CHARLIE DANIELS BAND- “PLAYS SOUTHERN ROCK”

TOM CRAIN AND CHARLIE DANIELS JAMMING AT WINTERLAND ON DECEMBER 13, 1975. PHOTO BY BEN UPHAM.

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CDB AT WINTERLAND ON 12-13-75
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CHARLIE DANIELS BAND-
“PLAYS SOUTHERN ROCK”
THE BEE
DANVILLE, VIRGINIA
MAY 2, 1974

A different sun is rising nowadays for Charlie Daniels, who at age 37 is running headlong into the springtime of his rock ‘n roll life. Daniels and his band are the latest wrinkle in a form of music dubbed “Southern Rock.” It was born with The Allman Brothers and it’s taking on added dimension with the Charlie Daniels Band.

It’s also been a long time coming, says Daniels, who can now lay solid claim to the distinction of being the most successful rock artist to emerge from this country music capital. Before his rise, however, the North Carolina native had found himself partially moored in a false country music image. “They ain’t nothing in the world as powerful as telling the truth. I feel I’m playing the truth now,” said the bearded, hulking guitarist-vocalist who now lives on a farm 20 miles from here. “It’s my own music. I was raised with it. My mother has always liked boogie music, but back then it was called race music,” he said, tugging gently at a gold earring on his right earlobe. “It takes the music out of the skyscrapers and brings it down to the people. Southern music has always been like that.”

Charlie’s career is an enigma. He came to Nashville seven years ago with, of all things, rock music in his blood. He stuck it out as a reputable country studio sideman — making $40,000 a year in sessions with such notables as Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr and Leonard Cohen. Last year, he struck a responsive chord with his composition and recording of “Uneasy Rider,” a countrified tune which rode to the top of the charts. But the song wasn’t at all what Daniels is about.

Daniels refers to “my rock,” and speaks often of being truthful to his own musical sentiments. He comes across as an authentic talent; interest mostly is revealing where, his musical mind is and backhandedly scoffing at the success he had found within the country market. “You have to go the extra
mile to really get anything,” he says. “I’m not so conscious of where the music is headed. ‘Rock’ has gotten to be such an ambiguous term anyway. “I feel like instead of us coming around to where the industry is, it’s a matter of the industry coming around to where we’ve been. Damn, I’ve been playing boogie music for a long time — a real long time. We’ve been playing that music all our lives and nobody wanted to hear it until the last 3 or 4 years. My latest album, “Way Down Yonder,” is packed with a variety of tunes — blues, country, hard rock. But the backbone is boogie, southern fashion.

“People will say we sound like the Allman Brothers. They do the same with the Marshall Tucker Band. Sure, you can hear similarities all day long. You can take anything out of context and say it sounds like other music. But it’s in us. What can you do?” he asked with a broad laugh from his chubby face.

Daniels writes all the tunes, sings lead vocals and plays lead guitar and fiddle. Keyboards, two drummers, rhythm and bass guitars round out the sound. It’s a total sound — in that nothing is left hanging, the musical theme clamors with distinction and the variety is impressive. Again, it’s far from “Uneasy Rider,” a million seller which created a false image for the Charlie Daniels Band. “Let’s put it like this,” he said. “People are still finding out what the band’s like. It’s going to take a few more hit records, a few more groups, albums and touring to really drive it home.”

CHARLIE DANIELS BAND DISCOGRAPHY:

1971 Charlie Daniels
1972 John, Grease and Wolfman
1973 Honey in the Rock
1974 Way Down Yonder
1974 Fire on the Mountain
1975 Nightrider
1976 Volunteer Jam
1976 Saddle Tramp
1976 High Lonesome
1977 Midnight Wind
1978 Volunteer Jam III and IV
1979 Million Mile Reflections
1980 Volunteer Jam VI
1980 Full Moon
1981 Volunteer Jam VII
1982 Windows
1983 A Decade of Hits
1985 Me and the Boys
1987 Powder Keg
1988 Homesick Heroes
1989 Simple Man
1990 Christmas Time Down South
1991 Renegade
1994 The Door
1995 Same Ol’ Me
1996 Steel Witness
1997 Blues Hat
1998 Fiddle Fire
1999 Tailgate Party
2000 Road Dogs
2001 Live!
2003 Freedom and Justice for All
2005 Songs from the Longleaf Pines 2007 Live from Iraq
2007 Deuces

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND PHOTOS:
CDB AT WINTERLAND ON 12-13-75
AND
CDB ARTWORK BY BEN UPHAM III