Sparks is the musical partnership of American keyboardist–songwriter Ron Mael and his vocalist brother Russell Mael. They first recorded as Halfnelson, a quintet with drummer Harley Feinstein and another set of brothers, guitarist Earle Mankey and guitarist–bassist Jim Mankey. They signed to Bearsville for the 1971 release Halfnelson, produced by Todd Rundgren. Soon after, they […]
Frank Zappa (December 21, 1940 — December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, producer, and bandleader with a career that spanned three decades. He emerged as the frontman of the Mothers of Invention, an LA-based avant-garde rock band that combined pop parody with psychedelia and free jazz on the 1966–69 albums Freak Out!, Absolutely […]
The Doors were an American rock band that released six studio albums between 1967 and 1971 on Elektra. They formed when keyboardist Ray Manzarek invited poet Jim Morrison to front his band with guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. The Doors emerged as the houseband at the Los Angeles hotspot Whisky A Go Go […]
Charles Mingus (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz double-bassist, composer, and bandleader, active from the 1940s to the 1970s. He worked with Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and Max Roach while shaping a style that fused bebop, gospel, blues, hard bop, and classical form. His music balanced structure and improvisation across post-bop, […]
Patrice Rushen is an American keyboardist, composer, and singer who started as a sidewoman on mid-Seventies jazz albums by Alphonso Johnson, Azar Lawrence, Donald Byrd, Eddie Henderson, Harvey Mason, Jean-Luc Ponty, and Luis Gasca. As a solo artist, she made three post-bop/jazz-funk albums (1974–77) on Prestige, then transitioned to soul-funk for a five-album run (1978–84) […]
WAR is an American soul-funk ensemble from Los Angeles that collaborated with ex-Animals vocalist Eric Burdon on two albums for MCA in 1970, scoring a hit with the whimsically inebriated “Spill the Wine.” After the two camps parted ways, WAR released six proper albums and a soundtrack on United Artists between 1971 and 1978. Further […]
Spirit was an American psych-rock band from Los Angeles that released three 1968/69 albums on Ode Records, followed by two 1970–72 albums on Epic and a four-album 1975–77 run on Mercury. Formed in 1967 by guitarist Randy California and his stepfather, drummer Ed Cassidy, Spirit fused jazz modalities, baroque textures, and hard rock power with […]
Rick James (February 1, 1948 — August 6, 2004) was an American soul-funk singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. James debuted with the 1978 Gordy release Come Get It!, which spawned the No. 1 R&B single “You and I” and its No. 3 followup “Mary Jane.” Bustin’ Out of L Seven and Fire It Up followed […]
Neil Young is a Canadian singer, guitarist, songwriter, and bandleader whose 1968–89 album sequence runs from Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, After the Gold Rush, and Harvest through Tonight’s the Night, Zuma, Rust Never Sleeps, Trans, and Freedom. His key songs from this period include “Cinnamon Girl,” “Down by the River,” “Only Love Can Break […]
Barry White (September 12, 1944 — July 4, 2003) was an American soul singer, composer, and producer who released ten albums between 1973 and 1979 on 20th Century Records and scored five No. 1 R&B hits: “I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby,” “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe,” “You’re the First, […]
Love was an American psych-rock band from Los Angeles that released four albums between 1966 and 1969 on Elektra. Formed in 1965 by singer–guitarist Arthur Lee, Love developed a local following at Hollywood’s Bido Lito’s club with a lineup that included guitarist Johnny Echols and singer–guitarist Bryan MacLean. Their 1966 debut combined garage rock with […]
Roy Ayers (1940–2025) was an American vibraphonist, composer, and producer who debuted with the 1963 UA release West Coast Vibes. Amid backing credits with Herbie Mann, Ayers cut the 1967–69 Atlantic albums Virgo Vibes, Stoned Soul Picnic, and Daddy Bug. In 1969/70, the Roy Ayers Quartet (with Sonny Sharrock and Miroslav Vitous) cut two albums […]
Little Feat are an American rustic funk-rock band from Los Angeles that released seven studio albums and a live double-LP on Warner Bros. between 1971 and 1979. Guitarist–bandleader Lowell George hailed from the Mothers of Invention. After his death in 1979, a revised lineup of Little Feat issued sporadic albums and toured constantly during the […]
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band was an American psychedelic rock band from Los Angeles that cut a 1966 demo album on small-press Fifo, followed by a three-volume 1967/68 run on Reprise and a 1969 fifth album on Amos. They changed names to Markley (after percussionist Bob Markley) for their 1970 swan song on […]
The Millennium was an American pop-psychedelic studio band assembled by Curt Boettcher. They released their sole album, Begin, in 1968 on Columbia Records. The group continued Boettcher’s harmony-driven orchestral pop approach established in his earlier projects The Ballroom and Sagittarius. Members: Curt Boettcher (producer, vocals, guitar), Ron Edgar (drums), Doug Rhodes (bass, harpsichord, piano), Michael […]
Shuggie Otis is an American R&B musician, songwriter, and producer who released three albums between 1970 and 1974 on Epic. His 1971 album Freedom Flight contains the original “Strawberry Letter 23,” a later hit for the Brothers Johnson. His work enjoyed a 21st century resurgence following the reissue of his third album, Inspiration Information, noted […]
Megadeth are an American metal band from Los Angeles that Dave Mustaine formed in 1983 after his exit from Metallica. The group debuted with Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good! on Combat in 1985 and began its Capitol run one year later with Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? They carried that run through […]
Cheryl Lynn is an American soul-funk singer who released six albums on Columbia between 1978 and 1985, scoring big with the post-disco/boogie evergreen “Got to Be Real.” Background She was born Lynda Cheryl Smith on March 11, 1957, in Los Angeles. As a child, she sang in her church choir. In early 1976, she performed […]
Toto are an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1977 by prolific industry studio musicians. Between 1978 and 1982, four albums appeared by their original lineup with Bobby Kimball, the voice behind the radio hits “Hold the Line,” “Roseanna,” and “Africa.” After their 1984 release Isolation with singer Fergie Frederiksen, they hired Joseph […]
X is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1977 during the Southwest punk explosion. They debuted with the 1978 Dangerhouse single “Adult Books” and released the 1980–81 Slash albums Los Angeles and Wild Gift, followed by the 1982–83 Elektra albums Under the Big Black Sun and More Fun in the New World […]
Side Effect an American soul-funk vocal group from Los Angeles, formed in 1972 by producer–arranger Augie Johnson. They debuted on Canada’s G.A.S. label in 1973 and recorded four albums for Fantasy Records between 1975 and 1978. During this period, the group featured a sequence of female vocalists—Sylvia Nabors, Helen Lowe (Helen Baylor), and Sylvia St. […]
Captain Beyond was an English-American hard-rock band that released the 1972–73 Capricorn albums Captain Beyond and Sufficiently Breathless. They featured original Deep Purple singer Rod Evans and two Iron Butterfly graduates: guitarist Larry Reinhardt and bassist Lee Dorman. Drummer Bobby Caldwell left after the first album but resurrected Captain Beyond with new musicians for the […]
The Chambers Brothers were an American soul-psych band from Los Angeles, formed in 1954. After a pair of mid-’60s albums on Vault, they released four albums on Columbia between 1967 and 1971. There biggest hit was an edit of their 11-minute album track “Time Has Come Today” from their 1967 release The Time Has Come. […]
Lori Lieberman is an American singer/songwriter who released four 1972–75 albums on Capitol Records and a 1978 fifth on Millennium. After a sixteen-year break from recording, she returned with three Nineties-era albums on Pope Music. Since 2003, she’s issued CDs on self-press Drive On Records. Her debut album contains the first version of “Killing Me […]
A Taste of Honey was an American soul-funk band from Los Angeles, best known for their disco hit “Boogie Oogie Oogie” and their cover of the Japanese ballad “Sukiyaki.” They released four albums between 1978 and 1982 on Capitol. Members: Greg Walker (vocals, 1971-76), Janice Marie Johnson (vocals, bass, guitar, 1971-present), Perry Kibble (keyboards, 1971-80), […]
Dokken are an American hard-rock band from Los Angeles that formed around singer Don Dokken and fixed its classic lineup with guitarist George Lynch, bassist Jeff Pilson, and drummer Mick Brown during the early 1980s. The group first issued Breaking the Chains in Europe in 1981, then launched its main US run on Elektra with […]
Raydio was an American soul-funk band that released four albums between 1978 and 1981 on Arista, charting with “Jack and Jill.” Their last two albums are billed as Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio. Parker proliferated as an L.A.-based studio musician and solo artist. Members: Ray Parker Jr. (vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass, drums), Jerry Knight (bass, […]
Linda Perhacs is an American singer-songwriter who released the 1970 album Parallelograms on Kapp Records. Reissues brought the album to a wider audience during the 1990s and 2000s. Perhacs resumed recording with the 2014 album The Soul of All Natural Things and the 2017 release I’m a Harmony. Background Linda Jeanne Arnold was born on […]
Oingo Boingo was an American new wave band from Los Angeles, best known for the Eighties hits “Only a Lad,” “Little Girls,” “Private Life,” and “Weird Science.” They started as The Mystic Nights of the Oingo Boingo, a Seventies theatrical troupe led by Danny Elfman and his filmmaking brother, Richard Elfman, who directed the 1980 […]
Kaleidoscope was an American psychedelic folk-rock band from Los Angeles led by banjo, fiddle, and mandolin player David Lindley. They released the 1967 Epic albums Side Trips and A Beacon From Mars, followed by the 1969–70 titles The Incredible Kaleidoscope and Bernice. Members: David Lindley (banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, vocals), Solomon Feldthouse (saz, bouzouki, Dobro, […]
The Whispers were an American soul group from Watts, Calif., formed in 1964. A four-year run of singles on Dore preceded the group’s self-titled album on Soul Clock in 1969. The group released three albums on Janus between 1972 and 1974, followed by a pair of albums on Soul Train in 1976 and 1977. The […]
1994: was an American hard-rock band from Los Angeles with singer Karen Lawrence. They released one album as L.A. Jets, followed by the 1976 single “Prisoner (Captured By Your Eyes),” a later hit for Barbra Streisand. As 1994:, they cut two albums in 1978/79 on A&M. In 1981, Lawrence released an album of retro girl-group […]
The Seeds were an American garage-rock band that released four 1966–67 studio albums and a 1968 live album on GNP Crescendo. They are best known for the folk-pop number “I Can’t Seem to Make You Mind” and the proto-punk classic “Pushing Too Hard,” both mainstays of sixties psych comps. Members: Sky Saxon (vocals, bass), Daryl […]
Valerie Carter (Feb. 5, 1953 — March 4, 2017) was an American pop singer active on the 1970s Laurel Canyon scene. She cut an album with the folk-trio Howdy Moon and made the 1977/78 Columbia solo albums Just a Stone’s Throw Away and Wild Child. Background Valerie Carter was born Valerie Gail Zakian Carter on […]
Bobby Hutcherson (January 27, 1941 – August 15, 2016) was an American vibraphonist who started as a sideman for Les McCann, Eric Dolphy, and Grant Green. Between 1963 and 1977, he recorded twenty-one albums for Blue Note. Background He was born Robert Hutcherson on January 27, 1941, in Los Angeles. His earliest exposure to jazz […]
Wall of Voodoo was an American new wave band that mixed jagged electro-pop with Spaghetti Western sounds. They cut a 1980 indie EP and the 1981/82 IRS albums Dark Continent and Call of the West, which spawned the early MTV hit “Mexican Radio.” After singer Stan Ridgway’s departure, they made the 1985–87 albums Seven Days […]
Missing Persons were an American new wave band, best known for the hits “Mental Hopscotch,” “Destination Unknown,” “Walking In L.A.,” “Words,” “Give,” and “Right Now.” Between 1982 and 1986, they made three albums and became an early MTV fixture, distinguished by the space-age costumes and colorful hairdos of frontwoman Dale Bozzio. Members: Dale Bozzio (lead […]
Sunbear was an American jazz-funk/soul duo that released a self-titled album on Soul Train Records in 1977. The duo consisted of multi-instrumentalists Ahaguna G. Sun and Werner “Bear” Schuchner, who were backed on the album by keyboardist Greg Phillinganes and saxophonist Ernie Watts. Members: Ahaguna G. Sun [Arnie Oliver] (vocals, drums, percussion, clavinet, electric piano), […]
Smith was an American soul-rock band from Los Angeles that scored a Top 5 hit with “Baby It’s You” and released two albums in 1969/70 on ABC Dunhill: A Group Called Smith and Minus-Plus. Members: Gayle McCormick (vocals), Rich Cliburn (guitar, 1969), Jerry Carter (bass, 1969), Larry Moss (keyboards), Bob Evans (drums, percussion), Judd Huss […]
Blue Mountain Eagle was an American psych-rock band from Los Angeles that released a 1970 self-titled album on Atco. Members: Joey Newman (vocals, lead guitar, keyboards), Bob “B.J.” Jones (lead guitar, vocals), David Price (guitar, vocals), Don Poncher (drums, vocals), Randy Fuller (bass, guitar, vocals, 1969-70), David L. Johnson (bass, 1970) Background The band coalesced […]
Azar Lawrence is an American jazz saxophonist who released three albums between 1974 and 1976 on Prestige. Background Lawrence was born on November 2, 1953, in Los Angeles. His mother, a music teacher, nurtured his musical interests from a young age. He first practiced violin as a tween, then switched to the saxophone at age […]
The Smoke was an American pop-psych band from Los Angeles that released a 1968 self-titled album on Sidewalk/Capitol. WCPAEB co-founder Michael Lloyd masterminded the project and also produced October Country. Members: Michael Lloyd (vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass, arrangements), Stan Ayeroff (guitar), Steve Baim (drums) For the English mod/freakbeat band, click here. Background New York–born Michael […]
The Moon was an American psych-rock band that released two albums on Imperial Records: Without Earth (1968) and The Moon (1970). Members: Matthew Moore (guitar, keyboards), Larry Brown (drums, keyboards), David Marks (vocals, guitar), Drew Bennett (bass, 1967-68), David Jackson (bass, 1969) Background The Moon formed in Los Angeles in 1967 around songwriter and multi-instrumentalist […]
The Hook was an American psych-rock band from Los Angeles that released two albums in 1968 on Uni Records: The Hook Will Grab You and Hooked! Members: Bobby Arlin (guitar), Buddy Sklar (bass), Craig Boyd (drums, 1967-68), Dale Loyola (drums, 1968-69), Dennis Provisor (organ, 1968-69) Background The Hook formed in late 1967 as a powertrio […]
Rhythm Heritage was an American studio-based funk band, formed by conductor/keyboardist Michael Omartian to record the theme for the 1975 television crime-drama S.W.A.T. The success of that single prompted three albums of cover instrumentals between 1976 and 1978 on ABC Records and a fourth on MCA. Members: Michael Omartian (keyboards), Scott Edwards (bass), Ed Greene […]
Jane Getz is an American pianist and songwriter who released an album as Mother Hen on RCA Victor in 1971, followed by No Ordinary Child in 1973. Background Jane Getz was born on September 12, 1942, in Los Angeles. Raised between LA and San Francisco, she studied classical piano from a young age but turned […]
The Younghearts were an American soul group from Los Angeles that scored R&B hits with “Oh I’ll Never Be the Same” and “I’ve Got Love for My Baby” from their 1968 debut Sweet Soul Shakin’. They returned on 20th Century with the 1973–76 albums Do You Have the Time, A Taste of the Younghearts, and […]
Green on Red was an American rock band that released two 1981–82 small-press EPs and the 1983 Slash album Gravity Talks. They expanded with guitarist Chuck Prophet for the 1985 Enigma release Gas Food Lodging and the Mercury titles No Free Lunch and The Killer Inside Me. Prophet and singer Dan Stuart retained the name […]
The Vibrations were an American soul group from Los Angeles. They formed in 1955 as The Jayhawks and scored a 1956 doo-wop hit with “Stranded in the Jungle.” Between 1961 and 1965, they landed R&B hits with “The Watusi,” “My Girl Sloopy,” “Misty,” and (as The Marathons) “Peanut Butter.” They linked with Gamble and Huff […]
The Boston Tea Party was an American psychedelic garage-rock band from Burbank, California, that cut two 1967 singles and a 1968 album. Members: Travis Fields (vocals), Mike Stevens (guitar), Richard DePerna (bass), Robert “Mike” DePerna (organ), David “Dave” Novogroski (drums) Background The Boston Tea Party evolved from a backyard surf band formed in 1963 by […]
MAX (aka RODAN) was an American brass-rock band active from 1970 through 1974, when Pandora issued their recordings under the unauthorized title Rodan, which misidentified several contributors. Group leader David Cortopassi restored the archive through the expanded Beyond Rodan, released by Digital Cellars for the fiftieth anniversary. Members: David Cortopassi (bass, guitar, vibraphone, piano, vocals), […]
GoodThunder was an American post-psych hard rock band from Los Angeles that released a 1972 self-titled album on Elektra. Members: James Cahoon Lindsay (lead vocals, percussion), John Desautels (drums), David Hanson (guitar, vocals), Bill Rhodes (bass), Wayne Cook (keyboards) Background GoodThunder took root in early 1972 when five Los Angeles musicians pooled their respective experiences […]
The Movies were an American pop-rock trio that released a self-titled album in 1976 on Arista, followed by two non-album singles in 1977. Members: Michael Morgan (piano, electric piano, Mellotron, synthesizers, harp, kazoo, vocals), Peter Barnes (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, violin, chimes, shakers, vocals), Ted Medbury (drums, percussion, toys, harmonica, vocals) This entry concerns […]
Rita Jean Bodine is an American singer who released the 1974 soul-rock albums Sitting on Top of My World and Bodine, Rita Jean on 20th Century Records. Seven years earlier, she cut a pair of singles with girl-group The Babies. She also notched a handful of backing-vocal credits during the 1970s with appearances on albums […]
Black Ice was an American soul-funk band from Los Angeles that released two albums between 1976 and 1979 on HDM Records, followed by a 1982 third on Montage. They scored R&B hits with “Shakedown” and “I Just Wanna Hold You.” Members: Antone Curtis, Cleveland Jones, Frank Willis, Gerald Bell, Marcieal Holmes Background Black Ice formed […]
The West Coast Revival was an American soul trio from California that cut three early Seventies singles for United Artists, compiled with additional cuts on their 1977 album. Members: Dean Robinson, Luther Rabb, Patrick Taylor Background West Coast Revival formed in Los Angeles by 1971 as a California vocal trio with singers Dean Robinson, Luther […]
The Funky Kings were an American rustic-folk/pop band from California that released a 1976 album on Arista. The band included four singing guitarists, including Jules Shear and Jack Tempchin, who both launched prolific solo careers. Tempchin’s “Slow Dancing” became a hit the following year for Johnny Rivers. Members: Jules Shear (vocals, guitar), Jack Tempchin (vocals, […]
Axcraft was an American symphonic/hard-rock band from Los Angeles whose 1974 recordings first appeared commercially on the archival 1999 album Dancing Madly Backwards. Members: Randy Ballard (keyboards), Michael Carroll (bass guitar), Gary Gossett (drums), Jim McClellan (lead vocals), Paul Skylar (rhythm guitar), Dan Gerard (lead guitar) Background Vocalist Jim McClellan formed Axcraft in Los Angeles […]
Zolar X was an American rock band active on the mid-Seventies Los Angeles club circuit. They blended multiple art-rock styles (space, glam, proto-punk) with sci-fi theatrics and alien-style costumes. Their collection of songs (recorded 1974–76) appear on the 2004 Alternative Tentacles disc Timeless. Members: Ygarr Ygarrist [Steven Della Bosca] (guitar), Zany Zatovian [Bruce Courtois] (bass, […]
Racer X was an American metal band from Los Angeles that formed in 1985 around guitarist Paul Gilbert, singer Jeff Martin, bassist Juan Alderete, and drummer Harry Gschoesser. The first run produced the Shrapnel albums Street Lethal and Second Heat, followed by the live releases Extreme Volume Live and Extreme Volume II Live, all drawn […]
Games were an American art-rock band from California that released the 1977 album Stargazer on self-press Cascade Court Records. Members: Colleen Fitzpatrick (vocals), David Miller (bass), Stan Tatkin (drums, percussion), David Tatkin (keyboards) Background Games formed in Los Angeles during the mid-1970s as a guitar-less quartet of vocalist Colleen Fitzpatrick, bassist David Miller, drummer-percussionist Stan […]
Maxine “Maxi” Anderson is an American soul singer from Los Angeles who released a 1977 album on Blue Note. Background Maxi emerged in the mid-Seventies as a session vocalist on the LA studio scene. In 1975, she earned her first-recorded credits on two songs (“Tear Down the Walls,” “Breakfast for Two”) on Paradise With an […]
Bad Axe was an American hard-rock band from Los Angeles that made a test-press album in 1976 on Earth Breeze Productions, followed by a 1977 standalone single on Progrezzive Records. Bad Axe gained cult status after a 2004 reissue on Hexamon Records. Members: Stacy Moreland (vocals), Dave Carruth (guitar), Dana Strum (bass), Steve Ward (drums) […]
Etta James (Jan. 25, 1938 — Jan. 20, 2012) was an American soul singer who cut a string of singles for Modern Records during the mid-1950s, charting with “The Wallflower.” Between 1960 and 1970, she released 10 albums on the Chess subsidiaries Argo and Cadet, scoring hits with “At Last,” “Tell Mama,” “Something’s Got a […]
René & Angela were an American soul-funk duo from Los Angeles, formed in 1977 by René Moore and Angela Winbush, both singing keyboardists. The pair made three albums through 1983 on Capitol, closing with the 1985 Mercury release Street Called Desire. Background René & Angela formed in 1977 in Los Angeles when singer-keyboardist René Moore […]
Willie Hutch (Dec. 6, 1944 — Sept. 19, 2005) — was an American soul-funk musician, composer, and producer from Los Angeles. He wrote for the 5th Dimension, co-wrote the Jackson 5 hit “I’ll Be There,” and produced Michael Jackson and Smokey Robinson. Hutch recorded a sequence of Motown albums that yielded R&B hits including “Brother’s […]
Nite City was an American hard-rock band on 20th Century, formed in Los Angeles by ex-Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek. They made the 1977/78 albums Nite City and Golden Days Diamond Nights. Months after the band’s demise, bassist Nigel Harrison resurfaced as Gary Valentine’s replacement in Blondie. Members: Ray Manzarek (keyboards, vocals), Paul Warren (guitar, vocals), […]
Fibonaccis were an American new wave/art-rock band from Los Angeles, named after the Fibonacci numerical sequence where each digit is the sum of its two preceding numbers (0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,etc). They made two 1982/83 indie EPs and the 1987 album Civilization and Its Discotheques. Members: Magie Song (vocals, percussion), Ron Stringer (guitar, bass, vocals, percussion), John Dentino […]
Quartet Music was an American jazz-rock unit from Los Angeles that released three albums between 1981 and 1986 on Nine Winds. Members: Nels Cline (acoustic guitar), Jeff Gauthier (violin), Eric von Essen (bass), Alex Cline (percussion) Background Quartet Music formed in 1979 in Los Angeles when bassist Eric von Essen expanded a trio with guitarist Nels […]
Aurora Borealis was an American jazz-rock band behind a 1982 self-titled album on Red Hot. Members: Mitch DeMatoff (piano, Rhodes electric piano, synthesizer, Moog, Polymoog, Minimoog, Hammond organ), Mike Langland (electric guitar, acoustic guitar), Gene Barrio (bass), Dan Pucillo Jr. (drums, Syndrum) Background Aurora Borealis formed in 1978 in Los Angeles, California, when keyboardist Mitch […]
Affirmation was an American west coast jazz-rock band behind the 1980 album Lost Angeles on Inner City Records, followed by the 1985 Rhombus Records release Identity Crisis. Background Affirmation formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1977 around keyboardist Thom Teresi, guitarist Joe Gaeta, and electric violist Jimbo Ross. The group also included bassist Tom Fowler, […]
Grey & Hanks were an American soul-funk duo comprised of singer Zane Grey and keyboardist Len Ron Hanks. They emerged as mid-Seventies songwriters for Jerry Butler and L.T.D. On RCA Victor, they made the 1978–80 albums You Fooled Me and Prime Time. Background Grey & Hanks began as a songwriting partnership in Chicago around 1968 […]
Agent Steel was an American metal band from Los Angeles that made the 1985–87 albums Skeptics Apocalypse and Unstoppable Force, plus the EP Mad Locust Rising, on Combat Records. Members: Juan García (guitar, 1984-87, 1998-present), Silvio Golfetti (guitar, 1984), Mark Marshall (guitar, 1984), Sill Simmons (guitar, 1984), John Gott (guitar, 1984), Kurt Colfelt (guitar, 1984-85), […]
Klique was an American soul-funk trio from Los Angeles that released four albums between 1981 and 1985 on MCA. They scored R&B hits with “Love’s Dance,” “A Woman, a Lover, a Friend,” and the 1983 chart-topper “Stop Doggin’ Me Around.” Members: Deborah Suthers [Deborah Hunter] (vocals, percussion), Isaac Suthers (vocals, synthesizer, keyboards), Howard Huntsberry (vocals, […]
U Totem was an American avant-rock supergroup formed by members of the 5uu’s and the Motor Totemist Guild. They made the 1990 Cuneiform disc U Totem, followed in 1994 by Strange Attractors. Members: Dave Kerman (drums, percussion), James Grigsby (guitar, bass), Emily Hay (flute, piccolo, vocals), Sanjay Kumar (keyboards, piano, sitar), Eric Johnson (bassoon, soprano […]
The 5uu’s were an American avant-rock band behind the 1986 album Bel Marduk & Tiamat on U:r Records, followed by three albums through 1997 on RēR. On their 1988 release Elements, they teamed with the Motor Totemist Guild. The two parties merged as U Totem, which made two ambitious CDs on Cuneiform, the 5uu’s home […]
The Three O’Clock was an American pop-rock band from Los Angeles. They formed in 1981 as The Salvation Army and cut one album under that name on small-press Frontier Records, which also issued their first two titles as Three O’Clock: the 1982 EP Baroque Hoedown and the 1983 album Sixteen Tambourines. On I.R.S., they made […]
Stepson was an American hard-rock band from Los Angeles that released a 1974 self-titled album on ABC. Three-fourths of the band hailed from Portland psych-rockers Touch. Guitarist Joey Newman also played in Blue Mountain Eagle. Members: Len Fagan (drums), Bruce Hauser (bass, vocals), Jeff Hawks (lead vocals), Joey Newman (guitar, vocals) Background Stepson formed in […]
Yaqui was an American Latin-rock band from Los Angeles that released a 1973 self-titled album on Playboy Records. Percussionist Rudy Regalado recorded multiple albums during the period with El Chicano and later resurfaced in the Zawinul Syndicate. Guitarist Ronnie Reyes and bassist Art Sanchez hailed from psych-rockers Strange Brew. Members: George Ochoa (vocals), Eddie Serrano […]
Tierra was an American Latin-rock band from Los Angeles that made a 1973 self-titled album on 20th Century Records, followed by the 1975 Salsoul release Stranded. They returned with the 1980–82 albums City Nights, Together Again, and Bad City Boys on Boardwalk Entertainment. Their Intruders cover “Together” became a 1981 Billboard hit. Members: Rudy Salas […]
Edna Wright (born 1944) is an American soul singer from Los Angeles who released the 1977 album Oops! Here I Go Again on RCA Victor. She recorded three mid-Sixties singles under the name Sandy Wynns. As one-third of Honey Cone, she had a 1971 No. 1 hit with “Want Ads.” Background Edna Wright was born […]
