Ten wheel drive

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Ten wheel drive
General information
Genre (s) Jazz rock , R&B
founding 1968
resolution 1974
Founding members
Genya Ravan
Guitar , vocals, banjo , percussion
Aram Schefrin
Mike Zager
Last occupation
singing
 Annie Sutton
Organ, clarinet, keyboards ,
vibraphone
Michael Zager
Guitar, vocals
 Aram Schefrin
Piano, keyboard
Don Grolnick
trombone
 Gerry Chamberlain
Trumpet, flugelhorn, horn
John Gatchell
Drums, percussion
 Barry Lazarowitz
Bass, violin
Harry Max
Trumpet, flugelhorn, horn
 Dean Pratt
Woodwind instruments
 Ed Xiques
Daryl Hall , Tom Cosgrove, John Oates ,
Joey Ward
former members
bass
 Bill Takas , Bob Piazza, Blake Hines
Drums , percussion
 Leon Rix, Allen Herman, David Williams
Leon Rix
Jay Silva, Louis Hoff, Dave Liebman
Jay Silva, Richard Meisterman, Peter Hyde,
Steve Satten, John Gatchell, John Eckert ,
Dean Pratt, Danny Stiles, Frank Frint (on behalf of several musicians)
Louis Hoff, Dave Liebman
Dennis Parisi, Bill Watrous , Tom Malone
Jay Silva, Peter Hyde, Richard Meisterman,
Steve Satten, John Gatchell, John Eckert
Alan Gauvin

Ten Wheel Drive were an American jazz rock / fusion band.

Band history

In 1968, after the all-women rock band Goldie and the Gingerbreads finally ended , Genya Ravan sought a musical challenge. The same was true of Michael Zager and Aram Schefrin , two inexperienced musicians and songwriters from New Jersey . First introduced to each other by their managers, the collaboration required a great deal of effort from everyone. The origins of the three musicians who were to form the core of Ten Wheel Drive were very different and the music initially not to Genya Ravan's taste. She was also the only one with significant work experience in the music industry.

More musicians had to be found for the rhythm and wind section. Only people who could read sheet music were taken under permanent contract. Ultimately, the only exception to this rule was Genya Ravan.

The name Ten Wheel Drive spawned collaborative brainstorming .

When the band finally began performing regularly in 1969, they immediately made headlines and the comparisons between Janis Joplin and Genya Ravan began. Around this time the record company Polydor founded its US branch. Its new director Jerry Schoenbaum signed Ten Wheel Drive . With the producer Walter Raim the band produced the first album " Construction # 1 ".

In the summer of 1969, Ten Wheel Drive also performed at the Atlanta Pop Festival. It was on this occasion that Genya Ravan met Janis Joplin personally, with whom she was constantly - and, in her opinion, incongruously - compared.

In 1970 the second album Brief Replies was released , produced by Guy Draper. Many of the wind players had also been changed in the meantime.

In February 1971 Ten Wheel Drive gave a spectacular concert at the Fillmore East in New York . In addition to the strong musical performance, Genya Ravan caused a stir when she took off her already transparent jacket during the performance and denied the rest of the concert with a bare and painted torso.

In 1971 the band also played in New York's Carnegie Hall . A kind of rock opera was performed. The title and content referred to the Battle of Little Bighorn and the fate of the North American Indian tribes, a topic that was beginning to interest the American public at that time. Although much preparation was done for the event, including the American Symphony Orchestra and a choir, Polydor decided not to record the performance. This step has often been criticized and called a mistake. He later helped first Genya Ravan and then the rest of the band to turn their backs on their record company.

Also in 1971 the third record Peculiar Friends was released , this time produced by Aram Schefrin and Michael Zager himself. After that, Genya Ravan left the band to begin a solo career. She was replaced by Annie Sutton of the Rascals . Nevertheless, Aram Schefrin and Michael Zager also worked on Genya Ravan's first solo record.

The fourth and final album, Ten Wheel Drive , was released in 1974 on Capitol Records , including music that Genya Ravan had composed with Aram Schefrin. The already loose cooperation between the band members finally came to an end.

Discography

Albums

year title Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements
(Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
US US
1969 Construction # 1 US151 (16 weeks)
US
Polydor
1970 Letter replies US161 (8 weeks)
US
Polydor
1971 Peculiar Friends US190 (5 weeks)
US
Polydor

More albums

  • 1974: Ten Wheel Drive (Capitol Records)

Singles

year Title
album 		Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements
(Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
US US
1970 Morning Much Better
Brief Replies 		US74 (7 weeks)
US

literature

  • Lollipop Lounge, Memoirs Of A Rock And Roll Refugee, Genya Ravan, 2004, ISBN 0-8230-8362-4

Web links

swell

  1. ↑ a b Chart sources: US