New Riders Steel Player

Cartwright Thompson · Posted 16 Aug 2010 7:30 am

Does anyone know if the New Riders of the Purple Sage are touring with a steel player?

John Cadeau · From: Surrey,B.C. Canada

The New Riders of The Purple Sage are doing tours. Buddy Cage is playing steel. I think but am not 100% sure that Buddy and David Nelson are the only original members of the band. I've seen them a few times in the last couple of years, and enjoyed their shows.
John

Olli Haavisto · From: Jarvenpaa,Finland

Who was the original steel player with NRPS ? Very Happy

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Olli Haavisto
Finland

Jeff Garden · From: Center Sandwich, New Hampshire, USA

Originally, Jerry Garcia (yes, that Jerry Garcia Smile

), as the New Riders were sort of a side project for Jerry to play steel and also included a few Grateful Dead members early on. As far as I know, it was all Buddy Cage from their second album "Powerglide" on.

JB Arnold · From: Longmont,Co,USA (deceased)

Cage was recruited by Garcia while they were on the Festival Express tour together. Cage was with Great Speckled Bird at the time,(basically Ian and Sylvia). He spent a week on the train set up next to Garcia and shortly thereafter Garcia started after him to come take the steel chair in the New Riders, as he had to go back to his day gig with the Dead and the Riders were taking off.

Cage was already leaning towards doing it when Amos Garrett, phenomenal guitarist for the band, told Buddy he was leaving. That sealed and Buddy asked Ian for a release so he could go to the States (Ian had him on a contract). Ian told him he could go if he could find a replacement as good as he was to take the slot, as they had a tour and the weekly TV show to do. Conveniently, the late Ben Keith came by the studio one day looking for something, and Cage cornered him and talked him into taking the job. (Not too tough, it was a good gig). Cage loaded up the VW and blew across the border before anyone could change their minds. It was the 70's equivalent of running away with the circus.

Buddy's 1st gig with the Riders was in August 71 in Atlanta. Garcia was supposed to be there as well to kind of ease the transition and introduce Cage, but he decided instead to just throw them all in the deep end of the pool and "missed the flight" and didn't get there till after the gig. It took about a month for the crowds to get used to Cage, as there was no real formal announcement, he just showed up on Powerglide.

A rock critic generally considered to be very Dead-friendly hated the change and wrote an absolutely vicious review of that early tour and Cage in general. Garcia, who thought it was funny given that Cage was 10 times the player he was, had it framed and hung it in the lobby of the Grateful Dead offices in San Francisco. It may still be there.

Cage will tell you that there is only one original member left, David Nelson. All the rest of the original members have passed on: Garcia, Dave Torbert (bass), John Dawson (vocals and guitar), and Spencer Dryden (drums).

They are touring extensively now in support of a new CD "Where I Come From". It is honestly about their 2nd or 3rd best album ever, with 7 new songs by Hunter and a bluesier edge than in the past. You can get it from itunes or find me in St Louis and maybe I'll lay a copy on you.

The current lineup is: Nelson, Cage, Michael Falzarano, Ronnie Penque, and Johnny Markowski. They absolutely smoke live. Do yourself a favor and check them out. They are performing the full catalog, so you'll hear the new stuff plus all the favorites.

JB
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2 Fulawka D-10's 9&5
Sho-Bud Pro 2 8&5

"All in all, looking back, I'd have to say the best advice anyone ever gave me was 'Hands Up, Don't Move!"

"Your FIRST mistake was listening to your wife instead of your steel instructor." (H.Steiner)

Shorty Rogers · Posted 17 Aug 2010 7:36 am

JB Arnold · From: Longmont,Co,USA (deceased)

Cage took a couple of breaks from the band in the late 80's. Bobby Black was one who took the slot for a while.

JB
_________________
2 Fulawka D-10's 9&5
Sho-Bud Pro 2 8&5

"All in all, looking back, I'd have to say the best advice anyone ever gave me was 'Hands Up, Don't Move!"

"Your FIRST mistake was listening to your wife instead of your steel instructor." (H.Steiner)

Dave Harmonson · From: Seattle, Wa

I played on a show with New Riders in '79 in northern Idaho and indeed Bobby Black was on steel. I don't know how long he was with them. The gig was a fine one with Vassar Clements Band as well.
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www.facebook.com/countrydaveharmonson

JB Arnold · From: Longmont,Co,USA (deceased)

ooops-late 70's I mean. I saw them around then too. Sneaky Pete may have sat in on a few as well.

JB
_________________
2 Fulawka D-10's 9&5
Sho-Bud Pro 2 8&5

"All in all, looking back, I'd have to say the best advice anyone ever gave me was 'Hands Up, Don't Move!"

"Your FIRST mistake was listening to your wife instead of your steel instructor." (H.Steiner)

Mark Eaton · Posted 17 Aug 2010 9:16 am

JB Arnold · From: Longmont,Co,USA (deceased)

Well, yeah. At the time Garcia had found the answer to an opening act and it only required 2 extra plane tickets. That didn't last long tho, according to Cage the others were not real thrilled about doing it, and couldn't wait to drop it.
_________________
2 Fulawka D-10's 9&5
Sho-Bud Pro 2 8&5

"All in all, looking back, I'd have to say the best advice anyone ever gave me was 'Hands Up, Don't Move!"

"Your FIRST mistake was listening to your wife instead of your steel instructor." (H.Steiner)

Larry Tracy · From: Nevada City, CA, USA

The first time I seen them it was with Lesh and Hart at the Family Dog on the Great Highway. Great place that only lasted a little while. I remember you could go there during the day and wash a window and they would put you on the guest list. The show was the Dead, New Riders, & if not the first, one of the first shows in the Bay Area by Commander Cody. After the show one of the guys in Cody asked my friend, who had a van, if he could help drive their stuff back across the bay to Berkeley. It was the first show that made me think "what the hell is that instrument that sounds so cool".

Dave Magram · From: San Jose, California, USA

JB, your historical knowledge of the NRPS is impressive!

I have a question about one thing that you wrote:

Danny Bates · From: Fresno, CA. USA

http://www.nrpsmusic.com/band/index.html

Cartwright Thompson · Posted 17 Aug 2010 11:18 am

Thanks for all the info guys. Wouldn't you know it, I'm going to be out of town the night they're here.

Mark Eaton · Posted 17 Aug 2010 11:57 am

Great stories here - what wonderful memories.

I've told the story here before, but it's worth mentioning again.

One of the greatest concerts of my life was in May 1973, when Bill Graham was putting on one of the forerunners of the Day On The Green era at Kezar Stadium right next door to Haight-Ashbury, long ago home of the 49ers.

And this show was New Riders as the opener, Waylon Jennings and the Waylors in the middle, and the Dead as the headliners.

I wish Pete Grant, Garcia's old friend, and owner of his ZB, would chime in: he was telling us a few years ago at one of our very occasional Nor Cal steel jams that he was backstage that day, and he and Garcia were enthralled with watching Mooney play from the side of the stage area, paying very careful attention to what Ralph was doing. I recall Moon just loving it when this crowd consisting of a lot of hippies were cheering him after his solos. He was grinning from ear-to-ear. I read later that Waylon was a little concerned before the show how the crowd would react to him and his music, but everyone gave him and the Waylors a very warm welcome.

All three bands were on the money, it was a perfect day weather-wise in SF, and I got to play in the touch football game with Bill Graham that he liked to put on at the beginning of these types of shows.

And what a day for steel guitar players and fans: Ralph Mooney and Buddy Cage on the same bill. Cool

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Mark

Larry Tracy · From: Nevada City, CA, USA

Hey Mark, That was great show. Garcia was sitting crosslegged on the stage right by Mooney with a big grin on his face. The stage was facing away from the ocean and for days after the show you could tell who was at the show from their sunburned faces. I read in a Waylon bio that he didn't think they went over good but I agree with you that everybody loved it. It seemed like Waylon and Moon took extra solos to keep in the spirit of things.

Mark Eaton · Posted 17 Aug 2010 1:19 pm

Alright Larry, so you were there!

Did you play in the football game beforehand? I might have been covering you on a post pattern with Bill Graham at QB. Wink

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Mark

JB Arnold · From: Longmont,Co,USA (deceased)

Dave

You're right!! I always do that. Bill. dang.

I gotta quit my job so I can pay more attention to my posts during the day. Very Happy

JB
_________________
2 Fulawka D-10's 9&5
Sho-Bud Pro 2 8&5

"All in all, looking back, I'd have to say the best advice anyone ever gave me was 'Hands Up, Don't Move!"

"Your FIRST mistake was listening to your wife instead of your steel instructor." (H.Steiner)

Larry Tracy · From: Nevada City, CA, USA

Hey Mark, I got there too late for the game. But still a great day. Sorry, feel like we are hijacking the thread.

Bob Blair · From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

It was in fact Ben Keith who replaced Cage in GSB. See: http://www.thecoolgroove.com/ben.html

Larry Tracy · From: Nevada City, CA, USA

On the wolfgangs vault site, there are plenty of great live NRPS shows.

Mark Eaton · Posted 17 Aug 2010 7:30 pm

Gerry Simon · From: Ohio, USA

Lots of interesting stuff, HERE: http://www.roadcage.com/

Larry Tracy · From: Nevada City, CA, USA

Hey Mark, That was a great time. Always feel lucky that I got to experience the late 60's early 70's in the place where the most creative music and different way to look at life and the world was happening. The Dead led me to country music and the steel guitar. Then it was KFAT radio and the fat fries at the Keystone in Palo Alto. It's funny, I think it was on one of those posts and Charlie Davidson was talking about how there wasn't any great songwriters today like in the old days, you and I started naming all these current great writers. I told my wife there is this guy some where up here in northern CA. who has the same taste in music as us. Alright!

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