JOHN KAY & STEPPENWOLF
''"WOLFTRACKS"''
1982
43:10
********************
1 All I Want Is All You Got 03:55 (John Kay)
2 Time 03:30 (John Kay, Kevin Kern, Michael Palmer)
3 None Of The Above 03:59 (John Kay, Michael Palmer, Steven Palmer)
4 You 03:51 (John Kay)
5 Every Man For Himself 03:19 (John Kay)
6 Five Finger Discount 04:36 (John Kay)
7 Hold Your Head Up 03:46 (Rod Argent, C.C.White)
8 Hot Night In A Cold Town 03:20 (Geoff Cushing, Richard Littlefield)
9 Down To Earth 02:57 (Kim Fowley, Ross Wilson)
10 For Rock-N-Roll 03:39 (John Kay)
11 The Balance 06:14 (John Kay)
********************
Bass – Welton Gite
Drums, Percussion, Vocals – Steven Palmer
Guitar, Vocals – John Kay
Keyboards, Vocals – Michael Wilk
Lead Guitar, Vocals – Michael Palmer
Vocals [Additional Guest Vocalists] – Brett Tuggle, George Biondo
********************
ABOUT THE ALBUM/OFFICIAL
In 1980, John Kay reclaimed the Steppenwolf name after the name had been damaged through misuse by others. Touring as “John Kay & Steppenwolf,” the band decided to record live in the studio directly onto a 2-track digital recorder (a brand new medium at the time), a method made popular by jazz and classical musicians. The resulting “Wolftracks” is believed to be the only rock album recorded in this way to date. Includes the bonus track “All I Want Is All I Got.” Other songs: Time, None Of The Above, You, Every Man For Himself, Five Finger Discount, Hold Your Head Up, Hot Night In A Cold Town, Down To Earth, For Rock-N-Roll, The Balance. This album was also re-released in 1990 on CMC records containing 11 tracks. The bonus track was track #1: "All I Want Is All You Got."
---
Our first studio album of the early 80’s rebuilding period. Because of constant touring, the recording had to be done quickly. We chose to record at Ocean Way, an excellent studio in Los Angeles and to use the (then new) format of Soundstream 2-track digital. While classical and jazz recordings had been done this way, we were the first rock band to attempt this. There was no over dubbing on a 2 track machine so everything from the instruments to lead and backing vocals was recorded “live” at the same time. Consequently we all felt somewhat under pressure. However everyone, Steve Palmer, drums; Michael Palmer, guitar and Michael Wilk keyboards as well as Welton Gite, bass and Wolf alumni George Biondo and Brett Tuggle backing vocals came through with fine efforts. Engineered by our friend Kevin Kern, it put our fans on notice that we were ongoing and had our eyes on the future. Some favorite cuts are “Five Finger Discount”, “None of the Above”, “The Balance” and “Hot Night In A Cold Town”. I also liked our version of The Argent classic: “Hold Your Head Up”.
********************
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.
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WEBSITE
********************
TO THE TOP
********************
''"WOLFTRACKS"''
1982
43:10
********************
1 All I Want Is All You Got 03:55 (John Kay)
2 Time 03:30 (John Kay, Kevin Kern, Michael Palmer)
3 None Of The Above 03:59 (John Kay, Michael Palmer, Steven Palmer)
4 You 03:51 (John Kay)
5 Every Man For Himself 03:19 (John Kay)
6 Five Finger Discount 04:36 (John Kay)
7 Hold Your Head Up 03:46 (Rod Argent, C.C.White)
8 Hot Night In A Cold Town 03:20 (Geoff Cushing, Richard Littlefield)
9 Down To Earth 02:57 (Kim Fowley, Ross Wilson)
10 For Rock-N-Roll 03:39 (John Kay)
11 The Balance 06:14 (John Kay)
********************
Bass – Welton Gite
Drums, Percussion, Vocals – Steven Palmer
Guitar, Vocals – John Kay
Keyboards, Vocals – Michael Wilk
Lead Guitar, Vocals – Michael Palmer
Vocals [Additional Guest Vocalists] – Brett Tuggle, George Biondo
********************
ABOUT THE ALBUM/OFFICIAL
In 1980, John Kay reclaimed the Steppenwolf name after the name had been damaged through misuse by others. Touring as “John Kay & Steppenwolf,” the band decided to record live in the studio directly onto a 2-track digital recorder (a brand new medium at the time), a method made popular by jazz and classical musicians. The resulting “Wolftracks” is believed to be the only rock album recorded in this way to date. Includes the bonus track “All I Want Is All I Got.” Other songs: Time, None Of The Above, You, Every Man For Himself, Five Finger Discount, Hold Your Head Up, Hot Night In A Cold Town, Down To Earth, For Rock-N-Roll, The Balance. This album was also re-released in 1990 on CMC records containing 11 tracks. The bonus track was track #1: "All I Want Is All You Got."
---
Our first studio album of the early 80’s rebuilding period. Because of constant touring, the recording had to be done quickly. We chose to record at Ocean Way, an excellent studio in Los Angeles and to use the (then new) format of Soundstream 2-track digital. While classical and jazz recordings had been done this way, we were the first rock band to attempt this. There was no over dubbing on a 2 track machine so everything from the instruments to lead and backing vocals was recorded “live” at the same time. Consequently we all felt somewhat under pressure. However everyone, Steve Palmer, drums; Michael Palmer, guitar and Michael Wilk keyboards as well as Welton Gite, bass and Wolf alumni George Biondo and Brett Tuggle backing vocals came through with fine efforts. Engineered by our friend Kevin Kern, it put our fans on notice that we were ongoing and had our eyes on the future. Some favorite cuts are “Five Finger Discount”, “None of the Above”, “The Balance” and “Hot Night In A Cold Town”. I also liked our version of The Argent classic: “Hold Your Head Up”.
********************
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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