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Topic: Funkiest Nastiest pedal steel playing ever recorded |
Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 12 Apr 2019 10:06 am |
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Pardon the hyperbole in the topic, but who besides Rusty Young played in this style? Not being rhetorical. I love it and I’d really like to know. Did other players think they would be accused of copy-catting it?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMyUjGdqBps |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 12 Apr 2019 3:41 pm
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Hard to tell what the steel's doing in there, but most of what I hear is straight guitar. Maybe Rusty's doing the Leslie-organ stuff? Anyway, Mike Nesmith of The Monkees did some pretty funky pedal steel playing on their "Headquarters" album. (Check out "Peter Gunn's Gun".) The steel's definitely not up-front, though.
Other good stuff includes:
Dave Ristrim's "Crisis At The Theme Park", with some avant-garde stuff done, I believe, with an IVL Steelrider (steel-based synth).
Anything by Robert Randolph, Roosevelt Collier, the Graces, or Elder Joseph Randall. Most all the Sacred Steelers can get down with some pretty funky stuff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElTsu6xvOko&t=1164s
Put "Sacred Steel" in YouTube, and you get to see some pretty talented players.
Last edited by Donny Hinson on 18 Apr 2019 6:20 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 12 Apr 2019 4:09 pm
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Yes, Donny, the Leslie/wah-wah stuff is Rusty, in between the weird rhythm guitar and sparse lead guitar right there in the intro. There’s a solo over the A section too.
Just wondering who if anybody else ever recorded pedal steel in this funky style. I will check out those Monkees tunes. |
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David Nugent
From:
Gum Spring, Va.
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Posted 13 Apr 2019 3:39 am
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| 'Sneaky' Pete Kleinow comes immediately to mind as well as Buddy Cage. |
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 14 Apr 2019 8:53 am
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That’s so 🆒, Pete! Looks like Mr. O’Neil had some fun with that one.
Curly Chalker’s take on Boots...love that one too. The intro is a super tease!
Still not dirty enough, though... I think Rusty might have had the market cornered on what I’m talking about. Maybe it was a thing that only fit with Poco’s music, I don’t know.
There were certainly other great players in that era rockin it up on pedal steel. One of my favorite’s is Buddy Cage’s solo at the end of Bob Dylan’s “Meet Me In The Morningâ€, which should have been given another minute or two before fading out. The interplay between guitar and steel throughout the song is brilliant against the vocal and half-time groove backdrop, and a perfect setup for the solo.
https://vimeo.com/202391985 |
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Jim Robbins
From:
Ontario, Canada
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Mike Daly
From:
Tennessee
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scott murray
From:
Asheville, NC
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Posted 15 Apr 2019 12:28 pm
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I think Emmons and Chalker could play as funky and nasty as anyone. Julian Tharpe, Sneaky Pete, Paul Franklin and several others come to mind also.
reminds me of something Sneaky said when he was described as the only steel player who used distortion... something like, "other players could have used it too, they just chose not to" 
_________________
1965 Emmons S-10, 3x5 • Emmons LLIII D-10, 10x12 • JCH D-10, 10x12 • Beard MA-8 • Oahu Tonemaster |
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Dennis Olearchik
From:
Newtown, PA
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Posted 15 Apr 2019 4:34 pm
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| I think Rusty created that sound on the 2nd Poco album. It’s a great album! |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 15 Apr 2019 5:53 pm
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| Dennis Olearchik wrote: |
| I think Rusty created that sound on the 2nd Poco album. It’s a great album! |
ðŸ‘Nobody’s Fool👠|
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Jack Aldrich
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 16 Apr 2019 10:59 am
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| Donny Hinson wrote: |
| Hard to tell what the steel's doing in there, but most of what I hear is straight guitar. Maybe Rusty's doing the Leslie-organ stuff? Anyway, Mike Nesmith of The Monkees did some pretty funky pedal steel playing on their "Headquarters" album. (Check out "Peter Gunn's Gun".) The steel's definitely not up-front, though. |
Actually, it's Red Rhodes playing steel on all of Mike's LP's. Mike and Red played McCabes regularly in the 70's.
_________________
Jack Aldrich
Carter & ShoBud D10's
D8 & T8 Stringmaster
Rickenbacher B6
3 Resonator guitars
Asher Alan Akaka Special SN 6
Canopus D8 |
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Mark van Allen
From:
Watkinsville, Ga. USA
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Darvin Willhoite
From:
Roxton, Tx. USA
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Posted 16 Apr 2019 6:36 pm
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Even Lloyd Green did a funky thing on one of his old albums, was it "Tom's Tavern Blues"? I can't remember for sure.
_________________
Darvin Willhoite
MSA Millennium, Legend, and Studio Pro, Reese's restored Universal Direction guitar, as well as some older MSAs, several amps, new and old, and a Kemper Powerhead that I am really liking. Recently added a Zum D10, a Mullen RP, and a restored blue Rose, named the "Blue Bird" to the herd. Also, I have acquired and restored the plexiglass D10 MSA Classic again that was built as a demo in the early '70s. I also added a '74 lacquer P/P, with wood necks. |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 16 Apr 2019 7:26 pm
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This is great, I love all these entries. They’re all familiar names except for Roosevelt Collier, and all worth a listen. Thank you Pete (wow that was some dirty steel by Mr. Cage!), Darvin, Mark, and everyone else for contributing.
So far it seems just me and Dennis Olearchik think Rusty Young is the king of funky nasty steel. For me, it has to do with his percussive phrasing, the timing of his wah pedal, and almost no sliding. And the Leslie w/overdrive tone, of course. |
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Mike Bacciarini
From:
Arizona
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Posted 17 Apr 2019 2:09 pm
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One more vote for Rusty. Not only nasty-funky, but bluesy, rocking, sweet, ethereal... whatever the song called for. Poco's 2nd album really showcases this, as well as the DeLIVErin' live album. Sitting at his steel with a dobro on his lap, and switching between psg, dobro, "organ"... it was such a great show live. Fred's right about Rusty's technique being the key... using the wah to simulate B3 drawbars, as well as bar technique. A very talented and clever guy.
_________________
MCI Arlington S-10 3+5, George L E-66, BJS & Emmons bars, Fender Princeton 65W, Fender Satellite SFX, custom FX rack, 1983 Dobro 60D, SX-8 lap steel, Martin D16GT, Ibanez AS73, 1978 Rickenbacker 4000 custom. |
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Joe Goldmark
From:
San Francisco, CA 94131
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 18 Apr 2019 6:01 am
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| Jack Aldrich wrote: |
| Donny Hinson wrote: |
| Hard to tell what the steel's doing in there, but most of what I hear is straight guitar. Maybe Rusty's doing the Leslie-organ stuff? Anyway, Mike Nesmith of The Monkees did some pretty funky pedal steel playing on their "Headquarters" album. (Check out "Peter Gunn's Gun".) The steel's definitely not up-front, though. |
Actually, it's Red Rhodes playing steel on all of Mike's LP's. |
I know that Red played on a lot of Nesmith (Monkees) stuff, and my personal fave is "Joanne". But Mike is said by several sources (see below) to have played steel on this particular song:
| Quote: |
"Peter Gunn's Gun" (Jam Session)
Written by Henry Mancini
Spoken words by Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith
Steel Guitar: Michael Nesmith
Drums: Micky Dolenz
Tambourine: Davy Jones
Piano: Peter Tork
Engineered by: Hank Cicalo
This was one of numerous studio jams the boys concocted during recording.
Recorded at RCA Victor Studio C, Hollywood, March 11, 1967 (12:00 P.M. - 12:00 A.M.) |
| Quote: |
The Monkees
Peter Gunn's Gun
Overview
----------------------
User Reviews
Song Review by Matthew Greenwald
Another in-the-studio jam that was recorded while the Monkees were recording Headquarters, this slightly demented version of the Henry Mancini classic actually works -- sometimes. A weird, dissonant mixture of piano, bass guitar, drums, and Michael Nesmith on a somewhat untutored pedal steel guitar, it's both strange and infectious at the same time, and could almost be called avant-garde. Nevertheless, it showcases the Monkees evolving into a loose ensemble, and even a rock band. |
| Quote: |
Headquarters (album)
Session information
The Monkees
Micky Dolenz - vocals, drums, zither, rhythm guitar, shaker, timpani
Davy Jones - vocals, percussion
Michael Nesmith - vocals; electric and acoustic lead, rhythm, and 12-string guitars; steel guitar; organ
Peter Tork - vocals, acoustic 12-string and electric guitars, piano, organ, celeste, electric piano, bass, banjo
Additional musicians and production staff'
Chip Douglas - bass, producer
Hank Cicalo - engineer
John London - bass, tambourine
Jerry Yester - bass
Frederick Seykora - cello
Vincent DeRosa - French horn |
Jack, my main interest is always accuracy. If you can come up with some more info on this, let me know.
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Glenn Suchan
From:
Austin, Texas
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Posted 18 Apr 2019 6:05 am
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The one that spun my head around is from Buddy Emmons' One For The Road album titled "Plus Nine (Minus Three)". I don't know if it can be heard on line, but it's completely solo pedal steel guitar and it's killer.
Also, since Buddy Cage was mentioned, NRPS' "Death and Destruction" from the Gypsy Cowboy album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZXmj6KjK2I
Keep on pickin'!
Glenn
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Steelin' for Jesus |
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Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
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Darvin Willhoite
From:
Roxton, Tx. USA
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Posted 18 Apr 2019 7:00 pm
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Thanks Georg, that's it.
_________________
Darvin Willhoite
MSA Millennium, Legend, and Studio Pro, Reese's restored Universal Direction guitar, as well as some older MSAs, several amps, new and old, and a Kemper Powerhead that I am really liking. Recently added a Zum D10, a Mullen RP, and a restored blue Rose, named the "Blue Bird" to the herd. Also, I have acquired and restored the plexiglass D10 MSA Classic again that was built as a demo in the early '70s. I also added a '74 lacquer P/P, with wood necks. |
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Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 18 Apr 2019 8:22 pm
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Not really nasty but funky?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqa_-Q-vgNY
Steel comes in at about 2 minutes
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Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 18 Apr 2019 9:46 pm
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Not to be confused with John Hughey, but that’s John & Huey...
Good stuff, Dave. Yep that’s funky ah-ight!
And that Conway Twitty tune Joe G. posted sounds like something Rodney Crowell would do about 15 years later. Mr. Huston was quite the chicken picker on steel. |
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