John Locke, Mark Andes, Randy California, Ed Cassidy, Jay Ferguson
More than just the typical sound of the era SPIRIT was infused with a multitude of musical styles and inspirations. Each of the original five band members were masters of their crafts, together the sum of all their talents. Arguably Randy California was one of the earliest electric guitarists to utilize harmony guitar solos, a sound only achievable using studio overdubs. Ed Cassidy brought jazz drums to the rock style, a novel idea at the time. From all indications the group pioneered the entire jazz rock genre, paving the way for bands like Steely Dan. Along the path to near superstardom the group experienced a bewildering range of circumstances that both strengthened their resolve and destroyed their ability to stay together. Having been a fan of this band for many years I decided to compile my own list of true stories spanning the length of their career. Whether you heard about them from their famous I Got A Line On You hit or the nerve-racking Stairway to Heaven lawsuit, let these tales expand the intrigue and help you appreciate a misunderstood and underappreciated band!
- Randy California was given his stage name when he was the
second guitarist in Jimi Hendrix's first band called Jimi James and the Blue
Flames. Unfortunately when Jimi left for
- Spirit was offered a slot in the
- Everyone is familiar with the popular theme song for hit TV show The Office. The song was written, performed and recorded by Jay Ferguson who went into soundtrack work after leaving the band.
- Despite Led Zeppelin’s winning court case in regards to the
song “Stairway to Heaven,” many still insist that the Spirit track
"Taurus" was the true genesis of that infamous guitar intro. Both
pieces of music share identical tempos, keys, chord progressions, and root
notes. In addition the band was the opening act for Spirit on their first
- According to band members Neil Young was inadvertently
responsible for breaking up Spirit after their first reunion when he came on
stage drunk during a show. Having recently cut his long iconic hair Randy
California apparently didn't recognize him and proceeded to escort him off stage
with quite the passion. Unfortunately the rest of the band took this as a
purposeful slight against Neil and immediately ended the show. It wasn't until
later that the situation became clear, but by that point it was too late and
the band had already broken up. Take a listen to Randy's song "Rude Reaction"
to hear some of his feelings at the time about the situation.
- Randy California’s uncle was the owner of the famous Ash
Grove music venue. He spent his youth watching and taking in everything he
could about the music trade, even getting guitar lessons from the legendary
John Lee Hooker among other greats.
- Original Spirit keyboardist John Locke claimed to have been
the direct descendent of the 17th century English philosopher of the same name.
- Outside of Spirit, bassist Mark Andes worked with a number
of other famous bands including Heart, Joe Walsh, Firefall and Canned Heat.
- By the time Ed Cassidy formed Spirit he was already a
seasoned drummer with 20 years of professional jazz experience from the 1940s
and 50s. At one time in the late 1940s Cassidy apparently played 282
consecutive one-nighters in 17 states!
- Spirit had trouble staying in the spotlight after the
release of their single "1984" when the government banned the song
from
- Ed Cassidy was one of the founding members and original drummer of The Rising Sons featuring the now infamous Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder. Right before their first album was to be recorded Cassidy broke his wrist during a drum solo and was unable to stay in the band.
Vocals, Tambourine Guitar Drums Bass Keys |
JAY FERGUSON RANDY CALIFORNIA ED CASSIDY MARK ANDES JOHN LOCKE |
2021-09-30 BY SAM SCARPELLI