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Part 2
Part 1 is
here.
The following is part 2 of John Kay’s reflections and recollections of each Steppenwolf, John Kay solo and John Kay & Steppenwolf release. His candid remarks give even the well-versed fan an insight to the creation of each body of work. Please note that permission has not been granted to post the lyrics to certain songs. Any of the links below resulting in the 'under construction' sign, fall into this category.
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SEVEN - 1970
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This album benefited greatly from Larry Byrom’s creative surge and contributions from George Biondo (who replaced Nick St. Nicholas on Bass). Larry and George had worked together in the group ‘T.I.M.E.” and were not only fine players but also excellent singers. We put their vocal talents to good use on the songs “Foggy Mental Breakdown”, “Who Needs Ya” and “Fat Jack” on which George also sang co-lead or solo. Those tracks as well as “Renegade” and “Hippo Stomp” were some of my favorites and featured some of Larry’s finest playing along with Jerry Edmonton’s imaginative arrangement ideas. I found that these tracks stimulated my lyric/melody writing and I was quite pleased with our finished collaboration. Since I was busy working on vocal parts for tracks the guys were laying down, I found myself playing guitar only on “40 Days and 40 Nights” and “Snowblind Friend”, however Larry more than picked up the slack in that department. During these sessions, I developed an ear infection and remember doing vocals with one ear out of commission. All in all “7” remains as one of my favorite Wolf albums to this day.
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FOR LADIES ONLY - 1971
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On this record we were joined by Kent Henry on lead guitar, who had been recommended to us by Richard Podolor, our producer. He and the guys stretched out on this album and came up with the extended experimentation on the title cut. To give Goldy McJohn his just dues, he played some excellent piano, on the album overall, especially on the long version of “For Ladies Only”. While I contributed only one song namely “Shackles and Chains” to the project, I really liked some of the outside songs such as Mars Bonfire’s “Tenderness”, “Ride With Me” and “The Night Times For You”. Despite it’s good points, I felt that our road fatigue, and other factors, was beginning to show at times in our studio efforts, i.e., a lower energy level. While the album’s theme and lyric content was ahead of it’s time in the Rock and Roll world, over the ensuing years this record nevertheless became quite popular. However at the time of it’s release, I was ready for a change and decided the retire “The Wolf” and spend more time on my personal musical needs.
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FORGOTTEN SONGS AND UNSUNG HERO’S - 1972
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My first solo album, as it’s title implies, is a collection of songs written by some of my influences (Hank Williams, Robert Johnson, etc), as well as tunes I’d written which were rooted in those influences. Aided by Penti “Whitey” Glan ,drums and Hugh O’Sullivan, keyboards, both of whom had been members of fine Canadian R&B bands called “The Rogues”, “The Mandela” and “Bush”, as well as Kent Henry and George Biondo from The Wolf. I recorded once again at “American” with Richie Podolor producing and Bill Cooper engineering. The result was one of the best sounding recordings I’ve been involved with. It has a wide, full and warm sound and contains some of my most personal writings. All in all I felt satisfied with this record and I still do.
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MY SPORTIN’ LIFE - 1973
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With the exception of “Sing With The Children”, the rest of the songs were recorded by studio musicians and myself. Mike Utley, keyboards, Russ Kunkel, drums, Danny Kortchmar, guitar and Lee Sklar, bass. With hindsight, I feel the album was perhaps, a little over produced and at times had a pop sound. Nevertheless this is still one of my favorite albums to this day. I’m particularly fond of my version of “Drift Away” as well as “My Sportin’ Life” “Nobody Lives Here Anymore” and “Dance To My Song”. Two other favorites of mine are “Sing With The Children” (double slide guitar work between Kent Henry and myself) and “Easy Evil” which has a great feel and Gloria Jones’ sexy harmony. People still comment on that song to this day.
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SLOW FLUX - 1974
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Not too long after the “My Sportin’ Life” album had come and gone, The Wolf played what was to be our farewell tour in Europe. Reunited after some months apart we were recharged. The tour proved quite successful and playing together was so much fun that we decided to record a new album. “Slow Flux” was the first project to be recorded in my studio in California (which by now had expanded into a full working studio). Bobby Cochran, (nephew of rock pioneer Eddie Cochran) had joined The Wolf on guitar and his high energy helped propel much of this album. Some of my favorites include “Straight Shootin Woman”, written by Jerry Edmonton (who with Tom Gundlefinger, created the album cover) “Children Of Night”, “Gang War Blues”, “Smokey Factory Blues” and “Fishing In The Dark”. Overall I thought the album was a good effort. The LP made the top 40 chart and while“Straight Shootin Woman” reached the top 20 singles chart, and so a new chapter of Steppenwolf (the 70’s) was born.
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HOUR OF THE WOLF -1975
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By this time Jerry Edmonton (our drummer) had taken over the art direction and started working with a photographer named Lori Sullivan. Together they created the “Hour Of The Wolf” album artwork. Once again we recorded at my studio but the record was mixed by Roy Halee who some of us had worked with during our days with “The Sparrow”. Roy, who is a renowned engineer, gave the album it’s full and varied sound. “Mr. Penny Pincher” and “Another’s Lifetime” were fine songs and I also like the way “Someone Told A Lie” turned out while Mars Bonfire (of Born to be Wild fame) contributed a timely new tune called “Caroline, Are You Ready For The Outlaw World”. That track also featured Tom Scott playing a burning sax solo through a leslie. Overall the album was less raw and bluesy then some previous Wolf efforts but it showed some of our other musical sides to good advantage. Unfortunately our label “Mums Records” folded just when this album was released and so it was more or less ignored by Epic who was Mums distributor.
Part 1 here,
part 3 here,
part 4 here.
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