Sons of the Desert (band)
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| Sons of the Desert | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Waco, Texas, United States |
| Genre(s) | Country |
| Years active | 1989-2000 |
| Label(s) | Epic, MCA Nashville |
| Associated acts | Ty Herndon Lee Ann Womack |
| Former members | |
| Scott Saunders Doug Virden Brian Westrum Drew Womack Tim Womack |
|
Sons of the Desert was an American country music band founded in 1989 in the state of Texas by brothers Drew and Tim Womack, along with Scott Saunders, Doug Virden, and Brian Westrum. In 1997, they made their debut on the country music scene with the release of their debut single "Whatever Comes First", a Top Ten hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts. Although Sons of the Desert did not reach Top Ten again on their own, the band did reach Number One on the country charts as backing vocalists on Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance" in 2000.
Between 1997 and the group's disbanding in 2000, Sons of the Desert charted eight singles on the U.S. Billboard country charts, in addition to recording two studio albums: Whatever Comes First (1997) and Change (2000). Former lead singer Drew Womack has since begun a solo career; his first solo album featured contributions from the band's other members.
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[edit] Biography
The band, deriving its name from the 1933 Laurel and Hardy film Sons of the Desert, was founded in 1989 by a group of students attending McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas.[1] Drew Womack assumed the role of lead singer; his brother, Tim, played lead guitar and sang backup vocals. Completing the band's lineup were drummer Brian Westrum, keyboardist Scott Saunders, and bass guitarist/vocalist Doug Virden.
[edit] First album
In 1997, Sons of the Desert signed to Epic Records, a record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Their debut album, Whatever Comes First, was released that year; its title track served as the lead-off single, reaching a peak of #10 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts.[1] The album's second and third singles, "Hand of Fate" and "Leaving October" (which Drew wrote about his third-grade teacher[2]), peaked at #33 and #31, respectively, on the same chart. Drew Womack and Virden also played on Ty Herndon's 1996 album Living in a Moment, and his 1998 album Big Hopes. They can be heard as guest vocalists on Herndon's Number One single "It Must Be Love".
[edit] "Goodbye Earl"
In the late 1990s, Sons of the Desert discovered a song called "Goodbye Earl", which they began to perform in concert. Written by Dennis Linde, "Goodbye Earl" told of a domestic abuse victim who enlisted a friend's help to kill her abusive husband.[3] The group then recorded the song for a planned second album on Epic. At the same time, the Dixie Chicks (who were signed to Monument Records, another division of Sony Music Entertainment), had also recorded the song, and they were planning to include it on their next album as well. Although both bands had planned to release their versions as singles, the Dixie Chicks claimed the song as their own. Their version was recorded on their 1999 album Fly, and released as a single in 2000.[3]
Sons of the Desert then entered a dispute with Sony over "Goodbye Earl", resulting in the band's departure from the label.[4] Their second album for Epic was not released, and Sony acquired the rights to all of that album's songs (including the single "What About You", which had been released and peaked at #45 on the country charts).[4] Also included on this unreleased album was a recording of "Bless the Broken Road", a song which later became a Number One country hit when the group Rascal Flatts recorded it for their 2004 album Feels Like Today.[5]
[edit] Switch to MCA Nashville
Shortly after their departure from Epic, Sons of the Desert signed to MCA Nashville Records. In 2000, the band's first album for MCA, titled Change, was released. The label also shifted the band's focus to just the Womack brothers and Virden; Saunders and Westrum still contributed to the album, but were no longer considered official members.[6] "Albuquerque" (a song which MCA had acquired from the band's unreleased Epic album[3][4]) served as the first single from Change, followed by the title track and "Everybody's Gotta Grow Up Sometime"; these songs peaked at #58, #45, and #42, respectively, on the country music charts.
Sons of the Desert saw its biggest chart success in mid-2000 as guest vocalists on Lee Ann Womack's single "I Hope You Dance". (Lee Ann is not related to Drew or Tim Womack.)[7] The song, which reached Number One on both the country and Adult Contemporary charts, featured a counterpoint chorus sung by Sons of the Desert, although an alternate version without this counterpoint was also released.
[edit] Disbanding
Sons of the Desert's final chart single, titled "What I Did Right", was released after "I Hope You Dance"; shortly after it reached a peak of #22 on the country charts, the five members parted ways. Lead singer Drew Womack later embarked on a solo career, and recorded an eponymous solo album in 2004. This solo album featured several contributions from the band's other members, as well as a remake of their 1998 single "Leaving October".[2]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Album | US Country | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Whatever Comes First | 38 | Epic |
| 2001 | Change | 65 | MCA Nashville |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Song | US Country | US Hot 100 | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | "Whatever Comes First" | 10 | Whatever Comes First | |
| "Hand of Fate" | 33 | |||
| 1998 | "Leaving October" | 31 | ||
| 1999 | "What About You" | 45 | unreleased Epic Records album | |
| "Albuquerque" | 58 | Change | ||
| 2000 | "Change" | 45 | ||
| "Everybody's Gotta Grow Up Sometime" | 42 | |||
| "I Hope You Dance" (w/ Lee Ann Womack)A | 1 | 14 | I Hope You Dance (Lee Ann Womack album) | |
| "What I Did Right" | 22 | 117 | Change |
- A"I Hope You Dance" also peaked at #1 on US Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks, #13 on US Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks, #24 on US Top 40 Mainstream, and #25 on US Top 40 Tracks.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Sons of the Desert biography (html). All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2007-07-15.
- ^ a b Drew Womack album review (html). Country Standard Time.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-15.
- ^ a b c Sons of the Desert don't mind getting a little 'SOD'dy (html). FindArticles.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-15.
- ^ a b c Young, Lisa (28). Sons of the Desert Find a Change: MCA Debut Puts Band Back in Record Stores, on Tour With Dwight Yoakam (html). CMT.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-15.
- ^ Bjorke, Matt. Matt's Songwriter Spotlight - Marcus Hummon. About.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
- ^ McCall, Michael (2000-08-07). Music: Ax-Swinging. Weekly Wire. Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
- ^ Drew Womack : Biography (html). CMT.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-15.
