North California Groups : S
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 These pages were originally made available on the North California Groups website which, unfortunately, no longer exists.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
SABLE
Appeared at the Aquarian Family Festival, Santa Cruz Showgrounds, San Jose 1969.
SADDHU BRAND
From Fairfax.
SALVATION
Al Linde - vocals
Artie McLean - bass
Joe Tate - guitar
U.S. of Arthur (Art Resnick) - keyboards
Teddy Stewart - drums
Bio Pending
SAN ANDREAS FAULT FINDERS
Performed at the United Farm Workers' Benefit with Quicksilver Messenger Service 10/07/66. And as San Andreas Fault at the family Dog March 22-24, 1968 with Seigal Schwall, Kaleidoscope and Savage Resurrection
SAN FRANCISCO YEAST BAND
No information is available for this group at the present time.
SAN GEET
No information is available for this group at the present time.
SANPAKU
A popular Sacramento based psych rock band influenced by The Sons Of Champlin with a horns/soul/rock style. Recorded some demos.
SANTANA
Carlos Santana - Guitar, Vocals
Michael Shrieve - Drums
Neal Schon - Guitar
Luis Gasca - Trumpet
Jos‚ Chepit˘ Areas - Percussion, Conga, Timbales
Gregg Rolie - Organ, Piano, Keyboards, Vocals
Coke Escovedo - Percussion
David Brown - Bass
Mike Carabello - Percussion
Bio Pending.
SAVAGE RESURRECTION
Bill Harper - Percussion, lead vocals
Randy Hammon - lead guitar, vocals
John Palmer - lead guitar, vocals
Steve Lage - bass, vocals
Jeff Myer - drums
Bio Pending.
SEATRAIN
Roy Blumenfeld - drums, Percussion
Richard Greene - violin, strings
John Gregory - guitar, vocals
Don Kretmar - saxophone, bass
Andy Kulberg - bass, flute
Bio Pending.
SECOND COMING
Based in Berkeley, circa 1966 to 1968. The line up featured John Francis Gunning on drums and Lonnie Turner on bass. Gunning had been the original drummer for Country Joe & The Fish whilst Turner later joined the Steve Miller Blues Band. They may have recorded demos for Elektra records.
SECOND GENERATION
From Citrus Heights, Sacramento, Second Generation featured Skip Hilliard and Scott Goodman who later were ain The Walking Flour.
SENSORY TASK
No information is available for this group at the present time.
SERPENT POWER
David Meltzer - guitar, harmonica, vocals
Tina Meltzer - vocals
Denny Ellis - rhythm guitar
David Stenson - bass
John Payne - organ
Clark Coolidge - drums
J.P. Pickens - electrified 5-string banjo (on Endless Tunnel)
Bio Pending.
SHADES OF JOY
Martin Fierro - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, vocals
Jackie King - guitar, sitar
Edward Adams - bass
Jymm Young - piano, flugelhorn
Jose Rodrigues - drums, tambourine
Millie Foster - vocalist
Lee Charlton - sound effects, one string violin
Howard Wales - organ, electric piano
Bye Bye Love / Andy's Dream - Fontana 1637 1969
Shades Of Joy - Fontana SRF-67592 - 1969
Music Of El Topo - Douglas 6 - - 1970
A studio based outfit who recorded their debut psych funk album in San Francisco. Martin Fierro assembled a different set of musicians, including Howard Wales, to record the soundtrack for the film El Topo under the supervision of film director Alejandro Jodorowsky.
SHANGO
Some Things A Man's Gotta Do / Walking In The Sunshine (M#81086) 1970 Abc Dunhill D-4242
SHE
From Sacramento
RED SHEPARD & THE FLOCK
Personnel incl:
RED SHEPARD vcls A
45:
1 She's A Grabber/I Can't Hold On (PS) (Philips 40398) 1966
A five-piece (the 45 came in a picture sleeve). She's A Grabber is very punkish grunge.
Red Sheppard also had a spell in Seatrain and performed in the Hollywood version of the musical 'Hair'. He was quoted in "Easyrider" magazine circa 1970 as also being a sometime member of Salvation.
Compilation appearances include: She's A Grabber on Victims Of Circumstances, Vol. 1 (LP), Garage Zone, Vol. 2 (LP) and The Garage Zone Box Set (LP).
(Vernon Joynson/Richard McGrath)
SHILLINGS
Also known as the English Shillings, this Oakland, CA-based quintet affected something of a British Invasion style initially, but despite that pretension, was good enough to rate a single release from Fantasy Records in early 1965 on the label's Scorpio Records imprint. Alas, "Not the Least Bit True" b/w "It Was My Mistake" never went anywhere, and neither did the group with Fantasy. A small body of unissued demos, dating from the spring of 1966, reveals them as a less affected and rather charismatic outfit, capable of playing attractive, very energetic garage punk, with good playing by guitarists Greg Cahill and David Guilder
SHIVER
Personnel:
DON PECK drms A B
NEIL PERON bs A B
TERRY "HOOK" SALUGA vcls A
FRANK TWIST ld gtr, vcls A B
ALBUM:
1(B) SHIVER (Rockadelic ) 2000
NB: (1) reissued on CD (Shadoks Music 023) 2001.
Based in San Francisco, this group recorded some tapes in 1972, which were finally released by Rockadelic in 2000. Five long jamming guitar cuts with screaming vocals on Fixer and Bone Shaker and an amazing track called Alpha Man, fifteen minutes of flowing West Coast guitar leads combined with heavy rock riffs.
The CD reissue contains four bonus cuts and a liner where Don Peck recounts the band's history.... His first real band was in Dallas in 1967 - The Hungry Freaks who adopted a heavy "badass" image and covered the likes of The Animals, Them, Stones and 13th Floor Elevators. When they split he joined the black R&B combo Les Watson and The Panthers who recorded on Ike Turner's Vesuvius label.
He'd been flitting back and forth twixt Dallas and San Francisco, where his sister lived and in 1969 he decided to settle there. At the end of the year Shiver came together and over the next three or so years became a popular attraction, particularly with the biker fraternities.
Vocalist Saluga was known for his short fuse and wasn't averse to using the metal arm appendage that gave him his nickname. As a result he was fired numerous times, whereupon Frank Twist would take up vocal duties. During their lifespan they also went under the names Pacific Thrust, Kid Courage, and Terry Saluga's Riff Raff.
(Stephane Rebeschini/Max Waller)
SHORT YELLOW
Short Yellow have two tracks on the What A Way to Come Down compilation; Highway Highway and Start Seeing, which feature male and female Airplane like vocals. The lead singer was Sandy Gurley who later recorded her own album on Tower.
SIDEMINDERS
A Monterey garage band circa 1966.
SILVER BLIMP
No information is available for this group at the present time.
SINNERS
You Don't Love Me / I Like The Look Of You Wlp 1965 Mercury 72388
A Change / Goin' Out Of My Mind 1965 Mercury 72453
SIT-INS
A popular S F peninsular garage band, 66-67.
SKINS
Appeared at the Fillmore Batman Dance & Film Festival 18/03/66 with Mystery Trend, Family Tree, Great Society, Gentleman's Band, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Big Brother and the Holding Company.
SKY BLUE
Featured vocalist Anna Rizzo, appeared at the Sky River Rock Festival.
SLIPPERY GULCH BAND
No information is available for this group at the present time.
SLY & THE FAMILY STONE
Bio Pending
SMOKE
Eddie Beyer - Keyboards
Richard Floyd - Bass, Guitar, Vocals
Earl Finn - Bass, Keyboards, Guitar
Johnny Orvis - Vocals, Guitar, Banjo
Phil Parker - Drums
Carry On Your Idea - UNI 73052 1969
At George's Coffee Shop - UNI 73065 1969
Originating in Houston Texas and known as The Nomads, they changed their name to Smoke and joined the migration to the West Coast and San Francisco. They had a reputation as a biker boogie band. Played at The Ark in Sausalito with QMS, Ace Of Cups, Freedom Highway and others April 6th/7th 1968.
SMOKESTACK LIGHTNING
Bio Pending
SNUH
No information is available for this group at the present time.
SONS OF CHAMPLIN
Bill Champlin - Guitar, Keyboard, Saxophone, Vocals
Geoffrey Palmer - Bass, Keyboards, Saxophone, Vocals
Bill Bowen - Drums
Tim Caine - Saxophone
Terry Haggerty - Guitar
Al Strong - Bass
Bio Pending
SOPWITH CAMEL
Martin Beard - bass
Peter Kraemer - keyboards, flute, vocals
Terry MacNeil - guitar, keyboards
Norman Mayell - drums, sitar
William Sievers - guitar
Bio Pending
SOUND MACHINE
Ty Tolomei - organ
Wayne Ceballos - guitar
Lee Better - drums
Wayne Ceballos was later in Aum
SOUL INJECTION
No information for this group is available at present time, probably a soul outfit.
SOUL OWNERS
From Menlo Park. I Cant Hide/I'll Cry, 2 previously unreleased recordings, are included on Good Things Are Happening
SOULTONS
Chuck Cali - guitar
Steve Ehrat - drums
Armando Reyes - bass
Frank Bringino - guitar
Bob Watkins - vocals
Baby I Don't Know/Rain Down Soul Bay Town BT-005/006 1968 (credited to the "Soul Tans")
Proud Mary/Cloud Nine - Jaguar 1970
From Hayward.
the group wasn't really together that long. From about 1966-1971 then we had a guy go in the service, we changed drummers and eventually split up and formed other groups...sound familiar!
I was the last one to join the Soultons playing lead guitar. Steve Ehrat on drums, Armando Reyes on bass, Frank Bringino on guitar. We had a couple of keyboardists from time to time but they didn't work out for whatever reasons. We went to high school together.
The band (when I joined) had a black lead singer named, Bob Watkins. He was actually still in the Navy and about 9 years older than us so we always had someone to buy the beer! Bob was a good singer for that time, much better than we were and we did a lot of Motown stuff with him. We won a couple of battle of the bands with him. He eventually quit the band and moved back to New Jersey where his folks lived. Then another high school friend joined, Richard Navarro who did vocals. In 1968 we added 2 horns.
Chris Vasquez on Trumpet and Dennis Buldo on Sax. They went to high school together, I met Dennis in the fall of '68 at business college. This gave us much more versatility especially with groups like Chicago coming on the scene. And that was pretty much the core of the band until we broke up. (see footnote)
We recorded Rain Down Soul on some fly-by-night label, Baytown I believe and released it as a forty-five. Boy that was a 100 years ago huh!!!
The record was very poorly recorded and of course the writing wasn't good either. It went nowhere as anyone with talent would have realized. Then after Bob quit the band and before Richard, we did a remake of Cloud 9 (instrumental) by the Temptations. We also covered Proud Mary on the flip side. That was actually the song we were going to push. Until about a month later Ike and Tina Turner came out with their lame version! kidding, I loved their version, still do. (our label Jaguar records was an independent label owned by our then agent, Barry Wineroth)
So we got some airplay out of Cloud 9 at a small station in Monterey, CA (KMBY I think) They had this thing on Sunday nights like, battle of the new Artists or something. They put our record up agains 8 others and we won a particualar Sunday night. That meant they would add it to their play list for 1 month. So we got air play, put records in the local stores. Some records sold on their own and the rest we would go up or send people in to buy up the rest of the records. Then slowly it moved up the chart. I think we got as high as like #9 one week and a guy came out to see us from Liberty Records at one of our next gigs. Unfortunately for us we really weren't that talented and the guy could see that we didn't have any original songs. So they never approached us about a contract or anything. Our record ended up being #33 on the year's Top 100 list for KMBY so we were pretty happy about that.
But that was about it, the highlights. Everyone's moved on and still playing music except Frank Bringino. And I stopped playing with a band about a year ago but I started a booking agency in 1993 which is now called, C.A.Cali Productions. www.caliproductions.com
Well that's about it Gray sorry for the delay, hope that helps. Let me know if you get this all together in book form or whatever I'd like to get few copies for the guys if they're not too expensive. Thanks again. Chuck Cali
****FOOTNOTE: In Dec. of 1970 we were asked to back up Odia Coates a black female vocalist who later performed with Paul Anka on a record called Having My Baby. We did 3 weeks with her at Harrah's Casino hotel in Reno, NV. After that we changed drummers to a gentleman named, Dave Daly who now resides in Las Vegas and still plays from time to time. We wer supposed to go out on the road after Reno but the agent didn't pull it off and the gigs fell through, that was pretty much the end of the band.
SOUL VENDORS
Get Out Of My Eye / Shake A Tailfeather (Nashville West Recording Studios acetate)
Formerly known as the Apollo's, Soul Vendors were a garage band from Oakland from late 1965-66. They recorded some demos.
SOUNDS OF PICARDY
No information is available for this group at the present time.
SOUND 70
There Is No Reason (Mijji 3002) 1:59 (1967) B-side is "Seven Day Fool." From Belmont/San Carlos on the San Francisco peninsula and put out two 45s in 1967. There Is No Reason is a phenomenal Garage-Psych classic that should have been reissued years ago. Sound 70 had a connection to another band called "The Bundles." Their second 45 was "One Too Many Mournings / Chicago Blues" (Mijji 3004) 1967
SOUTH BAY EXPERIMENTAL FLASH
Appeared at the Aquarian Family Festival, Santa Cruz Showgrounds, San Jose, 1969, and played 11/08/69 Fillmore Auditorium - San Francisco with the Grateful Dead and Alligator.
THE SPARROW
John Kay - Guitar, Harmonica, Harp, Vocals
Dennis Edmonton - Guitar, Vocals
Jerry Edmonton - Drums, Theremin, Vocals
Goldy McJohn - Keyboards
Nick St. Nicholas - Bass, Vocals
Bio Pending
SPRING FEVER
Stop!/You Made My Life - Capitol 2337 1968
STAINED GLASS
Jim McPherson - bass, vocals
Bob Rominger - guitar
Dennis Carrasco - drums
Tom Bryant - guitar
If I Needed Someone/How Do You Expect Me - RCA 47-8889 1966
My Buddy Sin/Vanity Fair - RCA 47-8952 1966
We Got A Long Way To Go/Corduroy Joy - RCA 47-9166 1967
A Scene In Between/Mediocre Me - RCA 47-9354 1967
Lady In Lace/Soap And Turkey - Capitol 2178 1968
Fahrenheit/Twiddle Me Thumb - Capitol 2372 1969
Gettin' On's Gaffing Rough/The Necromancer - Capitol 2521 1969
Crazy Horse Roads - Capitol ST 154 1969
Aurora - Capitol 242 1969
Stained Glass were formed in San Jose in 1966. The original line-up was Jim McPherson, Bob Rominger Dennis Carrasco and Roger Hedge which had also been the line up for The Trolls. The group released their first single, a Beatles cover, in 1966. Three further singles were released on RCA over the next year and a half including We Got a Long Way to Go which was a big local hit. RCA released the group in 1968 and they signed with Capitol. Their first LP was released in early 1969 with a second LP following later in the year. During 1969 Tom Bryant replaced Bob Rominger who had played on the first LP. Neither album nor the associated singles were successful and the group split before the end of 1969, later reforming as the Christian Rapid Group circa 1970.
STANLEY & THE FOUR FENDERMEN
Gary Lucas - bass
Bob Manning - drums
Stanley Weisenberger - vocals
Ron Stearns - organ
Dana Scholtz - guitar
ANDREW STAPLES
Group B adopted this name after they lost their original drummer and got Danny Mihm (pre- Flamin' Groovies) in, just prior to Dickie Peterson bailing from the group to form Blue Cheer. A standard garage blues band, their big original number was called "Fillmore Love". Live tapes are rumoured to exist.
STEPPENWOLF
John Kay - Guitar Vocals
Goldy McJohn - Keyboards
Michael Monarch - Guitar Vocals
Jerry Edmonton - Drums
Nick St Nicholas - Bass
Bio Pending
STEVE LOCK FRONT
No information is available for this group at the present time.
ST GEORGE & THE DRAGONS
Kurt Bischoff Drums
George Castillo Guitar
Sid Cunningham Bass
John Sharp Vocals, Guitar
Dave Deighton.
45 Trust Me/Donna Alone - Dragon 131/2 1966
From Sacramento, Trust me is on Big Beat's Sound Of Young Sacramento CD. George Castillo and John Sharp later formed The Kix.
STONEGROUND
Sal Valentino - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, tambourine, vocals
Tim Barnes - lead guitar, bottleneck guitar, vocals
John Blakeley - bass, rhythm guitar
Michael Mau - drums
Luther Bildt - guitar, vocals
Pete Sears - keyboards, bass
Lynne Hughes - vocals
Deirdre LaPorte - vocals
Lydia Phillips - vocals
Annie Sampson - vocals
Ron Nagle - keyboards, Percussion, inspiration
Bio Pending
STONE HENGE AKA STONE HINGE
Originally known as the Donnybrookes in Fairfield, they recorded a few tracks as Stone Henge/Stone Hinge before changing their name to Maze and releasing an album on MTA.
STRAWBERRY WINDOW
Steve Wilson - guitar
Jack Eskrich - guitar
An Oakland combo, they recorded some sessions at Golden State Recorders before changing their name to Dandelion Wine.
STUART LITTLE BAND
Played The Matrix 19 - 20 October ?
STYX
Don Branch - organ, vocals
Dave Digardi - guitar
Steve Fellion - drums
Bruce Graves - bass
Russ Slankard - rhythm guitar
My Girl / Stay Away (Frantic CR-2125/6,)
From St Helena in the Napa Valley, the Styx had developed out of the Earwigs, a High School combo, and quickly became a popular local attraction. They auditioned for Fantasy Records in, cutting a number of demos but weren't signed. After some personnel changes the above listed line up recorded the British Invasion influenced 45 for Frantic at Ikon Studios in May 1966 but by June they had split up as the band members graduated from High School and went their separate ways. Don Branch went on to play with the Welcoming Committee and Indian Summer in San Francisco.
STYX RIVER FERRY
An acoustic folk group.
SUMMERFALLWINTERSPRING AKA SUMMERFALL WINTERSPRING
I Love You /Seagull Song - Round (no label number) 1966?
For A Moment / Please Don't Forget Tonight - United Artists 50112 Jan 1967
No further information is available for this group at the present time.
SUNDOWN COLLECTION
No information is available for this group at the present time.
SUNSHINE
A female solo performer whose name was Pat Nichol, she sometimes appeared and sang with The Grass Roots/Unquenchable Thirst.
SUNSHINE CO.
Appeared at The California Hall with The Steve Miller Blues band and Anonymous Artists of America 14/15 July 1967.
SWEET LINDA DIVINE
1970 Sweet Linda Divine Columbia LP
This was the group formed by Linda Tillery after Loading Zone disbanded.
SWEET SMOKE
Played the Ark at Sausalito on Nov 24/25 with Baltimore Steam Packet. Probably a different group to the one on the album listed below.
1968 San Francisco International Pop Festival - Colstar (LP) 5001 LP
Probably a studio only group who had one track, The Great Evacuation Of Haight Ashbury, on the San Francisco International Pop Festival compilation album.
SWEETWATER
August Burns - Cello
Elpidio Cobian - Percussion, Conga
Alex Delzoppo - Keyboards, Vocals
Fred Herrera - Bass, Vocals
Alan Malarowitz - Drums
Albert B. Moore - Flute, Vocals
Nanci Nevins - Vocals
R.G. Carlyle - Guitar, Bongos, Vocals
SYNDICATE OF SOUND
Don Baskin - flute, saxophone, vocals
John Duckworth - drums, vocals
Bob Gonzales - bass
Jim Sawyers - guitar, vocals
John Sharkey - organ, piano, guitar, vocals
Larry Ray - guitar
Last updated February 2010 |