Gold to Platinum: Lynyrd Skynyrd Made History Releasing ‘Nuthin’ Fancy’ 41 Years Ago

(Left) Lynyrd Skynyrd on MV YouTube Channel/RIAA via Gotta Have Rock and Roll

On March 24, 1975, Lynyrd Skynyrd released their third studio album, Nuthin’ Fancy. The album was a major success for the group, and was their first to break into the Top 10 on the Billboard albums chart.  

Only three months after the album’s release, it was certified Gold by the RIAA. In 1987, the album reached Platinum certification, and remains one of Skynyrd’s highest-selling albums to this date. 

Nuthin’ Fancy‘s success is due to the strength of the album’s eight tracks, including the singles “Saturday Night Special” and “Made in the Shade.” One of the other standout tracks on the album is “On the Hunt,” which was written by guitarist Allen Collins and lead singer Ronnie Van Zant.

In April 1975, Skynyrd celebrated the release Nuthin’ Fancy, with a performance at the Winterland music venue in San Francisco, California, where they performed many of the album’s tracks, including “On the Hunt.” Before the performance, Ronnie praised the crowd, saying “Can I say one thing? If they make a better audience than Winterland…I’ve never seen it.“

Of course, all of Ronnie’s performances were incredible, but his Winterland performance of “On the Hunt” is arguably one of his best. He experimented with his voice in so many ways throughout the performance by constantly changing his volume, growling through some of the notes, and even cutting off the end of some of the words and letting them fade away.

This is one performance you simply can’t miss. Tune in below to check it out! 

Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd & Second Helping Live’ is available now on DVD, Blu-ray and digital formats – it’s the perfect gift for the Lynyrd Skynyrd fan in your life. Buy it here on Amazon!