Area Code 615

Although the Nashville Sound had peaked by the late 60s, musicians there were still regarded with reverential awe. It was there that Bob Dylan went to record Nashville Skyline, with help from local sessionmen Buttrey and McCoy (both of whom had also worked on Blonde On Blonde).

These two were joined by other local musicians who decided to capitalise on their collective reputation.

Named after the telephone area code for Nashville, Tennessee, Area Code 615 was never a gigging band, but just an ad hoc assembly of elite “Nashville Cats” – musicians who played together all the time anyway.

The group was never a serious long-term consideration, but their self-titled Polydor album, Area Code 615, sparked enough enthusiastic response in 1969 to encourage a follow-up, Trip In The Country, the following year.

Both displayed much instrumental versatility, as would have been expected, and a real gutsy, kick-out-the-jams approach. Stone Fox Chase, from Trip In The Country, was used as the theme for the BBC-TV rock programme The Old Grey Whistle Test for many years.

After Trip In The Country, the band dissolved in 1971 as its members were pulled back to high-demand studio session work.

Wayne Moss, Mac Gayden, and Kenny Buttrey went on to play with another Nashville-based group, Barefoot Jerry, and David Briggs played with Elvis Presley in Las Vegas and Joan Baez on her 1975 US tour.

Both of the band’s albums were repackaged in 1974 as a double set.

Mac Gayden 
Guitar, vocals
Charlie McCoy
Harmonica, vocals
Bobby Thompson
Banjo, guitar
Wayne Moss
Guitar, bass
Buddy Spicher
Fiddle, viola, cello
David Briggs
Keyboards
Norbert Putnam
Bass, cello
Kenny Buttrey
Drums
Weldon Myrick
Pedal steel