SPV Record's Yellow label has just announced two more classic releases. May 3rd will see the release of NASHVILLE COUNTY JAMBOREE'S "Nashville's First Country-Rock Group". Continuing with classic Nashville releases, THE INTERNATIONAL SUBMARINE BAND W/JOHN CORNEAL'S "Back at Home & JOHN CORNEAL and the Orange Blossom Special" will be released on May 31st.
NASHVILLE COUNTRY JAMBOREE: "NASHVILLE'S FIRST COUNTRY-ROCK GROUP
THE NASHVILLE COUNTRY JAMBOREE featured the cream of the crop of Nashville's studio musicians of the day (many would go on to become country-rock legends with the Area Code 615 Band and Barefoot Jerry) and the singers, songs and performances were all top notch. This was the best that Nashville had to offer, and it's high time that THE NASHVILLE COUNTRY JAMBOREE was recognized for their contribution to the musical genre that would come to be known as Country-Rock.
The first album by the group consisted of cover versions of current country standards, but with all the songs they and their stable of song-writers were penning, the second album ("The Saturday Night Sound") consisted entirely of original material. These were young guys who were highly influenced by rockabilly and the west coast Bakersfield country-rock sound. This was definitely not the staid Nashville Sound of the day, but a more rockin' treatment that featured wah-wah guitars, electric keyboards and twangy guitars. The NASHVILLE COUNTRY JAMBOREE went back to covering standards (for the most part anyway) for the rest of their releases, but the group remained one of the most successful franchises on the Spar label. Johnny remained a jack of all trades at Spar for the remainder of the 1960s, signing Christy Lane to her first contract, pitching songs, running the publishing company and doing record promotion. He produced Urel Albert's hit for Spar, "Saturday Night In Nashville", and his followup, "C&W Meets R&B", for Sugar Hill Records. By 1970 both Johnny and Jerry had become tired of the pace at Spar and decided to strike out on their own. They started a booking agency together and both worked as independent producers for the remainder of the decade. Jerry Foster went on to become half of the legendary Foster & Rice song-writing/production team and Elgin became a very successful gospel music record producer, handling sessions for The Chuck Wagon Gang and many others. He is still active in the music business as a record distributor and song-writer.
INTERNATIONAL SUBMARINE BAND AND JOHN CORNEAL: "BACK AT HOME & JOHN CORNEAL AND THE ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL:
This release consists of two classic albums packaged together, completely remastered with bonus tracks.
THE INTERNATIONAL SUBMARINE BANDwas formed by Gram Parsons and Ian Dunlop, along with Guitarist John Nuese and drummer Mickey Gauvin, in 1965. The group came from disparate musical backgrounds. Parsons had previously been a folk singer but was weaned on Memphis rock & roll. Ian Dunlop was a rocker through and through. Mickey Gauvin had played in R&B bands, and John Nuese was into the Bakersfield country music sound. Their idea was to meld these influences into what they called "Cosmic American Music".
JON CORNEALhas the distinction of being the first drummer in Country-Rock. As a member of THE INTERNATIONAL SUBMARINE BAND, fronted by the legendary Gram Parsons (LHI Records 1967), JON was one of the pioneers who brought Country music to the Rock audience.
CORNEAL decided it was time to make a solo album. He went back to Florida in 1974 and recorded "JON CORNEAL& the Orange Blossom Special", financing it himself. It still stands as his only solo outing. As the years go by its charm hasn't diminished and its historical significance grows. JON enlisted his pals from Florida, many of whom were also musical acquaintances of Gram Parsons. The album is a document of an era and place. "The people who played on my album were the 'A' team session musicians in the Auburndale area in those days," CORNEAL recalls. JON CORNEAL played on the three most legendary, genre defining albums of Country-Rock and on other significant records following those. This solo album was his turn, his one and only step into the spotlight during the golden days of Country-Rock.
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