THE BEST OF THE HOODOO RHYTHM DEVILS - VOLUME I (1970-1976)
The Hoodoo Rhythm Devils formed in late 1969 at Funky Features, Jack Leahy's legendary recording studio in the famous Haight Ashbury district of San Francisco, California. Joe Crane and John Rewind had written a few songs and had recorded some home demos themselves. Jack Leahy said that they should do some better recordings of the songs, and the band was born. Jack also needed some guinea pigs for his new studio. There were some songs recorded that have never seen the light of day (and probably never will) called "BabyLou", "Dirty Old Man","Money Back Guarantee", and "Try To Find A Reason". At the beginning they had a few different bass players - Lee Humphries, Richard Wilkins, and then finally acquired Richard "Dexter C. Plates" Greene (Roberta Flack, currently with The Bobs). There were a few different drummers too - Richard Cram, David Pepke, finally acquiring the fabulous Glenn Walters, an old friend of Rewind's from Kansas City, who was living in Pacific Grove,CA, after having been abandoned by The Emeralds, a band from KC that Glenn was touring with. With Glenn now on drums, the Hoodoos recorded for months, dozens of songs, and came up with their first album's worth of material for Capitol Records. Joe and Glenn were like twin brothers raised by different families. "Joe Crane and his Hoodoo Rhythm Devils" did a local EP that included every bar band's national anthem ,"Four Set Blues". A San Francisco DJ named Michael Sunday heard the band, became involved, and got them their first deal at Capitol as the executive producer. They thought they had died and gone to heaven being on Capitol, since they had drooled over that logo since they were kids, and remembered all of those pictures of Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps in the studio. Now, that was The Big-Time!
The first record on Capitol was definitely a learning experience , trying to learn the recording process, the hard knocks of the music business, as they also wrote, played, and recorded all the songs. A pretty big job for novices. It was time to move on and up. After a short lived relationship with Ed Denson (Country Joe and the Fish) as their manager during the first LP, David Rubinson came to a gig at the New Orleans House in Berkeley, at Jack Leahy's request, to check out the band. David had produced Moby Grape, Santana, Cold Blood, Herbie Hancock etc... and was definitely the bigger-time. He said he would produce and manage the band , but had one demand. He wanted Glenn up front as a second frontman, and for them get another drummer. It was a waste hiding Glenn back behind a drum kit all night.
Then, through a chance meeting, Roger Allen Clark (Alabama Music Hall Of Fame, well-known and respected Fame Studios - Muscle Shoals session drummer, currently with Travis Wammack) had just left The Steve Miller Band and met the HRD. He was just what the doctor ordered. Roger had amazing time, could hold a tempo, and could put on a "real" drum solo, serious double bass drum patterns with lots of show and flash, spinning the sticks and all. This group of players in 1972 recorded the second HRD LP "The Barbecue Of DeVille" on Blue Thumb Records, which spawned "Too Hot To Handle" which became a mainstay on KSAN-FM in San Francisco and was one of their signature tunes. (The story is Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy was riding around SF in a limo after playing Winterland and heard "Too Hot To Handle" on KSAN. He said he was inspired to write "Johnny The Fox Meets Jimmy The Weed", where he mentioned the Hoodoo Rhythm Devils.)
After a tour of the East Coast with major acts like, Chuck Berry, The Doobie Brothers, Steeley Dan, Bloodrock, Moot The Hoople, Savoy Brown etc..., Roger Allen Clark left for Muscle Shoals for a steady session drummer gig at Fame Studios. Roger was immediately replaced by Keith Knudsen, who had just left Lee Michael's Band, for some gigs that week at Winterland, and the Whiskey in L.A.. Keith was another monster drummer, and after a few months joined the Doobie Brothers. The Hoodoos had been told by Rich Bandoni, a legendary SF guitarist and Vintage Gibson Les Paul afficianado, about this drummer playing in some of the clubs in the North Beach Broadway area that was really amazing. So, without his name they went looking for the Mystery Drummer. Well, when they heard Jerome Kimsey playing at The Peppermint Tree at 660 Broadway, they knew they had found their man. The Peppermint Tree used to be a real hot spot in the '60s, with Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Byrds etc..., but in 1973, it was well-worn and pretty seedy. Jerome was like a diamond among tourist trinkets, and the Hoodoos weren't leaving without him.
After Jerome Kimsey was in the fold, the HRD started recording their third LP, "What The Kid's Want" (oddly enough it was their first album's title that was rejected by Capitol Records) that contained "Crazy 'Bout The Ladies", which got considerable airplay across the country, and was probably the HRD's other signature tune besides "Too Hot To Handle".
The Best Of The HRD - Volume I includes "Sea Of Love", which was only released as a single in 1973, between their first an second LPs. Purchase at: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/hoodoorhythm
The first record on Capitol was definitely a learning experience , trying to learn the recording process, the hard knocks of the music business, as they also wrote, played, and recorded all the songs. A pretty big job for novices. It was time to move on and up. After a short lived relationship with Ed Denson (Country Joe and the Fish) as their manager during the first LP, David Rubinson came to a gig at the New Orleans House in Berkeley, at Jack Leahy's request, to check out the band. David had produced Moby Grape, Santana, Cold Blood, Herbie Hancock etc... and was definitely the bigger-time. He said he would produce and manage the band , but had one demand. He wanted Glenn up front as a second frontman, and for them get another drummer. It was a waste hiding Glenn back behind a drum kit all night.
Then, through a chance meeting, Roger Allen Clark (Alabama Music Hall Of Fame, well-known and respected Fame Studios - Muscle Shoals session drummer, currently with Travis Wammack) had just left The Steve Miller Band and met the HRD. He was just what the doctor ordered. Roger had amazing time, could hold a tempo, and could put on a "real" drum solo, serious double bass drum patterns with lots of show and flash, spinning the sticks and all. This group of players in 1972 recorded the second HRD LP "The Barbecue Of DeVille" on Blue Thumb Records, which spawned "Too Hot To Handle" which became a mainstay on KSAN-FM in San Francisco and was one of their signature tunes. (The story is Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy was riding around SF in a limo after playing Winterland and heard "Too Hot To Handle" on KSAN. He said he was inspired to write "Johnny The Fox Meets Jimmy The Weed", where he mentioned the Hoodoo Rhythm Devils.)
After a tour of the East Coast with major acts like, Chuck Berry, The Doobie Brothers, Steeley Dan, Bloodrock, Moot The Hoople, Savoy Brown etc..., Roger Allen Clark left for Muscle Shoals for a steady session drummer gig at Fame Studios. Roger was immediately replaced by Keith Knudsen, who had just left Lee Michael's Band, for some gigs that week at Winterland, and the Whiskey in L.A.. Keith was another monster drummer, and after a few months joined the Doobie Brothers. The Hoodoos had been told by Rich Bandoni, a legendary SF guitarist and Vintage Gibson Les Paul afficianado, about this drummer playing in some of the clubs in the North Beach Broadway area that was really amazing. So, without his name they went looking for the Mystery Drummer. Well, when they heard Jerome Kimsey playing at The Peppermint Tree at 660 Broadway, they knew they had found their man. The Peppermint Tree used to be a real hot spot in the '60s, with Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Byrds etc..., but in 1973, it was well-worn and pretty seedy. Jerome was like a diamond among tourist trinkets, and the Hoodoos weren't leaving without him.
After Jerome Kimsey was in the fold, the HRD started recording their third LP, "What The Kid's Want" (oddly enough it was their first album's title that was rejected by Capitol Records) that contained "Crazy 'Bout The Ladies", which got considerable airplay across the country, and was probably the HRD's other signature tune besides "Too Hot To Handle".
The Best Of The HRD - Volume I includes "Sea Of Love", which was only released as a single in 1973, between their first an second LPs. Purchase at: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/hoodoorhythm
