Oak Ridge Boys are back
News
Posted By MURRAY GREEN Camrose Canadian
Posted 1 month ago
Although the legendary Oak Ridge Boys have never been very far away from the music airways, they are back with a vengeance with their new CD called The Boys Are Back.
With their latest album, the Oak Ridge Boys prove that they are not only enduring, they are evolving. They started way back in 1973 and 37 years later they are still creating a stir with their music.
The Boys Are Back is a roots-music revelation wherein the veteran quartet explores blues, country, gospel and rock textures. Producer David Cobb brought the group styles and songs it has never attempted before, from John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom" to Neil Young's "Beautiful Bluebird," from Jamey Johnson's stone country "Mama's Table" to the blues classic "Troubl'in Mind." "Hold You in My Arms" comes from pop star Ray Lamontagne. Country rebel Shooter Jennings wrote the collection's title tune especially for the Oaks. "Live with Jesus" and "You Ain't Gonna Blow My House Down" are Nashville songs, while "Hold Me Closely" comes from Los Angeles. This album's innovative repertoire is perhaps best illustrated by The Oak Ridge Boys' striking version of The White Stripes' song "Seven Nation Army."
"We played in Craven, SK recently and the music fans loved our new CD. We have a new energy and excitement as we have been pushed to explore rock, blues, gospel and country on one CD," said Richard Sterban of the Oak Ridge Boys. "We wanted something that would appeal to several generations of fans as well as younger listeners. We accomplished our goal.
"As a group, we thought it was time to do something different," added the bass singer Sterban. "We wanted the chance to get outside the box a little bit and go down some roads we haven't been down before. We all felt that now was the time to give it a try. It's turned out to be a very good thing."
Even with 37 years of tra-velling, the band doesn't get tired of making the trip from Nashville to Canada.
"We always have a great time in Canada and we are looking forward to returning to Camrose on July 30 for our show at the Big Valley Jamboree. We are excited to perform our new music for our fans as well as our old favourites like "Elvira."
During their career, The Oak Ridge Boys have lent their distinctive harmonies to recordings by a diverse list of artists that includes Paul Simon, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Brenda Lee, Roy Rogers and George Jones. The Boys Are Back came about because of another such collaboration. In 2007, the Oaks recorded "Slow Train" with Shooter Jennings for his CD The Wolf.
"I remember Shooter just hanging out with his dad, Waylon Jennings in the recording studio. He said he wrote this song for The Oak Ridge Boys, and I would be so honoured if you guys would record it with me."
"A few months after we recorded 'Slow Train' with Shooter, he was doing a showcase at a Nashville club," said Sterban. "So he asked us if we would come. Of course, the place was packed with kids, people a lot younger than we would normally draw at this stage of our career. They were standing and partying and screaming and carrying on with him. We were backstage wondering, 'How are they going to accept us?' We came out and did 'Slow Train,' and the place went nuts. These kids were out there hollering and screaming. Then we sang 'Elvira' with Shooter's band, and the kids were actually singing 'Oom papa mow mow' along with me. I think that night was when the idea to work with Shooter's producer David Cobb was born."
Cobb wanted to push the Oak Ridge Boys to new heights, while still allowing them to be themselves.
The Oaks maintained an office on Music Row that was next door to the "outlaw" recording studio where Waylon Jennings created his hits. In another bit of irony, their vocals for The Boys Are Back were recorded in that very same studio.
Shooter's mom and Waylon's widow, Jessi Colter, lent her distinctive piano playing to their rendition of "Hold Me Closely" in that room.
For such an album to come from such a musical institution is truly impressive. This quartet came together back in 1973 as a gospel group lauded as one of the industry's premier artists. The Oak Ridge Boys outraged purists when they grew their hair long and stopped wearing matching suits. Then they reinvented themselves as country stars with 1977's "Y'All Come Back Saloon." A year later, Paul Simon recruited the Oaks to sing on his million-selling pop smash "Slip Slidin' Away."
"Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight," "Trying to Love Two Women," "Come on In" and other hits made the Oaks regular visitors to the top of the country charts. Then "Elvira" and "Bobbie Sue" took them to the pop hit parade as well. Meanwhile, they found time to appear on such smashes as Brenda Lee's "Broken Trust" and George Jones's "Same Old Me." Thanks to Oaks hits such as "American Made," "Ozark Mountain Jubilee," "Thank God for Kids" and their hit revival of The Staple Singers' "Touch a Hand, Make a Friend," the group racked up 10 Gold albums, two Platinum ones and a Double Platinum collection between 1977 and 1987. The classic Oaks lineup of William Lee Golden, Duane Allen, Sterban and Joe Bonsall also has four GRAMMY(r) Awards.
In 2000, the Oaks were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. The following year, they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Since signing with Spring Hill, their recordings have earned three Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association. While recording The Boys Are Back last year, The Oak Ridge Boys were presented with the Academy of Country Music's top honor, its Pioneer Award.
"It might say we are old to have several generations of fans, but we take it as a compliment that we can appeal to grandma and grandpa and to young fans. We're doing a lot of these new songs in our stage show now," said Sterban. "And it's amazing how well they're going over. We will open the Camrose show with The Boys Are Back. The first thing they hear out of the chute every night is me. Then Golden comes out, and the excitement builds as each guy comes out and adds to the song-Duane, and then Joe comes flying out."
Sterban says the new CD has the band revived and no thoughts of retirement are in site. "We have about 100 more shows this year and we have a lot booked already for next year. We also want to head back to the studio as well. We talk quite a bit about reinventing ourselves," said Sterban. "Even after all these years, we still have that energy level on stage. We don't jump quite as high as we used to, but there's still an energy that is very noticeable.
It's one of the things that have kept us in the business for so long. People know that when they pay their money to see The Oak Ridge Boys, they're going to get their money's worth.
"There's still a spark that burns within all of us that makes us want to go out there and do it. You don't get tired of doing what you love to do. I think that's the key."
Sterban said they received their start in gospel and they won't forget that.
"David went to the Smithsonian Institute to find the oldest gospel song he could find.
"He came up with "Troubling Mind" which is over 100 years old and before they had copyright laws. It is a cool gospel song. We wanted to create an American songbook and we were able to that with the CD and again it appeals to younger audiences."
The Oak Ridge Boys had 23 number one songs and 50 that made the charts.
"Camrose will not only hear our new songs, but some of our big hits."
