Red Simpson steel players

Dave Zirbel · From: Sebastopol, CA USA

I was listening to Red Simpson with a steel buddy and we were trying to figure out who was playing steel on some recordings from the 1960's. I was guessing Red Rhodes or Leo LeBlanc. Sounded like a Fender PSG.

Thanks, Dave

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

Leo

_________________
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.

Ellis Miller · From: Cortez, Colorado, USA

Hi
I'm curious which recordings you were listening to. After Red recorded "Hello, I'm a Truck" around 1971 and went to Capitol Records and later Warner Brothers through the mid to late 70's, the steel player would have been Gene Brown.
_________________
Ellis Miller
Don't believe everything you think.
http://www.ellismillermusic.com

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

Ellis,Are there two different versions of "Roll Truck Roll"? I swear that the lick is different on a later CD that I bought.
_________________
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.

Dave Zirbel · From: Sebastopol, CA USA

I don't know exactly which recording it was. The songs were Nitro Express, Highway Patrol and some others I don't know the names of. Some of the steel licks were bluesy sounding and very cool.

Dave

Ellis Miller · From: Cortez, Colorado, USA

Stu, there are at least two versions of "Roll Truck Roll" that I know of. I worked with Gene Breeden Productions who produced Red through the 70's. We recorded a version and I am sure he had done one earlier.

I was not involved in the recordings Dave mentioned, so I will defer to Stu. That is a cool thing about the forum. It seems like there is always someone who was there, or at least knows somebody who was.
_________________
Ellis Miller
Don't believe everything you think.
http://www.ellismillermusic.com

Dave Zirbel · From: Sebastopol, CA USA

Larry Petree, who lives in Bakersfield and plays steel with Red every Monday night in Oildale at Trouts just emailed and also confirmed that Leo played on most of Red's recordings.

Billy Wilson · From: El Cerrito, California, USA

Also, anybody know who played steel on one of Red's later day songs called: "We're Gonna Git'cha Bin Laden" The song aint much but the steel playin is way cool. I asked Larry and he didn't know.

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

Dave,I bought my Dekley from Larry,Yeah he would know I think he still plays with Red.When I played lead guitar for Jerry Jeff Walker Leo was my room mate on the road,he told me that he played on Red's records,I'll have to dig up the CD that I sent away for last year it also has Highway Patrol,and a song about Red Sovine the other Red,Roll Truck Roll just bugs me, the lick isn't the one that was in my brain foe all of those years.Eugene Moles Jr. was just up here a few days ago,I think his Dad played guitar on some of those records? Winking

_________________
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.

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

I played steel on "Hey Bin Laden" and also his CD "The Bard of Bakersfield' from a couple years ago.That CD is about half pedals and half Stringmaster.

Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

leo's on the four capitol albums from 1966-67, that's it.

red went back to capitol in the early 70s, the trucker christmas album, etc.

ROLL TRUCK ROLL(7/-) Capitol ST-2468 1966
Truck Drivin' Man, Roll Truck Roll(38/-), Nitro Express, Give Me Forty Acres, Happy Go Lucky Truck Driver, Highway Man, Motivatin' Man, Truck Driver's Blues, Big Mack, My Baby's Waitin', Six Days On The Road, Runaway Truck.

THE MAN BEHIND THE BADGE(34/-) Capitol ST-2569 1966
Johnny Law, Bad Man Highway Patrol, You're Under Arrest, Sheriff Sam, Sidewalk Patrol, Workin' For The Highway Patrol, Rules Of The Road, I'm Turnin' In My Star, Highway Patrol(39/-), Twenty Five Years Of Patrol, City Police, County Sheriff.

TRUCK DRIVIN' FOOL Capitol ST-2691 1967
Diesel Smoke Dangerous Curves(41/-), Sleeper Five By Two, Black Smoke A Blowin' Over 18 Wheels, Truck Daddy, Take Me Home, Jack Knife, Tombstone Every Mile, Born To Be A Trucker, I'll Be Goin' Gome To Momma, Piggyback Blues, Old Sam, Truck Drivin' Fool.

A BAKERSFIELD DOZEN Capitol ST-2829 1967
I Fell In Love With You, Party Girl, I'm Gonna Write Momma For Money, George For A Day, I'm Acting Like My Old Self Again, Jeannie With The Light Brown Cadillac, I've Just Lost You, There Ain't Nothin' Happenin' To Me, Ukulele Bailey, My Last Night In Town, I Just Cry A Little, Mini-Skirt Minnie.

the above are all leo leblanc and gene moles.

SINGS Portland SLP-1003 1971
Knights Of The Road, Drugstore Truck Driver, Road Rhythm, Motel Joe, Good Old Truckin' Girl, Truckin' Man, I Just Kept On Truckin', Gas Food And Lodging, Lady Of The Road.

this one I've never heard, but it led back to capitol, gene brown didn't think he played on this one if my recall is right. i think it just predates his arrival at gene's studio.

I'M A TRUCK(4/-) Capitol ST-881 1972
I'm A Truck(4/-), Nitro Express, Old Sam, Runaway Truck, Black Smoke A Blowin' Over 18 Wheels, Roll Truck Roll, Big Mack, Where Love Used To Be, Motivatin' Man, Take Me Home.

VERY REAL RED SIMPSON Capitol ST-11093 1972
Hold On M'am You Got Yourself A Honker, Truckin' On Down The Road, Ole Ben, You're All Over My Mind, Fur Coats And Fancy Clothes, Ballad Of Billy Jones, Certainly, Highway Patrol, You're The First, Country Western Truck Drivin' Singer(62/-).

TRUCKER'S CHRISTMAS Capitol ST-11231 1973
Truckin' Trees For Christmas, Blue Blue Christmas For This Truck Drivin' Man, Christmas Wheels, Old Christmas Truck, Toys For The Tots, Santa's Comin' In A Big Ol' Truck, Dad Will Be Home For Christmas, Little Toy Trucks, Gone Home For Christmas, Out On The Road For Christmas.

20 GREAT TRUCK HITS Capitol 7C-85895 1973
Truck Drivin' Man, Nitro Express, Give Me Forty Acres, Motivatin' Man, Big Mack, Six Days On The Road, Sleeper Five By Two, Take Me Home, Tombstone Every Mile, Born To Be A Trucker, Diesel Smoke Dangerous Curves, Truck Drivin' Fool, Hold On M'am You Got Yourself A Honker, Truckin' On Down The Road, Fur Coats And Fancy Clothes, Country And Western Truck Drivin' Singer, I'm A Truck, Milesaver Man, Awful Lot To Learn About Truck Drivin', If The World Run Out Of Diesel.

gene brown played on a lot of this material, as you may notice there's a few re-recordings of older material. Ellis Miller, i assume you were involved in the '72 lp version of roll truck roll.

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

Jason,Do you have a CD with the song I'm Red Simpson Not Red Sovine?
_________________
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.

Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

Stu, I don't have "I'm Red Simpson Not Red Sovine"..

Ellis Miller · From: Cortez, Colorado, USA

Jason, you certainly did your homework. Thank you very much for the information.

I was involved in the 72 version of "Roll Truck Roll". In fact, we re-recorded several of Reds previous truck driving songs to include some stylistic things that were signature on "Hello, I'm a Truck" such as the galloping piano style that Gene Keys (Lanholm)played and Gene Breeden's chickin' pickin' guitar.

It gets a little confusing, however. "Hello, I'm a Truck" was first released on Portland LTD which was Breeden's indie label. When the song started getting action, we leased the product to Capitol and Red was signed with Capitol. While Gene Breeden was producing Red for Capitol, some of the material released on albums was either in the can at Central Songs (a Capitol company) where Red was a writer or had been recorded earlier and Capitol still had the rights. The short story is that it is hard to tell which was recorded where as far as some of the Capitol releases are concerned without actually hearing it.

I am delighted to hear Red is still out there doing it. I really enjoyed working with him. I remember a great sense of humor and he certainlly knew his way around a recording studio. I learned a lot from him. Thank you all for contributing to this thread. I have enjoyed the conversation.
_________________
Ellis Miller
Don't believe everything you think.
http://www.ellismillermusic.com

Gene H. Brown · From: Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada

Hi Guys,
I thought I would join in here, as I saw my name mentioned, LOL.
I worked at Ripcord studio for almost 8 years as a studio steel guitarist and Bass player, I did cut some of the songs with Red Simpson after Gene Breeden took over the studio, I was there from 1965 through about 1973. After Gene Breeden took over the studio, he renamed it to Gene Breeden Studio and Portland Records as my good friend Ellis Miller had stated. I wrote one of the songs Red cut that was released on Capitol Records called "If the world ran out of Diesel", I also traveled with Gene Breeden, Red Simpson, Dave dudley and Ira Allen for quite a few years, those were hard times, but fun times, lots of Auditorium Shows. I think the proudest that I ever felt was when Red Simpson did "If the world ran out of Diesel" live on the Dean Martin television show in 1973. I was lucky enough to be able to take a break from playing that night and watched it, and my heart sunk down to my knees, I will never forget it, what a feeling. I am going to be at the Nashville Steel Guitar convention Oct 3rd and 4th and maybe run into some of you guys, I probably won't play, but I sure want to watch. I also want to visit with my friends, Lloyd Green, Gene Breeden and Bill Wence who did great last year and won the grammy for the best promoter, they are all great people. Sorry if I bored ya'all, it's nice to go back in time Very Happy

Thanks Guys
_________________
If You Keep Pickin That Thing, It'll Never Heal!
Wink

Gene H. Brown · From: Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada

BTW, I can not remember what I did play on, but I was there, it's been over 35 years and we did hundreds of sessions at that studio and like a fool, I never kept a log, at the time I didn't think it would be important, I wish I could relive those days, when country music was still country music Crying or Very sad

Thanks
Gene
_________________
If You Keep Pickin That Thing, It'll Never Heal!
Wink

Gene H. Brown · From: Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada

Whoops, I forgot to mention that I will see my old friend Ken Fox in Nashville to, sorry Kenny, see ya there.
Gene
_________________
If You Keep Pickin That Thing, It'll Never Heal!
Wink

Ellis Miller · From: Cortez, Colorado, USA

Gene H. Brown · From: Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada

Hi Ellis,
Thanks man, I certainly will tell hello for you and I wish it wasn't so cold in Colorado in the winter, I would really like to see you too and the guitar that the Hell's Angels broke the night we were playing in Portland, what a night that was, eh?
Best Wishes
Gene
_________________
If You Keep Pickin That Thing, It'll Never Heal!
Wink

Forum Index > Steel Players		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic