Michael,
It seems that the music scene in the Los Angeles area really flourished from '65-'67; the product created by groups in the LA area was both innovative and widespread. It may have been the best overall although obviously other metro areas (SF, NYC, London, et al) could also make a claim.
A couple of questions in regard to this. Would you agree with LA's preeminence in music during this time? If so, what do you think were the reasons why this might have happened at this time in that place? Lastly, I just picked the years I thought were fitting; would you maybe pick a different time frame from the one I listed?
For Michael: LA scene
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silentseason
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For Michael: LA scene
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MichaelStuart-Ware
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Armed with The Byrds, The Doors, Love, Buffalo Springfield, etc., L.A.'s contribution to the music scene during that 3-year time frame ('65-'67) is commendable to be sure. But then New York (Velvet Underground, The Blues Project, The Rascals, Lovin' Spoonful, Dylan and The Band) and San Francisco, (Big Brother, The Airplane, Grateful Dead) were major geographical contributors as well.
However, if you're going to assign preeminence of accomplishment in rock over a 3-year period, to one specific area, (I know... it's just an exercise), then I have to go with London and its suburbs. All the previously mentioned bands would have a tough time helping their areas compete for preeminence, when compared to what The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Yardbirds, The Animals, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, and Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac did for London.
That's just my opinion.
However, if you're going to assign preeminence of accomplishment in rock over a 3-year period, to one specific area, (I know... it's just an exercise), then I have to go with London and its suburbs. All the previously mentioned bands would have a tough time helping their areas compete for preeminence, when compared to what The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Yardbirds, The Animals, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, and Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac did for London.
That's just my opinion.
Last edited by MichaelStuart-Ware on Fri Jun 17, 2011 4:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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jamestkirk
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GOTTA AGREE, MICHAEL.
LA may have been first with the peace and love movement, with SF close on its heels, but without the British invasion to inspire the WORLD....?....Beatles Stones Animals Kinks Yardbirds...they got it all started for us kids and gave us the new direction! Those Beach Party movies were getting very stale, along with hot rods and teen hops. The Brits opened our eyes to the grit and soul of American blues and R&B, and electrified the WORLD (& and Booby Z) with the new Rock!!
LA may have been first with the peace and love movement, with SF close on its heels, but without the British invasion to inspire the WORLD....?....Beatles Stones Animals Kinks Yardbirds...they got it all started for us kids and gave us the new direction! Those Beach Party movies were getting very stale, along with hot rods and teen hops. The Brits opened our eyes to the grit and soul of American blues and R&B, and electrified the WORLD (& and Booby Z) with the new Rock!!
"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music".
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silentseason
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From a global standpoint London was probably the leader in regards to influence and sheer number of bands producing noteworthy music, but....
....from a strictly personal standpoint nothing tops LA. The one facet that LA bands had that the others didn't was that dark, almost anguish-like demeanor lyrically.
BTW-You mentioned The Blues Project; they have always been one of my favorites. Did you ever have any doings with Al Kooper or Danny Kalb?
....from a strictly personal standpoint nothing tops LA. The one facet that LA bands had that the others didn't was that dark, almost anguish-like demeanor lyrically.
BTW-You mentioned The Blues Project; they have always been one of my favorites. Did you ever have any doings with Al Kooper or Danny Kalb?
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MichaelStuart-Ware
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Regarding the lyrical demeanor of the L.A. bands...well put. I agree completely.
On May 13 and 14 of 1966 The Sons of Adam played The Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco with The Blues Project and Quicksilver. Outstanding in my memory, Al Kooper presented quite a visual image, a lean and angular figure, wearing a black cape and kind of dancing rhythmically ... hovering over his keyboard as he played, like a giant bat positioning for his next meal.
On May 13 and 14 of 1966 The Sons of Adam played The Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco with The Blues Project and Quicksilver. Outstanding in my memory, Al Kooper presented quite a visual image, a lean and angular figure, wearing a black cape and kind of dancing rhythmically ... hovering over his keyboard as he played, like a giant bat positioning for his next meal.
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silentseason
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What a great lineup, from top to bottom. I would have loved to have been on hand for it. I'm guessing the Sons probably won the battle of loudest band of the three based on your previous posts...MichaelStuart-Ware wrote:Regarding the lyrical demeanor of the L.A. bands...well put. I agree completely.
On May 13 and 14 of 1966 The Sons of Adam played The Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco with The Blues Project and Quicksilver. Outstanding in my memory, Al Kooper presented quite a visual image, a lean and angular figure, wearing a black cape and kind of dancing rhythmically ... hovering over his keyboard as he played, like a giant bat positioning for his next meal.
LOL on Al Kooper. He definitely then and now lets his freak flag fly. I believe when he first came out to LA to play with Dylan he blew most of his wad on clothes.
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BallroomDays67
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MichaelStuart-Ware
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sin dance
Sorry, off the top of my head I have no recollection of a cancelled show with The Grassroots and Big Brother.
We played with Big Brother one time, but I can't remember if I was with The Sons of Adam or Love. It kind of seems like it was at The Avalon and I'm pretty (but not absolutely) sure it was The Sons of Adam.
We played with Big Brother one time, but I can't remember if I was with The Sons of Adam or Love. It kind of seems like it was at The Avalon and I'm pretty (but not absolutely) sure it was The Sons of Adam.
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BallroomDays67
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Big Brother was scheduled to play the Avalon Ballroom on 8/5/66, and the Sons of Adam were to play there the next day. However, I can't find any instance in which the two bands were scheduled to play the same show.
Could you be thinking of a show at Winterland on 3/3/67? Love and Big Brother were both on the bill. It was called "The First Annual Love Circus", and it was picketed because of the ticket prices.
Here's the poster for the 4/29-30/66 shows at the Avalon, which were subsequently canceled:
Could you be thinking of a show at Winterland on 3/3/67? Love and Big Brother were both on the bill. It was called "The First Annual Love Circus", and it was picketed because of the ticket prices.
Here's the poster for the 4/29-30/66 shows at the Avalon, which were subsequently canceled:
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MichaelStuart-Ware
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I've never seen that poster before and I have no idea why the Sons of Adam/Grassroots/Big Brother Avalon Ballroom concert, that was to have taken place on 4-29 and 30 of '66, was cancelled.
Winterland, in March of '67 it must have been for Love and Big Brother. All I remember about that night is we were waiting quietly upstairs in the dressing room for Big Brother to finish their set. During their last song, each of the members of Big Brother took a solo, and at the end of his solo, each member would leave the stage and come upstairs to the dressing room... so it ended up that everybody in both groups were all sitting on the couches in close proximity, but not talking or anything. Dave Getz, the lone Big Brother who remained onstage, was taking a real long drum solo.
Finally Janis said, "Dave's really cookin' tonight," and then nobody said anything, like, "He sure is." It was just...no further conversation.
Winterland, in March of '67 it must have been for Love and Big Brother. All I remember about that night is we were waiting quietly upstairs in the dressing room for Big Brother to finish their set. During their last song, each of the members of Big Brother took a solo, and at the end of his solo, each member would leave the stage and come upstairs to the dressing room... so it ended up that everybody in both groups were all sitting on the couches in close proximity, but not talking or anything. Dave Getz, the lone Big Brother who remained onstage, was taking a real long drum solo.
Finally Janis said, "Dave's really cookin' tonight," and then nobody said anything, like, "He sure is." It was just...no further conversation.
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Roughie
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MichaelStuart-Ware
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Well, now that I know that it was Love and not the Sons of Adam that played that gig with Big Brother, I guess the mood might have been a bit somber because it was getting more crowded by the minute up there in that little dressing room, and we were looking to hurry up and escape the confines, and get to playing our set. Unfortunately, we had to wait until Dave finished up his drum solo and it was taking a long, long time.
Janis tried to break the ice, bless her heart, but when she made the comment about Dave's solo, it only elicited like a collective but silent, "Yeah," even from the Big Brother people. I think they wanted to hurry and get us out of there as much as we wanted out, but we were like socially trapped.
Janis tried to break the ice, bless her heart, but when she made the comment about Dave's solo, it only elicited like a collective but silent, "Yeah," even from the Big Brother people. I think they wanted to hurry and get us out of there as much as we wanted out, but we were like socially trapped.
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silentseason
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What was your usual feeling before a gig and after? It varies from person to person: extreme nervousness, excited by the expectation of playing before a crowd, just another day at the job, relief that the show is over and everything went OK, etc... I am guessing that to perform before an audience you can't be too shy to get onstage, and that there was some relief once the show was over and the stress of playing is done.
Also, were there any specific groups/musicians/other that you enjoyed hanging out with before your band went on?
Also, were there any specific groups/musicians/other that you enjoyed hanging out with before your band went on?
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Roughie
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Thanks for the reply. I can just imagine the tension!MichaelStuart-Ware wrote:Well, now that I know that it was Love and not the Sons of Adam that played that gig with Big Brother, I guess the mood might have been a bit somber because it was getting more crowded by the minute up there in that little dressing room, and we were looking to hurry up and escape the confines, and get to playing our set. Unfortunately, we had to wait until Dave finished up his drum solo and it was taking a long, long time.
Janis tried to break the ice, bless her heart, but when she made the comment about Dave's solo, it only elicited like a collective but silent, "Yeah," even from the Big Brother people. I think they wanted to hurry and get us out of there as much as we wanted out, but we were like socially trapped.
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MichaelStuart-Ware
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usual feelings
To Silent,
Usual feelings before and after a gig spanned the spectrum... 1) excited expectations and exhausted jubilation when the Sons of Adam were in our first few days as the house band at Gazzarri's and 2.) another day at the office when The Sons of Adam were in the last few weeks of our four month tour as the house band at Gazzarri's.
Excited expectations when Love was preparing to debut Da Capo at The Whisky in October of '66, then, another day at the office when we were in New York to play the first few gigs of the Forever Changes tour and some of us were fighting the monkeys
You know, neither the Sons of Adam nor Love ever really came into that much contact with other bands at gigs. Either we had separate dressing rooms, or the other band would be onstage while we were hanging in the dressing room waiting to go on.
I only remember occasional snippets of accidental interaction... like Lee Michael's drummer Frosty bouncing a small rubber ball against the wall of the dressing room at The Fillmore while Moby Grape was onstage, (in early December of '67) but no conversation. Lee was quiet, as were we.
Usual feelings before and after a gig spanned the spectrum... 1) excited expectations and exhausted jubilation when the Sons of Adam were in our first few days as the house band at Gazzarri's and 2.) another day at the office when The Sons of Adam were in the last few weeks of our four month tour as the house band at Gazzarri's.
Excited expectations when Love was preparing to debut Da Capo at The Whisky in October of '66, then, another day at the office when we were in New York to play the first few gigs of the Forever Changes tour and some of us were fighting the monkeys
You know, neither the Sons of Adam nor Love ever really came into that much contact with other bands at gigs. Either we had separate dressing rooms, or the other band would be onstage while we were hanging in the dressing room waiting to go on.
I only remember occasional snippets of accidental interaction... like Lee Michael's drummer Frosty bouncing a small rubber ball against the wall of the dressing room at The Fillmore while Moby Grape was onstage, (in early December of '67) but no conversation. Lee was quiet, as were we.
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silentseason
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I was surprised to hear that there was essentially no mixing between bands, but after thinking it over it does makes sense. It would be like a sporting event: the two teams competing wouldn't share the same locker room before or after the contest.
Another question somewhat on this subject: how affected was your hearing after a gig? Did you have your kit placed behind the amps?
Another question somewhat on this subject: how affected was your hearing after a gig? Did you have your kit placed behind the amps?
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MichaelStuart-Ware
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hearing
Nah, my drums were usually set up on a riser, but dead even with the amps.
I played during the days when the guitar players used huge amps that were the sole source of the sound, and the drums weren't miked at all. We just had to play as loud as possible to try and keep up. The resulting onstage volume was prodigious.
Back then, the only purpose of the house PA was to serve the microphones that picked up the vocals.
Nowdays, the guitar players play through relatively small amps which are put through the house PA, and of course the drums are miked and put through the house PA as well. Even most small clubs have a house board run by a tech, so the onstage sound is more reasonable and the sound the audience hears is much more balanced.
I played during the days when the guitar players used huge amps that were the sole source of the sound, and the drums weren't miked at all. We just had to play as loud as possible to try and keep up. The resulting onstage volume was prodigious.
Back then, the only purpose of the house PA was to serve the microphones that picked up the vocals.
Nowdays, the guitar players play through relatively small amps which are put through the house PA, and of course the drums are miked and put through the house PA as well. Even most small clubs have a house board run by a tech, so the onstage sound is more reasonable and the sound the audience hears is much more balanced.