One of the most important guitarists in the development of rock music is Keith Richards. He has made a significant contribution to the development of rock and roll’s style and sound. Richards’ distinctive rhythm guitar technique, which entails playing open-tuned chords and focusing on the groove and feel of the music, distinguishes his playing from other guitarists. Other guitarists, including as Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton, have been greatly influenced by his use of open tunings and fingerpicking methods.
He himself was influenced by Scotty Moore. The guitarist acknowledged that he couldn’t replicate Moore’s playing while praising it in one of the tweets.
The young Keith Richards’ love of music was sparked by his maternal grandpa, who also handed him his first guitar. The musician then started listening to records by artists like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Billie Holiday. Moreover, one of Richards’ earliest guitar heroes was Scotty Moore, the guitarist for Elvis Presley.
Back in December of 2021, Keith expressed his feelings about Scotty. He claimed that Moore’s playing featured aspects of blues, jazz, and some excellent country licks. In addition, the guitarist asserted that Moore’s playing has never been imitated and that he is unable to do so.
Richards admitted that the song “Parachute Woman,” which he experimented with echoes in and took inspiration from Presley’s early recordings, was the one in which he played the closest to Moore.
He then discussed Presley’s Sun recordings, claiming that ‘Mystery Train’ is the pinnacle of them all due to its enormous sound. Keith Richards further stated that he has never been able to understand Moore’s run-down on songs like “I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone.” He then admitted that he had questioned Moore about it but that he had received no response. In addition, Richards acknowledged the musician’s 90th birthday and expressed their loss.
In his tweet, he stated, “Scotty Moore was my hero. There’s a little jazz in his playing, some great country licks, and a grounding in the blues as well. It’s never been duplicated. I can’t copy it.”
“The closest I came was tracks like ‘Parachute Woman,’ where I fooled around with echoes – those early Elvis recordings got me interested in the possibility of the studio.”
In the following tweet, he said,
“The first one I got had some of the Sun stuff: ‘Baby Let’s Play House,’ ‘Milkcow Blues Boogie.’ But ‘Mystery Train’ is the apex. It’s just Bill Black on bass, Elvis on acoustic, and Scotty. No drums. And it’s just the most amazingly huge sound.”
“There’s a run-down that Scotty does on several cuts, like ‘I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone,’ which I’ve never figured out. When I’d ask Scotty, he’d just give me a sly grin. Scotty Moore, Dec. 27, 1932. We miss you! Keith.”
The closest I came was tracks like "Parachute Woman," where I fooled around with echoes – those early Elvis recordings got me interested in the possibility of the studio.
— Keith Richards (@officialKeef) December 27, 2021
There's a run-down that Scotty does on several cuts, like "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone," which I've never figured out. When I'd ask Scotty, he'd just give me a sly grin.
Scotty Moore, Dec.27, 1932. We miss you!
Keith.#scottymoore @ronniewood— Keith Richards (@officialKeef) December 27, 2021