What is John McFee doing these days?

Dave Zirbel · From: Sebastopol, CA USA

Here is a link to a Bay Area band called Clover that featured John on steel, fiddle, guitar and Dobro. I think they disbanded in the late 1070s. http://www.clover-infopage.com/index.html
There is an interview with John and pictures. He went on to play with Southern Pacific and the Doobie Bros. and recorded with Van Morrison, Grateful Dead, Elvis Costello, Steve Miller, and more. Does anyone know more?
Dave Z

[This message was edited by Dave Zirbel on 17 August 2002 at 08:13 AM.]

Pete Burak · From: Portland, OR USA

He jams on Pride Of Cucamunga! http://www.clover-infopage.com/pictures/page0941.jpg

Not sure how recent this is: http://www.milfordhaven.com/cast-jmcfee.shtml

Jeff Watson · From: Anza, CA. USA

I worked for a while with a pair of female twin vocalists in a band called Mirror Image. When I joined them I was given a demo with 4 or 5 tunes on it and told to learn the steel parts note for note. Real tasty stuff but no one seemed to know who the session player was. Eventually I was told that it had been John McFee. This would have been 2 or 3 years ago in L.A.

Joe Goldmark · From: San Francisco, CA 94131

John McFee is an amazing musician. He consistently would come up with cool licks that were perfect for the song he was playing/recording. I think he was one of the best players to come out of the Bay Area. He was primarily a guitarist, but played neat stuff on the steel too. Kind of like Jerry Garcia. He was the steeler on "Wild Night" by Van Morrison and of course all the Southern Pacific stuff. The last I heard he was living near San Luis Obispo (Southern Ca.).

Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

I couldn't agree with Joe more, a tasty picker and he played on some cool albums.

There's a 1979 Elvis Costello bootleg from the Palomino, basically Elvis Costello & The Attractions augmented by McFee on one set, a really cool gig.
One or two tracks have shown up on official Costello reissues in recent years. Very nice, I haven't heard the bootleg in years, but a pretty good find if you can get it.

Mike Cass · Posted 24 Aug 2002 5:13 pm

I heard John with SP here in Nashville years ago & was quite impressed with his steel playing.
Great tone & chops & as Joe said previously, a very original player;
although I got the feeling that he could cut any gig here or anywhere.
He's obviously done his homework

In fact, the fellow who accompanied me to the venue(another local recording steel player) remarked on how he hoped that John wasnt contemplating moving here

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

Somewhere around here I have a VHS tape of Southern Pacific on their Austin City Limits appearance- It's always blown me away as one of the most flawless performances I've ever seen. Every note perfectly placed, just a fantastic show. That was a really fine band.

Peter Dollard · Posted 1 Sep 2002 10:39 am

I used to go see Clover in 1972 every weekend at this place outside Sebastopol CA called Uncle Sams. McFee was truly amazing: although he was primarily a guitar player he was a very good steel player and had his own style. He said he never really listened to anyone since he was on stage all the time and thus developed his own sound.

The band was a great bar band and knew how to fire up an audience. John would play chorus after chorus of Lovelight or Chicken Butt and the place would go nuts. Somewhere I have a warbly tape of them live. Although the sound is lacking the music is still blistering...Pete

Al Terhune · From: Newcastle, WA

Just listened to an old CD copy of "My Aim Is True," one that came with the box set of his first three albums. I really, really liked the steel that John did in the cuts that didn't make the album. Okay, there's that.

BUT, I've always dug the guitar that draped around the songs on Elvis's first album. I know some of it is Elvis playing some, but most of it is -- John McFee (which I never knew the guitar player's name -- or if I did, it never meant anything to me). Very unique, original lick-oriented stuff that, to me, made many of the songs on "My Aim Is True."

Great guitar -- and pedal playing (not to mention Mickey Shine -- from Clover -- playing some great drums on that album.)

Al

[This message was edited by Al Terhune on 31 March 2006 at 05:38 PM.]

[This message was edited by Al Terhune on 31 March 2006 at 05:39 PM.]

Gordy Hall · From: Fairfax, CA.

I had a couple opportunities to talk to John McFee a couple years back. He (from what I hear) is still playing steel, and is also still with the Doobie Brothers, however their existance is at this time. He loved talking about Clover, and pedal steel, and at the time was on a nice ranch in SoCal. Nice man, great player. We talked pedal steel, music, and lots of other stuff. I hope to get the opportunity again.

Gordy Hall
Fairfax, CA.

Dan Tyack · From: Olympia, WA USA

John is a great musician. He told me many years ago: 'the pedal steel is the ultimate rock and roll/blues instrument. It would kick the guitar's rear if you could shake your butt and play'.

Or words to that effect. An original player, and as I said, a great musician.

Ole Dantoft · From: Copenhagen, Denmark

I have a Live DVD with the Doobie Brothers in concert July 2004 with John McFee in the band, among several other of the original members.

Ole

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

I mixed one of those reunion shows. McFee was the best player in that Doobie grouping...well, maybe a tie with Skunk Baxter...and the most mellow dude around. Really nice to roadies, sound crew, guests, etc.

Barry Blackwood · Posted 1 Apr 2006 6:57 am

John McFee gets my vote! Also plays good fiddle as witnessed on the Doobies final concert at the Greek circa 1982.

Dave Zirbel · From: Sebastopol, CA USA

Someone loaned me a Wanda Jackson CD last month since we played with her recently and who was on steel?

Yup, John McFee!

David Wren · From: Placerville, California, USA

I've been a longtime fan of John McFee's playing (absoutley loved the lap steel on "Reno Bound" by SP)... so I am shocked to hear it was him playing on "Wild Nights", pretty darn flat to my ear???

Anyway, this is funny, I remember Lucky Oceans introducing me to a young steel player, in a band named Clover ('73 or 4 at Inn of the Beginning, Cotai, CA), never knew it was John McFee.... wish I had heard him play back then.

------------------
Dave Wren
'95Carter S12-E9/B6,7X7; Twin Session 500s; Hilton Pedal; Black Box
www.ameechapman.com

David Wren · From: Placerville, California, USA

Hey Dave, I went to the Clover-info site you have posted... very interesting. Clover members included Norton Buffalo.... and Huey Lewis? Man, Huey Lewis used to play with a steel guitar.... what happened? He didn't need a new drug... just another pedal steel player :-)

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Dave Wren
'95Carter S12-E9/B6,7X7; Twin Session 500s; Hilton Pedal; Black Box
www.ameechapman.com

Peter Cummins · From: Bonny Hills, NSW, Australia

Mallard

scott murray · From: Asheville, NC

Went to see Elvis Costello about a year ago out in L.A...
Was pleasantly surprised to see a pedal steel set up onstage, and even more pleasantly surprised when John McFee came out and played a bunch of honkytonk tunes with Elvis and co.

His playing on "Pride of Cucamonga" has always been one of my favorites. Great song too.

Peter Cummins · From: Bonny Hills, NSW, Australia

V2.
She sat me down one night, I was drunk & feelin mean.
She said you're the biggest fool, I have ever seen.
And if you dont give me a home & a new life to begin.
Im gonna put your lights out, and just go with the wind.

Chorous.
You know it dont matter, how wild you been brother, you can still make the harvest, if you have one another

Mike Brown · From: Meridian, Mississippi USA

I recently purchased a live DVD of the Doobies(which I highly recommend) and I believe that it was a concert that they performed in 2002. John sounds great on steel.

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