Remembering the Danelectric sitar and 1968: Joe South, Vincent Bell, Reggie Young, et al.

I was listening to B.J. Thomas’ original version of “Hooked on a Feeling” earlier today and it occurred to me that lots of great songs from about 1968 and 1969 featured the electric sitar—which, as it turns out, was an ordinary electric guitar modified to drone and sound like the Indian instrument.

Both “Hooked on a Feeling” and the wonderful Box Tops hit “Cry Like a Baby” featured Memphis session guitarist Reggie Young, playing a Danelectro Sitar. In between those two songs, Joe South played a Danelectro on “Games People Play.” He can also be heard playing a Danelectro on such songs as “Don’t it Make You Wanna Go Home” and Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools.” (Listen to the very beginning of these songs.)



The inventor of Denelectro/Coral’s electric sitar was a guitarist named Vincent Bell. Above, I’ve posted a 1967 video with Bell introducing the instrument. (Reference is made to the Beatles. On “Norwegian Wood” [1965], George Harrison plays a cheap Indian sitar, which, at the time, he did not know how to play.)

Bell played electric sitar on the Lemon Pipers’ weird and wonderful (well, weird anyway) “Green Tamborine.” Interestingly, on the video (above), a guitarist (not Bell) is seen fake-playing an Indian sitar. That pretty much tells you all you need to know about the recording industry.

You’ve gotta love this stuff! (Note: singer Alex Chilton was 16 years old when he made this video [above]. He is likely the only musician seen here who actually performed on the recording.)

The singer for the Box Tops—Alex Chilton—went on to become a celebrated cult figure, first as the leader of Big Star (remember the transcendent "September Gurls"?), then, more or less, as a solo act. Such was his reputation that he was asked to produce the Cramps (hear the masterful hiccups of "I Can't Hardly Stand It")! 

I caught him solo maybe five years ago, and he was terrific, if laconic and weird. He's notoriously, um, difficult.

Here he is (below) at a recent concert in Europe, singing his first and biggest hit, "The Letter." At the end, he confesses his love to a member of the audience. Alex, you are way cool.


Oddly, Chilton's voice has grown "younger" over the years. Go figure.

Somebody requested this, I think. It shows Raghu in a parade, St. Patty's Day, maybe 20 years ago.