Molly Hatchet
Molly Hatchet is an American rock band formed by guitarist Dave Hlubek in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1971. They experienced popularity and commercial success during the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s amongst southern rock and hard rock communities and listeners.[1] The band released six studio albums on Epic Records between 1978 and 1984, including the platinum-selling hit records Molly Hatchet (1978), Flirtin' with Disaster (1979), and Beatin' the Odds (1980).[2] They also had charting singles on the US Billboard charts, including "Flirtin' with Disaster", "The Rambler", "Bloody Reunion" and "Satisfied Man".[3] Molly Hatchet has released many more studio albums since their split with Epic Records in 1985, although none have been as successful as their early albums, nor have charted in the United States.
Molly Hatchet
Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
1971–present
Bobby Ingram
John Galvin
Shawn Beamer
Tim Lindsey
Parker Lee
Dave Hlubek
Steve Holland
Banner Thomas
Bruce Crump
Danny Joe Brown
Duane Roland
Jimmy Farrar
Riff West
B. B. Borden
Phil McCormack
Mac Crawford
Andy McKinney
Bryan Bassett
Sean Shannon
Russ Maxwell
Jerry Scott
J. J. Strickland
Jake Rutter
Jimmy Elkins
As of August 2, 2020, all of the band's original members are deceased. The Molly Hatchet trademark is owned by Bobby Ingram, their guitarist since 1987 (when he replaced founding member Dave Hlubek, who rejoined the band eighteen years later and stayed with them until his death in 2017).[4][5] The other veteran in the lineup is keyboardist John Galvin, who has been a member since 1983 (with the exception of a break between mid-1990s). Also included in the current lineup are veteran musicians of the Southern scene, drummer Shawn Beamer, bassist Tim Lindsey and vocalist Parker Lee.[6][7]
History[edit]
Formation, initial Danny Joe Brown-era and commercial success (1971–1980)[edit]
Molly Hatchet was founded by guitarist Dave Hlubek in 1971. The band originated and was based in Jacksonville, Florida, and shared influences and inspiration with what is perhaps the most well-known act in the Southern rock genre, Lynyrd Skynyrd.
The first lineup of Molly Hatchet to record was in place by 1976. Guitarists Dave Hlubek and Steve Holland, bassist Banner Thomas and drummer Bruce Crump were joined in the spring of 1976 by Rum Creek singer Danny Joe Brown and a former guitarist, Duane Roland, returned later during that same year to complete the group, leading to the so called "Three Guitar Army".
The producer on their first record, Tom Werman, known for working with straight rock music acts such as Cheap Trick and Ted Nugent,[8] combined boogie, blues and hard rock.
The band released their first album, Molly Hatchet, in September 1978,[9] supported by "Dreams I'll Never See" (a cover of the Allman Brothers Band 1969 track "Dreams"), which got AOR (album-oriented rock) airplay. The album was followed a year later by Flirtin' with Disaster,[9] with its title song another AOR hit, as was its first track, "Whiskey Man", from the album. Molly Hatchet proceeded to tour behind both records and expanded their fan base, appearing at theaters, arenas and stadiums with the likes of AC/DC,[10][11][12] Aerosmith,[13] The Babys,[11] The Charlie Daniels Band,[14] Cheap Trick,[11][12] Def Leppard,[10] Journey,[15] Judas Priest,[10] Eddie Money,[15] The Outlaws,[14] REO Speedwagon,[13] Rush,[16] Santana,[15] Scorpions,[12] Bob Seger,[13] Thin Lizzy,[15] .38 Special,[14] Pat Travers,[10] UFO[13] and The Who.[12]
Lead singer Danny Joe Brown left the band in May 1980 due to diabetes and other reasons, only to return two years later.[17] After Brown left Molly Hatchet, he formed the Danny Joe Brown Band.
Rotating members, commercial decline and first breakup (1980–1990)[edit]
Brown was replaced in 1980 in Molly Hatchet by vocalist Jimmy Farrar,[9] a native of LaGrange, Georgia. The earlier albums seemed to some commentators to exhibit a distinct southern cultural influence; that sound changed with the addition of Farrar.[9] Danny Joe Brown's stage persona, gruff voice, and cowboy horse-whistling was replaced by Jimmy Farrar's new vocal style, mixed with a new, harder-rocking sound. With the success of the next album, Beatin' the Odds released September 1980, the band ventured away from the Southern rock sound of their first albums.[9] Nonetheless, Molly Hatchet toured successfully in support of Beatin' the Odds, opening for bands such as Blue Öyster Cult, AC/DC and The Outlaws, as well as headlining their own tour that was supported by the Michael Schenker Group and the Johnny Van Zant Band.[18][19][20][21] By 1981, Molly Hatchet had evolved to a straight-ahead rock style and a slicker production, as exhibited on Take No Prisoners (November 1981).[22] The band remained a successful act on the touring circuit.
Longtime bass player Banner Thomas left in November 1981 and was replaced by Riff West.[9] During the following year, drummer B. B. Borden (also known as B. B. Queen as a member of the funk rock band Mother's Finest) replaced Crump, who had moved to Los Angeles. Farrar then left the group to make way for Brown's return.[22] Brown rejoined the band in May 1982.
In March 1983 the line-up of Brown, Hlubek, Holland, Roland, West and Borden released the band's fifth album No Guts...No Glory.[9] While touring for the album during the summer of 1983, Hatchet was touring with fellow Jacksonville natives Blackfoot. Just before a gig at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas, though, Brown, Holland and Roland decided to leave and return home, leaving only Hlubek, West and Borden to play the show. After a quick rehearsal backstage, Blackfoot's Rickey Medlocke took Brown's place as front man and their other guitarist, Charlie Hargrett, played behind Hlubek's lead. Danny and the other members of Molly Hatchet rejoined the tour the next day, but Holland decided to leave the band once again in 1984 and was replaced by former Danny Joe Brown Band keyboardist John Galvin, who already guested in No Guts..No Glory the year before. In November 1984 the album The Deed Is Done was released, which was more of a straightforward pop/rock offering,[23] with Bruce Crump returning on drums. November 1985 featured the unveiling of the band's double live album Double Trouble Live,[9] after which the band was dropped by Epic. They retained Brown and their Southern rock style.
Guitarist/founder Hlubek, who later admitted to suffering from drug troubles, left Molly Hatchet in January 1987.[4] He was replaced by Bobby Ingram, who had contributed backup vocals to Double Trouble, had played as a guitarist in the Danny Joe Brown Band together with John Galvin and had also played in the Seventies with Brown in Rum Creek.
Molly Hatchet's first studio album in five years, and only release on Capitol Records, Lightning Strikes Twice was published in 1989, and it was their first one not to appear on the charts. One of its singles, "There Goes the Neighborhood", did, however, enter the top 30 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.[3] The band went on a year-long tour to support the album, playing smaller venues such as clubs and theaters, as opposed to the stadiums and arenas that had expanded their popularity.
On July 8, 1990, Molly Hatchet, which had been dropped by Capitol after the commercial failure of Lighting Strikes Twice, announced at a show in Toledo, Ohio, that the concert would be their final one; after that night, the band would be disbanding.[24] A greatest hits collection released by Epic, Greatest Hits, featuring two newly recorded songs, was released in the fall of 1990, with sales reaching gold status.[25]
Name and iconic cover art[edit]
Molly Hatchet took its name from a prostitute who allegedly mutilated and decapitated her clients. One iconic aspect of Molly Hatchet's image is that many of the band's album covers feature art inspired by heroic fantasy, several of which were painted by artists such as Frank Frazetta, Boris Vallejo, and Paul R. Gregory.[23][22]