How many Steelers can "Front the Band"??

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 28 Oct 2005 4:58 am

So, How about more steelers front the band? Or maybe start the band and hire the singer, as well as sidemen? I'm speaking more of the local bands, obviously, you won't likely hire an established star to front your band. I've seen some mighty fine players at some of the steel shows that could play beautifuly AND sing. This Idea spawned from hearing about steelers getting the boot when a band downsizes.

Dr. Hugh Jeffreys · Post by **Dr. Hugh Jeffreys** » 28 Oct 2005 5:22 am

I have fronted a number of my own groups of various sizes, always write my own arrangements, and still have all my libraries except one: the Western Swing Group I had at the Eagles Nest - Sleepy Eyed John (Lepley) sold it to someone in New Mexico. (photo of my group there is found on p. 4 of Rob Bowman's best seller: Soulsville USA---a concise history of Stax Records). My most fun-groups (and successful money-wise) were The Atomics, and later (1982-87) group, Soft Steel; both had steel/guitar dbl, bass/tuba dbl., drums, clary/tenor sax. ---j---

Glenn Austin · Post by **Glenn Austin** » 28 Oct 2005 5:41 am

What do you mean by libraries, if you don't mind me asking?

Larry Strawn · Post by **Larry Strawn** » 28 Oct 2005 6:38 am

James,,

I'm definatly on the Local level, but I do front a 4 pc.Classic Country Band with a little Classic Country Rock mixed in.

Larry

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Emmons S/D-10, 3/5, Sessions 400 Ltd. Home Grown E/F Rack
"ROCKIN COUNTRY"

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 28 Oct 2005 6:50 am

I would assume the good Dr. is talking about libraries of sheet music/parts for members of bands he puts together.

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 28 Oct 2005 8:39 am

Well, I was advised to do just this about 25 years ago. I suppose that I should have taken the advise and done it and to an extent I did. But as it happened the times focused my work more in the studio and fortunately I worked with my brother and niece in their hard classic country bands.

I got axed once in Branson, MO early 1980s with a whole group. The club owner told us that we were playing too much music, playing over the patrons heads, and that they couldn't understand it. This was probably musically the best overall group I ever played with. Go figure that???

I can and have fronted bands. I found out that I done three times the work though and got no more pay for it. Now I prefer just getting to play ocassionally with good musicians and freedom to do my own thing musically. I really dig the recording work that I have been involved in for the past fifteen years. My creativity seems to flow there, more than anywhere's I have played. However, recording seperates the real musicians from the wannabes. Lloyd Green told me once there are alot of wannabes in the music industry and the rest is smoke and mirrors. How true!

Goodluck and GOD bless you all!

Terry J. "Woody" Wood
BMI 14 strings + 14 pedals = FUN!

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 28 Oct 2005 8:52 am

Forum member Dale Thomas does a real good job.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 28 Oct 2005 9:09 am

*[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 13 November 2005 at 11:59 AM.]

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 28 Oct 2005 9:45 am

So instead of some of the negatives of fronting the band, which we all agree can be a pain, What would be some of the benefits? I'd think #1 would be job security for the steeler, #2 song selection, Whats some more?

Andy Greatrix · Post by **Andy Greatrix** » 28 Oct 2005 9:57 am

You can always do a single(if you also sing). With an in-ear moniter, and wireless hands free mike, you can can sequence, sing and play steel. It can be done.

Larry Strawn · Post by **Larry Strawn** » 28 Oct 2005 10:04 am

James,,

The biggest benifit for me is I can choose the places I want to book,,don't have to worry about someone wanting me to go into one of those "cut & shoot" establishments!!!

Larry

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Emmons S/D-10, 3/5, Sessions 400 Ltd. Home Grown E/F Rack
"ROCKIN COUNTRY"

Chris Schlotzhauer · Post by **Chris Schlotzhauer** » 28 Oct 2005 10:16 am

Did it for years. That's why I became a sideman. All the headaches Gene described.

Bob Smith · Post by **Bob Smith** » 28 Oct 2005 10:35 am

Theres plenty of bands around here that i consider the singer a "sideman". Alot of these singers couldnt pull up a stool and belt out a tune , and accompany themselves ,with an instument. I never bought into that mentality that establishes a singer as the frontperson, all the time.Just mt 2 cents. Example: when i was a younger dude i liked the rock band Journey, when i would go see them live, I was watchin Neil Schon not Steve Perry. So who was the frontman?

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 28 Oct 2005 10:52 am

Larry, Sounds like you have got it down to a science. I am looking at it strongly, as I get more comfortable with steel. I can sing as bad as some of the singers I have to put up with, so I'd like to just once fire one of them and run them off, and say we need to cut back to afford fuel!

HA!

I think it opens a lot of doors in music, and with so many changes in music, fronting your own band may be another good way for steel not only to survive, but to excell. We may need to move up from being sidemen to front and center if we want to not only survive, but choose quality music to play.

Though he plays a different style of music and is high profile,(if you're thinking of flameing my thread, don't EVEN go there!) Robert Randolph seems to do ok as a front/steeler. So why not more country pickers fronting, and I mean at the working musicians local level. Maybe even someone achieving a high profile spot.(If it turns to high profile for some, that would be better yet. Look at all the young kids that may want to play steel just like so and so, who they seen on TV who was front and center in the act? Why did most of us as kids start on a six string guitar, because we seen people like Buck Owens, or whoever play one, and they were a star! And if Buck played a steel, we would have wanted to do like Buck does.) Thats another what if?

If most of us stay as sidemen, and the trends shift away from steel in bands, most steelers won't have very much to do. We'll all be dressed up, and nowhere to go!

I think of Bobby Flores fronting and playing fiddle. Jake Hooker fronting and playing upright bass. I think of lots of front men who play lead guitar. How about drummers who lead sing and drum, some of the rock acts come to mind--Genisis/Phil Collins, Eagles/Don Henley? Front men who are piano players/Mickey Gilley, Ronnie Milsap, Jerry Lee Lewis. Why not steelers?

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 28 Oct 2005 11:27 am

There is always the danger of losing balance when a disgruntled musician decides to start his/her own band. If they have spent years feeling slighted or feel they have not been given a fair share of spotlight time, they usually have a tendency to swing the pendulum to far the other way.

After more than 40 years in the business, I have found that a balance between the band’s musicians and the vocalist is the one key to a successful band.

Also, nothing will kill a band faster than having one instrument dominate over the rest of the band; including the vocalist. Even though you, as the steel player, desperately want to be heard or to show your musicianship, your entire band “must” have an ear pleasing blend for the target audience or it sounds God awful. (why do you think many musicians, even audience members, would love to walk up and put their foot through the drummer’s drums)

Even if you do start your own band, it will be a grave mistake to make yourself the star attraction. Hence; you are right back to where you started. “Damn it all, why did I ever want to be a steel guitar player?”

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(I am not right all of the time but I sure like to think I am!)

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 28 Oct 2005 1:43 pm

Les, you may have misunderstood what I'm saying. I'm just saying a steel player can also be the vocalist in the band too, and play steel. I didn't say he should make the amatuer mistake of over playing all the time. That goes without saying.

Dr. Hugh Jeffreys · Post by **Dr. Hugh Jeffreys** » 28 Oct 2005 2:32 pm

For each one of my separate groups I wrote enough material--arangements (not lead sheets!) to play a 4-hr dance job. Each one comprises a sizeable "library" in and of itself. ---j---

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 28 Oct 2005 5:28 pm

I fronted a band many times. Many in Calif. Michigan, Arizona, Ohio.All my jobs were through my booking agent. all Union.
PGE Christmas party for the employees, Vets Memorial, President of Republic steel's daughter Wedding at his "Shack" on Russian River, a restaurant club in Clear-Lake, (all in northern calif. area, about 4 years before b0b moved up there.
Good jobs at excellent pay, way over scale.

I think the Steel player should be the leader, he doen't have to "Front" the band actually.
That way we get to pick our favorite steel tunes...LOL.....al

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

James Cann · Post by **James Cann** » 28 Oct 2005 5:41 pm

I 'fronted' as a booking agent once, with a band of younger guys I had recently joined. When they were asked (as I had been) to wear white shirts (it was an upscale gig at a Scottsdale resort) they walked, some twenty four hours before the gig, leaving me to scramble other, more mature and dependable types.

As I said, I was a 'front man' once, and was no more with those clowns.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 28 Oct 2005 8:43 pm

I think the Steel player should be the leader, he doen't have to "Front" the band actually.That way we get to pick our favorite steel tunes...LOL

That's exactly been my philosophy, Al. I'm the leader of my band, Beats Walkin', and choose most of the repertoire, so we get to play whatever it is I'm working on lately on steel, and lots of great swing and jazz tunes. But I only sing about 1 or 2 songs during the evening; we've got better singers than me in the band, who can move around more and entertain the audience more, without having to keep at least one eyeball on their hands. But I do still kind of "emcee" the show sometimes from the sidelines, kind of in a Groucho Marx sort of way.

[This message was edited by Jim Cohen on 29 October 2005 at 11:56 AM.]

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 28 Oct 2005 8:46 pm

James, I didn't mean to throw this thread off course, I was just following the suggestions of some of the posters.

I most certainly agree with you that a steel player can be the group's lead vocalist; a well as playing bass, lead guitar or whatever.

What I was referring to was the posters who were suggesting that the steel play start his own band so he could play what he wanted and how many times. I have been down that road and it usually ends up in total failure.

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(I am not right all of the time but I sure like to think I am!)

Howard Tate · Post by **Howard Tate** » 29 Oct 2005 2:16 am

While I do not like being the "boss", I have fronted several bands while playing six string. I think it's a little harder while playing steel, for me anyway. It's been my experience that the band leader is usually the poorest musician. Your lucky to play in a group where the leader is a good musician, most just think the singer is the only thing that matters.

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Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum SD12U, Carter D10 8/8, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3, DD-3, Fender Steel King, Understanding wife. http://www.Charmedmusic.com

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 29 Oct 2005 3:41 am

'The Atomics.'
'Beats Walkin'. Great.

It seems the biggest perk of fronting your band is you get to pick the name.

Gary Lee Gimble · Post by **Gary Lee Gimble** » 29 Oct 2005 4:09 am

The Brandy Stills Band with James Hann at the helm, directs the most versatile country band in my area. Strong vocals, solid pickin, chills up your back harmonies and just flat out entertaining, James's band does it all. And BTW, he doesn't cold call potential gigs, the gigs come to him at his price too! Although James doesn't post on this Forum, he is a strong supporter of pedal steel guitar, even while he lurks around here on occasion. Here's the Brandy Still's Band web addy: brandystills.com

James posted below and properly dressed for a mid-summer garage steel jam.

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 29 Oct 2005 4:35 am

Hi Les, Glad to have you post. There have been some comments from some who have been there and done that, and it didn't set well with them, and comments from some who have done so with positive results. I thank all for their input.

Dr Jeffries, you definatly approached your situation with a very organised game plan. I doubt you had many problems with keeping band members on track. It must have worked well enough, as you commented you had done this several times. So that in itself is a lesson to take and learn.

Al Marcus, your experience was also positive and successful. Living proof again that it can be done.

Jim Cohen, Interesting you take the job of MC, and let others sing/repoire with the audience. And you choose the musical direction of the band's efforts. This is more living proof it can be done.

James Caan, your experience tells us a person can't even be a side man, let alone a leader/frontman, if no one is willing to be a team player. I have attempted to play music with "chimps" in the past, too. you're right, you have to move on and find quality people.

Howard, Yes "boss" adds more responsibility, and the boss gets looked at first when things go wrong. And I agree, most look at the singer as most important. Few think what it would be like if the singer walked out on stage WITHOUT any musicians. They don't sound so great then. They may just realise the importance of the sidemen, and the cold hard fact the best bands are tight knit team members.

Charlie, I would never pick the name, let the bandmembers, that way I don't get the blame! HA!!