Lee Michaels
Encyclopedia
Lee Michaels plays the Hammond organ
, piano
, and guitar
(plus vocals), and is best known for his 1971 Top 10 pop
hit single
, "Do You Know What I Mean."
, a San Luis-based surf group that included drummer Johny Barbata, later of The Turtles
, Jefferson Airplane
, and Jefferson Starship
. Michaels joined Barbata in the Strangers, a group led by Joel Scott Hill, before moving to San Francisco. There he joined an early version of The Family Tree, a band led by Bob Segarini
. In 1967, he signed a contract with A&M Records
, releasing his debut album
, Carnival Of Life, later that year. As a session musician
, he played with Jimi Hendrix
, among others.
Michaels' choice of the Hammond organ
as his primary instrument
was unusual for the time, as was his bare-bones stage and studio
accompaniment: usually just a single drummer
, most often a musician known as "Frosty" (Bartholomew Eugene Smith-Frost) a member of Sweathog (band)
, or with Joel Larson
of The Grass Roots
. This unorthodox approach attracted a following in San Francisco, and some critical notice, but Michaels did not achieve real commercial success until the release of his fifth album (Fifth), which produced a surprise US
Top 10 hit (#6 in the fall of 1971), "Do You Know What I Mean" and a Top 40 follow-up, a cover version
of the Motown standard, "Can I Get A Witness". Michaels recorded two more albums for A&M before signing a recording contract
with Columbia Records
in 1973. His Columbia recordings failed to generate much interest, and Michaels went into semi-retirement from the music industry by the end of the decade.
http://www.leemichaels.com
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(plus vocals), and is best known for his 1971 Top 10 pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
, "Do You Know What I Mean."
Career
Michaels began his career with The SentinalsThe Sentinals (band)
The Sentinals were a surf rock band from San Luis Obispo, California . The band is notable for a Latino influence in some works, such as "Latin'ia" . Notable band members included drummer John Barbata and Lee Michaels on keyboards....
, a San Luis-based surf group that included drummer Johny Barbata, later of The Turtles
The Turtles
The Turtles are an American rock group led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits beginning with its cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965...
, Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
, and Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship is an American rock band formed in the early 1970s. The group is a spin-off from the iconic 1960s psychedelic/folk group Jefferson Airplane. The band has undergone several major changes in personnel and genres through the years while retaining the same Jefferson Starship name...
. Michaels joined Barbata in the Strangers, a group led by Joel Scott Hill, before moving to San Francisco. There he joined an early version of The Family Tree, a band led by Bob Segarini
Bob Segarini
Bob Segarini is a recording artist, singer, songwriter, composer and radio host. During a professional music career primarily developed between 1968 and the early 1980s, Segarani was particularly popular in Canada...
. In 1967, he signed a contract with A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
, releasing his debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Carnival Of Life, later that year. As a session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
, he played with Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, among others.
Michaels' choice of the Hammond organ
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
as his primary instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
was unusual for the time, as was his bare-bones stage and studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
accompaniment: usually just a single drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
, most often a musician known as "Frosty" (Bartholomew Eugene Smith-Frost) a member of Sweathog (band)
Sweathog (band)
Sweathog was an American rock band.Group members Lenny Goldsmith and David Leonard Johnson first met in 1967 while Johnson was playing in a group called The Persuaders at the Wayne Manor nightclub in Sunnyvale, California. After Johnson did a stint with the Beach Boys and Dr...
, or with Joel Larson
Joel Larson
Joel Larson is a rock drummer and percussionist from California. He was born on April 29, 1947 at St. Francis Hospital in San Francisco. He lived near Lincoln Park until he was 12 years old. He took up drumming at the age of 12 and moved near Avalon Park until he was 17. During these five years he...
of The Grass Roots
The Grass Roots
The Grass Roots is an American rock band that charted between 1966 and 1975 as the brainchild of songwriting duo P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri.In their career, The Grass Roots achieved two gold albums, one gold single and charted singles a total of 21 times. Among their charting singles, they...
. This unorthodox approach attracted a following in San Francisco, and some critical notice, but Michaels did not achieve real commercial success until the release of his fifth album (Fifth), which produced a surprise US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Top 10 hit (#6 in the fall of 1971), "Do You Know What I Mean" and a Top 40 follow-up, a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Motown standard, "Can I Get A Witness". Michaels recorded two more albums for A&M before signing a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
in 1973. His Columbia recordings failed to generate much interest, and Michaels went into semi-retirement from the music industry by the end of the decade.
A&M Records
- Carnival of Life (1968)
- Recital (1968)
- Lee Michaels (1969, One Way Records 1996)
- Barrel (1970, One Way Records 1996)
- Fifth (1971, Pickwick 1979, One Way Records 1996)
- Space and First Takes (1972)
- Lee Michaels Live (1973, One Way Records 1996)
External links
- Lee MICHAELS's Official web site (to be verified)
http://www.leemichaels.com
- [ Lee Michaels Biography on allmusic.com]
- Lee Michaels MySpace tribute page