tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80152903674890853562024-03-17T20:01:24.929-07:00Rock Archaeology 101Photos and artifacts from mostly forgotten and mostly Bay Area rock venues of the 1960s and early 70sCorry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.comBlogger183125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-69845609143378176612024-03-16T13:50:00.000-07:002024-03-16T13:50:22.408-07:00Elvin Bishop Performance History 1970<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBM0KVaG4AhjQlN_H_b085q1hqUX9OJE4PN8xXs7eCu0ZRsa-7NoOJ9XfWtnZv2qylmJdRXILk5jtd2zGxeuMNzkzFDuktXTmWgbLLVT_cJUYQyqNgorpN7d8q1dLGG_e5YHZg2swnU4O4wnyKfUsw-NAnhj_s02MDJ0M4DqdOLcsSe9zYwe0ZAHtmy4Y/s668/Elvin%20Bishop%20Group%201970.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="515" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBM0KVaG4AhjQlN_H_b085q1hqUX9OJE4PN8xXs7eCu0ZRsa-7NoOJ9XfWtnZv2qylmJdRXILk5jtd2zGxeuMNzkzFDuktXTmWgbLLVT_cJUYQyqNgorpN7d8q1dLGG_e5YHZg2swnU4O4wnyKfUsw-NAnhj_s02MDJ0M4DqdOLcsSe9zYwe0ZAHtmy4Y/s320/Elvin%20Bishop%20Group%201970.JPG" width="247" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The Elvin Bishop Group, 1970: L-R: Elvin Bishop, Jo Baker, Applejack, John Chambers, Stephen Miller, Kip Maeckerlin<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Guitarist and singer Elvin Bishop is well-known to most American 20th century rock fans. He isn't a major figure, but he's not a footnote, either. He's in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, for what that's worth, as a founding member of The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. As a member of that group, he backed Bob Dylan when he "went electric" at the Newport Folk Festival in July 1965. Bishop later went solo and led his own group, toured successfully throughout the 1970s, and scored a major National hit in 1976 with his song "Fooled Around And Fell in Love." Since that time, Bishop has continued to record and perform, mostly focusing on the blues, and now stands as one of the revered elder statesmen of the blues that he once merely aspired to. <p></p><p>In the middle of 1968, Bishop left the Butterfield Blues Band and moved to San Francisco. After spinning his wheels a bit, in 1969 Bishop formed his own band and signed with Columbia Records. Initially, while Bishop had an established pedigree, his music was hardly known outside of San Francisco. In 1970, with his debut album released on Bill Graham's Columbia Imprint, Fillmore Records, the Elvin Bishop Group set out to make Bishop's musical career. It took a few years, but by and large Bishop has had a successful career that almost all popular musicians would envy. </p><p>The always engaging Bishop has been interviewed many times, but he's so entertaining that an overview of the roots of his success has remained unexamined. In the early 1970s, while records were the ultimate source of success for any musician, it was live performances that paid the daily bills and built to path to substantial record sales. In this post, I will look at all the known live performances of Elvin Bishop and the Elvin Bishop Group in 1970. From that we can discern the contours of Bishop's steady climb up the rock and roll ladder. Along the way, we will look at the different venues he played and the various industry factors that contributed to his success. </p><p>The live history of the Elvin Bishop Group in 1970 will tell us a lot about the music industry in the United States in that year. If anyone has insights, corrections, reflections, speculation or memories about live Elvin Bishop performances during this time, please put them in the Comments. Flashbacks encouraged.</p><p><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvXIAex8XpZxyODk4hazSpST943iZxtf3VS22RMbgQ0i5pEm1oj1Zb6WomOKxyF21VwLJ3IYkVjzv0eN5Pn-uJkRoLjqTbmhYiordj7urQ9Dokx09HlPYzL0RZSBG1xi4hnvdFTk_zqurQ7zOA4wu9unVPkyyTJrmQVJmpWELG9Y1flXdv2X3K7LkuuzM/s599/Paul%20Butterfield%20Blues%20Band%201966%20museum.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="476" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvXIAex8XpZxyODk4hazSpST943iZxtf3VS22RMbgQ0i5pEm1oj1Zb6WomOKxyF21VwLJ3IYkVjzv0eN5Pn-uJkRoLjqTbmhYiordj7urQ9Dokx09HlPYzL0RZSBG1xi4hnvdFTk_zqurQ7zOA4wu9unVPkyyTJrmQVJmpWELG9Y1flXdv2X3K7LkuuzM/s320/Paul%20Butterfield%20Blues%20Band%201966%20museum.jpg" width="254" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br />Elvin Bishop Roots and Branches</i></b><br />On stage and during interviews, Bishop has regularly reminded listeners that he grew up on a chicken farm in Tulsa. This is true. Bishop's family was from Iowa, and his family had moved to Tulsa when he was 10. Living out in the country, Bishop discovered the blues on the radio, and hung around juke joints on the wrong side of Tulsa, too. Bishop earned entry into the University of Chicago in 1960 as a National Merit Scholar. <p></p><p>As soon as he arrived in Chicago, young Elvin sought out the blues. In Jud Cost's excellent liner notes for the Sundazed Records cd re-release of his debut album, Bishop explained that he enquired of the largely African-American food service staff at the University where the best blues music could be found, and they steered him right to it. He also met Paul Butterfield his first week in Chicago. Butterfield showed Elvin how to properly play the guitar, as Bishop had only learned by ear. Butterfield was the son of a painter from Hyde Park. By 1963, after playing in various blues and soul bands in Chicago, and dropping out of University, Bishop had joined Butterfield in an amplified blues quartet.<br /></p><p>Bishop got his degree in the Chicago blues, but not from the University. The Butterfield band had a white front line (Bishop and Butterfield) and an experienced black rhythm section (bassist Jerome Arnold and drummer Sam Lay), groundbreaking for the time. They had a regular booking at an Old Town folk club called Big John's. There was one other white blues band working in Chicago, featuring guitarist Mike Bloomfield, and the groups would jam occasionally. </p><p>Elektra Records producer Paul Rothchild looked to sign the Butterfield Blues Band in late 1964. Having witnessed a jam session, Rothchild persuaded Butterfield to bring Bloomfield into the band as well, and signed them to Elektra Records. After some unsatisfying attempts to record the band in 1964 and 1965, Rothchild finally succeeded in Fall '65, and the debut <i>Butterfield Blues Band</i> album was released in October of 1965. By this time, the band had added Mark Naftalin on organ. The Butterfield Blues Band was now a sextet, with an African-American rhythm section. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88Z9JxVwQ7CYD3XSYAjrSAH10xfax-jvMgXlZJ6FYtqGGUj2DKbnpcKdt58Ke2zbg22BaUW4gvHi_r84Prjnc5KNubHMmsGDkFmRfpScAblE56psFVN42zbPIkIfwW1sC0SSMKAA9_VkgR-BnZWnSnX8kLugK7WvjwxZVFgc2mi5u5d2kJmrnsUpZVmJC/s600/Paul%20Butterfield%20Blues%20Band%20Unicorn%201966.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88Z9JxVwQ7CYD3XSYAjrSAH10xfax-jvMgXlZJ6FYtqGGUj2DKbnpcKdt58Ke2zbg22BaUW4gvHi_r84Prjnc5KNubHMmsGDkFmRfpScAblE56psFVN42zbPIkIfwW1sC0SSMKAA9_VkgR-BnZWnSnX8kLugK7WvjwxZVFgc2mi5u5d2kJmrnsUpZVmJC/s320/Paul%20Butterfield%20Blues%20Band%20Unicorn%201966.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Paul Butterfield Blues Band at the Unicorn Coffee House, Boston, 1966</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Besides being hip and handsome, the Butterfield Blues Band was light years ahead of any other electric bands in early 1966. All over the country, folk musicians were smoking funny cigarettes, growing their hair and plugging in their guitars, but most of them hadn't figured out electric instruments or playing with a drummer in the band. The experienced Butterfield Blues Band, meanwhile, had not one but two sizzling guitarists and an exceptional harmonica player. Everywhere they played, the Butterfield Blues Band knocked out all the local musicians. <p></p><p>The Butterfield Blues Band were managed by no less than Albert Grossman, Bob Dylan's manager. Grossman already managed Dylan and Peter, Paul & Mary, so he dominated the folk circuit. He certainly saw rock music's coming popularity, and he would also sign Big Brother and The Holding Company and The Band, among many other rock acts. The Butterfield Blues Band were thus not only talented and ahead of their curve, they were aligned with the most powerful manager in American popular music. <br /></p><p>Bill Graham booked the Butterfield Blues Band at the Fillmore in February 1966. Bands like the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and Quicksilver Messenger Service saw the future right there in front of them. A folk ensemble in Berkeley called Country Joe & The Fish, for example, decided to "go electric" the night after seeing them. The Butterfield Blues Band would cap off their shows with a 12-minutes-and-counting instrumental they called "Raga," later called "East-West" and showed every band how John Coltrane could be merged with the blues. Mike Bloomfield was rightly and widely hailed as America's first guitar hero, and the Butterfield Blues Band appeared to be America's Rolling Stones. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2B198e3q2rIW2eSMT6egQWOPc8-sc_89O1Yzx7Z21vy2ab7aVEnxfekOZj2aF_cNwQdf93QTAdxBfSCHXzU_Sy4K6oMJuiMOcuULIqlhG2cBg4N2Jn0hOyunWHRLIonK1UHE9VKdxPSVEredIS2k9bkprKMSBS_G7SQAEB407nRwDzNqo6shglD_z7cco/s600/Pigboy%20Crabshaw%20Butterfield%20Elektra%201967.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2B198e3q2rIW2eSMT6egQWOPc8-sc_89O1Yzx7Z21vy2ab7aVEnxfekOZj2aF_cNwQdf93QTAdxBfSCHXzU_Sy4K6oMJuiMOcuULIqlhG2cBg4N2Jn0hOyunWHRLIonK1UHE9VKdxPSVEredIS2k9bkprKMSBS_G7SQAEB407nRwDzNqo6shglD_z7cco/s320/Pigboy%20Crabshaw%20Butterfield%20Elektra%201967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The Resurrection Of Pigboy Crabshaw, the third Elektra Records album by the Butterfield Blues Band, released in December 1967. Elvin Bishop played lead guitar.</i> <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b>The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, 1966-68</b></i><b><br /></b>In 1966, the Butterfield Blues Band had toured heavily and were an underground sensation, demolishing everything in their path. "East-West" evolved every night, getting as long as 27 minutes. Every musician in every town went to see them when they played, and their influence was enormous. Still, there was no FM radio yet, and there was no hit single, so the band never really sold that many records. Also, management kept the band working non-stop, and the always-mercurial guitarist Mike Bloomfield finally decided he had had enough. After having been booked for three gigs in the same day (<a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2021/10/boston-psychedelic-rock-concert.html">probably in Boston in February 1967</a>), Bloomfield finished out a tour, but then left the group. He moved to San Francisco to start a new band. Grossman got Columbia Records, which was Dylan's label, to sign Bloomfield's new All-Star band, which was called the Electric Flag. <br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UOMpunnw98sppEuu16rX6ZE1Y5ic4zgXK9rc2SdRdSn36SX1rYvHtFicukuJA_1MssRc8slGy4K8AuAM4eRDc2Uao3SJt-mCR1cSpV2VEa3w5vFFqleb8_zD7HI6UoV4H3L15wf2liQEQ7NR6ZRujEPPPk8hd3RzBmPnf637UxH_1sOxSjTTuN0gOx0I/s1760/Butterfield%20Bishop%20Monterey%20Pop%2019670617.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1190" data-original-width="1760" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UOMpunnw98sppEuu16rX6ZE1Y5ic4zgXK9rc2SdRdSn36SX1rYvHtFicukuJA_1MssRc8slGy4K8AuAM4eRDc2Uao3SJt-mCR1cSpV2VEa3w5vFFqleb8_zD7HI6UoV4H3L15wf2liQEQ7NR6ZRujEPPPk8hd3RzBmPnf637UxH_1sOxSjTTuN0gOx0I/s320/Butterfield%20Bishop%20Monterey%20Pop%2019670617.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The Paul Butterfield Blues Band at the Monterey Pop Festival, June 16, 1967 (L-R: Mark Naftalin, Gene Dinwiddie, Elvin Bishop, Keith Johnson, Paul Butterfield)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />With their star gone, some might have thought that the Butterfield Blues Band would be has-beens. But the live rock market was booming, and FM radio was coming. Elvin Bishop took over the sole lead guitar duties for Butterfield, which had originally been his anyway, and the band added a horn section, breaking new ground again. With a crack horn section, featuring a young David Sanborn on alto
sax, the Butterfield Blues Band had evolved from just a blues band to a
blues-plus-soul ensemble. The Butter band continued to tour around the
new concert circuit of psychedelic ballrooms and college campuses, and
they played at the Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967. The band's third album, <i>The Resurrection Of Pigboy Crabshaw</i>, released in December 1967, had put Bishop front and center and showed that both Elvin and the band were a vibrant and viable group. <p></p><p>Unexpectedly, Elvin Bishop also quit the Butterfield Blues Band around May, 1968. Bishop had already recorded the lead guitar on their next album, <i>In My Own Time</i>, released in July '68, but on tour he had been replaced by guitarist Buzzy Feiten. Bishop, too, moved to San Francisco, which was the vortex of the rock music universe at the time. Many Chicago musicians were moving to the Bay Area. Mike Bloomfield had already moved to Marin County in Spring 1967 to start the Electric Flag. Organist Mark Naftalin had also moved to the Bay Area in 1968, so it may have seemed unsurprising when Bishop moved there, too. Oddly enough, however, Bishop almost never played with either musician again, save for a few brief, high-profile reunions. </p><p><b><i></i></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyRzIkE-ydnPI_meA_CLVfksK0MCIHr23Ors07i3kYkC8R1AvBOKRrlXWOGf516SPTBApx2zRBiFAlqfGEHi1ETZ321CBmbOcSWCY2c8a47W5EvBqPv6jVnnJANZcMmjy6CEw6OY_FeMB4M5TTFADEuNYdkSOHLJ2-XBM5P2d4kqlv3VPwPElKVDqARHAx/s399/Carousel%20Jam%2019680521.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="264" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyRzIkE-ydnPI_meA_CLVfksK0MCIHr23Ors07i3kYkC8R1AvBOKRrlXWOGf516SPTBApx2zRBiFAlqfGEHi1ETZ321CBmbOcSWCY2c8a47W5EvBqPv6jVnnJANZcMmjy6CEw6OY_FeMB4M5TTFADEuNYdkSOHLJ2-XBM5P2d4kqlv3VPwPElKVDqARHAx/s320/Carousel%20Jam%2019680521.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Poster for the Jam at the Carousel Ballroom, May 21, 1968</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><i><br />Elvin Bishop In San Francisco, 1968</i></b><br />Elvin Bishop was first sighted in San Francisco in May 1968, initially at a Steve Miller Band show (at the Carousel Ballroom on May 11) and at a Grateful Dead sponsored Tuesday night jam session (at the Carousel on May 21). He shared a stage with Jerry Garcia, Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady, Steve Miller and others. In September and October, Bishop made a few guest appearances, sitting in with Al Kooper at the Fillmore West (September 28) and appearing with Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh at least twice at the Matrix (October 8 and 30). <a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2014/05/september-21-1968-pacific-recording-san.html">Whatever the Dead may say about it now, Garcia and Lesh were at least flirting with the idea of replacing Bob Weir, and jamming with different guitarists</a>.<p></p><p>In 1968, Bishop only booked one known date under his own name, playing the Matrix on October 12-13. We have a tape of October 13, and it's Elvin leading a blues quartet with no vocals. There's no telling who else is on the gig, although there is reason to assume that Stephen Miller, of the band Linn County (from Cedar Rapids, IA via Chicago), is holding down the organ chair. <a href="https://jerrybase.com/events/19681030-01">On one of the Dead's "Mickey And The Hartbeats" tapes (October 30), Bishop tells the audience that he's forming a new band, and he has some girls who "sing like angels." Almost certainly these angels were Oakland's Pointer Sisters</a>. </p><p>For the last seven months of 1968, and also in early '69, Bishop was in San Francisco. He didn't record, he played one gig where he probably made $20, and jammed with a few friends. What was he doing? And how was he making a living? He had probably done OK financially in the Butterfield Blues Band, but it's highly unlikely that he made the kind of money that could sustain him for nearly a year. No one has ever asked Bishop about this, to my knowledge. Talkative Elvin always gives great interviews, so journalists never had to query him with tough questions. </p><p>Recall that The Butterfield Blues Band were managed by Albert Grossman, perhaps the most powerful manager in American rock music at the time. Bishop's one recording credit during this period was guest appearance with Al Kooper at Fillmore West, on a night when Mike Bloomfield did not show up for "Super Session" jam. On the double-album released in early 1969 (<i>The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper</i>), Bishop's guest appearance is "courtesy of Elektra Records." This suggests that Bishop was still under contract to Elektra. I have to assume that Grossman was subsidizing Elvin Bishop in some way, whether by making sure he got royalties or some other stipend, at least enough for him to afford an apartment in San Francisco (apparently on Sacramento or California Street) and to be able to rehearse a band. I have to assume that Bishop's contractual status meant that it didn't make good sense for him to actively gig or record. At the same time, Grossman was never going to let a promising artist like Bishop just walk away from his empire. <br /></p><p><i><b></b></i></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJpE-8TRtr9pU5NsnwI0oEXdPgWwXi5WmVv9-n0dEuPSNS9XfekUCCpOYpWM1qNz_QWAMeCX_ri8aVv3hqX-MWxsA9BMPN8l6aCTlrm2wpTm7tDU41hvx_ug-nKVB93obujDPKxlh9E5dX5rWhHXjSpJmMXtyHRTmiDbhrd6x26CZD_YgfTzrikEjmnys/s475/Albert%20Grossman%20and-bob-dylan-1965.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="303" data-original-width="475" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJpE-8TRtr9pU5NsnwI0oEXdPgWwXi5WmVv9-n0dEuPSNS9XfekUCCpOYpWM1qNz_QWAMeCX_ri8aVv3hqX-MWxsA9BMPN8l6aCTlrm2wpTm7tDU41hvx_ug-nKVB93obujDPKxlh9E5dX5rWhHXjSpJmMXtyHRTmiDbhrd6x26CZD_YgfTzrikEjmnys/s320/Albert%20Grossman%20and-bob-dylan-1965.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Albert Grossman with a client, 1965</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b><br />Elvin Bishop, Bill Graham and Albert Grossman, Spring 1969</b></i><br />The biggest player in the San Francisco music scene was Bill Graham. In July 1968, Graham had moved the Fillmore a mile away to the larger Fillmore West. He had also opened the Fillmore East in Manhattan's East Village in March 1968. Graham's partner at Fillmore East? No less than Albert Grossman, who underwrote the risk. So Graham and Grossman were partners and allies. The opening night of Fillmore East (March 8 '68) was headlined by Big Brother, one of Grossman's clients. At the opening of Fillmore West, the first three weekends were headlined by Grossman acts (Butterfield Blues Band July 5-7, Electric Flag July 9-11 and Big Brother July 16-18).<p></p><p>In March 1969, the new Elvin Bishop Group debuted at a Tuesday night Jam at the Fillmore West (likely March 12 or 19). At that point, they started to play around at the few Bay Area rock clubs that booked original rock music, such as the Matrix, <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2020/07/palo-alto-psychedelic-rock-shows-1969.html">The Poppycock in Palo Alto</a>, and <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/New%20Orleans%20House.htm">the New Orleans House in Berkeley</a>, as well as the Fillmore West and The Family Dog on The Great Highway. Mid-year, he signed with one of Bill Graham's new labels, Fillmore Records, distributed by Columbia. </p><p>It's not hard to guess what was going on here, even if there are no quoted sources. Grossman made sure that his soon-to-be-former client Elvin Bishop went to his ally Bill Graham, and that Graham assigned Elvin to Columbia, who produced Grossman's biggest acts (Dylan, Janis and Bloomfield). This can't have been a coincidence. Transactions of this sort were hardly unknown. Famously, in order to get permission for Stephen Stills to appear on Al Kooper's <i>Super Session</i> album, Columbia "traded" David Crosby to Atlantic so that he could record with Stills and Graham Nash. <br /></p><p>In any case, after March 1969, the Elvin Bishop Group was billed regularly around the Bay Area. They were booked by The Millard Agency, another Graham-controlled entity. Bishop was part of Bill Graham's crew now. In the Summer of '69, the Elvin Bishop Group recorded their debut album, released by Fillmore Records around October 1969. Graham, of course, made sure that the Elvin Bishop Group played the Fillmore East (on October 3 and 4) when the album was released, introducing his band to the East Coast. <br /><br /> </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRz766N5e7pm5GjH4jm1BEvvy0i6OyxWxwUfMHX2Oy3ShSeL84YV0x8nMKUGgGBabgZaI_X82lyNFeMx8ZGqQAPm8liJHZyYu19ZCnyuyL4pjZpmanIOd-DOzgLuWgBYji6aclyfq0_XTte0l0mN-OykUdMq8MZwRuaXDcBL8SdEtrahuThYaa8L_Xwf30/s514/Elvin%20Bishop%20Group%20lp%2069%20Fillmore.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="513" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRz766N5e7pm5GjH4jm1BEvvy0i6OyxWxwUfMHX2Oy3ShSeL84YV0x8nMKUGgGBabgZaI_X82lyNFeMx8ZGqQAPm8liJHZyYu19ZCnyuyL4pjZpmanIOd-DOzgLuWgBYji6aclyfq0_XTte0l0mN-OykUdMq8MZwRuaXDcBL8SdEtrahuThYaa8L_Xwf30/s320/Elvin%20Bishop%20Group%20lp%2069%20Fillmore.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Elvin Bishop Group's debut album, Fillmore Records (distributed by Columbia) October '69<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><i>The Elvin Bishop Group, 1970</i></b><br />Elvin Bishop followed the lead of many other Chicago musicians, who named their ensembles after themselves. The Steve Miller Band was so-named because, apparently, Buddy Guy had explained to Miller that it ensured the bandleader could not be replaced. The Miller Band, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, the Barry Goldberg Reunion and the Siegal-Schwall Band were characteristic names of Chicago bands, in contrast to say, the Lovin' Spoonful or Buffalo Springfield. Nonetheless, by calling themselves the Elvin Bishop Group, it emphasized that they were a band, and not just hired guns playing some leader's charts. By the end of 1969, the Elvin Bishop Group was:<br /></p><blockquote><b>Elvin Bishop</b>-lead guitar, vocals<br /><b>Jack "Applejack" Walrath</b>-harmonica, vocals<br /><b>Stephen Miller</b>-organ, vocals<br /><b>Art Stavro</b>-bass<br /><b>John Chambers</b>-drums</blockquote><p></p><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINFDtmBaVX-vdgTWLqORmuo11kKL_qD9OXVmw3codX7C2pF4_mw6WWZgakjhrcSrGsvdd92WqLMeSOd-k_2XKBmUda7D5k3sF4aCmusTktoihqe_ShRu_NmaiZdleNX25TlN5ei-ssB0rMf79WYK2WyV9jTYOSnubDjhoUNct7HC5gVSD5tSImXaHgDpf/s600/Proud%20Flesh%20Soothseer%20Linn%20County.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="600" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINFDtmBaVX-vdgTWLqORmuo11kKL_qD9OXVmw3codX7C2pF4_mw6WWZgakjhrcSrGsvdd92WqLMeSOd-k_2XKBmUda7D5k3sF4aCmusTktoihqe_ShRu_NmaiZdleNX25TlN5ei-ssB0rMf79WYK2WyV9jTYOSnubDjhoUNct7HC5gVSD5tSImXaHgDpf/s320/Proud%20Flesh%20Soothseer%20Linn%20County.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Proud Flesh Soothseer, the debut album by Linn County (from Cedar Rapids, IA), released by Mercury Records in 1968. Stephen Miller played keyboards and sang lead vocals</i>. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />Stephen Miller</b>, from Cedar Rapids, IA, was the keyboard player, lead singer and main songwriter for the band Linn County (Cedar Rapids is in Linn County). Linn County, formerly called The Prophets, had moved from the Chicago and Midwest circuit to San Francisco back in early 1968. By early 1970 , the quintet had already released three albums. Two were on Mercury (<i>Proud Flesh Soothseer</i> in '68, and <i>Fever Shot </i>in '69), and one on Phillips (late '69's <i>Till The Break Of Dawn</i>). From '68 onwards, Miller also regularly led blues ensembles at Bay Area clubs on weeknights. With the shared duties, Miller was not always on stage with the Elvin Bishop Group--for example he had not gone to New York for the Fillmore East shows--and was initially listed as a guest on the debut album. Linn County fell apart by the end of '69, and Miller joined the Elvin Bishop Group as a permanent member. <br /><p></p><p><b>Applejack</b> (Jack Walrath) was a singer and harmonica player from Chicago who had also moved to San Francisco in the late 60s (<i><b>record nerd note</b>: there was a jazz and soul trumpet player named Jack Walroth who often gets entwined with Applejack on google searches. It's a different guy</i>). </p><p><b>John Chambers</b> had been the leading student of San Francisco's top jazz drummer, Jerry Granelli. Granelli was Vince Guaraldi's regular drummer for much of the 60s, which was the top jazz gig in the Bay Area. As a result, Granelli had played drums on sessions for a group called The We Five, who had scored a giant hit with "You Were On My Mind," and Granelli recommended Chambers when the band toured. When the We Five fell apart, Chambers had played with various jazz and rock ensembles, mostly playing with roommate John Kahn in various groups. <br /></p><p></p><p><b>Art Stavro</b> had just gotten out of the Navy in 1968, and had played in San Francisco with Harvey Mandel, another transplanted Chicago blues guitarist. Stavro was friends with Chambers, so he joined the Elvin Bishop Group too.<br /></p><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86EMo47UkV_YfMqQO-rzksaFghuIFEmQpp6OHXqsnGXHVk9PST2DJBgUOfOkSGGbophTfIkbO58Jn9wtw_mJVw5sdtBgHd1kCMAl1APst5oq1sP8ihL1-gT6KAIe1mkwWOQT81tblOxODldSrbniS_mSa_8-AvnFXjLmbOWf9E3tutfk4VHlj8ozj5psv/s1200/Santana%2019691231.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="1200" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86EMo47UkV_YfMqQO-rzksaFghuIFEmQpp6OHXqsnGXHVk9PST2DJBgUOfOkSGGbophTfIkbO58Jn9wtw_mJVw5sdtBgHd1kCMAl1APst5oq1sP8ihL1-gT6KAIe1mkwWOQT81tblOxODldSrbniS_mSa_8-AvnFXjLmbOWf9E3tutfk4VHlj8ozj5psv/s320/Santana%2019691231.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Bill Graham presents New Year's Eve in San Francisco, 1969, with Santana at Fillmore West and Jefferson Airplane at Winterland (the Grateful Dead were in Boston that year)<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table></b><b><br />Elvin Bishop Performance Log: 1970</b><br /><b>December 31, 1969 Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA: Santana/It's A Beautiful Day/Elvin Bishop Group/Joy Of Cooking </b><i>(Thursday)</i><br />Bill Graham was the most important figure in live San Francisco rock, and also in the greater National rock market. As part of his empire, he not only promoted concerts at the Fillmores and elsewhere but he had a management company, two record companies and a booking agency. Legally, these were all separate entities. So Graham managed the Elvin Bishop Group, recorded them on his Fillmore Records label and booked them through his Millard Booking Agency. <br /><p>New Year's Eve at Fillmore West featured bands booked by the Millard Agency: <b>Santana, It's A Beautiful Day</b> and the Bishop Group. <b>Joy Of Cooking</b> regularly shared bills with Millard groups, but I don't know if they were actual clients. It's worth noting that Booking Agents, like Real Estate agents, often worked together and shared fees, so Joy Of Cooking may have had a different agency but clearly worked with Millard. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yNloczCA0nyvCZgtbVVxrxPzL8ahW0u8CBEmyWB7My8Iqg2zqSZ7bcNAWwgc-GltxWrakpTMQo4QWfCj7rooDe9Ws7-Cm7eOmkppd1WrK5XCxeCjsjOInQGdeiBjcwgXIAs5Ph6vNF_54J7iX8NWb23rW1KkxIDx1t3d1ORobxLMLFm6H5S1oMuqYzcN/s600/Santana%20Debut%20lp%20Columbia%201969.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yNloczCA0nyvCZgtbVVxrxPzL8ahW0u8CBEmyWB7My8Iqg2zqSZ7bcNAWwgc-GltxWrakpTMQo4QWfCj7rooDe9Ws7-Cm7eOmkppd1WrK5XCxeCjsjOInQGdeiBjcwgXIAs5Ph6vNF_54J7iX8NWb23rW1KkxIDx1t3d1ORobxLMLFm6H5S1oMuqYzcN/s320/Santana%20Debut%20lp%20Columbia%201969.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Santana's debut album, released in August 1969 by Columbia Records</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />At this time, Santana's debut album was riding high on the charts. Columbia had been released in August, and it would ultimately reach #4 on <i>Billboard</i> (and sell double Platinum) behind the single "Evil Ways,” which would be released in January. Very soon, Winterland would be too small for Santana. It's A Beautiful Day, also on Columbia, had a big hit with their debut album and the single "White Bird." In contrast to Santana, who only went on to greater success, management problems would cripple IABD's career, and this was their high water mark. Note also that all three headline bands were on Columbia labels, as well as booked by the Millard agency. Joy Of Cooking was a Berkeley band, but they were already a big draw in that town. Their unique twist was that while they played typical jamming blues music that you could dance to, they were fronted by two women, guitarist Terry Garthwaite and pianist Tony Brown. <p></p><p>The logic at the time was that rock fans, then relatively young, liked to spend the whole evening out at a concert. Even though the opening acts might not play to a full house, it was still more people than would hear a group at a nightclub. New Year's Eve was a high profile concert, and Santana was a rising band, so booking Elvin Bishop Group offered them a lot of exposure.<br /></p><p><b>January 5, 1970 The Matrix, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop Jam </b><i>(Monday)</i><br /><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Matrix%20Shows.htm">The Matrix, at 3138 Fillmore Street in the Marina, had been founded by Marty Balin in 1965 and was the cornerstone of San Francisco rock</a>. The tiny pizza joint had preceded even Bill Graham's Fillmore. The Jefferson Airplane had been the main attraction back in August '65, and every San Francisco band, and plenty of other ones, had played the Matrix on the way up. The club, however, held 150 at most, only sold beer and didn't allow dancing. It was also in a neighborhood that was difficult to park. By 1969, the Matrix wasn't an attractive gig for bands that had risen high in the Fillmore West food chain. </p><p>Paradoxically, by 1970, although a weak gig, the Matrix was a primo musician's hangout. Local musicians played there on weeknights, sometimes outside of their regular bands, and it was a safe place to try out new material or a new drummer. <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-matrix-3138-fillmore-st-san.html">I wrote some lengthy posts about the musicians who played ther Matrix in 1970</a>. One of the standing traditions of The Matrix was that Monday was "jam night," borrowed from jazz clubs. Musicians mostly didn't have paying jobs on Monday night, so an open jam session was held where they could jam with their pals. The Matrix version had a "host" who played, and his friends would drop by and jam, too. If fans were lucky, the likes of Jerry Garcia or Carlos Santana might indeed drop by. </p><p>Elvin Bishop hosted the Monday night jam at the Matrix for much of January. The assumption was that Elvin's band played a set, and then presumably his friends came by to jam some blues. One of the other assumptions of "Jam Night" was that the host band didn't always have its regular lineup, or play a regular set. Since Bishop's band was going through some changes (more about this below) it's likely the Matrix gig helped him break in some newcomers. <br /></p><b>January 8-11, 1970 Fillmore West, San Francisco,CA: Chicago/Elvin Bishop Group/Seals and Crofts </b><i>(Thursday-Sunday)</i><br />When the regular Fillmore West season began, Elvin Bishop Group was up second to <b>Chicago</b>, and on top of a brand new duo called <b>Seals and Crofts</b>. Chicago had released their debut album <i>Chicago Transit Authority</i> in April 1969, and it had spawned two giant hits ("Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is" and "Questions 67 and 68"). Although the group had been founded in Chicago, they had moved to Los Angeles in mid-1968. Chicago second album (<i>Chicago II</i>) would be released later in January, and it too would be huge. Chicago, like Santana, was on Columbia, and booking another Columbia act like Bishop in support made excellent promotional sense. <br /><p><b>January 12, 1970 The Matrix, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop Jam </b><i>(Monday)</i></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN43MknYvCByC3OcypDkyUf-LiHjGIzx_Nl-NaI3Zm0z6rBDkvNWG6OHTtNpNq-50-wlVZ9pVQGhXKhMj8coTxNTlHmjnQ-2wJ649n2XRWjfYgFqYJADmcGJg6y2kLYCFkfBe6mhD9v4t5AngpRwrNeQI6KMD1_crGlz8txfO7vCa6KFQYKmcWem8U6B2H/s600/keystone%20korner%201970%20Herrera%20w%20Kahn%20Bloomfield.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="600" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN43MknYvCByC3OcypDkyUf-LiHjGIzx_Nl-NaI3Zm0z6rBDkvNWG6OHTtNpNq-50-wlVZ9pVQGhXKhMj8coTxNTlHmjnQ-2wJ649n2XRWjfYgFqYJADmcGJg6y2kLYCFkfBe6mhD9v4t5AngpRwrNeQI6KMD1_crGlz8txfO7vCa6KFQYKmcWem8U6B2H/s320/keystone%20korner%201970%20Herrera%20w%20Kahn%20Bloomfield.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Club owner Freddie Herrera took this photo of the original Keystone
Korner stage back in 1970. The first notable act to play Keystone Korner was
Mike Bloomfield, shown here. L-R, Mark Naftalin, John Kahn, Jeff Carp,
Nick Gravenites, Mike Blomfield (drummer obscured, likely Bob Jones)</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>January 16-18, 1970 Keystone Korner, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Friday-Sunday)</i><br />The Keystone Korner was at 750 Vallejo Street (at Powell). Owner Freddie Herrera had made some money in the construction business, and ended up owning a bar formerly known as DinoCarlo's, after its two owners. DinoCarlo's, open from 1965 to '68, had been the lowest rung on the San Francisco rock ladder, but remains fondly remembered by bands and patrons alike. Bands like Santana and Creedence Clearwater had gotten their starts there, passing a beer pitcher around to the crowd to get paid. <br /><p>Herrera had tried to run Keystone Korner as a topless bar, but he was too far from Broadway. Chicago blues legend Nick Gravenites had wandered in, and persuaded Herrera to book music there. Gravenites and Mike Bloomfield played many weekends at the Keystone Korner, starting in September 1969, and continuing the San Francisco tradition begun at the Matrix where local legends could be found in clubs. Slowly Herrera turned Keystone Korner into a rock club with a heavy helping of blues, so the weekend booking of Elvin Bishop Group made sense. The club held 250 or 300 people at most. <br /></p><p><b>January 19, 1970 The Matrix , San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop Jam </b><i>(Monday)</i><br />There's reason to assume that Elvin Bishop hosted the January 26 Matrix jam as well. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaNNAOtSeo5MYvtWQ0ttJcocpPZ4x1AWyKN0gCbhWrvsTmJkaj02082jgOUa_vciJG15JMh3_eqePzpOAjE7_8Rkw9gWEE_BKiZDAGY5ae0I9UfNmMUiNH7YkL1kPA5Q6Zuh3NpEtzYYlrbyz_H4kYPUjohHvNuovWLgk01jqb3a_AcYinll7SXdIxr0Z/s1024/Bermuda%20Palms%20737%20Francisco%20San%20Rafael.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaNNAOtSeo5MYvtWQ0ttJcocpPZ4x1AWyKN0gCbhWrvsTmJkaj02082jgOUa_vciJG15JMh3_eqePzpOAjE7_8Rkw9gWEE_BKiZDAGY5ae0I9UfNmMUiNH7YkL1kPA5Q6Zuh3NpEtzYYlrbyz_H4kYPUjohHvNuovWLgk01jqb3a_AcYinll7SXdIxr0Z/s320/Bermuda%20Palms%20737%20Francisco%20San%20Rafael.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A 1950s postcard for Litchfield's, at 737 Francisco Boulevard in San Rafael<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>January 23-24, 1970 Litchfield's Citadel, San Rafael, CA: Albert Collins/Elvin Bishop Group/Linn County </b><i>(Friday-Saturday)</i><br /><a href="https://patch.com/california/sanrafael/history-litchfields-a-sign-of-the-past ">Litchfield's was part of a hotel and entertainment complex at 737 Francisco Boulevard in San Rafael, built in the late 1940s</a>. At various times, rock venues such as The Euphoria, Pepperland and the Bermuda Palms were there in various ballroom. I don't know exactly which building the Citadel would have been. <p><b>Albert "The Iceman" Collins</b> had been a well-known Texas blues guitarist since 1964. In 1968 members of Canned Heat got him signed to Imperial Records, and helped him get gigs when he moved to California. He regularly played around the rock circuit. </p><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYk7h7AQLHJpBtvQhUXOViGli32Qvme6rJExKbdbc8GhKU8VZTnXSqQ2fmF8wpjblwQ4I9LKUNlU9IITUdvlYX18Jeucht7bkDbaxGHK8eSJSv0ktO3HXUR19HDFSkDE6-1T0s_zFEev-_Z87WBVgCLUH3IcXTY-A-RDgbPMJB3oys2EEQ8y5bXOdDVynx/s450/Till%20The%20Break%20Of%20Dawn%20Linn%20County%20Phllips%201969.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="450" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYk7h7AQLHJpBtvQhUXOViGli32Qvme6rJExKbdbc8GhKU8VZTnXSqQ2fmF8wpjblwQ4I9LKUNlU9IITUdvlYX18Jeucht7bkDbaxGHK8eSJSv0ktO3HXUR19HDFSkDE6-1T0s_zFEev-_Z87WBVgCLUH3IcXTY-A-RDgbPMJB3oys2EEQ8y5bXOdDVynx/s320/Till%20The%20Break%20Of%20Dawn%20Linn%20County%20Phllips%201969.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Till The Break Of Dawn, by Linn County, released by Phillips (a Mercury subsidiary) in 1970</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />Linn County</b> had pretty much folded its tent by early 1970, even though Phillips (associated with Mercury) had released a third album, called <i>Till The Break Of Dawn</i>. Drummer Clark Pierson would leave to join Janis Joplin, and Stephen Miller had gone full-time to the Elvin Bishop Group. Guitarist Fred Walk would keep the band going for a while longer. This may have been a sort of last hurrah for the original lineup.<br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFZhgUBwe6ZrqCr-5W5ncWxgPZlvdKQjYkVbJ70qZCW0Q4-rHXDXAPz61xd1xK6xfAJZOjqGTj2fETOZjEou64iMMCXOogCiRdgljsz4HZJs4H3pCIYIZov0OaKEFiyaRhQaOD7XHMmCmpe79Od6p5krrLCyT60XgBSu9syZ2OTJrkk2sEJwHTHFkjtYB/s872/Ukiah%20Daily%20Journal%20Bishop%2019700131%20Jan%2022.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="872" data-original-width="648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFZhgUBwe6ZrqCr-5W5ncWxgPZlvdKQjYkVbJ70qZCW0Q4-rHXDXAPz61xd1xK6xfAJZOjqGTj2fETOZjEou64iMMCXOogCiRdgljsz4HZJs4H3pCIYIZov0OaKEFiyaRhQaOD7XHMmCmpe79Od6p5krrLCyT60XgBSu9syZ2OTJrkk2sEJwHTHFkjtYB/s320/Ukiah%20Daily%20Journal%20Bishop%2019700131%20Jan%2022.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ukiah Daily Journal, January 22, 1970</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>January 31, 1970 Chessall Gym, Ukiah High School, Ukiah, CA: Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Saturday)</i> <br />Ukiah is the seat of Mendocino County, then a town of about 10,000, two hours North of San Francisco. In the past it had been an agricultural and logging center, and was slowly evolving to more of a tourist destination. <br /><p></p><p>A note in the Ukiah <i>Daily Journal</i> says "Want to hear Fillmore West caliber music without traveling to San Francisco?" The Millard Agency was quick to figure out that the Fillmore West was a magical name on the West Coast, and teenagers wished they could go there. Millard specialized in bringing bands like the Elvin Bishop Group, a genuine Fillmore West group but not a headliner, to places where the kids couldn't easily get to Fillmore West. Hard-working Millard bands like Bishop and Cold Blood built loyal audiences one high school gym at the time.</p><p>Among the local students given credit for bringing the group (above) was Robin Ford. Today better known as Robben Ford, he was raised in Ukiah and had gone to San Francisco to play guitar with Charlie Musselwhite in 1969. In subsequent years, Ford has played with the LA Express, Joni Mitchell, George Harrison and Miles Davis, among others. <br /></p><p><b>February 2, 1970 The Matrix, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop Jam </b><i>(Monday)</i></p><p><b>February 9, 1970 The Matrix, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop Jam </b><i>(Monday)</i></p><p><b>February 11, 1970 Oakland Symphony Auditorium, Oakland, CA: Cold Blood/Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Wednesday) Benefit for St Elizabeth's High School</i><br />The Oakland Symphony Auditorium was a small, elegant seated theater in the "back" of the Oakland Auditorium Arena. It seated about 1500, and it was rarely used for rock concerts. It was the home of the Oakland Symphony, and was later re-named the Calvin Simmons Theater. <br /><br />St. Elizabeth's High School, at 1530 34th Avenue in the Fruitvale District, had been opened in 1921. Like many private schools in the Bay Area, St. Elizabeth's regularly held student dances. In 1968 and '69, however, for reasons that are not clear to me, St. Elizabeth's booked a who's who of the Fillmore West and Avalon. There must have been some deep connection between the school and the bands. Thus it made sense that the benefit for the school featured two regular Millard Agency bands. </p><p><b>Cold Blood</b> were from the Peninsula, and featured singer Lydia Pense. They were more associated with the East Bay soul sound of Tower Of Power. Cold Blood was also managed by Bill Graham, booked by the Millard Agency and signed to a Bill Graham record label. Cold Blood, however, was signed to Graham's San Francisco Records distributed by Atlantic (Bishop was on the Columbia-distributed Fillmore label). <br /></p><p>Note that Elvin Bishop was also booked at Fillmore West this night for the Magic Sam benefit (below). The Bishop Group presumably opened in Oakland and then must have zipped across the Bay Bridge. <br /></p><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8HaZIHC3JOZcJSxkTs_Zs_0icJOWtALIUwwEz-0jkuB1zzGhTmk-2csHZf8RDeKz-Z3vsWTsU-2z0Kohn6lbH8GJD33JDiK2JZ2X5Jy-aJhLOeXPbiLlLw6fqeLr4_5FGhCCcrOkSMqjr4LpET5mP3vwWyhBgAz2F2piCPmI9aZKlJt4WzzyvNggAGFq/s480/Magic%20Sam%20Fillmore%20West%2019700211.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="307" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8HaZIHC3JOZcJSxkTs_Zs_0icJOWtALIUwwEz-0jkuB1zzGhTmk-2csHZf8RDeKz-Z3vsWTsU-2z0Kohn6lbH8GJD33JDiK2JZ2X5Jy-aJhLOeXPbiLlLw6fqeLr4_5FGhCCcrOkSMqjr4LpET5mP3vwWyhBgAz2F2piCPmI9aZKlJt4WzzyvNggAGFq/s320/Magic%20Sam%20Fillmore%20West%2019700211.jpg" width="205" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bill Graham Presents a Magic Sam Memorial Concert at Fillmore West, February 11, 1970</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />February 11, 1970 Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA: Mike Bloomfield/Paul Butterfield Blues Band/Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Wednesday) Magic Sam Benefit </i><br />Guitarist and singer "Magic Sam" Maghett (1937-Dec 1 '69) had died of an unexpected heart attack at age 32. Magic Sam was best known for his 1968 Delmark Records album <i>West Side Soul</i>. On a Wednesday night, when the Fillmore West was usually closed, a benefit was held for Magic Sam's family, featuring Chicago's leading blues expatriates. All of them would have known Sam. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band anchored the show, along with Mike Bloomfield and the Elvin Bishop Group. Per SF <i>Examiner</i> critic Phil Elwood, Charlie Musselwhite and Nick Gravenites were there too. It's unclear if Bloomfield played with a band, or just sat in with Butterfield. Elwood did not stay late, but implied that a big jam ended the night, presumably featuring an on-stage reunion of the seminal Butterfield Blues Band lineup. <p></p><p>This benefit concert also spotlights a little-discussed perspective on Bishop's post-Butterfield career. Paul Butterfield himself moved to Woodstock, NY in the early 1970s, but the rest of the front line--Mike Bloomfield, Elvin Bishop and Mark Naftalin--all moved to San Francisco in 1967 and '68. Bloomfield, legendary though he was, had an erratic career filled with health issues before his death in 1981, so he rarely toured. As a result, Bloomfield played endlessly around the Bay Area in clubs and smaller concerts. Naftalin played many of those gigs with Bloomfield. Naftalin also played in other groups and numerous studio sessions for a wide variety of bands well into the 21st century. </p><p>Bishop, though he toured widely throughout the United States, was omnipresent in Bay Area clubs all through the 1970s, not just as a headliner, but dropping in to jam with his pals, like Van Morrison or John Lee Hooker. Yet Bishop never seems to have shared a stage with Bloomfield or Naftalin, except when Paul Butterfield was present. Bishop and Butter went back to Elvin's first week in Chicago, so it seems that Bishop was always available for him, yet he was never around when Bloomfield or Naftalin was playing some club. Bloomfield and Naftalin had joined the Butterfield Blues Band at the behest of Elektra Records. Their musical contribution was undeniable. But it seems Elvin was not as close to them. <br /></p><p>Bishop has never said a bad word about Bloomfield or Naftalin. Indeed, Elvin Bishop appears never to have said a bad word about anyone. Nonetheless it is hard not to notice that Bishop assiduously avoided his fellow bandmates after 1968.</p><p><b>February 12, 1970 New Orleans House, Berkeley, CA: Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Thursday)</i><br />The New Orleans House, at 1505 San Pablo Avenue (at Delaware St), was Berkeley’s first club to book original rock almost every night. It had opened as a jazz club in 1966, but by early 1967 it had evolved to a rock club. It held about 250 people at most, with a dance floor and a light show, so it was like a miniature Avalon, except with beer. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/New%20Orleans%20House.htm">The New Orleans House was Berkeley’s main rock gig until it got sized out by larger clubs like the Keystone Berkeley in the early 1970s</a>. Bishop had played New Orleans House regularly in 1969, but he was already getting too large for the Berkeley club. <br /></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRp5X5A6V4gvvqNgkN52Mvm25-LKi5d-9Te3h7h8Fknkcy14d5G8xGkppCaugmhClpaa1Im-zCeNckmTcE8hjwTfrQcVp5nublR1heuZMYSxdSvO6a5XOPKw5711Ud7b8Jjkz4YN_5RYf31ejhBIYA-2vltrhrPi_xw6FlAetTYixicYBleAWOKaA8c5UI/s822/steve%20miller%20FDGH%20Barb%2019700213.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="695" data-original-width="822" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRp5X5A6V4gvvqNgkN52Mvm25-LKi5d-9Te3h7h8Fknkcy14d5G8xGkppCaugmhClpaa1Im-zCeNckmTcE8hjwTfrQcVp5nublR1heuZMYSxdSvO6a5XOPKw5711Ud7b8Jjkz4YN_5RYf31ejhBIYA-2vltrhrPi_xw6FlAetTYixicYBleAWOKaA8c5UI/s320/steve%20miller%20FDGH%20Barb%2019700213.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />February 13-14, 1970 Family Dog , San Francisco, CA: Steve Miller Band/Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Friday-Saturday)</i><br />Chet Helms had effectively been the co-founder of the San Francisco ballroom scene with Bill Graham, and his Avalon Ballroom had been as important as the Fillmore in 1966 and '67. Yet Helms had lacked the cut-throat savvy of Graham, and the Avalon had closed by the end of 1968. Helms then opened a new venture on Ocean Beach, The Family Dog on The Great Highway (<a href="http://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/12/family-dog-on-great-highway-navigation.html">I have discussed this at great length</a>). In February of 1970, apparently with new financial backing, Helms was booking high profile shows. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/08/february-13-14-1970-family-dog-on-great.html ">The Bishop Group supported fellow expatriate Steve Miller and the <b>Steve Miller Band</b></a>. <p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUu_a0yagkkAjfIuTGEjADwGDT0p6Y3cJRrFDyjZWA6kx2x8zxWo6qLsOVMqkOQQY4TwDTo4qRi2dFXR8ugxgPENp7bYYl62cxDCdYKrCFicDTTLgk2nym8XwJDCo2TgrDafq0ziKtzVyM0_3o-jowK-oJbgG2pZ2J1qkbwgnBr0A9dCqtxsi-5HOp9Kgp/s818/Elvin%20Bishop%20U%20of%20Utah%2019700221%20Feb%2016%20Daily%20Utah.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="671" data-original-width="818" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUu_a0yagkkAjfIuTGEjADwGDT0p6Y3cJRrFDyjZWA6kx2x8zxWo6qLsOVMqkOQQY4TwDTo4qRi2dFXR8ugxgPENp7bYYl62cxDCdYKrCFicDTTLgk2nym8XwJDCo2TgrDafq0ziKtzVyM0_3o-jowK-oJbgG2pZ2J1qkbwgnBr0A9dCqtxsi-5HOp9Kgp/s320/Elvin%20Bishop%20U%20of%20Utah%2019700221%20Feb%2016%20Daily%20Utah.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Daily Utah Chronicle February 16, 1970</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>February 21, 1970 Union Ballroom, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT: Elvin Bishop Group/Warburton Country/Big Sky Blues Band </b><i>(Saturday) </i><br />The Millard Agency knew that the Fillmore West mojo extended beyond Northern California. Bishop, conveniently, was not just a Fillmore West "name" but had the credibility of having been in the original Butterfield Blues Band as well. Salt Lake City, due to its location, was an attractive weekend gig for San Francisco and Los Angeles. It was a quick flight and just a day's drive for the equipment truck (if you were a roadie, anyway). The ad in the University of Utah paper (above) says "It's A Trip," in an oblique nod to the Fillmore.<p><b>Warburton Country</b> and <b>Big Sky Blues Band</b> were local groups.<br /></p><p></p><b>February 23-24, 1970 The Matrix, San Francisco, CA Elvin Bishop Jam </b><i>(Monday-Tuesday)</i><br />The Elvin Bishop-hosted Monday night jams at The Matrix were clearly a success, as shown by the fact that he was hosting a jam for Tuesday night at well. Although details are hard to discern from this distance, the Elvin Bishop Group was going through some personnel changes during this time. Most newspaper concert notices around this time simply recited information from the Press Kit, which included descriptions of the band lineup from when the album had been recorded back in the Summer of '69.<p>The most important change was the addition of lead singer <b>Jo Baker</b>. <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2021/10/boston-psychedelic-rock-concert.html">Baker was from Waltham, MA, where she had sung with a group called Clouds, who had played The Boston Tea Party on occasion</a>. Baker and Bishop had met when the Butterfield Blues Band had played Boston in February 1967. Baker was a powerful vocalist in an Aretha Franklin style, clearly with solid gospel roots. According to legend, in late 1968 Bishop put a personal ad in Rolling Stone that said "Jo Baker--call Elvin Bishop," giving a San Francisco number. Baker ended up in San Francisco in 1969, living with a sister. I'm not certain exactly when she joined the Elvin Bishop Group, but she was established by the time Phil Elwood mentions her in March (below).</p><p>Bassist Art Stavro had moved on to the band Southern Comfort, which was signed to Columbia and was producing an album in San Francisco. The bandleader was Bob Jones, formerly of The We Five. The Bishop Group replaced Stavro with <b>Kip Mackerlein</b>. Also, Applejack had essentially retired from the music business. Nonetheless, he probably still sat in on occasion. </p><p>Bishop's Monday night Jams at The Matrix were clearly a success, so much so that they moved to the larger Keystone Korner. The Matrix Monday night jam hosting was taken over by drummer Bill Vitt and organist Howard Wales. The duo invited their friend Jerry Garcia to drop by, and Jerry found that it suited him to spend Monday nights playing spaced out music. <a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2011/03/john-kahn-live-performance-history-1970.html">Out of these Monday night jams came the Garcia/Wales <i>Hooteroll</i> album, the entire history of the Garcia/Saunders ensemble and Garcia's lifelong musical partnership with bassist John Kahn</a>. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnIHzwE6tNCBL5ozunqljKJvZ2auyzj4Enj_RD1P-Ezv07HGkVcFmSOGwq1X1zYvCQ9XSuZi2jbESCiWQMTO7oTVgi4otM7zOuWwIVP1vZSo6UU4WodP0v5r61tZPTATw4iZ4G4eQxF5b_BaAq_F4_YMOZZT3smcugv6tStNPlrvGODvS1OWJxeYKvdlk/s1944/Santana%20Bishp%20Fresno%2019700226.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="1093" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnIHzwE6tNCBL5ozunqljKJvZ2auyzj4Enj_RD1P-Ezv07HGkVcFmSOGwq1X1zYvCQ9XSuZi2jbESCiWQMTO7oTVgi4otM7zOuWwIVP1vZSo6UU4WodP0v5r61tZPTATw4iZ4G4eQxF5b_BaAq_F4_YMOZZT3smcugv6tStNPlrvGODvS1OWJxeYKvdlk/s320/Santana%20Bishp%20Fresno%2019700226.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A poster for Santana and Elvin Bishop in Fresno (<a href="https://santanamigos.pagesperso-orange.fr/1970.htm">scan from the indispensable Santanamigos site</a>)<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>February 26, 1970 Selland Arena, Fresno, CA: Santana/Elvin Bishop Group/Wolfgang </b><i>(Thursday)</i><br />Santana was bigger than ever, with the single "Evil Ways" boosting their popularity everywhere. In the orthodoxy of the time, a hit band toured with another act who shared a record company or management. In this case, Columbia Records had signed both Santana and the Elvin Bishop Group, and the Millard Agency booked both of them as well. They didn't share management, but two out of three was enough. Elvin Bishop and Santana would tour together for much of 1970. Certainly, many more fans heard the Elvin Bishop Group than would have otherwise, even if album sales didn't immediately follow. <p></p><p>Interestingly, although the Santana band was clearly the main attraction of the pair, Elvin Bishop would have been seen as a guitar-playing peer by Carlos. Carlos was one of many young San Francisco guitarists who were inspired by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band's debut album. Carlos had met Bloomfield and Bishop when the played the Fillmore in early 1967, so Bishop had already achieved what Carlos was trying for. Carlos and Elvin have remained friends to this day, and still jam together when the opportunities arise. </p><p>Fresno was an agricultural center in Central Valley, roughly between Los Angeles and San Francisco but inland. It wasn't as big a city as it has become today, but there were still plenty of teenagers there. Graham, through the Millard Agency, helped create a market booking Fillmore West headliners on weeknight. The Selland Arena, which had a capacity of about 6000, was the main sports arena and civic auditorium for the region. </p><p>Continuing the thread of associated booking, <b>Wolfgang</b> was a Los Angeles-based band managed by Bill Graham, whose birth name was Wolfgang (albeit "Germanized," since in Hungarian his name was Wolodia). <a href="http://bassroutes.blogspot.com/p/wolfgang.html">Members of the group included bassist Leland Sklar and singer Rickey Lancelotti</a>. <br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMLfxodo-lhVXheyU9qPQTyAFnLnU_4NRaI-u_XuMy4QMHM2MW784YNyiBtwp2ZsITFcYLnaCzOvsnxrdbwMpHAU555KT1CI-Lbaz_vHyQmnBFlIZk0hec97Zc4A1_GRHJdnlEszTemR0mnfrKKuj1K1OebQlGX_dHF9wNhxI9IvGIixX3XBV9PWWT3dt/s1917/Santana%20Elvin%20Bishop%20Ventura%2019700227.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1917" data-original-width="1069" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMLfxodo-lhVXheyU9qPQTyAFnLnU_4NRaI-u_XuMy4QMHM2MW784YNyiBtwp2ZsITFcYLnaCzOvsnxrdbwMpHAU555KT1CI-Lbaz_vHyQmnBFlIZk0hec97Zc4A1_GRHJdnlEszTemR0mnfrKKuj1K1OebQlGX_dHF9wNhxI9IvGIixX3XBV9PWWT3dt/s320/Santana%20Elvin%20Bishop%20Ventura%2019700227.jpg" width="178" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>By 1970, custom posters were not a worthwhile expense, as advertising was mostly on FM radio. Promoters would get a "blank," in this case based on an older BGP Fillmore West poster (BG 134), and the date and venue could be filled in. These were usually for record stores. </i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>February 27 , 1970 <i>[Athletic Events Center]</i>,Ventura College, Ventura, CA: Santana/Elvin Bishop Group/Wolfgang </b><i>(Friday)</i> <br />Ventura is on the Pacific Coast Highway, 68 miles (and an hour and a half) North and West of downtown Los Angeles. At the time, Ventura had a population of about 57,000 (in 2020 it was 120,000). Ventura College was the Community College serving the area. <br /><p></p><p>Under normal circumstances major rock bands did not play Ventura. In this instance, however, Santana and the Bishop Group were between two well-paying gigs (Fresno and Santa Monica), and if they didn't play, they would still have had expenses. Thus a booking of any sort between the two spots made sense. It appears that the bands played the Ventura Athletic Events Center, at 4667 Telegraph Road. I can't figure out the capacity of the building at the time, but if it was a typical Community College gym, it was probably around 2000. <br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-b0woSf0oveCAuOP4VUjGqeM1i8exKUJlpMsysc_Q9slAb1NmmcfGpoSFKSynklVXOKp2Lax1S1GUhXNzixe82xbXf3lJVtY5IQ5ncaOMvm9sUvzfviE5rCrLkCEEUP2BHn-MMrZsykpfGJR1m91tt8-ePnFxJ1ki42_7dn3L3pEF44_ba_jwfnnuhCA2/s819/Santana%20Bishop%20Santa%20Monica%2019720228%20LAT%20Feb%2015.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="819" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-b0woSf0oveCAuOP4VUjGqeM1i8exKUJlpMsysc_Q9slAb1NmmcfGpoSFKSynklVXOKp2Lax1S1GUhXNzixe82xbXf3lJVtY5IQ5ncaOMvm9sUvzfviE5rCrLkCEEUP2BHn-MMrZsykpfGJR1m91tt8-ePnFxJ1ki42_7dn3L3pEF44_ba_jwfnnuhCA2/s320/Santana%20Bishop%20Santa%20Monica%2019720228%20LAT%20Feb%2015.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Los Angeles Times February 15, 1970</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>February 28, 1970 Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA: Santana/Elvin Bishop Group </b>(Saturday)<br />The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, at 1855 Main Street, had been built in 1958 and had a capacity of about 3000. Since it was a civic facility, no one promoter had exclusive rights to it, so lots of great bands in the 60s and 70s played there. On the other hand, it was kind of a concrete tomb, and rock shows there were not always the best Los Angeles had to offer. </p><p>The show was presented by some legacies of major Southern California promoters. Sight & Sound Productions was linked to what was formerly Pinnacle (and would later evolve into Pacific Presentations), and Concert Associates had been founded by the team of Wolf & Rissmiller. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisieD7I-RrC9wy-qB9P-9Y8yCh-LCIYeyAifYzUQnat3X3WJgWNDcRdYtt9o7Bn9NmlNUTZxFN4nx48moJb1fPk3qblGHFTd7OCy3LhEx93Dn9rWK3-eWO2mOAjSRCStrm5X3U5RGSAz8TbvmEoX7ShDLnHYngi9R8t86kNqXnDxPsqgi0lmn1a5Tat5pR/s576/Elvin%20Bishop%20Jam%20Keystone%2019700302.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="576" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisieD7I-RrC9wy-qB9P-9Y8yCh-LCIYeyAifYzUQnat3X3WJgWNDcRdYtt9o7Bn9NmlNUTZxFN4nx48moJb1fPk3qblGHFTd7OCy3LhEx93Dn9rWK3-eWO2mOAjSRCStrm5X3U5RGSAz8TbvmEoX7ShDLnHYngi9R8t86kNqXnDxPsqgi0lmn1a5Tat5pR/s320/Elvin%20Bishop%20Jam%20Keystone%2019700302.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>March 2, 1970 Keystone Korner, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop Jam </b><i>(Monday) </i><br />Elvin Bishop's Monday night jams at the Matrix had been successful enough for the band to get hired away by Keystone Korner. Since Monday was usually a slow night, Keystone Korner's gimmick was that they advertised free fried chicken. Of course, the chicken was salty, and plenty of beer was sold as a result. Bishop would host Monday night jams at Keystone Korner regularly for over a year. <br /><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORXw9oztJmcJ9kZP-rj0w4YfrYbY_bbI8Tb1Eh7aLcpo7XWRTrhoPZHjSpg8xG6Xi8jwnFhfAtcE2inLqj01l0oWAZl-UtGDmAcE1SoM39P3HSS4yGrIKRjcMEaRBmbqmmjuuF-7JNux3PP3bUeveq5twLKoHpJ3KWfzX3GgxDPwSpBlO90XteSfduJe2/s1140/Crazy%20Horse%20San%20Pablo%2019700313%20poster%20back.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1140" data-original-width="818" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORXw9oztJmcJ9kZP-rj0w4YfrYbY_bbI8Tb1Eh7aLcpo7XWRTrhoPZHjSpg8xG6Xi8jwnFhfAtcE2inLqj01l0oWAZl-UtGDmAcE1SoM39P3HSS4yGrIKRjcMEaRBmbqmmjuuF-7JNux3PP3bUeveq5twLKoHpJ3KWfzX3GgxDPwSpBlO90XteSfduJe2/s320/Crazy%20Horse%20San%20Pablo%2019700313%20poster%20back.jpg" width="230" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The back of a poster for a Neil Young concert (March 13 '70) has a pre-GPS map with directions to Contra Costa College in San Pablo from Berkeley and San Francisco</i> <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>March 6, 1970 Gym, Contra Costa College, San Pablo, CA: Cold Blood/Elvin Bishop Group/Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen </b><i>(Friday)</i><br />San Pablo (1970 population 21,461) was about 10 miles Northwest of Berkeley on Highway 80, but in a separate county (Berkeley and Oakland are in Alameda, while San Pablo is part of Contra Costa County). San Pablo isn't that far from Berkeley proper, but it's a world away in other senses. Conta Costa College had been founded in 1950. initially located at the shuttered Kaiser Shipyards in nearby Richmond. By 1957, it had moved inland to 26000 Mission Bell Drive in San Pablo. Around 1963-64, El Cerrito's John Fogerty was a student at Contra Costa JC, probably to avoid the draft, but he went on to join the California National Guard instead.<p></p><p>Contra Costa Junior College typically had one big rock show in the gym each semester in 1969-70, and they actually had some interesting bands (<a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/07/march-13-1970-gymnasium-contra-costa.html ">most remarkably, Neil Young and Crazy Horse on March 13, 1970</a>). The Millard Agency was alert for opportunities to bring Fillmore West to the suburbs. At this time, <b>Commander Cody and The Lost Planet Airmen</b> were just getting known outside of the Berkeley city limits. <br /></p><b>March 7, 1970 Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, San Jose, CA: Santana/Kimberley/Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Saturday)</i><br />The Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, at 344 Tully Road in San Jose, had been a regular, if intermittent, rock concert venue in the San Jose area. There wasn't really a good concert venue in San Jose or the South Bay at the time, despite the huge number of teenage and college-age rock fans. <br /><p><b>Kimberley</b> was associated with Santana's management. <br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU616x1WdNo13xznh6IZAF57nRebeeqrY45Zj397z92qnx6mB0QLOvho8B3ay_jVlIApDuSEJDSmQbw_H4q9xw70ubeivEZ7XrCBnSTq7CcIVSIKa4s-m7DcT4dj2QzdSsgZr8YlO0H4NMrsXobJhKBpINtr2F65xVaLQKygE3nvvS8JO9gHeu4KxBN5ws/s1108/Bishop%20Keystone%2019700309%20Elwood%20March%2011.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1108" data-original-width="819" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU616x1WdNo13xznh6IZAF57nRebeeqrY45Zj397z92qnx6mB0QLOvho8B3ay_jVlIApDuSEJDSmQbw_H4q9xw70ubeivEZ7XrCBnSTq7CcIVSIKa4s-m7DcT4dj2QzdSsgZr8YlO0H4NMrsXobJhKBpINtr2F65xVaLQKygE3nvvS8JO9gHeu4KxBN5ws/s320/Bishop%20Keystone%2019700309%20Elwood%20March%2011.jpg" width="237" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Phil Elwood's review of the Elvin Bishop hosted jam at Keystone Korner on Monday March 9 (SF Examiner March 11)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>March 9, 1970 Keystone Korner, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop Jam </b><i>(Monday)</i><br />SF <i>Examiner</i> music critic Phil Elwood, the only local music writer who really liked going out to clubs, gave a detailed rave review on March 11 of one of Elvin Bishop's "Jams" at the Keystone Korner. Elwood reported that there were 200 people there, which for a Monday night in a 300-max capacity club was really impressive. His description of the band tells us that Jo Baker had already fully on board as a singer. Elwood also reported that both John Lee Hooker and Charlie Musselwhite stepped up to jam. Both were Bay Area residents by this time. <br /></p><p></p><b>March 13, 1970 Cal Expo Counties Building, Sacramento, CA: Lee Michaels/Paul Butterfield Blues Band/Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Friday) </i><br />Cal Expo was part of the California State Fairgrounds complex in Sacramento. Many events were held there, including indoor concerts. <b>Lee Michaels</b> was riding high on some hits like "Heighty Hi," and was famous for his ear-splitting performances with just his Hammond organ and a powerful drummer (San Jose's Bartholomew Smith-Frost, aka "Frosty"). Butterfield Blues Band were still legendary, still good live, but not the must-see band of the Bishop and Bloomfield days. Their most recent album was Keep On Movin', released in October 1969, with Ralph Wash on lead guitar..<p>Per the Sacramento <i>Bee</i>, the <i>Farewell Cream</i> movie was also shown as part of the event. <br /></p><p><b>March 16 , 1970
Keystone Korner, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop Jam</b><i> (Monday)</i></p><p><b>March 23, 1970 Keystone Korner,San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop Jam </b><i>(Monday)</i><br />There's every reason to assume Elvin Bishop hosted a Monday night jam at Keystone Korner almost every week throughout 1970 when he was in town, but for various newspaper reasons they weren't always listed. I have not assumed any listings here (March 30, April 13, April 20, etc). </p><p><b>April 6, 1970 Keystone Korner, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop Group Jam/Abel </b><i><b>(Monday)</b></i><br />A sign of the success of Bishop's residency at Keystone Korner was that sometimes an opening act was listed, pretty rare for a Monday night jam in San Francisco. It meant that fans were coming early and staying late. <br /></p><p><b>Abel</b> was a band featuring guitarist Abel Zarate, formerly of the band Naked Lunch, and who would be among the future co-founders of the Latin rock band Malo (who would become famous for "Suavecito"). Malo, too, would become part of the Santana/Bishop/Bill Graham Presents nexus in the early 1970s. <br /></p><p><b>April 27, 1970 Keystone Korner, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop/Abel </b><i>(Monday)</i></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmj5f5roYuGoxXyFft8QClqchvrrWMg1_okLaqxzF-kTjh0uZHymC6FH1C0oE0d3Iyp77HCwSxJXlg9OErc-6WrhMNm6TO1bJQiNDYJLn7UBtDxWc5s0Zo_cSMmCfZ8l8DDxgN-m_zaB9X0Crh64hIWvfennKBqJ-PUFCoUwwhyXMr92sxI1YILFpbbFQN/s1950/Bishop%20Hanford%20Sentinel%2019700430%20Apr%2025.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1950" data-original-width="819" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmj5f5roYuGoxXyFft8QClqchvrrWMg1_okLaqxzF-kTjh0uZHymC6FH1C0oE0d3Iyp77HCwSxJXlg9OErc-6WrhMNm6TO1bJQiNDYJLn7UBtDxWc5s0Zo_cSMmCfZ8l8DDxgN-m_zaB9X0Crh64hIWvfennKBqJ-PUFCoUwwhyXMr92sxI1YILFpbbFQN/s320/Bishop%20Hanford%20Sentinel%2019700430%20Apr%2025.jpg" width="134" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanford Sentinel Apr 25</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>April 30, 1970 Hanford Civic Auditorium, Hanford, CA: Elvin Bishop Group/AUM/Joy Of Cooking </b><i>(Thursday)</i><br />Hanford, CA is a railroad town about 28 miles South of Fresno, in the San Joaquin Valley. In 1970, it had a population of about 15,000, and was mainly an agricultural center. Once again, the Millard Agency was bringing the Fillmore to teenagers, since the teens couldn't come to the city. The headline in the Sunday (April 25) Hanford <i>Sentinel</i> said "High School Council Presents 'SF Style Concert' Thursday." The Fillmore pedigree of Elvin Bishop mattered far more outside the Bay Area.<p></p><p>AUM (pronounced "Ohm") was another Bill Graham act booked by the Millard Agency. They were a power trio led by guitarist Wayne Ceballos, along with Kenneth Newell (bass) and Larry Martin (drums). AUM's second album, <i>Resurrection</i> had been released in 1969 on Fillmore Records.<b><br /></b></p><p><b>May 3, 1970 Berkeley Community Theater, Berkeley, CA: Ike & Tina Turner Revue/Elvin Bishop Group/Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee </b><i>(Sunday)</i><br />Ike & Tina Turner need no introduction today, but in 1970 they were just crossing over from black audiences to white ones. "River Deep, Mountain High" had been released in September '69, and their cover of "Come Together" had been released in December, so white rock audiences were just catching on to them. The Elvin Bishop Group was comfortable enough for white rock audiences and soulful enough for the black audiences. The country blues of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee were probably out of place here, but then, that's Berkeley. </p><p><b>May 5-10, 1970 Whisky A Go Go, West Hollytwood, CA: Elvin Bishop Group/Taos </b><i>(Tuesday-Sunday) </i><br /><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Whisky-A-Go-Go%20History.htm">The Whisky A-Go-Go, on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood (8901 Sunset Blvd at Clark), was the place to be heard in Los Angeles</a>. Everyone went--record producers, other bands, scenemakers, kids from the Valley, you name it. Ironically, the Whisky was so influential that bands were hardly paid to play there. Reputedly they just got union scale, often barely enough to cover their bar bill. Still, with the music industry centered in Los Angeles, playing a week at the Whisky was the best way for a band to ensure that booking agents, record company sales reps, influential djs and other characters actually heard their music live. <b>Taos</b> was likely a band that had released an album on Mercury in 1970.<br /></p><p><b>May 11, 1970 Keystone Korner, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop jam </b><i>(Monday) </i><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZcvP1JgXKrtusD9yZaVhKtKuqBemsKJ35Qq7GR9yoI9Kj7y9b_56gyyK6J0O8Wy3L5SawfXmkt-fDeAwQdGE1FMVsGoB5OrRC1g-GB5OWhLzqmL6fAm3muLkVbQWza4jzFfYwp75QBx8vx3rQV0ERFEmcjaND2shdFAzHKSQ-wUcXtZxXKR5nR4SNDS8x/s818/Bishop%20Wales%20SFex%2019700518.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="818" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZcvP1JgXKrtusD9yZaVhKtKuqBemsKJ35Qq7GR9yoI9Kj7y9b_56gyyK6J0O8Wy3L5SawfXmkt-fDeAwQdGE1FMVsGoB5OrRC1g-GB5OWhLzqmL6fAm3muLkVbQWza4jzFfYwp75QBx8vx3rQV0ERFEmcjaND2shdFAzHKSQ-wUcXtZxXKR5nR4SNDS8x/s320/Bishop%20Wales%20SFex%2019700518.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Monday May 18, 1970 SF Examiner offers a couple of choices to hear music</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>May 18, 1970 Keystone Korner, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop jam </b><i>(Monday) </i><b><i><br /></i></b><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSnDoOc-z9p7vAR0jNXEfuGLCbskqpF_8ZD48u_mpHMM8gtMQS-DfYyvNjzsyr8BStXn1bnvdsc4GvCltub67SbZbOZpzGyd7ku80ODfhYSlR-v6nTtbu8h7R2J0-ySjdEycF3UITzG47gtAWOOW4v_0CUIVWnGza5hJQlkGVWmuzZQq14r3-Zx7Lhlzm/s400/Stephen%20Miller%201970%20lp%20Phillips.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="385" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSnDoOc-z9p7vAR0jNXEfuGLCbskqpF_8ZD48u_mpHMM8gtMQS-DfYyvNjzsyr8BStXn1bnvdsc4GvCltub67SbZbOZpzGyd7ku80ODfhYSlR-v6nTtbu8h7R2J0-ySjdEycF3UITzG47gtAWOOW4v_0CUIVWnGza5hJQlkGVWmuzZQq14r3-Zx7Lhlzm/s320/Stephen%20Miller%201970%20lp%20Phillips.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Stephen Miller's solo lp on Phillips Records, released around April 1970. It probably fulfilled Linn County's contract. Most of the Elvin Bishop Group played on 4 tracks. </i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>May 19-20 The Matrix, San Francisco, CA: Linn County </b><i>(Tuesday-Wednesday)</i><br />It appears that when Stephen Miller left his band Linn County at the end of 1969, after three albums, they still owed another one to Mercury Records. Guitarist Fred Walk kept Linn County together and touring around, but it seems that Mercury considered Miller the "key man." It looks like his solo album was recorded to fulfill that obligation. Phillips Records (associated with Mercury) released <i>Stephen Miller</i> in April 1970. Four of the tracks were recorded with the old Linn County band, probably left over from a prior session, and four were recorded with the Elvin Bishop Group.<br /><br />It is worth remarking upon the releasing albums was lucrative enough that Mercury insisted on a solo album from a member of a band that had broken up. I have never heard this record, nor do I know anyone who has. </p><p>I assume that the Matrix weeknight booking was for the remaining version of Linn County. I wonder if Miller showed up to jam anyway? <br /></p><p></p><b>May 22-23, 1970 Wakiki Shell, Honolulu, HI: Santana/Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Friday-Saturday)</i><br />Santana, bigger than ever, headlined two night at the outdoor "Wakiki Shell," a sort of natural arena in Honolulu. According to the Hawaii reviews, the concerts were huge successes, drawing around 9000 each night, and a generally relaxed but excited crowd. The Elvin Bishop Group went over well, also. <br /><p><b>May 25-26, 1970 The Power House, Honolulu, HI: Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Monday-Tuesday)</i><br />The May 25 (Monday) Honolulu <i>Advertiser</i> gave a rave review of Santana and Bishop. It also reported that Bishop announced from the stage Saturday night that he was playing a club called The Power House on Waikiki on both Monday and Tuesday (25 & 26). It was common for bands playing Hawaii to spend a whole week there, so all the travel got them some time off. But Bishop seems to have chosen to spend some of those days rocking out in a bar near the beach.</p><p><a href="https://tastyislandhawaii.com/2013/08/28/oahu-bars-nightclubs-memorialized/comment-page-6/ ">A site memorializing Oahu nightspots of the past recalls:</a></p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><p><i>The Power House – across from the Red Noodle in Waikiki / very rowdy place with lots of action that spilled into the parking lot behind the International Market Place during the late 1960s.</i></p><p><i>The Red Noodle--Duke’s Lane/Kuhio Ave, behind International Market Place in the old Reef Hotel / Restaurant Corp. of Hawaii (RCOH) ran this nightclub hot spot in the early 70’s; mostly African-American clientele, however some locals would chance ‘um; glad we did because most of the time was pretty much fun; at the grand opening in 1970 Quicksilver Messenger Service played </i></p></blockquote><p><i></i></p><p><a href="https://www.killuglyradio.com/2011/04/18/this-is-what-frank-zappa-heard-sept-9th1973/">Those with too many records may recall that Frank Zappa discovered Napoleon Murphy Brock at the Red Noodle</a>. A place like The Power House, in a tourist area, probably sold a lot of drinks, and the Elvin Bishop Group probably made good money these nights.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPAHL_9QZkHK5896klkHqxvNNf2d1oriJsDhQKQL6XIh9ArdnawbI9XCXhRadeVwmIStoharFcQfFyQnodTrwdjXPO82EOGTtCJB1C88KYbyK7FSq4YirT-waNV17YT3oM9yYk0MXhJHLGisDsBQ8svJhN_M61XgaPSpEv5bcbEWgv3-PlvYGDvJpVCqx/s572/Bishop%20Lions%20Share%2019700605.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="258" data-original-width="572" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPAHL_9QZkHK5896klkHqxvNNf2d1oriJsDhQKQL6XIh9ArdnawbI9XCXhRadeVwmIStoharFcQfFyQnodTrwdjXPO82EOGTtCJB1C88KYbyK7FSq4YirT-waNV17YT3oM9yYk0MXhJHLGisDsBQ8svJhN_M61XgaPSpEv5bcbEWgv3-PlvYGDvJpVCqx/s320/Bishop%20Lions%20Share%2019700605.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b>June 5-6, 1970 Lion's Share, San Anselmo, CA: Elvin Bishop Group/Dry Creek Road </b><i>(Friday-Saturday)</i><br />The Lion's Share was a tiny bar conveniently located 10 miles from downtown San Rafael. Though only having a capacity of about 250, it was still Marin County's biggest--also only--rock nightclub. All of the Marin bands played the Lion's Share, and friends dropping by to jam was a common occurrence. <br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMDlcWyLkLFc5Rk8mJqgxAfRtFPuBEgOCmy4hlaPFC6FjpllUcKvcdgCSUG_ZE6cI7ONFhfRuForni4vrRu29CQ3J7RSzDvOODWDf1p_wv1Wrdj29IU1zjAs2Rhsbcqhw0lO9YvPfQVz3rM8kpPeYaUSwfhvZ4jz6T1Qa2YzMVxRIhJomuAFF5mTSD0Nu/s819/Elvin%20BIshop%2019700619%20June%2018%20Honolulu%20Star.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="819" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMDlcWyLkLFc5Rk8mJqgxAfRtFPuBEgOCmy4hlaPFC6FjpllUcKvcdgCSUG_ZE6cI7ONFhfRuForni4vrRu29CQ3J7RSzDvOODWDf1p_wv1Wrdj29IU1zjAs2Rhsbcqhw0lO9YvPfQVz3rM8kpPeYaUSwfhvZ4jz6T1Qa2YzMVxRIhJomuAFF5mTSD0Nu/s320/Elvin%20BIshop%2019700619%20June%2018%20Honolulu%20Star.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>June 18, 1970 Honolulu Star-Bulletin</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>June 19-20, 1970 Civic Auditorium, Honolulu, HI: Elvin Bishop Group/Boz Scaggs/John Lee Hooker/Mike Bloomfield </b><i>(Friday-Saturday) Keystone Family Presents</i><br />After the success of the Santana/Elvin Bishop show at Waikiki Shell, and Bishop's booking at the Power House bar, Elvin Bishop Group was booked to headline two nights at the Honolulu Civic Auditorium. The show was presented by the Keystone Family, which appears to have been affiliated with Freddie Herrera of Keystone Korner. Initially it was advertised as featuring Bishop, Boz Scaggs and John Lee Hooker. All three were Bay Area based, and either band could have backed Hooker (who lived in Redwood City by this time). </p><p>A few weeks before showtime, Mike Bloomfield was announced as an additional act, a sign the concert needed some star power to sell more tickets. As noted before, bookings with Bloomfield and Bishop when Paul Butterfield were startlingly rare. This is the only one I know of. </p><p>The notoriously mercurial Bloomfield did not like playing outside of the Bay Area at this time, as he did not like going away from his connections. There's no review of this show, so I don't know if Bloomfield actually played the gig. Bloomfield often skipped out on booked shows in 1970 and '71. It's significant here because it's the only time I know of Bloomfield and Bishop booked together without Butterfield. I could not find a review of the show. Since nothing like it was repeated, if it happened I suspect it didn't do that well. </p><p>The Elvin Bishop Group must have recorded their second album <i>Feel It!</i> sometime in the Summer, but I don't know exactly when. It would be released around October of 1970. <br /></p><p></p><p><b>July 2, 1970 The Matrix, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Thursday)</i><br />Given that Elvin Bishop probably played every Monday at Keystone Korner, I don't know why he might have needed to play a one-off at the Matrix. It wasn't for money--the Matrix barely paid. </p><p><b>July 7-12, 1970 Golden Bear, Huntington Beach, CA Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Tuesday-Sunday)</i><br />The Golden Bear, a restaurant, bar and nightclub on the Pacific Coast Highway, had been open since at least 1929 at the address of 306 Pacific Coast Highway (US-1) in Huntington Beach. Huntington Beach was about an hour South (38 miles) of Downtown Los Angeles. The Golden Bear had gone through various incarnations as a folk and rock club. The Golden Bear had hosted the original Butterfield Blues Band for extended engagements in 1966 and '67, and was essential to establishing the legendary status of the band. <br /></p><p>Elvin Bishop had played the Golden Bear numerous times as a member of The Butterfield Blues Band, including a a three week stint from July 1-21, 1967, right after Monterey Pop. The Golden Bear had some parallels to the Whisky, in that it probably wasn't that lucrative a booking, but the kind that attracted a lot of attention in Southern California. The week-long booking was a standard engagement for the club. <br /></p><p><b>July
18, 1970 The Matrix, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Saturday)</i></p><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiWnXnm4nb6GHBKCDZMdF-epXMg0SgGyJ8Gu5CZohciduukuCT48T0rhnPd6x7n_Rd_JUoM1PBO_Ub0tMsK_KWa_q7BcRbqE_iRWfNdlvIjsxS11dIx040yEXiD_hz814YnkB6QQT6-GEaG7PGX7iUBGTxW5WXsAzBDeMgHEveh_MjmbPKDeMLz5uQa1fC/s438/19700726%20Frost%20July%2024%20Barb.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="152" data-original-width="438" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiWnXnm4nb6GHBKCDZMdF-epXMg0SgGyJ8Gu5CZohciduukuCT48T0rhnPd6x7n_Rd_JUoM1PBO_Ub0tMsK_KWa_q7BcRbqE_iRWfNdlvIjsxS11dIx040yEXiD_hz814YnkB6QQT6-GEaG7PGX7iUBGTxW5WXsAzBDeMgHEveh_MjmbPKDeMLz5uQa1fC/s320/19700726%20Frost%20July%2024%20Barb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Berkeley Barb Scenedrome listing, July 24, 1970</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />July 26, 1970 Frost Amphitheatre, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA: Boz Scaggs/Elvin Bishop Group/Fast Eddie/Mad Dog </b><i>(Sunday) Benefit for Stanford Children's Community Center and Legal Defense </i><br /><a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2022/09/palo-alto-rock-concerts-1970-73-palo.html ">There weren't really any good rock venues on the SF Peninsula save for at Stanford University, but Stanford wasn't that interested in rock concerts</a>. Still, a series of afternoon shows were booked for the Summer of 1970. Most of them featured higher profile local groups. <b>Fast Eddie</b> and <b>Mad Dog</b> were local Palo Alto-area groups. Although Frost Amphitheater was a grassy bowl that could hold as many as 11,000 fans, shows like these were only expected to draw a few thousand. <p></p><p><b>July 31-August 2, 1970 Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA: Its A Beautiful Day/Elvin Bishop Group/Boz Scaggs </b>(Friday-Sunday)<br />While rock fans are rightly nostalgic for the Fillmore West, the fact was that by 1970 Bill Graham had a hard time booking high-profile acts in the 2500-capacity venue. From the point of view of local Bay Area rock fans, It's A Beautiful Day, Elvin Bishop Group and <b>Boz Scaggs</b> were all local bands who played around constantly. Now, It's A Beautiful Day had scored a hit with "White Bird," and had just released their second album <i>Marrying Maiden</i> in June. But Bishop and Scaggs still only had their debut albums. In retrospect, Elvin and Boz went on to huge success, and the music at the show was surely terrific, but it wasn't an event that would have caused local fans to circle their calendars. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3blvppVw0DYrojxr4eBbM6FQjnG8BsCZ3nkbS_xuMrplpa5etVFCWb5CLcbTLJjGKXc_CfepXMl1Q0xpnf-YhyIgiiIkpVS3SYiKIzkrOoXoJOkHdVoxAvVHILdMbwJuijZ0FUhBJi8O1urra4vXXCjCA8MNfH8_3qHEwYvoZ2sD6Tv73YSfT1SFEp4AT/s442/FDGH%20IABD%2019700814%2014%20Aug%201970,%2030%20-%20The%20San%20Francisco%20Examiner%20at%20Newspapers%20com.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="242" data-original-width="442" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3blvppVw0DYrojxr4eBbM6FQjnG8BsCZ3nkbS_xuMrplpa5etVFCWb5CLcbTLJjGKXc_CfepXMl1Q0xpnf-YhyIgiiIkpVS3SYiKIzkrOoXoJOkHdVoxAvVHILdMbwJuijZ0FUhBJi8O1urra4vXXCjCA8MNfH8_3qHEwYvoZ2sD6Tv73YSfT1SFEp4AT/s320/FDGH%20IABD%2019700814%2014%20Aug%201970,%2030%20-%20The%20San%20Francisco%20Examiner%20at%20Newspapers%20com.png" width="320" /></a></div><p><b>August 14-16, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: It's A Beautiful Day/Elvin Bishop Group/Sawbuck </b><i>(Friday-Sunday)</i><br /><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/12/august-14-august-22-1970-family-dog-on.html">Chet Helms had reactivated his Great Highway venue in February, but despite good intentions it had ground to a halt</a>. It was a funny paradox that though Helms was Bill Graham's competitor, the Millard Agency nonetheless booked all their acts into the Family Dog. Note, however, that Fillmore West got first bite of the apple with IABD and Bishop, and the Family Dog got any left over fans a few weeks later. <br /></p><p><b>Sawbuck</b> was another Millard band, featuring guitarist Ronnie Montrose. This was the next to last weekend that the Family Dog on The Great Highway was open. </p><p></p><p><b>August 17, 1970 Keystone Korner, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop/Abel </b><i>(Monday) free food</i></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqrJhWFVz-GcDafmRZiQkMGZvTllbxvukjjvWwKq9q_v9RWZ_gCOBEc-Q0jEVO-YUuXCs-0AtttSntCvh7gozoG4W7iMPIwrRnrP1rmw2uCITNTCxGcOLblO5pRuJeVo_xDE06iyx9tQRq91IqK5vipdREv46mO58cAnuMdEqfMD6K3RCNYyxN1njiD3ct/s819/Elvin%20Bishop%20State%20Fair%2019700821%20Bee%20Aug%2016.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="819" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqrJhWFVz-GcDafmRZiQkMGZvTllbxvukjjvWwKq9q_v9RWZ_gCOBEc-Q0jEVO-YUuXCs-0AtttSntCvh7gozoG4W7iMPIwrRnrP1rmw2uCITNTCxGcOLblO5pRuJeVo_xDE06iyx9tQRq91IqK5vipdREv46mO58cAnuMdEqfMD6K3RCNYyxN1njiD3ct/s320/Elvin%20Bishop%20State%20Fair%2019700821%20Bee%20Aug%2016.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sacramento Bee August 16, 1970</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>August 21-22, 1970 California State Fair, Sacramento, CA: Southwind/Elvin Bishop Group/Joy Of Cooking <i>(22 only) </i></b><i>(Friday-Saturday)</i><br />Elvin Bishop Group had played Cal Expo in March (see above), but I think this show at the State Fairgrounds was outdoors. Note that the Sacramento <i>Bee</i> lists the bands as playing in the "Age Of Aquarius" area of Cal Expo. <br /></p><p><b>Southwind</b>, originally a University of Oklahoma rockabilly group called The Disciples, had moved to Los Angeles in 1968, recording their debut album for the small Venture label. By 1970 Southwind had moved to Blue Thumb, where their second album (Ready To Ride) was released. Guitarist John ‘Moon’ Martin was the best known member of the band (he wrote the Robert Palmer hit Bad Case Of Lovin’ You), although he was not the principal lead vocalist. Other members were bassist Jim Pulte, organist Phil Hope and drummer Erik Dalton. <br /></p><p></p><p><b>August 24 , 1970
Keystone Korner, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop </b><i>(Monday) free food </i></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMPMxhsgmhG8xGiOmASAd-Ys_zmnLETPMNA8zhPtdPsvvO0yU3if54NWeYLMVSCqujpbcuscnuenduHrzdJp-jszqa7U70DzgfSYrt9K3vYwz7u37M2Yk_xSdQvfYI6ab6FoXeArvXSBoP6x0PmtollLlxqqeEkDHKa3xRE-FymDiI5PHm1WNSmf1jCLl/s1644/Elvin%20Bishop%20FW%2019700827.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1644" data-original-width="544" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMPMxhsgmhG8xGiOmASAd-Ys_zmnLETPMNA8zhPtdPsvvO0yU3if54NWeYLMVSCqujpbcuscnuenduHrzdJp-jszqa7U70DzgfSYrt9K3vYwz7u37M2Yk_xSdQvfYI6ab6FoXeArvXSBoP6x0PmtollLlxqqeEkDHKa3xRE-FymDiI5PHm1WNSmf1jCLl/s320/Elvin%20Bishop%20FW%2019700827.jpg" width="106" /></a></b></div><b><br />August 27-29, 1970 Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA: John Mayall/Elvin Bishop Group/Herbie Hancock</b><i> (Thursday-Saturday) </i><br />Whatever his problems with booking major touring acts, Bill Graham still had intriguing bills. This weekend's bill was headlined by <b>John Mayall</b>, who had become well-known for hiring Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor, although only the latter had ever toured the States with Mayall. Mayall changed his lineup almost every tour, rarely played old songs and often improvised on stage. At this time, his current album was the almost-acoustic <i>Empty Rooms</i>. Yet Mayall's stage band was a quartet without a drummer: guitarist Harvey Mandel, bassist Larry Taylor (both ex-Canned Heat) and electric violinist Sugarcane Harris. <p></p><p>Don "Sugarcane" Harris was a unique talent, and uniquely difficult. In the 50s and early 60s, as a songwriter with the duo of Don & Dewey, he had written and recorded several songs that had become huge hits when others recorded them ("Farmer John," "Big Boy Pete" and others). In the 60s he had switched over to electric violin, a fairly distinct instrument for the time. When properly used, such as by Frank Zappa on The Mothers Of Invention's "Directly From My Heart To You" or "Peaches En Regalia" Harris was truly special. Sugarcane was also unreliable, liked guns, and was really hard to be in a band with. Nonetheless, Mayall managed a few tours with him, and this lineup would soon record the album USA Union. </p><p><b>Herbie Hancock</b>, meanwhile, had a six-piece band that was among the most forward looking in modern jazz. Phil Elwood of the <i>Examiner</i> reviewed the first night (August 27) and singled out trumpeter Woody Shaw, trombonist Garnett Brown and reedman Bennie Maupin. </p><p>The Elvin Bishop Group was a contrast to Mayall and Hancock by playing some danceable, straight ahead rock and roll. Elwood praised them as well, and mentioned the exceptional vocals provided by Jo Baker and three of the Pointer Sisters. The Pointer Sisters definitely played some concert gigs with the Elvin Bishop Group throughout 1970, but it's hard to tell how many. </p><p>In early September 1970, various papers mentioned that the Elvin Bishop Group was releasing "Feel It" as a single from their forthcoming album. <br /></p><p><b>September 12, 1970 Gunn High School Football Field, Palo Alto, CA: Elvin Bishop Group/Aum/Tower of Power/Fast Eddie/Nevada </b><i>(Saturday) noon-5pm Autumnal </i><br />There were no viable rock venues between San Jose and San Francisco, so the city of Palo Alto concerned itself with finding something to entertain restless teenagers. This is both admirable and very Palo Alto. Keep in mind that it was also an effort to discourage them from taking the family station wagon to San Francisco or Berkeley, which was really what they wanted to do. <br /><br />Gunn High School, at 780 Arastradero Road in South Palo Alto, was the city's newest, having only opened in 1964. The Youth Advisory Council budgeted for a rock concert on the football field, able to accommodate up to 5000 people. The Millard Agency booked all their acts, plus two local ones (Fast Eddie and Nevada). Although the music was probably good, the concert was apparently a financial debacle. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2020/07/august-2-1969-baylands-athletic-center.html">The city held an "Autumnal 2" concert out at the Baylands in November, anticipating Shoreline Amphitheater by fifteen years, but it too failed</a>. </p><p><b>September 16, 1970 Auditorium, Lincoln High School, San Francisco, CA: Boz Scaggs/Elvin Bishop Group/Tower Of Power/Naked Lunch/Victoria </b><i>(Wednesday) </i><br />San Francisco's Lincoln High School, established 1940 in the Sunset District, had some equipment stolen from the High School radio station (KOOL). Local bands held a benefit in the school auditorum at 23rd Avenue and Quintara for new equipment. All of them were Millard bands. <b>Victoria</b> (Domalgaski) was a singer-songwriter signed to Bill Graham's San Francisco Records label (distributed by Atlantic, as opposed to Fillmore, distributed by Columbia). <b>Naked Lunch</b> was some variation on Abel Zarate's band.<br /></p><p><b>September 23, 1970 Fillmore East, New York, NY: Van Morrison/Allman Brothers/Elvin Bishop Group/Albert King/Flock/Sha Na Na </b><i>(Wednesday)</i><br />The Fillmore East usually only booked shows on Friday and Saturday nights. This Wednesday night, however, several bands played for a high profile TV special for public television. At this remove, noting <b>Van Morrison</b> in his prime (between <i>Moondance</i> and <i>Street Choir</i>) and the original Allman Brothers, it seems like a sensational special. At the time, however, all of these bands were basically up and coming, so Bill Graham had the clout to make sure his own group got on the show. Of course, to the other musicians, particularly the Allman Brothers themselves, Bishop's tenure in the Butterfield Blues Band made him an instant peer. </p><p><b>The Flock</b> had been signed to Columbia in 1969, along with other groups like Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears, so they had full record company support at this time. <b>Sha Na Na</b> had struck it big at Woodstock, but was still somewhat of a local New York group, having been founded at Columbia University. <br /></p><p>Due to some dispute, the PBS special was never aired, although a few video snippets circulated. Bishop remained friends with Van Morrison and the Allmans throughout his career, and indeed his greatest success came when he signed with Capricorn Records, the Allmans' label. <br /></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjiZW34rlXXsaltYS8AGMNQarD8dCV9W_s3IqSozcUrqA_3B6cyE_wRRmV72i5GiNCnUE26R537fIk1cyvjkXx4HfYPnKNr3YHwmi-lmvws8U1crUPodxupUet1FIUmweZPijbYdVi6zpK5vvD4aYq-O-IMMGpOLRb3uMvSVnYeq-3N6PegJZp9p_nP46/s1921/Santana%20OKC%2019700924.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1449" data-original-width="1921" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjiZW34rlXXsaltYS8AGMNQarD8dCV9W_s3IqSozcUrqA_3B6cyE_wRRmV72i5GiNCnUE26R537fIk1cyvjkXx4HfYPnKNr3YHwmi-lmvws8U1crUPodxupUet1FIUmweZPijbYdVi6zpK5vvD4aYq-O-IMMGpOLRb3uMvSVnYeq-3N6PegJZp9p_nP46/s320/Santana%20OKC%2019700924.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />September 24, 1970 Frederickson Fieldhouse, OK City U, Oklahoma City, OK: Santana/Elvin Bishop Group/Cold Blood </b><i>(Thursday)</i><br />The Elvin Bishop Group joined Santana and Cold Blood on a swing through the Southwest. Santana had just released their second album, <i>Abraxas</i>, and it would be even bigger than their debut, peaking at #1 on the Billboard charts. Hit singles included "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Va." Oklahoma City University is a private Methodist University of about 3000 students, founded in 1919. Frederickson Fieldhouse was built in 1959, and held 3400 in basketball configuration. At the time of its construction, it was the largest hyperbolic paraboloid building on Earth.<p></p><p>Although Applejack had quit the music business, Stephen Miller had brought in one of his Iowa friends as part of the road crew. <b>Perry Welsh</b> had moved from Iowa to San Francisco in 1967, and had played harmonica in various clubs. Welsh became part of the Elvin Bishop Group's traveling road crew, and thus was always available to play some harmonica and sing a little. He was sort of an adjunct member of the Elvin Bishop Group, playing and singing on the second and third albums. <br /></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0t0DQRb7yUKHL41dgu2Nt-XHH2t-bPi4ngNOY6LAIXcBn9J_POb0gLp_T5-V7vPT-1ICWBisHnZ6laepdugobLUWn_J3LZrFfuOsNRkwFWul3jrIBpIexlLc4KNoXy-0xAfFXnssPtYPNhIxTps4HewIg7B84KAgLE_xKyM1Jv46yRwWzC6NHD30wtlV/s1808/Santana%20Houston%2019700925.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1808" data-original-width="1482" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0t0DQRb7yUKHL41dgu2Nt-XHH2t-bPi4ngNOY6LAIXcBn9J_POb0gLp_T5-V7vPT-1ICWBisHnZ6laepdugobLUWn_J3LZrFfuOsNRkwFWul3jrIBpIexlLc4KNoXy-0xAfFXnssPtYPNhIxTps4HewIg7B84KAgLE_xKyM1Jv46yRwWzC6NHD30wtlV/s320/Santana%20Houston%2019700925.jpg" width="262" /></a></b></div><b><br />September 25 , 1970 Music Hall, Houston, TX: Santana/Cold Blood/Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Friday) 6:00 & 9:30pm</i><br />The Houston Music Hall was a 2200-seat auditorium constructed in 1937, as part of the Sam Houston Coliseum. <br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRsCKX7h3DSj_OPf3qMcBCj_IvsLwuOc-HGmt7cEVsxujIch725L0akK2QEIhxGiz3qVw7x4eto9iE4IYCH7a3UHr4-G1AlpSNDr333OADfbj0q9mcNkGh7mEw6z7En0VpPGpC-MPoXYfVDfj1e4GJ9wCG0Hf9YBtrhQKD4c6o4nRHig41vYPpecas1ML/s917/Santana%20EBG%20San%20Antonio%2019700926%20Express.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="917" data-original-width="819" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRsCKX7h3DSj_OPf3qMcBCj_IvsLwuOc-HGmt7cEVsxujIch725L0akK2QEIhxGiz3qVw7x4eto9iE4IYCH7a3UHr4-G1AlpSNDr333OADfbj0q9mcNkGh7mEw6z7En0VpPGpC-MPoXYfVDfj1e4GJ9wCG0Hf9YBtrhQKD4c6o4nRHig41vYPpecas1ML/s320/Santana%20EBG%20San%20Antonio%2019700926%20Express.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>San Antonio Express September 26, 1970<b><br /></b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>September 26, 1970 Hemisfair Arena, San Antonio, TX: Santana/Cold Blood/Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Saturday) Jam Productions and Concerts West</i><br />The Hemisfair Arena, constructed in 1968 as part of the Hemisfair. It had a capacity of around 10,000. Concerts West was Jerry Weintraub's production company, later famous for promoting Elvis Presley and Led Zeppelin national tours. </p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyW1KmRFQTH4JRy9mt94qT6DpajkHVXGj9-6ec57ZThKJXUn8JevOozKzlfHuexLos9ix3v3VxpTGFsmxe2qLdFP8UcGNV-Aj2RT1VRuLOCZq2OeJpzpo6GjO-rE2ctPxYcKXkd95Q-7CouwYvdVjFMthVxztXOpXCrDkcBEDZFsBPiNAkV_24OV_7h_D/s1854/Elvon%20Bishop%20Ft%20Worth%2019700927.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1854" data-original-width="820" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyW1KmRFQTH4JRy9mt94qT6DpajkHVXGj9-6ec57ZThKJXUn8JevOozKzlfHuexLos9ix3v3VxpTGFsmxe2qLdFP8UcGNV-Aj2RT1VRuLOCZq2OeJpzpo6GjO-rE2ctPxYcKXkd95Q-7CouwYvdVjFMthVxztXOpXCrDkcBEDZFsBPiNAkV_24OV_7h_D/s320/Elvon%20Bishop%20Ft%20Worth%2019700927.jpg" width="142" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Ft Worth Star-Telegram September 27, 1970. Columbia took out ads promoting both Elvin Bishop and Santana in the Telegram (but not Cold Blood, since they were on another label). </i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>September 27, 1970 Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum, Ft Worth, TX: Santana/Cold Blood/Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Sunday) 3 pm show Middle Earth Productions</i><br />The Will Rogers Coliseum was a 5600-capacity arena built in 1936. <br /></p><p></p><p><i>Feel It!</i>,The Elvin Bishop Group's second album on Fillmore Records was probably released on October 1, 1970. It's important to note that release dates in those days were rather flexible. By the end of September, FM radio stations probably already had advance copies of the record. If Columbia's distribution was doing their job, then record stores in Texas and Oklahoma would have already had the album in stores, even if the rest of the county hadn't caught up. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr82R4cQ37Vv5tsRbTjPApBbM_Q2L78eeOs8TtePVUZxNylov0y7sPGDIGgwcTlL2WjQTOHYRYyU0SuImr6ePHH1LIWmafcrhwHIXPlLcTsC4shfiuCVnlluaXGNPQ9WRelRzZNZ9MRuK1dUQbfVnDnkdOmD_gxXRM-ngAeHzzB6FvlLgZ0eMBZ7i4VroI/s513/Elvin%20Bishop%20Group%20Feel%20It%20Fillmore%201970.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="505" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr82R4cQ37Vv5tsRbTjPApBbM_Q2L78eeOs8TtePVUZxNylov0y7sPGDIGgwcTlL2WjQTOHYRYyU0SuImr6ePHH1LIWmafcrhwHIXPlLcTsC4shfiuCVnlluaXGNPQ9WRelRzZNZ9MRuK1dUQbfVnDnkdOmD_gxXRM-ngAeHzzB6FvlLgZ0eMBZ7i4VroI/s320/Elvin%20Bishop%20Group%20Feel%20It%20Fillmore%201970.jpg" width="315" /></a></div><br /><i>Feel It! </i>featured vocals by Jo Baker and Stephen Miller, supported on a couple of tracks by the Pointer Sisters and Perry Welsh, giving rock fans a much clearer idea of what the Elvin Bishop Group really sounded like in concert. Chepito Areas and Mike Carabello, from Santana's percussion crew, also joined in on a few tracks. Up until this time, anyone who had bought the debut album would have been surprised to find out how different the Bishop Group had become in concert, with the ensemble R&B style vocals. In the Bay Area, at least, the songs "So Fine" and "Party Til The Cows Come Home" got good airplay on FM radio. <br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4B1LD3-7qrBz2Ahyf6pTuNXkiTObHtKGNyUbUTJB97GGnrv8DGHpcHsB7pu-nISXaFXt80ugegR4uaqttTkpdS4gPsu8jQnjcOH5fi5wD_CvbtmRumzJzOA19D7wAV4nZ8AIfl1GCsFHyFrdKrAqewayS1LlvjePePQN-MxdVXykCrJgexwdP9RXjSax1/s819/Santana%20Bishop%20RPI%2019701009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="819" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4B1LD3-7qrBz2Ahyf6pTuNXkiTObHtKGNyUbUTJB97GGnrv8DGHpcHsB7pu-nISXaFXt80ugegR4uaqttTkpdS4gPsu8jQnjcOH5fi5wD_CvbtmRumzJzOA19D7wAV4nZ8AIfl1GCsFHyFrdKrAqewayS1LlvjePePQN-MxdVXykCrJgexwdP9RXjSax1/s320/Santana%20Bishop%20RPI%2019701009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>October 9, 1970 Field House, RPI, Troy, NY: Santana/Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Friday)</i><br />The Elvin Bishop Group joined Santana for a swing through the East Coast. The tour had probably been booked before the titanic success of <i>Abraxas</i>. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute had been founded in 1824 in Troy, NY, where the Hudson River meets the Mohawk. It is near Albany and about 150 miles from Manhattan. <br /><p></p><p>Santana played two shows on Saturday night (October 10) at the Rhode Island Auditorium in Providence, and on Sunday night (October 11) at the Roberts Center in Boston College. James Cotton opened in Boston, and I don't know if there was an opening act in Providence. I can't help but suspect that the Elvin Bishop Group may have had other gigs in New England this weekend.<br /></p><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlJMnP2pWDx2rGLE9mHmrtcfkH7-xZx3WcirScIP8wyhbL5N4Dp2rTGBR-yFKXiuIion_cmLRZEZsXKEp2T86lNqeTIqR0ZqKGHKXWdpd0qHHaa1cEdXmm6s1stAysjH-ykMzdEBxGUGfchhsIri7-Vbwp4jSTYn8IDfoDyr_bjTMwgbXmHPk7TZZ7wdg/s1588/Capitol%20Theater%20Santana%2019701014.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1588" data-original-width="414" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlJMnP2pWDx2rGLE9mHmrtcfkH7-xZx3WcirScIP8wyhbL5N4Dp2rTGBR-yFKXiuIion_cmLRZEZsXKEp2T86lNqeTIqR0ZqKGHKXWdpd0qHHaa1cEdXmm6s1stAysjH-ykMzdEBxGUGfchhsIri7-Vbwp4jSTYn8IDfoDyr_bjTMwgbXmHPk7TZZ7wdg/s320/Capitol%20Theater%20Santana%2019701014.jpg" width="83" /></a></div><br /><b>October 14, 1970 Capitol Theater, Port Chester, NY Santana/Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Wednesday) 2 shows</i><br />The Capitol Theater was a beautiful old 1800-seat movie theater at the last stop of the commuter train to Manhattan. Howard Stein booked shows there in 1970 and '71, and the venue is fondly remembered by fans and musicians alike. Santana and Elvin Bishop played two shows on a Wednesday night, no doubt booked well before <i>Abraxas</i>. Note all the great bands in the ad who were booked there (Rod Stewart, Zappa, Traffic, the Dead), who would not be playing 1800-seat theaters much longer, even on weeknights. <br /><p></p><p><b>October 16-17, 1970 Fillmore East, New York, NY: BB King/Butterfield Blues Band/Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Friday-Saturday)</i><br />The Elvin Bishop Group finished up their Eastern leg at the Fillmore East. Although not as well known as either <b>BB King</b> or Butterfield, Bishop belonged on the bill. The Butterfield Blues Band had gone out of their way to flag BB King and other giants as their inspirations, making sure that the new white rock audience for the blues knew the sources, and BB knew it. The Butterfield Blues Band was still chugging along, excellent live though not recording anything interesting. </p><p><b>October 30, 1970 Bear's Lair, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA: Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Friday) 9:00 and 10:30pm</i><br />The Bear's Lair was a tiny student beer joint on campus, in Lower Sproul Plaza. <br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIoT__iV3J4h6cdnu4B5IzXFttBr4byDRsTBr89v34JSiX8nXq2n3qT-cAeguBvYAvrd-zPwEVLgZTYN5pwYQnIsACe-JDqG4tK2chH7eY4RdAw-Dr3xj7qQlYMcUN6qg5JlQXNG_-dlm-kmzFdxb9NttlOeVWEZrqc71WVCwJ92P-eC5SfNowZDskl5h/s924/Boston%20Rock%20Around%20Town%20Globe%20Oct%204%2070.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIoT__iV3J4h6cdnu4B5IzXFttBr4byDRsTBr89v34JSiX8nXq2n3qT-cAeguBvYAvrd-zPwEVLgZTYN5pwYQnIsACe-JDqG4tK2chH7eY4RdAw-Dr3xj7qQlYMcUN6qg5JlQXNG_-dlm-kmzFdxb9NttlOeVWEZrqc71WVCwJ92P-eC5SfNowZDskl5h/s320/Boston%20Rock%20Around%20Town%20Globe%20Oct%204%2070.jpg" width="186" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boston Globe Nov 4 1970<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>November 5-7, 1970 Boston Tea Party, Boston, MA: Leon Russell/Elvin Bishop Group/Juicy Lucy </b><i>(Thursday-Saturday) </i><br />The Elvin Bishop Group played at the Boston Tea Party, opening for Leon Russell. The Tea Party was also kind of small, holding perhaps 2000. It was to close soon after this, since it simply could not compete with larger venues. Still, the Boston market was important, and the Tea Party had a lot of cachet. <b>Leon Russell</b> had been a Hollwyood studio guy who had burst out into view on Joe Cocker's <i>Mad Dogs And Englishmen</i> tour in early 1970. His self-titled debut, with it's All-Star guests (Clapton, Winwood, three Stones, two Beatles, etc) and classic songs ("A Song For You," "Delta Lady" and "Roll Away The Stone," among others), was played often on FM radio, so by the end of 1970 Russell was probably already too big for the Tea Party. <b>Juicy Lucy</b> was a British group that featured pedal steel guitar player Glenn Ross Campbell, from Riverside, CA. <br /></p><p>Given the timeline, it's clear that it was worth it for the Bishop Group to fly back out from California to play the Boston Tea Party. I looked for other dates on the East Coast around this time, but the band may have simply returned home. The Boston <i>Globe</i> gave a positive review of the Bishop Group (November 9), mentioning that Jo Baker had sang around Boston in Clouds. <br /></p><p></p><b>November 19-22, 1970 Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA: Sha Na Na/Elvin Bishop Group/Tower Of Power </b>(Thursday-Sunday)<br />Both Elvin Bishop Group and Tower Of Power, though local, were rising in stature in the Bay Area. With a new album, the Bishop Group was getting renewed attention. <b>Tower Of Power </b>was also booked by Millard and had released their debut album <i>East Bay Grease</i> on a Graham label (San Francisco, distributed by Atlantic). Sha Na Na, initially formed as a kind of novelty act at Columbia University, were fairly well-known thanks to their appearance in the <i>Woodstock</i> movie and hit soundtrack album. <br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSp_phyHvOuQS2EHP8-iS84FWZK0NmiwIxIYUCHTpbDtUEe8FAWzaSTwP2HCThx4dt_4PNALHnAd-U7HQOQNAYXuKNh564BoIhKfX0sCgrUOITXMkN4tl6iJGh9MBEKgRxdFvTyoSWfkpMPm35mcwKQ8n3n-4y-wYoVWDZLHHiNQ_NOvq9-2IUp3WIyDl8/s1268/Elvin%20Bishop%20David%20Hale%20review%20Fresno%20Bee%20Nov%2026%2070.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1268" data-original-width="518" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSp_phyHvOuQS2EHP8-iS84FWZK0NmiwIxIYUCHTpbDtUEe8FAWzaSTwP2HCThx4dt_4PNALHnAd-U7HQOQNAYXuKNh564BoIhKfX0sCgrUOITXMkN4tl6iJGh9MBEKgRxdFvTyoSWfkpMPm35mcwKQ8n3n-4y-wYoVWDZLHHiNQ_NOvq9-2IUp3WIyDl8/s320/Elvin%20Bishop%20David%20Hale%20review%20Fresno%20Bee%20Nov%2026%2070.jpg" width="131" /></a><br /></div><p><b>November 25, 1970 Selland Arena, Fresno, CA: Elvin Bishop Group/It's A Beautiful Day/Cold Blood/Boz Scaggs </b><i>(Wednesday) </i><br />The Millard Agency strategy of bringing the Fillmore to the hinterlands seemed to be working. According to a November 26 note in the Fresno <i>Bee</i>, the bands played the Selland Arena to a "capacity crowd" on the evening before Thanksgiving. Since Selland held 6000, that was twice the capacity of Fillmore West. All but Boz Scaggs had released their second albums (and Boz's would come in March), and they were starting to get heard on local FM radio everywhere. The review also mentioned that the Pointer Sisters (as a trio) were with Bishop, so it seems their appearances were somewhat regular, too. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_XwOrUCcKeSQmRHiiMMSmZa4YJ92Fy2ozVvkm6XhkcKLd9lWBvL2go3IydrCkg93iLRpz3uUT6NdQYYRrOUaKbtdYUGfSQzBLCqZt-s4-Ocpixn5TaxwACCeOwXhn7zIhm6OqEr07O62YVseYLVF-ZluLN7HFnuTDgs0conmJWxKdSWILN-klDRkjnF5/s742/Moody%20Blues%20Trapeze%20Maples%2019701203.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="742" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_XwOrUCcKeSQmRHiiMMSmZa4YJ92Fy2ozVvkm6XhkcKLd9lWBvL2go3IydrCkg93iLRpz3uUT6NdQYYRrOUaKbtdYUGfSQzBLCqZt-s4-Ocpixn5TaxwACCeOwXhn7zIhm6OqEr07O62YVseYLVF-ZluLN7HFnuTDgs0conmJWxKdSWILN-klDRkjnF5/s320/Moody%20Blues%20Trapeze%20Maples%2019701203.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The Elvin Bishop Group replaced the English group Trapeze when they opened for The Moody Blues at Stanford's Maples Pavilion on December 3, 1970</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p><b>December 3, 1970 Maples Pavilion, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA: Moody Blues/Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Thursday)</i><br />Stanford University had upgraded Maples Pavilion to make it more amenable to rock concerts, and the first show in the new configuration was <b>The</b> <b>Moody Blues</b>. The English group Trapeze had been booked to open the show, but they canceled their American tour, so the Elvin Bishop Group filled in. </p><p><b>December 6-7, 1970 New Monk, Berkeley, CA: John Lee Hooker/Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Sunday-Monday)</i><br />The New Monk, at 2119 University Avenue (at Shattuck) in downtown Berkeley, was the successor to a fraternity beer joint called The Monkey Inn, known by all as "The Monk" (at 3105 Shattuck). The newer, larger club had an official capacity of nearly 500, and booked higher profile rock and blues groups on weekends. The New Monk would never really find its place, however, and by the end of 1971 it would be taken over by Freddie Herrera of the Keystone Korner. <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2020/11/keystone-berkeley-2119-university.html">Once re-christened as the Keystone Berkeley in March, 1972, it was the anchor of the Herrera Keystone empire, and the Elvin Bishop Group would play the club almost every month until 1977</a>. <br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZMhXuvlXTs3ehpHtn9UGSl7VYZAY87gT17vAjg1o94qhvR5NioKgdziCUzA6mSMTrog3moXIuG8_lmt1JVT1vxdsroEzgoLP27JQ51Q4HvLwoHDr3vbhYDmSmarMweOt29BXtRQSehHTBcKrLNo8jMTDCC3YOI_ugOAfOrd2V5KEkTG4Sdr3ryusqO2H/s819/Bishop%20Pomona%20Upland%20News%2019701211%20Dec%2010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="819" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZMhXuvlXTs3ehpHtn9UGSl7VYZAY87gT17vAjg1o94qhvR5NioKgdziCUzA6mSMTrog3moXIuG8_lmt1JVT1vxdsroEzgoLP27JQ51Q4HvLwoHDr3vbhYDmSmarMweOt29BXtRQSehHTBcKrLNo8jMTDCC3YOI_ugOAfOrd2V5KEkTG4Sdr3ryusqO2H/s320/Bishop%20Pomona%20Upland%20News%2019701211%20Dec%2010.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upland News, December 10<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>December 11, 1970 Gym, Cal State Poly Pomona, Pomona, CA: Paul Butterfield Blues Band/Elvin Bishop Group/Becker </b><i>(Friday) </i><br />College gigs were extremely lucrative for touring bands. Restless undergraduates would see anybody who came to campus, and since colleges never went out of business, bands always got paid. Cal Poly Pomona (formally, the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona) had been a satellite of Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, but in 1966 it split into a separate institution. Pomona is a small town 30 miles East of Los Angeles. <p></p><p><b>December 12-13, 1970 Golden Bear, Huntington Beach, CA: Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Saturday-Sunday) </i><br />The Bishop Group returned to the Golden Bear to finish out the weekend in Southern California. <br /></p><b>December 19, 1970 Keystone Korner, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop Group/Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen/Gideon & Power </b><i>(Saturday) </i><br />I believe that the Elvin Bishop Group was still regularly playing Monday night jams at Keystone Korner, although very likely something like once a month rather than every week. I'm not sure why they needed to play a Saturday night, but the Bishop Group liked to play, and in any case not every fan was free Monday night. Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen had started to develop a name for themselves outside of Berkeley, but they were just a year removed from Ann Arbor, MI, and a year away from releasing their epic debut, <i>Lost In The Ozone</i>. <br /><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTIavcDfYP1iSW6XYi4f_gm1Loff_9qmFjMlmPGHb-Pee-TyxCqdVlaF2KRus43CiDuMHZ9uPO4cOuNE3iJGfuFykT3JsDRtznyyOXZ3FktSAqBMl41r6Y1lvpaMwHdmbgxx8F1m5Lj6HaKFdTF_nCLojK7Kkodu58cqJRrpf2nzHL3j7C9sOKEkqwe3Xs/s300/Gideon%20&%20Power%20I%20Gotta%20Be%20Me%20Bell%201972.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTIavcDfYP1iSW6XYi4f_gm1Loff_9qmFjMlmPGHb-Pee-TyxCqdVlaF2KRus43CiDuMHZ9uPO4cOuNE3iJGfuFykT3JsDRtznyyOXZ3FktSAqBMl41r6Y1lvpaMwHdmbgxx8F1m5Lj6HaKFdTF_nCLojK7Kkodu58cqJRrpf2nzHL3j7C9sOKEkqwe3Xs/s1600/Gideon%20&%20Power%20I%20Gotta%20Be%20Me%20Bell%201972.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>I Gotta Be Me, by Gideon & Power, released by Bell Records in 1972. It featured lead singer Gideon Daniels. Elvin Bishop played on a few tracks. </i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />Gideon & Power</b> was a sort of "Gospel-Rock" group fronted by singer Gideon Daniels. They were booked with the Elvin Bishop Group many times, and Bishop played on their Bell album in 1972. Although a minor Bay Area group, Gideon & Power turned out to be a sort of feeder for the Elvin Bishop Group. Singer Mickey Thomas, who sang lead on Bishop's giant "Fooled Around And Fell In Love," had been in Gideon & Power before the Elvin Bishop Group. Later, after Thomas had already joined him, Bishop drafted organist Melvin Seals from Gideon & Power. Neither would have been in Gideon & Power in 1970, however.<br /><p></p><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_IwlrAEpPN26TPq9TmCA-ur73UOU_DKpwB8b8V-Jm4WEXc7656tbJKZnEhIk9iUZjlblMD8D1LiD-vWS5moNtEGMyRUbaK0BbWj1wEC2Roc07zEW0GQePL7re3xyr8EeWdqmnzxE8usaTV_3g7gYm-9Pvwt8e9UMpdQun0YVMq7WkihcLVN5cCeCHKyl/s2870/Elvin%20Bishop%2019701231.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2870" data-original-width="747" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_IwlrAEpPN26TPq9TmCA-ur73UOU_DKpwB8b8V-Jm4WEXc7656tbJKZnEhIk9iUZjlblMD8D1LiD-vWS5moNtEGMyRUbaK0BbWj1wEC2Roc07zEW0GQePL7re3xyr8EeWdqmnzxE8usaTV_3g7gYm-9Pvwt8e9UMpdQun0YVMq7WkihcLVN5cCeCHKyl/s320/Elvin%20Bishop%2019701231.jpg" width="83" /></a></div><br />December 31, 1970 Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA: Cold Blood/Elvin Bishop/Boz Scaggs/Voices Of East Harlem </b><i>(Thursday)</i><br />The Elvin Bishop Group closed out 1970 the same place they had closed out 1969, booked at the Fillmore West for Bill Graham. In 1969 Santana had headed the proceedings, with Bishop third on the bill, but for 1970 the Elvin Bishop Group was sharing the front line with Cold Blood and Boz Scaggs. <div><br /></div><div>From one perspective, the Elvin Bishop Group in 1970 followed music business orthodoxy, playing on the bill with other acts from his management and his record company. Santana was the hottest act for both Columbia and the Millard Agency, so it’s no surprise that the Bishop Group’s highest profile concerts were with them. Yet at the same time, the Bishop group also took a very San Francisco path. Rising groups in Los Angeles or London did not play little nightclubs, or headline high school gyms far from the big city, for fear of seeming not-cool. San Francisco wasn’t like that in 1970, however, as the likes of Mike Bloomfield, Jerry Garcia and Jorma Kaukonen played all over when their main bands weren’t playing. So the Elvin Bishop Group played relentlessly, at a Monday night jam or a Ukiah High School.<br /><p></p>The seeds of the Elvin Bishop Group's later success had been carved into place throughout 1970. Elvin Bishop had established his aw-shucks country persona, but he had a reputation as a serious blues guitarist as well. Although his band was named after himself, he did not fall into the trap of insisting that his limited lead vocals had to dominate every song. The Bishop Group was not trapped in the guitar-hero blues bag of so many sixties groups, with a healthy dose of soul and a touch of country to broaden his sound. By the end of 1970, Bishop had already met the Allman Brothers, for whose label he would record his biggest hit, and he was working with Bill Graham, the most high profile concert promoter in the business. His associations with Graham and Columbia ensured that Bishop was regularly booked with major acts like Santana and the Allmans, so that Bishop could build an audience one concert at a time. All of Bishop's hard work would pay off a few years later, with "Fooled Around And Fell In Love, " the single released on Capricorn Records in February 1976.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDI5cPzrEvIoFDKHVuR54sq2vs4flF4n5oUK-XYSC5S5agJDded9jkQjJNVP8n5k8TsL6GHg83QUPj8xK_KdigYNPJsucjdXi2Pnp3f4P3jStVlGAW4EyTva4yt2LFF3fhrHLfejKZlqn0EQ0OqqteyNxXNOtlMv6gSg9N8v893O4XD1V2XN9Mb1dMrNXV/s1200/Elvin%20Bishop%20Group%20debut%20Fillmore%2069%20back%20cover.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1178" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDI5cPzrEvIoFDKHVuR54sq2vs4flF4n5oUK-XYSC5S5agJDded9jkQjJNVP8n5k8TsL6GHg83QUPj8xK_KdigYNPJsucjdXi2Pnp3f4P3jStVlGAW4EyTva4yt2LFF3fhrHLfejKZlqn0EQ0OqqteyNxXNOtlMv6gSg9N8v893O4XD1V2XN9Mb1dMrNXV/s320/Elvin%20Bishop%20Group%20debut%20Fillmore%2069%20back%20cover.jpg" width="314" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The back cover of the Elvin Bishop Group's debut album on Fillmore Records, from 1969</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Appendix: Elvin Bishop and The Elvin Bishop Group 1968-69</i></b><br />In order to construct my 1970 Elvin Bishop Group Performance Log, I had to do the homework for 1968 and ‘69 as well. I am posting the list of known Elvin Bishop gigs for those years below, with minimal comments. Mainly I comment where the Bishop Group played a venue that was not part of the larger 1970 list above. </div><div> </div><div><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihznYy_BoFZye5ChDM_IwJVdkuo7Xz78G_Acezn8v2WhIRPWTyCGn5CQhAnXTCAmrZerESMWl5QIEvqbk1i3MYcDq_H6trBOh3RMZQ9YzGJUbX2FZHu_50P4p_LcP5XxMY69DdqanJ-qsMj9tSeLMV3D8sj_ncaPRoyhKbZQz3QhuneW7ETIOC4R756Mn/s335/Carousel%2019680510%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="335" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihznYy_BoFZye5ChDM_IwJVdkuo7Xz78G_Acezn8v2WhIRPWTyCGn5CQhAnXTCAmrZerESMWl5QIEvqbk1i3MYcDq_H6trBOh3RMZQ9YzGJUbX2FZHu_50P4p_LcP5XxMY69DdqanJ-qsMj9tSeLMV3D8sj_ncaPRoyhKbZQz3QhuneW7ETIOC4R756Mn/s320/Carousel%2019680510%202.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The Steve Miller Band headlined at the Carousel Ballroom on the weekend of May 10-12, 1968, supported by Kaleidoscope and the Youngbloods. Elvin Bishop dropped by on Saturday night (May 11) to jam with Miller, an old pal from Chicago.</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></b><b><br />May 11, 1968 Carousel Ballrom, San Francisco, CA: Steve Miller Band/Kaleidoscope/Youngbloods </b><i>(Saturday) </i><br />Elvin Bishop’s first known appearance as a San Francisco resident was as a guest of the Steve Miller Band at the Carousel Ballroom. Miller was an old pal from Chicago. The Carousel had been taken over by the Grateful Dead and some of the other bands, and was operating as a direct competitor to the Fillmore West and the Avalon Ballroom. </div><div> </div><div><b>May 21, 1968 Carousel Ballroom, San Francisco, CA: Tuesday Night Jam </b><i>(Tuesday)</i><br />The Grateful Dead organized a series of Tuesday night Jams at the Carousel. The first was on May 21, and it was put together by Rhoney Stanley, one of Owsley’s girlfriends. Owsley taped much of the proceedings. Other guests at the jam included Steve Miller, Jerry Garcia, Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady.</div><div> </div><div><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJxDIk7aa8UQk6ndMRXI3PvjyAAeboiF9Iq4RsQYy74SorxPb5gLnU3jYxQcjwv4Bn9GI-jd436Kka49fURv8y48ISjCHgxfzzZdCiAxRa_PAFhyqio9_ddmst6MkDBZQ9ViahQ7wA5rNZazzuYz3bDc-5LMvnw-BGwXU__Wj2_3JGS7cAXqGdLpf6qKh/s600/Live%20Adventures%20of%20Mike%20Bloomfield%20and%20Al%20Kooper%20Columbia%201969.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="599" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJxDIk7aa8UQk6ndMRXI3PvjyAAeboiF9Iq4RsQYy74SorxPb5gLnU3jYxQcjwv4Bn9GI-jd436Kka49fURv8y48ISjCHgxfzzZdCiAxRa_PAFhyqio9_ddmst6MkDBZQ9ViahQ7wA5rNZazzuYz3bDc-5LMvnw-BGwXU__Wj2_3JGS7cAXqGdLpf6qKh/s320/Live%20Adventures%20of%20Mike%20Bloomfield%20and%20Al%20Kooper%20Columbia%201969.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper, released January 1969 by Columbia Records. The double album was recorded the weekend of September 26-28, 1968, and included a cover painting by Norman Rockwell. Elvin Bishop played on one track. </i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></b><b><br />September 28, 1969 Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA: Mike Bloomfield & Al Kooper/It's A Beautiful Day/Loading Zone </b><i>(Sunday) </i><br />After the unexpected, phenomenal success of the Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper <i>Super Session</i> album, Graham booked the pair for a weekend at the Fillmore West (formerly the Carousel). Columbia was there to record the proceedings. After fine shows on Friday and Saturday night, Bloomfield reverted to character and checked into the hospital, making him unavailable for the Sunday show. Al Kooper got on the phone and called all his friends, so Bishop, Carlos Santana and Steve Miller all dropped in to jam instead of Bloomfield. One of Bishop’s tracks made it to the album (<i>The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper</i>), and his presence is credited as “courtesy of Elektra Records.”<br /><p>Note that Bishop only showed up to jam on the night when Bloomfield was not there. </p><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IyE9gbGhwvxu0ZwKC0BXcvLSk5aTxLcDixDjonHdqXl6PbQW9prbPe9hkDwAuqFgr9oE04-MYQbspJJAXXI2CWfpooXLLXe3vmeOCO_OCH2eCxnv9MZFbuzORo-Sco0LWWSh7XtJvvt1Ng9yFXTmidMA5LR4soCwfOnfss56QHA5nW-Lvg_yHiW7NjX3/s2256/Bishop%20Garcia%20Matrix%2019681008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2256" data-original-width="1951" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IyE9gbGhwvxu0ZwKC0BXcvLSk5aTxLcDixDjonHdqXl6PbQW9prbPe9hkDwAuqFgr9oE04-MYQbspJJAXXI2CWfpooXLLXe3vmeOCO_OCH2eCxnv9MZFbuzORo-Sco0LWWSh7XtJvvt1Ng9yFXTmidMA5LR4soCwfOnfss56QHA5nW-Lvg_yHiW7NjX3/s320/Bishop%20Garcia%20Matrix%2019681008.jpg" width="277" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i> A hard to read flyer for The Matrix in October 1968</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />October 8, 1968 The Matrix, San Francisco, CA: Jerry Garcia and Friends/Marble Farm </b><i>(Tuesday)</i><br />After some in-house turmoil, some members of the Grateful Dead decided to take up playing without Bob Weir or Pigpen. It is hard not to infer that the Dead were auditioning different guitar players, if somewhat informally. Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann played three weeknights at the Matrix on October 8-10, billed as Jerry Garcia and Friends. Amongst Deadheads, this configuration is known as “Mickey and The Hartbeats.” Local band Marble Farm opened the show. <br /><p>We have tapes of the August 8 (Tuesday) and 10 (Thursday) shows, and Bishop plays on August 8. The configuration this night seems to be Jerry Garcia, Jack Casady (bass) and the drummers. Elvin Bishop joins in for some blues near the end, and also sings “Prisoner Of Love.” </p><p></p><b>October 11-12, 1968 The Matrix, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop/ Marble Farm</b><i> (Friday-Saturday)</i><br />Elvin Bishop’s only booking under his own name in 1968 was two nights at the Matrix on the weekend of October 11-12. We have a tape of one set from the second night, all blues instrumentals. The organ is prominent, and I suspect it’s Linn County’s Stephen Miller. I have no idea who the rhythm section might have been. <br /><br /><b>October 30, 1968 The Matrix, San Francisco, CA: Jerry Garcia and Friends/Marble Farm </b><i>(Wednesday)</i><br />Mickey and The Hartbeats returned to the Matrix for a four-night stand on October 28-31 (Monday through Thursday). We have a partial tape of October 29, and a likely complete one for October 30. The basic lineup is Garcia, Lesh, Kreutzmann and Hart. Bishop joins in at the end of the October 30 tape for some blues jamming and “Prisoner Of Love.” </div><div><br /></div><div><b>December 24, 1968 The Matrix, San Francisco, CA: Harvey Mandel </b><i>(Tuesday)</i><br />Harvey Mandel hosted a jam on Christmas Eve, and a tape has survived. Bishop dropped in, along with Jerry Garcia, Jack Casady and John Chambers on drums. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>January 7-9, 1969 The Matrix, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop/Marble Farm </b><i>(Tuesday-Thursday)</i></div><div> </div><div><b>January 14, 1969 The Matrix, San Francisco, CA: It's A Beautiful Day/David Blue</b> <i>(Tuesday)</i></div><div>David Blue (1941-82, b. David Cohen), a former Greenwich Village folksinger, and by now a singer-songwriter on Reprise Records, opened the midweek shows (Tuesday-Thursday) supporting locals It's A Beautiful Day. Blue had an electric quartet that included guitarist Bob Rafkin. Bishop sat in one night, probably Tuesday. <i><br /></i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>January 24-25, 1969 The Matrix, San Francisco, CA: Albert Collins/Elvin Bishop </b><i>(Friday-Saturday)</i><br /><br /><b>March 12 or 19, 1969 Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA: <i>Tuesday night Audition and Jam </i></b><i>(Tuesday)</i><br /><a href="http://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2010/08/fillmore-west-lost-concerts-tuesday.html">Starting in Fall 1968, Bill Graham had shows almost every Tuesday night at Fillmore West, usually featuring three local bands, some just newly arrived in town</a>. There was also a “jam,” which was either a musician’s hangout or a better known band trying something new. There were no posters, and details are scant (I am pretty much the only source). The Elvin Bishop Group made their San Francisco debut at one of the Tuesday night shows, with no advance publicity. Jud Cost’s great liner notes for the Sundazed Records re-release marked the Fillmore West Tuesday show as March, 1969. <p><b>March 22-23, 1969 The Matrix, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop Group/Terry Dolan </b><i>(Friday-Saturday)</i></p><b>April 24-26, 1969 New Orleans House, Berkeley, CA: Elvin Bishop Group/Mother Bear </b>(<i>Friday-Sunday</i>)<br /><br /><br /><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZlSqya70ke9lxeOb328pcXGiEaozaxyEU99UY06RZC6KkXifq_tYfPBCZZIK0n0kgRG-fkPYHdNjaWMdc2dNcWQTj593cb1LQsVOuqu_T_PVTLKPA_yJ-8EWl8Mcodmn3Zp1mIuu1Y6ldGnd8_2NLSPbHeojPkuud46XjznOrZMODZjofILcB4q6epBAD/s1065/Elvin%20Bishop%20FW%2019690501.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="1065" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZlSqya70ke9lxeOb328pcXGiEaozaxyEU99UY06RZC6KkXifq_tYfPBCZZIK0n0kgRG-fkPYHdNjaWMdc2dNcWQTj593cb1LQsVOuqu_T_PVTLKPA_yJ-8EWl8Mcodmn3Zp1mIuu1Y6ldGnd8_2NLSPbHeojPkuud46XjznOrZMODZjofILcB4q6epBAD/s320/Elvin%20Bishop%20FW%2019690501.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />May 1 & 4, 1969 Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA: Mongo Santamaria/Cold Blood/Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Thursday & Sunday)</i><br />Bill Graham booked Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead together at Winterland on the weekend of May 2 and 3, joined by Mongo Santamaria. To fill out the weekend, Graham booked Mongo with Elvin Bishop and Cold Blood at Fillmore West on Thursday and Sunday. </div><div> </div><div><b>May 23-25, 1969 Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, San Jose, CA: Northern California Folk-Rock Festival</b> <i> (Friday-Sunday)</i><br /><a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2009/09/san-jose-ca-outdoor-rock-festivals-1967.html">The 1969 Northern California Rock Festival was a huge, never -to-be-repeated outdoor event, and too complex a story to tell here</a>. Dozens of acts played over the course of three days, including Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. I’m not sure which day the Elvin Bishop Group played. <br /> </div><div><b>May 28, 1969 Winterland, San Francisco, CA: Jefferson Airplane/Creedence Clearwater Revival/Santana/Grateful Dead/Elvin Bishop Group/Aum/Bangor Flying Circus </b><i>(Wednesday) People's Park Bail Benefit</i><br />The bands got together to provide funds to bail out those arrested at various protests at People's Park in Berkeley. </div><div> </div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGps6Sq0w_NHUhso_jUVUvJp7TjxRh9oVK_tokXpn0_Y0-2sFP_O-pWben1ogGnIGUZbV4hH_C1dbkNvFUtnIQ56NGjxcDi4k01NnYiS6B5-fh9veQVAVIlO8E3Tw9fDpnRv5HYigF2AiCUVtJ_4EbZlyVB6dLiBn_YNLFoZy3k-h6SxZUFKZAP97drDO/s3185/santana%20merced%2019690530.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3185" data-original-width="2466" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGps6Sq0w_NHUhso_jUVUvJp7TjxRh9oVK_tokXpn0_Y0-2sFP_O-pWben1ogGnIGUZbV4hH_C1dbkNvFUtnIQ56NGjxcDi4k01NnYiS6B5-fh9veQVAVIlO8E3Tw9fDpnRv5HYigF2AiCUVtJ_4EbZlyVB6dLiBn_YNLFoZy3k-h6SxZUFKZAP97drDO/s320/santana%20merced%2019690530.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><br />May 30, 1969 Merced County Fairgrounds, Merced, CA: Santana/Elvin Bishop Group/Sanpaku/Crystal Syphon/Stonehenge/Wildfire/Superchief (Friday)</b><br /></div><div><b> </b></div><div><b>June 3, 1969 Speedway Meadows, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA: Sons Of Champlin/Linn County/Elvin Bishop Group/Crazy Horse/Cedro Wooley </b><i>(Sunday) free concert noon-5 pm Presented by The 13th Tribe</i><br />The 13rd Tribe was a sort of hippie commune, who often put together free concerts and benefits. <b>Crazy Horse</b> was a local band, probably from Merced, not Neil Young's guys from LA.<br /><br /></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9HCnwDurZ2yT5DnGCJwD2zpA-kua7RrhVbCHT--qCBRqhAAZeIak89LLMg99NvZ_3hL4RnPvRlqPQpjq8x_IUO7QJoP51SUdY_rU9gfsbLmByzByIlOzTDun5qCnO-VKEjg8x3kR4LG-fVBp8faqrzhV7ixuRXCOJavRyn3viCQPX9PobzwGbvkMPqOU/s347/Elvin%20Bishop%20Rio%20Nido%2019690606.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="251" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9HCnwDurZ2yT5DnGCJwD2zpA-kua7RrhVbCHT--qCBRqhAAZeIak89LLMg99NvZ_3hL4RnPvRlqPQpjq8x_IUO7QJoP51SUdY_rU9gfsbLmByzByIlOzTDun5qCnO-VKEjg8x3kR4LG-fVBp8faqrzhV7ixuRXCOJavRyn3viCQPX9PobzwGbvkMPqOU/s320/Elvin%20Bishop%20Rio%20Nido%2019690606.jpeg" width="231" /></a></div><br />June 6-7, 1969 The Barn, Rio Nido, CA: Linn County/Elvin Bishop Group/Southwind </b><i>(Friday-Saturday)</i><br />The Barn was a short-lived name for the Rio Nido Dance Hall, a tiny but charming building at the very Northern edge of Sonoma County. Fondly remembered, it was too small to really be viable for a rock venue. <br /><br /><b>June 8, 1969 Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA: Grateful Dead/Junior Walker and The All-Stars/Glass Family </b><i>(Sunday)</i><br />The Grateful Dead headlined a weekend at the Fillmore West. For the final Sunday night show, Owsley had concocted an “experimental” brew that had unforeseen consequences. For the last set of Sunday night, Jerry Garcia was too high to play—how high did Jerry have to be to be “too high to play”?—and emergency steps were taken. <a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2010/04/fillmore-west-june-6-and-8-1969-guest.html">Elvin Bishop and Aum guitarist Wayne Ceballos sat in for the longest “Turn On Your Lovelight” in Grateful Dead history (48 minutes) and two blues numbers (including “Things I Used To Do”), until Jerry was able to return to the stage and close out the show</a>. </div><div> </div><div><b>June 13-14, 1969 The Poppycock, Palo Alto, CA: Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Friday-Saturday)</i><br />The Poppycock in Palo Alto had opened in late 1967, and it too had started booking original rock by the end of the year. <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2020/07/palo-alto-psychedelic-rock-shows-1969.html">The Matrix, the New Orleans House and The Poppycock formed a tiny circuit for bands that played original rock. </a>The little club at the corner of University Avenue and High Street also held only about 250, too small to thrive into the 1970s. </div><div> </div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpaAqMxbcrLdW-zze2U1gCK4l7Ai5CoVa5f2OWGvy-0io-mnKcsL1_qX2Q5lNZuZy9VncoQxtujB-7GQmMcaHfS4rhm83tL6z2Q1I-DFYAkxuFTWTklygSC2_0ti7ODRIirA54Kw5PWHHtbEgWkEF6G5Nsq9sM2qZR_kRv3T2p8QFPyzzHc37SqtvxQRK/s462/Sons%20FDGH%2019690620%2020%20Jun%201969,%2026%20-%20The%20San%20Francisco%20Examiner%20at%20Newspapers%20com.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="462" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpaAqMxbcrLdW-zze2U1gCK4l7Ai5CoVa5f2OWGvy-0io-mnKcsL1_qX2Q5lNZuZy9VncoQxtujB-7GQmMcaHfS4rhm83tL6z2Q1I-DFYAkxuFTWTklygSC2_0ti7ODRIirA54Kw5PWHHtbEgWkEF6G5Nsq9sM2qZR_kRv3T2p8QFPyzzHc37SqtvxQRK/s320/Sons%20FDGH%2019690620%2020%20Jun%201969,%2026%20-%20The%20San%20Francisco%20Examiner%20at%20Newspapers%20com.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />June 20-22, 1969 Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Sons Of Champlin/Congress Of Wonders/Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Friday-Sunday)</i><br />After a high-flying opening weekend with Jefferson Airplane (June 13 and 14 ‘69), <a href="http://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/01/june-20-22-1969-family-dog-on-great.html ">Chet Helms’s Family Dog on The Great Highway’s second seeking featured Sons Of Champlin and Elvin Bishop Group</a>. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>June 25, 1969 The Matrix, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Wednesday)</i><br />We have a tape of some of Bishop's set. If the Matrix followed their usual pattern, the Bishop Group probably played a Tuesday-through-Thursday (June 24-26) booking. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGvFQe-kxBEx-WRS4AckcENtanpb-XxKjRG622bN1Ixo0PtXEaN0J7E8JjXv_P8pJ0BX_CgcAW8jqyOgDc1hmJbQ2c8enhnavNnRWY6CyB0Wkqq3Zdva9n8TFWlW6UKvj3b8SKxhp1TlWQg00Wtq_Ns0-0MTWNTIOBiJ766i65HIHU169JDYyPTiySqow/s560/Elvin%20Bishop%20Monterey%2019690628.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="432" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGvFQe-kxBEx-WRS4AckcENtanpb-XxKjRG622bN1Ixo0PtXEaN0J7E8JjXv_P8pJ0BX_CgcAW8jqyOgDc1hmJbQ2c8enhnavNnRWY6CyB0Wkqq3Zdva9n8TFWlW6UKvj3b8SKxhp1TlWQg00Wtq_Ns0-0MTWNTIOBiJ766i65HIHU169JDYyPTiySqow/s320/Elvin%20Bishop%20Monterey%2019690628.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br />June 28, 1969 Gym, Monterey Peninsula College, Monterey Aum/Elvin Bishop Group/Linn County </b><i>(Saturday) Pure Filth Presents</i><br />With the rock market expanding, some promoters put on some shows at the gym in Monterey Peninsula College, the Junior College for the county. The Millard Agency was happy to supply the groups, including the Grateful Dead (June 14 ‘69) and Santana (July 19 ‘69).<br /><p><b>July 11, 1969 The Bear's Lair, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA: Elvin Bishop Group/Terry Dolan </b><i>(Friday)</i><br /></p><p><b>July 15-17, 1969 Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA: BB King/Elvin Bishop Group/Albert Collins </b><i>(Tuesday-Thursday)</i><br /></p><p><b>July 22-24, 1969 New Orleans House, Berkeley, CA: Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Tuesday-Thursday)</i></p><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpM6quzSSl4Nwd4ncC8ptZMZompmDVdpaAiQ831H2b9ifTTmyp3trMNxSne7vkzrCNIQ3FpQDBKFyS4ICmgBJwAtyeQW7TCqs8dHyOkhmWvizKOO7FrkcBXW7ZbA4fWJC9TmPSiyTQA790hUZ2xIx0G3QgaVOo1oTCjLc4OAyx1DzuZH3SVM7p0PCoREi/s1260/Doors%20Cow%20Palace%2019690725.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpM6quzSSl4Nwd4ncC8ptZMZompmDVdpaAiQ831H2b9ifTTmyp3trMNxSne7vkzrCNIQ3FpQDBKFyS4ICmgBJwAtyeQW7TCqs8dHyOkhmWvizKOO7FrkcBXW7ZbA4fWJC9TmPSiyTQA790hUZ2xIx0G3QgaVOo1oTCjLc4OAyx1DzuZH3SVM7p0PCoREi/s320/Doors%20Cow%20Palace%2019690725.jpg" width="203" /></a></div><br />July 25, 1969 Cow Palace, Daly City, CA: The Doors/Lonnie Mack/Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Friday)</i><br />The Doors were one of the most popular live attractions in rock, touring behind their newly released album <i>Soft Parade</i>. Bill Graham booked the show at the 13,000 seat Cow Palace, rather than at Fillmore West or Winterland. He also made sure that his own act was heard by a huge number of potential fans. <b> </b></div><div><b> </b></div><div><b>August 1, 1969 The Poppycock, Palo Alto, CA: Elvin Bishop Group/Joy Of Cooking </b><i>(Friday)</i><br />The Elvin Bishop Group recorded their debut album sometime in the Summer of 1969, possibly around August. </div><div> </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1scfl7sbeT4WAa2WOEmzdRDmbWJzyA7HdI9HCjwrGEaWCPjVOROMmhN1X6Bl_hFyaKufDTaY4TleMfurTzTdMqnXAxP17nec-1z0kqkB0MxQIjgATUW6c43piCMHGHPw81lGzHvITf3PMk6ZHN4CJJEHpcJ1UG3tk05p-UQCnn7Y0RXorizkWehfCkGU/s560/Youngbloods%20Bishop%20Fresno%2019690802.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="560" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1scfl7sbeT4WAa2WOEmzdRDmbWJzyA7HdI9HCjwrGEaWCPjVOROMmhN1X6Bl_hFyaKufDTaY4TleMfurTzTdMqnXAxP17nec-1z0kqkB0MxQIjgATUW6c43piCMHGHPw81lGzHvITf3PMk6ZHN4CJJEHpcJ1UG3tk05p-UQCnn7Y0RXorizkWehfCkGU/s320/Youngbloods%20Bishop%20Fresno%2019690802.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><br />August 2, 1969 Convention Center, Fresno, CA: Youngbloods/Elvin Bishop Group/Linn County </b><i>(Saturday) Avalanche Productions Presents</i><br /></div><div>The Convention Center was later better known as the Selland Arena. <br /></div><div><p><b>August 22-23, 1969 New Orleans House, Berkeley, CA: Elvin Bishop Group/Mother Bear </b><i>(Friday-Saturday)</i><br /></p><b>September 5-6, 1969 The Poppycock, Palo Alto, CA: Elvin Bishop Group/Fritz </b><i>(Friday-Saturday)</i><br />Opening for the Bishop Group at the Poppycock this weekend was a band from Menlo Park, the next town over from Palo Alto. <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2021/11/palo-alto-psychedelic-rock-shows-july.html">Opening act Fritz included former Menlo-Atherton High School students Lindsay Buckingham on bass and singer Stephanie “Stevie” Nicks. </a><p><b>September 19, 1969 Terra Nova High School, Pacifica, CA: Elvin Bishop/Country Weather/Feeling </b><i>(Friday)</i><br /></p><b>September 26, 1969 Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, San Jose, CA: Santana/Taj Mahal/Elvin Bishop </b><i>(Friday)</i><br />Taj Mahal, who had a terrific band featuring guitarist Jesse Ed Davis, was also on Columbia. <br /><br /><b>Serptember 27, 1969 Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa, CA: Santana/It's A Beautiful Day/Elvin Bishop Group <i>(Saturday)</i></b></div><div>The Elvin Bishop Group's debut album on Fillmore Records was released some time in October 1969.<br /></div><div> </div><div><b>October 3-4, 1969 Fillmore East, New York, NY: Chuck Berry/John Mayall/Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Friday-Saturday) early and late shows</i><br />Bill Graham made sure that the band releasing an album on his new album got to open at the Fillmore East, the highest profile gig in the country. <br /><p>John Mayall had a unique band with Jon Mark (acoustic guitar), Johnny Almond (tenor sax and flute) and Stephen Thompson (electric bass), yet with no drummer. Mayall had just released his <i>Turning Point</i> album (with the classic “Room To Move”), recorded at Fillmore East by the quartet in July. </p><b>October 7-8, 1969 Cafe-Au-Go-Go, New York, NY: Elvin Bishop Quartet </b><i>(Tuesday-Thursday)</i><br /><a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2010/01/cafe-au-go-go-new-york-city-152_6672.html">Bands that opened at Fillmore East often played a few days at the Cafe At-Go-Go as well. It provided a good opportunity for writers, djs and record company staff to see new bands</a>. The billing of “Elvin Bishop Quartet” tells us Stephen Miller was not on at least some or all of the Eastern tour. <p><b>October 9-11, 1969 Boston Tea Party, Boston, MA: Spirit/Elvin Bishop Group/Sha Na Na </b><i>(Friday-Saturday)</i><br />The Boston <i>Globe</i> suggests that this bill played on Thursday October 9, when Bishop was booked at the Au Go Go. Pending new information, I am (somewhat arbitrarily) assuming that Elvin Bishop played Boston on Thursday.<br /></p><p>By late '69, there was a sort of "Fillmore Circuit," of which Fillmore East and Boston Tea Party were the most memorable. But the same bands played the Kinetic Playground (Chicago), the Grande Riviera (Detroit), Ludlow's Garage (Cincinnati) and a few other venues. American and English Bands would traverse the country, playing in triple bills at the new psychedelic ballrooms. The Elvin Bishop Group's October '69 tour was typical of these bookings. <br /></p><p>There must very likely be a midwestern booking on the weekend of October 17-18.</p><p><b>October 24-25, 1969 Grande Riviera, Detroit, MI: John Mayall/Elvin Bishop Group/Barry Goldberg and The Red Hot Low </b><i>(Friday-Saturday)</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgthNWBHCdHeygzXM5WOi23lvgK3F7bcZX9T0nxpjArqLnPft-8fmsAr_QftV7nIuj3VaW63TkWiLttkFjOyGn-I5y7S8gp5ZC-iCrlLEwnNiTXMmWZ14E8FzAnQXbFS3dXor_8ielA1JD_4DcDwiqbOhPKjIaIzAAOAkwQJdcWtEinmzF7cENclyeuMV/s1448/Elvin%20Bishop%20Ludlows%2019691031.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="819" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgthNWBHCdHeygzXM5WOi23lvgK3F7bcZX9T0nxpjArqLnPft-8fmsAr_QftV7nIuj3VaW63TkWiLttkFjOyGn-I5y7S8gp5ZC-iCrlLEwnNiTXMmWZ14E8FzAnQXbFS3dXor_8ielA1JD_4DcDwiqbOhPKjIaIzAAOAkwQJdcWtEinmzF7cENclyeuMV/s320/Elvin%20Bishop%20Ludlows%2019691031.jpg" width="181" /></a></div><br /><b>October 31-November 2, 1969 Ludlow’s Garage, Cincinnati, OH: Elvin Bishop Group/Humble Pie/Devil’s Kitchen/Catfish </b><i>(Friday-Sunday) </i><br />Ludlow's Garage, founded in 1969 by promoter Jim Tarbell, was another legendary stop on the Fillmore circuit. <a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/04/november-29-30-1968-hyde-park-teen.html ">Tarbell had brought Vanilla Fudge and then the Grateful Dead to a tiny "Teen Center" in old church in 1968</a>. Ludlow's Garage (a former mechanic's shop) was kind of small, holding only about 1200, but it was between Detroit and Chicago, so lots of bands fit in gigs there. <br /><p>Humble Pie, with both Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton, was thoroughly unknown at the time, touring behind their first album (<i>As Safe As Yesterday Is</i>) on soon-to-be-bankrupt Immediate Records. Catfish were from Detroit, and featured singer Bob "Catfish" Hodge. Devil's Kitchen were from Carbondale, IL but had moved to San Francisco--they must have been visiting Carbondale and taken a side trip. <br /></p><b>November 21-23, 1969 Thelma, Los Angeles, CA: Elvin Bishop Group/AUM </b><i>(Friday-Sunday)</i><br />Thelma was an attempt to open an "upscale" rock club on the Sunset Strip, about two years too early. It was only open briefly. It was at 8917 Sunset Boulevard, just a few doors from both the Galaxie and the Whisky-A-Go-Go.</div><div> </div><div><b>November 30, 1969 11th Street Bandstand, Sacramento, CA: Elvin Bishop Group/Country Weather </b><i>(Sunday) 2-4pm Opening of Downtown Shopping Mall Free Concert</i><br />Sacramento had a gala Sunday afternoon opening for their new shopping mall. They had various free performances, including rock bands, jazz groups and folk singers.<p><b>December 3-4, 1969 New Orleans House, Berkeley, CA: Elvin Bishop Group/Devil’s Kitchen </b><i>(Wednesday-Thursday)</i></p><p><b>December 12 & 14, 1969 Keystone Korner, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Friday & Sunday)</i></p><p><b>December 20, 1969 The Poppycock, Palo Alto, CA: Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Saturday)</i></p><p><b>December 22, 1969 The Matrix, San Francisco, CA: Elvin Bishop Jam </b>(Monday)</p><p><b>December 31, 1969 Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA: Santana/It’s A Beautiful Day/Elvin Bishop Group/Joy Of Cooking </b><i>(Thursday)</i></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p></p></div>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-30393187319422250812023-11-10T07:44:00.001-08:002023-11-10T07:44:58.571-08:001746 US-20, West Lebanon, NY, Lebanon Valley Speedway Concert History (1973, 1977, 1980)<p> </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6bTbcvgxFYVD3WPqsD2kpkvE2OjdUghPOG_4_8NvLN-Z44J6fmATRL_Ue64nsADRNC_xvsag0pQv8gQKBUXre6zegq3oUDEI0ERbnSfIwfvvJZkxGhHHV1yzrU1r-CMNtZMZVwjluBjoQV8QigWknEe3mITT6zRDpOBoBbdn3Nss32IxISOFPGd8ypw=s834" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="834" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6bTbcvgxFYVD3WPqsD2kpkvE2OjdUghPOG_4_8NvLN-Z44J6fmATRL_Ue64nsADRNC_xvsag0pQv8gQKBUXre6zegq3oUDEI0ERbnSfIwfvvJZkxGhHHV1yzrU1r-CMNtZMZVwjluBjoQV8QigWknEe3mITT6zRDpOBoBbdn3Nss32IxISOFPGd8ypw=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>SuperModifieds racing at Lebanon Valley Raceway in West Lebanon, NY</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Lebanon Valley Speedway, 1746 US-20, West Lebanon, NY: Concert History (1973, 1977, 1980)</b><br />The live rock concert business boomed from 1965 until the end of the 20th century. Venues of all sizes and configurations were added all over the country, filled by rock bands (and other genres) criss-crossing the country, playing live and selling t-shirts wherever they went. Even performers whose recording careers were clearly in decline were still often huge concert attractions. One peculiar result of this explosion, however, was that in the 1970s there were simply not enough venues for live rock concerts, particularly at scale. This was magnified in areas that were far from professional sports arenas, where a multi-use basketball arena could be transformed for a night into a concert hall. <br /></p><p>Promoters looked for viable alternatives in order to capitalize on the potentially thriving markets. If a band had a big booking in, say, Cleveland, and one in Boston two weeks later, it made sense to play somewhere in between. FM radio had a huge reach, and while the countryside and distant suburbs may not have had the underground cool of big cities, the kids there still read <i>Rolling Stone</i> and wanted to see the hot bands traveling around the country. One temporary response to this economic opportunity was to make use of auto racing tracks. In the 1970s and early '80s, auto racing tracks were pressed into use as concert venues, with differing degrees of success. Ultimately, customized outdoor concert facilities, usually called "sheds," dotted the landscape, and converted race tracks were no longer needed. At the same time, auto racing tracks had great difficulty staying viable at all, so there were fewer of them to even consider converting. </p><p>The biggest rock concerts of the 70s were held at auto racing tracks. <a href="https://www.dead.net/deadcast/watkins-glen-summer-jam-73-part-1">600,000 attended the "Summer Jam" featuring the Allman Brothers, the Grateful Dead and The Band at Watkins Glen Grand Prix Raceourse in New York (July 28, 1973)</a>. While only 150,000 of those in attendance at the Glen had paid, <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2022/05/april-6-1974-ontario-motor-speedway.html">the biggest paid attendance was at the "California Jam" concerts at Ontario Motor Speedway, near Los Angeles, with over 168,000 paid out of at least 200,000 at each event (April 6, 1974 and March 18, 1978</a>). Elsewhere I wrote about <a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2013/07/grateful-dead-performances-at-race.html">the history of auto racing tracks as concert facilities, although I focused on Grateful Dead concerts</a>, in order to keep the topic manageable. </p><p>Yet some less prominent auto racing tracks also had brief histories as concert venues in the 70s. One of the smallest was the Lebanon Valley Speedway, in tiny West Lebanon, NY, between Albany and Pittsfield, MA. There were concerts in 1973, 1977 and 1980. The concerts were financially successful, and things initially went well--until they didn't. </p><p>This post will look at the history or rock concerts at the Lebanon Valley Raceway in the 1970s. If anyone has corrections, insights or memories, please put them in the Comments. Flashbacks are actively encouraged. <br /></p><p><b><i></i></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YtZvZwpfsKRmnfipqcVEbMIAKqQECb29HPbgwoNTtf41BW24Fe4GdSLbgGgBfrpr9x3eo1HBdSkkRHg3cIklt8uu_ADF8iZow4FLpVfR3dID8v2OhohiqtwV2oywADjN7pqo0OeN8B0q3-p0w999i_esjSHRbPgfaMt3L9WZLZvjY3NRrFqyxlU2NxH-/s1280/Lebanon%20Valley%20Raceway%202019.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YtZvZwpfsKRmnfipqcVEbMIAKqQECb29HPbgwoNTtf41BW24Fe4GdSLbgGgBfrpr9x3eo1HBdSkkRHg3cIklt8uu_ADF8iZow4FLpVfR3dID8v2OhohiqtwV2oywADjN7pqo0OeN8B0q3-p0w999i_esjSHRbPgfaMt3L9WZLZvjY3NRrFqyxlU2NxH-/s320/Lebanon%20Valley%20Raceway%202019.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lebanon Valley Raceway, 1746 US-20, W. Lebanon, NY in 2019</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><i><br />County Speedways</i></b><br />Due to the rise of NASCAR as a national "brand" in the 1990s, many sports fans are somewhat familiar with how County speedways in the South created a kind of NASCAR minor leagues, giving an opportunity for the likes of Dale Earnhardt to thrive and rise. In places like the Carolinas, just about every county had a speedway, often just a 1/4 or 3/8 mile track, often dirt rather than paved, that provided the weekend entertainment for all the gearheads and farmers. On either Friday or Saturday throughout the summer, all the local drivers and a few regional hotshoes raced their cars for prize money. Neighbors, co-workers and family members helped with car prep and pit crew. There wasn't much doing in many of these small towns, so going to the local Speedway on Friday or Saturday was the most fun around until High School football season would kick off. A few "locals," like Earnhardt, in Kannapolis, NC, rose through the ranks and went on to fame at the NASCAR superspeedways. <p></p><p>From an auto racing point of view, the Dale Earnhardt story was played out in rural areas throughout the United States. The social, financial and agricultural contexts varied for the Northeast, the Midwest and California's Central Valley, often quite different than the tobacco and cotton fields of the Southeast. But the story about auto racing was pretty much the same. </p><p>After World War 2, farming had become fairly mechanized, and of course many future farmers returned from the War with a sophisticated practical understanding of internal combustion engines. Regardless of anyone's actual profession, or what crop was grown in their region, come the weekend, a lot of young men wanted to see how fast their cars would go. In the South, some of that was about running moonshine, but that was less of a factor elsewhere in the country. Yet the urge to put pedal to the metal was nationwide. Indeed, it was little different than a prior century before when their grandfathers might have wanted to see who had the fastest horse. Now, the racing was with modified Chevy, Ford and Dodge sedans, but the impulse was the same. </p><p><i><b></b></i></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDwyt6-DsqbbSyk3U_s0ueQObt3MBXFstTuoemuL6r4bxI8tE1xwgPbIlYsIk04POuBuSODRU24Su58fIowShz0_q3Ca67Xxjz_TDt0RuGAJ-fw-KTvgtPyGPKyI1uCI5YyJQyzviDSdcrbWSukbMMCZESyq6GAOElqCLy5Ss8IHrDpDX4qzWpxwYNhhU/s338/west%20lebanon%20ny%20map.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="338" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDwyt6-DsqbbSyk3U_s0ueQObt3MBXFstTuoemuL6r4bxI8tE1xwgPbIlYsIk04POuBuSODRU24Su58fIowShz0_q3Ca67Xxjz_TDt0RuGAJ-fw-KTvgtPyGPKyI1uCI5YyJQyzviDSdcrbWSukbMMCZESyq6GAOElqCLy5Ss8IHrDpDX4qzWpxwYNhhU/s320/west%20lebanon%20ny%20map.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The red star represents tiny West Lebanon, NY, in Columbia County.</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b><br />West Lebanon, NY</b></i><br />West Lebanon, NY is a tiny hamlet (current population: 132) in Columbia County, about 25 miles Southeast of Albany and just 15 miles West of Pittsfield, MA and the Berkshires. The Mohicans originally lived in the area, but the Dutch started to move in to the region in the 17th century. Columbia County itself was founded in 1786. The Vermont Central Railroad was built through the area in the 1850s, linking Portland, ME and other cities in New England with Chatham, NY, thus linking to Manhattan. The nearby town of New Lebanon was the home of the Shaker religious community. <p></p><p>West Lebanon was on US Route 20, the longest transcontinental road, which stretches from Boston to Newport, OR. US-20 was the main route through Columbia County prior to the introduction of Interstate 90 in 1957. Lebanon Valley Speedway commenced racing in 1953, and the track is still open (using the name Lebanon Valley Raceway). I<a href="https://www.lebanonvalley.com/">t currently features a half-mile clay oval track for dirt track racing as well as a quarter-mile dragstrip. There are SuperModified and Sportsman Dirt Track Races every Saturday night starting in May</a>. The venue lists a capacity for racing at 7100 fans. An historic site has a good summary of the track history. <a href="http://www.catamountstadium.com/lebanonvalley.htm">I have excerpted the parts below that focus on the economic history of the track (for a full summary of the racing details and great photos, check out the site itself)</a>:</p><p></p><blockquote><p><i>Laid out in 1953 in a cornfield and the Lebanon Valley Airport, the
speedway was owned by the Spanier family and leased to and operated by a
Massachusetts group consisting of Edward Radke, Robert Scott and Harold
Beitzel. The gentlemen had hopes of developing a state of the art race
track drawing Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and New York State
drivers and teams to this centralized location.<br /><br />In 1953, the
interstate systems were not yet developed and Route 20 was one of the
main east west routes for getting to or from Albany and Massachusetts.
Route 22 was a main road for North South traffic. <br /><br />There were
three sanctioning bodies in the area. The Eastern States Racing
Association, Big Car Racing Association and the AAA. These associations
often used fairgrounds to organize races and it was becoming quite
popular.<br /><br />The Pittsfield group were focused on gaining cars from
State Line Speedway in North Bennington Vermont, Route 66 Speedway in
Averill Park New York, Pine Bowl Speedway north of Route 66 Speedway and
Arlington Speedway in Poughkeepsie New York.<br /></i></p><p><i>During the
preparation of the half mile oval, fences were put in, grandstands were
erected and the barn was lettered with 'Lebanon Valley Speedway.’ All of
these preparations developed a significant debt (for 1953 standards) and
they assured the banker that he would be easily repaid. The grand
opening-day show was cancelled due to a Sunday rainstorm and the
following week's scheduled 50-lapper was reduced to 26 circuits when
competing drivers declared the track turns too dangerous. Hully Bunn
from Bristol Connecticut won the inaugural 13 mile main event on June
28, 1953 in front of an estimated crowd of 2,500. <br /></i></p><p><i>In 1954,
Lou Spanier gained ownership and at the end of the 1955 season, Lebanon
Valley gained its signature 'high banks'. A timely project as no record
of racing in 1956 can be found. The 'high banks' have become a trademark
of Lebanon Valley Speedway ever since making Lebanon Valley Speedway a
track that demands power along with keen driving skills. Racing resumed
in 1957 under the promotion of Spanier and the Lebanon Valley Auto
Racing Association. Race day moved from Sunday afternoons to Friday
evenings and midway through that same season the switch was made to
Saturday nights where it has remained for more than 50 years. </i></p></blockquote><p></p><p>A characteristic of regional tracks like Lebanon Valley Speedway was that they typically held races only one weekend night a week, on either Friday or Saturday. For one thing, rural areas couldn't really support more than one night. More importantly, some of the more serious regional racers would race at one track on Friday and another track on Saturday, ensuring that the fields were larger and more competitive at more than one track. In the case of Lebanon Valley Speedway, Saturday night has been "Race Night" since 1957, so that left Fridays open for other kinds of promotions. Thus rock concerts at Lebanon Valley Speedway would be on Friday nights. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSvTYeC0a9dmGtmNYlk4ZfumL6H1slapPsZ0tJM7H_PAsi2aFgoGrg7F9CVntAjBYAqo7vySrDRnbNWCnOuvHA3ccXLow9oaIE5i9G0lzM7r2cDY1WtFXXuHtAZF5xB-gTTyvy3TjGC1aRrwbk-LbBEuiqq_qNkvE069UyMkO6CT7TRxlXqf7dlJwirg=s516" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="108" data-original-width="516" height="67" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSvTYeC0a9dmGtmNYlk4ZfumL6H1slapPsZ0tJM7H_PAsi2aFgoGrg7F9CVntAjBYAqo7vySrDRnbNWCnOuvHA3ccXLow9oaIE5i9G0lzM7r2cDY1WtFXXuHtAZF5xB-gTTyvy3TjGC1aRrwbk-LbBEuiqq_qNkvE069UyMkO6CT7TRxlXqf7dlJwirg=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The listing in the Troy Times-Record says "8 p.m. Country and blues festival with New Riders of the Purple Sage, Star Spangled Washboard Band and special guest John Lee Hooker"<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><b>August 24, 1973 Lebanon Valley Speedway, W. Lebanon, NY: New Riders of The Purple Sage/John Lee Hooker/Star Spangled Washboard Band </b><i>(Friday)</i><br />The live rock concert business had really started to expand by 1973. FM radio had spread rock music from college campuses and bohemian underground ballrooms. Even in a rural place like Columbia County, high school kids and young adults were hearing the same bands on FM stations that were being played in Manhattan or San Francisco. Record companies wanted to keep their bands on the road, as they saw live concerts as a way to encourage FM airplay, which in turn increased record sales. Many bands sold truckloads of records because they were willing to crisscross the country playing gig after gig. Bands like Foghat or Ten Years After didn't have a single giant hit, but they had played every Municipal Auditorium and College gym from Coast to Coast, and they had gold records to show for it.</p><p><a href="https://hooterollin.blogspot.com/2023/02/new-riders-of-purple-sage-tour-history.html">In August 1973, the <b>New Riders of The Purple Sage</b> had released three albums on Columbia Records, and they would soon release their fourth</a>. Their 1971 debut had been notable for the presence of Jerry Garcia on pedal steel guitar, but the demands of the Grateful Dead made it inevitable that he would depart. In late 1971, Garcia gave up the chair to the exceptional Canadian steel guitarist Buddy Cage, who had most recently played with Anne Murray and Ian & Sylvia Tyson. <i>Powerglide</i> had been released in April of 1972, and <i>Gypsy Cowboy</i> had followed in December of that year. The Riders recorded what would be their most popular album, <i>Panama Red</i>, in the Spring, and it would come out in October. In the meantime, the New Riders followed the Grateful Dead model, touring hard and putting on 2-hour shows that kept their fans on their feet. There weren't "Grateful Dead Cover Bands" in those days, so if you wanted a figurative dose (or even a literal one), the New Riders were the next best option to the main attraction. </p><p>On the August leg of their 1973, tour the New Riders were booked for Saturday, August 25 in Lewiston, ME. On the next weekend, they were playing Asbury Park, NJ on Friday (August 31) and Westport, CT on Saturday (September 1). In between they had three weeknights at a club in Boston (Paul's Mall August 27-29). There was some logic to kicking off the tour with a Friday night show, but it couldn't compete directly with any of those other areas. At the same time, touring logic dictated that the extra gig would have to be in the same region.</p><p>In the 1960s, kids in Columbia County would have liked rock music, but would have had a hard time knowing about all but the most famous groups. By 1973, however, they would all have been listening to FM radio and reading <i>Rolling Stone</i>, just like their peers throughout the country. All the Riders needed was a venue in the right place. Someone seems to have figured out that a Friday night at the Lebanon Valley Speedway would work. It was a standing venue with power, water, bathrooms, parking and crowd control. Rock concerts can be noisy, but they aren't necessarily noisier than the Saturday night Super Modifieds. So the New Riders of The Purple Sage were booked to open their tour on Friday, August 24, supported by blues legend John Lee Hooker and a local group. The concert was supported by radio station WGFM in Albany, NY. </p><p><b>John Lee Hooker</b> had been a blues legend since the late 1940s. He had had somewhat of a revival thanks to 60s covers by the likes of The Animals (with "Boom Boom") and Canned Heat. After some fallow years recording, Hooker had been signed by ABC Records. His most recent album was 1972's <i>Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive</i>, recorded in late '71 in San Francisco. Guests included Elvin Bishop and Van Morrison. By this time, Hooker lived in Redwood City, a Peninsula suburb of SF. I don't know who might have been in Hooker's touring band. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhc8oRwSV6CTVQJ5_jknc9xU4cNJJARUmZtn0PnGolObYz5jEKSrER-oyFXLVqG6fCxJV_RXMkiIMgGxfYq-OT-p-XCcl7A0hmjvXC502X53Ij2nn8bQ5433IuzTYAveoiGGH720q6nNBbxqHlzXp5yQbp5cDQFBwc7Q8DWyMx8a1--kwkCqG4O0oz0eQ=s1048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhc8oRwSV6CTVQJ5_jknc9xU4cNJJARUmZtn0PnGolObYz5jEKSrER-oyFXLVqG6fCxJV_RXMkiIMgGxfYq-OT-p-XCcl7A0hmjvXC502X53Ij2nn8bQ5433IuzTYAveoiGGH720q6nNBbxqHlzXp5yQbp5cDQFBwc7Q8DWyMx8a1--kwkCqG4O0oz0eQ=s320" width="85" /></a>.</div><p>The Troy (NY) <i>Times-Record</i> article from Saturday (August 25) told the tale. The event was a modest success, and a good time seemed to be had, but attendance wasn't up to expectations. <br /></p><p></p><blockquote><p><b>Quiet Night At Speedway 'Blues' Concert </b><i>(Bill Rice, Troy Times-Record, Saturday, August 25, 1973)</i><br /><i>WEST LEBANON-It might be the first and last, and it might be the first of many. <br /></i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>Some 4,700 young people attended the first country blues concert ever held at Lebanon Valley Speedway here last night. <br /></i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"><i>On the program were the New Riders of The Purple Sage, John Lee Hooker and The Star Spangled Washboard Band.<br /></i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>Promoters of the concert, National Student Productions and Radio station WGY-WGFM were not hoping for another Watkins Glen or Woodstock. A crowd of around 6,000 was anticipated by Bill Brina of National Student Productions. <br /></i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>The crowd was quiet and orderly, as The Star Spangled Washboard Band did the opening act.<br />Brina said there were no problems with gate crashers. A Lebanon Valley security officer said <br /></i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"><i>"The kids are minding their own business and playing it cool. What they do someplace else doesn't interest us. We have had more trouble with Saturday night race crowds."<br /></i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"><i>He did say about 200 youngsters tried to go over the fence, and half made it without paying the $5 admission fee </i><br /></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">The New Riders concert at Lebanon Valley Speedway clearly wasn't a failure, but it apparently wasn't enough of a success, either. As the <i>Times-Record</i> reporter suggested, it seemed to be the first and last. </p><p></p><p>But--not quite.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2Nzq8MxJW7N0XMVTA2OtGI-fzW6FahpuY32LBw4_ixbjQuwGhliMPqQV6vD1jB62n7G73MnuJpUoQPwSb-yNib4YXpZf27BPvmw5jkI4DZ2K1xTHLVE2oageqj5cgiIB3d8YvkInvfl7Jk_7Qdi6kuMUAkEAZ6KmXL-nBVfMLMGwzN6Juk7FsxDo3_A=s932" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="626" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2Nzq8MxJW7N0XMVTA2OtGI-fzW6FahpuY32LBw4_ixbjQuwGhliMPqQV6vD1jB62n7G73MnuJpUoQPwSb-yNib4YXpZf27BPvmw5jkI4DZ2K1xTHLVE2oageqj5cgiIB3d8YvkInvfl7Jk_7Qdi6kuMUAkEAZ6KmXL-nBVfMLMGwzN6Juk7FsxDo3_A=s320" width="215" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The Monday, July 18 '77 Berkshire Eagle, from Pittsfield, MA, mentioned the 87-dgree temperature at the J Geils/Blue Oyster Cult concert at Lebanon Valley Speedway, The concert drew at least 17,000 and perhaps as many as 30K.</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>July 15, 1977 Lebanon Valley Speedway, West Lebanon, NY: Blue Oyster Cult/J Geils Band/Black Oak Arkansas/Dictators </b><i>(Friday)</i><br />The live rock concert market had been expanding in 1973 when the New Riders had played Lebanon Valley Speedway. Four years later, the market had only gotten larger. There were major bands touring all over the country, and thanks to FM radio, there were fans everywhere. But there simply weren't enough venues. Bands could book great-paying gigs in the big markets, but once they were out on the road the economics required that they book a paying gig somewhere. In secondary markets. promoters started to look around at other sites. A band on the road didn't have to make a killing at every show, just enough to tide them over to the next profitable booking. So yet another concert was booked at Lebanon Valley Speedway, once again on a Friday night. All the bands were regular road dogs, on the way up or on the way down.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzEKKV_ttuXJ2DGEuar_mC6OSTVsXxGlx0XWdlLmE0az4TMr4vQ3cgBmUz7oCTQg2cuf_iH6yDJjjvyGO3IRkYEezZWvyRinz6xgiu4lMGPBtnon_MLS5ax7pd4ZDGDxq-9MGkWDku-lJq59EHoG2ahQPqQjXuiBw-FcHxWr52Q50LGSrm-RlW-p01Aw=s600" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="470" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzEKKV_ttuXJ2DGEuar_mC6OSTVsXxGlx0XWdlLmE0az4TMr4vQ3cgBmUz7oCTQg2cuf_iH6yDJjjvyGO3IRkYEezZWvyRinz6xgiu4lMGPBtnon_MLS5ax7pd4ZDGDxq-9MGkWDku-lJq59EHoG2ahQPqQjXuiBw-FcHxWr52Q50LGSrm-RlW-p01Aw=s320" width="251" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hotrails.co.uk/history/1977.htm#Jul"><i>This flyer and the ticket below are from the great BOC historic site<br /></i></a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />In the Summer of '76, Long Island-based <b>Blue Oyster Cult</b> had released their 4th album <i>Agents Of Fortune</i>. It included the epic single "Don't Fear The Reaper." <a href="http://www.hotrails.co.uk/history/1977.htm#Jul">They toured relentlessly behind the album</a>. Their follow-up album <i>Specter</i> would not be released until October 1977. BOC was never bigger than this moment, save for their amazing "More Cowbell" redux on <i>Saturday Night Live</i>. <br /><p></p><p>The <b>J Geils Band</b>, out of Boston, seemed to be on a plateau, although quite the opposite turned out to be the case. The band had just released the album <i>Monkey Island</i>. They would spend much of the Summer opening humongous stadium shows for Peter Frampton, so gigs at places like Lebanon Valley Speedway kept the wheels turning. Of course, after J Geils treaded water into the 1980s, MTV would arise, and "Centerfold" and "Love Stinks" brought the Geils Band's bangin' stage show to huge masses of teenagers. Playing gigs like this over the years had kept the band rolling, even if playing second-up to BOC in upstate New York might have seemed like a chore at this time.</p><p><b>Black Oak Arkansas</b>, a boogie band who really were from Black Oak, AK, on the other hand, were still a popular act on the road, but definitely on the downward slide. Back in late '73 Black Oak had released their fifth album on Atco, <i>High On The Hog</i>.
The album would be the high water mark for the band, reaching #52 on
<i>Billboard</i>. The album included the single "Jim Dandy" (with the chorus "Jim Dandy to the rescue"), which itself went
to #55. Black Oak Arkansas had been among the initial wave of Southern
rockers, even though they sounded quite a bit different than the
somewhat jazz/R&B influenced Allman Brothers. Black Oak Arkansas'
twin-guitar attack was pretty much straight boogie. It's actually harder
to play high-speed shuffles than it appears, so the band may have been
better than they were given credit for, but they did not have the
reputation for musical virtuousity like the Allmans and their peers. </p><p>By 1977, however, only lead singer Jim (Dandy) Mangrum remained from the original lineup. On stage, various hired guns ran through their most popular album tracks, but record sales has cratered. Their most recent album was <i>10-Year Overnight Success</i>, on MCA, which had been released back in 1976. Now, of course, we know that this was the future of just about every popular 70s rock band--a few early hit albums, followed by declining record sales while fans continued to see live performances with increasingly few band members from the golden days. Some version of Black Oak Arkansas has continued to tour up until the present day, mostly (though not always) fronted by Jim Mangrum. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDGgJRTUxQzsSF8v1cIj9euYl-Kfev1uTgtq3WC8Bv5s5sOMeqMKcz8t2sC_56JY7cmOv2K6WBHHxYsCnrIDLU-BAjDgMYmU2AbEI9gmERTGDq3UhSPkUL93zf4LPdaMMdnu6eUHdRrCNQ-VSRbzJ4F-l2KYSq6jCqae5DTTBvZWafIVINMPtzmWO2iQ=s500" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="273" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDGgJRTUxQzsSF8v1cIj9euYl-Kfev1uTgtq3WC8Bv5s5sOMeqMKcz8t2sC_56JY7cmOv2K6WBHHxYsCnrIDLU-BAjDgMYmU2AbEI9gmERTGDq3UhSPkUL93zf4LPdaMMdnu6eUHdRrCNQ-VSRbzJ4F-l2KYSq6jCqae5DTTBvZWafIVINMPtzmWO2iQ=s320" width="175" /></a></div><br /><b>The Dictators</b> were known as a seminal New York City punk band, but in fact they had formed at SUNY New Paltz back in 1972. New Paltz was midway between New York and Albany, not too far from West Lebanon. The Dictators had released their first album of short, hard-rocking songs back in 1975. <i>The Dictators Go Girl Crazy!</i> was promoted by Epic as a sort of cartoonish, fun pop band, since punk rock didn't really exist yet as a genre.<br /><p></p>By
'77, the Dictators had broken up and reformed, yet with most of the same
members. The lead singer was the muscular "Handsome Dick" Manitoba, Ross
"The Boss" Friedman was on lead guitar, and the keyboard player and main
songwriter was Adny Shernoff (yes, the spelling is correct). Since The
Dictators were from New York, they got a lot of press for a band that
didn't sell may records nor ever get much radio play. Their second album, <i>Manifest Destiny</i>, had been released in 1977 on Asylum, but the band would break up in 1978 (only to reform many times). <br /><p>A weekend round-up from the nearby Berkshire (MA) Daily Eagle tells us that the concert was pretty successful.<br /></p><p></p><p></p><blockquote><i><b>Heat, crowds, power outages mark weekend</b></i> <i>(By Robert M. McDonough (Berkshire Eagle, Monday, July 18, 1977)</i><br /><i>Two days of record-tying temperatures and a weekend full of special attractions drew thousands of area residents out of their homes for one of the busiest Berkshire weekends yet this summer.<br /></i></blockquote><blockquote><i>Meteorologist George J. Bulgarelli said that high temperatures of 87 Friday and 86 Saturday tied the records for those days...<br /></i></blockquote><blockquote><i>The single largest-drawing event of the weekend was outside the county. A rock concert at Lebanon Valley Speedway in New Lebanon, N.Y. drew a crowd of music enthusiasts that was estimated anywhere between 17,000 and 30,000 people. The attractions were the groups J. Geils, Blue Oyster Cult and Black Oak Arkansas. <br /></i></blockquote><blockquote><i>Police reported that the crowd was orderly during the concert, and only one arrest was reported by Columbia County Sheriff's Department deputies. Arrested was 21-year-old Leo Robillard of 1 Lowden St, Pittsfield. He was charged with driving while intoxicated, and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Police arrested him after he had backed into one of their police cruisers at the concert. </i></blockquote><p></p><p>The crowd was pretty substantial. I'm not sure why the estimate was so broad (between 17,000 and 30,000), since promoters are usually eager to tout what a success they have had. Nonetheless, given that none of the bands were (at the time) major attractions, even 17,000 would have been a fine crowd. The weather cooperated, and the crowd was pretty well-behaved. Yet, once again, there was a three-year break before rock shows reappeared at Lebanon Valley Speedway. </p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjWmkfKGETstklVxajNU3jvxHkhAo355pRPsUByxNja96ugsJi9vaOnCfvdTN3cPm_tFAL2Qy-pxyNPqoiKrQgS4m6-SYj8hdERHgFpbCWepn2qmYC0yv-5tYLDnCXY2oMzjZkid2fMyXd8U6ETB8F_JUl_v0byMGb1Q4YkZksuop2MaXgc5J7RjBnQ--/s400/Deguello%20ZZ%20Top%20Warners%201979.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjWmkfKGETstklVxajNU3jvxHkhAo355pRPsUByxNja96ugsJi9vaOnCfvdTN3cPm_tFAL2Qy-pxyNPqoiKrQgS4m6-SYj8hdERHgFpbCWepn2qmYC0yv-5tYLDnCXY2oMzjZkid2fMyXd8U6ETB8F_JUl_v0byMGb1Q4YkZksuop2MaXgc5J7RjBnQ--/s320/Deguello%20ZZ%20Top%20Warners%201979.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />July 18, 1980 Lebanon Valley Speedway, West Lebanon, NY: ZZ Top </b><i>(Friday)</i><br />In the Summer of 1980, there were two concerts at Lebanon Valley Speedway. I couldn't find any reports about the first one, so it probably went OK. The second one, well---when a concert in Upstate New York is written about in the New York <i>Times</i>, it usually isn't because everyone had a wonderful time. <br /><p></p><p>The July concert featured the legendary Texas trio <b>ZZ Top</b>, on their "Expect No Quarter" tour, behind their album <i>Deguello.</i> ZZ Top had been very successful in the early 70s, but they took a break from their heavy touring schedule in 1976. They reconvened in 1979 with the new album, and the hit single "Cheap Sunglasses." ZZ Top were great in concert, much beloved by their fans. I have to assume that the reason they played Lebanon Valley Speedway was that they had an open night in the Northeast, and wanted to fill it. </p><p>I'm sure there was at least one opening act, but I don't know who it might have been. ZZ Top were in a sort of trough of popularity. They weren't as big an act as they were in the mid-70s, but they were nowhere near as big as they would become once MTV caught on to them. ZZ Top probably drew a pretty good crowd, probably 10-15,000 people, and probably it went as well as the J Geils show a few years earlier. <br /></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbL3ACv7A65TkC8tJRD4GR1j7jptqxMUKbOe_eys2Fk1O5eVud6womfrpmAi-UhgHf79ybHcuVONJDNAvI_X9j5Ui0KJ8YqbfaTOzClrm03bMLHBW9Axj-4NWnwQQ1IpJhEHLtrQxaLQFA7g9keM4ORaUMgwUzWz9Eam38LN8-Try4ZF_hQQoXvjF8sg=s550" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="550" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbL3ACv7A65TkC8tJRD4GR1j7jptqxMUKbOe_eys2Fk1O5eVud6womfrpmAi-UhgHf79ybHcuVONJDNAvI_X9j5Ui0KJ8YqbfaTOzClrm03bMLHBW9Axj-4NWnwQQ1IpJhEHLtrQxaLQFA7g9keM4ORaUMgwUzWz9Eam38LN8-Try4ZF_hQQoXvjF8sg=s320" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />August 8, 1980 Lebanon Valley Speedway, West Lebanon, NY: Blue Oyster Cult/Black Sabbath </b><i>(Friday)</i><br />The last concert at Lebanon Valley Speedway was on August 8, 1980. Blue Oyster Cult returned, behind their album <i>Black And Blue</i>. BOC was still popular, but as we have noted, they had begun their long decline. <br /><p></p><p>As for Black Sabbath, they were on the second of their many lives. Since their 1970 debut, they had established themselves with endless touring and best selling albums that sold a lot, despite receiving relatively little FM (much less AM) airplay. In 1978, however, after 8 albums, lead singer Ozzy Osbourne had left the group. This was usually the beginning of a long decline for any 1970s group. Not for the Sabs, however.</p><p>Replacing the seemingly irreplaceable Ozzy was Ronnie James Dio, who had come to fame in the mid-70s as the lead singer of Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. Dio, today a somewhat legendary singer himself, was actually from New York State. Dio was from Cortland, NY, just south of Syracuse and a few hours West of Albany. Dio's band Elf had opened some dates for Deep Purple around 1974, and when Blackmore left that band, he scooped up Dio. Dio had a powerful, almost operatic voice, and was one of the proto-metal performers most responsible for the fantasy element of wizards and demons in metal song lyrics. Dio had left the hugely successful Rainbow in 1978, as Blackmore wanted to veer away from fantasy-oriented lyrics. Dio was then invited to join Black Sabbath by guitarist Tony Iommi. </p><p>Black Sabbath's 9th album for Warner Brothers, <i>Heaven And Hell</i>, featured Dio's vocals along with other three original Sabs (Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward). <i>Heaven And Hell</i> ultimately went Platinum. Black Sabbath only got bigger. Eventually, Ozzy would return in glory to the band, and Ronnie James Dio himself would go on to become a huge star (Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, in turn, remained huge throughout the 20th century as well). The 1980 Sabbath/BOC tour was known as "The Black And Blue Tour," for obvious reasons.<br /></p><p>In later years, as Dio became bigger and bigger, along with Sabbath, fans must have enjoyed recounting how they saw him with the Sabbath during an Ozzy hiatus. Drummer Bill Ward, beset with health problems, would play his last gig with Black Sabbath on August 18, so the show was near the end of the line for that lineup. Black Sabbath, Ozzy and Dio had a complicated subsequent history of joining, leaving and re-joining, but Black Sabbath (and Dio) remained phenomenally successful.</p><p>Over the decades, rock fans in big cities chuckle at the various rubes and preachers who declare that Black Sabbath or Ronnie Dio are "demonic" and "dangerous influences." It seems naive. When you read about the Lebanon Valley Speedway show, however, maybe the labels aren't so wrong. Based on news articles, and <a href="http://www.hotrails.co.uk/history/1980.htm#Aug">some comments from the great Blue Oyster Cult history site</a>, the show at Lebanon Valley Speedway represented everything that could go wrong at an outdoor rock concert. Let's summarize:</p><blockquote><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>At least 20,000 fans showed up, packing the track, mostly young men wound up on liquor and drugs of all kinds. </li><li>The narrow highway leading to the Speedway was backed up for at least five miles, and cars were parked along the side of the road for most of the way. Many patrons were late, which added to the chaos. </li><li>Security used baseball bats to protect the stage, and the bands kept asking people to please step back to protect the crushed fans up front</li><li>Besides the drugs and fighting, numerous bonfires were set, and several cars were burned, for no particular reason</li><li>Two teenagers died in traffic accidents after the event</li><li>Many patrons were unable to leave after the show, presumably due to traffic, and ended up spending the night in the parking lot</li><li>The owner of the track wanted nothing to do with another rock concert, which was fine, since the town of West Lebanon banned all future concerts</li><li><a href="http://www.hotrails.co.uk/history/1980.htm#Aug">Here are some eyewitness tales from the Blue Oyster Cult history site</a></li></ul></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><i><b>Mark D:</b></i> <i>I went to this concert with my brother and 3 other friends in an orange VW bus from our house in eastern Massachusetts and it was the most memorable concerts I have ever been to.<br /><br />We got an early start that AM and I remember parking the van in a field with hundreds of other vehicles and thousands of people.<br /><br />The concert was absolutely fantastic. I can remember trying to get to the chain link fence with my buddy and you would literally be lifted off your feet from all the people pressing against you. In the thick of it, the crowd split (somehow) and made a path for a person who was pretty badly hurt coming from the very front. His/her head was wrapped with a white t-shirt wet with blood.<br /><br />We continued our fight for position and eventually made it to the fence where the roadies used bats and sticks to hit the knuckles of anyone trying to hold onto the fence. Blue Oyster Cult then played Godzilla and it was definitely the climax of the concert. I'll never forget the drum solo.<br /><br />The event was "marred with violence". As I recall, three people were killed... one I know was hit by a car. I was only 17, so I was completely shocked by what some people were doing. After the show, one guy was pushing anyone that walked by him just for a fight while about a dozen others flipped a car in a pit and torched it. Everyone was whacked out on mushrooms, acid, mesk, weed... you name it.<br /><br />I now live about 20 miles from Lebanon Valley Speedway and I have spoken to some that lived in the area and he said the guy that owned the speedway didn't realize the concert would be so huge and crazy and refused to attempt anything like it again.</i></blockquote><p></p><p></p><blockquote><i><b>Steve Del Signore</b>: I made a road trip to this show, about a 2 hour drive, with a carful of crazies. AC/DC's Back In Black had just come out and we blasted it on the way out to the show.<br /><br />We actually left our city with plenty of time to spare, planning to get there an hour before showtime. Well, the speedway is out in the cornfields and had a single lane road going to it. This caused a huge bumper to bumper traffic slowdown and we crawled along for miles and miles.<br /><br />As we neared the site, we were still about an hour earlier than the advertised start time. I could hear music coming from inside and I remember panicing because it was Sabbath already playing.<br /><br />So by the time we got inside and parked, walked to the grounds and got our beers it seemed to take forever before we could watch the band. So missed a good half of them. Beers were selling by the thousands as it was a hot, humid evening and the place was full of yahoos wanting to go off.<br /><br />I do remember at least 2 deaths, possibly 3 after the concert. We nearly made it 6 or 7 when our car approached a Y, 2 roads turning into 1 and came upon another car speeding along on the left to merge onto this sudden one lane road. Neither driver thought to ease up and let the other pass and we came within a hair of a major accident, two cars barrelling along side by side for a couple hundred feet until one pulled ahead. Like I said, they sold a lot of beer that day.<br /><br />This racetrack is actually named Lebanon Valley SPEEDWAY and not Raceway, as can be seen on the ticket scans. It is called the Albany stop on the tour but is located about an hour southeast of Albany, NY in West Lebanon, New York. </i></blockquote><p></p><p></p><blockquote><i><u><b>Richard Morsa:</b></u> i went to this show with a few friends of mine from Williamstown Mass. i was 14, we ate lots of acid, we wound up in the back bleachers, it was crazy...<br /><br />there was a fire in the bleachers, and i remember there were about 5 or 6 bonfires in the center of the speedway, people had poles with flags with the boc symbol and someone brought in a cross about 30 ft tall painted black,<br /><br />during sabbath i saw the cross lowered into one of the bonfires and brought back up... then it fell over into the crowd...<br />I saw countless people being dragged out by us as we were close to the exits, i remember the guy "mark d" mentioned with the bloody shirt wrapped around him being carried out, they stopped the show a few times and the bands kept saying to step back from the stage or they would leave.<br /><br />as we left to go to our car there were a bunch of people standing on a ridge throwing rocks into a ditch, me and my friends got closer and they were yelling" fuck iran" as they were throing the rocks, we went to the edge of the ditch and there was a cadillac down there, someone went down and lit a rag in the gas tank, and i remember the car exploding and people still throwing rocks at it,<br /><br />remember this was the time of the iran hostage crisis, and in willimastown where i lived the shah's son went to school there, so it might have been one of his guards or something, people said he hit some girl with his car, thats why they flipped it in the ditch, i remember a few cop cars coming in the lot and people threw rocks and bottles at them and they just left.<br /><br />as we left we saw the accident where the guardrail was bent, and the emt's were pulling up a gurney and i remember it was soaked with blood, i thought it was a red sheet, but i saw a few spots of white and realized it was soaked in blood. we got home and it was all over the news, they cancelled all shows at the speedway after that show.<br /><br />quite the experience! </i></blockquote><p></p><p>For the record, one Bolle Gregmar had a Blue Oyster Cult Setlist</p><p>80-08-08: Lebanon Valley Speedway, Lebanon, New York Setlist:<br /><br /> Dr.Music<br /> ETI<br /> Lips In The Hills<br /> Unknown Tongue<br /> Cities On Flame<br /> The Marshall Plan<br /> Divine Wind<br /> ME262<br /> Hot Rails To Hell<br /> Black Blade<br /> Godzilla<br /> Bass Solo<br /> 5 Gtrs - Mark III - Golden Age<br /> Born To Be Wild<br /> (Don't Fear) The Reaper <br /><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1b9WOtpAjiTzVPR84mrOAUkcuntkmCFoQpPSSXg8tMGSiVO-8SFKiWUQbg46UOOgUwFLr8v_A8x1DLqgbdxu8s6Rg_K6Ca19pj2MwWPfL2sNVj8ehDOnKNiQ70BRotR9c9ORWCVdNEFOoUg-UMVkXdCtT5dQl9L2nDvpGbC9KUdp0ib8wohYMF50HiA=s410" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="334" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1b9WOtpAjiTzVPR84mrOAUkcuntkmCFoQpPSSXg8tMGSiVO-8SFKiWUQbg46UOOgUwFLr8v_A8x1DLqgbdxu8s6Rg_K6Ca19pj2MwWPfL2sNVj8ehDOnKNiQ70BRotR9c9ORWCVdNEFOoUg-UMVkXdCtT5dQl9L2nDvpGbC9KUdp0ib8wohYMF50HiA=s320" width="261" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An AP Wire story published in the New York Times on August 13, 1980<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><b>September 1, 1980 Lebanon Valley Speedway, West Lebanon, NY: J Geils Band/Fools (Monday) </b><i>cancele</i><i>d</i><br />One more concert was booked at Lebanon Valley Speedway, for J. Geils Band to return on Labor Day. 250 people turned up at a town meeting--10% of the town's population. They got the town to ban the forthcoming concert and there was never another one at Lebanon Valley Speedway. The reason, ironically, was that the rock concert market had expanded too quickly for the tiny speedway. 5000 for the New Riders was great. 10,000-plus for J Geils was still manageable. 20,000 for the Cult and the Sabs--very much not OK. <br /><p>The track remains open, and has generally thrived (given the financial uncertainty of auto racing venues). Over the next decade, new rock venues opened in Albany and Western Massachussets, so rock fans in Columbia County still saw bands, but not at home. Lebanon Valley Raceway still drops the green flag every Saturday night, starting in May, but Friday nights are quiet. <br /></p><br /><p><br /></p>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-41985201344168443712023-08-11T10:40:00.000-07:002023-08-11T10:40:07.012-07:002504 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, CA: The Long Branch Saloon, January-June 1972 Performers List (Long Branch II)<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi23rs8EzXDXzzib0soDg1qywVQMSVyaflF0tG4C1zPwgZBwszkM5kcZEjrnQWLSDiVvUiPC4l5GFG5uCAjhIj2P9Eu8J8FqJBTaSAb5G-cVio9EY81U6zlpuSOmjAtulaLfyLLU-g42bdp/s2048/2504+San+Pablo+%2528BK%2529+20090811.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi23rs8EzXDXzzib0soDg1qywVQMSVyaflF0tG4C1zPwgZBwszkM5kcZEjrnQWLSDiVvUiPC4l5GFG5uCAjhIj2P9Eu8J8FqJBTaSAb5G-cVio9EY81U6zlpuSOmjAtulaLfyLLU-g42bdp/s320/2504+San+Pablo+%2528BK%2529+20090811.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The former site of The Long Branch Saloon in Berkeley, as it appeared in 2009</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b>2504 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, CA: The Long Branch Saloon, January-June 1972 Performers List </b></i><br />By 1971, the live rock music market was evolving, and lots of entrepreneurs were noticing. Rock music had always been the province of teenagers, of course. But 60s rock music, with the likes of the Beatles, Bob Dylan and Cream, had raised the ante. Rock music fans didn't just "move on" when they turned 18. Those kids who were 15 when the Beatles had played Ed Sullivan in 1964 were past drinking age by 1971. They were still listening to rock music, and they took it seriously. And while every rock fan wanted to see the most popular bands when they came to town, their options were expanding.<br /><p></p><p>Rock fans in their 20s probably had a
job, and a few more dollars than when they were teenagers. They also
didn't have parents constraining them, and they could drink. They
weren't going to go to the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, but going on a date
to a club where you could drink beer and dance was starting to seem like
a viable idea.</p><p>In 1971, the University of California at Berkeley was expanding. It
had never been a small school, but in the early 70s they added more and
more students. California parents realized their kids could get a
prestigious Ivy League-quality degree for the bargain price of around
$212.50 a quarter. When those students graduated, many of them stuck
around Berkeley. Rock music in the 60s had been oriented towards the Fillmore West
and other big dance halls, but by the early 70s nightclubs were starting to book
original bands, too. The city of Berkeley had lots of young people, a town that
didn't object to long-haired hippies, and a generally central location. </p><p>There
had been music clubs in Berkeley since World War 2, of course. But as
the 70s dawned, the various music clubs in Berkeley started to evolve. <a href="http://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2020/11/keystone-berkeley-2119-university.html">The
New Monk, near campus at University and Shattuck, shifted from being a
fraternity hangout to a rock nightclub, and by the next year it would
become the Keystone Berkeley</a>. 2 miles South and West of the New Monk, <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Babylon.htm">Malcolm Williams ran Babylon, but he had big plans, too</a>. In May, 1971, Williams doubled the size of Babylon, and re-opened it as The Long Branch. <br /></p><p>The Long Branch had a capacity of about 350. Ironically, the biggest club in the Bay Area would be the Keystone
Berkeley, just 2 miles from the Long Branch. The New Monk, at 2119
University, mainly a frat beer joint, <a href="http://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2020/11/keystone-berkeley-2119-university.html">would be taken over in 1972 by Freddie Herrera and become the Keystone Berkeley</a>.
The Keystone Berkeley officially held 476, but it was widely felt that
more people were regularly crammed in. Thanks to regular performances
throughout the 70s by Jerry Garcia, Tower Of Power, Elvin Bishop and
others, the Keystone Berkeley became the premier nightclub gig in the
Bay Area until about 1977. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMW7-YwRqJ_yhY6KTodo0zoNBiSK9xZvrLuLmwev8B2ui4l8Qy1852ksLePMrbHIS6cDGpz5GPZdjyU95V9NNg_U6Ru1dQwBEq7jtSuLGg2RmyLBu22CmLmkZnDIfi2RiDrDWu-fwkVfWHvTEE6VtCmjF7SkgjDad6bayw5f4BMUs3IzwvynCJdhJkjg/s4608/Long%20Branch%20flyer%20Oct%201973-%20Back%20of%20flyer,%20kb%20sized.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMW7-YwRqJ_yhY6KTodo0zoNBiSK9xZvrLuLmwev8B2ui4l8Qy1852ksLePMrbHIS6cDGpz5GPZdjyU95V9NNg_U6Ru1dQwBEq7jtSuLGg2RmyLBu22CmLmkZnDIfi2RiDrDWu-fwkVfWHvTEE6VtCmjF7SkgjDad6bayw5f4BMUs3IzwvynCJdhJkjg/s320/Long%20Branch%20flyer%20Oct%201973-%20Back%20of%20flyer,%20kb%20sized.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The back of a Long Branch flyer, October '73 (thanks to Lydia Frazier Bosley), encouraging patrons to hang out at the club</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Bands
would build a following at the Long Branch, and the bands that headlined
weekends at the Branch would play weeknights at the Keystone Berkeley,
with a built-in audience. Although it's hard to be sure, I think the
Long Branch crowd lived relatively near the club, and was in the
just-over-21 bracket. The Long Branch was definitely a hard-rocking
club, with loud bands and patrons who liked to dance, with less of the
University overlay that was included in the Keystone Berkeley audience.
The Keystone was right near campus, so it's audience was broader but to
some extent more snobby. The Long Branch was in West Berkeley, and less
pretentious.<p></p><p>As a result, the Long Branch ended up
being a sort of farm team for the Keystone Berkeley. That wasn't a bad
thing, necessarily, for the bands themselves. Keystone Berkeley and Long
Branch didn't have identical crowds. The Keystone was nearer to campus,
and at least on weekends drew people from Alameda, Contra Costa and
Marin counties. The Long Branch had a little bit younger crowd who just
liked to go out, and probably mostly lived around Berkeley. </p><p>At
the Long Branch, mostly the same bands played the club over and over. If
a band could build an audience at Long Branch, the expectation was that
their own regulars would see the band over and over. Earth Quake, for
example, the archetype for a Long Branch band, could play a wide variety
of exotic British Invasion cover songs, so that their regular fans
didn't hear the exact same set every time.</p><p><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/03/2504-san-pablo-avenue-berkeley-ca-long.html">In a previous post, I looked at all the known bookings for the Long Branch in it's opening year of 1971</a>. This post will look at bookings at the Long Branch for the first half of 1972. If anyone has any updates, corrections, insights or interesting speculation, please included them in the Comments. <br /></p><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGCnA_Oswpwv-18hsRJEegJBKs9QSGrvpj_bPj9wkfyf3p-vhLK1hY10lN9VK9gAQiOfr1KaOU8aLEqtqZV93ChVn8IX0C92-hUtgvWTkpRs0JQ4Tx9HbJqZ_0B-rhCJK-3CqmTJ9GqcG/s255/Barb+19711231+Frank+Biner.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGCnA_Oswpwv-18hsRJEegJBKs9QSGrvpj_bPj9wkfyf3p-vhLK1hY10lN9VK9gAQiOfr1KaOU8aLEqtqZV93ChVn8IX0C92-hUtgvWTkpRs0JQ4Tx9HbJqZ_0B-rhCJK-3CqmTJ9GqcG/s0/Barb+19711231+Frank+Biner.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Scenedrome listing in each week's Berkeley Barb was my main source for Long Branch bookings</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />January 1, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Linx/Frank Biner Band </b><i>(Saturday)</i><br />The Long Branch was generally open from Wednesday through Sunday, with bands every night. Wednesday was usually "audition night," with local bands that were hoping to build a following. The Long Branch did not advertise in the local papers. There may have been some flyers around town (common in Berkeley at the time), but none from this period have surfaced. The entertainment listings for the Berkeley <i>Barb</i> or the San Francisco papers would usually include the weekend bookings for the Long Branch. <br /><p>I have only noted dates where I could find a listing. Bands played the Long Branch over and over, so while some dates are missing, I have likely captured the weekend bands. The weeknights would have just featured local bands, for the most part, although a few of them would go on to success.</p><p><b>Linx</b> played the Long Branch regularly, as well as other Berkeley clubs<b>. </b>They featured the teenage saxophonist Lenny Pickett, later to become well-known in Tower Of Power and then leading the Saturday Night Live band. Also in the group was Jonathan Waxman, who became a well-known chef in Manhattan.<b><br /></b></p><p><b>Frank Biner</b> was a popular local soul singer. Over the course of the 70s,
Tower Of Power recorded a few of his songs, and he put out a few albums
as a bandleader, but back in '71 Biner was just another guy working the
clubs. <a href="http://www.bay-area-bands.com/bab00038.htm ">Biner was originally from Chicago, where he had recorded a few singles, but he had moved to the East Bay in the late 60s</a>.</p><b>January 7-8, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Yogi Phlegm/Frank Biner </b><i>(Friday-Saturday)</i><br /><b>Yogi Phlegm</b> was the new name for the Sons Of Champlin. At the time, the Sons were not sure they had the rights to their name, and they also wanted to distinguish their newer music from their past sounds. Yogi Phlegm emphasized jamming, sometimes in pretty far-out formulations. Now, they were still funky, and you could still dance to them, but there was more jazz and less R&B than the 60s lineup of the Sons. <br /><p>The name "Yogi Phlegm" was a joke about Indian gurus. No one got it. Everyone hated it, particularly Bill Graham. Most club owners would advertise "Yogi Phlegm--formerly The Sons" anyway. The band reverted to being the Sons Of Champlin by the next year. </p><p>The Yogi Phlegm lineup had the old front line of Bill Champlin on vocals, organ and guitar, Geoff Palmer on keyboards and vibes and Terry Haggerty on lead guitar. The bassist was old Marin pal Dave Schallock, and the drummer was Bill Vitt. The band had dispensed with any horn players, leaving them more freedom to jam. <br /></p><p><b>January 9, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Dennis Geyer Band/Hunun Dean </b><i>(Sunday)</i><br /><b>Dennis Geyer</b> had been the guitarist and singer in a Wisconsin band called The New Blues. In 1968, they had relocated to San Francisco and added organ player Howard Wales. They changed their name to AB Skhy Blues Band, and had released an album on MGM. Wales and then Geyer had left AB Skhy, to be replaced by other players. Geyer continued to play around the Bay Area. </p><p><b>Hunun Dean</b> is unknown to me.<br /></p><p><b>January 13-14, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Wayne The Harp </b><i>(Thursday-Friday)</i><br /><b>Wayne The Harp</b> was guitarist Wayne Ceballos. Ceballos had led the Bay Area trio AUM (pronounced "Ohm") in the sixties. AUM had released two albums, and opened at both Fillmores as well. Ceballos still played the same kind of hard-driving blues guitar in his new group. <br /></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRy0VbdASiuodF3nx_1gdtSDXbx2NIvg4-VjGaIz7qnPV_KpNUD79PTlimV6q7pcT7wYWpYB1kIPHqwdHEHZILjezY2A4jBqmudyWpwzXL_bm7Xm0AbvOrVcL8OnXVVkxajhT7qHY95gx0Ujeap5vADSFOAWXPPt9mYAV3iqYbanZFT6CHhC2-jFQ8Q/s270/Stoneground_-_Family_Album.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="270" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRy0VbdASiuodF3nx_1gdtSDXbx2NIvg4-VjGaIz7qnPV_KpNUD79PTlimV6q7pcT7wYWpYB1kIPHqwdHEHZILjezY2A4jBqmudyWpwzXL_bm7Xm0AbvOrVcL8OnXVVkxajhT7qHY95gx0Ujeap5vADSFOAWXPPt9mYAV3iqYbanZFT6CHhC2-jFQ8Q/s1600/Stoneground_-_Family_Album.jpg" width="270" /></a></b></div><b><br />January 15, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Stoneground <i>(Saturday)</i></b><br /><b>Stoneground</b> had been put together by KSAN impresario Tom Donahue in 1970 for an intended movie about a "traveling Woodstock" called <i>Medicine Ball Caravan</i>. The Grateful Dead were booked for the movie, but backed out at the last minute. Stoneground had released their self-titled debut album on Warner Brothers in 1971, and then its followup, <i>Family Album</i>, later in that year.
Among the key members of Stoneground were singers Sal Valentino, Lynne
Hughes, Annie Sampson and Deirdre LaPorte. Guitarist Tim Barnes also
sang. Pete Sears had been the pianist for the album, although he had been replaced by Cory Lerios by this time. <br /><p></p><b>January 21-22, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grootna/Knee Deep </b><i>(Friday-Saturday)</i><br /><b>Grootna</b> was a Berkeley band that had arisen out of a 60s Berkeley band called Sky Blue. Guitarist Vic Smith and singer (and sometime drummer) Anna Rizzo had teamed up with guitarist/writer Allan "Slim Chance" Silverman. Drummer Greg Dewey (from Mad River) was also in the band, along with a few others. The band played a batch of songs written by Silverman and his songwriting partner Austin DeLone. DeLone, however, was playing pubs in London with the band Eggs Over Easy. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Sky%20Blue.htm">Everybody in Grootna had many links to numerous Berkeley ensembles</a>.<p><a href="https://www.discogs.com/Grootna-Grootna/release/1690017 ">Grootna's album had been released by Columbia in December 1971</a>.
Now, it's probably true that not that many people had heard it, but in
those days that had an album was a "real" band, implicitly above other
groups playing the clubs. Many of the songs on the album were written by
the team of Alan Silverman (Slim Chance) and Audie DeLong (Austin
DeLone). However, since Silverman was only listed as "Slim Chance" with
no reference to his real name, and DeLong wasn't in the band, the
"Siverman/DeLone" credits were confusing at the time.</p><p><b>Knee Deep</b> is largely unknown to me. In 1973, they would change their name to The Titans.<br /></p><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjsvh_jVnnMwGG4LCinNJvB2NAkZFiZW6b9MP4v9NPLxWQ2QnRgR_wPLkCU_dC48l-k24FcpitZTyeYxxx9X_hLe2inIDqprQm0k9HZLJqC-JZ542KL6F1qVl3rT9R0az01X_zeBoDR3Uo/s300/Eddie+Money+debut+lp+CBS.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjsvh_jVnnMwGG4LCinNJvB2NAkZFiZW6b9MP4v9NPLxWQ2QnRgR_wPLkCU_dC48l-k24FcpitZTyeYxxx9X_hLe2inIDqprQm0k9HZLJqC-JZ542KL6F1qVl3rT9R0az01X_zeBoDR3Uo/s0/Eddie+Money+debut+lp+CBS.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Eddie Money, former lead singer of The Rockets, released his debut solo album on Columbia in 1977</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />January 23, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel/Rockets </b><i>(Sunday)</i><br /><b>Asleep At The Wheel</b> were from Paw-Paw, WV, and played Western Swing music with a rock beat. They generally gigged around the greater Washington, DC area. In 1971, they had opened for Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, and the Cody crew encouraged them to move to the East Bay. Asleep At The Wheel relocated to Oakland, and started playing regularly at local nightclubs. In October of 1971, Asleep At The Wheel had opened a weekend at the Long Branch for the Airmen. Within six weeks, The Wheel were headlining the Long Branch themselves. <p></p><p>This booking appears to be the first time <b>The</b> <b>Rockets</b> were booked on a weekend at the Long Branch, although that implicitly suggests they had played a weeknight earlier. Probably the Rockets had played a Wednesday audition, had sounded good, and had played some other weeknights, and done well enough to be second-billed on a Sunday night. That was the usual pattern for local bands playing the Long Branch, without a record company or agency support. With respect to the history of the Long Branch, however, the Rockets weren't just another band.</p><p>The lead singer of the Rockets was a transplanted New Yorker, a former NYPD trainee cop named Eddie Mahoney. Also in the band was guitarist Dan Alexander, bassist Chris Sohlberg and drummer John Cuniberti. The Rockets would rise to be regular weekend headliners at the Long Branch, along with Grayson Street, Earth Quake and others. In mid-1974, Mahoney would change his stage name to Eddie Money, and the band evolved into Eddie Money and The Rockets, and later just the Eddie Money Band. In 1975, the Bill Graham organization started managing Money, and by 1977 he had released his debut album on Columbia. "Two Tickets To Paradise" and "Baby Hold On To Me" were huge hits. Mahoney (1949-2019) suffered a variety of health issues and has passed on, but thanks to television commercials and oldies, Eddie Money is far and away the biggest act ever to come out of the Long Branch.<br /></p><b>January 25, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Hades </b><i>(Tuesday)</i><br /><b>Hades</b>, sometimes billed as the Hades Blues Band, or Hades Blues Works, was a local band. They had played the club back when it was called Babylon. <br /><p>In the late 60s, guitarist Jimmy Thorsen,
bassist Steve Wright and drummer John Cuniberti had been in a band
called Traumatic Experience. With the addition of guitarist Craig
Ferreira, they became Hades. Steve Wright would go on to play in the
Greg Kihn Band, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cuniberti">John Cuniberti became an important engineer and producer, particularly for Bay Area punk rock acts</a>. At some point, Cuniberti joined The Rockets (see above), so I think Hades was near the end of the line here.<br /></p><p> I think the Long Branch wasn't regularly open on Tuesdays, but without listings it's hard to be sure. <br /></p><p><b>January 27, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Copperhead/Jesse, Wolff and Whings <i>(Thursday)</i></b><br /><b>Copperhead</b> was the relatively new band formed by former Quicksilver Messenger Service lead guitarist John Cippolina. Membership was always somewhat fluid. At this time, the band probably had Cippolina and Jimmy Murray (himself ex-QMS ca. 1967) on guitars, Jim McPherson on bass, Pete Sears on keyboards and probably David Weber on drums. Copperhead would go on to release a 1973 album on Columbia. They were promising, but never seemed organized. <br /></p><p><b>Jesse, Wolff and Whings</b> released one album on Leon Russell's
Shelter label, distributed by Capitol. The group featured lead singer
Jesse Barish, lead guitarist Bill Wolff, bassist Kevin Kaufmann and
drummer Kevin Kelley, among other members. The group was supposed to be
called Wings, but Capitol had Paul McCartney's Wings, so they had to
change the spelling. <br /><br />Jesse Barish, per his bio, apparently
played a little bit with the all-instrumental Orkustra (I think he
played flute), back in the 60s. Bill Wolff was in a later version of the
Peanut Butter Conspiracy. Kevin Kelly had been in The Rising Sons and
The Byrds, among other bands, and both Kelly and Kevin Kaufmann had
backed Phil Ochs. <br /><br />When Jesse, Wolff and Whings fell apart, Jesse
Barish went on to work with Marty Balin and Grunt Records. Barish ended
up co-writing many songs with Balin, and as a result he has many
songwriting credits on Jefferson Starship albums, such as "Count On Me."</p><p>As a point of comparison, Copperhead had headlined the Keystone Berkeley on Friday, January 7, and Whings had opened the following weekend (January 14-15, for the HooDoo Rhythm Devils). <br /></p><p><i>(<b>note</b>: I am missing any listings for the weekend of January 28-29)</i></p><b>February 1-2, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Joe Crane and The HooDoo Rhythm Devils </b><i>(Tuesday-Wednesday)</i><br />The <b>HooDoo Rhythm Devils</b>, led by singer Joe Crane, had arisen out of a local blues-rock band called P, G &E. The HooDoos had released an album on Capitol in 1971, <i>Rack Jobbers Rule</i>. By 1972, they would switch to Blue Thumb, where their next album <i>Barbeque of Deville</i>, came out later in the year.<p><b>February 3-4, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Flamin Groovies/Hades </b><i>(Thursday-Friday) </i><br />The <b>Flamin' Groovies</b> were an original San Francisco band, having formed as The Chosen Few in 1965. The Groovies, however, stuck to the Rolling Stones' sound when the rest of the city's bands went psychedelic, and they did not particularly thrive during the Fillmore era. Along with their manager, the Flamin' Groovies had rented the old Fillmore and put on shows with various bands in 1969 and '70. Thus they stayed in the public eye, even if not many fans had heard them yet.<br /></p><p>Still, by 1969 the Flamin Groovies had released their debut album on Epic, <i>Supersnazz</i>. Subsequently they released <i>Flamingo</i> (1970) and <i>Teenage Head</i> (1971) on Kama Sutra. Neither record sold well, and the band had were dropped by Kama Sutra. Lead singer Roy Loney left the band, leaving singer/guitarist Cyril Jordan as the principal driving force. Later in 1972, the Groovies would move to England, where their "Power Pop" sound would be less of an anomaly. At this time, however, the Groovies were without a label, and without much of a following in their home territory.<br /></p><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQOEdUZVsqSlkhmGPxV0nLxUczk5SkP7kHBlgna80XJBSLbNXQYEhnZQ04jE-3GWJz-d_SzbLSsaZhN4WVPftTxYqqTna5SiEPX6QuEaVjjhBZYm9kzE2NbsaYk0pKD_NULCLGeFHsWQhI/s280/Earth+Quake+1971+A%2526M.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQOEdUZVsqSlkhmGPxV0nLxUczk5SkP7kHBlgna80XJBSLbNXQYEhnZQ04jE-3GWJz-d_SzbLSsaZhN4WVPftTxYqqTna5SiEPX6QuEaVjjhBZYm9kzE2NbsaYk0pKD_NULCLGeFHsWQhI/s0/Earth+Quake+1971+A%2526M.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Earth Quake's 1971 debut album on A&M Records</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />February 5, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake/Fluid Drive </b><i>(Saturday)</i><br /><b>Earth Quake,</b> from Berkeley, were the ultimate Long Branch band,
and it's fitting that they played opening night. Originally, they had
been a Berkeley High band called Purple Earthquake. By early 1972, they
were a quintet, with Robbie Dunbar on lead guitar, Gary Phillips on
rhythm guitar, lead vocalist John Doukas, bassist Stan Miller and
drummer Steve Nelson. Earth Quake had released their debut album on
A&M Records sometime in 1971 <p></p><p>Earth Quake would play the
Long Branch at least every month for five years, and in many months
every Friday night. Earth Quake, with their vast trove of cover
versions, always had a loyal audience at the club</p><p><b>Fluid Drive</b> is unknown to me. <br /></p><p><b>February 6, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Jabo Stokes </b><i>(Sunday)</i><br /><b>Jabo Stokes</b> is unknown to me. <br /></p><p><b>February 9, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Bittersweet </b><i>(Wednesday)</i><br /><b>Bittersweet</b> was a rock band from Chico, CA, who moved to the East Bay. <a href="http://brunoceriotti.weebly.com/bittersweet.html">Rock historian Bruno Cerriotti has a detailed history of their adventures. </a></p><p><b>February 10, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Bittersweet/Full Moon </b><i>(Thursday) </i><br /><b>Full Moon</b> is unknown to me<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: small;">, although it's possible they were formerly known as Womb.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><b>February 11 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Stoneground/Country Weather </b><i>(Friday)</i><br /><b>Country Weather</b> were a Walnut Creek (Contra Costa County) group, from just over the Berkeley Hills. They had originally been called The Virtues, but soon after lead guitarist Greg Douglass joined, they changed their name to Country Weather. Country Weather never released a record when they were together from 1967-73. Since the group was familiar from many posters from 1968 onward, Country Weather became one of the great lost San Francisco groups of the 1960s. Ultimately, the group reformed in the 21st century and still performs occasionally. RD Records released some of their 60s demos and live performances, alonmg with some 21st century recordings. <br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "times";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span></span></span></span></p><div><div><span style="font-family: "times";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Greg
Douglass became a successful guitarist in the Bay Area, best known for
co-writing “Jungle Love” for Steve Miller, with whom he played for many
years. Douglass was also a member of Hot Tuna for one brief, sensational
tour in Spring 1975. </span></span></span></div></div><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0YvXDAG0l1RQ91KROMyvK93u1Om4DeIi-5YQHt3RNilc-LPyxjLwBrKRXxHpoQkbRkAd07JTXkyS2XvmPOf67E7fq3bpHq43KB07SV98_UgxP83fc5AW-LXO0i2P9_8gFaoAivvqK-n7/s1200/Doobie+Brothers+debut+lp+71.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0YvXDAG0l1RQ91KROMyvK93u1Om4DeIi-5YQHt3RNilc-LPyxjLwBrKRXxHpoQkbRkAd07JTXkyS2XvmPOf67E7fq3bpHq43KB07SV98_UgxP83fc5AW-LXO0i2P9_8gFaoAivvqK-n7/w320-h213/Doobie+Brothers+debut+lp+71.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Doobie Brothers, ca 1971</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />February 12, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Doobie Brothers/Nipple </b><i>(Saturday)</i><br />In early 1972, the <b>Doobie Brothers</b> were another unknown band climbing the ladder. The Doobies were from the San Jose area, and they had built a following in the South Bay. They were largely unknown in the East Bay, however. <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2020/11/keystone-berkeley-2119-university.html">Throughout January, they had played every Thursday night at The New Monk, just 2 miles up the road at University and Shattuck (and later the Keystone Berkeley)</a>. <br /><p></p><p>The Doobie Brothers had
released their first, self-titled album on Warner Brothers, back in
April, 1971. It hadn't done well. Although the Doobies had gone on a
National tour (with Mother Earth), they were mostly just slugging
it out in the local clubs. Still, Warner Brothers was behind them. In January, the Doobie Brothers had played live on KSAN-fm (<a href="http://tela.sugarmegs.org/_asxtela/asxcards/DoobieBrothers1972-01-16PacificHighRecordersSanFranciscoCA.html">at Pacific High Recorders on January 16</a>), which meant that Warners had coughed up the ad dollars to subsidize the broadcast. At this time, the Doobies had just replaced
original bassist Dave Shogren with Tiran Porter, and they had added
Michael Hossack as a second drummer (along with John Hartmann).
Guitarists Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons were the lead singers. </p><p><b>Nipple</b> is unknown to me. <br /></p><p><b>February 13, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Country Weather </b>(<i>Sunday</i>)</p><b>February 16-17, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Dr Hook And The Medicine Show </b><i>(Wednesday-Thursday)</i><br /><b>Dr Hook and The Medicine Show</b> were a somewhat comic country-rock act, produced by Shel Silverstein. Their debut album would have just been released on Columbia. They would soon hit it big with "Silvia's Mother" and "Cover Of The Rolling Stone." <br /><p><b>February 18, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Linx/Frank Biner Band </b><i>(Friday)</i></p><b>February 19, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Linx/Runnin Easy <i>(Saturday)</i></b><br /><b>Runnin' Easy</b> is unknown to me, although I recognize their name from various bookings. <br /><p><b>February 20, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Dennis Geyer Band </b><i>(Sunday)</i></p><p>I am missing any listings for the weekend of February 25-28. </p><p><b>February 29, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel </b><i>(Tuesday) </i><br /></p><b>March 1, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Orisha/Free And Easy </b><i>(Tuesday)</i><br />Both <b>Orisha</b> and <b>Free And Easy</b> are unknown to me. The New Monk opened as the Keystone Berkeley this night.<p><b>March 3-4, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Wayne The Harp </b><i>(Friday-Saturday)</i><br /></p><p><b>March 5, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone/Dennis Geyer Band </b><i>(Sunday)</i><br />The <b>Loading Zone</b>, from Oakland, had played the original Trips Festival back in 1966. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Loading%20Zone.htm">By 1972, they had been through many different iterations</a>. By this time, although they still broadly featured the mix of rock and soul as when they had started, they had no original members. They were good, though: Linda Tillery and Wendy Haas on vocals, Tom Coster on organ, Doug Rauch on bass, Tony Smith on drums and Bruce Conte on guitar. </p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2GB3nWW1L_06ScoVil6R20bKkNFUtPjMj7NcDEm48oUnt2BLvrTeeikYnNncmZbv1R-LlrKgFaZFp1O5KM0hINUJQMywP8g-oZ9JBMsec4dcldakGzE5MNfsOMs2KQFOTKpLoa2a3ras/s621/Cold+Blood+First+Taste+Of+Sin+72+lp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="599" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2GB3nWW1L_06ScoVil6R20bKkNFUtPjMj7NcDEm48oUnt2BLvrTeeikYnNncmZbv1R-LlrKgFaZFp1O5KM0hINUJQMywP8g-oZ9JBMsec4dcldakGzE5MNfsOMs2KQFOTKpLoa2a3ras/s320/Cold+Blood+First+Taste+Of+Sin+72+lp.jpg" /></a></b></div><b><br />March 10, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Cold Blood/Linx</b><i> (Friday)</i><br /><b>Cold Blood</b> are generally associated with the East Bay funk sound of bands like Tower Of Power. The East Bay association was appropriate musically, but in fact Cold Blood had its roots in the South Bay. Lead singer Lydia Pense, from San Mateo, and bassist Rod Ellicott had been in a Peninsula Band in 1966 called the New Invaders, who had evolved into The Generation. The Generation were known as the first Bay Area band to merge a horn section with a rock band. The Generation evolved into Cold Blood, and they were signed to Bill Graham's San Francisco label (distributed by Atlantic). <p></p><p>Cold Blood released two albums on San Francisco, their self-titled debut (1969) and <i>Sisyphus</i> (1970), which spawned a modest local hit with a remake of "You Got Me Hummin'."After Graham's labels folded, Cold Blood ended up on Reprise. In 1972, they would release <i>First Taste Of Sin</i>.
Lydia Pense was a powerful singer, and Cold Blood was a tight band, so
the group was very popular in night clubs and at local dances. In
retrospect, however, they sound as if they were trying a bit too hard,
instead of just playing the music they liked. </p><p><b>March 11, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Stoneground/Linx </b><i>(Saturday)</i></p><b>March 15, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Cesar's Combo </b><i>(Wednesday)</i><br />The Examiner lists this as "Latin Jazz." I assume <b>Cesar's Combo</b> was a version of the house band at Cesar Ascarrunuz's 830 Club, led by Luis Gasca. To my knowledge, they played in a Latin jazz-rock vein, sort of like Malo. <i><br /></i><p><b>March 18, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Copperhead/The Ducks </b><i>(Saturday)</i><br />I believe <b>The Ducks</b> were a Marin band featuring guitarist and songwriter Kent Housman<b>.<br /><br />March 19, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grootna/Jabo Stokes </b><i>(Sunday)</i> </p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSkqvm4hK9k5kTVMEhjnQCLpFvRuJYC5c4uDtQWa1Gm53KUT1DWmdIbaBQxbfy97X2iPMocQ6w5E_ZZysnYZZx8cbQ-VEJQ4UNVc3KUoEPK8FEom4m90VOAGW3z5cxD_hSSFdsXQls_ow/s355/Lost+in+the+Ozone+Cody+lp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="355" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSkqvm4hK9k5kTVMEhjnQCLpFvRuJYC5c4uDtQWa1Gm53KUT1DWmdIbaBQxbfy97X2iPMocQ6w5E_ZZysnYZZx8cbQ-VEJQ4UNVc3KUoEPK8FEom4m90VOAGW3z5cxD_hSSFdsXQls_ow/s320/Lost+in+the+Ozone+Cody+lp.jpg" /></a></b></div><b><br />March 24, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen/Asleep At The Wheel</b><i> (Friday)</i><br />The headliners were Berkeley's very own <b>Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen</b>. <a href="https://berkeleyfolk.blogspot.com/2010/09/commander-cody-and-his-lost-planet.html">Cody and the Airmen had moved out to California in Summer '69, setting up shop in a rambling house in nearby Emeryville</a>. The band played "hippie honky-tonk," a strange brew of Western Swing, traditional country, old-time rock and roll and Berkeley sensibilities. Their November 1971 debut album, <i>Lost In The Ozone</i>, had spawned the local hit single "Hot Rod Lincoln."<br /><p></p><p>The Airmen had been regular headliners at the Long Branch since it had opened in May, 1971. One or two tracks on the debut album had even been recorded live at the Long Branch back in July. The Airmen were regionally popular now, thanks to "Hot Rod Lincoln," and touring around. But I'm sure they could still pack a Friday night house on San Pablo Avenue.<br /></p><p><b>March 25-26, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake/The Rockets </b><i>(Saturday-Sunday)</i></p><p><b>April 4, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel/Alice Stuart </b><i>(Tuesday)</i><br /><b>Alice Stuart</b> was a fine blues guitarist and singer. Although she was from Seattle, she had been playing in the Bay Area since about 1964. Stuart had performed and recorded in a variety of settings. At one point in late 1969, she had even been the temporary bass player for the Lost Planet Airmen. In 1972 she led a trio named Snake, and they recorded for Fantasy Records.</p><p><b>April 5, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Cesar's Combo </b><i>(Wednesday)</i> <br /></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPg7OFR2OFz5RcfGPZbRHvoTByp8xdRMINfTStwklZMWaUPpOX6KRjp9IO1DFP75dG7zyTL4cyU20y33uorhlfLKLvbrNUSqcMC5YvUgL6ufz8BSblC_cvzlOrCco53iRLcJ1VSKeNV1x/s220/How+Hard+It+Is+Big+Brother+1971.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPg7OFR2OFz5RcfGPZbRHvoTByp8xdRMINfTStwklZMWaUPpOX6KRjp9IO1DFP75dG7zyTL4cyU20y33uorhlfLKLvbrNUSqcMC5YvUgL6ufz8BSblC_cvzlOrCco53iRLcJ1VSKeNV1x/s0/How+Hard+It+Is+Big+Brother+1971.jpg" /></a></b></div><b><br />April 7, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Copperhead/Big Brother and The Holding Company </b><i>(Friday)</i><br /><b>Big Brother and The Holding Company</b> had reformed in late 1969, although of course without Janis Joplin. They had put out two fairly good but poorly-received albums on Columbia (1970's <i>Be A Brother </i>and '71's <i>How Hard It Is</i>). Initially, all the original members had been part of the reformation, but by 1972 the band was being held together by guitarist Sam Andrews. Kathi McDonald, a veteran singer from Seattle (and a former Ikette, despite being blonde), had the somewhat thankless task of being the lead singer. McDonald was an excellent singer, in fact, but Janis was an icon, not just a singer.<p></p><p>Five years earlier, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Big Brother had been in two of the Fillmore's biggest, most exciting bands. Now Cippolina and Andrews were sharing a bill at a 350-capacity club on San Pablo Avenue. Phil Elwood reviewed the show and had high praise for Copperhead. He identified Gary Phillipet (guitar) and Jim McPherson (bass) as the singers, and mentioned Pete Sears' fine piano, along with Cippolina. Elwood also said that Big Brother sounded good, but he added no details.<br /></p><p><b>April 8, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Linx/Little John </b><i>(Saturday)</i><br /><b>Little John</b> was a local blues band, but I don't know anything else about them. <br /></p><p><b>April 9, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rockets/Jack Frost </b><i>(Sunday)</i><br /><b>Jack Frost</b> is unknown to me. </p><p><b>April 12, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Clover</b><i> (Wednesday) </i></p><p><b>April 13, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Saving Grace/Ducks </b><i>(Thursday)</i><br /><b>Saving Grace</b> and <b>Ducks</b> are unknown to me. <i><br /></i></p><p><b>April 15, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Mike Finnegan and Jerry Wood/Clover </b><i>(Friday)</i><br />Organist and singer <b>Mike Finnegan</b> was from Wichita, KS. Unlike typical musicians, the 6'6" Finnegan had gotten a basketball scholarship to the University of Kansas. He had moved to the Bay Area around 1969, and he had been a member of The Jerry Hahn Brotherhood, who had put out a highly regarded 1970 album on Columbia. Unfortunately, the album went nowhere, and Finnegan had left the band. At this time, Finnegan had another band with guitarist <b>Jerry Wood</b>, and he worked with the re-activated Big Brother and The Holding Company as well. Finnegan and Wood released the album <i>Crazed Hipsters</i> on Blue Thumb in 1972.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJGCbbsPpqZmth1_VzE7k3SNSEasytowN0UKUdc_u-XqWJaMNUXk7XpAo-tEVf-6D1RJkCgGcajwvT_WX2ZfAA90pB0IyvEP-4b6NW7eBXF8um99EBlGc972DNmAIKxtLrPUHrT6KmTgQ/s460/Modern+Lovers+Live+At+The+Longbranch+72+%252898%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="449" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJGCbbsPpqZmth1_VzE7k3SNSEasytowN0UKUdc_u-XqWJaMNUXk7XpAo-tEVf-6D1RJkCgGcajwvT_WX2ZfAA90pB0IyvEP-4b6NW7eBXF8um99EBlGc972DNmAIKxtLrPUHrT6KmTgQ/s320/Modern+Lovers+Live+At+The+Longbranch+72+%252898%2529.jpg" /></a></div><p><b>April 21, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake/Modern Lovers </b><i>(Friday)</i><br />It's easy to make fun of Berkeley--I for one never tire of it--but you have to give the town its due. Yes, Berkeley is pretentious and sniffs at the provinciality of every other town, ever. But it also means that Berkeley is often ahead of other places, often way ahead. Johnathan Richman and the Modern Lovers were an underground cult sensation in Berkeley around 1975, long before anywhere else had heard of him. And yet, three years earlier--three years!--<b>The Modern Lovers</b> had played at the Long Branch. At the time, the Modern Lovers were fairly self-consciously modeled on the Velvet Underground. At the time, the VU were all but forgotten, and frontman Lou Reed was just an obscure solo artist in New York. Nobody cared about Reed or the Velvets, much less an unrecorded Boston band carrying on their obscure tradition. Warner Brothers had signed the Modern Lovers, and flown them out to Los Angeles to record demos with John Cale. The band also played a few live gigs, including this booking at the Long Branch. <br /></p><p></p><p>When Beserkeley Records released Richman's sunny takes in 1975, "Road Runner" and "New Teller" were a ray of sunshine on FM radio, when they got played. Yet shortly after, the earlier, darker demos recorded back in '72 with John Cale behind the board revealed a much grimmer version of the Modern Lovers. In 1976, Beserkeley released the demos (the release was known as "The Black Album"). It featured a darker, organ-driven version of "Roadrunner," and the bleak, hilarious "Pablo Picasso" ("Some people walk down the street/Get called an asshole/That never happened to/Pablo Picasso"). The dark, '72 Modern Lovers had opened at the Long Branch for their future label-mates Earth Quake, and someone had the foresight to record it. You have to love Berkeley for that.</p><p>The Modern Lovers probably did not go over that well. Besides Richman on electric guitar and vocals, the band had future Talking Head Jerry Harrison on organ and future Car drummer David Robinson, plus bassist Ernie Brooks. In 1998, the Long Branch show was released as part of a vinyl double-LP, <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Modern-Lovers-Live-At-The-Longbranch-And-More/release/2585797"><i>Modern Lovers Live At The Longbranch And More.</i><br /></a></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYyrSaxM_BFT7aMaaVpZZwhYi5CztLTTxxpXgyX5-uuJewYy0fl9klnyY-UVkIMs3nv72SRW-Mte4ieWjoKdCuFdu665ML0bjvSZWuX9beCWbd4fywQZppMamBYOwjEa44NvLHHdA6qvt/s600/Grootna+1971+lp+CBS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYyrSaxM_BFT7aMaaVpZZwhYi5CztLTTxxpXgyX5-uuJewYy0fl9klnyY-UVkIMs3nv72SRW-Mte4ieWjoKdCuFdu665ML0bjvSZWuX9beCWbd4fywQZppMamBYOwjEa44NvLHHdA6qvt/s320/Grootna+1971+lp+CBS.jpg" /></a></b></div><b><br />April 22, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grootna/Fletcher Brothers </b><i>(Saturday)</i><br />Note that bands like Grootna or Copperhead, with recordings to their name (in Copperhead's case, via Cippolina) were playing the Long Branch about once a month. <br /><p></p><p>The <b>Fletcher Brothers</b> played local Bay Area clubs during this period, but I don't know anything else about them.</p><p><b>April 23, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Bobby Hutcherson</b><i> (Sunday)</i><br /><b>Bobby Hutcherson</b> was an exceptional vibes player from Los Angeles. He had moved to New York, and had recorded for Blue Note as early as 1963. Hutcherson returned to California in 1967, and mostly played on the West Coast thereafter. While Hutcherson was a forward-thinking music, his music was quieter and more acoustic than some of his peers at the time. Since there were no jazz clubs in the East Bay, Hutcherson often played rock clubs on weeknights. Although jazz was a rarity at the Long Branch, Berkeley has always been amenable to eclectic bookings. <b> <br /></b></p><p><b>April 25, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Boogie Brothers/Sober and Sorry </b><i>(Tuesday)</i><br /><b>Boogie Brothers</b> and <b>Sober and Sorry</b> are both unknown to me. <br /></p><p><b>April 27, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Linx/The Rockets </b><i>(Thursday)</i></p><p><b>April 28, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Linx/Bitterweet </b><i>(Friday)</i></p><p><b>April 29, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake/Knee Deep</b><i><b> (Saturday) </b><br /></i></p><b>April 30, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Osceola<i> </i></b><i>(Sunday)</i><br /><b>Osceola</b> was a band from Florida that had relocated to San Francisco around 1969, and played around the Bay Area for a few years. <br /><p><b>May 5, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Linx/Knee Deep </b><i>(Friday)</i></p><p><b>May 6, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Dennis Geyer Band/Bittersweet </b><i>(Saturday)</i></p><b>May 10, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Street Band</b><i> (Tuesday)</i><br />The <b>Street Band</b> is unknown to me. <i><br /></i><p>I am missing listings for the weekend of May 12-14. <br /></p><p><b><b>May 16, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Mike Finnegan and Jerry Wood</b></b><i> </i><i>(Tuesday)</i><b> <br /></b></p><p><b>May 19, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grootna/Rockets </b><i>(Friday)</i></p><p><b>May 20, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Linx/Frank Biner </b><i>(Saturday)</i></p><p><b>May 21, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Fluid Drive/Jango </b><i>(Sunday)</i><br /><b>Jango</b> is unknown to me. <br /></p><p><b>May 23, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel/High Country </b><i>(Tuesday)</i><br />Asleep At The Wheel tried to work as many nights as possible. From this point on, it appears they played most Tuesday nights at the Long Branch. </p><p><b>High Country</b> were a Berkeley bluegrass band led by mandolinist
Butch Waller. High Country were regulars at Berkeley's already-legendary
folk club, the <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Freight%20and%20Salvage.htm">Freight And Salvage (a half-mile North, at 1827 San Pablo)</a>.
Waller had been pals with Garcia and David Nelson, both former
bluegrassers, since 1963. Waller and David Nelson had been in a
bluegrass band together in 1964 (the Pine Valley Boys), and in '69,
Nelson had even played a little with High Country. <a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2009/11/matrix-san-francisco-february-19-1969.html">One time, High Country's banjo player wasn't available, and Jerry Garcia filled in (June 19, 1969--of course, there's a tape)</a>. High Country had released an album on Raccoon, the Youngbloods' label. <br /></p><p><b>May 24, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Is/The Street Band </b><i>(Wednesday)</i><i><br /></i><b>Is</b> is unknown to me. </p><p><i> </i><b>May 25, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone/Linx </b><i>(Thursday)</i><br />The Loading Zone were still grinding it out. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2023/05/loading-zone-performance-list-1972.html">One of their vocalists, Wendy Haas, had left to join Azteca, but they still had Linda Tillery. </a><br /></p><p><b>May 26 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake </b><i>(Friday)</i></p><p><b>May 27, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone/Linx</b><i> (Saturday)</i></p><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1PL_eEc0hsxuTSolfwOvw-nQoOhMeNT4dg07SemglE8cfZOo-MOz4DhWiRVdqZ3ZJdYJbQT_bZwnU_Pa4bjDhL1B1v7l-HQ2d0NSeZMhgfIpD04iwlHOrr5jqLicsNSvKJgf2vx1KZ0D/s301/Sophomoric+Congress+of+Wonders+Fantasy+LP+72.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1PL_eEc0hsxuTSolfwOvw-nQoOhMeNT4dg07SemglE8cfZOo-MOz4DhWiRVdqZ3ZJdYJbQT_bZwnU_Pa4bjDhL1B1v7l-HQ2d0NSeZMhgfIpD04iwlHOrr5jqLicsNSvKJgf2vx1KZ0D/s0/Sophomoric+Congress+of+Wonders+Fantasy+LP+72.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Sophomoric, the second album by the Congress Of Wonders comedy duo, was released on Fantasy Records in 1972</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></b><b><br />May 28, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Congress Of Wonders/Blue Mountain/Fluid Drive </b><i>Benefit for George McGovern (Sunday)</i><br />George McGovern was the Anti-War candidate for the Democratic Party Presidential nomination, so there were many benefits for him in college towns like Berkeley. <br /><p><b>Congress Of Wonders</b> was a hip comedy duo. <span style="font-family: "times";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><a href="http://www.thecongressofwonders.com/">Congress of Wonders</a> were a
comedy duo from Berkeley, initially from the UC Berkeley drama department and
later part of <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2009/09/open-theater-berkeley-ca-2976-college.html">Berkeley’s Open Theater on College Avenue, a prime spot for what were called “Happenings”</a> (now ‘Performance Art’). The group performed at the
Avalon and other rock venues.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times";"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; punctuation-wrap: simple; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times";"></span><span style="font-family: "times";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Karl
Truckload (Howard Kerr) and Winslow Thrill (Richard Rollins) created two
Congress of Wonders albums on Fantasy Records (<i>Revolting</i> and <i>Sophomoric</i>). Their pieces
“<a href="https://youtu.be/k-BhZsczD_4">Pigeon Park”</a> and “Star Trip”, although charmingly dated now, were staples of
San Francisco underground radio at the time. </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; punctuation-wrap: simple; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; punctuation-wrap: simple; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><b>Blue Mountain</b> was a band from Palo Alto. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times";"></span></p><p><b>May 30, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel/Knee Deep </b><i>(Tuesday)</i></p><p><b>May 31, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: The Street Band </b><i>(Wednesday)</i></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbzBjmTjq6puVXDI7AtEEb4Bk2MwWWyrsr3Uo-Mi9_YUsGXN1kctyoVq9wj81ObTXzeW9LaaK5q9a9OieGFfNhpxIPtrGjAynIhXnE3TF9EkAmplhuOiz7Snb1Vn7Egpid75T1Dk3whF_/s590/Tower+Of+Power+Bump+City+1972.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbzBjmTjq6puVXDI7AtEEb4Bk2MwWWyrsr3Uo-Mi9_YUsGXN1kctyoVq9wj81ObTXzeW9LaaK5q9a9OieGFfNhpxIPtrGjAynIhXnE3TF9EkAmplhuOiz7Snb1Vn7Egpid75T1Dk3whF_/s320/Tower+Of+Power+Bump+City+1972.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />June 2, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Tower Of Power </b><i>(Friday) </i><br /><b>Tower Of Power,</b> though originally from Fremont, were the pride of Oakland. They had been discovered by Bill Graham at t<a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2010/09/fillmore-west-lost-concerts-tuesday.html">he Tuesday night Fillmore West auditions</a>, and their first album <i>East Bay</i> <i>Grease</i>
had been released on Graham's San Francisco label (distributed by
Atlantic). By 1972, the label was gone, but Atlantic's sister label
Warner Brothers had picked up Tower. Tower's immortal second album, <i>Bump City</i>, had been released in the Spring, just as the Oakland A's,
Raiders and Golden State Warriors were making all things Oakland
ascendant.<p></p><p>Tower Of Power had graduated beyond the Long Branch by this time, but they were the sort of band who preferred to fill up the gig sheet on any empty night. <br /></p><p><b>June 3, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Frank Biner/Full Moon </b><i>(Saturday)</i><b></b><br /></p><b>June 4, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Fluid Drive/The Tubes </b><i>(Sunday) McGovern Benefit</i><br /><b>The Tubes</b> had only formed around March, 1972. Most of the band members were from Phoenix, AZ. Initially, guitarist Bill Spooner, keyboard player Vince Welnick and bassist Rick Andersen had been in a popular Phoenix band called The Beans. The Beans had moved to San Francisco in Fall 1970. They had played numerous local gigs, but hadn't really made much headway. After some band members left the Beans, it had turned out that another popular Phoenix band had lost some members, so guitarist Roger Steen and drummer Prairie Prince had relocated to San Francisco to join The Beans. Their roadie John "Fiji" Waldo was added as lead singer, and The Tubes were born.<p>The Tubes played a sort of progressive rock rather than modified blues. They also had a fairly elaborate stage show, which was pretty much unheard of at the time. Initially, of course, their props were just cardboard and confetti, but they were a performing band from the beginning. <br /></p><p><b>June 6, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel/Boogie Brothers </b><i>(Tuesday)</i></p><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1zJAdcNuESKVohQMRHPTcex8Zg9Te_6fn0CImeCkfLZzdXyp2PuNADmbSgpXFS-HM8DWsI2CCmepPjCEfunJmkmXkNZhYQgeedkAbHpX-6NADuLfFEu_GQlF6elv0Z_z_hWyU2ejcRRx8/s570/Juice+Newton+lp+1980.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1zJAdcNuESKVohQMRHPTcex8Zg9Te_6fn0CImeCkfLZzdXyp2PuNADmbSgpXFS-HM8DWsI2CCmepPjCEfunJmkmXkNZhYQgeedkAbHpX-6NADuLfFEu_GQlF6elv0Z_z_hWyU2ejcRRx8/s320/Juice+Newton+lp+1980.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Juice Newton's 1981 debut lp, several years after she was in the folk-rock band Dixie Peach</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />June 7, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Linx/Dixie Peach </b><i>(Wednesday)</i><br /><b>Dixie Peach</b> was a folk rock band that featured singer Judy Newton and guitarist and songwriter Robert Otha Young. The two had started performing together when Newton was a student at Foothill College in Los Altos. Bassist Cecil Bollinger, formerly of the great South Bay group Weird Herald, was also a member.<br /><br />Although Dixie Peach was just another local band on the Bay Area scene, Judy Newton would go on to become far better known in the 80s as country singer Juice Newton. Otha Young (1943- 2009) was her principal songwriter as well, so the two had a fruitful musical partnership well into the 21st century. <br /><p></p><p><b>June 8, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Linx/Loading Zone </b><i>(Thursday)</i><br /></p><b>June 9, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Elvin Bishop Group/Django </b><i>(Friday)</i><br /><b>June 10, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Elvin Bishop Group/Fluid Drive </b><i>(Saturday)</i><br />Elvin Bishop had been a regular performer in Bay Area rock nightclubs since he had arrived in San Francisco in 1968, having just left the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. From 1969 onwards, his main gig had been at Freddie Herrera's Keystone Korner in San Francisco, but he played all over. The <b>Elvin Bishop Group</b> had been signed to Bill Graham's Fillmore Records (distributed by Columbia), and had released two albums (the 1969 debut and 1970's <i>Feel It!</i>). By 1972, Fillmore Records had folded, but Bishop had been picked up by Epic, a Columbia subsidiary (he would release <i>Rock My Soul </i>later in '72).<p>The Elvin Bishop Group had played regularly at the Long Branch in 1971. In March of '72, however, Freddie Herrera had taken over the New Monk and changed it to the Keystone Berkeley, so Bishop's principal allegiance was just up the road. Still, while Keystone Berkeley and Long Branch were competitors, they weren't enemies, so here was the Elvin Bishop headlining a weekend. At this time, the Elvin Bishop Group featured Stephen Miller on organ (ex-Linn County), and vocals by Miller, Bishop and singer Jo Baker.</p><p><b>June 14, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Tower Of Power </b><i>(Wednesday)</i><br /></p><p><b>June 16, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Fluid Drive/Osceola </b><i>(Friday)</i></p><p><b>June 17, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Blue Mountain/Linx </b><i>(Saturday)</i></p><p><b>June 20, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel/Clover </b><i>(Tuesday)</i></p><p><b>June 21, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: The Street Band/Blue Moon </b><i>(Wednesday)</i></p><p><b>June 24, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake/Grayson Street </b><i>(Saturday) </i><br /></p><p><b>June 27, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel/El Rancho Cowboys </b><i>(Tuesday)</i><br />The <b>El Rancho Cowboys </b>were a country band from the San Jose suburb of Cupertino, CA. Guitarist Cornell Hurd would end up leading the Texas "Dance Hall" band--albeit from Cupertino--known as Cornell Hurd and His Mondo Hot Pants Orchestra. Hurd had met Asleep At The Wheel (whether at this show or before isn't clear) and they were hugely influential in his future musical career.</p><p><b>June 28, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Street Band</b><i> (Wednesday)</i></p><p><b>June 29, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone/Frank Biner </b><i>(Thursday)</i><br />By this time, Loading Zone organist Tom Coster and bassist Doug Rauch had been recording with Santana, for the album that would become <i>Caravanserai</i>. By September, Coster and Rauch would go out on tour with Santana, and Loading Zone finally broke up. Drummer Tony Smith had gone on to play for Malo, and guitarist Bruce Conte would join Tower Of Power (Tower and the Zone shared a manager and a rehearsal space). Linda Tillery would go on to a substantial career as a solo artist. This booking likely featured the final lineup of Loading Zone, with Tillery (vocals) and Conte (guitar) supported by Steve Funk (keyboards), Paul Jackson (bass), Mike Clark (drums) and Pat O'Hara (trombone). <br /></p><p><b>June 30-July 1, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Blue Mountain/Rockets <i>(Friday-Saturday)</i></b><br />The Rockets, slowly climbing the ladder, were now co-headlining on the weekend.</p><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMIcobXWxtR6ZlSnucoFmTDneIBaRhPd5XSN1zNFlRMa54XkaFqsR8YZ2SgSFCv5i6KfUczutxjljG3We6yeX5umVxhyehC5JQDnQvwT2zkvGd5HegAlYP4S5vB0rt1u2xeHBdi3SsMNnyxc3JLfIudryccG8NI-74aNNwi1Biyz0dEYKLmT6A54xcw/s604/The%20Long%20Branch%202504%20San%20Pablo%2070s.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="604" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMIcobXWxtR6ZlSnucoFmTDneIBaRhPd5XSN1zNFlRMa54XkaFqsR8YZ2SgSFCv5i6KfUczutxjljG3We6yeX5umVxhyehC5JQDnQvwT2zkvGd5HegAlYP4S5vB0rt1u2xeHBdi3SsMNnyxc3JLfIudryccG8NI-74aNNwi1Biyz0dEYKLmT6A54xcw/s320/The%20Long%20Branch%202504%20San%20Pablo%2070s.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Long Branch, 2504 San Pablo, Berkeley, some time in the 1970s<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />The Long Branch Saloon: May 1971-November 1976</b><br />The Long Branch
lasted a little over five years, and closed around November 1976. It
was mostly a thriving club during that period. Berkeley's population
grew enormously, and the students lived farther and farther from campus,
driving up rents all over Berkeley, Albany and North Oakland. <a href="http://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2020/11/keystone-berkeley-2119-university.html">The Keystone Berkeley opened in March, 1972, and the much larger club got the premier bookings</a>.
In particular, acts like Jerry Garcia, Elvin Bishop, Tower Of Power and
Commander Cody found time to regularly play the Keystone, and rarely if
ever played the Long Branch. So Keystone periodically got big draws,
even on weeknights, while Long Branch had to depend on its regulars.
Earth Quake and Grayson Street were regular performers at the Long
Branch throughout most of the 5-year period it was open. Earth Quake in
particular held down almost every Friday night for long periods.<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnZQ8_aCi_hrPm5JTmlkMBpP1JWD3UzNast-O1clX2R_8tDPSdvhSCsQHREH9ylFC-nUQnrn2xvky1nRpC6aVAFycrk6Y5RiD6OHMAOdazbmlwrmaS4spLe8RmX_syftunucmUqlMeqey/s1024/Long+Branch+2512+San+Pablo+inside.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnZQ8_aCi_hrPm5JTmlkMBpP1JWD3UzNast-O1clX2R_8tDPSdvhSCsQHREH9ylFC-nUQnrn2xvky1nRpC6aVAFycrk6Y5RiD6OHMAOdazbmlwrmaS4spLe8RmX_syftunucmUqlMeqey/s320/Long+Branch+2512+San+Pablo+inside.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Long Branch didn't look like this in 1971.</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>Afterwards</b><br />The
Long Branch briefly re-opened as a music venue around November 1978.
The club was run by the former proprietor of the Berkeley club Jerry's
Stop Sign (yet another story) and used the name The Branch. It wasn't
open for long. <br /><p>For many years, 2504 San Pablo Avenue was a store
called Good Vibrations. It wasn't a music store, but it was scandalous
enough to live up to the Cabale history (don't google it at work).
Eventually, as Berkeley got more and more wealthy, gentrification
finally got all the way down to Dwight Way and San Pablo Avenue. The
building was completely remodeled, and re-opened as a restaurant. The
new address is 2512 San Pablo Avenue, but it's the same location. The
first restaurant I am aware of was called Sea Salt, which opened about
2009 or so. Sea Salt closed, though, and a new restaurant opened on
November 11, 2014.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUOpjvYFVIHwl3LUvtG0Z5Q_IaI-T_doDXHg4Uf23dogGZdo6Ep0EwYcOnl7b190AXMgHnOrK2vbUzdvEymwXog2vbRjCSA2tXDrChWweiNpc2e7V15jAOnQ-E42k_cZByqoTQip8cT5s/s711/Long+Branch+2512+San+Pablo+20141211.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="711" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUOpjvYFVIHwl3LUvtG0Z5Q_IaI-T_doDXHg4Uf23dogGZdo6Ep0EwYcOnl7b190AXMgHnOrK2vbUzdvEymwXog2vbRjCSA2tXDrChWweiNpc2e7V15jAOnQ-E42k_cZByqoTQip8cT5s/s320/Long+Branch+2512+San+Pablo+20141211.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Long Branch Saloon, at 2512 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, ca. 2019</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />The name of the new restaurant? <a href="https://www.longbranchberkeley.com/ ">The Long Branch Saloon</a>.
It says "Upscale comfort food is served in a stylish setting with open
rafters & butcher-block tables." Given the turnover in Berkeley's
population, it's likely that the locals think the Long Branch is just a
reference to Dodge City--which it is--and don't see the nod to a
hard-rockin' past.<p> <br /><br /><br /> </p><p> </p>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-53179506501797611572023-05-12T08:45:00.006-07:002023-05-13T19:31:59.112-07:00Loading Zone Performance List 1972 (Loading Zone cont III)<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBJDZR56UvEnaZBZTL8jNAqSYNs1yTqwCnVQNEkrDhTes_ufp3kkvUkCL77oRz6_pDQvin9B8xwsj4swLrPm7mcQJU-NN5HlutgvIGb0dgbB2BQ50-SXy_YuTdF9d2JYx0D_865A43gHh/s800/The+Loading+Zone+RCA+lp.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBJDZR56UvEnaZBZTL8jNAqSYNs1yTqwCnVQNEkrDhTes_ufp3kkvUkCL77oRz6_pDQvin9B8xwsj4swLrPm7mcQJU-NN5HlutgvIGb0dgbB2BQ50-SXy_YuTdF9d2JYx0D_865A43gHh/s320/The+Loading+Zone+RCA+lp.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The debut album of The Loading Zone was released by RCA in June, 1968</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><i><b>The Loading Zone-Performance List 1972</b></i><br />The
Loading Zone, while obscure, are a uniquely important group in Bay Area
music history. The Zone have a singly dizzying history. Loading Zone had
initially been formed out of the ashes of a Berkeley group called The
Marbles (who played the first Family Dog Longshoreman’s Hall Dance on
October 16, 1965). The two guitarists from The Marbles then joined with
organist/vocalist Paul Fauerso (formerly of Oakland’s Tom Paul Trio, a
jazz combo) and played a hitherto unheard mixture of psychedelic blues
and funky R&B.<p>Loading Zone were based out of Oakland, in a house
on West 14th Street, and while they had played the original Trips
Festival and many dates at the Fillmore and Avalon, they also played
many soul clubs in the East Bay. They added horns, and after some false
starts, a powerhouse vocalist named Linda Tillery, and released an
under-rehearsed album on RCA in 1968. The band also had a brief national
tour, and played all the clubs in the Bay Area. <br /><br />The Loading Zone
thus laid the blueprint for the progressive soul music of Bay Area
bands like Sly and The Family Stone and Tower of Power. Indeed, a Zone
roadie, high school student Steve Kupka, played baritone sax with the
band’s horn section, when there was room on stage and he was allowed in
the club. At one such gig, he met a Fremont band called The Motowns, and
they joined forces to create Tower Of Power.<br /><br /><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWRyShovxsMuXrBbxBKVn5PSTznnFCh2vehBVwucnWsdnsTX_Rq8X_amBdHQyWnuk60G-afXc7rwiuNqtGUQmAIaLMzhCh-YfClDyE6EZJ3VS7LA3yEitfbvNnEGHBSadklYYEGLlM9dJ/s722/Loading+Zone+1968-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWRyShovxsMuXrBbxBKVn5PSTznnFCh2vehBVwucnWsdnsTX_Rq8X_amBdHQyWnuk60G-afXc7rwiuNqtGUQmAIaLMzhCh-YfClDyE6EZJ3VS7LA3yEitfbvNnEGHBSadklYYEGLlM9dJ/s320/Loading+Zone+1968-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Loading Zone, ca. 1968</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The
unique status of the Loading Zone led to a major research project on
their history. Besides creating a log of all known performances, <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Loading%20Zone.htm ">based on the information available to us at that time, Ross created a spectacular Loading Zone Family Tree</a>.
The Tree gives a well-articulated picture of how the band was formed,
and what it created. In retrospect, we did a really good job on the
1960s Loading Zone. Our information on the band in the early 1970s,
however, was very limited, and some of it was actually incorrect.</p><p>With
new information sources easily available, I have now completed a series of
posts about the performance history of the Loading Zone from 1970
through their breakup in September 1972. The logging of the band's gigs,
large and small, also acts as a survey of the different types of
bookings available to a working rock band in the Bay Area at the time.
<a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/01/loading-zone-performance-list-1970.html">I have previously published a post on all the known performances of the Loading Zone during 1970</a>. In a subsequent post, <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/03/loading-zone-performance-list-1971.html">I reviewed all the known information about every show that the Loading Zone had played during 1971.</a> In
this post, I will review all the known information about every show
that the Loading Zone played during 1972, after which they broke up
(well, save for the occasional reunion).</p><p>Anyone with updates, corrections, insights, recovered
memories or flashbacks with respect to the Loading Zone is heartily
encouraged to put them in the Comments.<br /></p><p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7R3WAs6tqo32Z4PaVzLri5nu2MhXUdp_ZgoQ4TZdJSDZOEw2C5gfY9hGgV8P-DymTowKv2E3UkBWysacz4gQpS33qkMH7Ax19M_EPu3FYn8J9aS_cHIZIfol1BGnoQKDzmKMdarEz1FK/s965/Loading+Zone+house+pete0001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="965" data-original-width="698" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7R3WAs6tqo32Z4PaVzLri5nu2MhXUdp_ZgoQ4TZdJSDZOEw2C5gfY9hGgV8P-DymTowKv2E3UkBWysacz4gQpS33qkMH7Ax19M_EPu3FYn8J9aS_cHIZIfol1BGnoQKDzmKMdarEz1FK/s320/Loading+Zone+house+pete0001.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Loading
Zone guitarist Pete Shapiro on the front porch of the Loading Zone
house on 14th Street in West Oakland, sometime around 1967 (the house
was identified by Shapiro's then-girlfriend)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><i><b>The Loading Zone-1960s</b></i><br /><i><b>1966</b></i>-The
Loading Zone were formed out of the ashes of the Tom Paul Jazz Trio and
The Marbles, a British Invasion-styled rock band. They debuted on
January 14, 1966. The band pioneered a blend of rhythm and blues with
psychedelic guitar solos, showing that the blend worked in both hippie
ballrooms and regular R&B dance gigs. The Loading Zone played the
Trips Festival and many other foundational ballroom events, while
playing dance clubs at the same time.</p><p><i><b>1967</b></i>-The
Loading Zone expanded their membership, experimenting with a female
vocalist, and adding a horn section on occasion. The band played gigs
all over the Bay Area, particularly in the East Bay.<br /></p><p><i><b>1968</b></i>-In
early 1968, the Loading Zone added the dynamic young vocalist Linda
Tillery. Female lead vocalists for San Francisco bands were hot, and the
Zone was signed to RCA. The band recorded their debut album, probably
too soon, and went on a National tour when the album was released around
June. The band continued to improve and got better and better notices,
although the album did not reflect that (<a href="https://ia800208.us.archive.org/12/items/LoadingZone1968-10-02FillmoreAuditoriumSanFranciscoCA/LoadingZone1968-10-02FillmoreAuditoriumSanFranciscoCA.mp3?cnt=0">for a good representation of the '68 Loading Zone, here is a mis-dated tape from September '68</a>).<br /></p><p><i><b>1969</b></i>-At
the end of 1968, Linda Tillery was signed to a solo contract by
Columbia Records. The Loading Zone marched on, with Paul Fauerso taking
over the lead vocals from the organ chair. In May '69, some original
members left the band and the group was reorganized around Fauerso. The
new members had more sophisticated jazz backgrounds. The mid-69 model of
the Zone mixed the original funky drive of the band with some advanced
jazz sounds. Tillery, meanwhile, released the <i>Sweet Linda Devine</i> album on Columbia, produced by Al Kooper in mid-July. She toured around the Bay Area with a trio.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVBuDWBxrK-rSnw0KYb-VygQSNhZQCJVV_jtkrDti-FTSN4e21eTNYl5cxdYfftITxqsfjMDQUq4z9B5hNXkoie__XR5s2LXrEMgBEeYRdRaIOpsBQpmU7-PPpVF32f5roxRtIXQcT2ET/s280/One+For+All+LZ+%2528Umbrella%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="261" data-original-width="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVBuDWBxrK-rSnw0KYb-VygQSNhZQCJVV_jtkrDti-FTSN4e21eTNYl5cxdYfftITxqsfjMDQUq4z9B5hNXkoie__XR5s2LXrEMgBEeYRdRaIOpsBQpmU7-PPpVF32f5roxRtIXQcT2ET/s0/One+For+All+LZ+%2528Umbrella%2529.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Loading Zone's second album, One For All (Umbrella Records early 1970)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><i><b>1970</b></i>-<a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/01/loading-zone-performance-list-1970.html">1970 was a year of change for the Loading Zone.</a>
The band had taken on a much jazzier approach by the end of 1969. Yet
Linda Tillery, despite her talent, had been dropped by Columbia and had
returned to the Zone in early 1970. In June, however, founder and
organist Paul Fauerso dropped out of the music business, and the Loading
Zone disintegrated. Shortly afterwards, however, Linda Tillery and some
new band members reorganized the band. Tillery was the voice and face
of the band, and they probably played much of the same material, so it
wasn't invalid. Still, it was a new band. Only bassist Mike Eggleston
remained from any earlier incarnations. <br /></p><p><b>1971</b>-<a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/03/loading-zone-performance-list-1971.html">In 1971, the Loading Zone was still an evolving ensemble</a>. They began the year as a quartet, with Linda Tillery on vocals, supported by Tom Coster on organ, Mike Eggleston on bass and Al Coster on drums. By year's end, Bruce Conte, from Fresno, had joined on guitar. At some point near the end of the year, bassist Dougie Rauch replaced Mike Eggleston. Details about the group are so murky, it's hard to be certain. Rauch had been the bassist for a New York group called Voices Of East Harlem, and he had become friends with drummer Mike Shrieve when they had opened for Santana. Rauch took Shrieve up on his recommendation to move to the Bay Area.</p><p>In 1971, the Loading Zone still played all the rock club circuit they had played since the 1960s, emphasizing their own material and arrangements. They also played various dance clubs around the area. At this time, more information is available about clubs booking rock music (like <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/New%20Orleans%20House.htm">Berkeley's New Orleans House</a> or <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Inn%20of%20The%20Beginning.htm">Cotati's Inn Of The Beginning</a>) than dance clubs, although the dance clubs were probably better paying gigs. Since the Loading Zone jammed on a lot of songs, their material may not have been that different at either kind of venue, but dance clubs were almost never reviewed in local papers, so it's hard to say.<br /></p><p><i><b>Loading Zone Performance History 1972</b></i><br />In this post, I will review all the known information about every show that the Loading Zone played during 1972, after which they broke up. Because of the current limits on available information, I have far more details about original rock clubs than dance venues, but I am certain that the Loading Zone was a regular working band throughout the first 9 months of 1972, even if we don't have details on many of their bookings.</p><p>To the best of my knowledge, the Loading Zone at the beginning of 1972 was</p><blockquote><b>Linda Tillery</b>-vocals<br /><b>Wendy Haas</b>-vocals, piano<br /><b>Bruce Conte</b>-guitar<br /><b>Tom Coster</b>-organ, keyboards<br /><b>Dougie Rauch</b>-bass<br /><b>Tony Smith</b>-drums</blockquote><p>There had been some turnover in Loading Zone between the middle and end of 1971, and I have no markers to say when precisely that occurred. I will summarize the background of the 1972 band members here:</p><p><b>Linda Tillery-vocal</b>s Linda Tillery, from San Francisco, had been the lead vocalist for Loading Zone in 1968, had left for an unsatisfying solo career in 1969 (she released an Al Kooper-produced album as <i>Sweet Linda Devine</i>) and returned to the Zone in 1970. She was also a pretty good drummer, but I'm not sure if she ever played drums or percussion on stage with the band.<br /></p><p><b>Wendy Haas-vocals, piano:</b> Wendy Haas had been the bass player in the Freudian Slips in 1966, a Peninsula "all-girl" band who had gotten their picture in Life magazine (Haas, later: "we weren't very tight"). They had broken up when some members of the band went on to college. Haas had become the lead singer in an R&B band called Western Addition. Haas is a good piano player, but I don't know how much or even if she played piano on stage with the Zone. Haas and Tillery must have killed it together as singers. <br /></p><p><b>Bruce Conte-guitar:</b> Conte was from Fresno, and had been reasonably successful in a band called The Road Runners. Moving up to Loading Zone was tapping into the San Francisco mainstream. He had joined the Loading Zone by May, 1971 (based on promo photos). <br /></p><p><b>Tom Coster-organ, keyboards:</b> organist Tom Coster had an extensive jazz background. He had been playing in Oakland clubs in the late 60s, often in a trio with saxophonist Jules Broussard and his brother, drummer Al Coster. Loading Zone had broken up, sort of, in 1970, but Linda Tillery had reformed it around the Coster brothers (along with bassist Mike Eggleston). Coster also played jazz gigs when he had the opportunity. I know he periodically backed guitarist Gabor Szabo, which is how Carlos Santana first heard Coster's playing.<br /></p><p><b>Dougie Rauch-bass:</b> At some point in late 1971, Santana drummer Michael Shrieve had invited
his friend, New York bassist Dougie Rauch, to move to California. Rauch
(1950-79), the son of an opera singer, had played with numerous bands.
He was part of a group called Voices Of East Harlem, a choir of mostly
school kids singing over a funky rock band. The Voices had opened for
Santana a few times, and Shrieve and Rauch were friends. Now, the
Santana band had serious problems at this time--at one point in 1971,
Carlos himself had actually quit the band--and among other things were
looking for a new bass player, so Shrieve probably had it in mind to get Rauch into Santana, which he ultimately did (along with Tom Coster). <br /></p><p>By early 1972, Dougie Rauch had
joined Loading Zone as their bass player, replacing Mike Eggleston. I do
not actually know when Rauch joined the Loading Zone. I am still searching for evidence as to exactly when Rauch
moved to California and joined the Zone. Rauch also worked with Coster when he backed Gabor Szabo. <br /></p><p><b>Tony Smith-drums:</b> Drummer Tony Smith replaced Al Coster sometime at the end of 1971 or beginning of 1972, replacing Al Coster. Smith had a stellar career after the Loading Zone--as many musicians did--but I don't know what pedigree he had before that. <br /></p><p><i><b>Loading Zone Performance History: 1972</b></i><br />Our knowledge of the performance history of the Loading Zone in the early 70s is somewhat skewed. The Zone played in both original rock clubs and dance clubs. The band had always played a certain number of covers, and while they were regular jammers, they always had a good groove going on. They might have varied their sets slightly in dance clubs, perhaps adding a few more covers, but in general there's good reason to think that the Loading Zone could thrive in both an original club and a 'Top 40" dance club. <br /></p><p>The skew in our historical record comes from the fact that we have access to listings of bands who played original rock clubs. The local clubs that booked original bands advertised in local daily and weekly papers, and also submitted their press releases for "Entertainment Listings." Conversely, "dance clubs" were more oriented toward the bar, and did not regularly list their acts in the paper. The audience for a dance club was looking to have a good time on a Friday night, not circling their calendars in order to catch the So-and-Sos. </p><p>Some local dance clubs may have had flyers, but they have rarely been preserved. The likely reason is that the flyers for original rock clubs, like the Keystone Berkeley, often had famous names on them, like Jerry Garcia or Van Morrison. Thus fans preserved at least some of those flyers from the beginning. Dance clubs did not obviously have historical material on them, so any local flyers have disappeared. </p><p>I have collected information on every Loading Zone performance from 1972 for which I can find evidence. The record leans almost exclusively to the local rock clubs that presented original music. The Loading Zone probably worked almost every weekend and many weeknights at various dance clubs, but we don't have a historical trail. Based on information from 1971, it's likely that they would play residencies where they would play a given night of the week at a club for a month at a time (like every Tuesday in March, or something similar). I just haven't been able to find that evidence yet. Anyone who recalls anything, or can point to some links, please Comment.<br /></p><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfWlQGQVTyTS4dfwd1rTG-7bDePMia8QEFPlit51jHtKbaHDz_IQIbWnBg4Ac7V1Wp7f3u3kSt6-vfRjB2WV2e6xEwF238z13iSHYrNSz7Ec-uiUh4q6_tu_2XdviEhGTgvlphucq9bsMfMVamD1J232DIxEB6e6GnYevceMBzLz83mbnkZdEEOuiDKw=s3456" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfWlQGQVTyTS4dfwd1rTG-7bDePMia8QEFPlit51jHtKbaHDz_IQIbWnBg4Ac7V1Wp7f3u3kSt6-vfRjB2WV2e6xEwF238z13iSHYrNSz7Ec-uiUh4q6_tu_2XdviEhGTgvlphucq9bsMfMVamD1J232DIxEB6e6GnYevceMBzLz83mbnkZdEEOuiDKw=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The building at 8201 Old Redwood Highway in Cotati that housed the Inn Of The Beginning. In this 2010 photo, the name of the club is still visible on the upper part of the building (the club had closed many years earlier)<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />January 6, 1972 Inn Of The Beginning, Cotati, CA: Loading Zone </b><i>(Thursday)</i><br />To illustrate the above point, the Loading Zone was playing a Thursday night at the Inn Of The Beginning, a small club that booked original music. It seems likely that they would have had a dance club gig booked for the weekend.<p></p><p><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Inn%20of%20The%20Beginning.htm">The Inn Of The Beginning, at 8201 Old Redwood Highway in Cotati, had opened in 1968</a>.
It only held about 200, but most Bay Area bands liked to play there to
fill in the gig sheet. Calling Cotati, in Sonoma County, just "bucolic" does
it a disservice. Since Sonoma State College had opened in nearby Rohnert
Park in 1966, the area was starting to move from purely agriculture to a broader community. <br /></p><p><b>January 28-29, 1972 Bo Jangles, San Francisco, CA: Loading Zone/Is </b><i>(Friday-Saturday)</i><b><i> </i></b><br />Bo Jangles also booked original music. The club was in the Tenderloin district in San Francisco, at 709 Larkin (near Ellis), and had opened in late 1971. It was near to the site of what would become the Great American Music Hall (at 859 O'Farrell). </p><p>The group Is was a local San Francisco area band, but I don't know anything else about them.<br /></p><b>January 31, 1972 The Boathouse, Sausalito, CA: Loading Zone/Abel </b><i>(Monday)</i><b><i> </i></b><br />Sausalito is on the tip of San Francisco bay, the nearest Marin town to the city. Up until the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937, it had been an important transit hub. Railroads brought lumber and crops to Sausalito, and ferries took them over to San Francisco (along with some passengers). Because of the peculiar geography of Sausalito, being very near to San Francisco yet still isolated, the little town was reputedly a thriving drop-off point for bootleggers during Prohibition. After Prohibition, and the Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito "de-industrialized" and became more of a bohemian artist's hangout, which it remains to this day. <br /><p>There was (and still is) a boat ramp in Sausalito. The Boathouse was at 300 Turney (at Bridgeway) I believe the Boathouse was the bar and restaurant right next to the ramp (right now it is a beer hall called <a href="https://www.joineryca.com/">The Joinery</a>). Abel may have been <a href="http://www.zaratepollace.com/abel.htm">blues guitarist Abel Zarate</a>, who had gone from his band Naked Lunch to Malo. Perhaps this was a solo gig for him. </p><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTXH7UBSfkCF7-5zDT_uDZ_BMH16S4AbjDIxepXXlfsxbdWzc0uuLlNBDc-wHQLafDvdny5hp6JUIuNBDiIDuN5XIynD2cBue1LWs1vWH66G-21nmImwtIKE8ULYxj63WjHzjYlgou3v2I0_opCMLygWOfSqm7axCa0XbtLG-tYstadX3ylgNpoubalA/s1356/Sylvester%20Loading%20Zone%20On%20Broadway%2019720204.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="553" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTXH7UBSfkCF7-5zDT_uDZ_BMH16S4AbjDIxepXXlfsxbdWzc0uuLlNBDc-wHQLafDvdny5hp6JUIuNBDiIDuN5XIynD2cBue1LWs1vWH66G-21nmImwtIKE8ULYxj63WjHzjYlgou3v2I0_opCMLygWOfSqm7axCa0XbtLG-tYstadX3ylgNpoubalA/s320/Sylvester%20Loading%20Zone%20On%20Broadway%2019720204.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><br />February 4-5, 1972 On Broadway Theater, San Francisco, CA: Sylvester and His Hot Band/Loading Zone</b><i> (Friday-Saturday) </i><br />The On Broadway was right in the heart of North Beach's entertainment district, on Broadway. In the late 1950s and early '60s, North Beach had been at the center of a thriving Latin Jazz scene, and a bohemian hangout. Lawrence Ferlinghetti's City Lights Bookstore was a central nighttime attraction. By the mid-60s, however, Broadway was dominated by topless clubs, and few clubs booked music without dancers. Still, the On Broadway was an exception to the trend.<p><a href="http://sanfranciscotheatres.blogspot.com/2021/04/on-broadway-theatre.html">The building, at 435 Broadway (between Kearny and Montgomery) dated from 1919, and was originally an Italian men's social club called Garibaldi Hall.</a> The upstairs held boxing matches and other sporting events. In 1945 the building was sold to the Caballeros de Dimas Alang, a
Masonic-style Filipino fraternal organization. They called it the
Dimas-Alang Temple. The On Broadway had opened as a theater in 1962. It seated about 400. It mostly had musical revues and the like, and its North Beach location allowed some racier productions. <i>Oh Calcutta</i>, for example, was first presented in San Francisco at the On Broadway, in 1969.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWtGEbUXe6OzkXi6R7EjdWs9UjKSv265pnJPaMdj8SiNVbDtJbpCYnUpWATEOGjADxTuY_7t6FEKNigZfcfXaVNVLJYfNnIwJ8BRa1z408sKah2tnrk2IzSSTKaY1oJvG0qDhzRXjqnHtrVcF-hqIK5Ars-Z06JsU5YK77wdleP03qcgF6ZGEsU1r_6A=s528" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="528" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWtGEbUXe6OzkXi6R7EjdWs9UjKSv265pnJPaMdj8SiNVbDtJbpCYnUpWATEOGjADxTuY_7t6FEKNigZfcfXaVNVLJYfNnIwJ8BRa1z408sKah2tnrk2IzSSTKaY1oJvG0qDhzRXjqnHtrVcF-hqIK5Ars-Z06JsU5YK77wdleP03qcgF6ZGEsU1r_6A=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sylvester and The Hot Band would release their debut album on Blue Thumb in 1973</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The weekend headliner was
Sylvester and His Hot Band. Sylvester was a powerful R&B singer, in a
contemporary vein, but with a gay sensibility and a very high-pitched
vocal style. A handsome black man, Sylvester appeared on stage in thrift-store sequined dresses and heavy makeup. Sylvester had a following in gay clubs in San Francisco at
the time. Performers could make good money playing gay clubs in SF
(Bette Midler was doing so at the time) but they needed to be heard in
"regular" nightclubs to get signed. While much of Sylvester's audience was probably gay men who lived in the city, by playing the On Broadway, "regular" fans could get a chance to see him (read that how you like--it was 1972). I think that by putting a "real" rock band like the Zone on the bill, it made Sylvester and His Hot Band seem more like a serious band (which they were) and not a novelty act.<br /></p><p>Sylvester (Sylvester James
Jr), had a background in church music. He had moved to San Francisco in
1970 and joined an infamous San Francisco performance troupe called The
Cockettes. James had gone with the Cockettes to New York City, but
ultimately returned to SF. Sylvester and The Hot Band played what would
be called "Heavy Soul," although Sylvester's stage appearance was not
mainstream. </p><p>Sylvester would go on to release two albums on Blue Thumb in 1973 and
'74, and then he would break up The Hot Band. Sylvester went on to have a
successful disco recording career in the late 70s. </p><p>In the basement of the On Broadway was a Filipino restaurant called The Mabuhay Gardens. A few years later, when the "New Wave" hit San Francisco, the Mabuhay (known by punks as the "Fab Mab") put on punk rock shows after the restaurant had finished serving dinner. Both the Mabuhay (with an address of 443 Broadway) and the On Broadway were important venues in the punk/New Wave history of San Francisco from the late 70s through the early 1980s.<br /></p><p><b>February 11, 1972 Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton, CA: Tower Of Power/Loading Zone/Snakeroot </b><i>(Friday)</i><br />The Alameda County Fairgrounds was at the Southeastern edge of the county, in Pleasanton (at 4501 Pleasanton Avenue, near where I-580 meets I-680). Although now suburban and well-to-do, at the time, that end of Alameda county was more rural, and residents from that direction were more likely to attend the County Fair than those in suburban Oakland. At this time in 1972. Tower Of Power and Loading Zone shared management and a rehearsal hall. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDRR3Lm-rPdmzj6RpVs8TMpG3RNrwe-MagGEmywZHndBFnSYdNhi5ijEGx_GfHYH1SGkNkV8KbsiqA9VqYQZ1_3x1RVVHYXa1-4ESWweh29J4kmWscGiBDICJS2Jgctb3KfWuZEoTEVR1/s676/LZ+Motowns+13+Jul+1968%252C+4+-+Oakland+Tribune+at+Newspapers+com.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="574" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDRR3Lm-rPdmzj6RpVs8TMpG3RNrwe-MagGEmywZHndBFnSYdNhi5ijEGx_GfHYH1SGkNkV8KbsiqA9VqYQZ1_3x1RVVHYXa1-4ESWweh29J4kmWscGiBDICJS2Jgctb3KfWuZEoTEVR1/s320/LZ+Motowns+13+Jul+1968%252C+4+-+Oakland+Tribune+at+Newspapers+com.png" width="272" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The July 13, 1968 Oakland Tribune previews the last weekend of the Alameda County Fair. Opening act The Motowns would evolve into Tower Of Power once they added Loading Zone roadie Steve "Doc" Kupka on baritone sax.</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Back on July 13, 1968, the Loading Zone had been the headliners for the dance on the final Saturday night of the Alameda County Fair, and they had a new album on RCA. One of the openers was a Fremont band called The Motowns. At the time, one of the roadies for the Zone was high school student Steve Kupka, known as "Doc" (his father was a doctor). Kupka also played baritone sax with the Zone, when there was room on the stage and if he was allowed to get into the club. Kupka hit it off with the Motowns, and ended up joining them. By 1970, they were the Tower Of Power, signed to Bill Graham's record label and booked by his Millard Agency, so they had also signed up with Loading Zone manager Ron Barnett. <p></p><p>By 1972, however, and the return of the two bands, Tower Of Power had released their debut album <i>East Bay Grease</i>, on Fillmore Records (distributed by Atlantic). A second album (the immortal <i>Bump City</i>) was in the works. The Loading Zone, had no record contract, and none seemed to be on the horizon. Here in February 1972, the two bands were again playing the Country Fairground together, but this time Tower were the headliners. <br /></p><p><b>February 12, 1972 Inn Of The Beginning, Cotati, CA: Loading Zone</b><i> (Saturday) </i><br />Although we have only the scantest of information about the Loading Zone in 1972, the fact that they regularly returned to the same venues is a sign that they put on a good show, and people would come out to see them. </p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJXCPLYTpFm4SmzhlsSRlIHmiRtU91DRp6p9LXsIWFHWaLHBTf6JR11nZ7uQOcIkZybwXjlRu5QgSmqIW2b3H7PPb8XIuIUTk8N-rZod87E7_HActxGpwbeQ1Mca1cqYSSdXd3mG1iPlLfTtZ1PIAv4RfpLyIqX-vdpWX4vGVK_l4Rqmn7sCYwT1Spw/s1304/LZ%20Napa%20Register%2019720218.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1304" data-original-width="577" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJXCPLYTpFm4SmzhlsSRlIHmiRtU91DRp6p9LXsIWFHWaLHBTf6JR11nZ7uQOcIkZybwXjlRu5QgSmqIW2b3H7PPb8XIuIUTk8N-rZod87E7_HActxGpwbeQ1Mca1cqYSSdXd3mG1iPlLfTtZ1PIAv4RfpLyIqX-vdpWX4vGVK_l4Rqmn7sCYwT1Spw/s320/LZ%20Napa%20Register%2019720218.jpg" width="142" /></a></b></div><b><br />February 18, 1972 [Gym], Napa High School, Napa, CA: Loading Zone <i>(Friday) </i></b><br />The Napa Register noted that the Loading Zone would be playing the High School dance. The fact that the Zone had appeared in San Francisco with major names carried clout out in the countryside (at this time, Napa was largely agricultural, not yet the tourist destination it would become).<p></p><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi478Gfz7SWwFmsrVGiW3hzTBN11ToIOMoyFSuyys66YdMeon6JXC6Eq281ugAFRqrEHYcz5vceU-yL45trF9f_PA4m-P4KXfwEctuNdkzoBpEMKrhAvER2Fr8PSsCU4q4gELg03hwz_iDwNS41qo6gx3XoZNe-VoMJZ-GdBwyqtkwaxda5reOwgMQFNQ/s542/Gabor%20Szabo%20EL%20Matador%2019720224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="542" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi478Gfz7SWwFmsrVGiW3hzTBN11ToIOMoyFSuyys66YdMeon6JXC6Eq281ugAFRqrEHYcz5vceU-yL45trF9f_PA4m-P4KXfwEctuNdkzoBpEMKrhAvER2Fr8PSsCU4q4gELg03hwz_iDwNS41qo6gx3XoZNe-VoMJZ-GdBwyqtkwaxda5reOwgMQFNQ/s320/Gabor%20Szabo%20EL%20Matador%2019720224.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>SF Examiner, February 24, 1972</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />February 24-March 4, 1972 El Matador, San Francisco, CA: Gabor Szabo </b><i>(Thursday-Sunday)</i><br />Gabor Szabo was a legendary Hungarian jazz guitarist who had played with Chico Hamilton and many other fine players. His latest combo had more of a rock orientation. The El Matador, at 492 Broadway, had been a topless club, but it turned into a full-time jazz club at the end of 1970. Szabo's lineup at this booking had Tom Bryant on guitar, Spider Rice on drums, Tom Coster on organ and Doug Rauch on bass. <br /><p>Per an <i>Examiner</i> writer some months later, Carlos Santana dropped in a few nights to jam. With flux in the Santana band at this time, the opportunity was there for Coster and Rauch to start recording with Carlos. In the meantime, Coster and Rauch would continue to perform and tour with Szabo.<br /></p><p><b>February 25, 1972 North Beach Revival, San Francisco, CA: Loading Zone/Is </b><i>(Friday)</i><br />I don't know much about the club North Beach Revival. The club was 1024 Kearny Street, between Broadway and Columbus. It had been open since at least 1964. The club started to book rock shows around this time, but those bookings did not continue much beyond '72. The booking may have been canceled or changed, however, since Rauch and Coster were playing with Gabor Szabo. </p><p><b>February 25, 1972 The Sextant, San Francisco, CA: Loading Zone/Is </b><i>(Friday)</i><br />The
Sextant was at 2215 Powell. I don't know how this fit in with the Gabor
Szabo gig, nor North Beach Revival. <br /></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTqTbPfT6wD-27YMYIR6OGcgcqYbPJ9y8HqaD7Fuw1AY9guTGVqxF571ikoaoG9XA5a8JJ1_XKihL1YNeIYn87uybaYAxrUtpw11O-VK0WQHPv30KNjawgLkKIbOVkXpGvBT3EjhT6ySQkcQjh_S2b9XstYvyQCDSRzs9HzyAS0YDrGfhuW-pxwPL6A/s2785/Cold%20Blood%20LZ%20Redding%2019720226.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2785" data-original-width="795" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTqTbPfT6wD-27YMYIR6OGcgcqYbPJ9y8HqaD7Fuw1AY9guTGVqxF571ikoaoG9XA5a8JJ1_XKihL1YNeIYn87uybaYAxrUtpw11O-VK0WQHPv30KNjawgLkKIbOVkXpGvBT3EjhT6ySQkcQjh_S2b9XstYvyQCDSRzs9HzyAS0YDrGfhuW-pxwPL6A/s320/Cold%20Blood%20LZ%20Redding%2019720226.jpg" width="91" /></a></b></div><b><br />February 26, 1972 Redding Civic Auditorium, Redding, CA: Cold Blood/Loading Zone/Syndicate Of Sound </b><i>(Saturday)</i><br />In
contrast to the Sextant gig, the Redding show would have paid better
than the El Matador. Redding was in far Northern California, 2i5 miles North of San Francisco, and "real"
Fillmore rock bands could draw a crowd. I have no idea whether it was Szabo or
the Zone who had substitutes.<br /><br />San Jose's Syndicate Of Sound had
broken up around 1967 when most of the members went on to college. Some
members reformed and played a little bit a few years later (presumably
after graduating).<p></p><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiz7sd1zxAsqSyoCEJ9wl38ADXxBB4xmePkbCthn_wWJXbHcXztQCVuE03zbglXZB8DmqmSYODOTeEwQjHlD3O1poyCDsqkcAomeljbs2jDSGAWq5JKujo__xPq4mPa2nHYwqW-90GzD0vyLKd5hc6SJayGAZ8C2IrE0_MUhSURIxLZNAxlmkWhygiUJw=s3456" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiz7sd1zxAsqSyoCEJ9wl38ADXxBB4xmePkbCthn_wWJXbHcXztQCVuE03zbglXZB8DmqmSYODOTeEwQjHlD3O1poyCDsqkcAomeljbs2jDSGAWq5JKujo__xPq4mPa2nHYwqW-90GzD0vyLKd5hc6SJayGAZ8C2IrE0_MUhSURIxLZNAxlmkWhygiUJw=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Berkeley's Long Branch Saloon at 2504 San Pablo, as it appeared in 2009</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />March 5, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone/Dennis Geyer Band </b><i>(Sunday) </i><br />The Long Branch was at 2504 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley, about 2 miles West and South of the UC Campus. The location had been a music venue since the early 1960s. As the Cabale Creamery, It had been an important stop on the "folk circuit," back in the days when espresso coffee was an exotic commodity <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Questing%20Beast%20History.htm">By the end of 1965, it had become The Questing Beast, and it was there that Country Joe McDonald and Barry Melton had first "gone electric."</a> At the time, the room probably held 150-200 people at most.<p>The venue went through some more incarnations (Tito's, Babylon) before <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/03/2504-san-pablo-avenue-berkeley-ca-long.html ">becoming The Long Branch in May, 1971. New owner Malcolm Williams had doubled the size of the room to around 350, and they sold lots of beer.</a> The club booked original rock bands, most of them from the East Bay. It was aimed at regular patrons who probably lived nearby and came to the club on a regular basis. The Loading Zone had played the Long Branch a few times in 1971, and their return in 1972 indicated that things must have gone well enough. </p><p>Dennis Geyer had been the guitarist in the original incarnation of the AB Skhy Blues Band.<br /></p><p><b>March 23, 1972 Inn Of The Beginning, Cotati, CA: Loading Zone </b><i>(Thursday)</i></p><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QUiMYewrd8LwvRKCKsMggqOPcy-IPe0E3nGbwCQikgxoMY4oYfykC0yaC48yIjzlfYaGdBEGDxERSwlqxu8TM83SbHXpdXd5GrX2xvJrmjbYWraNNav_AkbfhqWfhjN-Se9zkKvtmDVrMKkAhHr8g8QJ98QoJ3tWfi4yA_alhI9UorYmZJWcH0eJpw/s798/LZ%20Yuba%2019720328%20(Oroville%20Register%20Mar%2025).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="548" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QUiMYewrd8LwvRKCKsMggqOPcy-IPe0E3nGbwCQikgxoMY4oYfykC0yaC48yIjzlfYaGdBEGDxERSwlqxu8TM83SbHXpdXd5GrX2xvJrmjbYWraNNav_AkbfhqWfhjN-Se9zkKvtmDVrMKkAhHr8g8QJ98QoJ3tWfi4yA_alhI9UorYmZJWcH0eJpw/s320/LZ%20Yuba%2019720328%20(Oroville%20Register%20Mar%2025).jpg" width="220" /></a></div><br />March 28, 1972 Yuba-Sutter County Fairgrounds, Yuba City, CA: Tower Of Power/Country Weather/Loading Zone </b><i>(Tuesday)</i><b><br /></b>Yuba City was about an hour North of Sacramento. <i><br /></i><p><b>March 30-April 1, 1972 North Beach Revival, San Francisco, CA: Loading Zone/Is </b><i>(Thursday-Sunday)</i></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90uq2J5omnBMfpum6T1eXlUPK7b3GVXEdCmt51mJV372D9IugiTttWoRcQE4-xH1qlXrlNmDtXRD4Hj0Kh25KFnzZvc4awExb0rqeQ5ctJpva_jC9GFMcbcxz1sLSnNShOpyrVWe05Dfy/s2048/6300+Moraga+%2528OAK%2529-bldg1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90uq2J5omnBMfpum6T1eXlUPK7b3GVXEdCmt51mJV372D9IugiTttWoRcQE4-xH1qlXrlNmDtXRD4Hj0Kh25KFnzZvc4awExb0rqeQ5ctJpva_jC9GFMcbcxz1sLSnNShOpyrVWe05Dfy/s320/6300+Moraga+%2528OAK%2529-bldg1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The Recreation Center at 6300 Moraga Way in the Montclair district in Oakland. Rock shows were held here on Saturday nights from September 1970 through April 1972.<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>April 8, 1972 Montclair Recreation Center, Oakland, CA: Loading Zone</b><i> (Saturday) </i><br />As the 1970s dawned, many Bay Area parents didn't really object to rock music, but weren't necessarily enamored of the idea of their children traveling to San Francisco or Berkeley at night just to see rock bands. I<a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2009/08/6300-moraga-way-oakland-ca-montclair.html ">n the Fall of 1970, the parents in the Montclair district of Oakland arranged to have rock shows on Saturday night at the local recreation center</a>. The idea was to give kids something fun to do in their own neighborhood. There were rock shows most Friday nights for the next year. The bands were local, but they were good ones. Many of them had played the Fillmore West, and a few of them even had albums.<br /><br />The Montclair Recreation Center was at 6300 Moraga Way, on the main road through Montclair, but just outside the district shopping area. The Rec Center was just above a Fire Station, and there was even a light show. The shows were listed in the Oakland <i>Tribune</i>, and supposedly there were flyers as well (although I've never seen them). The shows seem to have started on September 19, 1970 and the Loading Zone played five weeks later. <p></p><p>The Loading Zone played the Montclair Recreation Center several times during the 1970-72 period when rock shows were being produced there, so things must have gone well. This booking was one of the last shows, as the rock business had regionalized. Teenagers were interested in seeing larger rock shows at bigger places, rather than dancing locally. </p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNnSb4lk_4mhVvlB7CC_wWcwdGrwEkI3axGfCvlhIUUvq0Zxyfd0jdqD7HpYRNGJsuQKHY2QHKeEc5VKuf8gGgm5CncT2RSdv0pz2nGxHiN1Up_nsPGUhAiFenRKzDLyBGht0ivL8BXZqVgeztvJo4FOrLKJVziFl0dhRuC1zQ34nZgWtqlkvDSb5yQ/s1368/Gabor%20Szabo%20SFC%2019720415.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="582" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNnSb4lk_4mhVvlB7CC_wWcwdGrwEkI3axGfCvlhIUUvq0Zxyfd0jdqD7HpYRNGJsuQKHY2QHKeEc5VKuf8gGgm5CncT2RSdv0pz2nGxHiN1Up_nsPGUhAiFenRKzDLyBGht0ivL8BXZqVgeztvJo4FOrLKJVziFl0dhRuC1zQ34nZgWtqlkvDSb5yQ/s320/Gabor%20Szabo%20SFC%2019720415.jpg" width="136" /></a></b></div><b><br />April 8-11, 1972 Mandrake's, Berkeley, CA: Gabor Szabo </b><i>(Thursday-Monday) </i><br />Mandrake's, at 1048 University in Berkeley, was a jazz and blues club. The Loading Zone had played there many times over the years. In this case, Gabor Szabo had a four-night booking. We know for sure that Coster and Rauch were in the band because Chronicle writer Dennis Hunt enthusiastically described the gig. <p></p><p>At some point, Coster and Rauch toured nationally with Szabo, and a new configuration of Loading Zone was formed. I have somewhat arbitrarily placed that in June 1972 (see below), but it could have been much earlier. Montclair isn't that far from University and San Pablo, so Loading Zone likely could have played the Oakland dance on Friday night, and then Coster and Rauch would have zipped down to play with Szabo. Conversely, Coster and Rauch could have left the Zone already.<br /></p><p><b>April 20, 1972 Bo Jangles, San Francisco, CA: Loading Zone/Full Moon</b><i> (Thursday)</i><br /></p><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6RugLL_DsxPmeDaR-BSaTeOF6BpoxRKpHS-7chroN3n0ZDWw48fT17KfD5KeN8mxZYHVktpLfWz4CBosvcfJyymreFiFPXb-P3KXPD8b3De9K8zwGboyI60ahGxV5rAthmYE364dkXqQkJww5C-UJ91wpnpMPF64rbt0BJWuSbAKXdvHbwRLgm9cZdQ=s604" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="604" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6RugLL_DsxPmeDaR-BSaTeOF6BpoxRKpHS-7chroN3n0ZDWw48fT17KfD5KeN8mxZYHVktpLfWz4CBosvcfJyymreFiFPXb-P3KXPD8b3De9K8zwGboyI60ahGxV5rAthmYE364dkXqQkJww5C-UJ91wpnpMPF64rbt0BJWuSbAKXdvHbwRLgm9cZdQ=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The marquee of Keystone Berkeley, at 2119 University Avenue, as it appeared ca 1982</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />April 22, 1972 Keystone Berkeley, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone/Linx</b><i> (Saturday)</i><br />The Keystone Berkeley, at 2119 University Avenue, at a central corner in downtown Berkley (at University and Shattuck Avenues) was Berkeley's premier rock club throughout the 1970s. It was just a few blocks from campus, but (at least In The Day) there was adequate parking at night, so fans could come from not only Berkeley and Oakland, but Marin and San Francisco as well. The club had been known as the New Monk since about 1968, mostly presenting bands on weekends, and generally being a fraternity beer joint during the week. In mid-1971, Frediie Herrera, the owner of the San Francisco rock club Keystone Korner, took over the booking, and ultimately the club itself. Herrera opened the club as the Keystone Berkeley on March 1, 1972. It booked original rock bands most nights of the week, some well-known and some not so much (<a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2020/11/keystone-berkeley-2119-university.html ">I discussed the first year of the Keystone Berkeley at great length in this post</a>). <br /><p>Herrera had been booking the Loading Zone at the Keystone Korner for some time, so they were a known commodity. Herrera surely knew that the Zone could put on a great show, keep people dancing and sell a lot of beer. Still, although the Loading Zone were a "known" band, they hadn't released an album since 1970, and they weren't as high profile as they had been before.<br /></p><p>Linx was a local band, probably based in the East Bay. They regularly played East Bay clubs like the Long Branch and the Keystone Berkeley, even if mostly as an opening act. </p><p><b>April 26-28, 1972 In Your Ear, Palo Alto, CA: Loading Zone </b><i>(Monday-Wednesday)</i><br />Downtown
Palo Alto had had a little music scene in the 50s and early 60s, and
the Kingston Trio and some early 60s folkies--like Jerry Garcia, Janis
Joplin and Jorma Kaukonen had arisen from it. University Avenue was
right across the train tracks from Stanford University, so there was a
sort of built-in audience for young people's music. <a href="http://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2017/07/palo-alto-psychedelic-rock-shows-1965.html">'The Sixties" got to
Palo Alto early, thanks to the Beatles and Ken Kesay</a>, and a little rock
scene had developed on University Avenue. Besides regular free
concerts, <a href=" https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2020/07/palo-alto-psychedelic-rock-shows-1969.html">the main club had a been a place on the corner of University and High (at 135 University Avenue) called The Poppycock</a>. The Loading
Zone had headlined at the Poppycock a number of times throughout 1968
and '69.</p><p>The Poppycock, which only held about 250 patrons, had
closed by Spring, 1970, sized out by larger clubs in the booming Bay
Area rock scene. <a href="https://cryptdev.blogspot.com/2020/07/tales-from-in-your-ear-live-music-in.html">The venue had re-opened as In Your Ear in May, 1971, with a novel booking policy. In Your Ear was more of a jazz club, but with generous helpings of blues and some kinds of rock, too.</a> The basic
assumption of In Your Ear was that a jazz audience wasn't hostile to
electric rock music, but wanted something to listen to rather than just
to dance. In that respect, In Your Ear anticipated the booking policy of
San Francisco's much larger Great American Music Hall by a few years.
The Loading Zone were a good fit for In Your Ear, in that they played
pretty sophisticated music, even while they kept up a nice groove.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45-3gSFWaclnmEhX9Dm-OfuSAEy-x9p945SiEwTMp_FueXTYyP-2UTRl4o28IO-My-4N23m4SoANTPbCaqnKqAJSQtF8d_NIPdyRw77IQSmnHokby1N0yllY2DggW6YZnFy8C7p7uAdJaaNBnijZSaWltIS7_C9Fgi4MANhVmZIg4DRyYzbwgfthmtQ/s714/LZ%20Sand%20Castle%20%20Los%20Altos%2019720512.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="714" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45-3gSFWaclnmEhX9Dm-OfuSAEy-x9p945SiEwTMp_FueXTYyP-2UTRl4o28IO-My-4N23m4SoANTPbCaqnKqAJSQtF8d_NIPdyRw77IQSmnHokby1N0yllY2DggW6YZnFy8C7p7uAdJaaNBnijZSaWltIS7_C9Fgi4MANhVmZIg4DRyYzbwgfthmtQ/s320/LZ%20Sand%20Castle%20%20Los%20Altos%2019720512.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><br />May 12, 1972 Sand Castle, Los Altos, CA: Loading Zone/3rd Street Annex Band </b><i>(Saturday)</i><br />An ad in the Stanford <i>Daily</i> (May 11) promoted the Zone at a place called the Sand Castle, in Los Altos. The club was at 2nd and San Antonio, just across the Palo Alto border and down near the freeway. Such places rarely advertised in the <i>Daily</i>. <br /><p></p><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisM07QtjRAdpAkEmllgX82O0eg8kDlHan_Lng0Z86Wf3hZTegR_O9m_uECkT_Cw0IH3yOoeyrKMcq3Ip0VOa6Xs4hbbJvH7dymd6J-JIezXoAqrV-9vjIBTL52MVRY4d-qCmwrXfxSMQ1t7DjRVsL1pXYYiSKrtnH5Q0YqaIMefTyK8jwUQEGbynfLnA=s902" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="820" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisM07QtjRAdpAkEmllgX82O0eg8kDlHan_Lng0Z86Wf3hZTegR_O9m_uECkT_Cw0IH3yOoeyrKMcq3Ip0VOa6Xs4hbbJvH7dymd6J-JIezXoAqrV-9vjIBTL52MVRY4d-qCmwrXfxSMQ1t7DjRVsL1pXYYiSKrtnH5Q0YqaIMefTyK8jwUQEGbynfLnA=s320" width="291" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>An SF Examiner ad (Sunday May 14 '72) for bands playing North Beach Revival at 1024 Kearny St. Note that The Beans have just changed their name to The Tubes.</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />May 16, 1972 North Beach Revival, San Francisco, CA: Loading Zone/Blue Mountain </b><i>(Tuesday)</i><b><br />May 17-18, 1972 North Beach Revival, San Francisco, CA: Tower of Power/Loading Zone </b><i>(Wednesday-Thursday)</i> <br />Blue Mountain was a Palo Alto band. </p><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbm1z-M09kgmUbvEHHs7K1ItxUoBBTsv6USDKG-B3swWtsqMPS6EAgUfOVFdCKBVa6gVVQdk5XQITvS0FUINUF_T_AXMkyG_YNbsEZkDySld9ri6zcFm4jGh4kYMs_ghmp-2tNTES9c20pW3HYnoc2ZR7d7skCgg87F-RX4v87v8Gqd1ypMaX582Vs8g/s1012/LZ%20Redding%2019720519%20(Redding%20May%2015).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1012" data-original-width="688" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbm1z-M09kgmUbvEHHs7K1ItxUoBBTsv6USDKG-B3swWtsqMPS6EAgUfOVFdCKBVa6gVVQdk5XQITvS0FUINUF_T_AXMkyG_YNbsEZkDySld9ri6zcFm4jGh4kYMs_ghmp-2tNTES9c20pW3HYnoc2ZR7d7skCgg87F-RX4v87v8Gqd1ypMaX582Vs8g/s320/LZ%20Redding%2019720519%20(Redding%20May%2015).jpg" width="218" /></a></div><br />May 19, 1972 Redding Civic Auditorium, Redding, CA: Stoneground/Norman Greenbaum/Loading Zone</b><i> (Friday)</i><br />Stoneground were on Warner Brothers, and Norman Greenbaum had scored a big hit single ("Spirit In The Sky"). This triple bill counted for something in Redding. <br /><p></p><p><b>May 20, 1972 The Orphanage, San Francisco, CA: Loading Zone </b><i>(Saturday)</i><br />The Orphanage was at 807 Montgomery, between North Beach and the Financial District. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2010/01/807-montgomery-san-francisco-roaring.html">The site had been clubs of various types over the years</a>, but it had recently opened as a rock club. Based on its advertising, the Orphanage seems to have had a slightly different business model than some other clubs. It was near enough to the well-heeled Financial District that it served lunch and happy hour, and also put on rock concerts at night, so night-time rock shows were not its only source of revenue. The Orphanage mostly booked Bay Area bands, but it was a relatively high-profile club. </p><p><b>May 25, 27 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone/Linx </b><i>(Thursday, Saturday)</i><br />The missing Friday night here (May 26) is a hint that Loading Zone had plenty of bookings that I can't track down. Now, granted, the Friday night booking at the Long Branch was Earth Quake, who pretty well played every Friday night there and packed the house. Still, you have to figure the Zone was booked somewhere. </p><p><b>May 28, 1972 In Your Ear, Palo Alto, CA: Loading Zone </b><i>(Sunday)</i><br /></p><p><b>June 8, 1972 Napa County Fairgrounds, Napa, CA: Tower Of Power/Loading Zone </b><i>(Thursday)</i><br />Napa County was (and remains) a primarily agricultural area. The County Fair would have been a big event, even if grapes had as much prominence as cows. I assume that this booking was part of the County Fair, or a similar event. The County Fair would have been a week or two long, with music bookings several nights a week. Tower and the Zone probably played what is now called Chardonnay Hall, with a capacity of about 1000, but that's just a guess. The Napa County Fairgrounds are in the town of Napa, at 575 3rd St.</p><p>Somewhere around this time, the Loading Zone disintegrated, as many of its members went on to more successful groups. After touring with Gabor Szabo, organist Tom Coster and bassist Dougie Rauch joined the reconstituted Santana. The Santana band had been having personnel upheaval for the previous 18 months. After firing original bassist David Brown, the group had borrowed a jazz friend of drummer Michael Shrieve. Tom Rutley had played bass with Shrieve in the College Of San Mateo big band. Rutley seems to have only been temporary. Sometime in 1971, Shrieve had invited Rauch to California, no doubt with an eye for him to join Santana. As Santana wasn't working at the time, Rauch seems to have gotten a gig with the Loading Zone.<br /></p><p>Rauch had also joined Tom Coster when he would back guitarist Gabor Szabo. Supposedly, Carlos Santana first heard Coster with Szabo. Carlos would have already been familiar with Rauch. When Gregg Rolie finally left--or more precisely, did not choose to return to tour with--Santana, that left open an organ chair. <a href="https://santanamigos.pagesperso-orange.fr/1972.htm">Both Coster and Rauch started recording with Santana on the album <i>Caravanserai</i>, and began touring in September 1972</a>.</p><p>There were many social and musical connections between Santana and Loading Zone, a sign of the high esteem in which the Zone were held by their peers. Wendy Haas joined the new group Azteca around June 1972, mainly as a singer. Azteca, organized by the Escovedo brothers (Pete and Coke), was a forward-looking band that merged Latin, jazz and rock music in a huge 15-piece ensemble. Drummer Tony Smith, meanwhile, joined the group Malo, which included guitarist Jorge Santana (Carlos' brother). Both Azteca and Malo had management and record company ties to the Santana band.</p><b>June 8, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA; Loading Zone/Linx </b><i>(Thursday)</i><br />Presumably, the Zone played in the afternoon in Napa and later that evening in Berkeley. <br /><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgW8j-QcPvGMKMNWiolbqtkKbwiSiWj6HM1bAA1ZNsje55IEFCrHvm-SwKgcFqjuwxB2DzJQVdnrUX1hcy4Il1dNbq5gNW2CSdez7_sVkH26tqoHTzsXZzF2NyUUIQIYsQQUgDdfIRwhld0Gz7PjTSWSG5mnXGOol-U4IpJPYcUoqEizFW4r3YXn3N-tw=s320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="320" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgW8j-QcPvGMKMNWiolbqtkKbwiSiWj6HM1bAA1ZNsje55IEFCrHvm-SwKgcFqjuwxB2DzJQVdnrUX1hcy4Il1dNbq5gNW2CSdez7_sVkH26tqoHTzsXZzF2NyUUIQIYsQQUgDdfIRwhld0Gz7PjTSWSG5mnXGOol-U4IpJPYcUoqEizFW4r3YXn3N-tw" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The great Oakland drummer Mike Clark joined The Loading Zone in late 1972</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />June 22, 1972 The Boathouse, Sausalito, CA: Loading Zone</b><i> (Thursday)</i><br />Nonetheless, the Loading Zone did not entirely disappear. Very recently, I read an excerpt from a 2019 <a href="http://www.jakefeinbergshow.com/artist-listing/">Jake Feinberg interview </a>with guitarist Bruce Conte (RIP), who mentioned that there was a final version of the Loading Zone with an entirely different lineup. I have somewhat arbitrarily assumed that the last version of the Loading Zone played from this Sausalito date until the band's demise in September, but that is just an educated guess on my part. <p></p>The new lineup, per Conte, was<br /><blockquote><b>Linda Tillery</b>-vocals<br /><b>Bruce Conte</b>-guitar<br /><b>Pat O'Hara</b>-trombone<br /><b>Steve Funk</b>-keyboards<br /><b>Paul Jackson</b>-bass<br /><b>Mike Clark</b>-drums</blockquote><p>Paul Jackson and Mike Clark were roommates, and also heavy hitters in the Oakland jazz scene. They would become very well known in musical circles within a few years as members of Herbie Hancock's amazing funky jazz ensemble the Headhunters. Trombonist Pat O'Hara had been in the Loading Zone in the 60s. Conte did not mention a saxophonist, although having a trombone as the only horn would be an intriguing sound. O'Hara was an established Bay Area jazz and session man. Keyboardist Steve Funk was another experienced studio hand, best known for being in the band Southern Comfort (who had released a Columbia album in 1970). I'm sure this lineup just jammed out on some well-known songs, but with all this talent they probably sounded great. <i> </i></p><p><b>June 26, 1972 In Your Ear, Palo Alto, CA: Loading Zone </b><i>(Monday)</i><i><br /><br /></i><b>June 27, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone <i>(Tuesday)</i></b><i><br /></i>David Kramer-Smyth also found a June 26-27 listing for The Boathouse in Sausalito. <br /></p><p><b>June 29, 1972 Inn Of The Beginning, Cotati, CA: Loading Zone</b><i> (Thursday)</i></p><p><b>July 14, 1972 Inn Of The Beginning, Cotati, CA: Loading Zone </b><i>(Friday) </i><br /></p><p><b>July 15, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone/Frank Biner</b><i> (Saturday)</i></p><b>July 28-29, 1972 El Rancho Club, Palo Alto, CA: Loading Zone/Bishop Mayfield Revue </b><b>(Friday-Saturday)</b><i><br /></i>The El Rancho club was at 3901 El Camino Real in Palo Alto, well South of downtown, amongst the hotels. <i><br /></i><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcjjZGrpjOuql7lz_0BoBhlP5QKgAaPeHq55_QHLLoVcmBK5sHo3YuG9fC7ZjyYT9U_uPNCceM3qMZU8Ljy_uijp5QXQWKEPmTQSLmYOThqEVZwfxYWQbuID-ohhJMnMbw_au5nhVVjgzFEZclvFvp4LZRj3olEn16JAFmo16ta-NyGSP89hMSt41ITQ=s389" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="389" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcjjZGrpjOuql7lz_0BoBhlP5QKgAaPeHq55_QHLLoVcmBK5sHo3YuG9fC7ZjyYT9U_uPNCceM3qMZU8Ljy_uijp5QXQWKEPmTQSLmYOThqEVZwfxYWQbuID-ohhJMnMbw_au5nhVVjgzFEZclvFvp4LZRj3olEn16JAFmo16ta-NyGSP89hMSt41ITQ=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The marquee at Keystone Korner in San Francisco, at 750 Vallejo Street (probably from the early 70s)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b> August 16-17, 1972 Keystone Korner, San Francisco, CA: Loading Zone with Linda Tillery </b><i>(Wednesday-Thursday) </i><br />The Keystone Korner, at 750 Vallejo Street, had been one of the first clubs in San Francisco to exclusively book original rock music when it had opened in late 1968. Still, the club was too small (around 250-300 patrons) and too far from the suburbs to really thrive in the booming rock market. Owner Freddie Herrera had taken over the much larger New Monk and re-named it the Keystone Berkeley. In August of '72, Herrera sold the Keystone Korner to Todd Barkan. Barkan kept the name but turned it into San Francisco's premier jazz club. <p></p><p>The Loading Zone played the Keystone Korner shortly after Barkan officially took over. While Barkan made the Keystone Korner a club focused on jazz, part of its appeal was it's broad-mindedness. Funky groovers like the Loading Zone certainly counted as jazz.</p><p><b>August 25-26, 1972 Inn Of The Beginning, Cotati, CA: Loading Zone </b><i>(Friday-Saturday) </i></p><p><b>August 27, 1972 Keystone Berkeley, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone </b><i>(Sunday)</i><br />Loading Zone seems to have replaced Cold Blood, who had been listed in earlier ads. </p><p><b>September 6, 1972 Keystone Berkeley, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone/Kimberly </b><i>(Wednesday)</i><br />Kimberly was a soft-rock band associated with Santana management. <br /></p><p><b>September 9, 1972 Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA: Ray Charles/The Impressions/New Birth-Nighliters/Aaron and Freddie/Taj Mahal/Gary Bartz/Loading Zone/Black Light Sound/Bayette </b><i>(Saturday) Black Expo 72: 2nd night of 3</i><br />The end of the line seems to have come at San Francisco's Civic Auditorium (now the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium), at 90 Grove Street (near Market St). There was a three-day event called Black Expo '72, with concerts every night. Loading Zone was booked on the middle evening, under an impressive bill that included Ray Charles and the Impressions. If the Zone even played this show, they probably played much earlier in the afternoon. </p><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkqdgqGJxYmvLSMhc4bxUWuu3kAEVKVZlr1Bdvapmr1q7z2Se9Napay8AxJ7rxHSGIsUuLlD40PNwO5yAL7D6ybuMjGTPLGPdEJ3CnQlKcPmg8AoF_sLtE2G8qVVK7wottPtW1SlzWn18-zlDVCdL4N3WhP19go1g0HpHZ7teYkyy01VUJcBf3vCxBQ/s816/LZ%20Keystone%2019720930%20(Trib%20Sep%2029).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="127" data-original-width="816" height="50" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkqdgqGJxYmvLSMhc4bxUWuu3kAEVKVZlr1Bdvapmr1q7z2Se9Napay8AxJ7rxHSGIsUuLlD40PNwO5yAL7D6ybuMjGTPLGPdEJ3CnQlKcPmg8AoF_sLtE2G8qVVK7wottPtW1SlzWn18-zlDVCdL4N3WhP19go1g0HpHZ7teYkyy01VUJcBf3vCxBQ/s320/LZ%20Keystone%2019720930%20(Trib%20Sep%2029).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Oakland Tribune, Friday, September 29, 1972</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />September 30, 1972 Keystone Berkeley, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone </b><i>(Saturday)</i><br />I can find no trace of any Loading Zone bookings after this Keystone gig, if the Zone even played it. Bruce Conte moved over to Tower Of Power--remember, they shared a rehearsal hall--and Linda Tillery went solo. Paul Jackson got into Herbie Hancock's Headhunters, and (when Harvey Mason couldn't tour) got his roommate Clark in on it. O'Hara returned to the studio, but I've found no trace of Steve Funk after this.<div><i><b> </b></i></div><div><i><b>Aftermath</b></i></div><div>The Loading Zone only released two albums while they were an active band, their 1968 debut and their independently released '69 album. Yet there were an important band, the first one to bridge the gap between psychedelia, jazz and soul music. They kicked open the door, long before other bands even knew there was a hallway. Groups like Sly and The Family Stone, Santana and Tower of Power were the ones who walked through, while the Loading Zone stayed stuck at the entrance.</div><div> </div><div>Excellent musicians went through the Loading Zone. Tom Coster and Doug Rauch were anchors of the Santana band at one of its peak periods. Players like Paul Fauerso, Frank Lupica (aka Davis), Steve Kupka, George Marsh, Wendy Haas, Bruce Conte, Tony Smith, Paul Jackson and Mike Clark are highly regarded by their fellow musicians, with armloads of credits. I have done my best to capture what could be recovered from the Loading Zone's early 70s period, but I have only managed to produce a fragmentary picture. Anyone with additional information, insights, corrections or speculations should include them in the Comments.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>Resurrection</b></i></div><div>And yet the Loading Zone did not quite disappear after 1972. They reformed at least twice, that I am aware of. Around 2000, late 60s Zone drummer George Marsh was teaching at UC Santa Cruz. He reformed the Loading Zone with organist Paul Fauerso and bassist Mike Eggleston. They played one gig at UCSC, at least--I don't know if there were other shows. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In 2005, Fauerso, Marsh and Eggleston did some recording. They released a few tracks, along with some tracks from the 1969 album, as the album <i>Blue Flame</i>. It was released on the (appropriately named) Elder Funk label in 2008. By that time, the Loading Zone were over 40 years old, and were like a form of traditional music from the Oakland of our childhood. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>August 14, 2008 Freight And Salvage, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone </b><i>(Thursday)</i></div><div>What better place to perform traditional music than Berkeley's
venerable Freight And Salvage club, <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Freight%20and%20Salvage.htm">which had been celebrating folk traditions since its 1968 opening?</a> In this case, the tradition was from around West 7th Street rather than Appalachia, but it was still tradition. Flautist Matt Eakle (part of the David Grisman Quintet) joined the Loading Zone for their Thursday night performance at the Addison Street club. <br /></div><div><br /></div><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-70909613765583160462023-03-09T12:24:00.000-08:002023-03-09T12:24:15.716-08:00960 Bush Street (Downstairs), San Francisco, CA: The Boarding House Performance List: August-December 1971 (Boarding House II)<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfen8UGR6hrjh3Hbj1iNqSnxJe7YfO-kIiHOmqaUJ-hsQRwZU3VJ3G0Fy-zeoxcUaDnWUgBJLL6I3DUA3RgiA8FCK8YWofxW07QFJFAdHDAxguTeJivkB2fUHMgR4NqEZWzEnuR6uDE53E/s1270/Boarding+House+19711210++Good+Times_19711210_0024.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1270" data-original-width="932" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfen8UGR6hrjh3Hbj1iNqSnxJe7YfO-kIiHOmqaUJ-hsQRwZU3VJ3G0Fy-zeoxcUaDnWUgBJLL6I3DUA3RgiA8FCK8YWofxW07QFJFAdHDAxguTeJivkB2fUHMgR4NqEZWzEnuR6uDE53E/s320/Boarding+House+19711210++Good+Times_19711210_0024.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>An ad for the Boarding House, from San Francisco Good Times, December 10 1971</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>The Boarding House, 960 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA</b><br />The Boarding
House, at 960 Bush Street, remains one of the most fondly remembered San
Francisco rock clubs of the 1970s. The intimate, bowl-shaped room,
seating barely 300, was the site of many great shows. In the mid-70s,
when record company support was at its peak, the Boarding House was the
prime location for booking acts on the rise. The club only barely broke
even, but record company economics were more about finding a club that
appealed to writers and tastemakers, in order create some buzz.</p><p>Jerry
Garcia, Neil Young and others played memorable shows at The Boarding
House. The Tubes played two weeks there in the Summer of 1975, ensuring
that their soon-to-be-released debut album got maximum attention.
Comedians like Steve Martin would play the club just as they were
approaching stardom. Every month would feature acts with new albums,
rising stars with some real (if sometimes manufactured) buzz and
constant attention from reviewers in the San Francisco daily papers.</p><p>Yet
the Boarding House did not at all start out this way. Initially, the
building at 960 Bush Street had been purchased and renovated by Doug
Weston, the operator of West Hollywood's premier club, The Troubadour.
<a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-troubadour-west-hollywood-and-san.html">The SF outpost of the Troubadour was only open for 4 thinly attended months, starting in August 1970</a>. The West Hollywood formula did not work
in provincial San Francisco. The manager of the Troubadour, David
Allen, who had managed the Hungry i, then took over the space. The
Boarding House opened in March, 1971, nearly six months after the last
Troubadour show on October 30, 1970. Allen leased the space from Weston, who apparently still owned the building.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxJpA1u2GD65HVYaiHiFI_t1mXgh1olkLn2D26bVyazJdPXAZ4SxWLDqQSYPuiv9Y94k-kjh8ClHeChcn8R0HpvhNPnHYAb19hH4iWQAsLSghyphenhyphenNPywpHnNfPA7HXphmIBk-7QhsV_gIwX/s891/960+Bush+St+Boarding+House.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="891" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxJpA1u2GD65HVYaiHiFI_t1mXgh1olkLn2D26bVyazJdPXAZ4SxWLDqQSYPuiv9Y94k-kjh8ClHeChcn8R0HpvhNPnHYAb19hH4iWQAsLSghyphenhyphenNPywpHnNfPA7HXphmIBk-7QhsV_gIwX/s320/960+Bush+St+Boarding+House.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Boarding House, at 960 Bush Street in San Francisco, some time in the mid-1970s</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b><i>The Boarding House, Year 1</i></b><br />960
Bush Street was in Lower Nob Hill, in-between Union Square and
Chinatown. It was about six to eight blocks from downtown, depending on
the direction you went. San Francisco is hilly and cold, so there wasn't
going to be a lot of walking traffic. Although the neighborhood was
pleasant, there weren't convenient parking garages nearby. All of these
problems had plagued the Troubadour, and the Boarding House didn't
really solve any of them.<p>Bay Area rock fans of a certain age
may recall the Boarding House, or may have seen photos. In fact, those
recollections do not apply. Although the Boarding House was always at
960 Bush Street, initially the club was in the basement, rather than the
theatrical bowl of later years. Doug Weston had purchased and renovated
the building, and he had opened the Troubadour in the ground floor. The
second floor, formerly a theater and restaurant, and formerly a
recording studio, had remained unfinished. Later in 1971, the second
floor of the Boarding House started advertising theatrical events as the
Boarding House Theater. In early 1972, a few rock shows were put on at
the Theater, and ultimately the entire operation moved upstairs. The
address was always 960 Bush Street, but patrons would eventually go up
the stairs rather than down. The initial Boarding House configuration
was apparently a flat room with extended "family-style" tables. In later
years, the downstairs would be used for some lower-profile comedy
shows, and sometimes as dining room. </p><p>The business model of the
Boarding House was that patrons would buy dinner, and perhaps some beer,
wine or coffee, and afterwards see a show. Patrons could of course skip
dinner and just see the show, but the best seats would have been
reserved for the diners. One entree was served each night. Initially,
the Boarding House just booked acoustic acts. There wasn't a prohibition
against electric music, but the economics of the club was for smaller
ensembles, mostly local, and drummers were rare.</p><p>There were plenty
of coffee house and nightclub gigs for acoustic performers in the Bay
Area, but they were hardly premier bookings. Either they were tiny
coffee shops, or perhaps the Sunday night at a rock nightclub in the
hinterlands. The calendars would usually just say "Sunday--Folk Music,"
which just meant "one or two performers singing and playing acoustic." <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Freight%20and%20Salvage.htm">A few clubs played actual folk music, mainly the Freight And Salvage in Berkeley</a>, but that was a specialized endeavour. Rock had gotten louder
and louder in the 1960s, but had reversed itself somewhat in the 1970s.
Popular artists like James Taylor and Cat Stevens were selling records
now, and Elton John, another big star, was introspective amidst all his
rocking. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARbPvPK-kFruHAYysg1O86UFSyZwjrNdgbFHgMnDp79H1VYLh50YGQ3kEz9XW5T0pVfC1ScgKra0HZE6rb8pJltmGhcT8h5QLX1rrstwQA5LT6Z49Zb2la4UqQcbH0-S2lCSRIdnEQnyJ/s282/David+Allen+at+the+Boardimg+House+70s.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="179" data-original-width="282" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARbPvPK-kFruHAYysg1O86UFSyZwjrNdgbFHgMnDp79H1VYLh50YGQ3kEz9XW5T0pVfC1ScgKra0HZE6rb8pJltmGhcT8h5QLX1rrstwQA5LT6Z49Zb2la4UqQcbH0-S2lCSRIdnEQnyJ/s0/David+Allen+at+the+Boardimg+House+70s.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>David Allen, proprietor of The Boarding House, probably around 1980 (photo: Mike Maloney, SF Chronicle)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />The Boarding House had opened on Friday, March 26, 1971. An article in the
March 24 San Francisco <i>Examiner</i> described it as "an acoustic music
salon." The club served dinner, with one seating each night, at a cost
of $3.25. The Boarding House
was run by David Allen, who had been Doug Weston's house manager when the venue
had been the Northern outpost of The Troubadour. Prior to that, Allen
had been the house manager for the legendary 60s nightclub The Hungry i.
So Allen was well-connected to the local press and the ways of San
Francisco. <br /><p></p><p>San Francisco wasn't Los Angeles, so the Boarding
House didn't get big stars on the verge of success, <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-troubadour-west-hollywood-and-san.html">like the Troubadour in West Hollywood</a>. In 1971, though, the Boarding House was perhaps the
premier local booking for acoustic acts and singer/songwriters, since it was
in San Francisco and actually devoted to that kind of music. Of course,
many fine acts played the Boarding House, but it hardly led to success.
The performers we recognize now had to go somewhere else to make it, New
York or Los Angeles usually, or wait for a few other turns of the
wheel. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/09/960-bush-street-downstairs-san.html">In my previous post, I reviewed the initial months of the Boarding House, giving a useful snapshot of the songwriters in the Bay Area in 1971</a>. This post will review the performers at the Boarding House for the balance of 1971. In the second half of the year, there are more singer/songwriters touring behind new albums, a sign that the record companies liked having a place to showcase acoustic acts.<br /></p><p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hDEV1f6WcwPfd3WQPYihXnMXQAKOwsJr76J4DXlsRxCJ3xNkn7vNvK0PG9dGR5iEkYWv2dLGh7yj_IFqUMOjnln_rHPmmMj_nUwnhtk0HXDY8FzCItfLwOdUXRo4DYgDCQVN2RDCbAg9/s803/How+To+Make+And+Sell+Your+Own+Records-Diane+Rapaport.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="605" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hDEV1f6WcwPfd3WQPYihXnMXQAKOwsJr76J4DXlsRxCJ3xNkn7vNvK0PG9dGR5iEkYWv2dLGh7yj_IFqUMOjnln_rHPmmMj_nUwnhtk0HXDY8FzCItfLwOdUXRo4DYgDCQVN2RDCbAg9/s320/How+To+Make+And+Sell+Your+Own+Records-Diane+Rapaport.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Diane
Sward Rapaport's 1979 book How To Make & Sell Your Own Recording
was a critical text for the independent musician. The book has sold over
150,000 copies. Rapaport (1939-2020) had been a band manager for Bill
Graham from 1969-74.</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><i><b>Singer/Songwriters in San Francisco, ca 1971</b></i><br />The dilemma of Bay Area
singer/songwriters was aptly summed up by manager Diane Sward (later
Diane Rapaport). <a href="https://homesweetjeromedrapaport.wordpress.com/2013/07/30/1969-bill-graham-hires-diane-sward-rapaport-as-an-artists-manager/">Sward was an aspiring band manager, and had talked her
way into the Bill Graham organization's management wing</a>. Sward managed
the group Lamb and singer Pamela Polland, and also helped to book
various acoustic acts as a sort of local package. Sward (1939-2020) had a
remarkable blog, well worth reading for any fans of old San Francisco
music days, and indeed well worth reading in general. <a href="https://homesweetjeromedrapaport.wordpress.com/tag/diane-sward-pamela-polland/">In one post Sward
described what faced local singers who weren't in a loud rock band:</a></p><blockquote><i>Gigs in Bay Area coffeehouses were easy to get, but they didn’t make a
lot of money for anyone, including the performers. They were able to get
a few gigs in clubs at 8 or 8:30 p.m., prior to when many rock bands
began setting up for a 9:30 show. I told club owners that my band would
help warm up the audience, didn’t need a big stage setup (no drums, no
big amps, no stage monitors) and would make them enough extra bucks
selling drinks to pay us.<br /><br />However rock fans and acoustic music
fans didn’t always mix well. More often than not the audience would
start getting impatient around 9:15. “We want Jerry (Garcia); we want
Elvin (Bishop) and so on.”<br /><br />I attended a lot of Lamb gigs and saw
such other Bay Area acoustic performers as Lambert & Nuttycombe,
Jeffrey Cain and Uncle Vinty. They were all bucking up against rock ‘n
roll. The audiences for rock bands were larger; and that meant more
money for the club owners.</i></blockquote><p>Sward went on to find
unique bookings for her acts, and helped them record as well. The
Boarding House was intentionally designed as a different kind of club
than clubs like <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/New%20Orleans%20House.htm">Berkeley's New Orleans House</a>, or <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2020/07/palo-alto-psychedelic-rock-shows-1969.html">Palo Alto's Poppycock</a>,
which were miniature Avalon Ballrooms with a light show and a dance
floor. Or, to put it another way, miniature Avalons if the Avalon had
sold beer. The Boarding House would remain distinct when clubs like
Keystone Berkeley, the Long Branch and the Orphanage gained prominence
in the next few years. The Boarding House had no fear of electric
instruments, but the more theatrical club appealed to a more reflective
audience.<br /></p><i><b>Record Company Support</b></i><br />The
sixties had been the era of self-contained rock groups, writing and
singing their own music and playing their own instruments. The sixties
had also brought forth the rise of FM rock radio, and the much broader
playlists of those stations opened the door for a wider variety of
music. As the 70s dawned, record companies were discovering there was a
huge appetite for artists who wrote and sang their own songs, but
weren't part of a group. The 1970s were the era of the singer/songwriter
and record companies figured out quickly that there was a lot of money
to be made. <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-troubadour-9081-santa-monica-blvd.html">The heart of this was at West Hollywood's Troubadour club,
hard by all the LA record companies. Bands who were a hit at the
Troubadour could spring forth with record company backing that could
make them into stars</a>.<p>For rock bands, 60s touring had been more of a
profit and loss proposition. Bands played where they had a following, so
they could come home with more money than they started with. FM radio
had started to change that. Record companies' new goals were to spark FM
airplay, which could lead to substantial sales. The typical
singer/songwriter wasn't going to go over well if they were third on the
bill to a couple of noisy rock bands. It was in company interests to ensure that solo artists got heard at smaller places like The Boarding
House, so that they would get good reviews and the most committed fans
could go back to work or the dorm and say "you gotta hear
so-and-so's new album."</p><p>What evolved was system where record
companies provided "tour support." This meant that the record company
laid out some money to get there artist on the road: buying airline
tickets in advance, for example, or renting equipment. The performer
then just had to break even on the road to pay for food and lodging. It
made a smaller place like The Boarding House more financially viable,
since artists weren't committed to huge paydays in order to tour (it's
also possible the Boarding House provided traveling artists a place to
stay, but I'm just guessing). Now, this wasn't charity--any cash laid
out by the record company for tour support was recouped from future
royalties. But if an album hit it big, that was small change. </p><p>From
looking at the bookings of the first four months of the Boarding House,
it's plain that the record companies saw a lot of value in the venue.
In April and May, the acts headlining were mostly local. By the
beginning of the Summer, almost every headliner was an out-of-town band
with an album. This meant the record company was likely buying ads on
the local radio stations, or other promotional support, and helping both
their own act and the venue itself. <br /></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJcmX99hHZe2IFUsaU2EPpGOVZstoEnTSu8xcpAYwZJDHutbsItftQ-qoIfX19Xm5HpJjkcobd_hYuaNoGweMGW_cCrGvWE9DaILw4d8ZGj-Nm6wQsbvnFCaazdt8LcwGHsLwxQ1ltc7Zs/s1131/SF+Good+Times+Boarding+House+19710806.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1131" data-original-width="801" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJcmX99hHZe2IFUsaU2EPpGOVZstoEnTSu8xcpAYwZJDHutbsItftQ-qoIfX19Xm5HpJjkcobd_hYuaNoGweMGW_cCrGvWE9DaILw4d8ZGj-Nm6wQsbvnFCaazdt8LcwGHsLwxQ1ltc7Zs/s320/SF+Good+Times+Boarding+House+19710806.jpg" /></a></div><br /><i><b>The Boarding House Performance List: August-December 1971</b></i><p></p><p> </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgyXqx8xe-PGa4BfnfhcL-QjVSk1gLQhHRK3loIpa-iNolbPoF0oyiDDJWMRqZGtXgF8nLre9ptF5-afPkToqzNutPZSmKY9K8jE7Xlic3MZzfuF5p-Kp6_yNiKRtVUKZQY_fklgbU48D/s611/Secuctive+Reasoning+Maggie+and+Terre+Roche+1975+lp+CBS.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgyXqx8xe-PGa4BfnfhcL-QjVSk1gLQhHRK3loIpa-iNolbPoF0oyiDDJWMRqZGtXgF8nLre9ptF5-afPkToqzNutPZSmKY9K8jE7Xlic3MZzfuF5p-Kp6_yNiKRtVUKZQY_fklgbU48D/s320/Secuctive+Reasoning+Maggie+and+Terre+Roche+1975+lp+CBS.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Maggie and Terre Roche's 1975 Columbia debut album Seductive Reasoning, some years before younger sister Suzzy joined to make them a trio</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>August 3-8, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco: CA Maggie and Terre Roche/Uncle Vinty </b><i>(Tuesday-Sunday)</i><br />Modern fans know The Roches as a unique trio of singing sisters--Maggie, Terre and Suzzy--linked to Paul Simon and the Greenwich Village folk scene. The trio released their first album in 1979. It turns out, however, that there was a backstory. The two older sisters, Maggie and Terre, not only were a singing duo in 1971, but they played the Boarding House so much that I suspect they were based in California. The duo was first booked to open at the Boarding House from May 26 through June 6. They would return later in June (June 22-27), so it must have gone well. Now, in August the duo was returning as headliners, so they must have developed a following.<b><br /><br />Maggie and Terre Roche</b> were from suburban Park Ridge, NJ. They
had dropped out of high school to become a folksinging duo. Maggie
wrote original songs, and they played guitars and harmonized together.
By the late 70s, The Roches would include Maggie, Terre and their
younger sister Suzzy. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Roches">The
Roches never became huge stars, but they were well-known in a New York
way, and they certainly had a unique sound that only sisters could have</a>. But the narrative of the Roche sisters seems to simply leave out any time spent in San Francisco as a duo.<p></p><p>I
don't know for a fact if the two Roche sisters spent the summer in San
Francisco, or they were just touring around and kept coming back to the
Boarding House during this time. In either case, any references to this
time seems to be forgotten from their stories. By 1972, the Roches had
returned to New York City, where they sang on a Paul Simon album. They
would manage to parlay bartending jobs into a chance to audition at the
famous Gerde's Folk City club. By 1975, the pair had released their only
album as a duo, <i>Seductive Reasoning</i>. Suzzy would join a few years later, and the first Roches trio album was released in 1979.</p><p><a href="http://tela.sugarmegs.org/_asxtela/asxcards/MaggieAndTerreRoche1975-01-16CoffeehouseEauClaireWI.html">A live tape of Maggie and Terre floats around, a short set from a coffeehouse in Eau Claire, WI, on January 16, 1975.</a>
It's the best available hint for what the duo might have sounded like
at the Boarding House back in 1971. If they were just 75% as good as the
tape (which was 4 years later), no wonder the Boarding House liked
them. The Roches had a successful career when they were based out of New
York, but 1971 San Francisco had nothing for a pair of singing sisters
with acoustic guitars.</p><p><b>Uncle Vinty</b> (Vinton Medbury, 1947-94) was essentially a performance
artist who played the piano. He sang and played the piano, told jokes
and did magic tricks. He often performed in a Viking hat. Originally
from Rhode Island, he had come out to San Francisco around 1971. He
ultimately ended up in Milwaukee, although he continued to tour around.
<a href="Vinton Medbury: pianist, comedian http://blog.unclevinty.com/">He died early, but is fondly remembered on the internet</a>. Uncle Vinty
didn't fit into any pre-existing box, however, and San Francisco music
scene didn't really know what to make of him. <br /></p><p><b>August 10-15, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco , CA: Peter Tork/John Brandenburg with Chris Campbell </b><i>(Tuesday-Sunday)</i><br />Without a doubt, the most famous performer to play the Boarding House in 1971 was former Monkee <b>Peter Tork</b>. Tork had left the Monkees in 1968, when they had disintegrated. Tork had originally been an aspiring folk singer, and had returned to that, doing some recording in 1969 that had never been released. By 1970, he was in an only-in-LA circumstance, hugely famous, generally popular but not particularly respected as a singer or performer, since the Monkees were the epitome of "plastic." He had played the West Hollywood Troubadour, and played around some elsewhere. I don't think Tork embarrassed himself as a performer, but he wasn't memorable, either. By this time, the Monkees were old news and no one reviewed his shows.</p><p><b>John Brandenburg</b> played guitar, but I don't know anything else about him, nor <b>Chris Campbell</b>. <br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRHX2SWLRX-awY1Rf-tfeeUfInkBfLS2mdwIrJCwzPg0E-TNO1F-69VmkwDOdeYyxAc7eRWxfcZ1EvrYoyEOutEBWPX4k4Dk_o9swILlBSh217S6ea4XNqnLt1b93jCotZiPyQm2t0FhI/s1135/SF+Good+Times+Boarding+House+19710820.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1135" data-original-width="806" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRHX2SWLRX-awY1Rf-tfeeUfInkBfLS2mdwIrJCwzPg0E-TNO1F-69VmkwDOdeYyxAc7eRWxfcZ1EvrYoyEOutEBWPX4k4Dk_o9swILlBSh217S6ea4XNqnLt1b93jCotZiPyQm2t0FhI/s320/SF+Good+Times+Boarding+House+19710820.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><b>August 17-22, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco, CA: Taj Mahal/Mississippi Sam Chatman </b><i>(Tuesday-Sunday) </i><br /><b>Taj Mahal</b> (b. Henry Saint Clair Fredericks in 1942) had been raised in a musical family in Springfield, MA. He played in various musical ensembles in high school and in college (at U.Mass). By 1964 he had moved to the West Coast, and he formed a pioneering R&B combo called The Rising Sons, with Ry Cooder on lead guitar (a cd of their recordings was finally released in 1992). By early 1968, Taj had already signed and recorded his debut album with Columbia, with both Cooder and Jesse Ed Davis on guitars, although it would not be released until later in the year. <br /><p>Taj Mahal's equally excellent second album, <i>The Natch'l
Blues</i>, still with Davis but without Ry Cooder, had been released later
in '68. Later in 1969, Taj Mahal
would release his memorable Columbia electric/acoustic double album
<i>Giant Step/De Ole Folks At Home</i>. Taj Mahal's initial sound had been an electrified version of country blues, rhythmically a little different from the Chicago sound, but just as rocking. <i>De Old Folks At Home</i> explored a different, quieter approach to the blues.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtXsdDp5Q5KamYIm2NmTXDTcKoTmhA1tLU0mdGFiAOf1rdroyNyqcF58OrIudon36E_4ziiX9IDgqNgSOtGjF85ckmSrmOFBAmjk9Lvwh_BVRSFu6pzGldxqOfWK3BeZxtam-2TZb7N_k/s600/Taj+Mahal+The+Real+Thing+1971+Columbia+lp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtXsdDp5Q5KamYIm2NmTXDTcKoTmhA1tLU0mdGFiAOf1rdroyNyqcF58OrIudon36E_4ziiX9IDgqNgSOtGjF85ckmSrmOFBAmjk9Lvwh_BVRSFu6pzGldxqOfWK3BeZxtam-2TZb7N_k/s320/Taj+Mahal+The+Real+Thing+1971+Columbia+lp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Taj Mahal released two albums in 1971, <i>The Real Thing</i> and then <i>Happy To Be Just Like I Am</i>. While Taj Mahal was too inventive to be contain himself with a "solo blues performer" label, his newer work was more intimate. While in the 60s, Taj Mahal had been backed by a great trio featuring Jesse Ed Davis, in the 70s he tended to tour as a solo performer, or at least in an acoustic configuration. In that respect, the Boarding House would have been a better place to show off his new music, as opposed to opening at Winterland. <div><p></p><p><b>Mississippi Sam Chatmon</b> (1897-1983) was a Delta Blues guitarist and singer. He had been a member of the Mississippi Sheiks, and may have been Charlie Patton's half-brother. He had been "rediscovered" in 1960, and had started recording for Berkeley's Arhoolie Records soon after. Chatmon played all the major folk festivals in the 1960s and 70s, and toured regularly.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEBip0_BrS29g_P18oMQk4L0NYnkVCW7pDkQWe-IPLMlvw4_8clHgu7l0YQG8yRvw4BXzBbwx2POuI9o4trf6PRWFvLfs77EKMYEjam7UZJZruR8dEa_ILvPY_ut5sSYcDCIYQeuGPaLk/s600/Chet+Nichols+Time+Loop+Kama+Sutra+LP+72.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="594" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEBip0_BrS29g_P18oMQk4L0NYnkVCW7pDkQWe-IPLMlvw4_8clHgu7l0YQG8yRvw4BXzBbwx2POuI9o4trf6PRWFvLfs77EKMYEjam7UZJZruR8dEa_ILvPY_ut5sSYcDCIYQeuGPaLk/s320/Chet+Nichols+Time+Loop+Kama+Sutra+LP+72.jpg" /></a></div><br /><b>August 24-29, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco, CA: Bola Sete/Chet Nichols </b><i>(Tuesday-Sunday) </i><br /><b>Bola Sete</b> (1923-1987, born Djalma de Andrade) was a Brazilian jazz guitarist who had been prominent in the 60s. Bola Sete (which means "Seven Ball"), after a substantial career in South America in the 1950s, had ended up playing at the Sheraton Hotel in San Francisco, where he captivated Dizzy Gillespie (it turned out that Gillespie's piano player, Argentinian Lalo Schifrin, had played with Bola Seta in Rio). Brazilian jazz was hot at the time, and Bola Sete had recorded and toured with both Gillespie and Vince Guaraldi. Guaraldi and Bola Sete had made some very popular albums for Fantasy Records in the mid-60s. After about 1968, however, Bola Sete had reduced his presence and largely stopped recording and performing, although he hadn't actually retired. <br /><p>Bola Sete
did continue to play periodic Bay Area shows. I believe he lived in the North Bay, as well. Bola Sete did have a 1971 album on Fantasy, called <i>SheBaba.</i> It's an anomaly, and may have been released for contractual reasons. Probably Bola Sete just accompanied himself.</p><p><b>Chet Nichols</b> was a singer/songwriter who would release an album on Kama Sutra Records in 1972. Nichols was from Chicago, but he had gone to college at Kansas University. He made friends with the local all-night DJ, one Stephen Barncard, who became an engineer and producer in San Francisco. <a href="https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2019/04/chet-nichols-interview.html ">Nichols ended up getting signed in '71 and recorded a little with Barncard in San Francisco. Later, some tracks were recorded with Nick Gravenites and various local heavies, like Pete Sears, Dave Garibaldi (Tower Of Power drummer) and Nicky Hopkins</a>. The collected tracks were <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Chet-Nichols-Time-Loop/release/2209184">released by Kama Sutra as the <i>Time Loop</i> album. </a></p><p>This week's appearance by Nichols was probably facilitated by Barncard or Gravenites. Gravenites had produced both Brewer And Shipley and Danny Cox, both Kansas acts who shared management with Nichols. <a href="https://www.chetnichols.net/bio">Nichols himself has had a long, successful career in the music industry, in commercials, movies, songwriting and his own recording</a>. Once again, however, San Francisco wasn't really the place for solo artists to achieve success. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRAe_iBxLiPpoUUaXAVOV4cVBy5B8mWAj5FdhyUP5JtV178F1nCd9ZqffC4JJkhLnerh9-QHqp_tclrs2xNmnsh68t2wz3BB-uwJd90rjrX1kFh8Ed2KOv9IiXEOZN7lJNDxV4o0kw5ucb/s1117/SF+Good+Times+Boarding+House+19710903.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1117" data-original-width="795" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRAe_iBxLiPpoUUaXAVOV4cVBy5B8mWAj5FdhyUP5JtV178F1nCd9ZqffC4JJkhLnerh9-QHqp_tclrs2xNmnsh68t2wz3BB-uwJd90rjrX1kFh8Ed2KOv9IiXEOZN7lJNDxV4o0kw5ucb/s320/SF+Good+Times+Boarding+House+19710903.jpg" /></a></div><p><b>September 2-5, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco, CA: Dee Higgins/Will Pate </b><i>(Thursday-Sunday)</i><br />I believe that Dee Higgins and Will Pate played the entire week (from Tuesday August 31 through Sunday September 5). Since my only source, however, were Boarding House display ads from the San Francisco <i>Good Times</i> (posted throughout), I have to guess. An earlier ad had James And The Good Brothers and Dee Higgins, and the later ad had Higgins and Pate, with James And The Good Brothers later. I have gone with that sequence. <br /></p><p><b>Dee Higgins</b> was a Canadian singer. She had played the club when it was the Troubadour. <b>Will Pate</b> is unknown to me. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6hICWQ3vnATkpjqnZim6YFv5hQ90TMHCcoFNDjCrE7FKKdHb80pS6JfmNPdptSIEbypgGdInuoDV_qz8sN-MCWwlfeWc6FHIJeKeJBJthRzSNWpUg1kDaVBTe46WNledyz1rbh9sh-5W-/s300/James+and+The+Good+Brothers+CBS+71+lp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6hICWQ3vnATkpjqnZim6YFv5hQ90TMHCcoFNDjCrE7FKKdHb80pS6JfmNPdptSIEbypgGdInuoDV_qz8sN-MCWwlfeWc6FHIJeKeJBJthRzSNWpUg1kDaVBTe46WNledyz1rbh9sh-5W-/s0/James+and+The+Good+Brothers+CBS+71+lp.jpg" /></a></div><br /><b>September 7-12, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco, CA: James and The Good Brothers/Uncle Vinty/Chris Williamson </b><i>(Tuesday-Sunday)</i><br /><a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-troubadour-west-hollywood-and-san.html">The last act to play the San Francisco Troubadour, on Sunday, November 1, 1970 had been the Canadian trio James And The Good Brothers</a>. Whether by plan or luck, the same trio were the headliners for the opening weekend of The Boarding House. They returned again in April. After apparently leaving town for a while to record in Toronto, the band returned in September.<p><b>James And The Good Brothers</b> were a Canadian acoustic trio who
were an extended part of the Grateful Dead family. Guitarist James
Ackroyd had teamed with twin brothers Brian and Bruce Good, on guitar
and autoharp, respectively. All sang, and their music was in a
country-folk style, but without a pronounced Southern twang, somewhat like a laid back version of The Band. The trio
had met the Grateful Dead when they played on the infamous Festival
Express cross-Canadian tour. The Dead invited them to San Francisco, and
the trio came down to San Francisco, where the Dead office had helped them get
gigs. </p><p>James and The Good Brothers sang original songs, more or
less in the vein of Crosby, Stills and Nash or America. They were more
country than either of those bands, but since they had Canadian accents
rather than Southern ones, their music had a different resonance with
listeners. Also, since the Good Brothers used an autoharp, a rarely used
instrument, their music had a different feel to it. It's no surprise
that James And The Good Brothers were signed to Columbia, since record
companies were snapping up any band in the CSN vein. <br /></p><p>Early in 1971, James And The Good Brothers had recorded at Wally Heider Studios with Grateful Dead engineer
Betty Cantor. Jerry Garcia and Bill Kreutzmann likely played on the
initial sessions, although they were not used on the final album.
Ultimately, parts of the album seems to have been re-recorded in Toronto. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/James-And-The-Good-Brothers-James-And-The-Good-Brothers/release/1312641.">Columbia would release the James And The Good Brothers album in November, 1971</a>.<br /></p><p>When
James And The Good Brothers had played at the SF Troubadour in 1970,
they had just arrived in town. <a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2009/07/february-27-1971-fillmore-west-james.html">By March, 1971, however, the band had
opened a weekend for the New Riders Of The Purple Sage at Fillmore West
(on February 25-28). When they had played there, Jerry Garcia (pedal
steel guitar), Jack Casady ("balalaika" bass) and Spencer Dryden (drums)
had joined the trio</a>. The band returned in September and played a number of local shows, including a KSAN live broadcast on September 5. The band toured nationally in early 1972, but the album never took off (ultimately,
James Ackroyd would stay in California, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Brothers">the
Good Brothers would return to Canada, where they had a successful
musical career along with their banjo-playing younger brother Larry</a>). </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiifGv9vUeiiXbUM6SVGW8fOVhV7s1O9v3Goakb6fsJHl5Zo51zM1X1epDYbTJUwqjSJXt6ljUNNiILsf89lTvQq16ZZDfKrMqD3O2FmMbzMishG7tIPgD3cLKMBWUaF6k5mScenLLqBky/s300/Cris+Williamson+Ampex+lp+1971.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiifGv9vUeiiXbUM6SVGW8fOVhV7s1O9v3Goakb6fsJHl5Zo51zM1X1epDYbTJUwqjSJXt6ljUNNiILsf89lTvQq16ZZDfKrMqD3O2FmMbzMishG7tIPgD3cLKMBWUaF6k5mScenLLqBky/s0/Cris+Williamson+Ampex+lp+1971.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cris Williamson's 1971 debut album on Ampex Records</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />"Chris" Williamson was also advertised for this week at the Boarding House. She had headlined the Boarding House in May. I have a suspicion that Williamson and James And The Good Brothers split up the headlining duties this week (with Uncle Vinty as the opener throughout), but I have too little information to go on at this time.<br /><p></p><p><b>Cris Williamson </b>would
go on to a unique, hugely successful career, but the Bay Area scene had
no mechanism at this time for getting an artist like her heard by more
people. Opening big rock clubs was a poor choice for serious songwriters
(to Diana Sward's points above), and playing clubs in San Francisco
didn't really get acts signed or played on the radio. A singer might get
a little following, and make a little coin, but San Francisco wasn't
the place to break out of the box. The Boarding House listings for this
period show numerous interesting artists who only got somewhere when
they moved on from the local rock scene. Williamson may be the case in
point. <br /></p><p>Williamson (b. 1947) was from Deadwood, SD, of all
places. She had released three obscure solo albums on Avanti Records in
1964-65. By 1971, she had resurfaced in the Bay Area. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Cris-Williamson-Cris-Williamson/release/2263376">Williamson had released an album on Ampex in 1971</a>.
It had been recorded in New York (with Eddie Kramer, at Electric Lady
Studios) and in San Francisco (at Wally Heider's, with Jim Gaines). An
army of session men, some well-known, were on the record. It went
nowhere.</p><p>In future years, Williamson would assert that there
should be a record label run by women, for women, and that would lead to
Olivia Records. Olivia released Williamson's 1975 album <i>The Changer And The Changed</i>.
Besides being a fine album, Olivia was in the forerfront of DIY
releases, fitting in nicely with Beserkely Records and numerous punk
labels. The message was, if you want albums of a certain type, release
'em yourself. Once again, there were good acts at the Boarding House,
but San Francisco didn't know what to do with them.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4xAvsYlk7gcWi1W3iLOc0DdbTPezekx6zl9NN4S2Y-fyHe0BPRJKXxlCabv5OAuU_PyXeB90TFbiJeZKKBm26JmFshAaLtQc7_LxdLWkr3tWOOUGUm-jBFADeqQDVVRTLD6NUQiWdD6q/s300/Congress+Of+Wonders+Revolting+LP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4xAvsYlk7gcWi1W3iLOc0DdbTPezekx6zl9NN4S2Y-fyHe0BPRJKXxlCabv5OAuU_PyXeB90TFbiJeZKKBm26JmFshAaLtQc7_LxdLWkr3tWOOUGUm-jBFADeqQDVVRTLD6NUQiWdD6q/s0/Congress+Of+Wonders+Revolting+LP.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Revolting, the 1970 debut album by Congress Of Wonders, released on Fantasy in 1970</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>S</b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><b>eptember 14-19, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco, CA: Congress Of Wonders/Charlie Blue </b><i>(Tuesday-Sunday)</i><br /><a href="http://www.thecongressofwonders.com/"><b>Congress Of Wonders</b> </a>were a comedy trio from Berkeley, initially from the UC Berkeley drama department and later part of <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2009/09/open-theater-berkeley-ca-2976-college.html">Berkeley’s Open Theater on College Avenue, a prime spot for what were called “Happenings” </a>(now ‘Performance Art’). The group performed at the Avalon and other rock venues.</span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; punctuation-wrap: simple; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Ultimately a duo, Karl
Truckload (Howard Kerr) and Winslow Thrill (Richard Rollins) created two
Congress of Wonders albums on Fantasy Records (<i>Revolting</i> in 1970 and 1972's <i>Sophomoric</i>). Their pieces
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O53xUPqE4jw">“Pigeon Park”</a> and “Star Trip”, although charmingly dated now, were staples of
San Francisco underground radio at the time. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "times";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><b>Charlie Blue</b> is unknown to me.</span></span></span> <br /></p><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLB_9l8ko2e7PW4PHFWo9VaLdlQPq4k9vU2ODUne0QvWuXMyhaeVRdTr5oyPrzybDzQAewvdA5134WYA_LDPqnsJ9s8yCtpPewWULK3NP55KYU1NfK8Qn0XAUX2Pp_vEmRqN5VVGZW_CDM/s600/Early+Bird+Cafe+The+Serfs+Capitol+LP+1969.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLB_9l8ko2e7PW4PHFWo9VaLdlQPq4k9vU2ODUne0QvWuXMyhaeVRdTr5oyPrzybDzQAewvdA5134WYA_LDPqnsJ9s8yCtpPewWULK3NP55KYU1NfK8Qn0XAUX2Pp_vEmRqN5VVGZW_CDM/s320/Early+Bird+Cafe+The+Serfs+Capitol+LP+1969.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Lane Tietgen had been the principal songwriter for The Serfs, a Kansas band that released Early Bird Cafe on Capitol in 1969. Organist Mike Finnegan was the lead singer</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />September 21-26, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco, CA: Lane Tietgen/Mike Wilhelm </b><i>(Tuesday-Sunday)</i><br />Lane Tietgen was also a returning headliner to the Boarding House. He had headlined in late April (April 29-May 2, 1971), soon after the Boarding House had opened. It must have gone alright, since he returned.<p></p><p><b>Lane Tietgen</b> (1946-2020), from Topeka, had been in a Kansas
band called The Serfs. The lead singer of the Serfs was organist Mike
Finnegan, and <a href="https://www.discogs.com/The-Serfs-The-Early-Bird-Cafe/release/3815528">the band had released a 1969 Capitol album called </a><i><a href="https://www.discogs.com/The-Serfs-The-Early-Bird-Cafe/release/3815528">Early Bird Cafe</a>.</i>
The album was quite obscure, and Finnegan moved to the Bay Area.
Finnegan became the organist and lead singer of The Jerry Hahn
Brotherhood, a jazz-rock band built around native Kansan guitarist Hahn.
Jerry Hahn Brotherhood had released a highly-touted but unsuccessful
album on Columbia, prior to breaking up in early 1971.</p><p>In the
meantime, Tietgen seems to have played around San Francisco, at least
temporarily. The Brotherhood album is now obscure, too. Nonetheless,
many of the songs on the album were written by Tietgen, and two of them
were covered a few years later by Manfred Mann. Manfred Mann, while not a
major pop star, isn't obscure. Tietgen's songs "Captain Bobby Stout"
and "Martha's Madman" have been part of the Manfred Mann Earth Band
repertoire for over 40 years. </p><p><b>Mike Wilhelm </b>had been the lead guitarist in The Charlatans, the band that had been the very first exponents of the so-called "San Francisco Sound," back in the Summer of '65. The Charlatans had since broken up, reformed and broken up again. Wilhelm led a band called Loose Gravel, but based on the booking I think he was playing as a solo. Wilhelm played in older blues style, appropriately modified for San Francisco sensibilities.<br /></p><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5FL-cW68QXULVZW_UwsdybgCuC2TzK7mv0KOFtug1VJIMXV6pzuTrZ2PBIU9al0IsVlsV5IXfS7WJ7wxEIlS5kxCd1GfvDEBUNyEWeT-nE0nbNUtsh4gVV_dcO3IuO6szcKQ2YnX6Q0Y/s600/Jeffrey+Cain+For+You+Raccoon+1970.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5FL-cW68QXULVZW_UwsdybgCuC2TzK7mv0KOFtug1VJIMXV6pzuTrZ2PBIU9al0IsVlsV5IXfS7WJ7wxEIlS5kxCd1GfvDEBUNyEWeT-nE0nbNUtsh4gVV_dcO3IuO6szcKQ2YnX6Q0Y/s320/Jeffrey+Cain+For+You+Raccoon+1970.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />September 28-October 3, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco, CA: Jeffrey Cain/Ellen Jo Yester </b><i>(Tuesday-Sunday)</i><br />Jeffrey Cain had headlined the Boarding House in late July (July 27-August 1). Clearly, the Boarding House was developing a rotation of bookings that fit the club. It probably fit the artists, and their record companies, too, since there were few other viable options for non-rocking club acts. <br /><p><b>Jeffrey Cain</b> was a singer/songwriter who was associated with the
Youngbloods, though I'm not quite sure what the original connection had
been. Cain had released an album on Raccoon Records, the Youngbloods'
imprint on Warner Brothers. <i>For You </i>(1970), had been produced by
future luthier Rick Turner, before he focused exclusively on building
guitars. Cain would go on to release a second album on Raccoon, <i>Whispering Thunder</i> (1972), produced by Jesse Colin Young. </p><p><b>Jo Ellen Yester</b> was a local singer. Yester had been singing in
various ensembles since the early 60s, but had not been a full-time
professional musician since then (she had been married to Jim Yester of
The Association). <a href="http://thebrombies.com/stories/">In 1971, she was re-starting her active career again, and she would go on to have a lengthy performing history</a>. Yester had opened at the Boarding House in April (Apr 4-6, 1971), and now she was back. She wasn't a headliner, but at least it must have gone well enough to earn a return.<br /></p><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2pcVcpr6vRNyWO9iq34frXUupG8H5awTmW4TH3egaHPXSmw0-u4Lt8m0tcN_F9w0leAs7NtKv4gfGKp2ChVDcB53lDf_SBnuUPz-4jGpj_-zQBds_ES2Q-qQX_HueeL7EY75tkrVHUSH9/s680/RJ+Fox+Retrospective+Dreams.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="680" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2pcVcpr6vRNyWO9iq34frXUupG8H5awTmW4TH3egaHPXSmw0-u4Lt8m0tcN_F9w0leAs7NtKv4gfGKp2ChVDcB53lDf_SBnuUPz-4jGpj_-zQBds_ES2Q-qQX_HueeL7EY75tkrVHUSH9/s320/RJ+Fox+Retrospective+Dreams.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>RJFox was an acoustic trio recorded for Atlantic by Stephen Barncard in 1971. Their shelved album was released in the 21st century</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></b><b><br />October 5-10, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco, CA: Lambert & Nuttycombe/RJ Fox </b><i>(Tuesday-Sunday)</i><br />Folk duo Craig Nuttycombe and Dennis Lambert had been in the Eastside Kids in Southern California. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Lambert-And-Nuttycombe-At-Home/release/2602782 ">Their album on A&M Records had been recorded at Nuttycombe's home</a>. By this time, the duo seemed to be based in the Bay Area.<br /><p><b>RJ Fox</b> was a vocal trio with songwriters Joel Siegel and Richard Hovey,
along with singer Sherry Fox. The trio apparently had remarkable
harmonies, and had somehow talked their way into Wally Heider Studios in
1970 when David Crosby was recording. Crosby and producer Stephen
Barncard were so impressed that they got them signed to Atlantic. <a href="http://madshoesmusicology.blogspot.com/2017/07/rj-fox-retrospective-dreams-1971.html">Barncard
would produce an album, scheduled for Fall '71, but due to politics at
Atlantic the record was scrapped (it was eventually released some
decades later)</a>. RJ Fox would split up, and Sherry Fox would go onto
become the lead singer of the band Cookin' Mama. In 1973, Siegel and Fox
would reunite as Oasis. </p><p>Around October 1971, some theater productions are advertised for The Boarding House Theater at 960 Bush Street. The Theater was in the same building as the nightclub, but upstairs. Former Troubadour owner Doug Weston likely still owned the building, and renovating the theater had been part of his original plan. In the past, the "Theater" had been not only a theater, but a restaurant and a recording studio (Coast Recorders, in the early 60s). Weston seemed to have had a plan to make it into a Television Studio. In any case, there were ads for various theater productions in the fall. The "Boarding House Theater" was the room that would become The Boarding House in mid-1972, and it is the room that most Bay Area rock fans recall as the club.<br /></p><b>October 12-17, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco, CA: Jim Kweskin/Kajsa Ohman </b><i>(Tuesday-Sunday)</i><br />The Jim Kweskin Jug Band had formed in 1963 in Cambridge, MA, and they had been unusually influential. Besides playing fairly authentic "jug" music, then a fairly unknown style, the Kweskin band had a significant influence on young musicians. The band's late 1963 debut on Vanguard single-handedly made jug band music nationally popular. More importantly, in the early 60s, musicians in all styles were supposed to be "entertainers," wearing matching stage clothes while they performed their "show," and had scripted "patter" between numbers. Certainly The Beatles, truly revolutionary musicians, had the matching clothes and acted like entertainers on stage. <br /><p>The Jim Kweskin Jug Band
appeared on stage in their regular clothes, played whatever songs they
felt like at that moment, and casually chatted with themselves and the
crowd between songs. This was what folk music was like in the living
room, and the crowd was just invited in with them. Jerry Garcia and his
friends had seen the Jim Kweskin Jug Band in Berkeley (on March 11,
1964) and instantly decided that was how it was going to be: play what
you want, when you feel like it, and wear whatever. David Grisman and
other young musicians had the same reaction.</p><p>The Jim Kweskin Jug
Band had a fairly successful run in the mid-60s, although ultimately
rock music and its fans passed them by. Lots of good musicians had been
in the Jim Kweskin Jug Band, and many of them would end up in Marin,
including Geoff and Maria Muldaur and Richard Greene. More unsettlingly,
however, by around 1968 one member of the band, harmonica player Mel
Lyman, had taken on an outsized role in the bandmembers lives. The whole
story of the Lyman Family, as they are known, is quite unnerving, and
you can google it yourself if you have an interest.</p><p>In 1971, Reprise Records had released a <b>Jim Kweskin </b>solo album with the ungainly name of <i><a href="https://www.discogs.com/Jim-Kweskin-Richard-D-Herbruck-Presents-Jim-Kweskins-America-Co-starring-Mel-Lyman-And-The-Lyman-Fam/release/2943449">Richard D Herbruck Presents Jim Kweskin's America Co-Starring Mel Lyman And The Family</a></i>.
I presume that a tour had been arranged in support of the album. The
"Jim Kweskin Jug Band" name was probably used bcause it was familiar.
The whole Mel Lyman saga is not for the faint, and there has been little
reflection on Kweskin's musical activities at this time. </p><p>For this tour, however, Kweskin had returned to his roots and was playing solo. Kweskin had come through town earlier in the year billed as "Jim Kweskin Jug Band" (<a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-lions-share-60-red-hill-avenue-san.html">he had played the Lion's Share in San Anselmo on May 6-8, 1971</a>), but I don't know who had been in the band. Phil Elwood reviewed the opening night show (in the Wednesday October 13 <i>Examiner</i>) and approved of Kweskin's warm, engaging style.<br /></p><p>Elwood had a few good words for the opening act, too: "The evening began with the beautiful singing of <b>Kajsa Ohman</b>, a Baez-Collins-Sylvia Tyson-Jone Mitchell sort of performer." Elwood praised her rich voice and unpretentious manner, singling out her song "God Bless The Hippy." Ohman would release an album in 1980. <a href="https://www.kajsaohman.com/about-me ">And guess what--she's still out and about</a>. How exactly she ended up touring in 1971 isn't clear. </p><b>October 18, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco, CA: </b><i>Audition Night</i><b>/The Residents/<i>others</i></b><br />Like many local nightclubs, the Boarding House used Monday as an "Audition Night." I think bands were actually scheduled, but almost never listed in the paper. According to legend, the debut of <a href="https://www.residents.com/">The Residents</a>--Northeast Louisiana's Phenomenal Pop Combo--happened on this night at the Boarding House. <br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggDhua1xEmXDCXdXgx1HDc4hBxNgC3F1I7uPmEEz5lBKAhUNbI8ppoHSYiwK5PPhUH1v7uAtJJ17J19BHvqnPDfZ_GkJlhGfqGYLmEIfuPZLDJMGJe05gAHjOjjfrBT3TLCAxpavHiVZT/s142/New+Frontiers+album+Polydor+71.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="142" data-original-width="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggDhua1xEmXDCXdXgx1HDc4hBxNgC3F1I7uPmEEz5lBKAhUNbI8ppoHSYiwK5PPhUH1v7uAtJJ17J19BHvqnPDfZ_GkJlhGfqGYLmEIfuPZLDJMGJe05gAHjOjjfrBT3TLCAxpavHiVZT/s0/New+Frontiers+album+Polydor+71.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Possibly this is the Polydor album by a Japanese group called The New Frontiers, released in 1971 or '72, but I'm not certain.<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>October 19-24, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco, CA: New Frontiers (Japanese folk)/Maggie and Terre Roche </b><i>(Tuesday-Sunday) </i><br />Maggie and Terre Roche returned for another week. It's plain they had built a following at the Boarding House.<p></p><p><b>New Frontiers </b>was billed as "Japanese Folk." I assume this was the band on Polydor that released an album around 1971 or '72, playing some kind of hybrid of American folk and Japanese music. It's possible I found a picture of their album, or not. In any case, San Franciscans loves new things, particularly if they think they are discovering it before anyone else.<br /></p><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0HYnD0MChG2UeaRnF0pon9Q6PFwoTz4jQtDII7sxf_cof7WALTsj4hvl3Gp9JwnAX31XdPrbVTMR8qph0e0o50qbCqF5UVvsyi6XJJxNT1jxWjHqh0ccN7-gkiFm9KrO18FHbK8qUqDmF/s600/Lamb+Bring+Out+The+Sun+WB+1971+lp.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="600" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0HYnD0MChG2UeaRnF0pon9Q6PFwoTz4jQtDII7sxf_cof7WALTsj4hvl3Gp9JwnAX31XdPrbVTMR8qph0e0o50qbCqF5UVvsyi6XJJxNT1jxWjHqh0ccN7-gkiFm9KrO18FHbK8qUqDmF/s320/Lamb+Bring+Out+The+Sun+WB+1971+lp.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lamb's second album, Bring Out The Son, released on Warner Brothers in 1971</i><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />October 26-31, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco, CA: Lamb/Kendall Kardt </b><i>(Tuesday-Sunday)</i><br />Lamb had played the Boarding House in July (July 6-11). Kendall Kardt had also been a headliner, back in May (May 11-16). The Boarding House had moved up in the ranks, however, as record companies were signing more acoustic singer/songwriter acts. By the second half of 1971, the acts headlining a week at the Boarding House had an album, were being supported on tour by a record company and might even have been getting FM airplay. An act like Kardt, signed but still without a record, was now relegated to second on the bill.<p>When <b>Lamb</b> had formed in 1969, it had essentially been the
songwriting duo of Barbara Mauritz and guitarist Bob Swanson. Mauritz
played piano and sang, so she was out front, but they were a team. By the end of
1969, they had added a bass player, and after a while they were an
outright rock band. Diane Sward (see above) had taken on the role of
manager for them, and got them assigned to Bill Graham's Fillmore label,
distributed by Columbia. Sward had taken Lamb from the penurious coffee
houses to the more lucrative rock circuit. <br /></p><p>Lamb had released their Fillmore Records debut <i>A Sign Of Change</i>
in 1970. The band was subsequently signed to Warners, but considering
that Graham had connections to both, that wasn't an unlikely switch. By
1971, Lamb had added David Hayes on bass. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Barbara-Mauritz-Lamb-Bring-Out-The-Sun/master/351073">The band's second album was <i>Bring Out The Sun</i>,</a> and their third was <i>Cross Between</i>.
Both were released in 1971, but I'm not sure of the exact timing. By
the third album, Barbara Mauritz had taken on a much more prominent role
in the band, and Bob Swanson was in the background. Because of the Bill Graham connection, Lamb had been broadcast
live on FM radio for the closing of the Fillmore West, and ultimately got
included on the memorial <i>Last Days Of The Fillmore</i> album.</p>Once again, the Boarding House was featuring a band with an album and management support, although in this case it was local. <a href="https://homesweetjeromedrapaport.wordpress.com/2017/02/04/life-of-an-audio-guy-lost-in-the-poetic/">Lamb manager Diane Sward had married Lamb producer Walter Rapaport, and they remained married into eternity</a>. Barbara Mauritz would produce a solo album in 1972 (<i>Isn't It Just A Beautiful Day,</i> on Warners). She went on to a career composing film and commercial music<p><b>Kendall Kardt</b> (b.1943) had been in the group Rig, who had been
booked by the Bill Graham organization. Rig played the Fillmore East,
and opened for a variety of National acts. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Rig-Rig/release/3403428 ">Rig released an album on Capitol in 1970</a>.
The band broke up, however, and Kardt moved to the Bay Area to be
nearer to the Graham team. Kardt recorded a solo album for Capitol, with
help from the likes of Jerry Garcia, Ronnie Montrose, Pamela Polland
and Spencer Dryden, but the album was shelved. He would record an album
for Columbia in 1972, but it too was shelved.Ultimately, Kardt moved to Chicago. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendell_Kardt">He continued his career as a songwriter, and his songs were recorded by Montrose, Jim Post and others</a>. </p><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinC9i-l7j_4j763WUkJymfTJ3ahxZkKv7xEu0I3CnwaFbMskDHZVirOWFCjA8rB_8kDqs0Tp6lHaZGtUqt-fmF9vIo3JtiKEo0ZO50_WKaJV2II1lLjj_hEmNLCrCiKPVqKBtP5T7SbPqZ/s600/Where%2527s+The+Money%253F+Dan+HIcks+Blue+Thumb+1971.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="594" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinC9i-l7j_4j763WUkJymfTJ3ahxZkKv7xEu0I3CnwaFbMskDHZVirOWFCjA8rB_8kDqs0Tp6lHaZGtUqt-fmF9vIo3JtiKEo0ZO50_WKaJV2II1lLjj_hEmNLCrCiKPVqKBtP5T7SbPqZ/s320/Where%2527s+The+Money%253F+Dan+HIcks+Blue+Thumb+1971.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><br />November 2-7, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco, CA: Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks </b><i>(Tuesday-Sunday)</i><br />Dan Hicks and The Hot Licks had been an opening act at 960 Bush in 1970, back when it was The Troubadour. The band had headlined the Boarding House in the week of June 29-July 4. The Fillmore West had closed the same weekend, but ironically enough Hicks had played no part in the proceedings.<br /><p>Dan Hicks had been around the San Francisco scene as long as there
had been one. He had been the drummer in the Charlatans, the band that
started the psychedelic ballroom revolution in Virginia City, NV (along with Mike Wilhem--see above). Later Hicks had switched to guitar, so he could sing more. The Charlatans played
loud, psychedelic blues, however, and Hicks had other interests. He
formed a "side group" with local violinist David LaFlamme to play a sort
of modified swing music. When LaFlamme left to form It's A Beautiful
Day, Hicks left the Charlatans and formed <b>Dan Hicks And His Hot Licks</b>. <br /></p><p>The band had released an album in 1969 on Epic, <i>Original Recordings</i>.
The group wore Edwardian clothes, and it looked like a repackage of an
old album. While the band played acoustic swing music, kind of, Hicks'
wry, cynical lyrics were a striking contrast to the music. The album
included future Hicks' classics like "How Can I Miss You When You Won't
Go Away" and "I Scare Myself." Nobody sounded like Dan Hicks and His Hot
Licks. By 1971, the live band was probably Hicks on lead vocals and
guitar, Sid Page on
violin and Jaime Leopold on bass. "The Hot Licks" personnel varied
sometimes, but at this time I believe it was Maryann Price and Naomi
Ruth Eisenberg. </p><p><a href="https://www.discogs.com/Dan-Hicks-And-His-Hot-Licks-Wheres-The-Money/release/2833936">In February 1971, Hicks had recorded what would be his most famous album, <i>Where's The Money</i>
at the West Hollywood Troubadour</a>. The album was
released on Blue Thumb in mid-1971. So although Hicks was a
local favorite--he had played 960 Bush when it was the Troubadour the
year before--by now the band had an album getting airplay on FM radio, just like the touring bands form out of town.<br /></p><b>November 9-14, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco, CA: Judy Mayhan/David Patton </b><i>(Tuesday-Sunday) </i><br /><b>Judy Mayhan</b> wrote and sang songs and accompanied herself on piano, somewhat in the style of Laura Nyro. She had appeared at the SF Troubadour for two weeks in October, 1970, when the outpost was on its last legs.<br /><p><b>David Patton</b> is unknown to me.<br /></p><b>November 16-21, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco, CA: Robbie Basho/Nirmala </b><i>(Tuesday-Sunday)</i><br /><b>Robbie Basho</b> (1940-86) was a unique solo acoustic guitarist. His profile was a little different than many of the other acoustic songwriter types playing the Boarding House this year. Basho (born Daniel Robinson Jr.) was from the Washington DC suburbs. As a teenager, he knew John Fahey and ED Denson. He got interested in playing steel string acoustic guitar, but followed his own muses. In particular, he was influenced by Indian music. Fahey and Denson had started their own independent label in 1959, Takoma Records (for the DC suburb of Takoma Park, MD), to release an album by Fahey. Fahey and Denson both relocated to Berkeley and released additional albums on Takoma.<p>Basho, influenced by Fahey but with a different approach, released his first album on Takoma in 1965. By 1971 Basho had released seven albums on Takoma, his most recent being <i>Song Of The Stallion</i>. In 1970, Basho had also released an album on Blue Thumb in 1970 (<i>Venus In Cancer</i>). So Basho was a well-established artist by 1971, if one with a narrow cult following. In later years, Basho would release albums on Windham Hill Records. Musical listeners caught up to his innovations and great technique, which most people had not been ready for in the 60s. At this time, Basho was sort of well-known, in that many music fans recognized his name, but few had actually heard much of music.<br /></p><p><b>Nirmala</b> is unknown to me.<br /></p><b>November 22-28, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco, CA: Sopwith Camel/Lambert and Nuttycombe </b><i> (Monday-Sunday)</i><br />The <b>Sopwith Camel</b> was an original San Francisco psychedelic band, with roots going back to the Red Dog Saloon in Virginia City, NV and 1090 Page Street. The Sopwith Camel had been one of the first Fillmore bands to sign a recording contract, and they had one of the first hit singles of the scene, as well, with "Hello Hello" in February 1967. That record was in the Lovin' Spoonful jugband style, which has hot at the time (and the Camel were produced by Spoonful producer Erik Jacobsen). The Camel had to face the grumblings of locals who felt that they had "sold out." The band had ground to a halt in late 1967.<p>However, Sopwith Camel
had reformed in 1971. Their first gig seems to have been at the Matrix on March 5. The re-formed group had 4 of the 5 original
members. The original songwriting partnership of guitarists Peter
Kraemer and Terry MacNeil was intact, along with bassist Martin Beard
and drummer Norman Mayell. In the meantime, Beard and Mayell had played
on the hit single "Spirit In The Sky" with Petaluma's Norman Greenbaum. </p><p>I assume the booking began on Monday (November 22) because there was likely no show on Thursday night (November 25), as it was Thanksgiving. Some of the ads in SF <i>Good Times</i> note that Monday is "Open Mike Night," so the club was probably usually open anyway.<br /></p><b>December 2-5, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco, CA: John Stewart/Harmony Tycoons </b><i>(Thursday-Sunday)</i><br /><b>John Stewart </b>(1939-2008) had headlined at the San Francisco Troubadour in August 1970, soon after it had opened. Stewart had been a member of The Kingston Trio from 1961 to 1967. The group had been very popular, but they were passed by when the likes of The Beach Boys and The Beatles came along. Stewart had gone solo, and released a variety of well-received albums, such as 1969's <i>California Bloodlines</i>. Although he had written a hit for The Monkees ("Daydream Believer"), Stewart was well known at this time. but not particularly successful. <br /><p>Stewart had released three albums on Capitol Records from 1968-70. Clearly,
Capitol felt Stewart was ticketed for success in the new world of
singer/songwriters. The albums hadn't done particularly well. Stewart had switched to Warner Brothers, and his 1971 debut for the label was <i>The Lonesome Picker Rides Again</i>. It was largely solo, and produced by his brother Mike Stewart, famous from the We Five. I think John Stewart had moved to the North Bay this time, but he still had an active recording and performing career, so he wasn't seen as a local act. Stewart actually had a fairly productive
career into the 21st century, but in the early 70s he did not have the
success that his talent would have foretold.</p><p>The <b>Harmony Tycoons</b> are unkonwn to me. <br /></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGtCPkdJ14XYAqeuqciaLNCRWjtdx0PpcQxIKwbrJbeqhBfdYjo1AZQSmE1jBWuU0u57DhJwlQw0-WtK7JlMuHD0UTWj5ELoUGzSMLXnxNyMHVIsfHs3PPdrwXnokDZkCOEjCbOsZs0Rs/s500/Frisco+Mabel+Joy+Mickey+Newbury+Elektra+1971.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGtCPkdJ14XYAqeuqciaLNCRWjtdx0PpcQxIKwbrJbeqhBfdYjo1AZQSmE1jBWuU0u57DhJwlQw0-WtK7JlMuHD0UTWj5ELoUGzSMLXnxNyMHVIsfHs3PPdrwXnokDZkCOEjCbOsZs0Rs/s320/Frisco+Mabel+Joy+Mickey+Newbury+Elektra+1971.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />December 7-12, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco, CA: Mickey Newbury </b><i>(Tuesday-Sunday)</i><br /><b>Mickey Newbury </b>(1940-2002) had a modestly successful recording career, but he was mainly known as a writer. In the 1960s, he wrote some huge hit songs, such as "I Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In" for Kenny Rogers And The First Edition (it would reach #5 in 1968). In 1970, Newbury broke away from his RCA contract and began to record for Elektra Records. Although Newbury's writing was firmly country, he also separated himself from the Nashville studio machine, and recorded his music more simply, with more control in his own hands. Newbury's approach was a direct influence on Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, as they too stepped aside from the Nashville studio production line. <p></p><p><a href="https://www.discogs.com/Mickey-Newbury-Frisco-Mabel-Joy/release/637475">Newbury's first album for Elektra was <i>Frisco Mabel Joy,</i> released in 1971</a>. It was produced by guitarist Wayne Moss, a Nashville Studio veteran (he was in Area Code 615), but Moss had built a studio in his garage. The album had a simpler sound than contemporary country albums. It included the song "American Trilogy," most famously performed by Elvis Presley. Newbury also performed by himself, with just an acoustic guitar. This was common in rock--common at the Boarding House, certainly--but all but unheard of in country music at the time.</p><p>Phil Elwood had a very positive review of Newbury's opening night show (in the December 8 <i>Examiner</i>). He reported that Joan Baez dropped in and joined Newbury for two songs.<br /></p><b>December 14-19, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco, CA: Cleveland Wrecking Company </b><i>(Tuesday-Sunday)</i><br />This week's booking was a small but significant change in booking. The Boarding House had been designed as an "Acoustic Music Salon." It wasn't for purists, and there were certainly electric guitars and amplifiers many nights. Still, the focus was on acoustic music, even if there were trap drums and Fender basses for various acts. But up until this time, the Boarding House hadn't really booked a straight rock act. So the week headlined by Cleveland Wrecking Company was different, because they were a loud dance band with a horn section. <br /><p><b>Cleveland Wrecking Company</b> was an interesting band who had been playing Bay Area clubs since 1968. The band, a 7-piece with horns, and often a female singer, had a completely different business model than every other hippie rock band in the Bay Area. Other bands were interested in making albums, and only played dances and the like when they were starting out, just to make ends meet. Cleveland Wrecking Company had the opposite approach.<br /><br />A google search of Cleveland Wrecking Company will net you pictures and references to playing huge dances for teenagers and young adults on late '60s and early 70s weekends. There was clearly real money to be made, and we have to presume they played their share of covers. During the week, however, and on some weekends, Cleveland Wrecking Company played rock clubs, and opened concerts for the Grateful Dead and others, presumably emphasizing original material. Bandleaders Jim Lowe (organ) and Norman Beale (lead guitar), had made a demo, to help book gigs, but they had no interest in making a record. They were, in effect, a Dance Band that moonlighted as an original rock band, instead of the opposite. Cleveland Wrecking Company would break up in 1972.<br /></p><b>December 20, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco, CA: Stoneground </b><i>(Monday)</i><br />The rock trend continued with Stoneground. I assume the booking patterns were different for Christmas week. I don't know if Stoneground just played Monday, or a few more nights (since I can't find an ad). But Stoneground was a loud rocking band, too, with 9 or 10 members. <br /><p><b>Stoneground</b> had been put together by KSAN impresario Tom Donahue in 1970 for an intended movie about a "traveling Woodstock" called <i>Medicine Ball Caravan</i>.
The Grateful Dead were booked for the movie, but backed out at the last
minute. Stoneground
had just released their self-titled debut album on Warner Brothers.
Among the key members of Stoneground were singers Sal Valentino, Lynne
Hughes, Annie Sampson and Deirdre LaPorte. Guitarist Tim Barnes also
sang. Pete Sears had been the pianist for the album, although he had been replaced by Palo Alto pianist Cory Lerios. </p><p><b>December 24-26, 1971 Boarding House, San Francisco, CA: Congress Of Wonders/Ronnie & Lulu </b><i>(Friday-Sunday)</i><br />I assume there was no Christmas Day show, even if it was Saturday night. <b>Ronnie & Lulu</b> are unknown to me.</p><p><b>December 28, 1971-January 2, 1971 Boarding House Bola Sete/Hue </b><i>(Tuesday-Sunday)</i><br /><b>Hue</b> was a jazz quartet, but is otherwise unknown to me.<br /></p><p><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-uXEM9K9axUg_7HZW3SV6IZ3LenoauPbuBFaXUBxZTQZC7PSr9E-Yq2_zzuq-Ehlb6MCEOfkcBNT0P3HUs8LFP8RRmvGylec0xJxZD3N21kFbzeiopdpiHL_T_OVWm2nxeNvTzmc4rnT/s824/Van+Morrison+Boarding+House+19720114+9+Jan+1972%252C+153+-+The+San+Francisco+Examiner+at+Newspapers+com.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="824" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-uXEM9K9axUg_7HZW3SV6IZ3LenoauPbuBFaXUBxZTQZC7PSr9E-Yq2_zzuq-Ehlb6MCEOfkcBNT0P3HUs8LFP8RRmvGylec0xJxZD3N21kFbzeiopdpiHL_T_OVWm2nxeNvTzmc4rnT/s320/Van+Morrison+Boarding+House+19720114+9+Jan+1972%252C+153+-+The+San+Francisco+Examiner+at+Newspapers+com.png" width="320" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br />Aftermath</i></b><br /><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/09/960-bush-street-downstairs-san.html">The Boarding House had opened on March 26, 1971 on a shoestring, presenting mostly local acoustic acts in a venue that had already flopped</a>. By the end of 1971, musical winds were blowing favorably for the club, and the acts that played the Boarding House had albums with major record companies and were supported on tour. There were some local acts, sure, but most of those had albums, too. Even so, the Boarding House seemed to be developing followings for some unsigned acts, like Maggie and Terre Roche. The club was finding a foothold in the local music scene. The Freight And Salvage in Berkeley held down the folk purists, and some other rock clubs like Keystone Berkeley, the Long Branch and Keystone Korner were places for people who liked it loud and long. The Boarding House wasn't folk, but it was serious music and it was mostly not loud. The club was still on a shoestring, though.<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXktHmubt8L4BfG7FiRmcmbgnuKL161LJ8GkbaioJJ14-X6wxLISFvNuzaxgDILdz29YtMzXE3dowYBFlwkvKSQlvxWuItCKfEVZjYARFjmB0TR0bNYAY6OwuGrG8_GvUfS17Hn4ahdPfL/s612/Boarding+House+Theater+19720112+9+Jan+1972%252C+153+-+The+San+Francisco+Examiner+at+Newspapers+com%25281%2529.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXktHmubt8L4BfG7FiRmcmbgnuKL161LJ8GkbaioJJ14-X6wxLISFvNuzaxgDILdz29YtMzXE3dowYBFlwkvKSQlvxWuItCKfEVZjYARFjmB0TR0bNYAY6OwuGrG8_GvUfS17Hn4ahdPfL/s320/Boarding+House+Theater+19720112+9+Jan+1972%252C+153+-+The+San+Francisco+Examiner+at+Newspapers+com%25281%2529.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>San Francisco Examiner Sunday Datebook listing for January 9, 1972</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />In early 1972, the club would change dramatically. The Boarding House started booking rock bands, popular ones, and they booked them at the upstairs theater. The first full week of 1972 featured folksinger Ramblin' Jack Elliott, by now a North Bay resident. For the second week, however, Spencer Davis played Wednesday and Thursday, and Van Morrison on the weekend. Morrison was a huge star, of course, and could play large places, but he very much liked the Bay Area rock tradition established by Jorma Kaukonen, Mike Bloomfield and Jerry Garcia, where stars played local clubs when they felt like it. Phil Elwood reviewed Morrison's show enthusiastically in the <i>Examiner</i> (January 17 ‘72).<p></p><p>A few weeks later, Jim Kweskin returned to the Boarding House, and the listing said "Boarding House (downstairs)," a sign that shows in the upstairs Theater were already common. At some point in mid-72, all shows were moved upstairs, and the Boarding House came to mean what had previously been the Theater. The old, downstairs Boarding House was used on occasion, I think mostly for comedy acts, but after 1972 "The Boarding House" meant the upstairs theater.</p><p>The upstairs theater was a sort of sunken bowl, with excellent sightlines and nice sound, and the room was much beloved by rock critics and serious fans. The room was small, and didn't have a liquor license, so it still favored smaller acts rather than big bands. That said, plenty of rock bands played showcases at The Boarding House. The Tubes played the Boarding House for two weeks in summer 1975, right before their first album was released. I went twice--it was epic, and at the Boarding House you were Right There. The writeups in the paper were shimmering, and when the debut album came out the pump was well primed. Record companies particularly liked the club because it could draw attention to acts who deserved a good hearing.</p><b><i>Demise</i></b><br />960 Bush, at Taylor, was in a mainly residential neighborhood, and in San Francisco that meant a lot. The Boarding House always struggled without liquor license. It was also a long way from downtown office buildings and any sort of drop-in crowd, plus San Francisco is cold, and parking was always difficult. Finally, in early 1980, there was a fire that closed down the club. 960 Bush Street, which had always had a few apartments anyway, was sold to the expanding condominium complex next door. Doug Weston had purchased the 4-story building for $400,000 in 1970. I don't know if he was still the owner by 1980, but it turned out that San Francisco real estate was always a good investment. So after 80 years as an entertainment venue, 960 Bush, already a burned-out hulk, was demolished for a large residential building. <i>Sic Transit Gloria Musica. </i><p>David Allen moved the Boarding House over to 901 Columbus Street, near North Beach (previously The Village and then Dance Yer Ass Off). The newer Boarding House folded, too, to be taken over by Bill Graham for his club Wolfgang's.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHuz0nIttEc4a50XyWTQnyUo2Sg8eAvPaXry3ZdhHSdiponLboJxRPetzdSZq5ENTYYJeREr1Q3JTKw8DfzTStBrlGMzMWjsF1anOZRZFKqPuAl883Oh7mhwqrVQ3M6KBu5TDqoJQgLDP/s1306/BoardingHouse-Chron-July-1980-600.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1306" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHuz0nIttEc4a50XyWTQnyUo2Sg8eAvPaXry3ZdhHSdiponLboJxRPetzdSZq5ENTYYJeREr1Q3JTKw8DfzTStBrlGMzMWjsF1anOZRZFKqPuAl883Oh7mhwqrVQ3M6KBu5TDqoJQgLDP/s320/BoardingHouse-Chron-July-1980-600.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The July 15, 1980 SF Chronicle article had a story on the razing of 960 Bush Street</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><br /><p></p></div>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-62117622436770815752023-01-09T17:26:00.001-08:002023-01-20T06:15:19.669-08:00November 12, 1966 Campus Hall, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA: Oxford Circle/Magnficent VII (Lost Family Dog)<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufVzP7qp7QGX3WjtQH-HLGk6QGTWDcX0FuSxsg_KljnDvmJXAcfpyWwxiBz-UsY9nOqRPw3bpm390GV1-6pCv9yyMO3RmlC6quBcEd1lK-kp0g8AN51KbD2nr6K_qP6Cjvo2aCWdsi8LqfohIOoXiCPLtTVJeW1xu5pDDnyaQnr5YUhmiePNk0ekpdg/s1352/Oxford%20Circle%20Family%20Dog%20Irvine%2019661112.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1352" data-original-width="908" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufVzP7qp7QGX3WjtQH-HLGk6QGTWDcX0FuSxsg_KljnDvmJXAcfpyWwxiBz-UsY9nOqRPw3bpm390GV1-6pCv9yyMO3RmlC6quBcEd1lK-kp0g8AN51KbD2nr6K_qP6Cjvo2aCWdsi8LqfohIOoXiCPLtTVJeW1xu5pDDnyaQnr5YUhmiePNk0ekpdg/s320/Oxford%20Circle%20Family%20Dog%20Irvine%2019661112.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>An ad from the UC Irvine Anthill newspaper (Nov 11 '67) for the Family Dog presentation of the Oxford Circle in Campus Hall at UC Irvine on Friday, November 12, 1966</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p></p><p>Chet Helms and The Family Dog are cornerstones of San Francisco rock history, and thus the history of live rock concerts throughout the world. In late 1965, some proto-hippies who lived in an old house on Pine Street in San Francisco known as "The Dog House" put on some rock concerts. They used the name Family Dog, after one of the adopted strays at home. At the same time, in a rooming house at 1090 Page Street, Chet Helms was organizing jam sessions in the basement, featuring some residents playing weird, loud music. Chet helped them pick the name Big Brother and The Holding Company. By early 1966, Chet Helms had taken over the Family Dog, and <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Big%20Brother.htm">Big Brother was playing around town</a>. </p><p>Some local characters called The Merry Pranksters found a way to commercialize their "Acid Tests," billing it as The Trips Festival. The Trips Festival immersed the crowd in loud music and a light show, and everyone was free to dance. Trips Festival stage manager Bill Graham teamed up with Chet Helms to start producing concerts at the nearby Fillmore Auditorium. They were hugely successful, but Bill and Chet had different visions. Graham stayed at the Fillmore, and Helms moved over to the Avalon Ballroom. The Fillmore became the beacon that lit the way for the modern rock concert, while the Avalon was always more underground. Over the decades, rock historians have labored to uncover the intricate history of the Fillmore and the Family Dog, so much so that even the posters for the shows have legendary status on their own terms. </p><p><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">Chet Helms' Family Dog was a San Francisco phenomenon. After a few shows in '65 and '66, the Dog set up shop at the Avalon from April 1966 through November 1968</a>. In late '67, there were abortive efforts to set up Family Dog affiliates in Denver, London and Portland, but they never took root. When the Avalon closed, Helms had a difficult stretch, but he reopened at the Family Dog on The Great Highway. <a href="http://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/12/family-dog-on-great-highway-navigation.html">The beautiful, cleverly conceived operation was either too late or too soon, and undercapitalized, and it was only open from June 1969 through August 1970</a>. Afterwards, the Family Dog receded into memory, the famous logo only brought out on occasion for nostalgia.</p><p>Yet one thread of the Family Dog story turns out not to be unraveled. Way back in 1966, before Denver, before the record companies got involved, Chet Helms and the Family Dog put on a show in Southern California. It seems to have been at least a modest success. Yet it has dropped from the sight of any Family Dog scholars. This post will rectify that oversight, and review what is known about the Family Dog presenting the Oxford Circle and The Magnificent VII at Campus Hall in UC Irvine on Saturday, November 12, 1966.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCjTaURMHHeK2n81XuV3gM4_QrlA83TDVt0U_QOyaXCP3JBPun_nfWJtbd9a4iMbYpPc9l1nRi-BXYl6iMiAYttQySkCT6xd0d4EAdk7yNP5_0uWGWO-HHT8SFW46_2rM5skPn17c19kFiTkBGNw5XIwSpxlwjWIBHgtLSK7awff0zq_NXWWoY-jps0Q/s1552/FD%20UC%20Irvine%2019661112%20ad%20Anthill.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1552" data-original-width="844" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCjTaURMHHeK2n81XuV3gM4_QrlA83TDVt0U_QOyaXCP3JBPun_nfWJtbd9a4iMbYpPc9l1nRi-BXYl6iMiAYttQySkCT6xd0d4EAdk7yNP5_0uWGWO-HHT8SFW46_2rM5skPn17c19kFiTkBGNw5XIwSpxlwjWIBHgtLSK7awff0zq_NXWWoY-jps0Q/s320/FD%20UC%20Irvine%2019661112%20ad%20Anthill.jpg" width="174" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>This display ad appeared in the UC Irvine Anthill student newspaper on November 11, 1966. It appears to be a best-efforts attempt at an Avalon-style poster</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b><i>University of California at Irvine</i></b><br />In the 1950s, the University of California system correctly anticipated an explosion in college enrollment stemming from the "Baby Boom" and the GI Bill. The system expanded their existing campuses, and planned three new campuses in San Diego, Santa Cruz and Orange County. The site of the Orange County campus was the former Irvine Ranch. UC Irvine's first classes began in October, 1965. In that first semester, there were just 1,589 students enrolled (there are currently around 35,000). <a href=" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crawford_Hall_(Irvine)">Campus Hall, the multi-purpose auditorium and gym, was one of the nine original buildings present when the campus was opened. Campus Hall included a 1400 seat arena, used for sports, concerts and student assemblies</a>. <br /><p>Strange as it may seem today, colleges and universities all had budgets in those days for arts and entertainment. The school was meant to enrich the local culture as well as provide some fun. Intercollegiate athletics, for example, had originally been encouraged as local entertainment, although it had strayed far from that goal after World War 2. Nonetheless, in its initial years, with only a few thousand students, UC Irvine had substantial performers every month. Clearly the fees were subsidized, since the arts were considered a public good. <a href="https://calisphere.org/collections/26695/?q=&sort=a&start=24">A review of the student paper for the 1966-67 year (<i>The Anthill</i>) reveals performances by Duke Ellington, the Martha Graham Dance company, symphony orchestras and rock bands with hit records</a>. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl22Qm-iuzpgNefCc8ecK5YjwAXj9EUV5eZD9Z_yDjR_OEhvaJpiwJCAZWgBBe1gOFqBJwG8_rrLX0xnRV01OfOp6SHHeUV8IZC2F63Vezbk6pZU6dsXVEGF8hsUrdRTO7Gv3iUFLeQNNlmVq3BXmdkr0hDjUVL5FumWXe8b4WjKV1gh8dIiqwJYWCWw/s1316/Anthill%20Irvine%20Family%20Dog%2019661112%20Nov%2010.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1316" data-original-width="1052" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl22Qm-iuzpgNefCc8ecK5YjwAXj9EUV5eZD9Z_yDjR_OEhvaJpiwJCAZWgBBe1gOFqBJwG8_rrLX0xnRV01OfOp6SHHeUV8IZC2F63Vezbk6pZU6dsXVEGF8hsUrdRTO7Gv3iUFLeQNNlmVq3BXmdkr0hDjUVL5FumWXe8b4WjKV1gh8dIiqwJYWCWw/s320/Anthill%20Irvine%20Family%20Dog%2019661112%20Nov%2010.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><p><b><i>Preview</i></b><br /><a href="https://calisphere.org/collections/26695/ ">The Family Dog show was previewed in the weekly student paper, <i>The</i> <i>Anthill</i>, the day before the show</a>.<br /></p><p></p><blockquote><i><b>SF Family Dog To Present "Freak Out"</b></i><br /><i>"The Family Dog," a professional company from San Francisco, is presenting what is commonly known as a "Happening," an "Op-Dance," or a "Freak-Out" this coming Saturday night, November 12, in UCI's Campus Hall. The show and dance, which begins at 8:30 p.m. and lasts five hours, features two bands, a fantastic array of colored projections, cartoons and abstract images on the wall, and flashing "strobe" lights which make the dancers appear to be moving in fast or slow motion. <br /></i></blockquote><blockquote><i>According to the Family Dog, because of the rising popularity, hardly a dance is produced in the San Francisco area without this type of show. </i></blockquote><blockquote><i>The prices of admission range in San Francisco from $2.50 to $3.50, but because the event is being sponsored by the ASUCI, the price to UCI students and their guests is only $1.00.<br /></i></blockquote><blockquote><i>The Oxford Circle, a band from the San Francisco area with specializes in Family-Dog type music will be featured in the show. Their performance will be supplemented by a local band, the Magnificent VII.</i><i> </i></blockquote><blockquote><i>The Family Dog has been putting on shows in the Avalon Ballroom and other auditoriums in San Francisco for the past year. Their UCI appearance is the first of what they hope to be a series of performances on college campuses. </i></blockquote><br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisS1PuHPQ8NgzVyyA8dW9aYyTIOvJ1tSxwCVb_mEwRBZ_hXI9Pb4mVjeDwMNv2IUkUeEXsqugr4ecklUy1gswtGr-GClbFPDv9GtP1zPOIHvWk8az114ep-lgTr50e9RchoGq1itMx89ozms2q1U5Z9xzLrpUUzlNgjgJ4BPxAWkRvya7njjjFcAlnxw/s1354/Association%20UCI%2019661028%20from%20Oct%2027.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1354" data-original-width="1284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisS1PuHPQ8NgzVyyA8dW9aYyTIOvJ1tSxwCVb_mEwRBZ_hXI9Pb4mVjeDwMNv2IUkUeEXsqugr4ecklUy1gswtGr-GClbFPDv9GtP1zPOIHvWk8az114ep-lgTr50e9RchoGq1itMx89ozms2q1U5Z9xzLrpUUzlNgjgJ4BPxAWkRvya7njjjFcAlnxw/s320/Association%20UCI%2019661028%20from%20Oct%2027.jpg" width="303" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>A picture in the UC Irvine Anthill promoted the Campus Hall concert by The Association on October 28, 1966. At the time, the band had a hit with "Along Comes Mary."</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Universities typically had a student group, usually called the "Entertainment Committee" or something, that made suggestions and recommendations, while a professional booking agency handled the actual arrangement. There must have been some real hipsters on this Committee, however. Just two weeks earlier The Association had appeared at Campus Hall. Now, the Association had a hit single with "Along Comes Mary, " but they weren't really hip. Someone knew something, however, about what was going on San Francisco. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2020/09/700-west-32nd-avenue-los-angeles-ca.html">At this exact time in Los Angeles, Fillmore/Avalon type events were being held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, billed as a "Freak-Out," which the <i>Anthill</i> article references</a>. The eagerness with which the preview article assures the students that it's really cool in San Francisco was probably to make up for the fact that the Oxford Circle had no album, just a single on an obscure label ("Foolish Woman"/"Mind Destruction" on World United, released back in January 1966). <br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2dNXnqbMBnTVCuldjwGaWGRpBLswUtf1VOh6lqU1neq-o0Tte_kqLvvakS-oOMC6COSPVwj8Y5JIIV7gr9iusTO321Zr4UWkc0P6M5_69rPDNT5WuZ0mPoYSyt1cntqdNLkvftZegkLi3WRwBiaOP8LWP6ZfuZgN00ARL-PKjGnKpz6kUVrpuwx3lw/s500/Oxford%20Circle%20Live%20At%20The%20Avalon%20cd.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2dNXnqbMBnTVCuldjwGaWGRpBLswUtf1VOh6lqU1neq-o0Tte_kqLvvakS-oOMC6COSPVwj8Y5JIIV7gr9iusTO321Zr4UWkc0P6M5_69rPDNT5WuZ0mPoYSyt1cntqdNLkvftZegkLi3WRwBiaOP8LWP6ZfuZgN00ARL-PKjGnKpz6kUVrpuwx3lw/s320/Oxford%20Circle%20Live%20At%20The%20Avalon%20cd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><i><b>The Oxford Circle</b></i><br />The Oxford Circle were from Davis, CA, near Sacramento. UC Davis had become another branch of the University of California in 1959, so the market for Davis rock bands boomed throughout the 1960s. They were originally a surf band called The Hideaways, but changed their name to the Oxford Circle when the British Invasion became popular. They were influenced by the louder groups like the Yardbirds and Them. When Oxford Circle started getting booked at the Avalon, the band got louder and the guitar solos got longer. By the end of 1966, Oxford Circle's lineup was:<p></p><blockquote><b>Dehner Patten</b>-lead guitar<br /><b>Gary Yoder</b>-guitar, vocals<br /><b>Jim Keylor</b>-bass<br /><b>Paul Whaley</b>-drums</blockquote><p></p><p>Paul Whaley would go on to become a founding member of Blue Cheer in 1967, and Gary Yoder would join Blue Cheer in 1969. For a great snapshot of the Oxford Circle live, find <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Live-Avalon-Nuggets-Golden-State/dp/B0000004F8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1EV93IXMDFFDR&keywords=oxford+circle+live+at+the+avalon&qid=1657841104&sprefix=oxford+circle+live+at+the+avalon%2Caps%2C44&sr=8-1">the 1997 Big Beat cd <i>Oxford Circle Live At The Avalon 1966</i></a>, recorded some time that year (likely June 17-18, opening for Captain Beefheart). <i><b><br /></b></i></p><p><i><b>The Magnificent VII</b></i><br />The Magnificent VII were an Orange County band with an arc similar to that of Oxford Circle. <a href="https://nocturnesband.com/our-heritage.html">Per their website, the band had formed in Anaheim as the Vi Counts in 1961, and changed their name to the Nocturnes in 1963</a>. They had a fair amount of regional success, playing places like the Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa and the Revalaire Club in Redondo Beach (where they beat the Crossfires--later The Turtles--in a Battle Of The Bands). In 1965, in the face of the British Invasion, the Nocturnes changed their name to the Magnificent VII. They were regular performers at Disneyland during this period, one of the premier paying gigs in Orange County at this time. The Magnificent VII had released a few singles on independent labels. </p><p><i><b>The Light Show</b></i><br />For a light show, Chet Helms hired The Outfit, the light show associated with the New Delhi River Band. <a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/03/david-nelson-and-new-delhi-river-band.html">The New Delhi River Band was Palo Alto's second psychedelic blues band, and included future New Riders David Nelson and Dave Torbert (I have written up their entire history elsewhere)</a>. The New Delhi River Band and The Outfit were regular performers at a psychedelic outpost called The Barn, in Scotts Valley. The tiny venue was in a rural part of Santa Cruz County, just over Highway 17 from San Jose (<a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Barn%20Scotts%20History.htm">I have written up the history of The Barn as well</a>). </p><p><a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/02/david-nelson-and-new-delhi-river-band.html">The initial idea had been that some Palo Alto bohemians, organized (sort of) by a guy named Carl Moore, would open up a club called The Outfit, but the strange little venture folded after one night.</a> The projected "house band" of The Outfit became The New Delhi River Band, while the light show became The Outfit. Over time, the light show evolved into using the name Magic Theater, and they would sometimes appear separately from the New Delhi River Band. </p><p>I first heard about the Family Dog's Irvine adventure over a decade ago from one of the old Palo Alto crew (hi Chris), a teenager who had often assisted The Outfit's light show at The Barn or elsewhere. He was invited to go down to Southern California but passed on the episode. In this case, the "traveling" light show seems to have been the remnants of The Outfit, rather than the Magic Theater, although that is just a derived assumption. Until recently, while I had a grainy copy of the ad, I did not know whether the event had actually taken place. The other person I knew who probably went had passed on (<a href="http://northforktrails.blogspot.com/2008/08/last-post.html">the late Rusty Towle</a>), so I had no way to confirm what happened. As more and more universities digitize their archives however, various lost events have surfaced, and I can finally confirm that the Family Dog did put on a full psychedelic dance concert with the Oxford Circle at UC Irvine.<br /></p><p><i><b>November 12, 1966</b></i><br /><i>The Anthill</i> was only a weekly paper, and only previewed campus events, rather than reviewing them. So the <i>Anthill</i> had no immediate description of the Family Dog event. In January, 1967 however, Big Brother and The Holding Company were booked at Campus Hall (see below), and the preview describes that forthcoming event as "similar to the one presented by the San Francisco Family Dog last November." So it happened, and it must have gone well enough. </p><p>Chet Helms himself almost certainly wasn't at UC Irvine. The 13th Floor Elevators and Moby Grape were tearing it up at the Avalon, so he probably sent one of his lieutenants to manage the Irvine show. The Oxford Circle had a gig the night before at Freeborn Hall in UC Davis. The band probably drove from Davis to Irvine (remember, they would have to take CA-99 through Fresno and Bakersfield, as I-5 was not complete). Over at The Barn, Ken Kesey and his Pranksters were having their own event, so the Outfit (nor the Magic Theater) wouldn't have been booked either, thus freeing them for Irvine duty.</p><p>It was a big weekend in Southern California, too. The Sunset Strip Riots, as they were known, peaked on the weekend of November 12, as teenagers with protest signs objected to the crackdown by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. As Stephen Stills put it in his famous hit song "For What It's Worth": "What a field day for The Heat/There must have been a thousand people in the street/Singing songs and carrying signs/Mostly saying hooray for our side." Of course, Stills was at the Fillmore that weekend with the Buffalo Springfield, but he surely saw it on TV. </p><p>Although the UC Irvine event was the only Southern California foray by the Family Dog, it hinted at another path for Chet Helms. Since Helms is always compared with Bill Graham, he often seemed like a weak businessman, which was only true when he was compared to Bill--a comparison most people would fall short of anyway. The last line of the <i>Anthill</i> preview says that the "UCI appearance is the first of what [<i>the Family Dog</i>] hope to be a series of performances on college campuses." Honestly, Chet could have had all the Avalon bands playing every college on the West Coast, for good, reliable money, but it wasn't the path he chose to take. <i>Sic transit Gloria Psychedelia</i>.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBy3vfGoLsXbPQ_Satc_auQrR34AhUvCNpaQzslslAzaCD3Nf0DMTBPrt0OUbKJwctkg0nUOUXac-jZ9nOkVu0K--sVONWIlWL0olK-WjXkt20l_YcyYlB5VkcpyJEfjJbqUrzYd3BNlPP9dlX9pMDvKFrnI1vNgWWAbYH3GAE69_MDNAJKAwKOhujg/s968/Anthill%20Irvine%2019670113%20Family%20Dog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="952" data-original-width="968" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBy3vfGoLsXbPQ_Satc_auQrR34AhUvCNpaQzslslAzaCD3Nf0DMTBPrt0OUbKJwctkg0nUOUXac-jZ9nOkVu0K--sVONWIlWL0olK-WjXkt20l_YcyYlB5VkcpyJEfjJbqUrzYd3BNlPP9dlX9pMDvKFrnI1vNgWWAbYH3GAE69_MDNAJKAwKOhujg/s320/Anthill%20Irvine%2019670113%20Family%20Dog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><b>January 14, 1967 Campus Hall, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA: Big Brother and The Holding Company/Magnificent VII </b><i>(Saturday)</i><br /><i>The Anthill</i> was only published on Thursdays, and did not generally include reviews of past events. In the January 13, 1967 edition, however, I found confirmation that the Family Dog show in November took place. Remarkably, this comment came as part of a description of a Saturday night (January 14) show by no less than Big Brother and The Holding Company. Big Brother had initially been managed by Chet Helms, but they had since split off. Amicably, of course--it was San Francisco--and Big Brother regularly played at the Avalon. There was some underground buzz about Big Brother even though at this time they had no records. </p><p></p><blockquote><i><b>GRAPE JELLY PLOTS DANCE & LIGHT SHOW</b> <a href="https://calisphere.org/item/ark:/81235/d84x8h/">[Anthill, UC Irvine, January 12, 1967]</a><br />The Grape Jelly Plot, a newly-formed student organization, is presenting a dance concert and light show this Saturday night, January 14, at 8:30 p.m., in UCI's Campus Hall. <br />The show will be similar to the one presented by the San Francisco Family Dog last November.<br /></i></blockquote><blockquote><i>The program features two bands, colored lights, movies, slides and cartoons projected on the walls, along with flashing strobe lights which make dancers appear to moving in fast or slow motion.<br /></i></blockquote><blockquote><i>Supplying music this time will be one of the most popular bands in the San Francisco area, Big Brother and The Holding Company. Completing the show will be a local band, the Magnificent VII. </i><i> </i></blockquote><blockquote><i>Although the price of admission to the show is $2.50, UCI students have the opportunity to buy tickets in advance at $1.50. Advance tickets are on sale at the Activities Office.</i></blockquote>I assume that Big Brother played the Irvine show, since there was no news in the next few editions of the <i>Anthill</i> that the show was canceled. For those who are archeologically focused, <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Big%20Brother.htm">the Big Brother show at UC Irvine has never appeared on a Big Brother concert list.</a><p></p><p>It is true that Big Brother and The Holding Company were at San Francisco's Human Be-In on the morning of Sunday, January 15. <a href="http://hooterollin.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-grateful-dead-and-airline.html">It is crucial to remember, however, that intra-state air travel in California was both jet-powered and unregulated. Big Brother could have flown from SFO to LAX on Pacific Southwest Airlines for no more than $20 per ticket</a>. Their guitars would have been carry-on luggage and drums and amps would have been checked baggage. If students picked them up at the airport, they could have flown back to SFO on a 6am flight and gone straight to Golden Gate Park. So the economics of an SF band playing a one-nighter in Los Angeles were very plausible (as a regional footnote, Air California would be based at Orange County Airport, and had $10 flights to Northern California, but they did not start until January 16 '67). </p><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhilQcbUiEbQJC0vzSDHoL3LXbaf9C5IaG6Nt-ZCa_7xIj-oEmcj_qUaMEsC_DxiPtIRPKUZDhz0z41ksj9-MNbnoGqmACQ4Gp5G3_fQ8tlvdP7X8-4udcYkgr1SfopX6zBoBOuqsilJQGOyjnytC27nkawSs5WfyLxQ1gnXL1xFW04yOHUht4SvTQgPA/s778/Springfield%20UCI%2019670331%20from%20Mar%2030.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="486" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhilQcbUiEbQJC0vzSDHoL3LXbaf9C5IaG6Nt-ZCa_7xIj-oEmcj_qUaMEsC_DxiPtIRPKUZDhz0z41ksj9-MNbnoGqmACQ4Gp5G3_fQ8tlvdP7X8-4udcYkgr1SfopX6zBoBOuqsilJQGOyjnytC27nkawSs5WfyLxQ1gnXL1xFW04yOHUht4SvTQgPA/s320/Springfield%20UCI%2019670331%20from%20Mar%2030.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Anthill, UC Irvine, Thursday March 30, 1967</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><i>Aftermath</i></b><br />Orange County would become an important place in Southern California rock concert history, but that turned out to surround larger venues like the Anaheim Convention Center. UC Irvine was an attractive booking for an off-night, but the 1400-seat Campus Hall rapidly became awfully small even by college gym standards. There were still a few random 60s events, however, probably booked when touring bands needed to fill an off night. The most prominent I could find were:<p></p><p><b>March 31, 1967 Campus Hall, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA: Buffalo Springfield/Cobblestone Garden </b><i>(Friday)</i><br /></p><p><b>September 27, 1968 Campus Hall, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA: Big Brother and The Holding Company </b><i>(Friday)</i><br /></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpQ6Oh-0TT7OBlGlH89Etq9D-CZCCZL1nq20DThXADYKj1UpeB7T9T9bGDtmEEYfPReC3YOa9cGhnNqxCqTEh4ZGF-dfikTplKzVEIrAouCiCz5yG3PWD0BNe-8TW0XJKP337wsCLxFDgqE8Ci_IxLRMgq-hUK5WUJ7DmAOg7tmJ7i-pmbywU2CcsEwg/s1058/Led%20Zeppelin%2019690501%20Ticket.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="1058" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpQ6Oh-0TT7OBlGlH89Etq9D-CZCCZL1nq20DThXADYKj1UpeB7T9T9bGDtmEEYfPReC3YOa9cGhnNqxCqTEh4ZGF-dfikTplKzVEIrAouCiCz5yG3PWD0BNe-8TW0XJKP337wsCLxFDgqE8Ci_IxLRMgq-hUK5WUJ7DmAOg7tmJ7i-pmbywU2CcsEwg/s320/Led%20Zeppelin%2019690501%20Ticket.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />May 1, 1969 Crawford Hall, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA: Led Zeppelin/Lee Michaels/Hard Luck Boy </b><i>(Thursday)</i><br />Campus Hall had changed names by this time. The Zeppelin show seems to have been one for the ages, exactly the kind of event that ensures rock concerts aren't held in a venue for decades. Zep manager Peter Grant recalled (<a href="https://www.ledzeppelin.com/show/crawford-hall-may-1-1969">on the Led Zeppelin site</a>)<br /><blockquote><i>"It was a great night when they appeared at the University of California. They did five encores that night and although the hall was filled to capacity with over 3,000 people in the audience, there were over 700 people outside who couldn’t get in. Fights broke out outside because people couldn’t get tickets and when Jimmy heard about it he asked everyone to squeeze up, had the side doors opened and managed to squeeze the waiting people in the hall.” (May 1969)</i></blockquote><p></p><p>There were occasional concerts at Crawford Hall after this, but not many. There could hardly have been more memorable ones.<br /></p>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-27359481431186845882022-12-02T12:03:00.000-08:002022-12-02T12:03:02.221-08:00August 14-August 22, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: The Edge Of The Western World--Journey's End [FDGH '70 XXI]<p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s400/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, ca. 1969</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />The
Family Dog was a foundation stone in the rise of San Francisco rock,
and it was in operation in various forms from Fall 1965 through the
Summer of 1970. For sound historical reasons, most of the focus on the
Family Dog has been on the original 4-person collective who organized
the first San Francisco Dance Concerts in late 1965, and on their
successor Chet Helms. Helms took over the Family Dog in early 1966, and
after a brief partnership with Bill Graham at the Fillmore, promoted
memorable concerts at the Avalon Ballroom from Spring 1966 through
December 1968. The posters, music and foggy memories of the Avalon are
what made the Family Dog a legendary 60s rock icon.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In the Summer
of 1969, however, with San Francisco as one of the fulcrums of the rock
music explosion, Chet Helms opened another venue. The Family Dog on The
Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, on the Western edge of San
Francisco, was only open for 14 months and was not a success. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">Yet numerous interesting bands played there, and remarkable events took place, and they are only documented in a scattered form.</a>
This series of posts will undertake a systematic review of every
musical event at the Family Dog on The Great Highway. In general, each
post will represent a week of musical events at the venue, although that
may vary slightly depending on the bookings.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If anyone has
memories, reflections, insights, corrections or flashbacks about shows
at the Family Dog on the Great Highway, please post them in the
Comments.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s501/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s320/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>660 Great Highway in San Francisco in 1967, when it was the ModelCar Raceway, a slot car track</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b><br />The Edgewater Ballroom, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />As
early as 1913, there were rides and concessions at Ocean Beach in San
Francisco, near the Richmond District. By 1926, they had been
consolidated as Playland-At-The-Beach. The Ocean Beach area included
attractions such as the Sutro Baths and the Cliff House. The San
Francisco Zoo was just south of Playland, having opened in the 1930s.<a href="http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2011/10/family-dog-at-great-highway-660-great.html ">
One of the attractions at Playland was a restaurant called Topsy's
Roost. The restaurant had closed in 1930, and the room became the
Edgewater Ballroom. The Ballroom eventually closed, and Playland went
into decline when its owner died in 1958.</a> By the 1960s, the former Edgewater was a slot car raceway. In early 1969, Chet Helms took over the lease of the old Edgewater. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s768/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr style="text-align: left;"><td class="tr-caption"><i>One
of the only photos of the interior of the Family Dog on The Great
Highway (from a Stephen Gaskin "Monday Night Class" ca. October 1969)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />The Family Dog On The Great Highway</b><br />The
Great Highway was a four-lane road that ran along the Western edge of
San Francisco, right next to Ocean Beach. Downtown San Francisco faced
the Bay, but beyond Golden Gate Park was the Pacific Ocean. The aptly
named Ocean Beach is dramatic and beautiful, but it is mostly windy and
foggy. Much of the West Coast of San Francisco is not even a beach, but
rocky cliffs. There are no roads in San Francisco West of the Great
Highway, so "660 Great Highway" was ample for directions (for reference,
it is near the intersection of Balboa Street and 48th Avenue). The
tag-line "Edge Of The Western World" was not an exaggeration, at least
in American terms.<br /><br />The Family Dog on The Great Highway was
smaller than the Bill Graham's old Fillmore Auditorium. It could hold up
to 1500, but the official capacity was probably closer to 1000. Unlike
the comparatively centrally located Fillmore West, the FDGH was far from
downtown, far from the Peninsula suburbs, and not particularly easy to
get to from the freeway. For East Bay or Marin residents, the Great
Highway was a formidable trip. The little ballroom was very appealing,
but if you didn't live way out in the Avenues, you had to drive. As a
result, FDGH didn't get a huge number of casual drop-ins, and that
didn't help its fortunes. Most of the locals referred to the venue as
"Playland."</p><i><b>The Family Dog In 1969</b></i><br /><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/01/june-13-15-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">Chet Helms had opened the Family Dog at 660 Great Highway to much fanfare on June 13, 1969, with a packed house seeing the Jefferson Airplane and The Charlatans</a>. One of the goals was that the Dog would feature mostly San
Francisco bands and a variety of smaller community events and groups.
Since so many San Francisco bands were successful, and had record
contracts, this didn't confine the venue to obscurity. A lot of great
bands played the Family Dog in 1969, but the distant location and the
gravitational pull of major rock events hosted elsewhere in the Bay Area
kept the Family Dog isolated. We know only the most fragmentary bits
about music played, events and audiences throughout the year. Despite
the half-year of struggle, Helms had kept the Family Dog on The Great
Highway afloat. He had entered the new year of 1970 with a new plan. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">For a complete list of Family Dog shows (including FDGH), see <b>here</b></a></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/11/july-24-august-2-1970-family-dog-on.html">For the previous entry (July 24-August 2, 1970 <i>various</i>) see </a><b><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/11/july-24-august-2-1970-family-dog-on.html">here</a> </b><br /></li><li><a href="http://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/12/family-dog-on-great-highway-navigation.html">For a summary and the link to the most recent entries in this series, see <b>here</b></a> </li></ul><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqxkntKj3FHlPAH7U_3Kj_dyN6G2HtnP3X6IAqvMaQGcIlL11q2T3Wugmae3VXXC9EYD_qy-dWuuaBTtO-e0PyPPkUrQKrXQHzDMZvmuufpO3lf5YJGD1PtjNOQHOK3Mlj6UjSbx38_7r2/s538/topsys+roost1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="538" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqxkntKj3FHlPAH7U_3Kj_dyN6G2HtnP3X6IAqvMaQGcIlL11q2T3Wugmae3VXXC9EYD_qy-dWuuaBTtO-e0PyPPkUrQKrXQHzDMZvmuufpO3lf5YJGD1PtjNOQHOK3Mlj6UjSbx38_7r2/s320/topsys+roost1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>In the 1920s, 660 Great Highway was Topsy's Roost, a restaurant with dancing</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />August 14-August 22, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: <i>The Edge Of The Western World--Journey's End </i></b><br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77LijEnJ7cGO1LwUrfDxbtgcmfqcWIixv-f9YTowHfol8f5FlswSDAZdWPSTguXCkPgvbQmnX-dXJ3icKmtmJfwveLqhrBVKNZ95gj3t_1sTQ-q6IlsMVzbaVfrI_rzlc7lsKh0tD1HAz/s442/FDGH+IABD+19700814+14+Aug+1970%252C+30+-+The+San+Francisco+Examiner+at+Newspapers+com.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="242" data-original-width="442" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77LijEnJ7cGO1LwUrfDxbtgcmfqcWIixv-f9YTowHfol8f5FlswSDAZdWPSTguXCkPgvbQmnX-dXJ3icKmtmJfwveLqhrBVKNZ95gj3t_1sTQ-q6IlsMVzbaVfrI_rzlc7lsKh0tD1HAz/s320/FDGH+IABD+19700814+14+Aug+1970%252C+30+-+The+San+Francisco+Examiner+at+Newspapers+com.png" width="320" /></a></div><p><b>August 14-16, 1970 Family Dog on The Great highway, San Francisco, CA: It's A Beautiful Day/Elvin Bishop Group/Sawbuck </b><i>(Friday-Sunday)</i><br />Chet Helms had kept the Family Dog on The Great Highway open throughout the Summer of 1970, although why he did so isn't exactly clear. There were only occasional events. I have to assume that the perpetually optimistic Helms had hopes or plans of finding a backer to revive the Dog, so he would have had a vested interest in not shutting it down altogether. The rock concert business was booming, of course, bigger than ever, but the ballroom was to small and the Great Highway too far from the hordes of suburban teenagers who would have been paying customers. After the Youngbloods weekend on July 31-August 2, the Family Dog on The Great Highway was closed for the following weekend, never a good sign for a venue. There were two final weekends, probably fulfilling contracts that had been agreed to some weeks before, and the Family Dog on The Great Highway would close for good. </p><p>The headliner for the next-to-last weekend at the Family Dog was <b>It's A Beautiful Day</b>. It's A Beautiful Day had made a stunning success of their debut album, and the song "White Bird" was a hit on not only FM but also AM radio. The band was involved in bitter litigation with their now-former manager, Matthew Katz, so they weren't in a great position to capitalize on their success. Nonetheless, IABD had played the Family Dog regularly, so they must have done alright there. Certainly the somewhat suburban kids who lived out in the Sunset and Ocean Beach would have been the sweet spot for the band's audience (the term "target market" had not yet been invented). It's A Beautiful Day sounded different, with David La Flamme's electric violin and shared vocals, but they still sang songs you could hum and they had a beat.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgalv3iEtCb3jVgwhg2fnFYKvArJIeEnHtO88UuosG-bJNIRweVDF7U0kJOlaP7SwJ0Oz5XQ22uwAkwJGCAbL7-coK1BRM6lMjJwq3oB79qCrh8jTzRWb1GKZSlRKeL1suMp_dWG8NBYLFZ/s600/Marrying+Maiden+IABD+Columbia+1970.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="589" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgalv3iEtCb3jVgwhg2fnFYKvArJIeEnHtO88UuosG-bJNIRweVDF7U0kJOlaP7SwJ0Oz5XQ22uwAkwJGCAbL7-coK1BRM6lMjJwq3oB79qCrh8jTzRWb1GKZSlRKeL1suMp_dWG8NBYLFZ/s320/Marrying+Maiden+IABD+Columbia+1970.jpg" width="314" /></a></div><br />In June, 1970, It's A Beautiful Day had released their second album on Columbia, <i>Marrying Maiden</i>. It's an enjoyable album, but it didn't have memorable songs like their debut. David La Flamme and singer Patti Santos were still out front, but Fred Webb had replaced David's now ex-wife Linda on organ. Hal Wagenet (guitar), Mitch Holman (bass) and Val Fuentes (drums) remained from the debut lineup. Jerry Garcia added some Fillmore credibility by playing pedal steel guitar on one track and banjo on another.<p></p><p>It's A Beautiful Day was a happening band at this moment in San Francicso rock history. What that meant, however, was that Bill Graham would get first bite of the apple. Just two weeks earlier, It's A Beautiful Day had headlined Fillmore West (July 31-August 2, supported by the Elvin Bishop Group and Boz Scaggs). Pent up desire to see them, and the no doubt full-press support of Columbia for the new album would directly benefit Graham's booking. Chet Helms and the Family Dog would get anything left over--same as it ever was.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4dh1RA1jviDYNQ0IBBMde3jtON5UncLWoLqDe1L5lA0P2L3nrFYRb9yATDow6eboOXWMhDnQUgpp5aX8rwmfYUn8aliJrEAb1W2-uTpYqVUh93i4S5WHZ92LL6dj42u7EHhhn6ygPRW_s/s513/Elvin+Bishop+Group+Feel+It+Fillmore+1970.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="505" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4dh1RA1jviDYNQ0IBBMde3jtON5UncLWoLqDe1L5lA0P2L3nrFYRb9yATDow6eboOXWMhDnQUgpp5aX8rwmfYUn8aliJrEAb1W2-uTpYqVUh93i4S5WHZ92LL6dj42u7EHhhn6ygPRW_s/s320/Elvin+Bishop+Group+Feel+It+Fillmore+1970.jpg" width="315" /></a></div><br />The <b>Elvin Bishop Group</b> opened for It's A Beautiful Day, just as they had at the Fillmore West two weeks earlier. I'm not guessing about the hand of Bill Graham here. Bishop was not only managed by Bill Graham and booked by his Millard booking agency, the Elvin Bishop Group's just-released album <i>Feel It! </i>was on Graham's Fillmore label. Since Fillmore was distributed by Columbia, it made sense to share booking (and thus promotional costs) with label-mates It's A Beautiful Day, but once again the Family Dog was getting the second helping. Earlier ads had Osceola instead of Bishop, so more powerful forces had to have intervened.<br /><p></p><p>The Elvin Bishop Group had also played the Family Dog before (<a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/08/february-13-14-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">most recently in February</a>), and they were an excellent live band. Organist Stephen Miller, ex-Linn County, shared vocals with Bishop and singer Jo Baker, so the band had a strong front line. Bishop is a limited vocalist, but he knew it--unlike some guitarists--and his band was able to present a wider variety of music as a result.</p><p>Opening act <b>Sawbuck</b> was another Bill Graham Presents act. Lead guitarist Ronnie Montrose was unknown at the time, but <a href="https://www.discogs.com/artist/2417163-Sawbuck">they would go on to release an album on Fillmore in 1971</a>, so the BGP/Columbia link was plain. The Family Dog was available for three bands tied to the same record company, so the hall was booked. Now, to be clear, the music was probably really good this weekend, but it wasn't any sign of health out on the Great Highway.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRj054g90SQSpq0NfyJ4qoPFUYwLz1J95bJnZ-iEuA12yd7zQSx7GDPjPML4PEwc5vbNDlKflCR9DXT-KOzDvVcGRTpR4dylltS2DtvIHLpu8mk8VwbDqFfSr3I22_SRBxLqJJ2Go0JOy/s1220/FDGH+Closure+19700822+22+Aug+1970%252C+10+-+The+San+Francisco+Examiner+at+Newspapers+com.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1220" data-original-width="918" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRj054g90SQSpq0NfyJ4qoPFUYwLz1J95bJnZ-iEuA12yd7zQSx7GDPjPML4PEwc5vbNDlKflCR9DXT-KOzDvVcGRTpR4dylltS2DtvIHLpu8mk8VwbDqFfSr3I22_SRBxLqJJ2Go0JOy/s320/FDGH+Closure+19700822+22+Aug+1970%252C+10+-+The+San+Francisco+Examiner+at+Newspapers+com.png" width="241" /></a></div><p><b>August 21-22, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Quicksilver Messenger Service/Robert Savage Group/Backyard Mamas </b><i>(Friday-Saturday)</i><br />Tom Campbell's weekly rock music column <i>On The Scene</i> in the Saturday, August 22, 1970 San Francisco <i>Examiner</i> was headlined "Family Dog Finally Dies."<br /></p><blockquote><i>Family Dog on the Great Highway is finished for good. Chet Helms, who headed the dance-concert operation, says "No more."</i> </blockquote><blockquote><i>Quicksilver Messenger Service plays the final concert there tonight. The phones have been disconnected, and when the crowds leave tonight, the doors will close permanently behind them.</i> <br /></blockquote><blockquote><i>The eternal optimist, Helms managed to hold things together when he was forced to leave the old Avalon. Internal problems scattered the original partners and Family Dog survived, but Chet was unable to overcome financial difficulties.<br /></i></blockquote><blockquote><i>Back taxes from the last really great year, 1967, put the final bite on the Family Dog. Now in the process of paying them off, Helms says he'll leave the headaches to Bill Graham and his Fillmore West. When the books are closed, Helms add, he may put San Francisco behind him. </i></blockquote><p></p><p>Today, it seems very strange to hold an event of any sort in a building with no functioning phone. At the very least, this peculiar detail is a sign that the concert was booked some time earlier, and Helms was merely honoring an agreement, while not personally intending to go any further with the Great Highway location.</p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZVqhyphenhyphenTcOXo0PhEzCIvgtHCA7N9oqJFeIWMvCBh17Hts0Vd00InsTVRP7T64IEtQVIsIfTbUVO2xO8aeevoE__6Q6_w2vLtWNcZOL8RRZbuTdIUsqINqwp0jPgp1toX0cDDBsBxJ7EDvLl/s599/Just+For+Love+August+1970+Capitol.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="599" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZVqhyphenhyphenTcOXo0PhEzCIvgtHCA7N9oqJFeIWMvCBh17Hts0Vd00InsTVRP7T64IEtQVIsIfTbUVO2xO8aeevoE__6Q6_w2vLtWNcZOL8RRZbuTdIUsqINqwp0jPgp1toX0cDDBsBxJ7EDvLl/s320/Just+For+Love+August+1970+Capitol.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />Quicksilver Messenger Service</b> had a new album coming out, and manager Ron Polte was an active, entrepreneurial manager. After a mostly dormant 1969, Quicksilver had reconstituted themselves by New Year's Eve. Quicksilver had played the Family Dog when it had effectively re-opened in February 1970 and again in April. Since that time, the band had gone to Hawaii to record, and they had a forthcoming album on Capitol, <i>Just For Love</i>. Release dates are uncertain in that era, but the album may already have been released, or at least KSAN may have been playing an advance copy.<p></p><p>The classic Quicksilver quartet of John Cipollina, Gary Duncan, David Freiberg and Greg Elmore had made the band popular on FM radio with their debut and then <i>Happy Trails</i>. Duncan had left, replaced by pianist Nicky Hopkins, and the band had released the unsatisfying <i>Shady Grove</i>. Duncan re-joined at the end of the year, however, along with singer Dino Valente. Valente had written "Get Together," by this time a big hit for the Youngbloods, and had released a 1968 solo album. The revived Quicksilver seemed like an all-star team, with the twin guitars of Cippo and Duncan, Hopkins' brilliant piano and a productive songwriter in Dino Valenti.</p><p>Early 1970 performances were well-received, but Valenti came with a lot of baggage. For one thing, no one else really had any new original material, so his songs slowly became prominent. Also, Valenti wasn't the type of singer to lay out when the band was soloing, and those that came for Cippolina didn't really want to hear Valenti's wordless chants. Plus, apparently, Valenti was a dominant, difficult personality and that did not help band dynamics. Quicksilver Messenger Service had headlined at Fillmore West in both June (June 18-21) and July (9-12), but Hopkins had left after that. Quicksilver still had plenty of musical firepower with their twin-guitar lineup, but their new material emphasized Valenti. In fact, Dino would bring the band a kind of hit with "Fresh Air," which got a lot of radio play, but many Quicksilver fans never adjusted to him. Quicksilver had been booked for headlining weekends at the Dog back in <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/08/february-6-7-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">February (Feb 6-7 '70)</a> and then again in <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/10/april-24-26-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">April (Apr 24-26 '70</a>). <br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgvWqtknhYUEZYLpqsGAAwH_rGeDka73TtnRbbEltlCl0705othk0ZMr8TXn_tcz8mMMblgFbVepnFNFDHKkOwOpNhBnHpT3nYjEWb7_sjLL2dSP0GT9XtGzN0lq7yPo8tHuljwqTJBXluH-f2ojXn70fF81mxT3fySCGDsdvCD9bIzAg60WGDgTkHQ/s600/Adventures%20of%20Robert%20Savage%201971%20Paramount.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgvWqtknhYUEZYLpqsGAAwH_rGeDka73TtnRbbEltlCl0705othk0ZMr8TXn_tcz8mMMblgFbVepnFNFDHKkOwOpNhBnHpT3nYjEWb7_sjLL2dSP0GT9XtGzN0lq7yPo8tHuljwqTJBXluH-f2ojXn70fF81mxT3fySCGDsdvCD9bIzAg60WGDgTkHQ/s320/Adventures%20of%20Robert%20Savage%201971%20Paramount.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The Adventures of Robert Savage, Volume 1, featuring ex-Leaves guitarist Bobby Arlin, was released on Paramount Records in 1971. Future Fleetwood Mac producer Keith Olsen (ex-Music Machine) made the record.</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />In August, manager Ron Polte would have been putting on the Quicksilver show at the Family Dog himself, putting up the money and taking the risk and reward. He did this regularly during this period, often renting venues that were rarely used for rock concerts. The opening acts at the Dog were both associated with Polte's booking agency (West-Pole). The <b>Robert Savage Group</b> featured guitarist Bobby Arlin, formerly of The Leaves, and they were based in the Bay Area at the time (<a href="https://www.discogs.com/master/387067-Robert-Savage-The-Adventures-Of-Robert-Savage-Vol-1">Keith Olsen would produce an album for Paramount Records released in 1971</a>). I know nothing about the <b>Backyard Mamas</b>, but they were local and regularly booked with Polte's acts, so I assume there was a connection.<br /><p></p><p>As to the final shows at the Family Dog, we have little to go on. <a href="http://michaelcross.me.uk/jc/q-det4.htm#fd70">There is a 58-minute tape that circulates that is apparently from the August Family Dog shows, and it gives an idea of the sound of the 5-piece band fronted by Valenti</a>. The only real description of the event comes indirectly, in writer <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Love-Inside-Story-Rock/dp/0815410190/ref=sr_1_14?dchild=1&keywords=joel+selvin&qid=1630072462&s=books&sr=1-14">Joel Selvin's 1999 book <i>The Summer Of Love</i>, about the glory days of San Francisco rock.</a> He mentions that Chet Helms was busy and late for the final night. It had apparently ended early, so when he got there, the Family Dog was locked and dark, a fitting metaphor for its ending. The fact that Helms wasn't even there on the last night was a sign that he was just letting the venue out for rent.<br /></p><p><i><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd9bUeger1jxUB9x8G6N-KoYm1kLWbJEFjfVcLnsCh0pLzBCoPudRUkw4xqVQQsfj5veMWujVDw9Pr6u60Dx-DBXoBk3vuq4Ht2yf-tiCSESJpPk-uhVprrNINN8X8cVTD5oWLDKDs_cPtkgJtedBsEKKrYjG23y64RRSw-dn4zH0YP01bXUo2L5WA5w/s3868/NRPS%20Great%20Highway%2019710603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3868" data-original-width="2172" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd9bUeger1jxUB9x8G6N-KoYm1kLWbJEFjfVcLnsCh0pLzBCoPudRUkw4xqVQQsfj5veMWujVDw9Pr6u60Dx-DBXoBk3vuq4Ht2yf-tiCSESJpPk-uhVprrNINN8X8cVTD5oWLDKDs_cPtkgJtedBsEKKrYjG23y64RRSw-dn4zH0YP01bXUo2L5WA5w/s320/NRPS%20Great%20Highway%2019710603.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>A poster for the New Riders, Country Joe, Stoneground, Grootna and Ace Of Cups at Friends And Relations Hall on June 3, 1971. Friends And Relations was the new name for the former Family Dog at 660 Great Highway<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table></b></i><i><b><br />Music On The Edge Of The Western World</b></i><br />For the last few months of the Family Dog on The Great Highway, whatever Chet Helms' hopes and dreams might have been, the old Edgewater Ballroom had just been for hire. Once Helms gave up the lease, nothing much changed. In the Fall of 1970, the ballroom was rented for a student production of "Tommy," the rock opera by The Who. At the end of 1970, a few shows were advertised at 660 Great Highway with the venue name Poor Richard's. Throughout 1971, and into 1972, the ballroom was used regularly with the name Friends And Relations Hall. It just seemed to be a hall for rent. The bands who played there were many of the same ones who had played the Family Dog, such as The Youngbloods, Joy of Cooking and the New Riders. I think the only difference was that the bands were putting on their own concerts, without Chet Helms' participation. </p><p>Playland itself closed after Labor Day 1972. The old ballroom was torn down around 1973. It didn't seem to serve a useful function, and it was too small. The Fillmore was dormant, too, as was the Fillmore West. Rock music had gone coast to coast, in its way, and had reached the limit at Ocean Beach. Chet Helms and the Family Dog did have a wonderful revival concert at Berkeley's Greek Theatre on October 1, 1978, and then a failed revival the next year at the Monterey Fairgrounds, and went to ground again. Thereafter, Helms was mostly an art dealer.<br /></p><p>In the 21st century, there are a chain of concert venues called "The Fillmore," including the original Fillmore, one in Denver, one in Charlotte and all sorts of other places. An intimate ballroom on the beach, and one with a history at that, could have been a prime destination. The children and grandchildren of those hippies that now live in San Francisco could pay a huge amount of money to dance in the old Topsy's Roost, but the edge of the Western World is just a windy outpost now, the Family Dog on The Great Highway largely a mystery, only glimpsed amidst the fog of the past. <i>Sic Transit Gloria Psychedelia.</i></p><p><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/01/june-13-15-1969-family-dog-on-great.html"><i>This is the 49th and final post in the Family Dog on The Great Highway series. For the initial post (June 13-15, 1969-Jefferson Airplane), see here </i></a> <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-1187743180508499012022-11-25T10:09:00.001-08:002022-12-02T12:04:37.879-08:00July 24-August 2, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highwy, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Various Shows [FDGH '70 XX]<p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s400/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, ca. 1969</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />The
Family Dog was a foundation stone in the rise of San Francisco rock,
and it was in operation in various forms from Fall 1965 through the
Summer of 1970. For sound historical reasons, most of the focus on the
Family Dog has been on the original 4-person collective who organized
the first San Francisco Dance Concerts in late 1965, and on their
successor Chet Helms. Helms took over the Family Dog in early 1966, and
after a brief partnership with Bill Graham at the Fillmore, promoted
memorable concerts at the Avalon Ballroom from Spring 1966 through
December 1968. The posters, music and foggy memories of the Avalon are
what made the Family Dog a legendary 60s rock icon.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In the Summer
of 1969, however, with San Francisco as one of the fulcrums of the rock
music explosion, Chet Helms opened another venue. The Family Dog on The
Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, on the Western edge of San
Francisco, was only open for 14 months and was not a success. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">Yet numerous interesting bands played there, and remarkable events took place, and they are only documented in a scattered form.</a>
This series of posts will undertake a systematic review of every
musical event at the Family Dog on The Great Highway. In general, each
post will represent a week of musical events at the venue, although that
may vary slightly depending on the bookings.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If anyone has
memories, reflections, insights, corrections or flashbacks about shows
at the Family Dog on the Great Highway, please post them in the
Comments.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s501/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s320/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>660 Great Highway in San Francisco in 1967, when it was the ModelCar Raceway, a slot car track</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b><br />The Edgewater Ballroom, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />As
early as 1913, there were rides and concessions at Ocean Beach in San
Francisco, near the Richmond District. By 1926, they had been
consolidated as Playland-At-The-Beach. The Ocean Beach area included
attractions such as the Sutro Baths and the Cliff House. The San
Francisco Zoo was just south of Playland, having opened in the 1930s.<a href="http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2011/10/family-dog-at-great-highway-660-great.html ">
One of the attractions at Playland was a restaurant called Topsy's
Roost. The restaurant had closed in 1930, and the room became the
Edgewater Ballroom. The Ballroom eventually closed, and Playland went
into decline when its owner died in 1958.</a> By the 1960s, the former Edgewater was a slot car raceway. In early 1969, Chet Helms took over the lease of the old Edgewater. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s768/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr style="text-align: left;"><td class="tr-caption"><i>One
of the only photos of the interior of the Family Dog on The Great
Highway (from a Stephen Gaskin "Monday Night Class" ca. October 1969)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />The Family Dog On The Great Highway</b><br />The
Great Highway was a four-lane road that ran along the Western edge of
San Francisco, right next to Ocean Beach. Downtown San Francisco faced
the Bay, but beyond Golden Gate Park was the Pacific Ocean. The aptly
named Ocean Beach is dramatic and beautiful, but it is mostly windy and
foggy. Much of the West Coast of San Francisco is not even a beach, but
rocky cliffs. There are no roads in San Francisco West of the Great
Highway, so "660 Great Highway" was ample for directions (for reference,
it is near the intersection of Balboa Street and 48th Avenue). The
tag-line "Edge Of The Western World" was not an exaggeration, at least
in American terms.<br /><br />The Family Dog on The Great Highway was
smaller than the Bill Graham's old Fillmore Auditorium. It could hold up
to 1500, but the official capacity was probably closer to 1000. Unlike
the comparatively centrally located Fillmore West, the FDGH was far from
downtown, far from the Peninsula suburbs, and not particularly easy to
get to from the freeway. For East Bay or Marin residents, the Great
Highway was a formidable trip. The little ballroom was very appealing,
but if you didn't live way out in the Avenues, you had to drive. As a
result, FDGH didn't get a huge number of casual drop-ins, and that
didn't help its fortunes. Most of the locals referred to the venue as
"Playland."</p><i><b>The Family Dog In 1969</b></i><br /><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/01/june-13-15-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">Chet Helms had opened the Family Dog at 660 Great Highway to much fanfare on June 13, 1969, with a packed house seeing the Jefferson Airplane and The Charlatans</a>. One of the goals was that the Dog would feature mostly San
Francisco bands and a variety of smaller community events and groups.
Since so many San Francisco bands were successful, and had record
contracts, this didn't confine the venue to obscurity. A lot of great
bands played the Family Dog in 1969, but the distant location and the
gravitational pull of major rock events hosted elsewhere in the Bay Area
kept the Family Dog isolated. We know only the most fragmentary bits
about music played, events and audiences throughout the year. Despite
the half-year of struggle, Helms had kept the Family Dog on The Great
Highway afloat. He had entered the new year of 1970 with a new plan. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">For a complete list of Family Dog shows (including FDGH), see <b>here</b></a></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/11/july-14-15-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">For the previous entry (July 14-15, 1970 Terry Reid) see <b>here </b></a><br /></li><li><a href="http://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/12/family-dog-on-great-highway-navigation.html">For a summary and the link to the most recent entries in this series, see <b>here</b></a> </li></ul><p> </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5hoO12HJuYvjcuffgRiY3tMczkVbJyC30G181SNpibNWOHIot7wIQ2mdXorQaEdAh7Uk6Dgqru-g-zb1Z0U4_Y0rIO86_v46pCD4HhA8yZeP7Lwysd0hKOM7BIL3A4LlrXrC_Mwlx0dme/s960/Phananganang+1969.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5hoO12HJuYvjcuffgRiY3tMczkVbJyC30G181SNpibNWOHIot7wIQ2mdXorQaEdAh7Uk6Dgqru-g-zb1Z0U4_Y0rIO86_v46pCD4HhA8yZeP7Lwysd0hKOM7BIL3A4LlrXrC_Mwlx0dme/s320/Phananganang+1969.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A photo of the band Phananganang (purportedly), <a href="https://www.discogs.com/artist/7071467-Phananganang">from Discogs</a></i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />July 24-26, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Indian Puddin' & Pipe/Tripsichord/Phananganang<i> (Friday-Sunday)</i></b><br />By the middle of the Summer, Chet Helms must have only kept the Family Dog on The Great Highway open because he thought he could find new financial backing. The venue no longer even put on rock concerts every weekend, and was effectively for rent. The three obscure acts booked for this weekend all had in common that there were managed by the infamous Matthew Katz, who had been making money off San Francisco rock since 1965.<br /><br />Katz had been the first manager of the Jefferson Airplane in 1965. By mid-66, the Airplane members were unhappy with him and wondering where their money had gone. A long series of lawsuits ensued, not resolved until the mid-1980s. At the end of 1966, Katz had put together five experienced musicians to form Moby Grape. By mid-67, the band members were angry and sued. The litigious Katz argued that he owned the name Moby Grape (sending out a fake Grape at one point). The legal wrangling over the rights to the name Moby Grape are still going on to this day. In 1967 Katz backed the band It's A Beautiful Day. As soon as they had a big hit with "White Bird," the lawsuits began. Leader David LaFlamme sued Katz and lost, causing untold damage to LaFlamme's career, since he couldn't reform his own most famous ensemble. <p></p><p>By 1969, Katz had focused on the rights to name a band, then inserting different members. To the extent he released records, they were on his own label (San Francisco Sound) and he promoted his own concerts. At various times he seemed to control some venues in the Bay Area, <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2010/02/345-broadway-san-francisco-august-1-2-3.html">including the Headhunters Amusement Park at 345 Broadway in San Francisco (in 1969)</a>, and the Aheppa Center in Oakland (at 7400 MacArthur Blvd). The venues mostly featured only his own bands.</p><p>On occasion, Katz booked concerts at larger venues, which seemed to be what was going on here. The three bands all have West Coast roots and confusing histories, which I won't detail in this post. <b>Indian Puddin' and Pipe</b> had evolved out of a Seattle band called West Coast Natural Gas, <b><a href="https://www.discogs.com/Tripsichord-Music-Box-Tripsichord/release/13983966">Tripsichord</a></b> (sometimes called Tripsichord Music Box) would actually put out an album in 1971 and <b><a href="https://www.discogs.com/artist/7071467-Phananganang">Phananganang</a></b> were apparently from Marin. Needless to say, we know nothing about this weekend's performances.<br /></p><b>July 27, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: AC Bhaktivendanta Swami </b><i>(Monday)</i><br />In the Fall of 1969, San Francisco State literature instructor Stephen Gaskin had made "Monday Night Class" a popular thing, where he would lecture for free. Donations from the crowd covered expenses (the interior picture above is from a Monday Night Class). San Francisco State College was just up the road, and it was expanding rapidly. A lot of young people lived within range of the Family Dog, and what we would now call "Consciousness Expansion" was a big thing. At the time, Indian thought was considered to be the most sophisticated form of such things. Later in the 70s, the same people became interested in the "Human Potential" of things like EST.<p>If I have my gurus correct, Bhaktivendanta Swami was the founder of the Hare Krishna movement, but that is outside the scope of this blog. For this night, the Dog was just rented out, just as with Matthew Katz's bands. The Hare Krsna group had rented the Family Dog as a culmination of a
weekend long event the previous month (on June 27), so there was an
existing business relationship.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3MVm3_o1lajk0Bd_RoQX2iNk0Sgoc__6NOG9lXw4Xz1xnRIMkusfVMmm4741rArC3LxghORFawo2YeT5Hgxq2Wrjs3fnIRGvXb7jjeJo63EfNqgxxobCFHcvcdrExgAlLTQVRRSd69bg/s898/FDGH+19700801+Youngbloods+1+Aug+1970%252C+9+-+The+San+Francisco+Examiner+at+Newspapers+com.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="244" data-original-width="898" height="87" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3MVm3_o1lajk0Bd_RoQX2iNk0Sgoc__6NOG9lXw4Xz1xnRIMkusfVMmm4741rArC3LxghORFawo2YeT5Hgxq2Wrjs3fnIRGvXb7jjeJo63EfNqgxxobCFHcvcdrExgAlLTQVRRSd69bg/s320/FDGH+19700801+Youngbloods+1+Aug+1970%252C+9+-+The+San+Francisco+Examiner+at+Newspapers+com.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgy02qIQRF02Enw54YvjXuWqVi8trOwWYOZMyUfob20XRckBSzhDulnZnD8wjjuTWzji8cN1UarZKxt3ynqzzqDyrbKdzrUl8mwShwwmEj-L1aZ-HqQ5JNuZSYM4u0lk42nwtuxPuzf-O/s600/Youngbloods+Elephant+Mountain+RCA+April+69.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="600" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgy02qIQRF02Enw54YvjXuWqVi8trOwWYOZMyUfob20XRckBSzhDulnZnD8wjjuTWzji8cN1UarZKxt3ynqzzqDyrbKdzrUl8mwShwwmEj-L1aZ-HqQ5JNuZSYM4u0lk42nwtuxPuzf-O/s320/Youngbloods+Elephant+Mountain+RCA+April+69.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b>July 31-August 2, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Youngbloods/Joy Of Cooking/Jeffery Cain </b><i>(Friday-Sunday) </i><br />The Family Dog on The Great Highway had a true headliner for the last weekend of July. <b>The Youngbloods</b> had <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/02/july-11-13-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">played the Family Dog soon after it opened (July 11-13 '69)</a> and had <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/09/march-27-29-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">played there again in the Spring (March 27-29)</a>. The Youngbloods had formed on the East Coast in 1967, and RCA had released their debut album mid-year. In September 1967, the band had moved out to San Francisco, recognizing a better place for their music. By 1969, the Youngbloods had released their third album for RCA, <i>Elephant Mountain</i>, and were well-entrenched in Marin and the Bay Area Fillmore scene.<p></p><p>Unexpectedly, a song from the Youngbloods' 1967 debut was used in 1969 as background music for a Public Service Announcement for the National Conference of Christians and Jews. "Get Together" had been a modest hit in 1967, but when it was re-released in Summer '69, it went all the way to #5 on <i>Billboard</i>. The Youngbloods, a fine band with only modest success, were suddenly a high-profile rock group. They had the sense to get a new contract while they were hot.</p><p>By 1970, the Youngbloods had signed to Warner Brothers, who gave them their own Imprint, Raccoon Records. The Youngbloods were also a very entrepreneurial band, so my guess is that they played the Family Dog without a guarantee, probably in return for a better piece of the door. This is an assumption on my part, but the Youngbloods would play the venue for another 18 months after the Family Dog closed (when it was called Friends And Relations Hall) so I am assuming that the self-financed approach was in play here.</p><p>In the middle of 1970, the Youngbloods were a trio. Lead singer Jesse Colin Young played bass or guitar, Banana (Lowell Levenger) played piano, banjo, steel guitar and anything else, anchored by Joe Bauer on drums. Sometimes they were joined by a harmonica player (Richard "Earthquake" Anderson, who may have also been their road manager). <a href="https://www.discogs.com/The-Youngbloods-Rock-Festival/release/8739633">It's possible that the Youngbloods' first Warner Brothers album <i>Rock Festival</i> had been released by this time</a>. A mixture of live and studio recordings (including one track from the Family Dog, back in March), it had been produced by Bob Matthews and Betty Cantor, who had also produced <i>Live/Dead</i> and <i>Workingman's Dead</i>.<br /></p><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpdUPSrsDxskWEedW3WFLyKO87bpDc5FNQZqIVl7X4wRyYzieAIwCbplfN2Sy4ZQBCK0KizQw2_fR-8WPzFIM74V7LD3-JDB4k_fwP43EPXm1Fm45561YNfUz1AidKCJHbPoViMu-aYdFw/s600/Joy+of+Cooking+Capitol+1971.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="599" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpdUPSrsDxskWEedW3WFLyKO87bpDc5FNQZqIVl7X4wRyYzieAIwCbplfN2Sy4ZQBCK0KizQw2_fR-8WPzFIM74V7LD3-JDB4k_fwP43EPXm1Fm45561YNfUz1AidKCJHbPoViMu-aYdFw/s320/Joy+of+Cooking+Capitol+1971.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Joy Of Cooking's debut album would be released on Capitol in January 1971</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />Joy Of Cooking </b>had played the Family Dog in March, and now they were returning. Joy Of Cooking had formed as a duo in Berkeley called Gourmet’s
Delight, featuring guitarist Terry Garthwaite and pianist Toni Brown.
Garthwaite was a veteran of the Berkeley folk and bluegrass scene, and
Brown was an artist as well as a musician. The group had expanded to
include conga player Ron Wilson, bassist David Garthwaite (Terry’s
brother) and drummer Fritz Kasten. They changed their name to Joy of
Cooking and shared management with Country Joe and The Fish. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Mandrakes.htm">Joy Of
Cooking had been a regular performer weeknights at a tiny Berkeley club
called Mandrake's, where they built up a solid following</a>.<br /><br />Joy of
Cooking was a significant group on the Berkeley scene, because both
Garthwaite and Brown were accomplished musicians. Although both were
excellent singers as well, Joy of Cooking featured the same kind of
lengthy jamming popular at the time, rather than short and sensitive
neo-folk songs. The group were ultimately signed to Capitol Records and
released their first of three Capitol albums in January 1971. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF52Fn3LUzOf9OFeJ3voeOGMjhyphenhyphen9fSHQ7uxm4pThdPKUE2dyPgzm8yJmIuXJx6xxtzFaejISTHBgEzPK_6XDPnd6Wx_zvpTHZ8MVeR8xULfiiIPdBZqzwUEq8iKcOL-Qf5uSUhvgU0jb1x/s600/Jeffrey+Cain+For+You+Raccoon+1970.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF52Fn3LUzOf9OFeJ3voeOGMjhyphenhyphen9fSHQ7uxm4pThdPKUE2dyPgzm8yJmIuXJx6xxtzFaejISTHBgEzPK_6XDPnd6Wx_zvpTHZ8MVeR8xULfiiIPdBZqzwUEq8iKcOL-Qf5uSUhvgU0jb1x/s320/Jeffrey+Cain+For+You+Raccoon+1970.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br />Singer/Songwriter <b>Jeffrey Cain</b> had been signed to the Youngbloods' Raccoon label. The Raccoon imprint allowed the band to sign anyone they wanted, while Warner Brothers would manufacture and distribute the record. The profits and losses were assigned to the Youngbloods (the Airplane had a similar deal with RCA, called Grunt Records), but the band had artistic control. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Jeffrey-Cain-For-You/release/1510726">Cain's album <i>For You</i> was released in mid-1970, and members of the Youngbloods backed him on the album</a>. </p><p><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/12/august-14-august-22-1970-family-dog-on.html"><i>For the next and final post of the series (Quicskilver Messenger Service August 21-22, 1970), see here</i></a><br /></p><p></p><p> </p>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-75006056640771254722022-11-20T11:19:00.002-08:002023-07-15T19:21:44.575-07:00July 14-15, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Terry Reid/Cat Mother and The All-Night Newsboys/Ace Of Cups [FDGH '70 XIX]<p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s400/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, ca. 1969</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />The
Family Dog was a foundation stone in the rise of San Francisco rock,
and it was in operation in various forms from Fall 1965 through the
Summer of 1970. For sound historical reasons, most of the focus on the
Family Dog has been on the original 4-person collective who organized
the first San Francisco Dance Concerts in late 1965, and on their
successor Chet Helms. Helms took over the Family Dog in early 1966, and
after a brief partnership with Bill Graham at the Fillmore, promoted
memorable concerts at the Avalon Ballroom from Spring 1966 through
December 1968. The posters, music and foggy memories of the Avalon are
what made the Family Dog a legendary 60s rock icon.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In the Summer
of 1969, however, with San Francisco as one of the fulcrums of the rock
music explosion, Chet Helms opened another venue. The Family Dog on The
Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, on the Western edge of San
Francisco, was only open for 14 months and was not a success. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">Yet numerous interesting bands played there, and remarkable events took place, and they are only documented in a scattered form.</a>
This series of posts will undertake a systematic review of every
musical event at the Family Dog on The Great Highway. In general, each
post will represent a week of musical events at the venue, although that
may vary slightly depending on the bookings.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If anyone has
memories, reflections, insights, corrections or flashbacks about shows
at the Family Dog on the Great Highway, please post them in the
Comments.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s501/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s320/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>660 Great Highway in San Francisco in 1967, when it was the ModelCar Raceway, a slot car track</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b><br />The Edgewater Ballroom, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />As
early as 1913, there were rides and concessions at Ocean Beach in San
Francisco, near the Richmond District. By 1926, they had been
consolidated as Playland-At-The-Beach. The Ocean Beach area included
attractions such as the Sutro Baths and the Cliff House. The San
Francisco Zoo was just south of Playland, having opened in the 1930s.<a href="http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2011/10/family-dog-at-great-highway-660-great.html ">
One of the attractions at Playland was a restaurant called Topsy's
Roost. The restaurant had closed in 1930, and the room became the
Edgewater Ballroom. The Ballroom eventually closed, and Playland went
into decline when its owner died in 1958.</a> By the 1960s, the former Edgewater was a slot car raceway. In early 1969, Chet Helms took over the lease of the old Edgewater. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s768/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr style="text-align: left;"><td class="tr-caption"><i>One
of the only photos of the interior of the Family Dog on The Great
Highway (from a Stephen Gaskin "Monday Night Class" ca. October 1969)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />The Family Dog On The Great Highway</b><br />The
Great Highway was a four-lane road that ran along the Western edge of
San Francisco, right next to Ocean Beach. Downtown San Francisco faced
the Bay, but beyond Golden Gate Park was the Pacific Ocean. The aptly
named Ocean Beach is dramatic and beautiful, but it is mostly windy and
foggy. Much of the West Coast of San Francisco is not even a beach, but
rocky cliffs. There are no roads in San Francisco West of the Great
Highway, so "660 Great Highway" was ample for directions (for reference,
it is near the intersection of Balboa Street and 48th Avenue). The
tag-line "Edge Of The Western World" was not an exaggeration, at least
in American terms.<br /><br />The Family Dog on The Great Highway was
smaller than the Bill Graham's old Fillmore Auditorium. It could hold up
to 1500, but the official capacity was probably closer to 1000. Unlike
the comparatively centrally located Fillmore West, the FDGH was far from
downtown, far from the Peninsula suburbs, and not particularly easy to
get to from the freeway. For East Bay or Marin residents, the Great
Highway was a formidable trip. The little ballroom was very appealing,
but if you didn't live way out in the Avenues, you had to drive. As a
result, FDGH didn't get a huge number of casual drop-ins, and that
didn't help its fortunes. Most of the locals referred to the venue as
"Playland."</p><i><b>The Family Dog In 1969</b></i><br /><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/01/june-13-15-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">Chet Helms had opened the Family Dog at 660 Great Highway to much fanfare on June 13, 1969, with a packed house seeing the Jefferson Airplane and The Charlatans</a>. One of the goals was that the Dog would feature mostly San
Francisco bands and a variety of smaller community events and groups.
Since so many San Francisco bands were successful, and had record
contracts, this didn't confine the venue to obscurity. A lot of great
bands played the Family Dog in 1969, but the distant location and the
gravitational pull of major rock events hosted elsewhere in the Bay Area
kept the Family Dog isolated. We know only the most fragmentary bits
about music played, events and audiences throughout the year. Despite
the half-year of struggle, Helms had kept the Family Dog on The Great
Highway afloat. He had entered the new year of 1970 with a new plan. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">For a complete list of Family Dog shows (including FDGH), see <b>here</b></a></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/11/june-30-july-1-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">For the previous entry (June 30-July 1, The Kinks) see <b>here </b></a><br /></li><li><a href="http://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/12/family-dog-on-great-highway-navigation.html">For a summary and the link to the most recent entries in this series, see <b>here</b></a> </li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62kx3ESOZLIlmSStyLWTJtnZFsfgZpM_dn3aeWXJZcHugTV-D0PCpcqHSkkSn6u7nNDP1L1IaeDv8JKBHRZlUfr45Usd0mW-qT-RIrabRngGVl5wDyD_1hkMLymbUPEPKUvjOQIgtWSOu/s792/Terry+Reid+FDGH+19700714.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="523" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62kx3ESOZLIlmSStyLWTJtnZFsfgZpM_dn3aeWXJZcHugTV-D0PCpcqHSkkSn6u7nNDP1L1IaeDv8JKBHRZlUfr45Usd0mW-qT-RIrabRngGVl5wDyD_1hkMLymbUPEPKUvjOQIgtWSOu/s320/Terry+Reid+FDGH+19700714.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><p><b>July 14-15, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Terry Reid/Cat Mother and The All-Night Newsboys/Ace Of Cups </b><i>(Tuesday-Wednesday)</i><br />By mid-July, the Family Dog on The Great Highway was just barely open, rented occasionally by outsiders. I have to assume that Chet Helms had not yet closed it because he was hoping to arrange new financial backing. Despite these precarious circumstances, however, there were still some interesting bookings on the Great Highway during the Summer. One of the most intriguing events was near the end: two weeknights featuring the British guitarist Terry Reid. We know nothing about the events, not even whether they were held. But all the signs point to something very interesting indeed. </p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd46DF0Sa3CEnsF3L5vybV8ED4uvG_vjgYnIOQzQ_HmIckjO2SWIyMlI7_H1Aizh-szuwp60GqEF6T8eNPJ54AIQQsrXpPYacHWZ7cH_o1Oq6Ql1VnPCmnK4KafDqVqhlbd7g6eKkWoudw/s603/Bang+Bang+You%2527re+Terry+Reid+Epic+68.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd46DF0Sa3CEnsF3L5vybV8ED4uvG_vjgYnIOQzQ_HmIckjO2SWIyMlI7_H1Aizh-szuwp60GqEF6T8eNPJ54AIQQsrXpPYacHWZ7cH_o1Oq6Ql1VnPCmnK4KafDqVqhlbd7g6eKkWoudw/s320/Bang+Bang+You%2527re+Terry+Reid+Epic+68.jpg" width="318" /></a></b></div><b><br />Terry Reid</b><br />Singer and guitarist <b>Terry Reid</b> (b.1949) had been in Peter Jay and The Jaywalkers when they had opened a UK tour for the Rolling Stones in 1966. Reid soon came to the attention of producer Mickie Most, who had been hugely successful with the Animals, Hermans' Hermits, Donovan and many other hit artists. Reid's debut album, produced by Most for Epic, <i>Bang Bang You're Terry Rei</i>d, had been released in 1968. Reid had toured the United States opening for Cream in their high-profile "Farewell Tour." Reid's band was a trio, with Reid on guitar and vocals, Pete Solley on organ and Keith Webb on drums. Reid was personally well-connected, as was Mickie Most, so Reid was scheduled to support the Rolling Stones on their 1969 tour of America.<p></p><p>Terry Reid's legendary status stemmed from his relationship to Most. Mickie Most's management partner was one Peter Grant, who had been the road manager for the Animals and the Yardbirds, among many others. Most had also produced the Yardbirds' album <i>Little Games</i>, but it had not gone well. As the Yardbirds had disintegrated, Jimmy Page was planning to form a new band with session man bassist John Paul Jones. They needed a singer and a drummer. Peter Grant recommended that Page ask Terry Reid about joining up as the lead vocalist. Since Page and Reid shared management, the idea made a lot of sense.<br /></p><p>Around September 1968, Terry Reid and Jimmy Page had a nice lunch, where Page asked him to be lead singer in his new band. Reid had been promised a lot of money to tour the States with the Stones, however, and since Page could not guarantee that he would make up that income, Reid declined the offer. As a friendly gesture, however, Reid told Page about a Midlands band with a singer whose style was similar. They also had a good drummer. Page went to see them, and soon after hired Robert Plant and John Bonham. So Reid became a legend by turning down Led Zeppelin.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3UMWihqppLP_GsisHJXlI3hDjiyY2aY6GAv_l57IwHGzFAt0XcDJl2SQEI-jj6z0vNrDMQag5KEmca7yc9dTBOZ5db52JgTJjzScrKFXlOKpcG0bkmfIMqT0oMxk8zsRJRt3VfxPyTY8/s576/Terry+Reid+lp+Columbia+69.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3UMWihqppLP_GsisHJXlI3hDjiyY2aY6GAv_l57IwHGzFAt0XcDJl2SQEI-jj6z0vNrDMQag5KEmca7yc9dTBOZ5db52JgTJjzScrKFXlOKpcG0bkmfIMqT0oMxk8zsRJRt3VfxPyTY8/s320/Terry+Reid+lp+Columbia+69.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><br />Reid went on tour the States with his trio throughout 1969. He had played the Fillmore East with BB King and Johnny Winter (January 1969), and he had played the Fillmore West with Country Joe and The Fish (December 1968) and Ten Years After (July 1969). Reid and his trio can be seen performing a song in the cheesy 1970 documentary <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Groupies-Movie-Joe-Cocker/dp/B000EWBO5Y">Groupies: The Movie</a></i>, probably recorded at Fillmore West in July '69. His second album also came out in 1969 (on Columbia instead of Epic). In the Fall of 1969, Terry Reid did indeed open many shows in the United States for the Rolling Stones. Of course, Led Zeppelin were already fast-rising stars by this point, but Reid was talented, versatile and handsome, and in general it looked his bet on himself would pay off.<p></p><p>In early 1970, however, Reid had a falling out with Mickie Most. Most wanted Reid to keep his songs under three minutes and aim them towards the singles market, whereas Reid was more interested in the extended jamming of groups like Jeff Beck and Led Zeppelin. Lawsuits followed, and Reid wasn't able to record. Reid did perform live, but details are scant. The two days at the Family Dog on The Great Highway are exotically intriguing, and we know nothing. I am going to hazard an educated guess about what went down, however, based on some triangulation. If anyone knows anything, or has some clever speculation of their own, please mention them in the Comments.</p><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4G-BlFaIzy5Ac9rAB3iMw2xHzgYEFVhRE58zaoZQk9ur40EPAXXi-RjHkhrr5f1Qs79iOAn-_7sLo4hKyFi7_wRU4ix3Nw8sDDTcP3zyyzIMAdjYnNMNeWe1R8FzFgth6B5ZFrw9ahJWH/s600/Silver+White+Light+Terry+Reid+IOW+70+2004+cd.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="599" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4G-BlFaIzy5Ac9rAB3iMw2xHzgYEFVhRE58zaoZQk9ur40EPAXXi-RjHkhrr5f1Qs79iOAn-_7sLo4hKyFi7_wRU4ix3Nw8sDDTcP3zyyzIMAdjYnNMNeWe1R8FzFgth6B5ZFrw9ahJWH/s320/Silver+White+Light+Terry+Reid+IOW+70+2004+cd.jpg" width="319" /></a></div><br />Terry Reid Live Performances July 1970</b><br />I only know of three live dates for Terry Reid in 1970.<p></p><blockquote><b>July 3, 4 or 5, 1970</b> Second Atlanta International Pop Festival, Middle Georgia Raceway, Byron, GA<br /><b>July 14-15, 1970</b> Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA<br /><b>July 28, 1970</b> Third Isle Of Wight Festival, Afton Down, Isle Of Wight, UK</blockquote><p></p><a href="https://www.discogs.com/Terry-Reid-Silver-White-Light-Live-At-The-Isle-Of-Wight-1970/release/14516915">Terry Reid's performance at Isle Of Wight was released on a 2004 cd (<i>Silver White Light</i> on Water Records)</a>. His band was <br /><blockquote><b>Terry Reid</b>-guitar, vocals<br /><b>David Lindle</b>y-slide guitar, guitar, banjo, violin<br /><b>Lee Miles</b>-bass<br /><b>Mike Giles</b>-drums </blockquote><p>It seems reasonable to assume that Miles and Lindley, for reasons I will explain, were also at Atlanta and the Family Dog. Who the drummer might have been for those shows is not so certain.<br /></p><p>Lee Miles had met Reid on the Rolling Stones tour, as he had been the bass player for the Ike&Tina Turner Revue. Since Ike & Tina had opened many Rolling Stones shows, it's not surprising that Reid and Miles became friends. Miles would go on to be in many of Terry Reid's future bands.</p><p>The David Lindley connection was a little more unlikely. <a href="http://davidlindley.com/instruments.html">David Lindley, a multi-instrumentalist of infinite talent, is best known as Jackson Browne's principal co-conspirator in the 1970s</a>, but Lindley also played on records by Crosby & Nash, Linda Ronstadt, Warren Zevon and the rest of the Troubadour crowd from those days. He also has had a unique and thriving solo career.</p><p>In the late 60s, Lindley was a principal member of a band called Kaleidoscope, a band who pretty much invented "World Music" about twenty years before the world was ready for it. A brilliant, versatile band, they put out four poorly-selling but critically acclaimed albums on Epic. Save for some primitive production, the music sounds contemporary today. Kaleidoscope was revered by fellow musicians (not least Jimmy Page), but the public had simply not been ready for them. By mid-1970, Kaleidoscope had finally sputtered to a halt. </p><p>According to Peter Doggett’s excellent liner notes to the 2005 Terry Reid cd <i>Superlungs</i> (compiled from his first two albums), Lindley and Reid had met at the Sky River Rock Festival in Summer ‘69 (August 30-September 1). Nonetheless, the key connection between David Lindley and Terry Reid was a legendary rock and roll character named Chesley Millikin (1942-2019). Just the parts of Millikin's story that I know are filled with adventure. He was a member of the Royal Irish Jumping Team (horses) in the 1950s, apparently of Olympic quality, but he had ended up in Canada in the early 1960s. <a href="https://www.artistdirect.com/artists/paxton-brothers/514236">By 1966, Millikin was in the music business in Los Angeles and managing Kaleidoscope, who were on Epic. In 1967, Millikin was offered the job as executive vice-president of Epic Records in London. In London, Millikin became friendly with the Stones, and Stones' road manager Sam Cutler.</a> Millikin's connection to the Stones was most likely how Terry Reid got on to the US Stones tour. </p><p>Millikin must have been looking after Reid on the Stones tour, as well as hanging with Sam Cutler. By 1970, Cutler (blamed for Altamont) had defected to the Grateful Dead, and Millikin wasn't far behind. So when Reid was in limbo and looking for a band, Millikin would have known that his old charges the Kaleidoscope had broken up, so was the connection between the two guitarists (<a href="https://iorr.org/talk/read.php?1,2134770"><i>the Millikin story goes on and on, but it's a rabbit hole of its own</i></a>). </p><p><a href="https://www.discogs.com/Terry-Reid-Silver-White-Light-Live-At-The-Isle-Of-Wight-1970/release/14516915">Denise Sullivan's liner notes to <i>Silver Light White</i> (from 2004)</a> give more detail, although they elide some other points</p><p></p><blockquote><p><i>"What was happening was, we'd not been able to make an album for two to three years," [Reid] says by way of explaining away his fairly well-documented legal hassles with his former producer, Mickie Most. The troubles besieged him before, during and after the [1970 Isle Of Wight performance].</i></p><p><i>"So what I'd done is put a band together in England with myself, [bassist] Lee Miles who was with Ike and Tina Turner, Alan White on drums and David Lindley." It was a mutual friend, the 60s character Chesley Millikin, who had suggested Reid join forces with California's kaleidoscopic multi-instrumentalist, Lindley. "David wrote me this letter, it was a page and a half of the instruments he played and I thought, imagine what the the freight'll be when he gets here," Terry laughs. "He turned up with something like 20 instruments."</i></p><p><i>As the band got the call for the Isle Of Wight Festival, drummer White was committed to studio work with John Lennon, who had refused the drummer a “day pass.” Though it was Lennon who kindly suggested Reid pull in Mike Giles from King Crimson for the day, "I'm sure it was a blur for him. It was the only gig we ever did together,' says Reid</i></p></blockquote><p>From Sullivan’s liner notes--referring to events over 30 years in the past when they were written--we can infer that Reid had enough backing to import American musicians. (Doggett’s liner notes add some interesting details, and they don’t contradict Sullivan directly, but certain details do not match up. It too was researched 30 years after the fact). Kaleidoscope's last known shows were in April 1970, so Lindley must have come over to England in May or June. Yet Terry Reid played the Atlanta Pop Festival and the two Family Dog shows, which seems a rather slight touring schedule. I have to think there were more American shows around July. Just to confuse matters, the Terry Reid Wikipedia entry says that Tim Davis played with Reid, Lindley and Miles in America. Davis, a fine drummer, had just left the Steve Miller Band, but there is no attribution. In any case, whether Alan White was the drummer, or Tim Davis, or someone else, Reid, Lindley and Miles seem to have been the rest of the band at the edge of the Western World.</p><p>[<b><i>update 2023 15 July</i></b>] <i><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/11/july-14-15-1970-family-dog-on-great.html?showComment=1689467113929#c2414461741865964649">Ace researcher David Kramer-Smyth figured out that Terry Reid's drummer on the American tour was the great Bruce Rowland</a>. Rowland, an original member of Spooky Tooth, was the drummer for Joe Cocker and The Grease Band at Woodstock. But he was also in Fairport Convention for years, played with Ronnie Lane and Slim Chance and a million sessions, including the <u>Jesus Christ Superstar</u></i><u> </u><i>soundtrack</i>. <br /></p><b><i>Why Weeknights?</i></b><br />Given that the Family Dog was empty, it doesn't make too much sense that Terry Reid played a Tuesday and a Wednesday. The only thing that makes sense to me is that they were warming up for a bigger weekend gig somewhere else. Since all the participants were based in Southern California, it also doesn't make sense that they played a gig in San Francisco. It may be that Los Angeles would have been too high-profile for a warmup gig, but it begs the question of what was behind the booking. Possibly some planned tour dates were canceled.<p>In any case, because of the Isle Of Wight live album, we have a pretty good idea of what Reid and Lindley sounded like. It's not fully fleshed out, but its intriguing. Once the lawsuits were settled, Atlantic Records would go on to sign Reid. Ultimately, Atlantic would release the next Terry Reid album <i>River</i> in 1973, and Chesley Millikin remained Reid's booking agent (as part of Sam Cutler's Out-Of-Town Tours). The album included material with Lindley and Lee Miles, but Lindley had already moved on to Jackson Browne by then. Supposedly, Lindley and Jackson Browne had actually met in London in 1971, Browne recording and Lindley working with Reid at Glastonbury Fayre, and agreed to put something together in the future. If that (possibly apocryphal) story is true, its funny that two guys from Claremont (Lindley) and Orange County (Browne) started their partnership in London. </p><p>Reid would go on to have intermittent successes, but would still remain more famous for turning down Page then his own music. Whatever may have happened on these two nights at the Family Dog seems to have stayed out on the Great Highway.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwYWy3wincT7LGtJvmPC4frvp_4tiha1-3alnxCvbZMDtRjLMm5XIkWWVEhXblV1sp9td47g0DDqQLsSnK42cK9KnCyd2y09FPwRx2pFvUem-0AtcdtSvQkgGs2eL7oSYcQ3j9l1mdtQo6/s300/albion+doo+wah+cat+mother+1970.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="300" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwYWy3wincT7LGtJvmPC4frvp_4tiha1-3alnxCvbZMDtRjLMm5XIkWWVEhXblV1sp9td47g0DDqQLsSnK42cK9KnCyd2y09FPwRx2pFvUem-0AtcdtSvQkgGs2eL7oSYcQ3j9l1mdtQo6/s0/albion+doo+wah+cat+mother+1970.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />Greenwich Village band <b>Cat
Mother and The All-Night Newsboys</b> had formed in
1967. By 1969, they had been signed by Michael Jeffery, the manager of
Jimi Hendrix. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Cat-Mother-And-The-All-Night-Newsboys-The-Street-Giveth-And-The-Street-Taketh-Away/release/1878252">Hendrix had even produced the band's debut album on
Polydor, <i>The Street Giveth and The Street Taketh Away</i></a>. Thanks
to the Jeffery connection, Cat Mother got to open for Hendrix and a
number of other high profile events. Cat Mother even had a minor hit in
late '69, with medley of oldies called "Old Time Rock And Roll." In
fact, the band's sound was more country-folk oriented, but they were
versatile musicians.<p></p><div>By 1970, however, Cat Mother was anxious to separate themselves from Jeffery's questionable management practices. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Cat-Mother-And-The-All-Night-Newsboys-Albion-Doo-Wah/master/413006">Their second album, <i>Albion Doo-Wah</i>, would be recorded at Pacific High Recorders in San Francisco</a>.
In February, the band had played the Family Dog, probably because they
had just arrived in San Francisco to start recording. By June, they had
probably completed the album. Cat Mother had played the Family Dog in February, probably when they had
started recording, and they had returned in June. Returning to the Dog so quickly
meant that the gigs must have gone well. </div><div><br /></div><div>After they
finished their second album, Cat Mother relocated permanently to San Francisco, although I assumed they must have briefly returned to New York. San
Francisco had a unique status for rock bands in the late 1960s
and '70s. While the record industry was centered, as it always had been,
in Manhattan and Hollywood, San Francisco was an enticing opportunity
for rock groups. For one thing, the concert industry was thriving, so a
good band could make a living whether they had an album or not. Plus,
there were studios and plenty of A&R guys, so SF wasn't the
wildnerness. And, it was California--no snow, pretty girls, open
minds--so it wasn't hard to persuade fellow band members to make the
move. A large number of bands from elsewhere moved to San Francisco in the late 60s and early 70s.<br /></div><p>The three founding members of Cat Mother, Roy Michaels (bass,
vocals), Bob Smith (keyboards, vocals) and Michael Equine (drums), would
all relocate permanently to California. At the time of this show, the
band still had lead guitarist Paul Johnson and probably violinist Larry
Packer. Both of them would ultimately return to New York. Michaels,
Smith and Equine would move to Mendocino County and continue on as Cat
Mother until 1977. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Ok3x9PXpESWaxuigx6rJ4pYoap-nM5VnCZvS4q8wTODG4TwD0M96lNMAdN4ml4aVGBIj7zAQ3xJE6v1YWivNljwO1ZRN0pVRGp3Elg6naCL093hiO2ZEuDgUEQcl55oaKxYgl-Yyx1WW/s300/ace+of+cups+album+2018_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Ok3x9PXpESWaxuigx6rJ4pYoap-nM5VnCZvS4q8wTODG4TwD0M96lNMAdN4ml4aVGBIj7zAQ3xJE6v1YWivNljwO1ZRN0pVRGp3Elg6naCL093hiO2ZEuDgUEQcl55oaKxYgl-Yyx1WW/s0/ace+of+cups+album+2018_.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Ace Of Cups debut studio album (released in 2018)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />The Ace Of Cups were another unique ensemble, and they had a following in the Bay Area, if not a huge one. The fact that there were three bands booked for this weeknight makes it even stranger--how much revenue was expected to come in? Perhaps someone was bankrolling the event, as some sort of dry run for an unfinished plan, but with an open weekend date, booking two mid-week nights seems strange. <p></p><p><a href="http://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2018/10/ace-of-cups-performance-history-1969-72.html">The <b>Ace Of Cups</b> were an all-woman band, pretty much the only one on the Fillmore scene</a>. They were managed by Ron Polte, who also handled Quicksilver Messenger Service. There was a lot of record company interest in the Aces, as a band of young hippie women writing their own songs and playing their own instruments. Polte had overplayed his hand, however, holding out for a best offer which never actually came. By 1970, the individual members of the band were starting to have babies and the band was playing less and less. <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2018/10/ace-of-cups-performance-history-1967.html">I wrote about the entire Ace Of Cups saga at great length</a>, but they would not release an album until 2003.<br /></p><p><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/11/july-24-august-2-1970-family-dog-on.html"><i>For the next post in the series (July 31-August 2 Youngbloods), see here </i></a><br /></p><p> </p>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-39450757848637772362022-11-11T10:44:00.003-08:002023-07-01T11:55:14.424-07:00June 30-July 1, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: The Kinks/Osceola [FDGH '70 XVII]<p> </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s400/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, ca. 1969</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />The
Family Dog was a foundation stone in the rise of San Francisco rock,
and it was in operation in various forms from Fall 1965 through the
Summer of 1970. For sound historical reasons, most of the focus on the
Family Dog has been on the original 4-person collective who organized
the first San Francisco Dance Concerts in late 1965, and on their
successor Chet Helms. Helms took over the Family Dog in early 1966, and
after a brief partnership with Bill Graham at the Fillmore, promoted
memorable concerts at the Avalon Ballroom from Spring 1966 through
December 1968. The posters, music and foggy memories of the Avalon are
what made the Family Dog a legendary 60s rock icon.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In the Summer
of 1969, however, with San Francisco as one of the fulcrums of the rock
music explosion, Chet Helms opened another venue. The Family Dog on The
Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, on the Western edge of San
Francisco, was only open for 14 months and was not a success. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">Yet numerous interesting bands played there, and remarkable events took place, and they are only documented in a scattered form.</a>
This series of posts will undertake a systematic review of every
musical event at the Family Dog on The Great Highway. In general, each
post will represent a week of musical events at the venue, although that
may vary slightly depending on the bookings.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If anyone has
memories, reflections, insights, corrections or flashbacks about shows
at the Family Dog on the Great Highway, please post them in the
Comments.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s501/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s320/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>660 Great Highway in San Francisco in 1967, when it was the ModelCar Raceway, a slot car track</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b><br />The Edgewater Ballroom, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />As
early as 1913, there were rides and concessions at Ocean Beach in San
Francisco, near the Richmond District. By 1926, they had been
consolidated as Playland-At-The-Beach. The Ocean Beach area included
attractions such as the Sutro Baths and the Cliff House. The San
Francisco Zoo was just south of Playland, having opened in the 1930s.<a href="http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2011/10/family-dog-at-great-highway-660-great.html ">
One of the attractions at Playland was a restaurant called Topsy's
Roost. The restaurant had closed in 1930, and the room became the
Edgewater Ballroom. The Ballroom eventually closed, and Playland went
into decline when its owner died in 1958.</a> By the 1960s, the former Edgewater was a slot car raceway. In early 1969, Chet Helms took over the lease of the old Edgewater. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s768/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr style="text-align: left;"><td class="tr-caption"><i>One
of the only photos of the interior of the Family Dog on The Great
Highway (from a Stephen Gaskin "Monday Night Class" ca. October 1969)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />The Family Dog On The Great Highway</b><br />The
Great Highway was a four-lane road that ran along the Western edge of
San Francisco, right next to Ocean Beach. Downtown San Francisco faced
the Bay, but beyond Golden Gate Park was the Pacific Ocean. The aptly
named Ocean Beach is dramatic and beautiful, but it is mostly windy and
foggy. Much of the West Coast of San Francisco is not even a beach, but
rocky cliffs. There are no roads in San Francisco West of the Great
Highway, so "660 Great Highway" was ample for directions (for reference,
it is near the intersection of Balboa Street and 48th Avenue). The
tag-line "Edge Of The Western World" was not an exaggeration, at least
in American terms.<br /><br />The Family Dog on The Great Highway was
smaller than the Bill Graham's old Fillmore Auditorium. It could hold up
to 1500, but the official capacity was probably closer to 1000. Unlike
the comparatively centrally located Fillmore West, the FDGH was far from
downtown, far from the Peninsula suburbs, and not particularly easy to
get to from the freeway. For East Bay or Marin residents, the Great
Highway was a formidable trip. The little ballroom was very appealing,
but if you didn't live way out in the Avenues, you had to drive. As a
result, FDGH didn't get a huge number of casual drop-ins, and that
didn't help its fortunes. Most of the locals referred to the venue as
"Playland."</p><i><b>The Family Dog In 1969</b></i><br /><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/01/june-13-15-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">Chet Helms had opened the Family Dog at 660 Great Highway to much fanfare on June 13, 1969, with a packed house seeing the Jefferson Airplane and The Charlatans</a>. One of the goals was that the Dog would feature mostly San
Francisco bands and a variety of smaller community events and groups.
Since so many San Francisco bands were successful, and had record
contracts, this didn't confine the venue to obscurity. A lot of great
bands played the Family Dog in 1969, but the distant location and the
gravitational pull of major rock events hosted elsewhere in the Bay Area
kept the Family Dog isolated. We know only the most fragmentary bits
about music played, events and audiences throughout the year. Despite
the half-year of struggle, Helms had kept the Family Dog on The Great
Highway afloat. He had entered the new year of 1970 with a new plan. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">For a complete list of Family Dog shows (including FDGH), see <b>here</b></a></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/11/may-29-june-27-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">For the previous entry (May 29-June 27, 1970 various) see <b>here </b></a><br /></li><li><a href="http://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/12/family-dog-on-great-highway-navigation.html">For a summary and the link to the most recent entries in this series, see <b>here</b></a> </li></ul><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fsy2Ggm47DnMjmm4BJ6xwqz4b0lT71QM5JcTdCkaSFCKHzl5C8mhoGluJxdd_U4qslXH_e04q5DDWsC1gs1mbpXnzFunvwmt-XIQTo-YV8SwrNKSRuf0AESr-9FD0wJY3Cp6Khmk2Ffn/s755/kinks-and-oSceola-poster+FDGH+19700630.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="570" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fsy2Ggm47DnMjmm4BJ6xwqz4b0lT71QM5JcTdCkaSFCKHzl5C8mhoGluJxdd_U4qslXH_e04q5DDWsC1gs1mbpXnzFunvwmt-XIQTo-YV8SwrNKSRuf0AESr-9FD0wJY3Cp6Khmk2Ffn/s320/kinks-and-oSceola-poster+FDGH+19700630.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><p><b>June 30-July 1, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: The Kinks/Osceola </b><i>(Tuesday-Wednesday)</i><br />The Family Dog on The Great Highway had pretty much just been a hall for rent throughout June of 1970. I presume that Chet Helms was keeping it open only because he was seeking some sort of well-capitalized partner in order to make another go of it. The month of July only featured a couple of bookings, and two of them were mid-week, so the venue was only just barely open. Yet a few of the bookings in July were among the most fascinating in the brief history of the Family Dog, and worthy of careful examination of the evidence that remains. Perhaps the most unlikely booking was on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 30 and July 1, 1970, when the Family Dog on The Great Highway presented no less than The Kinks. As if that wasn't enough, the Family Dog presented The Kinks again the next night (Thursday July 2), at a High School Auditorium in the suburbs. This was the only Family Dog promotion at a High School, at a time when the Bay Area rock audience was centered around that age group.<br /></p><p><b>The Kinks</b> had been a legendary "British Invasion" band since the release of "You Really Got Me" and "All Day And All Of The Night" back in 1964. In 1965, the Kinks had been booked to tour the United States. In Los Angeles, singer Ray Davies got in a fight with the head of the Los Angeles Musicians Union. As Ray had been a champion teenage boxer, he probably thumped the guy pretty hard. The US Musicians Union banned The Kinks from performing in the States. So unlike the Beatles, Stones, Animals, Yardbirds and others, the Kinks weren't able to build the reputation from touring that their music deserved. Instead, they concentrated on England and Europe. Despite the touring ban, a few Kinks hits still made it across the pond to US radio, like "Sunny Afternoon."</p><p>By 1969, the fact that the Kinks could not tour the States was a serious impediment to their future success. With the rise of the Fillmore circuit, English bands without a giant hit single (like Fleetwood Mac, Traffic or Ten Years After) could build an audience and sell albums, thanks to FM radio. The Kinks made great records, but they needed to get out there. Eventually, the union issues were resolved, and the Kinks were able to tour America in the Fall of '69. The band was still intact: Ray Davies was the lead singer and songwriter (and rhythm guitarist), his brother Dave played lead guitar and sang harmonies and Mick Avory played drums. All three had been in the Kinks from the beginning. Bassist John Dalton had permanently replaced Peter Quaife in early '69. The Kinks initial tour of the US was as a quartet, mostly opening for other bands. The Kinks were inconsistent and unpredictable, which, while part of their appeal, didn't always translate well on the road. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7UWsVUYQnW_BtXzakYh-cZ9pkZS43lPWxG4MBC7O-lQcaWJbWaQhoO0c2G9-l1VqjT_UgiUqaMVZWzAsUEOCx6U8EBxloo3WALXgzXCsTYhq9c44PnCWy85oyHHfxOjByn1lFBCxon5u/s599/Arthur+The+Kinks+Oct+69+Reprise+lp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="599" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7UWsVUYQnW_BtXzakYh-cZ9pkZS43lPWxG4MBC7O-lQcaWJbWaQhoO0c2G9-l1VqjT_UgiUqaMVZWzAsUEOCx6U8EBxloo3WALXgzXCsTYhq9c44PnCWy85oyHHfxOjByn1lFBCxon5u/s320/Arthur+The+Kinks+Oct+69+Reprise+lp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />In the Summer of 1970, the Kinks had set out on another North American tour. Their most recent album had been <i>Arthur (or The Decline And Fall of The British Empire)</i>, released in October of 1969. It was a brilliant album that holds up well today, but it hadn't yet gained much traction on FM (or AM) radio in the States or Canada. In 1970, the Kinks had added John Gosling on piano, initially just for the US tour (Gosling would in fact stay in the band until 1978). The Kinks were booked in June for some Northeastern US shows, a Canadian tour, then a week in Hawaii and <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Whisky-A-Go-Go%20History.htm">a few days at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood</a>. It was common for touring bands, particularly from England, to spend time in Hawaii as a kind of vacation. They would book a few shows in Hawaii to pay for the trip.<p></p><p>Unfortunately for The Kinks, however (per the indispensable <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kinks-Concerts-Recordings-Broadcasts-1961-1996/dp/087930765X">Douglas Hinman's amazing 2004 Kinks chronology <i>All Day And All Of The Night: Concerts, Recordings and Broadcasts 1961-1996</i></a>), the three gigs booked for Hawaii from June 30-July 2 were canceled, as the venue had closed. Having just played British Columbia, and awaiting a high-profile Whisky show, the Kinks were stranded on the West Coast. The bookings at the Family Dog were clearly put together at the last minute. Since The Kinks were playing the Whisky on the weekend of July 3-5, only these weekdays would have been available. The Fillmore West had booked Traffic and Leon Russel. The Kinks were not popular enough yet to get Bill Graham to upend his booking, nor would Graham have booked a show competing against his own venue. That seems to have left the Family Dog.</p><p>We can be pretty certain that the Kinks Family Dog shows took place, but we don't know how many tickets were sold or what songs the band played. We have some slight confirmation of the High School show on Thursday (see below), but the Kinks appearance at the edge of the Western World remains just outside of our view. As any Kinks fan can tell you, the Kinks can be a charming mess, or get in a fistfight onstage or be one of the greatest bands you've ever seen in a concert. Ray Davies' song choices could be a surprise--sometimes he might do old blues covers--but the Kinks never run out of great songs to play, when Ray was inclined. So the Kinks could have absolutely killed it (<i>if anyone has an inkling about what really happened, please note them in the Comments</i>).</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkyxg3GdCSJTwUEbWZASXK5TswU669mK8N8_aI_xU3qFmuxdu0AtXitHwsVIxy4ZN3pDyFEaWbMw42FpmHBshJxhjBEiqvNB6vAO5aTvJucVVhulYK2jyw1NgOAY09kOjYpiYy9biCueQ/s600/Lola+The+Kinks+45+July+70+Reprise.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkyxg3GdCSJTwUEbWZASXK5TswU669mK8N8_aI_xU3qFmuxdu0AtXitHwsVIxy4ZN3pDyFEaWbMw42FpmHBshJxhjBEiqvNB6vAO5aTvJucVVhulYK2jyw1NgOAY09kOjYpiYy9biCueQ/s320/Lola+The+Kinks+45+July+70+Reprise.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Things were about to change for The Kinks fortunes in the States, however, in a very unlikely way. In May, the Kinks had finished a new single, which was released in the UK in early June. It was starting to be a hit in England. "Lola" would not be released in the US until the end of July, and it's hard to imagine that a sing-along about a transvestite would make a band's fortunes back in 1970, but that's what it did. So maybe the Family Dog audience got to hear then-unknown (to them) "Lola" for the first time, and maybe they all just sang along...when the Kinks would return to the States at the end of 1970, they were riding a big hit single and a popular album, and they wouldn't be playing little ballrooms on a Tuesday night.<p></p><p>Opening act <b>Osceola</b> were regular performers at the Family Dog on The Great Highway. <a href="https://www.billande.com/bio/">Guitarist Bill Ande had founded the group in San Francisco, but all the members were transplanted Floridians</a>. Osceola played around the Bay Area from 1969 to '72, but never recorded. The members mostly returned to successful music careers in the Southeast.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8Zh7BCgx_uoZurYm-WaIT6dc-744FjVaG3WoZWWXnF9q6YQIkNKKA9PU646SV01kFPNVpF1Izml0VemLQR8Xba8gqhbLtDSdst59_1WIfz29ZIySgkl8U2GaHpF1Nnjiq8FkyN3VdIQP/s1620/Kinks+FD+Concord+19690702.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="1239" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8Zh7BCgx_uoZurYm-WaIT6dc-744FjVaG3WoZWWXnF9q6YQIkNKKA9PU646SV01kFPNVpF1Izml0VemLQR8Xba8gqhbLtDSdst59_1WIfz29ZIySgkl8U2GaHpF1Nnjiq8FkyN3VdIQP/s320/Kinks+FD+Concord+19690702.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><p><b>July 2, 1970 Ygnacio Valley High School, Concord, CA: The Kinks/Beggars Opera </b><i>(Thursday)</i><br />The Kinks had an open date, so the Family Dog booked a show way out in Contra Costa County, over the hill from Berkeley. The suburbs in Contra Costa--Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Pleasanton, Danville, Concord and so on--were just starting to boom. There were a lot of teenagers there, and not surprisingly a booming rock concert market. One intriguing dynamic of the Contra Costa County market was that the suburban teenagers all had access to cars, but in many cases were not allowed to go to San Francisco or Berkeley. They would all be dying to go to the Fillmore West or the Oakland Coliseum, but it was forbidden. So a fair number of bands played some venues on that side of the hill. There was <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2009/10/1825-salvio-street-concord-ca-concord.html">a Fillmore competitor called the Concord Coliseum in 1967-68</a>, and later <a href="http://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2016/06/2925-willow-pass-road-concord-ca.html">a number of shows at the Concord Armory in 1968 and '69</a>. </p><p>Since school was out, it appears that the Ygnacio Valley High School gym was just rented like any other venue. Ygnacio Valley High School was at 755 Oak Grove Road in Concord, and had only opened in 1962. Since the Contra Costa suburbs were expanding, new schools had to be built to accommodate them. The local rock shows were centered around Concord because the network of freeways led to the town, and a critical mass of teenagers could go to a Concord show from different towns, even if they weren't allowed to go the City. </p><p>Contra Costa teenagers read the newspaper, so they had all heard of the Family Dog. The Family Dog probably seemed like a cool and exotic place, so the fact that the Dog was bringing an English band to a local High School gym would have been extremely attractive to restless suburban teenagers. It does hint that Helms could have used the value of the Family Dog's hipness--today it would be called "His Brand"--to generate interest farther from San Francisco. He lacked the capital to do so, however, which poses the question of how these Kinks shows were financed, particularly this lone adventure to a distant suburb. As a curiosity, the Kinks had actually played Contra Costa the previous year, at the County Fairgrounds in Antioch (on November 26, 1969, opening for It's A Beautiful Day).<br /></p><p>In a Comment Thread on my post about Concord rock shows in the 60s, <a href="http://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2016/06/2925-willow-pass-road-concord-ca.html?showComment=1590969018746#c2080737699249552782">a few commenters mention attending the Kinks show at YGVS, so it appears to have happened</a>, yet once again we know next to nothing about it. <b>Beggars Opera</b> was a Contra Costa County band, but I don't know anything else about them. </p><p>[<i><b>update: 1 July 2023</b></i>: <i>Stellar researcher David Kramer-Smyth found a detailed newspaper report of the Ygnacio Valley HS Kinks show. Ironically, it mostly focuses on the local band Beggars Opera (from the Contra Costa Times, July 19, 1970)</i> ]</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6kKMPGnAR1ihrBzlJE_imwuFCmpInQGpJlZo8bei-fvzNjn65R9_7MAxSoc43N3XHFezAhKPEQe3fzMxaztLb1PHeTuSvNVy0fC7DaBzptv1lhBzm2hHraW72A3HPLJ91mwrrrJrWRZV61XwoSPkxQsPaatM5XHs_ZhF60U1vIjCRIx8sJqMMq6wCJ8r/s2252/Kinks%2019700702%20Contra%20Costa%20Times%20July%2019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1534" data-original-width="2252" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6kKMPGnAR1ihrBzlJE_imwuFCmpInQGpJlZo8bei-fvzNjn65R9_7MAxSoc43N3XHFezAhKPEQe3fzMxaztLb1PHeTuSvNVy0fC7DaBzptv1lhBzm2hHraW72A3HPLJ91mwrrrJrWRZV61XwoSPkxQsPaatM5XHs_ZhF60U1vIjCRIx8sJqMMq6wCJ8r/s320/Kinks%2019700702%20Contra%20Costa%20Times%20July%2019.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The Contra Costa Times, July 19 '70 had a detailed report of the July 2 Ygnacio Valley HS show, mostly focusing on the local band Beggars Opera (thanks DKS for the grafted scan)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/11/july-14-15-1970-family-dog-on-great.html"><i>For the next post in the series (July 14-15, 1970 Terry Reid), see here</i></a><br /></p><br />Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-8513352714571672162022-11-03T15:54:00.002-07:002023-07-01T12:12:12.760-07:00May 29-June 27, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Various shows [FDGH '70 XVII]<p> </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s400/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, ca. 1969</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />The
Family Dog was a foundation stone in the rise of San Francisco rock,
and it was in operation in various forms from Fall 1965 through the
Summer of 1970. For sound historical reasons, most of the focus on the
Family Dog has been on the original 4-person collective who organized
the first San Francisco Dance Concerts in late 1965, and on their
successor Chet Helms. Helms took over the Family Dog in early 1966, and
after a brief partnership with Bill Graham at the Fillmore, promoted
memorable concerts at the Avalon Ballroom from Spring 1966 through
December 1968. The posters, music and foggy memories of the Avalon are
what made the Family Dog a legendary 60s rock icon.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In the Summer
of 1969, however, with San Francisco as one of the fulcrums of the rock
music explosion, Chet Helms opened another venue. The Family Dog on The
Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, on the Western edge of San
Francisco, was only open for 14 months and was not a success. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">Yet numerous interesting bands played there, and remarkable events took place, and they are only documented in a scattered form.</a>
This series of posts will undertake a systematic review of every
musical event at the Family Dog on The Great Highway. In general, each
post will represent a week of musical events at the venue, although that
may vary slightly depending on the bookings.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If anyone has
memories, reflections, insights, corrections or flashbacks about shows
at the Family Dog on the Great Highway, please post them in the
Comments.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s501/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s320/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>660 Great Highway in San Francisco in 1967, when it was the ModelCar Raceway, a slot car track</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b><br />The Edgewater Ballroom, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />As
early as 1913, there were rides and concessions at Ocean Beach in San
Francisco, near the Richmond District. By 1926, they had been
consolidated as Playland-At-The-Beach. The Ocean Beach area included
attractions such as the Sutro Baths and the Cliff House. The San
Francisco Zoo was just south of Playland, having opened in the 1930s.<a href="http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2011/10/family-dog-at-great-highway-660-great.html ">
One of the attractions at Playland was a restaurant called Topsy's
Roost. The restaurant had closed in 1930, and the room became the
Edgewater Ballroom. The Ballroom eventually closed, and Playland went
into decline when its owner died in 1958.</a> By the 1960s, the former Edgewater was a slot car raceway. In early 1969, Chet Helms took over the lease of the old Edgewater. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s768/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr style="text-align: left;"><td class="tr-caption"><i>One
of the only photos of the interior of the Family Dog on The Great
Highway (from a Stephen Gaskin "Monday Night Class" ca. October 1969)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />The Family Dog On The Great Highway</b><br />The
Great Highway was a four-lane road that ran along the Western edge of
San Francisco, right next to Ocean Beach. Downtown San Francisco faced
the Bay, but beyond Golden Gate Park was the Pacific Ocean. The aptly
named Ocean Beach is dramatic and beautiful, but it is mostly windy and
foggy. Much of the West Coast of San Francisco is not even a beach, but
rocky cliffs. There are no roads in San Francisco West of the Great
Highway, so "660 Great Highway" was ample for directions (for reference,
it is near the intersection of Balboa Street and 48th Avenue). The
tag-line "Edge Of The Western World" was not an exaggeration, at least
in American terms.<br /><br />The Family Dog on The Great Highway was
smaller than the Bill Graham's old Fillmore Auditorium. It could hold up
to 1500, but the official capacity was probably closer to 1000. Unlike
the comparatively centrally located Fillmore West, the FDGH was far from
downtown, far from the Peninsula suburbs, and not particularly easy to
get to from the freeway. For East Bay or Marin residents, the Great
Highway was a formidable trip. The little ballroom was very appealing,
but if you didn't live way out in the Avenues, you had to drive. As a
result, FDGH didn't get a huge number of casual drop-ins, and that
didn't help its fortunes. Most of the locals referred to the venue as
"Playland."</p><i><b>The Family Dog In 1969</b></i><br /><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/01/june-13-15-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">Chet Helms had opened the Family Dog at 660 Great Highway to much fanfare on June 13, 1969, with a packed house seeing the Jefferson Airplane and The Charlatans</a>. One of the goals was that the Dog would feature mostly San
Francisco bands and a variety of smaller community events and groups.
Since so many San Francisco bands were successful, and had record
contracts, this didn't confine the venue to obscurity. A lot of great
bands played the Family Dog in 1969, but the distant location and the
gravitational pull of major rock events hosted elsewhere in the Bay Area
kept the Family Dog isolated. We know only the most fragmentary bits
about music played, events and audiences throughout the year. Despite
the half-year of struggle, Helms had kept the Family Dog on The Great
Highway afloat. He had entered the new year of 1970 with a new plan. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">For a complete list of Family Dog shows (including FDGH), see <b>here</b></a></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/10/may-1-24-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">For the previous entry (May 1-24, 1970 various) see <b>here </b></a><br /></li><li><a href="http://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/12/family-dog-on-great-highway-navigation.html">For a summary and the link to the most recent entries in this series, see <b>here</b></a> </li></ul><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Gn_59cdgGGSOsnWzllCbXF-y-np71yb0wwFqzuLKLwZN0l732vWbur-aVgW_ughAZARP4RleZ-QMAP5-uxsLC7IdKwMpmoRL7gStCd6frbZTqiD2TCxWuEU1SPdObI1NU1sTnFItlSJE/s944/FDGH+Goodtimes+19700529+at+19-33-02+San+Francisco+Good+Times+-+community+28044025+pdf.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="944" data-original-width="686" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Gn_59cdgGGSOsnWzllCbXF-y-np71yb0wwFqzuLKLwZN0l732vWbur-aVgW_ughAZARP4RleZ-QMAP5-uxsLC7IdKwMpmoRL7gStCd6frbZTqiD2TCxWuEU1SPdObI1NU1sTnFItlSJE/s320/FDGH+Goodtimes+19700529+at+19-33-02+San+Francisco+Good+Times+-+community+28044025+pdf.png" /></a></div><p><b>May 29-31, 1970 Family Dog on the Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Indian Music Festival featuring Ali Akbar Khan, Indranil Bhattacharya, Zakir Hussain </b><i>(Friday-Sunday)</i><br />Indian classical music had been known in the West since Ravi Shankar's album <i>Three Ragas</i>, released on World Pacific Records in 1956. By the mid-60s, jazz musicians like John Coltrane and rock musicians such as Eric Clapton had discovered the music. George Harrison had helped introduce the sitar, Ravi Shankar, and Indian music to the wider pop music audience. Indian music was important in both rock and jazz because it influenced players like Coltrane and Clapton, even when the wider public was only vaguely aware of it. In the Bay Area, the Ali Akbar Khan School of Music in Oakland had been an important locus for teaching and learning since the 1960s. As it happened, Family Dog soundman Owsley Stanley was not only a huge admirer of Indian music, he was intimately connected to the Ali Akbar Khan School as well. The School had been based in a big house on Ascot Drive in the Oakland hills. <br /></p><p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Owsley-Me-My-LSD-Family/dp/0983358931/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435545442&sr=8-1&keywords=rhoney+gissen">In her recent book <i>Owsley And Me: My LSD Family</i>, Rhoney Gissen described the house in Ascot Drive in some detail</a>. Originally it had been rented by Ali Akbar Khan school of music. <br />
</p><blockquote class="tr_bq">
Indian music gave me clarity, so I drove to the Ali Akbar Khan School Of
Music, situated in a beautiful Spanish-style multilevel house with
arts-and-crafts detailing in the secluded hills of Oakland, southeast of
Berkeley. While I was listening to a morning raga played by Khansahib
with Vince Delgado on tabla, it occurred to me that this place would be
perfect for Bear. With all the rooms and levels, he could live here with
any member of the Grateful Dead family. Ramrod had already agreed to
live with Bear when he moved [p166]</blockquote>
Since the School was moving at month's end, Owsley was intrigued enough to visit:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
We walked around the house and there was a swimming pool and a separate
entrance in the back. Stately trees reached beyond the third floor. We
went back inside which was atop a long stairway from the front door.<br />
"Look, Bear, I can stand at the top of the stair and see who's coming."<br />
"Yes, but you can't see the front door from any of the windows." [p.167]</blockquote>
Bear eventually agrees, and Rhoney gets Bear to let Ali Akhbar Khan and
his students to open for the Grateful Dead in Berkeley (at the Berkeley
Community Theater on September 20, 1968) in return for letting Owsley
take over the lease.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
At the end of the Summer of 1968, when the Indian musicians moved out of
the house in the Oakland hills, Bear moved in. Betty and Bob Matthews
took the downstairs apartment, and Ramrod moved into the bedroom next to
Bear's. Weir camped out in the living room. [p168]</blockquote>
Owsley lived in the Ascot Drive house until his incarceration in July of 1970. <a href="http://www.aacm.org/school.html">The Ali Akbar Khan School of Music moved to San Rafael</a>, and seems to be still going strong today. <br /><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg04nTEH8VMyhO4ztx2G3Eq96hvGVP-KtBtuqv5UvPq6f6mdJ7SKWA7QxTnRYVj55Fs2pCW9a1aYY07RZrtLQNK0kuDrZNVYasHX58QgoHRs_82iZFI54lyM65e4JwVD9-M5F5IfG6JrDbG/s500/That+Which+Colors+The+Mind+Owsley+19700529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg04nTEH8VMyhO4ztx2G3Eq96hvGVP-KtBtuqv5UvPq6f6mdJ7SKWA7QxTnRYVj55Fs2pCW9a1aYY07RZrtLQNK0kuDrZNVYasHX58QgoHRs_82iZFI54lyM65e4JwVD9-M5F5IfG6JrDbG/s320/That+Which+Colors+The+Mind+Owsley+19700529.jpg" /></a></div>I'm not sure who booked the Indian music weekend at the Family Dog, or to put it another way, I'm not sure who took the risk and whether it was profitable. The program featured Ali Akbar Khan (sarod), Indraril Bhatticharva (sitar) and Zakir Hussain (tabla). Nonetheless, Owsley was still Owsley, and not only did he act as soundman, but he taped it as well. <a href="https://owsleystanleyfoundation.org/bears-sonic-journals/ali-akbar-khan-that-which-colors-the-mind/">In 2020, the Owsley Stanley Foundation released some performances from the first night (May 29, 1970)</a>.<br /><p></p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5M-074u2BH_ZM_dCJ-yH6EepJ6GLwvTTSF-DCvmGsgooA3xrlHXvgJSrEIfst9M5WKL31teMrNjpjnTavPrw7z2Nn-Kv991Bohd2Lj0h_DZNad1nM7q16TvnzPySnHhtELKIwWndqSC9/s1486/FDGH+Goodtimes+19700607++19-33-47+San+Francisco+Good+Times+-+community+28044025+pdf.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="1486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5M-074u2BH_ZM_dCJ-yH6EepJ6GLwvTTSF-DCvmGsgooA3xrlHXvgJSrEIfst9M5WKL31teMrNjpjnTavPrw7z2Nn-Kv991Bohd2Lj0h_DZNad1nM7q16TvnzPySnHhtELKIwWndqSC9/s320/FDGH+Goodtimes+19700607++19-33-47+San+Francisco+Good+Times+-+community+28044025+pdf.png" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /><b>June 7, 1970 Family Dog on the Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: </b><i>The One Festival (Sunday) </i><br />Our only trace of this weekend's events was an ad in the SF <i>Good Times</i> for a Sunday afternoon lecture called "The One Festival." With no Friday or Saturday night rock show (that I am aware of), it seems pretty likely that the Family Dog on The Great Highway was effectively just another hall for rent.</p><p>The names on the poster are all Indian or South Asian "gurus," save for "Sufi Dancers," and Indradril Bhattacharva, noted as a member of the Ali Akbar Khan college of music, and Stephen Gaskin. Gaskin, a popular literature instructor at San Francisco State who had held "Monday Night Class" events at the Family Dog in the Fall, presented a variety of Indian and Asian philosophies, so he actually fit in with the rest of the bill. In modern terms, this would be seen as a "Self-Help" or "Human Potential" seminar. Hippies were inclined to think India was a purer source for spiritual enlightenment than the West.<br /></p><p></p><p><b>June 13, 1970 Family Dog on the Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: First Anniversary at the Beach Party</b><i> (Saturday) </i><br />June 13, 1970 was indeed the first anniversary of the opening of the Family Dog on The Great Highway. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/01/june-13-15-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">On June 13, 1969, the Dog had opened at the beach with the Jefferson Airplane and a jam-packed house</a>. By 1970, there was only the vaguest mention of an event, with no bands listed. It was probably an open house of some sort. The Family Dog on The Great Highway had fallen far in the preceding year, and I'm sure no one thought there would be a second anniversary.</p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_pO9hSuq-cAvaRp8zEGkHTnGJv7l5G_XqFUtwtjTZjOHm9fIPoJSbF5mm4XgjQudZF4F7Z0nxVFBlVA9K9QY9W_5hYPLplgyLs05QAg2do2ZotNZePVWBbWZ53WB3Lpj8v1b_dEeMauM/s611/Its+Not+Killing+Me+Mike+Bloomfield+Columbia+1969.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_pO9hSuq-cAvaRp8zEGkHTnGJv7l5G_XqFUtwtjTZjOHm9fIPoJSbF5mm4XgjQudZF4F7Z0nxVFBlVA9K9QY9W_5hYPLplgyLs05QAg2do2ZotNZePVWBbWZ53WB3Lpj8v1b_dEeMauM/s320/Its+Not+Killing+Me+Mike+Bloomfield+Columbia+1969.jpg" width="314" /></a></b></div><b><br />June 17, 1970 Family Dog on the Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Michael Bloomfield & Marin Music Band/Charles Musselwhite Blues Band/Sandy Bull </b><i>St Jacques Benefit for the Porcupine Family Inc drug treatment program (Wednesday)</i><br /><b>Mike Bloomfield</b> had been America's first genuine guitar hero, and he was a truly great musician. He had moved to San Francisco in 1967 to form the Electric Flag. When Bloomfield had left the Flag in 1968, he had a brief flash of solo stardom with Al Kooper and <i>Super Session</i>, but he largely limited himself to playing small local gigs. He had a rotating lineup of fine players in support, but he never rehearsed. So while Bay Area rock fans all agreed, in principle, that Bloomfield was a legend, his appearances were hardly events. Presumably, he was backed at this show by the likes of Nick Gravenites, Mark Naftalin, John Kahn and Bob Jones (his "first-call" team), but we don't know that for certain. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/03/august-15-16-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">Bloomfield had headlined a weekend at the Dog back on August 15-16, 1969</a>.<div><p></p><p>As far as records went, <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Michael-Bloomfield-Its-Not-Killing-Me/master/192121">Bloomfield's most recent album was <i>It's Not Killing M</i>e, released on Columbia in 1969</a>. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't really memorable, either. Bloomfield was backed by the crew who made up his rotating stage band, and they were all good, but the material was weak. <br /></p><p><b>Charlie Musselwhite</b>, from Memphis via Chicago, had been the top white harmonica player in the mid-60s in Chicago, when Bloomfield had been part of the Butterfield Blues Band. Musselwhite, too, had moved to San Francisco in '67 and had played the Avalon and other ballrooms regularly. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Charles-Musselwhite-Memphis-Tennessee/master/513408">His current album would have been <i>Memphis, Tennessee</i>, on Paramount, featuring the unique steel guitarist Freddie Roulette</a>. I don't know if Roulette was still in Musselwhite's band. By the end of 1970, his group would be fronted by a teenage guitarist from Ukiah, CA named Robben Ford, who would go on to a brilliant career himself. </p><p><b>Sandy Bull </b>was a solo guitarist, a unique and remarkable
performer whose elaborate fingerpicking was enhanced by various
electronic looping effects. Although appealing to a rock audience, more
or less, Bull was the type of performer whose audience remained seated.
He had played the Bay Area many times over the years, usually at The Matrix. He had played the Family Dog a month earlier (May 15-16). At this time, <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Sandy-Bull-E-Pluribus-Unum/release/1488317">his most recent album would have been <i>E Puribus Unum</i>, released on Vanguard the previous year</a>. Bull had played all the instruments himself, and the music was hardly rock. <br /></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvlcjjhPJC9Rp_N6eths2M7wwycqjHzzmfmSaA5KG21OaeGomH2hpvGdKk6G-Y7MaorUEjewAYho5qmSHcrF2zrjieVDlbiNS8AZyjKhPCguFQL3D5XyyanoB_hqBOv6l2-mM5g0SRYTA/s1232/FDGH+Burritos+19700619+San+Francisco+Good+Times+-+community+28044028+pdf.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1232" data-original-width="926" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvlcjjhPJC9Rp_N6eths2M7wwycqjHzzmfmSaA5KG21OaeGomH2hpvGdKk6G-Y7MaorUEjewAYho5qmSHcrF2zrjieVDlbiNS8AZyjKhPCguFQL3D5XyyanoB_hqBOv6l2-mM5g0SRYTA/s320/FDGH+Burritos+19700619+San+Francisco+Good+Times+-+community+28044028+pdf.png" width="241" /></a></div><br />June 19-21, 1970 Family Dog on the Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Flying Burrito Brothers/Cat Mother & the All Night Newsboys/Rhythm Dukes with Bill Champlin and Jerry Miller </b><i> (Friday-Sunday)</i><br />This June weekend was the last time that the Family Dog presented a multiple bill featuring a touring act and some local bands for a weekend. There were a few more rock concerts in July and August, but none of those suggested that there was anything ongoing, just concert opportunities. This booking was the last sign of the Family Dog as an ongoing concern.<div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMF22Y_QIlyIpDmjHluEnExSHgtETPEybpkeYyE2Msv-IDCFYKAGxARK01NSpp8EdrXInYBEJW_kYVnPKjrkjuRVIiGgnIJKniTo8MHZyZvvW5zqd_jZ7sAsxCNs7JngjFW4eAc_8wJRYB/s600/Burrito+Deluxe+Flying+Burrito+Bros+A%2526M+1970.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="592" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMF22Y_QIlyIpDmjHluEnExSHgtETPEybpkeYyE2Msv-IDCFYKAGxARK01NSpp8EdrXInYBEJW_kYVnPKjrkjuRVIiGgnIJKniTo8MHZyZvvW5zqd_jZ7sAsxCNs7JngjFW4eAc_8wJRYB/s320/Burrito+Deluxe+Flying+Burrito+Bros+A%2526M+1970.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><br />Th<a href="https://www.discogs.com/The-Flying-Burrito-Bros-Burrito-Deluxe/master/12304">e <b>Flying Burrito Brothers</b> had released their second A&M album in May 1970, <i>Burrito Deluxe</i></a>. The band's 1969 debut had gotten extraordinarily good reviews, but the Burritos had been a sloppy and indifferent live band. Gram Parsons, in particular, refused to tour much, as he was determined to hang out in Los Angeles with the Rolling Stones. Parsons was a Burrito for the <i>Burrito Deluxe</i> album, but he was fired by Chris Hillman before touring had started in June. Parsons was increasingly erratic, and in any case wasn't up for the promotional effort. The Burritos had never played the Fillmore West, <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/01/july-4-6-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">but they had played the Family Dog</a>, so that may account for why they were booked at the Dog instead.<p></p><p><a href="http://www.burritobrother.com/fbb2.htm ">During this brief period, the Flying Burrito Brothers were just a quartet</a>. Chris Hillman was the primary vocalist and bassist, with Bernie Leadon on lead guitar and harmonies. The legendary Sneaky Pete Kleinow remained on pedal steel guitar, and ex-Byrd Michael Clarke remained the drummer. The Burritos knew they needed a fifth member, and toyed with adding ex-Byrd Gene Clark, who actually played a few gigs. It's not impossible Gene Clark was at one or all of the Family Dog gigs. Clark, too, was an erratic character, and ultimately Rick Roberts would join the Burritos later in 1970.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDb5AOf7665xkji2cgo830ignth9bElJOYmg6pLYpqhTk6yl1b2TkiLdtjB7bAz5mcQO8UkmorY__2w5p_Sg_t9EnZfLNYQO6bPUy7L2CzsCftHN1YUWEavHd8-ZwP1np1e5Zu07kOKk0/s648/Rhythm+Dukes+FDGH+1970.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="648" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDb5AOf7665xkji2cgo830ignth9bElJOYmg6pLYpqhTk6yl1b2TkiLdtjB7bAz5mcQO8UkmorY__2w5p_Sg_t9EnZfLNYQO6bPUy7L2CzsCftHN1YUWEavHd8-ZwP1np1e5Zu07kOKk0/s320/Rhythm+Dukes+FDGH+1970.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The Rhythm Dukes at The Family Dog on The Great Highway, sometime in 1970. (L-R) Bill Champlin, John Oxendine, Jerry Miller.</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />The <b>Rhythm Dukes</b> had formed in the Santa Cruz mountains in 1969, and
<a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/07/december-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">had played the Family Dog on The Great Highway on December 12-14, 1969</a>.
Originally the band had featured two former members of Moby Grape, lead
guitarist Jerry Miller and ex-drummer Don Stevenson (who switched to
guitar). They were supported by bassist John Barrett and drummer Fuzzy
Oxendine, formerly of the 60s group Boogie. The band was often billed as
Moby Grape, and Stevenson had left by the end of Summer '69. The Rhythm
Dukes carried on as a trio, finally adding two more members by December
(saxophonist Rick Garcia and keyboardist Ned Torney).<p></p><p>By January,
however, the two extra members had left, to be replaced by Bill
Champlin from the Sons. By early 1970, despite a loyal Bay Area
following and two excellent
Capitol albums, the Sons of Champlin were frustrated and broke and they
decided to
go "on hiatus." Effectively that meant they were breaking up, although
they continued to finish an album they owed Capitol (released in 1971 as
<i>Follow Your Heart</i>). <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2010/11/sons-of-champlin-performance-list-july.html">The Sons had concert obligations through February of 1970, so while Bill Champlin played a few gigs with the Rhythm Dukes, he was also finishing up with the Sons</a>. By March, the Sons
had stopped performing--that didn't last long, but it's another
story--and Bill was full time with the Rhythm Dukes and Jerry Miller. </p><p>We
have a photo of Bill Champlin with the Rhythm Dukes from the Family
Dog, although the exact date is unknown. Champlin played organ and
rhythm guitar with the Dukes, and was the principal lead singer,
although Jerry Miller was also a fine vocalist. Our only tape of this
era of the Rhythm Dukes was privately released 2005 cd of some demo tapes from April 1970, (called <i>Flash Back</i>)
but they were plainly an excellent live band. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/09/march-6-8-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">This was the third weekend that the Rhythm Dukes with Champlin would play the Family Dog on The Great Highway</a>, but this seems to be the last booked show I can find by the band. Both Miller and Champlin would return to their natural homes (Moby Grape and The Sons) later in 1970.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpttkhAn6LYZTP8Nj4mLQLgTPdYEb_3aM3fyFNp_1WlIBNmEirHZ7IK9b4i3XE20Dz8gZqsb87kvE1jODtN_b6c6tvn3HF-TR23gdVTkDFczxo5xu4DVY04aO7nLKeCI-4Pic4lzqaRsR/s300/albion+doo+wah+cat+mother+1970.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="300" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpttkhAn6LYZTP8Nj4mLQLgTPdYEb_3aM3fyFNp_1WlIBNmEirHZ7IK9b4i3XE20Dz8gZqsb87kvE1jODtN_b6c6tvn3HF-TR23gdVTkDFczxo5xu4DVY04aO7nLKeCI-4Pic4lzqaRsR/s0/albion+doo+wah+cat+mother+1970.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />Greenwich Village band <b>Cat
Mother and The All-Night Newsboys</b> had formed in
1967. By 1969, they had been signed by Michael Jeffery, the manager of
Jimi Hendrix. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Cat-Mother-And-The-All-Night-Newsboys-The-Street-Giveth-And-The-Street-Taketh-Away/release/1878252">Hendrix had even produced the band's debut album on
Polydor, <i>The Street Giveth and The Street Taketh Away</i></a>. Thanks
to the Jeffery connection, Cat Mother got to open for Hendrix and a
number of other high profile events. Cat Mother even had a minor hit in
late '69, with medley of oldies called "Old Time Rock And Roll." In
fact, the band's sound was more country-folk oriented, but they were
versatile musicians.<p></p><div>By 1970, however, Cat Mother was anxious to separate themselves from Jeffery's questionable management practices. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Cat-Mother-And-The-All-Night-Newsboys-Albion-Doo-Wah/master/413006">Their second album, <i>Albion Doo-Wah</i>, would be recorded at Pacific High Recorders in San Francisco</a>.
In February, the band had played the Family Dog, probably because they had just arrived in San Francisco to start recording. By June, they had probably completed the album.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>After they
finished their second album, Cat Mother relocated permanently to San Francisco. San
Francisco had a unique status for rock bands in the late 1960s
and '70s. While the record industry was centered, as it always had been,
in Manhattan and Hollywood, San Francisco was an enticing opportunity
for rock groups. For one thing, the concert industry was thriving, so a
good band could make a living whether they had an album or not. Plus,
there were studios and plenty of A&R guys, so SF wasn't the
wildnerness. And, it was California--no snow, pretty girls, open
minds--so it wasn't hard to persuade fellow band members to make the
move. A large number of bands from elsewhere moved to San Francisco.</div><div> </div><div>The three founding members of the band, Roy Michaels (bass,
vocals), Bob Smith (keyboards, vocals) and Michael Equine (drums), would
all relocate permanently to California. At the time of this show, the
band still had lead guitarist Paul Johnson and probably violinist Larry
Packer. Both of them would ultimately return to New York. Michaels,
Smith and Equine would move to Mendocino County and continue on as Cat
Mother until 1977. <br /></div><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkLwB4kWpChPuh8EFaqynb3eHq4R5sgxuWN9yZ_3Cda4xso_R3uvIdCouv58_w_ddRaO_njlrSQNmc1J9GHA88aRxI5MbBD9lNJXgdO0eZZzuqoON1uNSablpvBTpQotH-5uQ406wfdL1e-q5M_JtBykdr6TxkPAknsDU4R5JvQzao3Dh6bNaIgYcDnLG/s1226/FDGH%2019700623%2012%20bands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1226" data-original-width="819" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkLwB4kWpChPuh8EFaqynb3eHq4R5sgxuWN9yZ_3Cda4xso_R3uvIdCouv58_w_ddRaO_njlrSQNmc1J9GHA88aRxI5MbBD9lNJXgdO0eZZzuqoON1uNSablpvBTpQotH-5uQ406wfdL1e-q5M_JtBykdr6TxkPAknsDU4R5JvQzao3Dh6bNaIgYcDnLG/s320/FDGH%2019700623%2012%20bands.jpg" width="214" /></a></b></div><b><br />June 23-25, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: </b><i>12 bands (Tuesday-Thursday)</i><br />A note in the June 22 San Francisco <i>Examiner</i> mentioned that "12 bands" would play the Family Dog from Tuesday through Thursday. I have no other information, nor any real indication that any of these events were held.<strike> The shows may have featured some local bands, possibly high school kids or a battle of the bands or other such events</strike>. [<i><b>update 1 July 2023</b>: stellar researcher David Kramer-Smyth found the newspaper ad with the twelve bands, although there is no evidence which band played which night</i>]. <p></p><p>Osceola, Cleveland Wrecking Co, Mendelbaum, Sawbucks (w/Ronnie Montrose) and Cat Mother have been mentioned elsewhere in the FDGH saga. </p><p><b>Brown Rice, Bay Break, Cantrel Justantine, Orion, Chambray</b> and <b>Backwater Rising</b> are unknown to me. </p><p><a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2010/01/aliens-whisky-go-go-san-francisco.html"><b>The Aliens</b> were perhaps San Francisco's first Latin rock group, dating back to 1965</a>. Then Mission HS teenager Carlos Santana occasionally sat in with him, and Chepito Areas was a member of The Aliens around 1967-68.</p><p><b>Loose Gravel</b> was led by ex-Charlatan guitarist Michael Wilhelm. </p><p>The most interesting name on the bill is <b>Children Of Mu</b>, who very well may be the legendary psychedelic surf pioneer band featuring Merrell Fankhauser and Jeff Cotten. <br /></p><b>June 27, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: </b><i>Krishna festival dinner (Sunday)</i><br />The only indication of an event on the weekend of June 25-27 was that the Hare Krishna was going to have a big public dinner at the Family Dog on The Great Highway on Sunday, June 27. The Krishna were having a big "happening" in Golden Gate Park over the weekend, and it would culminate with a big dinner. Whether the Hare Krishnas had other, private events at the Dog during the weekend is not mentioned. <br /><p>The Family Dog on The Great Highway was just a venue for rent, with no viable economic program. It was only a matter of time before it would shut down.<br /></p><p><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/11/june-30-july-1-1970-family-dog-on-great.html"><i>For the next post in the series (The Kinks, June 30-July 1, 1970) see here</i></a><br /></p></div></div>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-7329983385363110222022-10-28T06:50:00.003-07:002023-05-15T15:39:54.826-07:00May 1-24, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: various shows [FDGH '70 XVI]<p> </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s400/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, ca. 1969</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />The
Family Dog was a foundation stone in the rise of San Francisco rock,
and it was in operation in various forms from Fall 1965 through the
Summer of 1970. For sound historical reasons, most of the focus on the
Family Dog has been on the original 4-person collective who organized
the first San Francisco Dance Concerts in late 1965, and on their
successor Chet Helms. Helms took over the Family Dog in early 1966, and
after a brief partnership with Bill Graham at the Fillmore, promoted
memorable concerts at the Avalon Ballroom from Spring 1966 through
December 1968. The posters, music and foggy memories of the Avalon are
what made the Family Dog a legendary 60s rock icon.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In the Summer
of 1969, however, with San Francisco as one of the fulcrums of the rock
music explosion, Chet Helms opened another venue. The Family Dog on The
Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, on the Western edge of San
Francisco, was only open for 14 months and was not a success. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">Yet numerous interesting bands played there, and remarkable events took place, and they are only documented in a scattered form.</a>
This series of posts will undertake a systematic review of every
musical event at the Family Dog on The Great Highway. In general, each
post will represent a week of musical events at the venue, although that
may vary slightly depending on the bookings.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If anyone has
memories, reflections, insights, corrections or flashbacks about shows
at the Family Dog on the Great Highway, please post them in the
Comments.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s501/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s320/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>660 Great Highway in San Francisco in 1967, when it was the ModelCar Raceway, a slot car track</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b><br />The Edgewater Ballroom, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />As
early as 1913, there were rides and concessions at Ocean Beach in San
Francisco, near the Richmond District. By 1926, they had been
consolidated as Playland-At-The-Beach. The Ocean Beach area included
attractions such as the Sutro Baths and the Cliff House. The San
Francisco Zoo was just south of Playland, having opened in the 1930s.<a href="http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2011/10/family-dog-at-great-highway-660-great.html ">
One of the attractions at Playland was a restaurant called Topsy's
Roost. The restaurant had closed in 1930, and the room became the
Edgewater Ballroom. The Ballroom eventually closed, and Playland went
into decline when its owner died in 1958.</a> By the 1960s, the former Edgewater was a slot car raceway. In early 1969, Chet Helms took over the lease of the old Edgewater. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s768/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr style="text-align: left;"><td class="tr-caption"><i>One
of the only photos of the interior of the Family Dog on The Great
Highway (from a Stephen Gaskin "Monday Night Class" ca. October 1969)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />The Family Dog On The Great Highway</b><br />The
Great Highway was a four-lane road that ran along the Western edge of
San Francisco, right next to Ocean Beach. Downtown San Francisco faced
the Bay, but beyond Golden Gate Park was the Pacific Ocean. The aptly
named Ocean Beach is dramatic and beautiful, but it is mostly windy and
foggy. Much of the West Coast of San Francisco is not even a beach, but
rocky cliffs. There are no roads in San Francisco West of the Great
Highway, so "660 Great Highway" was ample for directions (for reference,
it is near the intersection of Balboa Street and 48th Avenue). The
tag-line "Edge Of The Western World" was not an exaggeration, at least
in American terms.<br /><br />The Family Dog on The Great Highway was
smaller than the Bill Graham's old Fillmore Auditorium. It could hold up
to 1500, but the official capacity was probably closer to 1000. Unlike
the comparatively centrally located Fillmore West, the FDGH was far from
downtown, far from the Peninsula suburbs, and not particularly easy to
get to from the freeway. For East Bay or Marin residents, the Great
Highway was a formidable trip. The little ballroom was very appealing,
but if you didn't live way out in the Avenues, you had to drive. As a
result, FDGH didn't get a huge number of casual drop-ins, and that
didn't help its fortunes. Most of the locals referred to the venue as
"Playland."</p><i><b>The Family Dog In 1969</b></i><br /><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/01/june-13-15-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">Chet Helms had opened the Family Dog at 660 Great Highway to much fanfare on June 13, 1969, with a packed house seeing the Jefferson Airplane and The Charlatans</a>. One of the goals was that the Dog would feature mostly San
Francisco bands and a variety of smaller community events and groups.
Since so many San Francisco bands were successful, and had record
contracts, this didn't confine the venue to obscurity. A lot of great
bands played the Family Dog in 1969, but the distant location and the
gravitational pull of major rock events hosted elsewhere in the Bay Area
kept the Family Dog isolated. We know only the most fragmentary bits
about music played, events and audiences throughout the year. Despite
the half-year of struggle, Helms had kept the Family Dog on The Great
Highway afloat. He had entered the new year of 1970 with a new plan. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">For a complete list of Family Dog shows (including FDGH), see <b>here</b></a></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/10/april-24-26-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">For the previous entry (April 24-26, 1970 Quicksilver Messenger Service) see <b>here </b></a><br /></li><li><a href="http://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/12/family-dog-on-great-highway-navigation.html">For a summary and the link to the most recent entries in this series, see <b>here</b></a> </li></ul><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAetV5XRVP07VWG5Ol4DVjb8yYSvEEkQ8kJlE6zBX-y1dhhze9RhxiHuiGeemK9YUj9gDaVREW0OsJoqXkF14xt0bSrTRzv33P2R6jfRL4iJdUi0sS-YX06l4xnpr_sY4nP7ZGgLqPfvY/s1541/SFC19700501p48+FDGH.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="1541" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAetV5XRVP07VWG5Ol4DVjb8yYSvEEkQ8kJlE6zBX-y1dhhze9RhxiHuiGeemK9YUj9gDaVREW0OsJoqXkF14xt0bSrTRzv33P2R6jfRL4iJdUi0sS-YX06l4xnpr_sY4nP7ZGgLqPfvY/s320/SFC19700501p48+FDGH.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>May 1-3, 1970 Family Dog on the Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Big Brother and the Holding Company/Aum/Back Yard Mamas/Lambert & Nuttycombe </b><i>(Friday-Sunday)</i><br />Chet Helms had re-opened the Family Dog on the Great Highway on a new footing at the end of January, 1970. Instead of a mixture of community events, the Dog had focused on weekend rock concerts featuring major San Francisco bands. The Dog headliners were Fillmore West headliners, too, so the venue was would be more of a destination than just a hang-out. But the momentum hadn't lasted. The big headliners faded away after April, an implicit note that Helms could no longer afford to guarantee bands a payday. Starting in May, while the Family Dog remained focused on weekend bookings, the bands weren't Fillmore West material.<p></p><p><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/08/february-20-21-1970-family-dog-on-great.html"><b>Big Brother and The Holding Company</b> had returned to headline the Family Dog for the third weekend since February</a>. They were a huge name, of course, but without Janis Joplin fronting the band, they weren't a huge draw. The original four members (Sam Andrews, James Gurley, Peter Albin and Dave Getz) were all still in the band, along with an additional guitarist (David Schallock). Big Brother was actually a pretty good band, and they were working on an album with producer Nick Gravenites. The underrated <i>Be A Brother</i> would come out around July, to little fanfare. </p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5sek-LYI657FNJdX876lqS2g1ckAh1-HHfIh2Rz9_89QCZqtwRcS6NYGzbRE-e6npsfgA3TyWVi0-xvFV6xDjqqyYEraHrG63WW3mm2SWuOBNPNfX6LqmmMoNSp5cImYCX6OQLctFBiU/s601/Aum+Resurrection+1969+Fillmore+lp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="599" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5sek-LYI657FNJdX876lqS2g1ckAh1-HHfIh2Rz9_89QCZqtwRcS6NYGzbRE-e6npsfgA3TyWVi0-xvFV6xDjqqyYEraHrG63WW3mm2SWuOBNPNfX6LqmmMoNSp5cImYCX6OQLctFBiU/s320/Aum+Resurrection+1969+Fillmore+lp.jpg" width="319" /></a></b></div><b><br />Aum</b> was a trio featuring guitarist Wayne Ceballos. Ironically, they were booked by Bill Graham's Millard Agency. Graham and Helms were competitors, but this did not extend so far as to cutting Helms out of Millard acts. Aum had released its second album in late 1969. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Aum-Resurrection/master/141860"><i>Resurrection</i> had been released on Fillmore Records, Graham's own label (distributed by Columbia)</a>. Aum had been booked fairly prominently around the Bay Area in 1969, <a href="http://hooterollin.blogspot.com/2013/03/april-6-1969-avalon-ballroom-grateful.html ">often opening for the Grateful Dead (booked by Millard at the time as well)</a>. The band had faded away a little bit by 1970, and would soon break up (Ceballos continues to perform, now based out of Austin, TX).<br /><p></p><p>The <b>Backyard Mamas</b> are familiar to me from various listings, but I don't really know anything about them.</p><p>Folk duo <b>Craig Nuttycombe</b> and <b>Dennis Lambert</b> had been in the Eastside Kids in Southern California. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Lambert-And-Nuttycombe-At-Home/release/2602782">Their album on A&M Records had been recorded at Nuttycombe's home</a>.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfrCSsynjsHWB9lBU6RMABdTIDfovondSiR9Rw5MaJ-_EI9NsXRP3opTLJ6kwYeE9uGH1rzPXkjaDf2xrIbj9Zr9qfoBzTStFyoBp7RoCt7gLK43W9vp-v5sCYzQPxNBt3aD7GLL-p6i0d/s396/Osceola-FamilyDog-+19700508+-poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="301" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfrCSsynjsHWB9lBU6RMABdTIDfovondSiR9Rw5MaJ-_EI9NsXRP3opTLJ6kwYeE9uGH1rzPXkjaDf2xrIbj9Zr9qfoBzTStFyoBp7RoCt7gLK43W9vp-v5sCYzQPxNBt3aD7GLL-p6i0d/s320/Osceola-FamilyDog-+19700508+-poster.jpg" /></a></div><br /><b>May 8-10, 1970 Family Dog on the Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen/Osceola/Southern Comfort </b><i>(Friday-Sunday)</i><br /><a href="https://berkeleyfolk.blogspot.com/2010/09/commander-cody-and-his-lost-planet.html"><b>Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen</b> had only relocated to Berkeley from Ann Arbor, MI in the Summer of 1969</a>. Their unique blend of dope-flavored Western Swing and old-time rock and roll instantly found an audience. One of the Airmen's first gigs had been at the Family Dog in August 1969, and they had opened shows regularly at the venue, for the Grateful Dead and for the Youngbloods. While they were the headliners at this show, the Airmen were still a local club act. They would not be signed to Paramount ABC to record their debut album until 1971. <p></p><p><b>Osceola</b> had been playing the Family Dog since September of 1969. They would play the Dog many times, and played
around the Bay Area regularly until at least 1972. <a href="https://www.billande.com/bio/">Osceola
lead guitarist Bill Ande was a transplant from Florida. He had played
and recorded with some modestly successful bands, like the R-Dells, the
American Beetles (really), who had then changed their name to The
Razor's Edge and had even played American Bandstand</a>. Come '69, Ande
had relocated to San Francisco to play some psychedelic blues. The
musicians he linked up with were all Florida transplants as well, so
even though they were a San Francisco band, they chose the name Osceola
as an homage to their roots. To some extent, Osceola replaced Devil's
Kitchen as the informal "house band" at the Family Dog, insofar as they
played there so regularly. <br /></p><p>Osceola was a five piece band with
two drummers, and played all the local ballrooms and rock nightclubs.
Ande was joined by guitarist Alan Yott, bassist Chuck Nicholis and
drummers Donny Fields and Richard Bevis. Osceola was a successful live
act, but never recorded. Almost all of the band members would return to
the Southeast (mainly Tallahassee and Atlanta) in the mid-70 to have
successful music careers.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghX6P_mGm5ikdHROtV03rXtP4PYnXaFCNj0MWdrY24-c4P4WgT2AjQ9RlKeWEmYfIW2uPq7gIfqLMZk3zzLwVssVgRi0docQnKGuvTcs1IWCco8XUY1JLpvXbVnr01wjPUYYvxYoUe_P8n/s527/Southern+Comfort+lp+CBS+1970.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghX6P_mGm5ikdHROtV03rXtP4PYnXaFCNj0MWdrY24-c4P4WgT2AjQ9RlKeWEmYfIW2uPq7gIfqLMZk3zzLwVssVgRi0docQnKGuvTcs1IWCco8XUY1JLpvXbVnr01wjPUYYvxYoUe_P8n/s320/Southern+Comfort+lp+CBS+1970.jpg" /></a></div><br />Around May, 1969, drummer Bob Jones and some other local musicians formed a band
modeled on Booker T and The MGs. The idea was that they would be a
complete studio ensemble, and also record and perform their own music.
All of the musicians were regulars in the busy San Francisco studios, often playing for producer Nick Gravenites. The members of <b>Southern Comfort</b> were: <br /><p></p><blockquote><b>Fred Burton</b>-lead guitar [<i>aka Fred Olson, his given name</i>]<br /><b>Ron Stallings</b>-tenor sax, vocals<br /><b>John Wilmeth</b>-trumpet<br /><b>Steve Funk</b>-keyboards<br /><b>Art Stavro</b>-bass<br /><b>Bob Jones</b>-drums, vocals</blockquote><p><a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2010/11/john-kahn-live-performance-1967-68-t-r.html">Ron
Stallings had been in the T&A Blues Band with Kahn and Jones</a>. He
would turn up later with Kahn in Reconstruction in 1979. In late 1969, Southern
Comfort had been signed by Columbia Records, and Gravenites was
signed up as the producer. At this period of time, Gravenites was also
working with Mike Bloomfield, Brewer And Shipley and later Danny Cox
(who shared management with Brewer And Shipley), and the individual members worked on many of those records. Meanwhile, Southern Comfort gigged steadily around the Bay Area. <br /></p><p>According to Jones, Nick Gravenites found himself overcommitted in the
studio, and turned the production of the Southern Comfort album over to
John Kahn. Kahn and Jones were close friends, so this was fine with the
band. Gravenites had been using the musically trained Kahn as an
arranger and orchestrator anyway, so this was more like a promotion rather
than a new assignment. Kahn was listed as co-producer on the <i>Southern Comfort</i>
album, and he filled in a few gaps--co-writing songs, helping with
arrangements, playing piano--but not playing bass. Columbia released
the <i>Southern Comfort</i> album in mid-1970. At the time of this Family Dog show, the album had probably just been released.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRh-QNtw7Ak6_ol85O0sppPMRlrAPVmt-ATB3J9GF6NigPt3gZaQdTXTg_irly2aoM9UtmZFfDnVE7-ic32U6GoBOqjH45PrPHAYZSuA0Jq7NAOF-xtV8xOi0eFi2NffSqCqjYBgSb_Lsi3ZbiAXbOT9caHsIm6qHnWLzGRAg1aLYGjyvA5--RsCoNw/s523/BIg%20Mama%20FDGH19700516.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRh-QNtw7Ak6_ol85O0sppPMRlrAPVmt-ATB3J9GF6NigPt3gZaQdTXTg_irly2aoM9UtmZFfDnVE7-ic32U6GoBOqjH45PrPHAYZSuA0Jq7NAOF-xtV8xOi0eFi2NffSqCqjYBgSb_Lsi3ZbiAXbOT9caHsIm6qHnWLzGRAg1aLYGjyvA5--RsCoNw/s320/BIg%20Mama%20FDGH19700516.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>A Randy Tuten flyer for Big Mama Thornton, Sandy Bull, Mendelbaum and Doug McKechnie and His Moog Synthesizer at the Family Dog on The Great Highway, May 15-16, 1970</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCybPiDi6ijCdRc-_naxLRwwzpm33jozqNLzIFuZizWdlhDMy_PwDJ0_PTP2C_OSW7wg56BgaA2FWzaKF7MCKdRIVMdH2BW2HUhNFFI5NteGc19IMVC0U3XJN5CS-B7WGV45yU4zeDIKrE/s600/Big+Mama+Thornton+The+Way+It+Is+Mercury+lp+1969.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="600" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCybPiDi6ijCdRc-_naxLRwwzpm33jozqNLzIFuZizWdlhDMy_PwDJ0_PTP2C_OSW7wg56BgaA2FWzaKF7MCKdRIVMdH2BW2HUhNFFI5NteGc19IMVC0U3XJN5CS-B7WGV45yU4zeDIKrE/s320/Big+Mama+Thornton+The+Way+It+Is+Mercury+lp+1969.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />May 15-16, 1970 Family Dog on the Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Big Mama Thornton/Sandy Bull/Mendlebaum/Doug McKechenie and His Moog Synthesizer </b><i>(Friday-Saturday)</i><br /><b>Big Mama Thornton</b> (1926-1984) had been a popular and important blues singer since the early 1950s. She had originally recorded “Hound Dog” in 1952, years before Elvis Presley, and her 1968 version of “Ball And Chain” was a huge influence on Janis Joplin’s more famous cover version (as Janis was the first to admit). However, Thornton’s successful records did not lead to her own financial success, and despite being a fine performer she was notoriously difficult to work with. Big Mama had played a number of weekends at the Fillmore in 1966, including opening for both the Jefferson Airplane (October 1966) and the Grateful Dead (December 1966). Unlike many blues artists who played the Fillmore the first year, she had not reappeared. There's no explanation as to why she hadn't been seen at rock venues since. Big Mama had played at the Family Dog back in July '69, but she had almost no rock profile. <br /></span></span><p><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3"><span>From today's
perspective, Big Mama Thornton seems like a very interesting performer,
and no doubt she was, but in 1970, to the mostly teenage audience, she
would have just seemed old (of course, in 1970 she would have been just
43). Her current album would have been <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Big-Mama-Thornton-The-Way-It-Is/release/8011205"><i>The Way It Is</i>, on Mercury</a>.</span></font></span><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3"><span> </span></font></span></p><p></p><p><b>Sandy Bull </b>was a solo guitarist, a unique and remarkable
performer whose elaborate fingerpicking was enhanced by various
electronic looping effects. Although appealing to a rock audience, more
or less, Bull was the type of performer whose audience remained seated.
He had played the Bay Area many times over the years, usually at The Matrix. At this time, <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Sandy-Bull-E-Pluribus-Unum/release/1488317">his most recent album would have been <i>E Puribus Unum</i>, released on Vanguard the previous year</a>. Bull had played all the instruments himself, and the music was hardly rock. </p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0KtpixAjR2swKVqAaW2IQNTZPK4D9KAlLQ_cQrB5kQAfh43JctmhvVQMi-ESGottWPlrwSwehwT_TewhebMOl4ZaMoqzDRTvrb9aYqShXtSx8wGT6lvLzW6lF6XpVXGVOJqAJ1swwcb1/s300/Mendelbaum+2002+cd+Shadoks.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0KtpixAjR2swKVqAaW2IQNTZPK4D9KAlLQ_cQrB5kQAfh43JctmhvVQMi-ESGottWPlrwSwehwT_TewhebMOl4ZaMoqzDRTvrb9aYqShXtSx8wGT6lvLzW6lF6XpVXGVOJqAJ1swwcb1/s0/Mendelbaum+2002+cd+Shadoks.jpg" width="300" /></a></b></div><b><br />Mendelbaum</b> had arrived from Wisconsin at the end of Summer 1969. They featured lead
guitarist Chris Michie, who went on to play with Van Morrison and
others, and drummer Keith Knudsen (who would play with Lee Michaels and then
the Doobie Brothers). By May of 1970, Mendelbaum were regulars around the Bay Area rock club scene. In 2002, <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Mendelbaum-Mendelbaum/release/5073836">the German label Shadoks would release a double-cd of Mendelbaum material from 1969 and '70 (both live recordings and studio demos)</a>. <br /><p></p><p></p><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHyuedZBXl_Cj-jin5JkcEklKWE95sDVEG_TxJXT_T0l_jwyg2uK6cJGX7GlNHlN-8qAdjXBPjkssXMJDXPySN8le7EkdlvC4UI6vWSTpy0n6HOJMFf5ehJ3x8XOPYyrP50irz6nt-816-/s640/doug+mckechnie+moog+1968.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHyuedZBXl_Cj-jin5JkcEklKWE95sDVEG_TxJXT_T0l_jwyg2uK6cJGX7GlNHlN-8qAdjXBPjkssXMJDXPySN8le7EkdlvC4UI6vWSTpy0n6HOJMFf5ehJ3x8XOPYyrP50irz6nt-816-/s320/doug+mckechnie+moog+1968.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Doug McKechnie and his Moog synthesizer, ca 1968</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />Doug McKechnie</b> performed on his Moog Synthesizer. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/04/august-29-30-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">He had previously played the Family Dog under the name SF Radical Lab, back on August 31</a>, and <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/05/september-15-26-1969-family-dog-on.html">then again on the weekend of September 19-21</a>. At this time, there was a little bit of
awareness about synthesizers, through Walter Carlos' 1968 album <i>Switched On Bach </i>record and<i> </i>George Harrison's 1969 <i>Electronic Sounds</i>
lp, but they were still pretty mysterious. No one would have seen a Moog
Synthesizer live, so in that respect McKechnie's performance would have been quite
interesting.<p></p><p>Doug McKechnie's history was unique in so many ways. Around
about 1968, McKechnie had lived in a warehouse type building on 759
Harrison (between 3rd and 4th Streets-for reference, 759 Harrison is now across from
Whole Foods). Avalon Ballroom soundman and
partner Bob Cohen lived in the building, and Blue Cheer (and Dan Hicks
and The Hot Licks) practiced upstairs. One day, McKechnie's roommate
Bruce Hatch acquired a Moog Synthesizer, and the instrument arrived in
boxes, awaiting assembly. At the time, a synthesizer was like a musical
unicorn, only slightly more real than a myth. Hatch had the technical
ability to assemble the machinery, but he was basically tone-deaf. So
McKechnie focused on actually making music on the Moog. </p><p><a href="https://aquariumdrunkard.com/category/doug-mckechnie/">McKechnie and Hatch referred to their enterprise as Radical Sound Labs</a>. Word got around--McKechnie helped the Grateful Dead record the strange outtake "What's Become Of The Baby" on the 1969 <i>Aoxomoxoa</i>
sessions in San Mateo (his memories are, uh, fuzzy). Thanks to the
Dead, McKechnie and his Moog--the size of a VW Bus--can be seen in the <i>Gimme Shelter</i> movie, providing peculiar music on a gigantic sound system for the
anxious masses. </p><p>[<i><b>update 20230515</b>: <a href="http://www.jessejarnow.com/about/">fellow scholar Jesse Jarnow</a> points out that <a href="https://richardtaylordesign.com/biography/">the founder of Rainbow Jam Lights, Richard Winn Taylor, became an important Hollywood animation pioneer</a>]</i><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZl5iZxUdhWVM7YDyX_O-2AEK7zrlw0C3zu3kBobDueKvcSdNy1s7WWR3KM8Ap19TQVmH4PJichE-aHzedBBpMPvNZeL9ubdS93S1OcJMMuw-treiaersilu0QiO4afWTKt2-9OLGCYTuF/s436/Shorty+FDGH+19700522+22+May+1970%252C+29+-+The+San+Francisco+Examiner+at+Newspapers+com.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZl5iZxUdhWVM7YDyX_O-2AEK7zrlw0C3zu3kBobDueKvcSdNy1s7WWR3KM8Ap19TQVmH4PJichE-aHzedBBpMPvNZeL9ubdS93S1OcJMMuw-treiaersilu0QiO4afWTKt2-9OLGCYTuF/s320/Shorty+FDGH+19700522+22+May+1970%252C+29+-+The+San+Francisco+Examiner+at+Newspapers+com.png" width="320" /></a></div><b>May 22-24, 1970 Family Dog on the Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Shorty Featuring Georgie Fame,/Jerry Hahn Brotherhood/Fourth Way</b><i> (Friday-Sunday)</i><br />This May weekend featured an all jazz-rock bill, and the performances would certainly be of a very high quality. None of the groups were particularly popular, unfortunately, so attendance was probably thin.<p></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTapwIoGsQwLhEIGCwpb5SwODwa6dhMx5TBubWEkscVA1DPdKNzXj_vGkyV4Aqfg7cHKiRQLaCdcxcgLQ7IeYUzsp3Ufdtwb39-V2C06GdFUmLu1S9EeoXPVccHedhYpLiXxlq-1R_0ctV/s604/Shorty+w+Georgie+Fame+1970+Epic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTapwIoGsQwLhEIGCwpb5SwODwa6dhMx5TBubWEkscVA1DPdKNzXj_vGkyV4Aqfg7cHKiRQLaCdcxcgLQ7IeYUzsp3Ufdtwb39-V2C06GdFUmLu1S9EeoXPVccHedhYpLiXxlq-1R_0ctV/s320/Shorty+w+Georgie+Fame+1970+Epic.jpg" /></a></b></div><b><br />Georgie Fame</b> (b. Clive Powell in 1943) had been a huge star in England in the 60s. In the early 60s, Fame played legendary gigs at the Flamingo Club for American servicemen. Fame sang and played organ, and was heavily influenced by Mose Allison, James Brown and others. He merged soul, blues and jazz in a unique English way. Without Georgie Fame, there would be no Van Morrison (Fame was an anchor of Van's live bands in the 80s and 90s, and they would make an album together). Fame had three #1 hits in England, "Yeh Yeh" (1964), "Get Away" ('66) and "The Ballad Of Bonnie and Clyde" (1967). Only the latter was a hit in the States, however. Georgie Fame never toured America with other British Invasion acts, reputedly because he had Nigerians and Jamaicans in his band. <p></p><p>In 1969, Fame reformulated himself with a sophisticated band called <b>Shorty</b>. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Georgie-Fame-Shorty-Featuring-Georgie-Fame/release/3345622">They released an album on Epic in early 1970</a>. It was supposedly recorded live, but it sounds to me like it was actually recorded live in the studio with crowd noise dubbed in. In any case, there was a mixture of originals and jazzed up covers of blues songs like "Parchman Farm" and "Seventh Son." The band seemed to be a quintet with Fame on Hammond organ, an electric guitarist and a tenor saxophone. Shorty seems to have done a short American tour, as they had just played at the Fillmore West (opening for Lee Michaels and the Faces from May 7-10).</p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ralkumii82AGM94MtH8XIfd6cpc7PWGnO-rFM9Ltt5qk4yoJyl7y7on6gYwBW0YjXUv95yEdc7eNV4wgHMGAsjL0GNgxqjT_jkWGSclyu1w1lGWB3VzhXoAVPAkPMU7fgfGeed_1kTQG/s600/Jerry+Hahn+Brotherhood.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="579" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ralkumii82AGM94MtH8XIfd6cpc7PWGnO-rFM9Ltt5qk4yoJyl7y7on6gYwBW0YjXUv95yEdc7eNV4wgHMGAsjL0GNgxqjT_jkWGSclyu1w1lGWB3VzhXoAVPAkPMU7fgfGeed_1kTQG/s320/Jerry+Hahn+Brotherhood.jpg" /></a></b></div><b><br />The Jerry Hahn Brotherhood</b> was a newly-formed,
only-in-San-Francisco band, and they had gotten a fairly big advance from Columbia. Columbia was heavy in the "jazz-rock" vein, and had hit it big with Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago. They would release an album in the middle of the year.<br /><p></p><p>Jerry Hahn was a pretty serious jazz guitarist,
based in San Francisco, and he had played with John Handy and Gary
Burton, among others. As "jazz-rock" became a thing, Hahn seems to have
wanted to play in a more rock vein. Organist Mike Finnegan was newly
arrived from Wichita, Kansas. He was not only a great Hammond player, he
was a terrific blues singer too (also, he was 6'6'' tall, and had gone
to U. of Kansas on a basketball scholarship, making him the Bruce
Hornsby of his era). Filling out the band were local jazz musicians Mel Graves
on bass and George Marsh on drums. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Loading%20Zone.htm">Marsh had just left the Loading Zone, an interesting (if perpetually struggling) Oakland band</a>. </p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwF7guv_FRXx0hlOhlatWQ_PiKanC6x5Pd2cG-B1WWNCTiG_MqaYgs-gA5I1A7adPrOSftW0OMnrfmwi9k88snneAJS971sUqzsnwrHuQFJKJ2PH6cfjVdvWqeQCDoAj0z_RRW9Km_aBa/s599/The+Fourth+Way+Capitol+%252769.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="599" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwF7guv_FRXx0hlOhlatWQ_PiKanC6x5Pd2cG-B1WWNCTiG_MqaYgs-gA5I1A7adPrOSftW0OMnrfmwi9k88snneAJS971sUqzsnwrHuQFJKJ2PH6cfjVdvWqeQCDoAj0z_RRW9Km_aBa/s320/The+Fourth+Way+Capitol+%252769.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />The Fourth Way</b> was an interesting electric jazz-rock band. There were a
lot of bands in the Bay Area fusing rock, jazz and electricity, but
Fourth Way did it in a less frantic style than Miles Davis or the Tony
Williams Lifetime. Fourth Way did release three albums on Capitol, now
long out-of-print. Bandleader Mike Nock, formerly pianist with Yusef
Lateer, Steve Marcus and many others played electric keyboards. The lead
soloist was electric violinist Mike White, best known for playing with
the John Handy Quintet. Bassist Ron McClure had played with Handy, and
then with a Charles Lloyd Quartet lineup when it was based in San
Francisco (along with Keith Jarrett and Jack DeJohnette). Drummer Eddie
Marshall rounded out the quartet.<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfaskvCAp-elgdA9HRJpX4krQsvQD6XcTBuAyXBiRamMBrPTGOtrKXTZ0Jtkz3yfIca5lA7pTZDoHdDG5qtipx2KKr9QjFZAdUPYjlB0uGSnOuMMRF4v7DlmfZUdcbws3Upvnx5wk1Nflq/s2048/Tape+Vault+Compendium+%25281970318%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfaskvCAp-elgdA9HRJpX4krQsvQD6XcTBuAyXBiRamMBrPTGOtrKXTZ0Jtkz3yfIca5lA7pTZDoHdDG5qtipx2KKr9QjFZAdUPYjlB0uGSnOuMMRF4v7DlmfZUdcbws3Upvnx5wk1Nflq/s320/Tape+Vault+Compendium+%25281970318%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>This Susanna Millman photo from the old Grateful Dead Tapers Compendium shows Owsley tapes for Shorty, Fourth Way and Jerry Hahn Brotherhood from May 23, 1970</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />An intriguing detail about this set of concerts is that Owsley preserved tapes of all three bands from the Saturday night show (May 23, 1970). A long-ago Susanna Millman photo of the Grateful Dead Tape Vault, from the old <i>Grateful Dead Tapers Compendium</i>, which at the time included Owsley's material , shows tape boxes for all three bands. After Owsley had been busted with the Grateful Dead in New Orleans, back at the end of January, he was no longer able to travel with them due to a parole violation from a previous arrest. At least on some occasions, Owsley was the soundman at the Family Dog, and as a result some interesting tapes from 1970 were preserved. The current status of these three tapes is unknown, but I remain ever hopeful.</p><p><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/11/may-29-june-27-1970-family-dog-on-great.html"><i>For the next post in the series (various bookings, May 29-June 27, 1970), see here</i><br /></a></p><p><br /></p><p></p>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-81309999389563550422022-10-23T06:30:00.001-07:002022-10-28T06:52:02.181-07:00April 24-26, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Quicksilver Messenger Service/Osceola/Robert Savage [FDGH '70 XV]<p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s400/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, ca. 1969</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />The
Family Dog was a foundation stone in the rise of San Francisco rock,
and it was in operation in various forms from Fall 1965 through the
Summer of 1970. For sound historical reasons, most of the focus on the
Family Dog has been on the original 4-person collective who organized
the first San Francisco Dance Concerts in late 1965, and on their
successor Chet Helms. Helms took over the Family Dog in early 1966, and
after a brief partnership with Bill Graham at the Fillmore, promoted
memorable concerts at the Avalon Ballroom from Spring 1966 through
December 1968. The posters, music and foggy memories of the Avalon are
what made the Family Dog a legendary 60s rock icon.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In the Summer
of 1969, however, with San Francisco as one of the fulcrums of the rock
music explosion, Chet Helms opened another venue. The Family Dog on The
Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, on the Western edge of San
Francisco, was only open for 14 months and was not a success. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">Yet numerous interesting bands played there, and remarkable events took place, and they are only documented in a scattered form.</a>
This series of posts will undertake a systematic review of every
musical event at the Family Dog on The Great Highway. In general, each
post will represent a week of musical events at the venue, although that
may vary slightly depending on the bookings.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If anyone has
memories, reflections, insights, corrections or flashbacks about shows
at the Family Dog on the Great Highway, please post them in the
Comments.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s501/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s320/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>660 Great Highway in San Francisco in 1967, when it was the ModelCar Raceway, a slot car track</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b><br />The Edgewater Ballroom, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />As
early as 1913, there were rides and concessions at Ocean Beach in San
Francisco, near the Richmond District. By 1926, they had been
consolidated as Playland-At-The-Beach. The Ocean Beach area included
attractions such as the Sutro Baths and the Cliff House. The San
Francisco Zoo was just south of Playland, having opened in the 1930s.<a href="http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2011/10/family-dog-at-great-highway-660-great.html ">
One of the attractions at Playland was a restaurant called Topsy's
Roost. The restaurant had closed in 1930, and the room became the
Edgewater Ballroom. The Ballroom eventually closed, and Playland went
into decline when its owner died in 1958.</a> By the 1960s, the former Edgewater was a slot car raceway. In early 1969, Chet Helms took over the lease of the old Edgewater. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s768/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr style="text-align: left;"><td class="tr-caption"><i>One
of the only photos of the interior of the Family Dog on The Great
Highway (from a Stephen Gaskin "Monday Night Class" ca. October 1969)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />The Family Dog On The Great Highway</b><br />The
Great Highway was a four-lane road that ran along the Western edge of
San Francisco, right next to Ocean Beach. Downtown San Francisco faced
the Bay, but beyond Golden Gate Park was the Pacific Ocean. The aptly
named Ocean Beach is dramatic and beautiful, but it is mostly windy and
foggy. Much of the West Coast of San Francisco is not even a beach, but
rocky cliffs. There are no roads in San Francisco West of the Great
Highway, so "660 Great Highway" was ample for directions (for reference,
it is near the intersection of Balboa Street and 48th Avenue). The
tag-line "Edge Of The Western World" was not an exaggeration, at least
in American terms.<br /><br />The Family Dog on The Great Highway was
smaller than the Bill Graham's old Fillmore Auditorium. It could hold up
to 1500, but the official capacity was probably closer to 1000. Unlike
the comparatively centrally located Fillmore West, the FDGH was far from
downtown, far from the Peninsula suburbs, and not particularly easy to
get to from the freeway. For East Bay or Marin residents, the Great
Highway was a formidable trip. The little ballroom was very appealing,
but if you didn't live way out in the Avenues, you had to drive. As a
result, FDGH didn't get a huge number of casual drop-ins, and that
didn't help its fortunes. Most of the locals referred to the venue as
"Playland."</p><i><b>The Family Dog In 1969</b></i><br /><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/01/june-13-15-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">Chet Helms had opened the Family Dog at 660 Great Highway to much fanfare on June 13, 1969, with a packed house seeing the Jefferson Airplane and The Charlatans</a>. One of the goals was that the Dog would feature mostly San
Francisco bands and a variety of smaller community events and groups.
Since so many San Francisco bands were successful, and had record
contracts, this didn't confine the venue to obscurity. A lot of great
bands played the Family Dog in 1969, but the distant location and the
gravitational pull of major rock events hosted elsewhere in the Bay Area
kept the Family Dog isolated. We know only the most fragmentary bits
about music played, events and audiences throughout the year. Despite
the half-year of struggle, Helms had kept the Family Dog on The Great
Highway afloat. He had entered the new year of 1970 with a new plan. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">For a complete list of Family Dog shows (including FDGH), see <b>here</b></a></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/10/april-17-19-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">For the previous entry (April 17-19, 1970 Mickey and The Hartbeats) see </a><b><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/10/april-17-19-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">here</a> </b><br /></li><li><a href="http://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/12/family-dog-on-great-highway-navigation.html">For a summary and the link to the most recent entries in this series, see <b>here</b></a></li></ul><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-x1BSSHZ-LKiaSKGcVhxs1yOLjbx4Xkb7jiiqJDYEk5lnnQni7sa9Tfo5AzL9Ro8Z9jAHnPDE46C8RwxrMlG1_fPzD7hvdvQ1LtrYbijdFwV345mhMCL7iGbMn5k5N0H_ggAan9cohY9/s1318/QMS+FDGH+19700424+San+Francisco+Good+Times+-+community+28044020+pdf.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1318" data-original-width="954" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-x1BSSHZ-LKiaSKGcVhxs1yOLjbx4Xkb7jiiqJDYEk5lnnQni7sa9Tfo5AzL9Ro8Z9jAHnPDE46C8RwxrMlG1_fPzD7hvdvQ1LtrYbijdFwV345mhMCL7iGbMn5k5N0H_ggAan9cohY9/s320/QMS+FDGH+19700424+San+Francisco+Good+Times+-+community+28044020+pdf.png" width="232" /></a></div><br /><b>April 24-26, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Quicksilver Messenger Service/Osceola/Robert Savage </b><i>(Friday-Sunday)</i><br />When the renewed Family Dog on The Great Highway resurfaced in February 1970, the first publicized shows had been with Quicksilver Messenger Service. Jefferson Airplane had already played a sort of stealth weekend show, and there was a midweek TV-only event for invited guests. But for civilian hippies, <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/08/february-6-7-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">the first chance for them to go to the new Family Dog had been to see the reconstructed Quicksilver Messenger Service on the weekend of February 6-7, 1970</a>. <br /><p>By any calculation, <b>Quicksilver Messenger Service </b>was an original San
Francisco psychedelic ballroom band, whose limited output from Back In
The Day has paradoxically made them more popular rather than less. For
most of us who weren't there, the band's first two Capitol albums, <i>Quicksilver Messenger Service </i>(released May 1968) and <i>Happy Trails </i>(released
March 1969) are true San Francisco rock classics, lysergically etched
in the brains of past, present and future hippies. What few live tapes
survive of the band from 1967 and '68 are plenty impressive, as well. </p><p>The
roots of Quicksilver went back to late 1965 and the very beginning of San
Francisco rock. A few long-haired musicians were rehearsing at the
Matrix, before the band had a name. Jefferson Airplane poached thei band's guitarist, Skip Spence, and turned him into their drummer. The
unnamed-band's bassist (David Freiberg) spent 60 days in jail on a
parole violation for weed. Two guys in the band (guitarists John
Cippolina and Jim Murray) had gone to the very first Family Dog event at
Longshoreman's Hall on October 16, 1965 (pre-Chet Helms), and met two
musicians from Stockton, CA, whose band (The Brogues) had just fallen
apart. Once guitarist Gary Duncan and drummer Greg Elmore joined
Cippolina, Murray and Freiberg, there was a band. Quicksilver Messenger
Service even put on their own show at the Fillmore (February 12, 1966),
before Bill Graham had fully established his operation. So Quicksilver
went back to the very beginning.<br /></p><p>Quicksilver Messenger Service
was an essential part of every major San Francisco venue and rock event
from 1966 through 1968, worthy of a book in its own right (actually, I
know someone who wrote one, and it's very good, but I don't think it
will ever see the light of day). Old tapes show us that the initial
Quicksilver quintet had a broad palate and an interesting mixture of
driving rhythms and folk-rock harmonies. By the time their debut album
was released in May, 1968, Jim Murray had departed. There were fewer
harmonies and more guitar, right in line with the explosion of
psychedelia. Quicksilver toured the country, and the quartet killed it
everywhere they went, less sloppy than the Airplane yet more direct than
the Grateful Dead. Stardom beckoned for the band.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsX3Q58SOOOFPsUu78qpw_5EzwOEIIxGZ2U43ehEa_GZHmfDCSRHNWusHwq7ny5LrXgLMKZ_-l4aMq9qgt7vxSXZ99Qj-TZDEeh7h6434-ap8aAF3uHz3Y3BV_tCnqIc7m4aFy5VFIFIT/s300/Quicksilver_Messenger_Service-Happy_Trails_%2528album_cover%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsX3Q58SOOOFPsUu78qpw_5EzwOEIIxGZ2U43ehEa_GZHmfDCSRHNWusHwq7ny5LrXgLMKZ_-l4aMq9qgt7vxSXZ99Qj-TZDEeh7h6434-ap8aAF3uHz3Y3BV_tCnqIc7m4aFy5VFIFIT/s0/Quicksilver_Messenger_Service-Happy_Trails_%2528album_cover%2529.jpg" /></a></div><br />Unfortunately,
guitarist Gary Duncan left Quicksilver Messenger Service at the end of
1968, feeling the band had stagnated. Duncan felt they had been playing
the same set live for months, one of the things that made them powerful
on the road. It's also why most '68 QMS tapes are pretty much the same,
if uniformly enjoyable. Duncan's guitar was essential to the band's
sound, and he shared lead vocals with Freiberg. Quicksilver still existed in 1969, but
only as a ghost. Duncan went off to form a group with former folk
singer Dino Valenti (whose story is too long to tell here).<br /><p>In March, 1969, Capitol had released the band's second album, <i>Happy Trails. Happy Trails</i>,
mostly recorded live, remains a psychedelic classic to this day. "Who
Do You Love," taking up most of side two, showed the rest of the music
world how psychedelia was done just right in San Francisco. The album
got major airplay on the new FM rock stations all over the country. The
band was a hit. But they weren't a band without Duncan.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxnZ9fpPle4HO83r-J5IkgvVsK-Ay1WIqNEhbQ3KMKuOjzFj_Fl6FJG0fBnRmw7s9yQe21kyIbvMc3UlGAyd0u0U0Wj_eewk1M4sfDrnVA8AK4rhPp3yfTzX6uqSSAIU157u_TjXTZfab/s400/quicksilver_shadygrove.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxnZ9fpPle4HO83r-J5IkgvVsK-Ay1WIqNEhbQ3KMKuOjzFj_Fl6FJG0fBnRmw7s9yQe21kyIbvMc3UlGAyd0u0U0Wj_eewk1M4sfDrnVA8AK4rhPp3yfTzX6uqSSAIU157u_TjXTZfab/s320/quicksilver_shadygrove.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Quicksilver
Messenger Service 3rd album, Shady Grove, released by Capitol in
December 1969. Nicky Hopkins was a member of the band, and Dan Healy was
the engineer.<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Quicksilver Messenger Service muddled through 1969, trying to record a follow-up to <i>Happy Trails</i>.
Lead guitarist John Cippolina wasn't a writer, however, nor was
Freiberg, even though he was a good singer. Pianist Nicky Hopkins, a
friend of Cippolina's, joined the band, but he wasn't a writer or singer
either. Producer Nick Gravenites contributed some songs, a few friends
contributed some songs and the band released the messy album <i>Shady Grove</i>
in December of 1969. Throughout the year, the band played perhaps a
half-dozen gigs, mostly unsatisfactory ones. A band with great promise
had been stopped in its tracks. </p><p>In 1969, however, Duncan and
Valenti had achieved nothing together, so they rejoined Quicksilver
Messenger Service at Winterland on New Year's Eve 1969. I'm not really
sure what went down on stage that night (the tape circulating with that
date does not seem to be from that show). Still, all their fans were
happy to have Duncan back on the train. The new Quicksilver had the core
quartet (Cippolina, Duncan, Freiberg, Elmore) with Hopkins on piano and
Valenti as another vocalist. It seemed like a winning combination. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/08/february-6-7-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">The February booking at the Family Dog had been Quicksilver's re-introduction to both old and new fans of the band</a>.</p><p>Come April, Quicksilver had been playing around the Bay Area somewhat. The band had evolved a little bit, too. The big issue for any Quicksilver fans, whether old or new, was lead singer Dino Valenti. In the 60s, the Quicksilver sound had been anchored in the twin guitars of Cippolina and Duncan. Hopkins' melodic piano only added to that tapestry, and was uniformly well received, as far as I know.</p><p>In the 60s, however, Freiberg and Duncan had inserted vocals when they were needed, but mostly hunkered down while the guitarists to do their thing. Valenti, however, had a long career as a self-possessed folk singer, dating back to Greenwich Village in the early 60s, and he didn't lay back. Also, he was a prolific writer, in contrast to any other members of the band. Thus the new Quicksilver did numerous Dino Valenti songs, and Dino did not defer to the guitarists. Now, some of those songs were appealing, like "Fresh Air" (and later, "What About Me"). But not everyone liked all his songs, and Dino took front and center for those songs, often repeating choruses and wordlessly vocalizing, much to the dismay of fans who wanted to hear Cippolina, Duncan and Hopkins lay down their mesmerizing groove.</p><p>We have Quicksilver Messenger Service tapes from this period (for example, a filmed performance at Sonoma State College in late March, 1970), so we have an idea of what Quicksilver sounded like. But we don't know what they played, much less how many people showed up or how they went down.<br /></p><p> </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOQoDU3PAnnylLBk1bZKX2WezEjwaqc-cWfA6dpu9859MF9loLoOSQjn5E7X-UC5LPgYlrXON4in76q1BkANlXonrf4_VhxzuHBV4QEYF4_DMFraHOGwajBG1viniEsmLhaqVtKBfb9D2/s1517/alan-yott-Osceola+FDGH+1970.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1052" data-original-width="1517" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOQoDU3PAnnylLBk1bZKX2WezEjwaqc-cWfA6dpu9859MF9loLoOSQjn5E7X-UC5LPgYlrXON4in76q1BkANlXonrf4_VhxzuHBV4QEYF4_DMFraHOGwajBG1viniEsmLhaqVtKBfb9D2/s320/alan-yott-Osceola+FDGH+1970.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Osceola guitarist Alan Yott, live at the Family Dog on The Great Highway, sometime in 1969 or 1970</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />As for <b>Osceola</b>, they had been playing the Family Dog since September of 1969. They would play the Dog many times, and played
around the Bay Area regularly until at least 1972. <a href="https://www.billande.com/bio/">Osceola
lead guitarist Bill Ande was a transplant from Florida. He had played
and recorded with some modestly successful bands, like the R-Dells, the
American Beetles (really), who had then changed their name to The
Razor's Edge and had even played American Bandstand</a>. Come '69, Ande
had relocated to San Francisco to play some psychedelic blues. The
musicians he linked up with were all Florida transplants as well, so
even though they were a San Francisco band, they chose the name Osceola
as an homage to their roots. To some extent, Osceola replaced Devil's
Kitchen as the informal "house band" at the Family Dog, insofar as they
played there so regularly. <br /><p></p>Osceola was a five piece band with
two drummers, and played all the local ballrooms and rock nightclubs.
Ande was joined by guitarist Alan Yott, bassist Chuck Nicholis and
drummers Donny Fields and Richard Bevis. Osceola was a successful live
act, but never recorded. Almost all of the band members would return to
the Southeast (mainly Tallahassee and Atlanta) in the mid-70 to have
successful music careers.<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLhyphenhyphenHfelhHcGPQ0lrAY8NGXcYSASqgt3wN7LJn9ppR96Klb4sedWYFknUqqWHhPhfMVV3etbvmO5ENN0GzaWEgNdsRiXcvwu_kfCCwCvQSftq_rBbPz1hKOy0Y3VZ2DkgJBFuGH0zlxuo/s600/Robert+Savage+%2528inner+sleeve+71%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLhyphenhyphenHfelhHcGPQ0lrAY8NGXcYSASqgt3wN7LJn9ppR96Klb4sedWYFknUqqWHhPhfMVV3etbvmO5ENN0GzaWEgNdsRiXcvwu_kfCCwCvQSftq_rBbPz1hKOy0Y3VZ2DkgJBFuGH0zlxuo/s320/Robert+Savage+%2528inner+sleeve+71%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Robert
Savage (Bobby Arlin), from the inner sleeve of the 1971 Paramount album
The Adventures of Robert Savage (In the 60s, Arlin had been in the
Leaves and later The Hook)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div>The <b>Robert Savage Group</b>
was led by Bobby Arlin, formerly the lead guitarist for The Leaves, a
Hollywood band who had had a hit with "Hey Joe" back in 1966. I believe
Savage was based in the Bay Area at this time. His current trio had Don
Parrish on bass and Tommy Richards on drums. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Robert-Savage-The-Adventures-Of-Robert-Savage-Vol-1/release/2621299">They would go on to release an album on Paramount in 1971, <i>The Adventures Of Robert Savage</i></a>. I think the Robert Savage Group were booked by (or at least associated with) West-Pole, Quicksilver manager Ron Polte's agency.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/10/may-1-24-1970-family-dog-on-great.html"><i>For the next post in the series (May 1-24, 1970-various acts), see here</i></a><br /></div>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-15878091682340563522022-10-14T10:49:00.004-07:002022-10-23T06:31:13.868-07:00April 17-19, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: New Riders of The Purple Sage/Mickey Hart and His Hartbeats/Bobby Ace and The Cards Off The Bottom Of The Deck/Charlie Musselwhite [FDGH '70 XIV]<p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s400/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, ca. 1969</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />The
Family Dog was a foundation stone in the rise of San Francisco rock,
and it was in operation in various forms from Fall 1965 through the
Summer of 1970. For sound historical reasons, most of the focus on the
Family Dog has been on the original 4-person collective who organized
the first San Francisco Dance Concerts in late 1965, and on their
successor Chet Helms. Helms took over the Family Dog in early 1966, and
after a brief partnership with Bill Graham at the Fillmore, promoted
memorable concerts at the Avalon Ballroom from Spring 1966 through
December 1968. The posters, music and foggy memories of the Avalon are
what made the Family Dog a legendary 60s rock icon.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In the Summer
of 1969, however, with San Francisco as one of the fulcrums of the rock
music explosion, Chet Helms opened another venue. The Family Dog on The
Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, on the Western edge of San
Francisco, was only open for 14 months and was not a success. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">Yet numerous interesting bands played there, and remarkable events took place, and they are only documented in a scattered form.</a>
This series of posts will undertake a systematic review of every
musical event at the Family Dog on The Great Highway. In general, each
post will represent a week of musical events at the venue, although that
may vary slightly depending on the bookings.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If anyone has
memories, reflections, insights, corrections or flashbacks about shows
at the Family Dog on the Great Highway, please post them in the
Comments.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s501/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s320/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>660 Great Highway in San Francisco in 1967, when it was the ModelCar Raceway, a slot car track</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b><br />The Edgewater Ballroom, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />As
early as 1913, there were rides and concessions at Ocean Beach in San
Francisco, near the Richmond District. By 1926, they had been
consolidated as Playland-At-The-Beach. The Ocean Beach area included
attractions such as the Sutro Baths and the Cliff House. The San
Francisco Zoo was just south of Playland, having opened in the 1930s.<a href="http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2011/10/family-dog-at-great-highway-660-great.html ">
One of the attractions at Playland was a restaurant called Topsy's
Roost. The restaurant had closed in 1930, and the room became the
Edgewater Ballroom. The Ballroom eventually closed, and Playland went
into decline when its owner died in 1958.</a> By the 1960s, the former Edgewater was a slot car raceway. In early 1969, Chet Helms took over the lease of the old Edgewater. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s768/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr style="text-align: left;"><td class="tr-caption"><i>One
of the only photos of the interior of the Family Dog on The Great
Highway (from a Stephen Gaskin "Monday Night Class" ca. October 1969)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />The Family Dog On The Great Highway</b><br />The
Great Highway was a four-lane road that ran along the Western edge of
San Francisco, right next to Ocean Beach. Downtown San Francisco faced
the Bay, but beyond Golden Gate Park was the Pacific Ocean. The aptly
named Ocean Beach is dramatic and beautiful, but it is mostly windy and
foggy. Much of the West Coast of San Francisco is not even a beach, but
rocky cliffs. There are no roads in San Francisco West of the Great
Highway, so "660 Great Highway" was ample for directions (for reference,
it is near the intersection of Balboa Street and 48th Avenue). The
tag-line "Edge Of The Western World" was not an exaggeration, at least
in American terms.<br /><br />The Family Dog on The Great Highway was
smaller than the Bill Graham's old Fillmore Auditorium. It could hold up
to 1500, but the official capacity was probably closer to 1000. Unlike
the comparatively centrally located Fillmore West, the FDGH was far from
downtown, far from the Peninsula suburbs, and not particularly easy to
get to from the freeway. For East Bay or Marin residents, the Great
Highway was a formidable trip. The little ballroom was very appealing,
but if you didn't live way out in the Avenues, you had to drive. As a
result, FDGH didn't get a huge number of casual drop-ins, and that
didn't help its fortunes. Most of the locals referred to the venue as
"Playland."</p><i><b>The Family Dog In 1969</b></i><br /><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/01/june-13-15-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">Chet Helms had opened the Family Dog at 660 Great Highway to much fanfare on June 13, 1969, with a packed house seeing the Jefferson Airplane and The Charlatans</a>. One of the goals was that the Dog would feature mostly San
Francisco bands and a variety of smaller community events and groups.
Since so many San Francisco bands were successful, and had record
contracts, this didn't confine the venue to obscurity. A lot of great
bands played the Family Dog in 1969, but the distant location and the
gravitational pull of major rock events hosted elsewhere in the Bay Area
kept the Family Dog isolated. We know only the most fragmentary bits
about music played, events and audiences throughout the year. Despite
the half-year of struggle, Helms had kept the Family Dog on The Great
Highway afloat. He had entered the new year of 1970 with a new plan. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">For a complete list of Family Dog shows (including FDGH), see <b>here</b></a></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/10/april-3-5-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">For the previous entry (April 3-5, 1970 Eric Burdon) see </a><b><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/10/april-3-5-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">here</a> </b><br /></li><li><a href="http://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/12/family-dog-on-great-highway-navigation.html">For a summary and the link to the most recent entries in this series, see <b>here</b></a></li></ul><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjE_EyV4FCB771gxsNaE2I7FoTGWNuHqpHU9S_um6pGhmugR1gUuGKDFKnZ4R-_WObFx5zRuHZpmGIbSydTSxcZmatDLYGfWIaBU8-UL_tuZf-n-HomQcP5YGQEm8-1zbX41OiRE9cTH-/s1334/FDGH+Hartbeats+19700417+San+Francisco+Good+Times+-+community+28044019+pdf.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="1130" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjE_EyV4FCB771gxsNaE2I7FoTGWNuHqpHU9S_um6pGhmugR1gUuGKDFKnZ4R-_WObFx5zRuHZpmGIbSydTSxcZmatDLYGfWIaBU8-UL_tuZf-n-HomQcP5YGQEm8-1zbX41OiRE9cTH-/s320/FDGH+Hartbeats+19700417+San+Francisco+Good+Times+-+community+28044019+pdf.png" width="271" /></a></div><b>April 17-19, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: New Riders of The Purple Sage/Mickey Hart and His Hartbeats/Bobby Ace and The Cards Off The Bottom Of The Deck/Charlie Musselwhite</b><i> (Friday-Sunday)</i><br />The history of the Family Dog on The Great Highway was intimately wound up with the history of the Grateful Dead. For one thing, information about events out on the Great Highway has been hard to come by, and eternally thorough Grateful Dead scholarship has uncovered all sorts of information about the Family Dog, as it does with almost every 1960s venue. Critically, however, the Grateful Dead were the major San Francisco band who played the most on the Great Highway, and Jerry Garcia clearly liked playing there. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/07/january-30-31-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">So much so, in fact, that the Grateful Dead operation had nearly merged with the Family Dog at the end of January, 1970.</a> Of course, Chet Helms figured out that then-Dead manager Lenny Hart was a crook, and prudently scuttled the arrangement. <br /><p></p><p>One of our few ways of assessing the status of the Family Dog on The Great Highway has been assessing the implicit relationship of the Grateful Dead to the venue. By the time of April, 1970, the signs were ominous indeed. The Grateful Dead had headlined weekends at the Family Dog <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/03/august-2-3-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">twice</a> in <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/04/august-29-30-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">August of 1969</a>, once again <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/06/november-1-2-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">on Halloween weekend</a> and <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/08/february-27-march-1-1970-family-dog-on.html">then at the end of February of 1970</a>. In between, the New Riders of the Purple Sage had played numerous weeknight gigs, and a few weekend nights as well. The partnership had fallen apart in early February, but the late February weekend was no doubt already booked. Here it was April, and the Dead were playing the Family Dog under assumed names. The SF <i>Good Times</i> ad (above) says <i>"if u haven't passed on guess whooooo-presenting> Riders of The Purple Sage avec Jerry Garcia joined by Mickey Hart and The Hartbeats alias Bob Ace and his Cards From The Bottom Of The Deck"</i></p><p>To hippies who read the small print in ads, the New Riders of The Purple Sage were a known band, even if very few fans--even Deadheads--had actually heard them. The more astute might even recognize Mickey Hart and The Hartbeats or Bobby Ace and The Cards Off The Bottom Of The Deck, who had occasionally been billed at some obscure events in the previous year. In any case, even though the words "Grateful Dead" were never used, any smart hippie could figure out who was playing. But why the subterfuge? </p><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCb3k8bCKRqrqGZPiMrcmeCn8044wuM2Ko2izwiIJFDvknMCpCLlL7219wkcOQthA9aKfGlkDCXYRX4nEu0e0ETHh1kyJaXrlabRac1mQCt9GKRNgydSXZZJqC-EnFGrUPHk26GLdKAeIq/s130/Family_Dog_April_18_1970.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="130" data-original-width="130" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCb3k8bCKRqrqGZPiMrcmeCn8044wuM2Ko2izwiIJFDvknMCpCLlL7219wkcOQthA9aKfGlkDCXYRX4nEu0e0ETHh1kyJaXrlabRac1mQCt9GKRNgydSXZZJqC-EnFGrUPHk26GLdKAeIq/s0/Family_Dog_April_18_1970.jpg" width="130" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The 2013 cd release of the April 18, 1970 performance at the Family Dog</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />"Acoustic Dead"</b><br />In typical Family Dog fashion, we have no eyewitness reports of these three nights at the Family Dog. Did they sell a lot of tickets? Who actually played? Did the crowd like it? We have to guess. But in typical Grateful Dead fashion, we do have a tape of one set from one night, so we know something. Carolyn (Mountain Girl) Adams Garcia, Jerry's ex-wife, found an old tape in a box. <a href="http://www.deaddisc.com/disc/Family_Dog_April_18_1970.htm">Lo and behold, it was a recording from the Saturday, April 18, 1970 show at the Family Dog on The Great Highway, and released in 2013</a>. It was the earliest known iteration of the "acoustic set" the Dead would play throughout the Spring and Summer of 1970, in their "An Evening With The Grateful Dead" presentations. For those shows, the Dead would open with a four-piece lineup, mostly acoustic (Garcia and Weir, Phil Lesh and a drummer), slightly augmented by other players, then some honky-tonk country from the New Riders and finally the real electric Grateful Dead. Jerry Garcia would be on stage the entire time, sometimes up to 7 hours.<br /><br />All the exterior evidence points to the Family Dog shows as being a dry run for the acoustic Dead set and the New Riders. At this time, while Garcia and Weir had played occasional acoustic duets on stage, the lineup with Phil Lesh on electric bass and one of the drummers had not yet appeared. The New Riders of The Purple Sage had played steadily since the Summer of '69, although in contrast to their own mythology, they had only very rarely opened for the Grateful Dead. <a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/08/david-nelson-and-new-delhi-river-band.html">The New Riders had a new bass player, Dave Torbert, an old pal of David Nelson's from their days in the New Delhi River Band</a>. All the signs point to the Family Dog show as the debut for the newly rehearsed Torbert, as well. So I'm pretty sure that the booking was for the Dead to try out their new acoustic and New Riders configurations. The scrupulous insistence on not mentioning the Grateful Dead in the ads was partially because the band did not want to create expectations that there would be a full electric Dead set, since they probably didn't plan that. But remember--we don't know for sure.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXllD7piloKuSaMiFilEaBvXHjF9jNogL7YuYiap2OWBpxmXIfCeD8zQ-F3nw8_i64HGIxY7BSpkjk13yqTJFpEmXCfz5fmrYMoUuf4Z34DPXR0PFlBQgFug5eicP-5HFR6NBujQb4SULf/s648/19700417.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="503" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXllD7piloKuSaMiFilEaBvXHjF9jNogL7YuYiap2OWBpxmXIfCeD8zQ-F3nw8_i64HGIxY7BSpkjk13yqTJFpEmXCfz5fmrYMoUuf4Z34DPXR0PFlBQgFug5eicP-5HFR6NBujQb4SULf/s320/19700417.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><p><i><b>Bill Graham and The Fillmore West</b></i><br />Throughout the whole time that the Dead had played the Family Dog, they had also played for Bill Graham at the Fillmore West. This was true of most headline acts who played the Family Dog on The Great Highway. Graham had the prestige gig, and he paid better, so he always got bands first. When a band played Great Highway a few weeks later, Chet Helms had to hope that there was enough left over demand for fans to still want tickets. Just about every advertised Family Dog headliner in February and March of 1970, certainly the big ones, had played the Fillmore West a few weeks earlier. </p><p>Of course, even back then, the Grateful Dead were a different animal. There weren't hordes of traveling Deadheads yet, but fans who saw the Dead usually wanted to see them again, preferably as soon as possible. So playing at one venue only encouraged fans to see them at another venue. In February, for example the Dead had played Fillmore West at the beginning of the month (February 5-8) before playing the Family Dog at the end of the month (February 27-March 1). It probably helped attendance at the Dog.</p><p>Prior to this Family Dog weekend, the Dead had played an epic four-night stand with Miles Davis at Fillmore West (April 9-12). As if that weren't enough, the Dead, Jefferson Airplane and Quicksilver Messenger Service had rented Winterland on a Wednesday night (April 15) to put on their own show. The Dead's contract with Bill Graham would have stipulated that they could not advertise a show within three weeks or 50 miles of their Fillmore West booking (this was a standard clause). So even though Helms would have already booked the Dead, he couldn't have advertised it until after the Fillmore West shows. As if that weren't enough, the Dead had their own show, so they didn't want to detract from that. The ad above came from the San Francisco <i>Good Times</i>, which was published on Thursday. The issue here wasn't that fans might not want to see the Dead over and over--never an issue--but that without fair warning they couldn't make plans. </p><p>The Grateful Dead appear to have wanted a quiet tryout of their new, non-electric configurations, and chose the Family Dog. Bill Graham got the premier shows the weekend before, and the band themselves rented Winterland (from Graham, I might add) to book a big event with the Airplane and the Quick. Family Dog was now at the bottom of the chain. It wasn't a sign of vitality.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HdSokb2-eOQNA3KT_-Q9gLERiE7R0691yMHCNvT2XyaG7y0xbnImAnn3CYxMGrrYoDOdzFfjn-nPv2-WKyOCB1XBh1AKRfnuB_LFX3BJKYGDK7SUttrfOy9pQfCJq4gU2KFkIvUkzYpt/s426/SFC19700417-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="426" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HdSokb2-eOQNA3KT_-Q9gLERiE7R0691yMHCNvT2XyaG7y0xbnImAnn3CYxMGrrYoDOdzFfjn-nPv2-WKyOCB1XBh1AKRfnuB_LFX3BJKYGDK7SUttrfOy9pQfCJq4gU2KFkIvUkzYpt/s320/SFC19700417-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><i>What Happened?</i></b><br />What happened on these three nights? It's important to emphasize that we don't know. We have a tape of one set from one night, no eyewitnesses and no review. We can guess about some things--I just did that above--but we don't actually know. <a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2013/11/april-17-19-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">I wrote a post about this show some years ago, and unfortunately we did not uncover more information from the Comment Thread</a>. But let's make a list<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The New Riders of The Purple Sage had just signed up Dave Torbert as their permanent bass player. He was on his way from Hawaii to England, to join his old pal Matthew Kelly in the band Gospel Oak. Nelson and Dawson found out about it, and "coincidentally" called his parent's house in Redwood City when he was there. <a href="http://hooterollin.blogspot.com/2013/12/gospel-oakmountain-current33-1969-72.html">Torbert contacted Kelly, who told him to take the gig with Garcia.</a> Presumably there had been a couple of weeks of rehearsal by the Riders, but no shows. These three Dog concerts appear to have been the test run for the run of New Riders shows begun in May. Of course, Torbert would have shined brightly. </li><li>Bobby Ace and The Cards Off The Bottom Of The Deck seems to have been a proxy for the acoustic Grateful Dead. <a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2020/04/riders-of-purple-sage-old-new-and.html">Earlier, I looked into the idea that Garcia was toying with some sort of ensemble like the syndicated Porter Wagoner TV show, with an array of musicians playing a mixture of covers and originals, but that seems to have fallen by the wayside</a>. I believe this weekend's shows were the last time the Bobby Ace "band name" was used. </li><li>Mickey Hart and The Hartbeats seems to have been a bit of a joke, but no less serious for that. Initially, the Hartbeats had been a jamming ensemble at the Matrix, for Garcia, Lesh, Kreutzmann and Hart, plus whoever felt like dropping in. <a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2011/01/february-24-and-26-1969-matrix-san.html">The name had shown up a few times in the <i>Chronicle</i>, but it didn't really mean that much</a>. The big question, particularly for Grateful Dead historians, is whether any configuration of the electric Grateful Dead had a jam-a-thon on any of the three nights. Did they? Honestly, we don't know.</li></ul><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBu1Bmdoxxt5f4XQ1_dtS48pyj_TnMU3drt6rYp5r58UtQS6nM_uGed2ohwijzRxEi0Dewi7tUDhkV-nl1fssRJ6DlrPb0Sc9kxODTvmRgJmQf-Ms9SwoPBwmccuOeCKekpLuehB1bI8VM/s600/Charlie+Musselwhite+Tennesse+Woman+1969.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="600" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBu1Bmdoxxt5f4XQ1_dtS48pyj_TnMU3drt6rYp5r58UtQS6nM_uGed2ohwijzRxEi0Dewi7tUDhkV-nl1fssRJ6DlrPb0Sc9kxODTvmRgJmQf-Ms9SwoPBwmccuOeCKekpLuehB1bI8VM/s320/Charlie+Musselwhite+Tennesse+Woman+1969.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The appearance of Charlie Musselwhite is an oddity in its own right. One thing that has been consistently absent from any discussion of the
Dead's shows at The Family Dog in April of 1970 was any contemplation as
to why Charlie Musselwhite was on the bill. Now, Musselwhite was a fine
blues harmonica player and singer, and a popular local club draw. Born
in Mississippi in 1944, he learned music growing up in Memphis, and
moved to Chicago in the late '50s, where he learned harmonica from the
blues masters themselves. Musselwhite, along with Mike Bloomfield, Paul
Butterfield and a few others, was one of the core of younger white
musicians in Chicago who played blues in both white folk clubs and black
blues joints.<br />
<br />
Musselwhite was a successful blues musician in Chicago, and in 1967 he released the excellent <i>Stand Back</i>
album on Vanguard. The story goes that he was offered a month's work in
San Francisco in August 1967, so he took a month off from his day job
and stayed for 30 years. Although that is mostly true, it is also true
that Musselwhite recognized that he would be one of the best blues
players in San Francisco, whereas in Chicago he was just another
harmonica man. <p></p><p>In any case, Musselwhite gigged around regularly,
playing all the clubs as well as the Fillmore and the Avalon. It remains
to ponder, however, why Musselwhite was on the bill at all. One peculiarity of of the Family Dog on The Great Highway was that were two stages. So the Grateful Dead road crew could have been working on the switchover from "acoustic Grateful Dead" to the New Riders, while Musselwhite could have been rocking out on the opposite side of the room. At the time, Musselwhite's current album would have been <i>Tennessee Woman,</i> on Vanguard.<br /></p><i><b>Assessment</b></i><br />The Family Dog had reconfigured itself and recapitalized in January 1970. A merger with the Grateful Dead was in the cards. It didn't happen. There were some good shows in February and March, but the Family Dog was still in the muck. By April, their most reliable booking, the Grateful Dead, was using the club for <i>sub-rosa</i> appearance. The ticket sales might have been alright--remember, we don't know--but even the Grateful Dead weren't betting on the Family Dog on The Great Highway. It was an ominous sign for what was to come.<p><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/10/april-24-26-1970-family-dog-on-great.html"><i>For the next post in the series (April 24-26, 1970-Quicksilver), see here</i></a><br /></p>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-15531977385167400692022-10-10T11:55:00.001-07:002023-12-23T16:56:38.240-08:00April 3-5, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Eric Burdon and War/Ballin' Jack/Chet Nichols [FDGH '70 XIII]<p> </p><p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s400/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, ca. 1969</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />The
Family Dog was a foundation stone in the rise of San Francisco rock,
and it was in operation in various forms from Fall 1965 through the
Summer of 1970. For sound historical reasons, most of the focus on the
Family Dog has been on the original 4-person collective who organized
the first San Francisco Dance Concerts in late 1965, and on their
successor Chet Helms. Helms took over the Family Dog in early 1966, and
after a brief partnership with Bill Graham at the Fillmore, promoted
memorable concerts at the Avalon Ballroom from Spring 1966 through
December 1968. The posters, music and foggy memories of the Avalon are
what made the Family Dog a legendary 60s rock icon.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In the Summer
of 1969, however, with San Francisco as one of the fulcrums of the rock
music explosion, Chet Helms opened another venue. The Family Dog on The
Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, on the Western edge of San
Francisco, was only open for 14 months and was not a success. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">Yet numerous interesting bands played there, and remarkable events took place, and they are only documented in a scattered form.</a>
This series of posts will undertake a systematic review of every
musical event at the Family Dog on The Great Highway. In general, each
post will represent a week of musical events at the venue, although that
may vary slightly depending on the bookings.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If anyone has
memories, reflections, insights, corrections or flashbacks about shows
at the Family Dog on the Great Highway, please post them in the
Comments.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s501/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s320/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>660 Great Highway in San Francisco in 1967, when it was the ModelCar Raceway, a slot car track</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b><br />The Edgewater Ballroom, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />As
early as 1913, there were rides and concessions at Ocean Beach in San
Francisco, near the Richmond District. By 1926, they had been
consolidated as Playland-At-The-Beach. The Ocean Beach area included
attractions such as the Sutro Baths and the Cliff House. The San
Francisco Zoo was just south of Playland, having opened in the 1930s.<a href="http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2011/10/family-dog-at-great-highway-660-great.html ">
One of the attractions at Playland was a restaurant called Topsy's
Roost. The restaurant had closed in 1930, and the room became the
Edgewater Ballroom. The Ballroom eventually closed, and Playland went
into decline when its owner died in 1958.</a> By the 1960s, the former Edgewater was a slot car raceway. In early 1969, Chet Helms took over the lease of the old Edgewater. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s768/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr style="text-align: left;"><td class="tr-caption"><i>One
of the only photos of the interior of the Family Dog on The Great
Highway (from a Stephen Gaskin "Monday Night Class" ca. October 1969)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />The Family Dog On The Great Highway</b><br />The
Great Highway was a four-lane road that ran along the Western edge of
San Francisco, right next to Ocean Beach. Downtown San Francisco faced
the Bay, but beyond Golden Gate Park was the Pacific Ocean. The aptly
named Ocean Beach is dramatic and beautiful, but it is mostly windy and
foggy. Much of the West Coast of San Francisco is not even a beach, but
rocky cliffs. There are no roads in San Francisco West of the Great
Highway, so "660 Great Highway" was ample for directions (for reference,
it is near the intersection of Balboa Street and 48th Avenue). The
tag-line "Edge Of The Western World" was not an exaggeration, at least
in American terms.<br /><br />The Family Dog on The Great Highway was
smaller than the Bill Graham's old Fillmore Auditorium. It could hold up
to 1500, but the official capacity was probably closer to 1000. Unlike
the comparatively centrally located Fillmore West, the FDGH was far from
downtown, far from the Peninsula suburbs, and not particularly easy to
get to from the freeway. For East Bay or Marin residents, the Great
Highway was a formidable trip. The little ballroom was very appealing,
but if you didn't live way out in the Avenues, you had to drive. As a
result, FDGH didn't get a huge number of casual drop-ins, and that
didn't help its fortunes. Most of the locals referred to the venue as
"Playland."</p><i><b>The Family Dog In 1969</b></i><br /><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/01/june-13-15-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">Chet Helms had opened the Family Dog at 660 Great Highway to much fanfare on June 13, 1969, with a packed house seeing the Jefferson Airplane and The Charlatans</a>. One of the goals was that the Dog would feature mostly San
Francisco bands and a variety of smaller community events and groups.
Since so many San Francisco bands were successful, and had record
contracts, this didn't confine the venue to obscurity. A lot of great
bands played the Family Dog in 1969, but the distant location and the
gravitational pull of major rock events hosted elsewhere in the Bay Area
kept the Family Dog isolated. We know only the most fragmentary bits
about music played, events and audiences throughout the year. Despite
the half-year of struggle, Helms had kept the Family Dog on The Great
Highway afloat. He had entered the new year of 1970 with a new plan. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">For a complete list of Family Dog shows (including FDGH), see <b>here</b></a></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/09/march-27-29-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">For the previous entry (March 27-29, 1970 Youngbloods) see <b>here </b></a><br /></li><li><a href="http://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/12/family-dog-on-great-highway-navigation.html">For a summary and the link to the most recent entries in this series, see <b>here</b></a></li></ul><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8H7W3bkY8Ekyl6YFzQLKrY-CUPMhuTeqc7yHn11iJT7FexaFJiCtA6vob8YVEskccCy22H10Y_vBGjmCE0J3uV4M9mNe3mL-1vW9JJP2qRKjqPATnjo7q-s_Vl0jyUtMrn6NZV6bynp-/s1392/Eric+Burdon+FDGH+19700403+San+Francisco+Good+Times+-+community+28044017+pdf.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1392" data-original-width="504" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8H7W3bkY8Ekyl6YFzQLKrY-CUPMhuTeqc7yHn11iJT7FexaFJiCtA6vob8YVEskccCy22H10Y_vBGjmCE0J3uV4M9mNe3mL-1vW9JJP2qRKjqPATnjo7q-s_Vl0jyUtMrn6NZV6bynp-/s320/Eric+Burdon+FDGH+19700403+San+Francisco+Good+Times+-+community+28044017+pdf.png" width="116" /></a></div><b>April 3-5, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Eric Burdon and War/Ballin' Jack/Chet Nichols </b><i>(Friday-Sunday)</i><br />Chet Helms had apparently recapitalized the Family Dog on The Great Highway in early 1970. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/07/january-30-31-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">A planned merger with the Grateful Dead organization had fallen apart</a>, but popular bands were booked at the Dog throughout February and March. Just about all of the headliners were veterans from the Avalon era, but most of those groups were still big draws, at least in San Francisco. The first weekend in April had a headliner that was similar in some ways to the previous few months, and quite different in others. In any case, the headline appearance of Eric Burdon and War stood out as a unique event at the Family Dog, and would also turn out to be a kind of last hurrah. <p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCQt729qGOeEWAOzXODIs6o6WGdF5oAgwp7g5fr2MPQoHCnNr7hY_EEnn1IGb5zH-h6P3nB01RVXxAatzQyCc4IGB6DoipajKzXXPV0gkmgFUZcm_PEgstR_fHk3mHXpYXNWlorZkr6W1/s600/WInds+Of+Change+%2528back%2529+Eric+Burdon+MGM+67.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="600" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCQt729qGOeEWAOzXODIs6o6WGdF5oAgwp7g5fr2MPQoHCnNr7hY_EEnn1IGb5zH-h6P3nB01RVXxAatzQyCc4IGB6DoipajKzXXPV0gkmgFUZcm_PEgstR_fHk3mHXpYXNWlorZkr6W1/s320/WInds+Of+Change+%2528back%2529+Eric+Burdon+MGM+67.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The back cover of Winds Of Change by Eric Burdon and The Animals (MGM '67)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Eric Burdon had been the lead singer of The Animals since 1964, and they had been part of the initial "British Invasion," touring America a number of times. The bluesy Animals and Burdon's brooding vocals made the transition to the Fillmore scene far more easily than many contemporary bands. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Eric%20Burdon%20-%20Appendix%202.htm">On one of the last tours of the original-model Animals, Burdon had taken a break in August 1966 and visited San Francisco</a>. He had gone to the Avalon and the Fillmore, hung out with some bands, and experienced that rarest of natural events, a warm San Franciscan night. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Eric%20Burdon.htm">The New Animals were formed in September 1966, and they rapidly evolved into a twin-guitar band, going away from the keyboard-dominated sound of the mid-60s lineup</a>. Eric Burdon and The Animals were an excellent live band, sounding sort of like a British Quicksilver, even though only Burdon himself had actually even heard Quicksilver.<p></p><p>Eric Burdon and The Animals made the transition to the Fillmores very smoothly, ultimately relocating to Los Angeles. Still, after a number of hits ("Monterey", "San Franciscan Nights" and "Sky Pilot") and four albums, they disintegrated at the end of 1968. There were management issues, financial issues and the usual band disputes. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Eric%20Burdon%20-%20Appendix%201.htm">Eric Burdon stuck around LA, for the most part, and played a few gigs backed by the band Blues Image</a>.</p><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjw1A8gHzUtavhJn2BVY3LDkT9VtUGKqpQ43ytkcRz32FNN9Z-4cA17VLJ_if5szz9bP-83YK6yR-2wSFc9Bg4OrSZ8kOshErvpC7eGtXjzHOdIRUzKpuARAcOfXcjgyNwMmUhWeuQ9LMJ/s400/Eric+Burdon+and+War+1970.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="400" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjw1A8gHzUtavhJn2BVY3LDkT9VtUGKqpQ43ytkcRz32FNN9Z-4cA17VLJ_if5szz9bP-83YK6yR-2wSFc9Bg4OrSZ8kOshErvpC7eGtXjzHOdIRUzKpuARAcOfXcjgyNwMmUhWeuQ9LMJ/s320/Eric+Burdon+and+War+1970.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Eric Burdon And War</b><br />Burdon was popular, but restless. At one point he apparently attended USC Film School, but he wasn't really ready to do the homework filmmaking required. In Summer '69, Burdon met a local band called War, and started sitting in with them. The first publicized performance of Eric Burdon and War was September 26, 1969 at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino. Burdon can be a bit of a histrionic character, and at times it has been easy to chuckle at some of his excesses. Nonetheless he was consistently ahead of his time, and willing to take risks with his own fame.<p>War was a six-piece jazz band, all African-American. They were playing some bluesy jazz, with a nice groove that you could dance to, but still interesting to hear. Today, we take the intersection of jazz and blues into funk for granted, but that wasn't the case in 1969. Now, I think a lot of musicians were doing this in nightclubs at the time, particularly late at night, but Burdon and War brought this out in the open. By some combination of events I haven't figured out, Burdon and War added harmonica player Lee Oskar (originally based in Sonoma County), and Oskar's harp increased the blues edge of the band.</p><p>As for Burdon, he was a well-known singer with many hits under his belt, and he did exactly none of them with War. In fact, he sang in a jazzy style that was different than either the John Lee Hooker inspired vocalizing of the original Animals or the more rock-oriented style of the Fillmore lineup. I have heard a live tape of Eric Burdon and War from this period, and War grooves along with Burdon inserting vocals here and there, often outside of any exact song structure. Some of his lyrics appear to just be improvised, sort of proto-raps (albeit not rhythmically). It was a daring thing to do for a star without a band.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYNT5Xc3-HY_2U-GON27iw86pXx1bON9zUp1wQwGfWW-cog-t_Rz3tHvuCH43PnH_ygoUuezGlgROevpFqm29yPKmu1DceI_5eXMuzEmknwMfmXe_ZveSXlOvdy6YmTuUHM67Ld133N_f/s609/Eric+Burdon+Declares+War+April+1970+MGM.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYNT5Xc3-HY_2U-GON27iw86pXx1bON9zUp1wQwGfWW-cog-t_Rz3tHvuCH43PnH_ygoUuezGlgROevpFqm29yPKmu1DceI_5eXMuzEmknwMfmXe_ZveSXlOvdy6YmTuUHM67Ld133N_f/s320/Eric+Burdon+Declares+War+April+1970+MGM.jpg" width="315" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Eric Burdon Declares War, released on MGM in April 1970</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b><i>Eric Burdon Declares War</i></b><br />Producer Jerry Goldstein took Eric Burdon and War into Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco in January 1970. Burdon and War had played around live a little bit, and I think Lee Oskar got into the band around this point. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Eric-Burdon-War-Eric-Burdon-Declares-War/release/3177858"><i>Eric Burdon Declares War</i> was released on MGM in April 1970</a>. Thanks to Burdon's vocals, the album hasn't aged well, but in fact it was way ahead of its time. It has a nice groove, and you can dance to it, but you can listen to it, too. It wasn't exactly jazz, but it was way above pop music and more complex than the blues. The fact that it was a popular album opened the ears of the music industry to much more diverse and talented artists doing interesting things in soul, jazz and rock. Burdon, whatever you think now, helped kick that door open. <p></p><p>Of course, all anyone remembers now about <i>Eric Burdon Declares War</i> was the unlikely hit single "Spill The Wine." The song highlighted one of Burdon's rambling grooves, and devoid of context it seems like a parody. Heard in the context of an hour-long set, it made sense, but as a stand alone song it was dopey. War, fortunately for them, went on to have many popular hits afterwards, and everyone just blames "Spill The Wine" on Burdon. Hindsight is easy, but Eric Burdon and War were an interesting band that were ahead of their time.</p><p>Eric Burdon And War were about to do some serious touring behind their new album, and they kicked it off with a weekend at the Family Dog. This is how things used to have been at the Avalon, where the cool bands would play there, only getting booked at the Fillmore after they had proven themselves at the Avalon. We don't know anything about these performances, of course, and "Spill The Wine" was not yet a hit, but anyone who heard them live would have found Eric Burdon and War to be an on-ramp to the music of the future. The lineup would have been</p><blockquote><b>Eric Burdon</b>-vocals<br /><b>Howard Scott</b>-guitar, vocals<br /><b>Charles Miller</b>-tenor sax, flute<br /><b>Lee Oskar</b>-harmonica<br /><b>Lonnie Jordan</b>-organ, piano<br /><b>B.B. Dickerson</b>-bass<br /><b>Harold Brown</b>-drums<br /><b>Dee Allen</b>-congas</blockquote>The Family Dog on The Great Highway would have been a great place for musicians to try out new things and still get heard. Burdon and War went on to big success, certainly. But the Family Dog would soon fade away, so the cache of the old Avalon had no place to sell itself. <br /><p></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKvaoVXj3kXHd7NfS9mx8xNY8phJXvNeLX4f8MyrTifpk4mj4bo99Pkcw1hcBsZVYoh4yWcyJfa2xscpqavR2d88Nc7kSDERI-Ivm9z6x_FICHZhtaxPGP-A28bMJ8nVFu_qd8PVX7wpfS/s601/Ballinjack+Columbia+1970+lp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKvaoVXj3kXHd7NfS9mx8xNY8phJXvNeLX4f8MyrTifpk4mj4bo99Pkcw1hcBsZVYoh4yWcyJfa2xscpqavR2d88Nc7kSDERI-Ivm9z6x_FICHZhtaxPGP-A28bMJ8nVFu_qd8PVX7wpfS/s320/Ballinjack+Columbia+1970+lp.jpg" width="319" /></a></b></div><b><br />Ballin' Jack</b> were from Seattle. They had an odd lineup, a trio with a horn section. Bassist (and singer) Luther Rabb and drummer Ronnie Hammon were childhood friends with Jimi Hendrix. Glenn Thomas was on guitar, and there was a two-piece horn section, yet with no keyboards. They had released their debut album on Columbia in 1970. This weekend's booking was rare for the Family Dog in that the two top acts were not San Francisco bands.<br /><p></p><p><b>Chet Nichols</b> was a singer/songwriter who would release an
album on Kama Sutra Records in 1972. Nichols was from Chicago, but he
had gone to college at Kansas University. He made friends with the local
all-night DJ, one Stephen Barncard, who became an engineer and producer
in San Francisco. <a href="https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2019/04/chet-nichols-interview.html ">Nichols
ended up getting signed in '71 and recorded a little with Barncard in
San Francisco. Later, some tracks were recorded with Nick Gravenites and
various local heavies, like Pete Sears, Dave Garibaldi (Tower Of Power
drummer) and Nicky Hopkins</a>. The collected tracks were <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Chet-Nichols-Time-Loop/release/2209184">released by Kama Sutra as the <i>Time Loop</i> album. </a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzxXdvCxawn2WxWg08oP8M5JVgI9lbkv8RtwTWiYjPLv8V_9hdQM8Pr41jFccNWWfdZA3HCpXwX1ZpcdmCHegbbzABWm5W80nofsMv4jVtlB8xWFv2Gp7dhdwwspP8LPEHRN7_C_zSUCk/s1446/Albert+Collins+FDGH+19700410+San+Francisco+Good+Times+-+community+28044018+pdf.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1446" data-original-width="520" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzxXdvCxawn2WxWg08oP8M5JVgI9lbkv8RtwTWiYjPLv8V_9hdQM8Pr41jFccNWWfdZA3HCpXwX1ZpcdmCHegbbzABWm5W80nofsMv4jVtlB8xWFv2Gp7dhdwwspP8LPEHRN7_C_zSUCk/s320/Albert+Collins+FDGH+19700410+San+Francisco+Good+Times+-+community+28044018+pdf.png" width="115" /></a></div><br /><b>April 10-12, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Albert Collins/Rhythm Dukes/AB Skhy </b><i>(Friday-Sunday)</i><br />The weekend after Eric Burdon, the Family Dog on The Great Highway had another out-of-town headliner, but he did not have the high profile of Burdon. <b>Albert "The Iceman" Collins</b> had been recording since the 1950s, even if white rock fans were only just beginning to discover him. In 1964, he had a hit with the song "Frosty," and he became somewhat well-known. In 1968, the band Canned Heat was playing in Houston and attended one of his shows. The Heat offered to get Collins a record deal and live work, and he accepted. Collins signed with Imperial Records and moved to California in November '68. Collins' first Imperial album was <i>Love Can Be Found Anywhere</i>. By 1969, Collins was a regular at rock venues throughout the West Coast. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2VbuYnGlN5U2UbUUD64wv0JBA8MCSrDnDdOmC3CrH-8aEyhGMxz9HztJF8X-I20K9fuuLF9ktG7B6iczwi1BgrTa55wW3ruUZKbdGE2rMyvNisH3nMOt-0BAexNj2OQk4JRmZCvy1dUM6/s628/Truckin+with+Albert+Collins+Blue+Thumb+69.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2VbuYnGlN5U2UbUUD64wv0JBA8MCSrDnDdOmC3CrH-8aEyhGMxz9HztJF8X-I20K9fuuLF9ktG7B6iczwi1BgrTa55wW3ruUZKbdGE2rMyvNisH3nMOt-0BAexNj2OQk4JRmZCvy1dUM6/s320/Truckin+with+Albert+Collins+Blue+Thumb+69.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><br />Albert Collins was an excellent guitarist, and I am told (I am not a musician) that other guitarists were particularly impressed with Collins' technique. Peer approval wasn't ticket sales, however. Blue Thumb Records had re-released Collins debut album from 1965, <i>The Cool Sound of Albert Collins</i> (on TCF Records). <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Albert-Collins-Truckin-With-Albert-Collins/release/13477036">Blue Thumb gave it the name <i>Truckin' With Albert Collins</i> when they put it out in December 1969</a>. So Collins was probably getting a little airplay on KSAN, and his name was sort of known, but blues music had already peaked for rock fans. There's no doubt that Collins in his prime would have sounded great, but I don't think he sold enough tickets to be a weekend headliner. <br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYb4Gdpl-wmG54kTs7omXLq-Q_xzeOxvNcZWH3qpbCXjz33a90rxp7XUogczvVSv7vB1TCDRnTRtpKKX91A7PW9yk2usJIZdnsKZMtXBZSh_ekstu4tyrCrdib9gx0w4u6AYEV7jfJGS55/s600/Flash+Back+Rhythm+Dukes+2005+cd.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYb4Gdpl-wmG54kTs7omXLq-Q_xzeOxvNcZWH3qpbCXjz33a90rxp7XUogczvVSv7vB1TCDRnTRtpKKX91A7PW9yk2usJIZdnsKZMtXBZSh_ekstu4tyrCrdib9gx0w4u6AYEV7jfJGS55/s320/Flash+Back+Rhythm+Dukes+2005+cd.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The 2005 cd Flash Back by the Rhythm Dukes was recorded in Marin on April 16, 1970</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />The <b>Rhythm Dukes</b> had formed in the Santa Cruz mountains in 1969,
and <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/07/december-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">had played the Family Dog on The Great Highway on December 12-14, 1969</a>. Originally the band had featured two former members of Moby Grape,
lead guitarist Jerry Miller and ex-drummer Don Stevenson (who switched
to guitar). They were supported by bassist John Barrett and drummer
Fuzzy Oxendine, formerly of the 60s group Boogie. The band was often
billed as Moby Grape, and Stevenson had left by the end of Summer '69.
The Rhythm Dukes carried on as a trio, finally adding two more members
by December (saxophonist Rick Garcia and keyboardist Ned Torney), when
they had played the Dog.<p></p><p>By January, however, the two extra members had left, to be replaced by Bill Champlin from the Sons. <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2010/11/sons-of-champlin-performance-list-july.html ">By early 1970, despite a loyal Bay Area following and two excellent
Capitol albums, the Sons of Champlin were frustrated and broke and they decided to
go "on hiatus."</a> Effectively that meant they were breaking up, although
they continued to finish an album they owed Capitol (released in 1971 as
<i>Follow Your Heart</i>). The Sons had concert obligations through
February of 1970, so while Bill Champlin played a few gigs with the
Rhythm Dukes, he was also finishing up with the Sons. By March, the Sons
had stopped performing--that "breakup" didn't last long, but it's
another story--and Bill was full time with the Rhythm Dukes and Jerry
Miller. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/09/march-6-8-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">The Rhythm Dukes had opened for Lee Michaels at the Family Dog in March</a>. A month later, they were returning, so it must have gone alright.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbn-bwDfEezi1Mp6Apz_bqxuErjNtsfQfDfFlkMO0saodQOCmYocCGIoknyw4TdxPTX30tW6TD9HddYoi4EMMeZ5qW7XCi3jCojGy22iBhVWGs9-VKpaBBuUfiZlYya5zqtG1gZvzc_isa/s648/Rhythm+Dukes+FDGH+1970.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="648" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbn-bwDfEezi1Mp6Apz_bqxuErjNtsfQfDfFlkMO0saodQOCmYocCGIoknyw4TdxPTX30tW6TD9HddYoi4EMMeZ5qW7XCi3jCojGy22iBhVWGs9-VKpaBBuUfiZlYya5zqtG1gZvzc_isa/s320/Rhythm+Dukes+FDGH+1970.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The Rhythm Dukes at the Family Dog on The Great Highway, sometime in 1970. (l-r) Bill Champlin, Fuzzy Oxendine, Jerry Miller.<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We
have some photos of Bill Champlin with the Rhythm Dukes from the Family
Dog, although the exact date is unknown. Champlin played organ and
rhythm guitar with the Dukes, and was the principal lead singer,
although Jerry Miller was also a fine vocalist. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/The-Rhythm-Dukes-Flashback/release/15210493">Our
only tape of this era of the Rhythm Dukes was a privately released 2005
cd of some demo tapes, recorded in a Marin studio on April 16, 1970
(appropriately entitled <i>Flash Back</i>)</a> but they were plainly an excellent live band. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSotTOAuQCxapjBbAuatoyqe7-0FvfmrC_nmK_xBf-7AnWnB705dMshD1JzkyEiyTLgp6esSlf6WawiKfqi1QWFqK5OPeXIlourgX3wRune-4qCbvRZcTXkEGhGtecp4IiGr-O47Lhy6SF/s596/Ramblin+On+AB+Skhy+MGM+1970+lp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="589" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSotTOAuQCxapjBbAuatoyqe7-0FvfmrC_nmK_xBf-7AnWnB705dMshD1JzkyEiyTLgp6esSlf6WawiKfqi1QWFqK5OPeXIlourgX3wRune-4qCbvRZcTXkEGhGtecp4IiGr-O47Lhy6SF/s320/Ramblin+On+AB+Skhy+MGM+1970+lp.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><p><br /><b>AB Skhy</b> had formed out of a transplanted Wisconsin trio called The New Blues. The New Blues had moved to San Francisco in late 1968, and hooked up with organist Howard Wales (from Cincinnati via Seattle). The quartet had changed their name to AB Skhy Blues Band, and their debut album had been released by MGM in 1969. By 1970, AB Skhy had evolved somewhat. Howard Wales had left, and I'm pretty sure guitarist Dennis Geyer had left the band as well. The new lineup had Curley Cooke on guitar and vocals (ex-Steve Miller Band) and Rick Jaeger on drums, both Wisconsin transplants themselves. Russel Dashiel may have been on guitar, and Jim Marcotte was still on bass. This was the lineup for AB Skhy's second album <i>Ramblin' On</i>, released sometime in 1970.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2r1OVA1ZFPMS-FwNolPY6DZQNCeYB_4pRUwnY6z5OYiILOjo6XB_rzjTlM4DwL0YdIn7Biaab8A6-Lmjdz6I49ws5IHyZ1WW6CB62HuGVMvDQPdKcRixVzrn75V8f8Yj2wmkm3Mu47Mrc3hRCJaNi5mNREjb74lX9z5t7bBv-G3NZte4f6roSIW89clw/s1288/Om%20Orgy%2019700416%20Ginsberg%20Barb%20Apr%2010.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="1288" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2r1OVA1ZFPMS-FwNolPY6DZQNCeYB_4pRUwnY6z5OYiILOjo6XB_rzjTlM4DwL0YdIn7Biaab8A6-Lmjdz6I49ws5IHyZ1WW6CB62HuGVMvDQPdKcRixVzrn75V8f8Yj2wmkm3Mu47Mrc3hRCJaNi5mNREjb74lX9z5t7bBv-G3NZte4f6roSIW89clw/s320/Om%20Orgy%2019700416%20Ginsberg%20Barb%20Apr%2010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><i>[update 20231222]</i></b><br /><b>April 16, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: OM Orgy with Allen Ginsberg, Michael McClure, Philip LaMantia, Floating Lotus Magic Opera, Malachi </b><i>(Thursday)</i><br />The April 10 Berkeley Barb had a display ad for an "OM Orgy," on Thursday, April 16, 1970 with beat poets Allen Ginsberg and Michael McClure. Also on board was the guitarist Malachi (today we would call his music "New Age") and <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/04/january-24-1970-live-oak-park-berkeley.html">the indescribable Floating Lotus Magic Opera. Floating Lotus was a theater company that mostly performed in Berkeley. </a><p></p><p>If I learn more about this event, I will post it here.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnQAc8vPq08EEeuWdsvl9jovhLyNS6dzNd2zgeamWAh39uQ5YhaJnV2d5hvuh-Uk6PkXfmFQfSENpQDHgHqGU-QFiubjhtz3KvZNTW093t1mB4W0qNmgoEyfIloUD3VjxKtWOgpesMUbHOdKumKW0i7QXVavC4I6cYTDneZx1iKxYsDvdj5neJGIs4cvf/s2078/Leary%20Benefit%20w%20Ginsberg%20Family%20Dog%2019700416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2078" data-original-width="1332" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnQAc8vPq08EEeuWdsvl9jovhLyNS6dzNd2zgeamWAh39uQ5YhaJnV2d5hvuh-Uk6PkXfmFQfSENpQDHgHqGU-QFiubjhtz3KvZNTW093t1mB4W0qNmgoEyfIloUD3VjxKtWOgpesMUbHOdKumKW0i7QXVavC4I6cYTDneZx1iKxYsDvdj5neJGIs4cvf/s320/Leary%20Benefit%20w%20Ginsberg%20Family%20Dog%2019700416.jpg" width="205" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>April 29, 1970 Berkeley Barb</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br /><i>[update 20231223]</i></b><br />thanks to Ginsberg scholar Steve Silberman, we do know something. The event not only happened, it sold out the Family Dog. The back-story is that Timothy Leary had been convicted of drug offenses in January, 1970, and sent to prison. The benefit was for legal expenses. According to the Barb article (thanks Steve), there were poetry readings, chanting and a performance by the Floating Lotus troupe. </p><p>Of course, Leary being Leary, when he had gotten sent to the California Penal System, he was given psychological tests to determine the appropriate assignment. It was easy for Leary to give answers that would send him to minimum security prison, since he had created the tests himself as an Assistant Professor at UC Berkeley in the 1950s. He escaped from a minimum security prison in September 1970.<br /></p><p><br /> <br /></p><p><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/10/april-17-19-1970-family-dog-on-great.html"><i>For the next post in the series (April 17-19, 1970-NRPS/Hartbeats/Bobby Ace), see here</i></a><br /></p><p></p><p> </p>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-44084850595449517392022-09-30T09:54:00.001-07:002022-10-10T11:57:59.581-07:00March 27-29, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Youngbloods/Jeffrey Cain/Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen [FDGH '70 XII]<p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s400/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, ca. 1969</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />The
Family Dog was a foundation stone in the rise of San Francisco rock,
and it was in operation in various forms from Fall 1965 through the
Summer of 1970. For sound historical reasons, most of the focus on the
Family Dog has been on the original 4-person collective who organized
the first San Francisco Dance Concerts in late 1965, and on their
successor Chet Helms. Helms took over the Family Dog in early 1966, and
after a brief partnership with Bill Graham at the Fillmore, promoted
memorable concerts at the Avalon Ballroom from Spring 1966 through
December 1968. The posters, music and foggy memories of the Avalon are
what made the Family Dog a legendary 60s rock icon.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In the Summer
of 1969, however, with San Francisco as one of the fulcrums of the rock
music explosion, Chet Helms opened another venue. The Family Dog on The
Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, on the Western edge of San
Francisco, was only open for 14 months and was not a success. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">Yet numerous interesting bands played there, and remarkable events took place, and they are only documented in a scattered form.</a>
This series of posts will undertake a systematic review of every
musical event at the Family Dog on The Great Highway. In general, each
post will represent a week of musical events at the venue, although that
may vary slightly depending on the bookings.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If anyone has
memories, reflections, insights, corrections or flashbacks about shows
at the Family Dog on the Great Highway, please post them in the
Comments.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s501/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s320/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>660 Great Highway in San Francisco in 1967, when it was the ModelCar Raceway, a slot car track</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b><br />The Edgewater Ballroom, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />As
early as 1913, there were rides and concessions at Ocean Beach in San
Francisco, near the Richmond District. By 1926, they had been
consolidated as Playland-At-The-Beach. The Ocean Beach area included
attractions such as the Sutro Baths and the Cliff House. The San
Francisco Zoo was just south of Playland, having opened in the 1930s.<a href="http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2011/10/family-dog-at-great-highway-660-great.html ">
One of the attractions at Playland was a restaurant called Topsy's
Roost. The restaurant had closed in 1930, and the room became the
Edgewater Ballroom. The Ballroom eventually closed, and Playland went
into decline when its owner died in 1958.</a> By the 1960s, the former Edgewater was a slot car raceway. In early 1969, Chet Helms took over the lease of the old Edgewater. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s768/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr style="text-align: left;"><td class="tr-caption"><i>One
of the only photos of the interior of the Family Dog on The Great
Highway (from a Stephen Gaskin "Monday Night Class" ca. October 1969)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />The Family Dog On The Great Highway</b><br />The
Great Highway was a four-lane road that ran along the Western edge of
San Francisco, right next to Ocean Beach. Downtown San Francisco faced
the Bay, but beyond Golden Gate Park was the Pacific Ocean. The aptly
named Ocean Beach is dramatic and beautiful, but it is mostly windy and
foggy. Much of the West Coast of San Francisco is not even a beach, but
rocky cliffs. There are no roads in San Francisco West of the Great
Highway, so "660 Great Highway" was ample for directions (for reference,
it is near the intersection of Balboa Street and 48th Avenue). The
tag-line "Edge Of The Western World" was not an exaggeration, at least
in American terms.<br /><br />The Family Dog on The Great Highway was
smaller than the Bill Graham's old Fillmore Auditorium. It could hold up
to 1500, but the official capacity was probably closer to 1000. Unlike
the comparatively centrally located Fillmore West, the FDGH was far from
downtown, far from the Peninsula suburbs, and not particularly easy to
get to from the freeway. For East Bay or Marin residents, the Great
Highway was a formidable trip. The little ballroom was very appealing,
but if you didn't live way out in the Avenues, you had to drive. As a
result, FDGH didn't get a huge number of casual drop-ins, and that
didn't help its fortunes. Most of the locals referred to the venue as
"Playland."</p><i><b>The Family Dog In 1969</b></i><br /><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/01/june-13-15-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">Chet Helms had opened the Family Dog at 660 Great Highway to much fanfare on June 13, 1969, with a packed house seeing the Jefferson Airplane and The Charlatans.</a> One of the goals was that the Dog would feature mostly San
Francisco bands and a variety of smaller community events and groups.
Since so many San Francisco bands were successful, and had record
contracts, this didn't confine the venue to obscurity. A lot of great
bands played the Family Dog in 1969, but the distant location and the
gravitational pull of major rock events hosted elsewhere in the Bay Area
kept the Family Dog isolated. We know only the most fragmentary bits
about music played, events and audiences throughout the year. Despite
the half-year of struggle, Helms had kept the Family Dog on The Great
Highway afloat. He had entered the new year of 1970 with a new plan. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">For a complete list of Family Dog shows (including FDGH), see <b>here</b></a></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/09/march-20-22-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">For the previous entry (March 20-22, 1970 Big Brother) see <b>here </b></a><br /></li><li><a href="http://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/12/family-dog-on-great-highway-navigation.html">For a summary and the link to the most recent entries in this series, see <b>here</b></a></li></ul><p> <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYfIorIsvxaVAyJZlw7hI8bvd8okVLNiFnz30yNSeVtUYJirf1qQ6CZgHADLVJry3tjKELh2bcFjCtNHlUQ56yYKdlFx-67lyjZMoaMqJvl7kKOwAs_136rjQq1u43D3dUg-8QMR6EFNB3/s1294/Youngbloods+FDGH+19700327+San+Francisco+Good+Times+-+community+28044016+pdf.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1270" data-original-width="1294" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYfIorIsvxaVAyJZlw7hI8bvd8okVLNiFnz30yNSeVtUYJirf1qQ6CZgHADLVJry3tjKELh2bcFjCtNHlUQ56yYKdlFx-67lyjZMoaMqJvl7kKOwAs_136rjQq1u43D3dUg-8QMR6EFNB3/s320/Youngbloods+FDGH+19700327+San+Francisco+Good+Times+-+community+28044016+pdf.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b>March 27-29, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Youngbloods/Jeffrey Cain/Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen </b><i>(Friday-Sunday)</i><br /><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/02/july-11-13-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">The <b>Youngbloods</b> had played the Family Dog soon after it opened (July 11-13 '69)</a>. The Youngbloods had formed on the East Coast in 1967, and RCA had released their debut album mid-year. In September 1967, the band had moved out to San Francisco, recognizing a better place for their music. By 1969, the Youngbloods had released their third album for RCA, <i>Elephant Mountain</i>, and had become well-entrenched in Marin and the Bay Area Fillmore scene.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3kE9IEZVIBUIAMeJV7Vixl19sZ_2jnDidlXerJroiGXcyy-JFxU8OW_bM0cv1cpYYjkZZAZQqWOPBdVSS390Y20AHC6XWeNVXQzbGO-Pli_YC4oopwYhyBWe9sO9NTYOigSqgnGuty_x2/s600/Youngbloods+Elephant+Mountain+RCA+April+69.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="600" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3kE9IEZVIBUIAMeJV7Vixl19sZ_2jnDidlXerJroiGXcyy-JFxU8OW_bM0cv1cpYYjkZZAZQqWOPBdVSS390Y20AHC6XWeNVXQzbGO-Pli_YC4oopwYhyBWe9sO9NTYOigSqgnGuty_x2/s320/Youngbloods+Elephant+Mountain+RCA+April+69.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Unexpectedly,
a song from the Youngbloods' 1967 debut was used in 1969 as background
music for a Public Service Announcement for the National Conference of
Christians and Jews. "Get Together" had been a modest hit in 1967, but
when it was re-released in Summer '69, it went all the way to #5 on
<i>Billboard</i>. The Youngbloods, hitherto a fine band with only modest success, were
suddenly a high-profile rock group. They had the sense to get a new
contract while they were hot. By 1970, the Youngbloods had signed
to Warner Brothers, who gave them their own Imprint, Raccoon Records. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAfZGBUDmfuABAJoSNEvsAhSJzp_eC2OIQ6OaTtfk5uV8AN9PzXfHKO_0Hx-T9l_JDiwny-RHOvctZxK4V9tJ7O54wrHFquLnPy2bG9IqkFAEi8iNUexlrdwn3w8plpd2cwUKp1o1DasJ/s300/Rock+Festival+Youngbloods+Raccoon+1970+lp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="299" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAfZGBUDmfuABAJoSNEvsAhSJzp_eC2OIQ6OaTtfk5uV8AN9PzXfHKO_0Hx-T9l_JDiwny-RHOvctZxK4V9tJ7O54wrHFquLnPy2bG9IqkFAEi8iNUexlrdwn3w8plpd2cwUKp1o1DasJ/s0/Rock+Festival+Youngbloods+Raccoon+1970+lp.jpg" width="299" /></a></div><br />The Youngbloods were a trio. Lead singer Jesse Colin
Young played bass or guitar, Banana (Lowell Levenger) played piano,
banjo, steel guitar and anything else, anchored by Joe Bauer on drums.
Sometimes they were joined by a harmonica player (Richard "Earthquake"
Anderson, who may have also been their road manager). At this time, the Youngbloods were recording shows that would make up much of their next album. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/The-Youngbloods-Rock-Festival/release/8739633"><i>Rock Festival</i>, released on Raccoon in July 1970, was a mixture of live and studio recordings
(including at least one track from the Family Dog, recorded on March 29, although I don't know which one),</a> it would be produced by Bob Matthews and Betty Cantor, who had also produced <i>Live/Dead</i> and <i>Workingman's Dead</i>. Owsley was apparently mixing the sound, so his old partners Bob and Betty were recording sound produced by Owsley, a Hall Of Fame taping lineup.<br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDgIkUzchsVb536NoCv4h8TLNuBk_83MVvk3U0GmV0YKRZ9yFFazfVOKZtmbHUyZmBn60DaCS3EwHNKUS9m-8nmkwSnWhqDoundFAn2l_Ta0qmIE529bt6qwb86CwVhlDggFuP1KMrPeH/s600/Jeffrey+Cain+For+You+Raccoon+1970.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDgIkUzchsVb536NoCv4h8TLNuBk_83MVvk3U0GmV0YKRZ9yFFazfVOKZtmbHUyZmBn60DaCS3EwHNKUS9m-8nmkwSnWhqDoundFAn2l_Ta0qmIE529bt6qwb86CwVhlDggFuP1KMrPeH/s320/Jeffrey+Cain+For+You+Raccoon+1970.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Singer/Songwriter <b>Jeffrey Cain</b> had been signed to the
Youngbloods' Raccoon label. The Raccoon imprint allowed the band to sign
anyone they wanted, while Warner Brothers would manufacture and
distribute the record. The profits and losses were assigned to the
Youngbloods (the Airplane had a similar deal with RCA, where their Imprint was called Grunt
Records), but the band had artistic control. Cain's album <i>For You</i> would be released in mid-1970, and members of the Youngbloods backed him on the album. <p></p><p><a href="https://berkeleyfolk.blogspot.com/2010/09/commander-cody-and-his-lost-planet.html"></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-OLPERHp71A2D9a4hkWrI3LIJr8WpW_wxhQurlpEzglEtHASeHHVjGq-h8tDdILPGEuKox4wxvTJE6oj_tjUxKaw4y2jKfKMF7r3EHNsowL4458mZrJvR1svtKSddHtWXdo_J2WQjajq/s600/commander-cody+FD+1970.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-OLPERHp71A2D9a4hkWrI3LIJr8WpW_wxhQurlpEzglEtHASeHHVjGq-h8tDdILPGEuKox4wxvTJE6oj_tjUxKaw4y2jKfKMF7r3EHNsowL4458mZrJvR1svtKSddHtWXdo_J2WQjajq/s320/commander-cody+FD+1970.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /><a href="https://berkeleyfolk.blogspot.com/2010/09/commander-cody-and-his-lost-planet.html"><b>Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen</b> had relocated to Berkeley from Ann Arbor, MI in the Summer of 1969</a>.
They had played some early gigs at the Family Dog, and were soon booked
with some regularity. Only a few weekends after they had arrived in town,
<a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/04/august-29-30-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">Cody and the Airmen were booked to open for the Grateful Dead on the weekend of August 28-30, 1969</a>. They must have hit it off, since they
would open for the Dead and the New Riders many times over the next
several years. George (Commander) Frayne ended up playing piano on the
<i>NRPS</i> album, and eventually became Jerry Garcia's neighbor in Stinson Beach. In
1973, when the Riders split off from Grateful Dead management, they
shared management with Cody (manager Joe Kerr had been a college
classmate of Frayne), accounting for the close working relationship
between the bands. </p><p>Some of the earliest Lost Planet Airmen performances were recorded by Grateful Dead soundman Owsley Stanley, and <a href="https://owsleystanleyfoundation.org/bears-sonic-journals/found-in-the-ozone-commander-cody/">released in 2020 on the Owsley Stanley's <i>Found In The Ozone</i> double-cd</a>. The first cd consisted of the Airmen's set on Saturday, March 28. Also included were additional tracks from Friday (March 27) and Sunday (March 29), as well as some tracks from when <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/08/february-27-march-1-1970-family-dog-on.html">the Airmen had opened for the Dead at the Family Dog in February</a>.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqw-Upbz9woNztMlJwrw-RVRXvUx_Dys39AnBODCCDBl0Ssw0RF86luR-ZBj1Th-U_O7VSJTrwYZW3-zIKW9PLLVR15_1A_8MjBhNAGufl6dro2Yg-AfCPlTKr1SkFLvWU5l1qaxdlNMKn/s1044/Commander+Cody+Band+House%252C+Emeryville.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1044" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqw-Upbz9woNztMlJwrw-RVRXvUx_Dys39AnBODCCDBl0Ssw0RF86luR-ZBj1Th-U_O7VSJTrwYZW3-zIKW9PLLVR15_1A_8MjBhNAGufl6dro2Yg-AfCPlTKr1SkFLvWU5l1qaxdlNMKn/s320/Commander+Cody+Band+House%252C+Emeryville.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Legend has it that the unassuming Emeryville house on the left was Lost Planet Airmen HQ back in the early 1970s</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Owsley Stanley had been the Dead's soundman since July 1968, but he was no longer able to travel with the Grateful Dead after they had been busted in New Orleans in February 1970. Owsley had a prior arrest and a pending case, and the bust affected his bail conditions. No longer able to travel with the Dead, Owsley became the soundman at the Family Dog on The Great Highway, at least some of the time. Youngbloods producer Bob Matthews had been Owsley's friend and apprentice when both had worked for the Grateful Dead, around 1968--Matthews had even lived in Owsley's house on Ascot Drive in Oakland. Now Matthews was recording the Youngbloods for Warner Brothers. Presumably, Owsley recorded the Cody shows where he was mixing the sound, and moved aside for the Youngbloods. My understanding is that Owsley mixed the sound for the Youngbloods while Bob and Betty were recording at the Family Dog. It makes the (unknown) track on <i>Rock</i> <i>Festival</i> a rare contemporary instance of music mixed live by Owsley but not recorded by him.</p><p>In March 1970, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen were</p><p></p><blockquote><b>Billy C Farlow</b>-vocals, harmonica<br /><b>Bill Kirchen</b>-lead guitar, vocals<br /><b>West Virginia Creeper (<i>Steve Davis</i>)</b>-pedal steel guitar<br /><b>Andy Stein</b>-fiddle, tenor sax<br /><b>Commander Cody (George Frayne)-</b>piano, vocals<br /><b>Buffalo Bruce Barlow</b>-bass<br /><b>Lance Dickerson</b>-drums</blockquote><p></p><p>Guitarist
John Tichy had been in the band in the Summer, but he had returned to
Ann Arbor to finish his PhD in Physics at the University of Michigan.</p><p><b><i>Appendix</i>: Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, Saturday March 28, 1970, Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA <i>Setlist</i></b><br />Cajun Fiddle Written-By – B. Owens*, D. Rich*<br />Good Rockin’ Tonight Written-By – R. Brown*<br />Jambalaya (On The Bayou) Written-By – H. Williams*<br />My Girl Josephine Written-By – A. Domino*, D. Bartholomew*<br />What’s The Matter Now? Written-By – B. Farlow*<br />Bon Ton Roulet Written-By – C. Garlow*<br />Matchbox Written-By – C. Perkins*<br />Long Black Limousine Written-By – B. George*, V. Stovall*<br />Only Daddy That’ll Walk The Line Written-By – I.J. Bryant*<br />Truck Drivin’ Man Written-By – T. Fell*<br />Back To Tennessee Written-By – B. Farlow*, G. Frayne*<br />Sleepwalk Written-By – J. Farina*, S. Farina*<br />Midnight Shift Written-By – E. Lee*, J. Ainsworth*<br />Blue Suede Shoes Written-By – C. Perkins*<br />Lost in the Ozone Written-By – B. Farlow*<br /></p><p><i><b>Additional Songs</b></i><br /><b>Sunday, March 29, 1970</b> <br />Sugar Bee Written-By – C. Crochet*<br />Mama Tried Written-By – M. Haggard*<br />Boppin’ The Blues Written-By – C. Perkins*, H. Griffin*<br />Hot Rod Lincoln Written-By – C. Ryan*, W.S. Stevenson<br />Riot In Cell Block #9 Written-By – Leiber & Stoller<br />Rip It Up Written-By – J. Marascalco*, R. Blackwell*<br /></p><p><b>Friday, March 27, 1970</b><br />Flip, Flop, And Fly Written-By – J. Vernon Turner, Jr.*, C. Calhoun*<br />Seeds & Stems (Again) Written-By – B. Farlow*, G. Frayne*<br />I Took Three Bennies (And My Semi-Truck Won’t Start) Written-By – W. Kirchen*, B. Farlow* </p><p><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/10/april-3-5-1970-family-dog-on-great.html"><i>For the next post in the series (April 3-5, 1970 Eric Burdon), see <b>here</b></i></a><br /></p>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-69106623778900142852022-09-25T10:28:00.001-07:002022-09-30T09:55:46.502-07:00March 20-22, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Big Brother and The Holding Company/Kaleidoscope/Devil's Kitchen [FDGH '70 XI]<p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s400/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, ca. 1969</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />The
Family Dog was a foundation stone in the rise of San Francisco rock,
and it was in operation in various forms from Fall 1965 through the
Summer of 1970. For sound historical reasons, most of the focus on the
Family Dog has been on the original 4-person collective who organized
the first San Francisco Dance Concerts in late 1965, and on their
successor Chet Helms. Helms took over the Family Dog in early 1966, and
after a brief partnership with Bill Graham at the Fillmore, promoted
memorable concerts at the Avalon Ballroom from Spring 1966 through
December 1968. The posters, music and foggy memories of the Avalon are
what made the Family Dog a legendary 60s rock icon.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In the Summer
of 1969, however, with San Francisco as one of the fulcrums of the rock
music explosion, Chet Helms opened another venue. The Family Dog on The
Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, on the Western edge of San
Francisco, was only open for 14 months and was not a success. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">Yet numerous interesting bands played there, and remarkable events took place, and they are only documented in a scattered form.</a>
This series of posts will undertake a systematic review of every
musical event at the Family Dog on The Great Highway. In general, each
post will represent a week of musical events at the venue, although that
may vary slightly depending on the bookings.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If anyone has
memories, reflections, insights, corrections or flashbacks about shows
at the Family Dog on the Great Highway, please post them in the
Comments.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s501/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s320/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>660 Great Highway in San Francisco in 1967, when it was the ModelCar Raceway, a slot car track</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b><br />The Edgewater Ballroom, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />As
early as 1913, there were rides and concessions at Ocean Beach in San
Francisco, near the Richmond District. By 1926, they had been
consolidated as Playland-At-The-Beach. The Ocean Beach area included
attractions such as the Sutro Baths and the Cliff House. The San
Francisco Zoo was just south of Playland, having opened in the 1930s.<a href="http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2011/10/family-dog-at-great-highway-660-great.html ">
One of the attractions at Playland was a restaurant called Topsy's
Roost. The restaurant had closed in 1930, and the room became the
Edgewater Ballroom. The Ballroom eventually closed, and Playland went
into decline when its owner died in 1958.</a> By the 1960s, the former Edgewater was a slot car raceway. In early 1969, Chet Helms took over the lease of the old Edgewater. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s768/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr style="text-align: left;"><td class="tr-caption"><i>One
of the only photos of the interior of the Family Dog on The Great
Highway (from a Stephen Gaskin "Monday Night Class" ca. October 1969)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />The Family Dog On The Great Highway</b><br />The
Great Highway was a four-lane road that ran along the Western edge of
San Francisco, right next to Ocean Beach. Downtown San Francisco faced
the Bay, but beyond Golden Gate Park was the Pacific Ocean. The aptly
named Ocean Beach is dramatic and beautiful, but it is mostly windy and
foggy. Much of the West Coast of San Francisco is not even a beach, but
rocky cliffs. There are no roads in San Francisco West of the Great
Highway, so "660 Great Highway" was ample for directions (for reference,
it is near the intersection of Balboa Street and 48th Avenue). The
tag-line "Edge Of The Western World" was not an exaggeration, at least
in American terms.<br /><br />The Family Dog on The Great Highway was
smaller than the Bill Graham's old Fillmore Auditorium. It could hold up
to 1500, but the official capacity was probably closer to 1000. Unlike
the comparatively centrally located Fillmore West, the FDGH was far from
downtown, far from the Peninsula suburbs, and not particularly easy to
get to from the freeway. For East Bay or Marin residents, the Great
Highway was a formidable trip. The little ballroom was very appealing,
but if you didn't live way out in the Avenues, you had to drive. As a
result, FDGH didn't get a huge number of casual drop-ins, and that
didn't help its fortunes. Most of the locals referred to the venue as
"Playland."</p><i><b>The Family Dog In 1969</b></i><br /><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/01/june-13-15-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">Chet Helms had opened the Family Dog at 660 Great Highway to much fanfare on June 13, 1969, with a packed house seeing the Jefferson Airplane and The Charlatans</a>. One of the goals was that the Dog would feature mostly San
Francisco bands and a variety of smaller community events and groups.
Since so many San Francisco bands were successful, and had record
contracts, this didn't confine the venue to obscurity. A lot of great
bands played the Family Dog in 1969, but the distant location and the
gravitational pull of major rock events hosted elsewhere in the Bay Area
kept the Family Dog isolated. We know only the most fragmentary bits
about music played, events and audiences throughout the year. Despite
the half-year of struggle, Helms had kept the Family Dog on The Great
Highway afloat. He had entered the new year of 1970 with a new plan. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">For a complete list of Family Dog shows (including FDGH), see <b>here</b></a></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/09/march-18-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">For the previous entry (March 18, 1970 Hot Tuna/New Riders benefit) see <b>here </b></a><br /></li><li><a href="http://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/12/family-dog-on-great-highway-navigation.html">For a summary and the link to the most recent entries in this series, see <b>here</b></a> <br /></li></ul><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1tAZBH-Dn7BSuwNXhVnOU6nRFYN6VGS_dRcxQambK6GmrG7WBSNoySHoJ5gVgBsQIXryWr0dZajfZ10NwivVUMyPqKAzygY9YNqQtj7ZFHyYRFlCbd8wyyPpKDGAmyjAXuvYYI53tXZEj/s976/FDGH+Big+Brother+19700322+San+Francisco+Good+Times+-+community+28044015+pdf.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="906" data-original-width="976" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1tAZBH-Dn7BSuwNXhVnOU6nRFYN6VGS_dRcxQambK6GmrG7WBSNoySHoJ5gVgBsQIXryWr0dZajfZ10NwivVUMyPqKAzygY9YNqQtj7ZFHyYRFlCbd8wyyPpKDGAmyjAXuvYYI53tXZEj/s320/FDGH+Big+Brother+19700322+San+Francisco+Good+Times+-+community+28044015+pdf.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The San Francisco Good Times ad (March 19) for the March 20-22 weekend at the Family Dog is somewhat cryptical, a sign that they were appealing to a narrow audience</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>March 20-22, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Big Brother and The Holding Company/Kaleidoscope/Devil's Kitchen </b><i>(Friday-Sunday)</i><br />No band was more synonymous with Chet Helms and the Family Dog than <b>Big Brother and The Holding Company</b>. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Big%20Brother.htm">Back in the Fall of '65, Helms would host jam sessions in the basement of a big boarding house at 1090 Page Street</a>. Some bands formed out of the jams, and a list of potential names was made up. Chet took two of the most promising--"Big Brother" and "The Holding Company"--and combined them for the group he would manage. A few months later, Helms would recruit fellow Texan Janis Joplin to be the lead singer, and the band rocketed to stardom.</p><p>Helms and Big Brother had parted ways--amicably--in the Fall of 1966, but Big Brother had continued to play the Avalon Ballroom right up until the end. Indeed, Big Brother had played the last Family Dog show at the Avalon on December 1, 1968. After that, Janis had left the group, bound for stardom, and Big Brother disintegrated. Guitarist Sam Andrew had gone on tour with Janis, fellow guitarist James Gurley had gone to the desert, and Peter Albin (bass) and Dave Getz (drums) had gone on a Spring tour with Country Joe and The Fish.</p><p>By Fall 1969, however, Big Brother's members were ready to reconstruct the band. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/07/november-19-1969-fillmore-west-san.html">The original quartet played the Family Dog benefit at the Fillmore West on November 19, 1969</a>, and then a few more low-key gigs. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/08/february-20-21-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">In February of 1970, they had headlined a weekend at the Family Dog on The Great Highway</a>. By this time, guitarist David Schallock had been added to the group. The band had three guitarists, and--rather confusingly--Gurley had temporarily switched to bass, with Peter Albin moving to guitar. Producer Nick Gravenites sometimes sang with the band, too.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBLFZjZ5lMsx10KXtW8dSMyAUnxelOxVc24tOzxK0MNV9ZFbU2qm6vpCGikd02IDr6qSlVLBe10bz3PNyOXHmTzboylF4KCS3Q04KAflfgwxnr1Udg4LBwXtreKJUi8xZvOix0MusyHmw/s500/Be+A+Brother+album+cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="500" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBLFZjZ5lMsx10KXtW8dSMyAUnxelOxVc24tOzxK0MNV9ZFbU2qm6vpCGikd02IDr6qSlVLBe10bz3PNyOXHmTzboylF4KCS3Q04KAflfgwxnr1Udg4LBwXtreKJUi8xZvOix0MusyHmw/s320/Be+A+Brother+album+cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />We have no information about either the February or March Big Brother shows. Were they well attended? What songs did they play? Big Brother and The Holding Company had started recording in Hollywood and San Francisco with Nick Gravenites, and <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Big-Brother-And-The-Holding-Co-Be-A-Brother/release/1952124">Columbia would release the underrated <i>Be A Brother</i> around July of 1970</a>. It's reasonable to assume that they may have done some of that material, but all that is just a guess. <br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZaafx4uCvPdLcpfbGlka43LWHeDjKnuO7AbzX_ssh-__TjHjiYbBohykH5tQEF7OVtbYvvv9l_AkACEFC_YDSpn5MwOff5n-AbM45vt3yqUqsnFevj-JCT48V5xDFhCLuul_9aGQNSLS/s600/Bernice+Kaleidoscope+Epic+Feb+70.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZaafx4uCvPdLcpfbGlka43LWHeDjKnuO7AbzX_ssh-__TjHjiYbBohykH5tQEF7OVtbYvvv9l_AkACEFC_YDSpn5MwOff5n-AbM45vt3yqUqsnFevj-JCT48V5xDFhCLuul_9aGQNSLS/s320/Bernice+Kaleidoscope+Epic+Feb+70.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><b>Kaleidoscope w</b>ere from Los Angeles, and they were decades ahead of
their time. They pretty much invented World Music, and pretty much no
one was ready for it. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Kaleidoscope-Bernice/release/1616195">In February, 1970 the band had released their fourth
album on Epic,</a><i><a href="https://www.discogs.com/Kaleidoscope-Bernice/release/1616195"> Bernice</a>.</i> On the album, the band's front line was guitarist/multi-instrumentalist David
Lindley, multi-instrumentalist Solomon Feldthouse and
organist/multi-instrumentalist Chester Crill, with too much instrument-switching to describe here. Paul Lagos was the drummer and Stuart Brotman played bass.
Anyone who ever got to see the band live was lucky.</p><p>Kaleidoscope had been regulars at the Avalon, but were largely only popular with musicians (most famously Jimmy Page). Rock music fans were simply not yet ready for what Kaleidoscope could do. In 1969, Kaleidoscope had already played the Family Dog on two separate weekends (<a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/01/june-27-29-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">June 27-29</a> and <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/05/october-3-5-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">October 3-5</a>), and they returned for a final go-round. By the time of these shows, Kaleidoscope was falling apart and there had been several personnel changes. </p><p>Solomon Feldthouse had left during the recording of <i>Bernice</i>, replaced by singer Jeff Kaplan (it's not clear how much Kaplan actually sang on the album). Right before the Family Dog shows, Chester Crill left the band, too (<a href="http://brunoceriotti.weebly.com/kaleidoscope.html">according to Crill, both were fired by David Lindley</a>). Shortly afterwards, David Lindley left as well. It's not even certain if Lindley played the Family Dog shows. Lindley (the <i>de facto</i> leader by this time) told the remaining members that they were free to use the name, so there were a few Kaleidoscope dates after this, but they too had ground to a halt by April. The lineup for the Family Dog shows was probably<br /></p><p></p><blockquote><b>David Lindley</b>-guitar, various instruments<br /><b>Paul Lagos</b>-drums <br /><b>Ron Johnson</b>-bass <br /><b>Jeff Kaplan</b>-vocals, piano<br /><b>Richard Aplan</b> -reeds, flute</blockquote><p>As the decades have passed, the music world has caught up with Kaleidoscope, and save for the primitive recording techniques, their music sounds contemporary now. The band has had a few casual reunions over the years. </p><p><b>Devil's Kitchen</b> was a bluesy four-piece band from Carbondale, IL, that had relocated to San Francisco in late Summer 1969. For much of the Fall of 69, they had been kind of a "house band" at the Family Dog on The Great Highway. The group ultimately had little to show for it, however, and three of the four members returned to Illinois. Guitarist Robbie Stokes did stick around and remained part of the Bay Area music scene for the next dozen years. </p><p>Wolfgang's Vault has a tape of <a href="https://www.wolfgangs.com/music/devils-kitchen/audio/20053273-1800.html?tid=4811725">Devil's Kitchen from Saturday night (March 21, 1970)</a> as well as <a href="https://www.wolfgangs.com/music/devils-kitchen/audio/26383-1800.html?tid=6538">Sunday night (March 22)</a>, and they were an enjoyable band. This seems to have been one of their last shows in the Bay Area, as far as I can tell. It is a peculiar curiosity that two tapes of the opening act have survived, in Bill Graham's archive of all places, with no trace of the headliner's tapes from those nights. Now, it's possible that some tapes were lost in the 1985 BGP fire, but it's strange that the Devil's Kitchen tapes even ended up in Wolfgang's Vault at all. Still, it's a minor but typical tale of the Family Dog on The Great Highway, as the oddest fragments of history survive, and we are left to try and piece together the whole from the potsherds.</p><p><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/09/march-27-29-1970-family-dog-on-great.html"><i>For a link to the next post in the series (March 27-29, 1970-Youngbloods) see here</i></a><br /></p><p></p>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-88855990213642559392022-09-16T17:12:00.001-07:002022-09-25T10:29:11.174-07:00March 18, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Rolling Thunder/Hot Tuna/New Riders of The Purple Sage [FDGH 70 X]<p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s400/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, ca. 1969</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />The
Family Dog was a foundation stone in the rise of San Francisco rock,
and it was in operation in various forms from Fall 1965 through the
Summer of 1970. For sound historical reasons, most of the focus on the
Family Dog has been on the original 4-person collective who organized
the first San Francisco Dance Concerts in late 1965, and on their
successor Chet Helms. Helms took over the Family Dog in early 1966, and
after a brief partnership with Bill Graham at the Fillmore, promoted
memorable concerts at the Avalon Ballroom from Spring 1966 through
December 1968. The posters, music and foggy memories of the Avalon are
what made the Family Dog a legendary 60s rock icon.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In the Summer
of 1969, however, with San Francisco as one of the fulcrums of the rock
music explosion, Chet Helms opened another venue. The Family Dog on The
Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, on the Western edge of San
Francisco, was only open for 14 months and was not a success. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">Yet numerous interesting bands played there, and remarkable events took place, and they are only documented in a scattered form.</a>
This series of posts will undertake a systematic review of every
musical event at the Family Dog on The Great Highway. In general, each
post will represent a week of musical events at the venue, although that
may vary slightly depending on the bookings.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If anyone has
memories, reflections, insights, corrections or flashbacks about shows
at the Family Dog on the Great Highway, please post them in the
Comments.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s501/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s320/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>660 Great Highway in San Francisco in 1967, when it was the ModelCar Raceway, a slot car track</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b><br />The Edgewater Ballroom, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />As
early as 1913, there were rides and concessions at Ocean Beach in San
Francisco, near the Richmond District. By 1926, they had been
consolidated as Playland-At-The-Beach. The Ocean Beach area included
attractions such as the Sutro Baths and the Cliff House. The San
Francisco Zoo was just south of Playland, having opened in the 1930s.<a href="http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2011/10/family-dog-at-great-highway-660-great.html ">
One of the attractions at Playland was a restaurant called Topsy's
Roost. The restaurant had closed in 1930, and the room became the
Edgewater Ballroom. The Ballroom eventually closed, and Playland went
into decline when its owner died in 1958.</a> By the 1960s, the former Edgewater was a slot car raceway. In early 1969, Chet Helms took over the lease of the old Edgewater. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s768/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr style="text-align: left;"><td class="tr-caption"><i>One
of the only photos of the interior of the Family Dog on The Great
Highway (from a Stephen Gaskin "Monday Night Class" ca. October 1969)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />The Family Dog On The Great Highway</b><br />The
Great Highway was a four-lane road that ran along the Western edge of
San Francisco, right next to Ocean Beach. Downtown San Francisco faced
the Bay, but beyond Golden Gate Park was the Pacific Ocean. The aptly
named Ocean Beach is dramatic and beautiful, but it is mostly windy and
foggy. Much of the West Coast of San Francisco is not even a beach, but
rocky cliffs. There are no roads in San Francisco West of the Great
Highway, so "660 Great Highway" was ample for directions (for reference,
it is near the intersection of Balboa Street and 48th Avenue). The
tag-line "Edge Of The Western World" was not an exaggeration, at least
in American terms.<br /><br />The Family Dog on The Great Highway was
smaller than the Bill Graham's old Fillmore Auditorium. It could hold up
to 1500, but the official capacity was probably closer to 1000. Unlike
the comparatively centrally located Fillmore West, the FDGH was far from
downtown, far from the Peninsula suburbs, and not particularly easy to
get to from the freeway. For East Bay or Marin residents, the Great
Highway was a formidable trip. The little ballroom was very appealing,
but if you didn't live way out in the Avenues, you had to drive. As a
result, FDGH didn't get a huge number of casual drop-ins, and that
didn't help its fortunes. Most of the locals referred to the venue as
"Playland."</p><i><b>The Family Dog In 1969</b></i><br />Chet Helms had
opened the Family Dog at 660 Great Highway to much fanfare on June 13,
1969, with a packed house seeing the Jefferson Airplane and The
Charlatans. One of the goals was that the Dog would feature mostly San
Francisco bands and a variety of smaller community events and groups.
Since so many San Francisco bands were successful, and had record
contracts, this didn't confine the venue to obscurity. A lot of great
bands played the Family Dog in 1969, but the distant location and the
gravitational pull of major rock events hosted elsewhere in the Bay Area
kept the Family Dog isolated. We know only the most fragmentary bits
about music played, events and audiences throughout the year. Despite
the half-year of struggle, Helms had kept the Family Dog on The Great
Highway afloat. He had entered the new year of 1970 with a new plan. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">For a complete list of Family Dog shows (including FDGH), see <b>here</b></a></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/09/march-13-15-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">For the previous entry (March 13-15, 1970 Country Joe and The Fish) see </a><b><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/09/march-13-15-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">here</a> </b><br /></li><li><a href="http://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/12/family-dog-on-great-highway-navigation.html">For a summary and the link to the most recent entries in this series, see <b>here</b></a> </li></ul><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijCJqd8OmX0uxGxQERuyXmDrTVgtOSONayx5QyurRGHYXTLyiqT28A1EIEt39OxMt7LQe4zDqLNl_ctScham5s9tmYrlMPPGzWszqHqFvGyTJlKPhXy0Q2AxPN4RvwEhFiXevbonsIamUH/s528/Family_Dog_19700318.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="528" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijCJqd8OmX0uxGxQERuyXmDrTVgtOSONayx5QyurRGHYXTLyiqT28A1EIEt39OxMt7LQe4zDqLNl_ctScham5s9tmYrlMPPGzWszqHqFvGyTJlKPhXy0Q2AxPN4RvwEhFiXevbonsIamUH/s320/Family_Dog_19700318.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><b>March 18, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Rolling Thunder/Hot Tuna/New Riders of The Purple Sage </b><i>Benefit for The Sons of Thunder (Wednesday)</i><br />Almost nothing is known about this Wednesday night benefit at the Family Dog on The Great Highway, save that it happened. Initially, it was only known because there were a few listings in the <i>Barb</i> (above) and also in the <i>Examiner</i>. Since February, the Family Dog had stopped holding weeknight "community" events. There had to be some heft here for this night to be an exception.</p><p>"Rolling Thunder" was a man named John Pope. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Thunder_(person)">Apparently he was a "Medicine Man" of some kind, associated with Native Americans, although I know nothing about that sort of thing</a>. Pope turns up in various chronicles of hip San Francisco, and --among other things--may have been the inspiration for the title of Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart's initial 1972 solo album on Warner Brothers. I know even less about The Suns Of Thunder Commune in Elko, NV. Suffice to say, Elko, NV probably isn't that Native American/Hippie Friendly today, and was probably less so in 1970. Whatever went down was surely Not Good. The fact that the spinoffs of the two most iconic San Francisco bands were on the bill suggests that Pope had good connections to leverage, good enough to ensure that the Family Dog on The Great Highway held a benefit on a Wednesday.</p><p>At this distant remove, we take for granted that Jerry Garcia played a variety of random dates with the New Riders of The Purple Sage, for convenience or fun, with little concern for the so-called "expectations" that normally accrued to legendary sixties rock guitarists. The same generally applies to Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady and Hot Tuna. <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2011/01/jorma-kaukonen-and-jack-casady.html">Jorma and Jack, while playing around steadily since January 1969, had only recently publicly adopted the name of "Hot Tuna."</a> So the dual booking of the Riders and Tuna may seem like a convergence of relaxed musician pals who enjoyed filling in their weeknights with gigs whenever they could. And it was, but there must have been more to it.<br /></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZeTY9ChJ7TvlVgTLDzzEGaWH9AvB-F4mGag2RzFZCv8r13epUYOs0jroWbwqmCBqDaGUFtmr2czAXVXOlhN4BP3WcF11sVDT_b2Cbvm_gPdt8ki7QIo9hxzNtByCLs1K8CbK4XFaAr31/s640/Pirates+World+GD+19700322+tik-5x2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="640" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZeTY9ChJ7TvlVgTLDzzEGaWH9AvB-F4mGag2RzFZCv8r13epUYOs0jroWbwqmCBqDaGUFtmr2czAXVXOlhN4BP3WcF11sVDT_b2Cbvm_gPdt8ki7QIo9hxzNtByCLs1K8CbK4XFaAr31/s320/Pirates+World+GD+19700322+tik-5x2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>A ticket for the Grateful Dead at the Pirate's World Amusement Park in Dania, FL. The shows were booked for March 22 (Sunday) and 23 (Monday), but changed to March 23 and 24 (Tuesday)<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b>Grateful Dead Status: March 1970 </b></i><br />There are a number of very curious things about this New Riders booking, however, so curious that I had assumed some years ago that the New Riders had not played. In order of importance, the curiosities of this performance are:<br /><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The Grateful Dead were on tour. <a href=" http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2015/04/march-24-1970-pirates-world-dania-fl.html">They had played Tuesday, March 17 in Buffalo, with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. They were booked for the weekend of March 20-21 at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, in suburban New York Metro</a>. To play the show, Garcia, Mickey Hart and possibly others would have had to fly home to San Francisco on Wednesday, play the show, and return to New York by Friday.</li><li>The New Riders of The Purple Sage did not have a bass player, and were effectively inactive. Nominally, Phil Lesh was the Riders' bass player, but confirmations of any Lesh performances with the New Riders are all but impossible to come by. The New Riders had booked a few gigs earlier in March, and canceled them. Bob Matthews was a full-time engineer, as far as I can tell, and Dave Torbert was still in Hawaii.</li><li>Given the barriers to performing, and given the dead-broke band would seemingly make no money, who was John Pope, and who were the Sons Of Thunder commune that they had earned this effort? I have no information in that area, and won't speculate, but it adds to the air of peculiarity about this event.</li></ul><p><i><b>Why Would The Grateful Dead Return To San Francisco For Just Three Days?</b></i><br />The Grateful Dead had no money in Spring 1970, and they had just fired manager Lenny Hart. By March, they must have figured out that Hart had been ripping them off in a big way, and that they had even less money than they thought. Since the band was playing Buffalo Tuesday night and Port Chester on Friday, wouldn't it have been simpler just to go straight over to the Capitol (just 378 miles away)? </p><p>Since the Dead would have flown out to Buffalo, however, they wouldn't have had a van. Thus they probably would have had to fly to New York Metro to get to Port Chester, then get hotels for Wednesday and Thursday night. It may not have been much more expensive to fly back to San Francisco, not pay hotel bills, and fly back to New York. Possibly a crew member or two rented a truck in Buffalo and drove the equipment to Port Chester.</p><p>More importantly, the Dead, and particularly Jerry Garcia, would have had business back in San Francisco. <a href="https://www.dead.net/deadcast/uncle-johns-band">The bulk of the recording for <i>Workingman's Dead</i> had been done from March 10-16, 1970</a>. Garcia in particular would still have been needed for overdubs, harmonies, and general oversight. Lesh and Hart also seem likely candidates for such duties, which was convenient if they were flying back from the gig anyway. So Garcia may have known that he was going to be in town on March 18, the day after Buffalo, and it wasn't a disruption at all. Perhaps some crew, and perhaps Kreutzmann, Weir and/or Pigpen stayed in New York state, although they would have had to find a way to get to Port Chester.<br /></p><b><i>Who Played Bass With The New Riders?</i></b><br /><a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2011/12/new-riders-of-purple-sage-bassist-1969.html">I never tire of the topic of who played bass for the New Riders</a> (lengthy posts, with detailed comment threads are <a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2010/06/march-11-1970-inn-of-beginning-cotati.html">here</a> [<i>check the Comments</i>] and <a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2010/06/march-1970-new-riders-shows-did-they.html">here</a>, for example). Let me briefly summarize the isssues:<p>The initial bass player for the New Riders was Bob Matthews. Over the decades, John Dawson, David Nelson and Jerry Garcia repeated the story over and over that the Riders were invented because the Dead could just bring Nelson and Dawson, with Garcia, Lesh and Hart filling out the band, and go on tour cheaply as the Dead's opening act. This never happened. The only time the New Riders opened for the Dead out of town during this period (<a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2010/01/august-21-1969-aqua-theatre-seattle-wa.html">Seattle and Oregon, August 19</a>69), Bob Matthews played bass. The story has been repeated so often that even the principals thought it was true.</p><p>According to Matthews, his last show with the New Riders was in September, 1969, but that is simply not true, either. The excellent <i>Dawn Of The New Riders Of The Purple Sage</i> box has a set from October, 1969 with Matthews on bass. The only confirmed instance of Phil Lesh playing bass for the Riders was on a 4-track demo done at Pacific High Recorders in November 1969 (released by Relix Records on the 1986 album <i>Before Time Began</i>), with Bob Matthews as the engineer. There are no other known tapes, eyewitness accounts or photos of Phil Lesh playing live with the New Riders in 1969 (or any other time). If you have one, please put it in the Comments.</p><p>By January of 1970, it was clear that Matthews duties as an engineer were taking precedence over bass playing. It's also known that at least on occasion Robert Hunter rehearsed with the Riders on bass. But Hunter complained that they never asked him to play a gig, and the early 1970 period when Phil Lesh "should" have been the bass player featured no Riders' shows. There was a January 19, 1970 benefit in Berkeley, although we haven't confirmed that the band played, some canceled shows in March, and the March 18 benefit.</p><p>The history of Dave Torbert's arrival is another complex story, but <a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2013/11/april-17-19-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">the short version is that the April 17-19 Family Dog shows were the debut of Torbert</a>. The math does not fit his arrival in March, nor could he have rehearsed, since the Dead were recording <i>Workingman's Dead</i> in February and March and touring constantly. So all the evidence pointed out to either the New Riders canceling out of the Family Dog show, or Phil Lesh making his last appearance as a New Rider. It had always seemed unlikely that the New Riders played this event.<br /></p><p> </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj64Z_2kb-TqEDfjKkuQskKD0jwXTMomysYh-Jonuf_8DxbTeuRQoN3aI3gLvUJ5g8xqja5HLdO33PbK1fYddJfIkOQLrzTeqt00psi-av7kdS6FK5VmpLcY1hUpMIny6MDBfUCc5CWCkFM/s2048/Tape+Vault+Compendium+%25281970318%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj64Z_2kb-TqEDfjKkuQskKD0jwXTMomysYh-Jonuf_8DxbTeuRQoN3aI3gLvUJ5g8xqja5HLdO33PbK1fYddJfIkOQLrzTeqt00psi-av7kdS6FK5VmpLcY1hUpMIny6MDBfUCc5CWCkFM/s320/Tape+Vault+Compendium+%25281970318%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Susanna Millman's photo of the Grateful Dead Vault, ca 2004 (from the Tapers Compendium)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />Guess what? Owsley taped it. Owsley was no longer able to travel around with the Grateful Dead,
thanks to the New Orleans bust, but he was the soundman for the Family
Dog on The Great Highway on occasion. We know he taped it, because a Susanna Millman photo of the Grateful Dead Vault (from the old <i>Tapers Compendium</i>), when Owsley's material was still there, is plain enough to read the box labels, and the distinctive writing is Owsley's. The last five boxes on the right in the photo (above) represent the Benefit. All five tapes are marked as "3/18/70 Hot Tuna/NR". Tape #1 says "Banjo Player"--yes, it does--, tape, #2 says "and NRPS", tape #3 just says "NR", and tape #4 says "Hot Tuna" and #5 says "Hot Tuna/NR." So some banjo player opened, and then the New Riders played, and then Hot Tuna ( in both rows of boxes, we can see some other non-Dead shows that Owsley taped and preserved from this period).</p><p>The Owsley Stanley Foundation is looking into the whereabouts of these tapes, and we may find out more. For now, we at least know that the benefit actually happened and that the Riders actually played.<br /></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfBNKdfvD4XinY0_5xR_lO-2EWVxSW4R3nMaCL5C3mY8jeLDuU9S21z3GBfXe2RcLx8tuctTKJga5jwnfPjiQ7KVZrphIRzIdQ-2qBZjg5-8abOsKca9wCy9J_I-8imhl0u6_8EdsHEZTG/s593/SFC19700306a-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="410" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfBNKdfvD4XinY0_5xR_lO-2EWVxSW4R3nMaCL5C3mY8jeLDuU9S21z3GBfXe2RcLx8tuctTKJga5jwnfPjiQ7KVZrphIRzIdQ-2qBZjg5-8abOsKca9wCy9J_I-8imhl0u6_8EdsHEZTG/s320/SFC19700306a-1.jpg" width="221" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ralph Gleason's Chronicle column from Monday, March 6, 1970</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><i><b>Hot Tuna</b></i><br />Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady had been playing around the Bay Area since early 1969. <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2011/01/jorma-kaukonen-and-jack-casady.html">Initially, they had played as an acoustic duo, billed under their own names</a>. After a while, they also played as an electric trio, billed as Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady and (drummer) Joey Covington. When Hot Tuna recorded their famous debut album, at Berkeley's New Orleans House in September 1969, they were billed at the club as "Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady." The name Hot Tuna was not used until early 1970, because RCA needed a name for their new group. <i>Chronicle</i> columnist Ralph Gleason had reviewed an electric performance by Hot Tuna a few weeks before this Family Dog show, at the New Orleans House (in the Monday, March 6, paper, referring to the prior weekend). <p></p><p>Gleason mentioned Jorma, Jack and Covington, along with a rhythm guitarist whose name he did not catch. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2009/11/matrix-san-francisco-ca-february-19.html">I'm pretty sure that the extra guitarist was Paul Ziegler, and old pal of Jorma's from Santa Clara days, and a member of the group Weird Herald</a>. Gleason also mentions Marty Balin singing with Hot Tuna, which was a regular occurrence at the time. Balin did not sing "songs" as such (to my knowledge), just sort of grooved along in an Eric Burdon "Spill The Wine" kind of way. So I assume that was the lineup for the benefit--an electric quartet, possibly with a Balin guest appearance. If the Owsley tape surfaces, the recording would be a different configuration of Hot Tuna than we currently have available. <br /></p><p><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/09/march-20-22-1970-family-dog-on-great.html"><i>For the next post in this series (March 20-22, 1970-Big Brother), see here </i></a><br /></p>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-85048820124508778122022-09-08T14:53:00.003-07:002022-09-16T17:16:00.081-07:00March 13-15, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Country Joe and The Fish/Joy Of Cooking [FDGH '70 IX]<p> </p><p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s400/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, ca. 1969</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />The
Family Dog was a foundation stone in the rise of San Francisco rock,
and it was in operation in various forms from Fall 1965 through the
Summer of 1970. For sound historical reasons, most of the focus on the
Family Dog has been on the original 4-person collective who organized
the first San Francisco Dance Concerts in late 1965, and on their
successor Chet Helms. Helms took over the Family Dog in early 1966, and
after a brief partnership with Bill Graham at the Fillmore, promoted
memorable concerts at the Avalon Ballroom from Spring 1966 through
December 1968. The posters, music and foggy memories of the Avalon are
what made the Family Dog a legendary 60s rock icon.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In the Summer
of 1969, however, with San Francisco as one of the fulcrums of the rock
music explosion, Chet Helms opened another venue. The Family Dog on The
Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, on the Western edge of San
Francisco, was only open for 14 months and was not a success. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">Yet numerous interesting bands played there, and remarkable events took place, and they are only documented in a scattered form.</a>
This series of posts will undertake a systematic review of every
musical event at the Family Dog on The Great Highway. In general, each
post will represent a week of musical events at the venue, although that
may vary slightly depending on the bookings.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If anyone has
memories, reflections, insights, corrections or flashbacks about shows
at the Family Dog on the Great Highway, please post them in the
Comments.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s501/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s320/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>660 Great Highway in San Francisco in 1967, when it was the ModelCar Raceway, a slot car track</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b><br />The Edgewater Ballroom, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />As
early as 1913, there were rides and concessions at Ocean Beach in San
Francisco, near the Richmond District. By 1926, they had been
consolidated as Playland-At-The-Beach. The Ocean Beach area included
attractions such as the Sutro Baths and the Cliff House. The San
Francisco Zoo was just south of Playland, having opened in the 1930s.<a href="http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2011/10/family-dog-at-great-highway-660-great.html ">
One of the attractions at Playland was a restaurant called Topsy's
Roost. The restaurant had closed in 1930, and the room became the
Edgewater Ballroom. The Ballroom eventually closed, and Playland went
into decline when its owner died in 1958.</a> By the 1960s, the former Edgewater was a slot car raceway. In early 1969, Chet Helms took over the lease of the old Edgewater. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s768/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr style="text-align: left;"><td class="tr-caption"><i>One
of the only photos of the interior of the Family Dog on The Great
Highway (from a Stephen Gaskin "Monday Night Class" ca. October 1969)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />The Family Dog On The Great Highway</b><br />The
Great Highway was a four-lane road that ran along the Western edge of
San Francisco, right next to Ocean Beach. Downtown San Francisco faced
the Bay, but beyond Golden Gate Park was the Pacific Ocean. The aptly
named Ocean Beach is dramatic and beautiful, but it is mostly windy and
foggy. Much of the West Coast of San Francisco is not even a beach, but
rocky cliffs. There are no roads in San Francisco West of the Great
Highway, so "660 Great Highway" was ample for directions (for reference,
it is near the intersection of Balboa Street and 48th Avenue). The
tag-line "Edge Of The Western World" was not an exaggeration, at least
in American terms.<br /><br />The Family Dog on The Great Highway was
smaller than the Bill Graham's old Fillmore Auditorium. It could hold up
to 1500, but the official capacity was probably closer to 1000. Unlike
the comparatively centrally located Fillmore West, the FDGH was far from
downtown, far from the Peninsula suburbs, and not particularly easy to
get to from the freeway. For East Bay or Marin residents, the Great
Highway was a formidable trip. The little ballroom was very appealing,
but if you didn't live way out in the Avenues, you had to drive. As a
result, FDGH didn't get a huge number of casual drop-ins, and that
didn't help its fortunes. Most of the locals referred to the venue as
"Playland."</p><i><b>The Family Dog In 1969</b></i><br />Chet Helms had
opened the Family Dog at 660 Great Highway to much fanfare on June 13,
1969, with a packed house seeing the Jefferson Airplane and The
Charlatans. One of the goals was that the Dog would feature mostly San
Francisco bands and a variety of smaller community events and groups.
Since so many San Francisco bands were successful, and had record
contracts, this didn't confine the venue to obscurity. A lot of great
bands played the Family Dog in 1969, but the distant location and the
gravitational pull of major rock events hosted elsewhere in the Bay Area
kept the Family Dog isolated. We know only the most fragmentary bits
about music played, events and audiences throughout the year. Despite
the half-year of struggle, Helms had kept the Family Dog on The Great
Highway afloat. He had entered the new year of 1970 with a new plan. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">For a complete list of Family Dog shows (including FDGH), see <b>here</b></a></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/09/march-6-8-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">For the previous entry (March 6-8, 1970 Lee Michaels) see <b>here </b></a><br /></li><li><a href="http://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/12/family-dog-on-great-highway-navigation.html">For a summary and the link to the most recent entries in this series, see <b>here</b></a> </li></ul><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftSfvLIpwot4ivnWVU4ATgLjn3tAxLsWqbn8wDUlbzJiy0s1O67T9XQUB25yzE_pxcVBuYgebPLzDsGk9JK084IOF-_e7uzDIM5vh1AyQeNKU2IBQRNttA2WwCG5BZefpbsoTWR4ZY0WG/s1208/CJF+FDGH+Good+Times+19700313.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1084" data-original-width="1208" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftSfvLIpwot4ivnWVU4ATgLjn3tAxLsWqbn8wDUlbzJiy0s1O67T9XQUB25yzE_pxcVBuYgebPLzDsGk9JK084IOF-_e7uzDIM5vh1AyQeNKU2IBQRNttA2WwCG5BZefpbsoTWR4ZY0WG/s320/CJF+FDGH+Good+Times+19700313.png" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /><b>March 13-15, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Country Joe and The Fish/Joy Of Cooking </b><i>(Friday-Sunday)</i><br />Country Joe McDonald and Barry "The Fish" Melton had been playing for Chet Helms since October 21, 1966, when Country Joe and The Fish had first opened for Seattle's Daily Flash at the Avalon. The band had played there many times since. In Fall '66, they had been an underground Berkeley band with a self-released EP available at a few Berkeley shops. By Summer '69, Country Joe and The Fish were nationally known, with two best-selling albums on Vanguard that were staples of FM radio and college dorms nationwide. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/03/august-8-10-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">Country Joe and The Fish had headlined a weekend at the Family Dog on The Great Highway on August 8-10, 1969, warming up for their soon-to-be historic performance at Woodstock the next weekend</a>.</p><p>Now, in fact, Joe McDonald and Barry Melton had
always considered themselves a duo, not a band. The advice they were
given in late 1966, however, when they signed with Vanguard, had made
the other members of the group (David Cohen, Bruce Barthol and Gary
"Chicken" Hirsh) equal partners. When Joe and Barry wanted to move on
early in 1969, they had to buy out the other three. Joe and Barry would
find new people to play with them live, but Country Joe and The Fish was
a duo that had an electric supporting cast. No fans knew this at the
time, nor would they have probably cared. As far as fans were concerned,
Country Joe and The Fish were a band.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMrdXMon64SQu8IB-9pp5KcNjJStAbr0B76mR1qc_e0mS9g0YgcBGIlwdQxvHNAuufpB2WdJt37BY0OBJUoiU-chb21DErRPAYm_rf0sWddRDfOFEPLEixljmPdjGREKCXl-depJH-O0b/s604/Here+We+Are+Again+CJF+Vanguard+July+69.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMrdXMon64SQu8IB-9pp5KcNjJStAbr0B76mR1qc_e0mS9g0YgcBGIlwdQxvHNAuufpB2WdJt37BY0OBJUoiU-chb21DErRPAYm_rf0sWddRDfOFEPLEixljmPdjGREKCXl-depJH-O0b/s320/Here+We+Are+Again+CJF+Vanguard+July+69.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><br />By July 1969, McDonald and Melton had assembled a new lineup of the
<b>Country Joe and The Fish</b> band. Mark Kapner
had been retained as the keyboard player. <a href="https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2021/03/the-group-image-sheila-jones-interview.html">On
bass was Doug Metzner, who had been part of an infamous hippie bunch in
New York called Group Image--a band, an artists collective, a commune, a
light show, among other things</a>. On drums was Greg Dewey, originally
from Antioch, OH, and from the newly-broken up band Mad River. This was
the lineup that would play Woodstock. Country Joe and The Fish's most recent album had been <i>Here We Are Again</i>, their fourth album on Vanguard, released right before Woodstock. It was a pretty good album, if not as memorable as their first two. The album was recorded by a hybrid of the original lineup and some subsequent members.<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuJHi1ABi3rE9qH6yToP73RZbsOS-tLjM7nL2r9UG5AthiBpG8xnDJhC-PFyq_Ie2vXgfCrNsWg0FS0-FIhVypmsDP-66BHcpOJRYet9CVylVuQjtCxI8DldVnMu2udkbtPqh7c3wHch-L/s352/SFC19700313+CJF.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="112" data-original-width="352" height="102" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuJHi1ABi3rE9qH6yToP73RZbsOS-tLjM7nL2r9UG5AthiBpG8xnDJhC-PFyq_Ie2vXgfCrNsWg0FS0-FIhVypmsDP-66BHcpOJRYet9CVylVuQjtCxI8DldVnMu2udkbtPqh7c3wHch-L/s320/SFC19700313+CJF.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>In Ralph Gleason's Friday (Mar 13) column, Country Joe and The Fish at the Family Dog was just another event among many other rock shows over the weekend</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Bill Graham had gotten first bite of the apple, as always. Country Joe and The Fish had headlined four days at the Fillmore West from February 12-15, 1970. They were still a popular local attraction, but unlike the Grateful Dead their appeal wasn't infinite. The new lineup of the band was working on a new album with producer Tom Wilson, but the album (<i>CJ Fish</i>) would not come out until May. Country Joe and The Fish probably drew a good crowd at the Dog, but they wouldn't have been a destination event, since they had just played a weekend at Fillmore West. <br /><p></p><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUb_DBXOxPQM8kjC0DpSa0eu0tjxUEShL7eF-6S3-wt5QFqS0f1m9cQNIOdn06dKkv5vRHPKeBI9LHN0QQkGvJP4Eo6gDmNDmVvyilzpLHZ3o9eufGD3BRPRkE6uriiBAXfxm2I4TIZFec/s600/Joy+of+Cooking+Capitol+1971.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="599" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUb_DBXOxPQM8kjC0DpSa0eu0tjxUEShL7eF-6S3-wt5QFqS0f1m9cQNIOdn06dKkv5vRHPKeBI9LHN0QQkGvJP4Eo6gDmNDmVvyilzpLHZ3o9eufGD3BRPRkE6uriiBAXfxm2I4TIZFec/s320/Joy+of+Cooking+Capitol+1971.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Joy Of Cooking's debut album would be released on Capitol Records in January 1971</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />Joy Of Cooking</b> had formed as a duo in Berkeley called Gourmet’s Delight, featuring guitarist Terry Garthwaite and pianist Toni Brown. Garthwaite was a veteran of the Berkeley folk and bluegrass scene, and Brown was an artist as well as a musician. The duo expanded to include conga player Ron Wilson, bassist David Garthwaite (Terry’s brother) and drummer Fritz Kasten. They changed their name to Joy of Cooking and had shared management with Country Joe and The Fish. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Mandrakes.htm">Joy Of Cooking had been a regular performer weeknights at a tiny Berkeley club called Mandrake's,</a> where they built up a solid following.<br /><br />Joy of Cooking was a significant group on the Berkeley scene, because both Garthwaite and Brown were accomplished musicians. Although both were also excellent singers, Joy of Cooking featured the same kind of lengthy jamming popular at the time, rather than short and sensitive neo-folk songs. The group were ultimately signed to Capitol Records and would release their first of three Capitol albums in January 1971. </p><p><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/09/march-18-1970-family-dog-on-great.html"><i>For the next post in the series (March 18, 1970 Hot Tuna/NRPS), see here </i></a><br /></p><p></p>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-12376758646367422142022-09-04T11:10:00.003-07:002022-09-08T14:54:22.698-07:00March 6-8, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Lee Michaels/Rhythm Dukes/Robert Savage [FDGH '70 VIII]<p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s400/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, ca. 1969</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />The
Family Dog was a foundation stone in the rise of San Francisco rock,
and it was in operation in various forms from Fall 1965 through the
Summer of 1970. For sound historical reasons, most of the focus on the
Family Dog has been on the original 4-person collective who organized
the first San Francisco Dance Concerts in late 1965, and on their
successor Chet Helms. Helms took over the Family Dog in early 1966, and
after a brief partnership with Bill Graham at the Fillmore, promoted
memorable concerts at the Avalon Ballroom from Spring 1966 through
December 1968. The posters, music and foggy memories of the Avalon are
what made the Family Dog a legendary 60s rock icon.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In the Summer
of 1969, however, with San Francisco as one of the fulcrums of the rock
music explosion, Chet Helms opened another venue. The Family Dog on The
Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, on the Western edge of San
Francisco, was only open for 14 months and was not a success. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">Yet numerous interesting bands played there, and remarkable events took place, and they are only documented in a scattered form.</a>
This series of posts will undertake a systematic review of every
musical event at the Family Dog on The Great Highway. In general, each
post will represent a week of musical events at the venue, although that
may vary slightly depending on the bookings.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If anyone has
memories, reflections, insights, corrections or flashbacks about shows
at the Family Dog on the Great Highway, please post them in the
Comments.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s501/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s320/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>660 Great Highway in San Francisco in 1967, when it was the ModelCar Raceway, a slot car track</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b><br />The Edgewater Ballroom, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />As
early as 1913, there were rides and concessions at Ocean Beach in San
Francisco, near the Richmond District. By 1926, they had been
consolidated as Playland-At-The-Beach. The Ocean Beach area included
attractions such as the Sutro Baths and the Cliff House. The San
Francisco Zoo was just south of Playland, having opened in the 1930s.<a href="http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2011/10/family-dog-at-great-highway-660-great.html ">
One of the attractions at Playland was a restaurant called Topsy's
Roost. The restaurant had closed in 1930, and the room became the
Edgewater Ballroom. The Ballroom eventually closed, and Playland went
into decline when its owner died in 1958.</a> By the 1960s, the former Edgewater was a slot car raceway. In early 1969, Chet Helms took over the lease of the old Edgewater. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s768/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr style="text-align: left;"><td class="tr-caption"><i>One
of the only photos of the interior of the Family Dog on The Great
Highway (from a Stephen Gaskin "Monday Night Class" ca. October 1969)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />The Family Dog On The Great Highway</b><br />The
Great Highway was a four-lane road that ran along the Western edge of
San Francisco, right next to Ocean Beach. Downtown San Francisco faced
the Bay, but beyond Golden Gate Park was the Pacific Ocean. The aptly
named Ocean Beach is dramatic and beautiful, but it is mostly windy and
foggy. Much of the West Coast of San Francisco is not even a beach, but
rocky cliffs. There are no roads in San Francisco West of the Great
Highway, so "660 Great Highway" was ample for directions (for reference,
it is near the intersection of Balboa Street and 48th Avenue). The
tag-line "Edge Of The Western World" was not an exaggeration, at least
in American terms.<br /><br />The Family Dog on The Great Highway was
smaller than the Bill Graham's old Fillmore Auditorium. It could hold up
to 1500, but the official capacity was probably closer to 1000. Unlike
the comparatively centrally located Fillmore West, the FDGH was far from
downtown, far from the Peninsula suburbs, and not particularly easy to
get to from the freeway. For East Bay or Marin residents, the Great
Highway was a formidable trip. The little ballroom was very appealing,
but if you didn't live way out in the Avenues, you had to drive. As a
result, FDGH didn't get a huge number of casual drop-ins, and that
didn't help its fortunes. Most of the locals referred to the venue as
"Playland."</p><i><b>The Family Dog In 1969</b></i><br />Chet Helms had
opened the Family Dog at 660 Great Highway to much fanfare on June 13,
1969, with a packed house seeing the Jefferson Airplane and The
Charlatans. One of the goals was that the Dog would feature mostly San
Francisco bands and a variety of smaller community events and groups.
Since so many San Francisco bands were successful, and had record
contracts, this didn't confine the venue to obscurity. A lot of great
bands played the Family Dog in 1969, but the distant location and the
gravitational pull of major rock events hosted elsewhere in the Bay Area
kept the Family Dog isolated. We know only the most fragmentary bits
about music played, events and audiences throughout the year. Despite
the half-year of struggle, Helms had kept the Family Dog on The Great
Highway afloat. He had entered the new year of 1970 with a new plan. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">For a complete list of Family Dog shows (including FDGH), see <b>here</b></a></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/08/february-27-march-1-1970-family-dog-on.html">For the previous entry (February 27-March 1, Grateful Dead) see <b>here </b></a><br /></li><li><a href="http://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/12/family-dog-on-great-highway-navigation.html">For a summary and the link to the most recent entries in this series, see <b>here</b></a> </li></ul><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTR-P3gPAOfWQBGkxw0WI4NUX1Kmqu2CPkAwkrJaZmkCguQxauhFUFt0C1ei3f7yoD7Ybo1oZO8Ynv9w7Xlv3WIQh_3xg9ExDEkVTR4PWFjaQk9lShlSC16L1t32afMO7LjuDzQJSSVPB/s250/FDGH+19700306.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTR-P3gPAOfWQBGkxw0WI4NUX1Kmqu2CPkAwkrJaZmkCguQxauhFUFt0C1ei3f7yoD7Ybo1oZO8Ynv9w7Xlv3WIQh_3xg9ExDEkVTR4PWFjaQk9lShlSC16L1t32afMO7LjuDzQJSSVPB/s0/FDGH+19700306.jpg" /></a></div><p><b>March 6-8, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Lee Michaels/Rhythm Dukes/Robert Savage </b><i>(Friday-Sunday)</i><br />By 1970, <b>Lee Michaels</b> was just starting his rise as a popular solo artist with a unique sound. Michaels had been in numerous different bands in Southern and Northern California since at least 1964, but he had found a niche by performing as a duo, with just himself on Hammond organ and vocals and an accompanying drummer. A Hammond/drums duo had been a common configuration in nightclubs and "organ lounges" since the 1950s, but they mostly played jazz or rhythm and blues. It was mainly a sound for black neighborhoods, and the best known practitioner had been the great Jimmy Smith. A duo would play popular songs of the day, but jazz them up a little, while usually providing enough of a beat to encourage people to dance. In smaller urban spaces, fitting an organist and a drummer into a club was easier--and more economical--than squeezing in an entire band. Sometimes an organ duo would have a saxophone or guitar as an additional soloist, but it was still compact. A good Hammond organ player could use his feet to play bass pedals (called "kicking bass"), so there was a full range of sound. <br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzNke9mx2JPnRifVYIJphhecj3aRAW8bTpvpYREIyeHCZ73UrlKJfNt9lUbueHnU5sFF8WPJXnND2Mp8Oec-1FX07SzwNfi1u59I_JJiVhvRtM2ubv46MNb_Sxb8OqS7Mg8gCcTYns34s/s956/SMTimes651112.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="956" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzNke9mx2JPnRifVYIJphhecj3aRAW8bTpvpYREIyeHCZ73UrlKJfNt9lUbueHnU5sFF8WPJXnND2Mp8Oec-1FX07SzwNfi1u59I_JJiVhvRtM2ubv46MNb_Sxb8OqS7Mg8gCcTYns34s/s320/SMTimes651112.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The San Mateo Times of November 12, 1965, advertised the Joel Scott Hill Trio and singer Joni Lyman (with Lee Michaels and John Barbata) at the Tiger-A-Go-Go near the SFO Airport</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>After starting out in a San Luis Obispo surf band (The Sentinals), Michaels had played Hammond organ in various bands since at least 1965. He had been in the Joel Scott Hill Trio with guitarist Hill (later Canned Heat) and drummer John Barbata (later The Turtles, CSNY and Jefferson Airplane), and at one point Bob Mosely (later Moby Grape) had been in the band, too. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2009/08/november-12-1965-tiger-go-go-san.html">They had played nightclubs in California (like the Tiger A Go Go near the San Francisco Airport), getting dancers to work up a sweat</a>. When the San Francisco underground hit in late 1966, Michaels led a quartet that played around some places, and he was soon signed to A&M. His first two albums (<i>Carnival Of Life</i> and <i>Recital</i>, both 1968) didn't stand out. </p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2fihgMblKW3qZ30L8QhyYxNlJi-IWc8VLpLcqMl0BZiB2_L8GVkyrtg7GGYsRlx2qJxiIkFyNP8GNIsIfvo0ahTDNYK0DNswSJk6PVZAWhVNtfaA1zdKYo45QaVDHp7o5SPsRNEpqAzP/s600/Lee+Michaels+A%2526M+69+lp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="600" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2fihgMblKW3qZ30L8QhyYxNlJi-IWc8VLpLcqMl0BZiB2_L8GVkyrtg7GGYsRlx2qJxiIkFyNP8GNIsIfvo0ahTDNYK0DNswSJk6PVZAWhVNtfaA1zdKYo45QaVDHp7o5SPsRNEpqAzP/s320/Lee+Michaels+A%2526M+69+lp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />By his third album, appropriately just called <i>Lee Michaels</i> and released in July 1969, as if it was his debut, he had figured it out. Michaels played Hammond organ, kicked bass and absolutely belted out the blues with his high tenor. South Bay drummer Bartholomew Smith-Frost, better known as "Frosty," was his only band member. It wasn't like a jazz thing, but incredibly loud psychedelic blues. Still--Michaels and Frosty jammed like an organ duo, but with a rock beat and a much louder sound. Michaels' drove his Hammond with a wall of rotating Leslie amplifiers. Leslies were common with Hammonds, but Michaels had a huge stack of them and turned them up high. <p></p><p><i>Lee Michaels</i> had included a modest hit called "Heighty Hi" which was actually played a lot on FM radio back in '69, and its surprisingly familiar even today. Michaels also recorded a dramatic version of T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday," and it too got played regularly on FM. In 1971, the Allman Brothers classic version of "Stormy Monday" became the best-known cover of that song, but Lee Michaels' version was probably the first one most rock fans had heard. </p><p>Lee Michaels started to tour the country in 1969, and his unique sound stood out. He was earsplittingly loud, but he was direct. His jamming with Frosty was very musical, but easy to follow with just two players. He was a great vocalist, some of his songs were catchy and he was a skinny, handsome dude. He was definitely on the rise (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teegarden_%26_Van_Winkle">there was a Detroit duo called Teegarden and Van Winkle who had a similar sound</a>, but they never caught on nationally). Michaels went on a National tour in the Fall, playing all over the country. </p><p>Michaels had opened twice at the Fillmore West, first in June 1969 (when <i>Lee Michaels</i> had been released) and then in August. As at most Family Dog shows, Bill Graham was getting first bite of any apples. Lee Michaels had just headlined Fillmore West the weekend of January 22-25, over Albert King and Zephyr (Michaels had replaced Savoy Brown). The <i>Lee Michaels</i> album was slowly getting better known as it continued to get attention on FM radio. Michaels would make his Fillmore East debut on the weekend of March 19-21, 1970 on a bill between the Moody Blues and Argent. </p><p>Our only eyewitness for the Lee Michaels shows was Bill Champlin's <a href="http://sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/index.htm">legendary road manager, Charlie Kelly</a>. Kelly mentioned in a private email that Lee Michaels was "impossibly loud." Keep in mind, Kelly had managed equipment for the Sons of Champlin at the Fillmores, the Avalon and everywhere else, and had seen any and every 60s band you have ever heard right from the stage, and even he said Michaels was impossibly loud. The Leslie sound was really something when it was turned up. Lee Michaels was kind of an acquired taste, but I definitely acquired it, and it must have been really powerful in a tiny, sweet sounding place like the Family Dog.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprATwVCDh_crl_9AQ5tjWahhYAgjYkj2CPVADe2y0UgHUzw5pRF6mlZojISXdYgg0q6WGU-2nw0a-LcUgQsrq3QGlBtIj30LCfT72FBkBG0TuXDyO_khwEUrWMkkhqVpHbI_80gmaa4v7/s600/Flash+Back+Rhtyhm+Dukes+2005+cd.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprATwVCDh_crl_9AQ5tjWahhYAgjYkj2CPVADe2y0UgHUzw5pRF6mlZojISXdYgg0q6WGU-2nw0a-LcUgQsrq3QGlBtIj30LCfT72FBkBG0TuXDyO_khwEUrWMkkhqVpHbI_80gmaa4v7/s320/Flash+Back+Rhtyhm+Dukes+2005+cd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The <b>Rhythm Dukes</b> had formed in the Santa Cruz mountains in 1969, and had played the Family Dog on The Great Highway on December 12-14, 1969. Originally the band had featured two former members of Moby Grape, lead guitarist Jerry Miller and ex-drummer Don Stevenson (who switched to guitar). They were supported by bassist John Barrett and drummer Fuzzy Oxendine, formerly of the 60s group Boogie. The band was often billed as Moby Grape, and Stevenson had left by the end of Summer '69. The Rhythm Dukes carried on as a trio, finally adding two more members by December (saxophonist Rick Garcia and keyboardist Ned Torney), when they had played the Dog.<p></p><p>By January, however, the two extra members had left, to be replaced by Bill Champlin from the Sons. <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2010/11/sons-of-champlin-performance-list-july.html ">By early 1970, despite a loyal Bay Area following and two excellent
Capitol albums, the Sons of Champlin were frustrated and broke and they decided to
go "on hiatus."</a> Effectively that meant they were breaking up, although
they continued to finish an album they owed Capitol (released in 1971 as
<i>Follow Your Heart</i>). The Sons had concert obligations through February of 1970, so while Bill Champlin played a few gigs with the Rhythm Dukes, he was also finishing up with the Sons. By March, the Sons had stopped performing--that "breakup" didn't last long, but it's another story--and Bill was full time with the Rhythm Dukes and Jerry Miller. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbn-bwDfEezi1Mp6Apz_bqxuErjNtsfQfDfFlkMO0saodQOCmYocCGIoknyw4TdxPTX30tW6TD9HddYoi4EMMeZ5qW7XCi3jCojGy22iBhVWGs9-VKpaBBuUfiZlYya5zqtG1gZvzc_isa/s648/Rhythm+Dukes+FDGH+1970.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="648" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbn-bwDfEezi1Mp6Apz_bqxuErjNtsfQfDfFlkMO0saodQOCmYocCGIoknyw4TdxPTX30tW6TD9HddYoi4EMMeZ5qW7XCi3jCojGy22iBhVWGs9-VKpaBBuUfiZlYya5zqtG1gZvzc_isa/s320/Rhythm+Dukes+FDGH+1970.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The Rhythm Dukes at the Family Dog on The Great Highway, sometime in 1970. (l-r) Bill Champlin, Fuzzy Oxendine, Jerry Miller.<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />We have some photos of Bill Champlin with the Rhythm Dukes from the Family Dog, although the exact date is unknown. Champlin played organ and rhythm guitar with the Dukes, and was the principal lead singer, although Jerry Miller was also a fine vocalist. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/The-Rhythm-Dukes-Flashback/release/15210493">Our only tape of this era of the Rhythm Dukes was a privately released 2005 cd of some demo tapes, recorded in a Marin studio on April 16, 1970 (appropriately entitled <i>Flash Back</i>)</a> but they were plainly an excellent live band. <a href="http://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2010/11/rhythm-dukes-performance-list-january.html">The Rhythm Dukes would go on to play the Family Dog again, but they only lasted until July</a>. <br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrcEchd7blSkjrdmKIOxUA6Z7JG5cWmPsZ6aTKcLZMtWivFPq7wtv1lqO0IsnTEGwvx2J1NYqN-fbSVfjW_4zjuw4Q4J4d8LV1UmD1lTdPOMguxLNC66Q5RLTXiO_6qCNGi7IGWhyhNYC9/s600/Robert+Savage+%2528inner+sleeve+71%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrcEchd7blSkjrdmKIOxUA6Z7JG5cWmPsZ6aTKcLZMtWivFPq7wtv1lqO0IsnTEGwvx2J1NYqN-fbSVfjW_4zjuw4Q4J4d8LV1UmD1lTdPOMguxLNC66Q5RLTXiO_6qCNGi7IGWhyhNYC9/s320/Robert+Savage+%2528inner+sleeve+71%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Guitarist Bobby Arlin (aka Robert Savage), from the inner sleeve of the 1971 album.</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />The <b>Robert Savage Group</b> was led by Bobby Arlin, formerly the lead
guitarist for The Leaves, a Hollywood band who had had a hit with "Hey
Joe" back in 1966. I believe Savage was based in the Bay Area at this
time. His current trio had Don Parrish on bass and Tommy Richards on
drums. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Robert-Savage-The-Adventures-Of-Robert-Savage-Vol-1/release/2621299">They would go on to release an album on Paramount in 1971, <i>The Adventures Of Robert Savage</i></a>. </p><p><i><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/09/march-13-15-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">For a link to the next post in the series (March 13-15, 1970, Country Joe and The Fish), see here</a> </i><br /></p><p></p>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-22369757750978312602022-08-27T13:49:00.003-07:002022-09-04T11:13:26.735-07:00February 27-March 1, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Grateful Dead/Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen [FDGH '70 VII]<p> <br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s400/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, ca. 1969</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />The
Family Dog was a foundation stone in the rise of San Francisco rock,
and it was in operation in various forms from Fall 1965 through the
Summer of 1970. For sound historical reasons, most of the focus on the
Family Dog has been on the original 4-person collective who organized
the first San Francisco Dance Concerts in late 1965, and on their
successor Chet Helms. Helms took over the Family Dog in early 1966, and
after a brief partnership with Bill Graham at the Fillmore, promoted
memorable concerts at the Avalon Ballroom from Spring 1966 through
December 1968. The posters, music and foggy memories of the Avalon are
what made the Family Dog a legendary 60s rock icon.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In the Summer
of 1969, however, with San Francisco as one of the fulcrums of the rock
music explosion, Chet Helms opened another venue. The Family Dog on The
Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, on the Western edge of San
Francisco, was only open for 14 months and was not a success. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">Yet numerous interesting bands played there, and remarkable events took place, and they are only documented in a scattered form.</a>
This series of posts will undertake a systematic review of every
musical event at the Family Dog on The Great Highway. In general, each
post will represent a week of musical events at the venue, although that
may vary slightly depending on the bookings.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If anyone has
memories, reflections, insights, corrections or flashbacks about shows
at the Family Dog on the Great Highway, please post them in the
Comments.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s501/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s320/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>660 Great Highway in San Francisco in 1967, when it was the ModelCar Raceway, a slot car track</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b><br />The Edgewater Ballroom, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />As
early as 1913, there were rides and concessions at Ocean Beach in San
Francisco, near the Richmond District. By 1926, they had been
consolidated as Playland-At-The-Beach. The Ocean Beach area included
attractions such as the Sutro Baths and the Cliff House. The San
Francisco Zoo was just south of Playland, having opened in the 1930s.<a href="http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2011/10/family-dog-at-great-highway-660-great.html ">
One of the attractions at Playland was a restaurant called Topsy's
Roost. The restaurant had closed in 1930, and the room became the
Edgewater Ballroom. The Ballroom eventually closed, and Playland went
into decline when its owner died in 1958.</a> By the 1960s, the former Edgewater was a slot car raceway. In early 1969, Chet Helms took over the lease of the old Edgewater. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s768/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr style="text-align: left;"><td class="tr-caption"><i>One
of the only photos of the interior of the Family Dog on The Great
Highway (from a Stephen Gaskin "Monday Night Class" ca. October 1969)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />The Family Dog On The Great Highway</b><br />The
Great Highway was a four-lane road that ran along the Western edge of
San Francisco, right next to Ocean Beach. Downtown San Francisco faced
the Bay, but beyond Golden Gate Park was the Pacific Ocean. The aptly
named Ocean Beach is dramatic and beautiful, but it is mostly windy and
foggy. Much of the West Coast of San Francisco is not even a beach, but
rocky cliffs. There are no roads in San Francisco West of the Great
Highway, so "660 Great Highway" was ample for directions (for reference,
it is near the intersection of Balboa Street and 48th Avenue). The
tag-line "Edge Of The Western World" was not an exaggeration, at least
in American terms.<br /><br />The Family Dog on The Great Highway was
smaller than the Bill Graham's old Fillmore Auditorium. It could hold up
to 1500, but the official capacity was probably closer to 1000. Unlike
the comparatively centrally located Fillmore West, the FDGH was far from
downtown, far from the Peninsula suburbs, and not particularly easy to
get to from the freeway. For East Bay or Marin residents, the Great
Highway was a formidable trip. The little ballroom was very appealing,
but if you didn't live way out in the Avenues, you had to drive. As a
result, FDGH didn't get a huge number of casual drop-ins, and that
didn't help its fortunes. Most of the locals referred to the venue as
"Playland."</p><i><b>The Family Dog In 1969</b></i><br />Chet Helms had
opened the Family Dog at 660 Great Highway to much fanfare on June 13,
1969, with a packed house seeing the Jefferson Airplane and The
Charlatans. One of the goals was that the Dog would feature mostly San
Francisco bands and a variety of smaller community events and groups.
Since so many San Francisco bands were successful, and had record
contracts, this didn't confine the venue to obscurity. A lot of great
bands played the Family Dog in 1969, but the distant location and the
gravitational pull of major rock events hosted elsewhere in the Bay Area
kept the Family Dog isolated. We know only the most fragmentary bits
about music played, events and audiences throughout the year. Despite
the half-year of struggle, Helms had kept the Family Dog on The Great
Highway afloat. He had entered the new year of 1970 with a new plan. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">For a complete list of Family Dog shows (including FDGH), see <b>here</b></a></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/08/february-20-21-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">For the previous entry (February 20-21, 1970 Big Brother) see <b>here </b></a><br /></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/12/family-dog-on-great-highway-navigation.html">For a summary and the link to the most recent entries in this series, see <b>here</b></a> </li></ul><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNp1VaFGpAmpBWC7za1Jpou14fWTYvNfFkG7mPr1bkheqd0VkeodbLZzmdG-qnOCCSSuMzcde8o5NLNN8DDySPAjgmVRZh_w0uqWcCI8KhyphenhyphennFc9Wgn4-T8Irh4sFjsdn6FeKSQ5pCXxe-/s861/GD+FDGH+19700227.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="861" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNp1VaFGpAmpBWC7za1Jpou14fWTYvNfFkG7mPr1bkheqd0VkeodbLZzmdG-qnOCCSSuMzcde8o5NLNN8DDySPAjgmVRZh_w0uqWcCI8KhyphenhyphennFc9Wgn4-T8Irh4sFjsdn6FeKSQ5pCXxe-/s320/GD+FDGH+19700227.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><b>February 27-March 1, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Grateful Dead/Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen </b><i>(Friday-Sunday)</i><br />The Family Dog had a relatively brief but intriguing history from June 13, 1969 through August 22, 1970. Without a doubt, the band that had the most importance to the venue was the Grateful Dead. They played six weekends at the Dog, and Jerry Garcia and the New Riders of The Purple Sage played five other shows when the Dead were not on the bill. No other San Francisco band of any importance played anywhere near that number of shows at the venue. We have tapes of almost all the music the Dead played, and while we have few real eyewitness accounts, the evidence suggests the Dead sold a lot of tickets and did really well at the door. That was probably not as true of other bands, although we can't be sure. We have Owsley's tapes, though, so we know the Grateful Dead played really, really well at the former Edgewater Ballroom.</p><p>Hopes must have been high when this weekend was booked. The Dead and Garcia had helped keep the Family Dog afloat in the dark Fall of 1969, and come the Winter of 1970 Chet Helms seemed to have a bright new plan. Gone was the sincere but unprofitable effort to be a "Community Center," and there was a renewed focus on being a weekend rock venue that emphasized San Francisco bands. It was true that Bill Graham Presents had first dibs on all the bands at Fillmore West, but the SF scene was vibrant enough that it didn't really matter. Bands could play a weekend at Fillmore West and follow up a few weeks later at the Family Dog, and everyone could thrive. </p><p>I have written earlier about how things appeared: after being closed for most of January, the Family Dog had re-established itself with a series of weekend bookings featuring top San Francisco bands. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/07/january-30-31-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">Jefferson Airplane had kicked it off (January 30-31)</a>, then <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/08/february-6-7-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">Quicksilver Messenger Service (February 6-7)</a>, then <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/08/february-13-14-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">Steve Miller Band (February 13-14)</a>, then <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/08/february-20-21-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">the re-activated Big Brother (February 20-21)</a> and finally the Grateful Dead to close out the month. Granted, most of these bands had played Fillmore West a few weeks earlier. The Dead, for example, were booked by BGP at Fillmore West the weekend of February 5-8. They were the Dead, though--even back in 1970, four San Francisco Dead shows at Fillmore West just made their fans want to see them even more. </p><p>Chet Helms, by all evidence, had new financial backing for the Family Dog, the kind that gave the bands (and their managements) confidence that their guarantees would be met and that they would get paid. Most importantly, however, Chet Helms had new partners, namely the Grateful Dead. According to Dead historian Dennis McNally (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Gibbon">the Edward Gibbon of Deadheads</a>), the Grateful Dead were going to move their operation from Novato to the Family Dog and join forces. The mind reels--imagine the 1970 Dead with their own venue at the edge of the Western World, a permanent home for Alembic, the New Riders and <a href="https://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2020/04/riders-of-purple-sage-old-new-and.html">Bobby Ace and The Cards Off The Bottom Of The Deck</a>.</p><p>It didn't happen. The Grateful Dead offices moved to the Family Dog in the last weekend of January, with the band otherwise occupied down on Bourbon Street, but they did not stay. Chet Helms has been criticized over the years--unfairly in my opinion--for having weaknesses as a businessman, but he was no crook. <a href="https://hooterollin.blogspot.com/2022/05/january-30-31-1970-grateful-deadfamily.html">When Grateful Dead manager Lenny Hart refused to show Helms the Grateful Dead books, Helms canceled the merger</a>. And rightly so--the Dead themselves fired Lenny Hart a few weeks later, and it would turn out that he had absconded with over $150,000 of the band's money, a staggering number in 1970. Lenny Hart quietly returned the Dead office to Novato before January was over.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUVHL_0mLki0Izo8IRryCYKL-tItremAqcVbKUqK8Sb8DXeqP2_KZyQiajbO7wQLn6MOLGoiEs5wslaGubBU51yHEBvCIW5lQai-eiPjbQd2kuZMkQcX6GubofyqxUTOuaE5SdYTSdiW8/s2048/Winterland+Benefit+19700223.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUVHL_0mLki0Izo8IRryCYKL-tItremAqcVbKUqK8Sb8DXeqP2_KZyQiajbO7wQLn6MOLGoiEs5wslaGubBU51yHEBvCIW5lQai-eiPjbQd2kuZMkQcX6GubofyqxUTOuaE5SdYTSdiW8/s320/Winterland+Benefit+19700223.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>On Monday, February 23, 1970, with the Dead still on the road, San Francisco bands played a benefit for them to raise cash for legal expenses<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />So the February 27 show must have been bittersweet behind the scenes. Instead of a triumphal homecoming by the Dead as partners in a glorious new venture, they staggered back from a Texas road trip ready to fire their manager, the looming specter of being broke and a soundman who could no longer travel with them. On Monday, February 23, Bill Graham had helped organize a benefit at Winterland for the cash-poor Dead, as the Airplane, Quicksilver and others played a gig while the band was still in Texas. As to any merger, since both the Dead and Helms had no capital, any agreement would only have been another sinkhole. This weekend's booking was just a gig for cash, which everyone needed.<p></p><p>The electric Grateful Dead would not play another show at the Family Dog on The Great Highway after this weekend. <a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2013/11/april-17-19-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">In April, the band would play three nights (April 17-19) billed as Bobby Ace and The Cards Off The Bottom Of The Deck and the New Riders of The Purple Sage. From what we know, this appeared to be a test run for the "Acoustic Dead" and of the new configuration of the Riders, with new bassist Dave Torbert</a>. Miraculously, a tape survived of one of the Acoustic sets, but we actually have no eyewitness accounts of that event either. But as far as plugging in and soaring through the cosmos--the electric Grateful Dead punched their last ticket at the Dog on these nights.<br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJuuaFbcnf46iYnzCZx306HMth8my2WndgNwkK2GJ-bjQufSZBhYOqrmtFd7ClRExQtZaJCFaApyjInFeC2GjvSeL0YJMoSEwLy1CZ_0l_-ZAxnua2lsV62zpXXUg3vM-KpTgNLx4v-wh/s2048/GD+FDGH+poster+19700227.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJuuaFbcnf46iYnzCZx306HMth8my2WndgNwkK2GJ-bjQufSZBhYOqrmtFd7ClRExQtZaJCFaApyjInFeC2GjvSeL0YJMoSEwLy1CZ_0l_-ZAxnua2lsV62zpXXUg3vM-KpTgNLx4v-wh/s320/GD+FDGH+poster+19700227.jpg" /></a></div>There is a poster for the Grateful Dead Family Dog shows. In 1970, very few Family Dog shows had posters or flyers, that I am aware of. The Dead poster seems to be professionally done. Now, the Dead show was pretty much a guaranteed moneymaker, so spending a little extra on a poster makes sense. Still, I wonder how widely it was circulated. Bill Graham had a deal with various shopkeepers, in that he would give them a poster and they would display it in their window until after showtime, when they could keep the poster. If his team tried to tack up Fillmore posters on telephone poles or public bulletin boards, they would immediately be snatched as collector's items. Since the Family Dog had so few posters, I wonder if they even had any kind of network.<br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizY7AB5JxdUYHRa1mHl5wZSS1DUeBmmDWqOZYs1cXQWmLYV5fYiHlz4zMxiX8zOg9dwJeR9FR9QtefwtrHzCKuGVNbJsLzlKobdqiPumjXO-v36P1h4fi6aJyZ7eCvrqaqWlgTBfdvOq4u/s600/commander-cody+FD+1970.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizY7AB5JxdUYHRa1mHl5wZSS1DUeBmmDWqOZYs1cXQWmLYV5fYiHlz4zMxiX8zOg9dwJeR9FR9QtefwtrHzCKuGVNbJsLzlKobdqiPumjXO-v36P1h4fi6aJyZ7eCvrqaqWlgTBfdvOq4u/s320/commander-cody+FD+1970.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><a href="https://berkeleyfolk.blogspot.com/2010/09/commander-cody-and-his-lost-planet.html">Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen had relocated to Berkeley from Ann Arbor, MI in the Summer of 1969</a>. They played some early gigs at the Family Dog, and were soon booked with some regularity. Only a few weekends after they arrived in town, Cody and the Airmen were booked to open for the Grateful Dead on the weekend of August 28-30, 1969. They must have hit it off, since they would open for the Dead and the New Riders many times over the next several years. George (Commander) Frayne ended up playing piano on the NRPS album, and eventually would become Jerry Garcia's neighbor in Stinson Beach. In 1973, when the Riders split off from Grateful Dead management, they shared management with Cody (manager Joe Kerr had been a college classmate of Frayne), accounting for the close working relationship between the bands.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqw-Upbz9woNztMlJwrw-RVRXvUx_Dys39AnBODCCDBl0Ssw0RF86luR-ZBj1Th-U_O7VSJTrwYZW3-zIKW9PLLVR15_1A_8MjBhNAGufl6dro2Yg-AfCPlTKr1SkFLvWU5l1qaxdlNMKn/s1044/Commander+Cody+Band+House%252C+Emeryville.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1044" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqw-Upbz9woNztMlJwrw-RVRXvUx_Dys39AnBODCCDBl0Ssw0RF86luR-ZBj1Th-U_O7VSJTrwYZW3-zIKW9PLLVR15_1A_8MjBhNAGufl6dro2Yg-AfCPlTKr1SkFLvWU5l1qaxdlNMKn/s320/Commander+Cody+Band+House%252C+Emeryville.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Legend has it that the unassuming Emeryville house on the left was Lost Planet Airmen HQ back in the early 1970s</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />In February, 1970, however, the Lost Planet Airmen were still just getting their footing in the Bay Area. Their cosmic hippie cowboy rock and roll fit in with the evolution of the Dead that would begin with <i>Workingman's Dead</i>. The Grateful Dead were in the midst of recording that album during this period. <a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2010/06/march-1970-new-riders-shows-did-they.html">The New Riders were not really available, since they did not seem to have a bass player</a>, so Cody and the Airmen were an appropriate alternative. <a href="https://owsleystanleyfoundation.org/product/found-in-the-ozone-commander-cody-his-lost-planet-airmen/">Owsley taped Cody and the Airmen this weekend, and parts of the show turned up on the 2020 Owsley Stanley Foundation double-cd set <i>Found In The Ozone</i></a>. Most of the set was recorded in March when the Airmen would open for the Youngbloods, but there were a few tracks from the February shows.<p></p><p>At this time, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen were</p><blockquote><b>Billy C Farlow</b>-vocals, harmonica<br /><b>Bill Kirchen</b>-lead guitar, vocals<br /><b>West Virginia Creeper (Steve Davis)</b>-pedal steel guitar<br /><b>Andy Stein</b>-fiddle, tenor sax<br /><b>Commander Cody</b>-piano, vocals<br /><b>Buffalo Bruce Barlow</b>-bass<br /><b>Lance Dickerson</b>-drums</blockquote><p>Guitarist John Tichy had been in the band in the Summer, but he had returned to Ann Arbor to finish his PhD in Physics at the University of Michigan.<br /></p><i><b>Appendix: Grateful Dead Setlists</b></i><br /><b>Friday, February 27, 1970</b><br />Cold Rain & Snow, Mama Tried, Dancin' In The Streets, Easy Wind, Black Peter, Good Lovin', China Cat Sunflower> I Know You Rider> High Time, Hard To Handle, Casey Jones, Cumberland Blues, Not Fade Away> Turn On Your Lovelight<p><b>Saturday, February 28, 1970</b><br />I: Turn On Your Lovelight> Me & My Uncle, Cumberland Blues<br />II: Monkey & The Engineer, Little Sadie<br />III: China Cat Sunflower> I Know You Rider, High Time> Dire Wolf, Good Lovin', Big Boss Man, Casey Jones, Alligator> Drums> The Other One> Mason's Children> Turn On Your Lovelight, Uncle John's Band<br /><b><br />Sunday, March 1, 1970</b><br />I: New Speedway Boogie Jam, Casey Jones, Big Boy Pete, Morning Dew, Hard To Handle, Me & My Uncle, Cryptical Envelopment> Drums> The Other One> Cryptical Envelopment> Black Peter, Beat It On Down The Line, Dire Wolf, Good Lovin', Cumberland Blues, King Bee, China Cat Sunflower> I Know You Rider<br />II: Uncle John's Band, Dancin' In The Streets, It's All Over Now Baby Blue</p><p><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/09/march-6-8-1970-family-dog-on-great.html"><i>For the next post in this series (March 6-8, 1970 Lee Michaels), see here</i></a><br /></p><p><br /></p>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-15165110517375178482022-08-18T12:36:00.001-07:002022-08-27T13:55:33.015-07:00February 20-21, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Big Brother and The Holding Company with Nick Gravenites/Cat Mother and The All-Night Newsboys [FDGH '70 VI]<p> <br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s400/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, ca. 1969</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />The
Family Dog was a foundation stone in the rise of San Francisco rock,
and it was in operation in various forms from Fall 1965 through the
Summer of 1970. For sound historical reasons, most of the focus on the
Family Dog has been on the original 4-person collective who organized
the first San Francisco Dance Concerts in late 1965, and on their
successor Chet Helms. Helms took over the Family Dog in early 1966, and
after a brief partnership with Bill Graham at the Fillmore, promoted
memorable concerts at the Avalon Ballroom from Spring 1966 through
December 1968. The posters, music and foggy memories of the Avalon are
what made the Family Dog a legendary 60s rock icon.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In the Summer
of 1969, however, with San Francisco as one of the fulcrums of the rock
music explosion, Chet Helms opened another venue. The Family Dog on The
Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, on the Western edge of San
Francisco, was only open for 14 months and was not a success. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">Yet numerous interesting bands played there, and remarkable events took place, and they are only documented in a scattered form.</a>
This series of posts will undertake a systematic review of every
musical event at the Family Dog on The Great Highway. In general, each
post will represent a week of musical events at the venue, although that
may vary slightly depending on the bookings.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If anyone has
memories, reflections, insights, corrections or flashbacks about shows
at the Family Dog on the Great Highway, please post them in the
Comments.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s501/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s320/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>660 Great Highway in San Francisco in 1967, when it was the ModelCar Raceway, a slot car track</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b><br />The Edgewater Ballroom, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />As
early as 1913, there were rides and concessions at Ocean Beach in San
Francisco, near the Richmond District. By 1926, they had been
consolidated as Playland-At-The-Beach. The Ocean Beach area included
attractions such as the Sutro Baths and the Cliff House. The San
Francisco Zoo was just south of Playland, having opened in the 1930s.<a href="http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2011/10/family-dog-at-great-highway-660-great.html ">
One of the attractions at Playland was a restaurant called Topsy's
Roost. The restaurant had closed in 1930, and the room became the
Edgewater Ballroom. The Ballroom eventually closed, and Playland went
into decline when its owner died in 1958.</a> By the 1960s, the former Edgewater was a slot car raceway. In early 1969, Chet Helms took over the lease of the old Edgewater. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s768/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr style="text-align: left;"><td class="tr-caption"><i>One
of the only photos of the interior of the Family Dog on The Great
Highway (from a Stephen Gaskin "Monday Night Class" ca. October 1969)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />The Family Dog On The Great Highway</b><br />The
Great Highway was a four-lane road that ran along the Western edge of
San Francisco, right next to Ocean Beach. Downtown San Francisco faced
the Bay, but beyond Golden Gate Park was the Pacific Ocean. The aptly
named Ocean Beach is dramatic and beautiful, but it is mostly windy and
foggy. Much of the West Coast of San Francisco is not even a beach, but
rocky cliffs. There are no roads in San Francisco West of the Great
Highway, so "660 Great Highway" was ample for directions (for reference,
it is near the intersection of Balboa Street and 48th Avenue). The
tag-line "Edge Of The Western World" was not an exaggeration, at least
in American terms.<br /><br />The Family Dog on The Great Highway was
smaller than the Bill Graham's old Fillmore Auditorium. It could hold up
to 1500, but the official capacity was probably closer to 1000. Unlike
the comparatively centrally located Fillmore West, the FDGH was far from
downtown, far from the Peninsula suburbs, and not particularly easy to
get to from the freeway. For East Bay or Marin residents, the Great
Highway was a formidable trip. The little ballroom was very appealing,
but if you didn't live way out in the Avenues, you had to drive. As a
result, FDGH didn't get a huge number of casual drop-ins, and that
didn't help its fortunes. Most of the locals referred to the venue as
"Playland."</p><i><b>The Family Dog In 1969</b></i><br />Chet Helms had
opened the Family Dog at 660 Great Highway to much fanfare on June 13,
1969, with a packed house seeing the Jefferson Airplane and The
Charlatans. One of the goals was that the Dog would feature mostly San
Francisco bands and a variety of smaller community events and groups.
Since so many San Francisco bands were successful, and had record
contracts, this didn't confine the venue to obscurity. A lot of great
bands played the Family Dog in 1969, but the distant location and the
gravitational pull of major rock events hosted elsewhere in the Bay Area
kept the Family Dog isolated. We know only the most fragmentary bits
about music played, events and audiences throughout the year. Despite
the half-year of struggle, Helms had kept the Family Dog on The Great
Highway afloat. He had entered the new year of 1970 with a new plan. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">For a complete list of Family Dog shows (including FDGH), see <b>here</b></a></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/08/february-13-14-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">For the previous entry (February 13-14, 1970 Steve Miller Band) see <b>here </b></a><br /></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/12/family-dog-on-great-highway-navigation.html">For a summary and the link to the most recent entries in this series, see </a><b><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/12/family-dog-on-great-highway-navigation.html">her</a>e</b> </li></ul><p> <br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyiRyo-fxvF0OSt7s6ecTp-TTQ7AfPkcj5AFNkuG4lfPnfwt2BIprS1MmTh5DsIRYV0I_-kfWt_DLhsSTjf7HbSNkGKRCFVp9ptwMWkbjgHL3dMFh5f4-f8Z_bTCfegQfS1w1zK3qZ43-2/s379/FamilyDog19700220.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="379" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyiRyo-fxvF0OSt7s6ecTp-TTQ7AfPkcj5AFNkuG4lfPnfwt2BIprS1MmTh5DsIRYV0I_-kfWt_DLhsSTjf7HbSNkGKRCFVp9ptwMWkbjgHL3dMFh5f4-f8Z_bTCfegQfS1w1zK3qZ43-2/s320/FamilyDog19700220.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The Rhythm Dukes (with Jerry Miller and Bill Champlin) were originally booked to open for Big Brother on February 20-21, 1970, but they were replaced by Cat Mother<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><b>February 20-21, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Big Brother and The Holding Company with Nick Gravenites/Cat Mother and The All-Night Newsboys </b><i>(Friday-Saturday)</i><br />No band was more synonymous with Chet Helms and the Family Dog than Big Brother and The Holding Company. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Big%20Brother.htm">Back in the Fall of '65, Helms would host jam sessions in the basement of a big boarding house at 1090 Page Street. Some bands formed out of the jams, and a list of potential names was made up</a>. Chet took two of the most promising--"Big Brother" and "The Holding Company"--and combined them for the group he would manage. <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2009/09/open-theater-berkeley-ca-2976-college.html">The band's first gig under their new name was at Berkeley's Open Theater (at 2976 College Avenue, near Ashby</a>). </p><p>Big Brother and The Holding Company would go on to play all the hippest, most underground shows in the thriving but still somewhat invisible underground rock scene. The band was a quartet with two guitarists (Sam Andrews and James Gurley), a converted folkie on bass (Peter Albin) and a former jazz drummer (Dave Getz). Big Brother was still figuring things out, but they weren't a cliche nor a copy of any other band. Their weakness was their vocals, compounded by the fact that they didn't really have a compelling figure to be the center of attention on-stage.</p><p>Manager Chet Helms had a solution. Back in 1963-64, Helms had become friendly with another expatriate Texan, a folk singer from Austin by way of Port Arthur with a big voice. She had returned to Austin by 1965, as some of her excesses were getting the better of her. So Helms commissioned his friend Travis Rivers to fetch Janis Joplin, and she joined Big Brother and The Holding Company. She made her debut with the band at June 24, 1966 at the Avalon. An eyewitness described her singing as "like tape being rewound," but Janis was compelling. Big Brother and The Holding Company were breakout stars from San Francisco, and Joplin became a one-name celebrity: even today, when we just say "Janis" we know it's her.</p><p>Helms was the manager of Big Brother and The Holding Company until late 1966. He had opened the Avalon Ballroom in April 1966, and Big Brother would be regular attractions. Even when Big Brother split with Helms--somewhat amicably--they were still booked at the Avalon. When the Avalon finally folded, Big Brother and The Holding Company had played the final show there on December 1, 1968. It was also Janis Joplin's final show as a member of the band, as she had left for stardom on her own. Big Brother disintegrated after her departure. </p><b><i>Big Brother Members-1969</i></b><br />Big Brother still had a warehouse for their equipment, and thus a place to rehearse, but they didn't have a band. Guitarist Sam Andrew had joined Janis' Kozmic Blues Band, and James Gurley had retreated to the desert. Peter Albin and Dave Getz were jamming in the warehouse with Albin's old friend David Nelson and others. They even played a one-off gig at the Matrix in January of 1969. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Country%20Joe%20Shows.htm">In late February, however, Albin and Getz joined up as new members of Country Joe and The Fish, for a National tour that went through May</a>. <br /><p>By the Fall of '69, the original members of Big Brother were ready to reconstruct themselves. They had been a band prior to Janis, and they would be one afterwards, even if the expectations were now forever changed. Janis Joplin had changed her band, so Sam Andrews was available. David Nelson could have thrown in with Big Brother, but chose a different option: starting the New Riders Of The Purple Sage with another old folkie friend, Jerry Garcia. James Gurley had returned, too, but only wanted to play bass, rather than lead guitar. The versatile Peter Albin could switch to guitar, so that was no problem. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/07/november-19-1969-fillmore-west-san.html">They re-debuted, if you will, at the Family Dog benefit at Fillmore West on November 19, 1969</a>. Big Brother and The Holding Company were back.<br /></p><p><i><b></b></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpR6ZK42EIMujAaYspnM3itf52KV8dCzr9doCFssixM9f3ZnqSRmU588gVlMUKYRT30cuAmuuqAwO63irkfdI2DuolIIjkdxQ2N-3QIdNRvz3fZhOLvulaNj6pJZJK79aZ6N_JITIwxZm0/s500/Be+A+Brother+album+cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpR6ZK42EIMujAaYspnM3itf52KV8dCzr9doCFssixM9f3ZnqSRmU588gVlMUKYRT30cuAmuuqAwO63irkfdI2DuolIIjkdxQ2N-3QIdNRvz3fZhOLvulaNj6pJZJK79aZ6N_JITIwxZm0/s320/Be+A+Brother+album+cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></i></div><i><b><br />Big Brother and The Holding Company, 1970</b></i><br />Big Brother and The Holding Company was still a famous name in rock and roll, even without Janis Joplin, so there was plenty of interest. The band was still signed to Columbia Records, too. Sam Andrews had started recording a solo album in Los Angeles, sometime in 1969. This project evolved into the reunion album for Big Brother. Nick Gravenites was signed up as producer. Gravenites had been the producer for Quicskilver Messenger Service's debut album, and he and Mike Bloomfield had helped Janis get her Kozmic Blues Band together, so he was intimately connected with the band. <p></p><p>Gravenites was a good singer and writer, too, so he was booked to perform with Big Brother at the Family Dog. My general understanding is that Gravenites would come out and sing some numbers with the band, but did not perform the whole show. By this time, Big Brother had added a fifth member, David Schallock. Schallock had been in various Marin bands such as Freedom Highway. Schallock also played guitar (and bass), so Big Brother had a comparatively unique lineup with three lead guitarists. </p><p>The headline weekend at the Family Dog marked the formal return of Big Brother. Since their November date at Fillmore West, they had played a few gigs, but their presence had been low-key. Returning to Chet Helms' venue had a symbolic importance that most fans recognized, even then. Like most Family Dog events of the time, however, we know nothing about the actual shows. Were they well attended? What did the band play? What songs did Gravenites sing? We really have no idea.<br /></p><p>Big Brother and The Holding Company would release the underrated <i>Be A Brother</i> album on Columbia in mid-1970, produced by Gravenites. Gravenites sang two of his own songs on the record ("Heartache People" and "I'll Fix Your Flat Tire, Merle"). <br /></p><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEC0b9pt9cOXnRClh9l807cogUt0KOEhzzzNcIT6Ro3P2i3tsVvcWxGFvTdae7lntS991zyXl4QaRJXL14f3Q3l19QJgeKVNcx_mFRL18aEySuZffAYUZ3_eMi0HgjdHRxrdaA9t3dPtA5/s352/The+Street+Giveth+Cat+Mother+1969+Polydor.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEC0b9pt9cOXnRClh9l807cogUt0KOEhzzzNcIT6Ro3P2i3tsVvcWxGFvTdae7lntS991zyXl4QaRJXL14f3Q3l19QJgeKVNcx_mFRL18aEySuZffAYUZ3_eMi0HgjdHRxrdaA9t3dPtA5/s320/The+Street+Giveth+Cat+Mother+1969+Polydor.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The Street Giveth and The Street Taketh Away, the debut album of Cat Mother and The All Night Newsboys. Jimi Hendrix produced the album for Polydor, released in 1969.</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />Cat Mother And The All-Night Newsboys</b><br />The Rhythm Dukes had originally been booked at the Family Dog as the opener, and were advertised on the flyer (above). The Rhythm Dukes were led by Jerry Miller of Moby Grape, and had originally included another ex-Grape, Don Stevenson (on guitar rather than drums). Stevenson had left, reducing the band to a trio. Briefly the Rhythm Dukes were a quintet, with which they had played the Family Dog in December, where they had opened for Canned Heat. After yet another gyration, their new lineup would feature no less than Bill Champlin on organ and vocals, as The Sons were sort of breaking up. <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2010/11/sons-of-champlin-performance-list-july.html">It turned out, however, that the Sons had what was announced as their final gigs (in Berkeley and Antioch, respectively).</a> As it actually happened, it wasn't the Sons final gigs--not even close--, but Champlin would join the Rhythm Dukes for a few months. Champlin would play with the Dukes at the Family Dog a few weeks later (March 6-8, opening for Lee Michaels). <p></p><p>Instead of the Rhythm Dukes, the opening act for Big Brother was a Greenwich Village band called Cat Mother and The All Night Newsboys. Cat
Mother and The All-Night Newsboys had formed in
1967. By 1969, they had been signed by Michael Jeffery, the manager of
Jimi Hendrix. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Cat-Mother-And-The-All-Night-Newsboys-The-Street-Giveth-And-The-Street-Taketh-Away/release/1878252">Hendrix had even produced the band's debut album on
Polydor, <i>The Street Giveth and The Street Taketh Away</i></a>. Thanks to the Jeffery connection, Cat Mother got to open for Hendrix and a number of other high profile events. Cat Mother even had a minor hit in late '69, with medley of oldies called "Old Time Rock And Roll." In fact, the band's sound was more country-folk oriented, but they were versatile musicians.</p><div>By 1970, however, Cat Mother was anxious to separate themselves from Jeffery's questionable management practices. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Cat-Mother-And-The-All-Night-Newsboys-Albion-Doo-Wah/master/413006">Their second album, <i>Albion Doo-Wah</i>, would be recorded at Pacific High Recorders in San Francisco</a>. In February, the band had probably just arrived in the City for recording, and were likely to have been added to the Family Dog bill just because they were available.</div><div><br /></div><div>After they finished their second album, Cat Mother relocated to San Francisco. San Francisco had a unique status for rock bands in the late 1960s
and '70s. While the record industry was centered, as it always had been,
in Manhattan and Hollywood, San Francisco was an enticing opportunity
for rock groups. For one thing, the concert industry was thriving, so a
good band could make a living whether they had an album or not. Plus,
there were studios and plenty of A&R guys, so SF wasn't the
wildnerness. And, it was California--no snow, pretty girls, open
minds--so it wasn't hard to persuade fellow band members to make the
move. A large number of bands from elsewhere moved to San Francisco.</div><div> </div><div>The three founding members of the band, Roy Michaels (bass,
vocals), Bob Smith (keyboards, vocals) and Michael Equine (drums), would
all relocate permanently to California. At the time of this show, the
band still had lead guitarist Paul Johnson and probably violinist Larry
Packer. Both of them would ultimately return to New York. Michaels,
Smith and Equine would move to Mendocino County and continue on as Cat
Mother until 1977.</div><div> </div><div><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/08/february-27-march-1-1970-family-dog-on.html"><i>For the next post in this series (February 27-March 1, 1970 Grateful Dead), see here </i></a><br /></div><div> </div><br />Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-55084201365763026562022-08-14T12:41:00.002-07:002022-08-19T14:53:11.540-07:00February 13-14, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Steve Miller Band/Elvin Bishop Group [FDGH '70 V]<p> </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s400/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, ca. 1969</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />The
Family Dog was a foundation stone in the rise of San Francisco rock,
and it was in operation in various forms from Fall 1965 through the
Summer of 1970. For sound historical reasons, most of the focus on the
Family Dog has been on the original 4-person collective who organized
the first San Francisco Dance Concerts in late 1965, and on their
successor Chet Helms. Helms took over the Family Dog in early 1966, and
after a brief partnership with Bill Graham at the Fillmore, promoted
memorable concerts at the Avalon Ballroom from Spring 1966 through
December 1968. The posters, music and foggy memories of the Avalon are
what made the Family Dog a legendary 60s rock icon.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In the Summer
of 1969, however, with San Francisco as one of the fulcrums of the rock
music explosion, Chet Helms opened another venue. The Family Dog on The
Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, on the Western edge of San
Francisco, was only open for 14 months and was not a success. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">Yet numerous interesting bands played there, and remarkable events took place, and they are only documented in a scattered form.</a>
This series of posts will undertake a systematic review of every
musical event at the Family Dog on The Great Highway. In general, each
post will represent a week of musical events at the venue, although that
may vary slightly depending on the bookings.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If anyone has
memories, reflections, insights, corrections or flashbacks about shows
at the Family Dog on the Great Highway, please post them in the
Comments.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s501/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s320/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>660 Great Highway in San Francisco in 1967, when it was the ModelCar Raceway, a slot car track</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b><br />The Edgewater Ballroom, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />As
early as 1913, there were rides and concessions at Ocean Beach in San
Francisco, near the Richmond District. By 1926, they had been
consolidated as Playland-At-The-Beach. The Ocean Beach area included
attractions such as the Sutro Baths and the Cliff House. The San
Francisco Zoo was just south of Playland, having opened in the 1930s.<a href="http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2011/10/family-dog-at-great-highway-660-great.html ">
One of the attractions at Playland was a restaurant called Topsy's
Roost. The restaurant had closed in 1930, and the room became the
Edgewater Ballroom. The Ballroom eventually closed, and Playland went
into decline when its owner died in 1958.</a> By the 1960s, the former Edgewater was a slot car raceway. In early 1969, Chet Helms took over the lease of the old Edgewater. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s768/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr style="text-align: left;"><td class="tr-caption"><i>One
of the only photos of the interior of the Family Dog on The Great
Highway (from a Stephen Gaskin "Monday Night Class" ca. October 1969)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />The Family Dog On The Great Highway</b><br />The
Great Highway was a four-lane road that ran along the Western edge of
San Francisco, right next to Ocean Beach. Downtown San Francisco faced
the Bay, but beyond Golden Gate Park was the Pacific Ocean. The aptly
named Ocean Beach is dramatic and beautiful, but it is mostly windy and
foggy. Much of the West Coast of San Francisco is not even a beach, but
rocky cliffs. There are no roads in San Francisco West of the Great
Highway, so "660 Great Highway" was ample for directions (for reference,
it is near the intersection of Balboa Street and 48th Avenue). The
tag-line "Edge Of The Western World" was not an exaggeration, at least
in American terms.<br /><br />The Family Dog on The Great Highway was
smaller than the Bill Graham's old Fillmore Auditorium. It could hold up
to 1500, but the official capacity was probably closer to 1000. Unlike
the comparatively centrally located Fillmore West, the FDGH was far from
downtown, far from the Peninsula suburbs, and not particularly easy to
get to from the freeway. For East Bay or Marin residents, the Great
Highway was a formidable trip. The little ballroom was very appealing,
but if you didn't live way out in the Avenues, you had to drive. As a
result, FDGH didn't get a huge number of casual drop-ins, and that
didn't help its fortunes. Most of the locals referred to the venue as
"Playland."</p><i><b>The Family Dog In 1969</b></i><br />Chet Helms had
opened the Family Dog at 660 Great Highway to much fanfare on June 13,
1969, with a packed house seeing the Jefferson Airplane and The
Charlatans. One of the goals was that the Dog would feature mostly San
Francisco bands and a variety of smaller community events and groups.
Since so many San Francisco bands were successful, and had record
contracts, this didn't confine the venue to obscurity. A lot of great
bands played the Family Dog in 1969, but the distant location and the
gravitational pull of major rock events hosted elsewhere in the Bay Area
kept the Family Dog isolated. We know only the most fragmentary bits
about music played, events and audiences throughout the year. Despite
the half-year of struggle, Helms had kept the Family Dog on The Great
Highway afloat. He had entered the new year of 1970 with a new plan. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">For a complete list of Family Dog shows (including FDGH), see <b>here</b></a></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/08/february-6-7-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">For the previous entry (February 6-7, 1970 Quicksilver Messenger Service) see <b>here </b></a><br /></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/12/family-dog-on-great-highway-navigation.html">For a summary and the link to the most recent entries in this series, see <b>here</b></a> </li></ul><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx3x3JT0UcRzYfVs4FyJ9jwtQCXR2hGzPY5CuokyQPNs43dELNHiN4fYDDRqQMuRKFDYyEAY7RszwiOoIU6aynDrAob1eXOi5pu2OQs2T9uNfFumRNm0HAUar4Ptb-0HnU_pwlKznmybEW/s529/Steve+Miller+FDGH+1970213.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx3x3JT0UcRzYfVs4FyJ9jwtQCXR2hGzPY5CuokyQPNs43dELNHiN4fYDDRqQMuRKFDYyEAY7RszwiOoIU6aynDrAob1eXOi5pu2OQs2T9uNfFumRNm0HAUar4Ptb-0HnU_pwlKznmybEW/s320/Steve+Miller+FDGH+1970213.jpg" /></a></div><p><b>February 13-14, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Steve Miller Band/Elvin Bishop Group </b><i>(Friday-Saturday) </i><br />At the end of January 1970, the Family Dog on The Great Highway had reconstructed themselves and apparently re-financed themselves. <a href="https://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2022/06/february-3-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">While a merger with the Grateful Dead organization had been scuttled (fortunately for both sides, since Dead manager Lenny Hart was busy ripping off the band)</a>, the Dog was on firmer footing. Even though the Dog focused on Bay Area bands, for each weekend in February and March, the Family Dog had the type of acts that would headline the Fillmore West as well. San Francisco was established enough that the "local heroes" had major label record contracts, and in many cases genuinely successful albums.</p><p>Steve Miller, for example, had moved to San Francisco from Chicago in October, 1966, seeking greener musical pastures. He had found them. Miller had rapidly formed a band in Berkeley featuring transplants from his days in Madison and Chicago. <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2009/08/steve-miller-band-performance-history.html">The first real paying gig for the new Steve Miller Blues Band had been when Chet Helms paid him $500 to play a weekend at the Avalon in late December, 1966</a>. Miller used the money to take his band out to dinner and to rent an apartment on College Avenue in Berkeley, since he had been living in his VW Microbus. So Miller was original Avalon if anyone was. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEVVkSR1-iX58sQDAeDl-1ZruiN1JEm839tqqB7-yAOJ0Lx9jaCuz2K7iyVp7csbbq8H3znGdejrK5GApVrhYKxOSRHCP5RXfeNICsRP8HMkoJuPc394IrH52mFAO3l1jAmoH1vbuh5Kp/s600/Steve+Miller+Children+Of+The+Future+Capitol+June+68.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEVVkSR1-iX58sQDAeDl-1ZruiN1JEm839tqqB7-yAOJ0Lx9jaCuz2K7iyVp7csbbq8H3znGdejrK5GApVrhYKxOSRHCP5RXfeNICsRP8HMkoJuPc394IrH52mFAO3l1jAmoH1vbuh5Kp/s320/Steve+Miller+Children+Of+The+Future+Capitol+June+68.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Steve Miller Band debut album Children Of The Future (Capitol June 1968)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />In the intervening years, Miller had added another old friend to his band, one Boz Scaggs from Texas. In 1967, after shrewdly waiting for the market to ripen for San Francisco bands, the <b>Steve Miller Band </b>had signed a lucrative contact with Capitol Records. The band's excellent debut album <i>Children Of The Future</i>, recorded in London, had only come out in June, 1968. It's successor, <i>Sailor</i>, recorded at the same time, had come out in October and peaked at #24. Scaggs had then left to go solo, leaving the band a trio (along with drummer Tim Davis, ex-Madison, and California bassist Lonnie Turner). The radio-friendly <i>Brave New World</i>, with the enduring title track and "Kow Kow Kalkulator" had been released in June of 1969, reaching #22. The underrated <i>Your Saving Grace</i> had been released in December of 1969, still managing to reach #38. These chart numbers weren't what the Steve Miller Band would achieve in the mid-70s, but his records hadn't been ignored. <p></p><p>Ironically, the Steve Miller Band still hadn't played the Family Dog on The Great Highway prior to this weekend. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/07/november-19-1969-fillmore-west-san.html">Miller was loyal, and had headlined the November 19, 1969 benefit concert that helped save the Family Dog, so he knew who his friends were</a>. But the fact that the Steve Miller Band hadn't headlined a weekend in 1969 was an implicit indication of the shaky finances of the Family Dog during the prior year. Here in February of 1970, the Steve Miller Band was finally on top of the bill for the whole weekend.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgILClKIOiQaBQ1o0fifVWXGP3D-lbQnv07gEhEvhaNyebjnGxGFmwlzNtQctv2kXLEG0O__xzkvU_0OakHJ5eSW9Alljklw13P1z3_E7dDW3CBlt5vm2NjjW5ppwqszpav-sSQNMg0qHLg/s599/Steve+Miller+Band+Your+Saving+Grace+Capitol+Nov+69.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="599" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgILClKIOiQaBQ1o0fifVWXGP3D-lbQnv07gEhEvhaNyebjnGxGFmwlzNtQctv2kXLEG0O__xzkvU_0OakHJ5eSW9Alljklw13P1z3_E7dDW3CBlt5vm2NjjW5ppwqszpav-sSQNMg0qHLg/s320/Steve+Miller+Band+Your+Saving+Grace+Capitol+Nov+69.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />At this time, Miller was mostly working on recording his follow-up to <i>Your Saving Grace</i>, which would be released later in the year as <i>Number 5</i>. Tim Davis was still the drummer, but Lonnie Turner had finally left the band after three years. Replacing him on bass and vocals was Bobby Winkelmann, formerly of the East Bay band Frumious Bandersnatch. <a href="https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2016/06/2925-willow-pass-road-concord-ca.html">The Frumious had come from Contra Costa County, just over the Berkeley hills. At the time, there were plenty of teenagers there, but not many bands</a>. The group was part of Bill Graham's Millard Agency, and played a lot of gigs opening for bands at Fillmore West and the like, but they had never made it over the hump. <a href="http://cryptdev.blogspot.com/2010/09/mfu-be-in-el-camino-park-palo-alto.html ">On September 29, 1968, Frumious Bandersnatch had opened a free concert in Palo Alto for the Steve Miller Band, which is where they met</a>. Frumious Bandersnatch packed it in sometime in 1969. Ultimately, however, 4 of the 5 members of the band would end up joining the Steve Miller Band (Winkelmann, guitarist David Denny, bassist Ross Valory and drummer John King). <p></p><p>The Steve Miller Band were premiere Bay Area headliners, and the Family Dog on The Great Highway was finally in a position to book them. The only cloud on the horizon was that Bay Area concert promotion had a pecking order, and Bill Graham was always the top rooster. The Steve Miller Band had headlined the Fillmore West two weekends earlier (January 29-February 1, Thursday through Sunday), supported by Sha Na Na. According to Ralph Gleason's <i>Chronicle</i> column, it had been very well attended. That meant, of course, that the Family Dog was getting leftovers, if tasty ones. The Fillmore West booking also explains why there was almost never any "coming soon" promotions (like posters) at the Family Dog. Graham, like all promoters, would have insisted that a headliner like Miller could not advertise another Bay Area show until his Fillmore West dates were complete. Steve Miller probably still drew a pretty good crowd to the Family Dog, but Graham was getting first bite.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9k_RqXUXLho1_8lca0LYN0KfWQoUGs-edfpvP07dMjgDFxBeGlP7CeUnUQ_6D4-cBhTmcCQbeSLgYtH_gStYEDozaKr0EPCZWyzcjp_5XuG99UhvhdY4ZnYW7Dmqi0_nPgQWmdEXJ9Mz/s514/Elvin+Bishop+Group+lp+69+Fillmore.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="513" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9k_RqXUXLho1_8lca0LYN0KfWQoUGs-edfpvP07dMjgDFxBeGlP7CeUnUQ_6D4-cBhTmcCQbeSLgYtH_gStYEDozaKr0EPCZWyzcjp_5XuG99UhvhdY4ZnYW7Dmqi0_nPgQWmdEXJ9Mz/s320/Elvin+Bishop+Group+lp+69+Fillmore.jpg" /></a></div>The <b>Elvin Bishop Group</b> were regulars at the few Bay Area rock nightclubs, like the Keystone Korner and The Matrix. But Bishop had just played the Fillmore West, too, second on the bill to Chicago on the weekend of January 8-11. Now, it's even less surprising that the Elvin Bishop Group gave the favorable booking to Bill Graham, since Bishop recorded for one of Graham's record labels and was booked by Graham's Millard Talent Agency.<p></p><p>Elvin Bishop had been an original member of the groundbreaking Paul Butterfield Blues Band, going back to 1965. When the Butterfield band first played the Fillmore back in February '66, the twin guitars of Bishop and Mike Bloomfield, and the slashing harmonica of Butterfield made for an unforgettable front line. The Butterfield Blues Band would play their signature song "East-West" for 15 or 20 minutes, with beautiful modal jamming, while contemporary San Francisco bands were still figuring out electric instruments. When Bloomfield had left the Butterfield band in early '67 to move to San Francisco, Bishop had taken over the front line as Butter's main foil. After two more albums (<i>Resurrection Of Pigboy Crabshaw</i> and <i>In My Own Dream</i>), Bishop himself had moved to San Francisco in mid-68.</p><p>By the end of 1968, the Elvin Bishop Group was playing regularly around the Bay Area. Bill Graham had not one but two record labels, in partnership with producer David Rubinson, and Bishop was signed to Fillmore Records, distributed by CBS. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/The-Elvin-Bishop-Group-Elvin-Bishop-Group/release/2128305">The <i>Elvin Bishop Group</i> album had been released in mid-1969</a>. The Millard Agency booked Elvin Bishop all over Northern California, on the premise that even if suburban teenagers might not be allowed to come to San Francisco, Millard could bring the Fillmore West bands to them. At the time, the Elvin Bishop Group would have been</p><blockquote><b>Elvin Bishop</b>-guitar, vocals<br /><b>Jo Baker</b>-vocals<br /><b>Stephen Miller</b>-organ, vocals<br /><b>Kip Mackerlin</b>-bass<br /><b>John Chambers</b>-drums</blockquote><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMOdRbrFOmASZKkgcQnktjezYUq7zymsfW3J9ek8tSzSo7tN7MOelPvovSx24zsDb-8zPd8hNy0ZLDgR2zqET7q4B6ihh16i1Ut7GukbXnFwjAxuwHWBRJbilWmr-CCVyFOjOOJjc6SDUq/s400/Stephen+Miller+1970+lp+Phillips.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="385" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMOdRbrFOmASZKkgcQnktjezYUq7zymsfW3J9ek8tSzSo7tN7MOelPvovSx24zsDb-8zPd8hNy0ZLDgR2zqET7q4B6ihh16i1Ut7GukbXnFwjAxuwHWBRJbilWmr-CCVyFOjOOJjc6SDUq/s320/Stephen+Miller+1970+lp+Phillips.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Organ player Stephen Miller, from the Elvin Bishop Group, had released a solo album on Phillips in 1970</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Stephen Miller (the "other" Stephen Miller) was from Cedar Rapids, IA, and had led the band Linn County, which had moved to San Francisco. Linn County had released three albums on Phillips (a Mercury subsidiary), while Miller had played with the Bishop Group when he could. Their last album had been <i>Til The Break Of Dawn</i>, released in late '69. Linn County still existed in early 1970, sort of, and played the occasional show, but Miller was full-time in the Bishop Group by now. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Stephen-Miller-Stephen-Miller/release/4722964">Miller would release a solo album on Phillips in 1970, featuring members of both Linn County and the Bishop Group</a>, probably fulfilling an obligation to the label. <p></p><p>The Millard Agency and Bill Graham was happy to book the Elvin Bishop Group at the Family Dog, even though the Dog was a competitor to the Fillmore West. It was probably a good paying gig, and in any case the Fillmore West had the dominant position. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/07/november-19-1969-fillmore-west-san.html">As I have stated in previous posts, I think Bill Graham was happy with Chet Helms as a weak but competent rival across town, rather than leaving an opening for a better capitalized threat</a>. <br /></p><p><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/08/february-20-21-1970-family-dog-on-great.html"><i>For the next post in this series (Feb 20-21, 1970 Big Brother), see here</i></a><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-64062754607837599072022-08-05T06:25:00.003-07:002022-08-14T12:42:29.946-07:00February 6-7, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Quicksilver Messenger Service/Mike Seeger/Freedom Highway [FDGH '70 IV]<p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s400/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, ca. 1969</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />The
Family Dog was a foundation stone in the rise of San Francisco rock,
and it was in operation in various forms from Fall 1965 through the
Summer of 1970. For sound historical reasons, most of the focus on the
Family Dog has been on the original 4-person collective who organized
the first San Francisco Dance Concerts in late 1965, and on their
successor Chet Helms. Helms took over the Family Dog in early 1966, and
after a brief partnership with Bill Graham at the Fillmore, promoted
memorable concerts at the Avalon Ballroom from Spring 1966 through
December 1968. The posters, music and foggy memories of the Avalon are
what made the Family Dog a legendary 60s rock icon.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In the Summer
of 1969, however, with San Francisco as one of the fulcrums of the rock
music explosion, Chet Helms opened another venue. The Family Dog on The
Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, on the Western edge of San
Francisco, was only open for 14 months and was not a success. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">Yet numerous interesting bands played there, and remarkable events took place, and they are only documented in a scattered form.</a>
This series of posts will undertake a systematic review of every
musical event at the Family Dog on The Great Highway. In general, each
post will represent a week of musical events at the venue, although that
may vary slightly depending on the bookings.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If anyone has
memories, reflections, insights, corrections or flashbacks about shows
at the Family Dog on the Great Highway, please post them in the
Comments.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s501/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s320/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>660 Great Highway in San Francisco in 1967, when it was the ModelCar Raceway, a slot car track</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b><br />The Edgewater Ballroom, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />As
early as 1913, there were rides and concessions at Ocean Beach in San
Francisco, near the Richmond District. By 1926, they had been
consolidated as Playland-At-The-Beach. The Ocean Beach area included
attractions such as the Sutro Baths and the Cliff House. The San
Francisco Zoo was just south of Playland, having opened in the 1930s.<a href="http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2011/10/family-dog-at-great-highway-660-great.html ">
One of the attractions at Playland was a restaurant called Topsy's
Roost. The restaurant had closed in 1930, and the room became the
Edgewater Ballroom. The Ballroom eventually closed, and Playland went
into decline when its owner died in 1958.</a> By the 1960s, the former Edgewater was a slot car raceway. In early 1969, Chet Helms took over the lease of the old Edgewater. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s768/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr style="text-align: left;"><td class="tr-caption"><i>One
of the only photos of the interior of the Family Dog on The Great
Highway (from a Stephen Gaskin "Monday Night Class" ca. October 1969)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />The Family Dog On The Great Highway</b><br />The
Great Highway was a four-lane road that ran along the Western edge of
San Francisco, right next to Ocean Beach. Downtown San Francisco faced
the Bay, but beyond Golden Gate Park was the Pacific Ocean. The aptly
named Ocean Beach is dramatic and beautiful, but it is mostly windy and
foggy. Much of the West Coast of San Francisco is not even a beach, but
rocky cliffs. There are no roads in San Francisco West of the Great
Highway, so "660 Great Highway" was ample for directions (for reference,
it is near the intersection of Balboa Street and 48th Avenue). The
tag-line "Edge Of The Western World" was not an exaggeration, at least
in American terms.<br /><br />The Family Dog on The Great Highway was
smaller than the Bill Graham's old Fillmore Auditorium. It could hold up
to 1500, but the official capacity was probably closer to 1000. Unlike
the comparatively centrally located Fillmore West, the FDGH was far from
downtown, far from the Peninsula suburbs, and not particularly easy to
get to from the freeway. For East Bay or Marin residents, the Great
Highway was a formidable trip. The little ballroom was very appealing,
but if you didn't live way out in the Avenues, you had to drive. As a
result, FDGH didn't get a huge number of casual drop-ins, and that
didn't help its fortunes. Most of the locals referred to the venue as
"Playland."</p><i><b>The Family Dog In 1969</b></i><br />Chet Helms had
opened the Family Dog at 660 Great Highway to much fanfare on June 13,
1969, with a packed house seeing the Jefferson Airplane and The
Charlatans. One of the goals was that the Dog would feature mostly San
Francisco bands and a variety of smaller community events and groups.
Since so many San Francisco bands were successful, and had record
contracts, this didn't confine the venue to obscurity. A lot of great
bands played the Family Dog in 1969, but the distant location and the
gravitational pull of major rock events hosted elsewhere in the Bay Area
kept the Family Dog isolated. We know only the most fragmentary bits
about music played, events and audiences throughout the year. Despite
the half-year of struggle, Helms had kept the Family Dog on The Great
Highway afloat. He had entered the new year of 1970 with a new plan. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">For a complete list of Family Dog shows (including FDGH), see <b>here</b></a></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/07/february-4-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">For the previous entry (February 4, 1970 "A Night At The Family Dog") see <b>here </b></a><br /></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/12/family-dog-on-great-highway-navigation.html">For a summary and the link to the most recent entries in this series, see <b>here</b></a> </li></ul><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZJwmME-TfnWcVnazKuvwyTMTNaBo1dvvFkLIrpHLXCaSsmwh95wF9I6GnxJHJe2Vslxv4jNZleYfujoh4ds6Bl_L3qOSn_1p2YsSyUotezshGHS-7MtIsdJ2h5XjZbb5geoc7HO_JsOC/s1171/QMS+FDGH+1970206.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1171" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZJwmME-TfnWcVnazKuvwyTMTNaBo1dvvFkLIrpHLXCaSsmwh95wF9I6GnxJHJe2Vslxv4jNZleYfujoh4ds6Bl_L3qOSn_1p2YsSyUotezshGHS-7MtIsdJ2h5XjZbb5geoc7HO_JsOC/s320/QMS+FDGH+1970206.jpg" /></a></div><b>February 6-7, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Quicksilver Messenger Service/Mike Seeger </b><i>(Saturday only)</i><b>/Freedom Highway </b><i>(Friday-Saturday) </i><br /><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/07/january-30-31-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">The Jefferson Airplane had played a stealth event to re-open the Family Dog on the Great Highway on the last weekend of January</a>, and t<a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/07/february-4-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">he three biggest bands in San Francisco--Santana, the Airplane and The Grateful Dead--had filmed a PBS television special in the middle of the week (Tuesday and Wednesday February 3-4)</a>. For the first properly advertised show of the new Family Dog, Chet Helms presented the return of Quicksilver Messenger Service. The band had not exactly broken up, but just as the band's popularity had been peaking at the end of 1968, with a popular debut album and a live one coming, the band had disintegrated. Quicksilver Messenger Service had spent 1969 as a pale shadow of itself. Now, as far as fans were concerned, they were back.<p></p><p>The Family Dog on The Great Highway had returned to business at the end of January with a seemingly new plan. They had acquired capital from somewhere--probably hippie entrepreneurs who sold "certain products"--and the venue was focused on high profile weekend bookings rather than financially draining community events. The Dog's focus was on San Francisco's own bands. Since San Francisco was one of the worldwide centers of rock music, all the "locals" not only had albums, many of them were nationally successful. Although the Fillmore West was still better paying and higher profile, it also emphasized national touring acts, which the new Dog largely ignored. From that point of view, the return of Quicksilver was perfect.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7Yx8PQz7AuhAohKz-s-xfv6CPgvKnYYckHXzxDwH-vCw7bjtVOqcU7B3O0lN-YR-CBgxxamT-ualYjyrz6vTA-GZnpnuGlYIRlcm1o4uYvdQ70OQznG_Ex5R2fD0abMgyczQQZloWbJd/s604/Quicksilver+debut+album+Capitol+1968.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7Yx8PQz7AuhAohKz-s-xfv6CPgvKnYYckHXzxDwH-vCw7bjtVOqcU7B3O0lN-YR-CBgxxamT-ualYjyrz6vTA-GZnpnuGlYIRlcm1o4uYvdQ70OQznG_Ex5R2fD0abMgyczQQZloWbJd/s320/Quicksilver+debut+album+Capitol+1968.jpg" /></a></div><br />By any calculation, Quicksilver Messenger Service was an original San Francisco psychedelic ballroom band, whose limited output from Back In The Day has paradoxically made them more popular rather than less. For most of us who weren't there, the band's first two Capitol albums, <i>Quicksilver Messenger Service </i>(released May 1968) and <i>Happy Trails </i>(released March 1969) are true San Francisco rock classics, lysergically etched in the brains of past, present and future hippies. What few live tapes survive of the band from 1967 and '68 are plenty impressive, as well. <p></p><p>The roots of Quicksilver go back to late 1965 and the very beginning of San Francisco rock. A few long-haired musicians had been rehearsing at the Matrix, and their band did not even have a name. Jefferson Airplane had poached their guitarist, Skip Spence, and turned him into their drummer. The unnamed-band's bassist (David Freiberg) then spent 60 days in jail on a parole violation for weed. Two guys in the band (guitarists John Cippolina and Jim Murray) went to the very first Family Dog event at Longshoreman's Hall on October 16, 1965 (pre-Chet Helms), and met two musicians from Stockton, CA, whose band (The Brogues) had just fallen apart. Once guitarist Gary Duncan and drummer Greg Elmore joined Cippolina, Murray and Freiberg, the band was back on its feet. The Quicksilver Messenger Service had even put on their own show at the Fillmore (February 12, 1966), before Bill Graham had fully established his operation. So Quicksilver went back to the very beginning.<br /></p><p>Quicksilver Messenger Service was an essential part of every major San Francisco venue and rock event from 1966 through 1968, worthy of a book in its own right (actually, I know someone who wrote one, and it's very good, but I don't think it will ever see the light of day). Old tapes show us that the initial Quicksilver quintet had a broad palate and an interesting mixture of driving rhythms and folk-rock harmonies. By the time their debut album was released in May, 1968, however, Jim Murray had departed. There were fewer harmonies and more guitar, right in line with the explosion of psychedelia. Quicksilver toured the country, and the quartet killed it everywhere they went, less sloppy than the Airplane yet more direct than the Grateful Dead. Stardom beckoned for the band.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsX3Q58SOOOFPsUu78qpw_5EzwOEIIxGZ2U43ehEa_GZHmfDCSRHNWusHwq7ny5LrXgLMKZ_-l4aMq9qgt7vxSXZ99Qj-TZDEeh7h6434-ap8aAF3uHz3Y3BV_tCnqIc7m4aFy5VFIFIT/s300/Quicksilver_Messenger_Service-Happy_Trails_%2528album_cover%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsX3Q58SOOOFPsUu78qpw_5EzwOEIIxGZ2U43ehEa_GZHmfDCSRHNWusHwq7ny5LrXgLMKZ_-l4aMq9qgt7vxSXZ99Qj-TZDEeh7h6434-ap8aAF3uHz3Y3BV_tCnqIc7m4aFy5VFIFIT/s0/Quicksilver_Messenger_Service-Happy_Trails_%2528album_cover%2529.jpg" /></a></div><br />Unfortunately, guitarist Gary Duncan left Quicksilver Messenger Service at the end of 1968, feeling the band had stagnated. Duncan felt they had been playing the same set live for months, one of the things that made them powerful on the road. It's also why most '68 QMS tapes are pretty much the same, if uniformly enjoyable. Duncan's guitar was essential to the band's sound, and he shared lead vocals with Freiberg. Quicksilver existed in 1969, but only as a ghost. Duncan had gone off to form a group with former folk singer Dino Valenti (whose story is too long to tell here).<br /><p></p><p>In March, 1969, Capitol had released the band's second album, <i>Happy Trails. Happy Trails</i>, mostly recorded live, remains a psychedelic classic to this day. "Who Do You Love," taking up most of side two, showed the rest of the music world how psychedelia was done just right in San Francisco. The album got major airplay on the new FM rock stations all over the country. The band was a hit. But they weren't really a band without Duncan.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxnZ9fpPle4HO83r-J5IkgvVsK-Ay1WIqNEhbQ3KMKuOjzFj_Fl6FJG0fBnRmw7s9yQe21kyIbvMc3UlGAyd0u0U0Wj_eewk1M4sfDrnVA8AK4rhPp3yfTzX6uqSSAIU157u_TjXTZfab/s400/quicksilver_shadygrove.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxnZ9fpPle4HO83r-J5IkgvVsK-Ay1WIqNEhbQ3KMKuOjzFj_Fl6FJG0fBnRmw7s9yQe21kyIbvMc3UlGAyd0u0U0Wj_eewk1M4sfDrnVA8AK4rhPp3yfTzX6uqSSAIU157u_TjXTZfab/s320/quicksilver_shadygrove.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Quicksilver Messenger Service 3rd album, Shady Grove, released by Capitol in December 1969. Nicky Hopkins was a member of the band, and Dan Healy was the engineer.<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Quicksilver Messenger Service muddled through 1969, trying to record a follow-up to <i>Happy Trails</i>. Lead guitarist John Cippolina wasn't a writer, however, nor was Freiberg, even though he was a good singer. Pianist Nicky Hopkins, a friend of Cippolina's, joined the band, but he wasn't a writer or singer either. Producer Nick Gravenites contributed some songs, a few friends contributed some songs and the band released the messy album <i>Shady Grove</i> in December of 1969. Throughout the year, the band played perhaps a half-dozen gigs, mostly unsatisfactory ones. A band with great promise had been stopped in its tracks. <p></p><p>In 1969, however, Duncan and Valenti had achieved nothing together, so they rejoined Quicksilver Messenger Service at Winterland on New Year's Eve 1969. I'm not really sure what went down on stage that night (the tape circulating with the New Year's date does not seem to be from that show). Still, all their fans were happy to have Duncan back on the train. The new Quicksilver had the core quartet (Cippolina, Duncan, Freiberg, Elmore), along with Hopkins on piano and Valenti as another vocalist. It seemed like a winning combination. This weekend at the Family Dog was the public return of Quicksilver Messenger Service. <i>Shady Grove</i> had been a flop of an album, but everything looked promising. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmRNR3bNsqTrRp9uEH9x2P8sztjQ3uZKOFo_PGRsoVg9L4mgC3M5h4I5cTmsPwmU-Sx-4GQg8HpO8nKFZslgoGcWQt7vPesifm-0SiRUQG1lDqa2LajU4d7hhKmYE0-RmfoyoQ0L_F2i4/s542/Mike_Seeger+1972+U+Montana.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmRNR3bNsqTrRp9uEH9x2P8sztjQ3uZKOFo_PGRsoVg9L4mgC3M5h4I5cTmsPwmU-Sx-4GQg8HpO8nKFZslgoGcWQt7vPesifm-0SiRUQG1lDqa2LajU4d7hhKmYE0-RmfoyoQ0L_F2i4/s320/Mike_Seeger+1972+U+Montana.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mike Seeger at the U. of Montana in 1972</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Legendary folk artist <b>Mike Seeger</b> (1933-2009) was added to the bill for Saturday night. Seeger seemed to be touring around, and he was so seminal that he could play rock or folk gigs with ease. <a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/03/august-12-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">Seeger (half-brother of Pete) had played the Family Dog with his legendary band The New Lost City Ramblers back in August</a>. By early 1970, the Ramblers had broken up. While Seeger might have performed as a solo, he had a lot of friends on the Berkeley folk scene, so some fellow musicians probably joined him. <p>The New Lost City Ramblers had been formed in Greenwich Village
in 1958. At the time, string band and “old-timey” music was inaccessible
to all but the most determined of record collectors. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Lost_City_Ramblers">By
performing and recording this music, the New Lost City Ramblers were
the essential actors in introducing early American music to serious folk
musicians</a>, from Bob Dylan and Jerry Garcia to everyone else. The
original trio had been John Cohen, Mike Seeger and Tom
Paley. Tracy Schwarz had replaced Paley in the early 1960s. By 1969, the
Ramblers had released over 15 albums. They would stop performing
regularly after 1969, but continued to play occasional reunions for
decades. Their last album had been <a href="https://www.discogs.com/The-New-Lost-City-Ramblers-Modern-Times/release/3419735"><i>Modern Times</i>, which had been released in 1968 on Folkways</a>. Seeger continued to tour as a mostly solo performer from 1970 onwards, although he worked with a variety of other musicians as well.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-F_WC-M3rTFdnbzGY7pPnihJIpYL_hsFbF7y8y63c6xADIwcwza7d2XSk0GtReoiL1tyDMQDjua6Wm3Bs4mLkDZt5q5tqEQFJUxT-h7vSeuS6LANHzpR8MRQL4KYJsYqjS2-Yj9tYdcf/s601/Freedom+Highway+photo+1968+%2528trio%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-F_WC-M3rTFdnbzGY7pPnihJIpYL_hsFbF7y8y63c6xADIwcwza7d2XSk0GtReoiL1tyDMQDjua6Wm3Bs4mLkDZt5q5tqEQFJUxT-h7vSeuS6LANHzpR8MRQL4KYJsYqjS2-Yj9tYdcf/s320/Freedom+Highway+photo+1968+%2528trio%2529.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Freedom Highway, as a trio, circa 1968</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /><b>Freedom Highway</b> was a band of young Marin players, under the aegis of Quicksilver manager Ron Polte. The band had been around in some form since 1966. By this time, they were probably a trio, with Richie Ray Harris on guitar, Scott Inglis on bass and Bruce Brymer on drums. They did not have a record, although some demo tapes from the previous year were released as <a href="https://www.discogs.com/The-Freedom-Highway-Made-In-68/release/6284167 ">Freedom Highway Made In '68 </a>in 2002 (guitarist Gary Phillipet had also been in the band in 1968, as was bassist Dave Schallock).</p><p><b><i>What Happened?</i></b><br />Like most shows at the Family Dog on The Great Highway, we don't really know what happened. In this instance, however, we do have a tape of Quicksilver Messenger Service's performances. The Quick aren't the Dead, however, so tape scholarship isn't nearly so advanced. There are two sets of music that may be from one night or two. Based on the setlists, I think these are from Friday and Saturday nights--note the encore is the same both nights. Quicksilver, unlike the Dead, never really had that much material, so they weren't really inclined to play a lengthy two-set show. <br /></p><p>It would be interesting to know how the new-edition Quicksilver went over with the crowd. In early 1970, the band was known from <i>Happy Trails</i> for the contrast of Duncan's driving guitar against Cippolina's unique electronic shiver. The brilliant Hopkins would fit in easily with that. Dino Valenti, however, was rather an acquired taste. Valenti did contribute the song "Fresh Air," a kind of hit that would help temporarily revitalize the band's fortunes, but not everyone liked Valenti. More importantly, Dino was the kind of singer who dominated every song he sang, moaning wordlessly when he wasn't singing. Not everyone liked it, particularly if they just wanted to hear Duncan and Cippo going at it.</p><p>Such were the criticisms of the Valenti-era Quicksilver by the end of the 1970. But we don't know whether people's expectations were met or disappointed by what actually went down in February. My guess is that fans were happy to hear the two guitarists back together, and figured they would adjust to the rest of it over time.</p><b>February 9, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: </b><i>Monday Night Class with Stephen Gaskin</i><br />On February 9, Stephen Gaskin held his final "Monday Night Class" at the Family Dog. These events had been regularly held on Mondays--though not quite every Monday--since at least August of 1969. Gaskin spoke about what would now be called "Human Potential," but at the time was considered a "hip guru." After this Monday night, Gaskin moved his presentations to Sunday afternoons at the nearby Cliff House. Sometime in 1970, Gaskin and his fellow travelers rented a fleet of school buses and journeyed around America, ultimately moving to a large piece of property in Tennessee called The Farm. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Gaskin">Although Gaskin died in 2014, the Farm is still functioning today.</a><p>The final Monday night class was one of the last vestiges of the Family Dog on The Great Highway as a "Hip Community Center." For the next several months, the Dog focused on being a working rock venue.<br /></p><p><i><b>Appendix: Quicksilver Messenger Service Setlists, Family Dog on The Great Highway, February 1970</b></i><br /></p><blockquote><b>Friday, February 6, 1970</b><br />1. Intro > Fresh Air<br />2. Shady Grove<br />3. Tabla Jam<br />4. Don't Let it Happen to You<br />5. Mona<br />6. The Truth<br />7. Joseph's Coat ><br />8. Edward the Mad Shirt Grinder<br /><i>Encore</i> :<br />9. Poor Boy<b> </b> </blockquote><blockquote> <b>Saturday February 7, 1970</b><br /> 1. Intro > Jam > Pride Of Man<br /> 2. Subway<br /> 3. Gold & Silver<br /> 4. Fresh Air<br /> 5. Too Far<br /> 6. Mojo<br /> 7. Who Do You Love?<br /> <i>Encore</i>:<br /> 8. Poor Boy <b><br /></b></blockquote><i>John Cipollina, Dino Valenti, Greg Elmore, David Freiberg, Nicky Hopkins & Gary Duncan.</i><br /><br /><a href=" http://tela.sugarmegs.org/_asxtela/asxcards/QuicksilverMessengerService1970-02-07FamilyDog.html">1st generation reel to reel > revox > amplifiers > tascam audio cdrw750 > cd > computer > plex tool professional XL > wav > flac.</a><br /><br /><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/08/february-13-14-1970-family-dog-on-great.html"><i>For the next post in this series (February 13-14, 1970 Steve Miller Band), see here</i></a><br /><p></p>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8015290367489085356.post-83881075909135120172022-07-28T03:09:00.001-07:002022-08-05T06:26:33.076-07:00February 4, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Jefferson Airplane/Grateful Dead/Santana/Kimberly "A Night At The Family Dog" [FDGH '70 III]<p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s400/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYg8oKlsgEyUcHdsP9jadliafED1fD57d9YN0eB1jHap7ExzPvpRubm9mxss9fDGflXfmvxGfmogRz8b4vBjFOXNoFxZ16Af-QAaLLn9AQbMdJ8LX78anLPiANT_Bq_aHh7lBO821Hs57/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, ca. 1969</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Family Dog on The Great Highway, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />The
Family Dog was a foundation stone in the rise of San Francisco rock,
and it was in operation in various forms from Fall 1965 through the
Summer of 1970. For sound historical reasons, most of the focus on the
Family Dog has been on the original 4-person collective who organized
the first San Francisco Dance Concerts in late 1965, and on their
successor Chet Helms. Helms took over the Family Dog in early 1966, and
after a brief partnership with Bill Graham at the Fillmore, promoted
memorable concerts at the Avalon Ballroom from Spring 1966 through
December 1968. The posters, music and foggy memories of the Avalon are
what made the Family Dog a legendary 60s rock icon.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In the Summer
of 1969, however, with San Francisco as one of the fulcrums of the rock
music explosion, Chet Helms opened another venue. The Family Dog on The
Great Highway, at 660 Great Highway, on the Western edge of San
Francisco, was only open for 14 months and was not a success. <a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">Yet numerous interesting bands played there, and remarkable events took place, and they are only documented in a scattered form.</a>
This series of posts will undertake a systematic review of every
musical event at the Family Dog on The Great Highway. In general, each
post will represent a week of musical events at the venue, although that
may vary slightly depending on the bookings.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If anyone has
memories, reflections, insights, corrections or flashbacks about shows
at the Family Dog on the Great Highway, please post them in the
Comments.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s501/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZnqghaJ1owgCzPiNEs6DF7SvJ8CxMr3q9_T_GpfQVdhvc62aBLm7_EyN_r42GQleA7AAPACw_bWtD56c69Y4pv1HtHWFpxOfk-cfnSZdEyPf6iqBzngLWafH8nisruRYUR8qO63YUSep/s320/660+Great+Highway+modelcarraceways1967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>660 Great Highway in San Francisco in 1967, when it was the ModelCar Raceway, a slot car track</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b><br />The Edgewater Ballroom, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA</b></i><br />As
early as 1913, there were rides and concessions at Ocean Beach in San
Francisco, near the Richmond District. By 1926, they had been
consolidated as Playland-At-The-Beach. The Ocean Beach area included
attractions such as the Sutro Baths and the Cliff House. The San
Francisco Zoo was just south of Playland, having opened in the 1930s.<a href="http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2011/10/family-dog-at-great-highway-660-great.html ">
One of the attractions at Playland was a restaurant called Topsy's
Roost. The restaurant had closed in 1930, and the room became the
Edgewater Ballroom. The Ballroom eventually closed, and Playland went
into decline when its owner died in 1958.</a> By the 1960s, the former Edgewater was a slot car raceway. In early 1969, Chet Helms took over the lease of the old Edgewater. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s768/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXF1Wvc2pAKxq0hrRAe7piLgmaPj4iWx2ooklqgcnpDzYKT2xIkx4CiXYP5YUu6SQpNuowIPKUPGU_SwVui15ylABIn91tHIika5R-qAFfdUrBcm9uLtLwrbHG5QhsSmx5DCAXmhvxJxc/s320/FDGH+660+Great+Highway+inside.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr style="text-align: left;"><td class="tr-caption"><i>One
of the only photos of the interior of the Family Dog on The Great
Highway (from a Stephen Gaskin "Monday Night Class" ca. October 1969)</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />The Family Dog On The Great Highway</b><br />The
Great Highway was a four-lane road that ran along the Western edge of
San Francisco, right next to Ocean Beach. Downtown San Francisco faced
the Bay, but beyond Golden Gate Park was the Pacific Ocean. The aptly
named Ocean Beach is dramatic and beautiful, but it is mostly windy and
foggy. Much of the West Coast of San Francisco is not even a beach, but
rocky cliffs. There are no roads in San Francisco West of the Great
Highway, so "660 Great Highway" was ample for directions (for reference,
it is near the intersection of Balboa Street and 48th Avenue). The
tag-line "Edge Of The Western World" was not an exaggeration, at least
in American terms.<br /><br />The Family Dog on The Great Highway was
smaller than the Bill Graham's old Fillmore Auditorium. It could hold up
to 1500, but the official capacity was probably closer to 1000. Unlike
the comparatively centrally located Fillmore West, the FDGH was far from
downtown, far from the Peninsula suburbs, and not particularly easy to
get to from the freeway. For East Bay or Marin residents, the Great
Highway was a formidable trip. The little ballroom was very appealing,
but if you didn't live way out in the Avenues, you had to drive. As a
result, FDGH didn't get a huge number of casual drop-ins, and that
didn't help its fortunes. Most of the locals referred to the venue as
"Playland."</p><i><b>The Family Dog In 1969</b></i><br /><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/01/june-13-15-1969-family-dog-on-great.html">Chet Helms had opened the Family Dog at 660 Great Highway to much fanfare on June 13, 1969, with a packed house seeing the Jefferson Airplane and The Charlatans</a>. One of the goals was that the Dog would feature mostly San
Francisco bands and a variety of smaller community events and groups.
Since so many San Francisco bands were successful, and had record
contracts, this didn't confine the venue to obscurity. A lot of great
bands played the Family Dog in 1969, but the distant location and the
gravitational pull of major rock events hosted elsewhere in the Bay Area
kept the Family Dog isolated. We know only the most fragmentary bits
about music played, events and audiences throughout the year. Despite
the half-year of struggle, Helms had kept the Family Dog on The Great
Highway afloat. He had entered the new year of 1970 with a new plan. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/FD%20Shows.htm">For a complete list of Family Dog shows (including FDGH), see <b>here</b></a></li><li><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/07/january-30-31-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">For the previous entry (January 30-31, 1970 Jefferson Airplane) see </a><b><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/07/january-30-31-1970-family-dog-on-great.html">here</a> </b><br /></li><li><a href="http://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2021/12/family-dog-on-great-highway-navigation.html">For a summary and the link to the most recent entries in this series, see <b>here</b></a> </li></ul><p><b>February 4, 1970 Family Dog on The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: Jefferson Airplane/Grateful Dead/Santana/Kimberly </b><i>"A Night At The Family Dog" (Wednesday)</i><br />Most of the concrete information we have about the Family Dog on The Great Highway comes from Grateful Dead scholarship. Almost all of the surviving live tapes from the Dog are from the Grateful Dead or associated with them. Those non-Dead, non-Garcia tapes that exist were largely recorded by either Owsley or Alembic (Bob Matthews <i>et al</i>), each affiliated with the Dead. On top of that, what press coverage there was on the Family Dog was often anchored by reporting about the Dead or Jerry Garcia. </p><p>For the wider audience of rock fans, and even of Deadheads, the most prominent knowledge of the Family Dog on The Great Highway was the Public Television special "A Night At The Family Dog," recorded at a special concert for an invited audience on Wednesday, February 4, 1970. The show was initially broadcast on NET (now PBS-tv) affiliate stations nationwide on April 27, 1970, and re-broadcast various times. With only three commercial networks and the occasional independent
station, Public Television shows were widely watched in a way that would
be unfathomable today. I assure you that the NET "Night At The Family
Dog" special was watched by young people nationwide in large numbers, and
was probably influential in suggesting that events like this went on in
San Francisco all the time. Certainly, if you were in cold Des Moines
or windy El Paso and saw Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead and
Santana sharing the stage, everybody dancing and a big jam afterwards,
it would make you believe that San Francisco was the promised land
indeed.</p><p>I have looked into this event at some length, starting a decade ago when I<a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/02/february-4-1970-family-dog-on-great.html"> discovered a contemporary San Francisco <i>Chronicle</i>
article about the Wednesday night filming of the KQED special by Ralph
Gleason. Although Gleason was disingenuous about his role--he was
co-producer of the TV special--it was a striking description, and our
only source of information up until that time</a>. It seems, however,
that there was a lot more to the story. At least some of the music from
the special may have been recorded the night before. There was a dress rehearsal the night before, with professional
video and audio, some of it may have been used in the TV special [<a href="https://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2022/06/february-3-1970-family-dog-on-great.html"><i>for a more Grateful Dead-oriented version of this discussion, see my blog post here</i></a>].<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VmzO0LGth66UaHfLmN-aKjX1EVPv_7txRJgo9s2SSOzRv8twwViTydHdtftOMVClnaTgZNUAbSrDUjtdrzSZ6blD6APr7shvYp3PsgjoCeoVAynzWcREq-whCPKw4rRl6D5B4MQb03tM/s455/SFC19700206a-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="355" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VmzO0LGth66UaHfLmN-aKjX1EVPv_7txRJgo9s2SSOzRv8twwViTydHdtftOMVClnaTgZNUAbSrDUjtdrzSZ6blD6APr7shvYp3PsgjoCeoVAynzWcREq-whCPKw4rRl6D5B4MQb03tM/s320/SFC19700206a-1.jpg" /></a></div><p>The Grateful Dead's performance at Chet Helms' Family Dog on The Great
Highway on February 4, 1970 is fairly well known today. The hour-long
video of concert highlights, originally broadcast on Public Television,
has since been released in 2007 on DVD as <i>A Night At The Family Dog</i>. In 2005,
the Grateful Dead released the recording of their entire set from that
night. Thus both the audio and some video are available from the show, a
rare and potent combination. However, while the music is well-covered,
and video is available, very little has been recalled about the
circumstances of the actual event itself. Even the Dead's cd release is
scarce on details. Some years ago, I unearthed detailed coverage of the
February 4 event itself, written by SF <i>Chronicle</i> critic Ralph Gleason.
<a href="http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/02/february-4-1970-family-dog-on-great.html ">While Gleason was disingenuous about the fact that he was co-producer of the special, it was an informative blow-by-blow description of the event (you can read my detailed blog post here</a>). You can watch the video, play the cd, light one up--legally, in most states--and get a feel for what it might have been like Back In The Day.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexkAPBM6V24wE69MjKJA2xFcpmaodCX_LUu43AA-ZHsyYwdTbrzvcqH8LdiPD1ZyX5ox46b8HLzJ4skIbwOh2FiuaqF_ubDGT4mvQk2lPe-IWUOMcFq8EbGdKsCmZWWVEBYa5GMzhhULo/s500/The+Band%2527s+With+Me+Sally+Mann+Romano.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexkAPBM6V24wE69MjKJA2xFcpmaodCX_LUu43AA-ZHsyYwdTbrzvcqH8LdiPD1ZyX5ox46b8HLzJ4skIbwOh2FiuaqF_ubDGT4mvQk2lPe-IWUOMcFq8EbGdKsCmZWWVEBYa5GMzhhULo/s320/The+Band%2527s+With+Me+Sally+Mann+Romano.jpg" /></a></div><br />Grateful Dead scholarship never rests, however, and it seems that the video and cd may have been somewhat more of a pastiche than we originally thought. One of the best sources of the era has been Sally Mann Romano, the ex-wife of the late Jefferson Airplane drummer Spencer Dryden. <a href="https://www.blurb.com/b/9043957-the-band-s-with-me">Her 2018 book <i>The Band's With Me</i> is a must-read for anyone interested in California rock history in the late 60s and early 70s</a>. In a Twitter exchange, Romano recalled that the filming of the TV special was actually two nights at the Family Dog, on Tuesday and Wednesday (February 3 and February 4). <a href="http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2012/07/february-4-1970-family-dog.html ">This memory was confirmed by an article published much later</a>. The first was a rehearsal and sound check, prudent considering that filming live rock concerts was still in its infancy. <a href="http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2012/07/february-4-1970-family-dog.html ">I recently discussed the possibility that some of the released Grateful Dead material may have been from the rehearsal the day before. </a><br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1obyvY61kB98c1abdjcA6LXK9WQ5MrImiLzz82nTEUhpyoZj349pzAPwsLa4IWg13Ezy4s-Ta9wrvntZOLpzKBhLhu_2L0aAn279IVVAWYfzCi41pakHMx3_l85qJkFRbUlIccdOuQ8JQ/s960/19700203+FDGH+Owsley+Tape+Box.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="942" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1obyvY61kB98c1abdjcA6LXK9WQ5MrImiLzz82nTEUhpyoZj349pzAPwsLa4IWg13Ezy4s-Ta9wrvntZOLpzKBhLhu_2L0aAn279IVVAWYfzCi41pakHMx3_l85qJkFRbUlIccdOuQ8JQ/s320/19700203+FDGH+Owsley+Tape+Box.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Owsley Stanley's tape box for the recording at the Family Dog on February 3, 1970. The sticker says "Probably really 2/4/70"--I disagree.</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b>What About Tuesday, February 3?</b></i><br />The <a href="https://owsleystanleyfoundation.org/">Owsley Stanley Foundation</a>
has a long-term project of preserving Owsley's live recordings, even
when the tapes themselves may not yet be released. Recently the
Foundation announced that an Owsley 2-track recording of the February
Family Dog had been preserved. The tape box itself says "See 16-track,"
an indicator that Owsley's recording was different than the Bob
Matthews/Alembic recording that would have been the basis of the PBS
video special. Owsley, always scrupulous about dates, has marked the box
"Dead #2/Airplane #1, 3 Feb 70 Family Dog." A sticker on the box, in
different handwriting, says "Probably really 2/4/70," since February 4
was the known date of the live recording of the special. <p><a href="http://hooterollin.blogspot.com/2022/05/january-30-31-1970-grateful-deadfamily.html">As
I have documented in the previous post in this series, the Family Dog
on The Great Highway had re-opened the previous weekend with a
comparatively stealthy appearance by the Jefferson Airplane on Friday
and Saturday, January 30 and 31</a>. When I asked Sally Mann Romano about this on Twitter, however,
she specifically did not recall that weekend's shows, and her recollections are
uniformly precise. She plainly recalled going to the Family Dog for two
days, presumably February 3 and 4 (Tuesday and Wednesday), and she
understandably said that she surely would have remembered spending 4 out
of 6 nights at the Dog. Mann Romano's recollection was my first
indication of a rehearsal filming on the night before the official
event. </p><p>Now, the most-likely explanation for Mann and Dryden not going to the
Dog on the weekend is an only-in-Jefferson-Airplane category. The most
likely reason was that the Airplane were thinking about firing Dryden,
and were trying out drummer Joey Covington, all without telling Spencer
or his wife. Indeed, Dryden would be pushed out of the band a month
later, and Covington took over the drum chair in March. The actual
dating of Covington's arrival is confusing, and not a rabbit hole I will
go down here, but suffice to say inviting Covington to a secret gig and
not telling the current drummer was just another day in Jefferson
Airplaneville. </p><p>What we are left with, however, is the knowledge
that there was a rehearsal the night before the official taping. Today,
even small venues are set up for live video with synchronized sound--we
can all do it ourselves on our phones now anyway--but this was new stuff in
1970. Video cameras were giant at the time, and needed their own
locations. Separate trucks were needed for the video feed and the sound
recording, and cable snakes would have been laid everywhere. It's not
surprising that a full tech rehearsal was in order. And it's also likely
that the entire rehearsal was filmed and the music recorded, if only to
ensure that there was backup material in case the "official" event on
Wednesday (Feb 4) had technical problems.</p><p>If there was a full rehearsal the night before, it would not be at all
surprising to find out that the official video may have been a
pastiche of both nights. At the time, the entire industry considered
live recording another way to create product, not an historic record of
an event. One track on the <i>Woodstock</i> movie soundtrack album, for
example, was actually recorded at Fillmore East (CSNY's "Wooden Ships").
The Grateful Dead released the Family Dog show as part of their
Download Series in 2005, but that series was poorly curated and had
almost no recording information. The date was listed as February 4, but
that was probably based on an assumption. The cd has 9 tracks. The final
six are the same as the ones on Owsley's tape (above). I don't think
the Dead repeated six songs--either there was only one show, or I think the Dead played better the first
night rather than the second, and three of those tracks were used for
the PBS video{see the Appendix below for track listings].</p><b><i>What About The Grateful Dead on February 4, 1970?</i></b><br />If in fact, the existing audio and video recordings of the Grateful Dead were from February 3, not February 4, and there were two nights, what did the Grateful Dead play on February 4? It raises the tantalizing possibility that there would have been existing professional recordings of the Dead from the "official" night that were never used. Since there was an invited crowd on Wednesday night, probably there were plenty of crowd shots, but the Dead's actual performance would have been different. My guess is that the Santana and Airplane sets were used from the 4th, as was the jam (opening act Kimberly, associated with Santana management, would not have been recorded). <br /><p>Unfortunately, however, video tape and 16-track recording tape were expensive. If it was determined that the Dead's February 3 set was superior, then the Dead tapes for the 4th would simply have been erased. Owsley seems to have taped the rehearsal night, but it seems less likely he would have been allowed to tape the "official" performance, if only because space would have been at a premium. There remains the remote hope that some fragments exist, somewhere, or perhaps some production notes. Since no one asked Sally Mann Romano, the existing Owsley tape was casually indicated (by the sticker) as incorrectly dated, when it could have been accurate. <a href="https://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2022/06/february-3-1970-family-dog-on-great.html?showComment=1657728427402#c3768724290216346037">Over in the Comments Thread on my Grateful Dead blog post, a careful review of the clothes band members were wearing points toward the February 4 date being accurate, and Owsley's tape box date being wrong</a>.<br /></p><p>The tantalizing part is that Owsley's label dates the show as February 3, but says "Grateful Dead #2" (and "Jefferson Airplane #1). Was there a "Grateful Dead" #1" box with material from February 3? Will we find an Owsley tape with more Airplane, or more Santana, or more Dead? If in fact the Owsley box above was just misdated--unlike Owsley, but very plausible--then it meant Owsley had his deck running. We can tell he got some extra Airplane. Maybe he got some Santana, or some of the big jam at the end, too? Now, sure, tech rehearsals usually have a lot of standing around, and bands idly jamming while they wait for something to be checked out or corrected. But with the Dead, that sounds like fun. Here's to hoping some musical fragments from February 3 and 4 come to light, thanks to Mr Owsley. <br /></p><p>Now, as for the video, video tape was very expensive in those days, and any video from
February 3 is likely went to the cutting room floor, never to be seen
again. Any Dead video from the 3rd has likely disappeared. <i>Sic Transit Gloria Psychedelia.</i></p><p><b>Appendix 1<i>: A Night At The Family Dog</i></b> <b><i>TV show</i></b><br />
Broadcast on Public Television stations on or about April 27, 1970<br />
Produced by Ralph J. Gleason and Bob Zagone for National Educational Television (NET) <br />
<br />
<b><i>A Night At The Family Dog</i></b> DVD<br />
with Grateful Dead/Jefferson Airplane/Santana<br />
Eagle Vision: released 2007<br />
</p><ul><li> Incident At Neshabur - Santana
</li><li> Soul Sacrifice - Santana
</li><li> Hard To Handle - Grateful Dead
</li><li> China Cat Sunflower - Grateful Dead
</li><li> I Know You Rider - Grateful Dead
</li><li> The Ballad of You And Me And Pooneil - Jefferson Airplane
</li><li> Eskimo Blue Day - Jefferson Airplane
</li><li> Super jam featuring members of Santana, Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane
</li></ul><p> <b><i>A Night At The Family Dog</i></b> audio<br />
Grateful Dead Download Series<br />
Grateful Dead Records: released 2005</p><ul><li> Hard To Handle </li><li> Black Peter
</li><li> Me and My Uncle
</li><li> China Cat Sunflower >
</li><li> I Know You Rider
</li><li> St. Stephen >
</li><li> Not Fade Away >
</li><li> St. Stephen >
</li><li> In The Midnight Hour <br /></li></ul><p> (plus bonus tracks from other 1970 shows)<br /></p><p><b>Appendix 2: <i>Excerpts from Ralph Gleason's San Francisco Chronicle column, February 6, 1970</i></b><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg587cMLyQhmrliaAQeoUnGIdpIwzqnOYOoXE-trnCCuT1J7D_uU-oUzQ57fEcuGJX_MyllC4dlm7H69eFJwG1Ywnoky-kPBIaHI1ZXGzJD5t3P-Jq_G8JaohKDn98rwiGsigIOlzgQ1V8K/s455/SFC19700206a-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="355" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg587cMLyQhmrliaAQeoUnGIdpIwzqnOYOoXE-trnCCuT1J7D_uU-oUzQ57fEcuGJX_MyllC4dlm7H69eFJwG1Ywnoky-kPBIaHI1ZXGzJD5t3P-Jq_G8JaohKDn98rwiGsigIOlzgQ1V8K/s320/SFC19700206a-1.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><blockquote><i>"Do you have a set schedule for what's going to happen?" the technician
asked Bob Zagone of KQED. "We don't have a set schedule for anything,
Zagone said. 'We have a loose schedule."<br /></i>
<i><br />
They were in the KQED mobile video tape recording truck outside the
Family Dog. Several other trucks and a generator, roaring away like a
power drill, were set up in the parking lot. Zagone and the KQED crew
were getting ready to videotape a Jefferson Airplane party at the Family
Dog for National Educational Television.<br /></i>
<i><br />
There's a young band called 'Kimberly' going on stage starting in a few
minutes," Zagone said. "The it will be Santana. After that I don't know
what's going to happen."</i></blockquote><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwXvmmra-YFRNxpq6soRkffYOiTLn3d_VB4f8EV5VXhNLi-Gb2tgxejUV5N1bppsuTndz6-rhqDFdX6esYSd2wjRpwb3ptHY5LvvL239VLAX5yoKiqOtHNj4X04O3CDRjyu3HSn2fOFqN/s374/SFC19700206a-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwXvmmra-YFRNxpq6soRkffYOiTLn3d_VB4f8EV5VXhNLi-Gb2tgxejUV5N1bppsuTndz6-rhqDFdX6esYSd2wjRpwb3ptHY5LvvL239VLAX5yoKiqOtHNj4X04O3CDRjyu3HSn2fOFqN/s320/SFC19700206a-2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><i></i><blockquote><i>The cables were strung all along the sidewalk and into the hall and the
huge TV cameras on dollies were rolling back and forth through the place
in the wild assembly of San Francisco hip society.<br />
<br />
On stage the musicians were plugging in their guitars and tuning. In a
little while Kimberly, a neat, melodic band, began. Light men
experimented with different combinations. Rock critics wandered through
the hall. "It has the right feeling tonight," Mike Goodwin of Rolling
Stone said. And poet Lew Welch pointed out that it was one of the few
times in recent memories that you could actually get close to a band and
not be jammed by the press of a crowd.<br />
<br />
After Kimberly, Santana took over and the rhythms of the drums and the
bass melded with the guitar and conga drum and rose to an incredible [something].
It ended with Santana almost leaning over backwards, hitting the guitar
strings and bassist David Brown, his eyes squeezed shut, flailing away
at the guitar. The crowd screamed. Out in the truck, Bob Zagone
complained "we're not getting that audience noise" and Bob Matthews, who
was doing the sound, whipped out a mike and set it up taping the
audience. </i><p></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgje3RIHh7OhPl_Xz2n_aYsHXwNIOB-QYVl8mWDKdNypG3HcclKkfLTGBUlQuSfCVApLd3kwzYTECkBZtKzUGLVwEOWysgJt2HTLmhPU4C4DuQw7KtiNqQfbLej9fFQ7T2Vc4sKDLwkNy8/s364/SFC19700206a-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgje3RIHh7OhPl_Xz2n_aYsHXwNIOB-QYVl8mWDKdNypG3HcclKkfLTGBUlQuSfCVApLd3kwzYTECkBZtKzUGLVwEOWysgJt2HTLmhPU4C4DuQw7KtiNqQfbLej9fFQ7T2Vc4sKDLwkNy8/s320/SFC19700206a-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /><i></i></p><blockquote><p><i>"We'll go dark as they start their set and bring the light up
gradually," Zagone said and the Grateful Dead began. In the truck the
multiple images on the little screens made a fascinating montage. Jerry
Garcia's face silhouetted but still clear, approached the mike on the
screen and he began to sing. The little screens that showed the pictures
[of] the various cameras were registering, flicked from one to another.
"Gimme a two shot," Zagone said, "Let's see both those guitars."<br />
<br />
Out in the crowd, which was dancing or sitting on the floor and around
the sides of the stage, John Carpenter of the L.A. Free Press said "when
is it going to be aired?" and hoped a definite date could be set. The
man from N.E.T said probably in April. "It's a good night," Carpenter
said. "I had forgotten what San Francisco was really like. I've seen
people I haven't seen in years."</i></p><p><i>On stage the sound was into those rhythmic phrases that make the Dead such groovy dance music and several guests were dancing behind the band and on the stage. Still photographers leaped up from the audience and shot pictures like the paparazzi in "Z." </i></p></blockquote><p><i></i><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillwGt78BPBEpLOSF3HYtjn29R8WPUYBLMuymuNPxmi132SRd2yD9t3VKCSOuemBJZOEQlAMAJhnzFA2V8jzg_IJc8qWdNGKytUMLhyvOkmAo_fMItwqV12yS_5QErR1uBRlJFsLvja9I/s1600/SFC19700206a-4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillwGt78BPBEpLOSF3HYtjn29R8WPUYBLMuymuNPxmi132SRd2yD9t3VKCSOuemBJZOEQlAMAJhnzFA2V8jzg_IJc8qWdNGKytUMLhyvOkmAo_fMItwqV12yS_5QErR1uBRlJFsLvja9I/s320/SFC19700206a-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><br /><i><blockquote>Then the Airplane came on and Grace smiled and Marty sang "Do you want
to know a secret, just between you and me," and the lights flickered off
the sweat on his forehead as he sang and Spencer drove into the drums
with a fierce concentration and Jorma sang "Good Shepherd" and the crowd
gyrated and the cameras rolled back and forth.<br />
<br />
It was a great evening. San Francisco within a week had two TV specials
shot here. Both on rock. There will be more and if they end up on the
screen as good as they are in person, the rest of the country will see
something unique.</blockquote></i><p></p><p><a href="https://rockarchaeology101.blogspot.com/2022/08/february-6-7-1970-family-dog-on-great.html"><i>For the next post in this series (Feb 6-7 '70, Quicksilver Messenger Service), see here</i></a><br />
<br /><br /></p><p> </p>Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.com0