The Steel Guitar Forum

Is Big Ben Keith who played with the Country Deputies the same fellow who played in later years with Neil Young?

Yes. Richard

He also played with Johnny Darrell and Ian & Sylvia's Great Speckled Bird in the early 1970s.

Jason, was Ben with I&S before or after Buddy Cage? The only GSB album I have managed to find has Buddy Cage playing PSG.
JE:-)>

Actually, it was Bill Keith, better known as a 5-string player who preceded Buddy with the GSB. I saw them live a number of times and it was Bill Keith's playing that inspired me to take up steel. As far as I know, the GSB never recorded with Bill.

I've heard that he gave up steel, which is too bad as he was a smooth and extremely tasteful player even if not the hottest picker that ever lived.

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Rick Richtmyer
Good News

Hi Richard, I had th opportunity of joining the Great Speckled Bird, replacing Bill Keith in 1973 after returning from Texas, studying 7 months with my good friend, Reece Anderson. Ben & Buddy were in the band before me, great players. I did one album with Ian Tyson & Sylvia as well. Did the CTV Syndicated Ian Tyson Show for 3 years backing all the Nashville artists & it was such a great experience. We had Billie Mundi on drums from the States & Jim Colegrove from Woodstock on bass, Red Shea on guitar! This was the Great Speckled Bird in 1973. I left to go with Gord Lightfoot in 1975 & stayed for 14 years! All the best! Where is Ben Keith now?

Peewee Charles (Ed)http://www.members.home.net/music12/index.html

I've said it before, but, if you can get the Darrell McCall box set you'll hear Ben Keith playing some mighty fine mid 60's E9th. I wonder if he was as widely recorded as BE, JD, and WH in that time frame or just happens to be a lot of Darrell's material?

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Carter D-10 8+9, BCT, TPPP

Ben didn't record on any Ian & Sylvia songs that I'm aware of. However, he did produce You Were Always On My Mind for them in 1972.He also DID play steel on Ian Tyson's Eighteen Inches Of Rain in 1994.His resume is as impressive as you'll find anywhere, particularly when you consider that he has both played and produced in such a variety of styles. Ben has played with Patsy Cline, Paul Butterfield, Buddy Holly, Warren Zevon, Linda Rondstadt, Bobby Bare, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, and of course Neil Young. Todd Rundgren, Leon Russell, Terry Reid...it goes on and on. He's produced 5 albums for Jewel. He's traveled all over the musical landscape, and certainly has my respect

I recall seeing PeeWee with the Great Speckled Bird in Lethbridge in around '74. PeeWee, I even remember that you played dobro in "Keep On the Sunny Side". That was a great band. Of course, so were the predecessors. I saw them in Saskatoon in either late 72 or early 73, with Bill Keith (David Wilcox on guitar I think). That show was memorable in that it was the first night Billy Mundi played with them - I guess they played in Regina the night before without a drummer, and flew Mundi in to replace someone (N.D. Smart maybe?). And, of course, the Buddy Cage/Amos Garret version of the band played at Festival Express in 1970, and I was lucky enough to catch that too. (and to me that Great Speckled Bird album with that version of the band is a must-have for any psg afficianado - you gotta hear what Buddy and Amos did on "Truckers' Cafe).

Anyone who hasn't heard PeeWee's playing on Ian Tyson's "Ol' Eon" album should try to get ahold of it - terrific album, with some of Tyson's best songwriting on it. Some wonerful songss, and nice fresh arrangements. It is or was available on cd. I think that Al Brisco might be on one cut of it (Great Canadian Tour) - at least Al thinks that particular session was actually him. But the rest of the album is all PeeWee and it is great. In fact, coincidentally, just this morning while fooling around on my Fessenden I found myself trying to play one of Peewee's intros from that album.

Awhile back I got ahold of a Ben Keith CD
from '87. It's definitely not country,
(sorta like "new age" music)
but great stuff to listen to. Mostly all
steel & keyboards. He wrote & co-wrote
alotta the tunes.

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<font face=BinnerD size=5 color=blue><blink>Keep Steelin'</blink>

Hiya Jay...what's happenin? Cool little pic there of the dude chewin' on whatever he's chewin on

Ben and Bill Keith both played with the group at different times.

Pee Wee, cool to see you on the Forum again, it's been a while.
I'll try and get back to you later, Jim Colgrove has a site set up for a lot of the original Great speckled Bird folks, we swapped some emails about you and other latter members. I've got to get ready for work, but a quick note.

When Ian & Sylvia formed GSB in 1968 it was indeed Bill Keith on steel.
In 1969 Bill was replaced by Buddy Cage, Buddy played on their 1969 debut LP. (on CD through the Stony Plain label, it's excellent).
Then in 1971 Ben Keith joined the group, and Pee Wee has the rest of the info on the post Ben era.
Ben played on the group's 1972 album, whether that one has been reissued, I honestly don't know.

You guys forgot the gig that probably paid more than Ben's lifetime salary as a steel player: producing Jewel's debut album.

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www.tyacktunes.com

Thanks Bob & Jason for the nice comments! The Great Speckled Bird was a great band when I was asked to join. With the addition of Red Shea on guitar,(former Lightfoot guitarist) we worked out some real off the wall arrangements & had lots of fun on the TV Show! Lots of great memories with Billy Mundi & of course my good friend, Jim Colegrove who I haven't seen in probably 20 years! Wish I had some of that footage of the TV show to show my kids! We backed so many artists from Nashville, one great memory, Chet Atkins! I'm getting ready to go into the studio to cut a Lightfoot Tribute Instrumental CD with all the original band, have to throw on a couple Ian Tyson Great Speckled Bird arrangements! All the best to everyone, you guys are all like one big family & I appreciate all your input!! Peewee http://www.members.home.net/music12/index.htm

Hi Pee Wee, you're welcome, and Bob is right about Ian Tyson's "Ol' Eon" album from 1974.
It's great and I'm pretty sure it's been reissued by the Stony Plain label.

Pee Wee, the reissue of the original GSB album from 1969 on CD format includes one extra track, a live version of 'Truckers Cafe' from the first season (i think), of the Tv show. It's definately from the show, now if only they'd issued a couple of volumes of performances to get us going. That would be great.

Want to know where he is now? On his farm in Galitin TN,or on his 48 foot sailing ship in the carribian,yes he comes by once in a while. As well he should!
Bobbe

Ben, is "fine as wine", as well as his wife Elizabeth. Seem like they are on "cloud nine" They're running around in their little VW Bug, "having a ball" !!!! They live about 5 miles from me, in the country, but they're gone all the time, seems like.
"Little" Buddy.

Check out a good Ben Keith bio at: http://www.thecoolgroove.com/ben.html