Steel guitar exposure

[Gary Morse]

Thought I'd put this out there even though the topic has been broached previously. After playing steel professionally for most of my life, I'm still amazed at how many people are unaware of the steel guitar and how many hits and genres it has appeared on/in. I myself have been guilty of not recognizing steel on some alternative recordings. The recent revelation for me (I feel ignorant)was that THE BOXER by Simon & Garfunkel featured a prominent melody played in unison on both pedal steel and piccolo. The mix had a lot to do with not recognizing it but still......
It's amazing how many mainstream recordings have featured steel and yet most people were unaware of what they were listening to. A few examples would be Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," Judy Collins' original pop release of "Someday Soon," Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay," The Carpenters' "On Top of the World," and on and on. Most recently the hugely popular rock band 3 DOORS DOWN has Paul Franklin on two cuts of their latest cd "Time of My Life." Of course Paul is no stranger to playing on many recordings that would be considered alternative for most steel players. Who could forget his work on the Dire Straits cd? Sheryl Crow featured steel on "All I Wanna Do" and I've barely touched on the many examples.
So my question is....what can we do as steel players to get the instrument more recognized and have greater awareness and visibility outside of the steel community? I for one would like to see Guitar Player and other magazines feature more articles on steel. Robert Randolph has brought more focus on the instrument recently but it seems as if we're still just scratching the surface.
We're in an era now in which many lead players are taking up steel as a secondary instrument. I for one think that's a good thing in terms of exposure. Perhaps it's time to capitalize on the expanding role of the steel guitar and find ways to further it's awareness. Speaking from a personal standpoint, it's my sincerest wish that the instrument continue to grow and prosper long after my days are through on the planet. Any thoughts?

[Ron Whitfield]

Bands that include steel need to take a minute out of each show and spotlight the damn thing, and with more than a tune. Otherwise the player is just a forgotten mushroom on stage while everybody else is getting the attention with singing, gyrating, and making faces.

[Brandin]

That's the problem, the steel guitar is not as visual as some other instruments.

GB

[Leslie Ehrlich]

So my question is....what can we do as steel players to get the instrument more recognized and have greater awareness and visibility outside of the steel community?

If we're thinking PSG, then I'd say play other styles of music on it, not country. Try other tunings instead of E9th and C6th. And don't be afraid to play PSG through an overdriven tube amp.