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North California Groups : C

The information on the North California Groups pages was compiled by Gray Newell based on research by: Alec Palao, Corry Arnold, Ben Chaput, Joey Dryfka, Mike Dugo, Ross Hannan, Vernon Joynson, Gray Newell, Stephane Rebeschini, Obert Sonsten, Jason Sweitzer Bruce Tahsler and Max Waller.

These pages were originally made available on the North California Groups website which, unfortunately, no longer exists. The pages are provided here as an archive of that site and are currently being updated at irregular intervals.

The information is presented alphabetically by group name:


Group name : A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | XYZ

CALIFORNIA GIRLS

Your Love Puzzles Me / Did I Give Up Too Much Too Soon Doorway 45-6773

Played the Ark in Sausalito with Moby Grape, February 18 1967.



CAPRELLS

Tommy Hartman
Gene Carlock
Gene Colver
John Freeman
Rob Brisbon

From Richmond.



CAPT. ZOOM AKA CAPTAIN ZOOM AND THE ANDROIDS

Robin Reich
Joe Davis
Gary Vasquez
Ron Cornelius

As Capt. Zoom & The Androids
45 Capt. Zoom (Here Comes Captain Zoom)/The Zoom (Dance) A&M 781 1965

As Capt. Zoom
45 Captain Zoom / Astro, The Space Clown Falc 120 1965
45 I Really Want You/Long Tall Texan A&M 785 1965

An early "British Invasion" influenced beat group from Richmond. Ron Cornelius and Joe Davis were later in West . Ron Cornelius recorded a solo LP circa early 70s called Tin Luck. He went on to play session guitar on a variety of projects.



CASPER FLATS JUG BAND

Bob Ross - Autoharp, Kazoo, Vocals
Jan Eno - Guitar, Vocals
David Isakson - Washboard, Bass
Paul Tulley - Jug
Jack Sears - Jug
Walter Wells - Guitar, Mouthharp

From Caspar and formed in 1967, Caspar Flats Jug Band performed blues, jazz and mountain music as wall as good time Jug band music. S F poet Lew Welch managed them up until the early 70's. One of the later line-ups included Gene Parsons on drums. They disbanded in the early 1990's.

Thanks to Bob Ross.



CAVE DWELLERS

Meditation/Night Runner Baytown BT-003/004 1968
From Pleasanton.



CELESTIAL HYSTERIA

From S F an Airplane style group with female vocalist, they recorded some demos around 1969.

Celestial Hysteria played at the Straight in 1968;Could have been on a show with Allman Joy; Celestial Hysteria was sought after by Seymour Stein on Sire Records; Being under age the parents would not let them sign the record contract Stein offered; They played often at Dino and Carlo's in North Beach, in Berkeley and did an audition performance at Fillmore-West; Professor John Barsotti of SF State was the keyboard player;



THE CHARLATANS

Mike Ferguson - Piano
George Hunter - Vocals, Autoharp
Sam Linde - Drums
Richard Olsen - Bass
Mike Wilhelm - Guitar
Dan Hicks - Drums, Guitar, Vocals
Lynn Hughes - Vocals

1969 Charlatans - Phillips 600 309
1969 The Amazing Charlatans - Big Beat CDWIKD 138

The Charlatans have the honour of being the very first of the S F underground bands, having formed in the summer of 1964. In 1965 they took up a residency at the Red Dog Saloon in Virginia City, Nevada helping to start the whole West Coast acid head phenomenon including the production by George Hunter of what was allegedly the first psychedelic poster. The barmaid at the Red Dog Saloon was Lynn Hughes who often provided guest vocals for the Charlatans.

They eventually relocated back to San Francisco where they scored a deal with Kama Sutra for whom they cut an album worth of material. Unfortunately this was shelved after the record company got cold feet and ditched the band in an overreaction to the cover of Buffy St. Marie's Codine that was slated for release as their first 45. After this Mike Ferguson and Lynn Hughes left to join Tongue and Groove and Dan Hicks left to form Dan Hicks And His Hot Licks. George Hunter left to concentrate on his painting. The remaining members recruited replacements and produced an album for Phillips in 1969. When that failed to turn the tide of their fortunes they called it quits. In 1996 Big Beat released a collection of the Charlatans early recordings, including the unreleased Karma Sutra album.



CHELSEA SIDECAR

From Sacramento, they have two previously unissued recordings, Thinking of You / Special Girl, on the Big Beat release The Sound Of Young Sacramento.



CHILDREN OF STONE

Dave Carruthers - Lead Guitar
Frances Gorre - Vocals
Erv Nagy - Bass
Ray Nakamoto - Vocals, Guitar
Tim Stover - Organ
Rick Taylor - Drums

45 He Is Mine/Mary, Can't You See - Love 146/7 1967

Based in the North Highlands suburb of Sacramento, they split up in late 1967.



CHOCOLATE WATCHBAND

Dave Aguilar - Vocals
Mark Loomis - Guitar
Bill Flores - Bass
Sean Tolby - Guitar
Gary Andrijasevich - Drums

1967 No Way Out - Tower 5096
1968 The Inner Mystique - Tower 5106
1969 One Step Beyond - Tower 5153

From Los Altos, California, and formed at Foothill Junior College, The Chocolate Watchband had close links with The Other Side, having an exchange of members in 1965. The Chocolate Watchband Subsequently came under the influence of Ed Cobb who got the band signed to Tower Records in 1966. The groups debut album was a mix of punky r & b numbers and spacey instrumentals, the Chocolate Watchband being responsible for the raw garage sounds and session musicians for the "exploito" psych numbers, giving No Way Out a schizophrenic feel. Under Cobb's direction the formula was continued on the next album, The Inner Mystique, actually having one side devoted to work by session musicians and the other to Watchband, most of which seem to have been outtakes from the sessions for the first album. The band then split but some members regrouped with additional personnel for 1969's One Step Beyond, comprising all original material in a heavier acid rock vein.

www.chocolatewatchband.com



CHOSEN FEW

Gary Wagner
Mike Dure - Guitar
Bob Segarini - Guitar, Vocals
Vann Slatter - Drums

1965 I Think It's Time/Nobody But Me - Autumn 17 45

Originally known as Gary Wagner and Thee, the single was later re-released on the Autumn subsidiary label Northbeach. Bob Segarini went on Family Tree and subsequently Roxy and The Wackers.



CHOSEN FIVE

Ed Sanchez
Bob Russel
Henry Beer
Pete Manillas
Lloyd Parata

From Richmond.



CHOSEN FOR

From San Pablo were contemporaries of Savage Resurrection and The Purple Earthquake and a part of the Maple Hall Scene. Some of the personnel went on to be in West on Epic Records.



CIA AKA CIA CHANGE AKA CITIZENS FOR INTERPLANETARY ACTIVITY

This San Franciscan group recorded the soundtrack music for the 23 minute underground film Kusama's Self Obliteration in 1967. Apparently very much in the Red Crayola mode, it has been released on a one sided record. Featured Win Hardy on guitar, Paul Kilb piano and Ted Berk, chanting and words.



CIRCUS

No information is available for this group at the present time.



CLEANLINESS AND GODLINESS SKIFFLE BAND

Brian Vorhees - Vocals, Guitar
Richard Saunders - Bass
Anne Johnstone - Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin
Phil Marsh - Vocals, Guitar
Hank Bradley - Vocals, Mandolin, Fiddle
Chicken Hirsch - Drums

1968 The Cleanliness And Godliness Skiffle Band's Greastest Hits Vanguard VSD79285

An "acid skiffle" group, Hirsch had previously played with Blackburn & Snow and was a memeber of Country Joe & The Fish when he helped out by playing drums on this album. They also recorded an album for Reprise in 1969 as The Masked Marauders (see entry for Masked Marauders). The original lineup of CGSB was Annie Johnston, Phil Marsh, Will Scarlett, Dan Paik and Carlin Arriola (exact configuration of instruments was unclear). The CGSB was formed at the Jabberwock club in Berkeley, and featured former members of the Instant Action Jug Band, the "house" band at the `Wock. A more famous outgrowth of the Instant Action Jug Band was Country Joe and The Fish.

Sanders, Voorhees and Bradley subsequently replaced the other three, and Gary Salzman was a member too at some point. Phil Marsh went on to play with Country Joe McDonald in the 1970s.



CLEVELAND WRECKING COMPANY

Poet Gary Gach had links with this outfit. They supported the Grateful Dead at Torrence, Ca. 10/18-19/68 and played the Peace And Freedom Concert 4/10/67.

Recieved this email awhile back concerning the Cleveland Wrecking Co from a later member, Patrick Weldon.

I knew Jim Moscoso and still am in touch with his brother the artist Victor Moscoso.

The Cleveland Wrecking Company, during my watch, was a 7pc. Jazz Rock group. Jim Lowe; B-3 Keyboard, Maggie Lowe; Lead Vocal, Norman Beale; Lead Guitar, George Kohler; Rythym Guitar; Lenny Combs; Drums, Peter Punselli; Horns and myself as Bassist. I played an electric Gibson EB3 and Fender Precision.

Jim and Norm steered the group and never had an interest in recording as an adjunct to promoting the band. I do recall a reel to reel tape of the band being submitted to a local Jazz radio station in San Mateo and we got some play. To my knowledge, no recording(s) survive.

The name Moscoso is not familiar to me. I got into the group when we rehearsed at USF and the band was already established. The 7pc group walked away, in a huff, at a gig in 1972. There was an attempt to bring the group back @ 1 year later. At that time another fella named Pat was playing a Stand-up Bass with Jim and Norman.

Currently I have three groups that I perform in and I'm on the Board of Directors of The California Saw Players Association. My Bluegrass group is "The Bladegrass Shmadegrass Boys" and we're using hand and garden tools as part of our instrumentation (still coloring outside the lines). My Celtic/Irish group "The Fried Blarney Bros." plays traditional music. Lastly, I have a group called Ironfire which combines Appalachian Traditional and Fiddle Tunes.



CLOVER

Alex Call - Vocals, Guitar
John Giambotti - Bass, Vocals, Guitar
Mitch Howie - Drums
John McFee - Pedal Steel, Lead Guitar, Piano, Vocals
Ed Bogas - Fiddle, Piano Producer

1970 Clover - Fantasy
1971 Forty Niner - Fantasy 8405

Developing out of The Tiny Hearing Aid Company from Tamalpais High School, Clover played a mix of West Coast and Country Rock sounds. They were signed to Fantasy under the patronage of Creedence Clearwater Revival's John Fogerty. They continued as an active group way into the seventies, even backing Elvis Costello on some early recordings.



COACHMEN

Brian Costello - Vocals, Guitar
Mike Davies - Guitar
Rick Fitzpatrick - Vocals, Guitar
Skip Kelly - Bass
Paul Kern - Drums, Vocals

45 And That's Why/Money - Esar 107/8 1965

A British invasion influenced beat group from the Sacramento area.



COLD BLOOD

Lydia Pense - Vocals
Larry Field - Guitar
Rod Ellicott - Bass
Frank Davis - Drums
David Padron - Trumpet
Larry Jonutz - Trumpet
Jerry Jonutz - Saxophone
Danny Hull - Saxophone
Raul Matute - Keyboards

1969 Cold Blood - San Francisco Records SD200
1970 Sisyphus - San Francisco Records SD205

One of the horn bands from SF who played a mix of soul and blues, Cold Blood are best remembered for the powerful vocals of Lydia Pense. They continued to record through the 1970's.



COLLAGE

Performed at the Fillmore Auditorium, 05/05/67 with The Grateful Dead, The Paupers and Alive.



COLLECTION

Virginia Garcia - Vocals
The Collection have 2 sides of a projected 45 included on the Big Beat CD What A Way To Come Down: "Shoot Me Through" And "He Was A Friend Of Mine."



COLOSSAL POMEGRANATE

Formerly known as The Induction Centre, they originated from Walnut Creek, and recorded some demos in a punky vein. They later became The Colossal Pomegranate and played the Tour De Mar Race And Folk Rock Concert in August 1966 at Pescadero, California with The Grateful Dead and Quicksilver Messenger Service.



COLORS

Colors played The Matrix 14 - 16th July 1967 and again 22 - 27th August 1967 with AAA and Blue Cheer.



COMPLEX NETWORK

No information is available for this group at the present time.



COTTON & MUD

Bob Veerkamp
Dan Nelson - lead guitar, vocals
Bob Webber - bass
Ted Wessman - drums

Super Screw EP, Briar VC 1320, 1969

From Auburn, they recorded an extremely scarce 3 track EP in 1969 featuring the tracks; Superscrew, Get Out My Life Woman and Change of Seasons. Superscrew can be heard on the Frantic Records 2009 CD Luv's So Free.



CURLEY COOK'S HURDY GURDY BAND

James Curley Cook - guitar
Doug Kilmer - bass

James Curley Cook played guitar with Steve Miller and A B Skhy and this was a short lived outfit he headed in between. They appeared at the Straight Theatre with The Allmen Joy, Flamin' Groovies and Petrus May 17/18 1968. He had previously released a 45 on the Norcur label in 1966 Avalanche/Long Road To Nowhere as Curley Cook And The Versitones.



COUNT FIVE

Sean Byrne - Vocals, guitar
Craig Atkinson - Drums
Kenn Elner - Vocals
John Michalski - Lead Guitar
Roy Chaney - Bass

Psychotic Reaction - Double Shot DSM 1001 1967

The San Jose outfit whose finest moment was the extremely successful and much covered Psychotic Reaction 45.



COUNTRY JOE AND THE FISH

Country Joe McDonald - Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica
Barry Melton - Guitar
Bruce Barthol - Bass
David Cohen - Keyboards, Vocals
Chicken Hirsch - Drums

1967 Electric Music For The Mind And Body (Vanguard Vsd 79244)
1967 I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die (Vanguard Vsd 79266)
1969 Together (Vanguard Vsd 79277
1969 Here We Are Again (Vanguard Vsd 79299)
1970 C J Fish (Vanguard Vsd 6555)

Country Joe & The Fish produced one of the acknowledged classics of sixties psychedelia with their debut album Electric Music For The Mind And Body. Joe MacDonald had previously been a member of The Berkeley String Quartet and had played with Barry Melton and Bruce Barthol in the Instant Action Jug Band before forming The Fish in 1965. Their follow up album I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixing-To-Die was another excellent collection of psychedelic compositions and they continued recording in various incarnations throughout the remainder of the decade. Country Joe has also had a successful solo career.



COUNTRY WEATHER

Bill Baron - Drums
Dave Carter - Bass, Vocals
Steve Derr - Guitar, Vocals
Greg Douglass - Lead Guitar, Vocals

1968 Promo One Sided 12" 4 Track Album - No Label

Originally known as The Virtues the group changed their name to Country Weather in 1967. In 1968 they recorded some material which was eventually distributed as a one-sided 12" promo album of only 50 copies. Comprised of four tracks, Time Is Leaving Me Behind, New York City Blues, Carry A Spare and Fly To New York, it eventually turned up on the California Acid Folk compilation. RD Records are planning on releasing a compilation of live and previously unheard studio recordings.



THE CRABS

No information is available for this group at the present time.



CRAZY HORSE

Ken McCall - Vocals
Rick Jackson - Guitar, vocals
Bobby Cole - Bass, Vocals
Tim Edgington - Bass, Vocals
Gary Boyer - Guitar
Brian Bahr - Drums

Not to be confused with the Danny Whitten led outfit of the same name that backed Neil Young for a time, this particular Crazy Horse were based in Merced in the San Joaquin valley. They performed all over Northern CA. appearing at the Fillmore West with Crystal Syphon and San Paku, the Gathering of the Tribes in Speedway Meadows, as well as opening for Fleetwood Mac, Big Brother & The Holding Company, and Santana. Gary Boyer had previously played with The Tokays, Ken McCall came from Nimitz Highway, and Rick Jackson and Bobby Cole had been with The Profits. Cole left and was replaced by Tim Edgington and soon afterwards McCall also left, leaving the act as a four piece. When the Neil Young's Crazy Horse came into prominence a name change was required and the Merced Crazy Horse became A Tear and A Smile, taken from the title of a book by Khalil Gibran. They eventually split up in 1970.

Thanks to Rick Jackson.



CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL

John Fogerty - Vocals, Guitar
Tom Fogerty - Vocals, Guitar
Doug Clifford - Drums
Stu Cook - Bass

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fantasy 8382 - 1968 Lp
Bayou Country - - Fantasy 8387 - 1969 Lp
Green River - - Fantasy 8393 - 1969 Lp
Willy And The Poor Boys - - Fantasy 8397 - 1969 Lp
Cosmo's Factory - - Fantasy 8402 - 1970 Lp
Pendulum - - Fantasy 8410 - 1970 Lp
Mardi Gras - - Fantasy 9404 - 1972 Lp

Originally known as the Golliwogs, Creedence Clearwater Revival went on to be one of the most popular groups rock groups of the late sixties. They broke up in 1972.



CROME SYRCUS

John Garborit - Guitar
Rod Pilloud - Drums
Dick Powell - Jaw Harp, Keyboards
Lee Graham - Vocals, Bass, Flute
Ted Shreffler - Keyboards

1968 Love Cycle - Command RS925

From Seattle, Crome Syrcus became a regular attraction on the S F Ballroom circuit.



CROWFOOT

Russell DaShiel - Guitar Vocals Bass Keyboards
Rick Jaeger - Drums
Don Francisco - Drums Percussion Vocals
Sam McCue - Guitar Vocals
Bill Meeker - Drums
Bill Sutton - Bass

45 Travel in Time (Mono/stereo) - ABC Paramount 11315 Oct. 1971
LP Crowfoot - Paramount 265 - 1970
LP Find The Sun - ABC ABCS-745 1971

Rick Jaeger, Sam McCue and Russell DaShiel were all previously in A B Skhy.



CRUSADER RABBIT

Featuring former members of the Soul Vendors and The Apollo's, Crusader Rabbit was a soul combo from Oakland.



CRYSTAL GARDEN

45 Peach Fuzz Forest/ Flash Baytown 11/12 1969
From San Leandro.



CRYSTAL IMAGE

From Stockton



CRYSTAL SEA ROCK BAND

No information is available for this group at present time.



CRYSTAL SYPHON

Jeff Sanders - vocals
Tom Salles - guitar vocals
Jim Sanders - guitar
Dave Sprinkel - keyboards vocals
Bob Greenlee - bass
Marvin Greenlee - drums

LP: Family Evil, Roaratorio, 2012

From Merced, Crystal Syphon evolved out of The Morelochs. Mixing West Coast moves with flawless four part harmonies, they were a popular attraction, playing alongside Country Joe and the Fish, Jefferson Airplane, The Youngbloods, Santana, and many others. Tom Salles, Bob Greenlee, and Jeff Sanders would go on to Boogeyman. The Family Evil LP is a collection of studio and live recordings made between 1967 and 1968.


Last updated June 2012