Chords for James Burton Talks about His Fender Paisley Telecaster, Elvis Presley & Ricky Nelson

Hi, this is Joe Chambers.
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Today's clip is with my good friend and great guitarist James Burton.
You went from like a
Acoustic like a Stella or whatever to [Bb] a
Telecaster yeah, I think my first guitar was a regal and I went from that to
Two electric guitar which [N] my first electric guitar was a Rex, right made by [Bb] Grinch
[G] and then as soon as I walked by I walked by a music store downtown in my hometown Shreveport and
a music store called JNS music and [Bb] that blonde telecaster hanging in the window caught my eye and
My mother was with me and I told I told mother said this is that's the guitar.
That's the guitar.
I've got to have that guitar
That's the one I want.
So I went in checked it out and played it and so we went home and
So [Bb] my dad came home from work and mother said told him about the guitar
So he said well take him down and get that guitar _ and I still have that guitar.
He did [Ab] really that's great
I recorded Suzy Q
Hello Mary Lou, I went through [Bm] Ricky Nelson with that guitar
_ Just so many Merle Haggard so many it's it's actually been around the world a few times and many many sessions
You know that the Paisley guitar is always going to be no matter if it has your name on or not.
It's still
Everybody calls that the Burton.
Yeah, I got my stamp on it somehow and
Yeah, [Bb] that's a wonderful guitar.
I really enjoyed playing that guitar [G] and I still play it once in a while
And now, you know the story on how those guitars came about how they fender went down to the local
_ paint store that sold wallpaper and all that and and bought out the
supplies that they had of that and
When it was gone, it was gone
Someone told me they had they had a gentleman that didn't actually work for the company at the time
But he was a guy that actually put the design together for him.
How did you get yours?
_ Well a guy named Chuck Widener _
Called me.
He was a he was a president at that time of fender and he called me and he said
I've got a guitar here.
It's got your name on it.
And [G] I said, oh really?
He said well, and I was going into Vegas with Elvis at the time.
I was in 69 and he said
_ [Ab] Yeah, I've got [Bb] this guitar, but I'm not gonna send it to you
Yeah, you have to come down and look at it and make that decision
So I went down and looked at it and man it was a bit bright for me I said no no, no
That's not me.
I can't play that guitar and he said oh, yeah, sure.
Sure.
It's yours
It's got your name all over and so I took it with me and I took it to Vegas
Took me about
_ [Bb] Well when we opened the show it took me two weeks into the show to break break it out and play it on stage
And I was afraid Elvis might you know, no telling what he might say on stage and freak out or [Ab] something
But anyway, I took it out and he loved it.
He never said anything on [Bb] stage, but in between shows he called me in and
Asked me about that guitar.
He said [Ab] would you get that?
you know and I said well fender called me and gave it to me and
You know, so took me a while to break it out and play it.
He [Gm] said no, it's great.
Sounds great.
Looks great
[Bb] Well speaking Elvis when did you first meet Elvis, _ you know, actually I didn't meet Elvis until
It was actually 69 because I had a phone call to do the comeback special in 68
But I was doing an album with Jimmy Bull and producing Frank Sinatra
Mm-hmm, and I was doing that album with Frank Sinatra and I [A] couldn't have boy wouldn't let me out
to do that he
because you know, we had a [G] schedule plan and
[Gb] but
_ the very following year
_ [Bb] In 69 it was called me personally
talked to him for about three hours on the phone and he asked me about putting a band together and
[G] And opening Vegas he got tired of doing [Gb] movies and just want to go play live
[Bb]
Where did he ever tell you where he?
Became a fan of yours what it was or what what artist or what song or whatever?
Well, you know pretty much on on [B] the phone call
when I [Bb] answered the phone he
he actually
Opened up.
He said, you know, I watched the eyes inherit show the TV show
To watch me play guitar
Behind Ricky, you know Ricky was sing a song and he said that he really enjoyed that.
He watched that show every week.
Mm-hmm
_ so
_ kind of like
[N] _
Chet influenced you I guess that would be your main influence was Chet
Absolutely, _ and I know every interview I've read about from from from Harrison, you know, your name was brought up
Dwayne Eddie was brought up _
and and and Chet and that was about
Yeah, maybe Scotty too, you know.
Yeah, I think Chet probably influenced _
_ _ [Gb] Probably as many [G] guitarists in the world as anybody as a matter of fact, I can't I
Probably can't think of anybody, you know, let's Paul and Emeril Travis and [Ab] and
and I'm very honored [G] that you know that I
[Ab] Had that position to do that, you know to be able to influence other
guitar players and and _
It's it's really an honor.
I just love my work.
[C] I love my music and _
_ [Bb] _ _ _ it's it's just a one of those things
I _ [C] guess [Gb] I'll just play my instrument till till the end of time and that's what I plan to do
[Am] _ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ [Am] _