Aimee, In the late nineteen sixties I played a lot of record dates, I was a bass player, with Floyd Cramer and came to know Don Robertson. Don was a great L.A. writer who also sent songs to Chet from time to time. One night a few years after Hank Locklin's hit record, Don came to a session I was doing for Chet, on a break between songs, Don told me about making a demo of his song "Please Help Me I'm Falling" and he played a style on that of piano hoping Chet would have the steel player convert the part. Chet played Don's demo to Floyd they decided to have Floyd keep it on piano . . the record was a hit and a new style was born. I love your web site!!!!
Oh man! That adds such a nice little twist to what I had talked about with Don and Floyd and Chet!! Thanks so much for sharing that inside info, and for watching my video!
I was born in 68. Floyd Cramer was big in our household. I knew he played on a lot of big albums as a studio musician. He was the sound in Nashville on the piano.
I'm gonna share my story about how Iearned the Floyd Cramer style. It was after Marty Robbins died, and the story was on the evening news. They showed a clip of him singing El Paso, with those cowboy harmonies in the background and I thought, why don't I hear songs like that on my radio station? So I switched to CKRC, the local country station, and the announcer was saying, "Stay tuned this weekend for the TOP 500 COUNTRY SONGS OF ALL TIME!" I figured this was the perfect chance to get my country education, so I tuned in. And every 20 minutes or so there would be a break, a piano would go "glung, glung....glung glung" and they would say, "You're listening to the top 500 country songs of all time". But that little piano break was Floyd Cramer playing Cool Clear Water. It was about three weeks later that it hit me all of a sudden: I think I knew how he was doing it! So I went to a piano and tried it out...I was right! rolling into the melody from a whole tone below, with the fifth of the scale above as a pedal point. Played the whole song right through almost without mistakes. And that's my story. Yes of course I already knew how to play piano...I just never did the Floyd thing until that moment. Been going to town with it ever since.
Excellent video! Thank you, Ms Nolte! I was 17 when "Last Date" first aired here in NYC, and I loved it ever since. I love Floyd Cramer's music and accompaniments, especially Patsy Cline's "Sweet Dreams."
I was 8. My dad was the A&R manager for a record label in South Africa. Jim Reeves, Chet Atkins, Floyd Kramer toured and I spent best part of 2 weeks travelling with them (road plane,) with my dad taking them to game parks, and visiting the venues before they performed. His piano style convinced me to play the piano which I then started a year or to later. I have his autograph somewhere. He was also a nice man and he used to chat to this starstruck kid too
@@AimeeNolte in those days when the country/South Africa was segregated and practice apart-hate ... kudos to those Southern artists. I bet no black Africans were allowed into their concerts ... and there goes the theory that music is universal!
When I was a kid in the 60s my parents had lots of Floyd Cramer albums. I loved listening to his renditions of popular songs. When I was ten, I told my parents that I wanted to take piano lessons because I wanted to play like Floyd Cramer. It's very likely that without his influence I never would have taken piano lessons and would not be playing today. Thanks Floyd!
I spent some time in Nashville back in the 80's and had the great pleasure of hearing scores of great stories from and about numerous country greats. One such tale was about famed producer Larry Butler, whose first job upon arriving in town was running a demo session for a publishing company. Anxious to impress his boss with his knowledge of what was hip, he pressed the studio talkback button and addressed the pianist. "Gimme some Floyd Cramer licks in the intro. Can you do that?" "I guess so," said the pianist. "I AM Floyd Cramer."
Yeah, this comment tops them all. Hysterical story. I learned about this technique being called “Floyd licks” and was taught about Floyd Cramer in that transition. Often players specializing in one genre can be somewhat clueless about the whole universe of influences, inspirations, and cross-pollinations. I love learning about the true roots of this miraculous thing we call music.
My older brother (r.i.p.), was a great pianist. Took lessons, but had the most incredible ear. He taught himself how to play, Kramer, gospel, and yes, even Elton. He had Kramer down cold! Thanks for sharing this Aimee!
Thank you for this. Floyd Cramer was my idol in the 60's. I would go into our major music store in Perth, Western Australia, and ask to listen to his latest LP, and I always left with it tucked under my arm. I tried to emulate his style and still use elements of it today ... I am about to turn 76. He did so much more than I thought he did. Once again, thank you.
Seeing Jimmy Dean(Big John) hosting a show featuring Chet Atkins, Boots Randolph and Floyd Kramer? Priceless. Three recording giants of the Nashville RCA Studio in that era. Notice the 'doubled' Bass at 10:33. That also was a common arrangement of the 'Wrecking Crew'. And I still enjoy Jimmy's sausage and the Benny Hill theme. The quotes, stills, and archived videos are wonderful. Exceptionally well done profile.
I was fortunate to see Cramer, Atkins, and Randolph three times as theu did benefits for East Tennessee State University Music Department in Johnson City, Tennessee. This was, I believe, in the early 80s. Thank you so much for broadening my knowledge and love of my favorite pianist.
I'm 77 and grew up listening to all of this and I've been a gigging keyboard player since 1965. I learned Last Date on accordion in high school when I heard it on the radio. My grandmother had the album and I learned it by ear because there was no sheet music for it yet. Later on I also learned Crazy and that intro is not easy to play clean and in time to bring in the vocal. So smooth, tasty, perfect. It really is a musical work of art and I consider that one of the greatest piano intros ever. I still use those Floyd licks to this day on stage keyboards doing classic rock, jazz, blues, no more accordion. Like you said good younger players may not know his name but they'll know the licks and style and if some don't then they need to watch this vid and start picking it up.
I am 86 and a lifelong steel guitar player. This is a wonderfully done article. Let me give you a bit of pre history. Floyd and steel player Jimmy Day played together on the Louisianna Hayride together when slip note pedal steel was in its infancy, so Floyd understood the principle first hand. They came to Nashville together. I believe the first time the Floyd Cramer style was heard was on Hank Locklin's "Please Help Me I'm Falling".
I was just watching Keith Emerson's interview on the Oscar Peterson show from 1976, and he said Floyd was the first pianist he was influenced by. My God, what an amazing player!
Girl, you've taken me on a bit of a nostalgic trip with some of this music. It has made me remember times so long gone thank you. Nice presentation / lecture.
Your video brought sentimental tears to my eyes. I was born in Texas in the 40s. My dad loved Floyd Kramer, Patsy Kline, etc San Antonio Rose was a favorite and we lived for a time in San Antonio. Dad and Mom gave me piano lessons with my neighbor a professional pianist and organist. I think Floyd Kramer ( and others) planted that love of Western music I still recall juke box music and sawdust on the dance floors. Even children danced to Floyd Kramer. Thank you a thousand times!
Well presented and very informative was a fan of Floyd Cramer but you opened up a lot more than i new,much appreciated regards from Scotland 💙🏴🇬🇧🙏
Aimee, fascinating video. I had no idea who invented that style. When you mention Dr John as another iconic stylist, I would have to add Ray Charles to the list. Ray and Floyd were surely aware of each other. Ray had country influences too, but much deeper into gospel and blues.
When I first saw the posting on main UA-cam page, with the shadow of a man and no name, I knew immediately who your were talking about. Cramer is the guy who inspired me to want to play the piano some 50 years ago Loved his playing then, love it now. Plus it was my privilege to see the big 3 -- Atkins, Cramer and Randolph in concert in Lubbock, Texas back in the mid-60's. Great presentation, you certainly did your homework. I enjoyed it.
One of our greatest pop composers Jimmy Webb has an LP out called "SlipCover" that is dedicated to the Nashville piano sound developed by Floyd Cramer. Billy Joel also incorporates the Cramer technique in many., many of his piano songs. Thanks Aimee!!!
You're research is impressive, I learned a lot... my fav first record when i was maybe was fancy pants... any who never knew it was floyd. imagine a 4 year old with an old crappy suitcase record player, playing the hell out of Fancy Pants? thanks, fun video.
I fell in love with Floyd's song On the Rebound as a little kid, I had the seven single and couldn't stop listening to it. Then I started noticing his style popping up everywhere. Many years later I played in a band with a pianist who slipped notes into rock n roll tunes and I would shape my guitar parts around that, it gave our band a unique sound that made us stand out. I can't really play piano but when I want that sound and I say to a pianist to give me the Floyd lick they often don't know what I mean, until I demonstrate it to them with my basic version. It's definitely part of my guitar style, both semitone (more blues/rockabilly sound) and wholetone slips (for a more country/soul sound). Floyd was the man, what a legacy
In 8th grade, I took an elective class called Communications. In one module, we got to role play as DJs, and we had to bring in records of two songs. I had no allowance or job, so no music of my own, instead bringing a couple of my parents' Floyd Cramer records, which I loved, by the way. They were not well received by my classmates for some reason. This was little more than a decade after the release of Cramer's Last Dance. There is no accounting for taste, or lack thereof.
I had no idea this style of playing is called 'slip note' until you enlightened me. I am a great admirer of Chet Atkins ever since I was in my early teen, (now 78).It is because of Chet I learnt to play the guitar. I generally play the lead guitar and copy this technique, so now I know who pioneered this style. Floyd & Chet, what a pair of great musicians. God Bless them both. You explained everything so beautifully. Thank you for making my day ❤
You are the cutest of all time, and absolutely encyclopedic about pulling up examples of that slip-note, gospel-harmony stuff. When I got started in country music, a good friend, older, classical-music-appreciating guy, used to get so annoyed by my sliding into notes vocally. He heard it as a lack of precision, of "knowing what not you want"! LOL!
Thank you for this. I knew who the subject must be from the opening. As a kid I heard a lot of country on tv; I didn't like country (for association reasons that had nothing to do with country music) but I often heard a little sound on those songs - i fought to find out who was playing that sound and got the name Floyd Cramer. I never forgot his name or sound, didnt know it was called a slip note, in my mind it was called the Cramer note. Im glad he is still recognized. There was no reason for a kid watching tv hearing music he was not a fan of to sit up and focus on a 'note' that "slipped" by so quickly but that was Cramer's genius.( I think it was teaching himself by doing it by ear is exactly what allowed him to imitate what he was hearing on guitar. )That is my humble tribute to him, but as I am always talking about music, I often hip my associates to this man's name. Seeing you play it, Im going to continue paying tribute but now with my fingers lol. Thank you again.
I was quite sure you meant Floyd Cramer. Even though I was not that familiar with him, I can hear that characteristic everywhere. I immediately thought of the intro to the Beatles "Don't Let Me Down", Bob Seger's "Blame It On Midnight". Hendrix, absolutely, they are easy and also great fun to play on guitar.
Thank you. The past 6 months I have been searching hopelessly for that tune Last Dance as I did not know the name or composer. I even played it into those song identifier apps with no avail. So now, as it always goes it just fell into my lap tonight out of nowhere. Hearing that tune is like musical honey being poured on my soul. 😊 I wonder if that is where the Rolling Stones got the musical phrasing in 'Satisfaction' on the "and I tried, and I tried..." part.
I've played keys and country and rock bands for years. I even used to play "Last Date". I played many of those songs that you referenced and had no idea I was copying Floyd Cramer over and over. Kind of funny. I thought I was learning styles of different players.
I’ve been playing piano a long time and this is the first time I’ve heard about “slip note”. And I do it all the time. Amazing how much there is to learn. Thank you for this!
I must have been about 12 years old when I began hearing Last Date on my AM radio, probably every day, and I remember being especially drawn to it, more so than most other things I heard on the radio. I was so impressed by the sweetness and beauty of the recording that I made sure to find out and remember the name of the performer. Thanks to Aimee for reminding me.
I was waiting for that 800 number to pop up at the end of the montage. "The best of Slip-Note style! call now for our 2-disc set! But wait, order in the next 15 minutes, and receive our BONUS Floyd Cramer Collection, a $29.99 value, yours free!"
I remember that piano style from my childhood in Brooklyn, New York. I remember Floyd's name but didn't know much about him. I'm now 73 years old and thank you so much for this nostalgic and very informative post 👍🏾🎶
Thanks for the history lesson! I had heard the name Floyd Cramer, but when I was growing up my Father was playing records by Johnny Maddox and such. I came to love pianists and composers such as Bela Bartok, Vladimir Horowitz and Professor Longhair. A modern song I think that uses the slip note technique that I think is overwhelmingly effective is Bluebeard by the Cocteau Twins. 😀
Floyd Cramer is one of my favorite piano performers. Others pianist who had the same style was Millard Kelso, Art McNulty, Brother Al (Alton) Stricklin, Skeeter Elkins and Eldon Shamblin (Bob Wills Playboys). My father was a preacher so I grew up in church with southern gospel music and the gospel quartets in the 50's, 60's and 70's. I especially love the the music of Jimmy Swaggart who only played gospel songs with the same style as Floyd. Jimmy's cousins, Mickey Gilley and Jerry Lee Lewis also had the same playing style as Floyd Cramer. The Bill Gaither Trio, the Happy Goodman Family and many other gospel performers also wrote music in the Floyd Cramer style. His influence in pop and country also became a standard sound for southern gospel music.
Jimi's Wind Cries Mary had that distinctive lick, later used in Lennon's Don't Let Me Down. James Taylor's signature hammerings on. Thanks for reminding me of Behind Closed Doors. Loved that intro, learned it on guitar. In the Sixties it was folk music, then everyone went electric. Like a Rolling Stone intro kinda doing that Cramer thing. I got into country through Jesse Ed Davis backing up Taj Mahal, saw them at Fillmore West. Jerry playing steel on Teach Your Children. First heard Mama Tried on a live FM broadcast of a Dead show, Jerry opening with the New Riders, then playing with the Dead. Zal Yanovsky played some nice country licks on Nashville Cats.
Thanks for closing a knowledge gap for me! I took piano lessons for several years as a kid, not because my parents coerced me, but because I asked. You see, I've always loved the piano. And classical music. Then in college in the late 1960's (in the science & engineering track, not music), there was a piano in the lobby of our dorm, and Ken, one of the other residents, showed me a few things, including _The Maple Leaf Rag,_ and two Floyd Cramer songs: _The Last Date,_ and _On the Rebound._ These were about the most fun to play of anything I knew. Mostly because of that "slip note" technique you mention. Incidentally, at this time I was just learning guitar, and that technique on a keyboard reminds me strongly of the "hammer-on" technique on the guitar. But not having followed popular or country music at the time Floyd was popular, I had no idea of the connections you reveal here. So thanks! Fred EDIT: Now having watched the rest of the video, I see you make that "hammer-on" comparison, too!
I knew it was Floyd Cramer from the title and watched to confirm. I wasn't much into country music way back when but Floyd's playing was just so prominent and inescapable in the sixties. I remember reading about his playing in Keyboard magazine and always remember how he developed a technique to emulate steel guitar. There are few pianists who impacted their music genre to the extent he did. Without a doubt a music genius....and I actually think his playing transcends genres....any pianist can gain something studying his style. Nice video.
That Michael Jackson segment was amazing. It stripped all of that "king of pop" BS from his persona. Just a sweet son who loves his mother and had the vision and heart to do so with her favorite musician. That's sweet!
Music appreciation doesn't get any better than this video, Aimee. As for an additional hit song with Floyd's sound, am I right in thinking that Philip Aaberg's piano on Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" from early 1976 qualifies?
I remember those ads! Definitely thought it was dated as a kid but damn, I realize he played on so many songs I loved. But in his own words, mostly whole tones? Super interesting.
A beautiful, rich tribute, brilliantly researched, & pulling together many profound influences that went in so many directions. Makes me think of the beautiful simple piano solo on the Emmylou Harris studio recording of Buck Owens' "Together Again" (played, I think, by Glen Hardin). I love that Hendrix credited Kramer (as well as the great Curtis Mayfield)! Bruce Hornsby did a very distinctive thing with that influence, extending the slip-note in time. Love his work. It would be interesting to look at classical piano with these things in mind...
Thanks for putting this together. I’m at the point as a professional Jazz musician that I just can’t subscribe to any labels any more. There’s too much great music that all the cats put down. Problem is, they’ve never even taken the time to listen. I would venture to say that Floyd Cramer actually swings harder than many so called jazz pianists of today. The blues, and also folk element is almost completely absent. Do more of these, please! Dr. John, etc. All the guys who had serious chops but never let the burden of what’s expected of “Jazz” musician pigeonhole them.
Thanks for shedding a spotlight on Floyd Cramer . His slip note style is so distinctive and defined country music for many years. I’m a big fan and I love to play it.
Great to see this style honored. I first heard it as the theme (one of Floyd's recordings) for a radio program I used to listen to as a kid. As a piano by ear player I picked it up, however imperfectly. I still use this 'slip note' technique whenever it fits. It's indispensable in playing everything from country tunes to Elton, Bruce Hornsby and beyond. So simple, yet so original!
Like so many, I've heard Floyd Kramer's distinctive and beautiful way of playing countless times, without knowing his name or the name of his piano playing style. His influential and soulful way of playing can be heard everywhere. Thank you Aimee for making such a wonderful video, and shining a well deserved light on the history and contributions of a great musician. It was an absolute delight to watch this video. It must have taken quite a lot of time to make, but it was surely worth it. I hope you make more videos like this, as your presentation, content, and explanation was superb. 👏👍😎
I remember those commercials for his albums. Growing up in North Carolina, I heard his music and the artists he played with.The clip of him playing for MJ's mother is cool 😎. I'm glad I found your video, it's great.
wow thank you for this! We all need to know the history behind the greats like Floyd Cramer! And yes, I do remember those adds as a kid, but didn't know his impact on music!! I guess by hearing all of the influence he made on music, I too learned that style without even know where it came from!! I always thought it was imitating guitar but this nails it!! I thought of Brian Culbertson as well, simple jazz style but uses the slip note ofter! Again, a great video for us all, and yes, we all learned a lot!! One quick note about your reference to Peter Frampton's song, it was Bob Mayo playing the Rhodes piano. Thanks again!!!!
I hear Cramer’s influence from Frank Mills, Jon Jarvis, David Hofner, and whoever played piano on “Old River” PS, I’ve been playing guitar and keyboards, on and off for 40+ years, and rediscovered soloing, launching from the root note, of whatever chord is being played at that instant .. I call it “bring it on” by “nailing the root”.
Slip note/slip tone style was a thing in folk guitar and lap steel dating back into the mists of time. It was generally used to create a bluesy or cowboy twangy sound. Most used a half-tone slip, but some such as Chet Atkins also used the whole-tone slip Cramer adapted to the piano. And NGL, when "Behind Closed Doors" came out and I first heard it, I thought, "Huh, Rich got Cramer for this one."
Chad Adkins had a special back a couple decades and which had the Everly Brothers Emmylou Harris Waylon Jennings Willie Nelson Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits Michael McDonald from Doobie Brothers there's probably a few more they're mostly the folks that he had gotten started producing their work and others he just admired their work and had them on the show like Mark Knopfler who is another one of those musical Geniuses of the world. It is a good show if you can find it on Google anywhere. 1987 is when it happened. By the way young lady you're a genius for compiling all this information together I just read it and keep it to myself mostly but you're doing it, thank you.
Aimee, In the late nineteen sixties I played a lot of record dates, I was a bass player, with Floyd Cramer and came to know Don Robertson. Don was a great L.A. writer who also sent songs to Chet from time to time. One night a few years after Hank Locklin's hit record, Don came to a session I was doing for Chet, on a break between songs, Don told me about making a demo of his song "Please Help Me I'm Falling" and he played a style on that of piano hoping Chet would have the steel player convert the part. Chet played Don's demo to Floyd they decided to have Floyd keep it on piano . . the record was a hit and a new style was born. I love your web site!!!!
Oh man! That adds such a nice little twist to what I had talked about with Don and Floyd and Chet!! Thanks so much for sharing that inside info, and for watching my video!
Thank you for wonderful music 🎼🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
I was born in 68. Floyd Cramer was big in our household. I knew he played on a lot of big albums as a studio musician. He was the sound in Nashville on the piano.
I'm gonna share my story about how Iearned the Floyd Cramer style. It was after Marty Robbins died, and the story was on the evening news. They showed a clip of him singing El Paso, with those cowboy harmonies in the background and I thought, why don't I hear songs like that on my radio station? So I switched to CKRC, the local country station, and the announcer was saying, "Stay tuned this weekend for the TOP 500 COUNTRY SONGS OF ALL TIME!"
I figured this was the perfect chance to get my country education, so I tuned in. And every 20 minutes or so there would be a break, a piano would go "glung, glung....glung glung" and they would say, "You're listening to the top 500 country songs of all time". But that little piano break was Floyd Cramer playing Cool Clear Water.
It was about three weeks later that it hit me all of a sudden: I think I knew how he was doing it! So I went to a piano and tried it out...I was right! rolling into the melody from a whole tone below, with the fifth of the scale above as a pedal point. Played the whole song right through almost without mistakes.
And that's my story. Yes of course I already knew how to play piano...I just never did the Floyd thing until that moment. Been going to town with it ever since.
Excellent video! Thank you, Ms Nolte!
I was 17 when "Last Date" first aired here in NYC, and I loved it ever since. I love Floyd Cramer's music and accompaniments, especially Patsy Cline's "Sweet Dreams."
I was 8. My dad was the A&R manager for a record label in South Africa. Jim Reeves, Chet Atkins, Floyd Kramer toured and I spent best part of 2 weeks travelling with them (road plane,) with my dad taking them to game parks, and visiting the venues before they performed. His piano style convinced me to play the piano which I then started a year or to later. I have his autograph somewhere. He was also a nice man and he used to chat to this starstruck kid too
Oh thanks so much for sharing!!
@@AimeeNolte in those days when the country/South Africa was segregated and practice apart-hate ... kudos to those Southern artists. I bet no black Africans were allowed into their concerts ... and there goes the theory that music is universal!
When I was a kid in the 60s my parents had lots of Floyd Cramer albums. I loved listening to his renditions of popular songs. When I was ten, I told my parents that I wanted to take piano lessons because I wanted to play like Floyd Cramer. It's very likely that without his influence I never would have taken piano lessons and would not be playing today. Thanks Floyd!
definitely no jimi Hendrix no where in his music, great click bait though.
@@averychilco There's no Jimi in Floyd's music maybe but there's definitely Floyd in Jimi's music
I don’t do Clickbait. If you watch the video, you would see that Jimi said he was influenced by Floyd.
Go listen to Wind Cries Mary...
@@averychilcogo listen to Wind Cries Mary...
I love your piano skills but I equally love your storytelling skills.
I spent some time in Nashville back in the 80's and had the great pleasure of hearing scores of great stories from and about numerous country greats. One such tale was about famed producer Larry Butler, whose first job upon arriving in town was running a demo session for a publishing company. Anxious to impress his boss with his knowledge of what was hip, he pressed the studio talkback button and addressed the pianist. "Gimme some Floyd Cramer licks in the intro. Can you do that?" "I guess so," said the pianist. "I AM Floyd Cramer."
Yeah, this comment tops them all. Hysterical story. I learned about this technique being called “Floyd licks” and was taught about Floyd Cramer in that transition. Often players specializing in one genre can be somewhat clueless about the whole universe of influences, inspirations, and cross-pollinations. I love learning about the true roots of this miraculous thing we call music.
My older brother (r.i.p.), was a great pianist. Took lessons, but had the most incredible ear. He taught himself how to play, Kramer, gospel, and yes, even Elton. He had Kramer down cold! Thanks for sharing this Aimee!
Thank you for this. Floyd Cramer was my idol in the 60's. I would go into our major music store in Perth, Western Australia, and ask to listen to his latest LP, and I always left with it tucked under my arm. I tried to emulate his style and still use elements of it today ... I am about to turn 76. He did so much more than I thought he did. Once again, thank you.
You did a great job here. Floyd Cramer was an excellent musician and I'm glad he's being remembered this way.
Seeing Jimmy Dean(Big John) hosting a show featuring Chet Atkins, Boots Randolph and Floyd Kramer? Priceless. Three recording giants of the Nashville RCA Studio in that era. Notice the 'doubled' Bass at 10:33. That also was a common arrangement of the 'Wrecking Crew'. And I still enjoy Jimmy's sausage and the Benny Hill theme. The quotes, stills, and archived videos are wonderful. Exceptionally well done profile.
I was fortunate to see Cramer, Atkins, and Randolph three times as theu did benefits for East Tennessee State University Music Department in Johnson City, Tennessee. This was, I believe, in the early 80s. Thank you so much for broadening my knowledge and love of my favorite pianist.
I'm 77 and grew up listening to all of this and I've been a gigging keyboard player since 1965. I learned Last Date on accordion in high school when I heard it on the radio. My grandmother had the album and I learned it by ear because there was no sheet music for it yet. Later on I also learned Crazy and that intro is not easy to play clean and in time to bring in the vocal. So smooth, tasty, perfect. It really is a musical work of art and I consider that one of the greatest piano intros ever. I still use those Floyd licks to this day on stage keyboards doing classic rock, jazz, blues, no more accordion. Like you said good younger players may not know his name but they'll know the licks and style and if some don't then they need to watch this vid and start picking it up.
I knew who the video was about from the title. However, with your first few keystrokes, I was put back in my childhood living room with my Father.
I am 86 and a lifelong steel guitar player. This is a wonderfully done article. Let me give you a bit of pre history. Floyd and steel player Jimmy Day played together on the Louisianna Hayride together when slip note pedal steel was in its infancy, so Floyd understood the principle first hand. They came to Nashville together. I believe the first time the Floyd Cramer style was heard was on Hank Locklin's "Please Help Me I'm Falling".
I was just watching Keith Emerson's interview on the Oscar Peterson show from 1976, and he said Floyd was the first pianist he was influenced by.
My God, what an amazing player!
Girl, you've taken me on a bit of a nostalgic trip with some of this music. It has made me remember times so long gone thank you. Nice presentation / lecture.
Your video brought sentimental tears to my eyes.
I was born in Texas in the 40s. My dad loved Floyd Kramer, Patsy Kline, etc San Antonio Rose was a favorite and we lived for a time in San Antonio.
Dad and Mom gave me piano lessons with my neighbor a professional pianist and organist. I think Floyd Kramer ( and others) planted that love of Western music I still recall juke box music and sawdust on the dance floors. Even children danced to Floyd Kramer.
Thank you a thousand times!
Well presented and very informative was a fan of Floyd Cramer but you opened up a lot more than i new,much appreciated regards from Scotland 💙🏴🇬🇧🙏
As soon as I saw the title, I knew who it was about. Lovely video.
Aimee, fascinating video. I had no idea who invented that style. When you mention Dr John as another iconic stylist, I would have to add Ray Charles to the list. Ray and Floyd were surely aware of each other. Ray had country influences too, but much deeper into gospel and blues.
My mom loved Floyd Cramer. I've been working out Last Date on guitar. That song reminds me of my youth and her.
When I first saw the posting on main UA-cam page, with the shadow of a man and no name, I knew immediately who your were talking about. Cramer is the guy who inspired me to want to play the piano some 50 years ago Loved his playing then, love it now. Plus it was my privilege to see the big 3 -- Atkins, Cramer and Randolph in concert in Lubbock, Texas back in the mid-60's. Great presentation, you certainly did your homework. I enjoyed it.
One of our greatest pop composers Jimmy Webb has an LP out called "SlipCover" that is dedicated to the Nashville piano sound developed by Floyd Cramer. Billy Joel also incorporates the Cramer technique in many., many of his piano songs. Thanks Aimee!!!
You're research is impressive, I learned a lot... my fav first record when i was maybe was fancy pants... any who never knew it was floyd. imagine a 4 year old with an old crappy suitcase record player, playing the hell out of Fancy Pants? thanks, fun video.
I had a crappy suit case record player, too! Grey, and the lid was the speaker.
I fell in love with Floyd's song On the Rebound as a little kid, I had the seven single and couldn't stop listening to it. Then I started noticing his style popping up everywhere. Many years later I played in a band with a pianist who slipped notes into rock n roll tunes and I would shape my guitar parts around that, it gave our band a unique sound that made us stand out. I can't really play piano but when I want that sound and I say to a pianist to give me the Floyd lick they often don't know what I mean, until I demonstrate it to them with my basic version. It's definitely part of my guitar style, both semitone (more blues/rockabilly sound) and wholetone slips (for a more country/soul sound). Floyd was the man, what a legacy
In 8th grade, I took an elective class called Communications. In one module, we got to role play as DJs, and we had to bring in records of two songs. I had no allowance or job, so no music of my own, instead bringing a couple of my parents' Floyd Cramer records, which I loved, by the way. They were not well received by my classmates for some reason. This was little more than a decade after the release of Cramer's Last Dance. There is no accounting for taste, or lack thereof.
Kids are dumb
My frustration as well.
Thank you, i'll be 66 this Oct and i learned a lot about Floyd Cramer from your video. 😉👍
This was one of the most informative & inspirational videos I’ve seen in ages. Thanks so much
Took me back to my childhood. Thanks for this video, Ms. Nolte.
Congrats on launching a video with the Eagles in it and not getting copyright blocked by Don Henley.
I’ll take the W!
I had no idea this style of playing is called 'slip note' until you enlightened me. I am a great admirer of Chet Atkins ever since I was in my early teen, (now 78).It is because of Chet I learnt to play the guitar. I generally play the lead guitar and copy this technique, so now I know who pioneered this style. Floyd & Chet, what a pair of great musicians. God Bless them both.
You explained everything so beautifully. Thank you for making my day ❤
I've never heard of Floyd Cramer before but I love his technique already. I can't believe I haven't heard of him sooner.
This was a great bit historical trivia.
He was good. Very definitive sounding piano playing.
You are the cutest of all time, and absolutely encyclopedic about pulling up examples of that slip-note, gospel-harmony stuff. When I got started in country music, a good friend, older, classical-music-appreciating guy, used to get so annoyed by my sliding into notes vocally. He heard it as a lack of precision, of "knowing what not you want"! LOL!
Thank you for the Country Music education! I definitely grew up hearing Floyd's "slip note" style, but I'm not sure when I first heard his name.
Thank you for this. I knew who the subject must be from the opening. As a kid I heard a lot of country on tv; I didn't like country (for association reasons that had nothing to do with country music) but I often heard a little sound on those songs - i fought to find out who was playing that sound and got the name Floyd Cramer. I never forgot his name or sound, didnt know it was called a slip note, in my mind it was called the Cramer note. Im glad he is still recognized. There was no reason for a kid watching tv hearing music he was not a fan of to sit up and focus on a 'note' that "slipped" by so quickly but that was Cramer's genius.( I think it was teaching himself by doing it by ear is exactly what allowed him to imitate what he was hearing on guitar. )That is my humble tribute to him, but as I am always talking about music, I often hip my associates to this man's name. Seeing you play it, Im going to continue paying tribute but now with my fingers lol. Thank you again.
Floyd Cramer was one of the musical heroes of my childhood.
I was quite sure you meant Floyd Cramer. Even though I was not that familiar with him, I can hear that characteristic everywhere. I immediately thought of the intro to the Beatles "Don't Let Me Down", Bob Seger's "Blame It On Midnight". Hendrix, absolutely, they are easy and also great fun to play on guitar.
You just popped up! Been a long time, too long. Deeply appreciate your style, voice, and passion for the 88s. Bravo.
Thank you. The past 6 months I have been searching hopelessly for that tune Last Dance as I did not know the name or composer. I even played it into those song identifier apps with no avail. So now, as it always goes it just fell into my lap tonight out of nowhere. Hearing that tune is like musical honey being poured on my soul. 😊 I wonder if that is where the Rolling Stones got the musical phrasing in 'Satisfaction' on the "and I tried, and I tried..." part.
I've played keys and country and rock bands for years. I even used to play "Last Date". I played many of those songs that you referenced and had no idea I was copying Floyd Cramer over and over. Kind of funny. I thought I was learning styles of different players.
Thanks! I was wondering where my favorite part of the Little Wing intro came from.
I’ve been playing piano a long time and this is the first time I’ve heard about “slip note”. And I do it all the time. Amazing how much there is to learn. Thank you for this!
Nice video Aimee! It is amazing how many styles were born from someone looking to copy another instrument.
Thanks for a stellar video and labor of love. The first song I thought of was "Behind Closed Doors" as using his technique.
Soon as I saw that title, I thought, Floyd Cramer! I was right about something for once.
Thank you for this work! Gracias! Love it!!!
Thank you for the superb study and look back
I remember him well! It was during my courting days. Love Cramer
Thanks a lot for an informative piece. As a guitarist over 70yo, I have heard of Floyd Kramer from way back, but I never knew how influential he was.
I must have been about 12 years old when I began hearing Last Date on my AM radio, probably every day, and I remember being especially drawn to it, more so than most other things I heard on the radio. I was so impressed by the sweetness and beauty of the recording that I made sure to find out and remember the name of the performer. Thanks to Aimee for reminding me.
Good shout, for Floyd!
Granny played cassettes with Floyd Cramer and with Jim Reeves. She fed me a lot of great music, whether she planned it or not ;)
Another outstanding offering, Aimee. Love all the background info you find and share. So cool.
I was waiting for that 800 number to pop up at the end of the montage. "The best of Slip-Note style! call now for our 2-disc set! But wait, order in the next 15 minutes, and receive our BONUS Floyd Cramer Collection, a $29.99 value, yours free!"
Thanks for educating the current generation about the great Floyd Cramer! Great lesson. 👍👍
Tickled those keys Floyd Cramer. One of the all time greats.
I remember that piano style from my childhood in Brooklyn, New York. I remember Floyd's name but didn't know much about him. I'm now 73 years old and thank you so much for this nostalgic and very informative post 👍🏾🎶
Thanks for the history lesson! I had heard the name Floyd Cramer, but when I was growing up my Father was playing records by Johnny Maddox and such. I came to love pianists and composers such as Bela Bartok, Vladimir Horowitz and Professor Longhair. A modern song I think that uses the slip note technique that I think is overwhelmingly effective is Bluebeard by the Cocteau Twins. 😀
Floyd Cramer is one of my favorite piano performers. Others pianist who had the same style was Millard Kelso, Art McNulty, Brother Al (Alton) Stricklin, Skeeter Elkins and Eldon Shamblin (Bob Wills Playboys). My father was a preacher so I grew up in church with southern gospel music and the gospel quartets in the 50's, 60's and 70's. I especially love the the music of Jimmy Swaggart who only played gospel songs with the same style as Floyd. Jimmy's cousins, Mickey Gilley and Jerry Lee Lewis also had the same playing style as Floyd Cramer.
The Bill Gaither Trio, the Happy Goodman Family and many other gospel performers also wrote music in the Floyd Cramer style. His influence in pop and country also became a standard sound for southern gospel music.
Very educational video. I knew it was Floyd Kramer from the title :-)
Jimi's Wind Cries Mary had that distinctive lick, later used in Lennon's Don't Let Me Down. James Taylor's signature hammerings on.
Thanks for reminding me of Behind Closed Doors. Loved that intro, learned it on guitar. In the Sixties it was folk music, then everyone went electric. Like a Rolling Stone intro kinda doing that Cramer thing. I got into country through Jesse Ed Davis backing up Taj Mahal, saw them at Fillmore West. Jerry playing steel on Teach Your Children. First heard Mama Tried on a live FM broadcast of a Dead show, Jerry opening with the New Riders, then playing with the Dead. Zal Yanovsky played some nice country licks on Nashville Cats.
Thanks for closing a knowledge gap for me!
I took piano lessons for several years as a kid, not because my parents coerced me, but because I asked. You see, I've always loved the piano. And classical music.
Then in college in the late 1960's (in the science & engineering track, not music), there was a piano in the lobby of our dorm, and Ken, one of the other residents, showed me a few things, including _The Maple Leaf Rag,_ and two Floyd Cramer songs: _The Last Date,_ and _On the Rebound._ These were about the most fun to play of anything I knew. Mostly because of that "slip note" technique you mention.
Incidentally, at this time I was just learning guitar, and that technique on a keyboard reminds me strongly of the "hammer-on" technique on the guitar.
But not having followed popular or country music at the time Floyd was popular, I had no idea of the connections you reveal here.
So thanks!
Fred
EDIT: Now having watched the rest of the video, I see you make that "hammer-on" comparison, too!
I’m 62 and have always loved his slip note style from the time I was a kid, never knowing he was until I got older.
Here in the UK he had a big solo hit with "On The Rebound", which is how I knew him.
I knew it was Floyd Cramer from the title and watched to confirm. I wasn't much into country music way back when but Floyd's playing was just so prominent and inescapable in the sixties. I remember reading about his playing in Keyboard magazine and always remember how he developed a technique to emulate steel guitar. There are few pianists who impacted their music genre to the extent he did. Without a doubt a music genius....and I actually think his playing transcends genres....any pianist can gain something studying his style. Nice video.
That Michael Jackson segment was amazing. It stripped all of that "king of pop" BS from his persona. Just a sweet son who loves his mother and had the vision and heart to do so with her favorite musician. That's sweet!
Music appreciation doesn't get any better than this video, Aimee. As for an additional hit song with Floyd's sound, am I right in thinking that Philip Aaberg's piano on Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" from early 1976 qualifies?
Grady played the unbelievable acoustic guitar on Marty Robbins ‘. El Paso!
Tbh this is my favorite format of video on this channel. Reminds me of the Michael McDonald video which was a blast.
I remember those ads! Definitely thought it was dated as a kid but damn, I realize he played on so many songs I loved. But in his own words, mostly whole tones? Super interesting.
I knew it was about Floyd Cramer before I clicked on it, lol! Slip note style is great
A beautiful, rich tribute, brilliantly researched, & pulling together many profound influences that went in so many directions. Makes me think of the beautiful simple piano solo on the Emmylou Harris studio recording of Buck Owens' "Together Again" (played, I think, by Glen Hardin). I love that Hendrix credited Kramer (as well as the great Curtis Mayfield)! Bruce Hornsby did a very distinctive thing with that influence, extending the slip-note in time. Love his work.
It would be interesting to look at classical piano with these things in mind...
Thank you Aimee, Greeting from Thailand.
I believe the great jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi was also influenced by Floyd Kramer .
"Cast your Fate to the Wind"? think 1962?
Thanks for putting this together. I’m at the point as a professional Jazz musician that I just can’t subscribe to any labels any more. There’s too much great music that all the cats put down. Problem is, they’ve never even taken the time to listen. I would venture to say that Floyd Cramer actually swings harder than many so called jazz pianists of today. The blues, and also folk element is almost completely absent. Do more of these, please! Dr. John, etc. All the guys who had serious chops but never let the burden of what’s expected of “Jazz” musician pigeonhole them.
This was so well put together!
I've loved Floyd's sound since childhood: so grateful for Aimee providing this background.
THE SOUND OF MY CHILDHOOD, THANK YOU FOR REMING US!!
Thanks for shedding a spotlight on Floyd Cramer . His slip note style is so distinctive and defined country music for many years. I’m a big fan and I love to play it.
Neil Young named Floyd Cramer as a huge influence. You can hear that slip-note all over his guitar playing.
And the tack piano on Neil's 'My Heart' from Sleeps With Angels.
Great to see this style honored. I first heard it as the theme (one of Floyd's recordings) for a radio program I used to listen to as a kid. As a piano by ear player I picked it up, however imperfectly. I still use this 'slip note' technique whenever it fits. It's indispensable in playing everything from country tunes to Elton, Bruce Hornsby and beyond. So simple, yet so original!
Like so many, I've heard Floyd Kramer's distinctive and beautiful way of playing countless times, without knowing his name or the name of his piano playing style. His influential and soulful way of playing can be heard everywhere. Thank you Aimee for making such a wonderful video, and shining a well deserved light on the history and contributions of a great musician. It was an absolute delight to watch this video. It must have taken quite a lot of time to make, but it was surely worth it. I hope you make more videos like this, as your presentation, content, and explanation was superb. 👏👍😎
Outstanding! What a wonderful tribute to Floyd and a great history lesson on the origins of the slip note sound.
Thank you this amazing video! He influenced me so much, and I’m a fiddle plater!🫶🏽🙏🏽🎻
Vince Guaraldi Trio!!! Vince gave the slip-note style real cool.
Thank you a very fine presentation.
Terrific video. Great work, very interesting. Thanks.
Thank you Floyd Cramer..!
I remember those commercials for his albums. Growing up in North Carolina, I heard his music and the artists he played with.The clip of him playing for MJ's mother is cool 😎. I'm glad I found your video, it's great.
wow thank you for this! We all need to know the history behind the greats like Floyd Cramer! And yes, I do remember those adds as a kid, but didn't know his impact on music!! I guess by hearing all of the influence he made on music, I too learned that style without even know where it came from!! I always thought it was imitating guitar but this nails it!! I thought of Brian Culbertson as well, simple jazz style but uses the slip note ofter! Again, a great video for us all, and yes, we all learned a lot!! One quick note about your reference to Peter Frampton's song, it was Bob Mayo playing the Rhodes piano. Thanks again!!!!
I hear Cramer’s influence from Frank Mills, Jon Jarvis, David Hofner, and whoever played piano on “Old River”
PS, I’ve been playing guitar and keyboards, on and off for 40+ years, and rediscovered soloing, launching from the root note, of whatever chord is being played at that instant .. I call it “bring it on” by “nailing the root”.
Slip note/slip tone style was a thing in folk guitar and lap steel dating back into the mists of time. It was generally used to create a bluesy or cowboy twangy sound. Most used a half-tone slip, but some such as Chet Atkins also used the whole-tone slip Cramer adapted to the piano. And NGL, when "Behind Closed Doors" came out and I first heard it, I thought, "Huh, Rich got Cramer for this one."
And sorry, I don't do Telegram.
Thank you for recognizing and explaining this about Floyd. I borrowed this style 50 years ago and have enjoyed it for a lifetime.
Excellent exposition ! Thanx !
This was really interesting Aimee
Chad Adkins had a special back a couple decades and which had the Everly Brothers Emmylou Harris Waylon Jennings Willie Nelson Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits Michael McDonald from Doobie Brothers there's probably a few more they're mostly the folks that he had gotten started producing their work and others he just admired their work and had them on the show like Mark Knopfler who is another one of those musical Geniuses of the world. It is a good show if you can find it on Google anywhere. 1987 is when it happened. By the way young lady you're a genius for compiling all this information together I just read it and keep it to myself mostly but you're doing it, thank you.
56 years old and I've never known any of this! Love learning new things! Thanks, Aimee.
This music is like seeing an old friend again.