Heartwood formed in Greenville, NC in early 1972.  The band was originally called The Band from Clayroot which was a little crossroads outside of Greenville.  We recorded our first album in a studio in Baily, NC.  It was at that time that we changed our name due to pressure from the record company that was concerned about the 'obvious' sexual connotation of the word clayroot.  We played throughout North Carolina.  Just after releasing the album, it was bought by GRC Records based in Atlanta.  Their new A&R guy decided that the record should be re-recorded at their new studio in Atlanta. We went in the studio and recorded all the tracks and the 'new' Heartwood album was released.  Our management company, also located in Atlanta started booking us in Georgia and Alabama a lot so we decided to move to Athens, GA. to be closer to our record company and the new area of gigs.  Our third album, "Nothin' Fancy", was produced by Paul Hornsby who also produced all the early albums of Charlie Daniels and Marshall Tucker Band.  By a strange twist of fate, the same day this album went on sale, Lynard Skynard also released an album titled Nothing Fancy which was spelled differently.  The band toured extensively from the Southeast to the Southwest, opening for groups such as The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Earl Scruggs Review, Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Mother's Finest.  We went on two album promotional tours.  The first tour took us to several towns in Texas including jobs where we opened for Asleep at the Wheel, and Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys.  The second tour found us back in Texas and then off to L.A. for a Billboard talent showcase to get a national booking agency contract. Unfortunately no booking contract followed and we found ourselves playing more and more back in North Carolina.  With Charlie Daniels and Toy Caldwell (lead guitarist for Marshall Tucker) scheduled to appear on Heartwood's next album, the future looked bright.  However, with the somewhat sudden demise of our record company, coupled with years of constant touring, the band decided to bring things to an end and pursue other interests.  We moved to the Triangle area of North Carolina before disbanding in August of 1975.  

The following is an article that appeared in "Teen World" magazine in 1975.

    When certain new groups come along, you can just imagine what they did before they ever recorded their first album.  Heartwood is one such group, and you can easily imagine them playing their super-fine Country-tinged music in small clubs and bars.  Their first album is called "Nothin Fancy" (GRC Records), and it's a sheer pleasure all the way to listen to.  Heartwood's sound reminds this reviewer of a few other groups (the Allman Brothers, early Poco), but it's so easy on the ear, that it doesn't matter.  This is a Southern group, working out of Atlanta, and the members are Bill Butler (on keyboards, dobro, and Arp synthesizer), Joe McGlohon (on pedal steel, alto sax, and guitar), Tim Hildebrandt (on acoustic and rhythm guitars), Gary Johnson (on bass guitar), Byron Paul (on lead guitar), Carter Minor (on harmonica and percussion), and Robert Hudson (on drums).  All the songs were written by various group members, and everybody in the group (except Joe) sings.  The multiplicity of voices and instruments make this album full.
    "Lover and a Friend" is one of the fine songs.  It has that Country-Western sound, with the whining dobro and pedal steel.  It's nice and bouncy, and has real mellow vocals.  A lovely soft Country ballad is "Guaranteed to Win", with these great lyrics, "Open up your heart/And let sweet love come in/'Cause when you heart is full of love/You're guaranteed to win", with sentiments such as that, how can you go wrong?
    "Rock 'n' Roll Range" has a jug-band-like-sound, with lively tempo and varied singing.  "Is it My Body of My Breath?" is a funky, funny little tune, with just the title for words.  One fine, short instrumental is "Sittin' on the Hood of my Car", with a sweet harmonica playing.  "I'd Like to Be with You" has a soft, moving dobro introduction; it's a very pretty song.
    The best song on the album is "Sunshine Blue", with it's haunting vocals and dynamite guitar riffs.  Again the pedal steel dominates, and some of the words are, "In the morning/Don't be sad 'cause I'm leaving/Just remember that my love is in my song".  Two of the other good songs here are "Sound Advice" (a rocking, but lyrical tune) and "Home Bars and City Lights" (a warm, down-home song).  Not many new groups come along who can work their way into your heart so quickly, but Heartwood is on of them.  Definitely give this album a chance!

Tim Hildebrandt - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals Byron Paul - Lead Guitar, Vocals Joe McGlohon - Pedal Steel Guitar, Saxophone Carter Minor - Harmonica, Percussion, Vocals Bill Butler - Piano, Dobro, Electric Guitar, Vocals Gary Johnson - Bass Guitar, Vocals Robert Hudson - Drums, Vocals

Note:  If you are connecting to the internet with a 56K or slower modem
over your telephone line, the following streaming audio files may not play
as well as desired.  As an alternative, you can download the .mp3 files.

"Coal Black Highway" is from our "Heartwood" album released in 1973.  I wrote this song dealing with life on the road when I was on a band trip to Memphis while in my previous band Warm.

Coal-Black-Highway.mp3          Right click on this .mp3 link and save        to your hard drive.

One of my favorite Tim Hildebrandt songs is "Season's Greetings".  This song would have been on our fourth album.

Seasons-Greetings.mp3          Right click on this .mp3 link and save to        your hard drive.

The .mp3 audio files require an mp3 player such as WinAmp which can be    downloaded at http://www.winamp.com/download/.

Where are they now?

Tim Hildebrandt lives in Concord, NC and is the Technical Director of Halton Arena (the UNC Charlotte basketball arena). After leaving Chapel Hill he spent five years in Nashville where he owned and operated West End Recorders. While there he signed a publishing deal with Jerry Capehart (author of rock'n'roll standards "Summertime Blues", "Come-On Everybody", and "Turn Around Look At Me"). He received a North Carolina Grassroots grant to develop the program "Words and Music" to teach songwriting skills to school kids. He has also developed another program in conjunction with Opera Carolina in Charlotte to help children write for the opera. Currently he is working on two albums of his own material that are slated for release sometime late 2006.

Byron Paul lives in Raleigh and works for Computer Science Corporation as a computer support person.  He is married and has 3 children.  His wife Barbara says he plays a mean radio.

Joe McGlohon played saxophone for Reba MacIntyre for many years.  He was a member of her band when their plane crashed and she lost everyone except for Joe. He had decided to fly with the sound crew at the last minute. Joe played at Euro Disney in Paris for several years. He is now back in the States and lives in Nashville.  He plays with Delbert McClinton, T. Graham Brown, Jimmy Thackery, Lee Roy Parnell, The Mighty Rack of Spam and Good Humor Band.

Carter Minor lives in Chapel Hill and teaches Drama and Band at Cary Christian School.  He is in a jazz band with Robert Griffin - Blue Spot in C Minor, which will be releasing a CD shortly.

Bill Butler lives in Durham and is business manager for the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University.  He plays in a couple of bands. The Troupers play rhythm & blues and jazz classics.  The Ridgeway Trio plays jazz.

Gary Johnson lives in Cary and is semi-retired.  He moved to Texas after the band broke up and played music there for several years.  He moved back to North Carolina and had a successful booking/management agency in the '80s.

Links:
     Joe McGlohon's website - www.joemcglohon.com
     Paul Hornsby's website - www.mindspring.com/~songmaker/
     The Good Humor Band - www.goodhumorband.com
     Carter Minor's band - www.robertgriffin.com/project_bluespot.html

 

Go to the main page.