The Peanut Butter Conspiracy
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | August 1, 1966 in Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Founder | John Merrill, Barbara Robison, Alan Brackett, Spencer Dryden, Jim Cherniss |
| Defunct | 1970 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
| Products | Psychedelic pop and rock music |
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy was a psychedelic pop and rock ensemble based in Los Angeles during the 1960s, distinguished by lead vocalist Barbara Robison and, for a short period, featuring Spencer Dryden from Jefferson Airplane.
History
Originating in Los Angeles in August 1966, the group evolved from the folk rock band The Ashes. The initial lineup consisted of John Merrill (guitar and vocals), Barbara "Sandi" Robison (vocals), Alan Brackett (bass and vocals), Spencer Dryden (drums), and Jim Cherniss (guitar and vocals). Prior to this, The Ashes had issued singles under the moniker The Young Swingers. Following Dryden's departure to join Jefferson Airplane and Robison's temporary break, Alan Brackett reassembled the band with guitarist Lance Baker Fent and drummer Jim Voigt, eventually bringing Merrill and Robison back together to form The Peanut Butter Conspiracy.
The group secured a contract with Columbia Records toward the end of 1966, releasing the single "It's A Happening Thing," produced by Gary Usher, which attained position 93 on the national pop charts. Their first album, The Peanut Butter Conspiracy Is Spreading, also produced by Usher and featuring session musicians like Glen Campbell and James Burton, reached number 196 on the Billboard 200. Although singles such as "Turn On a Friend (to the Good Life)" saw modest chart placements, the band embarked on nationwide tours and released a follow-up Columbia album titled The Great Conspiracy. Additionally, they contributed songs to various film soundtracks, including Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.
By 1968, the band shifted to Challenge Records, a Warner Bros. subsidiary, incorporating new members such as former Clear Light keyboardist Ralph Schuckett and drummer Michael Ney. Their concluding album, For Children of All Ages (1969), was both written and produced by Brackett. Concurrently, Merrill revived The Ashes for a 1970 release on Vault Records.
The group dissolved around 1970 after completing their final tour. Merrill and Brackett continued their involvement in music production and publishing; notably, Brackett produced Randy Meisner’s debut solo album following his tenure with the Eagles and contributed to scores for films and television shows including Witness, Happy Days, and Top Gun.
Robison participated in an 18-month run of the Los Angeles production of Hair before performing locally. In 1971, she joined Froggy alongside Merrill and Brackett, later becoming part of another band named Rush. She toured extensively with pianist Ivan Jean until her passing from toxic shock syndrome in 1988 at age 42.
Drummer Jim Voigt passed away from a heart attack in 2000 at age 54. Guitarist Lance Baker Fent remains active in rock music production through his GreenManMedia label. In 2009, surviving members reunited for a live performance featuring Brackett’s composition "Eventually," originally recorded in 1966.
Posthumous releases include the 2005 compilation by Ace Records titled Spreading From The Ashes, which covers early material from The Young Swingers and The Ashes periods, as well as the 2014 tribute album Barbara, curated by Brackett to highlight Robison’s versatile musical contributions across various styles.
Name
As stated by Brackett:
South African group
The South African ensemble named Peanut Butter Conspiracy was established in 1968 with founding members Una Valli (vocals), John Lindeman (guitar), Brian Mulder (bass), Ron Naturam (keyboards), Mike Fox (drums), Peter Lynch (saxophone/mouth-organ/guitar), and Mike Koch (drums). Subsequent additions included Ton Schiff (keyboards), George Hill (drums), Herbert Simon (guitar), Moose Forer (bass), Frank Hill (drums), Stuart Preston (drums), Mick Spooner (keyboard/saxophone), Eddie Payne (trumpet), and Freddie Schesser (trumpet).
Their track "Understanding" climbed to number two on Springbok's Top 20 chart in May 1971 and remained at number one on Rhodesian charts for three consecutive weeks. Other significant hits comprised "Hold On To What You've Got," which reached number four, and "Amen," peaking at number two during the same year.
Discography
Studio Albums
- The Peanut Butter Conspiracy Is Spreading (Columbia Records, March 1967)
- The Great Conspiracy (Columbia Records, December 1967)
- For Children of All Ages (Challenge Records, 1969)
Compilation Albums
- West Coast Love-In (Vault, 1967) – collaboration with The Ashes and The Chambers Brothers
- Turn On A Friend (Drop Out Records, 1988)
- Spreading from the Ashes (Ace Records, 2005) – featuring The Ashes
- Living Dream - The Best of the Peanut Butter Conspiracy (Sundazed Music, 2005)
- Barbara (2014) – spotlighting Barbara Robison