JOHN KAY & COMPANY
''THE LOST HERITAGE TAPES''
RECORDED SEPTEMBER 1976, RELEASED NOVEMBER 18 1997
40:50
********************
1 Down In New Orleans 03:13
2 Business Is Business 03:41
3 Captain Of Your Destiny 03:48 (M. Cavett, John Kay)
4 Live Your Live 04:11
5 Sweet Memories 04:10
6 Nothing But 05:46
7 Hey I'm All Right 03:56
8 Sound Of The Crowd 04:40
9 You've Had Your Fun 03:49 (J. Kay, M. Palmer, S. Palmer)
10 Hurricane Maryann 03:32 (J. Kay, M. Palmer, S. Palmer, W. Dee)
Tracks By John Kay, Except As Indicated
********************
John Kay - Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica
Kenny Blanchet - Bass Guitar
Steve Palmer - Drums
Michael Palmer - Guitar
Wayne Cook - Keyboards
Guests:
Bill Payne
Lowell George
Nicky Hopkins
Jim Gordon
Tower Of Power Horns
Jerry Edmonton
********************
ABOUT THE ALBUM/OFFICIAL
In 1976 Morgan Cavett and I produced these recordings, which were shelved and forgotten until the 90’s when they were rediscovered during the move to my new studio in Tennessee. Some of these songs were re-recorded in Muscle Shoals in ’78 on my “All In Good Time” album but with different musicians. What makes “Heritage Tapes” special to me is not only some of the previously unreleased material but also the contributions made by the fine musicians (Lowell George and Bill Payne of Little Feat, Nicky Hopkins, Jim Gordon, The Tower of Power Horns as well as Steppenwolf drummer Jerry Edmonton and others) several of whom are no long with us. Their mix of various styles combined with a broad range of songs resulted in this album of diverse musical textures and contrasts. Some of my favorites include “Business is Business,” “Captain of Your Destiny “,” Nothing But” and “Hurricane Maryann” among others.
********************
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
Greg Prato
Steppenwolf leader/founder John Kay is perhaps the most overlooked early contributor to the musical style that would become heavy metal and hard rock. Kay was the first rocker to use the phrase heavy metal in a song, in one of metal's first great anthems: Steppenwolf's 1968 classic "Born to Be Wild." Born Joachim Fritz Krauledat on April 12, 1944, in the section of Germany that was once known as East Prussia, it was the American rock & roll that he heard on U.S. Armed Forces radio after his family moved to East Germany that fueled his interest in music. After relocating to Toronto, Canada, in 1958, Kay became even more transfixed by rock & roll -- leading to Kay picking up the guitar, writing songs, and playing in local bands.
In the '60s, Kay founded the Sparrow, a rock outfit who played both Canada and the U.S., but received little attention. The group had fallen apart by 1967, but with a new, harder-edged style of rock beginning to conquer the charts and airwaves (Cream, Jimi Hendrix, and the Yardbirds), Kay decided to pursue this direction with his next band, Steppenwolf (titled after Hermann Hesse's novel of the same name). After moving to Los Angeles, the fledgling band was signed to Dunhill and recorded their self-titled debut, issued in 1968. The album became a sizeable hit, as "Born to Be Wild" was unleashed on an unsuspecting record-buying public, becoming one of rock's most instantly identifiable and enduring hits of all time. After the track was used in the 1969 cult classic movie Easy Rider, it subsequently appeared in countless other movies and TV commercials over the years and was covered by numerous other bands (Blue Oyster Cult, Slade, Crowded House, and the Cult).
Steppenwolf continued to crank out hit albums (1968's The Second, 1969's At Your Birthday Party, and 1969's Monster), singles ("Magic Carpet Ride," "Rock Me"), and tours on a regular basis, with Kay being the only constant member among a revolving door of other musicians. By 1972, Kay decided to end the group, issuing his first solo albums around the same time: Forgotten Songs & Unsung Heroes and My Sportin' Life. Steppenwolf's retirement didn't last for long, however, as Kay alternated between the band and his solo career throughout the '70s, '80s, and '90s. He even took a few former members of the band to court when they, too, began touring behind the name Steppenwolf. In 1994, Kay penned an autobiography, Magic Carpet Ride, and four years later, Steppenwolf and Kay were the subject of an interesting Behind the Music episode for VH1.
********************
WEBSITE
********************
TO THE TOP
********************
''THE LOST HERITAGE TAPES''
RECORDED SEPTEMBER 1976, RELEASED NOVEMBER 18 1997
40:50
********************
1 Down In New Orleans 03:13
2 Business Is Business 03:41
3 Captain Of Your Destiny 03:48 (M. Cavett, John Kay)
4 Live Your Live 04:11
5 Sweet Memories 04:10
6 Nothing But 05:46
7 Hey I'm All Right 03:56
8 Sound Of The Crowd 04:40
9 You've Had Your Fun 03:49 (J. Kay, M. Palmer, S. Palmer)
10 Hurricane Maryann 03:32 (J. Kay, M. Palmer, S. Palmer, W. Dee)
Tracks By John Kay, Except As Indicated
********************
John Kay - Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica
Kenny Blanchet - Bass Guitar
Steve Palmer - Drums
Michael Palmer - Guitar
Wayne Cook - Keyboards
Guests:
Bill Payne
Lowell George
Nicky Hopkins
Jim Gordon
Tower Of Power Horns
Jerry Edmonton
********************
ABOUT THE ALBUM/OFFICIAL
In 1976 Morgan Cavett and I produced these recordings, which were shelved and forgotten until the 90’s when they were rediscovered during the move to my new studio in Tennessee. Some of these songs were re-recorded in Muscle Shoals in ’78 on my “All In Good Time” album but with different musicians. What makes “Heritage Tapes” special to me is not only some of the previously unreleased material but also the contributions made by the fine musicians (Lowell George and Bill Payne of Little Feat, Nicky Hopkins, Jim Gordon, The Tower of Power Horns as well as Steppenwolf drummer Jerry Edmonton and others) several of whom are no long with us. Their mix of various styles combined with a broad range of songs resulted in this album of diverse musical textures and contrasts. Some of my favorites include “Business is Business,” “Captain of Your Destiny “,” Nothing But” and “Hurricane Maryann” among others.
********************
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
Greg Prato
Steppenwolf leader/founder John Kay is perhaps the most overlooked early contributor to the musical style that would become heavy metal and hard rock. Kay was the first rocker to use the phrase heavy metal in a song, in one of metal's first great anthems: Steppenwolf's 1968 classic "Born to Be Wild." Born Joachim Fritz Krauledat on April 12, 1944, in the section of Germany that was once known as East Prussia, it was the American rock & roll that he heard on U.S. Armed Forces radio after his family moved to East Germany that fueled his interest in music. After relocating to Toronto, Canada, in 1958, Kay became even more transfixed by rock & roll -- leading to Kay picking up the guitar, writing songs, and playing in local bands.
In the '60s, Kay founded the Sparrow, a rock outfit who played both Canada and the U.S., but received little attention. The group had fallen apart by 1967, but with a new, harder-edged style of rock beginning to conquer the charts and airwaves (Cream, Jimi Hendrix, and the Yardbirds), Kay decided to pursue this direction with his next band, Steppenwolf (titled after Hermann Hesse's novel of the same name). After moving to Los Angeles, the fledgling band was signed to Dunhill and recorded their self-titled debut, issued in 1968. The album became a sizeable hit, as "Born to Be Wild" was unleashed on an unsuspecting record-buying public, becoming one of rock's most instantly identifiable and enduring hits of all time. After the track was used in the 1969 cult classic movie Easy Rider, it subsequently appeared in countless other movies and TV commercials over the years and was covered by numerous other bands (Blue Oyster Cult, Slade, Crowded House, and the Cult).
Steppenwolf continued to crank out hit albums (1968's The Second, 1969's At Your Birthday Party, and 1969's Monster), singles ("Magic Carpet Ride," "Rock Me"), and tours on a regular basis, with Kay being the only constant member among a revolving door of other musicians. By 1972, Kay decided to end the group, issuing his first solo albums around the same time: Forgotten Songs & Unsung Heroes and My Sportin' Life. Steppenwolf's retirement didn't last for long, however, as Kay alternated between the band and his solo career throughout the '70s, '80s, and '90s. He even took a few former members of the band to court when they, too, began touring behind the name Steppenwolf. In 1994, Kay penned an autobiography, Magic Carpet Ride, and four years later, Steppenwolf and Kay were the subject of an interesting Behind the Music episode for VH1.
********************
WEBSITE
********************
TO THE TOP
********************
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