Anyone recognise the steel player . . .

About Steel Guitarists and their Music

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Jim Gorrie
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Anyone recognise the steel player . . .

Post by Jim Gorrie »

. . . on this Skeeter Davis vid. clip ?
The picture isn't too distinct, but to me it looks like Pete Drake ?
. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM7b8zdhmBo&mode=related&search=Country%20Music
Theresa Galbraith
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Post by Theresa Galbraith »

Mr. Drake
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John Drury
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Post by John Drury »

Pete Drake, no question.

Is that Ralph on the hay bale?

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Glenn Womack
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Post by Glenn Womack »

A little blurry (maybe my 70 year old eyes), but it sorta looks like Faron Young on the hay bale. I've been wrong before, so this time wouldn't come as a shock.
Cody Campbell
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Post by Cody Campbell »

On the high harmonics, and on that fast strumming thing he does, the playing is still recognizable as steel. But when he uses volume and plays background chords or fill--That is a really convincing strings effect. (I even thought for a second that maybe there were violins hidden away somewhere).

Glenn,
It does look like Faron a little when he turns his head to the side. I don't think it is him though. (My eyes are a few decades younger).
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John Drury
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Post by John Drury »

My eyesight isn't the greatest anymore either, it could be the Sheriff. Bobbe would know.

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Lee Baucum
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Post by Lee Baucum »

What's that he's doing with his right hand at 1:00?
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Jim Gorrie
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Post by Jim Gorrie »

I was a bit mystified about his right hand antics as well ~ surely he'd have "polished" the strings BEFORE playing live ! Can't think what he was doing there ?
Another contender for the "bale-sitter" -- Teddy Wilburn ?
Steve Hinson
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Post by Steve Hinson »

I think that might be a pre-recorded track on that clip...listen closely...

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Tom Harris
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Post by Tom Harris »

Altho Video is not to clear,,but if I had to pick one,,i would say Faron,and at times,it dosn/t even look at all like Faron,,,but I think we can safely say the Key-board player is "Floyd Kramer",,,all in all,Miss Skeeter sounds as good as always...I think Miss Skeeter did a vocal version of Floyd's,,"Last Date"...Good Video,,I enjoyed it,,,thanks...
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Marlin Smoot
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Post by Marlin Smoot »

I could be wrong. I don't think it's Farron just because of the year, he would have been much smaller (Thin)... that guy looks like an mid to late 70's Farron...just a guess.
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Post by Smiley Roberts »

It kinda looks like Faron,& then again,it doesn't. Hard to tell. However...
<SMALL>,,,but I think we can safely say the Key-board player is "Floyd Kramer",,,</SMALL>
Naw,that ain't Floyd Cramer. By then,Floyd was too busy,doing his own recording,& p.a.'s
I do know this though,(fwiw). The drummer is Willie Ackerman. Pete Drake was,most likely,band leader on that particular "session",& Willie was part of Pete's "A-Team". And,yes,the "string sound" was Pete on steel,using a "BossTone",explaining the right hand movements he was doing.

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David Wren
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Post by David Wren »

Bale guess... Wade Rey?



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Joe Goldmark
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Post by Joe Goldmark »

Hi Smiley,
I agree with your analysis, but don't you think the whole thing is lip-sync? It sure seems like Pete is playing, otherwise you'd think he grin at the camera a little, but the recording sounds too perfect and mixed for live.??
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Post by Steve Hinson »

Joe...I agree(see my post above)...it is obviously prerecorded music...and isn't that a pre-Boss Tone era clip?There ain't one plugged into the end of his guitar...I don't think he owned one(I did his cartage many times in the late'70s and never saw one)...

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<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Steve Hinson on 04 July 2006 at 11:28 AM.]</p></FONT>
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Petr Vitous
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Post by Petr Vitous »

The song is B side of her single I'm Saving My Love, released in April 1963, if it helps.

The bassist is probably Joe Zinkan (?). Man on the bale looks to me like resting Grady Martin. The pianist is Floyd surely.

Peter
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Steve Hinson
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Post by Steve Hinson »

Looks like Lightnin'Chance on bass and Jerry Whitehurst on piano...

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<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Steve Hinson on 04 July 2006 at 11:53 AM.]</p></FONT>
Smiley Roberts
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Post by Smiley Roberts »

After a 2nd viewing,it DOES look "sync'ed",HOWEVER,I have a couple of old albums by Pete,on "Starday" label. The first one being,"The Fabulous Steel Guitar Sound Of Pete Drake".(Starday # SLP 180),& "The Amazing And Incredible Pete Drake",(Starday # SLP 319). I used a rubber stamp "dater" to indicate when I bought the albums.
The 1st one isn't dated,but the 2nd one is dated,"Feb. 16,1965". On both these albums,he used a "BossTone",or at least,some sort of distotion unit. I spoke w/ Weldon Myrick,& he indicated that he came up with the "violin sound" sometime in the late 60's,so this filming could've been done sometime in that time slot.

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Willis Vanderberg
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Post by Willis Vanderberg »

I am really sorry, but I never thought Skeeter was a great or even a good singer.
She was , as a part of the Davis sisters act very good, but as a solo I thought she left a lot to be desired. Just my two cents.

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Steve Hinson
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Post by Steve Hinson »

Upon second listening,even though it is prerecorded,it sounds as if those"strings"could have been recorded by Pete...especially the way the sus 3rd note keeps cropping up...maybe he did use a fuzz tone!

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Roger Rettig
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Post by Roger Rettig »

'Fabulous', 'Amazing', 'Incredible'...

They are some powerful adjectives; what are these albums like, and I wonder who named them? Image

RR
Joe Goldmark
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Post by Joe Goldmark »

Assuming it is pre-recorded, it could have been anyone using the Boss Tone strings, but watching the clip, it sure seems like Pete knows what he's doing, especially when he does that strumming thing.

I'm sure there's been topics written about it, but Pete was underrated. Great commercial ideas, always good tone, original licks (hellacopter, dive bomber!) good open string licks, and I think he mentored a lot of players including PF.
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