| Author |
Topic: pedal steel on Pop Music hits |
scott murray
From:
Asheville, NC
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Posted 21 Jul 2019 4:52 pm |
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I'd like to make a list of well-known pop hits with prominent pedal steel. I'm talking at least top 40, songs that the average middle-age/older audience would recognize that weren't done by an artist associated with country music, even if it was a crossover pop hit. list the steel player and chart position/year too if you know it
here's a few to start:
Lay Lady Lay - Bob Dylan (Pete Drake) #7 in 1969
Teach Your Children - CSNY (Jerry Garcia) #16 in 1970
It's So Nice To Be With You - Gallery (Paul Franklin) #4 in 1972
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1965 Emmons S-10, 3x5 • Emmons LLIII D-10, 10x12 • JCH D-10, 10x12 • Beard MA-8 • Oahu Tonemaster |
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Ken Boi
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 21 Jul 2019 5:30 pm
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“Rainy Day People†Gordon Lightfoot, released 1975
Pee Wee Charles: pedal steel guitar
Went to 26 on the Billboard Hot 100
Number 1 on Easy Listening Chart |
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Benjamin Franz
From:
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Posted 21 Jul 2019 6:40 pm
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| Tiny Dancer - Elton John |
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Darvin Willhoite
From:
Roxton, Tx. USA
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Posted 21 Jul 2019 7:24 pm
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Several Carpenters hits had steel on them (Buddy Emmons & Red Rhodes), and of course Clapton's "Tears in Heaven" (Jaydee Maness).
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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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Dom Franco
From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
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Steve Hinson
From:
Hendersonville Tn USA
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Posted 21 Jul 2019 8:56 pm ...more...
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“Watching Can Waste Up the Timeâ€-Crow
“Danny’s Songâ€-Anne Murray
“Heart of Goldâ€,â€Old Manâ€-Neil Young
“Right Down the Lineâ€-Gerry Rafferty
“Stuck in the Middleâ€-Stealer’s Wheel |
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Tony Glassman
From:
The Great Northwest
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Posted 22 Jul 2019 2:27 am
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| “Sally G†by Paul McCartney (Lloyd Green) |
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Posted 22 Jul 2019 3:43 am
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Take me home... (you know the rest) I believe Eric Weisberg played steel.
Bayrisches Cowgirl by Nicky was a hit here. I think it's with Neil Tuxen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UId8uupn_SA
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Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube. |
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Frank Freniere
From:
The First Coast
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Gabriel Edell
From:
Hamilton, Ontario
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Posted 22 Jul 2019 4:59 am
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Everything mentioned so far are oldies hits. I can't think of anything newer than Red Rider's "Young Thing" from the early 80s.
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GFI S-10 P U, Moyo Volume, Fender Steel King, Fender 5F4 Super-Amp |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 22 Jul 2019 5:07 am
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Pointer Sisters. Fairytale. [Lost in a Dream]. Weldon, I believe.
Released 5/74. Peak chart #13. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 22 Jul 2019 6:10 am
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"Crimson and Clover"...Tommy James & The Shondells Jan/69 (Eddie Gray)
"Joanne"...Michael Nesmith Aug/70 (Red Rhodes) |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 22 Jul 2019 6:12 am
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Don't forget the Hollies' 'Jennifer Eccles'. That was the UK's Rod King. Mid-sixties, I think?
And let's never forget the Everly Brothers' 'Lucille' in 1960. That was Jimmy Day, of course.
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Roger Rettig - Emmons D10s, Quilter TT-12, B-bender Teles and old Martins.
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Posted 22 Jul 2019 8:36 am
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| Gabriel Edell wrote: |
| Everything mentioned so far are oldies hits. I can't think of anything newer than Red Rider's "Young Thing" from the early 80s. |
Not much I suppose. The only thing that comes to mind is a Sheryl Crow number that featurerd lap steel from the mid-nineties.
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Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube. |
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Joey Ace
From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 22 Jul 2019 8:53 am
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| "Tears in Heaven" Eric Clapton Jay Dee Maness |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 22 Jul 2019 9:17 am
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| "Could I Have This Dance" - Anne Murray |
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scott murray
From:
Asheville, NC
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Posted 22 Jul 2019 10:02 am
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I still consider Anne Murray a country artist even though she crossed over.
| Darvin Willhoite wrote: |
| Several Carpenters hits had steel on them (Buddy Emmons & Red Rhodes) |
were there any besides Top of the World? Red played the intro and then they called Buddy in to add the fills. it went to #1 in 1973
_________________
1965 Emmons S-10, 3x5 • Emmons LLIII D-10, 10x12 • JCH D-10, 10x12 • Beard MA-8 • Oahu Tonemaster |
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scott murray
From:
Asheville, NC
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Posted 22 Jul 2019 10:11 am
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| Joachim Kettner wrote: |
Not much I suppose. The only thing that comes to mind is a Sheryl Crow number that featurerd lap steel from the mid-nineties. |
that was pedal steel played by Bill Bottrell, who also produced the record. the song All I Wanna Do went to #2 in '94.
Clapton's Tears In Heaven went to #2 in '92.
_________________
1965 Emmons S-10, 3x5 • Emmons LLIII D-10, 10x12 • JCH D-10, 10x12 • Beard MA-8 • Oahu Tonemaster |
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scott murray
From:
Asheville, NC
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Posted 22 Jul 2019 10:19 am
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Beck's song Sissyneck from '97 featured Greg Leisz on psg and went to #30 in the UK
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1965 Emmons S-10, 3x5 • Emmons LLIII D-10, 10x12 • JCH D-10, 10x12 • Beard MA-8 • Oahu Tonemaster |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Darvin Willhoite
From:
Roxton, Tx. USA
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Posted 22 Jul 2019 10:31 am
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Scott, the Carpenters “Make Believe It’s Your First Time†had some nice backup steel that sounds like Buddy to me.
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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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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Posted 22 Jul 2019 10:41 am
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What a haircut  the other one I know by him is “Love Is Stronger Than Justice“. I think it was used in a Western.
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Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube. |
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scott murray
From:
Asheville, NC
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Posted 22 Jul 2019 10:55 am
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Sting goes country! never heard that one before. it went to #54 in the UK and 94 in the US, not too shabby but he should've put a cowboy hat on top of that hairstyle in the video! 
James Taylor used steel on songs like Sweet Baby James (Red Rhodes, 1970) and his Greatest Hits versions of Something In the Way She Moves and Carolina in My Mind (Dan Dugmore, 1976). Dan also played on JT's version of Bartender's Blues in '77. surprisingly, none of the above songs were actual charting singles but the Greatest Hits album went Diamond (11x Platinum), peaking at #23 originally and again at #15 in 2012! pretty incredible. Dan is featured on the first two songs of the album, I'd say folks are fairly familiar with them as well as Sweet Baby James with Red.
this opens up another can of worms: a lot of pop/rock/R&B acts who used steel might be considered "album" rather than "singles" artists. groups like the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Grateful Dead, Frank Zappa, Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder and many more featured pedal steel on their albums. their fans tended to buy their LPs instead of 45s and they sold well.
Ray Charles released Feel So Bad (with Buddy Emmons) as a single in '71 but it didn't chart. Buddy is all over the album though, Volcanic Action of My Soul. Judy Collins went to #54 (#37 AC) with Someday Soon (Big E) in '69. Buddy is on a couple other cuts from the album, Who Knows Where the Time Goes.
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1965 Emmons S-10, 3x5 • Emmons LLIII D-10, 10x12 • JCH D-10, 10x12 • Beard MA-8 • Oahu Tonemaster |
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Posted 22 Jul 2019 12:03 pm
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| Frank Freniere wrote: |
| Van Morrison - "Wild Night" with John McFee on steel made it to Billboard's #28 in 1971. |
One of my favorites, Frank.
I repeatatly played Tupelo Honey when it came out in '71.
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Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube. |
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Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 22 Jul 2019 12:16 pm
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Best Of My Love - Eagles
Never Been To Spain - Three Dog Night
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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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