Jerry Garcia on ‘Pedal Steel’ – NRPS 4-28-1971 ‘I Don’t Know You’
Jerry Garcia on Pedal Steel, and my favorite song, ‘I Don’t Know You’ by John Dawson (RIP) – New Riders Of the Purple Sage. In terms of American music, the New Riders were the quintessential psychedelic country band. In 1969, there wasn’t anyone doing what they were doing, With Garcia’s sound on pedal steel and Dawson’s great songs and imagery, they really had something special.
Video Rating: 4 / 5
great band kool tunes…!!!!
Buddy Cage took over for Garcia in late ’71 or 72. Definitely by the 2nd NRPS. I saw ‘em twice with Garcia in spring ’71, opening for the dead at two PA colleges. Good shows and the Dead still had Pigpen goin’ too. Garcia was kind of funny. He just walked out by himself and warmed up on the steel smokin’ a cigarette. He was talking with the people in the first row. Very down to earth type guy, then.
@anglicanbeachparty: P.S. You didn’t think “8 Miles High” was about flying in an airplane, did you?
@anglicanbeachparty: Don’t forget The Byrds.
Buddy Cage came later when Jerry Garcia got too busy with the Dead. There was a time when New Riders opened for the Dead and Jerry would play pedal steel with them and then come back on the guitar with the Dead. Buddy Cage’s style was more like a regular guitar, with lots of fuzz box and very little pedal work.
This is some awesome steel guitar work from Jerry I quess the best sound I’ve heard him play steel on was Teach your Children on Crosby Stills and Nash Oridginal recording wished he had done more recordings on Steel guitar and done some Video as well a great steel guitar player
I thought Buddy Cage played steel for The New Riders
I have no clue who you are !
QC
GEE wonder where workin mans dead inspired out of
wow!!! this is great!! the band did great on this and jerry is all over the pedal. thanks for the posting
I was privileged to be at a NRPS/GD show in San Diego in either in 1971. I snuck a Norelco “Carry-corder”, the first portable cassette machine with me. I befriended a girl outsite the front door who had a very large purse, she carried it in for me. I have some of both shows. Watching Jerry warm up on the pedal steel was amazing for me….OK, the whole damned event was amazing!
I had the unbelievable privilege to catch Jerry playing steel on ‘Looks Like Rain’ at the 8 April 1972 Empire Pool show in London, second night of the Europe ’72 tour. I don’t know if he played it on any other shows that tour, it is such a pity that he thought he wasn’t any good on the instrument and pretty much gave it up. I guess he didn’t feel he had an individual enough style of his own on it, but he sure beat the hell out of Nashville regulars…
@Ingr9821 Yeah, but it’ also kindav cool that everyone knows his playing on that number (and doubtless loves it) even though they don’t know who Jerry was…
I would die for some live video footage of Jerry Playing pedal steel!
It’s so ironic that Garcia’s steel playing can be heard on supermarket muzak on ‘Teach Your Children’ by CSNY.
New Riders ,first album got remastered on cd with 3 additional songs that were not on original lp, jerry plays pedal steel on a wonderful version of ”THE WEIGHT”
There’s almost no material available of Jerry playing with the NRPS . If anybody has more, please post it. I was alive, and they were wonderful.
exactly one year before I was born.
great post!
It’s not quite true that others were not doing this in 1969. The Flying Burrito Brothers (with Sneaky Pete Kleinow on pedal steel) were.
Nonetheless, this track is INCREDIBLE! Thanks for posting.