Atco Records | Garage Hangover

Joey Newman (lead guitar, keyboards, vocals)
Bob ‘B.J’ Jones (lead guitar, vocals)
David Price (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Randy Fuller (bass, guitar, vocals)
Don Poncher (drums, vocals)

1968

September Price (b. September 23, 1944, Ballinger, Texas, US) and Poncher (b. July 29, 1947, Chicago, Illinois, US) are recruited by former Buffalo Springfield drummer/vocalist Dewey Martin for his new group named The New Buffalo Springfield, alongside horn player Jim Price, bass player Bob Apperson and lead guitarist Gary Rowles. Apperson, Poncher, Jim Price and Rowles have been playing together in a club in Arizona, which is where Martin spots them, while David Price has previously worked with Austin blues group, The Chelsea, done TV work with the Monkees and played one gig with the L.A based-band, Armadillo. The band rehearses at a diner in Boulder, Colorado and performs at the club with The Everly Brothers for a week.
November (16) The group makes its official public debut at the HIC, Honolulu, Hawaii with The Turtles. Shortly afterwards, the band returns to the mainland and performs a date at the Exhibit Hall, the Community Concourse in San Diego.
(23) Billed as The Buffalo Springfield, Martin’s group plays at the Sound Factory in Sacramento, California with Mad River and Sanpaku.
(30) Once again billed as The Buffalo Springfield, the band performs at the Terrace Ballroom, Salt Lake City, Utah with The Sir Douglas Quintet. The set list includes a song by Spirit.

Buffalo Springfield, Portland, Dec. 22, 1968 Poster image thanks to Jerry Fuentes

December (6) They play at the Swing Auditorium, San Bernardino, California with Eric Burdon & The Animals.
(7) Martin’s new version of The Buffalo Springfield appears at the Earl Warren Showgrounds, Santa Barbara, California with Three Dog Night.
(14) The band travels to Texas for a show at the Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls.
(20) Billed as The Buffalo Springfield they play at the Civic Center in Bakersfield, California with Gary Lewis & The Playboys.
(21) Travelling up to the Northwest, they appear at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada with The Chambers Brothers and The Buddy Miles Express.
(22) Billed as The Buffalo Springfield, they play at the Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon with The Chambers Brothers and The Buddy Miles Express.
(23) Martin’s band is supported by White Hearts at the Evergreen Ballroom in Olympia, Washington, where it is billed as The Buffalo Springfield.
(26) Billed as New Buffalo Springfield, Martin’s band makes its Bay area debut at the Holiday Rock Festival, Cow Palace, San Francisco alongside Canned Heat, Steppenwolf, The Electric Prunes and others.
(27) Martin’s band appears at San Joaquin County Fairgrounds in Stockton, California. Gary Lewis & The Playboys cancel due to illness.

Listing in Billboard for the Buffalo Springfield, November 1968

Now listed in Billboard as the New Buffalo Springfield, December 1968

1969

January (11) Martin’s band appears at the San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California billed as The Buffalo Springfield.
(31) Billed again as The Buffalo Springfield, the band appears at the Mother Duck in Chicago with Hot Fudge in support.
February (8) Martin’s version of The Buffalo Springfield plays at the Civic Auditorium in Albuquerque, New Mexico with Iron Butterfly and Lincoln Street Exit.
(22) Billboard announces that an album is imminent on Atco but nothing transpires. Rowles leaves soon afterwards and takes some time out of playing before later in the year replacing Jay Donellan in Love, a position he was originally offered in September 1968. Apperson also departs for session work and is replaced by former Bobby Fuller Four member and solo artist Randy Fuller (b. January 29, 1944, Hobbs, New Mexico, US), while Jim Price quits to join Delaney & Bonnie. Don Poncher joins the exodus to do session work and Dewey Martin takes over the drum stool. Martin brings in lead guitarist Bob “B J” Jones (b. November 9, 1942, Woodbury, New Jersey) who has previously worked with Little Richard and the band Danny & The Saints.
March The new line up records some tentative tracks in a Hollywood studio down the hall from Neil Young who is working with Crazy Horse, but they are never released. Producer Tom Dowd oversees one session.
(31) – April (2) Martin returns with The New Buffalo Springfield name, and a line up now comprising Randy Fuller, Dave Price and Bob “B J” Jones is one of the headliners at the Teen Expo, Santa Clare Fairgrounds, San Jose with Santana, Iron Butterfly and others. The group then changes name briefly to Blue Buffalo.
April (31) Martin’s group, billed as New Buffalo Springfield, plays at the Eureka Municipal Auditorium in Eureka, California with Mixed Company Coffee and Devine Madness.
June The band is expanded with the addition of lead guitarist Joey Newman (b. Vern Kjellberg, August 29, 1947, Seattle, Washington), formerly a member of Don & The Goodtimes, The Liberty Party and Touch.
(7) Billed as The Buffalo Springfield, they play at the Dunes in Westport in Washington.
(21) Again billed as The Buffalo Springfield, the band appears at Chehalis Civic Auditorium, Chehalis, Washington with Slugg.
(28) Billed as New Buffalo Springfield, they perform at Casey’s in Lewiston, Idaho.
July (3) Billed as The Buffalo Springfield, they perform at the Armory in Astoria, Oregon.
(5) Martin’s outfit appears at the Evergeen Ballroom, Olympia, Washington.
(8-9) New Buffalo Springfield appear at the Seattle Center Arena with Paul Revere & The Raiders.
(11) The band plays at the Breakthru, Tacoma, Washington.
(19) The New Buffalo Springfield appear at the Happening, Seattle, Washington. While on the Northwest tour, the group drives along Highway 395 and comes across a town in Grant County, Oregon with a newspaper called The Blue Mountain Eagle. The band fires Dewey Martin and returns to Los Angeles to sign a deal with Atlantic Records subsidiary label, Atco Records. Ahmet Ertegun signs the band personally.

Spring 1969 lineup, clockwise from top: Dewey Martin, Bob Jones, Dave Price and Randy Fuller Buffalo Springfield at the Astoria Armory, July 3, 1969 Poster image thanks to Jerry Fuentes — Spring 1969 lineup, clockwise from top: Dewey Martin, Bob Jones, Dave Price and Randy Fuller. Buffalo Springfield at the Astoria Armory, July 3, 1969. Poster image thanks to Jerry Fuentes

Blue Mountain Eagle, late 1969, from left: Dave Price, Randy Fuller, Bob Jones, Joey Newman and Don Poncher

August Back in Los Angeles, the group adds Don Poncher from the original New Buffalo Springfield line up on drums in place of Martin and takes on the name Blue Mountain Eagle after the newspaper the group has seen on the road.
(24) Studio session logs suggest they record some demo tracks at Wally Heider’s studio in Los Angeles. The tracks include “Trivial Sum” (which the band will complete at a later date) and songs which may have been completed and later released under a different name. The tracks are: “Rock & Roll Please”, “Fourth Time Around”, “Road’s End”, “David’s Song”, “B.J. #1”, “¾ Thing” and “Joey’s Song”.
September (13) Having debuted at the HIC in Honolulu (where it is billed by manager Mike Zalk as New Buffalo Springfield), Blue Mountain Eagle support Santana at the Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento, California.
December (1) Blue Mountain Eagle record their debut album in one day at Wally Heider’s studio in Los Angeles.
(27-29) The band appears at the Pozo, San Luis Obispo on a bill featuring The Byrds, Eric Mercury, Spirit, Vanilla Fudge and others.

Clockwise from top left: Bob Jones, Dave Johnson, Dave Price, Don Poncher and Joey Newman. Photo courtesy Henry Diltz

1970

February The group supports Love and Eric Burdon & War at the Ice Palace, Las Vegas.
(3-8) Blue Mountain Eagle play at the Brass Ring, Sherman Oaks, California with Blue Rose.
(10-15) They return to the Brass Ring for a second set of shows with Blue Rose.
March (21) The band performs at the Salem Armory Auditorium, Salem, Oregon.
(26-28) The group participates in the Southwest ’70 Peace Festival near Lubbock, Texas, with Vanilla Fudge, Muddy Waters, Canned Heat, The Flock, Truth, Joe Kelley’s Blues Band, Johnny Winter and many others.

At the Salem Armory with Everyday Hudson (formerly the New Yorkers) and Fatt Twice Together

Left to right: Joey Newman, Bob Jones, Don Poncher, Dave Johnson and Dave Price. Photo dated March 4, 1970, but it might be later

with Manfred Mann at the Whisky a Go Go, April, 1970

Atco ad in the LA Free Press, April 1970

April (8-12) Blue Mountain Eagle support Manfred Mann Chapter 3 at West Hollywood’s Whisky A Go Go. Randy Fuller leaves and joins Dewey Martin & Medicine Ball, appearing on its lone album. He is replaced by Dave Johnson (b. October 21, 1945, Burbank, California, US), who has previously worked with Dr John and Alice & The Wonderland Band alongside singer Joanne Vent and future Redbone guitarist Tony Bellamy. The group write and arrange material for a second album over the next few months but none of the tracks are recorded.
(24) The new line up plays at the Pusi-Kat, San Antonio, Texas.
(26) Blue Mountain Eagle support Jimi Hendrix and The Buddy Miles Express at the ‘Cal Expo’, Sacramento, California.

at the Beach House in Santa Monica, May 1970

(28) – May (3) Blue Mountain Eagle plays at the Beach House, Cheetah Pier, Santa Monica.
May Their eponymous debut album is released, highlighting a mixture of acoustic and hard rock styles that is reminiscent of The Buffalo Springfield.
(2) Blue Mountain Eagle support Country Joe & The Fish and Spirit at San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego.
(9) The band opens for Pink Floyd at the Terrace Ballroom, Salt Lake City, Utah.
(15) Blue Mountain Eagle appear at Fresno Convention Hall, California with Canned Heat and Sweetwater.
June (2-7) The group appears at the Beach House, Cheetah Pier, Santa Monica.
(5) Billboard magazine reports that the band appears at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles.
(8) Blue Mountain Eagle record a lone track, a cover of Stephen Stills’s “Marianne”.

July (11) The band appears at Bullock’s Department Store in downtown L.A. with Poco, Blues Image and Southwind.
(18) The group replaces Blue Cheer at Terrace Ballroom, Salt Lake City, Utah on a bill that also features Love and Fever Tree.
August The band releases the double A-side single “Marianne”, which is given favourable reviews. Studio logs also suggest the group records a track called “Rest” but it is never released.
October Blue Mountain Eagle’s final gig is at a ballroom in Dave Price’s hometown, San Antonio, Texas.
NovemberPoncher leaves to join Love for live work and the band splinters. Johnson briefly works with Lee Michaels before reuniting with Jones in Sweathog, while Price does sessions for ex-Sir Douglas Quintet keyboard player Augie Meyer.

1972

January Sweathog’s eponymous debut album is released, but is not a success. Having appeared on sessions for a Love album that is eventually released in the 2000s by Sundazed as Love Lost, Poncher stays with Arthur Lee and his next project, Band Aid, helping him record the Vindicator album. Poncher then joins Blue Rose with Terry Furlong (who wrote songs for Blue Mountain Eagle) and ex-Illinois Speed Press member John Uribe.
June Blue Rose’s sole eponymous album appears on Epic Records. Poncher continues to do session work throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, working with people like Augie Meyer, Joe Cocker, Jim Price, Genya Raven and Chris Jagger. He currently plays with Balonius Bunk in the San Fernando Valley.

1975

September Newman emerges with new outfit, Bandit, who release an album for ABC Records. Having recorded a second album with Sweathog without Jones, Johnson puts together a new band with radio legend Jimmy Rabbit called Rabbit and Renegade, which records an album for Capitol Records, produced by Waylon Jennings.

1977

Newman forms Stepson, who release an album for ABC Records, before later recording two gospel albums. Newman later works with Michael Lloyd, the Osmonds, Bryan MacLean, Shaune Cassidy and with Jimmy Johnson on his Sheena Easton tour. Jones meanwhile, surfaces with The Demons, who issue an eponymous album on Mercury.

Sources:

Einarson, John and Furay, Richie. For What It’s Worth – The Story Of Buffalo Springfield, Quarry Press Inc, 1997, pages 279-280.
Hounsome, Terry. Rock Record #6, Record Researchers Publications, 1994.
Housden, David Peter. The Castle – Love #9, 1995, page86.
Housden, David Peter. The Castle – Love #10, 1996, page 27.
Joynson, Vernon. Fuzz, Acid & Flowers, Supplement, September 1997, page 419.
Povey, Glen and Russell, Ian. Pink Floyd In The Flesh – A Complete Performance History, Bloomsbury, 1997, page 94.
Ruppli, Michel. Atlantic Records – A Discgraphy, volume 2, Greenwood Press, 1979, pages 320 and 366 and volume 3, page 53.
Shapiro, Harry and Glebbeek, Caesar. Electric Gypsy, Mandarin, 1995, page 738.
Billboard, November 16, 1968, page 67; December 28, 1968, page 43; February 22, 1969, page 3 and August 15, 1970, page 28.
Los Angeles Free Press, February 6, 1970; May 1, 1970; May 27, 1970 and June 5, 1970.
Variety, August 19, 1970, page 46.

Thanks to Dave Price, Joey Newman, Bob Jones, Randy Fuller, Don Poncher and Dave Johnson for contributing to the band’s story. Thanks to Jerry Fuentes and Neil Skok for help with some of the New Buffalo Springfield dates. Huge thanks to Steve Finger at the LA Free Press for help with concert posters.

I have tried to ensure that this article is as accurate as possible, but some data is difficult to verify. If anyone is able to supply any additional information or correct any errors, please contact me at Warchive@aol.com

Glory Rhodes photo: John Laviolette, Ronnie Tallent, Sal Serio and Allan Johnson — Left to right: John Laviolette, Ronnie Tallent, Sal Serio and Allan Johnson A later lineup of the group with what looks to be an acetate record.

New Orleans’ Glory Rhodes original lineup was Kenny Lyles (lead vocals), Frankie Spencer (lead guitar), Sal Serio (keyboards and rhythm guitar), John Laviolette (bass) and Greg Nobile (drums).

Their first 45 in January of 1966 covers the Animals’ “I’m Gonna Change the World”, with “Stay Out of My Way” on the flip.

The second, equally good, features two originals: Greg Nobile’s “Not that Kind of Guy” along with “Gonna Be Somebody” written by Nobile, Serio and Ken Lyles. Both sides use 12-string guitar.

These are the first two 45s on the U-Doe label, which would also release rare 45s by the Palace Guard and the Better Half Dozen.

Their next 45, on the related White Cliffs label, featured two covers, “One Track Mind” and “Run for Your Life”. In 1968 they signed to Atco for two releases which are much more pop in sound, with strings and horns. Ronnie Tallent became drummer and lead vocalist after Kenny Lyles left and is featured on the Atco 45s:

The band had a brief appearance in a schlocky 1967 feature, Hot Thrills and Warm Chills, though the music heard in the film is probably not them. Not a movie I’d highly recommend, but it does have a lot of good footage of the actual Mardi Gras, as well as an ending scene in a cemetery that might put you in mind of Easy Rider.

Later members included Allan Johnson on lead guitar and Kenny White of the Other Guys on drums.

Top photo courtesy of Laura Matherne Ditta, with more shots to come if we’re lucky! Thanks to Myeck Waters for cleaning up the original.

Jerry Lenfant sent in the photos from Rummel High School, all taken by Dalton Masson. Thanks to Mike Legendre for sending in the transfers of “Old Laces” and “I’m So Happy”.