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Groupe Country Rock US formé à Edmonton (Kentucky) en 1986 et comprenant
Richard Young, Fred Young, Greg
Martin, Anthony Kenney (en 1992),
Doug Phelps (après1992), Ricky Lee Phelps (après 1992) et Mark Orr (en 1992).
The
Kentucky Headhunters created a hybrid of honky tonk, blues, and Southern rock
that appealed to fans of both rock and country music. While they were only
officially together for a few albums, the band nevertheless left a long shadow.
The origins of the Kentucky Headhunters lie in 1968, when Fred and Richard Young
began playing together with their cousins Greg Martin and Anthony Kenney at the
Youngs' grandmother's home. Mark Orr also later joined them. The first
incarnation of the band was called the Itchy Brothers, and the group played
together informally for over a decade. After about 13 years, the bandmembers
began launching separate careers: Richard Young went off to write songs for
Acuff-Rose, while Fred Young began touring with country beauty Sylvia. Martin
became a member of Ronnie McDowell's
band, while Kenney dropped out of music. In 1985, Martin decided to reassemble
the Itchy Brothers. When Kenney declined to rejoin the group, Martin remembered
Doug Phelps, who he had met while on tour with
McDowell. Phelps joined the new project,
which was named the Kentucky Headhunters. Besides Martin and Phelps, the band
also included the Young brothers and Doug's brother Ricky Lee Phelps.
The Headhunters started playing twice monthly on the Chitlin' Show, a radio
program on WLOC Munfordville, KY. From these 90-minute performances, the
Headhunters built up a following. They sent an eight-song demo to Mercury, and
soon after, the label signed the group. The original demo tape was remixed and
became the basis of the band's first album, 1989's Pickin' On Nashville,
which upon its release received overwhelmingly positive reviews and quickly
became a hit. "Dumas Walker" reached number 15 in the spring of 1990, followed
by the group's biggest hit, the number six "Oh, Lonesome Me." In 1991, the
Headhunters released their second effort, Electric Barnyard. The album
received mixed reviews, couldn't muster a single, and sold weakly. In summer
1992, the Phelps brothers left the group to form
Brothers Phelps, a more
traditional country group. The remaining Headhunters brought ex-Itchy Brothers
Anthony Kenney and Mark Orr to the group, and the rehashed lineup released
Rave On! in 1993. The album marked a progression towards bluesy Southern
rock, which came to fruition with That'll Work later that same year. In 1996,
Doug returned on lead vocal, and a year later the band issued Stompin'
Grounds. Songs From the Grass String Ranch followed in 2000, and
Soul appeared in spring 2003. Big Boss Man was released in 2005 and
Flying Under the Radar in 2006, both from CBUJ Entertainment. Dixie
Lullabies, the group's 12th album, and their first studio recording of new
original material since 2003, appeared from Red Dirt Records in 2011. In 2015, the
Headhunters released another collaborative album with Johnnie Johnson, Meet Me
in Bluesland, drawn from unissued sessions recorded in 2003, two years before Johnson's
death. Just before entering the studio to record their next studio LP, bandmates Richard and Fred
Young lost their father. That loss, combined with the excitement of the band's
first European tour, added an emotional poignancy to On
Safari, which was released in 2016.
http://www.kentuckyheadhunters.com/
Talents : Richard Young : Rhythm Guitar - Fred Young : Drums - Greg Martin : Lead Guitar - Anthony Kenney : Bass Guitar - Doug Phelps : Bass Guitar - Ricky Lee Phelps : Lead Singer - Mark Orr : Lead Singer
Style musical : Country Rock, Southern Rock, Contemporary Country, Blues
Years in activity :
| 1910 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 2000 | 10 | 20 |
DISCOGRAPHY
Singles
| 09/1989 | SP MERCURY 874 744-7 (US) | . | Walk Softly On This Heart Of Mine / Skip A Rope |
| 01/1990 | SP MERCURY 876 536-7 (US) | . | Dumas Walker / High Steppin' Daddy |
| 05/1990 | SP MERCURY 875 450-7 (US) | . | Oh Lonesome Me / My Daddy Was A Milkman |
| 09/1990 | SP MERCURY 878 214-7 (US) | . | Rock 'n' Roll Angel / Rag Top |
| 04/1991 | SP MERCURY 868 122-7 (US) | . | The Ballad Of Davy Crockett / Smooth |
| 1991 | SP MERCURY 1418 (US) (promo) |
 |
The Ballad Of Davy Crockett / With Body And Soul |
| 06/1991 | SP MERCURY 868 418-7 (US) | . | With Body And Soul / Some Folks Like To Steal |
| 09/1991 | SP MERCURY 868 760-7 (US) | . | It's Chitlin' Time / Dumas Walker |
| 1991 | CD MERCURY 0704 (US) (promo) |
 |
It's Chitlin' Time |
| 1991 | CD MERCURY CDP 553 (US) (promo) |
 |
Let's Work Together |
| 11/1991 | SP MERCURY 866 134-7 (US) | . | Only Daddy That'll Walk The Line / Walk Softly On His Heart Of Mine |
| 02/1993 | SP MERCURY 864 808-7 (US) | . | Honky Tonk Walkin' / Redneck Girl |
| 05/1993 | SP MERCURY 862 150-7 (US) | . | Dixie Fried / Celina, Tennessee |
| 1993 | CD MERCURY CDP 828 (US) (promo) | . | Dixie Fried |
| 1993 | CD MERCURY CDP 833 (US) (promo) | . |
Honky Tonk Walkin‘ (radio edit) / Honky Tonk Walkin‘ (extended dance mix) |
| 1997 | CD BNA 64782-7 (US) |
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Singin' The Blues / Kentucky Wildcat |
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Albums
| 10/1989 | CD MERCURY 838744-2 (US) |
 |
PICKIN' ON NASHVILLE - Walk Softly On This Heart Of Mine / Dumas Walker / Ragtop / Rock & Roll Angel / Smooth / High Steppin' Daddy / Skip A Rope / Some Folks Like To Steal / Oh, Lonesome Me / My Daddy Was A Milkman | ||
| 04/1991 | CD MERCURY 848054-2 (US) |
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ELECTRIC BARNYARD - It's Chitlin' Time / Ballad Of Davy Crockett / Only Daddy That'll Walk The Line / With Body and Soul / Diane / 16 And Single / Wishin' Well / Spirit In The Sky / Always Makin' Love / Love Bug Crawl / Big Mexican Dinner / Kickin' Them Blues Around / Take Me Back | ||
| 02/1993 | CD MERCURY 314 512 568-2 (US) |
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RAVE ON !! - Dixie Fried / Just Ask Fo' Lucy / Honky Tonk Walkin' / Redneck Girl / Dizzie Miss Daisy / Celina Tennessee / Ghost Of Hank Williams / Freedom Stomp / Muddy Water / My Gal / Blue Moon Of Kentucky / Underground | ||
| 1993 | CD RSM RSM-026 (GER) |
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Dirty Pickin' - LIVE IN NEW YORK 1993 - The Ghost Of Hank Williams / Just Ask For Lucy / Honky Tonk Walkin' / Walk Softly / Dixiefried / Little Red Rooster / Freedom Stomp / Spirit In The Sky / Dumas Walker |
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| 09/1994 | CD MERCURY 314 522 710-2 (US) |
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THE BEST OF KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS - STILL PICKIN' - Dumas Walker / Walk Softly On This Heart Of Mine / Rock & Roll Angel / Oh, Lonesome Me / Ballad Of Davy Crockett / Only Daddy That'll Walk The Line / It's Chitlin' Time / Spirit In The Sky / Let's Work Together / Honky Tonk Walkin' / Dixie Fried / Redneck Girl / You've Got To Hide Your Love Away | ||
| 08/1996 | CD ELEKTRA 9 61476-2 (US) |
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THAT'LL WORK - Johnnie JOHNSON & THE KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS - That'll Work / Sunday Blues / Johnnie's Breakdown / I'm Not Runnin' / Bummed About Love / Stumblin' / Back To Memphis / Feel / I Know You Can / She's Got To Have It / Derby Day Special / Tell Me Baby | ||
| 04/1997 | CD BNA 07863-67461-2 (US) |
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STOMPIN' GROUNDS - Neck Of The Woods / Singin' The Blues / Party Zone / Private Part / Kentucky Wildcat / Runnin' Water / Farmer's Daughter / See Rock City / Southern Belle / Cowboy Best / Mr. Know-It-All | ||
| 08/2000 | CD AUDIUM AUD-CD-8117 (US) |
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SONGS FROM THE GRASS STRING RANCH - Grass String Ranch / Back To The Sun / Jessico / Once In A While / Love That Woman / Too Much To Lose / Louisianna Coco / Country Life / Dry-Land Fish / Dreamin' Kind / I Wish I Knew / Rock On | ||
| 05/2003 | CD AUDIUM AUD-CD-8178 (US) |
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SOUL - Everyday People / That's Alright / You Got It / Lonely Nights / We All Need It / My Sunny Days / Last Night I Met Carl Perkins / I Still Wanna Be Your Man / Lookin' For Mr. Perfect / Have You Ever Loved A Woman / What You See, Is What You Get (Give Me Some Skin - Kentucky Jam) | ||
| 06/2005 | CD CBUJ ENT. 82956-90618-2 (US) |
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BIG BOSS MAN - Big Boss Man / Honkytonk Blues / Take These Chains From My Heart / Walkin After Midnight / Hey Good Lookin' / Like A Rolling Stone / Chug A'lug / So Sad To See Good Love Go Bad / Made In Japan / You Win Again / Don't It Make You Wanna Go Home / I'm Down | ||
| 06/2006 | CD CBUJ ENT. 82596-90696-2 (US) |
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FLYING UNDER THE RADAR - Louisianna CoCo / Country Life / Back To The Sun / Big Boss Man / Take These Chains From My Heart / Go To Heaven / Too Much To Lose / Chug-A-Lug [mix] / Midnight Special / Lonely Nights / Everyday People / Love That Woman / Once In A While / Ashes Of Love / Rock On | ||
| 09/2009 | CD MERCURY B0013159-02 (US) |
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Authorized Bootleg - Live - Agara Ballroom - Cleveland, Ohio May - 13, 1990 - Honky Tonk Blues / Rag Top / Some Folks Like To Steal / Oh, Lonesome Me / She's About A Mover / Walk Softly On This Heart Of Mine / Rock 'n' Roll Angel / Dizzy Miss Lizzy / High Steppin' Daddy / Smooth / Dumas Walker / My Daddy Was A Milkman / Crossroads / Take Me Back - My Old Kentucky / Wishing Well / Spirit In The Sky |
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| 10/2011 | CD RED DIRT REDX 7402 (US) |
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DIXIE LULLABIES - Dixie Lullaby / Boones Farm Boogie / Great Acoustics / Tumblin' Roses / Les Paul Standard / In A Perfect World / Roll On Little Pretty / Sugar Daddy / Just Another Night / Little Miss Blues / Breaker / Little Angel / Just Believe / Ain't That A Shame / Recollection Blues | ||
| 06/2014 | CD Hickory 1622 (US) |
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Snapshot - Ashes Of Love / Chug-A-Lug / Hey Good Lookin' / Honkey Tonk Blues / Made In Japan / So Sad To Watch Good Love Go Bad / Sure As I'm Sittin' Here / Take These Chains From My Heart / Walk A Mile In My Shoes / Walkin' After Midnight |
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| 06/2015 | CD Alligator ALCD-4965 (US) |
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Meet Me In Bluesland - The Kentucky Headhunters With Johnnie Johnson - Stumblin' / Walking With The Wolf / Little Queenie / She's Got To Have It / Party In Heaven / Meet Me In Bluesland / King Rooster / Shufflin' Back To Memphis / Fast Train / Sometime / Superman Blues |
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| 11/2016 | CD Plowboy PLO CD 1037 (US) |
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On Safari - Beaver Creek Mansion / Deep South Blues Again / I Am The Hunter / Caught In A Dream / Crazy Jim / Bit Time / Lowdown Memphis Town Blues / Rainbow Shine / Way Down Yonder / Jukebox Full Of Blues / God Loves A Rolling Stone / Governors Cup |
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| 10/2018 | 2 CD Hump Head HUMP219 (US) |
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Dixie Fried - The Best Of The Mercury Years :
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| 01/2019 | CD Alligator ALCD-4988 (US) |
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Live At The Ramblin' Man Fair - Live At The Ramblin' Man Fair : Intro / Big Boss Man / Ragtop / Stumblin' / Shufflin' Back To Memphis / Have You Ever Loved A Woman? / Wishin' Well / Walking With The Wolf / My Daddy Was A Milkman / Don't Let Me Down / Studio Bonus Tracks With Johnnie Johnson & Anthony Kenney : Rock Me Baby / Rock 'n' Roller / Hi-Heel Sneakers |
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| 10/2021 | CD Bfd BFD 366 (US) |
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That's a Fact, Jack! - Gonna Be Alright / How Could I / Water Colors, In The Rain / Susannah / Cup Of Tea / We Belong Together / That's A Fact Jack / Lonely Too Long / Heart And Soul / Cheap Tequila / Shotgun Effie / Let's All Get Together and Fight |
© Rocky Productions 23/10/2021
