Amazing Rhythm Aces

The Amazing Rhythm Aces
The band in 1976.
Background information
Origin	Tennessee, United States
Genres	Country rock, soft rock, southern rock
Years active	1974–1981, 1994–present
Labels	Valley, ABC, Columbia, Warner Bros., Breaker
Associated acts	Sawyer Brown Jesse Winchester
Members	Billy Earheart III Russell Smith Lorne Rall Kelvin Holly Mark Horn
Past members	Barry Burton Duncan Cameron Jeff Davis James Hooker Butch McDade Danny Parks

The Amazing Rhythm Aces is an American country rock group. The band has characterized their music as "American Music" or "Roots Music"—rock, country, blues, R&B, folk, reggae and Latino. They are best known for their 1970s hit "Third Rate Romance", and have released 18 albums over 30 years; their tenure as a band includes a 15-year hiatus. Their music is distinguished by its eclectic scope, literate and often quirky lyrics, and distinctive vocals by lead singer/songwriter Russell Smith.

History

The Aces were first a local band in Knoxville, Tennessee in the late 1960s and early 1970s, although they went by the name "Fatback". The band consisted of vocalist/guitarist Russell Smith, bassist Jeff 'Stick' Davis, and drummer Butch McDade. Guitarist Mike Brooks left the group in 1971 to pursue Christian music. The band left Knoxville for greener pastures in the early 1970s.

In 1972, the Aces came together in Memphis, Tennessee, at the recommendation of Barry "Byrd" Burton, who was engineering and producing at the famous Sam Phillips Recording Studio in Memphis, Tennessee,^[1] first with Davis and McDade, who had recorded and toured with singer-songwriter Jesse Winchester. Davis and McDade recruited Smith, keyboardist Billy Earheart III, lead guitar, as well as multi-instrumentalist, Burton and pianist James Hooker to develop a sound mixing of pop, country and blue-eyed soul.

Stacked Deck, their debut album released in 1975, resulted in two crossover (rock and country) hits, "Third Rate Romance" and "Amazing Grace (Used to Be Her Favorite Song)," the group's lone Top 10 country single. In 1976 "The End Is Not in Sight (The Cowboy Tune)," from the album Too Stuffed to Jump, won a Grammy for Country Vocal Performance by a Group. "Third Rate Romance" reached No. 1 on the Canadian pop/rock charts -- all engineered and produced by Burton who produced their first three albums.^[2]

Burton left the group after the release of 1977's Toucan Do It Too, and was replaced by Duncan Cameron.

In 1978, the Aces released Burning the Ballroom Down, followed the next year by a self-titled effort featuring songs with Joan Baez, Tracy Nelson and the Muscle Shoals Horns. Both albums received critical approval, but sold poorly. They released another album, How the Hell Do You Spell Rhythum, before disbanding.

Afterlife

Smith became a successful songwriter, Earheart joined Hank Williams, Jr.'s Bama Band, and Cameron joined Sawyer Brown, a group that found significant chart success in the 1980s with a sound similar to The Amazing Rhythm Aces. Hooker joined Nanci Griffith in 1987, there he became the leader of the band The Blue Moon Orchestra. In 2007, Hooker retired from the road and now lives in County Tipperary, Ireland and Mallorca, Spain, where he still continues a very active writing and recording schedule. James Hooker Today A year after the release of Out of the Blue, Butch McDade died after a long battle with cancer on November 29, 1998. Barry 'Byrd' Burton went on to become a successful producer and legendary session guitarist. He released a solo instrumental country effort in 2002, titled Byrd Braynz (ADF Records). Barry 'Byrd' Burton died on March 10, 2008 from complications of Myelodysplastic syndrome (a rare form of blood cancer).^[3]

Reunion

The Aces reformed in 1994. The group, composed of Smith, Davis, McDade, Earheart, Hooker and new guitarist/mandolinist Danny Parks, released Ride Again, an album of new renditions of their biggest hits.

They began composing songs for a comeback album. Although McDade's cancer-related death on 29 November 1998 slowed the release, Out of the Blue appeared in mid-1998 with Michael Organ (drummer) as a temporary replacement and Bill Bonnette (drummer) in 1999. Jeff 'Stick' Davis left the group in 2004 shortly after the release of "Nothin' But The Blues". Since 2007, the Aces' line-up has included original members Russell Smith and Billy Earheart, along with Kelvin Holly on lead guitar. The boogie/blues inspired Nothin' but the Blues was followed with 2007's Midnight Communion which hearkened back to the Aces' eclectic roots music origins.

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

James Hooker

Sources

• Biography by Jason Ankeny, Allmusic
• PBS listing

External links

• Amazing Rhythm Aces Official site
• Allmusic
• Billy Earheart Official site
• James Hookers Official Website
• Butch McDade Obituary
• Barry 'Byrd' Burton Obituary
• Byrd Interview