Atlanta Rhythm Section

The cream of the studio musicians from Atlanta, Georgia, USA, the Atlanta Rhythm Section (actually from nearby Doraville, Georgia) came together in 1970 after working at a Roy Orbison recording session. Dean Daughtry (keyboards) and drummer Robert Nix had been members of Orbison's backing group, the Candymen, and both Daughtry and J.R. Cobb (guitar) had been members of the Top 40 hit makers Classics IV. Rounding out the line-up were vocalist Rodney Justo (replaced after the first album by Ronnie Hammond), Barry Bailey (guitar), and Paul Goddard (bass). The group recorded two albums for Decca Records in 1972, neither of which made an impact, before signing to Polydor Records in 1974. Their first album for that company, Third Annual Pipe Dream, only reached number 74 in the US and the next two albums fared worse. Finally, in 1977, the single 'So Into You' became the band's breakthrough, reaching the US Top 10, as did the album from which it came, A Rock And Roll Alternative. Their follow-up album, Champagne Jam, went to the Top 10 in 1978, together with the single 'Imaginary Lover', after which Nix left, to be replaced by Roy Yeager. The group's last hit on Polydor was a 1979 remake of 'Spooky', a song with which Cobb and Daughtry had been involved when they were with Classics IV. A switch to Columbia Records in 1981 gave the group one last chart album, Quinella, and a US Top 30 single, 'Alien', after which they faded from the national scene