Blue Cheer -

Blue Cheer was an American hard-rock band that released six albums between 1968 and 1971 on Philips.

They first recorded as a power-trio with guitarist Leigh Stephens, who plays on the 1968 albums Vincebus Eruptum and Outsideinside. The former contains an amplified cover of “Summertime Blues,” often cited as the world’s first heavy metal recording. His replacement, Randy Holden (ex-Other Half), plays on the 1969 release New! Improved! Blue Cheer. Further lineup changes marked the ensuing albums Blue Cheer (their first as a quartet), The Original Human Being, and Oh! Pleasant Hope. Their only constant member was bassist–singer Dickie Peterson.

Stephens cut subsequent albums with Silver Metre and Pilot. Holden launched a solo career.

Members: Dickie Peterson (bass, vocals), Leigh Stephens (guitar, vocals, 1966-69), Eric Albronda (drums, 1966), Paul Whaley (drums, 1967-69, 1984-85), Jerre Peterson (guitar, vocals, 1966), Vale Hamanaka (keyboards, 1966-67), Jerre Whiting (vocals, harmonica, 1966-67), Randy Holden (guitar, vocals, 1968-69), Mitch Mitchell (drums, 1969), Tom Weisser (guitar, 1969), Bruce Stephens (guitar, vocals, 1969-70), Ralph Burns Kellogg [aka Ethan James] (keyboards, bass, 1969-72), Norman Mayell (drums, guitar, 1969-72), Gary Lee Yoder (guitar, vocals, 1970-72), Troy Spence, Jr. (guitar, 1972-74), James L. Curry (drums, 1972-74), Terry Rae (drums, 1974-75), Ruben De Fuentes (guitar, 1974-75), Nick St. Nicholas (bass, vocals, 1975), Mike Fleck (drums, 1978-79), Tony Rainier (guitar, 1978-79, 1984-87)

Background

Blue Cheer formed in 1966 in San Francisco when Peterson, formerly of Andrew Staples & The Oxford Circle, teamed with drummer Eric Albronda and teenage guitarist Leigh Stephens. Albronda, who entered production, soon cleared for Peterson’s Oxford Circle bandmate Paul Whaley.

They initially gigged the Bay Area as a six-piece with (future Far Cry) harpist Jere Whiting, Japanese–American keyboardist (and future punk zine publisher) Vale Hamanaka, and Dickie’s guitarist brother Jerre Peterson, but these members left the band by 1968 when their manager, erstwhile Hells Angel Allen “Gut” Terk, secured Blue Cheer a deal with Philips.

Vincebus Eruptum

Blue Cheer released their debut album, Vincebus Eruptum, in January 1968 on Philips.

Vincebus Eruptum contains three Dickie Peterson originals and three covers drawn from Eddie Cochran (“Summertime Blues”), B.B. King (“Rock Me Baby”), and Mose Allison (“Parchment Farm”). Blue Cheer recorded the album as the trio of singer–bassist Peterson, guitarist Leigh Stephens, and drummer Paul Whaley.

“Summertime Blues” bludgeons through fuzz and reverb, replacing spoken-answer passages with terse instrumental breaks before a tremolo-picked final surge. “Rock Me Baby” lurches through a comparatively loose blues figure, with disjointed lead phrases crossing Peterson’s rough delivery. “Doctor Please” grinds from howled lines into extended improvisation under turbulent reverb.

“Out of Focus” rolls from a strange bass figure into cleaner lead work before late-stage distortion. “Parchment Farm” sprints into a loose solo, drops to a slower section, then returns at full speed before an abrupt finish. “Second Time Around” buckles through extended guitar improvisations and a drum solo, repeatedly breaks apart, then collapses into feedback.

A1. “Summertime Blues” (3:43) – Cochran, Capehart
A2. “Rock Me Baby” (4:18) – King, Josea
A3. “Doctor Please” (8:50) – Peterson

B1. “Out of Focus” (3:52) – Peterson
B2. “Parchment Farm” (5:48) – Allison
B3. “Second Time Around” (6:18) – Peterson

Sessions occurred in 1967 at Amigo Studios in North Hollywood with producer Abe “Voco” Kesh and engineer John MacQuarrie. Kesh produced the 1967 Chuck Berry album Live at Fillmore Auditorium before a 1968 run with Morning Glory (Two Suns Worth), the Savage Resurrection (The Savage Resurrection), and Linn County (Proud Flesh Soothseer).

Gut directed the sleeve around photography by John Van Hamersveld. Front cover shows a circular magenta trio portrait beneath oversized cream lettering.

Philips issued “Summertime Blues” in January 1968 (b/w “Out of Focus”). The single reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Vincebus Eruptum reached No. 11 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Outsideinside

Blue Cheer released their second album, Outsideinside, in August 1968 on Philips.

Outsideinside contains seven originals plus covers of the Rolling Stones (“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”) and Albert King (“The Hunter”). The album closes the Leigh Stephens studio lineup and introduces keyboardist–reed player Ralph Burns Kellogg on “Babylon.”

“Feathers from Your Tree” rises from a drowsy hush into driving passages, with piano accents and group replies. “Sun Cycle” turns slowly through a blues figure, opening into fuzzed wah-wah leads. “Just a Little Bit” surges under crude phase-shifting, then slows into a chaotic tail. “Gypsy Ball” swerves through sharp wah-wah solos over a rough, serrated tone.

“Come and Get It” grinds through surging riffwork as parts lock into a slower, tense passage. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” careens through a stretched arrangement, with bass set forward beneath an extended distorted break. “The Hunter” lopes from a blues figure into piercing lead lines.

A1. “Feathers From Your Tree” (3:29) – Peterson, Stephens, Wagner
A2. “Sun Cycle” (4:12) – Peterson, Stephens, Wagner
A3. “Just a Little Bit” (3:24) – Peterson
A4. “Gypsy Ball” (2:57) – Peterson, Stephens
A5. “Come and Get It” (3:13) – Peterson, Stephens, Wagner

B1. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (5:07) – Jagger, Richards
B2. “The Hunter” (4:22) – Jones
B3. “Magnolia Caboose Babyfinger” (1:38) – Peterson, Stephens
B4. “Babylon” (4:22) – Peterson

Sessions spanned California and New York in 1968, with indoor work at Pacific Recorders in San Mateo and A&R, Olmsted, and Record Plant studios in New York, plus outdoor recordings at Gate Five in Sausalito, Muir Beach, and Pier 57 in New York City. Kesh produced the sessions with a four-engineer team that included Hank McGill, Jay Snyder, Tony May, and Eddie Kramer.

Arab created the cover artwork, which depicts a seated long-haired figure within a multicolored painted landscape. Gut received photography credit for the foldout package.

Philips issued “Just a Little Bit” in June 1968 (b/w “Gypsy Ball”), and the single reached No. 92 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The label followed in October 1968 with “Feathers From Your Tree” (b/w “Sun Cycle”). Outsideinside reached No. 90 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

New! Improved! Blue Cheer

Blue Cheer released their third album, New! Improved! Blue Cheer, in March 1969 on Philips.

The album divides nine titles between two post-Leigh Stephens lineups. Peterson and Whaley record side one with guitarist Bruce Stephens and keyboardist Ralph Burns Kellogg; guitarist–singer Randy Holden joins the rhythm section for three self-written titles on side two. Guest percussionist Gene Estes also appears on side one.

“When It All Gets Old” shuffles through a percussive boogie with Latin accents and leaner ensemble control. “Peace of Mind” sways on a lilting riff beneath spacious, extended guitar leads. “Fruit & Icebergs” descends through a foreboding dirge, drawing thick-toned lines toward a high sustained finish. “Honey Butter Lover” chimes through filigreed lines with an electric edge.

A1. “When It All Gets Old” (2:51) – Kellogg
A2. “West Coast Child of Sunshine” (2:35) – Stephens
A3. “I Want My Baby Back” (3:12) – Stephens
A4. “Aces ’n’ Eights” (2:43) – Kellogg, Peterson, Stephens
A5. “As Long as I Live” (2:18) – Peterson, Stephens
A6. “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry” (3:13) – Dylan

B1. “Peace of Mind” (7:17) – Holden
B2. “Fruit & Iceburgs” (6:05) – Holden
B3. “Honey Butter Lover” (1:21) – Holden

Sessions occurred in 1969 at Amigo Studios in North Hollywood with producer Milan Melvin and engineer Hank Cicalo, who also mixed the album. Cicalo carried 1968 engineering credits for the Monkees (Head) and Michael Nesmith (The Wichita Train Whistle Sings); his 1969 schedule included the Youngbloods (Elephant Mountain) and the Monkees (Instant Replay).

Greg Irons created the cover art and lettering, which set a large Blue Cheer emblem against a yellow-bordered black field. Lloyd Johnson supplied the sleeve photography.

Philips issued “West Coast Child of Sunshine” in April 1969 (b/w “When It All Gets Old”). New! Improved! Blue Cheer reached No. 84 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Blue Cheer

Blue Cheer released their self-titled fourth album in December 1969 on Philips.

The album marks the first full-length appearance of a four-piece with Peterson, Bruce Stephens, Kellogg, and drummer Norman Mayell, who replaced Whaley. Stephens takes lead vocals on four titles; Peterson sings the remaining six.

“Fool” lopes through a loose harmonica-led figure as gritty lead phrases cut across Peterson’s delivery. “You’re Gonna Need Someone” rolls on a pronounced bass figure before duck-call effects close its final passage. “Hello L.A., Bye Bye Birmingham” saunters beneath Hammond organ chords with a steady, earthy drive.

“Saturday Freedom” cruises through a straight four-beat drive before loosening into an extended jam. “Ain’t That the Way (Love’s Supposed to Be)” churns through dense guitar-and-organ overlap as parts crowd successive passages. “The Same Old Story” sways through a slow roll beneath Peterson’s rough, drawn-out delivery.

A1. “Fool” (3:31) – Grelecki, Yoder
A2. “You’re Gonna Need Someone” (3:32) – Stephens, Mayell
A3. “Hello L.A., Bye-Bye Birmingham” (3:31) – Bramlett, Davis
A4. “Saturday Freedom” (5:55) – Stephens
A5. “Ain’t That the Way (Love’s Supposed to Be)” (3:10) – Peterson, Kellogg

B1. “Rock and Roll Queens” (2:42) – Peterson, Kellogg
B2. “Better When We Try” (2:48) – Kellogg
B3. “Natural Man” (3:35) – Peterson, Kellogg
B4. “Lovin’ You’s Easy” (3:59) – Stephens
B5. “The Same Old Story” (4:12) – Grelecki, Yoder

Sessions occurred in 1969 at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco with producer Michael Sunday and engineer Russ Gary. Eric Albronda served as assistant producer and added backing vocals.

John Craig designed the sleeve, whose front sets four monochrome member portraits beneath a scalloped Blue Cheer nameplate. Richard Germinaro created liner artwork, while Baron Wolman supplied photography.

Philips lifted “Hello L.A., Bye-Bye Birmingham” in February 1970 (b/w “Natural Man”). The label followed in July 1970 with “Fool” (b/w “Ain’t That the Way (Love’s Supposed to Be)”).

The Original Human Being

Blue Cheer released their fifth album, The Original Human Being, in September 1970 on Philips.

The album contains eleven originals and introduces guitarist–singer Gary Yoder as the replacement for Bruce Stephens. Yoder takes lead vocals on seven of the ten sung titles, while Peterson sings three. Kellogg adds synthesizer to his keyboard role, and Mayell uses sitar and percussion on “Babaji (Twilight Raga).”

“Good Times Are So Hard to Find” grinds through dark fuzz while brass punctuates a lean, hard roll. “Love of a Woman” rolls through bright brass figures over tight accompaniment. “Babaji (Twilight Raga)” coils around sitar and synthesizer phrases across a hazy instrumental passage. “Preacher” broods through dark distortion as brass accents break across its riff.

“Tears in My Bed” sways through a rough waltz with ragged intonation. “Man on the Run” lopes through a slow lament beneath Peterson’s drawn-out rasp. “Sandwich” shuffles through a loose-limbed jam with syncopated ensemble interplay. “Rest at Ease” eases through organ and piano figures into a broad French-horn closing passage.

A1. “Good Times Are So Hard to Find” (3:22) – Housman, Mayell
A2. “Love of a Woman” (4:34) – Peterson
A3. “Make Me Laugh” (5:04) – Kellogg
A4. “Pilot” (4:49) – Grelecki, Yoder
A5. “Babaji (Twilight Raga)” (3:47) – Mayell

B1. “Preacher” (4:03) – Grelecki, Yoder
B2. “Black Sun” (3:30) – Grelecki, Yoder
B3. “Tears by My Bed” (2:04) – Kellogg
B4. “Man on the Run” (3:52) – Peterson
B5. “Sandwich” (5:02) – Grelecki, Yoder
B6. “Rest at Ease” (5:36) – Grelecki, Yoder

Sessions occurred in 1970 at Mercury Sound Studios West in San Francisco. Eric Albronda and Yoder produced most of the album, while Mayell produced “Good Times Are So Hard to Find” and “Babaji (Twilight Raga).” Mark Harman and George Horn engineered the recordings; Russ Gary mixed and edited the album at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco. Horn worked in sequence on 1970 albums by the Sir Douglas Quintet (Together After Five) and the Wizards from Kansas (The Wizards from Kansas).

Desmond Strobel art-directed a sleeve designed by Gary R. Grelecki, with photography by Bruce Steinheimer and Yoder. The cover places miniature figures and assorted objects around an oversized blue upholstered chair within a painted collage.

Philips lifted “Pilot” as a December 1970 single (b/w “Babaji (Twilight Raga)”). The Original Human Being reached No. 188 on the Billboard Top LPs chart.

Oh! Pleasant Hope

Blue Cheer released their sixth album, Oh! Pleasant Hope, in May 1971 on Philips.

Guitarist–singer Richard Peddicord and dobro player Kent Housman join the returning quartet, while bassist Doug Killmer appears among the additional players. Yoder takes lead vocals on the first six titles; Peterson sings the final three.

“Hiway Man” ambles through acoustic strums beneath broad organ chords. “Believer” grinds through crunchy guitar distortion on a compact, hard-driving beat. “Money Troubles” swings through loose studio-jam passages on a lightly syncopated beat.

“Oh! Pleasant Hope” saunters through nonchalant group-sung phrases with an easy singalong refrain. “I’m the Light” coils around a persistent sitar riff as organ thickens semi-acoustic backing. “Heart Full of Soul” snarls from a dark bass figure into chaotic lead breaks beneath Peterson’s growl.

A1. “Hiway Man” (4:22) – Grelecki, Mayell, Yoder
A2. “Believer” (3:41) – Grelecki, Yoder
A3. “Money Troubles” (4:02) – Peddicord
A4. “Traveling Man” (3:10) – Grelecki, Yoder

B1. “Oh! Pleasant Hope” (2:39) – Peddicord
B2. “I’m the Light” (5:39) – Housman, Mayell
B3. “Ecological Blues” (2:26) – Mayell
B4. “Lester the Arrester” (3:02) – Kellogg
B5. “Heart Full of Soul” (4:37) – Peterson

Sessions occurred in 1970–71 at Coast Recorders in San Francisco with Blue Cheer and Eric Albronda producing. Mark Harman and George Horn engineered the recordings, with Horn also credited for remixing. Horn worked in sequence on 1971 albums by Big Brother & the Holding Company (How Hard It Is) and Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show (Doctor Hook).

Des Strobel art-directed the package, with John Craig designing the sleeve from a cover concept by Mayell. The front arranges floral and geometric patchwork around a central orange disc, with multicolored lettering across the lower field.

Later Activity, 1971–1984

Blue Cheer broke apart after Oh! Pleasant Hope as Dickie Peterson withdrew from sustained group activity amid heroin addiction. Paul Whaley, who had already left the recording lineup, received an invitation from the British group Quiver but abandoned the opportunity as drug problems removed him from professional music. Norman Mayell continued session work with Norman Greenbaum on Back Home Again and Petaluma, then rejoined Sopwith Camel for the 1973 album The Miraculous Hump Returns from the Moon. Ralph Burns Kellogg moved into Los Angeles country bands, while Peterson entered rehabilitation in 1973 and remained in Northern California.

Peterson resumed Blue Cheer activity in 1974 under the temporary name Peterbilt with guitarist and brother Jerre Peterson. The group restored the Blue Cheer name that spring and settled around bassist–singer Peterson, guitarists Jerre Peterson and Ruben De Fuentes, and drummer Terry Rae. December bookings included the Greek Theatre and a three-night Whisky a Go Go engagement, while Kim Fowley produced unreleased studio material with Nick St. Nicholas as co-producer. Peterson departed in 1975; St. Nicholas replaced him on bass for a short final configuration before the group dissolved.

Peterson remained in rehabilitation through much of the middle decade and returned gradually to music after leaving the program. Mayell played drums, sitar, tamboura, and percussion on William Truckaway’s 1976 album Breakaway, while Kellogg continued with Southern California country bands. Former guitarist Bruce Stephens remained active as a songwriter; Sammy Hagar recorded his “Fillmore Shuffle” in 1977. Peterson contacted Whaley in England late in the decade about another reunion, then formed a working Blue Cheer lineup with guitarist Tony Rainier and drummer Mike Fleck in 1978. The trio continued into the following year before another period of inactivity.

Kellogg adopted the name Ethan James and opened Radio Tokyo Studios in Los Angeles in 1980. His engineering and production work connected him with the Last, the Bangles, Rain Parade, the Unclaimed, and the Minutemen, while his Radio Tokyo Tapes compilations surveyed the developing Los Angeles underground. Bruce Stephens supplied “Rendezvous” for the 1982 Tygers of Pan Tang album The Cage. Peterson mounted another Blue Cheer reunion attempt in 1983 and reunited with Rainier and Whaley the following year. Producer Carl Canedy brought the trio into the studio for The Beast Is … Back, the first Blue Cheer studio album since Oh! Pleasant Hope.

The Beast Is … Back

Blue Cheer released their seventh album, The Beast Is … Back, in 1985 on Megaforce.

The reunion pairs Peterson with returning drummer Whaley and late-Seventies Blue Cheer guitarist Tony Rainier. Eight titles divide between contemporary material and new recordings of “Summertime Blues,” “Babylon,” “Out of Focus,” and “Parchment Farm.”

“Summertime Blues” grinds through a disjointed remake under thick reverb and hard kick accents. “Parchment Farm” lumbers through broken-up sections with blurred reverb over exaggerated kick thumps.

A1. “Nightmares” (5:00) – Peterson
A2. “Summertime Blues” (3:55) – Cochran, Capehart
A3. “Ride With Me” (5:20) – Rainier
A4. “Girl Next Door” (3:38) – Rainier

B1. “Babylon” (4:16) – Peterson
B2. “Heart of the City” (4:10) – Peddicord
B3. “Out of Focus” (3:40) – Peterson
B4. “Parchment Farm” (6:53) – Allison

Sessions occurred in 1984 at Music America Studios in Rochester, New York, with Carl Canedy and Paul Curcio producing and Chris Bubacz engineering. Curcio and Bubacz had worked at Music America on the 1983 Metallica album Kill ’Em All; Canedy and Bubacz also paired on the 1984 Exciter album Violence & Force. Megaforce cofounder Jon Zazula served as executive producer, while Jack Skinner mastered the album at Sterling Sound in New York.

Sharold Studios designed and laid out the original Megaforce sleeve around cover photography by Geoffrey Thomas. The front uses a red-and-black close-up of a clawed hand beneath large Blue Cheer lettering.

Nuggets and Heavy-Music Legacy

Blue Cheer entered the Nuggets lineage through an unusual detour. Lenny Kaye omitted the group from the original 1972 Nuggets double album, but Rhino placed “Summertime Blues” at the end of Nuggets, Volume 1: The Hits in 1984. Every other selection on the album sat closer to the garage-rock and psychedelic-single territory associated with the series, while Blue Cheer represented the heavier edge of the same period. Rhino omitted “Summertime Blues” from the expanded 1998 Nuggets box but returned the recording to the lineage on Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965–1970. The 1984 placement therefore marks an unusually broad interpretation of the Nuggets canon.

Blue Cheer also accumulated a persistent claim as the first heavy-metal band. Vincebus Eruptum appeared in January 1968 with overloaded amplification, sustained distortion, heavily amplified bass, and power-trio arrangements that preceded the Black Sabbath debut by two years. Dickie Peterson recalled a crew member calling Blue Cheer the “Heavy Metal Kids,” although Peterson connected the phrase to William Burroughs instead of a musical category. Later musicians and historians applied heavy metal retrospectively to the group, while others reserve the genre origin for Black Sabbath because the Birmingham band established a more stable musical vocabulary around the term. Blue Cheer therefore occupy a transitional position between acid rock, hard rock, and the metal language that solidified after 1970.

North American musicians carried that model into several later branches of heavy rock. Neil Peart identified Dickie Peterson and Blue Cheer with the formative blast of late-sixties amplified rock, while Geddy Lee later placed Blue Cheer among the early-metal groups absorbed into Rush. Pentagram drew from Blue Cheer alongside other distorted blues-rock sources, and Los Angeles group Saint Vitus included Blue Cheer among its principal early influences.

Discography: