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. The previous installment of this series was
This post will look at the Sons Of Champlin's known performances from January thru May 1968. Thanks to various people who have helped with this project 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.
Sons Of Champlin Performance List January-May 1968
By the end of 1967, both Geoff Palmer and his Army buddy, trumpeter Jim Beem, had joined the Sons Of Champlin. At the beginning of 1968, the band's lineup was
- Bill Champlin-Hammond organ, guitar, lead vocals
- Terry Haggerty-lead guitar
- Tim Cain-tenor sax
- Jim Beem-trumpet
- Geoff Palmer-piano, Hammond organ, vibes, baritone sax
- Al Strong-bass
- Bill Bowen-drums
January 5-6, 1968: The Poppycock, Palo Alto, CA: Sons Of Champlin
The Poppycock was Palo Alto's pocket sized psychedelic ballroom. Similar to the New Orleans House and The Matrix, it provided a circuit for bands playing original music who could not yet headline at the Avalon or the Fillmore.
January 26-27, 1968: Straight Theater, San Francisco, CA: Sons of Champlin/Mad River/Peace
February 16-17, 1968: Straight Theater, San Francisco, CA: Sons of Champlin/Salvation/All Men Joy/The Circus
February 21, 1968: Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA: Blues Project/Siegel-Schwall/Lee Michaels/Youngbloods/Sons of Champlin/Wildflower
February ?, 1968: [venue], UCSC, Santa Cruz, CA: Sons Of Champlin
Charlie Kelly returned from the Army in early 1968, and he immediately got in touch with his old friends. He recalls tagging along for a February gig in Santa Cruz on the UCSC Campus. The most likely venue would be the Cowell/Stevenson Dining Commons, but I don't know that for certain by any means.
March 8-9, 1968: Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA: Love/Congress of Wonders/Sons Of Champlin
March 10, 1968: Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA: Blue Cheer/Congress Of Wonders/Sons Of Champlin
March 27, 1968: Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA: Jeremy & The Satyrs/Sons Of Champlin/Its A Beautiful Day/Creedence Clearwater Revival KMPX Strike Benefit
March 29-31, 1968: Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA: Jeremy & The Satyrs/Sons Of Champlin/Fourth Way
April 1-2, 1968: Avenue Theater, San Francisco, CA: Sons Of Champlin/Freedom Highway/Phoenix
April 4, 1968: Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA: Eric Burdon & The Animals/Quicksilver Messenger Service/Sons of Champlin
April 5-6, 1968: Winterland, San Francisco, CA: Eric Burdon & The Animals/Quicksilver Messenger Service/Sons of Champlin
April 10, 1968: Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA: Country Joe and The Fish/Cleveland Wrecking Co/Loading Zone/Mt. Rushmore/Sons of Champlin “Peace and Freedom.”
This Wednesday night Fillmore show was not a Bill Graham Presents show (although obviously the hall was leased from Graham). I believe it was a benefit for The Peace and Freedom party, an anti-war coalition who were competing in the California Presidential Primary in June.
April 11-13, 1968: New Orleans House, Berkeley, CA: Sons of Champlin/Edsel Boogey (12th and 13th).
I believe that Edsel Boogey was the band later known as Boogie, who rehearsed in the Sausalito Heliport near the Sons. They featured guitarist Barry Bastian, bassist John Barrett and drummer John "Fuzzy" Oxendine, and possibly other players.
“Time Again to Save The Straight Theater”
The Straight Theater, at 1702 Haight Street (at Cole), in the heart of the Haight Ashbury, was a hippie enterprise through and through, but continual struggles to get open in 1966 and '67 had caused them to miss the boom time of local rock concerts. As a result the venue was continually in dire straits. This ironically titled event was another benefit by local bands who were trying to keep one of their favorite places afloat.
April 26-28, 1968: Carousel Ballroom, San Francisco, CA: Steve Miller Band/James and Bobby Purify/Sons of Champlin
At this time, the Carousel Ballroom was managed by the Grateful Dead organization. It, too, was a fun place to play that was struggling financially. Tapes of Steve Miller’s sets survive, although not of the Sons. Apparently, the Sons jammed a little blues with Miller on the first night (the poster is up top).
May 3-4, 1968: Straight Theater, San Francisco, CA: Sons of Champlin/Country Weather
This was a benefit for the Peace and Freedom Party and the Dick Gregory for President Committee (Gregory was the Peace and Freedom candidate).
May 18, 1968: Family Park, Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, San Jose, CA: Northern California Folk-Rock Festival
Jefferson Airplane/Big Brother and The Holding Company/Grateful Dead/Steve Miller Band/Youngbloods/People/Sons of Champlin/Crome Syrcus/Transatlantic Railroad/Indian Head Band/Mourning Reign.
This was the first day of a two-day festival. The Sons performed, one of a number of groups not on the poster. The back of the ticket has the Sons scheduled for Saturday May 18, for a 30-minute set after Crome Syrcus (from Seattle) and before People (from San Jose). They would have gone back up Highway 101 to play their show at the Avalon that night.
Charlie Kelly, still just hanging out with his friends, joined the Sons at the show, and helped out by moving the truck and performing some other tasks. At this point, he wasn't on the crew, just a friend. At this time, the Sons had two road crew members, but one of them didn't drive. Nonetheless, the Sons set out on a brief road trip to Southern California, and the difficulties of having only one crew member who could drive became paramount.
May 24-25, 1968: The Kaleidoscope, Hollywood, CA: Them/Incredible String Band/Sons of Champlin
The Kaleidoscope was a new rock venue on Hollywood, the former Earl Carroll Theater (at 6230 Sunset near Vine), built in the 1930s. At various times it had housed the TV show Queen For A Day and the rock club Hullabaloo. Canned Heat's management had taken over the venue, and were trying to turn it into a Los Angeles version of the Fillmore.
Van Morrison had left Them two years earlier. Some of the current members had been in Them with Van, however, and they did much of the classic Them material.
May 31-June 1, 1968: Shrine Exposition Hall, Los Angeles, CA: The Yardbirds/B.B. King/Sons of Champlin
The Shrine Exposition Hall, at 700 W. 32nd St (at Figueroa), was a large open space used for trade shows, not the theater around the corner at 665 West Jefferson st, which is used for the Academy Awards (and is part of the same complex). This Pinnacle Concerts presentation was one of the last American appearances Jimmy Page and The Yardbirds, as the band broke up in July. I believe some bootleg recordings exist of the Yardbirds performances from at least one night.
There must be quite a number of shows from this period, but these are all I have been able to confirm. June to December 1968 will be forthcoming shortly.
January 26-28, 1968: Straight Theater, San Francisco, CA......the shows were only on 26-27 (see the poster)...on 28 Straight Theater Presents Free Music
ReplyDeleteFebruary 21, 1968: Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA......Lee Michaels was also on the bill
May 3, 1968: Straight Theater, San Francisco, CA....."Straight Theatre Performance List" in your "Chicken On A Unicycle" say: May 3-4 ... not only 3
Missed shows: May 17-19, 1968: Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA with Santana Blues Band, Junior Wells
May 31-June 1, 1968: Shrine Exposition Hall, Los Angeles, CA.....the band was billed as "Sons Of Champlain" [sic]
Thanks Bruno. I updated the post. I made a decision that I wasn't going to track every mistaken reference to "Champlin," as that is ultimately a poster question and not a performance list question.
ReplyDeleteRe: April 11-13, 1968: New Orleans House, Berkeley, CA: Sons of Champlin/Edsel Boogey (12th and 13th).
ReplyDeleteCorry: "I believe that Edsel Boogey was the band later known as Boogie, who rehearsed in the Sausalito Heliport near the Sons. They featured guitarist Barry Bastian, bassist John Barrett and drummer John "Fuzzy" Oxendine, and possibly other players"
Bruno: "Edsel Boogey and Boogie were two different bands, there's no connection"
Regarding April 4, 1968 show: Poster has Fillmore but other sources say it was moved due to Martin Luther King assassination that day to either Winterland or Carousel Ballroom.
ReplyDeleteFrom http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Eric%20Burdon.htm:
Although the first show (April 4) was scheduled for the Fillmore, Briggs recalls: “I think it was all at Winterland. It was the day [Martin Luther King] was shot and tensions were running high as both the Fillmore and Winterland were in the black part of SFO. I don‘t remember playing the Fillmore at that time.”
There is a well circulated boot recording by Quicksilver for this date that has Carousel Ballroom as venue.
I think that since both Fillmore and Winterland are in close proximity and The Carousel is far removed from Fillmore district it would have been the likely go to site. Does anyone know if this was in fact where this date was played?
A very good point, Steve, but I am going to go with Vic Briggs here. Carousel and BGP were bitter competitors, and a show would never be moved from Fillmore to Carousel
DeleteHowever, normal protocol was to set equipment up at Fillmore and move it over one block to Winterland, often through the street in a hand truck. If there were fears of riots or curfews, more likely BGP would have set up the show at one place so they didn't have to move it.
Given the date the April 4 show might even have been canceled.
Both possibilities, Apr 4 at Winterland or cancelled, possible, but that still does not explain Quicksilver boot at Carousel that day. Boots are not always accurate on details but since this one is so widely present online it still remains a possibility that a move to Carousel took place.
DeleteI see what you are driving at here. However, there is a circulating QMS tape from the Carousel on April 14 (rather than 4th) 1968, and an obscure flyer to go with it. So I'm more inclined to say the "Carousel Apr 4" tape is really Carousel Apr 14.
DeleteWe were at the Sept. 22, 1968 Festival at the Del Mar Racetrack. Jimmy Hendrix played with Buddie Miles. My friend has a photo. The concert was fantastic, & I was most impressed with The Sons, Taj Mahal & Quicksilver. The Sons were on fire & played their guts out. Quicksilver played last,& the lead singer wore a Native American long feathered head-dress . Tons of fun ! Great memories.
ReplyDelete