Potliquor

Potliquor

Company type	Rock band
Industry	Music
Founded	1969 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
Founder	George Ratzlaff, Guy Schaeffer
Headquarters	Baton Rouge , United States
Area served	Southern United States, United States, Europe (UK)
Key people	George Ratzlaff, Guy Schaeffer, Jerry Amoroso, Les Wallace, Jim Brown (manager/producer)
Products	Studio albums, compilation albums, singles

Potliquor (occasionally written as Pot Liquor) was a rock ensemble originating from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, active during the 1970s. Established by George Ratzlaff and Guy Schaeffer following the dissolution of their former group, the Basement Wall, Potliquor merged inspirations from artists like Little Richard, Ray Charles, and Jimmy Reed, situating themselves within the burgeoning Southern rock movement. Their discography includes four studio albums and a compilation, featuring a standout hit single both composed and performed by Ratzlaff.

In the early 1970s, Potliquor became a prominent regional touring band, sharing stages with renowned acts such as the Allman Brothers, Billy Joel, REO Speedwagon, Aerosmith, ZZ Top, and B.B. King. While they never embarked on a nationwide headlining tour, they did headline concerts where future luminaries like ZZ Top and Aerosmith appeared as opening performers. The group’s trajectory was hindered after their manager passed away in 1973, and subsequent personnel changes impeded broader national recognition. Notably, Potliquor holds the distinction of being the final band to perform at the Fillmore West prior to its shutdown.

Name

The name Potliquor is derived from "pot liquor," referring to the flavorful broth remaining after cooking vegetables and meats—a traditional Southern culinary element often savored rather than discarded. Although "potlikker" is historically accurate, "pot liquor" has gained acceptance as an alternative spelling. This term underscored the band's connection to their Louisiana heritage throughout their creative output.

Influences and style

Potliquor crafted a Southern rock sound deeply infused with South Louisiana influences, frequently incorporating nods to their home state in album titles, song names, and lyrics—examples include "Down the River Boogie," "Ol’ Man River," "Riverboat," "Levee Blues," "Louisiana Rock & Roll," "Red Stick," and "Louisiana Lady." Frontman George Ratzlaff’s commanding gospel and soul-inflected vocals helped anchor Potliquor within the early 1970s Southern rock scene. Their compositions were predominantly rooted in blues traditions, evident in tracks like "Levee Blues," "Rooster Blues," and "St. Jude’s Blues," while several songs embraced gospel motifs such as "When God Dips His Love in My Heart" and "Beyond the River Jordan."

In a review for Southern Rock Review, Martin Popoff praised Potliquor’s debut album for its fusion of southern musical heritage with psychedelic and hard rock influences:

The group’s sound represents a dynamic fusion of classic southern elements blended with psychedelic touches reminiscent of the Guess Who and the hard-driving Hammond-powered rock akin to Deep Purple. Standout moments include a fierce power-chord rendition of "You're No Good" that rivals Sabbath, alongside a haunting "The Raven" that evokes Steppenwolf and Iron Butterfly. Original tracks like "Down The River Boogie" serve as early southern rock anthems founded on robust riffs. Songs such as "Riverboat" and "Price 20 Cents A Copy" highlight intricate, rapid arrangements complemented by distinctive harmonies. The album effectively balances late 60s hard rock vigor with emerging southern sounds that blend gospel, boogie, and blues.

Origins

Established in 1969 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Potliquor consisted of George Ratzlaff (keyboards, rhythm guitar, vocals), Guy Schaeffer (bass, vocals), Jerry Amoroso (drums, percussion, vocals), and Les Wallace (guitar, vocals). Each member was an experienced figure in the Baton Rouge music community; notably, Ratzlaff and Schaeffer had been part of the Basement Wall, a highly compensated cover band in the southern United States during the late 1960s. The band’s formation was significantly influenced by local promoter Jim Brown, who owned the Speakeasy club and orchestrated a "name-the-band" contest that ultimately led to the choice of the name Potliquor.

Brown also managed bookings for the New Orleans Pop Festival held from August 30 to September 1, 1969, at Louisiana International Speedway near Prairieville, LA. This opportunity secured Potliquor a prominent Saturday night performance slot. The festival featured a strong lineup of nationally recognized artists including five acts that had performed at Woodstock—Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, and Country Joe and the Fish—along with other notable groups such as Canned Heat, Byrds, Iron Butterfly, Chicago, among others. Attendance figures were estimated between 25,000 and over 100,000.

1970

In May 1970, Potliquor was the headline act at the smaller Festival of Man and Earth near Baton Rouge. They performed alongside bands like Ginger Valley, Goat Leg, Eternity's Children, Bloodrock, Ox, and the Ides of March.

By early September of that year, Potliquor secured a contract with Janus Records, a division of GRT Corporation. A colorful advertisement in the September 26 issue of Billboard introduced them as a "river blues" band hailing from Baton Rouge who had "created a sensation at the New Orleans Pop Festival" and were preparing for their inaugural national tour. Their debut album, First Taste, was released by Janus in November. The recording took place at Deep South Recording Studio in Baton Rouge with manager Jim Brown producing and Cy Frost engineering. Frost also contributed guitar work and songwriting (under the pseudonym Giuseppe Efronetée) on "Driftin," which was later covered by British rock band Fat Chance on Decca Records. First Taste received positive attention from Billboard critic Bob Glassenberg who predicted it would make a significant impact. He further commended their live show at New York’s Village Gate as "stylistically unique," describing them as an energetic new presence in the pop music scene.

1971

In early 1971, Pye Records’ Dawn label released First Taste across the United Kingdom and European markets. Returning to Baton Rouge in February, Potliquor recorded their sophomore album Levee Blues once again at Deep South Recording Studios. While Jim Brown retained producer credit for this project, production responsibilities shifted to Cy Frost.

April saw the band featured on a San Francisco television special alongside Joy of Cooking and Hugh Masekela; this program was broadcast in quadraphonic stereo to multiple cities throughout California. They were also slated to perform at Bill Graham’s Winterland venue with acts like Ten Years After and Cactus during late April and early May; however, these concerts did not take place due to venue closures.

Although initially expected to be completed by May, Levee Blues was finalized in August and released toward the end of 1971. Industry feedback was optimistic: Billboard announced plans for a U.K. tour and Chess/Janus Records executives publicly committed to supporting the album’s promotion. Don Graham, recently hired as a promoter for Chess/Janus, identified Potliquor as his primary focus with aspirations to elevate their national profile. Levee Blues was among six albums highlighted in a full-page Billboard advertisement. The publication closed out the year praising its "heavy material and performance" as capable of driving strong sales momentum while recognizing Potliquor as a unified southern rock outfit with compelling tracks.

1972

Potliquor's outlook improved significantly in 1972 when Billboard identified their track "Cheer" from the Levee Blues album as having considerable potential for success on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Marvin Schlachter, the president of Chess/Janus, recognized the band as a vital component of the label's promising artist lineup. By February, "Cheer" had entered the Hot 100 and climbed to a peak position of number 65 in March after spending 11 weeks on the chart.

During a tour with Savoy Brown, Potliquor performed at prominent locations including Los Angeles' Whisky a Go Go, earning national recognition for their dynamic stage presence and extensive southern rock experience. In March, they embarked on a six-week tour alongside Bloodrock and Cactus, featuring an appearance at the esteemed Mar Y Sol Pop Festival in Puerto Rico, where they shared the bill with major artists like Alice Cooper and the Allman Brothers Band.

Midway through the year, Potliquor appeared on the Real Don Steele Show alongside Peter Yarrow and Billy Joel. Chess/Janus attributed its improved financial performance to a merger and enhanced promotional strategies, claiming to have successfully launched Potliquor on a national scale. The band also performed with Uriah Heep and Long John Baldry in New Jersey and closed WRNO-FM's Day in the Park concert in New Orleans, sharing the stage with southern rock legends Dickey Betts and Gregg Allman. Later that summer, they performed with REO Speedwagon in Baton Rouge.

While featured in a year-end television special, Potliquor was concurrently finishing work on their third studio album.

1973

The album Louisiana Rock & Roll, produced by Jim Brown and engineered by Cy Frost, was released in January 1973 with robust promotional backing from Chess/Janus, including significant advertising placements in Billboard. Early that year, Potliquor toured with Boz Scaggs and notably participated in a pioneering Youth Concert at Baton Rouge's Pete Maravich Assembly Center, performing alongside the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra—one of the earliest instances of a rock band collaborating with a symphony orchestra.

Throughout 1973, Potliquor shared stages with well-known groups such as the Eagles, Charlie Daniels Band, Black Oak Arkansas, Steely Dan, Gladstone, and Wishbone Ash at various venues.

Dissolution

In 1973, tragedy struck when Jim Brown, the band's longtime manager and producer who also served as their mediator, died in a car accident. Following his passing, tensions within the group intensified; bassist Guy Schaeffer was dismissed despite his earlier involvement in recording sessions. Members from the local band Warbabies joined the lineup while drummer Jerry Amoroso was also removed. Amoroso claimed legal rights to the "Potliquor" name; however, George Ratzlaff retained control over publishing rights to their early material.

Re-formation

Amoroso reassembled Potliquor with Schaeffer and guitarist Mike McQuaig but without George Ratzlaff’s distinctive vocals and songwriting contributions—Ratzlaff had penned most of the original songs on their first three albums. This new formation lacked support from Chess/Janus; no tours or promotional activities took place through 1977. Amoroso pursued new recording contracts but initially faced setbacks until securing a deal with Capricorn Records in early 1977. They released the single "New York City You Ain’t," which achieved limited success.

The band recorded a self-titled album at Studio in the Country located in Bogalusa, Louisiana. Released by Capitol Records in 1979, this album adopted a more radio-friendly sound but lacked the authentic southern rock feel of their earlier work and failed to break into the Top-40 charts; shortly thereafter, the group disbanded once more.

Retrospective

As one of the pioneers in Southern rock, Potliquor skillfully merged local musical influences with the cultural heritage of south Louisiana. They emerged during a transformative period in the music industry, sharing stages with soon-to-be prominent bands—occasionally even headlining events where Aerosmith and ZZ Top served as opening acts. Despite their distinctive regional sound, their association with a smaller record label constrained their wider commercial reach. The group's disbandment in 1973 interrupted their progress, and by the time they regrouped, the market landscape had shifted, reducing available opportunities.

Album art and cultural references

The visual presentation of Potliquor’s albums strongly conveys their connection to Southern Louisiana:

• The cover of First Taste depicts the band members holding a moonshine jug, an allusion to "pot liquor" that symbolizes their musical debut, set against bayou-themed imagery.
• Levee Blues features psychedelic pen-and-ink illustrations created by Baton Rouge artist Marty McCoy, portraying musicians alongside riverbank scenes that reflect their surroundings.
• On Louisiana Rock & Roll, swamp flora and live oak trees frame the band members, with mushrooms forming the word "Potliquor," emphasizing their regional roots.
• Both Potliquor (1979) and The Best of Potliquor display levees bordering major rivers, accompanied by paddlewheel riverboats moving along the water.

Discography

• First Taste (1970)
• Levee Blues (1971)
• Louisiana Rock & Roll (1973)
• Potliquor (1979)
• The Best of Potliquor (2008)

Singles

A Side	B Side	Album	Single Release	Comments
Riverboat	Down the River Boogie	First Taste	1971
You're No Good	Price 20 Cents a Copy	First Taste	1971
Cheer	Chattanooga	Levee Blues	1972	Reached #65 on Billboard Hot 100; originated from an impromptu studio jam.
Levee Blues	Beyond the River Jordan	Levee Blues	1972
Waitin’ for Me at the River	Levee Blues	Louisiana Rock & Roll	1973	Produced by Jim Brown & Cy Frost; Janus single J-195
"H"	St. Jude's Blues	Louisiana Rock & Roll	1973
New York City You Ain't	Luzianne	None	1976	Limited commercial impact resulted in album cancellation.
Oh So Long	Unknown	Potliquor	1979

Recognition and awards

• Entered into the Louisiana Entertainment Hall of Fame on June 12, 2005.
• Inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame on October 20, 2013; performed at the induction ceremony.
• Keyboardist George Ratzlaff earned a Grammy nomination in 1981 for songwriting on The Archers' album Spreadin’ Like Wildfire, reflecting his ongoing contributions beyond Potliquor.

External links

• Potliquor Music Facebook Page