This article needs additional citations for verification .(July 2015) |
The Flatlanders | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Origin | Lubbock, Texas, U.S. |
Genres | Country rock, alternative country |
Years active | 1972–1973, 1998–present |
Labels | Charly, New West, Plantation, Rounder |
Members | Jimmie Dale Gilmore Joe Ely Butch Hancock |
The Flatlanders are an American country band from Lubbock, Texas, founded in 1972 by Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Joe Ely and Butch Hancock. [1] The group garnered little success during their brief original incarnation from 1972 to 1973, but when the individual members found success in their solo careers, interest in The Flatlanders was rekindled with the band reuniting several times since. An earlier incarnation of this band was known as The Double Mountain Fork Of The Brazos River Boys.
In 1972, Gilmore, Ely and Hancock, formed The Flatlanders with each contributing vocals, guitar, and songwriting skills. Other key musicians were Steve Wesson on autoharp and musical saw, Tony Pearson on mandolin and backup harmony, Tommy Hancock (no relation to Butch Hancock) on fiddle and Syl Rice on string bass.
One of the band's first appearances was at the Kerrville Folk Festival in 1972, where they were named one of the winners of the inaugural Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Singer/Songwriter Competition.
The band's first recording project was produced in 1972 by Shelby Singleton, the then-owner of Memphis, Tennessee's famed Sun Studios. A promotional single, Gilmore's "Dallas", was a commercial failure, and the planned album, All American Music, was all but scrapped, being released only in a limited run on 8-track tape in order to fulfill contractual obligations.
The Flatlanders performed through 1973 before disbanding. By the end of the decade, however, Gilmore, Ely and Hancock had all found success as solo performers, and rumors of their earlier obscure collaboration began to circulate. In 1990, Rounder Records issued the 1972 sessions as More a Legend Than a Band.
The three musicians continued to reunite for occasional Flatlanders performances. In 1998 they contributed to the soundtrack of The Horse Whisperer , and then in 2002 released their follow-up album, Now Again, on New West Records. In 2004 this was followed with Wheels of Fortune, again on New West. In 2004, New West released Live '72 a live recording of the then-unknown country band performing at the One Knite honky-tonk in Austin, Texas.
In 2009, The Flatlanders released the album, Hills & Valleys. In promotion of the album, the group appeared as musical guests on the Late Show with David Letterman on July 21, 2009, and on Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion on April 27, 2013.
In 2012, The Flatlanders released The Odessa Tapes, an album composed of unreleased recordings culled from 1972 recording sessions. [2]
The Flatlanders were voted into the Austin Music Awards Hall of Fame in March 2016. [3]
Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Country | US | US Heat | US Indie | ||
All American Music [a] |
| — | — | — | — |
One Road More [a] |
| — | — | — | — |
More a Legend Than a Band [a] |
| — | — | — | — |
Unplugged [a] |
| — | — | — | — |
Now Again |
| 19 | 168 | 3 | 12 |
Wheels of Fortune |
| 35 | — | 17 | 17 |
Live '72 |
| — | — | — | — |
Hills and Valleys |
| 38 | — | 14 | 47 |
The Odessa Tapes |
| 48 | — | 19 | — |
Treasure of Love |
| — | — | — | — |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart |
a. ^ All four albums feature different combinations of the same set of tracks recorded in 1972.
Jimmie Dale Gilmore is an American country singer-songwriter currently living in Austin, Texas.
Outlaw country is a subgenre of American country music created by a small group of iconoclastic artists active in the 1970s and early 1980s, known collectively as the outlaw movement, who fought for and won their creative freedom outside of the Nashville establishment that dictated the sound of most country music of the era. Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, and David Allan Coe were among the movement's most commercially successful members.
Lloyd Wayne Maines is an American country music record producer, musician and songwriter. He was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame as one of the first three members, the other two being Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He is the father of Natalie Maines who is best known as the lead singer of The Chicks.
Thomas Wayne Hancock III better known as Wayne "The Train" Hancock, is an American singer-songwriter. Known as "The King of Juke Joint Swing," his performances incorporate jazz, blues, western swing, country and rockabilly, styles of music that he began listening to as a kid. His influences include Jimmie Rodgers, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Hank Thompson, Hank Williams and Hank Snow because they were all in his parents' record collection.
Terry Allen is an American singer-songwriter and visual artist from Lubbock, Texas. Allen's musical career spans several albums in the Texas country and outlaw country genres, and his visual art includes painting, conceptual art, performance, and sculpture, with a number of notable bronze sculptures installed publicly in various cities throughout the United States. He currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The Kerrville Folk Festival is a music festival held for 18 consecutive days in late spring/early summer at Quiet Valley Ranch near Kerrville, Texas.
Joe Ely is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He was "one of the main movers" of Austin, Texas's progressive country scene in the 1970s and '80s.
Butch Hancock is an American country recording artist and songwriter. He is a member of The Flatlanders along with Joe Ely and Jimmie Dale Gilmore, but he has principally performed solo.
Bob Livingston is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass player, and a founding member of The Lost Gonzo Band. Livingston was a key figure in the Cosmic Cowboy, progressive country and outlaw country movements that distinguished the Austin, Texas music scene in the 1970s. Over the years, Bob Livingston has gained a reputation as a band leader, solo artist, session musician and sideman in folk, Americana and country music. He has toured without stop for 47 years, and is one of the most experienced and world traveled musicians in all of Texas music. Livingston's CD, Gypsy Alibi, released by New Wilderness Records in 2011, won the "Album of the Year" at the Texas Music Awards. In January 2016, Livingston was inducted into the Texas Music Legends Hall of Fame in 2016 and into the West Texas Music Walk of Fame in 2018. Howlin' Dog Records released Livingston's latest CD, Up The Flatland Stairs, January 10, 2018.
Marce Lacouture is an American folk music and cajun recording artist and song writer.
Thomas O. Hancock was an American musician widely regarded as the godfather of West Texas music.
Honky Tonk Masquerade is the second album by country singer-songwriter Joe Ely, released in 1978.
Joe Ely is the 1977 debut album by Texas singer-songwriter, Joe Ely. The album includes several tracks written by Ely's bandmates in the Flatlanders.
Live Shots is a live album recorded in London by American country outfit the Joe Ely Band during a 1980 tour supporting the Clash. The tour occurred at a high point in the Clash's popularity just after the release of the album London Calling.
Carroll DesChamps "Champ" Hood was an American singer and multi-instrumentalist. He was inducted into the Austin Music Memorial in 2011, the Austin Chronicle’s Texas Music Hall of Fame in 2000, and was a five-time recipient of the Austin Best String Player Award.
Joe Ely is an American singer-songwriter. His discography consists of 16 studio albums, 6 live albums, 20 singles, 13 compilations, 1 studio EP, and 6 music videos. In addition, he has been a performer on numerous albums by other artists.
Butch Hancock is a country and folk music recording artist and songwriter. His discography consists of 12 studio albums, 2 singles, and 2 compilations. In addition, his songs have been performed on numerous albums by other artists.
Jimmie Dale Gilmore is an American country singer, songwriter, actor, recording artist and producer. His discography consists of 9 studio albums, 1 live album, 2 compilations, 2 EPs, and 6 singles. In addition, his songs have been performed on numerous albums by other artists.
"After Awhile" is an album by country music singer-songwriter Jimmie Dale Gilmore. It was released in 1991 as his debut album for Elektra Nonesuch Records.
One Endless Night is an album by the American musician Jimmie Dale Gilmore, released in 2000. It peaked at No. 29 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart. Gilmore supported the album by touring with the Flatlanders.