Article in The Daily Times

[isis]

www.thedailytimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070525/ENT/70525003

[bess]

yup, saw that on MySpace this AM. Good article

[br54knight]

OH NO!! I just found out about this Knoxville show today!! Four F'n days after it passed!! A friend of mine (who didn't F'n invite me!) went & he called today to tell me how awesome it was. He said the band was on fire & he hadn't been to a show that loud in years. I sincerely hope they come back through East Tennessee again soon.

[Festooned Piglips]

Hmmmm...No mention of Cheers founding father, Sir Randy Holden.
That's like talking about the history of America but not mentioning George Washington or Thomas Jefferson
Try again folks!

[Offarted]

As I understand it ---
Leigh Stephens , Dickie Peterson and Paul Whaley made Blue Cheer famous.
Duck Mc Donald has been with them for 20 years or so and now the Lead Guitar Player and better than the original line up or the many fill in's of the past with the exception of Tony Rainier who stood above the rest.

[Festooned Piglips]

That's where you are wrong.
Randy practically started the freaking band (brush up on your BC history) and stood far above any guitar player who ever sailed in the Blue Cheer ship.
'Nuff said!

[gypsyball]

Festooned said:

That's where you are wrong.
Randy practically started the freaking band (brush up on your BC history) and stood far above any guitar player who ever sailed in the Blue Cheer ship.
'Nuff said!

[bess steel]

Randy/Festooned Piglips, why are you spamming your self here again? Is it because the Cheer is about to release their album and you feel this is a good opportunity to attempt to cash in?

[riffraff]

Al'righty then F.P. state your facts. I wasn't there at the time so refresh my memory .

From what has been said before Russell and Albronda were part of the equation. Eric being the original drummer.

Now if the band started as a 5-piece including Dickie's brother Jerry, the Band's sound must have radically departed from the original sound. (Was the 5-piece known as Blue Cheer? Or did the christening happen when the band became three?

My suspicions tell me that the three had heard Randy's band on more than one occasion and that may have influenced the new direction. But these are only the voices inside my head .
The brashness of Leigh's guitar at that time may have built on what he heard then, because he no longer plays that way.

Still the originality of Dickie, Leigh and Paul in putting their version of the blues/rock/soul/and general heaviness has NO precedent. That is why Vincebus was so beloved by many of us as teenagers. This originality was WAY ahead of it's time. That is why the band remains fresh and creative to this day. Duck has done an admirable job of maintaining this version of the SOUND.

Now Randy is an Original also. And as many know Two originals in a room do not mix. He has maintained his path and Blue Cheer has continued on theirs. This has doubled our fun...

[Festooned Piglips]

Ralph, the fact that you said "My suspicions tell me that the three had heard Randy's band on more than one occasion and that may have influenced the new direction" tells me that you know, just KNOW what the facts are. Don't act like you don't know the history here....You know that band was, is and will always be Sir Randy Holden's band. They would not have persued the louder direction, upon whence they are best know for, without Sir Holden's influence, style, sound and personality. In spite of the plethora of influences the so-called "original 3" had, there is no avoiding that of the mighty Guitar God!!!!!!!!!!

[gypsyball]

bess said:

Randy/Festooned Piglips, why are you spamming your self here again? Is it because the Cheer is about to release their album and you feel this is a good opportunity to attempt to cash in?

It's highly unlikely Festooned Piglips is Randy Holden. Though Piglips is making Randy Holden look like a asshole at times.

[Eric Albronda]

Blue Cheer was named before the band became 3. Dickie had a blue acid tab painted on his bass case by Gut in 1966 I believe, maybe late 65. As 5 they played a few gigs one being , opening for Tim Leary and Richard Alpert ( Ram Das) at Winterland . After Monterey Bay Blues festival, which Paul Attended , he wanted a three piece Band and he got his way on most music decisions . Up to and including Leigh's last gig with Blue Cheer for about a year Dickie and Paul were seriously compromised ---Leigh's playing meant more work for Paul and Dickie as they were the rhythm section trying to back an unpredictable and often discordant Leigh Stephens.
Leigh also did not tolerate the extracurricular activities of Paul and Dickie as the band was heading for a great big fall. Paul herd Randy with the Other Half and liked his style as being more in line with Paul's understanding of music at the time. Again Paul got his wish as Leigh quit rather then be fired. Randy fit well with Dickie and Paul because for a time he tolerated their radical behavior and habits and played a heavy predictable( for Paul ) rhythm thus making Paul's rather loose fluctuations of rhythm doable.
Even Randy could not turn Paul and Dickie around enough to prevent shortly a dead period for Blue Cheer.

[gypsyball]

Thank you for sharing your memories of being with Blue Cheer Eric.

[riffraff]

Yeah, thanks Eric,

There are many blanks to fill, when it comes to Blue Cheer history. Sometimes third parties get the upper hand, because the participants don't remember what went down at the time. Or every one has their own version.

At Champ's I met a Blue Cheer roadie who was there when Leigh quit. He said it happened while the band was in Chicago. I assume this was 1968?

Eric do you remember the day and month? He thought it was around October, others place it around July. It would be interesting to know the date and gig. I think the band did a couple of gigs in Minnesota and then to Florida and then the European tour.

Since you went on with Leigh, could you give us a recounting of this important day in Blue Cheer history/infamy?

[blues man]

Eric,

Thank you for the info,...it's too bad that Leigh had to depart from the band I really would have liked for them to do third album
with the origianl lineup but unfortunetly cirumstances stood in the way of that happening,...Leigh was improving as a guitarist and would have liked to see how he would've come along w/ BC,...of course these days he's in a much different frame of mind

Its always great reading your posts Eric

Peace