Great Plains (Tennessee band)

Last updated
Great Plains
Great Plains.jpg
Great Plains, 1991.
Background information
Origin Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres Country
Years active1987–1996
Labels Columbia, Magnatone
Past membersJack Sundrud
Russ Pahl
Denny Dadmun-Bixby
Michael Young
Lex Browning

Great Plains was a progressive country pop band that formed in 1987. The band comprised Jack Sundrud (currently, as of 2015, of Poco), Russ Pahl, Denny Dadmun-Bixby, Michael Young, and Lex Browning. In their career, they recorded two studio albums and had four singles enter the Billboard country charts. Their highest charting single, "Faster Gun", peaked at No. 41.

Contents

Early days

The band began with Jack Sundrud, Russ Pahl, and Michael Young, who were all working in Michael Johnson's ("Bluer Than Blue") backup band. Sundrud was a seasoned professional, having toured with various acts such as Poco, Nicolette Larson, and Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts. Brent Maher was producing Johnson and was looking for a new band to produce. Maher liked the sound of Michael Johnson's backup band. Sundrud was playing bass at the time, so Maher asked Austin Cunningham to join the band in the studio to do some experimentation. The band recorded a few tracks, mostly Cunningham's songs with himself on lead vocals. The band lineup / instrumentation at that time was Austin Cunningham on acoustic guitar and lead vocals; Jack Sundrud on bass and vocals; Russ Pahl on lead guitar, steel guitar and vocals, and Michael Young on drums. After recording a few sessions, Cunningham decided that he wanted to pursue a solo career and left the band. Sundrud then played some of his own songs for producer Maher and his daughter, Dianna, who ran Maher's publishing company, Moraine Music. They liked the songs and signed Sundrud to their publishing company as a songwriter. Maher and the band then recorded more tracks of Sundrud’s material, with Sundrud on lead vocals.

The band showcased for RCA, and they passed. It was around this time that the band decided to hire a regular bassist and move Sundrud to acoustic guitar and lead vocals, so in 1989, the band added Denny Dadmun-Bixby to join the band on bass and vocals. Sundrud first met Bixby when the latter was recording with Wild Choir, Gail Davies’ band (Sundrud's first road gig was with Davies in 1982.) The recording of the first record was slow and piece-meal since the band all had other gigs and needed income — Pahl was working with Don Williams, Bixby with Wild Choir and Gail Davies, and Young was doing sessions and had a growing custom-car business building cars. The band recorded when they could until 1989, but in early 1990, Sundrud was asked to join country rock band Poco after Richie Furay had left the Legacy tour (the Legacy tour and album initially featured all 5 original Poco members.) This was Sundrud's second stint with Poco, having been a member of the band from 1985–87; Sundrud's first professional band, the Minnesota-based Podipto, a regional band signed to GRT Records, had opened for Poco in 1971. Sundrud's Poco gig put off the finishing of the Great Plains project for a year.

Record deal

The band finished the recording in 1991, showcased for Sony/Columbia and got a record deal. The début album was produced by Brent Maher and Don Potter, assisted by Brian Maher. The first single, "A Picture of You", written by Sundrud and songwriter Gary Burr peaked at No. 48. "Faster Gun" was their highest chart entry at No. 41.

The first album failed to bring in large sales numbers and both Russ Pahl and Michael Young left the band in 1992. Sundrud and Bixby hung on, using studio musicians to record most of a second album, but during the recording process, their record label, Sony, had a changing of executives and the band was dropped in 1993.

Also in 1993, they were nominated by the Academy of Country Music for Top New Vocal Group or Duet, along with Confederate Railroad and Little Texas, but lost to Confederate Railroad.

It was around this time that Brent Maher became involved with what would become Magnatone Records, an independent label financed by Roy Speer, who founded the Home Shopping Network. Other artists included Shelby Lynne, Billy Montana, Rich McCready, and Caryl Mack Parker.

Another chance

Sundrud and Bixby decided to make Great Plains a band again and brought multi-instrumentalist / singer Lex Browning on board. They scrapped what they had been working on during the second album and started over, with Brent Maher and Don Potter producing again. The result was 1996's "Homeland". The label released 3 singles from that album, all of which once again failed to move beyond the 40s in the charts, including "Dancin' With The Wind", written by Sundrud and long-time Nashville songwriter / performer Craig Bickhardt; "Healin' Hands", written by Sundrud and Chuck Cannon; and "Wolverton Mountain", written by Claude King and Merle Kilgore. "Dancin' With The Wind" and "Wolverton Mountain" also had videos produced. The band then recorded a couple of songs with Sundrud's friend, producer Michael Clute (Diamond Rio). Magnatone released a single, "There's More Where That Came From", written by Sundrud and Tia Sillers, but they dropped the band the day after the single was released. Great Plains played some prior-committed dates for a few months and disbanded for good in 1996.

After disbanding

Jack Sundrud rejoined Poco in 2000 and is still with the band as of 2015, once again playing bass and providing vocals. Sundrud co-wrote the hit "Cain's Blood" with Michael Johnson for the vocal group 4 Runner, which peaked at No. 26 on the country charts in 1995. He also co-wrote (with Craig Bickhardt) the No. 1 country hit "It Must Be Love" for Ty Herndon. Sundrud recorded a solo album, By My Own Hand, in 2005, and a second album effort in collaboration with Craig Bickhardt called Idlewheel in 2006 which morphed into a full band with tour dates through 2008.

Lex Browning returned to Portland, Oregon, where he had previously played with Jeffrey Frederick's band, Les Clams. He is a member of the Freak Mountain Ramblers, with whom he has recorded four albums, and in 2009 released his first solo album, Good Rain on Red Newt Records. As of September 2018, Browning joined his ex-bandmate Sundrud in Poco, where he plays guitar, fiddle and vocals.

Dadmun-Bixby sang backing vocals on Suzy Bogguss' 1998 album Nobody Love, Nobody Gets Hurt . He toured with Suzy Bogguss and Rodney Crowell playing Bass and adding backing vocals before returning to Portland, Oregon where he often performs with Lex Browning. He has also released two CDs of his own, Fish Out Of Water in 2002 and JOYRIDE in 2017.

Discography

Albums

TitleAlbum details
Great Plains
Homeland
  • Release date: June 4, 1996
  • Label: Magnatone Records

Singles

YearSinglePeak chart
positions		Album
US Country CAN Country
1991"A Picture of You" [1] 63—Great Plains
1992"Faster Gun" [2] 4142
"Iola"6371
1996"Dancin' with the Wind"58—Homeland
"Healin' Hands"——
"Wolverton Mountain"——
1997"There's More Where That Came From"——Single only
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos

YearVideoDirector
1991"A Picture of You" Michael Salomon
1992"Faster Gun" [3] Pete Cummings
1996"Dancin' with the Wind" [4] Gerry Wenner
"Healin' Hands" [5] Charley Randazzo
"Wolverton Mountain" [6] Bob Burwell, Rod Thompson

Awards and nominations

YearOrganizationAwardNominee/WorkResult
1993 Academy of Country Music Awards Top New Vocal Group or DuetGreat PlainsNominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poco (band)</span> American country rock band

Poco was an American country rock band originally formed in 1968 after the demise of Buffalo Springfield. Guitarists Richie Furay and Jim Messina, former members of Buffalo Springfield, were joined by multi-instrumentalist Rusty Young, bassist Randy Meisner and drummer George Grantham. Meisner quit the band while they were recording their first album, Pickin' Up the Pieces, though his bass and backing vocal parts were kept in the final mix. He was replaced by Timothy B. Schmit in 1969, and Messina left in 1970 to be replaced by Paul Cotton. The line-up would change numerous times over the next several decades, with Rusty Young being the only constant member. A reunion of the founding members occurred in the late 1980s-early 1990s, and the band continued in some form through 2021, though they retired from active touring in 2013, with Young citing health concerns as the primary cause of his retirement. Young died from a heart attack in April 2021.

<i>She Rides Wild Horses</i> 1999 studio album by Kenny Rogers

She Rides Wild Horses is the twenty-third studio album by American country music singer Kenny Rogers. It was released in 1999 on his own Dreamcatcher Records label. The album includes the singles "The Greatest," "Slow Dance More" and "Buy Me a Rose," which all charted on the Billboard country singles charts, giving Rogers' best success on that chart since 1991.

<i>Now</i> (Jessica Andrews album) 2003 studio album by Jessica Andrews

Now is the third and final studio album by American country music singer Jessica Andrews. It was released on April 15, 2003. The single "There's More to Me Than You" served as its lead-off single, reaching Top 20 on the country charts. "Good Time" was also a single, peaking at number 49 on the country charts.

<i>Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles</i> 1993 compilation album by various artists

Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles is a tribute album to American rock band Eagles. It was released in 1993 on Giant Records to raise funds for the Walden Woods Project. The album features covers of various Eagles songs, as performed by country music acts. It was certified 3× Platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on June 27, 1994, honoring shipments of three million copies in the United States. Several cuts from the album all charted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts after the album's release, the most successful being Travis Tritt's rendition of "Take It Easy" at number 21. Common Thread won all of its performers a Country Music Association Award for Album of the Year at the 1994 ceremony.

<i>Running Horse</i> 2002 studio album by Poco

Running Horse is the eighteenth studio album by the country rock band Poco. Rusty Young, Paul Cotton, and George Grantham reunite for the first time since 1977 with new material.

<i>Keeping the Legend Alive</i> 2004 live album by Poco

Keeping the Legend Alive is the 22nd album and 4th live album by the country rock band Poco. It was re-released in 2006 under the title "Alive In The Heart Of The Night." It includes original members Richie Furay, *George Grantham and Rusty Young, Paul Cotton who replaced Jim Messina in 1970 and Jack Sundrud a member since the 1990s.

<i>The Wildwood Sessions</i> 2006 live album by Poco

The Wildwood Sessions is the sixth live album by the country rock band Poco. The album was recorded live at The Wildwood Lodge in Steelville, MO.

<i>There You Go Again</i> 2000 studio album by Kenny Rogers

There You Go Again is the twenty-fourth studio album by American singer Kenny Rogers, released in 2000. It is his second studio album on his own Dreamcatcher Records label. It produced the singles "There You Go Again", "He Will, She Knows", "Homeland" and "Beautiful ".

<i>Heartland</i> (The Judds album) 1987 studio album by The Judds

Heartland is the third studio album by American country music duo The Judds, released on February 3, 1987 by RCA Records. It features the singles "Don't Be Cruel", "Maybe Your Baby's Got The Blues", "Turn It Loose", and "I Know Where I'm Going". The album was released in Europe under the title Give a Little Love and featured six bonus tracks. It reached number 1 on England's country albums chart in 1987, soon after The Judds toured there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It Must Be Love (Ty Herndon song)</span> 1998 single by Ty Herndon featuring Sons of the Desert

"It Must Be Love" is a song written by Craig Bickhardt and Jack Sundrud, and recorded by American country music singer Ty Herndon. It was released in August 1998 as the second single from his album Big Hopes. The song reached a peak of Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, becoming the third and final Number One of his career. It was also his highest entry on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 38 on the chart.

<i>Enjoy the Ride</i> (Marshall Dyllon album) 2000 studio album by Marshall Dyllon

Enjoy the Ride is the only studio album by American country music group Marshall Dyllon. It was released on December 5, 2000 via Dreamcatcher Records, a label owned by Kenny Rogers. It produced two singles in "Live It Up" and "You", both of which charted on the Billboard country charts in 2000.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Confederate Railroad album) 1996 greatest hits album by Confederate Railroad

Greatest Hits is Confederate Railroad's first compilation album. It was released on June 18, 1996 by Atlantic Nashville. It peaked at #60 on the US country albums chart.

Craig William Bickhardt is an American country music singer and songwriter. His musical career includes co-writing credits for The Judds, Steve Wariner, Kathy Mattea and others. He was also a member of S-K-B, formerly S-K-O, after Paul Overstreet exited the band. He has released three studio albums of his own.

Wild Choir was an American country music band. It consisted of Gail Davies, Larry Chaney (guitar), Pete Pendras (guitar), Denny Dadmun-Bixby, and Bob Mummert (drums).

<i>I Will Stand by You: The Essential Collection</i> 2011 greatest hits album by The Judds

I Will Stand by You: The Essential Collection is a greatest hits collection by American country music duo The Judds. The album was released on April 5, 2011, via Curb Records, and includes twelve of The Judds' singles and two newly recorded songs. The album's first single, "I Will Stand by You", was released to country radio in late 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Hampton</span> American singer

Tom Hampton is a multi-instrumentalist, sideman, session musician and singer/songwriter. In April 2020, he joined the country-rock band Poco as guitarist and vocalist.

<i>Love Will...</i> 2013 studio album by Trace Adkins

Love Will... is the fourteenth studio album by American country music artist Trace Adkins. It was released on May 14, 2013 by Show Dog-Universal Music. The album features collaborations with Colbie Caillat, Exile and the Harlem Gospel Choir.

<i>Nobody Love, Nobody Gets Hurt</i> 1998 studio album by Suzy Bogguss

Nobody Love, Nobody Gets Hurt is the eighth studio album by American country music singer Suzy Bogguss. It was released in 1998 as her final album for Capitol Records.

Moraine Music Group is one of Nashville's leading independent publishers, with a reputation for unique songs that result in career-making hit singles. Some of those hits include Millionaire by Chris Stapleton, The Chicks first #1 single “There’s Your Trouble”, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s “Blue On Black”. Moraine's songs have appeared on numerous multi-million selling albums spanning various genres of music. Moraine has received over 50 music publishing awards, including 1998 SESAC Publisher of the Year and numerous Canadian Country Music Association Awards for Song, Single, Video and Album of the Year. Moraine’s songs and artists have been included in feature films, television shows, and advertisements including Gareth Dunlop and SHEL's "Hold On" in The Best of Me, SHEL's "I Was Born A Dreamer" in a Toys R Us Christmas advertisement, and Gareth Dunlop's "Devil Like You" in Lucifer.

References

  1. ↑ "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard . August 24, 1991.
  2. ↑ "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard . December 14, 1991.
  3. ↑ "CMT : Videos : Great Plains : Faster Gun". Country Music Television . Retrieved October 14, 2011.[ dead link ]
  4. ↑ "CMT : Videos : Great Plains : Dancin' With The Wind". Country Music Television. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2011.
  5. ↑ "CMT : Videos : Great Plains : Healin' Hands". Country Music Television. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2011.
  6. ↑ "CMT : Videos : Great Plains : Wolverton Mountain". Country Music Television. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.