The Maines Brothers Band began recording in the mid-'70s. Their lineup included acoustic guitarist/vocalist Steve Maines; Lloyd Maines on steel guitar, lead guitar and Hawaiian guitar; guitarist/harmonica player Kenny Maines; drummer Donnie Maines (replaced in 1987 by Mark Gillespie); fiddler/trumpeter/mandolin player Richard Bowden; bass guitarist Jerry Brownlow; and Cary Banks on keyboards and guitar. The original Maines Brothers Band hailed from West Texas and featured the group's father and uncles; the younger boys initially performed as the Little Maines Brothers Band. Lloyd played with the Joe Ely Band for six years and five albums, while Kenny got a gig in Las Vegas and Donnie played with the Tommy Lee Show, a local band. The group reformed in 1977 with Bowden and Brownlow. Banks, a noted songwriter, joined the group full-time in 1983 after sitting in with them off and on. The band recorded its first four albums on their own Texas Soul label, and gained popularity throughout the Southwest. Several major Nashville labels approached the band, and in 1983, they signed to Mercury. When their producer, Jerry Kennedy, left the label to go independent, the band continued to work with him, which didn't sit well with Mercury brass. The band finally succeeded in getting out of their eight-year contract in 1986, as few of their singles ever made it past the Top 60; their biggest hit, "Everybody Needs Love on a Saturday Night," only made it to the Top 25. After their release, the Maines Brothers returned to their own label. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Music Guide