Point Blank -

Point Blank are an American Southern rock band from Texas that released the 1976/77 Arista albums Point Blank and Second Season, followed by the 1979–82 MCA titles Airplay, The Hard Way, American Exce$$, and On a Roll. The last two spawned Billboard Rock hits with “Let Me Stay with You Tonight,” “Nicole,” “Let Her Go,” and “Great White Line.”

Members: John O’Daniel (lead vocals), Rusty Burns (guitar, slide guitar, vocals), Kim Davis (guitar, harmonica, vocals), Phillip Petty (bass), Peter “Buzzy” Gruen (drums, percussion), Bill Randolph (bass, guitar, vocals), Steve Hardin (keyboards, harmonica, percussion, vocals), Karl Berkebile (keyboards, vocals), Bubba Keith (lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, percussion), Michael Hamilton (keyboards, vocals)

Background

Point Blank took shape in Dallas in 1974 when Texas guitarist Rusty Burns assembled singer John O’Daniel, guitarist Kim Davis, bassist Phillip Petty, and drummer Buzzy Gruen. Burns had entered the orbit of ZZ Top manager Bill Ham in 1972 through a management agreement. He spent the next two years building a group around O’Daniel and Gruen, both prior bandmates in Odessa. Davis and Petty completed the five-man lineup before the musicians adopted the Point Blank name.

Ham managed Point Blank through Lone Wolf Productions and secured a two-album agreement with Arista. The group entered Ardent Studios in Memphis in 1975 with approximately fourteen original songs. Those sessions supplied the debut and part of the second album.

Point Blank

Point Blank released their self-titled debut album in July 1976 on Arista.

Burns and Davis shape the album through interlocking guitar figures, while O’Daniel shifts between rough lower-register lines and sustained cries. Point Blank balances compact blues-based songs with longer arrangements that change tempo, density, and section shape.

“Free Man” grinds from a slow, dirty riff and slide introduction into double-time twin-guitar lines. “Moving” charges through a driving figure, harmony replies, a modulating chorus, and a sharp guitar break. “Wandering” gallops on twin leads, drops into a melancholy ballad passage, then returns to dueling lines. “Bad Bees” shuffles on a straight-ahead blues pattern.

“That’s the Law” grinds through harder early-seventies riffing beneath a recurring sung motif. “Lone Star Fool” struts on slow, tough blues riffing. “Distance” rises from a quiet, sorrowful opening through an impassioned solo and final chorus.

A1. “Free Man” (5:09) – O’Daniel, Burns
A2. “Moving” (3:13) – O’Daniel, Davis, Gruen, Petty, Burns
A3. “Wandering” (5:19) – O’Daniel, Davis, Gruen, Petty, Burns
A4. “Bad Bees” (2:31) – Petty, Burns

B1. “That’s the Law” (3:41) – O’Daniel, Davis, Gruen, Petty, Burns
B2. “Lone Star Fool” (4:17) – O’Daniel, Davis
B3. “Distance” (5:12) – O’Daniel, Davis, Gruen, Petty, Burns
B4. “In This World” (3:12) – O’Daniel, Davis

Point Blank recorded the album in 1975 at Ardent Studios in Memphis with producer Bill Ham and engineers Terry Manning and Larry Nix. Ham and Manning also worked on the 1976 ZZ Top album Tejas.

Mark Lee and Linda Lesser designed and photographed the sleeve from an album concept by Ham. Two gun barrels align beneath metallic lettering on the front cover. Their photography also appeared on Tejas.

Point Blank reached No. 175 on the Billboard 200.

Second Season

Point Blank released their second album, Second Season, in 1977 on Arista.

Second Season expands the Burns–Davis guitar arrangements while O’Daniel gives the slower pieces more space and restraint. Point Blank places compact, hard-driving songs beside longer tracks with instrumental passages.

“Part Time Lover” swings on a rolling shuffle with firm rhythmic drive. “Back in the Alley” grinds through crunchy blues riffing. “Rock and Roll Hideaway” growls through swampy figures as the force slackens. “Stars and Scars” unfolds as an extended, melancholy ballad with improvised guitar leads. “Uncle Ned” rips through hard-edged riffing. “Waiting for a Change” settles into measured balladry.

A1. “Part Time Lover” (3:54) – O’Daniel, Davis, Gruen, Petty, Burns
A2. “Back in the Alley” (4:13) – O’Daniel, Davis, Gruen, Petty, Burns
A3. “Rock and Roll Hideaway” (3:15) – O’Daniel, Davis, Gruen, Petty, Burns
A4. “Stars and Scars” (8:17) – Burns, Davis, Petty

B1. “Beautiful Loser” (4:00) – Seger
B2. “Uncle Ned” (3:49) – O’Daniel, Davis, Gruen, Petty, Burns
B3. “Tattooed Lady” (4:12) – Burns, Davis, Petty
B4. “Nasty Notions” (3:18) – O’Daniel, Davis, Gruen, Petty, Burns
B5. “Waiting for a Change” (4:46) – Burns

Point Blank completed Second Season at Ardent with Ham, Manning, and Nix, combining new material with recordings retained from the 1975 sessions.

Lee and Lesser returned for the design and photography. Five band members gather in a yard around a hammock on the front cover. Ham devised the photographic concept.

Second Season completed the two-album Arista agreement. Ham negotiated a new deal for Point Blank at MCA.

1977–79 Lineup Change

Phillip Petty left Point Blank after the Arista period. Bassist Bill Randolph entered through an existing friendship with the group, while Ham introduced keyboardist Steve Hardin from the Rocky Hill band. Hardin remained through the recording of the next album but left after approximately one month on the road. He later worked as a sideman for Glen Campbell.

Airplay

Point Blank released their third album, Airplay, in September 1979 on MCA.

Steve Hardin threads keyboards through the Burns–Davis guitar parts, while Bill Randolph binds his bass lines to Gruen’s backbeat. O’Daniel tempers his delivery across the larger chorus passages.

“Mean to Your Queenie” bounds through bright rhythmic riffing and close harmony replies. “Shine On” swells through broad ballad phrasing. “Penthouse Pauper” drives on a forceful main riff before an extended guitar solo. “Danger Zone” saunters through a loose, syncopated roll. “Takin’ It Easy” glides through laid-back phrases with a lightly soulful inflection. “Thunder and Lightning” darts through taut syncopation. “Changed My Mind” drifts through laid-back opening passages before jazzy, psychedelic turns widen the piece.

A1. “Mean to Your Queenie” (4:39) – Hardin
A2. “Two Time Loser” (3:51) – Burns, Davis, Gruen, O’Daniel, Randolph
A3. “Shine On” (3:03) – Hardin
A4. “Penthouse Pauper” (5:35) – Burns, Davis, Gruen, Randolph

B1. “Danger Zone” (4:39) – Hardin
B2. “Louisiana Leg” (3:43) – Burns, Davis, Gruen, Randolph
B3. “Takin’ It Easy” (4:40) – Burns, Davis, Gruen, O’Daniel, Randolph
B4. “Thunder and Lightning” (3:14) – Burns, Davis, Gruen, O’Daniel, Randolph
B5. “Changed My Mind” (5:59) – Burns, Davis, Gruen, O’Daniel, Randolph

Point Blank recorded Airplay at Ardent with Ham and Manning, who worked successively on the 1979 ZZ Top album Degüello.

MCA art director Tommy Steele supervised the package. John Kehe designed the sleeve with photography by Richard Arindell. A descending parachutist appears above the musicians, who wear parachute harnesses.

MCA issued “Mean to Your Queenie” in September 1979 (b/w “Changed My Mind”).

Airplay reached No. 175 on the Billboard 200.

The Hard Way

Point Blank released their fourth album, The Hard Way, in April 1980 on MCA.

The Hard Way mixes new studio material with three live exclusives: live versions of “Wrong to Cry,” “Thank You Mama,” and the Deep Purple cover “Highway Star.” The concert cuts capture the force and breadth of their stage show while Burns and Davis run roughshod across Karl Berkebile’s keyboard accompaniment.

“Turning Back” struts on a greasy, syncopated riff. “On the Run” loosens through supple turns and conga accents. “Highway Star” races through twin-lead triplets as O’Daniel hurls ferocious high cries. “Guessing Game” glides over a lucid keyboard arpeggio before parallel leads split across the stereo field. “Wrong to Cry” smolders through slow twelve-bar phrases and warm singing. “Thank You Mama” barrels through a rolling shuffle as scat figures and brief solo exchanges feed a final scream.

A1. “Turning Back” (3:22) – Burns, Davis, Gruen, O’Daniel, Randolph
A2. “The Hard Way” (3:15) – Burns, Davis, Gruen, O’Daniel, Randolph
A3. “On the Run” (5:39) – Burns, Davis, Gruen, O’Daniel, Randolph
A4. “Highway Star” (5:54) – Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord, Paice

B1. “Rock ’N Roll Soldier” (3:24) – Seals
B2. “Guessing Game” (4:53) – Burns, Davis, Gruen, O’Daniel, Randolph
B3. “Wrong to Cry” (3:53) – Burns, Davis, Gruen, O’Daniel, Randolph
B4. “Thank You Mama” (6:25) – Burns, Gruen, O’Daniel

Ham produced five studio tracks at Ardent Manning and combined them with three concert recordings when touring restricted studio preparation.

Designer Andy Engel worked with photographer George Craig on the cover: a threaded bolt aligns with a red-rimmed nut on the front image.

MCA issued “Rock ’N Roll Soldier” in June 1980 (b/w “On the Run”).

The Hard Way reached No. 110 on the Billboard 200.

1980 Lineup Change

The Hard Way marked the final appearances of John O’Daniel and Karl Berkebile. Point Blank reconfigured with Burns, Davis, Randolph, Gruen, and two new recruits: singer Bubba Keith and keyboardist Michael Hamilton.

American Exce$$

Point Blank released their fifth album, American Exce$$, in 1981 on MCA.

Bubba Keith sings in smooth, measured phrases and adds rhythm guitar, harmonica, and percussion beside Burns and Davis. Michael Hamilton sings “Cadillac Dragon.” On “Go on Home,” Hamilton and Davis form the rhythm section.

“Let Me Stay With You Tonight” glides on a ringing twelve-string figure and compact phrasing. “Nicole” drives through a brisk beat and sharply defined chorus. “Cadillac Dragon” rolls through loose, rowdy phrasing. “Do It All Night” jolts through forceful breaks.

A1. “Let Me Stay with You Tonight” (3:12)
A2. “Walk Across the Fire” (2:28)
A3. “Nicole” (3:57)
A4. “Go on Home” (3:24)
A5. “The Getaway” (4:16)

B1. “The Way You Broke My Heart” (3:00)
B2. “Restless” (4:27)
B3. “Cadillac Dragon” (3:44)
B4. “Do It All Night” (3:57)

Point Blank recorded American Exce$$ at Ardent with Ham and Manning, who worked concurrently on the 1981 ZZ Top release El Loco.

Steele designed the package with photography by Ron Slenzak. Bob Alford supplied the inner-sleeve photograph. An overloaded wall outlet surrounded by tangled electrical cords fills the cover. Contemporary Slenzak credits included the Grace Slick album Dreams and the Teena Marie release It Must Be Magic.

MCA issued “Let Me Stay with You Tonight” in March 1981 (b/w “Walk Across the Fire”). The song reached No. 38 on the Billboard rock chart. “Nicole” followed in June (b/w “Restless”) and reached No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 20 on the rock chart.

American Exce$$ reached No. 80 on the Billboard 200.

On a Roll

Point Blank released their sixth album, On a Roll, in 1982 on MCA.

On a Roll sees Hamilton thread synth lines through the Burns–Davis guitar front while Bubba Keith projects broad, direct phrases. The songs move through compact verses, emphatic choruses, and brief instrumental breaks.

“On a Roll” launches from a synthesizer fanfare into firm accents and broad phrases. “I Just Want to Know” glides through softer lines with intermittent hard accents. “Love on Fire” swells through broad, slow phrases. “Don’t Look Down” bounces on a dance-leaning beat before an oversized chorus dominates each return. “Let Her Go” strides on a simple riff beneath compact phrasing. “Gone Hollywood” surges through dense electronic layers before guitar leads pierce the mix. “Take Me Up” charges through brisk, compact riffing.

A1. “On a Roll” (4:02)
A2. “I Just Want to Know” (3:12)
A3. “Love on Fire” (4:19)
A4. “Don’t Look Down” (4:54)

B1. “Great White Line” (6:03)
B2. “Let Her Go” (3:53)
B3. “Gone Hollywood” (3:38)
B4. “Take Me Up” (3:12)

Point Blank recorded On a Roll at Ardent with Ham and Manning, who next worked on the 1983 ZZ Top album comeback album Eliminator.

George Osaki directed the sleeve, which uses an illustration by Dickey L. Stafford. Jim Lemoine and Doug Rideout supplied the back-cover photography. Colored spheres and angular forms cross a distorted blue-and-white checker pattern in the Stafford design.

MCA issued “Let Her Go” in April 1982 (b/w “Love on Fire”). The single reached No. 9 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.

“Don’t Look Down (Ain’t No Heroes)” also appeared as a single (b/w “Take Me Up”). “On a Roll” reached No. 27 on the Billboard rock chart, while “Great White Line” reached No. 34.

The album reached No. 119 on the Billboard 200.

1982–2005 Hiatus

Point Blank continued for six months after On a Roll until a contractual lawsuit against Ham ended the original band. Gruen later recorded with Shake Russell and Chuck Rainey.

Burns, O’Daniel, and Petty reunited for a 2005 Texas benefit concert. Guitarist Mouse Mayes, keyboardist Larry Telford, and drummer David Crockett completed the group. Their performance supplied the reunion album Reloaded.

Discography: