Elton Britt - seeking video footage

Subject: Elton Britt - yodeller
From: GUEST,Paul Hazell
Date: 14 Mar 09 - 04:26 PM

Does anyone out there have footage of Elton Britt? I have a few short clips - mainly very poor quality. I understand he did the Jimmy Dean show on TV in 1965 and did many other appearances. Can anyone help please?

Subject: RE: Elton Britt
From: RangerSteve
Date: 14 Mar 09 - 06:35 PM

I just checked Youtube - lots of recordings, but no actual footage.

Subject: RE: Elton Britt
From: kendall
Date: 14 Mar 09 - 07:36 PM

He once loaned me his guitar to do a spot on local TV. Nice guy.

Subject: RE: Elton Britt - seeking video footage
From: open mike
Date: 14 Mar 09 - 11:12 PM

he is listed in the IMDB internet movie data base
and i see there may be 2 movies with him in it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elton_Britt

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=1601

http://www.hillbilly-music.com/artists/story/index.php?id=10019

Subject: RE: Elton Britt - seeking video footage
From: Arkie
Date: 15 Mar 09 - 12:47 AM

W.K.McNeil, who did the entry on Britt for the Encyclopedia of Arkansas was working on a biography of Britt when he died and had a large collection of material but I did not see any videos or listing of videos when I went through the material. Surely, there are some out there. There is a some effort in Marshall, Arkansas, the town near where Elton grew up to collect and preserve memorabilia, but I have no idea what may be in the collection. I need to ride over a take a look sometime as it is less than an hours drive away. So little has been done to manage the material on Britt, it would be nice to have videos available. Not all that many recordings have been produced in digital format.

Subject: RE: Elton Britt - seeking video footage
From: GUEST,Paul Hazell
Date: 15 Mar 09 - 03:45 PM

thanks to all - as I suspected, footage is hard to find. I have a clipping of him singing "Cowpoke" from one of his films and I also have his film of "Laramie" in which he sings "Chime Bells" and "Molly Darling".

Regarding digital format reissues, I have produced 3 CDs for the UK-based Jasmine label. 2 are lready available, titled "Country Music's Yodelling Cowboy Crooner Vols 1 and 2", the third is a duet album with Rosalie Allen which has been mastered but not yet released. You can find Jasmine on www.jasmine-records.co.uk RCA/BMG did a fine CD called "The RCA Years" and the British Archive Of Country Music (BACM label) have some out as well.

Does anyone have a copy of the Jimmy Dean show on which Elton appeared in 1965? Even an amateur film of him on stage would be great to see. The famous collector / artiste Don Cleary once invited me to see the film of a show he recorded of Elton but Don passed away before we could do it.


Thanks

PAUL

Subject: RE: Elton Britt - seeking video footage
From: Arkie
Date: 16 Mar 09 - 01:31 PM

Paul, it is possible that I have a video of the Jimmy Dean show. I will have to do some searching and I am not sure whether some of my old videos will still play. I will just have to look. This may take a little time as the videos are boxed and stored. I remember having seen Britt on either a Jimmy Dean show or Town and Country or some such show telecast from Washington, I think. I taped some of those shows.

Do you know Kevin Coffey? Kevin was going to continue the biography of Britt that Bill McNeil started. I think he now has most, if not all, the materials Bill had gathered.

If you would like, I will be glad to drive over to Marshall and see what materials they may have and see if there are any videos in that collection.

There is also another possibility for information. At one time there was a group in New York, called the Friends of Elton Britt. I had contact with them at one point and may be able to reach one of the principle organizers of that group. Unfortunately, several folk in that group are gone, but when they were active they were gathering whatever they could on Elton. I believe they even had a publication. If interested you can email me at [e-mail] and I can give you a few names.

Subject: RE: Elton Britt - seeking video footage
From: Paul Hazell
Date: 16 Mar 09 - 03:30 PM

thanks Arkie - I know Al Krtl who was part of that group - may even have run it - and I frequently speak with Darwin Lee Hill, have done some radio shows for him.

I'll contact you by email as oon as I get home to the UK. I am on business in Saudi Arabia at the moment and time is at a premium. I appreciate your interest. Will be in contact soon

Regards PAUL

Subject: RE: Elton Britt - seeking video footage
From: Arkie
Date: 16 Mar 09 - 04:43 PM

Paul, I figured you had a wide range of contacts but mentioned the NY group just in case. Al is the last of that group that I have heard from. A fine fellow indeed.

Subject: RE: Elton Britt - seeking video footage
From: Arkie
Date: 18 Mar 09 - 12:22 AM

Paul, do you know Hugh Ashley? Hugh was with the Beverly Hillbillies before Elton, and since both were from the same general area in Arkansas and also friends, was in part responsible for Elton connecting with the Hillbillies. Hugh is now in his 90s and has some interesting stories about Elton in those early years when Elton was better known as Blue Baker. In a conversation a couple of years ago he mentioned that Elton drove him to his first automobile wreck.

Subject: RE: Elton Britt - seeking video footage
From: open mike
Date: 18 Mar 09 - 02:11 PM

DROVE HIM TO HIS FIRST AUTOMOBILE WRECK??!! sounds dangerous and risky!

Subject: RE: Elton Britt - seeking video footage
From: Bill H //\\
Date: 18 Mar 09 - 06:52 PM

AH--Elton Britt and his yodel. I recall back in the early 1950s (when I and my friends were to young to get into a bar) went to NJ (Secaucus--then a pig farming area with odor to suit) to see him in a club. We were so excited. We go it in. EB walked on the stage, paused, took chewing gum out of his mouth and stuck it on the mic. Class act---we just looked at each other.

Well, the pigs are gone in Secaucus and the expensive condos are there and EB went on to bigger things than a hell hole in NJ--and hopefully he did not abuse mics with gum later on.

Bill Hahn

Subject: RE: Elton Britt - seeking video footage
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 20 Mar 09 - 12:36 AM

Paul - are you the Paul Hazell who wrote the liner notes for Frank Ifield's The Yodelling Cowboy Years?
I treasure that collection and your notes are impeccable.

I also find it amazing that Frank could put a yodel into anything!

In a previous thread you mentioned that you know Frank.

Is there any way you could give me a contact address for him, please.

Thanks for any help you can afford

Seamus Kennedy

Subject: RE: Elton Britt - seeking video footage
From: Paul Hazell
Date: 20 Mar 09 - 08:15 AM

Hi Seamus

yes the same. I can help you but at the moment I am in Saudi Arabia on business and don't have anything with me. Email me on [e-mail] and let me have a number to call you. Are you in the UK or Ireland?

PAUL

Subject: RE: Elton Britt - seeking video footage
From: Paul Hazell
Date: 21 May 09 - 05:01 PM

Hi to all

I have been absent as for several weeks I could not get into Mudcat - kept getting "Access Denied" but I don't know why.

I have recently obtained a reel of film of Elton doing "A Mighty Pretty Waltz" - haven't seen it yet as I don't have equipment but I do have someone who is going to put it on DVD professionally for me.

Seamus I never heard from you, did you email?

Best to all,

PAUL

Subject: RE: Elton Britt - seeking video footage
From: open mike
Date: 21 May 09 - 09:05 PM

Seamus is from ireland, now based based in the U.S.
but will be in Ireland in the fall.

Seamus Kennedy's Northern Excursion
October 26th - November 5th, 2009

Sightseeing Highlights: Walking Tour of Derry City, Ulster American Folk Park, Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Bushmills Distillery, Walking Tour of Belfast, St. Patrick Center, Armagh Cathedral, Navan Fort, Newgrange, Boyne Valley Visitor Center...

"Of course, I'll be performing with many of my musical friends in the pubs around Ireland. There will be grand sessions and singalongs with accordionists, banjoists, bodhranists, vocalists, penny-whistleists and fiddleists. As a nightcap, I conduct a little musical soiree in the residents' lounge of our hotel before retiring each evening."

http://www.mcnote.com/seamus/index.html

http://www.myspace.com/seamuskennedy

Paul--glad to hear that you were able to get film of Elton!
Let us know what happens with it and if it will be able to
be seen by others after geing digitized!!

Subject: RE: Elton Britt - seeking video footage
From: Paul Hazell
Date: 22 May 09 - 03:56 PM

I will post to this thread what happens. I have to be careful of copyright as the person who is doing it is a pro and will be notifying the business that the film exists. I will try to have it included in a DVD compilation if it is good enough - then it will be legally available to anyone that wants it.

I'd still love to find some TV footage or even private movie of Elton as I never saw him on stage.

Hopefully someone out there can help. I understand that some of the material from the Jimmy Dean shows is being released on DVD in the US. Does anyone know if the Elton Britt appearance (around 1965) is included?

Thanks to all

PAUL

Subject: RE: Elton Britt - seeking video footage
From: GUEST,brandy carter
Date: 10 Jun 09 - 04:41 PM

hi all would to know what you guys know about elton, he is actually my great uncle, my grandfather was his broter, Arl Baker, please email be back at [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Elton Britt - seeking video footage
From: Arkie
Date: 10 Jun 09 - 08:15 PM

Ms Carter, I assume you have done internet searches for Elton Britt. If so you should have found the one linked to below. But here it is just in case. The article was written by Folklorist Bill McNeil who was working on a biography of Elton Britt when he died. Bill mentioned Hugh Ashley in the article. Hugh was a friend of all the Baker boys and played in his father's band, the Ashley Melody Men with Vernon and Arl.


Elton Britt

Subject: RE: Elton Britt - seeking video footage
From: Arkie
Date: 10 Jun 09 - 08:47 PM

Paul, I just reread the bio for the Encylopedia of Arkansas which was written by a friend of mine. He mentioned Britt's appearance in the Charles Starrett film "Laramie". In that film, Britt sang Chime Bells and Molly Darling.

You might check the following site. Scroll down to Volume Twelve.

Laramie

Subject: RE: Elton Britt - seeking video footage
From: Paul Hazell
Date: 26 Jun 09 - 03:53 PM

thanks Arkie

I have recently obtained a copy on DVD of "Laramie" and it does feature a very young looking Elton Britt. His version of "Molly Darling" is excellent - I guess everyone knows that his classic "Chime Bells" was always good.

Still no sign of those illusive TV appearances though! If anyone can help, please contact me through this thread or email [e-mail]

Brandy Carter, I will email you if that's ok and share what I know

Regards to all

PAUL

Subject: RE: Elton Britt - seeking video footage
From: Paul Hazell
Date: 26 Jun 09 - 04:15 PM

Arkie

thank you for all your suggestions - very helpful. I have had lengthy periods where I could not get into Mudcat and am now again overseas on a business trip. However I will email you as soon as time allows.

PAUL