Biography
Paul, born Lester William Polsfuss (the last name simplified later by his mother to Polfus) in Waukesha, Wisconsin, first became interested in music at the age of eight, when he began playing the harmonica. After an attempt at learning to play the banjo, Paul began to play the guitar. By 13, Paul was performing semi-professionally as a country-music guitarist. At the age of 17, Paul played with Rube Tronson's Cowboys. Soon after, he dropped out of high school to join Wolverton's Radio Band in St. Louis, Missouri on KMOX.
In the 1930s, Paul worked in Chicago, Illinois in radio, where he performed jazz music. Paul's first two records were released in 1936. One album was credited to Rhubarb Red, Paul's hillbilly alter ego, and the other was in the backing band for blues artist Georgia White.
Les Paul's 'The Log', one of the first solidbody electric guitars.Paul was unsatisfied by the electric guitars that were sold in the mid 1930s and began experimenting with a few designs of his own. Famously, he created The Log which was nothing more than a length of common "4 by 4" fence post with bridge, guitar neck, and pickup attached. For appearances he attached the body of an Epiphone jazz guitar, sawn lengthwise with The Log in the middle. This solved his two main problems - feedback, as the acoustic body no longer resonated with the amplified sound, and sustain, as the energy of the strings was not dissipated in generating sound through the guitar body.
In 1938, Paul moved to New York and landed a featured spot with Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians radio show. Paul moved to Hollywood in 1943, where he formed a new trio. As a last-minute replacement for Oscar Moore, Paul played with Nat King Cole and other artists in the inaugural Jazz at the Philharmonic concert in Los Angeles on July 2, 1944. Also that year, Paul's trio appeared on Bing Crosby's radio show. Crosby went on to sponsor Paul's recording experiments. The two also recorded together several times, including a 1945 number one hit, "It's Been a Long, Long Time." In addition to backing Crosby and artists like the Andrews Sisters, Paul's trio also recorded a few albums of their own in the late 1940s.
In 1941, Paul designed and built one of the first solid-body electric guitars (though Leo Fender also independently invented his own solid-body electric guitar around the same time, and Adolph Rickenbacker had marketed a solid-body guitar in the 30s). Gibson Guitar Corporation designed a guitar incorporating Paul's suggestions in the early fifties, and presented it to him to try. He was impressed enough to sign a contract for what became the "Les Paul" model (originally only in a "gold top" version), and agreed never to be seen playing in public, or photographed with, anything other than a Gibson guitar. That persisted until 1961, when Gibson changed the design without Paul's knowledge. He said he first saw the "new" Gibson Les Paul in a music store window, and disliked it. Though contract required him to pose with the guitar, he said it was not "his" instrument, and asked Gibson to remove his name from the headstock. Gibson renamed the guitar the " SG", and it also became one of the company's best sellers. Later, Paul resumed his relationship with Gibson, and endorses the instrument even today (though his personal Gibson Les Pauls are much modified by him - Paul always uses his own self-wound pickups on his guitars). To this day, the Gibson Les Paul guitar is used all over the world, both by novice and professional guitarists.
In 1947, Capitol Records released a recording that had begun as an experiment in Paul's garage, entitled "Lover (When You're Near Me)", which featured Paul playing eight different parts on electric guitar, some of them recorded at half-speed, hence "double-fast" when played back at normal speed for the master. This was the first time that multi-tracking had been used in a recording. Amazingly, these recordings were made, not with magnetic tape, but with wax disks. Paul would record a track onto a disk, then record himself playing another part with the first. He built the multi-track recording with overlaid tracks, rather than parallel ones as he did later. There is no record of how few 'takes' were needed before he was satisfied with one layer and moved onto the next.
Paul even built his own wax-cutter assembly, based on auto parts. He favored the flywheel from a Cadillac for its weight and flatness. Even in these early days, he used the wax disk setup to record parts at different speeds and with delay, resulting in his signature sound with echoes and birdsong-like guitar riffs. When he later began using magnetic tape, the major change was that he could take his recording rig on tour with him, even making episodes for his 15-minute radio show in his hotel room.
Paul was injured in a near-fatal automobile accident in January 1948 in Oklahoma, which shattered his right arm and elbow. Paul spent a year and a half recovering. Paul instructed the surgeons to set his arm at an angle that would allow him to cradle and pick the guitar.
In the early 1950s, Paul made a number of revolutionary recordings with wife, Mary Ford. These records were unique for their heavy use of overdubbing, which was technically impossible before Paul's invention of multitrack recording. Paul's multitracking system was made possible by the introduction of reel-to-reel audio tape recording, developed by Jack Mullin and the Ampex company in the late 1940s, with the backing of radio, film and recording star Bing Crosby.
Crosby gave Les Paul what was only the second of the now-famous Ampex Model 200 recorder, which was the world's first commercially-produced reel-to-reel tape recorder. Using this machine, Paul developed his tape multitrack system by adding an additional recording head and extra circuitry, allowing multiple tracks to be recorded separately and asynchronously on the same tape. Paul's invention was quickly developed by Ampex into commercially-produced two-track and three-track recorders, and these machines were the backbone of the professional recording studio, radio and TV industry in the 1950s and early 1960s.
In 1954 Paul, continued to develop this technology, by commissioning Ampex to build the first eight track tape recorder, at his expense. His idea, later known as "Sel-Sync," in which a specially-modified recording head could simultaneously record a new track and play back previously recorded ones, was the core technology for multi-track recording for the next thirty years.
During his early radio shows, Paul introduced the mythical "Les Paulverizer" device, which was supposed to multiply anything fed into it, like a guitar sound or a voice. This even became the subject of comedy, with Mary Ford multiplying herself and her vacuum cleaner with it so she could finish the housework faster (a typical joke in the pre-feminist era). Later Paul made the myth real for his stage show, using hidden equipment which over the years has become smaller and more visible. Currently he uses a small box attached to his guitar - it is not known how much of the device remains off-stage. He typically lays down one track after another on stage, in-sync, and then plays over the repeating forms he has recorded. With newer digital sound technology, such an effect is available commercially.
In the late 1960s, Paul went into semi-retirement, although he did return to the studio occasionally. He recorded an album Lester and Chester with Chet Atkins. He and Mary Ford (born Iris Colleen Summers) divorced amicably in December 1964, as she could no longer tolerate the itinerant lifestyle their act required of them.
In 1978, Les Paul and Mary Ford were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. He received a Grammy Trustees Award for his lifetime achievements in 1983. In 1988, Paul was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Jeff Beck, who said, "I've copied more licks from Les Paul than I'd like to admit." Les Paul was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in May 2005 for his development of the solid-body electric guitar.
As of 2006, At the age of 90, Les Paul won two Grammys at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards for his album Les Paul & Friends: American Made World Played. He also performs weekly at the Iridium Jazz Club on Broadway in New York City, despite the arthritis that has stilled all but two of the fingers on his left hand.
Source: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Paul
Vaya Con Dio
Les Paul Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now the time has come to part, the time for weeping
Vaya con Dios, my darling
Vaya con Dios, my love
Now the village mission bells are softly ringing
If you listen with your heart you'll hear them singing
Vaya con Dios, my darling
Wherever you may be, I'll be beside you
Although you're many million dreams away
Each night I'll say a prayer, a prayer to guide you
To hasten every lonely hour of every lonely day
Now the dawn is breaking through a gray tomorrow
But the memories we share are there to borrow
Vaya con Dios, my darling
Vaya con Dios, my love
Vaya con Dios, my darling
Vaya con Dios, my love
In Les Paul's song "Vaya Con Dios," the singer is bidding farewell to his lover. The song describes a dark hacienda where the town is asleep, and expresses a sense of sadness in having to part ways. The phrase "vaya con Dios" is Spanish for "go with God," and the singer repeats it several times as a way of saying goodbye to his love.
The second verse of the song talks about the village mission bells ringing softly, and suggests that if you listen closely, you can hear them singing. This may be interpreted as a metaphor for hearing the voice of God, encouraging the singer's lover to go with God on their journey. The singer then reassures his love that he will always be there for them, even if they are millions of dreams away. In the final verse, the dawn breaks through a gray tomorrow, but the memories they share can be borrowed as a reminder of their love.
Overall, "Vaya Con Dios" is a beautiful and poignant goodbye song that captures the complexities of love and the sadness of parting ways.
Line by Line Meaning
Now the hacienda's dark, the town is sleeping
The night has come, everything is quiet and still. It's time to leave, but sorrow comes along.
Now the time has come to part, the time for weeping
It's the time to say goodbye, the time to shed tears and to feel sadness.
Vaya con Dios, my darling
Go with God, my dear, may He protect you and guide you.
Vaya con Dios, my love
Go with God, my love, may He bless you and keep you safe.
Now the village mission bells are softly ringing
The church bells are ringing quietly, carrying a message of love and hope.
If you listen with your heart you'll hear them singing
If you pay attention to your deepest feelings, you'll hear a song from the bells.
Wherever you may be, I'll be beside you
No matter where you go, I'll be with you in spirit, watching over you.
Although you're many million dreams away
Even if distance separates us, my love and care will accompany you always.
Each night I'll say a prayer, a prayer to guide you
Every night before sleep, I'll ask God to protect and guide you on your way.
To hasten every lonely hour of every lonely day
To make the time go faster when you feel alone, to bring you back to me soon.
Now the dawn is breaking through a gray tomorrow
A new day is starting, but it feels uncertain and sad, without you by my side.
But the memories we share are there to borrow
The memories of our love and time together are still vivid and strong, I can hold on to them.
Vaya con Dios, my darling
Go with God, my dear, may He protect you and guide you.
Vaya con Dios, my love
Go with God, my love, may He bless you and keep you safe.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Buddy Pepper, Inez James, Larry Russell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@OLOLAK_7777
Who's listening 2024 to this beautiful Gem.
@ShelbyAnne13
My grandma just passed away last night and she used to tell everyone Vaya Con Dios before they left. I'll be singing this at her funeral. Such a perfect song.
@vanessapierce231
Perfect choice. How are you doing now. Thru turbulent times don't forget he exists.
@glendaraehilyard9524
This song was played at our wedding in 1954. Things change sometimes. But my love has never changed.
@spadoni288
@@glendaraehilyard9524 a
@jbojet100
Around 1953, the only one I have ever been in love with, played this for me on the coffee shop juke-box at the NAS Airport in Guam, (before he was shipped out). He died a few years later of Polio. But I have known real love spiritually with him ever since, because of Vaya con Dios, and LesP & MaryF. Although servicemen, we didn't "ask" and didn't "tell"! We just knew our love in our hearts, and this recording confirmed it! Thanks to all who made it possible to tell my story, finally.
@lesliecrowley9283
Wish youtube had a "Love" button. Thank you for sharing your story. 🤗
@prarieborn6458
A haunting, beautiful story. , love is the bridge between the worlds. Thank you, Via con Dios.
@kaybostwick4103
I'm 85. My father had a heart problem when they were just starting to do by passes. Dad knew his days were numbered. He would whistle this song to my mother.
@BackSeatHump
I'm 73 years old. The songs of Les Paul and Mary Ford were on the radio all during my early upbringing and listening to any of their songs today is painful. My grandparents, my parents and all of my aunts and uncles are all dead. It's only me left here alone.