Atlanta Rhythm Section
Encyclopedia
The Atlanta Rhythm Section, sometimes abbreviated ARS, is an American
southern rock
band
. In 1970
former members of the Candymen and the Classics IV
joined together and became the session
band for the newly opened Studio One
in Doraville, Georgia
.
, and songwriter/guitarist J. R. Cobb. The studio was dubbed Studio One and would become one of the preeminent studios in the Atlanta area. Over the years, artists who recorded there included Starbuck
, Al Kooper
, Lynyrd Skynyrd
, Joe South
, Bonnie Bramlett
, Dickey Betts
, B.J. Thomas, .38 Special
, Lou Christie and Billy Joe Royal
.
The Atlanta Rhythm Section members originally came together as the house band at Studio One. Buie recruited three musicians he had worked with previously in the Candymen (a group that had backed Roy Orbison
), singer Rodney Justo, keyboardist Dean Daughtry
and drummer Robert Nix. Buie, Cobb, Nix and Daughtry had been part of the group the Classics IV
- remembered for such hits as "Spooky", "Stormy" and "Traces". Two talented local session players also joined in - guitarist Barry Bailey and bassist Paul Goddard. These musicians played on a number of other artists' records and the decision was made to make an album of their own in 1971.
Buie wrote for, produced and managed the group, now called Atlanta Rhythm Section (or ARS), from the start. Buie, Daughtry and Nix wrote many of the songs. The Rhythm Section would play on albums by other bands 3 to 4 days a week and then work on their own songs the rest of the time. They eventually compiled enough material for an album. A demo of some of these songs landed them a two record deal with MCA
/Decca
.
The ten songs that made up ARS's self-titled debut album were recorded at Studio One in Doraville, GA in November 1971. The album was released in early 1972 and generated some critical interest for the quality of the songs and musicianship. But there was also some questioning of the idea of a rock band made up of a group of studio musicians who had not "paid their dues" on the road. The album did not produce any hit songs and the group continued to play on other records made at Studio One.
It was during the recording of the first album that Ronnie Hammond came to Studio One as an assistant engineer for Rodney Mills. He was skilled on multiple instruments and most importantly, had a great singing voice. When singer Rodney Justo decided to leave the group later in 1972 to pursue a solo career, Hammond became the new lead singer. This grouping would go on to make the next six ARS albums together. In 1972 the group tried to broaden their approach as they began work on their second album for MCA/Decca. They kept working hard, spending a lot of time in the studio. For a time, Hammond and Daughtry even lived upstairs above Studio One. It was here that ARS first crossed paths with Lynyrd Skynyrd, who rolled in one night to work on their first album. Skynyrd's producer, Al Kooper, worked with Skynyrd at Studio One during the day while ARS would come in and work at night.
The second album, Back up Against the Wall, was released in 1973. These 11 new songs offered a mix of up-tempo tunes and ballads—an approach that would become a cornerstone of the group's future success.
In 1974 the band decided to leave MCA/Decca for Polydor Records
(which ironically became a sister label
to MCA in 1998). They also started to establish a reputation in the Atlanta area for their live shows by the time they went back into Studio One to work on their next album Third Annual Pipe Dream. ARS's third album presented a more accessible approach with a punched up but smoother sound and a variety of types of songs that would have both pop and rock appeal. It climbed to number 74 on the U.S. charts and gave the group their first regional hit, "Doraville", which reached the Top 40. "Angel" was also released as a single and reached number 75 as a regional hit.
ARS were developing a regional following, but they had yet to reach a national audience. At this time, the Allman Brothers Band had fallen on hard times and Lynyrd Skynyrd was leading the charge of guitar based Southern rock. While ARS shared some musical approaches with these contemporaries, their background as musicians-not performers and more pop oriented songwriting put them in a unique position along with but not truly a part of the Southern rock scene.
ARS returned to Studio One in 1974 to work on their next album. They built on the polished production of the previous album while working out a set of songs that were tighter than any they'd done before. As always, new songs were written on acoustic guitar or piano and brought into the studio before being done in concert. In the studio the band would try multiple takes to try different approaches. It was a style that stressed discipline over spontaneity and helped ARS to develop their unique sound which was now coming together.
Dog Days, released in 1975, was ARS's fourth album and still held up as a favorite of many fans. Overall, it was a faster paced album than what had come before, featuring six up-tempo songs and two ballads, all originals. But despite the outstanding material, there were no breakout singles or large increases in national attention.
Red Tape was quite different from the previous album or any that had come before. As the band played more live shows they began to develop an ensemble sound that they wanted to capture on record. The result was like an ARS gig with a strong emphasis on their appreciation for the blues. The band had previously been combining pop and rock stylings. For this album they went with predominantly shorter, pop length songs. The performances featured a harder rock approach than they had recorded before, with a sharp edged guitar sound prominently featured. Red Tape was released in April 1976. The first single from the album, "Jukin", was a regional hit and was followed by a second single, "Free Spirit". While these songs got airplay in the South, the album did not produce the sales Polydor was looking for.
. While a few songs featured shorter arrangements similar to the last album, most of the songs went back to the longer format of previous albums. The first single from Alternative, "Neon Nites", got close to the Top 40 . But it was the next single, "So Into You", that proved to be the breakthrough. It rose to number seven on the charts and was a staple of rock radio during the summer of 1977. The album made it to the Top 10 on the charts and went Gold. Popularity now carried ARS out of the clubs and into stadiums. On September 4, 1977 they played their biggest show yet, the Dog Day Rockfest at Atlanta's Grant Field on the campus of Georgia Tech
. Heart
and Foreigner
were the opening acts and Bob Seger
co-headlined. After this point, for the next several years, ARS was on the road for 250 plus shows a year. And when they came off the road, they were right back in the studio working five days a week. For the first time, the band had popular success to build on, but this also meant increased expectations to top themselves.
Champagne Jam, released in January 1978, was the breakthrough album that marked the zenith of music-making, critical support and popular acclaim for ARS. Eight songs were showcased with the smooth pop production the group had been refining for years. The songwriting and musicianship maintained the superior standards the band had established through its previous albums. The songs continued the pattern of blending beautiful melodies with shifting tempos and each of the songs clocked in at a moderate three to five minutes. The album proved to be very popular, hitting the Top 10 and quickly going Gold. The title track was released as a single and "I'm Not Gonna Let it Bother Me Tonight" made it into the Top 20. But it was "Imaginary Lover" that proved to be the band's biggest hit, reaching number seven on the charts. A story (possibly an urban legend) has been told of a New York DJ who accidentally played the 33 rpm album cut of "Imaginary Lover" at 45 rpm and was inundated with calls asking about the new Stevie Nicks-sung Fleetwood Mac
song. Whether the story was true or not, the single and album both hit the Top 10, with the album going Platinum.
On June 24, 1978 the band appeared before a crowd of 60,000 in England
at the Midsummer Night's Dream show at the Knebworth Festival along with Genesis
, Jefferson Starship
, Brand X
, Devo
, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
and Roy Harper
.
In August 1978 ARS hosted another big festival at Grant Field in Atlanta, "The Champagne Jam". It was also around this time that ARS played one of their more prestigious venues, the White House
. They had become acquainted with Jimmy Carter
in his days as Governor of Georgia and as president, he invited them to come play for his son's birthday on the South Lawn in Washington. "My friends," Carter described ARS as he introduced them, "not only are we both from the same part of the country, but I remember when they first started that all the critics and commentators said they didn't have a chance – they said the same thing about me." This performance was noted in Time
magazine among other places. The studio session men from Doraville had come a long way.
The distance traveled also had a down side as the non-stop pressure of the road and the studio started to get to everyone in different ways. It was around this time that original drummer and songwriter Robert Nix left the band after a falling-out over the group's musical direction with Buddy Buie and was replaced by Roy Yeager, who joined them in 1979 after the band was finishing work on their next album.
Released in 1979, Underdog continued ARS's popular success and featured eight original songs, one of them incorporating a wellknown Ashford & Simpson
song, "Let's Go Get Stoned". The tone of this collection was softer, with only a couple of songs that could be truly called uptempo. "Do It or Die" and a remake of the Classics IV hit "Spooky" were both released as singles and hit the Top 20. The album went Gold. And with the group's popularity still at an all-time high, the decision was made to put out a double live album that showcased the band's musical prowess in concert.
The live album Are You Ready! was released in late 1979 and documented the power that ARS could bring to a live performance. And following up to the successful festival show of the previous year, ARS hosted the Champagne Jam II in August 1979 in Atlanta.
Unfortunately, The Boys from Doraville, released in 1980, produced no hits and did not have the success of their previous efforts. This was the last album for the Polydor label. At this point the music scene was shifting and what had been labeled Southern rock was not getting the attention it had previously.
The band then moved to the CBS
label as they went back into the studio to record again.
After Quinella, ARS went back into the studio in 1982 to record another album for CBS. But after its completion, CBS refused to release the album as it was and wanted the band to record more songs. Creative differences led to the entire album being shelved and never released.
In late 1982 lead singer Ronnie Hammond left the group to try a solo career. He began working with some Alabama
musicians (nothing much came of this, however), while ARS again attempted to go into the studio in 1983 with original singer Rodney Justo returning. The previous year, drummer Roy Yeager had been sidelined with a broken leg after tripping over a tree. He was replaced by new drummer Danny Biget. The group went to Nashville
and tried working with Chips Moman
, a more country oriented producer. But results were slow to come and, dissatisfied with this direction, bassist Paul Goddard and drummer Biget left to form another band, INTERPOL, that was in a more progressive rock direction (unfortunately, INTERPOL never got off the ground). The Chips Moman Nashville sessions were completed, but the results, like the previous effort, have never been released to date.
Now without a recording contract, ARS continued to play shows, mostly in the South. Andy Anderson, who'd sung on the unreleased Moman project (after Justo was let go), was the new front man and two new members, Tommy Stribbling (bass) and Keith Hamrick (drums), were brought in in 1983. In 1985 the group tried a new singer, Jeff Logan (who'd played with a band called High Cotton). But Logan's higher voice did not fit with the band's musical style and Anderson returned. In 1986 Cobb left to concentrate more on songwriting and session work (for The Highwaymen
, among others) and bassist Steve Stone joined as Stribbling moved over to guitar. The personnel shuffles continued as Hamrick left in late 1986 and was replaced by Sean Burke (who joined in early 1987). Another new lead singer, Shaun Williamson, was rolled in in 1987. But in 1988, Williamson, Stribbling and Stone were let go as Bailey & Daughtry sought to revamp the band by bringing back Ronnie Hammond.
(guitar) and J.E. Garnett (bass), to work on a new album, produced by Rodney Mills
, that very much had a sound of the times. Released in October 1989, Truth in a Structured Form was ARS's first album in 8 years and was something a bit different. While they had developed a consistent sound through the 70s and early 80s, this album seemed to draw more on the musical and production styles of the 80s. Big beats propelled most every song and there was a sharper, synthesized sound. Indeed, the late 80s ARS was closer in sound to one of the other acts Mills produced in the 80s, 38 Special. All the songs, except one, were written by Buddy Buie and Ronnie Hammond, another change from previous approaches. The band did some performances to promote Truth. O'Brien was invited to go on the road with the band but he declined, preferring to continue his career in session work (today he is a much in demand producer, having worked with Bob Dylan
, Pearl Jam
, Bruce Springsteen
and many others). Steve Stone then returned, as guitarist this time. But album sales for Truth lagged and there was another hiatus in their recorded work as the band continued to tour with Justin Senker replacing Garnett on bass in 1992 and R.J. Vealey taking over the drum chair from Burke in 1995 after the latter suffered a leg injury.
In 1995 the group re-recorded some of their classic songs for a new collection that was recorded in North Carolina
and the resulting live-in-studio sound of Atlanta Rhythm Section '96 (released on CMC International
in April 1996) presented a different, less polished take on some of their best known tunes and captured the sound of their live performances from this period. It was around this time that ARS was elected to the Georgia Music Hall of Fame
. The band was so honored at a September 1996 induction ceremony at the Georgia World Congress Center
. The occasion provided an opportunity for a reunion performance of some of the band's former members. Building on the momentum of this event and the impending 25th anniversary of the group, ARS recorded a new album, Partly Plugged (which was released in January 1997 on the independent Southern Tracks label). It featured some new songs and more remakes of some classics done the way they had been written---unplugged on acoustic guitar and piano.
On December 28, 1998 there was a close call with tragedy. Singer Ronnie Hammond, who had battled alcoholism and depression off and on over the years, got into a confrontation with the police in Macon, Georgia
and forced an officer to shoot him. Hammond was seriously injured, but survived the injury and dealt with the depression.
This time ARS only took two years to bring a new album out. Eufaula, released in February 1999, featured Ronnie in classic form and the guitar work of Barry Bailey sounded as good as ever. The band had justifiably high hopes for the Eufaula album, but almost immediately problems occurred. The record label, Platinum Entertainment, faced financial troubles and was not able to support the album as intended. A couple of songs were released as singles but did not get the promotional attention needed to break out. ARS continued to tour on a limited basis. But on November 13, 1999, tragedy did strike. After the band had finished an afternoon set at a concert festival in Orlando
, FL, drummer R. J. Vealey complained of indigestion and then collapsed and died of a heart attack. "It was very sudden, very shocking," said guitarist Barry Bailey. "He was a great drummer, the best drummer this band ever had." After recovering from the shock, ARS recruited a new drummer, Jim Keeling, (of Huntsville, Alabama) and soldiered on.
, that conflicted with ARS's schedule, forcing him to make a choice between the two. Ronnie chose to stay with VOCR but left the touring business altogether soon afterward to focus on family and songwriting.
In 2006, Barry Bailey, who was suffering from ill health, decided it was necessary to no longer travel with the band that was founded to showcase his phenomenal guitar playing. Steve Stone, after being ARS's rhythm guitarist for 18 years, now took up the Herculean task of filling Bailey's shoes as lead guitarist. To support Steve in his effort, the band asked Andy's long-time Billy Joe Royal bandmate and golf buddy, Allen Accardi, to lend a hand. Allen, a Nashville veteran, would play for more than a year with the band. It was clear, however, that Barry's edge was still keenly missing and a player with more of a rock sound was needed.
David Anderson, who had played in the band Brother Cane and had had a very active career recording and performing was then tapped. David had known drummer Keeling since playing in high school bands together and had impressed Dean Daughtry with his talents after Dean had moved to Jim and David's hometown of Huntsville, Alabama
.
On March 26, 2008, Andy Anderson suffered a heart attack just before he was to catch a plane to Las Vegas
to join the band for a two-night stand at the Gold Coast Casino. Andy's friend, Steve Croson (who'd played alongside him for years in Billy Joe Royal's band), fortunately, lived in Vegas and was able to step in for his buddy on short notice. In April and May, original singer Rodney Justo returned, joined by ARS's 1987-88 singer Shaun Williamson, until Andy was healthy enough to return later in May.
Ronnie Hammond passed away Monday, March 14, 2011 in Forsyth, Georgia of heart failure. He was 60. His interment was in cemetery Monroe Memorial Gardens.
In the late spring of 2011, it was announced that singer Andy Anderson and bassist Justin Senker had graciously stepped aside to make way for the return of original members Rodney Justo and Paul Goddard.
or The Allman Brothers, the group had a strong following in the South and charted a number of hits. These include their two top ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100
chart, "So Into You" and "Imaginary Lover", both of which peaked at #7 on the Hot 100 in 1977 and 1978, respectively. Other top 40 hits on the Hot 100 chart were "Doraville" (#35, 1974); "I'm Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight" (#14, 1978); "Do It or Die" (#19, 1979); "Spooky" (#17, 1979); and "Alien" (#29, 1981).
and still tours with some of its original members, playing mostly festivals
and other nostalgia-themed concert
s.
Former drummer Roy Yeager is involved in a controversy concerning the destruction of a Tennessee
landmark.http://www.tennesseepreservationtrust.org/ten
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
. In 1970
1970 in music
- Events :*January 3**Davy Jones announces he is leaving the Monkees**Former Pink Floyd frontman Syd Barrett releases his first solo album The Madcap Laughs....
former members of the Candymen and the Classics IV
Classics IV
The Classics IV were a band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, in 1965, given credit for beginning the "soft southern rock" sound...
joined together and became the session
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
band for the newly opened Studio One
Studio One (recording studio)
Studio One was a recording studio, located in the northern Atlanta, Georgia suburb of Doraville.The studio was constructed and designed in 1970 by audio engineer Rodney Mills, with the support of music publisher Bill Lowery and future Atlanta Rhythm Section manager Buddy Buie...
in Doraville, Georgia
Doraville, Georgia
Doraville is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, northeast of Atlanta. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 8,330.-History:Doraville was incorporated by an act of the Georgia General Assembly, approved December 15, 1871...
.
1970-1976: Early career
The story of the Atlanta Rhythm Section began in Doraville, Georgia, a small town northeast of Atlanta, in 1970. Local Atlanta engineer Rodney Mills built a new studio in Doraville with the support of music publisher Bill Lowery, producer/songwriter/manager Buddy BuieBuddy Buie
Buddy Buie is a songwriter, producer, and publisher. He is most commonly associated with Roy Orbison, The Classics IV and The Atlanta Rhythm Section.-Biography:...
, and songwriter/guitarist J. R. Cobb. The studio was dubbed Studio One and would become one of the preeminent studios in the Atlanta area. Over the years, artists who recorded there included Starbuck
Starbuck (band)
Starbuck was a rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 1974 by keyboardist/vocalist/record producer Bruce Blackman and marimba player Bo Wagner. Both Blackman and Wagner, along with guitarist Johnny Walker, had previous success with Mississippi-based "sunshine pop" group Eternity's Children,...
, Al Kooper
Al Kooper
Al Kooper is an American songwriter, record producer and musician, known for organizing Blood, Sweat & Tears , providing studio support for Bob Dylan when he went electric in 1965, and also bringing together guitarists Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills to...
, 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...
, Joe South
Joe South
Joe South is a multi-talented American singer-songwriter and guitarist.-Career:...
, Bonnie Bramlett
Bonnie Bramlett
Bonnie Bramlett is an American singer and sometime actress known for her distinctive vocals in rock and pop music. This began in the mid 1960s as a backing singer, forming the husband-and-wife team of Delaney & Bonnie, and continuing to the present day as a solo artist.-Life and career:Bramlett...
, Dickey Betts
Dickey Betts
Forrest Richard "Dickey" Betts is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer best known as a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band. He was inducted with the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and also won with the band a best rock performance Grammy Award for his...
, B.J. Thomas, .38 Special
.38 Special
The .38 Smith & Wesson Special is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & Wesson. It is most commonly used in revolvers, although some semi-automatic pistols and carbines also use this round...
, Lou Christie and Billy Joe Royal
Billy Joe Royal
Billy Joe Royal is an American singer.-Biography:Born in Valdosta and raised in Marietta in 1942, Royal became a local star at Savannah, Georgia's Bamboo Ranch in the 1950s and 1960s...
.
The Atlanta Rhythm Section members originally came together as the house band at Studio One. Buie recruited three musicians he had worked with previously in the Candymen (a group that had backed Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
), singer Rodney Justo, keyboardist Dean Daughtry
Dean Daughtry
Dean Daughtry is an American musician. He was the keyboard player with the Classics IV after Joe Wilson departed. They had a 1968 #3 US/#46 UK hit with 'Spooky'. He joined the Atlanta Rhythm Section as keyboardist in 1971. They had a #5 US hit in 1977 with "So in to You".-References:...
and drummer Robert Nix. Buie, Cobb, Nix and Daughtry had been part of the group the Classics IV
Classics IV
The Classics IV were a band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, in 1965, given credit for beginning the "soft southern rock" sound...
- remembered for such hits as "Spooky", "Stormy" and "Traces". Two talented local session players also joined in - guitarist Barry Bailey and bassist Paul Goddard. These musicians played on a number of other artists' records and the decision was made to make an album of their own in 1971.
Buie wrote for, produced and managed the group, now called Atlanta Rhythm Section (or ARS), from the start. Buie, Daughtry and Nix wrote many of the songs. The Rhythm Section would play on albums by other bands 3 to 4 days a week and then work on their own songs the rest of the time. They eventually compiled enough material for an album. A demo of some of these songs landed them a two record deal with MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
/Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
.
The ten songs that made up ARS's self-titled debut album were recorded at Studio One in Doraville, GA in November 1971. The album was released in early 1972 and generated some critical interest for the quality of the songs and musicianship. But there was also some questioning of the idea of a rock band made up of a group of studio musicians who had not "paid their dues" on the road. The album did not produce any hit songs and the group continued to play on other records made at Studio One.
It was during the recording of the first album that Ronnie Hammond came to Studio One as an assistant engineer for Rodney Mills. He was skilled on multiple instruments and most importantly, had a great singing voice. When singer Rodney Justo decided to leave the group later in 1972 to pursue a solo career, Hammond became the new lead singer. This grouping would go on to make the next six ARS albums together. In 1972 the group tried to broaden their approach as they began work on their second album for MCA/Decca. They kept working hard, spending a lot of time in the studio. For a time, Hammond and Daughtry even lived upstairs above Studio One. It was here that ARS first crossed paths with Lynyrd Skynyrd, who rolled in one night to work on their first album. Skynyrd's producer, Al Kooper, worked with Skynyrd at Studio One during the day while ARS would come in and work at night.
The second album, Back up Against the Wall, was released in 1973. These 11 new songs offered a mix of up-tempo tunes and ballads—an approach that would become a cornerstone of the group's future success.
In 1974 the band decided to leave MCA/Decca for Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
(which ironically became a sister label
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
to MCA in 1998). They also started to establish a reputation in the Atlanta area for their live shows by the time they went back into Studio One to work on their next album Third Annual Pipe Dream. ARS's third album presented a more accessible approach with a punched up but smoother sound and a variety of types of songs that would have both pop and rock appeal. It climbed to number 74 on the U.S. charts and gave the group their first regional hit, "Doraville", which reached the Top 40. "Angel" was also released as a single and reached number 75 as a regional hit.
ARS were developing a regional following, but they had yet to reach a national audience. At this time, the Allman Brothers Band had fallen on hard times and Lynyrd Skynyrd was leading the charge of guitar based Southern rock. While ARS shared some musical approaches with these contemporaries, their background as musicians-not performers and more pop oriented songwriting put them in a unique position along with but not truly a part of the Southern rock scene.
ARS returned to Studio One in 1974 to work on their next album. They built on the polished production of the previous album while working out a set of songs that were tighter than any they'd done before. As always, new songs were written on acoustic guitar or piano and brought into the studio before being done in concert. In the studio the band would try multiple takes to try different approaches. It was a style that stressed discipline over spontaneity and helped ARS to develop their unique sound which was now coming together.
Dog Days, released in 1975, was ARS's fourth album and still held up as a favorite of many fans. Overall, it was a faster paced album than what had come before, featuring six up-tempo songs and two ballads, all originals. But despite the outstanding material, there were no breakout singles or large increases in national attention.
Red Tape was quite different from the previous album or any that had come before. As the band played more live shows they began to develop an ensemble sound that they wanted to capture on record. The result was like an ARS gig with a strong emphasis on their appreciation for the blues. The band had previously been combining pop and rock stylings. For this album they went with predominantly shorter, pop length songs. The performances featured a harder rock approach than they had recorded before, with a sharp edged guitar sound prominently featured. Red Tape was released in April 1976. The first single from the album, "Jukin", was a regional hit and was followed by a second single, "Free Spirit". While these songs got airplay in the South, the album did not produce the sales Polydor was looking for.
1977-1980: Success
ARS faced increasing pressure for sales and chart success, and this came to a head in 1976. They had been taking three months to record each album, but now were given an ultimatum from their record company to deliver the next album in 45 days----or else. While road weary from touring non-stop for most of the year, they nevertheless went back to Studio One and wrote, recorded, and produced the next album, A Rock and Roll Alternative in 30 days. Whether it was the deadline pressure or the natural evolution of the group, they indeed created a rock and roll alternative that would carry them to new heights. The band attained a new level of critical acclaim and popular appeal with this album when it was released in December 1976. It included seven originals and a cover of a blues classic, "Outside Woman Blues", previously recorded by CreamCream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
. While a few songs featured shorter arrangements similar to the last album, most of the songs went back to the longer format of previous albums. The first single from Alternative, "Neon Nites", got close to the Top 40 . But it was the next single, "So Into You", that proved to be the breakthrough. It rose to number seven on the charts and was a staple of rock radio during the summer of 1977. The album made it to the Top 10 on the charts and went Gold. Popularity now carried ARS out of the clubs and into stadiums. On September 4, 1977 they played their biggest show yet, the Dog Day Rockfest at Atlanta's Grant Field on the campus of Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
. Heart
Heart (band)
Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
and Foreigner
Foreigner (band)
Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...
were the opening acts and Bob Seger
Bob Seger
Robert Clark "Bob" Seger is an American rock and roll singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist.As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s...
co-headlined. After this point, for the next several years, ARS was on the road for 250 plus shows a year. And when they came off the road, they were right back in the studio working five days a week. For the first time, the band had popular success to build on, but this also meant increased expectations to top themselves.
Champagne Jam, released in January 1978, was the breakthrough album that marked the zenith of music-making, critical support and popular acclaim for ARS. Eight songs were showcased with the smooth pop production the group had been refining for years. The songwriting and musicianship maintained the superior standards the band had established through its previous albums. The songs continued the pattern of blending beautiful melodies with shifting tempos and each of the songs clocked in at a moderate three to five minutes. The album proved to be very popular, hitting the Top 10 and quickly going Gold. The title track was released as a single and "I'm Not Gonna Let it Bother Me Tonight" made it into the Top 20. But it was "Imaginary Lover" that proved to be the band's biggest hit, reaching number seven on the charts. A story (possibly an urban legend) has been told of a New York DJ who accidentally played the 33 rpm album cut of "Imaginary Lover" at 45 rpm and was inundated with calls asking about the new Stevie Nicks-sung Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
song. Whether the story was true or not, the single and album both hit the Top 10, with the album going Platinum.
On June 24, 1978 the band appeared before a crowd of 60,000 in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at the Midsummer Night's Dream show at the Knebworth Festival along with Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
, Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship is an American rock band formed in the early 1970s. The group is a spin-off from the iconic 1960s psychedelic/folk group Jefferson Airplane. The band has undergone several major changes in personnel and genres through the years while retaining the same Jefferson Starship name...
, Brand X
Brand X
Brand X was a jazz fusion band active between 1975–1980 and 1992-1999. Noted members included Phil Collins , Percy Jones , John Goodsall and Robin Lumley ....
, Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers are an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. They were formed in 1976 by Tom Petty , Mike Campbell , Benmont Tench , , Ron Blair and Stan Lynch...
and Roy Harper
Roy Harper
Roy Harper is an English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist who has been a professional musician since the mid 1960s...
.
In August 1978 ARS hosted another big festival at Grant Field in Atlanta, "The Champagne Jam". It was also around this time that ARS played one of their more prestigious venues, the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. They had become acquainted with Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
in his days as Governor of Georgia and as president, he invited them to come play for his son's birthday on the South Lawn in Washington. "My friends," Carter described ARS as he introduced them, "not only are we both from the same part of the country, but I remember when they first started that all the critics and commentators said they didn't have a chance – they said the same thing about me." This performance was noted in Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine among other places. The studio session men from Doraville had come a long way.
The distance traveled also had a down side as the non-stop pressure of the road and the studio started to get to everyone in different ways. It was around this time that original drummer and songwriter Robert Nix left the band after a falling-out over the group's musical direction with Buddy Buie and was replaced by Roy Yeager, who joined them in 1979 after the band was finishing work on their next album.
Released in 1979, Underdog continued ARS's popular success and featured eight original songs, one of them incorporating a wellknown Ashford & Simpson
Ashford & Simpson
Nickolas Ashford , and Valerie Simpson , were a husband and wife songwriting/production team and recording artists....
song, "Let's Go Get Stoned". The tone of this collection was softer, with only a couple of songs that could be truly called uptempo. "Do It or Die" and a remake of the Classics IV hit "Spooky" were both released as singles and hit the Top 20. The album went Gold. And with the group's popularity still at an all-time high, the decision was made to put out a double live album that showcased the band's musical prowess in concert.
The live album Are You Ready! was released in late 1979 and documented the power that ARS could bring to a live performance. And following up to the successful festival show of the previous year, ARS hosted the Champagne Jam II in August 1979 in Atlanta.
Unfortunately, The Boys from Doraville, released in 1980, produced no hits and did not have the success of their previous efforts. This was the last album for the Polydor label. At this point the music scene was shifting and what had been labeled Southern rock was not getting the attention it had previously.
The band then moved to the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
label as they went back into the studio to record again.
1981-1987: Popularity diminishes
By the early 80s, the music business had gone down other roads, including one marked New Wave. ARS continued on as the Southern rock scene faded. When they went to record their next album there was again pressure to come up with a success. Quinella, released in 1981, featured the song "Alien" which was a Top 30 single in the U.S and the band continued to play live. Their 1981 tour to promote Quinella was capped with tragedy when the band's 33-year-old lighting director, Paul Crockett, was killed after a lighting truss he was standing on collapsed and fell 30 feet to the stage right before a concert at the Stargate Theater (current Baker Theatre) in Dover, NJ.After Quinella, ARS went back into the studio in 1982 to record another album for CBS. But after its completion, CBS refused to release the album as it was and wanted the band to record more songs. Creative differences led to the entire album being shelved and never released.
In late 1982 lead singer Ronnie Hammond left the group to try a solo career. He began working with some Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
musicians (nothing much came of this, however), while ARS again attempted to go into the studio in 1983 with original singer Rodney Justo returning. The previous year, drummer Roy Yeager had been sidelined with a broken leg after tripping over a tree. He was replaced by new drummer Danny Biget. The group went to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
and tried working with Chips Moman
Chips Moman
Lincoln Wayne "Chips" Moman is an American record producer, guitarist, and songwriter. As a record producer, Moman is known for recording Elvis Presley, Bobby Womack, Carla Thomas, and Merrilee Rush, as well as guiding the career of the Box Tops in Memphis, Tennessee during the 1960s...
, a more country oriented producer. But results were slow to come and, dissatisfied with this direction, bassist Paul Goddard and drummer Biget left to form another band, INTERPOL, that was in a more progressive rock direction (unfortunately, INTERPOL never got off the ground). The Chips Moman Nashville sessions were completed, but the results, like the previous effort, have never been released to date.
Now without a recording contract, ARS continued to play shows, mostly in the South. Andy Anderson, who'd sung on the unreleased Moman project (after Justo was let go), was the new front man and two new members, Tommy Stribbling (bass) and Keith Hamrick (drums), were brought in in 1983. In 1985 the group tried a new singer, Jeff Logan (who'd played with a band called High Cotton). But Logan's higher voice did not fit with the band's musical style and Anderson returned. In 1986 Cobb left to concentrate more on songwriting and session work (for The Highwaymen
The Highwaymen (country supergroup)
The Highwaymen were an American supergroup comprising four country music artists well known for, among other things, their involvement and pioneering influence on the outlaw country subgenre: Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson...
, among others) and bassist Steve Stone joined as Stribbling moved over to guitar. The personnel shuffles continued as Hamrick left in late 1986 and was replaced by Sean Burke (who joined in early 1987). Another new lead singer, Shaun Williamson, was rolled in in 1987. But in 1988, Williamson, Stribbling and Stone were let go as Bailey & Daughtry sought to revamp the band by bringing back Ronnie Hammond.
1988-1999: Hammond returns
In 1988 Hammond, Bailey and Daughtry returned to the studio with Sean Burke and two new players, Brendan O'BrienBrendan O'Brien (music producer)
Brendan O’Brien is a record producer, mixer, engineer, and musician.At age 14, O'Brien played guitar for the Atlanta-based cover band Pranks. In the late 1970s, he moved on to writing, performing and recording with the Samurai Catfish band...
(guitar) and J.E. Garnett (bass), to work on a new album, produced by Rodney Mills
Rodney Mills
Rodney Mills is an American mastering engineer in Atlanta, Georgia.He has been involved in the music industry for over 40 years and has earned over 50 gold and platinum records for engineering, producing, and mastering.- Biography :...
, that very much had a sound of the times. Released in October 1989, Truth in a Structured Form was ARS's first album in 8 years and was something a bit different. While they had developed a consistent sound through the 70s and early 80s, this album seemed to draw more on the musical and production styles of the 80s. Big beats propelled most every song and there was a sharper, synthesized sound. Indeed, the late 80s ARS was closer in sound to one of the other acts Mills produced in the 80s, 38 Special. All the songs, except one, were written by Buddy Buie and Ronnie Hammond, another change from previous approaches. The band did some performances to promote Truth. O'Brien was invited to go on the road with the band but he declined, preferring to continue his career in session work (today he is a much in demand producer, having worked with Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
, Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
and many others). Steve Stone then returned, as guitarist this time. But album sales for Truth lagged and there was another hiatus in their recorded work as the band continued to tour with Justin Senker replacing Garnett on bass in 1992 and R.J. Vealey taking over the drum chair from Burke in 1995 after the latter suffered a leg injury.
In 1995 the group re-recorded some of their classic songs for a new collection that was recorded in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and the resulting live-in-studio sound of Atlanta Rhythm Section '96 (released on CMC International
CMC International
CMC International was an American independent record label founded by Tom Lipsky in 1991, focused mainly on classic rock, and classic heavy metal. The label was the haven of many hard rock, arena rock, glam metal and AOR artists in the period when all the majors were investing all their financial...
in April 1996) presented a different, less polished take on some of their best known tunes and captured the sound of their live performances from this period. It was around this time that ARS was elected to the Georgia Music Hall of Fame
Georgia Music Hall of Fame
The Georgia Music Hall of Fame, located in downtown Macon, Georgia, preserves and interprets the state's rich musical heritage through programs of collection, exhibition, education and performance...
. The band was so honored at a September 1996 induction ceremony at the Georgia World Congress Center
Georgia World Congress Center
The Georgia World Congress Center or GWCC is the major convention center in Atlanta. It is the fourth-largest convention center in the United States at 3.9 million ft2 and hosts more than a million visitors each year. At the time opened in 1976 the Georgia World Congress Center was the first state...
. The occasion provided an opportunity for a reunion performance of some of the band's former members. Building on the momentum of this event and the impending 25th anniversary of the group, ARS recorded a new album, Partly Plugged (which was released in January 1997 on the independent Southern Tracks label). It featured some new songs and more remakes of some classics done the way they had been written---unplugged on acoustic guitar and piano.
On December 28, 1998 there was a close call with tragedy. Singer Ronnie Hammond, who had battled alcoholism and depression off and on over the years, got into a confrontation with the police in Macon, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
and forced an officer to shoot him. Hammond was seriously injured, but survived the injury and dealt with the depression.
This time ARS only took two years to bring a new album out. Eufaula, released in February 1999, featured Ronnie in classic form and the guitar work of Barry Bailey sounded as good as ever. The band had justifiably high hopes for the Eufaula album, but almost immediately problems occurred. The record label, Platinum Entertainment, faced financial troubles and was not able to support the album as intended. A couple of songs were released as singles but did not get the promotional attention needed to break out. ARS continued to tour on a limited basis. But on November 13, 1999, tragedy did strike. After the band had finished an afternoon set at a concert festival in Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, FL, drummer R. J. Vealey complained of indigestion and then collapsed and died of a heart attack. "It was very sudden, very shocking," said guitarist Barry Bailey. "He was a great drummer, the best drummer this band ever had." After recovering from the shock, ARS recruited a new drummer, Jim Keeling, (of Huntsville, Alabama) and soldiered on.
2000-present: Later changes
In 1999, while Hammond was still recovering in the hospital, Andy Anderson returned after twelve years to front the band until Hammond was well enough to return (He would return again in May 2000 to sub another show for Ronnie). But in 2001 Ronnie decided to take a gig with another group, Voices of Classic RockVoices of Classic Rock
Voices of Classic Rock is a rock music ensemble featuring singers and musicians from classic rock groups popular in the 1970s and 1980s.Voices of Classic Rock was formed in 1998....
, that conflicted with ARS's schedule, forcing him to make a choice between the two. Ronnie chose to stay with VOCR but left the touring business altogether soon afterward to focus on family and songwriting.
In 2006, Barry Bailey, who was suffering from ill health, decided it was necessary to no longer travel with the band that was founded to showcase his phenomenal guitar playing. Steve Stone, after being ARS's rhythm guitarist for 18 years, now took up the Herculean task of filling Bailey's shoes as lead guitarist. To support Steve in his effort, the band asked Andy's long-time Billy Joe Royal bandmate and golf buddy, Allen Accardi, to lend a hand. Allen, a Nashville veteran, would play for more than a year with the band. It was clear, however, that Barry's edge was still keenly missing and a player with more of a rock sound was needed.
David Anderson, who had played in the band Brother Cane and had had a very active career recording and performing was then tapped. David had known drummer Keeling since playing in high school bands together and had impressed Dean Daughtry with his talents after Dean had moved to Jim and David's hometown of Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
.
On March 26, 2008, Andy Anderson suffered a heart attack just before he was to catch a plane to Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
to join the band for a two-night stand at the Gold Coast Casino. Andy's friend, Steve Croson (who'd played alongside him for years in Billy Joe Royal's band), fortunately, lived in Vegas and was able to step in for his buddy on short notice. In April and May, original singer Rodney Justo returned, joined by ARS's 1987-88 singer Shaun Williamson, until Andy was healthy enough to return later in May.
Ronnie Hammond passed away Monday, March 14, 2011 in Forsyth, Georgia of heart failure. He was 60. His interment was in cemetery Monroe Memorial Gardens.
In the late spring of 2011, it was announced that singer Andy Anderson and bassist Justin Senker had graciously stepped aside to make way for the return of original members Rodney Justo and Paul Goddard.
Hit singles
While ARS did not reach the commercial success of Lynyrd SkynyrdLynyrd 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...
or The Allman Brothers, the group had a strong following in the South and charted a number of hits. These include their two top ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100
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...
chart, "So Into You" and "Imaginary Lover", both of which peaked at #7 on the Hot 100 in 1977 and 1978, respectively. Other top 40 hits on the Hot 100 chart were "Doraville" (#35, 1974); "I'm Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight" (#14, 1978); "Do It or Die" (#19, 1979); "Spooky" (#17, 1979); and "Alien" (#29, 1981).
Current information
The band maintains a websiteWebsite
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
and still tours with some of its original members, playing mostly festivals
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
and other nostalgia-themed concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s.
Former drummer Roy Yeager is involved in a controversy concerning the destruction of a Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
landmark.http://www.tennesseepreservationtrust.org/ten
Band members
Ronnie Hammond died on March 14, 2011 at a Forsyth, GA hospital at age 60 of a heart attack.Discography
- Atlanta Rhythm SectionAtlanta Rhythm Section (album)Atlanta Rhythm Section is the 1972 self-titled debut album by American Southern rock band Atlanta Rhythm Section. It was originally released on the Decca label DL75265. It was produced by Buddy Buie. The album was re-released in 1973 with Back Up Against the Wall as a double album on MCA label...
(19721972 in music-Events:*January 17 – Highway 51 South in Memphis, Tennessee is renamed "Elvis Presley Boulevard"*January 20 – The début of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon at The Dome, Brighton, is halted by technical difficulties,...
) - Back Up Against the WallBack Up Against the WallBack Up Against the Wall is the first album, with Ronnie Hammond on lead vocals, by southern rock band Atlanta Rhythm Section, released in 1973. .- Track listing :# "Wrong" Back Up Against the Wall is the first album, with Ronnie Hammond on lead vocals, by southern rock band Atlanta Rhythm Section,...
(19731973 in music-January–April:*January 9 – Mick Jagger's request for a Japanese visa is rejected on account of a 1969 drug conviction, putting an abrupt end to The Rolling Stones' plans to perform in Japan during their forthcoming tour.*January 14...
) - Third Annual Pipe DreamThird Annual Pipe DreamThird Annual Pipe Dream is an album by southern rock band Atlanta Rhythm Section, released in 1974. .-Track listing:#"Doraville" – 3:28#"Jesus Hearted People" – 3:48...
(19741974 in music-January–April:*January 3 – Bob Dylan and The Band kick off their 40-date concert tour at Chicago Stadium. It's Dylan's first time on the road since 1966.*January 17...
) - Dog Days (19751975 in music-January–April:*January 2 - New York City U.S. District Court Judge Richard Owen rules that former Beatle John Lennon and his lawyers can have access to Department of Immigration files pertaining to his deportation case....
) - Red Tape (19761976 in music-January–February:*January 5 – Former Beatles road manager Mal Evans is shot dead by Los Angeles police after refusing to drop what police only later determine is an air rifle....
) - A Rock and Roll AlternativeA Rock and Roll AlternativeFor the Tamia song, see So Into You.A Rock and Roll Alternative is an album by southern rock band Atlanta Rhythm Section, released in 1976....
(19761976 in music-January–February:*January 5 – Former Beatles road manager Mal Evans is shot dead by Los Angeles police after refusing to drop what police only later determine is an air rifle....
) - Champagne JamChampagne JamChampagne Jam is an album by southern rock band Atlanta Rhythm Section, released in 1978. . The single "Imaginary Lover" was the band's second Top 10 hit, peaking at #7 in the U.S...
(19781978 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1978.-January–April:*January 14 – The Sex Pistols play their final show at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom....
) - UnderdogUnderdog (Atlanta Rhythm Section album)Underdog is an album by the Atlanta Rhythm Section, released in 1979 by Polydor Records. It is their first album to feature drummer Roy Yeager since former drummer Robert Nix left the band near the end of 1978. The album reached number 26 on the U.S...
(1979) - Are You Ready (19791979 in musicSee also:Record labels established in 1979* 1979 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1979.-January–February:*January 1...
) - The Boys from Doraville (19801980 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1980.-January–March:*January 1**Cliff Richard is appointed an MBE by Elizabeth II.**The Zorros audition drummer Greg Pedley....
) - Quinella (19811981 in musicSee also:* Timeline of musical eventsThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1981.-January–April:*January 10 – A revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance opens at Broadway's Uris Theatre, starring Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith.*January 24 –...
) - Truth in a Structured Form (19891989 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1989.-Events:*January 14 – Paul McCartney releases Снова в СССР exclusively in the USSR...
) - Best of Atlanta Rhythm Section (1991)
- Atlanta Rhythm Section '96Atlanta Rhythm Section '96Atlanta Rhythm Section '96 is an album by American southern rock band Atlanta Rhythm Section, released in 1996.-Track listing:#"So into You" – 6:42#"Champagne Jam" – 4:43#"Jukin'" – 3:32...
(19961996 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1996.-January:* January – At the trial of two American teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, for the murder of Bassett's parents and young brother, defense lawyers attempt to lay the blame for the murders on the fact...
) - Partly PluggedPartly PluggedPartly Plugged is an album by American southern rock band Atlanta Rhythm Section, released in 1997. .-Track listing:#"Voodoo" – 3:57#"She Knows All My Tricks" – 4:03...
(19971997 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy...
) - Eufaula (19991999 in music-Events:*January 7**After eight years of marriage, Rod Stewart and supermodel wife Rachel Hunter announce their separation.**Paul McCartney attends the first of his stepdaughter Heather's first housewares collection in Georgia....
) - Live at The Savoy, New York October 27, 1981Live at The Savoy, New York October 27, 1981Live at The Savoy, New York October 27, 1981 is a live album by southern rock band Atlanta Rhythm Section, released in 2000. .-Track listing:#"Champagne Jam" – 5:17...
(20002000 in musicSee also:* 2000 in music Record labels established in 2000-Events:*January – Gary Glitter is released from jail, two months before his sentence for sexual offences ends.*January 1**John Tavener is knighted in the New Year's Honours List....
) - Classic Rock Monsters (2008)