Road steeler vs. Session steeler Pt. 2

Larry Miller · From: Dothan AL,USA

Hey!, how 'bout them Braves?

slick · From: Calhoun Georgia

Why cant we just love one another and get along?I love Bobbe Seymour and that aint no easy thing to do.Seymour may saymore but he can playmore than me,only because he has more
strings than me.Whatdoyathinkaboutthat Seymour,Saymore,Playmore.Now back to the cooler.

Slick Wayne alais Arlin

Mike Weirauch · From: Harrisburg, Illinois**The Hub of the Universe

Frank Estes · From: Huntsville, AL

One gentleman who has a lot of experience in the steel guitar industry mentioned to me once at a steel show that these producers know the phone numbers of all these steel players in Nashville and simply choose not to call many of them.

The reason he was told was that many of them cannot "cut it" in the studio. That does not mean they are not great players, but studio work is not like playing in a rehearsed road band.

Day-to-day studio work has to be some of the highest pressure work one could imagine. The player needs to be on top of his game whether he feels like it or not. They have to be creative every day and come up with good stuff in a short period of time.

For example, I have always wondered how other steel players would have played Alan Jackson's song, "I Don't Even Know Your Name." IMHO, it would have been tough to play it as tasteful as Paul did. Now that Paul showed us the way, it is easier to come up with our own ideas for playing that song.

[This message was edited by Frank Estes on 10 July 2001 at 08:25 AM.]

Bobbe Seymour · From: Hendersonville TN USA, R.I.P.

Frank, the idiot that told you that producers have everyones numbers in town and chooses not to call them is either very stupid or he's lieing to you, cuz it's just not the way it is. Most producers let the "session leader" or their secretary do the calling with a "preferd" list. Chet never called me directly, Mary, his sec. at RCA did the "glory" work. Who told you that anyway? Check with me first next time. When are you going to come and see me again? Huntsville is not THAT far away! (Don't make me have to come down there.)
Your Push-Pull buddy, Bobbe

Joe Casey · From: Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9)

IN fact the saying "Don't call me I'll call you was invented in Nashburg" by Studio execs As was "trust me"!

I also believe "the checks in the mail also originated somewhere in Nashtown.

------------------
CJC

[This message was edited by Joe Casey on 10 July 2001 at 10:25 PM.]

Frank Parish · From: Nashville,Tn. USA

Just one last thing to add. For those steel players who have studied all the greats (including me) and can't seem to figure why they don't get the call, there just isn't the demand for great intros and turnarounds on todays country music. It's a shame but the music has went in another direction and they don't need the cool stuff that was once heard on the radio. Once in a blue moon you may hear something like the new version of "Lost in The Feeling" (great steel work by the way) but how many times have you heard it on the radio? For that matter how many 3/4 tunes do you hear? That tune is country and they want crossover so it gets lost somewhere. If we don't meet their demands (studio heads) we don't get the work.

Jeff Lampert · From: queens, new york city

Chris Bauer · From: Nashville, TN USA

This thread had certainly wandered well away from Paul's orginal set of well-spoken and heartfelt comments. It (wandering) is a bit of a forum tradition, I realise, but I'm often sorry to see it happen. Particularly on a topic like this one.

That said, and having never shied away from trying to state the obvious, I'll reluctantly lurch on into this mess...

1.) There just aren't any A team players who don't have the talent to do the job. Does that mean that others aren't out there who could do the job and do it well? Of course not. But let's not confuse that with any lack of skills/taste/flexibility on the parts of those who are usually getting the calls.

2.) Did luck play a role in every person getting to where they are? Of course. Whether you choose to view it as God's will or you don't, the fact remains that we all got to where we are (and aren't) through a sequence of circumstances and events, many or most of which were out of our control. Some were early in life, some were recent, most were a combination of the two. That needn't involve "politics", schoozing, or any other thing so many posts seem say are negative or offensive. This is no different in music as with any other job. We're all a product of the oddball combination of our talents and our circumstances. No 'bad guys' are required for that to be true. That's not to say there aren't schmoozers, those who try to get by on 'politics', the somewhat-less-than-unbeleivably-talented-who-get-the-calls-or-who-get-to-make-the-calls-in-spite-of-it, etc. My point is simply that none of this is stronger than the combination of our talents and our circumstances.

3.)Are folks like Paul, Bruce, and the many A teamers behind them not bitter because they got the calls or did they get the calls, in part, because they weren't bitter? It would be naieve to assume that the former couldn't be a factor. BUT, it would seem to be even more naieve to say that the latter isn't likely to be a MUCH bigger factor...

Frank Estes · From: Huntsville, AL

Bobbe, I thought it was you who told me that!

Not really.

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

Chris, I think that the former factor was formed by the latter.

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Post Extracted

Chris Bauer · From: Nashville, TN USA

b0b,

I absolutely agree. And, lest it need to be said, this isn't just about whether your attitude about music or the music business is good. If you bring a propensity for bitterness, or any number of related feelings, into ANY kind of interaction - musical or otherwise - you're almost always at a disadvantage. Few people have room in their heads and hearts to carry that burdon while still having enough room left to interact, socially OR musically, in the ways needed to get the best possible job done. Certainly there are exceptions to this just as there are exceptions to everything. Still, though, it's a generality that holds up pretty well.

Does all this mean that only those wearing rose colored glasses need apply? Absolutely not! I'm simply saying that the best possible performances and outcomes (and, therefore, the least possible need for schmoozing and being political...) tend to come the most easily to those whose attitudes are largely free from a range of negative emotional burdons.

Mind you, my comments have little or nothing to do with the achievement of great technique or creativity. The legion of tortured great artists and geniuses shows that. However, those folks are frequently far more likely to succeed in pursuits where they can work alone or, at least, are in complete control of their surroundings. Last I knew, even Buddy thought that steel guitar as a truly solo instrument was a tough mark for which to shoot...

Chris Bauer · From: Nashville, TN USA

Jody,

AMEN!!!

I was amazed to find the wacky hate (or, at least, STRONG dissent shall we say...)mail start to arrive almost the second I made my first post. I'll briefly respond to them publicly here and then let it go.

For those who seem to have thought otherwise, I'm pointing fingers at no one. Part of my point was that we SHOULDN'T be doing that! And, tacky though it might sound... some of my favorite musicians (steel guitar and otherwise), are folks who are as bitter as they come for one reason or another... That said, though, my above comments still stand, especially as they relate to getting studio work.

Earl Erb · From: Old Hickory Tenn

Thank you Dr. Laura...who ever you are.

Frank Parish · From: Nashville,Tn. USA

John Rocker is a perfect example of what happens to cronic complainers.

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Post Extracted

Bobbe Seymour · From: Hendersonville TN USA, R.I.P.

The real deal is , and you all know it too, we all really do like eachother very much. No matter how much you see me pick on Paul, Dan, Mike W., Les C. Slick,Retcop,and many others, I'll be there to help if they ever need it. There is NO hate that I'm aware of on this "brotherhood" forum.
Put two guys that think they hate eachother in a room for 15 min. and they'll come out laughing and be good buddys.All except for Tom Mortison, just kidding,I'm sure he would be OK too.( with a little understanding).
SOOOOOOOO! everyone be happy and don't take everything so seriously, I never do !(much). Bobbe

Earl Erb · From: Old Hickory Tenn

Hey Jody,just one of the best dam guitar players that ever hit the streets of Nashville.

I've been on this forum for almost two years and you have to ask?

[This message was edited by Earl Erb on 11 July 2001 at 03:22 PM.]

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Earl Erb · From: Old Hickory Tenn

Hey Jody...
At least Bobbe gives a hard time...he won't even talk to me.

If Dr.Laura does play steel she probably bought her's at the "Physco Babble Look How Wonderful I Am Steel Guitar Company"

Mike Sweeney · From: Nashville,TN,USA

Hey Everyone, After reading this post by Paul along with the previous post on the same subject and also reading Bruce's post I feel the need to say something here. Of course it is just my opinion and it's not worth anything to anyone except me. But here it is anyway. There are many,many steel players in Nashville including me that would like to be doing more session work than we are and we sometimes get down about it and it's easy to find blame whether it be at someone else or the circumstance for the reason for not getting the calls. From my own experience I have a few acounts that will call me 90% of the time they work but sometimes they either don't use steel or they want to spread the work out so someone else will have some work. I don't have a problem with that and if the other guy gets the acount although I wont be happy I'm not going to see it as the end of the world. Unlike the vast majority of players here I am lucky to have a steady year round set down job and although there are things about it that I don't like I thank God each day for it. I feel that no matter what venue you are working in whether it be the Opry, recording master sessions, working the road with a label act, doing demos, or and yes working a night club be happy you are doing what God gave you the tallent to do. You never know what may be on the horizon so do your best and make the best of what you have. If you are given lemons make lemonade and don't cry about the lemons being sour. Noone said life was fair and everything is rosy and great. I just hope that the fellows in drivers seat now don't ever lose sight of where they came from. I haven't talked to Paul personally in a long while but when he used to come into a club I used to work in here we had great conversations and I respect him as a player and a man. I know it wasn't handed to him and he has worked very hard but as he said he got into sessions by knowing people and that means he knew them on a positive basis. So the people skills are basicly be as nice as you can because you never know what may happen from some association with a now nobody. Just remember it's not just steel players that face this problem. I've said too much. Thanks and God bless, Mike Sweeney

slick · From: Calhoun Georgia

Music touches feelings that words cannot.

Slick Wayne

James Smith · Posted 11 Jul 2001 3:35 pm

I know this is a dumb question, and I'll catch flack for it but, Does session work pay more that working as a road musician ? If so, How much more ? Is it easier ? Are the working conditions better ? Or , Is it just that it has more honor attached to it? I was at Fan Fair this year and saw several Steel Players at various locations. Some of this work is outside in the heat and rain, etc.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

If I had to guess (and that's all it is...a dumb guess!), I'd say a high-end road player could make $40,000 to $80,000 a year. A good session player...just add another zero! Session players are said to have it best. No travel, no uniforms, no sleeping and riding the bus all the time, and no lost or damaged gear. Also, age and appearance aren't as important in the studio. No top young singer wants a 50+ year-old musician in their road band, but there's been a lot of 'em in the studio.

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