But "Private Malone" created a new agenda, and Ball doesn't mind being back in the popular spotlight. "That's all I wanted to do - play those dancehalls and have a great band," Ball said. He figured "Amigo" might forge a return to his Texas honky-tonk days. After struggling a few years without solid label support, "Thinkin' Problem" hit, and Ball was thrust onto the national stage. With acoustic guitar in hand and Hood at his side playing fiddle, Ball set out playing Texas dancehalls and bars. "So many doors were opening, and people were embracing so many different styles of music." It was honky-tonk music that Ball embraced after Uncle Walt's Band broke up again. "We were just into it," said Ball, who recalls combing through the diverse record collection in the Hyatt household. If there was a constant, it was the band's sophisticated chord structures and harmonies. "(Hyatt) walked away from more good songs than I'll ever write." Uncle Walt's Band songs ranged from straight country to jazz-informed pop. "There was never any lack of material," he said. But it was Hood and Hyatt whom Ball credits with leading the songwriting charge. Ball contributed "Don't You Think I Feel It Too," a ballad later recorded by Lovett. The band's members also possessed impressive songwriting talents. Almost nothing was off-limits musically: folk, country, bluegrass, blues and pop were all brought to bear on the band's sound. Uncle Walt's employed acoustic instruments - Ball played upright bass - and highly developed vocal harmonies. Fans included such artists as Lyle Lovett and Nanci Griffith. The band broke up during the mid-70s - Ball returned to Spartanburg for a time and ran Hooley's, a popular spot for live music - but reunited by the end of the decade and played weekly sold-out shows in Austin. After graduating from Spartanburg High School in the early 1970s, he and bandmates Champ Hood (with whom Ball played Little League football for the Fernwood Tigers) and the late Walter Hyatt moved to Austin, where their group, Uncle Walt's Band, earned a loyal following. In fact, Ball said he recorded "Amigo" thinking it could be "a Texas thing." Texas is home to a unique music scene: Popular regional artists receive an uncommon level of respect and support, as Ball learned early in his career. I just said, 'No more rules,' " said Ball, whose albums following "Thinkin' Problem" played within the rules to little commercial success. "People say the rule of radio is that they won't play Western Swing, they won't play a four-minute song. And the overall feel of the album is a far cry from the glossy sounds favored on contemporary country radio. But there are striking differences: The album's melodies and instrumentation recall the Western Swing of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. Like "Thinkin' Problem," "Amigo" showcases Ball's stunning vocal ability. After three albums on Warner Brothers, Ball signed with an independent label, Dualtone. Still, the hit status of "Riding With Private Malone" is far from the typical commercial success story. It's a mix of patriotism and story-telling that has historically won over country fans. The song tells the story of a car left behind by a soldier killed in battle. Ball said "Riding With Private Malone," co-written by "Amigo" producer Wood Newton, struck him as "a powerful song" from the first time he heard it.
#COUNTRY SONG SERGEANT MALONE TV#
"This is a different record." Ball, who grew up in Spartanburg, is speaking of two of his career milestones: the 1994 smash "Thinkin' Problem" and his new album, "Amigo." He had gotten to town early to talk up the album and its chart-rising single, "Riding With Private Malone," during a taping of legendary country deejay Ralph Emery's TV talk show. "That first record was pretty exciting - that would be pretty hard to beat," said Ball, the effects of his early start not apparent. It's 10:30 in the morning, Nashville time, and David Ball has been up for more than 6 hours.
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