Pete and Jan played their first shows with The Nighthawks in June of 1974. The foursome played shows for six weeks and then took a break in late August. They were anxious to get into the studio and record, so even though they had only limited experience together, they went to work in September. Billy Hancock, who was the singer/bass player for guitar virtuoso Danny Gatton, had been impressed with some of The Nighthawks early shows. He had resurrected the legendary R&B label Alladin. As a hot young blues band, The Nighthawks made a natural fit for the label.

The sessions that would result in the first album, “Rock ‘N’ Roll,” were held at Paragon Studio in Silver Spring, MD. The band went with strong but simple arrangements that covered a variety of musical influences and styles, mostly roots classics along with two contemporary songs—Mick Jagger’s “Memo to Turner” and Little Feat’s “Teenage Nervous Breakdown.” The LP also included songs by Sonny Boy Williamson, Otis Redding, Elvis, Junior Walker, Jimmy Reed and Martha and the Vandellas. With the commercial successes of the J. Geils Band and Bonnie Raitt, it seemed like the time was right. And it was a very strong debut that the band basically handed over to Aladdin already complete. It was released in late 1975—and it’s still as powerful and engaging now as it was then.

Their first single was released in early 1975. It featured Elmore James’ “Red Hot Mama,” b/w Howard Tate’s “Keep Cool.” The songs got airplay on WHFS and WEAM in D.C. and praise in music trade publications including Billboard, Downbeat and Record World.

The band continued to play live shows to support their first album, and solidified their role as a powerful opening act and top notch backing band. By mid-1975, the band was back in the studio to do their second album, this time a collection of all classic blues songs.” They weren’t entirely happy with the initial results, so went back into the studio and re-did the album. It was released in early 1976 and was a bold move at the time disco was reigning supreme and blues was at an all time low. And they faced the challenge of doing this as a white boy blues band. The album, “Open All Night,” featured powerful ensemble playing and received very favorable reviews. It was released on another D.C. area label, Adelphi. On the cover, it featured the famous Edward Hopper painting “Nighthawks”

This album did several important things for the band. On record, the inclusion of the live cut of “Red Hot Mama” with Pinetop Perkins at the Cellar Door laid the groundwork for their “Jacks & Kings” albums to come. On the road, the album expanded their touring horizons—leading to regular gigs in Boston, New York and Atlanta. And in the overall music scene, the band was starting to lay the groundwork for other similar artists who would follow them in the early ‘80s—including the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Robert Cray.

The first two albums had helped establish the band’s name active in the record arena. Because their original label, Aladdin, quickly ran into financial problems, the label offered to tape an album’s worth of material in hopes that it could be another album. On February 29, 1976—shortly before “Open All Night” was released—the band played the Pysche Delly in Bethesda and the show was broadcast over WHFS. It was a hot show, featuring a variety of musical stylings that paid tribute to Elvis, Junior Walker and the Temptations. The album races along with a great set that opens with “Jail House Rock” and “Hound Dog,” features versions of “Shake & Fingerpop,” “Whammer Jammer” and Little Feat’s “Tripe Face Boogie,” and closes with an extended version of “Shake Your Money Maker.” The band’s third album—“Live (at the Psyche Delly)”—was released late in 1976.

The band continued to work very hard on the road, and it was paying off as they moved into larger clubs that reflected their growing audience base. In Boston, the band climbed the club ladder—from Bunratty’s and the Speakeasy to Jonathan Swift’s, the Channel and Paradise—frequently co-billing with Powerhouse and opening for the likes of Johnny Winter. They would stop to play in New York on these trips North at the Upper East Side club Dr. Generosity’s.

To the South in Atlanta, they also moved up through the clubs—starting at the Bistro with Capricorn artist the Eric Quincy Tate Band, moving on to Rose’s Cantina and playing with the likes of Omar and the Howlers, Delbert McClinton and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, and then moving up to the Great Southeast Music Hall and the Agora Ballroom. On one infamous evening in Atlanta they jammed with B.B. King, and the master was very impressed with The Nighthawks. On their many trips to Atlanta, they would stop for shows along the way at a variety of clubs, including The Pier in Raleigh, NC—the first place they ever opened for Muddy Waters, The Boardwalk in Greensboro, NC, The Attic in Greenville, NC, The Pass in Richmond, VA, and The Coffee Pot in Roanoke, VA.

In 1975, The Nighthawks got their first opportunity to open for James Cotton at the Bayou nightclub in D.C. Before long they were playing higher profile venues in D.C. opening for bigger name acts. These included the Warner Theater and Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University with Roy Buchanan, Lisner with Kinky Freidman, and Constitution Hall with Paul Butterfield and Freddy King.

The initial show at the Bayou went so well it led to return engagements and a unique arrangement. While The Nighthawks would play for a week at a time, they also proposed to bring in a nationally known blues artist on Monday, which would usually be a slow night. They tried this first with J.B. Hutto, who had lived and worked out of D.C. and was a friend. The first show was an overwhelming success and led to a series of “Blue Monday” shows that would continue through 1976-77. The Nighthawks would usually play the first set and then back the headliner for the rest of the night. Among the well known bluesmen to appear were Otis Rush, Jimmy Rogers, Jimmy “Fast Fingers” Dawkins, Big Walter Horton, Fenton Robinson, and Louis Myers. They also brought in a number of the emerging white boy blues bands, helping them to break into the D.C. scene. These groups included the Fabulous Thunderbirds, George Thorogood & the Delaware Destroyers, Billy Price and the Rhythm Kings, Roomful of Blues, Powerhouse, Lamont Cranston, and the All-Stars