Mike Lewis and Craig Weidenheimer had been playing with a largely instrumental group at their high school in Monroeville, Alabama, a town about halfway between Mobile and Montgomery. Mike was lead guitarist and Craig played bass and sang. When the older members graduated, Mike and Craig brought in friends Lee Howington (keyboards), Jim Harper (rhythm guitar and sax), and Mike McMillon (drums) and started playing Beatles-influenced rock, first as Robin and His hoods and then as the Seeds of Time.
At shows they played alongside the Rubber Band, the K-Otics, the Phaetons and the Rockin’ Gibralters. Although they gigged regularly, without a manager or and ties to promoters, the band never had a footing in radio or large club bookings. In an interview with Mike Dugo, Craig Weidenheimer spoke about live shows: “We played fraternity parties, bars (even though we were under age), and school dances but mostly we went from town to town with our record and paid the local DJ’s to play our record. To get them to do it sometimes we would go in and play live to help promote the record. It was something to get on the radio and then everyone wanted to hear live bands. So we would rent an Armory or VFW hall and put up posters that we were coming to town (like the circus) and sometimes we could get large crowds. There was not much else to do. We were referred to as The Seeds by most people, so when the band called The Seeds came out with ‘Pushin’ Too Hard’ there was some confusion. We actually played the song, so as not to disappoint.”
In 1966 they went into a studio in Montgomery usually used for recording jingles. The band cut two original songs by Mike Lewis, recording live with two vocal mics and doing about three takes for each song. The sound is primitive but each instrument can be heard, if distantly and with some distortion on the vocals. “She’s Been Travelin’ ‘Round the World” is the standout due to Mike McMillon’s quick drum beats, thumping bass playing from Craig, Mike Lewis frantically bending the guitar strings into odd note combinations, and a queasy organ sound. Shouting the lyrics in unison, the vocals drive the needles into the red and make it hard to decipher the lyrics.
The flip, “Gina” has a melancholy quality from the organ and the distant vocals that has grown on me. The next year the band recorded a second 45 at a studio in New Orleans that I haven’t heard: “Twelfth’s Night Indication” / “Shadow In My Mind”, two more originals by Mike Lewis. Other demos cut at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals have been lost. By this time they had added Mike Tatum on trumpet.
With members going to college the Seeds of Time broke up. Craig Weidenheimer and Mike McMillon had a college band called Mfinger with Jere Ellis of the Rubber Band. Mike Lewis stayed in the music business for good. After college he moved to Atlanta and formed Brick Wall, with one 45 on Capitol, “Poor Mary Has Drowned,” then joined the Devil’s Brigade (one 45 on Mainstream) and moved to LA. Dick Dodd asked him to form a band to tour as the Standells opening for the Grassroots. When that ended, the band, without Dodd evolved into Joshua (an LP on AVI). He started subbing for Nicky Hopkins in Quicksilver Messenger Service, joining the band full time in 1972. Later on he produced successful disco records and soundtracks.
Sources include: Photos and info from Mike Dugo’s interview with Craig Weidenheimer, and John Barthel’s interview with Michael Lewis.
wasn’t there also a band called the seeds of time from Vancouver…that evolved into PRISM.
Yes. There was a Vancvouver band called the Seeds of Time, that became Prism
I think the band from Vancouver was actually called ‘ The Seeds’. My research has produced no other band named ‘The Seeds of Time’.
Actually they were indeed called”The Seeds of Time” . There only CD is called “immortality and it is a collection of all their material. Good bad and ugly.
Just kidding. Prism morphed out of these guys and Prism actually covered their song “Nickels and Dimes” so there. Enjoy !
I found your post in 2020. If you’re still there, there was a band in Los Angeles called the Seeds of Time in the late-mid 60s. They actually played at Bido Lito’s, where the Seeds were the house band. Sky Saxon (lead singer of the Seeds) was always trying to get the SOT to change their name. Finally, when “Pushin’ Too Hard” came out, he was able to force them to. If you want to know more, I suggest you track down Johnny Legend (not John Legend, but that’s another story) the rockabilly singer. He was the leader of the SOT.
Hi everybody! I am a HUGE fan of the Kavaliers garage band of the 60’s,that had the hit “If You Loved Her”. I would like to know if ANYbody has a way that I can get in touch with a member/members of the band. I am 54 now,and have loved them since the 60’s!! Thank you so much.Can we leave our phone numbers on here? 334-220-9319 THANKS
PS,. BIG thanks to Chris Bishop,for this awesome site,and for helping me find my long lost song “If You Loved Her”.He was so kind to send it to me.My mom and dad passed away when I was young,and it was a favorite of theirs.Needless to say,after 40 years I was very happy to hear this song once again.THANK YOU CHRIS!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU ROCK!! 🙂
I knew those guys. They were from Evergreen Alabama. I was from another small town near there.
There was a third “Seeds of Time” band in Los Angeles around that time. They had to change their name when Sky Saxon of the Seeds threatened to sue them. If only the Internet had been around then to show that”Seeds of Time” was already established as a book, etc.
Hello everyone. My name is Michael McMillon and I was the drummer for the Seeds of Time pictured above. We were not hugely famous or a particularly note worthy band. But like Brian Adams said in one of his songs “we tried real hard”. I did not stay in the music business which I regret sometimes. But I will ALWAYS be grateful for all the times we got to play and make people happy with our music. It was a magical time. But we all moved on to become lawyers, engineers, biological scientists and contractors, each one successful in his own right. But our friend and band mate, Michael Lewis, stayed in the music and kept the ‘Seeds of Time’ alive for us all. Thank you Michael.
Sadly, Jim Harper passed away last week. He will be missed.