The Sons of the West were a Western swing group who played mostly in Amarillo, TX, during the late '30s and early '40s, becoming the Panhandle area's first significant outfit working in that style. They were founded in 1936 by fiddler Son Lansford, a cousin of Bob Wills who'd performed with the Texas Playboys for a time. Lansford actually started the group in Fort Worth but moved them to Amarillo in search of a largely untapped market for music. The Sons ran through 11 members during the course of their brief existence: bassist/lead singer Jimmy Meek (who later assumed leadership of the group when Lansford departed), steel guitarist Billy Briggs (an innovative player who added a seventh string to his instrument in order to play chords), pianist Loren Mitchell, guitarists Freddie Dean and Jess Williams, banjoists Cliff Wells and Jess Robertson, and fiddlers Leonard Seago, Pat Trotter, and Buck Buchanan.

The Sons of the West were a Western swing group who played mostly in Amarillo, TX, during the late '30s and early '40s, becoming the Panhandle area's first significant outfit working in that style. They were founded in 1936 by fiddler Son Lansford, a cousin of Bob Wills who'd performed with the Texas Playboys for a time. Lansford actually started the group in Fort Worth but moved them to Amarillo in search of a largely untapped market for music. The Sons ran through 11 members during the course of their brief existence: bassist/lead singer Jimmy Meek (who later assumed leadership of the group when Lansford departed), steel guitarist Billy Briggs (an innovative player who added a seventh string to his instrument in order to play chords), pianist Loren Mitchell, guitarists Freddie Dean and Jess Williams, banjoists Cliff Wells and Jess Robertson, and fiddlers Leonard Seago, Pat Trotter, and Buck Buchanan. They cut an album for Decca in 1938, which featured mostly pop standards, and recorded through 1941, when they scored their biggest hit with "Sally's Got a Wooden Leg" on Columbia. Most of the members were drafted into World War II in 1942, putting an end to the band. Briggs later played around the area with a band called the XIT Boys, which also featured Trotter and Williams, among others. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

A strong contender for the finest overlooked American band of the mid-'60s, the Remains (led by Barry Tashian) were the most notable Boston group of the era. But they never broke out nationally, despite signing to Epic and copping an opening slot on the Beatles' final American tour in 1966. Sometimes described as a garage band, that designation isn't at all accurate; the Remains shared the same British Invasion influences as many American teen acts, but had a lot of professional finesse to their straight-ahead attack and sharp songwriting, sometimes sounding like a fusion of the Beatles and the Zombies with their energetic harmonies and guitar-electric keyboard blend.

Four fine singles for Epic found little action outside of the Northeast.

A strong contender for the finest overlooked American band of the mid-'60s, the Remains (led by Barry Tashian) were the most notable Boston group of the era. But they never broke out nationally, despite signing to Epic and copping an opening slot on the Beatles' final American tour in 1966. Sometimes described as a garage band, that designation isn't at all accurate; the Remains shared the same British Invasion influences as many American teen acts, but had a lot of professional finesse to their straight-ahead attack and sharp songwriting, sometimes sounding like a fusion of the Beatles and the Zombies with their energetic harmonies and guitar-electric keyboard blend.

Four fine singles for Epic found little action outside of the Northeast. Frustrated by the disparity they perceived between their studio work and their furious live show, they cut an audition tape for Capitol, although no offer from the label was forthcoming (the session was issued for collectors many years later). An uneven but solid debut album for Epic was released near the end of 1966, but by that time the Remains were breaking up, dispirited by the stalemate in which their career seemed to have been mired. Remains drummer N.D. Smart II played with Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris; Tashian also played with Harris, and today is a Nashville-based country-folk musician, often recording as a duo with his wife, Holly. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide