The Alpha Band
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The Alpha Band was a rock band formed in July of 1976 from the remnants of Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue. Band members were T-Bone Burnett (who allegedly converted Dylan to Christianity during the Revue), Steven Soles, and David Mansfield, plus sidemen who differed from record to record and included: David Kemper (later drummer for Bob Dylan and Jerry Garcia Band); mysterious piano virtuoso K.O. Thomas; gospel great Andrae Crouch; and Ringo Starr (perhaps better known for earlier work with The Beatles).
The Alpha Band reputedly signed a huge-money deal with Arista Records, Clive Davis's label. But their three albums were remarkably obscure, even upon release: almost straight to the cut out bin. Somehow, the Alphas never gained traction. The group is now recalled, if at all, as a launching pad for Mansfield, and even more for launching Burnett (whose unremembered prior group, the B-52 Band, remains unknown even to fans of hairdo rockers the B-52s, who unapologetically lifted the name). Soles's solo career never went anywhere outside of Christian record stores.
Critics completely overlooked the Alpha Band, which is unfortunate: Musically, the Alphas are one of the great bands of the 1970s. Mansfield's violin on the two-song suite that closes their debut album should be considered among the great non-guitar solos of the rock era -- but isn't. "Back in My Baby's Arms Again," from their third album, should have entered the pantheon of all-time great love songs -- but didn't. Perhaps the band's Christian overtones, which became most overt on their third record, was the final nail in their coffin.
When the band broke up in 1979, all three members began producing albums for other artists. Burnett also began a solo career that continues to today.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- The Alpha Band, 1976
- Spark in the Dark, 1977
- The Statue Makers of Hollywood, 1978
