- Jack Barber -- bass

- Willie Bridges -- sax

- Louis Bustos -- sax

- Warren Chasson -- virbaphone

- George Coleman -- sax

- Link Davis -- fiddle, sax

- Kenny Denton -- back vocals (1984)

- Dr. John -- keyboards

- Ernie Durawa -- drums, percussion (1984)

- Martin Fierro -- sax

- Harry Hess -- steel guitar

- Wayne Jackson -- trumpet

- Flacco Jimenez -- accordion

- Jim Knepper -- trombone

- Mel Martin -- sax

- Charlie McBurney -- trumpet (84)

- Augie Meyers -- keyboards

- Pacho Morales -- percussion

- Rocky Morales -- sax , 7184)

- Charlie Owens -- steel guitar

- John Perez -- drums (1971-)

- George Rains -- drums

- David Newman -- sax

- Mike Nock -- keyboards

- Louis Ortega -- vocals, guitar (1984)

- George Rains -- drums

- John reed -- guitar

- Neal Rosengarden -- fluegelhorn, keyboards

- Doug Sahm (RIP -- vocals, guitar, banjo

- George Stubbs -- keyboards

- Louie Terrazas -- bass (1984)

- Jack Wilmoth -- trumpet

- Augie Meyers (solo efforts)

- The Quintet

- The Sir Douglas Quintet

Genre: rock

Rating: **** (4 stars)

Title:  The Return of Doug Saldana

Company: Philips

Catalog: PHS 600 353

Year: 1971

Country/State: Texas

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: small split along top right side; promo white label

Available: SOLD

GEMM catalog ID: 5427

Price: SOLD $15.00

For some reason 1971's "The Return of Doug Saldana" seems to get lost in the Sir Douglas Quintet discography.  While it's a great album, the absence of anything as top-40 commercial as 'Mendocino' may have explained the difference in sales and recognition (though to my ears 'Preach What You Live, Live What You Preach' and 'Me and My Destiny' were extremely commercial and should have been major radio hits).  Musically the album was all over the map, including spirited stabs at blues ('Papa Ain't Salty'), country ('Keep Your Soul'), blues ('Papa Ain't Salty') and cocktail jazz ('The Gypsy').  Certainly not the most focused album you'll ever hear, but then Sir Douglas Quintet fans enjoy the band's diversity.  Personal favorites - 'Preach What You Live, Live What You Preach' and the pretty ballad 'Stone Faces Don't Lie'.  Elsewhere Philips tapped the album for a single in the form of 'Me and My Destiny' b/w 'Wasted Days, Wasted Nights' (Philips catalog number 40708).  Interesting sidebar - a longstanding Freddie Fender fan, Sahm and company's cover of 'Wasted Days, Wasted Nights' (with a cool call out to the man), actually led to Fender's comeback.  Incorporating the song into their live set, the track quickly became a crowd favorite, leading Sahm to eventually track Fender down (then largely out of music and earning a living working as an automotive mechanic).  Sahm and company convinced Fender to join them for some local concert dates and within a couple of years Fender was once again a massive pop star.

"The Return of Doug Saldana" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Preach What You Live, Live What You Preach   (Doug Sahm) - 2:45

2.) She's Huggin' You, But She's Lookin' At Me   (Doug Sahm) - 3:01

3.) Keep Your Soul   (Doug Sahm) - 3:10

4.) Papa Ain't Salty   (T- Bone Walker - G.C. McDonald) - 3:55

5.) Stone Faces Don't Lie   (Doug Sahm) - 4:38

(side 2)
1.) Me and My Destiny   (Doug Sahm) - 3:14

2.) Wasted Days, Wasted Nights    (Freddie Fender - W.M. Duncan) - 3:38

3.) The Railpak Dun Done In the Del Monte   (Doug Sahm) - 3:42

4.) Oh Lord Please Let It Rain In Texas   (Doug Sahm) - 2:42

5.) The Gypsy   (Billy Reed) - 3:35

The Acadia/Evangeline label reissued the album in 2002 (catalog # 8044) with two new tracks:

- 'Michoacan'

- Westside Blues Again'

Genre: rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Texas Tornado

Company: Atlantic

Catalog: SD 7287

Year: 1973

Country/State: Texas

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: small cut out notch along spine

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4364

Price: $15.00

While credited to 'The Sir Douglas Band', for all intents and purposes 1973's "Texas Tornado" stands as another Sir Douglas Quintet release.  Sahm, bassist Jack Barber, accordion player Flacco Jimenez, keyboardist Augie Meyers, sax player Rocky Morales and drummer George Rains are all here.  Exemplified by those tracks produced by Jerry Wexler and Arif Mardin, about a third of the album seems to have been recorded during earlier sessions for Doug Sahm's Atlantic debut "Doug Sahm and Band".  While those earlier tracks are most outsider covers, the seven newer tracks are mostly self-penned and self-produced.  Musically the set's considerably more diverse than some of Sahm's earlier work.  While 'San Francisco FM Blues', 'the title track , 'Hard Way' and 'Juan Mendoza' offer up first-rate additions to Sahm's patented Tex-Mex-cum-rock sound, 'Someday' and 'Ain't That Loving You' have a  jazzy big band feel (complete with support from David 'Fathead' Newman).  'Tennessee Blues' offers up a convincing slice of country, while the flute propelled 'Blue Horizon' sports a Brazilian bossa nova feel. The fact that it is so diverse may explain why the set didn't sell well and why it's largely overlooked today.

Elsewhere, Atlantic pulled two singles from the album:

- 1973's 'Nitty Gritty' b/w 'I'm Just Tired Of Getting Burned' (Atlantic catalog number 45-2965)

- 1973's 'Texas Tornado' b/w 'Blue Horizon' (Atlantic catalog number 45-2985)

Curiously, the first single was credited to The Sir Douglas Quintet, while the second was billed as The Sir Douglas Band.

"Texas Tornado" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) San Francisco FM Blues   (Doug Sahm) - 3:25

2.) Someday   (Doug Sahm) - 3:15

3.) Blue Horizon   (Doug Sahm) - 4:22

4.) Tennessee Blues   (Ray Charles) - 5:29

5.) Ain't That Loving You   (Malone) - 4:52

(side 2)
1.) Texas Tornado   (Doug Sahm) - 2:52

2.) Juan Mendoza   (Doug Sahm) - 2:58

3.) Chicano   (Doug Sahm) - 2:15

4.) I'll Be There   (Burgess) 2:35

5.) Hard Way   (Doug Sahm) - 2:09

6.) Nitty Gritty   (Doug Sahm) -  3:03

Genre: rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Live Love

Company: Texas Re-Cord Co

Catalog: TRC 1007

Year: 1977

Country/State: Texas

Grade (cover/record): NM / NM

Comments: still in shrink

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 5535

Price: $45.00

Ah - one of the band's I wish I'd been able to see live during my lifetime.  Guess this concert set is the closest I'll get.

1977's "Live Love" was originally released on keyboardist Augie Meyer's own Texas Re-Cord Co. label.  As you probably figured from the album title, the collection captured the band at a May 1977 set at Austin's Armadillo's.  If you're interested in a document capturing the band at their creative zenith; this isn't the place to start.  Instead this set did a pretty good job of capturing the band's live charm.  Easygoing and occasionally a touch raw, Doug Sahm and company effortlessly roared through a haphazard mixture of 'hits' (actually the only track that even came close to being a hit was the opener 'Dynamite Woman'), band favorites, popular covers (Eddie Floyd's 'Knock On Wood'), and a couple of obscurities. Sahm was in good voice throughout - check out his performance on the newly penned bluesy ballad 'One Way, Crash Course Love Affair' and the rest of the band was simply razor sharp.  Most groups could only dream about being as tight !!!  Elsewhere  'Henrietta' had previously been released as a single:  

- 1976's 'Henrietta' b/w Country Groove (Texas Re-Cord Co. catalog number 108)

Was the album perfect?  Not by a long shot.  While professional, their cover of The Temptations' 'My Girl' added nothing to the original.  Similarly their cover of Jr. Parker's 'Drivin' Wheel' was merely competent.  I would have also gone for a more commercial set list, but then it wasn't up to me.  Still, worth tracking down for anyone who considers themselves to be a Sir Doug fan.

"Live Love" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Introduction - 1:00

2.) Dynamite Woman   (Doug Sahm) - 5:19

3.) One Way, Crash Course Love Affair    (Doug Sahm) - 3:29  

4.) My Girl   (Smokey Robinson - White) - 3:29

5.) Drivin' Wheel   (R. Sykes) - 4:12

(side 2)
1.) Starry Eyes   (Roky Erickson) - 3:25

2.) Emotional Goner   (Doug Sahm) - 2:23

3.) Henrietta   (Fore - Hitzfield) - 2:10

4.) Glad for Your Sake - 3:41

5.) Knock On Wood   (Eddie Floyd - Steve Cropper) - 3:32

The Sonet label released the album in the UK under the title "Wanted Very Much Alive" (Sonet catalog number SNTF 804).

Genre: rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Rio Medina

Company: Sonet

Catalog: SNTF-912

Year: 1984

Country/State: Texas

Grade (cover/record): NM / NM

Comments: still  in shrink wrap

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 5422

Price: $30.00

I've said it before, but remain amazed by how many classic American artists have to leave the country in order to make a living.  How in the world do you explain The Sir Douglas Quintet having to sign with a Swedish record label ...

Recorded in Austin with Kenny Denton producing, 1984's "Rio Medina" was almost as impressive as the previous Sonet set "Midnight Sun".  With Sahm responsible for the majority of the eleven tracks, musically the set offered up a mixture of styles including standard boogie ('San Antonio Boogie'), Tex-Mex (ue Paso'), country-rock (the beautiful ballad 'Never Be a Saint') and patented Vox Continental propelled rockers ('Everybody Gets Lonely Sometimes').   Seldom sounding as comfortable and enthusiastic, Sahm was in good form throughout.  Elsewhere there were a number  of interesting surprises including an up tempo cover of The Police's 'Every Breath You Take' and a classic country tale of woe and betrayal ('Can't Go Back To Austin').   Propelled by Meyer's instantly recognizable keyboards 'Viking Girl' was the should've-been-a-hit. Though the band continued to enjoy massive Scandinavian successes, the album went completely unnoticed in the States (you won't even find it listed in many of the on-line discographies).  For true fans, a series of European singles were pulled from the LP:

Sweden

- 1984's 'Viking Girl' b/w 'Can't Go Back To Austin' (Sonet catalog number 10129) 

- 1984's 'Never Be A Saint' b/w 'Everybody Gets Lonely' (Sonet catalog number 10139) 

France

- 1984's 'Sleepwalk' b/w 'Que Paso' (Sonet catalog number VG 108 / 101934) 

UK

- 1984's 'Every Breath You Take' b/w 'Everybody Gets Lonely Sometimes' (Sonet catalog number 2266) [UK]

"Rio Medina" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) San Antonio Boogie   (Doug Sahm) - 3:55

2.) In the Zone Alone   (Doug Sahm) - 4:24

3.) Viking Girl   (Doug Sahm) - 2:34

4.) Never Be a Saint   (Louie Ortega) - 2:58

5.) Every Breath You Take   (Gordon Sumner) - 2:38

(side 2)
1.) Everybody Gets Lonely Sometimes   (Doug Sahm) - 3;35

2.) Can't Go Back To Austin   (Doug Sahm) - 3:13

3.) Que Paso   (Bill Sheffield - Augie Meyers) - 2:06

4.) Anymore Tribute to Johnny Ace)   (Washington - Robey) - 3:44

5.) Tejano   (Doug Sahm) - 3:25

6.) Sleep Walk (instrumental)   (J. Fraina - S. Farina) - 4:09