Are the session guitarists on Neil Diamond's 'Mr Bojangles' geniuses or just very skilled

Ted

I wondered if anyone had any opinions on whether the acoustic guitarist on this cover version is an actual genius(as in uniquely talented) or just very experienced. I'd rather that he was not elected as a genius because I want to recreate that sort of effect myself.

Funkfingers

If you overdub enough passes of rhythmic strumming and twiddly lead bits, you will probably achieve a similar result.

Modellista

Funkfingers said:

If you overdub enough passes of rhythmic strumming and twiddly lead bits, you will probably achieve a similar result.

Sounds flippant but I agree - low-pitched rhythm part, high-pitched rhythm part, fingerpicked part, job done. 

Funkfingers

Musician Union rules. Three jobs = three musicians (or, at the very least, double scale).

Ted

Thank you for both your explanations. If was was proficient enough on the acoustic(i am not yet) could i do it all by myself - given enough studio time?

I have to say as a listener I am somewhat disillusioned to learn that there was no legend at work on the acoustic of 'Mr Bojangles' but as a potential producer of a similar genre song it is good news.

goldtop

I love the production and arrangement on this. Starts with hard-panned drums and guitar as accompaniment and then each go-around it builds with layers and layers until it's beautiful and huge-sounding.

Could you cover it well enough with just one 12-string?

KKJale

So much great acoustic guitar on stuff from this period. Spot of guesswork: as Tommy Cogbill co-produced the album Mr Bojangles is taken from, Touching Me Touching You, it was likely recorded at Chips Moman's American Sound in Memphis... and if that's the case Cogbill would have simply called his bandmates, and so there's a high chance the guitarist is Reggie Young (overdubbing several tracks over Diamond's own rhythm guitar I'd reckon)... and so the answer is yes, very skilled, yes very experienced and yes, also a genius. Probably     

Freebird

Didn't Diamond use the Wrecking Crew?

KKJale

That's what I was trying to suss out. The link below says the vocal and basic instrumental track for "Holly Holy" (standout track on the same album) was begun at Chips Moman's place then overdubbed in LA with at least some of the Wrecking Crew (inc. Knechtel and Blaine). Of Señor Bojangles, I can find nothing. 

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=QWBPAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA487&lpg=PA487&dq=holly+holy+neil+diamond+blaine+book&source=bl&ots=ZSeEpzJzKW&sig=ACfU3U3yEpJld1-cPGicytSTNSV2KFl1gQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjFxpvo2vjhAhXSTBUIHR7iCKMQ6AEwD3oECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=holly holy neil diamond blaine book&f=false

Freebird

Producer credit is Tom Catalano. Tommy Cogbill helped with the original Diamond compositions on the album, so Bojangles could have been done elsewhere. Session musicians ruled the roost in the 60s and early 70s, and as a former Brill Building writer Diamond would have been part of the music production line process. It's almost certain that top class musicians would have been involved in the recording, as that's how it worked back then.