"The Blame" - Highway 101

[Jeff Garden]

***Revised 6/15/21***

I originally tabbed parts of "The Blame" out a number of years ago. After a recent Forum post about Highway 101 steel players, I thought I'd take another look at the steel on this ballad. It's off Highway 101's 1991 "Big Bang Boom" album which marked the debut of Nikki Nelson who replaced Paulette Carlson as the lead singer. Enjoy....

Here it is on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLDrrtpR3oc

[Will Cowell]

Always interesting to see how different players choose different inversions, different strings, for the same notes when they approach songs independently, and this one is no different. I see you haven't tackled the bits "behind" the words where, for example, the II chord is played: "No matter how the story goes, the end is still the same..."

This is a lovely song, I'm going to sit right down and try this tonight when I get home from work, and try these alternative voicings. Nice one!

[Jeff Garden]

Thanks Will...let me know what you come up with. I often get into the D lever versus AF thing, strings 3 and 5 versus 5 and 6 farther up the neck etc where there are different ways to play things...I think I try to be as "economical" as possible and might guess wrong esp if there's no live performance to watch. I'll check out that II chord thing. I know I sometimes have trouble hearing what's going on underneath vocals and it can sound rather "muddy" to me.

[Declan Byrne]

Thanks Jeff Cant wait to give it a try..Happy Easter

[Jeff Garden]

***Revised 6/15/21***

I originally tabbed parts of this 6 years ago. Here's a whack at Buddy's steel on the full tune... enjoy!

[Allen Howington]

Great job Jeff, you can always learn something by looking at how someone else plays a song, thanks for the tab....

Allen Howington

[Dale Rottacker]

Nice Jeff,

What great playing Buddy provided on this, and something most of us should be able to tackle. Goes to show how good Buddy could take something fairly simple and make it sound so good.

[Allen Howington]

Dale, very well spoken, Buddy was just 100% Steel Guitar. I think he will live in all of us until we meet him again one day in heaven, and then we'll all still be taking lessons from him.......

[John McClung]

I'm not certain of this, but that steel player sounds like Tommy Spurlock to me. Just don't hear Emmons tone, more of a West Coast sound. Tommy played guitar for a while in my band in L.A., Elvis Montana. Super nice and talented guy!

[Allen Howington]

Jack Daniels – electric guitar, background vocals; Cactus Moser – drums, background vocals; Nikki Nelson – rhythm guitar, lead vocals; Curtis Stone – bass guitar, background vocals; Additional musicians. Buddy Emmons – pedal steel guitar; Dave Flint – acoustic guitar; John Hobbs – piano; Bill Hullett – mandolin
Bing Bang Boom - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blame_(song)

Not trying to be the SGF police, it was great steel playing whoever it was.....sure wish I could say it was me....LOL

[John McClung]

Almost at the bottom of the credits found at AllMusic.com:

[George Duncan Sypert]

I think I am have to agree with John. Does not sound like Emmons to me. Neither the player or the guitar. The steel to me sounds like a sho-bud but I could be wrong, just what it sounds like to me. I have listened to this song many time and played it live many times.

My first thought was that it might be Gary Morse. Saw him live with Hwy 101 on that first concert.

I just don't think it was Emmons on that cut. I am not familiar with Tommy Spurlock. I know he is a great player.

I just listened to the entire album and to my ears the only two songs that Emmons might have played on are #5 and # 9. I know Buddy could play any style, tone, guitars or chops that he wanted to but, those are the only two that sound like him to me.


George

[John McClung]

I just emailed Tommy for more info, folks. Always enjoy a mystery! He's a Forum member, posted just once in 2010, so don't hold your breath.

[Jeff Garden]

To preclude any ruffled feathers, I have reposted the tab and removed any reference to Buddy Emmons.

[John McClung]

Jeff, thanks for working up the tab; attributions are entirely secondary. No ruffled feathers on my end, hope none on yours as well. It's a lot of work transcribing, I'm sure we all appreciate your efforts and sharing them with the Forum!

[George Duncan Sypert]

Jeff your tabs are always very good and appreciated. I know Buddy was on the album but just don't hear him on The Blame. I could be totally wrong, just my opinion on the tone, etc.

I hope I did not ruffle any feathers as it was not my intention to do so.

Keep up the good work.

I just printed out your tab on Kenny Chesney recording. I don't I could ever play that but you did a good job tabbing it out. If I ever can play it I will send you a note.

George

[Jeff Garden]

Thanks, John and George. It seems the best answer right now per Mike Sweeney (friend of singer Nikki Nelson) is that it was John Noreen, Highway 101's usual road steeler. In some discographies I have seen 3 steelers listed for the album: Buddy Emmons, Tommy Spurlock, and John Noreen.

[Allen Howington]

I guess we can all go to sleep now knowing that it was not Buddy Emmons or me playing the steel on The Blame by Highway 101.

Nite John Boy......

[Jeff Garden]

I'll get my guitar, Allen, and we can all go down to the campfire and sing "Kumbaya"

[Allen Howington]

Hey Jeff that sounds like a great plan, let's do it.....

[Steven Cabral]

The intro portion of the tab could be used with Haggard's You Don't Have Very Far to Go as well .