Steppenwolf -

Steppenwolf was an American hard-rock band that released six albums and two live sets on ABC/Dunhill between 1968 and 1971, followed by a trio of 1974–76 titles on Epic. They are best known for the FM rock staples “Born to Be Wild” and “Magic Carpet Ride.”

Members: John Kay (lead vocals, guitar), Jerry Edmonton [aka Jerry McCrohan] (drums, percussion, vocals, 1967-77), Goldy McJohn (keyboards, 1967-74), Michael Monarch (guitar, 1967-69), Rushton Moreve (bass, 1967-69), Nick St. Nicholas (bass, 1969-70), Larry Byrom (guitar, 1969-71), George Biondo (bass, vocals, 1970-77), Kent Henry (guitar, 1971-72), Bobby Cochran (guitar, vocals, 1974-77), Andy Chapin (keyboards, 1975), Wayne Cook (keyboards, 1976-77), Tony Flynn (guitar, 1977-80), Brett Tuggle (keyboards, 1981), Michael Wilk (keyboards, bass, programming, 1982-present), Michael Palmer (guitar, 1981-84), Steve Palmer (drums, 1981-84), Chad Peery (bass, 1981), Welton Gite (bass, 1982), Gary Link (bass, 1984)

Background

Steppenwolf formed in late 1967 in Los Angeles from remnants of The Sparrows, a Canadian rock band that included singer–guitarist John Kay, keyboardist Goldy McJohn, and drummer Jerry Edmonton.

The Sparrows emerged in 1964 in Oshawa as one of Ontario’s answers to the British Invasion. English expat singer Dave Marden, who went by the stagename Jack London, assembled the first Sparrows lineup with Jerry and his guitarist brother Dennis Edmonton. As Jack London & the Sparrows, the group scored two Top 10 hits on the Canadian singles chart: “If You Don’t Want My Love” (No. 3, 1964) and “Our Love Has Passed” (No. 7, 1965). London had them affect English accents to appear ‘British’ before the press; a ruse that alienated early bassist Bruce Palmer, who cleared for Nick St. Nicholas (Palmer later surfaced in Buffalo Springfield). Aggrieved by his autocratic leadership and lion’s take of group royalties, The Sparrows broke from London in late 1965 and hired Kay as their singer and rhythm guitarist.

Kay (b. Joachim Fritz Krauledat; April 12, 1944) was born in Tilsit, East Prussia, Germany, to a recently widowed mother, who fled with her son from the war-torn region. In 1949, they landed in British-occupied Hanover, where young Joachim first heard rock ‘n’ roll music. In 1958, his family moved to Toronto, where he anglicized his name for the locals.

The Kay-led Sparrow (now singular) cut one 1966 Columbia single: the Edmonton brothers’ “Green Bottle Lover” backed with the Dennis–Nicholas co-write “Down Goes Your Love Life,” both fuzz-laden rock raveups. When keyboardist Art Ayre departed to the Moe Koffman Quartet, Kay hired classically trained pianist–organist John Raymond Goadsby, who Kay nicknamed “Goldy,” which Goadsby accepted with the surname McJohn.

In 1967, Sparrow relocated to Los Angeles, where Nicholas jumped ship to psych-rockers T.I.M.E., which issued two 1968–69 albums on Liberty. Meanwhile, Dennis adopted the name Mars Bonfire and departed for a solo career. The remaining band — Kay, Goldy, and Jerry Edmonton — placed notices at Hollywood record stores that netted bassist Rushton Moreve and teenage guitarist Michael Monarch. The new lineup named itself Steppenwolf after the 1929 psychological novel by German–Swiss author Hermann Hesse. They signed with ABC–Dunhill and debuted with the October 1967 single “A Girl I Knew.”

Steppenwolf

Steppenwolf released their self-titled debut album on January 29, 1968, on Dunhill.

The album features a blend of hard rock, blues, and psychedelic elements that helped define late-60s rock. It contains the band’s signature sound with distorted guitars, organ textures, and driving rhythms. The album reached number six on the Billboard albums chart.

John Kay wrote most of the original material, often collaborating with producer Gabriel Mekler. Key tracks “Born to Be Wild,” “The Pusher,” “Sookie Sookie,” and “Hoochie Coochie Man” are credited to outside writers Mars Bonfire, Hoyt Axton, Don Covay, and Willie Dixon respectively.

Musically, the album opens with “Sookie Sookie,” a rock and funk fusion cover of Don Covay’s soul number. “The Pusher,” written by Hoyt Axton, is a six-minute hard-hitting rock statement with anti-drug themes. “Born to Be Wild,” written by Mars Bonfire, became an anthem for its turbo-charged riff rock and coined the phrase “heavy metal.” “Berry Rides Again” draws from Chuck Berry’s style. “Hoochie Coochie Man” adapts the Willie Dixon blues standard with organ and guitar. Other original tracks range from the introspective ballad “A Girl I Knew” to the political “The Ostrich,” which accelerates a Bo Diddley rhythm with layered guitars.

A1. “Sookie Sookie” (3:09) – Is a guttural blues-rocker anchored by a tight, repetitive guitar lick and thick, soulful organ textures. The track opens with a punchy rhythm section locked into a steady, hypnotic pace beneath John Kay’s urgent, gritty vocals that mirror the guitar’s sharp phrasing. The chorus amplifies the intensity with swelled organ and more forceful drums, while backing vocals reinforce the title phrase. The guitar solo alternates bent notes and fast runs over a sustained organ drone. The song ends abruptly with a final utterance of the chorus.
A2. “Everybody’s Next One” (2:53)
A3. “Berry Rides Again” (2:45) – homage to Chuck Berry
A4. “Hoochie Kootchie Man” (5:07)
A5. “Born to Be Wild” (3:28) – Opens with a sustained Hammond organ chord (in E minor) leading into a sharp, syncopated guitar riff driven by distorted tones, anchored by steady bass and drums with a metallic cowbell-like percussion that evokes motorcycle imagery. John Kay’s gritty vocals maintain a steady momentum, delivering lines like “Get your motor runnin’” and “True nature’s child,” the latter signaling a rebellious, instinctive spirit aligned with untamed freedom. The pre-chorus builds tension into the explosive chorus, where the band’s full energy underscores the rallying cry “Born to be wild!” The phrase “heavy metal thunder” in the second verse originally referred to the roar of motorcycle engines, marking the first use of “heavy metal” in rock lyrics before it became a genre label. The song features intertwined guitar and organ solos that alternate raw blues-rock grit with swirling psychedelic textures, closing on a fading riff that suggests endless motion and liberation.
A6. “Your Wall’s Too High” (5:40)

B1. “Desperation” (5:45)
B2. “The Pusher” (5:43)
B3. “A Girl I Knew” (2:35)
B4. “Take What You Need” (3:28)
B5. “The Ostrich” (5:43) – Kay’s fast-paced adaptation of the Bo Diddley rhythm

Sessions occurred in fall 1967 at American Recording Studio in Studio City, California, with Gabriel Mekler producing and Bill Cooper and Richard Podolor engineering.

The album cover features art direction and design by Gary Burden, with photography by Tom Gundelfinger and Henry Diltz.

Singles from the album include “A Girl I Knew” (October 1967), “Sookie Sookie” (February 1968), and “Born to Be Wild” (May 1968).

“Born to Be Wild” reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and became synonymous with biker culture, partly through its inclusion in the film Easy Rider. The album’s chart peak was number six on Billboard’s albums chart.

The Second

Steppenwolf released their numerically titled second album in November 1968 on Dunhill.

The album opens with Mars Bonfire’s driving “Faster Than the Speed of Life.” Side A mixes rhythm and blues elements in “Tighten Up Your Wig,” based on Junior Wells’s “Messin’ with the Kid,” and the reflective acoustic “Spiritual Fantasy.” The politically charged “Don’t Step on the Grass, Sam” presents a harder edge. “Magic Carpet Ride” opens Side B with a pulsing riff developed by Moreve and Monarch. The remainder consists of a five-track blues medley.

A1. “Faster Than the Speed of Life” (3:10)
A2. “Tighten Up Your Wig (melody from ‘Messin’ with the Kid’)” (3:06)
A3. “None of Your Doing” (2:50)
A4. “Spiritual Fantasy” (3:39)
A5. “Don’t Step on the Grass, Sam” (5:43)

B6. “28” (3:12) – Gabriel Mekler instrumental contribution
B7. “Magic Carpet Ride” (4:30) – builds on a slow, hypnotic rhythm with filtered guitar and swirling organ layering a textured, dreamlike soundscape. John Kay’s vocals take on a more contoured phrasing over a steady, measured pace. The song’s intensity rises steadily into an explosive chorus where the full guitar riff and a more active rhythm section propel the title phrase with force. The extended solo section showcases an immersive exchange between Goldy McJohn’s swirling organ and Michael Monarch’s blues-inflected, effected guitar, grounded by a loose but anchored rhythm foundation. The outro escalates into freer instrumental passages and vocal ad-libs before a sudden cutoff, underscoring the song’s theme of a restless, turbulent journey.
B8. “Disappointment Number (Unknown)” (4:52)
B9. “Lost and Found by Trial and Error” (2:07)
B10. “Hodge, Podge, Strained Through a Leslie” (2:48) – blues-rock instrumental texture enhanced by Leslie speaker effects
B11. “Resurrection” (2:52)
B12. “Reflections” (0:43)

Sessions occurred at American Recording studio in Studio City, California, produced by Gabriel Mekler with Bill Cooper and Richard Podolor engineering.

“Magic Carpet Ride” (b/w “Sookie Sookie”) reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Second reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200.

At Your Birthday Party

Steppenwolf released their third album, At Your Birthday Party, in March 1969 on Dunhill. The album marks bassist Nick St. Nicholas’s debut and the final appearance of guitarist Michael Monarch.

John Kay wrote most of the material, with additional credits to Michael Monarch, Nick St. Nicholas, Jerry Edmonton, Gabriel Mekler, and John Goadsby. Notable contributions include Mekler’s compositions “Don’t Cry,” “Lovely Meter,” and “She’ll Be Better,” and Edmonton’s co-writing on “Jupiter Child” and “She’ll Be Better.” Kay penned “Rock Me,” the album’s highlight and top-ten single.

The album blends hard rock with remnants of psychedelia, juxtaposing direct, riff-driven tracks with more experimental, extended pieces. “Rock Me” stands out for its pounding intensity and was featured in the film Candy prior to the album’s release. Other songs range from the reflective (“It’s Never Too Late”) to the concise and punchy (“Chicken Wolf,” “Round and Down”), with side two forming a varied sequence that balances heavier cuts and atmospheric moments.

A1. “Don’t Cry” (3:11)
A2. “Chicken Wolf” (2:58)
A3. “Lovely Meter” (3:10)
A4. “Round and Down” (3:19)
A5. “It’s Never Too Late” (4:07)
A6. “Sleeping Dreaming” (1:07)

B1. “Jupiter Child” (3:28)
B2. “She’ll Be Better” (5:32)
B3. “Cat Killer” (1:37)
B4. “Rock Me” (3:45)
B5. “God Fearing Man” (3:55)
B6. “Mango Juice” (3:01)
B7. “Happy Birthday” (2:16)

Sessions took place from October 1968 through February 1969 at American Recording in Studio City, California, with Gabriel Mekler producing and Bill Cooper and Richard Podolor engineering.

The cover art by Gary Burden features a gatefold with a punched-out front revealing a Henry Diltz photograph of the band amid the burnt remains of Canned Heat’s Laurel Canyon house. Monarch missed the shoot and was visually substituted by producer Gabriel Mekler.

“Rock Me” reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, the album peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200.

Early Steppenwolf (live archival)

In July 1969, Dunhill issued Early Steppenwolf, drawn from two Sparrow performances on May 14, 1967, at the Matrix Club in San Francisco. The set features extended, loose interpretations including a 20-minute rendition of Hoyt Axton’s “The Pusher,” emphasizing the band’s early live intensity and improvisational approach.

John Kay handled guitar and vocals, supported by Mars Bonfire on guitar, Goldy McJohn on organ and piano, Nick St. Nicholas on bass and backing vocals, and Jerry Edmonton on drums. The album’s production was overseen by Peter Abram with engineering by David Travis. Gary Burden contributed art direction and design.

Side one consists of five tracks ranging from Kay originals like “Power Play” and “Tighten up Your Wig,” to covers of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Howlin’ for My Darlin’” and John Lee Hooker’s “I’m Going Upstairs,” plus an arrangement of “Corina, Corina.” Side two is devoted to the sprawling “The Pusher.”

A1. “Power Play” (2:55)
A2. “Howlin’ for My Darlin'” (4:53)
A3. “I’m Going Upstairs” (7:14)
A4. “Corina, Corina” (3:54)
A5. “Tighten up Your Wig” (3:14) – Kay original later recorded for The Second.

B1. “The Pusher” (21:27) – Extended jam of the Axton song included on their first album.

Monster

Steppenwolf released their fourth album, Monster, in November 1969 on Dunhill. The album introduced lead guitarist Larry Byrom, who replaced Michael Monarch.

John Kay wrote “Power Play” and co-wrote songs with Gabriel Mekler (“Move Over”) and Goldy McJohn (“Draft Resister,” “Fag,” “From Here to There Eventually”). Side B includes “What Would You Do (If I Did That to You),” a Nolan Porter cover.

The suite “Monster/Suicide/America” melds folk arrangements with female backing vocals and climactic sitar. “Draft Resister” emphasizes sparsity with percussive accents. “Power Play” shifts dynamics with fluctuating treble levels. The instrumental “Fag” carries a loose, funk-influenced pace. “Move Over” maintains a direct hard rock drive. The remaining tracks range from reflective to assertive tones.

A1. “Monster/Suicide/America” (9:15)
A2. “Draft Resister” (3:20)
A3. “Power Play” (5:26)

B1. “Move Over” (2:53)
B2. “Fag” (3:13)
B3. “What Would You Do (If I Did That to You)” (3:19)
B4. “From Here to There Eventually” (5:27)

Sessions took place at American Recording in Studio City, California, with Gabriel Mekler producing and Bill Cooper and Richard Podolor engineering.

Monster peaked at No. 17 on the US Billboard 200 and charted in Europe, reaching No. 9 in Norway and 27 in Germany.

Discography: