Original Country Music Classic Album Series Vol 7: The Gatlin Brothers Band Greatest Hits Vol. II

Larry Gatlin is best-known for teaming up with his brothers, Steve, and Rudy as the Gatlin Brothers. They didn't officially form until 1979, when Larry began crediting them as a supporting band on his solo singles. However, the brothers had been performing together since childhood, when they sang in church and on several local Texas television shows. While they were in their teens, they recorded a religious album for the independent Sword & Shield label. Following high-school graduation, Larry, who was the eldest of the brothers, headed off to the University of Houston, where he briefly joined the gospel group the Imperials.

Larry performed with the Imperials in Las Vegas, where he met Dottie West, who was impressed enough by his songwriting talents to record two of his songs and pay for him to move to Nashville. Once Larry arrived in Nashville, he found that West had been circulating his demo tapes, which led to Kris Kristofferson playing Larry's demo for Monument Records executive Fred Foster. Impressed by the tape, Foster offered Gatlin a contract in 1972. By that time, Larry had already invited his brothers to Nashville to form a backing group and they wound up singing on his Monument debut album (LP), The Pilgrim, which featured his first country hit, Sweet Becky Walker.

The Gatlin Brothers Band recorded their first LP for Columbia in 1979 titled Straight Ahead (JC-36250) and followed with Help Yourself (JC-36582, 1980), Not Guilty (FC-37464, 1981) and Sure Feels Like Love (FC-38135, 1982). The Gatlin's did not record an album for Columbia in 1983. Instead, Columbia released an album by the talented brothers titled, Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers Band, Greatest Hits Vol. II. The LP title was a bit unusual since it was the Gatlin's first greatest hits LP with Columbia. Columbia must have been pressed to release an album that year because the LP only contained 9 titles, instead of the customary ten. Furthermore, only five of the songs made the top-10. Nonetheless, the LP highlighted the pinnacle of their chart activity and contained two memorable number one songs.

Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers Band Greatest Hits Vol. II
Columbia Records FC-38923 (1983)

•All The Gold in California (No. 1, 1979) Written by Larry Gatlin, it was the first of two No. 1 singles for Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers while associated with Columbia. This song led to Larry being awarded Top Male Vocalist of the Year by the Academy of Country Music that year.

•Houston (Means I'm One Day Closer to You) (No. 1, 1983) Written by Larry Gatlin, it was the group's third and last number one on the country chart. The single stayed at number one for two weeks and spent a total of fifteen weeks on the chart.

•Sure Feels Like Love (No. 5, 1982) Released in August 1982, it was the first single from their album Sure Feels Like Love. The song reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and No. 1 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.

•Take Me to Your Lovin' Place (No. 5, 1980) The group's 9th top-10 hit came in early 1980 with this song which peaked at No. 5 that year.

•What Are We Doin' Lonesome (No. 4, 1981) This was the final cut from their third Columbia LP titled, Not Guilty and their third top-10 single to that point with Columbia.

The Gatlin Brothers continued their chart run, garnering Top-20 hits, with Taking Somebody With Me When I Fall (No. 12, 1979), The Midnight Choir (No. 43, 1979), We're Number One (No. 18, 1980) and She Used To Sing On Sunday (No. 19, 1982), the remaining cuts from this LP.

At points in his career, Larry's success got to him, after outselling concert tickets and television appearances. The pressure took a toll on Larry. This led Gatlin into drugs and alcohol. However, Larry overcame his addictions with the help of his family and religion.

About Columbia Records: Columbia Records is owned by Sony Music Entertainment and operates as an imprint of the Columbia/Epic Label Group. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graph phone Company; successor to the Volta Graph phone Company. Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders.

~RJB, Country Music Historian, Copyright RJB Chronicles NTN, USA, 12/2010.

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[jtls8]

A terrific group!!!!

[whisperhopestbls]

This should be listened a lot more. They are very good.

[zariqueen]

I've always luved these guys... their voices make me shiver in delight! My only reason to frown about hearing them on YouTube: there's no 'Gypsy Flower Boy' (by the Gatlins of course) on here! If you have it, could you PLEASE PLEASE put it up on here?! That song is just haunting and sadly beautiful!

[countrycajunfan1959]

Now THIS is country music! LOVE the Gatlins!!

[truckingsonofagun]

enjoyed this,great song((smiles)),have a great weekend