Pacific Gas & Electric (band)
Pacific Gas & Electric ( PG&E ) was an American blues rock band that existed from 1967 to 1973. Your biggest hit was Are You Ready? from 1970. Unusually for the time, the band had black and white skinned members.
Band history
The band was formed in Los Angeles in 1967 . The original members were Tom Marshall (guitar), Brent Block (bass), Glenn Schwartz (lead guitar, previously with the James Gang ) and Charlie Allen (drums, previously with the Bluesberry Jam). When it became clear that Allen had the best voice, he fronted and Frank Cook (previously on Canned Heat ) came on as drummer. At first they called themselves Pacific Gas and Electric Blues Band , but shortened the name when they got a contract with Kent Records . Their first album Get It On (1968) was only moderately successful, but the band's appearance at the Miami Pop Festival in May 1968 brought them a new contract with Columbia Records .
Pacific Gas & Electric's breakthrough came in 1970 with their second Columbia album Are You Ready . The theme song reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 . In the same year they were involved in the music of the film Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon by Otto Preminger with Liza Minnelli in the leading role.
Various personnel changes and expansions followed, including keyboard and wind instruments. Under pressure from the energy supplier of the same name , the band name was changed to PG&E in 1971 . In 1973 the group broke up. Charlie Allen recorded one last album Pacific Gas & Electric Starring Charlie Allen with studio musicians that year .
Discography
Studio albums
year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
---|---|---|---|
US | |||
1968 | Get it on |
US159 (12 weeks) US |
First published: 1968
|
1969 | Pacific Gas and Electric |
US91 (8 weeks) US |
First published: 1969
|
1970 | Are you ready? |
US101 (11 weeks) US |
First published: 1970
|
1971 | PG&E |
US182 (8 weeks) US |
First published: 1971
|
more publishments
- 1973: Starring Charlie Allen
- 1973: The Best of PG&E
- 2007: Live 'N' Kicking at Lexington
Singles
year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DE | CH | US | |||
1970 | Are you ready? Are you ready? |
DE16 (5 weeks) DE |
CH9 (6 weeks) CH |
US14 (12 weeks) US |
First published: April 1970
|
Father come on home | - | - |
US93 (3 weeks) US |
First published: September 1970
|
|
1972 | Thank God for You Baby PG&E |
- | - |
US97 (2 weeks) US |
First published: March 1972
|
Web links
- Pacific Gas & Electric at Allmusic (English)
- Pacific Gas & Electric at Discogs (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Official website of Pacific Gas & Electric ( Memento of November 10, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Allmusic, see web links
- ↑ a b Chart sources: DE CH US