1968 - March: The Electric Flag “Long Time Comin’”

The Electric Flag was the brainchild of guitarist Mike Bloomfield, and Long Time Comin' was their debut studio album.  The core of the band was formed by Mike Bloomfield on guitar, Barry Goldberg on keyboards, and Buddy Miles (soon to be with Jimmy Hendrix's Band of Gypsies) on drums.  Additionally, Nick Gravenites would sing lead on several tracks.

With "Long Time Comin'" Bloomfield wanted to create a sound that would feature what he called "American music."  He would draw inspiration from many sources including traditional country, gospel, and R&B, and the result would be a fusion of rock, jazz, R&B, and an early use of a horn section.  The sound would be described as an "eclectic approach toward American musical."  Critics would complement the group's sound on this album, though it would be somewhat of a failure commercially on the charts.

The Electric Flag would put out two albums in 1968, but would break up shortly before their second album was released.  Drug use affected the group's ability to perform, and Bloomfield would later admit that heroin caused his playing to fall apart.

Wayne brings us this classic of southern rock.

 

Wine The full name for this song is actually "Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee," and is a traditional boogie-woogie blues song about a famous and not very good wine called Thunderbird ("the word is Thunderbird").  It was a creation of E & J Gallo Winery, made cheap with a high alcohol content.

Texas  Buddy Miles sings lead on this blues track.  This sound would find traction with later groups like ZZ Top and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Bloomfield's playing was inspired by groups he heard in Chicago, and he would become known as one of the premier guitarists in rock music.  "I Wouldn't be an American, If it wasn't for Texas."

Killing Floor  This is an updated take on the Howlin' Wolf blues classic.  It has a blues feel but with an upbeat tempo.  The Electric Flag would cover this long before Led Zeppelin would make it the basis for "The Lemon Song."  Jimmy Hendrix would play this at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival.

Groovin' Is Easy  This is the "hit single" from the album.  The sound is different from the other blues-based tracks, and is a bit more time stamped for the age.  "Groovin's so easy, baby, if you know how.  You don't have to keep yourself forever slavin' - go out an chase whatever you're cravin'."

 

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

main theme from the animated series “Speed Racer” While it would become a staple of after school and Saturday morning cartoons in the United States, this animated series was crossing the finish line of its run in Japan in this month.  

 

STAFF PICKS:

Summertime Blues by Blue Cheer Rob starts off our staff picks with a cover of Eddie Cochran's song from 1958.  Blue Cheer was a psychedelic band out of San Francisco, and considered a precursor to the heavy metal band.  Many consider this song to be the first heavy metal song to chart in the U.S.  They were considered the loudest group in concert at the time.

I Thank You by Sam & Dave  Bruce takes a soulful turn with the final Sam & Dave release on Stax records, as Stax ended a distribution deal with Atlantic Records (from which Sam & Dave were on loan).  It hit number 3 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart.  ZZ Top would cover this song later on, and it would be their second top 40 hit after "Tush."

(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay  by Otis Redding  Brian's staff pick is another song from Stax records, and the last single from Otis Redding.  Redding died in a plane crash 3 days after recording this song.  It was Redding's biggest hit, and the first posthumous release in the U.S.  It hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Are You Gonna Be There (At the Love In) by The Chocolate Watchband Wayne closes out the staff picks in fine hippie style with  this band out of Los Altos, California.  The Chocolate Watchband started in 1965 and would break up by 1970.  Supposedly Jerry Garcia plays guitar on this track. The story is that when the band's guitarist was too high to play, Garcia was in another studio in the same building, and sat in.

 

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay by King Curtis & the Kingmakers "Dock of the Bay" was so popular that it featured both Redding and this instrumental version on the charts.

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