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‘Ramblin’ Man’: Allman Brothers Sing For All Their Brothers And Sisters

The U.S. Top 40 was new territory for the album-oriented band until Dickey Betts’ song arrived.

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Allman Brothers Band ‘Ramblin' Man’ artwork - Courtesy: UMG
Allman Brothers Band ‘Ramblin' Man’ artwork - Courtesy: UMG

One of America’s quintessential album rock bands were suddenly on the verge of a No.1 single on October 13, 1973.

The Allman Brothers Band had been climbing the Billboard Hot 100 for weeks with guitarist Dickey Betts’ “Ramblin’ Man.” The group had flirted with the chart four times before, firstly in 1971 when “Revival (Love Is Everywhere)” edged to No.92. Three 1972 singles, “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More,” “Melissa” and their version of Elmore James’ “One Way Out,” peaked at Nos.77, 86 and 86 again, respectively. But even the Top 40 was new territory for them until “Ramblin’ Man” came along.

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On the chart of October 13, 1973, the track made a sudden surge from No.7 all the way to No.2, behind Cher’s “Half Breed.” The group’s Brothers and Sisters album was becoming the biggest of their career, and that same week, spent what turned out to be the last of five weeks in a row at No.1 on Billboard’s 200-place album chart. Could the great masters of southern rock now take the remarkable leap and become the kings of Top 40 radio too?

The Allman Brothers Band - Ramblin' Man - 11/2/1972 - Hofstra University (Official)

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The answer, as it turned out, was not quite. A week later, the Cher single did fall from No.1, but it was not “Ramblin’ Man” that inherited its crown. Racing up on the blind side, the Rolling Stones“Angie” accelerated from No.5 to the top, denying the Allmans their moment of ultimate singles glory. To rub salt, the Stones also usurped the brothers on the album chart, ending that run for Brothers and Sisters with the Goat’s Head Soup album.

Betts the rambler

When Dickey Betts reminisced with the Wall Street Journal about “Ramblin’ Man,” he said: “When I was a kid, my dad was in construction and used to move the family back and forth between central Florida’s east and west coasts. I’d go to one school for a year and then the other the next. I had two sets of friends and spent a lot of time in the back of a Greyhound bus. Ramblin’ was in my blood.

Listen to uDiscover Music’s Allman Brothers Band Best Of playlist.

“But the song, as I originally wrote it, had a country flavour and needed to be Allmanized – given that rock-blues feeling. I thought of Eric Clapton’s “Layla” – which had come out a year earlier – with its long jam at the end. I figured something like that might work. When we went into Capricorn Sound Studios in Macon in October ’72, ‘Ramblin’ Man’ was the first song we recorded – and it would be [bassist] Berry Oakley’s last song before he died in a motorcycle crash a month later.”

Buy or stream “Ramblin’ Man” on Brothers And Sisters.

 

10 Comments

10 Comments

  1. Steven Levine

    October 13, 2014 at 7:49 pm

    As a lifelong ABB fan, I’m sorry to see the road ending, but so appreciative of the enjoyment I have had seeing them live and listening to all of the recorded music I could possibly find that they recorded. They have been my favorite band since the Beginning’s album and through whatever personnel changes that were required to keep the music alive and awesome! In 1991 I had the awesome experience of getting to work with Gregg on the film “Rush”…What a treat to have gotten to have the opportunity to talk with him a bit…He was extremely kind….I was the property master on that film and to this day remains a top experience of my 39 years in the film industry. I retired last year!!! I so wish my wife and I could see them at the Beacon for the final run. It has always been something we have wanted to do……I have however had the privilege to see the band live several times spending money on the best seats through whatever means i could find…..Well worth the memories….Peace to the Brothers!!!!! We will continue to see any or all of them live in whatever formation they appear….Be well…

  2. Stephen Monroe

    October 14, 2014 at 5:39 am

    I’ll always love Dickie. What he’s done is epic and thank you Dickie. Wishing you the best

  3. jean-pierre mercier

    October 14, 2014 at 1:33 pm

    highway 41(rte. 41) is vineville avenue in macon where the big house is located. you can see the rte. sign when you look at the signage around there.

    • steve

      October 14, 2014 at 10:32 pm

      I thought it might be The Tamiami trail. Highway 41 goes from West coast Tampa Fl to East coast Miami. I enjoy all ABB, especially performing their songs, still learning soul singing from Greg Allman, a living legend!

      • Nick Carpenter

        September 10, 2015 at 2:10 pm

        Highway 41 goes all the way from Chicago to Miami Florida

        • Marc R

          September 10, 2015 at 4:15 pm

          No- how do figure that?

          41 S becomes 94 to 294 S….

  4. Don McBride

    October 14, 2014 at 5:18 pm

    Love there music and Dickies guitar riffs . miss the good old days the music was great

  5. Donna Chambers

    October 14, 2014 at 7:33 pm

    Can’t Get enough ABB my favorite is “I’m No Angel” And Whipping Post Thanks for years of awesome Southern Rock!

  6. Kim Allman

    October 16, 2014 at 3:20 pm

    So, I suppose Ramblin’ Man is the highest ranked single they ever recorded. You know, the funny thing about Dicky Betts is, the more I experience the old videos and the more facts I learn about the history of the band, the more respect I have for him. When they were all young, their shit was on fire, for sure. Through all the deaths and transformations, still my favorite band of all times. Amazing talents on that stage.

  7. George

    October 20, 2014 at 7:17 am

    Yhere is so much to learn and love about the creativity of the Allman Brothers that I feel priviliged to have been born at the right time to enjoy them from the beginnings. The Beginning’s album being a double album their first called The Allman Brothers Band and their second Idlewild South both full of great songs and concert staples. They have continued to deliver except for a flaw in the eighties with the wrong record company and the wrong producers. God bless Tom Dowd for all he did for music and the Allman Brothers. My favorite band of all time. A plug for my favorite southern songwriter Randall Bramblett so very underrated. All his stuff is great and why hardly anybody is listening?? No more mr. Lucky is my favorite a five star album, anything else is at least four stars.

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