Song Titles

Writers

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Running Scared
Girl on a String
Safe in the Arms of Love
Walls (Coming Down)
Never Cross That Line
Heart to Heart
Don't Wanna Hold Your Hand
Next Time
Love Back
Action

Davies/Waldman
John Hiatt
Rose/Kennedy/Bunch
Gail Davies
Gail Davies
Hiatt/Koller
Davies/Chapman
Davies/Rose/Kennedy
Gail Davies
Pete Pendras

Acoustic guitars:
Electric guitars:
Bass:
Drums:
Keyboards:
Background vocals:  

Gail Davies and Kevin Welch
Larry Chaney and Pete Pendras
Denny Bixby
Bob Mummert
Gene Sisk
Gail Davies, Denny Bixby, Larry Chaney and Pete Pendras

          Considered by many to be the forerunner of the Americana/No Depression movement, Wild Choir recorded this self-titled album on RCA in 1985. It was released in 1986, one year before the group disbanded. This was the first female fronted country/rock band preceeding groups like Highway 101 and Bailey and the Boys.
           Gail got the idea of forming the band after a trip to England. In a pub, just outside of London, she saw an unusual country band led by Britain's Hank Wangford and was so impressed that she returned to Nashville and formed the group. Her initial idea was to be the lead singer for Wild Choir and still continue recording traditional country records on her own. After discussing the idea with RCA label head, Joe Galante, she approached her drummer Bob Mummert and guitarist, Larry Chaney to see if they were interested. She then enlisted the help of an old school buddy, Pete Pendras, from Washington state. He in turn recommended Denny Bixby, a bass player he'd met in Oregon. Denny flew to Nashville for an audition and, with his brilliant musical ability and enthusiastic peformance, immediately became the final member of the band.
          Though not actual members of Wild Choir, Kevin Welch, who had previously played in Gail's band, came in to play acoustic guitar along with Gene Sisk, on keyboards. Ed Thacker, who recorded an album on Cindy Lauper, was chosen as the engineer. The band was well reheased so the actual recording, done at Emerald Studios in Nashville, took around four days to complete. It was mixed in Orlando, Florida on the new British SSL board.
          Country radio complained that the guitar, and especially the drum sounds, were too rock 'n' roll for their audiences, which in fact they were, but the sound of Wild Choir eventually became "the new sound" of country music. Foster and Lloyd, recording artists later signed to RCA, as well as others, were greatly influenced by the sound of this band.
          Though praised by peers and music critics alike, the band was too far ahead of it time. Their singles were not able to break through on radio and sales suffered. RCA also produced a video on Wild Choir's 2nd single, scheduled to be shown on MTV, but the format of the show changed and the video was never seen. Ten years later,their single, Safe in the Arms of Love, became a #1 record for RCA recording artist, Martina McBride .  Click here to read the review of this song.
           This album has been out of print almost since it's release and is very difficult to find. Try vintage record stores like the Great Escape in Nashville or Jack Lawrence Records: 615/256-9240. You can also contact the fanclub as they occasionally have copies available. For more information email us or write to PO Box 120545, Nashville, TN. 37212.

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