Black Oak Arkansas
Black Oak Arkansas is a Southern rock band from the United States, which has named after her hometown in the state of Black Oak Arkansas. The band celebrated their biggest success in the 1970s, when she was able to place a total of ten albums in the American charts. Her style is influenced by the interplay of several guitars and raspy voice of singer Jim ' Dandy ' Mangrum.
- 3.1 Studio albums
- 3.2 Live albums
- 3.3 Compilations
Band History
The Knowbody Else (1965-1969)
The origins of Black Oak Arkansas to the early 1960s when some young people came together from the place in Black Oak, Craighead County Arkansas to a band called ' The Know Body Else'. The lineup consisted of vocalist James Mangrum ( called ' Jim Dandy '), the three guitarists Rickie Reynolds, Harvey Jett and Artis Brewer, bassist Pat Daugherty and drummer Sam Shadow Mountain. The post of the singer should initially take over Ronnie Smith, as Mangrum for this post but proved to be better, Smith was instead the manager of the band.
In January 1966, Mangrum, Reynolds and Smith were sentenced to four to eight years in prison in the Tucker Prison Farm, because they had stolen from her high school, a PA system for the band. The parents came up for the damage, so that the sentences were suspended on probation, and none of the three went to prison. Some time later, the band moved to Memphis. There she received her first recording contract with Stax Records and released their self-titled 1969 album The Knowbody Else. The success was, however, and in the same year went Mangrum and his colleagues to Los Angeles, where they eventually renamed themselves after their hometown in 'Black Oak Arkansas '.
Rise and success (1969-1976)
In LA, the band signed a new record deal with ATCO Records, a subsidiary label of Atlantic. The move resulted in the first line-up changes, because the drums were Sam Shadow Mountain by Wayne Evans replaced and Artis Brewer came Stanley Knight in the band. The debut album under the new name appeared in March 1970, followed by Keep The Faith two years thereafter. Evans rose after this plate again, so that you undertook for the 1972 also publish album If An Angel Came ... the at the time unknown drummer Tommy Aldridge.
From its growing revenue, the band soon bought large grounds in Boone County near the Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas, where she lived as a commune in self-built wooden homes for some time. In addition, considerable sums for charity and community projects in the neighboring communities were donated. Musically, it was meanwhile continue uphill. Above all, released in late 1973 album High On The Hog was a commercial success. It reached number 52 on the Billboard charts and included the LaVern Baker cover " Jim Dandy" the biggest hit of the band, which was also befriended the singer Ruby Starr was involved for the first time.
After two more plates at ATCO Black Oak Arkansas changed mid-1975 to MCA, where in the same year the album X-Rated appeared. In addition, there was the first line-up change for a long time, because for Harvey Jett now rose a guitarist James Henderson. However, the most creative phase of the band was over and with the following albums Balls Of Fire and 10 Yr Overnight Success (both 1976) did not manage the musicians to build on the successes of previous years.
Disposals and dissolution (1976-1980)
As of 1976, the band also showed serious signs of disintegration. Starting with Aldridge emigrated from much of the cast in this and next year, so Mangrum and Henderson, the only remaining members had to set up an almost completely new lineup. Man committed for the guitarists Greg Reding and Jack Holder, bassist Andy Tanas and drummer Joel Williams. With this line called himself only ' Black Oak ' and took Race With The Devil (1977) and I'd Rather Be Sailing (1978 ) two studio albums for the label Capricorn, which however did not reach the Billboard charts.
In the late 1970s there was a series of further reshuffles. It should be mentioned especially the joining at just 14 years old guitarist Shawn Lane, who played numerous concerts with the band and later came into existence primarily as a solo artist. Black Oak was, however, almost entirely of musicians accompanying the singer Mangrum and as this in 1980, suffered a heart attack, he finally broke the band up on further notice.
To Mangrum re-formation (from 1984 )
As Mangrum had recovered after some time, he went to a reactivation of the band, which changed its name from now on under his nickname ' Jim Dandy '. For the re-formation, he also managed to win his old companion Ricky Reynolds, moreover it but did not succeed to establish a stable lineup for a long time. 1984 and 1986, then appeared with Ready As Hell and The Black Attack Is Back two more studio albums, the style more oriented at the Hard Rock and Metal of the time.
These plates scored again no significant sales success, so that Black Oak Arkansas could never really establish itself in the new decade. In changing line but one remained present on the stage and published in late 1999 after thirteen years, even a new album called The Wild Bunch, on the next Mangrum and Reynolds original bassist Pat Daugherty was now loud enough to hear. The band is still active today and has several roles in clubs and at festivals.
Occupations
In its classical phase until the end of the 1970s, Black Oak Arkansas played in at least five different occupations:
Other band members:
- Shawn Lane - Guitar ( †, 1977-1981 )
- Steve Nunenmacher - Guitar ( 1984)
- Billy Batte - Keyboard, Violin ( 1984)
- William Lemuel - Bass (1984 )
- Jon Wells - drums (1984 )
- Michael Martin - Guitar ( 1986)
- Biff Bingham - guitar (1986 )
- Mike Farriss - Bass (1986 )
- Jerry Williams - Drums (1986 )
- Rocky Athas - guitar (1999)
- Hal McCormack - guitar ( currently )
- George Hughen - Bass (current)
- Johnnie Bolin - drums (current)
Discography
Studio albums
- The Knowbody Else ( Stax 1969)
- Black Oak Arkansas (ATCO 1971)
- Keep The Faith (ATCO 1972)
- High On The Hog (ATCO 1973)
- Street Party (ATCO 1974)
- Is not Life Grand (ATCO 1975)
- X-Rated (MCA 1975)
- Balls Of Fire (MCA 1976)
- 10 Yr Overnight Success (MCA 1977)
- Race With The Devil ( Capricorn 1977)
- I'd Rather Be Sailing ( Capricorn 1978)
- Ready As Hell (Heavy Metal America 1984)
- The Black Attack Is Back (Heavy Metal America 1986)
- The Wild Bunch ( Cleopatra 1999)
Live albums
- Raunch 'N' Roll Live (ATCO 1973)
- Live! Mutha (ATCO 1976)
- King Biscuit Flower Hour ( Capricorn 1998)
Compilations
- Early Times ( Stax 1974)
- The Best Of Black Oak Arkansas (ATCO 1977)
- Hot & Nasty: The Best Of Black Oak Arkansas ( Rhino 1992)
- The Definitive Collection skirt ( Rhino 2006)