Running Down The Road (1969)
Reprise RS-6346 / Rising Son RSR-6346 / Koch KOC-7949

1. Oklahoma Hills
2. Every Hand In the Land
3. Creole Belle
4. Wheel Of Fortune
5. Oh, In the Morning
6. Coming Into Los Angeles
7. Stealin'
8. My Front Pages
9. Living In the Country
10. Running Down the Road


Purchase:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Running-Down-Roa ... arlonet-20
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/runni ... 1012189091
Rising Son Records: https://store.risingsonrecords.com/runn ... -road.html

Trying to figure out who played the pedal steel on this album. Was it Clarence White?
We were having a discussion in another thread about some of the solos and we were wondering.

Not Clarence White. But Clarence did use a string bender that could at times sound like a pedal steel. Probably Sneaky Pete.


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Yeah, if it’s a pedal steel, it is probably Sneaky Pete

But if it is a guitar, I would say Clarence White for the reasons you stated. And which is why I said what I said here (on the other thread):

Hey Arlo,
I'm a session musician/composer in Nashville who was heavily influenced/inspired by your albums, particularly "Running Down the Road", "Hobo's Lullabye", and "Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys". I've always wondered about your version of Pete Seeger's "Living In The Country." What is the muted, plucked instrument that starts the song, playing the main melody with a three-finger-type picking pattern? And who played it? (I'm guessing Ry Cooder?) And what is the higher, mandolin-type instrument that enters at :52? (Might be Ry Cooder on mando, but it sounds like it sustains much longer than a mando.) Both are beautiful instruments and I regret I've never heard them on other recordings!

We met a few times many years ago and I told you that you inspired me to become a musician. As I remember, you replied, "There's another life I've ruined!"

Thanks again, it's been a great life and I did just fine. Enjoy your retirement!

I was playing a 12 string guitar with newspaper (or some other kind of thin paper) woven between the strings for the main guitar, and yes I think Ry was playing mandolin. It was a long time ago tho, so it's hard to remember. But it was definitely me playing the muted 12 string. If I remember correctly, the newspaper was woven between the strings close to the bridge and I was finger picking the strings between the paper and the sound hole.

It's great to know what that instrument is after all these years. I should have known it was you playing the main melody, but I didn't know you had that exotic sound in your bag of tricks. For a guy who calls himself a folksinger, you're an excellent player, too. Your piano part on "Week on the Rag", banjo part on "Sailor's Bonnet", and many others come to mind. Thanks!

Thanks for the comments! Like I said, it was a long time ago, but I have a lot of great memories from that era, and played with some of the best players around at the time.

Hey Arlo,

Reading your reply gave me an idea and I hope you don’t mind me sharing. It would be great if you would write more about making those WB albums. I know it’s been 50 years, but you could describe working with those great players, singers, producers and engineers, what inspired some of your songs, and why you chose the songs you covered. (by Dylan, your Dad, Hoyt Axton, etc.)

The credits on those records are a who’s who of legends and where I first learned of players like Clarence White, Ry Cooder, Jim Keltner, Nick DeCaro, and singers like Vanetta Fields, Clydie King, and even Thurl Ravenscroft. And the Buckaroos! How did that session come about?

How did you meet Kevin Burke and decide to feature him on the “Brooklyn Cowboys” album?

You could document instrumental parts you played and your arrangement ideas, (like “Living In The Country”).

It might sound like a daunting task but you could start with one album and see what memories you can dredge up. Or even just a song a month in your blog.

Many of those folks are gone but it could be a good reason to reconnect with some who are still around, for their memories.
(If you don’t have contact info for some, I could help through my connections here in Nashville.)

It would be interesting to those of us who treasure those recordings, but it might also be therapeutic and rewarding for you to document one of the most creative periods in your life.

Maybe that’s the last thing you feel like doing right now, I don’t know. If it sounds too much like work, never mind! Just thought I’d plant a seed…

Dave Hoffner