Classic Buddy Cage steel w/ New Riders

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 28 Dec 2012 5:46 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAn8jIkNiZc

This is a really great version of a timeless country honk tonk tune... Buddy is at his best- laying loud E9 palm blocked licks and fills over Marmaduke's lead vocals... I have not heard this early live version before.. I think its from a German TV show, decades ago, they all looked like kids, and Buddy and Dave Nelson are much older men now...Dave Torbert, Spencer Dryden, and John Dawson have all passed on. Gotta love Buddy's country rock "bounce".. Great stuff...enjoy... bob

Jeff Garden · Post by **Jeff Garden** » 28 Dec 2012 6:00 pm

Thanks, Bob. It's tunes like this that got me interested in steel.

Pete Conklin · Post by **Pete Conklin** » 28 Dec 2012 11:27 pm

+1 Jeff. Love Buddy Cage!

Jim Pitman · Post by **Jim Pitman** » 29 Dec 2012 9:49 am

I was young and impressionable when I first heard Buddy Cage with NRPS, and indeed an impression was made.
Is it my imagination or does he refuse to play that way anymore?

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 29 Dec 2012 10:50 am

I saw him last month and he did not play that way.
At all.
Bummer
Maybe it was just that night?
BTW- The band is still awesome, I really enjoyed it.

Jay

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 29 Dec 2012 11:03 am

Living in the Bay Area most of my life, these guys were part of the "home team," I saw the band in their prime years play a bunch of times, and I can recall enjoying every minute of it.

When I look at this now - still enjoy it just fine and mean no disrespect to Marmaduke, Nelson and the others - but it occurs to me all these years later that musically speaking, Buddy Cage is almost like a man among boys back then. In this video, he really carries the tune.

I sure like the chick at the beginning - nice touch!

Jeff Garden · Post by **Jeff Garden** » 29 Dec 2012 11:22 am

Maybe she's a "ridee", Mark

Dave O'Brien · Post by **Dave O'Brien** » 29 Dec 2012 11:36 am

It's the ring!

Dana Blodgett · Post by **Dana Blodgett** » 29 Dec 2012 5:25 pm

I loved these guys,Buddy,JD Manness,Lloyd Green were the main inspiration for learning the PSG.There was something intriguing about John Dawson's singing also. He was an accomplished song writer too. I saw them on New year's eve in SF in'71 I believe, They blew the doors off of the Dead!

Joe Goldmark · Post by **Joe Goldmark** » 29 Dec 2012 9:13 pm

Buddy played great back then, and then I think the life style got to him for a number of years. Good to hear that he's playing again.

Joe

Mike Daly · Post by **Mike Daly** » 30 Dec 2012 1:06 pm

I spent many an hour with New Riders records learning from Buddy Cage. The chromatic run on the live version of "Hello Mary Lou', "Panama Red", I could go on and on...but you all know what I am talking about...He had attitude and enthusiasm...And an Emmons while I was on my second Sho-Bud..

bruce fischer · Post by **bruce fischer** » 30 Dec 2012 2:40 pm

anyone know how buddy is doing?
havent heard anything..........

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 30 Dec 2012 7:33 pm

When I look at this now - still enjoy it just fine and mean no disrespect to Marmaduke, Nelson and the others - but it occurs to me all these years later that musically speaking, Buddy Cage is almost like a man among boys back then. In this video, he really carries the tune.

"Panama Red" was a good album, but that was a band of mismatches. There's a ton of their concerts on Sugarmegs.org, but you don't really need to hear "Six Days on the Road" 200 times. When Garcia was playing steel, he led the band because he was the best player there - and of course, he wasn't, umm, totally great... when Spencer Dryden & Buddy Cage joined, they sort-of led the band - as the non-singing backline? David Nelson never got any better, it remained a happy hippie amusement to him forever. And Buddy Cage might have been far better served playing with good guitarists, good singers and good songwriters. Commander Cody was the same way, if you treat your own band as a novelty act, it'll only stay funny till the dope runs out. Dr. Hook, Dan Hicks & his Hot Licks....

John Scanlon · Post by **John Scanlon** » 30 Dec 2012 9:17 pm

So nice. BC's playing (especially from this era) is still inspiring new steel players today in 2012, this guy included.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 30 Dec 2012 9:26 pm

That video is a study in the power of uptempo palm blocking. In their prime, they were smokin. I saw both Garcia and Cage in those bands.

Mark Dershaw · Post by **Mark Dershaw** » 31 Dec 2012 7:08 am

Loved him then... and love him now. This sound still brings me happiness. I would have had no interest in this band at all if it hadn't been for Buddy Cage.

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 31 Dec 2012 7:24 am

I'm assuming that Buddy is doing well, they are playing tonight in Connecticut and have had a pretty busy schedule this last week.

I saw them 2 years ago and they were great

Olli Haavisto · Post by **Olli Haavisto** » 31 Dec 2012 7:26 am

I have to say that the comparison with Commander Cody is unfair, to a degree..
The Airmen had a great rhythm section, sounds tight even now. Not too tight,though

Bill Kirchen, Andy Stein. Great musicians... Bobby Black....
Commander himself is another story, but compared to the NRPS the band sounded whole and audiences not familiar with country heard many different styles played well and with respect. Tongue in cheek, yes, but not selling themselves short musically.

Dave O'Brien · Post by **Dave O'Brien** » 31 Dec 2012 7:45 am

IMHO Spencer Dryden was an amazing drummer.

Olli Haavisto · Post by **Olli Haavisto** » 31 Dec 2012 8:17 am

Before the Riders, didn`t Buddy play with Ian and Sylvia`s band?
With Amos Garret on guitar?

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 31 Dec 2012 9:13 am

Yes Olli,

And he also played with Anne Murray. He met Jerry Garcia on the Festival Express Train tour in Canada or so I am told.

Happy New Year!

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 31 Dec 2012 9:35 am

They were The Great Speckled Bird and made one album on the Bearsville label. Interesting clip no Amos Garret, but with Buddy Cage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZK-Zc_7-Xo

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 31 Dec 2012 11:14 am

Buddy also played with a band called Hog Heaven.. Album cover had little pink pigs with angel wings flying through the clouds.. It was buddy at his best.. Much more intricate playing than he did with NRPS.. It was absolutely awash with buddy's steel playing..
Loaned the album out to another steel player decades ago, and never saw it again... bob

Jeff Garden · Post by **Jeff Garden** » 31 Dec 2012 11:37 am

Here's some trivia for you guys. I was just surfing around and discovered "Hog Heaven" was initially formed by the Shondells (remember them with Tommy James????) after Tommy James came off the road. Buddy Cage was added shortly thereafter...

Larry Tracy · Post by **Larry Tracy** » 31 Dec 2012 12:18 pm

I just saw the New Riders last month in Auburn at the Auburn Event center. Great place to see bands. Has the vibe of a smaller ballroom. The band that opened had Pete Grant on steel. He sang a great version of Stella Blue by the Dead and did a great solo in that song. Sounded great all set. Then the Riders came on. The band sounded great and Buddy did a couple of cool solos but seemed to be just cruising. But the second set he took it up a notch and sounded great the whole set. Pete sat in a couple of times. It was good night for steel guitars. David Nelson's guitar playing is better than ever. Was playing a nashville tele with b-bender through a Mesa Boogie. Buddy was playing a red Emmons double neck converted to a single neck thru a Fender twin. Pete was playing his 12 string Williams thru a Webb I think. The Riders did about 5 or 6 old songs but mainly concentrated on newer stuff. It was a great night.

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