Figured I'd share this for anyone who hasn't heard it, demos from Dickey's aborted country album. I believe this was recorded in 1981.
i wish this would get an official release. lots of stuff getting released now shocked this hasn't
Sounds like they are a bit unfinished. It would be great if that could happen but the clock does not agree.
Maybe Duane could do like Dahni Harrison did with George’s last one and polish it up?
@aiq Here is that Gregg Allman clip where he is promoting Dickey's new country album and Gregg says it's fantastic and he will go buy a copy when it comes out. He he. Nothing ever comes out Gregg Allman talked about:) Haven't you noticed??
Hey PCB -
Thx for posting these. I thought some were quite good. No doubt the country side of DB. Some of these similar to songs on the "Highway Call" album. DB has such a pure way of expressing himself in songs like these.
BTW - Do you have any idea of musicians who recorded these with DB?
@martind28 Apparently it was recorded in 1981 in Nashville about the time Brothers of the Road was recorded. Could be some of the ABB members plus Johnny Cobb etc or it could be some Nashville Cats.
Gregg was so optimistic about the album being so good. Wonder what happened? Wonder why it was released? Arista refused if they were to be the label? Arista was owed another Allman Brothers Band album but refused to let the ABB chose their own producer and go back to not trying to have some hit singles on the album so the Allman Brothers Band refused to record another album and even decided to pull the band off the road.
Some of the tracks on DB's album seem to need a little tweaking or final mixing and perhaps more recording.
Dickey had another album that wasn't rock and roll being recorded and Dickey got Warren Haynes involved when Warren was living and working in Nashville. Warren once talked about it and I think Warren didn't think the album was working but didn't say that to Dickey. Then one day Dickey called and said forget that album. Let's go record a rock and roll album and that became Pattern Disruptive.
There's some additional info in the comments:
http://skydogselysium.blogspot.com/2009/07/dickey-betts-night-1981.html
The original musicians were Danny Toler (acoustic and electric guitars), David "Rook" Goldflies (bass guitar). These two, incidentally, were players in Dickey's Great Southern Band. Bobby Emmons (Chips' partner) played keyboards. Vassar Clements (God bless him), of course, performed on fiddle. The drummer was one of Chips' studio guys...I think his first name was Spencer, but I can't recall his last.
Some of the tracks on DB's album seem to need a little tweaking or final mixing and perhaps more recording.
Remember, these are just demos. He re-recorded "Nancy" a couple years later once the ABB and BHLT had folded.
Warren once talked about it and I think Warren didn't think the album was working but didn't say that to Dickey.
I heard Warren say that in a recent interview as well, that the country album "wasn't very good" and Dickey went back in the rock n' roll direction with Warren and Epic Record deal. I think Warren was hired to sing background on the country album.
@porkchopbob You know I recall that now myself. Warren said something like Dickey saying "What are you doing here?" And Warren said he was asked to come over to sing backgrounds. I think Warren had met Dickey and Gregg when Warren was with David Allen Coe. Is Coe still living? I think I read something about a health problem.
So when Dickey re-recorded Nancy a couple of years later where was that? Nashville? And that must be the version on the Dreams box set from 1989. I listened to that just now from the box set and it is a nice fully finished recording and some fine guitar picking from Dickey. Double stroking fast jazz licks!
Was Nancy a single? Well it says previously unreleased on Dreams.
"My brother and I were club performers when we met Dickey. It was then, in 1981, he asked us to perform on his project in Gnashville. Dickey had been writing alot, especially, in the country genre. He was bouncing songs off Hank Jr., Billy Ray Reynolds (from Waylon's band), Curtis Buck, Johnny Cobb and Mike Lawler, and others.
This particular project was for Clive Davis at Arista records. The ABB had, at that time, taken an indefinite hiatus and Dickey was looking for a new (solo) label. The original title of the album was Moonlight Magic, from Dickey's song. He was also pretty proud, as he should have been, of his song Nancy. We played these songs in the clubs quite a few times before going into the studio.
The first sessions were with Chips Moman at his studio in Gnashville, and after many hours there and a broken hand of Dickey's, the session moved across town to Chip Young's studio.
The original musicians were Danny Toler (acoustic and electric guitars), David "Rook" Goldflies (bass guitar). These two, incidentally, were players in Dickey's Great Southern Band. Bobby Emmons (Chips' partner) played keyboards. Vassar Clements (God bless him), of course, performed on fiddle. The drummer was one of Chips' studio guys...I think his first name was Spencer, but I can't recall his last. All I do remember about him, when he counted a song off you damn sure heard it.
Bonnie Bramlett was, for a period prior to this, singing with the ABB. So, she and my brother Bill and I sang background vocals. Also, Gary Stewart was at Chips' studio trying to finish up his Cactus And A Rose LP. So,since he was a good friend to us and a Florida boy, he sang on A Whole Lot Of Memories and played some electric guitar. I think he might have even done some slide work, too.
Apparently, the songs were going a little too country for Clive Davis and after a meeting between him and Greg Allman, the project seem to be put on the shelf and I think the ABB reunited and did an LP on Arista...if my memory serves me right.
I don't know the particulars of how the Moonlight Magic project came to be called Night, but I would guess that it was From Dickey's collaborations with Johhny Cobb and Mike Lawler."
Taken from: https://skydogselysium.blogspot.com/2009/07/dickey-betts-night-1981.html
@crosseyedcat Very interesting. Maybe it's a different abandoned album Warren was on as I remember Warren talking about an aborted Dickey album Porkchopbob do you know? Dickey left Phil Walden and signed with Clive Davis in 1976 for the first two Great Southern albums. Then when they put the ABB back on the road in 1978, Enlightened Rogues was on Capricorn. But Dickey sued Phil Walden and won over a million dollars of unpaid royalties. The success of Dickey's legal action caused others to follow with lawyers and Capricorn collapsed. So Dickey moved the Allman Brothers Band to Clive Davis' Arista Records but Davis interfered doing exactly what the Allman Brothers said they would not tolerate after the control Liberty Records leveled against The Hourglass. The pressure to have some hits was there at Reach For the Sky and unfortunately it sold much less than Enlighten Rouges which sold enough copies to go Gold. Reach For The Sky did not.
For Brothers Of The Road Clive Davis exercised even more control choosing the Producer.. John Ryan and laying down the law, he wanted hits and big record sales. Brothers Of The Road sold even less and things soured between Davis and the ABB. The band wasn't comfortable with and happy with the songs they tried to fashion a pop hit with and how the last album turned out under Ryan.
Gregg had to felt like a man trapped in the same hole in the ground from the Hourglass.
I'm not sure. According to that blog these demos were done in 1981; Dreams boxed set credits the re-recorded "Nancy" as Sept 1981 in Nashville and owned by Arista. The ABB's 2nd hiatus began in Jan 1982, not long after they appeared on SNL. Sounds like these demos were done after Brothers of the Road, which was recorded in early '81 and released in August 1981. BHLT toured late 1982-early 1984, and featured this collection's "Whole Lot of Memories" in their set list (and "Let Me Ride" which Dickey also wrote around this time).
Dickey and Gregg were doing tandem tours in 1986, and then Dickey formed the Dickey Betts Band with Warren in 1987-1988 after Warren provided background vocals on Dickey's country album. Maybe Dickey was revisiting this material when Warren met up with him, prior to Gregg's I'm No Angel success.
Dickey was doing a lot of country stuff through out the mid-1980s hanging around Nashville (he's in Hank Jr's "All My Rowdy Friends" video) since country music was the most popular music Dickey could associate to at that time.
Here he is on the Bobby Bare show in 1984.
@porkchopbob Okay. Thank you so much! Well the Nancy on the Dreams box is a good song and recording.
I remember seeing Dickey on TV twice with Hank, Jr during that time. Both times Dickey was playing his Ibanez Artist sunburst guitar he uses on the motel room jam on the 1982:VHS Allman Brothers Band Jacksonville Show. I saw Dickey sit in with Charlie Daniels with that guitar also at that time. Richard Betts picking on that red guitar was my guess as to why Goldie wasn't with him.
That Bobby Bare show is one I missed. Dickey wasn't haven't trouble getting on and in with those country music artists then.
Duane Betts posted a picture with that Gibson hollow body guitar or one similar just a year ago. Dickey is in his home and is looking like he does now playing it while seated in a comfortable chair. I think it's the one in the picture. I didn't know Dickey owned that guitar. But he told a magazine about 2002 he owned about 40 guitars including acoustics and steel body guitars.
I'll try to find it. Too bad didn't get to hear Dickey's Blue Sky solo. Blue Sky is indeed a classic and a song that makes one feel good to hear it. Dickey hit it out of the park when he wrote that one.
@porkchopbob This is the Bobby Bare guitar at Dickey's home years later isn't it?
@porkchopbob Dickey in Indiana with the Jokers in 1963. That band became a popular band locally in Indiana for a few years.
Here he is on the Bobby Bare show in 1984.
I used to watch the Bobby Bare show back in the day. Good format talking to musicians & then musicians performed. Missed that one with DB. There was another Bobby Bare episode back then quite good with Toy Caldwell & Jimmy Hall.
@porkchopbob Hey I found that too!:)
I'll post this instead in case you all haven't heard it. Very interesting interview with David "Rook" Goldflies. Talks about Dickey. And mentions the original bass player for Great Southern. I saw Great Southern just after they played in Chicago and I was surprised that Dickey had changed some of the players in Great Southern mid tour and Dickey had a black eye at the concert.
Found out later Dickey and the bass player came to blows over a song writing dispute and I think one of the drummers and the keyboard player got fired that night too.
Here is Rook.
Read that Bare & Friends is a podcast now - same format as the TV show. Guests include Delbert McClinton - that's one I'd like to hear.
Here is the link to the podcast: https://wsmradio.com/archives/bobby-bare-and-friends-podcast/
Here's a cool photo: Neil Young, Bobby Bare, Dickey Betts, and Shel Silverstein (1977)
@porkchopbob Cool picture of Dickey, Bobby, Neil, Shel I had not seen. 1977 is the date?
Dickey had Great Southern rolling in 1977. First album an tour but I think they did a few live shows in late 1976.
Of course there was a big brawl in Chicago on that stop of the tour. Bassist Ken Tibbets was knocked out by Dickey, Dickey got a black eye. Drummer Jerry Thompson was fired as was keyboard player Tom Broome.
Rook Goldflies replaced Ken Tibbets, Mike Workman took over keys and David Toler was hired as the second drummer.
Dickey sat in with Bob Dylan in the early 1990's I think was Washington, DC. Dickey's song didn't go well and back stage a man told Dickey he needed to practice and do some woodshedding. Dickey knocked him out and onto Bob Dylan with one punch!!
That guy should have sent Dickey a fax!! Butch and Gregg were savvy enough to do that:)
Bougainvillea from the first album was one of Dickey's finest moments as a song writer. Actor Don Johnson helped with the lyrics and sings backing vocals on the album.
1978 Great Southern with a good Elizabeth Reed live with Workman on keys. I think Dickey may have cut him off. David Toler opposite Doni on drums and Rook on bass.
Goldie sounds fantastic. Wonderful Les Paul tone which to me is my favorite electric guitar tone.
Danny on the old Strat then with single coils sounds good too but not like the Paul to me.
@porkchopbob Cool picture of Dickey, Bobby, Neil, Shel I had not seen. 1977 is the date?
Dickey had Great Southern rolling in 1977. First album an tour but I think they did a few live shows in late 1976.
Of course there was a big brawl in Chicago on that stop of the tour. Bassist Ken Tibbets was knocked out by Dickey, Dickey got a black eye. Drummer Jerry Thompson was fired as was keyboard player Tom Broome.
Rook Goldflies replaced Ken Tibbets, Mike Workman took over keys and David Toler was hired as the second drummer.
Dickey sat in with Bob Dylan in the early 1990's I think was Washington, DC. Dickey's song didn't go well and back stage a man told Dickey he needed to practice and do some woodshedding. Dickey knocked him out and onto Bob Dylan with one punch!!
That guy should have sent Dickey a fax!! Butch and Gregg were savvy enough to do that:)
Bougainvillea from the first album was one of Dickey's finest moments as a song writer. Actor Don Johnson helped with the lyrics and sings backing vocals on the album.
Agree - Bougainvillea was a great piece of work for DB. Very flowing.
Don Johnson certainly had an ABB connection. He sang with Gregg on the below cut from the Angel album. Can't remember if Don cowrote...too lazy right now to check this out.
According to the album credits, Dickey Betts plays guitar on this track, along with a solo from SRV
@porkchopbob Wow. Listened twice. That is a layered big production. It may have sounded like SRV but not what I was expecting. Dickey apparently is playing some rhythm or lead part minus a solo. But Ron Wood of the Stones and Faces is also playing guitar and singing background on the track. But several other people are singing background.
The album sold over 600,000 copies and went Gold and he was a popular actor. But he sure didn't give Dickey the kind of space Dickey gave Don. I can easily hear Don singing background on Bougainvillea.
Why even have Dickey, Ronnie Wood, Bonnie Raitt on your album when it's so layered with a good number of other guitars and instruments and background singers that I can't pick out Dickey or Ron Wood playing guitars specifically.
Oh well it's a rocking album so I'm not knocking it.
Here are some cuts from Dickey in 1985, gives an idea of the country-style music he was playing. Sounds live Vassar is in the house, not sure if this was the country album Warren refers to.
Thanks for posting that PorkchopBob, I’ve been on a little country side trip lately triggered by Time Jumpers doing Sweet Memories.
Mr. Betts introduces the band after the first tune, only one I recognised was Johnny Neal on keys.
Whole show:
https://archive.org/details/DickeyBettsBand1985-04-28MyFathersPlaceRoslynNY
Thanks for all the info in this thread - ‘Night’ is about my favourite Betts recording outside of Allmanland.
@scotiadave Yes it is nice to listen to for me. Too bad it was never released for whatever the reason was.
