''Enlightened Rogues'' is the sixth
studio album by American
rock band
the Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman (founder, slide guitar and lead guitar) and Gregg Allman (vocals, keyboards, songwriting), as well as Dickey Betts (lead guit ...
.
Produced
Producer or producers may refer to:
Occupations
*Producer (agriculture), a farm operator
*A stakeholder of economic production
*Film producer, supervises the making of films
**Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...
by
Tom Dowd
Thomas John Dowd (October 20, 1925 – October 27, 2002) was an American recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. He was credited with innovating the multitrack recording method. Dowd worked on a veritable "who's who" of recordings ...
, the album was released in February 1979 in the United States by
Capricorn Records
Capricorn Records was an independent record label founded by Phil Walden and Frank Fenter in 1969 in Macon, Georgia. Capricorn Records is often credited by music historians as creating the southern rock genre.
History
Label and studio fou ...
and
PolyGram Records
PolyGram N.V. was a multinational entertainment company and major music record label formerly based in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1962 as the Grammophon-Philips Group by Dutch corporation Philips and German corporation Siemens, to be ...
elsewhere. The Allman Brothers Band had broken up in 1976 following internal turmoil, amplified by escalating drug use. The band members splintered into different acts — among those Great Southern,
Sea Level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...
, and
the Gregg Allman Band. Guitarist
Dickey Betts
Forrest Richard Betts (born December 12, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer best known as a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band.
Early in his career, he collaborated with Duane Allman, introducing melodic tw ...
approached his bandmates in 1978 with the prospects of a reunion. After two former members declined to return, they added new members which made it the first to feature guitarist
Dan Toler
Daniel Lee Toler (September 23, 1948 – February 25, 2013),
known professionally as "Dangerous" Dan Toler, was an American guitarist.
Life and career
A native of Connersville, Indiana, Toler became popular in the late 1970s as a member of D ...
and bassist David Goldflies. Living together in
Sarasota
Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The c ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
, they rehearsed and wrote the material for their next album in fall 1978.
They began recording ''Enlightened Rogues'' that December, and recording stretched into the new year. Sessions took place in
Criteria Studios
Criteria Studios is a recording studio in North Miami, Florida, founded in 1958 by musician Mack Emerman. Hundreds of gold, platinum, and diamond singles and albums have been recorded, mixed or mastered at Criteria, for many notable artists and ...
in
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at th ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
with producer
Tom Dowd
Thomas John Dowd (October 20, 1925 – October 27, 2002) was an American recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. He was credited with innovating the multitrack recording method. Dowd worked on a veritable "who's who" of recordings ...
, who worked on a trio of early Allman Brothers albums. The group stayed at a home overlooking
Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay () is a lagoon with characteristics of an estuary located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida. The northern end of the lagoon is surrounded by the densely developed heart of the Miami metropolitan area while the southern end is la ...
, which promoted unity within the members. The recording process was smooth and pleasant, with members showing courtesy to one another in comparison to ill feelings felt earlier. The album's title comes from a quote original guitarist
Duane Allman
Howard Duane Allman (November 20, 1946 – October 29, 1971) was an American rock guitarist, session musician, and the founder and original leader of the The Allman Brothers Band, Allman Brothers Band, for which he was inducted into the Roc ...
used to describe the band: "The world is made of two great schools, enlightened rogues and religious fools."
The album was a commercial success in the United States, peaking at #9 and earning a
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
gold certification. "Crazy Love" was the group's second of three Top 40 hits, reaching #29. Despite this, Capricorn would file for
bankruptcy that fall, leading the Allman Brothers to sign to
Arista Records
Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertain ...
.
Background
Following the critical and commercial failure of their fifth studio album, ''
Win, Lose or Draw'' (1975), the Allman Brothers Band continued to tour nationwide, playing 41 shows to some of the biggest crowds of their career. The shows were considered lackluster and the members were excessive in their drug use. The "breaking point" came when Gregg Allman testified in the trial of erstwhile road manager Scooter Herring.
Bandmates considered him a "snitch," and he received death threats, leading to law-enforcement protection. Herring was convicted on five counts of conspiracy to distribute
cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...
and received a 75-year prison sentence, which were later overturned as he received a lesser sentence. For his part, Allman always maintained that Herring had told him to take the deal and he would take the fall for it, but nevertheless, the band refused to communicate with him. As a result, the band finally broke up; Leavell, Williams, and Jaimoe continued playing together in
Sea Level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...
, Betts formed Great Southern, and Allman founded the
Gregg Allman Band
The Gregg Allman Band, also known as Gregg Allman & Friends, was a Southern rock/blues rock group that Gregg Allman established and had led since the 1970s, during periods when Allman has been recording and performing separate from the Allman Br ...
.
Betts approached Allman with the prospect of a reunion in 1978. Allman, who was addicted to
Dilaudid
Hydromorphone, also known as dihydromorphinone, and sold under the brand name Dilaudid among others, is an opioid used to treat moderate to severe pain. Typically, long-term use is only recommended for pain due to cancer. It may be used by mou ...
and
vodka
Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuriti ...
, met with his former bandmates after completing a detox program. He, Betts, Trucks, and Jaimoe all agreed to reform. "No one was pleased with how things had ended back in ’76, and the combination of the passing of time, missing each other musically, and money all made it easier for us to put the past behind us," Allman later wrote. Together, the rest of the band joined Great Southern for five songs during an August concert in New York's Central Park. Williams and Leavell were invited for the reunion, but were busy with Sea Level (Jaimoe had left the band several months prior). As a result, the Allman Brothers added two new members from Great Southern: guitarist "Dangerous" Dan Toler and bassist David "Rook" Goldflies. Jaimoe summarized the performance: "We were a little rusty—maybe a lot rusty—and we were playing with some different guys, but it felt good to be together." Following this, the band made an appearance at the annual Capricorn Records picnic.
The band were immediately pressured to record a new album, but declined, in order to see how everyone communicated "musically and spiritually." The band went into rehearsals in Sarasota, Florida, staying together at the Pirates Den on Anna Maria Island. The main reason for living together at the Pirates Den was to see if they could simply get along together. Meanwhile, former record label
Capricorn Records
Capricorn Records was an independent record label founded by Phil Walden and Frank Fenter in 1969 in Macon, Georgia. Capricorn Records is often credited by music historians as creating the southern rock genre.
History
Label and studio fou ...
had been splintering, and the band were not receiving their royalty payments. An audit revealed Capricorn was deep in debt to
PolyGram Records
PolyGram N.V. was a multinational entertainment company and major music record label formerly based in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1962 as the Grammophon-Philips Group by Dutch corporation Philips and German corporation Siemens, to be ...
; manager
Phil Walden
Phil Walden (January 11, 1940 – April 23, 2006) was a co-founder of the Macon, Georgia-based Capricorn Records, along with former Atlantic Records executive Frank Fenter.
Biography
Walden received his undergraduate degree in economics from ...
had borrowed $4 million he could not return. Steve Massarsky became the band's manager during this time, and helped renegotiate a deal with Capricorn Records. Despite their past royalty troubles, they trusted in Walden to get the record significant airplay and sales. Despite this, "Dickey Betts filed suit against Walden, alleging nonpayment of record and publishing royalties."
Recording and production
''Enlightened Rogues'' was recorded between December 1978 and January 1979 at
Criteria Studios
Criteria Studios is a recording studio in North Miami, Florida, founded in 1958 by musician Mack Emerman. Hundreds of gold, platinum, and diamond singles and albums have been recorded, mixed or mastered at Criteria, for many notable artists and ...
in
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at th ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
. The album was produced by
Tom Dowd
Thomas John Dowd (October 20, 1925 – October 27, 2002) was an American recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. He was credited with innovating the multitrack recording method. Dowd worked on a veritable "who's who" of recordings ...
. The band had not recorded at Criteria, or with Dowd, since 1971. For the album, the band strived to reach their "classic" sound, typified by their earliest releases. Criteria owned a row of houses along
Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay () is a lagoon with characteristics of an estuary located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida. The northern end of the lagoon is surrounded by the densely developed heart of the Miami metropolitan area while the southern end is la ...
they allowed artists to stay in while recording;
Eric Clapton had named his album ''
461 Ocean Boulevard
''461 Ocean Boulevard'' is the second studio album by English musician Eric Clapton. The album was released in late July 1974 for RSO Records, shortly after the record company released the hit single " I Shot the Sheriff" in early July the sam ...
'' after his residence while there. Allman recalled they stayed "three doors down" from that location while recording, and held fond memories for the location: "That place just calmed us all out—really helped us travel back in time. It was just a groove, man, one big family again. The house was huge, so there was plenty of room for all of us." A cook prepared breakfast and dinner for the group, and while all were still regularly using drugs, it was more controlled than it had been in the past.
Things went smoothly during the recording process. Goldflies remarked that Allman and Betts got along well: "What I saw many times, especially towards the beginning, was a real effort from both Gregg and Dickey to be really gracious to each other. I sensed there was a real effort to make it work. They tried to make it happen." Allman described reuniting with Dowd: "We had communication, and I mean the utmost communication. Tom was a master at getting everyone's attention focused on one little item, and I picked up so many little ways to go about things from him, and to keep from wasting time." The band lacked a slide guitarist, leading Betts to take over the role, which he disliked. He later noted that it altered the band's sound, which in its earlier days relied on Betts's guitar and a slide guitar working together with guitarist John Lundahl, a Chicago native. Allman partnered with former confidant Twiggs Lyndon once more as his manager, despite the wishes of Betts. Following a small altercation with Allman, he left the area and ceased being his manager.
Allman wrote "Just Ain't Easy" as a description of years living in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywoo ...
with pop star
Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female autonomy in a male-dominated industr ...
, whom he was married to from 1975 to 1979. "It's about defeat and resignation, being on the bottom," he wrote. The album's title comes from a term original guitarist
Duane Allman
Howard Duane Allman (November 20, 1946 – October 29, 1971) was an American rock guitarist, session musician, and the founder and original leader of the The Allman Brothers Band, Allman Brothers Band, for which he was inducted into the Roc ...
used to describe the band. An avid reader, Duane once told his brother a quote from a poem he read that he felt would make good lyrics: "The world is made of two great schools, enlightened rogues and religious fools." Trucks later summarized the album's recording and release as thus: "The chemistry wasn’t there. The only reason the first album was half successful was that Tom Dowd produced it and worked so hard."
Release
Capricorn Records filed for bankruptcy in October 1979. Betts won a substantial arbitration settlement, and "the rest of the Allman Brothers' members were next in line, likely to be followed by a litany of other Capricorn artists."
Track listing
Side one
# "
Crazy Love" (
Dickey Betts
Forrest Richard Betts (born December 12, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer best known as a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band.
Early in his career, he collaborated with Duane Allman, introducing melodic tw ...
) – 3:44
# "Can't Take It With You" (Dickey Betts,
Don Johnson
Donnie Wayne Johnson (born December 15, 1949) is an American actor, producer and singer. He played the role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s television series '' Miami Vice'', for which he won a Golden Globe, and received a Primetime ...
) – 3:33
# "
Pegasus
Pegasus ( grc-gre, Πήγασος, Pḗgasos; la, Pegasus, Pegasos) is one of the best known creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine stallion usually depicted as pure white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as hor ...
" (Dickey Betts) – 7:31
# "
Need Your Love So Bad" (John Mertis) – 4:01
Side two
# "Blind Love" (
B.B. King
Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...
,
Jules Taub) – 4:37
# "Try It One More Time" (
Dickey Betts
Forrest Richard Betts (born December 12, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer best known as a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band.
Early in his career, he collaborated with Duane Allman, introducing melodic tw ...
, David Goldflies) – 5:04
# "Just Ain't Easy" (
Gregg Allman
Gregory LeNoir Allman (December 8, 1947 – May 27, 2017) was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was known for performing in the Allman Brothers Band. Allman grew up with an interest in rhythm and blues music, and the Allman Br ...
) – 6:06
# "Sail Away" (Dickey Betts, John Lundahl) – 3:34
Personnel
*
Gregg Allman
Gregory LeNoir Allman (December 8, 1947 – May 27, 2017) was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was known for performing in the Allman Brothers Band. Allman grew up with an interest in rhythm and blues music, and the Allman Br ...
- Organ, Fender Rhodes, Clavinet, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals,
*
Dickey Betts
Forrest Richard Betts (born December 12, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer best known as a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band.
Early in his career, he collaborated with Duane Allman, introducing melodic tw ...
- Electric, Acoustic & Slide Guitar, Lead Vocals on 1, 8, Co-Lead Vocals on 6, Backing Vocals
*
Dan Toler
Daniel Lee Toler (September 23, 1948 – February 25, 2013),
known professionally as "Dangerous" Dan Toler, was an American guitarist.
Life and career
A native of Connersville, Indiana, Toler became popular in the late 1970s as a member of D ...
- Electric & Acoustic Guitar
*David Goldflies - Bass
*
Jaimoe
John Lee Johnson (born July 8, 1944), frequently known by the stage names Jai Johanny Johanson and Jaimoe, is an American drummer and percussionist. He is best known as one of the founding members of the Allman Brothers Band.
Johanson played ...
- Drums, Congas
*
Butch Trucks
Claude Hudson "Butch" Trucks (May 11, 1947 – January 24, 2017) was an American drummer. He was best known as a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. Trucks was born ...
- Drums, Congas, Backing Vocals
Additional musicians:
*
Joe Lala
Joseph Anthony Lala (November 3, 1947 – March 18, 2014) was an American musician and actor. In 1966, he co-founded the rock band Blues Image.
Life and career
Lala was born in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida, to parents from Contessa Entellina ( ...
- Percussion (3, 5, 6)
*
Bonnie Bramlett
Bonnie Bramlett (born Bonnie Lynn O'Farrell, November 8, 1944) is an American singer and occasional actress known for performing with her husband, Delaney Bramlett, as Delaney & Bonnie. She continues to sing as a solo artist.
Life and career ...
- Background Vocals (1)
*Jim Essery - Harmonica (2, 4, 5, 7)
*John Lundahl - Rhythm Guitar (2)
*Mimi Hart - Background Vocals (8)
Notes
References
*
*
*
*
External links
*
{{Authority control
1979 albums
The Allman Brothers Band albums
Albums produced by Tom Dowd
Capricorn Records albums