Rhinoceros (band)

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Rhinoceros were an American rock band formed in 1967 by Elektra Records in Los Angeles .

history

The music producer Paul A. Rothchild and Frazier Mohawk decided in 1967, for a new Electra rock - Super Group to put together. In two auditions in September and November 1967 Doug Hastings (guitar, ex-Daily Flash, ex- Buffalo Springfield ), Alan Gerber (keyboards, vocals), John Finley (vocals, ex- Jon and Lee & the Checkmates ) and Danny Weis (Guitar, ex- Iron Butterfly ) selected. On Weis recommendation, Jerry “The Bear” Penrod (bass, ex-Iron Butterfly) joined them. Most recently, Michael Fonfara (keyboards, ex- The Electric Flag ) and John Keleihor (drums, ex-Daily Flash) were recruited. During the band's short career there were some line-up changes (see “Band Members” below).

The group made the first recordings as a backing band for David Ackles for his debut album, which was released in 1968. In the same year, the band's first album, Rhinoceros , came out. Despite massive advertising and good reviews, the album only sold sluggishly. But the decoupled single Apricot Brandy , an instrumental piece written by Weis and Fonfara, reached number 46 on the Billboard charts , was later used as a theme song by the BBC and covered in 1990 by Danny Gatton . The song I Will Serenade You , written by John Finley, was covered by Three Dog Night as Let Me Serenade You and rose to number 17 in the USA in 1973. The song You're My Girl (I Don't Want to Discuss It ) , the cover version of the Rhinoceros debut album, was in turn covered by Amen Corner in 1969 and Rod Stewart in 1970 . I Will Serenade You was Rhinoceros' US debut single in 1968, while You're My Girl was released in the UK as its debut single, also in 1968. B-side was the other song.

Despite the poor sales of the first album, two more were recorded, Satin Chickens (1969) and Better Times Are Coming (1970). During this time there were several changes in the line-up.

In 1971, Rhinoceros was dissolved. John Finley, Michael Fonfara, Peter Hodgson, Danny Weis and Larry Leishman formed a new band called Blackstone, which recorded an album and then broke up.

On August 7, 2009, Rhinoceros founding members John Finley, Alan Gerber, Danny Weis and Michael Fonfara performed again together at the Kitchener Blues Festival in Ontario, Canada; with Peter Hodgson (bass), Bernie LaBarge (guitar) and Mike Sloski (drums).

Band members

  • John Finley - vocals (1967–1971, 2009)
  • Michael Fonfara - keyboards (1967–1971, 2009)
  • Danny Weis - guitar, piano (1967–1971, 2009)
  • Doug Hastings - guitar (1967-1970)
  • Alan Gerber - vocals, piano (1967-1969, 2009)
  • Jerry "The Bear" Penrod - bass (1967-1969)
  • John Keleihor - drums (1967–1968)
  • Billy Mundi - drums (1968-1969)
  • Steve Weis - bass (1969)
  • Peter Hodgson - bass (1969-1971, 2009)
  • Larry Leishman - guitar (1969–1971)
  • Duke Edwards - drums, vocals (1969-1970)
  • Richard Crooks - drums (1970)
  • Malcolm Tomlinson - drums (1970-1971)
  • Bernie LaBarge - guitar (2009)
  • Mike Sloski - drums (2009)

Discography

Albums

  • 1968: Rhinoceros
  • 1969: Satin Chickens (new edition 2003 as double CD)
  • 1970: Better Times Are Coming (new edition 2003 as double CD)

Singles

  • 1968: You're My Girl / I Will Serenade You
  • 1969: Apricot Brandy / When You Say You're Sorry
  • 1969: I Need Love / Belbuekus
  • 1969: Back Door / In a Little Room
  • 1970: Old Age / Let's Party
  • 1970: Better Times / It's a Groovy World

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Linda Seida: Biography of Rhinoceros on Allmusic (English)
  2. ↑ Apricot Brandy on chartsurfer.de
  3. ↑ The Happy Sound on radiorewind.co.uk (English)
  4. ↑ Apricot Brandy by Danny Gatton on secondhandsongs.com
  5. ↑ Chart History Three Dog Night on billboard.com
  6. ↑ You're My Girl (I Don't Want To Discuss It) on secondhandsongs.com
  7. ↑ Rhinoceros at the Kitchener Blues Festival 2009 on rhinoceros-group.com (English)