Gabriel Mekler
Encyclopedia
Gabriel Mekler was a songwriter
, musician
, and record producer
who attained fame in the 1960s, helming classic albums for Steppenwolf
, Three Dog Night
, and Janis Joplin
. He also collaborated with R&B singer Etta James
for two critically acclaimed albums in the early 1970s, mixing blues, soul, jazz and rock.
, Mekler was a classically trained pianist. Upon arriving in Los Angeles
, California
, Mekler sought out Dunhill Records
and was hired as a staff producer despite his lack of production experience or familiarity with rock and roll and pop music. His first project at Dunhill was with folk-pop band The Lamp of Childhood
where he oversaw studio sessions, contributed songs and played piano. The group's three singles flopped but Mekler's next project, Steppenwolf, made music history. It was Mekler himself who suggested the name "Steppenwolf" to the band's members, having just read the Herman Hesse novel. As the producer on Steppenwolf, the 1968 debut by that group, Mekler helped craft the sonic onslaught that would unleash the term "heavy metal" upon the world, a line from the brother of drummer, Jerry Edmonton
, in a song entitled "Born To Be Wild". The mysterious Mars Bonfire
was, in reality, Dennis Edmonton, lead guitarist for Jack London & The Sparrows
which would obtain the of Jerry Edmonton
on drums. The Oshawa, Ontario group was the beginnings of Steppenwolf and producer Mekler's contributions on psychedelic masterpieces such as "Born To Be Wild" and "Magic Carpet Ride", though immense, never garnered him the recognition afforded record producers such as George Martin
, Jimmy Miller, Phil Spector
and David Foster
, men who would become as identified with the music they helped create as major movie directors would be with their notable films. A year after the Steppenwolf recordings Mekler would launch hits from Three Dog Night
such as "One", "Try A Little Tenderness", "Eli's Coming", "Easy To Be Hard" and "Celebrate". Other studio credits include keyboard work with Cher
, Donovan
and David Clayton-Thomas
as well as producing songs for Dinah Washington
.
In 1971, Mekler founded his own labels, Vulture and Lizard Records, based on Sunset Boulevard
in Los Angeles. Artists signed to Lizard/Vulture included Nolan Porter, Clydie King, Paul Humphrey & the Cool Aid Chemists and The Frantics. Despite national chart success both Vulture and Lizard Records collapsed in mid 1972. Mekler remained in demand for his production talent until his death from a motorcycle accident in September of 1977.
When Sony Music re-released the Janis Joplin
recordings produced by Mekler on the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock, it was another acknowledgment of their importance. Mekler's brilliant work was overshadowed in the media by P.R. campaigns that highlighted equally talented individuals over this important and, (somewhat) unknown pioneer of psychedelic music and late 1960s pop. Mekler also produced Genya Ravan
's Goldie Zelkowitz record, the title utilizing her stage name from The Gingerbreads and her fathers last name as he died during this production.
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
who attained fame in the 1960s, helming classic albums for Steppenwolf
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...
, Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night is an American rock band best known for their music from 1968 to 1975. During that time the band charted 21 Billboard top 40 hits in America, three of which reached Number One...
, and Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
. He also collaborated with R&B singer Etta James
Etta James
Etta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...
for two critically acclaimed albums in the early 1970s, mixing blues, soul, jazz and rock.
Career
Born in what is now IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Mekler was a classically trained pianist. Upon arriving in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Mekler sought out Dunhill Records
Dunhill Records
Dunhill Records was started by Lou Adler, Al Bennett, Pierre Cossette and Bobby Roberts in 1964 as Dunhill Productions, originally for the purpose of releasing Johnny Rivers recordings on Imperial Records. It became a record label in 1965 and was distributed by ABC Records...
and was hired as a staff producer despite his lack of production experience or familiarity with rock and roll and pop music. His first project at Dunhill was with folk-pop band The Lamp of Childhood
The Lamp of Childhood
The Lamp of Childhood was a short-lived American folk rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1966. The band release three singles which failed to chart and disbanded in 1967, but had several notable members.-History:...
where he oversaw studio sessions, contributed songs and played piano. The group's three singles flopped but Mekler's next project, Steppenwolf, made music history. It was Mekler himself who suggested the name "Steppenwolf" to the band's members, having just read the Herman Hesse novel. As the producer on Steppenwolf, the 1968 debut by that group, Mekler helped craft the sonic onslaught that would unleash the term "heavy metal" upon the world, a line from the brother of drummer, Jerry Edmonton
Jerry Edmonton
Jerry 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...
, in a song entitled "Born To Be Wild". The mysterious Mars Bonfire
Mars Bonfire
Dennis 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....
was, in reality, Dennis Edmonton, lead guitarist for Jack London & The Sparrows
Jack London & The Sparrows
Jack London and The Sparrows were a sixties “Toronto British invasion” band, and are best known for including future Steppenwolf members, Jerry Edmonton, Goldy McJohn and Nick St...
which would obtain the of Jerry Edmonton
Jerry Edmonton
Jerry 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...
on drums. The Oshawa, Ontario group was the beginnings of Steppenwolf and producer Mekler's contributions on psychedelic masterpieces such as "Born To Be Wild" and "Magic Carpet Ride", though immense, never garnered him the recognition afforded record producers such as George Martin
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
, Jimmy Miller, Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
and David Foster
David Foster
David Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
, men who would become as identified with the music they helped create as major movie directors would be with their notable films. A year after the Steppenwolf recordings Mekler would launch hits from Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night is an American rock band best known for their music from 1968 to 1975. During that time the band charted 21 Billboard top 40 hits in America, three of which reached Number One...
such as "One", "Try A Little Tenderness", "Eli's Coming", "Easy To Be Hard" and "Celebrate". Other studio credits include keyboard work with Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
, Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
and David Clayton-Thomas
David Clayton-Thomas
David Clayton-Thomas is a Canadian musician and singer best known as the lead vocalist for the American band; Blood, Sweat & Tears...
as well as producing songs for Dinah Washington
Dinah Washington
Dinah Washington, born Ruth Lee Jones , was an American blues, R&B and jazz singer. She has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the '50s", and called "The Queen of the Blues"...
.
In 1971, Mekler founded his own labels, Vulture and Lizard Records, based on Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard is a street in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, that stretches from Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades...
in Los Angeles. Artists signed to Lizard/Vulture included Nolan Porter, Clydie King, Paul Humphrey & the Cool Aid Chemists and The Frantics. Despite national chart success both Vulture and Lizard Records collapsed in mid 1972. Mekler remained in demand for his production talent until his death from a motorcycle accident in September of 1977.
When Sony Music re-released the Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
recordings produced by Mekler on the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock, it was another acknowledgment of their importance. Mekler's brilliant work was overshadowed in the media by P.R. campaigns that highlighted equally talented individuals over this important and, (somewhat) unknown pioneer of psychedelic music and late 1960s pop. Mekler also produced Genya Ravan
Genya Ravan
Genya Ravan, aka Goldie Zelkowitz is an American rock singer and producer. She is the former lead singer of The Escorts, Goldie & the Gingerbreads, and Ten Wheel Drive....
's Goldie Zelkowitz record, the title utilizing her stage name from The Gingerbreads and her fathers last name as he died during this production.