Gordon on "Mississippi "

[Basil Henriques]

OK sorry about this BUT according to all my sources in the Netherlands, this is correct information.

From e-mail to 'Johan Jansen' Toni Willé (The singer) said "Dat was inderdaad Frans Doolaard Johan. The message: Thanks for being interested in our songs!"
and also from Marco Schouten, "steel guitar on the song Missisippi was played by studio musician Frans Doolaard.."
Franz Doolaard played the steel on the record, "Jan Viljoen" says "the video was MIMED by Johan Theunissen playing on a Framus pedal steel."

The record session Franz Doolaard
The Video Johan Theunissen Band member and brother of the composer of the song 'Mississippi' Werner Theunissen, who had been the sisters' guitar teacher,

The 1975 lineup was: three Kowalczyk sisters: Toni, Betty and Marianne. Other members of the band were Lou Willé (Toni's then-husband), Theo Wetzels, Theo Coumans, and John (Johan) Theunissen.
Picture Pussycat recently.

CLICK THIS to view and buy——>

[Mcneilwaeasteel]

Basil
Your apologisation is acceptable due to the amount of information you graciously posted regards my first post, as usuall you answered every aspect of the topic confirming every word with facts, the only thing missing was the confirmation of the type of steel guitar played in the recording session by Frans Doolaard.

No doubt you will reply to this comment with the response one expects from you, giving us the make of guitar, the tuning used and possibly the string gauges as well, all information is welcome and thanks again for your input.

In conclusion I think I can confirm that Gordon and one of your remarkable Eezee-slide bars were missing from this recording, apart from that everything else is there
Cheers
Robert

[Basil Henriques]

I'm so sorry Robert Mc-N, I can't add much more except:
He built his own pedal steel guitars with the brand "Dooley". That was the guitar he used on the sessions with bands such as Boudewijn de Groot, Saskia & Serge, Don Rosenbaum (Swimming in deep water), Pussycat (Mississippi), Greenfield & Cook, the Cats, George Baker Selection and many others. In addition, he made 5 instrumental solo LPs.
He started playing Hawaiian Style and was with the Kilima Hawaiians the band of my good friends Mary and Bill Buysman.

The FIRST Dutch pedal steel player, he played standard E9th (Emmons ABC) and C6th and Because of health problems, he started to take things slower in the eighties. He played mainly in France until 2010. He died after a long illness on August 14, 2015.
exclusively built his own pedal steel guitars (Dooley).
On page 139 of Mel Bay’s “ANTHOLOGY OF PEDAL STEEL GUITAR by DeWitt Scott” there is a picture of Frans playing his Dooley LighTronic Stereo 10 through 10 Peavey amps, each connected to a separate pickup pole.
"We will remember Frans as a true gentleman and a helpful friend, the first Dutchman that used pedals on a steel guitar.
Frans was a musical genius and he was the one in Holland who took the pedal steel guitar beyond being stereotyped as a country music instrument".(Johan Jansen)
Here is a short list of Dutch artists Frans recorded with: Kilima Hawaiians, George Baker Selection, Cats, Continental Uptight Band, Pussycat (hit song “Mississippi”), Dimitri van Toren, Boudewijn de Groot, Don Rosenbaum (hit song “Swimming into deep water”).
That's about all I can tell you, I'm pretty sure there is a lot more on the internetwebby thingamabob !

[Danny Mitchell]

On page 139 of Mel Bay’s “ANTHOLOGY OF PEDAL STEEL GUITAR by DeWitt Scott” there is a picture of Frans playing his Dooley LighTronic Stereo 10 through 10 Peavey amps, each connected to a separate pickup pole.

Bleedin' Norah! Decaphonic???

[Basil Henriques]

That's how he got that semi chorusy sound on the record. It was through a small multi channel mixer and stereo into the main desk. I know 'cause the band told me..He was WAY ahead of his time with his sound..

[dessa]

I bow down to Baz’s knowledge. Bit annoyed with the guys that claimed it was him on the record though! What people will say for a bit of fame eh?

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

Derek if you read the start of the topic according to Robert and co it was Gordon himself that said he had played on it, that is why I thought there was a missunderstanding of what was said or what he was talking about I never figured Gordon to be a lier, he did'nt need to lie about his achievements, but the facts of the matter are there in true B.H style........ pity we cannot ask him to explain..

[Mcneilwaeasteel]

John
Regards Gordon's account of his recording session I firmly believe it to be truthful as he was very clear in his description of flying to the Netherlands and the recording session, I believe he did record a version of Mississippi as there are two different versions on Utube, first with the "gunslinger" and the more recognised one that Frans Doolaard obviously recorded, I think that is the only conclusion we can all be comfortable with and surmise that is what has taken place.
P.S.
If Gordon was still here there are a hell of a lot of other things I could think of asking him, at least we still have
" young Basil" to keep things right
"Don Roberto" with low mileage

[TonyT]

What fantastic info on the Guv. Thanks guy's

[Basil Henriques]

Further to spurious claims made by those not directly involved, I'd like to add that I never played on "The legend of Xanadu" even though the 'Whip Crack" was apparently done on a steel guitar and played around with digitally, neither did I play on "Jennifer Eccles" (that was my good friend Rod ~King)