Pure Prairie League
Pure Prairie League | |
|---|---|
 Pure Prairie League in 2010 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Waverly, Ohio United States |
| Genres | Country rock |
| Years active | 1970–1988, 1998–present |
| Labels | RCA, Casablanca, Thirty Tigers |
| Website | Pure Prairie League Website |
Pure Prairie League, sometimes abbreviated PPL, is an American country-rock band whose roots began between 1964 and 1969 in Waverly, Ohio, with Craig Fuller, George Powell, Tom McGrail, and Robin Suskind. In 1970 McGrail named the band after a 19th century temperance union mentioned in the 1939 film Dodge City. The band has had a long run, active from the 1970s through the late 1980s and was revived in the late 1990s for a time, then again in 2004.
History
Although the band has its roots in Waverly, Ohio, it was actually formed in Columbus, and had its first success in Cincinnati. Fuller (who would also play with J.D. Blackfoot and Little Feat), McGrail, Caughlan and Call played together 'on and off' since high school. An early, pre-Pure Prairie League recording was a George Ed Powell penned composition, "Break Me Down to Pieces" with Powell (acoustic guitar and vocals), Fuller (lead guitar and vocals), McGrail (drums), Kenny May (bass) and David Workman (pedal steel guitar). In 1970, the first official P.P.L. lineup was Fuller, McGrail, Powell, Phil Stokes on bass, and Robin Suskind [1] on guitar and mandola, with steel guitar player John David Call joining the band later that year. His steel guitar improved the country songs and sparked guitar duels with Fuller that contributed to the country rock signature sound of the band.
Jim Caughlan, who played drums and guitar with Fuller, Call and McGrail in earlier bands, took over on drums when McGrail quit the band in 1971, just before their first album was recorded. Jim Lanham replaced Stokes who left at the same time. Pure Prairie League was looking for national artist management when they made contact with well-known, rock and roll promoter Roger Abramson. Abramson went to New Dilly, a bar in Cincinnati, and immediately signed the band to management. Abramson was able to obtain a recording contract with R.C.A. He then placed Pure Prairie League as an opening act with many of the concerts he was producing. Their eponymous first album featured a Norman Rockwell oil painting of an old cowboy named "Luke". The painting originally appeared in the Saturday Evening Post magazine; "Luke" would feature on the cover of every P.P.L. recording thereafter!
After releasing their debut album in March 1972, and a nationwide tour, the band decided to relocate to a horse farm north of Toronto (Canada) for the summer of 1972. Fuller felt safer there since he was facing charges of draft evasion. New York City was where the first album was recorded and Call, Caughlan and Lanham were not agreeable to this move; they decided to leave. The second album, "Bustin' Out", was produced, as was their debut, by Bob Ringe and featured the trio of Fuller, Powell and William Frank "Billy" Hinds (drums, percussion). Hinds' friend, Michael Connor, contributed piano to the sessions and would become a regular in the Pure Prairie League line-up for years to come. Mick Ronson, of David Bowie and Mott the Hoople fame, contributed string arrangements on several tracks, most notably "Boulder Skies" and "Call Me Tell Me". Michael Reilly, who would become the longtime bass player and front man for the band, joined them in early September 1972, after the record's completion. "Bustin' Out" was released in October 1972.
Shortly afterwards, the group returned to Ohio and Fuller had to face trial in Kentucky. Before conscientious objector (C.O.) status could be arranged, he was sentenced to six months in jail and forced to leave P.P.L. in February 1973. At this point, R.C.A. dropped the band and their future looked bleak.
By August 1973, the band members were in Cincinnati and managed to persuade Call to return. Fuller, though out of prison by now, was working the late shift in a community hospital to satisfy his C.O. requirements and was not inclined to rejoin at that juncture. He was eventually given a full pardon by President Gerald Ford. Reilly took over as the band's leader and brought in his friend Larry Goshorn (vocals, guitars) to replace Fuller in November 1973. Goshorn played in a popular Ohio band called Sacred Mushroom.
P.P.L. hit the road and began playing gigs constantly, mostly in the Northeast, Midwest and Southeast. As a result of their heavy schedule, particularly at colleges, their songs became well known; "Amie" (Craig Fuller’s ode to an on-again/off-again relationship), from the second album, became a particular favorite.
A Hit At Last
As "Amie" grew in popularity, radio stations began receiving requests for it. As a result, R.C.A. re-released "Bustin' Out" and issued "Amie" as a single in late 1974. It peaked at #27 on 26 April 1975, just as a minor, bluegrass revival was underway on midwestern college campuses.
R.C.A. re-signed P.P.L. and their third album, "Two Lane Highway", was released in April 1975. It featured guest appearances by Chet Atkins, fiddler Johnny Gimble, Don Felder from The Eagles and Emmylou Harris, who dueted with the band on the song "Just Can't Believe It", which received much airplay on country stations. "Highway" was the band's highest 'charter' at #24 and "Bustin' Out" reached Gold status! Their subsequent records "If the Shoe Fits", "Dance", "Live, Takin' the Stage" and "Just Fly" sold in lesser quantities.
In 1977, Call left because of increasing back troubles. Larry Goshorn's brother, Tim, joined in time to record "Just Fly". In 1978, there was a mass exodus as the Goshorns left to form their own group, The Goshorn Brothers, and Powell, the last remaining original member, retired from the road to run his pig farm in Ohio.
The group soldiered on as Reilly quickly brought in temporary members, California country rocker Chris Peterson (vocals, guitar) and the group's soundman, Jeff Redefer (guitar), to play a few shows until new, permanent players could be located.
In September 1978, auditions found Vince Gill (vocals, guitars, mandolin, banjo, fiddle), who had played with the bluegrass outfit Mountain Smoke, as well as Boone Creek (with Ricky Skaggs) and Byron Berline and his band Sundance. Further auditions brought in L.A. musician Patrick Bolin (vocals, guitars, flute) in January 1979. This revamped lineup recorded "Can't Hold Back", which turned out to be their last for R.C.A. Sax player Jeff Kirk accompanied the band on some of their dates during the 1979 tour.
Casablanca Records, who at this time was trying to play down its reputation as a primarily disco label, signed P.P.L. and other non-dance acts to its roster in 1980. In January, guitarist Jeff Wilson came in to replace Bolin and the band's 1980 release, "Firin' Up", spawned the hits "Let Me Love You Tonight" and "I'm Almost Ready" both sung by Gill, with saxophone accompaniment by David Sanborn. A second Casablanca release, "Something in the Night" (1981), kept P.P.L. in the charts with "Still Right Here in My Heart". However, as fate would have it, Casablanca went bankrupt and was completely sold to Polygram Records. Polygram dropped most of Casablanca's roster including P.P.L. Gill left in early 1982 and pursued a hugely successful, solo career.
The Later Years
Despite the lack of a recording contract, the group still found itself in demand as a live act and played in clubs and at outdoor festivals.
Tim Goshorn returned; Mike Hamilton (vocals, guitars, from Kenny Loggins' band) also joined in 1982 and was there for 6 months. Al Garth (vocals, woodwinds, fiddle, keyboards), another Loggins alumnus (Loggins & Messina, also Poco and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), joined from 1982-1985.
Longtime drummer Billy Hinds retired from the road in 1984. He was first succeeded by Merle Bregante (also ex-Loggins & Messina and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) and then by Joel Rosenblatt in 1985. Sax player Dan Clawson took over for Garth in 1985, and Gary Burr (vocals, guitars) was there from 1984 to 1985.
Rebirth
A decade later, P.P.L. was back with a lineup of Fuller, Connor, Reilly, Burr, Fats Kaplin (pedal steel guitar, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, accordion, washboard) and Rick Schell (vocals, drums, percussion). After two years, Burr was succeeded by Curtis Wright (vocals, guitars) in June 2000. The group began work on a new album in 2002, yet abandoned the sessions and separated again after Schell became busy with other projects. After a long battle with cancer, Connor passed away on September 9, 2004.
Following Connor's death, the group resumed touring once again with Fuller, Reilly, Schell, Wright and Kaplin (when available) and released "All in Good Time" in 2005. Their first album in 18 years, this release appeared on the small Drifter's Church label.
Since this time, P.P.L. has continued to tour... playing a handful of shows every year. Donnie Lee Clark replaced Curtis Wright in 2006 after Wright joined Reba McEntire's band. Mike Reilly was sidelined in 2006 after he was forced to undergo a liver transplant. Jack Sundrud (from Poco) came in to sub for Reilly. Rick Plant also did a brief stint with them on bass before relocating to Australia in late 2006. Jeff "Stick" Davis (from Amazing Rhythm Aces) sat-in on bass for Mike in 2007. In May 2007, Reilly appeared at a few shows and played guitar yet was unable to come back full-time until 2008. John David Call played some concerts in 2006 & 2007, standing in for Kaplin, and returned to the band full-time in June 2010.
As of May 2011, it was announced, via the P.P.L. website, that Fuller would not be appearing at all of the band's shows that year since he decided to take a break from touring.
On 10 February 2012, at The Syndicate in Newport, Kentucky, Fuller and George Ed Powell (a frequent guest at their Ohio shows in recent years) took to the stage to join the current P.P.L. lineup of John David Call, Mike Reilly, Rick Schell and Donnie Lee Clark.
The band endorses a number of charitable efforts, Pittsburgh's ongoing BurghSTOCK Concert Series among them.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Country | CAN | ||
| 1972 | Pure Prairie League | — | — | — |
| Bustin' Out | 34 | — | 24 | |
| 1975 | Two Lane Highway | 24 | — | 68 |
| 1976 | If the Shoe Fits | 33 | — | 89 |
| Dance | 99 | 39 | — | |
| 1977 | Takin' the Stage | 68 | 34 | 58 |
| 1978 | Just Fly | 79 | — | 70 |
| 1979 | Can't Hold Back | 124 | — | — |
| 1980 | Firin' Up | 37 | — | 78 |
| 1981 | Something in the Night | 72 | — | — |
| 1987 | Mementos | — | — | — |
| 2005 | All in Good Time | — | — | — |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US AC | US Country | CAN | CAN AC | |||
| 1973 | "Amie" | 27 | — | — | 40 | 19 | Bustin' Out |
| 1975 | "Two Lane Highway" | 97 | — | — | — | — | Two Lane Highway |
| 1976 | "That'll Be the Day" | 106 | — | 96 | — | — | If the Shoe Fits |
| 1980 | "I Can't Stop the Feelin'" | 77 | — | — | — | — | Firin' Up |
| "I'm Almost Ready" | 34 | 10 | — | — | — | Firin' Up | |
| "Let Me Love You Tonight" | 10 | 1 | — | 14 | 1 | ||
| 1981 | "Still Right Here in My Heart" | 28 | 4 | — | — | — | Something in the Night |
| "You're Mine Tonight" | 68 | — | — | — | 21 | ||