Providence was an American folk sextet from Oregon that mixed baroque, chamber, and symphonic sounds on Ever Sense the Dawn, released in 1972 on the Moodies‘ Threshold label. Members: Bob Barriatua (electric bass, vocals), Bartholomew Bishop (lead vocals, piano, harpsichord, organ, autoharp), Jim Cockey (violin, glockenspiel, vocals), Andy Guzie (guitar, vocals), Tim Tompkins (cello, vocals, […]
Pleasure was an American soul-funk band from Portland, Ore., that released six albums on Fantasy between 1975 and 1980, followed by a seventh on RCA Victor in 1982. Members: Marlon McClain (guitar, vocals), Sherman Davis (vocals), Bruce Carter (drums), Donald Hepburn (keyboards, vocals), Nathaniel Phillips (bass, vocals), Bruce Smith (percussion, vocals), Denis Springer (saxophone), Dan […]
Harlequin Mass was an American symphonic-rock band from Portland, Oregon, that released a self-titled album in October 1978 on Mass Productions. The group developed from West Linn high-school projects Aarbyn and Magus, then continued in Seattle as Stubborn Puppet. Members: Lyle Holdahl (bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, strings, synthesizer, piano, organ, bass synthesizer, flute, percussion, […]
Touch was an American psych-rock band from Portland, Ore., that released a self-titled album on London-subsidiary Coliseum (U.S.) and Deram (U.K.) in 1969. Members: Jeff Hawks (vocals), Joey Newman (guitar), Don Gallucci (keyboards), Bruce Hauser (bass), John Bordonaro (drums) Background Touch emerged from the final lineup of Portland popsters Don & The Goodtimes, which featured […]
The Wipers were an American punk band from Portland that released the 1978 maxi-single “Better Off Dead” on self-press Trap, followed by the 1980–81 releases Is This Real?, Alien Boy, and Youth of America on Park Avenue Records. Members: Greg Sage (guitar, vocals, bass), Dave Koupal (bass, 1977-81), Sam Henry (drums, 1977-81), Brad Davidson (bass, […]
Tom Grant (born Feb. 22, 1946) is an American jazz-funk pianist, keyboardist, vocalist, and composer from Portland, Ore. He recorded and toured with Jim Pepper, Woody Shaw, Joe Henderson, Charles Lloyd, and Tony Williams across the Seventies, while the 1976 Mystified opened his leader catalog. The 1981 album You Hardly Know Me yielded the Billboard […]
Ren Woods (born Jan. 1, 1958) is an American soul singer from Portland, Ore., who sang with the trio Sunday’s Child during the early 1970s. She debuted as a solo artist with the 1979 album Out of the Woods on ARC/Columbia, followed by the 1982 Elektra title Azz Izz. Background Ren Woods was born on […]
The Jeff Lorber Fusion was an American jazz-rock band led by keyboardist Jeff Lorber. The group released five albums between 1977 and 1981; their 1980 release Wizard Island topped the Billboard jazz chart. Lorber revived the Fusion name in 2010 for a second run of albums that included the 2017 Grammy-winning Prototype. Members: Jeff Lorber […]
Gary Ogan is an American singer/songwriter from Portland, Ore., who emerged in partnership with musician Bill Lamb on the 1972 Elektra release Portland. In 1977, he issued a self-titled album on Leon Russell’s Paradise Records label. His third album, Let Go the Heart, appeared on small-press Seagull Records in 1982. Gary Ogan taught himself to […]
Wild Dogs were an American metal band from Portland behind the 1983/84 albums Wild Dogs and Man’s Best Friend, followed by the 1987 Enigma release Reign of Terror. Members: Matt McCourt (vocals, bass), Mike Varney (guitar), Michael Brown (guitar), Pete Laufmann (drums), Michael Furlong (vocals), Jeff Mark (guitar), Danny Kurth (bass), Rick Bartell (bass), Deen […]
The Tone Dogs were an American avant-rock band from Portland, Ore., that released two albums on the NW small-press labels C/Z Records and Soleilmoon Recordings between 1989 and 1991. Members: Fred Chalenor (bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals, violin), Amy Denio (guitar, bass, saxophone, drums, vocals), Matt Cameron (drums, vocals, 1988-89), Will Dowd (drums, 1990-91), Henry Franzoni […]
Robin Runge (aka Robin Crow) is an American folk-psych guitarist and composer from Portland, Ore., who released the 1974 album Don’t Give Up the Ship on the Quadrasonic Corp. of America. He then teamed with keyboardist/percussionist Debra Edmon in the duo Robin, which made a different album titled Don’t Give Up the Ship in 1977 […]
Scandal were an American pop-rock band from Eugene, Ore., that released the album Really Worth Waiting For on self-press Pacific Rose Records in 1978. Members: Laurie Tellock (Lead Vocals), Steve Myers (Guitars, Vocals), Tom McCauley (Bass, Vocals), Jim Watson (Drums, Percussion), Steve Larson (Keyboards), Kevne Thompson (Vocals, Percussion) Scandal (1978) Discography: Really Worth Waiting For […]
Shock was an American synth-funk band that debuted with an album on Nebula Circle Records in 1980, followed by three further albums on Fantasy between 1981 and 1983. Members: Marlon McClain, Roger Sause Background Shock formed in January 1979 in Portland when former members of the local groups Ice and Brothers and Friends joined a […]
Quarterflash was an American modern-rock band from Portland that scored a rare NW breakout with “Harden My Heart” and “Find Another Fool” from their 1981 debut album, also noted for “Cruisin’ With the Deuce” and “Valerie,” an early example of girl/girl curiosity. They scored a third hit with “Take Me to Heart” from their 1983 […]
The Lollipop Shoppe was an American garage-rock band based in Portland, Oregon, that released the 1968 album Just Colour on Uni Records. It contains “You Must Be a Witch,” a much-comped heavy psych song noted for its gasping, dramatized vocals. Frontman Fred Cole led numerous garage bands in the ensuing four decades. Members: Fred Cole […]
