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Topic: Al Perkins Interview |
Steve Dawson
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 20 Sep 2023 6:27 am |
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Hey there, I sometimes interview steel players on my podcast, and this week I have Al Perkins on and thought some of you might enjoy it. We get into all kinds of stuff that is pretty steel-centric. Hope you enjoy it, I did!
https://www.makersandshakerspodcast.com/episode/al-perkins |
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Chris Templeton
From:
The Green Mountain State
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Posted 24 Sep 2023 11:55 am
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Thanks for posting that, Steve. Al played at Scotty's. Maybe two years in the early 90's and played dobro, if I remember right.
If someone was there, please chime in.
He came on my radar with Stephen Still's group, Manassas.
Nice to hear how he got his steeling start. A west Texas boy too.
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Excel 3/4 Pedal With An 8 String Hawaiian Neck, Sierra Tapper (10 string with a raised fretboard to fret with fingers), Single neck Fessenden 3/5
"The Tapper" : https://christophertempleton.bandcamp.com/album/the-tapper
Soundcloud Playlist: https://soundcloud.com/bluespruce8: |
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Posted 24 Sep 2023 7:19 pm
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Many thanks! I have listened to it up to 45 minutes where you talked about "The Last Of The Red Hot Burritos". Also great Lead guitar from him on that album.
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Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube. |
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Ron Funk
From:
Ballwin, Missouri
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Posted 25 Sep 2023 5:18 pm
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Al Perkins is one of the true pioneers in the PSG's affiliation with country rock music.
Seems he never played a wrong note during his extensive PSG portfolio, or his Dobro work with Emmy Lou.
And Chris T, Al Perkins returned to Scotty's Convention in 2009 and knocked me out with his version of "Crossroads" on his stand-up Fender steel. Here's that same song at a NAMM show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoFNv4P36cc..
He told me that to keep things simple, he tunes his "lap steel" to Open D - same as his Dobro.
And Al's CD entitled "Triple Play" is one that folks should have in their collection.
Great interview of a religious & Humble man
Ron |
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John Brabant
From:
Calais, VT, USA
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 25 Apr 2024 11:33 am
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Thanks Steve for the interview with Al. He has always struck me as a class act.
Of course many here know some of these Perkins stories - like being taught steel guitar as a kid in small group lessons by Al Petty in West Texas,
and how Perkins advanced so quickly on the instrument that Petty talked to his father about giving him one on one lessons because he was a prodigy. Not unlike Lloyd Green as a young lap steel player. There are a number of us here on the Forum of a certain age who went through those steel guitar lessons with a few other kids in a room at the music studio as I did in the mid 1960s. I know a major difference between myself and Al Perkins is my teacher didn’t call my parents to see if I could get one on one lessons because I was a young phenom. 
In searching my memory I recall seeing Al play live in three different groups. The first time was with Manassas at Winterland in San Francisco in the early ‘70s, I was just out of high school. The Stills/Manassas double album is still in my Top 20 of all time. The second time I saw Al was a couple years later when he was on steel with the Burritos, having replaced Sneaky Pete for a time after Pete left to do other things. The third group was with Emmylou & The Nash Ramblers where Al was on dobro most of the time. I saw them live on two occasions - fantastic!
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Mark |
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Mike Bacciarini
From:
Arizona
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Posted 26 Apr 2024 5:07 am
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Al’s pedal steel is up front and all over this gem from The Way’s “Cowboy’s Dream”.
THIS is County Rock,
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eOh5Z6eKp_c
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MCI Arlington S-10 3+5, George L E-66, BJS & Emmons bars, Fender Stage Lead II 100W 1x12, Fender Satellite SFX, custom FX rack, 1983 Dobro 60D, SX-8 lap steel, Martin D16GT, Ibanez AS73, 1978 Rickenbacker 4000 custom. |
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John Larson
From:
Pennsyltucky, USA
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Posted 26 Apr 2024 6:04 am
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I was just extolling Stephen Stills Manassas debut to a friend how it's my personal opinion is the best early 70s output from the CSN(Y) camp.
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Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; praise is meet for the upright. Give praise to the Lord with the harp, chant unto Him with the ten-stringed psaltery. Sing unto Him a new song, chant well unto Him with jubilation. For the word of the Lord is true, and all His works are in faithfulness. The Lord loveth mercy and judgement; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.
- Psalm 33:1-5 |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 28 Apr 2024 12:09 am
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| I opened for The Flying Burrito Brothers playing drums in a local rock group at Hofstra College in 1971. I was awe struck at Al Perkins playing his Fender steel guitar just ripping it up on stage with The Last Of The Red Hot Burritos. Al Perkins was directly responsible for me taking up steel guitar. Superb musician. For my thing we became friends years later. |
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