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Topic: Peter Tork (of The Monkees) played steel too? |
Joe Alterio
From:
Irvington, Indiana
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Posted 15 Mar 2004 12:12 pm |
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Just found this interesting pic of Peter Tork playing Mike Nesmith's pedal steel. The photo was taken during the recording of the Monkees' "Headquarters" album (Nesmith played steel on the album for the songs "Shades of Gray," "Mr. Webster," and "I'll Spend My Life With You."). Tork played acoustic guitar, bass, banjo and piano on the album.
I have read somewhere that this may have been Herb Steiner's guitar that he lent to Nesmith..... |
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Ed Naylor
From:
portsmouth.ohio usa, R.I.P.
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Posted 15 Mar 2004 12:32 pm
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| I knew Mike played steel. I have several copies of his "Tanamount to Treason" Loose Salute,Nevada Fighter, and I think there are more albums he cut.I never paid that much attention, so I don't know what kind of player he was. Ed Naylor Steel Guitar Works. |
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Rick McDuffie
From:
Benson, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 15 Mar 2004 1:15 pm
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Pete's an excellent musician who plays a little of everything. It's an interesting photo, and I do remember seeing it somewhere before... way back when.
Rick |
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Tim Whitlock
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 15 Mar 2004 1:27 pm
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| Looks like a Fender 2000. |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064
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Posted 15 Mar 2004 1:55 pm
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No, I never lent Michael a steel. Rather, he lent ME a steel when I got my gig with Linda Ronstadt in 1968. My Sho-Bud was on order and I needed a guitar for the gig. Michael loaned me a 2000, but told me "ya know Herb, I'd like to play steel with Linda." I said "come on Mike, you're a freakin' Monkee!" He came back with "yeah, you're right. Get on with it, man."
Michael, being a Monkee, had ridiculous amounts of EVERYTHING!  He had three Fender 2000's, a Miller Custom, a Sho-Bud, amps out the wazoo, Gretsches, Fenders, Twin Reverbs, Marshall stacks, just name it.
He was also an INCREDIBLY generous guy and a total music freak. Tork was also an excellent player, but much more low-key than Nesmith.
------------------
Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association
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Joe Alterio
From:
Irvington, Indiana
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Posted 15 Mar 2004 4:32 pm
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Thanks for that info, Herb! I had no idea Mike was that "into" playing pedal steel, though I had heard he was getting some pointers from Red Rhodes. I take it you knew Mike from his pre-Monkees days when he was performing at the Hootenannys around Texas with Bill Collins, John London, Michael Martin Murphey, et. al.?
Joe |
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Rick McDuffie
From:
Benson, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 15 Mar 2004 4:50 pm
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| Peter and I have a friend in common, and I'm told that, prior to the Monkees, he and Stephen Stills were buddies and hanging out around LA. Stills auditioned for the Monkees show but didn't make it (Tork did), so Stills had to settle for singing with Crosby, Nash and Young. Them's the breaks! |
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Gerald Menke
From:
Stormville NY, USA
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Posted 16 Mar 2004 10:16 am
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This is a funny coincidence, I just happened to buy "Nevada Fighter" and "Loose Salute" on vinyl the other day, these are some GREAT albums! Red Rhodes is on just about every song, and just tears it up, in my opinion. Nesmith must have been a blast to play with back then, it sounds very much like he was an anything goes type of guy, some of the steel playing is pretty out to lunch. I recommend checking those two records out.
Gerald |
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Dave Ristrim
From:
Whites Creek, TN
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Posted 16 Mar 2004 7:07 pm
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Gerald, you have got to find a copy of Michaels album called "And the Hits Just Keep On Comin'" which came out on the Pacific Arts label, which was owned by Papa Nes. Mr. Nesmith has a website which you can purchase from. Do a search for Nesmith and see if you can find it.
Dave Ristrim
A Monkees Freak!! |
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Steinar Gregertsen
From:
Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
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Greg Simmons
From:
where the buffalo (used to) roam AND the Mojave
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Joe Alterio
From:
Irvington, Indiana
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Posted 17 Mar 2004 5:52 am
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Gerald,
If you would like to hear music similar to that on "Loose Salute" and "Nevada Fighter", I strongly suggest Nesmith's first solo LP "Magnetic South". Those three albums made up a trilogy of similarly-themed music. RCA press literature at the time suggested that you would stack the LPs on your record changer and listen to all the side ones first, which represented the sound of "yesterday's" country. Then, flip the stack over and listen to all the side twos to hear "today's" country.
Nez had three other RCA LPs...."Tantamount To Treason" which sounds a lot like elevator music, but has some of the BEST pedal steel ever laid down by Red Rhodes. VERY unconventional stuff. "And The Hits Just Keep On Comin" was all Nez and Red...no drums, bass, etc. Good album, but is not for everyone, IMO. Again, great steel. The last RCA LP was "Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash" which was, without a doubt, the most "country" of all the albums he did on RCA. Probably my least favorite of those 6, though.
Joe |
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David Rothon
From:
London, England
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Posted 17 Mar 2004 7:03 am
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| Mike plays a bit of steel on the Monkees' Headquarters album - I wasn't aware of his doing so on his solo records... or am I wrong? |
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Gerald Menke
From:
Stormville NY, USA
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Posted 17 Mar 2004 7:16 am
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Dear Joe and Dave,
Thanks a lot, that's a hoot about listening to all 3 side ones and then side twos. Certainly makes sense, now that I think about it. We are going to cover "Grand Ennui" in this new band I am starting... that solo Red plays is outrageous! And all those double tracked parts. Amazing. I will track down the others you recommended, that was cool of you to mention them...and how did we get here? Ah. A picture of Peter Tork.
The Forum....
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