Dickey Betts & Great Southern (2024 Remaster) Dickey Betts & Great Southern

• 1Out To Get Me (2024 Remaster)04:43
• 2Run Gypsy Run (2024 Remaster)03:33
• 3Sweet Virginia (2024 Remaster)03:42
• 4The Way Loves Goes (2024 Remaster)04:57
• 5Nothing You Can Do (2024 Remaster)04:09
• 6California Blues (2024 Remaster)05:02
• 7Bougainvillea (2024 Remaster)07:13
• Total Runtime33:19

Info for Dickey Betts & Great Southern (2024 Remaster)

Dickey Betts & Great Southern is the second studio album by Dickey Betts of The Allman Brothers Band. It was recorded with his band Great Southern in 1977. The standout tracks are "Sweet Virginia" and the extended-jam "Bougainvillea", which was co-written by Don Johnson.

"Three years after the issue of his landmark solo recording, Highway Call (and countless inbred brawls and unholy wars among the Allman Brothers), guitarist, singer, and songwriter Dickey Betts released the debut by his "other" band, Great Southern. Attempting to capture the loose, easy feel of Highway Call and combine it with the more blues-driven sound of the Allmans, Betts was largely successful though the record does suffer a tad from overly slick production. Evident from "Out to Get Me," the very first track, is Betts' trademark slide guitar burning a hole through the center of the mix. The undertone of the album is the shuffle, both country and blues, aided in large part by Topper Price's harmonica and the able second guitar of Dan Toler. But the feel is all Betts. He stretches out the stinging boogie of "Run Gypsy Run," with dual leads, a killer pre-verse riff, and a solid "Ramblin Man"-style melodic line in the heart of his blues. Perhaps the hinge piece on the album in on its third track, "Sweet Virginia" (not a cover of the Rolling Stones' track). Here, Betts' slide work is easily and lilting as it undergirds a sleepy country tune with a killer backbeat. Nostalgia, or at least the previous, is the backbone of Betts' sentiment as his vice rings through the guitars and rhythm section with conviction and a sureness that only comes out of the finest country-rock music (think Creedence Clearwater meets the Allmans). Ultimately, this album, with its funky New Orleans basslines and second-line percussions, is another restless country-soul set from Betts. And though more guitar driven than Highway Call (fiddle god Vassar Clements is not Betts' foil here), its songs hold as much soul and aplomb if not the same deeply held convictions that made the previous album the classic it is. Nonetheless, Great Southern is a very fine album that despite its polish holds a wealth of fine songs and truly astonishing playing within its grooves." (Thom Jurek, ANG)

Dickey Betts, electric guitar, slide guitar, lead vocals
"Dangerous Dan" Toler, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, background vocals
Tom Broome, keyboards, background vocals
Ken Tibbets, bass
Jerry Thompson, drums, percussion
Donnie Sharbono, drums, percussion
Additional musicians:
Don Johnson, backing vocals (track 7)
Topper Price, harmonica (tracks 1, 2)
Mickey Thomas, backing vocals (track 5)

Digitally remastered

Please Note: We offer this album in its native sampling rate of 96 kHz, 24-bit. The provided 192 kHz version was up-sampled and offers no audible value!

Dickey Betts & Great Southern
Formed by Dickey Betts, an original founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, Great Southern was created while the ABB was on hiatus in the late 1970’s. During that time Dickey pursued a solo career with Great Southern and The Dickey Betts Band. Having written some of the most iconic Southern Rock songs which include Ramblin’ Man, Blue Sky, Jessica, In Memory of & Elizabeth Reed, Dickey Betts is considered not only the #58 most influential guitarists by Rolling Stone Magazine, he’s also, one of Southern Rock’s most important songwriters, having been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and won a Grammy Award for “Jessica” in 1996.

The band as it is today was originally formed back in 2000. The band has rehearsed, recorded and toured together for nearly 17 years. In 2018 & 2019 the band got back together to do some special reunion shows and the response was overwhelming, selling out venues in and around New York City almost immediately. The band’s magical chemistry was undeniable. Now in 2023 Great Southern is officially reuniting with Dickey’s blessing to carry on the iconic musical legacy of Dickey Betts & his music with The Allman Brothers Band. This band is the real deal, it’s not a tribute band, each musician was hand picked by Dickey. The band has an immense catalog of music which includes both the iconic Allman Brother Band as well as DBB & Great Southern libraries.

This album contains no booklet.