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(CBS/Ode stereo Z12 44004, 1968)- Found this missing from my early Spirit LPs- one of those that got loaned somewhere along the line and never wandered home, I guess. I love this band- their sound is quintessentially Californian, groovy and low key. They seem to have a jazz sensibility that makes them stand out. Nice vinyl- decent recording and mastering. Picked up a very nice copy on eBay, under $15, second try!
This is the album with the song "Taurus" that Randy California's estate sued Led Zeppelin for stealing that composition as "Stairway to Heaven" last year. I've loved both songs for decades and obviously heard the similarities of the lick, but it's like 3 bars- so what? Zeppelin won.
Follow Ups:
I love their first 4 lps. I was introduced to them with the pictured 2lp compiler-their first and third lps.Soon after I got Family That Plays Together and 12 Dreams,still have those two. Looking for another copy of the 2lp set.
I had the good fortune of having known and worked with both Randy (RIP) and John Locke (RIP).Spirit's last album, "California Blues" was recorded at my studio here in Ojai.
I wasn't directly involved in that project.
After Randy's tragic death, John and I helped Randy's widow clean out the garage of all the studio gear, etc.
I ended up with Randy's echo-plex and a small "Spirit" road case.
John, along with Bob Nichols (the world's best drummer) and Andro Kotula (bass) formed the band "Space Bones" and I mixed live sound for them for a couple of years.
I keep the echo-plex and road case in memory of. Not for sale.
Tre'
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
Edits: 05/12/17
Seeing as how you live in Ojai and are in the industry, do you know Bruce Botnick? Just curious.
Yes but I don't know him well.
He showed up at Dave Mason's house one afternoon during the days (years) I was working with Dave on what became his "26 Letters, 12 Notes" album.
Later I did a small amount of tech work at Bruce's mastering studio in town.
Later yet, he was part of a group of folks putting on a summer series of live shows at the Libby Bowl in Ojai and weeks before the first show I helped out with putting a PA system together to be used for those shows.
Jim Exon and Barney Barnhart were pooling their gear and I made custom cable runs specific to the venue for ease of use. The system was tested twice, in place and tweaked prior to the first show.
I ended up mixing monitors for the first show but that was never my intent. Jim and Barney, at first, wanted me to be the "go to guy" for the summer but I only signed on to help get the gear together and then bow out.
In the end, as often happens, one thing lead to another and I mixed monitors for the whole show.
Bruce actually owes me a match book.
At one point I had mentioned how much I liked his work on "Dan Hicks, Striking it Rich" and he proceeded to tell me the story of how the label had match books made to look like the cover of that album (which looks like the cover of a match book) and that he still had a whole box of them.
He offered me one but I never did receive it.
Based on the short amount of total time I spent with Bruce he seems like a nice guy.
He certainly is a very talented guy.
Tre'
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
Discovered them in college-Grinnell:) in 78.
damn what a band
Love Spirit! This and their final LP, "12 Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus" are my favorites, though you need to get "The Family that Plays Together" for their biggest hit, "I Got a Line on You". Movie trivia fact: they play themselves (badly) in Jacques Demy's 1969 film "Model Shop", which is a great treasure trove of Los Angeles locations from the time but certainly no classic.
Randy California's estate lost the suit against Led Zep, but I am sure they were guilty: Zeppelin's first US tour was opening for Spirit, and "Taurus" was in Spirit's set. Unless they stuffed their fingers in their ears and went "na-na-na", Page et. al. heard "Taurus" a lot. That tour is probably where Bonzo got the schtick of playing the drums with his hands, which Cassidy did a lot of. Jimmy Page's history of plagiarism is well-known, for all his mad guitar and musical skills; check out the story behind "Dazed and Confused".
After their 12 Dreams album Spirit continued to release albums. I heard a few of those latter LPs when released and did not think much of them. Recently I found my copy of Farther Along, a 1976 release, at my parents house. It landed there as I did not like it back then but I sure like it now. The closing cut is a sweet version of Nature's Way transcribed for chamber orchestra.
Wiki's webpage for Farther Along mentions, "it also bears more than a passing resemblance to Clear [Spirit's third LP] at times, probably because of John Locke's presence in the group."
Did you mention they had a jazz sensibility? Right on! Spirit's style was innovative and likely influenced by the experienced jazzer in the group: Randy California's step-dad, the uniquely (at that time) bald Ed Cassidy on drums. A superb and tasty drummer who played with more of a jazz vs. a rock style during his years with Spirit.
Per wiki, Ed's jazz bio was nothing shabby. Prior to Spirit he had played drums for A-list jazz musicians such as Art Pepper, Julian Cannonball Adderley, Roland Kirk, Lee Konitz and Gerry Mulligan.
Spirit was a fabulous band with a unique sound. Thanks for mentioning them!!
There was a while where every concert I went to seemed to have a bald drummer , he got around.
I like the way you think, or rather, listen.
I have all of this bands albums, and because I was a fan , went to see them in a New Years Eve concert, opened by Taj Majhal, who preformed solo on a chair. It turned out that it was the planned last show for the band , and it went well.
The band played pretty hard, free tickets were given out to their friends, "topanga people".
One could see the division in the band as they played, with one guy wanting a full rock deal , with swinging microphones and a lot of activity on stage , while the other principle was more into complex musical statements. What a good band it was, they could rock and talk with the best. IN those days, a lot of music was going on in the canyons around L.A. A band called black pearl was supposed to be the best one, but they had never left the canyon . New Years Eve
The bass player on their first album had a band around town , Fuzzy knight and his smokin oldies review. Haven't seen them around for while, but the band uses three singers, mostly trading off , because they are working so hard.
Fresh garbage got me interested in the band, I suppose natures way was their biggest hit , and I always enjoyed the break on dark eyed woman, a true rock classic.
Lots of good memories of listening to Spirit LPs. Great late night music for sure. Sorry I never experienced them on stage. Thanks for sharing.
Still spinnin'...
;^)
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