# Mercury Blues - David Lindley



## keto (May 23, 2006)

Man, we used to go *nuts* dancing to this in bars back in the 80's. I heard it on the radio yesterday and went trolling around youtube - found this live version that's pretty faithfull to his recording (note I didn't say the original) and. bonus, has lots of close up footage of his hands doing the slide thing.

I'd still love to learn to play slide in a rock context, like this or Kenny Greer from Red Rider.

[video=youtube;tr3Jp_aF1Ok]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr3Jp_aF1Ok[/video]


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

Nice orange pants!

seriously though.....I always thought it would be cool to have/build a lap steel to play with. There's just something about it.
It's not just for country anymore.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

You might not like the nasaly, twangy vocals of Alan Jackson but its pretty hard not to like the Tele twangin pickin of Brent Mason.

[video=youtube;3T3MgIRUwj0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T3MgIRUwj0[/video]

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Lincoln said:


> Nice orange pants!
> 
> seriously though.....I always thought it would be cool to have/build a lap steel to play with. There's just something about it.
> It's not just for country anymore.


Lap steel never was just for country. I love David Gilmour on the lap steel. Now pedal steel is mainly for country but even then some have used it for other than country.


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

Now, THAT is great music. Why can't Lady Gaga, or whatever is flavour of the day, fans hear this?


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Now, I know this to not be true in reality, since I've met and chatted with David Lindley (presented him with an overdrive I made specially for him), but boy oh boy does he ever look like Ted Nugent in that video.

I picked up an old Goya lap steel from the estate of a friend who passed away a few years ago. It was a little under the weather, so I made a new nut for it out of ebony, and added a couple hundred turns onto the stock pickup. One of the things people often overlook about lap steels is that one uses a noticeably heavier gauge string for them. Remember that there is no presumption of ever needing any string slack to bend anything, and you need a stiff string to rest the slide on. The heavier string generates a hotter pickup output and "thicker" tone, which is likely why they sound the way they do.


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

I've always loved that song for its slide guitar but the rest of the album was a total disappointment.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

That is where we disagree. I have been playing MB for years... recently learned Quarter of a Man. I found the album brilliant.. remember the times ..Disco was really sucking.. along comes some rocking tunes with I think Jim Keltner my favourite drummer of all times 




Scotty said:


> I've always loved that song for its slide guitar but the rest of the album was a total disappointment.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Lotsa great tunes on it, though in some instances, I think one has to have a soft spot for reggae to appreciate it. The cajun tune _Petit Fleur_ was actually on a much earlier album Lindley did when he was a member of the band *Kaleidescope*, one of the first "world music" bands. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaleidoscope_(U.S._band)

Here's Kaleidescope's epic (and Epic) recording from their third album. This has to be one of THE first world music freakouts. It goes in a lot of different directions. Worth waiting it out for.
[video=youtube;K2eaNc-98Vw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2eaNc-98Vw[/video]


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

guitarman2 said:


> Lap steel never was just for country. I love David Gilmour on the lap steel. Now pedal steel is mainly for country but even then some have used it for other than country.


Guitarman2: You know your lap steel. It is one of my favourite instruments and I plan to learn to play it in the future.

Here is another excellent lap steel player, John Hughey. Unfortunately, a lot of the good players have died and only a few younger ones are taking it up. 

[video=youtube;n9Wuj_smT7U]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9Wuj_smT7U&amp;feature=related[/video]


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Steadfastly said:


> Guitarman2: You know your lap steel. It is one of my favourite instruments and I plan to learn to play it in the future.
> 
> Here is another excellent lap steel player, John Hughey. Unfortunately, a lot of the good players have died and only a few younger ones are taking it up.


No one should be discussing lap steel with out mentioning Cindy Cashdollar. Swing style. And of course Canadas own Redd showing why he's one of Brad Paisleys favorite guitar players.

[video=youtube;gY8AFtlAykA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY8AFtlAykA[/video]


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

guitarman2 said:


> Canadas own Redd showing why he's one of Brad Paisleys favorite guitar players.


Wow.. look how much he cranks on the neck @ 1.30


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

guitarman2 said:


> No one should be discussing lap steel with out mentioning Cindy Cashdollar. Swing style. And of course Canadas own Redd showing why he's one of Brad Paisleys favorite guitar players.
> 
> [video=youtube;gY8AFtlAykA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY8AFtlAykA[/video]


That is a new one to me. Thanks for posting it.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

Wow !!! That last video of Red and Cindy just blew me away. I had never herd of these fine musicians. Love that Texas swing stuff. Thanks for posting Guitarman2


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

guitarman2 said:


> No one should be discussing lap steel with out mentioning Cindy Cashdollar. Swing style. And of course Canadas own Redd showing why he's one of Brad Paisleys favorite guitar players.


Redd shows up in this track from Paisley's guitar showcase album _Play _in the aptly-named Telecaster-fest _"Cluster Pluck".
[video=youtube;A6BJ2E8eKww]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6BJ2E8eKww&amp;feature=kp[/video]_


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

marcos said:


> Wow !!! That last video of Red and Cindy just blew me away. I had never herd of these fine musicians. Love that Texas swing stuff. Thanks for posting Guitarman2


I talked with Redd over on tdpri about a mutual acquaintance we had. Back in the 80's when I toured quite frequently in Western Canada I met a guy by the name of George Moody. He was about 90 years old at the time and had just retired from the road. He got up to jam with us at a matinee. We guitar dueled for about 20 minutes everything I threw at him he threw back at me in humiliating fashion. Then he threw things out I'd only dream of playing. He could do Chet Atkins, Lenny Breau, Van Halen, just about any style you could imagine.
He invited me back to his studio the next day. We'd play for about 3 or 4 hours then he'd say "I'm tired now, come back tomorrow". I went about 3 days in a row and soaked up as much as I could. He was the best guitar player I ever knew personally and was as good as being able to sit down with anyone famous. And not many even heard of him. Well I wish there were videos of George I could post.
From what I understood talking to Redd, he got alot of inspiration and influence from George Moody.
I was able to get together with George on 2 more tours passing through Swift Current Saskatchewan. Then I got word that he'd passed away.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Holy crap I guess there is some vids on youtube. I swear a couple years ago when I searched I couldn't find anything on this guy. I'll start a new thread on this guy so as not to hijack this one.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

mhammer said:


> Redd shows up in this track from Paisley's guitar showcase album _Play _in the aptly-named Telecaster-fest _"Cluster Pluck".
> [video=youtube;A6BJ2E8eKww]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6BJ2E8eKww&amp;feature=kp[/video]_


Holly crap Mark !!! After listening to that I'm quitting playing guitar and going golfing. Amazing pickers. Thanks for sharing.


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## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

Interesting you mentioned George Moody, whom Freddie Pelletier mentioned as one of his biggest influences. There was also a younger player from Swift Current who I jammed with a few times who was mentored by him as well, forgotten his name, great player. Who did you tour with Guitarman?


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

WCGill said:


> Interesting you mentioned George Moody, whom Freddie Pelletier mentioned as one of his biggest influences. There was also a younger player from Swift Current who I jammed with a few times who was mentored by him as well, forgotten his name, great player. Who did you tour with Guitarman?


I toured with Danny Thompson and Gunsmoke. We toured Western Canada quite frequently.
I noticed your from Medicine Hat. Played a bar there called The Westlander. I think thats what it was called.


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## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

Yup, the Westlander it was, there have been a few name changes since, think it's a Coast hotel now, no entertainment anymore. At the time you were touring I wasn't a resident here, sorry I missed you. Brian Sklar, a fiddler from Prince Albert had a TV show back in the late '70's, early '80's, Freddie Pelletier was his guitar player and George Moody was on the show several times. He was definitely one of the best guitar players to come out of this country, right up there with Lenny Breau, who may well have been the best. The younger player in Swift was also named George, a misplaced Maritimer who I think has since gone back. He led a smoking country trio back when country was still cool. Interesting how it all intersects.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

Steel and hollow guitar....classics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rwfqsjimRM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy79OtCFSPc
and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzbA79ptJP8


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

First heard the tune by Steve Miller. Might still have the lp. The Lindley version is my favourite and I love that whole record.

Peace, Mooh.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Mooh said:


> First heard the tune by Steve Miller. Might still have the lp. The Lindley version is my favourite and I love that whole record.
> 
> Peace, Mooh.


Same here. I love the Steve Miller version, but David Lindley's version is by far my favorite. He's one of those guys with the golden touch.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

Electraglide said:


> Steel and hollow guitar....classics.
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rwfqsjimRM
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy79OtCFSPc
> and
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzbA79ptJP8


Thanks, I will now spend the rest of the day humming/singing "Sleepwalk". Did you see the Jeff Beck version? He makes it sound just like the slide version without a slide of course.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

Lincoln said:


> Thanks, I will now spend the rest of the day humming/singing "Sleepwalk". Did you see the Jeff Beck version? He makes it sound just like the slide version without a slide of course.


I like the original....first time I heard it was when it first came out, on a 2 transistor am radio....at 2 am or so, picking up some radio station on the skip. The local radio station thought Teresa Brewer was about as modern as you should get. And it was one of the. first slow songs I danced to with my older sister's friend Diane. You don't forget the first slow song with a, how did they put it back then, umm a rather mature young lady.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Lincoln said:


> Thanks, I will now spend the rest of the day humming/singing "Sleepwalk". Did you see the Jeff Beck version? He makes it sound just like the slide version without a slide of course.


Agree. The original by Santo and Johnny is hard to beat, but Beck comes shockingly close without a slide. Scary.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Well if we're posting other uses of steel guitar--this deserves to be seen:
[video=youtube;8HFf3sxb-Cs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HFf3sxb-Cs[/video]


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

And I like this too-
[video=youtube;yhUakg8lflI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhUakg8lflI&amp;feature=kp[/video]


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

zontar said:


> And I like this too-


Very nice thanks


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

Electraglide said:


> I like the original....first time I heard it was when it first came out, on a 2 transistor am radio....at 2 am or so, picking up some radio station on the skip. The local radio station thought Teresa Brewer was about as modern as you should get. And it was one of the. first slow songs I danced to with my older sister's friend Diane. You don't forget the first slow song with a, how did they put it back then, umm a rather mature young lady.


I'm sure lots of babies were made to that song way back when.......


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