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| The Whisky A-Go-Go, at 8901 Sunset Blvd (at Clark) on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood |
The Whisky A-Go-Go, 1972
In
the late 1960s, one of the ways for a rock band to get big fast was to
play the Whisky A-Go-Go in West Hollywood. True, the little club on the
crowded Sunset Strip held 500 patrons at most, and the mini-skirted
Go-Go dancers elevated above the floor were often as big an attraction as
the band. Also true, the club only paid the minimum union scale, no
matter how many records you had sold. Nonetheless, record industry
tastemakers either went to the Whisky or heard about it the next
morning, so if you rocked the Whisky, and in particular if you rocked
with some style, you could rock the nation afterwards, whether you had
been famous beforehand or not. Them, The Doors, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Led
Zeppelin: they rocked the Whisky in style, and success followed.
By the early 1970s, although the rock music market had exploded, the Whisky was not the musical nexus of West Hollywood. Sensitive singer-songwriters expressing their feelings was the new pillar of the music industry, and those acts played the nearby Troubadour, not the Whisky. Flashy hard-rock itself was a bit passe, too, since rock took itself awfully seriously now. Yet the Whisky was still in West Hollywood, and it was still important. Surprisingly, however, for a few years the Whisky A-Go-Go became the locus for rock music in its newly-sophisticated form. We don't think of the Whisky as a home for "Jazz-Rock" and "Prog," but my review of the acts that played there in the first half of 1971 told us just that.
This post is a review of all the performers at the Whisky A-Go-Go from July through September 1972, and an analysis of what it tells us about rock music and the record industry of that moment. Because of the way the Whisky did and did not advertise its shows, some of the exact beginning and end dates of some of the acts may be a bit vague, but I am confident that all the acts listed here played the Whisky during this period.
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| The LA Free Press ad for the Whisky-A-Go-Go from June 30, 1972 |
Whisky-A-Go-Go, 8901 Sunset Blvd (at Clark), West Hollywood, CA: July-September 1972 Performance Listings
June 28-July 1, 1972 Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: Uriah Heep/Maxayn (Wednesday-Saturday)
The Whisky had always liked music that was loud, long-haired and English. An oddity of the early 70s was that a lot of loud, long-haired English bands played some variation of progressive rock. Nonetheless, these bands found a home at the Whisky. Uriah Heep had played the Whisky back in April 1971, on their first American tour, and they had returned in February of 1972. Now, they were back for their Summer tour. Uriah Heep had just released their fourth album on Demons And Wizards (on Mercury in the US), and they even had a modest hit with the song "Easy Livin'." Demons And Wizards would reach #23 on the Billboard charts. Their current configuration was the "classic" Uriah Heep lineup, the one that would bring them the most success
David Byron-vocals
Mick Box-lead guitar
Ken Hensley-organ, keyboards, guitar, vocals
Gary Thain-bass
Lee Kerslake-drums
Bassist Thain had just joined in February--in fact his Uriah Heep debut had been at the Whisky earlier in the year. Uriah Heep found a sweet spot in the rock market, technically proficient enough to get some Prog respect, loud enough for the rockers, but with some good harmonies and memorable tunes for FM radio. The band also had very dramatic dynamics--a somewhat acquired taste--that would serve them well on tour. Heavy Metal wasn't really a genre, yet, but Uriah Heep definitely nodded in that direction. Around the country, the Heep might be second or third on the bill, but at the Whisky they were headliners and got everyone's attention. Uriah Heep did very well the next few years, so their bookings at the Whisky must have paid off.
Just two nights later (Monday and Tuesday July 3-4), Uriah Heep was sharing a bill with Long John Baldry at a movie theater in Long Beach (The Fox, at 333 E. Ocean Blvd, now the site of the Westin Long Beach hotel). Los Angeles was a huge market, so a few nights at the Whisky did not interfere with a couple of more nights at a somewhat more suburban theater.
July 3-4, 1972 Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollwyood, CA: Head, Hands & Feet/Hugh Masakela (Monday-Tuesday)
Head, Hands & Feet was an ensemble of London studio pros. Since the late 60s the group had backed various singers on albums, but they had released their debut album on their own in 1971. By 1972, they had released their second Island Records album, Tracks. Tony Colton was the principal songwriter and main lead singer, but today the best known member is guitarist Albert Lee, who also shared some vocals duties with bassist Chas Hodges (other members were drummer Pete Gavin and rhythm guitarist Ray Smith).
Albert Lee (b.1943) stands as England's best country picker. He had been a guitarist on the early London rock scene, and by 1968 he was well-regarded for playing blues and R&B with Chris Farlowe and The Thunderbirds. He left them, however, because he was more interested in playing country music. Head, Hands & Feet gave Lee a chance to show off his astonishing country chops on a Fender Telecaster. Ultimately, Lee would relocate to Los Angeles in 1974, and replaced James Burton in Emmylou Harris' Hot Band. If you can replace James Burton in Emmylou's band, no one has to doubt your country credentials.
A few days earlier in the LA Times (July 1), critic Robert Hilburn mentioned how well the band had played opening for Jethro Tull at the LA Forum, so they were getting some attention around town. In the rock ecosystem, more people would hear you opening at the Forum, but more people paid attention on a weeknight at the Whisky. Monday and Tuesday were often "showcases" for the industry bands, where record companies made sure booking agents, DJs and others who were busy on the weekends got a chance to see the latest group.
South African trumpeter Hugh Masakela had played the Whisky many times, even recording a live album there back in 1967. Back in ‘67, Masakela had scored an unexpected hit with "Grazing In The Grass,” but he hadn't really had any pop profile since. Still, he was a good fit for the Whisky. He had a name, and while he was a genuine jazzer, he also had a nice groove that was easy to dance to, so he fit in just fine. As the rock audience aged and got more sophisticated, jazz was no longer entirely the province of old beatniks. The Whisky could accommodate a broader template than the Troubadour, partially because the Troubadour was so narrowly focused on the newly-thriving singer-songwriters.
Hugh Masakela's current album at this time was Home Is Where The Music Is, a double album on Blue Thumb Records that had been recorded in London. Masakela shared the front line on the album with alto saxophonist Dudu Phukwana, himself a refugee from Cape Town. Phukwana had played in the expatriate jazz band The Blue Notes, and was also part of pianist Chris MacGregor's Brotherhood Of Breath.
Neither the LA Times listing nor the Free Press ad noted anyone performing at the Whisky on Sunday night (July 9). This seems to be common during this era. I don't know if the Whisky was dark on many Sunday nights. I doubt it. I suspect some local bands played on Sunday nights when there wasn't a high profile booking. Part of the appeal of The Whisky was that patrons could drop by anytime and see live music, so taking a night off seems unlikely.
All of the Whisky listings in the LA Times always said "two shows, 9m and 11pm," regardless of the night. This indicated that each act would play twice, allowing people come to come early or late, depending on their schedule. It also meant that if patrons wanted to stay for both shows, they would have to buy extra drinks. Of course, most Whisky patrons bought plenty of drinks, so in itself that wouldn't have been a huge issue. Presumably, if there was a particularly popular act, the club would turn over the house, but I don't know how often that actually happened.
Earth Quake was a Berkeley quartet that had released their second album on A&M, Why Don't You Try Me. Although they had formed at Berkeley back in the 60s as a trio called Purple Earthquake, they didn't really fit the model of most Bay Area bands. Earth Quake had more of a British Invasion sound, striving to be the Who rather than Fillmore blues-jammers. Their Thursday night show was reviewed favorably, if somewhat wryly, by LA Times critic John Mendelsohn (in the Saturday July 7 Times). Mendelsohn, a tricky figure from this era, took great delight in dismissing the serious jazz pretensions of many hippie Fillmore bands, and far preferred hard rocking British bands with pop sensibilities, like The Kinks. So it's no surprise he liked Earth Quake, although he stops short of saying they were ticketed for stardom.
Earth Quake, in fact, would be dropped by A&M later in 1972. In quixotic Berkeley fashion, however, the band took an entirely unexpected path. Not only did they stay together, slogging it out in Berkeley clubs like the Keystone or the Long Branch for many years, but they were pioneers in the mid-70s DIY movement. The band's manager, Matthew "King" Kaufman had Earth Quake record material not only for themselves, but as the backing group for Johnathan Richman and Greg Kihn. The tracks were assembled as a 1975 album called Beserkely Chartbusters, and the Beserkeley label went on to considerable success later in the decade.
Jade Warrior was an English progressive rock band who had just released Last Autumn's Dream, their third album on Vertigo. Jade Warrior had a unique sound, layering Jon Field's flute against guitarist Dave Duhig's harder edge. They did not at all sound like the keyboard-heavy "Prog" bands like ELP or The Yes. Jade Warrior was never really a huge success, but they stayed together and released many albums at least until 2010, a pretty remarkable achievement. Although Mendelsohn only mentioned them in one sentence, they were clearly musical enough that he could not simply dismiss them (a common tactic on his part).
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| Los Angeles Free Press ad for the Whisky-A-Go-Go from July 7, 1972 |
July 10, 1972, Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: John Mayall/Chico Hamilton (Monday)
Manchester bluesman John Mayall had moved to Laurel Canyon by 1970, and now mostly worked with American musicians. During this period, he had one of his very best bands, but they have been overlooked since none of them went on to the fame of Eric Clapton or Mick Taylor. Mayall was still a popular touring act, but per the ad, it seems he was recording at the Whisky. Given the timing, it looks like the material from this night was used on his October, 1972 Moving On album on Polydor.
Mayall had always improvised large sections of his shows. He was deeply rooted in the blues, but he had a jazzman's approach to performing. In the 60s, Mayall had salted his performances with straightforward covers of Chicago blues tunes, or sometimes electrified versions of old country blues. He would mix those with his own more free-flowing material. Once he moved to Laurel Canyon, however, Mayall no longer did any covers. In many ways he hardly did songs at all, often just jamming along and singing a few verses here and there. Sometimes the lyrics were improvised too. It sounds dumb, but when you listen to an entire Mayall live set from the early 70s, the high quality of musicianship made it work.
Unfortunately, Polydor Records didn't really get this. They tried to edit Mayall's band performances into conventional songs, often emphasizing Mayall's vocals and defusing the solos. Mayall sounded unimaginative and full of himself, rather than the leader of a freewheeling band. Albums like Jazz Blues Fusion (Polydor 1972) seemed stilted. Now that we can hear the tapes, we know that Mayall really was playing "Jazz-Blues Fusion" but the record makes it seem like an artificial stunt.
Mayall's crack band at the time had a great front line: guitarist Freddie Robinson, tenor saxophonist Clifford Solomon and the great jazz trumpeter Blue Mitchell. Holding down the bottom was bassist Victor Gaskin and old Mayall pal Keef Hartley on drums. When they played live, they often played 15 or 20 minute medleys, swinging from style to style, with great solos. Mayall's harmonica playing got plenty of air time, but it wasn't dominant. Now and again Mayall would sing, but whether you liked the verses or not, it was part of a much larger mix. The albums simply didn't capture that.
Drummer Chico Hamilton (1921-2013) was a West Coast jazz legend, but his recording career was at a low ebb. The LA-born Hamilton had come to prominence in the 1940s as a sideman for Count Basie, Lena Horne and many others. Starting in 1955, Hamilton had lead a groundbreaking combo in the late 50s and early 60s, bringing forward some great players like Eric Dolphy, Gabor Szabo, Albert Stinson and Charles Lloyd.
For all his status, however, jazz was at a low commercial ebb in the early 70s, and Hamilton didn't play in the electric crossover style that was of interest to record companies. He hadn't released an album since 1970 (El Exigente on Flying Dutchman), and I have no idea who was in his band or what style of jazz he was playing.
July 12-15, 1972, Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: Merry Clayton/Elijah (Wednesday-Saturday)
Merry Clayton had made her recording debut at 14, in New Orleans with Bobby Darin, back in 1962. She was well-established as a background singer with Ray Charles and others when she was called in one night to sing a part on the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter." By 1972, she had released two albums on Ode. Her most recent had been Merry Clatyon in 1971. On it, Clayton sang rock songs by Neil Young, James Taylor and Carole King. Although she sang the famously soulful vocal for the Stones, and covered rock songs on her album, on stage her material apparently was in more of a Las Vegas-cabaret vein.
There were lots of bands and singers called Elijah, and I haven't figured out exactly which one this was. A reviewer (see August 16-19 below) described them as an "8-piece monstrosity," and "like Cold Blood but without the chick singer."
An earlier ad listed Parrish And Gurvitz instead of Elijah. Brian Parrish and Paul Gurvitz were a hard rocking trio that had released a 1971 album on Regal Zonophone, but I think they were replaced by Elijah.
July 16-18, 1972, Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: Arthur Lee/Chico Hamilton (Sunday-Tuesday)
Arthur Lee had lead the groundbreaking band Love, and he had been playing the Whisky since 1966. Love had been one of the first "underground" bands in LA, and they had been hugely influential. Lee was the principal singer and songwriter for the band, and he was fusing rock and soul music, not at all typical for an African-American in 1965. Lee was an influence on (and friends with) Jimi Hendrix, and Love had an effect on Hendrix, The Byrds and many others.
Love had been signed to Elektra, and released some memorable albums, although they weren't hugely popular. The original configuration of Love had only played live in California before falling apart, adding to their legend, but not their record sales. Lee was hugely talented, and had many musician friends and supporters, but he wasn't reliable and had various health or drug issues. By 1970, Love had released six albums (four on Elektra and two more on Blue Thumb), with various configurations, and even toured a little bit in the East.
In 1972, Arthur Lee recorded an album for A&M with the current members of Love, but it was released as a solo album called Vindicator. I don't think Lee toured much behind it--these Whisky shows would be among the few that he played in support of the album, as far as I know. I don't know who would have been in the band.
I saw Arthur Lee (1945-2006) in San Francisco in the 1990s, on a "comeback" tour. He was intriguing and showed flashes of talent, but he was clearly a shadow of what he once was. I think after the 1960s, Lee could never harness his talent properly, despite the many compatriots who would help him. The contrast between the erratic Lee and the steady Chico Hamilton must have been striking, and probably somewhat sad.
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| The LA Free Press ad for the Whisky-A-Go-Go from July 21, 1972 |
July 19-23, 1972, Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: Ramatam/Little Feat (Wednesday-Sunday)
This weekend's headliner was Ramatam, a "supergroup" whose debut album was being pushed hard by Atlantic Records. Besides the regular Whisky ad (above), Atlantic had taken a display ad on the bottom of several pages of the entertainment section of the LA Free Press (below). There were also substantial 1/4 page ads for the debut album in Rolling Stone. Ramatam featured guitarist April Lawton, who was pushed by Atlantic as the first female "guitar hero." She was unknown, but her smiling face and long hair was right in line with plenty of guitar heroes, save for the fact that she was a girl.
Also in the band was drummer Mitch Mitchell, ex-Hendrix, and guitarist Mike Pinera from Iron Butterfly, and the keyboard player from a band called Brooklyn Bridge (Tommy Sullivan). The producer was the legendary Tom Dowd, and the album had been recorded at Criteria in Miami, the same combination that had been responsible for Layla. So there was some credentials attached to Ramatam, even if almost no one would have heard them. That was what the Whisky was for, letting local industry people and scenemakers hear what was new.
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| This display ad ran on the bottom of several pages of the July 21 '72 LA Free Press entertainment section |
John Mendelsohn ripped Ramatam's Thursday night show in his Saturday (July 21) Times review. He dismissed Lawton, and found the songs boring. In fact, Ramatam's debut was under-produced (surprisingly, given Dowd and the Albert Brothers team at Criteria) and the songs were unmemorable. Still, Mendelsohn usually dismissed any band with long guitar solos, and he wore his prejudices on his sleeve. Many (admittedly random) remembrances from Ramatam's year of touring included various recollections of Lawton dominating the stage with some fearsome shredding, so perhaps she just wasn't to Mendelsohn's taste.
Despite her obscurity, Lawton still became a somewhat controversial figure. Ramatam toured until mid-73, as far as I know, and would release one more album as a trio (In April Came The Dawning Of The Red Suns). Lawton then retired from the music business, and became a graphic artist, mostly (but not entirely) doing professional rather than creative work. She died in 2009 and never spoke publicly about her experiences in Ramatam or as a professional musician.
Over the decades, the rumor had persisted that April Lawton had actually been a man. I had always thought that this was just jealousy--if long-haired April had mopped up the floor every night with Rick Derringer (as she reputedly did when Ramatam had opened in the Southeast for Edgar Winter), a certain type of neanderthal would have just argued that "she was so good she had to be a guy." In 2009, after Lawton's death, some of her friends confirmed that Lawton was in fact transgender. No wonder she dropped out of the business--the burden of being the first female guitar hero would have been huge in 1972. The burden of being the first transgender guitar hero would have been unimaginable. I myself will admit that when I heard the rumors that April Lawton was a man (in the 80s or 90s, I forget), I had cheerily dismissed them as typical male jealousy. It literally never occurred to me that she might have been Trans. No one would have been ready for it.
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| Little Feat's second album, Sailin' Shoes (cover by Neon Park), was released by Warner Brothers in May 1972 |
Little Feat remains perennially popular, and they are still together and performing today. Their music sounds very contemporary now, as lots of bands have the wriggling New Orleans beat and the shared vocals. It's important to remember that not only did Little Feat pretty much invent that sound, but initially no one even liked it. Little Feat had formed in 1969, and released their debut album in 1970. Sales were miserable. The band's following album, the classic Sailin' Shoes, had only just been released in May of 1972. Produced by Ted Templeman, it included classics like the title track, "Easy To Slip," and "Willin'." Templeman had expected a huge hit with "Easy To Slip," yet it, too, went nowhere (Templeman's other band, the Doobie Brothers, did have a huge hit at the same time with "Listen To The Music").
The original Little Feat was a quartet, with songwriters Lowell George (1945-79) on slide guitar and Bill Payne on keyboards, both sharing the lead vocals. Roy Estrada was the bassist and Ritchie Hayward the drummer (both also sang). George and Estrada had been in the Mothers Of Invention in 1969, and all four of them had been in various LA bands--The Factory, Fraternity Of Man and so on. Good as they were, however, the quartet version of Little Feat seems to have performed very rarely. For all of the 20th century we didn't have a tape of any quartet Feat shows, even a crummy audience one, so we didn't know what they played or even really sounded like.
In 2023, Warner Brothers put out a deluxe editon of Sailin' Shoes, with a bonus disc of outtakes and a live show. The professionally recorded 10-song performance of Little Feat from August 28, 1971 at the Hollywood Palladium finally gives us the long-desired snapshot of the band as a quartet. The group's unique sound is already in place, but as a quartet it is more focused towards the blues, with an emphasis on George's expressive slide guitar. Anyone lucky enough to see the band as a quartet--and there probably weren't many--would have been fortunate indeed to have seen the original Little Feat.
Little Feat would break up shortly after this. I don't know how many shows the quartet even played--probably not many. They would reconvene again in early 1973 as a six-piece for Dixie Chicken, and then break up, and then reform, and so on. Eventually, the world caught up to Little Feat, but only after Lowell George's unfortunate death in 1979.
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| "One By One" had been the original A-side for this single, but "Brandy" is what took off for The Looking Glass, reaching #1 in 1972 |
July 24-25, 1972, Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: Looking Glass/Oliver Walrus (Sunday-Monday)
Popular '60s and '70s AM hits are screwed permanently into your brain. A #1 song was played so incessantly that it can never be forgotten, whether you liked it or not. So if you are a certain age--mine--when you hear (even in your mind) "All the sailors say 'Brandy/You're a fine girl'" you know that they then say "what a good wife you would beeee." "Brandy" was the main hit for a New Jersey quartet called the Looking Glass. The single was released in May, 1972, and reached #1 for a few weeks later in the Summer.
Looking Glass had been a New Jersey bar band, spotted by Clive Davis. Davis had signed them to Epic. At the time of this show, they would have just released their debut single, and their album would come out in June. Sunday and Monday at the Whisky were typically industry showcase nights, where record companies used the club for special events. Radio people and talent agents had fewer obligations on those nights, so they might come to the Whisky to check something out in return for a few free drinks. Looking Glass was a new band on Epic (a Columbia label), so this would have been the first chance for West Coast industry people to hear them.
In this case, it worked. Richard Cromelin reviewed the Monday show in the Times (Wednesday July 26), saying that "at times, [the Looking Glass'] fluid Eastern Seaboard sound contains echoes of 60s formula pop-rock, with traces of a folky, Lovin Spoonful-style feeling." He does add that "at this point, the Looking Glass lacks the uniqueness and individuality that would admit them to the ranks of Stardom," but he generally praises the band's show. Looking Glass would go on to have one of the biggest hits of 1972, but they never rose to those heights again. Guitarist Eliot Lurie would go on to have a successful music career, mostly doing soundtrack work.
[As a peculiar footnote, this seems to have been the only time Looking Glass played the Whisky. The Wikipedia entry for Looking Glass says that Clive Davis spotted the band at the Whisky, but that can't be correct].
Cromelin briefly mentions the opening act, Oliver Walrus, describing them as "a cumbersome 12-member ensemble". I know nothing else about them.
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| The Whisky A-Go-Go ad in the LA Free Press for July 28, 1972 |
July 26-30, 1972, Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: Flash Cadillac & The Continental Kids/Eric Quincy Tate (Tuesday-Sunday)
Flash Cadillac and The Continental Kids had formed in Colorado in 1969. They played 50s-type rock and roll, somewhat like Sha Na Na. They had moved to Los Angeles in the early 70s, and they would appear in the 1973 movie American Graffiti. In concert, I believe they played a mixture of oldies and original material written in a retro style. On their albums, however, they recorded original material. Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids had just released their debut album on Epic, produced by legendary Hollywood scenemaker Kim Fowley.
Eric Quincy Tate was a four-piece rock band from Quincy, MA, all former sailors on the USS Essex. Originally an Eastern Seaboard bar band, after Naval service they all ended up playing roadhouse blues in Texas, and they had auditioned for Phil Walden of Capricorn Records. Their 1971 debut was released on Cotillion Records (Duane Allman made a guest appearance), but their second album, Drinking Man's Friend, was on Capricorn itself. The quartet was fronted by guitarist Tommy Carlisle, the most prolific writer, but the lead singer was drummer Donnie McCormick. Joe Rogers on keyboards and David Cantowine on bass rounded out the band. Paul Hornsby, Capricorn's regular producer (ex-Hour Glass, with Duane and Gregg), was behind the board.
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| The Whisky A-Go-Go ad in the LA Free Press for August 4, 1972 |
August 2-6, 1972 Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: Stoneground/Rastus (Tuesday-Sunday)
Stoneground had been put together by KSAN impresario Tom Donahue in 1969 for an intended movie about a "traveling Woodstock" called Medicine Ball Caravan. The Grateful Dead were booked for the movie, but backed out at the last minute. However, Alembic sound had to honor their part of the contract, so the Dead had stayed home and recorded American Beauty with Stephen Barncard, while Bob Matthews and Betty Cantor had gone on the road with Stoneground.
Stoneground was a 10-piece ensemble with 5 lead singers, a lot of group vocalizing and a soul overlay on top of typical early-70s hippie rock jams. Key players were former Beau Brummels songwriter Sal Valentino, along with 4 female singers. All the front-liners sang lead and harmonies, more or less. The rest of the band was led by lead guitarist (and sometime vocalist) Tim Barnes, a Bay Area veteran. By 1972, Palo Alto's Cory Lerios was the piano player, who would later go on to success in Pablo Cruise (along with drummer Steve Price).
By mid-1972, Warner Brothers had released Stoneground 3. Stoneground had a modest following, particularly in Northern California, but they hadn't really broken out. Richard Cromelin reviewed the Wednesday (August 3) show in the LA Times (August 5), saying that Stoneground were unfocused and "overpopulated... Solid, danceable...never threatens to catch fire." This wasn't an unfair assessment. Stoneground was enjoyable, but they did seem unfocused, not surprising for a huge ensemble.
Cromelin saved his ire for Rastus. They were just an 8-piece (with horns), but he dismissed their "derivative nature, trudging pace and overall vapidity are too much to overcome." I know nothing else about them
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| The back cover of the first Flo & Eddie album on Reprise (released 1973). Ex-Turtles Mark Volman (The Phlorescent Leech) and Howard Kaylan (Eddie) could not record or perform under their own names, due to a bitter lawsuit with The Turtles' record company |
August 7, 1972 Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: : Flo and Eddie/Yellowstone (Monday)
By late 1971, Frank Zappa had found a place in the rock and roll landscape where he could make serious music, entertain in his disruptive way and actually make a pretty good living. By then, to some extent, thanks to FM radio the world had caught up somewhat with his sophisticated music. Equally importantly, however, starting in 1970, the new-model Mothers Of Invention were fronted by lead singers Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan. Volman and Kaylan had had huge success in the 60s as the lead singers and songwriters of The Turtles. For all their success, however, the Turtles had ended up in endless litigation with their label, White Whale Records. It was the classic, bitter, 60s story of an unfair contract taking advantage of immature musicians. By 1970, Kaylan and Volman were enjoined from using their own names in a professional capacity as musicians.
Kaylan and Volman were old pals with Zappa, however, from their days at the Whisky back in the 60s. After a March 7, 1970 Frank Zappa concert at Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, Howard and Mark approached Frank. Plans were made. A few months later, the two new lead singers of The Mothers of Invention were "The Phlorescent Leech and Eddie." Kaylan and Volman's real names were never mentioned, even on record. There was no explanation to any fans. My teenage self thought at the time that it was some clever Zappa prank--which in a way it was--but it never occurred to me that they were legally enjoined from using their names.
The providential partnership of Kaylan, Volman and Zappa screeched to an unfortunate halt on December 10, 1971. The Mothers of Invention were beginning a British tour at the Royal Albert Hall when a crazed fan came on stage and pushed Zappa into the orchestra pit, nearly killing him and putting Zappa out of commission for a very long time. Kaylan and Volman, along with the other Mothers were left high and dry while Zappa recovered.
The solution was for Kaylan and Volman to front the Mothers, but without Zappa. The two of them were great singers, and standup-comedian funny. So they could do the hilarious live schtick, some Mothers material, their own stuff and anything else they wanted. They toured as "Flo and Eddie," protecting their legal situation while also ensuring that fans understood what they would be getting live. The exact history seems lost, but I think that Flo & Eddie "debuted" (if you will) in Fall '72, first in the US and then in Europe. I think they picked up dates that had been planned for Zappa. The live band was mostly ex-Mothers (Aynsley Dunbar on drums, Jim Pons on bass and Don Preston on keyboards), along with ex-Love guitarist Gary Rowles. I suspect that this show was a Monday night warmup for a major national tour.
Flo & Eddie released their first album on Reprise in 1973. Initially, Reprise had released a promotional photo with Howard Kaylan as the Phlorescent Leech and Mark Volman as Eddie, so that is how the pair introduced themselves. But then they were reversed on a different photo, so Mark became "Flo" and Howard "Eddie" for the rest of their careers. Since the whole naming convention had been a goof to start with, it was a perfect start to a satirical enterprise that remains intact today.
Yellowstone are unknown to me.
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| The Whisky A-Go-Go ad in the LA Free Press for August 11, 1972 |
August 8-12, 1972 Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: : Seatrain/Redwing (Tuesday-Saturday)
Seatrain was a band based in Cambridge, MA, but having important Bay Area roots. The story was convoluted, in a typical sixties sort of way. The bassist and drummer of the Greenwich Village band Blues Project (Andy Kulberg and Roy Blumenfield) had ended up in the Bay Area in 1968. They had started a new band, and called it Blues Project, since the name was known. A few members came and went, and they changed their name to Sea Train. Their self-titled debut album was released on A&M in 1969.
Confusingly, Seatrain (having changed the spelling) signed to Capitol, moved to Boston and released another self-titled album in 1970. While Seatrain was based in Boston, more or less, in the Winter of '69/70 they had stayed in Marin County. Guitarist/singer Peter Rowan was the front man, but instead of a lead guitarist they had veteran bluegrass fiddler Richard Greene on electric violin.
Seatrain was interesting group, and they had released the George Martin-produced Marblehead Messenger in 1971. By 1972, however, they were slowly grinding to a halt. Peter Rowan would leave Seatrain shortly after this, and go hang out with his younger brothers in Western Marin. There wasn't a bluegrass scene in Stinson Beach, but his brothers were produced by mandolinist David Grisman, and it turned out that a banjo player lived just up the hill from them.
Redwing was a Sacramento group that had evolved out of a popular 60s band called The New Breed. The best known member was bassist Tim Schmidt, who by 1970 had joined Poco (and would later join The Eagles). Redwing had made an album in 1970 for United Artists, and some of their material had also been released under the band-name Glad. By 1972, Redwing had been signed to Fantasy and released What This Country Needs.
Earlier ads had the English group Quiver (on Warner Brothers) opening, but they seemed to have been replaced by Redwing.
Sunday night featured drummer and singer Buddy Miles, another act "too big" to play the Whisky. Of course, there was a lot of hype surrounding Buddy Miles, in that his fame far exceeded the number of records he sold. Miles (or his management) was shrewd about promoting him, so I don't doubt he had a good reason to play at the Whisky, even though I can't find an obvious trigger, like a new album.
Buddy Miles (1947-2008) was from Omaha, NE. His father had been a working jazz musician for Duke Ellington, Count Basie and others, and Miles had played in his father's band as a teenager. Miles became a full-time musician in 1965, playing with R&B and Soul acts. In 1967, guitarist Mike Bloomfield spotted Miles playing drums for Wilson Pickett, and invited him to move to California to join his new group, Electric Flag.
Miles was a versatile musician who was renowned by other musicians for his funky backbeat. He also had a soulful voice, and his high tenor was a surprising contrast when it emanated from his NFL-size physique. Electric Flag had debuted at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, and had been a huge sensation, even though they never lived up to their promises. When Electric Flag fell apart, the band had evolved into the Buddy Miles Express. The Express released two albums on Mercury, 1968's Expressway To Your Skull and 1969's Electric Church. The first had liner notes by Jimi Hendrix--an old pal that Miles had met back on the circuit in 1964--and for Electric Church, Hendrix was the producer. Still, while the albums (particularly Expressway) are interesting, they didn't really grab the listening public.
The title track to Buddy Miles fourth Mercury album, Them Changes, was Miles' one big hit. "Them Changes" is pretty well known, even now. Miles also recorded with Hendrix, and played a few famous shows with him as The Band Of Gypsies (along with bassist Billy Cox). Miles played "Them Changes" with Hendrix, so it ensured that it would become his signature song. In the early 70s, Miles' solo albums featured his "heavy soul" takes on rock songs (like Neil Young's "Down By The River" or the Allman Brothers' "Midnight Rider"). On tour, he was usually billed as the Buddy Miles Express.
For New Year's 1971, Miles had played with Carlos Santana in Hawaii. The album was released as Carlos Santana and Buddy Miles Live! It was released in June 1972 and was a hugely popular seller. Santana didn't really have a band at the time, so he played with some members of the Buddy Miles Express (organist Bob Hogins and bassist Ron Johnson), a few other players from his own band (Neal Schon, Mike Carabello and Mingo Lewis) and a few "heavy friends" (Gregg Errico and Luis Gasca). Once again, Miles performed "Them Changes." Miles was well-known, but mainly for one song and his famous guitarist pals.
Prior to the Santana/Miles live album, Miles had not released an album since 1971 (Message To The People, a live album on Mercury). The Mercury contract seems to have expired, and he would not release another album of his own until 1974 (All The Faces Of Buddy Miles, on Columbia). I don't know what his touring or recording plans might have been at the time. I do know that later in September, at Balboa Stadium in San Diego, a big concert was billed as "Ginger Baker vs Buddy Miles," so maybe this was some kind of warmup (I don't think Ginger Baker undertook his '72 American tour, so I assume the event was canceled).
August 16-19, 1972 Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: Flash/Elijah (Wednesday-Saturday)
For this week's booking, the Wednesday-to-Sunday headliner was Flash, a newly formed English band. Lead guitarist Peter Banks had been in The Yes, until he had been replaced by Steve Howe midway through their second album (1970's Time And A Word). Flash was a quartet, with Banks on lead guitar and Colin Carter on vocals. Their debut album (with its notorious cover) had been released in February 1972 on Sovereign Records. Another former member of Yes, organist Tony Kaye, had helped record the album, but he was not a member of Flash.
Peter Jay Philbin reviewed Flash at the Whisky in the August 25 Free Press. He was not kind. Flash didn't sound particularly like The Yes, but they weren't a blues or boogie band either. Their typical show was 90 minutes long, and not just a series of tunes. For the Whisky, they broke their show into two 45-minute sets, to accommodate the prescribed playing times at the club. It probably did not help the pacing of their show. Philbin describes Flash as simply not going over well at the Whisky. So much so, in fact, that they did not play Sunday night, and were replaced by Foghat.
Whisky bookings were about attention, not money. Missing out on one night's show would not have been a financial issue, per se. Philbin's article was telling in that Foghat was chosen to replace Flash because they shared a booking agency. Booking agencies (also called talent agencies) were the essential engine of the live concert business, keeping bands on tour and clubs and concert halls filled with acts. In the case of the Whisky, however, the goal wasn't a payday but a showcase. So if Flash was doing badly, their agency wanted them off the bandstand. Foghat was going to play the next few nights anyway, so they would have already been in town.
As mentioned above, Philbin had been harsh about opening act Elijah back in July, describing them as an "8-piece monstrosity," and "like Cold Blood but without the chick singer."
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| The Whisky A-Go-Go ad in the LA Free Press for August 18, 1972 |
August 20, 1972 Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: Foghat/Elijah (Sunday)
August 21-22, 1972 Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: Foghat/Christopher Milk (Monday-Tuesday)
Foghat were headliners for the Monday-Tuesday "showcase" night, so it was easy for their booking agency to bring them in Sunday after Flash needed to exit. Foghat's debut album on Bearsville Records had just been released in July, but the English quartet already had a lengthy saga behind them.
Guitarist/singer "Lonesome Dave" Peverett, bassist Tone Stevens and drummer Roger Earl had all been members of Savoy Brown from 1968-70. They had participated in the recording of four albums. By the last one, Looking In (released October 1970), the band was a quartet, led by Savoy Brown founder and lead guitarist Kim Simmonds. Kim Simmonds, along with his brother Harry--the band's manager--were the only constants in the Savoy Brown saga (Savoy Brown toured until 2020, by the way). Looking In had been pretty successful, reaching #39 on the Billboard charts. Savoy Brown had toured hard on the Fillmore circuit, building an audience in every city. They played Chicago-style blues, with a lot of extended guitar solos from Simmonds.
The other three decided they wanted to move out on their own, with a little more emphasis on rock than blues, so they had quit Savoy Brown in January 1971. Peverett, Stevens and Earl teamed up with slide guitarist Rod Price (formerly of the band Black Cat Bones). The name Foghat was a nonsense word derived from a Scrabble game. Savoy Brown manager Harry Simmonds was furious, however, when the trio had left Savoy Brown, and he swore they wouldn't work in England. Foghat had a hard time getting any gigs, despite their pedigrees.
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| Foghat's debut album was released on Bearsville in July, 1972 |
In mid-1971, however, Foghat managed to audition for Albert Grossman. Grossman was Bob Dylan's manager (among many other achievements), and was starting his own label, Bearsville Records. Grossman liked what he heard, and signed them up. Grossman had plenty of resources, so in the short term, the difficulty of getting gigs in England wasn't a problem. Although Foghat's debut was simple rock and roll with a blues undercurrent, a lot of effort was put into the record. It was recorded at the legendary Rockfield Studio in Wales. Bearsville initially bought over house engineer Todd Rundgren as producer, but he was replaced by local legend Dave Edmunds. Edmunds, who had recorded his first and biggest hit "I Hear You Knocking" at Rockfield, gave the debut Foghat album the raw, old-time feel that framed the basic driving sound. It took until July '72 before the record was complete, but it was a perfect debut, and Foghat was rested and ready.
Foghat couldn't get a gig in England, but they didn't really want one. The money was in America. The country was full of FM radio stations and concert venues. Foghat would crisscross the States, first third on the bill, then second, then headlining, then headlining bigger places. By about 1974 the entire band had moved to New York state. Albert Grossman had been right, and they sold millions of albums and sold millions of dollars worth of concert tickets for the balance of the decade. But it all started at the Whisky on a Sunday night.
A review in the September 8 Free Press said "Foghat is a hard band to follow." Most of the band had played the Fillmore circuit with Savoy Brown, and Rod Price was no rookie, either. Simple rock and roll was the order of the day, with just enough swagger and English style to set them apart from US hippies. Foghat fit into a slot similar to Rod Stewart, as a UK take on American music (incidentally, Dave Peverett's brother was Rod Stewart's road manager for many years). Playing the Whisky for the local industry types made it clear that Albert Grossman's new band were going to be contenders.
Foghat had been the regularly scheduled headliners on Monday and Tuesday, supported by the local band Christopher Milk. Christopher Milk was lead by LA Times rock critic John Mendelsohn, who regularly reviewed other bands at the Whisky. Now, rock criticism, then and now, isn't investment banking or environmental compliance, so the inherent conflict of interest mattered less than you might think. Still, it made Mendelsohn's snide contrarian stances resonate differently, since every band playing the Whisky was his band's competition. I had a Christopher Milk record, long ago, and I no longer recall what it sounded like. That's not a ringing endorsement. I think they aspired to be like the Kinks. Their current album was Some People Will Drink Anything, on Reprise.
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| The Whisky A-Go-Go ad in the LA Free Press for August 25, 1972 |
August 23, 1972 Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: : LaCroix/Foghat (Wednesday)
August 24-27, 1972 Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: LaCroix/Rastus (Thursday-Sunday)
Foghat remained as the opener when LaCroix opened their week-long booking on Wednesday. LaCroix had been advertised as White Trash (see the Free Press ads above), but per the Free Press they changed their name to LaCroix, after lead singer Jerry LaCroix. Initially, the band had been known as Edgar Winter's White Trash, featuring Edgar on alto sax and keyboards, and sharing vocals with LaCroix. Edgar was white-skinned and blonde, like his brother Johnny, and equally talented, but not as much of a front-man. Edgar preferred working in a group setting, and seemed happy to share lead vocals.
By 1972, Edgar had left White Trash behind to form a new band, The Edgar Winter Group (with Dan Hartmann and Ronnie Montrose). Another album was coming out, however, a double-live album called Roadwork. Per the Times and Free Press, Edgar and Johnny's manager (Steve Paul) got cold feet about allowing the remnants of the band to use the name, so the band's name was changed to LaCroix. LaCroix played a sort of soul-infused hard rock, with a horn section. The Free Press suggested that Foghat was the better band on their night. LaCroix woud release their album on Epic later in 1972.
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| The 1973 debut album on Blue Thumb by Sylvester and The Hot Band |
August 28, 1972 Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: Sylvester/Stinky Felix (Monday)
Monday night's showcase was soul singer Sylvester. In the Bay Area, he generally performed as 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. 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.
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.
Richard Cromelin gave an enthusiastic review of Sylvester in the Thursday (September 1) Times, and his comments were an indicator of the important role of the Whisky. At this time, Sylvester had no recorded output, although I believe he had just been signed by Blue Thumb. Cromelin:
That the cause of liberation is better served by actually celebrating one's liberated state than by delivering political truisms (even in an "entertainment" context) was amply demonstrated this week...
Sylvester, former Cockette and a San Francisco institution, made his Los Angeles debut at the Whisky Monday night. There, such illustrious witnesses as the Kinks and Faces observed a party that was, if more modestly scaled, every bit as joyful as the latter's own weekend concerts [Rod Stewart and The Faces had just played LA].
It was a happy audience that responded vigorously to the accessible, driving music of the Hot Band and the enthusiastic singing of Sylvester, and that response was fed back by the group to produce the spirited freedom that rock and roll is supposed to provide.
Sylvester's splendid makeup and gorgeous thrift-shop dresses are a visual addition that complements the music rather than covering any deficiencies with gimmickry, making him one of the few performers around who gainfully employ, rather than willfully exploit, the currently fashionable state of androgyny.
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.
Opening act Stinky Felix is unknown to me.
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| The Whisky A-Go-Go ad in the LA Free Press for September 1, 1972 |
August 31-September 4, 1972 Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: : Stevie Wonder/Little Feat (Thursday-Monday)
Stevie Wonder was the best known act to play the Whisky A-Go-Go during this period, and arguably the best known act every to have played the club. At this time, Wonder had recently released his album Music Of My Mind (back in March). His gigantic, world-conquering album Talking Book (with "Superstition" and "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life") would not come out until October. For just about the only segment of his storied adult career, Wonder performed fairly regularly throughout the Summer of 1972. He had supported the Rolling Stones' 1972 tour, which had ended in July, and on August 30 Wonder had appeared at the "One To One" Benefit in Madison Square Garden headlined by no less than John Lennon.
Why did Stevie Wonder need to play five nights at the Whisky, a day after playing Manhattan? Who knows? In any case, those who got to see Wonder in the tiny club were very lucky, particularly given how rarely Wonder toured and performed. This must have been a night in which the Whisky turned the house over for 9:00 and 11:00pm shows. I'm not sure who was in Wonder's live band. Some indications suggest that guitarists Buzzy Feiten and Ray Parker Jr were involved, but I'm not sure of that.
As if that wasn't enough, Little Feat was opening.
Guitarist Freddie King (1934-76) had been born in Texas but had moved to Chicago as a teenager. He had recorded some well-known hits for Federal Records, including "Have You Ever Loved A Woman" in 1960, and the instrumental "Hideaway" in 1961. He had not really participated in the Fillmore revival of blues guitarists in the mid-60s, but all his skills were intact. Leon Russell had signed him for Shelter Records in 1971, and supplied him with rock backing that fit nicely with his slashing guitar. In 1972, King had released Texas Cannonball, his second album on Shelter. The record was produced by Rusell, and recorded in LA with Leon's band, as well as in Memphis with Duck Dunn and Al Jackson.
Silverhead was a hard rock "glam" band from England, whose debut album had just been released on Spotlight Records.
Stan Findelle reviewed one of the shows in the September 28 Free Press. He found Freddie King competent, but not special. Hollywood wasn't about legacies, or even competence, however, but the Next Big Thing, and rightly or wrongly that wasn't Freddie King. Findelle was scathing about Silverhead, though, saying that they were "at times approaching melodic facility, then brutally bludgeoning it beyond malleability with insenstive sledgehammer arrangements...Chair vibrating volume and exercise music for the groupies is about all they're providing at present."
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| Silverhead on stage at the Whisky-A-Go-Go in 1972 (photo via the Twitter feed of lead singer Michael Des Barres) |
Describing Silverhead as "exercise music for the groupies" was prescient. Lead singer Michael Des Barres would be in various bands like Detective and Power Station, but that's not why his name is familiar. Des Barres would marry legendary LA groupie Pamela Miller, who would publish her immortal tell-all Groupie memoir I'm With The Band using her married name, Pamela Des Barres.
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| The Whisky A-Go-Go ad from the LA Free Press for September 15, 1972 |
September 13-17, 1972 Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: : Bulldog/Jerry Williams (Wednesday-Sunday)
Bulldog was a new band featuring two former members of The Rascals, guitarist Gene Cornish and drummer Dino Danelli. The Young Rascals (later just The Rascals) had been a breakout group in the mid-60s but they never really made the switch to the Fillmore world, despite an abundance of talent. Bulldog had released an album on Decca, but Richard Cromelin's review in the Times (September 15) is only politely positive.
Guitarist and singer Jerry Williams opened the show. I'm not sure if it was the Jerry Williams who was "Swamp Dogg," an interesting R&B character in his own right.
September 18-20, 1972 Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: Captain Beyond (Monday-Wednesday)
The showcase band for this week was a Southern band on the Allman Brothers Capricorn label, but they didn't at all sound like the Allmans or any other Southern rock band. Captain Beyond was helmed by drummer Bobby Caldwell, who was also the primary writer for the band. The lead singer, however, was an Englishman, former Deep Purple vocalist Rod Evans (he had sung lead on their 1969 hit "Hush"). Two former members of Iron Butterfly were in the band, too, guitarist Larry Rinehardt and bassist Lee Dorman. The band's debut album, with a memorable 3D cover, had been released sometime during 1972.
Captain Beyond didn't really sell very many records, and I don't think that they toured much. Yet they are fondly remembered by people with too many records, myself included. The title track of their second album, Sufficiently Breathless, was regularly played on FM radio when I was in High School, and that must have been true in other regions. I can't say, however, that I recall another song by them.
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| The Whisky A-Go-Go ad from the LA Free Press for September 22, 1972 |
September 21-24, 1972 Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: : Birtha/Finnagan & Wood (Thursday-Sunday)
The weekend show had originally been advertised as If with Finnagan & Wood, from Wednesday (September 20) through Sunday. If was an English jazz-rock band who had played the Whisky a number of times. A note in the LA Times, however, said that If was canceling the booking because two members of the band had food poisoning. All of that seems unlikely--canceling five gigs for food poisoning? More likely the drummer quit, or something serious happened, and the press release was saving face. If would be replaced by Birtha.
Birtha was an "all-girl" band, following in the small footsteps of Fanny, who had regularly played the Whisky back in 1971. The quartet had released their debut on Dunhill sometime in 1972. Richard Cromelin reviewed them in the September 22 Times. Birtha tried to be what we would now call "Roots Rock" and de-emphasized that they were all women, but Cromelin dismissed them with faint praise. Singer Rosemary Butler was the bassist for Birtha.
Finnagan and Wood featured organist Mike Finnegan and guitarist Jerry Wood, both of whom sang. Finnegan was from Kansas, but based in the Bay Area at this time. He had been the lead singer of The Jerry Hahn Brotherhood, who had released a 1970 album on Columbia. Cromelin described them as a "pretty good" horn band, so I take it they played in an R&B style. The duo had just released Crazed Hipsters on Blue Thumb Records.
September 25-26, 1972 Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: Pilot (Monday-Tuesday)
Pilot was a quartet led by guitarist and songwriter Bruce Stephens, a musician from Sacramento who had been in Mint Tattoo and Blue Cheer. For whatever reason, the rest of Pilot were English and the album had been recorded in England (this was not the Scottish band Pilot who would later have a big hit with "It's Magic").
There had been a thriving rock scene around Sacramento in the late 60s, and not surprisingly the best of those musicians became associated with various Fillmore and Avalon bands. Bruce Stephens had briefly been in the band Oxford Circle, around 1967--as the drummer--and then headed the band Mint Tattoo, who would release a 1969 album on Dot. Later in 1969, Stephens would replace guitarist Randy Holden in Blue Cheer, who were the best known of the Sacramento-to-SF transplants. Stephens only appeared on one side of one album (New!Improved! Blue Cheer), and they toured very little.
Somehow Bruce Stephens ended up recording original material in London. Original Blue Cheer guitarist Leigh Stephens--whom Holden had replaced, prior to being replaced himself by Bruce Stephens--had relocated to London. Leigh Stephens was not a member of Pilot, but he played on the album. Also in the band were drummer Mickey Waller, an old pal of Leigh Stephens (they had been in the band Silver Metre), and acoustic guitarist Martin Quittenton (who had played with Waller on Rod Stewart's Every Picture Tells A Story). Jazzy bassist Neville Whitehead rounded out the group.
The Pilot album got some attention in Rolling Stone, thanks to some ads and the Blue Cheer connection. I actually had the album (may still), and it wasn't bad. Bruce Stephens, however, was not reliable and I'll bet these two nights were among the few shows that Pilot ever played. In another odd twist, the otherwise obscure album, written entirely by Bruce Stephens, included the song "Fillmore Shuffle," which was recorded by Sammy Hagar a few years later (on his 1977 Red album), and became a somewhat well-known song.
September 27-October 1, 1972 Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: : Manna/Macondo (Wednesday-Sunday)
Richard Cromelin reviewed the opening night in the September 29 Times. He described Manna as a quintet, but I don't know anything else about them. He describes Macondo as a Latin-rock band, with a touch of harmonies reminisent of The Yes. Macondo had replaced Spontaneous Combustion on the bill.
Appendix: Whisky History
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| A
promotional shot from August 1965 of The Leaves, opening at the
long-forgotten Sunnyvale, CA (near San Jose) branch of the Whisky
A-Go-Go. It only lasted six months. |
By the end of 1965, the Whisky A-Go-Go has seemed passe. Rock music was changing--fans didn't want to hear Johnny Rivers crank out the same 12 songs every night. Valentine had another club in West Hollywood, however, called The Trip. The Trip booked touring rock acts for a week or two. LA and Hollywood like that better, because they could check out in person what they had only heard on record. For an industry town like LA, that was critical. So Valentine started booking the Whisky like The Trip. The Whisky was open every night with live music, but there were new headliners every few days. In the Summer of '66, a band called The Doors was the opening act almost every night, and they got signed to Elektra. It was Hollywood--people wanted to go down to the Whisky to see what was happening. The Hollywood hip people, whether in the record industry or just cool cats, heard the bands and helped to decide who got some buzz.
There was live music every night at The
Whisky. Sometimes, if a band had
another, better paying gig, they would skip a night at the Whisky, and
another band would take their place. This was true of both the headliner
and the "house" band. It being Hollywood and all, sometimes the
substitute band was better known--or just better--than the act they
replaced.
By the 1970s, the landscape had changed somewhat The studied
indifference and self-important--some said self-indulgent--music of the
Fillmore bands was replaced by "singer-songwriters," singing catchy,
heartfelt songs that captured the imaginations and hearts of huge swaths
of the listening public. The singer-songwriters of the era, like Carole
King, James Taylor and Cat Stevens, came from all over, but they made
it big in Los Angeles. Those kind of actss played The Troubadour, a mile East of the Whisky.
Troubadour proprietor Doug Weston had opened the club in 1957, but by 1970 it had a full bar and regular performers. Initially The Troubadour presented folk acts, and in a sense it still did. Electric instruments were standard fare by the end of the 60s, and the Troubadour wasn't for purists. But the Whisky was for rocking out, and the Troubadour was for reflection. By 1970, it was a bar where the best of the singer-songwriters played for the Los Angeles music industry, who in turn made them famous. Hollywood, whatever else you think, knows how to make stars. In 1970, the stars were coming from the quieter confines of The Troubadour, rather than the rowdier premises of the Whisky.
Music is a living thing, however, particularly popular music in the 70s. The Whisky A-Go-Go had to find a new slice of the rock firmament, and it continued to do so in 1972.
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