Hungry Chuck

Hungry Chuck was formed by members of Great Speckled Bird, the backup band for Ian and Sylvia Tyson, in 1971. Ian and Sylvia, a well-known folk duo who rose to popularity in the early sixties, began making records in Nashville around 1968. They wanted their own country band that played in a progressive style. Great Speckled Bird was formed in 1968 and was one of the pioneering groups that created the "Country Rock" style of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The group recorded two LPs. The first, Great Speckled Bird, was issued by Ampex Records in 1969. Columbia released the second, You Were On My Mind, in 1972. Great Speckled Bird toured extensively playing across the United States and Canada. They appeared in Japan at Expo '70, on the Johnny Cash TV show, and on Ian's television series, The Ian Tyson Show, from 1970 through 1973. Jim Colegrove, Jeff Gutcheon and N.D. Smart formed Hungry Chuck in 1971. It was their intention to form a band that played an eclectic style of music blended from root forms of American Music: rhythm and blues, blues, jazz, rock 'n' roll, folk, country and gospel. The LP, titled Hungry Chuck, was issued by Bearsville Records in 1972. The group recorded an as yet unissued LP for Bearsville that same year. After making those recordings the group went their separate ways. In 1978, Jeff Gutcheon joined Jim Colegrove in Texas to record Panther City Blues. Then again in 1982 to record an LP with the Texas rockabilly legend, Sid King, in Dallas. Jim, Jeff and N.D remained in touch over the passing years. In 1994 they decided to begin working on new material for a record. Jim and Jeff broke ground on the project in March 1995 in Fort Worth. In June 1996, Jim and Jeff joined N.D. at his home in Georgetown, Ohio for a session. In January, 1997, Jeff, N.D. and Amos Garrett came to Fort Worth, Texas where they joined Jim to record new songs. Six sides were completed and mixed in February, 1999. By 2001 Jim and Jeff were together in another band called Lost Country®. That group began issuing records on the Cool GrooveTM label.