North California Groups : M

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These pages were originally made available on the North California Groups website which, unfortunately, no longer exists.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:

David Robinson - guitar, banjo, tambourine, vocals
Rick Bockner - guitar, vocals
Gregory Dewey - drums, bottle, harp, vocals
Lawrence Hammond - bass, piano, recorder, guitar, vocals
Tom Manning - guitar, bass, vocals

Wind Chimes E P - Wee 1002 1967
Mad River - Capitol ST-2985 1968
Paradise Bar & Grill - Capitol ST-185 1969

Originating in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and known as the Mad River Blues Band, they relocated to Berkeley in early 1967. Soon after they recorded the "Wind Chimes" EP on the Wee label before signing to Capitol for their debut album. A dark and brooding work and atypical of the general S F sound, it became notorious for a mastering mistake which resulted in the album being released with a slightly higher speed and therefore a different pitch. The follow up was produced by the Youngbloods' Jerry Corbitt and was a departure from their previous sound, becoming a kind of acid country mix. They split in 1969.

No information for this group is available at present time

No information for this group is available at present time

No information for this group is available at present time

Brian Barmby - Bass
Jack Giere - Vocals, Keyboards
Rick Jagla - Drums
Glenn Strawn - Lead Guitar
Mike Lillman - Guitar
Ed Scheid - Guitar

45 Since I Met You/I Don't Know How - Skyview 101 1966

A garage group from Sacramento, Brain Barmby had won an audition to join the Beach Boys but was denied the chance by his parents as they felt he was too young. The Marauders also recorded a acetate, Our Last Chance, which was later released on the Gear Fab compilation Psychedelic Crown Jewels Volume 2. They subsequently signed to Elektra and relaesed a 45 under the name Waphphle.

Appeared at the Black Panther Benefit, Fillmore West 06/02/68 with Country Joe & The Fish and The Cleveland Wrecking Company.

Peter Shapiro - guitar
Ray Greenleaf - drums
Steve Dowler - guitar
Dave Dougdale - bass

One of the lost bands of the early S F scene, The Marbles were formed in Berkeley but broke up in early 1966 after appearing at the inaugural concert at the Longshoreman's Hall. Both Shapiro and Dowler were later in Loading Zone.

Don't Walk Out On Me /Realities - Flip-Top 2192 196?

No information for this group is available at present time

Played the Matrix November 8 - 9 1966. Allegedly recorded an e.p.

The Masked Marauders - Deity / Reprise 9378 1968

As a result of a hoax review in Rolling Stone of an supposedly recorded by Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, John Lennon and Paul MaCarntney, Reprise Records recruited members of The Cleanliness And Godliness Skiffle Band to record it and brought in Al Kooper as producer. Featuring pastiches of Jaggeresque numbers like " I Can't get No Nookie", and Donovan's "Season Of The Witch" sung in a Dylan like nasal drawl, it helped to perpetuate the hoax further.

Appeared 1.13.67 Ligure Hall, Oakland with Loading Zone. CNP (Committee For New Politics) Presents a Peace Festival.

C. Boyd
R. Eittreim
Wayne Gardner
J. Jensen

Armageddon - MTA 5012 1969

Starting out as Stonehenge with a female vocalist, they recorded a couple of tracks before becoming Maze and recording their sole album at Golden State Recorders.

Bruce Stephens
Ralph Burns Kellogg
Charles Cockey

Charlie Cockey was a member of the Jaywalkers before forming Melyn Q. Watchpocket with Stephens and Kellog. They split up in late 1967 and Stephens and Kellog went on to form Mint Tattoo and later joined Blue Cheer.

A garage punk outfit from Sacramento, one tracks they recorded for the Bill Rase Recording Studio, "Love, You Funny Thing", was included on the Big Beat Sounds Of Young Sacramento cd.

Its Meridian! / ? - ??
Recorded just one 45.

No information for this group is available at present time, may be a soul group.

Lee Allen - Trumpet
Buddy Miles - Guitar, Composer, Drums, Vocals, Vocals
Charlie Karp - Guitar, Composer, Vocals
Fredrick Allen - Percussion, Vocals
Marlo Henderson - Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals
Bob Hogins - Organ, Trombone, Piano (Electric), Vocals
Andre Lewis - Organ, Vocals, Clavinet
Bill McPherson - Sax (Baritone), Sax (Tenor)
Joel Porter - Trumpet, Vocals
Phil Woods - Flugelhorn, Vocals
Dick Gabriel - Sax (Tenor)
David Hull - Bass, Vocals
Mark Williams - Flute, Sax (Tenor)

Expressway to Your Skull - Mercury SR 61196 1968
Electric Church - Mercury SR 61222 1969
Them Changes - Mercury SR 61280 1970
We Got To Live Together - Mercury SR 61313 1970
A Message to the People - Mercury SRM 1608 1970
Buddy Miles Live - Mercury SRM 7500 1971

Steve Miller - synthesizer, guitar, harmonica, vocals
Boz Scaggs - guitar, vocals
Tim Davis - drums, vocals
Jim Peterman - keyboards
Lonnie Turner - bass
Nicky Hopkins - keyboards
Ben Sidran - keyboards
Curley Cooke - guitar
Ross Valory - bass
Jesse Ed Davis - guitar

Children Of The Future - Capitol ST-2920 1968
Sailor - Capitol ST-2984 1968
Brave New World - Capitol ST-184 1969
Your Saving Grace - Capitol ST-331 1969
Number 5 - Capitol ST-436 1970
Rock Love - Capitol ST-748 1971
Recall the Beginning: A Journey from Eden - Capitol 110022 1972

Ralph Burns Kellogg - bass, Percussion, keyboards, vocals
Bruce Stephens - guitar, kazoo, vocals
Greg Thomas - drums, Percussion

Mint Tattoo were formed in San Francisco in 1968. They released the album in 1969 but split up when Kellogg and Stephens joined Blue Cheer.

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

Peter Lewis - guitar, vocals
Jerry Miller - guitar, vocals
Bob Mosley - bass, vocals
Skip Spence - guitar, drums, vocals
Don Stevenson - guitar, drums, vocals

Moby Grape - Columbia CS 9498 1967
Wow/Grape jam - Columbia CS 9613 1968
'69 - Columbia CS 9696 1969
Truly Fine Citizen - Columbia CS 9912 1970
20 Granite Creek - Reprise 6460 1971

Jim Alaimo - bass, vocals
Jan Errico - drums, vocals
Paul Curcio - guitar, vocals
Dennis DeCarr - drums, vocals
Don Metchick - keyboards

Mojo Magic - GRT 10003 1968

Played 3.25.66 HARMON GYM, UC Berkeley with Jefferson Airplane and Mystery Trend. The Vietnam Day Committee Peace Trip.

Played the Ark at gate 6 Sausalito supporting Blackburn & Snow and the New Tweedy Bros, November 25/26 1966.

Gini Graybeal - percussion, lead vocals
Bob Bohanna - bass, guitar, vocals
Larry Gerughty - organ, piano, harpsichord, vocals
Daniel Nu Delman - guitar, vocals
Allen Wehr - drums

Two Suns Worth - Fontana SRF 67573 1968

Appeared with Great Society, Charlatans and Grateful Dead at the University of California, Berkeley in the Harmon Gym 05/07/66.

Tracy Nelson - Keyboards, Vocals
John Andrews - Guitar
Bob Arthur - Bass, Vocals
Martin Fierro - Saxophone
Mark Naftalin - Keyboards
George Rains - Drums, Saxophone
Ron Stallings - Sax
R.P. St John - Harmonica, Vocals

Revolution (soundtrack) - United Artists 51185 1968
Living With The Animals - Mercury SR-61194 1968
Make A Joyous Noise - Mercury SR 61226 1969
Mother Earth Presents Tracy Nelson Country - Mercury SR 61230 1969
Satisfied - Mercury SR 61270 1970
Bring Me Home - Reprise 6421 1971

Jerry Garcia - guitar, kazoo, banjo, vocals
Ron "PigPen" McKernan - harmonica, vocals
Bob Weir - guitar, washtub bass, footcrasher, jug, kazoo, vocals
Dave Parker - washboard, kazoo, tin cup, vocals
Tom Stone - banjo, mandolin, guitar, vocals
Mike Garbett - washtub bass, guitar, kazoo

Jerry Garcia began "Mother Macree's Uptown Jug Champions in 1964, with Ron "Pigpen" McKernan and Bob Weir; joined by Bill Kreutzmann and Phil Lesh, they WOULD later become the "Warlocks" and then the "Grateful Dead." Live recordings from Palo Alto circa 1964 do exist.

From Richmond.

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

An early predecessor of Tower Of Power, previously going by the names Black Orpheus and The Gotham City Crime Fighters.

Ed Levin - drums
Warren Phillips - guitar,vocal
Thomas Dotzler - organ, saxophone, vocal
Mike Bolan - lead guitar, vocal
Danny Wai - bass
Terry Kimball - bass (replaced Danny Wai in August of '67)
Glenn Smith - guitar vocal (March '68)
Travis Fullerton - drums (68)

High On Mount Rushmore - Dot DLP 25898
'69 - Dot DLP 25934

Formed spring of 1967

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

Sonny Johnson - vocals
Steve Canali - guitar
Johnny Bell - guitar
Jay Garrett - guitar
Thomas O'Bonsawin - guitar
Beau Maggi - vocals
Charlie Garden - bass
Craig Maggi - drums

Satisfaction Guaranteed / Our Fate - Link-MR 1 1966
Evil Hearted You / Get Out Of My Life Woman - Link-MR 2 1966

This San Jose band from the mid-1960s has had a cult following for quite some time based on a tiny handful of local sides that passed from one collector to another, enhancing their rep by word of mouth. This ten-song issue on Sundazed's vinyl only subsidiary label captures them raw 'n' nasty, blasting through some studio covers of Who, Cream and Yardbirds tunes and a brace of their own stuff. Lead singer Beau Maggi was one of the best garage-band Jagger soundalikes, and the band had that nether ground between British fuzztone band and coming psychedelia down pretty darn well; it's all here to enjoy. Early line up featured Dave Aguillar prior to his joing the CWB Played Cabrillo College stadium 9-2-67.

No information for this group is available at present time, presumably a "hippy" group.

Ron Nagle - clavinet, piano, organ, vocals
Bob Cuff - guitar, vocals
Larry Bennett - bass
John Luby - drums, vocals
Larry West - guitar
John Gregory - guitar

Johnny Was A Good Boy / A House On The Hill - Verve VK 10499

From Muir Beach, Marin County. Included Ron Stallings from Mother Earth