The Four Guys were a vocal quartet from Nashville who were "just as much at home on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry as they are on the Las Vegas Circuit..." (as their liner notes proclaimed...) The group originally hailed from Ohio, but landed a spot on the Grand Ole Opry in 1967 and found work backing various stars in the 'Sixties and early '70s, including gigs with Jimmy Dean, Charley Pride and Hank Williams, Jr., and many others.
The group was first led by lead tenor Gary Buck, formerly a soloist with the Stamps Quartet gospel ensemble who apparently came up with the idea of recording an album and making the Guys into a "solo" act. He became the group's featured vocalist as they adapted the gospel quartet style into a pop-country sound similar to what groups such as the Oak Ridge Boys and Alabama were developing around the same time. Gary Buck eventually left the band and tried his hand in several music business roles before starting an evangelical ministry and concentrating on Southern Gospel rather than secular stuff; the other guys -- notably Sam Wellington -- kept the band going for decades despite an ever-changing lineup. Among several Stamps Quartet alumni, the Four Guys also briefly included Dave Rowland, who swiftly moved to a solo career as the leader of the vocal group Dave & Sugar. The Four Guys released several albums and an undetermined number of singles -- here's a quick look at their work.
The Four Guys "Right On!!" (NRS Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Col. Dave Mathes)
Sunshine pop and folk-pop vocals from a quartet who were "just as much at home on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry as they are on the Las Vegas Circuit..." (as the liner notes proclaim...) Although several Nashville studio stalwarts such as Weldon Myrick, Jerry Shook and Junior Huskey play on these sessions, there's precious little twang -- it's more of an example of how pop sensibilities bubbled under the surface of Music City. This vocal group originally hailed from Ohio, but found work backing various stars in the mid-1960s and early '70s, including gigs with Jimmy Dean, Charley Pride and Hank Williams, Jr., and many others. This edition of the band featured tenor Gary Buck, a former gospel singer with the Stamps Quartet who apparently came up with the idea of recording an album and eventually became the group's featured vocalist, as they adapted the gospel quartet style into a pop-country sound similar to what groups such as the Oak Ridge Boys and Alabama were developing around the same time. At this point, though, the Four Guys sounded more like the Kingston Trio, and despite a long tenure in Nashville and Vegas, they never quite hit the bigtime. Gary Buck eventually left the band and tried his hand in several music business roles before starting an evangelical ministry and concentrating on Southern Gospel rather than secular stuff; the other guys -- notably Sam Wellington -- kept the band going for decades despite an ever-changing lineup. Among several Stamps Quartet alumni, the Four Guys also briefly included Dave Rowland, who swiftly moved to a solo career as the leader of the vocal group Dave & Sugar.
The Four Guys "Opry Encores" (Four Guys Enterprises, 197--?) (LP)
An early 'Seventies outing, with covers of early 'Seventies hits such as "Catfish John," "Friend, Don't Take Her," "Let Me Be There" and "Top Of The World." The lineup includes Brent Burkett, Gary Buck, Richard Garrett and Sam Wellington, with the lads backed by a Nashville studio crew including drummer Johnnie Barber, Sonny Burnette (steel guitar), Jimmy Capps (guitar), Joe Edwards (fiddle), Johnny Gimble (fiddle), Billy Linneman (bass), and Jerry Whitehurst on piano.
The Four Guys "Happy Days And Happy Nights: Live At The Harmony House In Nashville" (1977-?) (LP)
The Four Guys "On Target" (1977-?) (LP)
The Four Guys "Good" (Garpax Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Gary S. Paxton & Buck Williams)
The Guys recorded quite a few souvenir albums, though this one is particularly intriguing... Somewhere in the 'Seventies they fell into the orbit of West Coast producer Gary S. Paxton, and recorded this album for his independent Garpax label. A lot of originals here: Paxton wrote about half the songs, with additional material from Shirl Milete and others. Some of the songs include twang-specific themes such as "Daddy's Little Cowboy," "Freedom Lives In A Country Song" and "Mother Country Music," while some, such as "Blowing Back & Forth Across My Mind" and "Life Is Better Than Money" may reflect Paxton's semi-aquarian, country-rock gospel leanings. The album's label says this was from 1978, though several tracks were released as singles back in '77. Kinda fancy arrangements, interesting, actually.
The Four Guys "Audiograph Alive" (Audiograph Records, 1982) (LP)
The Four Guys "A Different Brand" (Homebase Records, 198-?) (LP)
The Four Guys "Revised Edition" (TFG Records, 1983) (LP)
