RIP Billy Strange

[Strat-o-rama]

His guitar sounds are indelibly and subliminally etched into my brain from my childhood. My parents played those records.
If you want to hear, go to YouTube and take your pick.

One of his album covers features himself in Mexican garb holding a Candy Apple Red Mosrite 'The Ventures' model.
Loved that slick, cool, cocktail lounge vibro-twang.

[Dennisthe Menace]

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=189&p=19047&hilit=billy+strange#p19047

R.I.P. Billy

[Veenture]

Billy Strange also featured on a number of Ventures tracks from the 1962/3 recording sessions.

The news is quite big here in Holland. I get more hits on Dutch reports than English ones...strange (pun not intended)

Here's a small article I found in the English language: http://www.newschannel5.com/story/16999 ... away-at-81

[edit] ...and a clip from YouTube (The album pic is reversed; not a lefty Mosrite)

[Bob Shade]

I love it! When I was a young lad, my mother who was a housewife would play various lp's on our stereo and there was always music in the air at home. She loved Herb Alpert's band The Tijuana Brass and the Baja Marimba band as well. I know all those records by heart, just by happenstance.

Herb's guitarist Bud Coleman who also played with the Baja Marimba band was a HALLMARK guitar endorsee! He received a blue sparkle Swept-Wing delivered to him by Joe Hall. I would love to find a picture of him playing it. Never has surfaced yet.

One of these days I need to get the vintage HALLMARK endorsee's on our website. I would have loved to see a pic of the Baja Marimba Band with the Mexican clothing and hats with Bud playing his Swept-Wing!! Most pictures I have found he is playing an acoustic. Boo!

Bud wrote Tijuana Taxi for the record............or what I meant to say was, for the record, Bud wrote Tijuana Taxi.

$REWARD$ 50.00 to anyone to bring to the table an authentic pic of Bud Coleman playing his Hallmark Swept-Wing!

Bob

[JimPage]

Hey, Bob--

You wrote:
>>She loved Herb Alpert's band The Tijuana Brass . . .

Well, I didn't care for the Tijuana Brass' music, but one of their album covers will remain etched in my mind until my dying day.

I bet I'm not the only one who loved that iconic cover as a kid! Incidentally, it was the only album or record that my dad ever bought in his entire life!!!

--Jim

[Bob Shade]

TMI Jim.

[Strat-o-rama]

Paul,
Thanks for posting that YouTube. That's one I had not seen. Gotta love all the electric guitars going on in that tune. That one middle part sounds like it could be a Danelectro baritone. I wonder if he used the red Mosrite on any of the tracks? Anyone know?
Bob,
Good luck on finding the photo. You know it's out there somewhere. If you find it, let us see!

[Strat-o-rama]

Here is Billy Strange playing what appears to be the red Mosrite. It is obviously "lip synched", but cool otherwise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYZ_N6zS4IM