Doug Sahm - Doug Sahm & Band (1973)

Doug Sahm was a Texan singer-songwriter and musician, best known as founder and leader of the Sir Douglas Quintet.

Born in Texas in 1941, Doug Sahm got involved in the music business at a young age. He first appeared on the radio aged just five, and as 'Little Doug Sahm' released several singles in the 50s, his first at age eleven. That same year he also got to play on stage with Hank Williams (incidentally it turned out to be Williams' last performance before his death). Throughout the rest of the decade he fronted various bands, and performed in San Antonio's R&B clubs. As well as being a singer, he was also a talented multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, fiddle, pedal steel and mandolin.
In 1965 he formed the Sir Douglas Quintet with Augie Meyes, Frank Morin, Jack Barber and Johnny Perez. They had a massive hit with "She's About A Mover" that same year, and went on to become very successsful.
However by 1971 the band was drifitng apart, and Sahm moved back home to Texas. The band officially broke up in '72. The next year, he released his first solo album. Doug Sahm & Band was a fantastic mix of country, rock, Tex-Mex and blues, and featured both Dr John on piano and Tejano accordion virtuoso Flaco Jimenez, as part of an excellent band. Bob Dylan also appeared singing backing vocals on several songs, and gave Sahm his own then-unreleased song "Wallflower". It also featured lots of covers, including Bob Wills' "Faded Love" and Willie Nelson's "Me And Paul". Sahm pulled it all together fantastically (with a bit of help from the fantastic production), making it an excellent start to his post-band solo career.

|> Texas Tornado (1973)
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