The Gaithers steel player?

Les Anderson · From: The Great White North

I listened to a Gaithers gospel program last night that was pretty much a traditional country gospel setting. There was a some great steel playing in the background (lots of harmonics and beautiful blending) but they did not show any shots of an orchestra.

Does anyone know if this group uses a live band or do they just sing over a pre-recorded track?

Michael Douchette · From: Gallatin, TN (deceased)

Some are live, but most are pre-recorded tracks. Usually when it's live, Wanda Vick is the utility fiddle/dobro/steel/banjo player.

I did a few years ago, but only harp. Before Buddy Greene was involved. I remember Ben Speer called once, and asked me to come play steel on one track. He told me Bill just hates steel, but this one track really needed it. So I did it, and as I was leaving, Bill showed up and wanted to listen. They started the track, had me mixed waaaaay back, and Bill said, "What is that? Is that a steel I hear? Get rid of it, now."

Can't please everybody; maybe he's changed his opinion...
_________________
Mikey D... H.S.P.
Music hath the charm to soothe a savage beast, but I'd try a 10mm first.

http://www.steelharp.com
http://www.thesessionplayers.com/douchette.html

(other things you can ask about here)
http://s117.photobucket.com/albums/o54/Steelharp/

Larry King · From: Watts, Oklahoma, USA

Les.....I know that Wanda Vick plays on all of the videos (as well as the new Crook and Chase show) and is a very good player. Seems to me that she was once Mrs Bobbe Seymour. In any case , she is a utility player and can be seen with a mandolin , fiddle , and steel.

The other steel player that has done some work in times past is Rabbit Easter. Hopes this helps.

I might be off base here but I seem to remember that she was part of the all girl group Wild Rose who later backed up Porter Waggoner.

Jeremy Drawbaugh · From: scottsboro, al usa

BILL GAITHER HATES STEEL GUITAR, WELL THAT CHANGES MY OPINION OF HIM. I JUST MIGHT THROW AWAY ALL MY GAITHER CD'S AND VIDEOS NOW. HAHA! WELL NOT EVERYBODY HAS THE RIGHT TASTE. WHAT WOULD ANY TRUE COUNTRY SOUNDING SONG BE WITHOUT A STEEL. I GUESS THAT EXPLAINS WHY I HAVE NEVER HEARD A STEEL ON A GAITHER ALBUM. TOO TOO BAD.
_________________
JDAWG
MULLEN G2 D-10 8X7
QUILTER 202 combo TT12
BOSS DD-3 BOSS CHORUS EFFECT
NEUBAR REVERB
NASHVILLE 112/400
TELONICS VOLUME PEDAL
STEELER'S CHOICE PAK-A-SEAT

Bernie Gonyea · From: Sherman Tx. 75092 ,U.S.A. (deceased)

Mikey; Now I know why I've never been a # one fan of Bill's show; Had often wondered why we heard very little Steel Guitar playing on their videos. The only time I have enjoyed watching some of his videos is times when Wanda or folks like you, Mikey, whom were called to provide a touch of Country to the back ground. I will not watch them again, after you telling Bill hates Steel; he has never been one of my favorite entertainers, since first watching him. I hear better country music in my little country Church. We play good old Country Gospel C/W music. Y'all.. Bernie Very Happy

_________________
2007 Zum S-10; 1967 Sho-Bud [ D-10 ]; 85 S-10 Sierra; 1953 Multi-Kord [ 6 String- 4 pedals ] A Sho-Bro six String Resonator Guitar; Nashville 112 Amp; hilton Vol. Pedal

James Marlowe · From: Florida, USA

I've seen Rabbit Easter playing on the videos for his brother.

While I admire Gaither for what he does for gospel music, I don't care for the guy particularly, but never knew why.......now I know!
jrm

Ernie Pollock · From: Mt Savage, Md USA

Boy hate to hear Bill Gaither does not like steel guitar, thats the last track of his I will ever buy. I have done many of his songs and steel guitar makes them if you ask me. I knew there was some deep seeded reason that I did not like Bill all that much, now we all know what it is!!

Ernie Pollock Sad

[oh, Bill, your welcome to email me & try to change my mind, but it won't work with out steel guitar!] Sad

Les Anderson · From: The Great White North

Well guys, whether or not Bill Gaithers likes a steel guitar, someone was doing a beautiful job behind his people when they did that country gospel hour.

Charley Adair · From: Maxwell, Texas, USA

I'll bet if ol' Bill thought it would make him more money, he'd have lots of steel. I didn't really say that did I?

James Marlowe · From: Florida, USA

Charley, I believe you're on the right track. I didn't say that either!
jas.

Rex Thomas · From: Thompson's Station, TN

Bill doesn't need me to defend his tastes, so I won't.
I did many a session at what was called Pinebrook, which is now called Gaither Studios in Alexandria, IN with my Emmons loafer 12 push/pull, 3x9 y'all. This would've been approx. '77 thru '87, for groups/artists other than BGT, of course. I also toured with BGT & Gaither Vocal Band '82-'88. Played guitars & other doubles, but no steel, fine with me.
As I remember it wasn't him "hating" steel as much as proper place/song/time, etc. I honestly don't know if he hates it, but if you want it, he'll get it, & apparently Les got to hear some good stuff.
I bailed in '88 & left for LA, so I wasn't involved in the "video" era. However, Buddy Greene joined on the Gaither "camp" around '86. And FWIW, Buddy was involved with the "video" era from the get go. All I can figure Mike is either Ben called you other than Buddy, or wasn't aware of Buddy. I do know that Ben supplied many of the players in the beginning of all that (late 80's-early 90's) including Anthony Burger, the Williams guy who's played ac. gtr. pretty much from the start, etc.
So a few years ago would've been 22 yrs. ago.
Anyway, does Bill hate steel? Dunno. Would he suppress it if it was vital? IMO, no, I honestly don't believe he would.
No fires intended. Buddy's one of my closer friends out of that bunch, & that's the facts from my corner.
Bye.

Michael Douchette · From: Gallatin, TN (deceased)

Rex, Ben and I have been dear friends for many years, I've worked with him a bunch. He hasn't done much in recent years. It's funny how time flies when you're not thinking of it. "A few years" that it feels like, was so many years ago; wow. In my head, it seems like just a short while ago I was with Tammy... hard to accept the reality that it's going on 30 years ago when I started with her. Man... oh, well.

I did a few of the video shoots with Bill and them, Buddy wasn't there. Buddy's an old friend, last time I saw him was at the airport. I'm trying to think; seems like one of the vid's was at the Biltmore, maybe? One in Washington, I think... I just don't remember for sure. One gig runs into another. I never had the opportunity to work at the complex in Alexandria; wish I could have, I'm sure it's first rate.

Anyway, guys, don't be hard on ol' Bill for musical taste. As I said, he may have acquired a taste for good steel now; it's been a long time. I do know this; Ben told me Bill's problem with it stemmed from hearing it played badly so often. Questionable pitch, shrill tone, etc. That really irks singers, and gospel music is very much vocally centered because of the content. It wouldn't be pleasant having to sing against someone/thing that made it that much harder. Heck, it's hard enough to deal with the other guys in the quartet alone! Why add to it? Laughing

_________________
Mikey D... H.S.P.
Music hath the charm to soothe a savage beast, but I'd try a 10mm first.

http://www.steelharp.com
http://www.thesessionplayers.com/douchette.html

(other things you can ask about here)
http://s117.photobucket.com/albums/o54/Steelharp/

Les Anderson · From: The Great White North

Rex Thomas · From: Thompson's Station, TN

"Ben told me Bill's problem with it stemmed from hearing it played badly so often."
Well, maybe that was MY fault. Laughing

Mike:

Later...

Michael Douchette · From: Gallatin, TN (deceased)

Rex!

Too, too funny...
_________________
Mikey D... H.S.P.
Music hath the charm to soothe a savage beast, but I'd try a 10mm first.

http://www.steelharp.com
http://www.thesessionplayers.com/douchette.html

(other things you can ask about here)
http://s117.photobucket.com/albums/o54/Steelharp/

Bill Ford · From: Graniteville SC Aiken

Les said>>(a self centered ego maniac who couldn't handle anyone playing over his piano)<<<

That's why I quit playing in Church..He kept saying, You're playing too loud, congregation kept saying, We can't hear you?? Different choir director now, may give it another try.

BF
_________________
Bill Ford S12 CLR, S12 Lamar keyless, Misc amps&toys Sharp Covers
Steeling for Jesus now!!!

Ernest Cawby · From: Lake City, Florida, USA, R.I.P.

If you like steel on gospel, the old Dixie Echoes had steel on all their records, Billy Dale Sexton tenor and steel I even made it on the album Southern Gospel, Randy's dad liked steel guitar. Randy now plays piano. I was in the studio one day and Billy Dale's steel was set up I sat down and played while they were going over the songf, finally Dale said that's a cut so I am on the album.I traveled with them some.

ernie

Terry Wood · From: Lebanon, MO

This doesn't surprise me, for I've ran up against those who do not like steel guitar at all.

What I believe is that many are ignorant/uninformed, and that they prejudice or simply biased. For these individuals often only associate steel guitar with Country Music. And as others have pointed out on the Forum before, alot of people just do not not even know what a steel guitar is.

Here's one of my experiemces, I played at a church and a big revival they had for several months a few years back. Everyone seemed to really enjoy my efforts and my steel guitar playing. Well,I actually second and played some lead and rhythm guitar as well. The Worship leader/director, whatever you would refer him as, did not like steel guitar. He tolerated my playing and me only because I was a Christian, and others liked my playing. He never let me do anything other than stay off in a corner and play a few fills. He featured all the other instrumentalists, and many vocals but I was never asked to do anything.

However, the good part was I was intelligent enough, that I worked at it and learned alot of this newer Praise and Worship type music. Well, this opened up a whole new venue of music for me. I appreciate it and the steel guitar fits this musical genre very well.

Next, I actually went on to record a new Praise and Worship Steel Guitar CD. That particular steel CD sells here on the Steel Forum under the title of "Lord We Lift Your Name on High." Later, I entered the ministry as well. I do evanlistic music ministry as well as act as youth pastor at the church we attend.

The Gaithers are really popular all over the USA, but there are alot of others that are just as good in Gospel music. In my opinion there are some Gospel singers and Gospel Quartets in the Ozark hills where we live that can blow their doors off.

Also Gospel music is spiritual and it is a ministry. Whatever, we do for The Lord, it will last. Also, GOD looks at the heart and our motives. HE knows all about us and our needs. Shame on those who would try to block what would glorify GOD. The BIBLE says everything and everyone is to praise and glorify GOD.

Remember the story about the Pharisees and how they complained about Jesus when He rode into Jerusalem. They didn't want their petty playing at church to get upset. Jesus told them that if the children didn't cry out, that the rocks would. So hang in there brothers and sisters, and keep your eyes upon Jesus.

May GOD bless you all!

Terry Wood

Bryan Rankins · From: Missouri, USA

I've been really fortunate that I was welcomed with open arms in the churchs I play for. Maybe some of them need to read all the references to "10 stringed instrument" that are in the Bible. But my favorite will always be Ps 33:3 "play skillfully with a loud noise".

Forum Index > Steel Players		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic