By Joe Hadsall
jhadsall@joplinglobe.com
Richard Sterban likes the change of pace in the music.
When the Oak Ridge Boys recorded their latest CD, “The Boys are Back,” they did so wanting to go in a new direction. And did they ever: The CD features remakes of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom” and Neil Young’s “Beautiful Bluebird.”
The new direction was the vision of producer David Cobb, who wanted to take the traditional country/gospel quartet into uncharted waters. Sterban, the group’s legendary bass voice, said Cobb knew the band’s history and had a vision of where the group could go with its music.
“It’s gotten us some attention we haven’t received in a long time,” Sterban said. “We just felt like it was time to do something different. We just wanted to put our music career and our creative juices into an effort that would go down some different roads.”
Some of those new songs will be on display during a concert tonight in Pittsburg, Sterban said.
The band’s current, award-winning lineup formed in 1973, and in 1976, experienced its first successful single with “Y’all Come Back Saloon.” In 1981, “Elvira” skyrocketed up the country and pop charts, and won a Grammy for the group in 1982.
A couple of years ago, Sterban said, the group was approached by Shooter Jennings — son of the legendary Waylon Jennings — to sing on his song “Slow Train.” Cobb had earlier produced two of Jennings’ earlier albums.
That led to an appearance at the Nashville club City Hall a few months later, where a younger crowd went absolutely nuts over the concert.
“Those kids went crazy,” Sterban said. “The place was packed with younger people. We did ‘Elvira’ with Shooter, and I think that night, the idea was born to do a project with (Cobb), expand our audience and appeal to a younger demographic.”
However, tonight’s show at Pittsburg’s Memorial Auditorium is mainly a Christmas show, complete with an appearance of Santa Claus.
“You’ll still hear ‘Elvira’ and ‘Y’all Come Back Saloon,’” Sterban said. “But we cover a lot of ground with our Christmas show. We show the fun side, romantic side and we end it with songs about the Christmas story.”
Want to go?
The Oak Ridge Boys will present a Christmas program at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Memorial Auditorium in Pittsburg. Tickets range from $25 to $35.
Details: 620-231-7827.
