Toy Caldwell

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 4 May 2005 7:41 am

Craig,
IIRC, Gordon was the steel player I took lessons from.
If anyone has a contact for him, please shoot me an email.
I'd like to thank him after all these years.

Around '78 I bought my first steel, a Sho-Bud Pro-1, from a guy who worked at Musical Discount Center in Garwood.
I also bought an Ibanez Les Paul (three pickup Black Beauty, ala Peter Frampton) from Loria Music (as I recall they had just opened, maybe 76/77-ish). I wish I had known at the time that there was a steel player at Loria.
I bought my first amp, a Peavey Pacer, at Rondo Music.

The Country Rock scene was really cookin'!

Michael Lewis · Post by **Michael Lewis** » 4 May 2005 8:14 am

Wow! Couldn't disagree with Larry or Gary on this one much! But what memories you guys are jogging! I played lead guitar for a band called Ridin' High out of Brooklyn and we played the tri-state area from the early 70's to the mid 80's. Garcia was the first steel I heard in those days and than came Cage. I'd sit behind him and just wonder how he did that stuff! New Jersey was a lot of fun! John Ciano used to blow me away at the Blue Ribbon Inn in Hillside, N.J. and I used to love when he'd join us on stage! I'm sure I've seen a lot of the
real players on this post! Well, I got my first steel in '02 and I'll spend the rest of my life learning to play it but sure is great to learn from you all and renew some old friendships!
Mike

Boo Bernstein · Post by **Boo Bernstein** » 5 May 2005 5:32 am

Hey, John -- I thought that's who you were, but now that I'm suffering from CRS disease (Can't Remember S***), I didn't want to embarrass myself!

Great to hear you're still playing. I'll send you a separate email to catch up.

As this thread shows, believe it or not, there was a very vibrant country rock scene in the early to mid-70s coming out of Jersey (and the East Coast) -- with some great players. Remember, Ray Benson and Lucky O came out of Philly!

Bob Poole · Post by **Bob Poole** » 3 May 2012 5:08 am

A bit late in seeing this post i admit,but.....I have to disagree with Larry Bell.As a young (20s)picker in the early 70s,i listened to Toy quite a bit and was fortunate enough to meet him @ the shop when i went to pick up my new steel.sure,he may not have played with a lot of flash....but...he had a pretty unique style & sound i think.He was also a hell of a nice person,same with Buddy,who,again,i was fortunate to meet as well.

Kenny Martin · Post by **Kenny Martin** » 3 May 2012 10:42 am

Everybody has a right to an opinion but let me say that Toy loved country music and loved steel guitar. For someone to just get one and in a very short time record something that in my opinion will always be a signature lick as in "Fire On The Mountain" is pretty awesome.

I'm honored that i get to kick this tune off at many sold out shows even today. 25000 + two Saturdays back!

Toy was one of my guitar hero's as i have played guitar as long as i have steel.

Larry i think you were a little tough on Toy and from riding on the bus with the founding memeber "Doug Gray for over a year, Doug talks about how smart Toy was at figuring anything out.
I can think of many steel players then and now that are edgy and out of tune but i always listen and watch for the approach and playin thoughts they have. You can learn from everyone!

Just my take but Toy Caldwell was an awesome musician in every respect!...thx....k

Mark Dershaw · Post by **Mark Dershaw** » 3 May 2012 11:15 am

Just got to say something in this thread! I'm with you guys all the way. I cut my steel playin teeth on all of these players licks. I'll never forget buying the Pure Prarie League album with "Tears" on it. By the time side A was done playing, I knew I had to buy a pedal steel, no matter what it took. Then came Buddy Cage, Sneeky Pete, Rusty Young and yes Toy Caldwell's intro to Fire on the Mountain made me a star among my young musician friends. Ahh it's all coming back...

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 3 May 2012 12:22 pm

How anybody could say anything unkind about Toy is beyond my understanding.

Kenny Martin wrote:Toy Caldwell was an awesome musician in every respect!

+1!
And from all accounts, a nice guy as well.

Kenny Martin · Post by **Kenny Martin** » 3 May 2012 3:02 pm

This Ron! Toy was an awesome guy! He loved music for sure!

Come see us at the Opry in Nashville June 23rd! Two shows! Can't wait to hang with my best friend Tommy White!

.........k

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 3 May 2012 5:04 pm

Kenny, I'm nearly half the planet away, but anywhere you play I'll be there in spirit. Bust one for Toy!

Kenny Martin · Post by **Kenny Martin** » 5 May 2012 1:48 pm

One more thing Larry, I think we all were beginners at some point.
Toy was already world class on guitar so he did pretty good in a shrt period on being a steel player!

Yea, I have t say the comment kind of turked me off!

Stephen Silver · Post by **Stephen Silver** » 6 May 2012 7:54 am

It hurts my ears to hear the out of tune steel on Fire on the Mountain. Toy may have been all that great, but to this day if that song comes on anywhere, I turn it off. I hated playing it then, don't like hearing it now. It's like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.

SS

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 6 May 2012 9:18 am

Makes me want to play that song right now... hurt me again!

Kenny Martin · Post by **Kenny Martin** » 15 May 2012 10:09 am

Thx Ron!

Stephen, Toy was a great musician not "May have been"!

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 15 May 2012 11:19 am

Stephen Silver wrote:It hurts my ears to hear the out of tune steel on Fire on the Mountain. Toy may have been all that great, but to this day if that song comes on anywhere, I turn it off. I hated playing it then, don't like hearing it now. It's like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.

SS

I'll tell that to the Devil, When I see him today.