Pure Prairie League

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Pure Prairie League was an American country-rock band whose roots began between 1964 and 1969 in Waverly, Ohio with Craig Fuller, Tom McGrail, Jim Caughlan and John David Call. The band's name was chosen in 1970 by McGrail 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 to the late 1980s and was reborn in the late 90s and again in the mid 2000s.

History

Although the band has its roots in Waverly, Ohio, it was actually formed in Columbus, Ohio, and had its first success in Cincinnati. Fuller (who would also play with J.D. Blackfoot and Little Feat), McGrail, Caughlan and Call had 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 vocal), Fuller (lead guitar and vocal), McGrail (drums), Kenny May (bass) and David Workman (pedal steel guitar). In 1970 the first official PPL lineup was Fuller, McGrail, Powell, Phil Stokes on bass, and Robin Suskind on guitar and mandola. Steel guitar player John David Call joined the band later in 1970. His steel guitar improved the country songs and sparked guitar duels with Fuller that contributed greatly to the country rock signature sound of the band. Jim Caughlan, who had 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. Their eponymous first album featured a Norman Rockwell drawing of an old cowboy named Luke, who had originally appeared in Saturday Evening Post magazine. Luke would feature on the cover of every PPL recording from that point on.

After the first album's release in March 1972 and a nationwide tour, the band decided to relocate to a horse farm in Toronto for the summer of '72 since Toronto was where the first album had been recorded and Fuller felt safer up there since he was facing charges of draft evasion. Call, Caughlan and Lanham were not agreeable to this move and decided to leave. The second album, Bustin Out, was produced, like their debut, by Bob Ringe and featured a 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 and 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 set up, he was sentenced to 6 months in jail, and forced to leave PPL in February 1973. At this point RCA 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 this 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 had played in a popular Ohio band called Sacred Mushroom.

The band hit the road and began gigging constantly, mostly in the Northeast, Midwest and Southeast. And it was due to their heavy schedule of shows, particularly at colleges, that their songs became well known, with "Amie" (Craig Fuller’s ode to an on-again/off-again relationship), from the second album, becoming a particular favorite.

A Hit At Last

As Amie grew in popularity, radio stations began receiving requests for it. As a result, RCA re-released Bustin Out and put out Amie as a single in late 1974. It peaked at #27 in early 1975.

RCA also re-signed PPL and their third album, Two Lane Highway, was released in April 1975. This latest had 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(#24) and Bustin Out reached Gold status, but their subsequent records, If the Shoe Fits(January 1976), Dance(Fall 1976), Live, Takin' the Stage(1977) and Just Fly(1978), sold in lesser quantities.

In 1977 Call left due to increasing back troubles. Larry Goshorn's brother, Tim, came aboard in time to record Just Fly. But in 1978 there was a mass exodus as the Goshorns left to form their own group, The Goshorn Brothers, and Powell, the last standing original member, retired from the road to run his pig farm back in Ohio.

The group soldiered on though 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 the Sundowners(with Byron Berline). Further auditions brought in LA 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 RCA. Sax player Jeff Kirk accompanied the band on some of the dates of their 1979 tour.

Casablanca Records, who at this time were trying to play down their rep as a primarily disco label, signed PPL and other non-dance acts to their 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 PPL in the charts with "Still Right Here in My Heart". But after Casablanca went bankrupt and was completely sold to Polygram Records, Polygram dropped most of Casablanca's roster, including PPL. 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 still played at clubs and outdoor fests.

Tim Goshorn returned, Mike Hamilton (vocals, guitars, from Kenny Loggins' band) also joined in 1982 and was there for 6 months, while Al Garth (vocals, woodwinds, fiddle, keyboards, another Loggins alumni (Loggins & Messina, also Poco and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), joined from 1982-1985.

Longtime drummer Billy Hinds retired from the road in 1984 to be succeeded, first by Merle Bregante (also ex-Loggins & Messina and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), then Joel Rosenblatt (in 1985). Sax player Dan Clawson took over for Garth in 1985, and Gary Burr (vocals, guitars) was there 1984-1985.

1985 also saw the return of PPL co-founder Craig Fuller (who had fronted the groups American Flyer and Fuller/Kaz in the mid-to-late 70s after he'd returned to music). Mementos 1971-1987, released on the small Rushmore label, was recorded back in Ohio, where the band had returned their base, and featured guest appearances from many of the band's alumni, including Gill, Powell, the Goshorns, Call, Burr and Mike Hamilton. In 1988, the band decided to call it a day. Fuller, who had already joined a reformed Little Feat in 1987, played with PPL for their final shows in the spring of 1988.

Rebirth

A decade later, PPL 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, but abandoned the sessions and separated once again after Schell became busy with other projects. Connor died on September 9th, 2004 after a long battle with cancer.

Following Connor's death, the group resumed touring once more in 2004 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, PPL have continued to tour playing a handful of shows every year. Reilly was sidelined in 2006 after he was forced to undergo a liver transplant. Jack Sundrud (from Poco) came in to sub for Reilly, and Rick Plant also did a stint with them on bass briefly, before relocating to Australia in late 2006. Sundrud then returned. Reilly appeared at a few shows in May 2007, playing guitar, but was unable to come back full-time until 2008. Jeff "Stick" Davis (from Amazing Rhythm Aces) sat in on bass for Mike in 2007. Call played some concerts in 2006 & 2007, standing in for Kaplin, and Donnie Clark replaced Curtis Wright in 2006, after Wright joined Reba McEntire's band.

Discography

Albums

Singles