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anyone know Pete Drake???? (Page 1)
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The Steel Guitar Forum
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anyone know Pete Drake???? (Page 1)
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| This topic is 2 pages long: 1 2 This topic was originally posted in this forum: Wanted To Buy |
| Author | Topic: anyone know Pete Drake???? |
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tim duvall Member Posts: 236 |
posted 02 June 2000 03:42 AM
I ran across a steel cd by Pete Drake. I've never heard of him, anyone know about him? What style does he play.... |
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Mike Weirauch Member Posts: 3528 |
posted 02 June 2000 04:10 AM
Pete Drake was one of the best known steel players in the 60's and 70's. He was second only to Lloyd Green in session work during that time. He had his own record company and produced during that time. His style was simplicity. Play only what is needed to make the song a hit. He died in the late 80's of cancer. |
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Jason Powers Member Posts: 241 |
posted 02 June 2000 05:49 AM
Check out most of Tammy Wynette's big hits. Pete played on most of them. One of my personal favorite Pete Drake moments was the intro and turnaround on "Don't Squeeze My Sharmon" by Charlie Walker. |
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Franklin Member Posts: 742 |
posted 02 June 2000 05:54 AM
Mike, I love Lloyd Green;s playing and his success, but no steel guitarist played on more hit records in the 60,s and 70,s than Pete Drake. Lloyd would come closest from that period. Pete and Lloyd were equally as busy, its just that Pete had most of the major accounts sown up until he retired. Paul |
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Dave Van Allen Member Posts: 5369 |
posted 02 June 2000 05:58 AM
Pete was also on Bob Dylan's seminal "Nashville Skyline" album... This thread just goes to show - some of the assumptions we long time players might have about shared background... the pantheon of "famous" steelers here is one of the most recorded steel players of all time, yet still an unknown to some newer pickers and fughedabout the general public... I do not mean this any kind of a slight to Tim Duvall! "You don't know what you don't know," and you can't know until you ask or are told. It's just an interesting perspective on our insular little world... |
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BDBassett Member Posts: 503 |
posted 02 June 2000 06:03 AM
Quintessential Pete Drake licks: My favorite has to be the intro and fills he played on Gary Stewart's "She's Actin' Single, (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)" Simplicity? Well, yes but...try to cop his licks and get 'em just right. It ain't as simple as it sounds. |
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C Dixon Member Posts: 5912 |
posted 02 June 2000 06:09 AM
Paul is soo correct. Pete was THE man back then. And soo true Mike, his simplicity rivaled that of Little Roy Wiggins behind Eddy Arnold's fabulous "country" reign. He explored "pedals" like no one on earth. It was as though the pedal change was the end unto itself. Some scoffed. Producers and performers, and most of all, "buyers" didn't. They loved it. How many people attending his sad passing bespeaks adequately enough of his dynamic career in the country music domain. Like BE, JD, LG and PF, it is unlikely the world will ever see, on our beloved PSG, anything like it ever again. While there will always be improvements/changes to our PSG and music itself, one can never recreate the automobile, radio, TV, PSG, etc. Pete was there when it happened. And like BE and JD and Walter Haynes, the creatin's been done. From now on it is just embellishment. No human on earth does it better then PF. God bless BE, JD, PD, LG, PF and all of you, carl |
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Jerry Roller Member Posts: 3906 |
posted 02 June 2000 06:22 AM
Pete Drake developed a style that was very commercial on C6th which he used on a lot of his hit recordings. I used to play an instrumental that he recorded on C6th which was entitled "For Pete's Sake". It was used as the theme song on a radio program that Ralph Emery did on WSM. It required a "G" first string on the C6th tuning and since I have used a "D" first string for many years I no longer play it but it is a pretty catchy tune with a lot of up and down scale notes on the first three strings with the pedals such as 5,3^3,5,4,3,2,1 5 (lower octave on the last 5 note). He used this type scale a lot in his style which was very unique. This is the style I remember him for and it was very different from what others were doing. |
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C Dixon Member Posts: 5912 |
posted 02 June 2000 06:49 AM
Jerry, Very true. Another one was "The Spook" a halloween type diddy and it was also done on C6 BUT with the 5th pedal LOWERING the 1st string G instead of raising it as is standard today. For those of you that wonder how he got those clever odd scale notes, here is how he did it: 1. 5th pedal lowers first string from G to F#. 2. Use left foot engaging pedals 5 and 6. 3. Use right foot engaging pedal 7. 4. Pick strings 1 letting it sustain. 5. Pick string 2 and let off pedal 6. Let it sutain. 6. Pick string 3. Let it sustain 7. Then pick string 4. Let it sustain. Repeat this lick throughout the tune as needed. It was a clever lick, emulated a spooky sound perfectly and if I recall correctly, the tune was played widely on other than "country" stations because of its uniqueness. God rest Pete's soul, carl |
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Johnny Cox Member Posts: 935 |
posted 02 June 2000 06:54 AM
A lot of steel players did not like Pete's playing, but I love it. Pete always played the right thing at the right time. And thank you Paul for setting the record straight. ------------------ |
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Bill Myrick Member Posts: 1007 |
posted 02 June 2000 09:13 AM
I always liked "For Pete's Sake" really well and you can get a reasonable resemblence on E-9th neck but a lot of b/c pedal fighting etc. It was a great instramental however. I remember setting about 3 feet in front of him on Friday nights when they had the Friday night Opry broadcast on the top floor of The National Life and Accident Insurance Building. No stage--just a floor platform !! Man that's been a couple of years !! Billy Walker had just came out with "Charlie's Shoes" about then |
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Michael Johnstone Member Posts: 2535 |
posted 02 June 2000 09:23 AM
It seems like I read somewhere that he would devise a pedal change to play certain signature licks and then use it ONLY on a particular artists records. A "Tammy Wynette pedal" and so forth.To the point where he made himself an indispensable part of these various artists sound.A far cry from todays homogeneous,"One Size Fits All" Nashville steel tone and style. -MJ- |
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Bob Blair Member Posts: 1002 |
posted 02 June 2000 10:38 AM
I remember when I was a kid listening to top forty radio in the mid sixties there was a tune called "Forever" that got a lot of airplay. Pete Drake was the artist, and it was a "talking steel" number. Somewhere along the line I also heard his talking steel version of "Abilene". I have always been a big fan of the way he played on some of those ballads - some great work with George Jones and others. And his playing is the only reason I ever take out my old DAvid Allan Coe records from the '70's - somewhere along the line I outgrew DAC, but boy, Pete Drake played some fantastic over-the-top stuff on some of them. |
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Dan Tyack Member Posts: 3552 |
posted 02 June 2000 11:26 AM
Many moons ago I heard Paul Franklin playing at Possum Holler in Nashville, playing this totally increadible outside stuff (practicing his McCoy Tyner lines during Rocky Top, for instance). But when the band did "She's Actin' Single, (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)", Paul played an absolutely perfect knockoff of Pete's turnaround. Anybody who thinks that is easy has never tried to play it. Totally warped turnaround, I never would have thought of something like that in a million years. ------------------ |
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wayne yakes md Member Posts: 650 |
posted 02 June 2000 11:41 AM
Pete had trouble playing a melody, but the things he could play fit well with the music being recorded. He certainly was more of a studio musician rather than a "live" musician. My favorite thing was probably what he did on Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay" in his unique haunting style. |
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Jody Sanders Member Posts: 2889 |
posted 02 June 2000 11:42 AM
Pete Drake not only knew how to play, he was a master at knowing when, what, and where to play. He played the roll of a "side man" on recordings better than anybody. As I recall, he once went to England and played on a Beatles album, while introducing the Nashville Number System to the British. A great player, a great human being, a god friend. His legend and legacy will live forever. Jody. |
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Tommy M Member Posts: 914 |
posted 02 June 2000 12:59 PM
It was Pete Drake on an album titled: The Fabulous Hit Sounds, that my Dad purchased when I was about 13 years old, that started the desire for me to learn to play steel guitar. I remember "Pleading" and "For Pete's Sake" were on that Starday album. I have had several inspiring moments brought about by other great steel players since then. But, I can recall the very surroundings in the living room, where my Dad, my Uncle, and I were gathered around, listening to that album. Man, What A Steel Man!!!! ------------------ |
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Donny Hinson Member Posts: 9192 |
posted 02 June 2000 01:26 PM
The first time I went to Nashville, in 1966, I was talking with Dave Jackson (Shot's son) at the Sho-Bud store. Though I was new at steel, I knew Pete by the stuff he had played. Dave introduced me to Pete, and after Pete left, Dave told me "That's the number-one steel man in the world...there are studios all over Nashville, and he's got a guitar in every one of 'em!" Needless to say, I was impressed. Pete seemed shy and unassuming, but his imagination and taste got him all the popularity any musician would want. I have heard that he was kind of a "mentor" to Paul Franklin. If so, maybe Paul could tell us more about this sometime. |
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Lem Smith Member Posts: 1501 |
posted 02 June 2000 03:05 PM
I'm aware that Pete played on most all of Gary Stewarts' stuff, but does anyone know for sure it that's Pete on Garys version of "Ramblin' Man"??? A super solo, but more single string playing than I'm used to hearing from Pete. Thanks. [This message was edited by Lem Smith on 02 June 2000 at 03:15 PM.] |
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Earnest Bovine Member Posts: 4687 |
posted 02 June 2000 03:09 PM
quote: I never heard anyone say that before. Since Pete is not here to defend himself let me be the first to say that his playing didn't appeal to me. |
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erik Member Posts: 1793 |
posted 02 June 2000 03:16 PM
Well, i've never played a lick of steel but sure know who Pete Drake is. I love is very unique style. I have always thought he had solid tone. Didn't he also do This Ol' Heart Just Won't Let Go by Gary Stewart (as singer)? I'm very familiar with his 70's George Jones and early John Anderson work. How about Same Ol' Me (paul overstreet) by George Jones. Maybe his last number one recording? I need to also acknowledge Buddy E's work on John Anderson albums. Very nice Mr. E. |
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Earl Erb Member Posts: 886 |
posted 02 June 2000 03:56 PM
I guess this is a little off the subject but I did some work at Petes studio,many years ago late 60's,but was never employed by him.He was a very nice man and I can remember him coming into Linebaughs Resturant,on lower Broad, just about every night around 11:00PM and eat dinner and play the pin ball machines for about an hour then go home. I remember when Pete used to do package shows,in the early 70's, with his own band.Remember Dave Kirby,Jack Drake,Dale Sellers,Chuck Howard,Joesy Brown and many more?  Those were the days my friends. [This message was edited by Earl Erb on 02 June 2000 at 04:29 PM.] |
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Donny Hinson Member Posts: 9192 |
posted 02 June 2000 05:43 PM
Earnest... I was just a young teenager. My recollections of Pete's personality are based on a chance meeting, followed by a 30-second conversation. But, if you have different insights, maybe you would care to share them with us! |
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John Paul Jones Member Posts: 305 |
posted 02 June 2000 05:47 PM
Earl You sure nailed it. Those are some of my fondest memories, also. I was writing for Window Music, one of Pete's (and Tommy Hill's) publishing companies at the time. Pete would usually go by Linebaughs after his last session of the day. The guys you mentioned were members of Pete's touring band and did about all the demos for Pete and Tommy's publishing companies. They, along with Johnny Gimble, played on about 30 or 35 demos of songs that I had published by Window Music. I'm originally from Atlanta, Ga and I met Pete in a downtown pawn shop when we were in our teens. We were run out of the pawn shop for jamming. We took out 'jam session' to Pete's house where we played "Steel Guitar Rag" for 5 hours. That's all he knew how to play then. A couple years later I worked in Pete's band playing the honky-tonks in Atlanta. I am proud that Pete Drake was a friend of mine. Does anyone know what became of Pete's son, Johnny? John Paul |
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John Macy Member Posts: 2290 |
posted 02 June 2000 09:34 PM
Last I heard, Johnny was over at the Al Jolson Enterprizes studios (the old Monument studios). Saw him a couple of years ago there. |
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Buddy Buddy Member Posts: 271 |
posted 02 June 2000 10:42 PM
Seems like no one remembers that he was also, a damn good producer, too. And a damn good friend. Spent many a night, with him at that mixin' board. Cigarette smoke so thick, you couldn't cut thru it with a biscuit board.There must be a hella'va jam session, going on, somewhere. |
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telecat Member Posts: 134 |
posted 03 June 2000 01:12 AM
I dont think the word everyone is looking for is simple or easy, its more like tasty, he played very tasty stuff, and the talkin steel stuff was pretty cool too, a lot of players then called it gimmicky,but kinda like the benders on guitars today, who cares if its gimmickey as long as it works and sounds good, also I know a lot of pickers with gimmicks who didn't really need them anyway, like Danny Gatton for instance, but they used them because they could. I remember my dad,Gary Boggs, talkin about pete, like everyone said he was the session dude then, I lived down the street from his ex wife and daughters in Inglewood for a while and we went to the same church, and though I never met him, I heard very few bad things said about him other than he was cool. Dad told me that a lot of the pickers back then, because they played behind people on the road or in sessions, played better than what they did because when they were playing for someone they had to help create a certain sound, like Don Rich with the Buckaroos, but Dad said he heard Don pick at demons den one night and the man was a monster picker, said he didnt do a single Buck owens lick. Anyway he said the same about Pete, said he was a monster picker but in the studio he was very tasty with what he did. BB |
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Bill Ferguson Member Posts: 1391 |
posted 03 June 2000 03:46 AM
Though I did not know Pete personally, their are two people that did. Maybe they could add to this post. Mac Atcheson: Knew Pete prior to Pete going to Nashville. Might have even taught Pete a lick or two. Larry Sasser: Pete kindda took Larry under his wings when Larry went to Nashville. OK you two, we would love to hear some war stories. Bill Ferguson ------------------ |
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Jeff Lampert Member Posts: 2636 |
posted 03 June 2000 05:08 AM
Hope I'm not spreading an old wive's tale, but back in the 70's, there was a story told that some decade or so earlier, BE and PD were having an argument at the musician's union stop where the players picked up their session checks, in which the point was made that BE was a way better picker than PD, at which point PD countered by pulling out his wallet and waving it in BE's face. Perhaps someone can comment on this story. At the time, I thought it was hysterical. |
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Earl Erb Member Posts: 886 |
posted 03 June 2000 05:36 AM
Hey Little Buddy...are you the same Little Buddy that used to hang out with us pickers on Lower Broad and the old Den? If you are than... how the heck are ya?Those were some good times. |
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Earl Erb Member Posts: 886 |
posted 03 June 2000 07:10 AM
Jeff,that story is true and I think Johnny Cox has the details unless the man himself would care to comment. |
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John Paul Jones Member Posts: 305 |
posted 03 June 2000 10:47 AM
Jeff I was sitting with Pete Drake and others at a table in Linebaughs one night when Jimmy Day walked up to the table and started ribbing Pete, in fun, of course, about how Pete should learn to play steel guitar. Pete reached for a bunch of papers that I had noticed were sticking out his shirt pocket and handed them to Jimmy Day. Pete said to Jimmy Day, "Do you think it'll help me get any more of these"? We counted twenty some-odd checks Pete had just picked up from the musicians union. I was an eye witness to this one. John Paul |
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John Paul Jones Member Posts: 305 |
posted 03 June 2000 10:59 AM
Earl I use to think that I knew about everybody that hung around Deeman's Den, The Wheel, and Tootsie's from about '68 to '72. I can't place you but your name rings a bell. I feel like I've met you. Thing's will never be that way again. I'm glad we experienced it. Buddy All this will probably hit me on the freeway tomorrow. Regards, John Paul |
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Buddy Emmons Member Posts: 1403 |
posted 03 June 2000 11:29 AM
I don't remember the union incident specifically, but I know Pete wasn't above doing something like that. In the beginning, Pete was very insecure about his technical skills, so he made up for it by flaunting his studio success in the face of other Nashville steel players. His favorite expression was "you guys have the talent but I've got the money." I'd love to tell you how I broke him of that, but I want to keep what little money I have.  |
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Vern Kendrick Member Posts: 442 |
posted 03 June 2000 08:40 PM
I probably knew Pete as well as anybody,I met him in Atlanta when I was 16,I spent many nites at their house on Olympia Ln. in Atlanta,with Becky and the kids and Pete.I knew his Brothers, Bill and Jack.After Pete moved to Nashville in '59,My first wife and I stayed with Pete and Becky in Inglewood,where I later had a house,I was with him when he bought the property on 18th that was Window,Stop Records,Pete's Place......Pete was Musicaly Challanged,..But he made one hell of an impact on the music business,and the Pedal Steel |
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Vern Kendrick Member Posts: 442 |
posted 03 June 2000 08:50 PM
Emmons,.....I would LLLove to hear that story.....If you have time E mail it to me........Thanks'Vern.......By the way John Paul,...Clayton Head told me to say hello to you |
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Tim Rowley Member Posts: 957 |
posted 03 June 2000 09:07 PM
Here is my 2 cents worth. Of all the many recordings Pete Drake played on, I always enjoyed his old Starday instrumentals the best. The three I remenber are Galaxy (Galaxie?), For Pete's Sake, and Pleading. The one I am most fond of is Pleading, and here's why: When I was 12 or 13 years of age I had some major self-esteem problems which I internalized and never told anybody about, not even my parents. It was like a black cloud hanging over my head from 1965 to 1969, and that's difficult for a kid, it was sure messing me up. During that period of time, I played that record of Pleading just about every day because it was just a great tune and it kinda set me free. I don't know what ever happened to that old Starday album, if I still had it today I would learn to play Pleading note for note. Yes I've heard and read things pro and con about Pete Drake, but I sure did like that tune. Changing the subject a bit, I would like for Buddy Emmons to know that of all the steel guitar playing "styles" out there, Buddy your E9 approach is the one that has always impressed me the most, and whenever I play a ballad or shuffle I find myself incorporating some of your moves and striving for your tone. Remember your old recording of La Golondrina? That's gotta be my all-time favorite steel guitar instrumental. Tim R. |
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Buddy Buddy Member Posts: 271 |
posted 03 June 2000 10:55 PM
Yep, Earl. Still here, doing pretty good, if the damn calender would leave me alone. I've got some old Deemon's Den tapes, that Bill Garrett gave me, before he turned in his picks. I'm planning on taking them to a friend who has studio access, clean 'em up as best we can do, and give a copy to the pickers who are still around. Mater of fact, you might be on some of them. I'm pretty sure E., Day and Curly, are on them. I'm trying to heal a busted tailbone, right now, but may slip in some time, this month, and get them done. "Little" Buddy. |
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C Dixon Member Posts: 5912 |
posted 04 June 2000 05:57 AM
I probably will rue the day I posted this, but I just gotta, (after my idol posted). So here goes; Most all the comments about PD mentioned so far I agree with. He was a fantastic studio musician! Played PURE commercial steel. It pleased the producers and performers. And it DID manifest itself into "fat" wallets for Pete. BUT, in the realm of what constitutes a great or even good steel guitar player he was NOT (IMHO). What happened, I believe was too things primarily that permitted him to make his fabulous "niche" in the music of the day: 1. He strictly played "licks" that were appealing. Most "commercial" PSG player ever! 2. He explored the use of pedal changes that produced a sound, never heard by the human ear, here to for. Which of course embellished item 1. But, I will always maintain that in rating steel guitar players down thru time, Pete would have to be (IHMO), low on the totum pole. Oops, now where did I put that flame suit. May God rest his precious soul. carl |
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Earl Erb Member Posts: 886 |
posted 04 June 2000 06:57 AM
Well Little Buddy,I'm sure glad to know your still around and kickin'.I think it was in the mid 70s the last time I saw you.When the Opry was moved to the suburbs I didn't go down town much after that plus spending so much time on the road.Email me some time and let me know how you are doing.You always made me feel like I was a better player than I was and you appreciated good pickin'. |
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