Man, let me tell you about the weirdest guitar record of 1960 – Duane Eddy – A Million Dollars Worth of Twang tracklist changed everything about how we think about guitar tone.
The Tank Session Files
Nobody talks about this, but Eddy and producer Lee Hazlewood actually bought that famous water tank from a bankrupt ostrich farm outside Phoenix. Cost them 75 bucks.
Studio Science Gone Wild
They tried something nuts – ran every guitar track through three different tanks:
- A 2,000-gallon main tank
- A 500-gallon backup
- A tiny 50-gallon “flavor tank”
The Complete Tracklist Chronicles
- “Because They’re Young” Started as a jazz tune. The original demo sounds nothing like the final cut. Hazlewood accidentally kicked over a mic, and that’s when they found that sound.
- “Along The Navajo Trail” Recorded at 3 AM because the tank echoed better in cold air. Desert nights changed everything.
- “Theme From Dixie” First take was pure country. They kept speeding up the tape until it morphed into something else entirely.
- “Wild Wild West” Eddy played this one with a broken string. Couldn’t get another pack until morning, so they just rolled with it.
- “First Love, First Tears” The rhythm track was recorded in the tank itself. Guy actually sat inside with a guitar.
- “Rebel Walk” This one’s famous for that twang, but listen close – there’s a rattlesnake rattle keeping time. Found it in the parking lot that morning.
- “Theme From A Summer Place” Originally tracked bone-dry. The tank version happened by accident when they ran out of reverb.
- “Secret Seven” Named after the seven takes they lost when the tape machine caught fire. Take eight nailed it.
- “Shazam!” Recorded during a dust storm. All that grit in the air made the tank resonate differently.
- “Lost Island” The guitar line came from a dream Eddy had. Woke up at 2 AM, called the band, tracked it by sunrise.
- “The Lonely One” Features a one-of-a-kind mic setup: two mics underwater, one in the desert air.
- “Kommotion” Last track cut. Tank was leaking by then – that’s why the echo gets weaker as the song goes on.
The Lost Tank Tapes
Word is there’s a whole other album sitting in someone’s garage. Tracks they cut but couldn’t release because they were “too strange.”
Desert Recording Secrets
They found out quick that:
- Dawn sessions caught better tank tone
- Cold nights made cleaner echo
- Hot days created natural compression
- Wind changed the resonance
The Guitar Code
Eddy marked his fretboard with red dots. Not for notes – they showed him where the tank would resonate most.
Technical Wild Times
Check this out:
- Modified the tank with copper plates
- Built custom underwater mics
- Used desert sand as acoustic treatment
- Ran cables through cactus fields for natural filtering
The Phoenix Conspiracy
Local musicians started sneaking in at night to run their own instruments through the tank. Created this whole underground scene.
Lost Equipment Log
Recently found notes show they used:
- A custom Gretsch with railway wire strings
- Amp built from drive-in movie theater parts
- Mics wrapped in snake skin for waterproofing
- Natural cave echo blended with tank sound
The Truth About That Sound
Here’s what nobody mentions – they never cleaned the tank. The buildup of mineral deposits created this ever-changing acoustic space.
Session Player Confessions
The backing band had to learn to play anticipating the tank’s delay. Took weeks to get it right.
Why It’s Still Relevant
That Duane Eddy – A Million Dollars Worth of Twang tracklist birthed sounds we’re still trying to figure out. Modern plugins can’t touch it.
The Real Innovation
They weren’t trying to make history – they were just seeing how weird they could get with a water tank and some desert nights.
This album isn’t just tracks on a record – it’s the sound of guys pushing boundaries so hard they broke them. When you spin this vinyl today, you’re hearing happy accidents, desert magic, and the kind of innovation that only happens when you’re crazy enough to try anything.
