.38 Special (band)
Encyclopedia
38 Special is an American
rock
band that was formed by neighborhood friends Don Barnes
and Donnie Van Zant
in 1974 in Jacksonville, Florida
. The band's first two albums had a strong southern rock
influence. By the early 1980s, 38 Special shifted to a more accessible arena rock
style without abandoning its southern rock roots. This shift helped to usher in a string of successful albums and singles.
Their breakthrough hit was "Hold On Loosely
" (1981). "Caught Up in You
" (1982) and "If I'd Been the One" (1983) both hit #1 on Billboard magazine's Album Rock Tracks
chart. "Back Where You Belong" (1984) continued the annual sequence of radio favorites, and "Second Chance
" (1989) was a #1 hit on Billboards adult contemporary chart.
In 2007, 38 Special was the opening act on Lynyrd Skynyrd
and Hank Williams Jr.'s Rowdy Frynds Tour, and on September 27, 2008, they filmed a CMT Crossroads special with country singer Trace Adkins
, performing both artists' hits from over the years. In 2009, 38 Special opened for REO Speedwagon
and Styx
as part of the "Can't Stop Rockin' Tour."
As of 2011, the lineup consists of Don Barnes
, Donnie Van Zant
, guitarist Danny Chauncey
, bassist Larry Junstrom
, keyboardist Bobby Capps
and drummer Gary Moffatt.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band that was formed by neighborhood friends Don Barnes
Don Barnes
Don Barnes is an American rock vocalist and guitarist. He is one of the founding members of the Southern rock band .38 Special...
and Donnie Van Zant
Donnie Van Zant
Donald "Donnie" Van Zant is an American rock vocalist/guitarist. He is best known as a member of the band 38 Special, which he formed in 1975...
in 1974 in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. The band's first two albums had a strong southern rock
Southern rock
Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music, and genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitar and vocals...
influence. By the early 1980s, 38 Special shifted to a more accessible arena rock
Arena rock
Arena rock is a term used to describe rock music that utilised large arena venues, particularly sports venues, for concerts or series of concerts linked in tours...
style without abandoning its southern rock roots. This shift helped to usher in a string of successful albums and singles.
Their breakthrough hit was "Hold On Loosely
Hold On Loosely
"Hold On Loosely" is a 1981 rock song by 38 Special and the first song to appear on their 4th studio album Wild-Eyed Southern Boys in 1981. It is the first single from the album, and made it to #3 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and #27 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" (1981). "Caught Up in You
Caught Up in You
"Caught Up in You" is the first single released from Southern rock band 38 Special's 1982 album, Special Forces. It became the band's first number-one single on the Billboard Top Tracks rock chart. It also became one of the band's two top ten pop hits, reaching number ten on the Billboard Hot 100...
" (1982) and "If I'd Been the One" (1983) both hit #1 on Billboard magazine's Album Rock Tracks
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
chart. "Back Where You Belong" (1984) continued the annual sequence of radio favorites, and "Second Chance
Second Chance (38 Special song)
"Second Chance" is a song by American rock band 38 Special, from their eighth studio album, 1988's Rock & Roll Strategy. Written by keyboardist Max Carl, guitarist Jeff Carlisi and Cal Curtis, the song was released as the album's second single in 1989 and became the band's highest-charting song in...
" (1989) was a #1 hit on Billboards adult contemporary chart.
In 2007, 38 Special was the opening act on Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
and Hank Williams Jr.'s Rowdy Frynds Tour, and on September 27, 2008, they filmed a CMT Crossroads special with country singer Trace Adkins
Trace Adkins
Tracy Darrell "Trace" Adkins is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1996 with the album Dreamin' Out Loud, released on Capitol Records Nashville. Since then, Adkins has released seven more studio albums and two Greatest Hits compilations...
, performing both artists' hits from over the years. In 2009, 38 Special opened for REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon is an American rock band. Formed in 1967, the band grew in popularity during the 1970s and peaked in the early 1980s. Hi Infidelity is the group's most commercially successful album, selling over ten million copies and charting four Top 40 hits in the US...
and Styx
Styx (band)
Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
as part of the "Can't Stop Rockin' Tour."
As of 2011, the lineup consists of Don Barnes
Don Barnes
Don Barnes is an American rock vocalist and guitarist. He is one of the founding members of the Southern rock band .38 Special...
, Donnie Van Zant
Donnie Van Zant
Donald "Donnie" Van Zant is an American rock vocalist/guitarist. He is best known as a member of the band 38 Special, which he formed in 1975...
, guitarist Danny Chauncey
Danny Chauncey
Danny Chauncey is an American rock guitarist. He is best known for being a member of the Southern rock band 38 Special since 1987...
, bassist Larry Junstrom
Larry Junstrom
Larry Junstrom is the bassist of American rock band .38 Special. He was also one of the founding members of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd....
, keyboardist Bobby Capps
Bobby Capps
Bobby Capps is an American rock keyboardist. He is best known for being a member of the Southern rock band .38 Special since 1991.The band, which started as a Southern rock band and switched to a more straight-ahead rock sound, had several hit singles between 1981 and 1991.-External links:*...
and drummer Gary Moffatt.
Current members
- Donnie Van Zant (vocals, guitars) 1974–present
- Don Barnes (vocals, guitars, mandolin, keyboards, harmonica) 1974–1987, 1992–present
- Larry Junstrom (bass, guitar) 1977–present
- Danny Chauncey (guitars, backing vocals) 1987–present
- Bobby Capps (vocals, keyboards) 1991–present
- Gary Moffatt (drums, percussion) 1997–present
Past members
- Jeff Carlisi (guitars) 1974-1996
- Jack Grondin (drums, percussion) 1974-1991
- Steve Brookins (drums, percussion) 1974–1987
- Ken Lyons (bass) 1974–1977
- Carol Bristow (backing vocals) 1977-1987
- Dale Krantz (backing vocals) 1977-1979
- Nancy Henderson (backing vocals) 1980-1981
- Lu Moss (backing vocals) 1981-1984
- Steve McRay (keyboards, harmonica, backing vocals) 1986-1987
- Lynn Hineman (backing vocals) 1986-1987
- Max Carl (vocals, keyboards) 1987–1992
- Scott Meeder (drums, percussion) 1991-1992
- Scott Hoffman (drums, percussion) 1992–1997
- Donny Baldwin (drums, percussion - fill-in for Scott Hoffman) 1996
Studio albums
| Year | Album | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
RIAA Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 38 Special | 148 | |
| 1978 | Special Delivery | 207 | |
| 1980 | Rockin' into the Night Rockin' into the Night Rockin' into the Night is the third studio album by southern rock band 38 Special, released in 1980. It's album cover strongly resembles the album cover of the Canadian Pretty Boy Floyd's Bullets & Lipstik LP.... |
57 | |
| 1981 | Wild-Eyed Southern Boys Wild-Eyed Southern Boys Wild-Eyed Southern Boys is the fourth studio album by southern rock band 38 Special, released in 1981.-Track listing:#"Hold On Loosely" – 4:39#"First Time Around" – 3:59... |
18 | Platinum |
| 1982 | Special Forces | 10 | Platinum |
| 1984 | Tour de Force | 22 | Platinum |
| 1986 | Strength in Numbers | 17 | Gold |
| 1988 | Rock & Roll Strategy Rock & Roll Strategy Rock & Roll Strategy is the eighth studio album by southern rock band 38 Special, released in 1988. It was the first album to feature new vocalist and keyboardist Max Carl... |
61 | |
| 1991 | Bone Against Steel Bone Against Steel Bone Against Steel is the ninth studio album by southern rock band 38 Special, released in 1991. It was their last album until their 1996 comeback of their tenth album Resolution and the last album to feature vocalist and keyboardist Max Carl.... |
170 | |
| 1997 | Resolution | ||
| 2001 | A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night is the eleventh studio album by southern rock band 38 Special, released in 2001.-Track listing:#"Jingle Bell Rock" – 2:20#"Here Comes Santa Claus" – 2:17... |
||
| 2004 | Drivetrain Drivetrain (album) Drivetrain is the twelfth studio album by southern rock band 38 Special, released in 2004.-Track listing:#"Something I Need" – 3:57#"Hurts Like Love" – 4:40... |
||
Compilation and specialty albums
| Year | Album | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
RIAA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Wild Eyed And Live! | ||
| 1987 | Flashback: The Best of 38 Special Flashback: The Best of 38 Special Flashback: The Best of 38 Special is a best-of compilation of southern rock band 38 Special, released in 1987. It contains several of the band's greatest hits, such as "Hold On Loosely" and "Fantasy Girl," and also some hit songs from soundtracks previously unavailable on a 38 Special album, such... |
35 | Platinum |
| 1999 | Live at Sturgis Live at Sturgis Live at Sturgis is a live album by southern rock band 38 Special, released in 1999. It was recorded at the Buffalo Chip Campground in Sturgis, South Dakota on August 12, 1999 during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally except for the last track, which is a new studio recording from the same year.-Track... |
||
| 2000 | 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of 38 Special | ||
| 2001 | Anthology | ||
| 2003 | The Very Best of the A&M Years (1977-1988) | ||
| 2011 | Live From Texas | ||
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Main | US AC Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
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| 1980 | "Rockin' into the Night" | 43 | — | — | — | Rockin' into the Night | |||
| 1981 | "Hold on Loosely Hold On Loosely "Hold On Loosely" is a 1981 rock song by 38 Special and the first song to appear on their 4th studio album Wild-Eyed Southern Boys in 1981. It is the first single from the album, and made it to #3 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and #27 on the Billboard Hot 100... " |
27 | 3 | — | — | Wild-Eyed Southern Boys | |||
| "Fantasy Girl" | 52 | 30 | — | — | |||||
| "Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" | — | 35 | — | — | |||||
| 1982 | "Caught Up in You Caught Up in You "Caught Up in You" is the first single released from Southern rock band 38 Special's 1982 album, Special Forces. It became the band's first number-one single on the Billboard Top Tracks rock chart. It also became one of the band's two top ten pop hits, reaching number ten on the Billboard Hot 100... " |
10 | 1 | — | — | Special Forces | |||
| "You Keep Runnin' Away" | 38 | 7 | — | — | |||||
| "Chain Lightnin'" | — | 9 | — | — | |||||
| "Back on the Track" | — | 56 | — | — | |||||
| 1983 | "If I'd Been the One" | 19 | 1 | — | — | Tour de Force | |||
| "Back Where You Belong" | 20 | — | — | — | |||||
| 1984 | "Teacher, Teacher" | 25 | 4 | — | — | Teachers Teachers (film) # "Teacher, Teacher" - 38 Special# "Cheap Sunglasses" - ZZ Top# "Foolin' Around" - Freddie Mercury# "I Can't Stop the Fire" - Eric Martin# "Edge of a Dream" - Joe Cocker# " Teacher" - Ian Hunter# "One Foot Back in Your Door" - Roman Holliday... (soundtrack) |
|||
| 1986 | "Like No Other Night" | 14 | 4 | — | — | Strength in Numbers | |||
| "Somebody Like You" | 48 | 6 | — | — | |||||
| "Heart's on Fire" | — | 30 | — | — | |||||
| 1987 | "Back to Paradise" | 41 | 4 | — | — | Flashback: The Best of 38 Special | |||
| 1988 | "Little Sheba" | — | 15 | — | — | Rock & Roll Strategy | |||
| "Rock & Roll Strategy" | 61 | 5 | — | — | |||||
| 1989 | "Second Chance Second Chance (38 Special song) "Second Chance" is a song by American rock band 38 Special, from their eighth studio album, 1988's Rock & Roll Strategy. Written by keyboardist Max Carl, guitarist Jeff Carlisi and Cal Curtis, the song was released as the album's second single in 1989 and became the band's highest-charting song in... " |
6 | 2 | 1 | 14 | ||||
| "Comin' Down Tonight" | 67 | — | — | — | |||||
| 1991 | "Rebel to Rebel" | — | 30 | — | — | Bone Against Steel | |||
| "The Sound of Your Voice" | 33 | 2 | — | — | |||||
| 1997 | "Fade to Blue" | — | 33 | — | — | Resolution | |||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
More singles
- 1976 Four Wheels
- 1979 Stone Cold Believer / Rockin' into the Night
- 1980 Hold On Loosely / Throw Out the Line
Bootlegs
- 1977 My Father's Place, Old Roslyn 1977
- 1979 Rockin' in Old Roslyn
- 1980 Denver, Colorado 3/26/80
- 1984 Eldorado Road
- 1984 Wild Eyed and Live! in Long Island's Nassau Coliseum, July 1984
- 1987 Westwood One: Live at the Summit in Houston Texas 5-8-1987
- 1988 Memphis 1988
- 2000 Live in Concert (Memphis, TN)
External links
- Official site
- 38 Special at Last.fm
- 38 Special live photo gallery