Scott McKenzie Gem

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 10 Aug 2022 2:01 pm

https://youtu.be/wSc4RStwfJY
Golly Gee, only thing I ever knew about him was the San Francisco song.. [If You're Going...] While surfing some oldies, I ran across this pedal steel laden tune from 1970 ...never heard or knew of it before now...some just great playing on the intro and outro.

This may be old hat to a lot of you however.

I didn't try to look up the steel player in this cut, but I think I know who it is. Can you tell without researching it? If so, post who you think it is here. Thanks for playing along.

Mike Bacciarini · Post by **Mike Bacciarini** » 10 Aug 2022 5:45 pm

That’s Rusty Young! The little cascading triplets, the half pedals, and of course the fuzz stuff. Love it!

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 10 Aug 2022 9:03 pm

Rusty really was shaping up to be a great one. I mean he was great, but band leadership took so much of what you hear on this recording away from him. And us. This is fantastic playing.

Larry Dering · Post by **Larry Dering** » 11 Aug 2022 5:17 am

Wow, that's some serious country licks on this. Surprising to hear this type of music from that singer. The track is very good.

Mike Bacciarini · Post by **Mike Bacciarini** » 11 Aug 2022 6:10 am

Rusty’s playing here reminded me of Poco’s Honky Tonk Downstairs, also from 1970. Solo starts at 1:15. He cut his pedal steel teeth on real country music as a kid in Denver.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jF-oIW1nEpY

Also, see this post….

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... ng+country

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 11 Aug 2022 9:05 am

My guess was wrong. I didn't listen well or I would've heard the organ like work in the middle of the song which would've given me a better hint.

I'm not going to embarrass myself by telling which nashville pro I thought it was.

I used to listen to a lot of Poco back in the day, say early to mid 70s stuff. Just didn't i.d. the player as being Rusty.

I just thought it was interesting to find this on the McKenzie recording which I guess many consider a one hit wonder with his Going to San Francisco.

There was so much good stuff in that era though, it would have been impossible to have caught all of it.

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 11 Aug 2022 9:49 am

Scott McKenzie was the very definition of “One Hit Wonder”. As in, wonder why we never heard any more of that amazing voice? Obviously he had other radio-worthy material in his rep.