Doug Sahm
Doug Sahm
Guitarist/Vocalist Doug Sahm may have been the first hippie in Texas. His recording career took him to San Francisco but his home was somewhere between San Antonio and Austin. Sahm mixed rock with country, blues, soul, jazz and conjunto music and recorded under the names The Sir Douglas Quintet, The Texas Tornados, The Doug Sahm Band, and The Last Real Texas Blues Band.
Sahm was born November, 1941. At age eleven he was a child prodigy in country music and appeared on stage with Hank Williams Sr. Later that night Williams died. Seven years later he shared the stage with Roy Head, a rhythm and blues musician most famous for the song “Treat Her Right”.
In 1965 Sahm formed The Sir Douglas Quintet with childhood friend Augie Meyers. They chose their name to sound as if they were part of The British Invasion. The band had a top twenty hit with “She’s about a Mover”. They were busted for pot in Texas, moved to San Francisco and re-formed with a new lineup. Then in 1969 they released the single and album “Mendocino” with Meyers organ riff and a Tex-Mex sound. Other singles from that album included “It Didn’t Even Bring Me Down”, “Dynamite Woman”, “At The Crossroads”, and “Nuevo Laredo”. At the time Bob Dylan was quoted as saying “for me there are three groups, Butterfield, The Byrds, and the Sir Douglas Quintet.” In 1970 they released their follow up album “1+1+1=4”, which to me is the Quintet’s best album, this time on the Philips label. Their most successful lineup featured Harvey Kagan, bass; Frank Morin, sax, trumpet, and keyboards; Johnny Perez, drums; Augie Meyers, organ and Sahm, guitar and vocals.
In 1973 Sahm released “Doug Sahm and Band” on the Atlantic Records label and produced by Jerry Wexler. Guest artists on the album included Dylan, Dr. John, David Bromberg, and Flaco Jimenez.
Then in 1981 the Sir Douglas Quintet released the EP “Sheila Tequila” and the song re-appeared on their 1983 “Border Wave” album released on Chrysalis Records.
In 1990, Sahm formed the Texas Tornadoes a Tex-Mex supergroup. Band members included singer Freddy Fender, Augie Meyers, and accordionist Flaco Jimenez. Together they released seven albums and the singles “Adios Mexico”, “Is Anbody Goin’ to San Antone” and “A Little Bit is better than Nada”.
Then in 1994 under the moniker “The Last Real Texas Blues Band” Sahm released what may be his best work ever. Featuring musicians who had worked with Sahm over the years, he created a blues band closer to the music he first played with Roy Head. He covered songs by Lowell Fulson, Fats Domino, Don Robey, Bill Doggett and others.
Sadly, Doug Sahm died on November 18, 1999 at the age of 58.
In 2009 “Keep Your Soul: A Tribute To Doug Sahm” was released on Vanguard Records. The album contains fourteen songs four of which were originally recorded in 1969 on The Sir Douglas Quintet’s “Mendocino” album. “She’s About a Mover” is performed here by Little Willie G who is a legendary Chicano vocalist. The track is produced by Ry Cooder. Also from that first album is “It Didn’t Even Bring Me Down” done by Los Lobos. Cesar Rosas handles the vocal but its Steve Berlin’s saxophone that really helps to recreate the original sound. Fittingly Delbert McClinton sings on the country-ish “Texas Me” with band members Kevin Mckendree, piano and James Pennebaker, pedal steel and fiddle. Shawn Sahm, Doug’s son later a member of the “Quintet” sings on “Mendocino” and he opens the song with the familiar words “the Sir Douglas Quintet is back”.
The Sir Douglas Quintet’s 1970 follow up album, “1+1+1=4” was jazzier but it contained one country song “Be Real”. That song is performed by Freda and The Firedogs. Freda is none other than Marcia Ball. Dave Alvin covers “Dynamite Woman” originally recorded by Sahm in 1970 on “What About Tomorrow” also on Mercury Records.
Jimmy Vaughan sings on “Why, Why, Why”; Joe “King” Carrasco fronts The Texas Tornados (with Augie Meyers, Shawn Sahm and Speedy Sparks) on “Adios Mexico”; “The Guords”, based out of Austin, recreate “Nuevo Laredo”; Terry Allen sings “I’m Not That Kat Anymore”; Alejandro Escovedo covers “Too Little Too Late”; Greg Dulli (of The Afghan Whigs) sings“You Was For Real”; Charlie Sexton & The Mystic Knights of The Sea perform “You’re Doin It Too Hard”; and Flaco Jimenez with The West Side Horns are featured on “Ta Bueno Compadre (It’s OK Friend)”.
All of the songs were written or co-written by Doug Sahm. Many new recordings have been discovered and posthumously released as interest in Doug Sahm and his music continues. The musicians here were inspired by Sahm and it is only fitting that they pay him this tribute. We miss you Doug.
Richard Ludmerer
