Untitled Document

SOUTHERN ROCK PATRIMONY
SUGAR CREEK BAND - “ Hopped the train ” - LP 1983 Muscadine records

Clear, clean, and precise music and production with very effective guitars and pedal steel applies
to this only album from the SUGAR CREEK BAND from Macon (Georgia) “Hopped the train”,
a little-known and highly sought-after album, with, the icing on the cake, a development in 1983
on the Muscadine Records label of Mr. Paul Hornsby who produced it and plays piano on a few
tracks. This quintet is made up of Tony Elmore and Ronald R. J. Johnson (guitar and vocals),
Glen Hutchison (bass and vocals), Jimmy Kelly (drums), and Jimmy Harpe (vocals, piano,
organ). We also find guitarist Mike Causey from the group Stillwater as a guest on two tracks.
Their music on all ten tracks has a relaxing impact without being mushy, with "Southern Country
Rock" magnetism and is full of vocal harmonies and layers of instrumental textures that blend
guitar, banjo, violin, harmonica, piano and various other keyboards. Close to the Marshall Tucker
Band, but also to Macon Tracks by Grinderswitch dating from 1975 or the Cowboy group of
Tommy Talton and Scott Boyer, the start of side A with "Faded Love" is developed by a very
pleasant Marshall Tucker Band ascendant .

Some titles like "Lone country Star", "Josie's Gone Away", "Broken Dreams", as well as the album title
"Hopped the Train" will appeal to fans of Country-Rockers Eagles, Poco, Firefall, The Daisy Dillman Band, Heartsfield ...
But the most convincing are the two tracks of "Southern Country-Rock": "Livin' in the Country", enriched with
a slide guitar which slips well in the southern spirit and "Fallin' in Love" where that goes south
thanks to the presence of Mike Causey from Stillwater and his shimmering guitar playing. Ending
track "Bessie Lee" is also interesting for its Cooder Browne/Charlie Daniels Band/Marshall Tucker Band texture,
and is featured prominently on YouTube

Jacques Dersigny