Doug Sahm - Sir Douglas Quintet: 1960s

Sir Douglas Quintet: 1960s

In 1965, prompted by record producer Huey Meaux, Sahm formed the Sir Douglas Quintet with childhood friend Augie Meyers. They chose the group's name in an effort to make the band seem British to benefit from the British invasion. This image had its problems, particularly Sahm's Texas accent and that two fifths of the band were Hispanic. Some early publicity photos were shot in silhouette to hide this fact.

The band had a top 20 US hit with the 12-bar blues "She's About a Mover" and a lesser hit with "The Rains Came," the former also reaching the Top Twenty in the UK Singles Chart.

The band broke up after a bust for marijuana possession in Corpus Christi, Texas. Sahm moved to San Francisco and formed the Honkey Blues Band, then later re-formed the Sir Douglas Quintet with a new lineup. Eventually Augie Meyers rejoined the quintet and they released the successful single and album "Mendocino". The record contained the song "At the Crossroads" with the Sahm line "You just can't live in Texas if you don't have a lot of soul".

Bob Dylan stated, "Look, for me right now there are three groups: Butterfield, The Byrds and the Sir Douglas Quintet."