Their guitarist, Mike Wilhelm was one of Jerry Garcia's favorites. Wilhelm later formed an excellent, yet short lived group called LOOSE GRAVEL, then he joined a new version of fellow Bay Area band THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES.
The Charlatans were great I have a couple of albums that came out on the French Eva label in the 80s. I love the early San Francisco scene and have long been fascinated by psychedelics. A very interesting period of cultural history.
If I found a time machine ,the Red Dog would be one of the first places I'd go. I actually have that same Codine add picture on my wall, I had that book but all the pages fell out and it got water damaged but I had to rescue that Codine add, love all their artwork ,by George hunter, there are three Avalon posters that fit together and just look fantastic, I really love all that stuff
Tongue and groove ,who featured Mike Ferguson and Lynne Hughes who also sang with the Charlatans, did some charlatans material,I'd rather be the devil, and the shadow knows, their first album is great, I love Lynne Hughes's voice she ended up in Stone ground, check out Passionflower of last days of the Fillmore fabulous. The Hot Licks are great too.
I was a huge fan of the 90's band called the "Charlatans" that were forced to add "UK" at the end of their name in America thanks to the conflicting name with the group you are featuring today. A similar conflict occurred with the name Nirvana, but this time the 60s UK band Nirvana filed a lawsuit against the American band Nirvana for using the name. It was settled that both bands could use the name Nirvana. To make it all the more challenging for me, I loved all four bands! Thanks for covering one of the four.
I remember the idiots in the Charlatans UK saying the US band was a jug band and that Dan Hicks had died (he was alive a the time). They obviously didn't listen to the US band when they stole their name.
Thanks Matt. One thing this video brought back to me was how popular the 1920's vibe was in the mid-60's. A lot of bands were influenced by the 20's jug band (or faux jug band) style and you can see elements of that in the Beatles, Loving Spoonful, Mommas and Papas, Spanky and Our Gang, etc. The song "Winchester Cathedral" which was a top 40 hit is probably the most explicit example of this trend. This was also the case with movies, tv shows, and fashion at that time.
@@BradyDale04 Right! I’d forgotten which Stones songs when I commented. It not that hard to understand the 20’s nostalgia back then. It would be equivalent to the 80’s throwbacks today. Teens don’t want much to do with their parents generation but somehow their grandparent’s times become hip.
Don’t forget Skiffle in the 1950’s, Lonnie Donegon ‘king of skiffle’ he had 31 U.K. hit singles and was a major influence, Rock Island Line is his most influential record, recorded in 1954 a speeded up version of Leadbelly’s original, kinda like Hey Joe in the 1960’s, every band used to play it in the U.K.
I don't take it for granted that your posts are as good as they are, Matt. Your research is thorough and presented in a very enjoyable way. The Charlatans' good-timey jug band-blues-novelty vibe has never really been my cup of tea (spiked or not.) I've always thought at their best they're a bit like early Grateful Dead, but not really. However I heard some music I like here, so I'm going to give them another try. So thank you.
As a big fan of Dan Hicks (and His Hot Licks), it was interesting to hear what he contributed to The Charlatans including "How Can I Miss You If You Won't Go Away". The Charlatans weren't great by any measure but their story was engaging. Great background on the emerging SF ballroom scene as well. Thanks, Matt.
Hey Drew! I will be doing the Kinks for sure. I have my research lined up for the Kinks and it includes reading a bio I recently bought. I have 2 other "really big, important bands" I'm working on that will be out before the Kinks but stay tuned, I'll get there!
29th Jan 23. Thank you Matt. This band history is priceless. They were so unique and underated. Being in the UK, I remember buying the vinyl album in 1969 (Philips SBL7903). I never get tired of High Coin and Alabama Bound. When CD'S became available that was even better. The new additions were added to my collection. Now at aged 75 their music still has originality and energy. Thank you gentlemen!
Thanks for another great job Matt. The Charlatan's name pops up in every story of 60s San Francisco even though there is so little around to hear from them. Thanks for the entertaining history lesson. Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks were great as well. "I Scare Myself" is easily one of the best songs of the late sixties (if you are asking me at least!). Also since you mention him here --- Eric Jacobsen would make an interesting subject for one of your vids. This guy produced The Spoonful, Tim Hardin, The Sopwith Camel, Norman Greenbaum's immortal "Spirit In the Sky", the obscure but wonderful William Truckaway, the once heard, never forgotten "Mill Valley" and that ain't even the whole list. That's just off the top of my head. Thanks again for all you do!
Great narrative, I love Mike Wilhelm’s work a lot his solo album on Zig Zag records is a marvel, also contains some recording he did with Loose Gravel. And of course he did grat job with Flamin Groovies a band that deserve some episodes too. Congratulations about your upcoming wedding
Excellent video, Matt. Anyone who has lived in the Bay Area and taken an interest in the 60's counterculture movement there will quickly come across The Charlatans. They are name checked in any discussion about how the scene got started, but there's been little actual information about them. Until this excellent two-fer series. Thanks!
I grew up listening to to groups like the Charlatans, Kaleidescope and the Left Banke. Its so great to get to hear the backstories of these mysterious bands from my childhood. Another great piece of journalism. Thanks Matt!
Never heard them live, but I have one of their original handbills. Clearly one of the first SF bands of that era. This was a very sweet review of that era. Kudos
I get the impression that The Charlatans were a big influence on Michael Nesmith, who was also out of phase with the Flower Power scene (and wrote incredible songs)
Enjoyed the video Matt! With a great name like the Charlatans; I'm surprised they didn't draw a larger straw. Had a good San Francisco vibe to their songs. Some Byrds in them too. High Coin is a great song. Thanks for highlighting a band that certainly help start a trend.
Very interesting video, I've known of this band but never really gave them a listen. The Autumn demo was the most interesting to me since it reminds me of the more country/folk influenced indie rock bands of the 80s and 90s, I might have to give them a full listen.
My dad's friend when we lived in Tripoli, Libya moved to San Jose and used to watch Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks at some bar (whose name escapes me except the word "Grog" was in it ).. in the early seventies.. He visited us in Portland in late '73 and told us about the band.
Played on bills with Dan Hicks when he was doing the Hot Licks. Also Wilhelm when he was with the Flamin’ Groovies. Interesting people. Very world weary by the time I met them
I've always been a huge fan of Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks beginning with their LPs, Where's The Money and Striking It Rich, released 1971 and 1972, respectively. I learned of The Chalatans after the fact but want aware Hicks left the band so early on. I was fortunate enough to see him perform live at a Music In The Park event a few years before he passed away. Loved his wit and enjoyed his style.
Great episode. Seems they may have influenced the early Dead a little bit as well as the Airplane. Still waiting on that 13th Floor Elevators video, though, Matt... another early and influential psychedelic band from Texas that I think Janis also bumped up against in her early days...and I don't believe you've covered the good Captain (Beefheart) yet, have you?
I wonder if the Dead ever played Alabama Bound live. It would seem to be perfect for them. The Elevators are on my very long list and I have plenty of research lined up on them that I must organize, so stay tuned! Beefheart will be a while longer but he is in the mix as well.
Matt, You mentioned Chet Helms in this Charlatans video. Chet was the lead dog in the Family Dog. He was from Texas and had a hand in bringing Joplin to SF, supposedly, as he knew her back in Texas. He also was the one who brought the Elevators to SF for quite a few shows at the Avalon in late '66.@@popgoesthe60s52
WOW! I just subscribed, I love the way this guy presents and does his research. Revisiting my psych music albums after collecting many 78's from the twenties. 56 now and think I got the copy of the Charlatans around 20 years ago. I love this record and mine has a 4 seasons label for side one but Charlatans tunes. I also have an LP called Alabama bound on the Eva label that is worth while. In the eighties I tried to see as many classic rock bands as possible. It must have been great to see the Charlatans in '97 or so! Small Faces I do have some but either didn't take enough acid or took too much! Love Humble Pie though. Will spin some Small Faces next. Thank you for a great channel.
Welcome, Steve! I'm glad you liked the Charlatans video. Some of the more obscure bands don't always get the interest of the masses. Plenty more to come!
If that was an example of how the Charlatans as a band behaved in the SFBA music scene, then I’m not surprised that they never had much traction business wise.
Although I was aware of The Charlatans, I came to this video as I'm a fan of Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks. I appreciate the level of research and the quality of the presentation in this video so I subscribed and I'm looking forward to seeing what other videos there are. I think it's useful to understand the history of bands, who the members are/where, the venues, and so on as that's the most reliable way to explore and find new music that's interesting. It used to be that listening to an LP was a sort of social event as someone would introduce a new band to their friends. I don't know how that works nowadays, given that so many people are alone, listening to a streaming service via ear buds on a mobile device. Oh well, "this too, shall pass". Every day is new and different!
Welcome, Peter! Thank you for subscribing and for leaving a nice comment. I felt a Charlatans video was needed before I delved into my Jefferson Airplane series. So much happening in those times! I hope you like some of my other videos and I'm working on plenty more so stay tuned!
Unlike 99.9999%, I knew who these guys were and quite a lot of their history from the Red Dog era. You hit the nail on the head that I always considered the weak link, they had no real singer/front man that was marketable. They were actually a bar band that customers could drink and sway to. The more you drink, the better they sound. They missed their calling. They had their "signature" song as you called it but the location and market was totally wrong. They should have been in Nashville.
With all of the crack session musicians, excellent vocalists and professional songwriters in Nashville, the Charlatans wouldn't have made it there even as a second rate bar band. They are very lucky they came up in the scene they did, it is their only source of notoriety.
@@popgoesthe60s52 Everything in this comment is true. Would be more true if you had added "an early trendsetter in a scene that had not become a scene yet."
Really interesting Matt ! ...As someone who was I8 in '65 , and by the end of the 60s was really into , especially , S.Calif. bands! ...As a Brit , I discovered Dan Hicks a number of years back , but didnt know the Charlatans?!... ....Luv you presentation,.. and , more , more, please ?!!!! ...Petetheo✌
Nice job on this. I can shed some more detail on the band history. Pianist Darrell Devore was a good friend. A jazz pianist from Kansas City , he arrived in San Francisco looking for work and was hired by the Charlatans along with his friend, drummer Terry Wilson, to replace the departing band members. I heard a story, perhaps apocryphal, that the band got out of it's contract by inviting the record company guy over, dosing him on DMT and acting erratic to persuade him to let them out of the contract. Darrell and Terry were both jazz musicians so the Charlatan's music wasn't their style, although Darrell wrote a few good tunes for the album. Darrell told me that the first gig he did with the band was at Bill Graham's Fillmore West. Someone dosed him on LSD in a drink without telling him. He played the set high on acid, feeling more than a bit ridiculous playing ragged rock tunes in funny clothes with a light show going . After the Charlatans broke up he never played commercial music again and made, played and sold musical instruments of his own devising and put out an album influenced by African music. Olson formed a "society" band playing older swing tunes for parties and such and Wilhelm, who had studied with Brownie McGhee, formed a three piece band called Loose Gravel who played blues oriented music in small clubs around the Bay Area. Hicks of course went on to form Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks. Later, in the 90's when Dan was making his comeback, he hired me to tour with the Hot Licks. Here's how that went. My stint with Dan started with a phone call. "This is Dan Hicks. I'm on a talent search." If you've been to one of Dan's shows you’ll recognize the tone, laconic, with an edge that might be self-mocking or might be sarcastic. He said he was looking for a bass player and that I'd been recommended. I knew his music from his early days as a minor sensation, an acoustic anomaly in the crowd of psychedelic San Francisco rock bands. I first heard Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks at a club called Major Ponds at California and Divisadero, an overpriced tavern catering to the tech crowd, now gone. The band was a quintet, Dan singing and playing guitar, a guitarist playing solo lines, a violinist, an upright bass player and two singers, the “Lickettes.” I was impressed. The tunes were clever, cynical and very funny and the band's musicianship was excellent. I had seen him more recently with a smaller band, the Acoustic Warriors, at a club on Clement Street, where he was working with a bass player friend. Dan had a notorious reputation among local musicians. Stories of his drinking days were legend. He once made Herb Caen's column in the Chronicle. Caen had it that Dan reached down from the stage at a gig and punched the fellow in the face. Dan told me that wasn't exactly the case. He said he was annoyed because some guy wouldn't stop requesting "I Scare Myself" and that he didn't hit him but simply reached down from the stage, grabbed him by the collar and told him to shut the fuck up. The guy pressed charges and Dan was arrested and handcuffed on the stage of the Venetian Room at the Fairmont, a posh San Francisco venue. He had been sober for years by the time I got his phone call and antics like that were long past but by all accounts he could still be a difficult sort. Nevertheless, I was interested in what he had to say. He asked if I'd drive up to his place in Mill Valley to play a few tunes. He was friendly and cordial when we met. We played several of his songs, which he recorded, and that was that. I didn't think much about it until a few weeks later when I got another call from Dan asking if I was available for a tour that was coming up fast. I asked whether we got our own rooms on the road. He said we did. I asked about pay. It wasn't a lot but it was enough and I told him I was on board. He sent me some charts of the songs and a tape of a recent gig. That was it. No rehearsal and no information about destination, just an instruction to meet at the United counter at SFO at 10 on a Tuesday morning and advice to bring a warm coat since the East Coast would be cold in February. I arrived at the airport at the appointed time, noticed a guy carrying a violin case and figured he was with the Hot Licks. I quizzed him about the touring protocol. He said "We get lost a lot." We met up with Dan, who gave us a mimeographed sheet of the itinerary illustrated with droll graphics, caught a flight to Virginia, piled into a rented van, set out for the motel and immediately got lost, resulting in a very late arrival. The next day we were off to the Birchmere, a club in Alexandria where we were to meet up with the other band members at the gig. One of the singers flying in from Los Angeles had broken her foot a week prior to the tour. Her doctor advised against traveling but she did the tour anyway. Her flight had been delayed and she didn't show by the 9 pm downbeat. We started the set to a packed house without her. Dan did quite a bit of patter between tunes, more than usual that night since we were short a singer. He told a long story about working in a sock factory as a "sock tucker." Maybe it was one of those you-had-to-be-there situations but it cracked everybody up. I later learned that he didn't tell jokes but just riffed, never the same story, but always the same wry tone. Halfway through the set the singer arrived, hobbling out on crutches, at which point we played in earnest, Dan's songs that the band had been playing on tour every night. I spent enough time practicing the tunes the prior week to feel comfortable with the material and things fell into place just fine. After the Birchmere we went back to the hotel, got a night's sleep and in the morning drove to the next gig, a day's drive distant. This was the routine. Drive during the day, arrive at the venue for a sound check, break for dinner, play the gig, drive back to the motel and repeat the procedure the next day. After each gig we made a stop at a 7-11, referred to as the "victory pop," nomenclature I gathered was left over from post-gig imbibing of various substances in prior band incarnations. Fortunately, that ceremony had long since been replaced by late night snack stops but the name stuck. We were out a week and a half on that first tour. I enjoyed it. I liked the music and the schedule was forgiving. We didn't start driving until 11 or 12 so the mornings were relaxed and the tours lasted two weeks at the most. On most tours one of the bookings was so distant that the drive took the whole day, leaving no time for an evening gig. When that happened I’d ask someone in the band to meet me at the venue with my bass the next day and I'd spend the day walking whatever city we were playing. I saw a lot of the country that I wouldn't have seen on my own as well as return trips to cities where I had lived like Chicago and New York. The gigs were either clubs where the we headlined or festivals with huge audiences. The guitarist, violin player and singers were good musicians, interesting people and I liked them all, a good thing since the job was as much about riding in a van as it was about playing. Dan's dry tone was a constant, a wise guy more than a comedian. As well as a wit, Dan was a handful. You've met people who give a hard time just to see if you'll come back at them. If you buckle they'll ride you mercilessly but if you toss off a good humored expletive, you'll both have a good laugh. Dan was like that. I could handle him just fine but it got to be tiring. Once in a while his temper would get out of hand at someone or something, and it'd be a drag on everyone. After a year, I realized that while I enjoyed the gig it was starting to wear. All that travel time and playing the same tunes every night made a difference. I gave notice, recommended someone to fill the bass chair and continued to play dates with the band until my replacement could settle in. I left on good terms. After that Dan continued to call once in a while for local gigs with "Bayside Jazz," the band he cooked up to back him singing jazz standards. Herb Gold, writing about aging, observed that you may grieve not only for the loss of friends who are gone, but adversaries, people who call forth a kind of energy not present in relationships that run a smooth course. I wouldn’t put Dan in that category, but he could be an irascible cuss. Still, I liked him and agreed with his assessment that we were "fellow bopsters," as he put it. He produced a substantial body of work, writing tunes that drew on bebop, swing, country, close harmony vocal groups, Django Reinhardt, Bob Wills and any number of other influences, but all his songs sound uniquely his own, sly tunes written from a peculiar viewpoint that seemed straightforward at first but was deceptively savvy. He was an excellent singer and arranged the tunes himself. He was on the road from the time he was 20 right up until the time he couldn't tour anymore and then he did local shows until he couldn't do that anymore. You wouldn't know it from the patter but he was serious about putting on a good show every time out. I was sad to hear it when I got the news that he was gone.
The Watchband compilation 'Forty Four' is a favorite set of their songs. The Jagger-like vocals as on "Don't Need Your Lovin'" and "She Weaves a Tender Trap" might have blended nicely on 'Aftermath' to my ears.
I remember buying the Nuggets box set back in the late 90’s, and really liking their version of Codine. I had heard the Donavan and quick silver version before but really liked their jangly psychedelic version.
Love to see that you got settled in and ready to post some more band history episodes. Never heard of this band. It would be interesting for you to delve some more into the San Francisco scene in the 1960s. I think the only band that you've done that comes to mind is the Lovin Spoonful for that scene. I am really looking forward to your video on Tommy James and the Shondells. They had some memorable hits and seem like they changed quite a bit going into the 70s. If you do the Bay area some more, I'm curious about Country Joe and the Fish. I've found a few albums by them and I am curious to learn about their history. Good job on this one! It was enjoyable and it is always fun to learn about a new/classic band. Thank you!
@@TheDroppedAnchor Quicksilver Messanger Service, Santana, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Steve Miller Band..would be the other bands that I’d like to learn about too. I would have included the Grateful Dead, but I’ve seen about two different histories about them in the two years.
hi matt! you do THE BEST RESEARCH around. film clips, promo video's, practice pad home films and that shot of the red dog saloon-well i'd only ever read about it and seen b/w photo's of it, they were definately scenesters. the photo of them on the old boat (from the 1800's?) dressed the way they were with the hairstyles and facial hair-they really had it down. i hope you do something on sopwith camel and moby grape and, if you did- could you point out the episode number? thank-you again...these deep dives are a lot of fun and i know they'll be done right. thank-you again.
Thank you, Matt. I have read about The Charlatans and The Red Dog Saloon. It’s nice to hear a little of their music. Would you do a feature on Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames?
You deserve an award for this one Matt, so little is known about the beginning of the counterculture. Most of what we get from the media are tropes and cliché but what's frequently missing is the lineage from the influence of the Beats on the young hangers on whom they referred to as hippies, to the funeral rite for that moniker, on to their self characterization as freaks. The Charlatans might not have been as musically influential to the emerging scene as some other bands but they were there at the beginning and their style of dress was influential. The Red Dog Saloon was a place of genesis and its almost never mentioned elsewhere. I'd love to hear more about the icons of the counterculture like Tom & Lisa Law and writers like Lillian Roxon who helped establish Rock & Roll as a valuable art form. In any case, thanks for the history lesson and the accuracy with which you presented it.
Whoa, far out! I never expected you to do a history on the Charlatans. I was born too late to experience psychedelic San Francisco ballroom music in the 60's; I had my pseudo-Haight-Ashbury era in the 80's. I've kind of specialized in the S.F. bands of the 60's ever since then. A lot of old-timers who were there swore that the Charlatans were the best band of them all in a live setting. They aren't an easy band to get into now; their discography is a mess, and they never really got to have much of a recording career. But the remnants that are out there do bear evidence to their unique sound and approach, and they remain an essential component to understanding the whole scene. The Red Dog Saloon probably deserves a whole video to itself; glad you covered it. Another fine, well-researched installment in this series, one of the best music history series on TH-cam. (PS- Quicksilver Messenger Service was another SF band that played "Codine" regularly, but for my money, the meanest and best version is by Matthew Moore Plus Four, an LA band, from 1966. I also am rather fond of Donovan's uncharacteristically tough version)
You mentioned in one of your other videos that you'd recently done a video on the Charlatans--worth undertaking because there's an interesting story there. That there is, and I enjoyed hearing it! Because I've read whatever I could about the San Francisco scene I'd heard of the Charlatans. What I did not realise is that (A) they'd recorded at all, or that (B) they were pretty good! (Of course any band that gives us a Dan Hicks deserves mention for that alone IMHO.) Thank you!
Hi Matt Nice Video. I knew of the Charlatans from my Knowledge of the SF Music Scene. Your Video Filled in Nany Gaps of the History/Story. Thanks for giving them some attention which was lost in the myriad of the more famous bands that came from SF. Take Care
Very well done video! I've been a fan of the San Francisco psychedelic ballroom scene for over 30 years. I consider myself a Deadhead and love the Airplane, Quicksilver, Big Brother and Santana. Even more obscure bands like Sons Of Champlain and It's a Beautiful Day. I was also aware of the nascent psychedelic scene at the Red Dog Saloon, but for some reason I had never listened to the Charlatans' music. Now I have... and probably never will again. Interesting once as a historical artifact, but the music does not merit a second listening imo. They clearly do not deserve to be listed among the heavyweights of the Sixties San Francisco Sound. Thanks for the upload!
The band played their last show in Modesto, California. My good friends Eric, Troy, Denny and Jimmy bought their PA and other equipment right after that last show. My high school buddies were in a Merced Co local band named the London Fog. There is also a connection between Greg Elmore Atwater High School drum major for my school's marching band. Greg filled in with the Charlatans and went on to drum for Quicksilver. He graduated AHS in 1965. I became a freshman there in 1966. Great job relating the story.
@@popgoesthe60s52 Thank you. A couple of other notables from the little town of Merced were Lydia Pence of Cold Blood and Lee Michaels was also a graduate of Atwater High School. Best regards.
Thanks much. I'm always interested in the history of this band and the S.F. scene. You have enlightened me. I saw the band reunited at Chet Helm's memorial in '05. I've been to The Red Dog a few times. There is quite a bit of memorabilia there, worth checking out. I think that they display an original copy of "The Seed."
Buffy St. Marie, who wrote and performed Universal Soldier and wrote "Up Where We Belong" sung by Jennifer Warnes and Joe Cocker .. pretty interesting span in styles!
Greetings Matt ✌️ Enjoyable episode of The Charlatans, Fantastic photos and Clips👍 -A few years ago I bought the San Francisco Nuggets Box Set, which I was only familiar with two of their songs Number One and Alabama Bound, Many of the San Francisco bands Im familiar with are of course The Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe & The Fish, Moby Grape, Blue Cheer, Santana,Sly and The Family Stone and Lidia Pense & Cold Blood. But I didnt know that they did a version of the song Codine, I was only familiar with The Quicksilver Messenger Service version, -I love how Pop Goes the 60"s spotlights bands like The Charlatanns The Merry Go Round and Spanky and our Gang which seem to be forgotten. Great backstory on Janis Joplin,, Ken Kesey & The Merry Pranksters and Vince Guaraldi. Very entertaining Matt! Cheers 🍺
Thanks for this video. I was very much interested in hearing about their development. Although I've known of the Charlatans for decades I never actually came across them when I was growing up in the 60's. I like the feel of their music. They capture some of the underground spirit of the San Francisco sound that I grew up with. Country Joe and the Fish had a very strong influence on me when it was new and fresh and I feel some of that vibe in what I just heard.
Terrific job, Matt, impeccable research as usual,....Howard Hesseman was one of the more outspoken critics of the Lovin' Spoonful after their bust around this time if I'm not mistaken...
One thing about your videos, Matt, which I appreciate, is your interest in going into the histories about other bands, besides your deep dives into the Beatles and their subsequent solo careers. Seems like many others doing shows about music on TH-cam, either concentrate mostly on the Beatles, the Beach Boys, etc. If they bring anybody else up, it's usually just a quick mention. Have you considered doing the same type of shows about bands like the Beau Brummels, Ian & The Zodiacs, the Brymers and Orange Bicycle? Was also going to mention the Merry Go Round, but see you covered them from a few years back.
I will certainly do the Beau Brummels and I have been threatening to buy the 5 cd retrospective set. I do like the Orange Bicycle but may include them in a group of late brit psych. Thanks for the feedback!
A very good retelling of the origins of the "San Francisco Sound". You didn't mention the book "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" by Tom Wolfe (you do meniton LSD though). The book mentions the Charlatans and their Red Dog Saloon gig and really was the first time I learned of the historical musical significance of those Virginia City performances. These shows were the foundation for what would morph into the Summer of Love which took the San Francisco area by storm.
You did a good job with this video, Matt - I was impressed. The Charlatans weren't the greatest band in San Francisco, yet deserve to be remembered for their style and influence. I've been to the Red Dog Saloon and it's just a little bar at the end of the street in Virginia City. That one street seemed to comprise the whole town or something - it was weird. The Seed poster used to advertise that engagement routinely goes for thousands of dollars at auctions. One could compile a decent ten track or so playlist of their music using the Amazing Charlatans CD you mentioned, but I'm not crazy about the 1969 LP. Anyway, keep it up!
Fascinating Matt, knew of them, never heard them. Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks showed how it could be done. You can see from this why they didn't make it - competition the key word. Look at favourites Kaleidoscope who could produce funny little songs but had the advantage of multi-instrumentalists taking them to another level on extended songs.
This was cool, Matt. Truly, I'd never heard of THIS group until 30 minutes ago. Over the last 35-40-ish years, the name 'The Charlatans" was lost to a band called The Charlatans UK. So, hence the confusion. The music samples you played here, up against the specific timeline of the 1960s in question, it would seem that, outside of the "hip" club scene in California, this group was dead in the water...at least commercially. Specifically, The Lovin' Spoonful and Spanky & Our Gang. Both those groups had better singing (SPOG) and playing (Spoonful) and made the Charlatans sound pretty "rag tag." I'm sure they killed 'em in California, but the lack of commitment from major labels put the writing on the wall. Plus, as good as the Lovin' Spoonful and Spanky were, their commercial / pop market careers were pretty much done by mid 1968. That scene was over. We were heading in to the Woodstock era very soon, and other heavier bands were ready to take their place on the scene. It's nice that the Charlatans were able to carve out a place with their niche scene, enough so people still remember them today.
@@popgoesthe60s52 One could argue that being skeptical of music business-types is hardly something to be overlooked as a reason for "not having a great recording portfolio."
Matt , always a interesting deeper dive into some of these more obscure artists, while it is not my favorite style of music ,it was entertaining with your backstories of these bands.
Didn't know about The Charlatans at all. Good stuff! I'm a major Kinks fan who'd love to see some focus on them. They never get the attention as the others British Invasion acts in the states, which makes me crazy! All people know is Come Dancing
Thanks for another interesting dive into the 60's! Mike Wilhelm came to England in 1976 and the Zig Zag magazine (Pete Frame, John Tobler) put out his charming Solo Album 😊 He joined the Flaming Grooves and starting with "Shake some action" they released at least 3 incredible albums full of Byrds magic, instrumental guitar power, great compositions and vocals. Plus they had become an awesome live band🎉❤
I read about the Charlatans in Rolling Stone (when it was still worth reading). Dug their whole look immediately. I painted my high school notebook with the ad that George Hunter had done and carried it around. Over time I got to know Michael Wilhelm as a Facebook Friend. He was cool in that he would actually answer questions. George Hunter couldn't be bothered to return my Facebook request. I met Dan Hicks off and on and became a big fan of the Hot Licks.
I was at that same show in 1997. I thought they were fun too. I have been a huge Dan Hicks fan for years. Where's The Money is a great live album of his.
Really enjoy your channel. How does bands like Country Weather, Aum, The Chocolate Watch Band, Ace Of Cups fit into the late 60’s music movement? Keep up the good work.
Thanks for making this. I've loved the band for decades, discovering them in the 70's having 'heard' about them as a sort of catalyst for the bay area scene in 67. I had to buy bootleg records to hear their original stuff. I particularly like their unpolished, understated old west sound - the victorian era saloon meets the mid 1960's west coast folk rock. Another band with a similar vibe was Sopwith Camel on.... Kama Sutra. Go figure. I agree the Charlatans sole album is underrated, its a good listen.
Have you done a doc on The Vejatables/The Mojo Men, yet? Probably one of the few best bay area bands that started early on next to Jefferson Airplane. Serpent Power was another, albeit short lived, bay area band as well released by excellent record label Vanguard Records. Interesting that Vince Guaraldi sat in for some of the Charlatans performances. He certainly would have contributed some much neeeded musical virtuosity to the Charlatans sound. Coming from the man who, as a well received and profoundly talented pianist, scored The Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack music and performed on many other highly prolific albums for Pacific Jazz and Fantasy Records.
Another great video - this time about a band I had never heard of! (And I am a huge fan of the 1960's music scene in San Francisco.) One non-musical question however - am curious as to how the various incarnations of the Charlatans seemed to avoid the draft. Was always a dark cloud hanging over every male of "draftable" age in the 1960's
The Charlatans and the Thirteenth Floor Elevators is all you ever need. Everything else is just a footnote. Well, maybe not everything else but you get my drift. Sp bad you can hardly find anything on Spotify by the Charlatans. too Bad, looks like I'm stuck to cds and vinyl...
Blue Cheer might be a two or three part series, because they went through more changes in 5 years than most bands do in 20! Blue Cheer in 1967 in no way was the same band in 1971
I was friends with Hunter and Hicks. Used to hang out at Hunter's Downey street digs.Long nights of whiskey and art books occasionally smoke outs. Met a few of their groupies there. George still knows them, shocker.
Thanks Matt! Perhaps somebody else did comment, I read a few but not all! Their 1969 album was reissued, although I suppose it may not have been that legit. Eva Records out of France issued lots of stuff in the 80s, so I got that one. More recently, although we're talking about over 20 years ago there was a bootleg on vinyl "the Ones Who started it all..." which is like their 1966 album had they released one 😉
Even less is known about the Mystery Trend another band around at the same time as the Charlatans were starting. They played at the Matrix and the early Longshoreman’s Hall gigs in 1965 San Francisco, only had one official 45 single, Johnny Was a Good Boy. The other San Francisco bands around would be The Beau Brummels, Sopwith Camel and Great Society, all have very interesting back stories 😊
Thanks for this episode about a band i only knew by name from some 60es concert-posters. And if you ever have any german liner notes you cant read, send me a picture, i'd be happy to translate them for you.
Great video, but I'm ashamed to say that I first thought of the UK Charlatans from the nineties. But once my mind was on the right track, I agree that the Charlatans were a fine band. Wasn't Mike Wilhelm in the Flamin' Groovies at some point and didn't they cover 'I Saw Her' (which has roots in an Elizibethan song?) I believe 'The Limit Of The Marvellous' is available in Europe on Ace Records.
Excellent run through Matt. Have to say though there are a few things i disagree with; the late 60s album was, I thought, a pale approximation of their earlier work. The earlier so songs whilst raw, are a lot truer to the bands ethos, if there was such a thing 😂🤣. Also, I think you do them a slight dis service as I feel that they, along with Erickson and the Elevators were actually massively influential on the San Francisco psychedelia movement. As I say though, fantastic video and I hope to hear you do something on The Beau Brummel and Chocolate Watch. 🙏🙂👊.
Very well explained, complete biography of the band : 👍 They might have introduced the habit of being dressed as in carnival, among the youngsters that formed the regular crowd at local events. One must imagine them playing rather pop-oriented material on stage, with the crowd acid-dosed and dancing, in order to understand at which point they were important in that part of musical history. Mike Wilhelm used effects on his guitar, when most guitarists didn't dare yet. For all those reasons, I consider them as genuine pionneers, although it's quite true that the other bands would soon catch up and eventually make them sound out of time. They had no female singer, no outstanding lead guitarist, and no strong label as well, still they deserve their place in the sunlight, in Pop goes the sixties.
Their guitarist, Mike Wilhelm was one of Jerry Garcia's favorites. Wilhelm later formed an excellent, yet short lived group called LOOSE GRAVEL, then he joined a new version of fellow Bay Area band THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES.
Excellent as always... Would LOVE to see you cover Country Joe & The Fish!
This is what I tune in for! A deep dive into an overlooked 1960s band! Thank you, Matt!
The Charlatans were great I have a couple of albums that came out on the French Eva label in the 80s. I love the early San Francisco scene and have long been fascinated by psychedelics. A very interesting period of cultural history.
If I found a time machine ,the Red Dog would be one of the first places I'd go. I actually have that same Codine add picture on my wall, I had that book but all the pages fell out and it got water damaged but I had to rescue that Codine add, love all their artwork ,by George hunter, there are three Avalon posters that fit together and just look fantastic, I really love all that stuff
Tongue and groove ,who featured Mike Ferguson and Lynne Hughes who also sang with the Charlatans, did some charlatans material,I'd rather be the devil, and the shadow knows, their first album is great, I love Lynne Hughes's voice she ended up in Stone ground, check out Passionflower of last days of the Fillmore fabulous. The Hot Licks are great too.
Thanks for filling in some gaps in my grasp of the San Francisco scene of the sixties. Always wanted to know more about the Charlatans.
I was a huge fan of the 90's band called the "Charlatans" that were forced to add "UK" at the end of their name in America thanks to the conflicting name with the group you are featuring today. A similar conflict occurred with the name Nirvana, but this time the 60s UK band Nirvana filed a lawsuit against the American band Nirvana for using the name. It was settled that both bands could use the name Nirvana. To make it all the more challenging for me, I loved all four bands! Thanks for covering one of the four.
The sixties UK Nirvana (on Island Records) were really good.
I’m seeing the Charlatans uk on Monday in New York
I remember the idiots in the Charlatans UK saying the US band was a jug band and that Dan Hicks had died (he was alive a the time). They obviously didn't listen to the US band when they stole their name.
@@vincetucci455 same here!! Webster Hall
@@harvey1954 what charlatans!
Thanks Matt. One thing this video brought back to me was how popular the 1920's vibe was in the mid-60's. A lot of bands were influenced by the 20's jug band (or faux jug band) style and you can see elements of that in the Beatles, Loving Spoonful, Mommas and Papas, Spanky and Our Gang, etc. The song "Winchester Cathedral" which was a top 40 hit is probably the most explicit example of this trend. This was also the case with movies, tv shows, and fashion at that time.
Good points. Yes that vaudeville style did make its way into quite a bit of 60s music.
Yeah even The Rolling Stones had that Vaudeville element in some of their songs at the time.
@@BradyDale04 Right! I’d forgotten which Stones songs when I commented. It not that hard to understand the 20’s nostalgia back then. It would be equivalent to the 80’s throwbacks today. Teens don’t want much to do with their parents generation but somehow their grandparent’s times become hip.
Don't Forget Tiny Tim and Bonnie & Clyde, there was a big '30's Renaissance in the middle/late 60's which, I guess would be like the 90's to us now...
Don’t forget Skiffle in the 1950’s, Lonnie Donegon ‘king of skiffle’ he had 31 U.K. hit singles and was a major influence, Rock Island Line is his most influential record, recorded in 1954 a speeded up version of Leadbelly’s original, kinda like Hey Joe in the 1960’s, every band used to play it in the U.K.
I don't take it for granted that your posts are as good as they are, Matt. Your research is thorough and presented in a very enjoyable way. The Charlatans' good-timey jug band-blues-novelty vibe has never really been my cup of tea (spiked or not.) I've always thought at their best they're a bit like early Grateful Dead, but not really. However I heard some music I like here, so I'm going to give them another try. So thank you.
My playlist of their music is about 12 songs long, with Codine and Alabama Bound probably their best.
As a big fan of Dan Hicks (and His Hot Licks), it was interesting to hear what he contributed to The Charlatans including "How Can I Miss You If You Won't Go Away". The Charlatans weren't great by any measure but their story was engaging. Great background on the emerging SF ballroom scene as well. Thanks, Matt.
I appreciate you watching, Dean. Thank you.
Can you please cover my favorite band, The Kinks? They have such a rich history.
Hey Drew! I will be doing the Kinks for sure. I have my research lined up for the Kinks and it includes reading a bio I recently bought. I have 2 other "really big, important bands" I'm working on that will be out before the Kinks but stay tuned, I'll get there!
29th Jan 23. Thank you Matt. This band history is priceless. They were so unique and underated. Being in the UK, I remember buying the vinyl album in 1969 (Philips SBL7903). I never get tired of High Coin and Alabama Bound. When CD'S became available that was even better. The new additions were added to my collection. Now at aged 75 their music still has originality and energy. Thank you gentlemen!
I'm glad to hear that LP made it over to the UK! Thanks for the comments.
Thanks for another great job Matt. The Charlatan's name pops up in every story of 60s San Francisco even though there is so little around to hear from them. Thanks for the entertaining history lesson. Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks were great as well. "I Scare Myself" is easily one of the best songs of the late sixties (if you are asking me at least!).
Also since you mention him here --- Eric Jacobsen would make an interesting subject for one of your vids. This guy produced The Spoonful, Tim Hardin, The Sopwith Camel, Norman Greenbaum's immortal "Spirit In the Sky", the obscure but wonderful William Truckaway, the once heard, never forgotten "Mill Valley" and that ain't even the whole list. That's just off the top of my head.
Thanks again for all you do!
I appreciate the feedback, Dave. Yes Jacobsen doesn't get a lot of attention, but he was a very good arranger.
Definitely hear a Dead and an early Airplane sound to them. Fascinating!
All three band mentioned herein hung out together so this is spot on.
Another great episode! Never knew such a talented band shoot themselves in the foot over and over.
Knowing one of these guys personally, let me repeat a popular expression - "That's why they call it 'dope' "
Great narrative, I love Mike Wilhelm’s work a lot his solo album on Zig Zag records is a marvel, also contains some recording he did with Loose Gravel. And of course he did grat job with Flamin Groovies a band that deserve some episodes too.
Congratulations about your upcoming wedding
I first learned of them in the book, "Scars of Sweet Paradise: The Life and Times of Janis Joplin" by Alice Echols.
I had never heard of this band, but now I have.
Excellent video, Matt. Anyone who has lived in the Bay Area and taken an interest in the 60's counterculture movement there will quickly come across The Charlatans. They are name checked in any discussion about how the scene got started, but there's been little actual information about them. Until this excellent two-fer series. Thanks!
I grew up listening to to groups like the Charlatans, Kaleidescope and the Left Banke. Its so great to get to hear the backstories of these mysterious bands from my childhood.
Another great piece of journalism. Thanks Matt!
Never heard them live, but I have one of their original handbills. Clearly one of the first SF bands of that era. This was a very sweet review of that era. Kudos
Thank you, Skyking!
I get the impression that The Charlatans were a big influence on Michael Nesmith, who was also out of phase with the Flower Power scene (and wrote incredible songs)
My daughter loves vintage clothes.....thanks so much for another great show :)
I’m a big fan; wonderful band.
Enjoyed the video Matt! With a great name like the Charlatans; I'm surprised they didn't draw a larger straw. Had a good San Francisco vibe to their songs. Some Byrds in them too. High Coin is a great song. Thanks for highlighting a band that certainly help start a trend.
Thanks Matt. They had more good songs than I thought. Cheers.
Never heard of the band but this was another great episode. Would love to see a "The Band" Band History.
Very interesting video, I've known of this band but never really gave them a listen. The Autumn demo was the most interesting to me since it reminds me of the more country/folk influenced indie rock bands of the 80s and 90s, I might have to give them a full listen.
My dad's friend when we lived in Tripoli, Libya moved to San Jose and used to watch Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks at some bar (whose name escapes me except the word "Grog" was in it ).. in the early seventies.. He visited us in Portland in late '73 and told us about the band.
Played on bills with Dan Hicks when he was doing the Hot Licks. Also Wilhelm when he was with the Flamin’ Groovies. Interesting people. Very world weary by the time I met them
Wilhelm taught jerry garcia how to play blues
I've always been a huge fan of Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks beginning with their LPs, Where's The Money and Striking It Rich, released 1971 and 1972, respectively. I learned of The Chalatans after the fact but want aware Hicks left the band so early on. I was fortunate enough to see him perform live at a Music In The Park event a few years before he passed away. Loved his wit and enjoyed his style.
Meant to say I *wasn't* aware Hicks left...
John Girton lives here and plays all the time, sweet guy
Great episode. Seems they may have influenced the early Dead a little bit as well as the Airplane. Still waiting on that 13th Floor Elevators video, though, Matt... another early and influential psychedelic band from Texas that I think Janis also bumped up against in her early days...and I don't believe you've covered the good Captain (Beefheart) yet, have you?
I wonder if the Dead ever played Alabama Bound live. It would seem to be perfect for them. The Elevators are on my very long list and I have plenty of research lined up on them that I must organize, so stay tuned! Beefheart will be a while longer but he is in the mix as well.
Matt, You mentioned Chet Helms in this Charlatans video. Chet was the lead dog in the Family Dog. He was from Texas and had a hand in bringing Joplin to SF, supposedly, as he knew her back in Texas. He also was the one who brought the Elevators to SF for quite a few shows at the Avalon in late '66.@@popgoesthe60s52
6:41 Bill Ham
WOW! I just subscribed, I love the way this guy presents and does his research. Revisiting my psych music albums after collecting many 78's from the twenties. 56 now and think I got the copy of the Charlatans around 20 years ago. I love this record and mine has a 4 seasons label for side one but Charlatans tunes. I also have an LP called Alabama bound on the Eva label that is worth while. In the eighties I tried to see as many classic rock bands as possible. It must have been great to see the Charlatans in '97 or so! Small Faces I do have some but either didn't take enough acid or took too much! Love Humble Pie though. Will spin some Small Faces next. Thank you for a great channel.
Welcome, Steve! I'm glad you liked the Charlatans video. Some of the more obscure bands don't always get the interest of the masses. Plenty more to come!
Mike Wilhelm makes a cameo in the Fillmore: The Last Days film, with an altercation with Bill Graham (1971). 🤔
If that was an example of how the Charlatans as a band behaved in the SFBA music scene, then I’m not surprised that they never had much traction business wise.
Although I was aware of The Charlatans, I came to this video as I'm a fan of Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks. I appreciate the level of research and the quality of the presentation in this video so I subscribed and I'm looking forward to seeing what other videos there are. I think it's useful to understand the history of bands, who the members are/where, the venues, and so on as that's the most reliable way to explore and find new music that's interesting.
It used to be that listening to an LP was a sort of social event as someone would introduce a new band to their friends. I don't know how that works nowadays, given that so many people are alone, listening to a streaming service via ear buds on a mobile device.
Oh well, "this too, shall pass". Every day is new and different!
Welcome, Peter! Thank you for subscribing and for leaving a nice comment. I felt a Charlatans video was needed before I delved into my Jefferson Airplane series. So much happening in those times! I hope you like some of my other videos and I'm working on plenty more so stay tuned!
Very perceptive, Matt. You’ve got to do Doug Sahm! 🇺🇸🎸👍🏻
Thank you, Mike. I may do the Sir Douglas Quintet, but I have some research ahead of me to do it justice.
Augie Meyers, one of the greats!
Nice channel.
Thank you for such detail. You put alot of work into this.
Continued success to you sir!
Thank you for checking out my channel!
Unlike 99.9999%, I knew who these guys were and quite a lot of their history from the Red Dog era. You hit the nail on the head that I always considered the weak link, they had no real singer/front man that was marketable. They were actually a bar band that customers could drink and sway to. The more you drink, the better they sound. They missed their calling. They had their "signature" song as you called it but the location and market was totally wrong. They should have been in Nashville.
Nashville would have hated them at that time.
Well put, they really were a bar band. They really enjoy a nice reputation having been part of that scene.
With all of the crack session musicians, excellent vocalists and professional songwriters in Nashville, the Charlatans wouldn't have made it there even as a second rate bar band.
They are very lucky they came up in the scene they did, it is their only source of notoriety.
@@popgoesthe60s52
Everything in this comment is true. Would be more true if you had added "an early trendsetter in a scene that had not become a scene yet."
Really interesting Matt ! ...As someone who was I8 in '65 , and by the end of the 60s was really into , especially , S.Calif. bands! ...As a Brit , I discovered Dan Hicks a number of years back , but didnt know the Charlatans?!...
....Luv you presentation,.. and , more , more, please ?!!!!
...Petetheo✌
I got a copy of that album back in 1988 in Melbourne Australia.
Nice job on this. I can shed some more detail on the band history. Pianist Darrell Devore was a good friend. A jazz pianist from Kansas City , he arrived in San Francisco looking for work and was hired by the Charlatans along with his friend, drummer Terry Wilson, to replace the departing band members. I heard a story, perhaps apocryphal, that the band got out of it's contract by inviting the record company guy over, dosing him on DMT and acting erratic to persuade him to let them out of the contract. Darrell and Terry were both jazz musicians so the Charlatan's music wasn't their style, although Darrell wrote a few good tunes for the album. Darrell told me that the first gig he did with the band was at Bill Graham's Fillmore West. Someone dosed him on LSD in a drink without telling him. He played the set high on acid, feeling more than a bit ridiculous playing ragged rock tunes in funny clothes with a light show going . After the Charlatans broke up he never played commercial music again and made, played and sold musical instruments of his own devising and put out an album influenced by African music. Olson formed a "society" band playing older swing tunes for parties and such and Wilhelm, who had studied with Brownie McGhee, formed a three piece band called Loose Gravel who played blues oriented music in small clubs around the Bay Area. Hicks of course went on to form Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks. Later, in the 90's when Dan was making his comeback, he hired me to tour with the Hot Licks. Here's how that went.
My stint with Dan started with a phone call. "This is Dan Hicks. I'm on a talent search." If you've been to one of Dan's shows you’ll recognize the tone, laconic, with an edge that might be self-mocking or might be sarcastic. He said he was looking for a bass player and that I'd been recommended. I knew his music from his early days as a minor sensation, an acoustic anomaly in the crowd of psychedelic San Francisco rock bands. I first heard Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks at a club called Major Ponds at California and Divisadero, an overpriced tavern catering to the tech crowd, now gone. The band was a quintet, Dan singing and playing guitar, a guitarist playing solo lines, a violinist, an upright bass player and two singers, the “Lickettes.” I was impressed. The tunes were clever, cynical and very funny and the band's musicianship was excellent. I had seen him more recently with a smaller band, the Acoustic Warriors, at a club on Clement Street, where he was working with a bass player friend.
Dan had a notorious reputation among local musicians. Stories of his drinking days were legend. He once made Herb Caen's column in the Chronicle. Caen had it that Dan reached down from the stage at a gig and punched the fellow in the face. Dan told me that wasn't exactly the case. He said he was annoyed because some guy wouldn't stop requesting "I Scare Myself" and that he didn't hit him but simply reached down from the stage, grabbed him by the collar and told him to shut the fuck up. The guy pressed charges and Dan was arrested and handcuffed on the stage of the Venetian Room at the Fairmont, a posh San Francisco venue. He had been sober for years by the time I got his phone call and antics like that were long past but by all accounts he could still be a difficult sort. Nevertheless, I was interested in what he had to say. He asked if I'd drive up to his place in Mill Valley to play a few tunes. He was friendly and cordial when we met. We played several of his songs, which he recorded, and that was that. I didn't think much about it until a few weeks later when I got another call from Dan asking if I was available for a tour that was coming up fast. I asked whether we got our own rooms on the road. He said we did. I asked about pay. It wasn't a lot but it was enough and I told him I was on board. He sent me some charts of the songs and a tape of a recent gig. That was it. No rehearsal and no information about destination, just an instruction to meet at the United counter at SFO at 10 on a Tuesday morning and advice to bring a warm coat since the East Coast would be cold in February.
I arrived at the airport at the appointed time, noticed a guy carrying a violin case and figured he was with the Hot Licks. I quizzed him about the touring protocol. He said "We get lost a lot." We met up with Dan, who gave us a mimeographed sheet of the itinerary illustrated with droll graphics, caught a flight to Virginia, piled into a rented van, set out for the motel and immediately got lost, resulting in a very late arrival. The next day we were off to the Birchmere, a club in Alexandria where we were to meet up with the other band members at the gig. One of the singers flying in from Los Angeles had broken her foot a week prior to the tour. Her doctor advised against traveling but she did the tour anyway. Her flight had been delayed and she didn't show by the 9 pm downbeat. We started the set to a packed house without her. Dan did quite a bit of patter between tunes, more than usual that night since we were short a singer. He told a long story about working in a sock factory as a "sock tucker." Maybe it was one of those you-had-to-be-there situations but it cracked everybody up. I later learned that he didn't tell jokes but just riffed, never the same story, but always the same wry tone. Halfway through the set the singer arrived, hobbling out on crutches, at which point we played in earnest, Dan's songs that the band had been playing on tour every night. I spent enough time practicing the tunes the prior week to feel comfortable with the material and things fell into place just fine.
After the Birchmere we went back to the hotel, got a night's sleep and in the morning drove to the next gig, a day's drive distant. This was the routine. Drive during the day, arrive at the venue for a sound check, break for dinner, play the gig, drive back to the motel and repeat the procedure the next day. After each gig we made a stop at a 7-11, referred to as the "victory pop," nomenclature I gathered was left over from post-gig imbibing of various substances in prior band incarnations. Fortunately, that ceremony had long since been replaced by late night snack stops but the name stuck. We were out a week and a half on that first tour. I enjoyed it. I liked the music and the schedule was forgiving. We didn't start driving until 11 or 12 so the mornings were relaxed and the tours lasted two weeks at the most. On most tours one of the bookings was so distant that the drive took the whole day, leaving no time for an evening gig. When that happened I’d ask someone in the band to meet me at the venue with my bass the next day and I'd spend the day walking whatever city we were playing. I saw a lot of the country that I wouldn't have seen on my own as well as return trips to cities where I had lived like Chicago and New York. The gigs were either clubs where the we headlined or festivals with huge audiences.
The guitarist, violin player and singers were good musicians, interesting people and I liked them all, a good thing since the job was as much about riding in a van as it was about playing. Dan's dry tone was a constant, a wise guy more than a comedian. As well as a wit, Dan was a handful. You've met people who give a hard time just to see if you'll come back at them. If you buckle they'll ride you mercilessly but if you toss off a good humored expletive, you'll both have a good laugh. Dan was like that. I could handle him just fine but it got to be tiring. Once in a while his temper would get out of hand at someone or something, and it'd be a drag on everyone. After a year, I realized that while I enjoyed the gig it was starting to wear. All that travel time and playing the same tunes every night made a difference. I gave notice, recommended someone to fill the bass chair and continued to play dates with the band until my replacement could settle in. I left on good terms. After that Dan continued to call once in a while for local gigs with "Bayside Jazz," the band he cooked up to back him singing jazz standards.
Herb Gold, writing about aging, observed that you may grieve not only for the loss of friends who are gone, but adversaries, people who call forth a kind of energy not present in relationships that run a smooth course. I wouldn’t put Dan in that category, but he could be an irascible cuss. Still, I liked him and agreed with his assessment that we were "fellow bopsters," as he put it.
He produced a substantial body of work, writing tunes that drew on bebop, swing, country, close harmony vocal groups, Django Reinhardt, Bob Wills and any number of other influences, but all his songs sound uniquely his own, sly tunes written from a peculiar viewpoint that seemed straightforward at first but was deceptively savvy. He was an excellent singer and arranged the tunes himself. He was on the road from the time he was 20 right up until the time he couldn't tour anymore and then he did local shows until he couldn't do that anymore. You wouldn't know it from the patter but he was serious about putting on a good show every time out. I was sad to hear it when I got the news that he was gone.
The Chocolate Watchband is a band you should cover sometime.
The Watchband compilation 'Forty Four' is a favorite set of their songs. The Jagger-like vocals as on "Don't Need Your Lovin'" and "She Weaves a Tender Trap" might have blended nicely on 'Aftermath' to my ears.
That's no reason, to go on living in the past.
Very good idea!
Strawberry Alarm Clock lol
I remember buying the Nuggets box set back in the late 90’s, and really liking their version of Codine. I had heard the Donavan and quick silver version before but really liked their jangly psychedelic version.
Love to see that you got settled in and ready to post some more band history episodes. Never heard of this band. It would be interesting for you to delve some more into the San Francisco scene in the 1960s. I think the only band that you've done that comes to mind is the Lovin Spoonful for that scene. I am really looking forward to your video on Tommy James and the Shondells. They had some memorable hits and seem like they changed quite a bit going into the 70s. If you do the Bay area some more, I'm curious about Country Joe and the Fish. I've found a few albums by them and I am curious to learn about their history. Good job on this one! It was enjoyable and it is always fun to learn about a new/classic band. Thank you!
Hey jblassio! Thank you and I will be doing more San Francisco bands, I have 5-6 on my list!
""Sons of Chaplain","Moby Grape", "Malo", were also S.F. bands few have heard of. This video is running while I comment, so am distracted. More later.
@@TheDroppedAnchor Quicksilver Messanger Service, Santana, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Steve Miller Band..would be the other bands that I’d like to learn about too. I would have included the Grateful Dead, but I’ve seen about two different histories about them in the two years.
Thatbwas really well done and informative thank you so much for sharing! I love the Charlatans :)
hi matt! you do THE BEST RESEARCH around. film clips, promo video's, practice pad home films and that shot of the red dog saloon-well i'd only ever read about it and seen b/w photo's of it, they were definately scenesters. the photo of them on the old boat (from the 1800's?) dressed the way they were with the hairstyles and facial hair-they really had it down. i hope you do something on sopwith camel and moby grape and, if you did- could you point out the episode number? thank-you again...these deep dives are a lot of fun and i know they'll be done right. thank-you again.
Hello Donald. Thank you for the kind words. You will be seeing a Moby Grape video in the future for sure!
Thank you, Matt. I have read about The Charlatans and The Red Dog Saloon. It’s nice to hear a little of their music. Would you do a feature on Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames?
There was a reissue of The Charlatans album on the Eva label from France, in the 1980s. I just found a copy at a record show in Ithaca NY.
You deserve an award for this one Matt, so little is known about the beginning of the counterculture. Most of what we get from the media are tropes and cliché but what's frequently missing is the lineage from the influence of the Beats on the young hangers on whom they referred to as hippies, to the funeral rite for that moniker, on to their self characterization as freaks.
The Charlatans might not have been as musically influential to the emerging scene as some other bands but they were there at the beginning and their style of dress was influential. The Red Dog Saloon was a place of genesis and its almost never mentioned elsewhere.
I'd love to hear more about the icons of the counterculture like Tom & Lisa Law and writers like Lillian Roxon who helped establish Rock & Roll as a valuable art form. In any case, thanks for the history lesson and the accuracy with which you presented it.
I appreciate the kind words, Gene. Thank you for commenting.
Whoa, far out! I never expected you to do a history on the Charlatans. I was born too late to experience psychedelic San Francisco ballroom music in the 60's; I had my pseudo-Haight-Ashbury era in the 80's. I've kind of specialized in the S.F. bands of the 60's ever since then. A lot of old-timers who were there swore that the Charlatans were the best band of them all in a live setting. They aren't an easy band to get into now; their discography is a mess, and they never really got to have much of a recording career. But the remnants that are out there do bear evidence to their unique sound and approach, and they remain an essential component to understanding the whole scene. The Red Dog Saloon probably deserves a whole video to itself; glad you covered it. Another fine, well-researched installment in this series, one of the best music history series on TH-cam. (PS- Quicksilver Messenger Service was another SF band that played "Codine" regularly, but for my money, the meanest and best version is by Matthew Moore Plus Four, an LA band, from 1966. I also am rather fond of Donovan's uncharacteristically tough version)
I appreciate you watching and for the comments! I'll check out that version by Matthew Moore Plus Four.
@@popgoesthe60s52 Worth noting it was on White Whale, the label the Turtles propped up ;-)
You mentioned in one of your other videos that you'd recently done a video on the Charlatans--worth undertaking because there's an interesting story there. That there is, and I enjoyed hearing it! Because I've read whatever I could about the San Francisco scene I'd heard of the Charlatans. What I did not realise is that (A) they'd recorded at all, or that (B) they were pretty good! (Of course any band that gives us a Dan Hicks deserves mention for that alone IMHO.) Thank you!
Glad you liked it Jon!
Hi Matt
Nice Video.
I knew of the Charlatans from my Knowledge of the SF Music Scene.
Your Video Filled in Nany Gaps of the History/Story.
Thanks for giving them some attention which was lost in the myriad of the more famous bands that came from SF.
Take Care
Thank you, Richard!
@@popgoesthe60s52 Your Welcome. Looking forward to More Videos to come
Very well done video!
I've been a fan of the San Francisco psychedelic ballroom scene for over 30 years. I consider myself a Deadhead and love the Airplane, Quicksilver, Big Brother and Santana. Even more obscure bands like Sons Of Champlain and It's a Beautiful Day. I was also aware of the nascent psychedelic scene at the Red Dog Saloon, but for some reason I had never listened to the Charlatans' music. Now I have... and probably never will again. Interesting once as a historical artifact, but the music does not merit a second listening imo. They clearly do not deserve to be listed among the heavyweights of the Sixties San Francisco Sound.
Thanks for the upload!
I appreciate the comments, JoeShoe - much thanks!
@@popgoesthe60s52 thank you for the content!
The band played their last show in Modesto, California. My good friends Eric, Troy, Denny and Jimmy bought their PA and other equipment right after that last show. My high school buddies were in a Merced Co local band named the London Fog. There is also a connection between Greg Elmore Atwater High School drum major for my school's marching band. Greg filled in with the Charlatans and went on to drum for Quicksilver. He graduated AHS in 1965. I became a freshman there in 1966. Great job relating the story.
Hey Robert! I appreciate the additional info to the story. Thank you!
@@popgoesthe60s52 Thank you. A couple of other notables from the little town of Merced were Lydia Pence of Cold Blood and Lee Michaels was also a graduate of Atwater High School. Best regards.
Thanks much. I'm always interested in the history of this band and the S.F. scene.
You have enlightened me.
I saw the band reunited at Chet Helm's memorial in '05.
I've been to The Red Dog a few times.
There is quite a bit of memorabilia there, worth checking out.
I think that they display an original copy of "The Seed."
My pleasure, Clark. Thank you for commenting.
Buffy St. Marie, who wrote and performed Universal Soldier and wrote "Up Where We Belong" sung by Jennifer Warnes and Joe Cocker .. pretty interesting span in styles!
I saw her play in Basingstoke a few years ago. She was great!
I do plan a video on Buffy as some point. Her 60s stuff is really interesting.
Their namesake, the Charlatans UK did a great album in the mid nineties called Tellin' Stories. It's not sixties but worth a listen
Yes, I keep hearing about them but I have never actually heard them! Thanks for recommending them.
thanks Matt. Always learning here :)
Greetings Matt ✌️ Enjoyable episode of The Charlatans, Fantastic photos and Clips👍 -A few years ago I bought the San Francisco Nuggets Box Set, which I was only familiar with two of their songs Number One and Alabama Bound, Many of the San Francisco bands Im familiar with are of course The Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe & The Fish, Moby Grape, Blue Cheer, Santana,Sly and The Family Stone and Lidia Pense & Cold Blood. But I didnt know that they did a version of the song Codine, I was only familiar with The Quicksilver Messenger Service version, -I love how Pop Goes the 60"s spotlights bands like The Charlatanns The Merry Go Round and Spanky and our Gang which seem to be forgotten. Great backstory on Janis Joplin,, Ken Kesey & The Merry Pranksters and Vince Guaraldi. Very entertaining Matt! Cheers 🍺
Thank you, Ernie - more to come!
Thanks for this video. I was very much interested in hearing about their development. Although I've known of the Charlatans for decades I never actually came across them when I was growing up in the 60's. I like the feel of their music. They capture some of the underground spirit of the San Francisco sound that I grew up with. Country Joe and the Fish had a very strong influence on me when it was new and fresh and I feel some of that vibe in what I just heard.
Terrific job, Matt, impeccable research as usual,....Howard Hesseman was one of the more outspoken critics of the Lovin' Spoonful after their bust around this time if I'm not mistaken...
That is interesting to hear. There is almost no information on how the Spoonful was treated after the bust so this is helpful.
@@popgoesthe60s52 'Hotter Than A Match Head' written by Steve Boone was a great read...
Avalon Ballroom on Catalina island 26 miles west of San Pedro California
How about a Flamin'' Groovies video?
Yeah that would be great, another of my favourite bands
Mike Wilhelm of the Charlatans would later join the Flamin' Groovies, as you probably know.
One thing about your videos, Matt, which I appreciate, is your interest in going into the histories about other bands, besides your deep dives into the Beatles and their subsequent solo careers. Seems like many others doing shows about music on TH-cam, either concentrate mostly on the Beatles, the Beach Boys, etc. If they bring anybody else up, it's usually just a quick mention. Have you considered doing the same type of shows about bands like the Beau Brummels, Ian & The Zodiacs, the Brymers and Orange Bicycle? Was also going to mention the Merry Go Round, but see you covered them from a few years back.
I will certainly do the Beau Brummels and I have been threatening to buy the 5 cd retrospective set. I do like the Orange Bicycle but may include them in a group of late brit psych. Thanks for the feedback!
I've known about these guys for decades but now that I've heard them I can see why they didn't make it
A very good retelling of the origins of the "San Francisco Sound". You didn't mention the book "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" by Tom Wolfe (you do meniton LSD though). The book mentions the Charlatans and their Red Dog Saloon gig and really was the first time I learned of the historical musical significance of those Virginia City performances. These shows were the foundation for what would morph into the Summer of Love which took the San Francisco area by storm.
Thanks for watching and for the comments, Bruce!
You did a good job with this video, Matt - I was impressed. The Charlatans weren't the greatest band in San Francisco, yet deserve to be remembered for their style and influence. I've been to the Red Dog Saloon and it's just a little bar at the end of the street in Virginia City. That one street seemed to comprise the whole town or something - it was weird. The Seed poster used to advertise that engagement routinely goes for thousands of dollars at auctions. One could compile a decent ten track or so playlist of their music using the Amazing Charlatans CD you mentioned, but I'm not crazy about the 1969 LP. Anyway, keep it up!
Thanks, Lance!
Fascinating Matt, knew of them, never heard them. Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks showed how it could be done. You can see from this why they didn't make it - competition the key word. Look at favourites Kaleidoscope who could produce funny little songs but had the advantage of multi-instrumentalists taking them to another level on extended songs.
Yes, the Kaleidoscope was an acquired taste as well, but they could sure play!
This was cool, Matt. Truly, I'd never heard of THIS group until 30 minutes ago. Over the last 35-40-ish years, the name 'The Charlatans" was lost to a band called The Charlatans UK. So, hence the confusion. The music samples you played here, up against the specific timeline of the 1960s in question, it would seem that, outside of the "hip" club scene in California, this group was dead in the water...at least commercially. Specifically, The Lovin' Spoonful and Spanky & Our Gang. Both those groups had better singing (SPOG) and playing (Spoonful) and made the Charlatans sound pretty "rag tag." I'm sure they killed 'em in California, but the lack of commitment from major labels put the writing on the wall. Plus, as good as the Lovin' Spoonful and Spanky were, their commercial / pop market careers were pretty much done by mid 1968. That scene was over. We were heading in to the Woodstock era very soon, and other heavier bands were ready to take their place on the scene. It's nice that the Charlatans were able to carve out a place with their niche scene, enough so people still remember them today.
Yes, this band didn't have much power under the hood, it's a miracle they get the mentions that they do!
@@popgoesthe60s52
One could argue that being skeptical of music business-types is hardly something to be overlooked as a reason for "not having a great recording portfolio."
When I saw the giant 24 oz glass of beer on the desk, I said to myself, "This is someone I can trust."
and best of all, the beer level slowly gets lower throughout the video proving it was not a prop. Nicely done, sir.
Or he was in Germany
Great vid Matt, I had never heard of them before and like a few others my mind went to the Charlatans UK that I grew up with lol
It doesn’t sound like these guys were way ahead of their time? That kind of country Chet Atkins type guitar is amazing.
Matt , always a interesting deeper dive into some of these more obscure artists, while it is not my favorite style of music ,it was entertaining with your backstories of these bands.
Thank you, LSU01. I wanted to tee up the San Fran scene a bit before I tackle some more substantial bands from that area.
@@popgoesthe60s52 Matt looking forward to your takes !
Didn't know about The Charlatans at all. Good stuff! I'm a major Kinks fan who'd love to see some focus on them. They never get the attention as the others British Invasion acts in the states, which makes me crazy! All people know is Come Dancing
Thanks for another interesting dive into the 60's! Mike Wilhelm came to England in 1976 and the Zig Zag magazine (Pete Frame, John Tobler) put out his charming Solo Album 😊 He joined the Flaming Grooves and starting with "Shake some action" they released at least 3 incredible albums full of Byrds magic, instrumental guitar power, great compositions and vocals. Plus they had become an awesome live band🎉❤
Groovies
I read about the Charlatans in Rolling Stone (when it was still worth reading). Dug their whole look immediately. I painted my high school notebook with the ad that George Hunter had done and carried it around. Over time I got to know Michael Wilhelm as a Facebook Friend. He was cool in that he would actually answer questions. George Hunter couldn't be bothered to return my Facebook request. I met Dan Hicks off and on and became a big fan of the Hot Licks.
Thanks for that info, Harvey. I know Hunter could be a bit flaky.
I was at that same show in 1997. I thought they were fun too. I have been a huge Dan Hicks fan for years. Where's The Money is a great live album of his.
I wish I had taken more photos of that time.
Really enjoy your channel. How does bands like Country Weather, Aum, The Chocolate Watch Band, Ace Of Cups fit into the late 60’s music movement?
Keep up the good work.
Nice job, thanks Matt. I was a fan of Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks early on.
Thanks for making this. I've loved the band for decades, discovering them in the 70's having 'heard' about them as a sort of catalyst for the bay area scene in 67. I had to buy bootleg records to hear their original stuff. I particularly like their unpolished, understated old west sound - the victorian era saloon meets the mid 1960's west coast folk rock. Another band with a similar vibe was Sopwith Camel on.... Kama Sutra. Go figure. I agree the Charlatans sole album is underrated, its a good listen.
Have you done a doc on The Vejatables/The Mojo Men, yet? Probably one of the few best bay area bands that started early on next to Jefferson Airplane. Serpent Power was another, albeit short lived, bay area band as well released by excellent record label Vanguard Records. Interesting that Vince Guaraldi sat in for some of the Charlatans performances. He certainly would have contributed some much neeeded musical virtuosity to the Charlatans sound. Coming from the man who, as a well received and profoundly talented pianist, scored The Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack music and performed on many other highly prolific albums for Pacific Jazz and Fantasy Records.
Another great video - this time about a band I had never heard of! (And I am a huge fan of the 1960's music scene in San Francisco.) One non-musical question however - am curious as to how the various incarnations of the Charlatans seemed to avoid the draft. Was always a dark cloud hanging over every male of "draftable" age in the 1960's
That's a good question. One way to avoid the draft was to be in college, which at least 3 of these guys had been.
The Charlatans and the Thirteenth Floor Elevators is all you ever need. Everything else is just a footnote. Well, maybe not everything else but you get my drift. Sp bad you can hardly find anything on Spotify by the Charlatans. too Bad, looks like I'm stuck to cds and vinyl...
How about covering Blue Cheer & Quicksilver Messenger Service? I am sure you would do a great series on these 2 San Francisco bands.
Blue Cheer might be a two or three part series, because they went through more changes in 5 years than most bands do in 20! Blue Cheer in 1967 in no way was the same band in 1971
Jacobson also produced Chris Isaak
And Sopwith Camel
@@davidcollin1436Sopwith Camel, what a great band
It can’t be long before we have a video about the Flamin’ Groovies?
wow how did you manage to get your huge desk up there?
Luckily, I can take it apart.
I was friends with Hunter and Hicks. Used to hang out at Hunter's Downey street digs.Long nights of whiskey and art books occasionally smoke outs. Met a few of their groupies there. George still knows them, shocker.
Hunter seems like quite a character. I would have loved to have met him.
Thanks Matt!
Perhaps somebody else did comment, I read a few but not all!
Their 1969 album was reissued, although I suppose it may not have been that legit.
Eva Records out of France issued lots of stuff in the 80s, so I got that one.
More recently, although we're talking about over 20 years ago there was a bootleg on vinyl "the Ones Who started it all..." which is like their 1966 album had they released one 😉
Thanks Matt, another one well done...Maybe take a look at Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks in the future? Nice job.
I normally don't like "standards" covers , but their Alabama Bound" is heavenly. It has the most unique "dark harmonies".
RIP Mike Wilhelm.
Matt, have you ever done a study on Country Joe & The Fish?
No, not yet, but they are on my very long list!
Even less is known about the Mystery Trend another band around at the same time as the Charlatans were starting. They played at the Matrix and the early Longshoreman’s Hall gigs in 1965 San Francisco, only had one official 45 single, Johnny Was a Good Boy. The other San Francisco bands around would be The Beau Brummels, Sopwith Camel and Great Society, all have very interesting back stories 😊
Hey Roy, I am a fan of the Mystery Trend and I do have more San Fran bands coming!
Thanks for this episode about a band i only knew by name from some 60es concert-posters. And if you ever have any german liner notes you cant read, send me a picture, i'd be happy to translate them for you.
I appreciate that Olaf!
Great video, but I'm ashamed to say that I first thought of the UK Charlatans from the nineties. But once my mind was on the right track, I agree that the Charlatans were a fine band. Wasn't Mike Wilhelm in the Flamin' Groovies at some point and didn't they cover 'I Saw Her' (which has roots in an Elizibethan song?) I believe 'The Limit Of The Marvellous' is available in Europe on Ace Records.
Wilhelm was in the Groovies for a while but I didn't know which albums he was on. Thank you Graham!
Excellent run through Matt. Have to say though there are a few things i disagree with; the late 60s album was, I thought, a pale approximation of their earlier work. The earlier so songs whilst raw, are a lot truer to the bands ethos, if there was such a thing 😂🤣. Also, I think you do them a slight dis service as I feel that they, along with Erickson and the Elevators were actually massively influential on the San Francisco psychedelia movement. As I say though, fantastic video and I hope to hear you do something on The Beau Brummel and Chocolate Watch. 🙏🙂👊.
Interesting.
Very well explained, complete biography of the band : 👍
They might have introduced the habit of being dressed as in carnival, among the youngsters that formed the regular crowd at local events.
One must imagine them playing rather pop-oriented material on stage, with the crowd acid-dosed and dancing, in order to understand at which point they were important in that part of musical history.
Mike Wilhelm used effects on his guitar, when most guitarists didn't dare yet.
For all those reasons, I consider them as genuine pionneers, although it's quite true that the other bands would soon catch up and eventually make them sound out of time.
They had no female singer, no outstanding lead guitarist, and no strong label as well, still they deserve their place in the sunlight, in Pop goes the sixties.
I appreciate the comments Le pere!
Check out Last Days at the Fillmore at 7.30 for Bill Graham laying into Mike Wilhelm, it will tell you a lot about dealing with them.
Yeah, that's a tense scene. It was such a business from every angle by then, not much loyalty.