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The Ozark Mountain Daredevils have been aptly described as “a ragtag collection of hippies, bohemians, and musicians of no fixed ambition.” They have always been indefinable in terms of music genres, producing sounds of country-rock and electric bluegrass all on the same record; writing lyrics both whimsical and poetic, singing harmonies that would send shivers up your spine. The Daredevils’ formal beginning as a band was in Springfield, Missouri in 1971, and included musicians Larry Lee, Steve Cash, Michael Supe Granda, John Dillon, Buddy Brayfield, and Randle Chowning. In the beginning they called themselves the Family Tree, then Burlap Socks, and then the Emergency Band. But finally, in a nod to Commander Cody who was one of their musical heroes, they settled on the catchy moniker of Cosmic Corncob & His Amazing Ozark Mountain Daredevils—The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, for short. As fate would have it, acclaimed music producers Glyn Johns and David Anderle heard the band play at the infamous Cowtown Ballroom in Kansas City. Johns and Anderle were on a scouting mission, looking to discover a band with a uniquely American sound. With their diverse influences and wealth of original material, the Daredevils fit the bill. Glyn Johns was particularly intrigued by their harmonies, having recently produced the Eagles’ album, Desperado. And, just like that, based on the recommendations of Johns and Anderle, a recording deal was struck with A&M Records. (Founded by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962, A&M Records would become the world's largest independent recording label with a bevy of disparate acts that in the 1970s included Joe Cocker, Quincy Jones, Joan Baez, Carpenters, Cat Stevens, and Carole King—and the Ozark Mountain Daredevils.)Johns and Anderle soon made a visit to the Ozarks to help the band choose songs to include on their first album. Then, accompanied by roadies, girlfriends, wives and families, the band members were flown to London, England where they recorded their self-titled debut album, often referred to as the Quilt Album. This critically acclaimed 1973 album spawned their first hit song “If You Wanna Get to Heaven,” written by John Dillon and Steve Cash. Their first recorded album was ranked in the 100 Top Pop Album Artists that year. This first recorded collection of original songs firmly established the Daredevils as one of the most iconic bands of the 1970s musical era. After the success of their first album for A&M, record producers Johns and Anderle were determined to guide the Daredevils even deeper into their roots. They had a recording truck delivered from California, set it up on a remote Missouri farm near Bolivar that Randle Chowning rented, called Rudi Valley Ranch, and started rolling the tape. The band, technical crew, and producers literally camped out at the farm for two weeks, recording the tracks that would become their second album, It’ll Shine When It Shines (1974). While they worked on the recording, some songs were written on the spot, such as the much beloved title track, “It’ll Shine When It Shines” and “E. E. Lawson.” With the release of the second album the Daredevils found their way to an even greater number of fans with the number-one hit song “Jackie Blue,” co-written by Larry Lee and Steve Cash.
