Hearts on the Line
Encyclopedia
Hearts on the Line is an album
by the country rock
group The Flying Burrito Brothers
, released in 1981.
After the Flying Burrito Brothers scored a minor country hit in 1979 with a live cover of Merle Haggard
's "White Line Fever", the band was dropped from their record contract and hit yet again with personnel changes. By 1980, Greg Harris and Ed Ponder had left the group, leaving the Burritos as a trio of "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow
, Gib Guilbeau
and Skip Battin
. In addition to commitments with the Flying Burrito Brothers, Guilbeau was also working as a songwriter for Criterion Music with John Beland, who Guilbeau knew from his time in the band Swampwater. Guilbeau and Beland wrote some songs and ultimately, Beland was invited to join the Burritos. Beland was reluctant to join the now nearly defunct band, as he was riding strong as lead guitarist with Rick Nelson who (with Beland's help) was enjoying his own comeback of sorts.
However, after leaving Nelson in the hopes of producing the Burritos, Beland who took the Burritos to a more commercial direction, having written a number of country hits for other artists prior to his joining the FBB. In addition, the band's name was shortened to simply The Burrito Brothers, a suggestion by Curb Records
.
Beland's song demos, which featured the Burritos on them, eventually made it to Dick Whitehouse at Curb records, who signed the band to a deal with Curb / Epic Records. By December 1980, the band's first single for Curb, "She's a Friend of a Friend" reached the US country top 70. Hearts on the Line followed in January 1981 and spawned two further singles, both of which made the US country top 20, "Does She Wish She Was Single Again?" and "She Belongs to Everyone But Me". More would follow.
That year, The Burrito Brothers received the number one "Crossover from pop to country" award from Billboard Magazine as well as best new vocal group award from Record World Magazine. Skip Battin was fired from the band after the photo shoot for the album cover of Hearts on the Line, and was replaced in the studio by Dennis Belfield on bass. Mickey McGee was also replaced on drums by Ron Krasinsky, for the recordings.
The success of the Burrito Brothers marked the first time in the bands 11 year prior history of having any serious commercial chart success. During their span as a country hit act, they scored 9 hits for Curb Records.
In a strange twist of fate, Sneeky Pete Kleinow and Skip Battin both died of alzheimers. Gib Guilbeau is retired, after major heart surgery in the 90's, and living in Palmdale California. He occasionally records and still makes rare appearances in and around Los Angeles. John Beland remains a top producer and solo artist who continues to tour and record internationally. He lives in Brenham, Texas.
with:
recorded in Beverly Hills, California
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by the country rock
Country rock
Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...
group The Flying Burrito Brothers
The Flying Burrito Brothers
The Flying Burrito Brothers was an early country rock band, best known for its influential debut album,The Gilded Palace of Sin . Although the group is most often mentioned in connection with country rock legends Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman, the group underwent many personnel changes.-Original...
, released in 1981.
After the Flying Burrito Brothers scored a minor country hit in 1979 with a live cover of Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
's "White Line Fever", the band was dropped from their record contract and hit yet again with personnel changes. By 1980, Greg Harris and Ed Ponder had left the group, leaving the Burritos as a trio of "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow
Sneaky Pete Kleinow
Peter E. "Sneaky Pete" Kleinow was an American country-rock musician, songwriter, and a motion picture special effects artist...
, Gib Guilbeau
Gib Guilbeau
Floyd August "Gib" Guilbeau is an American country-rock musician and songwriter. As a member of Nashville West, Swampwater, and the Flying Burrito Brothers, Guilbeau helped pioneer the fusion of rock and country music in the 1960s....
and Skip Battin
Skip Battin
Clyde "Skip" Battin was an American singer–songwriter, performer and recording artist. He is best remembered as a member of The Byrds, the New Riders of the Purple Sage, and the Flying Burrito Brothers...
. In addition to commitments with the Flying Burrito Brothers, Guilbeau was also working as a songwriter for Criterion Music with John Beland, who Guilbeau knew from his time in the band Swampwater. Guilbeau and Beland wrote some songs and ultimately, Beland was invited to join the Burritos. Beland was reluctant to join the now nearly defunct band, as he was riding strong as lead guitarist with Rick Nelson who (with Beland's help) was enjoying his own comeback of sorts.
However, after leaving Nelson in the hopes of producing the Burritos, Beland who took the Burritos to a more commercial direction, having written a number of country hits for other artists prior to his joining the FBB. In addition, the band's name was shortened to simply The Burrito Brothers, a suggestion by Curb Records
Curb Records
Curb Records is a record label started by Mike Curb originally as Sidewalk Records in 1963...
.
Beland's song demos, which featured the Burritos on them, eventually made it to Dick Whitehouse at Curb records, who signed the band to a deal with Curb / Epic Records. By December 1980, the band's first single for Curb, "She's a Friend of a Friend" reached the US country top 70. Hearts on the Line followed in January 1981 and spawned two further singles, both of which made the US country top 20, "Does She Wish She Was Single Again?" and "She Belongs to Everyone But Me". More would follow.
That year, The Burrito Brothers received the number one "Crossover from pop to country" award from Billboard Magazine as well as best new vocal group award from Record World Magazine. Skip Battin was fired from the band after the photo shoot for the album cover of Hearts on the Line, and was replaced in the studio by Dennis Belfield on bass. Mickey McGee was also replaced on drums by Ron Krasinsky, for the recordings.
The success of the Burrito Brothers marked the first time in the bands 11 year prior history of having any serious commercial chart success. During their span as a country hit act, they scored 9 hits for Curb Records.
In a strange twist of fate, Sneeky Pete Kleinow and Skip Battin both died of alzheimers. Gib Guilbeau is retired, after major heart surgery in the 90's, and living in Palmdale California. He occasionally records and still makes rare appearances in and around Los Angeles. John Beland remains a top producer and solo artist who continues to tour and record internationally. He lives in Brenham, Texas.
Track listing
- "That's When You Know It's Over" (John Beland/Gib Guilbeau)
- "She's a Friend of a Friend" (John Beland/Gib Guilbeau)
- "Isn't That Just Like Love" (Richard LeighRichard Leigh (songwriter)Richard Leigh is an American country music songwriter and singer. He is best known for penning "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" . In 1978 he received a Grammy Award for "Best Country Song" for the popular song...
) - "She Belongs to Everyone But Me" (John Beland/Gib Guilbeau)
- "Why Must the Ending Always Be So Sad" (John Beland)
- "Family Tree" (Frank Dycus/Max Barnes)
- "Damned If I'll Be Lonely Tonight" (John Beland/Gib Guilbeau/Mickey McGee)
- "Does She Wish She Was Single Again?" (Richard Leigh/Milton Blackford)
- "Too Much Honky Tonkin'" (John Beland/Gib Guilbeau)
- "Oh Lonesome MeOh Lonesome Me"Oh Lonesome Me" is a popular song written and recorded by Don Gibson with Chet Atkins producing for RCA Victor in Nashville in 1958. The song topped the country chart for eight non consecutive weeks, in addition to reaching #7 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" (Don GibsonDon GibsonDonald Eugene "Don" Gibson was an American songwriter and country musician. A Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, Gibson penned such country standards as "Sweet Dreams" and "I Can't Stop Loving You", and enjoyed a string of country hits from 1957 into the early 1970s.-Biography:Don Gibson was...
)
Personnel
- John Beland: vocals, guitar, dobro
- "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow: pedal steel guitar
- Gib Guilbeau: guitar, fiddle
with:
- Ron Krazinsky: drums
- Dennis Belfield: bass
- Billy Thomas: additional harmonies
- Michael Lloyd; Producer
- Chad Stuart: Strings
recorded in Beverly Hills, California