The Last Thing on My Mind · Lemon Chimes

The Dillards’ singles began at home in the Ozarks. Brothers Doug and Rodney Dillard came from Salem, Missouri, and in 1961, credited as the Dillard Brothers, they had three singles on the K-Ark label. Two were drawn from home recordings made in 1958 and 1959, some with John Hartford: “Doug’s Breakdown” and “Mama Don’t Allow.” The third, “Banjo in the Hollow,” came from a 1960 session with Joe Noel on mandolin. In 1962 the brothers moved to Los Angeles with mandolinist Dean Webb and bassist Mitch Jayne, and within weeks they were signed to Elektra. Their first album, Back Porch Bluegrass, was recorded around January 1963 at World Pacific Studios with Jim Dickson producing. Elektra took two singles from it that year, “Dooley” / “Doug’s Tune” and “Hootin’ Banjo” / “Polly Vaughn.” From 1963 to 1966 the four played the Darling family, a clan of mountain musicians, on The Andy Griffith Show.

In 1965 they made two singles for Capitol at its studio on North Vine Street in Hollywood, both with Dewey Martin on drums. “Ebo Walker” and “Nobody Knows” were cut on 6 May with Ken Nelson producing. “The Last Thing on My Mind,” Tom Paxton’s song, and “Lemon Chimes” followed on 22 September under David Axelrod and were issued in October as Capitol 5524. A December session for “Lay Down Your Weary Tune” and “I’ve Just Seen a Face” went unissued.

In 1967 Doug wrote and played banjo music for the film Bonnie and Clyde, toured with the Byrds and left the band, later forming Dillard & Clark. Herb Pedersen took his place. Back on Elektra, the Dillards recorded Wheatstraw Suite at Gold Star Studios in 1967, with Buddy Emmons on steel, Joe Osborn on bass and session drummers. It was issued in March 1968 and included new versions of “Nobody Knows,” “Lemon Chimes” and “I’ve Just Seen a Face.” Elektra drew four singles from it and from Copperfields (1970), which John Boylan produced with Paul York on drums and Byron Berline on fiddle. After that the singles moved from label to label: White Whale in 1970, with Chip Douglas producing Bob Dylan’s “One Too Many Mornings”; Anthem in 1971 and 1972, from the Richard Podolor sessions for Roots and Branches, with Billy Ray Lathum on banjo; Poppy in 1974; and United Artists in 1975.

Session details drawn in part from the Bluegrass Discography.