uppty steel players

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 16 Mar 2014 3:05 pm

Thanks, Les. I knew about Freebird, but just not quite in that context. My experience on (country) gigs was, as the evening wore on, someone would invariably scream out, "SKYNYRRRRD!" just not Freebird in particular..

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 16 Mar 2014 3:14 pm

Another aside I saw here on the SGF today regarding the SGR..

Topic: JERRY BYRD once had great line............
Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon
Posted 15 Mar 2014 3:07 pm

He was playing a club scene and a rather obnoxious fellow came up and said, in essence:
"I don't suppose you could play "Steel Guitar Rag" could you"?

Jerry replied: "You probably aren't going to believe this but of all the clubs here in Hawaii, you happened to pick the only one where you're NOT going to hear Steel Guitar Rag".

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 16 Mar 2014 3:27 pm

I LOVE"Free Bird"!

I've never had the opportunity to play it with a band...if I was working a gig and it was called,I'd grab my SG and play it...and be there next time.

Alan Tanner · Post by **Alan Tanner** » 17 Mar 2014 3:25 am

If you want to hear Freebird or Smoke on the Water, or some version of those "tunes", just go to most any Guitar Center on Saturday afternoon. You will find about 20 guys all playing either or both at db levels not thought possible by common folk.........

Shorty Rogers · Post by **Shorty Rogers** » 17 Mar 2014 7:57 am

Barry, I'm in complete agreement with you on SGR. After hearing the Troubadours version, I just told people that I didn't ever learn it. That said, Dan Tyack used to play a version that had a very funky groove that I enjoyed. I just thought of it as another song altogether. I have enjoyed playing Freebird, but that was because a night of nothing but shuffles sometimes wears thin. Still, I can't imagine Glen Goodwin doing Freebird, or any Skynyrd.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 17 Mar 2014 9:21 am

Using the vernacular of the time, right on, Shorty.

Bill Moran · Post by **Bill Moran** » 17 Mar 2014 1:47 pm

Barry Blackwood wrote:I suppose this classifies me as uppity, but the only version of SGR I ever liked was by the Texas Troubadours. Never had any interest in playing it or hearing it other than that. $:\$

Me to Barry. I play what I like and if the crowd don't like it there will be a different band here next week.

Zane King · Post by **Zane King** » 17 Mar 2014 1:56 pm

Love me some LRW! I never remember to credit him as one of my influences yet I do the wiggle in just about every performance I do. And I always think of him when I do that. So he is indeed one of my influences and I'm thankful for his contribution.

I'm actually working on the Steel Guitar Rag now for a new You Tube video. Love that tune and everything it has done for our instrument.

Joe Miraglia · Post by **Joe Miraglia** » 17 Mar 2014 4:04 pm

Listen to Paul on Don't Rock The Jukebox.I put in some LRW on alot of rock new country songs.Just a little bit-- I get a little

from the band,and the young people on the dance floor give me a little

and thumbs up.I have fun doing it

. Some times a bar or two of the Rag.Ha Ha my last name has Rag in it

Joe Miraglia · Post by **Joe Miraglia** » 17 Mar 2014 4:17 pm

Zane King wrote:Love me some LRW!

I'm actually working on the Steel Guitar Rag now for a new You Tube video. Love that tune and everything it has done for our instrument.

Zane,You got that right!

Rick Myrland · Post by **Rick Myrland** » 18 Mar 2014 4:21 am

"I play what I like and if the crowd don't like it there will be a different band here next week."

...and this is why YOU won't be back next week. You pay, I play. If one of our songs is #10 on the set list and someone requests it, it is now #1. I've read so much moaning and complaining on this forum about country music being dead, not making enough money, bad sound guys, horrible venues, on and on and on, and I wonder if some steel players realize that the common problem in all those situations is them.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 18 Mar 2014 6:58 am

I've read so much moaning and complaining on this forum about country music being dead, not making enough money, bad sound guys, horrible venues, on and on and on, and I wonder if some steel players realize that the common problem in all those situations is them.

Yes, I admit it, Rick, and as a steel player I take full responsibility for all that's wrong in this crazy world..

Bill Moran · Post by **Bill Moran** » 18 Mar 2014 7:12 am

...and this is why YOU won't be back next week. You pay, I play. If one of our songs is #10 on the set list and someone requests it, it is now #1. I've read so much moaning and complaining on this forum about country music being dead, not making enough money, bad sound guys, horrible venues, on and on and on, and I wonder if some steel players realize that the common problem in all those situations is them.[/quote]

If I can't play and enjoy it why do it ? A $100.00 or so a night surely don't pay your time. It's a hobby , for me anyway. By the way, I have never played to a empty house !

Most sound guys are worthless and country music, that is on the radio today is dead.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 18 Mar 2014 8:22 am

I always thought a band should be that good and original that the audience becomes so excited, so they don't make silly requests.

Ben Greene · Post by **Ben Greene** » 18 Mar 2014 12:17 pm

Well speaking from a new players perspective, I look at it this way. I saw an interview with Joe Pass once where he basically said, learn as many tunes as possible. It will improve your knowledge base and your playing. Steel Guitar Rag is a standard for this instrument. You don't have to play it every night or by request, but most of us new guys want to play PSG because of these types of tunes. You don't say your gonna be a jazz guitar player and refuse to learn or play Take the A Train. It's part of paying your dues. As a six string player, in my younger days, I refused to learn Stairway to Heaven. I still don't know it(I did learn A train though), but I didn't do myself any favors by refusing to learn the tune. As musicians we should love what we do and strive to learn as much as possible. Do you have play them all? Absolutely not, but it's never going to make you worse at the instrument. Speaking of which I'd better learn SGR before the next steel jam here in Portland!

Mike Eisler · Post by **Mike Eisler** » 18 Mar 2014 1:26 pm

I mostly play the fiddle in a band and frequently get requests for Orange Blossom Special. The banjo player gets request for Foggy Mountain Breakdown. These tunes may be overdone from a musicians point of view but for the audience they are still exciting. If SGR is so offensive to you then you always have the option of staying home. As soon as you get on a stage you become an entertainer and, as such, you have an obligation to entertain and that might include your least favorite tune.. Don't throw cold water on your audience..... you're lucky to have them.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 18 Mar 2014 2:49 pm

These tunes may be overdone from a musicians point of view but for the audience they are still exciting.

I understand that and I agree, Mike.

If SGR is so offensive to you then you always have the option of staying home.

No, I always have the option of not playing it, and the drunk that requested it will forget about it before he ever makes it home that night.. $:\$

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 18 Mar 2014 3:19 pm

Barry Blackwood wrote: My experience on (country) gigs was, as the evening wore on, someone would invariably scream out, "SKYNYRRRRD!" just not Freebird in particular..

Maybe it was just the places I played, but the guy (there was never more than one) who kept yelling "Free-Bird!" and "Lynyrd Skynyrd!" was always drunk and loud. $:\$ Usually, we wound up doing 10 minutes of "Sweet Bone, My Banana" just to placate him.

FB is sort of a stoner's anthem - not quite STH, but probably a better song to ask a country rock band to play.

BTW, back when I played straight guitar in rock bands, most all of the licks in FB were thrown together in a song called "Trash"...a bunch of simple stuff repeated really fast over and over (so as to give the audience the impression you were a "guitar-god"). Every fledgling rock group played their version of "Trash", and the response was always good, despite the fact that no two versions were ever alike.

Clyde Mattocks · Post by **Clyde Mattocks** » 18 Mar 2014 9:08 pm

A few comments about Steel Guitar Rag. 1. You're GOING to get requests for it, so don't cop an attitude. 2. Yes,you're probably never going to top the Troubadours' version of it. But to keep my interest up I revisit it from time to time and change up my arrangement to keep myself interested. I did a steel CD some years back and purposely left it off, in a way. I have always liked the triple fiddle part in the Spade Cooley version, which has a different chord progression, so I started out my CD playing that, which no one except the most hard core deep catalog junkie would recognize. I simply called it "Intro." From time to time, someone will ask "Why didn't you do Steel Guitar Rag on your CD?" I'll say, "It's on there, you just have to look for it." In a roundabout way I'm saying this.. You can treat it with a little respect and not have to be bored with it. It's part of what got us here.

J.C. Norris · Post by **J.C. Norris** » 18 Mar 2014 9:29 pm

Willie: I agree with you completely. I also play banjo & if SGR or FMB request come up, you can bet your last nickel I'll play them to the very best of my ability. As for the older set, they have my utmost respect. Just my humble opinion!

Rick Myrland · Post by **Rick Myrland** » 19 Mar 2014 1:00 am

We'll we must be a highly inadequate band because we do get "silly requests." And In fact, every time I've been to lower Broadway in Nashville I see those bands getting requests too, so apparently those Nashville guys haven't really figured out how to please a crowd either. A live band + alcohol = "silly" requests, just part of the deal. If you don't like playing FOR others instead of TO them, then being a bedroom player is your best option.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 19 Mar 2014 4:59 am

Sorry, I hope this was not offensive Rick. I only wanted to say that a cover band probably receives more requests, than a band with all original material. This hasn't anything to do with the quality of the music or the ability of the musicians.

Bill Moran · Post by **Bill Moran** » 19 Mar 2014 4:26 pm

Rick Myrland wrote:We'll we must be a highly inadequate band because we do get "silly requests." And In fact, every time I've been to lower Broadway in Nashville I see those bands getting requests too, so apparently those Nashville guys haven't really figured out how to please a crowd either. A live band + alcohol = "silly" requests, just part of the deal. If you don't like playing FOR others instead of TO them, then being a bedroom player is your best option.

It is a hobby to 90% of us. If I don't like it I don't play it !

Fish · Post by **Fish** » 19 Mar 2014 5:00 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nvvZxbKtok

Ken Campbell · Post by **Ken Campbell** » 19 Mar 2014 5:18 pm

Fish wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nvvZxbKtok

Yes.