Pure Prairie League helped define an entire era of country-rock music.
On Thursday night, the band hits in Alexandria, Virginia.
鈥淲e鈥檒l be playing all the hits and misses,鈥� Bassist and frontman Michael Reilly told 草莓传媒. 鈥淲e鈥檝e brought back a few tunes from the really early days that we鈥檝e never really done before, songs like 鈥楥all Me, Tell Me鈥� and 鈥楢ngel No. 9鈥� from 鈥楤ustin鈥� Out鈥� and they鈥檙e a gas.”
The band was formed in Waverly, Ohio in 1970, named after the fictional temperance union in the classic western film 鈥淒odge City鈥� (1939), which reunited actor Errol Flynn with director Michael Curtiz a year after 鈥淭he Adventures of Robin Hood鈥� (1938).
鈥淭he drummer at the time, Tom McGrail, was watching late-night TV and when he saw that he said, 鈥榃ow, this would be a great name for a band,鈥� Reilly said.
Reilly joined in 1973 amid frontman Craig Fuller’s draft issues during the Vietnam War.
鈥淗e filed as a conscientious objector and the judge in New York didn鈥檛 want to hear it, so he threw him in prison,鈥� Reilly said. 鈥淲e felt bad for Craig and went out to Springfield, Missouri, to bring him a chessboard, his guitar and stuff like that [in prison]. … I basically stepped up, I think by default, and grabbed the reins and kept trying to steer the buggy.鈥�
After a self-titled debut, the band followed with its breakthrough album 鈥淏ustin鈥� Out鈥� (1972), featuring the song 鈥淎mie,鈥� which was later released as a single in 1975.
“‘Amie鈥� was written as a harder, rockin鈥� song, but when we got into the studio, we turned it into an acoustic guitar song,” Reilly said. “When guys get together and sing, that鈥檚 where magic happens. 鈥� We were lucky enough to hit upon a harmony and it just worked.”
In 1976, they covered Buddy Holly鈥檚 hit rock ‘n roll classic 鈥淭hat’ll Be The Day,鈥� which was inspired by a John Wayne quote in John Ford鈥檚 western 鈥淭he Searchers鈥� (1956).
鈥淛ohn Boyle, who was producing us at the time, actually made the suggestion,鈥� Reilly said. 鈥淟ittle did we know he was also involved with Linda Ronstadt recording that song. She came out with the single right when we came out with ours, so of course, ours got the cold shoulder. 鈥� I think we did a pretty decent, muscular version, but Ronstadt is Ronstadt.鈥�
In 1978, the band was joined by future country superstar Vince Gill.
鈥淚n 鈥�76, Vince was in a band, Mountain Smoke … that opened for us in Vince鈥檚 hometown,鈥� Reilly said. 鈥淚 asked him after the show, 鈥楧o you want to join a rock 鈥檔 roll band?鈥� He said, 鈥楴ah, I鈥檓 a grasser, I鈥檓 a bluegrass player鈥� 鈥� In 鈥�78, we were auditioning guitarists. … Vince came along [with a friend]. I said, 鈥榁ince do you want to stick around and jam?鈥�”
After jamming for four hours, Gill finally agreed to join the band — and the rest is history.
鈥淭alent like that is a God-given gift and it鈥檚 just unmistakable,鈥� Reilly said. 鈥淚t was just great watching Vince鈥檚 genesis starting out as a songwriter. He was also a brilliant player. We just had a gas having him the band. 鈥� Whenever Vince is interviewed today, he鈥檚 always very gracious mentioning his day in Pure Prairie League as giving him his start.鈥�
In 1980, Pure Prairie League found another hit with 鈥淟et Me Love You Tonight.”
鈥淚t just fit the times,鈥� Reilly said. 鈥淭he big disco scare finally ended and we had signed with Casablanca Records after RCA finally let us go. 鈥� David Sanborn鈥檚 saxophone didn鈥檛 hurt anything. It was a really good pop song written by our guitar player Jeff Wilson.”
Fans of the band will also remember the 1981 hit 鈥淪till Right Here in My Heart.”
鈥淭hat was once again a Jeff Wilson song,鈥� Reilly said. 鈥淗e was a heck of a songwriter.鈥�
Today, he appreciates sharing his story to combat misinformation on the internet.
鈥淲ikipedia, All Music and different sites write 鈥榖iographies鈥� of us,” Reilly said. “I got tired of trying to contact people and say, 鈥楤y the way, this is actually the way it was.’ … A lot of people still think Vince is in the band or Craig, so we have to clear that up. It amuses me.鈥�
