Featuring: Jack B. and Bark M.
I am not a lawyer, much to the chagrin of my dear grandmother. However, I come before you today to make an argument that should be so plain, so obvious, and so transparent to even the most tone deaf of music appreciators that I shouldn’t even have to make it. But, for some reason, my client doesn’t get the respect she deserves. So here’s my opening statement:
Fiona Apple is the greatest popular music composer/performer of our time.
Not convinced? Don’t worry, you will be.
A while back, I wrote a piece about the Allman Brothers’ debut album and the nude photograph on the inside cover. That article has been shared a few places and it’s brought me some traffic from people who don’t normally visit the site. One of those visitors didn’t particularly care for my interpretation of the photo and the surroundings, so he’s contributed a guest post to set me (and some other folks) straight about what happened. “If this stuff brings one more person into the fold of the brilliance these six men displayed and created,” he wrote to me, “I’d be more than satisfied.” Please give a warm welcome to Craig! — jb
Brothers Duane and Gregg, musically speaking, started out in Daytona Beach in the sixties with what would have been a ‘teen band of the day’ playing a mix of pop, R&B and blue-eyed soul as the Escorts. Then came the Allman Joys period, which was when they came to the attention of John and Bill McEuen. John was a member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Bill managed that outfit. At the time they were ‘discovered’ by Bill, the Allman Joys were in St. Louis, where the band maintained a good following. McEuen told them he could get them signed if they’d be willing to move out to Los Angeles. They left as the Allman Joys and headed for the West Coast. By the time they’d signed and recorded their first LP for Liberty Records, they had become the Hour Glass. In 1967, when they landed in California, there was another band based in San Francisco called Allmen Joy. It’s my assumption (although not verified) that this is what brought about the name change from the Allman Joys to the Hour Glass. Duane and Gregg’s roots were blues, soul and R&B, which they heard as kids growing up in Nashville. Liberty’s idea for them was centered on having Gregg as the star and focal point of the band. That in itself was a great idea since Gregg was blessed with an incredible voice as a singer. However, Liberty also dictated what they’d play. The first album was mostly material that Liberty held the copyrights to (more money for the label if the band was a hit).