Came across this on Facebook via Dickey Betts Fans and it really knocked me out. I was just spinning Highway Call in my car the other day and after all these years I am still stunned that a member of The Allman Brothers Band could make such an incredible straight ahead country record. This video IMO is a true gem from that period.
FYI, I saw the Highway Call tour, must have been 1974, at The Santa Monica Civic in L.A. So long ago that I can't remember much but I do remember that it was good. Funny I don't think there could have been more than 3 or 4 females that night out of a crowd of maybe 3,000. And the reviewer in the L.A. Times the next day was positive towards Dickey but pretty damn harsh regarding the opening act. He simply said, "Opening the show was the insomniac's dream, J.J. Cale." He also commented on the "all male crowd". I like J.J. Cale but he played solo that night and I have to admit he would probably have gone over better with a full band. His set WAS fairly monotonous.
[Edited on 7/3/2019 by robslob]
Here's Blue Sky, audio only.
Nice listen, I appreciate the effort.
Thanks for that youtube link! Cool clip i've never seen before. Some damn fine pickin'.
Pony Boy
Robslob. It was definitely 1974. Gregg did his Laidback tour in early 1974 with strings, Chuck Leavell, Jaimoe, Cowboy, Bill Stewart on the other drums etc. Then the ABB did a summer schedule of 24 shows but they were not as hot as they were in 1973 when they played a ton of shows to support Brothers and Sisters. Even Gregg had said the 1973 ABB shows where among their best and Chuck and Lamar were what inspired the original four.
In the fall of 1974 Dickey went out to support Highway Call and Gregg went out again but without the strings to support the live Gregg Allman with Cowboy live album. These tours prompted many music rags to speculate the ABB was done. That to do these solo albums and tours the year after the ABB finally had the number one album in the country and the biggest tour in 1973 of any American band is just stunning and shows just as the band reached superstar status it was fracturing.
Well Gregg and Butch were very unhappy with the band and each other by the time 1975 came and Win, Loose or Draw was underway. Gregg said in his book that they should have broken up then. Looking back Butch said as crazy as it sounds with Brothers and Sisters being such a huge seller, the best they've ever had then and now, they should have fired Dickey rather than trying to make it work just because they were now America's number one band.
Here's Blue Sky, audio only.
That was great! Thanks so much.
Many, many interesting insights here, as always!............Thank Yous Much......joe
