Best Steel Playing on Willie Nelson Recordings?

Ron Shalita · Post by **Ron Shalita** » 14 Jun 2020 8:00 pm

Many yearS ago while i was on the road in Great Falls Montana i met a guy Named Oliver English, Paul Englishâ€™s brother, Oliver was a great. steel player and he played with Willy for a while .. anyway I was a budding steel player and paid total attention to everything he said .. in those days there werenâ€™t many Steelers around ... anyway he told me that Willy really wasnâ€™t into the steel because he felt like it didnt play in tune... i never forgot that, but i have noticed that lately he has been using it some .. not sure if it is true or not just telling you what he said.. Ron

Ron Shalita · Post by **Ron Shalita** » 15 Jun 2020 4:50 am

Mitch .. thank you for the Willy turn on... i never heard this album... love it!!! thank you thank you! Ron

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 16 Jun 2020 5:08 am

Actually Mickey Raphael owned an MSA E9th.single neck pedal steel guitar,probably around 1975 he asked me to give him a lesson,so I went to Mickey's place and showed him the little bit that I thought would help?He also had a C melody sax that I knew even less a about...For you folks that take shots at Mickey?You'll never meet a nicer guy unless you've met Herb Steiner or Dan Tyack,I've made a lot of music with Mickey Raphael and I'm proud to call him my friend!

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 16 Jun 2020 2:47 pm

Great post Stu, Willie is really not Willie without Mickey, I wonder if Mickey has a name for his Harmonica like Willie has for his guitar.

He is so recognizable from the first note as anyone, I love his sound and soul!

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 16 Jun 2020 5:16 pm

just heard this, from Willie's 'Ride Me Back Home' album released last summer

Tommy White does some lovely C6 work on Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO21Najlv1s

how do I miss this stuff?

David Mitchell · Post by **David Mitchell** » 27 Jun 2020 11:04 pm

Patsy Cline came close to not recording Crazy because she couldn't get past Hugh Nelson's voice on the demo. Lol! She couldn't stand him. I couldn't for a long time but one of my favorite albums in my 500+ album collection is Willie's "Texas In My Soul" recorded in Nashville by the original A team players.
Grady Martin played lots of dobro on it. Great album to check out. I got lots of Willie's albums but that's my favorite. Back before he became Outlaw Willie.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 28 Jun 2020 8:14 am

Dave Zirbel wrote:I haven't many Willie records but I love Jimmy Day on The Troublemaker, which is a gospel record. So subtle, sweet and soulful.

Steel solo at 3:15 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8byUJP ... 0PbxTACfTA

I feel the same way.

Darrell Criswell · Post by **Darrell Criswell** » 28 Jun 2020 9:53 am

Back about 1980 I heard Dewey Groom on his TV show in the DFW area sing a Willie Nelson song "Within your Crowd". It is one of my favorite country songs and our friend Junior Knight was usually the steel player on the show, although I did see at least once they had twin steels on the show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUw6FPjNOWM

I have heard a lot of people characterize Willie's style as seeming to be more talking than singing, and I have a bit of the same feeling. I wonder if people with more musical knowledge than myself feel that categorization is fair or accurate? Thanks.

David Mitchell · Post by **David Mitchell** » 28 Jun 2020 10:28 am

I could never work any instrument in Willie's band and not because he kinda talks his way through the song but because he sings so far behind the beat. Players must have to seriously tune him out on stage or he could really screw them up. He's nearly a whole measure behind the beat sometimes. I know musicians use that for an effect to give more feeling but Willie carries it to the extreme. I can't believe Grady Martin played in his band 15 years with that 1200 millisecond delay on his vocals. Willie's cool nonetheless. Like Roger Miller once said about Willie "Willie flushes to the beat of a different plumber."

Dave Campbell · Post by **Dave Campbell** » 12 Jul 2020 3:28 am

willie's latest has some beautiful playing by mike johnson. great album.

David Mitchell · Post by **David Mitchell** » 12 Jul 2020 8:18 am

Mike is one of my very favorite steel pickers. He plays very tasteful for singers and doesn't play unnecessary things just because he can. He plays to fit the song and the artist. Great player!