Early Steppenwolf
Encyclopedia
Early Steppenwolf is a collection of live recordings by the band Steppenwolf
when they were still known as "The Sparrow" [nee: "The Sparrows
"]. It was released in 1969 (see 1969 in music
) under the label ABC Dunhill Records. The material was recorded live at The Matrix
in San Francisco on May 14th, 1967.
Steppenwolf (band)
Steppenwolf are a Canadian-American rock group that was prominent in the late 1960s. The group was formed in 1967 in Los Angeles by vocalist John Kay, guitarist Michael Monarch, bassist Rushton Moreve, keyboardist Goldy McJohn and drummer Jerry Edmonton after the dissolution of Toronto group The...
when they were still known as "The Sparrow" [nee: "The Sparrows
The Sparrows
The Sparrow was a Canadian blues-rock band that existed in the 1960s, and which evolved out of Jack London & The Sparrow and later morphed into heavy rock group, Steppenwolf.-Early years:...
"]. It was released in 1969 (see 1969 in music
1969 in music
-Events:Perhaps the two most famous musical events of 1969 were concerts. At a Rolling Stones concert in Altamont, California, a fan was stabbed to death by Hells Angels, a biker gang that had been hired to provide security for the event...
) under the label ABC Dunhill Records. The material was recorded live at The Matrix
The Matrix (club)
The Matrix, a renovated former pizza shop, was a nightclub in San Francisco from 1965 to 1972 and was one of the keys to what eventually became known as the "San Francisco Sound" in rock music...
in San Francisco on May 14th, 1967.
Track listing
- "Power Play" (Kay) – 2:55
- "Howlin' for My Darlin'" (DixonWillie DixonWilliam James "Willie" Dixon was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. A Grammy Award winner who was proficient on both the Upright bass and the guitar, as well as his own singing voice, Dixon is arguably best known as one of the most prolific songwriters...
, Howlin' WolfHowlin' WolfChester Arthur Burnett , known as Howlin' Wolf, was an influential American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player....
) – 4:53 - "I'm Going Upstairs" (HookerJohn Lee HookerJohn Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
) – 7:14 - "Corina, Corina" (Arranged and Adapted by John Kay) – 3:54
- "Tighten up Your Wig" (Kay) – 3:14
- "The PusherThe Pusher"The Pusher" is a rock song written by Hoyt Axton, made popular by the 1969 movie Easy Rider which used Steppenwolf's version to accompany the opening scenes of drug trafficking....
" (Hoyt AxtonHoyt AxtonHoyt Wayne Axton was an American country music singer-songwriter, and a film and television actor. He became prominent in the early 1960s, establishing himself on the West Coast as a folk singer with an earthy style and powerful voice. As he matured, some of his songwriting efforts became well...
) – 21:27
Personnel
- Peter Abram - Producer
- John KayJohn Kay (musician)John Kay is a German-Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist known as the frontman of Steppenwolf...
- Guitar, Vocals, Liner Notes - Mars BonfireMars BonfireDennis Edmonton , also known by the stage name Mars Bonfire, is a Canadian rock musician and songwriter, best known for writing the hit song "Born to Be Wild" for Steppenwolf....
- Guitar - Nick St. NicholasNick St. NicholasNick St. Nicholas is a bassist, and is best known for his membership in Steppenwolf from 1968 to 1970, and then again from 1976 to 1980. After World War II, his family moved to Toronto and became Canadian citizens. Sister Maren joined the Canadian Ballet Company & Conservatory of Music as pianist...
- Bass - Jerry EdmontonJerry EdmontonJerry Edmonton was the drummer for the rock band, Steppenwolf.He was born Gerald McCrohan in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Both he and his brother Dennis, also known as Mars Bonfire, changed their surnames to Edmonton during the 1960s, when they performed in a group called The Sparrows...
- Drums - Goldie McJohn - Keyboards, Organ
- David Travis - Engineer