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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 ZSTEPPENWOLFHeavy metal band formed in California '67, briefly regarded with Iron Butterfly and Vanilla Fudge as rock's great white hopes. Guitarist/vocalist John Kay (b Joachim Krauledat, 12 April '44, East Germany), drummer Jerry Edmunton (b 24 Oct. '46), Goldy McJohn (b 2 May '45) on keyboards had played in Canadian band Sparrow; the new group named after a Hermann Hesse novel incl. John Russell Morgan on bass, Michael Monarch on guitar. Steppenwolf '68 incl. bikers' anthem 'Born To Be Wild' (no. 2 hit, heard in film Easy Rider) and 'The Pusher'; The Second '68 incl. 'Magic Carpet Ride' (no. 3 hit); but they turned out to be as conservative as any MOR group, compared e.g. to revolutionary MC5. Personnel changes weakened appeal as they churned out At Your Birthday Party (top ten 'Rock Me') and Monster '69, two-disc Live and Steppenwolf 7 '70, For Ladies Only '71; Early Steppenwolf '69 was a Sparrow LP made '67 with 21-minute version of 'The Pusher' on side two. They split up; Kay made solo LPs, Edmunton and McJohn were also unsuccessful as duo Manbeast; re-formed for Slow Flux '74; Wayne Cook replaced McJohn for Hour Of The Wolf '75. |