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Topic: Red Rhodes Appreciation Thread |
Andrew Goulet
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Posted 25 Apr 2022 7:13 pm |
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Along with Ralph Mooney, Red Rhodes was my biggest influence when I was learning to play steel. I especially like his work with the First National Band.
There's so many things to like about his playing (inventiveness, taste, humor, etc...) But one specific thing I like about his style is his distinctive vibrato. It's very pronounced but very controlled.
I thought of him today because I found this CD wedged under the seat of my car: https://youtu.be/5b43UqPXahU
If you like Red Rhodes or have a favorite tune, I hope you'll share.
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Marlen S12 and a ZT Club |
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K Maul
From:
Hadley, NY/Hobe Sound, FL
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Posted 26 Apr 2022 5:22 am
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On Velvet Hammer I love his version of “Poinciana” in particular! When I started pedal steel in the late 70s Red was a major inspiration. The other major influences on me were Emmons, Green, Mooney and Pete Kleinow, but I can’t really play like ANY of them! This cut may be my favorite solo of Red’s.
https://youtu.be/gueigpmBTzM
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Kevin Maul: Airline, Beard, Clinesmith, Decophonic, Evans, Excel, Fender, Fluger, Gibson, Hilton, Ibanez, Justice, K+K, Live Strings, MOYO, National, Oahu, Peterson, Quilter, Rickenbacher, Sho~Bud, Supro, TC, Ultimate, VHT, Williams, X-otic, Yamaha, ZKing. |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 26 Apr 2022 7:38 am
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| Jerry Overstreet wrote: |
Y̶o̶u̶ ̶W̶e̶l̶c̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶J̶o̶h̶n̶.̶ ̶M̶y̶ ̶e̶d̶i̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶d̶o̶e̶s̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶m̶u̶c̶h̶ ̶i̶n̶f̶o̶ ̶e̶i̶t̶h̶e̶r̶.̶ ̶J̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶a̶ ̶l̶i̶s̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶o̶n̶g̶s̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶p̶u̶b̶l̶i̶s̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶c̶r̶e̶d̶i̶t̶s̶.̶ ̶N̶o̶ ̶l̶i̶n̶e̶r̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶e̶s̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶.̶ ̶
I enjoy listening to this a lot...and Red anywhere whenever I can. |
From a forum thread several years ago. One of my first steel guitar albums. The only thing I knew about Red Rhodes at the time was from a list of players in one of Tom Bradshaw's publications.
I like how he had his own distinctive style and tone.
I particularly like the cover of Charleton's Almost to Tulsa on this LP.
Last edited by Jerry Overstreet on 26 Apr 2022 7:54 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Olaf van Roggen
From:
The Netherlands
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Posted 26 Apr 2022 7:59 am
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f-BUt0Eywg
The first song I heard with Red Rhodes was this one, "Don't Bogart me" from Fraternity of man.
So I added his name to my favourite Steel players. |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 26 Apr 2022 10:07 am
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Never Going Back is great indeed.
Probably my first serious cognizance of Red's playing was on Sweet Baby James from James Taylor's first WB album of the same title - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyoZLKgLcys - that whole production still massively holds up. The "Turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston" line struck a chord especially at the time, since I was shuttling back and forth between Amherst and Boston on the Mass Pike quite a bit, having recently moved back to Boston from Amherst.
What I loved about Red's playing was - well, everything - but especially his ability to play, but not overplay, exactly what the song called for, and his persistent melodicism.
This Austin City Limits show with Mike Nesmith and the National Band, with Red and John Jorgenson, is absolutely fantastic - https://acltv.com/tag/first-national-band/ - there are a couple of clips there. Joanne is just fabulous. Both he and Jorgenson are perfect. |
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Larry Dering
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 26 Apr 2022 1:15 pm
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| Listening to the whole cd was a pleasure. Red was extremely talented. His electrical expertise should be mentioned. |
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scott murray
From:
Asheville, NC
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Skip Edwards
From:
LA,CA
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Posted 26 Apr 2022 2:50 pm
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| Quote: |
| His electrical expertise should be mentioned. |
Absolutely...
I spent a good deal of time at his shop in the '70's. One of the coolest things he did was wiring his pickup in stereo... and not your usual stereo.
Even numbered strings went to a left amp & odd numbered strings went to a right amp.
Sounded awesome. |
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Andrew Goulet
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Posted 26 Apr 2022 5:19 pm
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Hey Dave, I live near Amherst! Thank you for that link!
Jerry, I have that album but with a generic cover, not that fantastic photo.
I have heard about his legendary amp shop and his stereo pickups. What a sound that must have been to listen to right in front of the stage.
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Marlen S12 and a ZT Club |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 26 Apr 2022 5:26 pm
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Joanne, don't know how I forgot that one by Nez.
Andrew, I found that LP in a cutout bin at a local record store as I recall....back when there were record stores.
Besides his amp work, he was involved with Groove Tubes vacuum tubes and with MCI guitars. I think that was early on in their history. |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 26 Apr 2022 5:36 pm
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Red was wonderful no other words needed...
My favorite song he added color to?
Gotta be this one.-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MBaGjVdaIk&list=RD7MBaGjVdaIk&start_radio=1&rv=7MBaGjVdaIk&t=0
Hoyt Axton-Renee Armond-Red Rhodes... I mean seriously, how could it not be great?
I believe the guitar was a Fender 800, could be wrong.. I thought I saw him play a ZB at some point as well... bob
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I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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Skip Edwards
From:
LA,CA
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Posted 26 Apr 2022 6:04 pm
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I remember Red having 2 800's...one in an Eb tuning and one is his diatonic tuning.
He used pedals for knee levers... I remember seeing those black floor pedals hanging down as levers. He later got a Sierra. I never saw him with a ZB, but I know he had one. |
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David Wren
From:
Placerville, California, USA
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Posted 26 Apr 2022 7:58 pm
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So growing up musically in NorCal, I never had the pleasure of meeting, or hearing Red play... however I played for a year or two with guitarist Danny Holder... and he used a souped up Twin Reverb that Red fixed up for him.. along with preamps in his Tele, and his volume pedal. What a sound... if I remember right it featured two 12" Gauss speakers, and had a couple of small fans installed just to keep the amp from overheating.
This was in 1974. Fun stuff.
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Dave Wren
'96 Carter U12,7X7; 1936 7 string National; Line 6 HX Stomp; Quilter TT-15/TB202; Quilter "Steelaire"; DV Mark "GH 250"with 15" 1501 BW; Boss "Katana" 100 Head w/Line 6 Cab; Telonics VP. |
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Craig Stock
From:
Westfield, NJ USA
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Posted 27 Apr 2022 3:35 am
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Wow Bob, that Hoyt Axton song with Renee Armand reminded me of this great song by Butch Hancock and her on his 'Yella Rose' album "Like a kiss on the Mouth' with Lloyd Maines on steel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yh3lfrflgNU
Not meaning to hijack the thread but I really like this
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Regards, Craig
I cried because I had no shoes, then I met a man who had no feet.
Today is tomorrow's Good ol' days |
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Damir Besic
From:
Nashville,TN.
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Scott Spanbauer
From:
Boulder, Colorado, USA
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Posted 28 Apr 2022 10:19 am
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These albums are an education. Wish I were a better student.
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Carter D10, Emmons GS10, T8 Stringmaster, 50s Fender Deluxe
johnnyblueheart.com |
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Olaf van Roggen
From:
The Netherlands
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Posted 28 Apr 2022 11:53 pm
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Glad to find this topic, i stated i loved the 'Don't Bogart" song earlier.
I searched for more work and liked the ones you recommanded.
I just found this beauty "Michael Nesmith" Harmony Constant with a nice steel solo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N2JQfGBuw4 |
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Jerry Horch
From:
Alva, Florida, USA
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Posted 29 Apr 2022 4:28 am Red
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Thumbs up for Red...unique stylist...
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Franklin D10 /Walker Sterio Steel JBL's /DigiTech Quad4/ Korg Toneworks/ Dobro DM 1000 / Santa Cruz Guitar VA |
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Dave Grafe
From:
Hudson River Valley NY
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Posted 29 Apr 2022 4:56 am
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Skip Batten had a Fender Dual Showman amp that Red had rebuilt with 6550 power tubes some years before the introduction of Ampeg's SVT. It was the easily best bass amp I had ever played through at the time.
I first heard Red's steel playing on the Byrds' "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" album, but I had already heard of his prowess as an electrical engineer. Truly one of those "Renaissance Men" folks talk about. |
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Olaf van Roggen
From:
The Netherlands
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Posted 29 Apr 2022 5:15 am
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| Dave Grafe wrote: |
I first heard Red's steel playing on the Byrds' "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" album, but I had already heard of his prowess as an electrical engineer. Truly one of those "Renaissance Men" folks talk about. |
JD Maness and Lloyd Green played on" Sweethearts of the Rodeo". |
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Dave Grafe
From:
Hudson River Valley NY
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Posted 29 Apr 2022 5:41 am
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| Quote: |
| JD Maness and Lloyd Green played on" Sweethearts of the Rodeo" |
My mistake, I was thinking of the earlier "The Notorious Byrd Brothers" as well as his work with early Linda Ronstadt and Brewer and Shipley |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 29 Apr 2022 6:44 am
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Red was a great player. My first "contact" with him was on Freddy Weller's "Games People Play" album. He played some great stuff on that album. I was fortunate enough to see him with Michael Nesmith in San Francisco. Nesmith opened for Linda Ronstadt with Ed Black on steel. It was a great steel day.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, NV400, NV112 . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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George Biner
From:
Los Angeles, CA
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Posted 2 May 2022 4:07 pm
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I love Red on "Anywhere Like Heaven" by JT -- super sweet licks, just really supports the singer and the song. I used to hang out at his amp shop in the San Fernando Valley back in the 70s, but I had no idea who he was then.
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Guacamole Mafia - acoustic harmony duo
Electrical engineer / amp tech in West Los Angeles -- I fix Peaveys
"Now there is a snappy sounding instrument. That f****r really sings." - Jerry Garcia |
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Tommy Detamore
From:
Floresville, Texas
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