Tommy Hoehn & Van Duren - Hailstone Holiday (1999)

Tommy Hoehn is another in a long line of musicians from Memphis who should have been big but never even came close. Hoehn's first claim to fame was providing background vocals for Big Star's Third/Sister Lovers. He also sang some backups for another legendary "lost" Memphis band, the Scruffs. In the mid-'70s he recorded the classic power pop single "Blow Yourself Up" which was featured on Rhino's D.I.Y.: Come Out and Play: American Power Pop (1975-78) compilation. In 1977 Hoehn released his debut album, Spacebreak, and followed it up in 1978 with Losing You to Sleep on London Records. Around this time he co-founded the band Prix with fellow Alex Chilton veteran Jon Tiven. They managed to release one single before disintegrating. In 1981 Hoehn put out another LP, I Do Love the Light, and then, for the most part, vanished. He returned in a big way in 1997 releasing two albums, Of Moons & Fools and Turning Dance, for the Frankenstein label. In 1999 he joined forces with fellow obscure Memphis pop legend Van Duren to record an album. Hailstone Holiday was hailed as a return to form for both men.

Van Duren is synonymous with the 70's Memphis Power Pop scene, playing with the likes of Chris Bell and Jody Stephens and at one point auditioning as the 2nd guitar player for Big Star just before the band's demise. Van Duren went on to leave Memphis to record one of the great albums of the late 70's "Are You Serious?" and is still releasing albums and playing live around Memphis.