Shenandoah (band)

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This article is about the country music band. For other uses, see Shenandoah.

Shenandoah is an American country music band that a scored a string of hits in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band combines elements of traditional and contemporary country music in their songs.

Contents

[edit] Members

  • Marty Raybon - lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1984-1997)
  • Brent Lamb - lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1996-2002)
  • Curtis Wright - lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1997-present)
  • Jim Seales - lead guitar (1984-present)
  • Ralph Ezell - bass guitar (1984-1996; 2002-present)
  • Rocky Thacker - bass guitar (1996-2002)
  • Stan Thorn - keyboards (1984-1995)
  • Mike McGuire - drums (1984-present)

[edit] History

Lead guitarist Jim Seales and drummer Mike McGuire formed Shenandoah in 1984 as a house band in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. They added three more members to the band a year later - bluegrass singer Marty Raybon, bass guitarist Ralph Ezell, and keyboard player Stan Thorn. McGuire invited songwriting friend Robert Byrne to one of the band's shows. Byrne was impressed with the band that he invited them into his recording studio to cut a demo. He pitched the demo to Columbia Records. Columbia was so impressed with Shenandoah that the label decided to sign them.

In 1987, Shenandoah released its self-titled debut album for Columbia. It produced its first three singles - the top 60 hit, "They Don't Make Love Like We Used To," the Top 30 hit, "Stop the Rain," and the band's first Top 10 hit, "She Doesn't Cry Anymore." In 1989, Shenandoah released its second album, The Road Not Taken. It produced two Top 10 hits, "Mama Knows," and "See If I Care." It also produced the band's first three No. 1 hits - "The Church on Cumberland Road," "Sunday in the South," and "Two Dozen Roses." 1990 saw the release of the band's third album, Extra Mile. It produced another No. 1, "Next to You, Next to Me," along with three Top 10 hits ("Ghost in This House," "I Got You," and "The Moon Over Georgia") and the Top 40 hit, "When You Were Mine."

While Shenandoah was enjoying their success, they ran into legal problems in 1991, when three other bands bearing the Shenandoah name came forward, leaving the group bankrupt. To make matters worse, Columbia dropped Shenandoah from their label after releasing their first greatest-hits album the following year. But eventually, the band settled their differences and was signed to RCA Records. Their fifth album, and first for RCA, Long Time Comin', was released, producing the Top 5 hit, "Rock My Baby," the Top 15 "Leavin's Been a Long Time Comin'," and the Top 30 "Hey Mister (I Need This Job)." 1993 saw the release of Shenandoah's sixth album, Under the Kudzu, producing the No. 1 "If Bubba Can Dance (I Can Too)," the Top 5 "I Want to Be Loved Like That," the Top 15 "Janie Baker's Love Slave," and the Top 50 "I'll Go Down Loving You."

In 1994, Shenandoah left RCA after another greatest-hits compilation was issued and moved to Liberty Records (the Nashville division of Capitol Records), and recorded their first album for the label, and eighth album overall, In the Vicinity of the Heart. The album was released in January 1995, and produced the Top 10 hit "Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart," which was a duet with Alison Krauss. (Shenandoah and Alison won a Grammy for the collaboration that year.) The album also produced a Top 5 hit, "Darned If I Don't (Danged If I Do)," the Top 30, "Heaven Bound (I'm Ready)," and the Top 40, "Always Have, Always Will." (Keyboard player Stan Thorn left Shenandoah after the success of "Darned If I Don't (Danged If I Do).") 1996 saw the release of their third greatest-hits album, Now and Then, although the album consisted mostly of re-recordings of their Columbia hits since they were under the Capitol label, and also included four new songs. One of the songs, "All Over But the Shoutin'," peaked at No. 43. (Lead singer Marty Raybon and bass guitarist Ralph Ezell both left Shenandoah after Now and Then was released, and Shenandoah eventually left Capitol.)

After Marty left, he and his brother, Tim, formed a country duo, calling themselves the Raybon Bros.. The duo achieved country and pop success with their rendition of the Bob Carlisle hit, "Butterfly Kisses." Marty has since released three critically acclaimed solo albums under his own name.

Meanwhile, the remaining members of Shenandoah, guitarist Jim Seales and drummer Mike McGuire, recruited lead singer Brent Lamb and bass guitarist Rocky Thacker, and in 2000, recorded their next album, Shenandoah 2000, under a small independent label. The album produced a minor hit when "What Children Believe" peaked at No. 65. A couple of years later, original bass guitarist Ralph Ezell came back on board and a new lead singer, songwriter Curtis Wright, also joined the lineup. (Wright had co-written Shenandoah's hits, "Rock My Baby," and "Next to You, Next to Me," which he co-wrote with another songwriter, Robert Ellis Orrall.) The new lineup still continues to tour all over the United States.

[edit] Discography

  • Shenandoah (1987)
  • The Road Not Taken (1989); #6, US Country
  • Extra Mile (1990); #11, US Country; #186, US Pop
  • Greatest Hits (1992); #43, US Country
  • Long Time Comin' (1992); #34, US Country
  • Under the Kudzu (1993); #38 US Country
  • Super Hits (1994); #65, US Country
  • In the Vicinity of the Heart (1995); #31, US Country; #182, US Pop
  • Coming Home (1995)
  • The Best of Shenandoah (1995)
  • Now and Then (1996); #54, US Country
  • Shenandoah Christmas (1996)
  • 15 Favorites (1999)
  • Shenandoah 2000 (2000)
  • Certified Hits (2002)
  • All American Country (2003)

[edit] Singles

  • "They Don't Make Love Like We Used To" (1987); #54, US Country
  • "Stop the Rain" (1987); #28, US Country
  • "She Doesn't Cry Anymore" (1988); #9, US Country
  • "Mama Knows" (1988); #5, US Country
  • "The Church on Cumberland Road" (1989); #1, US Country
  • "Sunday in the South" (1989); #1, US Country
  • "Two Dozen Roses" (1989); #1, US Country
  • "See If I Care" (1990); #6, US Country
  • "Next to You, Next to Me" (1990); #1, US Country
  • "Ghost in This House" (1990); #5, US Country
  • "I Got You" (1991); #7, US Country
  • "The Moon Over Georgia" (1991); #9, US Country
  • "When You Were Mine" (1991); #38, US Country
  • "Rock My Baby" (1992); #2, US Country
  • "Leavin's Been a Long Time Comin'" (1992); #15, US Country
  • "Hey Mister (I Need This Job)" (1992); #28, US Country
  • "Janie Baker's Love Slave" (1993); #15, US Country
  • "I Want to Be Loved Like That" (1993); #3, US Country
  • "If Bubba Can Dance (I Can Too)" (1994); #1, US Country
  • "Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart" (with Alison Krauss) (1994); #7, US Country
  • "Darned If I Don't (Danged If I Do)" (1995); #4, US Country
  • "Heaven Bound (I'm Ready)" (1995); #24, US Country
  • "Always Have, Always Will" (1995); #40, US Country
  • "All Over But the Shoutin'" (1996); #43, US Country
  • "What Children Believe" (2000); #65, US Country
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