The Hour Glass
Encyclopedia
The Hour Glass were a 1960s rhythm and blues band based in Los Angeles, California
between 1967 and 1968. Among their members were two future members of the Allman Brothers Band (Duane Allman
and his brother Gregg
) and three future studio musicians at the world-renowned Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama
(Pete Carr
, Johnny Sandlin and Paul Hornsby
).
, where they met members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
, whose manager, Bill McEuen, arranged for them a contract with Liberty Records
.
Moving to Los Angeles, they were soon opening for groups like The Doors
and Buffalo Springfield
and recording their eponymous debut album, full of lighthearted poppy soul that was quite contrary to what the group was performing in various clubs and theatres in California such as the Fillmore West
and Troubadour
, picked out by the label from a pool of songwriters including Jackson Browne
and Jimmy Radcliffe
who's song "Nothing But Tears" was the plug for their initial single. The album flopped, perhaps because the group, aside from Gregg Allman, was sparsely used in the studio.
Onstage, the group rarely performed tracks from the album, preferring original material by the younger Allman alongside covers of Otis Redding
and Yardbirds songs. Over the next few months, however, the group lingered, unable to perform outside of southern California due to label constraints. Eventually losing bassist Mabron McKinney, they soldiered on, performing concerts and recording a second album, Power of Love
, which featured bassist Pete Carr
. However, like their debut, Power of Love, which also featured the songwriting skills of Gregg Allman and material that fit the group much better than the material on their debut, flopped.
Pulling out one last-ditch effort by leaving Los Angeles to work at the legendary FAME Studios
in Muscle Shoals, Alabama
, the group recorded a handful of tracks that, for once, showed their full potential in the studio. After these tracks were rejected by the label, the group became dejected and broke up. The group over, Duane and Gregg Allman went to Jacksonville, Florida where they jammed with folk-rockers The 31st of February
, featuring drummer Butch Trucks. The others went to do session work in Muscle Shoals.
Liberty Records threatening to sue the group for disbanding, they were given the rights to a solo album by Gregg Allman to keep them from doing so. However, tracks for the album were only issued twenty-five years later when they were released as bonus tracks on the compact disc
reissues of the group's two albums. With his brother back in Los Angeles, Duane Allman temporarily joined his fellow bandmates in Muscle Shoals, eventually forming The Allman Brothers Band, enticing his brother back from Los Angeles.
March 1968: "Power of Love" / "I Still Want Your Love" - from Power of Love (1968)
June 1968: "D-I-V-O-R-C-E
" / "Changing Of The Guard" (as Greg Allman and the Hour Glass) - Side "A" new recording by Gregg Allman and session musicians, Side "B" from Power of Love (1968)
September 1968: "She Is My Woman" / "Going Nowhere" (as Greg Allman and the Hour Glass) - Side "A" new recording by Gregg Allman and session musicians, Side "B" from Power of Love (1968)
October 1968: "Now Is the Time" / "She Is My Woman" (as Greg Allman and the Hour Glass) - Side "A" from Power of Love (1968), Side "B" previously released on 45 in September 1968
January 1969: "I've Been Trying" / "Silently" (as Greg Allman and the Hour Glass) - from The Hour Glass (1967)
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
between 1967 and 1968. Among their members were two future members of the Allman Brothers Band (Duane Allman
Duane Allman
Howard Duane Allman was an American guitarist, session musician and the primary co-founder of the southern rock group The Allman Brothers Band...
and his brother Gregg
Gregg Allman
Gregory Lenoir Allman , known as Gregg Allman, is a rock and blues singer, keyboardist, guitarist and songwriter, and a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band. He was inducted with the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Georgia...
) and three future studio musicians at the world-renowned Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Muscle Shoals is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of the city to be 12,846. The city is included in The Shoals MSA. It is famous for its contributions to American popular music.-Geography:Muscle Shoals is located...
(Pete Carr
Pete Carr
Jesse Willard "Pete" Carr is an American guitarist. Carr has contributed to hit recordings by Joan Baez, Luther Ingram, Bob Seger, Joe Cocker, Boz Scaggs, Paul Simon, The Staple Singers, Rod Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Wilson Pickett, Hank Williams, Jr., and many more over the past four decades...
, Johnny Sandlin and Paul Hornsby
Paul Hornsby
Paul Hornsby is a musician and record producer who has produced gold and platinum records for artists including the Charlie Daniels Band, the Marshall Tucker Band, and Wet Willie....
).
History
Formed from the ashes of two disbanded rival groups that had played the same southern circuit, The Allman Joys (based in Florida) and the Men-its (based in Alabama), the group was booked in early 1967 into a month-long engagement in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, where they met members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country-folk-rock band that has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California in 1966. The group's membership has had at least a dozen changes over the years, including a period from 1976 to 1981 when the band performed and recorded...
, whose manager, Bill McEuen, arranged for them a contract with Liberty Records
Liberty Records
Liberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
.
Moving to Los Angeles, they were soon opening for groups like The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
and Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield is a North American folk rock band renown both for its music and as a springboard for the careers of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Jim Messina. Among the first wave of North American bands to become popular in the wake of the British invasion, the group combined...
and recording their eponymous debut album, full of lighthearted poppy soul that was quite contrary to what the group was performing in various clubs and theatres in California such as the Fillmore West
Fillmore West
The Fillmore West was an historic music venue in San Francisco, California made famous by concert promoter Bill Graham. Named after Graham's original "Fillmore" location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard, it stood at Market Street and South Van Ness Avenue and was formerly...
and Troubadour
Troubadour
A troubadour was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages . Since the word "troubadour" is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz....
, picked out by the label from a pool of songwriters including Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
and Jimmy Radcliffe
Jimmy Radcliffe
James "Jimmy" Radcliffe was an American soul singer, composer, arranger, conductor and record producer.-Biography:James Radcliffe was born in New York City...
who's song "Nothing But Tears" was the plug for their initial single. The album flopped, perhaps because the group, aside from Gregg Allman, was sparsely used in the studio.
Onstage, the group rarely performed tracks from the album, preferring original material by the younger Allman alongside covers of Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
and Yardbirds songs. Over the next few months, however, the group lingered, unable to perform outside of southern California due to label constraints. Eventually losing bassist Mabron McKinney, they soldiered on, performing concerts and recording a second album, Power of Love
Power of Love (Hour Glass album)
Power of Love was the second record by Hour Glass, issued in March 1968 on Liberty Records, the final by the group that featured the namesakes of The Allman Brothers Band. After the failure of their debut album, Liberty Records allowed a greater independence for the group, who had been virtually...
, which featured bassist Pete Carr
Pete Carr
Jesse Willard "Pete" Carr is an American guitarist. Carr has contributed to hit recordings by Joan Baez, Luther Ingram, Bob Seger, Joe Cocker, Boz Scaggs, Paul Simon, The Staple Singers, Rod Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Wilson Pickett, Hank Williams, Jr., and many more over the past four decades...
. However, like their debut, Power of Love, which also featured the songwriting skills of Gregg Allman and material that fit the group much better than the material on their debut, flopped.
Pulling out one last-ditch effort by leaving Los Angeles to work at the legendary FAME Studios
FAME Studios
FAME Studios are located at 603 East Avalon in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. They have been an integral part of American popular music from the late 1950s to the present...
in Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Muscle Shoals is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of the city to be 12,846. The city is included in The Shoals MSA. It is famous for its contributions to American popular music.-Geography:Muscle Shoals is located...
, the group recorded a handful of tracks that, for once, showed their full potential in the studio. After these tracks were rejected by the label, the group became dejected and broke up. The group over, Duane and Gregg Allman went to Jacksonville, Florida where they jammed with folk-rockers The 31st of February
The 31st of February
The 31st of February was a rock and roll band formed by Jacksonville, Florida natives Scott Boyer, David Brown and Butch Trucks.All three were alumni of Englewood High School in Jacksonville, though they did not come together musically until Brown and Trucks found themselves living on the same...
, featuring drummer Butch Trucks. The others went to do session work in Muscle Shoals.
Liberty Records threatening to sue the group for disbanding, they were given the rights to a solo album by Gregg Allman to keep them from doing so. However, tracks for the album were only issued twenty-five years later when they were released as bonus tracks on the compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
reissues of the group's two albums. With his brother back in Los Angeles, Duane Allman temporarily joined his fellow bandmates in Muscle Shoals, eventually forming The Allman Brothers Band, enticing his brother back from Los Angeles.
Personnel
- Duane AllmanDuane AllmanHoward Duane Allman was an American guitarist, session musician and the primary co-founder of the southern rock group The Allman Brothers Band...
- guitars, sitar, vocal - Gregg AllmanGregg AllmanGregory Lenoir Allman , known as Gregg Allman, is a rock and blues singer, keyboardist, guitarist and songwriter, and a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band. He was inducted with the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Georgia...
- vocal, organ, piano, guitar - Paul HornsbyPaul HornsbyPaul Hornsby is a musician and record producer who has produced gold and platinum records for artists including the Charlie Daniels Band, the Marshall Tucker Band, and Wet Willie....
- piano, organ, guitar, vocal - Pete CarrPete CarrJesse Willard "Pete" Carr is an American guitarist. Carr has contributed to hit recordings by Joan Baez, Luther Ingram, Bob Seger, Joe Cocker, Boz Scaggs, Paul Simon, The Staple Singers, Rod Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Wilson Pickett, Hank Williams, Jr., and many more over the past four decades...
- bass, guitar, vocal (1967–1968) - Johnny Sandlin - drums, guitar, gong
- Mabron McKinney - bass (1967)
Albums
- The Hour Glass (LibertyLiberty RecordsLiberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
, 1967) - Power of LovePower of Love (Hour Glass album)Power of Love was the second record by Hour Glass, issued in March 1968 on Liberty Records, the final by the group that featured the namesakes of The Allman Brothers Band. After the failure of their debut album, Liberty Records allowed a greater independence for the group, who had been virtually...
(LibertyLiberty RecordsLiberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
, 1968) - The Hour Glass (compilation of the two studio albums) (United ArtistsUnited Artists RecordsUnited Artists Records was a record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 initially to distribute records of its movie soundtracks, though it soon branched out into recording music of a number of different genres.-History:...
, 1973) - Southbound (compilation) (Acadia, 2004)
Singles
October 1967: "Nothing But Tears" / "Heartbeat" - from The Hour Glass (1967)March 1968: "Power of Love" / "I Still Want Your Love" - from Power of Love (1968)
June 1968: "D-I-V-O-R-C-E
D-I-V-O-R-C-E
"D-I-V-O-R-C-E" is an American country music song written by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman, and made famous by Tammy Wynette. Wynette's version was a number one country hit in 1968.-Background:...
" / "Changing Of The Guard" (as Greg Allman and the Hour Glass) - Side "A" new recording by Gregg Allman and session musicians, Side "B" from Power of Love (1968)
September 1968: "She Is My Woman" / "Going Nowhere" (as Greg Allman and the Hour Glass) - Side "A" new recording by Gregg Allman and session musicians, Side "B" from Power of Love (1968)
October 1968: "Now Is the Time" / "She Is My Woman" (as Greg Allman and the Hour Glass) - Side "A" from Power of Love (1968), Side "B" previously released on 45 in September 1968
January 1969: "I've Been Trying" / "Silently" (as Greg Allman and the Hour Glass) - from The Hour Glass (1967)
See also
- Allman Brothers Band
- Muscle Shoals, AlabamaMuscle Shoals, AlabamaMuscle Shoals is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of the city to be 12,846. The city is included in The Shoals MSA. It is famous for its contributions to American popular music.-Geography:Muscle Shoals is located...
- FAME StudiosFAME StudiosFAME Studios are located at 603 East Avalon in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. They have been an integral part of American popular music from the late 1950s to the present...
- Muscle Shoals Rhythm SectionMuscle Shoals Rhythm SectionThe Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, also known as The Swampers, are a group of American soul, R&B, and country studio musicians based in the town of Muscle Shoals, Alabama...
External links
- http://www.duaneallman.info/chronologypart1.htm Duane Allman chronology
- http://www.duaneallman.info/duanediscography.htm Duane Allman discography