The Flatlanders
The Flatlanders are an American country and folk music band formed in Lubbock, Texas, in 1972 by singer-songwriters Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Joe Ely, and Butch Hancock, blending outlaw country influences with poetic lyrics and unpretentious instrumentation.[1][2] Originally known as the Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos River Boys, the group included additional members such as Steve Wesson on autoharp and musical saw, Tony Pearson on mandolin and harmony vocals, Tommy Hancock on fiddle, and Syl Rice on string bass, creating a distinctive West Texas sound rooted in their shared childhood in Lubbock.[1] After recording a limited-release album, All American Music, in 1972 on 8-track tapes—later reissued in 2024 by Omnivore Recordings—the band won the Kerrville Folk Festival's New Folk Competition that same year but disbanded in 1973 amid commercial challenges, with each core member pursuing successful solo careers—Ely and Gilmore as prominent recording artists and Hancock as a noted songwriter.[1] The Flatlanders reunited in the 1990s following the reissue of their early material on the compilation album More a Legend Than a Band (1990, Rounder Records), which elevated their status to that of a legendary "super group" in American roots music, often hailed as one of the last iconic bands of the outlaw country era.[2][1] Subsequent reunions produced key releases including Now Again (2002, New West Records), Wheels of Fortune (2004, New West Records), a live album Live '72 (2004, New West Records), Hills & Valleys (2009, New West Records), and their most recent studio effort, Treasure of Love (2021, Rack'em Records/Thirty Tigers), recorded during COVID-19 lockdowns with a mix of new originals and vintage tracks.[2] Their enduring influence is marked by high-profile performances, such as appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman in 2009 and A Prairie Home Companion in 2013, as well as their 2016 induction into the Austin Music Awards Hall of Fame, cementing their role as pioneers who infused country music with literary depth and regional authenticity.[1] The band remains active as of 2025, with their catalog underscoring themes of love, loss, and the vast Texas landscape.[2][1]Background and formation
Lubbock roots
Lubbock, Texas, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, served as a fertile ground for a distinctive West Texas music scene deeply rooted in country, folk, and emerging rock influences. The city's cultural landscape was profoundly shaped by local legends like Buddy Holly, whose innovative blend of rockabilly, country, and rhythm and blues in the 1950s had revolutionized the regional sound and inspired generations of musicians to experiment beyond traditional boundaries. Similarly, Waylon Jennings, hailing from nearby Littlefield, contributed to the outlaw country movement, emphasizing raw, unpolished authenticity that resonated in Lubbock's honky-tonks and dance halls, where performers drew from cotton-field hardships and wide-open plains aesthetics.[3] This environment fostered a grassroots music culture in local venues, blending high-energy performances with the social fabric of rural West Texas life.[4] Key establishments like the Cotton Club exemplified the vibrancy of Lubbock's nightlife, operating as a premier ballroom and concert arena that hosted a diverse array of acts from the mid-1950s onward. Reopened in 1967 after a fire, the venue in the late 1960s and early 1970s featured performers such as Waylon Jennings, the Maines Brothers Band, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, attracting mixed crowds of cowboys, hippies, and bikers in a surprisingly harmonious atmosphere under manager Tommy Hancock's oversight.[4] Events at the Cotton Club and similar spots, including bootleg-fueled dances and live sets, created opportunities for local talents to hone their craft amid a rowdy yet inclusive scene that echoed the honky-tonk tradition while adapting to changing musical tides.[3] Texas Tech University played a pivotal role in nurturing this emerging music community by injecting diverse influences and resources into the conservative West Texas setting. The institution drew students from across the state and beyond, fostering a "Lubbock Underground" subculture of artists, hippies, and intellectuals that encouraged experimentation in music and arts.[3] This academic environment intersected with the broader counterculture movement, as seen in events like the 1970 Lubbock Peace Festival, which highlighted progressive ideals and blended them with traditional country and folk elements to create hybrid styles reflective of the era's social shifts.[5] Such dynamics provided a supportive backdrop for musicians navigating the tension between regional heritage and national trends.Founding members
The Flatlanders were founded in 1972 in Lubbock, Texas, by singer-songwriters Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Butch Hancock, who shared a vision for blending traditional country and folk elements with experimental and rock-tinged sounds drawn from their West Texas upbringing.[6][7][2] Joe Ely, born February 9, 1947, in Amarillo, Texas, grew up in Lubbock from age 12 and attended Monterey High School, where he developed an early interest in music through guitar lessons from a teacher who had instructed rockabilly pioneer Buddy Holly.[8] Influenced by rockabilly and the folk traditions of Woody Guthrie, Ely became a rambling, rail-hopping folk singer in his late teens, hitchhiking to California around 1969 to immerse himself in the burgeoning music scene there before returning to Lubbock.[9][10] Jimmie Dale Gilmore, born May 6, 1945, in Amarillo, Texas, drew from his family's musical heritage in the small town of Tulia, where his father played lead guitar in a country band, fostering Gilmore's initial roots in bluegrass and later explorations into psychedelia during the late 1960s counterculture.[11][12] Butch Hancock, born July 12, 1945, in Lubbock, Texas, was raised in a rural farming community surrounded by cotton fields and immersed in his mother's collection of country and western records, which shaped his folk and country influences; he began playing banjo and guitar during high school.[13][14] Prior to the band's formation, Gilmore and Hancock had collaborated as a duo since meeting in seventh grade and bonding over music in Lubbock's high school scene, while Ely's return from California aligned with their shared creative aspirations amid the region's vibrant musical undercurrents.[14][15]Debut album and disbandment
Recording and release of All American Music
The Flatlanders' debut album, credited to Jimmie Dale and the Flatlanders and titled All American Music, was recorded during sessions held in February 1972 at Singleton Sound Studio in Nashville, Tennessee.[16] The band, consisting of Jimmie Dale Gilmore on lead vocals and guitar, Joe Ely on guitar and vocals, and Butch Hancock on guitar, bass, and vocals, traveled from their Lubbock base to work with Nashville session musicians to capture their distinctive sound.[1] These sessions marked the group's only major label effort at the time, blending their West Texas roots with country, folk, and experimental influences honed through local performances.[15] Produced by Shelby Singleton, the owner of Plantation Records and former Sun Records proprietor, the album features 12 tracks that showcase the trio's songwriting talents alongside select covers.[1] Original compositions include Joe Ely's "Dallas," Butch Hancock's "Jole Blon" and the psychedelic two-part "Bhagavan Decreed," and Jimmie Dale Gilmore's "Keeper of the Mountain," reflecting the band's eclectic style influenced by cosmic country and Lubbock's underground scene.[16] Instrumentation incorporated traditional country elements like dobro alongside unconventional touches such as musical saw, adding a raw, otherworldly texture to the recordings without overpolishing the performances.[17] Covers like Jimmie Rodgers' "Waiting for a Train" and the folk standard "Hello Stranger" further highlighted their interpretive range.[16] The album was released in 1973 exclusively on 8-track cartridge through Plantation Records, with a limited pressing of approximately 500 copies intended primarily for promotional purposes.[18] Its cover art consisted of a straightforward black-and-white photograph of the band overlaid with a pasted-on title strip reading "All American Music," emphasizing the low-budget, utilitarian nature of the production.[19] The track listing, as presented on the original release, is:| No. | Title | Writer(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas | Joe Ely |
| 2 | The Heart You Left Behind | Butch Hancock |
| 3 | She Had Everything | Jimmie Dale Gilmore |
| 4 | Tonight I'm Gonna Go Downtown | Butch Hancock |
| 5 | Waiting for a Train | Jimmie Rodgers |
| 6 | Rose from the Mountain | Jimmie Dale Gilmore |
| 7 | You've Never Seen Me Cry | Butch Hancock |
| 8 | Jole Blon | Butch Hancock |
| 9 | Bhagavan Decreed (Part 1) | Butch Hancock |
| 10 | Bhagavan Decreed (Part 2) | Butch Hancock |
| 11 | Keeper of the Mountain | Jimmie Dale Gilmore |
| 12 | Hello Stranger | A.P. Carter |