Hits by steel players

Brendan Mitchell · From: Melbourne Australia

I can only think of 2 Ralph Mooney's Crazy Arms and Danny De Vito's Queen of Hearts .
Any more ?

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

I think it was Hank DeVito.

Santo and Johnny Farina wrote Sleep Walk which was a hit.

I'm sure there are others.
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Eddie Cunningham · From: Massachusetts, USA

Jerry Byrd got a lot of radio play , at least locally around these parts, for his beautiful rendition of "Theme from Adventures in Paradise"!! and also there was a Hawaiian song , "Hawaiian Tattoo " by ???? that was played quite a bit !!! Eddie "C"

Bobby Snell · From: Austin, Texas

This oughta be a short thread....

Jody Sanders · From: Magnolia,Texas, R.I.P.

Moon also wrote 'Foolin'. Recorded by Johnny Rodriguez. Jody.

Jim Hartley · From: SC/TN

If you're talking about hit songs written by steelers, Bill Johnson, who played for Marty Robbins, wrote quite a few songs and had a hit with "A wound time can't erase". Also, Glen Ray, who played steel for Tom T for a few years had several hits as a song writer. "I just came home to count the memories" was one, and there were several others.

I'm sure there are quite a few more, but that's all I can think of right now.

Tony Dingus · From: Kingsport, Tennessee, USA

Bruce Bouton has too.

Tony

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

Danny DeVito had the short version. Laughing

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Rick Campbell · From: Sneedville, TN, USA

Hartley,

"Just Came Home To Count The Memories" . Wow, what a song. I liked it when Cal Smith did it and when John Anderson did it too. Maybe others cut it too, but that's the only ones I'm familar with. Smile

Tommy White · From: Nashville

Reading the topic indicates "steel guitar hits" to my way of thinking. The first to come to mind is Lloyd Green. Lloyd had what I consider to be modern day pedal steel guitar hits with such instrumental versions of "I can see clearly now" and "Sally G".
A short time before I had interest in pedal steel guitar, I understand Pete Drake had some regional successes with a gadget referred to as "the steel guitar talk box". A novelty sound and idea worth pursuing in that particular era.
I would also think the original "Steel Guitar Rag" might need honorable mention for the era in which it was recorded.

Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

In the 40's Steel Guitarist Paul Westmoreland wrote the song "Detour". It was a big hit and was recorded by many Artists and Bands.

David Hartley · Posted 4 Nov 2009 2:45 am Hi

Jim.. I like your picture...to complicated, I'll play drums.. Laughing

Tommy.. I saw you at the Opry on the first night of the classics when Gene Watson and Mel Tillis were there, I done the backstage tour afterwards but you had gone.. Got a picture of the Web settings though..Ha..

I am watching this thread with interest..

What the definition of a 'Hit'? If it's a chart hit, is it a top 10, top 40, top 100?

There's many instrumentals on some of my old records that I personally would call hits (in the steel guitar world)..

Brendan Mitchell · From: Melbourne Australia

I was thinking more along the lines of pop type hits as opposed to instrumentals but Sleepwalk would have to qualify .I reckon anything that has reached top 10 . And should we class Johnny Paycheck as a steel player as he had a couple for sure .

Tommy White · From: Nashville

You make a very good point Mr. Hartley. Smile

Billy Peddycoart · From: champain,IL US.

Pete Drake.."I'm sorry" early 60's

Ben Rubright · From: Punta Gorda, Florida, USA

Billy Mize wrote 'Who Will Buy the Wine'....recorded by many over the last 50 years.
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Jim Hartley · From: SC/TN

Tommy,

I thought the same thing when I first saw the thread title, but when he mentioned "Crazy Arms", it seemed to go in another direction.

Either way, interesting thread.

David, I meant to say hello to you in St. Louis, but everytime I looked, you had crowds of folks around you. For sure, next year though.

Jim

David Hartley · Posted 4 Nov 2009 6:18 am Hi

Jim.. Righto Bro,

A hit for me is pedal pattle by LG.. Has anyone ever worked out that one? I am in my van driving at the moment listening to this and others on the 'Hit Sounds' album.. These are all hits in my ears..

Mr. Campbell.. there's 2 Hartley's on this thread now..

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

"Sleep Walk" certainly became a classic steel guitar
performance but.......

it's probably because some of you are simply not old enough to know any different........

Leon McAuliff's steel guitar instrumental "Panhandle Waltz" became a BIG HIT and did a cross-over to many of the "POP ONLY STATIONS" in this region. That was during an era when Country/Hillbilly DID NOT MIX with the pop charts. Eddy Arnold was still billed as a FOLK SINGER and the rest of the pack were dubbed Hillbilly.

Leon did a fine job and it was another of those 4 +/-minute records like Marty Robbins and Hank Williams were popularized for recording.

My hat's off to you LEON!

Mitch Drumm · From: Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake

Jerry Byrd's "Theme From Adventures In Paradise" reached 97 on the Billboard top 100 pop chart in August 1960.

Jerry Byrd's "Memories Of Maria" reached 74 in March 1962. I remember that getting a lot of air play.

Sleep Walk by Santo and Johnny hit number 1 in the summer of 1959. It was the 10th biggest pop record of the year and the biggest instrumental.

"Pete Drake And His Talking Steel Guitar" reached number 25 with "Forever" in early 1964.

Bob Wills "San Antonio Rose" (the original instrumental version with Leon) ranked 95 on the chart for the year 1941.

I can't find any other instances of steel instrumentals ranking on the chart--nothing with "Panhandle" in the title, nothing else with "Steel Guitar" in the title that is obviously a steel recording.

Which apparently means the infamous "Steel Guitar Rag" never ranked in the top 100.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

If you are referring to strictly traditional country hits, I don't really know, but I'm thinkin' that Rusty Young wrote some hit songs for Poco in the country rock field. Maybe Pete Kleinow also? Doug Livingston. Many steel players were/are excellent song writers.

Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

The highest chart position for a Poco song (written by R. Young) was Nr. 17 in '79, it was Crazy Love.
Rose Of Cimmaron was only at 94.

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

I believe Curley Putman who wrote a slew of country hits was a steel player. Some of 'em were "My Elusive Dreams", "Green, Green, Grass of Home" and others....

Also Billy Mize who was mentioned before as the writer of "Who'll Buy the Wine" also wrote "Make it Rain" which was recorded by Ray Price & Dean Martin. Dean also recorded Billy's tune "Terrible Tangled Web"........JH in Va.
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Michael Schweedler · From: Washington, USA

If I'm not Sleep Walk is the only steel guitar instrmentel to make it to #1 on the charts. Very Happy

Michael Schweedler · From: Washington, USA

If I'm not mistaken Sleep Walk is the only steel guitar instrmentel to make it to #1 on the charts. Very Happy

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