Re: [Harp-L] Charlie McCoy - 12,000 sessions?



I don't think he was doing things like trips to Japan back then; he was chained to the studio floor, and fed only when his stomach growling got so loud that it was picked up by the microphones. When Charlie "retired" he starting dong overseas concerts instead of taking Mediterranean cruises.

Were there 12,000 tunes? There don't have to be. How many times was "Me and Bobby McGee recorded between 1970 and 1975? That's half the total right there. Add tunes like "It wasn't God who made honky tonk angels" or maybe "Don't the Girls All Look Prettier at Closing Time" and you're closing in on the number pretty fast.

And remember, he didn't just play harp. This is the same guy who played bass guitar and trumpet *SIMULTANEOUSLY* on Bob Dylan's Rainy Day Women # 12 and 35. Along with playing guitar, drums, and heaven knows what else. The kind of guy a busy producer finds very handy.

Winslow

Winslow Yerxa

Author, Harmonica For Dummies ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5

--- On Fri, 5/22/09, Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx> wrote:

From: Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Charlie McCoy - 12,000 sessions?
To: "Winslow Yerxa" <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>
Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Date: Friday, May 22, 2009, 1:54 PM


On May 22, 2009, at 1:17 PM, Winslow Yerxa wrote:

> When recording work was really cooking in the 1960s and '70s, he might have been doing 4 or 5 or even 7 or 8 a day - potentially in the same studio, with the same producer, but with different artists.

C'mon, wizard, there aren't that MANY artists. Case in point: Charlie jumps on a plane to go to Japan. It's 2 days, he's there (as a judge) for 6 days. As a side (but not necessarily pertinent) note, he plays OBS for the crowd. He gets back on a plane, viola, another 2 days. He just LOST 10 days. So now, he has to make that up to keep his average. He has to IMMEDIATELY do 7 1/3 sessions in one day just to break even? (the 6 2/3 @ 1 every day & a half he was gone PLUS the 2/3 for the day he returned. NO nappie pie, NO relaxing by the pool, NO cook out. Naaaada.  Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.
> 
> Not all of these might have been released to the public. Also, if you count each song as a "session" you could plump the numbers up a bit.

Were there even 12,ooo tunes? Or, to be more precise, were there 12,ooo HIS type of tunes, or better still, were there 12,ooo tunes with harp? Nope, even though I'm not from Missouri, the famous "they'" would have to show me the beef.

Joe Skep & the Tics.
> 
> Winslow
> 
> Winslow Yerxa
> 
> Author, Harmonica For Dummies ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
> 
> --- On Thu, 5/21/09, Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> From: Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: Harp-L Digest, Vol 69, Issue 55
> To: "hazcon" <hazcon@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Date: Thursday, May 21, 2009, 11:00 PM
> 
> I purposefully TRIPLED the figures to see if everyone was paying attention. 12,000 sessions would be 32.8767 YEARS at one per DAY. OR, 49.3 PLUS years at one every DAY & a HALF. Hah, that's a laugh. I believe it was little Jimmy Dickens who was the first to break the '300 shows a year' barrier.  Nope, I believe that the 'Theys that say' are wrong. I think we would be hard to pressed to find 12,ooo harmonica sessions PERIOD.  It isn't unusual for a fan to over emphasize their hero's accomplishments in an attempt to add to their esteem. I don't think it's necessary in this case. Charlie is a bad hombre.
> BTW, did you see the 222 years?  (giggle). btw(2) My college training is automated business systems & accounting. (chortle).
> 
> Joe Press & the Tones
> 
> 
> 
> On May 22, 2009, at 1:41 AM, hazcon wrote:
> 
>> 
>> Smokey wrote
>> 
>> 
>>> I would dispute that. I'm not trying to be a wise guy here and I love Charlie to pieces BUT, if you extrapolate the numbers, IF you were to  * A V E R A G E * a session PER day, you can do 1,095 per year
>> 
>>                      A session per day would be 365 per year?
>> 
>>> NO time off, It would take nearly 11 years. Every other day and it  would be almost 222 years. Every 3 days and it's almost 33. Every 4 days..almost 44. Now he HAS been around that long, but still..every 4 days? Pretty hard to manage. For that many years, any-HO.
>> 
>>                         Now there is some odd math in there ;-0
>> 
>>> Ergo: The famous 'They that say' have struck again.
>>> 
>>> Joe Yuma & the Doors
>> 
>> Good job you can play Harmonica Smokey ........I wouldn't want you doin' my accounts ;-)
>> Rick
>> in NZ
>> 
>> 
> 
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