Live albums that feature non-pedal steel

Nathan Golub · Post by **Nathan Golub** » 29 Oct 2024 8:52 am

There are classic live albums that really showcase the pedal steel, for example Charlie Pride's Live at Panther Hall with Lloyd Green. What are some live albums that feature non-pedal steel in a similar way?

Rick Abbott · Post by **Rick Abbott** » 29 Oct 2024 9:22 am

Brisbane Bop, by Jimmy Rivers and the Cherokees featuring Vance Terry on steel. There is some pedal action, but it's really a non-pedal attitude. Most of the great players look at this album as very important. The recordings are from 1961 and 1964, and show Vance for the musical genius he was.

More discussion:

viewtopic.php?p=2496816

Nathan Golub · Post by **Nathan Golub** » 29 Oct 2024 9:29 am

Oh yeah, this is great. Thank you Rick.

I've been listening to Hank Thompson's Live at the Golden Nugget, that album kicked this off for me. Is Bobby Garret playing a pedal guitar on that album? Seems similar to Brisbane Bop, if there are pedals he's playing in a more non-pedal style.

Rick Abbott · Post by **Rick Abbott** » 29 Oct 2024 3:43 pm

I would guess he had pedals. Here's a discussion about him; a ways down Wayne Yakes says he only played C6 with Thompson.

https://www.steelguitarforum.com/Forum1 ... 02166.html

This forum is an absolute goldmine.

Nathan Golub · Post by **Nathan Golub** » 29 Oct 2024 4:26 pm

Rick Abbott wrote:This forum is an absolute goldmine.

Agreed, especially the archived old forum. Neil Flanz and Bobby Garrett's son commenting on that thread! How cool.

Duane Becker · Post by **Duane Becker** » 29 Oct 2024 9:03 pm

I really love the Don Edwards My Hero Gene Autry with Tommy Morrell on steel. Here's the whole album, you have to work your way through the album to hear the steel solos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTkqap4 ... 0p&index=2

A few of my particular favorites are:
Takin it Easy :55

South of the Border 2:10

Way out West in Texas 1:05

I seen Tom play with Don Edwards in 1998 at a cowboy music fest in California. They had a full band with drums and Tommy just blew everyone away. He had a little single neck 10 string lap steel, I talked to him later and he told me, he's playing that to save on carrying a heavy steel. He was getting bar slants that sounded like pedals.

I'll think about some other non pedal stuff too...

David DeLoach · Post by **David DeLoach** » 30 Oct 2024 3:01 am

Jackson Brown's RUNNING ON EMPTY...

Tim Whitlock · Post by **Tim Whitlock** » 30 Oct 2024 7:24 am

Just about all of the Bob Wills classic records were recorded live, in studio. Featured steel guitarists include Leon, Noel Boggs, Bobby Koeffer and Herb Reminton.

Here is a live clip, though I wouldn't swear it wasn't lip synced, where Bobby demonstrates his unusual, masterful style:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sS5jSbV0Vg

Michael Miller · Post by **Michael Miller** » 30 Oct 2024 8:51 am

Wayne Hancock's "Swing Time" has a lot of tasty playing by the great Eddie Rivers.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 30 Oct 2024 8:55 am

I don't know if any of these were live, but Tom Morrell and the Time Warp Top Hands recorded several albums in the 90s, early 2000s that are all just superb fixed tuned steel guitar with Tom's custom tuning.

Along with some icons of western swing. These are a great collection to have to hear Tom's incredible pickin'. RIP.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 30 Oct 2024 9:44 am

Of course, all the Spade Cooley live recordings, Noel Boggs and friends "On Stage" features Noel at the top of his game with Jimmy Wakely. Leon McAuliffe had some live recordings that were broadcasts. Take It Away Leon has a bunch of live tracks. Then there is plenty of live Hawaiian music, which is my favorite, including bootleg recordings of Jules Ah See, Hal Aloma Live At the Luau. I'll think of some more.

Per Berner · Post by **Per Berner** » 30 Oct 2024 10:42 am

Jerry Overstreet wrote:I don't know if any of these were live

I believe they were recorded live in the studio. The general feel of all the albums is first takes of all playing at once. A cricket joins in on one track, and they didn't bother with re-recording! Great stuff.

Stephen Baker · Post by **Stephen Baker** » 30 Oct 2024 3:37 pm

BR5-49's "Coast To Coast" album and the mini album "Live From Robert's".

Levi Gemmell · Post by **Levi Gemmell** » 31 Oct 2024 12:23 am

Really just chiming in here to thank Duane for recommending that Don Edwards album of Gene Autry songs with Tom Morrell... Wow. Thank you so much!

Adding onto Tim's suggestions about Bob Wills, the Tiffany Transcriptions represent a huge body of material recorded live-in-studio. I think across the dozen or so albums there are about 150 songs released... No audience, but there's no denying it's live, hot, and you'll run out of beer before you run out of songs to listen to!

https://www.tiffanytranscriptions.com/c ... ecordings/

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 31 Oct 2024 2:32 am

Basil Henriques two "Live at the castaways" feature his terrific mid-60's steel playing. Even though it's on a Fender pedal steel, it sounds more non-pedal overall.

http://www.waikiki-islanders.com/html/live_1.html

The "Live at the Tapa Room" series

https://archive.org/details/TapaRoomTapes

Nathan Golub · Post by **Nathan Golub** » 31 Oct 2024 6:35 am

Wow, these are all wonderful. Thanks everyone. Looking forward to hearing if there are more suggestions.

Andy, the George Ray & the Stringmasters show you posted about is also in rotation:

viewtopic.php?t=390743&sid=88684e5fba51 ... 677a43381c

Levi Gemmell · Post by **Levi Gemmell** » 31 Oct 2024 3:04 pm

In the spirit of Brisbane Bop, you can find bootleg live recordings of Vance Terry with the Billy Jack Wills band here -

viewtopic.php?t=346746&highlight=billy+ ... live+vance

I just checked the link and the Dropbox is still live.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 1 Nov 2024 3:58 am

Chris Clem's Youtube channel is a gold mine of steel guitar, some of which may be live recordings.

https://www.youtube.com/@chrisclem2573

Jim Fogarty · Post by **Jim Fogarty** » 1 Nov 2024 4:37 pm

For fun, but relatively simple, non-pedal playing, check out Pete Wernick as "Waldo Otto" with Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=O ... eXHQbfnfzQ

For 14yo Jim, hearing this on our local folk music radio show was my entree in western swing. So while it's not virtuoso stuff, I always give them props.

Nic Neufeld · Post by **Nic Neufeld** » 3 Nov 2024 1:55 pm

Ditto to Andy's suggestions. They are more along the lines of bootlegs than like a full album release (no disrespect to either though). I bought a Fender 400 cause I was so awed by the chordal stuff Basil did on that album (I still am terrible at it, sticking to nonpedal now).

Technically a lot of "Hawaii Calls" was (to some extent) live. This album is presented at least as a live performance and features Jules Ah See on it.
https://www.discogs.com/release/7477568 ... he-Islands

And for something a bit more in the rock genre...this 1973 live album from Yes features Steve Howe on lap steel... Yessongs. Here's the specific track with video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbS56p4Xt4I

Hard to see what the steel is, since they never show a top view, but it looks kinda like a student model 6 string set onto a table-ish sort of stand (I've seen him play live much more recently with a Stringmaster)...given the white color and headstock maybe a Gibson BR-9?