Steel on Starland Vocal Band hit from 1976

Gerald Menke · Post by **Gerald Menke** » 8 Jul 2011 6:12 am

Hello all,

Hard to believe, but 35 years ago today, the Number One song in the US was that randy little number "Afternoon Delight" by the Starland Vocal Band. There's a ton of overdriven steel with what sounds like that awesome Peavey phase shifter on it, and in the extremely entertaining video, the steeler gets a fair amount of camera time. What do you know when he takes a solo, the camera cuts to him instead of one of the pretty female singers. Anyway, I grew up in the 70s and this song was on the radio 24/7 it seemed but back then I didn't know a pedal steel from a Tonka truck - who was the steeler on that track?

It turns out that they recorded for John Denver's label Windsong, and two of the singers from SVB co-wrote "Country Roads" with ol' John. Anyway I am curious who played on the song.

Thanks for reading my post and best,

Gerald

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 8 Jul 2011 6:16 am

I looked up the same information once and it was someone named Danny Pendleton, although there were conflicting reports.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 8 Jul 2011 8:59 am

Yep Danny Penddleton,I saw him play in the first Emmy Lou band I think that he went on to be a lawyer?and sadly passsed away a few years ago, a D.C. guy!

Neil Rogerson · Post by **Neil Rogerson** » 14 Jul 2011 12:00 pm

I delivered a 14 string Sierra to Danny in the mid 70's when we were showing Sierra's at the NAMM show held in DC that year. He was playing with the Starland band and they were opening for John Denver. I was with Chuck Wright when Sierra's were being built in Gresham,Oregon. The sound was from a phase pedal...... Neil Rogerson

Jack Stanton · Post by **Jack Stanton** » 14 Jul 2011 6:54 pm

I was in a music store in Princeton, NJ back in the '70's when Afternoon Delight was big on the radio. Their was a old pedal steel in the window (the same brand that was featured in Winnie's book- the pictures of how to set up a steel, I want to say George Sell??). A couple of young black kids came into the store and one said "what's that?". Another said "I know what that is.. that's the thing that make the rocket sound on Afternoon Delight!

And that kid grew up to be... Robert Randolph!
(I made that last part up, but the rest is a true story).