I’m not quite sure how I stumbled upon these guys, but Uncle Walt’s Band, are an interesting discovery. They no longer exist, chiefly because two thirds of the group are deceased. But the do now have a website!
I think I must’ve found them exploring the Omnivore record label website. Omnivore released the Yester/Henske Farewell Aldebaran album (and some other obscure Yester material). Anyhoo, having discovered Uncle Walt’s Band, I’m now a fan. And I’ll be exploring their output in due course.
For now, this is a fave:
Lyle Lovett is a massive fan of these guys. And I can totally get why. But I also discovered that they had been championed, early on, by Willis Alan Ramsey, also a new name to me. He had a star studded debut out in 1972, which I’m checking out.
Around that time he encountered Uncle Walt’s Band, persuading them to relocate to Nashville, and trying to helm an album with them. This didn’t come off, so they moved back to (?), and recorded their own debut LP, Blame It On The Bossa Nova.
This latter has been reissued on the excellent Ominvire label, remastered, with lots of bonus material. I just ordered a brand new copy off Amazon, for less than £5!
The histories of both Uncle Walt’s Band, and Willis Alan Ramsey, are rather odd and interesting. UWB never achieved they success they merited, eventually going their separate ways. Their leader, Walter (uncle?) ‘Walt’ Hyatt, was killed in a domestic US plane crash, aged just 46, in ‘91. Champ Hood died from cancer in 2001.
Only bassist David Ball remains. And his story is interesting; he had to pester his way into the group, originally a duo, just Wyatt and Hood. He was told – so I’ve heard online – to ‘come back when you can play [upright] bass’. A guitarist and singer in his own right, he nevertheless did just that. And joined the group as bassist and third voice.
His successful solo career sees him back on guitar and lead vocals, in a somewhat more ‘trad country’ line.
Something I feel compelled to add, in regard to Uncle Walt’s Band, is what a trio of beautiful men they are, or rather were. You’d have thunk this combo of great talent, fab voices, excellent songs, and good looks, would make them a shoo-in for music biz success. But, no… ‘twas not to be!