Steel on non Country records

About Steel Guitarists and their Music

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Dennis Montgomery
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Post by Dennis Montgomery »

Tom Spaulding wrote:Steve Howe on a double-neck playing "Soon" from Relayer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pNm2VqLPx4
Very nice, though his steel part in 'Soon' wasn't written for pedal steel and can be played on regular steel. Here's Steve playing it on his Fender Dual Pro 6:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eb04hwavJ3I

In his early 90's book, "The Steve Howe Guitar Collection" he says, "I've used the Dual 6 for many, many recordings. One of the earliest was the gentle, spacey finale of 'Gates of Delirium', a section we usually referred to as 'Soon' because that's what Jon is singing most of the time."

Regarding his Sho-Bud D10 he says, "On record, I first used the Sho-Bud on 'To Be Over' from 'Relayer'. At the 37:25 mark of the following vid from the same show as the 'Soon' video, during the beginning of the 'To Be Over' solo you can see him mashing those pedals :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRWorSM6wX4

I'm a bit of a Steve Howe nut (obviously) and I could be wrong, but AFAIK he only brought the Sho-Bud D10 on tour in '74 and '75 when they played 'To Be Over'. The rest of the 70's tours he usually played all his slide parts on the Fender Dual Pro 6 or on rare occasion a Fender Stringmaster 4 neck :wink:
Hear my latest album, "Celestial" featuring a combination of Mullen SD12 and Synthesizers:
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Hear my album, "Armistice" featuring Fender 400 on every song:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... 7lPEtsplyW

Hear my Pedal Steel Only playlist featuring Mullen G2 SD12 on covers like Candyman, Wild Horses, Across the Universe & more...
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... NrvnJObliA
Joe Goldmark
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Post by Joe Goldmark »

One of my favorites, Floyd Smith doing "Floyd's Guitar Blues" with Andy Kirk's Orchestra.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j3EjpDyQN4
Bob Ricker
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Post by Bob Ricker »

Mason Proffit

Poco

Edgar Winters Round and Round
David Mitchell
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Post by David Mitchell »

The old rockers loved pedal steel and some so much they bought and recorded with one themselves like guitar player Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. He was one of the early MSA players. The pop artist back then like Elton John found them useful too.(B.J Cole) Like Donnie said steel fell from grace in the 80's for all except for a few of the biggest artist like Strait, Twitty and Jackson. Looks like producers would have learned the biggest hit makers used steel guitars but evidently not.
Anthony Lis
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Post by Anthony Lis »

Jim Fogarty wrote:
David Gertschen wrote:Jeff "Skunk" Baxter's playing on the Doobie Brothers "South City Midnight Lady" has always been one of my favorites.
Even better....on Steely Dan's "Pearl of the Quarter"

https://youtu.be/9CbL2-nvalE
That's a fine one, too.
Brett Lanier
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Post by Brett Lanier »

Here are a couple I did that came out recently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tsn22-BgdVQ
Analog Evi led jazz group

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0f0rprMMiw
Synthy pop record. There are a couple obvious steel sounds but some that aren't. i.e. pillowy delays in the 2nd chorus...
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Craig A Davidson
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Post by Craig A Davidson »

Godfrey Arthur wrote:
Joseph Napolitano wrote:Paul Franklin on " So Nice to be With You", the AM pop hit. I think Paul was around 14 y/o when he did that session.
Was this the song by Gallery sounding like "Gerry and The Pacemakers meets Herman's Hermits?"


Image

Rarely do we get info from the musical directors of many songs/albums as to why they chose a certain instrument.

My thinking is they used steel on non country songs to cross genre and get a wider audience and sales.
I have been told that was Paul's first session.
2013 Williams D-10, 2019 Williams D-10, 1970 Fender Twin, Evans SE200, Fender Tonemaster Twin, Hilton pedal, Jagwire Strings.
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Russ Tkac
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Post by Russ Tkac »

Brett Lanier wrote:Here are a couple I did that came out recently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tsn22-BgdVQ
Analog Evi led jazz group

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0f0rprMMiw
Synthy pop record. There are a couple obvious steel sounds but some that aren't. i.e. pillowy delays in the 2nd
chorus...
Very nice Brett and unique use of steel. I like your playing on the Brett Hughes stuff as well. Great playing and tone from the Marlen.
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Bob Hoffnar
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Post by Bob Hoffnar »

Brett Lanier wrote:Here are a couple I did that came out recently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tsn22-BgdVQ
Analog Evi led jazz group

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0f0rprMMiw
Synthy pop record. There are a couple obvious steel sounds but some that aren't. i.e. pillowy delays in the 2nd chorus...
Brett, Great work ! Super musical.
Bob
Brett Lanier
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Post by Brett Lanier »

Hey thanks guys. That Green Empire session was fun. In the end, Taylor said he didn't want any fixes or overdubs, and he left everything we played. Also only had one knee lever (F) on the guitar I used which forced me to play differently.
David Gertschen
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Post by David Gertschen »

Joe Goldmark wrote:One of my favorites, Floyd Smith doing "Floyd's Guitar Blues" with Andy Kirk's Orchestra.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j3EjpDyQN4
That was new to me, thank you Joe!

The wildest song I heard all day...
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Bob Hoffnar
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Post by Bob Hoffnar »

Lets not forget the always astonishing work of Dan Tyack and Chas Smith !

And Joel Martin
http://www.joelmartinmusic.com/

And Austin's own Mr. Gary Newcomb

https://www.reverbnation.com/garynewcombtrio
Bob
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Rick Kornacker
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and lest we forget...

Post by Rick Kornacker »

How about the fabulous Lloyd Green on Peter Cooper/Eric Brace "Master Sessions" as well as the "Lloyd Green Album" w/Peter Cooper. I wouldn't necessarily call these projects country, but "Americana" possibly at its best. Found the "Master Sessions" CD at a second-hand music store for $3.99. Still awesome every time you listen! Respectfully submitted, RK
"think MORE...play LESS"
Ross Koeberl
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Post by Ross Koeberl »

A lot of fun surprises in this topic, thanks to all for sharing! Happy to see some credit going to Mr. Hoffnar's work with Hem, I used to play those tunes all the time on college radio.

I went digging for answers as to Paul Franklin's work with Megadeth, and a topic from '01 suggested it was the song "Cryptic Warnings", you can definitely hear the evidence towards the end:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B6afWqjSwQ

I've really been enjoying this tune, a cover of the 80's Japanese electronic band Yellow Magic Orchestra, that's Will Van Horn on the steel:
https://khruangbin.bandcamp.com/track/firecracker

BJ Cole did some fun work with prog rockers, the first video is with Byzantium and the second is with Uriah Heap
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHv_Pk-QiXs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q39Om8sC4k

My favorite recent use of steel however is probably Susan Alcorn's work with Flock of Dimes. Very synth-poppy but integrates the steel beautifully, I can't stop listening.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-p0KpuHufY[/url]
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Robert Rogers
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Post by Robert Rogers »

Weldon Myrick played on seven bridges road
Filipine Helu
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Post by Filipine Helu »

Kapena - Talofa Teine

*sounds like it could be the C6 neck, but I’m pretty sure it’s pedal steel

https://youtu.be/bjKD81_EHIU
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John Larson
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Post by John Larson »

Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; praise is meet for the upright. Give praise to the Lord with the harp, chant unto Him with the ten-stringed psaltery. Sing unto Him a new song, chant well unto Him with jubilation. For the word of the Lord is true, and all His works are in faithfulness. The Lord loveth mercy and judgement; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.
- Psalm 33:1-5
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Joachim Kettner
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Post by Joachim Kettner »

"Every Thing Must Change" by Paul Young. In my opinion one of the most beautiful songs ever written and recorded. I guess it's B.J. Cole on steel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLPeRDJGKvQ
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Joe Goldmark
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Post by Joe Goldmark »

This is a bit off the topic of why non-country producers add a steel guitar. However, this link shows steel guitarists from around the globe, who often insert the steel into their countries music. For example, Demola Adepoju from Nigeria.

http://vinylbeat.com/album-44-SteelGuit ... Globe.html

Taken from my website www.Vinylbeat.com
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Fred Treece
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Post by Fred Treece »

That’s really cool, Joe. Like Santo and Johnny go to Bollywood.
And, leave it to the French for coming up with the least boring album cover😎
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Mike Polansky
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Post by Mike Polansky »

John Larson wrote:Greg Leisz played on several tracks on Daft Punk's Random Access Memories
https://youtu.be/IluRBvnYMoY
https://youtu.be/ajGKWk0auOc
https://youtu.be/zhl-Cs1-sG4
https://youtu.be/3T0NqvdUiWI
https://youtu.be/wz7YiQdNmZ8
It was only on the Japanese version of RAM, but the song Horizon has some really beautiful playing by Mr. Leisz:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBvJUdBeY5s

The new 10th anniversary edition has the song as a bonus track.
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Brett Day
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Post by Brett Day »

Paul Franklin also comes to mind because he toured with Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits and a few months ago, I was doing some research about records and songs he's played on, and I found out he played steel on a record by R&B artist Toni Braxton on a song called "If I Have To Wait For You". I found out, he also plays steel on a record by a band called PFR, which stands for Pray For Rain, and he's also played on a record with Peter Cetera, former lead singer and bass player with the rock band Chicago
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John Larson
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Post by John Larson »

Mike Polansky wrote:
John Larson wrote:Greg Leisz played on several tracks on Daft Punk's Random Access Memories
https://youtu.be/IluRBvnYMoY
https://youtu.be/ajGKWk0auOc
https://youtu.be/zhl-Cs1-sG4
https://youtu.be/3T0NqvdUiWI
https://youtu.be/wz7YiQdNmZ8
It was only on the Japanese version of RAM, but the song Horizon has some really beautiful playing by Mr. Leisz:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBvJUdBeY5s

The new 10th anniversary edition has the song as a bonus track.
Agreed, I was listening to the anniversary edition while driving and was dismayed we didn't get that track on the original edition. Superb playing.
Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; praise is meet for the upright. Give praise to the Lord with the harp, chant unto Him with the ten-stringed psaltery. Sing unto Him a new song, chant well unto Him with jubilation. For the word of the Lord is true, and all His works are in faithfulness. The Lord loveth mercy and judgement; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.
- Psalm 33:1-5
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Jim Fogarty
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Post by Jim Fogarty »

My power/pop band Travel Lanes put out a cd a week before the pandemic closed everything down. Duh-oh!!! So, it never got the attention it deserved, IMO. Anyway, I played PSG on a couple pop tunes, and like how it worked out. Not country at all!

Solos on this:

https://youtu.be/5T3sUtVy_nU

Ambient steel in the intro and verses:

https://youtu.be/MRi2xBRmO1k
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