All Roads Lead to Red: A Tribute to Red Rhodes

Max Dawson · Post by **Max Dawson** » 23 Jun 2015 2:54 pm

The website Aquarium Drunkard is currently hosting a mix that I created in tribute to my favorite pedal steel guitar player, Red Rhodes. The mix features 21 songs spanning Red's career as a bandleader, sideman, and session player and includes tracks by artists ranging from Mama Cass Elliot to Rick Nelson to The Lovin' Spoonful to Charley D. and Milo.

The Steel Guitar Forum was an invaluable help to me as I attempted to track down as much of Red's discography as possible. That's why it's my pleasure to share the finished results with you. Please enjoy, share, and let me know if you have any feedback!

http://www.aquariumdrunkard.com/2015/06 ... e-tribute/

best,
Max

Julian Goldwhite · Post by **Julian Goldwhite** » 23 Jun 2015 4:40 pm

Max, really great mix of songs showing both the range and stylistic touchpoints of Mr. Rhodes' steel work. Thanks so much for putting it all together!

All the best,

Julian

Chris Templeton · Post by **Chris Templeton** » 23 Jun 2015 5:36 pm

Thank you Max! Very nice work putting that all together. One time, in the early 90's, when I was in CA, I had dinner with Red and his wife at his home. He was a heck of a cook too. Probably Michael Nesmith's statement about Red helped with his skills in the kitchen.

Nathan Golub · Post by **Nathan Golub** » 24 Jun 2015 5:38 am

So great! Thanks Max.

LJ Eiffert · Post by **LJ Eiffert** » 24 Jun 2015 6:33 am

I have a few recording records that Red Rhodes did that you don't have Max.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 24 Jun 2015 7:46 am

I didn't know that Red played on "Never Going Back" by the Lovin' Spoonful, I always thought it was Sneaky Pete. It's my favourite steel solo, I guess.

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 24 Jun 2015 8:35 am

Always dug Red's steel on Joe Butler's Lovin' Spoonful version of Never Goin' Back. The original John Stewart version featuring Lloyd ain't too shabby either.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 24 Jun 2015 9:22 am

Jack Hanson wrote:Joe Butler's Lovin' Spoonful

Yes Jack, the last album, there are no credits on the cover. I wonder who, besides Red, played on it.

Max Dawson · Post by **Max Dawson** » 24 Jun 2015 9:44 am

LJ Eiffert wrote:I have a few recording records that Red Rhodes did that you don't have Max.

You've got my attention...Anything out of the ordinary? To get down to 65 minutes I cut dozens of worthy tracks from my playlist. Garland Frady's "Teach Your Children" and Bobby Hutcherson's "The Weight" were tough last-second cuts. Who knows - maybe there will have to be a volume 2...

Related: I always wondered if there were unreleased Red recordings floating around out there - for instance, live performances, TV show appearances, etc. There are *amazing* outtakes on the video that was packaged with the Drag City reissue of Burt Jansch's "LA Turnaround". Those will definitely make the second volume!

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 25 Jun 2015 2:16 am

Linda Ronstadt:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VexcqzuGIxE
It comes from a rather obscure double LP called "Music From Free Creek". Red also played "Girl From Ipanema" on it.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 25 Jun 2015 8:18 am

If you want to hear some great Red Rhodes,He played on the"Willis Alan Ramsey"shelter records recording"Boy from Oklahoma"is the bomb,However it seems impossible to find?

Peter Freiberger · Post by **Peter Freiberger** » 25 Jun 2015 9:03 am

A great guy, beloved character, and a unique voice on our instrument, who once fixed my Amped B15 in a few minutes in exchange for a cold six pack. In the the early '70's I lived a few blocks from his shop. Always a great place to hang.

Duncan Hodge · Post by **Duncan Hodge** » 25 Jun 2015 12:54 pm

Thanks Joachium for the Linda Rondstadt/Red Rhodes clip. It was beautiful...I don't know how I ever missed that one.
Duncan

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 25 Jun 2015 1:28 pm

I'm having some sort of brain freeze. I remember a Nesmith album that had a song about Elephant Park or something. I can't find it! Anybody have any clue? I liked the steel alot, and, being as it was a Nesmith album, it was Red playing.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 25 Jun 2015 1:48 pm

At about 10:40, there is an abdo-lutey insane descending link!

Joe Goldmark · Post by **Joe Goldmark** » 27 Jun 2015 10:23 am

Real nice mix tape Max.

I think "Velvet Hammer in a Country Band" is one of the top steel records ever. It doesn't have hot licks, but the overall sound is real special, the tunes are great, and Red's playing is real nice.

Joe

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 27 Jun 2015 11:43 am

I bought my first 2 pedal steel guitars from Red, back in the late '70s, and a 10 string Dobro with his tuning on it.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 28 Jun 2015 8:12 am

If you want to hear some great Red Rhodes,He played on the"Willis Alan Ramsey"shelter records recording"Boy from Oklahoma"is the bomb,However it seems impossible to find?

Look no further, Stuâ€¦
http://www.amazon.com/Willis-Alan-Ramsey/dp/B00000JKG2

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 29 Jun 2015 3:41 pm

I think one of Red's best efforts was on the 1970 song "Joanne", by (former Monkee) Michael Nesmith. There used to be a couple different posts of the original recording on YouTube, but now there are only various recordings of live performances of the song, none of which measure up, IMHO.

Alas, it seems Sony's "music police" have had all the original recordings removed.

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 29 Jun 2015 3:54 pm

Very cool...thanks for that, Max. He was a unique player, who found his own voice on the steel.
I also spent a bunch of time at Red's shop. He had his own way of fixing things. I once brought in a Boss Chorus pedal to have a broken on/off switch replaced, and in two minutes he just wired the thing so it was always on. A two minute fix & a two hour hang.
That was Red. I miss him, still.

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 30 Jun 2015 4:50 pm

Joachim Kettner wrote:...there are no credits on the cover. I wonder who, besides Red, played on it.

Joachim, according to Lovin' Spoonful bassist Steve Boone in his excellent 2014 book Hotter Than A Match Head, Never Going Back was recorded in the spring of 1968 at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood on a day off after the band had worked some gigs at Disneyland.

The Disneyland dates were their final live shows with John Sebastian, after he had given notice that he was leaving the Lovin' Spoonful. Original guitarist Zal Yanovsky had been ousted from the band the previous summer and was replaced by Jerry Yester of the Modern Folk Quartet.

Mr. Boone states that Joe Butler performed the vocal, John Stewart (the writer of the song) played guitar, Red Rhodes played pedal steel, and Boone himself recorded the bass track, but that it was erased and replaced by a part credited to producer Chip Douglas. Douglas had worked with Yester in the Modern Folk Quartet. There's no mention of either Sebastian or Yester making any contribution to the track. Presumably all the other parts were performed by studio musicians.

There was another tune recorded at the session entitled Baby I Could Be So Good At Loving You, which has never been released. Never Going Back is a strong track that holds up well to the test of time. Magnificent pedal steel courtesy of Red Rhodes.