Al Perkins

Todd Mathis · Post by **Todd Mathis** » 20 Jun 2017 11:59 am

I was lucky enough to have Al Perkins play on my bands' recording a few years back. He played lap steel on one song and pedal on two songs. It was amazing. I rushed out and bought a lap steel thinking I too would play like that. Hahaha!

Anyway, here's a link to what Al did on one of the tracks!

https://americangun.bandcamp.com/track/horses

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 20 Jun 2017 12:24 pm

Lucky indeed, Al Perkins has been one of my favorite steelers since his time with Stephen Stills' Manassas. Good song, nice job!

Ian Rae · Post by **Ian Rae** » 20 Jun 2017 2:26 pm

Rick Barnhart wrote:Al Perkins has been one of my favorite steelers since his time with Stephen Stills' Manassas.

Me too. He doesn't seem to get mentioned on here too often.

Ed Pettersen · Post by **Ed Pettersen** » 21 Jun 2017 5:57 am

Ian Rae wrote:
Rick Barnhart wrote:Al Perkins has been one of my favorite steelers since his time with Stephen Stills' Manassas.
Me too. He doesn't seem to get mentioned on here too often.

Al is one of my dearest friends and has played on everything I've done since moving to Nashville 15 years ago. A true treasure both professionally and personally. I wish everyone was as cool and nice as Al. The world would be a better place <g>.

Ollin Landers · Post by **Ollin Landers** » 21 Jun 2017 6:01 am

Al Perkins has and will be always be one of my favorite players.

My first introduction to steel guitar was when I heard Al Perkins playing on the Burrito Brothers - Last of the Red Hot Burritos way back in 1975.

I was playing in a garage band then as a youngster covering Allman Brothers and lots of southern rock stuff. We used to go to a friends house every Friday night if we didn't have a gig because Bobby had an incredible stereo (all Macintosh).

He was really into country rock and hard core outlaw country. He told my friend that played slide if he wanted to hear real slide you need to hear this.

He then promptly played the Last of the Red Hot Burritos album. I was hooked.

Lest we forget Al Perkins is also a world class non-pedal and Dobro player.

Walter Stettner · Post by **Walter Stettner** » 21 Jun 2017 10:18 am

One of the great players, for sure! Saw him with Emmylou burning up the Dobro as well on non-pedal steel at the last St. Louis Convention. Always loved his playing!

Kind Regards, Walter

Storm Rosson · Post by **Storm Rosson** » 21 Jun 2017 12:06 pm

Anyone else ever here Al when he was playing with the little known "Souther,Hillman,Furay band" from the early 70's ? Goes without saying they would've easily been in the class with Poco and the Eagles had they survived....Stormy

Jon Zimmerman · Post by **Jon Zimmerman** » 21 Jun 2017 9:50 pm

Ditto all the above..and somewhere hidden in my vinyl mausoleum is an LP called Shiloh...a country-rock combo from the early 70's, having a 'one hit wonder' title track in limited airplay over local FM channels. I recall Al was a transplant from Bowie, TX. His steel a cable-pull Fender, later replaced with a ZB. His playing back then served the music well; taste, touch, tenacity.. all a humble preview of more to follow in due course. And, one of the nicest guys to come out of that era, IMHO.

Ed Pettersen · Post by **Ed Pettersen** » 22 Jun 2017 3:16 am

Storm Rosson wrote:Anyone else ever here Al when he was playing with the little known "Souther,Hillman,Furay band" from the early 70's ? Goes without saying they would've easily been in the class with Poco and the Eagles had they survived....Stormy

Manasass!

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 22 Jun 2017 4:48 am

Al is pictured second from the left. This self titled double lp is the one I'd pick, if I was stranded on a desert island. It's loaded with steel.

Storm Rosson · Post by **Storm Rosson** » 22 Jun 2017 6:34 am

...thiis is the album I was talking about.

Olaf van Roggen · Post by **Olaf van Roggen** » 22 Jun 2017 9:02 am

Al Perkins, together with my other country rock steelers is someone i listened a lot too.

All above the ones which were mentioned before.

On the Pacific Steel co. album he played two solo songs, one is Atrium https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzmv8OD9hsM

I saw him live playing dobro with Emmylou Harris and the Nash Ramblers.

John Macy · Post by **John Macy** » 23 Jun 2017 5:57 am

Al is also a fine guitar player, and just added some sweet B Bender Tele to the Lloyd Green/Jay Dee Maness record I am producing...

John Brabant · Post by **John Brabant** » 23 Jun 2017 9:16 am

I was hoping to get Al to play at the PSGA event last year, but in the end Al couldn't do it. Gonna give him a call again soon and see if he can make to the show this November 12, 2017 in Norwalk, CT. We will see. If Al does agree to play the PSGA show, I am hoping you folks will make the trip, no matter how long a distance and support Al and the PSGA. Also hoping to book Buck Reid again for November 2017 and if so, it will be his third consecutive show with our organization.

Al doing it all in these two video recordings of Manassas that were recorded back around 1973 are treasures. Al plays alot of pedal steel on his ZB Custom on both and plays a bit of dobro accompanying Chris Hillman in the black and white video shot at Winterland in 1973. Sit back and enjoy boys and girls:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKmlcb4HSLM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5Kdvi8rt8s

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 23 Jun 2017 9:36 am

Thanks for the links, John. I always thought that ZB Custom was a D10. Not sure, but it looks like at least 11 strings up front.

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 23 Jun 2017 12:52 pm

Does anyone know what steel Al used on the
Manasses album ??.. I know he was using a Fender during his time with the Burritos, shortly before hooking up with Stills, but I have seen a video of him performing live with Stills playing steel on It Doesn't Matter, maybe a few months to a year after the album came out . At that time he was using the ZB.. Just curious.. bob

John Brabant · Post by **John Brabant** » 23 Jun 2017 4:37 pm

Rick: Al was a HUGE fan of Tom Brumley back in the day (of course he still is) and bought a ZB just like Tom had with 11 strings on the E9 and C6 necks.

Bob: My guess is that Al played the ZB on the Manassas album, but only a guess. I know he played the ZB on the Eagles "Ol' 55", which if you listen to it on headphones, you will hear that the steel is twin tracked, 2 different solos, one in the left and one in the right channel. Very cool.[/u]

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 24 Jun 2017 8:40 am

Thanks John for the Winterland video, had never seen that.

I always thought that Joe Lala was a dead ringer for Greg Brady 'Barry Williams' of the Brady Bunch.

I have the Musicladen CD of that tour, it is awesome and another good Manassas Cd I got at At CSN show a few years back had some unreleased songs, really as good as their two official releases, it's called 'Pieces'

Al was in Shiloh with another famous Texan,..Don Henley

David Rupert · Post by **David Rupert** » 25 Jun 2017 4:01 am

Al Perkins is AWESOME!! Love his steel playing! He's also a monster guitar player.

Kenny Davis · Post by **Kenny Davis** » 26 Jun 2017 9:37 pm

A few years ago I had the honor of having Al spend the day at my house. It was around Thanksgiving, and he was in the area visiting Byron Berline. I had become friends with Byron, and he knew I had started to play resonator. He sent Al to my house with his brand new "Al Perkins" Signature Dobro to visit and give me some pointers! After an hour or so of Dobro, he asked "Where's your steel"? After I retrieved it from the garage, he spent the next couple of hours burning up my Sho~Bud.

That day was certainly one of the highlights of my music related life! I have visited with him several times since, and he is always kind and unpretentious. He is truly a great musician and a very fine person!

John Brabant · Post by **John Brabant** » 27 Jun 2017 2:50 am

Wow Kenny. Lucky you. I saw Byron, Bill Bryson, Al ( on dobro) and someone on acoustic guitar playing bluegrass at a little nightclub in Hollywood back in 1986. My wife and I were the only people in the audience other than the proprietor and her staff. Talk about fun. I was buddies with Bill and as such had the pleasure of seeing and hanging with a lot of great musicians ( in addition to Bill Bryson ) back in the day. Got to see Byron numerous times back when he lived in LA. That was quite a scene, now long gone unfortunately.

Had the pleasure of hanging with Al that night and subsequently at the ISGC events back in the late 1990's. Gibson had just introduced the AlPerkins signature model Dobro one year (1996?) and Al was on hand playing it at Scotty's ISGC at their booth are and playing with folks including Tommy White. Al is a really great guy for sure.

Tommy Detamore · Post by **Tommy Detamore** » 27 Jun 2017 3:49 am

I too am a huge Al Perkins fan! Since the Burritos and the Eagles days!

He has played on several of Jim Lauderdale's more recent albums. Many times I have been charged with the task of trying to learn his parts. He always plays so very tastefully and creatively, with such great phrasing. He doesn't sound like he's trying to emulate anyone. He just does his own thing. All hallmarks of a truly great player.

I recall one year at SXSW when he popped in at the Broken Spoke with Emmy Lou during a sound check. It was great to meet him. A true legend if ever there was one!

Ed Pettersen · Post by **Ed Pettersen** » 27 Jun 2017 8:45 am

Kenny Davis wrote:A few years ago I had the honor of having Al spend the day at my house. It was around Thanksgiving, and he was in the area visiting Byron Berline. I had become friends with Byron, and he knew I had started to play resonator. He sent Al to my house with his brand new "Al Perkins" Signature Dobro to visit and give me some pointers! After an hour or so of Dobro, he asked "Where's your steel"? After I retrieved it from the garage, he spent the next couple of hours burning up my Sho~Bud.

That day was certainly one of the highlights of my music related life! I have visited with him several times since, and he is always kind and unpretentious. He is truly a great musician and a very fine person!

Sweet! Lucky to get a pic with him. He's usually camera shy.

If anyone's interested Al was my guest in the second episode of my slide podcasts:

https://edpettersen.com/blog/blog/the-s ... ide-guitar

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 27 Jun 2017 9:09 am

Great interview, thanks Ed.

Btw, I was kind of disapointed that there was so little steel on his "Big Dog Three" album. I guess he doesn't have to proof his steel abilities all the time.

MIchael Bean · Post by **MIchael Bean** » 27 Jun 2017 10:34 am

Rick Barnhart wrote:

Al is pictured second from the left. This self titled double lp is the one I'd pick, if I was stranded on a desert island. It's loaded with steel.

that's one of my favorite albums. what a lineup!

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Al Perkins

Al Perkins

Al in So. Cal.