Black Oak Arkansas Getting 1971-1973 Collection

Cover art for the Black Oak Arkansas 5-CD set, When Electricity Came to Arkansas, Vol 1 1971-1973.

Black Oak Arkansas are the subject of an upcoming collection, When Electricity Came to Arkansas, Vol 1 1971-1973. The 5-CD set, coming September 4, 2026, via Cherry Red Records, is the first volume in a series of complete recordings of the popular southern rock band and their inimitable frontman Jim Dandy. It’s available to order in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here (where it arrives on August 28).

From the label’s announcement: Black Oak Arkansas released their self-titled debut album in March 1971. Although their origins go back as far as 1963, the band finally coalesced around their natural showman Jim “Dandy” Mangrum on lead vocals and washboard. Playing a mixture of southern rock, hard rock and country, the band signed to Atlantic subsidiary ATCO Records, with a band featuring Rickie “Ricochet” Reynolds on guitar, Stanley “Goober” Knight on guitar and organ, Pat “Dirty” Daugherty on bass guitar and Wayne “Squeezebox” Evans on drums. Named after their hometown of Black Oak, their first album featured the singles “Hot And Nasty,” “Uncle Lijiah” and “Lord Have Mercy On My Soul.”

Their second album for Atco, Keep the Faith, was released less than a year later, in January 1972. Recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami and Village Recorders in Los Angeles, the title track was released as a single.

By the time they released third album, If An Angel Came to See You, Would You Make Her Feel At Home? in June 1972, they had been joined by legendary drummer Tommy Aldridge (Whitesnake, Pat Travers, Ozzy Osbourne).

BOA were now establishing themselves as a solid live concert draw across the States, so it made perfect sense for their fourth album to be a live recording. Recorded in December 1972 and released in February 1973, Raunch ‘N’ Roll Live captures the raw energy and excitement of the band on stage. Expanded to two discs, the live set presents their unique blend of hard rock, southern rock and boogie.

Related: Our feature story on the band

When Electricity Came to Arkansas, Vol 1 1971-1973 Track Listing

DISC ONE
BLACK OAK ARKANSAS (1971)
1. Uncle Lijiah
2. Memories At the Window
3. The Hills of Arkansas
4. I Could Love You
5. Hot And Nasty
6. Singing The Blues
7. Lord Have Mercy on My Soul
8. When Electricity Came to Arkansas
BONUS TRACKS
9. Lord Have Mercy On My Soul (Single Edit)
10. Lord Have Mercy On My Soul (Mono Edit)

DISC TWO
KEEP THE FAITH (1972)
1. Keep The Faith
2. Revolutionary All-American Boys
3. Feet On Earth, Head in Sky
4. Fever In My Mind
5. The Big One’s Still Coming
6. White-Headed Woman
7. We Live on Day To Day
8. Short Life Line
9. Don’t Confuse What You Don’t Know

DISC THREE
IF AN ANGEL CAME TO SEE YOU, WOULD YOU MAKE HER FEEL AT HOME?
1. Gravel Roads
2. Fertile Woman
3. Spring Vacation
4. We Help Each Other
5. Full Moon Ride
6. Our Minds Eye
7. To Make Us What We Are
8. Our Eyes Eré on You
9. Mutants Of the Monster

DISC FOUR
COMPLETE RAUNCH ’N’ ROLL LIVE (1973) OVER HERE
1. Gettin’ Kinda Cocky
2. Fever In My Mind
3. Uncle Liljah
4. Keep The Faith
5. Mutants Of the Monster
6. Hot Rod
7. Lord Have Mercy On My Soul
8. Full Moon Ride
9. When Electricity Came to Arkansas
10. Dixie
11. Hot And Nasty
12. Up
13. Movin’

DISC FIVE
COMPLETE RAUNCH ’N’ ROLL LIVE (1973)
WAY OVER YONDER
1. Getting’ Kinda Cocky
2. Fever In My Mind
3. Uncle Liljah
4. Gigolo
5. Mutants Of the Monster
6. Hot Rod
7. Movin’
8. Full Moon Ride
9. When Electricity Came to Arkansas
10. Hot And Nasty
11. Up