The Sons Of Champlin were one of the best and most musical of the original San Francisco bands that played the Fillmore and the Avalon from 1966 onwards. Well ahead of their time, they are fondly remembered now, and since the world has finally caught up to them, they continue to perform this very day. This project is an attempt to identify all the performances of The Sons Of Champlin from 1966 to 1969 (thanks to various people who have helped over the years, including Ross and the old Yahoo Sons discussion group, but most particularly Sons road manager Charlie Kelly. Anyone with additional information, insights, corrections or memories (real or imagined) should Comment or email me).
1966
The band formed at the College of Marin in San Rafael in early 1966. The original lineup was
- Terry Haggerty-lead guitar, harmony vocals
- Tim Cain-tenor sax, guitar, organ, harmony vocals
- Bill Champlin-lead vocals, Hammond organ, guitar
- John Prosser-bass
- Jim Myers-drums
According to the web-memoir of Sons road manager Charlie Kelly, typical early gigs were at the Santa Venetia Armory and the Disco Deck (a grounded houseboat). The band did covers like “Midnight Hour,” “Mustang Sally,” “I’ll Cry Instead” and various blues numbers. John Prosser soon left and he was replaced by bassist Al Strong.
May 27, 1966: Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Santa Rosa, CA: The Front Line/Sons of Champlin/Public Nuisance
This show is the earliest date I have been able to pin down, although the band had obviously played a few other shows around Marin. This was a standard “teen” gig. This event was probably packed, and much like a High School dance. The members of the Sons were already veterans of this circuit from their time in The Opposite Six and other groups.
The Front Line were a popular Marin band who had been signed by the Los Angeles-based management of Buffalo Springfield (Charlie Greene and Brian Stone), and even recorded a single in 1965. The Front Line had been based in Drake High in Marin, whereas the Sons were from Tam High. Front Line drummer Bill Bowen would end up replacing Jim Myers as drummer in the Sons. Guitarist Gary Phillips was also in the Front Line (ex-Electric Train, later Copperhead and Earthquake). Public Nuisance was a Sacramento band.
June 23, 1966: Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA: Them/New Tweedy Brothers/Oxford Circle/Sons of Champlin
The Sons got an “audition” at the Fillmore, meaning they played one set to start the evening. Audition bands were common at the Fillmore, and they did not appear on the poster. At the show, the band was discovered by producer Frank Werber. Werber had owned San Francisco's Hungry i, and had produced the Kingston Trio, The We Five and other groups.
The Sons were probably playing numerous shows during this period, but I have only been able to pin down a few of them.
July 6, 1966: Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA: The Turtles/Oxford Circle/Sons Of Champlin
The Sons were not on the poster, but photographs from this event confirm their presence.
July 29-30, 1966: Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA: Them/Sons of Champlin
The Sons did well enough at their audition show that Graham booked the band to open for Them, and they made it to the poster. Them lead singer Van Morrison had dug the Sons, and Bill Champlin and him hoisted a few drinks after the first night. Bill Graham blames Champlin for Van’s less than ready state on the second night.
October 13-14, 1966: The Ark, Sausalito, CA: Moby Grape/Big Brother and The Holding Company/Sons of Champlin
The Ark was a converted houseboat at Pier 6 in Sausalito. Hip local bands played from 9pm-2am, and there was a "breakfast show" as well, from 2-6am. Assuming these dates to be correct--there are always some confusing questions about dates at The Ark--these would have been among the earliest shows for Moby Grape.
The Sons were apparently playing very few live shows during this time, as they were mostly recording for Trident.
Around November, 1966, Chris Howard was replaced by Bill Bowen. The Sons of Champlin lineup was now
- Terry Haggerty-lead guitar, harmony vocals
- Tim Cain-tenor sax, guitar, organ, harmony vocals
- Bill Champlin-lead vocals, Hammond organ, guitar
- Al Strong-bass
- Bill Bowen-drums
December 16-17, 1966: Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA: Youngbloods/Sparrow/Sons of Champlin
Old friend and future road manager Charlie Kelly, on leave from the Army, saw the Sons of Champlin for the first time (as the Sons of Champlin, rather than just in rehearsal). This was a memorable weekend for him, as he turned 21 during his leave back home, on his way to Vietnam.
The Youngbloods were based in Boston at this time. They would move to San Francisco in the summer of 1967. The Sparrow were from Toronto (via New York and Los Angeles) and lived in Marin County. In the summer of 1967, they moved back to LA and reconfigured themselves as Steppenwolf.
December 20-22, 1966: The Ark, Sausalito, CA: Sons Of Champlin/Freudian Slips
December 23, 1966: Santa Venetia Armory, San Rafael, CA: Moby Grape/Sons of Champlin/Morning Glory/Freeedom Highway/Beat-Ables/Nite Riders/Baltimore Steam Packet/Axoms/Tiny Hearing Aid Company
“Band Bash” Presented by Ralph and Al Pepe
The band was listed as “Sons of Champlain” on the boxing style poster. All of these groups were local Marin County groups (Moby Grape were completely unknown at this time).
1967
The Sons continued to record throughout early 1967. Ultimately, only one single was released by MGM, “Sing Me A Rainbow”/”Fat City,” in April 1967. The cd Fat City (Big Beat[UK] WIKD188-1999] is an excellent document of the music recorded during this period. Meanwhile, The Sons played many gigs at High Schools, sponsored by local station KFRC, but there are few records of these shows. David Biasotti (see below) remembers seeing The Sons at a lunchtime gig at his high school:
An earlier, hornless version of the [Sons] played a radio station-sponsored noon thing in the gym of Woodside High School, my alma mater. I remember vividly that, as they were getting ready to start playing, Terry Haggerty had a guitar strap malfunction & his beautiful fat Gibson Birdland (or whatever it was) just crashed onto the gym floor. Which caused me & my pal to crack up in a snarky way. Once the guy started playing though, our jaws dropped.The Sons began to play regularly around the Bay Area. At this time, their sound was oriented more towards the Beatles than James Brown, emphasizing guitars and harmonies. Tim Cain, later a tenor saxophonist, mostly played rhythm guitar during this period. I have only been able to find evidence of some higher profile shows, but I believe the Sons were performing steadily around the Bay Area, mostly at "Teen" venues rather than overtly psychedelic ones.
January 27, 1967: Rollarena, San Leandro, CA: The Seeds/Sons Of Champlin
January 28, 1967: Longshoreman’s Hall, San Francisco, CA: The Seeds/Sons of Champlin/Misanthropes
March 18, 1967: Longshoreman’s Hall, San Francisco, CA: Baytovens/Sons of ChamplinThese were also Bill Quarry TNT shows (the listing is from the March 17 Chronicle)
Spring 67 Gym, Washington High, Fremont KFRC/Pepsi Battle Of The Bands Sons Of Champlin
The Sons headlined a competition between Washington High bands. At the "Battle," The Wakefield Loop beat out Collective Works and The Reason Why. KFRC and Pepsi sponsored many such events at different high schools, with The Sons or Harbinger Complex as the headliners.
Golden Star Promotions Presents
May 19, 1967: Rollarena, San Leandro, CA: Sons of Champlin/Peter Wheat/Sounds of Silver Darkness
The Rollarena (a roller skating rink converted on Friday night for rock shows) was Bill Quarry’s home base. However, the “teen” era of dances was being replaced by the Fillmore ethos, and the poster for this show indicates budding psychedelica.
May 19, 1967: Carpenters Hall, Hayward, CA: Sons of Champlin/Peter Wheat/Garden Of Chaste Refreshment
This was double gig for the Sons and Peter Wheat, both apparently promoted by TNT. The band would have raced up and down Highway 17 (Hayward and San Leandro are only a few miles apart) to play both shows.
May 26, 1967: National Guard Armory, San Bruno, CA: Sons of Champlin/The Sparrow
KFRC played the Sons single, and the sketchy chart information available confirms that “Sing Me A Rainbow” spends at least 4 weeks on the KFRC “Big 30”, peaking at #15 on May 31, 1967.
June 10-11, 1967: Mt. Tamalpais Theater, San Rafael Fantasy Fair and Magic Music Festival
Benefit for Hunter’s Point Child Care Center
The festival was originally booked for the weekend of June 3-4, but it was rained out and rescheduled for the next weekend.
>June 3, 1967 P.F. Sloan/Grass Roots/Moby Grape/13th Floor Elevators/Spanky and Our Gang/Roger Collins/Blackburn & Snow/The Sparrow/Every Mother’s Son/Sons of Champlin/Jefferson Airplane/Mojo Men/Merry-Go-Round
This was the original billing for June 3 (the ad is from the May 21 Chronicle). In the end, the Sons played twice on Sunday, June 11
June 11, 1967 (Sunday) Lamp of Childhood/Sons of Champlin/Captain Beefheart/New Salvation Army Banned/Hugh Masakela/PF Sloan/Marvin Gaye/Jefferson Airplane/The Grass Roots/Steve Miller Band/Tim Buckley
The Magic Mountain Festival was a week before Monterey Pop, and sort of an effort to accomplish the same thing. The open air theater was at the top of a mountain, and the crowds completely overwhelmed the venue, causing the city to ban all future rock shows (save for a few already scheduled).
June 11, 1967 (Sunday-Valley) Sons of Champlin/Spyders/Strawberry Window/Harbinger Complex
Access to the festival was only possible by shuttle bus, so fans parked at the foot of the mountain and waited for the overcrowded shuttle. Some Marin County bands entertained fans in the parking lot while they waited, and it was called "The Valley Of Dancing." The Sons played both the parking lot and the main festival.
June 22, 1967: Bandshell, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA: Steve Miller Blues Band/Sons of Champlin/Ridge Runners free concert
The San Francisco Examiner sponsored free Thursday afternoon concerts from 1:00-3:00pm in the Golden Gate Park Bandshell, with Examiner music critic Phil Elwood as the MC. This was the first one. Supposedly, this was Boz Scaggs debut with the Miller Band, but the dates don't quite line up. The Ridge Runners were a band from nearby St. Ignatius High School.
The Grateful Dead were added at the last minute to this TNT presentation. While they are generally thought (according to Deadbase) to have stood in for Country Joe and The Fish, according to handbills it appears more likely they stood in for The Sparrow. The Sparrow had moved to Los Angeles by this time, where they would soon reconfigure themselves as Steppenwolf.
Due to artistic disagreements between the band and Frank Werber, Werber released the Sons from contractual obligations as of June 30, 1967. Werber would largely drop out of the music business, while the Sons pursued a less commercial and more psychedelic course.
June 30, 1967: Longshoreman’s Hall, San Francisco, CA: Country Joe and The Fish/Sons of Champlin/Mystery Trend
July 4, 1967: Carousel Ballroom, San Francisco, CA: Canned Heat/Sons of Champlin/Canned Heat/The Robbs
July 5, 1967: Carousel Ballroom, San Francisco, CA: Sons of Champlin/Canned Heat/Kaleidoscope
July 6, 1967: Carousel Ballroom, San Francisco, CA: Sons of Champlin/Count Five/Kaleidoscope
At this time, Canned Heat and The Kaleidoscope were little know bands from Southern California.
July 8, 1967: Terrace Room, San Jose, CA; Sons Of Champlin/Chocolate Watch Band/Velvet Chain
Thanks to a Commenter who added this, the poster of which can be seen here. The Terrace Room was at 1500 Almaden Avenue, and had been previously known as Losers South. The venue was the ballroom of a restaurant called The Hawaiian Gardens.
July 21-22, 1967: Continental Ballroom, Santa Clara, CA: Grateful Dead/Sons of Champlin/Phoenix/Congress of Wonders
July 28, 1967: Litchfield’s Bermuda Palms, San Rafael, CA: Sons of Champlin/Baltimore Steam Packet/Thurston’s Island/Migville Square/The IV Keys
Bermuda Palms was the venue later known as The Euphoria and then Pepperland (on 737 E. Francisco), although strictly speaking it was more like a bar in the same building.
July 29, 1967: Muir Beach, CA: Sons of Champlin/Morning Glory/Charlatans/Transatlantic Railroad
A flyer exists. There was a sort of "party scene" at this distant outpost of Western Marin.
August 8-10, 1967: The Matrix, San Francisco, CA: Sons of Champlin/Buffum Tool Company
Buffum Tool Company were a five-piece Folk-Rock group from Champaign, IL. Due to a management connection with Steve Miller, they were playing The Matrix for three weeks while living in Miller’s attic.
August 18-20, 1967: The Matrix, San Francisco, CA: Sons of Champlin/Buffum Tool Company
September 2 or 3, 1967: Cabrillo College Stadium, Cabrillo Junior College, Aptos, CA
Benefit for SCA at Santa CruzGrateful Dead/Canned Heat/The Leaves/Andrew Staples/Sons of Champlin/New Delhi River Band/Second Coming/New Breed/BFD Blues Band/Gross Exaggeration/Yajahla Tingle Guild/People/Jaguars/Art Collection/Morning Glory/Ben Frank’s Electric Band/New Frontier/Chocolate Watch Band/The Other Side/E-Types/Mourning Reign/Imperial Mange Remedy/Omens/Ragged Staff/Talon Wedge & Others.
This was a two-day event on the Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend. The poster indicated that there was music from 3 to 12pm each day.
September 5-7, 1967: The Matrix, San Francisco, CA: West Coast Natural Gas/Sons of Champlin
September 29-30, 1967: Straight Theater, San Francisco, CA: Grateful Dead/Sons of Champlin
By this time, the Sons had established themselves as one of the hip San Francisco underground bands. Of course, like all the other bands, they weren't making a dime, but they became a familiar name on the coolest posters.
October 6-7, 1967: Western Front, San Francisco, CA: Sons of Champlin/Frumious Bandersnatch/Morning Glory/Initial Shock
The Western Front was a new venue at Polk & O’Farrell, run by the original Family Dog proprietors (the poster is up top).
October 27-29, 1967: Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA: Quicksilver Messenger Service/Sons Of Champlin/Taj Mahal & The Blue Flames
Around this time, Geoff Palmer joined the band on keyboards, vibes and other instruments.Palmer was the son of professional musicians, and could play numerous instruments with style.
November 10-11, 1967: Family Dog, Denver, CO The Other Half/Sons of Champlin
Chet Helms had opened a branch of the Family Dog in Denver, which turned out to be an ill fated venture. The Sons made their first true road trip to play the venue. According to Kelly, Geoff Palmer apparently did not make the trip to Denver, as he was not yet fully integrated into the band.
There may have been a free outdoor concert at the University of Denver around this time.
November 17-18, 1967: Family Dog, Denver, CO Chuck Berry/Sons of Champlin/New World Blues Dictionary
The Concord Coliseum was a long-forgotten venue in Concord, a distant suburb of San Francisco. The venue mostly catered to the local teenagers, but some pretty cool Avalon bands played there as well (the building is now a Petco, and you can read about what is known about the Concord Coliseum here).
There must be considerably more 1966 and '67 shows for the Sons Of Champlin, but this is all I have been able to uncover at this time. The January-May 1968 list is here.
Posts
Great post Corry! I've update my "SOC Performance List" on my blog "The San Francisco Sound" because I don't know a couple of dates! Thanks! A couple of corrections and update:
ReplyDelete(1) A couple of "typo": June 29-30, 1966 and June 4-6, 1967: the exact month is "July"
(2) New gig for you: September ?, 1967: unknown venue, Denver, CO (Charlie Kelly remember this in his web-memoir....maybe is this the outdoor concert at the Uuniversity of Denver?)
(3) October 13-14, 1967: Big Brother show in Seattle was canceled so the band played both nights as the poster suggested (PS: in "Chicken On A Unycicle" this gigs is listed as "1966" and with maybe Lee Michaels also on the bill but I think the "1967" is the exact year).
thanks Bruno. I updated the posts.
ReplyDeleteThe October 13-14 performance at the Ark was from 1966 not 1967. Ross
ReplyDelete(1) June 29-30, 1966: the correct month
ReplyDeleteis "July"
(2) The band were formed in September or October 1965 (not "early 1966") as The Masterbeats (not "Hugh Jardin and The Masterbeats")...the band changed their name in November or December 1965 as Sons Of Father Champlin for only one gig that same time for a "school dance" at the College Of Marin...after this the band became Sons Of Champlin (Nov. or Dec. 65)
(3) Chris Howard never recording with them....all the recordings for "Trident Records" was with Jimmy Myers or Bill Bowen
I know I am simplifying the early history of the Sons, but it has been covered well by Alec Palao (on the Fat City liner notes) so I am not trying to recap it.
ReplyDeleteI saw The Sons of Champlin in about 1968/69. They appeared at a small 2nd story ballroom in Sacramento (not Sound Factory(.It was *around* 13th Street between I and J Streets (my memory is fuzzy on the exact locations). The band was driving up from the Bay Area and only the rhythm section had arrived by showtime. It was guitar, organ, bass and drums and they jammed until the other members arrived. Does anyone know the name or location of the ballrom and the date this concert took place?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI am reliably informed that there was a Native Sons Hall at 9th and J, across from the Elks Temple that housed KZAP. There was also a Masonic Hall on 12th and J, not typically used for rock shows, but possibly available for rent by outside promoters. Either seems like a possibility for the Sacramento venue.
ReplyDeleteI will work on the date.
The outdoor concert in Denver may have been in Washington Park.... I was there... I played in it. Both afternoon and evening sets...
ReplyDeleteAhhhh... The Sub Cellar Dwellers!
Our manager, Barry Fey, partnered with Chet Helms in opening the Family Dog. So,the outdoor Wash Park event was just before the Dog opened.... They even set up the light show for the evening.
We were supposed to open for the Airplane... but, they did not make it. We played anyway! WOW... That was fun!
There may have been another event at the University, but I don't remember it.
The Washington Park event definitely had ties to the Family Dog.
Larry, I'd love to learn more about the Denver area music scene in the mid-late 1960s. Corry, do you (or do any readers) have plans for post on mid-late 1960s Denver-area music scene? If not, I'd love to start poking around it an preparing a post.
ReplyDeleteLarry, your comments are extremely interesting for many reasons. I see that the Airplane played the Denver Dog the week before the Sons (Nov 7-8), so the chronology fits nicely.
ReplyDeleteDid you attend or play at the previous (known) free concert at Washington Square Park, on September 24, 1967? The bill as I have it was
Grateful Dead/Mother Earth/Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band/Beggar’s Opera Company/Crystal Palace Guard/Boenzee Cryque
Must have been some afternoon.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThe intended Jefferson Airplane, Sons and "Lectric Larry's Band" show was supposed to be at Washington Park but, as he stated the Airplane didn't do it.
DeleteThe Dead/Mother Earth/Captain Beefheart et al show was at CITY Park, not Washington which was several miles distant near Denver's South Hight School.
The City Park show 9/24/67 was performed on the lawn in front of the Natural History Museum, no stage and very little PA by today's standards.
Captain Beefheart was having trouble singing with the thin air at over 5,000 feet above sea level so someone was sent to get him a bottle of oxygen.
The female lead singer in The Crystal Palace Guard was Cris Williamson, later to become a big singer songwriter star in the "Women's Music" movement of the 1970s.
JGMF, I nominate you to write the Denver/Boulder post!
ReplyDeleteNew gig!
ReplyDeleteDecember 8-22, 1966: The Ark, Sausalito, CA with The Sparrow, Freudian Slips
New gig!
ReplyDeleteJuly 6, 1966: Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA with Oxford Circle, The Turtles
Bruno, I didn't know the Sons played both June 23 and July 6. I thought they "auditioned" (so to speak) and were invited back to play with Them. Do you think that the correct date is July 6 rather than June 23, or that the Sons played both?
ReplyDeleteI think both Corry, but I don't know because my source for the Fillmore shows is your "Fillmore Shows List" on "Chicken..."
ReplyDeleteha ha, I'd better resolve it then. I know they played with Oxford Circle when they auditioned, so the question is which date it was.
ReplyDeleteah, ok, so Sons Of Champlin auditioned only one time at the Fillmore when Oxford Circle was on the bill. I think it was July 6, 1966 because in your "Fillmore Shows List" you (or Ross) wrote this: "Notes: Grant's book of photos from the Fillmore includes the Sons at this show"
ReplyDeleteI can confirm the July 6 date as there are a number of great 3x3 photographs from this show. They were taken by a young lady in the audience.
ReplyDeleteThey also played on June 23. There is no question about that either. I suspect June 23 was the audition and July 6 was an invitation.
ReplyDeleteCorey... Never received notice of your post. Sorry for the delay.
ReplyDeleteBut, this is fun, reminiscing.
I think the Airplane show at the Dog was after the Washington Park concert.
We were there, upstairs in the 'Artist Lounge'. I still smile at our female singers Pam and Cricket. Just like a comedy routine... They were looking at each other saying..."I'm not talking to her..You go talk to her...!" So, I walked over and introduced myself and the group to Grace.
She was delightfully friendly. She mentioned that our manger, Barry Fay, told her about us.. We had fun talking with her. Oh, Just remembered. Everyone in Denver thought 'Somebody To Love' was our song when it was released... Barry gave it to us to do months before it came out. Were were performing it all over town... Then it hit the radio stations! Of course we always mentioned it was an Airplane tune.
Two other things that stand out in my 'Spotty' memories of that era...(Remember, It was the late 60's!) First, Grace said that Triad was the most difficult song for her to sing on stage.. And, then there was remembering seeing Jorma Kaukonen in the corner... Sharing his unique licks with other players. He still teaches and shares today.
The outdoor concert you mentioned, with the Dead, etc, is not what I remember. I thought we were the only local group to play it.
Since you listed the Boenzee Cryque, I don't remember them there.. But, I could be wrong.
I know the Boenzee Cryque quite well. They, the Moonrakers and us..Now named George, played together at a three stage mini-concert at.. TJ? High School.
After Rusty Young and George Grantham went to start Poco, I played with Joe Nedo (sp?) who owned the name, and tried to re-invent the Boenzee Cryque. It was fun but never went anywhere important.
After that, I went up to Greeley, about 50 miles north of Denver. Teamed up with a few of the graduates of the UNC music department and formed Gabriel. We actually did not play Denver that often. We were out on the road for months at a time.
Thanks for instigating my trip down memory lane. The 60's and 70's were a great time for music. Hope my memories are accurate. Wish I had saved more memorabilia.
Sons Of Champlin played Keystone Berkeley on October 24, 1975. I have the SF Chronicle pink section ad.
ReplyDeleteLooks like Bruno lists that one:
ReplyDeletehttp://thesanfranciscosound.blogspot.com/2010/08/sons-of-champlin-family-tree.html
Add:
ReplyDelete8 Jul 1967 Terrace Room, 1500 Almaden Rd., San Jose, CA [venue formerly Losers South]
Sons Of Champlin [typo on handbill “Chaplin”], Chocolate Watchband, Velvet Chain
see handbill at: http://www.45worlds.com/memorabilia/item/sons-of-champlin
Thanks for the update and the link, Steve. I added them to the post.
DeleteWeirdest place I ever saw SofC perform (and I saw them many times) was Los Alto High School. Late 69 or early 70. The kids kept yelling "Freedom" and "Get High". Bill finally said "We can't do those - this is a high school!!". Also wierd gig at De Anza College which ended at 11:30 because they said the drummer was on a work furlough and had to be back to jail by midnight.
ReplyDeleteCorrespondent Kent found a flyer for the Sons at the long-forgotten Concord Coliseum on December 29-30, 1967, so I added it to the post.
ReplyDeleteIs there any live recordings from 66-67 with Sons of Champlin? Cheers from Daniel in Sweden.
ReplyDelete