Your first exposure to PPL

[davelefeber]

Don't recall the first time I heard a full album but probably in 1975 in college in Vermont. First PPL show was in 1976 or 1977 with @ the University of Vermont. Winters Brothers Band opened, PPL, then The Charlie Daniels Band .

[Tom]

I was sitting in Huntsville. Tx, Sam Houston State University, at home and smoking a joint ...

Huh??? You mean that stuff made it's way down to Texas ? Is there a statute of limitations on that confession ?

[RollAlong]

I had Bustin' Out in my collection, but the first live concert was at Bowling Green, OH stadium for the Poe Ditch Festival in 1975. They were very good. The Outlaws, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Ritchie Havens, and others also played before the lightening canceled the rest of the show. Johnny Winter never hit the stage due to the storm. Our own little "Woodstock" at BGSU!

[sjy]

Mid-70s. I'm a (northern) Ohio boy so PPL always had a buzz. Amie seemed like it was always on the radio - so it was a subliminal thing. I worked backwards from Two Lane Highway and discovered Bustin' Out around '76...that record blew my mind. From that point on I became a huge Craig Fuller fan, which led me to American Flyer and then that incredible record he did with Eric Kaz in '78. I'm really looking forward to this new PPL record.

Steve

[Tom]

This thread just keeps getting better !

It's amazing all the details , the times and places that people are coming up with, exactly what they were doing (and admitting it! ). Great , great stuff. Thanks so much. And Doug, well , after I hit lotto, we'll talk about that concert.

[DMTSM]

In Marietta, Ohio - a shop called "Headquarters" - they sold jeans,pipes and albums - first song of the
first album - "Tears" - man that's been a while back....... a time filled with alot of excitement...... will always cherish that period of my life.

[Vice Admiral Swiss Navy]

Seems if I remember correctly back in about 1972ish Craig opened for of all people The Partridge Family and if I remember correctly the show must have been somewhere near Columbus because Craig brought David Cassidy to Waverly (why David Cassidy would want to come to Waverly? or why Waverly would want David Cassidy to come there? are both equally good questions) and I can't remember but it may have been at Coffey's house but I am not 100% sure as old people's memories fade.

But just thought this was another fun weird tale to bring up about the early times of Craig and PPL and the mecca of Ohio, Waverly.

Mike

PS Hell I would have much more wished he had brought Susan Dey, but I guess that's just me.

[Zero Zagnut]

The first time I heard PPL was in 1978. I was in junior high at the time and the first one of my buddies that had his own vehicle was Fergie York. Fergie, our friend Brett and I would do lunch a couple of times a week and he had an 8 track of "Just Fly". We used to dig the tunes "Love Is Fallin" ,"Slim Pickin's", plus PPL's cover of "Workin' In A Coal Mine". I got way into PPL at that point and started saving up my money from working at a local feed store to go out and buy every PPL LP I could find.
I remember searching the LP racks at Gibson's Pharmacy and T.G. & Y. in an effort to round up every PPL record. I still have them all (and all the CDs), even the "Live, Takin' The Stage" CD. I just wish some label like Wounded Bird would reissue "Just Fly" and "Dance" on a 2-fer CD (ala "Shoe Fits" & "s/t"). Then my collection would be complete. Tom, do you have any pull with the folks at Wounded Bird Records? Maybe if enough of us go to their website at www.woundedbird.com and email them, they'll consider our request. Heck, it can't hurt to give it a shot, right? Ha!

[LIDog]

It was either the Christmas of '75 or '76 when I borrowed my brother's "Two Lane Highway" record, and I played it over and over. Like so many others, I would then go on to collect them all.

But I have memories of driving down to see our cousins in Florida with my dad and 2 brothers in Dec. '76, a few months after we had lost our mom to cancer (I was 12), with PPL blaring out of the speakers as we zoomed down 95 in our Volkswagon camper/van. Surprisingly good memories for such a rough time. But that's what PPL is all about. Music that makes you feel better.

Over the next few years I would start learning how to play the guitar, and getting into Craig Fuller's music especially, but also appreciating the different lineups that the band went through, and some great music on every record.

[Doug]

Seems if I remember correctly back in about 1972ish Craig opened for of all people The Partridge Family and if I remember correctly the show must have been somewhere near Columbus because Craig brought David Cassidy to Waverly (why David Cassidy would want to come to Waverly? or why Waverly would want David Cassidy to come there? are both equally good questions) and I can't remember but it may have been at Coffey's house but I am not 100% sure as old people's memories fade.

But just thought this was another fun weird tale to bring up about the early times of Craig and PPL and the mecca of Ohio, Waverly.

Mike

PS Hell I would have much more wished he had brought Susan Dey, but I guess that's just me.

KEITH PARTRIDGE WAS IN WAVERLY?!?!?! Man, they must have kept a LOW profile, cause if anybody had seen Cassidy in town, it would have been all over the schools! I went to West at the time and I didn't hear anyone ever say anything about it. I don't think Craig and Keith - er... David could've sauntered into Schmidt's even at three in the morning to get some breakfast without causing a stir. Of couse, get a load of that smorgasbord out at George Ed's place out in Mt. Orab on the back of Bustin' Out, and my bet is that probably Caughlan's mom laid out a feast for the boys and they probably never left the house. Seriously (or not so), can you imagine Chick Magnet Cassidy hanging out at the New Gym during a Tigers b-ball game? Coach Hawhee would've hee-hawwed! Perhaps they hung at the Bee Hive or cruised to Piketon and kicked up some dirt down at the Silver Dollar or maybe they crossed over Divide Hill and slipped into the Sugar Shack. They could've cruised out to Beaver to an Eastern High School dance and caught my brother's band "The Banana and Prune Expedition" (No lie - they actually used that name for a time). Or they could've went out to the VFW in Beaver and listened to some excellent country by my Dad's band. No name to this group, just an excellent lead player named Gene James and an old feller named Casey on the fiddle and my Dad with his three finger and thumb picking technique on rhythm and some other good musicians playing old time country. You are correct, sir when you state that memories fade... that is why we should all share these stories while we still can. And what better place to share than our very own PPL forum? Adios!

[Dan Williams III]

In 1973, I went to see a band called "Young Country" in Glens Falls, NY and they were playing great material that I was completely unfamiliar with...Commander Cody, Grateful Dead, New Riders of the Purple Sage and PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE. When they played "You're Between Me," I was blown away with those cool harmonies and the acapella part. Then they did a little acoustic set that included "Amie" which I was hearing for the very first time...WOW! I was instantly hooked on country rock, and as fate would have it, they needed a replacement guitar player and offered the position to me...I eagerly accepted. They gave me the first two PPL albums so that I could learn "Amie" and "YBM." The Norman Rockwell painting was so unique, and I felt that it was the perfect choice to grace the album's cover. Better yet, when I played that first PPL album, I was astounded by what I heard...what emotion, what a sound, what a band! Thirty-three years later, that album still gives me chills. And what a great experience it has been for me to be able to perform those wonderful songs live...I wouldn't trade it for anything. Craig Fuller has no idea how much happiness his musical talents have given me over the years...I'm sure that I owe him a bundle in royalties, so thanks a million, Craig!
Dan

[kdrapcho]

The first PPL song I ever heard was You're Between Me. It was in the spring of 1972. I was a junior at Padua High School (Cleveland area). My Photography teacher was playing the album when I walked in to his classroom. I was, as they say, blown away... Being a fan of Buffalo Springfield, Poco, and The Flying Burrito Brothers, I felt like I had found a long lost cousin. I was hooked immediately and could not wait to see them live. My chance finally came in 1973. They were playing at the Cleveland Agora. I bought the first three tickets to the show at a Record Theater store on West 130th. The show was great, the atmosphere was a party, but I felt a sense of sadness because Craig Lee Fuller was not with the band. I could not help but feel sorry that he was not enjoying the success that he had earned because he was doing community service at a Veteran's Hospital.

I became a devouted Prairie Dog. The albums were framed and one by one they hung on the wall as pieces of art. Over the years they remained one of my favourite bands. Their decision to minimize Luke on their album covers was reflective of their decision to move away from what I considered the PPL sound. Over the years I followed Fuller from American Flyer to his album with Eric Kaz to his time with Little Feat. I actually did get to see Fuller finally perform live. He was with Little Feat and they were opening for Jimmy Buffett in the summer of 1988. I continued checking the music stores, magazines, or any other source to find fresh news of Fuller or PPL.

I returned home from a trip to Disneyland (February 2005) to find several voicemail messages from an old high school friend. He had tickets to see Pure Prairie League at Tangiers in Akron Ohio. They were playing Saturday night, I came home Sunday night...

In 1973 I wanted somebody to make a movie of the Lord Of The Rings that would do justice to Tolkien's Triology. I hoped my high school sweetheart would marry me, and I longed for Fuller to be back singing with Pure Prairie League. Now 33 years later I hit the trifecta/hat trick. It was worth the wait, all in good time...

[gaznraz]

Where were you when you first heard your first PPL LP, how did you come by PPL in the first place?
<<<<<>>>>>

hi, just registered, came across the site last spring when i did a pure prairie league google search, learned that ppl was out and about, was able to catch 2 of their shows in 2005 - at the birchmere in alexandria, virginia. and in stuart, florida... bought the new cd (arrived very quickly, so kudos to whomever is responsible for shipping), like it a lot...

as for my first exposure to the band, well, i was a hippie kid not long out of high school hanging around what i guess folks today would call the local alternative music shop, would get a chance to check out new arrivals, was into byrds' sweetheart of the rodeo, flying burrito brothers, cowboy (florida band on capricorn records), grateful dead of workingman's dead & american beauty period, poco, and other stuff that was being called country-rock (hey, moby grape 69 album has some great countryish songs)...

i was immediately hooked upon hearing 'tears', have still never heard anyone go back and forth between electric lead guitar and pedal steel during song breaks like ppl... this was late '71/early '72...

saw the band at stetson university in deland, florida, think this was between first album and release of busting out, in any event, it had to have been before craig lee fuller's conscientious objector problems since he was still with them, as i recall, he played a white ovation electric guitar (ovation was new to the market at the time and company had some oddly shaped guitars)... stetson put on some great free shows back then, outside at a natural amphitheatre on campus, no publicity, but a friend's dad taught there, among others i saw there were mason proffit and goose creek symphony...

would see ppl - sans craig fuller - several times over the next couple of years, once at a little pub in gainesville, florida called longbranch saloon that booked hippie country/country rock (also saw ex-burrito/future firefaller rick roberts and atlanta band called heartwood there), this was before amie became a hit... after amie scored on the charts, i saw them again at stetson, a sold out indoor show that i managed to sneak into... and then again in gainesville at an outdoor show on the university of florida campus...

i followed the band through two lane highway, if the shoe fits, and dance...

i remember being thrilled to see fuller with american flyer (although the albums are uneven, and first one with george martin is bit over produced,
his stuff is good)... i love the fuller/kaz album and would like to find it on cd... and i saw fuller once during the time he was with little feat...

guess that's enough for now, really good that ppl is back...

[Tom]

Thanks to those of you who have joined recently, to others who have been here awhile and decided to post on this thread as well as those who have numerous other posts. The recollections are amazing, the more personal ones, the humorous ones, the details of the local stores, friends, family, it seems these remarks touch on everything, and yet all presented in such a manner that you want to read more ! You have people catching on to PPL at the various times of their career , concert memories, bands they were in playing PPL, people ranging from the 8th grade to college years, even a Partridge ! Wow, nice work gang, it adds so much to this site. You can't make this stuff up !

[Vice Admiral Swiss Navy]

Seems if I remember correctly back in about 1972ish Craig opened for of all people The Partridge Family and if I remember correctly the show must have been somewhere near Columbus because Craig brought David Cassidy to Waverly (why David Cassidy would want to come to Waverly? or why Waverly would want David Cassidy to come there? are both equally good questions) and I can't remember but it may have been at Coffey's house but I am not 100% sure as old people's memories fade.

But just thought this was another fun weird tale to bring up about the early times of Craig and PPL and the mecca of Ohio, Waverly.

Mike

PS Hell I would have much more wished he had brought Susan Dey, but I guess that's just me.

Actually the more I thought about this it wasn't the Partridge Family he opened for it was just David Cassidy in Concert.

Again as I said as we get older the brain farts more and more, not that I ever did anything that would have made those synapses fire incorrectly!

Mike