The Steel Guitar Forum

Joe, thanks for uploading the video, the more Red the better!

Not to add fuel to the fire but here is the part of the Country Music People interview in question for full disclosure. I don't understand why Buddy would be down on Red or Pete Drake, perhaps it's an in joke, who knows? It does follow some questioning on the Emmons Guitar company so maybe Buddy was feeling uptight. The remarks are nonsensical really, and we'll probably never know the reasons behind them, whether personal or professional. I can only think that he hadn't heard Red at his best at the time or there was something else clouding his judgement.

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I spent quite a bit of time with Red at the shop on Cahuenga. One of the coolest things he did was a special rewiring of his pickups. He would play thru 2 amps, and the p/u was wired so the even numbered strings came out of one amp, and the odd numbered strings came out of the other.
It was pretty wild...

Alan,I used to know a guy in Texas who would say"He can't play or He can't play a note" when complimenting some player who was a "Badass" I'm pretty sure that was what Buddy meant?

Thanks Joe,This is really Great!!

Wow,Buddy really didn't care for Red's playing now that I've read what he said.

There's no way to interpret what Buddy said any differently.

Saying things like this about other famous, successful players?
"technically he doesn't make it and I don't know how in hell he ever did it"
"Red is just a pale echo of people like Jay Dee, Jimmy Day and myself"

Talk about ego and lack of class.

I'm not the world's biggest Pete Drake fan, but I'll defend his innovations to the instrument and point out his tremendous studio success as a producer.

As for Red, beyond amazing, innovative, psychedelic solos, we all know the tremendous amount of innovation he made to the instrument and associated electronics (amps, pickups), not to mention the genuine good heart he was known for. Further - he played with emotion and heart - and is the sole reason I took up playing pedal steel. I grew up on all the West Coast guys - Bobby, Sneaky, Jay Dee, Rusty - but RED is the reason I wanted to play. That says something about his talent, in my opinion.

Joe, I would be very surprised if anyone would defend Buddy's remarks today. It's really difficult to see where he was coming from, especially the implication that Red was merely an imitator rather than innovator.

The interview was conducted in 1971, arguably before Red's recorded musical peak, but even so, Red had long been an established and distinguished player in his own right. Musicians tended to be more unguarded and forthright in interviews back then – one can only guess at Buddy's motivations or what he might have been on that day(!).

Sadly it wouldn't be the first or last time a talented musical genius had said something egotistical or wrongheaded in an interview. I wouldn't take it too seriously and I hope that minor historical spat hasn't taken away from your original post in any way. Red's individuality and brilliance is evident in your video and his recorded works and fully stands the test of time.

Jonathan Shacklock wrote:Joe, I would be very surprised if anyone would defend Buddy's remarks today. It's really difficult to see where he was coming from, especially the implication that Red was merely an imitator rather than innovator.

The interview was conducted in 1971, arguably before Red's recorded musical peak, but even so, Red had long been an established and distinguished player in his own right. Musicians tended to be more unguarded and forthright in interviews back then – one can only guess at Buddy's motivations or what he might have been on that day(!).

Sadly it wouldn't be the first or last time a talented musical genius had said something egotistical or wrongheaded in an interview. I wouldn't take it too seriously and I hope that minor historical spat hasn't taken away from your original post in any way. Red's individuality and brilliance is evident in your video and his recorded works and fully stands the test of time.

Very well said and I agree on all points

And let me further the original request - does anyone have any audio/video of Red playing live that they would be willing to share?

I knew Red pretty well ,and he was hysterical always had a bunch of jokes,fixed my crap and was a friend,I always loved his playing and his sense of humor...I have no idea of why Buddy said that stuff in print?

Digging up bones doesn't do service to anyone. LET IT GO. All that can happen here is an (unnecessary) exchange of opinions since all the parties in question have passed away and can't speak in their own defense.

Barry,Yes,Thanks for you insight.

Thanks for this topic. I’ve been wanting to hear Red play. Now I’ll look for his copedant.

Hi, I’m pretty sure I sent you tapes back then. I had at least two different shows recorded. I transferred those to CD later but listening to the CD now-it sucks. There’s all sorts of pops and clicks. I’ll see if I can dig up the tapes and try to transcribe them to an MP3. In the meantime I have a Minidisc recording I traded for from the 1985 ISGC show which is a good and his playing seems better to me than the later shows. I’m also going to transfer that and post a link. He plays Sheffield Steel on that set which he didn’t play much later.
Ok, I uploaded the 1985 show to my Dropbox. E-mail me and I’ll send you a link. The tunes are: Mr Sandman, Sunrise Serenade, World is waiting for sunrise, Slow Boat To China, Crazy, Sheffield Steel, Laura, Faded Love, Ipanema.

Happened to stumble on this picture of Red in the studio in 1973, still using his old Fender 800. Note that he converted it to a keyless!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LZhmiUDyM8

One of my all time favorite songs, with Red on steel. Album was released in 1974, around the time Red started playing a ZB with a keyless head and stopped playing his fender 800 also with keyless head.. On this recording there is a lot of high end twang , almost a string "zing" that I perceive.. Not at all objectionable to me, matter of fact I find it appealing and it fits perfectly.. Anyone have an idea if Red recorded this with the fender or the zb?.. The later model Fender 800-2000 guitars with double raise/lower "knife edge" changers were prone to that semi buzzy sound.
Could have been the ZB I suppose, on the treble switch position.. just curious.. bob

The picture of course his him with one of the monkees. The tune is by Hoyt Axton and the steel sounds to me like the one on recordings he did with Mike Nesmith and that Countryside solo record. It was a nice sound whichever steel. Did he do Top of thw World by the Carpenters?

Anyone have an idea if Red recorded this with the fender or the zb?.. The later model Fender 800-2000 guitars with double raise/lower "knife edge" changers were prone to that semi buzzy sound.
Could have been the ZB I suppose, on the treble switch position.. just curious.. bob

Sounds like the Fender to me....

A few examples of Red's glowing studio work, from one of Ian Matthews' early solo albums:
"These Days": (with, I believe, Red playing dobro as well)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sIjVXuxnyU
"Seven Bridges Road" (an arrangement that will be permantely borrowed)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt2IFaC ... rt_radio=1
"Blue, Blue Day" (dobro)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N05IKl3Xf34

Tom, I believe Top of the World was Buddy Emmons.

Loved Red's work on the 3 First National Band albums.

Top of the World is Red on the intro, then Buddy was called in to add all the fills. so the song features them both

After I asked that question above I went and listened to the song and thought it sounded like Red on the intro and then not on the rest of the song so I never commented again. Nice that someone filled in the answer. By the time I saw him at the steel convention he didn’t have that sound anymore.

Bart Bull wrote:A few examples of Red's glowing studio work, from one of Ian Matthews' early solo albums:
"These Days": (with, I believe, Red playing dobro as well)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sIjVXuxnyU
"Seven Bridges Road" (an arrangement that will be permantely borrowed)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt2IFaC ... rt_radio=1
"Blue, Blue Day" (dobro)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N05IKl3Xf34

Holy KaRAP!.. Seven bridges road.. That was amazing.
had the hair on back of my neck standing up...
So etherial, and so perfect for that song.. Never heard that version, and it blows the Eagles version out of the water.. Matter of fact, if they are still touring, and if Milo is still with them, they should work that version up and ply it in concert.
Red might not have been the pure master technician that some of the world's great steel players are/were, but as far as making great music even better with his steel playing, as well as having gained the respect and admiration of so many others that also play the instrument, Red can stand toe to toe with the very best steel players that ever lived... bob

Anybody who loves Red's playing should get their hands on Freddy Weller's"Games People Play"album-it's top notch!His best work,IMHO.

Here’s a never released Bobby Vee album from the early 70’s. Bobby’s son told me Red played steel on it and Dean Parks played guitar. Check out the first track “Nothing Like a Sunny Day”.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fZZm-H8-F ... ojwhO0bKL8

Bob Carlucci wrote:

Bart Bull wrote:A few examples of Red's glowing studio work, from one of Ian Matthews' early solo albums:
"These Days": (with, I believe, Red playing dobro as well)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sIjVXuxnyU
"Seven Bridges Road" (an arrangement that will be permantely borrowed)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt2IFaC ... rt_radio=1
"Blue, Blue Day" (dobro)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N05IKl3Xf34

Holy KaRAP!.. Seven bridges road.. That was amazing.
had the hair on back of my neck standing up...
So etherial, and so perfect for that song.. Never heard that version, and it blows the Eagles version out of the water.. Matter of fact, if they are still touring, and if Milo is still with them, they should work that version up and ply it in concert.
Red might not have been the pure master technician that some of the world's great steel players are/were, but as far as making great music even better with his steel playing, as well as having gained the respect and admiration of so many others that also play the instrument, Red can stand toe to toe with the very best steel players that ever lived... bob

They are from Ian (now Iain) Matthews "Valley Hi" album, produced by Mike Nesmith. One of my favorites.

As I've mentioned before, Iain is a close friend and I sometimes tour and record with him (on guitar). Unfortunately, he's not big on PSG guitar these days, but he did inspire me to take up the dobro for our last tour.

The story of "Seven Bridges Road" is that Ian's version came out first, on the same label the Eagles were on, and they hung in the same LA scene at the time. Frey told Iain at the time it was released how much he loved the "Valley Hi" record........then a year or two later, the "Eagles Live" album comes out, with "7 Bridges" as the opener, using almost a note-for-note duplication of Iain's vocal harmony arrangement (he sang them all himself on his record).......but, of course, zero credit. Frey was even asked in interviews if they had been inspired by Matthews' version, and he adamantly denied it, even claiming they'd never heard it!

Of course, decades later, when it was too late to really help Iain's career much, in a boxset, Frey admitted that they "borrowed" his arrangement. Not cool.

Anyway........IMO, "Valley Hi" is a must own.......all-around AND for Red's steel.