Dylan does "Please don't play A11"

John Lockney · Post by **John Lockney** » 7 Jun 2005 5:25 am

In March of 2005, Dylan encored several times with "Please don't play A11", featuring some fantastic pedal steel by Donnie Herron.
http://my.execpc.com/~billp61/031805s.html
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I only know the song "A11" because I heard it on Steel Radio and liked it enough to look it up. Billy Cooper has an
instructional course based on this song.

Billy Cooper's write-up says the song was popular in the sixties. Who's version was popular, Hank Cochran or was it the Buck Owens version that was popular ? Did Hank Cochran's version have steel guitar, or was that added by Buck Owens (Brumley/Mooney) ?

Any info on Donny Herron ? According to this article, he is known for playing old fashion slant-style. He plays steel on at least half of the recent Dylan show I have heard, but I didn't hear any non-pedal slant-style. I can't wait to get a chance to check it out when they come around next month!

And, mister, you don't know me from Adam but, please play "A11"!

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 7 Jun 2005 5:33 am

That's Cool!

Tony Palmer · Post by **Tony Palmer** » 7 Jun 2005 5:35 am

That is great! I can only imagine how that song sounds with old Bob singing it...it must be something else.
I WILL get a chance to find out myself on June 21 when I see him with Willie Nelson.

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 7 Jun 2005 5:48 am

Buck Owens' version had steel

but the definitive version IMO is Johnny Paycheck's... a two chord shuffle from hell, complete with bizarre chromatic interludes

It's available on the Little Darlin' compilation...

Rick Schmidt · Post by **Rick Schmidt** » 7 Jun 2005 8:14 am

Not having heard "Please don't play A11" before, the defensive jazz guy in me is wondering if the flip side is "Play a diminished & you're finished!"

Jay Jessup · Post by **Jay Jessup** » 7 Jun 2005 8:38 am

That's great Rick- If I hadn't been at work that would have been a big LOL from me. Somebody should write that song!!Unfortunately the jazz guy has you thinking way above the level of a 60's country song A-11 refers to the number of a select button on a jukebox, of course juke box numbers only went to 10 so that was supposed to be some tongue in cheek humor.
By the way--Dylan doing that song--yikes--please spare me!!![This message was edited by Jay Jessup on 07 June 2005 at 09:40 AM.]

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 7 Jun 2005 9:54 am

P7 + P8 = A11

Mark Lind-Hanson · Post by **Mark Lind-Hanson** » 7 Jun 2005 10:00 am

Well, if you missed Dylan doing the song
"-Spare You-" -you've missed (most of)the point then about Bob. Actually I heard this as the encore on a night he played with Merle Haggard out here in Oakland- and it was one of the most standout soulful moments of the show.
You either love him or you don't, and most folks who do, do, despite the gnarly voice...

More on Don Herron is available in a couple other threads (do a search) on the forum...

Dave Horch · Post by **Dave Horch** » 8 Jun 2005 2:03 am

I've had a lot of fun and learned a lot working with Billy's "A11". It's well designed in that there's plenty of "meat on the bone" for all but the most advanced players, yet perfectly suitable for a near beginner. You'll impress your friends playing it for them. -dh

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 8 Jun 2005 2:56 am

I guess the solution to "if one does not like Dylan would be", don't listen or attend any of his shows.But then again what would one have to talk about if there was no negative imput. I went to see the show at a Clearwater minor league stadium. I walked away satisfied I recieved my monies worth. Dylan was Dylan and Nelson was Nelson, no more no less and they put on a good show.

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Smiley 22-9 Crank&pull&push pro model Deluxe with auto string changer.500ft. roll.

Jay Jessup · Post by **Jay Jessup** » 9 Jun 2005 8:11 am

Mark,
You may well be right, the last Dylan I listened much to was Nashville skyline and that was when it was a current album, one of my earlier introductions to the steel guitar actually, so I most likely don't get it.
There was a great special on him on TV that I saw sometime recently (might have been on the history Channel?) about his early years that put his career in perspective for me. What I took away from it was that he just wanted to be a singer/songwriter and be left alone to live his life with his wife and kids and being a icon for the hip generation put a enormous amount of unwanted pressure on him.

David Wren · Post by **David Wren** » 9 Jun 2005 12:43 pm

Ahhhhh, Nashville Skyline, with Lay Lady Lay and the wonderfully soulful Pete Drake.

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Dave Wren
'95Carter S12-E9/B6,7X7; Session500; Hilton Pedal
www.ameechapman.com

John Lockney · Post by **John Lockney** » 9 Jun 2005 5:15 pm

Thanks for the suggestion to search the Forum for "Don" Herron. It (and Google) turned up a lot more than searches for "Donny" Herron.

John Lockney · Post by **John Lockney** » 15 Jun 2005 9:20 am

Dylan put on a great show last night in Bowie, Maryland. They must not have heard me hollering for "A-11" but, Don Herron on steel guitar was way out-front and shined the entire night.

He had a GFI ultra and also a gold/brown "console" non-pedal guitar with metal legs. There was what looked like an old Fender Bassman, but it might have belonged to the guitar player. There were also some odd-looking black amps with odd "chevron" markings and black/silver grill-cloth.

These were my notes, there was a lot more non-pedal than I would have guessed.

1. Drifter's Escape (mini-strat)
2. Señor (console)
3. Lonesome Day Blues (console)
4. Shooting Star (GFI/E9)
5. Highway 61 Revisited (console)
6. This Wheel's On Fire (GFI/E9)
7. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again (GFI/E9)
8. John Brown (clawhammer banjo)
9. Bye And Bye (fiddle)
10. Chimes Of Freedom (GFI/E9)
11. Summer Days (console)

encore
12. Masters Of War (console)
13. Like A Rolling Stone (GFI/E9)[This message was edited by John Lockney on 15 June 2005 at 10:53 AM.]

John Lockney · Post by **John Lockney** » 15 Jun 2005 10:04 am

Also,

There was another recent thread on the song "please don't play A-11" http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum15/HTML/009514.html

For the last few tours, Dylan has been standing behind a keyboard facing semi-sideways to the audience. In front of his keyboard it looks like there is a gold "console" non-pedal guitar with two diamond emblems on the face.

He didn't actually touch it last night but, does Dylan play steel guitar for some particular song or songs ? Its not for show. My wife thought it was an ironing board.

Dylan came-out from behind his keyboard a few times to play harmonica solos at center-stage (which he did not do the last time he was around). The "Memphis Blues" harmonica solo, where he traded licks back and forth with the steel guitar, was one of the highlights of the night.

Charles Curtis · Post by **Charles Curtis** » 15 Jun 2005 2:37 pm

I like all of Billy Cooper's Instruction Tab. I believe that Billy and Buddy Charlton have helped a lot of musicians learn how to play the psg.

Dave Brophy · Post by **Dave Brophy** » 15 Jun 2005 9:36 pm

". In front of his keyboard it looks like there is a gold "console" non-pedal guitar with two diamond emblems on the face."

It's a blonde Stringmaster.Once in a great while a lyric sheet is placed on top of it.I guess Dylan likes it better than a music stand.It's mainly there for the vibe-hillbilly Feng Shui.

Billy Woo · Post by **Billy Woo** » 17 Jun 2005 9:27 am

There is another version of this song "A-11" that knocks my socks off, it's by Daryl Singletary with Rhonda Vincent singing in the backround vocals and I believe Mike Johnson is playing the very tasty pedal steel parts on it..superb country song with a great vocalist and band..

Cheers,

Bronco Billy
Zumsteel U-12

Mark Lind-Hanson · Post by **Mark Lind-Hanson** » 20 Jun 2005 2:20 pm

Jay-

Well he did that, but he obviously wasn't satisfied with that for long. Lots of people put "too much" on him with that "spokesman of a generation" stuff-
I like to think that he doesn't speak FOR me(he sure doesn't know me well enough!) but a lot of what he has written certainly speaks TO me and -if I didn't love his MUSIC as much as I do, I probably wouldn't spend so much time learning to play it on pedal!
I think he got dissatisfied sitting around on his hands once his kids were grown, though, since he has hardly sat still for a moment since- and I don't know of anyone (besides Jery Garcia) that was & is so much into the moment of stage performing. That he can handle all that and run such a well-oiled show night after night year after year is a testimony to his greatness, I think. That he has picked up fans in ALL generations (not just the "one" they thought he "spoke for" says an awful lot too.
I hope he lives a lot longer- personally I just can't get enough of it.

Tony Palmer · Post by **Tony Palmer** » 30 Jun 2005 10:51 am

I have to admit, it's quite a thrill to have followed Dylan all his career, wonder what it would be like to hear steel with his music, get teased with it now and then courtesy of Pete Drake, Jeff Baxter and Larry Campbell, and then eventually see him perform live with THREE steel guitars on stage!! (even if one of them doesn't get played)

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 30 Jun 2005 11:08 am

I toured with George Hamilton IV this winter and one of the songs he did in the show is "I'll Never Be Young Again" written by Dillon. He would introduce the song as written by Dillon's real name and then later drop the "bomb" that it's really Bob Dillon.

Gary C. Dygert · Post by **Gary C. Dygert** » 5 Jul 2005 3:57 pm

I remember that when I was in college in the late 60's and Dylan was protesting, I was mocked for playing Buck's version of "A-11", and then in the 70's Olivia Newton-John did "B-17", which was somehow ok, even though both songs have the same message. Now Dylan looks like Slim Whitman and is doing "A-11" with steel. What does it all mean?

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 5 Jul 2005 8:34 pm

What does it all mean?

It means "The Times They Are a-Changin'"!

Billy Wilson · Post by **Billy Wilson** » 5 Jul 2005 9:00 pm

Or as Tim Robbins sang in the movie Rob Roberts "The times they are a' changin' back!

John Troutman · Post by **John Troutman** » 16 Jul 2005 12:10 pm

It is my impression that Dylan was never much of a "protestor". He played his Freedom March and went down to Mississippi in '63 or so, but by '65 he did all he could do to get away from the folky protestors. If you look at the film "Don't Look Back" from '65, he plays a great version of Hank's "Lost Highway." Dylan has loved country music since the beginning, and particularly since he forged such a strong relationship with Johnny Cash from '67 on. Over the past 15 years most of his work relates to the old country blues songs from the '20s and '30s. He has a musical and a song vocabulary that is probably unmatched in its historical breadth. Taj Mahal and Willie Nelson are not far behind him, though...