The Astronauts (band)
Encyclopedia
The Astronauts were an American
rock and roll
band, who had a minor hit in 1963 with "Baja" and remained successful for several years, especially in Japan
. They have been described as being, "along with...(the) Trashmen
, the premier landlocked Midwestern surf group
of the '60s." For most of their career, the band members were Rich Fifield, Jon "Storm" Patterson, Bob Demmon, Dennis Lindsey, and Jim Gallagher.
, Boulder, Colorado
in 1956 by Jon "Storm" Patterson (vocals, guitar), Robert Graham "Bob" Demmon (11 February 1939–18 December 2010) (guitar), and Brad Leach (drums). In 1961, they became The Astronauts after adding Richard Otis "Rich" Fifield (vocals, guitar) and Dick Sellars (guitar), the change of band name recognising the fascist connotations
of the previous name and to pay tribute to local hero, astronaut
Scott Carpenter
. Patterson switched to bass, Leech was replaced on drums by Jim Gallagher, and soon afterwards Sellars left to join the US Navy, being replaced by Dennis Lindsey. With a line-up of Demmon, Patterson, Fifield, Lindsey and Gallagher, the band gained a strong local reputation, toured as far as Chicago
and Dallas, Texas
, and released their first single, "Come Along Baby", in 1962, on the small Palladium label. They were signed to RCA Records
after a record company executive was impressed by their performance at a local night club, the Tulagi.
Their first single on RCA was "Baja", an instrumental
written by Lee Hazlewood
originally for his friend, guitarist Al Casey
. Released by The Astronauts in early 1963, the track was described as "a typical surf instrumental with a reverberation-heavy twangy guitar and driving drumbeat", and reached # 94 on the Billboard
Hot 100 for just one week, the pinnacle of their US chart career. However, they released a succession of further singles on RCA, in an attempt by the record company to emulate the success of the Beach Boys
and other surf music-related groups in the charts at the time. According to reviewer Richie Unterberger
, "the group shone brightest on their instrumentals, which used mounds of Fender
reverb and two rhythm guitars; when they sang, the results were much less successful." Patterson and Fifield shared lead vocals, and the band recorded songs by Roger Christian, Gary Usher
, Dick Dale
and Henry Mancini
, among others. Fifield, the lead guitarist, used a Fender Jazzmaster
on the recordings, with an early prototype reverb unit
personally loaned to the group by Leo Fender
.
As well as a succession of singles and EP
s, the band released four LPs
over nine months, starting in May 1963: Surfin' with The Astronauts – which reached # 61 on the Billboard 200
album chart – Everything Is A-OK! (recorded live at the Club Baja in Denver, Colorado
), Competition Coupe, and The Astronauts Orbit Campus (recorded live in Boulder).
They appeared several times on the Hullabaloo
TV show, and have the distinction of appearing in more teen movies than any other surf band: Surf Party
, Wild on the Beach
, Wild Wild Winter
and Out of Sight
. Regarding the band's performance in 1964's Surf Party, the book Pop Surf Culture states “The Astronauts bang out a thick, reverb-laden instrumental called ‘Firewater,’ and their theme song ‘Surf Party’ happens to be one of the best surf instrumentals ever recorded.”
In 1964, their record company discovered that they had a growing fan base in Japan, where they outsold The Beach Boys and toured with The Ventures
. Five albums and three singles made the top 10 there, with "Movin'" – retitled as "Over The Sun" – reaching number one in the country.
In all, they recorded nine albums. Gallagher and Lindsey were drafted
for Vietnam
before the last album, Travelin' Men in 1967, and were replaced by Mark Bretz and Rod Jenkins respectively. Demmon also left, being replaced by Robert Carl McLerian, before Fifield and Patterson finally decided to end the band name after a tour of Asia in 1968.
", in 1967. Patterson then left the band and music business, and Fifield and McLerian formed a new band, Hardwater, with Tony Murillo and Peter M. Wyant. In 1968, the band released two singles and an album, Hardwater, on Capitol Records
, produced by David Axelrod
. Fifield also had a role in assisting Axelrod and record engineer David Hassinger
, who owned the rights to the group name of The Electric Prunes
, to find a new group of musicians to take on that group's name for their record, Mass in F Minor
. Fifield contacted fellow Colorado musicians, Richard Whetstone, John Herron and Mark Kincaid, who then agreed to form one of the final line-ups of The Electric Prunes.
Bob Demmon worked as a teacher in Coronado, California
. He died on 18 December 2010, aged 71. Dennis Lindsey died in 1991.
Side 1
Side 2
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
band, who had a minor hit in 1963 with "Baja" and remained successful for several years, especially in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. They have been described as being, "along with...(the) Trashmen
The Trashmen
The Trashmen are a rock and roll band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1962. The group's original lineup was Tony Andreason on lead guitar and vocals, Dal Winslow on guitar and vocals, Steve Wahrer on drums and vocals, and Bob Reed on bass guitar...
, the premier landlocked Midwestern surf group
Surf music
Surf music is a genre of popular music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Orange County and other areas of Southern California. It was particularly popular between 1961 and 1965, has subsequently been revived and was highly influential on subsequent rock music...
of the '60s." For most of their career, the band members were Rich Fifield, Jon "Storm" Patterson, Bob Demmon, Dennis Lindsey, and Jim Gallagher.
Career
The Astronauts developed out of a group, The Stormtroopers, which was originally formed at Boulder High SchoolBoulder High School
Boulder High School is a high school in Boulder, Colorado. It is a part of the Boulder Valley School District.-History:Boulder High School was founded in 1875 as part of the University of Colorado at Boulder as a preparatory school for the University...
, Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
in 1956 by Jon "Storm" Patterson (vocals, guitar), Robert Graham "Bob" Demmon (11 February 1939–18 December 2010) (guitar), and Brad Leach (drums). In 1961, they became The Astronauts after adding Richard Otis "Rich" Fifield (vocals, guitar) and Dick Sellars (guitar), the change of band name recognising the fascist connotations
Stormtrooper
Stormtroopers were specialist soldiers of the German Army in World War I. In the last years of the war, Stoßtruppen were trained to fight with "infiltration tactics", part of the Germans' new method of attack on enemy trenches...
of the previous name and to pay tribute to local hero, astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
Scott Carpenter
Scott Carpenter
Malcolm Scott Carpenter is an American engineer, former test pilot, astronaut, and aquanaut. He is best known as one of the original seven astronauts selected for NASA's Project Mercury in April 1959....
. Patterson switched to bass, Leech was replaced on drums by Jim Gallagher, and soon afterwards Sellars left to join the US Navy, being replaced by Dennis Lindsey. With a line-up of Demmon, Patterson, Fifield, Lindsey and Gallagher, the band gained a strong local reputation, toured as far as Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, and released their first single, "Come Along Baby", in 1962, on the small Palladium label. They were signed to RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
after a record company executive was impressed by their performance at a local night club, the Tulagi.
Their first single on RCA was "Baja", an instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
written by Lee Hazlewood
Lee Hazlewood
Lee Hazlewood , born Barton Lee Hazlewood was an American country and pop singer, songwriter, and record producer, most widely known for his work with guitarist Duane Eddy during the late 1950s and singer Nancy Sinatra in the 1960s.Hazlewood had a distinctive baritone voice that added an ominous...
originally for his friend, guitarist Al Casey
Al Casey (rock & roll guitarist)
Alvin W. Casey was an American guitarist. He was mainly noted for his work as a session musician, but also released records and scored three Billboard Hot 100 hits in the United States...
. Released by The Astronauts in early 1963, the track was described as "a typical surf instrumental with a reverberation-heavy twangy guitar and driving drumbeat", and reached # 94 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100 for just one week, the pinnacle of their US chart career. However, they released a succession of further singles on RCA, in an attempt by the record company to emulate the success of the Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
and other surf music-related groups in the charts at the time. According to reviewer Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger is a US author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing.-Life and writing:Having worked as a DJ at WXPN in Philadelphia, he started reviewing records for Op magazine in 1983...
, "the group shone brightest on their instrumentals, which used mounds of Fender
Fender
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, commonly referred to as simply Fender, of Scottsdale, Arizona is a manufacturer of stringed instruments and amplifiers, such as solid-body electric guitars, including the Stratocaster and the Telecaster...
reverb and two rhythm guitars; when they sang, the results were much less successful." Patterson and Fifield shared lead vocals, and the band recorded songs by Roger Christian, Gary Usher
Gary Usher
Gary Usher was an American surf rock musician, songwriter, and record producer.-Biography:Usher's early life was spent in Grafton, Massachusetts. He attended Norcross Grammar School with his sister, Sandra, who was in the same class and was likely his twin. Gary was kiddingly called "Chicken Feed"...
, Dick Dale
Dick Dale
Dick Dale is an American surf rock guitarist, known as The King of the Surf Guitar. He experimented with reverberation and made use of custom made Fender amplifiers, including the first-ever 100-watt guitar amplifier.-Early life:Dale was born in South Boston, Massachusetts and lived in nearby...
and Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger, best remembered for his film and television scores. He won a record number of Grammy Awards , plus a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 1995...
, among others. Fifield, the lead guitarist, used a Fender Jazzmaster
Fender Jazzmaster
The Fender Jazzmaster is an electric guitar designed as an upmarket sibling to the Fender Stratocaster. First introduced at the 1958 NAMM Show, it was initially marketed at jazz guitarists, but found favor among surf rock guitarists in the early 1960s...
on the recordings, with an early prototype reverb unit
Fender Reverb Unit
The Fender Reverb Unit was a tube, spring reverb-equipped effects unit made by Fender. The Reverb Unit was originally introduced in 1961. It was discontinued in 1966 and was replaced by a solid-state model. The unit features three controls: Dwell, Mix and Tone and is run by two pre-amp tubes and a...
personally loaned to the group by Leo Fender
Leo Fender
Clarence Leonidas "Leo" Fender was an American inventor who founded Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company, or "Fender" for short...
.
As well as a succession of singles and EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
s, the band released four LPs
LP record
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
over nine months, starting in May 1963: Surfin' with The Astronauts – which reached # 61 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album chart – Everything Is A-OK! (recorded live at the Club Baja in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
), Competition Coupe, and The Astronauts Orbit Campus (recorded live in Boulder).
They appeared several times on the Hullabaloo
Hullabaloo (TV series)
Hullabaloo is an American musical variety series that ran on NBC from January 12, 1965 through August 29, 1966. Similar to Shindig! it ran in prime time in contrast to ABC's American Bandstand.-Overview:...
TV show, and have the distinction of appearing in more teen movies than any other surf band: Surf Party
Surf party
Surf Party is a 1964 beach party film directed by Maury Dexter. It is notable for the musical acts showcased onscreen, as well as for being the first direct imitation of AIP’s hit Beach Party, which was released six months earlier. It also notable for being one of the few films in the genre shot...
, Wild on the Beach
Wild on the Beach
Wild on the Beach is a 1965 beach party film directed by Maury Dexter. It is notable for the musical acts showcased onscreen, being the film debut of Sonny & Cher in particular...
, Wild Wild Winter
Wild Wild Winter
Wild Wild Winter is a 1966 Universal Pictures comedy film in the beach party genre, starring Gary Clarke and Chris Noel. It is directed by standup comedian Lennie Weinrib and produced by Bart Patton and is notable for featuring Jay and the Americans and the duo of Dick and Dee Dee in their only...
and Out of Sight
Out of Sight (1966 film)
Out of Sight is a 1966 beach party film with elements of the spy spoof. It is the third and last of a series of films geared at teenagers by director Lennie Weinrib and producer Bart Patton for Universal Pictures...
. Regarding the band's performance in 1964's Surf Party, the book Pop Surf Culture states “The Astronauts bang out a thick, reverb-laden instrumental called ‘Firewater,’ and their theme song ‘Surf Party’ happens to be one of the best surf instrumentals ever recorded.”
In 1964, their record company discovered that they had a growing fan base in Japan, where they outsold The Beach Boys and toured with The Ventures
The Ventures
The Ventures is an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling...
. Five albums and three singles made the top 10 there, with "Movin'" – retitled as "Over The Sun" – reaching number one in the country.
In all, they recorded nine albums. Gallagher and Lindsey were drafted
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
for Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
before the last album, Travelin' Men in 1967, and were replaced by Mark Bretz and Rod Jenkins respectively. Demmon also left, being replaced by Robert Carl McLerian, before Fifield and Patterson finally decided to end the band name after a tour of Asia in 1968.
Associated acts
For a while, the same band – Fifield, Patterson, McLerian, Bretz and Jenkins – performed in the US under the name SunshineWard, who released one single, "Sally Go Around The RosesSally Go 'Round the Roses
"Sally Go 'Round the Roses" is the name of a 1963 hit by the Jaynetts, a Bronx-based one-hit wonder girl group, released by J&S Records on the Tuff label.-Background:...
", in 1967. Patterson then left the band and music business, and Fifield and McLerian formed a new band, Hardwater, with Tony Murillo and Peter M. Wyant. In 1968, the band released two singles and an album, Hardwater, on Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, produced by David Axelrod
David Axelrod (musician)
David Axelrod is an American composer, arranger and producer, working in several musical genres.-Biography:...
. Fifield also had a role in assisting Axelrod and record engineer David Hassinger
David Hassinger
David Hassinger was a sound engineer at RCA Studios in Los Angeles.From November 1964 until August 1966 he was the engineer for the Rolling Stones, working on all of their albums recorded in that period....
, who owned the rights to the group name of The Electric Prunes
The Electric Prunes
The Electric Prunes are an American rock band who first achieved international attention as an experimental psychedelic group in the late 1960s. Their song "Kyrie Eleison" was featured on the soundtrack of Easy Rider...
, to find a new group of musicians to take on that group's name for their record, Mass in F Minor
Mass in F Minor
Mass in F Minor is the third studio album by The Electric Prunes, released in 1968, consisting of a musical setting of the mass sung in Latin and arranged in the psychedelic style of the band...
. Fifield contacted fellow Colorado musicians, Richard Whetstone, John Herron and Mark Kincaid, who then agreed to form one of the final line-ups of The Electric Prunes.
Later years
A four-CD box set of the group's recordings, The Complete Astronauts Collection, was issued on the Collectables label in 1997.Bob Demmon worked as a teacher in Coronado, California
Coronado, California
Coronado, also known as Coronado Island, is an affluent resort city located in San Diego County, California, 5.2 miles from downtown San Diego. Its population was 24,697 at the 2010 census, up from 24,100 at the 2000 census. U.S. News and World Report lists Coronado as one of the most expensive...
. He died on 18 December 2010, aged 71. Dennis Lindsey died in 1991.
The Astronauts
- "Come Along Baby" / "Tryin' To Get To You" (Palladium, 1962)
- "Baja" / "Kuk" (RCA Victor, 1963)
- "Hot-Doggin'" / "Every One But Me" (RCA Victor, 1963)
- "Competition Coupe" / "Surf Party" (RCA Victor, 1963)
- "Swim, Little Mermaid" / "Go Fight For Her" (RCA Victor, 1964)
- "Main Title From 'Ride The Wild Surf'" / "Around And Around" (RCA Victor, 1964)
- "I'm A Fool" / "Can't You See I Do?" (RCA Victor, 1964)
- "Almost Grown" / "My Sin Is Pride" (RCA Victor, 1965)
- "Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day"/ "Razzamatazz" (RCA Victor, 1965)
- "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" / "The La La Song" (RCA Victor, 1965)
- "Main Street" / "In My Car" (RCA Victor, 1966)
- "I Know You, Rider" / "Better Things" (RCA Victor, 1967)
Hardwater
- "City Sidewalks" / "Not So Hard" (Capitol, 1968)
- "Plate Of My Fare" / "Good Old Friends" (Capitol, 1969)
The Astronauts
- Surfin' With The Astronauts (1963)
-
- Mono LPM-2760/Stereo LSP-2760
- Producer - Al Schmitt, Recording Engineer - Dave Hassinger
Side 1
- "Baja" (BMI 2:24)
- "Surfin'" USA (BMI2:10) LISTEN
- "Misirlou" (BMI 2:08) LISTEN
- "Surfer's Stomp" (ASCAP 2:34)
- "Suzie-Q" (BMI 2:02)
- "Pipeline" (BMI 2:01) LISTEN
Side 2
- "Kuk" (ASCAP 2;09)
- "Banzi Pipeline" (ASCAP 2:00) LISTEN (YouTube mislabeled)
- "Movin'" (BMI 1:56) LISTEN
- "Baby Let's Play HOuse" (BMI 2:26)
- "Let's Go Tripin'" (ASCAP 1:58)
- "Batman" (BMI 1:50)
- Rating: In May 1963 album reached # 61 on the Billboard 200Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album chart- Everything Is A-OK! (1963)
- "Wine, Wine, Wine" LISTEN
- Competition Coupe (1963)
- Astronauts Orbit Kampus (1964)
- "Linda Lou" LISTEN
- The Astronauts Orbit Campus - Live (1964) recorded live at The Tulagi in Boulder, CO, February 27 - March 1, 1964) - both USA and UK release.
- Rockin' With The Astronauts (1965) – limited edition promo LP available with LiptonLiptonLipton is a brand of tea currently owned by Unilever.-History of Lipton Tea:Lipton was created at the end of the 19th century by a grocer, Sir Thomas Lipton, in Glasgow, Scotland. In 1893, he established the Thomas J. Lipton Co., a tea packing company with its headquarters and factory in Hobo ken,...
's Iced Tea - Go...Go...Go!! (1965)
- (Favorites) For You, (Our Fans), From Us (1965)
- Down The Line (1966)
- Travelin' Men (1967)
CD Albums
- The Astronauts - Rarities (1991, Germany release)
- The Astronauts - The complete Astronauts Collection (1997. USA release)
1964
- Surf PartySurf partySurf Party is a 1964 beach party film directed by Maury Dexter. It is notable for the musical acts showcased onscreen, as well as for being the first direct imitation of AIP’s hit Beach Party, which was released six months earlier. It also notable for being one of the few films in the genre shot...
(performing "Fire Water" LISTEN, and "Surf Party" LISTEN)
1965
- Wild on the BeachWild on the BeachWild on the Beach is a 1965 beach party film directed by Maury Dexter. It is notable for the musical acts showcased onscreen, being the film debut of Sonny & Cher in particular...
(performing "Rock This World," "Little Speedy Gonzalez," "Pyramid Stomp," and "Snap It," also shown as performing back-up for Sonny & CherSonny & CherSonny & Cher were an American pop music duo, actors, singers and entertainers made up of husband-and-wife team Sonny and Cher Bono in the 1960s and 1970s. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector....
on "It's Gonna Rain")
1966
- Wild Wild WinterWild Wild WinterWild Wild Winter is a 1966 Universal Pictures comedy film in the beach party genre, starring Gary Clarke and Chris Noel. It is directed by standup comedian Lennie Weinrib and produced by Bart Patton and is notable for featuring Jay and the Americans and the duo of Dick and Dee Dee in their only...
(performing "A Change of Heart," also shown as providing back-up for Jay and the AmericansJay and the AmericansJay and the Americans was a pop music group popular in the 1960s. Their initial lineup consisted of John "Jay" Traynor, Howard Kane , Kenny Vance and Sandy Deanne , though their greatest success on the charts came after Traynor had been replaced as lead singer by Jay Black.-Early years:They were...
' performance of “Two of a Kind," and Dick and Dee Dee's "Heartbeats") - Out of SightOut of Sight (1966 film)Out of Sight is a 1966 beach party film with elements of the spy spoof. It is the third and last of a series of films geared at teenagers by director Lennie Weinrib and producer Bart Patton for Universal Pictures...
(performing "Baby, Please Don't Go")