Pedal Steel in late 60's-early 70's Rock and Roll tunes

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 6 Oct 2008 6:44 pm

scott murray wrote:
Jim Cohen wrote:Red Rhodes with Brewer & Shipley:

"Oh, Mommy, I ain't no commie..."
that was Jerry, maaaaaaaaan.....

Alls I can say, Scott, is that if you remember the 60's that well, you weren't really there...

Olaf van Roggen · Post by **Olaf van Roggen** » 7 Oct 2008 8:07 am

Bobby Black and Lloyd Green played with Canadian Rock 'n Roller "Robert Gordon"
Bobby played on "crazy man crazy"and Lloyd on "standing on the outside of her door"
John McFee played on Elvis Costello's hit "Good year for the roses.
Sneaky Pete played with Stevie Wonder on "too shy to say"
Tom Brumley with Ricky Nelson.

Marc Muller · Post by **Marc Muller** » 7 Oct 2008 9:26 am

"Afternoon Delight" Starlight Vocal Band with 70's phase shifter. Jeff Baxter on "South City Midnight Lady" off the big album for them with China Grove. Now that's some early 70's RnR.

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 7 Oct 2008 11:51 am

Didn't I read somewhere that Bobbe Seymour played on "Angel of the Morning" by Merrilee Rush? I haven't heard that in decades and back then probably didn't know what a pedal steel was.

Ned McIntosh · Post by **Ned McIntosh** » 22 Dec 2008 4:25 am

"Mississippi" by Pussycat seems to have pedal steel doing the intro and lead break. Don't know who played it, though.

"The Boxer" by Simon & Garfunkel also has pedal steel in the lead break.

Chris Reesor · Post by **Chris Reesor** » 22 Dec 2008 5:36 am

How about LDG on "Sally G." by Paul McCartney?Got my attention! Van Morrison's "Wild Night" has PSG but I have no idea who played it.And how could we (at least us Canucks ) forget Peewee Charles w. Lightfoot- Rainy Day People, Edmund Fitzgerald and on and on....
Happy Christmas to you all!
CR.

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 22 Dec 2008 5:49 am

Al Perkins also did some killer steelin' with Stephen Stills and Manassas on the self-titled album from 1972. Hide it so deep, Don't look at my shadow, Song of Love. They didn't get alot of radio time, but this stuff is absolutely worth checkin' out. This is my all-time favorite stuff from the era.

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 22 Dec 2008 6:18 am

OK - to renew the Red Rhodes entry, how about 'Goodbye to Old Missoula' or almost any other song on Willis Allen Ramsey's great album (1973...Damn!)?

Mark Lind-Hanson · Post by **Mark Lind-Hanson** » 22 Dec 2008 7:23 am

I think Red Rhodes played on the FIRST Brewer & Shipley album, and Garcia played on the Second one, definitely!
And I say, if you don't remember the Sixties, then maybe you didn't do anything back then worth remembering.

Marc Stone · Post by **Marc Stone** » 22 Dec 2008 8:40 am

any chance that the tune you are looking for is "Willin" by Little Feat? I'm pretty sure that's Sneaky Pete

another album that Garcia played steel on a few tunes for was "New Train" by Paul Pena. the album was cut in 73 but shelved and not released until 2000. The songs and Pena's voice and guitar playing are gorgeous. The original of "Jet Airliner", the hit for Steve Miller, is on this record with much more intense lyrics. Plus the opening track "Gonna Move" has the Persuasions singing with Pena. The record is not necessarily notable as a steel record, and you probably didn't hear it on big radio, but it's a great record. Nice touches of rock, R&B and country throughout

anybody know who played steel on Joni Mitchell's "Blue" album?

Dave Harmonson · Post by **Dave Harmonson** » 22 Dec 2008 8:53 am

How about Elton John's "Good Old Country Comforts"? I'm sure someone here knows who the steeler was. I think I knew at one time, but don't recall now. Anybody?

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 22 Dec 2008 10:06 am

Ned McIntosh wrote:
"The Boxer" by Simon & Garfunkel also has pedal steel in the lead break.

I read somewhere that the player was Curly Chalker.

Does anybody know if there any MP3s on the web of any of these tunes? Anybody have any links?

Mark Lind-Hanson · Post by **Mark Lind-Hanson** » 22 Dec 2008 10:42 am

I think "Blue" is Sneaky Pete.

Brian Rung · Post by **Brian Rung** » 22 Dec 2008 11:16 am

Didn't Pete Drake play on the Monkees "Listen to the Band"?

Joe Alterio wrote:I don't know of very many R&R tunes that had steel that were also popular on the charts....

Offhand, besides the ones you mentioned, these were Billboard Hot 100 hits of a more rock-n-roll bent that featured some steel:

"Listen To The Band" - The Monkees (Lloyd)
"Good Clean Fun" - The Monkees (Lloyd)
"Goin Back" - The Byrds (Red)
"You Ain't Goin Nowhere" - The Byrds (Lloyd)
"Never Goin Back" - The Lovin' Spoonful (Red)
"Lay Lady Lay" - Bob Dylan (Pete Drake)
"Sally G" - Paul McCartney (Lloyd)
"You Better Think Twice" - Poco (Rusty)

Brian Rung · Post by **Brian Rung** » 22 Dec 2008 11:30 am

Nevermind...I was listening to Nashville Skyline and had Pete on the brain...

Didn't Red Rhodes play on the Michael Nesmith/First National band stuff?

Jeff Watson · Post by **Jeff Watson** » 22 Dec 2008 5:30 pm

It was John Mcfee on Van Morrison's "Wild Night".

Jeremy Threlfall · Post by **Jeremy Threlfall** » 22 Dec 2008 8:47 pm

Yeah Brian

Red R was a member of the first National Band (and the Second National Band) and did a duo album PS/Guitar with MN that is supposed to be pretty good (I've never heard it). I've got those two First National Band albums (Loose Salute and Magnetic South) and I love 'em. MN has a new website (Videoranch) where all those things are available.

Joanne was a big hit for the FNB, but these aren't rock and roll songs, are they?

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 22 Dec 2008 9:00 pm

"Afternoon Delight" has been brought up twice - please - somebody don't bring it up again after this - I might gag!

I don't think anyone posted this yet, but forgive me if someone has, speaking of Ben Keith. He was of course all over Neil Young's Harvest.

Jeremy Threlfall · Post by **Jeremy Threlfall** » 22 Dec 2008 9:14 pm

OK Mark - I won't name that song (I happen to really like it - it goes down as one the great all time camp songs in my book) BUT that was lap steel in that song wasn't it? Its Danny Pendleton playing, but it doesn't sound like pedal steel to me (might well be wrong)

edit: just had another listen. I'm not so sure now

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 22 Dec 2008 9:32 pm

Please add Buddy Emmons contribution to "Feel So Bad," from Ray Charles' "Volcanic Action of my Soul" album, early 70's.

Buddy played on one other song on that album but I can't name it at the moment cause I don't have it in front of me. Carol Kaye played bass on those sessions and she told me she remembers Ray getting on the control room talkback and telling everyone to "Put some more 'shoulder' into it".

Also I remember a tune by Chuck Willis from the 50s - the title escapes me at the moment - that was basically a doo-wop tune with a calypso feel that had a tasty bluesy C6 lap solo by who knows who. But it wasn't hack stuff - you could tell it was a real steel player.

Glen Derksen · Post by **Glen Derksen** » 22 Dec 2008 9:56 pm

Dave Harmonson wrote:How about Elton John's "Good Old Country Comforts"? I'm sure someone here knows who the steeler was. I think I knew at one time, but don't recall now. Anybody?

Dave, as we know, that song is from the 'Tumbleweed Connection' album. That's a great solo, and I would like to learn it. I have that album, but unfortunately mine doesn't have the credits on the inner sleeve like others do. Fortunately, my brother has a copy that does. I'll ask him.

Glen Derksen · Post by **Glen Derksen** » 22 Dec 2008 10:10 pm

And of course, there's Ben Keith playing on Neil Young's Harvest album.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 22 Dec 2008 10:23 pm

Glen Derksen wrote:And of course, there's Ben Keith playing on Neil Young's Harvest album.

Is there an echo in here?

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 23 Dec 2008 2:27 pm

It's not pedal steel, but in a previous similar thread Paul Franklin mentioned that it was Pete Drake who did the hook on Harrison's My Sweet Lord on electic dobro through a Pignose.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 23 Dec 2008 3:08 pm

Every hit Bill Haley had featured a steel guitar, as he had a permanent steel guitarist in his group, the Comets.

Don't forget Marty Robbins' "Singing the Blues", "Knee Deep in the Blues", "White Sport Coat and a Pink Carnation", amongst others, which featured Jerry Byrd. He also had a best-selling Hawaiian album, "Hawaii's Calling Me."

Others who have had best-selling Hawaiian albums have included Andy Williams, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Bing Crosby, all of which featured steel guitar.