If Lynyrd Skynyrd ended up releasing the material they had planned for their first album, listeners would have heard someone else singing other than Ronnie Van Zant. While Ronnie still served as the lead vocalist during those days, another member sometimes stepped into the role.
That band member was Rickey Medlocke, who now serves as one of Skynyrd’s guitarists. But back in the day, Rickey used to play drums and sing for Skynyrd, and also wrote a lot of tracks for the group.
One of the songs that Medlocke wrote was titled “Ain’t Too Proud to Pray.” The song is told from the perspective of a man who was able to escape all his troubles through the power of prayer. As the song progresses, the man proclaims how he will never be “too proud to pray” when “Mr. Trouble” visits him again.
In addition to writing “Ain’t Too Proud to Pray” entirely on his own, Medlocke served as the lead vocalist on the track. However, no one got the chance to hear the recording until 1998.
The material that Skynyrd had originally recorded for their first album ended up being scrapped, including the tracks Medlocke wrote and recorded. By the time Skynyrd released their actual debut album in 1973, Medlocke had already left the group.
Finally, all of that lost material from Skynyrd’s early days resurfaced on the album Skynyrd’s First and…Last in 1978. But fans didn’t get the chance to hear “Ain’t Too Proud to Pray” until 20 years later, when it appeared on a reissue of the First and…Last album.
Now, we have that recording here to share with you. Just click on the clip below and enjoy!
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