38 Special (band)
This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(November 2019) |
.38 Special | |
---|---|
![]() .38 Special performing in 2010 | |
Background information | |
Also known as | .38 Special, Thirty-eight Special |
Origin | Jacksonville, Florida,U.S. |
Genres | |
Discography | 38 Special discography |
Years active | 1974–present |
Labels | A&M |
Members | Don Barnes Bobby Capps Gary Moffatt Barry Dunaway Jerry Riggs |
Past members | Donnie Van Zant Jeff Carlisi Jack Grondin Steve Brookins Ken Lyons Larry Junstrom Steve McRay Max Carl Danny Chauncey Scott Meeder Scott Hoffman |
Website | 38special |
38 Special,often stylized as.38 Specialor spelled out asThirty-eight Special,is an Americanrockband formed by singer-guitaristsDonnie Van ZantandDon BarnesinJacksonville, Florida,in 1974.[2][3]
They are known for their hit songs, including "Hold On Loosely"and"Caught Up in You",among various otherTop 40hits on the USBillboardHot 100during the 1980s and early 1990s, including "Rockin' into the Night","You Keep Runnin' Away "," If I'd Been the One "," Back Where You Belong ","Teacher, Teacher","Like No Other Night ","Second Chance"and" The Sound of Your Voice ".[4]
History
[edit]1970s
[edit]Donnie Van Zant,the younger brother ofLynyrd Skynyrdco-founder and frontmanRonnie Van Zant,began playing music during his teen years, forming a band called Standard Production in 1968, which paved the way for Sweet Rooster, Donnie's first professional group that he formed in 1969 with guitarist Jeff Carlisi and bassistKen Lyons,soon joined by drummer Steve Brookins. Carlisi left Sweet Rooster after graduating high school to study architecture atGeorgia Techand was replaced byDon Barnesin 1970. Brookins also left to work as a truck driver and Sweet Rooster was defunct by 1973.[citation needed]
Van Zant, Barnes and Lyons, while continuing their day jobs and working in other bands, began composing original songs. By 1974, they decided to form "the ultimate band" that would be their "one last shot" at success. Briefly, Van Zant was considering a higher-paying position for the railroad at which he worked, but was finally convinced by brother Ronnie to stick with music since it was "in his blood".[citation needed]
The new group comprised Van Zant, Barnes, Lyons, Brookins, second drummer Jack Grondin and a returning Carlisi.[5]The band's name was thought up after an incident which found the boys practicing in a warehouse out in the middle of nowhere. When police arrived after being notified by locals of the noise, the band members were unable to come out because of a padlock on the door. One of the cops said, "That's all right. We'll let this.38 specialdo the talking ", and shot off the lock.[6]
Now that they had their name, the group spent most of 1975 and 1976 playing a steady grind of one-nighters, mostly in the South and the Midwest. Eventually, big brother Ronnie figured Donnie and the gang had paid enough dues and set them up with Skynryd's manager Peter Rudge, who also handledthe Whoand was tour manager forthe Rolling Stones.Rudge quickly set the group up to open shows for popular acts such asPeter Frampton,FoghatandKiss,and got them signed toA&M Records,who assignedDan Hartman(ofEdgar Winter Groupfame) to produce their first album,.38 Special,which was released in May 1977.[5]
Just before the record's release, bassist Ken Lyons decided to leave the band. He was replaced by their friend and originalLynyrd SkynyrdmemberLarry Junstrom.
Also in 1977, the band added two female backup singers, Carol Bristow and Dale Krantz. Krantz was replaced by Nancy Henderson (1979–1981), Lu Moss (1981–1984) and then Lynn Hineman (1986–1987), before backup singers were dispensed with in 1987.[citation needed]
In October 1977, Ronnie Van Zant was killed whenSkynyrd's plane crashed.Donnie wrote "Take Me Back" as a tribute to his brother, which appeared on the band's second album,Special Delivery(March 1978), also produced by Hartman.[5]
1980–1999
[edit]The band's first two albums had a strongSouthern rockinfluence. By the early 1980s,.38 Special had shifted to a more accessible guitar-drivenarena rockstyle without completely abandoning the Southern rock roots.[5]This shift helped to usher in a string of successful albums and singles. EngineerRodney Mills,who had worked withAtlanta Rhythm Sectionand others, assumed the producer's reins, andSurvivorco-founderJim Peterikbecame a frequent songwriting collaborator of the band's from 1979 on, which helped account for this change in sound and subsequent success.
"Rockin' into the Night",the title track from the group's third album (released in October 1979), which Peterik and his bandmates had originally written forSurvivor,found its way to 38 Special's manager, Mark Spector, and was given to the band. Sung by 38's guitarist Don Barnes (who would sing lead vocals on all of the band's hits through 1987), the tune became their first song to receive national airplay, peaking at No. 43 on theBillboardHot 100in early 1980.[5]
This paved the way for their platinum-selling fourth record,Wild-Eyed Southern Boys(January 1981), and its bigger hit "Hold On Loosely"(which reached No. 27 in 1981).[5]
Their next release,Special Forces(May 1982),[5]contained the Top 10 hit "Caught Up in You"(just like" Hold On Loosely ", composed by Barnes, Carlisi, and Peterik), which hit No. 1 on theBillboardRock Tracks chart, as did the single "If I'd Been the One" (October 1983) from their November 1983 releaseTour de Force."You Keep Runnin' Away" (August 1982) and "Back Where You Belong" (February 1984) continued the sequence of hit radio favorites.
In the fall of 1984, they had another hit with "Teacher, Teacher",from the soundtrack of the 1984 filmTeachers,written byJim VallanceandBryan Adams.The song climbed to No. 4 on the Billboard Top Tracks Chart, spending ten weeks on the chart.[citation needed]
In 1984 38 Special toured with the up-and-comingHuey Lewis and the News,who were just breaking huge with theirSportsalbum, and in 1986 they shared the bill with the soon-to-be-platinum-selling hard rock bandBon Jovi.[citation needed]
By 1987, Don Barnes had decided to leave the band to go out on his own.[5]He recorded an album calledRide the Storm,which, though slated for release in 1989, was shelved after A&M Records was sold, and was not released until 2017 – some 28 years later.
In the meantime, the group moved on, bringing in guitaristDanny Chauncey,after drummer Steve Brookins also decided to leave, and singer/keyboardistMax Carl,from West Coastrhythm and bluesgroup Jack Mack & the Heart Attack.[5]
The next release,Rock & Roll Strategy(June 1988),[5]saw the group playing down their heavy guitar sound and putting forth a more 1980s pop keyboard-oriented approach, led by Carl's more R&B-style voice. "Second Chance"(taken fromRock & Roll Strategy) was a No. 1 hit onBillboard'sadult contemporary chartin early 1989.
Carl was also lead singer on "The Sound of Your Voice" (BillboardHot 100No. 33 in 1991) fromBone Against Steel(July 1991), which saw the group moving from A&M to the American iteration of the British labelCharisma Records.[5]That same year, Bobby Capps came aboard as keyboardist/co-singer, and drummer Scott Meeder replaced Jack Grondin after Grondin decided to leave the music business. The band found themselves without a home after Charisma folded in 1992.
After touring with the band through the spring of 1992, Max Carl decided to depart, making way for the return of Don Barnes. Since that time, the band has mostly concentrated on touring, with an occasional release of new material.Scott Hoffmantook over the drum chair from Meeder later in 1992.Donny Baldwin(ex-Jefferson Starship) filled in for Hoffman on some 1996 tour dates after Hoffman was down with a broken arm, but Gary "Madman" Moffatt (formerly ofCactus) has been the band's drummer since 1997.[citation needed]
In early 1997, 38's long time guitarist/co-founder Jeff Carlisi, tired of the endless touring, decided to leave to form the Bonnie Blue Band, which led to thesupergroupBig People, which also featuredBenjamin Orr(fromthe Cars),Liberty DeVitto(fromBilly Joel's band),Derek St. Holmes(ex-Ted Nugent) andPat Travers.Unfortunately Big People failed to launch after the death of Benjamin Orr in 2000.
Through the smallRazor & Tielabel, 38 Special released "Fade to Blue" from the albumResolution(The last album to feature Carlisi, released in June 1997). The single hit No. 33 on the Mainstream Rock chart in 1997.[citation needed]
Since 1997'sResolution,two more releases have followed on theCMC InternationalandSanctuary Recordslabels, respectivelyA Wild-Eyed Christmas Night(September 2001) andDrivetrain(July 2004).[citation needed]
2000s–present
[edit]In 2007.38 Special was the opening act onLynyrd SkynyrdandHank Williams Jr.'s Rowdy Frynds Tour.[7]Also, on September 27, 2008, they filmed aCMT Crossroadsspecial with country singerTrace Adkins,performing both artists' hits from over the years.[citation needed]
In 2009.38 Special opened forREO SpeedwagonandStyxas part of the "Can't Stop Rockin' Tour".[8]
Van Zant missed a handful of shows in 2011, and in 2012 a notice was posted on 38 Special's website saying Donnie Van Zant would not tour with the band due to health issues related to inner-ear nerve damage, although he would continue to write and record with the band. In 2013, after nearly a year of missing performances, Van Zant officially left 38 Special after 39 years and retired from music.[9]
In 2012 original bassist Ken Lyons died at age 59.[10]
In 2014 longtime bassist Larry Junstrom was replaced by Barry Dunaway (a veteran of many classic rock groups, includingPat Travers Band,Yngwie MalmsteenandSurvivor). Dunaway had previously filled in for Junstrom for a handful of shows in 2011, and a few shows in 2013 as well. Junstrom was then forced to retire due to a hand injury that required surgery.[citation needed]
Since 2019, the band's lineup has consisted ofDon Barnes,keyboardist/vocalist Bobby Capps, drummer Gary Moffatt, Dunaway, and guitaristJerry Riggs.This leaves Don Barnes as the only original member, although Barnes was absent from the band from 1987 until 1992.[citation needed]
Larry Junstrom died on October 6, 2019, at age 70.[11]
In 2022 bassist Paul Drennan filled in for Barry Dunaway.[12]
Band members
[edit]
Current members[edit]
Touring musicians[edit]
Touring substitutes[edit]
|
Former members[edit]
|
Lineups
[edit]1974–1977 | 1977–1986 | 1986–1987 | 1987–1991 |
---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
1991–1992 | 1992–1997 | 1997–2013 | 2013–2014 |
|
|
|
|
2014–2019 | 2019–present | ||
|
|
Timeline
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/timeline/8ozo458kg7efjpbavlwopr9r4p467bf.png)
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]- 38 Special(1977)
- Special Delivery(1978)
- Rockin' into the Night(1979)
- Wild-Eyed Southern Boys(1981)
- Special Forces(1982)
- Tour de Force(1983)
- Strength in Numbers(1986)
- Rock & Roll Strategy(1988)
- Bone Against Steel(1991)
- Resolution(1997)
- A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night(2001)
- Drivetrain(2004)
References
[edit]- ^Erlewine, Stephen Thomas.".38 Special Biography, Songs, & Albums".AllMusic.RetrievedMarch 25,2023.
- ^".38 Special".VH1.All Media Guide. 2007. Archived fromthe originalon December 7, 2009.RetrievedSeptember 6,2019.
- ^".38 Special Biography, Songs, & Albums".AllMusic.RetrievedMay 11,2023.
- ^single chartsAllMusicRetrieved 2011-12-22
- ^abcdefghijkColin Larkin,ed. (1995).The Guinness Who's Who of Heavy Metal(Second ed.).Guinness Publishing.p. 360/1.ISBN0-85112-656-1.
- ^.38 Special's Don Barnes talks Hold on Loosely,Decades TV Network (YouTube channel, uploaded November 16, 2018)
- ^Waddell, Ray (January 31, 2007)."Hank Jr., Skynyrd Getting Rowdy On Spring Tour".Billboard.RetrievedJanuary 18,2022.
- ^"STYX, REO SPEEDWAGON,.38 SPECIAL Team Up For Can't Stop Rockin' 2009 US Tour".Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles.February 26, 2009.RetrievedJanuary 18,2022.
- ^Wake, Matt (April 29, 2014)."WhistleStop music 2014: 38 Special".al.Alabama Media Group.RetrievedMay 12,2015.
- ^ab"Kenneth Lyons, 59, of Mount Sinai Road dies in Winston-Salem".JournalPatriot.North Wilkesboro, North Carolina,United States: Wilkes Journal-Patriot. May 25, 2012.RetrievedSeptember 6,2019.
- ^"Lynyrd Skynyrd founder Larry Junstrom dead at 70".Torontosun.RetrievedOctober 6,2019.
- ^"Southern Rock band.38 Special bring an evening of hits to Tampa".February 10, 2022.