James Gang - Bang (1973) LP

Now fairly forgotten, in the early 70s this group was one of the best rock acts in America. The project was created in Cleveland (Ohio) in 1966 on the initiative of drummer Jim Fox (b. August 24, 1947). In addition to him, the original lineup included bassist Tom Criss, guitarists Glen Schwartz and Ronnie Silverman, and keyboardist Phil Giallombardo. The last two soon disappeared somewhere, and thus the James Gang took on the form of a power trio. In the late 60s, "JG" actively traveled around the Midwest and thereby gained fame as a serious concert band. Somewhere at the very beginning of 1969, Schwartz left for Pacific Gas & Electric, and in his place the then little-known Joe Walsh from the Measles materialized. Walsh proved to be a valuable addition as his style of play added energy to the team. In the fall of 1969, the debut album, "Yer' Album", was released, landing on the Billboard charts at position 83. However, the James Gang achieved their greatest success the following year with their second full-length, The James Gang Rides Again, recorded with new bassist Dale Peters. The album contained a strong selection of songs, one of which ("Funk #49") reached the top twenty. The release of the record was accompanied by the team's foray to Europe, where the musicians played as an opening act for the Who. At the end of the tour, the third studio album, "Thirds", was recorded, which, like its predecessor, received gold status. Almost simultaneously, the live album “Live in Concert” was released, which became Walsh’s final work as part of the “James Gang”. The musician left to pursue a solo career, and in the meantime he was replaced by two Canadians: vocalist Roy Kenner and guitarist Dominic Troiano. The updated line-up recorded a couple of mediocre albums, after which Troiano accepted an invitation to join the Guess Who. The remaining musicians, on the advice of Walsh, turned to Tommy Bolin, and after a 15-minute audition, he was unanimously accepted into the team. Bolin's appearance in the ranks of the James Gang gave the guitarist the opportunity to significantly expand his audience. In addition, he was given the opportunity to actively participate in the creation of the group’s material, which Tommy did not fail to take advantage of - on the album “Bang”, 8 out of 9 tracks included his authorship. However, Bolin did not have the chance to stay in the lineup for long: after the release of “Miami” he left the team. His departure effectively marked the end of the career of the James Gang, whose circulation fell markedly after Walsh's departure. However, Fox and Peters were optimistic and tried to continue the activity with vocalist Bubba Keith and guitarist Richard Shack. Nothing good came of it, of course, and after the ordinary album “Jesse Come Home” the project finally disintegrated. And yet the story of "JG" received some continuation in the 90s. The classic line-up (Walsh, Peters, Fox) reunited during Bill Clinton's election campaign, then appeared on "The Drew Carey Show", and in 2006 even planned to go on an American tour.

Bang is the sixth studio album by James Gang, released in 1973. This is the first James Gang album featuring lead guitarist Tommy Bolin after Domenic Troiano left the band.