Pacific Gas & Electric

Country: United States
Genre: classic rock rock 70s soundtrack blues rock
Lyrics: Pacific Gas & Electric lyrics

Biography

The history of Pacific Gas & Electric can be traced back to 1967 in Los Angeles (L.A.) Self-taught guitarist Tom Marshall met bassist Brent Block at a party thrown by Block's former art teacher. The band they started was called "Pacific Gas and Electric Blues Band", one of the first interracial bands to hit the L.A. music scene. One of the early members was a drummer from the east coast named Charlie Allen. Allen's vocal abilities were so good that he was relieved of his drum sticks, and became lead singer and frontman, to be replaced on drums by Canned Heat's former drummer, Frank Cook, who had earlier signed on to manage the band. By 1968, the band name was shortened to Pacific Gas & Electric, and included Allen, Cook, Marshall, Block, and guitarist Glenn Schwartz (also of James Gang and All Saved Freak Band). They released their first album, Get It On, that year on the Kent record label (it was subsequently released on Big Orange and Power Records as well). Although it only reached #159 on the album charts, someone at Columbia Records was listening, as they signed the band to a recording contract shortly after their appearance at the Miami Pop Festival in December of 1968. The next album, and the first released by Columbia, was simply called Pacific Gas and Electric, in 1969. However, it was the next release, the Are You Ready LP that included their first mainstream hit. The title track reached #14 in the summer of 1970, and featured the backing vocals of The Blackberries. Wholesale changes were in store for the group after recording the Are You Ready album. After a serious car accident, Cook was replaced on drums by Ron Woods, and he stayed on as manager. Schwatrz announced his conversion to born-again Christianity onstage during a concert and t