Nolan Noodles - The mystery SRV song

[TheGoodTexan]

So I've had a set of 3 CDs for years....Called "Stevie Ray Vaughan: Unsurpassed Masters" (vols 1-3). I got them at this bootleg/import CD shop here in town.

Anyway...lots of studio outtakes...mostly only for the hardcore fan. A small window into how some of SRV's tunes were hashed out in the studio. Mostly familiar tunes, and some covers that he never released while he was alive.

But there is one tune on one of those CDs titled "Nolan Noodles". There are actually two takes of it. One is about 2 minutes long, and the band stops at Stevie's first lead break. The second take is 10+ minutes and goes through the whole song progression several times, including an extended solo, etc. Neither take has vocals. Just a single guitar track, bass and drums.

The song sounds like Band of Gypsys meets Couldn't Stand the Weather. Very, very groove heavy.

I've searched the internet for information on this song, i.e., was it ever supposed to have vocals? (It sound like it was...sounds like verses and choruses). What album was it supposed to be on? Why was it never finished?

But I've come up empty handed.

A few years ago I found a telephone number on the internet that was purportedly the personal home number for Martha Vaughan, Jimmie and Stevie's mother. I thought, "What the heck?" and I called it. It was her. We talked for about 15 minutes. It was like talking to my grandmother. You'd think that she wouldn't have time for me....a complete stranger. But she loved talking to me, and even asked me to call her again sometime.

During our conversation, I asked her who would know about songs like this, Nolan Noodles? She said that Tommy (Shannon) would know, and gave me his email address. I emailed him about it, but never got a response.

Has anyone else ever heard this tune? Anyone got more information on it?

[skiraly017]

I think I know what song you're talking about. There was also a 4-Cd set of the same material. IIRC, this material was all around the time of the "Soul to Soul" sessions and while I agree with you that it is for hardcore fans, there is some killer playing there. As far as I know, the track you're talking about never became anything know, just studio jamming.

[Stretch]

TGT - haven't heard these tunes, but, could he be 'noodlin' on licks by Jimmy Nolen, Jas Brown's guitarist, the 'father of funk guitar'? He's credited with influencing the likes of Hendrix. This probably doesn't help you much. I saw Amos Garrett show some Nolen rhythm licks on his "Rock&roll Rhythmn guitar" video.

[TheGoodTexan]

Originally Posted by Stretch

TGT - haven't heard these tunes, but, could he be 'noodlin' on licks by Jimmy Nolen, Jas Brown's guitarist, the 'father of funk guitar'? He's credited with influencing the likes of Hendrix. This probably doesn't help you much. I saw Amos Garrett show some Nolen rhythm licks on his "Rock&roll Rhythmn guitar" video.

That's a good thought....but it's spelled Nolan on the CD jacket. I'm sure that this is just some working title for the song, and had it ever been released, there would have been some other title given to it.

But the song is anything but guitar "noodling". It is a complete and finished song....just needs vocals.

I've learned the song, and the licks on it, and I even once wrote lyrics for it - with two intension in mind: (1) Playing it out with a band live...but that never happened. Every funky blues/rock band that I've ever tried to piece together has flopped.

And (2) with the idea that I could record it on a indy solo project that I've been working on for the last 15 months. Of course, I'd need to find out who owns the rights to the music (probably Jimmie Vaughan), and what I'd need to do to gain permission to release it. But its not like it would be a huge release. I mean....who am I? Just another somebody, huh? It would be more of a means for me to pay homage to Stevie, without just covering one of his songs that everyone else already covers. It would be a little more interesting than that.