Cat Mother & the All Night Newsboys
Encyclopedia
Cat Mother and The All Night Newsboys was an American
musical group, originally formed in New York
and later based in Mendocino, California
, most active in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
and Richie Furay
in the Au Go Go Singers
, prior to the formation of Buffalo Springfield
. Initial members were Bob Smith on vocals, keyboard
s and drums
, Roy Michaels on vocals and bass guitar
, William David "Charlie" Chin on vocals and guitar
, Larry Packer on guitar and violin
, and Michael Equine on drums and guitar. Jay Ungar
was also initially associated with the group, on violin, and rejoined the group for their second album. Core band membership consisted of Michaels, Smith and Equine.
The band's popularity in New York grew during 1967 and 1968, through regular appearances at the Cafe Wha?
, which led to an engagement as the house band
at New York's Electric Circus
.
The band was particularly notable for releasing a Top 40 hit in the summer of 1969, reaching no. 21 on the U.S. Billboard Pop Chart, with the rock and roll
medley "Good Old Rock 'n' Roll". The medley included cover version
s of "Sweet Little Sixteen
" by Chuck Berry
, "Long Tall Sally
" by Little Richard
, "Chantilly Lace
" by The Big Bopper
, "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" by Jerry Lee Lewis
, "Blue Suede Shoes
" by Carl Perkins
and "Party Doll
" by Buddy Knox
. The single
and the band's first album
, The Street Giveth and the Street Taketh Away, were produced
by Jimi Hendrix
. The association with Hendrix came through the band meeting him in New York City. Cat Mother was initially managed by Michael Jeffrey
, who also managed Hendrix. Cat Mother opened for Hendrix on several occasions, as a result. Other notable early appearances included playing at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival
, the historic concert headlined by The Doors
, where John Lennon
and The Plastic Ono Band appeared in a surprise performance.
Other popular songs by the band included "The Street Giveth and the Street Taketh Away", "Strike a Match and Light Another", and "Cat Mother". However, the band's principal chart success remained "Good Old Rock 'n' Roll", which was not representative of the diversity of its sound. Similar to contemporaries Moby Grape
, Poco
and the post-1967 Byrds, as well as predating The Eagles, Cat Mother was one of the first rock bands to blend rock and country music
.
As part of the band's actions to sever ties with manager Michael Jeffrey, the band relocated to San Francisco as of 1970, and later settled in the Mendocino
area. By the time of their 1970 second album, Albion Do-Wah, they were joined by Jay Ungar
(violin
, mandolin
, guitar, & vocals), Paul Johnson (guitar), and special guest Lyndon Lee Hardy (vocals on two songs). The third album, Cat Mother, released in 1972, featured Michaels, Smith and Equine joined by Charlie Prichard (lead & slide guitar
) and Steve Davidson (congas & percussion). By the time of the band's final album, Last Chance Dance, in 1973, Charlie Prichard had been replaced by Charlie Harcourt on guitar, harmonica and vocals. The band continued to perform until 1977.
Michaels, Smith Packer, Chin, Ungar, Johnson Prichard, Davidson and Harcourt all continued in music.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musical group, originally formed in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and later based in Mendocino, California
Mendocino, California
Mendocino is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California, United States. Mendocino is located south of Fort Bragg, at an elevation of 154 feet...
, most active in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
History
Cat Mother and The All Night Newsboys was co-founded by Roy Michaels and Bob Smith in the fall of 1967. Michaels had previously been playing with Stephen StillsStephen Stills
Stephen Arthur Stills is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash . He has performed on a professional level in several other bands as well as maintaining a solo career at the same time...
and Richie Furay
Richie Furay
Richie Furay is an American singer, songwriter, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member who is best known for forming the bands Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Bruce Palmer, and Dewey Martin, and Poco with Jim Messina, Rusty Young, George Grantham and Randy Meisner...
in the Au Go Go Singers
Cafe Au Go Go
The Cafe au Go Go was a Greenwich Village night club located in the basement of 152 Bleecker Street. The club featured many well known musical groups, folksingers and comedy acts between the opening in February 1964 until closing in October 1969. Originally owned by Howard Solomon who sold the club...
, prior to the formation of Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield is a North American folk rock band renown both for its music and as a springboard for the careers of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Jim Messina. Among the first wave of North American bands to become popular in the wake of the British invasion, the group combined...
. Initial members were Bob Smith on vocals, keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
s and drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, Roy Michaels on vocals and bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, William David "Charlie" Chin on vocals and guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, Larry Packer on guitar and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, and Michael Equine on drums and guitar. Jay Ungar
Jay Ungar
Jay Ungar is an American folk musician and composer. -Biography:Ungar was born in the Bronx , the son of immigrant Jewish parents from Eastern Europe. He frequented Greenwich Village music venues during his formative period in the 1960s...
was also initially associated with the group, on violin, and rejoined the group for their second album. Core band membership consisted of Michaels, Smith and Equine.
The band's popularity in New York grew during 1967 and 1968, through regular appearances at the Cafe Wha?
Cafe Wha?
Cafe Wha? is a club in Greenwich Village in Manhattan, New York City that has been home to various musicians and comedians. Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, The Velvet Underground, Cat Mother & the All Night Newsboys, Kool and the Gang, Peter, Paul & Mary, Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce, Joan...
, which led to an engagement as the house band
House band
For the British band that existed from 1984-2001, see The House BandA house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to...
at New York's Electric Circus
Electric Circus (nightclub)
The Electric Circus was a nightclub and discotheque located at 19-25 St. Marks Place between Second and Third Avenues in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, from 1967 to September 1971. The club was created by Jerry Brandt, Stanton J. Freeman and their partners and designed...
.
The band was particularly notable for releasing a Top 40 hit in the summer of 1969, reaching no. 21 on the U.S. Billboard Pop Chart, with the rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
medley "Good Old Rock 'n' Roll". The medley included cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of "Sweet Little Sixteen
Sweet Little Sixteen
"Sweet Little Sixteen" is a rock and roll song written and originally performed by Chuck Berry, who released it as a single in January 1958. It reached number two on the American charts, Berry's highest position ever on the charts, with the exception of the suggestive number one hit "My...
" by Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
, "Long Tall Sally
Long Tall Sally
"Long Tall Sally" is a rock and roll 12-bar blues song written by Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, Enotris Johnson and Richard Penniman , recorded by Little Richard and released March 1956 on the Specialty Records label....
" by Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
, "Chantilly Lace
Chantilly lace
Chantilly lace is a handmade bobbin lace named after the city of Chantilly, France, in a tradition dating from the 17th century, though the most famous are silk laces introduced in the 18th century...
" by The Big Bopper
The Big Bopper
Jiles Perry "J. P." Richardson, Jr. also commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an American disc jockey, singer, and songwriter whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star...
, "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" by Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
, "Blue Suede Shoes
Blue Suede Shoes
"Blue Suede Shoes" is a rock and roll standard written and first recorded by Carl Perkins in 1955 and is considered one of the first rockabilly records and incorporated elements of blues, country and pop music of the time...
" by Carl Perkins
Carl Perkins
Carl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...
and "Party Doll
Party Doll
"Party Doll" is a 1957 rockabilly song written by Buddy Knox and Jimmy Bowen. It was performed by Buddy Knox with the Rhythm Orchids and became a hit on the Roulette label....
" by Buddy Knox
Buddy Knox
Buddy Knox was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his 1957 rockabilly hit song, "Party Doll".-Biography:...
. The single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
and the band's first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, The Street Giveth and the Street Taketh Away, were produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
. The association with Hendrix came through the band meeting him in New York City. Cat Mother was initially managed by Michael Jeffrey
Michael Jeffrey (manager)
Michael Frank Jeffery was a music business manager of the 1960s who is best known for his management of British band The Animals and American guitarist-composer Jimi Hendrix, whom he co-managed for a time with former Animals bassist Chas Chandler...
, who also managed Hendrix. Cat Mother opened for Hendrix on several occasions, as a result. Other notable early appearances included playing at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival
Toronto Rock and Roll Revival
The Toronto Rock and Roll Revival was a one day, twelve hour music festival held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on September 13, 1969. It featured a number of popular musical acts from the 1950s and 1960s...
, the historic concert headlined by The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
, where John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
and The Plastic Ono Band appeared in a surprise performance.
Other popular songs by the band included "The Street Giveth and the Street Taketh Away", "Strike a Match and Light Another", and "Cat Mother". However, the band's principal chart success remained "Good Old Rock 'n' Roll", which was not representative of the diversity of its sound. Similar to contemporaries Moby Grape
Moby Grape
Moby Grape is an American rock group from the 1960s, known for having all five members contribute to singing and songwriting and that collectively merged elements of folk music, blues, country, and jazz together with rock and psychedelic music...
, Poco
Poco
Poco is an Southern California country rock band originally formed by Richie Furay and Jim Messina following the demise of Buffalo Springfield in 1968. The title of their first album, Pickin' Up the Pieces, is a reference to the break-up of Buffalo Springfield. Highly influential and creative,...
and the post-1967 Byrds, as well as predating The Eagles, Cat Mother was one of the first rock bands to blend rock and country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
.
As part of the band's actions to sever ties with manager Michael Jeffrey, the band relocated to San Francisco as of 1970, and later settled in the Mendocino
Mendocino, California
Mendocino is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California, United States. Mendocino is located south of Fort Bragg, at an elevation of 154 feet...
area. By the time of their 1970 second album, Albion Do-Wah, they were joined by Jay Ungar
Jay Ungar
Jay Ungar is an American folk musician and composer. -Biography:Ungar was born in the Bronx , the son of immigrant Jewish parents from Eastern Europe. He frequented Greenwich Village music venues during his formative period in the 1960s...
(violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, guitar, & vocals), Paul Johnson (guitar), and special guest Lyndon Lee Hardy (vocals on two songs). The third album, Cat Mother, released in 1972, featured Michaels, Smith and Equine joined by Charlie Prichard (lead & slide guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
) and Steve Davidson (congas & percussion). By the time of the band's final album, Last Chance Dance, in 1973, Charlie Prichard had been replaced by Charlie Harcourt on guitar, harmonica and vocals. The band continued to perform until 1977.
Michaels, Smith Packer, Chin, Ungar, Johnson Prichard, Davidson and Harcourt all continued in music.
Discography
- 1969 The Street Giveth... and the Street Taketh Away (PolydorPolydor RecordsPolydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
) - 1970 Albion Doo-Wah (Polydor)
- 1972 Cat Mother (Polydor)
- 1973 Last Chance Dance (Polydor)