The Steel Guitar Forum

I know this may upset some folks, but… I play in the DFW area and have been working pretty steady for several years. Most of the clubs we play want at least a couple of current (top 40) songs per set. A few years ago, even a couple of years ago this was really not a problem. There was still plenty of Alan, George, Vince etc. to be good and country and top 40. That is changing rapidly and I'm starting to contemplate removing myself from playing in these clubs. Our band wants to cycle out older top 40 songs with newer ones, but WE CAN'T FIND ANY SONGS ON ANY RADIO STATIONS THAT ARE COUNTRY ENOUGH FOR STEEL! Toby Keith - Rock, Alan - where'd he go??, George - retirement?? The list goes on and on. Like Waylon said 25 years ago.. WE NEED A CHANGE!

<SMALL>Like Waylon said 25 years ago.. WE NEED A CHANGE!</SMALL>

Just to prove that musical tastes can differ drastically, I couldn't care less if I never heard another tune by Waylon Jennings.

Just a quick thought on some Top 40 (hopefully they still make Top 40 now and then) artists that ought to be "steel-able":

Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Sara Evans
Chely Wright

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://members.xoom.com/dpennybaker/index.htm

Tracy Byrd
George Strait
Kenny Chesney
Mark Chesnut

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bterry.home.netcom.com

I still say that there's more steel on the NCS than there ever really has been in the past. I hear a LOT of classic country with NO steel-just strings. Seems like all the newcomers are keeping Paul, Bruce, Doug et al pretty busy!

John

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Better Late than Never!
www.johnbarnold.com/pedalsteel

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><HR><SMALL>Just a quick thought on some Top 40 (hopefully they still make Top 40 now and then) artists that ought to be "steel-able":

Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Sara Evans
Chely Wright</SMALL><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I can honestly say that I've never heard of any of these people. Am I getting old or am I getting old?

<SMALL>Seems like all the newcomers are keeping Paul, Bruce, Doug et al pretty busy!</SMALL>

No kidding. Paul Franklin plays lapsteel and Pedobro on "Here and Now" (the latest album by The Wilkinsons), and Sonny Garrish does steel guitar and dobro.



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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://members.xoom.com/dpennybaker/index.htm

Dean--

I feel your pain. My version of hell (and I've been there) is a venue where every other request is for "Boot Scoot Boogie."

How much real stuff can your band do? Can ya'll do three sets of shuffles? Does the lead singer know who Wynn Stewart is? Does your Ray Price catalog go deeper than "Crazy Arms?" Would requests for Faron Young, Darrell McCall, Johnny Paycheck, and Johnny Bush be no problem?

If so, I might be able to turn you on to a venue or two on the country side of town.
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Jeff

The ? being, What new stuff do you play??
Theresa

Thanks to all who replied. I'm the oldest (48) in our bunch and I'm at least 10 years older than the others. Our lead singer is only in his mid-20s. He's very mature for his age and was raised on Ray, Paycheck, Merle, etc. We usually have at least 2 to 3 current songs in a 4 set span.

"Kiss This" (Aaron Tippin) is one we're getting several requests for. I like it as much as "The Shake" by Neal McCoy. We still do a few from Merle and George (Jones and Strait), but that's it. I hear Paul Franklin on the radio playing with Brad and others and he sounds great, but much too often he and other session steel players are buried behind a bunch of horns, keyboards and "fuzztone" guitars. In our band I play both Steel and Keyboards, depending on the song. 3 to 4 years ago it was about 75% steel and 25% keyboard. Over the last year it's become 50/50. I'd rather play steel, but we play what folks want to hear.

I just got a slew of gigs with some top 40 country band and there is tons of steel on the new stuff.

I've got to learn about 60 tunes and now I know why you guys complain so much. Its hard work playing that stuff right ! The new music integrates the steel in a more carefully orchestrated way.

I don't know the names of the singers yet on the tunes I'm shedding. Lots of chick singers.

Bob

In answer to the original question,...<u>NONE</u>
If there was steel on it,I'd play it,but,you can't play the same 4 or 5 songs,all night!
That's,about,how many songs,today,have steel on them!!
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<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Smiley Roberts on 17 August 2000 at 12:06 AM.]</p></FONT>

I have a different problem. Most of my gigs are at hotels,country clubs,etc; and although I always played a smattering of pop standards,when I started doing these gigs all the people wanted to hear was Sinatra,Al Martino,Bennett,Jo Stafford,etc.Luckly enough, at that time Sunhawk appeared and I was able to download this stuff pronto and with all my fake books was able to do these gigs with what the audience wanted to hear.

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<SMALL>I can honestly say that I've never heard of any of these people. Am I getting old or am I getting old?</SMALL>

Not old, necessarily. You just apparently don't listen much to country radio (or only to "the oldies" stations).

Never heard of Brad Paisley? He cleaned up at the awards in June with his outstanding hit single "He Didn't Have To Be".


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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://members.xoom.com/dpennybaker/index.htm

This probably isn't info that will be very useful to you, because these aren't Top 40 type bands for the most part, but something about this section of the Forum brings out the young punk in me . . . and all this music is great and would be great live . . .

I think that some folks here would be pleasantly surprised by the steel being played by a couple of so-called "alt country" bands. In particular, Whiskeytown has some REALLY nice steel work on their albums--I think Faithless Street is the one I have been listening to lately. Son Volt is another one that has some interesting steel in it, although it's more "rock" steel, with distortion, etc. For a more Texas sound, Robert Earl Keen has some, but not a lot, of steel on his stuff, I think.

For a little older, better known stuff that's still not traditional country, what about some Allman Bros.?! There's actually a lot of great steel work on those (lap mostly), although again it's a different style--blues rock, I guess.

Although you all might not believe me, I am a big fan of old school country acts (maybe not in comparison to the average Forumite, but in comparison to the average music fan anyway), but we should all be open to steel in tunes that don't fit the old country mold. I mean, the music changes, and that's not necessarily bad. SOME of it is bad (some of it is downright awful), but not all of it. Heck, the steel guitar itself was RADICAL when it was introduced (as an electric instrument at least; I know nothing about the Hawaiian roots of our beloved resonator/steel guitar family)--"purists" hated it. Now we're the "purists," and it hurts us to see things changing from the way they used to be.

I apologize for going on about this. What the heck do I know? And why do I think anyone cares? Oh well.

Colin

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http://www.colinblack.com

Colin, you sure don't have to apoligize for what you said,I listened.Keep listening too and playing what you feel the most comfortable with.Not one person on this forum
will degrade you for playing the steel,any kind of music you want.We all have likes and dislikes toward music.All of us old guys listen and enjoy any kind of music with steel in it.All we complain about how the word"Country Music" has literaly been ripped off.Artist start out pure country then go to the new stuff.He started country but went another direction because of country music.He or She then keeps the country title and will probally never do another pure country song.Again I will say if it quacks like a duck its a duck.What part of stop calling music country if it ain't country don't people understand. Ray

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Steeling is still legal in Arizona

<SMALL>What part of stop calling music country if it ain't country don't people understand.</SMALL>

That's simple: one man's "country" isn't the same as another's.

What I hear when I read that statement is: stop calling music country if it ain't traditional country.

Country music just encompasses too many different sub-genres for blanket statements about "country" music.

Heck, you could probably even get a debate going as to what is really "traditional" country music.

With only broad categories like Jazz, Country, Classical, Rock, Pop, etc., it's easy to see why non-traditional country acts gets the country label: country is the best overall description of their music, even if it's not traditional.

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://members.xoom.com/dpennybaker/index.htm

Hey David,no debate coming just the way I and many others understand it.Bluegrass is bluegrass,Cajun is cajun Texas Music is Texas Music no "country" is inferred.I love all of them.They are seperated for the different beat,sound and presentation.Irish have music from thier "country" as Germany,Italy,Russia and so.Thats thier country music.Our music evolved from all that.Bluegrass picked thie instruments,beat,sound and presentation as did Cajun and Texas Music.
Rock Music distinguises thier self,acid,heavey metal,50's,60's you get the message on nomenclature.I would be satisfied if they called what they now call country,"Hot New Music".It no longer has any definition to the sound of "country music".It's either draggy boring,or so distorted you cant tell the instruments and you can't dance to it."Murder on Music Row" explains it better than I ever could.
David what I'm saying is I like all kinds of music almost.BUT if it quacks like a duck its a duck sound and a specific kind of communication.
Ray

P.S.Don't worry Epperle,I already took my pills and I'm very calm.

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Steeling is still legal in Arizona

OK, Ray....

<SMALL>"Murder on Music Row" explains it better than I ever could</SMALL>

I love that song. Too bad the rest of the world kept it from getting higher than #33. I think people took its "jabs" at the "new country sound" just a little too seriously, and were offended by it.

Very clever song. And when I hear it, I definitely say "now THAT'S country". (meaning, of course, that it's "traditional" country).

I think we've swung about as far towards the "pop" sound as we're going to, and that we'll be heading back soon towards the more traditional sounds. It's happened before, and it'll repeat itself (as history tends to do).

I enjoy music by many of the "new country" artists: SheDaisy, Dixie Chicks, Wilkinsons, Sara Evans, Brad Paisley, Chad Brock, etc. Some are more country than others. But, I'd have a hard time categorizing them as "Pop", too. Until another radio format comes along, they'll be called country.

PS: Alan and George can still hold their own against any of these newcomers any day of the week.


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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://members.xoom.com/dpennybaker/index.htm

<<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by David Pennybaker on 19 August 2000 at 05:14 PM.]</p></FONT>

Bob,
Congratulations on the new country gig! I agree there's a ton of steel on the new songs. Have fun shedding, see ya in St.Louis I hope. Theresa

Smiley, I am totally with you when it comes to playing "new stuff." Not that there is anything wrong with it, but I haven't learned all the "old stuff" yet. When I feel I've mastered the "old stuff, I'll start on the new. I'm 52 yrs old now, so I probably will either be dead or retired from playing, by then. I am taking the whole tone raise off the first string on my gtr. That's how much new stuff I play. I don't know yet what I'll put on that knee lever, but it won't be wasted on corn. It will be something that can be used for different things.

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<SMALL>To bad the rest of the world kept ["Murder On Music Row"] from getting any higher than #33.</SMALL>

The world didn't get a chance to hear it. The New York-Nashville world of promoters, programmers, and radio "consultants" saw to that.
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Jeff
"Why do they call them 'consultants?' Has one ever consulted you on whether you wanted to hear country music on country radio?"<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jeff Evans on 20 August 2000 at 02:14 PM.]</p></FONT>

Nashville radio played it. My co-workers didn't understand the song they couldn't relate to it. Maybe that's why it did'nt sell as well, some at work said it was too twangy!
I personally love it!
p.s. they love George Strait
Theresa<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Theresa Galbraith on 20 August 2000 at 02:33 PM.]</p></FONT>

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><HR><SMALL>Nashville radio played it. My co-workers didn't understand the song they couldn't relate to it. Maybe that's why it did'nt sell as well, some at work said it was too twangy!
I personally love it!
p.s. they love George Strait</SMALL><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

They played it here in Houston. Certainly more than they played "Shame on Me".

They love George Strait, but thought MOMR was too twangy? Hmmmmmmm, go figure.

How'd you like Chely Wright's "She Went Out for Cigarettes"? I loved that one, too, but like "Shame on Me", it only made it to #51 or so. So sad.

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://members.xoom.com/dpennybaker/index.htm