Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCLXXI--Atlanta Rhythm Section: Do It or Die

Thanks to this week's tune, I picked up a copy of Atlanta Rhythm Section's greatest hits at a library sale for a buck.  I'd never been all that crazy about the band other than that particular tune, so imagine my surprise when a couple of weeks later I threw it in the CD player in my car figuring I'd listen to it a time or two and then file it away forever...and ended up spending the next six months listening to it.  I literally could not wait to get into my car every day to listen to it--hell, I still have it in my car just in case I get a hankering for a listen again.

The Atlanta Rhythm Section (ARS) were formed in 1971 from the ashes of the Candymen and the Classics IV as a session band for Studio One in Doraville, Georgia.  I'd be hard pressed to find a band that was more generic--true to being session musicians, there really isn't a band member who stands out as a leader (in fact, twenty four people have at one time or another been a member of ARS).  Their first five releases sold just slightly more than my first five releases (that would be zero copies sold for me), but their sixth and seventh albums became hits, both hitting the top twenty.  Their next would peak at #26...and that would be it for commercial success for ARS, though the band is still touring to this day.  For their career they have released 13 albums, two live albums, and six compilations.  They also released 15 singles, five of which cracked the top twenty.  The band still features a couple of the original members, though sadly six former members have gone to the Great Rock and Roll Concert in the Sky.  I should also mention that on the coolness quotient, the name "Atlanta Rhythm Section" scores quite high in my book...

"Do It or Die" was released as a single in 1979 from their album Underdog.  It was actually a bigger hit than I remember it being, reaching #19 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Do It or Die" is a nice slice of Southern Rock pop, a reminder (especially relevant in these coronavirus trying times) that even when the dice are coming up craps, one needs to keep on playing to have a chance to win.  Lead singer Ronnie Hammond sings it with the soft confidence of someone who's been through rough times and lived to see the other side.  The rest of the band provides a subtle background with some fine guitar and organ work, as well as backing vocals that are a gentle breeze for Hammond's vocals to float upon.  Yeah, it's a little sappy, but in the end it's a surprisingly good song from a surprisingly good band.

Lyric Sheet:  "Life is a gamble all along/Winners are losers who keep rollin' on/So go on and roll the dice/You only live twice/Do it or die..."

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,

emaycee