BLACK OAK ARKANSAS "The Wild Bunch"

TRACK LISTING

1. Forgive And Forget

2. Post Toastee

3. Dark Purple Blues

Shake The Devil Monologue

4. Shake The Devil

5. Jim Dandy To The Rescue '99

6. Truth Be Known

7. Mutants Of The Monster

8. This Is Our Time

9. Hot Rod '99

10. No Time

11. Happy Hooker '99

12. Top Heavy Dallas

13. Hot 'N Nasty '99

14. The Wild Bunch

15. Talk To The Hand (bonus track)

Musicians:

Jim "Dandy" Mangum (vocals)

Rickie Lee Reynolds (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals)

Pat Doughnerty (bass, backing vocals)

Rocky Athas (guitar, backing vocals)

Johnnie Bolin (drums, percussion)

 

Produced by : Greg Hampton and Lanny Cordola

Engineered by : Rick Caughon

Mixed by : Greg Hampton and Pat Regan

Mastered by : tbd

A sextet formed in the late 60s, Black Oak Arkansas took its name from the US town and state where singer Jim "Dandy" Mangrum (b. 30 March 1948) was born. The other members of the group came from nearby towns: Ricky Reynolds (b. 28 October 1948, Manilan, Arkansas, USA; guitar), Stanley Knight (b. 12 February 1949, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA; guitar), Harvey Jett (b. Marion, Arkansas, USA; guitar), Pat Daugherty (b. 11 November 1947, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA; bass) and drummer Wayne Evans, replaced on the third album by Thomas Aldrich (b. 15 August 1950, Jackson, Mississippi, USA). Before forming the band, the members were part of a gang that shared a house. Initially calling themselves the Knowbody Else, the group recorded an unsuccessful album for Stax Records in 1969. Two years later they changed their name and signed with Atco Records, for whom they recorded a self-titled album that introduced them to the US charts. Touring steadily, this hard rock/southern boogie band built a core following, yet its records never matched its concert appeal. Of the band's 10 US-charting albums between 1971 and 1976, High On The Hog proved the most commercially successful, peaking at number 52. It featured the bestselling December 1973 Top 30 single, "Jim Dandy" (sung by female vocalist Ruby Starr, who reappeared on the Live! Mutha album). In 1975, guitarist Jett was replaced by James Henderson (b. 20 May 1954, Jackson, Mississippi, USA), and the following year, after switching to MCA Records, Black Oak Arkansas had one further minor chart single, "Strong Enough To Be Gentle". By 1977 only Mangrum remained from the original line-up and although they signed to Capricorn Records, there was no further record success. Mangrum did, however, maintain various touring versions of the group during the 80s, as well as recording a solo album in 1984. The catalogue was reissued in 1995 by Sequel Records.