Forgotten Fretmasters #21 - Mary Ford

[@coachdoc49]

Thanks!

[@TheGuitarHistorian]

Thank you! Believe it or not, first time the super thanks was used.

[@richardmindemann6935]

This appreciation of Mary Ford is so overdue. She was amazing.

[@BlueberryStinkFinger62]

She's not forgotten

[@rogerbranton1752]

Wow - thanks for showcasing Mary! She was all-'round terrific!

[@benlogan430]

Les Paul and Mary Ford’s success is one and the same. No one without the other.

[@FrankBuyers...guitarista-iu3zg]

Mary ford and les Paul thank you les Paul and Epiphone for inventing the solid body guitar aka les Paul..

[@MoeVanprick]

Yes indeed they did 1939 into 41 Gibson had absolutely nothing to do with the original concept of the solid body guitar Aka later on Les Paul the guitar was the Log and it started the whole thing with Les Paul in the Epiphone facility in New York not Gibson.. Gibson and McCarty didn't get involved until years later

[@CeeCee-np1ko]

Thank you for honouring a wonderful musician in her own right.

[@donchandler755]

Both Les Paul and Mary Ford deserve a lot more recognition. A lot of what musicians did were results of Les Paul's innovations.

[@humbertospatafore]

Beautiful voice, big guitar player and a smile that lighten the entire show.

[@alanmatthew5713]

This was a wonderful presentation. You should do one on Lou Pallo, Les's rhythm guitarist and one of the finest rhythm guitarists EVER.

[@mikeshaw4951]

I'm the proud owner of a TRC from one of Mary's early 60's white LP/SG's. And yes, it's engraved "Mary Ford"

[@marions.120]

Awesome piece, I’d have a hard time not putting it on my headstock!

[@MitchellMaichak-ze7mr]

WHERE and HOW did you acquire such an artifact ???

[@supafrogg258]

Most electric guitarists can easily figure out the writer's abbreviation. But for any stumped viewers, TRC here means Truss Rod Cover.

[@mikeshaw4951]

That's where I put it.. The guitar stays at home though!

[@mikeshaw4951]

Wellllllll........ It all started with Ebay.. I was looking for a Gibson style truss rod cover but I wanted something a little different. Then I saw it! I sniped it at the last minute and won it for about $40 if I recall correctly. After a few minutes I received an email from Robb Lawrence asking if I wanted to sell it (for profit!).. I declined and wondered if it was a REALLY from Mary's guitar or a copy?? I posted the info on the Les Paul Forum along with a photo and found out that Robb was Les's west coast guitar tech and was wanting it to add to a LP/SG and to use in his upcoming book! I took a nice photo and sent it to Robb and it now resides in his book A little later on a reality show (Pawn Stars I think) somebody brought in an early white L;P/SG Custom claimig it was Mary's.. He also had a big pile of contracts and other pappers signed by Les. Turns out the guy was Mary's nephew and inherited the guitar.. This started a big shit storm on My Les Paul Forum over the exact year etc etc, and so on. Eventually, the nephew and family chimed in to confirm that the guitar was indeed Maty's and was legit. Here was my chance!! I noticed that the guitar had a TRC with NO engrainng.. It had the early wide bevel on the binding layers but no engraving at all. They said that Mary was having some trouble annd gave it to a local tech for a look see.. They said the guitar had the Mary Ford TRC when the tech got it but came back with the plain one.. I guess they didn't really notice. And there you have it Ohhh.... the photo I posted above is the photo I sent to Robb Larennce's for his book.

[@cbroz7492]

...I used'ta watch him and Mary Fird in TV with my mom and dad..I'm.74

[@Rickholly74]

A truly great video. I am a huge fan of Les Paul (the man) and his LP guitar but I believe that Les and May's real sucess was due to Mary's incredible multi-tracked vocals which was unheard of in the early 50's. Les and Mary used a sound-on-sound technique in the early 50's while Les invented true multi track systems. No one has ever done better multi layered vocals in my opinion. Listen to "The World is waiting for the sun" to hear how great Mary was. Thanks for your in depth video on a great but too little remembered talent.

[@mrmusic248]

Excellent job !! I remember seeing Les & Mary on TV as a wee lad, and was quite impressed with both of them as players. I also recall hearing "Sitting on Top Of The World" on a 45 and wondering how they got that incredible sound with Mary's voice. Innovation, combined with masterful execution, that was Les Paul & Mary Ford.

[@crlguitar1]

This was a very enjoyable presentation....You're a very good narrator. Sad how time changes lives and that Les & Mary weren't able to stay together. But I am thankful for the time that they did have together, both performing and recording so long ago.

[@moryan6447]

I loved them when I was a little kid circa 1950-55. Love them still. Thank you for showcasing her talent, and skill as a guitarist too!

[@DoctorInsomnia-qw7us]

Not only did you hit it out of the park, as another viewer commented, but this video about Mary Ford was nothing less than a grandslam in the bottom of the 9th in the 7th game of the world series. Excellent work 👍 & looking forward to more videos on other long forgotten fretmasters, maybe some pre-Robert Johnson bluesmasters, like Blind Lemon Jefferson or Charlie Patton, perhaps?!?

[@harrypalmer3481]

This is great, thank you. I'm a Les Paul & Mary Ford fan & have been very lucky to have met Les Paul on 2 occasions. There is information in your presentation here about Mary/Colleen I didn't know & have been curious about for many years; the memory of her & her music definitely needs a higher profile - well done Sir!

[@stingylizard]

Salute! Awesome episode.

[@paulscushschofield1288]

You knocked it out of the park with this one..excellent

[@handy335]

An excellent video! Thank you so much!!

[@Mindermaniac]

Great history lesson for many Les Paul - Mary Ford fans out there. I have a treasured 4 CD box set called Les Paul - The Legend and the Legacy. It has all their hits plus all their radio shows - amazing stuff. They did a bit where he did his tape looper-multi tracker live on air and Mary found out he called it the Les Pulveriser! I have a number ofalbums and EPs of them I`ve found through the decades. Her vocals are angelic and she kept vibrato under such fine control - no auto tune used nor needed! I will be checking the links to see more of their live TV appearances. subscribed !

[@victorhawkins3461]

A truly great job! As a pint-sized music head, I wore out my parents' copy of LES PAUL & MARY FORD -- THE HIT MAKERS! It was a Capitol Records 10" LP (now days, it would be an EP). I still have the record. My point, though, is that many, many people go with the theory that ROCKET 88 by Jackie Brenston & His Rhythm Cats (actually, it was Ike Turner & His Kings of Rhythm...Brenston was Ike's sax player) was the first "rock-n-roll" record. Recorded in March, 1951, the record certainly scored on both charts and jukebox plays. But I maintain that Les Paul & Mary Ford's recording of HOW HIGH THE MOON is TRULY the first rock-n-roll record. Released the same month as ROCKET 88, but recorded in January, 1951, HOW HIGH THE MOON ultimately spent 9 weeks at #1 on the BILLBOARD charts. All you need to do is listen to Les Paul's guitar work on the intro -- just the intro! That's all it took to convince me, and I've held my position since I first learned how to put the Zenith "Cobra-matic" tone arm onto a slab of my parents' vinyl! Don't get me wrong -- there ain't NOTHIN" wrong with ROCKET 88. I have just always thought HOW HIGH THE MOON was w-a-y more "rock-n-roll." But that's just me...

[@infoscholar5221]

I owned a Gib LB, early on, gave ot to one of my nephews. He went on to great success with it. I'm a Fender/ Fender copy man, these days. Love that monocoil, fingers sound. But love to everyone. Play what gives you joy.

[@catsofsherman1316]

I wonder if the 50s audience who saw that pic of Les straddling the oversized guitar body while Mary rode the neck saw it as provocative

[@ryanfulldark2775]

Awesome vid, once again Jason!

[@brealguitarguy762]

Hope you and your family are doing good. Really miss your content. I've enjoyed it greatly over the years

[@benallmark9671]

Great work !

[@jackduguid177]

My first “favorite” song was Mary singing TIGER RAG, I had it on a 78rpm record..

[@RocknRollkat]

Excellent presentation, thank you ! Bill P.

[@OneCharmedLife]

So glad that this turned up in my feed. It's the first I've heard of one of your biographies. So well written and delivered with such respect. I am forever a fan. You're right: I never knew more than a paragraph or two about Mary. I'm so glad you gave us this very kind biography.

[@ashelyanderson2370]

Excellent commentary! Pulled at the heart strings.

[@tobinharris8107]

Welcome back! You've been missed. Had no knowledge of this lovely lady...thanks again for educating us. Great series! 👍

[@victorcontreras3368]

Great video! Yes, Rock 'n Roll put a dent in other styles of music but ya know, "times, they are a chang'n". Many thought that R&R was just a fad and would soon die out. Some subsequent songs stated otherwise! "Rock and Roll is here to stay" is one. A scarce one I've had since '61 is " It will stand". But all music is good!

[@alsvintagetoytrains7042]

She had an amazing voice. How high the moon is my favorite song.

[@GregBurns-j4v]

Thanks for this beautiful tribute to such a wonderful woman, guitarist, and singer. In case you haven't yet discovered an absolutely amazing young married couple named Victor and Melissa, please look them up on KZbin. He's French and she's a New Zealander/Filipino, emulating Bette Paige in look. They do 37 note-for-note recreations of all of Les and Mary's greatest hits, and they are both funny and fabulous! 👍

[@stutzbearcat5624]

Great job!!!!

[@joshhindmarsh5210]

Magic! Thankyou for such diligent research and the informed presentation!!

[@ksharpe10]

Really good. Ironically I do not own any les mary recordings. My Good friend up North used to play certain tracks, the records showing some of Les innovations. His Father and Les were Friends in the Army during WW2, his father being a conductor, violinist, trumpet player, I believe they did have conversations after ww2. Sorry that Mary's addictions led to a Divorce and somewhat early death, she was a great talent, maybe the only woman back then that could have challenged her on guitar would have been Rosetta Tharpe, well maybe she will be in one of your videos.

[@erikafergg]

! Enjoyed the big band background music in discussing this couple thanks

[@KevyNova]

Great video! I subscribed. I’ve always been a fan of Les and Mary. I used to listen to cassette tapes of them as a teenager in the ‘80s when all my friends were listening to Hair Bands! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@mattgillespie513]

Thanks for all you do! I look forward to every episode. I vote for Gary Richrath and Terry Kath, those are also important lost fretmasters.

[@simonagree4070]

OK, you got my attention, and subscription, with this one. I love my "best of" CD, and regret not buying the records in thrift shops when they were common. I've heard that Robert Mitchum used to bring Les and Mary's records to pot parties in the 50s, and that sounds credible to me -- it's trippy stuff with all the layering.

[@MitchellMaichak-ze7mr]

I LOVE that cultural reference ! It would have been stunning to hear " The Ballad of Thunder Road " with Les and Mary's guitars and recording techniques !!!

[@tommyng1422]

I listen to Mary and les Paul since the 60’s

[@KevyNova]

Many years later, Les admitted that he had his name removed from the SG not because he disliked it but because him and Mary were divorcing so he let his contact with Gibson expire so that she wouldn’t get half. After the divorce was finalized, he went back to Gibson and they reintroduced the Les Paul Model in 1968.

[@marksnexus]

This was awesome. Thank you! 😊 💯🔥😎

[@DwightGrathler]

Who wouldn't want an early Gibson les Paul model, today the heavy led Paul one of the best player guitars ever, on a side note ",Mocking bird Hill" one of my favorite songs from the 50's

[@the-craig]

Love the "NO Stairway to Heaven" sign. Party on!

[@stephenbouchelle7706]

The Les and Mary team were great. She could play the hell out of a guitar. As for not-as-well-known as should be, have you considered doing a video on Richard Thompson?

[@Someyungrebel]

If we’re talking about forgotten fretmasters, I’m surprised you haven’t done a video on Cyril Jordan of Flamin Groovies fame. They have such an interesting story to them I think your audience would enjoy hearing!

[@michaelvmatthews193]

I can only assume that you could not find any materials or music you could add to this video so we could actually hear the source of their notoriety. Without even a single example…..

[@TheGuitarHistorian]

Copyrights

[@BlueberryStinkFinger62]

Thank you Les Paul and Epiphone for inventing the solid body guitar aka Les Paul guitar..the Log was the birth of it all

[@Hobiwann1]

Always loved Mary's voice; first heard her at age 6 in 1948. Thanks for this historical and touching tribute on the "other half" of this great duo.

[@JackTheSkunk]

So great seeing Mary Ford get the credit she deserves. Their divorce, by all accounts, was very acrimonious at best. I don't know if they ever spoke after they went their own ways. Mary wanted more but settle for Les. (Just a sick joke). I heard he got $5.00 for every LP guitar that Gibson sold when they were first introduced. That's about $55.00 in today's money. And I learned that he always recorded with one of his cobbled together guitars even though he had to appear in public with one of his signature models.

[@writerrad]

Every account both from books and web sites and from the one person I met who had known them, is that Paul was almost a stereotypical male chauvinist and viewed Mary as his household servant and personal maid. rather than the great artist she was. He even had recording equipment installed at the kitchen sink so she would not be distracted from housework when they were recording. Ford was an important technician and musician, but he was fairly dishonest inventing all sorts of achievements for himself that never took place, particularly taking advantage of his logevity saying things that he did or saw that he did not once all the other witnesses are dead.

[@odeon65]

you should make a video about the hollies

[@hkguitar1984]

Thank You, this was great. Count me as a new Subscriber. 👍

[@TheGuitarHistorian]

Thank you! Take a look around I have lots to catch up on!

[@StevieSmith77]

missed you GH

[@patrickkelly5004]

Hey, Jason! I haven't seen you around (on youtube) for a while. I hope things are well with you, and yours.

[@LJHGuitar]

Love the Frampton T!

[@monaural2.988]

There are still people who are uncomfortable with women playing electric guitars. This is a hidden reason why Mary, Sister Rosetta Thorpe and Mary Osborne, amongst later ones, aren’t really household names. I have Mary’s rare 60’s album, “A Brand New Ford”, which were re-recordings of the duo’s hits. Even then, the album was only available through-take a guess-Ford dealerships. Good spotlight!

[@brnrik500]

Great Vid!!!

[@Solid_Garlic]

Can you do a forgotten fret works on Eddie hazel?

[@catsofsherman1316]

Yes!

[@danterfan]

Great series, just binged them all. Are you a fan of, or familiar with, Gary Green of Gentle Giant? Would like to see your opinion on him.

[@averynunley8872]

So you should do an episode on Walla Walla guitarist Craig Tarwater

[@MrHongkongleo]

How about Terry Kilgore... Definitely forgotten and definitely a master...

[@voornaam3191]

We must never forget the forgotten fret masters. Why were they forgotten, then? That is weird. We all remember all musicians, or don't we?

[@michaelgreenwood1393]

At 14:30 that's Paul, Paul's Les Paul and Les Paul! 😂

[@TimeToCheckReality]

You CAN use copyrighted material for various things, including discussion of techniques.

[@TheGuitarHistorian]

Yes that’s somewhat true, but then the money would go to the record label and not to me. And call me crazy, but when I spend hours of my time working on a video I’d like to see the ad revenue rather than fatcat record executives. I don’t make much money on these as it is. If you don’t believe me look it up. Even if it is considered “fair use,” it will still get hit. And I don’t have any ad partners.

[@arturocontreras7565]

I just got subscribed

[@mygreatbigfoot1679]

When i was a kid i thought Gibson was a French company, les Paul you see…

[@FancyGentleman]

Damn. Homie looks like both members of Tenacious D at the same time.

[@JUDASGOATYT]

Jack Black just doesn't age.

[@michaelhayes7471]

Have you ever heard of Hank garland

[@JoseGarcia-eadgbe]

💫🎵🎶🎵🎶🎸🤘🏼

[@writerrad]

She survived a rather sexist view and treatment that she received from Les Paul when they were marriied. Paul actually had microphones installed at the kitchen sink in their home, so she could record music without being distracted from her housewifely duties in the kitchen. They were a great lost thrill in music together but Paul was a real piece of work!

[@marymitchell8625]

He was violent with her. Thankfully, she married someone else.

[@jonBrown-k4p]

nothing hokey about that, she was sweet and they were special...

[@JonFrumTheFirst]

In pop music, the general rule is that the singer is always more important than the band. Audiences sing along with the lyrics, not the instrumental backing. So it was Mary's voice that was the focus of all those successful records. Les added to the success as the producer, but Mary carried the songs. Because of Gibson guitars, Les gets credit today that he never earned. How many 1950s record producers are famous now?

[@dkaob8351]

If you think Mary's voice was more substantial than Les Paul's guitar playing, then you must not be familiar with their repertoire.

[@tonymario8118]

More performance and less talk and the best part was left out and How High the Moon should of been played in it's entirety

[@TheGuitarHistorian]

Can’t use the music my friend the video would get blocked due to copyrights.

[@ronanzann4851]

At 14:20............"a partner in crime" ????????? What the fuck is that supposed to mean ?

[@greysuit17]

“"Partner in Crime," an idiom ingrained into the English language, embodies the spirit of camaraderie, shared experiences, and mutual mischief. Despite its misleading context, this phrase does not always imply illicit activities. Instead, it represents a shared participation in adventures, tasks, or experiences, often reflecting a close relationship, friendship, or bond between two individuals. It can often be found in casual conversations, literature, movies, and song lyrics, demonstrating its enduring relevance and versatility. Whether denoting a best friend, a loyal colleague, or a loving spouse, this idiom captures the essence of shared exploits and unity distinctly and colorfully.”

[@terryjohinke8065]

Are you serious about that " No Stairway... " sign / Surely that's just a joke fom stores who used it. If Im shelling out $6,5000 for a Gibson J-45 , I would not let any store ban me from playing whatever. I even play a fast jazz version of " Stairway" which mny guitarist like and laugh about my vrsion. I also play Classical Gas and have played live since 1970. BTW I don't like Les Paul's style of playing. Suck on that.

[@TheGuitarHistorian]

Yes it’s a joke. Never saw “Wayne World?”

[@jmcgregor316]

Mary Ford was at least as good as Les.

[@dkaob8351]

No. She wasn't. She could barely play. It was all an act. The myth of Mary Ford, the forgotten guitarist, comes back every couple years, perpetuated by people who know nothing about Les Paul or their music.