got one of the first Fender Twins and had two 12" JBLs put in it, over the objection of Don Randall at Fender, who said, ‘If we do that for Speedy, everyone will want that.’”
It would be nearly 10 more years before Fender would offer JBLs in a production amp. West says he never played an amp that sounded better for steel than a Fender Twin with JBLs. And he never paid for another amp or steel guitar or picks or strings or thumbpicks the rest of his life.
In 1952, Les Paul himself talked Capitol into not releasing West & Bryant's rendition of 'Lover.' It remained unissued until 1997, when Bear Family Records in Germany released a 4-CD box set (BCD 15956) which collects all their work as a duo in one place. You'll also hear the dazzling 'China Boy', Jimmy Bryant's early sides for Modern Records, some studio chatter and much more. It also contains photos and Richard Weize's definitive Capitol discography.
Speedy West said, “I had one of the first Standel amps ever made, Merle Travis might have had number two. It sounded great but I felt an allegiance to Leo (Fender) and took the amp back.” West continued to play his Bigsby in over 6,000 recording sessions over a five-year period. That may be an all-time record for a studio musician, playing behind such notables as Frank Sinatra, Dinah Shore, Merle Travis, Nelson Riddle, Frankie Lane, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Kay Starr, Jim Reeves, Johnny Horton, and Loretta Lynn.
In fact, in the movie Coal Miner’s Daughter, there is a character in the movie named Speedy West! “Loretta and Mooney had borrowed some money and came to L.A. to make a record. I showed up at a little hole-in-the-wall recording studio on Cauhenga Boulevard. I could see that his little lady really had her mind set on making a good recording, but the studio musicians on the session and the facility were not up to par. I told her that I could get her another recording session with the same musicians that recorded with Tennessee Ernie, to play on her session, but she had to pay these fellows for the bad session that day.”
Loretta did record the next day and it was her first hit. She and her husband took off across the country to promote the record. And the rest, as they say, is history.
After 1956, Jimmy Bryant (who was a 'hellraiser' according to Hank Penny) was dropped by Capitol Records, so Speedy cut a solo LP in 1958 ('West Of Hawaï', T 956) and then teamed up with another killer guitarist, Roy Lanham. Roy, along with Billy Strange, Billy Liebert and Rock'n'Roll/Rhythm'n'Blues drummer Earl Palmer, played on Speedy's last Capitol album in 1962, 'Guitar Spectacular' (ST 1835). The stereo copy is simply fantastic, giving true dimension to tracks like 'Double Or Nothing', 'Afternoon Of A Swan' or the magical 'Reflections From The Moon'.
By ’59, the music scene was changing, and rock and roll was taking over. West played jobs in Las Vegas, Reno, and Lake Tahoe to keep his income up. One night, Bill Carson from Fender came to see Speedy West and the Four Bs play at Sun Valley ranch. During the break, Carson asked West what he thought about Fender’s plans to open a distribution center in Oklahoma. This was the first West had heard of it, and Carson intimated they didn’t have anyone to run the center. This set West’s mind to working.
About 2 a.m., he woke his wife and asked her what she thought of the idea of moving to Oklahoma. They discussed it and decided it might be good to be nearer their families in Missouri. Soon, the Wests were in Tulsa. The center was a success, and eventually served 4,400 dealers in 37 states.
CBS bought out Fender in 1966 and by 1969 had planned to move all distribution back to California. CBS wanted West to move back and take over worldwide distribution. As moving day drew near, West had a change of heart. He just couldn’t go back to the concrete jungle. Fender moved back but West and his second wife, Mary, stayed.
Mary West was working for AVCO trailers and would bring home literature about the company’s products. West became interested in the trailers and soon had his own business on Route 66 in east Tulsa. “Trailers were a pure luxury item,” he remembers, and in 1974 things were going good. But then came the Arab oil embargo. One day he couldn’t help all the customers on the lot, the next morning, “You could have shot off a cannon and never hit nobody.” He sold the business.
Speedy West then went into business with Shirl Cummins, who also owned the Guitar House, in Tulsa. They opened a dance hall called Caravan Ballroom, where West eventually played. After a short while West sold out to Cummins. [PERSONAL NOTE: One of my wife's relatives, Peck Allen, managed the Caravan Ballroom for several years.--Stan Paregien]
Besides Speedy's fiery playing style, he was always the showman. Everybody loved him. He was always at home with a crowd. He shared the MC duties at the steel guitar conventions in St. Louis each year, often stopping the show with his zany stage antics and gift for gab. His originality is in part why he is also a Hall of Famer.
In 1981 Speedy West had a debilitating stroke. At first he was partially paralyzed, but brain surgery helped him regain use of his arms and legs. But it couldn’t help him play steel guitar. The stroke also left him with the feeling of extreme cold on the right half of his body. He still wears long underwear, even in the summer, and a brown glove on his right hand.
Today, Speedy is revered as a steel guitar pioneer. His style was like no other, and he has had few imitators. It is an understatement to say his style was unique, since his approach to the instrument seemed nearly violent with his expressive "crash-bar" technique. His tunings were even viewed as "far out" when he began playing, although he understood them perfectly.
The work of Speedy West and his long-time partner can now be found in two albums: "Stratosphere Boogie: The Flaming Guitars of Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant," and "Swingin' on the Strings: The Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant Collection, Volume 2".
Jimmy Bryant & Speedy West
Speedy West's recordings with Bryant are considered true classics, with most being Speedy's own compositions. Bryant's guitar playing seemed to be a perfect match for Speedy's flamboyant approach.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.
--- Bible: Psalm 111:10
© 2003 by Stan Paregien, Sr.
