Doug & Rodney Dillard (Part 4)

The 70's

1970

Dillard & The Expedition

After Gene Clark left DILLARD & CLARK the remaining members continued as "DILLARD & THE EXPEDITION" playing acoustic bluegrass but with the exception of the track "Runaway Country" on the soundtrack album for the movie "Vanishing Point" starring Barry Newman, no other recordings have been issued by this line up:

"Dillard & The Expedition"
Berline/Dillard/Bush/Lathum

At the Ash Grove

Doug & Byron

- Soundtrack: Vanishing Point (London Records 8420)
One song performed by the DILLARD & THE EXPEDITION: Runaway Country
With Doug Dillard, Byron Berline, Roger Bush and Billy Ray Lathum.

Note: This song is as a bonus track on the Doug Dillard Sierra Records CD "The Banjo Album"!

DILLARD & THE EXPEDITION did studio sessions but nothing was released on record:

- DILLARD & THE EXPEDITION: Studio sessions 1970 (unreleased)
with Doug Dillard, Byron Berline, Roger Bush and Billy Ray Lathum

Recorded tracks:
Doug's tune/Sally Goodin'/Dixie Breakdown/Orange Blossom Special/Cheyenne

- DILLARD & THE EXPEDITION: Studio demos 1971 (unreleased)
With Doug Dillard, Byron Berline, Billy Ray Lathum, Roger Bush and Skip Conover

Recorded tracks:
Forget Me Not/Uncle Pen/I Bowed My Head And Cried Holy/Journey's End/Singin' All Day And Dinner On The Ground/How Mountain Girls Can Love/Instrumental/Workin' On A Building/Don't Let Your Deal Go Down

During this time Doug was doing a lot of studio sessions and so Byron Berline formed a new band. Herb Pedersen (at this time member of the Dillards) got an offer from Byron Berline to join this new band "COUNTRY GAZETTE".
The new man on the banjo for the Dillards was Billy Ray Lathum (former member of " The Kentucky Colonels with Clarence White and the "Doug Dillard Expedition").

Rodney

Billy Ray & Rodney

Rodney on cover 1975

1971

The Dillards

The Dillards recorded two singles for Anthem Records (that's the new name of the White Whale label):

- THE DILLARDS: It's About Time/One A.M. (Anthem Records 51010)
With this single the Dillards scraped into the Pop charts.

- THE DILLARDS: Billy Jack/America (The Lady Of The Harbour) (Anthem Records 51014)
Both singles with Rodney Dillard, Dean Webb, Mitch Jayne, Paul York and Billy Ray Lathum.
Produced by Richard Podolor.

Doug Dillard

Doug

Doug Dillard teamed up with "COUNTRY COALITION". Members were John Kurtz on drums, David Jackson on bass, Peggy Bradley on fiddle and Dick Bradley on guitar. This group had already been active since 1968. The band cut one LP for ABC-Bluesway in 1970 before Doug Dillard joined. Dick and Peggy Bradley both continued on with the Coalition after Dillard left. John Kurtz, the drummer and a fine frailing banjo player, cut an LP and some singles for ABC-Dunhill. Doug Dillard plays on one cut on the album "Songbird".

Also 1971 Doug worked on the soundtrack for the movie "Bunny O'Hare with Bette Davis". The soundtrack was released on Together records (ST-A-1041)).

1972

The Dillards

Rodney, Billy Ray, Dean, Mitch & Paul

Elton John signed the Dillards to a thirty-day-cross-country tour, Elton's first in America. The album "Roots And Branches", released during the time of the Elton John tour, became the Dillards' most commercially successful album.

- THE DILLARDS: Roots And Branches (Anthem Records ANS 5901)
With Rodney Dillard, Dean Webb, Mitch Jayne, Billy Ray Lathum and Paul York.
Produced by Richard Podolor.

Note:: A rare single version of "One A.M." appears as the b-side of Anthem A-101 released 1971. The album version was used on the 1972 re-issue (Anthem A-51010). They used the same recordings but the rare single version is a little bit differnet.

Doug Dillard

Doug wrote music for the movie "Junior Bonner".

1973

Doug Dillard

Here are some pics from a Bluegrass festival with Doug Dillard in York, Pennsylvania 1973:

DOUG DILLARD LIVE ON STAGE 1973

Courtney Johnson & Doug

Doug & Earl Scruggs

V. Clements, Doug & J. Graves

The Dillards

After that succesfull album the Dillards went again in the studio to record a new album:

- THE DILLARDS: Tribute To The American Duck (Poppy Records - United Artists UAS 29 516 I)
With Rodney Dillard, Dean Webb, Mitch Jayne, Billy Ray Lathum and Paul York.
Guests: John Raines, Colin Cameron, Gary Itry, Irv Dugan, John Hartford, Buck Graves, Don Gallese, Andrew Belling, Linda Dillard.
Produced by Rodney Dillard.

THE DILLARDS with John Hartford 1973 (Culpeper, VA)
P. York, J. Hartford, D. Webb, B.R. Lathum, R. Dillard, ?, M. Jayne

Pointer Publications released a Dillards songbook with following songs:

Biggest whatever/Cold trailin'/Copperfields/Dooley/Ebo Walker/Hey Boys/I'll never see my home again/In our time
Listen to the sound/Little Pete/Nobody knows/Old home place/Pictures/There is a time/West Montana Hanna.

Included are pictures and comments from the Dillards (Rodney Dillard, Dean Webb, Mitch Jayne, Billy Ray Lathum and Paul York).

Mitch Jayne released also a book: "Observations: The Dillards, Music, and Blue Grass".

Doug Dillard

Doug 45

Doug Dillard got an offer from "20th Century Records" to record a solo album.

- DOUG DILLARD: Duelin' Banjo (20th Century Records T 409)
With Doug Dillard, Rodney Dillard, Dave Jackson, Colin Cameron, Jeff Gilkinson, Billy Ray Lathum, Paul York, Rick Cunha, Andy Belling, Buddy Emmons, Dick Rosmini.
Produced by Rodney Dillard.

Mitch Jayne wrote the liner notes to this album. He wrote:

".......so here's Douglas Dillard and John and Colin and Jeff and Dick and Dave and Andy and my old fellow pickers Billy Ray and Paul York, joined together on an album that should give you a hell of an insight into what banjo picking is all about, in case you didn't know."

Promo Poster

1974

Doug

Doug Dillard

Doug Dillard released a second solo album for "20th Century Records":

- DOUGLAS FLINT DILLARD: You Don't Need A Reason To Sing (20th Century Records T-426)
With Doug Dillard, Rodney Dillard, Andy Belling, Colin Cameron, Vassar Clements, Buddy Emmons, John Hartford, Dave Jackson, Billy Ray Lathum, Joe Osborne, Herb Pedersen, John Raines, Dick Rosmini, Rick Ruskin, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Ron Starr, Dean Webb, Paul York, Mark Dawson, Linda Dillard, Donna Washburn, Pepper Watkins.
Produced by Rodney Dillard.

The Dillards

Billy Ray, Dean, Rodney, Paul & Irv Dugan

A series of life changes forced Mitch to make a career decision in 1974. Successful as a writer, "20th Century Fox" bought the movie rights of his "Old Fish Hawk" book and more important as a musician, Mitch was losing his hearing, Mitch left the Dillards.
Irv Dugan, road manager of the Dillards, substituted Mitch on the bass for the booked concerts.

1975

Rodney Dillard

Rodney Dillard released a solo single for "United Artists":

- RODNEY DILLARD: Stone's Throw Away/In My Life (United Artists UAXW-588X)
Produced by Denny Diante and Spencer Proffer
Note: The promo single is wrongly credited to "The Dillards"!

Hartford/Webb/Lathum/Doug Dillard/Gilkinson

The Dillards

New member of the Dillards - Mitch Jayne left the band 1974 - was Jeff Gilkinson (former "Mason Williams"). Rodney knew him from the recordings of the last Doug Dillard solo album. Jeff played bass, banjo, cello, harmonica and did also lead vocals.

Doug Dillard

Doug Dillard wrote the song "Going down" and released it as a single:

- DOUG DILLARD: Going Down/Poor Old Slave (Warner Bros. K 16640)
Produced by Harry Nilsson.
"Goin' Down" is pretty much of a pop sound record with trumpets, trombones and saxophones.
"Poor Old Slave" is with John Hartford, Donna Washburn and David Jackson.

Note: Single only released in U.K.!

Doug also wrote and performed the theme song for Dean Martin's "Music Country" series
and he worked on the soundtrack for the movie "Bound And Glory".

1976

The Dillards

Elektra records released a "Best Of The Dillards" album 1976!

- THE DILLARDS: Country Tracks (Elektra K 52935 - UK)
Most songs from "Wheatstraw Suite" and " Copperflields".

Rodney - Aug. 1977 at Palomino

Dean Webb - Aug. 1977 at Palomino, L.A.

1977

Dillard-Hartford-Dillard

Doug and Rodney Dillard recorded an album with friend John Hartford:

- DILLARD-HARTFORD-DILLARD: Glitter-Grass From The Nashwood Hollyville Strings (Flying Fish FF 036)
With Doug Dillard, Rodney Dillard and John Hartford.
Guests: Sam Bush, Jim Colvard, Buddy Emmons, Jeff Gilkinson, Kenny Malone, Benny Martin,
Michael Melford, Hargus "Pig" Robbins, Henry Strzelecki and Pepper Watkins.
Produced by Michael Melford.

Rodney/John/Doug

Dean, Paul, Rodney
Billy Ray and Jeff

The Dillards

The Dillards didn't record again until 1977, when they released thier first album for "Flying Fish" (wich included a music industry board game, as an enclosure):

- THE DILLARDS: The Dillards vs. The Incredible L.A. Time Machine (Flying Fish 040)
With Rodney Dillard, Dean Webb, Paul York, Billy Ray Lathum and Jeff Gilkinson.
Guests: Jeff Silverman, Gabriel Katona, Doug Haywood, Linda Dillard and Joey Scarbury.
Produced by Rodney Dillard and Don Gallese.

Billy Ray, Dean, Jeff
Rodney & Paul

1978

The Dillards

Billy Ray Lathum left the group, new man was Doug Bounsall who also brought his songwriting skills to the band. For the next Dillards' album Herb Pedersen returned and Ray Park played fiddle and veteran session player Glen D. Hardin played keyboards on it. This album was released 1979:

- THE DILLARDS: Decade Waltz (Flying Fish 082)
With Rodney Dillard, Herb Pedersen, Dean Webb, Douglas Bounsall, Jeff Gilkinson and Paul York.
Guests: Emory Gordy, Ray Park, Mark Sorger, Glenn D. Hardin and Chuck Fiore.
Produced by Herb Pedersen and Rodney Dillard.

In July 2003 Beatball Records released the Dillards "Decade Waltz" album from 1979 on CD with great booklet and complete album discography (band and solo)!

1979

Doug Dillard

Doug Dillard

Doug Dillard recorded again a solo album:

- DOUG DILLARD: Heaven (Flying Fish FF 086)
With Doug Dillard, Byron Berline, Doug Bounsall, Billy Constable, Dan Crary, Linda Dillard, Rodney Dillard
Jeff Gilkinson, John Hartford, John Hobbs, David Jackson, Herb Pedersen, John Raines
Mark Sorger, Donna Washburn and Paul York.
Produced by Rodney Dillard.

Doug Dillard Band

This last solo album led Doug forming "The Doug Dillard Band" featuring Byron Berline, Billy Constable, Ray Park, Skip Conover and Bill Bryson to tour America. At the "Telluride Bluegrass Festival" a live album was recorded in June. Rodney Dillard supervised the taping of a dynamic live album. The song "Ocean Of Diamonds" was recorded at the Dillards' "Homecoming and Reunion" in Salem/Missouri. Paul Breidenbach plays dobro on that song:

- DOUG DILLARD BAND featuring Byron Berline: Jackrabbit! (Flying Fish FF 208)
With Doug Dillard, Ray Park, Bill Bryson, Skip Conover, Byron Berline and Billy Constable.
Guest: Sam Bush.
Produced by Rodney Dillard

The Dillards

The Dillards recorded a new album. This album was recorded direct to disc! Each side of this album was recorded without stopping and without the possibility of making any changes or corrections - no re-mixing, no overdubbing and no editing or splicing of tapes.

- THE DILLARDS: Mountain Rock (Crystal Clear Records CCS 5007)
With Rodney Dillard, Dean Webb, Paul York, Jeff Gilkinson, Herb Pedersen and Doug Bounsall.
Guest: Ray Park.
Produced by Ed Wodenjak.

Note: "Teldec Records" released the album 1987 on CD with the bonus track "Orange Blossom special", (a 13 minute version).

Paul, Rodney, Dean
Doug (Bounsall) & Jeff

Rodney

Rodney, Herb, Paul, Dean
Jeff & Doug (Bounsall)

Dillards Family & Friends

After that album Paul York, considered the best drummer in Country-Rock left the Dillards to retire from the music business!!!

August 8 that year was named "Dillard Day" in Salem and to celebrate, a reunion was held which was recorded at the Sinks and at the Dillard family house. An album was released under the title of:

Rodney

- THE DILLARDS: Homecoming And Family Reunion (Flying Fish 215)
With Rodney Dillard, Doug Dillard, Homer E. Dillard,Sr., Homer E. Dillard, Jr., Earl Jay Dillard, Earline Dillard, Brian Dillard, Linda Dillard, Mitch Jayne, John Hartford, Dean Webb, Herb Pedersen, Bill Bryson, Jeff Gilkinson, Richard Godfrey and Douglas Bounsall.
Produced by Rodney Dillard.

After that tour the Dillards disbanded, only Rodney and Dean Webb stayed together. Now, Rodney and Dean, were searching for new members. The new members were: Joe Villegas (ex-member of Byron Berline's "Sundance" group), Ed Ponder (ex-member of The Flying Burrito Brothers) and Peter Grant (ex-member of New Riders Of The Purple Sage).This group can be heard on Jim Ringer's album:

- Jim Ringer: Endangered Species (Flying Fish 242)
With The Dillards: Rodney Dillard, Dean Webb, Joe Villegas, Ed Ponder and Pete Grant.
The Burrito Brothers: Gib Guilbeau, John Beland, Skip Battin, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Mickey McGee and Morgan Stoddard.
The Hot Band: Glen D. Hardin, Emory Gordy, Jr., Billy Thomas
and Bob Bigelow, Linda Dillard and Herb Pedersen.
Produced by Larry Murray.

Doug, Harry Dean Stanton, Byron & Rodney
from the movie "The Rose"

But soon after those recordings Pete Grant and Ed Ponder left the Dillards. New members were Seth Papas and Buddy Blackmon. This band toured over the next 2 years together.

Doug's book

Note: Doug, Rodney and Byron Berline can be seen in the movie "The Rose" starring Bette Middler. They played musicians in Harry Dean Stanton's band and their faces can be seen on the screen for around ten minutes.

Doug Dillard

Late 70's Doug wrote together with Kathryn Gleason Dillard & Bill Knopf the book "THE BLUEGRASS BANJO STYLE of DOUGLASS FLINT DILLARD", copyright 1980 Almo Publications. This book includes the fundamentals, tuning, tablature, rhythm, left hand techniques, right hand picking, also the bluegrass favorites such as Dougs Tune, Banjo In The Hollow, Dooley, Sinkin' Creek, Black Eyed Susie, Grandfather's Clock, Somebody Touched Me, Cripple Creek, Old Joe Clark, Lonesome Indian, and many Many more.

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