Steppenwolf - Early (1967)

Steppenwolf - amerykańska grupa rockowa, założona w roku 1967 w Los Angeles, przez wokalistę i gitarzystę Johna Kaya. Nazwa zaczerpnięta została od tytułu powieści Hermana Hesse - "Wilk stepowy".

Grupa kojarzona bywa z hippisami oraz subkulturą rockersów - m.in. za sprawą przeboju "Born to Be Wild", który stanowi jeden z najgłośniejszych hymnów rozsławiających wolność, żywiołowe życie i Harleya. Dwa utwory zespołu: "Magic Carpet Ride" oraz "Rock Me", wykorzystano w filmie, komedii Candy (reż. Christian Marquand, 1968).

Na ściężce dźwiękowej filmu Easy Rider (reż. Dennis Hopper, 1969) także znajdują się utwory zespołu: "Born To Be Wild" oraz "The Pusher".

Utwór: "Magic Carpet Ride", został też użyty w filmie science-fiction Star Trek: Pierwszy kontakt (reż. Jonathan Frakes, 1996) gdzie stanowi on tło muzyczne do pierwszego w dziejach ludzkości lotu kosmicznego z prędkością światła.

Inne utwory zespołu, to: "Monster", "Draft Resister", "Snowblind Friend", "Who Needs Ya?", "Jupiter's Child", "Screaming Night Hog", "Power Play", "Hey Lawdy Mama", "Move Over".

W latach 80. John Kay odszedł z zespołu, by rozpocząć karierę solową. Powrócił doń, gdy ta się nie udała. Od tego momentu zespół nazywa się John Kay & The Steppenwolf, inny jest też charakter granej muzyki. Częste niegdyś folkowe wstawki zastąpiono mocnym, elektrycznym brzmieniem typowym dla rocka lat 80. i 90. Steppenwolf zdobył szeroki rozgłos dzięki brawurowemu występowi na festiwalu w Woodstock w roku 1969.

Notabene, postać Johna Kaya sama w sobie jest ciekawa; urodzony w 1944 r. w Tylży w Prusach Wschodnich (jako Joachim Fritz Krauledat), emigrował w 2 połowie lat czterdziestych poprzez Niemcy do Kanady, a następnie do Kalifornii (USA). Blisko związany z Jimim Hendriksem i Janis Joplin, uporał się z ówczesnym trendem do zażywania narkotyków. Cierpi na genetyczną achromatopsję i nadwrażliwość na światło. Stąd najczęściej widzimy go w ciemnych okularach. (wikipedia)

Steppenwolf is a Canadian hard rock group prominent in the late 1960s. The group was formed in 1967 in Toronto by vocalist John Kay, guitarist Michael Monarch, bassist Rushton Moreve, keyboardist Goldy McJohn and drummer Jerry Edmonton after the dissolution of its predecessor, The Sparrows.

The band has sold more than 25 million units worldwide releasing 8 gold albums and 12 Hot 100 singles of which 6 were top 40 hits including three top-10 hits: "Born to Be Wild", "Magic Carpet Ride", and "Rock Me". Steppenwolf enjoyed worldwide success from 1968 to 1974, but clashing personalities led to the end of the core lineup. Today, frontman John Kay is the only original member left, having served as lead singer for more than 40 years since 1967. Kay has stated that there will be no more Steppenwolf tours, but according to band manager Charlie Wolf, he has left open the possibility of doing "a half dozen shows in '09"(...)

The name-change from "Sparrow" to "Steppenwolf" was suggested to John Kay by Gabriel Mekler, being inspired by Hermann Hesse's novel of the same name. Steppenwolf's first two singles were "A Girl I Knew" and "Sookie Sookie". The band finally rocketed to worldwide fame after their third single, "Born to Be Wild", and their version of Hoyt Axton's "The Pusher" were prominently used in the 1969 cult film Easy Rider (both titles originally had been released on the band's debut album). In the movie, "The Pusher" accompanies a drug deal, and Peter Fonda stuffing dollar bills into his Stars & Stripes-clad fuel tank, while "Born to Be Wild" is then heard in the opening credits, with Fonda and Dennis Hopper riding their Harley choppers through the American West. The song, which has been closely associated with motorcycles ever since, introduced to rock lyrics the signature term "heavy metal" (though not about a kind of music, but about a motorcycle: "I like smoke and lightning, heavy metal thunder, racin' with the wind..."). Written by Dennis Edmonton, who had begun using the pen name Mars Bonfire, the song had already reached #2 on the Hot 100 in August 1968.

Then followed albums had several more hits, including "Magic Carpet Ride" (which reached #3) from Steppenwolf The Second and "Rock Me" (which reached #10) from At Your Birthday Party.

Monster, which criticized US policy of the Nixon-era, and Steppenwolf 7 were the band's most political albums, which included the song "Snowblind Friend", another Axton-penned song, about the era and attitudes of drug problems. These albums are still fondly remembered by fans as two of the best rock & roll snapshots of the attitudes of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

There were several changes in the group's personnel after the first few years. Moreve was fired from the group in 1968 for missing gigs after he became afraid to return to Los Angeles, convinced that it was going to be leveled by an earthquake and fall into the sea. Rob Black filled in for Moreve until Nick St. Nicholas, Kay's old German buddy and former Sparrow member, came aboard. Monarch quit after disagreements with Kay that same year and was replaced by Larry Byrom. St. Nicholas' tenure with the group proved to be brief and he himself was let go in 1970 after incurring Kay's wrath by showing up onstage in a bunny suit and playing his bass loudly and out of tune. The above tales were related by Kay in his 1994 autobiography Magic Carpet Ride (co-written with Canadian author John Einarson). George Biondo was then recruited and guitarist Kent Henry replaced Byrom in 1971.

The band broke up in 1972 following the release of another political concept album, For Ladies Only, and Kay went on to a successful though inconsistent solo career, scoring a minor solo hit in 1972 with "I'm Movin' On" from his album Forgotten Songs and Unsung Heroes.

Kay toured Europe as The John Kay Band in 1972, and Steppenwolf with Steppenwolf also on the bill, Kay fronting both groups. His rapport with Steppenwolf and the audiences' enthusiastic responses convinced him that maybe Steppenwolf had disbanded prematurely.

Steppenwolf reformed in 1974 with its core lineup of Kay, Edmonton, and McJohn, along with longtime bassist Biondo and newcomer Bobby Cochran, Eddie Cochran's nephew. The band signed with Mums Records in retaliation for what Kay perceived as a lack of support by Dunhill Records for his solo album. Their first album apart from Dunhill was Slow Flux which included their last Top-40 hit, "Straight Shootin' Woman". Following the tour in support of the album's release, McJohn was dismissed for what Kay described as a decline in the quality of his performances, as well as his erratic behavior. McJohn was replaced by Andy Chapin on Hour of the Wolf in 1975, though McJohn appeared in artwork for the single to Caroline (Are You Ready) and claims that his keyboard work can be heard on many of the album's tracks. After the album peaked at #155, the band attempted to break up, but the label, now having been absorbed by Epic Records, insisted Steppenwolf record one more album to satisfy their contractual obligations. The ensuing album, Skullduggery (1976), featuring Wayne Cook on keyboards, was released without a tour to support it, and Steppenwolf disbanded a second time.

Early Steppenwolf is a collection of live recordings by the band Steppenwolf when they were still known as "The Sparrow". It was released in 1969 (see 1969 in music) under the label ABC Dunhill Records. The material was recorded live at The Matrix in San Francisco on May 14th, 1967.

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