The beginning of your musical career
maxmyndblown
I'm a UK record collector and researcher of interesting and
undocumented US garage and psychedelic music from the 60s.
Many years ago I acquired 2 amazing 45s by one of your first groups,
the American Zoo:
Mr.Brotherhood / Magdalena (Reena 1026, May 1968) and
What Am I / Back Street Thoughts (Reena 1030, July 1968)
I wrote about them in an encyclopaedic music book/website project
called Fuzz, Acid and Flowers; sadly the website is no more and the
book (5 editions) is out of print, again, and unlikely to be
reprinted. However, interest and research continues via music forums
and
an earlier 45 on Reena came to light recently on the U-Spaces forum -
Back Street Thoughts / Who Am I (Reena 116, December 1967)
This is credited to We The People but is obviously the same group as
American Zoo. BST is the same track issued on Reena 1026 and Who Am I
is an earlier incarnation of What Am I.
I'd be most interested in your memories of your earliest forays into
the music biz, how long the band(s) lasted, where you performed, and
who was in the line-up(s) - credits and further research imply that
members included yourself (drums,vocals), Dave Danieli (keyboards?),
Bill Hawkins (guitar), and Bill Bottrell (guitar?- presumably the same
Bill Bottrell who became producer for Michael Jackson?). By the way
Bottrell/Hawkins/Danieli turn up again together on a 1983 LP by
Northbound.
Were you aware that there are 2 different versions of the
Mr.Brotherhood track, both issued on different pressings of Reena 1026?
Were there any other recordings from that time under these or other
names? (there was a group on Reena called People - any connection?).
Thanks and regards,
Max "Myndblown" Waller