Hearts on the Line

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Hearts on the Line

Studio album by The Flying Burrito Brothers

Released

January 1981

Michael Lloyd

Professional reviews

All Music Guide link

The Flying Burrito Brothers chronology

Live from Tokyo
(1979)

Hearts on the Line
(1981)

Sunset Sundown
(1982)

Hearts on the Line is an album by the country rock group The Flying Burrito Brothers, released in 1981.

After the Flying Burrito Brothers scored a minor country hit in 1979 with a live cover of Merle Haggard's "White Line Fever", the band was dropped from their record contract and hit yet again with personnel changes. By 1980, Greg Harris and Ed Ponder had left the group, leaving the Burritos as a trio of "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow, Gib Guilbeau and Skip Battin. In addition to commitments with the Flying Burrito Brothers, Gib Guilbeau was also working as a songwriter for Criterion Music with John Beland, who Guilbeau knew from his time in the band Swampwater. Guilbeau and Beland wrote some songs and ultimately, Beland was invited to join the Burritos. Beland was reluctant to join the now nearly defunct band, as he was riding strong as lead guitarist with Rick Nelson who (with Beland's help) was enjoying his own comeback of sorts.

However, after leaving Nelson in the hopes of producing the Burritos, Beland who took the Burritos to a more commercial direction, having written a number of country hits for other artists prior to his joining the FBB. In addition, the band's name was shortened to simply The Burrito Brothers, a suggestion by Curb Records.

Beland's song demos, which featured the Burritos on them, eventually made it to Dick Whitehouse at Curb records, who signed the band to a deal with Curb / Epic Records. By December 1980, the band's first single for Curb, "She's a Friend of a Friend" reached the US country top 70. Hearts on the Line followed in January 1981 and spawned two further singles, both of which made the US country top 20, "Does She Wish She Was Single Again?" and "She Belongs to Everyone But Me". More would follow.

That year, The Burrito Brothers received the number one "Crossover from pop to country" award from Billboard Magazine as well as best new vocal group award from Record World Magazine. Skip Battin was fired from the band after the photo shoot for the album cover of HEARTS ON THE LINE, and was replaced in the studio by Dennis Belfield on bass. Mickey McGee was also replaced on drums by Ron Krasinsky, for the recordings. The success of the Burrito Brothers marked the first time in the bands 11 year prior history of having any serious commercial chart success. During their span as a country hit act, they scored 9 hits for Curb Records. In a strange twist of fate, Sneeky Pete Kleinow and Skip Battin both died of alzheimers. Gib Guilbeau is retired, after major heart surgery in the 90's, and living in Palmdale California. He occasionally records and still makes rare appearances in and around Los Angeles. John Beland remains a top producer and solo artist who continues to tour and record internationally. He lives in Brenham, Texas.