Blackburn & Snow
| Industry | Music |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1965 |
| Defunct | 1967 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California , United States |
| Products | Folk rock music |
Blackburn & Snow were a folk rock pair who gained recognition during the mid-1960s San Francisco music era, featuring guitarist and vocalist Jeff Blackburn alongside singer Sherry Snow.
History
Having been involved in the Bay Area music circuit since 1964, Blackburn and Snow began a romantic relationship in 1965, living in Berkeley, California, while performing in local venues. In December 1965, they secured a contract with Trident Productions, managed by Frank Werber, the producer known for his work with the Kingston Trio. During 1966, Trident released two singles: "Stranger in a Strange Land" (December 1966) and "Time" (October 1967). The former track was penned by David Crosby of The Byrds under the alias Samuel F. Omar. Their rendition of "Stranger in a Strange Land" is often hailed as an overlooked masterpiece. Sherry Snow was considered as a potential replacement for Signe Toly Anderson in Jefferson Airplane but opted to remain with Blackburn; Anderson was ultimately succeeded by Grace Slick. The duo played a significant role in shaping the San Francisco Sound between 1965 and 1967, performing at notable venues such as the hungry i, Fillmore Auditorium, Avalon Ballroom, and The Matrix. They also took part in the KFRC Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music Festival, an important precursor to the Summer of Love.
Studio recordings
Trident Productions sought to establish Blackburn & Snow as a leading act, with Frank Werber expecting considerable success. Throughout 1966 and into early 1967, they recorded sufficient material for an album, primarily composed by Blackburn. Their electric folk rock approach drew inspiration from The Everly Brothers, The Beatles, and Buddy Holly, distinguished by distinctive harmonies. The recordings featured rock arrangements supported by the Candy Store Prophets—who also played on The Monkees' debut album—and included musicians such as Larry Taylor (Canned Heat) and Gerry McGee (The Ventures). Drumming contributions came from Gary "Chicken" Hirsh of Country Joe and the Fish on select tracks. Randy Sterling oversaw production and engineering duties. Despite completing numerous songs, conflicts between Trident and their distributor MGM-Verve, coupled with disagreements involving Sterling, prevented the album’s release during their collaboration.
Post-breakup
Following their split in 1967, Snow became involved with the Subud spiritual movement, adopting the name Halimah while continuing to perform under her original name. She joined Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks as a vocalist and appeared on their album Original Recordings. After living in Indonesia, London, and Tunbridge Wells, she married English potter Bran Collingwood in 1976, relocated to Perthshire, and raised two sons. In 1983, they moved to Northern California where Collingwood earned a philosophy degree from Humboldt State University and volunteered at NPR affiliate KHSU. Beginning in 1991, she hosted and produced "Ethnic Excursions," a weekly show dedicated to global music traditions that ran for 28 years until its sudden cancellation in 2019 due to university budget cuts. Collingwood remains active with Arcata’s Redwood Interfaith Gospel Choir.
Jeff Blackburn became a member of Moby Grape during the mid-1970s before forming the Jeff Blackburn Band alongside Bob Mosley. Later collaborations with Neil Young and Johnny Craviotto resulted in The Ducks, who performed informal shows around Santa Cruz in 1977. Blackburn co-authored Neil Young’s hit "My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)." He continued his musical career leading Buck N the Odds based in Santa Cruz. On January 7, 2023, Collingwood announced Blackburn’s passing at age 77 due to previously undiagnosed health issues. In April 2023, Neil Young issued a live album from The Ducks titled High Flyin′.
In 1999, recordings from Blackburn & Snow’s mid-1960s sessions with Trident Productions were finally issued as a remastered 20-track CD named Something Good for Your Head, overseen by producer and rock historian Alec Palao.