From my teenage years, partly because I saw the Summer Of Love in San Francisco in naive, idealistic terms. In many ways, I still see it as our best hope for humanity, though I’m no longer blind to the problems, so I fell in love with the music of the city at that time. The famous bands like the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Jefferson Airplane and the Steve Miller Band and the less famous, which of course were hard to collect in the bleak northeast of England, as many didn’t get a UK release.
One that did and the first to catch my teenage hippy attention was Linn County. They were a blues-based psychedelic band that originated in Linn County, Iowa, in the mid-1960s. They were initially known as The Prophets and later as the Linn County Blues Band before shortening their name to Linn County when they signed with Mercury Records.
Their roots can be traced to Cedar Rapids, a hub for local musicians at the time. Key early members included Stephen Miller (organ, vocals), Fred Walk (guitar, sitar), Larry Easter (saxophone, flute), and Jerry "Snake" McAndrew (drums). They initially played R&B and rock in clubs across the Midwest, but the West Coast was where it was at.
They became the house band at the renowned Mother Blues club in Chicago at 26 W Division St. We actually went to one of their sister bars called The Lodge where we drank Bloody Mary’s and met a former member of The Chilites!
They signed with Dunwich Records, but Mercury Records soon discovered them and bought their contract, moving the band to San Francisco in 1968. Mercury suggested they shorten their name to "Linn County" to avoid being typecast solely as a blues band.
In San Francisco, they released three albums on Mercury Records:
Proud Flesh Soothseer (1968) Fever Shot (1969) Till the Break of Dawn (1970)
During this period, they toured extensively, performing with major acts such as Albert King, Led Zeppelin, Sly & the Family Stone, Eric Burdon & the Animals, and Ten Years After. They played at iconic venues like The Avalon Ballroom, Fillmore West, The Matrix, and Fillmore East. But despite their excellent music and touring success, they never achieved widespread commercial fame.
The original lineup began to change around 1970. Drummer Clark Pierson left to join Janis Joplin, and Stephen Miller departed to work with Elvin Bishop. Fred Walk attempted to keep the band going with different personnel for a time.
Stephen Miller later reformed Linn County in Iowa in 1974 with new members, including Ron Dewitte (guitar), Perry Welsh (mouth harp), Johnny (Ace) Acerno (bass), and Joe Eberline (drums). This iteration of the band continued to play in the Midwest with considerable success. However, Stephen Miller eventually left again to join southern rock band Grinderswitch, and the band finally disbanded in 1977.
Their music was a blend of blues, psychedelic rock, and soul, often incorporating horn arrangements, flute, and sitar, giving their sound a unique, sometimes avant-garde, jazz-influenced edge. Their sound was often called complex and intriguing with jazz-flavoured arrangements and spacy songwriting. Bands like Linn County were sort of pre-rock in how we came to know it and so drew all sorts of influences. They didn’t sell or chart but their debut is a must have for fans of the genre. It features ‘Protect & Serve/Bad Things’ , a 14-minute song, that sounds like a jam and is quintessential in getting a handle on the scene.
It did get a UK release though probably sold few. Expect to pay around £40 for a copy in good condition. Fever Shot is harder to get, though it also got a UK release. If you can get one for £50, you’re doing well. The third on Phillips here, is harder still to get, will be nearer £70. There are 5 singles released only in America, usually priced about $5-$20, which I’d love but will probably never see. Easier if you’re actually in America.
Others from the scene, piqued my interest like Mother Earth, the Charlatans, Ace Of Cups, Sopwith Camel, Blue Cheer, Country Joe, It’s A Beautiful Day, Cold Blood, Kak, Fifty Foot Hose, Mad River, Mount Rushmore and others… but Linn County were the first.
Linn County were the first...
