Zephyr -

Zephyr was an American rock band that launched the career of guitarist Tommy Bolin. They released a self-titled album on ABC/Probe in 1969, followed by Going Back to Colorado on Warner Bros. in 1971. After Bolin jumped ship to the James Gang (and later Deep Purple), Zephyr released Sunset Ride with future Firefall guitarist Jock Bartley.

Members: Candy Givens (lead vocals, harmonica, keyboards), David Givens (bass, vocals, drums), Tommy Bolin (lead guitar, vocals, 1968-71, 1973), John Faris (keyboards, flute, vocals, saxophone, 1968-71, 1973), Robbie Chamberlin (drums, vocals, 1968-70), Bobby Berge (drums, 1970-71, 1973), Jock Bartley (guitar, vocals, 1971-72), Dan Smyth (keyboards, 1971-72), P.M. Wooten (percussion, drums, 1971-72), Eddie Turner (guitar)

Inception

Zephyr formed in 1968 in Boulder, Colorado, around a circle of young players active on the city’s emerging club circuit. The lineup coalesced with eighteen-year-old guitarist Tommy Bolin (b. August 1, 1951; Sioux City, Iowa), keyboardist John Faris, bassist David Givens, drummer Robbie Chamberlin, and singer/harmonica player Candy Givens.

Bolin arrived in Boulder after an early run through Iowa garage–R&B outfits, including the Misirlous and the rock/R&B sextet Denny and the Triumphs—later renamed A Patch of Blue—where he developed his lead-guitar style amid regional gigging and early studio work. After relocating west, he worked with future co-writer Jeff Cook in the Boulder band American Standard, then joined Ethereal Zephyr, a unit named after the California Zephyr rail line that linked Oakland and Chicago.

David Givens and his wife Candy entered the lineup as Bolin’s collaborators in Ethereal Zephyr, which also brought in Faris and Chamberlin as the group evolved. When record interest emerged, the band shortened its name to Zephyr, and the new lineup began focusing on a blues–jazz–rock blend that took shape on the Boulder club scene.

By mid-1968, Zephyr were performing steadily around Boulder, Denver, and the wider Front Range, building a loyal following with extended sets drawn from their growing repertoire. Their rising profile led to industry attention, a first pre-album single (details unprovided), and eventually a recording deal that set the stage for work on their self-titled debut.

Zephyr

Zephyr released their self-titled debut album in October 1969 on ABC/Probe.

The album blends hard rock and blues rock with extended jams, blues-inflected riffs, and occasional folk-tinged passages. The lineup features Candy Givens on lead vocals and harmonica, Tommy Bolin on guitar and backing vocals, John Faris on organ, piano, and flute, David Givens on bass and backing vocals, and Robbie Chamberlin on drums and backing vocals. The group alternates between tight ensemble sections and freer instrumental excursions, with Bolin’s guitar and Faris’s organ providing much of the album’s tonal color.

Tommy Bolin wrote the majority of the material and co-wrote several tracks with other band members, while the album also includes covers of Dee Clark (“Raindrops”) and Joe Primrose (“St. James Infirmary”). Candy Givens contributes strongly to the arrangements, shaping the band’s dynamic shifts and vocal lines.

The opening tracks, “Sail On” and “Sun’s a Risin’,” feature Bolin’s fluid guitar lines over driving blues rhythms. Mid-tempo pieces like “Raindrops” and “Boom-Ba-Boom” alternate sharp turns and syncopated rhythms, while “Somebody Listen” and “Hard Chargin’ Woman” expand into extended improvisational jams with interlocking organ, guitar, and rhythm sections. “St. James Infirmary” delivers a measured, macabre mood through minor-key phrasing and harmonic restraint.

A1. “Sail On” (7:22) – Bolin/G. Givens
A2. “Sun’s a Risin'” (4:45) – Bolin/D. Givens
A3. “Raindrops” (2:40) – Clark (originated as a 1961 single by Dee Clark)
A4. “Boom-Ba-Boom” (1:20) – D. Givens
A5. “Somebody Listen” (6:10) – D. Givens/C. Givens/Bolin/Faris

B1. “Cross the River” (4:43) – C. Givens/D. Givens
B2. “St. James Infirmary” (5:15) – Primrose (traditional blues standard popularized by Louis Armstrong)
B3. “Huna Buna” (2:26) – C. Givens/Bolin
B4. “Hard Chargin’ Woman” (8:40) – Bolin/Chamberlin/Faris/C. Givens/D. Givens

Sessions occurred in 1969 at Wally Heider Studios in Los Angeles with producer and engineer Bill Halverson.

Zephyr features cover design by Alden Spillman and William Shepard.

Probe promoted the album with the single “Sail On” (b/w “Cross the River”) in January 1970.

Going Back to Colorado

Zephyr released their second album, Going Back to Colorado, in January 1971 on Warner Bros.

The album expands the band’s palette beyond the blues-rock intensity of their debut, incorporating folk-rock, psychedelia, and occasional jazz inflections. Candy Givens handles lead vocals and harmonica on most tracks, while Tommy Bolin performs all guitar parts and vibraphone. John Faris plays organ, piano, flute, and soprano saxophone and sings lead on “Take My Love.” The rhythm section features new drummer Bobby Berge and bassist David Givens, augmented by backing vocalists Albertine Robinson, Eileen Gilbert, Gerard “Ginger Face” McMahon, and Tasha Thomas, as well as Moog synthesist Paul Conly and guest vocalist Buzzy Linhart.

Bolin wrote four tracks and co-wrote others with Candy Givens and John Tesar, while David Givens and Faris contributed individual compositions. The album includes no outside covers, focusing on group-written material with Faris’ “Take My Love” as a standout contribution.

Tracks like the title cut “Going Back to Colorado” and Bolin’s “See My People Come Together” emphasize blues-based riffs and guitar interplay, while “Miss Libertine” and “Night Fades Softly” explore folk-rock and experimental textures with synthesizer, layered backing vocals, and atmospheric effects. Faris’ “Take My Love” delivers a slinky rhythm anchored by bass and punctuated with saxophone, and the closing ballads “I’ll Be Right Here” and “At This Very Moment” highlight Givens’ dynamic vocal range from sultry restraint to forceful delivery.

A1. “Going Back to Colorado” (4:15) – Givens/Bolin/Tesar
A2. “Miss Libertine” (4:21) – C. Givens/D. Givens
A3. “Night Fades Softly” (3:05) – D. Givens
A4. “The Radio Song” (2:30) – D. Givens (vocals: Buzzy Linhart; saxophones: Paul Fleisher)
A5. “See My People Come Together” (6:02) – Bolin

B1. “Showbizzy” (2:30) – Bolin
B2. “Keep Me” (4:05) – Bolin/Tesar
B3. “Take My Love” (4:00) – Faris (vocals: Faris)
B4. “I’ll Be Right Here” (4:25) – Bolin/Tesar
B5. “At This Very Moment” (5:00) – C. Givens

Sessions occurred in 1970 at Electric Lady Studios in New York with producer and engineer Edwin H. Kramer.

Going Back to Colorado features cover design by Ed Thrasher. Before the next Zephyr album, Tommy Bolin left the band. In 1973, he surfaced in the James Gang, where he replaced Canadian guitarist Domenic Troiano, who in turn replaced their original guitarist Joe Walsh.

Sunset Ride

Zephyr released their third album, Sunset Ride, in March 1972 on Warner Bros.

With Tommy Bolin absent, the band embraced a more restrained and atmospheric sound, blending blues, folk-rock, country, and jazz influences. Candy and David Givens remained as the core, joined by guitarist Jock Bartley, drummer P.M. Wooten, organist/pianist Dan Smyth, conga player John Alfonse, and violinist Bobby Notkoff. Candy Givens handles lead vocals and harmonica, David Givens contributes vocals and acoustic guitar, and Bartley provides guitar and occasional vocals.

Candy and David Givens wrote most of the material, with contributions from Bartley, Smyth, and co-writing with A. Armstrong on the closing track. The album includes a cover of Billy Edd Wheeler’s “High Flying Bird.”

Opening tracks like “I’m Not Surprised” and “Someone to Chew” maintain a blues-rock orientation with restrained vocals and guitar, while “No Time Lonesome” and “Chasing Clouds” lean toward mellow, reflective textures. Country-infused numbers like “Sierra Cowgirl” and ethereal tracks such as “Sunset Ride” showcase Candy Givens’ vocal versatility, moving from sultry to scatted phrasing. “Winter Always Finds Me” closes the album with a slow, layered arrangement blending multiple genres.

A1. “I’m Not Surprised” (5:12) – C. Givens/D. Givens
A2. “Someone to Chew” (3:00) – C. Givens/D. Givens
A3. “High Flying Bird” (3:34) – Wheeler (originally recorded by Billy Edd Wheeler)
A4. “No Time Lonesome” (4:00) – D. Givens
A5. “Moving Too Fast” (5:00) – D. Givens

B1. “Sold My Heart” (3:45) – D. Givens/Bartley
B2. “Sierra Cowgirl” (3:07) – C. Givens
B3. “Chasing Clouds” (4:06) – Smyth
B4. “Sunset Ride” (3:45) – C. Givens/Bartley/Armstrong
B5. “Winter Always Finds Me” (6:02) – C. Givens/Bartley/Armstrong

Sessions occurred at Summit Studios in Denver, Gotham Recording Corporation, and Wally Heider Studios with engineers Malcolm Addey, Preston Smith, and Ken* under production by David Givens and Zephyr.

Warner promoted Sunset Ride with the single “High Flying Bird” (b/w “Sierra Cowgirl”).

Discography: