The Steel Guitar Forum

Steve, just wanted to let you know that if you've forgotten anything from those early days (for obvious reasons), just ask Jason Odd. He probably knows more about you than you do.

I still haven't digested the content of the CDs. It brings back a lot of memories. I have to let others decide the value. I was neeeeeew to the instrument and can say the last stuff starts to sound better to me, but I was always more critical of my playing than others it seems. The 2 CD set is on a German label and let me ask you guys a question: Does a music company or Amazon have any responsibility to find the people whose performances they sell and compensate them?

Amazon is just a retailer, they take it on good faith that the label is legal, especially when you take in account the different copyright laws in effect in regards to an international buyer-seller situation.

The label and whoever the license the tracks from (if the label doesn't outright own them) are liable to pay the concerned parties, enforcing that is a whole other issue.

For example, former members of a band that exists in ownership of one individual, might not see a cent, but that doesn't mean that everyone who issues material in the band's name is particuarly above board in their practices.
I've seen cases where bootlegs were produced and have a fake US contact, where they were in reality a Dutch label.

Steve, to check on royalties due you need to contact ASCAP and/or BMI and/or the Harry Fox Agency. But this is mostly for songwriters and copyright holders. How the performers on a recording are compensated depends on how the contract was set up at the time of the recording.

Steve-
I was a Commander Cody fan back in the day myself.
I did see the band at least once in the heyday, at a Day On the Green with the Grateful Dead, New Riders, and Beach Boys. Lots of that stuff still resonates deep with me. Something about Marine World in Redwood Shores, maybe, I also seem to recall too, did you guys ever play there?
Mama Hated Diesels had to be one of the saddest darn songs anyone had to sit down to write- but it's also my favorite of them Commander tunes. I always wondered about your name too. Well, it is nice to have an answer for that~!
It's great having someone who's music mucho influenced one's own here on the forum. It can be... rather entertaining here at times!

..... Steve i think you should contact Billy C. Farlow about it....but I think the set is more worth a historical artifact than that the label is going to make $$$$$ of it.
It's a good follow up from the first set which includes Bobby Black and outtakes from deep in the heart of Texas.
Although I remember a steelplayer contacting his and some lawyers before attempting to sell historical tapes......Bill C's email is on the set....

Thanks again for the ideas - I did try to contact Billy C and reached his wife in Alabama - she said he is in France for a concert for a couple of weeks. I don't really expect any real $$$ from the CD's, especially as I was just a musician, not a composer. What I have learned in the last two weeks is that via CC&LPA steel guitar was introduced to some new people. I checked the leads for steel guitars on craigslist that Dave Zirbel sent me. Who knows. Are the newer brands (you know them) better mechanically than the older ones? I really had fits with the tuning on the old ZB.

Steve Davis wrote:Are the newer brands (you know them) better mechanically than the older ones?

Yes. Definitely.

Hello Steve. We just missed being friends (about 35 years ago ). My swing band, Tokpela, featuring Fiddle great Richard Casanova (who I think you also just missed) started sharing venues with the Wheel, and Cody all around N. CA in .... ahhh, I think sometime around '71? anyway it was right after Bobby started playing in Cody. What a great time for me... to pal around with Bobby and Lucky, and still be young enough to touch my toes

Well, times awasting...I play around Sacrmaneto quite a bit, and now and then the bay area... so let's get together and make up for old times (while we still can

Welcome to the 4rum, there's a wealth of great guys (and gals), and info to be found here. Dave Zirbel would be a real great place for you to start catching up with the new generation of great N. CA. pickers

Steve...

Count me among the others who were big fans of your licks on Lost in the Ozone.....

If you're around on Saturday nite April 4, here in Fairfax we got a great country music show at Peri's Bar, featuring Rusty Evans and Ring of Fire, Rancho Deluxe, and Danny Montana and the Bar Association...
I'm not sure who's playing steel with Rancho, but Larry Cragg is usually the guy for Danny Montana, and all 3 bands have incredible Tele players...Danny Uzilevsky, Jesse Harris, and Dana Olesen. Well worth the trip over the bridge, and my buddy Rudy is going to turn the bar into the Grand Old Opry..so he says.

Hope to see ya there.

Hey, Steve, great to see you here. I got to play a show with George and the LPA earlier this year, great fun for someone to whom you were all heroes! When we got to "Seeds and Stems" I did my best to channel you...

Hey Gordy, we'll see you Saturday. David Phillips is with Danny Montana, I'm with Rancho Deluxe. Me and David are going to do some tunes together, maybe 3 or 4 songs. See you then.

I'm trying to get a group of cronies to come too on Saturday. What time does the music start? You won't recognize me because I'm older - wow. That was profound!

Hey Dave Z, and David P., sounds like a great night for sure! I'd drive down, but I'm playing Sunday afternoon in Sac. with my western swing band. It will be the initial gig for my new Weber 15 Michigan (using it with Nashville 112 amp)... so I'm jazzed about seeing how it does in a big hall. Here's a link in case you guys are still hungry for more steel guitar on Sunday

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=155832

Maybe I'll catch ya'll next time... been too long already since the last get together.

This is what my email tells me about Saturday.

Tentative schedule for Night at the Opry
Something like this;


8:00-8:45 Danny Montana

8:50-8:55 MC introduces Pedal Steels

9:10 MC introduces Ring of Fire

9:15 Ring of Fire ( 1 hour?)

10:20 MC introduces Teles

10:40 ish MC introduces Rancho Deluxe

10:45 -12:10 Rancho Deluxe

12:15 MC introduces Phil ??????

12:30-Closing Danny Montana

Also this is a fund raiser event for a local school and I'm not sure what the cover charge is or if there is one.

If you make it by make sure to say hello!

Dave Z

Great to meet you and hang out a bit Steve!. I listened to Ozone on the way home. Love it!!

Dave Zirbel

Steve,
Great to see you again, Dave Zirbel and I had a great time visiting with you.
Didn't DZ sound great, sorry you missed our mini set.
Do give me a call if you want to talk more about guitars and I do have a few sitting around.
Welcome to Bob Lee's gift to all steel guitarist, "The Steel Guitar Forum".(':D')

David Phillips

Peri's Club was rockin'. Fairfax is a little off my East Bay / West Bay normal hangouts. I haven't seen a scene like that since the CCLPA days in Berkeley.. Only problem was getting in the door! It really was great talking to Dave Zirbel and David Phillips. I hope to here more. David Phillips universal tuning and Japanese steel have got me curious. Thanks to Steel Guitar Forum!

Hi Steve,

Great to talk to you last night. I think it's been 38 years since the last time I saw you, but it felt like a day. You were a big inspiration and help when I was a beginner, and as mentioned in another topic, Lucky Oceans & I used to pick your brain for licks. You were always super generous about showing us anything you knew.

Hope to see you soon,
Joe

Hey Steve, if you really want to go back in time, come to Fairfax on the weekend of June 13, 14. It's the annual Fairfax Festival with music all day long. Kinda like a mini Woodstock except people leave their clothes on, and stay away from the brown acid........

Thanks for the invite. I'm sure I'll be there. Fairfax is a great place - reminds me of the 60's. thanks to Joe Goldmark again for the good words. Anyone else know of Bay Area events with steel guitar?

Hey Steve,

Great to hear from you and welcome back. Thanks for giving me my very first pedal steel lesson. I drove from Paw Paw WVA to Charleston to see you. You put the needle in the groove of the steel turnaround on a George Jones lp. I hadn't known that you were allowed to copy things like that. It started me off on 8 hour days of chewing up albums and learning licks. Thanks heaps. I hope you're well.

best regards,

Lucky

I remember that day in my second floor bedroom. Are you really in Australia now? I always wondered where you were. I was pretty good at stealing licks off lps. They were the worse for the wear. We didn't have ipods in those days. Let me know what's going on down there (it your really are there) - I'm ready to pull up roots and steel some more licks - (almost - I need a steel guitar first). LOL meanwhile the Forum has me thinking about the rich musical experience I was so Lucky to have. Cheers. By the way everyone should hear Jim Cohen's Desafinado!

Hey Steve,

Yes, I've been based in Perth, W. Australia since 1980. I play a couple of gigs a week and have a world music show called the Daily Planet on ABC Radio National.

Hey, how do I hear Desafinado? Jim's a great player and a good friend.