Steppenwolf - Steppenwolf Gold Their Great Hits [1971] (Full Album)

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• published: 02 May 2017
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Steppenwolf is a Canadian rock band that was prominent from 1968 to 1972. The group was formed in late 1967 in Toronto by lead singer John Kay, keyboardist Goldy McJohn, and drummer Jerry Edmonton (all formerly in Jack London & The Sparrows from Oshawa, Ontario). Guitarist Michael Monarch and bass guitarist Rushton Moreve were recruited by notices placed in Los Angeles-area record and musical instrument stores. Steppenwolf sold over 25 million records worldwide, releasing eight gold albums and 12 Billboard Hot 100 singles, of which six were top 40 hits, including three top 10 successes: «Born to Be Wild», written by Dennis Edmonton (using the stage name Mars Bonfire), «Magic Carpet Ride», and «Rock Me». Steppenwolf enjoyed worldwide success from 1968 to 1972, but clashing personalities led to the end of the core lineup. Today, John Kay is the only original member, having served as the lead singer since 1967. The name change from The Sparrows (The Sparrow) to Steppenwolf was suggested to John Kay by Gabriel Mekler, being inspired by Hermann Hesse's novel of the same name. Steppenwolf's first two singles were «A Girl I Knew» and «Sookie Sookie». The band finally rocketed to worldwide fame after their third single, «Born to Be Wild», was released in 1968, as well as their version of Hoyt Axton's «The Pusher». Both of these tunes were used prominently in the 1969 counterculture cult film Easy Rider (both titles originally had been released on the band's debut album). In 1968, Steppenwolf played one of their biggest shows up to that time at the Filmore East to rave reviews, sharing the bill with Buddy Rich and Children of God. Several changes in the group's personnel were made after the first few years. The band broke up after a farewell concert in Los Angeles on Valentine's Day, 1972. Steppenwolf reformed in 1974 with its core lineup of Kay, Edmonton, and McJohn, along with longtime bassist Biondo and newcomer Bobby Cochran, Eddie Cochran's nephew, on lead guitar. John Kay reformed Steppenwolf in 1980. The reformed John Kay and Steppenwolf line-up featured John Kay, Michael Palmer (guitars, backing vocals), Steve Palmer (drums, backing vocals), Danny Ironstone (keyboards, backing vocals), and Kurtis Teel on bass. In December 1984, the band as it was disbanded and Kay and Wilk decided to continue on in early 1985 with a pared-down quartet composed of Kay, Wilk, Wilk's friend Ron Hurst (drums, backing vocals), and Rocket Ritchotte (guitars, backing vocals). The band performed its «Farewell Concert» on October 6, 2007 at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, Maryland, featuring Kay, keyboardist and programmer Michael Wilk, drummer Ron Hurst, and guitarist Danny Johnson. Steppenwolf - Steppenwolf Gold: Their Great Hits [1971] (Full Album) Gold: Their Great Hits was the first greatest hits collection released by the American rock band Steppenwolf. The album, released in 1971, charted at No 24 on the Billboard Pop Albums charts and was certified «gold» by the RIAA on April 12, 1971. Steppenwolf fused traditional rock and R&B; with late '60s contemporary heaviness. «Born to Be Wild», their signature tune, has aged amazingly well. Aside from the song's power and performance, its engineering and production is stellar. This goes for most of Steppenwolf's catalog as well. Other tracks of note include the lesser known «Rock Me», which was used in the film Candy. It's an amazing period piece that reflects the underside of Hollywood life. This album is a but thin - containing only ten tracks - but as an introduction to a great band, it's nearly perfect. Tracklist: Side 1 1. Born to Be Wild (Mars Bonfire) 3:28 2. It's Never Too Late (Kay, Nick St. Nicholas) 4:05 3. Rock Me (Dave Grusin, Kay) 3:39 4. Hey Lawdy Mama (Larry Byrom, Jerry Edmonton, Kay) 3:00 5. Move Over (Kay, Gabriel Mekler) 2:53 6. Who Needs Ya (Byrom, Kay) 2:59 Side 2 1. Magic Carpet Ride (John Kay, Rushton Moreve) 4:30 2. The Pusher (Hoyt Axton, Kay) 5:43 3. Sookie, Sookie (Don Covay, Steve Cropper) 3:09 4. Jupiter's Child (Edmonton, Kay, Monarch) 3:24 5. Screaming Night Hog (Kay) 3:17 Line-up/Musicians: John Kay - vocals, guitar, harmonica Larry Byrom - guitar Nick St. Nicholas - bass guitar Michael Monarch - guitar George Biondo - vocals, bass guitar Rushton Moreve - bass guitar Goldy McJohn - keyboards Jerry Edmonton - drums Producer – Gabriel Mekler (tracks: A1 to A5, B1 to B4) Producer – Richard Podolor on «Screaming Night Hog» Label: ABC/Dunhill Records ‎– DSX-50099 Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Gatefold Country: US Released: 1971 DISCLAIMER: I do not make any profit from this video. No copyright infringement intended. All rights belong to the respective artists and the record companies. It is uploaded for educational and promotional purposes only. I do not own, nor claim to own anything contained in this video.