Rhythm Dukes - FlashBack (recorded 1970/released 2005)

In 1970 after Moby Grape had broken up and the Sons of Champlin were on indefinite hiatus members of the two bands-- Jerry Miller from Moby Grape and Bill Champlin from the Sons of Champlin teamed up with Fuzzy Oxendine and John Barrett to form the Rhythm Dukes.

Primarily a live band, the Rhythm Dukes were fixtures at Bill Graham's various venues in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1970 they headed into the studio and recorded an album that would not see the light of day for 35 years!

Some of the songs on the album-- For Joy, Hey Children & I'd Like to Get to Know You-- were later re-recorded by the Sons of Champlin (albeit in substantially different forms than those heard on Flash Back) but most of the material on this album remained unheard for 35 years.

The material on the album bears the fruit of the influences of both Moby Grape and the Sons of Champlin. The Sons of Champlin influence is considerably more prevalant than the Moby Grape influence as Bill Champlin was not only vocalist and keyboardist, but he wrote 6 out of the 10 songs that appear on the album.

The album starts out with the Jerry Miller penned Love Your Daddy All Night Long which is an amusing musical selection considering this album was recorded in a church. Not exactly the type of material one might expect to hear recorded or performed inside a church.

While the lead vocal performances featuring Champlin are the strongest the vocal harmonies leave a bit to be desired. There's a somewhat over-relaxed looseness to them drawing attention away from otherwise strong material and instrumental performances and shifting the focus to the mediocre garage band-esque feel that the harmony vocals give the material.

Perhaps one of the strongest overall performances on the album is their cover of the blues classic, Kansas City. Champlin totally cooks. His B3 playing and his soulful vocals are a perfect fit for the song.

For Joy stretches out to a 14+ minute jam that Champlin would later trim to under five minutes when he re-recorded the song with the Sons of Champlin for their Welcome to the Dance album. The Rhythm Dukes version seems excessive but it does allow the band to stretch out and show off their musical talents.

In short this collection is not for the casual listener-- although fan completists of the works of Moby Grape or the Sons of Champlin may want to pick this album up as it provides an interesting snapshot of where members of the respective bands were in 1970 it's merely a curiousity for the more casual listeners of either group... That being said even for the casual listener this album is almost worth picking up for the cover of Kansas City alone.

Currently the CD is only available directly from the Rhythm Dukes website . The packaging is rather amateur-ish, however this is encouraging as most of the money paid for the CD actually goes to the guys who performed the music on it and not suits in the recording industry.

Related Links
Rhythm Dukes (official website)
Sons of Champlin (official website)
Bill Champlin (official website)
Jerry Miller (official website)
Rhythm Dukes (wikipedia entry)
Moby Grape (wikipedia entry)
Sons of Champlin (wikipedia entry)
Jerry Miller (wikipedia entry)
Bill Champlin (wikipedia entry)
Other Bill Champlin/Sons of Champlin related blog posts

Sons of Champlin - A Circle Filled With Love (1976)

Upon bursting onto the San Francisco Bay area music scene in the late sixties the Sons of Champlin had started out with one foot planted firmly in psychedelia and the other planted firmly in blue-eyed soul.

After their departure from Capitol Records, starting with 1973's Welcome to the Dance, there was a decided shift away from psychedelic and increasingly closer to blue-eyed soul. 1976's A Circle Filled With Love was just another logical step in that musical evolution. While the album title, many of the lyrics, and cover artwork are still throwbacks to their psychedelic roots. By 1976 their music had taken a noticeably more soulful turn.

Starting with a bang, Hold On, shows vocalist Bill Champlin strutting his soulful
vocal chops, a trend that he would demonstrate throughout the album. The horn arrangement suggesting more Tower of Power than Chicago. The rhythm guitar work shows hints of the country-rock of the Eagles which was quite popular at the time. Regardless, the Sons osmosized the music of the era, and put their own stamp on it and made it all their own.

Here is Where Your Heart Belongs shifts gears, the string arrangement reminiscent of some of the Jeremy Lubbock string arrangements that were showing up on Chicago albums from that same era. The horns are soft accents to a rather soulful groove, and unlike Hold On, the horn arrangement on this track infers more Chicago than Tower of Power.

Follow Your Heart has a good ol' rock and roll groove that wouldn't be out of place at a bluesy roadhouse bar. As always, Champlin's soulful vocals are front and center. The background vocals answering the leads is reminiscent of the soul bands of the late sixties and early seventies. The song is infectious and fun and speaks to the band's more lighthearted nature.

Knickanick is an enjoyable instrumental track that really shows what Geoff Palmer and Terry Haggerty were capable of. The way Haggerty's guitar dances around Palmer's keyboards speaks volumes of the musical chemistry the two of them shared since the band's inception. However at a mere, 2:37, just as you start enjoying that sublime musical chemistry, the song ends far too abruptly.

While there's not a bad song on the album, there are certainly some pieces that stand out more than others. The autobiographical To The Sea is Champlin at his lyrical best. The song is soft and uncharacteristically understated. Champlin reminds listeners that "music's only as fine as the silence it's compared to." While the horns are absent on this track, the song benefits far more from their absence than it ever could from their presence. A shining example of the "less is more" principle.

Another standout track is Slippery When It's Wet. This is the Sons at their soulful funky best. It gets under your skin and grabs hold of you from the inside out and doesn't let go. It's certainly one of the more upbeat and catchy songs about fidelity (the marital kind, not the sonic kind) ever recorded.

All in all, while the album does sound somewhat dated at times, that makes it no less enjoyable, if anything it gives it a rather classic feel-- a musical snapshot of an era that has passed.

Sons of Champlin - Loving Is Why (1977)

While not as well known as their horn band contemporaries-- Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears, or Tower of Power. The Sons of Champlin had developed a respectable cult following in the San Francisco Bay Area playing Bill Graham's Fillmore and Avalon Ballrooms in the late 60s and early 70s (in fact they performed at the final concert at Graham's Fillmore West in 1971).

Starting out as "The Opposite Six", the band went through a myriad of name changes including: The Nu Boogaloo Express, The Rhythm Dukes, the Masterbeats (a name which scared concert promoters away), and even Yogi Phlegm but they always seemed to come back to The Sons of Champlin. A name that Bill Champlin's bandmates had come up with due to Bill's status as a teenage father in the late sixties.

The band started out on the Capitol Record label where they released three albums. The band split up from 1971 to 1973 before reforming with a new bass player, drummer, and horn section. Only vocalist Bill Champlin, guitarist Terry Haggerty, and vibes/keyboard player Geoff Palmer remained from the original line-up.

In 1977 the band released what would be their final album before a long hiatus. You wouldn't know it from listening to Loving Is Why, as the band sounds as tight as it ever had. Champlin's vocals are at his gritty, soulful, James Brown's stolen DNA best. The horns are tight, the rhythm section (James Preston and Dave Schallock) were firing on all cylinders.

Songs like Saved By the Grace of Your Love, Big Boss Man, and Time Will Bring You Love are as good as anything the band had ever released before. They were still a band that was, or at least seemed to be, firing on all cylinders. Essentially they sounded like Chicago might have still sounded if they still had a pair. Their music is brassy, bluesy, and has a punch that should have, but for whatever reasons did not, propel them into the spotlight.

Shortly after the album's release, Bill Champlin left to pursue a solo career. He released two albums Single (1978) and Runaway (1981) before being invited to join Chicago by their then drummer, Danny Seraphine.

It's a pity that to this day this album is yet to be released on CD. The LP can be found in used record stores, on eBay, or Gemm.com, but for the time being one will have to wait for a CD release.

Related Links
Sons of Champlin Biography (from the AllMusicGuide)
Sons of Champlin Loosen Up Naturally (1969) (Review Revue)
Sons of Champlin Welcome to the Dance (1973) (Review Revue)
Sons of Champlin Hip Li'l Dreams (2005) (Review Revue)
Bill Champlin (Review Revue)

Sons of Champlin - Welcome to the Dance (1973)

After the commercial flop of their Follow Your Heart album in 1971, the Sons of Champlin took some time off, re-grouped, and re-assembled with a new rhythm section. Dave Schallock and James Preston (on bass and drums respectively) were brought in to replace Al Strong and Bill Bowen.

Incidentally the nucleus of this line-up: Bill Champlin on vocals, keyboards, and guitars, Geoff Palmer on vibes, Dave Schallock on bass, and James Preston on drums remains intact to this day with new guitarits Tal Morris and a revamped horn section.

Welcome to the Dance features the band's strongest material since their 1969 debut, Loosen Up Naturally. While the album lacks the psychadelic-infused lyrics of their earlier works in favor of a more R&B/blue-eyed soul flavored sound, Terry Haggerty was still able to infuse some of his more psychadelic flavored guitar licks into this "new" sound.

This album marks an interesting stage in this vastly underrated band's evolution. Some of these tracks even found themselves rearranged and performed by the current line-up on the band's 2005 Hip Li'l Dreams release (Swim and For Joy). The addition of Dave Schallock and Jim Preston was just the change the band had needed apparently as the band sounds much tighter and more cohesive than they had on Follow Your Heart or The Sons.

Champlin's Jimmy Smith inspired organ theatrics and Lou Rawls inspired vocals are present on all tracks. The Mark Isham/Phil Woods horn section augments a handful of the tracks and help pull together the musical stew which made up the Sons of Champlin.

This excellent album had remained out of print for years and was only released on CD in 2001. It remains available today. Whether you're just discovering the Sons of Champlin or re-discovering them for the second, third, or fourth time this is a must-have album to add to your collection. So make sure to pick up this gem while the getting is still good!

Bill Champlin

Through most of the 90s I was on a Bill Champlin kick. I needed to hear every song he sang lead on. I need to not just hear, but feel, and complete digest his entire catalog. I got to the point where I kutchered him. I had to take a break for a few years.

Last night I made an mp3 CD including all of his solo studio albums which I've been slowly, but surely re-introducing myself to.

Most people don't know who Champlin is, but if they were listening to the radio in the 80s they're certainly familiar with his voice on Chicago hits like Hard Habit to Break (he shared lead vocals with Peter Cetera), Look Away, and You're Not Alone. Sadly those aren't even close to being his best work.

I'd forgotten how good much of his solo material was/is-- the in your face brass of Yo Mama off of Single; the pristine studio gloss of the entire Runaway album; No Wasted Moments and Before You Go which could just as easily have been Chicago songs from his No Wasted Moments EP; Fly By the Light and Highest Stakes from Burn Down the Night; Turn Your Love Around, Sound of the Rain, and Through It All from Through It All; and Southern Serenade and It's About Time from He Started to Sing. I could go on and on...There's something about his gritty baritone that keeps me coming back for seconds, thirds, fourths-- well you get the idea.

Yes his material is pop, but it's pop in its best form-- not the dime-a-dozen cookie-cutter crap that the music industry cranks out faster than the listening public can digest (and more often than not, excrete). Part of Champlin's appeal is his variety-- he goes from traditional pop that would be at home on any album circa 1980-1989, to Lou Rawls inspired R&B, to blues (his cover of In the Heat of the Night shows him at his bluesy best), to the blue-eyed soul of Yo Mama or Turn Your Love Around.

Champlin also shows he knows when to call in his friends-- Single, Runaway, and Burn Down the Night feature a who's who of LA session musicians. And when to go it alone-- Through It All features Champlin doing just about everything from guitars to keyboards, to vocals, and production himself.

Bill Champlin is the total package when it comes to rock/pop music.

Sons of Champlin - Hip Li'l Dreams (2005)

After a 21 year hiatus, The Sons of Champlin, reunited for a live concert at the Luther Burbank Center in Burbank, CA. The line-up featured original members Bill Champlin on vocals, piano/organ, guitar and vocals; Geoff Palmer on keyboards Hammond organ, and vibraphone and Terry Haggerty on guitar and vocals. It also featured bassist Dave Schallock and drummer James Preston who had been in the band in the early-mid seventies and a whole new horn section featuring saxophonist Tom Saviano, and Tower of Power alum Mic Gillette on trumpet & trombone. This 90s incarnation of the psychedelic SF Bay area soul funk band may have changed a few faces, but the new faces only served to spice-up the line-up and give it more edge.

Shortly before going back into the studio, guitarist Terry Haggerty opted out of the band in order to take his music in a different direction. In his place, Tal Morris, gives the Sons a new edge for a new millennium. While Haggerty’s more jazz-influenced guitar chops will be missed, Morris proves himself more than equal to the task—fitting into this band like a missing puzzle piece.

Hip Li’l Dreams doesn’t miss a beat, picking up where 1977’s Loving Is Why left off. The horns are just as “in your face” as they were in the Sons heyday, Bill Champlin is at his gritty & soulful best and he even brought in some extra friends & family for “assistance” on a few tracks. On Dream On Bill shares the vocals with son, Will. Bill’s wife, Tamara lends her voice to the soulful ballad, I’m Not Your Lover. But the most conspicuous guest performances are Doobie Brothers alum, Tom Johnston, and Toto vocalist, Bobby Kimball sharing the lead vocals on the title track with Bill Champlin. Their soulful vocals offer both an excellent complement and counterpoint to Champlin’s.

One of the recurring themes of Champlin’s songs is the corruption and lack of talent in the music industry. His Star Outa’ You is a giant middle finger to an industry which finds itself increasingly mired in pretension, mediocrity, and redundancy. It’s lyrically is one of the best, if not THE best song on the album.

Geoff Palmer’s organ and vibraphone is exceptional from start to finish but especially stands out on Swim (organ) and Soul Explosions (vibraphone). The mere inclusion of a vibraphone into a rock group was one of the aspects of the Sons which set them apart from other horn bands like Blood Sweat & Tears, Chicago, and Tower of Power from their inception. Palmer’s talents are as integral to the Sons’ sound as Champlin’s gritty baritone, or the horn section’s wall of brass.

The album ends with a re-working of Light Up the Candles which initially appeared on Bill Champlin’s Through It All album back in 1995. Where the original arrangement was stark and minimalist, the Sons' arrangement is more lush and full. Unfortunately, this is a song that worked because of its simplicity, and while the Sons’ reworking is interesting it’s missing the intimacy of Champlin’s original arrangement.

This is not an album to be missed. It’s got the “brass” balls that dare to be different, that special something that sets it apart from all of the pre-fab cookie-cutter Los Angeles music industry lowest common denominator fodder. So close your eyes, open your ears, and let the Sons of Champlin take you on a musical journey you won’t soon forget!

The Sons of Champlin - Loosen Up Naturally (1969)

1969 saw, on the same day, the release of two debut albums of two extremely talented horn bands. One of those bands, Chicago, went on to become one of the top-selling American bands in rock and roll history. The other, the Sons of Champlin, maintained a cult following but remained largely unknown outside their native California.

It is much to the listening public’s detriment that the Sons of Champlin’s Loosen Up Naturally has gone so widely unnoticed. Recently re-mastered and re-released this classic sounds as pristine as the day it was recorded.

Where Chicago was socially conscious and pro-active, the Sons took a more laidback pensive approach to their songwriting:

And we’ll all be making love on a hillside in the rain
If the inside is on the outside there’s no pain—from 1982-A

Misery isn’t free
I’ve got to be free
I need some space to lose my mind
Don’t need to waste this thing on time
Gonna loosen up naturally – from Misery Isn’t Free

C’mon, why don’t you c’mon
To the joy that’s in the air
It’s strong, so strongYou feel it everywhere – from Everywhere

Who wants to see a black and blue rainbow
Not you or me
But there are things we should know
There’s a reason for everything
A season for everything
The total of which is you
So you’ve got to see everything just to be everything—from Black & Blue Rainbow

Your strength is in your smileAnd not your frustration—from Freedom

Along with their flower-power friendly lyrics, many of Loosen Up Naturally’s songs have an infectious groove that gets into your system. You find yourself tapping on your steering wheel or humming the songs to yourself when you least expect it.

Possibly the catchiest songs on the album are Things Are Getting’ Better and the 14+ minute Freedom which truly captures the Sons at their best. Whether it’s Geoff Palmer’s vibes, Terry Haggerty’s guitar, the 3 piece horn section, or Champlin’s gritty soulful vocals, there’s a little something for everyone in Freedom, but perhaps the highlight of this gem is Champlin’s 2 minute scat-singing at 11-13 minutes into the song. It shows Champlin at his vocal best.

While the summer of love and Woodstock have long since passed, listening to this album is a time machine back to that era. And for those of us who missed it the first time around, this is probably the closest we’ll ever get to experiencing it.

Favorite Debut Albums

A lot of cool bands have had fantastic debut albums... Some bands are able to match their early success on later albums, others never quite get "there." What are your favorite debuts?

Here are mine:

1) Bad Company Bad Company (1974) - Not a bad song on it. Strong start to finish. Fantastic effort from one of the first 70s "supergroups." Highlights include the title track, the cover of Mott the Hoople's Ready For Love which by far exceeds the original version (after all, Paul Rodgers can sing circles around Ian Hunter), and Seagull.

2) Boston s/t (1976) - Much like with Bad Company, there wasn't a bad song on their debut. Unfortunately, their debut got so heavily overplayed when it came out that it staled the band for many would be fans. Highlights include More Than a Feeling, Smokin', Foreplay/Long Time, and Let Me Take You Home Tonight.

3) Chicago Transit Authority (1969) - Other than Free Form Guitar this album is strong from start to finish. While I personally do enjoy Free Form Guitar I think it's out of place on the album. It should have been put at the very end of the album AFTER the nearly 15 minute long opus Liberation I think having it in the middle of the album kind of shunts the album continuity. Other than the awkward placement of FFG, this album is absolutely fantastic. Highlights include I'm a Man, Introduction, Beginnings, and South California Purples.

4) Toto s/t (1977) - Not a bad song on this stellar debut. While it's not their best album it certainly shows glimpses of the brilliance that would be exhibited on their later material. Highlights Hold the Line, I'll Supply the Love, and Angela

5) Sons of Champlin Loosen Up Naturally (1969)- originally released on vinyl on the exact same day as Chicago Transit Authority... what a great day for music that was! There's not a bad song on this great collection. There's a certain energy and cohesiveness that was lacking on their 1970 follow-up. This truly shows off what Bill Champlin was/is capable of. Highlights Freedom, Things Are Gettin' Better, 1982-A, Everywhere, and Don't Fight It, Do It

Honorable Mention(s): King Crimson In the Court of the Crimson King (1969), Matchbox 20 Yourself Or Someone Like You (1996), Steve Lukather s/t (1989), Trillion s/t (1978), and Peter Cetera s/t (1981), Dream Theater When Dream and Day Unite (1989), Asia s/t (1981), Meat Loaf Bat Out of Hell (1977)