Dusty Road - ST

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	Dusty Road	03:35
	2	Fortune and Fame	03:47
	3	Canadian Cowboy	02:42
	4	I'm Tired of Not Knowing Why	02:44
	5	I'm Waiting for a Train	02:50
	6	We've Lost the Memories	03:13

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	(She's Got Me) Turning in Circles	02:06
	2	Jennifer	03:19
	3	For Love	03:35
	4	Mule Skinner Blues	03:30
	5	Country Pickin' Man	02:59
	6	Sweet Surrender	03:40

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Information/Write-up

Formed in Ontario in the mid-1970s, Dusty Road was a Canadian country and country-rock trio featuring John K. Gulley (lead electric, classical, and rhythm guitars, vocals), Brian J. Callan (drums, vocals), and Leslie R. Childs (bass, vocals). They were joined on their recordings by Bob Lucier (steel guitar, dobro) and Paul Hoffert (piano). All three members sang lead, giving the group a distinctive vocal versatility.

Gulley, born in Stayner, ON, began playing guitar at fourteen, inspired by his musically inclined family and their bluegrass leanings. By 1970, he was performing with the Top 40 group Gulley, Smith & Brewer at the Arlington Tavern in Collingwood, showcasing his Chet Atkins–style guitar work and original material. Bassist Les Childs had played with Gulley in Alfie Fromager’s band, while Brian Callan, originally from Durham, ON, had built his reputation with local groups, TV work, and one-nighters before joining the trio.

The group formed Dusty Road after Gulley’s stint with Rick Travis & California Country, securing booking representation from Marilynne Caswell. All three members were seasoned musicians, having shared stages with Glen Campbell, Hank Snow, Marty Robbins, Roy Clark, Tanya Tucker, and Charley Pride.

In 1976, after impressing Thunderbird Recordings head Jim Allison, Dusty Road signed to the label and recorded their self-titled debut album at Thunder Sound Studios in Toronto with producer Fred McKenna. The LP blended originals by Gulley, Childs, and Callan with songs by Fred McKenna, Jimmie Rodgers, and Charles Nobley, ranging from straight-ahead country to more contemporary country-rock. McKenna praised them as “one of the most refreshing, vibrant and energetic units I have ever had the privilege to work with… They have that ‘youth – talent – versatility.’”

Dusty Road’s debut was released in the fall of 1976, with the title track and “Fortune and Fame” among the standouts. The group toured extensively across Canada, sometimes backing artists such as Orville Prophet and Honey West, and made a television appearance on The George Hamilton IV Show.

By 1977, internal changes and Gulley’s departure for Whiskey River brought the original lineup to an end, despite industry interest and a potential Juno nomination. Childs and Callan continued with different configurations of Dusty Road into the 1980s, moving to Calgary and performing both country and Top 40 rock under the Dusty Road name or as The Moostachio Bros.

Leslie R. Childs passed away on February 13, 2020, in Owen Sound, ON, at the age of 69.
-Robert Williston

John K. Gulley: lead electric guitar, classical guitar, rhythm guitar
Brian J. Callan: drums
Leslie L. Childs: bass
Bob Lucier: steel guitar, dobro
Paul Hoffert: piano

Produced by Fred McKenna for Thunderbird Recording
Engineered by Bill Seddon (Thunder Sound)
Harmony, choirs, background arrangements by Dusty Road
Special thanks to Jack Lewis

Liner notes:
Writing liner notes for an L.P. is not the easiest task in the world, and, often, I hasten to add, that I do not attack them with great relish, but this time I am more than happy to make an exception. DUSTY ROAD are not just another Country group. They are three highly talented individuals who have come together to form one of the most refreshing, vibrant and energetic units I have ever had the privilege to work with. Their arrangements are imaginative, their harmony work impeccable, their playing ability simply brilliant.

All three members, John, Brian and Les, sing lead vocals, with Les playing bass guitar, Brian on drums and John on lead, rhythm and classical guitar. They are all competent musicians in their own right and have many years of experience between them, having appeared with, or on the same bill as, such top stars as Glen Campbell, Hank Snow, Marty Robbins, Roy Clark, Tanya Tucker, Charlie Pride and a host of others.

The album contains a mixture of country and country/rock, with some of the material written by John, Les and Brian, and other material by well-known composers such as Fred McKenna and Jimmy Rogers. My own personal favourite is Charles Nobley and John’s composition, “Fortune and Fame,” which is an outstanding song in every respect. It features a very catchy melody, and superb harmony and instrumental work.

I think you will enjoy this album as much as I enjoyed working on it. The group have all the ingredients for success, and I hope you will soon be hearing DUSTY ROAD on your local country station. They have that “YOUTH – TALENT – VERSATILITY”!
-Fred McKenna

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