Love (band)

Love

Company type	Rock band
Industry	Music
Founded	1965 in Los Angeles, United States
Founder	Arthur Lee
Headquarters	Los Angeles , United States
Products	Psychedelic rock, folk rock, garage rock music

Love is a rock group from the United States, established in Los Angeles in 1965, with primary songwriter Arthur Lee at the helm. Recognized as one of the pioneering racially integrated American rock ensembles, their music fused elements of psychedelic rock, folk rock, and garage rock. While their commercial impact was moderate, highlighted by their 1966 US No. 33 hit "7 and 7 Is," their third studio release, Forever Changes (1967), is frequently regarded as one of the decade’s most outstanding albums.

The definitive lineup featured Lee alongside guitarist and vocalist Bryan MacLean, bassist Ken Forssi, guitarist Johnny Echols, and drummer Donnie Conca (who was later succeeded by Alban "Snoopy" Pfisterer). By 1968, Lee remained the only founding member, continuing to produce music under the Love name with various collaborators throughout the 1970s. MacLean and Forssi died in 1998; Lee passed away in 2006. In 2011, Forever Changes was honored by induction into the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry. More recently, original guitarist Johnny Echols has toured performing as the Love Band or Love Revisited.

Formation and early years

Originally from Memphis, Tennessee and residing in Los Angeles since childhood, singer and multi-instrumentalist Arthur Lee had been recording since 1963 with groups such as the LAG's and Lee's American Four. He also wrote and produced Rosa Lee Brooks' 1964 single "My Diary," which featured guitar work by Jimi Hendrix. The Sons Of Adam, including future Love drummer Michael Stuart, recorded Lee's composition "Feathered Fish." After witnessing a performance by the Byrds, Lee was inspired to create a band blending folk-rock influences with his rhythm and blues background.

Singer and guitarist Bryan MacLean, who met Lee while serving as a roadie for The Byrds, joined the ensemble initially named the Grass Roots. MacLean had been involved in Los Angeles music scenes since 1963. Memphis-born lead guitarist Johnny Echols and drummer Don Conka also became members; Conka was eventually replaced by Alban "Snoopy" Pfisterer. Original bassist Johnny Fleckenstein departed in 1967 to join the Standells and was succeeded by Ken Forssi, formerly part of a post-"Wipe Out" era lineup of the Surfaris. To avoid confusion with another group called Grass Roots, Lee changed the band's name to Love.

Beginning in April 1965, Love performed regularly at clubs around Los Angeles, building a local following and attracting interest from prominent acts like the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds. The band lived together in a rundown mansion known as "the Castle," where they maintained the property in exchange for lodging. The imagery on their first two album covers was captured at a burnt-out residence located in Laurel Canyon.

As Elektra Records' first rock signing, Love achieved a minor hit in 1966 with Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s "My Little Red Book." Their self-titled debut album, released in March 1966, peaked at No. 57 on the Billboard 200 chart. The July 1966 single "7 and 7 Is" from their second album Da Capo highlighted Johnny Echols’ guitar skills alongside Pfisterer’s early punk-style drumming, reaching No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100—the band's highest chart position. During this period, woodwind player Tjay Cantrelli (John Barbieri) and drummer Michael Stuart joined; Pfisterer shifted to harpsichord duties. Elektra’s art director William S. Harvey created the band’s iconic logo featuring stylized lettering combined with male and female symbols.

Initially, Arthur Lee had an exclusive management contract with Herb Cohen following his signing to Elektra Records but later replaced Cohen with Ronnie Haran, who managed bookings for the Whisky a Go Go. Haran unofficially managed Love for several years before Mike Gruber assumed management responsibilities; however, Haran maintained some involvement thereafter.

Forever Changes period

Love's sophomore record, Da Capo, arrived in November 1966, featuring the single "7 and 7 Is" along with follow-up tracks "She Comes in Colors" and "". This release highlighted Arthur Lee's move toward more experimental music. Following this album, Cantrelli and Pfisterer exited the group, restoring Love to a five-member formation. Their third studio effort, Forever Changes (November 1967), co-produced by Bruce Botnick, introduced a gentler, more avant-garde sonic approach. Creative tensions emerged between Lee and Bryan MacLean regarding songwriting contributions. The recording process spanned only 64 hours, with certain tracks featuring session musicians substituting for band members. Critic Richard Meltzer highlighted its "orchestral moves" alongside Lee's unique vocal delivery. The single "Alone Again Or" peaked at number 123 on pop charts. While it achieved modest success in the US (No. 154), the album attained a higher position at No. 24 in the UK, where Love enjoyed greater acclaim. Today, Forever Changes is regarded as a seminal work, featured on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and included in the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry in 2011.

Subsequent years

Following Forever Changes, Bryan MacLean departed from Love, likely influenced by a solo contract with Elektra, while Arthur Lee dismissed the remaining members. MacLean later pursued a career as a Contemporary Christian musician. Meanwhile, Johnny Echols and Ken Forssi faced struggles with addiction and legal troubles that led them away from the music industry; drummer Michael Stuart retired from performing. Echols relocated to New York City and established himself as a respected session guitarist.

Lee reassembled Love with Jay Donnellan (soon succeeded by Gary Rowles) on guitar, Frank Fayad handling bass duties, and George Suranovich on drums, steering the band's sound toward blues rock rather than their earlier folk-rock and psychedelic style. This incarnation did not replicate the original lineup’s critical success. They produced three albums: Four Sail (1969), Out Here (1969), and False Start (1970), which featured a guest appearance by Jimi Hendrix. An unreleased 1971 record was eventually issued in 2009 under the title Love Lost. Lee’s solo project Vindicator was released in 1972. Another previously shelved album, Black Beauty, recorded in 1973 with a reformed group, saw its official release through High Moon Records in 2012. The last official Love album, Reel to Real (1974), was recorded by Lee alongside session musicians and included "Everybody's Gotta Live," which had appeared earlier on Vindicator.

Efforts to reunite the original members took place intermittently throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Arthur Lee and Bryan MacLean came together for a single performance in 1978, which was later released as Love Live in 1980. The album Studio/Live followed in 1982, combining tracks from Out Here with previously unreleased live recordings. During much of the 1980s, Lee remained mostly inactive musically but occasionally performed with various ad hoc ensembles.

In 1992, Lee returned with Five String Serenade, credited to Arthur Lee & Love; its title track was subsequently covered by Mazzy Star. He resumed semi-regular live appearances, frequently supported by Baby Lemonade. Rhino Records issued an extensive two-disc anthology titled Love Story in 1995, documenting the band’s output from 1966 to 1972.

Ken Forssi passed away at age 54 in January 1998 due to a suspected brain tumor; Bryan MacLean died at age 52 from a heart attack in December 1998 while dining with a fan researching a biography on Love. Arthur Lee was incarcerated during both of these losses.

Reformation and reunions

Following a six-year incarceration from 1995 to 2001 for weapons-related charges, Lee resumed performing under the name Love with Arthur Lee, backed by members of Baby Lemonade. In 2002, Michael Stuart-Ware, who played drums on Love's albums Da Capo and Forever Changes, published a book titled Behind the Scenes on the Pegasus Carousel with the Legendary Rock Group Love.

Johnny Echols reentered Lee’s ensemble for the 35th Anniversary tour of Forever Changes in 2003, continuing through tours in 2004 and 2005. However, due to Arthur Lee's undisclosed battle with acute myeloid leukemia, he was absent from the final 2005 tour. Consequently, the remaining musicians, led by Echols, carried on performing under the name the Love Band.

In June 2006, Stuart-Ware and Echols joined Baby Lemonade for a benefit show honoring Lee at Hollywood’s Whisky A Go-Go, which included guest appearances by Robert Plant and Nils Lofgren. Arthur Lee passed away from leukemia on August 3, 2006, at the age of 61.

A reassembled version of Love featuring Johnny Echols, Baby Lemonade members, and Probyn Gregory toured North America in 2009; Stuart-Ware was briefly involved in this lineup. The group has since performed intermittently as the Love Band featuring Johnny Echols, concluding a farewell tour in the UK in 2019 and appearing in the United States under the name LOVE-Revisited. In November 2021, they announced a UK tour for 2022 that would showcase full renditions of the albums Love, Da Capo, and Forever Changes.

In August 2024, it was revealed that a posthumous album titled Just to Remind You will be released in 2025. This collection features previously unreleased tracks written by Lee between 1990 and 2005 and has been compiled by trusted collaborators.

Musical style

Love’s sound has been categorized within genres such as psychedelic rock, folk rock, garage rock, acid rock, and psychedelic pop.

Legacy and influence

According to BrooklynVegan, few bands captured the essence of the flower-power West Coast movement as effectively as Love did. Their critical acclaim now far exceeds their modest commercial achievements; their 1967 release Forever Changes is widely celebrated and often ranked among the greatest rock albums ever created. At their late-1960s height, notable admirers included the Rolling Stones and the Doors. Various psychedelic rock-influenced bands from the 1990s—such as Primal Scream, the Stone Roses, and the Jesus and Mary Chain—have cited Love as a significant influence. Additionally, Robert Plant has identified Forever Changes as one of his favorite records.

In October 2006, Love Story, a documentary chronicling the band’s history and discography, premiered at the 50th London Film Festival. Featuring interviews with Arthur Lee, Johnny Echols, Alban "Snoopy" Pfisterer, along with archival footage of Bryan MacLean, it was subsequently released on DVD in June 2008.

Current members

Original lineup members are indicated in bold

• Johnny Echols – lead guitar, occasional vocals (1965–68, 2002–present)
• Rusty Squeezebox (born David Ramsey) – guitar, vocals (1994–present)
• Mike Randle – guitar (1994–present)
• David "Daddy O" Green – drums (1994–present)
• James Nolte – bass guitar (2021–present)

Past members

Members from the original lineup are indicated in bold

• Arthur Lee – vocals, guitar, piano, percussion, harmonica, songwriter (1965–75, 1978, 1982, 1992–2006; until his passing)
• Bryan MacLean – rhythm guitar, vocals, songwriter (1965–68, 1978; deceased 1998)
• Alban "Snoopy" Pfisterer – drums, organ, harpsichord (1965–67)
• Larry Pincock – drums (1965–66; passed away 2012)
• Johnny "Fleck" Fleckenstein – bass guitar (1965–66; died 2017)
• Don Conka – drums (1965, guest appearance 2003; deceased 2004)
• Ken Forssi – bass guitar (1966–68; died 1998)
• Michael Stuart-Ware – drums (1966–68; guest appearances 2006, 2009)
• Tjay Cantrelli (born John Barberis) – woodwind instruments (1966–67; passed away 1985)
• Frank Fayad – bass guitar, backing vocals (1968–73, 1982; died 2014)
• George Suranovich – drums, backing vocals (1968–70, 1978, 1982; deceased 1990)
• Jay Donnellan – lead guitar (1968–69, 1982; died 2021)
• Drachen Theaker – drums (1968–69; passed away 1992)
• Gary Rowles – lead guitar (1969–71, 1982)
• Nooney Rickett – guitars (1969–71)
• Paul Martin – guitars (1969)
• Don Poncher – drums (1971–73)
• Craig Tarwater – guitar (1971–73)
• Melvan Whittington – guitar (1973–75; deceased 2015)
• Robert Rozelle – bass guitar (1973–75; died 2011)
• Joe Blocker – drums (1973–75)
• Eric Alan "Ricky" Rackin – bass guitar (1976–77; died 2007)
• Probyn Gregory – multi-instrumentalist (2009)
• Justin Polimeni – drums (1992–93)
• Bobby Beausoleil – guitar (1965, during The Grass Roots era)
• David Chapple – bass guitar (1996–2021)

Discography

• Love (1966)
• Da Capo (1966)
• Forever Changes (1967)
• Four Sail (1969)
• Out Here (1969)
• False Start (1970)
• Reel to Real (1974)
• Arthur Lee & Love (1992)
• Love Lost (2009; collection of previously unreleased tracks from 1971)
• Black Beauty (2012; compilation of unreleased recordings from 1973)
• Just to Remind You (forthcoming)

External links

• Comprehensive Love discography () – Details on tracks, personnel, and lyrics.
• The Boston Phoenix, July 2008