Pete Drake on Jim Reeves' "Talking Walls"

Gary Hoetker · Post by **Gary Hoetker** » 6 Jan 2019 7:16 pm

Link:

https://youtu.be/UgCvR9V1d8M

How did Pete Drake get the haunting melody that builds and builds in his fills.? It's unique. I haven't heard anyone else who could play like that. Just wondering.

Duane Becker · Post by **Duane Becker** » 6 Jan 2019 7:55 pm

Gary I too agree with you. I love Pete Drakes playing and his unique style of playing. Franklin in the past has came close to sometimes sounding like him, or using some of Pete's licks. I'm not sure how he got the style or sound, probably just the way he played that old ShoBud.

Below is Ray Pillow's "Take your hands off my heart" which features Pete. One of my favorite. Lots of effects on the steel, but you can still hear his style pretty good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj0pX2lB6mg

Franklin · Post by **Franklin** » 7 Jan 2019 4:41 am

Gary,
The Ray Pillow is E9th....The Jim Reeves Is C6th...I put up a lesson last month starting students off playing Country styles on the standard Emmons set up....If you want to go there its not on the E9th....Also notice the tonal difference...There are at least 20 or so #1's with the C6th from that era..."Don't let me cross over" And up to about 2000 the Opry theme song was "For Pete's Sake" also on C6th but sounding very E9....I'm teaching the versatility of both tunings...To get there requires a different way of thinking....
Paul

Franklin · Post by **Franklin** » 7 Jan 2019 4:55 am

An interesting historical fact...When Elvis hit big, the steel and fiddles went away for the most part in Country music...Pete Drake is credited for bringing it back into popularity with new sounds that did not sound like the typical E9th of the day....He was playing Country stuff on the C6th but it was not sounding like the swing of which people today still relate to for describing the C6th tuning.....That is a misconception - with imagination the C6th is so versatile.....Listen to all that was done back then on the C6th by Pete....Those C6th sounds are just as haunting and crying as what we reference when we describe the way the E9th sounds.....I am doing my best to knock down all of these misconceptions.....Here is another haunting song on C6th....Pete's "For Those That Cry"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_5fhFAA6W4

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 7 Jan 2019 6:49 am

So Paul was Pete playing a lot of pedals 6&7? (Raising 3 and 4 a full step and 2 a half step)

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 7 Jan 2019 10:24 am

I play that Drake stuff once in awhile - for two reasons. One, because I think it's pretty stuff, a neat sound. And two, because nobody else does!

More of the same sounds...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Cls4_3Ns9o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PdFL8kPFr4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTfXj5JdB7Q

John Spaulding · Post by **John Spaulding** » 7 Jan 2019 10:37 am

Craig A Davidson wrote:So Paul was Pete playing a lot of pedals 6&7? (Raising 3 and 4 a full step and 2 a half step)

Here's a clip of Paul playing in that style: E9 Sounds on C6

.

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 7 Jan 2019 12:38 pm

This thread answers some questions for me. Thanks!

"Eight Weeks in a Barroom" Ramblin' Red Bailey
https://youtu.be/gDqU_ozWon4

Franklin · Post by **Franklin** » 9 Jan 2019 6:33 am

Craig A Davidson wrote:So Paul was Pete playing a lot of pedals 6&7? (Raising 3 and 4 a full step and 2 a half step)

Craig,
Depends on the songs he played....At times, Pete actually played the entire tuning to emulate the E9th sounds.....I had John to show a clip of my playing E9 sounds on C6 to show some of what's possible....

Once students understand how to "Squeeze" the pedals for emotional bending sounds they are off to the races.....The C6 tuning opens up into all types of E9 sounds. I am finding new possibilities everywhere....

Filmed another video on the Country E9 playing on C6 yesterday....I am doing my best to change the viewpoint of either tuning getting labelled towards any singular sound.
Paul

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 9 Jan 2019 6:52 am

Paul on this tune by Roy Drusky it has always sounded like Pete was playing the above mentioned pedals.

https://youtu.be/8etSlkrjXvE

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 9 Jan 2019 6:53 am

double post

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 9 Jan 2019 9:12 am

For Pete, I believe these were his "money pedals."

David Mitchell · Post by **David Mitchell** » 11 Jan 2019 9:13 am

What Paul mentioned becomes more evident on this tune. You can hear a little more of the C6th voicing peaking through the haunting licks.

https://youtu.be/adUR32v--f0

Franklin · Post by **Franklin** » 12 Jan 2019 5:08 am

Dave,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_5fhFAA6W4

The song you posted is mostly the "For Pete's Sake" pedals.....Listen to this track...He is playing is through a talk box,,,,Its a single track steel guitar played on C6...He is using open strings with fretted notes...No typical swing chords...Pete approached the tuning differently.
Paul

Greg Milton · Post by **Greg Milton** » 25 Jan 2019 12:24 am

And of course Pete had the equivalent of an A pedal on his C6 tuning, raising string 1 G to A, so effectively had A & B pedals

Gary Spaeth · Post by **Gary Spaeth** » 31 Jan 2019 4:15 pm

pretty sure this is pete drake on standin' in the shadows. some of the most haunting steel ever played. he really knew how to add to a performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPsUsUkk9xA