Category Archives: Santa Maria

Categories: California, Santa Maria

Something Wild “Trippin’ Out” on Psychedelic

2 Comments

Something Wild Psychedelic 45 Trippin' OutSomething Wild is known for their excellent 1966 single “Trippin’ Out” / “She’s Kinda Weird” on Psychedelic Records.

The group started as the Hustlers in 1962. By 1964 the lineup included Bill Evans on lead guitar, Tim Leach on rhythm, Joe Geppi on bass and Micky Moshier on drums. This lineup opened for the Byrds at Righetti High School. They won a battle-of-the-bands at the Blue Dolphin club in Solving, and appeared on a local TV dance show on KCOY-12.

Kal-X-Blue (Karl Gebhardt) asked to be their vocalist, and in early 1965, the group changed their name to Something Wild.

Micky Moshier left the group, and was replaced first by Bill Peckham, and then Ronnie Libengood (known in the band as “Red” Libben or Libbon), who played on their single. Ronnie Libengood passed away at a very young age.

Santa Maria Times January 21, 1966A

A couple of photos refer to Bill Peckham as “Rufus Peckham” in the captions. One that ran on January 21, 1966 lists Bob Pierce (should be Bob Piers, according to his brother) and William Michael in addition to Rufus Peckham, Kal X. Blue and Joe Geppi.

In 1966 Tim Leach left, and Bill Payne joined on guitar and keyboards.

Something Wild Psychedelic 45 She's Kinda WeirdAlso in 1966 Something Wild did two recording sessions, including one at Stars International Recording in Hollywood. The first demo, “She’s Got a Hole in Her Soul” / “The Blues”, was unissued. Anyone have pics of the labels of demo?

The second session featured the awesome “Trippin’ Out” written by Blue, Payne and Evans, backed with Blue’s original, “She’s Kinda Weird”. The group released it on their own Psychedelic Records PR-1691 in July, with the credit “Produced by Kal X. Blue – Acid Head Productions” and the tag “if it’s PSYCHEDELIC then it’s happening”.

The lineup that played on the Psychedelic single: Bill Payne, Bill Evans, “Red” Libben, Kal X. Blue, and Joe Geppi, from KRLA’s Beat newspaper, August 27, 1966

On August 27, 1966 KRLA’s newspaper The Beat featured Something Wild in the Beat Showcase, but in September the group split. Kal X and Bill Evans would continue in the Kal-X-Blues Band, playing at the Fillmore on Halloween 1966.

Kal X. would then form Wedge, profiled on this site. Bill Payne would become a founding member of Little Feat.

Much of the information in this article came from Beverly Paterson’s excellent interview with Bill Evans.

Categories: California, Santa Maria

Wedge, featuring Kal X. Blue of Something Wild

Leave a comment

Wedge photo from Santa Maria Times, May 4, 1968
Wedge was based in San Francisco but was notable for including two musicians from Santa Maria, California, a small city near the coast, north of Vandenberg Air Force Base. Santa Maria is 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles, and part of Santa Barbara County.

Members included:

Howard Miller – lead guitar
Kal X. Blue – drums (?) and vocals
John Nicholas
Kirk Patrick

An article in the Santa Maria Times from May 4, 1968 announced their participation in a teen dance at the Convention Center with the James Brothers Circus (a real circus, not a band name!) Other bands included Hunger, Giant Crab, and the Paper Fortress:

“Wedge” features two former Santa Maria musicians, Howard Miller and Kal X. Blue. This group is from San Francisco and recently returned after performing in Hawaii.

Miller was the former lead guitar player with the “Impacts,” now known as the “Hammermille Butter.” Kal sang with the “Something Wild”, and was a hit performer last summer at the county fair rock band contest.

They are being joined by John Nicholas and Kirk Patrick in the new organization. They have played at the Matrix and Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco and have appeared many times at the Ark in Sausalito.

Something Wild is known for their excellent 1966 single “Trippin’ Out” / “She’s Kinda Weird” on Psychedelic Records. Kal X and Bill Evans of Something Wild would continue in the Kal-X-Blues Band, playing a show at the Fillmore on Halloween, 1966.

I suppose the Impacts the article mentions was the group from San Luis Obispo who recorded on Del-Fi Records and had included Merrell Fankhauser on lead guitar until 1963. I haven’t seen Howard Miller listed as guitarist with the Impacts anywhere else.

Wedge did not record to my knowledge.

The Wedge became a trio featuring Kal X Blue (going by the name Linus) and Jason (real name LaVerne Miller) on lead guitar. The group traveled to Germany, where they added a bassist and drummer, changed their band name to Life, and made an album of original songs titled Spring, released in Germany by CBS in 1971.

Kal X Blue’s birth name was Karl Heinz Gebhardt. He was born in Germany in 1946, and died in Sweden on January 7, 2016.

Any more info on Wedge would be appreciated.