Gordon Huntley – pedal steel guitarist 1930 –1985

             

           Gordon Huntley                           

                                                                                                                                           

Surfing the web looking for information about British steel guitarist Gordon Huntley, (best known for his work with Matthews Southern Comfort) proved to be a disappointing experience. There is no information! He was responsible for many British steel players getting started, and his tone & tasteful melodic style sounds as good today as it did back then. So this is my attempt at setting things to rights. Please email me with any comments, omissions, or errors.

Recommended listening:

Anything by Matthews Southern Comfort, particularly ‘Second Spring’ and ‘Scion’. Gordon’s effortless phrasing, golden tone, and bouncy style at its best!

Gordon Huntley - Sleepwalk. Fabulous tone on the steel backed by lush orchestral arrangements of standards on Steel Guitar. Pass the Pinacolada!

Originally from Newbury, Berkshire, Gordon’s first exposure to the Hawaiian steel was Felix Mendelssohn & his Hawaiian Serenaders. During the forties they had enormous success, making thousands of stage appearances and broadcasts. Felix had become interested in Hawaiian music, seeing its popularity in the States, and the great appeal of South Sea films. He envisaged a Hawaiian band which could really swing and so lead British dance music to a new level. In early 1944, Harry Brooker, (father of Procul Harum’s Gary Brooker), one of the greatest non-pedal steel guitar talents ever produced in this country, joined as band leader. He insisted upon modern, sophisticated arrangements when he took over as steel guitar lead. Harry Brooker quit in August 1946, and went on to lead his own band in Southend. Gordon thus had no shortage of inspiration and even took lessons from Harry Brooker.

As the British Hawaiian boom wound down in the early fifties, Gordon, like many a lad in those austere times of ration books and shortages, joined the army. In true ‘country credentials’ style, Gordon (who was a black-belt karate) actually served time in military jail after the accidental death of a plain-clothes military policeman in a brawl; the Gordon I knew was mild mannered and self-effacing, so I cannot comment on the circumstances.

 

One of England’s top steel players, Gerry Hogan, recalls first having met Gordon in 1959. Gerry was 15 at the time and his schoolmate Roger Gregory was bassist in J.D. (John Derek) Roberts’ band ‘The Black Stetson Boys’. Gerry auditioned for the guitar spot, but not owning a guitar himself, borrowed Derek’s Hofner ‘President’ electric guitar. Gerry got the job, and the first gig was that very next Saturday at Lambourn village hall. Also on the bill that night were ‘The Hawaiian Serenaders’ who featured Gordon Huntley on steel guitar. This was before pedals were standard, at least, in the U.K., and Gordon was playing a triple-neck Fender non-pedal guitar. Gerry discovered that Gordon lived just down the road in Newbury, and from then on spent every spare moment round at Gordon’s picking up tips. Gordon was already becoming interested in country, and was doing some ‘Speedy West’, ‘Don Helms’ and ‘Jerry Byrd’ type licks.

In the early sixties they met some American servicemen who had a band based at Greenham Common, and Gerry remembers learning a lot from a guitar player by the name of Tommy Gardner, who was a finger-style advocate. The band later became ‘The Rambling Cowboys’ then ‘Johnny and the Hayriders’. Gerry, by 1966, was playing steel himself and, in 1968 the band became ‘Country Fever’ when Albert Lee and Pat Donaldson (bass) joined.  The BBC was a constant source of work for these bands; there were live radio shows, such as ‘Country Meets Folk’, with MC, the late, Wally Whyton and later, after the advent of Radio 2, there were many others, such as those hosted by, among others, DJ’s Jimmy Young and Tony Brandon. If only these shows had been recorded…..

 In 1963, Jeff Newman, steel player with ‘The Westernaires’, a band mainly made up of U.S. Servicemen, as he himself was,  went back to the States, and was replaced by Gordon, who had by this time already built one pedal onto his steel, made from a tractor accelerator pedal and a length of bicycle brake cable.

Soon Gordon teamed up with Newbury solicitor (attorney) Nigel Dennis, to manufacture Denley steel guitars – (DENnis-huntLEY). Gerry remembers Gordon proudly showing up for a gig with the first model, a six pedal beauty. Unfortunately Gordon leaned on it, and one leg sheared off, the result of a dodgy weld. He finished the gig with the corner propped up on a chair and some books! Years later the same steel turned up in the hands of Paul Mitchell, steel payer with vocalist, Dougie Dee’s ‘The Virginians,’- still propped up on books!

Gerry and Gordon became Johnny Duncan’s ‘Bluegrass Boys’ for one night in `62-`63.  ‘Johnny and The Hayriders’ rented a cottage in Newbury as a rehearsal / store room and they were offered a gig with Johnny Duncan, at Alconbury U.S.A.F. base. As usual, they congregated at the cottage to meet and load the BMC minibus, driven by Gordon; and off they set.  Halfway to the gig at Alconbury airbase Gordon (who was driving) suddenly asked if his steel was packed in the van. Needless to say it wasn’t, and a call was made asking Nigel Dennis to bring it, meeting them halfway, near Oxford. Gordon had left his beloved steel outside the cottage on the sidewalk! At these US military base gigs in East Anglia, the show started at 9.00 pm sharp with their signature tune ‘the Alabama Jubilee’, but since they all had day jobs, they were inevitably late. Still on the road at nine o’clock, with the airbase lights winking in the distance, there would be a 1….2….1..as they all broke into a heartfelt a capella vocal rendition of the tune!

 

"I was also playing the American Bases in the '60's (with the Saddletramps and the Night Life) and remember hearing Gordon playing with the Westernaires. He was the first Pedal Steel player (other than myself) I had seen in the flesh, and I was totally blown away by his playing. For us players who came along in the '60's (me, Gerry, Pete, Paul etc) he was the father of British Pedal Steel." --B.J.Cole.

In the early sixties a trickle of real country music from the USA- admittedly only available on  hard to find imports, combined with British folk, gave rise to the amazing Lonnie Donegan and Skiffle music (ask Van Morrison or Paul McCartney how influential THAT was).

"I first met Gordon when I was in a folk band doing the Playhouse Theatre in London on a programe called "Country meetsFolk" That was 1966. I had never seen a pedal steel before that day". -Mickey Byrne.

"My first recollections of Gordon were when I heard him on BBC radio 2 with the ‘Alabama Hayriders’ in the late sixties. They were regularly featured on the Jimmy Young show, and my ears would always prick up at the steel playing”. –Ray Hill

 During this period many Hawaiian players (Gordon included) were switching to the E9 pedal-steel guitar, a similar instrument which allows the bends and ‘licks’ familiar to all country fans; this was timely because in 1968 THE FOLK-ROCK EXPLOSION happened!

Before long the Byrds were singing ‘You Ain’t Going Nowhere’, cowboy boots were walking up and down  Oxford Street, everyone’s record collection had Jerry Garcia twanging away on ‘Teach your Children’ by CSNY. This was a good time to be a steel guitarist in England.

Almost instantaneously, British bands like Fairport Convention, who really came from the English folk tradition, started to add elements of the smooth country- rock from across the water. In particular, Iain Matthews’ beautiful, clear, poignant voice struck just the right chord, with the 1970 release of the single ‘Woodstock’ by Matthews Southern Comfort reaching no. 1 in the UK charts in 1970. This beautiful cover of the Joni Mitchell song was my first introduction to the steel guitar, and I was mesmerised. Gordon playing that achingly beautiful steel behind those perfect harmonies, I could listen to it over and over. Still can. That steel solo is so simple yet it works so well - music just doesn’t get any better than this.  Mickey Byrne recalls: “I remember Gordon saying to me of his solo in Woodstock......."I just didn't have a clue what to do, so I just slid around"    Well he certainly did the right moves to make that a memorable hit…”  The ‘B’ side of Woodstock in the UK was a strong Matthews original called ‘Scion’, which appears on no LP, but also features some terrific steel guitar. Ray Hill recalls that with the royalties from ‘Woodstock’, Gordon was able to buy his first ZB Custom guitar, having previously played a Denley. Gordon was the only backing musician to play on all three Matthews Southern Comfort albums; after Iain Matthews disbanded the group in 1970, they carried on for 3 more albums, finally calling it a day in 1972. At this point Gordon was very in demand as a session player - even though he confided to Roger Rettig that he did not much enjoy studio work; his legacy of recordings is pretty impressive by any standard.

In this period Gordon was also something of a nomad, happiest when touring, ‘home’ being at various times a farm in Cambridgeshire and a caravan in Newbury.

“I was with Gordon at Top of the Pops when he backed Barbara Dickson & played those harmonics, and also when he backed Ray Stevens "Misty"; I was fortunate enough to be with him on so many sessions. He once told me that what turned him on to country was listening to Hank Thompson and his band, I don’t know who played that C6th stuff with Hank way back then, but I sure do thank him! I remember Gordon was particularly proud of his European tour with Andy Williams, I think it was one of the last big events in his life.  I could go on for hours about Gordon, you couldn’t tell him a joke- he had already heard it!!

If I got him to play my steel for just 5 minutes, when I got back on it, it was so in tune, it would damn near play itself! Perfect pitch, and those hands, only another steel player could understand what we have lost”. - John Davis.

Mark Griffiths’ memories of touring with Gordon tell of his great sense of humour, a disconcerting habit of turning around to tell a story while driving, and his striking up an unlikely friendship with guitar hero Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple while on tour together. Like most steel players, his hero was the great Buddy Emmons.

As styles changed in the late seventies there was less recording work, and of course more steel players (largely because of Gordon’s influence) so he joined  Eric Snowball (who already had a successful business importing ZB Custom pedal steels) at ‘the Steel Mill’ the steel guitar branch of Matthews Music in Maidstone. Here he turned to teaching, setting up instruments, sales, and continued to make regular appearances with local country bands, notably Crispian St Peters & on one occasion he even subbed for Roger Rettig in a West End production of ‘the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’.

“One day in around 1980, I learned more from Gordon down on a farmhouse where he was living, than I would have done with a barrow load of tutor books!!!!  Of course I got my first steels from Eric Snowball; even before Gordon worked there.....In the good ole days when Eileen helped Eric run the shop.”- Mickey Byrne.

Gordon Huntley sadly died of cancer in 1985, but is certainly not forgotten in the steel guitar community. I, for one, often play his music, and continue to spend an hour or so trying to nail down some elusive lick of his on the steel.

 DISCOGRAPHY

Artist	Album Title	Year
Al Jones	Alun Ashworth Jones	1969
Keith Christmas	Stimulus	1969
Marc Ellington	Marc Ellington	1969
Shelagh McDonald	Shelagh McDonald	1970
Forest	Full Circle	1970
Matthews Southern Comfort	Matthews Southern Comfort	1970
Matthews Southern Comfort	Second Spring	1970
Matthews Southern Comfort	Later That Same Year	1970
Pilot	Pilot	1971
Marc Ellington	Alligator Man	1971
Marc Ellington	Rains/Reins of Change	1971
Iain Matthews	If you saw through my Eyes	1971
Elton John	Tumbleweed Connection	1971
Southern Comfort	Frog City	1971
Southern Comfort	Southern Comfort	1972
Southern Comfort	Stir Don’t Shake	1972
Rod Stewart	Never a Dull Moment	1972
The Pretty Things	Freeway Madness	1972
Bridget Saint John	Thank You For	1972
Fishbaugh Fishbaugh Zorn	Fishbaugh Fishbaugh & Zorn	1972
Clodagh Rogers	Carolina Days	1973
Jackie Whitren	Raw but Tender	1973
John Renbourn	Lost Sessions (outtakes from 'The Hermit')	1973
Peter Green	‘From Then Until Now’ Sessions	1973
Andy Roberts	Home Grown	1973
Magna Carta	Lord of the Ages	1973
Dave Travis	High on life	1973
Cliff Richard	Take Me High (Film soundtrack)	1974
Gordon Huntley	Sleepwalk	1974
Barbara Dickson	Answer Me	1975
Lennie McDonald	Hard Road	1975
Demis Roussos	Happy to Be	1976
Dave Travis	Rockabilly fever	1978
Robin Scott	Famous Last Words	1982
Matthews Southern Comfort	Scion   (1970 outtakes and BBC sessions)	1994
Fairport Convention	Fairport Unconventional   (compilation)	2002

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would like to thank the following people who contributed to this page: Gerry Hogan, Albert Lee, Roger Rettig, Iain Matthews, Micky Byrne, John Davis, Andy Roberts, Mark Griffiths, Julian Dawson, B.J.Cole, & Ray Hill.

 By all means email me with any memories or anecdotes of your own.

Matt Dawson - May 2005

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