North California Groups : P

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These pages were originally made available on the North California Groups website which, unfortunately, no longer exists.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

Played at The Ark in Sausalito with QMS, Ace Of Cups, Freedom Highway and others April 6th/7th 1968.

Featured Ex Beau Brummel Ron Elliott.

Rick Moore
Dave Bartlett
Rick Sweet
Glen Wood

From Richmond.

Don't Take This Love Away/Don't Fight It - Invader 407 - 1965

Played The Straight Theatre 26-27/01/1968 with Sons of Champlin and Mad River. Seem to have been around into the early seventies at least.

Ron Cox - Drums
Mac Leidenthal - Bass
Greg Rolie - Keyboard
Mike Shapiro - Guitar
Neil Holtmann - Vocals
Jack Shelton - Guitar

Blow My Mind / Swami (Thunderbird 502)Nov 1966

Previously the Nomads, later known as William Penn Fyve,

From San Jose. Played Cabrillo College stadium 9-2-67.

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

Gigging in '69, at Golden Gate Park they opened a show that included Country Weather and the Flaming Groovies.
(Thanks to Conrad)

Paul Bassett - Washboard, Drums, Kazoo, Jug, Jaw Harp
John Browne - Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
Davy Coffin - Guitar, Mandolin
John Hendricks - Mandolin, Kazoo, Jug
Nick Ogilvie - Guitar, Harmonica
Steve Mork - Bass, Jug
Chris Robinson - Guitar, Vocals
Mike Rush - Drums

Minglewood Blues/Barefoot John - Piccadilly 241 1967

Originally from Seattle.

Dale Duckett - Bass, Vocals
Ernie Enochson - Drums
Leia Kells - Keyboards
Carlos Newcomb - Bass
Mark Quinn - Vocals, Guitar
Ross Winetsky - Vocals, Guitar

The Clowns Are Coming/Two A Little One - San Francisco Sound 1968

The Phoenix head shop on Haight was owned by Bob Stubbs (aka Sundance Imports), who long ago retired to Maui. Mike Rizor, original rhythm guitarist for the Phoenix band, worked at the head shop. However, that was just coincidence. The band and the shop were named separately and independently. Original members were:

Audie Cunningham - vocals
Mike Rizor - guitar
Stan Muther - lead guitar (formerly w Blue House Basement)
Gary McPike - bass
Tom Hart - drums
Jef Jaisun- bass, vocals (joined 9/67 when Mcpike & Cunningham left)
Tom Dotzler - keyboards, saxaphone, vocals (formerly w Mt. Rushmore joined 4/68)
Warren Phillips - guitar, keyboards, bass, vocals (joined 7/68 (formerly w Mt. R.)
Ed Levin - drums (joined 7/68 - There were 2 drummers - formerly w Mt, R)

Phoenix personnel:

March - September 1967:
Audie Cunningham - vocals
Tom Hart - drums
Michael Rizor - rhythm guitar
Stan Muther - lead guitar
Gary McPike - bass
Jef Jaisun - Road Manager

September 1967: Cunningham and McPike leave, Jef Jaisun joins as bass player. Mid-1968: Mike Rizor leaves; Mt. Rushmore breaks up, Warren Phillips (guitar, vocals), Tom Dotzler (horns, keyboards) Edward Rick Levin (drums) join Phoenix. Phoenix, Santana and the Dead are the only Bay Are bands with two drummers. October '68: Jef Jaisun leaves, Tom Hart leaves, new bass player is Warren's brother

Band lived in Berkeley '68-'69 Jef Jaisun left the band in late '68. Jaisun recorded and released a single called "Freindly Neighborhood Narco Agent" and continued performing as a solo acoustic act. He also was a reporter for the Berkeley Barb. Phoenix was managed by George Smith in association with West Pole. Mt Rushmore was managed by Jim Arnold Productions.

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

Entertaining Man / Crystal Ball Wlp Dec 1965 Gar-Ko 661 (M#59897)

Scott Donaldson - drums
Ed Moss - guitar
John Palmer - bass
Peter Rains - guitar

A garage punk band from Richmond, no recordings. Scott Donaldson was also a member of The Haymarket Riot while John Palmer was in Savage Resurrection.

Mickey? - lead guitar
Grady? - piano
Mick? - vocal and harmonica
Steve? - bass
Karl - drums

Bio pending

Carl Ontis - vcl
Jeff Jensen - gtr
Paul ? - drms
Pete ? - gtr
Bill Leach - bs

From Napa, Ontis was previously in the Warlachs and later in Fort Bragg's Truman Coyote for a very brief time. Later became a respected bluesman using the name Porkpie Phillips.

Appeared at the Straight Theatre November 24th/25th 1968 with Clover and Freedom Highway.

Larry Dags - Guitar
Rich Sigl - Guitar
Marc Willis - Saxophone
Dan Blakkolb - Bass

Starting out as a surf group called the Intruders in 1964, they became The Psy-Kicks in 1965 when they began to be managed by Dick Leventon. Two tracks they recorded at Bill Rase Recording Studios, Summer Tears and The Second Time Around, are on the Sound Of Young Sacramento Big Beat CD.

The Pullice was a quintet from Santa Rosa, in northern California's Sonoma County, whose members went on to help fill out the ranks of a brace of better-known bands. Bruce Brymar (vocals), Bruce Walford (lead guitar), Rich Haines (organ), Dave Shallock (bass), and Don Banducci (drums) were popular locally and auditioned unsuccessfully for the ubiquitous Golden State Recorders. Shallock was later with the Sons of Champlin, while Brymar and Banducci, respectively, ended up with the Ducks and the Flying Circus. The Pullice were heavily influenced by the early Kinks and, based on the evidence of their surviving two tracks, the Pretty Things and Manfred Mann as well, with Walford and Haines sharing the lead instrument duties. They also had a fun attitude toward their music but limited potential, as a basic rock & roll band in an environment that was sprouting new sounds almost weekly in 1965-1966, which is probably why they didn't last. Their two demo tracks have been anthologized on Big Beat's Good Things Are Happening.

Stan Miller
Mark Batterman
Dave Carpender
Steve Nelson

From Berkeley.

Played 09/06/1968 at the Avalon Ballroom with James Cotton Blues Band, Sir Douglas Quintet and Womb.

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

Greg Boykin - Drums
Robbie Dunbar - Guitar
Mike Jones - Vocals
John Sargeant - Guitar
Stan Miller - Bass

Bio pending

No information is available for this group at the present time. Named after a variety of LSD.

From Richmond.

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

A Marin County pop group from 1968 - 1971. Featured Mark Moulin on guitar.