Bill Lyerly hasn't come up yet. Bill was a founding member of Super Grit. He left after a few years and formed Thunder Chief (which I thought was a killer band name) and then The Bill Lyerly Band. Bill began working with producer Roy Dea and eventually signed with RCA Nashville. He had a couple of singles released but they never put out an album. RCA went through one of these corporate shakeups and Bill and a number of other acts got dropped. Then he released those RCA recordings on a label from (I think) Ashland Virginia that was financed by coal mining money. The coal industry took a nosedive and that label folded. Bill continued to play regionally and release albums on various labels. His sound has changed to a more power trio blues rock. For the last decade or so he's split his time between Spain and NC. Bill's a good guy, one that almost hit the big time. When he was with RCA he wouldn't abandon his band, insisting that they play on his recordings.
Ha! I forgot about Mike Cross too! He’s another one I saw in Chapel Hill during Spring Fest weekend in ‘79.
Here is Super Grit Cowboy Band in 2012. The band started around 1975 and 13 (guy on harmonica) joined a year or two in and Clyde (vocals, guitar) founded the band. Clyde has been writing and performing for over 60 years. In his 80s now he has two or three other bands going besides SGCB. He is considered one of the best steel players around and played on some of those recordings by the the alternative country artists recordings that have been mentioned earlier. He also produces many of the young up and coming performers in the area.
I have all the vinyl , including 78s... If you are reffering to 2 CD package, that format never has interested me , but thanks anyway
I have that late era stuff on CD on the Soul & Swagger box, but I was just referring to the later material regardless of format. I'm particularly fond of the horns on "They Don't Know".
thats weird. I think I saw that concert, or one just like it... maybe the year before. Was it in the stadium headlined by Nantucket and Jimmy buffet? Thats the spring fest I saw. The only memorable thing was... somebody had spelled out SPRINGFEST in huge letters, made by something glowing in the dark... paper bags with candles? I dont know... but the letters were ginormous, and on the empty side of the stadium bleachers. Some enterprising students made their way up there and took the E and the S and the T and changed them into U and C and K. Quite amusing.
Alright! Some Dillon Fence love from South Cali. You're right, "Living Room Scene" was the bands masterpiece, and should have opened them up to a much larger audience. This is one band that I know exactly what stalled their momentum. Wrong label, wrong management. A classic case. If you haven't already, I would suggest you try out Collapsis' "Dirty Wake" album. Another great Chapel Hill band, with DF's drummer Scott Carle, on board. Took their name from a DF song. Unfortunately met the same fate, for all the same reasons as DF.
Mike Cross got about as big as any of our local artists. I remember he was on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Given that he was basically a solo folk musician it is really kind of amazing. He was played on rock radio, had a strong youthful following but also could play the bluegrass festival circuit. The Bounty Hunter was his big radio song. Of course his novelty songs like The Scotsman and The Great Strip Poker Massacre were probably his biggest calling card. I'm thinking he is still around the Triangle area but don't think he plays professionally much if at all.
I remember pre-FM Rock with WKIX AM. QDR started up when I as 15 so it was huge. I remember Kitty (McKinnen?) was always a big supporter of local and regional acts. It seems like she had a show, maybe on Sunday evenings that was all local music and a jazz show as well on QDR?
Here are a few others that I don't think have been mentioned yet. Doc Holiday (use to play the Switch I think) had 1 or 2 major label releases, maybe A&M Records Sutter's Gold Streak Band, out of New Bern were big with a lot of original music Breckenridge, also from around New Bern, a little before my time, my current guitar teachers old band Loafer's Glory from around Asheville I think, Sam Milner Laret Sam ( I think this was Sam Milner's band when he wasn't playing solo)
Wow! That's a name from the past. I remember her show, on QDR. WKIX, I believe was the Raleigh AM station. In Durham it was WSSB. I remember as a teen, falling asleep to my clock radio tuned to QDR, when they would play whole albums, or 1 side of an album. One bad memory I have is hearing the announcement about the Skynyrd plane crash. I was shocked, and didn't get that much sleep that night. Went to school the next day all tired and bummed out. Like you say, QDR was a big deal back then.
Totally agree with Cry Of Love great band both thier albums get constant play in our house. Audley Freed went on to the Black Crowes after Cry Of Love.
Lazydawg, you and I were walking in each other's footsteps. I got a membership to "The Switch" on the night of my eighteenth birthday. Nice club. I remember seeing Nantucket there at a gig that was billed as their last club gig ever. Which ties into my thread subject. Everyone was sure they were headed to the big time, even the club owners. Same with Doc Holliday. I saw them at the Switch, along with some others I'll bring into the conversation. Razzmatazz, Jesse Bolt, Control Group, Brotherhood of Peace, and others I'm sure I'll remember later.
Fridays was an awesome club. The guys that ran it were really nice, and the place really rocked on a good night. A band I was in played there a lot, but there was some really amazing talent there from time to time ( probably excluding us, lol) REM, The Brains, the DB's, the Knobs, and the previously mentioned Pressure Boys frequently played there. The joint only held about 200 people probably in total disregard for fire codes.
Mike Cross actually played on campus on Friday night, the night before the Spring F**K concert, lol! I remember Jimmy Buffet made some sort of funny comment about that! Nantucket & The Spinners opened for Buffet.
I remember seeing Razzmatazz at a club where Charlie Goodnight's Comedy Club is now (if it is still there) but I don't recall the name of the club. That was probably 1976 or 77, just turned 18.
I know where that is. Saw Jay Leno there years ago. Razz was good, but as far as hard rock, nobody could touch Jesse Bolt. They definitely should have made the big time. They were from Concord. Saw them many times at the Switch, and The Attic in Greenville. Great bands, great times of our youth.
I remember buying tickets for my older brother (I was under age) for Buffet at the Pier. If I'm not mistaken that is where Buffet came up with the backing band name Coral Reefers. Maybe it was the next year (75 or 76?) that Buffet played Campbell College. I didn't have to be 18 for that one so I finally got to see him live before he went mega big. He played a set and then didn't come back for the 2nd set. Campbell is of course a Southern Baptist affiliated (not so much now) institution and the story goes that the powers that be told him not to play anymore songs that dealt with sex, drugs or alcohol. Buffet said, "well that pretty much does it for this show then" and the show was over.
Now that’s funny! The similar sort of thing happened when I was a freshman at Wingate U. in 1979 (southern Baptist too,) & Mother’s Finest played for our Spring concert & it ended up being a shortened set as well thanks to a drug bust backstage! lol!
Yes, but haven't thought about them in 40 years. I know I saw them, but can't recall where. Probably the Attic when I was at ECU. That's one band that I can't remember any details about.
One of the most bad-a$$ rockin' bands of all time. Saw them many times. They're not from NC, but they might as well have been, as much as they played here. Saw them once at Elon College, from the front of the stage, on a double bill with Wet Willie. Incredible show.
Ha! When were you at ECU? I went there after Sandhills Community College and before transferring to Appalachian State. I was there fall 79 to Spring of 81. Saw some great bands at the Attic, JJ's, Tree House, and Carolina Opry House.
