What Rock Songs You Play on Pedal Steel

Glendon Powell · Post by **Glendon Powell** » 5 May 2005 9:58 am

Hello all. I think its time for me to poke my head out of water here. Just become a Member to the Forum..I been reading the forum for 2 years now. You all have help me a great deal on some of my playing.."GREAT INFO." Just wondering what rock songs you all play on the pedal steel. In my little Country Southern Rock Band. Here some of the rock tunes I play on the pedal steel
Free Bird.
Turn The Page. (Bob Seger tune) "Great steel Tune try it."
Wonderful Tonight.
Shooting Star ( Bad Company Tune)
It seems to give the band a good twist by useing the pedal steel on these rock tunes

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 5 May 2005 11:22 am

Hi Glendon, welcome to the forum.

I'm not playing out at present, but was until moving here 1-1/2 years ago. I started doubling on guitar and steel, playing steel on the traditional country stuff and guitar on the more rock tunes, then for a while didn't even bother picking up the guitar and played steel on everything, and yes I did a solo in each one of them.

Some of the rock tunes I did on steel were the same as you're doing:

Wonderful tonight
Say you love me (Fleetwood Mac)
Johnny B. Goode
Sweet Home Alabama
Long Train Runnin
Misc. CCR songs
Don't Stop

I'm sure there were more I can't think of, most of these tunes were done in bands quite a few years ago.[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 05 May 2005 at 12:24 PM.]

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 5 May 2005 11:28 am

Glendon.. Wonderful Tonight is a GREAT steel song.. I have played it on steel since it came out!.. Free Bird too, but I like it better on a slide or lap guitar.... I play several old rock tunes on steel.. Dead Flowers by the Rolling Stones, Baby I love Your Way by Peter Frampton, Johnnie B Goode, Wild Nights by John Mellencamp.. so many others I have lost count.. Its all good man.. ROCK them pedals!! bob[This message was edited by Bob Carlucci on 05 May 2005 at 12:29 PM.]

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 5 May 2005 11:48 am

Did some Hendrix, made it sound like Pink Floyd.
Classic rocker tunes, swingy stuff, now classed with Rock a Billy.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 5 May 2005 1:04 pm

Here are some rock oldies that I've played with one or more local bands in the past:

Satisfaction, Honky Tonk Women - Stones
Louie Louie - Kingsmen
I Got You (I Feel Good) - James Brown
You Really Got Me - Kinks
Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison
All Shock Up, Hound Dog - Elvis
All Along The Watchtower - Dylan (or Hendrix)
Proud Mary, Suzie Q - CCR
Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf
That'll Be The Day - Buddy Holly
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
Wild Thing - Troggs
Great Balls Of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis
For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield
Blue Suede Shoes - Carl Perkins
Gloria - Them
Gimme Some Lovin' - Spencer Davis
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynard Skynard
La Bamba - Ritchie Valens (or Los Lobos)
The Weight - The Band
White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane
Cocaine - Eric Clapton
Old Time Rock n Roll - Bob Seger

Now I'm in an original band that plays about 75% rock, but you wouldn't recognize any of our song titles.

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/Hotb0b.gif" width="96 height="96">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
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Dave Grafe · Post by **Dave Grafe** » 5 May 2005 1:40 pm

"I've Seen a Bad Moon Rising" by CCR. The Reggae version. With Pedal Steel Guitar AND Didgeridoo. Together.

Anyway, that's probably the most unusual of the "non-traditional" applications of the instrument that I have taken part in. There's actually an ancient recording of an original rock song called "Fire In Yer Eyes" on my website's music page.

In general, I've found that if you want to play at all, you had better be prepared to play ANYTHING.

Bobby Lee says he's playing 75% rock with his current gig, I would imagine that he is not alone.[This message was edited by Dave Grafe on 05 May 2005 at 03:01 PM.]

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 5 May 2005 1:42 pm

I've played steel on quite a bit of Pink Floyd stuff actually -- certainly surprises a few people.

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 5 May 2005 1:59 pm

I don't remember the names of the tunes, but in 2001 and 2002 I played steel, frequently with distortion, in a blues rock band.

Our lead singer/guitarist could tell you everything there is to know about Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, buyt didn't (and probably still doesn't) know who Willie Nelson is.

Archie Nicol R.I.P. · Post by **Archie Nicol R.I.P.** » 5 May 2005 3:13 pm

Not done much recently, but we did;
Start. The Jam.
Ever Fallen In love With Someone. The Buzzcocks.
All Along The Watchtower. Not Dylan but semi-Jimi.
Rip It Up And Start Again. Orange Juice(Get well soon, Edwyn).
Get It On. T-Rex.
Plus others I can't recall.
Cheers, Arch.

Larry Strawn · Post by **Larry Strawn** » 5 May 2005 3:47 pm

Hi Glendon,,

Welcome to the Forum,,Bobby Lee done a good thing here!!

Even though we are a Country band, I play steel on several old rock songs in our bag..

Black Magic Woman -Santana
Just 17--Beatles
And I Love Her-Beatles [instrumental]
Leroy Brown-Crocie
Johnny-B.-Goode--C. Berry
Roll over Behtovin-C. Berry
Love Me-Elvis??
More that I can't think of off hand,and some stuff I don't even know the names of while playing with some of the other local bands. LOL...It was fun..

Larry

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"ROCKIN COUNTRY"

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 5 May 2005 4:49 pm

Nights in White Satin - Moody Blues

Don Poland · Post by **Don Poland** » 5 May 2005 4:55 pm

Glendon, I'd be interested in hearing Turn The Page and Shooting Star if ya have that recorded. I think that would sound great on steel. Do you have a CD or possible an mp3 of those?

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1974 MSA D10 7+4
If you ain't steelin' it, you ain't feelin' it !!

www.steelin4fun.com

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 5 May 2005 4:56 pm

This thread came along at an interesting time, since I've been pulling together set lists of stuff I played the last several years. I've played a lot of rootsy/folksy rock and blues in the 6 years I've played steel, that's the way it is in this part of the world. Some of these I've only done once, but I've worked with people who just pull out stuff from all over the map, and I don't always bring my 6-string. I've left out some of the more obviously countrified stuff by Bob Dylan.
A lot of this material really works well on steel, IMO.

Lodi, Proud Mary, Who'll Stop the Rain, Bad Moon Risin' - CCR
The Weight, The Night They Drove Dixie Down - The Band
Good Lovin', Groovin' - Young Rascals
Atlantic City, Darkness on the Edge of Town, All That Heaven Will Allow - Springsteen
Jesus Just Left Chicago - Z.Z. Top
Hello Mary Lou - Rick Nelson
Blue Suede Shoes, Dixie Fried - Carl Perkins
Have I Told You, Brown-Eyed Girl, Moondance, Wild Night - Van Morrison
Norwegian Wood, Ticket to Ride, Let it Be - Beatles
Dead Flowers, Wild Horses, Honky Tonk Women, Sister Morphine - Stones
You Really Got Me, Tired of Waiting - Kinks
Angel from Montgomery, Paradise - John Prine and others
Killin' Floor - Howlin' Wolf and others
As the Years Go Passing By, Crosscut Saw - Albert King and others
Mojo Hand - Lightnin' Hopkins and others
Walkin' Blues, Sweet Home Chicago, Love in Vain - Robert Johnson and others
Bright Lights Big City, Big Boss Man, Ain't That Lovin' You - Jimmy Reed and others
Statesboro Blues - Blind Willie McTell and others
Paranoid - Black Sabbath
I Put a Spell on You - Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Brown Eyed Handsome Man, Promised Land, Carol, Little Queenie - Chuck Berry
Runaway - Del Shannon
Let It Be Me - Everly Bros.
Windfall, Tear Stained Eye - Son Volt
Key to the Highway - Bill Broonzy
At the Crossroads - Doug Sahm, Mott the Hoople
Sittin' on Top of the World - trad blues, done by lots of rock guys
Willin', Dixie Chicken - Little Feat
Little Sister, Jailhouse Rock, His Latest Flame, Return to Sender - Elvis
Out on the Weekend, Harvest, From Hank to Hendrix, Heart of Gold, Cowgirl in the Sand - Neil Young
Kind Woman - Buffalo Springfield/Poco
Sugaree, Deal, Midnight Moonlight, Truckin', Friend of the Devil, New Speedway Boogie - Grateful Dead & incarnations

Like a Rolling Stone, Born in Time, It Takes a Train to Laugh, Hurricane, All Along the Watchtower, Million Dollar Bash, Visions of Johanna, Watchin' the River Flow, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Blood in My Eyes, Gonna Change My Way of Thinkin', Knockin' on Heaven's Door, I Shall Be Released, The Man in Me, Tangled Up in Blue, This Wheel's on Fire, Wallflower, Mr. Tambourine Man, My Back Pages, Quinn the Eskimo, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues & lots others by Bob Dylan

plus lots of original rock/roots-rock stuff you probably haven't ever heard of. [This message was edited by Dave Mudgett on 05 May 2005 at 05:59 PM.]

Webb Kline · Post by **Webb Kline** » 5 May 2005 5:23 pm

Sweet Melissa by the brothers, Lucky Man, by ELP, Teach Your Children, CS&N, All along Watchtower, EXP (Alien spacecraft taking off)Hendrix, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Harrison, The Weight, the Band, Dobro on Poor Boy Blues, by Bone Pony, Gimmie Shelter, Stones, Hotel California, Eagles (Also includes a baritone uke), Me and Julio, ad infinitum.

Al Carmichael · Post by **Al Carmichael** » 5 May 2005 8:24 pm

This is an eye opener for me. Since coming to the forum, I figured everybody was more or less into playing country or C6 swing. I guess I was wrong!

Here's the funny thing--most of these songs are the "standards" of our era and they get played coast to coast every night. I was down in Cancun, Mexico a few weeks ago, and the band at the hotel was playing the same stuff, so I could assume these tunes are all across North America.

I think steel on these tunes is a healthy thing--expanding the context of the instrument. As much as my heart lies in country steel, there's nothing I'd like to see more than a steel on every bandstand coast to coast--no matter what the tune selection is!

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 5 May 2005 8:50 pm

In 1975 I was playing 6 nights a week with a matinee on Saturday broadcast live on Surfside Beach. We played all the current and classic country and rock and I played a solo on all of them. Those two telecasters thru twin reverba set on kill is what destroyed my high frequency hearing. I stayed on that Job 16 weeks. Jody.

Klaus Caprani · Post by **Klaus Caprani** » 5 May 2005 9:49 pm

Hi Glendon!

I'm not doing too much live steel, but for my rehearsals I regularly play:

Jackson Browne:
Naked Ride Home
Never stop
The night inside me
For taking the trouble
My stunning mystery companion
Don't you wanna be there.

Wallflowers:
6'th avenue heartache
One headlight
Invisible city
God don't make lonely girls
Josephine

Bob Seger:
Against the wind

Little Feat:
Voices on the wind

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Klaus Caprani

MCI RangeXpander S-10 3x4
www.klauscaprani.com

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 5 May 2005 11:15 pm

Man, I like Dave Mudgett's list - "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath!?! Plus some Grateful Dead? The first song I ever figured out on steel was "Whipping Post", then "Stormy Monday", then "The Sultans of Swing" - I don't even know any country songs, sorry....

Daniel J. Cormier · Post by **Daniel J. Cormier** » 6 May 2005 5:05 am

I'm from the South.
Legrange ( ZZ Topp)
Cocaine ( Clapton)
Tupelo Honey (Marrison)
Any number of songs By Lynny Skinny

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Daniel J. Cormier
Desert Rose Lacquer D-10
PedalMaster Lacquer D-10 Sessions 400 Limited ,ProFex II
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Bart Maloney · Post by **Bart Maloney** » 6 May 2005 7:24 am

Klaus, I am glad that I am not the only one playing along with the Wallflowers. They really have some good stuff for steel. And that song 'Josephine' just flat out kills me. Take care Klaus.

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"Keep on Keepin' on"
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Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 6 May 2005 8:30 am

For a real excursion, try playing steel to the tune "Friend" on the Christine McVie CD "In The Meantime" (2004). Also, if you find it hard to keep your feet still to "Mustang Sally", you'll find the tune "Liar" on the same CD to be very seductive.

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 6 May 2005 8:53 am

You can tell how dated I am by the old rock tunes we played.

Midnight Hour--Proud Mary--Johnny B Goode--

Lots of the old Elvis tunes-

Bill Haley"Rock around the clock", a few others that I cant remember.

I never played in a full rock band but I had a Leslie and cranked it up whenever we played our 1 or 2 rock tunes in each set.....ah yes, old memories......al

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My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 6 May 2005 9:09 am

I almost forgot ZZ TOP - "Tush", "Sharp Dressed Man", etc. Fun on steel!

Charles Curtis · Post by **Charles Curtis** » 6 May 2005 1:25 pm

Here is an idea; when I walk (exercise type) sometimes I listen to a CD I have of the "Busboys". The one I have has 22 songs on it (some of them were in the movie "Beverly Hills Cop") and lasts over 50 minutes; I imagine Julian or Curly knocking out some of their stuff in these tunes. Just a thought but someone who is good could have a good time playing along.

Wayne Franco · Post by **Wayne Franco** » 6 May 2005 1:55 pm

I think a good one for steel guitar would be Santana's Samba Pati.