Glen Campell on TV in 1965 |
The first time I saw Glen Campbell play was on a television show called Shindig It aired from 1964 to 1966, and it featured some top musical acts of that era.
Some of the Shindogs |
The “house” band on the show were called The Shindogs and comprised of some of Los Angeles’ best session players, whose players alternated from time to time.
The band members included Glen Campbell, Joey Cooper, Chuck Blackwell (drums), Billy Preston, James Burton, Delaney Bramlett, Larry Knechtel (on bass), Leon Russell (on piano) Glen D. Hardin and bass player Ray Pohlman.
Glen Campbell rehearsing on Shindig! |
1960 Teisco T-60 |
The metal pickguard covered much of the body. On it was mounted a volume and tone control and a 3 position rotary switch that chose the pickup. It would be a few years before Teisco (the Tokyo Electric Instrument Company) began flooding the US and European market with cheap electric guitars.
Campbell with The Wrecking Crew |
Glen was born into a family of 12 children, His father was a sharecropper. He grew up and lived in a town near Delight, Arkansas. He received his first guitar at age 4 and took to it immediately. Since the neck was not adjustable and the strings were high, his father fashioned a capo out of an old inner tube. His extended family included several musicians. He was fond of reminding people that he was the seventh son of a seventh son.
Glen on a Tele with his uncles band |
At age 16 Glen dropped out of high school to pursue a career as a guitar player. His first job was with his uncle Eugene aka Boo, at a nightclub gig in Casper, Wyoming.
In 1956 they traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico in a group called The Sandia Mountain Boys, which was led by another Uncle named Dick Bills.
Within a couple of years, Glen Campbell had formed his own band called The Western Wranglers. By 1960 he moved to Los Angeles California and had a daytime job working for the American Music publishing company, writing songs and performing demo recordings. Word got out about this talented singer/guitar player and he was in demand.
Glen Campbell in The Champs |
Around this same time, Glen Campbell was hired by several session producers to play guitar with other anonymous back up musicians that later were came to be known as The Wrecking Crew.
Glen Campbell in the Wrecking Crew |
He aslo backed up Merle Haggard, Jan and Dean (Surf City), The Beach Boys (he played acoustic guitar on Be True to Your School, Pet Sounds and other recordings), Ronnie Dove, and Frank Sinatra. Phil Spector sought him out to play on some of his hits recorded by the Righteous Brothers.
Elvis, Priscilla, Campbell |
Glen Campbell played on recordings for Elvis, striking up a friendship with The King. Both men came from the same humble Southern roots. Glen played guitar on many demo recordings for Elvis and on the album Viva Las Vega.
Campbell goes solo |
That same year Campbell formed another band called the Gee Cees with some of the members of The Champs and played at local clubs.
By 1962 he inked a deal with Capitol Records and had a minor hit with the song “Too Late to Worry, Too Blue to Cry”.
He continued to record and write music. However his forte at the time was the session work. He was featured on an incredible 586 recorded songs, despite the fact that he could not read music. He would have someone at the session sing or hum the part and he immediately played it “by ear”.
Not only did he play guitar, but doubled on banjo, mandolin, and bass guitar.
It was in 1964 that Campbell got into television, as a regular on several shows including a California series called Star Route, and the Shindig!, and another California series called Hollywood Jamboree.
Glen Campbell as a Beach Boy |
In 1965 Glen Campbell finally had a a solo hit record with a song called Universal Soldier. This anti-war song (the US and allies were in the midst of the Vietnam War) was written by Buffy Sainte-Marie.
The following year, Campbell was hired again by The Beach Boys as a session player for their Pet Sounds album.
Rick Nelson and Glen Campbell |
Later that year he was hired to play bass guitar by Ricky Nelson on a tour of the Far East.
Campbell with Epiphone Zephyr |
It was in 1966 Glen finally struck gold when he was paired with songwriters Jimmy Webb and John Hartford.
He shared a friendship with both men throughout his life time.
Glen Campbell & John Hartford |
During the session, Campbell shouted directions to the players. He left the rough cut for De Lory to hear.
The next day De Lory listened to it and fell in love with the song and Glen's recording. De Lory immediately went to work on it, removing Glens directions to the musicians, but keeping Glens vocal and the music. Without telling Campbell, De Lory went ahead and released the song. It went on to become a mega hit for Campbell and won a Grammy for John Hartford.
In 1968 Campbell followed up with the song Wichita Lineman, which was penned and orchestrated by Jimmy Webb. Webb says he wrote the song as he drove through Washita County in southern Oklahoma.
The road was straight and seemed to go past endless lines of telephone poles. He saw a solitary lineman that was strapped at the top of one of these poles, doing repair work, causing Webb to think about the loneliness of this job. The phrase “singing in the wires” came from the vibrations induced by the electric current flowing through the lines.
Jimmy Webb and Glen Campbell |
Campbell's recording was also produced by Al De Lory and charted for 15 weeks in 1968. It is listed among Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of 500 greatest songs of all time.
By The Time I Get To Phoenix |
Galveston |
Webb imagined the soldier thoughts and put them into these lyrics; "Wonder if she could forget me, I'd go home if they would let me, Put down this gun, and go to Galveston.”
In 1968 Glen Campbell won 10 Grammys, three Hall of Fame Awards, a lifetime acheivement award, and the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year award.
Galveston - 45 rpm single |
Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour |
This show debuted in 1969 and ran through 1972.
Jerry Reed and Campbell |
This show introduced a lot of people to Country Music that would not have listened to it otherwise.
Campbell also turned his talent to the movies, making appearances in one flick called Norwood, and the John Wayne movie, True Grit.
Rhinestone Cowboy |
Allen Toussaint Southern Nights |
He called the song, "Southern Nights".
Toussaint’s version was down tempo, thoughtful, and the lyrics are just plain beautiful. Songwriter Jimmy Webb loved the song and brought it to Glens attention. With the help of his friend, Jerry Reed, they came up with the guitar introduction that featured the treble strings playing a descending two bar passage, while at the same the bass strings played an ascending passage. Glen’s version was uptempo, and cheerful, and was another hit for him.
Later in his career Campbell continued to tour, had three failed marriages, a fling with Country Music singer Tonya Tucker and had battled substance abuse. Most of this occurred during the mid 1970’s,
Glen and Kim Campbell |
Glen finally got the help, discipline, and understanding he needed when, in 1982, he remarried for the last time to his wife Kim.
Campbell recording with The Stone Temple Pilots |
During the 1990’s he became a successful performer, owning his own Goodtime Theater In Branson, Missouri. He still toured the world giving concerts, sometimes with symphony orchestras.
In 2008 Glen decided to record a project called Meet Glen Campbell. This featured some songs by Green Day, The Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, John Lennon, Lou Reed and others. Backing him on this recording were Wendy Melvoin, who played keyboards for Prince, Tom Petty, Rick Neilsen, and Danzig guitarist Todd Youth. In addition to others that sang background, were Campbell's own children.
Glen and Ashley Campbell The Last Tour |
The tour was filmed and the results showed his regression as the disease ravaged his brain. Though he could no longer remember lyrics to songs, he did not forget how to play guitar.
Sadly, he went into the studio and recorded one last song called I’m Not Going To Miss You. The recording was backed by several of his friends that played in The Wrecking Crew.
Campbell passed away last week on August 8th when the disease robbed his brain of the ability to control his central nervous system. Throughout his career Glen Campbell used a vast collection of guitars. One of the first guitar companies to have a relationship with Campbell was The Ovation guitar.
Ovations similar to those that Glen played |
Ovation guitars were a fairly new comer to the guitar market, having its start around 1965, with the development of an acoustic guitar with a round fiberglass back. Glen Campbell like the rugged concept of the guitar.
He encouraged the company to produce a model with an acoustic pick up, since he did not like to have a microphone stand in front of him.
He also did not think the guitar was loud enough. CEO Charles Kaman took his advice and obliged by having his engineers develop one of the best under-saddle acoustic transducer/pickups that was ever designed.
In a meeting with Campbell, Mr. Kaman gave him one of the first Ovation acoustic-electric Balladeer guitars. Campbell used this guitar, and many other Ovation guitars on his Goodtime Hour televsion show.
Campbell with Ovation Glen Campbell model |
Campbell playing an Ovation Toronado |
He also several Ovation electric models, including a Tornado electric guitar.
Campbell with Ovation Viper 12 string |
Ovation Toronado |
Campbell with Ovation Breadwinner |
Campbell continued to play Ovation guitars at his concerts throughout his career.
Campbell with Mosrite 12 sting |
Semie Moseley of Mosrite took over the Dobro operation from the Dopyera brothers in 1966. Their factory was based in Gardena California.
The first instruments that Mosrite made were assembled from original Dopyera parts in the Gardena factory.
Campbell with Mosrite Californian Dobro |
He owned two other Mosrite electric guitars and one rare Mosrite acoustic guitar.
1966 Mosrite Celebrity |
One was a Mosrite Celebrity model. The body was made by Framus, the neck, pickups, and electronics were by Moseley. The vibrato was made by Framus.
Plainsman Dobro |
The other was a 1966 Mosrite Plainsman Dobro electric guitar. This one was made by Dobro. Semie Moseley added the pickup, electronics, and added a Mosrite neck.
Campbell with Mosrite Seranader |
Campbell with a Fender Bass VI |
Campbell played a Fender Bass VI on Wichita Lineman, and Galveston.
Campbell with a Stratocaster |
Campbell 1956 |
You can see from one picture towards the top of the page, Glen started out playing a Telecaster that was equipped with a Bigsby B5.
This Tele had the Bigbsy as an add-on, longer before Fender offered this option in 1967. The photo is from around 1956. He is playing at a store that sells house paint.
Glen with a G&L Comanche |
Glenn also owned and played a G&L Comanche, which was a strat-style guitar that had split pickups.
Campbell with his guitars |
Glen owned several Martin guitars, one was a Martin N-20 classical model.
Campbell with Martin |
The other was probably a Martin D-28, since the sides appear to be rosewood.
Campbell's Ovation Vipers (Blue Birds) |
Glen loved 12 string guitars. He played his is can be often seen playing his Ovation Viper 12 string.
Campbell with Hamer 12 string |
Later played a beautiful Hamer 12 string electric guitar that he used in concert when he played Southern Nights.
Glen was an amazing guitarist and vocalist. In fact he is one of the most versatile guitarists ever.
As a session player he played on many of the Beach Boys songs, and also played on Frank Sinatra's classic recording of Strangers In The Night. He loved his family, and made a life with his music that many of us can only dream about.
He remained an incredibly talented man right up to the end. He will be missed.
Click on the links under the photos for sources. Click on the links in the text for more information.
©UniqueGuitar Blog (text only)
Glen plays an incredible solo on a vintage late 1950's Stratocaster in this video
4 comments:
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I have compiled a list of most of the guitars that Glen used, which can be found on
Glen Campbell Forums
Yeah, I see you borrowed some snap shots from our videos and thats cool, however I'd like to point out that in photo 31, thats not an Ovation "Breadwinner" but the Ovation "Deacon". ;-) Learn more facts about Glen at https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheFirstOfficialGlenCampbellGroup/ & https://www.facebook.com/TheOriginal20thCenturyGlenCampbell/?modal=admin_todo_tour
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