Buddy Cage
Encyclopedia
Buddy Cage is an American pedal steel guitar
ist, best known as a longtime member of the New Riders of the Purple Sage
.
Popular both as a performer and session musician
, he has played with many bands and recording artists, including Anne Murray
, Bob Dylan
, David Bromberg
, and the Zen Tricksters
.
decided to go electric in 1969, he joined their band, known as the Great Speckled Bird. Great Speckled Bird was part of the Festival Express
concert tour in 1970. From 1969 to 1972, Cage also recorded four albums with Anne Murray
, and one album with Brewer & Shipley
.
It was on the Festival Express tour that the New Riders of the Purple Sage
became acquainted with Cage. The New Riders were a psychedelic influenced country rock
band that had been founded by Jerry Garcia
of the Grateful Dead
, along with John Dawson
and David Nelson
. The New Riders and the Dead would perform concerts together, with Garcia playing pedal steel for the New Riders, then playing electric guitar
and singing with the Dead. Near the end of 1971, Garcia left the New Riders, enabling them to headline their own concert tours. Buddy Cage was invited to join the band as Garcia's replacement.
Cage was the New Riders' pedal steel guitar player from 1971 to 1982, except for a period of about a year in the late 1970s. The New Riders were quite popular. They toured extensively, and released a number of albums. During this same period Cage continued working as a session musician
, recording with various musical artists, including David Bromberg
and Robert Hunter
. In 1974, Bob Dylan
asked him to play on recording sessions for the album Blood on the Tracks
.
In the years after Cage's departure from the New Riders, he continued working with many different bands and musicians, including Solar Circus, Stir Fried, the Brooklyn Cowboys, the Zen Tricksters
, and Mike Gordon
.
The New Riders of the Purple Sage, led by John Dawson, but without Buddy Cage or David Nelson, had continued touring and recording albums from 1982 until Dawson's retirement from the music business in 1997. In 2005, Cage and Nelson re-formed the New Riders of the Purple Sage. The band continues to perform concerts throughout the United States. They have released two albums of new material, Wanted: Live at Turkey Trot
, and Where I Come From
. Cage is also still working as a sesson musician with other artists.
Pedal steel guitar
The pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal bar to "fret" or shorten the length of the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. Unlike other types of steel guitar, it also uses pedals and knee levers to affect the pitch, hence the name "pedal"...
ist, best known as a longtime member of the New Riders of the Purple Sage
New Riders of the Purple Sage
New Riders of the Purple Sage is an American country rock band. The group emerged from the psychedelic rock scene in San Francisco, California in 1969, and its original lineup included several members of the Grateful Dead. Their best known song is "Panama Red"...
.
Popular both as a performer and session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
, he has played with many bands and recording artists, including Anne Murray
Anne Murray
Morna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies....
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, David Bromberg
David Bromberg
David Bromberg is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. Bromberg has an eclectic style, playing bluegrass, blues, folk, jazz, country and western, and rock and roll equally well. He is known for his quirky, humorous lyrics, and the ability to play rhythm and lead guitar at the...
, and the Zen Tricksters
Zen Tricksters
The Zen Tricksters are an American Grateful Dead cover band.For almost thirty years, the Zen Tricksters have been playing Grateful Dead covers and jam band music, as well as derivative original songs.. The band started out as the Volunteers, playing small venues around New York's Long Island...
.
Musical career
Buddy Cage learned to play pedal steel guitar at a young age. By the mid-1960s he was working as a professional musician. When the folk music duo of Ian and SylviaIan and Sylvia
Ian & Sylvia were a Canadian folk and country music duo which consisted of Ian and Sylvia Tyson, née Fricker. They began performing together in 1959, married in 1964, and divorced and stopped performing together in 1975.-Early lives:...
decided to go electric in 1969, he joined their band, known as the Great Speckled Bird. Great Speckled Bird was part of the Festival Express
Festival Express
Festival Express is a 2003 documentary film about the eponymous 1970 train tour across Canada taken by some of North America's most popular rock bands, including The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, The Band and Delaney & Bonnie & Friends...
concert tour in 1970. From 1969 to 1972, Cage also recorded four albums with Anne Murray
Anne Murray
Morna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies....
, and one album with Brewer & Shipley
Brewer & Shipley
Brewer & Shipley were an American folk rock music duo of the late 1960s through 1970s, consisting of singer-songwriters Mike Brewer and Tom Shipley. They were known for their intricate guitar work, vocal harmonies and socially conscious lyrics. Their greatest success was the song "One Toke Over the...
.
It was on the Festival Express tour that the New Riders of the Purple Sage
New Riders of the Purple Sage
New Riders of the Purple Sage is an American country rock band. The group emerged from the psychedelic rock scene in San Francisco, California in 1969, and its original lineup included several members of the Grateful Dead. Their best known song is "Panama Red"...
became acquainted with Cage. The New Riders were a psychedelic influenced country rock
Country rock
Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...
band that had been founded by Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia
Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
of the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
, along with John Dawson
John Dawson (musician)
John Collins Dawson IV, nicknamed "Marmaduke" , was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was best known as the leader and co-founder of the country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage.-Musical career:...
and David Nelson
David Nelson (musician)
David Nelson is an American guitarist and musician.Although he started his musical career playing folk and bluegrass music Nelson is probably best known as one of the original members of psychedelic country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage...
. The New Riders and the Dead would perform concerts together, with Garcia playing pedal steel for the New Riders, then playing electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and singing with the Dead. Near the end of 1971, Garcia left the New Riders, enabling them to headline their own concert tours. Buddy Cage was invited to join the band as Garcia's replacement.
Cage was the New Riders' pedal steel guitar player from 1971 to 1982, except for a period of about a year in the late 1970s. The New Riders were quite popular. They toured extensively, and released a number of albums. During this same period Cage continued working as a session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
, recording with various musical artists, including David Bromberg
David Bromberg
David Bromberg is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. Bromberg has an eclectic style, playing bluegrass, blues, folk, jazz, country and western, and rock and roll equally well. He is known for his quirky, humorous lyrics, and the ability to play rhythm and lead guitar at the...
and Robert Hunter
Robert Hunter (lyricist)
Robert C. Hunter is an American lyricist, singer-songwriter, translator, and poet, best known for his association with Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead.-Biography:He was born Robert Burns in San Luis Obispo, California...
. In 1974, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
asked him to play on recording sessions for the album Blood on the Tracks
Blood on the Tracks
Blood on the Tracks is Bob Dylan's 15th studio album, released by Columbia Records in January 1975. The album marked Dylan's return to Columbia after a two-album stint with Asylum Records....
.
In the years after Cage's departure from the New Riders, he continued working with many different bands and musicians, including Solar Circus, Stir Fried, the Brooklyn Cowboys, the Zen Tricksters
Zen Tricksters
The Zen Tricksters are an American Grateful Dead cover band.For almost thirty years, the Zen Tricksters have been playing Grateful Dead covers and jam band music, as well as derivative original songs.. The band started out as the Volunteers, playing small venues around New York's Long Island...
, and Mike Gordon
Mike Gordon
Mike Gordon is a bass guitar player and vocalist most noted for his work with the rock band Phish. Gordon is also an accomplished banjo player, and is proficient at piano, guitar, harmonica and percussion...
.
The New Riders of the Purple Sage, led by John Dawson, but without Buddy Cage or David Nelson, had continued touring and recording albums from 1982 until Dawson's retirement from the music business in 1997. In 2005, Cage and Nelson re-formed the New Riders of the Purple Sage. The band continues to perform concerts throughout the United States. They have released two albums of new material, Wanted: Live at Turkey Trot
Wanted: Live at Turkey Trot
Wanted: Live at Turkey Trot is a concert video and an album by the American country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage. It was recorded in 2006 at Turkey Trot Acres, a hunting lodge in Candor, New York...
, and Where I Come From
Where I Come From (album)
Where I Come From is an album by the American country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage. It was recorded in 2008, and released on June 2, 2009. Following Wanted: Live at Turkey Trot, it was the second album of new material released after the New Riders re-formed in 2005, and the band's...
. Cage is also still working as a sesson musician with other artists.
Discography
- This Way Is My WayThis Way Is My WayThis Way Is My Way is the second studio album by Anne Murray issued in 1969 on Capitol Records. Upon its initial release, the album was only issued in Canada . The album included recordings of songs by Eric Andersen, Gene MacLellan and Bob Dylan...
— Anne MurrayAnne MurrayMorna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies....
(1969) - Honey, Wheat and LaughterHoney, Wheat and LaughterHoney, Wheat and Laughter is the third studio album by Anne Murray issued in 1970 on Capitol Records. The album was only released in Canada...
— Anne Murray (1970) - Great Speckled BirdGreat Speckled Bird (album)Great Speckled Bird is a country rock album by Great Speckled Bird, a band formed in 1969 by Canadian musicians Ian and Sylvia Tyson. The other group members at the time of recording were Buddy Cage, on pedal steel guitar, Amos Garrett, on guitar and backup vocals, and N.D. Smart, on drums...
— Great Speckled BirdGreat Speckled Bird (band)Great Speckled Bird was a country rock group formed in 1969 by the Canadian musical duo Ian & Sylvia. Ian Tyson sang, played guitar and composed. Sylvia Tyson sang, composed and occasionally played piano...
(1970) - Straight, Clean and SimpleStraight, Clean and SimpleStraight, Clean and Simple is the fourth studio album by Anne Murray issued in 1971 on Capitol Records. The album contained material by Gordon Lightfoot, Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Kenny Rogers, and Kin Vassey.-Track listing:...
— Anne Murray (1971) - Talk It Over in the MorningTalk It Over in the MorningTalk It Over in the Morning is the fifth studio album by Anne Murray issued in 1971 on Capitol Records. The album peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Country Albums chart.-Track listing:#"Talk It Over in the Morning"...
— Anne Murray (1971) - Rural SpaceRural Space-Track listing:all songs Brewer & Shipley except where markedSide A#"Yankee Lady" – 3:25#"Sleeping On The Way" – 2:19#"When The Truth Finally Comes" – 2:33#"Where Do We Go From Here" – 2:17...
— Brewer & ShipleyBrewer & ShipleyBrewer & Shipley were an American folk rock music duo of the late 1960s through 1970s, consisting of singer-songwriters Mike Brewer and Tom Shipley. They were known for their intricate guitar work, vocal harmonies and socially conscious lyrics. Their greatest success was the song "One Toke Over the...
(1972) - PowerglidePowerglide (album)Powerglide is the second album by the American band the New Riders of the Purple Sage. The music is a psychedelic hybrid of country rock, and includes guest musicians Jerry Garcia and Bill Kreutzmann from the Grateful Dead, along with noted session player Nicky Hopkins...
— New Riders of the Purple SageNew Riders of the Purple SageNew Riders of the Purple Sage is an American country rock band. The group emerged from the psychedelic rock scene in San Francisco, California in 1969, and its original lineup included several members of the Grateful Dead. Their best known song is "Panama Red"...
(1972) - Gypsy CowboyGypsy CowboyGypsy Cowboy is the third album by the country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage. It was recorded and released in 1972.The album includes six original songs by John Dawson and three by Dave Torbert, plus cover versions of "She's No Angel" and "Long Black Veil"...
— New Riders of the Purple Sage (1972) - The Adventures of Panama RedThe Adventures of Panama RedThe Adventures of Panama Red is the fourth country rock album by the New Riders of the Purple Sage, released in 1973. It is widely regarded as one of the group's best efforts, and reached number 55 on the Billboard charts....
— New Riders of the Purple Sage (1973) - Home, Home on the RoadHome, Home on the RoadHome, Home on the Road is an album by the American country rock group the New Riders of the Purple Sage. Released by Columbia Records in 1974, it was their first live album, and their fifth album overall. The eleven songs on the album are a combination of originals and covers...
— New Riders of the Purple Sage (1974) - BrujoBrujoBrujo is an album by the American country rock band New Riders of the Purple Sage. It is their fifth studio album, and their sixth album overall. It was recorded in 1974 and released that same year by Columbia Records....
— New Riders of the Purple Sage (1974) - Tales of the Great Rum Runners — Robert HunterRobert Hunter (lyricist)Robert C. Hunter is an American lyricist, singer-songwriter, translator, and poet, best known for his association with Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead.-Biography:He was born Robert Burns in San Luis Obispo, California...
(1974) - Blood on the TracksBlood on the TracksBlood on the Tracks is Bob Dylan's 15th studio album, released by Columbia Records in January 1975. The album marked Dylan's return to Columbia after a two-album stint with Asylum Records....
— Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
(1975) - Midnight on the WaterMidnight on the Water (David Bromberg album)Midnight on the Water is an album by David Bromberg. His fourth album, it was released by Columbia Records as a vinyl LP in 1975. It was released in CD format by Sony Records in 1994, and by SBME Special Markets in 2009...
— David BrombergDavid BrombergDavid Bromberg is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. Bromberg has an eclectic style, playing bluegrass, blues, folk, jazz, country and western, and rock and roll equally well. He is known for his quirky, humorous lyrics, and the ability to play rhythm and lead guitar at the...
(1975) - Oh, What a Mighty TimeOh, What a Mighty TimeOh, What a Mighty Time is an album by the country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage. Their sixth studio album and their seventh album overall, it was released by Columbia Records in 1975.Oh, What a Mighty Time was produced by Bob Johnston...
— New Riders of the Purple Sage (1975) - New RidersNew Riders (album)New Riders is an album by the country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage. Their seventh studio album and their ninth album overall, it was recorded and released in 1976....
— New Riders of the Purple Sage (1976) - Who Are Those Guys?Who Are Those Guys?Who Are Those Guys? is the eighth studio album and tenth album overall by the country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage. It was recorded at the Record Plant in Sausalito, California in October and November, 1976...
— New Riders of the Purple Sage (1977) - Marin County LineMarin County LineMarin County Line is the ninth studio album and eleventh album overall by the country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage. Released in 1977, it was their third and final album on the MCA Records label....
— New Riders of the Purple Sage (1978) - Too Close for Comfort — Terry & the Pirates (1979)
- Feelin' All RightFeelin' All RightFeelin' All Right is the tenth studio album and twelfth album overball by the country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage, released in 1981. It was their only album on the A&M Records label...
— New Riders of the Purple Sage (1981) - Heart on a Sleeve — Tom RussellTom RussellThomas George "Tom" Russell is an American singer-songwriter. Although most strongly identified with the Texas Country music tradition, his music also incorporates elements of folk, Tex-Mex, and the cowboy music of the American West. Many of his songs have been recorded by other artists, including...
(1984) - Empty Bottles — The Chili Brothers (1988)
- Step Right Up — Solar Circus (1992)
- Twilight Dance — Solar Circus (1992)
- A Historical Retrospective — Solar Circus (1993)
- Live on StageLive on Stage (New Riders of the Purple Sage album)Live on Stage is an album by the country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage. It was recorded live in 1975 at the Beacon Theatre in New York City and at the Keystone in Berkeley, California. It was released by Relix Records in 1993....
— New Riders of the Purple Sage (1993) - Prova De Amor — Jorge Ferreira (1995)
- Rock 'n' Roll Heaven — Frank Novato (1995)
- Stir Fried — Stir Fried (1999)
- Electrafried — Stir Fried (1999)
- Terrapin — Joe Gallant and Illuminati (1999)
- Doin' Time on Planet Earth — Brooklyn Cowboys (1999)
- Last of the Blue Diamond Miners — Stir Fried (2000)
- Dodging Bullets — Brooklyn Cowboys (2002)
- Jamazon — Reverend Tor (2002)
- The Other Man in Black: The Ballad of Dale Earnhardt — Brooklyn Cowboys (2002)
- Try Again — Mike Ireland & Holler (2002)
- Worcester, MA, 4/4/73Worcester, MA, 4/4/73Worcester, MA, 4/4/73 is an album by the country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage. It was recorded live at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts on April 4, 1973. It was released on May 20, 2003...
— New Riders of the Purple Sage (2003) - Boston Music Hall, 12/5/72Boston Music Hall, 12/5/72Boston Music Hall, 12/5/72 is an album by the country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage. It was recorded live on December 5, 1972, at the Music Hall in Boston, Massachusetts, and released on November 11, 2003...
— New Riders of the Purple Sage (2003) - Shaking Off the Weirdness — Zen TrickstersZen TrickstersThe Zen Tricksters are an American Grateful Dead cover band.For almost thirty years, the Zen Tricksters have been playing Grateful Dead covers and jam band music, as well as derivative original songs.. The band started out as the Volunteers, playing small venues around New York's Long Island...
(2003) - Redemption — The Last Hombres (2003)
- Inside InInside InInside In is Mike Gordon's first solo album and was released August 19, 2003. This album was wholly produced during and after the movie, Outside Out and uses aural tracks from it. Included in the liner notes are lyrics to some tracks, art and design by Andrew Cunningham, photography by David...
— Mike GordonMike GordonMike Gordon is a bass guitar player and vocalist most noted for his work with the rock band Phish. Gordon is also an accomplished banjo player, and is proficient at piano, guitar, harmonica and percussion...
(2003) - Veneta, Oregon, 8/27/72Veneta, Oregon, 8/27/72Veneta, Oregon, 8/27/72 is an album by the country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage. It was recorded live on August 27, 1972, at the Springfield Creamery Benefit concert, at Temple Meadow, near Veneta, Oregon. It was released on September 21, 2004...
— New Riders of the Purple Sage (2004) - Armadillo World Headquarters, Austin, TX, 6/13/75Armadillo World Headquarters, Austin, TX, 6/13/75Armadillo World Headquarters, Austin, TX, 6/13/75 is an album by the country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage. It was recorded live on June 13, 1975, at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas, and released on November 1, 2005...
— New Riders of the Purple Sage (2005) - Brand New Stranger — JJ Baron (2006)
- Everything Is One — Pete FrancisPete Francis HeimboldPete Francis Heimbold is a solo musical artist formerly of the bands Dispatch, Woodriver Bandits and Hermit Thrush. He plays guitar, bass, and is a singer/song-writer. Francis pursued a successful musical career with the independent band Dispatch for eight years, until their breakup in 2002, and...
(2006) - Grace's Bell — Ben Rudnick (2007)
- Gift: A Tribute to Ian Tyson — various artists (2007)
- Iris Nova — Mudville (2007)
- Patience on Friday — Ryan MontbleauRyan MontbleauRyan Michael Montbleau is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He annually tours across the U.S. with the Ryan Montbleau Band.-Background:...
(2007) - S.U.N.Y., Stonybrook, NY, 3/17/73S.U.N.Y., Stonybrook, NY, 3/17/73S.U.N.Y., Stonybrook, NY, 3/17/73 is an album by the country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage. It was recorded live on March 17, 1973, at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. It was released on November 13, 2007...
— New Riders of the Purple Sage (2007) - Wanted: Live at Turkey TrotWanted: Live at Turkey TrotWanted: Live at Turkey Trot is a concert video and an album by the American country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage. It was recorded in 2006 at Turkey Trot Acres, a hunting lodge in Candor, New York...
— New Riders of the Purple Sage (2007) - Once More Into the Bliss — Boris Garcia (2008)
- We Are All One — Michael FalzaranoMichael FalzaranoMichael Falzarano is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He has been working as a professional musician since the 1970s, most notably in Hot Tuna, the New Riders of the Purple Sage, and the Memphis Pilgrims, a Memphis-style rock and roll/blues band that he founded in 1986.Having signed...
(2008) - Songs for the Soldier — Lance Larson (2008)
- Winterland, San Francisco, CA, 12/31/77Winterland, San Francisco, CA, 12/31/77Winterland, San Francisco, CA, 12/31/77 is an album by the country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage. It was recorded live on December 31, 1977, at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, California. It was released on April 16, 2009...
— New Riders of the Purple Sage (2009) - Where I Come FromWhere I Come From (album)Where I Come From is an album by the American country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage. It was recorded in 2008, and released on June 2, 2009. Following Wanted: Live at Turkey Trot, it was the second album of new material released after the New Riders re-formed in 2005, and the band's...
— New Riders of the Purple Sage (2009) - Stroller — The Crybabies (2010)
External links
- www.thenewriders.com New Riders of the Purple Sage official website
- www.nrps.net Archival website