Another tribute to Sneaky Pete

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

Having just listened to it again, I see that the song that first hooked me on the pedal steel sound was from the '70's--Pete's playing on Sandy Denny's version of Dylan's 'Tomorrow is a Long Time.'
But I never looked to see who it was. I'd heard him with the Ventures, Jackson Browne and others without knowing who was that masked man. Every tune that hooked me, I went back and found out it was Sneaky.
Something about the lyrical nature of his playing, something a little different and ethereal.
Whatever it was that I connected to, Pete remains the greatest!

[Sandy Denny, who's life was way too short, played with the Strawbs, recording "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?", only the second song she'd ever written, later becoming the classic by Judy Collins. She later joined Fairport Convention with Richard Thompson. After founding Fotheringay, she produced two solo albums and toured, gaining many accolades and awards. That she picked Sneaky Pete to play on this truly outstanding song, a country and western kind of rendition, is a testatement to his acclaim.]

John Daugherty · From: Rolla, Missouri, USA

YES.... Pete has a habit of popping up when you least expect him ..... He is truly a legend in the realm of unsung heroes.
Having worked with Pete, I can say: Most people never heard all that he was capable of playing. He was a master of creativity.
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Greg Simmons · From: where the buffalo (used to) roam AND the Mojave

here's a great pic - from somebody's blog - from SXSW 2005 in Austin TX: the one and only Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Richard Bell (who filled in for Garth Hudson) & Carlton Moody of Buritto Deluxe.

I think the guys in I see Hawks in LA said it best...

http://www.iseehawks.com/hawkslog/archives/2007/01/rip_sneaky_pete.html

"Gram Parsons coined the phrase "cosmic American music," and did consciously chart its early direction with the Flying Burrito Brothers, but the sound came from the otherworldly pedal steel of Sneaky Pete Kleinow.

His sound sits at the apex of the mysticism the instrument is capable of invoking, surrounding the Hillman/Parsons tunes with a cloud that lifted over Mojave truckstops, granite cliffs, and Joshua trees.

Sneaky Pete passed on January 6. See you on the other side, brother. "
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<i>ï¿½Head full of this kaleidoscope of brain-freight, Heart full of something simple and slowï¿½</i>
-Mark Heard

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

Greg, great picture. What kind of guitar is he playing?

He looks to be in his own universe.
Maybe he was a mystic.
The thing about 'em, you don't know and they're not tellin'.

I'd love to find a solo album by him.
Did he make one?
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Those that say don't know; those that know don't say.--Buddy Emmons

John Daugherty · From: Rolla, Missouri, USA

Charlie, in the picture, Pete is playing his Fender 400, equipped with his own modifications. It is quite possible that it is the guitar I sold him in 1960. I let Pete use my 400 on a job we were working in Escondido (4 nights/wk). He asked if he could take it home and add some pedals. When I agreed, he took it home, then brought it back to the job. It looked like a porcupine, with all those pedals he added. He eventually bought the guitar.
Anita told me that, as far as she knew, he had always played the same guitar.
I'm sure there are others who have more info on this guitar. When I worked with him, it did not have the added controls on the front of the neck.
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Greg Simmons · From: where the buffalo (used to) roam AND the Mojave

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

That's the way a steel should look, like steel.
Cool story John.
Thanks for the links and history, Greg and Jim.
Is this forum great or what?
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Those that say don't know; those that know don't say.--Buddy Emmons

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

BTW, through a lucky connection on the Telecaster forum of all places, Anita and I located the guy that made both of Pete's tone bars! Anita is going to be talking to him - apparently he was a bass player who played a lot with Pete in the 50's. We should get some great stories and history!
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

Mark Lind-Hanson · From: Menlo Park, California, USA

Pete's also on Sandy Denny's largely overlooked album "the Northstar Grassman and the Ravens"-
Have a listen to "It'll Take a Long Long Time"- hair-raising.
He's all over the rest of it, too.

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

Boy, that one is hair-raising!
_________________
Those that say don't know; those that know don't say.--Buddy Emmons

Jonathan Shacklock · From: London, UK

Mark, not to take away from Pete's acheivements but I think it's Buddy Emmons on Sandy's wonderful "Northstar..." album. (He performs a two minute solo on the final track, Crazy Lady Blues). I'm not sure which album you have in mind but I'll buy it tomorrow if you find out!

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

Checking my boxed set, "It'll Take A Long Time" is from Sandy, the first of her two 'solo' albums. Steel is by Sneaky Pete. As I say, I've gotten to where I can guess the player on that scary sound now that I know who he is.

I'm no historian, just a big Sandy Denny fan.

Say, just checking the album link, I see some outstanding musicians such as the Porcaro brothers, and some guy named Doug Livingston on keyboard (!).
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Those that say don't know; those that know don't say.--Buddy Emmons

Paul Redmond · From: Illinois, USA

We just lost Pete a short while ago, and yet none of the 'hard-core' country execs in Nashville even had the balls to acknowledge that he ever existed. Pete was/is responsible for bringing the steel to the forefront when most execs just wanted it to go away along with all the 'bothersome' hillbillies they had to deal with at the time. I have posted it here before and I'll repeat it now. . .can anyone keep a dry eye while listening to Linda Ronstadt's live version of "I Fall To Pieces"? That was Pete!! He made that cut a hit IMO. That song would've been nothing but another 'bar-room' wannabe without that steel. That song is and remains a classic in the history of the steel guitar. He did all that stuff on an 8-string Fender with a straight-up B6 tuning. Less is definitely more. He played anything AND everything well. We'll not see another like him in our lifetimes.
PRR

Mark Lind-Hanson · From: Menlo Park, California, USA

Yes I admit that mistake-
Seems that when I first heard the song it was in the period when Northstar Grassman came out however- so that's my association with it- it's nothing serious but you are right.
It can also be found on the various Sandy Denny compilations.
Reminds me I ought to pick up a new copy of that, anyhow-

But- Pete IS on the Northstar Grassman record.

Mark Lind-Hanson · From: Menlo Park, California, USA

At least I am about 45 % sure that he is.

Not to take anything away from his accomplishments, yes indeed, I agree completely that Pete has been slagged and slighted by the Nashville & music industry establishment & I personally wish to see a lot more recognition of what he did, in future years...

Jeremy Steele · From: Princeton, NJ USA

I didn't find out until recently that Sneaky played the break on Joe Cocker's version of "She Came in Thru The Bathroom Window"...I always thought it was a 6 string, and I marveled at how thoses sounds were produced...what an inventive, creative mind he had...surely he will be missed.

Dan Tyack · From: Olympia, WA USA

To my ears, on that track "It'll take a long time", it sounds like just bass drums, acoustic guitar, and Pete (maybe a little B3 but that could be him too).

Truly hair curling, and it couldn't be anybody but Pete.

Thanks for pointing this out, Mark, I never heard this track before.

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

Well, it's for sure that Pete Kleinow was a national treasure.
Such folk often get less recognition than they should.
They pave the way, they explore, set trends, and are often out there on there own.

I'm looking forward to re-discovering his music for myself.
Good to read all these replies from other fans.
_________________
Those that say don't know; those that know don't say.--Buddy Emmons

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

Pete's looking down and wondering what all the fuss is about!

The Nashville establishment noticed him about as much as the steel Hall of Fame/ steel community, where he was only nominated to the Hall for the first time last year. He never played inside the clique, and really among name steelers the only ones who seem to mention him much are Buddy Emmons, Bobbe Seymour and Herb Steiner. His only real foray into Nashville country was with the ill-fated John Beland-led iteration of the Burritos, which was John's attempt at creating a strictly-country "hit machine" - resulting in some low-charting singles, a complete departure from the Burrito's original purpose (fusing country/R&B and rock), and Pete being buried in the mix, steel becoming an afterthought that made things sound "country".

Setting aside his playing itself, what's shocking is that he only considered himself a part-time musician, and always had a self-deprecating, humorous manner when even asked about it.

He told me he played a weird tuning in a weird way, that I was out of my mind to try to play it...which I do, along with many others, which also really surprised him when he found out...and even though he was somewhat secretive about it in his very early days, later on he'd spend endless amounts of time going over his guitar with anyone, being amazed anyone was even interested).

Even when he was touring and doing lots of sessions, he maintained his "day job" as a stop-motion animator. And it''s interesting that his one big ""trophy" has zilch to do with steel - it's an Emmy ward for special effects on (as I recall) "Winds of War" in the 80's.

Musically, though, twothing stand out; 1) his oft-heard advice "play from the heart", which sadly too few players even understand, instead looking to become great "pickers" (i.e. hot licks, flawless execution, precisely controlled and constructed solos, etc.) and 2) his way of looking at the instrument as far as fitting songs - not "what pedal steel stuff should be played here", but "what music should be played here". The first is demonstrated in the sheer joy (and even slightly on-the-edge-of-control parts) evident in his playing and the incredible touch (note he rarely used a volume control); the second is why he's so identifiable and unique - he came up with the "music" first, THEN played it one the steel...so many things he played just weren't LIKE "steel guitar" as most people know it (and with his tuning, you can play "normal" steel stuff very easily, as it's basically a reversed-personality universal with no chromatics. Regular old A/B pedal rocking and things like that are almost identical to E9).

Anyway, to me *that's* style - considering the music first, then playing the music on the instrument you have. A lot different than playing the licks you know in the right key for the song you end up "playing along with", rather than "fitting into".

Pete had a LOT of style.

FWIW the most representative samples of his playing are on "Legend and Legacy" and "Meet Sneaky Pete", but his wildest, most insane playing appears on the many Burritos bootlegs that are floating around. The early one's, where he's also "playing Tele" on steel are fun...and crazy. But a couple gems - one from 1978 and one from 1985 - have him just completely tearing the roof off. I've had hardcore 20-ish metal players who wouldn't listen to country if you paid them ask for copies, as they're just stunned that those sounds and ideas can be played on a pedal steel. Then I hand them the 1-pound, huge bar, they try to noodle around on my 400 and soon declare Pete an alien life form.

Winking

_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

One of my all-time favorite off-the-cuff solos that Pete ever did was in "Diggy Liggy Lo" on "The Red Album" which was a live-in-the-studio thing - also broadcast live on the radio locally here in L.A. in the mid 70s. Check out the solo in question here:
http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Red%20Album:%20Live%20Studio%20Party%20In%20Hollywood:1921872766
Click on Diggy Liggy Li. Happenin' ain't it?
I taped that gig live off the radio on a boom box in a moving car as I drove across Southern California that night in 1976 with radio reception fading in and out as I drove through the mountains. That cassette was all I had for decades till it was officially released recently. That was the version of the band that besides Pete,had Joel Scott Hill fronting the band on lead guitar and vocals as well as Gene Parsons on drums,Chris Etheridge on Bass,Gib Gilbeau on guitar and fiddle. That's not everyones favorite version of the Burritos but it was a lot better than some and Pete gets a lot of room to play. Someone should start a website like the one on Jerry Byrd where you can submit your favorite Sneaky Pete songs and solos cause there's a lot of great stuff out there.

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