Doug Sahm And Band

Born on November 6, 1941, in San Antonio, TX, Doug Sahm was a highly knowledgeable and superbly competent performer of Texan musical styles, whether they be blues, country, rock & roll, Western swing, Cajun, or polkas. A child prodigy, he appeared on radio at the age of five and became a featured player (steel guitar, fiddle, and mandolin) on the the Louisiana Hayride radio program, appearing with stars such as Webb Pierce, Hank Thompson, and Hank Williams. He made his recording debut on the Sarg imprint in 1955 with A Real American Joe under the name of Little Doug Sahm, and within three years was fronting the Pharaohs, the first of several rough-hewn backing groups including the Dell-Kings and the Mar-Kays. Sahm recorded a succession of singles for local labels, including his Little Richard pastiche "Crazy Daisy" (1959), "Just a Moment" b/w "Sapphire" (1961), and "Lucky Me" (1963). For several years, Sahm had been pestering producer Huey P. Meaux to record him. Meaux, having success with Barbara Lynn and Dale & Grace, was not interested.

However, the producer found himself without a market when Beatlemania hit America, and shut himself away in a hotel with the Beatles' records, determined to discover what made them sell. He then called Sahm, told him to grow his hair, form a band, and write a tune with a Cajun two-step beat. Accordingly, Sahm assembled his friends Augie Meyers (keyboards), Frank Morin (saxophone), Harvey Kagen (bass), and Johnny Perez (drums). Meaux gave them an English-sounding name, the Sir Douglas Quintet, and subsequently scored an international hit in 1965 with the catchy "She's About a Mover." The band also had success in the U.S. charts with "The Rains Came," but after being arrested for possession of drugs, they disbanded and Sahm moved to San Francisco, CA, to avoid a heavy fine. He formed the Honkey Blues Band, but had difficulty in getting them on the road. He then gathered the rest of the Sir Douglas Quintet in California for another classic single, "Mendocino," its spoken introduction being characteristic of the hippie era. The album, also called Mendocino, was a forerunner of country-rock. The Sir Douglas Quintet toured Europe and made the successful Together After Five, while Sahm made an excellent country single under the name of Wayne Douglas, "Be Real." He moved to Prunedale in Northern California and befriended a Chicano band, Louie & the Lovers, producing their Rise.

Sahm, having resolved his problems with the authorities, went back to Texas and released the Sir Douglas Quintet album The Return of Doug Saldaña, the name reflecting his affection for Chicanos. The album, co-produced with Meaux, included an affectionate tribute to Freddy Fender, "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights," which prompted Meaux to resurrect Fender's career and turn him into a country superstar. Sahm appeared with Kris Kristofferson in the movie Cisco Pike, and told his record company that a song he performed, "Michoacan," was about a state in Mexico. Disc jockeys, however, realized that he was actually praising marijuana, and airplay was restricted. Atlantic Records' key producer, Jerry Wexler, decided that progressive country was becoming fashionable and signed both Willie Nelson and Doug Sahm. His high-spirited 1973 album, Doug Sahm and Band, was made in New York with Bob Dylan, Dr. John, and accordionist Flaco Jiménez, and the singer achieved minor success with "(Is Anybody Going To) San Antone?" The Sir Douglas Quintet were resurrected intermittently, which resulted in two fine live albums, Wanted Very Much Alive and Back to the 'Dillo. Although it might seem strange that the band should tour with new wave outfit the Pretenders, Sahm's voice and style were possibly an influence on Elvis Costello. Sahm himself stated, "I'm a part of Willie Nelson's world and at the same time I'm a part of the Grateful Dead's. I don't ever stay in one bag."

One of his finest albums was Hell of a Spell, a blues collection dedicated to Guitar Slim. During the mid-'80s Sahm and Meyers worked for the Swedish roots label Sonet Records, releasing several singles and an album that proved highly popular in Scandinavia. Sahm then relocated to Canada, recording the Return of the Formerly Brothers album with guitarist Amos Garrett and pianist Gene Taylor. He returned to Texas in 1988, basing himself at the Antone's blues club in Austin and toured with Jiménez and Angela Strehli as the Texas R&B Revue. In 1990, Sahm formed the Texas Tornados with Meyers, Jiménez, and Fender. Their debut album, which included Sahm's witty "Who Were You Thinkin' Of?" and Butch Hancock's "She Never Spoke Spanish to Me," showed that he had lost none of his powers, and subsequent Tornados releases were equally popular. Sahm also inaugurated the Last Real Texas Blues Band, an informal revue that played Tex-Mex and the blues.

Sahm's lifestyle caught up with him in November 1999, when he was found dead from a heart attack in a New Mexico motel room. He left behind a rich musical legacy, however. Some might regard the Sir Douglas Quintet as one-hit wonders, but in reality Sahm recorded a remarkable catalog of Texas music. Day Dreaming at Midnight was a prime example. This 1994 Sir Douglas Quintet album, featuring his sons Shawn and Shandon and produced by ex-Creedence Clearwater Revival drummer Doug Clifford, was a rousing collection, notable for "Too Little Too Late" and the blistering Bob Dylan pastiche "Dylan Come Lately." His death in 1999 was a blow. Many longstanding fans had witnessed a steady artistic growth over the decade, with a notable improvement in his voice.

—All Music

Doug Sahm began his solo career in 1972, after the Sir Douglas Quintet finished its contract with Smash/Mercury and after Atlantic Records co-owner/producer Jerry Wexler convinced him to sign to his label. Wexler gave the Texas maverick the chance to cut a star-studded, big-budget album, shuffling him off to New York where Wexler and Arif Mardin helmed a series of sessions with an ever-revolving cast of musicians featuring Bob Dylan, Dr. John, David "Fathead" Newman, David Bromberg, and Flaco Jimenez, in addition to such Sir Doug stalwarts as Augie Meyers and the rhythm section of bassist Jack Barber and drummer George Rains (all but the latter were in the last incarnation of the Quintet, raising the question of whether the group was indeed finished or not, but such is the nature of Sahm's discography). This group cut a lot of material, which was whittled down to the 12-track album Doug Sahm and Band, released in early 1973. At the time, the record received a push from the label and was generally disparaged because of those very all-stars on whose back it was sold, but the years have been kind indeed to the album, and it stands among Sahm's best. Indeed, the heart of the album is not at all far removed from those latter-day Sir Douglas Quintet albums on Mercury, which isn't much of a stretch since Sahm never really strayed from his signature blend of rock & roll, blues, country, and Tejano, but the bigger band and bigger production give the music a different feel -- one that's as loose as the best Quintet material, but off-handedly accomplished and slyly freewheeling. Original reviews noted that there was an overtly country direction on And Band, but that's not really true on an album that has Western swing and rambling country-rock like "Blues Stay Away from Me" and the anthemic "(Is Anybody Going To) San Antone" jutting up against pure blues in "Your Friends" and "Papa Ain't Salty," let alone loose-limbed rockers like "Dealer's Blues" and "I Get Off" or the skipping Tejano "Poison Love," fueled by Jimenez's addictive accordion.

These are all convincing arguments that the larger band allowed Sahm to indulge in all of his passions, to the extent of devoting full tracks to each of his favorite sounds -- something that was a bit different than the Quintet records, which usually mixed it all up so it was impossible to tell where one influence ended and another began. That's still true on And Band -- for instance, witness the brilliant cover of Willie Nelson's "Me and Paul," a country song goosed by soulful horns and delivered in a delirious drawl from Sir Doug -- but much of the album finds that signature Sahm sprawl being punctuated by style-specific detours where Sahm seizes the opportunity to stretch out as much as his guests seize the opportunity to jam with this American musical visionary. These are all characteristics of a jam session, which these sessions essentially were -- after all, on this album he only penned three out of the 12 songs -- but relying on covers also points out how Doug Sahm sounds so much like himself, he makes other people's tunes sound as if he wrote them himself. Again, that's something that was true throughout his career, but here it is in sharper relief than most of his records due to the nature of the sessions. And while it's arguable whether this is better than latter-day Sir Douglas Quintet albums -- or such mid-'70s records as Groover's Paradise or Texas Rock for Country Rollers for that matter -- there's no question that this is music that is vividly, excitedly alive and captures Sahm at a peak. It's pretty much irresistible.

—Stephen Thomas Erlewine

A1 (Is Anybody Going To) San Antone

Fiddle [Twin] — Doug Sahm, Ken Kosek*.
Steel Guitar — Charlie Owens*.
Vocals — Bob Dylan, Doug Sahm.
Written-By — Dave Kirby*, Glen Martin*.

A2 It's Gonna Be Easy

Backing Vocals — Doug*, Jack*.
Lead Vocals — Atwood*, Doug*.
Steel Guitar — Charlie Owens*.
Written-By — Atwood Allen.

A3 Your Friends

Baritone Saxophone — Willie Bridges.
Electric Piano — Arif Mardin.
Lead Guitar — Doug Sahm.
Tenor Saxophone — Fathead*.
Trumpet — Wayne Jackson.
Written-By — Deadric Malone.

A4 Poison Love

Accordion — Flaco Jimenez.
Dobro — David Bromberg.
Harmony Vocals — Atwood*.
Lead Vocals — Doug*.
Mandolin — Andy Statman.
Piano — Augie Meyer*.
Written-By — Elmer Laird.

A5 Wallflower

Dobro — Dave Bromberg*.
Lead Guitar — Bob Dylan.
Organ — Dr. John.
Vocals — Bob*, Doug*.
Written-By — Bob Dylan.

A6 Dealer's Blues

Horns — Jack Walrath, Martin Fierro, Mel Martin.
Lead Guitar — Doug Sahm.
Soloist, Tenor Saxophone — David “Fathead” Newman.
Written-By — Doug Sahm.

B1 Faded Love

Fiddle [Twin] — Doug Sahm, Ken Kosek*.
Steel Guitar — Charlie*.
Vocals — Atwood*, Doug*.
Written-By — B. Wills*, J. Wills*.

B2 Blues Stay Away From Me

Dobro — David Bromberg.
Soloist, Accordion — Flaco*.
Soloist, Guitar — Bob Dylan.
Vocals — Bobby*, Douglas*.
Written-By — Alton Delmore, Henry Glover, Rabon Delmore, Wayne Raney.

B3 Papa Ain't Salty

Horns — Fathead*, Wayne*, Willie*.
Lead Guitar — Doug Sahm.
Piano — Augie Meyer*.
Soloist, Tenor Saxophone — Fathead*.
Written-By — Grover McDaniel, T-Bone Walker.

B4 Me And Paul

Arranged By [Horns] — Wayne Jackson.
Dobro — Bromberg*.
Harp — Bob Dylan.
Horns — Fathead*, Wayne*.
Soloist, Piano — Augie*.
Vocals — Doug Sahm.
Written-By — Willie Nelson.

B5 Don't Turn Around

Baritone Saxophone — Mel*.
Bass, Guitar, Organ, Piano, Vocals — Doug*.
Drums — George Rains.
Soloist, Tenor Saxophone — David “Fathead” Newman.
Tenor Saxophone — Martin*.
Written-By — Doug Sahm.

B6 I Get Off

Baritone Saxophone — Mel Martin.
Organ — Mac*.
Tenor Saxophone — Martin Fierro.
Trumpet — Jack Walrath.
Written-By — Doug Sahm.

Credits

Accordion — Flaco Jimenez.
Baritone Saxophone — Mel Martin, Willie Bridges.
Bass, Vocals — Jack Barber.
Dobro, Slide Guitar — David Bromberg.
Drums — George Rains.
Engineer — Jim Gaines (tracks: B5), Jimmy Douglass (tracks: A1 to B4, B6), Ken Hopkins (tracks: B5).
Fiddle [Twin] — Ken Kosek*.
Fiddle [Twin], Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Electric Guitar [Rhythm], Acoustic Guitar, Bajo Sexto, Bass, Organ, Piano, Remix, Producer — Doug Sahm.
Guitar, Electric Guitar, Piano — Augie Meyer*.
Mandolin — Andy Statman.
Organ, Piano — Dr. John.
Producer — Jerry Wexler.
Producer, Remix, Electric Piano — Arif Mardin.
Steel Guitar — Charlie Owens*.
Tenor Saxophone — David Fathead Newman*, Martin Fierro.
Trumpet — Jack Walrath, Wayne Jackson.
Vocals, Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Acoustic Guitar [Rhythm] — Atwood Allen.
Vocals, Harmony Vocals, Guitar, Harp, Organ [Hammond & Vox] — Bob Dylan.