
ALLEN COLLINS PLAYING LIVE IN SPOKANE, WA. ON 10-7-76. PHOTO/ART BY BEN UPHAM.
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LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS FROM WINTERLAND 3-6-76
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LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS FROM OAKLAND 9-20-75
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LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS FROM SOUNDCHECK IN SPOKANE 10-7-76
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LYNYRD SKYNYRD DISCOGRAPHY:
1973 Pounounced Lynyrd Skynyrd
1974 Second Helping
1975 Nuthin’ Fancy
1976 Gimme Back My Bullets
1976 One More From the Road (Live)
1977 Street Survivors
1978 First and Last
1982 Best of the Rest
1987 Legend
1991 Box Set
1998 Skynyrds First (Complete Muscle Shoals)
2000 Collectybles
2009 Live at Winterland 3-7-76
2009 Live at Cardiff 11-4-75
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ALLEN COLLINS AND RONNIE VAN ZANT LIVE AT WINTERLAND ON 3-6-76. PHOTO/ART BY BEN UPHAM.
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LYNYRD SKYNYRD AT WINTERLAND ON 3-6-76
LYNYRD SKYNYRD- “WORKS ON PRIDE”
by MARY CAMPBELL
THE HUTCHINSON NEWS
HUTCHINSON, KANSAS
MAY 30, 1975
When you start talking about the rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd, momentarily ignore the fact that it’s so hot, their only two LPs are both gold, and start right in with how to pronounce the name and where it came from.
The first LP’s title explains the first, “Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pronounced Leh’ nerd Skin’nerd.” The second LP is “Second Helping.” The seven-man group took its name from a high school gym teacher, who wasn’t their biggest fan. Guitarist Ed King, the only one who wasn’t reared in Florida and wasn’t there, said that the three founding members of Lynyrd Skynyrd heard cries of “Cut your hair” from Leonard Skinner and the same teacher later got them thrown out of school. Still later, they took his name and put in a y everytime he had a more usual vowel. “It was some kind of symbolic thing,” King says.
Lynyrd Skynyrd is a Southern band and these days there seems to be a good deal of interest in Southern bands. King says there isn’t a different band sound in the South, really, except for the Southern accent of the singers.
The song that really brought Lynyrd Skynyrd its most attention was “Sweet Home Alabama.” That was a “Southern and proud of it” song, an answer to Neil Young’s “Southern Man.” Since, Young’s “Walk On” has been taken as an answer to “Sweet Home Alabama.” But that exchange seems to have run its course.
There had previously been a single from the first album and a single from the second. After the success of “Sweet Home Alabama,” also from the second album, a fourth single was released, “Free Bird,” from the first album, and it was on the singles chart the first week in February.
There will be another. “South vs. North” song, “I’m a Country Boy,” on the third album. Some people don’t think of Florida as the South but King says they’re thinking of Miami. Jacksonville, near which the members of the group own a farm, is definitely the South, says King. He says nothing is going on in Jacksonville and they’re glad of it because they’re not distracted and can spend their time on the farm writing songs and rehearsing.
They each intend to move a mobile home onto the farm, to live together, separately. Group members don’t like cities, King says, though they “have to like Atlanta,” That’s where they were playing the bar circuit and were discovered by Al Kooper and signed to his new label, Sounds of the South. Their two records were distributed by MCA and their third, already cut, will be on MCA, from which Sounds of the South now has parted company.
A couple of earlier tapes, made at Muscle Schoals and never released, have been bought back by the group. They’ll be released probably later in the year. King says there are good songs on them but the performances need some finishing touches.
“We’re tending now to go in a bit more simple direction than we have in the past,” King says. “The music has changed, but not too much. We’re aware of whatever basic element we have that makes us what we are and makes people like us. There’s no way we can get rid of that. “People are going to hear more of what we’re really all about. Our third album is the best we’ve done so far. Our second is probably the worst. On the third we went into the studio not knowing what was going to happen. We had zero things written. We all worked together and had ideas and wrote songs on the spot and came up with, I think, great material.
“On the second album we had all the tunes written and burned them out on the road. By the time we got them into the studio we could care less about them. “This album we just did could have stood for us to play the songs 10 times in front of people and then take them into the studio. But the way they are on tape, all of us are proud of.
“We’re going to do a live album. Three-fourths of it will be new material. It isn’t going to be ‘greatest hits.’ I can’t stand to buy those. That’ll probably be our best album. Live is where we’re at our best.
“In Detroit last night, we were terrible. We’d been in the studio 12 or 14 hours a day, three and a half weeks. We put the last note on our third album and within 24 hours we were playing in Detroit. We were just horrible; it didn’t happen at all. If I’d have been hit in the head with a tomato and a bottle I would have accepted it. Any other time I’d have been raving mad. The audience was real polite and gave us more applause than we’d deserved.
“Our band works on pride. If it doesn’t turn out, like that, we’re ashamed of it. Our live gigs are what we’re really proud of; they’re what our reputation is built on. When we go out to promote a record, we can back it up. “Tomorrow we’re going to spend all day rehearsing. Playing a bad gig like that will bring your spirits up. You’re
feeling so bad about it, there’s no way to go but up.”
The group tours a lot, having two three-month tours last year plus some three week ones. And, says King, you have to save some time for your lady.
King is from California, was in a band that toured the South, fell in love with the South and immediately moved from Burbank to North Carolina. He got to know members of Lynyrd Skynyrd as he was attempting to start a band of his own. When the group’s bass player quit, two and a half years ago — as the recording contract was being signed — they drove to North Carolina and got him.
The bass player, Leon Wilkeson, later was persuaded to return to the group and King moved to guitar, which is how the group got three guitarists and expanded from six to seven.
Other members are Ronnie Van Zant, lead singer; Allen Collins and Gary Rossington, guitars; Artimus Pyle, the newest member, drums, and Billy Powell, keyboards.
King says that the group members originally decided, when asked what Lynyrd Skynyrd meant, to say that it was Southern slang for something. “We thought that might be kind of hip. We decided not to do it. But we could have started something. It ain’t too late.”
LYNYRD SKYNYRD DISCOGRAPHY:
1973 Pounounced Lynyrd Skynyrd
1974 Second Helping
1975 Nuthin’ Fancy
1976 Gimme Back My Bullets
1976 One More From the Road (Live)
1977 Street Survivors
1978 First and Last
1982 Best of the Rest
1987 Legend
1991 Box Set
1998 Skynyrds First (Complete Muscle Shoals)
2000 Collectybles
2009 Live at Winterland 3-7-76
2009 Live at Cardiff 11-4-75
CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE SKYNYRD PHOTOS AND ARTWORK:
LYNYRD SKYNYRD FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
AND
LYNYRD SKYNYRD IN OAKLAND, CA. ON 9-20-75
AND
LYNYRD SKYNYRD- WINTERLAND 3-6-76
- March 14th, 2012
- Posted in BlogJams
- Tagged ALLEN COLLINS, ARTIMUS PYLE, BILLY POWELL, ED KING, FREE BIRD, GARY ROSSINGTON, LEON WILKESON, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lynyrd Skynyrd Art, LYNYRD SKYNYRD DISCOGRAPHY, LYNYRD SKYNYRD LIVE, LYNYRD SKYNYRD ORIGINAL BAND, LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS, LYNYRD SKYNYRD PICTURES, LYNYRD SKYNYRD RARE, Ronnie Van Zant, Winterland
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ALLEN COLLINS PERFORMING IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA ON 9-20-75. PHOTO/ART BY BEN UPHAM.
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LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS FROM WINTERLAND 3-6-76
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ALLEN COLLINS BAND-
“HERE, THERE AND BACK” (MCA RECRDS 1982)
Personnel:
Allen Collins- guitar
Randall Hall- guitar
Derek Hess- drums
Leon Wilkeson- bass
Billy Powell- keyboards
Barry Harwood- guitar
Jimmy Dougherty- vocals
Songs:
1. Just Trouble
2. One Known Soldier
3. Hangin’ Judge
4. Time After Time
5. This Ride’s On Me
6. Ready To Move
7. Chapter One
8. Commitments
9. Everything You Need
The Allen Collins Band only produced one record. But it’s a winner! I was living in Redding, Ca. when it came out and remember the first time I heard it after walking in to a local record store that had it on. They were playing “One Known Soldier” and I was really blown away. The store sold 3 copies of the record while the song was playing.
I think that this band could have really gone on to do great things had they been more successful with this record. As far as I know they only did one short tour, opening for Molly Hatchet.
When you listen to this Music you will automatically draw the comparisons to Lynyrd Skynyrd due to the simple fact that there are three survivors in the band. That’s not a fair thing to do when listening to this Music though, as it holds a bar up way to high for anyone to jump over.
Jimmy Dougherty cannot be compared to Ronnie Van Zant…Their styles and approach to vocals just aren’t comparable. Dougherty has a good voice and is very articulate. His sound fits well.
Derek Hess and Barry Harwood had been in this band already for years as the Rossington Collins Band and sound great. Randall Hall was Allen’s personal choice to play his parts in the Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Band in 1987, which says a lot! Billy Powell is all over this record with his excellent piano work and of course Leon was the Man on the Bass.
This album is very easy to listen to and contains some fine playing and singing. “Everything you need” for a great listen.
Here are some others thoughts on the record:
Review #1-
“Bona fide Southern Rock”
By L. Lawhead “LSquared” (SW Illinois)
June 2, 2004
Allen Collins Band was an offshoot of Rossington Collins Band, which was an offshoot of the original southern rock masters Lynyrd Skynyrd. RCB had all of the surviving members of Skynyrd, except Artimus Pyle (drums). ACB has 5/7 of RCB, replacing Gary Rossington (guitar) and Dale Krantz Rossington (vocals) with Randall Hall and Jimmy Dougherty, respectively. Allen Collins (after becoming paralyzed) suggested Randall Hall as his replacent in the “post-crash” Skynyrd. Bottom line, these guys have the “bona fides”, they certainly know what they’re doing.
I really enjoy this album a lot. All of the songs are solid, with great sound. The songs of the songs are mostly mid-tempo, with a couple of slower pieces. There’s not really any “kick A**” songs, no “Freebird”, no bar-fighting music. There’s not really any “blistering guitar”, but there is a lot of guitar, and plenty of licks and fills. The songs stick in your head, and the lyrics are an improvement over some of the RCB songs. Think of Skynyrd’s 4th album: “Gimmie Back My Bullets”. If you like that, you’ll like this. Billy Powell’s piano is particularly evident, he remains one of the signatures of the Skynyrd sound, and it’s various offshoots.
Allen Collins co-wrote 4 of the 8 songs here, including the standouts “One Known Soldier” and “Chapter One”. This is more than any of the Skynyrd albums, except “Gimmie Back My Bullets”. Jimmy Dougherty is fine as a singer, if not outstanding. He’s not as “gruff” as either Ronnie Van Zant (Skynyrd) or Dale Krantz (Rossington Collins Band). His style fits the songs though.
Long after it’s release, “Here There and Back” remains one of my favorite southern rock albums. Yet I never heard anything about it when it came out. I just happened across it in a record store several months after it’s release, and snapped it up because of the Skynyrd lineage. It remaines one of the great discoveries in my collection. If it had recieved any publicity at all, it would probably have been much better known.
Good songs, good playing!
Review #2-
“Excellent Southern Rock”
By Lefloater
October 24, 2005
This CD happens to be an excellent combination of vocals, crystal clear guitar and drums. One can readily hear the influence of Lynyrd Skynyrd thanks to Allen Collins. And, yes, I too have been to several of Skynyrd’s concerts, and this CD just illustrates the influence that they had through Allen Collins.
If you want to hear some great music, you can’t go wrong with this CD.
Review #3-
“Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere”
By William Walters (West Palm Beach, FL)
December 2, 2007
This is a VERY rare LP. I had a chance to see Allen Collins perform this record in North Carolina in the early 1980′s. It was one of his first live performances outside of playing with the Rossington Collins Band. The album suffers from poor vocals but the unmistakable AC guitar dominates the album. I have the tour T-shirt and was able to meet the band and get autgraphs since so few people showed up for the show (with the Outlaws). As far as I know this was the first live performances of Skynyrd standards such as ‘That Smell’ and ‘Gimme Three Steps’. The album, like I stated, may be disapointing to some but a real keepsake to die hard Skynyrd fans. If it every becomes available I will buy it in a heartbeat and suggest all Allen Collins fans do as well. Classsic Southern Rock at its best!!
Review #4-
“Here,There,and Back”
By Gary Pierce “Southern Man” (Northeast Tennessee)
July 30, 2007
This record is the best of the Lynyrd Skynyrd solo artist. It has Allen, Billy Powell, Leon Wilkerson and future member Randall Hall. I have all of the solo records and this one sounds the most like Skynyrd. Allen plays some of his best guitar work and Billy is featured even more than with Skynyrd. Thank You Allen for some great music.
Review #5-
From: rehtakul
May 14, 2004
Although it’s true that the blistering guitar work Allen was known for is not here, this is still a very enjoyable CD. In my opinion, one of the better ‘post Skynyrd’ releases. Much in the same style as the ‘Alias – Contraband’ album. As stated, no blistering solos here, but every solo is as tasty as can be. In addition, Billy Powell has some fine moments, adding a little more of that old Skynyrd feel to the album. This is long out of print, but worth tracking down. It stands the test of time.
Wikipedia Info-
The Allen Collins Band was a spinoff of Southern Rock bands Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Rossington-Collins Band. It existed from 1983 to 1984 and was formed shortly after the dissolution of the Rossington-Collins Band.
The band’s name was originally Horsepower, but executives at MCA (whom the band released their only album through) wanted a name that would make the band stand out. So, the band was re-christened “The Allen Collins Band.” Most of the band members carried over from RCB, with the exceptions of Dale Krantz and Gary Rossington, who had both married and decided to raise a family. Jacksonville guitarist Mike Owings joined The Allen Collins Band in 1984, and wrote several unreleased songs with Allen Collins, and he later went on to play guitar in Molly Hatchet (1999–2000).
Vocalist Jimmy Dougherty died January 20, 2008 (born November 3, 1951).
ALLEN COLLINS DISCOGRAPHY:
WITH LYNYRD SKYNYRD:
1973 Pounounced Lynyrd Skynyrd
1974 Second Helping
1975 Nuthin’ Fancy
1976 Gimme Back My Bullets
1976 One More From the Road (Live)
1977 Street Survivors
1978 First and Last
1982 Best of the Rest
1987 Legend
1991 Box Set
1998 Skynyrds First (Complete Muscle Shoals)
2000 Collectybles
2009 Live at Winterland 3-7-76
2009 Live at Cardiff 11-4-75
WITH THE ROSSINGTON COLLINS BAND:
1979 Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere
1981 This is the Way
WITH THE ALLEN COLLINS BAND:
1983 Here, There & Back
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LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS FROM WINTERLAND 3-6-76
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LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS FROM OAKLAND, CA. 9-20-75
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LYNYRD SKYNYRD FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
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ORDER THE REMASTERED CD OF ALLEN COLLINS BAND
- January 20th, 2012
- Posted in BlogJams
- Tagged ALLEN COLLINS, ALLEN COLLINS BAND, ALLEN COLLINS BAND HERE THERE AND BACK, ALLEN COLLINS DISCOGRAPHY, Barry Harwood, BEN UPHAM PHOTOS, BILLY POWELL, Classic Rock, CLASSIC ROCK PHOTOS, CONCERT PHOTOS, Derek Hess, FREE BIRD, FREEBIRDS, Guitars, Jimmy Dougherty, LEON WILKESON, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Magical Moment Photos, MUSICIANS, Randall Hall, Rock Art, ROSSINGTON COLLINS BAND, Southern Rock, Winterland
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TOY CALDWELL OF THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND (PHOTO/ART BY BEN UPHAM)
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THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND-
“THERE’S GOLD IN THEM GRASSROOTS”
THE GASTONIA GAZETTE
GASTONIA, NORTH CAROLINA
MAY 2, 1976
It’s 3:00 A.M. in the Capricorn sound studios on Broadway and while George McCorkle and Doug Gray of the Marshall Tucker Band get whipped in a game of Ping-Pong by the band’s roadies, down the hall in the main control room, Toy Caldwell, Marshall Tucker’s lead guitarist and songwriter, and producer Paul Hornsby are listening
to John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band add some banjo overdubs to Caldwell’s ‘Long Hard Ride,’ the title track to the band’s fifth album and their first recorded instrumental. Mark Pucci, Capricorn Record’s publicist, is also there, touting the song as the next ‘Rawhide’, but as a publicist he knows he’s able to do little with press releases to help Tucker.
Marshall Tucker is a grassroots band, and its own greatest asset for publicity. For the last three-and-a-half years, the band has been on a “long hard ride,” covering the country in a customized bus on a grueling tour schedule, trying to play most of their markets at least twice a year. “We play a place,” says Toy, “and when we come back, there are twice as many people as before. All those people who come out to see ya, that’s a weird feeling sometimes. Look at me! What the hell do they want to see me for?”
While Marshall Tucker worked on their latest album in Macon, Capricorn threw a party for the band, giving them gold copies of their first album, “The Marshall Tucker Band,” recorded three years ago. And on the basis of their grassroots appeal, two other albums have gone gold within the last six months, “Where We All Belong” and
“Searchin’ fora Rainbow.”
Four years out of being just another club band from Spartanburg, S.C.,
Tucker still comprises its six original members, with Caldwell on lead, McCorkle on rhythm guitar, Gray on vocals, Tommy Caldwell (Toy’s brother) on bass, Jerry Eubanks on alto sax and flute and Paul Riddle on drums.
Toy Caldwell and McCorkle played together in high school in Spartanburg, then in the early Seventies Caldwell formed a band with Gray and Eubanks called The Toy Factory. In 1972 they joined
McCorkle, Riddle and Tommy Caldwell and changed their name to the Marshall Tucker Band, after the owner of their rehearsal hall in Spartanhurg.
In May of that year Tucker played with Wet Willie, a Capricorn Records group, at the Ruins, a club in Spartanburg. “They heard our stuff.” recalls Toy, and told us to take it to Phil Walden (President of Capricornt. Hell, I never heard of the cat. Still, we drove down to Macon and dropped a tape off.” They were booked into Grant’s Lounge in Macon. “I went by there one night,” recalls Capricorn’s executive vice president Frank Fenter, and they sounded entirely different than anything we had on the label. Surprisingly, though, people compare them to the Allman Brothers.
Marshall Tucker’s first album was released in March 1973, and that year they toured as the opening act for the Allman Brothers, before being added to tours with Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Eagles. And, as the Tucker band developed into a strong touring band Capricorn’s natural temptation to do a heavy hype on them waned. “It’s easy for me to sit here, with three gold records,” reflects Jerry Eubanks, “and say, ‘No, I’d never sell out.’ But there have been many times when you’re broke and starving when you’d do about anything. Capricorn had the sense not to come to us and say, ‘You be that kind of band,’ or put us into the position of trying to fill large halls when we weren’t ready for it.”
Doug Gray is less analytical. “You could never imagine me coming out on roller skates; I’d probably trip over my hair. We kid each other and say, ‘Hey, I’m gonna dress up in tights tonight.’ But we laugh at people who have to do that stuff in order to sell a record. If they want to do it, fine, but not anybody in our band. Hell, what would your friends think?”
Toy Caldwell turned to the new album, set for release in June. “The tunes — eight of them — are there. The pickin’s there and the sound is crisp.” The album demonstrates Marshall Tucker’s amazing versatility, with a mixture of slow — and fast-paced luncs, heavily overlaid with country, rock and jazz influences. In this latest album, they’re not just another Southern band. “The country is ready for Marshall Tucker.” Phil Walden immodestly proclaims. “Groups like the Eagles have paved the way… and the Eagles don’t say ‘ain’t’ like Marshall Tucker says ‘aint.’
MARSHALL TUCKER BAND DISCOGRAPHY:
1973 The Marshall Tucker Band
1974 A New Life
1974 Where we All Belong
1975 Searchin’ For A Rainbow
1976 Long Hard Ride
1977 Carolina Dreams
1978 Together Forever
1979 Runnin’ Like The Wind
1980 Tenth
1981 Dedicated
1982 Tuckerized
1983 Just Us
1983 Greetings From South Carolina
2003 Stompin’ Room Only (1976 Live)
2006 Live on Long Island 4-18-80
2008 Carolina Dreams Tour 1977
TOY CALDWELL DISCOGRAPHY:
1992 Toy Caldwell
1998 Can’t You See (Live)
2000 Son of the South
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MARSHALL TUCKER BAND FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
- December 26th, 2011
- Posted in BlogJams
- Tagged ALLMAN BROTHERS, Ben Upham photographer, BEN UPHAM PHOTOS, BLUES, Classic Rock, CLASSIC ROCK PHOTOS, CONCERT PHOTOS, CONCERT PICTURES, doug gray, Geoprge McCorkle, Guitars, jerry eubanks, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Magical Moment Photos, marshall tucker, marshall tucker band, MARSHALL TUCKER BAND DISCOGRAPHY, Marshall Tucker Photos, Marshall tucker Pictures, MUSICIANS, paul riddle, Rock Music, Southern Rock, tommy caldwell, toy caldwell, Toy Caldwell Photos, Toy Caldwell Pictures, Winterland, WINTERLAND PHOTOS
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ALLEN COLLINS SOARS DURING THE PEAK OF HIS "FREE BIRD" SOLO AT WINTERLAND ON 3-6-76. PHOTO BY BEN UPHAM.
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LYNYRD SKYNYRD-
“DESTROY A MYTH”
THE LOWELL SUN
LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTES
APRIL 8, 1976
Wednesday night’s screaming, full-house audience at Boston’s Orpheum Theater proved convincingly that Southern bands are much more than wailing, guitar-pickin’ hillbillies.
Both from Florida, The Outlaws and Lynryd Skynyrd gave evidence that their musical contributions are as valid as any other American bands.
The Outlaws gave an electrifying opening performance to an overwhelmingly enthusiastic audience, frequently spotlighting the talents of their two lead guitarists, Billy Jones and Hughie Thomasson. Very tasteful harmonizing guitar solo’s were augmented by an additional guitarist, a bassist, and a drummer, who provided a solid foundation in all their numbers on which the guitarists built.
Lynyrd Skynyrd began as a boisterous bar band in Jacksonville, Florida. Their name came from their mockery of a gym teacher, Leonard Skinner, who repeatedly had three of Skynyrd’s members expelled from high school for having long hair. By mid-1973, their hard driving style had developed and had already landed them a recording contract.
Their big break materialized in 1974 when they were asked to tour with The Who. This brought them in front of large audiences who heard their rock spiced with “down home” flavor as performed by several talented musicians.
As Skynyrd came on stage, a fight in the audience was quelled when singer Ronnie Van Zant, his southern drawl evident said, “You’ll can fight if you want to, but don’t fuss.” Ronnie proudly displayed his half-beard and Bruin’s T-shirt, beginning the show with “Double Trouble”, a funky rocker from their latest album, “Gimme Back My Bullets”. His voice was weak at times, but he did his best to hide his recurring throat problems that may eventually end his singing career with the band. Ron Eckerman, Skynyrd’s road manager, confided that Van Zant’s voice was “raspy from touring”, but Ronnie has undergone surgery for a torn vocal cord and still has throat problems.
Though their audiences are always more than receptive, their records have not sold well in the Boston area. Eckerman feels “they’re a live band. Because radio stations don’t play their albums, no one understands the band. In fact, every Southern band has problems in Boston,” Nevertheless, Lynyrd Skynyrd usually play to sold-out audiences.
Guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins played with the brilliance of a super-nova, trading guitar riffs and displaying their understanding of and union with their instruments. Artimus Pyle’s overhand drum technique provided pounding rhythms that accented the gutsy, rash guitar work, especially on “Saturday Night Special”, “Needle and Spoon”, and ” Gimme Three Steps”, an interesting tune about being involved with another man’s woman.
Later in the show, Van Zant commented “there’s enough guitars up here to start a store”, referring to Jones and Thomasson of The Outlaws joining them on stage for “T for Texas” and “Sweet Home Alabama”. A Confederate flag was unfurled during “Alabama” to the screaming delight of the fans while four incredibly coordinated guitarists blended their talents and abilities to create a harmonizing effect that overwhelmed all.
After a 12-minute standing ovation, Lynyrd Skynyrd performed “Free Bird”, then left the theater to rest for the next leg of their seemingly endless tour, having covered at least 50 cities so far. (No one in the band was quite sure of the figure.) They had delivered to the crowd, the best rock possible, and satisfied with the intensity of applause,
decided it was time to rest. They had dispelled the myth that all Southern bands were alike … and had done it very well…
LYNYRD SKYNYRD DISCOGRAPHY:
1973 Pounounced Lynyrd Skynyrd
1974 Second Helping
1975 Nuthin’ Fancy
1976 Gimme Back My Bullets
1976 One More From the Road (Live)
1977 Street Survivors
1978 First and Last
1982 Best of the Rest
1987 Legend
1991 Box Set
1998 Skynyrds First (Complete Muscle Shoals)
2000 Collectybles
2009 Live at Winterland 3-7-76
2009 Live at Cardiff 11-4-75
CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS:
LYNYRD SKYNYRD WINTERLAND PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM
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LYNYRD SKYNYRD SPOKANE SOUND CHECK PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM
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LYNYRD SKYNYRD ART BY BEN UPHAM
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LYNYRD SKYNYRD FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
- October 31st, 2011
- Posted in BlogJams
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LARRY JUNSTROM ON BASS FOR 38 SPECIAL IN SPOKANE, WA. ON 3-21-80. PHOTO BY BEN UPHAM.
CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO SEE MORE 38 SPECIAL PHOTOS:
38 SPECIAL PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM
38 Special makes happy return to rock ‘n’ roll southern roots
By Gary Graff
Knight-Ridder Newspapers
Saturday January 7, 1989
Turn on the radio and you will hear the members of 38 Special boasting about their “Rock ‘n’ Roll Strategy,” which they say is “a system that’s guaranteed.” Maybe so, but a year and a half ago, it seemed like a dubious scheme. That’s when the group decided to part company with singerguitarist-songwriter Don Barnes, the man responsible for a five-year string of hit singles that included Hold on Loosely, Caught Up in You and If I’d Been the One.
Drummer Steve Brookins also dropped out at the time, but for non-musical reasons: He wanted to devote his energies to golf-course architecture. Artistic differences Barnes’ split, however, was strictly over artistic differences. According to guitarist Jeff Carlisi, the other members felt Barnes’ writing — a mainstream, pop-oriented approach — had robbed the group of its character. “We were losing some of that edge, some of that rock ‘n’ roll, southern spirit,” Carlisi, 36, said. “The spark and energy we had on records like Wild-Eyed Southern Boys was disappearing. We wanted to get back to that.”
Civil war
The battle over the southern sound had long been a civil war within 38 Special’s ranks. Formed in 1975 in Jacksonville, Fla., the group was born out of the same musical community as the Allman Brothers, the Charlie Daniels Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd; singer Donnie Van Zant, in fact, is the younger brother of the late Skynyrd vocalist Ronnie Van Zant. The heritage was a blessing and a curse, however, and 38 Special’s tag as “just another southern rock band” was too much for its members liking.
“The audience was getting bored, and so were we,” Barnes said in 1986. So he began experimenting with the sound, taking away the twangy guitars, cowboy hats and whisky, adding pop elements like the Cars’ clickety guitar rhythms and crafting catchy, radio-friendly melodies.
Carlisi said the rest of the band agreed with the approach at the time. “We were proud of the heritage,” he said, “but for the sake of trying to get the press off our backs, we were trying to avoid it, which turned out to be a bad thing to do; we sounded less like 38 Special and more like a band trying to sound like 38 Special. “People were asking us, ‘Why’d you cut your hair? Why’d you take off your cowboy hats? Will you make up your mind about what you want to be?’ ” Deciding to get back on the southern approach, however, meant getting rid of Barnes, which was like tearing up a winning lottery ticket. “But we thought that, if you make a good record, that’s all that matters,” Carlisi said. “Look at the Doobie Brothers. A lot of people
said, ‘Gee, without Tom Johnston, what are they going to do?’ Suddenly they got Michael McDonald and got bigger than ever.”
Carlisi said 38 Special had an easy enough time finding new members.
Max Carl, former vocalist and keyboardist with the acclaimed Bay Area band Jack Mack & the Heart Attack, was a musical and personal match. “It clicked immediately,” said Carl, 38, who was renovating houses in Los Angeles when 38 Special called. “We all had the same kind of sense of humor and cut our teeth on the same kind of music. When we sat down to play, it was all blues shuffles; that’s my wheelhouse, so I figured this couldn’t be too bad.” New guitarist Danny Chauncey also came with sterling credits — he was a member of Billy Satellite and co-wrote Eddie Money’s hit I Wanna Go Back. And he had one other
personal prerequisite.
“He stepped off the plane and said, ‘Do you like to play golf?’” Carlisi said. “I told him we all loved the game, and he said ‘Good. Can I be in the band?’” The new 38 Special is already seeing positive results of its Rock and Roll Strategy, the title of its latest album. Rock radio, which all but abandoned the band two years ago, has embraced the title track and Little Sheba, a Carl-written track about female mud-wrestling. Carlisi, meanwhile, is betting that a year of road work will restore 38 Special’s good name with an audience he fears has grown disenchanted.
38 SPECIAL CONCERT PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM
38 SPECIAL DISCOGRAPHY:
1977 38 Special
1978 Special Delivery
1980 Rockin’ Into the Night
1981 Wild-Eyed Southern Boys
1982 Special Forces
1984 Tour de Force
1986 Strength in Numbers
1988 Rock & Roll Strategy
1991 Bone Against Steel
1997 Resolution
1999 Live at Sturgis
2001 A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night
2004 Drivetrain
CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO SEE 38 SPECIAL PHOTOS:
38 SPECIAL PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM
- September 25th, 2011
- Posted in BlogJams
- Tagged 38 SPECIAL, 38 Special Vintage Concert Photos, Ben Upham, Ben Upham photographer, BEN UPHAM PHOTOS, Billy Satellite, Caught Up in You, Chalie Daniels Band, Civil War, CLASSIC ROCK PHOTOS, Danny Chauncey, DON BARNES, DONNIE VAN ZANT, Doobie Brothers, Eddie Money, Form in 1975, Gregg Allman Band, Hold On Loosely, If I'd Been The One, Jack Mack & the Heart Attack, JEFF CARLISI, Larry Junstrum, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Magical Moment Photos, Max Carl, Michael McDonald, MUSICIANS, Rare Concert Pictures, Rock N Roll Strategy, Ronnie Van Zant, Southern Rock, Steve Brookins, Thirty Eight Special, Tom Johnston, Wild-Eyed Southern Boys
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