The Steel Guitar Forum

Is this John McFee in this video and does anyone know anything about him ? I love his understated playing here and think it really adds to the song :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcBh9IgMz5U

Brendan ,
I think that it is John Mcfee......I am a big fan of his from the Southern Pacific days, he did all the steel on the two albums they did..... Killbilly Hill and Zuma. He did some nice stuff on the steel ........but i really like his guitar playing

John McPhee was in a great players band called Clover.... he was recruited as a member of the Doobie Bros and continues to play and tour with them.... essentially playing all the parts that Jeff Baxter played in the studio....

When the Doobs broke up (one of the times) he and Keith Knudsen from the Doobs started Southern pacific, originally with Albert Lee and James Burton, both of whom left before they could complete their first album...

McPhee is a bay area guy and has played on a ton of records.. including Huey Lewis etc etc etc...He is a multi instrumentalist and from all accounts a very nice guy who plays for the song.

Huey Lewis was also in the group Clover at the same time as John.

That's definitely John. I just colaborated with him on my new album "Seducing The 60's." He's a monster guitar player as well as a wonderful steel guitarist. He has such a good musical mind, that he frequently plays different licks than are usually heard on the steel. He's one of those guys who blazes his own path. On my album he mostly plays lead, but he also takes a steel ride on "The Kids Are Alright."

Joe

I had the pleasure of working shows with Clover at the Palamino in North Hollywood when John was in the band. His playing has always been top notch on anything I've ever seen him pick up!
JE:-)>

John McFee played some excellent steel on two albums by harmonica player "Norton Buffalo",who toured with Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen.
Also on these records is a guy i never heard of who turns out to be an excellent steel and dobro player.
His name is Fred Jones.

that's him on the Grateful Dead's "Pride of Cucamunga" off the Mars Hotel record. Some really nice playing there.

St.Dominic's Preview...Van Morrison."Wild Nights'

John also played on several Elvis Costello albums, including the first one. What a great player. He encouraged me early in my career in terms of my rock and roll playing when he told me (in so many words):

'the steel guitar is the ultimate rock and roll and blues instrument. If you could shake your butt and play it would rule over the guitar.'

The new CD by Carlene Carter 'Stronger' gets a 5 star ratings in one English paper and features some excellent steel from John McFee who also produced it and seems to play just about all the other instruments. Worth a listen.

John's playing on the Elvis Costello records is great. Those records really helped me to find country music and ultimately make my way to the steel! Cool to see him get his due here on the forum!

I used to go see Clover all the time from 1972-74. John is an amazing player steel, guitar, fiddle... he played with such unconscious ease. One time at the Inn there was a double bill. Clover and David Nichtern(Midnight At the Oasis) So John and David jam with Nicollete Larson and Hank Devito who was Davids steel player...what a performance. I have a bootleg tape of it somewhere.

i saw clover also...on university ave in berkeley..early 70's..was intent on checking out his sho-bud at the time!

but can someone tell me what's good about elvis costello? i don't get it!

Hey Chris at the SCWNT awards this year Elvis swept all the categories. By the way SCWNT stands for supposedly country with no talent.

I've never been able to understand Elvis Costello's appeal, either. I've never forgiven him for ruining Ricky Skaggs' live version of 'Don't get Above Your Raisin'' at the 'Live In London' recording!!!!

Then there's that collaboration album of his with Burt Bacharach.....

I love Elvis Costello and have since the first album. I'm sure he's not for everyone but that is why music is so great.

Russ

John McFee is probably my EARLIEST pedal steel influence, from the his steel work on Boz Scagg's "Moments" album. Guess that was 1971 or 1972? I was trying to emulate his playing on my T8 Fender, couldn't understand how someone could get all those gorgeous "bendy" sounds, until much later I learned about the pedal steel.

He's a great player for sure.

I've found this clip of them both playing live in the early eighties. It's "Hot Burrito Number 1" written by Chris Ethridge and Gram Parsons.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U855GjJP ... re=related

Here a great tune from decades ago.. Its loaded with some wondeful honky tonk steel by John McFee.. The aforementioned Pride of Cucamonga by the Dead. This was a very early inspiration to me... bob

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByXF8lnVa04

I enjoyed that very much and hold John McFee in the highest regard. He's a super guitar-player, too!

I still don't care for Costello, though - he sings, but with no appreciable ability. I know some will say the I 'don't get it!' (as they do when I level the same criticism of Johnny Cash) but some voices remain 'inaccessible' to me...

I still don't care for Costello, though - he sings, but with no appreciable ability.

Roger, there are many singers with voices, that don't meet the standard of a great singer (and I won't mention McCartney)
Elvis Costello was coming on in the late seventies as a part of the Pub-Rock scene, which I really dug. And musically he still had a foot in the past.

All very true, Joachim. I just have this old-fashioned notion that a singer, like an instrumentalist, should - at the highest level - at least display some evidence that he's worked at his craft.

There's no accounting for taste, though, and I freely acknowledge that many won't share my views on this.

I recently did a support gig at which Daryle Singletary was headlining - I was unaware of Daryle at the time (I'm not a huge country music fan) but left that night in awe of his vocal prowess. Clearly the very best singers aren't necessarily the best-known (quite the opposite very often) but it's a delight for me when I do encounter them.

Somewhere I have a tape of the Austin City Limits show with Southern Pacific. Absolutely stellar country-rock, great songs, amazing playing and not a note out of place. I'm a big McFee fan.

roger..i share your views about elvis c. and johnny c.

there are a lot of cash tribute bands around now. i would tire of that gig quickly.