steel player on rolling stones record????

Colin Keyworth · Post by **Colin Keyworth** » 3 Jun 2003 11:25 am

Can anybody tell me if Gram Parsons played steel on "Wild Horses" by the Rolling Stones.I was asked by a friend but i don't know.I do know on the video for the song girl with the far away eyes Ronnie Wood was filmed playing P.S.g. Many thanks- Col

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Dave Burr · Post by **Dave Burr** » 3 Jun 2003 11:58 am

The Stones have cut this song a couple of times, the first being the "Sticky Fingers" (1971) album. Not sure if Ron Wood was with them then, but am pretty sure he cut it on a later album.

As far as I know, Gram Parsons never played the steel guitar. The only connection I can think of between Gram and the Stones (other than them being friends), is the song Dead Flowers, which was written by Jagger/Richards about Gram getting dead flowers delivered to him from someone in the States while he was in England. Jagger and Richards were supposedly there when it happened.

Respectfully,
Dave Burr[This message was edited by Dave Burr on 03 June 2003 at 12:59 PM.]

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 3 Jun 2003 12:01 pm

I am not aware that Gram ever played steel on anything. I read (on liner notes I think) that there was a version of "Wild Horses" that the Stones had Sneaky Pete Kleinow play on, but that that version was not released, and that that was how it became part of the Flying Burrito Brothers' repertoire, with Gram singing it (there was a recorded version of this on some FBB album or other).

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 3 Jun 2003 2:14 pm

I thought it was Mick Taylor on steel.

Robbie Bossert · Post by **Robbie Bossert** » 3 Jun 2003 3:36 pm

Huh, I thought it was Ronnie Wood.

Robbie

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 3 Jun 2003 7:18 pm

This link (http://www.kenkeppol.com/undercover/tre ... s/id54.htm)includes a claim that the author heard some obscure version of Wild Horses with Gram Parsons playing steel. Too wierd - maybe that was actually the fabled Sneaky Pete version, but I've sure as heck never heard of Gram playing steel!

JB Arnold · Post by **JB Arnold** » 3 Jun 2003 7:42 pm

Gram could barely keep up on Rhythym guitar. There's no way he played steel. I'm not even sure there's a steel part on the original-I think it might be Mick Taylor on bottleneck-he was a monster at that and was the bands lead guitarist at the time. He didn't quit until after the Sticky Fingers tour, and was replaced by Ron Wood.

The definitive version of this song was not done by The Stones OR Gram but the New Riders of the Purple Sage with Cage on steel. It's on Home Home on the Road and was a permanent part of their live set. Cage still uses it as a signature song in whatever band he happens to be in, along with Panama Red.

Gram may have fallen into a steel a time or two, but he never played one.

JB

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"All in all, looking back, I'd have to say the best advice anyone ever gave me was 'Hands Up, Don't Move!"
www.johnbarnold.com/pedalsteel
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[This message was edited by JB Arnold on 03 June 2003 at 08:43 PM.][This message was edited by JB Arnold on 03 June 2003 at 08:44 PM.]

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 3 Jun 2003 7:54 pm

Yeah John, Gram sure never played one. A bit of google-surfing, however, revealed that there is a persistent myth out there that an unreleased version of "Wild Horses" contained a Gram Parsons pedal steel part. The fact that there was an unused Sneaky Pete version seems well-documented though, and I can only guess that at some point, perhaps with a little chemical assistance, history got rewritten to make Gram the steel player.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 3 Jun 2003 8:38 pm

From this page: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>"Wild Horses":
Gram Parsons claimed more than once that Jagger and Richards wrote "Wild Horses" for him, and even that he had inspired the song. In fact, the song was about Keith Richards's reluctance to leave Anita Pallenberg and his new son Marlon for a US tour, and/or about Marianne Faithfull's attempted suicide. The Stones did send the song to Parsons, in the hope that Sneaky Pete Kleinow might be able to add some steel guitar to it. (He never did.)*
The Rolling Stones' version appears on Sticky Fingers (London, 1971). It reached #28 on the US charts in July '71.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 3 Jun 2003 8:52 pm

Okay, what the heck is this? It mentions Gram Parsons playing pedal steel. It's also mentioned on this page.

I don't believe everything I read. I still think it was probably Mick Taylor.

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Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 4 Jun 2003 5:25 am

Yeah, I found those reference too - simply not accurate. I'm still not sure whether Sneaky actually did or did not add steel to a Stones version of Wild Horses....I think I have liner notes somewhere that suggest he did. (Jason, where are you when we need you?) A nice bit of trivia chasing here - beats the heck out of working......

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 4 Jun 2003 8:42 am

It was probably our buddy Neil at the Wheel!

Neil Flanz · Post by **Neil Flanz** » 4 Jun 2003 8:52 am

Gram never played steel guitar although he loved it dearly. There's a version of Wild Horses that I played pedal steel on which was on the "Porch Pickers with Neil Flanz" CD that was released a couple of years ago.[This message was edited by Neil Flanz on 04 June 2003 at 09:55 AM.]

Chris Forbes · Post by **Chris Forbes** » 4 Jun 2003 9:07 am

Al Perkins played on the Exile on Main Street album.

Roger Miller · Post by **Roger Miller** » 5 Jun 2003 9:47 am

I believe you have to take in to consideration that back in the 70's if any of the stones were sober enough to even sit let alone find the strings. You might consider Mr. Garcia also if cut in Cal., my hunch is Mick Jones.

JB Arnold · Post by **JB Arnold** » 5 Jun 2003 11:51 am

From the RS official website archives. This is the personnel list for Sticky Fingers, which contained Dead Flowers AND Wild Horses. No Steel. Slide work surely by Mick Taylor, as I saw this tour live and that's what he played on those 2 songs, as well as most of the others.

JB

Personnel

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ry Cooder - Guitar
Mick Jagger - Guitar, Harmonica, Percussion, Keyboards, Vocals
Billy Preston - Organ, Keyboards, Vocals
Mick Taylor - Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Vocals
Charlie Watts - Drums
Nicky Hopkins - Piano, Keyboards
Jack Nitzsche - Percussion, Piano, Keyboards
Jim Price - Piano, Trumpet, Horn
Bill Wyman - Synthesizer, Bass, Piano, Keyboards, Vocals
Jimmy Miller - Percussion, Producer
Paul Buckmaster - Strings, Arranger
Jim Dickinson - Piano
Rocky Dzidzornu - Percussion
Glyn Johns - Engineer
Andy Johns - Engineer
Jimmy Johnson - Engineer
Bobby Keys - Horn, Saxophone
Chris Kimsey - Engineer
Keith Richards - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Ian Stewart - Piano, Keyboards
Andy Warhol - Artwork, Design, Photography
Rocky Dijon - Conga
Craig Braun - Cover Design

------------------
Fulawka D-10 9&5
Fessenden D-10 8&8
Mullen Royal Precision D-10 8 & 5
"All in all, looking back, I'd have to say the best advice anyone ever gave me was 'Hands Up, Don't Move!"
www.johnbarnold.com/pedalsteel
www.buddycage.net

http://www.nrpsmusic.com/index.html

[This message was edited by JB Arnold on 05 June 2003 at 12:52 PM.]

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 7 Jun 2003 10:10 am

The Stones actually recorded 'Wild Horses' while on their 1969 US tour, please not that Ronnie Wood didn't join until 1974, and didn't record with the Stones until '75.

Wild Horses was recorded in late 1969 at Muscle Shoals with Jimmy Johnson as engineer and I believe Jim (James Luther) Dickinson may have tinkled the ivories.
The master (most likely a copy) was given to Gram as Kleinow was of course in the same band and Keith and Gram were buddies.
As mentioned earlier, Gram decided to cut his own version with the Flying Burrito Brothers and the Stones version wouldn't come out until 1971.

I've spoken to Sneaky Pete, and two Gram Parsons biographers, if Gram the Man played steel, he certainly never did it in front of anyone who I'd call a reliable witness and never got it documented in the studio, let alone with the Stones who had the greatest session players at the call.

Gram was a passable rhythm guitarist at best and generally when he was at the Stone's sessions in France, he was too messed up to do anything.
The dude got kicked out of the Stone's place for being too messed up, although rumours persist of him playing on their 1972 album.

Sometimes the most ridiculous things get passed around and misquoted year after year.
You can rely on the internet to keep that fine tradition going. Please note that this isn't a dig at anyone on this topic, I just had a look at those links.
I doubt the 'Author deleted' as credited on one site would know a pedal steel if one landed on his head.

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 8 Jun 2003 6:27 am

I saw Ron Wood attempt to play the steel on TV. He managed to get through the song, but it was obvious to any steel player that he was just a beginner.

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 8 Jun 2003 6:49 am

i never considered Ronnie Wood to be a very good musician.
Ry Cooder was the one that got the Stones goin' after Brian got thrown in the Pool

Mick Taylor was good but playin w: the Stones
sure was'nt a field day. (Altamont)

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Steel what?

[This message was edited by CrowBear Schmitt on 08 June 2003 at 07:49 AM.]

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 8 Jun 2003 10:17 am

LISTEN to the record...there's NO steel on it...

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 8 Jun 2003 10:34 am

I'm with Steve on this one. Don't hear it. Great song.

If it's there, it's so subtle and guitar-like that I don't notice it.

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Russ Young · Post by **Russ Young** » 9 Jun 2003 3:09 pm

I'm with Larry and Steve on this one ... I think that's Mick Taylor on slide, not steel.

The New Riders of the Purple Sage did "Dead Flowers" on their first live album, not "Wild Horses" -- which one does Buddy Cage still perform?

Old & In the Way (Jerry Garcia, Peter Rowan, David Grisman, Vassar Clements and I-can't remember-who-on-bass) did record a bluegrass-flavored version of "Wild Horses," though.[This message was edited by Russ Young on 09 June 2003 at 05:25 PM.]

JB Arnold · Post by **JB Arnold** » 9 Jun 2003 5:30 pm

Sorry-my screw up-it's Dead Flowers Cage still does. I saw someone mention that earlier as well.

JB

------------------
Fulawka D-10 9&5
Fessenden D-10 8&8
Mullen Royal Precision D-10 8 & 5
"All in all, looking back, I'd have to say the best advice anyone ever gave me was 'Hands Up, Don't Move!"
www.johnbarnold.com/pedalsteel
www.buddycage.net

http://www.nrpsmusic.com/index.html

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 10 Jun 2003 3:18 am

I'm sorry...I don't hear any slide on it either...

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 10 Jun 2003 10:40 am

For some reason, Decca thought it was Gram Parsons on pedal steel on that outtake cut. Maybe he sat down and goofed on it. I'd like to hear it.

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9),
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