Good thread.

I'll touch on something that hasn't been discussed. Merle was one of the most recorded country artists in history, but the VAST majority of music was SUNG. My guess is that he recorded at least fifty vocals for every instrumental. By the time that young city musicians started calling his style "Travis Picking", Merle's career (commercially) was virtually over. His big hits "Smoke, Smoke..." "Fat Gal", "So Round So Firm So Fully Packed", "Steel Guitar Rag", (Think he wrote the words), "Three Times Seven", and about five others ,were recorded in L.A. with Jazz/swing bands, often featuring Trumpet as the lead instrument. He, along with Joe Maphis were very big on California "Country" TV from about '48 to '54.

His "second career" began with Tennessee Ernie's recordings of 16 Tons, and Dark As A Dungeon...and to a certain extent "I Am a Pilgrim". Although I was very young I do remember those recordings but certainly never heard Merle's name mentioned as their writer. I'd put the beginning of "Travis Picking" as a recognized term, square in the lap of Doc Watson, who obviously had listened to the "big hits" and quite probably the odd instrumental that Merle had recorded in LA.

Very similar situation to Pete Seeger's introducing the term "Cotton Picking" a few years earlier. The fact of the matter is that virtually nobody played exactly like Elizabeth Cotten OR Merle Travis simply because they hadn't actually HEARD these artists. They (I'm one of 'em) learned from the folks who POPULARIZED the styles....and THEN (due to re-releases) heard the originals. Most of our styles had already been formed then, but in order to"keep it simple", I think a lot of us said we played "Travis Style".

I met Merle during the taping of "The Carl Smith Show" in 1970 (back in my 'other' life when I actually had songs on the 'country' charts!) and he was friendly and gracious. The first thing I noticed was that although I used my left hand thumb to fret both sixth and fifth strings, and ALWAYS used one finger to cover two adjacent strings, most of his chord forms were unrecognizable to me. (Thanks to Dadi..now I can play most of them) The second thing to hit me was that when he was relaxing, he didn't play "country" at all, he played old time "Pop" songs. He said that Les Paul was one of his faves while growing up. The third thing I noticed was that, although ALL of us city kids used thumb and two fingers, he only used thumb and index (like so many old time country musicians) finger. I asked him about that, and he said "don't need another finger"...and he was right. I wanted to play for him but felt too shy (Ironically, he was not the headliner on the show...Johnny Paycheck was) so I asked him if he'd help me on "Nine pound Hammer". I played a couple of verses of it...stopped, and nervously asked, "any suggestions?" He DID smile, but was obviously VERY used to this kind of thing. "No, no, that's fine son" was all he said....but I coulda died right there.

If at all possible, get a couple of the videos that are available of "rare" Travis performances from the forties or fifties. You'll hear a staggering talent.

Gotta make lunch

Cheers

Rick