Black Oak Arkansas: When Electricity Came to Arkansas Vol 1 (1971-1973), 5CD Box Set

• First volume in a series of complete recordings of the popular southern rock band.
• Features inimitable and influential frontman Jim Dandy.
• Includes the expanded version of the live collection, ‘Raunch ‘N’ Roll Live’.
• For fans of: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers.

Black Oak Arkansas released their self-titled debut album (CD1) in March 1971. Although their origins go back as far as 1963, the band finally coalesced around inimitable frontman and natural showman Jim "Dandy" Mangrum on lead vocals and washboard. Playing a mixture of southern rock, hard rock and country, the band signed to Atlantic subsidiary ATCO Records, with a band featuring Rickie “Ricochet” Reynolds on guitar, Stanley “Goober” Knight on guitar and organ, Pat "Dirty" Daugherty on bass guitar and Wayne “Squeezebox” Evans on drums. Named after their hometown of Black Oak in (you guessed it) Arkansas, their first album featured the singles ‘Hot And Nasty’, ‘Uncle Lijiah’ and ‘Lord Have Mercy On My Soul’.

Their second album for Atco, ‘Keep The Faith’ (CD2), was released less than a year later, in January 1972. Recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami and Village Recorders in Los Angeles, the title track was released as a single.

By the time they released third album, ‘If An Angel Came to See You, Would You Make Her Feel At Home?’ in June 1972, they had been joined by legendary drummer Tommy Aldridge (Whitesnake, Pat Travers, Ozzy Osbourne). ‘If An Angel Came To See You, Would You Make Her Feel At Home?’ features the single ‘Full Moon Ride’.

BOA were now establishing themselves as a solid live concert draw across the States, so it made perfect sense for their fourth album to be a live recording. Recorded in December 1972 and released in February 1973, ‘Raunch ‘N’ Roll Live’ (CDs 4 & 5) captures the raw energy and excitement of the band on stage. Expanded to two discs, the live set presents their unique blend of hard rock, southern rock and boogie.

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