Dave Nutt - Pedal Steel Guitarist
Dave plays his 1970s Clark Custom D10
Dave's musical career.
I was born 1943 in Aston Birmingham, went to school at Upper Thomas Street Secondary Modern. From the age of 9 yrs I had guitar lessons from local guitar teacher Tom Collier. Tom had worked with dance bands on cruise ships around the Med after the second world war.
Skiffle music was all the rage, so as soon as I could strum a few chords I joined with my brother Brian and some friends to form a skiffle group, 'The Javelins'. We would go around the local pubs on weekends, carrying our guitars, tea chest bass, washboard and about 6 vocalists, (none of whom could sing.lol.) We would do the three songs that we knew some of the chords to, pass the hat around, then onto the next 'boozer', earnt enough dosh to be able to keep up the 6/6p a month that constituted the hire purchase payments on my guitar (I was told by my mum that I could have one but I had to find the payments) Great days, earnt a few bob, but most of all those early experiences were 'so valuable' during my future music career.
First job on leaving school at 15 was window cleaning around the City of Brum, working with my cousins on my mothers side. (City and District Window Cleaning Company)
Rock'n'roll was now the order of the day' with the skiffle groups turning into rock groups, it wasnt long before I was playing with gigging bands around the Birmingham area.
When I was aged 16 my folks moved from Aston to Pelsall Nr Walsall in Staffordshire (due to clearing out the city after the wartime bombing, moving folks on what they called 'the overspill' new houses, with a toilet, bath, front and back door and!!! electricity)
Didnt think I would find any bands in 'little old' Pelsall, how wrong I was, I soon found a healthy scene, even in our own small village I found a regular weekly dance featuring a live group. I would ask if I could get up and have a play with them, my brother would do a few vocals, within a few weeks a group offered me a job. (The Strollers) Terry Derry drums, Terry O'brian guitar, Trevor Rowley vocalist. the group had just taken on a manager (George Bloor). That band eventually 'morphed' from The Strollers through- The Dixie Dean Combo and eventually into Brian Gulliver and the Travellers (Brian married Janice Nicholls 'oil giv it foive' 1960s TV star) We played the Birmingham/Midlands club scene, supporting many big 60s names, amongst them- The Beatles, Manfred Mann, Mike Sarne and many others. Amongst the personel changes in the band was Tony Dangerfield on bass, he later went on to join Screaming Lord Such's group (The Savages) Dave Holland another bass player, he went to the States and made a career in jazz with Miles Davis
During the next few years moving from band to band I got to play and record with many artists on the pop scene-The Brook Brothers, Pickettywitch, Mike Reed, Jeff Turton (of Rocking Berries fame) Screaming Lord Sutch, The Fortunes, Susan Maughan.
My early influences on guitar leant towards the 'country pickers' James Burton, Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, Jimmy Bryant, through those influences I eventually moved into the local country music scene. I had been playing a bit of Hawaiian Guitar, then moving on to Pedal Steel Guitar. I started playing with local group 'The Phil Shannon Trio' (possibly the best country artists I ever worked with) I was then offered a pro steelies job with Patsy Powell and the Playboys (later to be renamed 'The Goodtimers'). Patsy was a big name on the country scene, she worked the country club circuit around the UK & Europe, with monthly trips over to Ireland (her home country) I stayed with Patsy for two years, whilst with Patsy cutting two albums on the Westwood Label, great experience for me and the start of many recording seesions to come.
Kent country band Garry Blackmore and Sounds Country were next, (Gary Blackmore vocals,Tim Relph drums, Don Hannaford bass, Jay Stapley guitar) I left Staffordshire to go and live in Canterbury Kent joining the band, (£90 a week plus accommodation). Garry was about to record an album, (again on the Westwood label) so the addition of pedal steel guitar to their current 4 piece line up was required to get that 'country sound'. Sounds Country were a fully pro band, very popular, they had won many country music awards from clubs, fans and the media. They were also featured regularily on BBC Country Club, both live and recorded. (Jay Stapley went on to become one of Londons leading session guitar players during the 80s and 90s)
Leaving Sounds Country to go freelance I recorded and gigged with many UK country artists- Cal Ford, Al Docherty, Brian Golby, Frank Jennings,Tony Goodacre, Reg Haynes, Colorado, Threewheel, Jenny Peters, Paul Martin, Bob Bartell, Dave & Carol Keen, Rod Secluna, Young Country. During this period I also worked as a recording engineer/producer at- Independent Recording Studios Gravesend Kent, this was owned by John Oram, he was the brains behind Vox Amplifiers and Trident Mixing Desks. He had also been the drummer in Marianne Faithfull's touring band. Whilst working at Independent Studios I did many recording and demo sessions, sometimes two or three a day.
The UK country music club scene was vibrant in those days, it would seem that every artist/band wanted a pedal steel guitarist, hence! a proficient musician could earn a decent living from freelance gigging.
Next up? Frank Yonco and the Everglades, a real stalwart of UK country music, Frank owned a club in St Blazy, Cornwall, he had a 5 piece band, was desperate for a steelie as he was about to present a country series for Westward TV, 'Countrystyle' this would run for 6 weeks, and feature Frank, USA and UK country music guests, his band The Everglades (Frank Yonco vocals, Steve Turner lead guitar, Steve Jackson drums, Stewart Duncan bass, Martin Bell fiddle) would be the house/backing band for all of the artists (a gucci job for a UK steelie). During my two years with Frank, we toured the American millitary bases in Germany and Holland, played the Wembley Country Music Festival on two occasions, did a major theatre tour (The Nashville Cavalcade Show) it was a difficult band to work with, some real personallity clashes, but Frank was a 'cracking artist' fronting one of Britains best ever country shows.
(Steve Jackson went on to play drums for Leo Sayer, Martin Bell went to play fiddle for folk group The Albion Band)
In the late 70s I went back freelancing, doing mostly one off gigs and recording sessions.
During a lunch break in a pedal steel session at the BBC studios for American country artist- Roy Drusky, I ventured into Denmark Street, London to see my mate John Edmed (he was co-owner of Sho Bud Steel Guitars shop) we sat chatting, he asked me if I could dep for him the next evening at Tonbridge Wells Theatre, the job? backing an American country artist - John Rex Reeves (Jim Reeves nephew) I did the gig, the promoter was Drew Taylor from Biggar in Scotland, I had known Drew
from way back, (he used to promote Kenny Ball's Jazzmen) he asked if I was interested in some further country music gigs, yes!! says I.
Onwards a few months- 'my phone rings' its Drew, 'Dave can you do 15/20 dates in November' he has a guy coming over from the States, he needs pedal steel or Dobro slide backing, yes! says I. His name? Lecil Travis Martin (aka Box Car Willie) I would have to chaperone him around the UK, the gigs to be working mens clubs and small country music clubs, sometimes with a band, other times as a duo. Part of the tour would be in Scotland, we used a great little outfit, Jolene and Part Two (Barrie Wallace, Wendy McBeith, Billy Riddel) I later recorded pedal steel on their debut Album.
Anyone who knows their country music will know that Boxcar Willie became a big star, he went from being virtually unknown to an International country superstar in the space of a couple of years. (on his arrival in the UK Box Car hadn't the price of a cup of coffee, we slept in the van to save on accommodation costs)
A lot of critics/musicians never rated Boxcars unsophisticated raw talent, but! the country music punters loved him, and 'it's they who call the tune' I went on to work with him for 6 years, only missing a few gigs and one UK tour, that, because I was working on other pre-booked engagements.
During my time with him I worked 32 British and European TV shows, national and regional, topped the bill at the Wembley Festival on two occasions, played major theatre tours twice a year, 4 tours of Europe, 2 of Asia, also over to the States to do some dates there, played on a couple of his albums, one live at Wembley Festival and a studio 'biggie' (finacially that is) on thePickwick label in UK.
(I have many happy memories from that period but there's one that always lingers- After a one of Boxcar's theatre shows, he and the band where signing autographs in the theatre foyer, a little old man came up to me, supprted on the arms of two younger women, with a proud smile on his face and with a broad Brummie accent he said 'well son, do you remember me'? It was Tom Collier the guy that had taught me to play guitar all those years before, that little old man was so, so proud. His grandaughter went on to tell me how he had followed my career, he had seen me on TV a couple of times, he would tell folks in the nursing home he now lived in how he had taught me as a little nipper, aparantly they all thought it was the ramblings of an old man. Little did they know).
Due to the contacts I made during my time with Boxcar Willie, and of course, bouncing off his success, I was offered loads more work with agents and artists, mostly visiting Americans. When Boxie was back in the states I toured UK and Europe with Skeeter Davis, Roy Drusky, Jean Shepard, George Hamilton, Vernon Oxford, Billie Jo Spears (I played with B.J.S. in States as well as UK) Kenny Serratt, Shoji Tabuchi, Peggy Sue and Sonny Wright, Ronnie Prophet, I played guitar on Lloyd Green's UK tour (crack American pedal steel player) I carried on doing UK recording sessions with, Rod Secluna, Mae Gardner (Gospel singer) Bill Grant and Delia Bell (American bluegrass artists) Johnny Stafford (Harmonica player) Mick French, Jolene & Part Two, Cliff Ledger & The Country Boys, and many others.
During any quiet periods I would work in Drew Taylors Scotland office (Big R Records) selling visiting country artist to theatres, easy in those days, especially on the back of his success with Boxie. I also retained an interest in Independent Recording Studios, Kent. Going back to record/produce/engineer whenever John Oram needed a hand.
Box Car Willie eventually went off the road due to illness, he opened a motel/theatre in Branson Missouri, the offer was made for me to relocate to the States to continue working with him, but by this time I had really had enough of the 'good life'?
Due to personal circumstances I made a decision to give up playing and take up other interests (before I got too old). Having had a longtime interest in the outdoors, (I hold qualifications as a Mountaineering, Rock Climbing, Caving and Kayaking Instructor) I eventually moved with my wife Pauline to the Brecon Beacons, South Wales in 1995 and opened a Outdoor Pursuits Centre.
Occasionally I still get called on to do recording sessions, and will always turn out for a decent gig, I still sit at my steel guitar most days, but now its more for my own pleasure, I guess its 'once a musician always a musician'.
'So many enjoyable years'
Dave.
