Exile (American band)
Encyclopedia
Exile, originally known as The Exiles, is an American
band founded in Richmond, Kentucky
by J.P. Pennington
. They started by playing local clubs which led to touring with Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars opening shows and providing backup for major rock artists of the period.
Their name was shortened to Exile in 1973, consisting of leader/guitarist Pennington, lead singer Jimmy Stokley, keyboardist Buzz Cornelison, bassist Kenny Weir, and drummer Bobby Johns.
They hit the peak of their success in 1978 with the rock pop ballad hit "Kiss You All Over
." After a couple of minor subsequent pop hits, they re-established in 1983 as a country music
group. Between then and the early 1990s, the band had several country chart hits, including the Number Ones "Woke Up in Love
", "I Don't Want to Be a Memory
", "Give Me One More Chance
", "Crazy For Your Love
", "She's a Miracle
", "Hang On to Your Heart
", "I Could Get Used to You
", "It'll Be Me
", "She's Too Good to Be True
" and "I Can't Get Close Enough
". Although their chart success waned by 1991, they have continued to record ever since.
The country music version of the band included J.P. Pennington (guitar
, lead vocals), Les Taylor
(guitar, vocals), Sonny LeMaire (bass
, vocals), Marlon Hargis (keyboards
) and Steve Goetzman/Gary Freeman (drums
). Their biggest hits, spanning from 1978 through 1987, included "Kiss You All Over
", "Woke Up in Love", "She's a Miracle" and "Give Me One More Chance".
Pennington wrote
many of the group's song
s (often with LeMaire) and several were covered by other artists, including "The Closer You Get
" and "Take Me Down
", both covered by Alabama
, "It Ain't Easy Bein' Easy" covered by Janie Fricke
and "Just In Case" by the Forester Sisters. "Kiss You All Over" was used in the 1996 Adam Sandler
movie
Happy Gilmore
and in the 2006 film Employee of the Month
.
J.P. Pennington’s songwriting talent led to recognition as BMI Writer of the Year to one of BMI’s Top 100 Writers of the Century. His music has been recorded by Alabama, Janie Fricke, Kenny Rogers and other artists.
students started a rock and roll
band in Richmond, Kentucky
. They called themselves the Exiles. Those original Richmond Exiles were Jimmy Stokley, Ronnie 'Mac' Davenport, Ronnie Hall, Paul Smith, J. P. Pennington,Tom Dunn and Buzz Cornelison. Their chosen name may have resulted from the influx of Cubans
into the United States
after the Fidel Castro
takeover in 1959. According to original Exile Pennington, “There were a lot of Cuban exiles coming across...the word was in the news and we felt we were also somewhat ostracized from the local society. We had long hair back then...”
Richmond natives Mike Howard, Larry Jackson, Danny Williams and Billy Luxon were also members of the Exiles in the 1960s. Most of the Exiles were students at Madison Central
and Madison High School
in Richmond when the band formed and played together from 1963-65. They were an off-shoot of Ronnie (Hall) and the Fascinations and another Richmond area group, the Digits. They were known in those early years as Jimmy Stokley and the Exiles. Stokley (18 October 1943 - 13 August 1985) was the lead singer of the group and continued in that capacity until 1979. It is Stokley's lead voice that is prominent on Exile's 1978 Billboard
pop music
chart-topper, "Kiss You All Over".
When the Dick Clark Caravan Of Stars hit the road in 1965, they picked up the Exiles to perform on several dates in and around Kentucky. They continued touring nationally with the Caravan of Stars through to 1968; opening the show and providing back-up for headlining stars
like Freddy Cannon
, the Young Rascals
, B. J. Thomas
and others.
In the late 1960s, they recorded for both Date Records and Columbia Records
, and in the early 1970s for SSS International, Date, Curb and Wooden Nickel record label
s. With the help of Cecil Jones of Lemco Sound Studios in Lexington, the Exiles developed and polished their sound. The band scored regional hits such as "Devil's Bite" and "Church Street Soul Revival" (written and produced
by Tommy James
).
that same year. Singles released from the album proved unsuccessful, and it would be a good five years before the band released a full-length follow-up album.
In 1977, the band released the single "Try it On" on Atco Records
, and it became a minor hit. The following year, Mike Chapman, an Australia
n who had established himself as a record producer in the UK, came to the United States
in search of an experienced group who wrote their own material. Chapman heard an Exile demo
and went to their next concert
. Chapman evidently enjoyed what he saw. He and Exile decided to collaborate and together they produced the Mixed Emotions album
on Warner/Curb Records. The first single release from that album was "Kiss You All Over." The single reached Billboard's Top 40 on 5 August 1978. It remained on the chart
for seventeen weeks and was #1 for four weeks in September. It was a best-seller for six months.
Their follow up single, "You Thrill Me," also from the Mixed Emotions LP
did not fare as well, although it did reach the Top 40 for one week on 3 February 1979. The band toured with Aerosmith
, Heart
, Dave Mason
, Boston
, Seals & Crofts and other hot pop acts of the late seventies throughout the United States, Europe
and Africa
.
All There Is, the group's second Warner Bros. Records
album, recorded
a year later with a distinct disco beat, yielded a foreign hit, "The Part Of Me That Needs You Most." This single did particularly well in Europe and South Africa
. Don't Leave Me This Way, their third album, produced by Peter Coleman, yielded two more singles, "Take Me Down" and "Smooth Sailing." Once again, it did well in Europe and South
Africa although their popularity in the United States waned.
Numerous personnel changes took place in 1979. Perhaps most significantly, Stokley would leave the group that year, forcing remaining members guitarist/vocalist J.P. Pennington, keyboardist Buzz Cornelison, keyboardist/vocalist Marlon Hargis, bassist/vocalist Sonny Lemaire and drummers Steve Goetzman and Gary Freeman to search for a new lead singer. A young singer, Les Taylor, accepted an invitation to join the group and shared lead vocal duties with Pennington. By the early 1980s, other lineup changes took place, including the exit of original member Buzz Cornelison, plus keyboardist Mark Gray, who co-wrote "The Closer You Get" & "Take Me Down", both of which became hits for the group Alabama
, played a short stint from 1980-82.
, who helped spearhead the group's transformation into a country band with a strong Southern rock flavor. Solidified with the lineup of Pennington, Taylor, Lemaire, Goetzman and, Hargis, Exile saw a number of their songs become hits for other country acts, and followed that success to Nashville themselves. In 1983, they released their first country chart single, "High Cost Of Leaving" produced by legendary Nashville starmaker Buddy Killen
, reaching the Top 40 at a respectable #27 on the country chart, then followed by a flurry of four successive #1 country singles in 1984, namely "Woke Up In Love," "I Don't Want To Be A Memory," "Give Me One More Chance" and "Crazy For Your Love". There were six more #1 country singles by 1987: "She's A Miracle," "Hang On To Your Heart," "I Could Get Used To You," "It'll Be Me," "She's Too Good To Be True" and "I Can't Get Close Enough" and numerous minor hits. Exile received 11 nominations for Vocal as well as Instrumental Group Of The Year from the Academy of Country Music
and the Country Music Association
.
Meanwhile, original lead singer and band co-founder Jimmy Stokley died on August 13, 1985. An Associated Press obituary published in The Miami Herald
on August 15, 1985 attributed his death at Pattie A. Clay Hospital in Richmond to complications from hepatitis
. Stokley had been experiencing complications from hepatitis for over a year prior to his passing. In October 1984, the then-current members of Exile performed a benefit concert for him at Eastern Kentucky University
to help Stokley pay for his medical expenses.
" and "Nobody's Talking
" were Top 10 Country hits, while "Keep It in the Middle of the Road" and "There You Go" reached the Top 40. 1991's Justice brought Mark Jones on guitar, essentially to help cover Les Taylor's parts, but though the single "Even Now" was released and charted as a minor Top 20 hit from this album, the momentum was obviously lost; the stresses and strains of success and the continual loss of members, especially the core of Pennington and Taylor, finally brought the group down and the group disbanded in 1993. Many of the band’s former members (21 in all) gathered onstage for a farewell concert in Lexington. Exile played another farewell concert at the Grand Ole Opry
House in Nashville.
and landed a Top 30 hit with "Whatever It Takes". Taylor inked a deal with Epic Records
and released two singles, including "Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda Loved You" which peaked at #46. They continued to write songs and perform solo. Taylor sang national jingles and Pennington produced. LeMaire eventually formed a group called Burnin' Daylight
, which also included a former member of Southern Pacific
.
In 1995, Pennington & Taylor met up and performed together one night in Lexington at a nightclub
. Their impromptu meeting caused them to seriously discuss putting Exile back together. More local shows followed and crowds flocked to their appearances. Taylor and Pennington resurrected the Exile name that same year. The group has since continued to perform on a regular basis and appeared at the Kentucky State Fair
with Dwight Yoakam
in August 2006.
All told, there have been 35 members of Exile. The most recent line-up consisted of J. P. Pennington, Les Taylor, Ray Salyer, Steve Richmond, and Jason Witt. However, on October 19, 2006, Taylor announced that he would once again leave Exile to pursue solo interests. Two years later, on October 1, 2008, it was announced that the mid 1980s country
lineup (Pennington, Taylor, Sonny LeMaire, Marlon Hargis and Steve Goetzman) had reunited with plans to release an EP
and tour dates to be scheduled.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
band founded in Richmond, Kentucky
Richmond, Kentucky
There were 10,795 households out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.6% were non-families. Of all households, 34.7% were made up of individuals and 8.8% had...
by J.P. Pennington
J.P. Pennington
James Preston "J.P." Pennington is an American musician, known primarily as a founding member of the country pop band Exile. Pennington was the founding member and lead singer of the group until departing in 1990. After his leaving Exile, he signed to MCA Records as a solo artist. There, he...
. They started by playing local clubs which led to touring with Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars opening shows and providing backup for major rock artists of the period.
Their name was shortened to Exile in 1973, consisting of leader/guitarist Pennington, lead singer Jimmy Stokley, keyboardist Buzz Cornelison, bassist Kenny Weir, and drummer Bobby Johns.
They hit the peak of their success in 1978 with the rock pop ballad hit "Kiss You All Over
Kiss You All Over
"Kiss You All Over" is a number one single in the United States during 1978 by the group Exile. It was included on the band's album Mixed Emotions, and it featured primarily the late Jimmy Stokley on lead vocals...
." After a couple of minor subsequent pop hits, they re-established in 1983 as a 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...
group. Between then and the early 1990s, the band had several country chart hits, including the Number Ones "Woke Up in Love
Woke Up in Love
"Woke Up in Love" is a 1983 single by Exile. "Woke Up in Love" was written by then-lead singer J.P. Pennington and was Exile's second country hit and the first of ten number one singles on the country chart. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of twelve weeks on the...
", "I Don't Want to Be a Memory
I Don't Want to Be a Memory
"I Don't Want to Be a Memory" is a 1984 single by Exile. "I Don't Want to Be a Memory" was written by then-lead singer J.P. Pennington and bass player Sonny LeMaire and was Exile's second number one on the country chart. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of fourteen...
", "Give Me One More Chance
Give Me One More Chance
"Give Me One More Chance" is a 1984 single by Exile. "Give Me One More Chance" was written by then-lead singer J.P. Pennington and bass player Sonny LeMaire and was Exile's third number one country hit. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of fifteen weeks on the country...
", "Crazy For Your Love
Crazy for Your Love
"Crazy for Your Love" is a 1985 single by Exile. "Crazy for Your Love" was written by then-lead singer J.P. Pennington and bass player Sonny LeMaire and was Exile's fourth number one country hit. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of thirteen weeks on the country chart...
", "She's a Miracle
She's a Miracle
"She's a Miracle" is a 1985 single by Exile. "She's a Miracle" was written by then-lead singer J.P. Pennington and bass player Sonny LeMaire and was Exile's sixth number one on the country chart. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of thirteen weeks on the country chart...
", "Hang On to Your Heart
Hang On to Your Heart
"Hang On to Your Heart" is a 1985 single by Exile. "Hang On to Your Heart" was written by then-lead singer J.P. Pennington and bass player Sonny LeMaire and was Exile's sixth number one country hit. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of fifteen weeks on the country...
", "I Could Get Used to You
I Could Get Used to You
"I Could Get Used to You" is a 1985 single by Exile. "I Could Get Used to You" was written by then-lead singer J.P. Pennington and bass player Sonny LeMaire and was the seventh number one country hit for Exile. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of fourteen weeks on the...
", "It'll Be Me
It'll Be Me
"It'll Be Me" is a 1986 single by Exile. "It'll Be Me", which was written by then-lead singer J.P. Pennington and bass player Sonny LeMaire and featured Les Taylor and lead vocals, was Exile's seventh number one country single. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of...
", "She's Too Good to Be True
She's Too Good to Be True (Exile song)
"She's Too Good to Be True" is 1987 single by Exile. "She's Too Good to Be True", which was written by then-lead singer J.P. Pennington and bass player Sonny LeMaire and featured Les Taylor on lead vocals, was Exile's ninth number one country song...
" and "I Can't Get Close Enough
I Can't Get Close Enough
"I Can't Get Close Enough" is a 1987 single by Exile. "I Can't Get Close Enough" was written by then-lead singer J.P. Pennington and bass player Sonny LeMaire and was Exile's tenth and final number one country hit. The single went to number for one week and spent a total of fourteen weeks on the...
". Although their chart success waned by 1991, they have continued to record ever since.
The country music version of the band included J.P. Pennington (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, lead vocals), Les Taylor
Les Taylor (singer)
Les Taylor is an American country music artist. Taylor has released two studio albums on Epic Records. His highest charting single, "I Gotta Mind to Go Crazy," peaked at #44 in 1991....
(guitar, vocals), Sonny LeMaire (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals), Marlon Hargis (keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
) and Steve Goetzman/Gary Freeman (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
). Their biggest hits, spanning from 1978 through 1987, included "Kiss You All Over
Kiss You All Over
"Kiss You All Over" is a number one single in the United States during 1978 by the group Exile. It was included on the band's album Mixed Emotions, and it featured primarily the late Jimmy Stokley on lead vocals...
", "Woke Up in Love", "She's a Miracle" and "Give Me One More Chance".
Pennington wrote
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...
many of the group's 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...
s (often with LeMaire) and several were covered by other artists, including "The Closer You Get
The Closer You Get (Alabama song)
"The Closer You Get" is a song made famous by the country music band Alabama. Originally released in 1983, the song was the title track and second single to Alabama's fourth album, The Closer You Get....-About the song:...
" and "Take Me Down
Take Me Down (Alabama song)
"Take Me Down" is a song made famous by the country music band Alabama. Originally released in 1982, the song was the second single from Alabama's third album, Mountain Music....
", both covered by Alabama
Alabama (band)
Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook...
, "It Ain't Easy Bein' Easy" covered by Janie Fricke
Janie Fricke
Janie Fricke is an American country music singer, best remembered for a series of country music hits in the early to mid 1980s....
and "Just In Case" by the Forester Sisters. "Kiss You All Over" was used in the 1996 Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Happy Gilmore
Happy Gilmore
Happy Gilmore is a 1996 sports comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan and produced by Robert Simonds for Universal Studios. It stars Adam Sandler as the title character, an unsuccessful ice hockey player who discovers a talent for golf. The screenplay was written by Sandler and Tim Herlihy...
and in the 2006 film Employee of the Month
Employee of the Month (2006 film)
Employee of the Month is a 2006 American comedy film directed by Greg Coolidge, written by Don Calame, Chris Conroy, and Coolidge, and starring Dane Cook, Jessica Simpson and Dax Shepard. The main plot revolves around two shop employees who compete for the affection of their newest co-worker...
.
J.P. Pennington’s songwriting talent led to recognition as BMI Writer of the Year to one of BMI’s Top 100 Writers of the Century. His music has been recorded by Alabama, Janie Fricke, Kenny Rogers and other artists.
1960s – Early rock and roll years
In 1963, a group of high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
students started a rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
band in Richmond, Kentucky
Richmond, Kentucky
There were 10,795 households out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.6% were non-families. Of all households, 34.7% were made up of individuals and 8.8% had...
. They called themselves the Exiles. Those original Richmond Exiles were Jimmy Stokley, Ronnie 'Mac' Davenport, Ronnie Hall, Paul Smith, J. P. Pennington,Tom Dunn and Buzz Cornelison. Their chosen name may have resulted from the influx of Cubans
Cubans
Cubans or Cuban people are the inhabitants or citizens of Cuba. Cuba is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
into the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after the Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
takeover in 1959. According to original Exile Pennington, “There were a lot of Cuban exiles coming across...the word was in the news and we felt we were also somewhat ostracized from the local society. We had long hair back then...”
Richmond natives Mike Howard, Larry Jackson, Danny Williams and Billy Luxon were also members of the Exiles in the 1960s. Most of the Exiles were students at Madison Central
Madison Central High School (Kentucky)
Madison Central High School is a public high school located in Richmond, Kentucky. Its school mascot is the Native American. The original Central High School was built in 1938 and was one of several small high schools that were part of the Madison County school system...
and Madison High School
Madison High School (Richmond, Kentucky)
Madison High School was an independent city high school in Richmond, Kentucky . The school's enrollment never exceeded 400 and it never graduated a class of more than 85 students in its 70 year existence...
in Richmond when the band formed and played together from 1963-65. They were an off-shoot of Ronnie (Hall) and the Fascinations and another Richmond area group, the Digits. They were known in those early years as Jimmy Stokley and the Exiles. Stokley (18 October 1943 - 13 August 1985) was the lead singer of the group and continued in that capacity until 1979. It is Stokley's lead voice that is prominent on Exile's 1978 Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
chart-topper, "Kiss You All Over".
When the Dick Clark Caravan Of Stars hit the road in 1965, they picked up the Exiles to perform on several dates in and around Kentucky. They continued touring nationally with the Caravan of Stars through to 1968; opening the show and providing back-up for headlining stars
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
like Freddy Cannon
Freddy Cannon
Frederick Anthony Picariello Jr. , known as Freddy Cannon, is an American rock and roll singer, whose biggest international hits included "Tallahassee Lassie", "Way Down Yonder In New Orleans", and "Palisades Park".-Biography:...
, the Young Rascals
The Rascals
The Rascals were an American blue-eyed soul group initially active during the years 1965–72. The band released numerous top ten singles in North America during the mid- and late-1960s, including the U.S. #1 hits "Good Lovin'" , "Groovin'" , and "People Got to Be Free"...
, B. J. Thomas
B. J. Thomas
Billy Joe "B. J." Thomas is an American popular singer known for his chart-topping hits in the 1960s and 1970s—appearing on the pop, adult contemporary, country and Hot 100 charts.-Career:...
and others.
In the late 1960s, they recorded for both Date Records and Columbia Records
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...
, and in the early 1970s for SSS International, Date, Curb and Wooden Nickel record 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,...
s. With the help of Cecil Jones of Lemco Sound Studios in Lexington, the Exiles developed and polished their sound. The band scored regional hits such as "Devil's Bite" and "Church Street Soul Revival" (written 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 Tommy James
Tommy James
Tommy James is an American pop-rock musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known as leader of the 1960s rock band Tommy James and the Shondells.-Early life and career:...
).
1970s – First chart success
The band changed musical styles throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s. They shortened their name to Exile in 1973 and released their eponymous debut album through Wooden Nickel RecordsWooden Nickel Records
Wooden Nickel Records was an American independent record label started in 1971 by Bill Traut, Jim Golden and Jerry Weintraub as a successor to Dunwich Records. Most of Wooden Nickel's releases were by acts based in the Chicago area, including the Siegel-Schwall Band, Megan McDonough and Styx. The...
that same year. Singles released from the album proved unsuccessful, and it would be a good five years before the band released a full-length follow-up album.
In 1977, the band released the single "Try it On" on Atco Records
Atco Records
ATCO Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, currently operating through WMG's Rhino Entertainment.-Beginnings:Atco Records was founded in 1955 as a division of Atlantic Records. It was devised as an outlet for productions by one of Atlantic's founders, Herb Abramson, who...
, and it became a minor hit. The following year, Mike Chapman, an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n who had established himself as a record producer in the UK, came to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in search of an experienced group who wrote their own material. Chapman heard an Exile demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
and went to their next concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
. Chapman evidently enjoyed what he saw. He and Exile decided to collaborate and together they produced the Mixed Emotions 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...
on Warner/Curb Records. The first single release from that album was "Kiss You All Over." The single reached Billboard's Top 40 on 5 August 1978. It remained on the chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
for seventeen weeks and was #1 for four weeks in September. It was a best-seller for six months.
Their follow up single, "You Thrill Me," also from the Mixed Emotions LP
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
did not fare as well, although it did reach the Top 40 for one week on 3 February 1979. The band toured with Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, Heart
Heart (band)
Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
, Dave Mason
Dave Mason
David Thomas "Dave" Mason is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic...
, Boston
Boston (band)
Boston is an American rock band from Boston, Massachusetts that achieved its most notable successes during the 1970s and 1980s. Centered on guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and producer Tom Scholz, the band is a staple of classic rock radio playlists...
, Seals & Crofts and other hot pop acts of the late seventies throughout the United States, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
All There Is, the group's second Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
album, recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
a year later with a distinct disco beat, yielded a foreign hit, "The Part Of Me That Needs You Most." This single did particularly well in Europe and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Don't Leave Me This Way, their third album, produced by Peter Coleman, yielded two more singles, "Take Me Down" and "Smooth Sailing." Once again, it did well in Europe and South
Africa although their popularity in the United States waned.
Numerous personnel changes took place in 1979. Perhaps most significantly, Stokley would leave the group that year, forcing remaining members guitarist/vocalist J.P. Pennington, keyboardist Buzz Cornelison, keyboardist/vocalist Marlon Hargis, bassist/vocalist Sonny Lemaire and drummers Steve Goetzman and Gary Freeman to search for a new lead singer. A young singer, Les Taylor, accepted an invitation to join the group and shared lead vocal duties with Pennington. By the early 1980s, other lineup changes took place, including the exit of original member Buzz Cornelison, plus keyboardist Mark Gray, who co-wrote "The Closer You Get" & "Take Me Down", both of which became hits for the group Alabama
Alabama (band)
Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook...
, played a short stint from 1980-82.
1980s – Move to country music
When lead singer Stokley departed in 1980, he was replaced by singer/guitarist Les TaylorLes Taylor (singer)
Les Taylor is an American country music artist. Taylor has released two studio albums on Epic Records. His highest charting single, "I Gotta Mind to Go Crazy," peaked at #44 in 1991....
, who helped spearhead the group's transformation into a country band with a strong Southern rock flavor. Solidified with the lineup of Pennington, Taylor, Lemaire, Goetzman and, Hargis, Exile saw a number of their songs become hits for other country acts, and followed that success to Nashville themselves. In 1983, they released their first country chart single, "High Cost Of Leaving" produced by legendary Nashville starmaker Buddy Killen
Buddy Killen
William Doyce “Buddy” Killen was a record producer and music publisher, and a former owner of Trinity Broadcasting Network, and the largest country music publishing business, before he sold it in 1989...
, reaching the Top 40 at a respectable #27 on the country chart, then followed by a flurry of four successive #1 country singles in 1984, namely "Woke Up In Love," "I Don't Want To Be A Memory," "Give Me One More Chance" and "Crazy For Your Love". There were six more #1 country singles by 1987: "She's A Miracle," "Hang On To Your Heart," "I Could Get Used To You," "It'll Be Me," "She's Too Good To Be True" and "I Can't Get Close Enough" and numerous minor hits. Exile received 11 nominations for Vocal as well as Instrumental Group Of The Year from the Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
and the Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
.
Meanwhile, original lead singer and band co-founder Jimmy Stokley died on August 13, 1985. An Associated Press obituary published in The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered on Biscayne Bay in the Omni district of Downtown Miami, Florida, United States...
on August 15, 1985 attributed his death at Pattie A. Clay Hospital in Richmond to complications from hepatitis
Hepatitis
Hepatitis is a medical condition defined by the inflammation of the liver and characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. The name is from the Greek hepar , the root being hepat- , meaning liver, and suffix -itis, meaning "inflammation"...
. Stokley had been experiencing complications from hepatitis for over a year prior to his passing. In October 1984, the then-current members of Exile performed a benefit concert for him at Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
to help Stokley pay for his medical expenses.
1990s – Disbanding
Exile didn't weather the change of the decade well as a major lineup change occurred in 1990 with the release of the album Still Standing. Pennington, Taylor and Hargis all exited, replaced by newcomers Paul Martin on guitar and vocals and Lee Carroll on keyboards. The songs were still strong, but a more country-pop oriented sound emerged which didn't find as big a reception as the earlier hits, though "YetYet (song)
"Yet" is the title of a song written by Sonny LeMaire and Randy Sharp by American country music group Exile. It was released in August 1990 as the third single from their album Still Standing. The song reached #7 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in November 1990.-Chart performance:...
" and "Nobody's Talking
Nobody's Talking
"Nobody's Talking" is the title of a song written by Sonny LeMaire and Randy Sharp, and recorded by American country music group Exile. It was released in March 1990 as the second single from their album Still Standing. The song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in July...
" were Top 10 Country hits, while "Keep It in the Middle of the Road" and "There You Go" reached the Top 40. 1991's Justice brought Mark Jones on guitar, essentially to help cover Les Taylor's parts, but though the single "Even Now" was released and charted as a minor Top 20 hit from this album, the momentum was obviously lost; the stresses and strains of success and the continual loss of members, especially the core of Pennington and Taylor, finally brought the group down and the group disbanded in 1993. Many of the band’s former members (21 in all) gathered onstage for a farewell concert in Lexington. Exile played another farewell concert at the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
House in Nashville.
Afterlife and reunion
Pennington signed with MCA RecordsMCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
and landed a Top 30 hit with "Whatever It Takes". Taylor inked a deal with Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
and released two singles, including "Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda Loved You" which peaked at #46. They continued to write songs and perform solo. Taylor sang national jingles and Pennington produced. LeMaire eventually formed a group called Burnin' Daylight
Burnin' Daylight
Burnin' Daylight was an American country music band composed of Marc Beeson , Kurt Howell , and Sonny LeMaire . Howell was formerly a member of Southern Pacific, and LeMaire a former member of Exile...
, which also included a former member of Southern Pacific
Southern Pacific (band)
Southern Pacific was an American country rock band that ran from 1983 to 1991. They are best known for hits such as "Any Way the Wind Blows" , which was used in the soundtrack for the film Pink Cadillac starring Clint Eastwood and Bernadette Peters, and "New Shade of Blue"...
.
In 1995, Pennington & Taylor met up and performed together one night in Lexington at a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
. Their impromptu meeting caused them to seriously discuss putting Exile back together. More local shows followed and crowds flocked to their appearances. Taylor and Pennington resurrected the Exile name that same year. The group has since continued to perform on a regular basis and appeared at the Kentucky State Fair
Kentucky State Fair
The Kentucky State Fair is the official state fair of Kentucky which takes place at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. More than 600,000 fairgoers fill the of indoor and outdoor exhibits, eat a smorgasbord of food and ride hair-raising, adrenaline-pumping coasters during the 11-day event...
with Dwight Yoakam
Dwight Yoakam
Dwight David Yoakam is an American singer-songwriter, actor and film director, most famous for his pioneering country music...
in August 2006.
All told, there have been 35 members of Exile. The most recent line-up consisted of J. P. Pennington, Les Taylor, Ray Salyer, Steve Richmond, and Jason Witt. However, on October 19, 2006, Taylor announced that he would once again leave Exile to pursue solo interests. Two years later, on October 1, 2008, it was announced that the mid 1980s country
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...
lineup (Pennington, Taylor, Sonny LeMaire, Marlon Hargis and Steve Goetzman) had reunited with plans to release an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
and tour dates to be scheduled.
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | RIAA | Label | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
CAN Country | CAN | ||||
| 1973 | Exile | — | — | — | — | — | Wooden Nickel |
| 1978 | Stage Pass | — | — | — | — | — | RCA |
| Mixed Emotions | — | 14 | — | 12 | Gold | Warner Bros. | |
| 1979 | All There Is | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1980 | Don't Leave Me This Way | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1981 | Heart and Soul | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1983 | Exile | 10 | — | 4 | — | — | Epic |
| 1984 | Kentucky Hearts Kentucky Hearts Kentucky Hearts is a studio album by American country music band Exile. It was released in 1984 via Epic Records. The album peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.-Track listing:All songs written by J.P... |
1 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1985 | Hang On to Your Heart | 2 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1986 | Greatest Hits | 2 | — | — | — | Gold | |
| 1987 | Shelter from the Night | 13 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1990 | Still Standing | 42 | — | — | — | — | Arista Nashville |
| 1991 | Justice | 66 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1995 | Latest & Greatest | — | — | — | — | — | Intersound |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US AC Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
CAN Country | CAN | CAN AC | |||
| 1973 | "Devil's Bite" | — | — | — | — | — | — | Exile |
| "Do What You Think You Should" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977 | "Try It On" | — | 97 | — | — | — | — | Single only |
| 1978 | "Kiss You All Over Kiss You All Over "Kiss You All Over" is a number one single in the United States during 1978 by the group Exile. It was included on the band's album Mixed Emotions, and it featured primarily the late Jimmy Stokley on lead vocals... " |
— | 1 | 19 | — | 2 | 2 | Mixed Emotions |
| "You Thrill Me" | — | 40 | — | — | 39 | — | ||
| 1979 | "How Could This Go Wrong" | — | 88 | — | — | — | — | All There Is |
| "Let's Do It Again" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Too Proud to Cry" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980 | "You're Good for Me" | — | 105 | 44 | — | — | — | Don't Leave Me This Way |
| "Take Me Down" | — | 102 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981 | "Heart and Soul Heart and Soul (Huey Lewis and the News song) "Heart and Soul" is a song written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn and made famous by Huey Lewis and the News. The song was first recorded by Exile in 1981 as the title track of their album Heart & Soul. Exile's single was unsuccessful, bubbling under the Billboard Hot 100 at number 102... " |
— | 102 | — | — | — | — | Heart and Soul |
| "Till the Very End" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983 | "High Cost of Leaving" | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | Exile |
| 1984 | "Woke Up in Love Woke Up in Love "Woke Up in Love" is a 1983 single by Exile. "Woke Up in Love" was written by then-lead singer J.P. Pennington and was Exile's second country hit and the first of ten number one singles on the country chart. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of twelve weeks on the... " |
1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | |
| "I Don't Want to Be a Memory I Don't Want to Be a Memory "I Don't Want to Be a Memory" is a 1984 single by Exile. "I Don't Want to Be a Memory" was written by then-lead singer J.P. Pennington and bass player Sonny LeMaire and was Exile's second number one on the country chart. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of fourteen... " |
1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | ||
| "Give Me One More Chance Give Me One More Chance "Give Me One More Chance" is a 1984 single by Exile. "Give Me One More Chance" was written by then-lead singer J.P. Pennington and bass player Sonny LeMaire and was Exile's third number one country hit. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of fifteen weeks on the country... " |
1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | Kentucky Hearts | |
| 1985 | "Crazy for Your Love Crazy for Your Love "Crazy for Your Love" is a 1985 single by Exile. "Crazy for Your Love" was written by then-lead singer J.P. Pennington and bass player Sonny LeMaire and was Exile's fourth number one country hit. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of thirteen weeks on the country chart... " |
1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | |
| "Stay with Me" | 86 | — | — | — | — | — | Mixed Emotions | |
| "She's a Miracle She's a Miracle "She's a Miracle" is a 1985 single by Exile. "She's a Miracle" was written by then-lead singer J.P. Pennington and bass player Sonny LeMaire and was Exile's sixth number one on the country chart. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of thirteen weeks on the country chart... " |
1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | Kentucky Hearts | |
| "Dixie Girl" | — | — | — | — | — | — | Heart and Soul | |
| "Hang On to Your Heart Hang On to Your Heart "Hang On to Your Heart" is a 1985 single by Exile. "Hang On to Your Heart" was written by then-lead singer J.P. Pennington and bass player Sonny LeMaire and was Exile's sixth number one country hit. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of fifteen weeks on the country... " |
1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | Hang On to Your Heart | |
| 1986 | "I Could Get Used to You I Could Get Used to You "I Could Get Used to You" is a 1985 single by Exile. "I Could Get Used to You" was written by then-lead singer J.P. Pennington and bass player Sonny LeMaire and was the seventh number one country hit for Exile. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of fourteen weeks on the... " |
1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | |
| "Super Love" | 14 | — | — | 21 | — | — | Greatest Hits | |
| "It'll Be Me It'll Be Me "It'll Be Me" is a 1986 single by Exile. "It'll Be Me", which was written by then-lead singer J.P. Pennington and bass player Sonny LeMaire and featured Les Taylor and lead vocals, was Exile's seventh number one country single. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of... " |
1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | Hang On to Your Heart | |
| 1987 | "She's Too Good to Be True She's Too Good to Be True (Exile song) "She's Too Good to Be True" is 1987 single by Exile. "She's Too Good to Be True", which was written by then-lead singer J.P. Pennington and bass player Sonny LeMaire and featured Les Taylor on lead vocals, was Exile's ninth number one country song... " |
1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | |
| "I Can't Get Close Enough I Can't Get Close Enough "I Can't Get Close Enough" is a 1987 single by Exile. "I Can't Get Close Enough" was written by then-lead singer J.P. Pennington and bass player Sonny LeMaire and was Exile's tenth and final number one country hit. The single went to number for one week and spent a total of fourteen weeks on the... " |
1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | Shelter from the Night | |
| 1988 | "Feel Like Foolin' Around" | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Just One Kiss Just One Kiss "Just One Kiss" is a single by American country music group Exile. Released in March 1988, it was the third single from their album Shelter from the Night. The song reached #9 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in July 1988.... " |
9 | — | — | 3 | — | — | ||
| "It's You Again" | 21 | — | — | * | — | — | ||
| 1990 | "Keep It in the Middle of the Road" | 17 | — | — | 19 | — | — | Still Standing |
| "Nobody's Talking Nobody's Talking "Nobody's Talking" is the title of a song written by Sonny LeMaire and Randy Sharp, and recorded by American country music group Exile. It was released in March 1990 as the second single from their album Still Standing. The song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in July... " |
2 | — | — | 3 | — | — | ||
| "Yet Yet (song) "Yet" is the title of a song written by Sonny LeMaire and Randy Sharp by American country music group Exile. It was released in August 1990 as the third single from their album Still Standing. The song reached #7 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in November 1990.-Chart performance:... " |
7 | — | — | 5 | — | — | ||
| 1991 | "There You Go" | 32 | — | — | 51 | — | — | |
| "Even Now Even Now (Exile song) "Even Now" is a single by American country music group Exile. Released in 1991, it was the first single from the album Justice. The song reached #16 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.-Chart performance:... " |
16 | — | — | 10 | — | — | Justice | |
| "Nothing at All" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992 | "Somebody's Telling Her Lies" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1995 | "How Bad Can It Be" | — | — | — | 86 | — | — | Latest & Greatest |
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | "Kiss You All Over" | |
| 1984 | "Give Me One More Chance" | |
| 1985 | "She's a Miracle" | Doug Dowdle |
| "If I Didn't Love You" | ||
| 1987 | "I Can't Get Close Enough" | Bob Small |
| 1989 | "Keep It in the Middle of the Road" | Dean Lent |
| 1990 | "Nobody's Talking" | Jim May |
| 1991 | "Even Now" |