a page 10 article from the April 21, 1973 issue of RECORD WORLD:

CONCERT REVIEW by Dan Beck

WILLIE WOWS 'EM

MACON- This city is the home of Mercer College and WET WILLIE's recent appearance there was more like a long awaited reunion, rather than a performance by the band next door. Led by the driving vocals of blues man Jimmy Hall, WET WILLIE ate the place up. From blues to boogie to rock, the soulful band gradually built the capacity crowd to a foot-stomping frenzy that took two encores to satisfy.

Hall, who performs like Mick Jagger but without the theatrics, led the ultra-tight rhythm section from "Shout Bamalama" by OTIS REDDING to other rockers like "Red Hot Chicken."

EARTHY FUNK

Their material is earthy funk with a tasty spicing of update lyrics. Refreshingly uncomplicated, that attack with highly emotional rock that is as basic as grits. WET WILLIE has developed a live performance that beats the best. They have a charisma that envelops the audience.

Raw and honest, WET WILLIE's music delivers it straight. This is definitely an act that will develop nationally. There isn't a rock and roller around who won't dig it!

from a page 16 article in the April 21, 1973  issue of RECORD WORLD:

BUIE BUILDS ATLANTA'S OWN ACT

ATLANTA- Veteran writer-producer Buddy Buie has always been one of Atlanta's music pioneers. As a songwriter, Buie worked with co-writer J.R. Cobb in writing numerous hit records. Today, under the management of ATI chairman Jeff Franklin, Buie is a major force in Atlanta.

Since that time, Buie's foresight had developed a very important segment of the Atlanta music foundation. Two and one half years ago, Buie saw the need for a studio with an established rhythm section. Today, THE ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION has created more than a unique sound for Studio One; the studio developed by Buie, Cobb, Paul Cochran and Bill Lowery. The group is now on MCA Records. They have grown from individuals adept at recording single records into a solid act that is growing in popularity and making the transition to album product.

Additionally, the studio will be equipped with Quad, DBX's, a Spectrasonic board and Automated Computerized Remix, that is already attracting top names. Lewellan-Martin of Louisville, Kentucky are equipping the studio; DEEP PURPLE, AL KOOPER, THE CLASSICS IV, JOE SOUTH, BILLY JOE ROYAL and B.J. THOMAS  have found a profitable sound at Studio 1. The new board and that solid rhythm section have increased the demand of the private studio into an active cutting house. Rodney Mills serves as chief engineer. Buie's ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION has even found demand in major concerts across the nation.

The staff of Studio One has grown to two engineers, an accountant and a secretary. Buie is now working with Jerry Coon and Shorty Watkins and the Boogie Band. Outside clients now include Hanna-Barbera Productions. Buie is currently working on sound tracks for their Saturday morning cartoon show, "Butch Cassady and the Sundance Kid," to begin September 8, on NBC. Also, DENNIS YOST & THE CLASSICS IV's current single, "Save The Sunlight," was done at Studio 1.

Studio 1 has three independent producers in Buddy Buie, J.R. Cobb and Robert Nix. The innovative organization is one of the major forces establishing the Atlanta sound.

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from a page 8 article in the April 21, 1973 issue of RECORD WORLD:

THE ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION

ATLANTA- THE ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION, whose second album has just been released by Decca Records, is a composite of six highly seasoned and talented musicians that have been around the world of rock for a number of successful years.

Along with producer Buddy Buie the group members have written over 20 chart singles as recorded by many pop music greats. They have played on untold recording dates as Atlanta's most demanded studio group.

Lead vocalist Ronnie Hammond is the newest member of THE ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION making his debut recording performance with the group on the LP "Back Up Against The Wall," A native of Macon, Georgia. Hammond worked with a number of local and regional groups before becoming an engineer at an Atlanta recording studio where he was discovered by Buddy Buie.

Rhythm guitarist J.R. Cobb has written the hits "Most of All."Stormy" and "Traces" in collaboration with producer Buddy Buie. After his graduation from high school in Jacksonville, Florida, Cobb worked for a time as a welder before joining Dennis Yost and the Classics IV. He left the group after co-writing their first hit "Spooky."

In addition to playing on numerous recording sessions, drummer Robert Nix has co-written the hits "Mighty Clouds of Joy" and "Cherry Hill Park" among others. One of Roy Orbison's CANDYMEN, he remained with the group after they went on their own by signing with ABC Records.

Bassist Paul Goddard, who played on his first recording date in 1964, worked with Roy Orbison and Columbia recording artist MYLON before joining THE ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION.

Dean Daughtry, who worked with Nix in THE CANDYMEN before joining DENNIS YOST AND THE CLASSICS IV, started playing keyboards at the age of five in Coffee County, Alabama churches.

Decatur Georgia native Barry Bailey, who plays lead guitar with THE ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION, took formal lessons at the age of 12 and studied music theor in college. He also plays sitar, bass and piano. Before joining ATLANTA, he worked with hometown friend Mylon LeFevre in THE HOLY SMOKE BAND.

from a page 34 article in the April 21, 1973 issue of RECORD WORLD



WET WILLIE: In Your Ear

MACON- It was about three years ago that a shaggy-looking outfit called WET WILLIE rolled into Macon. Little did anyone know that Wet Willie (usually known locally as a wet index finger in the ear) would have a new definition: a rock and roll band. There are five in WET WILLIE and they are all from Mobile, Alabama. They have all grown up together, running through the usual high school band evolution.

WET WILLIE is : Jimmy Hall, lead vocals, harmonica and alto sax; Jack Hall (Jimmy's brother), bass guitar; Rick Hirsch, lead guitar; John Anthony, keyboards; and Lewis Ross, drums. All are in their mid-twenties and have been rocking for at least nine years.

When the band first arrived in Macon, Phil Walden and Frank Fenter arranged for an audition at the studio. Upon completion of the audition, the band signed across the board: to Phil Walden and Associates for management, Capricorn Records, and to No Exit Music for publishing. The band also signed with the Paragon Agency for bookings.

After the signing was completed, WET WILLIE set out to play the southern club circuit, just as the ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND and many others had before them. In May, 1971, Eddie Offord,who had engineered EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER, and YES, flew to Macon from London to begin producing WET WILLIE's first album. The album was recorded at Capricorn Sound and was released in August. Upon release on the album, WET WILLIE immediately went on tour with the ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND, touring throughout the east coast and the south (including a concert at New York's Carnegie Hall). They played many dates on the west coast and returned to tour extensively throughout the south. Now, next to THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND, WET WILLIE is one of the biggest acts in the south.

May, 1972 rolled around, and with it came Eddie Offord once again from London. This time, WET WILLIE was to record their second album at Muscle Shoals Sound in Alabama due to the re-building of the Capricorn Studio. The album, cleverly entitled "Wet Willie II," was released in late September, 1972,  and again a nationwide tour was set up.

On December 31, 1972 at the Warehouse in New Orleans, WET WILLIE was appearing in concert with THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND. The plan of action was to record WET WILLIE and The Brothers live, and the plan was executed brilliantly. Location Recorders came down from New York, and almost the entire Capricorn staff was there. Dick Wooley, Capricorn's national promotion director set up a network of AM and FM radio stations, 40 in all, to broadcast the event live from New Orleans. An estimated 10 million people were listening as WET WILLIE was recording their live album to be entitle "Drippin' Wet."

Currently, WET WILLIE is involved in yet another nationwide tour, this time with JEFF BECK's new group. The tour will last for eight weeks beginning on the east coast and ending on the west, where the band will join up with THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND and re-play the west coast.

Via the guidance of Phil Walden. and Associates, Capricorn Records and the Paragon Agency, WET WILLIE has established themselves as an important musical force within today's complex music structure. They are not an overnight sensation, but be assured, they will be makin' music in Macon for years to come.

from a page 46 article in the April 21, 1973 issue of RECORD WORLD:

BUTCH TRUCKS

Butch Trucks played an important part in the great JACKSONVILLE JAM. He had gone the usual route of joining local teen bands, also playing tympani in a high school orchestra as well as the JACKSONVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. When he attended FLORIDA STATE, Butch formed a three piece folk rock group that featured Scott Boyer (guitar), now with COWBOY, and David Brown (bass) who is now with Boz Scaggs. The group was called THE 31ST OF FEBRUARY , and in their three year career recorded one album which was released in 1968 on the Vanguard labels. During 1968, after the demise of the HOURGLASS, Duane and Gregg joined the 31ST OF FEBRUARY, and the album "DUANE AND GREGG" was released earlier this year is actually THE 31ST OF FEBRUARY and is composed mostly of demos the group made in Miami. Finally came the day that THE 31ST OF FEBRUARY met up with THE SECOND COMING in Jacksonville and THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND emerged.


from a page 32 article in the April 21, 1973 issue of RECORD WORLD

CHUCK LEAVELL:

Chuck Leavell began playing at about the age of six. Before moving to Macon two years ago, he lived in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where he played with various local bands. One of his earliest bands was THE AMERICAN EAGLES, which had the distinction of being the first to record Kris Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee." From there, Chuck joined SUNDOWN, another Tuscaloosa group which moved to Macon and recorded an album for EXIT/AMPEX RECORDS. After SUNDOWN's demise, he played many recording sessions for ALEX TAYLOR. In January of 1972, Chuck joined FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, backing up ALEX TAYLOR and DR. JOHN.

BUDDY BUIE AND PAUL COCHRAN


page 46 of the August 8, 1970 issue of RECORD WORLD:

BBC PRODUCTIONS BIG

Some years ago, heavy set and curly-headed Buddy Buie wrote a song called "Party Doll" which became a national hit and launched Buddy on his career as a Top 40 producer and songwriter.

Buie had worked with several artists including Roy Orbison as a road manager and later as a promoter of shows. At about the time Joe South was cutting the Classics IV for Capitol, Bill Lowery, Paul Cochran and Buddy started their own publishing company- Low-Sal. The first hit title in the new pubbery was Sandy Posey's "I TAKE IT BACK" written by J.R. Cobb and Buie. Mike Sharp and Harry Middlebrooks wrote an instrumental called "SPOOKY," Buie and Cobb added lyrics and took over production on the Classics IV, launching them as a national act.

Other Buie-Cobb tunes included "TRACES," an 800,000 seller for the Classics; and "EVERY DAY WITH YOU GIRL," a half-million seller for the Classics.

"Now we've got the Classics in a ballad bag and we've established a buying market. Every album we put out sells 150,000 records.We are trying to fill the gap between Top 40 and Easy Listening. I don't care if the Classics never sell another Top 40 record. Easy Listening is a neglected market," Buie said.

Buie and Cobb, along with Bill Lowery, have built Studio One which will be used exclusively by BBC Productions. The company already has label deals for several new ventures. One of the acts that most excites Buie is his studio group, the Atlanta Rhythm Section. "This is my dream. We are taking our rhythm section that took some five years to put together and we're going into the studio and cutting whatever we feel. The group is great to work with.There are no arguments, no hassles. We may take six months cutting the master on this group and of the 50 sides that we cut, we'll probably throw away 40. I think the group is fantastic! As a matter of fact, they're so good a group of pickers that we might title their album 'Eat Your Heart Out'. "

When asked about his three favorite singers, Buie told RECORD WORLD, "In order of preference, they're Merle Haggard, Joe Cocker and Tom Jones."

This bit of closing information is probably the best indication of what Atlanta music really is.