The Steel Guitar Forum

Amazing what you can find doing searches on this forum...

I just spend the good part of an hour reading "Did Hippies Hurt or Help American Music?: 15 pages of responses!

Just beat out the "Ever play with Go-Go Girls" thread.

Anyway, the hippie thread got me into 60's and 70s mindset: what songs from that time period (rock, country rock, soft rock, bluesy rock, Americana rock, etc) have you worked out to be really good/favorites to play on lap steel?

Both Joe Goldmark and I have released CDs of 60's classics, albeit on pedal steel. But they might give you some ideas for things to try on lap steel. You can hear clips of mine at www.CDBaby.com/cohen3

How about I feel like I'm fixin to die rag by Country Joe and The Fish!


Now there a hippie song for ya.



Rocky

Inagaddadavida

'Sunshine of your Love'

'Scuse Me While I Kiss this Guy'

Summer time by Janis Joplin and big brother.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

I'm Only Sleeping, including the backwards part

edit

Can't go wrong with Dylan -- You Ain't Goin' Nowhere, I Shall Be Released, Knockin' On Heaven's Door. And of course, The Mighty Quinn.

The Flute solo in "Nights In White Satin" by the Moody Blues played on lap steel.

Just about anything by The Greatful Dead. Of course that has a lot of steel anyway. ???

Give a listen to some old Jefferson Airplane, there may be some jewels in there.

One of my favorites "Teach"......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKySbfgv ... re=related

It even has the ultimate hippy of all hippies (Jerry Garcia)on the steel!!!!!.

Peace man!!!

I've been getting a lot mileage out of "Just Like A Woman" by Dylan and a couple Beatles tunes: Honey Pie, For No One, Maxwell's Silver Hammer, I Call Your Name, No Reply, and even For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite - to name a few. I think I'll still be playing these "When I'm Sixty Four"

Theo(in Portland)

The Doors album L.A. Woman has some good songs to play to. Love Her Madly, Been Down So Long, Cars Hiss By My Window, Hyacinth House, Riders On The Storm, Crawling King Snake. But I don't play the songs, I just play all over the place on top of them, like any songs I play along to!

"Words" by the Bee Gees comes to mind. I love the changes in that tune.........

"Get Together"...can't remember the name of the group but it sounds good on steel...

"New Kid in Town" by the Eagles....

"Norwiegan Wood" by the Beatles....

I haven't tried it on lapsteel but, Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" sounds good on pedal steel..........JH in Va.

Open D tuning works great for The Wind Cries Mary (Hendrix). Play it in the key of E, at second fret. Been jamming on this one lately a bunch. Audiences seem to like it (lots of boomer aged folks in the joints I play).

Judson Bertoch wrote:what songs from that time period (rock, country rock, soft rock, bluesy rock, Americana rock, etc) have you worked out to be really good/favorites to play on lap steel?

Judson, are you looking for songs that already feature some sort of slide guitar or songs in general that lend themselves to playing steel?

If it's the former I would recommend any Allman Bro's with Duane on slide. Tune to open E and go at it. There's some good Eagles songs too.

Thanks everyone - excellent suggestions! (and stuff I wouldn't have thought of...)

It's tricky (for me) because I'm still working through the "you're not playing a regular electric guitar" phase so I'm finding out what works and what doesn't, song adaptation-wise, on my lap.

Mark: both, but leaning heavily toward songs that folks have adapted TO lap steel.

Speaking of Allman Bros - I'm working on "Melissa" and "Ain't Waistin Time No More".

Not "hippie" period, but I like Blind Melon's "No Rain" on lap.

Lately:
"Running On Faith"...Clapton
"Knocking on Heaven's Door"...Dylan/The Warren Zevon version
"Ain't Waistin' Time" Allman Brothers
"One Love"...Bob Marley

From my perspective, a lap steel is just another musical instrument like a guitar, piano, or a reed instrument, meaning the player can play practically anything that is music. If a song has notes and/or chords and a melody, it can be played on any instrument that can make notes, chords or melodies. Granted, the lap steel produces a very unique sound, but all instruments have their own inherant sounds.
If you've ever listened to elevator music you know what I mean. Jimi Hendrix or the Beatles on muzak sounds wierd to some people, but you still recognize the tunes.

"Don't Bogart That Joint"
Was that done by The Holy Modal Rounders? Nope! Just looked and it was done by the Fraternity Of Man. And here it is. Steel and all!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wt4UqRvUFE
Actually, the title is "Don't Bogart Me."

Don't Bogart Me-The Fraternity of Man.
Redneck Mother-New Riders of the Purple Sage

one of the bands I'm in plays mostly classic rock. I'm playing slide guitar and open tunings on about 90% of the tunes (Moondance and Come Together to name two songs not normally associated with slide, but they work).

As soon as I get my lap steel technique down I plan on incorporating it into the set. Best thing to do, in my opinion - is to just start playing the lap steel on some songs. it'll work

Terry VunCannon wrote:Lately:
"Running On Faith"...Clapton
"Knocking on Heaven's Door"...Dylan/The Warren Zevon version
"Ain't Waistin' Time" Allman Brothers
"One Love"...Bob Marley

I love the Zevon version of Knockin on Heaven's Door, we play that one

Jim Konrad wrote:One of my favorites "Teach"......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKySbfgv ... re=related

It even has the ultimate hippy of all hippies (Jerry Garcia)on the steel!!!!!.

Peace man!!!

...And then there is Martin Gross' fantastic version on the Dobro:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC-N4zl1QZo

Lowell George (Little feat): "Willin"