Capricorn Rhythm Section
Alive at 2nd Street Music Hall
Southern Rock & Blues
Capricorn Rhythm Section. Never heard of them? How about Capricorn Records? You remember, Duane Allman, the “Allman Brothers Band”, Dickie Betts, Bonnie Bramlett, the “Marshall Tucker Band”, “Wet Willie”, and “Cowboy”?
Well, the members of the Capricorn Rhythm Section are some of the ones responsible for producing their records, playing on them, and writing songs they recorded.
But, the history of CRS doesn’t begin there. Years before Capricorn Records put the genre of music known as Southern Rock on the map in Macon, Georgia. Johnny Sandlin and Paul Hornsby joined forces with Duane and Greg Allman to form the “Hour Glass” band. Scott Boyer was playing in the “31st of February” with high school friend, Butch Trucks. Bill Stewart was making music in “South Camp” and Tommy Talton was on the road with “We The People”.
Then along came Phil Walden and Capricorn Records. By that time, the “Hour Glass” had disbanded and Allman was living in Muscle Shoals, Alabama doing session work where he was discovered by Jerry Wexler. Wexler alerted Phil Walden who immediately signed Duane to his new record label. One of the earliest visions Phil Walden had for his new record company was a rhythm section in the image of Stax and Muscle Shoals Sound. Duane recommended his friends and former bandmates, Johnny Sandlin and Paul Hornsby, to put the band together while Allman, along with others in the newly formed “Allman Brothers Band” became “unofficial” members of the rhythm section.
By 1970, Sandlin found himself busy producing and heading up Capricorn Record’s A&R department. Bill Stewart, the first drummer for “Wet Willie”, was asked by Sandlin to take his place on drums. Around the time Hornsby began devoting most of his time to producing, Scott Boyer and Tommy Talton, members of the Capricorn act “Cowboy”, joined the rhythm section, and for the remainder of the time at Capricorn Records, the Capricorn rhythm section was a blend of current and past members, The Allman Brothers Band, and other label acts, everyone playing whenever needed and called upon.
Now, after years of pursuing their individual careers, Scott Boyer, Tommy Talton, Bill Stewart, Paul Hornsby, and Johnny Sandlin, have come together again to play some of the classic music they helped create and new music of their own,
Capricorn Rhythm Section. Still think you haven’t ever heard of them? Sure you have… you just didn’t realize it until now!
Rock: Classic Rock