Plain and Fancy: Texas - Texas (1973 us, awesome groovy rural, brass, roots rock)

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Texas - Texas (1973 us, awesome groovy rural, brass, roots rock)

Texas was put together in August 1974, with Osier, Deaton, Mace Maben and Frank Gilckin on guitars and Jerry Moore keyboards. But the roots of the band stretch back through years and much experience on the part of its members. It had its origins in a band formed in 1968 by Osier and Maben in Fort Worth named Courtship. Courtship lasted three years, culminating in an album for Capital Records, “Comment ” and a national tour with Three Dog Night in 1970. In 1971 the band had signed with Motown and was looking for a new name. At the same time, Jimmy Vaughn, whom the Courtship members had known and played with at The Cellar in Fort Worth, had dissolved his group, Texas, and so Courtship took that as their new name.

Texas recorded with Motown, before moving to LA. A lot of recording was done, but nothing released. That incarnation of the band broke up in 1973, and the members went their various ways: Deaton made an album as a singer for the Lee Pickens group, and Osier and Maben went with a group named Bang where they met Frank Gilckin. Bang did three albums for Capitol.

In 1974 Maben and Osier found themselves back in Fort Worth and without a band and decided to reform Texas. It was a seven- piece band, with a sax and two drums. This group produced the album, “Texas ” and did another tour with Three Dog Night. The band didn't last so Maben, Osier and Moore put together with Deaton and Gilckin a new band by the same name.