An important and often underrated group in the development of country rock were at their peak on December 14, 1974. The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, the band from Springfield, Missouri, were back with a swift follow-up to their self-titled first album, and back on the US chart with It’ll Shine When It Shines.
The band’s first album had produced the single “If You Wanna Get To Heaven,” which climbed to No.25 on the Hot 100. The whole record established a confident style with the spotlight on rock guitar, harmonica and the kind of close harmonies more often associated with the Eagles.
It was produced by the celebrated rock sideman Glyn Johns (the Rolling Stones, The Who and dozens of other big names) with David Anderle, the producer who had been instrumental in MGM signing the Mothers of Invention, and worked with many other stars, especially in the 1970s. Anderle died in 2014.
Ozark Mountain Daredevils reached No.26 in America and was certified gold there some three and a half years after its chart debut, in 1977. Less than a year after its release, the band returned with the follow-up, and another signature single — this time, one that would bring them airplay around the world. “Jackie Blue” remains one of the great “turntable hits” of the period, winning great exposure (but sadly not as many sales) in the UK. Another track from It’ll Shine…, the opening “You Made It Right,” also had airplay support, and became their solitary US country singles chart appearance.
In the US, “Jackie Blue” became a sleeper hit, entering the chart in the new year of 1975 and climbing slowly to spend two weeks at No.3 in May. It’ll Shine When It Shines may not have repeated the gold certification of its predecessor, but peaked higher, at No.19, and the Ozarks remained an album chart act in the US for the rest of the decade.
Listen to uDiscover Music’s official Ozark Mountain Daredevils playlist.
The latter-day line-up of the Daredevils, still featuring original members John Dillon, Michael Granda, and Steve Cash, released the new studio album Off The Beaten Path in 2018. They have continued to play live, to the delight of their loyal fans, the “Dareheads”; 2019 dates included the Rock Legends Cruise, sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and they were back on the road late in 2021.
Buy or stream It’ll Shine When It Shines.
