In the mid 1970's Columbia Records signed Les to a four album deal. I bought all four of the albums and still have them (vinyl). Columbia thought they could made another Boz Skaggs.  The albums sold only modestly so they didn't renew the deal. Les then soon after Gregg, got into a personal relationship with Cher and played in her band. But it didn't last. 

One of the cuts Old Judge Jones was a minor top 40 hit. This is the only live version I could find.

The album cover has a picture of Les with a parrot sitting on the headstock of a Goldtop Les Paul Les had strapped on. 

November 2nd, 1972 and no Les. I think Ramblin Man and Wasted Words were recorded in November 1972 and the rest with Lamar Williams in early 1973. Les Dudek is on Jessica playing acoustic and kicks off the track. I think Dickey told Les he could be on Jessica but on acoustic so the guys won't think you are joining. Later Phil told him he couldn't be in the band so Les asked to be released from his contract and he joined Steve Miller.

11/2/72 Hostra University.

At the time of Duane's passing, I believe the general consensus was that there was no human guitar player who COULD replace him.  Even "God", himself (Clapton) said that he couldn't replace Duane.  Another player who (to my understanding) was considered was the late, Jimmy Nalls (Sea Level) - who I think would have been a viable consideration.  I guess the band wanted to try another direction and added Chuck on piano.  

Yes Rusty. I always had a hunch Dickey and Phil Walden had Les Dudek in mind to replace Duane from little tidbits we heard about back then. Phil did put Les under contract and someone apparently gave Les the impression he had the gig. But Butch was outraged,  Gregg didn't like it and supposedly Berry Oakley felt uncomfortable around Les. Something about his looks and how he played reminded Berry of Duane and being so emotionally devastated by Duane's death Oakley was uncomfortable. Also Les claims Dickey was stuck on Jessica and Les found the way out when he played Dickey his idea for a bridge in Jessica. Les was irritated when Phil Walden refused to give him a writing credit.

Chuck Leavell disagreed with Les. Chuck said he contributed more to Jessica than Les. But Chuck said it is Dickey's song. Dickey came up with the melody and the changes that set the melody and he (Chuck) and others worked on helping arrange the song. 

The same argument Duane Allman made to Butch about Elizabeth Reed.. something apparently Butch was angry about the rest of his life. And Berry and Butch made big changes to Whipping Post. Supposedly it was a slow ballad Gregg wrote but because of Duane's rule only Gregg got the credit.

Hot 'Lana was handled like many bands did it on writing royalties. It was divided among those who made a meaningful contribution. Gregg was playing a cool riff over and over and suddenly Dickey thought of a melody line and ran over to Gregg and hummed it in Gregg's ear then the rest of the band threw in their two cents worth and the writing credit is D. Allman, G. Allman, D. Betts, B. Oakley, B. Trucks,  J. Johnson on the lable of AFE for that track.

The bass opening on Whipping Post is completely Berry Oakley.  The change of the time signature came from Berry and Butch as I understand it but no credit.

Berry Oakley shares Standback with Gregg supposedly because Berry wrote the music and he called it "The Road to Calico". 

Tremendous! Informative posts like these are why the ABB site is where the most knowledgeable music fans are - vivid lucid posts like this put us right in the then-&-there too robertdee

I love the ABB - they named their box sets after the first three songs on the 3rd side of EAP -

those box sets came after their first one, Dreams, from 1989 - it, One More Try & the Skydog box set are definitive

Here's a question, admittedly only partially associated with Les Dudek (or Les Dew Dick as I saw him named on a Japanese website). There is an interview with Les by @oldcoot on this very website, you can find it here, in it Les says he didn't listen to Duane's version of Loan Me a Dime too many times as he didn't want to become over influenced by it. I have two Boz Scaggs bootlegs which have early versions of Loan me a Dime, one from San Antonio 06 May 73, a 19 minute version of Loan Me a Dime with Les playing guitar and another from 19 December 1971 Pacific High Recording Studios, San Francisco, with a 14 minute version but who plays guitar on this? It's too early for Les. Is it Doug Simril? I know there is now a CD release of this version which probably has the details in the liner notes but I have an old tape version.

An old friend in San Francisco who is a Boz Scaggs fan said Boz liked Doug Simril and Doug was in several of Boz's revolving door bands but there was a guitar player named James "Curley" Cooke who was with Boz some just before Les Dudek. 

Boz was very impressed with Les Dudek and would tell everyone the Allman Brothers should have taken him and that in 3 or 4 years Les Dudek was going to be a big star in rock world. Columbia Records agreed and signed Les to a 4 album deal. But those albums sold just moderately and Les was not resigned.

I bought them as they came out only because I saw Les's name on the credits for Brothers and Sisters. They are good albums and Les is signing and playing very good lead and slide guitar. 

I liked the covers too. One has Les with a Goldtop Les Paul and a red parrot is sitting on the headstock.

Also Boz in interviews doesn't remember who played on his early albums very clearly. I read an interview and he said the credits are confusing as he himself thought a few guys had different names so the wrong names got on some of the albums.  He was asked about who was the female voice and he said if it's not Rita Coolidge then he couldn't remember.  

Boz eventually had big success after he signed with Columbia and made a lot of money but wasn't enjoying it later on saying it had become too much of a business so he quit in the 1980s and ran a nightclub in San Francisco and rarely sang and played there. 

Cut from Les Dudek's first Columbia solo album. Les was a hot lead player back then. Also I had forgotten Boz Scaggs produced this album.  Boz was with Columbia Records then too and had some big selling albums for them in the 1970's. Apparently Boz being really sold on Les Dudek as an artist with big potential was helpful for Les getting this 4 album deal. 4 albums for a young man with no previous album success was a big contract.