In 1969, four Texans formed a band in San Francisco known as Benny, Cecil and the Snakes. I believe the group’s name was a take on the popular cartoon, Beany and Cecil the Seasick Sea Serpent by Bob Clampett.

Members were:

Cecil Cotten of the Briks on vocals
Benny Rowe of the Wig and a later lineup of the Jackals on lead guitar
Steve Karnavas of the Chaparrals on drums
Keith Ferguson – previously with Johnny Winter, and later with the Fabulous Thunderbirds, on bass

They played parties for for the Rip Off Press and opened shows for Boz Scaggs, including at the Keystone Korner in July of 1970. Reese Wymans and George Raines of Boz’s band would sit in with the Snakes on occasion.

I found a few published notices for the band:

Benny, Cecil and the Snakes shared a bill on July 24, 1970 with Joy of Cooking at the New Orleans House on San Pablo in Berkeley.

They played for a Young Replublicans of Santa Clara event at the Ramada Inn on November 13, 1970!

July 1-4, 1971 they opened for Charlie Musselwhite at In Your Ear, 135 University Avenue in Palo Alto.

In a February 1971 feature in the San Francisco Examiner, Kathy Goss described the band playing a Bastille Day party at the Pacific Heights mansion she shared at 2300 Pacific before it was torn down. The photo at top was taken at this mansion, I believe; the unidentified man in the white coat was a tenant there. It’s worth quoting a small part of that article:

Maurice and Stanford, the owners of a shop that had recently moved from Union Street to upper Fillmore, had a gigantic French flag that they wanted us to hang outside the mansion for Bastille Day. And so we decided to have a Bastille Day party, and to invite not only our personal friends, but also people who we thought would enjoy having their minds blown by a beautiful, free, colorful party. The house was hung with banners of red felt and velvet, the tables were laden with food.

Benny, Cecil and the Snakes, a fine band and good friends of the house, began playing in the late afternoon. The rooms were filled with shifting images and colors of a light show, and we reveled in the blend of wildly costumed guests of all ages and pursuits who danced and talked and generally enjoyed themselves, sharing in the excitement and energy and splendor of the mansion.

Some unreleased tapes exist of rehearsals and live shows, including one that may have been recorded at the Pacific St. mansion.

Thank you to Wm. Lewis Wms for sending the photos that Cecil Cotten shared with him, and for much of the information in this post.

I’d appreciate more info on Benny, Cecil and the Snakes.