Stone Henge - Stonewall
 Stone Henge
Stonehenge
Stonepillow
Stone Poneys
Stone Sypher
Stoned Circus
Stoneground
The Stonemen
Stonewall
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| Stone Henge
Stonehenge
Stonepillow
Stone Poneys
Stone Sypher
Stoned Circus
Stoneground
The Stonemen
Stonewall
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A group from Fairfield, California who evolved out of the Donnybrookes and later changed their name to the Maze, releasing the heavy-psych album Armageddon. Sundazed's CD reissue of the album (Sundazed SC 6060) 1995 includes two previously unreleased Stone Henge tracks - Right Time and Rumors. (Max Waller/Alec Palao)
An unknown heavy rock group with fuzz guitar, bluesy organ and grumbling vocals on the 'A' side. The flip is comparativly disappointing. (Stephane Rebeschini)
NB: (1) also released in England (Phase 4 Stereo PFS 4163) 1969 SC. An obscure album, which was the work of Lor Crane and Jay Zimmet. The lyrics occasionally suggest psychedelic undertones but the music is very poppy and the album is not recommended although it is pleasant enough on the ear. It has a sort of poor man's Mamas and the Papas / Association pop feel about it. Their album was also released in the U.K. on the Decca subsidiary, Phase 4, and the band are thought to have been based in the U.K.. (Vernon Joynson / Bill Stowe / Rick Rozoff / Stephane Rebeschini).
NB: (4) is a reissue of (1) with a new sleeve. There's also a compilation Stoney End (Pickwick SPC 3298) 1972.
An interesting Californian folk/rock outfit. Originally a duo of Linda Rondstadt and Bob Kimmel known as The Kimmel Brothers, they soon adopted the Stone Poneys monicker and recruited Ken Edwards. Both Ken and Bob were already respected songwriters and studio musicians. Their first album was produced by Nick Venet (Mad River, Leaves, Euphoria) and is really good. The material is strong (Wild About My Lovin', Train And The River, Sweet Summer Blue And Gold) and the music and vocals extremely consistent. All the songs were written by Edwards and Kimmel, except for Tom Campbell's 2.10 Train and Orion, and Little Bit Of Rain by Fred Neil. It is worth noting that all the backing musicians and Venet also worked with Fred Neil on his two albums recorded in 1967. After two other albums, the trio disbanded although Stone Poneys And Friends was basically the original group in the studio with session players. When Different Drum became a hit, Linda went on the road with Bobby Kimmel (gtr), Shep Cooke (bs) and other sidemen. By that time, the group was defunct but Ronstadt needed the money and to support the single, they played a four-month tour as 'Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys'. This group was dropped as soon as the tour finished and by November 1968 the Stone Poneys, were John Forsha (gtr), John Ware (drms), John Keski (bs), Herb Steiner (steel gtr) and Bill Martin (piano). Herb Steiner recalls: "In 1968, Linda Ronstadt hired me for the Stone Poneys band as a dobroist/mandolinist. When she found out I could play a little steel guitar (mostly non-pedal), she encouraged me. Michael Nesmith was a friendly acquaintance of mine, and graciously loaned me a steel guitar until I could purchase one of my own. In the year I played with her we had several band incarnations, but the one that toured most was myself on steel, John Forsha on guitar, John London on bass, Johnny Ware on drums and Bill Martin on piano. My first gig after the Stone Poney's was to move to Connecticut and join the Wildweeds, whose band leader, Al Anderson, went on to the NRBQ." Kenny Edwards went on to the Los Angeles band Bryndle alongside, Peter Bernstein, Wendy Waldman, Andrew Gold and Karla Bonoff. They played their first show at McCabes in Santa Monica in 1969 and in 1970 recorded what should have been their debut album for A&M Records with newcomer producer Chuck Plotkin. Only a single, Woke Up This Morning, was ever released and was a regional hit in Northern California before disappearing. Bryndle soon disbanded with, Andrew Gold and Kenny Edwards then forming the Rangers with Peter Bernstein (bassist of Bryndle and son of composer Elmer Bernstein) and Gene Garfin on drums (ex Comfortable Chair). They made demo after demo, but never got a deal. In 1973 Andrew Gold joined Linda Ronstadt's band, then Kenny followed suit in time for her Heart Like A Wheel album. Kenny Edwards also kept on working in the Californian studios, notably with Bernie Schwartz and Warren Zevon. John London (real name John Kuehne) and John Ware went on to join the Corvettes, who also featured Bernie Leadon and Chris Darrow and cut two 1969 singles for the Dot label. The Corvettes became Linda's backing band in 1969 but folded in December '69 when Leadon joined the Flying Burrito Brothers. London and Ware both joined Michael Nesmith's 1st National Band in late 1969, London had previously played with Nesmith in 1966, before relocating to L.A. in 1966. He sadly passed away in 2000. Ex-Stone Poney's Shep Cooke and Bob Kimmel later formed the Floating House Band, a studio project for their 1972 album, although the duo did play at McCabes alongside Bryndle. Andrew Gold also assisted on the album. Cyrus Faryar was also in Modern Folk Quartet and Billy Mundi in Lamp Of Childhood. Compilation appearances have included: Evergreen Parts's 1 & 2 on Journey To A Higher Key, Vol. 1 (LP); Some Of Shelly's Blues and Different Drum on In The Beginning (LP). (Stephane Rebeschini/Jason Odd/Carlton)
A Dallas-based hard rock band responsible for two tracks:- Who Do You Love? and You've Changed on the compilation A New Hi (Tempo 2) 1971. Lawrence later joined Effect another Texan band in 1983.
A fine hippie quintet with male-female vocals in the Jefferson Airplane mould. They recorded their only album on 4th September 1970 at Cavern Sound Studios, Missouri and were originally from Independence (Harry Truman's birthplace), but it remained unissued until 1994. This is the same studio where The Wizards From Kansas and Burlington Express layed down their first tracks. The album contains an excellent cover version of the traditional Babe I'm Gonna Leave You.
Prior to their first LP this band recorded an album that was never issued. Warner Bros reputedly have the tapes. They became the touring band for Warner Bros. Medicine Ball Caravan, a multi-circus group which toured Canada and the USA and journeyed to London between the summer of 1970 and February 1971. During this time they produced demos for Columbia which later emerged in Italy on Blue Velvet records. Reputedly pretty good despite their indifferent sound quality, they include several tracks not included on later albums. For reasons better known to them the label called the album Stoneground-On Stage (Blue Velvet FCP 001) although none of the tracks are live. After their tour they settled in their native San Francisco, where they rapidly established a reputation as a fine live band. Their debut album was notable for fine guitar work by Barnes and used several vocalists to good effect. The follow-up was a double LP consisting of one studio side and three live sides from a San Francisco radio FM broadcast. After one further album with the full size band internal friction lead to the departure of all of the original members except Barnes and Sampson. They even split up all together for a while but Barnes returned in 1973 with a new line-up. The band were also featured in the soundtrack to the Peter Cushing film 'Dracula A.D. 1972'. They can be seen performing Alligator Man in a party-scene at the beginning of the movie. An historically important band in the tapestry of West Coast rock (for example, Sal Valentino had earlier been with Beau Brummels and later formed Valentino which included Blakely and Phillips; Lydia Phillips had earlier played with Indian Puddin' And Pipe; Pete Sears joined from Copperhead and later played for Jefferson Starship, Silver Metre and Price, Godula and Lerois were all previously in Together) they were also featured on the closing days of the Fillmore LP. They were still recording albums, too, in the early eighties. Very much a hippie outfit, they may be of interest to readers. (Vernon Joynson/Max Waller/Christopher Gullo)
A significant 45 by a Fall River, Massachusetts band. The 'A' side, a moody garage ballad, has resurfaced on New England Teen Scene, Vol. 3 (LP) and the No No No compilation CD. (Max Waller/Erik Lindgren)
NB: (1) reissued in 1992 as a limited press of 300 copies. Later reissued and retitled as Stoner (Akarma AK 116) 2000. An extremely rare, privately pressed hard rock album with some psychedelic trappings. This type of album is far more likely to interest hard rock enthusiasts than connoisseurs of psychedelia and is a very marginal case for inclusion. Solitude and Atlantis are probably the most relevant tracks to this book. |
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