Was this one of the songs that Gregg recorded vocals for in L.A. and not in the studio in Macon Georgia? I remember reading that his vocals for "Nevertheless" and "Win, Lose or Draw" were recorded in L.A, but never read either way on "Can't Lose What You Never Had."
Thanks
Sorry I don't know the answer to your question. I will say however that despite all the heat that the band has taken regarding this record, there are some real gems here. There are some real turds too, Louisiana Lou and Three Card Monty John being probably the worst. But there is stuff on this record that to my ears is really, really good: The track that you mentioned, Can't Lose What You Never Had, the title cut Win, Lose Or Draw despite the fact that Gregg had a bad cold when he cut the vocals. I also love Dickey's beautiful Just Another Love Song and High Falls is one of his very best instrumentals. Yeah, I know the band was ridiculously disjointed at the time (not together in the studio) and overall it's not up to the band's best work. But it's still head and heels above what most other bands at the time were coming up with.
According to what I was told by a Capricorn record promoter I knew in the mid to late 1970's Phil Walden was desperate to get a follow up to Brothers and Sisters which sold over 5 million copies and made Capricorn Records a lot of money and the band at lot of money. By the third leg of their 1973 tour they were the number one American band. In 1974 the ABB only performed 25 shows but earned a staggering $100 to $150 THOUSAND DOLLARS per show. They now were able to rent the Starship jet airliner and they all had personal limousines and stayed in top hotels. They were now touring like The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Elton John or Pink Floyd. The money, drugs, booze etc just flowed in. Gregg said by then even the roadies had roadies but they weren't happy, especially Gregg himself.
So internally the band was disintegrating. Gregg didn't enjoy the band as much after his brother died and was very angry over Queen of Hearts being left off and was already working on a solo album and tour before they experienced the incredible success they had off Brothers and Sisters. Gregg wrote in his book that the success of Brothers and Sisters caught him off guard and was unexpected. He wasn't comfortable with that kind of success and Gregg figured Brothers and Sisters wouldn't do that well, that Eat A Peach would be their last big seller.
Anyway Gregg forged ahead with his solo plans and Dickey decided he was the reason Brothers and Sisters was huge so he wanted to do a solo record and tour too. Butch was pissed at both and felt they more or less dropped the ABB and Phil was worried too. And indeed by March1976 it was all over and they never again was that big. Never had another new album that went platinum.
Win, Loose or Draw was a good album but not great. They couldn't get everyone there to record at many sessions except Chuck, Lamar and Jaimoe. Gregg moved to California and lived with Cher. Gregg was a day late for the first recording session for the album and everyone, especially Butch, was mad as hades at Gregg.
I was told that some of Gregg's organ, synthesizer parts were recorded in Macon early on but for much of the session, Gregg refused to participate. A real mess for the most famous American band. But later even Butch admitted it was everyone loosing interest and only focused on money, drugs and women. But I doubt that applied to Chuck and Lamar.
So I was told NONE of Gregg's vocals and much of his instrument playing happened in Macon. Johnny would take the tapes to LA and add Gregg out there when he and Phil could get Gregg to show.
Personally I think Can't Loose What You Never Had and High Falls are as good as anything on Brothers and Sisters.
Johnny Sandlin and Bill Stewart actually play the dual drums on Louisiana Lou and Sweet Mama. Dickey showed up one night wanting to record but only Chuck and Lamar were there.
@robslob I agree. The album sold 800,000 copies and earned a Gold Record. Brothers and Sisters sold over 5 million. Sometimes I think it was simply Ramblin'Man was a catchy foot patting song that was on the radio thousands of times a day across the US and a lot of that sales came from people who wanted Ramblin'Man. Yes Fillmore East and Eat A Peach sold over 1 million but not that much more than Win, Loose or Draw.
So several million people bought Brothers and Sisters for Ramblin'Man and that was the extent of their interest in the band and they never bought another album by the Allman Brothers.
I understand Gregg doesn't even appear on Just Another Love Song and Sweet Mama but he doesn't on Pony Boy. Or Little Martha.
Yes Just Another Love Song, High Falls, Can't Loose What You Never Had and the title cut are very good songs that could be on any of their albums.
Louisiana Lou and Three Card Monty John was Dickey's attempt to give Phil Walden another Ramblin' Man. It was the first single and it didn't cut it. It got very little airplay.
They released a compilation album in 1991 of tracks off the Capricorn albums except Win, Loose or Draw ( Crazy Love from Enlightened Rouges was on it). Several from the first album, Idlewild South, Eat A Peach and Brothers and Sisters and one from Fillmore East, and that release surprised everyone. It sold over 2 million copies so a lot of people bought it that didn't buy Seven Turns, Shades of Two Worlds, Hitting The Note etc.
Apparently a lot of people in the 1990s wanted a greatest hits type album of the old ABB stuff.
Sorry I don't know the answer to your question. I will say however that despite all the heat that the band has taken regarding this record, there are some real gems here. There are some real turds too, Louisiana Lou and Three Card Monty John being probably the worst. But there is stuff on this record that to my ears is really, really good: The track that you mentioned, Can't Lose What You Never Had, the title cut Win, Lose Or Draw despite the fact that Gregg had a bad cold when he cut the vocals. I also love Dickey's beautiful Just Another Love Song and High Falls is one of his very best instrumentals. Yeah, I know the band was ridiculously disjointed at the time (not together in the studio) and overall it's not up to the band's best work. But it's still head and heels above what most other bands at the time were coming up with.
I always thought Louisiana Lou was a nice song with a great Chuck solo just not an Allman Brothers song. It was a Dickey solo album song with the ABB sound.
"Louisiana Lou" is the closest thing the Allman Brothers have to a novelty song. Feels like something that would be on a Charlie Daniels album rather than ABB.
Here is a cover of Louisiana Lou and Three Card Monty John!!
It never occurred to me that a band out there would cover this one.
I think it was Dickey's attempt to follow up Ramblin'Man for Phil Walden. It was the first single released from Win, Loose or Draw.
@rusty I only met Randy twice, but he was a prince. He and Bobo were imho the beating heart of this place.
I bought WL or D the first time I saw it in the record store. I tried hard to love it but it always felt like something wasn’t right. When Randy said that on this forum the light went on. Good record, but yeah, it didn’t feel like Duane’s band made it
it helped me come to peace with the record, and I was able to accept it for what it was
@linus Randy once drove from Gadsden all the way over to Atlanta (Chastain Park) just to say hello and hang with the folks who (at least use to) post on this site. He did not have a ticket for the show - just came over to socialize with a bunch of Peach Heads. Somebody (HotlantaTim, I think) had a spare and "miracled" Randy with it. We ended up sitting next each other in primo seats. I didn't mean to hi-jack this thread, but I could speak well of Randy all day. For a month or two, even.
I've always really really liked Can't Lose What You Never Had.
@linus That is right. Had Duane lived the 3 five man band tracks on Eat A Peach and ALL of Brothers and Sisters and Win, Loose and Draw and all their later albums would be very different.
For one thing Queen of Hearts would absolutely had been on Brothers and Sisters and likely Laid Back by Gregg would have never been recorded.
And if Duane and Berry had lived I imagine almost all the later members would have ever been in the band. Often I think Duane would have brought Chuck Leavell into the band if Chuck had showed up at Capricorn studio when he did. But maybe not. Reese didn't make it as another keyboard player.
So if Duane had lived most likely the lineup would had never changed. But would they had stayed together until 2014 when the band did hang it up?
@linus That is right. Had Duane lived the 3 five man band tracks on Eat A Peach and ALL of Brothers and Sisters and Win, Loose and Draw and all their later albums would be very different.
For one thing Queen of Hearts would absolutely had been on Brothers and Sisters and likely Laid Back by Gregg would have never been recorded.
And if Duane and Berry had lived I imagine almost all the later members would have ever been in the band. Often I think Duane would have brought Chuck Leavell into the band if Chuck had showed up at Capricorn studio when he did. But maybe not. Reese didn't make it as another keyboard player.
So if Duane had lived most likely the lineup would had never changed. But would they had stayed together until 2014 when the band did hang it up?
It's Win, LOSE or Draw.
"My friends say I'm ugly I got a masculine face." Tom Waits
@oldcoot Thanks man. My spell checker gives me a fit. It creates more mistakes than it corrects. I have to try and proof read on this smart phone before I post. But that may have just been me being sloppy. But yes Win, Lose or Draw. That album isn't named for a couple of shady ladies:)
And High Falls is always a delight to listen to for me. That is one track from what is said to have been a very difficult album to make, that is great Allman Brothers music.
I dunno, I kind of like Win, Loose or Draw. Kinda funny. 😛
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
@lee Here is a song on Win, Lose or Draw.
It's a blast when they show a shot of the audience and man are they getting into it. Boogie right in front of the stage!!
Man my bad. I'm getting too old. Be 75 December 5th. THIS is the song on Win, Lose or Draw. Sweet Mama!!
Georgia on a Fast Train is on one of Dickey's albums.
Eddy Shaver cranking some wild slide here. He died in 2000 of an overdose of smack. Such a shame. Woody died about the same time of an OD.
The guitar Eddy played was a 1955 Stratocaster Dickey Betts gave him when Dickey finished with his lessons for Eddy. Dickey also gave him a Gibson ES-335 that belonged to Duane Allman. Billy Joe Shaver said Dickey got the 55 Strat in 1969 when Gregg Allman traded the guitar to Dickey for an old car Dickey had.
Willie Nelson has the ES-335 and the Strat in his safe. The ES-335 needs to be given to the Big House. Maybe both of them.
