Faded Love - Eldon and the Playboys

[@jerryv.397]

The Good Lord Never Created A Better Western Swing Rhythm Player Than the "Great Mr. Eldon Shamblin" The Greatest There Ever Will Be On A Guitar & His Traveling Bass Note Rhythm"".. Traveling Bass Notes "An Shamblin Original".. God Bless Mr. Eldon Always, Till We Meet""

[@jerryallaway2667]

Being a guitarist and a big fan of Bob Wills I attribute the magic sound that made the Playboys stand out more than any other band to Eldon Shamblin. He was also Bob's band manager and arrainged most of the songs. Thank you for sharing! Jerry, in Folsom Calif.

[@8roundclip]

This is phenomenal! I grew up on this music and it saddens me that it's all over now.

[@barbarakaminski1695]

Darlin, Darlin I miss you more and more. Especially my dad leaving a bob wills dance, with a Ah, now. Can't help but tear up

[@bettierusso5410]

Thank you for posting this. My Daddy,Jimmie Widener, was also one of the original band members . We lost him Sept.8,2001 from lung cancer. I would call every day. I sang "I miss you Daddy more & more every day - as heaven above would miss the stars above"..He sang back to me " with every heartbeat I still think of you, and remember our faded love". I would say " NO DADDY! Our love will never fade." He would say " ahhh , you went and married John and left your old Daddy...why don't you come on home and see your old Daddy? " Oh how I wish I could go home to him now and feel his strong hug. My tears are flowing and I miss him so much. This song was played at his funeral on Sept. 11, 2001. A horrible day for America but doubly for me and my siblings. I love seeing them all on stage and Eldon's daughter Rita and I fondly remember our loving Daddy's and our love indeed will never fade.

[@ljgaustin]

Thank you for sharing those memories. I created my channel to try to keep this great music alive and being played.

[@PhilipAndrewEmerson]

This is WONDERFUL! Please post more Shamblin...It is so hard to find him, and he was SO IMPORTANT to guitar players like me...Thanks for posting!

[@mslindafreeman]

Eldon was listed by Rolling Stone Magazine as the best rhythm guitar player in the world..I agree as I had the privilege of having him on some things I did in the early eighties

[@RebobRob]

Takes me back to the early 1970's when I caught Mr. Shamblin with Speedy West's band at the Caravan Ballroom in Tulsa. I was especially thrilled as I'd heard stories from my Dad of when he and his friends would drive in from their home in Okmulgee to hear Bob Wills and the Playboys at Cain's, in the late 1930's. Speedy was a great player, as well. Place was packed. A memorable evening.

[@dochopper5981]

RebobRob I'm from Okmulgee originally and my family are all huge Bob Wills fans. Every time we'd drive on old highway 75 someone would tell a story about a Bob Wills gig or a gig of their own.

[@kathyrountree3397]

My sweet great uncle, Bob Wills, I love this song! I want to cry,... I want to sing it!

[@dochopper5981]

You sing it, I'll play it?

[@ratherknotty]

I have just watched an interview with Eldon Shamblin and Smokey Dacus on youtube, so good to hear such important, historic memories

[@brackbiggs]

simply wonderful

[@bill77429]

This is great. Please post some more of these!!

[@roberthuston331]

I just now saw this clip. This was sometime around the early 1980's and it looks like the stage at Cain's Ballroom but I'm not sure. This configuration of the band was created and sanctioned by the Wills family after Bob died and was called "Bob Wills Original Texas Playboys" under the direction of steel guitarist Leon McAuliffe. It was given that distinction because the five of the musicians in it were with Bob during his glory years in Tulsa in the early to mid 1930's. They included McAuliffe, Smokey Dacus on drums, Joe Frank Ferguson on bass, Al Stricklin on piano and Eldon Shamblin on guitar. The other members included Leon Rausch on vocals and fiddlers Bobby Boatright and Gene Gasaway. I know for sure it was before 1986 because Al Stricklin passed away that year and the "original five" had agreed to stop performing as such when the first one of them died. As of today, the only surviving member of that group is vocalist Leon Rausch who turned 87 in October this year and is still performing with another authorized version of the Texas Playboys.

[@sharpenflat6002]

+Robert Huston Hey Robert, I thought the same thing. I played Cain's several times in the late 70's. Best place for Bob Wills. Tim.

[@SuperReelmccoy]

This was there last time as the Incorporated Original Texas Playboys after Al Strickland Past away they said they would disband if any of the five incorporated members past on and Al had passed. They got back together and played Grove Oklahoma on this Video it appears to me then to Nashville Now Show with Ralph Emery and My Buddy Jim Moose Sowards directing, Then Austin City Limits. I was playing drums with Leon and some of the other playboys and the New Cimarron Band We were playing with Leon at that time (Baker Brothers, Rodney Smith, etc on and on. Heard many stories right from the Horses Mouth so to speak.

[@ljgaustin]

+The Reel McCoy Productions Thanks you very much for that. What a privilege to have known and played with those guys.

[@SuperReelmccoy]

Yes they shared so many stories some I would have to tell you in person over coffee some day. lol Lots of things people don't see in our culture really became obvious as I moved West to East of the Mississippi River.

[@jimadkins6185]

The best of Western Swing

[@shamsam4]

Wow, thanks.

[@chipurBillWhite]

Eric Clapton called Eldon in the early-80s offering him $10,000 for that Strat. He declined.

[@reelinanrockin]

He puts everyone to shame with his style!

[@MrDecatur217]

A story i tell no one would believe but is as true as i can tell it. I worked for a company that printed S&H Green stamps. I met a security guard. he was a great talker He told me he worked there to get out of the house. He also told me he was the lead guitar player for Bob Wills. I did not believe him. because everyone in Oklahoma with age on them Has played for Bob Wills. One day i walked in and he told me he was just on the telephone with Mel Tillis. did i believe it NO. after i moved on from this job about a year latter I was watching a PBS show about Bob wills and there the security guard was playing Guitar. Strange things happen.

[@ljgaustin]

I will.

[@ljgaustin]

The era is over, but western swing is still going strong, with a lot of younger players coming up and mixing with the older. On Facebook group check out Western Swing Music of Texas Group.