Black Oak Arkansas

Emerging in the aftermath of the Allman Brothers Band’s breakthrough, Black Oak Arkansas delivered a rugged, unvarnished take on the loud hard-rock boogie dominating the first half of the 1970s. Led by the flamboyant James “Jim Dandy” Mangrum, whose stage presence would later be credited as an influence on David Lee Roth, the group had previously operated as the Knowbody Else and issued one album in 1969. When they resurfaced under the Black Oak Arkansas banner in 1971, their guitar attack had grown heavier, Mangrum’s singing had settled into a gravelly roar, and tracks such as “Hot and Nasty” and “When Electricity Came to Arkansas” showcased their rowdy, unrefined energy. The 1973 release High on the Hog found the band sharpening its focus and scoring a hit with a cover of LaVern Baker’s “Jim Dandy.” Their provocative sound and unrestrained live performances kept them in demand for most of the decade, yet after issuing I’d Rather Be Sailing in 1978 the unit withdrew from the studio; Mangrum’s health issues also sidelined him through the early 1980s. Recording resumed in 1984 with Ready as Hell, credited to Jim Dandy’s Black Oak Arkansas, and the ensemble continued releasing material and touring into the 2010s, delivering the studio album Underdog Heroes in 2019.

The group’s origins trace to 1965, when James Mangrum and Rickie Lee Reynolds first crossed paths in junior high. Mangrum hailed from the tiny Arkansas hamlet of Black Oak, home to fewer than 300 residents, while Reynolds grew up in the nearby town of Monette. After watching Elvis Presley on television, Mangrum resolved to become a vocalist; Reynolds took up guitar under the spell of the Beatles and the Byrds. Together they assembled the Knowbody Else, whose original lineup included Mangrum on vocals, Reynolds on rhythm guitar, Harvey “Burley” Jett on lead guitar and keyboards, Artis Brewer on guitar, Pat “Dirty” Daugherty on bass, and Sam Schattenberg on drums. In need of a PA system they could not afford, the musicians took one from a local high school and were apprehended; although a 26-year prison term was handed down, the sentence was suspended. The band performed relentlessly across the South and spent a yearlong residency sharpening its skills in New Orleans in 1968. Relocating briefly to Memphis, they caught the ear of Stax Records, which had created the Hip imprint to enter the rock market. The Knowbody Else signed and released a 1969 self-titled album marked by a lean psychedelic thrust, but Hip’s weak promotion meant the record attracted scant attention. Work began on a follow-up, yet the label collapsed and the tapes remained vaulted.

Although sales were modest, constant touring spread word of the group. As psychedelia faded, they adopted the name Black Oak Arkansas drawn from Mangrum’s birthplace and refreshed the roster, retaining Mangrum, Reynolds, Daugherty, and Jett while adding Stanley “Goober Grin” Knight on guitar and keyboards plus Wayne “Squeezebox” Evans on drums. A few Los Angeles appearances led to an Atco contract. The self-titled debut captured the expanded, heavier sound on favorites such as “Hot and Nasty” and “When Electricity Came to Arkansas.” Commercial breakthrough eluded them, but relentless roadwork built a reputation for a visceral stage act propelled by Mangrum’s flowing blond hair, satin pants, and overt sexuality. Further live seasoning produced the more commanding Keep the Faith in 1972. Later that year the band unveiled If an Angel Came to See You, Would You Make Her Feel at Home?, introducing double-kick specialist Tommy Aldridge. Their growing popularity was captured on the February 1973 concert release Raunch ’n’ Roll Live. Commercial zenith arrived in November 1973 with High on the Hog, which climbed to number 52 on the album chart thanks to the Top 30 single “Jim Dandy (To the Rescue),” featuring Ruby Starr trading lines with Mangrum. Street Party followed in 1974 and performed respectably without matching prior sales or yielding another hit. That same year Stax issued Early Times, material actually recorded earlier by the Knowbody Else.

Ain’t Life Grand appeared in 1975 and underperformed, prompting an exit from Atco; the relationship ended with the live set Live! Mutha in 1976. By then the group had already moved to MCA and released X-Rated in 1975. Two further studio albums, Balls of Fire and 10 Yr Overnight Success, closed the MCA period in 1976. Shortening their name to Black Oak, they signed with Capricorn Records and introduced a revised lineup billed as J.D. Mangrum alongside Jimmy Henderson and Jack Holder on guitars and keyboards, Greg Reding on guitar, Andy Tanas on bass, and Joel Williams on drums. Race with the Devil emerged in 1977 and I’d Rather Be Sailing in 1978; neither charted, and recording ceased. Touring persisted, though Mangrum stepped away after an automobile accident. Rickie Lee Reynolds reassembled a version featuring Bob Simpson on vocals, later replaced by Randy Ruff, until Mangrum returned in 1984. That year Ready as Hell appeared under the Jim Dandy & Black Oak Arkansas name, with only Mangrum and Reynolds remaining from the classic lineup. The Black Attack Is Back followed in 1986.

Occasional touring marked the late 1980s and 1990s until The Wild Bunch surfaced in 1999, again credited to Jim Dandy’s Black Oak Arkansas and featuring guitarist Rocky Athas and drummer Johnnie Bolin alongside the returning Pat “Dirty” Daugherty. Numerous players rotated through the ranks in subsequent years, yet Mangrum and Reynolds remained the sole constants, performing for longtime Southern fans and a fresh audience at biker events nationwide. In 2013 the band returned to Atco with Back Thar n’ Over Yonder, pairing five new recordings—by Mangrum, Reynolds, guitarists Buddy Church, Jimmy “Soulbean” Henderson, and Hal McCormack, bassist George Hughen, and drummer Johnnie Bolin—with ten previously unreleased tracks from 1972–1974. The Cleopatra-affiliated Purple Pyramid label, which had reissued the Knowbody Else album on CD in 2008 and vinyl in 2016, issued the fresh studio collection Underdog Heroes in 2019 containing ten original songs written by Mangrum and Reynolds. Rickie Lee Reynolds succumbed to kidney failure and cardiac arrest compounded by COVID-19 on September 4, 2021, at age 73. Guitarist Harvey “Burley” Jett passed away on December 21, 2022, also at age 73.