Blackfoot -

Blackfoot was an American hard-rock/boogie band from Jacksonville that released the 1975 Island album No Reservations, followed by the 1976 Epic release Flyin’ High. Between 1979 and 1984, they released five Atco albums and scored FM hits with “Highway Song” and “Fly Away.”

Members: Rickey Medlocke (vocals, guitar, Dobro, guitar synthesizer, percussion, drums, 1969-97), Charlie Hargrett (guitar, 1969-84, 2004-11), Greg T. Walker (bass, vocals, 1969-71, 1973-86, 2004-12), Ron Sciabarasi (keyboards, 1969), Jerry Zambito (guitar, 1969), Jakson Spires (drums, vocals, 1969-86, 2004-05), DeWitt Gibbs (keyboards, 1969-70), Lenny Stadler (bass, 1972-73), Danny Johnson (guitar, 1972), Patrick Jude (vocals, 1974), Ken Hensley (keyboards, guitar, vocals, 1982-84), Bobby Barth (guitar, vocals, 1984-86, 2004-10), Wyzard (bass, 1986-88), Doug Bare (keyboards, 1986-88), Harold Seay (drums, percussion, 1986-88), Gunner Ross (drums, percussion, vocals, 1988-92), Mark Mendoza (bass, 1988), Neal Casal (guitar, vocals, 1988-92), Rikki Mayr (bass, vocals, 1989-92)

Background

Blackfoot evolved from Fresh Garbage, formed in late 1969 in Jacksonville, Florida, by drummer/singer Rickey Medlocke, bassist Greg T. Walker, guitarist Charlie Hargrett, and keyboardist Ron Sciabarasi. They played early local dates at the Comic Book Club before Sciabarasi entered military service. Medlocke, Walker, and Hargrett reorganized as Hammer with drummer Jakson Spires, keyboardist DeWitt Gibbs, and guitarist Jerry Zambito. Spires and Walker had earlier played in the Rocking Aces, while Spires had also worked with Gibbs and Zambito in Tangerine.

Hammer played a New Year’s Eve date in Gainesville for a woman known to the group who had taken a job with a Manhattan production company in the Brill Building. She contacted the band several weeks later after her employer requested a tape, and Hammer recorded a demo before accepting her invitation to New York.

Upon discovery of another act named Hammer, Spires proposed Blackfoot in reference to the Native American ancestry of several members. Spires had Cheyenne and Cherokee ancestry, while Walker had Muskogee Creek ancestry. The renamed band relocated to the Jersey Shore but lost its summer income when local school and fraternity bookings ceased.

Blackfoot halted in spring 1971 when Medlocke and Walker joined Lynyrd Skynyrd. Medlocke drummed and sang on 1971 Skynyrd demos but left by August 1972 for Blackfoot’s re-formation. Hargrett assembled the new lineup in North Carolina with Medlocke, Spires, bassist Leonard Stadler, and briefly second guitarist Danny Johnson. Walker returned during summer 1973 after illness forced Stadler from the band.

In 1974, Blackfoot moved its base to northern New Jersey. Medlocke developed vocal-cord nodes that year, and singer Patrick Jude fronted the group until Medlocke recovered his voice. Medlocke and Walker then sent Blackfoot material to Muscle Shoals musicians Jimmy Johnson and David Hood, both acquaintances form the earlier Lynyrd Skynyrd sessions. Blackfoot recorded an album on speculation at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, and the producers sold the finished recording to Island Records.

No Reservations

Blackfoot released their debut album, No Reservations, in September 1975 on Antilles.

The album presents the early quartet in a lean electric-band format, with Medlocke’s lead voice and guitar placed against Hargrett’s second-guitar line, Walker’s bass and keyboard parts, and Spires’ drums and percussion. Spires wrote the main album sequence, while Shorty Medlocke supplied “Railroad Man” and appears on the short side-two reprise. Barry Beckett and Roger Hawkins add Muscle Shoals overdubs, and Barbara Wyrick, Laura Struzick, and Suzy Storm add background vocals.

“Railroad Man” opens as a front-porch rail piece, with Shorty Medlocke’s plain-spoken singing set against banjo and whistle detail. “Stars” slows into a plain ballad arc, with Medlocke’s singing held over a warm Muscle Shoals mix. “Take a Train” charges through a rough road-house line and rides a hard solo break. “I Stand Alone” sprawls into a long twin-lead jam. The second “Railroad Man” snaps the rail piece into a short barroom exit.

A1. “Railroad Man” (2:22) – Shorty Medlocke
A2. “Indian World” (2:52)
A3. “Stars” (4:08)
A4. “Not Another Maker” (5:08)
A5. “Born to Rock & Roll” (3:37)
B1. “Take a Train” (4:23)
B2. “Big Wheels” (5:05)
B3. “I Stand Alone” (7:47)
B4. “Railroad Man” (1:10) – Shorty Medlocke

Sessions occurred in 1975 at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama, with producers Jimmy Johnson and David Hood.

Flyin’ High

Blackfoot released their second album, Flyin’ High, in December 1976 on Epic.

The album retains the Medlocke–Hargrett–Walker–Spires lineup and narrows the outside personnel to backing vocalists Suzy Storm and Laura Struzick. Medlocke and Spires form the primary writer pair, while Hargrett shares credits on “Flyin’ High,” “Try a Little Harder,” and “Dancin’ Man.” Walker adds keyboards and a guitar part on “Mother.”

“Feelin’ Good” barrels through a hard-charged opening drive. “Flyin’ High” careens through bent guitar leads and a rowdy road-house charge. “Try a Little Harder” pulls back into a long ballad sweep. “Stranger on the Road” toughens the album’s straight-ahead run. “Save Your Time” highballs through a jagged riff and close harmony leads. “Island of Life” climbs through a broad road-song layout. “Madness” races under Charlie Hargett’s fierce lead work. “Mother” closes in acoustic country form.

A1. “Feelin’ Good” (2:47) – Medlocke, Spires
A2. “Flyin’ High” (4:20) – Hargrett, Medlocke, Spires
A3. “Try a Little Harder” (4:48) – Hargrett, Jagger, Medlocke, Richards, Spires
A4. “Stranger on the Road” (2:43) – Medlocke, Spires
A5. “Save Your Time” (3:43) – Medlocke, Spires

B1. “Dancin’ Man” (3:38) – Hargrett, Medlocke, Spires
B2. “Island of Life” (4:07) – Medlocke, Spires
B3. “Junkie’s Dream” (3:57) – Medlocke, Spires
B4. “Madness” (4:56) – Medlocke, Spires
B5. “Mother” (2:46) – Medlocke, Spires

Sessions occurred at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio with producers David Hood and Jimmy Johnson. Greg Hamm and Jerry Masters engineered the sessions. Flyin’ High appeared in a sleeve designed by Andy Engel with photography by Arthur Maillet and Teresa Alfieri.

Strikes

Blackfoot released their third studio album, Strikes, on March 7, 1979 on Atco.

Strikes reestablishes the quartet after the Antilles and Epic releases, with keyboardist Pat McCaffrey and a small vocal group added to the core band. Blackfoot combines Medlocke–Spires originals with covers associated with Spirit (“I Got a Line on You”), Blues Image (“Pay My Dues”), and Free (“Wishing Well”). Shorty Medlocke contributes “Train, Train,” where his harmonica prelude precedes additional harmonica from Cub Koda.

“Road Fever” barrels through a restless road-burner charge. “Left Turn on a Red Light” drops into a lonesome danger song, with backing singers shading Medlocke’s lead. “Pay My Dues” grinds through a blues-worn barroom strut. “I Got a Line on You” snaps a cover into hard road-house form.

“Wishing Well” shuffles through a rougher cover treatment. “Run and Hide” eases into a wistful afternoon drift. “Train, Train” rattles from Shorty Medlocke’s harp prelude into a chunky riff drive. “Highway Song” starts as a slow road lament, ignites midway, and rides twin leads into a fading climax.

A1. “Road Fever” (3:07) – Medlocke
A2. “I Got a Line on You” (3:17) – Wolfe
A3. “Left Turn on a Red Light” (4:35) – Medlocke, Spires
A4. “Pay My Dues” (3:03) – Blues Image
A5. “Baby Blue” (2:33) – Hargrett, Medlocke, Spires

B1. “Wishing Well” (3:11) – Rodgers, Kossoff, Yamauchi, Bundrick, Kirke
B2. “Run and Hide” (3:24) – Medlocke, Spires
B3. “Train, Train” (3:32) – Shorty Medlocke
B4. “Highway Song” (7:00) – Medlocke, Spires

Sessions occurred at Subterranean Studio in Ann Arbor, Sound Suite Studios in Detroit, and Bee Jay Studios in Orlando with producer Al Nalli and engineer Henry Weck, an auxiliary percussionist.

Strikes appeared in a sleeve designed by Lynn Dreese Breslin. Chris Callis photographed the front cover, which shows a coiled rattlesnake beneath the Blackfoot nameplate, and Jim Houghton photographed the back cover.

Atco lifted “Highway Song” as a June 1979 single (b/w “Road Fever”), which reached No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Train, Train” became the October 1979 follow-up (b/w “Baby Blue”) and reached No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100. Strikes reached No. 42 on the Billboard 200.

Tomcattin’

Blackfoot released their fourth studio album, Tomcattin’, in June 1980 on Atco.

The album retains the Atco-era quartet with a larger support pool around selected titles. Shorty Medlocke joins “Fox Chase,” while Pat McCaffrey adds keyboards and saxophones. Peter Ruth adds electric harmonica, and Donna Davis, Pamela Vincent, and Melody McCully add backing vocals.

“Warped” blasts out as a Jack-fueled barroom burner. “On the Run” lopes through a grizzled road-house middle pace. “Street Fighter” clobbers through a hard straight-ahead run. “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme” stomps at speed and breaks into hard-edged riffs.

“Every Man Should Know (Queenie)” bites through slide guitar and tough riff turns. “In the Night” smolders in an after-hours crawl around a harmonica break. “Reckless Abandoner” rides a road-weary love-and-leave line. “Spendin’ Cabbage” rambles through a blues-country hobo tale. “Fox Chase” kicks from Shorty Medlocke’s intro into a barnstorming chase.

A1. “Warped” (4:12) – Medlocke, Spires
A2. “On the Run” (4:00) – Medlocke, Spires
A3. “Dream On” (5:16) – Medlocke, Spires, Walker
A4. “Street Fighter” (2:34) – Hargrett, Medlocke, Spires
A5. “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme” (4:06) – Medlocke, Spires

B1. “Every Man Should Know (Queenie)” (3:43) – Medlocke, Spires
B2. “In the Night” (3:52) – Medlocke, Spires
B3. “Reckless Abandoner” (5:13) – Medlocke, Spires
B4. “Spendin’ Cabbage” (3:15) – Medlocke, Spires
B5. “Fox Chase” (4:23) – Rickey Medlocke, Shorty Medlocke, Spires

Sessions occurred in 1980 at Roadmaster #2 in Cleveland with Nalli and Weck. Tomcattin’ appeared in a sleeve designed by Lynn Dreese Breslin.

Atco lifted “Spendin’ Cabbage” as a July 1980 single (b/w “Street Fighter”). “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme” followed in September 1980 (b/w “In the Night”). Tomcattin’ reached No. 50 on the Billboard 200.

Marauder

Blackfoot released their fifth studio album, Marauder, in July 1981 on Atco.

Marauder keeps the Medlocke–Hargrett–Walker–Spires lineup and adds a compact auxiliary group around selected titles. Henry Weck adds percussion, Shorty Medlocke supplies the banjo introduction on “Rattlesnake Rock ’n’ Roller,” and Magic Rooster and Pat McCaffrey add horns and keyboards. Trumpeter David Cavender appears beside backing vocalists Donna Davis and Pamela Vincent.

“Good Morning” barrels from a rooster-crow wake-up into a fast hard-driving charge. “Payin’ for It” tears through a raw night-life run. “Diary of a Workingman” slows into a dark acoustic-laced lament, then rises toward a broad final solo. “Too Hard to Handle” swerves from hard riffing into Mexican trumpet figures and a tango-leaning break. “Fly Away” eases into a cleaner ballad turn.

“Dry County” rampages through the album’s hardest road-house run. “Fire of the Dragon” shifts from clean arpeggios to distorted riff surges. “Rattlesnake Rock ’n’ Roller” clatters from Shorty Medlocke’s banjo-and-spoken intro into piano and saxophone breaks. “Searchin’” builds from a reflective road lament into a jamming final stretch.

A1. “Good Morning” (3:36) – Medlocke, Spires
A2. “Payin’ for It” (3:35) – Medlocke, Spires
A3. “Diary of a Workingman” (5:36) – Medlocke, Spires
A4. “Too Hard to Handle” (4:02) – Medlocke, Spires
A5. “Fly Away” (2:58) – Medlocke, Spires

B1. “Dry County” (3:42) – Medlocke, Spires
B2. “Fire of the Dragon” (4:02) – Medlocke, Spires
B3. “Rattlesnake Rock ’n’ Roller” (4:01) – Rickey Medlocke, Shorty Medlocke, Spires
B4. “Searchin’” (5:43) – Medlocke, Spires

Sessions occurred at Subterranean Studio with Nalli and Weck. Marauder appeared in a sleeve designed by Lynn Dreese Breslin with photography by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen and Jim Houghton.

Atco lifted “Fly Away” as a June 1981 single (b/w “Good Morning”), which reached No. 42 on the Billboard chart. “Searchin’” followed in August 1981 (b/w “Payin’ for It”). Marauder reached No. 48 on the Billboard 200 and No. 38 on the UK Albums chart.

Highway Song Live

Blackfoot released the live album Highway Song Live in 1982 on Atco.

The album documents the Medlocke–Hargrett–Walker–Spires stage lineup during a British Isles tour behind Marauder. The set draws mainly on the Atco studio albums and adds two blues titles, “Rollin’ and Tumblin’” and “Trouble in Mind,” before the brief closing chant “Howay the Lads.”

“Gimme, Gimme, Gimme” charges out as the set’s hard opening burst. “Every Man Should Know (Queenie)” barrels through a road-house follow-up. “Good Morning” turns the crowd call into a faster live spark. “Dry County” tears through a frantic short run. “Rollin’ & Tumblin’” kicks the set into a brief blues break. “Fly Away” hits with a harder stage drive. “Road Fever” runs as a rough road-burner. “Train, Train” hauls through the late-set rush. “Highway Song” stretches past eight minutes and builds into a jamming road-song finish.

A1. “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme” (3:50) – Medlocke, Spires
A2. “Every Man Should Know (Queenie)” (5:27) – Medlocke, Spires
A3. “Good Morning” (3:46) – Medlocke, Spires
A4. “Dry County” (3:32) – Medlocke, Spires
A5. “Rollin’ and Tumblin’” (2:03) – Elmore James
A6. “Fly Away” (3:28) – Medlocke, Spires

B1. “Road Fever” (3:44) – Medlocke, Spires
B2. “Trouble in Mind” (4:00) – Richard M. Jones
B3. “Train, Train” (4:14) – Shorty Medlocke
B4. “Highway Song” (8:38) – Medlocke, Spires
B5. “Howay the Lads” (0:52) – traditional

Concert recordings came from the 1982 British Isles tour with the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio and producer Al Nalli.

Atco issued a September 1982 UK “Highway Song” single (b/w “Rollin’ and Tumblin’” and “Fly Away”). Highway Song Live reached No. 14 on the UK Albums chart.

Siogo

Blackfoot released their sixth studio album, Siogo, in May 1983 on Atco.

Siogo marks the first Blackfoot studio appearance by keyboardist Ken Hensley, who joins Medlocke, Walker, and Spires after Hargrett’s final album with the band. Hensley co-writes “Send Me an Angel,” “Run for Cover,” and “Sail Away,” and he adds slide guitar to “Drivin’ Fool.” Blackfoot also covers “Heart’s Grown Cold,” a Zal Cleminson song previously recorded by Nazareth on Malice in Wonderland.

“Send Me an Angel” blasts through Hammond chords, hard riffing, and group singing. “Crossfire” pounds through raunchy turns, then eases briefly before the solo. “Heart’s Grown Cold” recasts a slow cover into a bigger hard-rock run. “We’re Goin’ Down” races through coarse hillbilly-rock drive and Medlocke guitar shredding. “Teenage Idol” thunders from a sharp intro into a hard polished drive. “Goin’ in Circles” surges from keyboard-supported opening chords into a full-band charge. “White Man’s Land” rattles with train-song motion. “Sail Away” burns slowly through a Southern ballad stretch. “Drivin’ Fool” closes with Ken Hensley’s slide guitar and Hammond organ locked into the road-run.

A1. “Send Me an Angel” (4:36) – Hensley, Williams
A2. “Crossfire” (4:08) – Medlocke, Hargrett, Spires, Barth
A3. “Heart’s Grown Cold” (3:32) – Cleminson
A4. “We’re Goin’ Down” (4:12) – Medlocke, Spires
A5. “Teenage Idol” (4:48) – Medlocke, Spires

B1. “Goin’ in Circles” (3:06) – Medlocke, Spires
B2. “Run for Cover” (4:12) – Medlocke, Spires, Hensley
B3. “White Man’s Land” (2:55) – Medlocke, Spires
B4. “Sail Away” (4:30) – Medlocke, Spires, Hargrett, Hensley
B5. “Drivin’ Fool” (4:48) – Medlocke, Spires

Sessions occurred at Subterranean Studios and Solid Sound in Ann Arbor, with additional work on The Recording Connection Mobile in Cleveland. Al Nalli produced the album with engineer Pat Schneider, assisted by Arnie Rosenberg, Robert Bene, and Will Spencer. Siogo appeared under Atlantic art direction by Bob Defrin.

Atco issued “Send Me an Angel” as a May 1983 UK single (b/w “Drivin’ Fool”). “Teenage Idol” followed as a July 1983 US single (b/w “Run for Cover”) and registered at No. 103. Siogo reached No. 82 on the Billboard 200, No. 28 on the UK Albums chart, and No. 36 in Sweden.

Vertical Smiles

Blackfoot released their seventh studio album, Vertical Smiles, in October 1984 on Atco.

The album presents the group as a quartet after Hargrett left during the recording period, with Medlocke, Walker, Spires, and Hensley joined by backing vocalist Sherri Jarrel. Blackfoot opens the sequence with covers of Bonnie Dobson and Peter Cetera, then adds a Brent Maher title with “A Legend Never Dies.” Hensley shares credits on “Get It On” and “In for the Kill,” while Walker joins the Medlocke–Spires team on “Young Girl.”

“Morning Dew” builds slowly from keyboard lines and military-snare accents into a hard Medlocke solo. “Livin’ in the Limelight” belts through a tightened cover treatment. “Ride With You” grinds against a heavier keyboard presence. “Get It On” kicks into a straight hard-rock run. “Summer Days” glides through the album’s smoother side-road. “A Legend Never Dies” blazes with guitar and keyboard locked into the same drive. “Heartbeat and Heels” stomps closest to the band’s road-house strain.

A1. “Morning Dew” (5:27) – Dobson, Ross
A2. “Livin’ in the Limelight” (4:02) – Cetera
A3. “Ride with You” (3:33) – Medlocke, Spires
A4. “Get It On” (4:29) – Hensley, Medlocke, Spires

B1. “Young Girl” (4:24) – Medlocke, Spires, Walker
B2. “Summer Days” (3:19) – Medlocke, Spires
B3. “A Legend Never Dies” (3:03) – Maher
B4. “Heartbeat and Heels” (3:15) – Medlocke, Spires
B5. “In for the Kill” (3:50) – Hensley, Medlocke, Spires

Sessions occurred at Eddy Offord Studios in Atlanta with returning producer Al Nalli and engineer Offord, a Seventies-era Yes and ELP soundman.

Bob Defrin art-directed the sleeve and shared front-cover photography with Gary Heery. The cover assembles Polaroid-style photographs beneath the red title nameplate.

Atco lifted “Morning Dew” as a 1984 single (b/w “Livin’ in the City”). Vertical Smiles reached No. 176 on the Billboard 200, No. 82 on the UK Albums chart, No. 48 in Sweden, and No. 24 in Finland.

Discography: