| Texas Rock for Country Rollers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 1976 | |||
| Studio | SugarHill (Houston, Texas) | |||
| Genre | Country, country rock, blues rock | |||
| Length | 32:14 | |||
| Label | ABC-Dot | |||
| Producer | Huey P. Meaux | |||
| Doug Sahm chronology | ||||
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Texas Rock for Country Rollers is the third album by American country-music singer Doug Sahm. Sahm composed for the album seven original songs, while covers constituted the rest of the album. It was released by ABC-Dot in 1976.
The album was recorded at SugarHill Recording Studios, in Houston, Texas. The session was produced by Huey P. Meaux and engineered by Mickey Moody. Meaux financed the costs with the success of his Freddy Fender recordings. In addition to vocals, Sahm contributed to the album by playing the lead guitar, fiddle and piano. The backup band consisted of Augie Meyers (keyboards, organ, piano, vocals), Atwood Allen (backing vocals), Harry Hess (steel guitar), Jack Barber (bass) and George Rains (drums). [1]
Covers in the album included Allen's penned "I Love the Way You Love (The Way I Love You) ", Merle Kilgore/Claude King's "Wolverton Mountain", and a Gene Thomas-medley of "Cryin' Inside"-"Sometime". [2] The rest of the songs were seven Sahm-written originals. Sahm played the ballad "I'm Missing You" inspired in the style of Buddy Holly, while "You Can't Hide a Redneck (Under That Hippy Hair)" featured an intro based in Bo Diddley's "I'm a Man". [3]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B [5] |
Two singles were released promoting the album: "Cowboy Peyton Place" / "I Love the Way You Love" (ABC/Dot 17656) and "Cryin' Inside-Sometime" / "I'm Missing You" (ABC/Dot 17674). The ten-track Texas Rock For Country Rollers was released in August 1976 by ABC-Dot Records (Dot DOSD 2057). Upon its release it did not earn major sales, but garnered positive reviews. [1]
It was credited to Sir Doug and The Texas Tornados. The band featured in the record is not the later Texas Tornados, the tejano supergroup that Sahm and Meyer joined in 1989. [6]
Village Voice critic Robert Christgau responded favorably to the country influence on the first side but lamented the use of the steel guitar. Meanwhile, he praised the second side, calling it "redneck hoohah". [5] Dave Marsh opened his Rolling Stone critic by calling Sahm "the greatest of country-rockers". He considered that the country-themed album "flatten(ed) out" his usual blend of "rock, Mexican and country influences". While he praised song "You Can't Hide a Redneck (Under that Hippy Hair)" and the Thomas medley. He concluded that "Sahm owes himself, and us, better than this". [7]
Allmusic rated the album with four out of five stars. The review concluded that the album had "good playing and better vibes" but criticized the producer by declaring that "there is the feeling that somebody was asleep at the wheel". [4]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Love the Way You Love (The Way I Love You)" | Atwood Allen | 5:17 |
| 2. | "Cowboy Peyton Place" | Doug Sahm | 3:35 |
| 3. | "Give Back the Key to My Heart" | Doug Sahm | 2:51 |
| 4. | "Wolverton Mountain" | Merle Kilgore, Claude King | 2:30 |
| 5. | "Texas Ranger Man" | Doug Sahm | 3:24 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Float Away" | Doug Sahm | 2:38 |
| 2. | "I'm Missing You" | Doug Sahm | 3:02 |
| 3. | "Gene Thomas Medley: Sometime/Cryin' Inside" | Gene Thomasson | 2:41 |
| 4. | "Country Groove" | Doug Sahm | 2:31 |
| 5. | "You Can't Hide a Redneck (Under That Hippy Hair)" | Doug Sahm | 3:55 |
Douglas Wayne Sahm was an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist born in San Antonio, Texas. Sahm is regarded as one of the main figures of Tex-Mex music, and as an important performer of Texan Music. He gained fame along with his band, the Sir Douglas Quintet, with a top-twenty hit in the United States and the United Kingdom with "She's About a Mover" (1965). Sahm was influenced by the San Antonio music scene that included conjunto and blues, and later by the hippie scene of San Francisco. With his blend of music, he found success performing in Austin, Texas, as the hippie counterculture soared in the 1970s.
Los Super Seven is an American supergroup which debuted in 1998. According to Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine, "Los Super Seven isn't a band, per se – it's a collective, organized by manager Dan Goodman, who comes up with a concept for each of the group's albums and assembles a band to fit." The collective has released three albums to date, with wildly varying personnel. Only Ruben Ramos and Rick Trevino are featured on all three releases.
The Sir Douglas Quintet was an American rock band formed in San Antonio, Texas in 1964. With their first hits, they were acclaimed in their home state. When their career was established, the band relocated to the West Coast. Their move coincided with the burgeoning San Francisco psychedelic rock scene of the mid 1960s to early 1970s. Overall, the quintet were exponents of good-times music with strong roots in blues and Texas-regional traditions. The band's songs were most noted for the instantly distinguishable organ sound of Augie Meyers' Vox Continental.
Texas Tornados is an American Tejano supergroup, composed of some of country music's biggest artists who modernized the Tex-Mex style including Flaco Jiménez, Augie Meyers, Doug Sahm, and Freddy Fender. Its music is a fusion of conjunto with rock, country, and various Mexican styles.
Shotgun Willie is the 16th studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Willie Nelson, released on June 11, 1973. The recording marks a change of style for Nelson, who later stated that the album "cleared his throat". When Nelson refused to sign an early extension of his contract with RCA Records in 1972, the label decided not to release any further recordings. Nelson hired Neil Reshen as his manager, and while Reshen negotiated with RCA, Nelson moved to Austin, Texas, where the ongoing hippie music scene at the Armadillo World Headquarters renewed his musical style. In Nashville, Nelson met producer Jerry Wexler, vice president of Atlantic Records, who was interested in his music. Reshen solved the problems with RCA and signed Nelson with Atlantic as their first country music artist.
Phases and Stages is the 17th studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Willie Nelson, released in March 1974. It followed the moderate success of his first Atlantic Records release, Shotgun Willie. Nelson met producer Jerry Wexler at a party where Nelson sang songs from an album he planned to record. The single "Phases and Stages" was originally recorded the same year. Nelson recorded the album at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in two days and Wexler produced it.
From St. Louie to Frisco is the twelfth studio album by Chuck Berry, released in 1968 by Mercury Records. One track on the album, "My Tambourine", is the same tune as Berry's later hit for Chess Records, "My Ding-a-Ling", but with less risque lyrics. The Sir Douglas Quintet backed Berry on parts of this album.
August "Augie" Meyers is an American musician, songwriter, studio musician, record producer, and record label owner. He is perhaps best known as a founding member of the Sir Douglas Quintet and the Texas Tornados.
The Troublemaker is the 20th studio album by country singer and songwriter Willie Nelson. When Nelson refused to sign an early extension of his contract with RCA in 1972, the label decided not to release any further recordings. Nelson hired Neil Reshen as his manager, and while Reshen negotiated with RCA, Nelson moved to Austin, Texas, where the ongoing hippie music scene at the Armadillo World Headquarters renewed his musical style. In Nashville, Nelson met producer Jerry Wexler, vice president of Atlantic Records, who was interested in his music. Reshen solved the problems with RCA and signed Nelson with Atlantic Records as their first country music artist.
Southern Roots: Back Home in Memphis is an album by Jerry Lee Lewis released on Mercury Records in 1973.
Louie and the Lovers was an American rock band based in Prunedale, California.
Doug Sahm and Band is the debut solo album of American singer-songwriter Doug Sahm. In 1972, after leaving the Sir Douglas Quintet, Sahm moved to Austin, Texas. He was signed by Jerry Wexler to the newly opened country music division of Atlantic Records, and started the album sessions by October 1972. It featured appearances by Bob Dylan, Dr. John, David "Fathead" Newman, Flaco Jimenez, David Bromberg and Kenny Kosek.
Groover's Paradise is an album by Doug Sahm, produced by musician Doug Clifford and released on Warner Records in 1974. Following his return to Texas after his success with the Sir Douglas Quintet in California, Sahm settled in Austin, Texas. As the local music scene thrived, he was featured as the main attraction in local clubs and he recorded his debut album for Atlantic Records.
Texas Tornado is the second solo album by Doug Sahm, released by Atlantic Records in December 1973. Sahm co-produced the album with Jerry Wexler and Arif Mardin. Wexler signed Sahm to Atlantic records after the opening of the label's country music division.
Hell of a Spell is an album by singer-songwriter Doug Sahm released by Takoma Records in January 1980. Sahm was signed to the label in 1979 after it was acquired by Chrysalis Records the same year. Upon request of the president of Takoma, Sahm recorded blues numbers and he dedicated the record to Guitar Slim. While the album was well received by the critics, it was a commercial failure.
Juke Box Music is an album by singer Doug Sahm released by Antone's Record Label in January 1989. Sahm returned to Austin, Texas in 1988 after living and experiencing success with his music in Sweden and Canada. Upon his return, Sahm started to perform at the Austin night club Antone's. The owner of the club, Clifford Antone signed him to his independent record label.
Get a Life is a 1998 album by Doug Sahm released by the Dutch label Munich Records. The tracks were recorded in Austin and San Marcos, Texas, Seattle, Washington and Los Angeles, California. The producers of the tracks included Sahm, Mike Stewart, Billy Stull and Bob Flick. Sahm wrote the liner notes for the album. The recordings featured The Gourds, as well as Augie Meyers. Sahm met The Gourds as he performed at a music festival in Belgium in 1997. Sahm approached the band after he heard them sing a cover of his original "At the Crossroads".
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Day Dreaming at Midnight is an album by the American band the Sir Douglas Quintet, released in 1994. Doug Sahm was motivated to reform the band due to his son Shawn's musicianship and the encouragement from Metallica's manager Cliff Burnstein.
Border Wave is an album by the American band the Sir Douglas Quintet, released in 1981. Doug Sahm was inspired to record the album after the success of Joe Carrasco and Elvis Costello. It was Sahm's second album for Takoma Records. Border Wave peaked at No. 184 on the Billboard 200. The band supported the album with a North American tour.
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