The Oak Ridge Boys

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Press photo of The Oak Ridge Boys.

The Oak Ridge Boys is a country and gospel band in the United States. The group was founded in 1945 as the Oak Ridge Quartet. They became popular during the 1950s. Their name was changed to the "Oak Ridge Boys" in 1961, and they remained a gospel-oriented group until the late 1970s, when they changed their image and concentrated more on country and pop music. The band's most well known lineup consists of lead singer Duane Allen, tenor Joe Bonsall, baritone William Lee Golden, and bass singer Richard Sterban.

1 History
2 Discography
- 2.1 Albums
- 2.2 Singles
3 External links

[edit] History

The Oak Ridge Boys first recorded together in a group known as Wally Fowler and the Georgia Clodhoppers. When Wally Fowler decided to focus on creating gospel music, he formed The Oak Ridge Quartet with himself, Lon "Deacon" Freeman, Curly Kinsey, and Johnny New. Those three men split from Fowler to form a new group, Fowler hired an existing group, the Calvary Quartet to join the Oak Ridge Quartet. After touring for a few years, Fowler disbanded the Oak Ridge Quartet and sold the rights to that name to group member Smitty Gatlin in 1957 in forgiveness of a debt. After more personnel changes, they lost their tenor. They lowered their arrangements had Gatlin sing tenor and their pianist, Tommy Fairchild, sing lead. They recorded an album for Cadence. Soon, in 1958 they hired Willie Wynn to sing the tenor. At this point the group was Willie Wynn on tenor, Smitty Gatlin on lead, Ron Page on baritone and Herman Harper on Bass. They recorded an album on Checker, one on Starday, and three on Skylite.

In 1962, Ron Page quit, and the group hired Gary McSpadden (who had filled in for Jake Hess in the Statesmen quartet) for baritone. They recorded another album on Skylite, and then two ground breaking albums on Warner Brothers. The name of the group was changed to The Oak Ridge Boys because their producer, Bud Praeger thought Oak Ridge Quartet sounded too old fogyish for their new contemporary sound. After three albums with them, McSpadden (being hand picked by Jake Hess himself) quit to be an original member of the Imperials. Jim Hammill (later a mainstay in the Kingsmen) was chosen to be his replacement. They cut one album for Festival, one for Stateswood (Skylite's budget label), and two more for Skylite. The boys and Hammill did not get along, and fan of the group, Bill Golden thought that he was hurting the group as McSpadden (unlike Hammill) had been a good looking guy with tons of energy and charisma. He recommended himself as the baritone of the group. The group did not immediately act, but eventually did.

Bill (William Lee) Golden joined the group in January 1965. They cut another album for Starday and another on Skylite. In 1966, Duane Allen joined the group to replace Gatlin who left the group to become a minister of music. They cut another on Skylite, one on United Artists, and from 1966-1973 they had 12 on Heart Warming (in addition they had several compilations there.) They also had an album on Vista (Heart Warming's budget label) that included unreleased songs from previous sessions. In 1970, the Oak Ridge Boys earned their first Grammy with "Talk About the Good Times".

Richard Sterban joined the group in 1972. Sterban had been a member of "J.D. Sumner and The Stamps Quartet". Most notably, that band backed Elvis Presley live in concert during Sterban's time as a member. Shortly after Presley's 4 June 1972 Madison Square Garden concerts, Sterban left the group (this has been reported as October of 1972.) Joe Bonsall (a member of the Keystones and on Oaks lead, Duane Allen's Superior label) joined in October of 1973. The group's lineup would remain consistent for the next 15 years. They moved to the Columbia label and cut three albums and some singles there. They went from being one of the top acts on Heart Warming to about the bottom on Columbia as far as priorities. They cut some great material there, but Columbia did not service the gospel radio stations like Heart Warming did, and many people thought the Oaks were leaving gospel music which also hurt the group. They cut a live album on their own label which was a mix of gospel and country. In 1977, The Oak Ridge Boys switched from gospel to country, with the release of their first ABC (later MCA album, Ya'll Come Back Saloon, released on September 2, 1977. They then cut their 2nd album Room Service. it was released on May 25, 1978. The Oak Ridge Boys Have Arrived, their 3rd album was released on march 30, 1979. it was followed by Together, their 4th album was released on March 30, 1980. A compilation album simply titled Greatest Hits was released on October 30, 1980. It had all 10 singles of 1977-1980.

The group's 6th album, Fancy Free, released on March 26, 1981. It contained the Dallas Frazier-penned song "Elvira". It still today, 26 years later remains the group's most widely known song. The song had been recorded by other artists, like Kenny Rogers in 1970. Even the song's writer Dallas Frazier recorded the song himself in the late 1960's. However the Oak Ridge Boys were the first ones to have a hit with the song. Their version of the song would become a #1 country chart hit, as well as a #5 pop hit in July 1981.

Bobbie Sue, their seventh album (including the Greatest Hits album), was released on February 10, 1982. The title song was another crossover hit, reaching #1 on the country chart and #12 on the pop chart. The album also spawned the Oaks' first US-released music video, for the song "So Fine" (a video was made for "Easy", off the Y'All Come Back Saloon album, but was never released in the US). They then did a Christmas album (simply called Christmas) released in September 1982. They then recorded their American Made album. Released on January 20, 1983,

The 1983 single "American Made", which begins this way:

My baby is American made

Born and bred in the USA

...became the source of a TV ad for Miller Beer:

Miller's made the American way

Born and brewed in the USA

The song was recut, but the Oaks would not sing it and did not want it used, but had no say in the matter.

Then they cut "Deliver". it was released on October 20, 1983. The album's 2nd single "I Guess It Never Hurts To Hurt Sometimes" was written by Randy VanWarmer, a songwriter who had a hit in 1979 with "Just When I Needed You Most".

The next album was Greatest Hits 2 which was released on July 7, 1984. it had two new cuts on it, Everyday & Make My Life With You.

On March 26, 1985, Step On Out was released. In 1986 Seasons and Christmas Again were released and they also recorded a song called Take Pride In America which was seen on Tv commercials for recycling & "cleaning up America".

in 1987 Where The Fast Lane Ends was released. It was the group's last album before the 1987 departure of William Lee Golden. Golden's departure was preceded by discussion, both by the public and other members of the group, about his beard and "mountain man" lifestyle. Golden complained that he felt like the "odd man out". He was replaced by the band's guitarist, Steve Sanders, who remained with the group until the end of 1995.

They released "Heartbeat", "Monongahela", Greatest Hits 3 (which had a previously unreleased single they had cut for the Take Pride In America campaign)and "American Dreams." They switched labels to RCA and cut two albums there "Unstoppable" and "Long Haul" as well as "Best Of The Oak Ridge Boys" which included a single they had cut for the "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys" movie soundtrack. Their move to RCA had not worked out because the one who signed them moved to another label shortly after them moving there. They were stuck in limbo with his replacement wanting to promote Alabama and not so much the Oaks. They then switched again and signed with Liberty (which became Capitol.) They cut their third Christmas album, "Country Christmas Eve" there.

Oaks baritone, Steve Sanders, had been dealing with many problems (including several with his ex-wife) and those problems were increasingly becoming problems for all of the Oaks. He gave notice in late 1995, but then walked out before fulfilling it and left the group hours away from a concert without a baritone. They called Duane Allen's son Dee, to fly there and fill in. He did so for the remainder of the year with help from his brother-in-law Paul Martin (former lead singer of Exile) when he could not do so. At midnight on New Year's Day 1996, in Indiana, Golden returned to the group. They cut a two disc gospel set, "Revival" (their first full gospel album since 1976) with Leon Russell producing. This was sold on TV and later by the Oaks in concert and through the mail. They then cut half of an album with Polka instrumentalist, Jimmy Sturr and then an album for Platinum ("Voices").

After dealing with labels that did not seem to want to promote them (as Columbia had been years before), studio breakdowns (while recording their gospel set), the label they were on going "belly up" (Platinum) etc. their fortunes changed when they signed with Spring Hill. After pairing up with Dove Award winning producer, Michael Sykes, they cut a full length gospel album ("From The Heart"), another Christmas album("Inconvenient Christmas"), a patriotic album("Colors"), a bluegrass album("The Journey") and then cut gospel songs to be added to a special edition version of "From The Heart" which was available only from Feed The Children. Later, to recoup some of the costs of the gospel songs, the label took those songs, two from "The Journey" and had them recut some of their previous gospel hits to make up their "Common Thread" album. They then cut another Christmas album ("Christmas Cookies"). The Boys were going to record "Fresh Cuts" albums which would have some new songs and some of their hits re-recorded. These plans were stalled by MCA releasing their country stuff on a new hits compilation. In 2006 they completed a new album, Front Row Seats, on Spring Hill Records. The album is a welcome return to mainstream country music with modern, fresh arrangements and song selection. The first single from the project, "Hard To Be Cool (In A Mini-Van) is fast approaching the Top 40, a place where the boys haven't been since 1992.

Herman Harper died in December 1993. Steve Sanders (baritone from 1987-1995) died from a self inflicted gunshot wound on 10 June 1998. Noel Fox (bass singer 1969-1972) died at age 63 on 10 April 2003 in Nashville, Tennessee, after surgery following a series of strokes.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Y'all Come Back Saloon — September 2, 1977
Room Service — May 25, 1978
The Oak Ridge Boys Have Arrived —March 30, 1979
Together — March 30, 1980
Greatest Hits — October 30, 1980,
Fancy Free — March 26, 1981
Bobbie Sue — February 10, 1982
Christmas — September 23, 1982
American Made — January 20, 1983
Deliver — October 20, 1983
Greatest Hits 2 — July 7, 1984
Step on Out — March 6, 1985
Seasons — March 25, 1986
Christmas Again — September 20, 1986
Where the Fast Lane Ends — February 10, 1987
Heartbeat — September 30, 1987
Monongahela — August 10, 1988
Greatest Hits 3 — May 31, 1989
American Dreams — September 25, 1989
Unstoppable — April 1, 1991
The Long Haul — June 8, 1992
Country Christmas Eve — November 20, 1995
Revival — March 3, 1997
Voices — July 14, 1999
From the Heart — May 12, 2001
An Inconvenient Christmas" - October 15, 2002
Colors - May 20, 2003
The Journey - July 27, 2004
Common Thread - May 24, 2005
Christmas Cookies - October 11, 2005
Front Row Seats - September 26, 2006

[edit] Singles

Y'all Come Back Saloon / Emmy Lou - 1977
You're The One / Morning Glory - 1977
I'll Be True To You / An Old Time Family Bluegrass Band - 1978
Cryin' Again / I Can Love You - 1978
Come On In / Morning Glory - 1978
Sail Away / Only One - 1979
Dream On / Sometimes the Rain - 1979
Leaving Louisiana In The Broad Daylight / Gotta Get over This - 1979
Trying To Love Two Women / Hold On Till Sunday - 1980
Heart Of Mine / Love Takes Two - 1980
Beautiful You / Ready To Take My Chances - 1980
Elvira / A Woman Like You - 1981
Fancy Free / How Long Has It Been - 1981
Bobbie Sue / Live in Love - 1982
So Fine / I Wish You Were Here (Oh My Darlin') - 1982
I Wish You Could Have Turned My Head (And Left My Heart Alone) / Back In Your Arms Again / 1982
Thank God For Kids / Christmas Is Painting The Town - 1982
American made / The Cure For My Broken Heart - 1093
Love Song / Heart On The Line (Operator, Operator) - 1983
Ozark Mountain Jubilee / Deep Down Inside - 1983
I Guess It Never Hurts To Hurt Sometimes / Through My Eyes - 1984
Everyday - 1984
Make My Life With You / Break My Mind - 1984
Little things / Secret Of Love - 1985
Come On In (You Did The Best You Could Do) / Roll Tennessee River - 1985
Touch A Hand Make A Friend / Only One I Love - 1985