Spirit (band)
| Company type | Rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1967 in Los Angeles, United States |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
| Products | Rock music albums and singles |
Spirit was a rock ensemble originating from the United States, established in Los Angeles in 1967. Their most prominent hit single in the U.S. market was "I Got a Line on You". The band gained recognition through albums such as their eponymous debut, The Family That Plays Together, Clear, and Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus.
Original lineup
Spirit emerged from the Los Angeles-based group Red Roosters, which included Randy California on guitar and vocals, Mark Andes handling bass duties, and Jay Ferguson contributing vocals and percussion. The lineup expanded with the addition of California’s stepfather, Ed Cassidy, who played drums, and keyboardist John Locke. Initially called Spirits Rebellious, the group later shortened their name to Spirit. Before forming Spirit, California performed alongside Jimi Hendrix in New York's Greenwich Village as part of Jimmy James and the Blue Flames. Hendrix gave Randy Wolfe the moniker "Randy California" to differentiate him from another musician named Randy.
Cassidy, distinguished by his shaved head—earning him the nickname "Mr. Skin"—and preference for black clothing, was born in 1923, making him approximately two decades senior to his bandmates. His musical roots were deeply embedded in jazz, having collaborated with notable figures such as Cannonball Adderley, Gerry Mulligan, Roland Kirk, Thelonious Monk, and Lee Konitz. Additionally, Cassidy was a founding member of Rising Sons, an early blues-rock outfit featuring Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder.
1960s
Initial demo recordings were crafted by their Topanga Canyon roommate Barry Hansen, who later became widely known as the radio personality Dr. Demento. In August 1967, producer Lou Adler signed Spirit to Ode Records. Their first album, Spirit (1968), achieved a peak position of number 31 on the Billboard 200 and remained on the chart for seven months. The track "Fresh Garbage" was included on the UK and European compilation The Rock Machine Turns You On, which served to introduce the band to an international audience.
Following this achievement, the single "I Got a Line on You," released in November 1968, became their most successful charting song, reaching number 25 in the United States and number 28 in Canada. Their sophomore album, The Family That Plays Together, matched this accomplishment by climbing to number 22 on the charts. In December of that year, Spirit performed at Denver Auditorium with support from Led Zeppelin, who shortly thereafter incorporated elements of Spirit’s "Fresh Garbage" into their live performances during early 1969. Later that summer, both bands appeared at two outdoor festivals together in July 1969. It is said that Jimmy Page’s use of a theremin was influenced by Randy California’s setup.
Guitar World has underscored California’s enduring impact through his fingerpicked acoustic piece "Taurus," which was alleged to have been mirrored by Page in Led Zeppelin’s "Stairway to Heaven" introduction. This resemblance was reported by The Independent in 1997. In 2014, Mark Andes along with a trust representing Randy California initiated a copyright lawsuit seeking songwriting acknowledgment for "Stairway to Heaven." Page denied any copying of "Taurus," with initial court rulings favoring Led Zeppelin. The decision was reversed upon appeal in 2018 but ultimately reinstated by the Ninth Circuit Court in 2020.
Capitalizing on their early success, French filmmaker Jacques Demy enlisted Spirit to produce the soundtrack for his movie Model Shop, in which they also made a cameo appearance. Their third studio release, Clear (1969), attained a chart position of number 55.
The "1984" Record and the Sardonicus Period
Towards the end of 1969, Lou Adler transitioned the distribution rights of his label, Ode Records, from Columbia Records to A&M Records. Columbia retained ownership of the band's catalog, transferring subsequent releases to Epic Records.
After the release of Clear, the band took on production duties themselves for the album "1984," which debuted in February 1970. It reached No. 69 on the Billboard charts and climbed to No. 66 on RPM. This track later featured on The Best of Spirit (1973) and was covered by Nash the Slash in 1984.
In 1970, Spirit recorded their fourth studio album, Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus, with David Briggs—well-known for his work with Neil Young—as producer. Released late that year, it attained No. 63 in the United States and No. 49 in Canada by early 1971. The record included Randy California’s "Nature’s Way," a modest hit reaching No. 111, penned during a San Francisco engagement.
Epic issued an early version of "Animal Zoo" as a single, which peaked at No. 97. Alongside landmark albums like The Who's Tommy and Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon, Twelve Dreams is celebrated as a pivotal art rock work. It delves into literary motifs concerning human vulnerability and environmental concerns, featuring pioneering production techniques such as modular Moog synthesizer integration.
Developments from 1971 to 1973
Following the tour supporting Twelve Dreams, Ferguson and Andes departed to establish Jo Jo Gunne, amid internal tensions with California. Their last performance together occurred on January 30, 1971.
John Arliss initially stepped in to replace Andes. Meanwhile, California was recuperating from a head injury and was unable to participate in touring activities. Subsequently, bassist Al Staehely joined the group, soon accompanied by his brother Chris Staehely on guitar; both came from the Texas band Krackerjack.
This ensemble recorded the 1972 album Feedback at Columbia/Epic’s Hollywood studios. The record displayed a stronger country rock influence but achieved only moderate commercial success, peaking at No. 63. Shortly thereafter, Cassidy and Locke exited due to creative disagreements; the Staehely brothers completed touring duties with drummer Stu Perry before disbanding mid-1973 and releasing Sta-Hay-Lee.
California launched his solo debut, Kapt. Kopter and the (Fabulous) Twirly Birds, on Epic in late 1972, featuring Noel Redding and Leslie Sampson. This album embraced a hard rock sound and was supported by a brief Los Angeles area tour with Cassidy and Larry "Fuzzy" Knight. Under pressure from management eager to capitalize on the Spirit brand, California toured Europe with this trio billed as Spirit. A subsequent album titled The Adventures Of Kaptain Kopter And Commander Cassidy In Potato Land was recorded but ultimately rejected by Epic; following this, California relocated to Molokai, Hawaii.
In 1973, Epic repackaged the band’s first and third albums into a two-record set named Spirit, leveraging ongoing sales momentum from Sardonicus, which became Spirit’s sole album to receive RIAA gold certification in 1976. Epic also issued The Best of Spirit alongside the minor hit single "Mr. Skin" (No. 92). Cassidy organized a new touring group that remained active throughout that year to satisfy renewed audience interest.
The Mercury period (1974–79)
In 1974, Cassidy reestablished contact with California, convincing him to return and rejuvenate the band. Andes joined briefly but soon departed to establish Firefall, and was succeeded by Barry Keene, a former sound engineer for Frank Zappa.
Early in 1975, Spirit unexpectedly became the headliner for a Florida concert after Ten Years After withdrew. With aggressive promotion and tickets priced at $3, they achieved a sold-out show in a venue seating 3,000. The earnings funded extensive recording sessions at Studio 70 in Tampa. Manager Marshall Berle presented these recordings to Mercury Records, leading to a contract and the release of the double album Spirit of '76 in May 1975. The album reached No. 147 on the charts and enjoyed FM radio play. Later that year, they followed up with Son of Spirit, which included tracks from the same recording sessions.
Locke returned for the Son of Spirit tour, with Andes also rejoining the lineup. Although Ferguson initially declined to participate in reunion attempts, the band—now including Mark’s brother Matt Andes—produced Farther Along, which was released toward the end of 1976.
Initial full reunion and Future Games
Ferguson rejoined for several performances at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. During the final encore of "Like a Rolling Stone", an intoxicated Neil Young came on stage, resulting in a confrontation where California pushed Young off. Offended by California’s behavior, Locke left mid-song. Cassidy stepped in to complete the performance, but backstage tensions ended this reunion effort.
Subsequently, California created Future Games: A Magical Kahauna Dream alongside Cassidy and session musicians. This experimental record featured a Hendrix-inspired cover of "All Along the Watchtower" and incorporated sci-fi elements using samples from Star Trek: The Original Series. Released with little promotion in early 1977, it peaked at No. 179 on U.S. charts and effectively concluded their association with Mercury. Meanwhile, Ferguson achieved solo success with hits such as "Thunder Island" (1977; No. 9) and "Shakedown Cruise" (1979; No. 31).
Return to trio
The Kapt. Kopter-era trio—California, Cassidy, and Larry "Fuzzy" Knight—reunited for an extensive tour as Spirit in 1978, including a UK headline performance alongside Alternative TV and The Police. To compensate for the absence of a keyboardist, California utilized foot-controlled Moog Taurus bass pedals. Their March 4/5, 1978 concert was broadcast on German TV/radio show Rockpalast, featuring an encore jam with Dickey Betts. This lineup recorded a heavily overdubbed live album released independently across several countries; however, it did not achieve commercial success. California left again following the conclusion of the 1979 tour.
The 1980s and beyond
After Spirit's initial disbandment, California sought to revive his solo career. Responding to a fan petition with 5,000 signatures, he issued an overdubbed selection from the unreleased 1973 Potato Land album under the Spirit name in 1981. Distributed by Rhino Records in the U.S. and Beggars Banquet Records in the UK—a label noted for punk and related genres—the album reached No. 40 on the UK Albums Chart and received airplay on BBC Radio 1.
On February 14, 1982, Spirit performed as a trio—California, Cassidy, and an unidentified bassist—at St. Louis's Kiel Auditorium during a K-SHE 95 radio-promoted event attended by over 8,000 fans. That same year saw California release his second solo album, Euro-American, through Beggars Banquet Records featuring drummer Preston Heyman. At the 1982 Glastonbury Festival, Heyman delivered a solo amidst a power outage caused by operator error.
In December 1982, the original Spirit members reunited to record live versions of early songs along with new material featuring guests such as Jeff Baxter and Bob Welch. The resulting album, titled Spirit of '84 (also known as The Thirteenth Dream), was released by Mercury Records in 1984 after initially being produced for an audiophile label. While receiving moderate critical attention, it did not chart commercially. California and Cassidy continued touring with new additions Scott Monahan (keyboards) and Dave Waterbury (bass).
California’s third solo album, Restless, showcased modern hard rock influences with Heyman contributing on "Jack Rabbit," securing a Phonogram contract late in 1985. Following limited UK performances, he resumed extensive touring across the U.S., accompanied by Cassidy, Monahan, and Waterbury. His final solo effort was Shattered Dreams, released in 1986.
In 1988, California signed with notable independent label I.R.S. Records, prompting Locke’s return to the band. They recorded Rapture in the Chambers at Nileland Studios in Malibu with studio owner Mike Nile adding bass and vocals. Despite extensive touring with this expanded group—including Monahan and George Valuck on keyboards—the album failed to chart. Subsequently, California, Cassidy, and Nile toured as a power trio while independently releasing Tent of Miracles in 1990; Nile played a significant role as songwriter and vocalist.
Throughout much of the early ’90s, Spirit remained active mainly through recording and touring despite issuing only one album after 1990. California maintained a home studio since the early ’80s but tragically passed away on January 2, 1997, drowning off Hawaii’s coast while rescuing his son from a riptide.
Following California’s death, Cassidy briefly performed with former Spirit members under "Spirit Revisited" in 1998. Locke succumbed to lymphoma complications in August 2006; Cassidy died on December 6, 2012, in San Jose at age 89.
Posthumous Releases
The passing of Randy California did not halt the distribution of Spirit's archival recordings. Since the year 2000, five compilations featuring unreleased studio and live tracks have been made available, with four presented as two-disc sets. Prior to his death, California curated a compilation focusing on the band's Mercury Records period called The Mercury Years, which was issued in early 1997. Nevertheless, this release faced some criticism from fans due to its re-edited and overdubbed nature.
Almost all of Spirit's original albums continue to be accessible on CD, largely due to Sony Music managing the Epic catalog and UK-based labels Beat Goes On and Edsel handling the Mercury catalog. The first U.S. CD reissue of Feedback was issued by Collector's Choice Music. The band's later independent releases can be purchased directly via their official website. The sole album currently out of print on CD is Rapture In The Chambers, which has not been reissued since 1989.
Spirit's music has also been sampled by contemporary artists, including Common’s "Extra P. Remix" of "Resurrection" (which incorporates "Ice" from Clear) and Pink’s "Feel Good Time" (sampling "Fresh Garbage"). In 2015, the supergroup Hollywood Vampires, featuring Alice Cooper, recorded a cover of "I Got a Line On You" for their self-titled album.
Musical Style
Per AllMusic, Spirit was recognized as an "ambitious and critically lauded West Coast psychedelic band" that merged elements of hard rock with jazz, blues, country, and folk. Comprising musicians with diverse backgrounds spanning rock, pop, folk, blues, classical, and jazz genres, Spirit cultivated an eclectic sound closely aligned with early progressive rock. Their objective was to surpass other acts on the California psychedelic circuit by integrating rock, jazz, blues, folk-rock, classical influences, as well as Indian musical elements. Music critic Robert Christgau likened Randy California to "the rock counterpart of the sophisticated, progressive jazz musicians of the 1950s."
Band Members
- Founding Members
- Randy California – guitar, vocals
- Ed Cassidy – drums
- John Locke – keyboards
- Mark Andes – bass, guitar, vocals
- Jay Ferguson – vocals, percussion, keyboards, guitar
- Subsequent Personnel
Following the release of Sardonicus, numerous additional musicians joined Spirit. While most had minimal influence on the band's core sound, several key contributors include:
- John Arliss – bass
- Al Staehely – bass, lead vocals
- John Christian Staehely – guitar, vocals
- Stu Perry – drums
- Scott Shelly – guitar, vocals
- Donnie Dacus – guitar, vocals
- Steve Olitski – keyboards
- Steve Edwards – guitar, vocals
- Barry Keene – bass
- Benji – keyboards
- Matt Andes – guitar, vocals
- Larry "Fuzzy" Knight – bass, vocals
- Terry Anderson – vocals
- Scott Monahan – keyboards, bass, vocals
- Dave Waterbury – bass, vocals
- Mike Nile – bass, vocals
- George Valuck – keyboards
- Steve "Liberty" Loria – bass, vocals
- Gordon Patriarca – bass
- Rachel Andes – vocals
- Walter Egan – bass, vocals
Studio Albums
| Year | Album | US Top 200 | UK Albums Chart | Canada | Certification | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Spirit | 31 | Ode | |||
| The Family That Plays Together | 22 | 46 | ||||
| 1969 | Clear | 55 | 29 | |||
| 1970 | Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus | 63 | 29 | 49 |
|
Epic |
| 1972 | Feedback | 63 | ||||
| 1975 | Spirit of '76 | 147 | Mercury | |||
| 1975 | Son of Spirit | |||||
| 1976 | Farther Along | 179 | ||||
| 1977 | Future Games | |||||
| 1981 | The Adventures of Kaptain Kopter & Commander Cassidy in Potato Land | 40 | Rhino | |||
| 1984 |
The Thirteenth Dream / Spirit of '84 [U.S. title] |
206 | Mercury | |||
| 1989 | I.R.S. | |||||
| 1990 | Dolphin | |||||
| 1996 | align=center |W.E.R.C. C.R.E.W. | |||||
| 2005 | Model Shop (Soundtrack) | align=center | | align=center | | align=center | | align=center | Sundazed |
Live albums
| Year | Album | US Top 200 | UK Albums Chart | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Live | Potato | ||
| 1978 | Made in Germany | Kinghat Records | ||
| 1992 | Chronicles, 1967–1992 | W.E.R.C. C.R.E.W. | ||
| 1995 | Live at la Paloma | W.E.R.C. C.R.E.W. | ||
| 2003 | Blues from the Soul | Acadia | ||
| 2004 | Live from the Time Coast | Acadia | ||
| 2006 | The Original Potato Land | Acadia | ||
| 2007 | Salvation – The Spirit of '74 | Acadia | ||
| 2008 | Rock and Roll Planet...1977–1979 | Acadia | ||
| 2009 | California Blues Redux | Audio Fidelity | ||
| 2010 | The Last Euro Tour | Floating World | ||
| 2011 | 'Tales from the Westside' | Floating World | ||
| 'The Original Potato Land' | Floating World | |||
| 2012 | "Two Sides of a Rainbow – Live at the Rainbow, London 1978" | "Floating World" |
Compilations
| Year | Album | US Top 200 | UK Albums Chart |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | The Best of Spirit | 119 | |
| Spirit (reissue combining first and third albums) | 191 | ||
| 1975 | The Family That Plays Together/Feedback | ||
| 1991 | Time Circle, 1968–1972 | ||
| 1997 | The Mercury Years | ||
| 2000 | Cosmic Smile | ||
| 2002 | Sea Dream | ||
| 2005 | Son of America |
Singles
| Year | Song titles | "US" | "CAN" | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | "Mechanical World" | "123" | "77" | "Ode / Columbia" |
| "I Got a Line on You" | "25" | "28" | ||
| 1969 | "Dark Eyed Woman" | "118" | "" | |
| "1984" | "69" | "66" | ||
| 1970 | "Animal Zoo" | "97" | "" | "Epic" |
| "Mr. Skin" | "" | "" | ||
| 1971 | "Nature's Way" | "111" | "" | |
| 1972 | "Mr. Skin" [reissue] | "92" | "" | |
| "Cadillac Cowboys" | "" | "" | ||
| 1975 | "Lady of the Lakes" | "" | "" | "Mercury" |
| "Holy Man" | "" | "" | ||
| 1976 | "Farther Along" | "" | "" | |
| 1980 | "Turn to the Right" | "" | "" | "Rhino" |
External links
- American art rock groups
- Beggars Banquet Records artists
- Epic Records artists
- Mercury Records artists
- Musical groups established in 1967
- Musical groups disestablished in 1973
- Musical groups reestablished in 1974
- Musical groups disestablished in 1979
- Musical groups reestablished in 1982
- Musical groups disestablished in 1997
- Musical groups from Los Angeles
- Ode Records artists
- Progressive rock musical groups from California
- Psychedelic musical groups
- Rhino Entertainment artists
- 1967 establishments in California
- 1997 disestablishments in California