High on the Hog (Black Oak Arkansas album)
Encyclopedia
High on the Hog is the most commercially successful album by the southern rock
band Black Oak Arkansas
. It is mainly known for its cover of the LaVern Baker
song "Jim Dandy
", which reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100
. The album prominently featured southern electric guitar licks and James Mangrum
's scratchy, hillbilly
vocals.
and "Moonshine Sonata" by Black Oak Arkansas & Tom Dowd
Singles - Billboard (North America)
Southern rock
Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music, and genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitar and vocals...
band Black Oak Arkansas
Black Oak Arkansas
Black Oak Arkansas is an American Southern rock band named after the band's hometown of Black Oak, Arkansas. The band reached the height of its fame in the 1970s with ten charting albums released in that decade...
. It is mainly known for its cover of the LaVern Baker
LaVern Baker
LaVern Baker was an American rhythm and blues singer, who had several hit records on the pop chart in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her most successful records were "Tweedlee Dee" , "Jim Dandy" , and "I Cried a Tear" .-Early life:She was born Delores LaVern Baker in Chicago, Illinois...
song "Jim Dandy
Jim Dandy (song)
"Jim Dandy" is a song written by Lincoln Chase, and was first recorded by American R&B singer LaVern Baker in 1956. It reached the top of the R&B chart and #17 on the pop charts in the U.S...
", which reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100
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...
. The album prominently featured southern electric guitar licks and James Mangrum
Jim "Dandy" Mangrum
James Mangrum, better known as Jim "Dandy" Mangrum , is the lead singer and frontman for the American Southern rock band Black Oak Arkansas. He is noted for his raspy voice, long hair, and wild, sexually-explicit stage antics which sometimes included miming sex with a washboard which he often uses...
's scratchy, hillbilly
Hillbilly
Hillbilly is a term referring to certain people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia but also the Ozarks. Owing to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term is frequently considered derogatory, and so is usually offensive to those Americans of...
vocals.
Track listing
All songs by Black Oak Arkansas, except "Jim Dandy" by Lincoln ChaseLincoln Chase
Lincoln R. Chase was an African-American songwriter and occasional recording artist. As a writer, his most notable songs were "Such a Night", "Jim Dandy", and several of Shirley Ellis' hits in the early 1960s including "The Name Game" and "The Clapping Song".-Career:He studied at the American...
and "Moonshine Sonata" by Black Oak Arkansas & Tom Dowd
Tom Dowd
Tom Dowd was an American recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. He was credited with innovating the multi-track recording method. Dowd worked on a virtual "who's who" of recordings that encompassed blues, jazz, pop, rock and soul records.- Early years :Born in Manhattan, Dowd grew...
- "Swimmin' in Quicksand" - 3:20
- "Back to the Land" - 2:25
- "Movin'" - 3:13
- "Happy Hooker" - 5:27
- "Red Hot Lovin'" - 2:45
- "Jim DandyJim Dandy (song)"Jim Dandy" is a song written by Lincoln Chase, and was first recorded by American R&B singer LaVern Baker in 1956. It reached the top of the R&B chart and #17 on the pop charts in the U.S...
" - 2:38 - "Moonshine Sonata" - 5:26
- "Why Shouldn't I Smile" - 2:21
- "High 'n' Dry" - 2:25
- "Mad Man" - 3:50
Personnel
- Jim "Dandy" MangrumJim "Dandy" MangrumJames Mangrum, better known as Jim "Dandy" Mangrum , is the lead singer and frontman for the American Southern rock band Black Oak Arkansas. He is noted for his raspy voice, long hair, and wild, sexually-explicit stage antics which sometimes included miming sex with a washboard which he often uses...
- vocals - Harvey Jett - guitars
- Stanley Knight - guitars
- Rick Reynolds - guitars
- Pat Daugherty - bass
- Abel Ji McKnight - drums
Production
- Tom DowdTom DowdTom Dowd was an American recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. He was credited with innovating the multi-track recording method. Dowd worked on a virtual "who's who" of recordings that encompassed blues, jazz, pop, rock and soul records.- Early years :Born in Manhattan, Dowd grew...
- producer - Ron & Howie Albert - engineers on tracks 3, 9, 10
- Ed Barton - engineer on the other tracks
- Joe PetagnoJoe PetagnoJoe Petagno is an artist known principally for creating images used on rock album covers, for bands such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Nazareth, Motörhead, Roy Harper, Marduk, Nightshade, and Illdisposed....
- album illustration
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)Year | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|
1974 | The Billboard 200 | 52 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|---|
1974 | "Jim Dandy" | Billboard Hot 100 | 25 |