Pete Drake

Andy Alford · Post by **Andy Alford** » 24 Oct 2002 7:35 am

How would you describe the playing style of Pete Drake?What hit songs did he play on?Do you think that one should study is musical style?Was he different in his method of playing?

Miguel e Smith · Post by **Miguel e Smith** » 24 Oct 2002 8:01 am

Many players have considered his style to be 'commercial' because he was so successful and on so many records. He played on a ton of records during the 60's and 70's both in Nashville and elsewhere. I worked with Charlie Rich during the mid-70's and I had to learn his key licks. I originally came from the Charlton/Emmons influence but Pete's style is definately worth having in your bag of tricks (along with many other great players and various styles).

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 24 Oct 2002 2:22 pm

Pete had a knack...a simple style that blended well with the simple arrangements on records of the '60s and '70s. Style sells, and Pete's simple-clean style sold like hot-dogs at the ball park! While he was never one of the really "hot pickers", he was one of the most in-demand session musicians of the period, and the #1 session steel player for many years. He was also successful as a producer and publisher.

His early playing (about 1960) on records by Red Sovine, and Roy Drusky got my attention, and his backup on later records like Tammy Wynette's "Ways To Love A Man", and Gary Stewart's "She's Actin' Single" are real classics, despite their simplicity. He certainly proved that you don't have to play a lot to play well...and be successful.

Style outsells sheer ability most of the time...it was true 40 years ago, and it's still true today.

Mike Brinkmeyer · Post by **Mike Brinkmeyer** » 24 Oct 2002 5:10 pm

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=SEARCH&sql=R17130#top

nick allen · Post by **nick allen** » 24 Oct 2002 11:15 pm

http://steelguitarforum.com/Archives/Archive-000003/HTML/20011227-1-009871.html

This thread gives pretty extensive information.
For those who don't know, Pete played on records by George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Ringo Starr, in addition to most of the 60s/70s country stars.
Nick

Ricky Littleton · Post by **Ricky Littleton** » 25 Oct 2002 12:49 am

One of Pete's best breaks was on Gary Stewart's 'Drinking Again". Like most have said, what he lacked in technique, he made up for by blending so well in the arrangements.

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Emmons LeGrande - 8x4
Session 400 Ltd
Dan-Echo, E-Bow

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 25 Oct 2002 12:54 pm

The Bob Dylan John Wesley Hardin album is one of my favorite Pedal Steel "time capsule" candidates. "I'll Be Your Baby Tonite" is probably the most popular of them. It's also got a nice picture of PD in a Rebel civil war hat. The back up vocal support/answer is classic.

Hard to describe, but maybe somewhere between "Brumley and Lloyd Green" at least on that one.. Not a lot of reverb, no echo/delay. Good clean tone and simple technique.

In one of Jimmy Dickens' songs, he claimed to have bought a steel guitar from him..

EW

Wayne Cox · Post by **Wayne Cox** » 25 Oct 2002 11:04 pm

Pete Drake was one of my early heroes,and still is. There is a big misconception about his playing abilities,though. Even though it is true that Pete played corny,simple licks on many hit records; licks that were kind of a turn-off for most other players; he did this to earn a good living. It wasn't because he couldn't play well. I have some of his old instrumental albums,and still find them to be very enjoyable. Pete was actually very creative and innovative. His rendition of "Midnight in Amarillo" rivals the more recent version by Buddy Emmons. The diminished scale run he did for an ending on his version of "Danny Boy",was another stroke of genius. Incidentally,pedals 5 and 6,on the C6 neck are generally credited to Pete. They used to be called the "Drake Pedals". Additionally,my favorite steel instrumental of all time was written by Hal Rugg and recorded by Pete Drake. It is called,"My Bluest Day"! If I am in error in reporting any of these facts,please correct me,but I think you will find I'm pretty accurate in this. Hal was the one who told me about "My Bluest Day".
W.C.

Andy Alford · Post by **Andy Alford** » 26 Oct 2002 4:20 am

It is hard for me to believe that P.Drake could only play licks and easy stuff.I am reading everything, and reading between the lines.I wonder if the steel guitar world's expectations are one thing and what sounds good to the fans is another.It would be within reason that Drake could play anything he wanted to.I have all his albums and they seem to be very well done.I do know many pedal players who can ONLY play licks,runs,and fills but Drake did play the melodies.Pete Drake sounds mighty good to me, not trying to copy any other player.I guess I am just a fan.I also like another player that recorded with Pete Drake,Little Roy Wiggins.If their playing was simple, then it was simply beautiful.[This message was edited by Andy Alford on 26 October 2002 at 05:30 AM.]

Fred Jack · Post by **Fred Jack** » 26 Oct 2002 6:25 am

Eric W. .... what a place to be! Between them or beside them he certainly is deserving of that position! regards, fred

Carter York · Post by **Carter York** » 26 Oct 2002 6:58 am

I found this on the web, it's from an interview with Peter Frampton....
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The first time I heard [the sound] on record was Stevie Wonder on "Music of My Mind." He put the synth through it, and did a lot of background vocals with it, which was really cool. I love when it speaks, when it doesn't make the "wah wah wah," when it actually talks. That whet my appetite.

In '71 I was doing sessions on George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass." On those sessions was the fantastic pedal steel player from Nashville, Pete Drake. In a slow moment, he set his pedal steel up right in front of me. He gets out this little wooden box, put in a little tiny pipe, put it in his mouth, plugged the pedal steel into it, and the next thing I know, he's singing to me, the pedal steel is singing to me. He'd had a country hit with it, apparently, in the '60s, you know. So I said, "That's it! That's the sound! Where can I get one?" He said, "This is mine, I made it, and you can't have it." We became great friends over the years, and he was thrilled that I sort of stole his idea
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At least he didn't give him his.....

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 26 Oct 2002 7:59 am

Andy-I can't possibly name all the hit songs that Pete has recorded. There are so many.
Yes , study his musical style. He had the knack and talent to play the right things at the right time, and turned it all into gold! That,IMO,is what is called a good commercial musician........al

Wayne Cox · Post by **Wayne Cox** » 26 Oct 2002 3:31 pm

Pete Drake did not play the 32nd note diatones like Lloyd Greene,on Lloyd's faster passages. Pete did not play the incredible single-note scales that Buddy Emmons daisey-chains together with ease. What Pete did do,besides the little corny licks we've all heard,was to create unique sounds and licks that none of us had ever heard before! That is why he is still one of my favorites. If you doubt his creativity,in any way,just listen to his recording of "The Spook", or "Pleading". He did two different cuts on some of his tunes. One version,straight steel,and another version with his "Talking Music Actuator". ~~W.C.~~[This message was edited by Wayne Cox on 26 October 2002 at 04:34 PM.]

BDBassett · Post by **BDBassett** » 26 Oct 2002 5:01 pm

I made the mistake of under rating Pete Drake's playing when I was first getting started. Then I got in with a singer who had Pete playing on all his recordings and all of a sudden I had to comp his simple sounding licks. All in all, a real learning experience for me. The kicker was a behind-the-bar chimeing sound he got that was used on my bosses only real hit record, a remake of Rhythm of the Rain. Not so hard to do in the key of E but our version was in F# and went to G. Had to use a steel guitar capo.
Just don't hear that kind of inventive thinking anymore unless you count all the neat things you can do with a Lexicon.
BD