This is documented and is as accurate an indicator as I know of, for this kind of data.

Music Row magazine tabulates all the hit CD's out of Nashville by calling producers and checking what they read on album credits against the producers memory. Once this is done, they varify everything from that point with the union contracts to make sure everyone is credited correctly for their work on a hit project.(They follow the money trail) It is a tedious project that is done every year by them.

After they get the numbers an award goes to the musician on each instrument for playing on the most hit CD's within a year. They list players, per instrument, with their totals for the year. You have to play on at least two hit CD's to get listed in the final award issue of the magazine.

Players that generally take this award acquire 20 credits. The highest I have ever seen in one year was in the guitar category, Brent Mason got 23. The most I ever accumulated in a year was 21. My score has consistantly stayed around 18 to 20 over the last ten or so years. Dan and Bouton consistantly range in the 8 to 10 range in the pedal steel category with Garrish one or two credits behind. Dan and Bruce have tied alot, if my memory serves me correctly.

(AGAIN, this is not my information. This comes from the information listed each year in the Music Row magazine)

Kevin.....Dan also plays acoustic and electric rhythm guitar on sessions. He is a multi-instrumentalist and a durn good one at that. Wherever you heard this, they must be adding his guitar credits to his steel credits to get those kind of numbers....I can see where you would have assumed all of his recording credits are for pedal steel.

As for the pedal thing, to each his own....Players can always debate with an example of why to study music or not, play Jazz or not, play fast or not, play slow or not, to have alot of pedals or not. I just hope our session work does not become the focus of this debate...Who works what proves nothing here.

I believe this has been a great thread, so far

...Paul

[This message was edited by Franklin on 07 January 2004 at 06:55 AM.]

The number of pedals and levers are not indicitive of musical quality either- it's the music, not the axe, it's the mind of the player, not the copedant.

Paul Franklin could play a one stringed instrument with no pedals, no levers, and one finger and play good music.

=========

One thing I am finding is different gigs really do use very different pedals/levers and the amount you go to them.

Jazz manouche I am all over LKL and LKV so's my leg is tired and walk strange,
P6 and a bit of P7 & P8.
And BE's P5+ P7 thing for Caravan.
Now I want a steel copedent for this style LOL.

Blues has a lot of RKR alternating with LKL + LKV and more P5 and tons of P6.

Country has a completely different PnL dynamic.

Hot Country Singles & TracksTM
Top 20 Positions /Issue Date: January 10, 2004

Position
1 There Goes My Life Kenny Chesney Sonny Garrish

2 Remember When, Alan Jackson Lloyd Green

3 You Can't Take The Honky Tonk Out Of The Girl, Brooks & Dunn Paul Franklin/Dan Dugmore

4 Honesty (Write Me A List), Rodney Atkins
Sonny Garrish/Scott Saunders

5 I Love This Bar, Toby Keith Paul Franklin

6 I Wanna Do It All, Terri Clark Paul Franklin

7 Drinkin' Bone, Tracy Byrd Paul Franklin/Dan Dugmore

8 Watch The Wind Blow By, Tim McGraw
Not listed, but it's his own band

9 She's Not Just A Pretty Face, Shania Twain Paul Franklin

10 Cowboys Like Us, George Strait Paul Franklin

11 Little Moments, Brad Paisley Randle Currie (yeah Randle...)

12 American Soldier, Toby Keith Paul Franklin

13 Chicks Dig It, Chris Cagle None listed

14 Hot Mama, Trace Adkins Steve Hinson (way to go, Steve …)

15 Hell Yeah, Montgomery Gentry Dan Dugmore

16 In My Daughter's Eyes, Martina McBride
Dan Dugmore

17 I Love You This Much, Jimmy Wayne Paul Franklin

18 Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me, Keith Urban
not released yet, no credits available

19 I Wish, Jo Dee Messina Paul Franklin

20 Perfect, Sara Evans Gary Morse

Some records list two players.

One is unreleased with no credits.

Some surprises (you go, Steve Hinson. You too, Randle).

AllMusic is not perfect, but pretty close on the new stuff. Also, real album credits can be flawed, too.

Draw your own conclusions...

PS--Sorry for the crappy spacing--it looked good before I pasted it in...

[This message was edited by John Macy on 06 January 2004 at 05:49 PM.]