Pete Drake and a weird use of a steel guitar

Rob Munn · From: British Columbia, Canada

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dTFajHVyHo&feature=endscreen&NR=1

I am not sure that this is the best use of a pedal steel; I think the Theremin next to Peter there could have done a better job...Is that a theremin? I'm sorry but..what is goin' on here?

Ken Metcalf · From: San Antonio Texas USA

The story is that this effect was not a big hit.
After letting it sit around the studio for years.
Pete gave it to a young kid who hung around the studio.
That kid was Peter Frampton.
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Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I read one time that Buddy Emmons claimed Pete stole that from him?? Anyone else remember reading that?

Pete Finney · From: Nashville Tn.

Actually it was a hit, that song went to Number 24 on the pop charts for Drake in 1964, the first real instrumental steel hit (and maybe last?) since Sleepwalk. (It probably would have gone a lot higher in the charts if the Beatles hadn't had 6 or 7 different songs in the top 20 at the time!).

Drake took the "talk-box" with him to London in 1970 when he went to record "All Things Must Pass" with George Harrison; there's a sound clip circulating of him demonstrating it to the other musicians in the studio, and he used it on a version of "Wah-Wah" with Harrison, though it didn't make it to the final mix.

Peter Frampton was a guitarist on that session (at 17) and ended up with a talkbox which he had huge success with. Drake said he gave his to Frampton at the end of the sessions because he was so impressed with it; Frampton says he got his own later.

There's a lot more information in this earlier thread, especially about the earlier talking thing that Alvino Rey used.:

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=224207

Cal Sharp · From: the farm in Kornfield Kounty, TN

Jack Aldrich · From: Washington, USA

Alvino Rey did something similar back in the 40's. He put a throat mike, like the ones air crews used, on one of the King Sisters who whispered the lyrics, and mixed the output into the output of his steel. I thought it was hokey then, and, IMHO, Pete's version was not much better.
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Rob Munn · From: British Columbia, Canada

Thanks for the history lesson folks. I had no idea. I of course have heard and enjoyed Peter Frampton although honestly I was never big on the sounds of this "talking machine". It has nothing to do with a theremin (I've seen and messed around with one of them and I shoulda known the difference). Wow, so Pete Drake was the inventor or one of the first innovators with this thing. Cool. Interesting how things get passed on or over and end up being a success with someone else. Caught your website Cal. Nice playing! Interesting history and I want to get onto one of your murder mysteries cause the snippet was so well written.
Rob

jay thompson · From: east peoria, il USA

I saw one of Buddy's home built in 1964/65 in St. Louis.
Not quite as sophisticated as Pete's later version, but it does show Buddy was involved early on.
Regards, Jay Thompson

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

I made my first one when I was 21-22, in around '68. Used the driver from one of those huge Voice Of The Theater horn speakers, a cup, and some surgical tubing. I read or heard about it somewhere. That was used with my 6-string guitar.

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

Buddy Emmons used it with the Cherokee Cowboys with Wade Ray's "Burned(Burnt? sp?)Fingers". Not to be confused with Wade's older version of the song which is out on YouTube now. It really fits the song and in this case I think it's a signature lick.

Greg

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

Wade Ray - Burnt Fingers With Buddy Emmons On Talking Steel - Click Here!

Check out the stereo sound with the steel in left channel and the tight rhythm section. Crisp snare hits, prefect mix of tic tac bass and the smooth effort-less-ness of Wade's voice. Not bad for a futre hotel employee.

Greg

Stephen Gambrell · From: Over there

I've always thought that Bill West was the originator. I remember seeing somebody, on the old Arthur Smith TV show, playing a "talking" steel guitar. I have no idea who it was, but everybody talked about it. And I remember some big-time gospel group, coming to my mom's Church, and they had a little band. Had a steel player in the band, but he didn't make it talk, so us kids were disappointed.
John Billings, like you, I made one when I was about 12 or 13. I had a "Checkmate" amp, and it had a little red horn in the top. I took that horn out and unscrewed the driver, and used masking tape to hold a cut-off piece of an old garden hose. All my buddies thought I was brilliant, but all the girls thought it was "Eeewwee, GROSS,"so I didn't mess with it any more. I mean, image was everything to a teenage boy who played guitar. You had to let your hair get real long in the front, so you could sling your head around. And my playing a green sunburst Harmony, through an amp with a hole in the top, into a piece of garden hose, didn't help Sad

Rob Munn · From: British Columbia, Canada

http://www.jimdunlop.com/product/m222-talk-box

How about this. Just got the latest "Guitar" magazine because it has a great article on S.R.V. (Stevie Ray), his rise and fall (no pun intended); then he came back with a vengeance with the "89 release "In Step", back on the uptake and then that sad day in 1990. A lot of stuff about his equipment. I saw Stevie in 1984 on the 2nd tour after hearing everyone raving about him on his first tour.
On the rear cover page there is this add for a "Talkbox". So, thanks Alvino, Buddy, Pete and whomever else for this invention.
That was way cool Cal. Good song and yeah, in this song the talkin' machine is effective.

Rob Munn · From: British Columbia, Canada

...I mean Greg. I've never heard Wade Ray before and Buddy gives the talk box some class and definition in the song. It works.

Rob

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

SG,
I didn't use mine long either. It was a pain to turn off the amp, unplug the speaker, and plug in the driver. And our PA was lousy. It did work though.

Steve Hinson · From: Hendersonville Tn USA

Pete had a basement full of those"theramins"when I worked down there in the late'70's...I wonder what happened to'em...

Lynn Kasdorf · From: Waterford Virginia, USA

Here is a clip of Alvino Rey doing the talking steel guitar thing in 1944. His wife apparently was off stage doing the talk box thing while Alvino played. I find the steel playing to be pretty lame in this one, actually.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPd9cxqKCVg

In this version, Alvino is not doing the talk box gimmick, but you get a nice close up of his wacky techniques.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywOuZnvbGqM
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Andy Sandoval · From: Bakersfield, California, USA

A little bit of talkin steel guitar can go a long way. Too gimmicky for my tastes but I can appreciate all the experimentation and work that went into it's design and construction. Gee, what ever happened to that lovable little character "Stringy the talkin steel guitar". Razz

Peter Huggins · From: Van Nuys, California, USA

Stringy was retained by the family, according to information shared by Lynn Wheelwright and Deke Dickerson.
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