|
Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZSPIRITPsychedelic rock group formed '67: Randy California (b Randy Wolfe, 20 February 1951, Los Angeles; d 2 January 1997), guitar and vocals; stepfather Ed Cassidy (b 4 May 1923, Chicago; d 6 December 2012), drums; Mark Andes (b 19 February 1948, Philadelphia PA), bass; vocalist Jay Ferguson (b John Ferguson, 10 May 1947, Burbank CA). They had played together '65 as the Red Roosters, recruited John Locke (b 25 September 1953, Los Angleles) on keyboards. Andes played on Bobby 'Boris' Pickett's dance novelty 'Monster Mash' (no. 1 '62; Pickett d 25 April 2007 aged 69), also played with Canned Heat; Cassidy had gigged on West Coast with Cannonball Adderley, Gerry Mulligan etc '50s, formed the New Jazz Trio including Locke, later played with Taj Mahal. California was inspired by Jimi Hendrix, whose backing group he'd joined in NYC '66; Spirit was first called Spirits Rebellious, after the Kahlil Gibran novel. The jazz-rock fusion new at the time attracted Ode label's Lou Adler for LPs Spirit (writing dominated by Ferguson), The Family That Plays Together (with their only hit single, California's 'I Got A Line On You'), Clear Spirit '68-9. Switched to Epic for The Twelve Dreams Of Dr Sardonicus '70, with David Briggs's suitably hallucinogenic production, including 'Nature's Way', their best-known track. Ferguson, disappointed at his waning influence, took Andes to form straightahead rockers Jo Jo Gunne; California quit too, made bizarre Kaptain Kopter And The Fabulous Twirlybirds '72; the remaining two members made Feedback '72 with brothers Chris and Al Staehely from Texas on guitar and bass, but Cassidy and Locke left and a bogus Spirit toured. California re-formed the band with Cassidy, Barry Keene on bass, switched to Mercury for two-disc Spirit Of '76 '75, a strange collage of TV science fiction, Hendrix tributes and originals; Locke rejoined for Son Of Spirit '76 and Andes (with brother Matt on guitar) for Farther Along '76. All except Son made top 200 USA albums; the first three re-entered charts when reissued on Epic. Randy's solo albums were a hodge-podge: Terry Hounsome's Rock Record lists mini-album Watchtower '82 on Line, 45 r.p.m. on one side and 33 on the other, and Euro American same year, which may have been the same album as Shattered Dreams; Spirit Of '84 was The Thirteenth Dream in UK; Restless '85 was made live. Gig at the Hammersmith Apollo in London and album Night Of The Guitars '89 on IRS had Randy with axe heroes Steve Howe, Robbie Krieger and Alvin Lee; Randy, Ed and others made Rapture In The Chambers '89 on IRS as Randy California's Spirit. There were other live, reunion etc items Potatoland on Line, Live on Potato, Tent Of Miracles on Dolphin etc; California Blues was recorded '96. He was due to tour Europe, but he drowned in the surf off Hawaii rescuing his 12-year-old son. Two-CD Time Circle on Epic compiled '68-72 tracks; two-CD The Mercury Years was sequenced by California before he died. |