Chet Atkins Out-classes Les Paul on Today Show

[Mike Nye]

Here are 2 videos of Chet Atkins & Les Paul promoting Guitar Monsters on NBC's Today Show in July of '78.

Chet musta been one helluva cool guy to put up with Les' crap in the first video ! ! !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xut3N2O42Ho&feature=player_detailpage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UKG_SCzrEE&feature=player_detailpage

[Norm]

Les was always over the top and I'm not a fan of all that but it's nice to see him play before he got so severely messed up with arthritis. So many of the les paul clips are him with hands that Just Don't Work Anymore.

Plain to see he never quite was able to get Django out of his playing.

Playing TV unfortunately usually ends up with bad sound mix and worse camera work and in that respect this was typical.

Chet wanted to promote the record. Les wanted it to be all about him.

[Norm]

Chet respected Les' ability and place in the guitar world but I believe he couldn't wait for that promo tour to be over.

At some stops Les would unplug Chet's amp, pull his thumbpick and throw it in the audience and somehow I think if that had been done to him Les would have been furious.

There was a lot of behind the scenes harshness between the two men in both record projects that, of course, we don't see on these clips.

When they got down to business and just played guitar each man was a delight to hear.

[Mike Nye]

I agree that Les was 'Da MAN,' but HUMBLE certainly wasn't his long suit.

Jody Reynolds had told me a long time ago that when Les was in town here back in the early 70s to see Jimmy Bryant after he'd been diagnosed with cancer, that he'd just recovered from a heart attack and was in poor health at the time but was still very humble and friendly with everyone. He'd showed me photos of Les sitting around his shop looking like death warmed over.

[Norm]

Les sitting around his shop looking like death warmed over..."

I imagine heart attacks can have that affect on you...

[Norm]

The "death warmed over" reference wasn't a slur. Heart attacks take a lot out of people and it shows. Look how eaten up Chet looked toward the end. Different cause, but still, illness takes a visible toll on people.

I mean no disrespect to Les but in my readings I know he and Chet had some Differences which thankfully got worked out. Les was a fabulous guitarist and did some brilliant innovation over the years And we're blessed they made those two duet albums

[albertgen]

Les was an incredible player with a wealth of material to prove it, I loved his playing but it was hard to follow, very improvisational, but he new all the arpeggios of every chord and how to use them. I think he made Chet nervous with his cutting up. I remember reading that Chet went to Les for advice when Gretsch offered him a contract. Les wouldn't give him a starting figure or tell him what Gibson gave him. But, they made great records together that will live forever. Al

[Norm]

agreed

[dgallent]

They had a mutual respect for each other but to think there was not an intense rivalry is a mistake. On those albums they recorded, there was some serious "head cutting" between them.....never saw Chet do that with anyone else. Something about Les brought that out in Chet...

I think deep down, Les was jealous of Chet....and he knew he was not even in the same league as a player.....

I talked to Les several times and he always said nice things about Chet.

Jerry Reed told me that Les had the best timing of any picker he ever heard. He said that was the main ingredient in becoming a great player...not being fast....great timing...preached that to my son when Jerry gave him a lesson....

I really admire Les for coming out the last ten years and playing when he clearly had lost his chops but still played very well.

[Norm]

They had a mutual respect for each other but to think there was not an intense rivalry is a mistake. On those albums they recorded, there was some serious "head cutting" between them.....never saw Chet do that with anyone else. Something about Les brought that out in Chet...
I think deep down, Les was jealous of Chet....and he knew he was not even in the same league as a player....."


Not sure what you mean by "head cutting" but the beauty of the two albums, Chester and Lester in particular, is that two obvious giants played their best. Trading chops is great exercise and done between such quality players is something not often heard. I prefer Chet's playing but I'm not about to say which man played better. Those two guys gave it all they had in those sessions and once you get to a certain level of playing it's just two different players. Sure they try to top each other. That's the fun and excitement of being able to play in the first place!

Chet loved Les, Les having been such a part of his growing up...association with brother Jim, learning Les' licks as he gained on the guitar. Les was one of Chet's idols.



Les, being the pioneer and grandmaster of guitar he was understandably had a good opinion of himself. It's a little telling, I think, when Chet and Les are talking during the setup for the second run on Avalon and Chet says (I think...my hearing has creases) "I admire you very much" to which Les says something like "you're an old timer too" not quite the same kind of response. Maybe it's just me but to me it sounds like "Les, you play great guitar." and the response "You play guitar too." ...but I digress...

There is a biography, "Les Paul, an American Original" that describes that period and maybe it's just the city boy/country boy difference, but even in his own biography it is clear that Les is a strong personality. In the American Originall book Les was described at times very abrasive to work with (and not just with Chet).

Even so, as far as I know, Chet spoke well of Les constantly praising his playing and citing him as an inspiration. In MAMG he does say Les wasn't the easiest person to get along with and that he tended to take over any situation he was involved in but that's the difference between the two I think.

I have no doubt Les had good things to say about Chet. 'Chester and Lester' brought Les back into the public eye again (not to mention a Grammy) after his recording career dried up when he and Mary divorced and rock and roll hit the industry.

Both men were giants. Both men were used to having people do what they wanted in studios. The bass player for Guitar Monsters (Joe something) said he was caught in the middle a couple of times when the two men conflicted over the bass lines they wanted played.

It's a business, this making records back in the day, and it ain't all fun and friends like a Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland movie.

Shut up Norm!

OK