Jerry Garcia and Buddy Cage Face Off

Frank Freniere · Post by **Frank Freniere** » 6 Jan 2017 6:14 am

From “Desperados” by John Einarson.

Garcia and Cage engaged in a legendary steel guitar duel that was adjudged in Cage’s favor. “The New Riders of the Purple Sage were a new group then [ca. 1969-1970],” states Great Speckled Bird bass player Jim Colegrove, “and Jerry Garcia was playing pedal steel guitar. One of the most memorable moments on that train [1970 Transcontinental Pop Festival, a/k/a Festival Express] was when Jerry and Buddy Cage jammed. Finally, Jerry just stopped playing. He said, ‘Sorry, I can’t keep up with you.’”

Garcia took to standing in the wings during the Speckled Bird’s sets to watch Cage. A year later, when he left the New Riders, Garcia introduced the young Canadian as his replacement. “Jerry was just starting to fool around with the steel at that time,” offers guitarist Amos Garrett, “but Buddy had been playing since he was a child, so he was very advanced.”

Earlier that year, Garcia had contributed some marvelously fluid pedal-steel work to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s “Teach Your Children.” Amazingly, it was his first take of the song; he’d never heard it before and was still finding his way on the instrument. “ I got one good note in on that tune!” claimed Garcia. “One good note makes it worthwhile.”

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 6 Jan 2017 7:01 am

I Wonder which one he thought was the "good note"?

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 6 Jan 2017 7:22 am

I remember that note!

Frank Freniere · Post by **Frank Freniere** » 6 Jan 2017 8:21 am

Truly notable.

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 6 Jan 2017 9:37 am

The best "good" note is that real high, kind of mistake/harmonic thing that comes at the very end of the vocal at the end of song.. "and know they love you"-*TWING*!!!,,, then the outro, which is simply gorgeous.. Old Gerry just did everything right on this particular song,, He wasn't playing very long at all , was a relative novice, and from what I have read, did this in ONE take... astounding.. Like his steel playing or not,[I do!], the man had incomparable musical instincts, and made the very most of the abilities he was given.. Rest in peace.... bob

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 6 Jan 2017 12:46 pm

great story about the "duel" and not surprising that Jerry bowed out gracefully.

as much as I love and appreciate Jerry and what he did on psg, he was the first to admit that his abilities on the instrument were limited and that he would "need another lifetime" in order to master it. which makes his output all the more impressive in my opinion.

i've heard so many conflicting stories about Jerry's involvement on Teach Your Children. some say it was done in a single take, others say he labored over many takes to get it just right. some say he'd only been playing steel for 6 weeks, some say 6 months. others say a couple years.

thought I'd check wiki for the heck of it, and the plot definitely thickens:

"Teach Your Children" is a song by Graham Nash. Although it was written when Nash was a member of the Hollies, it was never recorded by that group, and first appeared on the album Déjà Vu by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young released in 1970. The recording features Jerry Garcia on steel guitar. Garcia did not know how to play the steel guitar. He told Lon Goddard of the British music newspaper Record Mirror in an interview, that he recorded a series of pieces on the steel guitar and spliced them together in the studio to create the backing and solo. Garcia had made an arrangement that in return for his playing steel guitar on "Teach Your Children," CSNY would teach the members of the Grateful Dead how to sing harmony for their upcoming albums, Workingman's Dead and American Beauty. Released as a single, the song peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts that year.[1] On the Easy Listening chart, "Teach Your Children" peaked at #28.[2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teach_Your_Children

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 6 Jan 2017 1:17 pm

However Garcia did that tune every phrase was a beautiful musical gesture.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 6 Jan 2017 1:29 pm

I wonder if later that day Jerry and Buddy were jamming on standard guitar and how that went?

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 6 Jan 2017 1:30 pm

Did Buddy play standard guitar?

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 6 Jan 2017 1:51 pm

Jerry was extremely humble and self-depracating. he didn't even consider himself a great guitarist, which he clearly was. he may not have been the world's greatest banjoist either, but he could certainly get by. regardless of the instrument, Jerry had a special sweetness he brought to each one.

his steel playing on songs like Teach Your Children or the Dead's High Time and Dire Wolf are absolutely perfect and could not have been improved upon by anyone, in my opinion. the fact that he also wrote the latter two songs and so many more are just further evidence of his musical genius.

not to mention the missing middle finger on his picking hand!

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 6 Jan 2017 4:31 pm

Garcia on"Teach Your Children"=brilliant.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 6 Jan 2017 6:00 pm

Scott Murray wrote:

The recording features Jerry Garcia on steel guitar. Garcia did not know how to play the steel guitar. He told Lon Goddard of the British music newspaper Record Mirror in an interview, that he recorded a series of pieces on the steel guitar and spliced them together in the studio to create the backing and solo

ON TUESDAY 11 April, an American rock n' roll band, the Grateful Dead, played to a packed house at Newcastle City Hall. Two hours before the gig their lead guitarist Jerry Garcia talked to Muther Grumble about some of the things that have made the Dead and Garcia in particular such influential figureheads for the hippy music and social scene.

THE INTERVIEW IS UNEDITED.

This is most likely the one. It can only be read if you can afford the membership fee.
http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/A ... -interview

Bryan Staddon · Post by **Bryan Staddon** » 8 Jan 2017 4:10 pm

Sounds like Jerry was yanking some reporters chain,many things have been written about that session,never heard it was pieced together and it doesn't sound like it was either .

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 8 Jan 2017 4:53 pm

scott murray wrote:
his steel playing on songs like Teach Your Children or the Dead's High Time and Dire Wolf are absolutely perfect and could not have been improved upon by anyone, in my opinion.

Don't forget Sugar Magnolia (and Candy Man). There was no armpit guitar lead on the American Beauty cut of Sugar Magnolia

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 8 Jan 2017 5:58 pm

Aargh! Armpit guitar - I'm with fellow California steel bro Perlowin - I can't stand that term!

Right - no actual lead guitar on Sugar Magnolia, and Jerry played some good stuff on the steel - but as far as the recurring guitar riff on the song, it wouldn't be Sugar Magnolia without it.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 8 Jan 2017 6:49 pm

Indeed. Bobby got the signature motif of that one.

Frank Freniere · Post by **Frank Freniere** » 9 Jan 2017 5:18 am

Mark Eaton wrote: Right - no actual lead guitar on Sugar Magnolia, and Jerry played some good stuff on the steel - but as far as the recurring guitar riff on the song, it wouldn't be Sugar Magnolia without it.

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... t=magnolia

Bud Angelotti · Post by **Bud Angelotti** » 9 Jan 2017 7:54 am

Freedom.

David Cubbedge · Post by **David Cubbedge** » 9 Jan 2017 9:09 am

It doesn't surprise me that Jerry backed out - he knew a seasoned player when he heard one! Simple as it was, Jerry's playing had a big role in introducing me to the instrument and I have spent the last 40 years trying to emulate those great "Cali-Country" players of the 60-70s. Love Buddy Cage's style too, very original at times and iconic at times as well!

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 9 Jan 2017 12:47 pm

Candyman especially has a very original steel guitar sound. in fact, it was years before I realized it WAS a steel. and it only comes in for the solo. he did some subtle steel accents on the brilliant Brokedown Palace as well

has anyone ever documented what effects Jerry was using on each particular tune? I'd like to see that.

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 9 Jan 2017 3:01 pm

Jerry was very fond of using an envelope filter on both guitar and pedal steel.... bob

Jamie Mitchell · Post by **Jamie Mitchell** » 9 Jan 2017 5:10 pm

Bob Carlucci wrote:Jerry was very fond of using an envelope filter on both guitar and pedal steel.... bob

i don't think he ever used the MuTron on steel...
any examples?

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 9 Jan 2017 5:14 pm

Jim Cohen wrote:I Wonder which one he thought was the "good note"?

The single harmonic near the end of the song.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 9 Jan 2017 6:10 pm

Bob Carlucci wrote:Jerry was very fond of using an envelope filter on both guitar and pedal steel.... bob

Jamie Mitchell wrote: i don't think he ever used the MuTron on steel...
any examples?

I always thought Candy Man was a Mutron driven by the volume pedal, followed by a Leslie: https://youtu.be/MEFPOqEmxHU?t=3m9s

Jamie Mitchell · Post by **Jamie Mitchell** » 10 Jan 2017 8:44 am

b0b wrote: I always thought Candy Man was a Mutron driven by the volume pedal, followed by a Leslie: https://youtu.be/MEFPOqEmxHU?t=3m9s

American Beauty was 1970, MuTron didn't come out til 72.
interesting tone, though...

The Steel Guitar Forum

Jerry Garcia and Buddy Cage Face Off

Jerry Garcia and Buddy Cage Face Off

Yank that chain