The Alan Cook interview

Manchester based Steelie Alan Cook specialises in playing steel guitar outside the country field. He has played the Glastonbury Festival and worked with such names as Quiet Loner, Michael Weston King and The Charlatans.

Here he answers questions that the BSS put to him.

Where were you born?

I was born in a caravan on a farm in Lancashire. My mother was a gypsy and my father a farmer. They met when my mum's family came to stay and work on my grandad's farm.

Are you from a musical family? If so, who is musical and what instrument did they play?

All my mum's family played at least one instrument. Mum played guitar and sang, dad played harmonica, and grandad (mum's side) sang Hank Williams songs and would yodel very badly when he came home from the pub. But lots of my uncles played and sang and we would have regular sing songs when they would come round.

What age were you when you started to be aware of music and what instrument interested you then?

I started playing guitar when I was 14 but soon gave it up. I started again when I joined my first band at 16, you can see me play in that very band in the photos page of my website www.alancook.net

When and how were you first aware of the steel guitar? And at what age?

I had always been aware of the steel guitar, I was really into New Riders of the Purple Sage with a fabulous Buddy Cage on steel, that I never saw one close up until I went to buy one 7 years ago. Before that I had only seen one on stage at the Bickershaw Festival in 1972 when Jerry Garcia was in the New Riders.

What was your first steel and AMP set up?

My first lap steel was a Selmer 6 string that had a valve amp as part of the case, but my first pedal steel was a Sho-Bud LGD and a Peavey Session 400 amp. I bought it from Music Ground in Doncaster that was the only shop in the North where you could buy steels, and probably still is.

Did you have lessons? Who taught you? A teacher, tutor or self-taught?

When I first started I was lucky enough to get in touch with Gerry Hogan via the BSS membership. I started to buy Jeff Newman courses and was soon able to attend one of his summer schools that Gerry organised. A couple of years later I booked myself on the advanced course but unfortunately Jeff had to go home after day one as Fran was rushed into hospital. Gerry finished off the course for Jeff and did a fantastic job. Jeff arranged to come back so I booked again, but Jeff sadly died just before he was due to come over.

Can you remember your first gig on steel?

My first gig on steel was at the Broadwalk in Manchester with Jackson Sundown. I had been playing about 6 months and it was great. Lots of people commented about the steel and I knew I was on the right track.

Can you list some of the bands or artists that you have worked with?

Jackson Sundown, Quiet Loner, Chris Mills (New York), Lonesome Bob (Nashville), Michael Weston King, The Good Sons, Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen, Danko, Blue-Eyed Black, Lisa Redford, Jason Walker (Australia), Gabriel Minnikin (Canada), Jackie Leven, The Charlatans.

What was your worst moment on stage?

My worst moment on stage was at an Irish festival in Cincinnati USA with a borrowed amp, the worst sound engineer in the world, playing a bunch of songs I had never heard before, sitting on a plank of word for a stool; and experience best forgotten!

When did you first take up the dobro?

I first started playing Dobro about four years ago and first recorded with it on MWK Decent Man album. I have a 1972 Dobro and a Sho-Bro 7 string that is tuned to G6th.

What steel and amp do you use now? And what tunings do you have on the necks, are there any different pedals or knee lever setups that you use different than the norm?

I am playing a Mullen 12 string Royal Precision universal and two Klines; a Mica one and a lacquer finish model. All are set up more or less the same but one of the Klines has an extra pedal and a C6th lock. My setup is the same as Jeff Newman's universal set up with an extra full tone raise on the first string. I use one or two Peavey Nashville 112’s or sometimes a Fender Vibrasonic valve amp. I also have DPC 750 and two 115E cabs that I use with a Tubefex or the Lexicon but only for big band gigs, Glastonbury was the last time I think I used that set up.

How many studio sessions do you think you have done on steel guitar?

I have probably done about 20. We is a lovely place in Bethesda, North Wales called Bryn Derwen Studio. I also have a 16 track studio at home where I record lots of tracks. The Simple Twist Of Fate track that MWK and I recorded for the MOJO cover CD featuring Bob Dylan in August 2005 was recorded at home, affectionately referred to as Country Towers.

Buddy Cage was my first influence on steel but I listen to everyone now. I love BJ Cole's material; I also like the traditional players and of course the Masters, Paul Franklin, Buddy Emmons etc.

What is your favourite style of music?

Anything but new country the "Cowboy hat brigade" with their Achy Breaky Hearts etc. I like a song to have feeling or emotion in the lyric that can be then expressed in the music.

When you record or perform with the likes of Michael Weston King do you arrange your own steel parts?

Yes most of the time I write my steel parts, but I am always open to suggestions. If someone can sing the part they want then I can play it, if it works why not. Sometimes a non-steel player can come up with something that works well and will sound different. Matt Hill from Quiet Loner is great at coming up with good stuff.

What effects do you use on stage?

All I use now is a Boss DD5/Delay or RV5 Reverb/Delay and sometimes a phaser and steel driver. When I record I use a Lexicon MPX1. I do use an E Bow also for live and recording work.

Do you think is that the steel is gaining more airtime or are we struggling to keep it alive?

I think this steel is gaining more airtime now and becoming more popular, even Robbie Williams has Melvin Duffy playing and recording with him now.

What would your advice be to apply wishing to take up steel?

Go for it. It's the best move I did. There are millions of guitarists out there but not many steel players, I gave a guy a 4 hour lesson 12 months ago and he is out playing with his band ‘Bone Box’ all the time.

Are you a full-time performer?

No I work three days a week at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. They are really good with me, and let me fit my playing around work. I have not convinced them that they should run steel courses yet but a couple of the string students played on the Lisa Redford CD, and I occasionally sneak in and record strange instruments for tracks.

Have you thought of recording a solo album?

Yes I have thought about a steel album but not solo. I want to do an album that features steel but also features some of the artists I have worked with, may be next year.

What ambitions do you have within the world of steel playing?

I would like to be good enough to play a steel festival. I am working on 12 instrumentals at the moment but they are not ready for live performance yet. I would also love to play full-time.

Well thanks for your time Alan and the very Best of luck to you. Do you have any comments that you would like to add?

Next year I will be going to New York and South by Southwest in Austin for a four-week tour with Michael Weston King. He will be releasing his new studio album that I play pedal steel, lap steel, double bass and dobro on. Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen are also playing on that album, so I have actually recorded with a live Burrito Brother! MWK and I have just finished a Ronnie Lane track for a Ronnie Lane tribute record and I am working on a Scott Walker track with MWK for another tribute record. Quiet Loner's new studio album is also in the making and anything else that comes along. I think the trick is to work on as much material as possible as most inquiries about playing/recording never materialise.

Some of the albums that you can hear Alan on are:

The Rare Sundown Smile - Jackson Sundown
Secret Ruler of the World - Quiet Loner
A Decent Man - Michael Weston King
Happiness - The Good Sons
Elegy for Johnny Cash – Jackie Leven

And my pick of the crop has to be:

Lost Again - Lisa Redford PR114 2005

I personally would put Lisa in the same bracket as country/folk singers Iris Dement and Nanci Griffith. I will be very disappointed if we do not get to hear more from this lady with the super voice. And her talents do not just stop there, all tracks on this album except for one were written by Lisa Redford.You can hear Alan Cook on this album playing pedal steel, lap steel, dobro and electric guitar. For more info on Lisa her website is www.lisaredford.com

The tracks on the album are: Lost Again / Dragonfly / Wildfire / Universe / Love You Anyway / When You Go / You Will Know / the Way It Goes / Just Getting by / Why / Mountain Hideaway / Fell on Hard Times.

If you like good music, this one is well worth a listen.