Thirds

by James Gang

Overview

The James Gang Rides Again set the stage for the group's third album to propel them to Top Ten, headliner status, but that didn't happen. The band was on its last legs, rent by dissension as Walsh became the focus of attention, and the appropriately titled Thirds reflected the conflict. Among the nine original songs, four were contributed by Walsh, two each by bass player Dale Peters and drummer Jim Fox, and one was a group composition. But it was Walsh's songs that stood out. His "Walk Away," was the first single, and it climbed into the Top 40 in at least one national chart, the group's only 45 to do that well. "Midnight Man," the follow-up single, was another Walsh tune, and it also made the charts. The Fox and Peters compositions were a step down in quality, particularly Peters'. But the problem wasn't just material, it was also musical approach. James Gang Rides Again had emphasized the band's hard rock sound, which was its strong suit. But they had never given up the idea of themselves as an eclectic unit, and Thirds was their most diverse effort yet, with pedal steel guitar, horn and string charts, and backup vocals by the Sweet Inspirations turning up on one track or another. At a time when Walsh was being hailed as a guitar hero to rank with the best rock had to offer, he was not only submerging himself in a group with inferiors, but also not playing much of the kind of lead guitar his supporters were raving about. As a result, though Thirds quickly earned a respectable chart position and eventually went gold, it was not the commercial breakthrough that might have been expected. ~ William Ruhlmann

Product Details

Release Date:	05/21/2021
Label:	Universal
UPC:	4988031422885
Rank:	671

Album Credits

Performance Credits

James Gang   Primary Artist
The Sweet Inspirations   Guest Artist,Vocals
Bob Webb   Guitar,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Jimmy Fox   Drums,Organ,Vocals,Tack Piano,Vibraphone
Tom Baker   Horn
Jim Fox   Drums,Organ,Vocals,Keyboards,Vibraphone
Joe Walsh   Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Pedal Steel,Sound Effects,Piano (Electric)
Dale Peters   Bass,Vocals,Percussion,Bass (Upright),Vocals (Background)
Mary Sterpka   Vocals,Soloist,Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

John Tobler   Liner Notes
Don Gehman   Live Sound
Jimmy Fox   Group Member,Violin Arrangement
Tom Baker   Horn Arrangements
Kenneth Hamann   Engineer
James Fox   Composer
Jim Fox   Producer,Liner Notes,Composer
Joe Walsh   Composer,Producer,Group Member
Tom Wright   Cover Design,Original Photography
Dale Peters   Composer,Producer,Liner Notes,Group Member
Junie Osaki   Reissue Design
Beth Stempel   Coordination
Jo Ann Frederick   Coordination
Barry Feinstein   Cover Design
Eddie Youngblood   Engineer
Tom Wilkes   Cover Design
Philip Melnick   Original Photography
Patrick Cullie   Cover Design
Joseph Walsh   Composer
Andy McKaie   Coordination
Bill Szymczyk   Engineer,Producer,Remixing
James Gang   Producer