The Don Harrison Band

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The Don Harrison Band
GenresRock
Years active1976 (1976)–1977 (1977)
LabelsAtlantic
Past membersDon Harrison
Stu Cook
Doug Clifford
Russell DaShiell
John Tanner

The Don Harrison Band were a 1970s American roots rock band that featured Don Harrison on vocals, guitar and keyboards, Stu Cook on bass and piano and Doug Clifford on drums and percussion. Stu Cook and Doug "Cosmo" Clifford were both former members of Creedence Clearwater Revival.[1][2] The line-up also included Russell DaShiell formerly of Crowfoot on lead and rhythm guitar, piano and vocals.[1] The band merged elements of folk, country, rhythm & blues and rock & roll in a sound reminiscent of CCR.[3]

History[edit]

Don Harrison was born c.1944 and grew up in an integrated Louisville, Kentucky, neighborhood.[4] He first performed as a singer in an otherwise all-black a cappella group.[4] He relocated to Los Angeles in 1962 where he performed in bars and as a studio musician.[4] After Creedence split up, Cook and Clifford had set up a studio in a converted warehouse known as The Factory.[4] Originally DaShiell, Cook and Clifford intended to produce Harrison, but they then decided to launch the band together with him instead.[4] They were signed by Atlantic Records, and debuted with a cover version of Tennessee Ernie Ford's 1955 hit "Sixteen Tons", which featured Hugh Cregg (later better known as Huey Lewis) on harmonica.[4][5]

They released two albums on Atlantic: The Don Harrison Band (Atlantic SD-18171) in April 1976, which featured the Memphis Horns, and Red Hot (Wounded Bird Records - WOBR 1820) in January 1977.[6] The band's debut album peaked at number 159 on the Billboard 200, and received a positive critical response.[7][8][9] They also made the charts with "Sixteen Tons", which peaked at number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100.[5][7] Red Hot, which saw the addition of keyboard player John Tanner, also received positive reviews but was less commercially successful.[10][11] During the band's heyday, Don Harrison resided in Bell Gardens, California leading a modest lifestyle in a lower-middle-class neighborhood, where he converted a multiplex into a modest looking single family home.

A highlight for the band was performing as opening act at the 1976 Knebworth Festival headlined by the Rolling Stones.[12]

After the breakup, Harrison recorded a solo album (Not Far From Free) and then seemingly disappeared from the music scene. DaShiell recorded a solo album Elevator (with Cook and Clifford on bass and drums) and signed with Epic Records. As of 2012, Harrison continued to work and record in the Los Angeles area. Cook later played in Southern Pacific.[13] Also as of 2012, the ex-CCR members, Cook and Clifford, were back on tour performing with their band, Creedence Clearwater Revisited.[13] Don Harrison now[when?] lives in Utah with his wife and family.

Discography[edit]

Albums[edit]

  • The Don Harrison Band (1976), Atlantic
  • Red Hot (1977), Atlantic
Don Harrison solo

Singles[edit]

  • "Sixteen Tons" (1976), Atlantic. Peaked at #47 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1976.[14] #53 in Australia.[15]
  • "Rock 'N' Roll Records" (1976), Atlantic
Don Harrison solo
  • "Helter Skelter"/"Funky Monkey" (1977), Mercury - promotional only 12-inch single

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Heibutzki, Ralph "The Don Harrison Band Review", Allmusic. Retrieved June 29, 2013
  2. ^ "Creedence Clearwater Revisited". Archived from the original on 2006-04-25.
  3. ^ Chartrand, David (1976) "Revival's Sound Revived by New Don Harrison Band", Lawrence Journal-World, May 1, 1976, p. 5. Retrieved June 29, 2013
  4. ^ a b c d e f "The Tuscaloosa News - June 18, 1976, by Patrick Snyder".
  5. ^ a b Bordowitz, Hank (2007) Bad Moon Rising: The Unauthorized History of Creedence Clearwater Revival, Chicago Review Press, ISBN 978-1556526619, p. 172
  6. ^ "Don Harrison Band at LastFM".
  7. ^ a b "The Don Harrison Band Awards", Allmusic. Retrieved June 29, 2013
  8. ^ "Selection of New Albums", The Hour, July 7, 1976, p. 32. Retrieved June 29, 2013
  9. ^ Zurawik, Dave (1976) "Sounds of Today a Poor Second", Milwaukee Sentinel, April 30, 1976, p. 8. Retrieved June 29, 2013
  10. ^ "Good Rock Records are Plentiful Now", The Hour, April 5, 1977, p. 8. Retrieved June 29, 2013
  11. ^ Marsh, Dave (1977) "Red Hot", The Morning Record and Journal, February 17, 1977, p. 32. Retrieved June 29, 2013
  12. ^ "Rock Concerts", knebworthhouse.com. Retrieved June 29, 2013
  13. ^ a b Piorkowski, Jeff (2012) "Creedeence Clearwater Revisited bassist Stu Cook never wanted to be a celebrity, just wanted to be in a rock band", cleveland.com, March 29, 2012. Retrieved June 29, 2013
  14. ^ "Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
  15. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 134. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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