Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American folk-rock, pop and country band, which was founded in 1966 and has released more than 30 albums.
In May 1966, Jeff Hanna, Bruce Kunkel, Jimmie Fadden, Jackson Browne, Les Thompson and Ralph Barr met regularly in " McCabe 's Guitar Shop " in Long Beach, California and decided to form a band. After a few live performances, the band got a record deal; the debut LP Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and the follow-up LP Ricochet published in 1967, the single release Buy for Me the Rain made it into the U.S. top 40 of the pop charts. The band first appeared on the Tonight Show from Johnny Carson.
Career
From 1967 to 1968 the band recorded the album Rare Junk and alive and lived for four months in the Whitman National Forest in Oregon to during the filming for the Western westward wind with Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin pulls participate. They had opened for Bill Cosby appearances at Carnegie Hall and talked with Dizzy Gillespie from jam sessions.
In 1969 the band to Colorado to record the albums Uncle Charlie ( 1970) and All The Good Times (1971). Instead Barr, Kunkel and Browne were now John McEuen and Jimmy Ibbotson on board. The single from the Mr. Bojangles was also placed in the top 10 of the pop charts.
Will the Circle Be Unbroken
1971 ventured the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band to step away from the folk-rock and went to a recording session in Nashville. The local country music industry balked at first against their attempt to mix the traditional acoustic sound with rock elements. The band finally decided on electric instruments and invited many well-known bluegrass and country artists such as Earl Scruggs, Maybelle Carter, Merle Travis and Roy Acuff as a guest musician. In six days they recorded 33 pieces, which appeared in 1972 on the triple - LP Will the Circle Be Unbroken. Despite its scale, the album was a bestseller, nominated for two Grammys and platinum. One reason for the success saw singer John McEuen herein: " With the 'Circle ' album, which there no comment about Republicans or Democrats or hippies or rednecks or long hairs or the Vietnam War. None of did came into play; the album was simply a reflection of real good parts of Americana, " he told 30 years later with the release of the anniversary edition of the album. The band went on tour, including in Japan.
In the first half of the 1970s, they released more albums; their fans come from very different areas: in 1974, the band played a bluegrass festival, before she appeared the next day in the opening act of the rock band Aerosmith. 1976 allowed the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band occur as the first U.S. band in the Soviet Union. A recording of their 30 - day tour in the local state television was watched by 145 million viewers.
1977 met pianist Bob Carpenter for The Dirt Band, as they called themselves the meantime, the occupation has changed slightly again and again over the years. The sound was now clearly in the direction of pop music as the song American Dream by Linda Ronstadt in 1979, which debuted at number 13 on the pop charts. They continued to release albums regularly, but rather gave live performances, such as the opening ceremony of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles or in their second USSR tour later talk a year from itself.
More chart success
1985 the band had with Long Hard Road her first No. 1 title in the country charts in 1986 John McEuen left the band and in 1987 joined the former Eagles member Bernie Leadon to them. The band, who had returned long since returned to their original band name, released its 19th LP Hold On with the two No. 1 singles Fishin ' in the Dark and Baby 's Got a Hold on Me was followed again many television appearances and a European tour. The next album Workin 'Band had three top 10 singles.
Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Vol II and III
1989 the band returned back to Nashville to record the album Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Vol II, Hanna, Fadden, Ibbotson and Carpenter. The original guest musicians met others like Johnny Cash, Bruce Hornsby, John Hiatt, Roger McGuinn and Emmylou Harris. The album was not only commercially successful, but earned the band two Grammys and the Country Music Award for "Album of the Year". In the 90 years the band of country music remained loyal, hoofed it through the United States and published more plates. In the late 90s, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band made an extensive tour of Canada, Japan and Europe.
The success of the soundtrack to the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? - A Mississippi odyssey led again in 2000 to great demand for their first ' Circles' album. After the re-mastering of the original recordings founding member John McEuen 2001 returned after 14 years to his colleagues back in 2002 and they produced the album Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Vol III.
Presence
End of 2004, Jimmy Ibbotson left the band, and in the same year, the group released the album Welcome to Woody Creek, her first studio album in five years. In 2005, the band won a Grammy for best country instrumental Earl 's Breakdown.
In 2005, the band contributed the song Soldier 's Joy for the Benefit CD Too Many Years to support the "Clear Path International," an initiative against the use of landmines and to support victims. In October 2006, the band of the " International Entertainment Buyers Association " was honored for 40 years of existence.
In 2009 they had the album Speed of Life, with the band in November of the same year went on tour.