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This album is also outstanding and includes more great Walsh compositions like 'Walk Away', 'It's All The Same', 'Again' and 'Midnight Man', but also contains some great material from Fox and Peters: 'Things I Could Be', 'Dreamin' In The Country', 'White Man/Black Man' and 'Live My Life Again'. The summer of 1971 saw the issue of a third studio LP, appropriately titled Thirds. All songs on this record are originals either composed solely by Walsh or Walsh with other members of the group. Highlights include 'The Bomber', 'Tend My Garden', 'Thanks' and the classic rock staple 'Funk #49'. Out of all the tracks on the record, their isn't a bad apple in the bunch. It's this best known and classic lineup (Walsh, Fox and Peters) that issued a second LP ( James Gang Rides Again), which is just as good if not better than their debut. Weiss sang lead on 'Country Fever' but was gone by the time the group flew down to Mexico to appear in the movie.īy mid 1970, Kriss had left the fold and was replaced by Dale Peters (bass). At the time of the songs' recording, Walsh was tired of being both lead guitarist and lead singer, so a new frontman, Kenny Weiss (lead vocals), was brought in so Joe could concentrate more on his guitar playing.

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He was able to get the James Gang into the movie as performers and record two new songs (the hard-driving instrumental 'Laguna Salada' along with 'Country Fever') for the film.

In late 1969, the group's producer, Bill Szymczyk, was music coordinator for a movie titled Zachariah, a sort of 'western rock musical' based on the novel Siddhartha by author Hermann Hesse. Most of the originals on the album were composed by Walsh who had quickly become the lead songwriter for the band. The record is nothing less than excellent and contains a slew of outstanding songs, including 'Funk #48', 'Fred', and a great cover of Buffalo Springfield's 'Bluebird'. They issued their first LP ( Yer' Album) towards the end of that year. The band continued playing live to strong audiences, which finally paid off with a record contract from Bluesway in 1969. That night the band was reborn into trio formation (Walsh, Fox and Kriss), deciding they liked having all that uncluttered musical space to play in. The band desperately needed the money from the gig in order to purchase the gasoline to get home so they took to the stage as a threesome figuring if Cream could do it, so could they. At the last minute, Silverman informed the others that he would not be joining them at the show. In May 1968, the group was booked to play a concert in Detroit, opening for Cream at the Grande Ballroom. Jeric and Walsh worked together on guitar parts, but Jeric ended up splitting as well in the spring of 1968, replaced by a returning Silverman, who had been recently discharged from the service. The band continued as a quintet for a short time until Giallombardo lost interest in music and left to pursue other interests. Enter in a young Joe Walsh (guitar, keyboards, lead vocals) who officially replaced Schwartz in January, 1968.

In late 1967, Schwartz left the fold to relocate to California, where he ended up forming Pacific Gas & Electric. Unfortunately, none of these lineups ever officially released any material. Chandler also left around this time and was replaced with Glen Schwartz (guitar). Silverman then left to join the military and was replaced by Bill Jeric (guitar). Grandillo didn't last long however and was quickly replaced by Dennis Chandler (guitar). Other original members, who were also Kent State students, included Tom Kriss (bass), Ronnie Silverman (guitar), Phil Giallombardo (keyboards) and Greg Grandillo (guitar). The group, initially a 5-piece, was actually started back in 1966 by Jim Fox (drums), who was a Kent State college student at the time and creatively named the band after himself. During this time, Joe Walsh, the incredible and underrated wild man of the electric guitar, lead the band through the release of three excellent studio LPs and one live album. At the peak of their popularity in the late 60s and early 70s, the James Gang was arguably the best U.S.