Mason Proffit/Cage

Dana Blodgett · Post by **Dana Blodgett** » 17 Nov 2016 1:02 pm

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Does anyone remember these guys-Mason Proffit? The steel player plays over the vocals also to a degree,in my opinion
https://youtu.be/35vOkF7PAXE
https://youtu.be/hlEhSPq6Gv8

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 17 Nov 2016 2:00 pm

I used to see them at the Fillmore West and other Bay area venues.

I believe it's Johnny Talbot on steel.

Dana Blodgett · Post by **Dana Blodgett** » 17 Nov 2016 3:03 pm

Richard, yeah I think you're right, his brother was also in the band, his name escapes me now, but these guys were one of my early inspirations on steel. I believe John Michael Talbot played an Emmons. Some late sixties protest songs mainly, I liked them 'cause
they were different.

Ron Funk · Post by **Ron Funk** » 17 Nov 2016 3:33 pm

Remember that group very well.
Still have their LPs

Two Hangmen was name of a song of theirs

Chris Robbins · Post by **Chris Robbins** » 17 Nov 2016 5:58 pm

His brothers name is Terry Talbot he's still somewhat in the music business John strictly plays Christian music and has for quite some time

Bill Sinclair · Post by **Bill Sinclair** » 17 Nov 2016 8:30 pm

I remember that after Mason Proffit, The Talbot Brothers (John Michael and Terry) were at the forefront of Christian rock in the early/mid 70's. I think John Michael went on to become a monk and I still occasionally run into some of his folkie compositions when playing contemporary church music. Played one of his songs at a friend's wedding years ago. Hadn't thought about that band in a long time. Thanks for the link.

Dana Blodgett · Post by **Dana Blodgett** » 17 Nov 2016 9:32 pm

No problem I tried to share a youtube link but can't seem to get it to work...the name of the song is "Dance Hall Fire" by Mason Proffit on youtube anyway it has a real nice steel break at 2:28 and some tasty harmonics at the very end

Dana Blodgett · Post by **Dana Blodgett** » 17 Nov 2016 9:36 pm

https://youtu.be/ZSDDuZZTomA

Randy Schneider · Post by **Randy Schneider** » 18 Nov 2016 6:32 am

When I was a teenager in the 70s, the church group I was in made an album, and "Hope" (from Mason Proffit's 'Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream' album) was our choice for the 'title track'.

Unfortunately, none of us played steel back then. And we probably barely even realized it was on the album...

Listening to the vinyl now, the steel is obvious!

Glenn Suchan · Post by **Glenn Suchan** » 18 Nov 2016 11:05 am

Bill Sinclair wrote:I remember that after Mason Proffit, The Talbot Brothers (John Michael and Terry) were at the forefront of Christian rock in the early/mid 70's. I think John Michael went on to become a monk and I still occasionally run into some of his folkie compositions when playing contemporary church music. Played one of his songs at a friend's wedding years ago. Hadn't thought about that band in a long time. Thanks for the link.

Bill, you're somewhat correct. John Michael and his brother, Terry did quit Mason Proffit and country rock music in the mid 70's to play christian-based music. Presumably because they saw, first-hand, the seamy, drug-ladened side of many rock bands. However, John Michael isn't a monk. The Talbots were raised in the Methodist church and later, John changed denominations to Roman Catholic. Both brothers worked as a duet, as well as solo writing, recording and performing contemporary christian music. John is among my favorites of this genre.

Here are two of my absolute favorites that John has recorded. These two songs help to focus my christian life. Praise be to God!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXyYm1yIL-g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc8thQQl6Bs

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

Daniel Morris · Post by **Daniel Morris** » 18 Nov 2016 3:51 pm

Dang, do I ever remember them. Never got to see them live, but I can still recall buying the original albums!

Terry did some solo albums (Al Perkins played on his first).
John did as well.
They had one major label album, The Talbot Brothers, which featured Sneaky Pete on a few tracks.
Some gospel/Christian music was featured, but when Sparrow Records reissued it, the song MOLINE TRUCKIN' was dropped. While it was indeed a country song, a Christian label can't be havin' songs about truckers pickin' up women. Lovely music remained. So far, it doesn't seem to have been reissued on CD.
Mason Proffit briefly reunited, with Al Perkins handling pedal steel, but the magic was gone.

John Michael Talbot did indeed become Roman Catholic - and a monk of sorts. It's a community that includes married folks (like him).
http://www.johnmichaeltalbot.com/

One of my earliest favorite bands when I was learning pedal steel. And the songs - superb protest/socially conscious ones, as well as stellar love songs (A THOUSAND AND TWO, DANCE HALL GIRL, SUMMER SIDE OF LOVE, 24 HOUR SWEETHEART).
LAST NIGHT I HAD THE STRANGEST DREAM has - for me - one of the finest first sides of any LP from that era. My first (basement) band worked up HOPE.
John did sometimes overplay on steel, but like so much in the newly developing country-rock genre, it worked.

Pardon my nostalgia. Some music doesn't hold up well over the years, but I genuinely believe much of Mason Proffit's does.

(I do not believe Buddy Cage ever played with the band.
John played pedal steel, banjo, Dobro & guitar. Terry played a couple bars of fiddle on the 2d album, but he primarily played guitar.
It's DANCE HALL GIRL, a true tear jerker).

Dana Blodgett · Post by **Dana Blodgett** » 18 Nov 2016 7:40 pm

Daniel I used to do several of their songs years ago like 24 hour sweetheart, Hard luck woman, Flying Arrow.Mainly sing and play 6 string.
What I meant about Cage was not that he played with the band but the style of playing overtop of the vocals with the steel guitar.
I just liked them because they were singing these great protest songs of the times and were different with really decent steel playing and some good banjo too,yes I really said that!

Daniel Morris · Post by **Daniel Morris** » 19 Nov 2016 4:54 am

Ah, got it, Dana.
Buddy definitely plays all over the place; it's like he's just so excited to pick, it's hard to lay back.
Obviously Buddy has the more serious chops, but I always thought John played well, was in tune and played what worked.
One example of John's always-on steel is on the 1st album, on STEWBALL. But at the time, I just loved it.
While I was not a hippie, hippie country-rock was what I cut my teeth on. I could play the short steel solo on FREEDOM til the record wore out.
OLD JOE CLARK, with John's double (triple?) tracked banjo always got - and still gets - my feet stompin'.
Gotta respect the banjo - our instrument can also get slammed, for sounding like a cat in heat.

Bob Ricker · Post by **Bob Ricker** » 19 Nov 2016 6:40 pm

If there was ever a band to be in "Americana-Hall of Fame" it would be Mason Proffit.

I saw them many many times. I have never seen a group who could perform so well and excite the audience like Mason Proffit. I saw many a night where to top act would have hated to follow them on stage.

John and Terry Talbot did the singing. Bass player Tim Ayers and drummer Art Nash added a really tight rhythm section that could adapt to various types of music.

I was always impressed the way and style John Talbot accompanied on steel guitar. It was very much his own method. Terry Talbot could really get crowds excited.
They really sounded incredible live.

If I am not mistaken they may have used Hammond Condor amps/speakers that sounded great.

I played a similar style in a band called Whiskeytown and was happy to meet John Michael Talbot when he had a performance here in Nashville a few years back.

It would be great to see film/video of the performances of Mason Proffit from the late 60's early 70's.

Dana Blodgett · Post by **Dana Blodgett** » 20 Nov 2016 8:04 am

Thanks for the many good comments about MF and learned a few things too!. I always thought that JMTalbot had developed his own style-a good thing, something that I've always strived for on the 6 string and PSG...It's important to know how to improvise in different keys.

Allen Peterson · Post by **Allen Peterson** » 21 Nov 2016 7:31 am

"Really played funky when feelin' skunky junky" Don't remember the name of the song, but I remember that line. I think it was Hokey Joe Pony, or something like that. These guys were one of my favorites, when I was going to college. Saw them play in Salt Lake City in 1970 or 1971. Great show. I was blown away by their energy on stage. That was the first time I saw a pedal steel up close.

Allen Peterson

Dana Blodgett · Post by **Dana Blodgett** » 21 Nov 2016 2:02 pm

Yep, Hokey Joe Poney was a ramblin' man, came from Lousiana with the hot kazoo band...Guilty, yeah I played that one too

Rick Abbott · Post by **Rick Abbott** » 21 Nov 2016 6:08 pm

Glenn Suchan mentioned: "John Michael isn't a monk. The Talbots were raised in the Methodist church and later, John changed denominations to Roman Catholic."

John Michael entered a monastic order that allows for the monk to live outside a monastery. The guy that trained me in hardwood lumber grading was a huge fan of JMT and talked about his journey through the '70's and eventual conversion to this particular order, which my boss was considering entering.

The album Cave of the Heart was inspired by his time seeking a "cave" while living among people.

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