Springing in July of 1976 from
Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue,
the Alpha Band appeared on the music scene with high expectations. The band signed with
Clive Davis and Arista Records for a reported $6 million after being together for only a few weeks and were touted by
Davis as one of the most important acts to come along in years.
The Alpha Band's sound, which drew from a grab-bag of American roots styles, as well as pop and rock, was centered around singer-songwriters
J. Henry "T-Bone" Burnett and
Steven Soles, and multi-instrumentalist
David Mansfield.
The group's 1976 self-titled debut, which featured an extended lineup of drummer
Matt Betton and bassist
David Jackson, contained an eclectic collection of material highlighted by
Burnett's impressionistic lyrics,
Soles' folk-pop tunes and
Mansfield's guitar, mandolin and brilliant violin. The trio of
Burnett,
Soles and
Mansfield continued on for two more records,
Spark in the Dark (1977) and the overtly Christian
The Statue Makers of Hollywood (1978), before disbanding in 1979. ~ Brett Hartenbach, All Music Guide