Hydra -

Hydra was an American hard-rock/boogie band from Atlanta that released two albums on Capricorn in 1974/75 and a third on Polydor in 1977.

Members: Wayne Bruce (lead vocals, guitar, bass), Spencer Kirkpatrick (guitar, vocals), Steve Pace (drums), Trip Burgess (bass, backing vocals, 1970-?), Orville Davis (bass, backing vocals, 1971-75)

Background

Hydra formed in Atlanta in 1970 around singer/guitarist Wayne Bruce, drummer Steve Pace, and guitarist Spencer Kirkpatrick (b. March 17, 1949; Atlanta, GA). Pace and Kirkpatrick played together previously in the 1968 band Strange Brew. Kirkpatrick also performed in The Atlanta Vibrations, who opened an August 1965 Atlanta Stadium Beatles concert and issued the 1966 single “If You Let Me Love You” / “My Hometown” on the short-lived Sim-Cor label.

Wayne Bruce was active beforehand in local rockers Nickelodian and later joined Pace and Kirkpatrick in Noah Mayflower and the band Osmosis.

Hydra’s early development involved a rotating cast of bassists, with multi-instrumentalist Trip Burgess (bass, backing vocals) joining in 1970, followed by Orville Davis (bass, backing vocals) in 1971. The group honed their sound through local performances and secured a contract in 1973 with the Allman Brothers‘ Capricorn label.

Hydra

Hydra released their self-titled debut album in August 1974 on Capricorn.

The album presents the band’s initial exploration of Southern hard rock, blending blues-tinged riffs with boogie rhythms and accented by horn arrangements on select tracks. Hydra’s early quartet—singer/guitarist Wayne Bruce, guitarist Spencer Kirkpatrick, drummer Steve Pace, and bassist Orville Davis—demonstrates a muscular yet fluid approach, balancing aggressive guitar work with contemplative passages, particularly on extended compositions like “Miriam.”

Kirkpatrick wrote eight songs with lyrics by Wayne Bruce. Drummer Steve Pace wrote portions of “Good Time Man” and “Warp 16.” The album includes a cover of Don Nix’s “Going Down” and a composition by Will Boulware, “Feel a Pain.”

The record opens with “Glitter Queen,” a horn-augmented track with shifting rhythmic layers, followed by the sustained momentum of “Keep You Around” and the reflective phrasing of “It’s So Hard.” Side A concludes with the backwater cover “Going Down” and the introspective “Feel a Pain.” Side B balances upbeat tracks like “Good Time Man” and “Let Me Down Easy” with angular rhythms in “Warp 16,” the concise aggression of “If You Care to Survive,” and closes on the seven-minute contemplative “Miriam.”

A1. “Glitter Queen” (4:04)
A2. “Keep You Around” (5:20)
A3. “It’s So Hard” (4:49)
A4. “Going Down” (3:06) — cover of Don Nix, originally popularized by Freddie King
A5. “Feel a Pain” (6:25) — written by Will Boulware

B1. “Good Time Man” (3:23)
B2. “Let Me Down Easy” (4:23)
B3. “Warp 16” (4:22)
B4. “If You Care to Survive” (2:59)
B5. “Miriam” (7:42)

Sessions occurred at Capricorn Sound Studios with producer/keyboardist Dan Turbeville (American Tears, Ellen McIlwaine) and engineers Ovie Sparks, Sam Whiteside, and Tony Humphreys. Bob Ludwig mastered the record at Sterling Sound, and John Sandlin handled remixing. Turbeville

The album features artwork by Hipgnosis, capturing a dynamic, abstract visual that reflects the energy and depth of the band’s Southern rock sound.

Capricorn lifted “Glitter Queen” as a single (“Going Down”). “Glitter Queen” appears on Peaches “Pick of the Crop,” a 1974 Capricorn comp with cuts by the Allmans, Elvin Bishop, Fallenrock, Johnny Jenkins, the Marshall Tucker Band, and Wet Willie.

Land of Money

Hydra released their second album, Land of Money, in July 1975 on Capricorn.

The album expands the band’s Southern hard rock approach, combining boogie-based rhythms with layered guitars and occasional choral and keyboard textures. Hydra’s lineup remained Wayne Bruce (vocals, rhythm and acoustic guitars, twelve-string guitar), Spencer Kirkpatrick (lead, slide, acoustic, twelve-string guitars), Steve Pace (drums), and Orville Davis (bass), augmented by guest keyboardist Chuck Leavell, organist Will Boulware, percussionists Bill Stewart and Johnny Sandlin, and choral contributions from the Primal Greed Glee Club on the title track.

Guitarist Spencer Kirkpatrick wrote the majority of the songs, with Wayne Bruce contributing to most tracks and co-writing select pieces with Kirkpatrick and drummer Steve Pace. Guest Will Boulware wrote “Take Me for My Music,” and Johnny Sandlin co-wrote “Slow and Easy” with Bruce.

Side A features the brisk opener “Little Miss Rock N’ Roll,” the assertive “The Pistol,” the succinct “Makin’ Plans,” and the six-and-a-half-minute title track, which combines multi-layered guitars, rhythmic shifts, and choral textures. Side B balances driving rhythms in “Get Back to the City” and “Don’t Let Time Pass You By” with measured pacing in “Let the Show Go On” and “Slow and Easy,” closing with the reflective “Take Me for My Music.”

A1. “Little Miss Rock N’ Roll” (2:35)
A2. “The Pistol” (4:36)
A3. “Makin’ Plans” (3:34)
A4. “Land of Money” (6:30) — features choral parts by the Primal Greed Glee Club

B1. “Get Back to the City” (3:32)
B2. “Don’t Let Time Pass You By” (4:50)
B3. “Let the Show Go On” (3:30)
B4. “Slow and Easy” (3:45) — co-written by Johnny Sandlin
B5. “Take Me for My Music” (2:55) — written by Will Boulware

Sessions occurred at Capricorn Sound Studios in Macon, Georgia, during March–June 1975, produced by Johnny Sandlin for Hughes Management Associates with engineers Carolyn Harriss and Sam Whiteside. Bob Ludwig mastered the album at Sterling Sound. Sandlin produced prior albums by Betty Wright, Captain Beyond, White Witch, and the Allmans precursor Hour Glass.

Land of Money features cover artwork by the British graphics firm Hipgnosis and group photography by Howard Bartrop.

Capricorn lifted “The Pistol” as a single (“Makin’ Plans”). “The Pistol” appears on The Pick of the Crop / Peaches Vol. 2, a two-record Capricorn comp with cuts by Bobby Whitlock, Bonnie Bramlett, Dickey Betts, Gregg Allman, Grinderswitch, John Hammond, Marcia Walford, and Percy Sledge.

Orville Davis departed for Rex, a hard-rock band led by actor/singer Rex Smith. He played on their 1976/77 albums Rex and Where Do We Go From Here?, then joined Starz, led by Rex’s brother Michael Lee Smith, for their 1978 fourth album Coliseum Rock. Hydra continued as a three-piece with Wayne Bruce shifted to the bass slot.

Rock the World

Hydra released their third album, Rock the World, in February 1977 on Capricorn.

The album features Hydra as a trio—Wayne Bruce (vocals, bass), Spencer Kirkpatrick (lead and slide guitars), and Steve Pace (drums)—performing tightly executed Southern rock with blues-infused guitar lines and contoured vocal phrasing. Hydra wrote and arranged all material with additional production and arrangement contributions from Michael Stewart.

Side A opens with the driving title track “Rock the World,” followed by the contemplative pacing of “Wasting Time” and the concise “Can You Believe,” leading into the mid-tempo, harmonically layered “Your Love Gets Around.” Side B balances punchy rhythms in “Shame” with the expansive arrangement of “To the Willowed,” then moves through the brisk energy of “Feel Like Running” and “You’re the One,” closing on the guitar-centered “Diamond in the Rough.” “To the Willowed” stands out for its intricate instrumental development and dynamic progression.

A1. “Rock the World” (3:55)
A2. “Wasting Time” (4:41)
A3. “Can You Believe” (3:27)
A4. “Your Love Gets Around” (4:11)

B1. “Shame” (3:35)
B2. “To the Willowed” (4:59)
B3. “Feel Like Running” (3:26)
B4. “You’re the One” (3:15)
B5. “Diamond in the Rough” (4:00)

Sessions occurred in November 1976 at The Sound Pit in Atlanta with engineer Antonino Reale and producer Michael Stewart, a concurrent soundman for Ethos on their 1977 second album Open Up.

Rock the World features photography was by Michael-Soft Mastro and typography by Gerald Huerta.

Hydra closed this chapter of their career with a tight trio-centered set that emphasized instrumental interplay and dynamic control, combining the raw energy of their earlier records with refined arrangements.

Discography: