Need Help w/ Marty Stuart Song

[threadbare]

For Years I've wanted to know how to play Marty's version of High on A Mountain Top (written by Olla Belle Reed). It's driving me crazy as I heard it again today. I believe the record is in the key of F. The guitar on it was Marty's Esquire Tunned up a half step (played as if in Key of E because of tunning) and Richard Bennett played the Esquire on this one. Lots of open E strings ringing on this one. Anybody know how to play it? I guess you could either tune up or put a capo on the first fret and play it in E.

[Mjark]

I watched a live video where Marty is capoed up to the third fret where he's using a D shape and the Kenny Vaughn is up one fret.

[threadbare]

I'm sure the live preformance has evolved over the years, but I was talking about the studio version from the "this one's gonna hurt you" album.

[transmaniacon]

can you post a link?

[threadbare]

There is no album version on youtube. I checked. You can hear a short sound sample on amazon or itunes.

[jbmando]

You can hear the full studio cut on Spotify. In my humble opinion, it's in standard tuning, capoed at 1 or tuned up a half step. If there's evidence of Marty playing it capoed at 3, then IMO, it's in Drop D tuning. The electric guitar on the record is playing out of the "open E" shape.

[jbmando]

Are you 100% certain that it's Richard Bennett on guitar for this one? If it is, he plays so much like Marty it's hard to tell them apart. Who did the mandolin, Bennett or Marty?

What part are you having trouble with? I could probably help you get it.

[Mjark]

The live version I watched is in F. What more do you need to know?

[threadbare]

Originally Posted by jbmando

Are you 100% certain that it's Richard Bennett on guitar for this one? If it is, he plays so much like Marty it's hard to tell them apart. Who did the mandolin, Bennett or Marty?

What part are you having trouble with? I could probably help you get it.

...here's part of the article from the Oct 1995 Issue of Vintage Guitar Magazine .

Marty: "Well, one of my favorite guitar dealers is a guy named Danny Shea up in New York City. He has supplied all the major Rock & Roll tours down through the years. He's the only guy I know who has the same phone number in New York for the last fifteen years (laughs). You go in his place and I've always said it looks like a Fender graveyard up there. He's got walls of vintage guitars, you know. So I asked, 'What's the hottest guitar you've got in the house right now?' and he pulled out this Esquire with the form-fitting case. He said, 'This is Mick Ronson's guitar. I sold it to him and he sold it back to me.' I bought that guitar because it's really the best Esquire I've ever heard. I think one of the best examples of that guitar's sound is a song we did called 'High On A Mountain Top.' Richard Bennett actually plays the part on there, but it just rips!"



.... I don't really need the chords I was hoping someone could help out with the lead. There's alot going on in this song.

[jbmando]

Interesting. I wonder how many other guitar parts from those early Marty albums were him and not Marty. It's cool to me that Marty just wants the sound and he doesn't care who makes it. He's that way now with Kenny and his guests on the show.

Let me listen to refresh my memory and I'll post a video about what I think is going on in the song.

[jbmando]

Well, this is what I get. I can't execute it like Bennett, but I'm pretty sure this will get it done. The C note near the end the first time through is wrong. I'd really play a C# like I did later.

[Jack S]

I watched a couple of videos of Marty playing the song. In one version he is capoed on first fret and playing the E-A-B chord shapes (also with the D shape), in another he is capoed on the third fret and playing the D-G-A chord shapes (with the C chord shape). On this version, Kenny Vaughn is capoed on the first fret, like on the previous version. Both versions are in the key of F.

[threadbare]

Thanks for the video jbmando this helps out alot. I saw that you posted it last night on my phone while at work. It's just after 8AM here now and I'm just getting home from work, so I'm about to put your video to good use. I have always been crazy about this song with all the drone notes that were going on during the lead. Thanks again for the hard work you put into this!

[Camplain]

Thanks Jbmando, great vid, I found it very helpful.

Such a cool song, especially when it has "Me & Hank & Jumpin' Jack Flash" to lead in.