Pacific Gas & Electric - PG&E; (full album) 1971
Artist:
Pacific Gas & Electric
Album:
PG&E; (
1971)
Wounded Bird Records (
2007)
00:00 - 1
Rock and
Roller's
Lament
03:16 - 2
Recall
06:51 - 3
One More River to Cross
09:35 - 4
Death Row #172
15:09 - 5
Short Dogs and
Englishmen
21:39 - 6 See the
Monkey Run
24:13 - 7
The Time Has Come (To Make Your
Peace)
27:29 - 8
Thank God for You Baby
34:14 - 9 When the Sun Shines
Pacific Gas & Electric was an
American blues rock band in the late
1960s and early
1970s, led by singer
Charlie Allen. Their biggest hit was the gospel-tinged "
Are You Ready?"
The band was formed in
Los Angeles in 1967, by guitarist
Tom Marshall, bassist
Brent Block, lead guitarist
Glenn Schwartz (formerly of
The James Gang) and drummer Charlie Allen, who had previously played in the band
Bluesberry Jam. When it became clear that
Allen was the best singer in the new group, he became the front man, and
Frank Cook, previously of
Canned Heat, came into the band on drums.
Originally known as the
Pacific Gas and Electric Blues Band, they shortened their name when they signed to
Kent Records, releasing the
album Get It On in early
1968. The record was not a success, but following the band's performance at the
Miami Pop Festival in
May 1968 they were signed by
Columbia Records.[
1][2]
Their first album for
Columbia, Pacific Gas and Electric, was issued in
1969, but they achieved greater success with their next album, Are You Ready, in
1970. The title track "Are You Ready?" reached #14 on the
Billboard Hot 100.[3] After the album was recorded,
Cook was injured in a car accident and was replaced on drums by
Ron Woods, Cook staying on as manager.
Marshall and Schwartz left and were replaced by
Frank Petricca (bass) and Ken Utterback (guitar), with Brent Block moving to rhythm guitar before leaving later in 1970. Unusually for the time, the band contained both black and white musicians, which led to rioting and gunfire on one occasion when the band, who toured widely, performed in
Raleigh, North Carolina.[1]
In 1971, the band changed their name to PG&E;, following pressure from the utility company of the same name. The band also expanded, Allen,
Woods, Petricca and Utterback being joined by
Jerry Aiello (keyboards),
Stanley Abernathy (trumpet),
Alfred Galagos and
Virgil Gonsalves (saxophones), and
Joe Lala (percussion). They recorded the album PG&E;, and also appeared in and provided music for the
Otto Preminger film
Tell Me That
You Love Me, Junie
Moon starring
Liza Minnelli. The band then split up. A final album using the name, Pacific Gas & Electric
Starring Charlie Allen, was recorded by Allen with studio musicians and released on the
Dunhill label in
1973.[1][2] For a time the group also included
Rick Durrett formerly of the band
The Coven on keyboards.[citation needed]
Tom Marshall later suffered deteriorating health and personal circumstances, being homeless since the
1980s.[4] Frank Petricca became a commodity broker.[5] Charlie Allen died on 7 May
1990, aged 48.[6]
"Are You Ready?" was later recorded by
Gospel music act DeGarmo And
Key in
1984 for their album "
Communication".