Chet Atkins and Floyd Cramer Describe Working With Hottest Stars in Nashville
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Chet Atkins and Floyd Cramer Describe Working With Hottest Stars in Nashville

Chet Atkins and Floyd Cramer may be big shots in the industry, but they've worked with some of the best in their long careers. They talk of their experiences very fondly.

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Back in 1962, both Chet Atkins and Floyd Cramer got together with Norman Jopling for the Record Mirror. There, they discussed their time in the studio with the likes of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Brenda Lee.

Naturally, they had the most to say about The King of Rock and Roll. Floyd Cramer gave a detailed account of what it was like to work with a man like Elvis Presley.

"Sessions in Nashville are booked sometimes months in advance," he started. "But when we hear that someone - they don't mention a name - is coming in on a Sunday evening...then we know it is Elvis."

Naturally, they had to keep Presley's actions on the down low, lest he get mobbed on his way to the studio.

"Elvis is the complete perfectionist in the studio," he continued. "He knows precisely what he wants and he's real relaxed from the moment he gets in. A very quiet man. None of that excitability or rushing around with him. But a very determined man"

It's clear they enjoyed working with him.

They Also Worked With Brenda Lee, Johnny Cash, And Others

Floyd Cramer continued to give an account of working with a slew of country music stars. Specifically, he was asked about Brenda Lee.

"She's another fine performer. The funny thing is the way one side of her discs gets away in the States and yet the other side, usually the up-tempo one, is the side to register in Britain. That's one of those things you can't explain," he said.

But he made sure to mention the other stars he's worked with. "I also like working with Johnny Cash and Jim Reeves - and Jimmy Dean. It was good to see the way 'Big Bad John' hit it so big in Britain."

It's crazy to me that he simply threw in Johnny Cash and didn't provide any details whatsoever. I suppose he was used to working with legends.