Carolina County Ball Rainbow Hoochie Koochie Lady Elf

Carolina County Ball Album: Carolina County Ball (1974)
Rainbow Album: Carolina County Ball (1974)
Hoochie Koochie Lady Album: Elf (1972)
by Elf

Elf was an American rock band founded in 1967 by singer and bassist Ronnie James Dio, keyboardist Doug Thaler, drummer Gary Driscoll, and guitarists Nick Pantas and David Feinstein (Dio's cousin). The band was originally called the Electric Elves, but was shortened to the Elves in 1968 and finally Elf in 1972. Elf disbanded in 1975 after recording three albums and after most of the lineup had been absorbed into the newly formed Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow.

The Carolina County Ball is a fictional event (there is no Carolina County), but it sounds like a rocking good time. For young bands, getting these gigs can be a big deal, and in this song, lead singer Ronnie James Dio assumes the role of upstart musician who can't wait to get on stage and play.

According to the Roy Davies biography Rainbow Rising: The Story Of Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, "Carolina County Ball" was released as a single on Purple Records. Roger Glover produced it, along with the eponymous album; he also sang backing vocals on it.

"Carolina County Ball" was actually the B-side of "L.A. 59," which was released in Germany as a test pressing on April 8, 1974. Running to 4 minutes 45 seconds, it was co-written by frontman Ronnie Dio and keyboard player Mickey Lee Soule.

Running to four minutes, "Rainbow" was co-written by frontman Ronnie Dio and keyboard player/rhythm guitarist Mickey Lee Soule. Although it is clearly about a woman, one who is not just "another rainbow," the title would soon become more significant for Dio because the following year he would become lead vocalist of the new Ritchie Blackmore band Rainbow. He was in fact already working with Blackmore; it was Ritchie's bandmate from Deep Purple, Roger Glover, who produced this song and the album, Carolina County Ball, on which it appeared. Soule also played on the debut Rainbow album.

The band was formed in 1967 when the members of Ronnie Dio and the Prophets transformed themselves into the Electric Elves and added a keyboard player, Doug Thaler.

In February 1968, the band was involved in an automobile accident which claimed the life of Nick Pantas. The accident forced a shuffling of the band member roles as original keyboardist Thaler moved to guitar (after recovering from his injuries) and the group hired Mickey Lee Soule to take over keyboard duties. Upon leaving the group in 1972, Thaler moved to New York and got a job as a booking agent — Elf was one of the bands he booked.

Elf's self-titled debut album was produced by Deep Purple members Roger Glover and Ian Paice, who happened to see Elf auditioning in 1972. For the next few years, the band enjoyed mild success as an opening act for Deep Purple. The first track is Hoochie Koochie Lady.

Ronnie James Dio – lead vocals (1967–1975; died 2010), bass (1967–1973)
Gary Driscoll – drums, percussion (1967–1975; died 1987)
David Feinstein – lead guitar (1967–1973)
Doug Thaler – keyboards (1967–1972), rhythm guitar (1968–1972)
Nick Pantas – rhythm guitar (1967–1968; his death)
Micky Lee Soule – keyboards, backing vocals (1968–1975)
Craig Gruber – bass (1973–1975; died 2015)
Steve Edwards – lead guitar (1973–1975)
Mark Nauseef – percussion (1975)