Cymarron
Encyclopedia
Cymarron was an American
soft rock
band
from the 1970s, most famous for their song
"Rings" - a number 17 hit
in 1971 . "Rings" was also the first single release on Columbia
's Entrance label
. Cymarron was composed of Rick Yancey, Sherrill Parks, and Richard Mainegra. They named their group after Cimarron Strip
- a short-lived TV
western
from 1967.
The band's only top 20 hit, "Rings" was written by outside songwriter
s Eddie Reeves
and Alex Harvey, and produced
by Chips Moman
. Moman had earlier hired Yancey as a studio
musician
. Yancey wrote the flip-side
of their popular single, the song "Like Children". The song "Rings" was subsequently covered
by both Lobo
and Reuben Howell in 1974. Cymarron achieved little other success, despite releasing another album
and several other singles.
In 1991, Yancey and Mainegra joined Jimmy Griffin
in forming the country music
band The Remingtons
. Yancey and Griffin also performed together as GYC until Griffin's death in 2005.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soft rock
Soft rock
Soft rock is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock music to compose a softer, more toned-down sound. Soft rock songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers and sometimes...
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...
from the 1970s, most famous for their song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
"Rings" - a number 17 hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in 1971 . "Rings" was also the first single release on Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
's Entrance label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. Cymarron was composed of Rick Yancey, Sherrill Parks, and Richard Mainegra. They named their group after Cimarron Strip
Cimarron Strip
Cimarron Strip is an American Western television series that aired on CBS from September 1967 to March 1968. Starring Stuart Whitman as Marshal Jim Crown, the series was produced by the creators of Gunsmoke...
- a short-lived TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
from 1967.
The band's only top 20 hit, "Rings" was written by outside songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
s Eddie Reeves
Eddie Reeves
Edward Benton Reeves is an American songwriter who has also been a recording artist, music publisher, artist manager, record company executive, and author...
and Alex Harvey, and produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by 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...
. Moman had earlier hired Yancey as a studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. Yancey wrote the flip-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of their popular single, the song "Like Children". The song "Rings" was subsequently covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by both Lobo
Lobo (musician)
Roland Kent LaVoie, better known by the stage name Lobo , is an American singer-songwriter who was successful in the early 1970s, scoring several U.S...
and Reuben Howell in 1974. Cymarron achieved little other success, despite releasing another album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
and several other singles.
In 1991, Yancey and Mainegra joined Jimmy Griffin
Jimmy Griffin
James Arthur Griffin was a singer, guitarist, and songwriter with the 1970s rock band Bread.-Early life:An Academy Award winning songwriter, Griffin was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, but grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. His musical training began when his parents signed him up for accordion lessons...
in forming the country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
band The Remingtons
The Remingtons
The Remingtons was an American country music group founded by Jimmy Griffin, Richard Mainegra, and Rick Yancey, all of whom played guitar and sang. All three members were previously members of soft rock groups: Griffin was previously a member of Bread, while Mainegra and Yancey had previously been...
. Yancey and Griffin also performed together as GYC until Griffin's death in 2005.