Eddie Money, former lead singer of The Rockets, released his debut solo album on Columbia in 1977 January 23, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel/Rockets (Sunday) Asleep At The Wheel were from Paw-Paw, WV, and played Western Swing music with a rock beat. They generally gigged around the greater Washington, DC area. In 1971, they had opened for Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, and the Cody crew encouraged them to move to the East Bay. Asleep At The Wheel relocated to Oakland, and started playing regularly at local nightclubs. In October of 1971, Asleep At The Wheel had opened a weekend at the Long Branch for the Airmen. Within six weeks, The Wheel were headlining the Long Branch themselves.
This booking appears to be the first time The Rockets were booked on a weekend at the Long Branch, although that implicitly suggests they had played a weeknight earlier. Probably the Rockets had played a Wednesday audition, had sounded good, and had played some other weeknights, and done well enough to be second-billed on a Sunday night. That was the usual pattern for local bands playing the Long Branch, without a record company or agency support.
With respect to the history of the Long Branch, however, the Rockets weren't just another band.
The lead singer of the Rockets was a transplanted New Yorker, a former NYPD trainee cop named Eddie Mahoney. Also in the band was guitarist Dan Alexander, bassist Chris Sohlberg and drummer John Cuniberti. The Rockets would rise to be regular weekend headliners at the Long Branch, along with Grayson Street, Earth Quake and others. In mid-1974, Mahoney would change his stage name to Eddie Money, and the band evolved into Eddie Money and The Rockets, and later just the Eddie Money Band. In 1975, the Bill Graham organization started managing Money, and by 1977 he had released his debut album on Columbia. "Two Tickets To Paradise" and "Baby Hold On To Me" were huge hits. Mahoney (1949-2019) suffered a variety of health issues and has passed on, but thanks to television commercials and oldies, Eddie Money is far and away the biggest act ever to come out of the Long Branch.
January 25, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Hades (Tuesday) Hades, sometimes billed as the Hades Blues Band, or Hades Blues Works, was a local band. They had played the club back when it was called Babylon.
In the late 60s, guitarist Jimmy Thorsen, bassist Steve Wright and drummer John Cuniberti had been in a band called Traumatic Experience. With the addition of guitarist Craig Ferreira, they became Hades. Steve Wright would go on to play in the Greg Kihn Band, and John Cuniberti became an important engineer and producer, particularly for Bay Area punk rock acts.A ts o m e point, Cuniberti joined The Rockets (see above), so I think Hades was near the end of the line here.
I think the Long Branch wasn't regularly open on Tuesdays, but without listings it's hard to be sure.
January 27, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Copperhead/Jesse, Wolff and Whings (Thursday)
Copperhead was the relatively new band formed by former Quicksilver Messenger Service lead guitarist John Cippolina. Membership was always somewhat fluid. At this time, the band probably had Cippolina and Jimmy Murray (himself ex-QMS ca. 1967) on guitars, Jim McPherson on bass, Pete Sears on keyboards and probably David Weber on drums. Copperhead would go on to release a 1973 album on Columbia. They were promising, but never seemed organized.
Jesse, Wolff and Whings released one album on Leon Russell's Shelter label, distributed by Capitol. The group featured lead singer Jesse Barish, lead guitarist Bill Wolff, bassist Kevin Kaufmann and drummer Kevin Kelley, among other members. The group was supposed to be called Wings, but Capitol had Paul McCartney's Wings, so they had to change the spelling.
Jesse Barish, per his bio, apparently played a little bit with the all-instrumental Orkustra (I think he played flute), back in the 60s. Bill Wolff was in a later version of the Peanut Butter Conspiracy.
Kevin Kelly had been in The Rising Sons and The Byrds, among other bands, and both Kelly and Kevin Kaufmann had backed Phil Ochs.
When Jesse, Wolff and Whings fell apart, Jesse Barish went on to work with Marty Balin and Grunt Records. Barish ended up co-writing many songs with Balin, and as a result he has many songwriting credits on Jefferson Starship albums, such as "Count On Me." As a point of comparison, Copperhead had headlined the Keystone Berkeley on Friday, January 7, and Whings had opened the following weekend (January 14-15, for the HooDoo Rhythm Devils). (note: I am missing any listings for the weekend of January 28-29) February 1-2, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Joe Crane and The HooDoo Rhythm Devils (Tuesday-Wednesday)
The HooDoo Rhythm Devils, led by singer Joe Crane, had arisen out of a local blues-rock band called P, G &E. The HooDoos had released an album on Capitol in 1971, Rack Jobbers Rule.B y 1972, they would switch to Blue Thumb, where their next album Barbeque of Deville, came out later in the year.
February 3-4, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Flamin
Groovies/Hades (Thursday-Friday)
The Flamin' Groovies were an original San Francisco band, having formed as The Chosen Few in 1965. The Groovies, however, stuck to the Rolling Stones' sound when the rest of the city's bands went psychedelic, and they did not particularly thrive during the Fillmore era. Along with their manager, the Flamin' Groovies had rented the old Fillmore and put on shows with various bands in 1969 and '70. Thus they stayed in the public eye, even if not many fans had heard them yet.
Still, by 1969 the Flamin Groovies had released their debut album on Epic, Supersnazz.
Subsequently they released Flamingo (1970) and Teenage Head (1971) on Kama Sutra. Neither record sold well, and the band had were dropped by Kama Sutra. Lead singer Roy Loney left the band, leaving singer/guitarist Cyril Jordan as the principal driving force. Later in 1972, the Groovies would move to England, where their "Power Pop" sound would be less of an anomaly. At this time, however, the Groovies were without a label, and without much of a following in their home territory.
Earth Quake's 1971 debut album on A&M Records
February 5, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake/Fluid Drive (Saturday) Earth Quake, from Berkeley, were the ultimate Long Branch band, and it's fitting that they played opening night. Originally, they had been a Berkeley High band called Purple Earthquake.
By early 1972, they were a quintet, with Robbie Dunbar on lead guitar, Gary Phillips on rhythm guitar, lead vocalist John Doukas, bassist Stan Miller and drummer Steve Nelson. Earth Quake had released their debut album on A&M Records sometime in 1971 Earth Quake would play the Long Branch at least every month for five years, and in many months every Friday night. Earth Quake, with their vast trove of cover versions, always had a loyal audience at the club
Fluid Drive is unknown to me.
February 6, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Jabo Stokes (Sunday) Jabo Stokes is unknown to me.
February 9, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Bittersweet (Wednesday) Bittersweet was a rock band from Chico, CA, who moved to the East Bay. Rock historian Bruno Cerriotti has a detailed history of their adventures.
February 10, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Bittersweet/Full Moon (Thursday) Full Moon is unknown to me
, although it's possible they were formerly known as Womb.
February 11 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA:bStoneground/Country Weatherb(Friday)
Country Weatherbwere a Walnut Creek (Contra Costa County) group, from just over the Berkeley Hills. They had originally been called The Virtues, but soon after lead guitarist Greg Douglass joined, they changed their name to Country Weather. Country Weather never released a record when they were together from 1967-73.bSince the group was familiar from many posters from 1968 onward, Country Weather became one of the great
lost San Francisco groups of the 1960s.bUltimately, the group reformed in the 21st century and still performs occasionally. RD Records released some of their 60s demos and live performances, alonmg with some 21st century recordings.b Greg Douglass became a successful guitarist in the Bay Area, best known for co-writing “Jungle Love” for Steve Miller, with whom he played for many years. Douglass was also a member of Hot Tuna for one brief, sensational tour in Spring 1975.b The Doobie Brothers, ca 1971
February 12, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Doobie Brothers/Nipple (Saturday) In early 1972, the Doobie Brothers were another unknown band climbing the ladder. The Doobies were from the San Jose area, and they had built a following in the South Bay. They were largely unknown in the East Bay, however. Throughout January, they had played every Thursday night at The New Monk, just 2 miles up the road at University and Shattuck (and later the Keystone Berkeley).
The Doobie Brothers had released their first, self-titled album on Warner Brothers, back in April, 1971. It hadn't done well. Although the Doobies had gone on a National tour (with Mother Earth), they were mostly just slugging it out in the local clubs. Still, Warner Brothers was behind them. In January, the Doobie Brothers had played live on KSAN-fm (at Pacific High Recorders on January 16), which meant that Warners had coughed up the ad dollars to subsidize the broadcast. At this time, the Doobies had just replaced original bassist Dave Shogren with Tiran Porter, and they had added Michael Hossack as a second drummer (along with John Hartmann). Guitarists Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons were the lead singers.
Nipple is unknown to me.
February 13, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Country Weather (Sunday) February 16-17, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Dr Hook And The Medicine Show (Wednesday-Thursday)
Dr Hook and The Medicine Show were a somewhat comic country-rock act, produced by Shel Silverstein. Their debut album would have just been released on Columbia. They would soon hit it big with "Silvia's Mother" and "Cover Of The Rolling Stone." February 18, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Linx/Frank Biner Band (Friday) February 19, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Linx/Runnin Easy (Saturday) Runnin' Easy is unknown to me, although I recognize their name from various bookings.
February 20, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Dennis Geyer Band (Sunday) I am missing any listings for the weekend of February 25-28.
February 29, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel (Tuesday) March 1, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Orisha/Free And Easy (Tuesday) Both Orisha and Free And Easy are unknown to me. The New Monk opened as the Keystone Berkeley this night.
March 3-4, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Wayne The Harp (Friday-Saturday) March 5, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone/Dennis Geyer Band (Sunday)
The Loading Zone, from Oakland, had played the original Trips Festival back in 1966. By 1972, they had been through many different iterations. By this time, although they still broadly featured the mix of rock and soul as when they had started, they had no original members. They were good, though: Linda Tillery and Wendy Haas on vocals, Tom Coster on organ, Doug Rauch on bass, Tony Smith on drums and Bruce Conte on guitar.
March 10, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Cold Blood/Linx(Friday) Cold Blood are generally associated with the East Bay funk sound of bands like Tower Of Power.
The East Bay association was appropriate musically, but in fact Cold Blood had its roots in the South Bay. Lead singer Lydia Pense, from San Mateo, and bassist Rod Ellicott had been in a Peninsula Band in 1966 called the New Invaders, who had evolved into The Generation. The Generation were known as the first Bay Area band to merge a horn section with a rock band. The Generation evolved into Cold Blood, and they were signed to Bill Graham's San Francisco label (distributed by Atlantic).
Cold Blood released two albums on San Francisco, their self-titled debut (1969) and Sisyphus (1970), which spawned a modest local hit with a remake of "You Got Me
Hummin'."After Graham's labels folded, Cold Blood ended up on Reprise. In 1972, they would release First Taste Of Sin. Lydia Pense was a powerful singer, and Cold Blood was a tight band, so the group was very popular in night clubs and at local dances. In retrospect, however, they sound as if they were trying a bit too hard, instead of just playing the music they liked.
March 11, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Stoneground/Linx (Saturday) March 15, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Cesar's Combo (Wednesday) The Examiner lists this as "Latin Jazz." I assume Cesar's Combo was a version of the house band at Cesar Ascarrunuz's 830 Club, led by Luis Gasca. To my knowledge, they played in a Latin jazz-rock vein, sort of like Malo.
March 18, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Copperhead/The Ducks (Saturday) I believe The Ducks were a Marin band featuring guitarist and songwriter Kent Housman.
March 19, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grootna/Jabo Stokes (Sunday) March 24, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen/Asleep At The Wheel(Friday)
The headliners were Berkeley's very own Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. Cody and the Airmen had moved out to California in Summer '69, setting up shop in a rambling house in nearby Emeryville. The band played "hippie honky-tonk," a strange brew of Western Swing, traditional country, old-time rock and roll and Berkeley sensibilities. Their November 1971 debut album, Lost In The Ozone, had spawned the local hit single "Hot Rod Lincoln."
The Airmen had been regular headliners at the Long Branch since it had opened in May, 1971.
One or two tracks on the debut album had even been recorded live at the Long Branch back in July. The Airmen were regionally popular now, thanks to "Hot Rod Lincoln," and touring around.
But I'm sure they could still pack a Friday night house on San Pablo Avenue.
March 25-26, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake/The Rockets (Saturday-Sunday)
April 4, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel/Alice Stuart (Tuesday) Alice Stuart was a fine blues guitarist and singer. Although she was from Seattle, she had been playing in the Bay Area since about 1964. Stuart had performed and recorded in a variety of settings. At one point in late 1969, she had even been the temporary bass player for the Lost Planet Airmen. In 1972 she led a trio named Snake, and they recorded for Fantasy Records.
April 5, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Cesar's Combo (Wednesday) April 7, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Copperhead/Big Brother and The Holding Company (Friday)
Big Brother and The Holding Company had reformed in late 1969, although of course without Janis Joplin. They had put out two fairly good but poorly-received albums on Columbia (1970's Be A Brother and '71's How Hard It Is). Initially, all the original members had been part of the reformation, but by 1972 the band was being held together by guitarist Sam Andrews. Kathi McDonald, a veteran singer from Seattle (and a former Ikette, despite being blonde), had the somewhat thankless task of being the lead singer. McDonald was an excellent singer, in fact, but Janis was an icon, not just a singer.
Five years earlier, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Big Brother had been in two of the Fillmore's biggest, most exciting bands. Now Cippolina and Andrews were sharing a bill at a 350-capacity club on San Pablo Avenue. Phil Elwood reviewed the show and had high praise for Copperhead. He identified Gary Phillipet (guitar) and Jim McPherson (bass) as the singers, and mentioned Pete Sears' fine piano, along with Cippolina. Elwood also said that Big Brother sounded good, but he added no details.
April 8, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Linx/Little John (Saturday) Little John was a local blues band, but I don't know anything else about them.
April 9, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rockets/Jack Frost (Sunday) Jack Frost is unknown to me.
April 12, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Clover (Wednesday) April 13, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Saving Grace/Ducks (Thursday) Saving Grace and Ducks are unknown to me.
April 15, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Mike Finnegan and Jerry Wood/Clover (Friday)
Organist and singer Mike Finnegan was from Wichita, KS. Unlike typical musicians, the 6'6" Finnegan had gotten a basketball scholarship to the University of Kansas. He had moved to the Bay Area around 1969, and he had been a member of The Jerry Hahn Brotherhood, who had put out a highly regarded 1970 album on Columbia. Unfortunately, the album went nowhere, and Finnegan had left the band. At this time, Finnegan had another band with guitarist Jerry Wood, and he worked with the re-activated Big Brother and The Holding Company as well. Finnegan and Wood released the album Crazed Hipsters on Blue Thumb in 1972.
April 21, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake/Modern Lovers (Friday) It's easy to make fun of Berkeley--I for one never tire of it--but you have to give the town its due.
Yes, Berkeley is pretentious and sniffs at the provinciality of every other town, ever. But it also means that Berkeley is often ahead of other places, often way ahead. Johnathan Richman and the Modern Lovers were an underground cult sensation in Berkeley around 1975, long before anywhere else had heard of him. And yet, three years earlier--three years!--The Modern Lovers had played at the Long Branch. At the time, the Modern Lovers were fairly self-consciously modeled on the Velvet Underground. At the time, the VU were all but forgotten, and frontman Lou Reed was just an obscure solo artist in New York. Nobody cared about Reed or the Velvets, much less an unrecorded Boston band carrying on their obscure tradition. Warner Brothers had signed the Modern Lovers, and flown them out to Los Angeles to record demos with John Cale. The band also played a few live gigs, including this booking at the Long Branch.
When Beserkeley Records released Richman's sunny takes in 1975, "Road Runner" and "New Teller" were a ray of sunshine on FM radio, when they got played. Yet shortly after, the earlier, darker demos recorded back in '72 with John Cale behind the board revealed a much grimmer version of the Modern Lovers. In 1976, Beserkeley released the demos (the release was known as "The Black Album"). It featured a darker, organ-driven version of "Roadrunner," and the bleak, hilarious "Pablo Picasso" ("Some people walk down the street/Get called an asshole/That never happened to/Pablo Picasso"). The dark, '72 Modern Lovers had opened at the Long Branch for their future label-mates Earth Quake, and someone had the foresight to record it. You have to love Berkeley for that.
The Modern Lovers probably did not go over that well. Besides Richman on electric guitar and vocals, the band had future Talking Head Jerry Harrison on organ and future Car drummer David Robinson, plus bassist Ernie Brooks. In 1998, the Long Branch show was released as part of a vinyl double-LP, Modern Lovers Live At The Longbranch And More.
April 22, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grootna/Fletcher Brothers (Saturday) Note that bands like Grootna or Copperhead, with recordings to their name (in Copperhead's case, via Cippolina) were playing the Long Branch about once a month.
The Fletcher Brothers played local Bay Area clubs during this period, but I don't know anything else about them.
April 23, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Bobby Hutcherson (Sunday) Bobby Hutcherson was an exceptional vibes player from Los Angeles. He had moved to New York, and had recorded for Blue Note as early as 1963. Hutcherson returned to California in 1967, and mostly played on the West Coast thereafter. While Hutcherson was a forward-thinking music, his music was quieter and more acoustic than some of his peers at the time. Since there were no jazz clubs in the East Bay, Hutcherson often played rock clubs on weeknights. Although jazz was a rarity at the Long Branch, Berkeley has always been amenable to eclectic bookings.
April 25, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Boogie Brothers/Sober and Sorry (Tuesday)
Boogie Brothers and Sober and Sorry are both unknown to me.
April 27, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Linx/The Rockets (Thursday) April 28, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Linx/Bitterweet (Friday) April 29, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake/Knee Deep (Saturday)
April 30, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Osceola (Sunday) Osceola was a band from Florida that had relocated to San Francisco around 1969, and played around the Bay Area for a few years.
May 5, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Linx/Knee Deep (Friday) May 6, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Dennis Geyer Band/Bittersweet (Saturday) May 10, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Street Band(Tuesday) The Street Band is unknown to me.
I am missing listings for the weekend of May 12-14.
May 16, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Mike Finnegan and Jerry Wood (Tuesday) May 19, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grootna/Rockets (Friday) May 20, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Linx/Frank Biner (Saturday) May 21, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Fluid Drive/Jango (Sunday) Jango is unknown to me.
May 23, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel/High Country (Tuesday)
Asleep At The Wheel tried to work as many nights as possible. From this point on, it appears they played most Tuesday nights at the Long Branch.
High Country were a Berkeley bluegrass band led by mandolinist Butch Waller. High Country were regulars at Berkeley's already-legendary folk club, the Freight And Salvage (a half-mile North, at 1827 San Pablo). Waller had been pals with Garcia and David Nelson, both former bluegrassers, since 1963. Waller and David Nelson had been in a bluegrass band together in 1964 (the Pine Valley Boys), and in '69, Nelson had even played a little with High Country. One time, High Country's banjo player wasn't available, and Jerry Garcia filled in (June 19, 1969--of course, there's a tape). High Country had released an album on Raccoon, the Youngbloods' label.
May 24, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Is/The Street Band (Wednesday) Is is unknown to me.
May 25, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone/Linx (Thursday) The Loading Zone were still grinding it out. One of their vocalists, Wendy Haas, had left to join Azteca, but they still had Linda Tillery.
May 26 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake (Friday) May 27, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone/Linx (Saturday)
Sophomoric, the second album by the Congress Of Wonders comedy duo, was released on Fantasy Records in 1972 May 28, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Congress Of Wonders/Blue Mountain/Fluid Drive Benefit for George McGovern (Sunday) George McGovern was the Anti-War candidate for the Democratic Party Presidential nomination, so there were many benefits for him in college towns like Berkeley.
Congress Of Wonders was a hip comedy duo. Congress of Wonderswere a comedy duo from Berkeley, initially from the UC Berkeley drama department and later part ofbBerkeley’s Open Theater on College Avenue, a prime spot for what were called “Happenings”b(now ‘Performance Art’).bThe group performed at the Avalon and other rock venues.
Karl Truckload (Howard Kerr) and Winslow Thrill (Richard Rollins) created two Congress of Wonders albums on Fantasy Records (RevoltingbandbSophomoric). Their pieces “Pigeon Park”band “Star Trip”, although charmingly dated now, were staples of San Francisco underground radio at the time.b
b
Blue Mountainbwas a band from Palo Alto.b
May 30, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel/Knee Deep (Tuesday) May 31, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: The Street Band (Wednesday)
June 2, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Tower Of Power (Friday) Tower Of Power, though originally from Fremont, were the pride of Oakland. They had been discovered by Bill Graham at the Tuesday night Fillmore West auditions, and their first album East Bay Greasehad been released on Graham's San Francisco label (distributed by Atlantic). By 1972, the label was gone, but Atlantic's sister label Warner Brothers had picked up Tower. Tower's immortal second album, Bump City, had been released in the Spring, just as the Oakland A's, Raiders and Golden State Warriors were making all things Oakland ascendant.
Tower Of Power had graduated beyond the Long Branch by this time, but they were the sort of band who preferred to fill up the gig sheet on any empty night.
June 3, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Frank Biner/Full Moon (Saturday) June 4, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Fluid Drive/The Tubes (Sunday) McGovern Benefit
The Tubes had only formed around March, 1972. Most of the band members were from Phoenix, AZ. Initially, guitarist Bill Spooner, keyboard player Vince Welnick and bassist Rick Andersen had been in a popular Phoenix band called The Beans. The Beans had moved to San Francisco in Fall 1970. They had played numerous local gigs, but hadn't really made much headway. After some band members left the Beans, it had turned out that another popular Phoenix band had lost some members, so guitarist Roger Steen and drummer Prairie Prince had relocated to San Francisco to join The Beans. Their roadie John "Fiji" Waldo was added as lead singer, and The Tubes were born.
The Tubes played a sort of progressive rock rather than modified blues. They also had a fairly elaborate stage show, which was pretty much unheard of at the time. Initially, of course, their props were just cardboard and confetti, but they were a performing band from the beginning.
June 6, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel/Boogie Brothers (Tuesday)
Juice Newton's 1981 debut lp, several years after she was in the folk-rock band Dixie Peach June 7, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Linx/Dixie Peach (Wednesday) Dixie Peach was a folk rock band that featured singer Judy Newton and guitarist and songwriter Robert Otha Young. The two had started performing together when Newton was a student at Foothill College in Los Altos. Bassist Cecil Bollinger, formerly of the great South Bay group Weird Herald, was also a member.
Although Dixie Peach was just another local band on the Bay Area scene, Judy Newton would go on to become far better known in the 80s as country singer Juice Newton. Otha Young (1943- 2009) was her principal songwriter as well, so the two had a fruitful musical partnership well into the 21st century.
June 8, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Linx/Loading Zone (Thursday) June 9, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Elvin Bishop Group/Django (Friday) June 10, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Elvin Bishop Group/Fluid Drive (Saturday) Elvin Bishop had been a regular performer in Bay Area rock nightclubs since he had arrived in San Francisco in 1968, having just left the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. From 1969 onwards, his main gig had been at Freddie Herrera's Keystone Korner in San Francisco, but he played all over.
The Elvin Bishop Group had been signed to Bill Graham's Fillmore Records (distributed by Columbia), and had released two albums (the 1969 debut and 1970's Feel It!). By 1972, Fillmore Records had folded, but Bishop had been picked up by Epic, a Columbia subsidiary (he would release Rock My Soul later in '72).
The Elvin Bishop Group had played regularly at the Long Branch in 1971. In March of '72, however, Freddie Herrera had taken over the New Monk and changed it to the Keystone Berkeley, so Bishop's principal allegiance was just up the road. Still, while Keystone Berkeley and Long Branch were competitors, they weren't enemies, so here was the Elvin Bishop headlining a weekend. At this time, the Elvin Bishop Group featured Stephen Miller on organ (ex-Linn County), and vocals by Miller, Bishop and singer Jo Baker.
June 14, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Tower Of Power (Wednesday) June 16, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Fluid Drive/Osceola (Friday) June 17, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Blue Mountain/Linx (Saturday)
June 20, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel/Clover (Tuesday) June 21, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: The Street Band/Blue Moon (Wednesday) June 24, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake/Grayson Street (Saturday) June 27, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel/El Rancho Cowboys (Tuesday)
The El Rancho Cowboys were a country band from the San Jose suburb of Cupertino, CA.
Guitarist Cornell Hurd would end up leading the Texas "Dance Hall" band--albeit from Cupertino--known as Cornell Hurd and His Mondo Hot Pants Orchestra. Hurd had met Asleep At The Wheel (whether at this show or before isn't clear) and they were hugely influential in his future musical career.
June 28, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Street Band(Wednesday) June 29, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone/Frank Biner (Thursday) By this time, Loading Zone organist Tom Coster and bassist Doug Rauch had been recording with Santana, for the album that would become Caravanserai. By September, Coster and Rauch would go out on tour with Santana, and Loading Zone finally broke up. Drummer Tony Smith had gone on to play for Malo, and guitarist Bruce Conte would join Tower Of Power (Tower and the Zone shared a manager and a rehearsal space). Linda Tillery would go on to a substantial career as a solo artist. This booking likely featured the final lineup of Loading Zone, with Tillery (vocals) and Conte (guitar) supported by Steve Funk (keyboards), Paul Jackson (bass), Mike Clark (drums) and Pat O'Hara (trombone).
June 30-July 1, 1972 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Blue
Mountain/Rockets (Friday-Saturday)
The Rockets, slowly climbing the ladder, were now co-headlining on the weekend.
The Long Branch, 2504 San Pablo, Berkeley, some time in the 1970s The Long Branch Saloon: May 1971-November 1976
The Long Branch lasted a little over five years, and closed around November 1976. It was mostly a thriving club during that period. Berkeley's population grew enormously, and the students lived farther and farther from campus, driving up rents all over Berkeley, Albany and North Oakland. The Keystone Berkeley opened in March, 1972, and the much larger club got the premier
bookings. In particular, acts like Jerry Garcia, Elvin Bishop, Tower Of Power and Commander Cody found time to regularly play the Keystone, and rarely if ever played the Long Branch. So Keystone periodically got big draws, even on weeknights, while Long Branch had to depend on its regulars. Earth Quake and Grayson Street were regular performers at the Long Branch throughout most of the 5-year period it was open. Earth Quake in particular held down almost every Friday night for long periods.
The Long Branch didn't look like this in 1971.
Afterwards
The Long Branch briefly re-opened as a music venue around November 1978. The club was run by the former proprietor of the Berkeley club Jerry's Stop Sign (yet another story) and used the name The Branch. It wasn't open for long.
For many years, 2504 San Pablo Avenue was a store called Good Vibrations. It wasn't a music store, but it was scandalous enough to live up to the Cabale history (don't google it at work).
Eventually, as Berkeley got more and more wealthy, gentrification finally got all the way down to Dwight Way and San Pablo Avenue. The building was completely remodeled, and re-opened as a restaurant. The new address is 2512 San Pablo Avenue, but it's the same location. The first restaurant I am aware of was called Sea Salt, which opened about 2009 or so. Sea Salt closed, though, and a new restaurant opened on November 11, 2014.
The Long Branch Saloon, at 2512 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, ca. 2019
The name of the new restaurant? The Long Branch Saloon. It says "Upscale comfort food is served in a stylish setting with open rafters & butcher-block tables." Given the turnover in Berkeley's population, it's likely that the locals think the Long Branch is just a reference to Dodge City--which it is--and don't see the nod to a hard-rockin' past.
For the previous post in the Long Branch series (May-December 1971), see here For the next post in the Long Branch series (October-December 1973), see here
FRIDA Y , JUL Y 19, 2024
2504 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, CA: The Long
Branch Performance History October-December 1973
(Long Branch III)
The Long Branch, 2504 San Pablo in Berkeley, some time in the 1970s By the end of 1973, live rock music was booming, and as rock audiences aged, rock nightclubs became more viable. Once rock fans were of drinking age, spending too much time in a large, dark cavern with thousands or tens of thousands people didn't seem as rockin' as relaxing with a cold drink in a place where you could actually see the stage. If you were on a date, or hoping to meet someone, the attraction of a rock club was even more pronounced. If two people liked the same band, or the same kind of music, you were both halfway there to getting together. Rock nightclubs started to thrive in almost every big city and near every college campus. Berkeley was no exception.
The Long Branch, at 2504 San Pablo Avenue (at Dwight), had opened in May 1971 . The venue had been a music club going back to 1962. As the Cabale Creamery, it had been Berkeley's essential stop for traveling folk musicians. It was at the Cabale where Jerry Garcia saw the Jim Kweskin Jug Band, and the Cabale was a regular date for Clarence White and the Kentucky Colonels, too.
Later, in early 1966, as the Questing Beast, 2504 San Pablo was the place where Country Joe McDonald and Barry Melton first plugged in to amplifiers as Country Joe & The Fish . Later still, it became Tito's (1967-68) and then Babylon (1969-70). In 1971, former Avalon Ballroom staffer Malcolm Williams took over the venue, doubled the capacity to 350 and re-opened it as the Long Branch Saloon. I wrote a post about the club's first seven months in 1971 , and then another post about acts playing the first half of 1972 . By the end of 1973, the Long Branch was well-established on the Berkeley rock scene, booking bands six or seven nights a week.
Now, in the East Bay, the top rock night club was the Keystone Berkeley, right next to the University of California campus. The Keystone was right in downtown Berkeley at 2119 University Avenue (at Shattuck Avenue). On weekends, the Keystone booked popular local acts like Jerry Garcia, Elvin Bishop and Tower Of Power, and touring acts as well, plu some smaller acts on weeknights. Keystone drew crowds from all over Berkeley and Oakland, and even Marin and San Francisco. Parking wasn't difficult in downtown Berkeley--amazing as that may seem today--so the club attracted a wide audience.
The Long Branch, meanwhile, was 2 miles West and South of campus. The Branch drew mostly from the neighborhoods near the club, and it was as much a hangout as a destination. We have a good picture of what was happening at the club then because former Long Branch publicist Lydia Frazier Bosley was kind enough to send scans of long lost flyers. Frazier herself made the flyers for the Long Branch, and helped distribute them around the East Bay. With these, we can get a great look at who played the club in 1973 and '74, and how that defined the economics of the scene at the time
Since the same bands played the Long Branch over and over--that was the whole point--I am just focusing on the last three months of 1973, to avoid needless repetition. Anyone with additional information, insights, corrections and real or imagined memories, please include them in the Comments. Flashbacks encouraged.
Scan of the back of a Long Branch flyer, October 1973
The Long Branch was a hangout, but a hangout that booked rock bands and wanted its patrons to dance. But it mainly wanted them to hang out. Admission was cheap, and often free, and beer was often cheap, too. The goal was to get the locals to come early and stay late. They would likely meet people who lived nearby, and make friends, and maybe dance and perhaps even get married. The back of one of the flyers (above) explains the attractions of the Long Branch:
Howdy...we'd like to turn you on to the LONG BRANCH Saloon, Berkeley's Hot Nite Spot famed for it's FINE ROCK & ROLL and Good Vibes
The Club opens at 8pm Tues-Sun, and if you come before 9 pm, the admission is half-price. Also on Tues-Wed-Thurs-Sun, BEER will cost 10c a glass between 8 and 9pm.
Since our fuss ball games are so popular we have plans to expand and add some new games like POOL, PONG & AIR HOCKEY.
Meanwhile, as always we'll entice you onto the DANCE floor with some to the hottest young bands around. Really the MUSIC is outstanding, terrific and wonderful.
The LONG BRANCH is a great place to hang out, meet friends, get high and treat yourself to PRIMO ROCK & ROLL. Come on down and check it out.
THE LONG BRANCH call us to find out what's happening 2504 SAN PABLO at DWIGHT 848-9696
The doors usually opened at 8:00pm at the Long Branch, but the Examiner and other papers reported the bands as starting at 9:30. That meant a lot of people were there only to hang out.
Since many nights were free admission, or close to it, the band wasn't necessarily the main attraction for every patron.
The Long Branch had a very different approach to booking than other contemporary Bay Area rock clubs. Clubs like the Keystone Berkeley typically had the most popular local acts once a month, a lot of touring bands coming through, and filled in the other dates with more local bands.
The Long Branch, however, pretty much had the same bands every week. There were three "house bands" that played almost every week (Earth Quake, The Rockets and Grayson Street), and new bands added to the mix would play the same night for an entire month. As far as I know, the regular Long Branch bands all had large repertoires, typically including a lot of cover versions, so their fans didn't hear the same set every week.
October, 1973 flyer for The Long Branch, 2504 San Pablo Avenue (designed by and courtesy of Lydia Frazier Bosley). Note that there is no Area Code for the phone number, because Berkeley, San Francisco and the entire Bay Area North of San Jose used the 415 Area Code.
October 1, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: The Rockets
(Sunday)
The Rockets had been playing the Long Branch since January 1972, and mostly just played the club. Lead singer Eddie Mahoney was a transplanted NYPD cop trainee. Guitarist Dan Alexander, bassist Chris Sohlberg and drummer John Cuniberti were all from Berkeley. All of the Rockets went on to some success in the music industry. Cuniberti and Alexander were successful on the production side, Sohlberg played with many artists, and Mahoney went on to huge success as Eddie Money ("Two Tickets To Paradise," "Baby, Hold On To Me").
October 3, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Audition Night (Wednesday) The calendar says "surprise night," but Wednesdays was the night to give new bands a chance to play. The Long Branch wasn't high on the Bay Area rock food chain, and many bands got their first break at the Branch. Keep in mind that it was all but impossible for penniless new bands to make a listenable tape, even of a live performance, and they generally had to lug their gear to a club and actually play a set in order to get heard by a club owner.
October 4, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel/Alice Stuart & Snake (Thursday)
October 5, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel/Clover (Friday) Asleep At The Wheel was a hippie Western Swing band from the DC area, based in Paw Paw, WV. In Fall 1971, they had opened in West Virginia for Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, perhaps the only band remotely like them, and the Cody crew encouraged them to move to Berkeley. On October 8 & 9, 1971, Asleep At The Wheel had opened for Cody and the Airmen at the Long Branch. By December 10, 1971, they were headlining the Branch. Asleep At The Wheel had played relentlessly throughout the Bay Area ever since, building a crowd in all the clubs around.
By 1973, Asleep At The Wheel had released their first album, Comin' Right At Ya (on United Artists). The Wheel was managed by Joe Kerr, who also managed Cody and the New Riders of The Purple Sage, giving him a big chunk of the San Francisco country-rock sound.
Alice Stuart and Snake's Believing album (Fantasy Records 1972) Alice Stuart was a blues guitarist and singer, originally from Seattle, who had moved to the Bay Area in 1964. Initially a solo, she had "gone electric" around 1970, and formed her trio Alice Stuart & Snake. Drummer Bob Jones (ex-We Five, ex-Mike Bloomfield, ex-Southern Comfort) shared vocals with Stuart, and bassist Karl Sevareid completed the band. In 1972, Fantasy had released the Believing album. Fantasy released a single in 1973 (with tracks from the album), and Snake stayed together until at least 1974, but the band was never able to get much traction.
Nonetheless, Stuart continued a successful solo career well into the 21st century.
Joe Kerr's business card when he managed Clover, ca 1973 Clover had been founded in Mill Valley in 1969, an outgrowth of the band Tiny Hearing Aid Company. As a quartet, Clover had released two albums on Fantasy in 1970 and '71. Fantasy had dropped them, but the band had since added two additional members. By this time, Clover had Alex Call as the main lead singer, Huey (Cregg) Louis on vocals and harmonica, John McFee on lead and pedal steel guitar, Sean Hopper on keyboards, John Ciambotti on bass and Mickey Shine on drums. Joe Kerr also managed Clover.
Why Don't You Try Me, Earth Quake's second album on A&M Records, released in 1972 October 6, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake
(Saturday)
Earth Quake, from Berkeley, were the ultimate Long Branch band. The band had played the opening night of the Long Branch on May 28, 1971. Originally, they had been a Berkeley High band called Purple Earthquake. The members of Earth Quake had met Long Branch proprietor Malcolm Williams back in the 1960s, when he had been promoting shows at Maple Hall in nearby San Pablo. By 1971, they had been a quartet, with Robbie Dunbar on lead guitar, lead vocalist John Doukas, bassist Stan Miller and drummer Steve Nelson. Earth Quake would release their debut album on A&M Records sometime that year. Earth Quake would play the Long Branch at least every month for five years, and in many cases every Friday night.
In contrast to most Bay Area bands, who typically played longer songs in an improvised blues style, Earth Quake had been inspired by British Invasion bands like The Who and Small Faces. In 1972, A&M Records had released the second Earth Quake album, Why Don't You Try Me. The album didn't go anywhere, and A&M dropped the band. Besides their original material, however, Earth Quake had a huge trove of relatively obscure covers (like The Easybeats "Friday On My Mind"), so they were still endlessly engaging to their local fans in Berkeley. At least some of the members of Earth Quake, possibly all of them, lived in Berkeley. Earth Quake were the "house band" at the Long Branch if anyone was.
Once the band had been dropped by A&M, Earth Quake's imaginative manager Mathew "King" Kaufman had the idea that they should release their own records. Although against any kind of record business orthodoxy at the time, Kaufman created Beserkley Records, and started releasing 45 rpm singles on a shoestring . The quixotic label's first production was a single of "Mr Security," by Earth Quake, released on October 11, 1973. Unlikely as it may have seemed, and although it took a few years, Beserkley Records turned out to be hugely successful. Kaufman anticipated the punk rock/Indy label surge years before it happened elsewhere.
Grayson Street band, ca Fall 1973 (promo photo from December 23 '73 Examiner) October 7, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grayson Street (Sunday)
Grayson Street was named after a short street in Berkeley that ran from Aquatic Park to San Pablo Avenue, terminating four blocks south of Dwight Way and San Pablo, the site of the Long Branch. Grayson Street played the Branch just about every week from 1972 through 1975, sometimes more than once a week. They, too, were a house band.
Grayson Street was fronted by saxophonist Terry Hanck and harmonica player Rick Kellogg, both of whom sang, and played in a funky blues style that was good for dancing. They had been formed before 1972, but their first advertised show at the Long Branch was June 24, 1972. In late '72, Grayson Street had included Berkeley High's Lenny Pickett, previously in the band Linx. By 1973, however, Pickett had joined Tower of Power. Grayson Street was full of experienced musicians.
Guitarist Tim Kaihatsu and organist Clay Cotton had both played extensively with Charlie Musselwhite and other blues musicians. Kellogg had played harmonica for Elvin Bishop for a while, and Kellogg and bassist John Knight had been in Linx (with Pickett). Drummer John Otis rounded out the band.
Also in the band in Fall '73 was singer Jo Baker, who had been in The Elvin Bishop Group from 1970-73. Bishop and Baker had been a couple, having met a jam session in Boston in 1967 (Baker had been in the group Clouds, and Bishop had been with the Butterfield Blues Band). In mid-1973, Baker and Bishop had split up personally and musically.
Grayson Street pretty much confined its performances to the East Bay, but most of the members went on to thriving musical careers. Terry Hanck would tour with Elvin Bishop for many years, Kaihatsu (1945- 2014) would tour and record with Robert Cray, Clay Cotton was a popular club attraction in the Bay Area for decades and Jo Baker would join the revived Stoneground in early 1974.
October 10, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Audition Night (Wednesday) October 11, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rubin & The Rubinoos (Thursday) Rubin & The Rubinoos were led by singer (and rhythm guitarist) Jon Rubin, and guitarist Tommy Dunbar. Tommy was the younger brother of Earthquake's Robbie Dunbar, so it was no surprise they were getting a chance at the Branch. The Rubinoos played short, poppy rock songs with hooks and harmonies, completely at odds with any other Berkeley bands at that time.
The Modern Lovers album Live At The Long Branch, released in 1998, and recorded at the Branch on April 21, 1972. The Modern Lovers were in California attempting to record an album for Warners.
October 12, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake/The Modern Lovers (Friday)
The Modern Lovers were from Boston, and their sound was modeled on the Velvet Underground. They had been signed by Warner Brothers, and in early '72 the label had flown them out to Los Angeles to record demos with John Cale. Thus the Modern Lovers had played a
show at the Long Branch on April 21, 1972, opening for Earth Quake, one of their few shows outside of the Boston area (a recording of the show was released in 1998). The Modern Lovers at this time were a quartet, with songwriter Jonathan Richman on guitar and vocals, future Talking Head Jerry Harrison on organ, Ernie Brooks on bass and drummer Dave Robinson (later in The Cars).
Richman became well-known for his lively, innocent acoustic sound, but this version of the Modern Lovers was dark and loud. Warner Brothers had flown the band back out to LA in 1973 to record more demos (which were later released), but the Modern Lovers never managed to complete an album for the label. Ultimately Richman would achieve international success after he moved to Berkeley and recorded for Beserkely Records, the label started by Earth Quake's manager.
October 13, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: The Rockets/The Modern Lovers (Saturday)
On Saturday night, the Modern Lovers opened for The Rockets. Jonathan Richman opening for Eddie Money--that didn't happen again. Must have been a memorably bizarre evening.
October 14, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grayson Street (Sunday)
October 16, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rubin & The Rubinoos (Tuesday) October 17, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Audition Night (Wednesday) October 18, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Off The Wall (Thursday)
Off The Wall are unknown to me.
Good N Cheap, Eggs Over Easy (A&M, 1972)
October 19, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Alice Stuart & Snake/Eggs Over Easy (Friday)
Opening act Eggs Over Easy featured three New Yorkers, two of whom (guitarist Jack O'Hara and pianist Austin De Lone) had met in Berkeley in 1970 . They had released one album for A&M in 1972, Good N' Cheap. Most people had not (nor have not) heard the album. Nonetheless, Eggs Over Easy played a significant role in the history of English rock, and not by coincidence, and their Wikipedia entry is well- deserved .
DeLone and O'Hara had returned to New York in 1970, where they met Brien Hopkins and formed Eggs Over Easy as a no-drummer trio (all three played various instruments). Their manager had English connections, so when the band was signed they went to record at Olympic Studios in Barnes, London. Recording was completed by January 1971. There were management issues, however, and they were advised to stay in London while it got sorted. Eggs Over Easy played a few college gigs (with ex-Animal John Steel on drums). The trio took a house in Kentish Town, in North London, near a large pub called The Tally Ho.
The Tally-Ho had a "jazz-only" policy for performers, a common restriction of London Pubs at the time. Eggs Over Easy, used to playing in bars in the States, persuaded the Tally Ho to let them perform. They debuted at the Tally Ho in May 1971 (with Steel on drums), and started to draw large crowds. Ultimately they were playing three nights and Sunday afternoon at the Tally Ho, and drawing huge crowds. Nick Lowe and other members of his band (Brinsley Schwarz) regularly joined them on stage. Eggs Over Easy single-handedly invented "Pub Rock," and a wave of groups like Brinsley Schwarz followed them throughout England. Eggs Over Easy became a sort of underground sensation, but the band played their last show in England on November 7, 1971 Ultimately Eggs Over Easy's album recorded in London was never released, and the band returned to the States. Their debut A&M album included new recordings of what they had done in England. In 1973, they returned to the Bay Area, and Eggs Over Easy toured the US with major bands (like The Yes and The Eagles), but never got traction. The band struggled on until 1981, but despite their legendary status they never got any honor in their own country.
October 20, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake/Rubinoos (Saturday) Rubin & The Rubinoos would shorten their name to just The Rubinoos by the end of the year.
October 21, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grayson Street (Sunday)
October 23, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rubin & The Rubinoos (Tuesday) October 24, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Audition Night (Wednesday) October 25, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Swan (Thursday) Swan are unknown to me.
October 26, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Perry And The Pumpers (Friday) Perry And The Pumpers was a blues band led by harmonica player Perry Welsh. They often backed up touring blues musicians. Welsh was from Cedar Rapids, IA, and had moved to San Francisco in 1967. He was friendly with another Iowa transplant, organist Stephen Miller. Miller
had been in the band Linn County in the 60s, and his organ anchored the Elvin Bishop Group from 1970-73. Welsh recorded with Bishop and Miller on two Bishop Group albums (1970's Feel It and 1972's Rock My Soul).
Bishop sat in with Perry And The Pumpers on occasion. As far as I know, some members of Perry And The Pumpers ended up in the 1974 edition of the Elvin Bishop Group, including guitarist Johnny Vernazza, pianist Phil Aaberg and bassist Fly Brooks, while Welsh and Stephen Miller returned to Iowa.
October 27, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Dave Brown Resurrection/Big Art and The Trashmasters (Saturday)
Both Dave Brown Resurrection and Big Art and The Trashmasters are unknown to me.
There was a local musician (a bass player and producer) named Dave Brown, but I don't know if this was his band. From peripheral evidence I think The Trashmasters were a sort of Long Branch All-Stars group from other "house" bands. "Big Art's" was also the name of a Berkeley club in the basement of LaVal's Pizza (near Hearst & Euclid, on Northside).
October 28, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grayson Street (Sunday)
October 30, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rubin & The Rubinoos (Tuesday) October 31, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake/Rockets (Wednesday) 3rd Annual Hootchie Kootchie Ball Halloween was always a Big Deal in Berkeley, so it's no surprise that two of the house bands played it.
November 1973 flyer for The Long Branch at 2504 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley (flyer designed by and courtesy of Lydia Frazier Bosley)
November 1, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Chains
(Thursday) free
Chains are unknown to me.
November 2, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grayson Street (Friday)
November 3, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Copperhead/Earth Quake (Saturday) Copperhead had been formed in late 1971 by ex-Quicksilver Messenger Service guitarist John Cipollina. They had gone through a number of personnel changes, but by mid-1972 the lineup had stabilized. Cippolina was joined by pianist and singer Jim McPherson (ex-Stained Glass), who was the principal songwriter, guitarist Gary Phillipet, bassist Hutch Hutchinson and drummer David Weber. The band had a harder sound than Quicksilver, with more of an R&B feel. Columbia records signed the band, and they had released their debut album in Spring 1973. Copperhead played all the Bay Area clubs, but they had not yet toured Nationally.
Unfortunately, Clive Davis was pushed out as CEO of Columbia Records in the Summer of 1973.
Many of the Bay Area bands signed by Clive, including Copperhead (as well as the Sons Of Champlin, the Rowan Brothers and David Rea) were dumped by the label. Copperhead had a local following in the clubs, but their album was left high and dry. They would break up by the end of the year.
November 4, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grayson Street (Sunday)
November 5, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rockets
(Monday) free
The fact that the flyer lists some weeknight shows as free is an indicator that the principal weeknight business of the Long Branch was selling beer to the locals.
November 6, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rubin & The Rubinoos (Tuesday) November 7, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Swan
(Wednesday)
November 8, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Chains
(Thursday) free
The Tubes at Winterland ca 1974, with Fee Waybill as Quay Lewd, probably singing "White Punks On Dope"
November 9-10, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: The Tubes/Spotlight (Friday-Saturday)
The Tubes had only formed around March, 1972. Most of the band members were from Phoenix, AZ. Initially, guitarist Bill Spooner, keyboard player Vince Welnick and bassist Rick Andersen had been in a popular Phoenix band called The Beans. The Beans had moved to San Francisco in Fall 1970. They had played numerous local gigs, but hadn't really made much headway. After some band members left the Beans, it had turned out that another popular Phoenix band had lost some members, so guitarist Roger Steen and drummer Prairie Prince had relocated to San Francisco to
join The Beans. Their roadie John "Fiji" Waldo was added as lead singer, and The Tubes were born.
The Tubes played a sort of progressive rock rather than modified blues. They also had a fairly elaborate stage show, which was pretty much unheard of at the time. Initially, of course, their props were just cardboard and confetti, but they were a performing band from the beginning. The Tubes had first played the Long Branch on June 4, 1972, and periodically returned. By late '73, there was an underground buzz about them. They played a lot of gigs in gay bars, which were quite lucrative but not advertised in the mainstream press. In the early 70s, gay culture was the source of style and cool in the Bay Area, so the Tubes managed to always be right on the cutting edge of that cool. On June 1, 1973, the unknown Tubes had opened for Led Zeppelin at Kezar Stadium (fifth on the the bill), which for the wider Bay Area was the first time rock fans would even hear of them (this included me).
Spotlight is unknown to me.
November 11, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grayson
Street (Sunday)
November 13, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rubin & The Rubinoos/Above & Beyond (Tuesday)
Above & Beyond are unknown to me.
November 14, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Swan
(Wednesday)
November 15, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Chains
(Thursday) free
November 16-17, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Sutro Sympathy Orchestra/Enola Faye Moss [16 only] (Friday- Saturday)
Sutro Sympathy Orchestra were from Reno, although they played regularly in the San Francisco area. Singer Lynne Hughes had been in The Charlatans back in the 1960s.
CONTRIBUTORS
Corry342
The Yellow Shark
Enola Faye Moss is unknown to me.
November 18, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grayson
Street (Sunday)
November 19, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rockets
(Monday) free
Even The Rockets, a house band, played for free on a Monday night.
November 20, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rubin & The Rubinoos (Tuesday) November 21, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Swan
(Wednesday)
Closed for Thanksgiving Thursday (22).
November 23, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rockets
(Friday)
November 24, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grayson Street (Saturday) November 25, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grayson Street (Sunday) November 27, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rubin & The Rubinoos/Above & Beyond (Tuesday)
November 28, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Swan
(Wednesday)
November 29, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Chains
(Thursday) free
November 30, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake (Friday)
December 1973 flyer for The Long Branch at 2504 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley (flyer designed by and courtesy of Lydia Frazier Bosley)
December 1, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rockets
(Saturday)
We are missing listings for December 2 and 3 (Sunday and Monday), but it's reasonable to assume that some of the usual suspects played.
December 5, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Swan
(Wednesday)
December 6, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Chains
(Thursday)
December 7, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel/Topkela (Friday) December 8, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel/Alice Stuart & Snake (Saturday)
Topkela is unknown to me.
December 9, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grayson Street (Sunday)
December 10, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Titans/Rockets/Country Thunder (Monday) Legal Aid Benefit It's easy to make fun of Berkeley--I for one never tire of it--but there's no question that things happen in Berkeley long before they happen elsewhere (for example, Berkeley's Freight And Salvage club banned smoking in 1968, and the city of Berkeley would ban smoking in restaurants around 1977). As a result of its forward-looking nature, some things catch on in Berkeley that never catch on elsewhere. One such trend was "white reggae," hippie bands that played sped-up reggae for dancing. They were very popular in 1970s Berkeley, and pretty much nowhere else. The Titans, formerly Knee Deep, were the first such band. Titans would evolve into The Shakers, and became Long Branch regulars a few years later, even releasing an album, but they too are forgotten.
Country Thunder are unknown to me.
December 12, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Swan
(Wednesday)
December 13, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Chains
(Thursday)
December 14-15, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake (Friday-Saturday) December 16, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rockets
(Sunday)
December 17, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rockets
(Monday)
December 19, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rubinoos
(Wednesday)
December 20, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rockets
(Thursday)
December 21, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rockets/Grayson Street (Friday) Country Casanova, the third Paramount Records album by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. George "Cody" Frayne leans on a Lincoln.
December 22, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen/Asleep At The Wheel (Saturday)
Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen and Asleep At The Wheel could both pack the Long Branch on a weekend, and had done so many times. There would have been no reason to book both of them, so the bands must have wanted to do it. Since the bands were good friends and shared management, it wouldn't have been hard to arrange.
Cody and The Airmen had been playing the Long Branch since before their first album was released, and indeed at least one track on their immortal debut Lost In The Ozone had been recorded there (either "What's The Matter Now" or "20 Flight Rock"). The band's third Paramount Records' album, Country Casanova, had been released in May 1973 . In November, the Airmen had recorded their next album (Live From Deep In The Heart Of Texas)a tt h e Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, TX (it would be released in March, 1974).
Asleep At The Wheel, meanwhile, had decided to move to Austin, as it was their spiritual home.
Since the band moved to Texas in early 1974, it's possible that this show was a celebration and fare-thee-well for the Wheel's departure.
December 23, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grayson Street (Sunday) December 26, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rubinoos
(Wednesday)
December 27, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Chains
(Thursday)
December 28, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake/Rubinoos (Friday) December 29, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grayson Street (Saturday) December 30, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grayson Street (Sunday) December 31, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake/Rockets (Monday) Beserkeley Chartbusters, Vol 1, released by Beserkeley Records in July 1975, was put together by Earth Quake's management. It featured songs by Earth Quake, Greg Kihn, Jonathan Richman and The Rubinoos, all of whom had played the Long Branch many times.
Outcomes Assessment: Long Branch Bands
Berkeley's Long Branch was essentially a neighborhood club, booking bands every week for regular patrons who lived nearby. Yet rock music was booming in the Bay Area, so many of the aspiring bands who played the Branch ended up leaving a much larger mark than you might think for a 350-capacity beer joint in West Berkeley.
Bill Graham signed Eddie Money to a management contract in 1975. His 1977 debut album on Columbia included "Two Tickets To Paradise" and "Baby Hold On," and sold millions
The Rockets broke up in early 1974. All of them thrived. Lead singer Eddie Mahoney debuted the Eddie Money Band in June 1974, and they played the Long Branch regularly too. In early 1975, Money was signed by Bill Graham's management team. Ultimately Money would be hugely successful, selling millions of records on the back of giant hits like "Two Tickets To Paradise" and "Baby Hold On To Me."
Drummer John Cuniberti has been a successful producer, particularly with "New Wave" bands.
Guitarist Dan Alexander is well-regarded in production and audio circles, and bassist Chris Sohlberg played with Santana and many other artists.
In 2021, Ray Benson and Asleep At The Wheel released Half A Hundred Years, on Home Records
Asleep At The Wheel moved to Austin in early 1974. They are still together, still touring and established legends. Pretty good for a band from Paw Paw, WV.
Love On The Wire, Clover's 4th and last album, and their 2nd on Mercury Records, was released in late 1977. It's a very good album, even if almost no one has heard it.
Clover struggled on until 1977. They were "discovered" in 1976 by producer Nick Lowe, who had loved the first two Fantasy albums and had no idea they hadn't broken up. Lowe facilitated two excellent Clover albums recorded in England in 1976 and '77, but the band never caught on. The Lowe association, however, was how members of Clover ended up backing Elvis Costello on his debut album My Aim Is True.
After Clover, broke up, Huey Lewis and pianist Sean Hopper teamed up with members of Soundhole and became hugely successful as Huey Lewis & The News. Guitarist John McFee, meanwhile, joined the Doobie Brothers (they were still touring in 2023), and singer Alex Call wrote some hit singles.
8.5, by Earth Quake, released by Beserkeley in 1976
Earth Quake had been dropped by A&M, but their manager Mathew "King" Kaufman started the Beserkley Records label. Besides releasing Earth Quake and Rubinoos albums, the label had big hits with Jonathan Richman and Greg Kihn. Earth Quake broke up in the early 80s, ultimately releasing 5 albums.
Grayson Street never recorded, but many members of the band moved on to bigger groups.
Tenor saxophonist Lenny Pickett still leads the Saturday Night Live Band. Founder Terry Hanck joined Elvin Bishop and toured with him in the late 70s for many years.
Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers, released by Beserkeley in 1976 Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers released albums on Beserkley Records, starting in 1976. "Egyptian Reggae" became a hit, and songs like "Road Runner" and "Abominable Snowman In The Market" are underground classics.
Tubes lead singer Fee Waybill, at Winterland ca 1974, as Dr. Strangelove, singing Tom Jones' "It's Not Unusual" (a regular showstopper for the band--you had to have seen it, just trust me...) The Tubes released their first album in 1975, and it was a huge sensation. Their stage show, with every song its own self-contained "music video'--six years before MTV--was inspired and unforgettable. They toured America and the UK to well-deserved acclaim, and they had popular radio hits as well. The economics were unworkable, however, and the financial woes of the band eventually ground them to a halt. Keyboard player Vince Welnick joined the Grateful Dead in 1990. Versions of The Tubes have continued to perform intermittently over the decades.
Appendix: Long Branch Performers, January-July 1974
Lydia Frazier Bosley was kind enough to send some additional flyers, and for historical value I have included them below. Since the Long Branch had a repetitive booking strategy, I didn't write out each booking. I did note when there was a band that had not appeared at the Long Branch before.
January 1974 flyer for The Long Branch at 2504 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley (flyer designed by and courtesy of Lydia Frazier Bosley)
January 15, 1974 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel/Naomi Ruth Eisenberg (Tuesday)
Asleep At The Wheel had supposedly moved to Austin by this time, but they toured so much that they regularly appeared in Bay Area clubs anyway.
Naomi Ruth Eisenberg had been in various local ensembles, but she was best-known for having been one of the original "Hot Licks" with Dan Hicks. She sang and played fiddle, and was also a singer- songwriter.
Terry Dolan and Terry and The Pirates finally released a 1979 album of live performances, with an All-Star cast (including John Cipollina, Greg Douglass, Lonnie Turner, Nicky Hopkins and Grateful Dead engineer Dan Healy as producer)
January 18-19, 1974 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Terry and The Pirates (Friday-Saturday)
Copperhead finally disintegrated by the end of 1973, so John Cipollina promptly hooked up with numerous local ensembles. One such band was Terry And The Pirates,l e db y singer/songwriter Terry Dolan. Dolan had moved from the Washington, DC area in 1969 and had been playing around the Bay Area ever since. Terry And The Pirates was a somewhat casual ensemble that played Dolan's songs. Cipollina was the only regular "member," with a rotating cast depending on who was available. Typical members included guitarist Gregg Douglass (ex- Country Weather, future Steve Miller Band) and the old Copperhead rhythm section (Hutchinson and Weber).
Dolan's songs were pretty good, but not really great. Terry And The Pirates were popular locally, and his demos got some airplay on FM, but he never really got over the top.
January 20, 1974 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Valley Boys (Sunday)
The Valley Boys were a country rock band, possibly from Fresno, who regularly played Bay Area clubs.
I Gotta Be Me, Gideon & Power's 1972 album on Bell (recorded in 1971 at Keystone Korner in San Francisco with members of the Elvin Bishop Group)
January 25-26, 1974 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Gideon & Power/Grayson Street [25]/Frank Biner and The Nightshift [26] (Friday-Saturday) Gideon Daniels was a powerful singer with a gospel background, and the band Gideon & Power played in a sort of gospel-rock style. Gideon & Power recorded a 1971 album live at the Keystone Korner, supported by some players from the Elvin Bishop Group. Since Gideon Daniels had been Elvin Bishop's housemate at one point, it's not surprising to find out that various members came and went through Gideon & Power over the years, and the band was somewhat of a farm team for Bishop. Singer Mickey Thomas and organist Melvin Seals had successful shifts with Gideon and then Elvin, too (Seals of course went on to play with the Jerry Garcia Band for 15 years).
Frank Biner was a popular local soul singer. Over the course of the 70s, Tower Of Power recorded a few of his songs, and he put out a few albums as a bandleader, but back in '74 Biner was just another guy working the clubs. Biner, with his band Nightshift, was a regular on weeknights at the Keystone Berkeley, but he played some gigs at the Long Branch, too. Biner was originally from Chicago, where he had recorded a few singles, but he had moved to the East Bay in the late 60s.
February 1974 flyer for The Long Branch at 2504 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley (flyer designed by and courtesy of Lydia Frazier Bosley)
February 8, 1974 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake/Son Of Pete (Friday) The Friday show was reviewed by Berkeley Gazette critic Todd Tolces. It seems that Stoneground was booked to open for Malo at UC Berkeley's Zellerbach Auditorium. Stoneground had a band illness, and had to cancel, so Earth Quake did the opening set, and then hustled the 2 miles down to the Long Branch to headline.
Tolces also described Son Of Pete's set, extended somewhat due to Earth Quake's delayed arrival.
Son Of Pete appears to have been a reggae "Toaster," a very odd thing outside of Jamaica and some neighborhoods in New York City. Toasters dj'd reggae records for dancing over customized sound systems, playing with the stereo mix and various effects, while also singing or talking over the records. As I understand it, the "Toaster" setup, pioneered in Jamaica, was a technological building block for rap music. Nascent rappers apparently took Toaster-type setups (sound system, multiple turntables, mic) and layered different music onto it. Outside of New York (or Kingston), however, many did not recognize the configuration.
It's easy to laugh at Berkeley--and fun too--but here was a guy playing gigs as a Reggae Toaster, playing a style of music unseen outside parts of New York Metro. Tolces praised Son Of Pete particularly for having numerous cool, unheard Reggae 45s, and I assure you that Berkeley took record snobbery seriously indeed. I have seen references that suggest that Son Of Pete was Earth Quake manager (and Beserkley Records founder) Matthew Kaufman, but I can't confirm that.
February 22-23, 1974 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: The Tubes/Kid Gloves (Friday-Saturday)
Kid Gloves are unknown to me. They regularly opened for The Tubes.
SF Examiner March 8, 1974
March 8, 1974 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake/New Stoneground (Friday) I do not have flyers for March and April 1974, but I did some research on booked bands. I am including notes on any of the groups that hadn't played in the previous several months.
Stoneground had been formed in 1970 out of various San Francisco bands, to provide a "house band" for KSAN boss Tom Donahue's Medicine Ball Caravan. The Medicine Ball Caravan was
meant to be a sort of traveling Woodstock, busing freaks around the country to put on mini-Woodstocks everywhere. The Grateful Dead backed out at the last moment. A strange film was made of the peculiar trek. Stoneground was signed by Warner Brothers and recorded 3 moderately successful album. Stoneground had no less than five lead singers, and had a sort of gospel-ish feel laid on top of a typical rock band. Stoneground broke up in mid-1973.
In early 1974, Stoneground lead guitarist Tim Barnes re-formed the band, initially just as a quartet. Barnes was the only lead singer. They probably did some of Stoneground's old songs, but they would have sounded different with just one singer. Other band members were organist Fred Webb (ex-It's A Beautiful Day), bassist Terry Davis and drummer Sammy Piazza (ex-Hot Tuna).
Somewhat later, Stoneground would add two lead singers, including Jo Baker, and return somewhat to their older sound, and they eventually rose to at least a similar level to what they had been in the early 70s.
SF Examiner March 21, 1974
March 21, 1974 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Jimmy Baric Group (Thursday) The Jimmy Baric Group are unknown to me. They played the Long Branch regularly during March 1974. I suspect that it might be guitarist Jimmy Berick, later in the Epic Records band Masters Of The Airwaves.
SF Examiner, March 23, 1974
March 23, 1974 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Naomi Ruth Eisenberg/Mitch Woods and His Red Hot Mama (Saturday) Brooklyn-born pianist Mitch Woods had been playing in the Bay Area since 1970. Woods backed singer Gracie Glassman, as Mitch Woods And His Red Hot Mama, but I'm not sure if they had a band or were a duo. In the next few years, Woods would form Mitch Woods and His Rocket 88s, who had a throwback R&B sound. Woods has had a successful career ever since, and he still appears to be going strong.
SF Examiner, March 30, 1974
March 30, 1974 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Valley Boys/Soundhole (Saturday) Soundhole was a Marin band, who seemed to have debuted at the Branch on this Sunday night.
By year's end, Soundhole would headline every Sunday night for a couple of months. Bay Area geography is odd, and West Berkeley was actually very near to Marin County (particularly after rush hour), so this was really a local gig for them.
Soundhole was a rock band, but they had a sound that was influenced by jazz and soul. Kinda like Van Morrison, which is why Van Morrison- -another Bay Area club regular--hired them as his backing band around 1974. Heady stuff for some guys from Marin who were still pretty new to the music scene. Soundhole was led by guitarist Brian Marnell, who would become somewhat known in the Bay Area for leading the band SVT (with Jack Casady) in the later 1970s. John Farey (later in Zero) played organ, and Brian Hogan played tenor sax.
Bassist Mario Cipollina (John's younger brother), drummer Bill Gibson and saxophonist/guitarist Johnny Colla would team up with two members of Clover (see above) to form Huey Lewis And The News, going on to fame and fortune.
May 1974 flyer for The Long Branch at 2504 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley (flyer designed by and courtesy of Lydia Frazier Bosley)
May 2, 1974 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Fluid Drive
(Thursday)
Fluid Drive are unknown to me. They were regular performers at the Long Branch on Thursdays in May 1974.
The Long Branch did not advertise bands on Monday, Tuesday and Wednsday nights. I don't know if the club was closed those nights, or if they just didn't book music.
May 10-11, 1974 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Frank Biner and The Nightshift/Lucky Strike (Friday-Saturday)
After his club debut a few months earlier, Frank Biner was now headlining weekends at The Long Branch
Lucky Strike was a blues-rock band fronted by singer and harmonica player David Burgin. They had some good success in East Bay clubs, but never climbed any higher on the ladder.
May 17, 1974 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grayson Street/Steel Band (Friday) The Steel Band are unknown to me. Possibly it's "a" (Caribbean) steel band.
June 1974 flyer for The Long Branch at 2504 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley (flyer designed by and courtesy of Lydia Frazier Bosley)
June 16, 1974 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Frank Biner and The Nightshift featuring The Stovall Sisters (Sunday)
Lillian, Netta and Joyce Stovall were three of 22 (!) children raised in a gospel-singing family that had moved to Oakland in the late 1950s. The trio had released a sort of gospel-soul album on Reprise in 1970 which included the hit "Hang On In There." They were also the backup singers for
Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit In The Sky." I assume Biner and Nightshift backed them for a set, and also played their own set.
June 29, 1974 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Eddie Money/Lucky Strike (Saturday) The Rockets had broken up at the end of 1973. In June 1974, Eddie Mahoney re-introduced himself as "Eddie Money," with a new band led by guitarist Jimmy Lyons. They dominated the Long Branch, just as the Rockets had done.
July 1974 flyer for The Long Branch at 2504 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley (flyer designed by and courtesy of Lydia Frazier Bosley)
July 5, 1974 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Norman Greenbaum & Crossfire/Yesterday & Today (Friday)
Norman Greenbaum was an anomaly at the Long Branch, as he was at every club he played at.
Greenbaum, a guitarist and singer, had been in a 60s band that played in a sort of Lovin' Spoonful style band called Dr West's Medicine Show and Junk Band. In 1969, Greenbaum wrote a song that got him signed by Reprise, and assigned to staff producer Erik Jacobsen, former producer of the Spoonful. After a re- arrangement, Greenbaum's gospel-folk "Spirit In The Sky" sold millions of copies and went #1 all over the world. It is still heard regularly today on soundtracks on commercials.
December 1, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rockets
(Saturday)
We are missing listings for December 2 and 3 (Sunday and Monday), but it's reasonable to assume that some of the usual suspects played.
December 5, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Swan
(Wednesday)
December 6, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Chains
(Thursday)
December 7, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel/Topkela (Friday) December 8, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Asleep At The Wheel/Alice Stuart & Snake (Saturday)
Topkela is unknown to me.
December 9, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Grayson Street (Sunday)
December 10, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Titans/Rockets/Country Thunder (Monday) Legal Aid Benefit It's easy to make fun of Berkeley--I for one never tire of it--but there's no question that things happen in Berkeley long before they happen elsewhere (for example, Berkeley's Freight And Salvage club banned smoking in 1968, and the city of Berkeley would ban smoking in restaurants around 1977). As a result of its forward-looking nature, some things catch on in Berkeley that never catch on elsewhere. One such trend was "white reggae," hippie bands that played sped-up reggae for dancing. They were very popular in 1970s Berkeley,
and pretty much nowhere else. The Titans, formerly Knee Deep, were the first such band. Titans would evolve into The Shakers, and became Long Branch regulars a few years later, even releasing an album, but they too are forgotten.
Country Thunder are unknown to me.
December 12, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Swan
(Wednesday)
December 13, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Chains
(Thursday)
December 14-15, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Earth Quake (Friday-Saturday) December 16, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rockets
(Sunday)
December 17, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rockets
(Monday)
December 19, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rubinoos
(Wednesday)
December 20, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rockets
(Thursday)
December 21, 1973 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Rockets/Grayson Street (Friday)
regularly today on soundtracks on commercials.
He did release a second album, which included a minor hit "Canned Ham."Greenbaum lived quietly on his farm in Petaluma and didn't perform much, because he didn't have to. Nonetheless, he sometimes toured around local clubs. We can guess his last number. Crossfire seems to have been an existing group, but I don't know anything else about them.
Yesterday & Today was a band from Oakland. Initially a cover band, they had started to play their own material in a hard rocking English style, kind of like Humble Pie. The quartet slugged it out in East Bay clubs for years. In 1984 when "hair metal" was popular on MTV, they finally made i tb i ga sY&T ,r e l e a s i n gt h eh i ta l b u mIn Rock We Trust.
July 11, 1974 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Frisco Kids
(Thursday)
The Frisco Kids are unknown to me.
July 31, 1974 Long Branch, Berkeley, CA: Butch Whacks And His Glass Packs (Wednesday)
Butch Whacks and His Glass Packs were a 15-piece rock and roll band dedicated to performing old style rock and roll hits from the 50s and early 60s. The band got their start as students at St. Mary’s College in Moraga playing frat parties, and eventually morphed into a very popular bay area club and theater act.
For the post about shows at the Long Branch from its opening in May 1971 through December 1971, see here
For the post about shows at the Long Branch from January through June 1972, see here POSTED BY CORRY342 AT 9:19 AM 2 COMMENTS: LABELS: 1973, 1974, 70S ROCK NIGHTCLUBS ,
BERKELEY
HTTP://WWW.CHICKENONAUNICYCLE.COM/CABALE%20HISTORY .HTM
CABALECREAMERY
Latest Update: February 9, 2013
Copyright © 2004-2011 Ross Hannan and Corry Arnold. All Rights Reserved.
Picture to Left: The Kentucky Colonels are joined on stage at the Cabale Creamery by Sandy Rothman in November 1964.
The Cabale and Cabale Creamery, 2504 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, CA (see also Questing Beast, Tito's and Longbranch)
None of this would be possible without the input from Sandy Rothman, Jesse Cahn, Evelyn Kerr and Sherwood Donahue
Evelyn Kerr's TimeMazine article on Chan Loughlin
Read Part 1 Here
Read Part 2 Here
Read Part 3 Here
TimeMazine Details
This is an excerpt from Sandy Rothman’s brief memoir of the Cabale, written as part of a project on the great Clarence White, which is well worth reviewing.
The Cabale Creamery
Sandy Rothman
It was on San Pablo Avenue, a main north-south thoroughfare parallel to Telegraph on the opposite (west) side of town, at the southwest corner of Dwight Way and San Pablo. I don't recall how "Creamery" got attached to it -- maybe from the steamed milk that was in the cappuccinos and lattes? The name "Cabale" was taken from "Cabala," a medieval system of Jewish mysticism. (Other dictionary definitions are: "a traditional, esoteric, occult, or secret matter" and "an esoteric doctrine or mysterious art." Do any of those terms resonate with bluegrass, nearly a cult in itself?! Hahaha.)
In the early 1960s, there was a ‘folk circuit’ that emphasized serious folk music like Doc Watson and Mississippi John Hurt (as opposed to the more popular Kingston Trio-style of folk music). The Cabale was one of the anchors of the circuit, along with Club 47 in Cambridge, many clubs in Greenwich Village (such as the Gaslight and Folk City), the Ark in Ann Arbor and the Ash Grove in Los Angeles. The story of this circuit is well told in Jim Rooney and Eric Von Schmidt’s book Baby Let Me Follow You Down (U-Mass Press, 1979).
The Cabale, at 2504 San Pablo Avenue (at Dwight), was a folk club founded in late 1962 by Rolf Cahn and Debbie Green (two Cambridge, MA folkies) along with Howard Ziehm and Red Dog alum Chandler A. Laughlin III (later known as Travus T. Hipp). It opened on January 4, 1963 and ran until mid-1965, when the folk action moved to the Jabberwock. Somewhere along the way Carroll Peery, manager of the Chambers Brothers and Big Mama Thornton, happened to acquire a majority interest in the Cabale. Jesse Cahn, son of Cabale founder Rolf and folksinger Barbara Dane, recalls "I was the one who cleaned the johns and swept up and practically lived there until 1965 ...". Jesse went on to play with Tongue & Groove (with Lynne Hughes and Michael Ferguson) and the Chambers Brothers. After some time on the East Coast he returned to manage the Jabberwock for Bill "Jolly Blue" Ehlert when he moved across to San Francisco to run the Matrix. The name of the venue was changed to the Cabale Creamery in August of 1964. As a side issue, the one time notoriety of the Cabale/Cabale Creamery coffee house led the local vice squad and FBI to ban the licensing of any business under the name "Cabale" in the future. However, Chan
Laughlin (Travus T Hipp) still retains Cabale News Service as his business cover. His broadcasts can be found on kpig.com.
One of the Cabale's founders was Rolf Cahn, a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany who had served in the US Army during the war and also played and taught classical, flamenco, and folk guitar. Bluegrass was scheduled only occasionally at the Cabale, but on the other hand, it was the only club in Berkeley where it was presented at all during that period (1963-4). The usual entertainment at the Cabale included local musicians and quite a few travelling "folk individuals" from the more developed Cambridge folk scene. (The similarity between the Cabale's monthly calendar and that of Cambridge's Club 47 may have been an inspiration for Rick Shubb's placement of Berkeley and Cambridge as next-door neighbours in his legendary "Humbead's Revised Map of the World" poster which may be viewed in the book "Baby, Let Me Follow You Down" by Von Schmidt & Rooney). Physically, the Cabale was a fairly small, long and narrow, dark room with the ambience of a '50s Beat coffeehouse. Coffee drinks were made at the far end of the room. When the Colonels played there the stage was against the long wall on the north side of the room (the right side as you walked in); later, it was on the short wall just inside and to the right of the entrance.
The name was amended from simply "the Cabale" to the Cabale Creamery in August 1964. The site of the Cabale Creamery became, briefly The Good Buddy (a poster from May 1965 survives), Caverns West and then, in the Fall of 1965, it became a club called The Questing Beast. Much of the performance history of the Questing Beach (November 1965 to May 1966) has been demystified (see here) due to the availability of posters, handbills and advertisements in the Berkeley Barb.
Subsequently it became Tito’s, The Babylon and then in the early 1970s The Longbranch.
A List of Cabale Shows
Date Cabale, 2504 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA Some Interesting Notes Friday 04 January 1963 Cabale opens to the public under the management Zeem and Chandler A. Laughlin III.
Sunday 17 March 1963 Hoot
Monday 18 March 1963 Janet Smith, Bobby Neuwirth & Buzzy Martin
Tuesday 19 March 1963 Perry Lederman & Al Young
Wednesday 20 March 1963 Dave Jones, Fred Meija & Ernesto Flamenco Thursday 21 March 1963 Redwood Canyon Ramblers Bluegrass Friday 22 March 1963 Toni Brown, Dave Fredrickson & Steve Talbott
Crabgrass
Saturday 23 March 1963 Doug Brown, Cal Grayon & Carl Granich Sunday 24 March 1963 Hoot
Monday 25 March 1963 Janet Smith, Bobby Neuwirth & Buzzy Martin
Tuesday 26 March 1963 Perry Lederman & Al Young
Wednesday 27 March 1963 Dave Jones, Fred Meija & Ernesto Thursday 28 March 1963 Redwood Canyon Ramblers
Friday 29 March 1963 Toni Brown, Dave Fredrickson & Steve Talbott
Saturday 30 March 1963 Doug Brown, Cal Grayon & Carl Granich Sunday 31 March 1963 Hoot
Monday 01 April 1963 Janet Smith, Bobby Neuwirth & Buzzy Marten
Tuesday 02 April 1963 Perry Lederman & Al Young
Wednesday 03 April 1963 Dave Jones, Fred Meija & Ernesto Thursday 04 April 1963 Redwood Canyon Ramblers
Friday 05 April 1963 Toni Brown, Dave Fredrickson & Steve Talbott
Saturday 06 April 1963 Doug Brown, Cal Grayon & Carl Granich Sunday 07 April 1963 Hoot
Monday 08 April 1963 Janet Smith, Bobby Neuwirth & Buzzy Martin
Tuesday 09 April 1963 Perry Lederman & Al Young
Wednesday 10 April 1963 Dave Jones, Fred Meija & Ernesto
Thursday 11 April 1963 Redwood Canyon Ramblers
Friday 12 April 1963 Toni Brown, Dave Fredrickson & Steve Talbott
Saturday 13 April 1963 Doug Brown, Cal Grayon & Carl Granich Sunday 14 April 1963 Hoot
Monday 15 April 1963 Janet Smith & Merrit Herring Ballads Tuesday 16 April 1963 Miriam Stafford & Huck Rorick Blues & Country Wednesday 17 April 1963 Perry Lederman & Debbie Green F o l k&G u i t a r Thursday 18 April 1963 Dave Jones, Fred Meija & Ernesto Flamenco Friday 19 April 1963 Bobby Neuwirth & Buz Marten Country Saturday 20 April 1963 Judy Roderick, Al Young & Clarence Van Hook
Folk and Blues
Sunday 21 April 1963 Hoot
Monday 22 April 1963 Janet Smith & Merrit Herring Ballads Tuesday 23 April 1963 Miriam Stafford & Huck Rorick Blues & Country Wednesday 24 April 1963 Perry Lederman & Debbie Green F o l k&G u i t a r Thursday 25 April 1963 Dave Jones, Fred Meija & Ernesto Flamenco Friday 26 April 1963 Bobby Neuwirth & Buz Marten Country Saturday 27 April 1963 Judy Roderick, Al Young & Clarence Van Hook
Folk and Blues
Sunday 28 April 1963 Hoot
Monday 29 April 1963 Janet Smith & Merrit Herring Ballads Tuesday 30 April 1963 Miriam Stafford & Huck Rorick Blues & Country Wednesday 01 May 1963 Perry Lederman & Debbie Green F o l k&G u i t a r Thursday 02 May 1963 Dave Jones, Fred Meija & Ernesto Flamenco Friday 03 May 1963 Bobby Neuwirth & Buz Marten Country
Saturday 04 May 1963 Judy Roderick, Al Young & Clarence Van Hook
Folk and Blues
Sunday 05 May 1963 Hoot
Monday 06 May 1963 Janet Smith & Merrit Herring Ballads Tuesday 07 May 1963 Miriam Stafford & Huck Rorick Blues & Country Wednesday 08 May 1963 Perry Lederman & Debbie Green F o l k&G u i t a r Thursday 09 May 1963 Dave Jones, Fred Meija & Ernesto Flamenco Friday 10 May 1963 Bobby Neuwirth & Buz Marten Country
Saturday 11 May 1963 Judy Roderick, Al Young & Clarence Van Hook
Folk and Blues
Sunday 12 May 1963 Hoot
Monday 13 May 1963 Janet Smith & Merrit Herring Ballads Tuesday 14 May 1963 Miriam Stafford & Huck Rorick Blues & Country Wednesday 15 May 1963 Perry Lederman & Debbie Green F o l k&G u i t a r Thursday 16 May 1963 Dave Jones, Fred Meija & Ernesto Flamenco Friday 17 May 1963 Bobby Neuwirth & Buz Marten Country
Saturday 18 May 1963 Judy Roderick, Al Young & Clarence Van Hook
Folk and Blues
Sunday 19 May 1963 Reverend L Overstreet Guitarist with his four sons Monday 20 May 1963 Janet Smith & Merrit Herring Ballads Tuesday 21 May 1963 Miriam Stafford & Huck Rorick Blues & Country Wednesday 22 May 1963 Perry Lederman & Debbie Green F o l k&G u i t a r Thursday 23 May 1963 Dave Jones, Fred Meija & Ernesto Flamenco Friday 24 May 1963 Bobby Neuwirth & Buz Marten Country
Saturday 25 May 1963 Judy Roderick, Al Young & Clarence Van Hook
Folk and Blues
Saturday 01 June 1963 Los Flamencos De La Bogeda (El Rubio, Fred Mejia, Ernesto); (from 11:00 to
01:00) Saturday Night at The Cabale on
KPFA featuring Cabale Performers and
Guests
Sunday 02 June 1963 Janet Smith, Tim Small
Monday 03 June 1963 Pine Ridge Ramblers
Tuesday 04 June 1963 Judy Roderick, Carl Dukatz
Wednesday 05 June 1963 KC Douglas & Clarence Van Hook
Thursday 06 June 1963 Toni Brown, Dave Fredrickson, Art Koch & Perter Berg
Friday 07 June 1963 Perry Lederman & Al Young
Saturday 08 June 1963 Los Flamencos De La Bogeda (El Rubio, Fred Mejia, Ernesto); (from 11:00 to
01:00) Saturday Night at The Cabale on
KPFA featuring Cabale Performers and
Guests
Sunday 09 June 1963 Janet Smith, Tim Small
Monday 10 June 1963 Pine Ridge Ramblers
Tuesday 11 June 1963 Judy Roderick, Carl Dukatz
Wednesday 12 June 1963 KC Douglas & Clarence Van Hook
Thursday 13 June 1963 Toni Brown, Dave Fredrickson, Art Koch & Perter Berg
Friday 14 June 1963 Perry Lederman & Al Young
Saturday 15 June 1963 Los Flamencos De La Bogeda (El Rubio, Fred Mejia, Ernesto); (from 11:00 to
01:00) Saturday Night at The Cabale on
KPFA featuring Cabale Performers and
Guests
Sunday 16 June 1963 Janet Smith, Tim Small
Monday 17 June 1963 Pine Ridge Ramblers
Tuesday 18 June 1963 Judy Roderick, Carl Dukatz
Wednesday 19 June 1963 KC Douglas & Clarence Van Hook
Thursday 20 June 1963 Toni Brown, Dave Fredrickson, Art Koch & Perter Berg
Crabgrass
Friday 21 June 1963 Perry Lederman & Al Young
Saturday 22 June 1963 Los Flamencos De La Bogeda (El Rubio, Fred Mejia, Ernesto); (from 11:00 to
01:00) Saturday Night at The Cabale on
KPFA featuring Cabale Performers and
Guests
Sunday 23 June 1963 Janet Smith, Tim Small
Monday 24 June 1963 Pine Ridge Ramblers
Tuesday 25 June 1963 Judy Roderick, Carl Dukatz
Wednesday 26 June 1963 KC Douglas & Clarence Van Hook
Thursday 27 June 1963 Toni Brown, Dave Fredrickson, Art Koch & Perter Berg
Friday 28 June 1963 Perry Lederman & Al Young
Saturday 29 June 1963 Los Flamencos De La Bogeda
Sunday 30 June 1963 Janet Smith, Tim Small
Wednesday 03 July 1963 Los Flamencos De La Bogeda, Fred Meija Thursday 04 July 1963 Mayne Smith, ?????
Friday 05 July 1963 Toni Brown, Dave Fredrickson, Art Koch & Perter Berg
Crabgrass
Saturday 06 July 1963 Perry Lederman
Friday 02 August 1963 Jesse Fuller
Saturday 03 August 1963 Elmer Snowden Trio
Sunday 04 August 1963 Janet Smith & Mayne Smith
Monday 05 August 1963 Hoot with Ken Spiker
Tuesday 06 August 1963 Carol Leigh & Ken Ellis 1920 Blues Wednesday 07 August 1963 Perry Lederman
Thursday 08 August 1963 Larry Hanks, Roger Perkins
Friday 09 August 1963 Jesse Fuller
Saturday 10 August 1963 Elmer Snowden Trio
Sunday 11 August 1963 Janet Smith & Mayne Smith
Monday 12 August 1963 Hoot with Ken Spiker
Tuesday 13 August 1963 Carol Leigh & Ken Ellis
Wednesday 14 August 1963 Perry Lederman
Thursday 15 August 1963 Larry Hanks, Roger Perkins, Canyon Cinema (Brakhage, 3:10 to Yuma)
Friday 16 August 1963 Mayne Smith, Niel Rosenberg & Scott Hambly
Saturday 17 August 1963 Elmer Snowden Trio
Sunday 18 August 1963 Mayne Smith, Niel Rosenberg & Scott Hambly
Monday 19 August 1963 Hoot with Ken Spiker
Tuesday 20 August 1963 Carol Leigh & Ken Ellis
Wednesday 21 August 1963 Perry Lederman
Thursday 22 August 1963 Larry Hanks, Roger Perkins
Friday 23 August 1963 Jesse Fuller
Saturday 24 August 1963 Elmer Snowden Trio
Sunday 25 August 1963 Mayne Smith, Niel Rosenberg & Scott Hambly
Monday 26 August 1963 Hoot with Ken Spiker
Tuesday 27 August 1963 Carol Leigh & Ken Ellis
Wednesday 28 August 1963 Perry Lederman
Thursday 29 August 1963 Larry Hanks, Roger Perkins, Canyon Cinema (Films of Larry Gordon)
Friday 30 August 1963 Jesse Fuller
Saturday 31 August 1963 Elmer Snowden Trio
Monday 02 September 1963 Hoot with Ken Spiker
Monday 09 September 1963 Hoot with Ken Spiker
Monday 16 September 1963 Hoot with Ken Spiker
Monday 23 September 1963 Hoot with Ken Spiker
Tuesday 01 October 1963 Ale Ekstrom, Debbie Green
Wednesday 02 October 1963 Los Flamencos De La Bogeda
Thursday 03 October 1963 Carol Leigh
Friday 04 October 1963 Perry Lederman, Janet Smith, Al Young Saturday 05 October 1963 Toni Brown, Dave Fredrickson, Art Koch & Perter Berg
Crabgrass
Sunday 06 October 1963 Tim Small & Ellen Faust
Monday 07 October 1963 Hoot with Ken Spiker
Tuesday 08 October 1963 TA Talbot, JC Burris
Wednesday 09 October 1963 Los Flamencos De La Bogeda
Thursday 10 October 1963 KC Douglas & Clarence Van Hook; Canyon Cinema (High Noon, Knight of the Trail,
Great Train Robbery)
Friday 11 October 1963 Fred Gerlach
Saturday 12 October 1963 Fred Gerlach
Sunday 13 October 1963 Janet Smith, Cy Koch
Monday 14 October 1963 Hoot with Ken Spiker
Tuesday 15 October 1963 Ale Ekstrom, Ellen Faust
Wednesday 16 October 1963 Los Flamencos De La Bogeda
Thursday 17 October 1963 Perry Lederman, Al Young
Friday 18 October 1963 Tim Small, Debbie Green
Saturday 19 October 1963 Rolf Kahn
Sunday 20 October 1963 Ale Ekstrom, Janet Smith
Monday 21 October 1963 Hoot with Ken Spiker
Tuesday 22 October 1963 TA Talbot, JC Burris
Wednesday 23 October 1963 Los Flamencos De La Bogeda
Thursday 24 October 1963 Perry Lederman, Al Young, Canyon Cinema (Brother Orchid, All Wet, Christmas Carol
Community Singing)
Friday 25 October 1963 Toni Brown, Dave Fredrickson, Art Koch & Perter Berg
Crabgrass
Saturday 26 October 1963 Rolf Kahn
Sunday 27 October 1963 Cy Koch, Clarence Van Hook
Monday 28 October 1963 Hoot with Ken Spiker
Tuesday 29 October 1963 Janet Smith, Tim Small
Wednesday 30 October 1963 Los Flamencos De La Bogeda
Thursday 31 October 1963 KC Douglas, Debbie Green
Friday 01 November 1963 Rolf Kahn
Saturday 02 November 1963 Al Young
Sunday 03 November 1963 Tim Small, Debbie Green
Monday 04 November 1963 Hoot
Tuesday 05 November 1963 Ellen Faust,
Wednesday 06 November 1963 Los Flamencos De La Bogeda
Thursday 07 November 1963 JC Burris, TA Talbott
Friday 08 November 1963 Toni Brown, Dave Fredrickson, Art Koch & Perter Berg
Crabgrass
Saturday 09 November 1963 Bukka White
Sunday 10 November 1963 JP Pickens
Monday 11 November 1963 Lightning Hopkins
Tuesday 12 November 1963 Lightning Hopkins
Wednesday 13 November 1963 Lightning Hopkins
Thursday 14 November 1963 Lightning Hopkins
Friday 15 November 1963 Al Young, Sandy Bull
Saturday 16 November 1963 Bukka White
Sunday 17 November 1963 Ellen Faust, Cy Koch
Monday 18 November 1963 Hoot
Tuesday 19 November 1963 Pat Kilroy, Janet Smith
Wednesday 20 November 1963 Los Flamencos De La Bogeda
Thursday 21 November 1963 Toni Brown, Dave Fredrickson, Art Koch & Perter Berg
Crabgrass
Friday 22 November 1963 Al Young, Sandy Bull
Saturday 23 November 1963 Bukka White
Sunday 24 November 1963 Janet Smith
Monday 25 November 1963 Hoot
Tuesday 26 November 1963 Sandy Bull
Wednesday 27 November 1963 Los Flamencos De La Bogeda
Thursday 28 November 1963 JC Burris, TA Talbott
Friday 29 November 1963 Perry Lederman, Al Young
Saturday 30 November 1963 Bukka White
Sunday 01 December 1963 Hoot with Ken Spiker
Monday 02 December 1963 Closed
Tuesday 03 December 1963 Perry Lederman
Wednesday 04 December 1963 Los Flamencos De La Bogeda
Thursday 05 December 1963 TA Talbott, Lil Sun Glover, Dickens 44 Tony Glover Friday 06 December 1963 Tom Paxton
Saturday 07 December 1963 Tom Paxton
Sunday 08 December 1963 Hoot with Ken Spiker
Monday 09 December 1963 Closed
Tuesday 10 December 1963 Snopes Country Camp Followers
Wednesday 11 December 1963 Los Flamencos De La Bogeda
Thursday 12 December 1963 Perry Lederman
Friday 13 December 1963 Bukka White
Saturday 14 December 1963 Jesse Fuller
Sunday 15 December 1963 Hoot with Ken Spiker
Monday 16 December 1963 Closed
Tuesday 17 December 1963 Pat Kilroy, Janet Smith
Wednesday 18 December 1963 Los Flamencos De La Bogeda
Thursday 19 December 1963 Pete Berg, Toni Brown
Friday 20 December 1963 Bukka White
Saturday 21 December 1963 Jesse Fuller
Sunday 22 December 1963 Hoot with Ken Spiker
Monday 23 December 1963 Closed
Tuesday 24 December 1963 Closed
Wednesday 25 December 1963 Closed
Thursday 26 December 1963 Snopes Country Camp Followers Friday 27 December 1963 Al Young, Debbie Green
Saturday 28 December 1963 Jesse Fuller
Sunday 29 December 1963 Hoot with Ken Spiker
Monday 30 December 1963 Closed
Tuesday 31 December 1963 Closed
Wednesday 01 January 1964 Tim Small
Thursday 02 January 1964 Al Young
Friday 03 January 1964 Bobby Neuwirth
Saturday 04 January 1964 KC Douglas and His Band
Sunday 05 January 1964 Hoot with Ken Spiker
Monday 06 January 1964 Closed
Tuesday 07 January 1964 Snopes Country Camp Followers
Wednesday 08 January 1964 Pat Kilroy, Debbie Green
Thursday 09 January 1964 Perry Lederman
Friday 10 January 1964 Barbara Dane
Saturday 11 January 1964 Danny Kalb
Sunday 12 January 1964 Hoot with Ken Spiker
Monday 13 January 1964 Closed
Tuesday 14 January 1964 Kellery Powers, Lonny Feiner
Wednesday 15 January 1964 Al Young
Thursday 16 January 1964 Danny Kalb
Friday 17 January 1964 Barbara Dane
Saturday 18 January 1964 Hoot with Al Young
Sunday 19 January 1964 Hoot with Ken Spiker
Monday 20 January 1964 Closed
Tuesday 21 January 1964 Reverend Gary Davis
Wednesday 22 January 1964 Reverend Gary Davis
Thursday 23 January 1964 Reverend Gary Davis
Friday 24 January 1964 Jesse Fuller
Saturday 25 January 1964 TA Talbott, Lil Sun Glover, Dickens 44 Sunday 26 January 1964 Hoot with Ken Spiker
Monday 27 January 1964 Closed
Tuesday 28 January 1964 Perry Lederman
Wednesday 29 January 1964 Pete Berg, Toni Brown
Thursday 30 January 1964 Snopes Country Camp Followers
Friday 31 January 1964 Toni Brown, Dave Fredrickson, Art Koch & Perter Berg
Crabgrass
Wednesday 11 March 1964 Jim Kweskin's Jug Band
Tuesday 31 March 1964 Elizabeth Cotten
Wednesday 01 April 1964 Elizabeth Cotten
Thursday 02 April 1964 Elizabeth Cotten
Thursday 09 April 1964 Perry Lederman, Clarence Van Hook Thursday 16 April 1964 Perry Lederman, Clarence Van Hook Thursday 23 April 1964 Kentucky Colonels
Wednesday 29 April 1964 Mance Lipscombe
Thursday 30 April 1964 Mance Lipscombe
Friday 01 May 1964 Mance Lipscombe
Saturday 02 May 1964 Los Tigres De La Sierra (2pm); Mance Lipscombe (9pm)
Sunday 03 May 1964 Mance Lipscombe
Monday 04 May 1964 Tom Glass and The Jazz Mice
Tuesday 05 May 1964 Los Flemencos De La Bogeda
Wednesday 06 May 1964 Pat Kilroy, Ben Willis
Thursday 07 May 1964 Perry Lederman
Friday 08 May 1964 Rolf Cahn
Saturday 09 May 1964 Rolf Cahn
Sunday 10 May 1964 Hoot
Monday 11 May 1964 Tom Glass and The Jazz Mice
Tuesday 12 May 1964 Los Flemencos De La Bogeda
Wednesday 13 May 1964 Pat Kilroy, Ben Willis
Thursday 14 May 1964 Perry Lederman
Friday 15 May 1964 R a gT i m eQ u a r t e t Bob Detwilder, Vince Hickey, Red Honore, Peter Be Saturday 16 May 1964 The Chevelles Rhythm and Blues, Dancing
Sunday 17 May 1964 Hoot
Monday 18 May 1964 Tom Glass and The Jazz Mice
Tuesday 19 May 1964 Los Flemencos De La Bogeda
Wednesday 20 May 1964 Nick Gravenites
Thursday 21 May 1964 Al Young, Wardez Taylor
Friday 22 May 1964 R a gT i m eQ u a r t e t
Saturday 23 May 1964 The Chevelles Rhythm and Blues, Dancing Sunday 24 May 1964 Hoot
Monday 25 May 1964 Tom Glass and The Jazz Mice
Tuesday 26 May 1964 Lightning Hopkins, Clarence Van Hook Wednesday 27 May 1964 Lightning Hopkins, Clarence Van Hook Thursday 28 May 1964 Lightning Hopkins, Clarence Van Hook Friday 29 May 1964 Lightning Hopkins, Clarence Van Hook Saturday 30 May 1964 Lightning Hopkins, Clarence Van Hook Sunday 31 May 1964 Hoot
Wednesday 10 June 1964 Barbara Dane
Thursday 11 June 1964 Barbara Dane
Friday 12 June 1964 Barbara Dane
Wednesday 15 July 1964 Mississippi John Hurt
Thursday 16 July 1964 Mississippi John Hurt
Friday 17 July 1964 Mississippi John Hurt
Friday 14 August 1964 First reference to The Cabale being called The Cab and Carrol Peery
Tuesday 18 August 1964 Chambers Brothers
Wednesday 19 August 1964 Chambers Brothers
Saturday 22 August 1964 Chambers Brothers
Sunday 23 August 1964 Chambers Brothers
Tuesday 25 August 1964 Terry Garthwaite, Perry Lederman Wednesday 26 August 1964 Chambers Brothers
Thursday 27 August 1964 Chambers Brothers
Friday 28 August 1964 Chambers Brothers
Saturday 29 August 1964 Chambers Brothers
Thursday 29 October 1964 Jesse Fuller
Friday 30 October 1964 Jesse Fuller
Saturday 31 October 1964 Jesse Fuller
Tuesday 17 November 1964 Kentucky Colonels Sandy Rothman plays with the Kentucky Colonels Wednesday 18 November 1964 Kentucky Colonels Sandy Rothman plays with the Kentucky Colonels Thursday 19 November 1964 Kentucky Colonels Sandy Rothman plays with the Kentucky Colonels Friday 20 November 1964 Kentucky Colonels Sandy Rothman plays with the Kentucky Colonels Saturday 21 November 1964 Kentucky Colonels Sandy Rothman plays with the Kentucky Colonels Tuesday 24 November 1964 Mance Lipscombe
Wednesday 25 November 1964 Mance Lipscombe
Thursday 26 November 1964 Mance Lipscombe
Friday 27 November 1964 Mance Lipscombe
Saturday 28 November 1964 Mance Lipscombe
Sunday 29 November 1964 Mance Lipscombe
Tuesday 16 February 1965 Mississippi Fred McDowell
Wednesday 17 February 1965 Mississippi Fred McDowell
Thursday 18 February 1965 Mississippi Fred McDowell
Friday 19 February 1965 Mississippi Fred McDowell
Saturday 20 February 1965 Mississippi Fred McDowell
Friday 19 November 1965 Opens under the ownership of Terry Sullivan and T called "The Good Buddy" and "Caverns West".
QUESTINGBEAST
Latest Update: September 13, 2011
Copyright © 2004-2011 Ross Hannan and Corry Arnold. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Questing%20Beast%20History.htm The Questing Beast, 2504 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, CA This has been researched and prepared by Ross Hannan and Corry Arnold Thanks are due to Cactus Pete Anderson who contributed significantly to the research
In the early 1960s, there was a “folk circuit” anchored by Cambridge, Massachusetts and Berkeley, California. Folksingers could play the Club 47 in Cambridge, go down to Greenwich Village, and work there way across the country, possibly hitchhiking, and sleeping on the couches and floors of other folkniks. The history of this circuit is best covered in the book Baby Let Me Follow You Down (Eric von Schmidt and Jim Rooney, UMass Press 1979).
The Cabale Creamery (2504 San Pablo at Dwight in Berkeley), founded by Rolf Cahn, Debbie Green, Howard Ziehm and Chandler A. Laughlin III , was a crucial stop on this circuit. By August 1964, the club was owned and run by Carroll Peery, manager of the Chambers Brothers who subsequently moved to Cambridge themselves, and Howard Ziehm. Bay Area bluegrass musician Sandy Rothman has written a brief but excellentmemoir of the Cabale as part of a project on the great Clarence White and Jorma Kaukonen recorded his album "Cabale Creamery" here in 1964.
When the Cabale finally folded, probably sometime in the summer of 1965, the 2504 San Pablo premises briefly became The Good Buddy then Caverns West before being taken over, by Terry Sullivan and Tony Sage, and re-opened as the Questing Beast on November 19.
Unfortunately, by May 1966 The Beast had been slain with its downfall well documented in the May 6 (Vol 2, Number 18) and May 13 (Vol 2, Number 19) issues of the Barb.
The Questing Beast was primarily a folk coffeehouse and hosted similar acts to the Jabberwock on Telegraph Avenue with a fair amount of flamenco, bluegrass and classical guitar playing thrown in. By all accounts it never managed to turn a profit.
The end was bought about following problems with the local police department and Board of Health who had visited in mid April 1966 and demanded a number of costly improvements to be made. It also transpires that the joint managers of The Questing Beast, Terry Sullivan and Tony Sage, borrowed a patron’s car on Saturday April 30 in order to go for cider and donuts and were pulled over by Patrolman George Williamson, allegedly because of a defective rear light.
A subsequent routine ID check was conducted and the vehicle searched. A small amount of marijuana was found and the two arrested. Friends struggled to find the bail money and their fiancées apparently considered “turning tricks” to raise the funds. By May 2, the day of the arraignment, Sullivan’s bail was in place. However, immediately before the court session, Inspector Darrell Hickman of the Detective Division told Sullivan “I’m revoking your entertainment license” – despite that neither Sullivan nor Sage had been tried or convicted. Sage was taken after arraignment to the maximum security Greystone facility at Santa Rita. Sage recounted to the Barb stories of the scant conditions and food at Graystone in an article published on May
13. A hastily arranged three day benefit was arranged with Solomon (Feldthouse – later of eclectic LA band Kaleidoscope) with the Holiday Dancers, Country Joe and The Fish, John Paul, Dave Cohen, Dan Paik and The Gospel Tonics (who had originally been scheduled) appearing.
By the time the Berkeley Barb was published on May 6, it was clear that without their cabaret license it would be impossible for The Questing Beast to have any paid performers, scheduled performances, admission or cover charge, and no advertising of live entertainment could be placed. Notwithstanding this, Country Joe and the Fish went on to perform as scheduled that evening. Although the staff at the Beast had told the Barb that emphatically and unanimously that “The Questing Beast will not close”, the Country Joe and the Fish show that Friday proved to be the last music performed there.
Sunday and Monday saw The Questing Beast host Jerry Abrams’ Berkeley Cinematheque (something they had done each Sunday since March 20) and the doors closed for the final time on May 9, 1966.
2504 San Pablo later became home to Tito’s, Babylon and then the Longbranch Saloon. Today the building houses a business called “Good Vibrations” (more Duracell than the Beach Boys).
The Questing Beast as it was on October 7, 2005 - "Good Vibrations"
2504 San Pablo Avenue through the years ...
Art of the Questing Beast
A List of Questing Beast Shows
Friday 19 November
1965
Alice Stuart Opening of The Questing Beast. Alice Stuart was, and still is, a folk singer. At the back of her Arhoolie debut album "All The Good Times".
Saturday 20 November
1965
Alice Stuart
Sunday 21 November
1965
Hoot
Monday 22 November
1965
Closed
Tuesday 23 November
1965
Wednesday 24 November
1965
Thursday 25 November
1965
Clarence Van Hook The ad says “Open Tuesday thru Sunday, 9-1”. This suggests that the venue was “name” acts on the weekend. The same ad promotes a Sunday night “Hoot.” Friday 26 November
1965
Clarence Van Hook,
KC Douglas
KC Douglas was born in Sharon, MS in 1913, and played with blues legend Tomm Vallejo, CA in 1945 to work in the Navy shipyards. By 1947 he had relocated to O as a blues performer. He had a hit in 1949 with "Mercury Boogie," better know by Steve Miller (1967), David Lindley (1981) and Alan Jackson (1992), and later u From 1963 to 1970, Douglas was an employee of the Berkeley Public Works Dep the Berkeley Blues Festival in 1970, Douglas had a boost in popularity, and he pe death in 1975. Clarence van Hook, a guitar player, generally accompanied Dougl into the 1990s.
Saturday 27 November
1965
Clarence Van Hook,
KC Douglas
Sunday 28 November
1965
Hoot
Monday 29 November
1965
Closed
Tuesday 30 November
1965
Jim Lynch Ad states "rambler tunes and flat picking".
Wednesday 01 December
1965
Bob Cooper
Thursday 02 December
1965
Friday 03 December
1965
Jean Redpath and
Karen Williams
Jean Redpath was a singer of Scottish ballads.
Saturday 04 December
1965
Jean Redpath and
Karen Williams
Sunday 05 December
1965
Hoot
Monday 06 December
1965
Closed
Tuesday 07 December
1965
Jim Lynch
Wednesday 08 December
1965
David and Tina Meltzer Ad says "electric bass, bluegrass and ballads". Both would go on to be members of Serpent Power.
Thursday 09 December
1965
John Shine Blues
Friday 10 December
1965
Lee Underwood Blues and kazoo
Saturday 11 December
1965
Sunday 12 December
1965
Hoot
Monday 13 December
1965
Closed
Tuesday 14 December
1965
Wednesday 15 December
1965
Thursday 16 December
1965
Friday 17 December
1965
Huck Rorick and His Rock &
Roll Friends
By all accounts, a rock & roll band.
Saturday 18 December
1965
Huck Rorick and His Rock &
Roll Friends
Sunday 19 December
1965
Hoot
Monday 20 December
1965
Closed
Tuesday 21 December
1965
Ken Spiker Flamenco and classical guitar
Wednesday 22 December
1965 Bob Cooper
Bob Cooper plays Carter Family Bluegrass this evening at the Questing Beast.
Thursday 23 December
1965
Golden Key Gospel Singers,
Jay Vernon and His Group
Friday 24 December
1965
Golden Key Gospel Singers,
Jay Vernon and His Group
Saturday 25 December
1965
Golden Key Gospel Singers,
Jay Vernon and His Group
Sunday 26 December
1965
Hoot
Monday 27 December
1965
Closed
Tuesday 28 December
1965
Wednesday 29 December
1965
Thursday 30 December
1965
Friday 31 December
1965
Saturday 01 January
1966
Sunday 02 January
1966
Square Dancing with Reed
Cooper calling [1:00 pm], Hoot
Monday 03 January
1966
Closed
Tuesday 04 January
1966
Wednesday 05 January
1966
Thursday 06 January
1966
John Paul
Friday 07 January
1966
New Brothers
Saturday 08 January
1966
New Brothers
Sunday 09 January
1966
Square Dancing with Reed
Cooper calling [1:00 pm], Hoot
Monday 10 January
1966
Closed
Tuesday 11 January
1966
Jason Weininger - Classical
guitar
Wednesday 12 January
1966
Clarence Van Hook
Thursday 13 January
1966
Jim Lynch
Friday 14 January
1966
The Friendly Strangers, Sandy
Rothman, Lloyd Williams,
Butch Waller, Ray Scott
[Bluegrass Special]
Bluegrass Special
Saturday 15 January
1966
The Friendly Strangers, Sandy
Rothman, Lloyd Williams,
Butch Waller, Ray Scott
Sunday 16 January
1966
Square Dancing with Reed
Cooper calling [1:00 pm], Hoot
Monday 17 January
1966
Closed
Tuesday 18 January
1966
Jason Weininger - Classical
guitar
Wednesday 19 January
1966
Clarence Van Hook
20 January
1966
Joe McDonald Although advertised by the Questing Beast as a Joe McDonald show, evidence points to this being more likely a Country Joe and The Fish show with Joe McDonald, Barry
Melton, Bruce Barthol and possibly John Francis Gunning. It is likely that they played "Bass Strings" and other songs. In Joel Selvin's book "San Francisco: The Musical History Tour", Selvin says, about an Instant Action Jug Band show in late 1965, that took place at the Cabale Creamery and that
McDonald, Melton and Barthol played "Bass Strings". If this were correct then it would date it to well before November 1965 as the Cabale had long closed at this point in time.
After November 19, 1965 the 2504 San Pablo location was home to the Questing Beast - the venue having also been called The Good Buddy and Caverns West since it was the Cabale Creamery. Therefore either the date is wildly
incorrect, or (more probably in my view) the location correct (2504 San Pablo) but the venue name incorrect.
Furthermore, in an interview with Mojo Navigator (Issue 10), Gunning states that the first Country Joe and the Fish show was at the Questing Beast. The implication is that earlier shows had either been Instant Action Jug Band shows or Country Joe and the Fish as the McDonald/Melton duo - perhaps augmented by Richard Saunders, Carvel Bass or
other members of the band.
Friday 21 January
1966
Malachi "Psychedelic Music". Malachi, an eastern influenced ex jazz musician, was a self-styled "Existential Guitarist" who had appeared regularly at the Studio C Gallery at 1625 San Pablo during the summer and autumn of 1965. He was often
accompanied on rattle by his wife.
Saturday 22 January
1966
Malachi
Sunday 23 January
1966
Square Dancing with Reed
Cooper calling [1:00 pm], Hoot
Monday 24 January
1966
Spontaneous Hoot with Chess,
Darts and Bridge
Tuesday 25 January
1966
Ken Spiker
Wednesday 26 January
1966
John Shine
Thursday 27 January
1966
Don Garrett
Friday 28 January
1966
Vern and Ray with Herb
Pederson
Saturday 29 January
1966
Vern and Ray with Herb
Pederson
Sunday 30 January
1966
Square Dancing with Reed
Cooper calling [1:00 pm]; Hoot
See Page 2 of January 28 Barb - multimedia projection show called the "Questing Beast" presented. Composed as it is watched.
Monday 31 January
1966
Spontaneous Hoot with Chess,
Darts and Bridge
Tuesday 01 February
1966
Wednesday 02 February
1966
Thursday 03 February
1966
New Brothers
Friday 04 February
1966
New Brothers
Saturday 05 February
1966
New Brothers
Sunday 06 February
1966
Square Dancing with Reed
Cooper calling [1:00 pm]; Hip
Culture Enterprises - Local
Filmmakers; Hoot
Monday 07 February
1966
Closed
Tuesday 08 February
1966
Ken Spiker, Clarence Van Hook
Wednesday 09 February
1966
Jim Lynch, Paul Malecot
Thursday 10 February
1966
Saint James Five
Friday 11 February
1966
Disassociates, Saint James Five The ad says “Jazz, Rhythm and Blues Jam Session with The Disassociates.” Films are advertised for Sunday night
(February 13). Supposedly, the Grateful Dead were using The Questing Beast as a rehearsal hall at this time. This ended when the Dead abruptly decamped to Los Angeles
with their patron, LSD king Augustus Owsley Stanley III. The Bear was an old Berkeley hand, and there is a whiff that the Questing Beast arrangement was Owsley’s doing. There
may have been a Grateful Dead show scheduled at the
Questing Beast for Friday (February 11) which was canceled as well. A Grateful Dead tape circulates as “Questing Beast Rehearsal February 11, 1966,” but both the date and venue are spurious.
Saturday 12 February
1966
Disassociates Advertised as a "folk rock" group but possibly incorrectly billed in the Berkelely Barb and should be "The Disaffiliates".
Sunday 13 February
1966
Square Dancing with Reed Coop
calling [2:00 pm] WC Fields and
Chaplin shorts with Bernie Burn
Piano [8:00 pm and 10:30 pm]
Monday 14 February
1966
Closed
Tuesday 15 February
1966
Wednesday 16 February
1966
Thursday 17 February
1966
Jesse Fuller Advertised as "The Lone Cat, Jesse Fuller, playing his fodella, kazoo singing blues, Jazz and folk".
Friday 18 February
1966
Jesse Fuller
Saturday 19 February
1966
Jesse Fuller
Sunday 20 February
1966
Hoot with Allan Kaplan
Monday 21 February
1966
Closed
Tuesday 22 February
1966
Ken Spiker, Clarence Van Hook
Wednesday 23 February
1966
Paul Malecot, Jim Lynch
Thursday 24 February
1966
John Shine
Friday 25 February
1966
Jesse Fuller
Saturday 26 February
1966
Wizards and Witches Guild
Party
Sunday 27 February
1966
Hoot with Allan Kaplan
Monday 28 February
1966
Closed
Tuesday 01 March 1966 Paul Malecot
Wednesday 02 March 1966 William Spires with Kathy
Goldman, Paul Malecot
William Spires with Kathy Goldman sang and played
traditional English and American ballads
Thursday 03 March 1966 William Spires with Kathy
Goldman, Charles Perry
Friday 04 March 1966 William Spires with Kathy
Goldman, Lee Underwood
The Berkeley Barb ad says “Funky Blues and Ballads”. Lee Underwood was a singer of "urban and delta blues".
Saturday 05 March 1966 William Spires with Kathy
Goldman, Lee Underwood
Sunday 06 March 1966 Disaffiliates
Monday 07 March 1966 Hoot with Allen Kaplan MC
Tuesday 08 March 1966 Disaffiliates
Wednesday 09 March 1966 Bill Spires, John Paul
Thursday 10 March 1966 Disaffiliates
Friday 11 March 1966 Lee Underwood, Juan Molina
Saturday 12 March 1966
Sunday 13 March 1966 Disaffiliates
Monday 14 March 1966 Hoot with Allen Kaplan MC
Tuesday 15 March 1966 Disaffiliates
Wednesday 16 March 1966 Disaffiliates
Thursday 17 March 1966 New Brothers, Rick Sinclaire The Barb ad says Rick Sinclaire “Contemporary Guitar.” Friday 18 March 1966 New Brothers, Rick Sinclaire
Saturday 19 March 1966 New Brothers, Rick Sinclaire
Sunday 20 March 1966 Berkeley Cinematheque: The
Green Archer, The Flower
Thief
A series of films are presented on Sunday nights at the Questing Beast (for the complete set of Barb ads for the films, see the Chicken site). In the 60s, few films were shown on TV, and all those were bland Warner Brothers fare or contemporary “family” type movies. Opportunities to
see Classic, Foreign or Underground films were rare, and film events like this were a significant part of the
counterculture at the time.
Monday 21 March 1966 Hoot with Allen Kaplan MC
Tuesday 22 March 1966 Breadbasket - chanties
Wednesday 23 March 1966 Breadbasket - chanties
Thursday 24 March 1966 Breadbasket - chanties
Friday 25 March 1966 Dan Paik, Ken Spiker, Paul
Malecot
The Barb ad says Dan Paik-“folk-blues,” Ken
Spicer-“flamenco” and Paul Malecot-“folk guitarist.”
Saturday 26 March 1966 Dan Paik, Ken Spiker, Paul
Malecot
Sunday 27 March 1966 Barn Dance Music (afternoon),
Berkeley Cinematheque:
George, The Inviolate House
(evening)
Monday 28 March 1966 Hoot
Tuesday 29 March 1966 Breadbasket Jazz
Wednesday 30 March 1966 Breadbasket
Thursday 31 March 1966 Juan Molina - Flamenco
Friday 01 April 1966 Jesse Fuller, John Paul, Dan
Paik, Raleigh Morris, Clarence
Van Hook, KC Douglas, Dave
Van Campen, Ken Spiker,
Rachel and Joyce Halmen, plus
20-30 others [Folk Fest
Marathon and Rent Benefit for
the Questing Beast]
The Barb ad says “Scores of Performers and more.”
Saturday 02 April 1966 John Paul, Dan Paik, Raleigh
Morris, Clarence Van Hook, KC
Douglas, Dave Van Campen,
Ken Spiker, Rachel and Joyce
Halmen, plus 20-30 others
[Folk Fest Marathon and Rent
Benefit for the Questing
Beast]
Sunday 03 April 1966 Berkeley Cinematheque:
Confessions of a Black Mother
Succuba, Schmeerquntz, The
Green Archer; Folf Festival:
John Paul, Dan Paik, Raleigh
Morris, Clarence Van Hook, KC
Douglas, Dave Van Campen,
Ken Spiker, Rachel and Joyce
Halmen, plus 20-30 others
Monday 04 April 1966 Hoot with Allen Kaplan MC
Tuesday 05 April 1966 Breadbasket
Wednesday 06 April 1966 Breadbasket
Thursday 07 April 1966 Breadbasket
Friday 08 April 1966 Clarence Van Hook, KC
Douglas
Saturday 09 April 1966 Clarence Van Hook, KC
Douglas
Sunday 10 April 1966 Berkeley Cinematheque: High
Noon, The Cat People, The
Green Archer
Monday 11 April 1966 "Play or Listen" for free
Tuesday 12 April 1966 Robbie Basho, Jan Ward
Wednesday 13 April 1966 Jim Lynch, Jim Brown
Thursday 14 April 1966 Party: Witches and Wizards
Friday 15 April 1966 Solomon (Feldthouse), Nino
and Catana [Psychedelic
Music, Malachi, Flamenco
Guitar and dancing, Cante
Jondo]
Solomon Feldhouse would later go on to play with
Kaleidoscope
Saturday 16 April 1966
Sunday 17 April 1966 Berkeley Cinematheque: Oh
Dem Watermelons, Thick
Pucker, St Chicago, Poon Tang
Trilogy, Some Don't Olds
Mo-bile, The Green Archer;
Health People
The Board of Health scheduled a visit to inspect the Beast.
Monday 18 April 1966 Health People The Board of Health took the opportunity to conduct an inspection of The Questing Beast.
Tuesday 19 April 1966 Health People Mance Lipscomb show cancelled whilst the Board of Health inspected the Beast.
Wednesday 20 April 1966 Health People Mance Lipscomb show cancelled whilst the Board of Health concluded the inspection of the Beast. It transpires they were less than pleased and, like the Jabberwock a year later, demanded a series of costly improvements to be made.
Although attempts were made to keep the Beast afloat with the "folk festival" and benefit at the end of April, by the second week of May the Beast was slain.
Thursday 21 April 1966 Mance Lipscomb, Dan Paik
Friday 22 April 1966 Mance Lipscomb, Dan Paik
Saturday 23 April 1966 Mance Lipscomb, Dan Paik
Sunday 24 April 1966 Mance Lipscomb, Dan Paik
Monday 25 April 1966 Berkeley Cinematheque:
"Twicew A Man", "Everybody
Hit Their Brother Once",
"Faces of Mexico", "The Green
Archer"
Tuesday 26 April 1966 Jesse Fuller, Lynne Hughes Jesse Fuller, a "folk blues" multi-instrumentalist and singer who invented the Fodella known as ‘The Lone Cat,” was
based in San Francisco. Lynne Hughes (her name misspelled on the poster), was a fellow traveler and part-time member of The Charlatans from the Red Dog Saloon of the previous year.
Wednesday 27 April 1966 Jesse Fuller, Lynne Hughes Lynne Hughes was the singer, barmaid and book keeper for the Red Dog Saloon in Virginia City, NV during the summer of 1965 when the Charlatans played their legendary six
week stint. Lynne was later involved with both Stoneground
and Tongue and Groove, as well as appearing at live shows with The Charalatans.
Thursday 28 April 1966 Jesse Fuller, Lynne Hughes,
Country Joe and The Fish, Dan
Paic, Blind Ebbets Field, Dave
Cohen, KC Douglas, Clarence
Van Hook, Solomon, Nino,
Catana, Flamenco and others
[Folk Festival]
The Barb ad says "psychedelic music" and "other nights, other guests". Solomon was Solomon Feldthouse, a major
figure on the West Coast folk scene, and later a mainstay of the eclectic LA group Kaleidoscope. He often appeared with flamenco or gypsy dancers. K.C. Douglas was an Oakland
bluesman. Blind Ebbetts Field, is a Nom Du Folk of Barry Melton.
Friday 29 April 1966 Jesse Fuller, Lynne Hughes,
Country Joe and The Fish, Dan
Paic, Blind Ebbets Field, Dave
Cohen, KC Douglas, Clarence
Van Hook, Solomon, Nino,
Catana, Flamenco and others
[Folk Festival]
The configuration of Country Joe and The Fish at this time would have been Joe, Barry, David Bennett Cohen (guitar, organ), Bruce Barthol (guitar), Paul Armstrong (bass), John Francis Gunning (drums). Interestingly, the Dave Cohen
listed on the poster is likely to be the Fish organist rather than the Los Angeles session musician with the same name.
That Dave Cohen was Country Joe’s guitar teacher in about 1963 in Los Angeles.
Saturday 30 April 1966 Jesse Fuller, Lynne Hughes,
Country Joe and The Fish, Dan
Paic, Blind Ebbets Field, Dave
Cohen, KC Douglas, Clarence
Van Hook, Solomon, Nino,
Catana, Flamenco and others
[Folk Festival]
Sunday 01 May 1966 Berkeley Cinematheque:
Senseless, Quixote, Eric and
the Monsters, Sandusk, The
Green Archer; Jesse Fuller,
Lynne Hughes, Country Joe
and The Fish, Dan Paic, Blind
Ebbets Field, Dave Cohen, KC
Douglas, Clarence Van Hook,
Solomon, Nino, Catana,
Flamenco and others [Folk
Festival]
Monday 02 May 1966 Solomon with the Holiday
Dancers/Country Joe and The
Fish/John Paul/Dave
Cohen/The Gospel Tonic/Dan
Paic
[Benefit Help] There are a few surviving posters from this week (4.26-5.5.66) at The Questing Beast. They list
numerous acts over several days. Logic and David Bennett Cohen’s comments suggest that the listed acts played one or two nights at the club each, rather than all appearing every night. However, we have been unable to determine the
exact breakdown of acts aach night. Solomon was Solomon Feldthouse, a major figure on the West Coast folk scene, and later a mainstay of the eclectic LA group Kaleidoscope. He often appeared with flamenco or gypsy dancers. John Paul was a local Berkeley musician, very influential in the
intellectual appreciation of musical developments at the time (e.g. the Beatles). David Cohen recalls that he was
probably booked to play separately from Country Joe and The Fish, although could well have just played a set with the band.
Tuesday 03 May 1966 Solomon with the Holiday
Dancers/Country Joe and The
Fish/John Paul/Dave
Cohen/The Gospel Tonic/Dan
Paic [Benefit Help]
One of the posters says “Help” and lists a Berkeley Public Health and Safety Ordinance by number. We must presume
that the venue was in violation of some requirement, but what exactly is unknown. The last Berkeley Cinematique ad for the film series in the Barb is for Sunday May 8. Whatever violations may have been subject to statute, it appears the venue closed, later to become Tito’s and then the
Longbranch.
Wednesday 04 May 1966 Solomon with the Holiday
Dancers/Country Joe and The
Fish/John Paul/Dave
Cohen/The Gospel Tonic/Dan
Paic [Benefit Help]
Thursday 05 May 1966 Solomon with the Holiday
Dancers/Country Joe and The
Fish/John Paul/Dave
Cohen/The Gospel Tonic/Dan
Paik [Benefit Help]
Friday 06 May 1966 Country Joe and the Fish
Saturday 07 May 1966 Country Joe and the Fish
Sunday 08 May 1966 Berkeley Cinematheque:
Uptight, LA is Burning - Shit,
Acid Camp, Colorfilm, White
Trash, The Green Archer
Monday 09 May 1966 Berkeley Cinematheque:
Uptight, LA is Burning - Shit,
Acid Camp, Colorfilm, White
Trash, The Green Archer
The Questing Beast closes.
Tuesday 10 May 1966 Jan Ward Show cancelled following the closure of the Questing Beast Wednesday 11 May 1966 Dave Cohen how cancelled following the closure of the Questing Beast Thursday 12 May 1966 Dave Cohen Show cancelled following the closure of the Questing Beast Friday 13 May 1966 Robbie Basho Show cancelled following the closure of the Questing Beast Saturday 14 May 1966 Robbie Basho Show cancelled following the closure of the Questing Beast Sunday 15 May 1966 Films Show cancelled following the closure of the Questing Beast
Monday 16 May 1966 Folk Festival Show cancelled following the closure of the Questing Beast Tuesday 17 May 1966 Dan Paik, Solomon Show cancelled following the closure of the Questing Beast Wednesday 18 May 1966 Dan Paik, Solomon Show cancelled following the closure of the Questing Beast Thursday 19 May 1966 PH Phactor Jug Band, Lynne
Hughes
Show cancelled following the closure of the Questing Beast Friday 20 May 1966 PH Phactor Jug Band, Lynne
Hughes
Show cancelled following the closure of the Questing Beast Saturday 21 May 1966 PH Phactor Jug Band, Lynne
Hughes
Show cancelled following the closure of the Questing Beast Sunday 22 May 1966 Films Show cancelled following the closure of the Questing Beast Monday 23 May 1966 Folk Festival Show cancelled following the closure of the Questing Beast Tuesday 24 May 1966 Solomon Show cancelled following the closure of the Questing Beast Wednesday 25 May 1966 Ken Spiker, Jon Paul Show cancelled following the closure of the Questing Beast Thursday 26 May 1966 Ken Spiker, Jon Paul Show cancelled following the closure of the Questing Beast Friday 27 May 1966 W&W Party Show cancelled following the closure of the Questing Beast Saturday 28 May 1966 "Special" Show cancelled following the closure of the Questing Beast
One day, when King Arthur stopped to rest by a spring, he was surprised by a sound like thirty baying hounds. A strange animal with a snakes head the body of a leopard the back legs of a lion and the hooves of a deer burst through the underbrush, pursued by King Pellinore. Pellinore had hunted the Questing Beast, as the creature was called, all his life but never managed to capture it. Malory describes it as "the strongeste beste that ever he [Arthur] saw or herde of."
This strange beast reappears frequently, beginning with Suite du Merlin and Perlesvaus, in French, Spanish, and Italian romance and in Malory. The Questing Beast also goes by the name of "Beste Glatissant".
In Search of the Questing Beast
Communications
All communications submitted to the City Council are
public record. Communications are not published directly to the City’s website. Copies of individual communications are available for viewing at the City Clerk Department and through Records Online.
City Clerk Department
2180 Milvia Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 981-6900
Records Online
https://records.cityofberkeley.info/
To search for communications associated with a particular City Council meeting using Records Online:
1. Select Search Type = “Public – Communication Query (Keywords)”
2. From Date: Enter the date of the Council meeting
3. To Date: Enter the date of the Council meeting (this may match the From Date field)
4. Click the “Search” button
5. Communication packets matching the entered criteria will be returned
6. Click the desired file in the Results column to view the document as a PDF