In the early 1980s, Dandy temporarily left the band for health

In the early 1980s, Dandy temporarily left the band for health reasons, but Reynolds kept the band going with former Zorro bassist Jack Brumby, AW Zeugner, and Les John. Bob Simpson took on lead vocals at first, but was later replaced by Randy Ruff for almost three years, until Mangrum’s return. In 1984, the band released Ready as Hell . Though the name “Black Oak Arkansas” was on the album cover, “Jim Dandy” appeared above it in larger type, almost as if it were a solo effort. Ready as Hell featured a heavier sound with pinch harmonics and keyboards featured throughout. The album was also Rickie Lee Reynolds’s first recording with Mangrum since the MCA years. In 1986, The Black Attack Is Back continued the heavy style of the previous album and featured the particularly adventurous track “I Want A Woman With Big Titties”. Again, “Jim Dandy” received top billing on the album cover (though “BOA”—the band’s initials—did appear above the frontman’s name). Like its predecessor, The Black Attack Is Back made no commercial headway. In 1992, the band released Rebound , this time under the band’s aegis, with similar results. Things changed little with 1999’s The Wild Bunch , which was released under the name “Jim Dandy’s Black Oak Arkansas”. However, an original member would rejoin Black Oak and appear on this album. Patrick “Dirty” Daugherty rejoined in 1995, rekindling the once-forgotten Black Oak Arkansas. This momentum brought on a surge of performances with other 70’s greats such as Foghat, Iron Butterfly, Edgar Winter Group, and many more. During the early 2000s, original lead guitarist Stanley Knight would join them on the road, not playing guitar, but as their soundman. Pat left the band a second time in the mid-2000s.