Or at least they do if your name is UMG Recordings, Inc. The popular musical act is suing UMG for $13 million dollars in federal court. Allegedly UMG used their music in ring tones and online music stores without proper permission and the band hasn’t been reimbursed for the sale.

Ouch. $13 million. Well, given how much those companies probably rack in in ring tones alone per year, the Allman Brothers are probably due. We’ll have to wait and see what comes of the lawsuit. Keep your eyes peeled.

“One Way Out” was first written and released by Sonny Boy Williamson II and Elmore Jones in the mid 1960’s. It’s history is fairly murky, and filled with recordings and re-recordings by the two artists; what is known, however, is that Jones released his b-side version of “One Way Out” to go along with “My Bleeding Heart” in 1965. It was next released by G.L. Crockett in 1965, though Crockett’s version went by the name “It’s a Man Down There”.

“One Way Out” wasn’t popularized beyond blues circles, however, until the Allman Brothers recorded and released their own version in 1971 (recorded, that is, in a live performance). It was eventually included on their album Eat a Peach, and this version continues to be played quite often to this day. It’s also been included in several movies, including Almost Famous, Lords of Dogtown and The Departed.

Ector, a longtime Allman Brothers fan, was given the position of publisher of Hittin’ the Note when it first opened its doors in 2003. He traveled extensively, interviewing musicians and gathering information for his magazine. And he loved every minute of it.

According to his family and friends Ector was a diehard Allman Brothers fan, emulating Duane Allman’s playing style on the guitar and practicing whenever he could. And he got the chance to play with his idols in 2005. He didn’t let the boys down, either, and from then on he was a friend of the band, becoming a regular fixture at their concerts.

(News courtesy ajc.com)

The band started with Duane and Gregg Allman, of course. But the band was never destined to be only those two men. Joining the founding brothers were also Dickey Betts as the lead guitarist, Berry Oakley on bass and a duet between Butch Trucks and Jai Johanson on drums.

Since the original band formed, however, the roster has changed a number of times, mainly after break ups and reformations (spurred the first time by the death of Duane Allman). These reformations have seen a total of 20 band members appearing within the last 30 years.

The current band has a few originals - Gregg, Trucks and Johanson - mixed in with a blend of newcomers: Warren Haynes on guitar, Marc Quinones on percussion, Oteil Burbridge on bass and Derek Trucks (the newphew of Butch) on guitar. The current group has been together for close to two decades.

A popular venue on Second Avenue and Sixth Street in the East Village section of New York City, Fillmore East was renowned as a palace of rock and roll during the sixties and seventies, seeing dozens of excellent bands into its doors. The Doors, The Who, Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and Frank Zappa (among many others) played at the theater, some on a regular basis.

But none more regularly than the Allman Brothers, who were to be found at Fillmore East so often that they were often called Bill Graham’s (the music promoter who owned the theater) personal band. They even recorded one of their live albums, the aptly named At Fillmore East, on the theater’s premises.

And, fittingly, they were one of the final bands to play there, appearing in Fillmore East’s final showing before shutting down in 1971.

Allman Brothers….Whippin Post LIVE 1970

The last Allman Brothers record to feature guitar player extraordinaire Duane Allman (he was killed in a motorcycle accident as the album was being made), Eat a Peach is a short yet sweet double record featuring a powerful combination of the Allman’s best music. Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More, Melissa, Mountain Jam, One Way Out and Blue Sky comprise a few of the fantastic tracks found on this record, which has since been re-released in 2006 in a Deluxe Edition that includes a number of other hit tracks from the Allmans.

Don’t delay. Go pick up this album now and listen to a band that was ahead of its time, and whose star guitarist was tragically taken before his time.

Playlist for The Allman Brothers Band’s Eat a Peach:

1. Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More
2. Les Brers in A Minor
3. Melissa
4. Mountian Jam
5. One Way Out
6. Trouble No More
7. Stand Back
8. Blue Sky
9. Little Martha

Who is The Allman Brothers Band manager?

Their manager is Bert Holman (see below). Holman has been managing the band since 1970, when he was promoting the Allman Brothers Band in Washington, DC’s American University while still a student. When Bert Holman graduated he worked for John Scher who signed The Allman Brothers in 1981. The management of the band is described as a ‘moral partnership’ where the band self manages under Bert’s guidance. Holman usually travels with the band when on tour and he’s the guy that introduces at concerts.

Holman says about the Allman Brothers, ”They go out, play their hearts out, get along just fine and draw people,” he explains. “Everyone is very professional. They show up, do their job and let me do my job. They know if I have enough nerve to ask them to do something, there must be a good reason. If they’re successful, I’m successful, so everything I do is for The Allman Brothers Band.”

The song was in the album Brothers and Sisters which was first released in 1973, and was used for other musical contexts. It was also referred to as “a true national heirloom” by an article published in Wall Street Journal in January 2006.

The song was named after Jessica Betts, daughter of the band’s guitarist Dickey Betts and his bride-to-be Sandy Bluesky.

This buoyant-tuned rock song lengths for about seven minutes or so, and cited as something to be like a “driving song” since it was the theme song for the TV show Top Gear which was a motoring program in UK.

This was also a the First Allman Brothers song recorded with the band’s new bassist Lamar Williams after the terrible motorcycle accident of former band member Berry Oakley.

“Jessica” topped at number 65 on the Billboard 100 charts and was the Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the Grammy Awards in 1996 for its live version.

Listen to the song for yourself below, from 1982

Here’s a list of the songs available on the Blackberry mobile version:

(1) Santana - Black Magic Woman
(2) Wolfmother - Woman
(3) AFI - Miss Murder
(4) Red Hot Chili Peppers - Suck My Kiss
(5) Alice Cooper - School’s Out
(6) Pat Benatar - Hit Me with Your Best Shot
(7) Van Halen - You Really Got Me
(8) KISS - Strutter
(9) Smashing Pumpkins - Cherub Rock
(10) Stone Temple Pilots - Trippin on A Hole
(11) Matchbook Romance - Monsters
(12) Motley Crue - Shout at the Devil
(13) Black Sabbath - Paranoid
(14) The Allman Brothers Band - Jessica
(15) Scorpions - Rock You Like A Hurricane

The dates for Florida and the New York run in the Beacon Theatre will be affected. The band are attempting to reschudule the tour and new dates will hopefully be released shortly.