Conference napalm::guitar

    I don't know about Roger Miller.  I've read or heard that Benson's
    unison singing and playing developed out of his desire to develop a
    more melodic lead style.   When practicing, he would improvise licks
    vocally, while tring to make his guitar match his singing, complete
    with vocal-like inflections.  After becoming adept at this, he started
    doing it in his performances, often unintentionally, and it has sort
    of become his trademark.
    
    There was an earlier jazz guitarist with a similar approach, but the
    name escapes me.
    
    						
    Jim
    

    Hey, which Roger Miller are we talking about here?  The "can't
    rollerskate in a Buffalo herd" Roger or the "Mission of Burma"
    Roger?  Or neither?
    
    /rick_who_can't_tell_from_the_"Uncle"_song_title

    
    First time I heard someone doing that was Stevie "guitar" Miller
    at a night club in 1968. He did that vocal following thing in several
    improvised guitar solos.

    --ron
    

    I believe Hendrix did it on Crosstown Traffic.....lots of blues/jazz
    artists have used the techinque, including myself when I used to drink
    alot of beer while playing.....not that I consider myself an blues/jazz
    artist, or a former alcoholic....I'll shutup now 8)
    
    Steve

    Re: rollerskating in a buffalo herd
    
    The Roger Miller that sang that tune is the same one that sings "My
    Uncle Used to Love Me But She Died".  He also sang "King of the Road".
    
    Mike (who's into music-comedy ;-))

Roger Miller had a hit back in about '64 or '65 called "Dang Me", in which he
played a riff after the chorus and harmonized his voice with the guitar.  I 
heard him a few weeks ago on Garrison Keillor's radio show doing a great skit.
He can be a very funny man.

Bob

    >Roger Miller had a hit back in about '64 or '65 called "Dang Me"...

    Hey, that's the one I recommended as a good campfire song.

    >He can be a very funny man.

    Yeah, Bob, I agree. Roger Miller's musical wit is a fond memory of
    my earlier years. You know, when I think of it, one enormous change
    in modern or pop music since the EARLY sixties is that back then
    there was a stronge element of humor in the music. Too bad. I think
    we're missing it now. People are too serious. Roger Miller was a bright
    spot back then.

    --ron

	"you can't roller skate in a buffalo herd"

	The only album in my parents house one year was a Roger Miller
	album. One of my earliers influences ;-). I agree about humor
	and novelty. I was singing "Witch Doctor" in the kitchen this
	morning (eee ah oooh ah ah); if you took something like that
	to an A&R man today he'd probably call a loony wagon to come
	get ya.

>	The only album in my parents house one year was a Roger Miller
>	album. One of my earliers influences ;-). I agree about humor
>	and novelty. I was singing "Witch Doctor" in the kitchen this
>	morning (eee ah oooh ah ah); if you took something like that
>	to an A&R man today he'd probably call a loony wagon to come
>	get ya.

    I HAVE the Witch Doctor 45. I was at that age where you can listen
    to a song over-and-over-and-over-and-over-and-over-and-over-and-...
    again when it came out. (I have kids now at that age). But even
    a lot of stuff that wasn't comedy was light-hearted. Take the Lovin'
    Spoonful for instance. Great music. Things went downhill fast at the end
    of the 60s.

	Hip Hop has a good sense of humor. From "Haunted House of Rock"
	by Whodini thru anything Deee-Lite are putting out has plenty
	to chuckle about.

	Of course I've always thought Heavy Metal was hysterically funny -
	especially the harder the band tries to portray Evil.... I can't
	listen to Judas Priest with a straight face.

ditto!

    wasn't Roger Miller also responsible for those all time favorites like
    "Ahab the Arab" (with the camel named Clyde) and Gui-Tarzan??
    
    What a guy.....
    
    Steve

    no that was Ray Stevens.  Believe it or not, I owned "The Streak" 45rpm
    when I was in high school ;-)

Man, I thought Gui-Tarzan was hilarious!  I love that kind of humor.

Of course, there's no accounting for taste, eh?

Will  :)

    Just when I thought that song was forgotten...
    
    We've been singing bits from "Guitarzan" at the last couple of gigs
    and I have no idea what brought that to mind.
    
    Synchronicity?

    > Synchronicity?

    No, that was The Police. [bu-da-buh]

    Ray Stevens big hits in the 60's coincided (?) with a period
    when my favorite magazine was Mad magazine. hmmmmm...

    Another great musical wit. He was sort of a musical answer to Mad
    magazine.