The Savage Resurrection -

The Savage Resurrection was an American West Coast psych-rock band that released a 1968 self-titled album on Mercury. Their sound fused hard psych with clipped blues figures and surging, dual-guitar riff patterns, crossing Hendrix and UK freakbeat with the San Francisco ballroom acts.

Members: Bill Harper (vocals), Randy Hammon (guitar), John Palmer (guitar), Steve Lage (bass), Jeff Myer (drums)

Background

Formed in 1967 in Richmond, California, The Savage Resurrection emerged from the East Bay teen rock scene with a lineup of mostly underage players, including 16-year-old lead guitarist Randy Hammon (cousin of Blue Cheer drummer Paul Whaley). Guitarist/songwriter John Palmer, singer Bill Harper, bassist Steve Lage (the group’s sole non-teen at 21), and drummer Jeff Myer completed the quintet. They signed with Mercury Records through A&R man Abe “Voco” Kesh.

The Savage Resurrection (1968)

The Savage Resurrection released their self-titled album in March 1968 on Mercury.

Guitarists Randy Hammon and John Palmer split the stereo channels left and right, weaving lines that clash, converge, and twist free of each other—more parallel than harmonized. Their tone ranges from scorched to smeared, with Palmer favoring sustained density and Hammon darting across the fretboard in wiry counterpoint. Vocalist Bill Harper delivers phrases with jagged cadence, often riding over riff cycles rather than through them.

The album opens with “Thing in ‘E’,” a three-chord shout built around call-and-response volleys and clipped refrains. “Tahitian Melody” drops into lurching wah-wah patterns and minor-key turns, its weight offset by passages of modal drift. “Jammin’,” a near-eight-minute track, stretches a skeletal frame into an extended guitar dialogue, with the rhythm section keeping a slow, bruising pace beneath. “Remlap’s Cave Part II” features layered backup vocals and abrupt dynamic shifts, while “Someone’s Changing” pulls toward folk-psych with a softer, spaced-out touch.

A1. “Thing in ’E’” (2:58)
A2. “Every Little Song” (1:47)
A3. “Talking to You” (2:41)
A4. “Tahitian Melody” (3:42)
A5. “Jammin’” (7:58)

B1. “Fox Is Sick” (2:38)
B2. “Someone’s Changing” (2:29)
B3. “Remlap’s Cave (Part II)” (2:48)
B4. “Appeal to the Happy” (4:15)
B5. “Expectations” (4:57)

Sessions spanned three days with Abe “Voco” Kesh, who produced The Savage Resurrection in sequence with titles by Blue Cheer, Graham Bond, Harvey Mandel, Linn County, and Morning Glory. The album appeared with psychedelic cover art and a backside photo collage.

Mercury lifted “Thing in ‘E’” as a single (b/w “Fox Is Sick”).

Discography: