The Steel Guitar Forum

I'll bet if Les Paul (who deeply respects the instrument)had taken up the Steel and had a model named after him who knows what might of happen. B.B. KIng, Herb Ellis,Lenny Breau,Hm Yep definately Les Paul would be da man.

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O-O

Maybe a rapper could make steel more popular,but then I probably wouldn't like the instraument anymore.
PSG has slowly adapted itself to other forms of music like jazz,swing, and pop. That becomes very clear at any steel show. Unfortunatly, this music is seldom heard outside of our circles. What a shame. It's good stuff.
The more popular music like rock is harder to break into. At 57 I certainly have no rock desires, especially fat and grey.
There are many excellent players out there pushing in new directions. One of the best I've heard is Miguel e Smith. I saw him(and his lovely wife) perform at the Dallas show this year. Miguel was able to take modern sounding music and and apply PSG to it in a fresh and affective manor.
The players and equipment keep geeting better and better. It's still a new instraument and we have to keep pushing it.At least thats the way I see it.

I mentioned in an earlier thread that I'd recently learned that Leon McAuliffe had been offered a spot in the Benny Goodman band, but he turned it down to stay with Bob Wills, and instead Wes Montgomery got the job!!! Can you imagine how things would have turned out if Leon had accepted the gig?!!? Sheesh!

What's today's analogy of that situation? We had Paul Franklin with Dire Straits, which was great, but it didn't "stick". Maybe we need Tommy White leading the Conan O'Brien Show band? That would help!

Any submission to this thread would be a suggestion that steel guitar isn't everything it should be already. I don't but that. It's fine just the way it is.
imho.
-John

I am not shure we need a big name hip-person, to get steelguitar accepted by the big crowd. Here in the Netherlands, which I think is very representative for the music-culture in the rest of Europe, steelguitar is still related to country-music.And if used, it's much used to get a country-flavor to songs, which are a lot located in the "camp"area Country is overhere still music for the 'retarted'(I mean retarded ) people, and a sort of carnival uphere, milked out by TV stations that like to show extremes like line-dancers with guns and spures, dressed up like Jimmy Rodgers etc. Some artist like Sting, Robby Williams etc. have experimented with steelguitar in some of their hitsongs, but the steel never get's that exposure that it needs.
I remember the song China Girl from David Bowie, with a mindblowing guitarsolo in it from Stevie Ray Vaugn, also in the video-clip. That was his big breaktrough in Europe at that time. Such an exposure we need too, but for that it needs to be away from country-music and a solo with a way of playing, that can't be related to country-music.
Paul Franklin was and still is the best example of this way of exposure with Dire Straits, but most attention of the big audience went to Mark Knopfler, as frontman.
I still hope Robert Randolph gets that hot, that it would make a breakthrough, but I think he missed the boat already......
But keep hoping!!!!
JJ
(yep, spelling )
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Click on the pic!

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Johan Jansen on 30 June 2003 at 09:04 AM.]</p></FONT>

Clapton's hit "Tears In Heaven" used Jaydee on Steel. I've never met a non-steeler that knew there was Steel on that song.

We neen better PR.

Mandolin Brothers could move their stock if they had realistic prices. I just saw a Maverick for $830 on their website.

I know dealers that can't keep used Steels in stock.

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; , O yeah...

Great shot, j0e
Is that a black push-pull he's playing? If not, he's missing the boat. The black goes with his overall schtick pretty well.

From our perspective -- mostly fans of traditional country -- it may SEEM that Robert Randolph is getting a lot of ink. And he IS, but his niche is a pretty small one, too. He has really only penetrated the 'jam band' circuit. These are the bands that play outdoor concerts in the summer and medium sized theatre and large club venues the rest of the year. They are the successors to the Deadhead following from the 60-70s and have been fueled by bands like Phish, Leftover Salmon, String Cheese Incident, Widespread Panic, moe. (WHO??? -- you get the point). This is NOT the rock star / pop star circuit by any stretch of the imagination. Phish is the most popular band in that genre and how often have you seen them on Leno, Letterman, or SNL????

Robert Randolph is pretty much following in this tradition and, in doing so, is not reaching large numbers of people, in a popular music sense (Britney Spears concerts or even Shania or Garth). I'm not sure the steel guitar is destined to be a mainstream instrument and I'm not sure it really matters to me. Whenever I sit in with a rock band or a blues band it's great fun and stuff but I usually end up playing parts they equate with slide guitar or keyboards or horn sections. The best fit for pedal steel is still in country and western, moreso in the older traditional style.

That's my humble opinion, anyhow.

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<small>Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Larry Bell on 30 June 2003 at 09:41 PM.]</p></FONT>

Hmmm. I dunno, Larry. The Dead was pretty huge before they became...well, dead. Phish and Widespread Panic have more that just a modest following worldwide. Dave Matthews, who I'd throw into this category, Was BY FAR the biggest thing for college kids about three years ago, and he plays gigantic, sold-out shows. String Cheese Incident is a band who's name I hear tossed around more than any other here in Austin (by the 16-25 year old crowd).

I think the jam band thing is a phenomenon not to be underestimated. I really don't like these bands (except Dave Matthews), but outside of Brittney Spears/Eminem superstardom, this is the next biggest market where I'm standing.

Interesting... Jerry Garcia played steel.

Yeah, Tony
Not to be underestimated, but still not in the same order of magnitude of real pop stars who have fans with their wallets (or their parents' wallets) a blazin'.

Bootlegs of performances (many of which are permitted or even encouraged) are the staple of the jam band. Record sales are very slim compared to the pop market, from what I understand.

For example, ask a bunch of 18-30 year olds whether they've heard of Trey Anastasio, then ask if they've heard of Britney Spears, Eminem, or for that matter even dinosaurs like Eric Clapton and Elton John. It's a whole 'nother universe, with MANY more stars.


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<small>Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

So true, Larry.

I think of the late SRV.
He was a virtouso, but still a niche act.
He exposed the Blues/Rock style to many yougsters, but even when he was most popular he didn't have the mainstream following of Garth or Britney.

I don't think Steel is destined to anything more. I would love to see a resurgance of country/rock bands such as NRPS and Commander Cody, but kids will say I'm living in the past.

Honestly I don't think there's any danger of steel guitar mania gripping the world even if Hendrix himself came back from the dead and became a steel player, playing "Foxy Lady" on steel all over the place. Why? Most people lack the motivation to work on ANYTHING challenging at all, let alone something as tough as the PSG. So there might be a spike in sales for a few weeks after Jimi's resurrection, but it would be short-lived my friends, once people got wind of how hard this instrument is. One of the reasons for the success of the six string guitar is how easy it is to learn. And that you can play it while out of your mind on LSD through six Marshalls. Or around a campfire. When it comes to the learning curve, the steel is in a class by itself, as we all know.

What would be gained by a Hendrix-induced steel mania exactly? I personally am GLAD I do something that not everyone does. Makes it special. Is the idea that it would generate more work for us itinerant sidemen? That suddenly every producer would be screaming "Get me that guy who plays the steel pedal!" ? Somehow I doubt it.

My only plan is to keep at it, and have the fortune to play with someone who starts selling records, get to tour with them and make records until I am old and grey. The steel is an amazing, amazing instrument, and I feel honored to be part of its history in some way by playing it, hopefully making others sound good in the process.

When Paul was with Dire Straits his influence could have created a swell of interest had the group kept up their touring and getting more exposure especially with him as their co-lead instrument. That gig was incredible and Paul's contribution was unmatched for our instrument.

That's funny, Gerald
I actually played and sang 'Foxy Lady' at a jam session gig a few years ago on a dare. Smartass guitar player didn't think I could do it on steel. It was a big hit, but I never did it again.

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<small>Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

...posted on wrong topic...(moved) <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 01 July 2003 at 07:19 AM.]</p></FONT>

John Travolta, of course...