Dinosaurdays - Molly Hatchet

The band's name was taken from a lady who beheaded (!) her lovers with an axe after sleeping with them ( what a way to go! ) in 17th century Salem. Formed in the early seventies, the band comprised of Danny Joe Brown on vocals, Bruce Crump on drums, Banner Thomas on bass and guitarists Steve Holland, Duane Roland and Dave Hlubek. Their first self-titled album, released in 1978, was an instant success, achieving multi-platinum status. Brown left Molly Hatchet in 1980, to be replaced by Jimmy Farrar, and after releasing an album under his own name, he returned to the band in 1983. Guitarist Bobby Ingram replaced Dave Hlubek in 1985, and he and Brown continued in the band whilst the other members left to do other things. Fans of the band in this country were a bit in the dark as to what was going on as no new recordings surfaced between 1990 and 1995, but they returned in 1996 with the incredible "Devil's Canyon", the album that was voted the number one rock album in Europe for that year. Since then, Phil McCormack has taken over vocal duties and he appeared on 1998's "Silent Reign of Heroes". Molly Hatchet are one of Southern Rock's best bands. A new album is due in Spring 2000, and that should make the fans happy - there's always an element of excitement about a new Molly Hatchet album!

Molly Hatchet
Molly Hatchet - Beatin' the odds, title track of their third album, recorded in 1980. We've already covered this great Southern rock outfit in these pages some time ago, so we won't repeat that info here. For this album, however, vocalist Danny Joe Brown had left the band to embark on a solo career (he recorded one excellent album as "The Danny Joe Brown Band") in 1980. He was replaced by Jimmy Farrar, who, although not as good a front man as Brown, helped the band to a fair amount of success, firstly with this album, then with its follow-up, "Tale no Prisoners", released in 1981. Brown rejoined the band in 1982 and they went on to release a number of excellent albums, including their awesome "Double Trouble Live", released in 1985. Vocalist Phil McCormack replaced Brown in the mid nineties and the band are back where they belong: at the top of the Southern Rock band pile! Brown's health has not been good and we're sure you'll join us in wishing him a speedy recovery.

Molly Hatchet
Molly Hatchet - Tatanka, from "Devil's Canyon", in 1996, their 9th album, and the first album to feature new vocalist Phil McCormack, who'd replaced Danny Joe Brown, the band's original vocalist, who had unfortunately not been in good health for some time. Molly Hatchet is the subject of this week's Dino Quiz (number 179), and a copy of "Live at the Agora Ballroom" is the giveaway CD. Brown joined founding members Dave Hlubek, Steve Holland, Duane Roland (all guitarists), Bruce Crump (drums) and Banner Thomas (bass) from Rum Creek in 1976, and "Molly Hatchet", their debut album, was released in 1978. The band soon developed a firm fan base and were considered to be one of the best Southern rock outfits around. Brown left in the late seventies to embark on a solo career (he was replaced by Jimmyn Farrar), but returned in the early eighties. The band continued to tour and record, but after 1985's "Double Trouble Live" album, it would be a further four years before a new studio album was released. "Lightning Strikes Twice", released in 1989, featured guitarist Bobby Ingram in place of Hlubeck. Not exactly known for their busy recording schedule, it took a further six years before a new album, our featured "Devil's Canyon", emerged. Molly Hatchet hadn't lost an iota of their power and class. The latest album that we know of, was "Silent Reign of Heroes", which came out a few years ago. Our thoughts go out to Danny Joe Brown, one of the best Southern Rock vocalists.

Question: Who was Molly Hatchet's original vocalist - Ronnie van Zant, Danny Joe Brown or Michael McDonald?

Molly Hatchet
Molly Hatchet - Tatanka, from "Devil's Canyon", in 1996, their 9th album, and the first album to feature new vocalist Phil McCormack, who'd replaced Danny Joe Brown, the band's original vocalist, who had unfortunately not been in good health for some time. Molly Hatchet is the subject of this week's Dino Quiz (number 179), and a copy of "Live at the Agora Ballroom" is the giveaway CD. Brown joined founding members Dave Hlubek, Steve Holland, Duane Roland (all guitarists), Bruce Crump (drums) and Banner Thomas (bass) from Rum Creek in 1976, and "Molly Hatchet", their debut album, was released in 1978. The band soon developed a firm fan base and were considered to be one of the best Southern rock outfits around. Brown left in the late seventies to embark on a solo career (he was replaced by Jimmyn Farrar), but returned in the early eighties. The band continued to tour and record, but after 1985's "Double Trouble Live" album, it would be a further four years before a new studio album was released. "Lightning Strikes Twice", released in 1989, featured guitarist Bobby Ingram in place of Hlubeck. Not exactly known for their busy recording schedule, it took a further six years before a new album, our featured "Devil's Canyon", emerged. Molly Hatchet hadn't lost an iota of their power and class. The latest album that we know of, was "Silent Reign of Heroes", which came out a few years ago. Our thoughts go out to Danny Joe Brown, one of the best Southern Rock vocalists.

Question: Who was Molly Hatchet's original vocalist - Ronnie van Zant, Danny Joe Brown or Michael McDonald?

Molly Hatchet
Molly Hatchet - Tatanka, from "Devil's Canyon", in 1996, their 9th album, and the first album to feature new vocalist Phil McCormack, who'd replaced Danny Joe Brown, the band's original vocalist, who had unfortunately not been in good health for some time. Molly Hatchet is the subject of this week's Dino Quiz (number 179), and a copy of "Live at the Agora Ballroom" is the giveaway CD. Brown joined founding members Dave Hlubek, Steve Holland, Duane Roland (all guitarists), Bruce Crump (drums) and Banner Thomas (bass) from Rum Creek in 1976, and "Molly Hatchet", their debut album, was released in 1978. The band soon developed a firm fan base and were considered to be one of the best Southern rock outfits around. Brown left in the late seventies to embark on a solo career (he was replaced by Jimmyn Farrar), but returned in the early eighties. The band continued to tour and record, but after 1985's "Double Trouble Live" album, it would be a further four years before a new studio album was released. "Lightning Strikes Twice", released in 1989, featured guitarist Bobby Ingram in place of Hlubeck. Not exactly known for their busy recording schedule, it took a further six years before a new album, our featured "Devil's Canyon", emerged. Molly Hatchet hadn't lost an iota of their power and class. The latest album that we know of, was "Silent Reign of Heroes", which came out a few years ago. Our thoughts go out to Danny Joe Brown, one of the best Southern Rock vocalists.

Question: Who was Molly Hatchet's original vocalist - Ronnie van Zant, Danny Joe Brown or Michael McDonald?

Molly Hatchet - Whiskey Man. Recorded live in their hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, and released on "Double Trouble Live", in 1985, their seventh album. The band's name was taken from a lady who beheaded (!) her lovers with an axe after sleeping with them ( what a way to go! ) in 17th century Salem. Formed in the early seventies, the band comprised of Danny Joe Brown on vocals, Bruce Crump on drums, Banner Thomas on bass and guitarists Steve Holland, Duane Roland and Dave Hlubek. Their first self-titled album, released in 1978, was an instant success, achieving multi-platinum status. Brown left Molly Hatchet in 1980, to be replaced by Jimmy Farrar, and after releasing an album under his own name, he returned to the band in 1983. Guitarist Bobby Ingram replaced Dave Hlubek in 1985, and he and Brown continued in the band whilst the other members left to do other things. Fans of the band in this country were a bit in the dark as to what was going on as no new recordings surfaced between 1990 and 1995, but they returned in 1996 with the incredible "Devil's Canyon", the album that was voted the number one rock album in Europe for that year. Since then, Phil McCormack has taken over vocal duties and he appeared on 1998's "Silent Reign of Heroes". Molly Hatchet are one of Southern Rock's best bands. A new album is due in Spring 2000, and that should make the fans happy - there's always an element of excitement about a new Molly Hatchet album!

Molly Hatchet
Molly Hatchet - Beatin' the odds, title track of their third album, recorded in 1980. We've already covered this great Southern rock outfit in these pages some time ago, so we won't repeat that info here. For this album, however, vocalist Danny Joe Brown had left the band to embark on a solo career (he recorded one excellent album as "The Danny Joe Brown Band") in 1980. He was replaced by Jimmy Farrar, who, although not as good a front man as Brown, helped the band to a fair amount of success, firstly with this album, then with its follow-up, "Tale no Prisoners", released in 1981. Brown rejoined the band in 1982 and they went on to release a number of excellent albums, including their awesome "Double Trouble Live", released in 1985. Vocalist Phil McCormack replaced Brown in the mid nineties and the band are back where they belong: at the top of the Southern Rock band pile! Brown's health has not been good and we're sure you'll join us in wishing him a speedy recovery.

Molly Hatchet
Molly Hatchet - Tatanka, from "Devil's Canyon", in 1996, their 9th album, and the first album to feature new vocalist Phil McCormack, who'd replaced Danny Joe Brown, the band's original vocalist, who had unfortunately not been in good health for some time. Molly Hatchet is the subject of this week's Dino Quiz (number 179), and a copy of "Live at the Agora Ballroom" is the giveaway CD. Brown joined founding members Dave Hlubek, Steve Holland, Duane Roland (all guitarists), Bruce Crump (drums) and Banner Thomas (bass) from Rum Creek in 1976, and "Molly Hatchet", their debut album, was released in 1978. The band soon developed a firm fan base and were considered to be one of the best Southern rock outfits around. Brown left in the late seventies to embark on a solo career (he was replaced by Jimmyn Farrar), but returned in the early eighties. The band continued to tour and record, but after 1985's "Double Trouble Live" album, it would be a further four years before a new studio album was released. "Lightning Strikes Twice", released in 1989, featured guitarist Bobby Ingram in place of Hlubeck. Not exactly known for their busy recording schedule, it took a further six years before a new album, our featured "Devil's Canyon", emerged. Molly Hatchet hadn't lost an iota of their power and class. The latest album that we know of, was "Silent Reign of Heroes", which came out a few years ago. Our thoughts go out to Danny Joe Brown, one of the best Southern Rock vocalists.

Molly Hatchet
Molly Hatchet - Satisfied Man, taken from their excellent "Double Trouble Live" album, released in 1985. This was this great Southern/hard rock outfit's 7th, and, at that stage, final album. Recorded in the US, it featured them at their awesome best, three lead guitarists and all. Vocalist Danny Joe Brown would later leave the band due to ill heath, butr eformed Molly Hatchet in the late nineties, together with guitarist Bobby Ingram, who is still with the band today (not one of the original members are in Molly Hatchet nowadays - Ingram is in charge of things and has kept the flag flying, so to speak). New vocalist Phil McCormack sounds just like Brown and has done a great job on the albums he's contributed to. Brown's health continues to be not too good and apparently there have been a number of benefit concerts for him. Molly Hatchet are still a major force to be reckoned with in the Southern rock stakes. You can read up on them elsewhere in these pages.

(If you have more info on this band, please e-mail us)

Biography by Steve Huey
Named after a legendary Southern prostitute who allegedly beheaded and mutilated her clients, Jacksonville's Molly Hatchet melded loud hard-rock boogie with guitar jam-oriented Southern rock. Formed in 1975, the group's lineup featured three guitarists — Dave Hlubek, Steve Holland, and Duane Roland — plus vocalist Danny Joe Brown, bassist Banner Thomas, and drummer Bruce Crump. The group recorded a self-titled debut album in 1978, which quickly went platinum; the follow-up, Flirtin' With Disaster, was even more successful, selling over two million copies. Brown left the group in 1980 after the constant touring became too tiresome; he was replaced by Jimmy Farrar for Beatin' the Odds, but Farrar's voice was less immediately identifiable, and Molly Hatchet's commercial appeal began a slow decline. The band experimented with horns on Take No Prisoners, but Farrar left for a solo career soon afterwards. Brown rejoined the band in 1982, but the ensuing album, No Guts...No Glory, flopped, and guitarist Hlubek insisted on revamping Molly Hatchet's sound. After The Deed is Done, a straightforward pop/rock album, the group took some time off in 1985 while its Double Trouble Live album, a collection of some of its best-known songs, was released. Molly Hatchet returned in 1989 without Hlubek for an album of straight, polished AOR, Lightning Strikes Twice. Not even the group's fan base bought the record, and they disbanded shortly afterward. Molly Hatchet reunited in the mid-'90s as an active touring outfit, releasing Devil's Canyon, their first record since Lightning Strikes Twice, in 1996. Continuing to recapture the style of their glory days, Silent Reign of Heroes followed in 1998, and Kingdom of XII appeared in early 2001. A slew of live recordings appeared during the next few years, and the band's studio follow-up, Warriors of the Rainbow Bridge, was released in 2005.

Danny Joe Brown
Bryan Bassett
Bruce Crump
Jimmy Farrar
John Galvin
Dave Hlubek
Steve Holland
Bobby Ingram
Duane Roland
Banner Thomas
Riff West
Tim Donovan
Phil McCormack
Sean Shannon
Andy McKinney
Mac Crawford
Russ Maxwell

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