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Topic: John McFee ? |
Brendan Mitchell
From:
Melbourne Australia
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Posted 18 Aug 2007 4:04 pm |
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Is this John McFee in this video and does anyone know anything about him ? I love his understated playing here and think it really adds to the song :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcBh9IgMz5U |
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Jim Park
From:
Carson City, Nv
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Posted 18 Aug 2007 4:31 pm
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Brendan ,
I think that it is John Mcfee......I am a big fan of his from the Southern Pacific days, he did all the steel on the two albums they did..... Killbilly Hill and Zuma. He did some nice stuff on the steel ........but i really like his guitar playing |
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Randy Phelps
From:
California, USA
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Posted 18 Aug 2007 4:43 pm
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John McPhee was in a great players band called Clover.... he was recruited as a member of the Doobie Bros and continues to play and tour with them.... essentially playing all the parts that Jeff Baxter played in the studio....
When the Doobs broke up (one of the times) he and Keith Knudsen from the Doobs started Southern pacific, originally with Albert Lee and James Burton, both of whom left before they could complete their first album...
McPhee is a bay area guy and has played on a ton of records.. including Huey Lewis etc etc etc...He is a multi instrumentalist and from all accounts a very nice guy who plays for the song. |
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Marlin Smoot
From:
Kansas
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Posted 18 Aug 2007 6:13 pm
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| Huey Lewis was also in the group Clover at the same time as John. |
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Joe Goldmark
From:
San Francisco, CA 94131
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Posted 18 Aug 2007 7:52 pm
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That's definitely John. I just colaborated with him on my new album "Seducing The 60's." He's a monster guitar player as well as a wonderful steel guitarist. He has such a good musical mind, that he frequently plays different licks than are usually heard on the steel. He's one of those guys who blazes his own path. On my album he mostly plays lead, but he also takes a steel ride on "The Kids Are Alright."
Joe |
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Jim Eaton
From:
Santa Susana, Ca
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Posted 18 Aug 2007 8:58 pm
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I had the pleasure of working shows with Clover at the Palamino in North Hollywood when John was in the band. His playing has always been top notch on anything I've ever seen him pick up!
JE:-)> |
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Olaf van Roggen
From:
The Netherlands
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Posted 19 Aug 2007 3:43 am
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John McFee played some excellent steel on two albums by harmonica player "Norton Buffalo",who toured with Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen.
Also on these records is a guy i never heard of who turns out to be an excellent steel and dobro player.
His name is Fred Jones. |
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Chip McConnell
From:
San Francisco, California, USA
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Posted 19 Aug 2007 6:17 am
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| that's him on the Grateful Dead's "Pride of Cucamunga" off the Mars Hotel record. Some really nice playing there. |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 19 Aug 2007 11:07 am
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St.Dominic's Preview...Van Morrison."Wild Nights'
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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Dan Tyack
From:
Olympia, WA USA
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Posted 19 Aug 2007 11:41 am
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John also played on several Elvis Costello albums, including the first one. What a great player. He encouraged me early in my career in terms of my rock and roll playing when he told me (in so many words):
'the steel guitar is the ultimate rock and roll and blues instrument. If you could shake your butt and play it would rule over the guitar.'
_________________
www.tyack.com
Capetown girls sing this wrong: "da doo, da doo" |
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clive swindell
From:
Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK
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Posted 18 Apr 2008 7:25 am
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| The new CD by Carlene Carter 'Stronger' gets a 5 star ratings in one English paper and features some excellent steel from John McFee who also produced it and seems to play just about all the other instruments. Worth a listen. |
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Jon Hyde
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 18 Apr 2008 8:32 pm
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| John's playing on the Elvis Costello records is great. Those records really helped me to find country music and ultimately make my way to the steel! Cool to see him get his due here on the forum! |
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Peter Dollard
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Posted 19 Apr 2008 8:15 am Clover At The Inn Of The Beginning
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| I used to go see Clover all the time from 1972-74. John is an amazing player steel, guitar, fiddle... he played with such unconscious ease. One time at the Inn there was a double bill. Clover and David Nichtern(Midnight At the Oasis) So John and David jam with Nicollete Larson and Hank Devito who was Davids steel player...what a performance. I have a bootleg tape of it somewhere. |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 19 Apr 2008 9:45 am
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i saw clover also...on university ave in berkeley..early 70's..was intent on checking out his sho-bud at the time!
but can someone tell me what's good about elvis costello? i don't get it! |
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Peter Dollard
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Posted 19 Apr 2008 12:48 pm Smoke And Mirrors Award
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| Hey Chris at the SCWNT awards this year Elvis swept all the categories. By the way SCWNT stands for supposedly country with no talent. |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 19 Apr 2008 1:42 pm
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I've never been able to understand Elvis Costello's appeal, either. I've never forgiven him for ruining Ricky Skaggs' live version of 'Don't get Above Your Raisin'' at the 'Live In London' recording!!!!
Then there's that collaboration album of his with Burt Bacharach..... 
_________________
Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, Quilter TT-12 & TT-15, B-bender Teles and Martins - and, at last, a Gibson Super 400!
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Russ Tkac
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Posted 20 Apr 2008 9:37 am
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I love Elvis Costello and have since the first album. I'm sure he's not for everyone but that is why music is so great.
Russ |
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John McClung
From:
Olympia WA, USA
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Posted 20 Apr 2008 11:31 am
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John McFee is probably my EARLIEST pedal steel influence, from the his steel work on Boz Scagg's "Moments" album. Guess that was 1971 or 1972? I was trying to emulate his playing on my T8 Fender, couldn't understand how someone could get all those gorgeous "bendy" sounds, until much later I learned about the pedal steel.
He's a great player for sure.
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▪️ If you want to have an ongoing discussion, please email me, don't use the Forum messaging which I detest! steelguitarlessons@earthlink.net |
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Posted 29 Apr 2012 1:27 am
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I've found this clip of them both playing live in the early eighties. It's "Hot Burrito Number 1" written by Chris Ethridge and Gram Parsons.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U855GjJPsZM&feature=related
_________________
Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube. |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 29 Apr 2012 3:50 am
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Here a great tune from decades ago.. Its loaded with some wondeful honky tonk steel by John McFee.. The aforementioned Pride of Cucamonga by the Dead. This was a very early inspiration to me... bob
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByXF8lnVa04
_________________
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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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 29 Apr 2012 4:45 am
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I enjoyed that very much and hold John McFee in the highest regard. He's a super guitar-player, too!
I still don't care for Costello, though - he sings, but with no appreciable ability. I know some will say the I 'don't get it!' (as they do when I level the same criticism of Johnny Cash) but some voices remain 'inaccessible' to me...
_________________
Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, Quilter TT-12 & TT-15, B-bender Teles and Martins - and, at last, a Gibson Super 400!
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Posted 29 Apr 2012 5:37 am
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| Quote: |
| I still don't care for Costello, though - he sings, but with no appreciable ability. |
Roger, there are many singers with voices, that don't meet the standard of a great singer (and I won't mention McCartney)
Elvis Costello was coming on in the late seventies as a part of the Pub-Rock scene, which I really dug. And musically he still had a foot in the past.
_________________
Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube. |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 29 Apr 2012 5:51 am
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All very true, Joachim. I just have this old-fashioned notion that a singer, like an instrumentalist, should - at the highest level - at least display some evidence that he's worked at his craft.
There's no accounting for taste, though, and I freely acknowledge that many won't share my views on this.
I recently did a support gig at which Daryle Singletary was headlining - I was unaware of Daryle at the time (I'm not a huge country music fan) but left that night in awe of his vocal prowess. Clearly the very best singers aren't necessarily the best-known (quite the opposite very often) but it's a delight for me when I do encounter them.
_________________
Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, Quilter TT-12 & TT-15, B-bender Teles and Martins - and, at last, a Gibson Super 400!
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Mark van Allen
From:
Watkinsville, Ga. USA
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Posted 29 Apr 2012 8:23 am
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Somewhere I have a tape of the Austin City Limits show with Southern Pacific. Absolutely stellar country-rock, great songs, amazing playing and not a note out of place. I'm a big McFee fan.
_________________
Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com
www.musicfarmstudio.com |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 29 Apr 2012 8:38 am
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roger..i share your views about elvis c. and johnny c.
there are a lot of cash tribute bands around now. i would tire of that gig quickly. |
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