Stevie Wonder steel (2)

Jonathan Slyker · From: Montclair, New Jersey, USA

I must've missed these during the 70's. Who knew?

Too Shy to Say

Released 7/22/74

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59mF5aqD3dc&index=3&list=PLymM46aOVb8U4lbZ2yWrEBv3og5pmt7ws

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulfillingness%27_First_Finale

"Too Shy to Say" â€“ 3:29
Stevie Wonder â€“ lead vocal, piano
James Jamerson â€“ acoustic bass
Sneaky Pete Kleinow â€“ pedal steel guitar

I Ain't Gonna Stand for it

Released 9/29/80

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab6Dc1IAMPg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotter_than_July

Musicians
Stevie Wonder - Vocals, Synthesizer, Drums, Fender Rhodes, Bass Synthesizer, Clavinet, Background Vocals, Arp, Vocoder, Piano, Harpsichord, Celeste, Keyboards, Bass Melodeon, Harmonica, Cabasa, Percussion, Bells, Handclaps, Flute Synthesizer

A bunch of other musicians...

Hank Devito - Steel Guitar

Ironically, not great music, in my opinion, but for me, great historical significance.
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MCI D-10 (Curly Chalker's last guitar) Curly's C6th on front neck; Johnny Coxâ€™s E13th on back with E9th pedals.
Widgren custom-built 12 string keyless lap.

Fish · Posted 30 Mar 2016 9:25 pm

"Too Shy To Say" is one of my favorite steel performances on record.

Jim Fogarty · From: Phila, Pa, USA

Stevie Wonder........."not great music"?!?!?!?

Shocked

Ummm. Wow.

Skip Edwards · From: LA,CA

Yes! "Too Shy To Say"... The genius of Sneaky Pete.
Such a great steel track on a wonderful song. All done on a Fender 400 in B6.
And, Pete always recorded direct back then... before Pods and plug-ins.

Thanks for reminding us about that tune.

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

I have to pile on Sneaky Pete for 'Too Shy To Say,' yet another reason to gravitate to pedal steel.

Songs in the Key of Life was heralded as an album, half of the reason that Stevie Wonder was acclaimed 'Musician of the Decade' by Musician Magazine.
That's fairly great; the album got almost as much airplay as Derek and the Dominos. If not great music, they're all great tunes.

Jonathan Slyker · From: Montclair, New Jersey, USA

Point well taken. Mea culpa.

SW is one of the most visionary musicians ever.

When I first heard "I ain't gonna stand for it" I didn't like it much. I don't usually catch all the lyrics, so I can't distinguish the message of the song from some throwaway fake-country you'd hear on NASH FM. But PSG makes everything good. I still don't really love the song. But I could say the same about a Hank song or Rolling Stones song, or any artist. Maybe I'll grasp the essence of the song one day.

Re "too shy to say" it's beautiful, spare, simple, but elegant, angular with the augmented tonality. SPK is, of course, as visionary as they come.

I guess "excellent" coming from SW is not notable when he puts out something like "Golden Lady" or "Superstition." The TSTS tune was recorded at the peak of his artistic vision, mid 70's. If anybody else cut the record, it'd be staggering; for SW, it goes unheralded.

Somebody out there may be able to tell the oral history of a relationship between SPK and SW resulting in the recording. If that person is out there, I'd love to hear from him/her.

BTW, anybody who's seen all the memorial tributes SW has done (on you tube) and his spiritual message, stands in awe and reverence. And I'm an agnostic.

Again, I misspoke.

Thanks so much for the well-considered comments.

SPK RIP.
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MCI D-10 (Curly Chalker's last guitar) Curly's C6th on front neck; Johnny Coxâ€™s E13th on back with E9th pedals.
Widgren custom-built 12 string keyless lap.

Jonathan Slyker · From: Montclair, New Jersey, USA

For the record- song was on "First Fulfillingness' Finale. Minor detail.
_________________
MCI D-10 (Curly Chalker's last guitar) Curly's C6th on front neck; Johnny Coxâ€™s E13th on back with E9th pedals.
Widgren custom-built 12 string keyless lap.

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

Ah. I stand corrected.

I see the distinction you're making between something released by SW and how it's regarded relative to another artist.
It's almost like 'here's another Stevie Wonder tune,' whereas with a less profuse artist it'd be great, maybe.

I didn't get very close to Fulfillingness' First Finale, and Hotter Than July was harder for me to get into than Songs in the Key of Life
and his greatest work (for me), Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants, which I'm surprised he didn't learn pedal steel for,
but with Sneaky Pete, who needs to.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

I haven't heard "Too Shy" in years. What a great tune. Stevie's mellow vocal, the writing and Pete's unique style. I recognized it immediately. A distinct tone and style. Classic Pete. He's one of the main driving forces behind my introduction to steel guitar. RIP.

Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

I had "Hotter Than July". There are some catchy tunes on it. If I remember right one of a later FBB record was recorded in Stevie Wonder's studio.
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Jonathan Slyker · From: Montclair, New Jersey, USA

I'm too lazy to look up "FBB," but I'm sure it's great.

So crazy that you like "Secret Life..."

A friend of mine had the record in the early 80's; just a happenstance that I got exposed to it, and not FFF.

There's a bit of padding, maybe, but the songs are out of this world, and I never hear anybody mentioning them, much less playing them.

"How I wish that I could come back as a flower"
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MCI D-10 (Curly Chalker's last guitar) Curly's C6th on front neck; Johnny Coxâ€™s E13th on back with E9th pedals.
Widgren custom-built 12 string keyless lap.

john widgren · From: Wilton CT

Here is a link to version of "Too Shy To Say" I did quite a few years ago. It's done on Piccolo Bass, by the wonderful bassist Tony Senatore. Fun project, great guy, and a great tune.
enjoy,
https://soundcloud.com/tony-senatore/09-too-shy-to-say
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Jonathan Slyker · From: Montclair, New Jersey, USA

simply wonderful, John
thanks for the post
just out of curiosity, have you ever performed that number publicly?
_________________
MCI D-10 (Curly Chalker's last guitar) Curly's C6th on front neck; Johnny Coxâ€™s E13th on back with E9th pedals.
Widgren custom-built 12 string keyless lap.

Jonathan Slyker · From: Montclair, New Jersey, USA

Oh, so I get FBB now. Had to think about it for a few seconds.

Also, Joachim, what was it like to hear "Ain't Gonna Stand For It" 35 years ago?

Did he presage Taylor Swift?
_________________
MCI D-10 (Curly Chalker's last guitar) Curly's C6th on front neck; Johnny Coxâ€™s E13th on back with E9th pedals.
Widgren custom-built 12 string keyless lap.

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

I just saw Taylor Swift tissue wrapping paper at my local supermarket. How appropriate.

Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

I don't know Taylor Swift good enough, Jonathan, to make any comparisons. I only knew at that time that it was a very commercial sounding album. I remember playing along with "Master Blaster".
I kept "Inner Visions" which I liked more.
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Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube.

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

Beautiful steel work, John Widgren.

Now if I could only decipher FBB....

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

FBB=Flying Burrito Brothers....I assume this is correct reference. Sneaky Pete was one of the earliest members, I believe, and played a lot of steel on the records. With Gram Parsons and Chris HIllman...one of the most important bands of the so-called country rock movement, although I don't think they thought about it that way.

Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

The credits from their "Airborne" album:
- THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS: Airborne (COLUMBIA 34222 (US ) 1976 / CBS 81433 (UK) 1976

Produced by John Fischenbach & The Flying Burrito Brothers
Band: Gib Guilbeau, Joel Scott-Hill, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Gene Parsons & Skip Battin
Guests: Stevie Wonder, Vambo, Jimmi Seiter, Luis Cabaza, Jamie Faunt & Warren "Bugs" Pemberton

Tracks:
Out Of Control / Waiting For Love To Begin / Toe Tappin' Music / Quiet Man Northbound Bus / Big Bayou
Walk On The Water / Linda Lu / Border Town / She's A Sailor / Jesus Broke The Wild Horse In My Heart
It must be Stevie at 31:48:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrqaMlBsLWQ
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Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube.

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

Thank youse, didn't make the Sneaky connection.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Stevie played piano on She's a Sailor. Note the asterisks on the album cover. Oddly, this LP was not one of my favorites at the time, but I've grown to appreciate it more lately, particularly Pete's inimitable steel work.

Great collaborative work between these 2 fine musicians.

Thanks for the reminder.

Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

Thanks for the photos.
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Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube.

scott murray · From: Asheville, NC

Sneaky also plays the fuzztone on Ebony Eyes from Songs In the Key of Life:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbzHAsUehLA

there's a story about Sneaky playing a Stevie Wonder session, and when it came time to pack up and go Stevie had a big guy passing out checks to all the musicians. when he got to Pete, he noticed the check was a lot larger than the other players' so he asked, "How come you get paid so much??"

"Because I'm Sneaky Pete!" was the reply Very Happy

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