MOLLY HATCHET
Jacksonville, Florida in the mid-sixties.
While the rest of the world was glorifying The Beatles and surviving the soul explosion, there were numerous hopeful young musicians hanging out and jamming at the Forest Inn on the west side, Greenfield Stables, or downtown at the now defunct Comic Book Club.
While most lay people tend to categorize Southern musicians with the Macon, Muscle Shoals, or Miami empires, the spawning ground for at least five top Southern bands was actually Jacksonville. It’s a well-known fact the very first Allman Brothers Band jam took place there in the park in 1969 and, of course, the rest is history. Such locals as King James Version, Magi, 1%, and Sweet Rooster contributed their formidable array of local talent to form such bands as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Grinderswitch, and .38 Special. These bands went on to carve their niche in the world of rock ‘n roll.
Meanwhile back in Jacksonville, an obscure band called MOLLY HATCHET was dipping in that talent pool once more, coming up with what some would call the best of the rest, but this unprejudiced observer calls THE BEST. These six guys sat back, observed what their fellow bands were doing and what they weren’t, then hit the road for the obligatory Southern roadhouse/club/bar circuit.
Okay, MOLLY HATCHET does sound like a strange name for six street-tough, extremely macho Southern boys. The explanation for the name comes from 17th Century Salem where one legendary lady (if one could call her that) named Molly Hatchet would behead her lovers with that hand tool Lizzy Borden made famous. Now the mystery still is what that has to do with these six guys but once you listen to the opening bars of “Bounty Hunter” or such cuts as “Gator Country,” “Big Apple,” etc. you won’t even worry about it anymore.
To get on with our story, the guys paid their dues and were referred to manager Pat Armstrong by .38 Special, whose career, along with Lynyrd Skynyrd, he had helped guide in their formative stages. Armstrong drilled MOLLY HATCHET until they were ready for the national recording scene. At the end of ‘77, Epic Records quickly snatched up this group, knowing a great band when they hear one.
Epic and Armstrong put MOLLY HATCHET together with producer-extraordinaire Tom Werman (Ted Nugent, Cheap Trick, Mother’s Finest). Hardly a Southern band producer, you’d say. Well, this ain’t Southern country/rock. It’s some of the Rockin’est Rock ‘n Roll to come out of the south and I ain’t just whistlin’ Dixie! These boys are Southern and proud of it, but they cut their collective teeth on rock ‘n roll, not the traditional country/blues!
MOLLY HATCHET, a band who lives fast, works hard and plays tough…well put it on and decide for yourself!
– Gail Giddens
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1. BOUNTY HUNTER (2:58)
Written by: Danny Joe Brown, Steven Jerome Holland, David Lawrence Hlubek
2. GATOR COUNTRY (6:17)
Written by: Banner Harvey Thomas, David Lawrence Hlubek, Steven Jerome Holland
3. BIG APPLE (3:01)
Written by: David Lawrence Hlubek, Danny Joe Brown
4. THE CREEPER (3:18)
Written by: Bruce Hull Crump, Jr., Steven Jerome Holland, Danny Joe Brown
5. THE PRICE YOU PAY (3:04)
Written by: Cecil Berrier, Steven Jerome Holland, Danny Joe Brown, Bob Huckaba
6. DREAMS I’LL NEVER SEE (7:06)
By Greg Allman
7. I’LL BE RUNNING (3:00)
Written by: Banner Harvey Thomas, Danny Joe Brown, David Lawrence Hlubek
8. CHEATIN’ WOMAN (4:36)
Written by: Steven Jerome Holland
9. TRUST YOUR OLD FRIEND (3:55)
Written by: Bruce Hull Crump, Jr., Duane Curtis Roland
All songs: © 1978 Mister Sunshine Music (BMI) All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission – except “Dreams I’ll Never See”: Copyright © 1969 Metric Music Company (BMI). All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.
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Produced by Tom Werman
Engineered by Antonion Reale (Lord of the board)
Assistant Engineer: Mike Beiriger
Recorded at the Sound Pit, Atlanta, Georgia
Mixed at The Record Plant, Los Angeles, California
Mastered at Sterling Sound, New York, New York.
Executive Production & Direction: Pat Armstrong & Associates
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Band Members:
Danny Joe Brown – Lead Vocalist
Duane Roland – Lead Guitar
Dave Hlubek – Lead Guitar
Steve Holland – Lead Guitar
Banner Thomas – Bass Guitar
Bruce Crump – Drums
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Special Thanks:
LYNYRD SKYNYRD, .38 SPECIAL, and GRINDERSWITCH for their friendship and encouragement, the Caviness family, Karen and Kyle, Lynn and Jake Madalin and Joey, Andrea and Beth, B. Hall, the Nekros, Barbara and Paul Axtell, Melodye and Taffy, the Capp Bros., Mike and Lynda, Michele, Charlotte and Sidney Drashin.
Metro Music, Marvin Kays Musicenters, The Warehouse Sound Studio, Westside Music, Music City, Grice Electronics – Audio Lab, Robbie, The Wreck, Wild Turkey 101, The H&H and Mama Louise, Sub’s and Sud’s & Unique Signs, Inc. and Vans East/Joe Andrews.
Rude Crew: Mike (The Minkey), Kelly (Mr. Fee Cheeks), Bob (The Wookie), Jackie (Tin Ears), Tim and Rocky.
Extra Special Thanks:
Tom and Tony – The Best, Don Dempsey, Lennie Petze, Larry Stessel, Hartley Peavey, Hollis Calvert, Frank Morris, Bill Coben, Karen Durr, Jack Armstrong, and to Pat Armstrong for without his direction, caring and patience none of this would be possible. And thank God…
MOLLY HATCHET is powered exclusively by Peavey Amps.
Studio Amps supplied by Dirty Don’s P.A. Palace and Soundz Music, Atlanta, Georgia.
Dedicated to the memory of: Ronnie Van Zandt and Roxie Brown
Epic
© 1978 CBS Inc./ (P) 1978 CBS Inc./ Manufactured by Epic Records/ CBS Inc./ 51 W. 52 Street, New York, NY/ “Epic” are trademarks of CBS Inc. except in Canada where they are trademarks of CBS Records Canada Ltd. WARNING: All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws.
EK 35347
DIDP 070044
